In 1995, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam inducted Neil Young into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Vedder’s induction speech was a revelation at the time because the public persona created by the media was that he was a no fun, killjoy. Instead, the speech showed Vedder ripping jokes about Ticketmaster and telling warContinue reading ““Don’t Spook the Horse” & the Mountain Funk of Neil Young”
Author Archives: Recliner Notes
The Haunting Sound of Jackie Mittoo’s “Drum Song”
About 10 years ago during a late night family hangout while on vacation in an isolated cabin in Canada, my brother-in-law — the ultra-talented piano player and composer Peer Neumann — took control of the music selection process and put on a recording that I had never heard of before. Strangely enough, Peer stopped pickingContinue reading “The Haunting Sound of Jackie Mittoo’s “Drum Song””
2025 Big Ears Festival, March 27-30, 2025
At one point while waiting for a venue to open during the 2025 Big Ears Festival, a man approached the line with a sign indicating that he was selling two tickets for the rock band Heart, who would be playing in Boston next month. Everyone who saw the sign laughed since he was trying toContinue reading “2025 Big Ears Festival, March 27-30, 2025”
2025 Big Ears Preview
The season for obsessively checking and double-checking performance times, mapping venue locations, evaluating walking distances, and weighing multiple musical scenarios has returned. That’s right, it’s time to for the 2025 Big Ears Festival! Building off of Recliner Notes’ coverage of 2024 Big Ears and simply having another year of festival experience has made my prepContinue reading “2025 Big Ears Preview”
Some Other Dimensions In Yo La Tengo
In researching my Yo La Tengo’s Guitar Sculptures piece for Aquarium Drunkard, I came across a previously unknown project to me while reading Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock by Jesse Jarnow. Between 1999 and 2003, there was a series of collaborations between Yo La Tengo and the freeContinue reading “Some Other Dimensions In Yo La Tengo”
“Bluebirds in a Fight” & the Songwriting of Ryan Davis
Listening to a song written by Ryan Davis for the first time can be an exhilarating, yet overwhelming experience. His songwriting features a cavalcade of images, wordplay, metaphors, and jokes that come in a rush. It’s similar to flipping too quickly through a book of photographs by William Eggleston. The abundance of color and outlandishContinue reading ““Bluebirds in a Fight” & the Songwriting of Ryan Davis”
A Good Year for Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Malkmus had a good year. It was also a busy one for the singer, songwriter, and guitar deity as it included the launch of a new band, more reunion tour dates with foundational 90s indie band Pavement, high-profile interviews, and the premier of a movie which featured his younger self. What follows are 10Continue reading “A Good Year for Stephen Malkmus”
Some Thoughts on A Complete Unknown
A Complete Unknown — the 2024 film about the life and music of Bob Dylan between the years 1961 and 1965 starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, and Monica Barbaro — was not made for me, at least not for people like me. Biographical films about musicians, also known as music biopics, are notContinue reading “Some Thoughts on A Complete Unknown”
Period Piece Music: Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee and Jack Name’s Fabulous Soundtracks
In 2023, the director Kelly Reichardt appeared on WTF with Marc Maron and she and Maron raved about their mutual love of Robert Altman’s 1971 film McCabe and Mrs. Miller. Reichardt spoke about how her own movie First Cow explored similar territory as the Altman classic. She went on to say how so many filmContinue reading “Period Piece Music: Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee and Jack Name’s Fabulous Soundtracks”
The Last 20 Seconds of “Cinnamon Girl”
The lore surrounding the song “Cinnamon Girl” by Neil Young and Crazy Horse is extensive. Recorded and released in 1969 on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, it is one of Young’s most beloved songs and an unassailable classic. Stories about the song abound, such as how it was one of three songs written in aContinue reading “The Last 20 Seconds of “Cinnamon Girl””
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