It’s easy to forget how important rhythms can be, but they’re the foundation on top of which music is built, and it doesn’t get much more foundational than the Clave. Born in Africa, brought to the Americas by slaves, and eventually showing up in musical styles all over the world, the Clave is one of the defining rhythms of modern music across cultures. It’s complex but approachable, jagged but smooth, and odds are pretty good that even if you didn’t notice, you’ve heard it somewhere in the past week or so.
Photo Gallery: Don Felder in Niagara Falls’ Fallsview Casino
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
When People Talk About Bruce Springsteen’s Majestic Shows, They’re Talking About This
When Bruce Springsteen took the stage at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey 40 years ago, he was just 28, and more than a few critics thought he was never destined for greatness. With 3,200 fans in attendance, this wasn’t just another show, but to fans of the man behind songs of hustlers and dysfunctional lost souls, the single-best performance of his career, one captured for posterity on a WNEW-FM simulcast broadcast throughout the East Coast and recorded with then state-of-the-art video technology at the venue itself.
https://youtu.be/hf61K6ZKu_4
Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna on working with Joan Jett
What was your experience like when you actually got to spend more time in the studio?
Kathleen Hanna: When we recorded [Singles] that was the last version of ‘Rebel Girl’ we recorded and it ended up being on the Singles album. That was an amazing experience. It made me want to go back and record all of our songs again. I feel like a lot of the things I was thinking [before] were kind of naïve. It’s like a guitar player being like, ‘I’m not going to experiment with pedals because that’s not my thing. I want my guitar to sound raw!’
There are so many different things that you can do with your voice, and just because a little bit of reverb can really make my voice shine a lot better and sound fuller, I don’t think it’s a cop-out. I think I was really young and I had these ideas, but the way that they actually translated to the record wasn’t as successful as I would have always liked.
I never listened to our records; we just kept moving and doing new things. But I have listened back now because we’ve re-mastered things and I love the energy of a lot of it and it’s really exciting and I’m really proud all of our records. But definitely taking the time with ‘Rebel Girl’ and other singles with Joan Jett — she had me go through songs and individual lines… It felt like I was in a luxury spa to be perfectly honest. As a singer, I was being taken so seriously and being given so much space and latitude to experiment. I loved it. I really loved having someone outside of me tell me what they heard and then give me notes.
I wasn’t mad about it or whatever. I was like, ‘This is the best experience of my life, because Joan Jett is teaching me essentially how to do vocals in the studio.’ No one had ever done that. That basically laid the framework for the rest of my career. Because I realized how much more I could do. I just had a lot more colors to paint with. I didn’t have to go in and sing and feel as much as possible. It’s about translating that feeling onto the vinyl.
Tell me a little bit more about working with Joan Jett. She’s such a legend and you guys are such a cool pairing.
People made a really big stink about it back then. They were like, ‘You’re not punk rock, you’re working with someone on a major label.’ I was just like, ‘Fuck you. If you get asked to go in the studio and work with Joan Jett, you’re going to say no?! It’s JOAN FUCKING JETT.’ She’s as important to my thing in my head as any punk band that I fucking care about is. It’s just ridiculous.
I immediately had a family feeling with her. I felt like we were family immediately. And to get to work with her and go to her studio sessions and see how she recorded… I learned so much about the board and non-linear editing. She lent a lot of validation to us at a time when we felt pretty aimless.
I thought we were going to get a way better reception than we got from the punk scene and it definitely wasn’t as generous or kind as what I would have expected —aside from Ian MacKaye, who was very generous and took us into the studio. That was our first time recording and we were so freaked out because the studio… we thought it was like a space ship. We thought we would touch something and break it. We were just totally nervous. But I’m really happy that we had that experience.
But when you feel like everyone is coming after you and telling you that you’re not the right kind of feminist or you’re feeling like you’re starting to be rejected in the scene because you’re getting too much attention… and also there’s all these male voices telling you that you’re a fake band, you’re a novelty and you can’t sing…Your songs are stupid. To have someone like Joan Jett say, ‘You matter. You fucking matter. I’m going to champion you.’ She championed so many women behind the scenes over the years, you don’t even know. At people’s worst moments, she’s there. It meant everything to me. She was totally willing to show me everything she knew about recording.
Bill Burr: 50 Is Not The New 40
Bill Burr has no desire to extend his youth with botox or hair plugs — and he doesn’t think anyone else should either.
AC/DC’s Thunderstruck: Flute Edition
The musician Miquelmar makes no attempt to go the straight ahead route when choosing his cover songs. Here, he takes on one of the towering rock songs of the era, AC/DC’s Thuderstuck, on a…flute to create one of the best versions I’ve ever heard.
Unreleased Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Thrill Kill Kult Coming with the Return of WAX TRAX! Doc + Soundtrack Out April 16
Throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, Wax Trax! founders Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher led a tribe of outsiders on a ride through the 80s underground, accidentally changing music along the way. Their story, as well as origins for some of the most influential projects in music, are finally seeing light with the release of Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records. The documentary directed by Julia Nash, daughter of co-founder Jim Nash, explores the life and legacy that pioneered an emerging underground scene – industrial dance music. The film features interviews with the likes of Trent Reznor, Dave Grohl, Ian MacKaye, Jello Biafra, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Al Jourgensen, Franke Nardiello, Chris Connelly, and so many more.
A wide release for the documentary is set for April 16 on DVD and Blu Ray with VOD to follow. As a companion piece, Wax Trax! has compiled 10 tracks of unreleased, out of print and classic songs from essential Wax Trax! artists including Front 242, Ministry, KMFDM and more. In typical Wax Trax! fashion, collectors will be able to get their hands on special editions with additional exclusive unreleased material including answering messages from the label, photos and mystery bonus tracks. As a special collaboration, Wax Trax! has partnered with Record Store Day for an exclusive RSD edition available early on April 13. More info on editions can be found below.
As a special fan preview, Wax Trax! is thrilled to cue up an unreleased song from the upcoming soundtrack. Listen to label mainstays Revolting Cocks (side project of Al Jourgensen, Luc van Acker, and Richard 23 of Front 242) and the throbbing “Animal Nation” when you join the party at 1-833-WAX-TRAX – eyeliner and leather sold separately.
At the center of Wax Trax! Records are two music-obsessed men and their taboo love affair. Jim and Dannie’s unconventional approach to subculture had a profound effect on music fans and collectors from around the world. After releasing their first recording in 1980, the label immediately became synonymous with a new genre known as “industrial.” Throughout the documentary, key artists from pioneering bands including Bauhaus, Nine Inch Nails, Front 242, Ministry, Foo Fighters, and Throbbing Gristle describe getting their start or their influence with Wax Trax!. The independent label’s success throughout the 1980s and 1990s started to pique the interest of major record companies, initiating the heartbreaking downward spiral that almost buries the origin of US electronic music forever.
In 1972, Topeka, KS native Jim Nash met Dannie Flesher in local Gage Park, a notorious spot for gay cruising. Soon after, Jim would leave his wife and two children for Dannie and start a complex 25-year climb that would redefine the art and music underground of the 80s and 90s.
Escaping from the tightening Bible Belt in 1974, Jim and Dannie initially touched down in Denver, Colorado. Obsessed with music, the two opened a tiny record store that focused on UK glam and early punk, as well as obscure and experimental music. Born out of Jim and Dannie’s wicked sense of humor and creativity, Wax Trax! Records soon began to overlap Denver’s fringe gay and punk culture into a tight community of outcasts.
Four years later, Jim and Dannie landed at 2449 N. Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Wax Trax! Records quickly became the center of a budding Chicago art and music underground during the fertile early 80s. The independent record store became an important place for devout music fans and became legendary to collectors and artists throughout the US. Building a counter-culture, Jim and Dannie became parents to a family of ever-growing group of nonconformists.
In 1981, Wax Trax! Records used the store’s success as fuel to begin producing small pressings of records for their own small retail outlet. The label’s momentum grew quickly and throughout the 80s and 90s, and for the first time, artists began to overlap unrelated genres of dance, punk, metal, and gay culture under the Wax Trax! imprint. Jim and Dannie went on to produce and mentor a family of electronic and experimental pioneers who would end up accidentally carving out a new music genre. The label was known around the world for pushing music to a much more aggressive and darker place in club culture. Although there wasn’t a master plan, the Wax Trax! contribution and influence to what has now become known as “industrial dance music” cannot be overstated.
In the early 90s, at the peak of the Wax Trax! commercial success, unusual circumstances combined with Jim and Dannie’s “fast and loose” approach to business led the label to crumble from within. The painful sequence that followed left Jim and Dannie without many of their key artists, forcing them to sell Wax Trax!. During this move, the literal last nail in the coffin was the discovery that they were both HIV positive. Jim passed away in 1995 of AIDS and Dannie was fired by the new Wax Trax! Owners in 1999. The label was discarded, abandoned, and largely forgotten.
In 2010 after the passing of Dannie, Jim’s daughter Julia Nash recused the forgotten Wax Trax! archives and the entire visual history of the store and label from a rural barn in Arkansas.
This film not only details the bizarre path and timeline of two men pushing music, art, and counter culture forward, but also an intimate peek behind the curtain of dysfunction and chaos that fueled a brilliant rise to the indie top as well as reasons behind the tragic demise of the Wax Trax! store and label.
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT: THE STORY OF WAX TRAX! RECORDS
SOUNDTRACK TRACKLIST:
1. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult – “A Daisy Chain 4 Satan” (Acid and Flowers Mix)
2. Revolting Cocks – “Animal Nation”
3. The Young Gods – “Envoyé”
4. Pankow – “Me and My Ding-Dong”
5. KMFDM – “Vogue (Apart Version)”
6. Ministry – “Tonight We Murder (Original Version)”
7. FRONT 242 – “Headhunter (Live in NYC)”
8. Mussolini Headkick – “Your God is Dead”
9. Laibach – “Leben-Tod”
Vampire Weekend’s North American “Father Of The Bride” Tour Dates Announced
Vampire Weekend has confirmed the itinerary of its most ambitious North American tour to date, running May 17 through October 8. Produced by Live Nation, the Father of the Bride Tour will feature the band’s biggest headline shows to date, including a September 6 stand at Madison Square Garden, an October 2 stop at the Hollywood Bowl, and festival headlines including Hangout in Gulf Shores, AL and Firefly in Dover, DE.
Tickets for the Vampire Weekend 2019 Tour go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, February 8th at 12pm local time at LiveNation.com. To ensure tickets get in to the hands of fans and not scalpers or bots, the tour has partnered with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform. Fans can register now through Sunday, February 3rd at 12pm EST HERE for the Verified Fan presale. Registered fans who receive a code will have access to purchase tickets before the general public on Tuesday, February 5th at 10am local time through Thursday, February 7th at 10pm local time.
Every online ticket purchased by U.S. residents will be accompanied by a physical CD copy of the band’s forthcoming album, Father of the Bride.
In other news, congratulations are due to Vampire Weekend and XL Recordings on the band’s eponymous debut album being certified Platinum by the RIAA for U.S. sales in excess of 1,000,000.
Vampire Weekend was released January 29th, 2008 by XL, and debuted at #17 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. In addition to being newly certified Platinum in the U.S., the album has previously been certified Platinum by the BPI in the UK, and Gold by Music Canada and ARIA in Australia.
The first band to grace the cover of SPIN magazine before an album was even released, Koenig, Baio, Tomson and former member Rostam Batmanglij met in 2005 at Columbia University in New York City. “Even without an album, Vampire Weekend has made one of the year’s most impressive debuts,” said The New York Times of the band’s earliest recordings.
The accolades continued through the album’s release, as Vampire Weekend appeared on 2008 Top 10 lists of Time, NPR, Rolling Stone, New York Magazine, Pitchfork and countless others, as well as winning the NME award for “Best New American Indie/Alternative Band.” The band also made its first of three appearances on Saturday Night Live, as well as debut performances on The Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Since their debut, Vampire Weekend have released two additional albums, both of which debuted at #1 and have been certified Gold in the U.S.: 2010’s GRAMMY-nominated Contra, and 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City, which won that year’s GRAMMY for Best Alternative Album.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND North American Father of the Bride Tour 2019
May 17, 2019 — Gulf Shores, AL — Hangout Music Festival
June 05, 2019 — Toronto, ON — RBC Echo Beach
June 07, 2019 — Indianapolis, IN — Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
June 08, 2019 — Milwaukee, WI — BMO Harris Pavilion
June 09, 2019 — Minneapolis, MN — The Armory
June 11, 2019 — Madison, WI — The Sylvee
June 12, 2019 — St. Louis, MO — Fabulous Fox Theatre
June 14, 2019 — Cleveland, OH — Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
June 15, 2019 — Cincinnati, OH — PNC Pavilion
June 16, 2019 — Chicago, IL — Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
June 18, 2019 — Nashville, TN — Ascend Amphitheater
June 21, 2019 — Raleigh, NC — Red Hat Amphitheater
June 22, 2019 — Charlotte, NC — Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
June 23, 2019 — Dover, DE — Firefly Festival
August 16, 2019 — Oklahoma City, OK — The Criterion
August 17, 2019 — Houston, TX — White Oak Music Hall
August 18, 2019 — Dallas, TX — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
August 20, 2019 — Austin, TX — ACL Live
August 21, 2019 — Austin, TX — ACL Live
August 24, 2019 — Miami, FL — James L. Knight Center
August 25, 2019 — St. Augustine, FL — St. Augustine Amphitheatre
August 27, 2019 — Atlanta, GA — Fox Theatre
August 30, 2019 — Norfolk, VA — Ted Constant Convocation Center
September 03, 2019 — Boston, MA — Agganis Arena
September 04, 2019 — Philadelphia, PA — Mann Center for the Performing Arts
September 06, 2019 — New York, NY — Madison Square Garden
September 08, 2019 — Montreal, QC — MTELUS
September 25, 2019 — Vancouver, BC — Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park
September 27, 2019 — Seattle, WA — WaMu Theater
September 28, 2019 — Portland, OR — McMenamins Edgefield
October 01, 2019 — San Francisco, CA — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
October 02, 2019 — Los Angeles, CA — Hollywood Bowl
October 03, 2019 — San Diego, CA — CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU
October 06, 2019 — Salt Lake City, UT— The Complex
October 08, 2019 — Denver, CO— Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour Is Auctioning Off More Than 100 Guitars For Charity
This June, more than 120 of David’s guitars will be auctioned by Christie’s in New York, in aid of charitable causes. A tour of the collection will launch in London in March. Find out more at http://www.christies.com/davidgilmour.
Don McLean Reflects On 60th Anniversary of Buddy Holly’s Death and “The Day The Music Died”
On February 3, 1959, a chartered aircraft crashed in Mason City, Iowa just minutes after takeoff claiming the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson. The fateful day was coined “The Day The Music Died” by iconic singer and songwriter Don McLean, in his hit song “American Pie.” As the 60th anniversary of the tragic plane crash approaches, McLean has not forgotten the day that inspired his magnum opus.
“Buddy Holly was only 22 years old when he died on February 3, 1959,” said McLean. “By that time he had recorded something like 60 songs and every one of them was a hit, and most were hit records. Even the Beatles can not compare to the magnitude of this contribution. The music he made, he invented himself, with very little help from others.”
“American Pie” was released in 1971 and spent four weeks at No. 1 in 1972. In 2001, thirty years later, the Recording Industry of America named it the fifth greatest song of the 20th century.
In 2016, McLean re-released “American Pie” in celebration of the 45th anniversary. Music lovers can hear his classic songs on their original vinyl format. The single has been newly remastered from analog tape by Robert Vosgien and the lacquers cut by Ron McMaster, both at Capitol Studios in Hollywood.
One of McLean’s four handwritten copies of the lyrics to “American Pie” was auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions on January 26, 2017 with the bidding starting at $100,000. It is the second copy to be offered to the public, with the first being sold in 2015. The Harvard University Library has a copy, and the final copy is said to have been given to a close friend of McLean. The lyrics are on eight pages of McLean’s personal stationery in blue ink, featuring the American Pie album art of the gold thumbs up and his signature.
Don McLean On Tour:
JAN 31 – Seminole Casino Hotel / Immokalee, Fla.
FEB 01 – Sharon Morse Performing Arts Center / The Villages, Fla.
FEB 02 – Oxford Performing Arts Center / Oxford, Ala.
FEB 07 – Rose Theater / Brampton, Ontario
FEB 09 – Infinity Hall / Hartford, Conn.
FEB 15 – Grand Theater / Wausau, Wis.
MAR 22 – Cerritos Center/ Cerritos, Calif.
MAR 23 – Saban Theater / Beverly Hills, Calif.
MAR 25 – GRAMMY Museum / Los Angeles, Calif.
MAR 30 – Harrah’s Lake Tahoe / Stateline, Nev.
APR 05 – The Birchmere / Alexandria, Va.
APR 06 – The Suffolk Theater / Riverhead, N.Y.
MAY 04 – Towne Theater / Oklahoma City, Okla.
MAY 10 – The Greenwich Odeum / East Greenwich, R.I.
MAY 11 – Paramount Hudson Valley Theater / Peekskill, N.Y.