Man, really slept on that one! Not surprising I missed it, that was a pretty hectic time of the year for me.by belfast
Robert Christgau gave that album a rare A+ (his highest for an Arcade Fire album). I actually like it quite a bit myself, but I have to say even at my peak fandom for Arcade Fire, I thought Funeral and The Suburbs were even better. I haven't listened to them in ages though. I championed their fourth album even though it felt bloated - they could've thrown out nearly everything on theby belfast
The "reviews" section continues to be invaluable - I just used it to navigate my way through Japan's back catalog for the first time ever.by belfast
When was the last time 3/4 of the original line-up played the U.S.? (I realize the full original line-up recently did a run of shows in the UK. If I had the money to burn, would've flown to the UK for that.)by belfast
A large part of his legacy rests on a few years in the mid-'60s but what an impact he made, producing the first great (not to mention massively influential and groundbreaking) singles for the Kinks, then the Who and then a wide variety of acts, including the Easybeats for whom he produced "Friday on My Mind." Here's his final post for his Facebook page: FAREWELL FROM SHEby belfast
Very sad indeed. I remember when this happened, and Ari's death came up again when Alain Delon passed away in August. Alain Delon is one of the great actors in cinema, a model of what a lead performer with plenty of clout should do with their career (similar to his contemporary Catherine Deneuve), but he's also further proof that the best and brightest on-screen aren't always thby belfast
In terms of general reaction, I'm with Brad. In the past few decades, when the Democrats have lost, they didn't just lose, they lose BIG, and the way they lose doesn't leave a feeling of grief so much as enormous anger. In many cases, it's magnified in ways that were wholly avoidable. The blame game has already begun - the Democrats didn't do enough, the Democrats wentby belfast
I'm very sorry to hear this Michael. My condolences.by belfast
"Recently our friend and musical collaborator Matthew Sweet suffered a severe stroke while on tour in Toronto. Matthew is currently back in Omaha and begining his expensive and arduous recovery journey. Matthew needs financial and inspirational support to complete his road back from this tough setback. Wild Honey is here to do our part. "Matthew's musical friends and bandmates(pby belfast
FWIW, George Martin originally did NOT get royalties, and I was under the impression that was due to different standards in the British recording industry. But by 1965, when it was clear the Beatles were going to be an ongoing cashcow and that Martin was pretty much THE guy they wanted to work with, he was able to negotiate a royalty and lived a pretty comfortable life after that. Spector defiby belfast
I bet Garfunkel, Messina & Oates would sell out theaters at those prices.by belfast
It would be way too embarrassing for me to do this, but one time I went to MSG, a communications mix-up meant that a friend of mine asked for a ticket for his wife even though she wasn't going to join us. This wasn't made apparent until we arrived at MSG, so I told him we'd just sell her ticket to whoever wanted it outside of the venue. Seemed reasonable as it was a sold out show aby belfast
I've been buying tickets more and more at the box office for this reason, really the only thing I can do at this point to offset increases. Doesn't work for high profile shows where you're pretty much forced to buy from Ticketmaster (either because all the tickets will sell out through Ticketmaster before the box office opens, or in some cases where you actually have no other optioby belfast
I was going to see him last week when he canceled the rest of his tour due to illness but had no idea it was this serious. Very sad, I discovered his first three ‘90s albums over the pandemic (Intervention Records, an audiophile label, was selling signed copies to help him offset the lost income when he couldn’t tour) and they’re pretty awesome, including the EP he put out in the interim.by belfast
I want to see the NY Dolls get inducted while Johansen is still around. Also the original Modern Lovers (all four alive and well) in hopes that they'll reunite just one more time, if only for 2 or 3 numbers.by belfast
I imagine Patti couldn't make it, but their children were at the ceremony and Jesse posted quite a few photos on her Instagram page. (Patti also commented on those posts and is clearly happy and proud of Fred's induction.)by belfast
You're welcome! He had an incredible run with the Messengers - he continued to write and record great songs afterwards (the updated double-disc version of Songs from the South has a pretty great selection that stops at 2008) but those records may be his best. I'll also throw in the one preceding them, Post, which was my introduction to Kelly. FWIW, a few months ago, I bought the origby belfast
The show at LPR in NYC was awesome. I even saw him after the show and asked him when he would be back in the U.S. for a full-on tour, and it sounds like it'll happen next year so fingers crossed! Perhaps as a nod to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Kelly introduced the final number of the main set by talking about the failed constitutional referendum to recognize Indigenous Australians which woulby belfast
I just caught Lowe's show with the Straitjackets at the Bowery Ballroom, and it was absolutely wonderful. Both times I saw them open for Elvis Costello they were great (and Lowe even joined Elvis both times for a few numbers, the highlight being "Indoor Fireworks" at Pier 17) but it's pretty amazing to see them in a club. We even got a second encore, with Lowe appearing aloneby belfast
No worries, she's been found safe and sound!by belfast
X was amazing at Town Hall last night, even better than when I saw them in July 2022, opening for the Psychedelic Furs, and they were flat out awesome at that show. It probably helps that they were the main act and played a longer set. It's just a shame this is probably their last NYC show and makes me regret missing those full-album shows from a decade ago which may have been the last timeby belfast
I hope they come back to the NYC area. I missed them because I already had tickets to see PJ Harvey at the same exact time. She was amazing but tbh that was a pretty ridiculous weekend for concerts. Springsteen's enormous Asbury Park show was the same day - already going down in Springsteen lore as one of his greatest - and ELO was also doing their final shows ever in NYC. White Eagle Hall wby belfast
>> If you string together their best singles, >> you have a solid and dependable greatest hits >> disc, nothing earth-shaking yet wholly >> enjoyable. But I don't find their individual >> albums all that interesting. >To me, The Pretenders' self-titled LP is one of the ten best debut albums in all of rock. Definitely all killer, no filler. Whby belfast
The new album's really good. If it's not up there with the Rockpile recordings, at minimum it's on par with the delightful Party of One. As I listen to it more, I may even put it on par with The Rose of England. Surprising in that he hadn't released an album in years, unsurprising when you consider that it's mostly compiled from several EP's spread out over a long peby belfast
I saw Foo Fighters for the first time this summer, mostly just to see the Pretenders who opened with an hour-long set. (The Pretenders were great. Chrissie's voice doesn't sound like it's aged at all and the band was excellent, especially the lead guitarist. Hope they come back to NYC and play the kind of headlining shows they did elsewhere this summer.) Visuals were pretty goodby belfast
Dookie was just certified days ago by the RIAA as 20x platinum. It's incredible how they've sustained their popularity to the point where they're like alternative's commercial equivalent to the Eagles.by belfast
He just posted an update in his latest Instagram story. He apologized for the two cancellations, which was a result of illness, and he says they're going to try and reschedule the DC and Chicago dates. Otherwise, the tour is back on and the next stop is Nashville.by belfast
The stories on his Instagram account re-posted info on upcoming tour stops, so I guess everything is still on schedule despite the two cancellations?by belfast
Chicago has been postponed too. Hope it's nothing serious.by belfast
Ugh - I just got word that the D.C. talk has been cancelled. No reason is given but it's now noted on Politics and Prose's website:by belfast
