Remember the hype and saga surrounding the Jackie Robinson West Little League team from Chicago that competed for the Little League championship game in summer 2014? https://www.eastportlandblog.com/2015/02/21/champion-cheaters-by-mark-erickson/ Earlier this week the two lawsuits have been settled/dismissed. The decision by Little League International to strip JRW of its title remains, and the suit against two coaches …
Month: April 2021
What would the Kentucky Derby be without the Mint Julep? What would horseracing be without the iconic Kentucky Derby? And what would the Derby be without the Mint Julep (or those hats)? And to keep this train of thought going – what would the julep be without mint? The first two questions are hypothetical – but the last …
French Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is the parlor trick of herbs. When you bite into a fresh leaf, first you taste the anise flavor then wait a moment and your tongue temporarily goes a bit numb. French tarragon in the old herbals is often referred to as the little dragon because of it’s winding roots. It …
Yellow Trash Can (YTC), made up of multi-instrumentalist Jason Navarrete and Sony songwriter Jitta On The Track, came to life in late 2019, when Jason and Jitta were hired for a gig to produce music and print merchandise for the original “Yellow Trash Can.” The company bearing the duo’s band name tried to run off …
Moon Vs Sun, GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, and artist Chantal Kreviazuk and Our Lady Peace frontman, Raine Maida, have released their album I’m Going To Break Your Heart, along with the documentary film of the same name, which was shot when they recorded the album at the French island of Saint Pierre et Miquelon. After more …
Photo by Ebru Yildiz Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Paula Cole shares her new song “Black Mountain Blues.” Recorded by Bessie Smith and covered by Janis Joplin, Cole’s version of the song is the second single from her upcoming album American Quilt. “It’s strong like black coffee and it’s warrior-esque”, says Cole. American Quilt will be released on May 21st through …
(Jim Steinman, left, with Meat Loaf, right) How magical was Jim Steinman? Well, he wrote brutally honest songs about men lusting after women, gave them orchestral bombast and delivery by the mighty-lunged Meat Loaf, and they’ve been wedding reception standards ever since. Look up “Two out of Three Ain’t Bad” on YouTube, and people are still …
Five years ago today, Prince boarded the Mothership. Yesterday, he sprinkled some Purple Dust on Minnesota. (Chauvin verdict) Live music is returning to Chicago! Less than four miles from my house, https://northshorecenter.org/event/fareed-haque/ Fareed Haque has collaborated with Billy Cobham who is the favorite drummer of my son’s long-time (age 5-16ish) drum instructor. The warmup band, The …
Kanyakla is a group of people that loves Christian Music and seeks to share the love of Christ through singing. They are from Uthiru, Central Province, Kenya. https://www.facebook.com/Kanyakla-107666274385255/
OK Humans — the time has come to unleash Weezer’s long-awaited homage to metal upon the world: Van Weezer will be released on May 7 via Crush Music/Atlantic Records. A new song from the album, “I Need Some Of That,” has been released today. “I Need Some Of That” follows the release of last year’s “Hero” and “Beginning Of The End,” as well as 2019’s “End Of The Game,” all …
British glam rockers The Struts and acclaimed singer/songwriter paris jackson have joined forces for “Low Key in Love,” a fiery duet released last week via Interscope Records. Today, the soulful vocal exchange between jackson and Struts frontman Luke Spiller is highlighted in the track’s video directed by Bryson Roatch. Produced by Tommy English, “Low Key in Love” delivers everything you could ask for in …
Tuesday eating from your yard tip~wild violet leaves and flowers are edible. Euell Gibbons called wild violets nature’s vitamin pill because the flowers and leaves are packed with vitamin C and the leaves have more vitamin A than commercial greens. Besides being nutritious the flowers make a lovely edible garnish on salads, soups, desserts and …
NASHVILLE, Tenn – Country music standout, Patrick Gibson praises God and country with the release of his latest single titled, “The American Prayer.” This single stands firm to back the blue and show gratitude for the men and women that put their lives on the line daily for our safety. Gibson symbolizes the power of prayer and urges …
Country music singer/songwriter Ava Rowland turns up the heat just in time for summer with the release of “Run Like Hell.” Sounding off the season with this upbeat love ballad, “Run Like Hell” highlights Ava’s vocal ability while also telling a story that everyone can relate to. This single details an all too familiar feeling of …
Teen country sensation Bailey James has released “Over You” as her latest single. Arriving in the wake of “Swore I Was Over It” and “Bitter,” this uptempo rocker marks the prolific young songstress’ third single of 2021. With incredible guitar riffs accompanied by a rhythmic piano part, “Over You” is a true country rock hit. The …
Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins On May 14, The Black Keys release their tenth studio album, Delta Kream, via Nonesuch Records. The record celebrates the band’s roots, featuring eleven Mississippi hill country blues standards that they have loved since they were teenagers, before they were a band, including songs by R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, among others. Dan …
Weezer has released a new video for the song “Grapes Of Wrath,” one of the standout tracks on the band’s most recent and much-loved album, OK Human. The video, which sees the band listening to audiobooks — among other things — while avoiding a group video meeting, was co-directed by frequent Weezer collaborator Brendan Walter …
The Negroni. When the snow and cold begins to fade in the Spring, my thoughts always turn to the classic Negroni. I’m not sure why. The drink is lovely – even on cold snowy days. But there is something about the thought of sitting on the porch without a coat or sweater, sipping on this delightful little drink that makes spring seem springier. The classic …
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer;Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS – “The Second Coming” On a cold night, Alice Merton abruptly notices something is wrong while standing in line, …
Award-winning and Internationally acclaimed Canadian female vocal group ViVA Trio are set to summon audiences out to sea with this, their stunning new single, “Siren Song.” The three-piece’s two sopranos Anna Bateman and Katya Tchoubar, along with mezzo-soprano Erin Fisher, discovered a rare silver lining in the interruption of their international touring schedule due to …
Credit: Eszter+David [At approx. 00:15 in the video below, an image appears of Liz on Yamhill Street in downtown Portland standing near some streetcar tracks.] Liz Phair is pleased to announce details of, Soberish, her highly-anticipated new album, and first collection of original material in eleven years. Produced by Phair’s longtime collaborator Brad Wood – …
Dandelions are a treasure trove of potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A,C,K and B6. Dandelions are edible from the root to the flower except for the milky filled hollow stem~but even that has uses, but just not for feeding our tummies. The green parts are bitter, but the yellow of the flower is not. I …
MOON is a duo made up of Chelsea Dawn on vocals and drums, and Dan Silver on guitars and synths. Dawn was born in a farming and mining town called Price; Silver was the son of British immigrants who landed in Cincinnati. They’ve been making their thunderous music since the release of debut The Heart, with a sound …
SMHSMHSMH. “I woke up this morning and I got myself a [rude awakening].” George Floyd Part II. WTF! I wrote in August 2020 about George Floyd and my familiarity with the site of the civil unrest in Minneapolis: https://www.eastportlandblog.com/2020/08/24/bola-wrap-non-lethal-police-tool-for-use-in-mental-health-crisis-interventions-by-mark-erickson/ This morning greeted me with the murder of Daunte Wright, another unarmed Black Male being murdered …
SENSES are: Callan, Kavvy, Finny and Ronan. They return with Drifting, the second track to be taken off their debut album, Little Pictures Without Sound (due 16th July). They combine arena ready hooks with evocative soundscapes to create their compelling sound. Equally influenced by shoegaze romanticism, alternative experimentation, and indie ambition. SENSES received support very …
It was just a detail in our itinerary my wife slipped in – when we return from a three-week Mexican vacation, we’ll take five dogs with us. Whaaaat!? Yes, volunteers with Mexican and Canadian rescue groups had taken care of the details; we would just be “flight angels” (mules), chaperones on the aerial leg of …
Marking a full circle moment 13 years in the making, Taylor Swift releases Fearless (Taylor’s Version) today. It is available HERE. She proudly presents the definitive album version of her 2008 classic. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) includes 27 re-recorded songs, six of which are previously unreleased tracks – “You All Over Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” [feat. Maren Morris], “Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version) (From The …
Photo credit: Meeno Peluce Global superstar Gwen Stefani adds yet another iconic pop collaboration to her catalog with the release of “Slow Clap” featuring the multi-platinum rap star Saweetie. The empowering track, Stefani’s first single of 2021, is inspired by a mash up of sounds with Saweetie’s unabashed verses. “Slow Clap” featuring Saweetie is available now at all digital retailers via Interscope Records. The …
https://www.blackagendareport.com/biden-harris-look-ready-keep-us-afghanistan-say-no https://twitter.com/search?q=maydayafghanistan&src=typeahead_click Remember when people lauded the “brave” Afghans for their resolve to beat back the Russkies out of the country during the 1980s occupation? You may not have learned that Russia sent geologists and engineers to survey – not for oil – for mineral wealth. Afghanistan has rich deposits of gold, silver, platinum, copper, …
Shinjiro Torii (left) and Masataka Taketsuru (right) Whiskey, combined with a non-alcoholic carbonated mixer, served over ice in a tall glass is called a whiskey highball everywhere in the world. Except for Japan. In Japan, this is simply referred to as a Highball. The origins of the term highball are grey. Some believe it has to do with the American Railway. Some believe …