Black Sabbath is the great heavy rock & roll singularity. Before Sabbath, there was nothing but an infinitely dense, hot mass of possibility. From their very first sinister tritone, the borders of rock and roll expanded instantly and endlessly, and in that moment they created the universal conditions under which all hard rock that came afterwards would need to obey to exist. Continue reading
Roots rocker Sam Taylor of Sam Taylor & The East End Love.
Sam Taylor has had a strange and wonderful journey as a musician. He began as a professional jazz singer when he was a child, and he eventually found his way to the guitar and inevitably to the blues. Since then has been plying his distinct trade in Toronto venues and across Southern Ontario. His music is a potent mix of roots genres, which he dubs “soul rock”. With his band The East End Love, he’s been scorching Toronto bars for the last few years.
January 22nd, 2014, Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto ON
Program:
Featured Performers:
There’s a particular flavor to Mozart’s work. He never walks anywhere if he can cartwheel, if you get my meaning. The man was an inveterate showoff, and an indisputable genius. Continue reading
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson likes music criticism. A lot. Throughout the length of his impressively arch, anti-formulaic pseudo-autobiography, he nearly spends more words on the subject of music criticism than the art form itself. As a kid, he grew up worshipping not just records, but the reviews of those records. Basically, he was part of the first generation of omnivorous music nerds, the kind of which now rule the insanely divergent cultural mass that we call the internet. As a musician, writer, and curator, he was made for these times. Continue reading
To me, Neil Young is the greatest musician who will ever live. He chases down ghosts and makes them sing. He wrenches beauty from brutality. He connects delicate fragments like a wise old spider. He’s a touchstone of authenticity in this false, confusing world. He’s the prairie wind, blowin’ through our heads. He’s just the coolest, most fearless artist of our time.
He’s given us so much over the years that it is difficult to appreciate the scope of his musical output. To prove that point, here’s 68 songs from his staggeringly varied and enormous catalogue, in celebration of his 68th birthday. Continue reading
We finally have a glimpse into what is sure to be one of the greatest rock soundtracks ever. “Sound City- Real to Reel”, from the film, will be out on March 12th. Until then, we must subside on brief clips and live performances, like this superb performance of “You Can’t Fix This”, by Stevie Nicks and the Sound City Players. Continue reading
“Eldorado” by Neil Young, only released in Japan and Australia.
In 1989, Neil Young released “Eldorado”, a weird five-song EP that was only released overseas. Continue reading
“Sound City” is Dave Grohl’s offering to the Gods of Rock. It’s a beautiful, life-affirming film that honours both rock and roll itself, and one of its greatest temples. Continue reading
So many instruments, so few roadies…
My wife and I recently attended our second performance by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Continue reading
Steve Poltz is a restless and creative spirit. He is one-of-a-kind. He’s a true Renaissance man who can change his artistic hat at any given moment. He is a musical shape-shifter who dances between genres. He is a well-spring of creative urges. Since his early days in the San Diego band The Rugburns, he has charted a unique and dynamic artistic path that few others would be able to pull off. Although he is presented as singer-songwriter, Poltz incorporates a wide background in music and the arts into his own unique stew of entertainment. Continue reading
Audio Reckoning 