It’s a Tuesday night and four great ska bands play to a sparse but energetic crowd at El Corazon. The night was headlined by the legendary NYC band, The Toasters. I first saw The Toasters in 1996 at the Bumbershoot festival, but spent much of the time chasing my then six-year-old son around. I have …
Month: January 2014
50 years ago The Beatles were introduced to America. Aside from their music, which still stands on its own merits, they helped launch what we now think of as The Sixties. They didn’t start it, of course. After all, the other strands were there — the yearnings for racial equality, artistic restlessness, and a burgeoning …
Goodnight Pete Seeger. One hates to think of the songs that might disappear with his passing. Like us all he got some things wrong…his reaction to “electric” Dylan for example. But his belief in hand-made, rooted music as a progressive force was infinite and inspiring. – Chris Eckman Pete Seeger’s Wikipedia Page No Depression Obituary …
They are a self-described “Band of Goddesses working for peace.” Dellamae.com
Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box” is a staple of ‘90s hard rock that no musician has dared try to genre bend – until now. Featured on their upcoming album Four Foot Shack, which will be out February 4, Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang has created a rootsy, banjo-filled rendition of the track that …
This is from last spring. I remember Darius Rucker making promotional appearances around that time, but it didn’t register with me that “Wagon Wheel” was the pull tune. It’s a nice version and a pleasant video. It’s hard to go wrong with “the new Brown-Eyed Girl.”
We’re 45 years past this, but it’s a nice little rediscovery: See also – The Weight is Americana Rock’s Favorite Cover
See him here: http://www.boredpanda.com/norm-pug-dog-photography/
Next year is the 20th anniversary of Tomorrow the Green Grass. It seems like a lot more than 20 years. Twenty lifetimes maybe. This pre-9/11 video looks like it was filmed long ago in a happier parallel universe. And yet, the images fit the sounds perfectly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4ioiFqPqnQ
I tip my hat to the large man who thought up the idea for this photo. He is truly a pug lover, a friend to animals, and an individual who understands the Internet… http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/man-in-dog-shirt-poses-with-dog-in-man-shirt-214849356.html
Twenty-two years ago, on David Letterman’s 10th Anniversary show, Jan. 18, 1992, at Radio City Music Hall, Bob Dylan and a host of musicians performed “Like a Rolling Stone.” In addition to Dylan, the musicians included Chrissie Hynde (guitar, harmony vocals), Sid Mcginnsss (guitar), Steve Vai (guitar), Carole King (piano), Paul Schaffer (Hammond organ), Edgar …
To anyone who saw the Seattle Seahawks beat down the San Francisco 49ers in the second half of the recently concluded NFC Championship Game, the surprise was not that the 49ers lost, but that they came so close to sending the 12th Man home to an off-season of wailing and gnashing of teeth. Instead, with …
My second concert of 2014 brought me back to Showbox Market to experience the utmost pleasure of seeing Reel Big Fish for about the sixth time and Suburban Legends for the second time. This double bill was not to be missed. Reel Big Fish are tight musically. They’re excellent musicians with a top rate horn …
This is from 2011, but if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth a look. The man in the vid is Charlie Bird, an Irish television journalist.
Phlebotomy is a specialized discipline which involves the skill of drawing blood from patients for laboratory testing. Phlebotomists are trained health technicians who have sufficient skills to ensure that the blood samples from patients are taken and handled in the safest manner. Several colleges and universities these days offer special courses on Phlebotomy. If you …
Please listen to the song below as it is quite excellent and will appear on All the Pretty Things, an album from Decatur, Illinois sensation Ashley Riley which is set to be released 2/18/14. Ms. Riley hosts an open mic night in Decatur and through this she has been able to revitalize the underground singer-songwriter …
Robert Downey Jr makes showbiz magic with “Driven to Tears.” Originally released 34 years ago, this thought-provoking tune, essentially a plea for global sharing, comes across with more white soul cocktail activist power in this version than it did on Zenyatta Mondatta back in the day where it rocked in an interesting little jazzy groove …
My first concert of 2014 and I’m at the Showbox Market to take in some psychobilly. The now legendary Reverend Horton Heat headlined with Nekromantix and Old Man Markley opening. >Hailing from Dallas, TX, The Reverend (real name James Heath) played a mean Gretsch guitar while Jimbo Wallace slapped viciously away at his upright bass, …
The online magazine Grantland featured a farewell essay to Candlestick Park, where the San Francisco 49ers played their final game on Week 16 before winning three more games on the road to earn themselves their third straight trip to the NFC Championship Game. The essay, titled “Closing the Cave of the Winds,” is notable not …
Here it is, a masterwork of cat shaming: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/blog/79/The-27-Naughtiest-Cats-In-The-World-And-I-Can-t-Stop-Laughing
On the first of the year a 75-year-old man cried in my cab when we pulled up to his favorite liquor store and he discovered it closed for the New Year’s holiday. I had picked him up from a house, but the urine stank of the homeless clung to him like ragged fatigues. His leather …
Any vehicle that has a compact frame, sleek styling and two seats can be referred to as a “sports car,” in the strictest sense. However, that is not all there is to sports cars, and this has been shown by automotive history. Many sports cars have come and gone, but only the truly iconic ones …
Watched the whole game yesterday. A few observations: 1. The cold didn’t impact the game as much as people thought it might. Not a lot of slipping or sliding going on, and both teams were able to throw and catch the ball. The kicking game was affected, though. Kickoffs were noticeably shorter even on good …
As the title suggests, I am about to disparage Peter Jackson’s latest installment of his Hobbit trilogy, The Desolation of Smaug. Before I do so, however, I should point out a few things. I am as familiar with the Tolkien literature as anyone could be without being totally obsessive, having read most of it multiple …
Here’s an article in Slate on Sweden’s love of Donald Duck, or Kalle Anka, which literally translates to Charlie Duck. It’s an interesting take on Swedish culture and the appeal of similar cultural icons, especially during the holidays. – Chuck Strom http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2009/12/nordic_quack.html
It’s been an exceptional year in music, so I’m breaking with tradition to create a “best of” list of sorts. My 2013 list includes nine favourites, actually. Why only nine? It was nearly impossible to name a tenth and leave off everything else, so I’ll leave it there. Subjective though these lists may be, one …
If there never was a reason before to eliminate divisions in the NFL conferences and go to a playoff structure seeding teams strictly by their regular season record, there is now. There is something unjust about a team tied for the second-best record in the NFC being rewarded by a first-round playoff game in the …