In February 2013, President Obama announced that 34,000 troops would be returning home from Afghanistan within a year – half the number that are currently stationed there. With more troop reductions expected by the end of 2014, an ever-growing number of military service men and women are finding themselves adjusting to life at home. This …
Nothing at all creepy about a father and daughter singing about incipient adultery. Yet the clavinet somehow takes the funkiness of the situation, makes it literal, and all moral queasiness is banished: Alchemy. – Tom Fredrickson is the proprietor of the unparalleled music blog, Lost Wax Method.
Hi Marc: Thanks for brightening my return to work, after clocking less than FIVE days during the whole of September! I mean, this is “The Audio Fidelity Collection”!! Containing all FOUR studio albums of "Pantheon Purple"!!!! On GOLD!! The World’s (presumably few) remaining Ritchie Blackmore-ites must be spontaneously JIZZING! LOL Thanks again, – Tom Kipp —–Original Message—– …
David Bowie is a staple on classic rock radio, and deservedly so. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (and my Rykodisc extended version) is clearly a four-star album. I am also quite fond of Outside (1995) and Earthling (2007), among other releases. Bowie has had duds. I listened to …
I have not been able to follow the logic of the government shutdown. Clearly, America has divided government. One faction(s) has sought repeatedly (>41 times by Congressional vote) to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is approved legislation and upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Personally, I do not agree 100% with …
For your viewing and listening PLEASURE, courtesy of your loyal, rock-obsessed, friend and colleague, TK: http://www.amazon.com/Mullets-Rock-Too-Love/dp/B000NDEXHU http://www.amazon.com/Mullets-Rock/dp/B00008J2QP And thus, a musical “genre” was named! LOL Still out there awaiting my hard-earned dollars, yet more 2cd “Sludge” Extravaganzas, these courtesy of the Doom Rock/Industrial Music specialists at Cleopatra Records! http://www.amazon.com/This-Mullet-Rock-Various-Artists/dp/B000BITTF8 http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Mullet-Rock-Various-Artists/dp/B000OYLT2A Happy to loan out #1 & #2 …
A Thursday night in the waning days of September isn’t a night you would expect a packed crowd at Seattle’s El Corazon, but The Queers were opening for Teenage Bottle Rocket and once again Seattle shows its adoration of pure punk rock. Teenage Bottle Rocket was formed by twin brothers Ray (vocals/guitar) and Brandon (drums) …
Amidst various researches today I came upon this mindboggling YouTube clip, which of course reminded me of my ol’ pal S. Swag, who introduced me to his beloved Cowsills just over 34 years ago, by playing their immortal cover of “Sunshine of Your Love” (from the 1969 IN CONCERT album!) on the family phonograph in their Grant Avenue living …
The mastering engineer’s statement (“The Tale of the Tapes”) at the end of the 24-disc (21 cd, 1 dvd, 2 blu-ray!) track listing for THE ROAD TO RED is quite illuminating, at least for TAPE OP fan-types. Indeed, reading it makes me wish I could somehow afford this “Rolls Royce of King Crimson box sets”, from what is undoubtedly …
Here’s an inspired comic video from Norwegian duo Ylvis:
Peter Dysart discovered this advert last summer while on a trip to the UK. The Brits love their pugs and so does EPB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8NDt85cHQw
During Sunday’s Viking/Bear debacle, the network aired a commercial/PSA that reminded viewers to remember 9/11, honor the troops stationed abroad, and that the United States has troops stationed in 175 countries. Parenthetically, the United States has over 800 bases located throughout the world. In today’s Wall Street Journal, Andrew Browne wrote an article about China …
It’s Saturday night in Seattle and El Corazon is hosting the Easy Big Fella reunion show in their tiny lounge room. The stage is not much bigger than two large dining room tables shoved together and it’s going to be hosting ska bands of seven to eight members each. By the time Easy Big Fella …
The cost of owning a car is high, and when drivers are underwater with their payments and insurance, it isn’t uncommon for them to resort to fraud. According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, auto insurers pay out nearly $20 billion in false or egregious claims every year, which makes up 20 percent of their …
Saturday night, September 7th, brought the long anticipated return of the legendary Adam Ant. And judging by the reaction from the sold out crowd at the Showbox, he didn’t disappoint. He bounced onto the stage in full pirate regalia. One of the songs he opened with was “Beat My Guest” from the tumultuous album Kings …
Over 14 percent of Americans move each year. Whether they are relocating across the country or moving down the road, they all have two things in common: packing and unpacking. Most people know that there is an art to packing that makes life easier. What many people don’t know is that unpacking can be more …
The first Friday in September and I’ve headed to Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood to see a show at a club in the basement of Neumo’s called Barboza. I was invited to photograph and review a quartet from Philly called Bleeding Rainbow. Bleeding Rainbow are Rob Garcia — vocals and guitar, Sarah Everton — vocals and …
It’s Thursday night September 5 and Wisconsin governor Scott Walker is in town. His appearance at the Washington Policy Center dinner at the posh Seattle Sheraton barred all reporters. Outside, however, about three-hundred people took over the street in front of the hotel holding signs saying things like “Not In Our State” or “Governor Walker …
It’s Friday night at Seattle’s El Corazon and the most anticipated show of the summer of 2013 is about to begin. And I am there. Canadian punk legends DOA are headlining and Seattle’s legendary Fastbacks are also on the bill. The show was billed as DOA’s farewell tour, yet DOA mentioned nothing of the sort …
What started out easily enough as an interview with The Joy Formidable this year ended in a fantastic journey. This past spring, I sat down with Ritzy and Rhydian of The Joy Formidable to have an open and frank discussion on the state of affairs in their world and the music business in general. With …
On Thursday August 29th thirty percent of Seattle Schools SEA represented staff voted nearly unanimously to reject the contract proposal offered by the district. The district refuses to reduce the case load for support staff (counselors, psychologists, physical therapists, etc.), they want to increase the work day by thirty minutes without compensation and want to …
In general, heavy duty trucks are designed to tow fairly large loads. Some of the mammoth-sized pickups on the market today can tow well over 10,000 pounds. But if you have an automatic transmission, you probably own one of the many models of trucks that come with tow/haul mode – that little button on the …
Rep. Barbara Lee (CA), one of a select few Honorable Members of Congress who opposed 43’s illegal invasion of Iraq, has written a letter concerning Syria to 44 in the last 24 hours. Here’s the letter. – Mark Erickson Dear Mr. President: We join you and the international community in expressing unequivocal condemnation over the …
Wednesday evening I joined with others in Seattle’s Westlake Center for a protest rally against the sentencing of a person most know as Bradley Manning (in the last couple days Bradley Manning has decided he wants to undergo a sex change and wishes to be called Chelsea Manning). As most people now know, Manning was …
On Saturday August 17, I attended a march for civil rights in Central Seattle. This march was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the famous March On Washington where MLK gave his famous I Have A Dream speech. The event was organized and funded by The Black Trade Unionists. Due to bad traffic I arrived …
It was a warm August night and Seattle’s Showbox across from the Pike Place Market hosted ska legends Five Iron Frenzy. Hailing from Denver, CO, the members of this eight-piece outfit are as much comedians as they are musicians. Front man Reese Roper came on stage dressed in light colored spandex emblazoned with girlie unicorns. …
Sunday night August 11 I attended my first ever Concert at the Zoo in Seattle. The event was Todd Snider’s Traveling Folk Show. I attended with my son as Sarah Jarosz was on the bill (see my review of her show at the Triple Door last year). I don’t often get to see folk shows, …
The latest from Staxx Brothers both looks and sounds so much like a Stax-Volt homage that no one would be surprised if Booker T. Jones or Steve Cropper themselves showed up for a cameo. Enjoy!
On the hot and humid Friday night of August 9, 2013, I headed to the nearly century old Neptune Theater on the edge of the University of Washington campus. It was the second night of a two-night stand in Seattle for Gogol Bordello. Hailing from New York City, the band members actually are natives of …
In April 2013, The White House accused Syrian President Bashar Assad’s shi’ite forces of using sarin gas, a deadly nerve agent banned by international treaty, on a “small scale” against rebel sunni factions. Russia denounced the allegation of sarin gas use, calling the evidence “unconvincing.” Retired Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell’s former chief of staff …