Archive for June, 2015

Vinyl

Heartless Bastards – Restless Ones (2015)

There’s a gutsy musical experientation surrounding ‘Restless Ones,’ but the perfect Heartless Bastards album is still yet to be made.

Paul McCartney says the Beatles used Motown as a template – for what not to do

Paul McCartney says the Beatles used Motown as a template – for what not to do

The Beatles covered a few Motown cuts, but that doesn’t mean they fashioned themselves after Detroit’s hitmaking juggernaut. In fact, quite the opposite.

Vinyl

The Knack – ‘Normal as the Next Guy’ (2001; 2015 reissue)

‘Normal as the Next Guy’ should have – once again – been more than enough to hot-wire a comeback for the Knack. So what went wrong this time?

Vinyl

Micky Dolenz on a Monkees song that got away: ‘I always kick myself in the butt’

Micky Dolenz memorably turned down a huge hit at the peak of the Monkees’ popularity. It took years for him to right the wrong.

Vinyl

Sea Level, “That’s Your Secret” (1977): One Track Mind

Southern fusion rock masters Sea Level gives a hat tip to wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes on their 1977 song “The Your Secret.”

Vinyl

The Cars’ Often-Overlooked ‘Candy-O’ Still Revs With Excitement

‘Candy-O,’ released on June 13, 1979, wasn’t quite as immediate or artfully cool as the Cars’ celebrated debut. Here’s why we love it, anyway.

Vinyl

Dan Auerbach + The Arcs, “Stay in My Corner” from Yours, Dreamily (2015): One Track Mind

The Arcs’ “Stay in My Corner” isn’t any muscle-popping left turn for Black Keys fans. Instead, it simply sticks with what Dan Auerbach does best.

Vinyl

Stephen Haynes – Pomegranate (2015)

In the proud tradition of Bill Dixon, here’s a review of Stephen Haynes’ ‘Pomegranate’ with Joe Morris, Warren Smith, William Parker and Ben Stapp.

Vinyl

Adam Lambert on the difficulties of updating old Queen material: ‘That was tricky’

Adam Lambert talks about walking the fine line between loving tribute and any attempt to inject his own personality into Queen’s legacy.

Vinyl

The Fad – The Now Sound (2015)

Stealing cues from both ’60s pop rock and ’80s new wave, the Fad play songs so exhilarating you want them to just keep going and going.