Tag: Music
Nashville: You’ve Still Got It
by Jenna Schnuer | 06.23.09 | 4:30 PM ET
Nashville,
Just after I plucked my bag from the baggage carousel and walked out the airport doors to meet my ride, you wrapped me up in your humidity. Though that kind of welcome would, normally, put me off, I found it comforting. You were just making it clear that I was back in Nashville, that my two year for-no-good-reason exile from your borders had come to a close.
Before my visit, I told you I was nervous. One of my favorite cities, you had gone magical in my mind. When I thought about you, it was always fun fun fun, big food, history, music, blah blah blah. You were far removed from daily life. But from the minute that humidity grabbed me, I knew all would be OK. While my past visits have been anchored with purpose (reporting stories, the Tin Pan South festival, and so on), this trip was about, simply, hanging out and letting the week unfold as it might. I wanted to see what it was like just to be in Nashville, no run-around keep-yourself-busy necessary. My only requirements: eat at least one ice pop at Las Paletas and get a better understanding of the way your neighborhoods relate to each other.
You delivered.
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Yahoo! BuzzSee This Now: ‘Give Peace a Chance’
by Eva Holland | 06.23.09 | 10:14 AM ET
Photo by Eva Holland As we’ve noted, this spring marked the 40th anniversary of John and Yoko’s iconic “bed-ins” for peace, first at the Amsterdam Hilton and later (and more famously) at Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The commemorations in those two cities have passed, but a powerful exhibit about the Montreal bed-in has just opened at the Museum at Bethel Woods (aka the Woodstock museum), and it will remain open through the summer.
Postcard from Georgia
by Tom Swick | 06.11.09 | 10:54 AM ET
Contemplating and celebrating the world of travel
Speedos, Bell Hops, Andean Flute Music, Oh My!
by Tom Swick | 05.18.09 | 10:47 AM ET
Contemplating and celebrating the world of travel
Maui vs. the Moorhen
by Pam Mandel | 05.13.09 | 10:20 AM ET
The fluffy little chick paddling in the pond at Waimea Valley didn’t look like much of a keeper of fire. She was all black fuzz and pathetic peeping. The endangered ’Alae ’Ula chick—or Hawaiian Moorhen—was the last of a brood of three that hatched this spring. There are only about 300 of the birds left, according to a State of Hawaii fact sheet.
What We Loved This Week: Rick Steves, Italian Pop, Vienna Teng and More
by World Hum | 05.08.09 | 6:57 PM ET
Dear ‘American Idol’: How About Some Road Tunes?
by Eva Holland | 05.06.09 | 12:45 PM ET
I’ll admit it: For the first time since Clay Aiken came in second and got all the glory anyway, I’ve been following “American Idol” this year. I’m a pretty halfhearted viewer—I tend to browse the recaps the next day, and then find the performances that interest me on YouTube—but I’ve still managed to take note of the various theme nights the “Idol” producers have come up with. Opry Night, Idol at the Movies, Rat Pack Standards, even Disco: the diversity of American musical eras and traditions represented is admirable.
Nonetheless, I’m left wondering about one great American tradition that “Idol” seems to have overlooked. Where’s the homage to road music?
Noel Gallagher on ‘This Swine Flu Malarky’
by Eva Holland | 05.01.09 | 2:51 PM ET
Some days, I honestly don’t know how we ever got along without celebrity bloggers weighing in on the news of the day. The latest celeb-turned-citizen-journalist? Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, who reports from the Caracas airport about swine flu paranoia.
Flyover America: 10 (More) Songs for an American Road Trip
by Jenna Schnuer | 04.29.09 | 4:32 PM ET
While the invention of iTunes has made things far easier than the days when we had to go through stack and stacks of cassettes to create the perfect on-the-road mix tapes, there’s still an art to creating the perfect road-trip playlist.
It takes time, thought, a sense of humor, and a wide-ranging music collection in whatever digital format you prefer. It also needs a theme. It can be about a mood, a time of day, your love for hot dogs, or whatever. You don’t even have to announce the theme. You don’t have to name the playlist “hot dog music” but, to make it all hang together, the theme must at least be in your mind during the song selection process.
Southwest and JetBlue to Face Off in Guitar Hero Challenge
by Rob Verger | 04.29.09 | 10:20 AM ET
There’s plenty of bad news out there about the airline industry these days, and things like swine flu, or the very dumb decision to buzz Lower Manhattan in a presidential 747 aren’t making people any happier.
So, I decided to focus on something a little more lighthearted here: an airline Guitar Hero showdown.
Flyover America: 10 Songs for an American Road Trip
by Sophia Dembling | 04.27.09 | 4:09 PM ET
Forty-seven percent of road trip success is having the right soundtrack. (The rest is route, scenery, and snacks.)
This week Jenna and I offer you our Flyover America Mix—10 songs each (though we could think of many more) about flyover states. Of course, road songs needn’t have places in them, but that’s just a little extra fun.
The Carter Family Fold: The Most Joyous Place in the World
by Jenna Schnuer | 04.27.09 | 12:59 PM ET
Photo by Jenna Schnuer. Try as I might, I’ve been having trouble pushing off the gray cast that seems to have settled over my brain. Damned economy. But, over the last few days, thanks to trips of days past, there’s been some relief. I’ve been clicking through my mental View-Master® (and my photos) to temporarily step back into some truly happy moments.
I’m convinced that if I keep building the stack, it’ll topple the gray. One surprise stop on my magical mood-bender tour came in Hiltons, Virginia, at the Carter Family Fold. Part of the Carter Family Memorial Music Center—owned by the first family of country music—the Fold hosts a weekly old time and bluegrass music show.
Woodstock: Disneyland for Hippies?
by Eva Holland | 04.10.09 | 2:23 PM ET
Well, the 40th anniversary of the mother of all music festivals may still be a few months away, but the “reflecting on Woodstock” pieces are already cropping up. This week, Rock’s Backpages digs up a vicious Rolling Stone piece—circa 1999—from David Dalton, eviscerating the festival as the death of the ’60s dream.
Here’s a sample: “Woodstock, if anything, amounts to the Disneyfication of the entire hippie enterprise—a just-so story about generational togetherness, a sort of temporary ’60s theme park that (alas!) has become an annual institution.”
Canada: ‘Mashed Potatoes Without the Gravy’?*
by Eva Holland | 04.09.09 | 2:27 PM ET
In the latest round of the Is Canada Boring? debate, actor-musician Billy Bob Thornton has weighed in, describing the country as “mashed potatoes without the gravy” in a testy interview on CBC radio.
Thornton, who’s touring with his band and was apparently miffed that the introduction made reference to his acting career, was belligerent throughout and at one point demanded: “Would you ask Tom Petty that?” I’d say host Jian Ghomeshi deserves an award for biting back the obvious response: You, sir, are not Tom Petty.
Update April 12, 10:05 p.m. ET: Billy Bob has canceled his remaining Canadian gigs and headed home, after reportedly being booed and heckled at a Toronto show by fans chanting “Here comes the gravy.” You can’t make this stuff up.
Farewell Ukulele Player John King
by Pam Mandel | 04.06.09 | 2:44 PM ET
Uke players around the world are saddened to learn of the death of ukulele master John King. He was a popular teacher—many of my ukulele playing friends took lessons from him here in the Pacific Northwest and were looking forward to his upcoming classes at the Portland Uke Fest. His blog, Nalu Music, includes exhaustive back information about the history of the uke, his tour schedule, quotes about the ukulele, sheet music for skilled players, and lots, lots more. John King was a writer, a musician and an advocate for Hawaiian music and his instrument of choice.
Here’s John King playing Ka Ipo Lei—a love song for David Kalakaua the last king of Hawaii—on his uke. John King died much too young. He’ll be missed.
Looking Back at the Bed-In
by Eva Holland | 03.27.09 | 2:29 PM ET
This week marks the 40th anniversary of John and Yoko’s first bed-in, at the Amsterdam Hilton. The couple spent their honeymoon, from March 26 to 31, 1969, inviting the press to visit them in their hotel room, where they sat in bed and talked peace. (A second, more famous bed-in took place in Montreal in May of ’69 and resulted in the recording of “Give Peace a Chance.”)
If you happen to be in Amsterdam this weekend, check out a few ongoing commemorative events there, or—for a virtual commemoration—head over to Yoko Ono’s ImaginePeace.com for photos, video and reminiscences. You can also follow Yoko on Twitter; she’s had the anniversary on her mind. Yesterday she wrote: “I never liked ringing the service bell because it often made me realize that there was nobody at the other end.”
Tibetan Monks, In Nine-Part Harmony
by Julia Ross | 03.25.09 | 1:00 PM ET
Here’s a new way to express support for Tibet, if you’re so inclined: Pick up a copy of this CD, produced by the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, of the Gyuto Monks Tantric Choir, chanting in multiple overtones at once (similar to the Tuvan throat singers). National Public Radio has a fascinating story about how the CD was produced, based on a rare 1960s recording of Tibetan monks in northern India made by religion scholar Huston Smith. NPR has a sample of Smith’s original recording online. Apparently the trained ear can discern up to nine harmonies sung by a single monk at one time; to me, the only word for it is “otherworldly.”
Proceeds from the CD support the New York-based Tibet House and the Tibetan Gyuto monastery-in-exile.
New Orleans Rocks
by Barry Yeoman | 03.25.09 | 10:17 AM ET
Photo by Barry Yeoman With the famed Jazz & Heritage Festival approaching, Barry Yeoman explores the city's wide-ranging music scene
What Some Locals Have To Say About SXSW
by Sophia Dembling | 03.20.09 | 3:56 PM ET
Twitterers are all a-twitter about the fun they’re having at SXSW in Austin, and the party is only just getting started. But are long-time locals having as much fun being descended upon by the hipster masses? I polled a few of my Austin buddies about the fun they’re having ... or not.
‘Rock and Roll Public Library’ Opens in London
by Eva Holland | 03.18.09 | 5:07 PM ET
The Clash guitarist Mick Jones has opened his expansive rock memorabilia collection to the public for the first time, Reuters reports. The resulting exhibit, dubbed “Rock and Roll Public Library,” is running at London’s Chelsea Space until April 18, and (unsurprisingly) is heavy on relics from the ’70s punk scene. Says Jones: “Ultimately I’d like to have a permanent place to exhibit the whole collection like a museum, like a library where you can come and see the stuff and maybe get a copy or sit there and read it. I also would like to bring artists there because it’s history really.”