I discovered the radio when I was 8 years old – 1977, for those of you wondering. Disco reigned at the time, and I tolerated the shrieks of the Bee Gees for a while, but my attention continued to be captured by fleeting glimpses of greatness: Pop singles by such unknown artists as Climax Blues
Andrew Curry: The Interview
Andrew Curry loves lite rock, and he’s not ashamed to say it. What’s lite rock, you ask? If you’re older than 40, you’ll remember the commercials that record distributor K-tel used to promote late into the evenings (“Mellow Gold! Only $19.99 plus shipping and handling!”). The songs were mostly obscured by the last dying vestiges
Book Review – I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon
A few months ago, I was driving down the road with my kids when Prince’s “Kiss” came on the radio. After doing my best falsetto whimper while singing along ,I asked them if they knew who sang the song. “Michael Jackson!” they shouted in unison. I then pondered how to introduce elementary school students to
A Not-So-Real Interview with Taylor Swift
Grammy Shmammy 2013
It’s taken one week for me to muster up the motivation to write about this year’s Grammy Awards. And its memory has already faded so much, its bland entries and uninspired performances leaving me wondering, “This is the best in modern music?” Previous years showed some innovation, trying to tie today’s rising stars to rock’s
Desert Island Disc: Candy Butchers Self-Titled Album
My discovery of Mike Viola and the Candy Butchers and their unreleased demos is a story for the ages, one that involves hidden treasures, research and intrigue. First, the background. In 1996, the Candy Butchers had just released an EP, Live at La Bonbonniere, under Blue Thumb Records, and were putting the finishing touches on