The interior of a automobile is sanctuary. Despite its many open windows rumor has it no one thinks they can be seen nor heard while in its confines. Connect that seat belt and you’re invisible. Turn on the stereo and you’re in a sold out arena ala Queen and you’re the star.
Rockstar – A Great Big World – Written before they hit it big, this is a very good song about tempting to daydream about a future yet to be realized, a self-portrait waiting to come true and the meaning of success if there is one: “Take a ticket and get on the line..” Which they did – B+
I do understand the historic value of the word “nigger” but if in 2014 we still refer to it as the ‘n word’ we are pathetic. We have allowed a word to have control when we should simply stop equating the atrocity of what we have done to our fellow man with 5 letters in sequence
You get the feeling it is going to be wretchedly terrible self congratulations for four hours seen from miles away, Just the thought of Dave Grohl’s acceptance speech for Nirvana terrifies me. And yet, yes, for the chance to see Cat Stevens in person I just don’t feel like I have any choice in the matter
Wasting My Young Years – London Grammar – This band is a little special, the lead singer has a deep moving voice and the sound is all indigo and moodiness; it gets old at some point but not yet – B+
Twisted Sister is a band whose false sense of importance never failed to amaze me. Even in their ‘hayday’ they were nothing but a joke. Any right minded music fan found no redemption in Dee Snider he was a farce and well talent wise, he made a spectacle but that’s about it.
Chuck D wants a national holiday for MLK and will win this one: “Talking MLK, gonna find a way Make the state pay, I’m looking for the day” from 2002 and still an accurate reminder why Hip Hops golden age is over because that should be enough for any song except PE were going after the anti-immigrant Arizona bill as well – A-
Cool – The Time – Near the start of their career, Morris and the guys came out with this ten minutes of pure groove which sounds so like early Prince, the DNA is the exact same; the call response hasn’t changed since then – A
Not quite a conductor and not in the band he lead the band… so to speak and from 1955 through 1971 he showed up in your living room every week with easy listening music and light humor, and bubbles.
Rufus should have resurrected his Opera and put the best of it on Vibrate so those of us who aren’t tempted to jump into the deep end can get a taste for it anyway.
Him and Bruce and Jack and Bono: they all hate people, they hate em even when they are playing charity gigs for em, they’ve all been around for so long it is too hard to even feign indifference. Indifference is too much for Neil Young, Jack won’t even speak to the audience at an encore. Neil does it through gritted teeth but Jack just wants to deal with the proles when they are delivering his pizza after the show.
Coming Of Age – Foster The People – Poppier than Imagine Dragons but that textured drum sound is familiar to both and Foster The People have better songs; this is above average indie pop with an eye on the charts – A
At the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the band were honored with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award (an oxymoron if ever I hear one) all know that a vision without a promise is just a fantasy,’ said Bono. ‘We’re not interested in that.’
Tomlinson broke through as Mr. Banks in David Tomlinson, and cemented his position as the villain in “The Love Bug” and the flim flam man in “Bedknobs And Broomsticks”. The latter brought us this song for the best named UK patriot, a catchy little ode to a two way magic show – B+
Linder Sterling is a British performance artist who is way cooler than the ‘art’ hags we have here in the states. She has more style more angst and more edgy beauty than anyone in her business. Let’s not even dwell on the fact that she’s pals with Morrissey and has a really cool name
Talking Backwards – Real Estate – A consistently disappointing band who are so soft on the sides everything seems to slop over, come up with a killer melody and a tight arrangement ; it is like REM without the mushy lyrics – A
Try yourself if you don’t see your favorite album up there. In any case, enjoy this random selection, it also can also give you a pretty good idea of how I see the world without my contact lenses on.
Kickstarter is awesome! Donate some money get a prize help someone achieve something or other and be a part of it. It’s a team effort sort of things and the sense of belonging is quite nice.
This week has two icons busted for drivin’ a fool. I first must say I have never put celebrity above human. Well, Morrissey is not human but thats a whole different post. This weeks human list includes David Cassidy and Flava Flav! My favorite decades behind the wheel and gettin’ busted.
A Feather’s Not A Bird – Rosanne Cash – I am not sure the central conceit works because the metaphor is too mixed, but it is such a strong image (“a river runs through me”) on a certain level it doesn’t much matter – A-
Coachella is taunting you- like donuts to a diet. You think you can get a hit of that elsewhere? You’re wrong. Trust me. Today’s horror of living on the East Coast and missing this mondo fest will soon float away just like Cali when the San Andreas fault lets loose
Can you consider this as incest? Technically and biologically it’s not incest at all, but it still looks weird to many people: Bobbi Kristina Houston, Whitney Houston’s daughter got married to her longtime boyfriend and adoptive brother Nick Gordon.
Let’s Get Lost – Elliott Smith – Some obscure reference to the legendary Chet Baker –another guy gone before his time and another hard time druggy, and another little boy lost – A
The party may not start til Ke$ha walks in but clear the way cuz she’s headed to the bathroom to puke up her dinner. So begins the newest saga from the hoe we all forgot. Remember her Rollings Stone bit with her mom discussing blow jobs and party antics?
Ride With Me – Schooner – It turned their set around Saturday night but is till better on record where the National tenor type voice shines through and adds depth to a pretty damn good song to start with – A
I am not at all for censorship and this cannot even be regarded as censorship, since the videos are still shown, only during hours when young children aren’t usually without parental supervision. That’s interesting because France isn’t exactly a shy country regarding to sex,
Any time Aretha Franklin is in town is a must see date for all concerned, and when she is playing Radio City Music Hall as she is on this Friday, there is no reason at all not to go and spent some time for this greatest of singers and excellent on stage performer.
Bonnie Portmore – The Rails – aka Richard and Linda Thompson’s kid Kami and her husband James Walbourne singing an old Irish folk song about saving the forest or something. Their voices mesh very nicely on this oldie which dates back to 1976… so yeah even older than papa – A-
The problem is no one is getting rich on this and there is no way to turn back now. Was it a self destructive move to make streaming so simple? Yeah maybe, but remember the sobbing Napster wars?
According to Muckrock, the FBI file identifies Juggalos as a ‘violent street gang’ numbering in the thousands, whose members “sometimes paint their faces to look like wicked clowns’ and ‘continue the dress by carrying small axes’, concluding that ‘the Juggalos [are] a legitimate gang with a large following
A huge improvement, that may be the best concert first four songs Neil has ever played, and what’s better for the audience, he didn’t drop a song, indeed he also played “Birds” and the first set was 12 songs instead of 10 songs.
Pedophilia? This comparison pedophile/carnivore is not going to sit well with people! I understand the predator connection, but it sounds a bit weird, even to me! This is why vegans and vegetarians are never taken seriously, this is too extreme and people laugh at it!
Janie Jones – The Clash – On the list of greatest songs forever, the Clash looks at 1960s party girl scandal girl and wonders what it has done to do with the 9 to 5 world; political sleight of hand let’s them know – A+
Why are we shelling out big coin to hear someone else perform another persons music? I for one really love the idea of ‘covers’ especially cool bands who do covers of generic pop bands. It adds an element of fun to the mix. But schleps doing legends work? Thats a bit off putting.
I personally find the whole thing very suspicious, Lady Gaga re-recorded a new version of her song ‘Do What U Want’ with Christina Aguilera, which dropped on New Year’s Eve… her first version was of course featuring R. Kelly, and you probably remember their performance
Love Child – Diana Ross And the Supremes – A bastards story but also a Motown classic, sends me back to the back of my dad’s Jag on a Sunday afternoon driving back from Blackpool – A+
I am not the author but as I said in a previous comment, I was raped by a “rock star” when I was 16 years old and he was in his 20s. My husband suggests I may feel some empowerment by outing my rapist. It was Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes (and several other bands/side projects he fronts, bright eyes being the most popular). I hope you are right about helping the next girl but I’m waiting for the backlash.
Wow, this has aged well… actually this has improved, The Steve Stills sample is superb and PE’s target, the corrupt and corrupting world of basketball (Biggie connected it to selling crack some 20 years ago) is a dangerous target… great movie as well – A
‘What’s unique about it is the sound of my voice. There’s no one else who sings like me. They might sing better than me, but no one sings exactly like me. My voice sticks out on the radio by a mile.
I don’t know who got this idea but they were onto something,… Henry Rollins as an action figure talking like the real deal? This could work or even be a bit dangerous if you believe this video.
Iz you Down – Kid Ink, Tyga – Kid Ink is pretty good but Tyga remains a major annoyance, the two don’t rap well together and while the beats are good somebody forgot a memorable chorus – C
Francis has compared the third track ‘Greens and Blues’ to a great Pixies’ classic: ‘It was my attempt to come up with another song that would – musically, emotionally and psychologically – sit in the same place that ‘Gigantic’ has sat. Not that I could ever replace that song
Harvest Moon – Neil Young – An answer song to not “Harvest” but “Heart Of Gold” where the heart is found and has been lived with for many a long year – A-
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Aretha Franklin – I saw Franklin perform this the day after Whitney Houston died, February 17th, 2012 at Radio City Music Hall and it was superior to this take but not by much. Both are Gospel, but the pain that night is something only real grieving can match – A
The extended guitar intro is excellent, the groove points directly backwards to Young Americans even as it seems to jumpstart itself into a world of cocain addiction, fascist dream and insanity, and, hey, I am happy to hear it twice – A
Apparently, she also wants to use others’ drama in her pop songs. Her single ‘XO’ includes an audio sample from the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion, the one that killed the seven crew members… err that’s really bad taste, and not very well received by the NASA people and the families of the lost ones,
I Don’t Eat Animals – Melanie Safka – This is the “Brand New Key” chick all grown up, and with the same strange voice somewhere between nursery rhyme and razorblade; no wonder Moz loves her – B
New York – Angel Haze – the final release of 2013, after poet cum rapper got sick of waiting for Interscope to release , I’m considering 2014 so I can include it in my 2014 brain. This is a reggae beat ode and very very good – B+
Future Farmers Of America – Lou Reed – It sounds like it has escaped off his New York album, with a swift powerful kick and hard buzzing guitars from his final masterpiece as the millennium turned – A
Chicks, Man – The Del Lords – This might not be the best song of 2013 (I think I put it at # 3) but it is my absolute fave and it goes to the heart of what I was writing earlier about happy-sad songs, here you get a perfect pattern song that ends with death! – A+
