Chicks dig vinyl

Apparently Gia dug vinyl. She also happened to dig chicks. Photo by Arthur Elgort. Via.

Dennis Hopper RIP

Dennis Hopper - RIP

Before:


During:




After:

Empire Diner RIP

A little late, but I had to post it. Empire Diner - RIP. Image courtesy of Flaming Pablum.

Just Because - Burroughs

Bob Gruen in London

One interesting feature of Bob Gruen's Rockers show, two years ago at the Morrison Hotel Gallery on the Bowery, was a small room in the middle of the gallery. Inside that small room, every single inch of wall space was plastered with clippings, pictures, and posters of Gruen's work as if it had been put up by an obsessive teenager. I could relate. For you music photography buffs in London, you'll now be able to see this bit of the Rockers show for yourselves.

TEENAGE BEDROOM - Installation by Bob Gruen will be at the Subway Gallery in London from June 4-26.

Subway Gallery will host TEENAGE BEDROOM an installation by renowned New York rock photographer Bob Gruen . We have invited Gruen to present an exhibit he first produced in 2007 for his solo exhibition “Rockers” at the FAAP University Museum in Sao Paulo , Brazil. Several versions of TEENAGE BEDROOM have been exhibited since, including an installation consisting of a 20 foot long photo collage shown at New York's Museum of Modern Art in the summer of 2009, which ran for six months.

The installation consists of a room with the walls covered in pages and covers of magazines and posters, all featuring Gruen's rock photos, depicting a typical bedroom decor of teenage rock fans around the world. This exhibit will also include a video and photos from the famed downtown New York hangout Max's Kansas City, photos from CBGB, and a selection of Gruen's classic rock photos.

http://www.bobgruen.com

SUBWAY GALLERY
Open Monday-Saturday 11AM-7PM
Kiosk 1 Joe Strummer Subway Edgware Rd / Harrow Rd
London W2 1DX
07811 286503
www.subwaygallery.com
Zone 1 Edgware Road Tube
Buses 6.7.15.16.18.23.25.27.36.98.205.414.436

The Secret Public - full tour of the show

For those of you not fortunate enough to make it to the recent (and too short) Secret Public show at the Boo Hooray Gallery at Steven Kasher Gallery, here is the full on tour in 2 convenient videos:

The Birds to reunite for UK shows

In honor of some recently announced reunion dates, here's a couple of goodies from one of the sharper 60's UK mod bands that doesn't get much play in the US, the Birds. This is where Ron Wood got his start, but he will not be appearing with them, I'm sure. If you're a fan of the mod sounds, but haven't dug any deeper than say, the Creation or even the Who or Jam, I'd suggest starting with these guys, and also Les Fleur de Lys, and the Attack. Official Birds website here.

Just Because - Howlin' Wolf

What a voice...No one will ever come close to the Wolf. He was the picture of a man to me, and no one will ever be able to match his body of work. A giant literally & figuratively, you can read his story starting here and here, and dig some of his sounds, at the peak of his mystical powers, below.

Friday Ephemera - Max's Kansas City, Pt. 1

Max's had a short lived in-house record label in the late 70's. One of their local signings was late 70's ska/reggae band, the Terrorists, that actually just pre-dated the 2 Tone ska revival in the UK. Drummer Dro Ostrowe became a close friend of mine in the mid 80's when I worked at Bleecker Bob's and he was driving a cab. I've never met anyone with a deeper knowledge of Jamaican culture, musical & otherwise, than him. We spent many late late nights hanging out his place smoking, listening to music, and talking. He passed away 7 or 8 years ago, and I constantly miss him. Visit Marco On the Bass for a nice history on the Terrorists as well as a link to a sampler of their music. ROIR also has an excellent collection of their stuff, which includes appearances by Lee Perry and Roland Alphonso, available as well.



Maybe Howie Pyro can chime in with some perspective on the Max's New York Rock Festival which ran around Easter in 1979.




Special thanks to some of my friends for the scans...you know who your are. Oh, and Dro, STDTFYA. I miss you.

Red Norvo loses it

Carnegie Hall, 1974: While performing with Benny Goodman, Red Norvo completely loses it, and pulls a Pete Townshend, during his vibraphone solo in "Gotta Be This Or That" (at about 2:55). I wonder what he got so angry about?



Featuring Benny Goodman On Clarinet And Vocal, Hank Jones On Piano, Red Norvo On Vibraphone, Bucky Pizzareilli On Guitar, Slam Stewart On Bass, Grady Tate On Drums, Zoot Sims and Al Klink On Saxophones, Bobby Hackett, Bernie Previn On Trumpets.

Daily Travels - Street Art

54th & Broadway

The new banalists - Pop Group to reunite?!

UPDATE: Mark Stewart has confirmed this story. We will stay tuned for further details.

From 'one of the last bands I'd expect it from' department comes the news that, according to the AV Club, seminal skronky, funky & political UK post punk band, the Pop Group, will be reuniting for some gigs (possibly revolving around ATP), as well as a new album called The Alternate. Their new manifesto: "Deny the politics of envy. Taste is a form of personal censorship. Technique is the refuge of the insecure. We are The New Banalists."

Details of original members involved, or dates, are hopefully forthcoming. I'd imagine drummer Bruce Smith is a bit busy with PiL these days. I'll try to do a little investigating to confirm this story.

Jose Lima RIP

It's Lima Time no more. Jose RIP.

Just Because - Them

One of the great bands of the sixties, Them always seem to end up second or third tier for some unknown reason. Read the best & most comprehensive article I've ever seen about them over at Garage Hangover, and watch the fantastic videos for "Gloria" and "Here Comes the Night" (where Van muffs the first line) I found below. Bonus points for anyone who can come up with a good reason for the donkey being in the "Gloria" film.

Robbie Dupree on the Jimmy Fallon Show

My buddy, Robbie Dupree, played the Jimmy Fallon show last night and sounded great. I'm proud to know him. After watching "Steal Away" below, click over to the Fallon show website for a web exclusive of Robbie performing "Lucky" from his latest album, Time & Tide.

Buy his music on iTunes, Amazon, or eMusic.

Fumblin' With the Blues

Since I posted earlier about old Tom and Mojo magazine, I thought I'd throw this up here as well...an interesting alternate take on one of the highlights of the Heart of Saturday Night album, "Fumblin' With the Blues." This one just Tom and piano. Nice. Here's the original if you'd like to compare.

Friday Ephemera - The Peppermint Lounge

Tom Waits and Mojo issue 200

I don't know if anyone who stumbles across this blog is as nuts about Tom Waits as I am, but if there is you might be interested to know that Waits is the guest editor for the July issue of Mojo. It also happens to be issue number 200 of the sometimes stale, definitely predictable, but still my favorite mass music magazine. Highlights & a preview can be found right here. Lets hope this means some new product is around the corner.

Stones In Exile - the art discussion and connecting dots

Lets connect some dots, shall we? With the recent reissue of the Stones' Exile On Main Street, and the release of the Exile documentary, there's been a lot of talk about the album, the "new" tracks, the musicians...everything except the artwork. For me, the artwork has always been fascinating, and added hugely to my perception of it, and the Stones themselves, for a long time. In case anyone else is interested, I wanted to point the way to a few articles & links that discuss & display the art for this landmark album. After all, designer John Van Hamersveld used previously published work by legendary artists in their own right - photographers Diane Arbus and Robert Frank (the director of Cocksucker Blues). The images above & below are courtesy of Van Hamersveld's site. I definitely recommend a visit.



I suggest reading the following:

About the artwork at RockPopGallery: "...when the buying public took their first look at the design and imagery of the sprawling record cover, most people admitted that they didn’t “get it”. Having just soaked in Warhol’s ultimately-iconic "cover with a zipper" for Sticky Fingers, fans should have been ready for anything, but John Van Hamersveld’s designs seemed to confound them..." Continued here.

On a personal note, Godlis discusses his take on the album, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, and the beginning of his own serious journey into photography: "With the Stones re-release of Exile on Main Street this week, I've found myself thinking about how closely tied in this album is with my own relationship to the medium of photography. In the summer of 1971, the Rolling Stones were down in the south of France, recording the basic tracks for Exile. That same summer - on July 26,1971 - Diane Arbus took her own life in her apartment at Westbeth in New York City. Within months of her tragic death - "late fall of 1971" - plans were already underway for a book and a retrospective show at the Museum of Modern Art. This according to Neil Selkirk, who personally made all the prints for the exhibition at Diane Arbus' own darkroom on 29 Charles Street in the West Village (His fascinating essay that is the centerpiece in the "Diane Arbus Revelations" catalog is must reading)." Continued here.

Just Because - Thelonious Monk

Shot by Herb Snitzer

Searching for 30 years

Modculture has the scoop on a July event in Birmingham, England, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dexys Midnight Runners landmark (in tasteful quarters) debut album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels.

So Out It's In - Linder Sterling and Jon Savage: The Secret Public - Go See It!

I got to see the Secret Public show by Linder Sterling & Jon Savage today. When I wrote about it a couple of days ago, I lamented the fact that I missed the opening, and now I really wished I had been there. If you're a fan of any of the following, the show is a must see: cut & paste art, xerox art, ephemera, punk rock, you get the picture.

The show focuses on the Secret Public zine published by Sterling & Savage (and "released" by New Hormones Records) in January of 1978, but also includes a good bit of another Savage publication, London's Outrage!, as well as early gig posters for Joy Division, and Buzzcocks/Magazine. There are also several amazingly austere black & white photos of London shot by Savage in the 70's. They are stark and cold, but beautiful. Comparing the London of the 70's to today, a long time New Yorker is struck by the similarities in the changes in the two cities. I had posted about these photos last summer, and they can be seen on Savage's blog in a nice little slideshow.

Savage, who put the show together with Johan Kugelberg, was also careful to give credit where credit is due, and named several other co-conspirators who contributed art, or who otherwise made their shenanigans possible, like New Hormones' boss Richard Boon.

Again, go see this show if at all possible. Open for a much too short 2 weeks, it's only on for a few more days - thru May 23rd. Visit the Boo-Hooray Gallery website for more information, and if you make it, be sure to pick up the beautiful (and very affordable) limited edition catalog they've published for the show.



Added Bonus - meet Linder Sterling:



Buzzcocks "Promises," circa 1978:

Archive of Contemporary Music sale time

It's that time of year again...almost. Mark your record buying calendar for June 12-21 for the first of this year's twice annual Record Sale At the Archive of Contemporary Music. Here's the scoop:

Saturday, JUNE 12 - Sunday, JUNE 20
Everyday 11 AM to 6 PM
BONUS DAY Monday June 21 (because it's the equinox and "Make Music Day" here in NYC)

Admission is free! New items daily.
Over 20,000 items for sale

54 White Street
New York NY 10013
212-226-6967

Also, you can become a member of the ARC, a non-profit that needs support. By becoming one, you're invited to attend the members-only opening party of the sale on Thursday, June 10. That will get you first dibs on the vinyl, not to mention some hot wings & champagne. Call 212-226-6967 or visit arcmusic.org for more information.

CDs are NEW donations from record companies, NOT used, returns or defects! Mostly pop and rock recordings. Collectible LPs are priced below book value. Hundreds of CDs are priced at $1 to $5 each. Cassettes + Classical LPs - 2 for $1.00 Just released NEW & HOT CDs are $5 - $10.

PLUS - 7" singles - ARC has recently alphabetically sorted the singles in the basement, so if you like bands beginning with 'C' or 'D' there will be 100s of 7 inch singles on SALE. many desirable and hard to find - Old + new music books - sealed/unopened LPs - African, Reggae & world-music releases - laserdiscs - videos - For the dis-en-vinyled our Astroturf Yardsale of 50s kitchen stuff and clothing!!!

Tell Your friends = facebook, tweet, link + blog us.

Daily Travels - Funny Albums

Finally, this past weekend there was a guy at the Woodstock flea market selling somewhat decent records at a very reasonable $1.00 each. I received the above as a bonus due to the condition of the vinyl, once my purchase was made. I cleaned it up when I got home and it's definitely listenable. A little crackily, but listenable.

For more on the genius Ray/Rae Bourbon, visit the LP Cover Lover. And, if you dare, Google. Believe it or not, he recorded at least 10 albums of high/low brow comedy art over his career, and died in jail in 1971 close to the age of 80.

Stooges photos, Music Hall of Williamsburg

As recently mentioned, last week the Stooges played a Ray Ban sponsored, invite only, gig at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Not surprisingly, my friend Randy was there on the scene, and snapped a load of photos to prove it.

"Hot on the heels of a series of European concert dates, IGGY & THE STOOGES appeared at the Music Hall in NYC on May 12th to headline a private party for Ray-Ban sunglasses. Delivering a typically incendiary live set, the Stooges performed half of their classic "Raw Power" album alongside such catalog nuggets as '5'1', "Open Up & Bleed" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Band lineup for the set included Iggy, James Williamson (guitar), Scott Asheton (drums), Steve Mackay (sax) and Mike Watt (bass)."

See his photos here. Buy the Stooges music here.

Hank Jones RIP

Hank Jones - RIP