I already said this is your new favorite band , so everyone should be on the same page. This Columbus, Ohio, four-piece produces beautifully cacophonous pop songs reminiscent of Bowie , Costello , and Neutral Milk Hotel . Actually, they remind me of a totally pop-savvy Geraldine Fibbers , if anyone remembers that band of gypsies. I love that Ghost Shirt agreed to play some random downtown alley for a short acoustic video set. Totally punk rock. GHOST MF'IN SHIRT - STEAM ENGINE [...]
photo: Nat (The Cat) Robinson With all the hubbub of the Exile reissue , you may have missed the recent release of Otis Redding , Live At The Sunset Strip . I'm sure this will be shocking news, but Otis is a revelation, breathlessly leading his 10-piece orchestra through four April 1966 nights at the 400-capacity Whisky A Go Go . Stupid broken time machine. At least we have the CD. Otis Redding - Security [ CD ] [ [...]
Six reasons why The Faces are best band ever. 1. Faces, Stay With Me, 1972 "Stay With Me" is in the Kool-Aid Man Hall of Fame for a reason and a fail-safe asshole test. Play this song for anyone between the ages of 25-65 and at least two beers in their system. If they're appropriately socialized, they'll be cannonballing into the hot tub at "red lips, hair, and fingernails." If they remain unmoved, as if The Faces were mere soundtrack music to their [...]
Billboard on Sunset Blvd , 1972 A few days ago, the Rolling Stones released a remastered version of Exile On Main Street . I'm supposed to be excited about this, what with my membership in the Exile Might Be Greatest Album Ever fan club. Meh. Financially, it makes perfect sense. I'm actually surprised its taken this long for the band to leach Exile of its remaining nutrients. But, why is [...]
Lena Horne at Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles, 1956 This post originally appeared on Star Maker Machine , two weeks before the 2008 presidential election. Given the historical forces at play and SMM's theme that week ( Civics Lessons ), a dip into the Thelonious Monster catalog seemed appropriate. With yesterday's news that Lena Horne passed away at the age of 92, it seemed like a good time to revisit (and reshape) my initial offering. This is especially true given my subsequent move to Los Angeles, [...]
"In those years, there weren't more than a half-dozen women headlining their own shows in country music. Every time one of us stood up for our rights she made a point for us all. We had our own 'liberation movement' going, but I don't think any of us were aware of it. I know I wasn't. All I wanted was the right to work in my chosen field and be treated with as much respect as the men who did the same job." -- Tammy Wynette , from the marvelous Mary Bufwack/Robert Oermann tome, [...]
"You put your money on yours and I'll bet on mine, We'll let the score be kept by nature and time, And we'll see who comes out a winner at the finishing line." Time for some Sunday morning, post-Derby testimonial. You want a stairway to heaven? Step off that Zeppelin shit and come correct with Birmingham native Dorothy Love Coates and her Original Gospel Harmonettes. This is a woman so powerful she made Little Richard shut up and take notes in the early 1950s. I love her "Don't [...]
Beastie Boys - Johnny Ryall [ CD ] [ mp3 ] [ vinyl ] I think most sentient beings can agree that Paul's Boutique is one of the greatest albums of the last 20-30 years. Catch me on the right day and I might say it's the greatest album ever. Released in 1989, Paul's was the by-product of 7 men: The Beastie Boys , an LA DJ named Matt Dike (who later went on to co-found Delicious Vinyl ), two other LA DJs [...]
Charlie Parker (L) and Dizzy Gillespie, mid-1940s Another foray into ornithology and again featuring excerpts from Barney Hoskyns ' Waiting For The Sun: A Rock 'n' Roll History of Los Angeles . Overall, it's a solid reference book, but the first 50 or so pages are my favorite. Not enough is written about LA's postwar music scene, so respect to Hoskyns for addressing not just Charlie Parker, but also the Central Avenue R&B scene, the rise of west coast jazz, and the rise (and [...]
"...there'd be a whole lot a dead copycats." -- Charles Mingus Charlie Parker (alto sax) Coleman Hawkins (tenor sax) Hank Jones (piano) Ray Brown (bass) Buddy Rich (drums) Super-rare video of one of the 20th century's greatest musicians, Charlie Parker . Coleman Hawkins was a giant of jazz, a legit bridge between swing and bop, and Bird devours him whole like a hawklicious M&M. Coleman Hawkins! Jones, Brown, and Rich are a fantastic, swinging rhythm section and Parker brings out their absolute [...]
Alex Chilton, CBGB, 1977 / photo: Godlis © Alex Chilton fans are probably familiar with these stories, but I wanted to collect them in one place. They address what I call his "missing years," a 20-year span bookended by Big Star 's dissolution in the mid-'70s and their re-emergence as indie gods in the mid-'90s. Those two decades are critical in understanding Chilton's iconoclasm, a trip that takes us from Memphis to New York to New Orleans, and includes a wondrous [...]
Photo: Joel Brodsky/Corbis © Tom Waits - Heartattack And Vine [ CD ] [ MP3 ] Whenever I hear "Heartattack And Vine," the bruising title track of one of Tom Waits ' best albums, it reminds me of arriving in Los Angeles for the first time thirty years ago. The sheer force of the track never fails to pummel me in the chest. It's as if [...]
How beautiful is this song? Bassist John Dalton ( pictured right ) brings the lowdown fat bottom, while Dave Davies ( pictured left ) proves for the everythingth time why he was so critical to the genius and longevity of The Kinks . He was the Carl Perkins to Ray Davies ' Johnny Cash . Great harmonies and stinging, chugging guitar. Also great is this shorter, but equally excellent video from 1977 . "Take me back to the Black Hills, that I ain't ever seen [...]
L-R: Sam Kim (vocals, violin, keys), Branden Barnett (vocals, guitar), David Murphy (drums, vocals) , Ryan Haye (bass) I distinctly remember my first time hearing this band. It was late last year, the song was "History Of The Radio," and 30 seconds in I was on board the Ghost Shirt bandwagon. In fact, I immediately played the song again, just to make sure I heard what I thought I heard. I've had this experience with 3 (now 4) songs: Beatles, Happiness Is A Warm Gun Flaming Lips, Five Stop Mother [...]
photo by Ted Barron Alex Chilton 's passing has been surprising in its intensity. I think it's fair to say that it hit fans much harder than anticipated. One perverse upside ... and it really has been positive ... has been the impressive number of high-quality remembrances. He clearly affected so many people so profoundly that it's been oddly comforting to read so much well-articulated fondness and respect. If nothing else, it's been welcome to revisit some of rock's [...]
Too cool not to share. Get yer Sam on.
"Without my friends I got chaos, I'm off in a bead of light, Without my friends I'd be swept up high by the wind." --"Thank You Friends" It's been a rough several months for Memphis. In a span of 7 months, the city lost Jim Dickinson , Jay Reatard , and Alex Chilton . That would be a tough decade, let alone year. And yet, the city remains officially resolute. This video has to be one of the top 33 1/3 moments in congressional history. [...]
Big Star - Blue Moon [ CD ]
The Adios Lounge can't participate in this year's SXSW Music Festival because of top-secret government work. Yep, it's true. While Austin staggers under the weight of freebeerpalooza, I'll be keeping the Western Hemisphere safe in a bunker 20 miles below the surface of the earth. My disadvantageous location doesn't mean I can't have my finger on the pulse of excellence. Adios Lounge fans in ATX are wise to visit Sam's Town Point this Thursday, March 18. Your world will be adjusted (in the best possible way, of course) by The Archibalds , [...]
"My girlhood among the outlaws was salty, bittersweet, The things I did, I could just kick myself now." Maria McKee, 1993 If you're like me, you've often said to yourself, "Wouldn't it be nice if someone put together a 40-45 minute documentary on early Lone Justice? You know, before the band was engulfed by mediocrity and their souls cannibalized by music industry tiger sharks???" Of course you did. Well, you're in luck because I did just that. Granted, it's an audio documentary, but the upside is you can download it to your [...]
The Adios Lounge
The Weeknd - Kiss Land
She & Him- I Could've Been Your Girl
Washed Out - Paracosm (Official Album Trailer)
Julia Holter - World (Official Video)
Action Bronson - "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" (Official Video)
Top 10 MP3s of the Week (5/24)
Disclosure – When A Fire Starts to Burn
Daft Punk: When anonymity goes wrong
Earl Sweatshirt ft. Mac Miller – Guild
Boards Of Canada - Reach For The Dead
