Not a bad line up but not the 30th Anniversary gig either, where both Lou Reed and George Harrison played among many others.The story floating around that George was furious at Dylan because he had assumed it was a charity gig but it was, of course, for profit. george’s last live performance as well.
Not only is she an extremely funny, powerful and witty woman, but at the age of 20, she has one indie (I mean really indie) album Only 17 (her BASSment tapes!), which I completely missed the first time around but right now stands as one of the most memorable works of the decade, beaten out by her debut EP Title.
‘Pharrell wanted to contribute too’, said Steven Ellison (aka FlyLo). ‘But he had issues with the kind of songs to write. He didn’t wanna make a self-fulfilling prophecy… he didn’t wanna write a song about death and then die the next day… and I totally respect that.’
It sure does sound like Mayfield, who sang in from a wheelchair paralyzed from the neck down, was saying goodbye, just reminding us if he could come back from the devastating accident that nearly, and eventually would, kill him so could we: the trick to life is living it. Not only is it a glorious melody it is also a glorious sentiment and a benediction.
So remove the wigs and add to this face 5 years in jail and you get this Gollum entity with giant ears and eyes looking straight at you, embodying all your worst childhood nightmares… it makes you almost regret these big afros he was wearing during the trial.
Gaga does not have the voice for this, it’s not that she has a bad voice but it is completely off: she is a declarative when the song calls for contemplation. Not crazy about Bennett either. I’d like to take that flute and stick it up their noses –if I weanted to hear Kenny G, I’d listen to Kenny G – D+
Tthe band is a trio, who showed up at Amoeba on Tuesday night to deliver a killer set of loud and big rock ‘n’ roller songs. Of course they had a new album, ‘Black Moon Spell’, released the same day and the rest was the usual celebration in the famous store
The trick with CMJ is to scout out the smaller gigs and to spend all day saturday on Ludlow Street. Having said that, I am a long time fan of Lily & The Parlour Tricks, just heard Lia Ices new album for the first time, loved Ratking at Governors Ball earlier this year and Ry x provided “Berlin” to Sam Smith.
She is an idiot. She said she has a ‘big mouth’ and that her comment was ‘very specifically targeted at the seal ban’… and talking about Peta, she added ‘There is a relative level of poverty in Newfoundland as well. Those protesters are taking food out of kids’ mouths.’
Both “Queen” and “Slow” are razor sharp self portraits that among the top 20, maybe not Top 10, songs of the year. “Human Sadness” is ten minutes long and if it can work, anything can work –by the middle you’ll be surprised how beautiful it is. And “Intro” is a perfect overture.
After you get past the first two songs, the rest of this is OK but relatively ordinary. But the first two? Absolutely first rate, completely original modern pop songs. Swift we already know but Meghan has been a real revelation and I am still waiting for “Title” and “Future Husband” to storm the charts: all three leave the rest of the world in its dust.
Barbara and One Republic had something in common, both albums were heavily discounted; Ine Republic down to a dollar a holla, Babs at $7.99: the moral? I am sick of repeating the damn moral here: LOVER THE PRICES OF MP3s and people prefer em to streaming.
“Sometimes it’s god, sometimes it’s not”? How about “I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea, sometimes I turn, there’s someone there, other times it’s only me.” And yeah I know the Wiliam Blake poem, but that’s pure Dylan. And Mellencamp sounds like a chump – B
“Unfortunately I will not be performing in NYC this time around but I am looking forward to playing for fans in Philadelphia on December 4 and hope to return to NYC at a future date. My fans will understand and I thank them for informing me about the extortionate tickets prices already being listed on some websites”
Odesza attracted a young crowd, and many of these kids were not even familiar with the Amoeba store, meaning it wasn’t the usual crowd… I could tell from their conversations that some of them were there for the first time… me? I know every cd bin of that place.
‘If you donate $10,000, you “will receive a tattoo custom designed by Miley’ and it will benefit My Friend’s Place, a resource center for homeless youth in Los Angeles. The $10,000 also give you the option to own one of Miley’s original pieces of art, but the tattoo seems to be the best option.
ABBA’s Gold: Greatest Hits from 1992 is the second greatest greatest hits of all time, only Bob Dylan Greatest Hits Volume Two is better. And there are two differences, Dylan isn’t a single artist and Dylan had a handful of new songs on his. Oh, and Abba sold 28 million copies
But the real problem here isn’t that people of good faith disagree but that Rolling Stone have no good faith worth disagreeing about. Their taste is suspect not because they have bad ears (or not solely because they have bad ears) but because they are liars.
Yet another in a long line of movies trying to fill the “Twilight” void, kiddie sci-fi for YAs who deserve better. And it isnt bad, though remarkably unconvincing. The acting is good, and the storyline has its moments, but it boils down to teen exploitation with quite a few deaths and a deeply unsatisfying ending
Burnin’ Up – Jessie J, 2 Chainz – This is an average bop with a fair to middling 2 Chainz, the definition of average circa 2014 and those beats… where did they manufacture them? A real come down after “Bang Bang” – C
Nara – alt-j – Aha, here is the Atl-J I can’t take, I knew there were out there somewhere: a dreary Radiohead-y track saved by a cranky piano though hardly saved enough – C+
The sophomore album by the Radiohead via Coldplay Public School boys and is better than the first because it has a few more songs where they let go and a few more where their better living by science hits you deeper, show me an album with a song as great as “every Other Freckle” and I won’t sure you “Magic” – ALBUM OF THE WEEK -A-
The album is filled with brief songs transcribing an impressive range of raw emotions with gorgeous piano melodies, melancholic strings, experimental synths, electronic violence, piercing screams, noisy beats and Hadreas’ fierce and touching vocals.
‘The treatment, which Dr. Mason perfected by slicing a small section of the eyelid, has been dubbed by local fanatics as the “Yorke cut.” In the simplest terms, the $600 surgery gives fans a chance to re-create on their own person the trademark Thom Yorke amblyopic left eye.’
Now it is the UK’s turn to learn their lesson. A twitterer wrote: “Dear God of RNB singers, I ask that in your mercy, you speak to Lauryn Hill’s heart and make her perform ONE song normally”.
Having all the music in the world for a set fee, I hope one day it works and benefits the artist as much as I think it should. I think that’s what all those services are hopefully trying to work towards, but at the moment it’s difficult and there is so, so little money in music. I’ve never made any money from record sales, and we sold nearly 8 million records if you count all the single
It is the dub portion that really blows your mind, “Bato Bese” sounds like dub goes to broadway, it is a strange and beautiful thing and even with that the album reaches its zenith with the large and transgressive the Mighty Diamond’s cover “Why Me Black Brother Why” – Lee “Scratch” Perry would be proud to put his name on
Another week, another column. Here we are going to listen to the last track of ten albums released the previous week, to see how it closes up and to say goodbye to albums we probably wont have the chance to listen to again till the end of the month.
Yellow And Blue – Megan Washington – Indie pop, the dreamy sort which buzzes you sweetly so filled with emotion and feeling and all that other good stuff but a little unfulfilling once you dig in – B
Bedrock-LA is like Disneyland for musicians, a giant 40,000 square feet music-service facility, located in the heart of Echo Park. And Bedrock has its fest, Bedrocktoberfest, which is a bit premature since we are still in September, but they probably wanted a good reason to sell good German beer
The self-portraits, which were taken with Polaroid cameras between 1975 and 1987, were selected by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, whereas the exhibit will conveniently coincide with the release of her album ’24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault’, consisting of songs she wrote between 1969 and 1987
I stole this off Popdust here so if you wanna see the original go there but if you wanna stay here, I’ve simplified it and sneered at all the right places just for you. Plus, in my world young Tay tay can do no wrong so, guess what? It’s all everyone elses fault. Oh and I graded em because that’s what we do.
the exciting young Australian rapper who ruled the summer with two smash songs, “Fancy” and “Problems” and then “Black Widow” bringing up the rear. Meanwhile her debut album The New Classic might not be the revelation her debut EP, 2011’s excellent Ignorant Art, hey she will be playing songs from both on Friday.
I haven’t been to Las Vegas since 1975 so maybe next year I should do it. I wanna see the Beatles “Love”, Britney’s solo show and this the second Michael Jackson-Cirque De Soliel collaboration. I skipped the first show when it played MSG and I kinda regret it. On Letterman on Thursday I can take a a look at # 2.
Bass and drums, bass and drums, certainly you cant throw a brick without hitting bass and drums. The first four tracks are interchangeable, EDM plus pro vocals. Now that the UK hasn’t broken up, maybe they should start on making their charts work.
Yuck. The Script is awful and their album cover is worse, Babs is just as bad, Catfish & The Bottlemen are predictable UK rockers, and only Chris Brown is both new and good and, well, he is Chris Brown. You need a shower after listening to him.
Love Me Tender – Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley – Awful act of necromancy, almost astounding in its lack of chemistry and sexiness and cool and warmth, uncool to an extent not knowable to the average person. Worst song ever – F
Yes, I may be in Sabbatical but it doesn’t mean I have nothing to say. Gather round kids and let me tell you how it took a pretty intelligent girl 40 years to realize that Southern Rock ain’t so dang bad.
I give you this, they are young girls and cute, and this is why we get this new vinyl of their track ‘My Song 5’, shaped like Alana Haim’s derriere, with her legs and arms sticking out of the vinyl’s edges. Why? Did fans need this? I am certain they will sell out very fast
It’s Pasadena’s largest culinary celebration, a food festival with free music! 25 restaurants are participating with live cooking demos done by celebrity chefs from 11 am to 2 pm, while some LA and international indie bands are scheduled to play from 11 am to 3 pm… Not a bad way to have your Saturday brunch
John Mellencamp hasn’t been around for a long time and Jennifer Hudson is a true soul singer. It is a toss up between Leonard Cohen and Aphex twins, and I am gonna go with Aphex Twin because I am not anticipating Cohen, I’ve listened to it non stop all week.
I had tickets to see No Doubt at Roseland years ago and blew it off to check out Nustrat Ali Khan, not a bad trade off, but it is one I don’t need to make Saturday at Central Park for the Global Citizen Festival where they headline along with the likes of Jay Z, Carrie Underwood, fun., The Roots and Tiesto
Like everybody over a certain age who is obsessed with rock and roll, this was all about the Replacements who failed to disappoint with a career spanning 100 minute set of Mats song. Lorde was pretty damn good as well. Meanwhile, Cat Stevens forced us to pre buy his album or miss out on the presale code.
Imagine if Jefferson Starship were really, really Jefferson Airplane, and you will get close to this anthem. “This is for the wild ones, this is for the hearts that never quit” Viv sings, and recently signed to Republic Records, it has apparently paid off big – B+
I can’t even begin to express how much I admire four men, getting on stage and playing a high octane rock and roll set where everything was left for the audience. The spaces were ours to fill. Nobody does that. Nobody respects us enough to trust in our ability to not have our feelings manipulated.
Sometimes you come to bitter conclusions with lost loves. The 2014 version of the Drive-By Truckers can no longer compete with their own past either in the studio or on stage. They are almost trapped by their former greatness, because they can neither effectively replicate the band they were on Southern Rock Opera and Decoration Day.
They sound soulful, they look glam, they are eintensely talented and cool and they are “Acoustic Anarchy” -a night of acoustic versions of New York Dolls and Sex Pistols classics, I mean of course the very very wonderful Alexandra & The Starlight Band, headlining what should be a treat of an evening as part of the CBGB’s Festival.
So not only Negativeland has dared to mock our most sacred band (Bono is close to be the pope these days) but they have no respect for our most sacred institution, Disneyland? But wait there’s more, much more
. ‘Listen, I need your help. All I want you to do is just log in on pledge.meatfreemondays.com and pledge your support to the idea of Meat Free Mondays.That’s all you need to do, I need your help. Please do it. We’ll send all these pledges to the politicians and then they’ll do something about it.’
Suddenly, you couldn’t dance, couldn’t drink, the maniacs drained all life out of life. Or at least they certainly tried. Of course, much like Saudi, which is something in the nature of a 24 hour a day rave behind locked doors, nothing can stop people from living their lives.
