History has branded Ike and Tina Turner’s story as a violent one for good reason, but musically there were many joyful moments in their rock and soul catalog. The three-disc boxed set The Ike & Tina Story 1960-1975 rewards listeners who are able to execute the difficult task of removing…
Andrea Bocelli was initially discovered by Pavarotti — presumably when the late, great tenor from Modena was already losing his hearing. Bocelli had his endorsement, and his career took off like a (very quiet) rocket. Since 1994, he’s recorded a bunch of operas (though he’s rarely ever performed one, because…
And the hits just keep on coming… News reports out of New York this morning state that highly acclaimed Cuban percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdez passed away yesterday at the age of 81. Most stories I’d ever read about the guy said he was crazy (in a good way) both on…
Deerhoof December 4, 2007 The NADA Art Fair Better Than: The Mojitos I had last night Ever get the feeling that everything is surreal while watching a band? Sometimes it’s because the band has a live show that it’s incapable of capturing on a recording and other times it’s just…
Chad “Pimp C” Butler with his mother, Wes “Mama” Monroe in Port Arthur, Texas, 2006 News reports trickling out of Los Angeles are revealing more about the unexpected death of 33-year-old rapper Pimp C. Some of the details are conflicting, which is to be expected in the immediate hours following…
This picture of Amy Winehouse surfaced from across the pond yesterday:…
According to this TMZ report, Pimp C of legendary Texas-based hip-hop group, UGK was found dead in his bed in a Sunset Strip hotel room this morning. There’s a brief posting about it at MTV as well, that says his death has been confirmed by Jive Records. The rapper, born…
BY ANDY VIHSTADT Great Danes Denmark’s Raveonettes have proven themselves again with Lust, Lust, Lust. The album is already out overseas but won’t be available in the US until February 19. Here are a couple of tracks to hold you over. The Raveonettes: “Aly Walk With Me” MP3 The Raveonettes:…
Photo by Elvis Ramirez “Poetess” made up a poem out of words solicited from the audience. I always figured that open mic poetry nights usually didn’t attract huge crowds. I imagined low lights, smooth music playing in between acts and a people lounging in couches relaxing, some huddled together all…
Son del Centro rock out justicia. Photo by Esther Park Concert For Fair Food Saturday, December 1, 2007 Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami Better Than: winning a lifetime supply of Whoppers. This past weekend, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers were in full effect, along with 500 or so of their supporters…
As Tall as Lions Into the Flood 01:18-02:03 of “Into the Flood” Hmm… I’m thinking a bit of Slowdive, maybe a dash of Counting Crows and a taste of the Fray. What kind of soup does that make? Utter, replaceable crap soup. Thanks a lot dudes. You totally owe me…
Youssou N’Dour Rokku Mi Rokka (Nonesuch) On his new disc, veteran Senegalese singer-songwriter Youssou N’Dour continues to contemplate issues of freedom and religious bliss over a musical template blending African and Western pop. Among Rokku Mi Rokka’s highlights is “4-44-44,” which celebrates the joys of everyday life, and such gifts…
When it comes to playing Southern blues, some musicians have a stronger ear for it than others. If you really want to play it, you need an inherent ability to hear the music. When it comes to the banjo-picking and drum-thumping skills of Ben Prestage, he’s got an advantage that…
Imitation, it is said, is the sincerest form of flattery. But what do you call an exact replication? A tribute, of course. It’s a musical one in the case of Australian Pink Floyd, the world’s finest tribute band to, well, Pink Floyd. Starting way back in ’88, five Aussie musicians…
At this very moment, in a dorm room far, far way, the MGM lion is roaring for the third time just as some guy named Alec presses play on his Panasonic CD boom box, ushering in the confusing opening silence of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon over the…
Like most tales of triumph and tragedy, the life, career, and untimely death of bassist Jaco Pastorius continues to resonate a full two decades after his passing. Perhaps no other bass player was as essential in meshing unabashed rock with the introspection and complexity of freeform jazz. It’s no wonder…
At times, the oeuvre of Coheed and Cambria can make classic-rock works like The Wall or Tommy seem as though they were based on the flimsiest of gimmicky ideas. Really. The expansive rock quartet from upstate New York has, over the course of about a decade, created a fictional world…
When it comes to the music industry, all it takes is a combination of luck, talent, and exposure to become a star. Getting that concoction just right is easier said than done, but if you’re lucky, talented, and have a MySpace page, anything is possible. Take it from Ingrid Michaelson,…
‘NSync was so freaking popular around the turn of the millennium that even I — jaded, posturing music critic — bought the second album, No Strings Attached. It sold more than a million copies the day it was released in March 2000, and I was swallowing a lot of LSD…
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan may have embraced new-agey spirituality and wine-collecting in his middle age, but one thing’s for damned certain: The guy’s still got a warped sense of humor. And he’s bound to hit Tool fans where it hurts on this, his first solo release. Keenan has been…
When it comes to playing Southern blues, some musicians have a stronger ear for it than others. If you really want to play it, you need an inherent ability to hear the music. When it comes to the banjo-picking and drum-thumping skills of Ben Prestage, he’s got an advantage that…
It’s difficult to say that the Goo Goo Dolls have done anything “cool” since they abandoned their brash, sloppy, early-Replacements roots. But the fact that their first compilation — 2001’s What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce — didn’t include their biggest hits and instead focused on album…
