[contextly_auto_sidebar] WHAT happens when you take two of the best exemplars of stage patter in modern music, set them up in historic halls with old acoustic guitars, and let them unleash a set built on classic American train songs? An oddly satisfying, even at times thrilling, grownup show that made the railroad tradition seem like a central part of the American journey. Bragg is, of … [Read more...]
The bizarre wonder of The Iceland Concert
[contextly_auto_sidebar] About a week ago I went to see a cryptically named sort-of opera called "The Iceland Concert" at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater. I went mostly because of a vague interest in Scandinavian culture, because I was curious about the renovation of one of my favorite LA theaters, and because I trust the taste of the publicist. It didn't hurt that the success of groups like … [Read more...]
Futurebirds at Georgia Theatre
[contextly_auto_sidebar] FRIDAY night I caught the Athens/Atlanta group Futurebirds at the Georgia Theatre. On record, they've developed a style some have called "psychedelic country," but it's also textured in a way that brings to mind the gentle lineage of lush electric-acoustic guitar rock that runs from the Velvet Underground's self-titled album through the Feelies to Real Estate. … [Read more...]
The Craftsman: Musician Matt Keating
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="EdVjbY1oGn33X3u5XD2sNfMAvy9nGcGd"] HERE at CultureCrash, we've been admirers of Matt Keating's music since we saw him play at a barbecue at South by Southwest in the '90s. I'm especially fond of his music from that period -- the Candy Valentine EP is an essential document that I don't think could be improved -- but he's been remarkably consistent in his pursuit of … [Read more...]
Revisiting the Music of Elliott Smith
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="pSiNhPLxRicBfP3m18tXkhFjYiIy7Uxc"] THE other day I almost froze as I heard a song coming out of the radio that sounded both fresh and eerily familiar. It turned out to be a song from the new Elliott Smith tribute by Seth Avett -- guitarist for the rustic, North Carolina-based Avett Brothers -- and the indie singer-songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield. The song -- … [Read more...]
The Horatio Alger Myth: Amanda Palmer
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="81zgKnkFndNWR6ZZyt0SEf1pDSPSHyWh"] DO musicians and artists need an equitable structure around them, or can they make it by pulling themselves up by their bootstraps? The latter point of view has been promoted -- perhaps incessantly -- by onetime Dresden Doll Amanda Palmer, a talented musician and canny businesswoman who has become a Horatio Alger hero for the … [Read more...]
The Ballad of Alejandro Escovedo
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="CCAh4bKVUCAChyU9848GkcdsXhxXqV12"] ABOUT a week ago, I caught the Austin, TX, troubadour at City Winery in New York. Great show -- one of my musical heroes -- thoughts will follow. Sheesh busy few days hope to post on this tonight if I can. Everyone needs to pick up his records Thirteen Years and live chronicle More Miles Than Money if they are curious. He's … [Read more...]
The Meaning of The Clash
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="jzqLTuB5rmQYkgMOc3cPogWpL4eHcyGM"] For the last two weeks I've been touring behind my book, doing lots of public-radio interview, and in some cases dueling with people who disagree with me. The concentrated attention has made me think long and hard about my stance and my values. One of the things I've realized is that my politics are an odd cross between Teddy … [Read more...]
Culture Crash on the Road
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="I6HdN5b3gj1Ofnif6g564Xjc8xXJLg7S"] For the last two weeks my book and I have been on the East Coast barnstorming for artists's rights, the middle class, an honest discussion about digital technology and other subjects. It's been a blast, I am still reasonably healthy, and I look forward to returning home to California later... today. Thanks to everyone I've met … [Read more...]
Brooklyn’s Warehouse Clubs Crumble
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="9ZrmYtTcEkAZeeiJjqnX9vpz85XUHyUt"] TECHNO-utopians, heartless neoliberals and market-worshipping optimists will tell you that when creative destruction hits, it's only weeding out the losers, casting off the dead wood, allowing the invisible hand -- which works in mysterious ways -- to do its work. And it's easy to imagine, say, an acoustic folk club or a jazz cellar … [Read more...]