That run from DJ Snake to the end is the best I’ve seen in months and months and months, all of it is good and Timberlake’s “Not A Bad Thing” is one of his greatest moments ever. As pure and as perfect a pop song as you will ever hear plus? It isn’t connected at the hips with a dog as it is on the album
I am enough of a pop fan to give big props to DeRulo and Pharrell, two of the best albums of the years may only have girls on the mind but who doesn’t only have girls on the mind and if all you want is to give props to the playas, do it this well and you’ll get no kick from me.
Almost Was Good Enough – Bro.Stephens And Jim James – This is one of the best songs of the year, a melodic piece of deep depression dressed up like a dirge with an astounding guitar reslessling its way through it till it feed backs out and enters the solo – A
“You can reach that level without turning into that. Like Nirvana played bigger shit than that and it’s probably a different show every night. You don’t have to take that route, you can get that level of success with those size venues, that sort of thing, but still treat is as a spontaneous show at a small club.”
If you write all day every day you are a writer and if you are anything like me there is no greater reward in life. I write more than I do anything else, I write significantly more than I read or speak, anything except listen to music.
The Love Bug – George Jones – Wayne Kemp, country journeyman, wrote it and George Jones got it right; a smashing, lighthearted romp with love is a disease undertones riddling into the perfect lick. Jones vocal is a masterclass in Williams generation country singing.
Text Me In The Morning – Neon Trees – This defines the bands main problem, they have life and they have an idea, but they don’t have a strong and they miss out on the execution – C+
TICKET INFO FOR THE NYC SHOW We can exclusively reveal that tickets for Coldplay’s 05 May show at the Beacon Theatre in New York, USA will go on sale at 10am ET on Wednesday, 23 April from here
Jason Molina, the late singer songwriter, completely passed me by at the time, but he was something special if this sprawling somewhat epic album. A benefit covers album by alt and indie bands headed by Jim James, whose two tracks are outstanding. The title track and the other, with Bro. Stephen, the breathtaking “Almost Was Good Enough”. But there is a lot more as well, not least the other members of his band, Memorial Electric Co. ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
It was all so celebratory and sad at the same time. Funky horns, full choirs, guest stars and friends, performer heavy stage, howling, rocking beats, along beautiful synth hooks and back beats, banks of computers, overflowing stage, singers and musicians crowding each other
If you like the off balanced experimental soft machine without the machine sound that Wyatt has been playing for years, Watt continues the concept though he remains completely true to his own vision of it
Wayans and girlfriend Megan (Jaime Pressly) plus her two children (Ashley Rickards, Steele Stebbins) move to a haunted house with a creepy doll a la Twilight Zone has a sexual relationship with Damon (no really, very yucky)
Story Of The Rockers – Gene Vincent – Lennon called the Beatles four Gene Vincents and here is one reason why, an ode to the progenitors of rock and roll and Gene snarls and roughens up all the way from Bill Hailey to the Beach Boys and ending with… Otis Redding! – B
Our good friend, the very wonderful Media Contact sin Hom-Gogolak of the City Parks Foundation’s Summer Stage is out on maternity leave till the end of May! Over the past four seasons, Sin has hooked us up every single time and we have taken great pride and pleasure in reviewing the many shows we’ve seen.
Their childhood calls back to them and they want to return to it, like a rug that stops the door for slamming. What’s wrong with the guy? Why this upsetting, heartbroken song after song after song? Some girl?
Take any song out of Quack out of context and it will work as pretty fun dance, many of these racks were fun singles, but when you sit and listen it as an album you their jokiness because smugness
It is all very well for the Yanks to reel off 5 wins in row but whither the Knicks? No playoffs and check this out, owned by a Russian and in their second year have made the playoffs. Enough already Dolan, give the Knicks to J Lo along with the Fuse. She can’t do any worse.
Paolo Nutini is the male Amy Winehouse without the US breakthrough, though this excellent retro soul album should do the trick for him. Not sure when it is released Stateside but it is a goodie.
A chick soul singer from Australia, a chick pop singer from Sweden, Pharrell, Lengen and Aloe, and the rest is bass and drums.
Let Me Down Easy – Betty Lavette – I had my doubts about this soul icon till I saw her at Summerstage last year where I found myself completely impressed. This soulful r&b sounds classic to these ears – A-
It almost seemed as if the organizers were engaged in some kind of contest to see how many genres they could jam into one night. The songs bounced from opera (Ms. Fleming on “O Mio Babbino Caro” and “La Ci Darem La Mano,” aided by Sting) to jazz (Chris Botti on Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain”) to township jive (Paul Simon on “Graceland”).
Prince doesn’t use his falsetto but he does manage to go higher and lower and the same time (up for “Keep breaking me” and down for “down”), the band sound fabulous and sure it is better than the execrable Zooey duet. But I hope to never hear it again.
At 75 years of age, Peter Stampfel’s latest song, on cooler than we are Don Giovanni Records, “NSA Man” finds the former hippie violinist folkie as great as ever. The new album is gonna kill it, I promise and the opportunity to see him in the cramped Mercury Lounge on Thursday is a huge huge thrill.
“You know what? I am going to get serious for a minute. And I know we have to do this quickly because I know we don’t have a lot of time. That was actually my fifth step in AA at Betty Ford and someone, when I was moving, must have taken a photo of it so that’s a really personal thing.”
The Pains etc would get a lot further with me if they were either better or had a shorter name and Sebastian Bach? Keb Mo? Kelis? Eels? I am in wait and seek mode. Which leaves me with UK folkies To Kill A King, mostly because Cannibals With Cutlery is a great name for an album
Nas Is Like – Nas -Never a huge fan and post Illmatic even less so, but this track thrills me, the scratchy title chorus is addictive and the “half a man, half a mazing” is a mantra for the new age – A
This matters because it goes to the heart of this young, working class, personal well past solipsism rock band. Campbell’s poetics are works of imagery not metaphor. His words are so very very subjective and they are real acts of dramatic license
There is nothing they can do about; they can’t, or won’t, or it becomes fraught with difficulties and miscues, speak to their loved ones. “I love you daddy”, but where is daddy? What do the words mean to him?
I managed to miss a mid-February Amex presale and an on sale for a concert May 13at MHOW and only today actually noticed it at all. It was sold out maybe needless to add, she is one popular star right this minute in the indie firmaments.
Play “God Only Knows” At My Funeral – Fireworks – It doesn’t live up to its title, but, honestly what song could. Isn’t the name alone good enough. It is a beautiful smart pop punk masterpieces and one of the songs of the year – A
Naturally, we jumped at the chance to rock. After a few hazy and partied out sessions, we sent the track over. Marlon & The producers loved it so much that they put it in the movie!!! TWICE!!! You can hear our new song “Amped To 12” in the party scene and in the end credits.
Look at eternity this way: our solar system has been around 4.5 Billion years and compared to eternity 4.5 Billion years is a blink of the eye. Does that give you a clue as to the time frame of eternal damnation in comparison not to eternity but to a blink of the eye of eternity?
If all this does is further Spider bags reach well good for them, and since everybody knows each other, Finn used to work for Merge, I am sure this is considered tidings of great joy cum what took them so damn long (Spider Bags formed in 2006).
Madcap and frantic constantly, a movie without a breather or a moment of realness, it is wearying without being very much fun and while certainly talented enough, it is a lot of effort for not too many rewards. Spend your summer vacation at the Overlook instead.
A new Crenshaw release is always a reason to celebrate and “Going Going Gone” is a wild song, the Secret Sisters cover an unfinished Dylan track at the top and the Merengue track is a good one but you knew that because Elvis Crespo is on it. The only good song ion the Ziggy and the best song on the Aimee round it out.
Drive-In Movies – Ray La Montagne – The most boring bastard on earth on stage and all over the place on record, here he is pretty good on a straightforward folk rocker with a bounce to its step – B+
“Red Wine” is where the superstar falls to earth. It isn’t by any stretch of the language a stinker, and one song, a cover, is among his best moments on the album in segments exercise, still it isn’t the best of the EPS either.
Not one new entry in the top ten and the top seven are THE SAME AS LAST WEEK and except for Lil Jon and Onerepublica trading places, this is the exact same as last week!!!! BUT coming up soon, as I predicted the minute it was released, Ed Sheeran’s “Sing” will be rocking the charts all summer. Be afraid.
Yeah, no one is shocked that Pharrell is back at # 2 but what is shocking is how much it has sold: 29,000 copies. If all you are selling here is 29K maybe it isn’t really anything very much. Record sales appear to be coming to an end while the new musical equations are more like a polularity than a sales contest.
No Diggity – Chet Faker – Let’s make one thing very very clear. I saw Blackstreet opening for new Edition back in the day (I sat behind Whitney Houston) and I am here to tell you this is a stupendous cover. true to the jumped up spirit of the original but totally of itself – A
Well hold on one minute here Rufus: I already paid $100 for a ticket, why would I wanna spend more? And even if I did, why would I wanna be hustled all night about it? He’s like a stripper trying to get you into the champagne room
The Black Keys wanna share their new album and after they’re finished sharing their new album, they wanna invite you to their concert. Because in 2014, Black keys are your Facebook friendly twitter following buddies.
Cray sounds soulful but distracted on “Fine yesterday” and neutrally intense on the more bluesy Isaac Hayes “Your Good Thing Is Going To End”. The beat drags a little. The Booker T tribute “Hip Tight Onions” pumps that organ real well and holds a groove for every single minute but it is the exception not the ru
“I was just the only one who didn’t hide my accent. I mean, come on, Damon Albarn, he’s right up there. He’s got an orchard full of plums in his mouth and a silver spoon stuck up his arse.”
One of the most difficult things to grasp about drug addiction is that it actually is a real disease and while it feels like a disease you have control over , that control is like cancer remission. Addicts go into remission. And sometimes they never get sick again and sometimes they do and sometimes they die.
West Coast – Lana Del Rey – You know Lana believes this to be the Summer Blockbuster movie of singles with extended lyrical breaks, tempo changes and way too high in the mix drums. And she may be right – B-
Built On Glass – Chet Faker – Aussie trip hop mood guy and very very good as well. This album works as sonic sound ambient deep beats thing and works as song, song after song. I bet it sounds awesome with beats: it’s like the percussion reverberates in the back of your head while the songs settle in the front – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
When it comes to Living Legends, Bucky Pizzarelli is up there in Tony Bennett land, the master seven string guitarist, swinger par excellence jazz man, former (are you ready for this name?) Benny Goodman sideman, and all round good guy
It is an OK ride, lotsa action, some real emotion, but Chris just isn’t the Captain, he is the bratty Human Torch and it is a major piece of miscasting at the heart of the movie.
Me? I love the 62 year old superstar Chrissie. Did I ever tell you about the time I nearly met her at a party in 1979? Remind me to get round to it -though come to think of it there isn’t that much to the story
