All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: Fozzy with Gemini Syndrome and The Stir at Niagara Falls’ Rapids Theatre
That Time In 2011 When Jared Leto Did A Perfect Rendition Of Kurt Cobain
Back in 2011, you weren’t expected something like this, of course. Who would have thought Jared Leto and Thisty Seconds To Mars would have created a spot-on rendition of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana?
Here’s what Jared wrote at the time. “I heard today (April 5) was the day Kurt passed away 17 years ago. Can’t believe it’s been that long. So grateful for his contribution and inspiration. Not sure I’d be doing this if it weren’t for him. He gave us all permission to create no matter what our skill set and reminded me that dreams are possible. Thanks for that. This made me recall a short piece of film I shot when I heard they were making a film celebrating his life. I made it to explore the character and explore creative possibilities. I never sent it to the studio or to anyone but thought I’d share it now…”
Kurt could be pretty unforgiving, but I’d like to think he’d love this tribute.
https://youtu.be/b5Kf4zBL6V8
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When Tom Petty Fought to Make His Album Cheaper
Back in 1981, Tom Petty talked with Tom Snyder about his new album and why he fought his record label over a dollar.
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers Play NPR’s Music Tiny Desk Concert
By Robin Hilton, NPR
It’s hard to think of an artist who’s brought more joy to more people, across more generations — and in more ways — than Steve Martin. In the 1970s, he won the hearts of young children for his playful appearances with The Muppets while simultaneously charming legions of older fans with his subversive standup routines. Later, as an actor, he wrote and starred in some of the most memorable comedies (and a few dramas) of all time, while writing books, plays and even a Broadway musical.
Throughout his 50-year career, one constant in Steve Martin’s life has been the banjo. It was a staple of his early standup shows and even fans who only wanted to laugh couldn’t help but marvel at his playing. Over the years, he’s continued to perform and record with country and bluegrass luminaries like Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and others.
These days Martin is working on music full-time. He’s just released a stellar bluegrass album he recorded with The Steep Canyon Rangers called (perfectly) The Long-Awaited Album, a record filled with often hilarious story songs and world-class performances.
Martin’s set with The Steep Canyon Rangers at the Tiny Desk was at times thrilling, particularly his opening solo for the song “So Familiar.” But it was also playful, comical and a joy to witness. At the end of the typical three-song performance, the group graciously decided to do one more called “Caroline,” a hilarious, first-person account of how not to handle a breakup.
Jason Aldean Releases Statement On Las Vegas Tragedy: “We are all Americans and its time to start acting like it.”
Country music superstar Jason Aldean was performing on stage when bullets started to fly at at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. So far, 59 are dead and more than 500 wounded from nothing less than pure evil from a guy taking aim from a nearby hotel. Jason has released a full statement on Instagram.
“Over the last 24 hrs I have gone through lots of emotions. Fear, Anger, Heartache, Compassion and many others. I truely dont understand why a person would want to take the life of another. Something has changed in this country and in this world lately that is scary to see. This world is becoming the kind of place i am afraid to raise my children in. At the end of the day we arent Democrats or Republicans, Whites or Blacks, Men or Women. We are all humans and we are all Americans and its time to start acting like it and stand together as ONE! That is the only way we will ever get this Country to be better than it has ever been, but we have a long way to go and we have to start now. My heart aches for the Victims and their families of this Senseless act. I am so sorry for the hurt and pain everyone is feeling right now and there are no words i can say to to take that pain away. Just know u all are in my heart and my prayers as we all go through this together. Time to come together and stop the hate! #stopthehate #prayforlasvegas”
Video: Ricky Skaggs on the Legacy of Bill Monroe, the Bluegrass Brute
Bill Monroe was a massive influence on prolific bluegrass artist Ricky Skaggs. In this two part conversation, Ricky explains how Bill Monroe oversaw the origin of bluegrass music, and forever changed music as we know it.
Here’s Why Bruce Springsteen Won’t Write An Anti-Trump Song
You’ve done so much looking back recently, between the book and “The River” anniversary tour and now this Broadway run. Any thoughts on what’s next?
I suppose the [solo] record that I haven’t released. It’s not topical at all — topical writing at the moment doesn’t hold a lot of interest to me. I really got out a lot of what I had to say in that vein on “Wrecking Ball.” I’m not driven to write any anti-Trump diatribe; that doesn’t feel necessary at the moment.
Why, because so many people already are?
Yeah, because it’s everywhere and all over, ya know? It feels a little redundant to me at the moment. And, once again, I always try to look at what I can deliver that’s personal to me and of most value. The audience has a wide variety of needs; whatever you’re writing, you’re trying to meet your own need, and as I’ve said in other interviews, Marty Scorsese once said, “The job of the artist is to make the audience care about your obsessions.” So I hope I write about the things that obsess me well enough for my audience to care about them.
But don’t you think your opinions about Trump would matter to your audience?
Well, if you read Charles Blow in The New York Times, he carries the flag pretty well. I’m ambivalent about … sort of getting on a soapbox. I still believe people fundamentally come to music to be entertained — yes, to address their daily concerns, and yes, also to address political topics, I believe music can do that well. But I still believe fundamentally it’s an affair of the heart. People want you to go deeper than politics, they want you to reach inside to their most personal selves and their deepest struggles with their daily lives and reach that place; that’s the place I’m always trying to reach. I’d never make a record that’s just polemical, I wouldn’t release it if I did. To me, that’s just an abuse of your audience’s good graces. But if I’m moved, I’ll write, say, something like “American Skin” [inspired by the 1999 shooting death of Amadou Diallo by New York City Police officers — who were later acquitted]. That just rolled very naturally for me, and that’s as good a topical song as I’ve ever written. And when it comes up, I write ’em. If I felt that strongly, I’d do it now. But I watch myself, because I think you can weigh upon your audience’s indulgence in the wrong way.
What do you mean?
I never wanted to be just a proselytizer for an ideological point of view. That’s not my job; that’s somebody else’s job. And if you even look back to Woody Guthrie’s material, he didn’t do that. He wrote these very full character pieces that, whether you were there in the Depression or not, they live today. They weren’t hollow, they weren’t one-dimensional; they were these very full character pieces about the times. I still aspire to that, really, and if it has political implications that’s fine and if it doesn’t that’s fine too.
His songs are about those times but aren’t bound to them.
Yeah, that’s what I mean. That’s the target; those are the kinds of works that you aspire to. It’s like if “The Rising” was only about 9/11, it would have been hollow. But you can listen to it today and it’s a record that has a spiritual resonance that, whether it was connected to that event or not, it retains its life and its poetry. If you delve deep enough into yourself —and that doesn’t mean it’s autobiographical, it means if you’re reaching deep enough into your own humanity — it becomes universal. And that’s a guiding light that I use when I write.
Chris Difford’s Autobiography “Some Fantastic Place: My Life In and Out of Squeeze” Is Now Out
Chris Difford is a rare breed. As a member of one of London’s best-loved bands, the Squeeze co-founder has made a lasting contribution to English music with hits such as ‘Cool For Cats’, ‘Up The Junction’, ‘Labelled With Love’, ‘Hourglass’ and ‘Tempted’. Even before his first release in 1977, his love of writing lyrics has never wavered.
Over the course of a thirteen-album career with Squeeze, it was clear from the very beginning that Difford has few peers when it comes to smart, pithy lyricism. His ‘kitchen-sink drama’ style has drawn plaudits from fans on both sides of the Atlantic, and his influence is keenly felt today. The likes of Lily Allen. Mark Ronson, Kasabian, Razorlight and many more have recognized the debt they owe to Squeeze’s music and to Difford’s way with words, while journalists were moved by his winning combination with Glenn Tilbrook to dub the pair ‘The New Lennon and McCartney’.
In Chris’ new autobiography, Some Fantastic Place, he charts his life from his early days as a dreaming boy in south London with a talent for poetry to becoming a member of one of Britain’s greatest bands and beyond. Along the way he reveals the inspiration and stories behind Squeeze’s best-known songs, and his greatest highs and lows from over four decades of making music.
After the breakup of Squeeze in 1983 Difford continued writing songs with Glenn Tilbrook for artists such as Helen Shapiro, Billy Bremner and Elvis Costello. He has also written lyrics for music by Jools Holland, Elton John, Wet Wet Wet, Marti Pellow and others. In 1985 Squeeze reunited, having hits in the U.S. with Babylon and On, ‘Hourglass’ and ‘853-5937’. Difford left the group in 1999 launching a solo career in 2003 with his album I Didn’t Get Where I Am. Difford was also manager of Bryan Ferry and The Strypes. In March 2010, Difford curated Songs in the Key of London, an evening of music dedicated to the capital at the Barbican Centre, London.
You can get the book here.
Metz On Their Love Of Bob Mould
There are a lot of the qualities of SST Records found in METZ’ music – who would the most important SST band be, or a lesser-known gem from back then?
Ah…off the top of my head? It’s not strange stuff, but an honest answer, not as cool, but lately, I’ve just been saying: “It’s just Hüsker Dü, all day, every day.” They’re probably my favourite SST band. It just blows my mind. You listen to it over and over and over and over, and you put it on again one day and you get something else from it. I can just find something amazing in it every time I listen to it.
No one does the simple complexity thing quite like Hüsker Dü.
We saw Bob play in Toronto, and he played a bunch of Hüsker Dü stuff, but even his solo stuff – it boggles my mind because it’s open chords with a distortion pedal and is nothing groundbreaking in that way, but in every other way, it’s just perfection. And you’re left wondering: “How does he do that?” I don’t get it.
Even the Sugar records are essentially Mould doing alt. rock arguably better than the Foo Fighters and the like.
He’s just got that thing that’s one of a kind that no-one can touch. Even if they were to play the exact same chords on the exact same guitar, it wouldn’t work.