Archives for January 2009

Andras Schiff finished his Beethoven sonata cycle last fall. Here's my NPR story that ran yesterday, with quotes from his Guardian master class podcasts. … [Read more...]

Geezers and used record hounds gathered at this Center for Arts at the Armory benefit Saturday night, featuring the Neighborhoods and Burma. Most impressive opener: Faces on Film, cross between David Byrne, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, backed by Pavement, if Pavement was a really good version of The Band, … [Read more...]

I performed at one of the inaugural balls in 1993, at the first Clinton inauguration. I was invited because Al Gore was a family friend, and because I had played at a few events for him when he was doing environmental work as a senator. I was thrilled. I got a beautiful dress, lent to me by the … [Read more...]

or, Guthrie Wrote a Column for the Daily Worker Blacks far outclassed whites aesthetically yesterday, typically. At least MOST whites on that stage realized it as it was happening (perhaps not Bono, or Bon Jovi). My kids made two piercing requests: "Long Walk Home" by Bruce, and "We Shall Overcome" … [Read more...]

Editors of magazines and newspapers really, really want writers to say that something is dead. Partly because it's a dogmatic position that makes people's blood boil, but partly because they don't want to think any longer about whatever it is that they're saying is dead. They want to cross off that … [Read more...]

...Using sound-wave analysis based on the 1820s work of French scientist Joseph Fourier, Dalhousie University's Jason Brown deconstructed the opening chord with the help of basic audio-editing software. Brown found that it isn't purely guitar and bass, as previously assumed; he theorizes that … [Read more...]