This eloquent trad-rocker is a gem from George Ivan “Van” Morrison’s later career. First released on the full and excellent 1991 recording, Hymns to the Silence, this many-layered tune offers numerous wise and poetic turns of phrase such as Van’s characterization of his audiences, “there were hypocrites and parasites and people that dream” and his …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObJbi4mK35k I’ve been outta the loop re: many of my favorite magazines for a spell, especially those I normally buy at the newsstand. So I missed several iterations of Greil Marcus’ “Real Life Rock Top Ten” (A MONTHLY COLUMN OF EVERYDAY CULTURE AND FOUND OBJECTS) in THE BELIEVER, which ranks 10 seemingly-random items from around the popular culture …
Part of my job is to listen to a lot of music. Rough life, I know. So I like to share some gems I run across. Here’s Jason Isbell, formerly of Drive-By Truckers, with a song he wrote about his father’s advice. – John Moe is the host of the stellar NPR show and podcast, …
Since the implosion of London’s King Blues, singer and main songwriter, Itch, has released a new solo EP Manifesto Pt. 1- How To Fucking Rule At Life. The EP begins with the track “London Is Burning” (yeah, where have I heard that title before?), an angry anthem that simply repeats the same angry words about …
On a cold and foggy January 19th, Seattle’s legendary Showbox at the Market hosted Canada’s Sum 41. I had seen Sum 41 once before at EndFest 2001 when they were still teenagers. Now, barely into their thirties, they have as much energy as ever. Front man, Deryck Whibley came out with his hair dyed bright …
Classically trained pianist. Introspective singer-songwriter. Soul-pop tour de force. And now, mermaid. Portland’s Sara Jackson-Holman keeps revealing more facets as she introduces her latest album, Cardiology, to the world. Playing a fin-footed Siren in the new video for her single, “For Albert,” wasn’t an exercise in revelation, however; the supremely photogenic singer says the shoot …
We all watched Philip Seymour Hoffman channel Lester Bangs in Almost Famous. But this is the man himself; the real article. Listen close you yutes; you young bloods who never bought an album but pay out your ass for your data plan and call music free; there was a brief time in American history where …
Remember when music was created by people that weren’t by the book, didn’t look like they just rolled out of a diaper, or were hatched from some technological egg? Remember…? They could be complicated motherfuckers and you still loved them… God I’m glad I experienced those days… A dear friend of mine, John Bosch, has …
I’m not going to say a damn thing, except I LOVE Taj Mahal so much, and this song among others knocked my **** in the dirt tonight. Some people live their lives wrapped around the memories of catching 100s of Phish shows. What I wouldn’t give to be able to follow around Taj for a …
These hip New Yorkers, Hollis Brown, have a fantastic take on blues rock that I absolutely love. At the moment I like these kids better than the Black Keys, though the BKs have the lead in terms of unforgettable videos. It’s not easy to play modern blues rock and keep it real or make it …
This solo/instrumental song, “White Summer,” from 1970, was never on any of their original LPs – but captures perfectly Page’s ability to borrow and steal and make it his own. Yes, I know he got some riffs from Bert Jansch, which Jansch got from Anne Briggs, and let’s not forgot Davy Graham and several American …
MIKA’s new single ,“Popular Song” featuring Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande, is out now on iTunes and other digital retailers through Republic Records. The song offers a fresh twist on “Popular” from the Broadway hit Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz. In a historic move, Schwartz was so moved by this interpretation that he authorized the usage …
It is too bad that Big Country weren’t nearly as successful at bringing working-class passion and romance across the pond as U2 was. Like the Jam, perhaps too English/Scottish/Irish. It’s a wonder the Pogues or the Clash made any headway here. It’s always remarkable, I find, to watch video of a big drunken crowd pogo-ing …
A fine young band from Los Angeles called The Rebel Light would like to call your attention to, “Goodbye Serenade,” the first single from their self-titled debut EP. It’s a catchy pop tune with a very pro sound. Gifted recordists, The Rebel Light recorded and mixed the EP themselves. According to vocalist Alan, the band …
I must admit, this is my current idea of “The horror….the HORROR!” (per J. Conrad, via F.F. Coppola) Courtesy of my weekly EMP member e-mail alert— TEATRO ZINZANNI DISCOUNT RETURN TO PARADISE See Jimi Hendrix come to life in Return to Paradise, Teatro ZinZanni’s tribute to the swinging sixties. Adding to the local musical flavor of …
It’s Saturday night and Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood is hopping with night life. In particular, the Nectar Lounge where Northwest ska band The Skablins headlined. The evening started out slow. The first band up was the slow and steady Island Bound. They were a six-piece who played more of a straight up reggae, but with a …
New York soul singer Sophia Bastian has released an alluring new video for “Gloryboxed”. Inspired by mixtape culture, Sophia wanted to pay homage to Portishead’s classic “Glory Box” and took the instrumental to a new place. “I used to listen to ‘Glory Box’ as a kid a lot and was always mesmerized by the melancholy …
I always think of this song as the pop music center of the 20th century. There are those 33 1/3 books, and the one on Low did a great job of describing its importance this way. Basically what you have here is Northern European melody with rhythm and blues backbeat; synthesized, but analog; intimate haiku …
Friday night, January 4, at the invitation of Seattle band Poorsport, I ventured down to Seattle’s Pioneer Square and set foot in a club I haven’t been to in at least 20 years, The Central Tavern. This used to be one of my main haunts back in the late eighties, but then they changed their …
I’m doing some research for a new Staxx Brothers song, “Slick Willie.” I like to get my facts straight, even when the narrator is lying. This is the first time I’ve actually seen Clinton’s legendary saxophone performance on Arsenio Hall. He stepped up and ripped “Heartbreak Hotel” with soul. Those are great chops for a …
This is kind of amazing. At this website, clips of numerous instruments can be played together or in any combo to make interesting ambient music in b flat. You need to take a look at it to get an idea. What an exciting world we live in! How can anyone get depressed when boundless possibilities …
With the release of this video, “I’ve Got A Boy” by Girls Generation, feminist commentators and experts in the semiotic analysis of Kpop now have years of work cut out for them. Girls Generation was the most popular act in Kpop, and probably in Asia, for several years before chubby newcomer Psy came along with …
I liked Ian Dury. I say he was punk. But I guess that depends upon one’s definition of punk. He was certainly part of that movement. He broke through barriers with his music in the same manner in which punk did, marched to his own beat, so to speak. Punk is NOT a true belief …
This is the kind of movie that I can get behind, one that documents the Who’s Next Monolith. According to photographer Ethan Russell, most of the members were unable to urinate, so rainwater was tipped from an empty film canister to achieve the desired effect. The striking, partially cloudy sky seen above the site was …
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by Facebook… Years ago I argued with a friend over the Nick Drake “Pink Moon” VW commercial. While I don’t like hearing my favorite artists used like that, I did feel that Drake had such a small following before the commercial that anything to bring him …
The driving force behind Seattle band Sledgeback is Gabi Hun, a force of nature who began playing in punk bands in his native Hungary back in the early nineties. Sledgeback looks the part of seasoned punk rockers. They’ve been around the punk rock world a few times and they sport piercings and chains hanging off …
I have a bit of history wit’ CHARLIE IS MY DARLING, which is a great fave, especially in the phenomenally cleaned up & recently completed version now finally available! I first read about it in 1981, when Dave Marsh published the first edition of THE BOOK OF ROCK LISTS, in which it was listed as the #1 …
“Rescue Me” is certainly the equal of Peak Aretha on Atlantic, but arrived a full 18 months IN ADVANCE of Miz Franklin’s first venture into the Top 10! It also boasts one of the great bass lines in the history of pop music, from R&B to Postpunk! – Tom Kipp RIP Fontella Bass 1940 – …
Yes, this song BELONGS to Etta James (her version is the ONLY version), but my favorite cover of it, is this one by Christine McVie circa 1970 (last night, some woman who I didn’t catch the name of, absolutely butchered it “in tribute” to Buddy Guy. She over-sang it, the key is to ‘under-sing’ it) …
I was just thinking about something else last night when the phrase “hit me with your rhythm stick. hit me, hit me, hit me” … hit me. That’s staying power and pervasive influence of which any rocker can be proud. – Claude Iosso http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A61i0Xscj-k