Comic, radio host and raconteur Tom Scharpling has lately become a videographer to the stars. Well, to indie-rock stars, but still: he’s directed videos for the likes of Ted Leo, Titus Andronicus, Wild Flag and the New Pornographers. His latest is a clip for Real Estate’s song “Easy,” which illustrates the take-no-prisoners approach of a [...]
January 10, 2012 at 9:57 am | Share |
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Big Star – September Gurls from gata blanca on Vimeo. Lady Sweet – Big Star from gata blanca on Vimeo. Speaking of Big Star — and we were — Tara Angell, who opened the band’s show in 2009 in Brooklyn, sent along these videos she took that night of “September Gurls” and “Lady Sweet.” Amazing. [...]
June 15, 2011 at 10:00 am | Share |
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When we get a request from Jody Stephens of Big Star, we do what he asks, because he’s Jody Stephens from Big Star. ‘Nuf said. He sent along this video clip from his last performance with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow as Big Star, in May 2010 in Memphis. The show was a tribute to [...]
June 9, 2011 at 3:54 pm | Share |
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We’re not really sure how the video relates to the song, but it’s a dreamy, hypnotic tune and the video is a compilation of movie images that were once banned — so racy, those vintage clothed women! The song comes from “All Harm Ends Here,” the latest release by Italian band OfeliaDorme. In an e-mail [...]
June 3, 2011 at 11:43 am | Share |
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Perhaps no other drug has impacted popular music quite as much as LSD. Sure, you can make a case for marijuana or ecstasy, but the music they inspired is mostly just mellow or trancey. It took a hit of acid to make rock ‘n’ roll psychedelic. Everyone knows about the original ’60s psychedelia, largely popularized [...]
May 13, 2011 at 1:52 pm | Share |
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Massive Attack is often credited with inventing trip-hop with their 1991 album “Blue Lines.” Argue, if you want, but no one can dispute that without Massive Attack there would be no Tricky, Portishead or Morcheeba, but trip-hop as a genre identifier leaves a lot to be desired. To be fair, the term was coined by [...]
January 31, 2011 at 8:36 am | Share |
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In his superb book, “The Secret History of Rock,” Roni Sarig profiles musicians and bands whose influence has far exceeded their commercial success. The last entry is for the youngest of those bands, Louisville’s Slint. Their inclusion in the book is particularly notable: the group only released two albums and broke up a mere seven [...]
October 11, 2010 at 8:30 am | Share |
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In early 1991, before Nirvana’s “Nevermind” came out, the underground music scene was at a crossroads. Groups like Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden were able to cross over (some would say sell out) to mainstream rock audiences by combining the energy of ’80s hardcore punk with the classic heavy metal sound of Led Zeppelin and Black [...]
July 28, 2010 at 9:00 am | Share |
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In the early days of electronic music, composers intended the music to be listened to. Edgard Varèse and Karlheinz Stockhausen constructed elaborate collages of sound, intended to be performed in concert halls. John Cage took a more indeterminate approach to his compositions, but they were still considered to be artistic statements. Even Kraftwerk, who were [...]
June 14, 2010 at 9:00 am | Share |
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INT. COURTROOM — CONTINUOUS Low buzz in the courtroom as judge bangs gavel JUDGE: Order in the court! Prosecution may proceed. PROSECUTOR: Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is my intent to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the defendant, known to the public as Killing Joke is guilty of [...]
April 19, 2010 at 8:00 am | Share |
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