Don Cornelius, Cont’d…
Sean MurphyI only have one more thing to add to yesterday's tribute. WATCH THE VIDEOS CONTAINED IN THIS LINK. Let's run it down: A young, beautiful Michael Jackson? Check. A younger,…
Don Cornelius: Rest in Peace, Love and Soul
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, songs…
2/1/12
2/1/12. 2112. Get it? Since none of us will be around a century from now to celebrate the official day all planets of the solar federation may rest easily with the…
Alligator Lizards in the Air: In Search of the Sublimely Awful Lyric (9/09)
I can think of a lot of rock bands who have written some laughably awful lyrics. So can you. Part of rock and roll's infectious (and mostly innocuous) appeal is…
Prog Rock is Never Dead; It’s Just Resting Until the Next Round of Reissues, or, Two from Gentle Giant
Reissues From An Era When Giants Roamed the Earth For all the critical savaging Yes, ELP and Rush took in the early-to-mid ‘70s, they at least had the devotion of…
Kicking off the New Year with Rashanim
2011 is so last year. What, you might ask, can we look forward to in 2012? Three of my favorite things, all at once: Rashanim, Tzadik and Fela Kuti. Here…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part Four)
1. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake “You cannot get the news from poems”, William Carlos wrote. “But men die every day for lack of what is found there.” Percy Bysshe…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part Three)
2. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues Fleet Foxes were a welcome and justly celebrated mainstream breakout act in 2008, delivering that rare feat: a debut album that was totally assured and…
Sam Rivers, R.I.P.
Another irreplaceable giant has left the planet. Sam Rivers, always graceful, elegant and cool as a mofo, certainly carved out his own niche in the jazz idiom. While his work…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part Two)
5. New Zion Trio, Fight Against Babylon. The full review is here. Zelig-like, Jamie Saft has been an indefatigable fixture in the downtown NYC music scene. Equal parts MVP…