I’m a big fan of Justin Vernon in his day job as Bon Iver. His is one of the freshest and most creative voices to emerge from the north woods…
Ken Shane
844 Articles
Ken Shane lives in Narragansett, R.I. He is a freelance writer and far and away the oldest Popdose writer. In fact, he may be the oldest writer, period. He wants you to know that he generally does not share his colleagues' love for the music of the '80s, and he does not forgive them for loving it. (Ken passed away in November 2022. R.I.P. —Ed.)
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
I am honored to play a small role in the wonderful music community centered around Asbury Park, N.J. There are a number of really good bands among us, and we’re…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
We’ve got old songs We’ve got new songs We’ve got songs we can’t play We’ve got a spaceship But we won’t leave without you With those words, Bono and his…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Image via CrunchBase When my grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe, it was to Newark, N.J. that they came. My parents were born and raised in the Newark. For most of…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Ken Shane heads back into those dusty crates for another week, and…what’s this? A new release? And one that you can win a free copy of, too?
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The new Works Progress Administration album is the sort of musical collaboration that should be encouraged. The core of WPA consists of Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Sean Watkins…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
As you may recall, last week I wrote about a very fine Black Crowes show that took place at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. The show was part of…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Generally it’s not my style to ask you to buy an album. I tell you what I think, and then you make up your own mind. That’s the way it…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Gqjl2iXg9uI” width=”600″ height=”344″ allowfullscreen=”true” fvars=”fs=1″ /] Asbury Park’s storied Stone Pony isn’t the same since Live Nation took over. That cuts both ways. On the plus side, an enormous…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
In his latest Cratedigger, Ken Shane blows the dust off a vintage vinyl copy of Elton John’s 1970 classic.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
When it comes to telling the true story of Woodstock, more properly known as “An Aquarian Exposition: The Woodstock Music and Art Fair,” it’s hard to imagine anyone better suited…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
In 1957, Izzy Young started the Folklore Center on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village, which at the time was the epicenter of the folk music craze. If you’ve read Bob…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Ever since Senator Edward Kennedy died on Tuesday, there’s been a movie playing over and over in my head. I come from the Sixties. I believe that the day John…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
To quote Richard M. Nixon (it seems appropriate for the era), “let me make one thing perfectly clear” — There is no Jefferson Airplane without singer Marty Balin, anymore than…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Fun. is one of those bands that take all the music that they love, throw it in a blender, and pour the resulting mixture into an album. In this case,…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Ken Shane has emerged from those dusty crates again, and this time, he’s getting down and getting funky.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
When discussion turns to the band Radio Birdman, they are invariably described as the “seminal Australian punk group.” That’s selling them just a little short. Radio Birdman was formed in…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
To be honest, I had my doubts about Day Two of Folk Festival 50. First of all, I was still tired from the day one. Next, it appeared that the…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Musical genius and American icon Les Paul passed away today at the age of 94. Please join us in remembering his life’s work.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
You won’t hear it from the literary highbrow among us, but Stephen King’s novel The Stand has all of the elements necessary to qualify as a (if not the) Great…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The Newport Folk Festival turned 50 over the weekend, and Popdose’s Ken Shane was there. Read his recap of the festival’s first day here.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
For a special Monday morning edition of Cratedigger, Ken Shane revisits Rod Stewart’s classic first solo album.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
First an admission. Even though I am the New Music Editor for Popdose, I can be pretty old school. If you’ve been reading along, you already know that. There’s some…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
All Photos Copyright Á‚©Á‚ David J. Simchock. Visit David’s Website: Vagabond Vistas. WXPN is the listener sponsored Triple A radio station associated with the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and one…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
It’s like, How much more Blu-ray could this be? And the answer is none. None more Blu-ray.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Ken Shane is back in the crates this week, and he’s blowing the dust off a copy of a Hendrix classic.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The Jayhawks, Music From the North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology – Deluxe Edition (Sony Legacy) In the grand history of pop music, there haven’t been all that many voices that…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
It’s not something that I’m particularly proud of, and in retrospect, it was remarkably short-sighted, but when Laura Nyro, unhappy with attempts to market her as a celebrity, announced her…
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
I have to admit that I am not one of the people who jumped on the bandwagon for Regina Spektor’s last album, the 2006 breakthrough Begin to Hope. I’ve still…