Weekly FeaturesDec 3-9Issue 2.29by Jim Welte • It's 1965, and Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone wants to screen his new film, A Fistful of Dollars, in the United States. But instead of introducing the spaghetti Western in Hollywood or New York, United Artists makes the rather batty decision to screen it at the Longshoreman's Hall along Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The venue has been hosting a series of Acid Tests held by Ken Kesey, and Leone and the studio agree that these intrepid trippers are exactly…read more by j. poet • Amelia is a band, not a person, and their sound has critics scratching their heads trying to come up with pithy defining phrases. Jazzy torch songs for alt-country lounge lizards, country and southwestern, twang-drenched cowboy R&B, and Americana cabaret are among the definitions that have been included in various articles raving about the band’s ability to move in many directions at the same time.…read more by uncredited writer • Originally published in Beat Instrumental, December 1969 "Independence" and "freedom" are words much used today to justify any act from dossing down in Piccadilly to running naked through Trafalgar Square, but Soft Machine uses these words with such liberal enthusiasm that they don't give the impression of just quoting well-worn clichés. With two LPs under their belts—the first of which was released in America only—the Soft Machine trio strongly believe that the individual…read more Recently in Feature Stories Recently in Classic Vantage
by Denise Sullivan • It seems radio's transcendent properties are at their greatest when experienced by a person alone, late night, in the car or underneath the sheets with a transistor ...read moreby Max Mobley • The latest front in the war pitting commercial studios against musician’s bedrooms is—the telephone. This time it’s not the ringing, it’s the apps. ...read moreby C!-Team • From the local and loyal to epic stage shows and ear-piercing volumes, this installment of our concert happenings is perfectly well-rounded. ...read moreby Jeffrey Theissen • With 100th Window we are faced with a musical surrender that blurs the line between paranoia and rapture. This truly is the quintessential post-9/11 album....read more
There is something both earthy and austere about the Darling Downs’ collection of 11 songs titled From One to Another. Steeped in sepia-toned gravity but also a restless, down-home twang, the twosome that composed this album of sentimental Americana are actually from Australia. That they didn’t, in fact, rise from the dusty roads of America’s heartland or the slippery banks of the Appalachian Mountains could come as a surprise for some upon...read more by Jocelyn Hoppa"recreating old-school, radio-friendly innocence, but from a place of sarcasm verging on fatalism"...read more by Jessica Gentile"the songs are short, have catchy choruses, and are often poignant, just as singles should be"...read more by Michael Harkin"peculiar sonic details pop out with a new clarity, re-affirming the brilliance of the record’s spooky, subterranean production"...read more by j. poet"the landscape that the band paints is bleak, gray, and inhospitable, with muted tones of loss and solitude"...read more by Jessica Gentile"this band’s ambition is outweighed by their over-bloated sense of self-importance"...read more The Who
October 9, 1976
Oakland Coliseum Stadium
Day on the Green #8 and #9
Photography/commentary by Michael Zagaris “... They played two outdoor gigs at the Oakland Coliseum where the Grateful Dead were opening up for them. Both of the shows were absolutely incredible. To fill the Coliseum, you're talking 50 or 60 thousand people a day, on two successive days; that's pretty amazing. On this day, they were incredibly dynamic. I really love this picture, because it's almost like you're in the band and you see both the stage and looking out into the audience. You see Daltrey's swinging the microphone, Entwistle's doing his thing, and Townshend is doing his trademark scissor kick. I still get goosebumps and a rush of energy when I flash back to that autumn afternoon.” View the Rock Art Rock Gallery See more photography by Michael Zagaris |
Daily UpdatesDec 3Best Song Ever Wednesday  Though the Beach Boys are revered for much of their artistic output, their shiniest moment is 1966’s Pet Sounds, the boundary-bending, melodic masterpiece conceived by Brian Wilson. Though full of symphonic gems, a near-perfect song is found in the beautiful “God Only Knows” (even Paul McCartney said it’s his favorite song.) Though it barely cracked the top 40 at the time, its rich, layered tapestry of sounds—and Carl and Brian’s earnest vocal harmonies behind those endearing lyrics—makes it the loveliest of all love songs.
Ronnie Wood confirms: The Faces will be reuniting for a tour next year. And Flea may take bass duties. (Reuters) Surprise, surprise (not really). Music sales were down for this past Black Friday. (Billboard) YouTube is launching their very own symphony orchestra, to perform at Carnegie Hall. (Washington Post) Bonnaroo 2009 dates have been announced and those interested in tickets can set up payment plans! (CMJ) Isaac Brock joins Broken Social Scene on stage in Toronto. (Pitchfork) Welcome to the world's "used" mp3 marketplace. (Idolator) If you don't think video games have a fair chance of saving the music industry, think again. (Idolator) In exciting/odd news, Frank Black is to produce the next Art Brut album. (Pitchfork) Want to meet those people you socially network it up with? ArenaFest wants to partner with MySpace to make that so with a music, fashion, and sports "circus." (Wired) Are you in an unsigned band? Perhaps you should check out the site Microsoft launched. (MSN) Stephen King's year-end Top Ten list is released, still something folks want to see. (Idolator) The Jesus Lizard to reunite at the next ATP. Amen! (Pitchfork) Noise Pop Festival '09 announces dates and early performers on board. (Filter) Guns N' Roses' lawyer accuses Dr Pepper of fraud. (Wired) “Young, uniform minds in uniform lines
And uniform ties run round with trousers on fire
And signs of desire they cannot disguise
While I try to find words as light as the birds
That circle above to put in my songs of love” - The Divine Comedy, “Songs of Love” December 3, 1961 John, Paul, Ringo, and George met Brian Epstein for the first time at his record store in Liverpool. Epstein is widely considered the fifth Beatle. December 3rd: 1948: Ozzy Osbourne
1949: Mickey Thomas (Jefferson Starship)
1952: Duane Roland (Molly Hatchet)
1963: Joe Lally (Fugazi) Ah, those early '90s shoegaze music videos: Silly, but charming, like the one for Blur's "She's So High."
|
