Category: Music

95: Interviews, Punk, and Dental Appointments

    You learn a great deal about people in interviews. Not just what they say, but how they say it and the body language they show. The managers of the interviewee will try to get them to reveal as little as possible, but ask the right questions, and you can break the shield. Throughout history, there… Continue reading 95: Interviews, Punk, and Dental Appointments

94: Parties, Drugs, and Bathtubs

   When a band is in its earliest days, it’s always the hardest part. Some members can’t hack it and quit the rock and roll lifestyle, while others get too deeply entrenched in it. This is something most, if not all, bands come across. On the odd occasion, the lifestyle gets the best of them,… Continue reading 94: Parties, Drugs, and Bathtubs

93: TV Themes, Splicing, and Duets

 This is a story about a song recorded by two artists, close to one another, that unexpectedly became a huge duet single—though neither realised it at first. In fact, the singles potential wasn’t realised until a radio programmer who was handy at editing decided to merge the songs. This week, The Beat Marches On to… Continue reading 93: TV Themes, Splicing, and Duets

92: Chart Battles, Britpop, and Rivalries

We are in the middle of the second coming of Oasis in the UK. They are midway through a stadium tour that most thought would never happen. It feels like the country is in two moods right now, well, three if you include that we are going through another heat wave. Number one, you are… Continue reading 92: Chart Battles, Britpop, and Rivalries

91: Satanists, Black Metal, and Murder

When you think of Norway, you generally think of it as a liberal country. It ranks high in education, has a high standard of living, and tops the tables in the happy country charts. The crime rates are low, and they have universal healthcare. It seems like, on the surface, the country has no worries.… Continue reading 91: Satanists, Black Metal, and Murder

90: Playing fast, Playing Loud, and a New Movement

On America’s 200th birthday, most of the population was celebrating with hot dogs and burgers on the grill with a nice cold Budweiser in hand while watching firework displays. The Ramones, on the other hand, were not like most of the population. They decided on the bicentennial celebration of their country to go back to… Continue reading 90: Playing fast, Playing Loud, and a New Movement

88: Rocky Relationships, Guns, and Murder

 Domestic violence is a two-way street. Yes, the big stories we hear are men beating women, but it does happen the other way. It isn’t as common, but it does happen. We don’t hear so many instances because the traditional values of a man are not to be so vulnerable and to be protective of… Continue reading 88: Rocky Relationships, Guns, and Murder

87: Early Influence, Forgotten Member, and the 27 Club

    Usually, when I write about the 27 Club, I write about the conspiracies around the person. This one, however, is different and not well known. This one is about a member of one of the biggest cult bands of their generation. This guy was one of the pivotal members when the band had just… Continue reading 87: Early Influence, Forgotten Member, and the 27 Club

86: Living Fast, Dying Young, and Being Left Out in the Cold

There is a troupe in rock stardom during the 1970s and 1980s about living fast and dying young. Especially with the lead singers of bands, we see examples of this countless times, Jim Morrison with The Doors, Janis Joplin, etc. Most of them are straightforward, Singer X in band Y drinks too much and/or takes… Continue reading 86: Living Fast, Dying Young, and Being Left Out in the Cold