If I could revise my list of favorite records from 2006 -- and who's to say I can't? My list of favorites from last year is hereby amended to include the first (and final) album by the Fags, Light 'Em Up. You may have read about how this Detroit power pop trio was strung along by a major label, their album held in limbo until the promise of fame and fortune fell through. The Fags were
It was already time to get out the lawnmower last week, but I couldn't get it to start. After checking the gas and the oil, the only other thing I knew how to do was to replace the spark plug. I took the old plug to the local lawn equipment repair shop. "What kind of engine did that come from?" the shop owner queried. "Tecumseh," I responded confidently, pretending I knew it well, though I had
Sad to say my favorite roller derby team, the Apocalypstix, lost last night to their arch-rivals the Sake Tuyas, and this time it wasn't even close. I don't remember the final score, but the Tuyas kept a 30 point lead throughout the second and third periods. The Stix have some great new skaters (especially Josephine Breakher, JuJu and Pretty Violent). But so do the Sake Tuyas, whose team now
Already it's midway through the month of March, and spring is upon us, bejabbers! I've posted nothing for almost a month, though I think about blogging every day. Just like I think about exercising, but I don't actually do it. I have been also been mentally gathering songs that express spiritual doubt or disbelief. It's easy enough to think of songs that are sacrilegious, especially punk or
Pity poor Gordon Sumner. Roundly reviled for his love of the lute, the artist forever known as Sting has finally deigned to give the people what they want: the songs he sang with the Police, in the style he sang them with the Police. Both Stereogum and Idolator made the same Spinal Tap "jazz odyssey" joke to describe the new arrangement of "Roxanne" that Sting unsuccessfully proposed to his
I recently heard about a new online music magazine worth reading called Blue Railroad. The site's editor, Paul Zollo, has posted a number of excellent interviews with songwriters that were originally published in print magazines and in Zollo's book, Songwriters on Songwriting. I particularly enjoyed the Leonard Cohen interview, which provides insights into his writing methods. New columns
Atlanta Rollergirls are back! The new season starts tomorrow (2/18). That's SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! Toxic Shocks vs. Denim Demons! Derby bouts are every third Sunday, except when they aren't. Everything you need to know can be found here. Lots of new faces on the derby teams. Several of my favorite Rollergirls have retired. Where are you tonight, Lola Lixxx? Soul Coughing: Houston
Bad news for music bloggers: Post-Punk Junk is no more. Bret got shut down by his hosting service. His blog was one of my inspirations. Bret promises to resurface with another site in the next few months. Berkeley Place also got shut down (by Blogger?), but Ethan has happily set up shop again on Wordpress. The Merry Muses of Caledonia, my favorite Scottish music blog, is on its last
The endless array of tribute albums continues unabated with Endless Highway, wherein the timeless music of the Band is subjected to the tepid stylings of Jack Johnson, Bruce Hornsby, Gomez, and Dreck Cab for the Clueless. I was pleased to see the very worthy Atlanta singer Lizz Wright paired on "Whispering Pines" with Jakob Dylan (whose participation was, I suppose, inevitable). But I'll betcha
Roky Erickson performed a successful series of live shows this past year, with more to come in 2007. Not only will Roky and his band the Explosives play at Coachella this year, they will also be at the Noise Pop festival on March 7 in SF, and at the Ponderosa Stomp on May 2 in New Orleans. Here's a great Austin Chronicle article about Roky's present life, and his relationship with his brother
I try to limit my blogroll to sites that I actually visit. I guess I visit a lot of blogs. I couldn't resist adding two more mp3 blogs that I found this past week, because I love the bloggers' taste in music, as well as the themes they choose for their posts, and the photos they add. Please welcome Jon from Brighton (on England's southern shore), and his blog Southcoasting. We share a first
The Driftwood Singers' blog made a thought-provoking statement the other day: what if, ten years or so from now, a subculture of record collectors arises to celebrate the lesser-known bands of the 1990's that have largely been forgotten today? I have a feeling that I will be one of those nattering nabobs of Ninety-ism, going on and on about bands like Hypnolovewheel, Christmas, and the 3D's,
Cryptograms, the new Deerhunter album, is now available on eMusic (though it isn't officially released for another week). Fans of local bands may also be interested in the new album Funny Story by the Atlanta band Cassavetes, and the 2004 and 2006 releases by the Athens band Casper and the Cookies. Recently, eMusic also added several releases by Love Tractor. Eno fans will enjoy the cover of
There's food for thought from Bitter Andrew about the man whose life and accomplishments we celebrate today. Some things have changed for the better in these past forty years, but so much hatred, fear and mistrust still separate us as a people. UB40: King
Clinton Heylin's new book, Babylon's Burning: From Punk to Grunge was supposed to be released this week (according to Amazon), but the publisher's website says March 2007. Heylin is the author of From the Velvets to the Voidoids and books about bootlegs, Dylan, Van Morrison, PiL, Orson Welles, and Sandy Denny. In June 2007, Grove Atlantic is also publishing another Heylin title, The Act You've
The Figgs' other prolific songwriter (Mike's cohort in the "Slimmer Twins") is the multi-talented Pete Donnelly. Pete is a tremendous bass player who is also talented with keyboards and other instruments. He is a big fan of the Kinks (the Figgs have covered "Father Christmas", "Johnny Thunder" and "Village Green"). Pete D. has also played bass in the Candy Butchers and has done some
One of the reasons I love the Figgs is for their live shows, but I haven't been able to see them onstage for several years since they don't visit the South very often. On record, you can't appreciate the tight interplay that the band displays onstage. They have been playing together for almost 20 years! What the records demonstrate better than the live show is the songwriting. The Figgs have
So what'dya get for Christmas? I got some nice gifts, but I didn't get any music. My family members refuse to buy me any CD's. They suffer from the strange delusion that I have enough music already. So I've been listening to Nina Nastasia a lot this past week, and an Australian band called the Drones. These artists had new albums in 2006, both of which I overlooked. Who are the Drones?
Dashing to the store, in search of triple A's I hope they're open Christmas Eve, or my kids cannot play Buying everything to make their Christmas right I overspent, forgot the rent; next month will be tight Oh, triple A's, double A's, nine volts, C's and D's, Everything I bought this year requires batteries Oh, MP3, DVD, HDTV too I couldn't find a PS3, so I got a PS2 No Nintendo Wii, no PSP,
Set your teeevo for Saturday night (12/23) at 10:50pm, when IFC will be showing Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, a classic rock/sexploitation film directed by Russ Meyers and written by Roger Ebert. "It's my happening, and it freaks me out!" Next Friday (12/29) Turner Classic Movies will broadcast some great rock and cult films. The fun starts at 8pm with Bill Haley in Rock around the Clock,
UNDERNEATHICA
Azealia Banks - '1991' [Listen]
THE MASTERSONS — BIRDS FLY SOUTH
