10 Songs: Monday, June 30th, 2014
Nas Is Like… Nas – 1999, this was one of my fave tracks, the verse is all spit strong rap and choppy beat but the chorus is half a man and half amazing and my question is why does it sound so much like… A
Dave Chapelle At Radio City Music Hall, Friday, June 27th, 2014, Reviewed
Dave doesn’t really get angry, he gets bemused. He has a perpetual quizzical expression that is perhaps the only response to racial politics and personal politics left. He was fine, but he wasn’t Richard Pryor on Sunset Strip.
Must See: Danny Brown At Best Buy In July
Danny is a real American Black weirdo, the latest in a long line, and I think of all the names around here, he is the most purely commited and commitable rhymer. His flow isn’t better, phrasing not as good as Lamar and neither is his voice but his rhyming is impeccable and the two albums I’ve heard are both simply and undoubtedly fabulous albums
Active Viewin': rock nyc Concert Picks Week Of June 30th, 2014
if you are going to see Mike Love’s version, don’t expect transcendence, expect old guys thinking young guys songs so old couples can singalong and maybe their kids can join. On July 4th, at Jones Beach, maybe that’s what we want, memories of when we could have fun all summer long instead of working every summer for the past 40 odd years
10 Songs: Sunday, June 29th, 2014
Mathematics – Mos Def – “You want to know how to rhyme you better learn how to add” Mos Def advises and he makes his point on this classic whose rhythmic hook has showed has shown up ever since, on the flip side of his biggest song – A
In Memory Of Bobby Womack
I was talking to Tomas Doncker yesterday and telling him how healthy Womack looked last December at City Winery. Then I reread my review of the best show of 2013 and realized he looked like hell. All I remembered was the good stuff and with Womack there was plenty. Here is my review
Must See: Clean Bandit At Webster Hall In September 2014
In a live setting strings and two turntables and a microphone plus guest singers should be entirely uniquely and different and I believe it should work, especially if they get Jess Gwynne to visit with them. She is a wonderful and soulful singer and she really helped the band sell this great pop landscape track.
Direct Currents Up Coming Releases
A new Sia is always good news, a new Manic Street Preachers we’ve been waiting for all year, Clapton taking on the late JJ Cale, Tom Petty hopefully in Southern accents style, Van Dyke Parks (not on Spotify no doubt),. The second week in September is killer: Robert Plant, Loudon Wainwright III, Ryan Adams and Karen O.
How Nice Should You Be To Your Opening Act? West And Lamar Did Not Bond
Patrick was wrong. If you are the warming act, shut up and warm and if you did it well (Patrick did it very well: he was hysterical that night, telling the audience, on St. Patrick’s Day, at a Pogues, to drink sensibly) perhaps the band will say thank you. In 2014, if the headliner isn’t charging you, you are one step ahead of the crowd.
10 Songs: Saturday, June 28th, 2014
Lock Dem Hubs – Bubba Sparxxx – Welcome to 1993; this is the way we used to do it back in the day, it is like Bubba woke up one day and suddenly Wu Tang never existed -bright and dim at the same time – B-
The Jay Z Beyonce On The Run Setlist 2014!
“the couple sang the rousing “Young Forever” before turning their backs to the audience to sing at the screen, which showed images of family life centering on the newest addition, daughter “Blue Ivy,” who they serenaded with “Halo.”
Barbra Streisand New Duets Album On Its Way
How about can’t pick any one and why? Because they ALL SUCKED and I have zero reason to expect any better from Barbra (her album above was just a collection); certainly not after her bother terribly expensive and also just plain not good enough Barclay Center gigs a coupla years ago.
Must See: Dickey Betts At The Concert Hall This August
Betts is playing The Concert hall on West 63 street on Friday August 8 th and I for one have never seen him solo but I think he is better guitarist than anybody in his former band and kinda assume this is as close as you are gonna get to the essence of the greatest Southern boogie band of all time.
rock nyc's Top 10 Songs Week Of June 23rd, 2014
Good week for heavy instruments, Bassnectectar, Clean Bandit, Phish, Eno + Hyde and Mastodon all released very strong music. Particularly Eno + Hyde, whose “Lilac” is better than anything on the album and especially the two note strum through the last three minutes. The best three minutes of the week.
10 Songs: Friday, June 27th, 2014
One of Costello’s lowest moments, was his destructive comments about the former Transvision Vamp’s lead singer. She asked him to write a song for her and instead, with his wife, he wrote an album. Wendy gave pretty steady readings of them. Elvis hated them and recorded them himself, not half as well. Here is the best of them, a class structured Lady Chatterley’s lover of a song – A-
Elvis Costello At Carnegie Hall, Wednesday, June 25th, 2014, Reviewed
It is a real achievement, performing solo and invitingly and interesting so the audience isn’t dozing, for 165 minutes. The penultimate song of the evening found him strapping on his electric song for the first time all night for the new and excellent “The Last Days Of My Youth”. Perhaps it is, or perhaps he will never grow old.
Katy Perry Concert Setlist 2014 Annonated And Spotified!!
So I go into the July 9 show at Madison Square Garden without that many caveats. I don’t particularly like Katie Perry’s music but I like her as a pop performer. She puts on a good show, she does the job. Don’t let all the C minuses bother you here, I expect big things
The Day rock nyc Went Viral
Morrissey-Solo picked up the story, which got the attention of Stereogum, which got picked up by Consequence Of Sound, and crossed the Atlantic where New Musical Express got it and Uncut used the same story. Contactmusic.com used it and WENNused Contacts story. Music Times threw in “Morrissey may be quite sick” which nobody said anywhere.
US Top 10 Singles 7-5-14
Except for the Legend song, this is a plenty good top ten. Both Iggy songs work for me and “Summer” is an excellent song of summer. Nothing else seriously annoys me and if this is what the top ten looks like in 2014, count me in.
Eddie Vedder Covers "Let It Go"
On the third hand, Olivia Vedder must be, what 8 years old now, so I am show she has been freezing it out like crazy though at eight years old her dad is probably still a god like figure. “Daughter” was never a favorite and I see zero reason to change my mind, so there.
US Top 10 Albums 7-5-14
I love it when my taste and the zeitgeists taste coincide. It doesn’t happen nearly as much as I wish it did, at least because I am such a pop whote, sales always pricks up my ears. It killed me hating Frozen for months on end. But I love the top two on this list, written about them lots, and seeing them here at the top of the charts is just heaven!
10 Songs: Thursday, June 26th, 2014
Survivalism – Nine Inch Nails – This Deadmau5 remix works better than anything else on the album, because Deadmau5 has a real song to work with. The drums are all echo and bombast – B+
City Park's Foundation And The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series, Monday, June 23rd, 2014, Reviewed
Jamie was excellent but Amber left the entire audience slack jawed, she seemed to turn every corner of the song only to find somewhere else to reach. Jamie made her debut in 2009 and Amber in 2011 but their power, passion and professionalism was a great thing
Jay Z-Beyonce Tour Breaking Records.
The distribution services are still shaking out and until Apple finds a way to cut the major labels into Beats, it feels like Spotify’s game to lose, but the result is here in a diluted form. Jay Z will not make $2M off Holy Grail but from this tour? Figure once every one is paid, $25M mininum and the same for Bey. It is obvious that the way the Beatles retired from touring to make Sgt Pepper? It could never ever happen now
Sam Smith Covers Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know"
The problem is Sam Smith’s version, as beautiful as can be, is too downcast, with just a piano he caresses it morbidly. It works as an adjunct to In The Lonely Hour, but that isn’t what he should be doing and that he wo’t jump on something he should be jumping on is something of a bummer.
10 Songs: Wednesday, June 34th, 2014
Gimme A Feelin’ – Ace Frehley – This is so over the top it is funny in a Kiss sort of way, a lambasting rifaramadingdong with a touch of Simpson’s like parody… not intentionally of course, “gimme a feelin’ because you’re on my mind…” I see, I’d love to be in the meeting where they brainstorm the lurics – C-
Be Here Now: Snap Shot Reviews Of New Album Releases 6-24-14
Fuego – Phish – here’s a switch up, their New years Eve run at MSG in December was a disappointment but this is as good as Phish has ever gotten on record, “Devotion To A Dream” is better than “Backwards Down the Number Line”. It’s like the Grateful Dead with jazz replacing country – A-
Roman Polanski's "Venus In Furs" Reviewed
Dressed in lingerie and flashing a nipple or reclining on a sofa while Thomas zips her thigh high boots in a daze of desire, the moral appears to be we are all Emmanuelle’s slaves.
Kanye West And Kim Kaddassian Simpsonized
Milan artist AleXsandro Palombois the man befhind the illustrations and personally? I love. Oh, by the way, I blew off Dave Chappelle Sunday night but if I had gone on Friday night, I’d have seen Kanye West perform “New Slaves,” “Jesus Walks” and “Gold Digger
Must See: The Replacements At Forest Hills, September 2014
At Forest Hills Tennis Center on September 19th, the Replacements will be joined by the Hold Steady and Deer Tick on what might be the best night of rock and roll this year, I’ve seen the Hold Steady many times and they are terrific live, Deer Tick playing for their heroes should kill it. A must see for sure.
That Was The Week Of June 16th, 2014 That Was
A 14 year old boy killed the boy who had bullied him for months while New York fiddled mindlessly. This is such a horrible story it is hard to find the good guys. But the murderers Mom who threw away the cellphone because she sells drugs and thought the cell might have a GPS tracking device is a damn good place to start. Or the Principal who wouldn’t do anything. Or the Police who refused to intervene. You know, there’s enough blame to go round.
10 Songs: Tuesday, June 24th, 2014
I Could Easily (Fall In Love With You) – Cliff Richard And The Shadows – On Saturday, Cliff mentioned recording in Nashville and you might wonder how he would do with country, this is a modified country (not even rockabilly lick) drenched in melodic goodness – A
Lana Del Rey's "Ultraviolence" Reviewed
Caryn Ganz’s (for editor at Spin) excellent Rolling Stone review of Lana Del Rey’s sophomore effort Ultraviolence does exactly that. “the epic schmaltz of Ennio Morricone, reflected through the haze of a thousand dramatic selfies” is a pretty damn good description of the album. It isn’t a put down, Lana is what she is and what she is is the teenage girl locked in her bedroom, imagining her mom and dad crying at her grave with a sort of grim satisfaction.
Sneak Peaks: Week Of June 23rd, 2014
I am most excited for Marsha Ambrosius because I loved her last one so much (and she was fabulous live) so that’s my top pick, though A Sunny Day In Glasgow, Ed Sheeran, Move To Pain (just because Telefon Tel Aviv are such a great band), Phish because they record in the studio so rarely (though I bet it’s not on Spotify) and, ahem, Ed Sheeran.
UK Top 10 Albums 6-29-14
I guess the return of Ed has a lot to do with the upcoming sophomore effort which just might do the difficult: be the same and different at the same time. Lana at # 1, though the real question is what will the US make of it? My gut is it will break pop but if West Coast couldn’t make it on the Singles chart what can here? Well, at least should insure a career touring if she has finally learnt how to play live.
UK Top 10 Singles 6-29-14
The question is, are 5 Seconds Of Summer the next One Direction or the next the Wanted. The Australian boy band was not the world beater we expected, the EP didn’t stiff but you don’t hear much about it either and while a # 1 song in Ground Zero for 1D matters, 5SOS are not getting where they want to go.
10 Songs: Monday, June 23rd, 2014
A&E – Clean Bandit – After the success of “Rather Be”, I figured this classical plus EDM band were gonna be great but the New Eyes was a disappointed except the more you listen the less it is and the violins on this song are so great the track grows into a monster – A
Cliff Richard Gramercy Theater Saturday June 21, 2014 Reviewed
The teenage Cliff of the late 1950’s, had a tender lushness about him, girls adored him, he wasn’t threatening but rather Mickey Rooney meets Elvis meets Dion . Any thoughts of juvenile delinquency disappeared as hit after hit after hit turned him pop.
Marc Weinstein Of Amoeba Talks The Record Store Of Your Dreams… Just Not To Us
“Record shoppers are very acutely aware of whether a store cares or not. Our L.A. store alone has a staff of 250, and they’re all musicians, writers, and interesting people. It always feels like a place to be.”
MMJ Holiday In 2015
Far be it for me to mock the afflicted, but this line up is painful just to read , let alone see. My Morning Jacket peaked in 2008 and Dawes, War On Drugs, and, oh god no, Dr. Dog, might peak one of these days, we don’t really know. The only name that excites me here is Biz Markie, and really I think I’ve heard “Just A Friend” live once or twice before.
Active Viewin': rock nyc Concert Picks week Of June 23rd, 2014
I can’t predict this one though Elvis Costello, one man show, Carnegie Hall, you have to assume he is gonna bring out the heavy arsenal, though when I saw him a coupla years ago doing a coupla songs solo I thought he wasn’t happening. And that entire the Roots deal was a major bummer. So I dunno, Helen bach liked him so… I guess we will see Wednesday!
rock nyc Top 10 Songs Week of June 16th, 2014
Six of these artists are rockers. The Front Bottoms, Cerebral Ballzy and White Lung are relatively (WL dates from 2006) young bands, Wussy has been around since 2001, when Ian was, ahem, a spritely 56 year old. David Gray is a singer songwriter (I mean essentially, right?). So, yeah, for one week only rock makes a comeback.
10 Songs: Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
Tokyo Storm Warning – Elvis Costello And The Attractions – An astounding achievement, the words pull on and out and on and on till he has a dream of that revolver in her pure and but what dow e care of the world is just a joke? Now they’re hanging protest singers – A+
Clint Eastwood's "Jersey Boys" Reviewed
This is an Eastwood problem, “Bird” was a miserable movie and this movie is just terrible with Francine Valli, the unfortunately daughter. Why is there no breakthrough here, why is there no revelation? Valli is a drag who doesn’t learn his lesson. In one scene, Eastwood goes from the other three members of the band at a Christmas part-orgy and Valli with his family and Grandparents. Valli looks completely miserable. Was that the intention?
Miley Cyrus: Kids Need Time To Grow Up
“’I think people should have time to grow up and figure out who they are. I think people need to sit and think of the times in their lives they were not proud of who they were. Imagine if that was completely exploited and everyone had their opinions.”
Village Voice Music Section Is The Worst
The problem with VV is it is such a pale facsimile of what it once was, it just… it is like when somebody has been really sick and while they are better they haven’t bounced back. The Village Voice haunts itself; it looks at itself in the mirror and it is gaunt and tired and shaky and a terrible read
Must See: The Buzzcocks And Titus Andronicus At Webster Hall, September 2014
One thing I promise: Patrick won’t have to give the Buzzcocks the dressing down he gave the Pogues at the infamous St, Patrick’s day gig. I interviewed Pete around the time of Homosapien and he was a great guy and Steve Diggle has a great reputation.
The A+ List: 6-21-14
Dave Alvin of the Blasters original covered by Marshall on the sublime Live… My Truck Is My Home, the original is a rough and tumble rockabilly rave up you can just imagine the Blasters charging through. But Crenshaw… man, that guy finds the heart in everything .
10 Songs: Saturday, June 21st, 2014
Country Song – Happy Mondays – Originally called “Some Cunt from Preston” and not much of a shocker why the they changed its name, the Madchester monster band sounds ahead of its time even today: a blues beater with heavy heavy beats – A
New York Post Relegates Pop Music To The Back Of The Bus
I am guessing, just guessing, that the dynamic duo maybe ruffling a few feathers. They certainly don’t play anything close to the Aquilante game, if they don’t like you it doesn’t matter how big you are, they’ll rip you to pieces. You’d think Col would be happy with it after all of Dan’s asskissing