55 posts tagged “last.fm”
Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 26 April 2009
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5 Things About Clara Rockmore
1. Clara Rockmore (nee Reisenberg) started her music career as a violinist in Vilnius, Lithuania. She studies at the Imperial Conservatory of Music at St. Petersburg.
2. She met Leon Theremin in New York in the late 1920s and she became his protege
3. She stood much closer to the instrument than any other thereminist-- which is impressive when you consider that you have to stand reeaally still to even play theremin. Any fidgeting or flapping about creates "noise." Clara could change pitch by moving her pinkie finger.
4. Clara
declined to do the music for Hitchcock's Spellbound. She and Theremin
were both anxious to cement the Thermin as a classical instrument.
Neither one wanted to do anything that seemed faddish or "pop." In
later years she said, yeah, maybe she should have done Spellbound.
Hey look! It's Leon Theremin's patent for
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION OF SOUND.Gogol Bordello will be performing live all over the country this summer. Nowhere near me. But. Anyway.
Space 'em. Face 'em. Buy stuff.
Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 25 January 2009
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It was an emotional week. I can't help being relieved and hopeful but I've also been trying to NOT be a big mimsy sap.
Monday, while watching the “We Are One" concert I got big lump in my throat during "Pride (In The Name Of Love)." So Tuesday I dug out some U2. Grazing through all their years I was reminded why I just can't hate them. When it should be so easy for me. Bono has a big head, stupid glasses, and a line of designer jeans. And he's preachy. He's always been preachy, but when he was young and had a horrid haircut it was interesting. Here was a guy that was our age who had read books and pondered intangibes and managed to craft a cohesive message within his art form. Now he seems like another well-fed old guy with glasses.
Then I listen to "I Will Follow" or "Where The Streets Have No Name" and all is forgiven.
Top Artists for the week ending
Sunday January 11, 2009
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| Unique Artists: | 89 |
| Total Tracks: | 199 |
| Total Plays: | 230 |
Ronald Franklin Asheton July 17, 1948 - January 6, 2009
We are shocked and shaken by the news of Ron’s death.
He was a great friend, brother, musician, trooper. Irreplaceable.
He will be missed.
For all that knew him behind the façade of Mr Cool & Quirky, he was a kind-hearted, genuine, warm person who always believed that people meant well even if they did not.
As a musician Ron was The Guitar God, idol to follow and inspire others. That is how he will be remembered by people who had a great pleasure to work with him, learn from him and share good and bad times with him.
Iggy, Scott, Steve, Mike and Crew
-----------------------------------------
I am in shock. He was my best friend.
Iggy Pop
Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 23 November 2008
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At numbers 1 and 3 this week: Blind Gary Davis, a.k.a. Reverend Gary Davis.
It had to suck to be a poor, partially-blind, black kid in Laurens, South Carolina in 1886. But that's how Blind Gary Davis came into the world. When he first heard a guitar he said it sounded like a "brass band" to his ears. He started playing at six. It sounds like he was always in the Baptist church somewhere. In 1940 Davis and his second wife moved to Harlem to a house where they stayed for the next 18 years. Davis became a minister of Missionary Baptist Connection Church, where he also taught guitar. I can't say exactly when he went from being known as "Blind Gary Davis" to "Reverend Gary Davis." If anybody knows, maybe you can help me out.
Besides being a blues and spiritual singer, Davis is know for finger-picking on his big-ass six-string Gibson. I lack the verbal facility to explain what's going on technically with the guitar, but the effect is that he's playing the melody AND the accompaniment. With the
folk-revival of the 60s Davis came to the attention to a whole new
generation of white folks and he enjoyed accolades until his death in
1972. His style has been an influence of a raft of blues guitarists: Jerrry Garcia, Bob Weir,
Ry Cooder, Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan, David Bromberg, Taj Mahal, etc.
"Your forefinger and your thumb -- that's the striking hand, and your left hand is your leading hand. Your left hand tells your right hand what strings to touch, what changes to make. That's the greatest help! You see, one hand can't do without the other."
Enjoy a great example of Davis' style in the instrumental "Buck Dance' below.
Thanks to Raleigh for bringing Reverend Gary Davis to my attention and The Irate Pirate at Wrath of the Grapevine for fleshing out my Rev. Gary collection.
And won't you be an outlaw for my love?
Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 9 November 2008
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Top Artists for the week ending Sunday
2 November 2008
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Henry Roeland Byrd (aka Professor Longhair, Bald Head, and Fess) was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana in 1918. He began his musical career in New Orleans in the 1940s as a piano player and singer. Though he was quite
