Mark Lindsay will ever be known as the dreamy, ponytailed lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders. He left the band to begin a solo career and recorded a series of albums for Columbia Records in the 1970s. The Complete Columbia Singles thoughtfully gathers his singles for the label into a handy chronological package.
There are few moments that can’t be improved upon by a good song from a girl group. Happiness is magnified, heartbreak is more monumental, a pretty summer day shines with sweet harmonies, “yeah yeahs,” and fantastic hairdos. I’m pretty sure that’s a scientific fact.
I believe that there are Dean Martin people, there are Frank Sinatra people, and that they are rarely the same sort of people. I love Dean Martin for the thread of good humor that runs through his music, but I’ve always thought of Frank Sinatra as immensely talented, yet a bit dour. The Concert Sinatra changed my mind.
Tony Bennett‘s Isn’t It Romantic? hit my doorstep on Valentine’s Day. It is fair to say that there isn’t a finer collection of romantic, swoon-worthy songs than this. Isn’t It Romantic? is an excellent, entry level primer of Tony Bennett’s catalog for those whose interest may have been piqued by his recent Grammy win for Duets II.
I love a good soundtrack, even for things I’ve not seen. I love the way that carefully chosen songs can convey a feeling and even a look, and that the use of music in a show or movie can make or destroy a moment.
By Melissa B.
How fortunate the New Orleanians are: Once Christmas and New Year’s are over, they get to move straight into Carnival season. Parades, food, music, revelry, and the finest of these things, I’d wager, is the music.
I’ve often wondered how New Orleans can have so many obscenely talented, homegrown musicians. Is it the food, the humidity, the heritage, the proximity to water? Is there a great funk reservoir that all of the drinking water comes from? Do they put it in babies’ bottles at birth? Whatever causes it, there is a bumper crop of amazing New Orleans music out there and Meet Me At Mardi Gras puts it all in one convenient disc, making a party in your living room, or car, or ears. What have you.
By Melissa B.
A couple of months ago, I bought a compilation album of old country music artists because the first track listed was by Buck Owens. The song “Rhythm and Booze” was unlike any Buck I’d ever heard: jangling, frenetic, and rock and roll, all slinky and naughty. I was mystified, and not at all sure it was Owens. This was kind of amazing.
Imagine my delight to find “Rhythm and Booze” on the brilliant collection of Buck Owens’ pre-Capitol Records demos Bound For Bakersfield. I can’t lie: I was freakishly excited to hear this CD and I am delighted to report that it has not disappointed. This is an often-surprising collection of songs written and recorded by a 21-year-old Buck Owens, who had not yet found the sound that would make him famous and define the “Bakersfield Sound.” However, there are little flashes here and there of the man and musician that Buck would become later in his recording career.
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By Melissa B.
There are some songs so perfect for TV shows, that when I hear them, I wonder why on earth the producers haven’t picked them to be on the soundtrack. The producers of True Blood have so far not needed my help and have done an amazing job of choosing evocative and intriguing music that enhances the show. The songs on Volume 3, the latest soundtrack release, are in so many cases the perfect True Blood songs.
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By Jesse Roth
I like to think of the movie awards season like American politics: Millions all over the country offering up their baseless, uneducated opinions on various candidates and platforms, supporting them for all the wrong reasons and then bitching about the outcome, even when their candidate is declared the winner. As a dedicated fan of the moving picture, I figured it was time to throw my hat into the ring, writing my own pointless article regarding the upcoming Oscars. Throughout the year, I’ve had the chance to see many (but not all) of the nominated films and performances, and base my picks on a myriad of criteria, ranging from the educated to the downright irrational. Then again, I’m only following some of the same rationale used by those who are actually mailed official Academy ballots.
*Movies I have seen are denoted with an asterisk.
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With the American version of Top Gear on the horizon, there is no better time to discuss what makes the British version such a brilliant show. The American version is destined to be dreadful—partially because America makes crap cars. European cars are just better.
Top Gear is a car show for people who don’t particularly care about cars (though after watching for a while, one begins to notice cars in ways not noticed before). The cinematography on Top Gear is as gorgeous as anything one would see in a nature documentary. The people on the show drive supercars and do ridiculous challenges and feats of derring-do, but that’s not the best part. The best part is the strange alchemy of the hosts.
Top Gear in Botswana