Album Listening Club – Goo

In the early 90’s, as punk rock made its way into the American mainstream, Sonic Youth was about as punk as you could get. This was before Nevermind, before Dookie. This is Raymond Pettibon drawings and guest vocals by Public Enemy’s Chuck D. This is Goo. But Sonic Youth isn’t “punk” in the loud-fast Ramones/Pistols/Exploited […]

Album Listening Club – Express

I don’t know that I had heard much Bauhaus other than “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” when I started hearing Love and Rockets, but I had heard the in-between band Tones on Tail out at dance clubs. Love And Rockets – Ball Of Confusion single J-Card I’m glad I didn’t have any associations with Bauhaus, because I […]

Juicy Tapes Vol. 5 – A little bit country & rock n’ roll

The full name of this tape is actually “I’m a little bit country & I’m a little bit rock n’ roll, babe. So back off” – you know, from the Donny & Marie TV show? No? There’s not that many of us that remember that show at this point…. Anyway, that title is too long […]

Album Listening Club – To Pimp a Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar released his third album in March of 2015. It was the third rap album to top the sales charts at that point in the year, and held the top spot for 2 weeks, the first album to do that since Taylor Swift’s 1989. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (Top Dawg Entertainment) […]

Festival Of My Dreams

I’ve been lamenting the lack of compelling festival lineups this year, and instead of whining about what I’m not seeing, I thought I’d compose a list of what I would like to see at a music festival – preferably my own. (No, really, I’m hoping to put on a music festival here in my home […]

Kotorino at Syntax Physic Opera

One of the benefits of writing about music is that there are a lot of people who want you to listen to their bands. They reach out and tell you a bit about the music and why they’re contacting you – they’ve got a new release, they’re coming through town, etc. Some bands aren’t great, […]

Little-known Lyrics

There are certain lyricists in popular music that are held as masters of the craft. Cole Porter, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Fred Durst – okay, kidding about that last one. Some of my favorite lyrics come from bands that *I* love, but I don’t know if others feel the same way about the lyric that […]

Finding “Home”

If you’re a music fan, you’ve had it happen to you – you remember a bit of a song, a far-off recollection, and it drives you NUTS for days/weeks/months until you figure it out or give up. This is one such story, with a happy ending. My friend Laura, who writes the Lyrique Discorde blog, […]

Album Listening Club – Super Fly discussion

By 1972, Curits Mayfield was a respected musicial artist and songwriter, having written “People Get Ready” in 1965 for his group The Impressions. In 1972, he composed the soundtrack for the Blaxploitation film Super Fly. This album, along with Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and the Shaft soundtrack the year before, helped explore and explain some of the […]

ThURGHsday! #11 – Klaus Nomi

If XTC is one of the most electrifying performances in URGH! A Music War, Klaus Nomi is the most liberating. Liberating because – what else would you call it? A man in his 30’s in white makeup with black accents, almost Kabuki-style, adorned in a geometric costume, backed by a tight band in white jumpsuits, […]