Slideshow

Charts, Slideshow

10 Songs: Saturday, January 3rd, 2014

1Train – A$AP Rocky – We all need a sap in our lives and this terrific ode to newfound wealth is still so close to the poverty line it has the ring of truth gangsta yarns can miss out on. Plus if you’ve ever had a ride on the train in question you might wonder if you’d stepped back to 1975 – A

Live, Slideshow

Best Concerts 2014

In retrospect, the Governors Ball was just tremendous. Three days, but home before 1am each night, of first grade, top of line modern popular music. From Skrillex to Outkasts, from the Strokes to Grimes, from Jenny Lewis to run The Jewels, this was the one.

News, rock nyc, Slideshow

rock nyc’s Best Of 2015

If I have one wish for 2015 musically, it is that David Bronson’s excellent January release Questions finds the audience it deserves. This sublime art folk rock soul album should break him, must break him. It is what I want, it is what he deserves, I wanna say I knew him before he stopped taking my phone calls.

News, rock nyc, Slideshow

rock nyc’s Best Of 2014

2014 was the year of pop, the entire world, hip hop, rap, country, r&b, rock and roll was a no show, were the hand servants of pop music meets everything under the sun. Artistry will get you so far and no furthe, money talks in a consumer society and money wanted beats and bops. And got it. Not a good year, a little unexciting.

Charts, Slideshow

10 Songs: Thursday, January 2nd, 2014

“People would always ask, “Hey play that song about the wishing well or whatever it’s called!”… I vaguely recall my wonderful aunt mentioning that we finally had written a song she liked. So if you’re in the market for a family-friendly Screaming Females song, this is your chance”

News, rock nyc, Slideshow

3-2-1 Happy New Year!

In an odd and somewhat disturbing twist I would like to serious it up a bit and thank you for your readership. In a world filled with 40 million blogs and flash its nice to know our followers not only increase but seem to be quite the smarty’s offering positive insight in a troll filled ‘net.

Charts, Slideshow, Track Review

Best Songs Of 2014

752 songs I like enough, say “B+” and better, to include on this list though only the top 40 is in order of preference. I know it looks like a lot but think of it this way, with an average of 12 songs on album that is the equivalent of 62 albums so not incredible.

Charts, Slideshow, US Top 10 Singles

US Top 10 Singles 1-10-15

If it wasn’t for the desperate sexism of it all, the singles charts might be dubbed the year of the woman. But really, why should we single em out? Would that then make 2015 the year of the man? So on and so forth? But let’s be honest, that’s the way society judges it. Being female has its perks, and one is they get kudos for doing stuff men take for granted

News, Slideshow

Fifteen Essential Los Angeles Indie Bands

a sumptuous symphonic band with layers of instrumentation and a cinematic approach to music. Their album is a lush orchestral affair, with poignant strings and Kristianne Bautista’s amazing and soulful voice. A must have. Essential tracks: ‘Forever Found’

rock nyc, Slideshow

2014 Artist Of The Year: Bob Dylan

He is a dynamic, charismatic presence, singing his recent songs, sometimes re-writing them already, with a passion that comes from knowing you aren’t finished, you aren’t a relic of the 60s, or 70s, or 80s, that in 2014 your work is better than it was in 1984

News, Slideshow

A Madonna's Demo Dissing Lady Gaga Leaks

‘It’s an ugly look/Did you study me hard enough?/You’re never gonna be/You’re just a wannabe me/Like a sister all messed-up/who’s gonna help you out?/In your fantasy, you can try it all/But you can’t be me/You can walk the walk/Even talk the talk/But you’ll always be/Two steps behind me’

Slideshow

2014 Biggest Disappointment: Hip Hop

But there wasn’t anything close to a new Lamar, nothing really shook the world of rap at all, it was very lethargic, very underground rumblings of art and over head circling big records for 2014. A hugel disappointing year for rap.

Slideshow

Last Call: Week Of 12-22-14

2015 Flow – YG – In the weakest year for rap in immediate memory, YG found his bearings on the final song of his current album, an oriental track under a kenrick complex rape, which speeds up suddenly and blows up dramatically – B+

Slideshow

10 Songs: Wednesday, December 31st, 2014

Back to Living Again – Curtis Mayfield – This is it folks, the single greatest secular hymn ever, even if with Curtis, Go is always in the details. His last greatest moments off his last great album, which Eric Clapton, taking the award for best album, said “This belongs to Curtis”.

Charity, Slideshow

Mac DeMarco Is Selling His Old Shoes On Ebay

Would you buy this pair of beaten down Vans? I certainly would not, but a lot of people are willing to put down a lot of money, as they have already reached $10,000 on eBay… and I am sure I wouldn’t even consider them for a Goodwill donation. However, these red Vans belong to Mac DeMarco !!

Slideshow

Best Newcomer Of 2014: Meghan Trainor

Everything Meghan is touching nowadays is awesome, she has a terrific voice and a her modern day doo wop sound on stage she is Bette Midler meets Ariana Grande, with that big lovely voice and a brassy energetic presence. every time I see Meghan on stage I have to smile

Slideshow

Personal Bests… Musicians At Their Peak

So do popstars and at the end of their careers, maybe before, you can take a look and see them. You see something they can never reach again. It is possible 1989 is taylor’s… and it is possible I’ll expand on the concept… For now, the obvious.

Slideshow

That Was The Week That Was: December 22nd, 2014

A quiet week with Christmas right smack in the middle but let’s hand it to Darlene Love who completed a 28 year run on Letterman with three performances at Bb King. I caught the middle one and it isn’t enough to say well done good performances by a 73 year old woman, a 24 year old woman would have been equally impressive. The best? The Marvin Gaye medley

Album Reviews, Slideshow

Steve Earle's "Terraplane" Reviewed

On one level you can admire the schoolyard punk hubris of Earle titling his record with a Robert Johnson reference, but his blues pastiches are so comparatively pale that it makes him seem completely blinded by his own arrogance. I’m left wondering if anyone in Earle’s camp ever tells him that he has a bad idea

Slideshow, UK Top 10 Albums

UK Top 10 Albums 1-3-15

I really like Ella despite being an X Factor contestant, and a losing X Factor contestant to boot, she has an excellent voice, soulful, moving, mainstream but good enough for EDM any time. And “Ghost” and “Yours” were fine singles. and she has a whole lotta presence on stage. wonder why she stiffed on Factor.

Slideshow

Let's Active: rock nyc Concert Picks For The Week Of December 29th, 2014

EDM live on stage is both interactive and almost ambient, you can dance to it or you can float by, you can pay attention or you can leave it in the background of your mind. I saw Skrillex at Governors Ball last summer and was so impressed I finally realized he wasn’t Deadmau5 and learnt to love “brostep”! I will be spending New Year’s Eve with Skrillex, Diplo and… A$AP Ferg, Rudimental and Yellowclaw!!!

Slideshow, UK Top 10 Singles

UK Top 10 Singles 1-3-15

The return of Mark and Mars to # 1 makes you wonder if XFactor have been spiking the ball a little. The battle for Christmas single is pretty darn vicious and you gotta think… it wouldn’t take that many downloads, certainly $50K would do it… I wonder.

Slideshow

10 Songs: Monday, December 29th, 2014

Born to a full-blooded Native American mother and an African-American born to a full-blooded Native American mother and an African-American father, lead singer Delores “LA La” Brooks didn’t only sing this, she also sang “Then He Kissed Me” so down into history she goes – A+

Live, Slideshow

My Best Concerts of 2014 (Part 1)

Nick Cave: I saw him twice this year, and it was totally spectacular because I even met him in person! First, at the Los Angeles premiere of his fake autobiographical movie, ‘20,000 days on Earth’ at the Egyptian theater on June 10th

Live, Slideshow

My Best Concerts of 2014 (Part 2)

Paul didn’t play the nostalgia vibe too much, of course there were plenty of old songs, but some new ones too, and his dynamism on stage and simplicity while talking to the huge crowd was so comforting. From my seat, he looked like a tiny ant at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, but he ignited the sea of people, and the sing-alongs were heart warming

Slideshow, Sneak Peak

Sneak Peaks: Upcoming Album Releases 2015

Will Laura Marling have the best or the second best album of the year, can Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper live up to its name (the first single suggests not so much) or whether Justin Towne Earle’s can threepeat and papa Steve finally offer a decent album this decade. Oh look, another Ty Seagul album, how novel

Slideshow

10 Songs: Saturday, December 28th, 2014

“If it’s good to ya, it’s gotta be good for ya…” Jerome Aniton was the truck driver for Steely Dan during their early 70’s tours. It is June, 1974. Steely Dan is playing at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in sunny California). Jerome, intoxicated beyond the Milky Way, steps on stage to introduce the band…” – A

Opinion, Slideshow

Life Chosen

I painted while listening to The Animals Greatest Hits and The Band’s Music from Big Pink on vinyl. I escaped to some other plane…to some other place where the muse talks to me and guides my hand and I think Misty could have been there too, in her chair, watching and enjoying the sunshine and digging music she never listened to before

Movies, Slideshow

'Into The Woods' Reviewed

I ended up sitting at the front – well the theater was packed – and the room was filled with gay couples (surprised?) and families with children… But is it a kid movie? Yes and no, mostly no

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