Difficult listening doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s all about perception, and given the ability to just let it all wash over you with an open mind, difficult listening can be real easy. Case in point is bassist William Parker’s 2007 free jazz album Petit Oiseau. Parker has one of the best working bands in […]
Song Of The Day – “This Ain’t No Picnic” by Minutemen
I’ve been spinning tracks by San Pedro’s Minutemen all day, since it was 27 years ago today (12/22) that lead singer, D. Boon, died in a car wreck. Minutemen were such an important band to me and my cohort back in the early 1980s. They were a band that cut through the image-centered video-centric MTV […]
Song Of The Day – “Today’s Supernatural” by Animal Collective
Psychedelia is alive and well and living in…Maryland? Well at least in Animal Collective’s case, it hails from Maryland. In a musical world where little is truly ever new, Animal Collective consistently tap into the past to create a sound that’s wholly their own. Like a wigged out Yes or a Beach Boys on acid, […]
Today in Rock History – August 7
1965, Herman’s Hermits went to number one on the singles chart with “I’m Henry VIII I Am.” The single was only released in the US. Singer Peter Noone once interviewed Elvis Presley for UK music paper New Musical Express. 1965, Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five suffered two broken ribs when he was pulled […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Fire’s Highway” by Japandroids
Two Guys! No, not the department store from the 1960s, and not The White Stripes or Black Keys either. I’m talkin’ about two Canadian guys, Brian King on guitar and vocals and David Prowse on drums, who brought a firestorm of fury onto these shores with one of the best albums all year, their aptly […]
Song Of The Day – “I Lost My Job Of Loving You” by Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale
Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale are superb songwriters and troubadours. They are country music journeymen who spend their life on the road making music, supporting other musicians and supporting each other. Miller has recorded many records with his wife Julie (under the moniker Buddy & Julie Miller), and has worked with Robert Plant, Lucinda Williams, […]
Song Of The Day – “Leon” by Madness
I love it when a favorite band releases an album that I had no idea was coming out. Such was the case last week when I found that Madness had a new disc called “Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da.” This, of course poses some problems for Madness because If a long-time fan […]
Song Of The Day – “Run Run Run” by Velvet Underground
The original story ran in November 2012 This is the Scepter acetate version of “Run Run Run” by Velvet Underground. The story goes that the Velvets went into Scepter Studios on April 25, 1966 to cut tunes for their upcoming debut album. All of the songs on the acetate made it onto the final album, […]
Song Of The Day – “Jump Into The Fire” by LCD Soundsystem
I finally got around to watching the LCD Soundsystem film “Shut Up And Play the Hits” which chronicles the last LCD show from April, 2011 before James Murphy and company decided to pull the plug on the band. While I loved LCD, I always thought they were somewhat derivative of their inspirations including Talking Heads, […]
Song Of The Day – “Dinner Bell” by They Might Be Giants
Choosing the perfect Thanksgiving Song Of The Day is not an easy task. In the past, I’ve done the obvious with the all-American standby, “Alice’s Restaurant” by Arlo Guthrie. It’s something I’ve listened to every year on Thanksgiving ever since I was a kid, and I will be spinning it again (on vinyl, of course.) […]
