In Southern California in the 1980s, KROQ had this weird un-DJ-like guy named (seriously)
Rodney Bingenheimer, who came on late at night on Sundays and played punk records and new bands like Blondie, The Ramones, X, Joan Jett, Devo and Cheap Trick. Did this weirdo really have some influence? A 90-minute 2004 documentary now on YouTube,
Mayor of the Sunset Strip (Part 1) tells his story, and it's weirder than you may have imagined.
[more inside]
posted by planetkyoto
on Nov 14, 2011 -
24 comments
Connecticut's
Have a Nice Life is responsible for one of the year's most
acclaimed, highly conceptual albums this year, Deathconsciousness.
The two discs (entitled The Plow That Broke The Plains and The Future, respectively) feature music spanning over five years of collaboration between the two artists, and are accompanied by a 75-page booklet on medieval Italian heretics in lieu of liner notes. Combining elements of
shoegaze,
new wave,
ambient drone,
post-rock,
experimental industrial,
avant-garde dark metal, and
electronic music, and citing references such as
My Bloody Valentine and
Joy Division to their credit, the original and only pressings sold out
within hours. Full stream of all 85 minutes available
here. Direct mp3 samples
here and
here.
[more inside]
posted by Christ, what an asshole
on Jun 28, 2008 -
34 comments
On the cusp of DEVO's first tour of Europe since 1990 , it's become clear that, though largely cast aside after their 1980 hit "Whip It", DEVO's influence is finally being felt on modern audiences, around the world. DEVO has inspired tribute bands,
some traditional,
some not. They've also spawned new bands,
domestic [MySpace link], and Foreign like
Japan's POLYSICS [YouTube], and Germany's
Mutate Now [YouTube]. With musical inspiration like this, can't we forgive such missteps as
Devo 2.0?
posted by SansPoint
on Jun 15, 2007 -
55 comments
Happy Birthday Ric Richard Otcasek turned 58 today. It's
All Mixed Up, I had no idea he was so old. Well, no matter how old you are, you still need to let the
Good Times Roll, so
Let's Go wish him our very best, since it's pretty much
Touch and Go for any rock star approaching age 60.
Though many of the Cars hits where sung by the late, great
Ben Orr, Ocasek was one of the more recognizable front men of the 1980s. So distinctive that, on April 18, 2006, he was ranked number 50 in The
Boston Phoenix list of "The 100 unsexiest men in the world."
Ocasek has had a low-key, but reasonably successful
career as a solo artist, written a book of poetry and had a cameo role in the John Waters feature film
Hairspray. He also appeared on the Colbert Report where he volunteered to lead a commando mission to "rescue"
Stephen Jr., the baby eagle at the
San Francisco Zoo. Ric also is notable as a producer, though he is probably best known (or infamous in indie circles) for producing
Guided by Voices' much maligned
Do the Collapse. As for my own personal connection, the first time I saw him was in 1984, when the Cars played a show with
Wang Chung and the last time was when I stood next to Ric at
Luna's Farewell show at the Bowery Ballroom, a well known
Nightspot. Nice guy, he let me buy him a beer. It was, he said,
Just what he Needed.
posted by psmealey
on Mar 23, 2007 -
61 comments
AppreciationFilter: Edwyn Collins --Scottish Britpop Master--from Nu-Sonic as a teen in the 70s, Orange Juice ("Rip It Up") in the early 80s, to "A Girl Like You" and "Magic Piper," and still
going strong decades later. He even created a British sitcom, West Heath Yard, and now supports up and coming bands. Even if you've never heard of him, you've heard at least one of his songs, whether in Austin Powers or elsewhere.
More history here, from his old site. (and you can hear 18 streaming songs of his on the main link, above.)
Edwyn is now
in the hospital after suffering a serious brain hemorrhage.
posted by amberglow
on Feb 26, 2005 -
13 comments
