I just watched Avril Lavigne and band lip-synch their way through her new single on Saturday Night Live. Of course it’s pathetic that I would think get a bee in my bonnet over lip-synching on SNL these days, not to mention it’s pathetic I even have it on in the background, but watching Lavigne lip-synch this song, I got to thinking, in terms of how it would change rock and, perhaps, the world, what period in rock was a greater disappointment…
Punk rock?
Prog rock?
Or something else?
Here’s Avril Lavigne performing “Girlfriend” on Saturday Night Live.
Here she is singing her other song.
I’d lay $1,000 on the belief that she’s not singing the first song more than 33% live. I’m on the fence about the second one. The following questions cannot be avoided:
I look forward to your answers.
HOLLYWOOD – Unnamed sources are reporting that actor Dennis Quaid and director Jim McBride have reteamed to begin planning a sequel to their 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire.
“It’s a darker vision of ‘The Killer’s’ life in the years that follow the first film,” says a producer who has seen early drafts of the as-yet-untitled script.
Like its subject’s life, the end is not yet written. A well-known screenwriter who contributed to an early draft says it’s a matter of timing. “Dennis and Jim have seen the success music biopics like Ray and I Walk the Line have enjoyed. The commonality they’ve noticed is that the subject has recently died.”
As a result, says the screenwriter, the team is allowing the script to gestate slowly. Comparing it to the writing of a New York Times obituary, the sourse says “They’ll have it ready to shoot within hours of Jerry’s eventual death.”
A spokesperson for Mr. Quaid would not comment on these reports.
Take at least one, then pass it on!
What’s your least-favorite song that’s considered a critical classic by an artist you love? For instance, I love The Impressions and Curtis Mayfield, and many fellow Mayfield lovers salivate over his song “Move on Up”. I don’t. In fact, I dislike it.
What’s your fondest feeling toward a digitally stored file (eg, .mp3, .wav, iTunes format)? Please describe a particularly fond moment.
What’s the stock comparison critics use in describing a band that you feel is least appropriate to that band’s music? For instance, there’s an automatic mention of The Doors as a historical comparison whenever Echo and the Bunnymen come up. Sometime last year, I questioned whether Echo’s music was in any way like The Doors. I didn’t hear it – until Townsfolk jammed a few good examples down my throat. I still don’t think they sound much like The Doors.
Please discuss the most talented musician you’ve known who’s done almost nothing with his or her gift. For the sake of everyone’s feelings, please use a pseudonym in describing this person. What did they have going for them? What might you have expected of them in terms of their “Shooting Star” potential?
I look forward to your responses.
As I’m sure you know by now, the coming week will feature the debut of Hear Factor, in which Rock Town Hall members will be sent anonymous mix CDs lovingly (sincerely) compiled by other Townspeople that may be inappropriate to a recipient’s usual tastes. For 3 days, each participating Townsperson will listen to no other music but the possibly inappropriate mix CD they have received. They will report back to the list. Highlights of their mixes will be posted for all to experience and chime in on.
In the meantime, I’d like to reward participants and all Townspeople in advance with a fistfull of Northern Soul tracks that only one without ears could not find at least the slightest joy in cranking up. These tracks come courtesy of Townswoman Sally Cinnamon, who will be participating in the initial launch of Hear Factor. Happy weekend, all!
The Feathers, “Trying to Get to You”
Chuck Wood, “Seven Days Too Long”
William Bell, “Happy”
Robert Knight, “Love on a Mountaintop”
Archie Bell & the Drells, “Here I Go Again”
For an Archie Bell interview with possibly the archetypal Type A-S-S broadcasting individual you can imagine…
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Townsman MrClean passed along this great piece on the value and role of packaging music in the age of digital download. I highly recommend you check it out and report back here with your feelings. Nice work, MrClean!
As frequent visitors to the Halls of Rock will agree, we’ve gotten our share of mileage out of this Lou Reed…As His Music Was Meant to Sound feature. I find something especially gripping about Lou Reed, warts and all. He’s both an icon of rock cool and one of rock’s most pathetic wannabes. He’s most middle class guys who’ve strapped on a guitar and tried to rock: completely lacking in fluidity, seamlessness, grace, and all the other things real rock stars have in spades. I could go on, but those of you who know what I’m talking about can say it better than I can, and those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about are probably living in a house with no mirrors.
For those of you who don’t know the meaning behind this feature, its based on another endearing trait of Lou Reed: read almost any interview of the guy at the release of a new album, and he’s sure to launch into ill-informed technical reasons why his new album captures the sound of his music the way he’d always intended it to sound. In fact, as he’ll get around to telling anyone who’ll listen, this new album is so true to the sound he’s heard in his head all these years, that it makes his previous albums sound like shit.
As a result of these interviews, it’s with good reason that we often provide examples of Lou’s latest and greatest moments, such as the one that kicked off today’s feature.
Surely, a tongue is planted firmly in cheek. On behalf of the Rock Gods, Lou is getting his comeuppance from us. All but those who live in houses without mirrors know this.
In fairness, however, we also try to mix in some performances of Lou and his band at the time that capture what we feel, on many levels, is truly great about the man’s music. Here’s one of my favorite live performance clips of one of my favorite songs from his solo career. Robert Quine’s solo is always a turn-on!
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