#i decided to do the solos that were on the duo trio albums

[nebulanewts]

So…I have polls now,and my first thought was “ok but what if we do a shuffle fes this way??” (Bc of course cndjdj) but since I already made ones for Nijigaku,I’ve decided to make them for Muse and Aqours too :] (though idk if Aqours would do it,plus Muse wouldn’t for…obvious reasons) starting with Muse,first up is Honoka! Like the Niji ones,just pick what you think is right whether it’s bc you think it suits them,or just think it would be funny either way it works

[randomvarious]

Capt. Rock - “Cosmic Blast” Street Sounds Electro 6 by DJ Maurice & DJ Noel Song released in 1984. Mix released in 1985. Electro / Hip Hop

***Song starts at 5:49 and ends at 12:07***

I just wanna preface this long-ass post I had queued up for today to say rest in peace to MF DOOM, the greatest rapper of all time, bar none, and an incredible beatsmith, too. No one has ever had quite the incredible way with words that DOOM had or managed to cultivate the air of mysterious intrigue around themselves like he was able to with his mask. I saw him perform once at a festival in 2007 and I don’t even really know if it was actually him on that stage. It would’ve been one of the DOOM-iest moves to trot out an impostor to perform his own songs while he still got to collect that check; a move whose abject ballsiness you really can’t help but just chuckle at. 

Fuck this year, royally, man.

A rhyming cannibal who's dressed to kill and cynical Whether is it animal, vegetable or mineral It's a miracle how he get so lyrical And proceed to move the crowd like a old negro spiritual

JUST REMEMBER, ALL CAPS WHEN YOU SPELL THE MAN NAME

*     *     *

There’s so much to dig into with this record, and I’m not even really sure where to even begin with this post, but I guess I’ll start with the Aleem twins, two (duh) enterprising guys from Harlem who loved all kinds of music. Born in the mid-40s, the Aleem twins got their musical education from many local sources. They frequented the Apollo Theater and then a legendary local gangster, Jack “Fat Man” Taylor, signed them to his label, Rojac Records. The Aleems didn’t go anywhere with Rojac, but they learned the ins and outs of running an independent record label and they also met the enigmatic Blowfly, who was an in-house writer for Rojac at the time. Through Taylor the Aleems also met Jimi Hendrix’s friend and love interest, Lithofayne “Faye” Pridgeon, who ended up hatching quite a scheme involving the Aleems and Hendrix.

Pridgeon wanted to get Hendrix evicted from his apartment, in which he lived with her friend June Vasquenza. So Pridgeon sent the Aleem twins to the apartment to kick him out, with one of them to claim that he was going to marry June in order to help her secure a green card since she was undocumented at the time. But the plan fell apart when the Aleems actually met Hendrix and discovered that the three of them all shared a deep passion for music. Rather than Hendrix being evicted, the trio would end up sharing an apartment together. 

Hendrix would then ship off to Europe and become a superstar, but upon his return to Harlem, he kept close to the Aleems. They provided backing vocals on a number of Hendrix songs and they also promoted a street fair in Harlem that Hendrix headlined, which took place just a few weeks after his legendary performance at Woodstock. Hendrix had bigger plans for the Aleems, too; he was set on producing an album that they were planning, for which they would call themselves the Ghetto Fighters. Hendrix envisioned the album as a “street opera.”

But then in 1970, while in London, Jimi Hendrix tragically died, which, to say the least, put a really big crimp in the Aleems’ plans. However, they kept at it throughout the remainder of the 70s; they expanded their group to four members, including their sister, Juliette, changed their name to The Prana People, and got to be managed and financed by New York Knicks star, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe (Is this post New York enough for you yet?). In ‘77, the Prana People released their debut album, and in ‘79, the Aleem twins decided they wanted to move towards more of an electronic sound and ended up releasing a club hit called “Hooked on Your Love,” which stayed on the Billboard Dance chart for months and had both a barely known Jocelyn Brown and a young Luther Vandross on backing vocals.

Off of the success of that record and from being disillusioned by aspects of the music business, the Aleems decided to start their own independent label, NIA Records, which was to release disco, funk, soul, electro, and hip hop music. 

Around this same time, Jack “Fat Man” Taylor, who now owned the famous Harlem World club, wanted to promote his neighborhood’s burgeoning hip hop scene, and in 1980 released a record called Rapper’s Convention, whose a-side featured a duo who would break off afterwards and call themselves Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde. A frequent patron of Harlem World was a guy named Ronnie Greene, and he would one day run into Mr. Hyde and convince him to make him Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde’s DJ.

Fast forward to 1982 and the Aleem twins are holding auditions to put out a new George Clinton and Tom Tom Club-influenced electro-funk-hip hop record called Cosmic Glide. It’s a record that introduces a main character, Captain Rock, who’s an extraterrestrial that just wants earthlings to get down to his space-funk jams. The Aleems and Mr. Hyde already had the song written and Mr. Hyde then brought Ronnie Greene in to audition to be Captain Rock. And even though Greene had never really rapped before, he managed to win the Aleems over with his smooth delivery, his cool and varied flows, and his swaggeringly captivating mic presence.

However, despite it being a quality tune, “Cosmic Glide” didn’t perform all that well. But the next Captain Rock record, 1983′s The Return Of Capt. Rock, again written by Mr. Hyde and the Aleem twins, fared much better, and also became the first record to really earn a name for the NIA label. This new bit of fame for both Greene and NIA then allowed for the third and fourth Captain Rock records, respectively 1984′s Capt. Rock To The Future Shock and Cosmic Blast, to flourish. “Cosmic Blast” became both Captain Rock’s biggest and best hit and it also marked Ronnie Greene’s musical peak. Mr. Hyde had moved on to do other things, so the Aleems allowed Greene to write the song’s lyrics and they also involved him in the production process. 

Not long before “Cosmic Blast” was recorded, Doug E. Fresh, who was also a Harlem resident, had released a record called The Original Human Beat Box, and that was a record that was simply fly as fuck. It put Doug’s deft skills as a beatboxer on full display, and it also gave Ronnie Greene the idea to include some beatboxing on his own upcoming record. So he got his friend Richie Rich, who was a pretty good beatboxer himself, to come breathily box his beats for “Cosmic Blast”. And with Richie Rich, and an unforgettable electro-chiming melody supplied by the Aleem twins, and Greene’s fun party-rocking rap demeanor as Captain Rock, that quartet spun some real, dynamic, mid-80s New York gold.

It was actually a quintet though, because also in on the fun of that record was none other than Marley Marl, who’d go on to become one of hip hop’s greatest, most prolific, and most important producers. While mixing “Cosmic Blast,” Marley discovered, totally by accident, how to sample drums. He was trying to take a riff from a song, and in the process of playing back “Cosmic Blast,” discovered that he had lifted a snare drum, too. But the snare he had sampled sounded better than the drums that were originally programmed, so he kept the sample as is. This discovery led to an epiphany for Marley, in which he realized that he could sample any drum from any point within any record that was in his massive collection and then use those sampled drums as part of his own drumbeats instead of having to program the drumbeats on his own with a drum machine. This was a huge freaking deal; Marley’s beats could now sound uniquely authentic, like the drums had come from an actual drumkit, instead of sounding like they had come from the same inferior-sounding drum machines that every other producer was using. Pandora’s Box had suddenly been opened for Marley Marl with “Cosmic Blast,” and it helped set him on a course to attain legendary status as a producer.

But there’s even more to this story. Not only was electro big in New York; it was pretty popular in the UK, too; so much so, that Captain Rock actually went out there to perform at Wembley Stadium for a hip hop and electro festival called UK Fresh ‘86. He had absolutely no idea that people in the UK even knew anything about his music, but a compilation label called Street Sounds, which specialized in electro and hip hop, had been lacing their mixes with Captain Rock songs since ‘83, and in 1985, a pair of UK DJs by the names of Maurice and Noel included “Cosmic Blast” on the sixth installment of Street Sounds’ wonderful Street Sounds Electro series. 

It’s there you’ll find this fantastic version of “Cosmic Blast,” which features the addition of some really dope scratches from DJs Maurice and Noel that you won’t hear on the original cut; and those scratches have a way of really fucking enhancing the song. Maurice and Noel speed things up a little bit, too, which raises the pitch ever so slightly, and makes the tune way more danceable, overall. They also completely transform the third verse by mixing in other dubby vocals from Captain Rock and then instead of running with the electric guitar solo from the original, Maurice and Noel close their version out with more scratching with a little Run-D.M.C. mixed in there.

Very cool stuff all around. An already incredible jam made even better by two British DJs. Ring in the new year with this shit. Long live electro!

[blackkudos]

Donny Hathaway

Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American jazz, blues, soul and gospel singer, songwriter, arranger and pianist. Hathaway signed with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto", in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music." His enduring songs include "The Ghetto", "This Christmas", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Little Ghetto Boy", "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", signature versions of "A Song for You" and "For All We Know", and "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of many collaborations with Roberta Flack. "Where Is the Love" won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1973. At the height of his career Hathaway was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was known to not take his prescribed medication regularly enough to properly control his symptoms. On January 13, 1979, Hathaway's body was found outside the luxury hotel Essex House in New York City; his death was ruled a suicide.

Early life

Hathaway, the son of Drusella Huntley, was born in Chicago but raised with his grandmother, Martha Pitts, also known as Martha Crumwell, in the Carr Square housing project of St. Louis. Hathaway began singing in a church choir with his grandmother, a professional gospel singer, at the age of three and studying piano. He graduated from Vashon High School in 1963. Hathaway then studied music on a fine arts scholarship at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he met close friend Roberta Flack. At Howard, he was also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Hathaway formed a jazz trio with drummer Ric Powell while there but during 1967 left Howard just before completing a degree, after receiving job offers in the music business.

Career

Hathaway worked as songwriter, session musician and producer for Curtis Mayfield's Curtom Records in Chicago. He did the arrangements for hits by the Unifics ("Court of Love" and "The Beginning of My End") and took part in projects by the Staple Singers, Jerry Butler, Aretha Franklin, the Impressions and Curtis Mayfield himself. After becoming a "house producer" at Curtom, he also started recording there. Hathaway recorded his first single under his own name in 1969, a duet with singer June Conquest called "I Thank You Baby". They also recorded the duet "Just Another Reason", released as the b-side. Former Cleveland Browns president Bill Futterer, who as a college student promoted Curtom in the southeast in 1968 and 1969, was befriended by Hathaway and has cited Hathaway's influence on his later projects.

That year, Hathaway signed to Atco Records, then a division of Atlantic Records, after being spotted for the label by producer/musician King Curtis at a trade convention. He released his first single of note, "The Ghetto, Pt. 1", which he co-wrote with former Howard roommate Leroy Hutson, who became a performer, writer and producer with Curtom. The track appeared the following year on his critically acclaimed debut LP, Everything Is Everything, which he co-produced with Ric Powell while also arranging all the cuts. His second LP, Donny Hathaway, consisted mostly of covers of contemporary pop, soul, and gospel songs. His third album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway was an album of duets with former Howard University associate and label mate Roberta Flack that established him, especially on the pop charts. The album was both a critical and commercial success, including the Ralph MacDonald-penned track "Where Is The Love", which proved to be not only an R&B success, but also scored Top Five on the pop Hot 100. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on September 5, 1972. The album also included a number of other covers, including versions of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend", "Baby I Love You", originally a hit for Aretha Franklin, and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling".

Perhaps Hathaway's most influential recording is his 1972 album, Live, which has been termed "one of the best live albums ever recorded" by Daryl Easlea of the BBC. The album can also be found on the British online music and culture magazine The Quietus' list of "40 Favourite Live Albums". It was recorded at two concerts: side one at The Troubadour in Hollywood, and side two at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.

Donny Hathaway is also known as the co-composer and performer of the Christmas standard, "This Christmas". The song, released in 1970, has become a holiday staple and is often used in movies, television and advertising. "This Christmas" has been covered by numerous artists across diverse musical genres, including The Whispers, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Alexander O'Neal, Christina Aguilera, Chicago, Harry Connick, Jr., Dru Hill, *NSYNC, Gloria Estefan, Boney James, The Cheetah Girls, Chris Brown, Anthony Arnett (First Baptist Bracktown Christmas Celebration), Patti LaBelle and Mary J Blige (A Mary Christmas, album 2013), Seal, and Train.

Hathaway followed this flurry of work with some contributions to soundtracks, along with his recording of the theme song to the TV series Maude. He also composed and conducted music for the 1972 soundtrack of the movie Come Back Charleston Blue. In the mid-1970s, he also produced albums for other artists including Cold Blood, where he expanded the musical range of lead singer Lydia Pense.

His final studio album, Extension of a Man came out in 1973 with two tracks, "Love Love Love" and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" reaching both the pop and R&B charts. However, it was probably best noted for his classic ballad, "Someday We'll All Be Free" and a six-minute symphonic-styled instrumental piece called "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry". He told UK music journalist David Nathan in 1973, "I always liked pretty music and I've always wanted to write it." Added the writer, "He declined to give one particular influence or inspiration but said that Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky were amongst whom he studied."

He returned to the charts in 1978 after again teaming up with Roberta Flack for a duet, "The Closer I Get to You" on her album, Blue Lights in the Basement. The song topped the R&B chart and just missed the number 1 spot on the Hot 100 (reaching #2). Atlantic then put out another solo single, "You Were Meant For Me" shortly before his sudden death.Liner notes for later releases of his final solo album explain: "Donny is no longer here, but the song "Someday We'll All Be Free" gathers momentum as part of his legacy... Donny literally sat in the studio and cried when he heard the playback of his final mix. It's pretty special when an artist can create something that wipes them out." Edward Howard, lyricist of the song, adds, "It was a spiritual thing for me... What was going through my mind at the time was Donny, because Donny was a very troubled person. I hoped that at some point he would be released from all that he was going through. There was nothing I could do but write something that might be encouraging for him. He's a good leader for young black men".

Personal life

FamilyHathaway met his wife, Eulaulah, at Howard University and they married in 1967. They had two daughters, Eulaulah Donyll (Lalah) and Kenya. Lalah has enjoyed a successful solo career, while Kenya is a session singer and one of the three backing vocalists on the hit TV program American Idol. Both daughters are graduates of the Berklee College of Music.Mental illnessDuring the best part of his career, Hathaway began to suffer from severe bouts of depression. It was found that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and was known to take strong medication daily to try to control the illness. However, Eulaulah Hathaway has said that her husband was frequently less than diligent about following his prescription regimen. Donnita Hathaway has said that her mother gave her similar information about her father, saying that when he took his medication, he was generally fine, but that when he did not, it was impossible for her to deal with him. Over the course of the 1970s, Hathaway's mental instability wreaked havoc on his life and required several hospitalizations. The effects of his depression and melancholia also drove a wedge in his and Flack's friendship; they did not reconcile for several years, and did not release additional music until the successful release of "The Closer I Get To You" in 1978. Flack and Hathaway then resumed studio recording to compose a second album of duets.

Death

Sessions for another album of duets were underway in 1979. On January 13 of that year, Hathaway began a recording session at which producers/musicians Eric Mercury and James Mtume were present. Mercury and Mtume each reported that although Hathaway's voice sounded good, he began behaving irrationally, seeming to be paranoid and delusional. According to Mtume, Hathaway said that "white people" were trying to kill him and had connected his brain to a machine, for the purpose of stealing his music and his sound. Given Hathaway's behavior, Mercury said that he decided the recording session could not continue, so he aborted it and all of the musicians went home.Hours later, Hathaway was found dead on the sidewalk below the window of his 15th-floor room in New York's Essex House hotel. It was reported that he had jumped from his balcony. The glass had been neatly removed from the window and there were no signs of struggle, leading investigators to rule that Hathaway's death was a suicide. However, his friends were mystified, considering that his career had just entered a resurgence. Flack was devastated and, spurred by his death, included the few duet tracks they had finished on her next album, Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway. According to Mercury, Hathaway's final recording, included on that album, was "You Are My Heaven", a song Mercury co-wrote with Stevie Wonder.Hathaway's funeral was conducted by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Later in 1979, the Whispers recorded the tribute song, "Song for Donny", for their self-titled breakthrough album. The song reached #21 on the R&B chart.

Legacy and influence

Hathaway has been widely praised for his voice. Justin Timberlake calls him "the best singer of all time." Raúl Midón said that Hathaway is "the strongest soul singer that ever existed" and compares his vocal technique to a classical singer. "When Donny sings any song, he owns it," David Ritz quotes Stevie Wonder as having said. Amy Winehouse called Hathaway her favorite artist of all time. She mentioned him in her hit "Rehab” and covered several of his songs. Hathaway's work including Donny Hathaway Live, which featured noted R&B musicians Willie Weeks (bass), Fred White (drums), Mike Howard (guitar), Phil Upchurch (lead guitar side 1), Cornell Dupree (lead guitar side 2) and Earl DeRouen (percussion), has been cited as an influence by numerous other artists including John Legend, D'Angelo, Mary J. Blige, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Jon B., Chris Brown, Nas, Common, Beyoncé, George Benson, Victor Wooten, India.Arie, Jon Gibson, Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight, Anthony Hamilton, Usher, John Mayer, Led Zeppelin, Freddie Jackson and Frank McComb. Hathaway's use of the Rhodes Piano on his early Atco R&B recordings has also influenced many neo soul artists & producers.A second live album called In Performance, released in 1980 following his death, also included tracks recorded at venues in Los Angeles and New York between 1971 and 1973, showing Hathaway to be a fine stage performer. Later, in 2004, selected tracks from these two albums were added to previously unreleased live recordings for These Songs for You, Live!.For Record Store Day 2014, Live at the Bitter End 1971 was released on 180g vinyl as a numbered, limited edition. This album marks the first time this 1971 performance at The Bitter End has been released on vinyl, previously appearing on the CD release of the 2013 career anthology, Never My Love. The 21-minute recording of "Everything is Everything" had never been released before on any format and was an exclusive track to this release.

Discography

Studio albumsLive albumsSoundtrack albumsCompilation albumsSinglesWith Phil Upchurch

Upchurch (Cadet, 1969)

The Way I Feel (Cadet, 1970)

Tributes

On soul group the Whispers' 1980 self-titled album, the group paid homage with "Song for Donny", written by fellow soul singer Carrie Lucas. The song was set to the melody of Hathaway's "This Christmas".

In 1999 Aaron Hall recorded a brief tribute version of "Someday We'll All Be Free" on the third album for his group Guy titled Guy III, with Teddy Riley and Damion Hall.

In September 2001, Alicia Keys performed "Someday We'll All Be Free" on the 9/11 televised tribute concert America: A Tribute to Heroes.

In 2005, neo-soul singer songwriter guitarist, Raul Midón (Blue Note) worked with Hathaway's longtime producer Arif Mardin (known for collaborations with the Bee Gees, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Norah Jones, and Aretha Franklin) and created a tribute song to Hathaway called "Sittin' in the Middle".

In her 2006 song "Rehab", Amy Winehouse sings of learning from "Mr. Hathaway" instead of going to rehab.

In 2007, Deniece Williams covered "Someday We'll All Be Free" for her Love, Niecy Style album. Williams later shared that she broke down in tears in the studio while recording.

In 2008, Ed Pavlic published Winners Have Yet to Be Announced (University of Georgia Press), poems re-imagining the life of Donny Hathaway.

The song "What a Catch, Donnie", from Fall Out Boy's fourth studio album, Folie à Deux (2008), is named for Hathaway and mentions Roberta Flack, his writing partner.

Bizzy Bone's song entitled "A Song for You", is a track that includes an interpolation of Donny Hathaways's original recording of the same name.

In the 2013 song "Classic", band MKTO references writing songs "like Hathaway".

Wikipedia 

[bawnjourno]

here’s a lindsey buckingham interview from the august 1992 issue of request magazine :)

Going His Own Way: ‘Out of the Cradle’ proves Lindsey Buckingham is not a kid anymore

by Jerry McCulley

It’s nearly been five years since Lindsey Buckingham bid adieu to Fleetwood Mac, the bluesy English band that he helped transform into a commercial juggernaut during the ‘70s and ‘’80s, but, he notes, the band’s enduring impact is virtually impossible to elude. “People come up to me sometimes and say, ‘Oh, you look so different! I went home and looked at my Rumours album, and you don’t look like that.’’ Indeed, the beard he wore 15 years ago is now gone, the once bushy halo of hair, now flecked with gray, is trimmed neatly above his ears. “I tell them, ‘I was Jeff Lynne then,’’ he says with a laugh.

The tall, rail-thin Buckingham finishes his coffee and sips a bottle of spring water. Maybe it’s the caffeine, but he seems a little nervous and self-conscious talking about the success of Fleetwood Mac and the lovingly crafted solo albums - 1981′s Law and Order, 1984′s Go Insane, and the current Out of the Cradle - that success has allowed him to produce.

At 42, Buckingham has kept his fame in good-humored perspective. “Now you get these cute girls coming up to you saying, ‘My mom used to love your albums,’’ he says, noting Fleetwood Mac’s transgenerational appeal. “Then they say, ‘She’s 60′!”

Growing up in the cozy, upper-middle-class community of Atherton, California, Buckingham picked up his older brother Gregg’s love of Elvis and the competitive spirit that led Gregg to a berth on the 1968 Olympic Swim Team.

As a youngster, Buckingham taught himself to play guitar, apparently with the same deliberate solitude that has characterized his more recent recording habits. It wasn’t until college that he finally joined a band, Fritz. Buckingham played bass because “somebody else owned a ‘Fuzz Face’ [distortion box] so he got to play lead.”

Fritz’ vocalist, Stevie Nicks, would have a lasting impact on Buckingham’s life. When the band folded, a musical and romantic partnership blossomed between the two. Following time-honored tradition, they moved to Los Angeles to seek their fortune, which started promisingly enough with a Polydor record deal. But their first album, Buckingham/Nicks, bombed, and they found themselves on a dismal tour of coffeehouses arranged by ambitious managers who promised they would soon move up in the world to the steak-house circuit.

In addition to this crash course in rock management, Buckingham had his eyes opened to the surreal vision of certain record company executives. “The record was doing nothing,” he says. “The guy who handled A&R at that time had no clue as to what that album was about. He said, ‘You know, you guys are really on the wrong track here. Maybe you ought to think about doing something like this. And he puts on a 45 of Jim Stafford’s ‘Spiders & Snakes’! The hit du jour. How can you top something like that?”

A series of unexpectedly successful concert dates started a change of fortune. “We became a cult kind of thing,” Buckingham says. “We were starving in L.A., but we could go and headline for 5,000 people in the South.” Rather than continue as a duo, Buckingham and Nicks decided to join an English trio consisting of drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, and McVie’s wife, keyboardist/singer Christine McVie. The group’s 1975 album, Fleetwood Mac, was a hit, but nothing compared to the multiplatinum monster that Rumours would become just two years later. With a chart longevity rivaling Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, the album became both a holy cow on rock radio and, at least for Buckingham, an albatross.

Rumours’ phenomenal success came with a hefty personal price tag. The McVie’s marriage hit the rocks, while the Buckingham/Nicks partnership became strictly musical and distinctly edgy.

“It was shitty in some ways having two couples who had split apart and had to keep their priorities in place. We were doing an important thing, and we had to follow through on it. [The attitude was,] ‘I don’t really want to see you, but I guess I have to.’”

How much creative energy came out of the band’s conflicts? “I can’t tell. All I know is that it was five strong people who sparked off each other. Mick and I were always getting something going onstage or in the studio, reinforcing each other’s rock ‘n’ roll spirit and male spirit, which was not always easy to come by with two girls in the band. John and I never had much rapport as musicians or as people. Mick and I did.

“It was hard for me to see Stevie in a positive light for a long time. She and I came down here [to L.A.] together. She was a great writer and singer. I was the one who was able to shape it into something that had cohesiveness and made good records out of it. It was tough to see her get selected [for fame] and still be doing what I was doing for her but not feeling like I was being understood.

“During Rumours, it was like Michael Jackson land. It was the phenomenon that people were talking about and not the music. That wasn’t a very good situation to feel that you were keeping yourself honest. My reaction to that in a lot of ways was Tusk.”

A deliciously experimental and, yes, self-indulgent triple album, Tusk confounded expectations, especially those of the record-buying public. By any other standards, it was a respectable seller; compared to Rumours, it was a colossal failure. Not surprisingly, it’s Buckingham’s favorite record.

If Tusk was a deliberate attempt to subvert the massive commercial success and stratospheric expectations spawned by Rumours, then Out Of The Cradle is a well-considered left turn from mechanical chart fodder. “I think in some ways the album is a tiny bit reactionary, which is something that people don’t think is a good thing. But then you hear how sterile some of these [modern hits] are. There’s nothing wrong with a drum machine. It ain’t what you got; it’s what you do with it. Peter Gabriel is a good example of someone who has taken very tech elements and never will you hear a hint of Spike Jones on anything he’s done. There’s no sense of it being so senseless or sensationalistic the way a lot of people will use the technology so that it’s almost a cartoon.”

Though quiet and self-effacing when speaking of his own music, Buckingham’s enthusiasm is more apparent when he’s asked about one of his heroes, Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson. “Who wouldn’t love someone who was writing ‘In My Room’ at age 19? I should be so lucky to ever write something so beautiful.”

Buckingham’s admiration turned to collaboration when he was asked to work on sessions for Brian Wilson, the pop genuis’ critically hailed if commercially disappointing 1988 solo album. (”He Couldn’t Get His Poor Old Body To Move,” a slightly loopy paean to exercise, was issued as a B-side single.)

But it’s clear that Buckingham’s memories of the period are bittersweet. “I felt bad the time I was down at his sessions. He was so much in the clutches of [Wilson’s controversial doctor/business partner, Eugene] Landy that he was convinced, you know, that everyone was saying, ‘Brian’s brain dead.’ That’s not the case, I don’t think. At one of the sessions, we were standing out in the studio. Everyone else was out in the control room, and we were [talking about old Beach Boys songs], and he says, ‘I just can’t do that complicated stuff anymore.’ And then he sat down and plated ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ on the piano! Landy had him convinced that he was way past it; this is my interpretation. Of course, he was totally controlled and totally captured.”

Buckingham seems to have drawn on some of Wilson’s creative instincts in painstakingly piecing together Out of the Cradle in a studio atmosphere that can best be described as monklike. It was a time of slowly “blocking colors out, sketching things out so maybe the canvas will start to tell you what it’s about. There’s a certain idea of trying to break things up into little segments of sound, to be a little cubistic.

“Part of what may be one of my strengths is some of the narrow vision that solitude brings. You’re not getting too influenced by what everyone else is getting influenced by. Being in the band all that time was such an insulating thing; it was a microcosm, a world unto itself. Just dealing with those people kept you busy pretty much all the time.”

Buckingham hesitantly calls his new work mature. “There are references on this record that would make sense if you were watching a Fred Astaire movie or something that bypassed R&B altogether, that went back to a Tin Pan Alley sensibility.

“There’s still a lot of that adolescent thing in me jumping around. But you are what you are. Forty-two is not a kid anymore, but at the same time I feel better than I did 10 years ago,” he says with a laugh. “Which isn’t saying a lot.”

[sargenthouse]

Interview with Dylan Carlson of Earth

Interview via Echoes & Dust From soundwaves to landscapes, the sonic experience conjured up by Earth is both a meditative and an immersive one. From having laid the root foundations of rock’s infamous exercise in extreme minimalism with the classic Earth 2: Special Low-Frequency Version, the Seattle-born earth-shakers have braced through the decades carrying a legacy of slow, heavy riffs and long, introspective song-structures with a strong emphasis on repetition. The band has kept their pace slow and steady whilst branching out into a multitude of directions, ranging from stoner rock on Pentastar: In the Style of Demons to the esoteric desert-rock musings on Primitive and Deadly. For the band’s first record in over five years, leading member Dylan Carlson has decided to strip things down for a back-to-basics, raw approach, working as a duo alongside drummer Adrienne Davies to harken back to Earth’s core sound. We caught up with Dylan ahead of his solo performance at Paris’ Sonic Protest Festival to ask about his upcoming record, as well as learn more about his approach to sound and music playing.

E&D: Last time you were scheduled to perform in Paris, you unfortunately had to cancel due to some serious medical emergency. How have you been, how is your health?

DC: I’m much better. It was a gallbladder infection, so I was put on a bunch of antibiotics and I did a bunch of tests to clear it up. I’m fine now.

E&D: Welcome back to France. I understand your mother speaks French, by the way. Is that right?

DC: Yeah, that’s true.

E&D: You grew up moving around many different places, including in Europe. Have you ever lived in France?

DC: No, we lived in Germany, but we visited a lot because my mum liked Paris. The first year, we lived in Ramstein, which is basically just an airbase. Then we lived in Augsburg, Bavaria for three years. It’s an hour away from Munich. I also lived another year in Wiesbaden, which is by Frankfurt. We used to travel a lot. We went to the United Kingdom a lot, too, because we had relatives in Scotland. This was in the Seventies. We came back to the States in 1980. I was in first grade, so this was between the age of six to eleven. We were in American schools though.

E&D: May 24 will mark the release date of the first Earth record in five years, Full Upon Her Burning Lips. Back in 2014, you stated that you had already had started sketching out three songs for the follow-up toPrimitive and Deadly. Have you kept these ideas for this new album or have they been used for your solo and side projects?

DC: They were kept. Generally, when I come up with stuff, it will be earmarked for whatever project it was originally meant for. We played a couple of the ones that ended up on the album a few times live. We played one of the two songs at Hellfest in 2014. Two other songs were developed from playing live and held over. We also did a live soundtrack in Gent for Belladonna of Sadness and we tweaked and kept one of the tracks we performed. The rest of the material was pretty much done a month before we went into the studio. So basically there had been three tracks that had been bouncing around for a while and the bulk of it was done really quickly right before the studio sessions. I came up with a lot of the arrangements in the studio, too.

E&D: Since Primitive and Deadly, you’ve released three solo albums and a collaborative album with The Bug. Did you originally plan on taking this ‘hiatus’ in between Earth albums?

DC: When we did Primitive and Deadly, it was the end of our relationship with Southern Lord. We had just gotten new management with Cathy from Sargent House. I knew it would be a bit of a while before the next Earth album came about. Things had to settle down and we had to test the waters, see who was interested in us. I had this other material that I thought would be a good solo record. It also gave me a chance to work with Sargent House as a label. Cathy was our manager but we weren’t with the label up until that point. It gave us a chance to do a solo project and a chance to work with Emma Ruth Rundle. It just kind of happened, I guess. It seemed like a good time to do it.

E&D: Coming into writing and recording this record, did you have any initial ideas or a particular head-space that guided you?

DC: This album was actually a bit different, in that I’d usually have a super strong conceptual idea that precedes the record. The records started out concept-heavy, but now it seems like I write music faster than I come up with concepts! [laughs] The concepts reveal themselves in the music more than the concept guides the writing of the music. This record came really fast because we decided we were going to do it with the core of the band, which is me and Adrienne. I ended up playing bass on the record. It was time to show what Earth can do with its core elements, as we’ve had so many members and guests join us over the year. We had been doing a lot of playing and writing in our practise space, just the two of us, and when it came time to do the album I figured “Let’s just do that!”. I also felt like it was a chance for the drums to really shine on record. I think the drums have been a big part of the band live, but with all of the instrumentation and overdubs, the drums aren’t left with much space on record. The drums were typically the last in line on record. For this record, I wanted everything really upfront and present. We’ve also had records that were quite lush-sounding, but I wanted this one to be really dry and stripped.

E&D: Did going back to a two-piece formation require some time to get re-accustomed to?

DC: No, not really. We’ve been working together for so long now that we don’t really think about it. When we add people, I generally know right away whether someone is going to work or not. For the tour that we’re getting ready to do, I’ll be adding another guitarist called Tristan. We did an improv show right before I left Seattle. We interpreted some Miles Davis stuff and we just clicked right away. We met because he was my driver on my solo US tour, before I found out that he was in a band. I invited him to jam and do this join, and now he’s joined the band for the tour.

E&D: Do you approach working as a duo or trio differently from a strictly solo performance?

DC: I find playing with people more enjoyable, certainly, it’s more fun to explore with other people and see what happens. Playing solo is different in that it’s just you, there’s no real buffer. When you’re in a band it’s much easier to cover up mistakes and wing it I guess [laughs]. At the same time, it’s still enjoyable to just playing.

E&D: Part of what makes your shows with Earth so impressive is how “locked-in” you all are at these slow tempos. It’s as though the band followed its own organic pace, like synchronised “breathing”.

DC: Yeah, it’s not “tight” but it’s that weird kind of “loose but on’” thing. It’s not like a regimented prog thing [laughs]. I guess the best description for it, to me, is that it “flows”. You play and things just go right, everything just flows, you’re not getting in your way.

E&D: Is this something you work on with the musicians you add to your line-up or is it something that needs to naturally lock into place from the get-go?

DC: I pretty much know once we play together whether it’s going to work. They either “flow” or they don’t [laughs]. It either just works or it’s not happening. It’s not something you can force.

E&D: You mentioned that this record was written with a more open approach, without a conceptual backbone to guide the sound. Looking back on the end result, what do you “see” when listening to the record?

DC: I think the album titles that came out of it give a general idea. I wanted this album to be more “witchy”, so to speak, with magical plants and animals. I think that it has a very strong feminine energy involved with it. I feel like the music industry in general, and rock in particular, can be very unbalanced and hyper-masculine, and I think it’s reflected in society now, too. We’ve had this hyper-masculine society for so long now. If you hear a band like Metallica, there’s no hint of the feminine anywhere in their music, lyrically or conceptually. It’s this super-weird, “hyper-male bubble”. To me, music, in addition to being intellectual and emotional, is also sensual – especially rock and blues music. It’s from the hips as well! [laughs] I was trying to tap into that side of existence more on this record than on previous ones.

E&D: I was going to say that I did feel some hints of what you mentioned when I first heard Primitive and Deadly.

DC: Yeah, it definitely started with that record, and I feel like it’s reached fuller expression with this one.

E&D: When it came to prepping the recording sessions, what guided your decisions regarding the gear and sound you wanted for the album?

DC: I basically used what I use live. Sometimes it’s nice to have a million choices for overdubs and whatnot, but for this one I just stripped it down. It forces you to be more creative with the materials that you do choose. I just used the same gear as my live setup, which is pretty minimal. It was really exciting to get all of the variety of sounds from those, rather than looking to do overdubs with a collection of gear like on previous albums. This was how me and Randall Dunn would work. We’d have a plethora of things to choose from, whereas I wanted things to be stripped back this time. There were four or five pedals at the most, but I used them in different ways than I had previously done.

E&D: For many, myself included, your music has marked a turning point, a discovery of a new way of listening to music. Can you remember what first raised your awareness of this way of ‘processing’ music? What made you want to go down that path?

DC: I guess, musically, I would hear riffs from bands that I liked, and I’d want them to keep playing that riff. I was always wondering what would happen if you just stuck on that one riff. At the time I was heavily into metal, but I was also into King Crimson. Through the Velvet Underground, I learned about La Monte Young. It was just this idea of enjoying the repetition of stuff. I used to listen to my guitar droning and practice singing through it. I would learn how to hold a note. I had done a couple of other bands before that, and I didn’t really like them very much. As I said, it started with a conceptual thing.  Drone is a technique that’s in a bunch of different music. Indian music is probably its highest form of development, but Blues has it too with open string root notes. Maybe it’s this atavistic Scottish thing about bagpipes since I have Scotch heritage, I don’t know.

E&D: Was this on your own or in a band?

DC: It was more on my own, I guess. After my second band broke up, I just went into what I call “woodshedding”, for a couple of years. I was practising and listening to a lot of music, and thinking about what I wanted to do next. That’s where the ideas coalesced, I guess.

E&D: Any overview of drone genre inevitably mentions two figurehead acts: Earth and Sunn O))). Having met the band and having worked with them in the past, have you had an opportunity to discuss your respective approaches about the genre, what “drone” means to you?

DC: Yeah, I’ve guested on their records, but other than that they’re doing their thing and I’m doing my thing. We’re both pursuing different aspects to me. From my perspective, I view myself as always serving the music. The riff needs to be worth repeating, it’s not just about repeating it. It needs to be something that grabs people. I’m constantly concerned about increasing the melodic content and the musicality of what I do. I’m also not as concerned with being the loudest or the slowest, which I feel can reduce the music. Back when I started, the bands wanted to be the fastest bands on earth. Whenever you play something ahead of the music, the music suffers. I just always consider myself a servant of the music and a servant of the song, first and foremost.

E&D: The new album features songs that are fairly short by Earth’s standards. Given that repetition plays an important part in your music, how do you determine the length of a particular song?

DC: I guess there’s a couple of things. There’s the feeling that you’ve said what you needed to say in that length of time. A lot of the time, our songs tend to grow in length live. I sometimes view shorter songs as snapshots of longer pieces. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the physical means of reproduction limits you to a certain amount of time. People aren’t going to buy an eight-album set – you need to get it down to two LPs [laughs]. We need to consider how it’s going to fit on the vinyl.

E&D: Finishing off, can you name one of your favourite albums, movies and books?

DC: There are so many albums, it’s hard to pick just one [laughs]! I guess I’ll say Memphis Underground by Herbie Mann for the LP. Movie-wise, I’ll say Le Samouraï by Jean-Pierre Melville. Book-wise, Blood Moon by John Sedgwick.

Earth’s new album, Full Upon Her Burning Lips, is released on May 24 by Sargent House. Pre-order here…

[fridaynightbordercrossing]

An interview with  Mercado Negro

Mercado Negro, the duo integrated by brothers Martín (guitarist) and Jesús Hernández (drummer/singer), is one of the important groups in the rebirth of the 80's music scene, as well as pioneers in playing punk rock on the border. In this interview, they talk about these issues, as well as their present and several of their projects, here is the interview.

THE ROOTS...

"Martín and Jesús come from a family of musicians. Our grandfather was a troubadour for the decades of the forties and fifties, promoter also because he promoted the trio in which he participated with Pedro Vargas (later, one of the most important Mexican artists of all time)   and the first artistic caravans that came to Tijuana. From there, came another legacy, we are nephews of the legendary guitarist Lupillo Barajas, who was part of Manolo y sus Cuatro Latinos and later formed part of a very successful group, Los Tijuana Five, which was very important not only in the region but at the national level. They came out in magazines and had shows in hotels and concerts like any artist of international stature, that heritage we have. We were fortunate to grow in a 100 percent rock and roll environment. As children, we came to this building, on the second floor, where our uncles had their rehearsals"

"We had seen all the start in the Fiestas Patrias, saw everything how was done in the culture of the sixties. We were about 6 or 7 years old, we saw all that, the image of musicians with long hair and beards, but also understanding their art. We also saw this in the ballroom that my grandmother had, which was La Cueva, an artistic concept, not just a ballroom, it had paintings on the walls, so then, who was not going impact that contact with the musicians?...we watched the rehearsals,  the instruments. Since I was a child I played here in this studio, there was a piano in a corner, so there was contact with musicians and painters ".

1977: THE END OF A ROCKERA ERA

"There are four aspects that determined the death of the generation of the golden era in Tijuana, I am marking it very objectively in a research work I am doing. The first aspect is that the city grew because there was a national call for people from all over Mexico to come to work, since in the seventies it was the boom of the maquiladora industry, so people came from the most remote states, as well as the closest. These people came for the offer of government, so they came to live and work with everything and their families, people who came from Chiapas, Yucatan, Veracruz, and Jalisco. They came from towns and cities that brought their well-rooted culture, so there was a multiethnic mix of all cultures, They started looking for music and entertainment that they were used to in their city, that was a factor. We began to see more Tijuana residents who had their taste for mariachi, cumbia, merengue, bolero and romantic, we began to see a demand for that music. Let's emphasize that in the sixties, Tijuana was a rock city".

"The other aspect was that San Diego began to be profitable because it was the time of superstars and super concerts. The sixties were of the "rockstars", but in the seventies, change to the "superstars", emerging the great phenomena of music like Kiss, who made great concerts in stadiums and arenas, when formerly they were in clubs, bars and places of medium capacity. The Tijuanenses began to go to concerts for the first time in 1977. That was a very important year because Led Zeppelin came, Black Sabbath with Van Halen opening, Rolling Stones, Yes, and Tomita, then it was a boom, including that there was not so much difficulty crossing the line and the economy was different, Hell, a ticket could be paid for 10 dollars and up to 45 dollars, then it was a new modality for Tijuana residents to go to San Diego".

"Another factor was that artists who had a well-known national reputation in the city, popular artists like Vicente Fernandez, Rigo Tovar, El Mariachi Vargas, and Banda El Recodo, became superstars and idols thanks to that migration, which was people who sought their identity. Finally, another determining factor was the disco music, because Avenida Revolución, which was the most prominent place for the musicians to develop, change their ways, since for clubs it was more profitable to buy a jukebox and have a DJ with their turntables, than to pay some musicians, since it was the salary of two bands. There was live music 24 hours a day, seven days a week as in the case of Mike's. When the generation of DJs was born, they earned more than a whole group, so, from 1977, live rock and Tijuana's generation of musicians came to an end, only very few of them survived, among them, La Cruz".

THE ROCK PUNK ARRIVES

"By 1977, we were already skating and, through skateboarding, we began to see the magazines, it was something new and fresh in Tijuana, it had to do with an attitude in rebellion. It was not the same to go skateboarding or to play basketball in the skating centers that were in fashion, that made us identify with punk since rock had become hard rock and fashion, it did not fit with the youth of Tijuana. Skateboarding and surfing practically led us to decide as young people to go along that path. There was a kind of disenchantment, a divorce or distancing between the public and the superstars, it became a division in which it was impossible to have access to rock music".

"People who wanted to be a musician wanted to maintain the spirit or nostalgia of the rebellious movements of the late fifties, when the countercultural movement or the rock and roll with Elvis Presley emerged, which was something with more contact. Now, that was something impossible. Kiss was Kiss, all the superstars were inaccessible things, there was now a generation that did not care about all that, and started with "I want to be a musician and I do not care about looking like  Queen or like Elton John, I want to manifest myself ", and that, was linked well with our way of living and with our reality. Apart from that, for us, it was an absurd thing watching six-minute instrumental solos, high heels and painted musicians. That was not accessible to a tijuanense and as a youth, we grew watching hippies,  psychedelia and peace and love".

"We saw a radical and countercultural wave that fought for Vietnam, we did not understand it, but we saw that generation,  our uncles were there and we came to see that transformation. At this point, watching the platform shoes and pants below the waist, for us without being punks, it was like watching clowns, with 10 minutes of drum solo and 20 of keyboard solo and opera voices, we felt that as decadent, I could not be liking that.  We had from San Diego two stations, KGB that was rock music and KCBQ that was country and ballads, both started to like in Tijuana and we did not like it,  that did not satisfy us. When we started listening to punk rock, we got excited, we said: "we are for this". It was the simplicity of being able to reach and be able to identify with a skateboard, you identified with a group,  and it was accessible".

"This is how we were fully identified with this new refreshing musical movement, since with it comes the birth of groups like Ramones and The Sex Pistols, in addition to the ones that emerged afterward like The Stranglers and Dead Kennedys, which emerge with a very primitive and basic musical proposal, as in its beginning was rock, as in the sixties it was with The Who, Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Once again, in the late seventies, a new proposal was emerging that returned to its roots, with that rebelliousness, but at the same time, with a more energetic freshness. It was a movement antagonistic to everything that made us decadent and that was gradually evolving both in the intellectual and ideological concept. In the musical concept, it is very important to get across the point that The Clash releases the Sandinista album, a triple album that had a lot of roots of what would later evolve into a lot of influences of the Rock En Tu Idioma movement".    

"That musical evolution was also very good because that's where new wave also came from. At the time,  there were the super keyboardists of Yes and all that movement, apart from the techno, that made us not like the keyboards, but all the technology was developed to an impressive level and the synthesizer guitar, keyboards, and sequencers began to be used. The look of the bands broke with what was established, a whole Hollywood movement is made with punk hairstyles, taking into account that some said that this was going to be dead, it was predicted for a lifespan of four years. In addition, by way of mockery, it was said thatanybody could do a group on a snap"

PIONEERING

"From 1977 to 1981 there was an absence of live music here in the city, an almost total absence because the only survivors were  (hard rockers) La Cruz and a progressive rock band called Camaleón. By 77, La Cruz began to tour to Sonora, to Baja California Sur, even to Sinaloa, they began to open their own circuit. In Camaleón, the Muzquiz Brothers participated (later, integrating punk rock band Los Negativos), they did it for love of the music more than for having a constancy, their concerts were very sporadic, and since they were wealthy people, they did it out of love for art. For 1981, as lovers of rock music and live concerts, we decided to make our own music, very motivated because hardcore music was having a boom in California, since the first and the best groups arose there, like Dead Kennedys, TSOL, White China, Black Flag, and Circle Jerks, we had all that influence and we went to the concerts in Fairmont Hall. Suddenly, we could not go for the interracial fights. We decided that if we could no longer see the groups, then someone has to play, we have fever and hunger and so it was that to cover a basic need.  Without projecting it, we fostered a new musical movement that had a very singular thing, that was that the first punk rock or rock groups from Tijuana had the very specific peculiarity of composing and interpreting their songs in Spanish. Let it be well marked and in capital letters, that Rock En Tu Idioma reached 1987 to Tijuana, but since 1981, six years before, we were already doing it".

"Since 1979 we tried to make a group, but we were very young and the older guys did not want to do it. In 1980, I made an event that has a lot to do with this, it was in the ETI 24 Alba Roja, from this school the first show comes out in 1980 with pure new wave and punk music, being the first high school to do something like that and that's where everything was turned on. Around 1981 we had already made several attempts to do something, but besides that we were very young, we did not have the resources, in fact, the youngest was the one who got  the instruments to make the band, those who worked they did not make the effort, then, the youngest ones were who put everything together ".

"The peculiarity of the eighties, was that we segregated our own movement, we did our parties and we danced the pogo dance, which was popularized by the Ramones, it was a less violent dance with less physical contact. We were several, we were not limited, we were numerous, the gangs got together and that's how it grew. At a certain moment, the scene was very generous, we were lucky that the venues were open to us. We made events, hiring the salons, making the contracts, the formats from three months before to get the Seguro Social Theater. Booking the Calafornix Theater was a very simple thing, because apart, we were students, then, there was no difficulty to play in a CBTIS, Prepa Federal. That was in institutions and schools, not to mention the public places, and very different than now, they asked us if we wanted to play and even, offered to pay us".  

"What was part of the punk rock attitude was to take for us the cultural institutions. In those days it was Mercado Negro in the Theater of the IMSS, the UABC or the Casa De La Cultura, it was because we took them, we went and they put a thousand and one obstacles, they made you sign a 90-day contract, you were responsible for this and the other, sign a series of ridiculous conditions. Actually, it was our dream to play there, to take those spaces as punk rockers. Now they have another vision, we respect them, but people say, "well, they have the government logo", but then we say that those institutions are really ours, they are public spaces for everyone".

ANTAGONISM

"You have to consider for that antagonism, that punk rock was not only music that the police wanted to repress, but also has an ideology that is countercultural and the cultural and artistic instances consider all cultural manifesto as part of art. It was also a whole concept involved, it was a counterpart where they said, "you dress in that way", yes, but it was a manifestation of art that has a philosophical and ideological content that deserves to be considered to participate in this type of instances, in this type of forums, they are obligated to have you for something, they could not avoid it, they could not take it from you away at all. We were part of those who fight for it, Luis Guereña was one who fought to open the UABC Theater not only for us, for the Tijuana residents beyond the punk rock movement. It was not only forbidden to play punk rock, but it was forbidden to play rock in those places, being punk rock the most radical, because the police and the system did not want us".

"They took the press so that the newspapers would cover the events. For example, there were two sides of the press, one, which covers the scandal of some police officers that seize a punk kid that got beat up and raped, they banish him and he has to go to Los Angeles, that's the journalistic note with a sensationalistic side on the hardcore side. For the punk rock, the artistic one is done with stuff like the concert began ten seconds later, that there was a small crowd and that there was a yawn. You begin to be judged from the media, especially Zeta, in that way for being a local punk rock artist, a style was made with a review of that type, and that was applied to us. We come to "innovate" for that journalism that was made at the national level,  that was most used for judging the big musicians.  The punks arrived to innovate the culture of Tijuana at the journalistic level and equal to the level of police repression because they had no work.  Before they used to beat up the cholos, then, the punks arrived and they changed their targets. The cholos breathed, but paradoxically the cholos ceased and the punks still are around. Now it is not like before, now you can walk all tattooed with piercings and purple hair, maybe they make fun of you. Now, if you walk in normal clothes they could target you because they see the possibility of taking out your money. There are now kindergartners bringing their mohawks and it is accepted in schools, they even look beautiful".

THE FIRST RECORD

"For the first album, we took off a year with several implications that would have been different if we had released it out on time. A single year at the artistic level is like  about ten years. The musical careers of the young artists are very short, at least in the music industry, the companies sign you for five years and the representation companies give you short contracts. Losing a year artistically is losing a lot of ground, however, the expectation that was generated with respect to the presentation of the album it opened many doors, and motivated other Tijuana groups to look for the same. It remains a highmark for a whole generation".  

THE SCENE  

"By 1987, after a resurgence of the scene that had already begun in form, all the groups of Tijuana, without exception, began to visualize the music as an art, as a way to stand out and not only in the community but in a larger scale. There was a very serious attitude toward music, the musicians started to evolve because they began to act like professionals.  All the groups charged money to promoters, but, with the offer, they were giving back their best effort. When you saw bands like Armagedón, you knew that you would go to see a very professional image and above all, enjoy a good musical performance with a nice sound and stage, it had the same level of quality as the shows in San Diego. You went and watched Elena Coker with very great musicians or a group like Mercado Negro and you got something really good to enjoy, because that was the ideology, a very serious and professional attitude towards music, to such a degree that the groups took possession of the cultural instances such as the CECUT and La Casa De La Cultura. The press and the media, when they looked at the bands, considered them very serious. That enriched the cultural scene and the new generations wanted to be like the bands on stage".  

THE CONQUEST OF ROCK EN TU IDIOMA

"The decade of the eighties culminates with a conquest. Rock En Tu Idioma arrived, it began to infiltrate radio stations. The cultural and artistic promoters began to realize that there was a new movement that had implications with the new youth, so they were mixing it with the popular music of the adolescents. Around 1989, there are three big concerts, Soda Stereo in the Auditorium with the Doble Vida tour, Caifanes with the El Diablito tour and with La Negra Tomasa song and the Coca Cola tour with Mana, Fobia and Rostros Ocultos. These three concerts were a determining factor in what would follow, it shook the local scene, because the new generations of musicians who emerged in the late eighties and early nineties, had an identity crisis. The movement that was well enriched in Tijuana, but suddenly it had a mirage. They began to follow the rock proposed by the new record companies. They made you change the concept,  breaking with all the identity of Tijuana. Many people went and started doing well, giving up their principles by grabbing something quick".

"That was a preamble to what would come in the nineties, which was a struggle of definitions and trends. On the one hand, there was the new musical current of grunge and all the ideology that was completely opposed to the ideology of do-it-yourself and imposes apathy, disinterest. On the other hand, Rock In Tu Idioma becomes too castrated, to say, without strength, without a message to the conscience. All that was a shock to the Tijuana movement and I imagine that happened in other border cities. By then Mercado Negro began to join the group of artists that we met and began to have links with painters, actors, poets, and musicians of other genres. We formed a community of propositive Tijuana artists and we began to do events together and it was a kind of coexistence with very interesting things that came up, suddenly you saw Mercado Negro on a theatrical performance. "

REJECTION

"In the eighties, we played a lot, once a week and we wore out. We started to play differently and to musicalize plays, movies, poems, to do electronic music. We played with some pads and synthesizers, we did other things. We left the circle of playing punk rock and hardcore, tired of the fights, the same concerts, the same crowd, and the same music. On the one hand, there was some kind of rejection, but on the other hand no. It's like the brothers, because here there were two very strong movements,   It's like the big families, the two brothers are always fighting, always envious, always putting obstacles and competing, then the brother says, "You know, I'm leaving the house, because I can not stand it anymore and I'm always fighting with you, because You're my brother and I do not want to get to hate you, I'm leaving the house".  You take the decision to leave the house and suddenly the brother who repudiated you and who competes so much, goes and cries and says "no, don't leave us".  Something similar happened to us, when we took the path of expanding our horizons and fortify our link with other ramifications of art, we began to feel that kind of situation that you mention to us".

"Curious, a door was closed, but many more were opened. The rejection was always understandable, more like envy than a competition. The competition had ended because they were two different genres, very opposed, where the journalistic note was inclined to that, to that type of stuff, but we were proposing another level that you did not find in the other movement. To some extent it was like envy because you can not take as rejection being selected to the National Theater Showcase in Monterrey, hanging out with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin or playing at the CECUT Theater. I do not see it as rejection, but nevertheless, among the people, there was a certain admiration and recognition that they are there and we are here and we can not get there".

THE NINETIES: THE DECADE OF DARKNESS

"In the nineties, we stopped participating with the group of artists, as we began to expand and to experiment with jazz. We came to fall with my uncle Lupillo in a project called Pillos Trío, which subsequently, evolved to Guadalupe Barajas Jazz Quartet or the Jazz Quartet with some prestigious guests. With this quartet we had very good presentations, helped us to musically progress and evolve. Our contribution to rock music ceased to be fundamental since in that decade we were displaced, not just us, also Armagedón and La Cruz were in that sense, there was a blackout".

"A new stream of tijuanenses musicians emerged, they got involved in the system and it was time for bands like Tijuana NO! and Julieta Venegas who were successful and were prominent rock stars. It was a decade of darkness for the local bands, they imposed the system and took out the groups of the eighties that had experience. There were displaced by that rock "españolero" that was within the system. We did not want to fall into that and got involved in jazz and other things. We did not stop playing, but they were sporadic presentations, for example, we went to Mexico City with the concept of jazz and we also played punk rock, and the extra was that Lupillo Barajas played rock and roll with Mercado Negro, we made a big impression there, but it was only once, we should have done it more".

"Unfortunately the globalization of art, culture and politics and everything, caused that those who had a proposal became a product. In the decade of the nineties that change was created, it was a chemical soup that affected everything, the propositive artists became musical products, and just as the commercial food products have an expiration date, the musical products had their validity. The record companies started making contracts for five years and things like that. So, then, the only alternative to being able to survive was to continue playing, to continue expanding our horizons and it was that we fully entered jazz to be able to give it some validity. We made sporadic presentations of the Mercado Negro, maybe, once a year or twice. That's how we managed to survive that dark decade. We had good presentations, we were supported by jazz musicians and we presented something unattainable, that also counts a lot so that they do not take you seriously. While the others were very simple, we were proposing very radical things, so then, we did not enter there with them. It was good the idea to overcome you musically, but at the same time, you did not enter into the taste of the people either".

THE NEW MILLENNIUM

"In 1999 it was a year that put things in perspective, because everybody was with the idea that the world was going to end, and even Nostradamus becomes famous. The means of production become accessible and we set up this studio for recording and production. We produced groups and then, we decided to make our first CD entitled Sobreviviendo with four songs. We joined musicians of the nineties such as Alejandro Perales, Miguel Arce, and Jesús Laborin, we started to give continuity to the band, since we had the hope that the industry perspective would take a turn, we allowed ourselves to give another try. Later, some people came from Los Angeles with a project called Mexamerica, where musicians from the old school of Latin and Chicano rock like Willy Herron and Los Illegals, Jesús Martínez and others invited us to record. We make this record, where also other musicians from Tijuana were involved. It was presented in the city of Los Angeles and with a lot of good vibe, we continue to play live".

"In 2002, two very important things happened. Luis Guereña, who was the promoter of the punk rock scene and who subsequently formed part of Chantaje and now played with Tijuana NO!, leaves this band for ideological reasons. In that same year, Joe Strummer, leader of The Clash dies. We think of doing homage in remembrance with musicians of Tijuana NO! who were with the project vacated, since Cecilia Bastida and Luis Guereña were the protagonists of that project. Alejandro Zúñiga and Jorge Jiménez were in recess, we have an approach and together, we decided to do the Joe Strummer tribute project. We started to make a series of presentations and amalgamate, there is chemistry. Then, I proposed to do a project where it has nothing to do with any of the two bands, and in fact, we did it, musicians from La Borrasca like Cesar Ortega and Miguel Arce joined us. It was a project of six musicians, unfortunately, when we were about to record and do things more seriously, the project imploded".

"For 2003, we were just Alejandro, Martín, Jesús and Jorge, it's the time when the proposal to tour Europe for Tijuana NO! came out, but Alejandro mentioned that the group was dismembered. Then he proposed that Mercado Negro should be part of this project that could be a collective of different players. We played music from Tijuana NO!, from Mercado Negro and from the tribute to Joe  Strummer, that's how the European tour comes about, wherein a moment, musicians from Tijuana NO! play music from Mercado Negro and vice versa, it was a very interesting project. Returning, the rest of the invited musicians return to their own projects and we continue with the idea of ​​a tribute to The Clash".

"Beginning in 2004, Luis Guereña dies too and the remainder of Tijuana NO! is reunited to make a posthumous tribute and we also participate in these events. By 2005, Tijuana NO! does a mini tour of Germany and we go our own way again. Mercado Negro continues rehearsing and suddenly, Jorge Jiménez visits us and starts playing music of the project he had with Luis Guereña, we accompany him  jamming and he tells us, "let's make a project" and we tell him to let us present to the public the music of Luis Guereña, a totally new thing with the concept that he had of Tixuanarkia, that for questions of legal implications, we modified it to Agresores. Since it was a very own concept of Luis Guereña, we did not want to get involved in that kind of situations, that's why we named it Agresores, having a lifespan of almost four years, from 2004 to 2007. After Jorge Jiménez left the project, we still gave it some continuity to cover a series of commitments that we had already agreed upon. The project had a great impact, very professional, competitive at an international level. The musical evolution of Jorge Jiménez in this particular genre, with the support we gave him, could have been a very symbolic thing internationally, unfortunately, the project was lost ".

CONTINUING  

"Since we are vocation musicians and since we have little more than thirty years playing, we have returned from 2008 to the present to continue with our project that is Black Market / Mercado Negro for the simple fact that we are what we are. We do not have the idea of ​​wanting to go on MTV or something like that. Perhaps the age, sooner rather than later, will prevents us from giving continuity to the project, because when you get older, it's already a little out of context, but the music of Mercado Negro seeks to be focused on the conscience of the human being, we are not at a certain age for a certain genre or audience, we have always made timeless music, it is music that has no expiration".

XXX ANNIVERSARY

"The Tijuana Cultural Center and the Municipal Institute of Art and Culture sheltered the XXX Anniversary project, whose culmination will be a chronicle book that has the support of the Institute of Culture of Baja California.  the book is called Cronicas Tixuarockeras and there is already a prototype. It is a project that is sponsored by a grant from the PEDCA Program and is the chronicle of the last forty years. This book is the chronicle from 1960 to 1999, where my brother Martin has a part very important, is the co-star".

"These same cultural instances sponsored some presentations in a project called Remembranzas Alternativas, with music that we heard from the late seventies to the eighties, combined with our music that has had very good acceptance. We have in mind to open a circuit where we also do some presentations where the perspective is bringing Black Market music to the city delegations, as we did in our origins, to the popular colonies, because it was something very particular that we did at the beginning. We also had a short tour in Mexico City called Producto Defectuoso, short, but very productive, there we made good contacts and had the opportunity to play with great legends of punk rock in Mexico City and the State of Mexico ".

(Interview conducted at MN Studios in May 2012)

UPDATE

Since the interview, Mercado Negro has gone back to their early punk rock roots, bringing back old band members that have been playing with them on many of their recent shows and jams. They restored La Cueva ballroom to do sessions with special guest bands, even, with a reunited Agresores, just for the pleasure of play music. In 2017, finally, Jesus released Cronicas Tixuarockeras, a  book with a lot of awesome pictures from all their best moments performing and featuring a lot of cool stories from the start of the punk rock scene in Tijuana.

[hmel78]

In conversation with John Hackett ...

Whilst John Hackett is probably best known for his work with his brother Steve Hackett (former Genesis guitarist), there is no shortage of other high profile artists with whom John has worked, and in addition he has also enjoyed a relatively successful solo career as a Flautist, guitarist, singer and composer.

John collaborated with Steve on his early albums, “Voyage of the Acolyte” and “Please Don’t Touch” , which led to further recordings and tours of the UK, USA and Europe playing flute, guitar and bass pedals in Steve’s live band ; also extensive tours of Japan and the USA as part of the Steve Hackett Acoustic Trio. Inbetween touring, back home in the UK, you will find a variety of incredible projects which John has been involved in ; as a composer of flute music for relaxation, he has recorded a number of solo and duo albums, plus several albums with Clive Williamson and the ambient group “Symbiosis” which has led to commissions for the BBC. John has performed concerts with international organist Marco Lo Muscio and performs regularly in a duo with classical guitar virtuoso Nick Fletcher with whom he has recorded two albums: “Overnight Snow” and “Hills of Andalucia”. 2005 saw a change of direction with John releasing, to critical acclaim, a rock album of his own songs called “Checking Out of London”, the lyrics for which were written by Nick Clabburn ; An experimental flute/dance album - “Red Planet Rhythm”- with Moodi Drury followed, and then another album of John’s compositions for flute and guitar - “Prelude to Summer”- which featured brother Steve, and Chris Glassfield. It was 10 years before John released his next solo album “Another Life”, in 2015 - which was essentially the rock follow up to “Checking Out ...” with Nick Clabburn once again providing the lyrics.   Thankfully we haven’t had to wait just as long for something else new! It’s September 2017 as I write, and I have just been handed the very first John Hackett Band album in which we see another avenue open up, on the musical map of John Hackett! For this album, John has gone beyond his usual boundary and written the lyrics, as well as the music - and it’s really very good! John is joined by Nick Fletcher on guitar,  drummer Duncan Parsons, and bass player Jeremy Richardson - who contribute their own compositions to the album, which presents us with a deluxe 2 CD album containing the new collaborative studio recording - “We Are Not Alone” -   and a live recording - “Another Live” -  of their 2016 Classic Rock Society gig. We were incredibly lucky to grab a rare chance to catch up with John about the latest release, and find out a little bit about how he arrived at this current stop on his musical journey ...

HR : I read an interview that you did some time ago, in which you describe your creative self as a bit like “Jekyll and Hyde” - in the sense that despite your focus on the classical side of music, you’ve always hung on to your inner rocker - is that still the case? “We Are Not Alone” sounds to me like you’ve found the balance...

Johh Hackett : I think you have gone straight to the heart of what I used to consider a problem … I started out from the age of 12 playing blues guitar, listening to all those amazing guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimi Hendrix. Then after hearing Ian McDonald play flute with King Crimson I started flute lessons and learned the classical repertoire. I used to think that one day I would have to choose between the two worlds but actually I now see that they can feed off each other.  It is like light and shade. If you have played electric guitar you know how powerful a sound it can be. So that influences my flute playing - I don’t like it to sound weak.

On the new album there is a track called “Blue skies of Marazion” which features guitar and alto flute. It has quite an impressionistic vibe. It is then followed by “Summer Lightning” which starts as a ballad but then Nick’s electric guitar takes it to a much heavier place. It is quite a contrast, and good of you to say that I have found a balance. I have Nick to thank for pushing me to include more flute on this rock album than my previous two.

HR : I’m glad he pushed you to, because it does work! Do you have a preference when writing and performing? Are you more comfortable with classical or rock ; with vocal tracks or instrumentals?

JH : There is no question that having spent most of my life whizzing up and down scales and doing all the daily technical exercises you have to do if you want to play the difficult classical repertoire, I have in the past been more comfortable with the flute. But there is nothing as exciting as being on stage with a rock band. I have never forgotten the buzz I got from my first ever rock gig with my brother’s band in Oslo in 1978. I took a conscious decision some years back to devote much more time to rock, improving my keyboard playing and learning to sing - I say learning to sing as it has been a painful process (both for me and my poor family who have had to put up with all the shrieking and wailing, not just when I am looking at my bank statements …). In all honesty I enjoy all of it, though at 62 it seems ridiculously late in life to be finding your feet. But having spent a good 90 per cent of my working life playing flute, it is frankly liberating and great fun to be starting a second career as a singer/songwriter with my own band.

HR : Well age is just a number, and I think if you’re creative you strive eternally to cover new ground ... which of course for you just now, is The John Hackett band. You’re essentially a quartet and all 4 of you write your own material; correct me if I’m wrong but none of the songs appear to have been written together for the recording - so who decided what was going to be included? Were any of the pieces written specifically for the album?

JH : The strength of the album is that, with only a couple of exceptions, we had performed all the pieces live before recording them. The way it worked is that we would bring suggestions to the rehearsal room and the band would try them out.  As everyone in the band has considerable experience writing and recording this inevitably meant bringing fairly complete compositions. It was soon obvious if a new piece could slot into our current live set or if best kept for a solo project.  With “Never Gonna Make A Dime” for example I had written this as a fairly slow song. I didn’t think it was particularly good. I played it to the guys in a simple piano and vocal arrangement and within a few minutes, like in some cheesy movie, they were rocking it up. It soon became a no-brainer for inclusion in our shows and the album.

“Castles” was a song I had written some time ago and similarly didn’t think it was anything special. I imagined it as a blues number with the kind of energy of that John Mayall’s “Bluesbreakers” album with the young fiery Eric Clapton reading the Beano on the front cover. I had recorded a demo with me playing the guitar solo on a Les Paul I had borrowed from my brother Steve. But when we tried it as a band with Nick playing a blistering guitar solo it was exactly as I had wanted it to sound. So unfortunately there is a sad end to the story –I didn’t get to play the solo, and Steve asked for his Les Paul back!

Similarly Duncan’s piece “Queenie and Elmo’s Perfect Day” was a flute melody I had always liked and wanted to record.  So when we got the band together it fitted in perfectly, especially as it gave the band free reign for improvisation.

“Take Control”, the opening track, I wrote specifically for the band and the album. I wanted something that would go through a number of changes . It is really in two parts the lyric being the link so there is plenty of scope for time signature changes, guitar solos and changes of texture ...

HR : It does have that, in fact the whole album is quite eclectic, which is what I love about it. It crosses genres and has a good balance of vocal and instrumental tracks. 2 out of 3 of the instrumental numbers were written by guitarist Nick Fletcher ; the 3rd in collaboration with yourself - how did you two meet and subsequently begin performing and writing together? He’s quite phenomenal ...

JH : I first heard Nick playing solo classical guitar without the aid of a microphone or Marshall stack in the fantastic acoustics of Sheffield Cathedral . I thought his playing was absolutely wonderful and wondered that day, as you do, if we might ever work together. Like myself, Nick started out in rock, then studied classical guitar so maybe I heard a kindred spirit. We did some concerts together as a guitar and flute duo, but it wasn’t until the release of my previous album “Another Life” that I found out what a fabulous electric player he is. I had decided to play some of the songs solo at the album launch with just me singing and playing  piano but as it got closer to the time I wasn’t so sure if I could make it work.  Anthony Phillips had played on one track of the album called “Satellite”.  I knew he was going to be there that night so I felt a little nervous ... Nick was round at my house, I played him a few songs, he picked up a Stratocaster and suddenly it was so much easier. Duncan joined us on percussion, so we performed as a trio for the launch. And then it was simply, “Well, where’s the bass player? We could form a band!” Duncan immediately suggested his old school friend Jeremy.  So that’s how we all got together - quite by accident really.

HR : The song “Jericho”, which was written by Jeremy Richardson, changes the vibe of the album a little - given that you sing lead vocal on the other 4 tracks, why didn’t you sing this one too?

JH : Yes “Jericho” was written by Jeremy and sung by him, with Duncan, as part of our live set.  It really suits his voice so there was never any question who would sing the lead vocal on the album. On stage Jeremy and I take a fairly equal share of the vocals which comes over particularly on the second CD (it is a double album package) “Another Live” recorded live at the Classic Rock Society in Maltby in 2016. He is a terrific singer with a harder edge to his voice when he needs it, which contrasts well with my sound.

HR : The second track on the album interested me too ; “Never Gonna Make A Dime” tells of your family’s move to Canada - you must only have been a baby at the time, but do you remember it at all? What prompted you to pen the song?

JH : The song is based on our short stay in Canada in 1957. I was only 2 years old so unfortunately I cannot remember it but Steve was 7 and has good memories of our time there. Our dad had gone on ahead to Vancouver to find work while mum, her sister Betty, Steve and I followed by ship. Our mother missed London so much that after just 4 months we came back to London. I have always admired them for taking the risk of going in the first place and then having the courage to return.

HR : Sure, it’s big life stuff! The track features Steve on Harmonica - which isn’t the first instrument that most people would associate with him  ... JH : Ah well , Steve used to disappear for long periods on board ship only to return with loads of cash. My mother asked him what on earth was going on - apparently he had been playing his harmonica to the crew and they had dug into their pockets for him. This must have given him an early taste for the music business. HR : Clearly! Haha. You’re both multi-instrumentalists - were your parents musical at all?  Who / what inspired you become musicians?

JH : It was our dad Peter Hackett who sparked our interest in music. We came back from Canada while dad stayed on for a while to work. He arrived back with an enormous black box which looked more like a coffin but actually contained a guitar. He had played bugle as a boy, then clarinet, and harmonica - though his main interest was painting. Mum didn’t play anything but always showed a great love of music. She is 87 now and still comes to our rock concerts. Steve and I have been blessed to have parents who have always supported us in our music careers.

HR : And your careers have seen you spend quite a great deal of time together over the years. It seems to be the way with brothers in bands together, that it inevitably results in some sort of falling out, and attracts an ensuing media circus! I thankfully don’t see much evidence of that with yourself and Steve - onstage, or offstage - is there a secret to getting on?

JH : Steve in his role as the older brother has always been kind enough to include me. I used to sit in on rehearsals with his first recording band ‘Quiet World’ ; I was there when he did his audition for Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks at our little flat in London - I even got to play a bit of flute for them that day.   I don’t think there has ever been any rivalry between us. I took the decision in my teens to concentrate on the flute, which has taken me in a different direction from him. So although we do work together from time to time, we are mostly involved in our own projects - But when we do get together inevitably we talk music, with all the enthusiasm as when we shared a bedroom as teenagers!

HR : You’re taking the JHB on the road with a handful of shows coming up - do you enjoy playing the more intimate venues?

JH : We currently have dates every few weeks for up until this time next year.  Certainly regarding venues it is always much nicer to play places where you can talk to the audience after.  Their enthusiasm is what it is all about.

HR : What’s your most memorable show to date?

The most memorable gig is perhaps the one for the Classic Rock Society captured on our live CD. It was only about the fourth gig we had done as a band and it felt great that we were being taken seriously by the Society who have always championed new progressive music. More importantly it was the last John Hackett Band gig our friend Steph Kennedy was able to come to - she travelled all over the country with the help of husband Dave and brother-in-law Glen in her final year. A humble reminder in this sometimes brutal world of how music can bring us together.

HR : Absolutely ... And if you could bring together anyone, living or deceased,  to perform with you on stage - a dream line-up - who would it be?

JH : If we were talking football I would probably start with Pavarotti in goal.

Of course, I would have to say my current band - But I wouldn’t mind having J.S. Bach on keyboards as long as he didn’t get any powder from his wig on my synths!

[translationandbetrayals]

A brief history about idols

So let’s start with a brief history about idols. The word Idol was taken from the 1964 french - italian film Cherchez l'idole.  In the film there was a singer: Sylvie Vartan, who impacted Japanese culture with her je ne sais quoi: She was young, cute and musically gifted. Taking from the film’s title, the Japanese entertainment industry began to assign the term “aidoru” to singers who shared these traits, like Momoe Yamaguchi, who is today known as the legendary idol.  In the 70’s, idols had a mystique aura, and were supposed to be enjoying a lavish lifestyle that most Japanese could only dream about. This was a lie.Behind the scenes, idols were overworked and mistreated by their producers. Which, continues to be an issue in the idol world.

  As time passes by, idol image has changed drastically. In the 80’s, Seiko Matsuda and Akino Nakamori were branded as much closer to the general public, with the girls being more open about their lives, and basically ditching the whole glamour stitch in order to be seen as regular next door girls. These era, is commonly known as the golden age for idol, with a lot of solos and duos taking over TV, radio and live events. This will eventually fade out in the 90’s, with the public shifting to more “real” rock artist. And this is one of our actual important shifting points. It all starts with the band Sharan Q, a popular rock band led by Tsunku. Tsunku made an audition show to form one of the most successful idol acts: Morning Musume. Alongside this band were the girl trio SPEED, and the iconic boy band SMAP. This approach was compared to western pop bands such as the spice girls, backstreet boys or TLC, with multiple girls and boys  dancing and singing in a song. However, the innovation that bring Morning Musume to the table is the concept of graduation, meaning that any of the girls could leave the group, and then new members would be introduced. This brings and never seen longevity to the idol group, with Momusu still being active, with a 22 year career under their wing. Of course none of the original members are left in the group, and following the band career gets a little complicated, but the new girls keep the same concept applied to them in 1997: Girls who could dance and sing, and give an impressive performance.

The other important shifting point in the idol industry was in 2004, the start of the empire of AKB48, a a girl group produced by AkiP, composed of 48 girls who performed regularly in a theatre in akihabara. The group had the slogan: Idols that you can meet! And it was true. The marketing strategy for AKB48 is, until today brutal. The girls are put against each other constantly in tournaments, so they can win a chance to record their parts in singles, and appear music videos. Tha fans need to vote for the girls, but in order to do it, they need to buy albums. If you’re lucky enough, you can get a ticket to meet your favorite member and shake her hand, in instances called fanmeetings. By now, AKB48 is the most prolific girl group in Asia, holding a record of the highest selling girl group in Asia, and the fifth highest selling girl group world wide. According to oricon, the group had sold 58 million copies of all their physical albums and singles, across a 15 year career.

Right now, there is no other girl group to menace the AKB48 legacy. There have been close candidates, like Momoiro Clover Z, under the slogan: Idols you can meet right now!!. The now 4 pieced idol group, has a reputation due to their explosives live stages, and their immediate connection with otaku and nerd culture, with concepts that go from finding the nirvana, to space pirates in search of their long lost love (with multiple E.T. references in the music video). The natural extravaganza of the act has given the girl a chance to collaborate with other artists like the american classic rock band KISS, or Marty Friedman, the mythical guitarist from Megadeth.

In any case, the idol story does not stop here. It continues in my video essay! I noticed that I couldn’t fit all the information that I considered important in the video, so I decided to do this long introductory post (and tried to keep it as brief as possible) to the world of Idols. Personally, a culture that I’m just obsessed with for the incredibly wilde crossover between genres that offers. 

rocío rojas

[love-livemixes]

Just because I'm purely curious and don't know that much about the muse solo lives, what did you mean by saying that they were 'a mess'? I hope I don't sound patronising or anything, I'm just curious :)

You don’t sound patronising at all, don’t worry! (Be prepared for an essay on the solo lives now)I’m not an expert on the solo lives, but what I know about it (and what I learned from the Love Live! Wikia) is that it began with the third popularity voting, from which the results were released October 2011 (from first to last: Honoka, Kotori, Umi, Nozomi, Nico, Maki, Eli, Rin, Hanayo). The three most popular girls, coincidentally the second years, would get a solo debut and be the centers/subcenters for their 4th single: Mogyutto “love” de Sekkinchuu!

So Honoka, Kotori and Umi got their solo debut. Umi’s solo album Umiiro Shoujo ni Miserarete, was released first on November 23 2011, and contained her solo Watashitachi wa Mirai no Hana and 8 solo versions of already existing muse songs (Bokura no LIVE until Mermaid Festa vol.1 including the first subunit single).

Kotori’s solo album Kotori Lovin’ you, was released on December 12 2011, and contained her solo Spicaterrible and the same 8 solo versions of already existing muse songs.

Honoka’s solo album Honnori Honoka-iro!, was released on January 25 2012, and contained two solos Ai wa Taiyou Janai? and Mou Hitori Janai yo and the same 8 solo versions of already existing muse songs.

Then February 19 2012 Solo Live! Collection I was released containing the solo versions of the 8 songs of the remaining members.

8 songs (including 2 subunit songs) is not much looking at how many songs muse has right now, but back then they didn’t think they’d become so popular.

More than 2 years later, Solo Live Collection II is announced (I think during the fourth Live) and is released April 2nd 2014 and contains 12-15 solo versions per member (NicoRinPana had after school navigators/Listen to my heart extra, the second years had Susume Tomorrow and the third years didn’t have Korekara no Someday), including solo versions of the duo/trio, the remaining pre-anime songs and anime S1 songs. It was recorded in 2013 so it didn’t include the second subunit singles.

Now it begins to get messy, muse is throwing out songs rapidly, they have S2 of the anime, release songs with SIF and release subunit singles. During the fifth live, they even announce that there is going to be a movie! Why didn’t they announce another solo live? My guess is that they were too busy for that so they postponed it and now, during their last live they finally announced Solo Live III, but they’ve got so many songs left to release solo versions off, and I think they want to finish what they started (maybe they’ll skip the bluray songs and/or bonus songs, but they didn’t skip the duo/trio singles so I hope they’ll release everything). On top of that, it’s already been more than a year since muse died (RIP) and the only thing we got is a tweet from 4 months ago saying “it’s progressing smoothly”, no estimate release date or anything (I get it because the seiyuu are busy doing other stuff now, but the timing is really bad).

Summary: It’s a mess because 1) they have a big load of songs that don’t have solo versions yet, and need to stuff it all in one Solo Live collection (maybe not all, but a lot) and 2) muse has already been dead for more than one year, Aqours is booming and then between all the Aqours stuff they’re gonna be like “hey, I know muse has been dead for more than a year, but here’s the last solo live containg 1000 songs, enjoy!” (But I am glad they decided to release it despite of muse being finished already)

[whatthekpopofficial]

10 Of The Most Underrated Sub-Units In Kpop

South Korean music and entertainment is extremely vast and continuously growing! Every year there are new groups, solo artists, duos, projects, and collaborations. However, some people tend to forget about one particular method of continuing music trends: sub-units! Bands, especially those with many members, group a portion of the members together for a separate project. Whether it's due to some of the original band members not being active, wanting to gain more interest in the group as a whole, or simply wanting to try a new style outside of their band's "norm," these sub-units have proven incredibly popular in the past and present. Newer fans would likely recognize popular sub-units such as EXO-CBX, GD and Taeyang, Taetiseo, and Block B Bastarz. However, some sub-units in the past and present haven't seen quite as much recognition as others. Let's check out 10 Kpop groups and some of their best sub-units many fans may not be familiar with! *I'll be focusing on sub-units made directly from an original band who went on to officially debut and promote. This does not include projects that mix people from more than one group (e.g. Troublemaker: Hyunseung and Hyuna, YTeen: Monsta X and WJSN), units that are part of a larger whole (e.g. NCT Dream and NCT127), collaborations, or temporary projects for concerts. I've also left out projects that were made prior to the current group (e.g. JJ Project of GOT7 and Bang and Zelo of B.A.P).

1- After School Blue and Red

As a girl group with an average of nine members at a time, it only makes sense there would be smaller sub-units to promote a somewhat different style. Orange Caramel was incredibly popular to the point where many people didn't realize it was a sub-unit of the larger band, After School. Due to this, not many are familiar with the sub-units AS Blue (consisting of members Jooyeon, Raina, Lizzy, and E-Young)  and AS Red (consisting of members Kahi, Jungah, Uee and Nana). The two sub-units' members were split up and decided by online votes from fans. They debuted within a week of each other and "battled" using two vastly different concepts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huRLvcrEfBQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TybPXqzQ50

2- Super Junior T, H, D&E, and K.R.Y

Super Junior M, the sub-group of Super Junior that promotes in Mandarin Chinese, is arguably the most popular and well-known sub-group of the band. However, there were four (yes, four!) more subgroups that emerged from Super Junior throughout the past years. K.R.Y is a ballad group consisting of main singers Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and Yesung. Super Junior T is based around an older Korean music style called Trot and consists of  members Leeteuk, Kangin, Heechul, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, and Shindong. Super Junior H, otherwise known as Super Junior Happy, brightened the Kpop scene with hilarious and adorable antics and music. The line-up was made up of Leeteuk, Yesung, Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin, and Eunhyuk. Of course, I can't forget the talented dancer-duo, Eunhyuk and Donghae, who make up Super Junior D&E. The duo promotes actively in both Korea and Japan, even holding their own Japanese tour. Super Junior M, K.R.Y, and D&E are still active to this day. In addition, Super Junior T recorded a new song for Super Junior's last album, Magic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCK5FX0Y-7A

3- T-ara N4

T-ara N4 is the only sub-unit of the band T-ara that consists of members Eunjung, Hyomin, and Jieun. With the original member Areum as well, they debuted the sub-unit in April of 2013 with the song "Jeon Won Diary." The song was an incredible hit for the time and holds over 10 million views as of this year! The song is about getting away from the haters and harsh reality of every day life by going to relax in the countryside. It features former SPEED member and label-mate at the time, Taewoon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74_3c_5SVBM

4- ZE:A Five, 4U, and J

ZE:A (제국의 아이들), despite not releasing any albums since 2015, went through a stage of incredible popularity years ago. Sadly, none of the ZE:A sub-units have gathered much exposure over the years. Each sub-unit is actually more of a recent endeavor (in comparison to full band comebacks) in attempts to re-kindle interest among fans. ZE:A FIVE is made up of members Siwan, Hyungsik, Kevin, Minwoo & Dongjun. Their song "The Day Before We Broke Up" garnered a decent amount of attention and now boasts almost 2 million views. ZE:A 4U was a sub-unit made to promote in Japan and was made up of the remaining four members  of the group, Kwanghee, Lee Hoo, Taeheon & Heechul. ZE:A J was another sub-unit made to promote in Japan with a slightly different member set up from 4U and FIVE and included members Kevin, Taeheon, Heechul, Minwoo & Dongjun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M1beIdYUl0

5- uBEAT

U-KISS was one of the most well-known bands internationally in the previous era of Kpop. Having debuted back in 2008, they've gained lots of experience through member solo projects, touring in multiple countries, trying various concepts, and leading through variety shows. However, they had only one sub-unit, uBEAT. The name is a play on words for the band name "U-KISS" and hip-hop "beats" since it is the endeavor of the two rappers at the time, Eli and AJ. They debuted with the song "Should Have Treated You Better" in April of 2013. Fellow member Kevin featured in the song for them as a singer. U-KISS has gone through many changes over recent years, including AJ going on hiatus to pursue school and then later leaving the group, Dongho and Eli being some of the first idols to openly get married and have children, and the very recent departure of Kevin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF1d4X5L-ms

6- 2YOON

4Minute is one of those timeless groups who never disappointed with comebacks. Back in 2013, vocalists Gayoon and Jiyoon created a duo. It was properly titled 2YOON, which combined the syllable they have in common in their names. What set them apart from others was certainly their debut song concept. Who knew Kpop could go country? With that banjo twang in the intro and a catchy beat that'll make ya' want to tap your shoes, "24/7" is that kind of song that easily gets stuck in your head. Members of BtoB featured in the music video, dancing and dressing in the western, cowboy style like Gayoon and Jiyoon. Sadly, the sub-unit never had a comeback before the group's disbandment in 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQwhjXE27XI

7- HIGH420

High4 debuted back in 2014 with a sweet, spring like concept. However, their first sub-unit, HIGH420, emerged in 2016. Having only four members in the band, the reason for creating a sub-unit had nothing to do with multiple people. Instead, it was the two rappers Youngjun and Alex who broke off to make their own rap-themed music that was far from the main group's original style. The duo insisted the name was a combination of HIGH4 and their favorite age, 20. However, most fans realized it was a play on words for the term "420," a slang phrase that has to do with marijuana use. The song they debuted with was called "HookGA," and the lyrics boasted about themselves and talked about partying the night away. It featured MAMAMOO's Hwasa who gives her own impressive, unique rap in the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpkCrMli-Pg

8- 100% V

Rockhyun, Jonghwan, Hyukjin, and Chanyong were the four members of Top Media's 100% who make up the sub-unit, 100% V. The original group debuted in 2012 – a busy year for K-pop debuts! Merely ten months later, it was announced that they would be creating a sub-unit with a style closer to that of ballads and OSTs. The beautiful song "Missing You" was paired with a drama-like music video and many fans were excited to see a different side of the group through the new unit. However, the sub-unit has yet to have a comeback due to member changes and decreasing activity/popularity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLqQtJQQlhI

9- Infinite F

Infinite! This seven-member Woollim Entertainment group has upheld a high level of popularity and activity since their debut back in 2010. Like many bands, this group is active in variety, reality, composition, and various music projects. Members Sunggyu and Woohyun have both gone on to have successful solo careers. Not to mention, Woohyun's also had a collaborative duo with SHINee's Key called ToHeart. One of the group's sub-unit Infinite H (Dongwoo and Hoya) has become well-known for their smooth, hip-hop, and R&B style. However, there's one sub-group somewhat less known. The maknaes of the group were the only members who had yet to take on a separate music project within the band. Therefore, Sungyeol, L, and Sungjong banded together to make a trio sub-unit with a bright and refreshing sound. Infinite F debuted with the song "가슴이 뛴다 (Heartbeat)" in November of 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nHMNJczXb0

10- Rainbow Blaxx

Rainbow is a seven-member girl group who debuted back in 2009. Four members of the group were put together to represent a more sexy and mature theme than what Rainbow fans were used to seeing. Rainbow Blaxx consisted of members Jaekyung, Woori, Seungah and Hyunyoung and was named such to represent the darker color not found in the rainbow. Their debut song "Cha Cha" took on a discothèque style and was a huge hit at the time of release. It currently sits at over 9 million views, beating out the record of a few of the original group's videos. The music video was also well-received, as it casually brings up issues with body and beauty expectations for idols. They never had a comeback before the full band finally disbanded due to not renewing contracts in late 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKAi5cWHYDY Sub-units are certainly a great way to spread the music we all know and love even more! Not to mention, it gives companies and idol members chances to expand their horizons and attempt new styles of music. There's plenty of new groups and sub-units every year, and I look forward to experiencing them all! Were there any sub-units on this list that you didn't already know about? Which current bands do you hope will start a sub-unit in the future? Let us know in the comment section below! CaptainMal has been into Korean Entertainment for seven years now, since 2010. She travels to conventions in her area, showcasing her “Kpop Game Show’” and occasional Kpop cosplay. Although her favorite bands are Infinite, Super Junior, and VIXX, she boasts a love for a huge variety of artists throughout the last 15 years of Kpop. Other than Kpop, CaptainMal loves Disney, 80’s rock, Daft Punk, Gaming, and Orange Juice. Media: As credited Click to Post

[listentothismaguro]

Artist to listen: Watsky

I doubt that many of you recognize George Watsky by his name, but there is a good chance you have already seen him around on the internet. If you are subscribed to the YouTube channel Epic Rap Battles of History, then let me tell you that Watsky was featured in 3 of their videos, incarnating William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe and the 4th Doctor of Doctor Who; if you used to watch YouTube’s viral videos back in 2011, then you probably know him for being the author of the viral video Pale Kid Raps Fast, where he raps fast as hell; or perhaps you know him because you are great fans of the duo twenty one pilots (Josh Dun was featured on the song Midnight Heart); or you might know him for any other reason. Or not. But anyway, this post was made for those who have never heard of him, or have but never had the curiosity to know more about him. 

So, I’ll start by introducing him. George Watsky is a rapper, poet and writer born on 15th September 1986 in San Francisco, California (USA), alongside with his twin brother: Simon. Watsky has been interested on music since he was very young. In fact,is first hip-hop song, Nosy Clowns, was created back in 2002, when he was in high-school (it is now available on his SoundCloud). But George only started to draw attention as a poet (more specifically as a slam-poetry artist), after winning the Youth Speaks Grand Slam Final, in 2006, and being featured on the 6th season of Russel Simmons Presents Def Poetry (HBO), in 2007. After this success, Watsky started his musical career, creating the jazz hip-hop band Invisible Inc. with two friends (Max Miller-Loran and Daniel Riera). On 1st July 2007, the trio released the album Invisible Inc., which actually didn’t get much success. Actually, so far, the album is still goes unnoticed, except maybe the single Mr. Nice Guy. After this brief project, Watsky decides to go on with his career, but this time as a solo artist. Invisible Inc. reunited again in 2016 to record an Anti-Trump song for Watsky’s album x Infinity: Pink Lemonade. There are rumors that there will be a second album in 2017 or 2018.

On 1st November 2009, Watsky released his first solo album: Watsky. This album has two singles: Fuck an Emcee Name and The Girl Next Door. The album ended up on 7th place on the hip-hop category on iTunes. In January 2011, Watsky released his viral video, Pale Kid Raps Fast, on Youtube. Today, the video is non-listed, but it has over 20 million views. Because of this video, Watsky ended up being a guest of The Ellen Show twice! In the same year, he was considered the Big Sound of 2011, alongside with Mac Miller, Kreayshawn and Skrillex. But between these four, Watsky was the less-successful. 2012 was a busy year for Watsky. On 1st February he released a collaboration album with Kush Mody: Watsky & Mody. The album had four singles: Ghost Party, Mrs. Robinson, Kick Monday (In the Nutsack) and Man of Constant Sorrow; on 11th July he released the mixtape Nothing Like the First Time, which has nine singles; and a bit more than a month later, on 1st August, he released a second mixtape, A New Kind of Sexy, which has six singles. But Watsky only started to be closely as popular as he is now after releasing his second solo album - Cardboard Castles - on 12th March 2013. The singles are Strong as an Oak, Moral of the Story and Hey, Asshole. This album reached the 1st place on hip-hop albums on iTunes. 17 months later, he released his third solo album, All You Can Do, with Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Ink Don’t Bleed, Right Now and All You Can Do as singles. Whoa, Whoa, Whoa is his most popular track so far, with 12 million views on YouTube (I’m not counting with Pale Kid Raps Fast, which wasn’t even on an album. It was just a viral video) After finishing the tour of his third album, Watsky decides to have a break in music. In 2015, he is only seen as a featured artists on the singles Nobody and Never Afraid, by Spose and MC Lars, respectively. The hiatus ended when, on 27th April 2016, he uploaded a video on his YouTube channel announcing the release of his book How to Ruin Everything, release that would happen on 14th July of the same year. At the time, there were rumors that a 4th solo album would be released soon. Those rumors intensified when, on 1st July 2016, Watsky released his song Stick to Your Guns. The fourth album, which would be called x Infinity, was confirmed on 8th July 2016, after the releasing of the single Tiny Glowing Screens, Pt.3. The album was released on 19th August 2016, with Stick to Your Guns, Tiny Glowing Screens Pt.3, Midnight Heart and Talking to Myself as singles. This album hit the 33rd place on Billboard 200, being the first time at all to be included on the list, and the 4th place on iTunes in the category of hip-hop. Watsky later promised that he would make a music video for every track of the album. He’s been doing so. The last one to be released was Lovely Thing Suite Part 2: Knots, on 17th May 2017. I also want to underline the fact that Watsky was featured on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mixtape The Hamilton Mixtape, with the song An Open Letter, featuring the beatboxer Shockwave, and the release of his “secret album”, Plane 651, as a secret message on the x Infinity track Don’t Be Nice, leading to the site www.kisswatskysgluteusmaximus.com.

Now, my opinion about the artist: He is really good and talented. Actually, my favourite rapper. I discovered him through the YouTube channel Epic Rap Battles of HIstory. The first songs I listened to were Wounded Healer, Bet Against Me and Stupidass. Time passed, and I found myself listening to more and more Watsky. Today, there are very few of his songs I don’t really like. A thing I love about this rapper it’s his diversity. He has songs about politics (Stick to Your Guns and Pink Lemonade), about philosophy matters, specially death (Wounded Healer, Talking to Myself, the three parts of Tiny Glowing Screens and the four parts of Lovely Thing Suite), motivational songs (Never Let it Die, D.A.N.C.E. and Midnight Heart), or songs that make us laugh (IDGAF, Ugly Faces, Exquisite Corpse and Pauly Shore Saw My Penis). I think that all this diversity shows Watsky’s personality somehow, because his lyrics are very personal. You can go from his problem with seizures to his thoughts about the irrelevance of the human race compared to the universe to his narcissism. Actually, to prove how personal are his lyrics: His book, How to Ruin Everything, talk about many funny stories (or just deep thoughts, but it’s mostly funny stories) about his past. A lot of those stories were referenced, even if just briefly, on many of his songs, like Wounded Healer, Women, Women, Women, Fireworks, etc..., way before the book was released, like the night he spent in prision, or the first time he got drunk, in Europe. Other thing I admire on Watsky is the fact that he is tireless! Since 2006, he performed slam-poetry on more than 150 universities; he released a total of 53 music videos, participating as a guest in other four (Paul Hollens, Spose and MC Lars (and other 8 for the new album are confirmed); he released five solo albums (if you include his “secret” album Plane 651); an album with Invisible Inc.; a collab album with Kush Mody; two mixtapes; many awards for his slam-poetry, specially between 2006 and 2008; he participated in more than 300 shows of slam-poetry and music, being almost impossible to give you an exact number; he published a book; and he co-founded Steel Wool Media alongside with Brad Simpson. Tireless! Respect!

So, the artist to listen is George Watsky. Wanna give him a shot? I advice you to start with Dent in the Moon, Sloppy Seconds, Talking to Myself and Midnight Heart first! I’ll leave you with some quotes of Watsky’s songs and poems.

“I can’t really tell if I’m a good person or if I’m faking really well” - Ten Fingers “Because you know what’s awesome? World peace. And you know what else is awesome? Catapults.” - Letter to my 16 Year Old Self “There are 7 billion 46 million people on the planet and I have the audacity to think I matter!” - Tiny Glowing Screens, Pt.2 “I thought this was a party, but all my friends are leaving and I still wanna play” “Although the thought of paradise is very nice, in my heart I know I don’t believe in magic so I’m thinking death is like an eternal TV static” - Lovely Thing Suite: Conversations “I thought I was an atheist until I realised I’m a God” - Whoa, Whoa, Whoa “I’m not Jesus Chist, but I can turn water into Kool-Aid.” - Drunk Text Message to God

[bluesdoodles]

Skegness Solid Live Music More Blues than Rock in 2017

January drawing to a close, Christmas lights a fading memory. Then your calendar clicks around to Butlins, Skegness for the Great British Rock & Blues Festival, the next year of musical journeys begins. This year the emphasis is on Blues, Rock has fallen if not silent but reduced to a whisper this year, upsetting some and definitely changing the balance and feel of the weekend.

The Introducing Stage got the show underway from 4pm Friday until the early hours of Monday morning. The gaps were minimal the music quality, meeting of friends chatting about what stood out and having fun was the order of the day.  The grumble about the lack of rock was justified. The title of the weekend is Rock & Blues so you would expect a balanced mixture. Everyone who knows me knows that I love my Blues of every hue, but I love the energy of Rock, the power of Rock and energy of the stage shows and this year this injection of power was missed. Without the balance of Rock and Blues, we didn’t have the contrast of razor-sharp, sparkling blues guitar and the full-on power chords and stinging licks of granite fueled rock.

Bluesdoodles, Liz Aiken enjoyed the weekend visiting the stages catching acts, missing others. With four stages this was a hectic few days.  Starting off with the highlights across the days on Introducing Stage, run by Steve Stanley, of Solid Entertainments with the help from Paul Stiles and the Blues In Britain Team to hand out the voting disks.  The Skeggie road takes us to Centre Stage – designated as ‘The Rock Stage’ by the Butlins programming team. The journey continues with a visit to Jaks with its late night sessions jams and a distinctive atmosphere, organised by Blues Matters. Finally, our travels and weary feet take us to Reds, 2017 the Blues stage.  The programming was without argument patchy by the Butlins team what was good was very good, interspersed by mediocre and poor. The Road was definitely a Blue cobbled street rather than a rocky trail throughout the 2017 weekend. Let’s hope this is a transition year and next year the balance between Rock and Blues is restored. There are so many young exciting bands on the circuit that would be delighted to entertain the Skeggie crowds.

Now, for the music. GT’s Boos Band got the show under way and they were one of the thirteen excellent bands who delighted the crowded area at the heart of the Skyline Pavilion.  The bands played for the chance of performing on a stage at Butlins 2018, decided by public vote.  The three successful bands this year were Friday Night – Tom Walker Trio, Saturday, Southbound and the final finalist on Sunday was Greg Coulson Band.  The competition was tough every band bought an interpretation of blues and rock that shows the depth of live music in the UK today. Tom Walker Trio, played a set that sparked including originals and an interesting, entertaining interpretation of Joe Bonamassa’s John Henry. Hitting the authentic blues spot Backwater Roll certainly pleased the audience in a packed area. Saturday night showed that this stage is getting more popular every year as the place to find new festival gems that you will want to see live again. Southbound were great on the night with a live performance showcasing the power of the rhythm section as they delivered their distinctive Blues Rock with a bucket of soul sound thrown in for good measure.  Matt Edwards Band with Stuart Dixon on bass impressed as did their 2015 album Four Berry Jam. Matt has a voice that makes you listen and his guitar playing has an infectious tone. Amy Eftekhari’s performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow got the crowds purring with delight. Then it was Sunday two performances really stood out and on another day Elles Bailey would have won. Her vocals have power and the addition of Nick Garner on harp added another dimension to this class act; for me the winner of Sunday night. But the popular vote went to Greg Coulson, who delivered by surrounding himself with excellent musicians and a confident stage presence on the day. His experience as keyboardist with The Selectors shone through combined with strong numbers from his forthcoming debut album. This was party music that lit up the Introducing Stage.

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Centre Stage is where queues form every night long before the doors open. At least now they are entertained by the adjacent Introducing Stage. This year designated The Rock Stage for the first time had one certainty rock would be hard to find. Friday night opened with one of last year’s winners Sugarman Sam & The Voodoo Men. Wow, the transition to main stage fitted the band perfectly with a strong set. The music was hefty blues-rock, punctuated with authentic blues licks that curled around the rhythm section. Sugarman Sam, is growing as the new number She’s A Woman demonstrated. The following act was Eric Sardinas & Big Motor highly anticipated and deeply disappointing in the delivery.  Yes, a string did break, but why the length of time off stage, as so many said surely someone of this calibre should have a spare guitar tuned for slide, do a different number or have a guitar tech. It was left to the bass player, Paul Loranger who held the fort not once but twice as Sardinas left the stage and flounced off again. What the band played was good but the flow of the set was disjointed and definitely an off night for this colourful performer of Rock-blues.

Saturday with two sessions the afternoon opened by Texas Flood another winner from 2016. What a winning Rock n’ Roll set. Texas Flood definitely washed away any cobwebs with a rip-roaring high octane set that rocked. This is the rock we want to hear at Skeggie, but why the early timing? It was not as if the evening bands were that exciting. The energy was high, the timing sharp they certainly did Wales proud! The interplay between guitar and bass was sharp and entertaining.  Closing the afternoon the Helen Hardy Band entertained. A good R n’ B band the covers we know and flowed through the auditorium as Saturday afternoon drew to a close.  Saturday night. Kenney Jones & The Jones Gang, may not be classic rock but this was a band that delighted the crowds with songs from his vast back catalogue. Kenney Jones, the drummer who was the heart of three of the great bands The Small Faces, Faces and The Who. The crowd sung along with delight to Itchycoo Park and more.  Leafhound, a rock band were well received with Luke Rayner’s guitar sounding superb, the most underrated of the weekend. (Bluesdoodles spent most of the time in Reds and Jaks this just didn’t rock our boots)

Last day of the festival with a feeling of the night after the day before.  The last of 2016 Introducing Stage winners the Rainbreakers started things off. This is a band that never rains on your parade but brings a ray of sunshine Once again proving what a great launch pad the introducing stage is as they also stepped into Centre stage limelight delivering a storming set. The testimony to this was the queue for the merch as people wanted to get their hands on the latest E.P.  Rise Up. This was R n’ B with attitude, full of tasty riffs and delicious licks in the eclectic selection of numbers. A class act with loads of potential to be a name on everyone’s lips. Popa Chubby Band closed out the afternoon with his own brand of Blues and R n’ B with his trademarked lead breaks, held together by a solid rhythm section. The crowd really warmed to him many hearing him for the first time. Definitely class blues BUT definitely not Rock as Poppa described his music as Working Class Blues.  The night was not about rock but there were three acts that delighted the audiences. Kicking off the double celebration of the Rocking Blues was Laurence Jones with his new line-up. He built the energy, excited the packed house, the guitar was sweet. Laurence full of confidence gained from years of touring and playing live across Europe and the UK. The set was one-hundred percent Laurence with ribbons and bells as he showcased his latest album Take Me High. That is definitely what he did he took us high in to a dazzling blue encrusted music with the edge of rock  With Joanne Shaw Taylor up next we were going to be in for a Wild ride. Reflecting her current album, the set was full of deep blues riffs and licks that curled around the audience with a sensuous and stylish flow.  The interaction between Joanne and her bassist Luigi Casanova adds energy a visual focal point. Then she breaks away and soars into her renowned guitar solos that hit the spot where musical memories are made. Tonight, was the best I had heard her vocals the balance was perfect so voice and guitar were in balanced harmony. Closing out the festival on Centre Stage was Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel where many re-lived memories and reminded many of the sound track of their youth.

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The weekend selection at Jaks was vast, full of delights and festival gems plus the fun of Saturday afternoon Jam. Ranging from the gently harmonious blues from Fran McGillivray to the dynamic sounds of blues with a punk attitude and sassy energy from the Husky Tones as this duo caught your attention. With a new album out soon this is a band we will be hearing lots of as they ask  Who Will I Turn To Now? Closing the night as the other stages fell silent we danced into the early hours with The Revolutionaires led by the charismatic and energetic Ed Stephenson.  Saturday afternoon is all about the Jam which two young men, Mikey Maclennan and Steve Liddle ran with style as unfortunately Jam stalwart Gary Boner from Roadhouse was unwell following a recent operation. Everyone wishes Gary a speedy recovery and a hearty welcome back to Skegness 2018. Saturday evening was a night of magic live-music. With two of the acts for many the bands of the weekend. Firstly Catfish who played a blinding set. Deep emotional blues full of verve and style as Matthew Long with his voice and guitar dominated the stage capturing the audience so that no-one was tempted away. Catfish’s rendition of Make It Rain was stunning and the emotions were charged and there were tears of joy as the passions of the audience and the band connected. Their new album, out 28th January, Broken Man will be a hit of 2017 there is definitely nothing broken about this band.  How do you follow that with Dom Pipkin & The Ikos and some New Orleans infused music. Closing the night and welcoming in Sunday were LaVendore Rogue. A band that is like marmite with the supporters outweighing those who cannot connect to their interpretation of the blues. Mixing up the set with old Hokie Joint numbers and tracks from the debut album, Light Up With they definitely shone music into our soul tonight.  Sunday evening, without Roadhouse they pulled a blinder by filling the gap with Ash Wilson. The anticipation was high, many had seen him play dual guitar in the Sean Webster Band. On stage he was joined by Bob Fridzema and Roger Inniss who played on his debut album, Broken Machine. Joining him on drums tonight was Wayne Proctor sitting in for his brother Phil Wilson who was otherwise engaged playing drums with Laurence Jones on Centre Stage. The set was mature, accomplished a quality performance of R n’B from everyone on stage. We heard covers like My Babe done the Ash way.  Ash’s vocals are strong at times sounding like molasses with the bass drum the heartbeat like cotton popping in a sun-drenched field as he  Holding Hands was sung. The Revelator a Jesse Davey number picked up the tempo. There was a pure synergy between these top drawer blues musicians a delight to behold and listen to.   Be delighted to see him on the Blues main stage next year.  Following this Will Johns & Friends, with Mikey Maclennan once again coming to the rescue as stand-in drummer. He met Will and the band a few minutes before stepping on Jaks stage with them to play a festival set. What a brilliant job he did. Very entertaining with witty repartee, brilliant guitar with a fantastic tone. What a high quality set of blues. The festival had one more act as the clocked turned into Monday, Jaks was packed as everyone squeezed a few more musical memories out of The Great Rock & Blues Festival 2017. Kris Barras Band, who delivered blues rock with power and a force to be reckoned with. Another live act that delivers every time building on the studio sound heard in their current album Lucky 13.  Blues Matters once again delivered music that will hold many memories and hats off to the DJ Clive Rawlings who each year acts as the glue that held the sessions together.

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Reds this year was coloured with Blues of every hue and shade.  With Friday and Saturday dedicated to firstly to the harmonica and then to Alligator Records. Opening the festival for Reds was A Harmonica Explosion, a night where this German folk instrument was re-shaped in tone and playing by Southern States Blues musicians to be forever connected. Blues and harmonica are a perfect pairing. Opening the night was Giles Robson Band, a very entertaining set engaging the audience who were delighted to participate when asked. The music was an explosion of blues harp as we stepped on board the steam train and followed Giles on a ride full of tonal twists and turns of the blues-harp. Later on in the evening he was joined by three more renowned harp-players Magic Dick, who for some reason was not on top form, James Harman beset with frustrating technical issues so his harp was silent for far too long and the cream of the night a musician on fire Billy Branch. When they all played together at the end of the evening we were treated to a harp firework display.  The acoustic set from Martin Harley opening on Saturday afternoon was a melodic delight as he explored the tonal ranges of his lap Weissenborn guitar. The covers took us deep into the Delta full of acoustic twists and turns gently kick-starting a harmonious Saturday in Reds turned Blue.  The tempo then changed and Reds was packed as loyal fans of Nine Below Zero were once again caressed by the band that knows how to deliver. The only disappointment was this set was on in the afternoon many felt it suited an evening slot. The music drew you in the blues was delivered and everyone left with a deep sigh of contentment. The evening was a celebration of all things Alligator. With a first for Skeggie a Q&A session with Bruce Iglauer President and founder of Alligator records. Lots of interesting questions and we all gained an insight into how a blues label works. Three blinding sets unfurled showing the diversity of electric blues. Marcia Ball got the Alligator Party rocking turning Reds into a Roadhouse for this Blues Spectacular.  Proper Chicago blues played by a wonderful group of musicians who with a smile opened up the joy of the blues and entertained. Marcia Ball sung like an angel accompanying herself on the piano with the musicians that pulled together to showcase the sound they just love to share with everyone who listens. Blues is heavenly when played this well. The harmonious and interesting combination of drum shuffles, sax, keys and the power of vocal lyrics was infectious with the guitar pulling the show together. Wow! How do you follow that? Easy when you have the depth of Alligator artists to choose from. Next up blues with a difference a trio, Moreland and Arbuckle. All eyes are focused on Moreland with his cigar box guitar and Arbuckle’s, harp and vocals. A  high octane band playing Roots music that rocks you  to your core. Electrifying raw delta infused music that gets the adrenalin pumping feet tapping and you get a warm feel good glow as the music surges through your veins.  Closing tonight we headed deep into Southside Chicago for authentic urban blues with Toronzo Cannon. Having learnt his craft in the competitive and demanding Windy city club scene it takes a special blues magic to rise above the crowd. Toronzo has that with style and a flourish as he melds smooth vocals and stinging guitar chords. With a mix of his own numbers with strong lyrics and a couple of covers; what a dynamic end to an evening that enveloped you in Chicago Blues and so much more.

Sunday at Reds was a mixed package for me opening with Lil Jimmy Reed featuring Bob Hall on Keys this was the perfect blues smoothie for early Sunday afternoon. Followed by Paul Jones and Dave Kelly as a duet Sunday was a smooth affair. The evening was a mix David Knopfler on acoustic guitar, disappointed, The Blues Band as ever delivers British blues with style and aplomb. Closing the night is Jamie Williams and The Roots Collective; this is blues infused with English Folk and roots music. Closing the festival on Reds they delivered a stylish set that didn’t for me shout out the blues. Not a celebration but a party we all enjoyed.

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There were many highlights of every Blue hue the strongest stages over the whole festival weekend were Jaks and the Introducing Stage. The night celebrating Alligator Records was a combination of brilliant blues drenched music. The three young bands who won The Introducing Stage Sugarman Sam & The Voodoo Men, Texas Flood and The Rainbreakers, all added a shine to the festival.  Memories of 2017 will be many and all tinged in blue rather than rock. The acts that you should run to see again are Catfish, LaVendore Rogue, Ash Wilson, the winners of the Intro Stage and Elles Bailey. Joanne Shaw Taylor in this form is a force to be reckoned with, Marcia Ball , Moreland & Arbuckle, Toronzo Cannon and the harp supremacy that is Giles Robson.

    Skegness Solid Live Music More Blues than Rock in 2017 Skegness Solid Live Music More Blues than Rock in 2017 January drawing to a close, Christmas lights a fading memory.

[steelasophicaluk]

steel drum band for hire

steel drum band for hire

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Lisa Lopes

Lisa Nicole Lopes (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper, singer, music producer, and dancer. Lopes was a member of the R&B girl group TLC, alongside Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Besides rapping and singing background vocals on TLC recordings, Lopes was one of the creative forces behind the group. She received more co-writing credits than the other members. She also designed the outfits and staging for the group and contributed to the group's image, album titles, artworks, and music videos. Through her work with TLC, Lopes won four Grammy Awards.

During her brief solo career, Lopes scored two US top 10 singles with "Not Tonight" and "U Know What's Up", as well as one UK number-one single with "Never Be the Same Again", the latter a collaboration with Melanie C of the British girl group Spice Girls. She also produced another girl group, Blaque, who scored a platinum album and two US top 10 hits. Lopes remains the only member of TLC to have released a solo album.

On April 25, 2002, Lopes was killed in a car crash while organizing charity work in Honduras. She swerved off the road to avoid hitting another vehicle, and was thrown from her car. She was working on a documentary at the time of her death, which was released as The Last Days of Left Eye and aired on VH1 in May 2007.

Life and career

1971–1990: Childhood

Lopes was born in 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Wanda Denise (née Andino), a seamstress, and Ronald Lopes Sr., a US Army staff sergeant, who was of African-American descent. Lisa had a younger brother, Ronald Jr., and a younger sister, Raina Anitra (her nickname goes by Reigndrop). Lopes said her father was "very strict, very domineering" and that he treated the family like they were in "boot camp". He was also a "talented musician" who played the harmonica, clarinet, piano, and saxophone.

Lopes' parents separated when she was still in school, and she was raised by her paternal grandmother during the later years of her childhood. She began playing with a toy keyboard at 5 years old, and later composed her own songs. By age 10, she formed the musical trio The Lopes Kids with her siblings, with whom she sang gospel songs at local events and churches. She attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls.

1990–1998: TLC

In late 1990, having heard of an open casting call for a new girl group through her then-boyfriend, Lopes moved to Atlanta to audition. Originally starting as a female trio called 2nd Nature, the group was renamed TLC, derived from the first initials of its members at the time: Tionne Watkins, Lisa Lopes and Crystal Jones. Things did not work out with Jones, and TLC's manager Perri "Pebbles" Reid brought in Damian Dame backup dancer Rozonda Thomas as a third member of the group. To preserve the band's original name, Thomas needed a name starting with C, which is how she became "Chilli," a name chosen by Lopes. Watkins became T-Boz, derived from the first letter of her first name and "Boz" (slang for "boss"). Lopes was renamed "Left Eye" after a compliment from New Edition member Michael Bivins who once told her he was attracted to her because of her left eye, which was more slanted than the right eye. Lopes emphasized her nickname by wearing a pair of glasses with the right lens covered by a condom, in keeping with the group's support of safe sex, wearing a black stripe under her left eye, and eventually getting her left eyebrow pierced.

The group arrived on the music scene in 1992 with the album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. With four hit singles, it sold six million copies worldwide, leading to the group becoming a household name. Two years later CrazySexyCool was released, selling over 23 million copies worldwide. TLC's third album, FanMail, was released in 1999 and sold over 14 million copies worldwide. Its title was a tribute to TLC's loyal fans and the sleeve contained the names of hundreds of them as a "thank you".

During the recording of FanMail, a public conflict began amongst the members of the group. In the May 1999 issue of Vibemagazine, Lopes said, "I've graduated from this era. I cannot stand 100 percent behind this TLC project and the music that is supposed to represent me." In response to Lopes' comments, Watkins and Thomas stated to Entertainment Weekly that Lopes "doesn't respect the whole group" and "Left Eye is only concerned with Left Eye." In response, Lopes sent a reply through Entertainment Weekly issuing a "challenge" to Watkins and Thomas to release solo albums and let the public decide who was the "greatest" member of TLC:

I challenge Tionne Watkins (T-Boz) and Rozonda Thomas (Chilli) to an album entitled "The Challenge"... a 3-CD set that contains three solo albums. Each [album]... will be due to the record label by October 1, 2000... I also challenge Dallas 'The Manipulator' Austin to produce all of the material and do it at a fraction of his normal rate. As I think about it, I'm sure LaFace would not mind throwing in a $1.5 million prize for the winner.

T-Boz and Chilli declined to take up the challenge, though Lopes always maintained it was a great idea. Things were heated between the ladies for some time, with Thomas speaking out against Lopes, calling her antics "selfish", "evil", and "heartless". TLC then addressed these struggles by saying that they are very much like sisters who have their disagreements every now and then as Lopes explained, "It's deeper than a working relationship. We have feelings for each other, which is why we get so mad at each other. I usually say that you cannot hate someone unless you love them. So, we love each other. That's the problem."

1998–2002: Solo career

In 1998, Lopes hosted the short-lived MTV series, The Cut, in which a list of aspiring pop stars, rappers, and rock bands competed against each other in front of judges. The show's winner, which ended up being a male-female rap duo named Silky, was promised a record deal and funding to produce a music video, which would then enter MTV's heavy rotation. A then-unknown Anastacia finished in third place, but ended up securing a record deal after Lopes and the show's three judges were impressed by her performance.

After the release of FanMail, Lopes began to expand her solo career. She became a featured rapper on several singles, including Spice Girl Melanie C's "Never Be the Same Again", which topped the charts in 35 countries, including the United Kingdom. She was also featured on "U Know What's Up", the first single from Donell Jones' second album, Where I Wanna Be, and she rapped a verse in "Space Cowboy" with NSYNC on their 2000 album, No Strings Attached. On October 4, 2000, Lopes co-hosted the UK's MOBO Awards with Trevor Nelson, where she also performed "U Know What's Up" with Jones. She also collaborated on "Gimme Some" by Toni Braxton for her 2000 album The Heat. She had previously featured on Keith Sweat's song "How Do You Like It?". In 2001, she appeared in a commercial for the fashion brand Gap. In July 2001, Lopes appeared on the singers' edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire along with Joey McIntyre, Tyrese, Nick Lachey, and Lee Ann Womack. She dropped the $125,000 question and won $32,000 for her charity. After her death in 2002, the episode she appeared in was shown and was dedicated to her.

Lopes created Left Eye Productions to discover new talent. She mentored the R&B trio Blaque, and helped them secure a record deal with Columbia Records. Their self-titled debut album was executive-produced by Lopes, who also made a cameo appearance in their music video "808" and also rapped in their second music video "I Do". Lopes was also developing and promoting another new band called Egypt. They worked with Lopes on her second album under her new nickname, N.I.N.A., meaning New Identity Not Applicable.

In 1996, Lopes created the UNI Studios for the purpose of recording solo projects. Lopes' family opened the studio to the public. Her brother Ronald is the general manager of the studio. Lopes had a dream of making new artists able to record music at a low cost, in a high-end studio at her house. Her family continues to operate it and fill it with new equipment.

Supernova

Lopes spent much of her free time after the conclusion of TLC's first headlining tour, the FanMail Tour, recording her debut solo album, Supernova. It includes a song titled "A New Star is Born", which is dedicated to her late father. She told MTV News:

That track is dedicated to all those that have loved ones that have passed away. It's saying that there is no such thing as death. We can call it transforming for a lack of better words, but as scientists would say, 'Every atom that was once a star is now in you.' It's in your body. So, in the song I pretty much go along with that idea. ... I don't care what happens or what people think about death, it doesn't matter. We all share the same space.

Other tracks covered other personal issues, including her relationship with NFL football player Andre Rison. In 1994, before the start of Rison's fifth and final season with the Falcons, Lopes accidentally burned down Rison Atlanta mansion. Among the album's 13 tracks was also a posthumous duet with Tupac Shakur that was assembled from the large cache of unreleased recordings done prior to his murder in 1996. Initially scheduled for release on a date to coincide with the 11th anniversary of her grandfather's death, Arista Records decided to delay and then cancel the American release. The album was eventually released in August 2001 in different foreign countries. The Japan import includes a bonus track called "Friends", which would later be sampled for "Give It to Me While It's Hot" on TLC's fourth album 3D.

N.I.N.A.

After numerous talks with Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight, Lopes severed her solo deal with Arista (despite remaining signed to the label as a member of TLC) and signed with Knight's Death Row Records in January 2002, intending to record a second solo album under the pseudonym "N.I.N.A." (New Identity Not Applicable). She was recording with David Bowie for the project, whom she was also trying to get involved with the fourth TLC album. The project was also to include several songs recorded with Ray J along with close friend Missy Elliott. After Lopes' death in April 2002, Death Row Records still had plans to complete and release the album (unfinished at the time of Lopes' death) in October 2002, but the album was cancelled for unknown reasons. In 2011, some tracks from the album were uploaded onto YouTube featuring artists from Tha Row Records. Lopes's unreleased songs were also sampled by TLC for their fourth album 3Dafter she died. Another track, "Too Street 4 T.V" (featuring Danny Boy), was released on the soundtrack to the 2003 film Dysfunktional Family.

2008: Posthumous honorary album

In 2008, Lopes' family decided to work with producers at Surefire Music Group to create a posthumous album in her honor, Eye Legacy. Originally set to be released October 28, 2008, the release date was pushed back to November 11, then to January 27, 2009. The song 'Neva Will Eye Eva' and "Crank It", both feature and were co-produced by Lopes' sister Raina "Reigndrop" Lopes. The first official single from the album, "Let's Just Do It", was released on January 13, 2009 and features Missy Elliott and TLC. The second official single, "Block Party", features Lil Mama. The album largely consists of reworked versions of tracks from the Supernova album. In November 2009, Forever... The EP was released which contained international bonus tracks not used on the Eye Legacy album. The EP was only available to download. An unreleased track featuring Lopes was uploaded to SoundCloud on the eve of the 10-year anniversary of her death by Block Starz Music.

Personal life

Lopes was often vocal about her personal life and difficult past. She readily admitted that she had come from an abusive, alcoholic background and struggled with alcoholism herself. These issues became headline news in 1994, when she was arrested for setting fire to Andre Rison's sneakers in a bathtub, which ultimately spread to the mansion they shared and destroyed it. She claimed that Rison had beaten her after a night out, and she set fire to his shoes to get back at him but that burning down the house was an accident. Lopes later revealed that she did not have a lot of freedom within the relationship and that Rison abused her emotionally and physically; she said that she released her frustrations about the relationship on the night of the fire.

Lopes was sentenced to five years' probation and therapy at a halfway house, and was unable to shake the incident from her reputation. Her relationship with Rison continued to make headlines, with rumors of an imminent wedding, later debunked by People magazine. Lopes revealed on The Last Days of Left Eye documentary that her meeting with a struggling mother in rehab left a big impression on her. She subsequently adopted the woman's 8-year-old daughter. She had adopted a 12-year-old boy ten years prior.

Lopes had several tattoos. Most prominent was a large eagle on her left arm, which she said represented freedom. Later, she added the number "80" around the eagle, which was Rison's NFL number while in Atlanta. She also had a tattoo of a moon with a face on her foot in reference to Rison's nickname, "Bad Moon", Lopes later added the words "Love U 2" in the musical notes on her foot for Tupac Shakur. On her upper right arm was a large tattoo of the name "Parron" for her late step brother who died in a boating accident, arching over a large tattoo of a pierced heart. Her smallest tattoo was on her left earlobe and consisted of an arrow pointing to her left over the symbol of an eye, a reference to her nickname. Lopes struggled with self-harm and even carved the words "hate" and "love" into her arm with a razor.

Roughly two weeks before her own death, Lopes was a passenger in a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a 10-year-old Honduran boy. As reported in Philadelphia Weekly, "It is commonplace for people to walk the roads that wind through Honduras, and it's often difficult to see pedestrians." The boy, Bayron Isaul Fuentes Lopez, was following behind his brothers and sisters when he stepped off the median strip and was struck by a van driven by Stephanie, Lopes' personal assistant. Lopes' party stopped and loaded the boy into the car, and Lopes "cradled the dying boy's bleeding head in her arms" while "someone gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as they rushed him to a nearby hospital." He died the next day. Lopes paid approximately $3,700 for his medical expenses and funeral, and she gave the family around $925 for any extra costs, although it was apparently agreed upon by the authorities and the boy's family that his death was an "unforeseeable tragedy" and no blame was placed on the driver of the van or Lopes. In the documentary The Last Days of Left Eye, Lopes is shown choosing a casket for the child from a local funeral home. Earlier in the documentary, Lopes mentioned that she felt the presence of a "spirit" following her, and was struck by the fact that the child killed in the accident shared a similar last name, even thinking that the spirit may have made a mistake by taking his life instead of hers.

Death

On April 25, 2002, Lopes was driving a rented Mitsubishi Montero SUV in La Ceiba, Honduras, when she swerved slightly to avoid a truck (it is not clear if the truck was slow-moving or stationary) then immediately to the right as she tried to avoid an oncoming car. The vehicle rolled several times after hitting two trees, throwing Lopes and three others out of the windows, and finally coming to rest in a ditch at the side of the road. Lopes, at the age of 30, died instantly of "fracture of the base of the cranium" and "open cerebral trauma", and was the only person fatally injured in the accident. A cameraman in the front passenger seat was videotaping at the time, so the last seconds leading up to the swerve that resulted in the fatal accident were recorded on video. Victims of the accident were taken to Liverpool Royal Hospital. Her sister Reigndrop Lopes was in the vehicle and survived the collision.

Lopes' funeral was held at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, on May 2, 2002. Thousands of people attended. Engraved upon her casket were the lyrics to her portion of "Waterfalls", stating "Dreams are hopeless aspirations, in hopes of coming true, believe in yourself, the rest is up to me and you." Gospel duo Mary Mary sang their song "Shackles (Praise You)" at the funeral. Lopes was buried at Hillandale Memorial Gardens in Lithonia.

In a statement to MTV, producer Jermaine Dupri remembered Lopes: "She was determined to be something in life. She was a true rock star. She didn't care about no press. She was the rock star out of the group. She was the one that would curse on TV. She had the tattoos. You could expect the unexpected. When you see Lisa, you could expect something from her. That's the gift she carried."

Legacy

Lopes was in the process of setting up two educational centers for Honduran children. One was built on an 80-acre plot of land she called Camp YAC. The other center was called Creative Castle.

In 2003, shortly after Lopes' death, her family started the Lisa Lopes Foundation, a charitable group dedicated to providing neglected and abandoned youth with the resources necessary to increase their quality of life. Her spiritual motto was the one used for her foundation: "Energy never dies... it just transforms." Her foundation went into various underdeveloped villages and gave new clothes to poor children and their families. In August 2007, the foundation hosted a charity auction, selling items donated by celebrities. It raised approximately $5,000 for the Hogar de Amor ("Home of Love"), an orphanage in Honduras. In 2012, the foundation began hosting an annual music festival, known as "Left Eye Music Fest", in Decatur, Georgia.In the 2018 Boots Riley film Sorry to Bother You, members of a fictional activist group called "Left Eye" use as their symbol a stripe of eye black under the left eye, in an unmentioned reference to Lopes.

Posthumous documentary

A documentary showing the final 27 days of Lopes' life, titled The Last Days of Left Eye, premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival in April 2007, for an audience that included many of Lopes' contemporaries, including Monica, Ronnie DeVoe, 112, Big Boi, India.Arie, and Cee Lo Green. VH1 and VH1 Soul broadcast the documentary on May 19, 2007. Most of the footage was shot with a handheld camera, often in the form of diary entries filmed by Lopes while on a 30-day spiritual retreat in Honduras with sister Reigndrop, brother Ronald and members of the R&B group Egypt. In these entries, she reflected on her personal life and career. A calmer side of her personality was on display, showing interests in numerology and yoga. In January 2020, Lifetime aired an episode of Hopelessly In Love, a docuseries that captures the relationships of the rich and famous, about Lopes and Rison's tumultuous relationship. It showcased the complexity of their relationship and how she ended up with a felony arson charge for burning down Rison's Atlanta mansion.

[oltnews]

It is rather presumptuous to call you the biggest rock 'n' roll band in the world, but when you have a catalog of songs as impressive as the Rolling Stones', the label may be true.During its legendary career spanning over 60 years, the iconic English group has written some of the greatest melodies in the history of music. From simple rockers to songs tinged with blues, soul, country and even dance, the Stones have proven their mastery for all genres they touched.Given their stature and their continued influence on other artists, it is not surprising that the Stones remain one of the most covered acts in rock music. And while YouTube is brimming with budding stars offering off-key versions of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and toothless renditions of "Gimme Shelter", many fellow musicians have found distinctive new ways to reinterpret classic songs of the Stones.We scoured the mud to find the 50 best Rolling Stones covers.David Bowie, "Let's Spend the Night Together" (1973)The Stones released "Let's spend the night together" on their 1967 album Between the buttons. The track was also a double A-side single with "Ruby Tuesday" and became a moderate hit in the UK - although its sexual nature resulted in a reduction in circulation in the United States Six years later, David Bowie gave to the song a glam-rock makeover, add layers of synthesizer and increase the tempo. The singer - then in the middle of Ziggy Stardust - released his version on his 1973 LP Aladdin Sane.Johnny Cash, "No Expectations" (1978)The Man in Black delivered a catchy rendition of "No Expectations" on his 1978 LP Missing girl. While the original Stones - released in 1968 on their Banquet of beggars album - was a more moderate affair, Cash heightened the energy of the track with a sweltering guitar, soulful backing vocals and an emphatic harmonica solo.Devo, "(I cannot get satisfaction)" (1978)Devo's offbeat interpretation of this classic hit from the Stones has become a revolutionary piece for the Akron group. The version evolved during one of the group's jam sessions. At first, leader Mark Mothersbaugh - a staunch fan of the Stones - started singing "Paint It, Black" to the weird rhythm of his group mates. When the words didn't match the rhythm, it went to the words of "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction" ... and a legendary revival was born. Just before its release in 1978, Devo played his version for Mick Jagger. After initially showing no response to the song, the Stones singer "suddenly got up and started dancing on this Afghan rug in front of the fireplace," said Gerald Casale in a conversation with The new yorker. Jagger gave his blessing and Devo would soon perform the song on Saturday Night Live.Tegan and Sara, "Fool to Cry" (2013)Twin pop-rock duo Tegan and Sara tackled the Stones "Fool to Cry" for the HBO soundtrack Girls. While the original version from 1976 was a sweet and moving ballad, this cover featured layers of synths, drums and guitars, resulting in a modern and rich update.Linda Ronstadt, "Tumbling Dice" (1978)In a 1978 interview with Hit parader magazine, Linda Ronstadt explained how "Tumbling Dice" was added to her repertoire. "The group used to play this all last summer at the soundcheck," noted the singer. "I really loved it too, but no one knew the words. Then Mick came backstage when I was at the Universal Amphitheater and said, "You do too many ballads, you should do more rock'n'roll songs." Describing the singer of the Stones as "the greatest singer of contemporary rock'n'roll, writer of rock'n'roll", Ronstadt literally forced his hand. "I made him write the words for this song and learned it."Guns N ’Roses,“ Jumpin ’Jack Flash” (2018)This Rolling Stones cover was part of the bonus material included in the remastered Guns N ’Roses’ 2018 Appetite for destruction box. Recorded during a 1986 session at the Sound City studios in Van Nuys, California, the track sees GNR deliver a high octane version of "Jumpin Jack Flash". The guitars are noisy, the groan of Axl Rose is powerful and the energy is palpable from the opening note. Three years after the song was recorded, GNR would open for the Stones at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, a performance that is remembered more for its chaos than for its music.The Who, "Under My Thumb" (1967)Although not included in the original version of the album Who's rarities and outtakes Dimensions and lawns, the cover of the group "Under My Thumb" would make its way towards the 1998 and 2011 reissues of the LP. The Who recorded the song in 1967 as support when Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were detained in England for drugs.Elton John, "Honky Tonk Women" (1971)Just over a year after the original was released, Elton John covered the Stones "Honky Tonk Women" on a radio show in New York. The performance will eventually become the singer 11/17/70 live album, released in 1971. Notably, John's version supplants the guitar tone of the Stones with John's distinctive piano style.Jane’s Addiction, “Sympathy for the Devil” (1987)Jane’s Addiction’s self-titled debut album was widely recorded during a performance at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles. Included in the 1987 release was their version of "Sympathy for the Devil" from the Rolling Stones. For their cover, Perry Farrell and company amplified the psychedelia, adding bongos and swirling sounds to the arrangement. Dave Navarro is also making his presence felt with hot guitar solos.Albert King, "Honky Tonk Women" (1971)It's no secret that the Stones were inspired by American blues musicians, and they don't have much more influence than Albert King. It must have been a source of pride when the Bulldozer Velvet decided to cover "Honky Tonk Woman" on his 1971 album Lovejoy. As you would expect, the rendering is filled with fantastic guitar solos and soulful voices. The support of the legendary rhythm section Muscle Shoals further elevates the track.U2, "Paint It Black" (1992)U2 rides their early punk sound and more pop trends on this version of the Stones 'Paint It Black'. The cover was released on the B side of the 1992 U2 single, "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses". While the atmosphere is less threatening than the original, the best in Dublin have added tambourine, harmonies, vocal effects and an explosive guitar, appropriating them while remaining faithful to the original.Elvis Costello & Lucinda Williams, “Wild Horses” (2002)Carrefour CMT welcomed extraordinary guests during its two-decade television series. The show, which brings together country artists and musicians from other genres, was premiered on January 13, 2002. In this first episode, alternative country star Lucinda Williams sang alongside rock legend Elvis Costello. Before their rendition of "Wild Horses", the last singer explained that the song "made me think of this kind of music" when it was first released by the Stones in 1971.Lindsey Buckingham, "She Smiled Softly" (2011)Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham kept it simple on this cover of The Stones' "She Smiles Sweetly". While the original featured drums, bass and organ, Buckingham decided to take a minimalist approach, removing things only for vocals and acoustic guitar. The result is a distinctive and poignant interpretation, which was featured on the Buckingham solo LP in 2011 Seeds we sow.The Allman Brothers Band, "Heart of Stone" (2003)By the time they released their 12th and final album, the Allman Brothers Band showed little resemblance to their original selves. Finis Duane Allman, Berry Oakley and Dickey Betts, with Gregg Allman, Jaimoe Johanson and Butch Trucks the original remaining members. However, the line-up changes did not prevent the group from offering a powerful cover of the 1964 single of the Rolling Stones "Heart of Stone".The Folksmen, "Start Me Up" (2003)The fictional folk group - made up of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer from Spinal Tap - is best known for its role in the 2003 fake documentary. A strong wind. Their interpretation of the Stones classic "Start Me Up" was featured on the film's soundtrack, while the trio also performed the song during promotional appearances. In the clip here, late night host Conan O’Brien asked if the Folksmen heard the Stones about their coverage. "A disturbing silence," replies McKean as Mark Shubb.Rag N ’Bone Man,“ Gimme Shelter ”(2017)British singer-songwriter Rag N ’Bone Man delivered this coverage of the Stones' Gimme Shelter in 2017 as part of BBC Radio 1 Live Show. The slow combustion rendering explodes halfway, the power of the moving vocal performance is matched only by the dizzying riffs of the guitarist.Eric Burdon & War, "Paint It Black" (1970)An interpretation for those who listened to the original Stones and thought, "It would be great if it was three times longer." The psychedelic funk jam band Eric Burdon & War scored a minor hit with their version of "Paint It Black" when it was released in 1970.Motorhead, "Sympathy for the Devil" (2015)This version of "Sympathy for the Devil" had the honor of being the last song from Motorhead's latest album. The group Bad magic LP was released in August 2015, just four months before the death of singer Lemmy Kilmister. Surprisingly, the metal icon still sounded great on the track, giving the song its signature growl.Cat Power, "(I cannot get satisfaction)" (2000)Singer-songwriter Cat Power wowed fans and other artists with his distinctive style of indie rock. She has collaborated with many great artists over the years, including Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder and Iggy Pop. On his 2000 LP The cover record, the singer has redesigned some of her favorite songs, including this sensual interpretation of the satisfaction of "Stones (" I can't get no ")".The Soup Dragons, "I'm Free" (1990)The Scottish alt-rockers, the Soup Dragons, were a resounding success with their 1990 performance of "I am free" from the Stones. The cover - which added a dance rhythm and reggae twitch to the track - was a Top 10 hit in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Alternative Songs charts. in the USA.Sundays, "Wild Horses" (1992)In the mid-90s craze for emotional acoustic rock on the female front, this cover of the Stones' Wild Horses emerged. The restitution, delivered by the English group The Sunday, would be the subject of a significant radio broadcast while appearing in the film. Fear, TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and an advertisement for Budweiser.Scorpions, "Ruby Tuesday" (2011)German heavy rockers The Scorpions recorded this version of "Ruby Tuesday" for their 2011 compilation album, Come back. The release - which saw the group cover a handful of songs by other artists, as well as re-recording their own classic songs - was kind of a comeback, given that the German group had released their "final" LP, Sting in the tail, just a year earlier.Betty LaVette, "Salt of the Earth" (2010)R&B singer Betty LaVette lent her powerful voice to this magnificent rendition of the working class anthem of the Stones "Salt of the Earth". While the original, released in 1968 Banquet of beggars, looked more like an optimistic jam, LaVette refused things, adding a horn section and an organ to her moving performance. The cover appeared on the singer's LP in 2010 Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook.Social distortion, "Under My Thumb" (1996)The venerable punk rock band Social Distortion added aggressiveness and frenzy to the Stones' "Under My Thumb" in this cover, published in 1996 on their White light, white heat, white trash LP. Singer Mike Ness has long professed admiration for British rockers, noting in an interview with Consequence of Sound in 2018 that Social D's music brand is "somewhere between" the Stones and the Ramones.Little Richard, "Brown Sugar" (1971)Like many musicians, Mick Jagger had an unwavering appreciation of Little Richard. The singer of the Stones was particularly impressed by the "take of the public" by the pioneer of rock'n'roll. "I couldn't believe the power," Jagger said of Richard, adding that the rock icon was his "first idol". It is safe to assume while Jagger was on the moon when Little Richard decided to cover the "Brown Sugar" of the Stones in October 1971, just six months after the release of the original.Peter Frampton, "Jumpin 'Jack Flash" (1972)It's always exciting when one rock icon covers another, and this effort by Peter Frampton is no exception. The legendary musician transformed "Jumpin 'Jack Flash" into a fiery groove, featuring several moments of instrumental exuberance. It’s the only song not written by Frampton to appear on his first solo album, 1972 Wind of change. A live performance also appeared on the rocker's 1976 seminal LP, Frampton comes alive!Def Leppard, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (1992)It's not exactly what you would expect from one of the biggest and best hard rock bands of the past four decades, but Def Leppard's cover of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a particularly bare acoustic gem. It was released on the luxury edition of the group's LP in 1992 Adrenalize. The Celtic influences on the track come from Hothouse Flowers, the Irish group that collaborated on this cover.Liz Phair, "Little Mother Help" (2005)Singer-songwriter Liz Phair recorded her cover of "Mother’s Little Helper" for the album's 2005 soundtrack album Desperate housewives. The Stones ode to drug addict home bodies receives an infusion of venom in the hands of Phair, the singer expelling the catchy but somber words of the melody with a poignant and captivating delivery.PP Arnold, “You Can't Always Get What You Want” (2017)In the late 1960s and early 1970s, soul singer PP Arnold recorded a collection of songs that were to appear on her album. The turning tide. The LP, produced by Eric Clapton and Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, was caught in the label's paperwork and did not see the light of day until 2017. Surprisingly, given the time that has passed, the recordings n have lost none of their emotional impact, including Arnold's powerful cover of "You Can't Always Get What You Want".The Holmes Brothers, "Beast of Burden" (1997)In 1997 House of Blues released a compilation album called Paint It, Blue: Songs of the Rolling Stones. As its name suggests, the LP featured an assortment of Stones classics reinvented by various blues artists. Among the highlights was this cover of "Beast of Burden" by the Holmes Brothers.Tori Amos, "Angie" (1992)Tori Amos brought its distinctive mark of piano and song to this cover of "Angie", released in 1992 on the Crucify EP. Although the original of the Stones was already a ballad deploring the lost love, anxiety and emotion rose in the hands of Amos, the singer seeming to tears at various times of the track. The result is both heartbreaking and beautiful.Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, "Star Star" (1983)One of the hottest songs in the Stones catalog was also controversial for Joan Jett. The singer included an uncensored version of "Star Star" as a hidden track on the cassette version of her group's LP in 1983 Album. Outraged by the song, several chain stores, including Walmart, refused to sell the outlet. Cover reappeared later on Jett's 1993 compilation Go back.Stone Sour feat. Lizzy Hale, "Gimme Shelter" (2015)Hard-rock band Corey Taylor Stone Sour has released a cover EP called Straight Outta Burbank in a limited edition for the Record Stone Day 2015. The highlight of the EP was this powerful cover of the "Gimme Shelter" of the Stones, with the invitation of Lizzy Hale from the metal group Halestorm.Tina Turner, "Under My Thumb" (1975)R&B legend Tina Turner toppled the classic Stones "Under My Thumb" on her head for this 1975 cover. While the original song tells the story of a man who took control of a sexual relationship, Turner reversed the script, making the woman the dominant force. In doing so, the singer also turned "Under My Thumb" into an unexpected celebration of women's empowerment.Otis Redding, "(I cannot get satisfaction)" (1965)Soul icon Otis Redding released his version of "Satisfaction" in September 1965, just a few months after the release of the original Rolling Stones. For his interpretation, Redding dropped the recognizable guitar part of the melody, instead of enlisting a section of funky horn. The result is a rendering that remains somewhat faithful to the original while feeling completely unique. The cover was featured on Redding's beloved Otis Blue LP, an album often ranked among the greatest of all time.La Roux, "Under my thumb" (2010)Grammy-winning electronic duo La Roux released their version of "Under My Thumb" in the Divert compilation version. The cover is far from the original, with the classic rock sound of the Stones replaced by synthesizers and a lively dance rhythm. Some may criticize the track for moving too far from the original. Instead, we will celebrate La Roux's daring reinvention of song.Prince, "Honky Tonk Woman" (1995)Years before Purple rain made him a star, Prince was invited by Mick Jagger to open for the Rolling Stones at a few concerts in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the performances did not go well, the Purple One being booed off the stage. Yet Prince's respect for the Stones has never wavered, and he has sometimes performed many of the group's songs in concert throughout his career. In 1995, this one take version of "Honky Tony Woman" was included in Prince's VHS release The entrepreneur.Rage Against the Machine, "Street Fighting Man" (2000)In 2000, hard rockers Rage Against the Machine decided to honor some of their major musical influences with a cover album called Renegades. The release included work written by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, the Stooges, Devo and the Rolling Stones. The Street Fighting Man version of Rage was overflowing with anxiety, energy and aggression, exactly what you'd expect from the much-vaunted political rockers.Aretha Franklin, "(I cannot get satisfaction)" (1968)The Queen of Soul gave the Stones hit its own twist, releasing her interpretation of "Satisfaction" in 1968. Aretha Franklin and the Stones will gain mutual respect over the years, with Mick Jagger even appearing briefly in the documentary. the concert amazing Grace (filmed in 1972 but not released before 2019). When Franklin died in 2018, the singer of the Stones said, "She was so inspiring, and wherever you are, she always brought you to church."Oasis, "Street Fighting Man" (1998)Oasis released this cover of "Street Fighting Man" as the B side of their 1998 single "All Around the World". In 2008, guitarist Noel Gallagher compared his group to the Stones. “Oasis is a group that you understand or not. Everyone knows who we are. You must see us in league with the Rolling Stones now, "he said. Is anyone surprised?Soundgarden, "Stray Cat Blues" (1991)The dirty ode of the Stones to a minor groupie has been transformed in this interpretation of Soundgarden. Released as the B side of the Seattle Jesus Rockers single in 1991, "Jesus Christ Pose", the cover is enhanced by the scotch guitar by Kim Thayil and the powerful voice of Chris Cornell.Tesla, "Mother's Little Help" (1990)Tesla is normally known for increasing noise, which is why it came as a surprise when the band swapped their amps for acoustic guitars for the 1990 live album. Five Man Acoustical Jam. The LP has seen Sacramento rockers reinvent a handful of their own songs, while covering a variety of other artists. This version included this version of "Mother’s Little Helper".Kiss, "2000 Man" (1979)Compared to some of the other songs on this list, "2000 Man" is a lesser-known song by the Stones. Still, that didn't stop the makeup rockers - and the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famers - Kiss from covering the song on their 1979 album. Dynasty. Guitarist Ace Frehley took the lead vocals on the track, which also appeared on the 1996 live album Kiss Unplugged.Susan Tedeschi, "You Got the Silver" (2005)The Stones first song to feature Keith Richards on lead voice, "You Got the Silver" was originally released in 1969 on Let it bleed. Thirty-six years later, Susan Tedeschi included this version on her 2005 cover album, Hope and desire. In his hands, the song receives more country and blues influences than the original, including a howling guitar part delivered by her husband Derek Trucks.Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, "Sway" (2011)In 2011, Mojo the magazine recruited an assortment of acts for their album tribute to the Rolling Stones Sticky Soul Fingers. One of the most notable titles of the release was this blues-rock cover of "Sway", delivered by Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears.Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, "Wild Horses" (2011)Another highlight of Mojo’S Sticky Soul Fingers compilation was this emphatic rendition of "Wild Horses" by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Although the original is a windy acoustic ballad, Jones intensified the energy with a vibrant and moving interpretation.Meat puppets, "What to do" (1999)When the influential rock trio Meat Puppets reissued their second album, Meat puppets II, in 1999, they included a handful of previously unavailable runs. Among them was this cover of the first song from the Stones "What to Do".Phish, "Loving Cup" (2010)Jam group Phish has made the Stones Loving Cup a regular part of their live set for over a decade. Air - originally released on the iconic 1972 Stones LP Exile on Main Street. - has also appeared on several Phish live albums, including At Roxy, Hampton / Winston-Salem '97, Amsterdam and the 2010 concert film Phish 3D.Marianne Faithfull, "Au fil des larmes" (1964)The rare case where the cover came out before Mariannes Faithfull released their version of "As Tears Go By" in 1964. The song, which was written by Richards and Jagger, became Faithfull's revolutionary hit, peaking at number 9 on the UK chart. The Stones will release their version in December 1965, just when Jagger and Faithfull became the swinging 60s couple.Chevy Metal, "Miss You" (2017)Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins' side project, Chevy Metal, has developed a passionate following through their animated versions of many classic rock songs. The group regularly covers artists like Queen, Van Halen, Motley Crue, The Doors and The Beatles during their dynamic concerts. Here, the group, accompanied by their compatriot Foo Dave Grohl, delivers their interpretation of the flagship piece of the 1978 Rolling Stones "Miss You".window.twttr = (function(d, s, id) (document, "script", "twitter-wjs")); (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, "script", "facebook-jssdk")); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '631470830669776'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); https://oltnews.com/the-50-best-covers-of-the-rolling-stones-ultimate-classic-rock?_unique_id=5e9f44a896e22

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Matthew Golombisky

Matthew Golombisky grew up in North Carolina, where he picked up the bass to play metal with his buddies and jazz in a couple high school bands. After college he moved around the US, playing upright and electric in countless bands and spending time in the Bay area, upstate New York, and New Orleans. In the Crescent City he bonded with his most enduring musical partner, drummer Quin Kirchner, with whom he has toured extensively as a duo and as the rhythm section for other bands. When Hurricane Katrina laid waste to the town they both eventually moved to Chicago.Both of them played with trombonists Jeff Albert and Jeb Bishop in the Lucky 7s, and Golombisky made strong connections with the city’s jazz scene. In 2007 cofounded Ears And Eyes Records, which has issued albums by notable current and former Chicagoans such as Bill MacKay, George Freeman, Caroline Davis, Chad Taylor, Charles Rumback and Matt Piet. He has toured the US with Zing! And NOMO and stage-managed at Pitchfork, but after traveling around South America he landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2013. There he plays and teaches music and is raising a family, but he sustains ongoing connections with his mates in North America. Golombisky has recently released two cassettes, Cuentos 1 & 2 and Cuentos 3,named after the Spanish word for short stories. Each volume is devoted to a group of musicians connected with one of Golombisky’s old homes, and the music that he composes for them combines the emotional expressiveness of mid-20thcentury modern jazz with the close engagement of chamber music.

Milli Vanilli, Girl You Know It’s True

Though as a kid, I grew up listening, per my parents, to a lot of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Who, CCR, Steppenwolf, Jethro Tull, Simon and Garfunkel, and David Bowie, the first cassette I ever bought with my own money was in the late 80s and it was Milli Vanilli’s. I was 9 or 10. How I came across their music I don’t remember, but probably from MTV. I remember on late night drives back home with my father from his auto body shop in his red 1986 V8 5-speed Z28 Camaro (with louvers on the back glass), which I bought from him as my car in 1998, we’d blast that cassette (as well as Herb Alpert and Fine Young Cannibals cassettes, what a mix, no?)! I have no idea how long this lasts, but it couldn’t have been long because when I learned Milli Vanilli was a total front and a lie, I went out into the boonies(woods), where we lived, in the middle of small-town North Carolina, and had a cassette-tape-burning session. I gathered some gasoline and matches and melted that tape to a little pile of plastic. It felt good and well-deserved. When my dad found out, he got incredibly upset (or so I’ve told the story as I remember… maybe one day I’ll confirm with him if it’s true if he’d even admit to being angry about my destroying myMilli Vanilli tape, I’m not sure). I guess the only reason I’d include this in Dusted’s “Listed” feature is that it was a profound experience of “create your own damn music!!”

Miles Davis, Volume 1

Me getting into jazz: All I knew of jazz for a few years was my playing bass in the high school big band, so mostly reading what Sammy Nestico had written out for me. My first jazz record, Miles Davis’ Volume 1, was a birthday present from a girlfriend, but I didn’t immediately become a jazz enthusiast. I didn’t run out and buy more jazz records (I was still buying Mr. Bungle, Infectious Grooves, Primus, Nirvana, Megadeth, and Faith No More cassettes and CDs). But I did play this Miles CD over and over again! I had played cornet for years prior to this and it simply blew my mind what Miles was accomplishing here; his tone, his lyricism, and also his patience. I did, however, fall in love with what I thought the idea of jazz was; at least one of them: improvisation. In high school, I founded the school jazz combo and this is where I discovered more improvisation; I was always super elated that we could play the same song over and over, and I could manipulate the vibe and mood of the tune in the moment. Improvising! Creating something new(ish) all the time, each time. This idea is what attracted me so much to playing jazz and that idea of creating something from little (or nothing) is how I think I came to be a composer, among other creative outlets I find myself in. With music (which spoke and called to me) and being able to always explore and find new ideas via ‘jazz’ the most viable avenue to do this? Yes!, then let’s study jazz!!!

Opeth, My Arms, Your Hearse

I feel in love with Opeth on their first release, Orchid (1995). Not only was the music incredibly original and fresh for me, but I was also a fan of the fact that it was metal music, which I had already been listening to and playing, that I could distinguish and hear the bass guitar clearly from Johan De Farfalla. And then Opeth’s Morningrise (1996) was released; even better! And then My Arms, Your Hearse came out, even better! My Arms, Your Hearse is probably my favorite “death metal” album of all time. Lead singer, main guitarist and composer, Mikael’s death and clean vocals are thick, heavy, soaring, beautiful and powerful. I’m a person that doesn’t often hear or pay much attention to lyrics. I can sing along with the melodies always, the notes, but I almost never know the lyrics to most songs I love even. I’m definitely not one to write lyrics either (I wrote a children's musical a few years ago and had to “contract” out for lyrics). Sometimes, I take a closer listen to lyrics when conscious about my lack of musical character and most of the time, it just makes me dislike the song (admit it, a lot of lyrics are crap. Not all, but a lot). But I know the lyrics to My Arms, Your Hearse, start to finish. It’s such a cool mysterious story about a ghost checking in on his friends, family and environment, chock full of lush imagery… in my humble opinion. (As writing this paragraph and re-listening to this record, I had an almost second-by-second opinion of each phrase, harmony, and melody and the wow-ness I thought about including but decided against writing a short novel.)

This Is Spinal Tap (a favorite scene)

In my second year of college my band at the time, Daylight Dies, rented a house together. We had also been friends for about 6 years by then. I don’t know if it was weekly that we watched Spinal Tap, but it was a lot. Since that time in my life, Spinal Tap has continued to be my all-time favorite movie. I watch it at least a few times a year still and can start the movie dialogue from the start and recite a good 90% of it in its entirety. Then when the DVD came out around 2004, I was blessed with another 45 minutes of unseen footage! I think that one of the best aspects of the movie is that with all this material filmed and executed amazingly, there were only 11 pages of a predetermined script when they started filming. Again, improvisation, I love it! “Lukewarm water”… I might add that Daylight Dies continued on to great success, even touring with some of the bands that were our favorites when we were in high school. I got to revisit the band in a way and recorded a contrabass “choir” on one of their releases and arranged strings/woodwinds, using my Tomorrow Music Orchestra on another release of theirs. It was fun to have my death metal “upbringing” returning to my professional musician/composer life.

Steve Reich, Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards

I was really lucky to have attended an undergraduate program, majoring and studying jazz, that also required me to take three years of classical music history and theory. Even luckier, the professor who designed the program, Dr. Joye Dorr, was a big fan of 20th Century Classical music and thought it important to expose undergraduates to its wealth, even for the jazz folks. In those years, I was transformed into a musician much different and more of whom I am now. But just before we started in on that 20th Century material, my alarm clock woke me one morning and on the radio was a recording of Steve Reich’s Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboardsand I missed my first class, transfixed in bed with this repetitive “trance” music I had never experienced before. I became a devote fan of minimalism (for a while) from there. Honorable mentions in this category would have to be Gavin Bryars’ “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet” and “Sinking of the Titanic”.

Charlie Haden, The Montreal Tapes with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell

Charlie Haden is my musical hero. I’m not sure I could choose just one recording because I find beauty in everything he’s done. But for the sake of the Listed-vibe, let’s say the first album I experienced, The Montreal Tapes with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell. I was mesmerized and captivated by his sound, his singing-like soloing/lyricism, his patience, his support in the trio, his tone. The open feel of this record makes for an incredibly clear statement, musically. By the time they recorded this live at the Montreal Jazz festival in 1989, these guys had been exploring jazz (and quite a bit of free jazz) together for some 20 years; and it comes through on this record. And yes from here, I went out and bought every Charlie Haden-related record I could. And when I finally met him for the first time in Montreal in 2002 after a concert, I couldn’t help the flow of tears. I heart Charlie Haden profoundly.

Arvo Pärt, Fratres

What an incredible composer to get to know if you’re looking to enhance aural beautification to your life. Part’s music is so powerful for me and not because many consider him (including himself) a “religious minimalist composer”; that I could care less about. The motion of the lines and dramatic candor are completely intriguing and alluring to me. This record especially. I love that it’s also a piece that can be played with varying instrumentation and carry a different timbre but still be as powerful. The voices between the instruments, where they are placed in the sonic spectrum, the repetitive melodies, and especially the drone! This music not only takes me to a tranquil place but also invigorates me to be better and try to heal the world the best I can. Part is an inspiration for creating more beauty in the world. One of his most popular pieces is called “Spiegel im Spiegel” and the first thought I had upon listening years back was: kindness. Yeah man, more of this, please.

Henryk Gorecki, Symphony No. 3

I have a hard time falling asleep; it started when I was about six or seven. Thoughts of the day, as well as newer and older ones, arose continuously (and still do). This piece has psychosomatically calmedso many of those, what would have been, sleepless nights. It has a depth to it where my mind can get out of whatever million thoughts are being processed and then relax me in order to calm the mental activity. The low strings repeating the same melody in a brooding canon, wow, with a mix of minor 9ths, major 7ths, perfect 5ths, major/minor 6ths; a mix of doublings I find chilling in the first couple minutes that set the tone for the rest of the piece.

James Blake, The Colour in Everything

Bon Iver, 22, A Million

Honorable mentions on current production ideas and such that I study: all of Bjork, Radiohead, and artists that are involved with visual art in some form. But these two mentioned records are fascinating production (and music) - wise. Woah.