Old timers will remember this location as Maneta's Diner. My wife and I discovered it in the late 1990s, and for a while it was our "go to" Sunday omelet joint. Then we got sick of putting up with the cigarette smoke (this was before NJ's indoor smoking bans). We stopped going, and never thought to return when the smoking laws changed. Our loss.
The rechristened Broad Street Diner, now thankfully smoke-free, is a superb diner and a great place to get breakfast. Frankly, I haven't tried their dinner foods, but if it's as good as their breakfasts, it will be great.
My son and I showed up recently (June 2015) to sample their breakfast wares. I ordered an "Italian Omelet" without green peppers (but with Italian sausage, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese), and home fries, fried crispy. You can see in the header photo that my omelet showed up superbly cooked, with full flavor sausage and fresh mushrooms. And, indeed, the home fries were nicely browned. Even more remarkably, our waitress, who was attentive in a useful way, noticed that the kitchen had kept in the green peppers, contrary to our request. She whisked my plate away, and returned in about 3 minutes with the corrected order. Add-in that our waitress was funny as well as efficient, and I would say we received some of the best service I've ever gotten in a diner.
My son added a short stack to his order, which he reported was delicious.
Prices were extremely reasonable. The decor is definitely NJ diner, but nice for it's type.


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BREAKING: Squire Mining Acquires CoinGeek
Belinda Carey
Squire Mining, a Canadian ASIC chip manufacturer, said it will acquire CoinGeek, the crypto news publication and mining pool operator for $45 million.
According to Finance Magnates, the company, whose market capitalization amounts to 35.4 million dollars, had already allied with CoinGeek since August, in addition to seeing its shares quoted in exchange houses around the world.
Initially, the alliance made CoinGeek the exclusive distributor of its products. Now, the acquisition will cause Squire Mining to absorb CoinGeek's operations and employees, thus obtaining 62,400 ASIC machines located in Canada, Kazakhstan and the United States, with a combined hash power of around 960,000 TH/s.
On this issue, Taras Kulyk, CEO of the company, commented:
"This transaction will provide Squire with a market-leading and recognized brand with the acquisition of the CoinGeek.com domain and the CoinGeek name, as well as making us the world's largest Bitcoin miner."
In addition, Kulyk added that he also expects to deliver "significant shareholder value" by allowing his company to be "virtually integrated" with its new chip design and manufacturing business to be marketed next year.
In addition, it is important to note that Squire Mining signed an alliance with Samsung Electronics, South Korea's largest technology conglomerate, to create a next-generation ASIC miner.
However, despite becoming the world's largest miner, this could change once Bitmain launches "one of the largest IPOs in history.
On the other hand, CoinGeek had also recently been acquired by Calvin Ayre, a Canadian billionaire who amassed his fortune thanks to internet gambling and recognized as a Bitcoin Cash (BCH) enthusiast.
In this regard, on the acquisition of CoinGeek, Ayre commented that "the next phase of this industry's growth is ahead of us, which will bring massive scalability to Bitcoin's blockchain. According to him, selling CoinGeek to Squire represents "doubling" his commitment to Bitcoin's success.
TagsCoinGeek Squire Mining
A finance girl by education, Belinda has been drawn to cryptocurrencies ever since Bitcoin first emerged in the 2009. Nearly a decade later, Belinda is actively working to spread awareness about cryptocurrencies as well as their impact on the traditional currencies.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


J.B.Shackleton's is the multi-award winning, family business run by Julia and Lachlan in the Yarra Valley of Victoria, Australia. They are the fifth generation descendants of the Shackleton family of confectioners and marmalade makers originating from Bradford , England, in the late 1700s before moving to Glasgow, then London and finally Australia in 1881.
Have a look at our range of Traditional Marmalades plus new special products like luxury Panforte - beloved by Italians and all connoisseurs.
© Copyright – J B Shackletons. All rights reserved.


text:
Is "rainbow fascism" too strong a term?
One phrase that's getting used a lot these days is "rainbow fascism". It describes the authoritarian tactics of the "marriage equality" crowd. When I first started hearing it a while back I thought it was waaay OTT. But nowadays I'm not so sure.
Obviously, these shrieking zealots are not going to line people up against a wall and shoot them if they vote no in the plebiscite. But if you take "fascist" to mean one who despises democracy and wages concerted campaigns to control citizens thoughts, feelings and speech then these serious little insects are well on the way to deserving the label IMHO.
The PC narrative has it the other way around, natch. The cultural Marxists are always painting their opponents as the real Nazis. But the truth is much more problematic, as this excellent book The Big Lie makes clear. In the USA, it's the Democrats who have long been closest in spirit to the National Socialists. And in true totalitarian style, they've turned the truth completely on its head!
Something similar is happening with this SSM push. And one major element of it is the employment of the rainbow symbol to manipulate the masses emotionally.
See, rainbows are like love itself -- they are universally seen as good, beautiful and positive. Only a certified arsehole would abhor those pretty colours in the sky after rain, surely. So, the Yes crowd have made the rainbow a central image in their branding. It's kind of like emotional blackmail: "Vote yes and everything's pretty and nice. Do the opposite and the rainbow gets it!"
They've obviously put a helluva lot of thought, preparation and work into this project. They've been at it for a long while, right across the globe.
I really started to notice the tactic about a year ago when I saw this display in Bondi Junction.
What got me was the fact that even though gay marriage wasn't actually mentioned specifically, it was still being alluded to. And it was very clearly tied in with the shopping centre's own hashtag.
After this I started noticing the symbol everywhere. Recently, I even realized it was in a photo I'd taken of a pub -- though I was unaware of it at the time.
Clearly, the pro-SSM crowd have been very hard at work getting businesses both large and small to literally fly the flag for their revolutionary movement.
Speaking of which, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore's been doing it for ages -- and at our expense.
And here's another example of this: public art. Over in Fremantle a whole year ago a sculpture called "Rainbow" was installed at significant public expense. The port city's Lord Mayor had this to say:
"I hope Rainbow will not only foster conversation and debate but will put a smile on the faces of locals and visitors and remind us of just how lucky we are to live in such a great place."
That's sooo leftist innit? They always say they welcome debate. But really, it's the last thing they want. He added:
"Like all good pieces of art it will mean different things to different people. For me it represents a variety of things including Fremantle's strong links to the sea, a celebration of Freo's renowned arts and culture scene and also a strong statement of hope for greater diversity, tolerance and compassion in society."
Diversity! What a laugh. Conformity more like ...
Dunno 'bout you. But as far as I'm concerned these joyless totalitarians have completely ruined the rainbow. I will never be able to look at a real one in the same way again.
Posted by MattHaydenAU at 6:49 AM
Agree totally... I alluded to this a few weeks ago. How do we explain rainbows to children now??? Will we be arrested if we fail to mention the gay brigade??? Even my own brain has been reprogrammed to automatically think gay brigade when I see a rainbow or hear the word. No more peace, love, joy, hope or the other happy thoughts that I used to have. I no longer look at rainbows and have happy thoughts. The innocent rainbow has been polluted by perversity.
City of Sydney's offer of free SSM venues is anti-...
Ten American Twitter champs
Newtown hipsters lay down the law: It's not okay t...


Heya. Sorry to distract from the whole GSL / Naniwa drama ... but I figure there are enough people on TL that: a) there are probably some who have an interest in Iran, and b) there are people who like IR / Political Science stuff.
I wanted to share two papers that I wrote (each is 20-25 pages), both about Iran (really focusing on Khamenei). "omg why are all your papers about Iran!" Several reasons: I'm Iranian, I'm interested, and I have a scholarship that actually requires me to focus and do research on Iran.
This paper tests the theory that there is a direct link between Iran's foreign policy and Ayatollah Khamenei's domestic power using an analysis of both foreign and domestic politics during the three post-Khomeini presidents: Rafsanjani, Khatami, and Ahmadinejad. This analysis shows that there is a direct link between the two variables, when Khamenei is weak Iran's foreign policy has been more pragmatic, and during times of strength and consolidation, Iran's foreign policy has been more aggressive. The question of causation however, remains unanswered. The paper closes with a discussion of potential U.S. policy options and suggestions for further research into the problem.
Ayatollah Khamenei has become the most powerful figure in Iran and is the key decision maker.
Blehh, if anyone actually reads it/cares, hope you enjoy!
Are these papers academic? refereed? Published? personal?
I'm curious to get your opinion on the possibility of the ayatollah getting rid of Ahmadinejad's executive power and the basic deconstruction of election processes in Iran, as the religious authority of Iran looks to solidify its control even further.
looking forward to the US/iran part. Are you from iran and went to UCSD for school?
I'm an international relations major! :o Might read these if I have time, but as I just got done with finals I need some time for my brain to relax.
Pretty interesting stuff... FOR A TERRORIST! No, I'm kidding Xeris. =) I'll download them and read them later, it's amazing how little the US is talking about Iran now that we lost the drone.
i think one of the biggest roadblocks in creating an effective policy towards Iran is the domestic political situation in the US. Currently it is too volatile for any attempts at lessening sanctions which are ineffective due to as you mentioned China and Russia's interests in Iran. Targeted sanctions would work quite well as opposed to broad sanctions that are more likely to alienate the local population in Iran and put them even more in Khamenei's camp. I know you touched on this briefly in your paper History, Deception, and Repression, but i think the US involvement in bringing Mossadegh to power and the resulting authoritarian and corrupt regime that the US helped support plays a huge role in why Khamenei is able to retain broad support. And recently the decision by the UK to back sanctions on the central bank of Iran i believe will most likely help Khamenei tap into relatively recent colonial history and strengthen his position. It will be interesting to see if Khamenei lets Ahmadinejad finish his term as president seeing as to the rift between the two has seemed to just continue growing deeper, the power of the president while nowhere near as great of that of Khamenei has helped Khamenei stay more in the shadows when it comes to Iran's dealings abroad and from the eye of the Western World.
I forgot the name of it (lol), but it's basically a scholarship they give to 5 students per year who are interested in Iran / study and do research on Iran. I don't THINK it is exclusive to Iranians.
Sweet. I lived in Iran for 4 years (Yazd) and have been keeping up with it for several years now. Will take a peek!
EDIT : Did you talk to/work with Afrasiabi ? A professor of mine always talks about him and as I have no idea where you study, there possibility exists.
Why does it not sound promising? Tons of papers get published that basically say "this is a cool problem. I don't know the answer, but other people should study it and figure it out." In fact, 3-4 of my assigned readings for different classes this semester were LITERALLY 30 pages of why the author didn't know the answers, and why other people should study it.
It's pretty common in political science... when you test a hypothesis, after your research to say, "i still don't know the answer, but through my research... this is a good way to figure it out, and if I had more time I'd do it"
Also, don't know that prof.


Built in 2008 with over 26,000 SQFT, this building has the room for just about anything! The building boast 3 offices and a nice foyer in the front along with 2 restrooms, ample parking, climate controlled throughout, 2 overhead doors, one truck dock, and easy access along US HWY 180.
Listing provided courtesy of Jennifer Mccormick of Amy Tapp Realty. Listing information © 2019 Lubbock Association of REALTORS® MLS.


text:
The MergerSight Group
M&A REPORTS
PE REPORTS
Takeda Pharmaceutical sells assets to Hypera S.A. for $825M
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has announced the sale of a portfolio of prescription and over the counter products to Brazil's Hypera S.A. in a deal worth $825M.
"Takeda remains firmly committed to the emerging markets and Latin America. This divestment enables us to focus on our investments in these countries that centre on our highly innovative medicines across Gastroenterology, Rare Diseases, Plasma-Derived Therapies, Oncology and Neuroscience."
Ricardo Marek, President, Takeda Growth & Emerging Markets Business Unit
The announcement comes as part of a broader plan to divest non-core assets worth an estimated $10B in an effort to reduce leverage.
AstraZeneca to acquire Alexion in $39bn deal
By Itai Almogy, Gaspard Baroudel, Raphael Berz (Yale University), and Nathan Walemba (Oxford University) Overview of the deal Acquirer: A...
S&P Global's $44bn Acquisition of IHS Markit
By Christina Lee, Ryan Horlick, and Britney Cheng (University of Michigan), Nihat Anwar, Hannah Ohlsson, and Wilma Tillqvist (Stockholm S...
Dyal Capital Partners and Owl Rock Capital Group Merge and Go Public in a $12.5 Billion Transaction
By Roshni Padhi, Winston Shum, Jin Yin Moh (Stanford University) and Zahra Malik, Matilda Oculy, Deimante Chailenko, Baliny Ganeshakumara...
info@mergersight.com
© 2018 - 2020 The MergerSight Group


text:
Q: Converting Numpy array to Dataframe using pandas I am struggling to convert a NumPy array to a data frame.
This has been imported from a CSV file.
enter image description here
I have tried codes like
carsdf = pd.DataFrame(newdf=newdf[1:,1:],
                         index=newdf[1:,0],
columns=newdf[0,1:])

however, get a type error.
I have tried reshaping
print(mydata.reshape((213, 26)))
and get value errors
Now am flustered as I know how to rectify typos, errors, capitalize and fetch data and all the other stuff only my coding is pretty raw and am stuck with this as it is the beginning of the assignment.
would appreciate all advice.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Miami River is a 5.5-mile river flowing from the Miami Canal through the epicenter of Greater Downtown Miami to the beautiful blue waters of Biscayne Bay. Although the Miami River is still an active route for cargo ships and small vessels doing business along its shore, the land surrounding the Miami River nearby Biscayne Bay has undergone a recent revitalization by residential and commercial developers.
At the mouth of the Miami River, many luxury residential buildings line the banks, with many new ultra-luxe condo towers on the horizon, making it a very picturesque and spectacular sight. Also located at the mouth of the river, is the popular Miami Riverwalk, a promenade for residents and visitors to stroll along the tree-lined walkways, shop at various boutiques and dine at any one of the cafes. Further up the river, you may dock your boat at a river bar for a fun time with live entertainment or at restaurants such as Garcia's, Seaspice and River Yacht Club.
The development and transformation of the Miami River District is designed to be mostly pedestrian, already a magnet to all kinds of energy and activity, and offering a complete lifestyle with all of the necessary conveniences, parks and even water taxis for commuting, making this a very attractive, urban, riverside community in the heart of Miami.
Our Miami River District condo database is dedicated to condos for sale along the Miami River in Miami, Florida. Updated daily, our database is an invaluable tool that allows you to view all of the available condos currently listed for sale.


text:
Quick Road Bike Build Guide – Part 1 – Handlebars & Headset
by Richard Soh | Oct 11, 2017
The first in our six part mini series of a road bike build, a quick video tutorial by new CyclingShorts.cc team member Richard Soh. Lets start with… Handlebars & Headset.
Richard Soh
Founder of SOHBike
I have been commuting from NJ to NYC by bicycle for 7 years. The bus made me nauseous. Driving into the city involved too much traffic as well as expensive gas, tolls, and parking. Eventually I decided to ride my bicycle to work. I now look forward to my daily commute, I find it to be meditative. Over time I have tried out dozens of different bicycles and components. 3 years ago, I built my first experimental dream bike from scratch. It has carbon everything except for an aluminum frame and a Di2 Ultegra groupset. With pedals and battery, it weighs 17.75 lbs and it cost a fraction of comparably equipped bicycle.
I am now offering my custom built bicycles to the public. I use only the best components based on my personal experience. I believe if more people rode their bicycles the population would be physically and mentally healthier, and the world would be cleaner and greener. To promote bicycling I actively volunteer in bike-a-thons, teach kids and adults to ride bicycles, and work to influence public policy to help make bicycling safer.
Quick Road Bike Build Guide – Part 6 – Saddle & Finished Bike
In the final part of our bike build guide Richard puts the finishing touches to the bike before giving it a spin. [youtube=...
Quick Road Bike Build Guide – Part 4 – Shimano Di2 Wiring & Battery
In the third part of our bike build guide we will wire up the Shimano Di2 and install the battery. I have been commuting from...
Quick Road Bike Build Guide – Part 5 – Drivetrain & Pedals
In the fifth part of our bike build guide Richard Soh installs the drivetrain and pedals. I have been commuting from NJ to...
Quick Road Bike Build Guide – Part 3 – Brake & Shimano Di2 Groupset
In the third part of our bike build guide Richard shows how to install the brakes and the Shimano Di2 Groupset. I have been...
Quick Road Bike Build Guide – Part 2 – Vision Rim Installation
In the second part of our bike build guide we install the vision rim. I have been commuting from NJ to NYC by bicycle for 7...
The first in our six part mini series of a road bike build, a quick video tutorial by new CyclingShorts.cc team member Richard Soh. Lets start with... Handlebars & Headset. [youtube=...
OMNIUM – The New Online Cycling Apparel Store
by Holly Seear | Jun 3, 2016
Style, Performance and Individuality from New UK Based Online Store OMNIUM
I met Claire Pepper on a Bike Ride with Brunch organised by Queen of the Mountains and was excited to hear of her plans to launch OMNIUM a brand new, UK based, online store bringing together some previously hard-to-buy or as yet undiscovered cycling apparel from independent designers. Their focus is high performance road cycling kit and accessories, bringing together lots of smaller brands who are doing really interesting stuff and making them more accessible, especially to the UK market.
Claire's background is photography, specialising in fashion and sportswear in e-commerce, and as a runner, cyclist and triathlete, she found women's cycling clothing to be much more limited in terms of choice than the rest of the active wear market and decided to do something about it! With her partner Jonathan, a creative director and active racer for Dulwich Paragon, they have launched OMNIUM.
Most of the OMNIUM brands are small companies with a bit of a cult following, and until now some have been hard to get hold of in the UK. OMNIUM solves the problems of buying internationally such as customs charges and complicated returns!
The products are stylish, high performance, individual brands which will only be stocked in limited runs, keeping the offering of fresh and current items in-demand.
Starting with 7 brands and with 2 more coming soon, the selection comprises mostly of men's and women's jerseys, shorts, socks and caps. There are some eye-catching full kits from Minneapolis brand Twin Six and graphic-patterned base layers from Good Cycling, a brand from the Netherlands. One of the most popular items is a cap by Canadian brand Forward, which features a pair of cat-eyes on the underside of the peak.
Well worth taking a look if you would like to stand out from the crowd this summer!
OMNIUM BRANDS
Twin Six – USA – men's & women's jerseys with matching shorts, caps, socks, bidons
Angeles Creative – USA – men's and women's jerseys, high performance and distinctive
Queen of the Mountains – UK – high performance women's jerseys, shorts and caps
Forward – Canada – women's jerseys and caps, fun, playful designs
God & Famous – USA – caps and socks (apparel coming soon) urban styling
The Wonderful Socks – Italy – socks and caps, Italian craft heritage with quirky designs
Good Cycling – The Netherlands – men's and women's jerseys, base layers and gilets
WEBSITE : weareomnium.cc
TWITTER: @omniumcc
INSTAGRAM: @omniumcc
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Weareomnium/
Hipster Paradise – Spin London
by Jo Ann Carver | May 25, 2016
Spin London
Brick Lane, in the heart of London's East End and formerly known as Whitechapel Lane has always been a vibrant melting pot of a place and the earliest known record of its existence was on a woodcut map that was printed sometime during the 16th Century. It has been home to many communities of immigrants throughout its colourful history. Always a staging post to upward mobility. That mobility sometimes being slow, sometimes quite rapid. It has been home to French Huguenots, Ashkenazi Jews, and then Eastern European and Russian Jews in the early 20th century. It has been an epicentre of changing small scale industries centred around the clothing industry. Weaving, Leather making, Exquisite tailoring and the sweatshops of the rag trade. Home to Fagin and Jack The Ripper. It still retains its flavour of an amalgam of the new and tentative amidst wide boy small entrepreneurs. Shops momentarily flourishing displaying "vintage" clothing….aka, overpriced elegantly displayed jumble sales. The earnest Guardian reading fashionistas leaving their tatty chic boutiques to browse scratched vinyl records and other vendors tatty chic furniture. 35mm cameras that will never be used and they buy their fabulous Indian sub continent, Eastern European and Far Eastern street food lunches in cheap and plentiful non eco friendly styrofoam boxes.
The Truman Brewery's disused premises opened above a now drained well in 1863 are themselves a tatty chic exhibition space in keeping with the area and ideal therefore to house the show "SPIN" devoted to the urban cycling revolution taking place in London, with a nod here and there to the sporting and serious leisure cycling side of things enabling the hipsters their radical touch of the esoteric work of cycling.
Spin was a show for Hipsters. No doubt whatsoever about that. There was the very deliberate wearing of 20,30,50 year old continental race team kit. I saw one guy. Beard long enough to plait and use as a climbing rope in his Gan team kit, hanging on Chris Boardman's every word and nodding sagely as he munched on his tofu burger before clattering away in an ancient pair of wooden soled track shoes, converted to take the cleats of a set of middle '80s Look Classic pedals. Yes, it really was that sort of occasion. The exhibition was a truly enjoyable reflection of Brick lane's very nature on to the world of cycling. There was a plentiful amount of beautifully crafted clothing, hand built bespoke bicycles (in steel of course) and the feeling that rather like the place 100 yards down Brick Lane that has now ceased attempting to trade in contemporary Vietnamese Folding food, many of them, for all of their skill and genuine innovation would struggle to stay in business much beyond two years or so. That is a great pity, because in the reviews that will follow shortly, I am going to take you on a wander through the best of SPIN and introduce you to some of the start up businesses that are attempting to take root.
If you'd not seen Rollapaluzza before, you might have been forgiven for turning away before you entered the place. They'd set up their usually thriving space and were attracting their usually lengthy queues accompanied by music so loud and a commentary so unintelligible that you have to walk away or give in. We walked away and that was the point at which we recognised the advantage of this very solid old building, step into the next room and the sound that filled the entrance hall was all but eliminated by the purposeful 19th century walls. A moment to reflect on some art work, depicting some of the greats of our sport….up to the 1990s (yes that was the first indicator) Bartolli, Coppi, Simpson, Merckx, Rijs, Anquetil, LeMond, Hinault, Boardman, Obree, Yndurain, Abdujaporov, and my hero (shut up… its my article) the finest climber of all time Marco(Il Pirate) Pantani. None of them were particularly flattering, but at Brick Lane prices I wasn't going to be hanging one in my shed anyway.
The whole feel of the show was not so much a display of products to do with the world of cycling, but products that were designed to fit lifestyle choices of which cycling is but a part. Cycling fits very nicely into the choices made by the eco friendly….correction, obsessively eco friendly and thats not necessarily a bad thing, but there is a pedantic quirkiness about almost every exhibitor that makes sense to some. Indeed, with the exception of one or two of cycling better known brands. Boardman Elite and Bianchi, most were at the end of the cycling spectrum that says commuter or courier rider that seek form over function. Indeed the more conventional the product on offer the more out of place it looked.
A number of the products quirky or not, really did impress and I shall review them and in some cases road test them too. There was the stuff that did interest me. The bespoke frame builders, some of whom were brazing but joint and brazed steel frames that are becoming popular again amongst some sections of the regular cycling community. Sadly when we were there these craftsmen were not drawing anywhere near as much attention as the stand selling those bloody ridiculous Dura Ace equipped Bamboo framed bikes…… yes, exactly what I thought!
As I say, there was a kind of studied pedantry to the wares on offer. Quill stems, rat trap pedals with old style toe clips barely a modern pedal on view. I fell in love with a gorgeous titanium framed bike… The frame was brand spanking new, but everything on it was a (admittedly beautifully done) restored and refurbished '80s item. The entire group and finishing kit was old style 5 speed friction shift Campagnolo record. It gleamed. It stunned….. its price tag made me wince……. no, trust me you don't want to know.
When it comes to anything approaching regular bike choices these folk are cautious. Yes I want something that says serious cyclist, but I don't feel comfortable going into my LBS, so I'll stick my nose in the trough with names I recognise Boardman, Bianchi and Cinelli… We can't be seen to be going into Halfords or Evans and buying something cheaper and far more appropriate to our needs, it has to say chic. It has to say, "at weekends my other bike is a Porsche and my winters are spent at Cortina or Chamonix".
Yes it was a Hipsters show and if thats your thing, good on yer. You're riding a bike and anyone who has read my drivel before, knows that this will always get my vote. I half begged to be given this assignment and I'm glad I went for the few products that were in my jaded opinion worthy of attention and for the wonderful (and well attended) interview and Q&A with my hero of the entire show, Martyn Ashton. Will I go again next year? No. But I love Brick Lane, the street food etc, the tiny record stalls and the markets. I even like the quirky nature of SPIN….it's just that very little of it was for me.
Cycling Santa's Christmas Shopping Guide 2015
by Anna Magrath | Dec 11, 2015
Cycling Shorts unleashes Santa's Little Helpers.
Yes the panic is setting in, so much to get organised and so little time, so we've all got together to give you a list of gift ideas that won't disappoint the fussiest cyclist or cycling fan in your life.
We've split our choices into four perfect price packages, click on the images to be taken to the retailers website.
Wishing you a Merry Festivemas from all at CyclingShorts.cc!
Secret Santa – under £30
[ubergrid id=23941]
Santa's Little Helper – under £100
Something Beneath The Tree – under £500
Santa Baby – money is no object!
Can You Reinvent the Wheel?
by Anna Magrath | May 6, 2014
Well a farmer from Israel has done just that. Gilad Wolf was looking for a way to make the ride and manoeuvrability better for his wheelchair and decided the part of the chair that had been overlooked and makes the use of wheelchairs so frustrating were the wheels.
The SoftWheel has a rim containing three shock absorbing cylinders. They suspend the wheel's hub, evenly distributing the weight along the chair giving the user the ability to easily ascend and descend individual steps, also giving a smooth and fast ride over bumps and reducing injuries caused by wheelchair vibration.
When the concept became reality Gilad marketed the SoftWheel Acrobat for wheelchair users but this got him thinking about other applications and it naturally led to looking at the comfort and efficiency of the ride for cyclists. The SoftWheel Fluent was created. Both types of wheels will go on sale at the end of the year, they won't be cheap (around $2,000) but they will make a huge difference to wheelchair users and to cyclists. It's said to be compatible with all frames including electric bikes and it can be retrofitted.
It looks like cyclists won't have the loss of energy that traditional mountain bike suspension gives and the impact will be dampened for a full 360 degrees. It should be ideal for country roads with the traditional UK potholes. Cyclist's who require a gentler ride for medical reasons might also benefit; for example older riders with arthritis, muscle weakness or reoccurring vibration injuries. It certainly looks an interesting design, we will aim to review it once it's released.
The D-Fix… Why not?
by Anna Magrath | Apr 4, 2014
I stumbled across this video last week, it appears to be a recently new idea and I have to say it looks a really promising design. It did get me wondering why it hadn't been done before. It can be a pain fiddling around with the chain, not every wheel change is a quick and grease free process. It would certainly suit the leisure cyclist with little or no bike maintenance skills.
I'm sure the the frame and wheel builders amongst you will have an opinion – I'd love to hear all your thoughts.
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text:
Q: Update local List with newly added object in breeze I am new to Breeze and i am trying to build a sample application using Breeze Angular with WebApi. I am facing an issue i need to update the local Array (Angular) with newly added object SaveResult.
Server Code
    [HttpPost]
    public SaveResult SaveChanges(JObject saveBundle)
    {
        return  context.SaveChanges(saveBundle);
    }

Client Code
$scope.AddNewProduct = function () {
       if ($scope.Product !== null) {
        datacontext.addNew($scope.Product, function (newProduct) {
            $scope.Products.unshift(newProduct);
            $scope.$apply();
        });
    }
};

Its not working. Its updating the UI with empty values
I have three methods in my WebApi as per breeze demo application.
namespace AngularWebApi.ApiControllers
{
[BreezeController]
public class ProductsBreezeController : ApiController
{
    private readonly ProductRepository context;

    public ProductsBreezeController()
    {
        context = new ProductRepository();
    }

    [HttpGet]
    public string Metadata()
    {
        return context.Metadata();
    }

    //// GET api/productsbreeze
    [HttpGet]
    public IQueryable<Product> GetAllProducts()
    {
        return context.TodoLists;
    }

    [HttpPost]
    public SaveResult SaveChanges(JObject saveBundle)
    {
        return  context.SaveChanges(saveBundle);
    }
}

public class ProductRepository : EFContextProvider<SampleEntities>
{
    public DbQuery<Product> TodoLists
    {
        get { return Context.Products; }
    }
}

}
Now GetAllProducts returns this as single entity
$$hashKey: "004"
_backingStore: Object
entityAspect: ctor
maxUnits: (...)
productId: (...)
productName: (...)
__proto__: Object

but SaveChanges method returns
_backingStore: Object
entityAspect: ctor
maxUnits: (...)
productId: (...)
productName: (...)
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Our stars
Programs, access and costs
Go to Centre sportif
The Centre sportif is proud to highlight the discipline and talent of local athletes, and to this end has set up the Athletes of the Month project on the Centre's screens, displaying the athletes who have distinguished themselves that month in their discipline.
Every year, the Centre sportif is proud to host national calibre teams. The Volleyball Canada men's national team, in fact, has its national headquarters at the Centre.
Olympic athletes
The Centre sportif is honoured to offer its support, in the form of quality services and state-of-the-art facilities, to Olympic calibre athletes from the Gatineau-Ottawa area.
Competition coaches
The Centre sportif would like to highlight the work of the elite coaches who contribute to the success of local athletes.


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Cowles Commons Set to Open This Month
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The plan for Cowles Commons, formally known as Nollen Plaza, has been in the works for seven years and will be completed this month.
The $11 million project was funded by both private and public donations including $400,000 from the City of Des Moines.
Mayor Frank Cownie says the space will only enhance the city's economic development.
"It's completion will further re-energize the already vibrant downtown and become the premier outdoor gathering space for Des Moines citizens, workers and our visitors," Cownie said.
The project, which has been under construction since June of 2013, still has a few elements to add including a 28-foot LED sculpture.
Des Moines Performing Arts President and CEO Jeff Chelesvig says one of the most unique design elements is a 'red carpet' made of red granite stone and brick that extends from Capital Square to the Civic Center.
"One of the earliest design concepts was to have this red carpet that leads to up to the Civic Center because this really is our front yard, so it`s a spectacular way to show the connection between the Civic Center and Cowles Commons," Chelesvig said.
The space will be owned and operated by the Des Moines Performing Arts Center who hopes to open it up to the public around June 18.
However, Winefest will take place at Cowles Commons on Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6. Events on both nights begin at 6 p.m.
Cowles Commons is located between Locust and Walnut at 3rd Street in downtown Des Moines.


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Tag: The Black Crowes
Welcome to another installment of my weekly recurring feature where I pick newly released songs I like. Let's get to it without further ado. All tunes except for the last song appeared yesterday (January 7).
Dope Lemon/Rose Pink Cadillac
Dope Lemon is the solo project of Australian singer-songwriter Angus Stone. He first started to release music in 2007 with his sister as part of folk-pop duo Angus & Julia Stone. To date, four albums by the duo have appeared. In April 2009, Stone's solo debut Smoking Gun came out under the pseudonym Lady of the Sunshine. Starting with his third solo album Honey Bones from April 2016, he has used the Dope Lemon moniker. Rose Pink Cadillac, co-written by him and Elliott Hammond, is the bouncy, funky title track of Stone's fifth and latest solo release.
Best Coast/All Alone
I think this may be the first time I'm featuring a music artist in back-to-back Best of What's New installments. Last week, I picked Best Coast's then-most recently released song Leading. The rock duo, which includes songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno, was formed in 2009 in Los Angeles. Borrowing again from their Apple Music profile: Drawing inspiration from '60s surf rock and girl groups, Best Coast's noisy lo-fi sound gave a nod to contemporaneous acts like Hot Lava, the Vivian Girls, and Brilliant Colors. Best Coast's first year saw a flurry of little releases. Best Coast had become something of a sensation by the time 2009 came to a close. Fast forward to yesterday and the deluxe issue of Best Coast's fourth studio album Always Tomorrow. Here's one of the new tunes, All Alone, written by Cosentino – nice pop-rock!
Gang of Youths/In the Wake of Your Leave
Gang of Youths are an Australian indie rock band formed in Sydney in 2011 by principal songwriter David Le'aupepe (lead vocals, guitar). The other members include Jung Kim (lead guitar, keyboards), Tom Hobden (violin, keyboards, guitar), Max Dunn (bass) and Donnie Borzestowski (drums). According to their Apple Music profile, the group's 2015 debut album The Positions tackled Le'aupepe's painful divorce and mental health struggles against hard-charging indie rock topped with his tumultuous baritone. Rather than dwell in darkness, though, Gang of Youths' anthems spin true stories of trauma into triumphant badges of survival and even hopefulness. Witness the empowering, Springsteen-worthy pulse driving "Let Me Down Easy," from 2017's Go Farther in Lightness. After winning four ARIA Awards for that record, the band became the inaugural performers on the Australian edition of MTV Unplugged in 2018. In the Wake of Your Love, credited to all members of the group, is a new single from their upcoming third studio album Angel in Realtime scheduled for February 25.
Dirty Honey/Let's Go Crazy
Let's wrap up this post with one of my favorite discoveries from last year: Los Angeles rock band Dirty Honey and their new single Let's Go Crazy. If you're familiar with Prince, the title of the song may be familiar. It's actually a tune he originally recorded for his sixth studio and soundtrack album Purple Rain released in June 1984. Dirty Honey, who were formed in 2017 and are influenced by bands like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and Black Crowes, do a nice job putting Prince's funky pop-oriented tune into a classic rock type of song – pretty cool! Their rendition came out on December 31 – another tune I swear I didn't see in iTunes' new releases when I checked that day.
Last but not least, here's a playlist of the above tunes:
Sources: Wikipedia; Apple Music; YouTube; Spotify
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on January 8, 2022 January 8, 2022 Categories Best of What's NewTags Aerosmith, Angel in Realtime, Angus & Julia Stone, Angus Stone, Best Coast, Bethany Cosentino, Bobb Bruno, Brilliant Colors, Classic Rock, David Le'aupepe, Dirty Honey, Donnie Borzestowski, Dope Lemon, Elliott Hammond, Folk Pop, Gang of Youths, Go Farther in Lightness, Graceless Kids, Honey Bones, Hot Lava, In the Wake of Your Leave, In the Wake of Your Love, Indie Rock, Jung Kim, Leading, Led Zeppelin, Let Me Down Easy, Let's Go Crazy, Max Dunn, Pop Rock, Prince, Rose Pink Cadillac, Smoking Gun, The Black Crowes, The Positions, Tom Hobden, Vivian Girls14 Comments on Best of What's New
The Year That Was – Part 2 of 2
Best new songs of 2021
This is the second installment of my 2-part review of 2021. Here I'm going to focus on songs released over the past 12 months, which I like in particular. The picks are based on my Best of What's New weekly recurring feature. Part 1, which you can read here, highlighted my six favorite albums that came out over the past year.
Altogether, Best of What's New featured more than 200 songs that were released in 2021. From there I narrowed things down to 4o tunes, which are included in the playlist at the end of this post. Following I'd like to highlight 10 out of these 40 songs. It wasn't easy to pick those 10 tunes. In my view, that's a good sign since it means there were many great choices.
Aaron Frazer/If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)
Kicking things off is If I Got It (Your Love Brought It), a terrific soul tune by Aaron Frazer, a Brooklyn, New York-based singer-songwriter. The song, co-written by Frazer, Dan Auerbach and David Ferguson, is off Frazer's debut album Introducing…, which appeared on January 8 and was produced by Auerbach. Check out that neat falsetto, which is reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield – so good!
Gretchen Parlato/É Preciso Perdoar
Next, let's turn to contemporary jazz by California native Gretchen Parlato. É Preciso Perdoar is the beautiful opener of her fifth studio album Flor (Portuguese for flower) that appeared on March 5. The tune is credited to Brazilian composers Alcyvando Luz and Carlos Coqueijo, as well as Parlato – just beautiful and so relaxing!
Dirty Honey/California Dreamin'
Dirty Honey are a great rock band from Los Angeles that was founded in 2017. I love their classic rock sound that has traces of Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes. California Dreamin', credited to the entire band, is from Dirty Honey's eponymous first full-length album released April 23.
Lord Huron/Mine Forever
Indie folk-rock band Lord Huron are one of the most seductive contemporary groups I can think of. Their moody sound of layered voices, jangly guitars and expanded reverb is pretty cool – very cinematic! Frankly, their latest record Long Lost, which came out on May 21, easily could have been in part 1 of this year-in-review feature. Here's my favorite tune off that record, Mine Forever, penned by guitarist and vocalist Ben Schneider who founded Lord Huron in 2010.
Jane Lee Hooker/Drive
While I've started to pay much closer attention to new music, I only follow very few contemporary acts. One is Jane Lee Hooker, formed in 2013 in New York as an all-female blues rock band. Drive is more of a rock ballad with a nice soulful vibe. Released as a single on May 28, the tune will be on the band's next album Rollin' that is scheduled for January 2022. Definitely looking forward to that one!
The Wallflowers/Roots and Wings
On July 9, The Wallflowers released Exit Wounds, their first new album in nine years. With its warm melodic roots rock, the record sounds like it could be a follow-on to Bringing Down the Horse from May 1996, the sophomore album by Jacob Dylan's band that brought them commercial success and two Grammy awards. Here's one of my favorite tracks off the new album: Roots and Wings.
Son Volt/The Globe
While alternative country and Americana rock band Son Volt have been around since 1994, I had not heard of them until August of this year after the release of their ninth and latest album Electro Melodier on July 30. Check out The Globe written by the band's founder, singer-songwriter and guitarist Jay Farrar. It's got a bit of a Springsteen vibe, and there's also a brief homage to The Who. Check out the Moog line at around 2:15 minutes… Love that tune!
Maggie Rose/What Are We Fighting For
Maggie Rose, born Margaret Rose Durante, is a Nashville-based country and rock singer-songwriter, who released her debut single under her maiden name in 2009, a cover of Kings of Leon's Use Somebody. In the spring of 2013, when her first full-length album appeared, she already had adopted the Maggie Rose moniker. What Are We Fighting For is the opener of her latest album Have a Seat that came out on August 20. The great soulful tune was written by Rose, together with her longtime collaborators, guitarist Alex Haddad and Larry Florman (background vocals, percussion).
Joey Landreth/Two Trains
While he shares a famous last name and also is a slide guitarist, Canadian artist Joey Landreth isn't related to Sonny Landreth. But he sure as heck is talented and has a great sound! Check out Two Trains, the catchy funky closer from his third and most recent album All That You Dream, which appeared on November 26.
Blue Rodeo/When You Were Wild
When You Were Wild is a great tune by Blue Rodeo, a Canadian country rock band founded in 1984 in Toronto. I first came across the group in February of this year. This tune, co-written by founders Jim Cuddy (vocals, guitar) and Greg Keelor (vocals, guitar), is from their 15th studio album Many a Mile released on December 3. I love that beautiful warm sound!
That's it for the 10 tracks I wanted to call out. There are many more great tunes in the below playlist. Hope you will check them out!
Finally, to those celebrating, I wish you a merry Christmas and please be safe!
Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on December 24, 2021 December 28, 2021 Categories Year In ReviewTags Aaron Frazer, Aerosmith, Alcyvando Luz, Alex Haddad, Alternative Country, Americana, É Preciso Perdoar, Ben Schneider, Blue Rodeo, Blues Rock, Bringing Down the Horse, Carlos Coqueijo, Classic Rock, Curtis Mayfield, Dan Auerbach, David Ferguson, Dirty Honey, Drive, Electro Melodier, Exit Wounds, Flor, Folk-Rock, Greg Keelor, Gretchen Parlato, If I Got It (Your Love Brought It), Introducing…, Jacob Dylan, Jane Lee Hooker, Jay Farrar, Jim Cuddy, Joey Landreth, Kings of Leon, Larry Florman, Led Zeppelin, Long Lost, Lord Huron, Maggie Rose, Many a Mile, Mine Forever, Roots and Wings, Roots Rock, Son Volt, Sonny Landreth, Soul, The Black Crowes, The Globe, The Wallflowers, The Who, Two Trains, Use Somebody, What Are We Fighting For, When You Were Wild7 Comments on The Year That Was – Part 2 of 2
Turkey Day Rock Marathon Is On Again
Earlier this evening, it dawned on me it's Thanksgiving week, which means New York classic rock radio station Q104.3 once again is doing their annual countdown of the Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs Of All Time. The countdown is based on submissions from listeners who each can select 10 songs. All picks are then tabulated to create the big list.
The countdown starts tomorrow morning at 9:00 am EST and stretches all the way to sometime this Sunday evening. That's how long it takes to play all 1,043 songs. The only interruption of the countdown will happen at noon on Thanksgiving when Q104.3 plays Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant, all 18 and a half minutes of it – just wonderful!
While after 20 years in a row (yep, that's how long they've done this!) it's a forgone conclusion that Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven once again will be no. 1 and the top 20 will be largely occupied by the same songs from previous years, listening to the countdown is still fun. Think about it, when can you ever hear 1,043 different songs in a row on the radio. Most stations have a much smaller set of songs in rotation.
Below is a screenshot of my selections for this year. Once again, I decided to come up with 1o previously unpicked songs. This time, I included two tunes from 2021: California Dreamin' (Dirty Honey) and Side Street Shakedown (The Wild Feathers). Both are probably very long shots to make the list, as are I Don't Understand (The Chesterfield Kings) and Cinderella (The Fuzztones), but that's okay
Following are clips of my selections:
Dirty Honey/California Dreamin' – Dirty Honey, April 2021
The Wild Feathers/Side Street Shakedown – Alvarado, October 2021
The Black Crowes/Twice As Hard – Shake Your Money Maker, February 1990
AC/DC/It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll) – High Voltage, April 1976
The Beatles/Helter Skelter – The Beatles, November 1968
David Bowie/Suffragette City – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, June 1972
Queen/Tie Your Mother Down – A Day at the Races, December 1976
The Who/The Real Me – Quadrophenia, October 1973
The Chesterfield Kings/I Don't Understand – The Mindbending Sounds Of…The Chesterfield Kings, August 2003
The Fuzztones/Cinderella – Lysergic Emanations, 1985
I'm sure I'll be listening to Q104.3's countdown at different times over the next five days. Though this year, there will be stiff competition from Peter Jackson's Get Back Beatles three-part docu-series!
Sources: Wikipedia; Q104.3 website; YouTube
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on November 23, 2021 November 23, 2021 Categories ListsTags A Day at the Races, AC/DC, Alice's Restaurant, Alvarado, Arlo Guthrie, Cinderella, David Bowie, Dirty Honey, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Hard Rock, Helter Skelter, It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll), Lysergic Emanations, Psychedelic Rock, Q104.3 Top 1043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time, Quadrophenia, Queen, Rock, Shake Your Money Maker, Side Street Shakedown, Suffragette City, The Beatles, The Black Crowes, The Chesterfield Kings, The Fuzztones, The Mindbending Sounds of the Chesterfield Kings, The Real Me, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, The Who, The Wild Feathers, Tie Your Mother Down, Twice As Hard13 Comments on Turkey Day Rock Marathon Is On Again
The Wild Feathers Soar With Melodic Rock on New Album
My paying closer attention to new releases by contemporary artists is starting to pay off nicely. The most recent albums by The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Dirty Honey and Lord Huron are some that come to mind. My latest "discovery" I feel quite excited about is Alvarado, the new album by The Wild Feathers, a band I first introduced on my blog last December with a tune from predecessor Medium Rarities.
Released on October 8, Alvarado is the band's fifth studio album. The Wild Feathers were formed in 2010 in Nashville, Tenn. by high school friends Taylor Burns (guitar, vocals) and Preston Wimberly (guitar, vocals), along with Ricky Young (guitar, vocals) and Joel King (bass, vocals). Ben Dumas joined on drums following the August 2013 release of the group's eponymous debut album. Burns, Young, King and Dumas remain part of the current line-up, which also includes Brett Moore (guitar, mandolin). Wimberly left in late 2015.
The Wild Feathers combine elements of country rock, southern rock, classic rock, blues and folk with multi-part harmony singing. And I should add catchy melodies, a joy to my pop ear I can't deny always lingers in the background, no matter what genre of music I listen to! The group has cited Tom Petty, Eagles, The Band and Otis Redding as some of their influences. A bio on AllMusic also notes The Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band – all artists I love!
According to an exclusive preview by American Songwriter, The Wild Feathers wrote and recorded the new album in a small cabin located an hour northwest of Nashville, the same place in which they conceived Medium Rarities. "We made every previous studio album with Jay Joyce [a prominent Nashville producer – CMM] in these big magical studios which was awesome," Young told the publication. "But over the years, we've listened back to old demos like 'Man there was really nothing wrong with that.' It's kind of cool there are mistakes…those things make it unique and human."
Let's get to some music. Here's the album's opener and title track. American Songwriter noted this tune was originally written for the band's eponymous debut album, making it the oldest track on the record. "Some songs just can't find their way onto the actual album, but we always loved that one and wanted to record it someday," explained Young who wrote the tune. Well, I'm glad they finally did!
Ain't Lookin' is a great rocker written by country singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele together with the band's King, Young and Burns. It's got some nice guitar work, and that sound is just awesome!
Next up: Over the Edge, a tune written by King about some of the challenges in present day America, including violence and political division. We've gone too far to go back/We don't know how to turn around/We've gone too far, I think that we're/Going over the edge, going over the edge/Going over the edge, going over the edge…I can hear some Tom Petty in here.
Since I included the excellent Side Street Shakedown in my latest Best of What's New installment, I'm skipping this track and go to Out on the Road penned by Burns. While it's certainly not the first tune that describes life as a touring musician and the challenges it can bring, it's a nice rocker featuring some neat slide guitar action.
Off Your Shoulders, co-written by King and Young, has an Eagles vibe. I really love how this tune sounds. Once again, the guitar work is great and includes some nice harmony action. Check it out.
Let's do one more, coz why not? Here's Flashback, another tune solely written by King. In a flashback/Oh, we never knew how good we had it/Take me back/I wanna hold on to the memories as long as I can/Hold on to the memories as best as you can…The lyrics are on the sentimental side and perhaps a bit cliche, but I think it's safe to assume many folks have thought about "the old times," especially during this seemingly never-ending pandemic.
The final word shall belong to Ricky Young. Alvarado "is about us, taking the reins and being in control and doing exactly what we want to do, and taking it where we want to go—putting a blindfold on and hoping it works out," he told American Songwriter. "By taking control musically, we can last a lot longer than just having a hit early on and trying to chase that for the rest of your career." Well said – I certainly look forward to hearing more from The Wild Feathers.
Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; American Songwriter; YouTube
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on October 11, 2021 October 10, 2021 Categories New MusicTags Ain't Lookin', Alvarado, Blues, Brett Moore, Classic Rock, Country Rock, Dirty Honey, Eagles, Flashback, Folk, Jeffrey Steele, Joel King, Led Zeppelin, Lord Huron, Medium Rarities, Off Your Shoulders, Otis Redding, Out on the Road, Over the Edge, Ricky Young, Side Street Shakedown, Southern Rock, Taylor Burns, The Allman Brothers Band, The Band, The Black Crowes, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, The Wild Feathers, Tom Petty5 Comments on The Wild Feathers Soar With Melodic Rock on New Album
Welcome to another Best of What's New, my weekly revue of newly released music. This time, my picks include some alternative, rock, country and prog rock from a stalwart of the genre. All featured tunes except for the last one are on albums that came out yesterday (October 8).
Scott Hirsch/Big Passenger
Kicking off this week's post is new music by Scott Hirsch, a producer and singer-songwriter I first featured in a Sunday Six installment last month with a tune of his then-upcoming new album Windless Day. Borrowing again from his Facebook page: You've heard the sound of Scott Hirsch. You might not know it, but his audio production has lurked deep in the cut of many admired recordings from the late 1990s to the present. A founding member of Hiss Golden Messenger, he was integral to the band's formative years in the studio and on the road. His sonic imprint remains on their productions; most recently mixing the forthcoming album Quietly Blowing It. He recorded and mixed a Grammy nominated record by the legendary folk-singer Alice Gerrard and has produced and played on records by William Tyler, Mikael Jorgensen, Orpheo McCord and Daniel Rossen. Here's Big Passenger, another track from Hirsch's above noted new album. To me it's got a J.J. Cale vibe with an updated contemporary sound. Check it out!
The Wild Feathers/Side Street Shakedown
Here's another group I first encountered in the context of Best of What's New: The Wild Feathers, which I first featured in this installment from last December. According to a bio on AllMusic, they prefer the term "American" over Americana when describing their sound, which falls somewhere between the earnest, neo-Southern rock of the Black Crowes, the bluesy swagger of the Black Keys, and the wide-open-road country-rock of the Eagles. Founded in 2010 in Nashville, Tenn., the band's current lineup features founding members Ricky Young (guitar, vocals), Taylor Burns (guitar, vocals) and Joel King (bass, vocals), as well as Ben Dumas (drums). The Wild Feathers began touring frequently in 2013, playing with artists like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and ZZ Ward. Their eponymous debut album appeared in August 2013. Side Street Shakedown is a track from the band's fifth and new album Alvarado. This nice rocker was co-written by King, Young and Burns.
Natalie Hemby/It Takes One To Know One
Natalie Hemby is a country singer-songwriter who is also based in Nashville. According to her Apple Music profile, she first gained notice as a hit songwriter for Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, and Toby Keith, penning the hits "White Liar," "Only Prettier," and "Automatic" (all recorded by Lambert), "Pontoon" and "Tornado" (two hits by Little Big Town), and "Drinks After Work" (Keith). After establishing this résumé, Hemby struck out as a recording artist, releasing her debut, Puxico, early in 2017. She became a Billboard 200 Top Ten-charting artist as a member of the Highwomen (Hemby, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires), who topped the country chart with their self-titled debut in 2019. Here's It Takes One To Know One, a tune from Hemby's new sophomore album Pins and Needles.
Yes/Minus the Man
I'd like to conclude this post with new music by progressive rock stalwarts Yes, who I trust don't need an introduction. They are among a handful of bands I warmed to in prog rock, a genre I haven't fully embraced. Since they were formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson (vocals), Peter Banks (guitar), Tony Kaye (keyboards), Chris Squire (bass) and Bill Bruford (drums), Yes have seen numerous line-up changes. The group's last original member Squire passed away in 2015. The current line-up includes Jon Davison (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Billy Sherwood (bass) and Alan White (drums). Howe, White and Downes are longtime members who first joined in 1970, 1972 and 1980, respectively. Last Friday (October 1), Yes released their 22nd studio album The Quest, their first with new music in seven years. "Much of the music was written in late 2019 with the rest in 2020," Howe who produced the album said in a statement. "We commissioned several orchestrations to augment and enhance the overall sound of these fresh new recordings, hoping that our emphasis on melody, coupled with some expansive instrumental solo breaks, keeps up the momentum for our listeners." Let's check out Minus the Man, which was co-written by Davison and Sherwood. Davison's vocals sound remarkably similar to Jon Anderson, even more so on some of the other tunes I've sampled thus far.
Sources: Wikipedia; Scott Hirsch Facebook page; Apple Music; Yes website; YouTube
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on October 9, 2021 October 8, 2021 Categories Best of What's NewTags Alan White, Alice Gerrard, Alternative, Amanda Shires, Automatic, Billy Sherwood, Black Keys, Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Squire, Country, Daniel Rossen, Drinks After Work, Eagles, Geoff Downes, Hiss Golden Messenger, It Takes One To Know One, J.J. Cale, Jon Anderson, Jon Davison, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Mikael Jorgensen, Minus the Man, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby, Only Prettier, Orpheo McCord, Peter Banks, Pins And Needles, Pontoon, Puxico, Quietly Blowing It, Scott Hirsch, Side Street Shakedown, Steve Howe, The Black Crowes, The Highwomen, The Quest, The Wild Feathers, Toby Keith, Tony Kaye, Tornado, White Liar, William Tyler, Willie Nelson, Windless Day, Yes, ZZ Ward17 Comments on Best of What's New
The Sunday Six
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
It's Sunday, which means the time has come again for going on another excursion to celebrate the beauty of music in different shapes from different decades, six tunes at a time. This latest installment of The Sunday Six touches the '60s, '70s, '80s and the present, and includes jazz fusion, British invasion, Motown soul, alt. country and rock. Ready? Let's do it!
Wayne Shorter/Beauty and the Beast
Kicking us off today is some beautiful saxophone-driven jazz fusion by Wayne Shorter, a co-founding member of Weather Report, which I featured in a recent Sunday Six installment. By the time he cofounded the jazz fusion band, Shorter already had enjoyed a 10-year-plus career that included playing with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet. In addition to being a sideman, Shorter started his recording career as a bandleader in 1959 with Introducing Wayne Shorter – the first of more than 20 additional albums he has made in that role. One of these albums, his 15th, appeared in January 1975: Native Dancer, a collaboration with Brazilian jazz musician Milton Nascimento. Here's a track from that record titled Beauty and the Beast. Composed by Shorter, the instrumental combines saxophone with some funky elements – very cool!
The Dave Clack Five/Glad All Over
Let's jump back to November 1963 and a song by The Dave Clark Five I've loved from the very first time I heard it on the radio back in Germany during my early teenage years: Glad All Over. Co-written by DC5 drummer Dave Clark who also was the band's producer, and lead vocalist and keyboarder Mike Smith, the tune first appeared as a single in the UK, followed by the U.S. in December of the same year. It also was the title track of the DC5's U.S. debut album that appeared in March 1964. In January 1964, Glad All Over became the band's first massive hit in the UK, knocking The Beatles' I Want to Hold Your Hand off the no. 1 spot on the singles chart. In the U.S., the tune climbed to no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is a hell of a catchy song with a driving drum beat and great vocals – frankly worthy of displacing a Beatles song, and I say this as a huge fan of the Fab Four.
Martha and the Vandellas/Dancing in the Street
I guess Glad All Over has put me in some sort of a party mood, so let's throw in another great party song: Dancing in the Street by Motown vocal group Martha and the Vandellas, which were formed in Detroit in 1957. Co-written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Joe Hunter, the tune first appeared in July 1964 and became the group's highest charting single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 2. Dancing in the Street, one of Motown's signature songs, also did well in the UK where it reached no. 4 on the singles chart. Subsequently, the song was included on the group's third studio album Dance Party from April 1965. Martha and the Vandellas disbanded in December 1972. After leaving Motown, Martha Reeves started a solo career but wasn't able to replicate the success she had enjoyed with the group during the '60s. Reeves who in July turned 80 apparently is still active.
The J. Geils Band/Looking for a Love
Well, now that I mentioned the word 'party,' let's keep it going by turning to a group that has been called rock & roll's ultimate party band: The J. Geils Band. The group, which was formed in 1967 in Worcester, Mass., originally included J. Geils (lead guitar), Peter Wolf (lead vocals, percussion), Danny Klein (bass), Stephen Jo Bladd (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Magic Dick (harmonica, saxophone, trumpet) and Seth Justman (keyboards, backing vocals). That line-up lasted for a remarkable 15 years until Wolf's departure in 1983. After the rest of the group called it quits in 1985, The J. Geils Band had various reunion appearances and tours with different formations until 2015. Following his departure from the band, Wolf launched a solo career, released various albums and remains pretty active as a touring artist to this day. Here's a great track off the band's sophomore album The Morning After from October 1972: Looking for a Love, a cover of a song co-written by J.W. Alexander and Zelda Samuels, and first released by The Valentinos in March 1962. The J. Geils Band also put this tune out as a single in November 1971. It climbed to no. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving them their first charting song in the U.S. It would take 10 more years before they scored a no. 1 with the more commercial Centerfold.
The Jayhawks/Five Cups of Coffee
I first covered The Jayhawks in August 2020 when I included a tune from their then-new album XOXO in a Best of What's New post. I quickly came to dig this American alt. country and country rock band, and have since featured two of their other songs in previous Sunday Six installments this February and July. Initially formed in Minneapolis in 1985, The Jayhawks originally featured Mark Olson (acoustic guitar, vocals), Gary Louris (electric guitar, vocals), Marc Perlman (bass) and Norm Rogers (drums). By the time their sophomore album Blue Earth appeared in 1989, Thad Spencer had replaced Rogers on drums. After five additional albums and further line-up changes, The Jayhawks went on hiatus in 2004, before reemerging with a new formation in 2019. Louris and Pearlman are the only remaining original members. Five Cups of Coffee is a great tune from the above mentioned Blue Earth album. It was co-written by Olson and Louris. The band's great guitar sound and beautiful harmony singing are right up my alley!
Dirty Honey/Gypsy
For the sixth and final tune this week, let's step on the gas with a great rocker by Dirty Honey. I first became aware of this rock band from Los Angeles in April this year when they released their self-titled first full-length album. At the time, I included one of the tracks in a Best of What's New installment. Apple Music has compared Dirty Honey's sound to the likes of Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes. The band's members include Marc Labelle (vocals), John Notto (guitar), Justin Smolian (bass) and Corey Coverstone (drums). I was drawn to Dirty Honey right away and covered them again in a Sunday Six post in May. Here's yet another track from the above mentioned album: Gypsy. Labelle's vocals very much remind me of Steven Tyler. Great to hear a young band other than Greta Van Fleet embrace a classic rock-oriented sound!
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on September 5, 2021 September 4, 2021 Categories The Sunday SixTags Aerosmith, Alternative Country, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Beauty and the Beast, Blue Earth, British Invasion, Centerfold, Classic Rock, Corey Coverstone, Country Rock, Dance Party, Dancing in the Street, Danny Klein, Dave Clark, Dirty Honey, Five Cups of Coffee, Gary Louris, Glad All Over, Greta Van Fleet, Gypsy, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Introducing Wayne Shorter, J. Geils, J.W. Alexander, Jazz Fusion, John Notto, Justin Smolian, Led Zeppelin, Looking for a Love, Magic Dick, Marc Labelle, Marc Perlman, Mark Olson, Martha and the Vandellas, Martha Reeves, Marvin Gaye, Mike Smith, Miles Davis, Milton Nascimento, Native Dancer, Norm Rogers, Peter Wolf, Second Great Quintet, Seth Justman, Soul, Stephen Jo Bladd, Steven Tyler, The Beatles, The Black Crowes, The Dave Clack Five, The J. Geils Band, The Jayhawks, The Morning After, The Valentinos, Wayne Shorter, Weather Report, William "Mickey" Stevenson, XOXO, Zelda Samuels13 Comments on The Sunday Six
Welcome to another installment of The Sunday Six that celebrates music from the past 70 years or so in different flavors, six tunes at a time. This week's zig-zag excursion features a tasty stew. The ingredients include jazz, early '60s pop, contemporary blues, classic '70s soul, contemporary indie rock and early '90s southern and blues rock. I generally find diversity enriching, in music and otherwise. Let's embark on our little journey.
The Charlie Watts Quintet/Relaxing at Camarillo
On August 24, the music world lost Charlie Watts who passed away at age 80 from an undisclosed cause. Undoubtedly, he will always best be remembered as the unassuming longtime drummer and reliable time-keeper of The Rolling Stones. But it was actually his life-long love for jazz, not rock and roll, that got Watts into music. In-between tours and recording sessions with the Stones, he frequently was involved in jazz projects and eventually formed his own groups, The Charlie Watts Orchestra and The Charlie Watts Quintet. I'd like to celebrate the late Charlie Watts with Relaxing at Camarillo, a composition by jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. Watts recorded the tune with his jazz quintet for a 1991 Charlie Parker tribute album titled From One Charlie. According to the credits listed on Discogs, in addition to Watts, the group featured Peter King (alto saxophone), Gerard Presencer (trumpet), Brian Lemon (piano) and Dave Green (bass). I know, it's only jazz but I like it, like it, yes, I do!
The Everly Brothers/When Will I Be Loved
For fans of artists who are in their '70s and '80s, these are tough times. On August 21, Don Everly, who together with his younger brother Phil Everly had performed as The Everly Brothers for nearly 45 years (not counting a 10-year hiatus between 1973 and 1983 when each of the brothers pursued solo careers), passed away in Nashville at the age of 84. No cause of death was provided. I loved The Everly Brothers from the very first moment I got a greatest hits compilation, which must have been in the early '80s. What spoke to me in particular was their beautiful harmony singing. I also thought their acoustic guitar playing was cool, especially on Wake Up Little Susie, their massive hit from 1957. In addition to covering songs written by others, The Everly Brothers also recorded some originals. Here's one written by Don Everly: When Will I Be Loved. The tune was released as a single in May 1960 and also included on the album The Fabulous Style of The Everly Brothers that came out in the same year as well. What a classic!
Taj Mahal and Keb Mo'/Ain't Nobody Talkin'
Let's jump forward 57 years to May 2017 for some sizzling blues delivered by two great artists, Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'. I was reminded about their fantastic collaboration album TajMo the other day when putting together a post about other artists covering songs by The Who. Apart from renditions like a Cajun swampy version of Squeeze Box, TajMo also includes original tunes. One of them is Ain't Nobody Talkin', co-written by Kevin Moore (Keb' Mo') and John Lewis Parker. I was happy to see that TajMo won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. You can read more about it here. Meanwhile, here's Ain't Nobody Talkin' – man, I love how Mahal and Mo' sound together. And these horn fill-ins – so good!
Al Green/Let's Stay Together
Next I'd like to turn to Al Green, one of the finest soul vocalists I can think of. Green, who became an ordained pastor in 1976 following the suicide of his girlfriend Mary Woodson in October 1974, is best known for a series of soul hits in the first half of the '70s. In 1979, after he had gotten injured during a stage accident in Cincinnati, Green turned to gospel for nearly 10 years. In 1988, he came back to secular music, teaming up with Annie Lennox for a cover of Put a Little Love in Your Heart, yielding his first top 10 mainstream hit since 1974. It remains his last to date. Here's Green's first no. 1 from November 1971: Let's Stay Together, his signature song. He co-wrote the smooth tune with Al Jackson Jr. (founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s) and producer Willie Mitchell. Let's Stay Together also became the title track of his fourth studio album from January 1972. In 1983, Tina Turner brought the soul classic back into the top 10 charts in the UK, her comeback single from her comeback album Private Dancer that appeared in May 1984.
Lord Huron/Meet Me in the City
If you are a frequent reader of The Sunday Six, the name Lord Huron might ring a bell. Or perhaps you've been aware of this cool indie folk rock band all along, which initially was founded in Los Angeles in 2010 as a solo project of guitarist and vocalist Ben Schneider. In addition to him, the group's current line-up includes Tom Renaud (guitar), Miguel Briseño (bass, keyboards) and Mark Barry (drums, percussion). In the June 20 installment, I featured the stunning Mine Forever, a track from the band's most recent album Long Lost that came out on May 21. Here's another great track from that album, Meet Me in the City, which further illustrates Lord Huron's amazing moody and cinematic sound of layered voices, jangly guitars and expanded reverb.
The Black Crowes/Twice As Hard
This once again brings me to the sixth and final track. Let's make it count with some crunchy rock by The Black Crowes. Initially founded as "Mr. Crowe's Garden" in Marietta, Ga. in 1984, the band around Chris Robinson (lead vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar, percussion) and his younger brother Rich Robinson (guitar, backing vocals) has a long history. It includes the type of drama with break-ups and reunions that's all too common once rock egos become too big. The good news is since late 2019, The Black Crowes are flying again. Perhaps the band's third reunion is the charm. Their tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut album Shake Your Money Maker from February 1990 had to be postponed because of you know what. It finally got underway on July 20 in Nashville, Tenn. and is scheduled to conclude in Bethel, N.Y. on September 25. In addition to the Robinson brothers, the group's new line-up features Sven Pipien (bass, backing vocals), along with touring members Isaiah Mitchell (guitar, backing vocals), Joel Robinow (keyboards, backing vocals) and Brian Griffin (drums, percussion). Here's Twice As Hard, the great opener of Shake Your Money Maker. Co-written by the Robinson brothers, the tune also became the album's third single and their first no. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.
Sources: Wikpedia; Discogs; YouTube
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on August 29, 2021 August 29, 2021 Categories The Sunday SixTags Ain't Nobody Talkin', Al Green, Al Jackson Jr., Annie Lennox, Ben Schneider, Brian Griffin, Brian Lemon, Charlie Parker, Charlie Watts, Chris Robinson, Don Everly, From One Charlie, Gerard Presencer, Isaiah Mitchell, Jazz, Joel Robinow, John Lewis Parker, Keb' Mo', Kevin Moore, Let's Stay Together, Long Lost, Lord Huron, Mark Barry, Meet Me in the City, Miguel Briseño, Mine Forever, Peter King, Phil Everly, Pop, Private Dancer, Put a Little Love in Your Heart, Relaxing at Camarillo, Rich Robinson, Shake Your Money Maker, Squeeze Box, Sven Pipien, Taj Mahal, TajMo, The Black Crowes, The Charlie Watts Orchestra, The Charlie Watts Quintet, The Everly Brothers, The Fabulous Style of The Everly Brothers, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Tom Renaud, Twice As Hard, Wake Up Little Susie, When Will I Be Loved, Willie Mitchell14 Comments on The Sunday Six
Celebrating music with six random songs at a time
Welcome to another Sunday Six. In case you're a first time visitor of the blog, this recurring feature celebrates the beauty of music six random tunes at a time, meaning songs from different genres and different decades. Pretty much anything goes in the same post. A jazz instrumental from the '50s could be followed by a '70s hard rock tune. A blues track from the '60s could appear together with a pop song from the '80s. My only condition is I have to like the tracks and how they work together. With that being said, let's get to it!
John Barry & Orchestra/James Bond Theme
"Bond, James Bond." These words started to fascinate me when I was a young teenager back in Germany. I still like the James Bond movies, as ridiculously unrealistic as they are. Especially the older pictures with Sean Connery and Roger Moore are classics in my book. Of course, part of every Bond picture is the soundtrack, including the James Bond Theme, which has been featured in every 007 film since the first one, Dr. No, from 1962. The signature theme was written by English singer and film composer Monty Norman and arranged by John Barry, a composer and conductor of film music. Barry also wrote the scores for 11 Bond pictures between 1963 and 1987. I always loved the track's distinct guitar part played by English session guitarist Vic Flick, using a Clifford Essex Paragon De Luxe electric/acoustic vintage guitar from 1939.
Al Jarreau/Take Five
I know of no other artist who had such an amazing ability to use his voice as an instrument like Al Jarreau. Perhaps the most compelling example is his rendition of jazz standard Take Five, which was included on a May 1977 live album titled Look to the Rainbow. I've always loved the original written by Paul Desmond and first recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet for the album Time Out from December 1959. But Al Jarreau took the track to a different level. I guess many folks at the time agreed. Look to the Rainbow became Jarreau's breakthrough in Europe and the U.S. It won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Vocal Jazz Performance. If you haven't heard this, check it out. If you already know Jarreau's rendition, listen to it again anyway! 🙂
Joe Jackson/Down to London
Let's jump to the late '80s with a great tune by Joe Jackson. The British singer-songwriter first entered my radar screen in 1980, when I received his excellent sophomore studio album I'm the Man for my 14th birthday. I still own that vinyl copy. I've since listened on and off to Jackson, a versatile artist who has played many genres over the decades, including punk, new wave, pop, rock, jazz and Latin. He's also fun live. I saw him in May 2019 at a mid-size theater in New Jersey. You can read about it here and watch some clips I took. Down to London is one of my favorite tracks from Blaze of Glory, Jackson's 10th studio album that came out in April 1989. Like all other tunes on the record, he wrote the song.
The Wallflowers/6th Avenue Heartache
Next we're on to the '90s. I guess, I'm going chronologically this time. When The Wallflowers released their sophomore album Bringing Down the Horse in May 1996, they were still a standing roots rock-oriented band. Their origins date back to 1989 when Jakob Dylan (lead vocals, guitar, piano) and his childhood friend Tobi Miller (lead guitar) began forming a band called The Apples. Jakob is a son of Bob Dylan and his first wife Sara Dylan (nee Noznisky). After Barrie Maguire (bass), Peter Yanowitz (drums) and Rami Yafee (keyboards) had joined the group, they changed their name to The Wallflowers. The band signed with Virgin Records in 1991 and released their eponymous debut album in August 1992. Five additional studio albums appeared thereafter until 2012. Since 2013, Dylan has been the only remaining original member, relying on touring musicians for shows. A new album titled Exit Wounds is slated for July 9, the first to appear under The Wallflowers name in nine years. Apparently, it will be supported by a tour. For now, here's 6th Avenue Heartache, written by Dylan, one of the band's best known tunes and certainly one of my favorites.
Alicia Keys/Fallin'
Alicia Keys is an interesting artist in my book. While much of her music falls outside my core wheelhouse, I still like her. Undoubtedly, Keys' amazing voice has a lot to do with it, but it's also her stage presence. There's just something about Keys that draws me in. It's like she's radiating – I can't quite explain it. Anway, Fallin' is a breathtaking tune from Keys' debut album Songs in A Minor, which came out in June 2001. The record had a long history, which I hadn't known until I read about it in Wikipedia. Keys, a classically trained pianist, already began writing songs for the record as a 14-year-old in 1995. She recorded the album in 1998 for Columbia Records, but the label rejected it. Eventually, it appeared in June 2001 on J Records, a new label that had been formed by Clive Davis who had sensed Keys' talent and bought her contract from Columbia. His instincts turned out to be right. Songs in A Minor topped the Billboard 200 and won five Grammy Awards in 2002. As of 2015, the album had sold 7.5 million copies in the U.S. and more than 12 million worldwide. Fallin' was solely written by Keys. That tune still gives me goosebumps.
Dirty Honey/Tied Up
I guess this already brings me to the last track of this Sunday Six installment. It's time for some kickass rock and one of my new "discoveries," Dirty Honey. I first featured this great rock band from Los Angeles a week ago in this Best of What's New installment. The band, which has been around since 2017, features Marc Labelle (vocals), John Notto (guitar), Justin Smolian (bass) and Corey Coverstone (drums). Their classic rock-oriented sound is reminiscent of groups like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and The Black Crowes. Here's Tied Up, credited to the entire band, from their eponymous studio debut album released on April 23. This is a fun tune that nicely rocks!
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on May 2, 2021 May 2, 2021 Categories The Sunday SixTags 6th Avenue Heartache, Aerosmith, Al Jarreau, Alicia Keys, Barrie Maguire, Blaze Of Glory, Bob Dylan, Bringing Down the Horse, Clive Davis, Corey Coverstone, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Dirty Honey, Down To London, Exit Wounds, Fallin', I'm the Man, James Bond Theme, Jazz, Joe Jackson, John Barry, John Barry & Orchestra, John Notto, Justin Smolian, Led Zeppelin, Look to the Rainbow, Marc Labelle, Monty Norman, Neo Soul, Paul Desmond, Peter Yanowitz, Rami Yafee, Rock Music History, Roots Rock, Songs in A Minor, Soundtracks, Take Five, The Apples, The Black Crowes, The Wallflowers, Tied Up, Time Out, Tobi Miller, Vic Flick14 Comments on The Sunday Six
A busy week that hardly left any opportunity to read and comment on posts from fellow bloggers, not to mention post anything myself, is coming to an end. At least, I managed to carve out some time to write my weekly feature about newly released music. All of the picks in this installment fall into the rock realm. Each tune appeared on albums that were released yesterday (April 23), in some cases delayed due to COVID-19. What else is new?
Kicking off this Best of What's New are Dirty Honey, a great rock band from Los Angeles that was founded in 2017. Apple Music characterizes them as a hard rock combo in the grand, riffy tradition of stadium titans like Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, [which] rose out of Los Angeles' club scene in 2019 with their self-titled debut EP. Singer Marc Labelle, guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone cut their teeth developing a classic hard rock sound deeply indebted to the aforementioned rock giants as well as second wave purveyors like the Black Crowes. Their 2018 debut single "Fire Away" earned some national exposure and was followed in 2019 by their eponymous EP, which was produced by rock veteran Nick Didia (Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine). Here's a nice tune from the band's first full-length album titled Dirty Honey just like their previous 2019 EP: California Dreamin', which is pretty representative of the other tracks on the album. All songs are credited to the entire group. As somebody who enjoys classic rock, it's easy for me to dig this music.
Art d'Ecco/Desire
Art d'Ecco is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Victoria, B.C., who thanks to his fondness for makeup and platform shoes looks like a throwback to the '70s glam rock era. But as Apple Music notes, while it has a retro vibe, his music blurs the boundaries of genres rather than capturing one specific style. D'Ecco's web bio is primarily focused on his new album In Standard Definition and doesn't provide much background on him. It notes a predecessor from 2018 titled Trespasser. Discogs also lists 2016 album Day Fevers. Here's an excerpt from D'Ecco's bio about his newest release, a concept album revolving around the role of entertainment in (some) people's lives: Joining forces with producer/ engineer Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, New Pornographers, Destroyer) in ocean-side studio The Hive, In Standard Definition sees d'Ecco packing his heftiest punch yet. Through Stewart's vintage set up, a decoupage of authentic sounds was recorded to 2-inch tape on a 50-year-old console. Embellished with slick '70s drums production, it echoes with the textural ambition of Brian Eno's Here Come The Warm Jets or Toni Visconti on Bowie's Scary Monsters. Here's the opener Desires, which like all other tunes of the album was written by d'Ecco. It's not exactly in my core wheelhouse- still, it has something!
KALEO/Alter Ego
How many rock bands from Iceland you know? I had not been aware of any until I came across KALEO and their new album Surface Sounds. The band was formed in 2012 in Mosfellsbær, a small town in south-west Iceland, seven miles east of the country's capital Reykjavík. JJ Julius Son (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Daniel Kristjansson (bass) and David Antonsson (drums), who had been close friends since elementary school, began playing music together when they were 17. Lead guitarist Rubin Pollock joined soon thereafter. Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson (harmonica, bongos, keyboards) rounds out the current line-up. In late 2012, KALEO signed with Iceland's main record label Sena and recorded their eponymous studio album, which came out the following year. In early 2015, the band got a deal with Atlantic Records and relocated to Austin, Texas. Their sophomore album A/B, which appeared in June 2016, marked KALEO's international breakthrough. It climbed to no. 16 on the Billboard 200, peaked at no. 2 in Canada, reached no. 29 in Australia, and charted within the top 30 in various European countries. Alter Ego, written by JJ Julius Son, is a tune from the aforementioned Surface Sounds, the band's third album. Initially, it had been scheduled for June 2020, but the release was pushed back because of you know what. Alter Ego was first released as a single on March 20, 2020.
Dinosaur Jr./I Ain't
Let's wrap up things with some more rock. Dinosaur Jr. were founded in Amherst, Mass. in 1984. Initially a four-piece called Mogo, the band dissolved after their first gig and reformed as a trio shortly thereafter, consisting of J Mascis (guitar, vocals), Lou Barlow (bass) and Patrick Murphy ("Murph") (drums) and calling themselves Dinosaur. They released their eponymous debut album in July 1985 on Homestead Records, the label by Mascis' college friend Gerard Cosloy. Due to legal reasons, the band tweaked their name to Dinosaur Jr. in late 1987 shortly after their sophomore album You're Living All Over Me had come out. By the time the band's sixth studio album Without a Sound was released in August 1994, Mascis was the only remaining original member. The band, which essentially had become his project, released one additional album, Hand it Over (March 1997), before Mascis dissolved it and launched a solo career. In 2005, Mascis reunited with Barlow and Murphy to revive Dinosaur Jr. They have since released five additional albums including their latest Sweep It Into Space, another record that initially had been scheduled to appear last year. Here's the opener I Ain't, a melodic rocker written by Mascis.
Sources: Wikipedia; Apple Music; Art d'Ecco website; Discogs; YouTube
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on April 24, 2021 April 24, 2021 Categories Best of What's NewTags A/B, Alter Ego, Alternative Rock, Art d'Ecco, Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson, Black Mountain, Brian Eno, California Dreamin', Colin Stewart, Corey Coverstone, Daniel Kristjansson, David Antonsson, David Bowie, Day Fevers, Desire, Destroyer, Dinosaur Jr., Dirty Honey, Fire Away, Gerard Cosloy, Glam Rock, Hand it Over, Here Come The Warm Jets, I Ain't, In Standard Definition, J Mascis, JJ Julius Son, John Notto, Justin Smolian, KALEO, Lou Barlow, Marc Labelle, New Pornographers, Nick Didia, Patrick Murphy, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Rock, Rubin Pollock, Scary Monsters, Surface Sounds, Sweep It Into Space, The Black Crowes, Toni Visconti, Trespasser, Without a Sound, You're Living All Over Me12 Comments on Best of What's New
My Playlist: The Black Crowes
The recent appearance of the previously unreleased Charming Mess by The Black Crowes, which I included in my latest Best of What's New installment, reminded me of this great band. While I wouldn't call myself an outright fan, I've always enjoyed their songs, especially their '70s style blues rockers. This triggered the idea to put together a career-spanning post about their music.
Chris Robinson (lead vocals, guitar) and his younger brother Rich Robinson (lead guitar) formed the band in Marietta, Ga. in 1984 while they were still in high school. Initially called Mr. Crowe's Garden after the children's book Johnny Crowe's Garden by Leonard Leslie Brookes, they were influenced by R.E.M., classic southern rock and '60s psychedelic pop before embracing '70s style blues rock.
In 1987, the band recorded their first demos at A&M Records. Two years later, they met A&R executive George Drakoulias, who signed them at Def American Recordings (now American Recordings), the label founded by Rick Rubin. Apparently, Drakoulias had an important influence, turning the band's attention to The Faces and Humble Pie, and encouraging them to cover Rolling Stones tunes.
Rich Robinson (left) and Chris Robinson
By the time the band released their debut album Shake Your Money Maker in February 1990, they had changed their name to The Black Crowes. In addition to the Robinson brothers, the group included Jeff Cease (guitar), Johnny Colt (bass) and Steve Gorman (drums). Their line-up would frequently change over the years, with the Robinson brothers as the only constant members.
After releasing five more studio and two live albums between 1992 and 2001, The Black Crowes went on hiatus, and the Robinson brothers recorded solo albums. In early 2005, the brothers reassembled the group with a new line-up. Two studio and several live and compilation albums followed, together with more line-up changes before The Black Crowes came to an end for the second time in January 2015. Apparently, it was due to differences between the brothers regarding ownership of the band – in other words, a typical rock & roll story!
The current chapter of The Black Crowes started in late 2019 when the Robinson brothers during an interview with Howard Stern revealed they had overcome their disagreements and were planning to revive the band for a 2020 tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Shake Your Money Maker album. The newly reformed group premiered on November 11, 2019 at The Bowery Ball Room New York City with a backing band comprised of Isiah Mitchell (guitar), Tim Lefebvre (bass), Joel Robinow (keyboards) and Raj Ojha (drums). The tour was stopped by COVID-19 and is now set to resume in Florida in late June.
Time for some music. Let's kick it off with the excellent Jealous Again from the Shake Your Money Maker debut. Like all originals, the tune was co-written by the Robinson brothers.
Here's another track from the same album I really dig: She Talks to Angels.
In May 1992, The Black Crowes released their sophomore record The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. It topped the Billboard 200, fueled by four singles that each hit no. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Here's one of them: Remedy.
A Conspiracy, off the band's third album Amorica from November 1994, features some cool wah-wah guitar action and is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, especially in the beginning.
Three Snakes and One Charm, the fourth album by The Black Crowes, appeared in July 1996. Here's Blackberry.
On By Your Side from January 1999, The Black Crowes returned to a more straightforward approach from their debut album. According to Wikipedia, it drew praise from many reviewers while some critics dismissed it as a knock off of Rod Stewart and The Rolling Stones – well, I suppose you can't make everybody happy. Here's the dynamic opener Go Faster.
May 2001 saw Lions, the band's sixth studio release and the last prior to their hiatus. Apple Music calls the Don Was-produced work "the most unusual album in The Black Crowes' catalog." Soul Singing, which became the album's second single, has a soul and gospel touch.
Warpaint, released in March 2008, was the first album by The Black Crowes after they had reemerged from hiatus and their seventh studio effort overall. It became their first top 10 album on the Billboard 200 since their 1992 sophomore release, peaking at no. 5. Here's Wounded Bird, which also appeared separately as the second single in June of the same year.
This brings me to Before the Frost…Until the Freeze, the eighth and to date most recent studio album by The Black Crowes. It was recorded at The Barn, Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, N.Y., before a live audience. Here's the tasty opener Good Morning Captain.
I'd like to wrap things up with a track from Croweology, a compilation of new acoustic-based recordings of songs from The Black Crowes' first six studio albums. Hotel Illness initially appeared on their 1992 sophomore release The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.
Sources: Wikipedia; Apple Music; YouTube
Author christiansmusicmusingsPosted on January 26, 2021 January 24, 2021 Categories My PlaylistTags Amorica, Before the Frost...Until the Freeze, Blackberry, Blues Rock, By Your Side, Charming Mess, Chris Robinson, Croweology, Don Was, Go Faster, Good Morning Captain, Hotel Illness, Humble Pie, Isiah Mitchell, Jealous Again, Jeff Cease, Joel Robinow, Johnny Colt, Led Zeppelin, Levon Helm, Lions, Mr. Crowe's Garden, R.E.M., Raj Ojha, Rod Stewart, Shake Your Money Maker, She Talks to Angels, Soul Singing, Southern Rock, Steve Gorman, The Black Crowes, The Faces, The Rolling Stones, Three Snakes and One Charm, Tim Lefebvre, Warpaint, Wounded Bird15 Comments on My Playlist: The Black Crowes


Dreams started to drift closer to daylight when a group of school administrators, teachers and board members met last week.
The first set of rough blueprints received more scrutiny last week when a group met with a Minot architect on a proposed remodeling and additional plan for the Garrison schools.
Wayne Whitty, architect, met with three board members, two administrators, four educators and a janitor March 31. Whitty projected the plans onto a screen and walked the group through what possibilities were put together after staff and public meetings during the past couple of months.
The group seemed energized in discussing the plans, but the cost estimates of $180 – 200 a square foot initially drew silence. Later, when the entire dream sheet was added up, a $8.4 million price tag, with $2.8 million for the elementary school and $5.6 million for the high school, drew one whistle and a few long faces.
The wish list for the high school called for a larger ag-ed area, commons area with a kitchen, small stage off the commons area, new weight room and lockers, greenhouse, three-four new classrooms and moving the main entry to the gym entrance with administration offices nearby.