Retro: Vanilla Ice En Concierto

Hoy hace 35 años tuvo lugar el llamado "Concierto Del Año" como los medios de aquel entonces se encargaron de llamar al show que Vanilla Ice conocido también como el rapero blanco ó el "Elvis del rap, vino a dar a Guatemala. 

 

Y si efectivamente era todo un suceso por la talla del artista que se trataba y porque era algo raro y bueno todavía lo sigue siendo, que un artista en su prime venga a ofrecer shows por estos lares, generalmente lo hacen cuando ya les paso el momento, y si no, a manera de decir que "peor es nada" la infame moda de traer grupos o artistas tributos para que el público se conforme al menos con eso. 

 

Hubo una vez una división entre el rap comercial y el de las calles, y precisamente Vanilla Ice pertenecía al primera que sin necesidad de entrar en polémicas y enfrentamientos con la industria musical, lograron tener éxito, la llamada época dorada del rap comercial con nombres de la talla de M.C. Hammer, Kid 'n' Play, Tone Loc y por el Iceman que ayudaron a popularizar el género entre finales de los 80s e inicios de los 90s.

 

Por aquel 1991, se barajeo la posibilidad de traer a M.C. Hammer y hasta confirmaron que el malogrado acto C+C Music Factory vendría a ofrecer un show, al final todo se quedo en la nada, pero curiosamente se confirmo la llegada de Vanilla Ice y desde ese momento, se convirtió en el evento del año. Había jingle que decía así: "Coca Cola te trae una noticia que bien te cae es Vanilla Ice es Concierto compra tus entradas en Discos & Cosas a Q. 40.00 y Q. 65.00"  toda una ganga comparando los precios de los shows de hoy en día. 

 

El concierto tuvo lugar en el Teodoro Palacios Flores, pusieron de teloneros a un grupo llamado Stress que la verdad nada que ver con el estilo de Vanilla Ice, pero era lo que había, al final hizo su presencia frente a una 8,000 personas aproximadamente durante unos 90 minutos interpretando los temas de su disco "To The Extreme", aunque por momentos me recordó mucho al "Extremely Live" álbum en directo que por ese entonces también se estaba promocionando. 

 

El show tuvo sentimiento encontrados para muchos fue increíble y para otros no tanto y entonces comenzaron a correr el mensaje que ese no había sido el verdadero Vanilla Ice sino un impostor, ya que no se parecía físicamente, además que no se sabia los pases de baile como en los videos, casi no hubieron bailarines, el sonido estuvo malo (aunque eso siempre ha pasado en los conciertos que se han dado por aquí), al final vino e hizo lo suyo y su show quedo marcado en los anales de eventos musicales destacados en la historia nacional y que hoy 35 años después recordamos como uno de los momentos más icónicos de aquel 1991 y de la década de los 90s. 

Rocktrospectiva: The Finest And Brilliant "Life's Rich Pageant" Turns 40

 

Released on 28 July 1986 "Life's Rich Pageant" was the 4th., studio album by the US alternative rock band R.E.M., produced by Don Gehman and recorded at John Mellencamp's Belmont Mall Studio in Belmont, Indiana. This was the only album the band recorded with Gehman, who moved them from the more obscure and dense sound of their earlier albums to an accessible, hard rock-influenced quality. The album spawned two singles "Fall On Me" & "Superman."

During the first half of 1986, the band took a break from touring to recover energy. They wanted to make a change from the sound of their previous album, with Mills saying "We wanted to get away from the sort of murky feelings and sounds that we got out of Joe Boyd, producer on Fables of the Reconstruction] in London". They wanted a "really hard-driving record, but we also like to throw in a lot of things: pianos and organs and accordions and banjos and what-not" and considered working with Gehman as they liked the acoustic sound of his work with John Mellencamp.  They initially met for a number of demo sessions at John Keane's Studio in Athens, Georgia, in January & March 1986 (These recordings would later be released as the "Athens Demos" on the 25th-anniversary re-release of the album). After being initially skeptical, they embraced the new recording process with Gehman 

Recorded at Mellencamp's Belmont Mall Recording Studio in Belmont, Indiana, in April and May 1986. The recording studio was larger and had newer technology than they were used to, and they enjoyed the area, attending many concerts in nearby Bloomington while there. The band were also happy with the production of the record and the extra clarity of the vocals 

The album's title was inspired by a line spoken by Inspector Clouseau in the 1964 film "A Shot in the Dark." The cover art features an image of drummer Bill Berry and a bison below, alluding to the album's environmental theme and referencing Buffalo Bill. By then, the band's fame was already transcending the boundaries of college rock, so a new recording was needed to propel them into a more mainstream sound, and indeed, the gamble paid off, as the production allowed the album to reach gold status, peaking at No. 21 and becoming, at the time, the band's best-selling and most successful album. 

Two singles were released from the album: the powerful and ecologically charged "Fall On Me," a favorite of Stipe and myself, and "Superman," sung by Mike Mills. But other tracks also appeared, which curiously became unofficial singles: the equally powerful and socially and ecologically charged "Cuyahoga," about the highly polluted river that flows into Lake Erie, referencing the times the river caught fire due to the high levels of pollution; and "Flowers of Guatemala," which, it is said, alluded to the genocide in that country during the armed conflict. 

Praised by many critics who highlighted the band as brilliant and unconventional with a promising future. They emphasized the dark folk sound of its predecessor, "Fables of Reconstruction," but noted its much more dynamic and upbeat sound. While some cited a lack of progress in the band's sonic evolution, this was of little consequence, as the band was at the zenith of its career and everything from then on would run smoothly, thanks to the outstanding work of Don Gehman, who definitively made the band sound much more open and unmasked. 

 

Life's Rich Pageant Track List:  

 

1. Begin The Begin

2. These Days

3. Fall On Me

4. Cuyahoga

5. Hyena

6. Underneath The Bunker

7. The Flowers Of Guatemala

8. I Believe

9. What If We Give It Away?

10. Just A Touch

11. Swan Swan H

12. Superman 

New Music: Pin Up Boys

           

The Manchester, England four-piece Westside Cowboy are releasing their debut album, It Goes On, on August 2. Now they have shared its second single, "Pin Up Boys," The band collectively had this to say about the song in a press release: Pin Up Boys was written a year and a half ago using an acoustic guitar, a drum machine sample pad and some screwdrivers as drumsticks. It is by far the longest serving song on the album and the one that we have played the most live, which was a blessing and a curse when we came to record. After realising this song was set in its ways, we thought the recording should be a somewhat faithful version of the live performance. We hope you get something out of it. Jack Shep directed the song’s video and had this to say about it:  Westside Cowboy's performance style is so energetic and distinct. They clearly have a mountainous future ahead of them, and it was awesome to work with young people at the precipice of starting something really special together. In the video we wanted to capture the band's dynamism, through a spotlight. We follow this fixed, malevolent spotlight chasing our hero (played by the band's mate, Will) as he tries to escape its gaze. As he runs, he manages to escape, splitting into a new spotlight with a new version of the band. The whole thing begins to buckle and shatter.”

New Music: Day In The Sun

           

Teenage Fanclub have announced their new album, Do Not Dare To Dream, out 9th October, and shared its lead single, Day In The Sun, with a video by Donald Milne filmed at Black Bay Studio on Great Bernera in the Outer Hebrides. The album is the band's thirteenth and follows the melancholic warmth of 2023’s Nothing Lasts Forever, whose lingering understated vibe makes Day In The Sun all the brighter. Those lush multi-part harmonies, 60s jangle, rich acoustic textures, and organ are still there in abundance alongside some really nice flourishes — that really subtle vox wah in the back and that harp opening, all accentuate that Californian psych glow, presenting a playful sparkling optimism that leans towards The Byrds.

New Music: Sounds We Cannot Hear

           

Protomartyr are back with their first album in three years. It’s titled Hotel Usona and will be out September 25. The first single from Hotel Usona is "Sounds We Cannot Hear"  which has Protomartyr’s signature sound augmented with horns, tubular bells, xylophone, and more, with Casey's lyrics setting a dark tone from the start. The video, a disquieting psychological thriller set at a hibachi restaurant, was directed by Danny Scharar & Harris Mayersohn and features comedian and actor Nate Varrone.

New Music: Blue Shadows

           

The Avalanches are back and now shares "Blue Shadows" the second collaboration between The Avalanches and Karen O, the solo artist and Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman having featured on "Dial D For Devotion" from the band’s 2020 album We Will Always Love You. “Blue Shadows” also marks the third single from The Avalanches in 2026, the track follows "Every Single Weekend" with Jamie xx and "Together" with Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza and Prentiss.

Rocktrospectiva: The Mature And Thoughtful "Play" Turns 35

Released on 23 July 1991 "Play" was the 9th., studio album by the British new wave group Squeeze. Back in the day was the first LP in the Squeeze discography to feature only four official members instead of five. Tony Berg produced the album. The album spawned the singles "Sunday Street", "Satisfied" & "Crying In My Sleep".  The album spent one week at number 41 in the UK Albums Chart in September 1991.

Considered one of Squeeze's most mature and thoughtful albums in which the liner notes are written out as a theatre script, with the songs laid out as dialogue. Play was a simple and low-key collection of songs charting the dissolution of a love affair. Reduced to a quartet by Jools Holland's departure for a career as a BBC television presenter, this aided the group to play with a loose, R&B-inflected casualness. 

Play may be one of Squeeze's greatest late period works. Producer Tony Berg, who'd just scored a sizable U.S. hit with the irresistible Michael Penn cut "No Myth." His studio wizardry meshed well with a collection of tunes that tackled various vagaries of love and loss, from breakups (the upbeat "Crying in My Sleep," the downbeat "Letting Go" to keeping it honest "The Truth," "House of Love", slice-of-life scenes "Sunday Street," "Satisfied" and even a relaxed celebration of coming back from a concert tour "The Day I Get Home". 

Though Play was only a moderate success in England, just missing the Top 40 of the British charts, the period is looked on warmly by both fans and even the band themselves, despite a challenging time behind-the-scenes where Difford entered rehab to address his relationship to alcohol. The album also received some positive reception from critics by proclaiming the record to be probably Squeeze's best post-reunion album. 

 

Play Track List:  

 

1. Satisfied

2. Crying In My Sleep

3. Letting Go

4. The Day I Get Home

5. The Truth

6. House Of Love

7. Cupid's Toy

8. Gone To The Dogs

9. Walk A Straight Line

10. Sunday Street

11. There Is A Voice 

New Music: All Falls To Me

            

Jesus Jones shares their new single "All Falls To Me" is the second track to be taken from the upcoming Jesus Jones album "Twilight" to be released in September 2026, the visuals are taken from the band's travels, on the world tour they did in 2023/2024. The tune start with a Flamenco intro and the goes into transition to a dancy sound pretty much as Jesus Jones trademark.

Rocktrospectiva: The Outstanding "Panic" Turns 40

Released on 21 July 1986, "Panic" was a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by lead vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was the band's first recording as a five-piece featuring new member Craig Gannon, "Panic" bemoans the state of contemporary pop music, exhorting listeners to "burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ" in retaliation. 

The song was released by Rough Trade as a single and reached No. 7 on the Irish Singles Chart and No. 11 in the UK Chart. Morrissey considered the song's appearance on daytime British radio a "tiny revolution" in its own way, as it aired amongst the very music it criticised. It was later included in the compilation albums The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs both from 1987.

"Panic" was recorded at London's Livingston Studios in May 1986. It was the group's first recording sessions since they completed work on their third album The Queen Is Dead six months earlier. During the interim period, bassist Andy Rourke had been fired due to his heroin addiction, which had interfered with his playing. The band hired Craig Gannon to replace him, but after they rehired Rourke, guitarist Johnny Marr offered Gannon a position as second guitarist.

The then five-piece band worked with producer John Porter; this was his first work with the group in two years. He was concerned that the song was too short, so he copied the band's first take from 5 May and spliced a repetition of the first verse at the end to increase its length. The group was unimpressed and opted to leave the song as they originally structured it.

A story circulated as the basis for the song holds that Marr and Morrissey were listening to BBC Radio 1 when a news report announced the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Straight afterwards, BBC disc jockey Steve Wright played the song "I'm Your Man" by pop duo Wham! "I remember actually saying, 'What the fuck has this got to do with people's lives?'" Marr recalled. "We hear about Chernobyl, then, seconds later, we're expected to jump around to 'I'm Your Man'". While Marr subsequently stated that the account was exaggerated, he commented that it was a likely influence on Morrissey's lyrics. The band later commissioned a T-shirt featuring Wright's portrait and the phrase "Hang the DJ!"

Now "the anecdote might well be true," writes Tony Fletcher in A Light That Never Goes Out, his biography of the Smiths, but he states that "I'm Your Man" had been off the UK pop charts for several months by the time of the Chernobyl disaster and that "Morrissey hardly needed further provocation to attack Wright, whose highly ranked afternoon show treated all popular music as secondary to his madcap party format". The antagonism was apparently mutual; former Smiths manager Scott Piering says that at a 1985 meeting, Wright and his producer both made clear that they disliked the band's music. Moreover, the song itself makes no mention of the radio.

The song began with Morrissey mentioning chaos unravelling throughout Britain and Ireland (specifically mentioning London, Birmingham, Leeds, Grasmere, Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee, and Humberside). In the second part of the song, he revealed that the source of this chaos is pop music, which "says nothing to [him] about [his] life". In reaction, he implores listeners to "burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ", the latter lyrics repeated with the addition of a chorus of schoolchildren. Journalist Nick Kent described "Panic" as a mandate for "rock terrorism". John Luerssen calls it a "commentary on the tepid state of pop music in 1986" and a "chiming guitar song," based around a rotation between the G major and E minor chords.

"Panic" drew negative reaction from some critics who construed Morrissey's lyrics to have a racist connotation. Paolo Hewitt in the NME wrote, "If Morrissey wants to have a go at Radio 1 and Steve Wright, then fine [but] when he starts using words like disco and DJ, with all the attendant imagery that brings up for what is a predominantly white audience, he is being imprecise and offensive". Fletcher says that the lack of any explicit indication the song was about radio meant "Panic" "could be construed as reviving the racist and homophobic 'Disco Sucks' campaign of late 1970s America".

Morrissey denied the accusation, and in a September 1986 Melody Maker interview with Frank Owen decried Owen's suggestion that he was leading a "black pop conspiracy". Additional criticism was sparked by the same interview, wherein Morrissey was quoted naming reggae as "the most racist music in the entire world". Marr, in particular, was incensed by the article and in a 1987 NME interview threatened to "kick the living shit" out of the writer if he met him, such was his anger at the article's slant. He also countered that "disco music" could not be simply equated with "black music", saying, "To those who took offence at the 'burn down the disco' line [...] I'd say please show me the black members of New Order!"

The single cover had an image of a young Richard Bradford, known for his lead role as private eye McGill in the 1960s British TV adventure series Man in a Suitcase, features on the sleeve cover. Etching in the runout on the British 7" single reads "I DREAMT ABOUT STEW LAST NIGHT", a pun on a lyric from "Reel Around the Fountain" ("I dreamt about you last night"), while the 12" version did not have a matrix message. The German 12" runout reads "HANG THEM HIGH MONIKA/HANG THEM HIGH MONIKA

Two music videos were released for "Panic", both of which were directed by Derek Jarman. The first, which the band does not appear in, saw the song used in medley with "The Queen is Dead" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" in promotion of the band's then-recent studio album of the former's same name (although "Panic" does not appear on the aforementioned album), which Jarman created as a short film for the 1986 Edinburgh Festival. The second, better-known video for "Panic", in promotion of its release as a single, sees footage of the band performing the song at a gig overlayed with footage from its segment in Jarman's film.

 

Panic Track List

 

7-inch Vinyl record

 

1. Panic

2. Vicar In A Tutu

 

12-inch vinyl record and CD

 

1. Panic

2. Vicar In A Tutu

3. The Draize Train (Instrumental) 

New Music: Get Up And Dance

           

The UK band Man/Woman/Chainsaw have dropped a new single "Get Up and Dance", featuring Emmie-Mae Avery on lead vocals, the track is off the band’s debut LP Cannonball. From Emmie-Mae: “In my mind it’s set in a club, where you spot someone who’s been trying their luck with different people all night and decide to turn the game back on them. It starts playful but then takes a forceful approach, as you push them to prove their interest and test how far they’ll go, aiming to have them make a fool of themselves.”

In Memoriam: The Influential Bassist "Jennifer Finch" Dies Aged 59

Jennifer Finch, the longtime bassist for influential grunge rock group L7, has died. Finch, who had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2011, revealed she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer last week. She was 59.

Finch's bandmates shared the news of her death on Saturday on Instagram, calling her a "beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker".

"She had a long courageous fight with brain cancer and was loved by many wonderful friends, musical peers and fans worldwide," wrote L7's Donita Sparks, Suzi Gardner and Demetra "Dee" Plakas.

Finch was due to join L7 on the feminist rock band's The Last Hurrah farewell tour this year, however, she pulled out last week after revealing her brain cancer diagnosis, giving the band her blessing to forge ahead.

A GoFundMe campaign to help pay for her treatment, launched by friends and family, swiftly surpassed its goal and raised nearly $US400,000. Despite initial radiation treatment, "unforeseen complications" led to Finch enduring "multiple surgeries and a string of difficult setbacks".

Born on August 5, 1966, and raised by her adoptive parents in Los Angeles, Finch had a passion for photography, often documenting the city's burgeoning punk and alt-rock scenes, snapping influential groups like The Cramps and Bad Religion.

In the early 80s, Finch played bass in Sugar Babydoll, led by future Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, and The Pandoras.

Finch joined L7 in 1986, a year after Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner formed the band. They released their self-titled debut in 1988 via influential independent record label Epitaph.

After adding Dee Plakas on drums, the group's 1990 album Smell The Magic made them one of the few non-Seattle bands signed to Sub Pop and earliest all-female groups in the grunge explosion. Finch even dated Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl for a time.

Their 1992 album Bricks Are Heavy is considered one of the era's most significant, featuring L7's biggest crossover hit Pretend We're Dead, a searing political commentary on the marginalisation of women in society inserted into a hooky anthem.

Fiercely rejecting traditional beauty standards and fearlessly advocating for women's rights, L7 co-founded Rock for Choice in 1991, a concert series raising funds and awareness for reproductive rights.

Four women playing loud, aggressive tunes confronting sexism and political disillusion was considered a feminist statement in and of itself. But L7 did not actively try to be a feminist band.

"We don't write in any contrived way," Sparks told Double J in 2019. "We write from very personal experiences and they just morph into something else. "We're not writing feminist lyrics. We're writing L7 lyrics and I think they speak to everybody."

In 1996, two years after their fourth album Hungry for Stink, Finch left the band and played in other groups, namely OtherStarPeople and The Shocker, and launched her own label, Little Pusher Records.

Following an acrimonious split in 2001, L7 reunited in 2014 and Finch rejoined, playing on their 2019 reunion album Scatter The Rats.

The band then toured regularly, playing headline shows and festivals throughout the US, UK and Australia where, in 2023, they performed Bricks Are Heavy in full on tour.

New Music: In Blood

           

British band Ladytron shares "In Blood" the second track on band's nww studio album "Paradises", the synth-pop track features their signature dark, electronic sound, and its official music video was directed by band member Daniel Hunt

New Music: Martini Me Fasto

           

The National frontman Matt Berninger has a new solo single "Martini Me Fatso" the tune is not quite like anything Berninger has released before, perhaps his side project EL VY might be the closest parallel. The song swings and the arrangement is closer to jazz-rock or bluesy adult contemporary than usual. The lyrics and vocal performance, though, are unmistakably Berninger, 

New Music: Stand Together

            

Shed Seven return in pure indie style with their new single ‘Stand Together’, their first single since 2024 and the lead track from their forthcoming, self-titled album. It’s a confident statement of intent from the York outfit, signalling both a return to their roots as well as the broadening of their sound. Opening with a classic Britpop-inspired guitar riff, the track evokes the spirit of the 90s and recalls a similar tone to that of The Seahorses. Rick Witter’s unmistakable vocals remain as clear and sharp as ever, carrying the same urgency that helped to define Shed Seven’s original success. Alongside this,  the gripping soul of Mary Pearce and Beverley Skeete adds another dimension entirely to the chorus. With gospel-inspired flourishes that reinforce the song's overarching theme of togetherness. It’s an unexpected but effective pairing, lending the track a sense of scale without losing the gritty, guitar-led identity of the band. 

 

Rocktrospectiva: The Charming And Stylish "We Are The Pipettes" Turns 20

Released on 17 July 2006, "We Are The Pipettes" was the debut album from a British girl group with a pop style inspired by the sound of the early 1960s, but which was eventually overshadowed by the arrival of Beatles British Mania. Now with an indie pop sound, the three members—Gwenno, Riot Becki, and Rosay—played in a band called The Cassettes and had already achieved some success with a few singles, making it essential to release an album. 

 

Prior to its release, tracks like "I Like A Boy In Uniform (School Uniform)," as well as the incredible "Dirty Mind," "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me," and "Pull Shapes," had already been released. While many didn't like the album because it didn't maintain the inspirational momentum of the singles, they did their best to encapsulate the 60s trend with contemporary culture, fitting it perfectly into the diverse era of the 2000s. The band's synchronization was evident on the album, and of course in the videos; the outfits and choreography were well-rehearsed, and their aim was to recapture the throne they had lost to the British Invasion. As is often the case, people expected their sound throughout the album to be inspired by Spector's famous Wall of Sound, fused with bands of the time like The Go! Team or I'm From Barcelona. However, they emerged with a unique style that, while having some revival elements, made them sound fresh and different in a certain way. 

 

Empowering Girl Power, a blend of innocence with hints of sexual aggression, a touch of French feminism, and a sound that emerged from consuming similar styles of bands, was evident in the three girls. Each had her own personality, from the housewife to the sexy librarian to the mod and avant-garde one. This amalgamation of personalities gave the album its unique touch. Besides the standout tracks, there was also the story of the bad girl "Judy," reflecting the eternal struggle of girls seeking to rebel against their parents, from their clothing to the music they listen to and the joy of feeling young, alive, and free. Gareth Parton's production was what ultimately crowned an album full of beautiful and dignified sound, emphasizing the all-encompassing power of a 60s girl band updated for the 2000s. 

 

The album also featured interesting tracks like "Because It's Not Love (But It's Only A Feeling)," as well as new songs such as "Sex," "Shy Did You Stary," and "I Love You," which helped shape the album. In conclusion, it was a modern indie pop album that drew on the pop sound of the 60s and was received as a breath of fresh air amidst the indie rock and electronica sounds that were prevalent at the time, at least during the project's existence.

We Are The Pipettes Track List:

1. We Are The Pipettes

2. Pull Shapes

3. Why Did You Stay

4. Dirty Mind

5. It Hurts To See You Dance So Well

6. Judy

7. A Winter's Sky

8. Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me

9. Tell me What You Want

10. Because It's Not Love (But It's Still A Feeling)

11. Sex

12. One Night Stand

13. ABC

14. I Love You

 

New Music: In The Night

           

Beck has released a second single to go along with the album announcement. "In The Night" is warm yet haunting, a folk-rock hymn graced by a gorgeous string arrangement. The song arrives with a music video starring Denis Lavant, directed by Mikai Karl and produced by Ryan Smale

New Music: My Dead Astronaut

           

Legendary Roby Hitchcock release a new single/video "My Dead Astronaut" according to Hitchcock: Astronauts have always reminded me of mummified Egyptian kings and queens; sent into the blackness in their space suits like the departed royals, swaddled in bandages, were sent into the future in their pyramids. I picture the astronauts exploring the afterlife like a new world - the final frontier. It’s quite romantic really. The new album "The Confuser" is out on July 24, 2026, video has been shot by Jeremy Dylan

New Music: Brussels Is Haunted

            

Echo & the Bunnymen have announced Apples For Isaac, their first album of new material in 12 years, alongside lead single “Brussels Is Haunted,” out now. The Liverpool band’s first new material in over a decade arrives this September 2026 via BMG. The album is the band’s 13th studio record and follows 2014’s Meteorites and the 2018 retrospective The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon. “Brussels Is Haunted” finds Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant on typically atmospheric form, with the band having spent recent months back on the road ahead of the announcement.

 

In Memoriam: Legendary And Former 120 Minutes Host "Dave Kendall" Dies Aged 68

Dave Kendall, who created and hosted the influential MTV show 120 Minutes, has died. His friend Matt Pinfield, who hosted the show after Kendall’s tenure, shared the news on Instagram. Bangkok Post, where Kendall worked from 2017 to 2025, also ran an obituary. No cause of death was given. Kendall was 68, according to Bangkok Post.

The British-born Kendall got his start writing about music for UK and U.S. publications such as Melody Maker and Spin, he explained in a website bio. He relocated to New York City in the 1980s and created 120 Minutes for MTV, where he spent seven years as a writer, producer, presenter, and news reporter. The show, conceived as a home for alternative music, launched in 1986, three years before Kendall took over as its ever-impassioned host. As well as promoting bands like Sonic Youth and Pixies, Kendall helped to spread the Nirvana explosion, hosting the premiere of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 1991.

Kendall went on to host and co-produce the talk show Music Scoupe, as well as taking on various radio, TV, and DJing gigs. His website touts his early 1990s Hot 97 program Planet Traxx as the first electronica show on commercial radio. From the mid '90s, he embarked on a career in digital journalism that included some of the first online video streaming shows. He eventually returned to TV before settling in Thailand and joining Bangkok Post.

Rocktrospectiva: The Vibrant "The Globe" Turns 35

Released on 16 July 1991 "The Globe was the sixth album by alternative dance group Big Audio Dynamite II, their second album credited under that name instead of Big Audio Dynamite. The album spawned three singles "Rush", "The Globe", & "Innoncent Child".

So the history was this... after being kicked out of the band, reportedly for chronic tardiness, The Clash guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones did not remain idle. He was involved in the earliest phase of General Public and today is part of Gorillaz’s touring band. But his most significant post-punk role was as the founder and core member of Big Audio Dynamite (B.A.D.). 

The group’s name and lineup fluctuated wildly over the course of thirteen years and nine albums and took Jones to a place that some of his fans would probably rather he hadn't gone—dance music, now this dance music incorporated audio samples from the films of Nicolas Roeg and Powell and Pressburger, as well as borrowing keyboard and organ parts from the Who and Deep Purple.

In 1990, having made four albums with his new band, Jones found himself starting all over again as its sole remaining member, and decided that another new beginning required a new name; thus, that year's U.K. album release, Kool-Aid, was credited to Big Audio Dynamite II. A somewhat expanded and mildly retooled version of the record was released the following summer in the U.S., renamed The Globe, and would become the highest charting record by any version of B.A.D. Its first two singles, "Rush" and the title track, reached #1 and #3 on what was then called the Modern Rock chart. The Brits seemed to prefer the earlier albums notably the one on which Joe Strummer participated, before he and Mick got sick of each other again, but 1991 was B.A.D.’s US moment. 

The album got his momentum in the USA due several factors: first, rave culture reached its peak, and second, The Clash lent a hand. Sampling had been an integral part of the band’s sound and ethos from its first tracks, and Jones used it on “The Globe” (the single) to bring his career and his fans full circle, sampling his own "Should I Stay or Should I Go," the 1982 Clash song he wrote and sang lead on. The playful tension between the intense punk-rock Jones and the trippy dance-funk Jones is irresistible, yet more politically minded listeners can rest assured that the spirit of the Clash has not been entirely lost when they hear the lyrics, “Waking up the global warming way…Napalm cornflakes for my Special K.” But Jones always was the lighter, more impish type, so on The Globe, the social commentary is blended in with pop melodies, trance-y grooves, and more general existential and romantic musings.

B.A.D. II was even shorter-lived than B.A.D. I: for the next album, Jones added more personnel and once again re-christened the group, shortening its name to Big Audio…but it hardly mattered, because no one was listening. The band continued to slip into obscurity as the ’90’s wore on. The songwriting was some of Jones' strongest in some time, and The Globe was possibly the strongest effort of Big Audio Dynamite and certainly their best work since their debut.

 

The Globe Track List:

 

1. Rush

2. Can't Wait/Live

3. I Don't Know

4. The Globe

5. Innocent Child

6. Green Grass

7. Kool Aid

8. In My Dreams

9. When The Time Comes

10. The Tea Party

Albums: Irreversible

 

Brigitte Calls Me Baby released their sophomore album, "Irreversible" as a way to perfectly captures their live energy and acclaimed songwriting. Produced by Yves & Lawrence Rothman the album set to released a couple of months ago with a very impressive collection of songs that hit hard, the album has spawned three singles so far "Slumber Party", "I Danced With Another Love In My Dreams" and the catchy "I Can Take The Sun Out Of The Sky." 

The album retains that vivid wall of 80s new wave retro sound with certain Mozza's vibes, and you can notice that since the beginning starting with the opener "There Always" in which singer Leavins retains the Viva Hate-Morrissey croon sound-a-like, while the band creates a tremendous soundscape in the most pure 80s new wave style, actually Irreversible sound has enough to showcase each instrument at its best.

Throught the album, we can notice the 80s-throwback wall of sound continues on songs like “I Danced With Another Love," which is Cure-esque in both its vocal stylings and beauty, but there are certain rocky vibes on "Slumber Party," while "The Pit" shows a lower pace is unusual on an album that largely breezes past, but becomes no worse a song for it.

The first half of the album is quite fantantics, playful and intese sometimes, yet also retaining the dark, brooding edge that makes this band so fascinating and quite interesting especially on tunes such as "These Acts Of Which We’re Designed". There are certain intense and key tunes such as "Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction," which is quite possibly the best song on the record due it got all the hallmarks of a breakthrough hit, although my personal favourite is "I Can Take The Sun Out Of The Sky." the perfect pop tune to me on this record equalling the earlier song as one of the best. The two closers, particularly the epic "Send Those Memories," are slightly more introspective and slow-burning compared to the dopamine rush of the potential singles, 

There is an instrumental interlude "Sillage" and then you have "I Can't Have You All To Myself" an interesting tune that remains The Smiths golden era b-sides.  The album is a living proof that the band’s music stands out to be the best of post-punk indie, new romanticism, and some kind of jangling indie-pop that defined the late 80s. and so on. However, the band seems to have updated that sound for the modern era.

Irreversible is a quite outstanding album, it feels like real breakthough album for an indie band something quite strange in these contemporary days, a fantastic album and yes...definitely one of the best of the year so far.  

 

Irreversible Track List:  

 

1. Slumber Party

2. I Danced With Another Love In My Dream

3. The Pit

4. Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

5. These Acts Of Which We're Designed

6. Sillage

7. I Can't Have You All To Myself

8. I Can Take The Sun Out Of The Sky

9. The Early Days Of Love

10. Send Those Memories

New Music: Tonight

           

Social Distortion shares the video for new single “Tonight” taken from the band's 8th., studio album "Born To Kill", the poignant video featuring: Mike Ness Johnny Angel Rios-Ness and Trinity Noel and is directed by John Swab. The album's title track nods to Lou Reed and Iggy and the Stooges, while "Partners In Crime" pays tribute to David Bowie. Born To Kill was co-produced by Mike Ness and Dave Sardy, with guest appearances from Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Lucinda Williams.

New Music: There's A Better Way

           

Inspiral Carpets returned with another new single "There's A Better Way" taken from the band's upcoming new album"Burn Like The Sun" for release in January 2027, lead-ups to their upcoming LP, Burn Like The Sun, slated for release in January 2027

In Memoriam: Actor "Sam Neill" Dies Aged 78

Actor Sam Neil, best known for his starring role in 1993's Jurassic Park, has died aged 78.

In a statement his family say Neill's death was "sudden and unexpected" but that he was "surrounded by family". Neill had previously been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but announced earlier this year that he was cancer-free.

Neill was an undeniably versatile and accomplished actor, which was demonstrated no better than in 1993 which saw two of his most outstanding films, he first rose to fame in the 1977 film Sleeping Dogs, before going on to star in My Brilliant Career, Jurassic Park, The Piano, The Dish and Possession among other films.

He was one of a host of actors and directors who achieved international fame after an explosion of Australian films that began in the late 1970s — a list that includes Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong.

Actor Sam Neill might have officially been a Kiwi, but he did some of his best work in Australian film and television. This is his story. In 2023, Neill revealed he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in early 2022. He entered remission later that year after a rare anti-cancer drug worked, but needed ongoing infusion treatment. He announced in April he was cancer-free.

The actor was also knighted in 2022, becoming Sir Sam Neill. "I said I didn't want the title for 10 or 12 years," he said in 2023. "Then when I thought I was dying a couple of years ago I thought, 'Oh bugger it, I may as well go out with the title,' so I changed my mind."Neill's range as an actor was remarkable, playing opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the Alan Ayckbourn comedy Sweet Revenge to chopping off Holly Hunter's finger in The Piano to poking his own eyes out in the sci-fi horror Event Horizon.

The actor first came to the attention of international audiences in Armstrong's 1979 film My Brilliant Career, which also introduced Judy Davis. He later appeared in Phillip Noyce's Dead Calm, a classy thriller set at sea and co-starring the then-relatively unknown Nicole Kidman.

Neill twice co-starred with Meryl Streep, in Australian director Fred Schepisi's Plenty and — again for Schepisi — in A Cry in the Dark, a film about the sensationalised aftermath of a dingo killing a baby in the Australian Outback. He earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in the title role of the 1998 mini-series Merlin and another as narrator of 2017's Wild New Zealand.

He perhaps achieved his highest level of fame in Jurassic Park, playing palaeontologist Alan Grant, who is summoned to an island off Costa Rica where a theme park has been built to house herds of cloned dinosaurs. He co-starred alongside Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough in the Steven Spielberg directed hit.

His character was thoughtful and reasonable, a scientist who warned the mastermind of the theme park before the chaos: "Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea what to expect?" Grant survived the harrowing events when the creatures get loose, but didn't return for The Lost World: Jurassic Park II in 1997. He came back for the third episode in 2001 and Jurassic World: Dominion in 2022.

Born in 1947 in Northern Ireland, Neill emigrated to New Zealand at the age of seven. His family settled in Dunedin on the South Island and he was sent to boarding school in Christchurch.

After college, he took the lead in Sleeping Dogs in 1977 — the first feature made in New Zealand in more than a decade. There's no fuss, no entourage and no star ego, writes producer Vanessa Gorman, on filming with Sam Neill. Neill was also a vintner and under his Two Paddocks brand, he produced pinot noir and riesling wines from his winery in the Central Otago region of New Zealand's South Island.

On social media, he often posted images of his farm animals, many of them affectionately named after celebrities and friends, like Laura Dern the chicken, Kylie Minogue the duck and Helena Bonham Carter the cow. His memoir Did I Ever Tell You This? came out in March 2023 and he was awarded a knighthood in recognition of his "outstanding contribution to film" — a title approved by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

"I can't pretend that the last year hasn't had its dark moments," Neill told The Guardian in 2023, referring to his cancer diagnosis and treatment.

New Music: Stand Up

           

The British synth pop icon Howard Jones is back with a new single "Stand Up" the song marks his return to the classic analog sound by prominently featuring his restored Roland Jupiter-8 synthesizer. Lyrically, the song is an empowering anthem about recognizing your own greatness, inspired by a 1972 poem from the late Civil Rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson. It serves as the lead single for his upcoming studio album.

In Memoriam: Johnny Hates Jazz Founding Member "Calvin Hayes" Dies Aged 62

Calvin Hayes, a founding member of the British pop band Johnny Hates Jazz, has died aged 63 after collapsing at his home in Washington state. His wife, Kathy, confirmed his death late Friday early on Saturday. 

Hayes' former bandmates Clark Datchler and Mike Nocito shared an emotional tribute celebrating both the musician and the lasting legacy of the music they created together. Hayes co-founded Johnny Hates Jazz with Datchler and Nocito in 1986, helping launch one of the decade's most successful pop acts. 

After an initial single failed to break through, the trio found worldwide success with "Shattered Dreams" in 1987. The song became an even bigger hit in the United States than in the UK, climbing to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was followed by the hits "I Don't Want to Be a Hero," "Turn Back the Clock" and  "Heart of Gold," while the band's debut album, Turn Back the Clock, reached No. 1 in the UK and sold millions of copies worldwide.

In their Instagram statement, Datchler and Nocito said they were “utterly shocked and deeply saddened” by Hayes’ death, explaining that they chose to speak privately with friends and loved ones before making a public statement “to share our memories, express our emotions, and begin to come to terms with such a tragic loss.”

Reflecting on their years together, they wrote, "The three of us were brothers in arms for an extraordinary moment in time, one in which we managed to touch the world with the music we created together."  They added that, despite Hayes no longer being part of the band, they knew he remained incredibly proud that their songs, particularly those from Turn Back the Clock, continue to resonate with so many people nearly 40 years later.

Following the band’s initial success, Datchler departed in 1988 to pursue a solo career, while Hayes and Nocito continued recording with singer Phil Thornalley. That chapter came to an abrupt end after Hayes suffered a devastating car accident that left him hospitalized for an extended period. He later reunited with the original lineup for live performances in 2010 before stepping away from the band once again. Beyond Johnny Hates Jazz, Hayes also performed with other artists, including Kim Wilde, and was the son of legendary producer Mickie Most, whose clients included The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Suzi Quatro and Hot Chocolate.

Retro: Eclipse Total De Sol 1991

           

It was precisely on this date 30 years ago, that the famous total solar eclipse took place. This phenomenon began in the Pacific Ocean and passed over Hawaii, Mexico, and the rest of Central America, including Guatemala, before ending its path in South America, encompassing Colombia and the Amazon region of Peru and Brazil. 

 

Its duration, according to reports, was 7 minutes and 2 seconds at its peak. In Guatemala, according to the newspaper Prensa Libre, it lasted 6 minutes and 54 seconds. I remember the excitement at the time was unique, as it was the first time such an event would occur in the country. As the date approached, the media emphasized everything that was going to happen and how things might unfold. 

 

This led to a series of fantastical and even fatalistic speculations, with some believing it was a sign of the end of the world. According to my memories, at that time I was in first grade, and I think that thanks to all the speculation and how risky the phenomenon could be, since according to what was said, if one looked directly at the sun one could suffer irreversible damage, but not while it was hidden, and perhaps that is why they sent us straight home. 

 

From the early hours of the morning, there was special coverage on the local channels. For example, the local channel "Canal 3" was showing documentaries such like "The Longest Eclipse in the World," something like that, about a plane following the phenomenon. Their counterpart "Canal 7" joined altotogether and broadcasted how everything was going dark from various points in the country, such as the beaches of the southern coast, other border cities, and from the capital city on the balcony of the Teletenango studios. Other local channels "Canal 11/13" also had their own special coverage.

New Music: Yesterday's Rain

           

Robyn Hitchcock shares "Yesterday's Rain" as the second taster of Hitchcock's twenty-fifth solo studio album, and first collection of new original songs in four years. It's also accompanied by a music video filmed in Nashville and directed by comedy writer Scott JacobsonSpeaking about the song, Hitchcock says about the tune: "Yesterday's rain falls on tomorrow’s parade. The sins of the past call the shots for the future. And on the way, you get the flag, the lilac tomb, and the crocodile on skis. It’s all good! More classic Brit-rock, played as only Americans can."

New Music: Love Bombs

           

Bloc Party are releasing a new album, Anatomy of a Brief Romance, on September 11. Now they have shared its second single, “Love Bombs.” At the start of a new relationship our feelings of connection can make us do dramatic things, explains frontman Kele Okereke in a press release. "Love Bombs" is the sound of a new love flowering, in beautiful romantic gestures. But under the surface is the ever present fear that maybe this new love, although shiny and great, maybe this new love might not last forever. Video has been shot by Charlie Pryor.