Not a Halloween song, but any ballad by the Dark Prince kinda qualifies, eh? I consider this one of the finest songs of my generation. The combination of profound, supremely romantic lyrics and a Murphy-typical, mesmerizing vocal performance… one could cover it, with talent, and it might be good. But never as good as the …
Month: October 2018
I love this tune: an incredible vocalist is nailing a shiny new pop anthem. Definitely worth a few listens. Enjoy. Monique Angele, a unique Canadian (which makes her cool) singer-songwriter currently based in Australia (makes her even cooler), is sharing her recent single, “Our Paradise,” a song inspired by the natural beauty of Australia. More …
With hard driving yet melodic guitar lines, this song elegantly blends the styles of hard rock, country and blues, delivering a potent AF rockabye that is drenched in charisma and worth constant listening. Often referred to as the “local supergroup” in Los Angeles due to the super awesomeness of its’ LA-residing members, Uniform Standard is …
Though the Hall of Fame is a complete sham, I’m still strangely tickled when a slighted act (much less my favorite band that isn’t the Beatles) finally makes the nominee list. Without Roxy Music, much of the 1980s as I knew it wouldn’t have existed. Such an enormous influence; without Roxy, Duran Duran and umpteen …
“This Changes Everything” is a marvelous, deep and loveable song from Dead Space Age’s fine 2018 release Cause / Effect. Give the song a listen below. Check out his website for more info on the album. This is from the Dead Space Age Website: Chicago, Ill. – Dead Space Age is a solo venture of …
If Car Seat Headrest were a car seat headrest, they would no longer fit in a Toyota Prius. A solo project of singer/songwriter Will Toledo in the early years of this decade, Headrest is now a touring juggernaut, with seven members. Blistering sets at the Showbox over the weekend show Headrest now belongs in a …
The lessons after threats drive a black legislator to quit BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Voters in this very liberal, very white state made Kiah Morris a pioneer when in 2014 they elected her as its first black female legislator. Two years later, another Vermont surfaced: racist threats that eventually forced her to leave office in …
People are already starting to debate Paul Allen’s legacy. Some admire him, some disliked him (mostly because of his wealth) and some don’t care at all. I can honestly say his generosity had a major impact on my life as well as countless other people in this region. He used his wealth to try and …
Here’s a viral photo that purports to be Jimi Hendrix backing Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes in Schenectady, New York at the Memorial Chapel of Union College in 1965 or 1966. Is it? You decide. Photo by Jeffrey Hedquist.
Here are two songs from Amour Amour, a new EP from Brooklyn-based singer Livia Blanc. Born in the South of France and raised in Tahiti, Blanc incorporates her native French with English, delivering a chanson-esque EP that swims in a dreamy sonic world that pulls reference from French icons Brigitte Bardot and Francoise Hardy. “The songs that make up Amour …
Blasting new electronic talent Swedish DJ/producer ROËDS proves yet again to be a rising star with the release of “LIAR.” The song features a hook-drenched piano melody empowered by compelling electronic soundscape. This time he has teamed up with the British female vocalist KINGS. Her mesmerizing voice blends power with a fascinating deep tone. ROËDS …
Los Angeles-based drummer, solo artist, and fourth-wave feminist Madame Gandhi has released her new single, “Bad Habits.” Inspired by Fela Kuti, “Bad Habits” is a joyous electronic Afrobeat song. In it, the former drummer for M.I.A. sings over a funky, staccato beat about overcoming one’s negative tendencies: “I’ve been so pressed that I don’t even …
During the entire feverish national walking Zombie nightmare that was Kavanaugh’s inevitable Supreme Court nomination, I heard one phrophetic song on loop. I heard Wu Tang Clan’s ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ Cash does rule everything around me. The Billionaires have the money. Dollar dollar bill yall. The Confirmation was over before it started. The votes were already counted …
Donald Trump proved that in America, if you have enough money and absolutely no decency, there is no Rock Bottom. Mark Zuckerberg reflects that as well. Real decency is not just about four letter words and nip slips. It more about tearing your country apart for what amounts to loose change in a vast social …
The slate for the 2018 inductee class into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been announced. I have winced over the years regarding artists who have been inducted; Joan Jet and Green Day come to mind. I cannot find the criteria for induction on the HOF’s website. Longevity, influence, or an ongoing successful …
Check out my latest recording session for West Indian Rock. This my first attempt at nailing vocals for my collaboration with Jamaican Mento musicians in Port Antonio. This song came to me when I was in Mantis Gardens in Arlington pulling giant fan leaves of marijuana plants that loomed above me. I had returned from my first …
Studio time with Mell Dettmer includes a history lesson on the richest man in history, Mansu Musa of Mali. His wealth in today’s dollars was like…47 Trillion? His road trip to Mecca was inconceivable. Malian history is rich man. I am not going to disregard Dead White Men. Many did fine work. But there is a much …
Last night I heard the rough mix of the Mento song I wrote, and then recorded with Joseph Whitmore and members of the current Jolly Boys line up. The Jolly Boys are the original kings of Mento, legendary in small part among many because their biggest fan Errol Flynn gave them that name. The song, ‘Go Tell …
You are paying rent for your own body, to experience indifference… – DMS Correct me if I am wrong but back in the Reagan era, when people shouted at homeless people to get a job, what that person was truly saying was that they should get an entry level position and pay rent. But many …
I have a lot of nice things to say about the latest remake of A Star is Born. I can be a critic as well. But Bradley Cooper still has a better voice than Kristofferson. Kris is actually a terrible singer and a brilliant songwriter that makes Lou Reed sound like Otis Redding. But this …
On October 6 I took time out of my Saturday afternoon to join about 500 others in downtown Seattle to protest the recent appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. As everyone should know by now, Justice Kavanaugh was accused of attempted rape by the Palo Alto University professor Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Other …
I had ‘Free Your Mind’ removed from Spotify and all the digital stores, because a label you know is going re-release and distribute the song worldwide. ‘Free Your Mind’ will always be a Sick Donkey Records release much like this unsaid label was connected with Island Records. I say too much. But when I sign this paper …
A dear friend of mine made a heart felt post asking what he could do to be a better ally to women after Kavanaugh became a lock as Supreme Court justice today. It’s an important question, but so is this f☆cking question, …Because I want to be an ally, but a majority of White Women …
This is what happens when you don’t vote. This is what happens when you say both candidates are the exact same. You lose THE SUPREME COURT. For most probably the rest of your lives. Oh you thought you won Gay marriage and the fight about those bathrooms. You just lost abortion. …and you are as …
Simple and serene, Jess McAvoy’s lyrics and vocal sincerity strike the very core with each melody, word and note. Reminiscent of years gone by, Jess McAvoy reflects upon how each and every one of us have set forth on a course to follow our passions and dreams that have uprooted ourselves from what’s familiar. But …
While some call her the hardest working woman in show business, Tania Vinokur is also a violinist who knows how to have a great time in a video. Check out the sunlight and funlight in this clip. Her unique sound incorporates a strong violin line over a dynamic, percussive, electronic track, allowing her to fuse …
Vederkast is releasing another single from their new album, And In The Abyss They Sleep. The single, “Reflections Linger,” explores relations between people in a challenging situation. Fortunately, the word “ballad” is not a correct description, instead the sound is intense, soul-scorching, massive, melodic and emotional. The song was, like the rest of the album, …
“Swayed” is the first single from Elza’s boldly titled upcoming album Nothing’s Wrong. “Swayed” is now available on Spotify. “As a solo artist I write, compose, arrange and produce all my music,” says Elza. “I spent over 2 years working on this album alone, carefully crafting all the arrangements. When I felt complete with the …
This is me as a manchild in 1994-1995. I am starting to look like him again. This kid was trying to dunk. He was damn close. ‘Free Your Mind‘ is heading up the charts again starting this weekend in the Caribbean thanks to the Godfathers. One thing music taught me was patience. The other thing …
Right now I am writing a song with Mykal Rose from Black Uruhu. Well to be more specific I am driving up to Bellingham as I listen to a track Reggae Powerhouse Band sent me called ‘Freedom’ that the band produced with the intention of matching me up with the first of a number of greats. The …