Q: What do you call a guy who hangs out with a bunch of musicians? A: A drummer. Personally, I don’t find that joke funny. There isn’t a single great…
For a few precious years in the late 1980s and early Á¢€â„¢90s, the most communal experience on the pop touring circuit was a family affair. Recording artist-producer Don Dixon and…
Even if you don’t like what the Academy Awards represent–those questionable nominees, that PR flackery, all the “industry” sanctimony–it’s more than possible to enjoy the show itself. Didn’t we all…
By 1989, Lyle Lovett had already been kicking around for a couple of years. He cut a unique figure from the start, a Texan Eraserhead with a knife-slash mouth, and…
When I started the Soundtrack Saturday feature in 2006 on my old blog, I did so because I’d discovered that most of the movies that were pivotal to my coming…
WFMU’s Beware of the Blog strips out the best parts of the Dreams of My Father audiobook; Will Harris runs down and wraps up the New York Comic-Con; Pet Shop…
As mayor of Bootleg City, I’ve decided to make some changes around these parts. You see, recently I noticed that our fair city really is fair. In fact it’s downright…
So IÁ¢€â„¢m eating pork rinds naked at my computer, idly wiping my greasy hands on my thighs while the dog slouches in a corner licking her chops, and I come…
10cc – Dreadlock Holiday from Bloody Tourists (1978) Adam Green – Emily from Gemstones (2005) Bonnie “Prince” Billy – The Way from Master and Everyone (2003) Del Shannon – Walk…
Do not be alarmed! Do not adjust your set! Chartburn hasn’t gone away — it’s just sharing space with some more Friday features, including the new and improved Freshly Unwrapped,…
Recently, I went to a local Mexican food establishment to pick up dinner with a friend. This restaurant has a TV mounted to the wall, which is usually tuned to…
Cover bands and karaoke hustlers, I am sorry. I have been far too rude to you for far too long. Accept my penance.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel gave the world something that has never been fully recognized, I think. Now, I enjoy folk music and several of its most recognizable proponents, but…
She’s the voice you hear on the Smiths’ “Ask” and Morrissey’s “Interesting Drug.” She’s the salty dame calling Shane McGowan a “cheap, lousy faggot” on the Pogues’ “Fairtytale of New…
Los Lobos‘ 1992 album Kiko is nothing short of fabulous. A tour de force of primitive rhythms, Latino percussion, gorgeous acoustic and muddy electric guitars, and melodic variance of epic…
We huddled outside the North Olmsted recreation center waiting for the rest of the spirit band to arrive. On this cold December night, we were supposed to be energizing high…
If the tallest tree in the forest cracks at the base, and everyone in the country hears it, do we have an obligation to prop it back up? Or can…
If IÁ¢€â„¢m going to remain true to the movie, then the only way to describe Soul Men is to call it one motherfucking funny film.Á‚ If that statement in any…
In sudden and shocking fashion, it was announced today that Touch And Go Records, the venerable Chicago label, would be closing down its distribution wing and, at least for the…
TodayÁ¢€â„¢s Way Out Wednesday nugget of joy is brought to you by the Three Stooges. The Stooges made a number of popular short subjects in the 1940s. Later, when television…
Chris Darrow – Chris Darrow / Under My Own Disguise Limited Edition 2 LP/CD Box Set Chris Darrow’s first paid gig was playing bluegrass with David Lindley on the streets…
Too many actors turned “musicians” simply stumble through albums without much creativity or passion, depending on the fame and “talent” society has somewhat widely agreed upon to carry them from…
I love soul music in each and every one of its glorious permutations, so it’s been gratifying for me to listen as a new generation of soul masters has taken…
Erika Wennerstrom is a genuine force of nature. If you’re hearing her voice for the first time, you quickly realize that it qualifies as a revelation. If you’ve heard her…
I’ll be honest: I downloaded this mix a few months ago, after searching for it for years (decades, even), but planned to do nothing with it…until I read the comment…
We’re quickly closing in on the letter I, but we’ve still got some H to enjoy before we get there, so let’s continue with a look at the lower 60…
February 18, 1977, is a Friday. NASA’s new craft, the space shuttle, makes a test flight bolted to a 747. The flight lasts a little over two hours and reaches…
The soundtrack to Danny BoyleÁ¢€â„¢s film Trainspotting (1996) is widely considered to be one of the best soundtracks ever.Á‚ The songs Boyle selected for the soundtrack fulfill two primary goals…
That high-pitched squeal you hear belongs to the millions of young girls screaming at the release of DisneyÁ¢€â„¢s High School Musical 3: Senior Year Extended Edition today on DVD. This…
Oh, some things just write themselves, don’t they? I kid, I kid. “So Bad” is an overlooked little gem from the Paul catalog, released in the States as the follow-up…