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I always knew that for me to absorb the full impact of Pink Floyd’s music required a live stage with instruments, singers, and visual effects; so when the opportunity to see The Australian Pink Floyd Show (TAPFS) in New York City came to fruition I just had to be there.
Posted by Sam on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 9:25 am
Filed under Concerts/Events, Editorials, Reviews · Tagged 2011, 3d visuals, Alex McNamara, Aussie Floyd, Best Buy Theater, Colin Wilson, concert, David Domminney Fowler, david gilmour, Emily Lynn, Jason Sawford, Lara Smiles, Lorelei McBroom, Mike Kidson, New York City, Nick Mason, NYC, Paul Bonney, pink floyd, richard wright, Roger Water, Steve Mac, TAPFS, The Australian Pink Floyd Show

She may be a grandma, but she can still rock.
Since the early ’70s, Bebe Buell has worn a lot of hats: Model, Playboy Playmate, muse—she served as part inspiration for the character Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s Academy Award-winning film Almost Famous)—author (the New York Times bestseller Rebel Heart), and celebrity mom of Liv Tyler. [...]
Posted by Sam on Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 8:08 am
Filed under Concerts/Events, Editorials · Tagged "Hard Love", Bebe Buell, Cameron Crowe, Cycle Sluts from Hell, Frank Ferrer, Jimmy Walls, Liv Tyler, Mother of Rock & Roll, Penny Lane, Pete Marshall, Prince, Steven Tyler, “The Goddess Mary Raffaele”

Devil’s Playground was produced by NOTAR, Grammy winner, Ken Lewis (Kayne West, Beastie Boys, Usher), hip-hop producer MGeezy (Wyclef Jean, T-Pain), and Kevin Augsburg, an up and comer out of Brooklyn, New York.
Posted by Sam on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 5:50 am
Filed under Albums, Reviews · Tagged Adam Duritz, album release, Counting Crows, devils playground, hip hop, Kanye West, Ken Lewis, kevin augsburg, NOTAR, T-Pain, Tyrannosaurus Records, Wyclef Jean

In Live from Tokyo, American director Lewis Rapkin takes us on a kaleidoscopic journey through Tokyo’s bustling underground music scene. Set within the backdrop of the modern Japanese megalopolis, the film explores Tokyo’s eccentric music culture, and how a combination of global information, media-saturated urban areas, and cutting edge innovation has impacted it.
Posted by Sam on Monday, September 5, 2011 at 8:12 am
Filed under Movies · Tagged "live from tokyo", d.v.d, DMBQ, enban, Eric Mintz, Japan, KIRIHITO, koenji, Lewis Rapkin, Nisennenmondai, noruma, Optrum, PARA (Boredoms members), Sajjanu, Samm Bennett, Sexy-Synthesizer, Shugo Tokumaru, Tenniscoats, Tokyo, Tokyo Pinsalocks, Uhnellys, underground music, W. David Marx

As part of the Blue Note Jazz festival, Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson performed at New York City’s Highline Ballroom before a sea of gray-haired fans enthusiastic about doing the hippy hippy shake to classic hits like “California Girls,” “Help Me Rhonda,” and “Heroes and Villains.”
Posted by Sam on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 5:52 am
Filed under Concerts/Events · Tagged "california girls", "heroes and villains", "pet sounds", 2011, brian wilson, examiner, george gershwin, highline ballroom, justin tedaldi, live, on tour, The Beach Boys

“We’re gonna party like it’s my last show!” said a blonde Chris Brown as Busta Rhymes joined him on stage at the “New” Meadowlands stadium for the 2011 edition of Hot 97′s Summer Jam Hip Hop showcase. Artists on the bill this year included Wiz Khalifa, Waka Flaka, Fabolous, Swizz Beatz, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Lloyd Banks, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Diddy and Ryan Leslie.
Posted by Sam on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 9:56 am
Filed under Concerts/Events, Reviews · Tagged Chris Brown, Diddy, DJ Khaled, Fabolous, festival, lil wayne, live, Lloyd Banks, meadowlands, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Rick Ross, Ryan Leslie, summer, summer jam 2011, Swizz Beatz, Waka Flaka, Wiz Khalifa

Every once in a while an album comes along that gives you the confidence to withstand any adversity the world throws your way. Whether its being unemployed, ending a relationship, or losing a loved one The Hours’ It’s Not How You Start It’s How You Finish has the power to make you feel better.
Posted by Sam on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 9:58 am
Filed under Albums, Concerts/Events, Reviews · Tagged Ali In The Jungle, Antony Genn, Big Black Hole, Human Chain, Just Do It, march, Martin Slattery, Mercury Lounge, Narcissus Road, Nike, See The light, Shaun Ryder, SXSW, The Hours

Love is hard to find in the concrete jungle, but if you look the right places it might just creep up and bite you in the ass. HAPPYTHANKYOUMROEPLEASE is Josh Radnor’s (How I Met Your Mother), feature writing and directorial debut about a struggling writer named Sam (played by Josh Radnor) who takes in a boy he finds on the subway.
Posted by Sam on Monday, March 7, 2011 at 8:21 am
Filed under Movies · Tagged angelika, Happythankyoumoreplease, Josh Radnor, Kate Mara, Malin Akerman, New York City, Pablo Schreiber, Tony Hale, tribeca, zoe kazan

By the end of Soul Mining: A Musical Life it felt like Daniel Lanois and I were friends. As if Lanois himself had read me these stories. I began listening to albums I’d never heard before as well as reinterpreting albums I was very familiar with. Now his captivating signature sound is as recognizable to me as a guitar solo by U2′s The Edge or Bob Dylan vocals.
Posted by Sam on Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 11:38 am
Filed under Books · Tagged "Oh Mercy", 'Le Noise", 2010, Barnes and Nobles, Black Dub, Bob Dylan, Bob Lanois, bono, Book, Brian Blades, Daniel Lanois, Daryl Johnson, Emmylou Harris, John Cusack, Neil Young, New York City, Soul Mining, the edge, The Neville Brothers, Trixie Whitley, u2, Willie Nelson

Talib Kweli is on a roll. Just six months after the release of his much anticipated Reflection Eternal sequel Kweli is back banging on your eardrum with a new solo record titled Gutter Rainbows. It’s a breath of fresh air hearing Kweli rap in an age where mediocre pop rappers saturate the market with average sounding albums.
Posted by Sam on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 9:32 am
Filed under Albums · Tagged "How You Love Me", 2011, album, Black-Eyed Peas, Blacksmith music, brooklyn, Estelle, gutter rainbows, Hi_Tek, Jean Grae, Kanye West, Mos Def, Nicki Minaj, pharaohe monch, solo record, talib kweli

The only thing that separates predator from prey is skills, and New York based lyrical alchemist, NOTAR, has a surplus big enough to fill an aircraft hangar.
Posted by Sam on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 8:24 am
Filed under Concerts/Events, Editorials, In The Spotlight · Tagged 5 track EP, Adam Duritz, Alcoholic, Chris Carabba, concert, Counting Crows, Dashboard Confessional, live, Matador, Mike Notarfrancesco, NOTAR, NYC, Plan A Media, R Bar, Stranger, Traveling Circus Tour, Tyrannosaurus Records

Fans who were alive during The Doors’ reign on music get to witness previously unseen footage of their idols clowning around backstage, being interviewed by various news outlets from around the world, and living the rock lifestyle in home videos made by the band members themselves. For today’s social networking addicted youth this film is like a history lesson into the trials and tribulations of an iconic band that always hovered over the edge of chaos.
Posted by Staff on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 9:40 am
Filed under Movies, Reviews · Tagged "The Soft Parade", 2010, 60's, alcohol, culture, Dick Wolf, documentary, drugs, eagle rock entertainment, Fear and Loathing, hunter thompson, idol, Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Johnny Depp, Kanye West, Law and order, lifestyle, movie review, MTV, Ray Manzarek, reform, Robby Krieger, Rock'n'roll, social expressionism, The Doors, Tom DiCillo

When I was first asked to write an article on the Led Zeppelin group, to be based on attending a concert and talking with Jimmy Page, I was not sure I could do it, not being sufficiently knowledgeable about music to attempt anything in the way of musical criticism or even evaluation. I decided simply [...]
Posted by Sam on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Filed under Concerts/Events, In The Spotlight · Tagged 1975, Arthur Magazine, concert review, Crawdaddy, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin, live, music journalism, Robert Plant, William Burroughs

As a founding member and primary singer/songwriter of The Jayhawks, Mark Olson often sang behind the beat, letting the music dictate which direction his voice would travel, but on his newest album to date, Many Colored Kite his voice leads the inspiring sounds that create this beautiful collection of songs.
Posted by Sam on Friday, September 24, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Filed under Albums, Editorials, Galleries, Reviews · Tagged "Morning Dove", "Your Life Beside Us", Americana, Beau Raymond, folk, Ingunn Ringvold, many colored kite, mark olson, Michele Gazich, Norway, Oslo, The Jayhawks, the salvation blues

Playing birthday shows for kids may be a great way to meet hot moms and start a new prepubescent fan base, but get a record deal? Seems a bit far fetched if you ask me, but Z02 members Joey Cassata and brothers Paulie and David Zablidowsky (otherwise known as Joey, Paulie Z, and David Z) have been doing pretty well by this formula.
Posted by Sam on Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Filed under Albums, Editorials, In The Spotlight, Reviews · Tagged "Money Talks", "Red Line Highway", "Stronger", 'No Way Out", 2010, album, Blues Traveler, Bob Held, Casino Logic, David Z, David Zablidowsky, Geddy Lee, IFC, Independent Film Channel, Joey Cassata, John Popper, Kiss, Neil Peart, Painted Lady, Paulie Z, Paulie Zablidowsky, Poison, Roger Daultery, Rush, Steve Tyler, Z Brothers, Z Rock, Z02