Author: Will Harris (Page 8 of 61)

Less Talk, More Music: Dionne Warwick on “Pebble Mill”

February 26, 2008 / Will Harris

“Pebble Mill” was a daytime chat show in Great Britain which regularly featured appearances from the current musical artists of the day, as well as a few who weren’t exactly top of the pops anymore, if you take my meaning. In the case of Dionne Warwick, she was and remained a huge worldwide superstar in 1982, a full two decades on from her first big hit, “Walk On By.” This was one of the many compositions from the brothers Gibb that was taken to the upper reaches of the charts by someone other than the Bee Gees themselves, but it’s got their trademark sound all over it.

Artists, Less Talk, More Music, Pop, Songs, Videos

Less Talk, More Music: Beastie Boys on “The Late Show with David Letterman”

February 19, 2008 / Will Harris

All I’m saying is this: if you think you know of another talk-show performance that starts out in a more awesome manner than the Beastie Boys rapping their way up from the subway, down the streets of NYC, and into the Ed Sullivan Theater, I’d damned well like to see it. Until then, I’m gonna presume that there is no such animal and just tell you to sit your ass down and ch-check this shit out…

Alternative, Artists, External Music, Less Talk, More Music, Pop, Rock, Videos

From Across The Pond: Scouting for Girls, “Elvis Ain’t Dead”

February 15, 2008 / Will Harris

Might as well keep the pop love flowing, right? Last week, I spotlighted The Hoosiers, and while Scouting for Girls haven’t gone the collect-’em-all route for their self-titled debut, they’ve certainly got just as many hooks to their name. Like all the best bands these days, they found success via a substantial internet buzz – in this case, via IntoMusic – and you can easily hear why they’ve received the attention that they have. Why can’t the kids in the States get into music this good…?

Alternative, Artists, From Across the Pond, Pop, Rock, Videos

Less Talk, More Music: Paul Anka on “The Late Show with David Letterman”

February 12, 2008 / Will Harris

Sure, it reads as a novelty – Paul Anka does swing covers of mainstream and alt-rock hits – but if you’ve ever actually heard Rock Swings, you know it holds up for the long haul as an instant party in convenient CD form. Rather than take the easy way out, most of the tracks have been dramatically rearranged to work within Anka’s concept, but if you’re convinced that he couldn’t possibly accomplish it with one of the most anthemic songs of the 1990s (if not all of music history), take a listen and enjoy being proven wrong:

Alternative, Artists, Jazz, Less Talk, More Music, Pop, Rock, Songs, Videos

Chalk up another entry for future “Proof that the Grammy Awards Are Out of Touch with Reality” lists

February 11, 2008 / Will Harris

Give the Grammy Awards credit for getting a few things right this year: they gave Amy Winehouse the Curse of the Best New Artist (not that she hasn’t already put herself on the fast train to Hell), hooked her up with Best Female Pop Performance and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Rehab,” and gave Back to Black the award for Best Vocal Pop Album. Somewhere between all those Winehouse wins, they even let Vince Gill take home the Best Country Album for the sprawling masterwork that is These Days.

Gill also got in one of the two best zingers of the night after he was presented his award by Ringo Starr. “I just got an award presented to me by a Beatle,” he said, then pointed at a specific individual in the audience and asked, “Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?”

(The other great line, by the way, was Prince throwing off the snarky comment about Alicia Keys’ virtual duet with Ol’ Blue Eyes, saying, “Frank Sinatra looked good for 150, didn’t he?”)

But, c’mon, people: whether it’s a good album or not, you’re just setting yourself up for ridicule by giving the Album of the Year award to Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters. It’s just Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature all over again…

Alternative, Artists, Country, External Music, Jazz, News, Pop, Rock, Songs