Meet Daniella Watters, an award winning pop/soul/R&B singer-songwriter from Toronto. She has just released a video for her latest single “Never Will Die,” a song dedicated to her grandmother. As a Canadian child, it was Watters’ dream not to play pro hockey, but to be an Olympic figure skater who delighted worldwide audiences while skating …
Sunday September 21, 2014, people in many municipalities around the world gathered to protest climate change and push for clean, renewable energy sources. When I arrived things were already in full swing in downtown Seattle’s Westlake Plaza. I was quite surprised to see so many gathered in the one acre park. People stood or sat …
I was born and raised in Minnesota, and despite having lived more than half my life in Illinois, I still bleed purple. In my childhood, the Minnesota Vikings absolutely dominated their division throughout the 1970s. Bud Grant, Alan Page, “Benchwarmer” Bob Lurtsema, Chuck Foreman, and Sir Francis Tarkenton were household names. Tommy Kramer, Anthony Carter, …
It’s Sunday night and Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood is teeming with night life. I’m hanging at the Nectar Lounge where The Skatalites are headlning. Skatalites are pure reggae ska. Although they list Jamaica as their hometown, the members hail from all parts of the globe. And with various guest performers joining them from time to time, …
The Real McKenzies, from Vancouver, BC, ventured into Seattle for a hell raising show at El Corazon. After some rebel rousing from four opening acts, the Real McKenzies, all wearing green plaid kilts, hit the stage sans their lead singer, Paul McKenzie. They led the audience in several chants for, “Paul! Paul! Paul!” to no …
By Peter Dysart It’s been a blustery overcast morning. The steady rain has formed rivulets and puddles all over the lawn. Hot cup in hand, I’ve opened the email and click on a link to a new song. Within seconds of sound waves pushing a few bars of The Joy Formidable’s stompy new Aruthrol single …
If you haven’t seen these three ladies yet (plus one daughter along for the walk) you must stop and watch right now. I like the gritty sound from the stringed instrument one of them plays. This is a minimalist music video in the Georgian language which is absolutely lovely.
First published Sept. 8, 2014, on Spann of Time http://www.susanspann.com Who’s Guilty? God Knows. By Kim Rendfeld Delve into the justice system of early medieval Francia and you might find yourself grateful for what we have today, imperfect as it is. And I’m not only talking about the punishments for the guilty: slit nostrils, the …
Playing at Seattle’s Bumbershoot as part of their short reunion tour, the Replacements kick, kick, kicked our doors down. We didn’t realize what great anthems those songs were when only 200 people were in the audience. Somewhere between 5,000 to 10,000 were in attendance Sunday at the main stage at Memorial Stadium, singing along with …
Aren’t pugs wonderful? There is nothing they can’t do. Thanks to boingboing.net:
Linda Ronstadt, one the great folk chanteuses, has been in the news lately, receiving a National Medal of the Arts in July for all of her work. She released a collection of duets with various artists in April, and her memoir, Simple Dreams, was published in September 2013. Ronstadt was a leading member of the …
How can you not feel optimistic? In a world where unicycle-riding kilt-wearing Darth Vaders can belch flames from their bagpipes, there’s just no room for cynicism. – Randy Rendfeld
Saturday night, August 23, was a date I looked forward to for some time, for this night a rare reunion concert of the Posies was to occur at Seattle’s Triple Door. The lineup consisted of what was the original Posies, that is Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. The two formed The Posies while still in …
Meet your new favorite reggae artist. Singer-songwriter Leilani Wolfgramm has the greatest name in show business. Any name with “wolf” in it is wicked awesome. The Orlando, Florida native with Tongan roots has been busy releasing four singles this summer from her recent album, Rebel. And here they are. East Portland Blog has only four …
A gift, if not “The Gift”— http://dangerousminds.net/comments/entertainment_gang_of_four_live_in_zagreb_1981 At or very near THE PEAK! (of Postpunk, of Rock Music in General, and of Live Musical Performance….) TK</a
London soul songstress Ella Eyre’s rapid rise continues with ‘Comeback’, a thrilling, horn-led smash new tune with a whole heap of attitude. The song is based on a break-up Ella experienced at 17, but is written from the point of view of speaking to a troubled best friend. ‘We’ve all been played, we’ve all been …
“Let’s Hate LA Together” makes fun of the quirks of Los Angeles living — red carpets, selfies, and self-involvement — and tells the story of Sonia Rao moving to LA and navigating this world. The message in the end is that most of us find these things strange, so let’s hate it together and, in …
“As a novelist, I don’t judge the marriage traditions of another society. My responsibility is to accurately depict my characters’ reality and their reactions to it. But examining customs in another time teaches us that the definition of marriage–who is eligible, who gets to decide, why one gets married–has indeed changed.” EDITOR’S NOTE: Kim Rendfeld …
On a hot steamy Tuesday night, Seattle’s Neptune hosted the legendary Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It’s been more than a decade since the Bosstones played this area, but like a good wine, they’ve aged well and this eight-piece from Boston was in top form. They came on stage all wearing matching read coats and black trousers …
Rising reggae artist Jo Mersa, the son of Stephen “Ragga” Marley and grandson of Bob Marley, unveils his intimate side on the brand new video for “Sunshine,” the first single off his debut EP Comfortable (out now on Ghetto Youths International). So where’s the big funky spliff? This vid shows a Rastaman in exile, enjoying …
Award-winning multiplatinum star ARIANA GRANDE releases her brand new music video for “Break Free” [featuring Zedd]. The video makes its world premiere on VEVO today, paying homage to Jane Fonda’s legendary Barbarella! “Break Free” is the second single from ARIANA’s forthcoming sophomore effort and the year’s most anticipated album, My Everything [Republic Records], available August …
When I tell people that I visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, they often say, “I didn’t know you were a fan.” Sometimes, they ask why I went there at all. Part of their skepticism, perhaps, comes from knowing that I don’t follow NASCAR, and I usually care little about cars other …
By RANDY RENDFELD I love spicy hot food, but I’m not a masochist. Peppers should add flavor and not just heat. But that’s apparently not the culinary criteria for 510 reviewers of Dave’s Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce on Amazon.com. These reviewers like the near-death experiences this nuclear hell sauce delivers. As I write …
Used to be that I’d find my summer songs on a jukebox (Queen, “Killer Queen,” 1974; Chicago, “Old Days,” 1975) or AM radio (Andrew Gold, “Lonely Boy,” 1977). But now I find them on whatever media happens to be in the car while I’m on vacation. This year the song that has me hitting the …
Microfiction by Knute Rimkus They lived in a white microhouse. It was a shoebox, for baby shoes, in the Varane neighborhood. Their neighbors lived in shoeboxes too. This misery did not love company. They ate dinner quickly. She thought the steak was too red and only ate half. She drank water. Murdoch drank a Cutty …
Thursday night in Seattle the Triple Door hosted LA punkers X for an acoustic show. Interestingly, they were playing under the name X and not their acoustic alter egos, The Knitters. Whatever the name, X never disappoint whether they’re acoustic or hard punking. Exene Cervenka can still do her charming little dances while belting out …
Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj took the below pic while filming the music video for their recently released single “Bang Bang”. The song, a true collaboration between all three artists, was released this past Tuesday and immediately shot to #1 on the iTunes charts in over 25 countries including the US, Canada, Sweden, …
Tori Amos has just revealed the video for “Promise,” a stirring duet with her 13-year old daughter Tash. The track appears on the critically acclaimed Unrepentant Geraldines, Amos’s 14th studio album, and eighth release to debut in Billboard’s Top 10 at #7, reaffirming her iconic status in a 20 plus-year career. The video is an …
I went to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes last night and found it highly enjoyable. In addition to all the amazing CGI stuff, they manage to create a very compelling drama with a lot of biblical and Shakespearean themes that are quite thoughtful. This film is closest to the original Planet of the …