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R.I.P. MY CAT MINA / GUEST REVIEW: NOISE POP FESTIVAL, CAFE DU NORD, SAN FRANCISCO, FEBRUARY 27: THEE OH SEES, THE FRESH & ONLYS, TYVEK, AND THE UNNATURAL HELPERS
7 March 2009I’ve been a little too upset this week to speak about this in any way via email, Facebook, here, or whatever, but myself, my missus Mary, and my good friend Herb Jue (who was looking after her of late), and the extended Big Takeover family has been this week mourning the loss of our beloved calico cat, Mina, just about to turn 16. / For my money tonight’s bill is the best of the entire festival and features two of San Francisco’s most exciting bands – THEE OH SEES and THE FRESH & ONLY’S. The other two on the bill, fellow West Coasters THE UNNATURAL HELPERS and Detroit’s TYVEK round out things in fine fashion.
Pt. 3, A Dozen More Reviews, Debuted Here: Kreator, The Lines, Loney, Dear, Mindless Self Indulgence, Pete Molinari, Mount Eerie, Nadja, Milton Nascimento and Jobim Trio, Nico Muhly, New Radiant Storm King, Night Ranger, 1997 / Farewell to Lux Interior
18 February 2009Here’s a third round of reviews posted here and nowhere else! In case you missed my last two posts, we had a nice backlog of several dozen reviews that there was not room for in the current issue 63, or we received the albums right as we were going to press. / Farewell, Lux Interior, a moving recollection by Marcel Feldmar!
Big Takeover on Breakthruradio.com: All 30 Playlists for the 30 Shows I Hosted in 2008! / R.I.P. Ron Asheton of The Stooges
11 January 2009The best way I know to quietly plug my weekly radio show at breakthruradio.com is to let you know what you missed—or hopefully enjoyed—this past year for the last seven months, by listing all 475 or so songs I aired. That list is herein!
All 30 shows (and the first new one this year) are easy to listen to any time you like. Just go to breakthruradio.com, then click on “Multimedia Archive” and scroll down on “All DJs” til you see my name—then click on the “Search” Button. Voila! / I never met Ron Asheton—whereas I’ve met his bandmates Iggy Pop and Mike Watt a dozen times each and interviewed both of them a few times—but as I’ve often noted, The Stooges’ first two albums with Ron on guitar were obvious punk landmarks, and the third-album 1973-1975 lineup is the one band I have never, ever gotten tired of listening to, and can enjoy every single concert recording of. Asheton’s hot as hell bassplaying was a key reason. I will always be amazed at the Raw Power / Rubber Legs Stooges as the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band ever. Ever!
R.I.P. Tommy Tee, New Model Army manager and friend of Big Takeover / Issue 63 on the stands
27 December 2008Shocking news of the heart attack death on December 23 of longtime New Model Army manager Tommy Tee, who did more for one individual band than anyone I’ve ever seen, and did it for years and years and years. (He ran their business from top to bottom and went on the road with them as a tour manager and overall handler.) / Here’s a reminder that the new Big Takeover issue 63 is out. And here is again the full info, with some spicy sample quotes from its pages:
The Ruts to Reunite (with Henry Rollins); Jake Burns (SLF) to Auction Guitar to Benefit Gravely Ill Ruts Guitarist Paul Fox and Cancer Research / Issue 60 of The Big Takeover out with The Shins cover
27 June 2007The truly sad news from England is that longtime friend of the magazine Paul Fox, guitarist for London’s absolutely incredible Ruts (later they became the equally fabulous Ruts D.C.) has inoperable lung cancer. Accordingly, the band, broken up since 1982, is going to do an extremely rare reunion show as a benefit for both the stricken Fox and Cancer Research… with special guest vocalist Henry Rollins.
On Vacation: Guest Live Review from Jeff Elbel, Lollapalooza! And a quick bye to James Brown
27 December 2006Though Lollapalooza’s sophomore installment at Chicago’s Grant Park provided picky critics with ample fuel for grumbling (ubiquitous corporate signage, long walks between stages), the festival provided an impressive line-up for those who simply came to enjoy the music
Goodbye, Arthur Lee (Love)
15 August 2006I wouldn’t want to have been his merchandize seller (who we saw being caned by a wobbling Lee after a Town Hall show a few years ago, for transgressions unknown!), or for that matter his drummer or even his towel boy or bartender or banker or drug buddy, but man, being his fan on these last few years’ concert nights felt better than anything.
Forever Changing: R.I.P. Arthur Lee (Love), 1945-2006
9 August 2006Last week, Arthur passed away, due to acute myeloid leukemia, in his birthplace of Memphis, Tennessee. Here, I offer my respect to one of music’s all-time greats.
Farewell to Grant McLennan (Go-Betweens), 1958-2006
12 May 2006He really was an appreciative person, and whenever I would try to pin him down as being in any way bitter or unhappy with his old band’s underserved lack of mass success, he would politely decline my invitation, and instead say he felt lucky to have made so much music.
Unfinished Business: R.I.P. Grant McLennan
7 May 2006The passing of GRANT MACLENNAN of THE GO-BETWEENS is especially sad because it seems like he had so many great years of music-making still ahead of him.
Jack Rabid’s Top 10
Week of February 7
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The Joy Formidable – A Balloon Called Moaning (Pure Groove U.K.)
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The Joy Formidable – First You Have to Get Mad limited edition live LP (Pure Groove U.K.)
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Rogue Wave – Permalight (Brushfire)
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Sloan – Hit & Run digital EP (Murder)
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Catherine Wheel – Ferment (Cherry Red U.K.)
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Lou Barlow – Goodnight Unknown (Merge)
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Mission of Burma – The Sound The Speed The Light (Matador)
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Visqueen – Message to Garcia (Local 638)
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For Against – Never Been (Words on Music)
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The Dimes – The King Can Drink the Harbour Dry (Pet Marmoset)