Category > Push Play
Four years ago, the nation met Barack Obama in the 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address. Near his conclusion, Obama made this statement: “Hope—Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation: A belief in things not seen, a belief that there are better days ahead. I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide …
| Rising musician, Benji Hughes is not your typical pop star – the hair, the music, the lyrics, etc. Sure he may sing songs about love gone awry and girls in tight t-shirts, but what makes him so appealing is the charm that comes out of his humor. Check out “Why Do These Parties All End the Same Way.” I found it free online and soon enough was buying his other songs. If he is instantaneously charming, his music is instantaneously …
A great recent album I’ve discovered is titled The Greatest Hits So Far by Learning Music – a band whom I had never heard of. What I learned is that Learning Music is a group of four to 20 musicians at any given time who began as a collaborative music-making project to create an album a month for a year (November 2006 to November 2007), which they recorded on a hand-held recorder thus being qualified to create a “greatest hits” …
Three years ago I fell in love with Emiliana Torrini’s Fisherman’s Woman. Her lyrics were soft, mournful and pretty. The album, however, never got much press and its most famous song, “Sunny Road,” was the only one most people would recognize. Her release last month, Me and Armini, has caused more of a stir. This album is more playful and experimental – hell, there’s even an electric guitar in this album, which is not something I’d ever imagine her diverting …
Surprisingly, Fujiya and Miyagi’s latest album, Lightbulbs, was released rather quietly early last month. I say surprisingly because I find this album to be their best yet, and it took me two weeks after the release to find anything about Lightbulbs on the music blogs. The album is easily recognizable as an addition to 2006’s Transparent Things – except that Lightbulbs has a little funkier and jazzier beats while maintaining a sly and sexy texture with lead singer David Best’s …
Perhaps in name alone, New Weird America and Freak Folk may be my new favorite genres. When I came across the terms, I searched my iTunes and Rhapsody libraries to see if I had any songs that were categorized as such. I didn’t. “Didn’t,” however, is past tense. Devendra Banhart and Greg Rogove’s (of Power Mineral) side-project, Megapuss, was the assailant of my iTunes’ regular “alternative” and “rock” genre listings. The Stroke’s drummer Fabrizio Moretti is a tentative member of …
As I was going about the hustle and bustle of my day (surfing through music blogs) I came across an oldie: Leonard Cohen. I gave an affectionate sigh of, “aww” and pushed play. I can’t say this for certain, but I want to trust my instincts that my favorite Cohen song, “Suzanne,” is about my favorite musician, Joni Mitchell. I am aware of their love connection, to put it awkwardly, and because my obsession with Mitchell makes me feel like …
I’ve never quite considered myself a Led Zeppelin fan. When I speak to people about my record collection the immediate question that follows is “Oh, what do you have?” I tell them mostly old, some new. I like my collection, I say. Then they ask, without fail, “Oh, so like Led Zeppelin and stuff?” If they’re old, they’ll say misty eyed, “Yeah, I listened to them in my day. I bet you wouldn’t guess it now though, would you?” I …
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Heard there is a new rock band (Crane & Badger-2nd show) playing @ Mike’s this Friday night. Certified rock-styley.
Foreigner had Double Vision, now that’s vision.. It is interesting today how diverse people’s music taste has become. Take 107.1 for instance, depending on what time of you’re listening to it you can hear indie, top 40 alternative, hip hop, and alt country all in the same block of…
YOU PEOPLE
“Evaporated.“ Never said that but cool…. Yes, I do know. But people have wanted to be Elvis for 60 years. And I think what is hipper these days is the switch around. Ya know, how every one in the band “kind of” plays “everything” and switches around…
i just found this article, and am so happy about it! mark is a wonderful person!!
Cheesy Computers with evaporated Beats and Samples may not be your taste and I can appreciate that…but in some cases they are born out of necessity. Do you know how hard it is to find a drummer these days? Do you know how hard it is to find…
Every band in CU - I realize this is just a cheeky comment, but I wanted to respond anyway. I think this column is more about the scene and the support system than the bands themselves. The last thing I would ever want is for someone to…
Interesting article, John. I second your comments Doug. I’d really like to see the two of you do a Siskel & Ebert-style review of albums. Can SP make this happen? And if Noiseboy could reappear to DJ one day at Mike & Molly’s…
Thank you SP editors for removing a not-so-nice word from Pope’s comment. I was just going to comment on it myself, wondering if we need an article titled “Down with the F-word”. John, very interesting read. Huzzah for well-written local music opinion.
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bhrama- thanks for the promo. it is true, crane and badger will be playing on friday at mike and mollys w/ the chemicals and tractor kings. we will be playing first. show starts at 10pm. come on out. rock will be had.
Heard there is a new rock band (Crane & Badger-2nd show) playing @ Mike’s this Friday night. Certified rock-styley.
Change is the only constant thing in this world. Change is just an indication that a particular place is improving or not. It is a good thing that there is a room for a change but it must be a change for the better. It is just…
Now that Olympian is probably a given, they’re going to have to rename the section between Willow and 45. Any suggestions? Now lets get onto Urbana’s next road to nowhere. Airport Rd., They want to extend it from Bartlow west to Lincoln thru 3 farm fields. One…
Good stuff as always! I like the theory Zelina presented…curious to see how it plays out with Sawyer, Jin/Sun, and Kate…
I found that cake thing about a year ago. It’s pretty amazing. Happily, it didn’t stick as a habit ‘cause I *still* made a mess with the flour and cocoa and all that ...
Foreigner had Double Vision, now that’s vision.. It is interesting today how diverse people’s music taste has become. Take 107.1 for instance, depending on what time of you’re listening to it you can hear indie, top 40 alternative, hip hop, and alt country all in the same block of…
In case you think I’m crazy and Obama loves you - http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/us-declassifies-part-of-secret-cybersecurity-plan/
YOU PEOPLE
“Evaporated.“ Never said that but cool…. Yes, I do know. But people have wanted to be Elvis for 60 years. And I think what is hipper these days is the switch around. Ya know, how every one in the band “kind of” plays “everything” and switches around…
Make a mental note now - This is for federal control of the internet. It will be phased in. There is a cybersecurity bill in congress right now. just watch…
i just found this article, and am so happy about it! mark is a wonderful person!!
*Shrugs*
Cheesy Computers with evaporated Beats and Samples may not be your taste and I can appreciate that…but in some cases they are born out of necessity. Do you know how hard it is to find a drummer these days? Do you know how hard it is to find…
Sometime between now and their first game in this year’s NIT, the Illini need to practice taking a shot before the game clock expires.
Can we please refrain from ever EVER comparing running a marathon to childbirth? Especially when the comparison is made by someone without a vagina? Kthx.
I think we are in. But being blown out again by OSU might give the selection comittee doubts. I dunno anymore.
Mark: You raise some interesting points. I’m impressed by anyone who runs a marathon, no matter their finishing time. It’s the commitment people show to accomplishing a goal they set for themselves that impresses me most. A sign I saw at the Illinois Marathon last year along…
To get back to the show, if that’s allowed, we saw it last night. I know a lot about the films of the 30s and 40s and appreciated what Durang was trying to do, though some was pretty obvious and the ending was forced. A literal kitchen…
Every band in CU - I realize this is just a cheeky comment, but I wanted to respond anyway. I think this column is more about the scene and the support system than the bands themselves. The last thing I would ever want is for someone to…
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bhrama- thanks for the promo. it is true, crane and badger will be playing on friday at mike and mollys w/ the chemicals and tractor kings. we will be playing first. show starts at 10pm. come on out. rock will be had.