Loading ...
In case you have no plans tonight and you find yourself in or adjacent to the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, N.Y.: I will be performing at the Jalopy Theater (315 Columbia St.) tonight as part of “Critical Karaoke,” in which music scribes perform a piece that’s written to the length of the song they’re writing about; also on the bill are Michaelangelo Matos, Robert Christgau, Rob Sheffield, Rob Harvilla, among others. The song I’m going to discuss is by an act that’s a frequent topic of conversation around these parts, although it’s probably not the act you’re thinking of right now. Showtime’s 9 p.m. Come down! (I’ll post the piece tomorrow, for those of you who are geographically challenged.) [Jalopy Theater] More »
Searching for: lunch
Search Results
The Monkeemobile Makes Room For Eddie
Thu Jul 23 2009 by Maura
As a lunchtime treat, please enjoy this blend of Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” up with the Monkees’ “I’m A Believer.” It’s not perfect (the tweaking on the guitar solo could use some work), but Bruce Dickinson’s raspy yowl does actually do a nice job of mixing in with the Neil Diamond-penned tune’s sunny keyboards. Clip after the jump. More »
Wilco (The Irresistible Journalistic Construct)
Wed Jul 1 2009 by Maura
Yesterday Wilco’s new album was made available for purchase, and the double-whammy of it being titled Wilco (The Album) and having its first single be called “Wilco (The Song)” proved to be too much for some writers out there to resist. After the jump, a selection of Wilco (The Parenthetically Assisted Reactions) that have appeared over the past few days, rated on a scale of zero to two camel humps in honor of the album’s cover: More »
Chartwalker: Why Billboard Geeks Remain Fond of Michael Jackson
Fri Jun 26 2009 by admin
I’ll probably always remember where I was when I heard the news of Michael Jackson’s death, if only for the specificity of the circumstances: I was on a plane back from Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon when the news broke on my seatback TV. I’d boarded the plane planning to spend the bulk of my time writing this chart column, and I was all set to focus on the usual Billboard happenings. But that quickly went out the window.
Within minutes of turning on the news on my seatback monitor, an MSNBC newscaster began rattling off a list of Jackson’s many awards and achievements, some (“Best-Selling Album Worldwide”) more impressive than others (“Grammy for Shortform Video of the Year, 1988”).
This is a natural and understandable biographical thread for Jackson encomia to pursue: after the sordid details of his personal life are burned off, Jackson’s music-business achievements are enormous. That said, as you head into this weekend, you’re going to hear and read a lot of superlatives about Jackson’s body of work, and the sheer length of the list might obscure which sales statistics and career kudos really matter.
But let me be clear: I come to praise Jacko, not bury him. The fact is, even a quarter-century after Thriller’s last hit fell off the Hot 100, the Gloved One’s industry achievements are stunning. More important, Jackson is one of very few acts for whom chart achievements serve as a fairly accurate barometer for artistic and cultural impact. This is one case where the commentators’ assessments are correct: We won’t see his like again. More »
Justin Timberlake Serves Up A Minestrone Of Pop-Rap Hits
Mon May 11 2009 by Maura
Sure, the Christmastime setting of Justin Timberlake’s Saturday Night Live skit in which he dresses up as a cup of soup and retrofits “Shoop,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and “Whoomp! There It Is” for the purposes of collecting cash for a charity–and out-hipping the sad-sack Salvation Army Santa who only knows moldy old carols–seems a bit odd, given that the calendar was just flipping to May 10 when it happened. But you have to admit that even while in instant-lunch drag, his performance doesn’t come off as foam-handed in the least. (EDIT: Oh, it did air in December; this is what happens when you watch TV via online “Recently Updated” lists, ha ha. The sequel clip, in which JT dresses up as a breast implant and invites people on down to “Plasticville”, is below.) Meanwhile, if you somehow didn’t have “Motherlover”–Timberlake and Andy Samberg’s Mother’s Day-themed sequel to “Dick In A Box”–e-mailed to you 10 times over the past 36ish hours, it’s after the jump. More »
Austin City Limits To Party Like It’s 1997
Tue Apr 28 2009 by Maura
Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, the Beastie Boys, and Kings of Leon are at the head of the 130ish-artist lineup for the Austin City Limits Festival, which takes place in the Texas capital’s Zilker Park from Oct. 2 to Oct. 4. Tickets are $185; the genre-spanning bill also includes Lily Allen, the Supersuckers, Daniel Johnston, a bunch of blog bands, and the Jack White/Allison Mossheart superishgroup The Dead Weather. And the Toadies! Full lineup after the jump. More »
Lollapalooza: Chicago’s Very Own Flashback Picnic Lunch
Tue Apr 21 2009 by Maura
Depeche Mode, Tool, the Killers, the Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, and Jane’s Addiction (well, if they’re still around) are headlining this year’s installment of Lollapalooza, which will descend on Chicago’s Grant Park from Aug. 7-9. Other highlights: Neko Case, Bat for Lashes, Ida Maria, Constantines, and a socially networked lineup page that is proving the Beasties to be the fest’s most Facebook-friendly headliner. (Kings of Leon are close behind, though!) Full roster of artists after the jump.
More »
