The first and still the best of the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” covers: Tori Amos will release 2-CD deluxe editions of her debut and sophomore solo albums, Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink on April 14th via Rhino. Each record is newly re-mastered and paired with an entire disc of rare B-sides and bonus tracks. …
Fat Tuesday. We jump to observe indulgence for indulgence sake. For some, overdoing is where Mardi Gras begins and ends. It may not cross our minds to detox from a decadence for a period of time, afterwards. Or pick up a habit that has the equivalent result. At the very least, we might not ever …
Here’s a good Bill Simmons piece on the SNL 40 special: http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/ready-for-prime-time-the-giddy-brilliant-and-ok-somewhat-bloated-snl-40/ I actually managed to catch most of it last night, though I wasn’t even aware it was on until partway through. The one comment I would add is that Paul Simon’s appearance at the end was a little dispiriting. His voice sounded every …
Portland’s own Ultra Van Krome has just released a fantastic new album called Cyber Funkist and below are two choice cuts from that very same work. The album has eight songs and they’re all spectacular, definitely worth purchasing, if you can find it anywhere. Ultra Van Krome aka Stevie Ray Mays is a musician, comedian, …
I’m ….slightly …..disconcerted by her attire ………….. but this is top class pop music. Yowzah!!” – Mike Hughes
When a band named Our Man in Berlin relases a tune called “Molière,” well, you pretty much have to share it with the world. Those names sound like the mid 80s are back, and the tune doesn’t disappoint. Late period Roxy Music must still be in vogue in Australia and that’s a good thing. The …
With the glow still fresh from the San Francisco Giants’ recent championship, there was no question that I would attend their Fan Fest last weekend. I took both of my daughters with me, and I looked forward to seeing its attractions and avoiding the autograph lines, having spent the previous two Fan Fests standing on …
This is a delicious jazz tune. Please listen well. Jazz pop songstress Amana Melomé is premiering an intimate, in-studio video for her single “Icarus” off of her recently released Lock and Key, an EP produced by The Decoders‘ Adam Berg and Itai Shapira. Amana has previously headlined events for Fendi and Dior and held a …
On Friday night February 6 everyone and anyone who’s punk headed to El Corazon for a wild evening headlined by legendary So. Cal punkers The Dickies. This was my third time seeing the Dickies and I think they get wilder each time. The very second The Dickies hit the stage, the packed crowd was ignited …
In 2002, Rik Swartzwelder released an incredible short film called The Least of These which was based on Tony Campolo’s Agnes story. It was amazing, a powerful little movie bulging with classic lines like, “The kind of church which throws birthday parties for whores at 2 o’clock in the morning,” “Someone has to cut the …
Meet Sirena and her brand new single, “Lunar Lights.” Thanks to the recent successes of Mapei, Seinabo Sey and Elliphant, modern Sweden seems to be perfect breeding ground for high quality pop and talented singers. Another artist making such an upward crawl is Sirena, a 22-year-old Stockholm-Barcelona based singer and songwriter. Writing poetry and singing …
The triumphs of ancient Rome were something of a victory parade on steroids. Usually celebrated after a major conquest, they were long processions that included captives on display and soldiers of the victorious army marching and singing salacious songs at their leader’s expense. In the midst of the procession, the victorious general or emperor would …
A mid week show is often a pain to attend after a full day’s work, but last Wednesday, January 28, was the Mad Caddies at the Nectar Lounge and that was not to be missed. After a nearly eight-year absence, the Mad Caddies have performed concerts in the Seattle-Tacoma area three times in the last …
Yes, the bandwagon is groaning under the weight of fair-weather fans and long-time Hawks supporters, all clad in their “12” jerseys, caps and T-shirts. I personally am conflicted about wearing a jersey. I have rooted for the Seahawks practically since I moved to Washington state in 1989, but I hate to be a conformist. Can …
If I could choose any stone to have over my grave, my pick would be Thomas Jefferson’s. His is an obelisk, and his epitaph reads as follows: HERE WAS BURIEDTHOMAS JEFFERSONAUTHOR OF THEDECLARATIONOFAMERICAN INDEPENDENCEOF THESTATUTE OF VIRGINIAFORRELIGIOUS FREEDOMAND FATHER OF THEUNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA This is as noteworthy for what it leaves out as well as …
A declaration as old as reggae itself, timely reprised here: “We live in Babylon, going back to Zion…” Revered comedian/actor/singer Eddie Murphy released an awesome new reggae tune, “Oh Jah Jah,” on January 27. The song debuted at #4 on the U.S. Billboard Reggae Digital Song Chart. According to Soundscan, Murphy’s tune charted above genre …
With their second full album due out in February, Public Service Broadcasting have set their sights high on Race for Space. Beginning with the brilliant teaser video and album presale campaign, it’s been a solid promotional effort. With the first single from the album, ‘Gagarin’, they now have an accompanying video that’s something of a …
On the warm spring evening of January 24, I had the utmost pleasure of seeing the legendary Motels starring Martha Davis. The Motels hit the charts in 1982 with songs like “Only the Lonely” and “Suddenly Last Summer,” but although those songs are exquisite, they proved this night that they have more than just two …
[Updated 01/27/2015] San Dunn wrote and directed a series for VH1 called “Metal Evolution.” In the series, he traces various subgenres of metal, e.g., Nu, Black, and Progressive. So Mr. Nunn starts his exploration into prog metal by tracing roots to Yes, Genesis and King Crimson. He then tracks to Rush; specifically, Caress of Steel …
Was interesting to hear in both the movie and the panel discussion afterwards last night in LA, how many “punk legends” got inspired by “prog-rock” in the early 70’s. Great discussion by Jello Biafra about Hawkwind and Keith Morris praising Yes, King Crimson, etc. He wasn’t mentioned but John Lydon also went down that path …
The video above is for “No Sudden Moves,” a track off Dengue Fever’s first new album in four years, The Deepest Lake. The band has numerous Northwest shows coming up. The most important of these is here in Portland at the Doug Fir on 2/11. They will also be appearing at WOW Hall in Eugene …
Freedom Fry is an American/French indie pop duo made up of Bruce Driscoll (from Blondfire) and his wife Marie. “Shaky Ground (Hey Na Na Na),” (above) is their first single of 2015 and they describe it in this way, “At the heart of this song is a crazy delayed percussion loop that we made by …
I don’t know much about this tune, but I like it:
I love this new tune from British combo Desperate Journalist. It’s a postmodern pop tune with a slight Smiths feel, as if Morrissey and Marr were both in the delivery room when “Control” came aborning. This band consists of two girls and two boys who have bonded in the abandoned wilds of North London. Jo …
Saturday night on a warm spring evening in January I made the long pilgrimage out to the boondocks that is Arlington, WA. There I discovered a lovely little club called Mirkwood where I would see my beloved Skablins play. I haven’t seen them in over a year, but also on the bill were It Gets …
Jill’s indoor gardening tip #1 – To protect your large plants from becoming a kitty liter box, take a cheap plastic saucer and cut a slit to the middle then a circle in the middle for the plant. Jill’s indoor gardening tip #2 – Fruit fly death trap. Sweet white wine drinkers tend to bring …
Powerpacked, feedback-overloaded, garage-born Seattle blues rock dynamo, My Goodness, has released a new video for the tunes “Bottle” and “Say You’re Gone,” which you can see below. The video features a mature man who looks a little like East Portland Davey. The old coot strips down to his boxers and takes a bath in a …
The town of Stateburg, South Carolina, looks ordinary at first glance. It is just north of Highway 76 about halfway between Interstate 95 and the state capital, Columbia, and most travelers would not think to stop there without prior knowledge of the place. Like many small towns on the East Coast, however, it has had …
On Tuesday night, January 13 I joined hundreds of others outside Seattle’s Federal Building to join hands and surround the building in protest of the Keystone Pipeline that was recently passed by the new republican controlled congress. President Obama has said he will veto the bill, but this protest was enacted to make sure he …