Ye Wei Blog aka Wild Taste

2011 Music Scribing- The Bad and the Ugly, So Where's the Good?

2011-12-29T10:44:00.000-05:00

Tracking the story of music journalism every year ain't exactly a happy task. When you have to come back year after year and say 'the industry is f-ed up but maybe it won't be so bad,' eventually you start to wonder.Obviously music journalism isn't going away, at least online, where's there's plenty of it and too much of it sometimes. The problem isn't just that it's disappearing in print but

2011's Greatest Hits

2011-12-22T13:04:00.006-05:00

Ah yes, time for the yearly ritual. Along with showing off your favorite music, these kind of lists are useful to share with other music nuts who crave to learn about what's been good out there (not to mention helping the compiler remember what the hell they liked in the past year). Also, even though I participate in a number of music polls (Pazz/Jop, Blurt, Perfect Sound Forever), I hate to

RIP Vaclav Havel- Another Life Saved By Rock 'n' Roll

2011-12-19T22:37:00.014-05:00

Legend has it that the reason that Prague has retained its beautiful old-world skyline over the centuries is that whenever they were approached by a threatening army, they'd say 'We're artists! We surrender!" I told a Czech friend this story and she laughed and said 'well, there's some truth to that...' How else to explain a playwright there making the rare and extraordinary leap from artist

Guggenheim sinks the Titantic in style

2011-04-15T10:11:00.004-05:00

I'd never really given much thought to Gavin Bryars' 1969 piece "The Sinking of the Titanic" (which originally came out in the mid 70's on Brian Eno's Obscure label) until 2007, when Bryars revived the piece with turntablist Philip Jeck and the Alter Ego ensemble (there's also a recording for Point Records from a few years earlier). The 2007 version was stunning- not only for the static that

SXSW 2011- scouting report

2011-03-23T22:36:00.007-05:00

We know SXSW as 'adult spring break' or 'indie spring break' where hoards (thousands) of us music nuts rush down to Texas to pig out on bands at numerous showcases and day parties. But SXSW is also kind of a scouting report as you get to feast on a number of groups in a few days, seeing what's good and what's not. Sure, you'll see some of your favorites from years past (this time for me

Martin Luther King toasted by Walter Mosley and the Persuasions

2011-01-18T22:23:00.006-05:00

Billing itself as the biggest MLK celebration in New York City, Brooklyn Academy of Music's annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the best way I can think of celebrate the man (rather than just sleeping late and being thankful for the day off from work).For their 25th celebration (which happened yesterday), BAM had a parade of local politicians, including Michael Bloomberg, Kirsten

LA-33: Bogota-style salsa

2011-01-10T10:00:00.006-05:00

Every year, some fine records come out that I don't find out about until the following year (I'm sure that happens to you too). For me right now, one of the best ones was from a Colombian salsa band called LA-33.At the always-entertaining Globalfest in New York this past weekend, they were the highlight. No other band I saw there got the crowd dancing as much or put on such a lively stage show.

Captain Beefheart- Goodbye to an American Original

2010-12-20T07:29:00.001-05:00

Very sad news about the passing of Don Van Vliet, aka Capt Beefheart on December 18, 2010. DVV was a true American original. As PSF writer Gary Gomes put it, "he leaves a legacy unsurpassed... He is certainly admired and respected in rock and in the early to mid-1980's, some classical musical types ranked him as equal to and even surpassing Stravinsky in some regards."I never had pleasure of

2010's Greatest Hits

2010-12-09T20:19:00.110-05:00

Of course the order here is subject to whims that change minute by minute but I just wanted to share all the good music I could get my ears on this year.For what it's worth, I've been mulling over the National's record since it came out (great live act though) and didn't list Fela Kuti's catalog since that's been available otherwise recently (though you should definitely own it one way or another

RIP Ari Up- "You have never seen the like of me before!"

2010-10-21T07:58:00.013-05:00

It's not easy to write about punk goddess/Slits leader Ari Up, because words on a computer screen can't do her justice.When I heard that she died yesterday, I was crushed. I'd known her for several years and watched her drive band mates, managers, waiters and friends insane with the whirlwind of her personality but even then, you were totally awed by her. Even people half her age couldn't keep

Village Voice- Best of New York 2010, Lennon in the Movies and Pavement reunion

2010-10-20T14:31:00.005-05:00

Yep, it's that time of year again and I was honored to participate in the Village Voice's annual Best of New York round-up. Here's the neat things that I found and wrote about. Hope you enjoy some of them:Best Place To Become One With Your Accordion Best Uploader of Geek Culture & MusicBest Floating Bluegrass Jam SessionBest Restored Subway ArtBest Training Ground For Kid WritersBest Way To

Freshlyground vs. Mugabe- Zimbabwe calling

2010-09-24T21:12:00.000-05:00

Best known for their Shakira collaboration ("Waka Waka," aka the World Cup song), Afro-pop band Freshlyground is a multi-cultural dream. Though based in South Africa, the band members come from several countries in the area, plus the group is mixed by race and gender. As Stewie on Family Guy would say, they're like a Benetton ad, only they're cooler.Their latest video has P-O'd its target-

Chicago blues mini-tour

2010-09-19T21:16:00.013-05:00

It'd be kinda foolish to show up in Chicago and NOT take in any music, right? I was lucky enough to be there on Labor Day weekend to catch the Jazz Festival featuring Ahmad Jamal (celebrating his 80th b-day) and a grand home-coming from Henry Threadgill with his latest combo, Zooid, not to mention Ramsey Lewis being interviewed about his career by Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich (a glorious jazz

Ty Segall- in dreams

2010-08-13T23:51:00.001-05:00

Last night, I went to see Ty Segall at Cake Shop and got more than I bargained for there. I showed up there late, with a humid drizzle going on as people poured out of the Lower East Side club strip for cig breaks and to socialize in a less cramped area, with taxis streaming by to pick up the floatsam and jetsam that would soon tire out. I made it downstairs in time to see the end of the set from

SXSW panel- "Hip-Hop at the Crossroads: Growing Up or Getting Old?"

2010-08-12T18:14:00.002-05:00

SXSW will be here before you know it (March 2011) to be exact.I'm helping to put together a rap panel featuring such luminaries as Dream Hampton, Harry Allen, Kris Ex and Christopher R. Weingarten. Here's the premise:Even as it has become a strong cultural presence, like any other music style now, hip hop finds itself at a crossroads of significance. It's has a long hard road to find

Perfect Sound Forever- Aug/Sept 2010 issue now online

2010-08-01T15:13:00.002-05:00

In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Forever, you'll find (among other things):AC/DC The devil & end of history"Every generation demands something stronger. Bigger and badder. If you want to understand Chuck Berry, listen to the Rolling Stones. If you want to understand the Rolling Stones, listen to AC/DC. If you want to understand AC/DC... listen to AC/DC."AFRO-FUTURIST MUSIC Sun Ra, Outkast,

Christian Marclay- a healthy (dis)respect for music

2010-07-08T05:59:00.000-05:00

Christian Marclay has kind of an S&M relationship with records- he loves them dearly but also loves to beat the hell out of them. What's also wonderfully perverse about him is that his favorite medium is one that's supposed to be dead or dying by now.In his musical career, CM is technically a turntablist before such a thing existed. Like any decent hip hop DJ, he could manipulate records and

Phil Spector unplugged- The Agony and Ecstacy

2010-07-02T09:04:00.012-05:00

By now, Phil Spector's known as much for his erratic behavior as he is for his place in rock and roll history. Not that his reputation ain't warranted or the fact that he's now serving jail time for a murder isn't exactly gonna dispel that rep.If you buy into the theory that madness and genius go hand in hand sometimes or that the insane behavior of an artist doesn't necessarily detract from

RIP Frank Sidebottom

2010-06-21T20:28:00.006-05:00

Sad news that Chris Sivey aka Frank Sidebottom has passed away. Most people outside of the UK wouldn't have a clue about who he was but to those who he knew him, he was among that rare breed of wonderful musical Brut loonies which also includes ace jokers like John Otway, John Cooper Clarke and Viv Stanshall (Bonzo Dog Band). Could a grown man wearing an over-sized cartoon head really make

Lost finale- And they all died happily ever after...

2010-05-24T21:53:00.007-05:00

And so it goes. A TV institution is now over and the arguing begins over what happened, what didn't happen, what it meant and whether the finale buoyed or sunk the entire series.In my previous posting about the last season, I kept finding parallels to the Sopranos, even if the show's writers/producers insisted that there wouldn't be any but they were definitely there. First off, much like David

lost in Lost- latest (conspriacy) theories

2010-04-22T07:38:00.005-05:00

I can't help myself... Just watching Lost each Tuesday night (when I refuse to go out) and arguing about it with my grandma for a 1/2 hour after it (as we each say to each other 'what the hell just happened?') just isn't enough. I have to also come up with all these ideas and theories too. You can already imagine the painful withdrawal I'll go through when the series ends.So what is it about

SXSW diary 2010

2010-03-22T10:44:00.034-05:00

TUESDAY, MARCH 16Quick flight check-in, quick cab to hotel, quick registration at hotel, quick SXSW registration. Great start. Then we met Ed Ward for dinner. We were starving and drove around for an hour looking for a place, which we eventually found and had a half-hour wait. Settled for Threadgill's, which was just OK.I went to an electronic music showcase at Mi Casa with a techno/

RIP LX Chilton

2010-03-18T09:12:00.008-05:00

Last night when I heard that Alex Chilton died, I wanted to believe that it was one of those stupid Internet rumors that would soon get shot down. I'd just been speaking about him the other night with a friend of mine and only hours before that, I was watching some footage of him with Big Star at a Memphis music booth at the SXSW convention center and planning to see the B.Star show in a few days

Perfect Sound Forever- Feb/March '10 issue now online

2010-01-31T13:38:00.005-05:00

In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Forever online music magazine, you'll find (among other things):BLACK AMERICAN AVANT GARDE Where is it now?"The question is quite simple- is there a black American musical avant garde under the age of fifty? It's impossible not to speak generationally where this is concerned since those over 50 are well defined: Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, Butch Morris,

Still Bill Withers

2010-01-27T22:23:00.008-05:00

The documentary Still Bill follows the life of one of the greatest singer/songwriters of the 70's ("Lean on Me," "Grandma's Hands," "Ain't No Sunshine," "Use Me"), who's also a guy that enigmatically decided to pack it in over 20 years ago but not fully give up on music. Among other places, it's playing at the IFC Center in New York City. Withers appeared at two of the screenings tonight and

Pazz and Jop 09

2010-01-21T09:14:00.004-05:00

It's time again for the poll that writers complain about and yet vote in anyway- the Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop. Yep, I did participate but with the usual reservations that I only get to tell people there about a fraction of all the music I liked last year.One thing I do enjoy about P&J is to not only learn about the consensus out there (even though it crowns a small group of kings and

2009's Greatest Hits

2009-12-20T08:47:00.012-05:00

After voting in 5 or 6 music polls (I lost count), I thought I'd share my full lists of all the good albums and songs I heard this year. One thing I hate about the polling lists is that you just get to pick 10 records as if you didn't like anything else that particular year and anything that ain't included on your list is something that you didn't like enough.One other thing that bothers me

Perfect Sound Forever- Dec 09/Jan 10 edition now online

2009-12-01T08:59:00.004-05:00

In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Forever, you'll find (among other things):BARK PSYCHOSISSweet folky ambiance"Bark Psychosis was established around 1986, and to present date, has exactly two full-length studio albums. The principle architect in the group is Graham Sutton, with various other collaborators filling in at various times (much like Watts-Russell

CMJ '09 wrap up- remembrance of bands past

2009-10-27T21:32:00.012-05:00

Decided to skip the big acts for this year (Busta Rhymes, Mum, Broadcast, Cymbals Eat Guitars) to hear some bands I didn't know, with one exception. It also helps to do this since it's hard to remember what the hell you saw when you run around seeing 4-5 bands a night- hopefully, I can go back to this someday and think "oh yeah, that's what I saw..." And hopefully, it'll also turn you on to

Best of NY 2009- Village Voice

2009-10-22T15:42:00.003-05:00

I've lived in NYC about half my life now and I do love it here, so much that I love to write about the great things going on here. That's why I'm stoked and honored to do write-up's for the Village Voice's annual Best of New York issue, which just came out this week. Check out the whole section of course and please see the individual things I found to share about Gotham too:Best Place to Get a

Oct/Nov issue of Perfect Sound Forever now online

2009-09-30T14:43:00.002-05:00

Hear some of the songs from artists in the new issue here at Last FM.In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Forever, you'll find (among other things):BLACK METAL* Notes from its underground"Fed-up, dissatisfied youth from Helsinki to Santiago still call upon 'Cliff's Notes' readings of Nietzsche and heavy doses of paganism/anti-monotheism while girding themselves with the stock Black Metal uniform

Lost Fingers- more than a novelty

2009-09-01T09:48:00.008-05:00

Especially with YouTube in play, none of us are immune from novelties anymore. We like to share and post videos of animals playing instruments or a weird version of a pop hit or a (maybe unintentionally) bad version of a hit song. Every once in a while, a curio will come along that transcends this and is actually better than the initial joke it seems based on.On their second album, Quebec trio

Swamp Dogg returns... again

2009-08-05T18:28:00.001-05:00

Everyone has their favorite cult artist- someone they love though they know they'll never make the big time. For me, the list includes Alex Chilton, Terry Allen, Kevin Coyne, Jad Fair and... a certain producer-turned-singer, not to mention noted songwriter (his songs and/or production have found their way to everyone from Tammy Wynette to Jimmy Cliff to the Commodores). Yes, Mr. Jerry Williams

Perfect Sound Forever- Aug/Sept 09 edition now online

2009-08-01T21:45:00.002-05:00

In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Foreverhttp://www.perfectsoundforever.com, you'll find...BLURBrit-pop out of focus?"One can picture Blur dressed as pubescent schoolboys in an overexposed black and white pinup, smoking cigarettes in the loo, disinterested with and defeated by life. Picture them being huffed, puffed, blown away, and then run over by the Rolls Royces of Britain's big-bad-wolf

Zac Harmon- hear some downhome blues

2009-07-29T13:10:00.005-05:00

When you think of the Poconos, you usually think of the mountains and getting out of the city. Not too many cybercafes there (I didn't see any) but lots of horseback riding, canoeing, rafting, fishing, hiking, swimming and all the other nice stuff you're supposed to do at an outdoors vacation. But a blues festival too? Sure, why not?The Poconos Blues Festival was held last weekend in an area

Cass McCombs & Wye Oak- coming attractions

2009-07-03T17:36:00.001-05:00

Cass McCombs 5th album from this ATP fixture & Cali boy whose sweet, affecting songs deserve more attention http://www.myspace.com/cassmccombs(July 7th, Domino Records)Wye Oak Irresistibly adorable folkie-flavored duo as indie rockers, fighting to reach maturity http://www.myspace.com/wyeoak(July 21st, Merge Records)

John Lennon's declaration of independence- Live in Toronto

2009-06-23T07:11:00.005-05:00

By most popular accounts, the Fabs' honcho declared his independence from his famous mates on his 1970 album Plastic Ono Band. Not quite though... most fans easily dismiss his first three albums with Yoko, thinking of them as weird anomalies done under her influence. Putting aside that load of crapola (the myth, not the albums) for now, there was another pivotal moment in Lennon's life that

Abdullah Ibrahim- still introspective after all these years

2009-06-20T19:54:00.000-05:00

The first time I witnessed this legendary South African jazz pianist (and Ellington protege) was in the early 90's at an Apollo Theater show, opening for one-time band-mate Hugh Masekela and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Quite a triple bill. What struck me most about Ibrahim's set wasn't just the beautiful sedateness of his music but also how the crowd would scream out at the solos, even the

Big Star & the Clean- cult rock faves survive & thrive

2009-06-16T08:16:00.001-05:00

By now it's a standard rite in the annals of ye olde rock journalism that we must toast our favorite cult artists as part of the pre-punk canon- there's the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, New York Dolls, Modern Lovers. And then there's power pop gods, Big Star.It's hard for me to argue against this early 70's Memphis group as I grew up with them even if I didn't hear their until years after

June (indie) releases to savor

2009-06-04T16:33:00.000-05:00

Joan of Arc fascinating "art-noise-emo" (mostly the last with bits of the first and little of the 2nd) from an English grad student who once ran a scream punk band- they "put the 'fun' back in 'funeral'" http://www.myspace.com/joanfrc(June 9th on Polyvinyl)Deastro Imagine a less medicated Animal Collective that didn't skimp on the tunefulness http://www.myspace.com/deastro(June 23rd on

June/July issue of Perfect Sound Forever now online

2009-06-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Forever, you'll find (among other things):360 DEALSGood or bad for artists?"If labels want to continue to enjoy whatever remnants of record-sale success that are left, and avoid a seemingly inevitable demise, they must look beyond simply artist development to bring in success, sales, and most importantly, longevity, to their artists. And there exists a

Roman Candle- still hating/loving modern radio

2009-05-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

About three years ago, I blogged here about a song I loved by Roman Candle called "Why Modern Radio Is A-OK," where they gracefully explained that they love stations because the music there sucks now and they'll never get broken-hearted from the playlists as a result. Wotta brilliant conceit.Well, now this Chapel Hill band has thoughtfully included that gem on their latest album, Oh Tall Tree in

New York Rocker blog

2009-05-17T10:41:00.004-05:00

For anyone that cares about Gotham music history, Andy Schwartz has started a blog after the fabled music magazine that he helmed, New York Rocker. In addition to the great pieces that he did for PSF on former music clubs in the city, he's chronicling other venues too, many of which are now sadly gone. He's also got show reviews, CD reviews and liner notes he's done. It's quite a cornocopia of

Happy Mommy's Day- some songs

2009-05-10T10:50:00.004-05:00

Yep, it's that time of year again when we honor our mommies. Far from being your average Hallmark holiday, Mother's Day actually has a long rich tradition.In honor of that, here's some sites to find tunes about mama's (which also include weird oedipal dramas from John Lennon and Pink Floyd, plus some odes to pregnancy). To start things off, here's a nice old school classic, courtesy of the

Corrido (Mexican folk) for beginnners (like me!)

2009-05-09T07:02:00.012-05:00

Wanna hear about a great use of your tax dollars at work? To try to discourage Mexican immigrants from illegally coming to the U.S.A., Homeland Security paid an ad agency to make an album of corrido music which included songs about the terrible things that happen in illegal border crossings. The album actually became a hit and they're planning to do another album of this music. You can hear it

Japandroids- not just another indie band from Vancouver

2009-05-01T00:03:00.001-05:00

With the New Pornographers, Destroyer, Ladyhawk, You Say Party! We Say Die! and other performers putting Vancouver on the map in the new millennium, it's hard to ignore that there's an active indie scene going on there.Listening to the third record (their first full-length) by Canadian duo Japandroids, you wonder why their name doesn't come up in this group. They're loud and sloppy but like the

The Dukes of Stratosphere- XTC's psychedelic ecstasy

2009-04-21T19:16:00.006-05:00

It's not as if they kept it a well-held secret but XTC did a bit of skylarking before their album of the same name, very thinly disguising themselves as the Dukes of Stratosphere and putting out two albums in '85 (25 O'Clock) and '87 (Psonic Psunspot). Since the Swindon boys have always had a great knack for catchy songs, their psychedelic side-project proved more meaty that the West Coast

April madness releases

2009-04-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

Here's some noteworthy music coming out this month. Enjoy!Storsveit Nix Noltes A mix of Balkan music, gypsy songs and prog rock from his Icelanic band http://www.myspace.com/storsveitnixnoltesThe Boy Least Likely To Sweet, dreamy Brit pop http://www.myspace.com/theboyleastlikelytoukThe High Strung Detroit trio that sounds like lost glam band http://www.myspace.com/thehighstrungIt Hugs Back

Perfect Sound Forever- April/May 09 issue now out

2009-03-31T20:59:00.002-05:00

In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Forever, you'll find (among other things):8-CHIP MUSICWorshipping hacked video game tunes"This was the site of Blip Festival ‘08, New York City's annual celebration of chiptune music. From December 4-7, artists and fans from around the world gathered to revel in the turbo-tempo, seizure-inducing sights and sounds of hacked video game consoles. Ary Warnaar,

Louisiana Red schaukelt das haus

2009-03-27T13:13:00.004-05:00

His homepage bio is long on superlatives and short on details but when you have music as good as Louisiana Red's, that might not matter too much. What you do find out there shows quite a life though. The 77-year-old bluesman was born in Alabama and lost his mom a week after he was born and experienced the horror of having his father murdered by the Klan before he was 10. Though he lost his

SXSW 09 finds

2009-03-24T15:33:00.000-05:00

SXSW gives you some nice opportunities to reconnect with old favorites- great sets from the recently reunited That Petrol Emotion (aka the band after the Undertones), Trail of Dead, Echo and the Bunnymen (sorry I missed Devo, not so Metallica). It's also a good opportunity to find out about new bands and one of the most promising ones I heard there was an Aussie duo called An Horse.No, it ain't

SXSW 09 schedule

2009-03-16T17:52:00.007-05:00

So here tis again... As usual, take the descriptions with several grains of salt but hopefully this'll provide you with a decent guide about what SXSW has to offer or at least all the good bands I found after listening to 100's of 'em. You'll notice some favorites that I'm trying to catch whenver I can too. Schedules subject to change so check the SXSW music site itself for details.Wednesday,

Support WFMU- free form radio at its finest

2009-03-14T21:23:00.003-05:00

Even since I first picked up their signal in the late 70's, I've been a fan of WFMU. To me, it represented what was most interesting, fascinating and motivating about a radio station- DJ's with personalities and without playlists who could school you about all types of music. Against many odds (including battles with other local stations which tried to squash them), the station has thrived

Creation Records biopic

2009-03-06T19:01:00.002-05:00

I got this note from a UK film company and wanted to pass this along to music fans out there about a Creation Records bio-pic that's been worked on, not just to whet your appetite for this project but to also see if you can help out and be involved in this.There's contact info below and a list of bands involved. Sounds like it'll be a corker, eh?"We are working on a documentary feature film -

RIP Pylon guitarist

2009-02-25T14:29:00.003-05:00

Sad news about Pylon guitarist Randy Bewley. He's in an intensive care unit after suffering a heart attack- more details here.Pylon recently did reunion shows to coincide with the reissue of their 1980 debut Gyrate and they sounded great. There's been plans to reissue their wonderful 2nd album, Chomp, later this year.If you're a Pylon fan, please contact them at their MySpace page and send your

Horace Parlan & Paul Chambers- Blue Note mines their catalog for more goodies

2009-02-15T12:22:00.010-05:00

As comforting as it is to hear about Blue Note Records surviving and thriving and looking forward (note this NY Times article), it's also great to see that they're digging through their famed back catalog to bring out some hidden gems to light again.There's two prime examples of this from the past week. First up is pianist Horace Parlan, a mostly unheraled (outside of bop circles) alumni of

Simon Reynolds interrogates the post-punk posse

2009-02-05T22:42:00.001-05:00

If you're going to have someone chronicle the interesting aftermath of punk that's been christened post-punk, it should be someone with enough brainy perspective about the movement and the forest/trees thang. So on the heels of his Rip It Up & Start Again chronicle, Simon Reynolds has followed up with the meaty details from the artists themselves in Totally Wired.Ari Up (The Slits), Jah Wobble (

PSF new issue is up- Feb/March 09 edition

2009-02-01T10:04:00.002-05:00

Along with PSF, some other items that might interest you:- See videos of Mike Watt's New Year's day tour of San Pedro:http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=384F9D8926A6F668- We have a Last.fm station set up, featuring music from artists featured in PSF now:http://www.last.fm/user/jgrossnas/library/playlists/2gvrr_psf_feb-march_2009- Please see my Twitter page for PSF news, music news, band

February music to look forward to

2009-01-27T17:29:00.000-05:00

Benjy Ferree Changing Horses (ATO, Feb 3rd)Lovable up and coming who ranges from pop to folk to Black Keys boogieThe Pains of Being Pure At Heart "self titled" (Slumberland, Feb 3rd) Engaging shoegaze that ain't snoozy meets sweet power-popThe Faraway Places Out of the Rain, the Thunder & the Lightning (Save It, Feb 10th) Drone-powered garage-rock meets psych who realizes, like original garage

David S. Ware- help out a jazz great

2009-01-19T20:49:00.003-05:00

Legendary sax-man/composer/band-leader David S. Ware is suffering from kidney failure, now in need of a transplant. To find out more and see how you might be able to help, see this All About Jazz article.

Best music/movies of 2008

2009-01-12T23:39:00.004-05:00

If you have a love of movies and music (I do), you definitely need to see The Playlist blog where they go into excruciating detail about the best mix of the two from last year, picking out not just great match-up's of celluloid and notes but also great films that had crappy music, and vice versa. That's some serious dedication and that's why you need to spend some time with this. Where else are

Best music scribing of 2008

2009-01-08T21:36:00.003-05:00

PopMatters has been kind enough to post my round-up of quality music journalism from last year (and some stinkers too). Hope you enjoy it. Obsessive nut that I am, I've already started my list for 2009...

Soundtrack- making your iPod funny

2009-01-03T02:19:00.004-05:00

If you happen to be in L.A., it's worth a trip to the Hollywood Hills region not just to see the Walk of Fame or Grauman's Chinese Theater but also Upright Citizen's Brigade who've had their West Coast outlet there since 2005. On Friday nights at 10PM (West Coast time of course), a troop called Soundtrack performs there. As part of their act, they ask that you bring your iPod and CD's (for you

Blurt's best of 2009

2008-12-31T02:01:00.002-05:00

Blurt Magazine has published its best of 08 lists from its staff (which includes) me. The really useful part isn't to necessarily see who's most popular but what albums, reissues, DVDs, books you might have missed. You can see the two part list here:http://blurt-online.com/features/view/249/ http://blurt-online.com/features/view/250Happy new year!

A Fanatic Xmas mix

2008-12-24T07:23:00.000-05:00

Though I'm a Scrooge when it comes to presents, I'm always on the hunt for good holiday music and Fanatic Productions has a bunch of it this time. As always, the trick is not to make it the same sappy drivel that we keep hearing again and again in the stores, which is why these tracks work so well. And for a nice holiday present, they're all free to hear and download.- First up is UK post-punkers

Fave 2008 albums, singles & reissues

2008-12-21T08:25:00.019-05:00

It's that time of year again! Scribes everywhere are getting pestered by editors to find out what 10 albums were their favorite for their year. Most writers who are heavily into their work complain that they have problems whittling it down to ten (something I always have problems with). Also, as anyone can tell you, your list of favorites is likely gonna change daily or weekly or monthly. Also,

Oxford American music issue

2008-12-17T22:34:00.000-05:00

Oxford American magazine now has its annual music issue out, with the Killer, Mr. Jerry Lee Lewis featured there. It's their 10th anniversary music issue and there's not one but two CD's there featuring Lucinda Williams and Little Walter. Plus, if you go to their website, you'll find four articles from the issue that you can pursue. But you'll also wanna get a print copy of the issue too, not

2008 Christmas Picks

2008-12-16T09:59:00.003-05:00

The latest issue of Time Out New York has my holiday music picks for '08. It's not in the online version of TONY so please pick up a print copy to find the article. There you'll find me talking about heavy metal, singing saws, garage rock, a movie star & Jewish comedy. Enjoy!

Flipper's catalog returns

2008-12-13T09:02:00.002-05:00

The wait is over- these San Fran hardcore legends finally get their catalog reissued. Again. Henry Rollins and Rick Rubin did the job in the 90's with their American label but the whole label went under and all of its catalog with it (including a number of other fine reissues). So now for the third time (originally coming out on the local indie Subterranean Records), Flipper's albums are out

Cadillac Records- fact and fiction

2008-12-10T08:41:00.009-05:00

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend," is what we hear at the end of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. So when we see the tag line that a movie has been 'based on a true story,' we're used to thinking then that they're gonna stretch the truth and flub some facts for dramatic purposes. The fact that Salieri and Mozart weren't the mortal enemies as portrayed in Amadeus doesn't mean

Have a Santastic holiday with dj BC

2008-12-08T22:10:00.003-05:00

Beantown mash-up genius dj BC (the guy who brought us the Beastles and Wu Orleans) wishes you happy holidaze with his new Santastic Four collection, where he and other aritsts (including Go Home Productions) mix and match holiday records. You can pick out the Ramones, Petula Clark, the Bee Gees, Blondie, the Specials, the Beach Boys, Benny Goodman (I think), Tchaikovsky, Blink-182, Radiohead,

Twelve Tone music commerical

2008-12-03T16:57:00.003-05:00

Hilarious stuff for all you highbrow music fans. Thanks to Robert Hull for pointing this out.

Amon Duul II returns... online

2008-12-02T19:09:00.005-05:00

With Cluster, Harmonia and Manuel Gottsching being active again, another krautrock group is gearing up for a tour and have a sporty new website to go with it, including photos, history and other such fun things. See the new, improved, official Amon Duul II website.And by the way, PSF had an interview with founder/guitarist/mainstay John Weinzierl here. We'll have the 2nd part online early next

Perfect Sound Forever- Dec 08/Jan 09 issue

2008-11-30T17:45:00.002-05:00

In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Forever , you'll find (among other things):KEVIN BARTLETT Cinematic electronic music"Kevin Bartlett's been in the music business for more than forty years and he's still as excited about creating music as he was when he first began as a kid in Albany, New York. It's not an easy life – Bartlett's lush, cinematic electronic music and sinuous guitar defies genres

Tommy James and Shondells- crimson, clover and hanky panky

2008-11-27T11:03:00.000-05:00

When you think of 60's pop, you usually think of cheesy music, go-go dancing and mini-skirts. It wasn't all that bad really though...A prime example is Tommy James and the Shondells who have just put out a double CD collection, 40th Anniversary Singles Collection (Collector's Choice). How can you not love dance party classics like "Hanky Panky" or "Mony Mony"? And what about a heart-throb song

NODZZZ- no it's not no-doze

2008-11-25T10:43:00.005-05:00

As the Other Music newsletter notes, 10 songs in 16 minutes is what you have here- almost reminds me of the Ramones. But this San Fran crew will remind you of classic New Zealand indie rock that Flying Nun used to put out (think simple, drone rock with flat vocals) and the slacker-rock that Pavement once made. Nodzzz isn't the most catchy name but their songs do stick as if they remembered that

Chuck Berry does Zep?

2008-11-19T21:55:00.006-05:00

A club that's known not only for booking good oldie acts but also for booking cover bands evidently mixed up the two for this ad. You have to admit though, it would be kind of interesting to hear Chuck cover Zep. Anyone going to the show shouldn't expect that of course- after all, CB doesn't need to cover anyone else's songs since he's got such an amazing batch himself. Maybe Robert Plant will

Klaus Schulze- an uberfan's perspective

2008-11-18T22:35:00.003-05:00

If I was going to write a book about a certain krautrock artist who's made captivating music for decades , it would probably look something like Greg Allen's new tome Klaus Schuze- Electronic Music Legend. The book culls numerous interviews including some that Allen's done with KS himself (and one I did with him too) as well as his knowledgable long time manager Klaus D. Mueller and former

Howlin' Wolf live

2008-11-12T23:30:00.001-05:00

In many ways, Chester Burnett was a blues giant. Not just in status but in girth- 300 lbs. of joy indeed. In 1962, Chess records put out his classic self-titled album (aka the Rocking Chair album) and two years later, a live show in Germany took place when Wolf was in his mid-50's. This show is now out on Acrobat Records as Howlin' Wolf's Rockin' the Blues: Live In Germany 1964 This was done

Blue Ash- no less than great power pop

2008-11-10T18:58:00.000-05:00

Even in the age of reissues, Midwest power poppers from the Me Decade, Blue Ash still suffer. After Not Lame Records put out Around...Again: A Collection of Rarities from the Vault 1972-79 a mere four years ago, the fine 2-CD set's already gone outta print, fetching at least 40 bucks used at Amazon. And then there was another CD's worth of material that their manager sent me years ago which

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic- prehistorical music from the 80's

2008-11-08T07:43:00.001-05:00

From the ashes of Mission of Burma came a prog band but not just any prog band. Unlike many of the successful English variety in the 70's, this Beantown combo had a sense of humor to go along with their sense of history. Maybe it was just because he was concerned about his hearing (as the story goes) but maybe on some level, MOB guitarist/songwriter Roger Miller also wanted to delve more into

Screaming Females

2008-11-06T15:47:00.003-05:00

Part Riot Grrl, part post-punk, DIY and the pride of Brunswick, NJ... Screaming Females are all of those things as you can see in this YouTube video which tells their story, including being part of sucky band beforehand and the singer shredded his digits on her guitar.Thanks to Joe Gross from the Austin Chronicle for tipping me off to them.

Congrats to Obama and America

2008-11-04T23:00:00.001-05:00

Please rise for the National Anthem!I'm going to love saying the phrase "President Obama."

Holy Modal Rounders- Bound too Loose?

2008-11-02T11:27:00.003-05:00

In the world of 60's folk, two of the biggest outsiders and jokers were a pair of guys who were considering names like Total Quintessence Stomach Pumpers, the Temporal Worth High Steppers and The Motherfucker Creek Babyrapers before settling on the Holy Modal Rounders. What set them apart in the scene was their indomitable sense of fun and craziness. No doubt that caught the attention of the

Springsteen's Halloween treat

2008-10-31T22:37:00.004-05:00

Ol' Bruce has a nice holiday treat for ya. It's a free song download (and video) called "A Night With the Jersey Devil" from his official website. It's a good, raw blues-rock tune too with da Boss singing through a distorted filter to give it that ol' time feel. Guess that makes up for the holiday party he had to cancel so he wouldn't piough his neighbors...

Sonny Rollins on the road

2008-10-28T13:03:00.003-05:00

Alright, I admit I'm a bit of a Sonny Rollins nut. Is that such a bad thing? I mean, if you're gonna pick a living legend, he's more than sufficient I'd say. He still puts on a mean concert as he proved yet again at Summerstage a few months ago.Road Shows Vol. 1 (on Emarcy), as it implies, is the first in a series of live albums that he's planning to release. Noted jazz scribe Gary Giddins is

Mastermix.org- original UK pirate material

2008-10-27T21:45:00.007-05:00

For the latest edition of the Wire magazine, I did this web exclusive about a great website called mastermix.org which posts broadcasts from UK pirate stations in the mid 80's which include prime, rare, early rap mixes, all there online waiting for you to peruse it."In this digital age when any dilettante can show off their music taste online, the whole idea of ‘pirate radio’ seems like a

Julian Berntzen- lovely retro pop

2008-10-23T16:41:00.004-05:00

If Zombies, Ben Folds, Van Dyke Parks, Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney hold some sway over you then you're in good company with Julian Berntzen 'cause he loves 'em all too. This Norwegian singer lovely a bouncy sound, massed vocals and sweeping arrangements so if that kind of retro 60's pop sounds peechy to you, this is your guy. Listen to a few tunes from his MySpace page and you'll be hooked,

George Clinton on George Clinton

2008-10-21T08:52:00.000-05:00

For all you P-Funk fans (like me), this hilarious video from AOL Spinner has Clinton interviewing himself. It's weird, raunchy and psychedelic, just like GC himself.

Absentee- not lacking in songs

2008-10-18T17:46:00.001-05:00

Admittedly, I have a weakness for indie bands that write brainy love songs and London-based Absentee is definitely one of them that can stand, sit or squat alongside Magnetic Fields and Mountain Goats (even if I think the former are a little overrated). Dan Michaelson (of Absentee) has a deep booming voice that gets compared sometimes to Fields' Stephin Merritt or Tom Waits but the real model is

A box of Glass

2008-10-17T09:24:00.003-05:00

Here's a feature I wrote for Blurt Magazine about the recent Philip Glass box. It's an impressive set of music but it ain't without its flaws too, plus it misses some of his CBS works (which is a plus and a minus too)."In all, a very impressive batting average; how many modern composers, music less bands besides the Stones or the Beatles, could make a winning 10-CD box set from start to finish?

Best of NY- Village Voice

2008-10-16T18:40:00.004-05:00

Another year, another Best of New York issue of the Village Voice. I was proud to participate with some entries this time. Here's all the nice things I found in NYC and blabbed about:Best Way to Ring in the New Year with a Rock Legend Patti Smith Group’s Bowery Ballroom NYE ShowsBest Art Organization Centered Around RecyclingAnalogous ProjectsBest Band-Initiated Package Shows that Avoid the

Pablo Lamar embraces death

2008-10-10T19:29:00.002-05:00

With a slate of depressing flat neo-realist films this time out, I was ready to give up on this year's edition of the New York Film Festival. Luckily, alongside the features, they also screen short films, one of which I raved about recently: Sam Taylor-Wood's Love You More.There was another one recently that I found spectacularly minimal yet moving- Pablo Lamar's I Hear You Scream. The 11-

Creedence at Cosmo's- Fogerty's roots and ambitions

2008-10-08T17:42:00.002-05:00

As you hopefully know, Fantasy is doing a 40th anniversary celebration of Creedence Clearwater Revival's catalog. The bonus tracks and better sound are obvious bait for collectors but for anyone who doesn't have these amazing albums in their collection or if you're looking for a good present for a music nut in your life, look no further. There is one particular album of theirs that I've always

Clint Eastwood's world of music

2008-10-06T08:51:00.002-05:00

It's not often that fans get to sit around with actor/director/producer/icon Clint Eastwood and hear him jaw about his work but that opportunity came up on October 4th. The New Yorker Festival presented an interview with him done by long-time writer (and icon herself) Lillian Ross at the Director's Guild of America theater, just down the street from Carnegie Hall.The first part was a series of

Talkin' Dylan bootlegs

2008-10-02T18:59:00.000-05:00

Seems that it's still a good time to be a Dylan fan. Not only is his label about to release another set of unreleased material but you don't even have to wait until next week to hear it. NPR is kindly putting the material online so you can stream both CD's right now from their website.Not enough for you? Man, you're greedy... Well, you're in luck because Amazon is also offering up this nice,

October/November issue of PSF is now online

2008-09-30T23:17:00.000-05:00

In the latest issue of Perfect Sound Forever, you'll find (among other things):SHARON CHESLOW Punk author & zinester"... a musician, a photographer, a writer, a philosopher, a documenter, a muckraker, and an all around pioneer on so many levels. Sharon has worked with many talented people over the years. She made history in the first all-female DC punk band, Chalk Circle, and for confronting

Love You More- Buzzcocks and teen love

2008-09-29T22:35:00.003-05:00

Though her upcoming Lennon bio-pic is what most people know her for, Sam Taylor-Wood should also be known for her 15-minute short film Love You More (written by Patrick Marber, who also wrote the Joy Division bio-pic Control). Plotted around the Buzzcocks single of the same name, it tells the story of a budding affair between two teens. They know each other from school but haven't connected

Ian MacKaye and Sir Ben Kingsley- not seperated by mirth

2008-09-26T09:26:00.003-05:00

Hopefully you've already seen the video of Sir Ben posing as the former Minor Threat frontman. If not, you should- it's a pretty insane, inspired idea. Blurt went one step further and asked MacKaye for his thoughts on the vid too, which you can see here (along with the original video).

Teenage Jesus complete

2008-09-18T10:34:00.003-05:00

When the hell am I gonna stop gabbing about Teenage Jesus? Apparently no time soon...Along with their recent one-off reunion in NYC, Atavistic Records helps us remember the band once again. They gave us the Everything CD in 1995, which was literally all of the TJ material out there but unfortunately that went outta print. No need to worry though as they now offer up the collection Shut Up and