1-6-16 Producer Tony Visconti Talks David Bowie and Blackstar UPDATED 1-9 with video from last night’s Holy Holy show… I was excited for the opportunity to speak to Tony Visconti who has amassed an absolutely stunning body of work as a producer. Not only the most essential Bowie albums but […]
Rock
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Deer Tick At Brooklyn Bowl 12-31-15 Last New Year’s Eve, Deer Tick celebrated their 10th anniversary with a show at Brooklyn Bowl that included guests like Stevie Nicks. This year, the venue was the same but, as John McCauley and Ian O’Neil explained, the emphasis was not on trying to […]
In the words of Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall, and Zooey Deschanel among many others – what are you doing New Year’s Eve? And while we’re at it, how about tomorrow night (the video will show on TV tomorrow so ‘tonight’ refers to the 30th) straight through to Saturday, January 2nd. […]
Jerry Lee Lewis Rocks 80th Birthday In Times Square The immortal artist rolled into BB Kings Blues Club & Grill last Wednesday, December 18th, 2015, about ten weeks after his 80th birthday and played a show that surpassed my very high expectations. He killed! What a thrill to be able to […]
Sting Symphonicities At Carnegie Hall Longtime New York resident Sting is no stranger to the “hallowed sacred venue” (his words) that is Carnegie Hall. However the former Police frontman‘s performance last week marked a first in that it was the first time he had headlined there by himself as […]
Musical Holiday Gift Ideas for 2015 So you need some musical holiday gift ideas for 2015 – no problemo! I have donned Santa’s hat and sprawled many tasties on a table for your amusement and to make suggestions on what to buy for yourself or the music lover on your […]
Glen Hansard Interview NYC Shows The man is an astonishing performer. Absolutely thrilling performance turned in at The Beacon Theatre last Tuesday – December 2nd, 2015 – featuring songs from the new record Didn’t He Ramble not to mention a genius cover of Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. This is the second […]
Dinosaur Jr. have had a brilliant run. It’s mind boggling to consider they are now marking 30 years since the release of their debut album, but that’s exactly what they’re doing with seven (count ’em, 7!) consecutive nights at Bowery Ballroom beginning tomorrow night – Thursday, December 3rd, 2015. As […]
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and WhyHunger have been building their reputations for 40 years and the former sang on behalf of the latter as part of this year’s annual Thanksgiving time tradition to raise awareness and funds for people, including millions right here in New York City and […]
A confession: I typically do not enjoy either memoirs by or biographies about musicians. I read a lot of them – and man, there are a lot of ’em – but it’s generally a chore. I would must rather listen to the music that’s being parsed. I generally don’t care […]
Son Little said it was definitely a hometown show last week at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. The artist has been associated with Philly artists like The Roots and RJD2 whom he has worked with – and he has spent significant time in that city – but it turns out he […]
The Charlatans (officially Charlatans UK here in the U.S. to differentiate from Dan Hicks’ old band) – Underrated, underrated, underrated. The lads from Manchester have had an eventful career and they’ve overcome hurdles that would have tripped a hundred other groups. No American band sounds like them. Britpop bands owe them […]
It was a real pleasure to get to know Black Violin in Austin at SXSW. The hip Florida based outfit just released a tasty new album called Stereo Types and tomorrow night November 14, 2015 they’ll do their thing at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. I’ve never checked the classical, hip […]
Greg Holden isn’t too keen to write typical love songs. He told me as a singer/songwriter he’s already got that cliche to contend with, and he’s not about to sing: I love you…fill in a girl’s name… type songs. They don’t interest him. What does interest the British ex-pat is writing […]
Josh Ritter is Getting Ready To Get Down! His rapid-fire vocal on that lead track from his new album, Sermon On The Rocks, sets the tone for a spirited record that is sure to end up on many a top ten list for 2015. The son of neuroscientists in Idaho recorded […]
Protomartyr, the Detroit quartet who just put out their outstanding third album The Agent Intellect, are in NYC for the 35th annual CMJ Music Marathon. Here’s a look at the performance at Santos Party House and a little backstage conversation about the festival.
The Steely Dan Rockabye Gollie Angel Tour 2015 is ending on a NYC note with no less than 8 shows at The Beacon Theatre. The musicianship, the humor, the dubious characters inhabiting the songs; all alive and well as Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’s immortal outfit is again playing whole albums, greatest […]
The Modern Sky Festival NYC happened in Central Park last Sunday (10-4-15) headlined by Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band. The 82 year old widow of John Lennon launched the group along with John in ’69 as a concept; a kind of umbrella that would encompass whoever got involved, even […]
The Zombies are experiencing an amazing phase in their career that began in 1961. The brilliant rock and pop outfit from St. Albans, Hertfordshire in England unleashes their new album, Still Got That Hunger, this week and they’re on tour playing their 1968 masterpiece Odessey and Oracle (sic!) in its entirety for […]
Joan Armatrading has had an amazing career… and it ain’t over yet! The UK based singer/songwriter/mean guitarist/bass player (etc) has, however, decided to stop doing the punishing kind of 18 month treks around the world that’s she currently on and limit herself to a month on the road maximum at […]
Buster Poindexter (alias for David Johansen, frontman for The New York Dolls) has rolled into Cafe Carlyle for a run of shows ending next Saturday October 10, 2015. I spoke to the Staten Island native not too long ago at a gig he did at The Cutting Room.
Quintessential New Yorkers Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel played to a half million in Central Park 34 years ago, September 19, 1981. The previously out-of-print recording of the event is back, as are vinyl versions of all their studio albums. Both have their own gigs in town next month… the […]
It was a brilliant week at WFUV radio where a pair of Juniors – both amazing guitar players – stopped by for conversations with me and to lay down live versions of songs found on recently released albums. Follow the links to hear the chats and enjoy video of the […]
Robert Plant is at The Capital Theatre tomorrow night Thursday 9-17-2015 and the Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday. The former Led Zeppelin frontman is enjoying playing relatively intimate venues while Jimmy Page recently wrapped up his top to bottom remastering of the Led Zeppelin catalog.
The new James Maddock album is called The Green. The British-born singer-songwriter who has called the Lower East Side of Manhattan home for the past 12 years has penned another appealing collection of songs. He treated the fortunate group who squeezed into Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 to a good handful […]