So 1000 Forms Of Fear in at # 1 even if only 54,000 units shifted, still a good number. Maybe I was wrong? Maybe I should listen to it again? So I did and this album is so full of it self it seems to swagger along in self-regard though its only saving grace is Sia’s voice and when that’s all there is, it begins to pull you under.
Please allow me to be the last to congratulate magic! on their hit single, I hope they make lots of money and invest it wisely. This is their moment, the magic! for magic! is in the air and why not? But if you’ve heard the album, the chance of a follow up hit seems a little on the doubtful side and so they will descend like Foster The People into sophomore album hell. Till then, make the most of it boys.
Handy – “Weird Al” Yankovic – “I’ve got 99 Problems but a switch ain’t one…” Weird Al’s take on Iggy Azalea’s hit places him as the handy man and it is funny… up to a point. The problem with Al is there is nothing underneath making the rock star cool, mundane. It lacks resonance – B+
I don’t know what was worse. The fact that he made me wait half an hour, or the fact that he basically just provided me a six minute crappy interview. Maybe it was how I waited half an hour for a six minute crappy interview.
What a difference seeing an entertainer like JT up close and personal! His dance moves, his expressions, I can see everything and the music … I can feel everything. It’s as though the bass and percussion are my life support, if left without the music my heart would stop beating.
Drysdales got the classic “I Go To Pieces” and this may well be, er nepotism?, since Drysdales singer songwriter Patrick Potts is the driving force behind the Tribute album. Patrick is currently working on Volume II (and I recommend a track by track recording of Home And Away) and as always all proceeds go benefit the Del Shannon Memorial Fund
As for Gene…, “I certainly see him as a brother, although we don’t always agree on how to treat your brother. At the end of the day, I know he will be there for me and me for him.” However, Stanley also had some issues with Simmons at points in KISS’ career
As we speak, Angela Bassett, who did such a great job as the long stemmed human God Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got To Do With It” is directing Yaya Dacosta as Whitney and Arlen Escarpata as Bobby Brown in the Lifetime Movie version of the tragic “How will I Know?” singer’s life, “Whitney”.
If Bey was a great artist, not a great person, but somebody who could delve deeply into the collective unconscious, like a Billie Holiday or an Etta James, she might deserve this regard. But she isn’t, as good as her last album was, what she is is the prancing self regard and low to the land swaggering woman who play acts a vicious robber and murderer. Is that what women want to be? I certainly hope not.
White Gardenias – Justin Townes Earle – In which Steve’s little boy completes the transformation into a major country songwriter with this slide guitar haunted melodic stroke which promises that his 2012 rock nyc album of the year was no fluke – A
Jungle – Jungle – There is a market for this UK dance duos hard rhythm disco moves and rather this than Disclosure for sure, nothing misses the beat and non of this is beats for beats sake as song after song makes itself known. The remix album is gonna blow you away – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
This accusation led Oberst to face hate, threats, and it seriously affected the sales of his latest record, “Upside Down Mountain”. She pretty much screwed his career pretty bad all because she was feeling bummed out or something. She’s disgusting and I have absolutely nothing but disdain toward her
A few of my own personal favorites of an overall brilliant set were the absolutely on fire Smokestack Lightning toward the end (this is where TD broke his second string) and a medley he did of some songs from a forthcoming record, co-written by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa, as well as the aforementioned David Barnes harp solo
The songs aren’t that hot. “Peace”, “Neal Cassidy Drops Dead”, “Kiss Me A Lot” –they have something incomplete about them, it is like they couldn’t quite close the door on the songs. “Mountjoy” sounds important with its martial beat and destructed depression (it is about Irish prisoners) but it isn’t a good song.
It starts with very-Interpol strident, slightly dissonant guitars and Paul Banks’ slow baritone vocals, then it brings more action, with a growing sound for an empowering and nervous chorus, just like Interpol has done it many times before, but as if the music was getting faster than the vocal delivery.
Every Time I Die deserves to be playing better shows than Warped. They didn’t have nearly enough people watching their set, which was disappointing, because they truly gave it their all. Warped is taxing and exhausting, and the guys in ETID didn’t miss a beat. Be sure to catch them at your Warped date, and check out their new album.
Sony flew them to Los Angeles where they gave a private performance before signing the contract. And you know what, they even have a book deal with Penguin plus a documentary in the making about their rapid rise to success…. Jeez, I just hope this sudden success isn’t going to change and spoil them
Listening to these songs I can hear both what I disliked and what I should have enjoyed. The faux opera dragged me and the harmonies really really dragged me, but Mercury was a magnetic force and the band could play rock and roll metal with the best of em.
This is a pretty good line up and I am sure expecting Smokey to be too much of a pro not to bother file sharing the duets but to have gotten the actual performers into the studio. Legend (who owes so much to Robinson), Miguel and Aloe Blacc, it could be great. Elton and Tyler from the old school, and Mayer on guitar!
I was soooo disappointed when I saw Weird Al on stage a couple of years ago because man was I up for it and the bastard went cheap on my ass and instead of putting on a huge extravaganza was very Poconos in 1954. Still, he gets the call of the wild this week!
Point of No Return – Gene McDaniels – the early 60s pop star made a sweet, masterful samba out of a little know Goffin-King new romance ode, you just can’t get out of its way, a gorgeous romantic work – A
Listen’, he said many times to the crowd, managing to get people fully involved even during the metaphysical ruminating poetry of ‘Higgs Boson Blues’, repeating many times ‘Can you feel my heartbeat?… no no no….. yeah yeah yeah’, while looking right into the eyes of the happy pit people
The Ramones provided a psychological safety zone for a generation of misfits who intrinsically knew that conformity was neither a valid goal nor a viable option. They provided a haven not just as a gathering place for outcasts, but a beautiful celebration of the power of eccentricity.
This new track is heavily lyric-driven, and there’s a lot less focus on the background beats, which helps to accentuate George’s words and voice. It’s just stunning. He starts with, “I’m a phenomenon, and I gotta bring pain in The Octagon. When I wanna spit game at a soccer mom I get it quicker than the left lane in the Autobahn, fast. Like Ramadan, and I battle young padawans all the damn day.”
It is very difficult to take theatrical bands seriously- by theatrical I mean costumed characters. KISS may have started it but with bands like Knot or Insane Clown Posse, it becomes a joke- really how can we take anything serisouly when its Halloween every day.
Thicke sold less than 54 copies in Aussie country during its first week of release! The album even failed to place in the country’s ARIA Top 500 album charts whereas, ‘Blurred Lines’ had reached No.1 on the Australian charts at the time of its release. What a dive!
Andy Serkis gives an Oscar winning performance in full Simian drag as Ceaser, he acts with his eyes and commands with his presence. Nobody else shines and Gary Oldham is seriously underused and Keri Russel is virtually useless. Jason Clarke doesn’t look like a hero and can’t act it
So, English rock bands, what’s the story? we haven’t gotten Kasabian yet which is bad, but we haven’t gotten one of the UK’s great rock bands Manic Street Preachers, and that’s worse. I once saw MSP from the fourth row of Jones Beach between Screaming Trees and Oasis, and of the three they came… what’s before first?
The Will I Am single has been kicking around the States for months now and not getting any traction but over there they have more of a flair for this sort of stuff and noted the young (17 years of age!!) Cody Wise is a star in the making.
American Horror – Speedy Ortiz – This is a quirked out angular wall of guitars broken into from outside by Sadie Dupuis’s off melody singing, and this time at least it works great -like Best Cast meets Pavement, and also not too much like either – B+
A couple of hours later the stoically bemused Dinosaur Jr would be wowing the crowd on the same stage, and a little earlier the angular wit of Mac Demarcos and indie classicism of Speedy Ortiz would have their moment, but for right now the day belongs to the aggravated garage bang of Those Darlins. A quintessentially New York rock and roll moment the day after Tommy Ramone died.
I woke to find numerous fans selling copies of the disc for upward of $50.00. WHAT?! The fucking thing cost $1.99! And that’s when it hit me, people are the same everywhere. Supply and demand right? Profit from your own good fortune right? To me its no different than fucking your brother- just a sleaze bag primal instinct without any moral compass.
I have zero doubt it is difficult to do much but rub your audiences noses in the flash of funds at a Stadium extravaganza but like Bono and Bruce, Jay Z seemed capable of it and this show, not unlike the entire on the run concept, was forced.
At least, if this were a video for a new song, I would forgive them about the nonsense, but where is the music? There’s none and the Lips apparently have decided they were artsy film directors now. But Wayne, sorry you are no Ken Russell! R.I.P. The Flaming Lips.
Lil Jon! That’s about it my dears. A guy whose voice sounds so pissed off its terrifying is sitting down on the interview couch this week to intimidate Wendy Williams (who is pretty beast come to think of it). There is also Phish, who should give Fallon a contact high (and maybe you at home as well) with their jam band nonsense
I am not talking voice here, Earle sounds like Earle, I am talking tempo, it slows to a crawl, it pours itself like molasses, it lacks all edge, it is like earle is strangling himself. This isn’t a blanket condemnation, the three song with Harris are all magnificent oil and water, sour and sweet, scratch and soothe, especially “Goodbye” – alone it is worth the price of admission.
I am not a huge Queen fan, I like the hits but at the time all the operatic stuff dragged me and today the metal overtones make me a little shruggy. As for Adam Lambert, with gratness within his grasp he has yet to actually grap it. But together, it should be a thrilling performance this Thursday at MSG. Ad I didn’t mention Freddie Mercury once.
Well done, Yankees, Tanaka has a partial UCL tear and is out six weeks if not the year. Why? One thing is for sure, they rode his arm too hard. Whither the Yankees? They spent $500 Million, $209 Million this year alone, and aren’t getting into the post season. Enough. Fire Cashman
The Ariana song promises well for her upcoming album, at the every least there is two good songs on it, “Break Away” is poppier than the hip hop flava “Problem”. Otherwise, Doncker’s vocal has to heard to be believe and just about every single thing here has real value.
His voice had the rumbling power of a train in the still of night roaring through a small town. And while he slammed every song hard, some might claim too hard, his guitar playing could be very nimble indeed, letting a couple of smartly placed notes replace a solo before playing fast runs near the neck of the guitar.
Yesterday I went downtown Los Angeles to join a protest against Ringing Bros. Circus, outside Staples Center. Morrissey would have been proud… But according to the LA Weekly, the LA City Council enacted in April a ban on cruelty to elephants, but this didn’t prevent the return of Ringling Bros’ in the big Staples arena
But the king liked the young ones so she scored the gig and despite dumping him she still has control over the dead legends estate and gets that monthly check. To me it should 100% belong to Lisa Marie but hey I’m not a Presley so what should I care.
Chris is happy, he found love, and has quitted drugs: ‘Maybe I’m getting too cocky, but I really feel like I’ve beat the goddamn thing’. Plus he does not want to be your favorite tortured artist anymore: ‘but I’m sorry, I’m not your Jesus. Don’t hand me that cross. I refuse to play along’
Granted the Juggerz wear face paint and adorn themselves in jewelry with a man with a hatchet as its emblem but the majority of them can only heft themselves out of their pickup trucks, to grab another beer. A gang? I Gang of sad if you ask me.
ASCAP have to license their music to Pandora, etc, and Pandora can play the music before the deal is cut, this leaves ASCAP at a serious disadvantage and now SONY/BMG and UMG want to see if, released from the ASCAP obligation they can cut a better deal.
On January 15th, 1978, Johnny Rotten took a plane from San Francisco to New York and stayed with my friend Joe Stevens while announcing to the world he had left the Sex Pistols. Johnny spent two weeks before returning to the UK and inventing Public Image Ltd
The Moz has some lovely moments, I think, it is a little hard to settle into it, it needs concentration and the CSNY took Graham Nash used to cut and paste from a whole tours worth of music, someimes changing a single line from one version to another. CSNY 74 has everything you thought it would and plenty I for one (admittedly, not a huge fan) have no idea about, including “Goodbye Dick”, Neil Young sticking in the knife to one former President Nixon.
Anything involving my friend Karen Sundell , the VP of Entertainment for PR Firm Rogers And Cowan tends to be pretty awesome and that will include the “the crowd funding campaign for the Miles Davis film, entitled “Miles Ahead.” rock nyc interview subject Henry Rollins is a long time supporter and filmed this come on for the masses.
Harold And Maude” puts a seminal set of Cat Stevens songs (circa Tea For The Tillerman) to the story of love and freedom between a 75 year old woman and a 21 year old man. Helen Bach considers it her favorite album of all time and Helen Bach has an emotional compass worth listening to.
Whipping Post – The Allman Brothers – In feverish anticipation for the Allman Brothers last stand (I got a ticket for the penultimate night, despite all my efforts), I’ve been jamming this Duane Allman piece of roughshod blues from a 1970 gig – A
