Listen Up: 9-3-12
Nas Is Like – Nas – His undeniable classic of a song, beat everything leading towards and away because Nas suffers from anhedonia and everything he does denies its own job. Except this, which is tremendous fun – Grade: A
da Reggae Tip At Hammerstein Ballroom, Friday, August 31st 2012
An atrocious, poorly managed disaster where two and a half hours were wasted and all three major acts were squeezed into the last half hour, and Mr. Vegas, was relegated to less than ten minutes.
The Veronicas "Lolita", Video Review
Even their rather poor acting in this silly video is more endearing than annoying. They’re not exactly glam rock but they’re beautiful and carry themselves well. They’re not straddling a mic stand, they’re doing their job and looking fabulous at the same time- sorta like me.
Current Music Is Fetishizing The Past? Yeasayer's Chris Keating Says NO
That seems to me something that old dudes who are out of touch say: “Nothing new is going on these days.” It often happens with people who are from a punk rock background, where punk rock was really a very orthodox rock ‘n’ roll movement.
Taylor Swift's New Video For Her Smash Hit 'We Are Never Getting Back Together'
I am sure that if you like Taylor, her girlie manners and her obsessive self-centered talk about her ex boyfriends, you will fall in love with her red lipstick, blonde ponytail, I-am-so-serious glasses, cute pajamas, and animal house party! But this is so….. 15 -year-old? Superficial
James Murphy Threatened To Kill A Kid for Insulting Him
Murphy has called Britain a land of moaners and has made no secret about the fact that he feels they chronically complain. He said: “I remember DJing once and this kid came up to me and said, ‘This set is so s**t’, to try to show me how cool he was.
Trash Talk's New Video, Directed By Tyler The Creator
The video, for their new song F.E.B.N. (Forward Ever, Backwards Never) off their new album ‘119’, which will be released via Odd Future Records on October 9th, is in black and white, quite stylistic and also funny.
rock nyc's Top 10 Tracks, Week Of August 25th, 2012
The new Dylan is awesome and will end up in my top 20 2012 almost for sure, Mr. Vegas channels the late lamented Gregory Isaacs, it is hard to imagine a sweet sounding man. Spider Bags (still the album of the year), is on its way off the chart and Taylor will probably hang another week.
Singles Going Steady: Week Of August 25th, 2012
Havoc And Bright Lights – Alanis Morissette – Not quite as bad as the name implies, but pretty terrible. The first two songs are mediocre Alanis, but after that it is a dreary mess, proving how band love and marriage can be for your artistic juices. This slow, draggy, album is in serious need of an editor and while it is not always her worse, it is her worse often enough. Ten years after Under Rug Swept, this is what is left Grade C-
Listen Up: 9-2-12
A Little Love (That’s All I Want From You) – Mr. Vegas – Off his absolutely terrific Sweet Jamaica album, this song didn’t come within a million miles of making an appearance at da Reggae,. More the pity, because this absolutely lovely melody would have saved the night. Who needs Mr. Energy when you have Mr. Melody? – Grade: A
Screaming Females, 'Leave It All Up to Me' Video Review
I’m all for that hey I’m Robert Smith no wait I’m Siouxie teased hair Goth thing. It reminds me of my youth, I sported that look in 1983, good to see ya back. The poorly acted head nods as dialogue were rather laughable. Ok, I take it back, it was hilariously campy
Car Thumpin', Stereo Volume Debate
Over a quarter of jazz and blues listeners have been in accidents due to being “really into the music; getting swept up”. On the opposite end of the spectrum, those who put on Chopin or Bach or other classical virtuosos, are the least likely to have an issue.
Pandora Spend Half Gross Revenues On Artist Royalties, They Don't Like This
That deafening, clunking sound is the other shoe dropping in the world of streaming. According to New York Post, Pandora is trying to lower the Artist Royalty percentage. The Artists are kicking back,. And they are both right.
Rihanna Isn't An Artist Says The Vaccines' Freddie Cowan
Rihanna isn’t an artist – she has 15 writers, 15 songwriters and 15 producers all fighting for space on her albums and she’s the face of it. I have nothing against it, but I don’t want to be associated with it.’
Spotify Has Revealed The Most Played Songs Of The Summer
How is this possible? Why do the large majority of music listeners have such shitty tastes? Come on, how could they listen to that Gotye’s tune for the trillionth time? I heard these Flo Rida and Train’s songs for the first time when the bands appeared on TV, and they totally suck
Bright Light Bright Light Big Hopes
“He makes pop music, remixes other artists, co-runs London clubnights Another Night and Comfortable Shoes, and has a huge love of music, largely from 1988-1996.”
Rock and Roll Memorobilia, What's it Worth?
Hard Rock in partnership with Bonham’s auction house are throwing this shindig and I find it pretty darn cool. History for a price is a hot topic. Why not fund your retirement with Elvis’ scarf?
Mitt Romney May Play The Killers' Music, They Are Just Fine With It
‘The Killers are one group I enjoy,’ he said. But wait a minute, that guy from the Killers, Brandon Flowers, is big time Mormon, right? What a nice coincidence!
Pitchfork And Dirty Projectors:The Appearance Of Impropriety Gets Brighter
I don’t understand how this is not merely accepted but in a sense applauded. Dirty Projectors “Hi Custodian” short is co-produced by Pitchfork and will be streamed on Pitchforks website. Talk about improper.
Listen Up:9-1-12
A Little Love (That’s All I Want From You) – Mr. Vegas – Sweet Jamaica, is the name of this Lover’s Rock artist, and these rhythms swing so sweet and mellow it is hard to deny him. I wouldn’t why mainstream USA don’t cover him. Grade: B+
Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin And Bono On The Republican Convention's Setlist
This made Ted Leo tweet the following: ‘THIN LIZZY WALK ON MUSIC FOR PAUL RYAN???!??!!?111!? I will find the music coordinator and ruin him or her. #HowDareYou’, yes indeed, why are republicans so obsessed by using music they shouldn’t do?
Odd Future's Deplorable Misogynistic Performance At Leeds Festival
Sexism isn’t dead, men beat and kill wives and daughters and mothers, girlfriends. We kill each other as well, of course, but there is a terrible bullying brutality in our actions towards women. And Odd Future can get away with art for arts sake rapping, even if it’s stupid, but not this. This sucks and I am thoroughly ashamed of them.
Johnny Lydon's Discusses The Olympics
For the opening scenes with the camera going along the Thames they wanted only the guitar refrain from ‘God Save The Queen’. We said, ‘FUCK. Off.’ You hear the words or it doesn’t happen.
The Decemberists Guest The Simpsons
For those of you unfamiliar with the band I strongly suggest the introduction via the ‘Rake Song’. By far one of the best told musical stories. Melloy’s voice is outstanding and the overall mood sent over with such clarity that it will remain one of my all time favorite song.
The Unbearable Lightness Of Kanye West
Things have been worse ever since then I have no clue, zero, why the greatest hip hop star in the world wants to be a celebrity. The entire Kim Kardashian stuff is ridiculous, what does Kanye needs this for?
Screaming Females Touring With Garbage
Apparently Marissa is quite the fan and really can you blame her? These Don Giovanni Records darlings have really made some impressive strides recently and are getting the notice they so deserve.
Dr. Who Back On BBC America Saturday!!!!
The new season premiers on BBC America, tomorrow and every Saturday at 9pm and I swear I would cancel all my Saturday concerts for the season if it wasn’t for Video On Demand! With just about zero production values, Dr. Who is a world jumping, time traveling dream of a TV show.
The Media Are Blaming German Metal Band Rammstein For The School Shooting In Baltimore
Blaming the act of some deranged individual on music! They based this hasty conclusion on the content of the guy’s (Bobby Gladden) Facebook page, but we have read this so many times before! Are we back to Marilyn Manson responsible for the shooting in Columbine? This is what the rock star said in the Michael Moore documentary about the event:
Will.i.am's New Single Premiered On Mars, Nobody Complained, Another Proof There Is No Life On Mars
His new single, appropriately named ‘Reach for the Stars’ – actually I take this back because the red planet is not a star! – premiered on Mars last Wednesday at 1 pm PT in the afternoon, and that’s a good thing nobody was there to hear it it!
The Shirt Off Roger Daltrey's Back Up For Bids
This shirt is 35 years old. I have a few questions about it. Where has it been? Was it in the basement at Rogers house in his summer clothes box or was it housed under glass in a psycho fans home or was it just in the bottom of his tour trunk
Madonna's US Leg Of World Tour 2012 Setlist
The Madonna set sounds pretty by the numbers and godforbid she throws in “Lucky Star” or “Material Girl”, right? Instead it is a steady diet of ecstacy and agony with way too much preaching and nowhere near enough popitutde.
US Top 10 Singles, September 8th, 2012
Listen to the Owl City once and you love it, twice and it is oddly irritating, five times and you are ready to shoot yourself. Oh well, at least we know Carly is at worst a two hit wonder
US Top 10 Albums, September 8th, 2012
If Trey had to get a number one, this is the album to get it with and three of the top four albums are heavy hip hop affiliates. Tenth Avenue Noth is CCM (Christian rock band) and not the worst one, though still unpleasant.
Listen Up: 8-31-12
Kiss On My List – Hall And Oates – Back in the day I trashed Private Eyes in the Village Voice. What was I thinking of? This is as great as blue eyed soul ever gets and gave the boys a whole new world. And I know for sure Daryl was checking out Prince around this time because I saw him at the 1999 gig – Grade: A
Rolling Stones To Play Barclay Center November 2012: Must See? Maybe, But You Won't
Of course, Barclay’s are not trying to actually make any money on the deal, all they want to do, and exactly what they have done through this, is to give MSG a serious warning: they are here to stay. And that is precisely what this will do. For the Stones, it is a good pay check for a dress rehearsal.
The Flaming Lips Remake Their Video For 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' With Naked Amanda Palmer
Badu had recorded the song for the Lips’ latest release, but it doesn’t stop the band to re-record and re-film a video of the song, with totally naked Amanda Palmer in the tub and on vocals.
Spotify, No Friend of Joe Average
I need variety and I don’t want some hack kids ‘’playlist’ or some ‘mood enhanced’ song scroll. I want to turn the thing on and I want a genre non stop til I tell it otherwise. I need radio.
The Many Music Fairs And Festivals Happening Around Los Angeles
With the FYF fest just announcing its set times for the two-day music celebration this weekend, I was thinking that Los Angeles (and its region, Orange County included) has a hella number of music festivals, this is quite incredible. Mammoth-size festivals or neighborhood-size street fairs, from April to October, festivals abound around me. I have tried to make a list of them:
Rolling Stones In The Studio?
I wouldn’t put too much faith in that occurring. Where’s the tour? Where’s the videos? Where are the guest spots? So far all we have gotten is gossip and a coffee table book.
Colony On Broadway And West 49th To Close
The world just dies on us, it disappears and there is nothing that can bring it back. I remember when the Ramones played the Village a coupla days a week for years on end, and that ended. And now the Colony, a New York institution for decade after decade is going as well. Oh well, I am sure we will get a wonderful Chase Bank vestibule in its place.
Bob Dylan's "Duquesne Whistle" Reviewed
Bob Dylan claimed that he original planned to make Tempest an album more religious, but found the single theme concept album too constricting. But the ghost of the idea lies in “Duquesne Whistle”, another traveling song with a twist
Jay-Z's Made In America Line-Up Labor Day Weekend
. Long time readers may remember I was infamously expelled from the Boy Scouts for taking the train when I shouldda been hiking. Something of an overreaction if you ask me. Still, the pain lingers and my ideaof hell is being at the back of a crowd of 100,000 people seeing “Daughter”.
Hands At Echo Park Rising, Saturday August 25th 2012
The music was extremely layered and filled with exotic rhythms and dance beats, at times borderline disco – one of their songs almost reminded me something borrowed from a Blondie track – with a few sprinkles of different things, dreamy and moody vocals, glittering synth, and lots of beats.
Must See: Das Racist In September
I’ve thought of catching Das Racist a couple of times but the timing wasn’t right and when I heard they were playing Irving Plaza on September 29th, the timing wasn’t right either. I am seeing Corin Tucker at Mercury Lounge that night. But, catch this, Corin is a 730p early showm and with two opening acts, Das Racist will probably hit the stage at tenish..
Justin Bieber On The Simpsons
‘Swaggy’, thats the word of the day! The episode titled ‘The Fabulous Faker Boy’ has Beiber as a contestant in a talent show- and not making the cut. A bit of pop star self depreciation. I gotta say though, Beiber has lost his standing joke status
Slash's Mom Slept With David Bowie
”Looking back on it, I know exactly what was going on. When I look back on that whole combination of people, I can only imagine how freaky it was”
Listen Up: 7-30-12
Guardian – Alanis Morrisette – It’s been a long long time since Alanis blew us all away with “Hands Clean”, and this, while standard issue good as opposed to painful Alanis (though the chorus gets kinda close to please stop now level), isn’t gonna change the perception. Still, it is nice to heard such devotion from the girl, and it should play well on stage – Grade: B
Claire's Diary "Girl Next Door" Reviewed
Simplicity is a gift, and Claire’s Diary is simple but in a complicated way. Adding a guy to the mix ups the sexual complexity clearly mooted in the proto-teen CBOH, and channeling Kathleen Hanna raises the specter of girl power all the way to feminism
Youngblood Hawke At Echo Park Rising, Saturday August 25th 2012
They probably plan their shows as an aerobic session, watching the six of them who couldn’t stay a second at the same place. It was particular true for frontman Sam Martin (or may be there is no real frontman in this band), who was the most agitated one, jumping around like a jack-in-the-box.
Look Sharp: You Look Like You Sound
Mods, Rockers, Metal Heads, Disco Diva’s, Hippies we all wore a uniform of allegiance to a trend. This is America. Hell even country has its boots. I look around now and the lines are more blurred.