‘A Lot Of People Failed A Lot Of Women’
In three parts.
1. “I’m The One You Ignore!”
Posted on February 26, 2019
Did Academia Kill Jazz?
By Adam Gustafson/The Conversation
Jazz seems to be experiencing a bit of a renaissance among movie directors – look no further than documentaries such as Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; biopics such as Born to Be Blue; and recent Oscar winners like Whiplash.
While films about jazz are everywhere, evidence suggests that fewer people are actually consuming the music, putting the genre more on par with classical music than with today’s pop artists.
There are a host of reasons for the decline of jazz as a popular music, but the one that interests me as a music historian is the role that academics has played.
Posted on February 10, 2019
The Mekons: Deserted
By Bloodshot Records
British folk-punk collective the Mekons will release a new album Deserted (PRE-ORDER HERE) on March 29. It is their first formal studio album since 2011’s Ancient & Modern.
Emboldened by a sold-out tour and a surge of interest in the States after the release of the documentary Revenge of the Mekons, the Mekons retreated to the fringes of Joshua Tree National Park and popular culture to record the new work.
“There are deserts everywhere,” singer/guitarist Jon Langford said. “We took time to ponder the vastness and the weirdness of the desert. Going to the country to get your head together is a ripe old rock cliché. We went to the desert to have our brains scoured. We went from one desert to another – a more hopeful place where we arm ourselves with spikes and endure.”
Posted on January 30, 2019
Strange ’90s: A Benefit For JBTV’s Jerry Bryant
Featuring Naked Raygun, Andrew W.K., Local H And More!
All our favorite bands are forming 1 supergroup! Showcasing great 90’s @JBTV artists including @NakedRaygun @AndrewWK @LocalH @KillHannah! All proceeds go to help #JerryBryant & his fight against cancer! Join #Strange90‘s Fri, March 8! Get Tickets Now: https://t.co/gftHGIFf9G pic.twitter.com/OxJl6ljvZb
— JBTV (@JBTV) January 23, 2019
–
Previously:
* JBTV’s Jerry Bryant Fighting Cancer, Making Movie.
* JBTV Bad, Nationwide.
* Buy A Piece Of JBTV.
–
Comments welcome.
Posted on January 25, 2019
RCA Drops R. Kelly
By Care2
Sony severed ties with R. Kelly last week in the wake of the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which details Kelly’s decades of sexual abuse perpetrated against young Black women and girls, and those in the music industry who have not only enabled him, but profited from him.
The announcement comes following a rally outside of Sony Music’s headquarters last Wednesday with members of #MuteRKelly, Black Women’s Blueprint, Care2, Color of Change, CREDO, Girls for Gender Equity, NOW-NYC and UltraViolet. The groups delivered over 217,000 signatures to RCA’s Manhattan offices, imploring the label to drop Kelly.
Posted on January 21, 2019
Old Town School Teachers Win Union Election
By Arise Chicago
At a celebration Wednesday night, teachers from the Old Town School of Folk Music announced that votes have been tallied and an overwhelming majority have elected to form a union, joining the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
“We are thrilled! Today the teachers of the Old Town School of Folk Music have honored the institution’s rich history by voting to form a union with the Illinois Federation of Teachers,” said Lindsay Weinberg, an Old Town School teacher of piano, guitar, and voice for 13 years.
Posted on January 18, 2019
After Premiere Of Surviving R. Kelly Docuseries, Nearly 75,000 Renew Call For Sony And Live Nation To #MuteRKelly
By Jordan Wilhelmi/Unbendable Media
With the recent premiere of the new Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, revisiting past allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct, I wanted to re-flag this Care2 petition calling on Sony and Live Nation, as well a number of other entities still supporting his music, to drop R. Kelly for good. The Care2 petition has gathered nearly 75,000 signatures.
Posted on January 8, 2019
Bloodshot’s Year In Review
By Bloodshot Records
Whew! 2018 is winding down, and it’s been a packed release year with new albums from rock-n-roll legends, label rookies from across the world, and returning Bloodshot stalwarts. We’re starting to look onward to 2019, which will mark Bloodshot’s 25th anniversary!
Here’s a brief look back at Bloodshot’s releases from 2018.
RUBY BOOTS – Don’t Talk About It
Released: February 7, 2018
“Boots is of the opinion that the Old West’s lyrical tropes – heartbreak, longing, not-needing-no-man – sound better riding weapons-grade guitar fuzz and muscular drums than tired honky-tonk.” – Pandora
Posted on December 28, 2018
Here Comes The Illenium
“Illenium is on the verge of becoming EDM’s next crossover pop star, without having had to do much to actually cross over,” the Tribune reports.
“The DJ/producer (born Nick Miller, in Downers Grove) hasn’t followed the usual protocol: His singles (like the new ‘God Damnit,’ or the Gryffin collaboration ‘Feel Good’) tend to be solid performers but not smashes, and he has so far avoided the kind of superstar collaborations that are guaranteed attention-getters.
“And yet: His 2017 sophomore release, Awake, has been a slow-growing hit, and Miller has been on the road almost ceaselessly to support it.”
Illenium plays the Aragon this Friday and Saturday night. Let’s check out some of his cuts.
Posted on December 19, 2018