Why It Matters

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  • I Read A Book, You Win A Prize

    Mark Baumgarten’s Love Rock Revolution: K Records and the Rise of Independent Music is a must read for anyone interested in alternative music before it was ALTERNATIVE MUSIC. It’s the story of Calvin Johnson, the somewhat quixotic founder of both K Records and Beat Happening, a man so committed to what he was doing that…

  • 98. Lots of Trouble, Lots of Bubble

    “What are you doing home?”   It was late afternoon.  My father sat in his place on the couch, reading the newspaper, television blaring. “I came home early today.  Is that okay with you?” he said. “I’m just not used to seeing you home this early.” “It’s your mother’s birthday.  We’re taking her to Red Lobster. …

  • From the Stacks: The Beatles – Rubber Soul

    Before we go any further I’d like to remind you that the name of this series is “From the Stacks.”  These are records and other musical ephemera from my personal collection, and though I normally focus on stuff that I think you’ll find interesting today I’m just flat out bragging.

  • The (Kind Of) Complete Woodstock: Melanie Safka

    The time was nearing eleven p.m. when twenty-two year old Melanie Safka, or Melanie, took the Woodstock stage.  A label mate of Bert Sommer’s over at Buddah, she was enjoying a little success in Europe with her single “Bobo’s Party,” but she was still a few years away from her biggest hit, “Brand New Key.”

  • From the Stacks: Roger Waters – The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

    Released in the spring of 1984, Roger Waters’s The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking earned its place in the Controversial Album Cover Gallery due to the presence of a bare ass.  A luscious, luscious bare ass.

  • Why It Matters to Flipron

    I am a Flipron addict.  Their three previous albums (available from CD Baby) are all must haves, and their new single “The Comet Returns” has been in my heaviest of heavy rotation for weeks.  They’re absolutely amazing.  Take all of your favorite music and toss it into a blender.  Pour the result into your iPod…

  • Deep Cuts: Paint Songs

    Once upon a time painting served a very important function: documentation. Set “art” aside for a moment and simply think about what the ability to render things real and imagined allowed people to do prior to photography.  Portraits were our family photos, landscapes broadened our view of the world, on and on. Now  we post…

  • 10/13/2012: Print Signing and Fund Raiser

    My son is an outstanding musician.  I know every parent thinks that, but he really is.  Sure, he’s got a way to go in terms of sight-reading and technical proficiency, but the kid has made that transition to thinking in music and that’s the most critical thing in my opinion. His high school has been…

  • 97. Keep Your Eyes on the Road, Your Hands Upon the Wheel

    Third period, art.  The only place in that horrible school where I wasn’t a pariah.  Art classes tend to attract an interesting mix of students.  We had the Easy A’s, the Very Talented, and the Clueless Yet Earnest Artistes.  That would be me.

  • Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Live: Midtown Music Festival, 9/21/2012

    This weekend’s Midtown Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia has been the buzz on social media.  Me, I’m on the other coast so I’ve had to follow along as my friends and colleagues giggle and titter about Pearl Jam, the Foo Fighters, and Adam Ant (anonymous quote:  “I don’t think Adam Ant knows how old he…