20 Feet From Stardom (2013) is a documentary about the often-overlooked backup singers. They don’t often get the shine they deserve, because of the role they play. Take backup singers out of the songs, and then your favorite songs don’t sound the same. Backup singers are the glue in the construction of songs. The casual listening public does not often know backup singers’ names, but you’ll recognize their voices from your favorite songs. 20 Feet From Stardom explores the ups and downs of …
Tag: Pop
50 years ago today February 9th, four guys from Liverpool crossed the Atlantic and landed in the U.S. to play on The Ed Sullivan Show. The Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show ignited a new musical revolution, influencing future generations of musicians and song writers. Their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a watershed moment for many in the baby boom generation. It was a cultural moment you had to tune in on your TV sets, no DVR, no internet stream, it …
On James Rawson’s site, the last line of his artist statement reads, “So on we go, round and round on our big fat merry-go-round while James puts up the mirror to our pathetic world of consumption.” His paintings try to make commentary on a divided society fiending for escapism through postmodern pop culture. Sex, violence, death and greed are regurgitated vices for a hypnotized society suffering from a disabled vigilance. Rawson makes mixed media paper collages to act as sketch references …
Japanese musical instrument manufacturer Roland recently revealed a teaser video for a new piece of equipment called the AIRA. Roland has not said much about AIRA, only hinting that it’s the “next step.” Recently leaked images thanks to Attack Magazine reveal the AIRA’s layout to have a familiar layout to the iconic TR-808 drum machine, with a black and green chassis, green and orange lit up button controls. NAMM and other music trade shows are coming up, so we should expect to hear more detail from …
In the post World War II era, Germany and Japan had to go through major reconstruction while getting their economy back on it’s feet. Life after WWII was the backdrop for the birth of amazing arts, and musical movements. Out of these movements we get a German band like Kraftwerk, and in Japan we get Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). In this particular piece we travel back in history, and then speed ahead into the future, to discover Yellow Magic Orchestra’s legacy …
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