The day you wake up and realize you like Rush is the worst day of your life, you look in the mirror and what you see is nauseating. You spend your entire life hating Rush because Rush are deplorable Prog-Libertarian/Objectivist showoffs and then you wake up one infamous morning and have to admit to yourself that you actually like Rush, or a few of their songs which is bad enough, and it’s the end of you, you’re finished, annihilated. I woke up the other day and had to admit to myself that I actually liked Rush, or at least a few of their songs, and what I saw in the mirror was hideous—a morally repugnant Mr. Hyde capable of any infamy. I looked myself in the mirror and I said, “I don’t know who you are or what you want but you’ve ruined my life.”

Fortunately (as I’ve said ad nauseam) I only like three or four of Rush’s songs, but that’s enough to make me a pariah in the circles I run in. And the only reason I like the one closest to my heart (“Closer to the Heart”) is because it’s hilariously, lovably dumb. Still, we’re talking about Rush, the humor-deprived prog-metal power trio that stormed out of the Great White North playing songs of byzantine complexity complete with Ayn Rand-addled lyrics (check out “Trees,” I dare you).

Their steadfast commitment to playing everything in the most technically complex way possible and total dedication to writing twelve-part songs (complete with Roman numerals!) was unforgivably self-indulgent, and I commend them for coming right out and admitting it in the (twelve parts complete with Roman numerals!) opus “La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self Indulgence).” I also commend bassist/keyboardist and lead castrato Geddy Lee for confessing that he had no idea whatsoever what their 1976 concept album 2112 was about. How endearing!

Unlike their more pop-oriented south-of-the-border neighbors in Kansas and Styx, Rush were the real progressive rock deal, which is to say that their commitment to complex song structures requiring Ubermensch chops rendered them pretentious beyond redemption. A definite love ‘em or hate ‘em proposition, Rush. “The most obnoxious band currently making a killing on the zonked teen circuit” wrote hater and Village Voice scribe Robert Christgau of 1977’s A Farewell to Kings.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | The story of Loverboy is akin to a Hollywood movie. Overcoming rejection to eventually become one of Canada’s most successful rock bands of all time and selling millions of albums in the process, is a feel-good story for the ages.

On June 7th, 2024, one of their most incredible live performances will be released for the very first time, in high definition. Live In ‘82 has been lovingly restored by Paul Dean from his personal archive of 16mm film, the joyous energy of a band who helped define the golden era of ’80s music captured like lightning in a bottle. With their great music, colorful clothing, outrageous hairstyles (and headbands!), and terrific soundtracks for movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Top Gun, Loverboy has stood the test of time.

Live In ‘82 will become available on limited CD+Blu-ray, limited LP+DVD and digital streaming and download. Today’s announcement coincides with the launch of the first live track: ‘Turn Me Loose’ is available as digital single and live video.

For more than 40 years, Loverboy has been “Working For The Weekend” (and on the weekend), delighting audiences around the world since forming in 1979, when vocalist Mike Reno was introduced to guitar hot shot Paul Dean—both veterans of several bands on the Canadian scene—at Calgary’s Refinery Night Club. Along with Reno and Dean, Loverboy still includes original members Doug Johnson on keyboards and Matt Frenette on drums, with Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve replacing the late Scott Smith on bass.

Read More »

This contender for the most disappointing follow-up album ever has caught mucho flak over the years, and for good reason. It’s immensely difficult to imagine how The Rolling Stones could have topped its predecessor, 1972’s Exile on Main Street, easily one of the most brilliant rock LPs of all time. But then again the band had been one-upping themselves every time out since 1968’s Beggars Banquet, and if anyone stood a chance of besting Exile on Main Street it was the Stones.

Needless to say, 1973’s Goats Head Soup is no Exile on Main Street. Again, hardly shocking. The Stones would have had to be able to walk on water to up the ante once again. What is shocking are the precipitous drop-off in song quality and the occasionally rote and desultory performances. Goats Head Soup is not a “not as great as” proposition. Goats Head Soup is a merely good album from a band that could seemingly do no wrong and was at the height of its powers.

Worse, it was the beginning of a prolonged decline, and indeed the band’s death rattle if like me you’ve never warmed up to their “comeback” album, 1978’s Some Girls, or anything that came afterwards for that matter. Mick Jagger said at the time, “It wasn’t as vague as [Exile on Main Street] which kind of went on so long that I didn’t like some of the things. There’s more thought to this one.” “More thought”? No one ever called Mick a deep thinker.

Critical reception was mixed. Some deluded souls said it stood up against Exile on Main Street and 1971’s Sticky Fingers—victims, I suspect, of either wishful thinking or outright denial. Others weren’t so kind. Lester Bangs called it “sad.” Greg Shaw wrote that the album had “no redeeming qualities whatsoever” and then doubled down by writing there was “nothing good” about it.” The word “decadent” got bandied about a lot, and oddly enough—given the Stones’ reputation for excess—it was not meant as a compliment.

Read More »

TEMPE, AZ | Day two of the MLB themed Innings Festival kicked off on Saturday, February 24th. Celebrating the start of spring training in Arizona, Tempe Beach Park turned into the grounds for Innings Festival. An experience featuring former baseball players, legendary bands, and more, the festival is enough to bring people in from out of state.

The two-day musical lineup featured bands from the ’80s to bands just getting their start post-pandemic. Hosted on two stages, the musical acts alternated every hour at Home Plate near the festival’s main entrance, and Right Stage further into the festival grounds, past the food and vendor entertainment. Left Stage was where the baseball experiences were held, including current baseball media, batting cages, and a speed pitch. While Innings Festival has a rich history of sporting a strong lineup, I personally believe this is the most special roster they’ve had since 2018.

4:00 PM: I kicked off coverage for day two at Right Field with Cautious Clay. The multitalented artist does just about everything possible on stage, including saxophone, flute, guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums—Clay could be a one-man band. Playing alongside his bandmates, frontman Clay mixes R&B with soul and upbeat dance music. This was the group’s first show of 2024, and they started on a high note at Innings Festival. Clay’s upbeat but relaxed sound was a great beginning to the day.

5:00 PM: I head over to Home Plate for Young The Giant. The band has a very unique sound, mixing electronic, alternative rock with subtle Bollywood influences. The band is best known for their tune “Mind Over Matter” which has over 225 million streams on Spotify, but the band is much more than just that track. They have songs you can dance to, songs you can relax to, and everything in between. With the sun shining on day two, seeing YTG knowing there were still 4 bands left on the lineup was an incredible feeling.

Read More »

TEMPE, AZ | Innings Festival took to Tempe Beach Park for the 7th year in a row. Founded in 2018, the festival combines the first weekend of MLB Spring Training with music, creating one of the more unique festival experiences. While the festival has had some legendary headliners in the past, this year makes a strong case for the best lineup in Innings Festival history.

Spanning genres across the board, the bill offered something for everyone and covered a wide range of decades as well. From artists who released their first album in 1984 to 2022, the program was one of the most diverse I have seen. The festival features five main attractions, two music stages, a baseball themed stage, speed pitch, and batting cages. The baseball stage, Left Field, was hosted by Off the Mound, a podcast presented by former baseball star Ryan Dempster. Ryan was joined by a mix of current and veteran players who fans could interact with. There were two music stages—Home Plate and Right Field—spread out with numerous vendors and stands for whatever the patrons needed. Innings Festival is an event folks traveled far and wide for, enticed by good weather and even better company.

2:00 PM: I kicked off Friday’s coverage with The Beaches at Right Field. The Beaches are a Canadian rock band formed in 2013. The group set the bar high for the rest of the day early in their set. The all female band perfectly balances attitude with their pop alternative-indie tunes. The band clearly enjoys what they’re doing, and early festival goers were treated to The Beaches and a sunny 77 degree Arizona day. I am quite confident everyone who experienced that set went home and searched The Beaches if they hadn’t heard of them yet. If they did, they would see that the ladies have been going viral on Tik Tok for a bit now, and I would imagine they will have a lot more viral moments in their future.

2:50 PM: Bully took to Home Plate while the sun was high on the crowd. Bully is the solo project of songwriter and guitarist Alicia Bognanno. Alicia plays with a band mixing hip-hop and rap with grunge influenced tones. Bully is very upbeat, creating momentum for the festival as the day went on. Alicia has been releasing music since 2013, and most recently released an album Lucky for You in 2023. Bully’s sound is a throwback to the ’90s, mixed with a more modern, alternative sound. With the pairing, the group has a wide range of fans.

Read More »

Celebrating Roger Daltrey in advance of his 80th birthday tomorrow. —Ed.

Many have called The Who’s 1970 Live at Leeds the best live album of all time. Me, I’ve always scoffed. It made no difference that I’d never actually sat down and listened to it. A good rock critic doesn’t have to actually listen to an LP before passing judgment on it. He simply knows, based on gut instinct and certain arcane and occult clues, whether an album is a dud or not. In the case of Live at Leeds, there are three clues to the album being rated far greater than deserved.

The first is the LP’s inclusion of “Summertime Blues,” a song that has always given me hives and put me off my dinner of Hormel’s Chili on hot dogs, which is the impoverished rock critic’s version of pan-fried foie gras with spiced citrus purée. The second is that Live at Leeds suffers—if only in one notable case—from that early seventies affliction, song bloat. You know what I’m talking about: live albums where the bands stretch their songs to extraordinary lengths, in some cases obscene two-sided lengths, forcing the stoned listener to stand up, stagger to the stereo in a Tuinal haze, and turn the damned record over to hear the second side. Finally, there was the issue of song selection: six tunes, three of them covers, with none of the covers being particular favorites of mine. And I’ve never been a big fan of one of the originals, “Magic Bus,” either.

Which has always left me to wonder, “What’s in it for me?” And I’m not alone; in particular, Live at Leeds failed to impress those twin pillars of rock criticism, the generally unintelligible Greil Marcus, who called the music dated and uneventful and the ever-crotchety Robert Christgau, who singled out “Magic Bus” for special abuse, calling it “uncool-at-any-length.”

Besides, I’ve always been more than satisfied with the three Who LPs I consider indispensible, namely Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, Who’s Next, and Quadrophenia. As for the rest of the Who’s catalogue—including Tommy—I had no use for it. But having finally listened to the Live at Leeds, I’m flabbergasted; it may not be, as critic Nik Cohn called it, “the definitive hard-rock holocaust,” but it does rock balls, probably because The Who was the best live band in the world at the time.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Independent Project Records and David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) announced today the release of the triple album Tracks From the Attic on digital, CD, colored vinyl LP, and Super Deluxe Box Set Art Edition formats on May 3. 

Hand-picked by David himself, the three-LP Tracks From the Attic was originally part of Record Store Day’s RSD Black Friday 2023 and features solo demos recorded on audio-cassette between 1984 and 2004. With Tracks From the Attic, the Bauhaus and Love and Rockets co-founder invites listeners on a most fascinating journey. We’re looking through boxes of tapes, getting reacquainted with an artist we’ve known for a long time—yet, the intimate songs he recorded in solitude over three decades reveal new sides to him.

Even while busy with his two legendary groups, David J was bursting with songs; this is a thrilling selection of recordings he made sometimes on the road and mostly at home, with only the help of his Muse, a recorder and a lit candle. The fact that most of these tunes did not end up becoming beloved classics (something that, once you hit play, your ears will hardly come to terms with) is but a sign of David J’s ever prolific creative state. Tracks From the Attic offers a unique experience that gives equal importance to the aural, the visual and the tactile.

The Super Deluxe Box Set Art Edition of 70 copies is numbered, autographed, and extremely limited, comes in translucent natural vinyl and features a new color scheme cover, plus a limited edition David J artwork. What makes each of the Super Deluxe Art Box Set Edition so unique is the inclusion of actual cassettes from David’s personal home archive, the very ones that were used to compile this career-spanning archival release. This version of Tracks From the Attic is only available from the IPR store. More details here.

Read More »

Although he’s noted for extensive and diverse credits as a sideman and as a contributor to countless scores for television and film, drummer Shelly Manne remains best known as a leader, and particularly for a string of albums beginning in the early 1950s piloting Shelly Manne & His Men. This includes four LPs released together in 1960 that document a live stand at San Francisco’s Black Hawk club from September of the previous year. At the Black Hawk, Vol. 1 is reissued March 15 on 180 gram vinyl as part of Craft Recordings year-long series reissuing select titles from the catalog of Contemporary Records.

Make no mistake; in terms of numbers, Shelly Manne’s discography is a massive achievement, and that’s excluding sideman credits and soundtrack contributions. When a body of work grows to that size, obviously there’s a much smaller percentage gathering the essentials plus some additional higher quality work. For Shelly Manne, the four At the Black Hawk, Vol. 1 sets belong to that category. This first volume is a sensible place to begin investigating Manne’s work, but it also serves to expand West Coast jazz of the 1950s beyond the stereotype.

First, the band; there’s Joe Gordon on trumpet, Richie Kamuca on tenor sax, Victor Feldman on piano, and Monty Budwig on bass. This isn’t the highest-profile lineup of the Men, as prior iterations featured altoists Art Pepper, Bud Shank, and Charlie Mariano, along with Jimmy Giuffre on baritone sax, but the playing is consistently strong and the atmosphere across At the Black Hawk, Vol. 1 never falters.

And the ambience is a big part of this record’s appeal. High quality recorded documentation of robust jazz captured in a nightclub that catered to exactly that sort of thing just wasn’t that common in the retail bins during this era, so when Contemporary dished out all four volumes in 1960, interested parties could gather some insight into how a working band operated across numerous sets and nights during a club engagement.

Read More »