Category Archives: Features

PIGSHIT: Much more of The Monkees

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Can it really be true that Rolling Stone publisher/magnate Jann S. Wenner has personally conducted a decades-long campaign to bar The Monkees from induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Far-from-dummy Monkee Peter Tork certainly thinks so.

“He doesn’t care what the rules are and just operates how he sees fit,” Tork told the New York Post in 2007. “It is an abuse of power. I don’t know whether The Monkees belong in the Hall of Fame, but it’s pretty clear that we’re not in there because of a personal whim.”  Continue reading →

PIGSHIT: Iggy, in the hands of the fans

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As the opening credits of this grand new MVD Visual DVD state, (and I quote), “On September 3, 2010, Iggy and the Stooges performed Raw Power live in Monticello, New York. Six fans filmed the concert and interviewed Iggy and the Stooges after the show.”

Really then! A concept so crystalline in both its simplicity and beauty – much like Iggy himself, one such as myself could argue. But the result is mountains above and beyond the ultimate DIY epic for Generation YouTube: What we have here is a real-time and, of course, real LOUD (thanks in no small part to the work of audio recordist Max Bisgrove) down ‘n’ dirty antidote to all those precious Jonathan Demme-style concert films regularly being awarded art-house praises and prizes.  Continue reading →

PIGSHIT: Ten Reasons to Now Revisit Hendrix at Winterland and In the West

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1. These original live recordings – totaling 47 tracks over five hours plus – have previously been semi-available only on long-out-of-print releases (not counting quite inferior-sounding bootlegs), and in the case of the Winterland performances now features three (!) full discs of additional material.  Continue reading →

Pigshit by Gary Pig Gold: They Called It Rockpile

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Just like most near-lifelong Beatlemaniacs stuck in the summer of 1980, news that no less than John Lennon was about to reenter the recording studio after an unprecedented five year AWOL filled me and my ears with eager, excited anticipation. I mean, there could be no doubt the Chief Beatle would have identified with, not to mention greatly appreciated, the leather-jacketed back-to-raw-basics approach the late Seventies’ p-rockers had brought to an otherwise milquetoast music scene during his hiatus. So, naturally, these new Lennon recordings would undoubtedly reflect said fire and fury, righting all that was wrong upon my AM and maybe even FM radio dial. Right?

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“Our band is called Sun Wizard, how about you guys?” – James Younger

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Vancouver’s Sun Wizard is a catchy band whose music is as brilliant as the sun. The group is made up of four friends: James, Mally, Ben and Francesco. The lead singer has the perfect rough voice to make their rock tracks appealing and enjoyable and my favorite one off their new album, Positively 4th Avenue, is “World’s Got a Handle,” a song that reminds me of Razorlight.

“10 Buildings” can take you back to the 1990s, as it has a very similar sound to Nirvana, and overall, with its diversity, Positively 4th Avenue is an album worth listening to because it has the knack to transport you into the band’s own psychic world.  Song writer and guitarist James Younger took time to answer some questions before the album’s September 20th release. Continue reading →

NY Driven Women # 12 & 35

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Bob Dylan’s ex-wife sits on the bleachers in a smoky little Hoboken nightclub watching her latest son-in-law belting out his latest demo tape to an appreciative but slim audience of friends and scene-schemers. Bob Dylan’s ex-wife’s looks certainly belie her too many years of lawsuits and sleepless months: she’s still slim, dark, and her eyes still sparkle mischievously with the magics of eras gone  by. Continue reading →

Cleveland Says Goodbye to Jane Scott, Music Journalist

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On July 4, 2011, Cleveland, if not the whole music world, lost a very important part to it. One of the most recognizable and influential personalities in media lost her battle with time. On that very special day when all Americans celebrated their independence, we lost Jane Scott at the age of 92.

You may not have known her by name, but you most definitely had to have run into her once in a while if you took in concerts around Cleveland on a regular basis. No matter how old you are, you had to have crossed paths with Plain Dealer Rock Journalist Jane Scott at any of the concert venues around town while going to concerts of famous bands that have sold millions of albums or even bands that were just getting started.

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PIGSHIT: Elvis Presley dies for your sins

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August 16, 1977.

August 16, 2011.

It’s that day again.

But why should ANYBODY, ANYWHERE care anymore?

Well, in a word or 1030 I believe, here’s Why!

Ready?

First of all, if it hadn’t been for Elvis, we simply wouldn’t be sitting here reading this right now. Really! Think about it: If you like and/or make rock and roll music, Elvis – indirectly or not – is the reason why.

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Osheaga 2011 in review: When does a lot become too much?

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It seems the current trend with music festivals is to focus on cramming as many acts as possible onto as many stages as possible, in as few days as possible, pushing the ideas of comfort, enjoyment and feasibility much, much lower down the priorities list.

Montreal’s annual Osheaga festival is known for bringing audiences a wide array of performances, from different genres and regions of the world, but this year’s installment seemed to fall victim to the aforementioned trend. Now, before you decide whether you agree with my review or not, please allow me to plead my case. Continue reading →

Three years running and just getting better – Heavy MTL does it again

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When I saw the line-up for this year’s Heavy MTL, I was floored by the fact that organizers somehow managed to top last year’s with bands of an overall much higher caliber. The sound was dead-on and the only minor technical glitch I noticed was with Billy Talent’s set; after their banner fell down and they didn’t bother to fix it (the show must go on!), the sound guy didn’t turn on the mic until about 15 seconds into their first song.

The organization was on the ball for preventing anyone from getting seriously injured, beer tent lines were reasonable and the stage set up was efficient. In fact, the only thing I could say the weekend was missing was a little more shaded area but that is just Parc Jean-Drapeau for you. Continue reading →