Usually I am looking up and down the list for half an hour before catching the name of a must see artist but next week Kate Pierson is sitting in with the Seth Myers show for four nights, in celebration of her new album, the absolutely terrific Guitar And Microphones and therefore goes straight to the head of the class. The picture is of rock nyc friend and B-52s fanatic Michael Malone and her royal Kateness.
The Seventh Moon – The Black Ryder – This sounds like when you can’t rise yourself from a deep sleep, you try and shake youself awake but it is too deep and everythng from the outside world sounds like it is comng from a great distance, sort of muffled and othewere – B+
There is something a little icy about them, as live bands go SK play it a little too cool, a little too close to their chest, if the music is releasing something it is hard to see quite what it is.They don’t talk to us much, the set is ridiculously short, and the band aren’t that forthcoming
“I’ve been on that podium too and if someone got up on my stage I’d knock them out. I don’t care who it is I would’ve knocked them out … That’s my stage. I earned the right to be on the stage at that moment. That was Beck’s moment.”
What is truly disappointing, is Bjork of all people knows how to prove the limitations of streaming by using it, she could have if she wanted it, make the album itself secondary to the overall experience.
Nice week, the Rhiannon cover is aces (the lone holdover!) and Scout, Juliana (finally on Spotify!) , Nate proves that whatever Jack brings to fun. he doesn’t bring the big anthemic stuff, he brings the rock and roll…. All the way through Deacon, and all great stuff. Even ATE, another of those bands we love to hate, managed a goodie!!!
West has a good line, “if you leave Mickey you’re gonna end up with Goofy” and the other guy? “My crib done got bigger, my women got badder”. Plus, Sean’s beats are a little stale, plus plus if he is the closest thing to Michael since Janet, I am Malcolm X- C-
Madonna fell off the stage last night in London so in our ongoing efforts to be entirely irrelevant in the world of music journalism, here is the list of winners, available only everywhere and some priceless moments… especially Madonna falling off stage.
Best Coast have made the move from the Beach Boys to the Dream Syndicate while remaining true to themselves. It is a real goodie with a sterling guitar break and a haunting, sadly sad (does anybody do sad quite as well nowadays?) vocal
A bit of a snoozer though better the Weeknd than Ellie, and how sick am I of Bruno and Mark -every time i hear it I want to bitch slap em both… do we really have to hear these fakers for the rest of our lives? The jerks Plus what’s with this damn weather?
Well, Imagine Dragons had one job on earth and when you have one job and you do it, well, more power to you. Personally, with the exception of a song here and there I find them fairly abysmal but to add rock to EDM beats actually hit # 1… good for you.
Baywatch – Drug Cabin – Sounds like soft rock put through a hot tub time machine and replanted into 2015, and I mean that in the nicest way possible, sickly sweetness and medium tempo prettiness, but like the man said, it can make graves – B+
I’ve been listening to the album and I must admit to being very impressed, it is incidental music but with a beautiful haunting quality, we know Greenwood knows this stuff but Yorke and everybody else involved should be pretty damn pleased with it.
Personally, I think if Jesse really wanted to stir stuff up she’d join the GOP but chance would be a fine thing and since I don’t know Jesse’s music and i do know Patti’s music, plus, I wouldn’t mind having nature heal me, this might be worth the price of admission
When Nate moves away from fun. he sounds like fun. without Jack. If that sounds like a slam, it isn’t. This is a big sound pop extravaganza of the first order. A great song, and an important one for Nate – A-
“I’m a not so regular person in a not so regular world, and I’m just making the most of it and embracing myself,” explains Makonnen (born Makonnen Sheran), who signed to Drake’s OVO imprint in Sept. 2014. The success of the gold-certified “Tuesday” has been explosive: it topped the Billboard
Banks is performing at Irving Plaza on May 11th, the first time in years (I’ve been keeping an eye out since “212” and haven’t heard of any gigs). There is a Live Nation Mobile presale today at 10am for the gig and this is a must see.
This Probably Won’t End Well – All That Remains – Is this a new thing? Songs that start like full blown ballads before finding their feet and becoming what they are? Anyway, the album ain’t great but this is a terrific slice of angst-emo-coredom – B+
Ricky Warwick sounds enough like Phil Lynott to tug your memory and not enough to sound a copy, and this band, first a very late Thin Lizzy band and now a foil for Scott Gorham’s lead guitar, made the right choice in changing the band name. without the baggage, or at least without too much of the baggage, you can appreciate it as very good, old time hard rock – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
I think, and I believe I can prove this, that standing for three hours to hear Willie take a catnap is one of the seven rings of hell. It is puishment for all the wrong you’ve ever done. The only way I’d go is if he sang a medley of “To All The Girls I Love Before” and “On The Road Again”.
I thought let’s pass on the Knopfler track but then noticed which song it was and Knopfler channelling the Chieftains might be excellent but even if it isn’t, surely a Bobby Womack duet alone is worth the price of admission, plus Mavis Staples, Gregory Porter, Georgie Fame, Taj Mahal… these are good singers, these are guys we can imagine giving Van a little bit of competition.
ReeRee plays up to the competition, the only time I’ve seen her put on a good show was opening for young Eminem, where she was forced to raise her game through the roof and here is an idea if they wanna play Stadium, why not invite McCartney? Imagine that for a second, Paulie can do an hour in the middle and blow the youngsters minds.
Gotta Serve Somebody – Pop Staples – Staples covered it on his blues album Father, Father, and this live take off the posthumous new album, ends the proceedings with a stunning take on the Dylan classic, a graceful take – A
Short Movie – Laura Marling – I don’t see how a band helps, it doesn’t really flesh out the sound in any meaningful way at all… it is about the song, and the song is better than I first gave it credit (“they know that I love you, they’ll never know why” -quite) – A-
I have as many problems with the duo acceptance of the Oscar speech as I did about Marlon brando’s much braver refussal to accept an Oscar to condemn the US treatment of Native Americans. So if they give awards for acceptance speeches good for them, if they give it for songs , “Glory” stinks.
His memoir, the book “American Sniper” is based upon, had to retract the claim that he beat Jesse Ventura up. Why would he have lied about that? Wasn’t 100s of killings enough, did he also have to LIE ABOUT beating up professional wrestlers? How violent is violent enough?
It’s a good rock album, straightforward, 90sish but not grunge, sounds like what it is, smart lyrics, straightforward. Nothing as great as “Spin The Bottle” but the first two songs are huge inclusions for the Hatfield songbook.
Give Steve Strange this: he was the definition of THE FACE and also a real music guy who moved from lead singer of ultimate New Wave band Visage to promoting DJ concerts. He died of a heart attack last week at the age of 55.
Thunder are a really good mainstream UK style hard rock band, been around over 20 years, and are in a league with the best out there. They’re opening for ZZ Top in London and that sounds like a concert to be missed under no circumstances. Meanwhile, my buddy Johnny McElhone’s (I knew him when he managed Ramona) band Texas is back on the charts.
Give young Eddie something, he sure has staying power, Is this eight months in the charts now? Plus he has a coupla more where that comes from, “”Even My Dad Does Sometimes” is patiently awaiting its close up. Meanwhile, I don’t see the charm on the Ellie track. Sounds awful lame to these ears. Her photography is another question…
What Liam does here, is take an anthem and give the singing a detacment, he sings it out but he doesnt give himself, the result is a godlike distance from the childhood memory. The title is great as well -it is not just our neighborhood or our kids, it is the way we do it – A+
“I’d like to tell her what, I’m really feeling but…” when I made my peace with my Mom, I did it without really mentioning the past. She was 80 years old and I didn’t have the stomach for it. What difference does it make? But I wish I could have told her about watching her sleeping, sitting quietly by, watching over her. How much I had loved her. I guess it wouldn’t really matter, would it?
I am what I hate in other people’s attitudes about music when it comes to movies… I just think the new movies ain’t got the same soul. But music I know, and a look at this awful awful list and only one thing is certain: the rest of the nominees can’t lick Campbell’s boots.
A very busy week, and the ones I am most excited about I have already heard (and they’re both good), The Pop Group and Screaming Females, but if not them then there is still quite a few goodies: Gang Of Four, Big Sean, Emile Haynie, who had a really good single with Lana Del Rey earlier this year,… Dan Deacon? Decisions, decisions… Gang Of Four!
“If somebody puts that on the table, I’ll pack my bags in the morning and say, “How many gigs do you want?”. The thing that slightly annoys me is – and I know I’m the only one doing interviews – people assume it’s up to me. Let’s say I get up tomorrow morning, have a stretch, and say to my wife, “How about this Oasis thing?” It’s not up to me”
The second most anticipated concert of the year, right after D’Angelo, is this killer reunion: the all girl masters Sleater Kinney. I followed em through much of their career (I got bored circa The Woods), and saw both Wild flag and the Corin Tucker Backer (the latter at Mercury Lounge where Tucker sold her own tee shirts) and I love the new album and always loved them live. So I am more than excited to catch em on Thursday (they are also playing Friday). Yes, even at Terminal Five.
Family (Blended) – Chance The Rapper – This is the Vic Mensa remix, and it is so good, “It still warms my heart to hear my Grandma pray” is one thing, “My sister says she likes my rap because it sounds good” is one thing, “I’m gonna stay in the land where my fam-o stays” something else again. Chance and Vic are like no one outthere. Big time hip hop guys doing it differently – A
They stepped back just two years for “Come Unto Me” and leader and lead singer Raul Malo took his band to a place where Latin American rhythms and guitars met rockabilly but only as an ingredient of the song. It had the sax and trumpet like an unconscious echo of the ghost of Tito Puentes
I’m working on it every day, man. I guarantee it’s going to be something dope. If you don’t want a musician being creative, don’t get The Free Weezy Album.”
Yeah, I haunt the first listen on NPR and seriously hit pay dirt from time to time. This week I have The Pop Group and Screaming Females new albums on heavy rotation. I might listen to these guys more than when the album is actually released.
What interests me today is the best named album of the year, All My Favorite Singers Are Willie Nelson by Astral Swans which, if it is half as good as its name, should kill. Astral Swans is Canadian Matthew Swan, and his “You Can carry A Sickness” is first rate (sounds like extreme loner to me but…)
It is a toss up between Flo Rida on Kelly and Michael and Little Big Town on ellen, I like em both though I like Flo better, especially when he is just popping out which is the majority of the time. Though the one time I saw him live I was a little disappointed. I love Little Big Town as well, their last album was excellent. But no, Flo wins the week…
Mountain Of Love (Live) – From New Year’s Eve 1975 and look at this: he was 26 years old at the same and the King of every move in the rock and roll yearbook, this Johnny Rivers cover is proof, a blast of joy and fresh air which ignotes with a call for the Big Man – Terrific – A
We don’t want Matt to change, we want him to continue. Too good to be a regional phenom, too old fashioned to find an easy way out of Omaha. If Matt does what he does till he does it, that’s gonna do just fine.
Compared to the years of crap we’ve had to sit through, last years painful rotten and boring Everyday Robots for one, it sounds like Fidlar. Truthfully it is drone rock, maybe more Blur than anything else, but a hooky one, it is like a treadmill of a song going round and round and leaving you grinning at the slay em stadium steadyness of it all.
What she did was terrible, especially to Conor, she singlehandedly blew his last album to smitherines: you can’t be a sensitive songwriter and a rapist: it is one of those either or situations. But still, it is just a horrible, pathetic and sad story.
Ames took to robbin’ banks, and had some close calls, nearly at the end of a hang man’s rope. But as the song opens, Tom is “trapped in an alley in Abilene with all but four shells spent”, and with the end near and that’s when he asks God for a little bit of luck and doesn’t get it. But before that he yelps with joy at the memory of a close call.
For one week (Feb. 16-22), I’m going to listen to nothing but the entire Nickelback catalogue on a loop in an effort to raise $10,000* to build a well. Please considering giving and making this dream a reality**.
Definitely Drake’s week, but that Lord Huron may well be a case of lightning striking, because it is just a terrific little rockabilly track that begins and ends like a sweet ambient call. A masterful song. Otherwise both Kate and Letts choices were a little random, both albums have a lot of great songs.
Burning For No One – The Cribs – Yorkshire boys playing typical UK rock, and have been for a coupla decades and they do what they do quite well, the lick is sturdy and yet ot clingy and the verbal hook is sticky and quite smart – B+
