A Rockin’ Spring Has Sprung
Tis' a busy time for the indie music fan, with the SXSW pilgrimage underway, the Record Store Day exclusives shopping list shaping up, Coachella warm-up shows are popping up across the west, and a release calendar which answers the question of whether or not some of the big debuts of recent years were mere flukes, or if the blogosphere [...]
Gridlock Isn’t Always The Enemy
"Fixing" the filibuster is a suggestion that seems to be enjoying some high profile floating of late, including from two alphas from the "Heartland", Senator Harkin of Iowa, and now (soon-to-be-retired) Senator Bayh of Indiana. As one who voted for Obama, and as one who finds himself frustrated at the impotence of the 2 branches run by "my team", [...]
Everything Old Is Old Again, But Updated
It seems that rock music has a 20-25 year latency period after initial popularity before it is revived by the next generation and resold as homage-to or under-influence-of the originals. Sadly for me, when I was in my late teens, crap from the late 60s was being regurgitated, so I had to endure bad psychedelia and classic rock rip-offs in massive [...]
Life Is Like Art Sometimes – The 2010 Music Calendar
NEW YORK (YBH.ME) - This being a great week for Massachusetts reactionaries, it really should be no shock to find that objects of indie love/hate, Vampire Weekend, have the #1 album in the country with Contra. Even so, I am a bit surprised they made it that big so early in their career. That said, the synchronicity demands some [...]
Ted Nugent Calls For Obama In Jail
Dear me! I can only imagine the backlash in classic rock and hard rock power ballad circles - not to mention among squirrel eaters - which must surely be aimed at Mister Ted Nugent after his Dixie-Chick-On-Steroids Anti-Obama rant in Royal Flush Magazine. During the interview Mr. Nugent said, "I think that Barack Hussein Obama should be put in [...]
Favorite Albums of 2009
As I mentioned when counting down my favorites from the decade, I don't want to confuse the idea of "my favorites" with "the best". If you meet someone who says otherwise, DEMAND to see their ENTIRE music collection...and give no leeway for "guilty pleasures". Such solipsists deserve none! I think I have better taste than most, but I don't [...]
Indie Rock Top 10 of The Oughts
Coming up with a "Best Of" list requires one to make a lot of unhealthy assumptions - first among them being that the author knows the difference between fecal matter and shinola. I myself can't bring myself to designate any music as being better or worse than any other music since I am just a fan. That said, I am a big fan, and I do know what I [...]
Thanksgiving Thoughts On The National Health Debate
To follow the health care debate up to now is to have heard that the public option is dead, it is alive and well, they've got the votes, they ain't got the votes, no bill can pass with it, no bill can pass without it, the issue is behind a purge within the GOP, the issue is behind a purge within the Dems, they're coming for Grandma, they aren't [...]
