Weekly FeaturesDec 24-Jan 6Issue 2.32by The Editors • It's time to look back through the musical events of 2008 and remember what the hell happened. While magazines folded, websites collapsed, and a bunch of people got sued and/or shut down by the RIAA, somewhere in the midst of all this silly chaos, some music actually happened. Remember that stuff? It's pretty good, especially for getting over the bullshit life hands out.…read more by Michael Lydon • Originally published in The New York Times, March 1968 "Will he burn it tonight?" asked a neat blonde of her boyfriend, squashed in beside her on the packed floor of the Fillmore auditorium. "He did at Monterey," the boyfriend said, recalling the Pop Festival at which the guitarist, in a moment of elation, actually put a match to his guitar. The blonde and her boyfriend went on watching the stage, crammed with huge silver-fronted Fender amps, a double drum set…read more by The C! Team • As the winter months keep us cooped up indoors avoiding the cold night air, it is now that we forgo exercise and many of those other extracurricular activities we generally like to partake of when it's actually nice and light outside. It's the perfect time to slow down the ridiculous pace of modern life to hunker down under a blanket, maybe even next to a fireplace, and read a few books.…read more Recently in Feature Stories Recently in Classic Vantage
by Howard Wyman • As another 365 days of scandal, warfare, and crisis ripples in our wake, now is the time to glean what we can for the next go-round. ...read moreby Mike Conklin • I've gone back and read everything I've written over the past 12 months and chose my favorite stories—some serious, many just ridiculous—in hopes of taking a brief, telling snapshot of the year that was. ...read moreby Max Mobley • 2008 was definitely an odd year with a great finish somewhat tainted by reality. Reality is my least favorite thing on TV, and yet another year passes and I don’t shoot it (the TV). ...read moreby Ryan Wasoba • As the blue-haired crust punk I had met 45 seconds prior slid her body out from under our van, I expected the worst. ...read more
1. Sun Kil Moon, April
Mark Kozelek, the man who brought us Red House Painters, released this second LP of original songs, all as stunning as his best work, perhaps even more so. He may have released it on April 1st, but there was no foolin’ here: “Lost Verses”, “Tonight the Sky”, and this record’s collaborations with...read more by j. poet1. Murder Mystery, Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here It Comes...read more by Jessica Gentile1. Okkervil River, The Stand Ins...read more Vanilla Fudge, Richie Havens
The Youngbloods, Cold Blood
December 31, 1968 at Fillmore West
Artwork by Lee Conklin Since the earliest days of Bill Graham’s business in concert promotion, New Year’s Eve has taken up worldwide residency as the premier night to bear witness to epic sets of live music. A New Year’s Eve concert brings together like-minded folks and bestows on them a perfect way to bid farewell to the disappearing year, as well as a celebratory way to ring in the next. Before New Year’s extravaganzas took place at the larger Winterland and Oakland Coliseum, the place to ring in the new year in the San Francisco Bay was at Graham’s Fillmore West with the emerging bands of the day—be it blues-rock, folk, or psychedelic—providing the live entertainment. One thing was certain: If the bill was assembled by Bill Graham, then it was certain to be eclectic and brimming with promise. This trippy poster is a visual testament to the night the world said farewell to 1968 and hello to 1969. Artist Lee Conklin, known for his elaborate and delicately constructed images inspired by the hallucinations of an acid trip, couldn't refrain from the Bosch-like reminder that the sins of 1968 had piled up beyond recovery, a reference to the riots, police beatings, assassinations, and the escalating Vietnam War. Despite the dire suggestion of the images contained within the ticking hourglass, the night was one of surprise, festivity, and celebration. Happy New Year! View the Rock Art Rock Gallery See more photography by Baron Wolman |
Daily UpdatesJan 6Flashback Tuesday  Bjork has never been a stranger to controversy, and has found herself the subject of many headlines involving some antic or altercation over the years. Flashback to 1996 when a tired, surly Bjork disembarked a plane in Thailand only to be greeted by a horde of journalists and cameramen, one in particular who really pushed her buttons. Bjork ended up attacking the reporter, allegedly whom had been badgering her for some time. Though she later publicly apologized, everyone loves a good tabloid story and the exposure was already worldwide.
For a brief recap of music industry stories from the holiday break, check out this nifty list. (Hypebot) There's a nice Bob Marley-related piece in the New York Times about his friendship with recently passed Vincent Ford, and Ford's impact on Marley's influencial reggae music. (NYT, registration required) Noise, an anthology of new, short fiction inspired by Sonic Youth songs (or, perhaps, even just song titles) is set to release today. (Daily Swarm) The RIAA is said to have fired their detective agency, MediaSentry, which is in line with their recent decision to stop filing mass lawsuits against people suspected of filesharing illegally. (Idolator) Bruce Springsteen is offering free downloads through Amazon.com and "Guitar Hero" in the run-up to Working on a Dream, his next studio album to hit the streets on Jan. 27th. (Billboard) More tough times for Kraftwerk... co-founder Florian Schneider leaves after 40 years with the band. (Daily Swarm) Outlaw country music legend Merle Haggard beats lung cancer, still performing shows at 71. (Reuters) Courtney Love's new album to be sponsored, awesomely so, by a brand of tequilla and a "menstrual" company. (Guardian) “Did I say I would see you soon?
Well, I'm sorry, but I just came off my bike
And my face is scarred
And chance has barred me seeing you tonight” - Belle and Sebastian, “A Century of Fakers” January 6, 1975 Riots ensued causing about $30,000 in damages when a thousand Led Zeppelin fans waited for tickets to go on sale at Boston Garden. The show was ultimately canceled. January 6th: 1924: Earl Scruggs
1929: Wilbert Harrison
1946: Syd Barrett
1947: Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention)
1953: Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
1959: Kathie Sledge (Sister Sledge)
1986: Alex Turner (Artic Monkeys) Woah! Here's a vintage live video of Wreckless Eric playing his classic "Whole Wide World."
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