All-Star Jam. Have mercy.
Jan 272007
Jan 262007
Phawker is now playing Sloan‘s latest, Never Hear the End of It. (Note: You’ll need to accept cookies for the Phawker radio to work.) A review by your’s truly accompanies the streaming audio.
Jan 262007
All-Star Jam is an open thread for discussing whatever you want. Don’t stand there with your hands in your pockets! This weekend, we encourage you to bring it. You do that, and we’ll do our best to bring your thoughts front and center.
Jan 262007
Those of you new and old to Rock Town Hall who have little to no interest in the behind-the-scenes drama and upstairs/downstairs dynamics that we’ve dragged over from our original home are advised to steer clear of the following link:
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Jan 252007
By now the godforsaken term mash-up has probably lost its currency, but The Beatles’ Love album recently was foisted on me by a well-intentioned friend. I’ve been trying to “enjoy it for what it is,” as my friend encouraged me to do, but it’s bumming me out.
The album opens with the unaccompanied backing vocals to “Because”, as if George and Giles Martin felt the need to show the world that the lads could harmonize as well as The Beach Boys. Snooze. The most interesting thing about this “mash-up,” I soon discovered, is that you can hear birds tweeting in the background. Suddenly I felt like Gene Hackman in The Conversation.
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Jan 252007
When I was in high school, my favorite band was Pink Floyd. Why? Teen angst + heavy classic-rock exposure + an interest in languid guitar solos, I guess. When I hit college, I kicked the habit hard. I sold all my Floyd to used-CD shacks on South Street. The t-shirts conveniently disappeared.
I still can’t bring myself to own any Pink Floyd, but lately I find myself thinking fondly about their music. The catalyst for this is twofold. First, there was their surprisingly vital Live8 performance. Then, there is YouTube, which of course contains a dizzying amount of Floyd ephemera. It is thanks to YouTube that I am constantly reminded of something very, very important.
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Jan 252007
Judging by both today’s poll and the All-Star Jam area, The People are in the process of speaking. We hear a call for a Critical Upgrade on The Clash’s Give ’em Enough Rope, and we’re bringing this issue front and center.
Here’s the deal, though, don’t expect your generous Moderator to do your bidding on this album. Discounting any album that includes “Ghetto Defendant” and “Red Angel Dragnet”, Give ’em Enough Rope is my least favorite Clash album. For almost every pile-driving song I love (eg, “Safe European Home”, “Tommy Gun”, “Stay Free”, “All the Young Punks”) not to mention the silly songs I can’t help but like (eg, “Guns on the Roof” and “Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad”) there is an absolute stinker so bad that it would have been rejected for inclusion on a Stiff Little Fingers album!
Now, should you choose, do the work!
