the
From Glam Rock…to Garbo….to Goats
the
HIP QUOTIENT
From Glam Rock…..to Garbo…..to Goats
the
From Glam Rock…to Garbo….
to Goats
When I was 6 years old, the lady who lived in the apartment above ours gave me a stack of old 45s she no longer wanted. One of my favorites from the bunch was, and still is, Marv Johnson's "Merry Go Round." Ever heard of him? Well, you should have, because he was the first artist to release a record on the label that would come to be known as Motown.
"Eewww, yuck. How can you listen to that stuff?" was the reaction of a female friend to my Tupac Shakur CDs back in the '90s. She echoed the view of many -- that the controversial rapper's lyrics represented violence and misogyny. Tupac was an artist full of contradictions. Like Bob Dylan and John Lennon before him (yes, John could be cruel), the rapper walked a thin line between love and hate. On one hand, he degraded and objectified women in his songs, calling them bitches, hoes and sluts. On the other hand he praised them - in songs like "Dear Mama and "Black Women" - and denounced rape and domestic violence. Yes, his lyrics could be ugly. I'm not condoning his behavior. But allow me to point out a few of the offensive songs written by some of our most beloved white artists.
On March 29, 1997, singer/songwriter/guitarist Jeff Buckley drowned at age 30 while trying to swim the Wolf River in Memphis. The son of folk legend Tim Buckley, Jeff made a huge impact on the music world with his haunting vocals, inspired songwriting, and amazing guitar work. As we approach the 17th anniversary of his passing, I feel that an investigation of the songs his peers and contemporaries wrote about him following his death can attest to his influence and impact. An article by contributor Adam Kukic, host of The Coffeehouse on WYEP fm.
What do Nerk Twins, Glimmer Twins, and Toxic Twins have in common? They're all pseudonyms for musical duos who, through some mystic alignment (or collision) of planets, came to front legendary rock bands. Today I'll take a look at the origin of these monikers and offer up a few of my own
When you're looking for a last-chance miracle to draw a crush object close to your heart, who do you call upon but Cupid, the god of desire, erotic love, and affection. In 1961, silky-smoky-voiced Sam Cooke penned his soulful plea to the boy with the bow and arrow, asking him to work his magic. Combining Latin rhythms with jazz and R&B, Sam created a perfect pop song. How could Cupid not fulfill his desperate wish? Here's a man who's in distress, in danger of losing all his happiness. For he loves a girl who doesn't know he exists. And it's all up to Cupid to fix. This really hits home, doesn't it? How many of us have pined for someone - a person we probably saw every day at school or at work - who was barely aware of our existence?