Los Angeles Times
Move, The: The Move, English Rock Group, Plays At Whisky
Live Review by John Mendelsohn, Los Angeles Times, 1969
THE FACT THAT England’s The Move, completing an abbreviated booking Sunday night at the Whisky, is unknown to all but the most devoted of anglophile ...
Donovan: Poet-Minstrel Donovan Plays At Hollywood Bowl
Live Review by John Mendelsohn, Los Angeles Times, September 1969
EVERY YEAR at this time Donovan Leitch seats himself beatifically on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl, plays the gentle poet/minstrel from another time and ...
Jefferson Airplane: Inglewood Forum, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by John Mendelsohn, Los Angeles Times, November 1969
GLORIOUSLY RESPLENDENT in crushed velvet and faded Levis, and backed by what was possibly the Glenn McKay troupe’s most breathtaking lightshow since Monterey, Jefferson Airplane, ...
Band, The: The Band Comes Back to California
Live Review by uncredited writer, Los Angeles Times, November 1971
SAN FRANCISCO -- It was exactly 9:30 p.m. Saturday when Bill Graham, far more relaxed than in his intense Fillmore days, walked on stage at ...
Tom Waits: Personality Without Pretension
Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, March 1976
THERE'S NO PLACE like Tom Waits' home. There's no home, at any rate, quite like Tom Waits' place. The Silver Lake court cottage looks like ...
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, 1978
CHANCES ARE GOOD that this time last year you had never heard of Thin Lizzy, let along heard them. Young veterans of the British music ...
Clash, The: The Clash: Give 'Em Enough Rope (Epic JE 35543)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1978
THE CLASH IS A PUNK ROCK BAND and proud of it, but fans who dismiss it for that reason alone are making a mistake. This ...
Beatles, The: Mistakes And All: Recreating The Fab Four in Beatlemania
Report and Interview by John Mendelsohn, Los Angeles Times, April 1978
IF THE FOUR young musicians who portray the Beatles in Beatlemania deliver anything less than the "incredible simulation" a sign in the Shubert Theater ticket ...
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1979
LOU REED IS one of the major influences on '70s rock, but consistency has never been his strong point. As the creative catalyst of the ...
Aging Musicians’ Dilemma: Is There Rock After 30?
Comment by John Mendelsohn, Los Angeles Times, March 1979
AT THE APOGEE of Beatlemania, Paul McCartney was asked at a press conference how long the Beatles would last: "Dunno," he replied, "but I can’t ...
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1979
IT'S NOT SURPRISING that when Todd Rundgren first spoke to the crowd Tuesday night at the Roxy he mentioned recognizing a lot of familiar faces. ...
Motels, The: The Motels: Booked Solid
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1979
MOST LOCAL BANDS have drawn inspiration from the classic rock bands of the '60s – notably the Rolling Stones and the Who. The chief exception ...
Generation X: Valley Of The Dolls (Chrysalis)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1979
MOST NEW-WAVE bands decry the jet-set life styles of established rock stars, but it's a safe bet to assume many were attracted to rock by ...
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, May 1979
Robert Gordon: The Roxy, Los Angeles ...
Willie Dixon Loves To Write The Blues
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1979
WILLIE DIXON'S name doesn't pop up frequently on lists of great songwriters, but American music wouldn't sound the same without him. Muddy Waters and Howlin' ...
Lowell George: Thanks I'll Eat It Here
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1979
THE IMMINENT RELEASE or this, the first solo LP by Little Feat mainstay Lowell George, was a rumor in good standing among certain segments of ...
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1979
GRAHAM PARKER'S salute to Lowell George at the close of his Santa Monica Civic concert last weekend symbolized the respect the rock community held for ...
Dire Straits: Communique (Warner Bros.)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1979
THE GREATEST CHALLENGE facing a band that has enjoyed sudden commercial success is to avoid churning out subsequent LPs that are carbon copies of the ...
Who, The: What's What With The Who Movie
Film/DVD Review by John Mendelsohn, Los Angeles Times, July 1979
THE KIDS Are Alright movie – opening Thursday at the Cinerama Dome – begins with the Who performing their ode to teen inarticulateness, 'My Generation', ...
Pere Ubu Plays for Body, Brain
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1979
Pere Ubu: The Whiskey, Los Angeles ...
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1979
Kinks Are Still Crowd-Pleasers ...
Blue Oyster Cult at Pauley Pavilion
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1979
THERE WERE enough guitar solos at Blue Oyster Cult's concert at UCLA'S Pauley Pavilion Friday to satiate even the most dedicated ax fanatic. But, judging ...
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1979
NILS LOFGREN was widely regarded as a sure bet for rock stardom during the mid '70. The singer-songwriter-guitarist's early solo albums and efforts with the ...
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1979
AC/DC: Long Beach Arena ...
New Orleans: Crescent City's Other Legacy
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1979
NEW ORLEANS IS widely recognized as the birthplace of jazz, but the Crescent City has also played a part in rock 'n' roll. Its rhythm ...
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1979
LAST YEAR'S Wavelength may have dispelled lingering doubts about Van Morrison's creative talents, but it did so only at the expense of some of the ...
J.J. Cale's Cooking a Low-Burner Affair
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1979
J.J. Cale: Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles ...
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1979
DAVID JOHANSEN'S first solo effort last year was a satisfying effort which found the former New York Dolls lead singer working on musical turf halfway ...
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1979
WHILE THE PRESS has been busily lavishing attention on punk bands, a new wave of groups has been quietly – well, not exactly quietly – ...
Rock's Fiery Jamaican Connection
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, November 1979
REGGAE MUSIC was widely tabbed as pop's Next Big Thing five years ago. With fiery lyrics of social protest wedded to a catchy dance rhythm, ...
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, November 1979
REEMERGENCE OF IGGY POP ...
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, November 1979
IT MUST BE A daunting prospect for anyone to make his or her performing debut, save for a couple of hometown Minneapolis tuneups, before an ...
Bonnie Raitt Plus a Surprise Co-Star
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1979
Bonnie Raitt: Santa Monica Civic, Los Angeles ...
Squeeze: British Squeeze at the Whisky
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, 1980
AN ECLECTIC MUSICAL approach can be a double-edged sword for a rock band. Incorporating a wide variety of styles can prevent a group from becoming ...
Queen Ida: Zydeco Is Her Realm
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, 1980
IN THE LAST 18 months, zydeco musician Queen Ida Guillory has spent more than 250 days on the road. Contributed some background music to Francis ...
Bob Marley & the Wailers: Bob Marley & The Wailers: Confrontation (Island)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, 1980
MOST RECORD COMPANIES waste little time in emptying the vaults when a major artist dies, but Island has refrained from pursuing that course with the ...
Tom Waits Does New York Shuffle
Report and Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, January 1980
IF NEIL SIMON can relocate from New York to Los Angeles, it's only fair that one of our local fixtures should return the favour. Tom ...
Nazareth: 'Skunk' Leads Nazareth To '80s
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1980
A RECORDING STUDIO can make strange bedfellows. Guitarist Jeff (Skunk) Baxter is best known for his work with the sophisticated rock of Steely Dan and, ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1980
ASK KURTIS BLOW about 'Another One Bites the Dust' and his reply is quick and to the point. "That's my 'Christmas Rappin''." ...
Frank Zappa: Zappa Zeros In On L.A.
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1980
FRANK ZAPPA'S CONCERT at the Sports Arena tonight will be his first local appearance in 2 years, but rock's iconoclastic satirist certainly isn't viewing it ...
Review and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1980
STAUNCH KINKS fans have been predicting anticipating a solo album from lanky lead guitarist Dave Davies ever since his single 'Death of a Clown' reached ...
Yes: The Band That Punks Say Is A 'No'
Interview by John Mendelsohn, Los Angeles Times, September 1980
Question: Do you imagine it impossible to sum up in a single word all that rock's third generation, that is, the punks and their new ...
Burning Spear Debuts At The Roxy
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1980
THE WEST COAST debut of Burning Spear before a packed house at the Roxy Tuesday night may not have matched the excitement of Bob Marley ...
Stranglers, The: The Stranglers: Live at the Whisky, Los Angeles
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, November 1980
THE STRANGLERS, the British band which opened a four-night stand at the Whisky Friday night, didn’t waste any time in letting the packed house know ...
Specials, The: The Specials: More Specials (Chrysalis)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, November 1980
CAUTION: Anyone expecting More Specials to duplicate the ferocious wallop of the British ska band’s live performances or debut LP is in for a surprise. ...
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1980
Dr. Feelgood's Los Angeles debut four years ago was an impressive and welcome breath of fresh air. The British quartet's lean, mean brand of English ...
Disc Haven For Rockers: Rough Trade
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1981
SMALL, INDEPENDENT labels have introduced many of rock music's most influential figures. Elvis Presley (on Sun Records), Chuck Berry (Chess) and Little Richard (Specialty). Even ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1981
GIL SCOTT-HERON was widely viewed as a potential superstar in 1974 when he became the first performer signed by Clive Davis at Arista Records. The ...
Throbbing Gristle Makes L.A. Debut
Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, May 1981
Throbbing Gristle: Veteran's Auditorium, Culver City, CA ...
Moog On The State Of The Synthesizer
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1981
IT’S NOT UNUSUAL for a musician to become controversial, but it is rare for a musical instrument to be debated. Robert Moog may have envisioned ...
Kurtis Blow: Rap, Rap, Rapping At Top 10’s Door: Kurtis Blow and Company
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1981
Twas the night before Christmas and allthrough the house...Hold it, hold it. That’s PLAYED OUT.Don’t give me all that jiveAbout things you wrote before I ...
‘Home Runs, No Bunts’ — Solar Power On The Rise
Interview by Gene Sculatti, Los Angeles Times, December 1981
Does the Stones' latest album fail to start you up? Has your affair cooled with the New Romantics? You say you didn't grow up to ...
James Blood Ulmer: Guitarist Ulmer At Club Lingerie
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1982
NEW YORK-BASED guitarist James (Blood) Ulmer has become a cause celebre in hip jazz and rock circles over the past few years. Several Big Apple ...
Sly & Robbie: Sly and Robbie: Laying Reggae's Bottom Line
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1982
QUESTION: WHAT do chic chanteuse Grace Jones. English rockers Joe Cocker and Ian Dury and reggae power house. Black Uhuru have in common? ...
Professor Longhair: The Longhair Legacy
Retrospective by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1982
MOST ROCK fans have never heard of Professor Longhair, but lots of their favorite musicians certainly have. The New Orleans-based piano I player, who died ...
Rock Sax: Resurgence Of The Saxophone
Overview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, March 1983
THE SAX IS BACK.Honking saxophones played a major part in shaping '50s rock 'n' roll, but the instrument's role was virtually eliminated by the guitar ...
In Search Of The L.A. Black Beat
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, May 1983
LOS ANGELES IS the home of black music stars. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Donna Summer, Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick, Earth, Wind & Fire, ...
King Sunny Ade and his African Beats: Synchro System (Mango)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1983
APPROACHING SUNNY ADE'S juju music from a Western pop perspective is difficult, because his creative objective is a smooth flow with nothing much happening in ...
Duane Eddy and A Band He Couldn't Refuse
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1983
DUANE EDDY's "twangy" guitar sound on hits like 'Rebel-Rouser' established him as a major star during the golden era of rock instrumentals, so his return ...
Clifton Chenier: Club Lingerie, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1983
CHENIER GETS THE LINGERIE ON ITS FEET ...
Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown: Peter Tosh and Dennis Brown: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1983
REGGAE RAUCOUSLY RECEIVED AT GREEK ...
James Jamerson: Motown's Unsung Hero
Obituary by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1983
THE EMPHASIS IN pop falls on people in the spotlight but some of the biggest contributions to our pop culture come from the musicians who ...
Albert King: Full Circle For Albert King
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1983
Albert King is no stranger to passing pop fashions. ...
Ray Manzarek: Manzarek Hears Echoes Of Doors
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1983
Ray Manzarek's Carmina Burana will distance him even farther from his days with the Doors. ...
ZZ Hill: Z.Z. Hill Is Happy He's Got The Blues
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1983
Z.Z. Hill's most recent blues albums have surpassed the sales of those recorded by bigger names. ...
Uncle Jam’s Army: Mobile Disco Dances To A Different Beat
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1983
A GROUP OF MODS, coats festooned with badges of their favorite bands and likenesses of the "Two-Tone" man, snake around the perimeter of the dance ...
Jaco Pastorius: Beverly Theatre, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, November 1983
JACO PASTORIUS established himself as the most influential bassist of the late '70s during his extended tenure with Weather Report. But if Sunday night's 90-minute ...
James Booker: R&B's Invisible Great
Obituary by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1983
The late James Booker fit comfortably into the New Orleans R&B piano tradition of Fats Domino but he also was a contemporary equivalent of the ...
Herbie Hancock: Beverly Theater, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1984
HERBIE HANCOCK still refuses to put all of his eggs in one basket. The veteran keyboard player blithely continues to release both funk-oriented material geared ...
Brat, The, El Chicano, Los Illegals, Los Lobos, Tierra: Latino Bands
Overview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1984
EVER SINCE Ritchie Valens rocketed into the national spotlight a quarter century ago with 'La Bamba', Los Angeles' Latino musicians have made repeated attempts to ...
Michael Jackson, David Williams: David Williams: A Slight Case Of No Credit
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1984
Session guitarist David Williams' name was left off Thriller album. ...
Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas: New Orleans R&B Hits The Club Lingerie
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1984
Bill Bentley and Harold Battiste hope to trigger renewed local interest in New Orleans music at Club Lingerie. ...
Hal Willner, Thelonious Monk: Interpretations Of Monk By Jazz, Rock Musicians
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1984
WHAT DO FELLINI soundtrack composer Nino Rota and the late jazz great Thelonious Monk have in common? ...
Thee Midniters: Zyanya: Tuned To New Latino Rock
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1984
THE LOCAL Chicano rock contingent has a new outlet for its music, courtesy of Rhino Records. The plucky independent label recently inaugurated a subsidiary label, ...
Meters, The: Leo Nocentelli Looks Back
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1984
LOS ANGELES is a Mecca for hungry musicians...and not only those with dreams of stardom. The constant demand for movie and TV soundtracks, commercial jingles ...
George Duke, Mtume: Mtume, Duke et al: Class Of '74 Pops Into The Mainstream
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1984
LOOK AT WHAT 10 years can do to jazz mavericks. A decade ago, George Duke, James Mtume, Reggie Lucas, Ndugu Chancler and Stanley Clarke were ...
Stevie Ray Vaughan: Palladium, Los Angeles
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1984
OK, STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN can play the everlovin' bejeesus out of the guitar, but packing a flash Stratocaster just ain't enough. ...
Alton Ellis: A Reggae Pioneer Who Preceded Marley
Retrospective by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1984
Artist: Alton Ellis. Personnel: Ellis, vocals, backed by local reggae musicians. ...
KACE's High: Funky Music In The Park
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1984
'And the winner is band number....Number...." ...
R.E.M.: The Reckoning of R.E.M.
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1984
R.E.M. DIDN'T go courting success but the acclaimed Georgia quartet is learning to deal with it. ...
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1984
APPARENTLY THE audience at this 1981 D.C. club date didn't realize that classic, gospel-rooted soul is hopelessly unhip, because it responds to Burke's impassioned performance ...
Fleshtones, The: The Fleshtones Let the '60s All Hang Out
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1984
CAN THE FLESHTONES prosper in today's slick, sophisticated pop world of Michael Jackson and Boy George? Percentage players would probably bet against the irreverent New ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1984
SUNDAY'S "WORLD Cultural Music Festival" was postponed Friday after two key performers coincidentally ran into customs difficulties, festival publicist Jeff Gans said. He expects the ...
Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band: Energetic Updating Of Brass-Band Sound
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1984
NEW ORLEANS — This city is a hotbed of jazz tradition, but the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has come up with a new twist on ...
Denise LaSalle: Right Place, Right Time: The Return of Denise Lasalle
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1984
DENISE LASALLE THOUGHT her singing career was over three years ago. The blues-soul singer, who appears at the Long Beach Blues Festival Saturday, was a ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1984
WASHINGTON – Ronald Reagan may preside over official Washington, but Trouble Funk rules the inner city surrounding it. ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1984
THREE YEARS AFTER Bob Marley succumbed to cancer, his old Wailers band and three backing vocalists — including his widow — are embarking on an ...
Johnny Adams Creeps Up On Some Recognition
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1984
NEW ORLEANS — Sometimes talent alone isn't enough to forge a successful career in pop music. ...
Augustus Pablo.: A Shadowy Reggae Legend
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1984
Personnel: Pablo, keyboards-melodica; Liebert (Gibby) Morrison, lead guitar; Fazal Prendergast, rhythm guitar; Anthony (Asher) Brissett, Errol (Tarzan) Nelson, keyboards; Christopher Meredith, bass; Harry (Harry T) ...
Last Poets, The: Last Poets: The First And Lost Poets Of Rap
Retrospective by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1984
Group: The Last Poets. Record: The Last Poets (Celluloid 6101). Personnel: Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, Omar Ben Hassen, vocals. Nilaja, percussion. ...
Retrospective and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1984
That was the Baby Boom age. There were more Mexicans being 15, 16, 17 years old than you can think of. Everybody seemed to be ...
Bob Marley & the Wailers: Aston Barrett: Rhythm Behind The Reggae
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, November 1984
THE BARRETT BROTHERS may be the most influential unsung heroes in pop music. ...
Los Lobos: How Will The Wolf Survive?
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1984
THE EAST L.A. musical landscape is littered with one hit wonders who plunged back to obscurity as swiftly as they escaped from it, but the ...
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1984
"PARIS, TEXAS IS like a perfect career job," reflects Ry Cooder, the composer of the film's haunting score. "It's the kind of film that if ...
Bull Moose Jackson: A Bull Moose Party
Profile by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1984
Personnel: Jackson, vocals, backed by the Flashcats: Cindy Sotak, vocals, guitar; Dave Kent, vocals, guitar; Pete Loria, trumpet; Phil Brontz, saxophone; Jim Fanning, bass; Carl ...
Al Green: The Gospel According To Al Green
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1985
Al GREEN was the hottest soul singer this side of Stevie Wonder in the early '70s but don't expect to hear old hits like 'Tired ...
Magic Sam: Bluesman Magic Sam: His Legend Lives On
Retrospective by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1985
WHAT IF HE HADN'T died so young? Among rock fans, that kind of speculation usually centers on icons like Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Holly. Among ...
Eek-A-Mouse: Reggae For The Fun Of It
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1985
REGGAE ARTISTS usually strive to appear as visionary prophets in concert, but Eek-A-Mouse will bring a more light-hearted approach to the Music Machine on Saturday ...
Blasters, The: The Blasters: Hardline (Slash/Warner Bros)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1985
THE BLASTERS FACE a perennial battle in balancing their allegiance to roots forms of American music with the ever present danger of becoming predictable purists ...
Rockin' Dopsie: Hail The Crown Prince Of Zydeco: Rockin' Dopsie
Profile by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1985
ARTIST: Rockin' Dopsie & the Cajun Twisters. PERSONNEL: Alton Rubin (Rockin' Dopsie), accordion, vocals; John Hart, saxophone; Russell Gordon, guitar; Alonzo Johnson, bass; David Rubin, washboard; ...
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1985
"REGGAE IS JUST as much a part of my culture as it is for any Jamaican guy my age," contends guitarist/vocalist Robin Campbell of UB40. ...
Fela Kuti: Music is the Weapon: Fela
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1985
THE CONCEPT OF combining music with a strong political message is a romantic, enticing notion to many young musicians but it's a harsh, often painful ...
Fela Kuti: Music Is the Weapon
Film/DVD Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1985
THE IDEA of combining music with a strong political message is a romantic notion to many young musicians, but the concept is a harsh reality ...
Roland Alphonso: Kingston 12, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1985
THE START of saxophonist Roland Alphonso's second set at the Kingston 12 Friday brought to mind those uncomfortable evenings with aging blues legends where the ...
Otis Rush Singing The Blues About Obscurity
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1985
THE IMAGE OF THE under-appreciated blues artist laboring in obscurity has almost become a cliche, but Otis Rush genuinely fits that description. ...
James Blood Ulmer: The 'Harmolodics' Of James Ulmer
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, May 1985
NEUTRAL GROUND doesn't seem to exist when it comes to James (Blood) Ulmer's music. ...
Dr. John: Nights For Trippin' With Dr. John At The Lingerie
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, May 1985
DR. JOHN SHOULD feel right at home this weekend at the Lingerie in Hollywood. ...
Alex Chilton: Feudalist Star: Alex Chilton
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1985
AFTER YEARS of maintaining a low musical profile, southern pop cult hero Alex Chilton's star may be on the rise again. ...
Chris Strachwitz: Slices From Arhoolie
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1985
EL CERRITO, Calif. – "Since I only record music I really love, it's like being a preacher or a junkie," mused Chris Strachwitz, founder of ...
Aswad: The Palace, Los Angeles
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1985
STEEL PULSE spearheaded the charge of British reggae artists to America, but Aswad served notice at the Palace on Wednesday that it's ready to claim ...
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1985
SOLOMON BURKE looked more like Don Corleone surveying his domain in The Godfather than a preacher preparing to conduct a recent late-afternoon service. ...
Joe Higgs Seeks Reggae 'Triumph'
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1985
"IF I WAS A prophet, I wouldn't have left the Wailers, but I didn't know they were going to become this monstrous," Joe Higgs said ...
Linda Hopkins Sticks To The Gospel Truth
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1985
GOING FROM the glitzy glamour of opening four shows for Joan Rivers to the down-home atmosphere of the Long Beach Blues Festival this Saturday afternoon ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1985
DAVID HINDS was not in the mood to mince words. The lead singer and chief songwriter of Steel Pulse was furious over the delay in ...
Memphis Slim: McCabe's, Los Angeles
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1985
Sly Slim ...
Robert Cray Bringing The Blues Up To Date
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1985
YOU CAN UNDERSTAND why Robert Cray felt uncomfortable about the stir he created among blues fans two years ago. The arrival of an accomplished young ...
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1985
IS WASHINGTON'S explosive Go-Go funk Style destined to follow New York's rap/scratch/hip-hop brigade into the pop mainstream? ...
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1985
THE EXCITEMENT of performing before a live audience is the incentive for most pop artists to enter show business but it's taken Allen Toussaint almost ...
Dr. Ross: Blues – What The Doctor Ordered
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1986
SAM PHILLIPS' Sun Records has a special place in rock history as the musical birthplace of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny ...
Judy Mowatt: Mowatt's Winding Path To Success
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1986
JUDY MOWATT'S Working Wonders album has received a Grammy nomination, but that isn't the only reason she'll remember the record. A succession of studio disasters ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1986
BUNNY WAILER, who formed the creative nucleus of the Wailers with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh when the group became Jamaica's reigning pop heroes in ...
George Thorogood & The Destroyers: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, March 1986
GEORGE THOROGOOD & the Destroyers have added a few wrinkles, but the quartet hasn't changed much since Thorogood first danced on local tabletops seven years ...
Merry Clayton, Rolling Stones, The: 'Shelter' from the Storm: Merry Clayton
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, March 1986
MERRY CLAYTON'S spine-chilling vocal in the middle of ‘Gimme Shelter’ is one of the most electrifying moments in rock history but you couldn't blame Clayton ...
Bunny Wailer: Wailers 'Together Again'
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1986
THE UPCOMING Wailers album Together Again isn't just your average reunion record. Besides Bunny Waller, Peter Tosh, Junior Braitwaithe and Constantine Walker, the lineup will ...
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes: Southside Johnny: Dancing The Night Away With The Jukes
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, May 1986
"YOU SWEAT HERE as much as anywhere else in the world, let me tell ya," said Southside Johnny Lyon, and that sentiment aptly summed up ...
Skatalites, The: The Skatalites: The Fathers Of Ska
Profile by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1986
Personnel: The 11-man lineup will include charter members Johnnie Moore (trumpet), Lester Sterling (alto sax), Roland Alphonso and Tommy McCook (tenor sax), Rico Rodriguez (trombone), ...
Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Paul Butterfield
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1986
PAUL BUTTERFIELD played a vital role in popularizing blues with the '60s rock audience but the Chicago-born harmonica player/singer never experienced them as acutely as ...
Ziggy Marley: Marleys' Melodious Messages
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1986
REGGAE FANS may still mourn the death of Bob Marley from cancer five years ago, but the next generation of the Marley clan is already ...
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1986
"THE BARRELHOUSE used to be right down there on the northeast corner of Wilmington," Johnny Otis said Saturday afternoon, referring to the nightclub – a ...
Swan Silvertones, The: Pet Sounds: Get Right With the Swan Silvertones (Archives Alive/Rhino)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1986
GOSPEL MUSIC GENERALLY gets much lip service as an influence on R&B (and indirectly rock) vocalists but short thrift when it comes to re-issues of ...
Jimmy Johnson: Johnson At Peace With His Music
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1986
LARGE EGOS are common in the music world, but Jimmy Johnson is one performer who doesn't believe in loudly trumpeting the virtues of his music. ...
Little Milton: Long Beach Blues Festival, Long Beach
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1986
IF SOMEONE HAD distributed a checklist following Little Milton's set Saturday afternoon – rating his performance for singing, instrumental solos, arrangements, set pacing, use of ...
Motorhead: No Sleep 'Til San Diego: Motorhead
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1986
IT'S BEEN A TOUGH five years for Motorhead. The English heavy metal quartet, which appears Saturday in Santa Monica, Sunday in San Bernardino and in ...
Motorhead Guitarist Is Running On All Cylinders
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1986
WURZEL BURSTON'S road to Motorhead qualifies as one of rock's more implausible success stories. Originally a drummer, Burston switched to guitar at the advanced age ...
Cameo Wins Funk Fans With Sly Wit
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1986
Cameo: Santa Monica Civic, Santa Monica ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1986
'AT THIS MOMENT' is fast becoming the left-field pop success of the year. The soulful ballad by Billy & the Beaters, a popular fixture on ...
Youssou N'Dour: Super Star of Dakar: Youssou N'Dour
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1986
PETER GABRIEL HAS often acknowledged the influence of Third World styles on his recent songs and the veteran British rocker is paying back that debt ...
Billy Vera: Billy & the Beaters et al: Bar Bands Make The Rounds
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1986
THE SATURDAY NIGHT crowd packed into At My Place in Santa Monica whooped it up as Billy & the Beaters kicked off their opening set ...
Joe Louis Walker: Blues With A Gospel Tint
Profile by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1987
Band: Joe Louis Walker & the Boss Talkers.Personnel: Walker, guitar and vocals; Kevin Zuffi, keyboards; Henry Oden, bass; Sieve Griffith, drums. ...
Charlie Haden Recalls Lessons Of Cuba Visit
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, March 1987
CUBA IS A RARE tour stopover for any American, artist, but Charlie Haden’s appearance in Havana last month fulfilled a dream the eminent bassist had ...
Robert Cray: New Twist On The Blues
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1987
"IT'S REALLY FUNNY now, because when you're really down and out, nothing comes to you," reflected Robert Cray. "But when things start going for you, ...
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, May 1987
MALACO RECORDS isn't exactly a household name in the music industry but the Jackson, Mississippi-based label was behind one of the surprise grass-roots success stories ...
Clarence Carter: Dr. Carter To You
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1987
CLARENCE CARTER decided to challenge himself last year and hit the jackpot with the best-selling album of his career. ...
Ornette Coleman: Music Dreams Are Made Of: Ornette Coleman at Town Hall, New York
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1987
NEW YORK – Funny, the pent-up anticipation that usually wells up before a concert didn't hit me until a half hour before Ornette Coleman took ...
James Carr: At the Dark End of the Street (Blue Side)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1987
Artist: James Carr.Album: At the Dark End of the Street (Blue Side). ...
Snooks Eaglin: The Eclectic Blues Of Unpredictable Eaglin
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1987
WHAT DO WASHINGTON'S Go-Go masters Trouble Funk, California instrumental rockers the Ventures and New Orleans R&B singer Smiley Lewis have in common? ...
Peter Tosh, Wailers, The: Reggae: Can The Beat Go On?
Comment by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1987
THE DEATH OF Peter Tosh, gunned down Sept 11 at his Kingston, Jamaica, home during an apparent robbery, is only the latest tragedy in the ...
Little Milton: Touring Little Milton Still Big On The Blues
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1987
LITTLE MILTON'S set was the clear highlight of the 1986 Long Beach Blues Festival, and it turns out that performance was just as memorable for ...
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1987
ALBERT COLLINS' CAREER has been on the upswing since he signed with Alligator Records in 1979 but the veteran blues guitarist has shifted into overdrive ...
Cecil Taylor: Pianist Cecil Taylor Makes Poetry Of His Jazz
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, October 1987
"GREAT MUSICIANS are more than musicians – they are poets and spiritual forces," said pianist Cecil Taylor. "It is the sensitivity and the concept of ...
Clifton Chenier: Remembering Clifton Chenier, the King of Zydeco
Obituary by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, December 1987
THE ONLY WAY Angelenos could get a true glimpse of the musical world of Clifion Chenier, who died last weekend at 62, was to attend ...
Clash, The, Joe Strummer: Strummer on Man, God, Law – and the Clash
Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, January 1988
HAS JOE STRUMMER lost his ambition and drive? It was strange last month to see one of rock's all-time most involving performers serving simply as ...
Irma Thomas: Time On Her Side: Irma Thomas
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1988
IRMA THOMAS' entrance into the music business is the kind of story rock dreams are made of. ...
Buckwheat Zydeco Happily Plays to the Younger Set
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, May 1988
STANLEY (BUCKWHEAT) DURAL Jr. played organ with Clifton Chenier from 1976 to 1978 – a stint that left more than a musical mark on the ...
Global Music With a Single Heart
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1988
QUICK, WHAT do English rock star Peter Gabriel, L.A. club favorites the Bonedaddys, West African vocalist Salif Keita, Israeli pop star Ofra Haza and the ...
Robert Johnson: Demons on the Delta
Retrospective by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1988
Standing at the crossroadsI tried to flag a rideNobody seemed to know meEverybody passed me by.– 'Crossroads Blues' by Robert Johnson ...
Pere Ubu: The Picturesque Sound of Pere Ubu
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1988
IS THE ROCK world finally ready for Pere Ubu? The critically acclaimed sextet from Cleveland, which finishes a two-night stand at Club Lingerie tonight – ...
Toots & The Maytals: Toots In Memphis
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, January 1989
REGGAE GOT SOUL was the title of a 1976 Toots & the Maytals album, and Frederick (Toots) Hibbert decided to re-emphasize the connection when he ...
Pato Banton, Burning Spear, Judy Mowatt: Second Generation Picks Up the Torch From Bob Marley
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1989
Bob Marley Day: Long Beach Arena, Los Angeles ...
Bob Mould: Ex-Husker Du Bob Mould Offers an Exercise in Angst
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, May 1989
TO BORROW two titles from bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson, Bob Mould could be Mr. Downchild taking up permanent residence on Bummer Road. ...
Charles Brown: The Rebirth Of Charles Brown And His Blues
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1989
A resurgence of interest in a big man of the post-World War II era ...
Sampling: A Creative Tool or License to Steal?
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1989
Guitarist Leo Nocentelli vividly remembers his first exposure to sampling in 1982. "I was on a session and the guy pressed one note on the ...
Ziggy Marley Livelies Up Himself in the Nick of Time
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1989
ZIGGY MARLEY did not wait a minute too long to dip into his father's songbook for 'Lively Up Yourself'. ...
Burning Spear Aims to Stay True to Roots Reggae
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1989
THERE IS no more pure exponent of roots reggae than Burning Spear. Reggae has gone through a number of permutations in the 15 years since ...
Little Feat: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1989
SO MUCH attention was focused on the late Lowell George's central role as the chief singer-songwriter for Little Feat that the inimitable funky boogie style ...
Daniel Lanois: A Nomad Settles Down to Record His Own Album
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1989
DANIEL LANOIS is best known for co-producing such chart breakthrough albums as U2's The Joshua Tree and Peter Gabriel's So. But you won't find much ...
Curtis Mayfield: The Palomino, Los Angeles
Live Review by Don Waller, Los Angeles Times, October 1989
Mayfield Performs Cream of His Crop of Hits ...
Ziggy Marley, Marcia Grifiths: The Resurgence of Reggae
Report by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1990
Pop music: Major labels sign more artists and watch sales rise. The Jamaican style enjoys renewed popularity with a new generation of performers and fans. ...
Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Art Ensemble Of Chicago
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, March 1990
"OUR MUSIC IS primarily intended to stimulate thought, to get people to make new rationales," said Art Ensemble of Chicago trumpeter Lester Bowie. "We're expanding ...
Linton Kwesi Johnson: Reggae's Pioneer Poet Has Picked Up His Pen Again
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, March 1990
Music: Linton Kwesi Johnson took a break because he was afraid he'd run out of things to say, but Europe thought otherwise. ...
Percy Mayfield, Johnny Adams: Johnny Adams and Percy Mayfield: A Blues Gem From A Surprising Pairing
Report and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1990
Walking on a Tightrope album mixes Johnny Adams' vocals and Percy Mayfield compositions ...
Albert King: An Old Blues Artist Is Easing Away
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, June 1990
"It's Time to Quit," Says Famed Guitarist Albert King, 67 ...
Retrospective and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, July 1990
IT WAS 1976 and they were five newcomers in three bands. Together, they helped stage 'Radio Free Hollywood' and opened the door for hundreds of ...
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1990
YOUSSOU N'DOUR has supplanted King Sunny Ade as the most visible African artist to Western pop audiences since the current surge of international interest in ...
Koko Taylor: A Blues Belter Bounces Back From Adversity
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1990
Pop music: Koko Taylor was injured in a van accident and then suffered the death of her husband-manager. ...
T-Bone Walker: The Complete Recordings of T-Bone Walker, 1940-1954 (Mosaic)
Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1990
The Complete Recordings of T-Bone Walker, 1940-1954 display the bluesman's seminal influence on the genre ...
Charles Brown: His Blues Get a New Audience
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, September 1990
Comeback: The low-key, urbane music of veteran singer-pianist Charles Brown fell out of favor during the rock era, but he is winning new fans opening ...
A Special Time In Rock: 1966 On The Sunset Strip
Retrospective by Roy Trakin, Los Angeles Times, 1991
THE SUMMER of 1966 on L.A.'s Sunset Strip was a time when many young musicians thought anything was possible. A teenager from the San Fernando ...
Maxi Priest: Reggae's Maxi Priest Wins Mainstream Favor
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, February 1991
Pop music: The British singer adds an R&B flavor to the Jamaican sound. He and his band play San Diego and Long Beach this weekend. ...
C+C Music Factory: This Ain't No Disco
Overview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1991
UNLIKE THE '70s, today's dance music is based on a radical mix of styles that may signal a new era in pop. ...
Soundgarden: Fertile Ground: Soundgarden
Profile and Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, August 1991
MIXING ENGINEER Ron St. Germain stands at a tape machine in a Tarzana studio, twisting the reels by hand until he creates the perfect space ...
Donald Fagen, Steely Dan: Donald Fagen: Return of the Nightfly
Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, November 1991
Steely Dan co-creator Donald Fagen resurfaces after nearly a decade of silence, with new works and a new outlook on life. ...
Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 1992
YOU CAN TELL a lot about your view of Roger Waters by your reaction to those terms. As the creative force of Pink Floyd from ...
Profile and Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1992
AFTER AN 8-year layoff, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards relaunch their group Chic but worry that their soulful sound may be dated. Can the architects ...
Interview by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1992
THE COMMERCIAL savvy which made Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards hit pop producers for 15 years nearly derailed their Chic reunion. ...
Little Feat: The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA
Live Review by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, April 1992
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – Figures that Little Feat would show up Thursday for the first night of three "all-acoustic" shows at the Coach House with ...
Lemonheads, The: The Lemonheads' Evan Dando
Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, July 1992
WHEN EVAN Dando came to L. A. to record the latest album with his two partners in the sort of Boston-based band, the Lemonheads, the ...
Charlie Mingus: Charles Mingus: What’s Everyone Got Against a Legend?
Retrospective by Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times, August 1993
In his lifetime, Charles Mingus was a rebel and a true giant of jazz, Now the Library of Congress has acquired his works and he’s ...
Tom Verlaine: Viper Room, Los Angeles
Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, May 1996
LIKE ITS SPIRITUAL forbearer, the Velvet Underground, the New York band Television was vastly more influential than the brevity and low commercial showing of its ...
Beach Boys, The, Brian Wilson: Brian Wilson: The Last Brother
Interview by Erik Himmelsbach, Los Angeles Times, July 1998
ALL OF ST. CHARLES is racing to eat before the sunsets and the kids melt down. At 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday, a time when ...
Pete Townshend, Who, The: Pete Townshend: on The Who and Lifehouse
Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, 1999
The Who on the road in America again, just 18 years after their farewell tour? "It’s a long story and not a particularly nice one," ...
Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, 1999
First they were lovers. Then they created one of the great pop groups of the ’80s. Then they didn’t exchange a word for four years... ...
Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, May 1999
By the summer of 1975 Cat Stevens had it all. In the previous four years he had scored six American Top 10 albums in a ...
For CD Guru, Masters Are His Domain
Profile and Interview by Fred Shuster, Los Angeles Times, October 2000
SOME PEOPLE have the best jobs. ...
Coldplay, Craig David, David Gray: Letter From London: Garage and The New Soft Rock
Report by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, December 2000
"TO ME, ALL MELODIES were pure embarrassment," said Radiohead's Thom Yorke recently as he struggled to explain the making of Kid A. It hardly seems ...
Report and Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, February 2001
OUTSIDE THE REAR door at the BBC Radio Theatre in central London there's an air of restless tension. A gaggle of girls giggles. A pack ...
So Solid Crew, Starsailor, Coldplay: Letter from London, January 2002
Overview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, January 2002
WHILE, SINCE The Beatles, we British music fans have often affected insouciant confidence in the superiority of our taste over the rest of the world's ...
Steely Dan: Hey 19: It's About Time
Profile and Interview by Wayne Robins, Los Angeles Times, March 2002
"WHAT RECORD COMPANY are we on, by the way?" Donald Fagen wants to know. "I'm not kidding." ...
Elvis Costello: Classics and Newer Tunes, a Full-Circle Mix by Elvis Costello
Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, May 2002
Elvis Costello: UCLA Ackerman Grand Ballroom, Los Angeles ...
Ozzy Osbourne: The Osbournes Conquers Britain
Report and Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, June 2002
PICTURE THIS. It's next Monday night at Buckingham Palace, the grand finale of Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee concert. Stars of the British rock'n'roll firmament crowd ...
Strokes, The, White Stripes, The: Of Strokes and Stripes: An American Invasion
Report by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, July 2002
LAST SUMMER THERE was a sign outside British music’s front door. It read "SITUATION VACANT", and then, in smaller print, "Wanted: the Next Big Thing". ...
Streets, The, Ms Dynamite: Letter from London: The Streets and Ms Dynamite
Report and Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, March 2003
WHEN THE BEATLES flew over from England in the '60s, it seemed the whole of young America gathered at the airport to scream a welcome. ...
Neil Young: A Family Album: Neil Young's Risky New Project Traces A Fictional Clan's Story In Song
Report by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, July 2003
LONDON -- Sitting on a stool amid a half-circle of racked guitars, two pianos and a pipe organ, lit by candles and an overhead spotlight ...
Darkness, The: Permission To Like The Darkness
Report by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, April 2004
YOU GUYS WONDER about us Brits sometimes, don't you? We're so proper and reserved, so tea and scones, so cricket, so ... just so. Then, ...
Beastie Boys, The: The Beasties and their Boroughs
Report and Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, May 2004
"HEY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE!" says Mike Diamond in high, pinched New York tones as Beastie Boys' mini-bus swings past the ugly royal pile. "Hence all the ...
Report and Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, June 2004
"IT'S OUR job to serve the lives of music fans," enthuses Conor McNicholas, editor of the NME, last survivor of the UK's once thriving weekly ...
Tom Waits: A Cluttered Harmony
Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, September 2004
THE LITTLE AMSTERDAM sits incongruously in the rolling expanse of Sonoma County farmland, a low white building adorned with a Dutch windmill - a "fake" ...
Chronicle Of A Mythic Concert: The TAMI Show Remembered
Retrospective by Steven R Rosen, Los Angeles Times, October 2004
THE ROLLING STONES were there, along with James Brown, the Beach Boys, the Supremes, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye and more, filmed live before their screaming ...
Retrospective by Steven R Rosen, Los Angeles Times, October 2004
THE ROLLING Stones were there, along with James Brown, the Beach Boys, the Supremes, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye and more, filmed live before their screaming ...
Klaus Nomi Lives Again In The Nomi Song
Report by Steven R Rosen, Los Angeles Times, February 2005
THE ARTIST KENNY SCHARF was listening to "Jonesy's Jukebox" on Indie 103.1 FM recently when he was startled to hear a Klaus Nomi song – ...
Warren Zevon: Crystal Zevon's Story: Warren from A to Z
Interview by Fred Schruers, Los Angeles Times, May 2007
Through interviews and diaries, the musician's ex-wife chronicles the hedonistic life of one of the genre's bad boys. ...
Miami Sound Machine: The Hit Factory Criteria Studio
Report and Interview by Evelyn McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, July 2008
MIAMI – On any given night, as the fabled moon rises over Miami, the densest concentration of pop stars per square foot is likely to ...
Chris Clark: Motown's Great White Hope: Chris Clark
Retrospective and Interview by Don Waller, Los Angeles Times, August 2009
CHRIS CLARK was a 17-year-old, 6-foot platinum blond when she arrived at Motown's Detroit headquarters in 1963 -- demo in hand -- to audition for ...
Bikini Kill: Sara Marcus: Girls to the Front
Book Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, October 2010
BROOKLYN-BASED writer and musician Sara Marcus deserves a medal just for daring to write a book about Riot Grrrl, the fiercely uncompromising feminist movement of ...
Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj: Staples Center, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, June 2011
Haters Go Home: Britney Dominates L.A. Show ...
Björk: A New Map to Björk's Music
Report and Interview by Evelyn McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, October 2011
IT'S A SAD IRONY: The digitization of music has impoverished the average listening experience. Not only do compressed files sound meagre compared to the sonic ...
Kim Fowley: Impresario, Svengali, Saint, Devil
Report and Interview by Evelyn McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, April 2012
KIM FOWLEY pulls DVDs, fliers, CDs, a hospital admission slip and more DVDs out of a jumble of media on the mixing board of a ...
Yo La Tengo: Jesse Jarnow: Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock (Gotham Books)
Book Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, July 2012
THIS IS AS SCINTILLATING as it gets: The opening and closing anecdotes of Big Day Coming revolve around typos. Shockingly, promoters and newspapers have had ...
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