While I’ve joined the Rage Against the Machine For Christmas #1 group on Facebook — their goal is to get a fifteen year old song to be the Christmas number one in defiance of Simon Cowell’s X Factor mutant — it looks like there’s a new competitor for Christmas number one. The Muppets. The Muppets’Continue reading “On Songs for Christmas”
Category Archives: Music
On the Essential Carbon Leaf
About six months ago, on Gallifrey Base, I saw a thread in the music forum about creating a “best of” or an introduction for a favorite band. Imagine you were giving someone a single CD, what songs would you want them to hear to give them an overview about what makes this band so great?Continue reading “On the Essential Carbon Leaf”
On Peter Gabriel’s Next Album
Sometime early next year, Peter Gabriel will be releasing a new album, Scratch My Back. The Guardian describes it thusly: “[The album] is a ‘song swap,’ according to one of Gabriel’s collaborators, where the singer and a host of ‘extremely legendary artists’ will cover each other’s material.” And one of those artists, supposedly, is Elbow.Continue reading “On Peter Gabriel’s Next Album”
On the George Gershwin/Brian Wilson Collaboration
George Gershwin. Brian Wilson. Together again, for the first time. I read comic books. Of course I’m going to use that hoary cliche, “together again, for the first time,” when describing a unique collaboration between George Gershwin, dead since 1937, and the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. Collaboration, you say? What’s this? Wilson will be finishedContinue reading “On the George Gershwin/Brian Wilson Collaboration”
On Music Musings
In the past year I’ve started buying MOJO on a regular basis. I used to read it, then got out of the habit, and then I’d pick up an issue here and there. But about a year ago, I began to pick it up regularly; if not every month, then certainly three out of four.Continue reading “On Music Musings”
On the Oasis Break-Up
It’s been a week since Noel Gallagher announced he was leaving Oasis. A week. And I’m not just depressed about it. I’m downright gutted. Oasis has personal meaning for me. They did. “Don’t Look Back in Anger” was part of a time and a place. “D’You Know What I Mean?” was part of a timeContinue reading “On the Oasis Break-Up”
On Going to See Elbow
So, almost two weeks ago, I went to see Elbow in concert. Elbow, for people coming late to my life, is the Mancunian band who won the Mercury Prize last year for their fourth album, The Seldom Seen Kid, followed by two Ivor Novello Awards for “One Day Like This” and “Grounds for Divorce.” TheirContinue reading “On Going to See Elbow”
On Elbow’s Late Night Appearance
Elbow is performing tonight on the Late Show with David Letterman. From an e-mail I received from the band a few weeks ago: Elbow On Letterman - July 29th Great news! Elbow will be live on the ‘Late Show With David Letterman’ on July 29th. The band will join Dave in the studio to closeContinue reading “On Elbow’s Late Night Appearance”
On the New Jaydiohead EP
Last month, when my friends Natalie and Beau got married, I made a couple of music requests at the wedding reception. The deejay, unfortunately, couldn’t fill any of them. The first? Elbow’s “Mirrorball.” It’s one of my favorite songs of theirs, as it tells the romantic story of two souls finding one another. (I thinkContinue reading “On the New Jaydiohead EP”
On Psychedelic Oasis
Way back in the dark days of 1995, dark only because they’re long ago, my sister introduced me to a band that she and her friends were listening to — Oasis. I think their second album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory, had just come out, as I seem to recall a couple of songs —Continue reading “On Psychedelic Oasis”