This year at Coachella, the late great Tupac Shakur performed live with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. You can see it for yourself: Okay, yes, it's digital trickery, employing unimaginably vast quantities of data, but still — it's pretty awesome. I'm ready to see the Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain versions, which are promised soon.Continue reading “How to live forever: become a pop music star”
Category Archives: Music
Kathleen Edwards: Never Gonna Feel the Same
On tour last night in Ventura, the increasingly popular Kathleen Edwards concluded with her near-hit Change the Sheets, which opens: My love took a ride on a red-eye planeGoing homeAnd we're never gonna feel the sameChange this feeling under my feetChange the sheets and then change me This central idea reminds me of what aContinue reading “Kathleen Edwards: Never Gonna Feel the Same”
The last great rock star
In 1967, perhaps the last great rock star… …was born this day.
From Adele to Frank Zappa: 2011 in music
This year in music has been simply overwhelming. Impossible to know where to start, but relieved to see veteran entertainment editor/critic Ken Tucker agree that this year has been a big one…and also that the discovery of 2011 is Adele. If any one musician held center stage in pop music this year, it was probably Adele, theContinue reading “From Adele to Frank Zappa: 2011 in music”
The Little Drummer Boy — Bob Dylan
Just when you'd given up on him, he comes back in the perfect key, with the perfect song, and sings it not just faultlessly, but with soul — Bob Dylan, backed by the Ditty Bops. For this day, via John Fugelsang
A Wilco riff that just won’t quit — for good reason
Wilco's new album, The Whole Love, concludes with a song unlike any I've ever heard from a Jeff Tweedy band. It's twelve minutes long, but not for the sake of a guitar freak-out (Poor Places). Nor does it want to pound home a point, or feeling (Misunderstood). A critic from Aquarium Drunkard describes it eloquently: Continue reading “A Wilco riff that just won’t quit — for good reason”
Fleet Foxes flummox Santa Barbara
The lead singer and guitarist of the Fleet Foxes, Robin Pecknold, is reputed to be a perfectionist, and at the band's appearance at the Santa Barbara Bowl a week ago, he lived up to the description, spending half an hour directly before the show walking around the stage in plain view, pointing, talking to roadies,Continue reading “Fleet Foxes flummox Santa Barbara”
GOP candidate stumbles over Kurt Cobain
Having gotten attention with a contrarian admission that yes, global warming is a matter of science and fact, alleged GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman again played the rebel card at the Tea Party debate this evening with a bizarre reference to Kurt Cobain. "I don't think anything should be off the table except maybe someContinue reading “GOP candidate stumbles over Kurt Cobain”
Please Hear This: African song of the year
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to interview Lesley Clark, the artist and philanthropist known for her great work with nomadic tribes such as the Wodaabe and the Tuareg. She's having her annual "North African market" sale this Saturday at her gallery, with a presentation with the doctor who oversees the medical clinic sheContinue reading “Please Hear This: African song of the year”
Dawn Upshaw takes a bullet for Ojai Music Fest
That's what it looks like in this picture, from a preview last Friday from NPR: The featured music at the Ojai Music festival this year, Winds of Destiny, came from American composer George Crumb, which NPR helpfully allows us to hear next to the preview. It's stunning — in a festival sort of way. Mark Swed, of theContinue reading “Dawn Upshaw takes a bullet for Ojai Music Fest”
Kit Stolz 