The second time moving throughthe collection A to Z and findingmyself. Both literally and figuratively, I find myself in the music I make, and I findmy friends, my most favoritepeople on the planet. It’s true. With very few exceptions, my deepest relationships with other human beings have comefrom making music with them. A few yearsContinue reading “#839: P is for Project MA”
Tag Archives: rock
#837: P is for Porcupine Tree
I heard Steven Wilson’s solo stuffbefore I ever picked up an album from Porcupine Tree. A shape-shiftingprog rocker, Wilson is the singer-songwriter and guitar player behind this band and its massive catalog of 34 years, a solo artist with a formidable catalog of 26 years, and has become a kind of wizard studio engineer who,Continue reading “#837: P is for Porcupine Tree”
#836: P is for Pomplamoose
I think we have YouTube to thankfor Pomplamoose. Most folks, including moi, came across thispop music duo on their exceptionallywell recorded and filmed DIY videosof their original songs and wildlyinventive mash-up covers. Simpleaffairs, really, just a split screenor a quartered screen, each box featuring multi-instrumentalistJack Conte and his partner NatalyDawn performing live in the studio.Recently,Continue reading “#836: P is for Pomplamoose”
#835: P is for The Polyphonic Spree
Some of us remembera band from the early to mid 90’scalled Tripping Daisy. They had a hit called “I Got A Girl,” a super silly but super catchy post-punk, grunge-adjacent tune rightalong the lines of The FlamingLips’ “She Don’t Use Jelly.” This was their only hit. I likedthe song but never bought the album. IContinue reading “#835: P is for The Polyphonic Spree”
#834: The Polyphonic Spree Gatefold Swallowed One of My Oingo Boingo Records
I recently wondered to myself:it’s not in my CD collection, why don’t I have Oingo Boingo’s Good for Your Soul on vinyl? The notion seemed ridiculous. Somehow, I had never found a copy to replace the one I lostduring the great vinyl purge of 1988, and my record store friendtells me it’s become hard toContinue reading “#834: The Polyphonic Spree Gatefold Swallowed One of My Oingo Boingo Records”
#835: P is for The Police
Of all the new wave and punk era drummers,Stewart Copeland was maybe the first and maybethe only one to call attention to himself, to distinguish himself in the genre as a drummerone would admire, and, if one was a fledglingpercussionist, one to aspire to. He was, possibly, the Neil Peart of the punk and newContinue reading “#835: P is for The Police”
#833: P is for Plant, Robert
“Little By Little,” the opening trackof Robert Plant’s solo album, Shaken ‘n’ Stirred is a glorious thought experiment to find out what a love child between The Policeand Led Zeppelin would sound like. It’s a wonderful tune with the bestof what an 80’s stink has to offer, the big snare drum, some odd but heavyContinue reading “#833: P is for Plant, Robert”
#832: P is for The Pineapple Thief
Progressive rock, at its worst, becomes all about the enormous chopsof each member of the band. For me, at its best, those chops are coupledwith and secondary to great songs, memorable melodies, strong pop hooks, and smart lyrics. The Pineapple Thiefhas found the perfect prog rock recipefor me. Bruce Soord is an accomplishedsongwriter, has aContinue reading “#832: P is for The Pineapple Thief”
#831: P is for Pelley, Dan, aka–D Pel
This guy’s wife, Dr. Pelley, was my chiropractorfor a time, back when I had health insurance that would cover such a thing. I was kind of smitten with her, and learned that she and her husbandplayed music together, as my wife and I do, and so we traded records, one of oursfor one of herContinue reading “#831: P is for Pelley, Dan, aka–D Pel”
#830: P is for Pearl Jam
Just as the 80’s was a kindof revolt against the 70’s, the 90’s was a kind of revoltagainst the 80’s. Only recently, in the 21st century, has musicbecome so bifurcated by genreand sub-genre and sub-sub genre, that huge movements like punk or new wave or the grunge of the 90’s seem to have evaporated rightContinue reading “#830: P is for Pearl Jam”
