Sam Smith's "In The Lonely Hour" reviewed
It is fertile ground for the tumultuous sound of pop, even when played on blue notes, it is as extreme as human love can get and on song after song here, it is as good as pop music can get as well. Grade: A
10 Songs: Friday, February 20th, 2014
Don’t – Ed Sheeran – I’ll believe most things given the opportunity, but Ed as a tousle headed ladies man, sleeping with a popular pop singer and writing songs about it? That’s pushing me to the outer limits of credibility. Maybe if he had sex appeal? – B-
Gerry Goffin Dead At 77
The great pop lyricist Gerry Goffin, who wrote the words to so many of Carole King’s greatest compositions, is dead at 77. Goffin was responsible for some 40 Top 10 Hits and the man was a true poet, unless you don’t think “Some Kind Of Wonderful” was true poetry
Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band At Radio City Music Hall, Wednesday, June 18th, 2014, Reviewed
When you read the setlist you think, oh OK, two killer Ringo, a new Ringo, Todd, a bit of a snooze and then Ringo again. But when you are there, you have to sit through excruciating versions of “Evil Ways”, “Rosanna” and “Kyrie”. It is deadly.
"Micky Dolenz Live At BB Kings" Reviewed
After all these years, Micky emerges as a song and dance man, adept at just about every form of rock and pop with a history and a present he can tap into at will and an unerring sense of moment at tempo. This should’ve been the entire show
Modern Hut's "Moving On" On The Chris Gethart Show (Watch the Video Here)
The pace is slow, and weary, but the beat is much larger than we are used to, and while Joe has a sort of blank weird charm to him, the band look as though they’ve just arrived from 1978 –a mix of the Knack and Roxy Music. By the end of the song, Marissa is performing a sizzling solo to send it all back home.
"Haunter" Reviewed
The gothic sideshow of teenangerhood endless misunderstood no one knows me, lock me in my room, on a never ending Sunday is captured so well, you can feel the moments tick and tick and tick and tock, it is is all those groundhog day movies without the moral kick: it is making Lisa sick and bored and tired, it is really as bad as these things can possibly get.
US Top 10 Singles 6-27-14
Sometimes a song hits big and you can’t for the life of you figure out why, I feel that way about “All Of Me” and also, to a lesser degree “Rude”. The modified reggae beat gets its staying power from a double hook, the bridge followed by the chorus.
US Top 10 Albums 6-27-14
As bad as Lazeretto is, the vinyl sounds awesome: it plays backwards and forwards, there is a holagram of an angel, alternative songs depending on where you put the needle down. The result? The vinyl alone sold an astonishing 40,000 copies and vinyl alone? White would have been at # 4 on the charts. Meanwhile, that country album? Painfully bad.
10 Songs: Thursday, June 19th, 2014
Drown With The Monster – White Lung – Eight years into their career, the Canadian punk back have an air of professionalism and they just can’t shake it however much they try. The guitar? That ain’t three chords, that’s some Middle Eastern vibes going on – B+
Must See: City Parks Foundation Summerstage Recital series, Monday, June 24th, 2014
It is a glorious thing for a hot summer night, a real pleasure and and incredible buzz and it is, of course, free. Here is the press release which even tells you who is performing this year on Monday June 23 rd and has every chance of filling up entirely so get there early:
The Who: A Modest Proposal
The Who don’t need to be so big, they don’t have to prove anything, really they don’t. They can tone it down, get rid f the sythns and the power station and contract to the size of a rock band, just a three piece and rock sing and guess what they could play? The great 1960s hits just the way, maybe even a little faster, they were recorded
10 Songs: Wednesday, June 18th, 2014
Fucked My Way to The Top – Lana Del Rey – There is the famous story where Alfred Hitchcock wanted to make a movie where a huge ship is discovered with everyone on board dead –don’t know how, don’t know why, no marks nothing. He didn’t make the movie because whatever the solution was, it had to be a disappointment. Except for the names and a few of the places, the exact same thing could be said about this song: it couldn’t live up to its title and it doesn’t come close – B+
Be Here Now: Snap Shot Reviews Of New Album Releases 6-17-14
Mutineers – David Gray – Joined by the bloke from Lamb (a great band in their own right) , this is a beautiful, slightly muted collection of singer songwriter songs like Elbow without the quirk and also without the anthem. Another great album by Gray that should buy him a larger than cult audience but probably won’t – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Buy Marrisa Paternoster's Lithographs
She recently launched her own website, marissapaternoster.com and has started selling her own art directly. This signed and numbered lithograph is the first piece she is selling and it is incredible. We will also be helping her sell the prints through our site
Foo Fighters Agree To Play Gig Organized By Fans Without Their Knowledge
“We need a Foo Fighters rock show in Richmond, Virginia, this year. We’re selling 1,400 tickets to a concert to be held somewhere in Richmond, sometime in 2014. The exact location and date to be determined.”
Jermaine Dupri Excuses Himself For Mariah Carey Flop
“So for me, allowing you to believe I don’t care about the promotion of the Mariah record and I don’t see you screaming at me, that this song and that song needs to be a single, goes against everything that I’m about, believe me! Everything that you question will be answered ASAP!!!!””
Doug Liman's "Edge Of Tomorrow" Reviewed
The problem is that the romance doesn’t work; it is somewhat unbelievable. I mean, I realize, it is all unbelievable but the suspended disbelief of the conceit goes without saying but the romance should find traction and it doesn’t really so you are stuck watching an unlikable story over and over again. Bang bang but no kiss kis
10 Songs: Tuesday, June 17th, 2014
Jump To It – Aretha Franklin – Produced and co-written by the legendary and yet oddly shadowy Luther Vandross, perhaps because of his closeted homosexuality. The 1982 song is a masterpiece of pure disco (not funk) and gave Aretha her first hit since 1982 – A
Aretha Franklin At Radio City Music Hall, Saturday, June 14th, 2014, Reviewed
There were no real weak moments. “I’m back” she exclaimed late in the show and really better than ever. Soul music walks hand in hand with trouble, with problems, with the constant ache of life, without one you can’t have the other, and Aretha has soul
That Was The Week Of June 9th, 2014, That Was
International News: So 12 years after Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraq is back to Sunni Versus Shiite’s with the US on the same side as Iran for some weird reason and Afghanistan is gonna fall to the Taliban. The moral? Colonization doesn’t work.
UK Top 10 ALbums 6-21-14
Hank Marvin still has a beautiful tone to his guitar and these instrumental versions of early 60s to late 70s hits is pretty wonderful, meanwhile at the top of the charts Kasabian are probably the best English rock group ion the world today.
UK Top 10 Singles 6-21-14
Ella Henderson came in 6th in the 2012 UK X Factor contest, and so the eighteen year old went away for two years and returned with a new song that sold over 140,000 copies (in the UK, mind) and went straight to the top of the charts. That’s all I’m saying.
10 Songs: Monday, June 16th, 2014
Keep It Gay – Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick – Uproariously funny celebration of all things camp and magical and, well, gray about the musical theater… stopped the show when I saw it on Broadway. Of course, so did everything else – B+
Jack White's "Lazaretto" Reviewed
It is, the word is, mediocre. The songs aren’t good enough, Jack’s voice grates by the end because there isn’t enough oomph to bring it all back home, and int he end, if you think Jack is an asshole any way, there is no reason to do much but dismiss it.
Sarah Brightman Way Way Out There
Let’s say Sarah ,the soprano who used to be married to Andrew Lloyd Webber, figures you can film it for a TV special, make an album, tour behind it, does she think she can make it back? I guess, maybe, I mean nothing in her life story gives you the impression she has those kinda numbers but still, maybe just possibly…?
Active Viewin': rock nyc Concert Picks Week Of June 16th, 2014
IAt the tiny Gramercy Theatre, Saturday June 21st. (see here) Cliff Richard promises an intimate New York City gig to make up for Morrissey canceling the Barclay Center Show Cliff was meant to be supporting. I haven’t seen Cliff for FIFTY YEARS, so it as big as big can get for me. To my mind, the man has had one of the great careers and this is the show of the week at the very least.
Sneak Peaks: Upcoming Album Releases Week of June 16th, 2014
A huge week, the debut album by Big Freedia, a really great disco guy whose 2012 “Booty-Whop” and current “Explode” are just so much fun, Cerebral Balzy are a blast live, everything I’ve heard off Lana’s Ultra Violence has been first rate, and J Lo better come up with the goods, but the week belongs to soul brother # 1 Sam Smith’s eagerly anticipated debut album.
10 Songs: Sunday, June 15th, 2014
Toreador Song – Christopher Lee – Electric guitar riffs to introduce the Bizet thunder and lightning with Lee’s harsh, unprettified singing interrupted guitar solos, the main question being, why bother? At 91, Lee may very well be immortal – C
Cliff Richard At Gramercy Theater, Saturday, June 21st FOR FREE!!!
“This will be an intimate evening with Sir Cliff, music with Keith Hayman and Suzie Furlonger, and chat with Phil Silverstone, an ex-Londoner living in Philadelphia, a lifelong Cliff fan who hosts “Time Out with Phillip Silverstone” and “Cliff Notes” on tunein.com”
Hank Williams Bio Pic Starring Loki On Its Way
According to Billboard: “Tom Hiddleston will play country western singer Hank Williams in Marc Abraham’s “I Saw the Light,” which will chronicle the performer’s rise to fame and fame’s ultimately tragic effects.” Based on the Colin Escott 2004 biography, which has already been turned into a four hour PBS special
Ringo And And The All Starrs 2014 Setlist Annotated And Spotified
With the eagerly awaited big time rock concert for young Ringo and his All Stars at the Beacon Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I thought it might be worthwhile to take a closer at the setlist, a lot of Ringo (including two newbies), plus Rundgren and, ahem, Toto songs
Direct Currents Summer Releases
Here comes summer, school is out on happy days and the wild world of music is coming your ways so… what are we looking forward to here? I didn’t care less about Jenny Lewis but after her terrific turn at Governors Ball, I am wondering if this will be a biggie for her. Sinead O’Connor –because, well, because she is an enormously consistent recording artist, and Spider Bags who released the best album of 2012
rock nyc Top 10 Songs Week Of June 9th, 2014
Three really good albums here: Colbie, Shinobi and the Shoe, plus jack White which, well I’m thinking of doing a full length review but for now, it has too many weak spots. I still prefer Colbie any way.
10 Songs: Saturday, June 14th, 2014
Crazy Little Thing called Love (Live At Wembley Stadium) – Queen – We could debate it but this straightforward Presleyish rocker is Freddie’s finest moment, just not this version where the extended end doesn’t work – B
James Chance And Marla Mase At The Cutting Room, Thursday, June 12th, 2014, Reviewed
He isn’t cute. There is something off center about him as a performer, a sort of nolle prosequi which was at the heart of both punk and No Wave: he doesn’t play nice. This saves him some headaches, among them the question of aging and it gives stuff like “Design To Kill” an entirely timeless quality: it exists in its aggression.
Gerard Way's "Action Cat" Reviewed
Maybe we don’t have Gerard the deep thinking mastermind terminal, but we do have “Action Cats this glorious slab of power pop, a wall of fuzzy guitar, it’s like the the Cure circa “Mint Car” without Smith’s thick voice, –yes, THAT GOOD!!! If the rest of the album can maintain this sugar and spice, Gerard is back on parade again.
Must See: Chromeo At Summerstage, September 2014
I saw A-Trak a couple of weeks ago at T5 and was very impressed so it was even more of a reason to catch Chromeo next time they play locally but there is more… THEY ARE PLAYING SUMMERSTAGE!!! Under the stars at Central Park for a modified rave? You gotta think that is gonna be a blast.
Spotify Streams: The Best Way To Check On Your Faves Popularity
Youtube is a good way to take a peek at the numbers but too time consuming so in our ongoing attempts to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, here is the chart that dares to ask the musical question…How many streams did you get buddy?
Meet The Shoe At Their Hotel
I’d read she was a celebrity actress (the cult fave “Donnie Darko” and “The Hunger Games”) but I didn’t quite know who she was until I saw the video below and then I thought, hey, she reminds me of someone. Jena reminds me of herself of course.
Body Count's "Manslaughter" Reviewed
Life repeats itself three times, first as tragedy, second as rap music and third as farce. Ice T has been on the third revolution for a long long time and any idea that the former Tracey Marrow is still using memory recall from his gangbanging, drug selling (not to mention stint in the army) days has to be taken with a huge huge dose of reality TV
10 Songs: Friday, June 13th, 2014
Bill Bruisers – The New Pornographers – This is a nicely bruising pop rocker with vocal hooks on top of vocal hooks from a band who have been around forever but for whom I’ve never had all that much time, by this one they got right – B+
Brian Wilson Has Recorded With Frank Ocean!
It seems to me, Brian Wilson’s decision to make a new album featuring the likes of Zooey Deschanel, Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean and Kacey Musgraves is a great one… and except for Zooey all these names excite. Especially Frank Ocean, the only name here with real production chops that might work well in tandem with Wilson.
Morrissey: What Next?
It seems incredible that after his disastrous 2012 tour, which also ended with cancellations aplenty, Moz got insurance for the 2014 jaunt and also, even more remarkable, that he did so without a check up which found him capable of catching a virus from Kristeen so virulent he had to cancel the midtour.
US top 10 Singles 6-21-14
Yeah, yeah the stroppy Aussie kid is full of herself and I don’t doubt she has the song of the summer here, and I don’t doubt it won’t be Sam Smith because Smith is too downbeat, but I am real happy he has hit the top 10 because when you’ve spent as many posts trumpeting Smith as the next big UK soul sensation I’d feel like a total twit if he wasn’t.
US Top 10 Albums, 6-21-14
Better Led Zep’s first three albums than all those damn Bro boys, right? And much better Miranda Lambert, who, should stop dressing like Bozo if Bozo was a honky tonk hooker, than any Bro including Eric Church. Between the four of em you’ve got a solid album charts for a change.
10 Songs: Thursday, June 12th, 2014
Rollercoaster – Bleachers – This indie pop track from the fun. Composer is so good I am kicking myself for not getting to Governors Ball early and checking him out; it doesn’t go up and down precisely, it kinda builds to the chorus which is anthemic in a not un-fun. Way and subsides, so more like waves. Still damn good – A-
Titus Andronicus: The Bosses Of New Jersey
I wear tee shirts all the time but I only get stopped when I wear either Stevie Wonder or Titus Andronicus. And with Titus only two sorts of people stop me. 1. Shakespeare fans. 2. New Jersey denizens.
George Strait Rode Away On Saturday June 7th, 2014 In Texas
Looking at these stars, you wonder how much Strait is responsible for the fitful state of modern country (though I remain decrying what now feels like a golden age, the mid-1980s). George played for three hours plus and here is the setlist, read it and weep
The Late Rik Mayall's "Noble England"
As they tend to do in the UK, they had started a Facebook page to get everybody to buy “Noble England” and get it into the charts thereby supporting the World Cup (which England doesn’t stand a chance in hell of winning) and Rik, which, after word got out of his death, has caused 500 girls to kill themselves.