// Category Archive for: Music

Gavin Friday: Thief of My Heart

By Julie Finley

I remember it like it was yesterday. It had to have been the end of 1991 as I was still in tenth grade, and I remember there being snow on the ground. It was probably shortly after Christmas, because I can’t recall having enough money to buy more than one album at a time; even if they were used & in the bargain bin, I still rarely had over $10 on me at any given time. I usually starved myself in high school by not spending at least some of my lunch money just so I could buy whatever music I could, because I had priorities.

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England, Ireland, And Oliver Cromwell’s Lasting Musical Legacy

By Katrina Armstrong

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was the tyrant of English history: the great Lord Protector, the rebellious regicidal egoist, and the hero of none. For a murderous, cruel, coup master who died over 350 years ago, he certainly has a stronghold on some of the 20th (and 21st) century’s best-loved musicians.

First, a little background on our man Ollie. A supposed Tudor cousin (think Henry VIII and Elizabeth I), Cromwell became an active and vocal member of the English Parliament, eventually becoming a strong military leader who helped in the overthrow and execution of Charles I. It was during this tumultuous time that Cromwell built the “New Model Army” (a precursor to the modern English Army) which he marched into Ireland to regain control of lands from already warring Catholic anti-monarchists. The toll was huge in terms of Catholic population and land ownership. To these Catholics, Cromwell was a monster; to the English, a pretender. Why has this man carried such weight in the music of artists such as Elvis Costello, Flogging Molly, and even Morrissey?

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A Fortnight In The Tower Of Song: Leonard Cohen And The Creative Life

By Ben Sullivan

When my mother approached me with two tickets to Leonard Cohen’s first-ever performance in Columbus, Ohio as a present for my thirtieth birthday, the extent of my familiarity with the man was a much-loved copy of Songs of Leonard Cohen I happily stumbled across a few years back, as an initiate to the pleasures of record shopping.

Outside of the debut, I’d heard a handful of the seemingly countless Cohen covers. And then there was the copy of Songs of. . . I gifted to an ex-girlfriend (which, for shame, subsequently melted in the backseat of her Accord). My enthusiasm for the concert wasn’t predicated on long hours spent under his spell, but rather for the opportunity to sink into his work and discover the tics, irregularities, and strengths of an enduring voice.
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White Lies, To Lose My Life. . .

By Jim R. Clark

I saw this band for the first time on the Ohio PBS music variety television program called Strictly Global and I was hooked by the dark and foggy video for a song called “To Lose My Life.” These three young guys from Ealing, West London have a wonderful new and old sound.
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The Life Of A 21st Century Musician: An Interview With Jim Campilongo

Interviewed by J Howell

To read this article as a single page, please click this link.

Once, longer ago than I care to admit, I was a kid who’d just picked up his first electric guitar. Around that time, Guitar Player seemed to always have this ad in the back, featuring a hilariously startled-looking cat, for a band called “Jim Campilongo and the Ten Gallon Cats.” That very silly image stuck with me. A few years later, Jim was finally featured in the magazine, and though I still hadn’t heard his music, the descriptions of “ghostly wails emanating from a Vibrolux Reverb” also stuck with me.

Fast forward a few more years and, thanks to the miracle of the Internet, I was finally able to hear Jim, and damned if Heaven Is Creepy wasn’t all I’d hoped it would be and then some. Jim’s newest record, Orange, is out in February on his own Blue Hen Records. Campy just may be the best guitarist working today, and he recently took some time out of his very busy schedule to chat with me.
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The Life Of A 21st Century Musician: An Interview With Jim Campilongo (single page)

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Hungry For Love & Hard Boiled Eggs: Eleven Obscure Yet Hilarious Videos

By Jim R. Clark

“Can you just turn the thermostat down, please?!”

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Spoon, Transference

By Adam McIntyre

Definitive proof that there is a Spoon.

I wanted a little something different from Spoon this time, and instead of floundering, the Austin, Texas indie rock idols trimmed away some of their own clichés for some spare, sleek grooves.

I have to admire their confidence; surer footsteps were never danced. I mean that—about the dancing. The listening experience is evocative of being in near-darkness watching someone beautiful dancing, both uninhibited enough to be sexy and yet gracefully measured enough to be demure.

Transference sounds incredible, almost Peter Gabriel-like in the pristine production’s service to the almighty beat, with comforting, vibey moments of mono lo-fi recordings cut in for emphasis. The first two-thirds of the album are nearly infallible as individual packages, with the last bit of the record comprised of songs that would be considered pleasant even by harsher critics.

Give this record a listen any time you want the following: something sparse and yet interesting; something achingly lonely and yet danceably groovy; and something understated, yet beautiful.

Transference was released on January 19. Spoon are currently touring the UK and the US. To find out more, visit Spoon’s Official Website or MySpace page.

Wolfmother, Cosmic Egg

By Adam McIntyre

Egg Sandwich

Cosmic Egg contains more high-energy, unapologetic Guitar Hero heavy rock from Wolfmother. The lyrical content is about the same as before (moon, sky, woman, mythical stuff), but the band are tighter from relentless touring and ultimately the record sounds awesome. You need to take this stuff about as seriously as you need to take KISS. Just enjoy it; it’s arena rock for your backyard party. Some of it might even be great for driving fast.

Ultimately, after a couple listens, I think this has been as digested as it’s going to get. If you’re okay with that, grab yourself some Wolfmother. My favorite track so far is “In The Castle.”

Cosmic Egg was released October 23 of 2009. Wolfmother are currently touring the UK, Europe, and Australia. For more, check out the band’s Official Site or MySpace page.

Samples: Where’d That Come From?

By Christian Lipski

In addition to my love of original versions of songs, I also like to collect songs that are used as samples in other songs.
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