Every Day is Earth Day (Redux)
Sean MurphyI'm so proud of my Pops. Last night, quite out of the blue (or, out of the black as the case may be), he said he had to ask…
Billy Bang: Goodbye and Rest in Peace
This hurts. Of course jazz enthusiasts are (always have been?) a small if discerning bunch, so it's unlikely the sudden passing of Billy Bang will register as much as it…
Pitom’s Unique, and Uniquely Awesome, Sound
I was unprepared for Pitom. As a result, my initial experience with the band’s debut album in 2008 was one of those exceedingly rare occasions when one’s astonishment is both…
The Song Remains The Same or, The Agony of Influence
Two thoughts from T.S. Eliot: April is the cruelest month... Whatever. Good poets borrow; great poets steal. Now we're talking. And here is where it gets interesting: debate rages (well,…
All Hail Me: The Golden Goddesses of Veruca Salt (Revisited)
Not sure if any band quite captures the waiting-to-exhale extended moment of semi-innocence that was the mid-'90s (you know, the post-grunge, post-Reagan/Bush, pre-9/11, pre Bush/Cheney era when casual Fridays were…
Five From Albert Ayler, For M.L.K.
On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death in Memphis, Tenn. Spirits Rejoice: The Truth Is Marching In (alternate version here): Nobody…
Joy Division and the Genius of Humanity
Transmission 4x. Original: From the excellent movie Control: Playmobil Stop Motion: Caribbean steel-band: What else is there to say? (Here is some of what I said last November): If you…
The Ugly and Unlistenable Death Spiral of Eddie Van Halen
jamiecSammy Hagar seldom disappoints. When I heard he was tapped to replace ass-clown extraordinaire David Lee Roth in 1985, I anticipated uninspiring results. I was correct (your mileage may vary).…
No, Really: Jeff Beck is God
Since it happened to be Keith Relf's birthday, it seemed appropriate to pay tribute to him on Tuesday. Plus, as I attempted to articulate in that piece, he warrants celebration as…
Five From The Yardbirds To Remember Keith Relf
Keith Relf. Who? Exactly. Quite possibly the best vocalist you've never heard of, you still have heard him if you are passingly familiar with rock music. Trust me. He was…