Bubbles!
Dec 042009
Dec 032009
UPDATED!
There have been a few performers who started life as music journalists. Not many have gone the other way but Robert Forster, co-founder of the Go-Betweens, has always been a little unorthodox. He has been making a name for himself as very fine writer about music and last month released a collection of reviews, essays, and fiction all about music.
It’s called 10 Rules of Rock and Roll.
Rules 10 through 6 have been hashed over these last few days. If you need a refresher, here they are:
10. The three-piece band is the purest form of rock and roll expression.
9. Great bands don’t have members making solo albums.
8. Every great artist hides behind his manager.
7. The guitarist who changes guitars on stage after every third number is showing you his guitar collection.
6. No band does anything new on stage after the first 20 minutes.
Following are rules 5 through 1, THE BIG PAYOFF I’ve promised! Drum roll, please!
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Dec 032009
LUnhET6e2Zs]
The first time I heard them, when they were:
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Dec 032009
Judging by this New York Times’ book review of Clarence Clemons’ long-awaited autobiography, Big Man, a newly added coauthor, Don Reo, and the book’s editors really hacked up the initial galleys that Rock Town Hall was granted exclusive rights to review in November 2007. Back then the book was entitled No Small Parts for The Big Man, and excitement was in the air. Beside cutting out all the gripping stuff about the recording of The Boss’ classic records, the galleys we received had none of the fantasy stuff described regarding the likes of Thomas Pynchon and Norman Mailer.
Let’s not even get into this book’s fictional “legend” chapters, printed on gray paper, in which Mr. Clemons has extended imaginary run-ins with people like Thomas Pynchon, Norman Mailer, Richard Brautigan and the surfer Laird Hamilton. It’s too painful. – Dwight Garner, The New York Times
Thanks to Townsman dbuskirk for tipping us off to the book’s delayed release and eventual review in this obscure publication.
Dec 022009
Healthy Hannah!
BOSTON — An initiative to encourage healthy teen relationships says songs by Jamie Foxx and Lady Gaga are the musical equivalent of junk food.
A teen panel working with the Boston Public Health Commission has determined that their songs are among the top 10 with “unhealthy relationship ingredients.”
The commission on Tuesday released its list based on a “nutrition label” rating popular songs on healthy relationship themes.
To see the rest of this story, click here.
This study is pretty stupid, but I thought we could have fun with it by including songs hits and non-hits from all genres and all years.
My vote is for “The One I Love,” by REM, or “I Used To Love Her,” by Guns & Roses, as the Junkiest Musical Junk Food
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Dec 012009
Many moons ago Townsman sammymaudlin had an idea for Last Man Standing centered on song titles in the form of questions and answers. We’d since forgotten all about it, but luckily I found a reminder that I scribbled on a piece of scrap paper all those years ago. Posts must follow from the previous song title, so that a song title in the form of a question must be followed by an entry in the form of an answer. You may only post ONE song title at a time. You cannot just list a bunch of song title questions or song title answers in a row because you’re smart. The goal is to create song title dialog. Answers should be at least somewhat related to the questions. You’ll be standing especially tall if you can ask a question that builds off the previous answer.
I’ll start things off with a song title in the form of a question:
Q: “What’s New Pussycat?”
The first comment that anyone posts here, therefore, should be a song title that answers this question.
A:
Who’ll get the last word in, someone posting a song title in the form of a question or someone posting a song title in the form of an answer?
Dec 012009
Before the year is up I plan on running all of the Hear Factor, deux contributions that I received way back when. Here’s a contribution from a Friend of a Townsman… That’s right, even a would-be Townsman wants to play along, so why don’t you show him how it works and see if our efforts can’t encourage this blogger in his own write to simply put in some time with us directly? We don’t bite, at least not to the point where we’re breaking skin. Thanks, Friend of a Townsman!
No-Name Movie Soundtrack (~57 MB)
