By Katherine Cole I’ve already written about musicians expressing their political views..now it’s time for the flip side, when politicians start talking music. It’s happening amidst a lot of drama in the northeastern state of Massachusetts. There is a bill in the Commonwealth’s House of Representatives that would name “Roadrunner” by Jonathan Richman and the […]
The Bizarre Oscars Audio Mix
Posted February 25th, 2013 at 4:54 pm (UTC+0)
By Eric Felten More than a few have commented on just how strange it was that the live pit orchestra at the Oscars last night was performing not in the actual theater, but from down the road at Capitol Studios. As one might expect from Capitol (where such great — and great-sounding — recordings as […]
And The Little Gold Guy Goes To…
Posted February 22nd, 2013 at 7:50 pm (UTC+0)
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By Ray McDonald Sunday, February 24 marks the 85th edition of the Academy Awards – now officially re-branded as “The Oscars.” The origins of that name, which attached long ago to the statuette awarded winners, are contested. Legendary actress Bette Davis claimed she gave the little gold guy the nickname “Oscar” because she said it […]
The other side of love …
Posted February 18th, 2013 at 9:53 pm (UTC+0)
By Katherine Cole OK, enough with the hearts and flowers. If you were anywhere near a newspaper, television or radio last week, you were probably made aware of the St. Valentine’s Day holiday — the most sickly sweet day of the year. And while many radio shows turned your stomach with songs of undying love […]
Yet Another Awards Show…
Posted February 15th, 2013 at 8:46 pm (UTC+0)
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By Katherine Cole One day I’m going to sit down and figure out exactly how many music awards shows there are in the US each year. It seems like the minute they strike the sets for one, another pops up on television. Just last Sunday we were all watching The Grammys–and now here’s the list […]
Who’s the Best New Artist?
Posted February 5th, 2013 at 10:15 pm (UTC+0)
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By Ray McDonald I’ve been following the Grammy awards for four decades and never tire of one category in particular: Best New Artist. It’s sheer entertainment finding out who the Recording Academy sees fit to nominate. Past winners have included such howlers as the Starland Vocal Band and A Taste Of Honey. And let’s not […]
Mumbai Blues
Posted January 31st, 2013 at 8:32 pm (UTC+0)
By Katherine Cole I’m just back from two and a half weeks touring around India—wish I could have spent twice that long in that wonderful country. I didn’t get to any clubs or concert halls on this trip, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t hear any good music. Breakfast at our hotel in Udaipur featured […]
Mitch Woods Takes His “Blues Beyond Borders”
Posted January 17th, 2013 at 9:46 pm (UTC+0)
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By Doug Levine Who knew swing and boogie-woogie were so popular in Istanbul? Mitch Woods, who’s been playing piano around the world for decades, knows firsthand that Turkey loves the blues. In fact, his new CD “Blues Beyond Borders” was recorded live in Istanbul, a concert with so much energy you could almost hear the […]
John Fullbright
Posted January 11th, 2013 at 8:17 pm (UTC+0)
By Katherine Cole Today, legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie is probably the most famous export from Okemah, Oklahoma. But don’t be surprised if one day soon 24-year-old Grammy nominee John Fullbright’s name is also synonymous with that city. It’s rare that an artist receives a Grammy nomination for their first release—but what about an artist […]
Remembering Mike Auldridge
Posted January 2nd, 2013 at 11:04 pm (UTC+0)
By Katherine Cole In my last post, I talked about what a great year 2012 had been for roots music. But it was a tough one, too. Levon Helm, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson were among the household names that passed away. The list of sidemen (and women) lost included NRBQ‘s legendary drummer Tom Ardolino last […]
