Late July 2011, would-be guests of the
historic and storied Chelsea Hotel (also known as
Hotel Chelsea or simply The Chelsea)
were informed on their reservations were suddenly canceled, in preparation for a year-long renovation project, which some people
speculate is a union-busting strategy. Given the concerns for the future of The Chelsea,
some came to throw last-minute parties, while long-term tenants held more somber gatherings. On August 1st,
current guests were abruptly escorted out, increasing anxieties about the plans of
the new owner, elusive real estate investor Joseph Chetrit. Even if this is the end of the era, the hotel's
long and varied legacy lives on ...
[more inside]
posted by filthy light thief
on Aug 6, 2011 -
47 comments
Few bands have undergone as many reinventions as the
Misfits (
no, not those Misfits). Formed in New Jersey in 1977 by Glenn Danzig (vocals and keyboard), Jerry Only (bass) and Manny Martinez (drums), the original lineup played at CBGB and released one
unclassifiable guitar-less rock single. In late '77 guitarist Franché Coma was brought on and Martinez was kicked out of the band in favor of a drummer named Mr. Jim. With this lineup, their sound began to take on a
more defined sound, merging with the developing second wave of North American punk rock.
[more inside]
posted by 256
on Dec 1, 2010 -
58 comments
The Wipers were a tight and catchy post-punk band founded in Portland in 1977. Today they're best known for covers by
The Vivian Girls and Nirvana (
Return of the Rat, and esp. D7 -
studio, live
1 2 3 4). But the originals are pretty interesting too. John Peel said of their first album "Is It Real": " 'It is one of punk's great albums by perhaps the most unappreciated band of all time'."
[more inside]
posted by msalt
on Jun 6, 2010 -
23 comments
Toronto band
Fucked Up was everywhere at the South By Southwest music festival this year--playing at
official and
unofficial showcases, even once
on the street, but often at unofficial massive advertising areas by, say,
Pepsi or
Levis.
Some might think: How can a hardcore band justify their position in these marketing schemes? The answer, posted on the band blog by Mike the Guitarist, is simply titled:
SXSW WHY? [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue
on Mar 26, 2010 -
47 comments
Oil City Confidential is a new film from director
Julien Temple, previously responsible for
The Filth and the Fury, about the Sex Pistols, and
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten, focusing on Strummer and The Clash. This time round, in a kind of prequel to both those films, he tackles the life and turbulent times of
Dr. Feelgood. Finding fame on the same
Pub rock circuit (as
remembered by writer and Kursaal Flyers drummer Will Birch) that also supported
Ian Dury's Kilburn and the High Roads (not to mention
Eddie and the Hot Rods and Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band
The 101ers), Dr. Feelgood played stripped-down, taut and aggressive
R&B. Hailing from the wildlands of Essex's
Canvey Island – the "Oil City" of the film's title – Dr Feelgood were punk before punk really hit, a whirlwind of raucous energy, with a fierce work ethic. In
Wilko Johnson, they had a guitarist with a scorching, slash and burn technique, while their singer,
Lee Brilleaux (
1989 interview), who died of cancer in 1994,
aged just 41, oozed cheap-suited menace, and, into the bargain, helped found
Stiff Records.
[more inside]
posted by Len
on Jan 27, 2010 -
9 comments
Max's Kansas City closed 25 years ago this night. Although
Hilly Kristal's CBGB's is
more iconic and perhaps better known today,
Mickey Ruskin's Max's Kansas City (and its infamous
back room) was every bit as important to fostering the
punk scene of the late 1970s and early 80s. Located a
213 Park Avenue South, just up the street from historic
Union Square, Max's played host to
the Heartbreakers,
Bruce Springsteen,
the Ramones,
Wayne/Jayne County and the Fast,
the New York Dolls, and quite a few others. What's standing there today? Why, the
213 Park Avenue South Deli, of course.
posted by psmealey
on Dec 31, 2007 -
26 comments
Something to Hüsker :
Bob Mould,
Grant Hart and
Greg Norton live with
Joan Rivers on the Late Show. Also live versions of the Byrds'
Eight Miles High,
The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill/I Apologize,
Pink Turns to Blue,
Every Everything, Makes no Sense at All, Ticket to Ride,
New Day Rising,
These Important Years, Every Everytime, and a video for
Don't Want to Know if You Are Lonely.
posted by psmealey
on Sep 21, 2007 -
68 comments
Ted Leo and
the Pharmacists[NPR segment]. Ted is a soon to be 37 years young punk singer/songwriter who draws his influences from artists like Billy Bragg, Curtis Mayfield and Clash singer Joe Strummer, Ted Leo mixes punk rock with soul, folk and pop melodies. Here is
Ted with and without the Pharmacists doing a few tunes:
Me and Mia,
Kelly Clarkson's
Since you Been Gone,
Bomb. Repeat. Bomb,
Where have all the Rudeboys Gone?,
Little Dawn, the Pogues's
Dirty Old Town, Bruce Springsteen's
Dancing in the Dark and
Sons of Cain. As he's touring nearly 365 days per year, you can rest assured that he's coming
to a venue near you.
posted by psmealey
on Aug 22, 2007 -
46 comments
Stacey Peralta's directing and editing chops date back to the 1980s. His skateboard company
Powell-Peralta's legendary
Bones Brigade (the dream team of
Tony Hawk,
Steve Caballero,
Lance Mountain,
Mike McGill,
Rodney Mullen and
Tommy Guerrero) were dominating professional skateboarding, and Stacey lovingly documented the progress of his team with a series of great Bones Brigade videocassette releases such as the
Bones Brigade Video Show (1984),
Future Primitive (1985) and
The Search for Animal Chin (1987)
(all Google Video). Each video is a skateboarding historical signpost, featuring the debuts of
Caballerials,
McTwists and
720s. Don't miss the soundtrack to the
Bones Brigade Video Show, which features great 1980s punk rock such as the
Youth Brigade and the
Faction (Steve Caballero's band).
posted by porn in the woods
on May 13, 2007 -
22 comments
That ain't bad for two weeks work and 75,000 pounds. On this day in 1977, after being with the label for just six days,
punk pioneers The Sex Pistols were fired from
A&M Records due to pressure from other label artists and its
Los Angeles head office. 25,000 copies of
‘God Save The Queen’ were pressed and the band made £75,000 ($127,500) from the deal, thus cementing the legend of
the Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.
Under pressure by
Conservative MP Robert Adley among others due to their outrageous behavior - specifically,
their notorious performance on
ITV Today with Bill Grundy -
EMI had dumped the band in January. Also appearing on television with Grundy and the Pistols that day were members of
the Bromley Contingent:
Siouxsie Sioux and
Steve Severin, who later formed
Siouxsie and the Banshees.
posted by psmealey
on Mar 16, 2007 -
60 comments
Andy Rosen:
I was a rock photographer working in London 1976-1984. This is my private collection. These pics have been stored since the Punk Days. This is the first time they can be seen in 25 years. His
Clash and
London Punks sets.
posted by KevinSkomsvold
on Dec 17, 2005 -
16 comments
The Situationist International (this is a punk rock introduction from 1984, published in Maximum Rock 'n' Roll), a group of artists, writers and filmmakers from Europe, were active as a group from 1957-1968. Their influence extended beyond those confines, though, as Greil Marcus outlined in
Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century. Ken Knabb has released online his indispensable
Situationist International Anthology, and has collected many other crucial texts, including many about
San Francisco Situationist groups, at
The Bureau of Public Secrets. A more recent appropriation of Situationist rhetoric and strategies can be found in
Ulysses Speaks (previous MeFi link
here), the organ of the DC punk rock band
Nation of Ulysses. More information and Situationist repositories
here and (including a detailed timeline)
here.
posted by OmieWise
on Jul 19, 2005 -
27 comments
Punk Rock Scrapbook. J Neo Marvin carried an instamatic camera to a lot of gigs way back when, and he has posted them on his band's website. The Clash, X, The Ramones and more.
posted by planetkyoto
on Mar 8, 2005 -
19 comments
Do you remember Hüsker Dü? No, not that
Husker Du,
this one. This site contains one of
the most complete collections of guitar tabs I have ever seen for any band. It might even exceed my previous favorite band site,
Swervedriver.com, if not in flash, then in content. The owner of the site seems to be more of a
Grant Hart fan than a
Bob Mould fan, as there are tabs for most of Hart's solo stuff and for
Nova Mob, but only a smattering of Mould tunes and none for
Sugar. There is also, suprisingly, a tab of
the Posies' excellent song (and loving tribute to the Huskers)
"Grant Hart".
posted by psmealey
on Jan 15, 2005 -
60 comments
Another member of the Blank Generation lost. Robert Quine was found dead in his apartment in NYC yesterday, he committed suicide. He was sixty years old and had played with
Richard Hell &
the Voidoids,
Lou Reed,
Matthew Sweet,
Lloyd Cole, Materia,
Brian Eno and others, he also cut an LP with Jody Harris (Escape), and one with Fred Maher (Basic). It has been reported that he was suffering depression brought on by the death of his wife Alice last August. Robert also recorded the Velvet Underground on a hand held cassette deck, the highlights were issued last year as
The Quine Tapes a three CD set. Personally, I'll always remember him from the jagged guitar parts from Richard Hell and Voidoids' "Blank Generation", which were the only guitar parts that I ever bothered to learn and faithfully reproduce note for note in the many times my band covered the song. Condolences to those that survive him.
posted by psmealey
on Jun 7, 2004 -
18 comments
Ten years gone. The unifinished story of Kurt Cobain. Hard to believe that it's been ten years since the unwelcome news was broadcast. As a Cobain contemporary/gen X'er/Seattle musican in the 90s, my own heart is
still broken.
posted by psmealey
on Apr 5, 2004 -
131 comments
Grand Old Punks The Sunday Times reported on Johnny Ramone's conservative beliefs today
As he grew up he realised that for all his guitar thrashing, he was a conservative at heart. He opposes abortion and gay marriage and thinks welfare benefits are too generous. “Everyone in America can succeed to at least the middle-class level if they work hard enough,” he said.
Do
these people have a point or do they just not get it?
posted by maggie
on Mar 7, 2004 -
51 comments
A history of UK Punk Rock from 1976-79. "Featuring an A-Z of punk bands from Adam and The Ants to The Sex Pistols to X Ray Spex, fanzines, punk girls, rare record sleeves, audio clips, fashion, punk rock lyrics, interviews and loads of pictures." It's not all about the Sex Pistols.
posted by archimago
on Sep 18, 2003 -
48 comments
