ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 9, 2011 By Steve Newton Last year the Drive-By Truckers released The Big To-Do, a raucous collection of southern-fried alt-country tunes highlighted by the exuberant single “Birthday Boy”. A totally different vibe typifies the band’s new album, Go-Go Boots, which is surprising since its material was recorded during the same sessions as … Continue reading Drive-By Truckers make a departure
Blues piano legend Pinetop Perkins passes away at 97
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 22, 2011 I just put on the CD reissue of Muddy Waters' 1977 Hard Again album, but this time it wasn't to lose myself in the mannish vocals of Waters, or even the sparkling guitarwork of session producer Johnny Winter. This time it was to seek out the boogie-woogie stylings of longtime … Continue reading Blues piano legend Pinetop Perkins passes away at 97
Sun Wizard takes an old-school approach to rock ‘n’ roll
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 29, 2011 “SUN WIZARD ARE your favourite band from when you were in high school,” begins the bio accompanying local guitar-rock quartet Sun Wizard’s full-length debut album, Positively 4th Avenue. That’s a pretty grand statement, but of course its accuracy depends on when and where you went to high school. It wasn’t … Continue reading Sun Wizard takes an old-school approach to rock ‘n’ roll
Robert Plant and the Band of Joy get raw and rootsy in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 18, 2011 A few months ago, shock-rock king Alice Cooper made headlines in the music press when he complained about Robert Plant refusing to get back with Led Zeppelin. “Jimmy Page wants to do it,” griped Cooper. “John Paul Jones wants to do it. And they got [John] Bonham’s son [Jason Bonham], … Continue reading Robert Plant and the Band of Joy get raw and rootsy in Vancouver
Rod Stewart shows he’s still got it in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 23, 2011 Who’d have thought that two Vancouver concerts in the same week by a couple of ancient rock headliners from the ”˜70s would be so damned impressive? Rod Stewart’s hugely entertaining show at Rogers Arena Friday night (April 22) was a real nice follow-up to Robert Plant’s impeccable performance … Continue reading Rod Stewart shows he’s still got it in Vancouver
“Thank You For Being a Friend” singer-songwriter Andrew Gold dies at 59
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 7, 2011 L.A. singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Gold, whose hits in the '70s included "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You For Being a Friend", died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack on Friday (June 3), exactly two months before his 60th birthday. Gold's career highlights included performing with the … Continue reading “Thank You For Being a Friend” singer-songwriter Andrew Gold dies at 59
Alabama’s joys and troubles inspire Jason Isbell’s songs
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 8, 2011 By Steve Newton Being from Alabama certainly has its benefits, one being the fact that you can really put your heart into it when you sing the chorus of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s biggest hit. But for Jason Isbell, one of the joys of growing up in northern Alabama was being … Continue reading Alabama’s joys and troubles inspire Jason Isbell’s songs
Jackass star dies in fiery Pennsylvania car crash
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 20, 2011 Ryan Dunn, one of the stars of MTV’s reality-TV show Jackass and its subsequent feature-length films, died early this morning when the car he was driving crashed in the woods near his home in the West Goshem Township of Pennsylvania. A passenger in Dunn’s vehicle, yet to be identified, also … Continue reading Jackass star dies in fiery Pennsylvania car crash
Randy Rhoads’ bizarre death incomprehensible to a little kid
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 28, 2011 By Steve Newton I was at the supermarket with my nine-year-old son Danny a couple of days ago, and we were hanging around in the magazine section, scanning for headlines on the latest video-game titles (“Whoa! Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2! Cool!”) when we came upon the latest … Continue reading Randy Rhoads’ bizarre death incomprehensible to a little kid
Rush takes a trip back in time in Vancouver concert at Rogers Arena
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 1, 2011 Rush fans are famous for their unwavering devotion to the Canuck prog-rock trio, but some go that extra mile—like the guy who showed up at Rogers Arena Thursday night (June 30) sporting a homemade placard tied around his neck. The young dude had obviously thrown this hokey piece … Continue reading Rush takes a trip back in time in Vancouver concert at Rogers Arena
Daniel Wesley amps up the rock
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 6, 2011 WHEN DANIEL WESLEY rolls up at Commercial and Broadway on his new mint-green bike, beads of sweat are forming on his forehead, so it’s evident that he’s power-pedalled from his home at Fraser and 17th and may be in serious need of a chilled beverage. The last couple of … Continue reading Daniel Wesley amps up the rock
Soundgarden’s grungey return leaves little to complain about in Vancouver
photo by rebecca blissett ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 30, 2011 By Steve Newton Due to its proximity to Seattle, Vancouver has enjoyed a special kinship to the famed grunge bands of the Emerald City. Before making it big the plaid-clad lads in Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, hungry for gigs, would head north to … Continue reading Soundgarden’s grungey return leaves little to complain about in Vancouver
Clean-living music-biz veteran John Mayall has still got the blues
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 10, 2011 By Steve Newton While prepping for my interview with British blues-rock legend John Mayall I browsed my trusty CD collection and came up with the remastered version of his 1971 album, Back to the Roots. This turned out to be a fine choice from a guitar freak’s standpoint as … Continue reading Clean-living music-biz veteran John Mayall has still got the blues