Slideshow

Slideshow

10 Songs: Sunday,December 14th, 2014

Bleed Me Dry – Laura Marling – Jesus, that is a magnificent lick. Laura bases the not untypical self-portrait round it on this yet to be released song and she finger picks it and her fingers seem to dance along the strings. Brilliance – A

Lists, Slideshow

Only From My ITunes Playlist

If I download a CD, I can only hear it on the PC I downloaded it on with Spotify, but I can hear it anywhere with ITunes. Specifically, when I am listening to concerts I’ve recorded, demos I’ve been sent, like that, I can’t use Spotify.

Slideshow

The Importance Of Beats

Diddy and Drake crossed paths at Fontainebleau Hotel’s Liv club and in the parking lot, Diddy punched him, damaging Drake’s shoulder, and left him with a cool as fuck “Take care of your business”. And as long as guns aren’t being drawn a non-story right, rap star? Dog bites man

Slideshow

10 Songs: Saturday, December 13th, 2015

On the day after Marvin Gaye was murdered I was inconsolable, and LIVE AID did nothing at all to change it till prince presented the video of a new song, this song, and stopped the show -a masterpiece of beat and tempo, a herky jerk bass throbbing work the likes of which he never came close to again: this did what it should have, it matched his funk and pop sensibilities – A+

Opinion, Slideshow

If You Wanna Sing Out…?

I like to sing this song. I’ve liked singing it for 18 years now. It’s in my perfect range and the tempo is somehow irresistible. As long as no one can see me emoting like a 15-year-old who just got dumped by her boyfriend, I will continue to sing this song

Slideshow

My Year In Music 2015 According To Spotify

Spotify, in their infinite wisdom, compiled a year in music for me based upon the 149,043 minutes I spent on the music streaming service, or 248 hours, or ten days non stop. It didn’t particularly surprise, though it did make me wonder if they interpreted hip hop under the spot genre.

Live, Slideshow

10 Songs: Friday, December 12th, 2014

A Doe To A Deer – Los campesinos – They can sound like classic rock until Garth starts singing and then they sound like Los Campesinos with his ultra wordy lyrics, and this seasonal track isn’t bad at all but it isn’t very Christmassy if you see what I mean – B

Live, Slideshow

Daniel Lanois At Amoeba, Monday September 8th 2014

I mostly hear some atmospheric alt country sound with lots of guitars and a haunting pedal steel, not only because of his long association with country artists such as Willie Nelson or Emmylou Harris, but also for having seen him play on stage with alt-rock bluesy artist Rocco De Luca

Slideshow, US Top 10 Singles

US Top 10 Singles 12-20-14

How about this for a stat, courtesy of Billboard, for the past fourteen weeks Meghan Trainor and Taylor Swift have been trading #1 and #2 and have now broken a record set by the Beatles and Lesley Gore in 1964! And what makes it better, all three songs, “Blank Space”, “Shake It Off” and “All About That Bass” are excellent (A+, A, A).

Slideshow, US Top 10 Albums

US Top 10 Albums 12-20-14

Wow, this has only two new albums, we’re used to six or more. The disaster here is AC/DC, 175K with zero streaming for a band this big (and an album this great) is a major disaster. Of course, they will make it all back when they take their show on the road and sell out arenas from one side of the world to the other.

Slideshow

10 Songs, Thursday, December 11th, 2014

Take – Sophie Jamieson – From the UK, the new face of old singer songwriters, heavy on the atmospherics, and I mean heavy, but there is something addictive about the deep feel electronic soulfulness of it own. Music to virtually slit your wrists by – B

Slideshow, Upcoming Releases

Direct Current's Upcoming Releases 2015

Allison Moorer has had and somewhat upsetting five years, from marriage to Steve Earle, to the Dukes tour, an album, a son, sadly born autistic, and now a new album in which she details the heartbreak. Otherwise, look how quiet it is till late January! Let’s hope there are some surprises out there.

Opinion, Slideshow

Bob Lefsetz Gets It Wrong Again

Is Bob Lefsetz as good as he thinks he is? I dunno, man, he is a bit of a twit. In the past two weeks he made demonstrably wrong claims. It is as though he makes the axiom, the axiom is right, and he ignores it when it doesn’t suit his purposes.

Slideshow, Track Review

Songs From A Fast Car

I’m not certain who sang these so I had to check with my Dad. Every time I go out with my Dad in a fast car these are the songs he likes to play. I don’t know why he chose them, because they are hard rockers I guess, but I do like them: I like the tunes, the beat and I don’t singalong unless I’m being paid!

Slideshow

The Problem with Camping Out (For Foo Fighter Tickets Or Anyone else)

Who would you camp out to get tickets for, the way we did in the bad old days, a time that was still pretty corrupt as ticket scalpers (as we lovingly called em before they went legit) paid homeless people to stand in line. It was never the greatest of systems and only a band as wrong footed as Foo Fighters would believe re-inventing it for both Citifield (in a limited capacity) and in a major capacity at Irving Plaza where people got their sleeping bags and camped out.

Slideshow

Lil Wayne, Cash Money Prisoner

The only victim here of course, is the fan but isn’t that the usual? As Wayne bitches about departing his label I cant seem to find any sort of legal actions in his attempt to depart the label that has cut him checks since 1991. So is this reality or ddelusional

Slideshow

10 Songs: Tuesday December 9th, 2014

Bros – Wolf Alice – This is a huge breakthrough track for them, the new EP doesn’t have its equal and the first written by Ellie Rowsell, soon to adorn many an alt kids bedroom wall, the Guardian call them grunge meets folk, meaning they play lo hi with the balance on hi – A-

Slideshow

That Was The Week That Was: December 1st, 2014

It seems to me that is an unarmed person is shot by a cop there should be no question whether to indict or not, the law should send it directly to trial by Jury. Eric Garner was selling loosies for God’s sake: there is overreacting by the police and then there are acts of baffling and repulsive fear and loathing. If you can’t handle the strain don’t become a cop, if you can play by the rules, and if you kill and unarmed man who is shouting “I can’t breath” let 12 of your peers decide your fate in open court.

Slideshow, UK Top 10 Singles

UK Top 10 Singles 12-13-14

On the album charts boy band rules, here it is the world of dance on the top of the charts to less telling effect. Though the Ed Sheeran is one of the years best, along with the brilliant “Even My Dad Does Sometimes” it makes X a better album that I thought it was. It lifts it.

Slideshow, UK Top 10 Albums

UK Top 10 Albums 12-13-14

McBusted are McFly and Busted joined together to form a brit boy band supergroup who will never make it in the States if only because they used the f word in one song, but they are really pretty good. better than aging boy band wonderkinds Take That who are never as good without Robbie Williams

Slideshow

10 Songs: Monday, December 8th, 2014

Heaven/where True Love Goes – Yusuf/Cat Stevens – Cat claimed he reclaimed “The First Cut Is The Deepest” at last Thursday’s gig but, indeed, this track off An Other Cup is the true act of reclamation: fitting snuggly very next to his beloved “Foreigner Suite” , it is a beauty with a wiseness as timeless as it is true – A-

Live, Slideshow

Angel Olsen at The El Rey, Thursday December 4th 2014

During she show, she came up with new arrangements, modulated her vocals, slowed down each syllable, giving me lumps in the throat and chills on the spine. Wearing a vintage low-necked black dress, perched on high heels, she looks like an apparition, and I am not just playing around a metaphor inspired by her first name, the first rows only have eyes for her: it was a love fest there

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