When it comes to the single-string guitar solo, all roads lead back to Alonzo “Lonnie” Johnson, the first recorded artist to perfect the technique and who directly influenced Robert Johnson, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, and T-Bone Walker; which is another way of saying he has influenced just about everybody. Johnson, who was equally at home …
Thus far, they’ve been snubbed. Legendary progressive rock band Rush has never been nominated for the Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame. Here are 18 reasons why they should be included in that great museum in Cleveland: 1. Mike Swanson – They’re Canadian. 😀 Seriously though, not only does Rush rock, but they have had an …
Chapter Thirty-Eight I was awakened the next morning by Keith’s kisses. “What time is it?” I moaned. “It’s ten,” Keith replied, still kissing me I sat up suddenly. “La vache! They stop serving free breakfast at eleven.” “I’ll buy us breakfast after I find a bank,” Keith said, adding caresses to his kisses. “We can’t …
This question comes from an unnamed source via Daniel Housman – Just how many brilliant obscure singer-songwriters were there in the early Seventies? I’m still getting over rediscovering Emmitt Rhodes — and now here’s David Ackles. Nobody was listening to this stuff, yet “Gimme Dat Ding” went Top 40? Tom Kipp – Let us add …
Was saddened to hear that REM had announced they were breaking up. Sad that they wouldn’t be playing again? Uh, no. I cant remember the last time they were absolutely essential. Decent stuff, sure sure, but not the break down the doors/get in line @ Tower records variety. Sad that they felt the need to …
Mike Hughes has created an archive of all the set lists he’s photographed. Go here.
After being the blogger’s delight at the end of last year, Zola Jesus is back. The 2010 album, Stridulum II, was a fine piece in a niche sort of way, even if it’s wailing risked getting caught up in the tail end of the witch house storm in a teacup. The new record, Conatus, represents …
I don’t know whether or to what degree y’all may be fans of Holmes & Watson, or intrigued by Conan Doyle’s forays into the Occult, but this Michael Dirda piece showed up on Facebook today, from the current issue of THE PARIS REVIEW, and I thought I’d pass it along. http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2011/09/21/a-doyle-man/ Not many volumes contain …
Lykke Li – Sadness is a Blessing – Video is Deft Metaphor for Cultural Controls in Swede-Am Families
Thanks to Mike Hughes for bringing the video below to my attention. He describes it, “This is just so beautiful. The restaurant could only be in a Nordic country, the tristesse is beautifully expressed, and the fact that Lykke Li’s dress is reminiscent of a strait-jacket just adds to the poignancy… [This clip dramatizes what …
Chapter Thirty-Seven Keith didn’t stir so I climbed down. Meanwhile Ryan kept pounding. “Get up. We have a ferry to catch!” “I’m up,” I yelled. The banging stopped, so I assumed Ryan was just getting us up. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the clock. How could it be six already? I …
Chapter Thirty-Six So much for sleep. It was four a.m. “Since you were involved, you’ll have to talk to them.” “I told you to leave it alone. If you had, then this wouldn’t have happened!” I screamed. “Well it’s too fucking late now, so get dressed. Thank heavens the van’s alarm went off. We’d be …
Exhibit A: The Voice On The Tape, which sounds nothing like the Michael Jackson the world knew… …sounds uncannily like Sly Stone. Exhibit B: A thirtysomething father of two from the Deep South reports that he had no idea this was happening. I sat stunned. “You don’t read the papers?” I inquried. “Once upon a …
Chapter Thirty-Four The outside air washed over me and I was able to breathe after the stifling heat and smoke of the club, but it didn’t wash away my anger. I’d be taking a taxi again. I stood in front of the building until one came. “Take me to the Ascott Hotel, please,” I said. …
On September 25, 2011 I witnessed a rare gem of a performer who goes by the name Jonathan Richman. I only saw Jonathan Richman once before. That was in 1993 at the now defunct Backstage Tavern. Last night’s show, at The Tractor, another Ballard neighborhood tavern, was a rare treat. Jonathan Richman came on stage …
Joe Rigby Quartet: For Harriet Freddie Hubbard: Pinnacle Live & Unreleased: From Keystone Korner They Might Be Giants: Join Us Fountains Of Wayne: Sky Full Of Holes Catherine MacLellan: Silhouette Frank Fairfield: Out On The Open West Gang Of Four: Content New York Dolls: Dancing Backward In High Heels SYCH (Wally Shoup, C. Spencer Yeh, …
When pugs are young, sometimes they will swarm and go into a pug frenzy as they do in this video. It can be viewed here.
When I was 14, I was figuring out how to play the songs on Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens, Tapestry by Carole King, The James Gang Rides Again, and Black Sabbath I – all at the same time. It made sense/paid off when I got to record with Joan Baez and Roky Erickson …
Chapter Thirty-Three By the time we hit the motorway, we were an hour late. Ryan drove and insisted we weren’t stopping anywhere. No one complained. They were all semi comatose, obviously hung over. I, however, was starving. I remembered when Keith got me drunk unbeknownst. My stomach felt tied in knots and I had no …
At Intermittent Signals, Steve Stav has some fantastic material on Northwest singer-songwriter, Danny O’Keefe: One of country’s great singer-songwriters has lived in the Pacific Northwest most of his life, but a relative few northwesterners recognize Danny O’Keefe’s name. More will recognize at least two of his songs, however. Jackson Browne covered O’Keefe’s “The Road” for …
Willie Nelson’s career had a substantial beginning in the unlikely locale of Vancouver, Wa, a Portland suburb. Why? No immediate answers. The Wik says, “In 1956, Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington to begin his formal musical career. His first record, “No Place For Me” included Leon Payne’s “Lumberjack” on the b-side, but was not successful. …
If I owned a gardening nursery business, I would announce a sale on English Walnut saplings and fruit trees with the following catch phrase, “Nut Up and Grow a Pear!”
[Ed. Note – On May 4, 2012 goth-inspired, iconoclastic film director Tim Burton is set to release a movie version of the beloved television series DARK SHADOWS which will star Johnny Depp, Chloë Grace Moretz, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Lee and many others. While longtime fans of the show are eager …
Hearing about R.E.M.’s withdrawal from active duty was like being reminded that it’s no longer the 90s. It’s not like the band hasn’t been active, but who can tell me the name of their hits off “Collapse into Now”? Back in ’83, I recall the first review I wrote on them. From a musical era …