2011 started off with a heavy heart and nothing to do but work through it. Holed up in Los Angeles for an eternal summer, we spent January rehearsing and then recording Only In Dreams. It was surreal and enjoyable to really take DDG out of the bedroom and my head and into a small but …
How amazing is this? This is Ian Hunter and his Rant Band live at Rockefeller Park, NYC, 6/24/09 joined by Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott. – Ron Swanson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQLgVfbTxrw
Flogging Molly will rock Portland’s Roseland Theater on March 11 and Seattle’s Paramount Ballroom on March 13, be there and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early. More tour information may be viewed here. Flogging Molly are not only an intelligent band, singing about the oppression of the working stiff, they put on a fabulous live show. …
New York City ska legends, The Toasters, are headed to the Northwest as part of their 30th anniversary tour. They will appear: Feb 02 – Plan B Portland, OR Feb 03 – Iron Road Studios Vancouver, Canada Feb 04 – El Corazon Seattle, WA Feb 05 – Shredder Boise, ID More tour dates at Toasters.org …
My whirlwind week ended the night of January 26th with The Voodoo Glowskulls and Authority Zero headlining at Seattle’s EL Corazon. Unfortunately I missed the first band, Success!, but arrived just in time for a full set by Skyfox. Skyfox is a four-piece similar in look and sound to Blink 182. Singer Johnny Hill even …
On January 25th I headed out on a chilly, rainy night to catch Concrete Blonde at Seattle’s Neptune Theater. I’ve seen Concrete Blonde two or three times prior, but I’ll see them 100 more times if I can. When Concrete Blonde initially came on stage, it looked like they were wearing skull masks and they …
What is the difference between Tommy Keene and the most famous singing guitar-slingers of the past couple of generations? Tommy Keene has never had a “My Sharona,” or a “Cruel To Be Kind.” Sure, he’s written and recorded so many gems, his guitar cases are lined with semi-precious glitter — but the power-pop singer/songwriter’s storied …
Meet Tonight Alive. The lead singer for this Australian band is really hot, and there’s no arguing with hot. This song, Starlight, is the band’s second single in the US. Their next album, What Are You So Scared Of?, will be released on Valentine’s Day because anyone with a y chromosome will be in love …
It takes a lot to entertain me these days, but this vid and song by the Phenomenal Handclap Band does the trick. You may view the video here. Here’s what the band’s publicists have to say about it: New York’s cosmic-disco ensemble, Phenomenal Handclap Band propels us into their retro-futuristic styled world with the release …
Kearney Barton – The man who engineered the original Northwest sound when recording the Sonics and Kingsmen, amongst others, has died.
Almost 12 million views and rising:
With the passing of Etta James, many of us egregiously failed to note the passing of Johnny Otis two days earlier:
This worked out so well for the violinist that I have to wonder if it was possibly set up in advance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RTNzyxNNm4
Now that she is dead, Etta James is being accorded the respect and acclaim she seldom enjoyed in life. These eulogies link her with other names: Johnny Otis (himself dead last week), who discovered her in the ’40’s; Leonard Chess, who recorded her in the ’60’s; Keith Richards, who helped revive her career in the …
I always liked the Blind Faith studio album, and this song in particular. Here’s Winwood and Clapton live in 2007: http://youtu.be/VT-SFgkVlno Here’s a live version from London’s Hyde Park in 1969. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUW1SGF7bR8 Here’s the album version with mucho acoustico. And here’s an interesting alternate studio take with electric guitar throughout.
When Jerry Wexler was asked to produce Etta James’ CD “The Right Time” he was stuck as to who to have play organ on a couple of tracks. I suggested that he give Steve Winwood a call. Mr. Winwood had only one day available so he flew over from London for the recording session and …
Fleet Foxes drummer quits band, go here.
Obituaries from the LA Times and NPR.
http://youtu.be/NAjr0xyyt0Q I am a producer and an engineer. You would not believe what you can do in the studio to doctor things up. Truly! You would not believe it! I do it the old fashioned way. I sing every chorus, verse and bridge, one at a time. I sing every harmony each and every time. …
This video was directed by Katherine Heigl as it was written and sung by her husband Josh Parker about their daughter Naleigh.
I think “Video Games” works quite well as a multimedia experience when you hear the recording with the video. But on SNL, many of its limitations were foregrounded. The song has its virtues, but I don’t think it’s as a good as you might conclude from hearing the recording. If you listen to Lana Del …
The great Al Milman pointed out that this tune is loaded with fuzz guitar four years before The Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction. Produced by Chet Atkins, this has more bluesy heft than you might expect from an Ann Margret single:
All-Time Funk Classic, sans doubt! – Tom Kipp
ALMOST as interesting as ’80s & ’90s Pink Floyd! – Tom Kipp http://youtu.be/0kRnA8BLrCg