The All-Star Jam is the place to do your thing. Anything goes.
Feb 052014
Feb 042014
What’s the deal with the drum sound in Van Halen’s “Jump”? Is it good? Does it serve the song/fit in with the production? Does anyone else feel like I do, whenever they hear “Jump” on the car radio? I always think, “That’s a weirdly unaffected drum sound! What’s the deal? Where are my drummer friends when I need them riding shotgun?”
Seriously, every time I hear this catchy VH song, not an entire verse goes by before I am reminded of how drums sound in a recording studio, at first playback, when the band has finished its take and loads in, with tremendous anticipation, to hear the engineer’s playback of the newly recorded rhythm track.
Feb 042014
After reading very encouraging recent comments from funoka, cherguevarra, and MrHuman, I believe that, AT LAST, I can swoon a little about Aztec Camera. I’ve loved this band since my introduction to them, which occurred via a little black and white photo of a cute boy with floppy hair that my sister had glued to the dashboard of her car. Ah, my first gaze at Roddy Frame.
High Land, Hard Rain is a great album: lo-fi emotive pop with clever, besotted lyrics and alternating jangly and classical guitar. Later albums get slicker, cornier, and/or sadder. However, the excellent track or two on each record kept my faith in the band alive. The final Aztec Camera album, Frestonia, reverted back to a lo-fi sound, but this time with more of a jazz influence.
Please join me in watching this early performance of “We Could Send Letters.” It’s lyrics used to make me cry. Luckily, in this video, I was distracted from my reminiscences of an old boyfriend by the matching tracksuits, the ridiculous hair, and the weird now-apparent resemblance of Roddy Frame to Paul Dano.
The final charge, at the 3:40 mark, continues to make me love this band.
P.S. – Mr. Royale just shared his own NSFW memories about this album indicating that I’m not the only one who had romantic associations with Aztec Camera’s music. (Will High Land, Hard Rain beat out Avalon as the most nookie-worthy album of the ’80s?) AND that the album was just re-released!
Feb 032014
In honor of the great (and now stupidly frustratingly dead) Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose Instant Offense acting chops managed to raise even Almost Famous, one of the most grating, ass-kissing movies I’ve ever had the displeasure of sitting through, let us celebrate music critics, as portrayed on film.
Both real and fictional music critics appearing as characters in movies are eligible. Real critics playing themselves are eligible, but they must appear in a dramatic film, not as talking heads in an actual rock documentary. Critics appearing as themselves as talking heads in mockumentaries, however, are eligible for inclusion.
Since this is likely to be one of our more exclusive Last Man Standing competitions, multiple portrayals of the same critic are eligible, provided you specify a new film.
Got that? So, Lester Bangs, as portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman in Almost Famous is OFF the board, but I can think of at least 3 other critics who appear as movie characters. I’m sure you’ll think of more!
[NOTE: I dug up the 2009 interview Hoffman did with Terry Gross on Fresh Air that’s stuck with me through the years. Click here to listen. At the 20:30 mark, Hoffman starts talking about sports then addiction. I wanted to high five that guy at that point and still wish I could.]
Feb 012014
A few music-related Super Bowl XLVIII prop bets to consider. I’m not an odds-maker, so I’ll leave it to you to help set the odds before making your picks…after the jump!
Feb 012014
Sounds of the hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!
In this week’s Saturday Night Shut-In, a Super Bowl Eve extravaganza gets railroaded when your host and moderator goes there, to a place he wishes Madonna and all of us would never go, repeatedly saying a word he is truly opposed to saying, but saying it anyhow for a greater purpose. This episode, it goes without saying, is NOT SAFE FOR WORK. The show’s producers are not happy! Mr. Moderator offered the following statement after the show: “I apologize for straying from the best interests of my audience.”
Prior to an uncharacteristic detour from the fun, partying, and rock ‘n roll that characterizes Mr. Moderator’s interests, your host shares reflections on the life and death of Anna Gordy Gaye and some killer tunes!
RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 127
[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.]
Jan 312014
Thanks to the AUX function in the car, my wife’s been playing car DJ with her iPhone and music. One song that recently came on was The Pretenders‘ “Mystery Achievement.” I have very vivid and fond memories of this album in high school, driving around with my friends, doing nothing, with this as our soundtrack.
Hearing it again also had me thinking what a stunning debut this was. As if this band was in hibernation for years before releasing it; it’s that polished. I always loved the guitar playing and rhythm section, too. And though I suspect Mr Mod feels Martin Chambers is akin to Rick Buckler, his fills are so good and he really chugs them ahead.
I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with another band that was this good this early. The Clash got better and Costello’s debut was just a sketch of the greatness to come. So sad to think of how good the Pretenders might have been. Sniff.
Any debut contenders to take the crown?
