Thanks For Ruining My Night by Joe Cortez So I was at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa two Fridays ago, the 8th. Frank Black was in town with his new band/side project Grand Duchy. The music itself is a departure from what he has done in the past, both solo and with the Pixies: poppy and upbeat... well, about as poppy and upbeat as the guy that wrote "Where Is My Mind?" can get.* The show was Black's only So Cal stop in support of the band's debut LP, "Petit Fours" and, as you can expect, the venue was packed...
More, More, Minogue by Joe Cortez So, I'm sure you're all aware of the news: Kylie Minogue is at long last bringing her stage show to the U.S. with (now) seven dates across the States. Being that her celebrity status in this country is at best cult, I have no doubt that some of you reading this are wondering why this should be news at all, or if we even need another pop princess on our shores...
Les Rita Mitsouko presents The No Comprendo by Joe Cortez You never know what you're going to find at Music Man Murray's. The place is known among collectors and connoisseurs as a haven for rare, obscure and just plain odd finds among the thousands, literally thousands, of 78s, LPs, the occasional 8-track and no, I repeat no, compact discs. It's a unique store nestled in a dangerous alley and one of L.A.'s best kept secrets.
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars (SACD) by Joe Cortez Okay, so this one doesn't technically fall under the category of "basement find" seeing as how everyone and their mother (including mine) is well aware of David Bowie's glam-rock, gender bending turn as fallen space oddity Ziggy Stardust during the early 1970's. That said, I felt I should be upfront: my knowledge of the Thin White Duke's oeuvre extends only to his mega hits "Ashes to Ashes," "Let's Dance," "Modern Love" and "China Girl." That and a viewing of D.A. Pennebaker's "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture" when I was 16...
The Kate Bush Christmas Special It seems as though the older we get, the more difficult it becomes to get in the Christmas spirit (especially if you happen to be an atheist). We reach an age when we realize that Santa doesn't exist, trying to kiss someone under the mistletoe can be considered a criminal offense and video games are really, really expensive. But whereas the superficial appeal of the holiday season has long since faded in the face of paying bills and making the rent, there are still precious few things that can rekindle the imagination of even the most hardened Scrooge...
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains" In the storied annuls of the DVD format there have been cherished few films that have long sought to see the light of day on digital disc by fans but none more so than a little movie about three girls in a punk band (and no, I'm not talking about "Josie and the Pussycats"). Released in 1982, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains" marks only the second feature film ever directed by music mogul Lou Adler. Adler's previous effort as a filmmaker was the stoner classic "Up in Smoke"...
David Byrne and Brian Eno - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts When writing my review of David Byrne's concert at the Greek a few days ago, I was listening to various tunes from his back catalog on shuffle mode in iTunes to put me in the proper mood. It worked to a certain degree (hey, I did finish the damn thing after all) but it also helped to remind me the depth of the man's solo work. "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts," Byrne's first official non-Heads side project, created alongside Brian Eno, was a point of contention for me for quite some time...
"One from the Heart" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack There are moments in my adult life when I have to wonder if I am living in an alternate, parallel dimension to a much more sane world where the economy is stable, the populous isn't filled with interminable sociopaths and "Star Wars" based video games kick ass (sorry, venting). The soundtrack to the film "One from the Heart" is one such example. Not because it's awful but because it's good, great in fact. That the collaboration of ambitious filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola...
Into the Hinterland of the Mind's Eye: Eskimo by The Residents There is no greater joy a fan can partake in, other than enjoying the work of his or her favorite artists, than telling others about the things they love. It's why I started this column and why I couldn't wait to feature my favorite album by one of my favorite bands. When people ask me for advice on what music they should be listening to (as they inevitably do) I always make a point of mentioning The Residents. That The Residents have been making music and films for well over thirty years now yet have gone unnoticed by most is a testament to their continued commitment to the genius of relatively obscurity....
Five Finger Discount: Why stealing music isn't just for kids anymore It's not often that I listen to the Mark and Brian morning show on local L.A. classic rock station KLOS but I found myself forced to tune to the radio in an effort to drown out the sounds of Christina Aguilera's wailings blasting from my neighbor's window one morning last week. Serves me right for not charging my iPod the night before. On the program this morning they had guest Timothy English talking about his book, "Sounds Like Teen Spirit." In the book English, who he himself claims to be no real scholar on the subject of sonic similarities, discusses the various instances of liberal cribbing found throughout the annuls of rock and roll history....