Most readers have likely never heard of C.V. Jørgensen, Bifrost, Gasolin and Kim Larsen – but they and many others from the Danish music scene all contributed to my life of music in the early 70s. This one in particular – I have just played it at least 10 times as I have explored YouTube [...]]]>

Most readers have likely never heard of C.V. Jørgensen, Bifrost, Gasolin and Kim Larsen – but they and many others from the Danish music scene all contributed to my life of music in the early 70s. This one in particular – I have just played it at least 10 times as I have explored YouTube trying to find the right version to share … music has so many memories ….. the original just seems to me to have the edge over the later version …. enjoy.

This Is My Life

ExtensionFM is a browser extension for Chrome that finds every MP3 file on pages you visit and automatically creates a library of those songs for you to enjoy.  Sweeeet.

Richard Barbieri – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His keyboard-playing role in Porcupine Tree is similarly split with frontman/producer Steven Wilson, with Barbieri processing the sound of other musicians in the band as well as playing more orthodox keyboard parts.

Passed on – with thanks to : [...]]]>

Now there’s an aspect of the Tree that I never new …

Richard Barbieri – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His keyboard-playing role in Porcupine Tree is similarly split with frontman/producer Steven Wilson, with Barbieri processing the sound of other musicians in the band as well as playing more orthodox keyboard parts.

Passed on – with thanks to : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nice human article about the other live guitarist that hangs around the stage when The Tree play live.

Reminded me of these photos from a few years ago – taken in Camden Town, London when he and SW played to [...]]]>

Tampa rocker (that would be ‘the FIFTH Tree Man’) – made both of his dreams come true

Nice human article about the other live guitarist that hangs around the stage when The Tree play live.

Reminded me of these photos from a few years ago – taken in Camden Town, London when he and SW played to around 200 people in a record store.

Passed on – with thanks to : Tampa rocker made both of his dreams come true

There – I said it.

Check out : http://www.burningshed.com/store/stevenwilson/collection/65/1391/

To save you the click through, when you get there – it will read

Buy all six CD singles together, get the full collection and pay less postage!

Cover Version 6 is the last in a series of CD singles featuring a cover version and an original by Steven Wilson. 

This [...]]]>

Check out : http://www.burningshed.com/store/stevenwilson/collection/65/1391/

To save you the click through, when you get there – it will read

Buy all six CD singles together, get the full collection and pay less postage!

Cover Version 6 is the last in a series of CD singles featuring a cover version and an original by Steven Wilson. 

This last CD comes in a special limited edition box which contains Cover Version VI in a picture sleeve, a 12 page booklet of drawings of SW by Hajo Mueller, and 5 empty picture sleeves for all of the previous singles. 

As we reach the last copies of this release we have created this special bundle which includes the first 5 CDs in pvc wallets, ready to go into the box. 

Cover Version 6 is now only available as part of this special bundle

So – here’s the thing.

You buy each CD as it comes out – over what now – 2 or 3 years – and the 6th is now ONLY available as part of a 6 CD bundle. Translation – don’t bother buying stuff as you go – because you are going to have to buy it all over again anyway.

SHAMEFUL

It was one David Wilt that introduced me to the term ‘Powerpop’. At that time – I associated the term with bands like The Wondermints, Fountain of Wayne – and more recently The Orange Peels. Until last night I had not given it much more thought – except that it is one of the genres [...]]]>

It was one David Wilt that introduced me to the term ‘Powerpop’. At that time – I associated the term with bands like The Wondermints, Fountain of Wayne – and more recently The Orange Peels. Until last night I had not given it much more thought – except that it is one of the genres that I store by in iTunes.

And then – what I have now calculated to be as near as damn it to 20 years to the day since we met – one Hugh Byrne and wonderful wife Nanette met for dinner. The things you discover … but we won’t go there now.

Somehow we got onto Powerpop – and I discovered how wrong I have been for ten years.

Hugh sent me this email this morning …..

Follow up on origins of  ”PowerPop”.  I recalled the term was coined by an independent record company/magazine called Bomp in the mid-70s, but have also heard it tagged to Pete Townsend’s description of the “The Who Sell Out” era.  From Bomp 1994 retrospective article:

 

POWERPOP TO THE PEOPLE!

Punk had already had its day by 1978, when Bomp Magazine ran a cover story proposing Powerpop: a hybrid style with the power and guts of punk, but drawing on a pop song tradition with wider popular appeal. I had in mind bands like The Who and The Easybeats, (hell, even The Sex Pistols fit my definition!) but much to my chagrin, the term was snapped up by legions of limp, second-rate bands hoping the majors would see them as a safe alternative to punk. I took a lot of heat for starting the whole business, but at the same time, some good bands came through and Bomp worked with many of them, including Shoes, 20/20, Paul Collins, The Plimsouls, and The Romantics. These all went from Bomp to major labels, and made some great records.

Who’d have known. I throw it in here.

Should never have questioned Mr Byrne …. he goes on …

Great to see Orange Peels mentioned.

A couple of suggestions if you’re ever curious, in no particular order:

The Mayflies USA (Summertown being their best)

OK Go (probably know them from videos)

New Pornographers/Zumpano(first album, Look What the Rookie Did)

Something Happens (great Irish band, 1990s “Stuck Together With God’s Glue” being their classic).

Also, Rhino’s DIY series from the early 90s is an amazing 9-disc (sold ala carte) compilation of Brit & American from 1973-1983, with 4 CDs on Power Pop, 4 on Punk, and 1 devoted to the Boston music scene.

and then …

RE New Pornographers: Check out Zumpano’s (A.C./Carl Newman’s pre NP venture) “Look What the Rookie Did” — a PowerPop classic, so I throw them in with Zumpano, and they are clearly launched from PowerPop roots.

Have to say – I agree.

Personally, a big fan of the genre. Any others I should be checking out?

Well – guess what – there’s more.

Check out the review

“It’s hard to believe all the attention being given these days to American Idol. Oh, granted a few of their contestants have achieved a little success, but where are the real show biz survivors (Jennifer Hudson excepted)? Here’s a clip from the greatest of all of these shows. [...]]]>

Credit To : Charles Laquidara – Big Mattress

“It’s hard to believe all the attention being given these days to American Idol. Oh, granted a few of their contestants have achieved a little success, but where are the real show biz survivors (Jennifer Hudson excepted)? Here’s a clip from the greatest of all of these shows. I refer of course to The Gong Show and the first appearance of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. The guy on trombone is Danny Elfman. Danny has four Academy Award nominations, an Emmy for creating the Desperate Housewives theme and wrote the theme for The Simpsons. He also was the voice of Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Xmas.”

Let’s join Chuck Barris, Buddy Hackett, and other luminaries of the day as we set the Wayback Machine back to capture the spirit of ’76 :

‘Love It.’

Ok – TWO !

Passed on – with thanks to : Roberto

Trent Reznor Digg Dialogg from drawaside on Vimeo.