Last night while watching neutral Al-Jazeera TV, I saw a clip about the US Army having committed $500 million to train Syrians to fight ISIL. The clip was a Senate Armed Service Committee hearing chaired by Senator John McCain. General Austin testified about the program that strove to train 15,000 Syrians to fight. General Austin …
The last time I saw Bowling For Soup was in 2009 at El Corazon. That’s the last time they played Seattle. Six long years I have awaited their return, and judging by the totally packed club and it being a Tuesday. It seems they were missed but not forgotten in Seattle. Bowling For Soup know …
this is my very favorite MOOG record – The ELECTRIC ECLECTICS of DICK HYMAN (his real name, by the way). stop laughing. i have 3 copies of this (just in case i ever lose one.) this is actually a really great over-the-top MOOG synthesizer recording done by a guy who is a trained jazz musician. …
I clearly remember Peter Holsapple and DB’s playing “Suspicious Minds” at Scorgies in Rochester, NY circa 1984 and Peter making an impassioned plee for folks not to believe all the myth and horseshit of Elvis and just dig the music – that made a strong impression on me. During that era doing an Elvis tune …
When I compiled a listing of my favorite singles of all-time about eight years ago (a kaleidoscopic endeavor that eventually BALLOONED to 800 entries, even though no artist was permitted more than ONE!), this string-fueled, now-rather-obscure, Family Soul smash from Summer 1972 (#2 in BILLBOARD, but #1 in CASH BOX!) came in at #19, just …
In New York City, a gig with Norwegian jazz singer Karin Krog joined by piano maverick Steve Kuhn for $14 is almost “free” – at Joe’s Pub on Wednesday September 30th, at 7:30 pm (one set only) – I think I may even roll into town for this. Click here for ticket info. Here’s a …
The always lovely Jasmine Jordan has a video out for her song “Smile” below which must not be missed. This LA-based RnB siren burns torch songs of powerful love with positive messages and upbeat sounds. She will be appearing live at Holocene in Portland on 9/17, and at Columbia City Theater in Seattle on 9/18. …
https://youtu.be/0v53_2eQ9zw There’s a great look to this video. They definintely project like they’re havin’ a great time… Philadelphia progressive soul ensemble Johnny Popcorn is emcee/producer/singer Hezekiah, producer/bassist Tone Whitfield, and vocalist Jani Coral. Before forming Johnny Popcorn, Hezekiah released music with Rawkus Records, in addition to working exclusively, writing for renowned neo-soul artist Bilal. Like …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFobb7n7AzE
I’ve always preferred men over boys and women rather than girls, so when I heard this ‘adult’ version of the Jackson 5 bubblegum hit (recorded just a few months after young Michael took it to the top), I asked myself ‘why in the hell’ did Motown sit on releasing it for 34 years ? The …
this is sicks’seattle stadium, a baseball stadium in the rainier valley that was home to seattle’s only baseball team – minor league – for 50 years. they were called the ‘seattle rainiers’ and were funded entirely by the rainier brewing company what was then called “sicks’ brewing company’. it was owned by a guy name …
The September 29, 2015 Richard Lloyd Band show at The Columbia City Theater hit top gear about halfway through the main set, and from that point right on through the all-Jimi encore, Richard was on FIRE! Here’s how he brought it all back home on his battered Strat: “Friction”, “Pleading”, “Alchemy”, “Field of Fire”, “Amnesia”, …
Last night Bill Larsen and I and a few others were sharing some musical memories from the late ’70s, and it struck me that I really can’t underestimate the cumulative effect that several records from roughly 1979 or so had on me — “Starry Eyes” (The Records), “Girl of My Dreams” (Bram Tchaikovsky), “Too Late” …
back in the mid-60’s, there was a huge monster fad. there were two general categories of monsters sold – movie monsters and hot rod monsters. the economic king of the hot rod monsters was ed ‘big daddy’ roth, who promoted a character named “Rat Fink” and a whole family of other assorted ”fink’ monsters. one …
“Hat n’ Boots” was a gas station situated on the old hiway 99 near the Boeing complex south of seattle. as a kid, i remember begging my parents to stop there to buy gas, just so we could go there. it was a giant COWBOY HAT that sold gas! and the restrooms were GIANT COWBOY …
I can’t get enough of these new tunes from Starr Blazerz. At last, dance tunes loaded with humanity and drama (the good kind)… The one above is brand new, the one below is a few months old. Listen if you want to catch up. Starr Blazerz began in 2013 as a songwriting collaboration between Virginia …
At 8:20 a.m. on September 9, 1971 the Attica Prison riot began. At 9:45 AM on September 13, tear gas was dropped into the yard and New York State Police troopers opened fire non-stop for two minutes into the smoke. by the time the facility was retaken, 10 hostages (Nine of them Prison guards who …
Loved this song for a long, long time. Only just realized it has Chloe Sevigny in it, apparently her first time on film in any guise. I was prompted to it by watching Chloe’s excellent UK mini-series Hit And Miss in which she stars as a paid assassin who just happens to be transgender female. …
Just a pug, coolly and calmly, playing drums to “Enter Sandman.” Sleep with one eye open indeed…
Here’s a lovely version of “In the Garden” off No Guru, No Method, No Teacher recorded at Van Morrison’s 70th birthday (8/31/2015) concert on Cypress Avenue in Belfast, near Hyndeford street, near Sir George Ivan Morrison’s childhood home. It’s amazing to me that there’s any musician out there who can still make great music on …
I was very moved by the film “The End of the Tour,” which offers a profound glimpse of DAVID FOSTER WALLACE, one of the more talented and compelling writers of our time, as he struggles with the process of being followed and interviewed for a Rolling Stone profile — his aversion to it and his …
The (truly) inimitable “Weasel” (aka Jonathan Gilbert), who was the 2 to 6pm “drive time” star of Annapolis, MD’s “progressive”/”alternative” WHFS 99.1 FM, during my years managing The Record & Tape Exchange in Fairfax, VA (1988-92). No other voice like Weasel’s has ever found a regular home on the airwaves, to say the least! (Not …
Patsy Cline singing Willie Nelson’s “Crazy” (her biggest hit). in the movie version of her life (her bio/pic) jessica lang never quite “looked right” with that voice coming out of her skull. when you hear the real deal, it makes perfect sense. logic counts for something, still. – Art Chantry Patsy Cline – Crazy by …
Woke up in the mood for this gorgeous B-side by The Police. As a bonus, a fan has lovingly assembled footage of them through their brief, amazing career, and you can truly see their spirit as people and as an utterly special band — with Andy Summer’s melodic magic, and how Stewart Copeland and Sting …
So Monday we finished a week long cruise from Seward Alaska down to Vancouver Canada on Norwegian Cruise Lines. It was more fun and enjoyable than I expected. But about the only Norwegian thing about it was the Captain and that they had herring and lox every morning in the breakfast buffet. Of the close …
This recently resurfaced film clip is awesome, and tells the story as well as I could. Just watch the video: https://youtu.be/Ct_SWrM4TbM Vortex 1 Wikipedia Page Vortex 1 in the Oregon Encyclopedia And more…
This recent post in Grantland is a nice take on the news that Tim Lincecum may have thrown his last pitch for the San Francisco Giants due to his recent injuries. http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-tim-lincecum-san-francisco-giants-career/ I would add that somehow the Giants should find a way to get him out onto the field at AT&T Park one more …
The Swedish electro-pop act Death In The Afternoon (DITA) are treating you to their next single from their forth-coming album called Let Go. As all their other tracks, this one is also produced remotely by the duo themselves. Christian and Linda’s hard work, talent and artistic individuality seem to be paying off by having already …
The 8/28 edition of the Chicago Tribune contained a gushing article by rock critic Greg Kot about Naked Raygun, a local 1980s “punk-rock band” that appeared on the bill with Foo Fighters, Urge Overkill, and Cheap Trick at Wrigley Field last night. The piece included snippets from Dave Grohl, former Nirvana member and Foo leader. …
A moment of eerie synchronicity with this tune just caught me. I hadn’t heard it in 25 years, but a lyric from here, actually a line William Blake’s poetry, has stuck with me ever since I eagerly lapped up A Sense of Wonder on day of release in 1985: “Wisdom is sold in the desolate …