music

Rest in peace, Larry Fischer. One of the most extraordinary outsider performance artists, the original Wild Man was true to himself, and dedicated to his art. Mentally ill? Sure, that's what cynical reviewers would say. But could it be that he understood something that most would never see? Even the great Frank Zappa revered him. He was also the impetus behind the creation of Rhino Records. Read more »

I heard today of the passing of one of my favorite singers, the highly influential Charlie Louvin. He and his brother Ira were one of the top brother harmony groups of all time, and he later went on to a solo career. Their impact on country music of the fifties was tremendous, directly influencing the Everly Brothers, who were the models Lennon and McCartney used for much of their harmony work with the Beatles. Read more »

One of my favorite bands is The Sharp Things, out of New York City. They play kind of a new-Baroque Rock that's fun to dance to. Like most serious artists who are trying to define a new space, their style can't really be pigeonholed, but the way I think of it is Motown meets Pet Sounds, under the supervision of J. S. Bach. Listen for yourself; I think you'll enjoy it. You can hear some free downloads on their site, and buy their albums on iTunes. They're running a Kickstarter campaign to raise $2500 to produce their next recording. I like the idea; pledge $20 now and get the recordings when they have it completed. More power to them, and I wish them well. Read more »

Nashville was visited by a terrible flood this week (sadly underreported). The Grand Ole Opry was underwater, as well as much of the entertainment area around it. Very tragic news - but the heart of the Opry is its tradition and entertainers, and they will recover.

One of the many little stories that won't be covered is the effects the flood had on Nashville Pro Hammond. This is Murph Wanca's shop, and he's one of the top Hammond Organ maintainers in the country. He supplies Hammonds to most of the studios and venues down there, and has a reputation for not suffering fools and doing restorations of the highest quality. Read more »

A friend asked me about my favorite music and films from the sixties, a list of ten each. Not an easy ask, for sure. So here are some favorites, but it isn't a list of the "ten best" or even my desert island collection, just some works that I enjoy.

Music Read more »