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5 Surprising Facts About Steely Dan’s ‘The Royal Scam’

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

5 Surprising Facts About Steely Dan’s ‘The Royal Scam’

The Royal Scam, released in 1976, radiates surreal satire, jazz precision, and lyrical puzzles. With tales of acid kings, skyscraper beasts, and sly nods to rock rivals, the album is packed with curious gems. Here are five delightful facts tucked inside the grooves.

1. “Kid Charlemagne” Tells the Tale of a Psychedelic Trailblazer
The album’s opener draws inspiration from Owsley Stanley, the famed LSD chemist of the 1960s counterculture. His “Technicolor motorhome” likely refers to the Merry Pranksters’ kaleidoscopic bus. Through jazz fusion and biting lyrics, Steely Dan immortalized a moment of psychedelic history.

2. Larry Carlton’s Guitar Solo Became a Landmark
Carlton recorded his solo on “Kid Charlemagne” in segments, blending precision and spontaneity. Each phrase bends and twists with fluid energy, earning it recognition as one of rock’s greatest solos. The final product flows so smoothly, it feels like a song within a song.

3. “The Fez” Features a Rare Co-Writing Credit
Paul Griffin, the session keyboardist, helped shape the melody during the recording of “The Fez” and received co-writing credit. Becker and Fagen, known for their meticulous credits, added his name in a spirit of generosity and curiosity. Griffin’s playful riff helped elevate the track’s groove.

4. Steely Dan and the Eagles Traded Musical Winks
“Everything You Did” includes the line, “Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening,” a lyric sparked by Becker’s girlfriend’s listening habits. The Eagles replied later that year in “Hotel California” with, “They stab it with their steely knives,” a lyrical nod. The connection reflected shared management and mutual respect.

5. The Album Cover Merged Two Striking Visions
The dreamlike cover art—featuring a man asleep beneath looming animal-headed skyscrapers—was originally created for a Van Morrison project. Designer Ed Caraeff added a photo of a Boston vagrant to complete the surreal composition. Fagen and Becker once called it the most memorable artwork of the decade.

The Royal Scam sails through jazz, funk, and lyrical folklore with polished ease, every track shaped by masterful musicianship and sharp imagination. Each listen reveals another layer waiting to be uncovered.

5 Surprising Facts About Christopher Cross’ Debut Album

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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5 Surprising Facts About Christopher Cross’ Debut Album

Christopher Cross’s debut album arrived like a pastel sunrise over calm water—digitally recorded, gorgeously arranged, and immediately embraced. Here are five charming facts that float just beneath the surface.

1. Christopher Cross Turned Down Steely Dan
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker invited Cross to play guitar on a Steely Dan album, a high compliment from two of the most meticulous musicians in pop. He politely declined, choosing instead to focus on his own rising star. Within a year, he was collecting Grammys and riding the wind on his own terms.

2. “Sailing” Was Inspired by a Teenage Friendship
Cross wrote “Sailing” about Al Glasscock, an older friend who took him out on the water when he needed an escape during high school. Their calm afternoons at sea stayed with Cross for decades. The song became a shimmering tribute to those moments—and a soft rock classic that continues to soothe.

3. The Band Found Its Groove Thanks to a Simple Kick Drum
During early sessions for “Ride Like the Wind,” the band felt uneasy in the studio, and the takes weren’t clicking. Producer Michael Omartian suggested a four-on-the-floor kick pattern to ground the energy. That simple rhythm unlocked the song’s pulse and helped transform it into a top-charting hit.

4. Michael McDonald Was a Last-Minute Addition
Cross originally sang all the vocals on “Ride Like the Wind,” including the signature response lines. Omartian felt the song needed contrast, and Michael McDonald’s voice was the perfect fit. His smooth delivery added depth—and became one of the album’s most beloved touches.

5. Cross Once Owned Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Famous Strat
In 1974, Cross traded in a Stratocaster at a local Austin shop for a Gibson Les Paul. The very next day, a young Stevie Ray Vaughan walked in and bought that same guitar—his future Number One. That instrument went on to make history in blues rock, with Cross unknowingly part of its origin story.

Christopher Cross remains a high-water mark for soft rock—digitally pristine, endlessly melodic, and filled with stories that still shimmer in the sun.

10 Album Covers That Should Be in an Art Museum

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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10 Album Covers That Should Be in an Art Museum

Album covers are more than packaging—they’re portable exhibitions, identity statements, cultural time capsules. As an art designer and museum curator, I’ve long believed the best of them belong in galleries, framed and lit with reverence. Here are 10 covers that don’t just complement the music—they elevate it to visual art.

A Seat at the Table (2016) – Solange
With its muted palette and quiet power, Carlota Guerrero’s portrait of Solange is a masterclass in softness as strength. It’s vulnerability as visual language, echoing fine art portraiture from past and future.

Bitches Brew (1970) – Miles Davis
Mati Klarwein’s psychedelic painting explodes with Afrofuturist surrealism. It’s cosmic, chaotic, and breathtaking—a visual jazz odyssey as layered and wild as the music itself.

Dark Side of the Moon (1973) – Pink Floyd
A refracted beam of light, a black void, and the beginning of a design legacy. Hipgnosis and Storm Thorgerson’s minimalist cover turns physics into poetry—timeless, mathematical, and haunting.

Homogenic (1997) – Björk
Nick Knight and Alexander McQueen created a character both otherworldly and emotionally grounded. It’s fashion editorial meets intergalactic folklore—a moving sculpture frozen in digital time.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) – The Beatles
A full-blown tableau of icons, misfits, and muses. Peter Blake’s collage captures not just a band, but a moment. It’s part theater set, part time capsule, all art history.

Surrealistic Pillow (1967) – Jefferson Airplane
The raw, black-and-white photo by Herb Greene reads like a protest poster crossed with a basement zine. It’s lo-fi elegance before that was even a phrase—unfiltered, defiant, and perfect.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) – Lauryn Hill
Carved into faux wood like a school desk, it’s a visual of rebellion through knowledge. It belongs in a room with James Baldwin quotes and Nina Simone piano chords echoing in the walls.

Trout Mask Replica (1969) – Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
Part horror show, part surrealist joke—this cover is avant-garde nonsense you can’t forget. A fish head and a fedora somehow become pure, strange genius. It’s the art school fever dream we secretly love.

Unknown Pleasures (1979) – Joy Division
Peter Saville’s cover, derived from a pulsar radio signal, feels like silence visualized. No title, no band name—just data turned into dread. It’s been reprinted on T-shirts, tote bags, and yes, gallery walls.

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) – The Velvet Underground
Andy Warhol’s banana is cheeky, clean, and instantly iconic. The peelable version? Interactive art before Instagram filters existed. Pop art made punk before punk had a name.

Album art is intention made visible. In a perfect world, record sleeves would hang beside oil paintings and digital installations. After all, art doesn’t just live in museums—it lives in your headphones, your memories, and your shelves. Maybe it’s time we gave it the frame it deserves.

10 Tips for Performing Live, Even If You’re Nervous

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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10 Tips for Performing Live, Even If You’re Nervous

No matter how many open mics, arena shows, or shower concerts you’ve done, performing live can still feel like tightrope walking with your soul exposed. Stage fright is natural—but it doesn’t have to run the show. Here are 10 tips to help you sing, strum, speak, or scream through it with confidence.

1. Feel the Fear—Then Invite It In
Nerves are just your body trying to help. It’s adrenaline saying, “This matters.” Thank it. Channel it. Don’t fight the butterflies—teach them to fly in formation.

2. Breathe Lower, Not Louder
Belly breathing calms the nervous system and anchors your sound. Inhale through your nose, expand the ribs like an umbrella opening. Exhale slowly. Repeat until your shoulders stop auditioning for a turtleneck.

3. Know Your First 30 Seconds Cold
Memorize your intro or first verse like it’s your favorite snack. Confidence comes from muscle memory, and nothing soothes the jitters like crushing that opening moment with ease.

4. Say Hi to the Room
Seriously. Wave. Wink. Tell a quick story. Human connection beats perfection. You’re not just performing music—you’re sharing energy. Make it personal, not perfect.

5. Practice Messing Up
Yup, rehearse a mistake. Then recover with a laugh or a lyric shift. Perfection is boring. Resilience is riveting. Your audience roots for you when you roll with it.

6. Use Your Anchors
Wear a bracelet, a scent, or a pair of socks that makes you feel safe. Familiarity calms the brain. Stage becomes less “stranger danger” and more “oh hey, I’ve got this.”

7. Visualize the Show Going Well
Not just the applause—imagine plugging in your cable, breathing through a high note, cracking a smile mid-song. Train your brain to expect success instead of sabotage.

8. Move Like You Mean It
Motion lowers cortisol. Even a gentle sway or tapping your foot creates rhythm in the body and signals confidence to the mind. Stillness is powerful—but don’t freeze.

9. Talk to Yourself Like You Would Your Best Friend
Would you call your friend a flop before their big gig? No? Then don’t say it to yourself. Be your own hype person. Affirmations may feel cheesy—but they work.

10. Leave Space to Be Surprised
The best performances have magic in the mess. Let go of “getting it right.” Be open to the room, the vibe, the unexpected. Trust your prep—and then let it breathe.

Performing live is a cocktail of fear, freedom, focus, and fun. You don’t have to feel fearless to be fabulous. You just have to show up, breathe deep, and tell your story—one shaky, shining note at a time.

Lionel Richie’s Isolated Vocals For The Commodores’ “Sail On”

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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Lionel Richie’s Isolated Vocals For The Commodores’ “Sail On”

Released in 1979, “Sail On” by The Commodores showcased Lionel Richie’s gift for bittersweet balladry. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Cash Box chart.

A Dulcimer Dream: Sam Edelston Reimagines “(They Long to Be) Close to You” with Joyful Charm

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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A Dulcimer Dream: Sam Edelston Reimagines “(They Long to Be) Close to You” with Joyful Charm

Sam Edelston brings the sunshine with a cheerful dulcimer cover of “(They Long to Be) Close to You” by The Carpenters. His love for Karen Carpenter’s timeless voice shines through every note. It’s gentle, joyful, and full of heart—a perfect tribute to a soft rock classic.

Abbie Callahan Spins Heartbreak into Gold with Twangy New Single “Yo-Yo”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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Abbie Callahan Spins Heartbreak into Gold with Twangy New Single “Yo-Yo”

Riding the momentum of her breakout single “Marry Jane,” country darling and singer-songwriter Abbie Callahan returns with “Yo-Yo,” a twangy, emotionally tangled track that captures all the dizzying ups and downs of a fleeting romance.

Penned by Callahan alongside Joseph Patton and Jason Gantt (Jordan Davis, Kameron Marlowe), and produced by Oscar Charles (Chase Rice, Kassi Ashton, Madeline Edwards), “Yo-Yo” features instrumentation from reigning CMA Musician of the Year Charlie Worsham, adding a vibrant yet grounded sonic layer to this standout track.

Abbie shares, “I wrote ‘Yo-Yo’ about an 8-day situationship, and I’m glad I at least got something good out of that whole experience. It’s light and fun sounding but lyrically dark and pretty sad, honestly. It is the catalyst for my forthcoming EP, setting the stage for a defining story in my life to unfold. I’m really excited to get it out there, and I hope people love it as much as I do!”

With roots deep in Americana, classic country, and pop, Callahan brings a fresh but familiar energy to the genre. Her songbird melodies and lyrical depth are unmistakable—delivering a voice that’s as captivating as it is emotionally raw. Nothing is off limits when it comes to Abbie’s lyrical poetry, derived from lived experience and a fearless sense of self.

Influenced by timeless icons like Linda Ronstadt and Don Williams, as well as modern torchbearers like Sierra Ferrell, Billy Strings, and Leon Bridges, Abbie Callahan is carving out her own lane—where vulnerability meets vibrance, and where heartbreak becomes art. With “Yo-Yo,” she doesn’t just step into the spotlight—she commands it.

The track premiered yesterday on Holler Country and a mesmerizing visualizer went live this morning.

Just this past year, with smoke still curling from the fire she sparked, Abbie’s viral ode to an old familiar friend, ‘Marry Jane,’ has rolled up nearly 600K streams and generated over 5 million impressions across socials in just the past year.

In support of her new music Abbie will be making her Bonnaroo debut at the Who Stage on Friday, June 13 along with performing daily at the famed honky tonks of downtown Nashville.

Phil Vassar Drops Sun-Soaked New Single “All American Summer” with Tony Mullins

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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Phil Vassar Drops Sun-Soaked New Single “All American Summer” with Tony Mullins

Phil Vassar cranks up the heat with his brand-new anthem “All American Summer,” out today. Having premiered exclusively with Storme Warren on Garth Brooks’ The Big 615, the feel-good track was co-written by Vassar – the multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and piano-pounding hitmaker – alongside longtime collaborator Tony Mullins.

Vassar shares, “‘All American Summer’ is a song I wrote with my good friend Tony Mullins, who’s not only a great guy and incredible songwriter but also a fellow Virginian. We actually grew up just down the road from each other, so we share a lot of the same memories – the lakes, the long summer days, all that good stuff. I’ve always loved summertime songs – like ‘Six-Pack Summer’ and others – and when Tony and I came up with the idea for ‘All American Summer,’ I really feel like we knocked it out of the park. It’s just a lot of fun, and really kicks off the season the right way!”

Tony Mullins is one of Nashville’s most accomplished GRAMMY Award-winning songwriters, known for crafting chart-topping hits across country music. His credits include the 2000 ASCAP Song of the Year, “How Forever Feels,” recorded by Kenny Chesney, along with standout songs for artists like Ricky Skaggs, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Tim McGraw, and Craig Morgan.

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Gets Soulful and Sunny in Vandelux’s New Remixes for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Gets Soulful and Sunny in Vandelux’s New Remixes for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

UMe/Motown released two exciting new remixes of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s enduring hit, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” by multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist Vandelux. An Official Visualizer will accompany the focus remix.

Gaye and Terrell originally released “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” as a Tamala single on April 20, 1967, and included it as the opening track of their first full-length LP, United, later that year. The song was a #3 R&B chart smash and peaked at #19 on the Billboard Pop Chart, but its impact has endured beyond those charts: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, joined the Spotify Billions Club and has generated more than 76 million YouTube views. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 1999 and was recently certified 7x-Platinum, while United was certified Gold earlier this year.

Vandelux reinvents “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with a pair of stunning remixes that each carve their own lane. The first is soulful and seductive, featuring an addictive, driving groove. The second, dubbed “Club Mix,” takes a brighter turn radiating warmth and vibrancy; tropical tones and upbeat percussion make it a joyful, feel-good anthem built for celebration.

GROUPLOVE’s Wild New Live Singles Are a Love Letter to Chaos, Crying, and Candy-Flipping Guitars

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 26, 2025

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GROUPLOVE’s Wild New Live Singles Are a Love Letter to Chaos, Crying, and Candy-Flipping Guitars

A band that transcends their ever-shapeshifting genre, GROUPLOVE has spent over a decade channeling their ecstatic energy while embracing the contradictions and complexities of existence. Capturing the band at their most uninhibited and electrifying, their latest release, a triple single that includes live versions of fan favorites “Raspberry”, “Borderlines and Aliens”, and “Cruel and Beautiful World”, is a thrilling document of their live prowess.

Recorded during their Winter 2024 tour at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago, the three singles serve as a preview of their upcoming album Rock N’ Roll You Won’t Save Me [Live], out May 30th via Glassnote Records and available for pre-order here. This release follows the first double-single release, which included live versions of “Colours” and “Malachi”.

Led by the powerhouse duo of vocalist Hannah Hooper and guitarist/vocalist Christian Zucconi, alongside guitarist Andrew Wessen, bassist Daniel Gleason, and drummer Ben Homola, the band continues to evolve while staying true to their defiantly sincere songwriting. This live album will serve as both a celebration of their journey and an invitation to lose yourself in the unfiltered, euphoric experience of a GROUPLOVE show.

Building on the raw intensity of their studio work, the live tracks showcase fan-favorites in their most dynamic form, infused with the sweat, spontaneity, and communal spirit of a GROUPLOVE show.

GROUPLOVE explains: “Raspberry” is an anthemic reminder not to lose your mind regardless of how much the boat is rocking. Andrew Wessen’s soaring guitars live take the song to this wildly insane place where candy flipping at a Phish show can’t even carry you.

You ready for a cry? You storing up some pain in your body that needs to be released? “Cruel and Beautiful World”‘s harmonies live cut through no matter how numb we’ve become. A reminder to hold onto the ones you love because this long winding road is going to get very hard and bumpy.

“Borderline and Aliens” has that Prog rock timing and cryptic lyrics about not fitting in, but live there is an undeniable coolness that accompanies feeling alone. It makes me want to head bang my way into a place of total self-love and acceptance.