ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 24, 1999 By Steve Newton On the back cover of his latest CD, Come On In, Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside is pictured standing in his modest kitchen, strumming a Stratocaster and gazing toward his fridge—which is chained shut. Since Burnside has been known to distill his own moonshine, you might think … Continue reading R.L. Burnside keeps his fridge chained shut and his blues cool as hell
Eddy Clearwater took Magic lessons on Chicago’s West Side
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 24, 1999 By Steve Newton Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater chose a good guy to hang with when he moved to Chicago’s West Side in 1950. As a budding, 15-year-old bluesman, Clearwater became close friends with Magic Sam, the legendary West Side guitarist who died of a heart attack at the age … Continue reading Eddy Clearwater took Magic lessons on Chicago’s West Side
Sonny Rhodes’ journey to the lap-steel guitar started with a one-stringed Stella
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 17, 1999 By Steve Newton Ya gotta like interviewing those old blues guys, ’cause they’ve seen some things and have a few tales to tell. Often all it takes to get them going is an innocent little query like: “So, when did you pick up your first guitar?” … Continue reading Sonny Rhodes’ journey to the lap-steel guitar started with a one-stringed Stella
Flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert was entranced by Santana’s “Samba Pa Ti” as a kid
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 10, 1999 By Steve Newton When Ottmar Liebert calls the Georgia Straight from his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, it sounds as if the popular flamenco guitarist is living in a bird sanctuary. There’s a constant chirping in the background, the likes of which I haven’t heard … Continue reading Flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert was entranced by Santana’s “Samba Pa Ti” as a kid
Perfecting the lost art of the backstage meet ‘n’ greet at John Mellencamp in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 20, 1999 By Steve Newton I like John Mellencamp, but my sister Julie and cousin Cory are crazy about him, so I did some serious scroungin’ and wangled three backstage passes to meet the Indiana rocker before he went on stage at GM Place last Saturday (May 15). Now, for those … Continue reading Perfecting the lost art of the backstage meet ‘n’ greet at John Mellencamp in Vancouver
John Mellencamp cuts back on smokes, ramps up songwriting after heart attack
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 13, 1999 By Steve Newton John Mellencamp had the biggest-selling album of 1982 with American Fool, which boasted such huge radio hits as “Hurts So Good” and “Jack and Diane”. I interviewed him in advance of a show at the PNE Forum that year, and at the time Mellencamp—then known as … Continue reading John Mellencamp cuts back on smokes, ramps up songwriting after heart attack
The Bright Light Social Hour made the Austin Music Awards its bitch
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
Paying tribute to Dan Baird, gap-toothed guitar-rock great from the Georgia Satellites
By Steve Newton I figure it's time I paid tribute 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 Baird … Continue reading Paying tribute to Dan Baird, gap-toothed guitar-rock great from the Georgia Satellites
Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson sings the praises of unsung Satellite Rick Richards
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 13, 1999 By Steve Newton 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. in English helped him drop his “Jewelbomb” gem
“Jewelbomb”, the fourth track on American alt-country singer-songwriter Richard Buckner’s Since CD, was one of my favourite tunes last year.
Heroin overdose leads to the return of the Cadillac Tramps’ tattooed thugs
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON 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 songwriter Brian Coakley … Continue reading Heroin overdose leads to the return of the Cadillac Tramps’ tattooed thugs