John Grant on Later…With Jools Holland
Best television discovery of late? Without a doubt, it’s Later…with Jools Holland, a BBC2 music show that showcases 4-5 artists per show in a unique way: all bands & artists are set up in studio at the same time in…
Song of the Summer
With this being the 4th of July week, we are officially at the height of summer so it’s time for THE SONG OF THE SUMMER!! Even though it came out at the very end of last year here in America…
Prince at the Marquee Theater – May 1st – Setlist
Man, what a night! What a thrill to see Prince in the intimate confines of the Marquee Theater in my hometown. I’m old school, so the highlights for me were seeing Prince front and center from 20 feet away singing…
Recap: 2013 McDowell Mountain Music Festival
This past Saturday and Sunday, I made my way to the latest installment of my favorite local festival, the 10th annual McDowell Mountain Music Festival, this year taking place for the first time at Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown…
Their Flag is Planted Deeply in the Ground
The very talented and thankfully local band, American Revival is back with a new lineup and new EP called Thank Ya Kindly. Folks, the lads have done it again. It’s a North Woods corker! From the first few wonderful seconds of the opening…
Delta Spirit on Austin City Limits / “Vivian”
Austin City Limits is amazing week in and week out as it is, but when one of my favorites hits the stage for the 30 minute showcase, it always seems to capture something special that gives me a brand new…
Parliament’s 1970 Debut, ‘Osmium’
I’m not sure if it was seeing old school funk n’ R&B masters Cameo on Friday night that launched me into the frame of mind (probably is), but I’m knee deep into that sound, and in the middle of a…
The Power and Mystique Of Minneapolis
On the fourth song into their set in the Main Room at First Avenue last night, Tom Chapman, lead singer of Battle, East Sussex’s Keane, realized he was going to have a personally transformative evening. It was during the devastating…
Recap: Cameo at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix
Everyone’s allowed a pure and simple nostalgia trip from time to time, right? For me tonight, it was the funk/soul/R&B of Cameo that brought me back to simpler days. Crazy to think that the last time I saw Cameo in…
The Return of the Thin White Duke (finally!)
It’s been ten years since David Bowie has released any new music and most of us were beginning to think that he packed it in. He just turned 66 so no one would blame him, right? Yet here is…back with…