Continuing in its newfound tradition of questionably chosen, but interestingly written "greatest of all-time lists," Rolling Stone's latest issue includes a line-up of the "100 Greatest Singers of All-Time" with the articles written by other notable musicians, many of whom are on the list themselves. Controversial picks in the top-10 include Elvis Presley (overrated?), John Lennon (are we taking tonal quality into account?), and Bob Dylan (okay, obviously we're not). Below are the top 10, and their corresponding article writers in parenthese. You can read the whole thing in RS here .
1. Aretha Franklin (by Mary J. Blidge)
2. Ray Charles (by Billy Joel)
3. Elvis Presley (by Robert Plant)
4. Sam Cooke (by Van Morrison)
5. John Lennon (by Jackson Browne)
6. Marvin Gaye (by Alicia Keys)
7. Bob Dylan (by Bono)
8. Otis Redding (by Booker T. Jones)
9. Stevie Wonder (by Cee-Lo)
10. James Brown (by Iggy Pop)
Also, rounding out the top 25 are: Paul McCartney, Little Richard, Ray Orbison, Al Green, Robert Plan, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury, Bob Marley, Smokey Robinson, Johnny Cash, Etta James, David Bowie, Van Morrison, and Michael Jackson. The whole LIST.
Beyonce and Adrian Brody star in this Dreamgirls-esque Hollywood production about Chess Records -- the formative, Chicago-based record label that was home to several of rock 'n roll's important pioneers, including Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Beyonce's character, Etta James.
Consider yourself corrected Noel. No, no they have not. Seriously!? The nerve, Noel, the nerve. Your band hasn't produced a quality record since 1995. Really. Jealously's one thing, but whining about it on the the radio is another.
Mitch Mitchell, the influential drummer of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was found dead earlier today in his Portland, Oregon hotel room. He was 61.
Personally, he's one of my all-time favorite drummers. His blending of jazz and rock styles, and his playing of the drums as a lead instrument, both had lasting impacts on the world of drumming and on my own drumming in particular. Whether it was his jazzy swing groove on "Manic Depression," his spastic, funky snare hits on "Fire," or his soulful blues fills on "Little Wing," Mitch Mitchell played some of the most important 60's-era rock beats of all-time. He will be missed.
[Also, sort of a related FYI: this Monday will mark the 40th anniversary of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's show at Yale's Woolsey Hall. More on that Monday.]
What's the deal Greg? We still love you, but come on. You use a Macbook (or at least you used to). All your fans (mostly college students), and your peers (DJ's, producers, musicians, etc.), almost exclusively use Macs at this point. Was the check from MS really worth it?
In summary: PC's still uncool. GT still cool --- but a little shameless.
While the Ivy League has produced its fair share of rockstars (including John Legend (Penn), Alicia Keys (Columbia), and Paul Simon (also Columbia)), today's playlist deals with a more recent crop of ivy league artists who left the ivory tower in search of gold records. At the top of the class is blog-darling, Afro-pop rockers Vampire Weekend (Columbia '06 and '07); followed by synth pop duo Chester French (Harvard '07) who signed to Pharrel's label after graduation; plus Bishop Allen (Harvard '98 and '99), MGMT (Wesleyan '05 --- the Ivy League is just a sports league anyways, people), and rounding out the list for good measure, Yale's own Harlem Shakes ('05 and '06).
Each year New York City's CMJ Music Festival, which features hundreds of independent bands, launches a few unexpected stars into orbit. This year, one such band is Boston's Passion Pit. They've created a lot of buzz with their energetic live shows, and lead singer Michael Angelakos's shockingly high falsetto. Check out their most famous track, "Sleepyhead," below.
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