UK Top 10 Singles 12-1-13
Not bad, pure pop UK 2013 style: Lily twice, Gary, Ellie, Litttle Mix, 1D, there have been much worse charts out there. No hip hop but two EDM hits as icing on the cake
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 11-25-13
Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet – The Everly Brothers – From Songs Our Daddy Taught Us, this is a strange and beautiful close harmony duet about romantic fealty – A
An Open Letter To Cat Stevens
I’m not saying South America doesn’t deserve a tour.. I suppose there are many similar stories there. I just am a selfish stubborn girl who would love 90 minutes in a room with you if only to share a moment with the man who may very well saved my life.
Elton John's Philadelphia Concert Reviewed… In Advance!
We go to see how fabulous he is, and collectively we all wonder to the strains of “Funeral For A Friend,” — “what’s he going to wear?” And then he materializes from within a puff of smoke as tiny crystals from his clothes and glasses send sparkles of light throughout the arena. Quite simply, he is marvelous.
Sexy New Trailer For Lana Del Rey's Upcoming Short Movie 'Tropico'
Almost 200,000 views and more than 2,000 comments in just one day,… is Del Rey really an icon or does she has a very loyal fans who are watching the trailer all day long?
One Direction "Midnight Memories" To Go Gold In First Week Of Release
For a pop band, a boy band, a TV reality show band, to maintain it through three albums, well the band have something going on that doesn’t appear to be going on. It seems to be having at the side of your vision. It might be hype but it can’t be all hype.
The Beastie Boys Aren't Happy About The Unauthorized Use Of 'Girls' In A Toy Commercial
Three little girls building a gigantesque domino effect with their new toys, while singing the Beastie Boys song ‘Girls’ with alternative lyrics, such as ‘Girls/to build the spaceship/ Girls/ to code the new app/ Girls/ to grow up knowing/ That they can engineer that/ Girls. That’s all we really need is girls.’
Trixie Smith And Chuck Berry: Reelin' And Rockin'
When you compare “Sweet Little Sixteen” with “Surfing USA”, you don’t hear the metamorphoses you do with Berry and Smith. Berry took an idea and changed it 30 years later whereas there wasn’t a decade between the Beach Boys and Berry.
Active Viewin': rock nyc Concert Picks Week Of 11-25-13
Though he was so great that time, performing Astral Weeks, performing a “Slim Slow Slider” for the ages that it might very well keep you satiated for years. Just not five years. So his show at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Monday is more than a giving thanks, it is a benediction. Rumor has it, this may be his farewell tour. You have to hope not.
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening 11-24-13
A blues classic, I went to see Harvey three times on this time, indeed see her fanbase move her from the Academy to the Beacon, and this song was the set highlight. This is so exual and so deep, it is a swampy wet femininity she never did again – A
The Bottle Rockets "The Bottle Rockets And The Brooklyn Side" Reissues Reviewed
the Bottle Rockets were the grunge era Creedence Clearwater Revival. They packed their initial albums with one fantastic song after another and if they were too often steeped in economic realities that didn’t translate to the marketplace, that is simply popular music’s loss
Jack White- Token Cracker
No matter what it is, someone with a camera phone took this picture and made my entire day- if not my week. Sticking Jack in there like a marshmallow in the hot chocolate restored my faith in humanity and made me realize just how whacked things have gotten.
Cat Stevens 2013 Setlist Straight From Sao Paulo
This is a different set from the one we posted, though it has similarities. What stands out is “All You Need Is Love” and “The Foreigner Suite (I doubt he performed the full version). The 16th is better than the 17th. The first three songs on the Saturday gig are essentially devastating. Even the third, “Midday” is his best Yusuf track.
A New Documentary About Daniel Johnston Funded By Unexpected Contributors
‘Hi, How Are You” is a collaborative short film by a group of dedicated Daniel Johnston fans (creators of the film Archie’s Final Project) and Daniel himself. It’s a musical tale of an aging artist encountering psychedelic dreams, nightmares, and characters from his past.
Amazon's Best Albums Of 2013
What I love most about Amazon’s yearly best of is that it feels voted on by friends and colleagues and not pros. How else to explain Miley Cyrus and Neko Case’s appearance?
"The Pitchfork Review" Return To Print
I’ve disliked Pitchfork for its insulated arrogance and lousy taste in music for years now And really, who on earth needs a Van Morrison retrospective? Tied to what? That’s something people with zero resources do -I wrote one two years ago, do, not fat bullies like Pitchfork.
A Third Video For Arcade Fire's 'Afterlife'?
How many ‘Afterlife’ videos does Arcade Fire expect to release? First there was the one re-soundtrack-ing the film ‘Black Orpheus’, then the Spike Jonze-directed and Greta Gerwing-danced video for the Youtube Awards, and now this one, directed by Canadian filmmaker Emily Kai Bock and produced by the Creators Project.
rock nyc's Top 10 Tracks Week of November 18th, 2013
Two albums rule here, Margot’s which is finally on Spotify and Blood Oranges’, a huge leap forward for Dev. Except for them it is the usual shift of a song here and a song there.
Hear Ye On Spotify: What rock nyc is Listening To 121-2
Bringing minimalism to rock writing for the people, this was an attempt to cut down the criticism to two words (except for Bottle Rockets though I only did 8 letters so it might as well be two words!). Call it the anti-Pitchfork Review
How Would Your Favorite Eternally Young Dead Rock Stars Look Today?
Sachs Media Group, in collaboration with photo restoration and manipulation company Phojoe, has published a series of portraits of musicians who died young, trying to figure out how they would have aged. And the results are quite realistic
Cruisin' for A Bruisin': Dangerous Car Tunes
I say if you get in the car with me and put on Aerosmith or Kings of Leon you’d best buckle up cuz I’m gonna put you through a wall. I am a very aggressive driver. I have no patience for ‘Sunday drivers’ and the speed limit is a guideline not a rule.
Flying Watsky Sure is Sorry
Get a load of that altitude- what an idiot. Watsky released a statement and can pretty much kiss his mediocre career goodbye unless he has a serious PR firm to do his damage control. A big “Im so sorry I will never do it again” is rather pathetic.
Brand New And An Offer You Can't Refuse
“Straight female is ready to bj a guy/possibly sex a guy up for Brand New tickets.” Funnily enough, this is hardly new, last year women were offering sex for Stone tickets, but cmon Brand New ain’t the Stones, and the entire tone of the ad is pretty wild. I mean, what is “Sex a guy up” exactly?
Eric Clapton's "Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013" Reviewed
Where is BB and Robert Cray playing “Sweet Little Sixteen”. Indeed, where is Albert King, Cray and Clapton performing “Everyday I Have The Blues” or Buddy Guy’s showstopping “Don’t Let The Doorknob Hit You… not here that’s for sure.
They Are All Big Now But We Got Them First
I am sure I am not only speaking for myself, but it seems to me that an awful number of bands we have covered in their early days, have now officially reached the success status
Don Giovanni Fest This February 2014
Any way there is always something and I plan to go on February 7th, the more mainstream of the three nights. Why? because Shellshag are playing and Shellshag are the proud owners of one of the best albums of 2013, the awesome Shellshag Forever.
Spiderman Turn Off The Dark To Close January 3rd, 2014
The worst named musical in history, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, a counter-intuitive nonsense name for one of the worst shows in Broadway history, is being put out of its bone breaking, ear numbing, wildly terrible misery on January 3th 2014
Hear Ye On Spotify: What rock nyc Is lLstening to 11-22-13
Sinatra takes the lead and Pavarotti sounds like Rick Ross only being very careful not to overwhelm Sinatra are the song, even on the bridge he isn’t blowing it out. I hated it then, now, with both of them long gone, I feel kinda protective – B
Morrissey Roars: Bachman The Lion Killer
“Although I have previously felt enraged by the asininity of U.S. congressman Paul Ryan, and political fluffhead Sarah Palin – both of whom also kill beings for fun, there is something especially lamentable about the Bachman smile of pride as the lion”
Watch A Multi-Channel Interactive Video For Bob Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone'
It sure is original but I wonder whether this is a metaphor to tell us that everything on TV sounds the same and that this delusion of channel abundance is just, well, a delusion, and that nothing beats a good old Dylan song?
Steve Miller Band & Journey & Tower of Power Summer Tour
The crowd for this one should be the people in your yearbook that you drew mustaches on- but like a class reunion it may be worth attending just to laugh at what became of the class hottie.
Musicians Pay Hommage To Musicophile Filmmaker Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson may be releasing a new movie next year – ‘Hotel Budapest’ will make its theatrical debut in the US on March 7th – but musicians haven’t waited any longer to release their own Wes Anderson tribute album. Is ‘I Saved Latin!’, an obvious ‘Rushmore’ reference, a premiere?
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" Soundtrack Reviewed
This makes me miss the good ol’ days when we used to get together and trash the Twilight Soundtracks, here is another teen maelstrom of discontent and death and slaughter and more… another crappy soundtrack album.
US Top 10 Singles 11-30-13
Hand it to Ke$ha on this one, she handles the chorus with complete confidence and smartiness and the song is a sweet nothing but Pitbull always mixes pop smarts with Latin American savvy.
US Top 10 Albums 11-30-13
Well, I called Gaga as being better than Katy and it looks like I called it right, meanwhile why can’t Katy find a follow up to “Roar?
hear ye on spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 11-21-13
Sounds like a refugee from Wowie Zowie, all quirk and melody and none the worst for it. But it begs an answer to the musical question: exactly how much does Malkmus hate the rest of Pavement and also why does this sound like an influence on Vampire Weekend – B+
Kanye West At Barclay Center, Tuesday, November 19th, 2013, Reviewed
As a black man Kanye West’s ancestors were slaves and treated as property and the ramifications still effect West and black people till this day. His response is make music to enforce his absolute refusal to be anything but free. West is the sound of freedom.
Brand New- The Golden (Counterfeit) Ticket
Our request for press credentials was answered with an extremely kind note that the band would not be offering press opportunities this go round (nor last go round) but then again who needs press when social media has made you untouchable?
Watch Queens Of The Stone Age's Halloween-Theme New Video For 'Vampyre of Time and Memory'
I finally found my way to explore the dark room full of old books, carnivorous plants, antics, QOTSA memorabilia, taxidermied animals, and an ageless bulgy-eyed woman coming straight from ‘The Fearless Vampire Killers’.
What If Kanye And taylor Made Up And Went On Tour together: Teezus 4EVER
Rock nyc is close with both artists and have come up with the perfect solution, Tay and Yeezus should tour together. Can you imagine the synergy…?
Gross Ghost's "Public Housing" Reviewed
Written in the aftermath of singer Matt Dillon’s break up with a girlfriend, the follow up to their debut album Brer Rabbit, the duo of Dillon and bassist Tre Acklin added drummer Chris Riddle and second guitarist Rob Dipatri., and came up with Public Housing, album # 2.
Kanye West Launches DONDA’s 'Design Lecture Series’ At Harvard Graduate School of Design
He is this kind of guy, getting excited about a word, having all kinds of thoughts vaguely related to each other getting on his mind at the same time, and producing this collage of words that can only make sense to Kim Kardashian, and will make you unnecessarily scratch your head for a minute or two
"We're The Millers" Reviewed
Jason has to smuggle weed (a lot, actually) from mexico in a Winnebago to settle a debt and pays off the other three to beard for him. On the way they become a family.
Subway Sounds Via James Murphy
Art is a very subjective thing. What if I don’t like the sound and end up hating my stop, thus never going home? It could be a nightmare
hear ye on spotify; what rock nyc is listening to 11-20-13
Hush – Eliza Doolittle – Not the keeper on the new album but still pretty damn good, a lovely, frustrated ballad – B+
Be Here Now: New Album Releases Snapshot Review 11-19-13
Perhaps the most thoroughly charming UK pop star to fail to make a dent Stateside, here he covers some swing, occasional folk, an original, sells his album title pun with one Rufus Wainwright, and adds Kelly Clarkson, Olly Murs and more to the mix – B+
‘Soaked in Bleach’, A New Movie About Kurt Cobain's Death
It was described as a film which ‘explores the death of Kurt Cobain and its aftermath, examines the competing opinions and theories surrounding his death (suicide or foul play/murder), as well as the various people tied to those theories.
Mariah Carey All Upset On The Bathroom Floor
I find it annoying when artists go on and on about how they do it for the ‘the fans’ and how they are so in love with each and every ‘fan’. Don’t kid yourself, you’re a necessary evil. They do it for the cash and they do it for the fame- you just have to be provide it.
Madonna At A Glance
As last years controversy swirls this year, let us be clear: for all of Lady Gaga’s many gifts, and despite Gaga’s last four albums being vastly superior to Madonna’s last four albums, Gaga is no Madonna. In the 1980s Madonna was pop music and until the 21st century she very seldom faltered. Here is a refresher course:
Neil Finn Tour Dates
Split Enz evolved into Crowded House and then disappeared from the US. Neil was the primary vocalist and well he is back without his brother and with a new album to boot.