Nobody should be wasting water, but a dripping kitchen faucet is also a chance to make some beautiful music, if you’re a really good editor.
Never, Ever Forget How Easy It Was For Sinead O’Connor To Slay You In Concert
Sinead O’Connor sings “I Am Stretched On Your Grave” in the 1990 concert film The Year of the Horse. At the 4:30 mark, she begins dancing, and now it’s quite dusty in here.
Flea Introduces the Fender Signature Flea Bass
Introducing the Fender Signature Flea Bass. Modeled after Flea’s rare ’61 Shell Pink Jazz Bass, the Flea Bass features a beautiful road-worn finish, American Vintage ’64 pickups and a custom neck plate that is based on a drawing from the influential bassist. Of course, the perfect person to officially welcome this Jazz Bass into the world is Flea himself, as this video goes inside his home to learn more about what inspired him as an artist.
How Tennis Balls Are Made
Apparently, the process of making a single tennis ball involves over 20 steps. It also happens to be oddly satisfying to watch.
Gregory Porter’s NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Is What You Need This Weekend
Bob Bolen writes, “Gregory Porter’s healing soul music sends a message of compassion, and he’s got a baritone voice that resonates love. When Porter visited NPR, we’d just learned that our colleague, photojournalist David Gilkey, had been killed while working on a story for NPR in Afghanistan. When Porter began singing the calmly beautiful “No Love Dying,” he may not have known how much it would mean to us. Yet this song of compassion and hope, from his Grammy-winning 2013 album Liquid Spirit, was just what we’d needed.
“Porter and pianist Chip Crawford continued their thoughtful, entrancing set with “Take Me To The Alley” (the title track to Porter’s new album), a song about how we treat and think about those who live on society’s margins. Closing this Tiny Desk concert is “Don’t Be A Fool,” another new song of love, loyalty and trust. For us, Porter’s set provided a timely reminder that we can all use comfort, counsel and guidance — and that music can be serious and heartwarming without losing its sense of wonder and delight.”
The Jesus & Mary Chain Announce North American Tour Dates
2017 just got that much better now that The Jesus & Mary Chain are releasing Damage & Joy, their first album since 1998 and seventh overall, on March 24th. The band announced several North American dates in support of the new album. Check out the dates stream their singles “Amputation” and “Always Sad” below:
The Jesus & Mary Chain — North American tour
May 09 — St. Paul, MN @ The Palace
May 10 — Chicago, IL @ Riviera
May 12 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
May 14 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
May 19 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
May 20 — Oakland, CA @ The Fox Theatre
May 22 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
May 23 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
May 25 — Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
Amanda Palmer on the power of music and live performances
“Music does a thing that nothing else does. We see it when we’re standing on stage, and when we sign at the end of shows, and we hold people in our arms who cry and weep and say, ‘This song changed my life.’ Music never has to feel less powerful, and I think the way music has changed and the way it’s gotten more commercialized, it doesn’t change the core. If you write a good, powerful song like ‘Glacier,’ or like the songs I’ve written that get into the heart of your listener, it all falls away. Nothing else really matters.” – Amanda Palmer
Matt Damon Tells You How to Win a Bar Fight
GQ Magazine enlisted Jason Bourne himself, Matt Damon, to demonstrate the action movie star method for winning a bar fight.
Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art: The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue Is A Must For Vinyl Fans
The complete, definitive and never-before-published catalogue of Hipgnosis, Vinyl • Album • Cover • Art finally does justice to the work of the most important design collective in music history, which, according to Roddy Bogawa, director of the documentary Taken by Storm (2011), ‘designed half your record collection’.
Founded in 1967 by Storm Thorgerson, Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell and Peter Christopherson, Hipgnosis gained legendary status in graphic design, transforming the look of album art forever and winning five Grammy nominations for package design. Their revolutionary cover art moved away from the conventional group shots favoured by record companies of the day, resulting in the ground-breaking, often surreal designs which define the albums of many of the biggest names in the history of popular music: 10cc, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Peter Gabriel, The Police, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Syd Barrett, Throbbing Gristle, T. Rex, Wings, Yes and XTC, to name but a few.
Arranged chronologically, Vinyl • Album • Cover • Art features stunning reproductions of every single Hipgnosis cover – 372 in total – coupled with detailed information by Po and Storm Thorgerson on the artworks and the compelling stories behind their creation. Additional contributions by Peter Gabriel, Marcus Bradbury, and Pentagram’s Harry Pearce provide engrossing insights into the way these incredible artworks came into being; place the covers in context; and reflect on their enduring impact on album design. A highly accessible stand-alone volume, Vinyl • Album • Cover • Art will also make the perfect pop partner to the groundbreaking Hipgnosis | Portraits (2014) with its rare revelations and behind-the-scenes photography.
Over 20 Frank Zappa Releases Arrive On CD This Month
March 24 might as well be declared Frank Zappa Day. On that date, retailers are reporting that Zappa Records and UMe will unveil CD reissues of more than twenty Zappa titles from his storied discography. These posthumous releases from the late composer-bandleader were previously available as limited edition mail order/online exclusives from Vaulternative and Zappa Records between 1994 and 2015, and drew upon his vast archive of previously unheard material from both the studio and the concert stage.
Among these offerings from the prolific artist are compilations, audio documentaries for classic albums Freak Out! (The MOFO Project Object) and Cruising with Ruben and the Jets (Greasy Love Songs) and classic live performances from varying line-ups over the years in which Zappa was joined by Flo and Eddie, George Duke, Peter Wolf, Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, and numerous other renowned musicians and singers. Full track listings for every title as well as personnel and credits can be found in the discography at Zappa’s official website.