Nap Time with Nils
I’m lucky enough to work from home. Usually when my “lunch hour” rolls around, I’ll throw on the running shoes and jog a few miles around the ‘hood. This arrangement has been surprisingly good for my health. Breaking up the…
A St. Paddy’s Whiskey in the Jar
I’ve always fancied Metallica’s version of “Whiskey In The Jar”. The rage and angst behind Mr. Hetfield’s voice just makes me flex my muscles and put the pedal to the metal. Powerful! Happy St. Paddy’s Day… I first produced my…
The Railroad Revival Tour [with a stop in Chandler, AZ]
I haven’t been this unabashedly giddy about an upcoming show in quite some time. News of the Railroad Revival Tour swept across the web Monday morning like a Japanese bullet train (train reference, pow!). It’s a short, exclusive train tour…
Mardi Gras Music: New Rebirth Brass Band
Happy Fat Tuesday! It’s a day off for me and I’m heading to the new Spring Training ballpark shared by the Diamondbacks and the Rockies. I’ll be taking in the Cubs and Rockies game at Salt River Fields with an…
Ick’s Pick: Lucinda Williams’ ‘Blessed’
March 1st is not only day one of my favorite month (I’m in Arizona, so that means Spring Training games, a beer festival, and ideal weather), but it’s also release day for Blessed, the great new album from Lucinda Williams.…
Los Lobos returning to Arizona on May 5th
Last summer, thanks to the passing of Arizona’s anti-immigration bill SB1070, many artists made the decision to boycott the state. One of my very favorite bands, Los Lobos, was one of those who decided to say no to Arizona. They…
The Airborne Toxic Event
A Facebook friend recently recommended taking a listen to the Airborne Toxic Event. So I dialed up their only full-length studio album (self-titled) and took a run around the ‘hood. I was seriously impressed. It’s a little bit hard-edged in…
The Makings of Rain
If I had to point to one performance that sums up everything I like about Prince, it would be his August 3rd, 1983 benefit show at First Avenue in Minneapolis (the day I turned 13!). It was not only the…
The Cars are Back [Video: “Blue Tip”]
For those of us who grew up listening to The Cars, there’s something comforting about hearing Ric Ocasek’s voice and that vintage Cars sound here in the year 2011. After all, the last time they released an album of new…
Radiohead’s ‘The King of Limbs’ [My 2 Cents]
Like a lot of you, I dropped the $9.00 for Radiohead‘s new album The King of Limbs, when it was offered up a day earlier than expected on Friday. What was it, last Monday when it was announced out of…
