Saturday Video Roundup: a red guitar, three chords and the truth
Well, okay – four chords. Enjoy.
Read moreCategory Archives: Music/Popular Culture
TunesDay: what’s in your collection?
There are all kinds of fun arguments to be had over which band is best or whether one’s taste is critically defensible (*cough*Brian used to listen to Madonna and Gloria Estefan*cough*) and, of course, my favorite – can we separate what we like from our critical faculties (that is, is your “favorite” list different from your “best” list)? But there’s
Read moreStill not ready to make nice: what does the Dixie Chicks saga tell us about freedom in America?
We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas. – Natalie Maines I don’t even know the Dixie Chicks, but I find it an insult for all the men and women who fought and died in past wars when almost the majority of America jumped down their throats
Read moreTunesDay: Name those bands – and the winner is….
The results of last week’s Name Those Bands contest are in. In first place we have … a disqualification, sorta. Our friend Ubertramp logged in with an impressive 47 of 53. Seriously, that’s pretty damned good. But he has disqualified himself because I’m the one who turned him onto most of these outstanding artists and he felt like he might
Read moreSaturday Video Roundup: stand by me
This is unbelievable. The performances are incredible, the production is staggering, the vision… Just watch and listen.
Read moreDuh of the Day
People say the funniest things. In the latest Lefsetz Letter, Bob Lefsetz, incredulous at how little play the new Antony & the Johnsons disc has gotten in the US, wonders: Are Europeans just that more sophisticated, or does radio suck just that badly in the U.S? I can’t speculate on the first part of the question, although I have some
Read moreTunesDay: that new old sound
If you pay attention to my music entries, you may have noticed a recurrent theme. It seems a lot of the bands I hear these days, many of which I really like, remind me of bands from the past. Like The Mary Onettes: I recently tripped across one such example, Sweden’s The Mary Onettes. They can’t seem to make up
Read moreArtSunday: Microsoft and the end of culture
Verily, we have arrived at the end of all culture. Perhaps predictably, the culprit is technology. Or, to be a bit more specific, the culprit is Microsoft, which has now infused the art of songwriting with the same kind of magic and warmth you’ve come to expect from Excel. Microsoft is pitching software designed for you, no musical training required.
Read moreTunesDay: The best CDs of 2008, pt. 3 – the CD of the Year
To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts…. – Sapphire On June 9, 1992, Fontana Records released an album called Ferment from a new band called Catherine Wheel. The disc managed to be as noisy and distortion-riddled as Jesus & Mary Chain without sacrificing an ounce in the way of melodicism.
Read moreTuneSunday Video Roundup: The Killers and M83 live in Denver
We went to see The Killers at DU last night. A few stray thoughts, in no particular order of importance. 1: There are air raid shelters with better acoustics than Magness Arena. I’m guessing it makes for a suitably noisy hockey barn, but let’s just say that it’s sub-optimal for a concert. Still, the crew managed to make the band
Read moreTunesDay: The best CDs of 2008, pt. 2 – the Platinum LPs
Our Best CDs of 2008 continues today with a review of the super-premium Platinum Award winners for Excellence in rocking and rolling. As with last week’s Gold Awards, these are in alphabetical order. Band Web sites link to the band name, and if the CD is available via eMusic, that links to the CD title. (Mike Smith of Fiction 8,
Read moreTunesDay: The best CDs of 2008, pt. 1 – the Gold LPs
Most years are pretty good for music if you know where to look, and 2008 was no exception. It’s a shame that you have to search so hard, of course – once upon a time all you needed to keep track of what was good in the world of music was a radio. These days it requires a little effort,
Read moreThe Best CDs of 2008, pt. 3 – the CD of the Year
To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts…. – Sapphire On June 9, 1992, Fontana Records released an album called Ferment from a new band called Catherine Wheel. The disc managed to be as noisy and distortion-riddled as Jesus & Mary Chain without sacrificing an ounce in the way of melodicism.
Read moreThe best CDs of 2008, pt. 2 – the Platinum LPs
Our Best CDs of 2008 continues today with a review of the super-premium Platinum Award winners for Excellence in rocking and rolling. As with last week’s Gold Awards, these are in alphabetical order. Band Web sites link to the band name, and if the CD is available via eMusic, that links to the CD title. (Mike Smith of Fiction 8,
Read moreThe best CDs of 2008, pt. 1 – the Gold LPs
Most years are pretty good for music if you know where to look, and 2008 was no exception. It’s a shame that you have to search so hard, of course – once upon a time all you needed to keep track of what was good in the world of music was a radio. These days it requires a little effort,
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lullaby pit 