“When was the last time you saw a riot at the symphony?”
The All-Star Jam is the place to do your thing.
Oct 022014
Sep 282014
Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…
If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.
The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!
Sep 232014
Hey, did you see this?
I know that you all enjoy movies and film almost as much as you do your music, so here’s a perfect marriage of the two, thanks to our bearded, cycling, kale-eating friends at Pitchfork. Knock yourself out; I know I did.
I would agree with a number of these entries, and think the group of films/songs representing numbers 15-1 are pretty accurate (with the exception of The Lovers on the Bridge. What? If you’re going for a colossal failure, let’s revisit Ishtar. At least that’s about a couple of song writers.) I appreciate the inclusion of two of my favorite song/scenes from film, the use of “The Madison” in Band of Outsiders and “California Dreamin'” in Chungking Express (and snappy little films, to boot).
However, I’m guessing that you, like me, will also take umbrage at a few of the entries. What?!: These Days is rated higher than Saturday Night Fever? And if you’re going to include the great “Heart of the Sunrise” from Buffalo 66, why not include the trailer (which, IMHO, is one of the best film trailers ever spliced together)?!
There are some glaring omissions. How could you leave out these cheekbones? That attitude? Or those bees?
Members of Rock Town Hall! Put aside your remote controls! Take your fingers off that turn table arm! Rip off those headphones! We can do better than this! What are your quintessential movie pop music moments?
Sep 152014
It looks like I might be making my first-ever trip to England this fall! I’m going to be in the Manchester area for a couple of days for work, then I’m going to take a few days to see some sights. At first I was going to go to Liverpool for a couple of days and make my long-awaited Beatles Mecca, but honestly, the more I thought about it, the more I began to dread getting caught up in tours full of guys my age in pathetic, dyed mop-top hairdos: middle-age white dudes in dyed mop-top hairdos, black guys with their hair straightened into bangs, Japanese guys with mop-tops, women with mop-tops…and women my age still longing to pee their pants in excitement over the thought of seeing the Fab Four in their performing prime. I love the Beatles like I love no other artists, but I fear getting caught in a sea of middle-age Beatles fanboys—and being identified too closely with them! Then a friend said that, beside Beatles tours, there’s probably not much to do in Liverpool. As my wife said to me a couple of days earlier, “Why don’t you visit London for a few days instead?!?!”
Sep 112014
Not the Hot Yoga class I was seeking! In this week’s All-Star Jam, why don’t you see if you can stretch out topics of discussion for the rest of us?
Sep 082014
A most unexpected beard.
I apologize for being pretty much out of the loop of late. I’ve been extremely busy with work stuff, and I’ve been honing some other creative pursuits in what little free time that’s been available. I do hope to catch up soon. Meanwhile, how about the above image, which existed only in my mind’s eye, since reading about The Buzzcocks‘ recent Philadelphia show last Friday. I didn’t make it out to the show for reasons I both regret and stand behind, but reports that Pete Shelley was sporting a “full mountain man beard,” as a friend put it, stuck with me until just now, when I went searching on Google for an image to verify this most unexpected beard.
Even seeing Pete Shelley in a beard, I can’t fathom it. I’m not sure than any musician has suddenly appeared bearded and shocked me more. A beard does not fit the music of The Buzzcocks at all, does it? Is there anything in their music to support the band’s leader wearing a full-on mountain man beard? Not that I can think of.
Please help me identify facets of the music of The Buzzcocks that might explain the appearance of this most unexpected beard. I’ve placed my prediction for Townsman BigSteve‘s response in a sealed envelope, but I will chuckle nonetheless when he delivers. I want to know what other fans of The Buzzcocks and/or beards make of this union.
As a follow-up question, which artist’s sudden development of a beard most challenged your view of the order of the universe?
I look forward to your thoughts.
Sep 062014
Sounds of the hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!
There’s no theme to this episode. Just a random collection of “could have been hits” and “near misses” from the lands of New Wave, Power Pop, C-86, Folk, Psychedelic, Jazz and Soul Revival.
[Note: You can add Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your iTunes by clicking here. The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player.]
Playlist after the jump
