I One of the most unlikelymusical surprises of the last few yearsis the extent to whichI grew to love Beyoncé. Heretofore, completely outof my wheelhouse (at least I suspected), I’m tryingto remember the first experience that won me. I think it happened whenI watched the album-lengthfilm of Lemonade. The sheeraudacity of that projectintrigued me, theContinue reading “#617: B is for Beyoncé”
Category Archives: Poetry
#616: B is for Benatar, Pat
One of my earliest drummingmemories, feeling for the first time that I kind of knew what I was doing, was playing PatBenatar’s “Heartbreaker” in myfirst high school garage bandat some party and feeling on top of the absolute world. The last time I said to myself, I need to listen to her again,was probably whenContinue reading “#616: B is for Benatar, Pat”
#615: B is for Belle and Sebastian
I I had never consideredthe origin of the band’s name. I googled that. Now I know it comes from a French children’s book about a boy and his dog. I wonder if Belle is the dogor Sebastian is the dog, and the reason for my hesitationis the surprising placementof the names in the title. Wouldn’tContinue reading “#615: B is for Belle and Sebastian”
#614: B is for Belew, Adrian
I’m a lone rhinoceros. There ain’t one hell of a lots of usleft in this world –Adrian Belew I hadn’t listened to this album in years, but as soon as I knew it was coming up, this lyric about the lone rhinoceros cameinto my head, unforgettable, pithy, clever. I just looked up “momur” on wiki-whatever.Continue reading “#614: B is for Belew, Adrian”
#613: B is for the B-52s
One of the greatestnerd-rock bands ever, The B-52s arrived in 1979with this gem of a debut.They were not accomplished musicians, but these spirited performances completely overshadowed what they may have lacked in precision, or what the serious musicians might have called “chops.”I might have been one of those dismissive listeners. I can imagine myself sayingContinue reading “#613: B is for the B-52s”
#612: B is for Beauty Pill
I’ve got to get my alphabet shitback together. They say smoke follows Beauty but damn it, BECK follows Beauty too. And so here I am with another corrective, trying to write a poem-like-thing about an absolute favoritediscovery of the lastfew years, Beauty Pill. My friend Ericturned me on to this band a few years ago.Continue reading “#612: B is for Beauty Pill”
#611: B is for Beck
New stylus acquired and installed. I asked the guy, can you look me upin your system, and tell me when I bought this turntable? Sure, he said,and he looked me up. He said, 2017. We had a laugh, then, didn’t we? I hadn’t changed my stylus in almost nine years, and I listen to aContinue reading “#611: B is for Beck”
#610: B is for The Beach Boys
Don’t start with me. I know my alphabet. But when recordsare inside ordered boxes as opposed to longuninterrupted shelves, it’s easy to sneak anartist into a box before it belongs. Bears go before Beatand Beatles, and Beachgoes before Bearsand Boys go before Houses. The other benefit of going through my collectionin this way is theContinue reading “#610: B is for The Beach Boys”
#609: B is for The Bears
By the time I get out of the B section of the alphabet, It turns outthat Adrian Belew will have appeared threetimes in three differentpoems representing three different artists. This is his second arrival, as the front man and collaborative songwriterfor a short-lived, once-reunited, fouralbum-making band called The Bears. As much as I was interestedContinue reading “#609: B is for The Bears”
#608: B is for The Beatles
I I couldn’t have beenmore than five or sixyears old, sitting on the floor of my sister’s bedroomin front of her portable suitcase record player spinning Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Bandover and over. Too youngto understand the magnitudeof their success or brilliance, and too young to be susceptible to whatever commercial influences mighthave beenContinue reading “#608: B is for The Beatles”
michael jarmer 