After his songs there is always his family and watching his 22 year old daughter watching her father as they joined together for a handful of songs, was revealing enough for any set
“Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory”? That’s the 1997 bio of the greatest Gospel singer of all time, and Summerstage will be presenting a screening of the movie on Saturday. Along with performances by Della Reese and the mind boggling Joshua Nelson. If you have never seen Redman, he is a thrilling live performer who would blow the roof off Summerstage if it had a roof.
The Beady Eye is surprisingly good, I mean we all thought it was TV On The Beady Eye, but it isn’t really at all! It’s kinda like prog-English rock. Very very impressed. I would be much more interested in Black Sabbath if they were playing Manhattan.
The Kris Kristofferson song at the top of the chart is a brilliant piece of aphorismatic self evidence and a call that should echo through the ages: “Life is the question and life is the answer and God is the reason and love is the way”. Very true but onbly instinctively.
This works in ways Watch The Throne didn’t. Throne was a victory lap, Yeezus is back to ground zero only now he doesn’t really care
Edward didn’t realize he could paint either till, inspired by his brother Gerard (the man who created the AC/DC logo) he decided to at least try.
“You think I’m over the hill, think I’m past my prime? Let me see what you’ve got, we can have a whomping good time”
This is Jason Isbell’s week no doubt and the album was good to start and has been growing on me ever since. Once past that, Icona Pop are firmly on my radar right now and my appreciation for them has grown by leaps and bounds. Marshall has a song of the year, and Daft Punk, Matt whipley and especially Robin Thicke have songs of the summer.
The great thing about having been a drunk is that if you were good when you were a drunk you are gonna be great when you sober up. Isbell, who moved from keyboards to guitar years ago, is now a full blown sober singer songwriter writing self aware self portraits and on this his fourth solo album, to a just about perfect fine point on “Super 8″… and others. ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
“The bloody trains are bloody late, you bloody wait, you bloody wait…” JCC is always a blast! DBT is an Isbell classic, and 3 – 7 are highlights from new album releases, I got a tix to NIN and the two Kweezy’s aren’t released yet but “Bound 2 ” is as mainstream as anything he has ever written and he could have easily pushed it as a first single.
Not just the essence of rock and roll but the essence of rock and roll as an art form, Marianne released herself and us from these earthly bonds as we all became highway stars shining forever.
Smith communes very well with troubled souls; his is the music for the emotionally disenfranchised as surely as Strummer is the music for the politically disenfranchise -tickets go on sale Monday at noon
Marla is in the heart of her career right now and I am guessing we will be getting plenty of the excellent Speak, with stuff like the lilting “Annarexia” rubadubdub Bill Laswell remix and songs like the howling quasi art freaked out “Scream
“Honestly, I got a little teary when we finally got it done. It’s just been way too long for them not to finally do this,” he said.”
Despite a top ten hit single with “I Love It”, Icona Pop were just another electronic duo from Stockholm in most of our minds until their Saturday afternoon set at the Governor’s ball spelled out the youth, beauty, smart, mingling of harmonies over beats and inspired reworkings of pop staples like “It’s My Party” , that makes for a thrilling new super super super group.
This is a bit of a mish mash. Deep Purple is an act of mourning for my late friend Marianne O’Hagen: there needs to be a life after death, the Universe isn’t big enoughto absorb this loss. What else? X Ambasadors are well loved by a friend of mine, indie alt rock brooklyn darkness visible stuff.
I will wait till it is officially released June 22nd to say much more about the album, except hidden on the double are two songs of the summe
Ever since the advent of vinyl with its ease of distribution, music has been a recorded experience. Look at it this way. How many people have listened to the Beatles? Now how many people have seen them live?
When you see d’Angelo around other pop singers, like at the Carnegie Hall gig, it is a little upsetting. He is so much better than everybody it is like a glimpse of greatness behind a firewall of mediocrity
If I was Liam I’d do a Peter Hook on Noel and take it on the road by himself. He was the voice and the attitude of Oasis, he doesn’t need Noel half as much as Noel needs him
This is the faves, 56 years in the making, my fave live shows of all time, in chronological order
Three of these songs are highlights from the weeks release with Tiesto getting pride of place because I am obsessed with Icona Pop still; two D’Angelo because I got tix to see him at Williamsburg Park and five of these songs are a reflection of my fave concerts ever post which started as a fun idea and ended as a monumental time eater
Maybe I miss her and that’s why I am feeling it so strong, but this is a strong, strong taste of disco with smart techno beats all over the show. I can’t wait for the album now
I promise you I called this one right. I mean it. “Blurred Lines” is the song of the summer because “Get Lucky” hit a little too late and that’s the way it is gonna play itself out for the next three months.
This isn’t the worst album chart we’ve seen this year, only Imagine Dragon are in league with the forces of darkness. The rest of this is somewhere between average and a little above, so lotsa, you know it is a good album, four or five good songs and maybe two real good songs. I guess that’s enough in 2013.
The top two were played on Sinatra In The Park, the following two went not played at the Park in order to make room for a Nat King Cole cover! The isbell is the best song on his new album and the Amanda Shires is Isbell’s wife. Oh, and the words John Legend no longer put me into a deep coma from which I might never awaken
Tuesday’s concert, produced by City Winery, was a fund raiser and the folks sitting in front of me had paid $25,000 in some cases for the privilege of being there, while the less well heeled fans coughed up $100 for the show. All concerned got their monies worth.
Timberlake’s last album has hovered around the top 75% in my opinion meter, it is very good but is it great? Sometimes I think it is but mostly I think it isn’t
Everybody from Pandora to IHEARTRadio are on high alert and I don’t see why it ight not wipe em both off the map
At this point it is a little difficult to tell the difference so look at it this way: Janoskians are to the wanted what 5 seconds To Summer are to One Direction
In a sense, his position isn’t dissimilar to when Prince was writing slave on his face: they equate compromise with failure; more important than good and bad was freedom; though the name of the game is popularity, real freedom is the freedom not to care about popularity
The weekend doesn’t end till Tuesday morning where the real work week begins with a handful of new releases most of which are, of course, nothing great. Jason Isbell (he is the Drive By Truckers guy) may be a keeper and JEW -maybe, maybe there is something there. Sean Paul is back and using Auto-Tune and everybody else is various degrees except for Harry who is more like what the hell is this?
Whether shooting up sugar, counting out drug money or wearing his “Funkadelic” t shirt with attitude to spare, Tomas is all menace in this terrific video.
It is magic, not a bad song in the bunch, not a good song. They are all great. And I am glad he plays it so straight, if he sweetened anything it would be too overpowering
In the battle of the Gallagher brothers, I’ve sided with the lest gifted one so let’s hope Dave Sitek manages to upgrade the product without going new coke on our asses. Otherwise a slow week, with the return of Sonny And The Sunsets and Jimmy Eat World the not very highlights. Possible June surprise? Alison Moyet
Bracketed by two slices of Kweeze, both of which killed on stage (actually everything killed on stage) is Icona Pop who have become a firm fave overnight even while sampling Tpac, Beirut, the Lumineers who have one good song on them, Kris who is playing on Saturday, Beady Eye who have a new album out tonight, and Robin with the song of the summer. The Beck is new and quite good.
“If you are with with someone you love tonight, hold on to em real tight” Kanye sings, sending us home from three days of music and mud, torrential rains, and overcrowding, with love on our mind.
It is an intense pressure, it simmers deep down in the blues. Guitarist James Dellatacoma adds Hendrix inspired frills all over “Spoonful” and David Barnes harp floats on top and sinks below everything that isn’t moving. This is an inspirational sound, it’s like they are the greatest rock and roll band in the world
It is always an honor to watch the man in concert and Saturday night’s show was no exception. His voice was a little scratchy here and there and he has so many great songs a couple of favorites will always be missed.
Fuse ODG is real good EDM and everything else you should know by now. But I am not tiring of raving about “Get Lucky” and “Blurred Lines”. These two songs alone are gonna make it a great summer of pop!
In the battle for # 1, I’d choose Disclosure’s UK electronic duo over QOTSA myself. This is a strange, not especially thrilling little list, with Vampire Weekend and Laura Marling already out of the picture entirely and only Rod Stewart, somewhat strangely, holding on. PS I don’t think think Daft Punk will have the song of the summer, but the album of the summer? Who knows.
Nearly 20 sets over a long weekend and music is coming out of my ears. I am actually writing this Sunday morning, so I can’t tell you what I expect for Day 3 of nyc’s music fest to wear an old man out. But I do know, it would take a miracle to surpass Saturday’s DeLong, Icona Pop, Fucked Up triumvirate that simply has made the weekend worth while.
After the torrential rains of Day One at Governor’s Ball, Day Two was all about mud and overcrowding
“It’s tight,” Bethany told us, “Go enjoy the rest of your day and stay dry and don’t take drugs, or do take drugs if you want. Do anything you want. It’s tight.” So I took her advise and went home.
The “A List” is pretty “A” Avicii, David Guetta, Tiësto, Above & Beyond, Bassnectar, Steve Aoki, Armin van Buuren and Boys Noize. I’ve seen every name here except Above & Beyond, but the name that pops my eyeballs out is David Guetta
The only time I’ve seen Kris Kristofferson on stage before I will be catching him at The Concert Hall on Saturday, was opening for the late legend George Jones at Carnegie Hall. Kris was absolutely brilliant with just an acoustic guitar. I can’t wait to see him with a full band.
The Olms – The Olms – Vic Garbarini dubbed Peter York and J.D. King’s debut album like finding an old Gene Clark demo from the 1960s. It isn’t that good but you get the idea. Country-folk twang and strum. Catchy stuff. ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
All ten song reflect straight to the weekend of music, Saturday was day two of Gov’s Ball as well, and even more thrillingly Paul McCartney at Barclay’s Center. A room made for rich people, whose acoustics get steadily worse the further up you go. As for the Cure? Dinosaur Jr. covered this song and very well as well.
Robin uses his best Prince sexy soprano and T.I. and the ubiquitous Pharrell ride a very hook filled track, where every second line holds a yelp or a hey hey, and all the syncopated beats are there not to slam it shut by to make it airy and sweet
Four of these are the cream of the crop from this weeks releases, the fifth is another classic from one of our greatest songwriters and the sixth is building its way into the single of the summer. The last four, and I could add at least two to that number, makes Once I Was An Eagle the album to beat in 2013.
