Happy Birthday, Henry Threadgill
Sean Murphy69 years ago Henry Threadgill was born. Words like "original" and "uncompromising" are used too easily, even when talking about jazz music. Still, if ever there has been an iconoclast…
Halo of Ashes (Revisited)
It’s Ash Wednesday, which affords me the opportunity to talk about the Screaming Trees. (What, did you think I was going to talk about the hopelessly outdated tradition of Catholics…
Why Is Prog Rock So Inadequate, Simplistic, Reductive, Portentous and…Perfect?*
It’s always crucial, when talking trends—musical or otherwise—to contextualize the times and remember that wardrobe malfunctions, chemical excess and unspeakable atrocities like porn-star mustaches never exist within a vacuum. To…
Bob Marley: 68 Years and Going Strong
Bob Marley was born February 6, 1945, which means he would be turning 68 today. A few years back I chose what I consider five reggae albums that are lesser known,…
What’s It All About, Then? Part Two: Jazz, Featuring Wayne Shorter (Revisited)
Wayne Shorter is about to turn 80. He continues to record, play and inspire. Of the many musicians I admire and seek in some way to emulate (as artists, as…
Don Cornelius: Rest in Peace, Love and Soul (Revisited)
2/2/12. This hurts. A genuine American icon has left the planet. (NYT obit here.) People born during or after the '80s might know Don Cornelius mostly from name-checks in interviews,…
Spanish Donkey: Almost As Good As Being There
It pays to have friends in high places. Or at least on Facebook. Jamie Saft, whose beard is cooler than anyone you know (more about him HERE), understands that all…
In Praise of Porn…Music: A Primer on Obscure Italian (and German) Soundtrack Bliss (Revisited)
This story begins, as so many of them do, with porn. Sort of. Back in 2004, my boy Serf came back from a trip to Thailand with a treasure trove…
Living Colour & Friends: The Power of Music (and Memory…)
I don't need to say a single thing, so I won't. Enjoy!
Peter Gabriel & Me: The Power of Music
The face this guy makes when he listens to "Here Comes the Flood" by Peter Gabriel. Maybe not every time, and certainly not every time he is driving. But it's…