Walked through the living room, stopped myself. A commercial on TV. I thought, “Oh my god, they’ve finally made a biography of Neil Armstrong.” And as goofy as it sounds, I kinda got choked up. You gotta understand… I knew who Neil Armstrong was by the time I was four years old, I’m sure. It’s …
Month: September 2018
My Alma Mater, North Park University (Chicago, IL), used to be a national powerhouse in Division III (non-scholarship) men’s basketball. North Park won national championships in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, and 1987. The hoops’ team fell on very hard times after the release of the head coach who guided the Viking ship to the last …
Less of a white flag of defeat than a defiant proclamation of freedom, Seattle artist PSA’s latest video “So Over” is emblematic of the decay and rebirth that comes from leaving a relationship in the past. Stark and emotive, the video explores the strength and power of returning to yourself. Native to the Pacific Northwest, …
East Portland Blog has been around for ten years and for at least 7 of them we’ve employed the motto, “Where East Meets West for All the Best.” It’s a fine principle, guiding us to better things every year. The mighty Peter Dysart is the writer who came up with that theme and he has …
I visited some pear trees I planted seven years ago to find this first fruit on one tree. It was ripe and tasted amazing. Even small, good things can require an investment of years. Best wishes with your efforts. Keep working and expecting great things. – Paul Johnson
Today, Waxploitation announces the reissue of Zoo Animal’s three full-length albums. Zoo Animal: The Complete Recordings contains the collected works of Zoo Animal with new artwork and bonus tracks / remixes. The first single “Gravedigger” is a preview of unreleased material from an amazing, yet underappreciated artist. Singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer Holly Hansen created Zoo Animal in Minneapolis, after moving to the city from the …
What do you think about this sneak peak at my latest song out of Jamaica? I took this back to MY Roots. I have yet to try to sound Jamaican. I don’t see the point. I just have common influences. I feel the African diaspora in my blood. Even if my DNA didn’t come up …
I call this one, “little baby ducky on the go.” – Photo property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
AIDA is a Canadian based singer/songwriter originally from Paris, France. Of this tune, she says, “Toastin’” is about love, but more specifically, it’s about the importance of personal space in a relationship, and being in sync with yourself before jumping into anything with someone else.” https://www.instagram.com/aidasolive/
LOST CHOCOLATE LAB, the solo project of Damian Kastbauer, is now based in Seattle and has released a debut offering. Loaded with experimentalism, floating weightlessly between space rock, alternative rock and shoegaze with ambient elements, there’s something here for the guitar lover in you. http://lostchocolatelab.com/ Lost Landscapes by Lost Chocolate Lab
I wonder how the people working full time living in tents feel about our amazing American economy. We should ask them.As well as questions such as, “are you optimistic that in 2019 you will progress financially to living in a car?” Socialism is the oil in the engine of Capitalism. You can deny it, but …
So many at this time of year “can’t wait for fall.” My wife loved autumn, for example. The crispness of the air, the decaying foliage’s bright colours. Apples and cinnamon. What fall really consists of, in these parts, is about three weeks of happy, bright pumpkin-time… followed by 5-6 months of drizzle, of ballbag-slapping cold …
https://youtu.be/hOmZXG19Ets The commercial above is inspired. Nothing more need be said. Queen is said to have been the most educated band in rock history. Every member had at least a college degree. Brian May got a PhD. Queen, the movie, is scheduled for release on November 2, 2018.
“Simple Man” is sure to be a hit and will make Conn Raney a huge star. He writes from his enormous, red-blooded heart about family and identity. On songs like “Show Up” and “Simple Man,” Raney shows himself to be as tall, strong and life-affirming as the towering pines of the Oregon he once called …
My friend Christina Davis Pierce is an avid reader and a history buff, she loaned me this great biography and I’ve been pondering it for some time. It’s called Commander In Chief by Eric Larrabee, came out in the late 1980s and is really a series of chapters on men who were involved in WWII, …
My son Kyle reminds me that much of our attitude is a choice. We can choose to be positive or negative. We can choose to be jealous or appreciative. Entering 2018 I decided that I would be a more grateful person, more appreciative of the people in my life, the experiences I have had, and …
Baby NEIL YOUNG and his first girlfriend, PAM SMITH, 1964. Thanks to Steve Hoffman (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/) for this photo. It illuminates, in some small way, the unmistakable quality of innocence that has pervaded Neil Young’s music from the beginning to the present. In other news, Neil Young married movie star Daryl Hannah twice in the last month. The …