Weekly FeaturesDec 3-9Issue 2.29by Jim Welte • It's 1965, and Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone wants to screen his new film, A Fistful of Dollars, in the United States. But instead of introducing the spaghetti Western in Hollywood or New York, United Artists makes the rather batty decision to screen it at the Longshoreman's Hall along Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The venue has been hosting a series of Acid Tests held by Ken Kesey, and Leone and the studio agree that these intrepid trippers are exactly…read more by j. poet • Amelia is a band, not a person, and their sound has critics scratching their heads trying to come up with pithy defining phrases. Jazzy torch songs for alt-country lounge lizards, country and southwestern, twang-drenched cowboy R&B, and Americana cabaret are among the definitions that have been included in various articles raving about the band’s ability to move in many directions at the same time.…read more by uncredited writer • Originally published in Beat Instrumental, December 1969 "Independence" and "freedom" are words much used today to justify any act from dossing down in Piccadilly to running naked through Trafalgar Square, but Soft Machine uses these words with such liberal enthusiasm that they don't give the impression of just quoting well-worn clichés. With two LPs under their belts—the first of which was released in America only—the Soft Machine trio strongly believe that the individual…read more Recently in Feature Stories Recently in Classic Vantage
by Denise Sullivan • It seems radio's transcendent properties are at their greatest when experienced by a person alone, late night, in the car or underneath the sheets with a transistor ...read moreby Max Mobley • The latest front in the war pitting commercial studios against musician’s bedrooms is—the telephone. This time it’s not the ringing, it’s the apps. ...read moreby C!-Team • From the local and loyal to epic stage shows and ear-piercing volumes, this installment of our concert happenings is perfectly well-rounded. ...read moreby Jeffrey Theissen • With 100th Window we are faced with a musical surrender that blurs the line between paranoia and rapture. This truly is the quintessential post-9/11 album....read more
I like my fair share of power pop, at least from the ’90s back: Cheap Trick, Big Star, Badfinger, Teenage Fanclub, and lately, heavy doses of Superdrag. There, I said it. So, it came as no surprise when I gave Knoxville, Tennessee’s the Rockwells—a band heavily influenced by the above power-pop roll call—a spin, I was easily drawn to their songs. For a genre whose name was coined by Pete Townshend and was a music biz term to neuter “punk rock” into...read more by Angela Zimmerman"each song plays out like a resigned take on life’s sentimental journey, a melancholic and genuine exploration"...read more by Jessica Gentile"the songs are short, have catchy choruses, and are often poignant, just as singles should be"...read more by j. poet"the landscape that the band paints is bleak, gray, and inhospitable, with muted tones of loss and solitude"...read more by Michael Harkin"peculiar sonic details pop out with a new clarity, re-affirming the brilliance of the record’s spooky, subterranean production"...read more by Jessica Gentile"this band’s ambition is outweighed by their over-bloated sense of self-importance"...read more The Who
October 9, 1976
Oakland Coliseum Stadium
Day on the Green #8 and #9
Photography/commentary by Michael Zagaris “... They played two outdoor gigs at the Oakland Coliseum where the Grateful Dead were opening up for them. Both of the shows were absolutely incredible. To fill the Coliseum, you're talking 50 or 60 thousand people a day, on two successive days; that's pretty amazing. On this day, they were incredibly dynamic. I really love this picture, because it's almost like you're in the band and you see both the stage and looking out into the audience. You see Daltrey's swinging the microphone, Entwistle's doing his thing, and Townshend is doing his trademark scissor kick. I still get goosebumps and a rush of energy when I flash back to that autumn afternoon.” View the Rock Art Rock Gallery See more photography by Michael Zagaris |
Daily UpdatesDec 4Celluloid Heroes Thursday  While the Big Lebowski features one great song after another, from Beefheart to that amazing Jesus scene soundtracked with the Gypsy Kings, it's Kenny Rogers' oddly trippy, very not country song, "Just Dropped In (to See What Condition My Condition Was In)" that takes the White Russian as it plays out during one very strange hallucinatory black out sequence in the movie. Keep playing the clip until the end, when the cop throws his mug at Lebowski's head, for the dude's response. Love that guy...
Pitchfork is to partner up with Fader magazine in an effort to enchance both brands. (Daily Swarm) In fun/confusing news: Sonic Youth is to work with Led Zeppelin bassist on a dance piece for Merce Cunningham Dance Studio. (Pitchfork) Dr Pepper's people respond to the lawsuit slapped on them by Guns N' Roses lawyers. (Rolling Stone) Folk singer and civil rights activist Odetta passed away on Dec. 2nd at the age of 77. (Pitchfork) But wait: There's a sewing machine signed by members of Metallica. Wha? (Idolator) Phosphorescent to release a Willie Nelson covers album. (Paste) Ronnie Wood confirms: The Faces will be reuniting for a tour next year. And Flea may take bass duties. (Reuters) Surprise, surprise (not really). Music sales were down for this past Black Friday. (Billboard) YouTube is launching their very own symphony orchestra, to perform at Carnegie Hall. (Washington Post) Bonnaroo 2009 dates have been announced and those interested in tickets can set up payment plans! (CMJ) Isaac Brock joins Broken Social Scene on stage in Toronto. (Pitchfork) Welcome to the world's "used" mp3 marketplace. (Idolator) If you don't think video games have a fair chance of saving the music industry, think again. (Idolator) In exciting/odd news, Frank Black is to produce the next Art Brut album. (Pitchfork) Noise Pop Festival '09 announces dates and early performers on board. (Filter) “Last night I went to Hell
The tenement, it smelled
Of the stench of death
The shooting gallery's breath” - Saint Vitus, “Shooting Gallery” December 4, 1976 Bob Marley escaped an assassination attempt at his home in Kingston, Jamaica, and subsequently relocated to Miami for a year and a half. December 4th: 1942: Chris Hillman (Byrds)
1942: Bob Mosley (Moby Grape)
1944: Dennis Wilson (Beach Boys)
1947: Terry Woods (Pogues)
1951: Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
1969: Shawn Corey Carter AKA Jay-Z
1972: Justin Welch (Elastica)
1975: Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October) Jeffrey Lewis gives a rhythmic, rapidfire rundown of the history of punk rock, complete with spot-on imitations of every musician he discusses.
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