January 14 – Arab Spring: Toppling of Tunisian Government marked the beginning of the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world against oppressive regimes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p9NJVgqgW8 March 11 – A 9.1-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the east of …
Month: December 2011
Scene: A London club, summer of 1974 PRODUCER: Thank you boys for chatting with me this morning. ANDREW LLOYD WEBER: We’re only too happy to oblige. TIM RICE: Indeed. PRODUCER: Tim, as you know, Andrew has been kind enough to score our film, The Odessa File. You may know the book, written by the fellow …
What does it say about Brian Wilson that, perhaps alone among recording artists, he made his creative breakthrough in a Christmas song? When the single “Little Saint Nick” was released in the fall of 1963 Wilson had already written and recorded the touchstone ballads “Surfer Girl” and “In My Room,” but the bulk of the …
I give the Rolling Stones a lot of credit for showing up at Chess Records, 2120 S. Michigan Avenue, in Chicago in 1965 and I give Jagger and Richards a lot of credit for paying for Hubert Sumlin‘s funeral in 2011. This is how it’s reported in Rolling Stone magazine: “The funeral for Chicago blues …
I am a single guy. I have a retirement income of approximately the median income of a family of four. That means that I enjoy “surplus capital”–income I don’t need after I pay the rent, put food on the table, etc. Yes, I spend some of that “surplus capital” on non-essentials–computer, camera, music, etc. That …
Today is Dec 7. Growing up in the shadow of world war, you remembered and honored those days. Days like Armistice Day and Pearl Harbor. When done rightly, the honor fell upon those who risked and gave their lives to stop global tyranny. When done badly, the day could become a day of self-righteous preening …
“… for as long as the world still spins and still hums, wherever you are, and no matter what comes — the best part of Christmas will always be… you beneath my Christmas tree.” — The Spirit of Christmas, 2009 The best children’s book is one that always prompts a kid’s heart to soar – …
Full story is here.
I grew up in Eugene, so the Ducks were always present in some way, although I was more of a basketball fan. During the ’74-’75 season my walls were covered with posters of the “Kamikaze Kids.” Football games were freezing bores I had to sit through with my parents. I was only an official Duck …
Thanks to Andrew Hamlin for this urgent news from the Hall of Fame in Cleveland: http://rockhall.com/blog/post/6990_2012-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductees/
I am no stranger to lefse, having eaten the delicious, Norwegian, tortilla-like potato pancake/flatbread in such vaunted centers of Scan-American culture as Chicago, Mineapolis and Seattle. I can say with certainty that the 21st Century Lefse served at VIKING SOUL FOOD (VSF), Portland’s only Norwegian inspired soul food fusion cart, is the best I’ve ever …
Thanks to Jamie Ferry Mazo for the link. A long time ago, Captain Spaulding wrote a great column about the enduring popularity of this song: http://youtu.be/2NFCJGnBQyg
Thanks to Andrew Hamlin for this link: Here’s the AV Club’s list of the Best Music of 2011.
There was a notorious crash here in Portland in the early morning hours of December 3, 2011 wherein Ndamukang Suh, a professional football player, was driving. One passenger was hurt. Seattle musician, Davin Michael Stedman, a member of Staxx Brothers saw the accident and says in this article that Suh, the driver, watched too much …
Hi y’all: What is UP wit’ our ol’ friends at Rhino, anyway? Just seeing the be-candy caned logo below (still avec restricted trademark, natch) unleashed a rather severe Tremor in The Force, at least where I live and breathe. Can you IMAGINE—“An Evening with….”, playing in multiplexes nationwide for two nights this December, devoted to …
This is a good article about a great band. The second I heard Closing Time there was no doubt this song would be a keeper. On the flip of that, I scratch my head why FNT and its massive hook weren’t just as big. The first time I heard Semisonic (then Pleasure) at the old …
When this blog recruited me to introduce a YouTube clip of Dead Moon playing “It’s O.K.” in Hannover, Germany, two thoughts came to mind. First, the history of the band. The long version can be found on their archived website and in the documentary film Unknown Passage. The short version: Longtime Portland musical couple Fred …
“I first produced my pistol, I then produced my rapier,” calling Dr. Freud… Go here.
Thanks to Andrew Hamlin for these awesome links: 50 Favorites: From Adele To ‘Book Of Mormon’ Vote For Your Favorite Albums Of 2011
Full story is here.
Full story is on C/Net here and Oregonlive here.
Legendary Chicago blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin has died. Born in Greenwood, Mississippi on November 16, 1931, Sumlin had recently celebrated his 80th birthday with a public appearance. He died of heart failure December 4, 2011 in Wayne, New Jersey. When reached for comment, EPB blues expert John Siscoe replied: “So Hubert Sumlin is dead. Though …
Some thoughts from the Youtube comments: “Really notable at the end with the “Sweet sweet love of mine,” and “Come on, come on,” and “Ooooooh yeah.” This lead singer frankly is the song in this case, totally immersed and expressing herself. All three are wonderful. The high notes the other two singers hold at 1:55 …
It appears I’m in an exploring mood tonight. It turns out I’m behind the curve with Still Corners, they’ve even been the Guardian’s band of the day, but hell, let’s not make that a reason to ignore them. I got to them via a recommendation from our friend Josh, a man who is on the …
I utterly loved Scary Mansion’s last album Make Me Cry. It was one of a running list of around three at the time that were my constant go-to records when anything else just wouldn’t satisfy. Scary Mansion is essentially Leah Hayes, from New York. Leah’s voice envelopes your ears and psyche. She uses autotune as …