Best Songs Through October 31st, 2013
As Fast As My Feet – Linda Thompson – A pop song but an old fashioned one that walks on its title melodic hook all the way there, with a sound not folk but folk-rock and of course, Linda’s gorgeous voice.
Best Albums Through October 31st, 2013
6. Something About Knowing – Maria Taylor – One of the top indie Queens finds a truth within the truth, a truer truth in true love, marriage and childbirth, then she tells us how it feels to be a mother and how it feels to know what she didn’t know. A miraculous album.
Best Concerts Through October 31st, 2013
ARMS – Studio At Webster Hall, Tuesday, October 15th, 2013 – Todd Goldstein is a one band except he has a full band and they take the stage to a soundscape indie rock of power and beauty and a smart sound you would do well to listen to.
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 11-1-13
Still Into You – Paramore – The band’s greatest moment off their excellent current album is a total hook lined wonder of love and connection – A
Janis Joplin on The Walk of Fame
On Monday November 4th at 11:30am the legendary woman will have her very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yup.. after all these decades. 6752 Hollywood Blvd will be the spot for the tribute. Her siblings and other old hipsters will make speeches about her fabulosity- yeah.
Why Not? Chris Brown Beats Up Another Guy Again
The victim was hanging out in front of the hotel, then saw 2 women about to take a picture with Brown; he and a friend jumped into the photo op with Brown and the women, but Brown went mad and allegedly punched him in the face, breaking his noise
Fleetwood Mac's Tour Cancelled: John McVie Diagnosed With Cancer
“We are sorry to not be able to play these Australian and New Zealand dates. We hope our Australian and New Zealand fans as well as Fleetwood Mac fans everywhere will join us in wishing John and his family all the best.”
Pearl Jam, Environment When Listening To Music, And Changing Your Mind
When you love somebody you feel them differently, they inspire you elsewhere and differently. It is as if you see inside them. In music, when you feel it in a certain way, it becomes divine, the person you see is not the person they were. And then when you fall out of love, they fall to earth and become something else
US top 10 Singles 11-9-13
The same three top three songs for 7 weeks and counting and the rest of the songs have been most bubbling around for a month or so.
US Top 10 Albums 11-9-13
Prism sold more than 2 thru 9 combined and I guess that means sales are still in free fall because it’s not as though Prism sold a million or even half a million units.
Hear Ye On Spotify what rock nyc is listening to 10-31-13
A Lullaby For You – Maria Taylor – Sleep deprived Maria wrote this as a melody she sang to her infant son every night that slowly became a full song and lead her all the way to her current album, Something About Knowing, it is like a deep dream of infancy and hope and protection – A
Alan Jackson At Carnegie Hall, Monday, October 28th, 2013, Reviewed
I expected a performance off the charts and I got a snooze; Sunday night Drake was disappointing, Monday it was jackson’s turn to put us to sleep. Del McCoury would have told Alan bluegrass isn’t about musing.
Joan Jett And The Blackhearts "Any Weather", Video Review
Her voice is gorgeous. The broad still got it. With the help of some great lens filters she radiates rock Goddess and her leg stance reinforces her ownership of that guitar. But lyrically this song is a hunk of crap.
Listen To FIDLAR's Gentle Cover Of Elliott Smith's Whatever (Folk Song in C)’
They play the tune very gently, close to the way Elliott was playing it. Zac Carper takes his most fragile-broken-tired voice whereas the soothing guitars and beach-like noise in the background fit perfectly the melancholic, intimate and sweet ambiance of the song
13th Annual Dylan Fest NYC
Sweet Relief is not only for healthcare but for any needs artists may have that they cannot meet financially including age related issues. It’ a great organization managed well and the beneficiary of both the New York and San Francisco Dylan Fests coming up next month.
Lou Reed Sunk In Sentimentality
It feels fake, I know it isn’t and I realize people are really grieving but it feels like they’ve got it wrong and Helen has it right. I hate sentimentality, I hate pathos, I prefer the messy hardness of tough emotions.
It's Such A Relief: Kanye West's Future Is Not In Music But In Fashion
“I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump.”
Is Chris Brown Gay?
“A story’s around that, at the time of Rihanna’s punching, allegedly he’d been texting homosexuals. The story says this triggered their fight.”
Paul McCartney's "New" Reviewed
The rest of the world will ignore because, well, because it is like reading “Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix” without ever knowing the first books. The album, New, doesn’t stand alone.
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 10-30-13
Lord I Hope This Day Is Good – Lee Ann Womack – A showstopper at Carnegie Hall on Monday, this is off her 2000 country hit album I Hope You dance and in under three minutes it yearns with faith and hope – A
Be Here Now: New Album Releases Snapshot Review 10-29-13
With less expectations hanging over them, these wordy clever, powerful songs sound much better than if it had followed We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. They fell to earth but they are quite comfortable there – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Drake At Prudential Center, Sunday, October 27th, 2013 Reviewed
There was something so off about Drake. He started with slow mood songs, moved on to bangerz like “Versace” and A$AP Rocky’s “Fucking Problems” before starting a deadly three song set with Jhene Alko and leaving the stage for a break
The 25 Greatest Country Songs of the 80s
Nobody would argue that the 1980s was a classic era for country music – the genre was filled with middle of the road soft dreck and popsickle production values. John Anderson embodied the hard country aesthetic at the beginning of the ‘80s and Randy Travis carried the banner at the decade’s end. Steve Earle and Rosanne Cash helped us through the tough times
Lou Reed is Dead- 'Oh Lou / why did you leave us this way?'
Lyrically, I simply never connected and as for public persona? Well I love a real asshole as much as the next gal but I really just never saw that element of cool that everyone else did.
Not With The Band: All My Favorite Rock Stars Are Gonna Die Soon
Mick Jagger is 69, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are 72, David Bowie and Iggy Pop are 66, Paul McCartney is 71, and Leonard Cohen is 79! Even Bruce Springsteen is already 64, Stevie Wonder and Tom Waits are 63, and nobody is getting younger.
What Did I Learn When Reading All This Stuff About The Reflektors?
, ‘We wouldn’t have been able to make this album without Haiti’ said Win Butler to the Huffington Post, although these drums may have sometimes been a bit lost in these complicated sonic layers that compose the tracks.
Must See: Margot Macdonald At Rockwood 2, November 4th, 2013
I think Canvas is very good but not great, the inclusion of “Book Of Love” might have tipped it to great. You should definitely hear it. Like definitely. Maybe it is great…For sure, Margot should bring it big time to Rockwood 2.
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! "Haters Gonna Hate", Video Review
I suppose if you’re about 14 and you just can click with bands like All Time Low or Pierce the Veil this will do. Maybe this is for the boys? Nah, they’re not tough enough (at all), they look like a Disney band (when did putting a bandanna on your head become a punk look?)
Rockford's "Went Away" Reviewed (Stream It Here)
The band themselves, named after Jim Rockford (aka James Garner) and the town Cheap Trick are from are Jeff Beals, Jon Melkerson, John Kelly, Ed Huerta and Scott Dibble. Rockford formed in 2012 and have been playing constantly around Long Beach and finally we cann all heard what the hooplah is all about
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 10-29-13
Same Damn Time – Future – The best song at Sunday nights Drake show shakes the rafter as a singalong for threesomes, a full throttle piece of fun for all the family if all the family – B+
Lou Reed – Satellite’s Gone, Up to the Sky
There are widely varying opinions of Lou as a person – he’s been described both as warm and generous and as the ultimate uncaring prick. None of that matters now, if it ever did.
Lou Reed Died, Here Are Some Tracks To Remember Him By
I would go with New York and Ecstasy as a close second. I saw him on both tours and had front row on one of them. The New York tour he was playing at a Broadway Theater and the sound was astounding and, really, Neil Young would have problems with such political immediacy
Cyndi Lauper ‘Home For The Holidays’
To be held at New York’s gorgeous Beacon Theater on December 7th, Cyndi is wranglin’ up her pals (including Rosie O’Donnell?) to ho ho ho your ass to the holidays for good cause.
Malaysia Bans Ke$ha's Upcoming Concert Over Religious And Cultural Reasons
As everyone can imagine, she isn’t the only one to have had this kind of problem, Lamb of God, Lady Gaga were also the victims of the same censorship, and of course you could say that Malaysians didn’t miss much (Ke$ha included of course), but I hate hate censorship
Sneak Peaks: Upcoming Album Releases 10-29-13
People of good faith may disagree but despite my dubbing Arcade Fire the loser of the week, I love Reflektor, it is overlong, self-indulgent and hit and miss but when it hits it’s among their best work ever
Guided By Voices Robert Pollard Fired His Drummer For Selling His Drums On Ebay
Fennell was saying that he wasn’t fired but ‘resigned’ from the band whereas Pollard declares he ‘was already fired’. To justify the auction, Fennell claimed he needed money because of the band’s inactivity, Pollard responded he made a fool of himself by asking such a large amount,
UK Top 10 Singles, 11-2-13
Two really good songs here, “Booyah” is awesome straight up no chaser House and “Afterglow” is a very good dance track with lyrics that if they were maybe twice as good would put you in mind of Lily Allen.
UK Top 10 Albums, 11-2-13
the worst UK top 10 in a long, long time. I may have underestimated Andrea Begley, the UK Voice winner, she really does have a lovely voice,
Hear Ye On Spotify: what rock nyc is listening to 10-28-13
Nights Of Cinnamon – John Mendelssohn – The quality sarcasm of the great Kinks Kronikler comes wrapped in melody and charm, days of sulphur seems to be the operative the word but the mood is (you know we’d get their eventually, is rather Victoria-ish – A
Iman and Hel Do SNL: Janelle Monae
A strange thing happened on the way to SNL tonight. I ended up doing this on my own. Yup, Iman is off in the wilds of Maryland for the marriage of his dear niece and well the kid is busy entertaining so…you’re stuck with me
Van Morrison "Moondance" Deluxe Reviewed
Van Morrison sent a message that this 50 song deluxe version of The Celtic Cowboys follow up to “Astral Week” and one of the most beloved albums in rock history “Moondance” was being released without his participation or approval, I did what any vaguely intelligent person would do I ignored him.
Black Flag's New Album Is Almost There, But You Don't Want To See This Cover
And honestly, they are gonna be even more confused when they see the artcover for the new Black Flag album! What.is.that? Isn’t this green cartoon really ugly… and is that thing puking? It’s not even ugly in a good way!
Not One Of Elliott Smith's Friends Doubt He Committed Suicide? Really?
There were too many people in Elliott’s life and he only talked to a few of them, so he should not have made some grandiose declaration as if he had interviewed everyone close to him. It’s not the case at all. Actually, at this level he didn’t do much better than Benjamin Nugent
Winner And Loser Week Of October 21st, 2013: Morrissey And Arcade Fire
I contacted my sister Nadia in Scotland and she is forwarding Helen and I our own copies!!! Till then, that isn’t why he is a winner, Morrissey he is a winner because the bio outsold Bridget Jones Diary to take first place on the UK bestseller list.
Alan Jackson To Play Carnegie Hall on Monday (Yes, Tomorrow!!)
With the exception of George Strait, I can’t think of living musician I haven’t seen that I want to see as much as Alan Jackson.
That Was The Week Of October 21st, 2013, That Was
Sports – So are the Jets for real??? Please be because this World Series is so upsetting .
Active Viewin': Concert Picks For The Week Of October 28th, 2013
Not only are they pushing a really good new album lousy with sylvian briar, released just last week ,but I’ve seen Of Montreal on stage before and they put on a very very live show. Like a thetarical wallop. Monday at Webster Hall.
Hear Ye, What rocknyc is listening to Sunday October 27th, 2013
. Love Is All Around – The Troggs – Reborn as a classic thanks to “Love Actually”
The Avett Brothers, "Magpie and the Dandelion" Reviewed
“I and Love and You” haunted me for weeks, as I listened to it over and over again. Some of the plaintive beauty of that song, as well as the high-energy kick of their up-tempo songs from the album of the same name, are on display in Magpie and the Dandelion.
Stream Arcade Fire's New Album 'Reflektor' In Its Entirety
I actually like that, the fact I can’t make sense of it at once, that I can’t digest it in one meal. It is like a big fat cake sitting in front of you, that you want to taste piece by piece. Some songs sounded exciting at the first listening, some others will take time or will forever stay among the leftovers.