Well folks, normally i would not offer two posts on punk rock in the same week, much less the same day, but these aren't normal times.Today, Lux Interior, lead singer for the band The Cramps, died (fine LAT story here). ohio native erick purkhiser became part of the CBGB punk scene and moved to california. (when i bought a house four years ago i realized i lived one street over from him and cramps … [Read more...]
Archives for 2009
Ex-Sex Pistol, Indie 103 and "Mr. Rock Steady"
Many Angelenos were disappointed recently when, without warning, the radio station Indie 103 closed up shop and moved onto the Internet. i must admit, i was always suspicious of the station because of its early links to clear channel, and i'm more a kcrw kind of guy anyway.but i always enjoyed "jonesy's jukebox," the show by former sex pistols guitarist steve jones. (the huge amount of attention … [Read more...]
John Updike and Hollywood
It's been a very hard year or so for major writers -- we lost norman mailer near the end of 07, david foster wallace last year and now, last week, john updike. (and my boyhood hero kurt vonnegut a little further back.) here is the first of two stories of mine on updike -- it ran in the new hollywood site the wrap. my editor there is the fiendishly talented maria russo, who i wrote for at the LA … [Read more...]
Classical Piano and the Importance of Good Grooming
Last night i caught Leif Ove Andsnes, the norwegian pianist, at disney hall. (here he is, right, after, presumably, chopping an entire nordic forest.) he played a set of janacek, brahms, mozart and schubert, with violinist christian tetzlaff. (a fine story on the celebrated duo here.)great concert, by the way. while the ballade in the janacek was nearly heart-stopping, my favorite was the brahms … [Read more...]
Gastropubs and Highland Park
The other night i went to the reasonably new "gastropub" in the formerly rundown-- now thriving -- area of los angeles called highland park. an english friend, who i sometimes go pub-hopping with near his home off the hampstead heath, grumbles these days when his beloved victorian watering holes "go gastro," in his words.but i'm in favor of the trend, partly because english pub food, and most … [Read more...]
LA PHIL VS RADIOHEAD
Just back from a LA Philharmonic press conference which is the most elaborate i've seen from any arts group, including i think the getty's launch a decade ago... they're very excited about Gustavo Dudamel, the 27-year-old venezuelan who kicks off his first season here in the fall. the one concert i saw him conduct, which included a berlioz, was as good as the considerable hype. (i have vowed to … [Read more...]
BARRY MANILOW AND THE END OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
Don't know about your private hell -- remember orwell's "room 101"? -- but mine is to be locked in a room and made to listen to barry manilow croon "i write the songs..." turns out it actually happens, in at least one town in colorado -- strikes me as a new chapter of the "scared straight" franchise. the story was buried a bit in today's LATimes, but it's an interesting and cautionary read about … [Read more...]
BARACK OBAMA AND EZRA JACK KEATS
Amazing amount of excitement, anticipation, and i expect resentment and suppressed fear right now around the obama inauguration... i will try to avoid getting too deeply into politics in this blog despite my fascination with it -- i've learned the hard way over the years that there is actually some wisdom to the old warning about talking about politics and religion across the dinner table. but … [Read more...]
CELEBRATING THE HADEN FAMILY + ….. GREAT BREAKUP LPS
I want to talk for a minute about los angeles' Haden family: you could define true musical eclecticism as the ability to dig all the branches on this multigenerational family tree. jazzheads know missouri-reared bassist charlie haden for his ability to match the country twang on ornette coleman's early (and best records) -- charlie grounds free jazz stuff that might otherwise be rootless: some of … [Read more...]
GREAT OVERLOOKED NOVEL
Over the last couple years i covered books, mostly novels, almost exclusively, and there's no way anyone can read everything. but let me call james howard kunstler's "world made by hand" my favorite undersung novel of '08, or something along those lines. the book is the tale of a little village in upstate new york in a world suspiciously like ours, but after resources have run out almost entirely. … [Read more...]