Once again the big news is that Big Takeover #62 with R.E.M. on the cover was completed in San Francisco in April! It will begin shipping this week likely, so you should see it quite soon! Included in this blog is a quick description of its contents.
IKE TURNER died December 12, reportedly in his sleep. He was 76 years old. Was he a good man? Seems unlikely. Was he a good musician? Hell yeah. The man invented rock ‘n’ roll. Really.
Just a reminder that there’s still time for the perfect X-mas gift: Big Takeover magazine! Indeed, if you want a holiday gift subscription for your friends or family whom you think would enjoy our pages (or one of our t-shirts, or any of our back issues, or our CDs), you can still order on our secure online store. Just let us know in the “comments” section of the order form that the order is for X-mas (why not write, in all caps, “RUSH! THIS IS FOR X-MAS!”), and we will be glad to send the package by priority mail to ensure it gets there fast and on time. And include in the “gift message” section anything you want to say, and we’ll take it from there.
Big Takeover #61 with THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS’ A.C. NEWMAN began shipping last week; Again, now is an excellent time to order it if you would like to receive it! / Sonics: ”’He’s Waiting’ is the opener. There’s the voice; how is it so nearly the same?”
It’s odd that a younger generation of consumers is being punished for (and threatened) for exactly—or a very similar—thing that thrived in the repressive JOE MCCARTHY era …
The musical portion of my Friday began in late afternoon when I went to the Pop Culture Press party at a pub a short trip from downtown. Ostensibly, I went to meet up with my friend Michael Krumper and to see the Hoodoo Gurus, because Michael and I had seen them together on their first tour of American twenty three years before. To the great credit of the Pop Culture Press people, the lineup of bands playing at the party was outstanding (and the fish and chips weren’t bad either—although someone stole my beer when I set it down and turned my back for a minute.
Guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr. was one of the greats of blues, though the general public never seemed to realize it.
I wouldn’t want to have been his merchandize seller (who we saw being caned by a wobbling Lee after a Town Hall show a few years ago, for transgressions unknown!), or for that matter his drummer or even his towel boy or bartender or banker or drug buddy, but man, being his fan on these last few years’ concert nights felt better than anything.
Last week, Arthur passed away, due to acute myeloid leukemia, in his birthplace of Memphis, Tennessee. Here, I offer my respect to one of music’s all-time greats.
On Thursday, famed comedian and actor RED BUTTONS died in Los Angeles after a lengthy struggle with vascular disease. He was 87.
In replacing HUGH CORNWELL—who also was the group’s lead singer for 16 years – PAUL ROBERTS had enormous shoes to fill. By most accounts Roberts’ feet were too small.
Some say that once a cultural trend receives coverage on National Public Radio, its next step is to The New York Times and on to ubiquity. If this theory holds true, by this time next year DIR EN GREY will be taking KORN out as their opening act.
He really was an appreciative person, and whenever I would try to pin him down as being in any way bitter or unhappy with his old band’s underserved lack of mass success, he would politely decline my invitation, and instead say he felt lucky to have made so much music.
The passing of GRANT MACLENNAN of THE GO-BETWEENS is especially sad because it seems like he had so many great years of music-making still ahead of him.
From Carroll Gardens to Cobble Hill to Park Slope, Brooklyn is awash with stoop sales, which is great news for music lovers looking to find low-priced treats.
This is not only a big deal for DIR EN GREY, but also speaks to the growing popularity of Japanese rock (J-Rock) all across America.
I am happy to let you know that the promised spring Issue 58 has indeed been completed with our esteemed art director ADAM SYMONS and is well into the printing process—it should be appearing in mailboxes and stores quite soon. Hurrah! Here’s a quick list of what’s in it, and some quick administrative and ordering reminders for right now!
Producers are doing much of the most innovative work in hip-hop, and JAY DEE was one of the best, always pushing the boundaries of the music.
Stern’s radio show on Sirius Satellite, which listeners have to pay to hear, has been made available for free online and by pirate radio stations. With all the talk about music piracy, why did no one see this coming?
There’s still something truly special about records. On the other hand, in our digital era, there’s nothing special about a CD.
Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack on January 19 at the age of 64. He was so loved, idolized, and influential, and his music so woven into the fabric of American culture, that he is one of the immortals of music.
With almost a century of music recorded between them legends Chico Hamilton and Arthur Lee hit the studio together. Hamilton will further spoil his fans by releasing three more records throughout the year.
BONO says he’s working to end world poverty, but for an upcoming U2 show in Sao Paulo the cheapest full-price ticket will cost someone earning the minimum wage there two-thirds of his monthly salary.
A new study by British researchers argues that increased access to music is making people appreciate it—less.
LOU RAWLS was a welcomely ubiquitous presence for four decades, and, with consummate taste, he wielded one of the greatest singing voices in pop music history.
A truly blessed thing has occurred this week. After a dry spell of nearly 7 years, THE SISTERS OF MERCY have decided to grace America with their presence once more and play a one-off gig at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.
THE “5” ROYALES were no ordinary R&B group. So when their great lead vocalist JOHNNY TANNER died of cancer on November 8, why was there no American media coverage?
Since my introductory post, I heard about LINK WRAY’s death at 76, at his home in Copenhagen apparently on November 5 (it wasn’t widely reported until around the 21st). Wray is possibly the ultimate example of what’s wrong with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (into which he has criminally not been inducted) and our whole culture which respects fleeting popularity over genuine, lasting artistic breakthrough (more about that in a future blog).
