We went where no person has gone before, on to the Facebook page “Awkward Bands And Musicians” Pageso as you don’t have to. But if you choose to, just friend the good fellows on the hysterical Page. It is what Facebook, if not indeed rock nyc, was born for…
the song was a maudlin piece of schmaltz to begin with and the snippit I’ve heard, it is released in the UK December 17th, is unfit for human consumption. Which makes it perfect for the season and assures it a # 1 hit this Christmas
The 2007 book by Motley Crue’s bassist Nikki Sixx ‘The Heroin Diaries’ will soon join the ranks of ‘Shrek The Musical’ and even ‘West Side Story’. Why? What makes this worthy of the Great White Way?
Hey hey it’s the post Davy Jones Monkees, and what are we gonna get on Sunday at the Beacon? Not enough Davy Jones songs, for one thing, but more than enough from prodigal son Mike Nesmith who ridiculously waited till Davy died before coming to terms with his history.
But they kinda sucked right through this century and then the big bruising egos got in the way (I kinda think it is Noel -older brother stuff, the way I think the Kinks is Ray), and whatever happens, even if only Noel has lost the gift, they will never be as good solo.
Timshel (Africa Mix) – Mumford And Sons – This works so much better than it has any right to, Mumford is almost chanting and the backing track is a xylophone playing an African melody, like the time Vampire Weekend dream of writing – Grade: A
This is music of Dement’s geographic and spiritual roots, songs inspired by the Arkansas Delta based upon church piano and organ instrumentation. If you can make peace with DeMent’s voice, which often savors every syllable on the slower songs, you may fall in love with this album.
A brutal and mad scene acted by psychiatric ward escapees or just kids who wanted to have fun? There was a boy who was wearing a hamburger hat and a few others dressed in full banana suits
Nate Ruess makes me a-ring-ting-tingle.fun. covered “Sleigh Bells” and it’s so good I could cry. I hit ‘play’ and was just blown away. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but whatever expectations I had, they exceeded. Ruess can literally sing anything and fun. makes this song not a lame Christmas tune, but a legit great dance song
I know people who find him endearing and I respect them so every now and then I give the guy a shot. Why? Why not just rest calmly in the idea that if I ever encountered him I would douse myself in Purell and walk away before I said anything. I suppose because a small part of me is waiting for the light bulb moment when I actually ‘get it’.
It is like having an existential crises about risking nothing. I don’t know why Chuck is taking this nonsense seriously. I’d have told James to have a shave, lose a coupla pounds and stop fucking whining.
So on Wednesday all we Beliebers will be converging on MSG to see our boy bring it and how. Justin is a trooper and a good dancer and a lot of fun live. And while I still don’t like Believe all that much, I guess it is better than I gave it credit for.
Pete actually took the time to explain its origin. Contrary to everything else in his life this was not brought on by some sort of molestation or abuse. The Late Show with David Letterman is where the topic was brought up.
The Coldplay leader made the following promise in Brisbane, Australia on Wednesday: “This is the last big show for three years or so. I don’t want to stop.” And that’s why I can’t take the plank, what a tease.
‘I want to set the right example and, at the same time, live my life….I feel like pop stars can’t be rock stars anymore because they have to be role models, and it takes the fun out of it for us, because we just want to have fun with art.’
Here is Wynton Marsalis discussing the jazz master: ” “Louis Armstrong was one of the greatest human beings to ever set foot on this planet. He gave us a healing that still sits with us. Thank you, Pops.”
Isn’t this a very sad story? Why would Anne sell the car if she didn’t need the money? And what can she do with a famous son? Nearly any action is a misstep, all she can do is watch in astonishment as her son explodes in fame and she is only 42 years old herself.
Song for song, if not album by album, 2012 has been a pretty good year. Lots of faves were back, Regina, Fiona, Titus, Public Enemy, and some new faves joined in. Killer Mike had a great year, fun., G-Dragon. When I do my monthly recap of the year I tend to not really write about the songs, so here is a preview of Decembers list. In descending order of course.
”A friend of mine plays with Julian and we kind of knew each other, and Julian really likes [producer] Dr. Luke so they were talking, and it kind of happened, oddly, organically, and in a strange way.”
Swimming Pools – Kendrick Lamar – I’ve been waiting for a song off the Dre protege to announce its presence and here it is. The single. It sounds are as strange as dark as you imagine and the rap is spit nasty and fast and the chorus as sad bastard a look at hard drinking as you could possible imagine – Grade: A-
I went to a show at this new DIY, or rather Do It Together place in downtown LA, called LA Fort. I had never heard of it, but it’s brand new, located in the Arts District/industrial section of Los Angeles, inside a warehouse which has been transformed into a music venue, where I saw five bands for five bucks play in front of a young crowd on Friday night
The spirit was willing but Arlo, who remained seated throughout the set, wasn’t joking, hr felt heavy and his children felt heavy. As pros, they wanted to give us what we wanted, and they didn’t, but as Seeger noted there is a time to laugh and a time to weep
Saturday Night Fever ruled the box office and the soundtrack did the same to the pop charts, creating a series of smash hits by The Bee Gees, Yvonne Elliman, and The Trammps. The Clash had replaced The Sex Pistols as the great hope of the punk rock movement and Elvis Costello was truly that year’s model. Sprinkle in a high quality albums by veterans like The Rolling Stones and Neil Young with fine debut efforts by Van Halen and The Cars and the result is a very good year.
Really, the reasoning is that I hate her lyrics so I never even gave her voice a chance. Hearing her on the radio and over stereo systems has led me to strongly disliking her as a whole. I think someone slipped something in her drink to improve her voice for this tune
Real Ant fans have seen waves of change in his work and this certainly is a tsunami but in a good way. He may have lost his live show appeal but recorded, I think he still got it
In concert is where Outernational thrives and right now you have the chance to win a pair of tickets to their show at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory this Thursday, November 29th, 2012 at 8pm. All you have to do is leave a comment with your email address and the first person who does so will get a pair of tickets!
The van actually looked totally awesome, the design was a little damaged, so it must have been painted a while ago, but it hadn’t lost any of its powerful message
This is Jon’s smartest moments, it is the best thing he has ever said though it needs translating. What he is saying is this: being a rock star, if you don’t take it too seriously, is a good life. But even a good job can’t protect you from life itself.
Comments: It sure feels like the count down to the end of the year starts here, nothing all that big at all… well, maybe the hated Alicia Keys but otherwise a live album (first in 20 years!) appears to be the highlight
Maybe I’m being a bit hard on the bands up this week. We do have The Dirty Projectors, and Wiz Khalifa, Barbara Streisand and the neck scarved Aimee Mann..but nothing Holiday worthy nor cutting edge.
Yup. “Diamonds” assured a # 1 for Rihanna, but nothing assured a # 2 for Led Zeppelin and they rereleased the Buble Christmas album from last year and it is is in higher than Rod??
UK X Factor’s Olly Murs sure hit me as a likelier candidate than Ed Sheeran to break Stateside, but earlier this year “Heart Skips A Beat” with Chiddy Bang didn’t cause a stir, and “Troublemaker”, at # 1 in the UK, and with red hot Flo Rida won’t improve matters if and when it is released here. Still it keeps the dreaded Girls Aloud off the top spot.
One Of The Boys – John Lennon – From 1977, recorded at the Dakota, and just with acoustic guitar, Lennon takes a scalpel to the boys only rock group world. His personal life dripping into his music but what’s odd is, this song would make a very good rock group song if it had been finished – Grade: A
Not quite chronological and no big, big suprises except maybe “I Wanna Be Your Man: The Keith songs are goodies… I’ll take a closer look tomorrow…
Space will start and stop playing the song, left arrow will decrement the current play velocity by one, right arrow will increment the current play velocity by one, down arrow will set the current play velocity to zero (giving a good scratch-record effect), control will freeze on the current beat, and shift will bounce between the current beat and all the similar sounding beats (the branching points).
The problem with Ian is while his songs are great, they are too weird, and for every time he gets it write there is another song where he doesn’t quite pull it off. Strumming an acoustic guitar, Ian is a calming influence playing a sort of gentle country folk American
It is missing a “We Found Love” but otherwise is the equal of any electro-pop that doesn’t have G-Dragons name on it. I mean, going to Rihanna for sincerity is like going to a hooker for true love. It isn’t what they are selling.
If Neil Young wanted to really surprise the world and rebuild himself, he would play a 20 song two hour set of concise, clean, sexy rock and roll and send people away with a smile on their face saying wow, I can’t believe he played “Harvest” and “Helpless”. Expect 8 songs in a 150 minutes so be sure to bring your pillow. If Neil goes on at ten I can give him an hour and be home asleep by midnight…
I didn’t say I didn’t enjoy Half Moon Run’s set at First Unitarian Church on Wednesday night, where they were opening for Patrick Watson. On the contrary, they were quite interesting to listen to – and to look at by the way,… some good looking young Canadians! However, it was a little distracting and I had a hard time to concentrate on their own music as I was constantly drawing parallels. These obsessive, hypnotic and ethereal guitar melodies, these soaring harmonies or moaning plaintive voice, their sound sounded right away extremely familiar, although I had never heard of them before.
It sounds dated. It sounds as if Prince hasn’t done squat in 30 years or ran back to the familiarity of his big ticket days. There comes the moral debate. Is it OK to go back to the original sound and will it still pay if you do?
To Anyone – 2NE1 – This all girl group comes from the same stable that brought you PSY and BIGBANG, four part harmonies over synth and beats and sometimes ballad and more often dance tracks. At its best, “Can’t Nobody” and the rickety “Clap Your Hands” it is pretty good. More often, it is a little obvious – Grade: B
I am more than wary of this concert, I can imagine it being two hours plus of twenty minute jams that fail to catch fire by a self indulgent giant far, far, far past this prime. But I can also imagine rust never sleeping for two hours of thunderous hard rock. Either way, Neil Young And Crazy Horse at Madison Square Garden is a huge gig on Tuesday, even if it sucks.
Reflections Of My Life – Marmalade – The poor man’s Badfinger had a good cover of a Paul McCartney tune and this deeply felt piece of depression backed by an orchestra – Grade: A-
After enduring a terribly annoying set by The Summer Set, and a less annoying set by Hit the Lights, I was ridiculously excited for All Time Low to come on and they did not disappoint. As lights suddenly lit the dark stage, All Time Low tore into “The Reckless and the Brave”
The music was ethereal, a little mysterious and Patrick Watson, who sang most of the time with a very high falsetto, was an interesting boyish character, producing very varied and surprising soundscapes, part spiritual, part indie folk, while giggling or goofing around between the songs
The tune incorporates the lines “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,” and “You make me happy, oh when skies are grey”. That’s a song that my grandmother used to sing to me all the time, and hearing it has always stayed resonant.
Look at it this way: 6 million years have gone by without your consciousness, and 6 million more will go by without your consciousness. For fuck’s sake tough it out for the 100 years you are conscious
“I think Ian was hoping to encourage Elliott to make a simpler, more stripped down, organic (Ian’s words, not mine) record than Figure 8, which was his previous recording. Figure 8 (which I love) had a very far-reaching, ornate, psychedelic presentation.”
Cheri’s band is playing at the Delancey on Friday November 30th, 2012, and I am gonna try very very hard to see her. Not only because I like her and I love her sound but also because this is the life blood of rock and roll in nyc. When the Cheris don’t bother playing for us, it is over folks.
Seeger isn’t a winner because he is 93 years old and I am going to see him tonight at Carnegie Hall, he is a winner because he has spent those 93 years as a peak folk singer and keeper of American justice.
