Music

Ah, Those Hazy, Crazy Days of the Man Called Bill in the White House… by Tom Kipp, Andrew Hamlin and Tris McCall

Subject: RE: Ah, those hazy, crazy days of the man called Bill in the White House…From: Tom Kipp Okay, so the other, later, shittier, magazine called Slant bequeaths unto us its "Albums of the Nineties" #61 through #100 today, precisely a decade too late, and I’m not sure there were ten really good albums in the lot. …

East Portland’s Own Esperanza Spalding Wins Grammy for Best New Artist

For perhaps the first time in Grammy Award history, the winner of the Best New Artist Grammy is actually an artist. East Portland’s hot, young and talented jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding surprised everyone by beating out Youtube sensation and all around nice guy, Justin Bieber. Immediately after her victory, outraged Bieber fans hacked Esperanza’s Wikipedia …

Howlin’ Wolf – Spoonful (Chess 1960, 2:45), by Tom Kipp

Howlin’ Wolf—“Spoonful” (Chess 1960, 2:45) The day before I flew home to Montana from Providence (23 May 1982) I found a very useful, cartoon-jacketed, budget-line blues sampler—America’s Musical Roots—that contained many of the most famous singles ever to appear on Chess Records, this one foremost among them. Nothing about the chundering roar of Cream’s infamous …

Shakira – Sale El Sol

New Shakira out recently. Title translates to “The Sun Comes Out.” Tune starts out slow, swells into a solid, surprisingly trad-rock (given the singer’s success with newer dance music formats), pop tune. I’ll admit that when they modulate on the last bridge (2:48, right before she rips her turtleneck apart. Honest.) it’s the oldest cliche …