Monday, December 31, 2012
New Year's Eve Brings You Furthur
Live from Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Exclusively from Sirius XM’s Grateful Dead Channel!
Airs: Monday, December 31, 10:30 pm Eastern Time
Adam Ant is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter
The album is set to be released January 22, 2013. Pre-order HERE
official youtube channel
Jimi's Band of Gypsys 1969
The Soundtrack to B.B. Kings' Life
Luckily, the soundtrack to the film is available as an import. MORE HERE
Available HERE & HERE
official website
Mighty Mighty Bosstones' 15th Hometown Throwdown
For all their noise and bluster, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones can get mighty mighty sentimental. Opening night of the band’s 15th Hometown Throwdown on Saturday December 29, 2012 at Boston's House of Blues was as much a love letter to Boston and its music scene as it was ska-core blowout.
The once hard-touring Bosstones now just perform a handful of gigs annually, with the seasonal Throwdowns being the highlight. This year the band staked out three shows at the House of Blues, with the finale scheduled for tonight Monday December 31, 2012. MORE HERE
The Messenger Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is, without question, one of the nicest guys in rock and roll. He’s also, without question, one of the most talented guitar players of all time. As a founding member of the Smiths, Marr helped change the face of English rock music forever and created a signature guitar style that would influence an entire generation of rock bands. After the Smiths called it a day in 1987, Marr went on to play in lots of other excellent bands, including the The, Electronic, the Cribs, and Modest Mouse. Other than one foray into solo-album territory (2003′s Boomslang, released under the moniker of Johnny Marr and the Healers), Marr has mostly been content to write and record in other bands as opposed to putting together a new band of his own. However, next February (2013), Marr will release The Messenger, his first solo album in nearly a decade. MORE HERE
Pre-order HERE
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Kate Bush: Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Kate Bush has received the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to music. MORE HERE
R.I.P.: Lloyd Charmers
Well-known Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician and record producer, Lloyd Charmers, died in London on Wednesday December 26, 2012 following a heart attack.
Charmers, who was a member of the original singing group, The Uniques and was also well known for producing a string of hits for a number of Jamaican singers. MORE HERE
New Year's Eve With Southside Johnny
Each ticket buyer will receive a copy of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes' latest CD, Leroy's Basement Vol. 1.
Plus...the show will be broadcast live via Sirius radio on the E Street Radio Channel 20.
Queens of the Stone Age Secrets of the Sound
With Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor, Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears and original bassist Nick Oliveri all on board for the new Queens of the Stone Age album, naturally the band would want to document the making of the record. In this mini-mockumentary, leader Josh Homme chats with British comedian Matt Barry, who cluelessly fumbles over the band's history.
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Bobby Rush Down In Louisiana
Bobby Rush has been cranking out albums cut from the same cloth for so long that it's fair to ask what's the difference with 2013's Down in Louisiana. As it turns out, the answer is plenty. Departing from his signature slicked-back soul-blues, Rush strips his band down to the basics -- guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, accentuated with a little accordion on occasion -- abandoning the horns and getting down and dirty.
Down in Louisiana will be released February 19, 2013. MORE HERE
Pre-order HERE
R.I.P.: Jayne Cortez
Poet Jayne Cortez has passed away. She died this past Friday, December 28, 2012 at age 76.
She was the author of ten books of poems and nine audio recordings. Her signature style was to recite her poetry with music, usually a live jazz band, a style that could be compared to spoken word. In later years her touring band was called the Firespitters.
Cortez was once married to jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman and they had one son, jazz drummer Denardo Coleman, with whom she collaborated artistically.
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
Music Video Style 2012
Was 2012 the year that the music video format got its groove back?
As artists released videos that were previewed with movie theater-style trailers (as well as releasing clips that were as long as mini documentary films), there seemed to be a thread of stylish creative imagery that hasn't been seen since MTV's heyday in the 1980s.
NPR presents eight music videos that personified style in 2012 HERE
Above is npr's pick for MOST STYLISH ART NERD : "Cheerleader" by St. Vincent; Directed by Hiro Murai
Back In: Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are to end their hiatus with a spring 2013 tour of the UK and US.
The band announced the first leg of their 'Lay Down With Number 13' world tour on their official website Thursday December 26, 2012. Additional dates will be announced soon.
The band's line-up for the tour will comprise Chris Robinson (above left), Rich Robinson (above right), Steve Gorman, Sven Pipien, Adam Macdougall and new recruit Jackie Greene, who joins on guitars and vocals.
The band has also announced the March 19, 2012 vinyl release of the live Wiser For The Time. Its mammoth eight sides on four vinyl albums will contain 26 songs - 15 acoustic and 11 electric - from the band’s five-night, sold-out NYC performances in the fall of 2010. These never-released-before versions will also be available as a double album digital download.
As a Christmas gift to their fans, the band is offering a free mobile web app via their website. It includes a free download of the acoustic version of 'Under A Mountain' performed live in NYC in 2010. This offering is exclusive and not included on Wiser For The Time. Download it HERE
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Country Ram Jam Live
On Saturday December 29, 2012 Ram Country on Yahoo! Music will broadcast 2012 Ram Jam, an exclusive concert at Marathon Music Works in Nashville featuring live performances from some of country music's hottest talent, including Zac Brown Band, Kellie Pickler, Easton Corbin, Brantley Gilbert and Billy Currington. The concert event starts at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time. GO HERE
The auction will kick off January 22, 2012 with Kellie Pickler's truck and the proceeds will go to Kellie's charity of choice, the USO. MORE HERE
Platinum George Jones
December 29, 1983, George Jones receives the first platinum album of his career, for "I Am What I Am"
A Sirius New Year's Eve With Gregg Allman
This show will be broadcast live on New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2012) on Classic Vinyl channel 26 on Sirius XM radio.
The Heart of Led Zeppelin
In a performance that had Robert Plant on the verge of tears, Ann Wilson of Heart sang ‘Stairway to Heaven’ as the finale of a star-studded musical tribute to Led Zeppelin during the Kennedy Center Honors, which were broadcast December 26, 2012 on CBS.
Ann & Nancy Wilson were joined on stage by late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s son Jason on drums, as well as a gigantic house band featuring string and horn sections and what appeared to be two different vocal choirs.
From the moment they began, all eyes and ears were focused on Ann Wilson, and she knocked this one out of the park, leaving John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and a clearly misty Plant with big smiles on their faces as they watched from the balcony.
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Friday, December 28, 2012
Foos Get The Led Out
The awards, which took place on December 2, 2012 were aired this week (Dec 26, 2012).
CBS’s broadcast of the Kennedy Center Honors, a 35-year holiday tradition for the network, attracted more than eight million viewers.
The Foo Fighters performance (above) sees frontman Dave Grohl playing drums and drummer Taylor Hawkins on lead vocals. All three members of Led Zeppelin are shown watching the performance with President Barack Obama also in attendance. MORE HERE
Salute to Buddy Guy is HERE
More Video HERE
R.I.P.: Ray Collins
Ray Collins, a singer whose dispute with one guitarist led him to hire another, Frank Zappa, with whom he would go on to form the avant-garde rock group the Mothers of Invention, died on Monday December 24, 2012 in Pomona, California. He was in his middle 70s. MORE HERE
Beats In The Brains
Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart has teamed up with Dr. Adam Gazzaley to study the neuroscience of rhythm and to better understand how it can be used for therapeutic purposes.
Hart and Gazzaley, who is the director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center at the University of California San Francisco, are trying to figure out if certain rhythms can help wounded brains enter states of consciousness that they can no longer sustain on their own. Studies have pointed to the possibility that music therapy can improve body movement abilities following a stroke, while helping with pain and anxiety. MORE HERE
Hart and Gazzaley presented some of their findings to a crowd at the AARP Convention in New Orleans back in September (2012). Video HERE
official website
R.I.P.: Fontella Bass
Fontella Bass, the singer whose 1965 hit “Rescue Me” was an indelible example of the decade’s finest pop-soul, died on Wednesday December 26, 2012 in St. Louis. She was 72. MORE HERE
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The Science of Imogen Heap
In the final episode of the BBC2 science series 'Dara O Briain's Science Club', Dara and his crack team take a weird and wonderful look at the science behind music.
Imogen Heap plays her ‘Musical gloves’ having their first National Television début on the show which airs December30, 2012. MORE HERE & HERE
official website
Waiting For Poe
"And some say that it loops forever this road that I lose you on every time... "
- Poe
- Poe
There is something afoot in regard to musician/performance artist Poe...
The youtube video above and the facebook pic left are the newest clues to her long awaited return.
The Staple Singers Do It Again In 1975
December 27, 1975 : The Staple Singers' "Let's Do It Again" hits #1
Dead Moog
Moog Music announced the official release of the Grateful Dead Expansion Pack, which innovatively turns the Grateful Dead’s live performance at the Carousel Ballroom on Feb. 14, 1968 into a source of harmonic content exclusively for Animoog, Moog’s TEC-Award Nominated synthesizer for the iPad.The pack features 82 Presets and 45 Timbres that were carefully extracted from the live recording, and then optimized for the Animoog’s Anisotropic Synthesis Engine. MORE HERE
Ted Nugent Reindeer Games
Santa Claus’ sleigh may want to avoid Ted Nugent’s neck of the woods next Christmas.
The rocker turned hunting advocate received some holiday jeers from animals rights activists after extolling the virtues of eating reindeer via Twitter. MORE HERE
R.I.P.: Harold Jackson
Harold Jackson October 1, 1910 - December 6, 2012 (102 years!)
Although some controversy exists, Harold Jackson was the last surviving member of the Ink Spots.
Jackson, featured in the "If I Didn't Care" video as the narrator has been referred to as "The Original Rapper"
Harold Jackson's 'bass talking' on "The Ink Spots - A Man" track is another great example of his talent.
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
101 Essential Rock Records
101 Essential Rock Records: The Golden Age of Vinyl, from The Beatles to The Sex Pistols, from esteemed arts and culture publisher Gingko Press, is a 260 page hardcover offers 300 illustrations in an oversized, coffee table format.
This celebration of the vinyl record was curated and edited by music industry veteran Jeff Gold.
Gold’s book examines 101 rock albums, well known and obscure, that changed music forever; from the Beatles 1963 U.K. debut Please Please Me through the Sex Pistols 1977 classic Never Mind The Bollocks. The book focus is on vinyl’s “Golden Age,” a period beginning with the explosion of album sales brought on by Beatlemania, and ending in the late ‘70s, with the advent of Sony’s Walkman — and the cassette overtaking the LP as the dominant music format.
A two-page spread on each album features large images of each record’s front and back cover and record label. Each album depicted is the earliest issue from the artist’s country of origin — akin to a first edition book.
Available HERE
Record Collector News Interview with Jeff Gold is HERE
Green Day's X-Kid Marks The Spot
Green Day have unveiled the video for their new track, 'X-Kid'.
The budget video simply features an image of a cassette tape playing the song. The song is taken from '¡Tré!', the last album in the band's '¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré!' trilogy.
source
official website
Miley's Xmas Sex Doll
Willie & Lee Ann Cross The Mendocino County Line
December 26, 2001, Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack shoot the video to "Mendocino County Line" in Austin,
Texas
Amoeba Music Vinyl Vaults
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Amoeba Music Vinyl Vaults is a boutique featuring a curated collection of digitized vinyl and 78s, available for download. Vinyl is the ultimate expression of an artist's work, and Amoeba is doing their best to preserve our musical history! Enjoy the depth and warmth of vinyl masters, and for the full sonic impact upgrade to M4A (Lossless) or WAV Files. MORE HERE
official website
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Alligator Released 1955
December 26, 1955 - Bill Haley and the Comets' "See You Later Alligator" was released by Decca Records.
Have Yourself A Marina Little Christmas
Marina Diamandis performing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas for MTV US as part of their '12 Holidaze' Christmas series of videos.
official website
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Superionic Fruitcake
Available HERE and at iTunes
official website
R.I.P.: Mike Scaccia
Mike Scaccia, guitarist for long-running metal act Ministry, died at the age of 47 on Saturday night December 22, 2012.
The guitarist collapsed onstage in the middle of a solo at Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas. He was pronounced dead a short time later. The cause of death is presumed to be from a strobe light-induced seizure. MORE HERE & HERE
Melanie Scores With A Brand New Key In '71
Black Sabbath's Tourability
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi has said that the band will be touring "as much as we're able" next year (2013).
Writing in a post on his website, Iommi.com, the guitar player thanked fans for their support throughout the year and also made reference to his battle with cancer.
The band has recently revealed that they are six tracks into recording their new album, which is due for release in April 2013. Iommi has said that the final album will consist of 15 tracks. MORE HERE
R.I.P.: Marva Whitney
Marva Whitney, a fiery voiced funk singer who toured and collaborated with James Brown -- along the way earning the nickname "Soul Sister #1" -- died on Saturday December 22, 2012 at age 68. MORE HERE
Obscure Christmas Songs
On December 25, 1954 Up and coming R&B star Johnny Ace is killed when he shot himself backstage at a concert in Houston, Texas while playing Russian Roulette. The Squirrel Nut Zippers immortalized the event with an obscure Christmas song (above).
Buzzfeed delivers 15 (More) Obscure Christmas Songs That You Need To Hear... HERE
Bing's White Christmas Dream Comes True In '54
Monday, December 24, 2012
Jethro Tulls' Thicker Brick
Jethro Tull's classic 1972 progressive rock album "Thick As a Brick" is celebrating its' 40th anniversary.
This special edition set features the original album on CD and in a remixed version on DVD with 5.1 surround sound along with a recreation of The St. Cleve Chronicle newspaper in which the album was first packaged 40 years ago.
According to group leader Ian Anderson in the packages' liner notes, "Thick As a Brick" was written and recorded as a response to the assumption that the band's previous album "Aqualung" was a concept record. Thus, Anderson crafted an epic-length work consisting of one 45-minutes song divided into two parts. Furthermore, he concocted a fictitious story in that the work was based on a poem written by a young boy named Gerald "Little Milton" Bostock.
"Thick as a Brick" remains one of Tull's best works, and earlier this year, Anderson released a sequel ("Thick As a Brick 2") under his own name. MORE HERE
official website
Justin Timberlake Made Myspace For Musicians
In 2007, MySpace ruled social networking. The multibillion-dollar online empire had four times as many members as its chief rival, Facebook.
Yet by 2009, the site had nearly collapsed. MySpace crumbled under the weight of intrusive ads, dubious management, and an ascendant Facebook. Close to a million users abandoned the website each month for two years. Myspace was finished.
News Corp, which bought the site for $580 million, dumped it last year for $35 million.
The site's new owners have rebuilt Myspace from scratch. Pop star Justin Timberlake and ad firm Specific Media scooped it up with plans to revitalize the social network while acknowledging that there's no use in fighting Facebook.
The new Myspace focuses the last constituency to stick with the social network: musicians. MORE HERE
The Eagles Dared To Fly Atop Hotel California '76
December 24, 1976, 'Hotel California', The Eagles' sixth album, spent the first of eight non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard chart. The band's first LP with Joe Walsh and last with bassist Randy Meisner which has now sold over 16 million copies.
Ring In The New Year With Willie Live In Austin
Willie Nelson goes home to ring in the New Year at Austin City Limits Live with special guests Iron & Wine on New Years Eve. MORE HERE
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum Rebirth
Construction has begun on the Birthplace of Country Music museum, some eight years and three months after the concept was initially unveiled.
A crew has started the first phase of what is expected to be about 17 months of work converting the former Goodpasture Motors building in downtown Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee into a state-of-the-art museum.
Exhibits will recognize the Twin City’s musical heritage, the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings known as the “big bang” of commercial country music, and the impact those events had on many forms of popular music. MORE HERE
BCMA official website
Tammy Wynette's Epic Release 1968
December 23, 1968, Epic records releases Tammy Wynette's album "Stand By Your Man"
Hark! The Herald Mediaevel Babes
The Baebes are all about a celebration of vocal harmonies, language and Mediaeval history. Their music is rather spell-binding, even more so when you discover that most of the subject-matter within their canon is about love, death, murder, being drunk and more death.
In November (2012), the group released a new album entitled 'The Huntress', harking a return to the basics of voice and traditional accompaniment - hurdy-gurdy, recorders, you name it - as well as plans to showcase the album in some of the UK's most impressive buildings.
Hence, The Mediaevel Babes Christmas Cathedral Tour started in Rochester Cathedral on November 16, 2012 followed by December shows in cathedrals in Norwich, Gloucester, Ely, Peterborough and finally Holborn in London on December 21, 2012.
The new album is Available HERE
More Hi-Fi Audio For Your Pocket
It’s hard to make headlines with a portable music player these days. It’s old hat by now to carry around thousands of songs in your hip pocket, whether on an iPod or a smartphone.
But there’s been a price for portability. You are listening to your favorite music delivered only after a host of technology has diminished the resolution of the audio, by necessity, so that it can exist in a small digital file and make its way to your ears. It sounds fine, but the makers of a new portable music player are betting there are still some people out there who want even better quality.
Astell & Kern’s new portable music player, the AK100, delivers. MORE HERE & HERE
Question: Will Neil Young's Pono offer similar or better quality sound? And will the price better this component?
Ernie K-Doe: R&B Emperor of New Orleans
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Even in a city known for its eccentrics, Ernie K-Doe was in another dimension. The New Orleans musician always knew — and said, loudly — that he was special.
The man born Ernest Kador sometimes claimed he wrote "Mother-in-Law" — but he claimed a lot of things. In fact, Allen Toussaint composed and produced the song, and, after a few unsatisfactory takes, literally threw it away. It was rescued from oblivion by one of the backup singers at the session.
The song was dismissed as a danceable novelty. But Ben Sandmel, author of the new biography Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans, says it was deeper than that: angry, and smoldering.
NPRs Ernie K-Doe: A One-Hit Weirdo's Rise, Fall And Redemption is HERE
Book Available HERE
Christmas At Dollywood
Three time Winner of America’s Best Christmas Event, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas.
Walk amid a winter wonderland of four million lights as you enjoy more than 20 rides and attractions for the entire family. Settle in for one of the park’s holiday shows before gathering around the table for a delicious holiday meal served at one of the park’s many restaurants.
Visit Santa’s Workshop where larger-than-life toys will astound you! Santa is also the centerpiece and star of the Parade of Lights that will come prancing throughout the park. A Dollywood Christmas is the most holiday fun you’ll have in the Smokies. MORE HERE & HERE
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Golden Reggae From Beres Hammond
A specialist in intimate love songs often told from the viewpoint of the blue-collar, "common" man, Hammond has been described as his country’s Marvin Gaye, and also its Springsteen.
At age 57, the crooner has just released one of the best albums of a four-decade-long career. Issued in November 2013 by VP Records, One Love, One Life is a double-disc set that breaks down between romantic (One Love) and more socially conscious fare (One Life). MORE HERE
Available HERE
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