For over 55 years, TOWER OF POWER has delivered the best in funk and soul music. Their signature “Oakland soul” sound and raucous party spirit have netted them the hits “You’re Still A Young Man,” “Down to the Nightclub,” “So Very Hard to Go” and “What is Hip?”. They have also backed legendary artists including […]
Thomas Fantasia speaks articulately, then cuts himself off. Modest, respectful, cautious. He interrupts himself to emphasize: he’s still learning. “There’s so much more I have to learn about our traditional dances and songs,” says Fantasia. “I’m only speaking on my experience. I don’t speak for other communities that may have other understandings… I share from […]
Tune In & Tune Up, an organization that provides mental health assistance to local musicians and music workers in need, held a successful fundraising concert last month at Ocean Mist. The concert featured The Troublemakers playing The Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East in its entirety followed by a second set featuring multiple guest […]
Okee dokee folks… Today I saw lots of folks raving about and posting photos from the Queen concert over the weekend. Let me first say this, “THAT IS NOT QUEEN!!!” What they saw was a lame attempt to keep the Queen band name alive and make more money. Queen IS Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger […]
When my highly creative editor posed this question to me, I jumped at the chance to report on the subject. I thought it would be an easy assignment – a “journalistic slam-dunk” if you will. Yet, as I attempted to compose this article, I realized the answer might not be so cut and dried. The […]
ELECTRIC SIX – TURQUOISE Depending on the count (in this case excluding Kickstarter, live, and cover albums), Turquoise is Electric Six’s 15th album of original material. In the 20 years since their breakthrough debut, Fire, it hasn’t been all gay bars and Taco Bells on fire. Singer Dick Valentine has sung about buying the drugs, […]
Okee dokee folks… Today I was thinking about contests. Songwriting contests to be more specific. I have a lot of Facebook friends from all over the world and a good deal of them are songwriters. Occasionally one of them will announce that they have won a prize in a song contest and will post a […]
Welcome back to Stop, Rock, & Roll! As autumn falls, here are five new local songs to listen to in the cooling weather. Leatherrax – “K9” Wailing feedback opens the debut single from garage rock two-piece Leatherrax. Booming drums enter the picture as a lethal combo of bass and guitar grinds forward. The tempo eventually […]
Certain music has a creepy vibe, whether the lyrics outright discuss what goes bump in the night or the melody more subtly imbues spookiness. We reached out to our Motif staff to put together the ultimate Halloween playlist for your next costume party. What they generated was an eclectic mix of genres across decades that […]
