Unbelievably enough, the baby faced lead singer and rapper of Shinobi Ninjas, has muscles and sinews and a beard! But then wait a second, so do twin brothers guitarist and drummer Maniac Mike and Terminator Dave. Round our way we particularly adore Dave since he once wrote an article for us on his drumming influences for rock nyc
Lomax was indeed a fabulous guitarist and just a listen to The Ballad Of Liverpool Slim from 2000 will get your blues jones on. He was also gorgeous. Lomax died of a heart attack at the age of 69.
Joe Stevens reported for us here, and it is a fitting send off for the Deviants lead singer, who died with his boots on; a rabble rousing, free speeching, free spirit. As Joe (among many people) put it: ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
T Pain is the Russell Brand of hip hop, here is addressing homophobes everywhere: “Attention all homophobic idiots: if you’re not attractive to straight women, you’re probably not attractive to gay men. You can unclench now.”
Bob Dylan – If you have been raised on the Greatest Hits 2 version, it isn’t the solo on piano that flips you out, it is the bridge: “Sure wish I hadn’t had sold my old Vitrola, ain’t nothing like that good ol rock and roller” all that’s missing is the coca cola line – A+
There are two types of John fans, those who love Greatest Hits One and Two and those who love Madman Across The Water. Writing great pop is a greater achievement than writing great art. Elton does neither any more but at least it isn’t crap.
Woman’s world” has the most nagging synth hook imaginable, it is three ntes over and over again and man does it grate. Plus her drag queen portraying Cher in a new one woman show vocal doesn’t help
“We look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming gigs. Thanks for the support and the memories – lets make many more over the next year”
Loud Like Love – Placebo – Bowie for morons with darker hair and arty prescriptions at a minimum, this lead song is real catchy big time rock – B+
What else? Oooooh, now this is cool, Lou Barlow friended me on FB… so that is pretty neat right?
There has never been a pop group close to Pet Shop Boys, they were superior to Duran Duran, Human League and Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark combined But on stage? What can you do with a synth duo on stage? They are like Penn and Teller without the magic.
Anyway, and no pressure here Mr. Lords and co, but the gig just can’t possibly live up to my expectations. So maybe it will be half as good!!! YES!!!!! Del Lords, man. October 10th at Sullivan Hall . Be there or be damned.
Man, this is week gruel. The choice is between… actually there is no choice, the week belongs to The Weeknd and the Weeknd is nothing special whatsoever it is just that Keith Urban is so much worse
I think what makes it so good is Lordes. Now true, Miley is at # 1, proving once and for all that nobody has lost money overestimating American’s lack of taste (a knock, but only because it’s such a lousy song, but Lordes is really good: she’s like a younger, English Lana
But the day belongs to Saint Motel, a band I’ve been expecting to break through for years now. Maybe they are too good, certainly this disco glam workout is worthy of just about any one. A great slice of modern disco.
Meanwhile co-editor Helen and I, and contributing writer Alyson camus may actually spend a day without writing for the first time in quite literally years.
Now this is all very deny deny deny right now, but ask yourself this? How much money dya think Noel has made off High Flying Bird, eh? Enough to support those mansions and Rolls Royces he owns? And ex wives?
“Pink has almost been in a class by herself among women in music this year, and we’re thrilled to recognize her successes by honoring her with the Billboard Woman of the Year Award.”
Laura? I’m working on another story about her, DIIV and Sky? Arrested for drugs. The Clash? A reminder that they could be as petty as the next band. Jimmy Reed? It’s Jimmy Reed, man, why do I need an excuse????
Here is a concept I am working on, instantaneous first listen reviews of new releases on Tuesday mornings a sort of mini-guide, alternative mini-guide, to what you should be listening to, plus a spotify track listing so you can hear it.
I don’t REALLY REALLY want to write about it, because it wasn’t a very good concert for one reason, and because I am not sure if I have anything left to say, for another, I figured the gig, a live on tape show for WFUV Radio at St. Ann’s And The Holy Trinity in Brooklyn a week ago, might be worth a closer look
The world of Music Labels got dramatically smaller when Universal bought EMI and the result is here at last for all to see. Not simply that all ten songs on the singles charts belong to major labels, that goes with the territory, but that they all belong to one label is unheard of.
Cole must be cold turkeying as I write (you can’t have that much dope without a serious habit) and he needs to knock it off or die. PS Both Sky and Cole look like heroic chic…
A hard week to read, some maybe big time, though the Roots and EC isn’t whatever you might hear to the contrary. but it seems to belong to The Devil Wears Prada, the world’s great Christan hardcore band
Shine A Light – Rolling Stone – The second to last song on Exile, apparently Mick was better at exiles than exits because this is the perfect song to end an evening as Jahn Xavier proved Saturday night – A+
“Tiderays” is a gorgeous song and the stage is light and Justin, who sings all the songs as well as plays keyboards, is very into it, and drummer Jon Mueller is probably the single most important member!
The week belonged to Earth, Wind And Fire, whose first new album since 2005 was one of the years best, but if it wasn’t EW&F the title would have to go to Holy Ghost reinvigorating the world of disco
Arctic Monkeys best album in years selling very well thank you and with the exception of Rod, who has been on the charts all year, and Bastille, who were on the charts all summer, only the dreaded faux-operatics of Richard & Dean leftover from August!
This is the bland leasing the bland lead by the bland with Katy’s tedious “Roar” which doesn’t belong to and tailing off with Coldplay, who have managed to release their worst song in a career chocablock with worst songs.
Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus – Well, it is better than Bruce’s but so are most things. It is still terrible and a good video will never ever save a lousy song. Sales might – D+
There was such a feeling of friendship and sharing and concern and love and pride between the band and the audience, the songs were so great and the emotions so real. It wasn’t like a performance, it wasn’t like they are here playing and you are there cheering but like we are somewhere in the middle. Sharing.
A master of rock and roll genre with a good ear for the hook, a sense of tune and also a sense of momentum, and a man out of time rock aesthetic, he has the ambitious of the not as young as he should be, still knocking on a breakout success.
He punches up always and he hits his target as often as not. Ask Hugo Boss who he slammed, accurately, as a Nazi collaborator while picking up an Award from the Hugo Boss Sponsored GQ event. They threw him out for that but at Town Hall on Thursday night he will be throwing down
The first album since 2005 is their best since the 1980s, one slice of smooth and sexy disco after another with the horns leading the ways and the songwriting by committee, an enormous return to form from a classic band – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
Electric Lady feat Solange – Janelle Monae -A self-portrait from multi-phrenic Ms. Monae in full on r&B mode with support from buddy Solange and horns towards the end – B+
Gaga goes back to this terrible memory in her life for her Monsters “Just remember, I’d do anything for you” she promises. Except for sing, apparently. The song begins as a ballad and hen revs up, “I know you want me”, she sings behind a piano, “you’re just a pig inside a human body”.
The hope is he does the entire The Long Lost Story from one end to another and encores with some covers and new songs, that should be a 90 minute set and since all I got was 30 minutes last time I feel we are owed it!
Jay Z, Kanye and Justin Timberlake: everybody I saw this summer is back again this fall (actually next year in the case Of Hov) and I am gonna go and see em all again.
These are two guys who played record release parties this week, one I’ve seen (Tomas, who killed it at the Blue Note on Monday) and one who I will see today (Jahn at Arlene’s Grocery) and who I assume big big things of. Both these guys deserve your love and your money, so provide them.
While it absolutely belongs to Arcade Fire (and by extension James Murphy) both EW&F and HG! are bringing out terrific songs off terrific disco albums , PSG’s “Thursday” has been a constant for me and “Life For” mybe Weeknd’s best moment, er, ever
Sex Dreams – Lady Gaga – I have doubts about some of the new album but not this hotter than hell, sweet tip of the tongue stuff, sweaty awesome dance track – A
George Strait? 20 minutes from the heart of Manhattan at the Prudential Center? That is a biggie. Strait is the biggest country star alive (Vince is the best, but that’s a different subject). And while I have heard that Strait is a moody cuss on stage who doesn’t speak to the audience or indeed acknowledge the audience at all, he is still a classic country star.
The song is “All Those Things That I Have Done” which I actually don’t hate as much now that I have had the pleasure of watching Barbara Collins brilliantly synchronized six minute dance video, with 26 dance excerpts set to the Killers song.
So they are really selling us something before it is actually in place? I dunno but with the exception of “Jersey Boys” and “Mamma Mia” every single Jukebox Musical has been an artistic Armadgeddon including “Motown”. So great music won’t even begin to save em.
Volume One was great, I have no problems with it, I am well in the market for more of John Lennon covering chuck berry, in 1994 we got Lennon, as opposed to Harrison, performing “Roll Over Beethoven” and that alone was worth the price of admission
Love Is Law – Earth, Wind & Fire – This is the EW&F of your dreams, they’ve stripped it down and made it real and this is just a completely beautiful soul song – A
The Beatles story isn’t Rashomon any more, it is a Rubiks Cube where we keep on moving the sides around to see the pattern and every bit of new information brings us closer. Frida, who has held her tongue for over 40 years about her job, reveals some things here.
My most raw and personal collection of songs to date. I set out to record a soul album and I ended up recording an album that bared my soul
It is like an entire reversal of everything you thought you knew about sales. Lorde is a star now where a hit album might not have done it at all.
That leaves us with the always disappointing John Legend, a man nearly unable to bring anything more than a sophisticated tedium to the proceedings. A real shame because I like him otherwise
