Neil Peart: A Farewell
Rush lyricist and rock percussion icon Neil Ellwood Peart departed this planet on 7 January 2020. I took it personally, not only because he passed on my birthday but because Neil was the first person I felt a real connection to as a rock fan. I wasn’t much of a reader when I discovered Rush, […]
New Order Decades: A Documentary Film
New Order: Decades is a fascinating look at the legendary new wave group that rose from the ashes of seminal post-punk band Joy Division following the suicide of singer Ian Curtis in 1980. Currently airing on Showtime, Decades is part retrospective music documentary, part concert film. “This is a film about the past, the present, […]
Duran Duran: There’s Something You Should Know
80s music lovers rejoice! Showtime has released new documentaries on two of the greatest bands of the decade — Duran Duran and New Order. While heavily associated with the 80s, these synth-heavy new wave acts from Britain carried on through the 90s and into the new millennium. Both bands continue to produce new material and […]
Dolly Parton Now: 21st Century Singles
The good Lord brought unto us an angel on the 19th day of the month of January. Yes, Dolly Parton is experiencing a rite we refer to in our culture as “a birthday.” I grew up in the 70s & 80s and I’m proud to call Dolly one of my earliest celebrity crushes. But we […]
Top 30 Albums of 2019
I listened to a lot of new music in 2019 so I thought that, for the first time in my life I would (drum roll please) – rank my top 30 albums of the year! Yes, 2019 proved to be a very strong year indeed for music, arguably the best of the decade. There were […]
5 Killer Rock Albums of 2019
As 2019 draws to a close, it’s time to recap the best rock records of the year. Contrary to what Gene Simmons says, rock is far from dead. Hip-hop, pop and other genres may dominate the airwaves and the streams and the press coverage, but there were an abundance of great rock records released this […]
Patti Smith: Icon
Patti Smith Royal Oak Music Theater Royal Oak, Michigan 16 September 2019 Funny thing about icons… sometimes they come right to your neighborhood. Punk pioneer and art-culture hero Patti Smith snuck up on me this autumn, so I went directly from day-care drop off to the box office to buy a ticket. I consider Patti […]
HUSK’s “Feeling Heat”
URGENT ALERT: OUT NOW! I’m pleased to share with you a new single you will most certainly enjoy. “Feeling Heat” is by Manchester UK’s HUSK and is now available via AnalogueTrash for your listening pleasure. HUSK have recently signed with Manchester’s AnalogueTrash to great indie fanfare and squeals of delight. “Feeling Heat” is a bit […]
5 Essential Female Jazz Vocal CDs
Collectors and aficionados often overlook jazz vocal recordings in their quests to enhance their collections. In my observation, while the great jazz singers are admired, their seminal recordings are not valued as highly as recordings by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk and other great instrumentalists. I’ve never understood the disproportionate fascination with instrumental over […]
After Napster: The Revolution that Wasn’t
It’s been about 20 years since Shawn & Sean – Fanning & Parker – casually unleashed Napster and pretty much defined the tech term “disruptor.” Shawn Fanning’s peer-to-peer file-sharing software platform was like a tsunami slamming into the sleepy tropical beach that was the music industry in 1999. But now what seemed like an unstoppable […]