ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 6, 2014 By Steve Newton If you're a rock-music fan in Austin, Texas, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard of a band called the Bright Light Social Hour. A year after releasing its self-titled 2010 debut, the quartet made the 29th annual Austin Music Awards its bitch, taking an unprecedented … Continue reading The Bright Light Social Hour made the Austin Music Awards its bitch
Doc of the Dead is a zombie study that aims for the head
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 6, 2014 Even if you’re not a huge fan of The Walking Dead, you should find Doc of the Dead—a new study of the history of zombies in film and popular culture—quite interesting. And if you’re the type who gores yourself all up and goes lurching down the road at the … Continue reading Doc of the Dead is a zombie study that aims for the head
Marilyn Burns, star of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, dies at 65
Some sad news out of Texas today. Marilyn Burns--star of the groundbreaking fright flick Texas Chain Saw Massacre--died yesterday in her Houston home of undisclosed causes. She was 65. Burns will always be remembered by horror fans for her portrayal of the sole survivor of Leatherface's gruesome rampage in Tobe Hooper's classic 1974 film, which … Continue reading Marilyn Burns, star of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, dies at 65
The Newt pays tribute to Dan Baird, guitar-rock great from the Georgia Satellites
I figure it's time I paid tribute on Ear of Newt to Dan Baird, former frontman for '80s riffmeisters the Georgia Satellites. With singer and main songwriter Baird at the helm the Atlanta quartet only recorded three albums' worth of southern-fried guitar-rock—1986's self-titled debut, 1988's Open All Night, and 1989's In the Land of Salvation and Sin—before … Continue reading The Newt pays tribute to Dan Baird, guitar-rock great from the Georgia Satellites
Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson sings the praises of unsung Satellite Rick Richards
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 13, 1999 Everyone I’ve talked to about new L.A. guitar band Buckcherry—including Vancouver rocker and reporter John Armstrong, the original “Buck Cherry” of the Modernettes—views the group as a rehash of riff-rock acts from the ’70s (Kiss, AC/DC) and ’90s (the Black Crowes). But Buckcherry’s retro raunch-boogie doesn’t … Continue reading Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson sings the praises of unsung Satellite Rick Richards
Richard Buckner’s “barely earned” B.A. helped him drop his “Jewelbomb” gem
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 6, 1999 “Jewelbomb”, the fourth track on Richard Buckner’s Since CD, was one of my favourite tunes last year. It’s a finely crafted gem that beautifully combines Buckner’s resonant voice, exquisite wordplay, and knack for catchy hooks. In other words, it has hit single written all over it. … Continue reading Richard Buckner’s “barely earned” B.A. helped him drop his “Jewelbomb” gem
Heroin overdose leads to the return of the Cadillac Tramps’ tattooed thugs
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 6, 1999 By Steve Newton Five years ago, Orange County’s Cadillac Tramps released It’s Allright, an album chock-full of hyper, street-level punk rock that never quit. The album made my top 10 of ’94, but shortly afterward the group disbanded, vocalist Gabby Gaborno forming the X-Members and guitarist–main … Continue reading Heroin overdose leads to the return of the Cadillac Tramps’ tattooed thugs
Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister says his secret to staying alive is not dyin’
bev davies photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 6, 1999 By Steve Newton I’ve seen some funny things at rock concerts over the years, but one of the funniest goes way back to 1981, when the original Motörhead opened for Ozzy Osbourne at the acoustically absurd Kerrisdale Arena. Lemmy Kilmister and the boys were in full … Continue reading Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister says his secret to staying alive is not dyin’
Smokin’ Joe Kubek thanks Jimmie Vaughan for turning him on to barbecued bologna
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 8, 1999 I knew a Smokin’ Joe once. He was a driftin’ country musician who moved into the duplex next door to my party pad on a dead-end street by the railroad tracks in Chilliwack. His name was just Joe at first, but I named him Smokin’ ’cause … Continue reading Smokin’ Joe Kubek thanks Jimmie Vaughan for turning him on to barbecued bologna
Tal Bachman follows his famous father up the charts with “She’s So High”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 29, 1999 Like many Canadian music fans whose rock mentality was shaped in the ’70s, I have distinct recollections of Bachman Turner Overdrive’s heyday, when the rollicking strains of “Let It Ride” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” ruled the airwaves. There’s one particularly vivid memory of riding … Continue reading Tal Bachman follows his famous father up the charts with “She’s So High”
Tom Cochrane writes about things that are real and count on xray sierra
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 18, 1999 By Steve Newton When I was 12 years old, my beloved teenage brother drowned in a slough near our home, and ever since that day I’ve felt a connection to rock music that breaches the tenuous barrier between life and death. The first few times I … Continue reading Tom Cochrane writes about things that are real and count on xray sierra
Mötley Crüe’s scuzzy antics in Vancouver make the Newt pine for Brownsville Station
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 1, 1999 By Steve Newton So why would I want to go see Mötley Crüe when I don’t even care for its juvenile brand of exploitative crotch-rock? Good question. Maybe it was because I wanted one last look at the unseemly underbelly of ’80s rock, one last wander … Continue reading Mötley Crüe’s scuzzy antics in Vancouver make the Newt pine for Brownsville Station
Gordon Downie thanks Bruce Allen for making the Tragically Hip famous in Vancouver
mike chernoff photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 18, 1999 By Steve Newton I’ve always been mightily impressed by the Tragically Hip’s live presentation. It didn’t matter which venue I’d see them in—whether it was the wee Railway Club or sprawling T-Bird Stadium, the classic Commodore or scenic Seabird Island—I always went away … Continue reading Gordon Downie thanks Bruce Allen for making the Tragically Hip famous in Vancouver