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Richard Grabel

Richard Grabel

Richard Grabel was the U.S. correspondent for the New Musical Express who later became a music lawyer. In the '90s he represented, among others, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Teenage Fanclub, the Lemonheads, Liz Phair and Guided By Voices. His current client list includes the Lumineers, Big Thief, Soccer Mommy, Weyes Blood, Channel Tres and X-Ambassadors. He is a partner at the firm Davis Shapiro Lewit & Grabel and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Richard on the RBP podcast

115 articles

List of articles in the library

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Pere Ubu: CBGB's, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, April 1978

THIS EVENING at CBGB's was a showcase for two bands newly signed to recording contracts by Blank Records. ...

Generation X: Idol With The Golden Head: Generation X's Billy Idol

Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, July 1978

RG: What did you do last night? BI: Oh, I went to some disco thing. ...

Wire: News on the Wire

Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, July 1978

WIRE. THE name denotes something tight, something along which electricity buzzes and communication passes. In an English music scene full of brash, jokey band names (Sex ...

Patti Smith: Cowboy Mouth, Rock & Roll Theater Company: Club 57, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, November 1978

WHEN CAVALE, the Patti Smith-styled character in this play, tries to explain to her boyfriend Slim what rock 'n' roll is and what it means ...

John Cale, Robert Gordon, Mickey Jupp, The Sex Pistols, Chris Spedding, The Vibrators: Have Guitar, Will Travel: Chris Spedding

Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, November 1978

CHRIS SPEDDING — the name that launched a thousand session credits. He's played guitar for everyone from John Cale to the Wombles, including Bryan Ferry, ...

The Police: Bottom Line, New York

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, June 1979

BACK IN OCTOBER, when the Police made their American debut at CBGB's, their sets were among the least-attended weekend shows that club had seen for ...

Patti Smith: The Palladium, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 2 June 1979

SITTING ALONE on the side of the stage, Patti Smith intones a rap that mixes passages of 'Wave', her latest failed-mystic monologue, with protestations of ...

Judy Nylon, Penetration: Penetration, Judy Nylon: Hurrah, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 9 June 1979

PAULINE KEEPS having her sentences completed for her. She'll say, "This is our current single in England, it's called..." and someone in the audience will ...

Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers: Max's Kansas City, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 16 June 1979

THE HEARTBREAKERS have abandoned the conceit of billing each of their now regular appearances at Max's as a 'farewell' gig and it looks a safe ...

Blondie, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Philip Glass, Michael Nyman: Crits fiddle while public burns...

Report by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 30 June 1979

Fripp, Eno and others debate the future of a species ...

Penetration

Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, July 1979

AS I SET out to cover Penetration, the omens were auspicious. ...

Lowell George: Hard Rock Cafe, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 7 July 1979

LOWELL GEORGE didn't so much leave Little Feat as fade out of it, gradually reducing his writing for the group and his participation in the ...

Buzzcocks, Gang of Four: The Buzzcocks, Gang of Four: Club 57, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 22 September 1979

THIS IS AN interesting juxtaposition: Buzzcocks work on a high energy formula, a formula that works; Gang Of Four work away from formula – they ...

Television, Tom Verlaine: Tom Verlaine: Happiness Is A Guitar Called Fender...

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 13 October 1979

...And how to make original rock & roll with it in the late '70s is your problem. It's also TOM VERLAINE'S ...

Bob Marley & The Wailers: Apollo Theatre, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 10 November 1979

BOB MARLEY had to change his approach. He had a virtual patent in the international arena on the stance of the mad-shaman reggae icon, the ...

Fleetwood Mac: Madison Square Garden, NYC

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 1 December 1979

YOU ENTER the stream of bodies pouring through the portholes of Madison Square Garden. You get caught up in the tide. Into the awesome space ...

George Clinton: Mutiny On The Mothership — Uncle Jam Wants Out

Report and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 1 December 1979

Drummer Jerome Brailey and Horny Hornsman Fred Wesley have already quit Funkadelic – and now George Clinton is giving up live performances. Richard Grabel reports ...

Madness: Hurrah, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 22 December 1979

THERE'S NO tradition of ska being popular in America. Millie Small and Desmond Dekker each had one novelty hit a piece, and that's it. But ...

The Slits: Hurrah, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 12 January 1980

ANOTHER American debut of another new British band at Hurrah's. But this is New Year's Eve and the ticket is 25 bucks – probably a ...

The Feelies: The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 15 March 1980

Boys simply don't come more next door then the Feelies, four model citizens of Haledon, New Jersey. Richard Grabel takes an outing to the home ...

Public Image Ltd, James Blood Ulmer: Public Image Limited, James "Blood" Ulmer: Palladium, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 14 June 1980

NOBODY EXPECTS Public Image Limited to sell massive amounts of vinyl to the American public. So to see the "Sold Out" sign on the Palladium ...

The Clash, Tymon Dogg: Clash At The Crossroads

Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, July 1980

OUTSIDE ON Eighth Street, among the pizza parlors and shoe stores, it's early evening. Inside Electric Lady studios, the house that Jimi built, it could ...

The Cramps: Songs The Lord Taught Us (IRS)

Review by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, September 1980

TO TRASH THE trashiest, that was the Cramps' initial challenge to the burgeoning punk scene. Lux Interior threw down the gauntlet in 'Garbage Man', snarling ...

The Selecter: Beyond Black And White

Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, September 1980

JERRY DAMMMERS must be reeling. The Specials' gap-toothed leader created a movement when he started the 2-Tone label, figuring that his own band would be ...

The Fleshtones: Pleasures of the Flesh

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 6 September 1980

THE FLESHTONES have the spirit that has always moved great pop music. They have the raw enthusiasm, the exuberance, the slight touch of madness. They ...

Kurtis Blow, The Commodores, Bob Marley & the Wailers: The Commodores, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Kurtis Blow: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 4 October 1980

Cross-over cupboard love ...

Kurtis Blow: Blow by Blow

Report and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 11 October 1980

MY STORY — BY KURTIS BLOWAs rapped to Richard Grabel ...

The Raybeats: Danceteria, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 11 October 1980

Smooth surfers of the dance floor ...

The B-52s: The B-52's: Wild Planet (Warner Bros.)

Review by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, November 1980

EVEN THE most novel ideas can fall victim to the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt. In 1978, when exuberant dance music was a rare ...

Bush Tetras: The Bush Tetras: Outsiders in a Sexual Jungle

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 8 November 1980

Meet the Bush Tetras They're a New York rhythm and paranoia band. ...

Method Actors, Pylon: Pylon, the Method Actors: The Post Bouffant Bop

Interview by Roy Carr, Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 6 December 1980

Athens, Georgia, apres the B-52's: still weird, but definitely not wacky ...

Brian Eno, Talking Heads: Talking Heads: Jive Talking

Interview by Richard Grabel, The Face, January 1981

David Byrne talks guardedly about his collaboration with Brian Eno. Tina Weymouth talks candidly on the same subject. "By the time they had finished working ...

Elvis Costello, Squeeze: the Palladium, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 14 February 1981

WHAT DO Squeeze value? Professionalism. Tightness. Songs of classic construction. Entertainment. Making the little girls smile and yell. ...

Material: When Is A Band Not A Band?

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 4 April 1981

When it's Material, who are sort of several New York bands who are always sort of coming and going in all sorts of wonderful ways. ...

Bob Marley & the Wailers: Bob Marley: Miami, Florida — 12.30 pm Monday: Bullets Couldn't Kill Him — Cancer Did

Report by Richard Grabel, Chris Salewicz, New Musical Express, 16 May 1981

CHRIS SALEWICZ in London and RICHARD GRABEL in New York chronicle the events leading up to Monday's tragedy ...

Spandau Ballet: Spandaus Invade America!

Report by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 16 May 1981

Robin Hadley and his Merrie Men take Sherwood Forest futurism to a very small but extremely chic club in New York. RICHARD GRABEL joins the ...

E.S.G.: ESG: No Guile or Wile, Just Wallop

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 23 May 1981

THESE DAYS, a lot of bands glorify the appearance of being what they are not. ...

Funkadelic, Parliament: Parliament-Funkadelic: The Ritz, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 30 May 1981

P-FUNK DO FOR the modern funk show what The Grateful Dead did to the rock show in the late '60s. They alter the time frame ...

The Funky Four + 1, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: The Funky Four + 1: Rap, Rap, Rap

Report and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 30 May 1981

Young South Bronx unwraps the rapping revolution ...

The Bongos: Bongo Journalism

Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, June 1981

THE BONGOS are part of a small brigade making pop music that remains fun to be part of. They are engaging entertainers. ...

Lakeside, Carrie Lucas, Shalamar, The Whispers: The Whispers, Shalamar, Lakeside, Carrie Lucas: Solar Galaxy of Stars, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 6 June 1981

THE CONCERT is billed as the Solar Galaxy of Stars, and it's no idle boast. ...

Lee "Scratch" Perry, The Terrorists: Lee Perry comes in for a landing

Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, July 1981

HE GOES by many names. Scratch, the Upsetter, Super Ape, Pipecock Jackson. Lee Perry is one of the (some would say the) foremost producers of ...

Lee "Scratch" Perry: Lee 'Scratch' Perry: Curse of the Vampires

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, July 1981

Legendary Jamaican producer Lee "Scratch" Perry raps and rants in New York. Richard Grabel listens to his method and madness. ...

Miles Davis: Kool Jazz Festival, New York

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 25 July 1981

Miles behind ...

8-Eyed Spy, Lydia Lunch: Lydia Lunch: Out To Lydia

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 15 August 1981

Richard Grabel lays on the red carpet treatment for his Lunch date ...

Bob Marley & the Wailers: Bob Marley

Obituary by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, September 1981

BOB MARLEY and the Wailers were the group that turned me, and many other Americans, on to reggae music. For that, they have a permanent ...

Michael Jackson, The Jacksons: The Jacksons: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 12 September 1981

BEST FOOT FORWARD ...

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: Grandmaster Flash: Flash is Fast, Flash is Cool

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 26 September 1981

THE SOUTH BRONX lies just across a thin stretch of the Harlem River from Manhattan, but it could be worlds away. ...

Black Uhuru: My Father's Place, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, October 1981

I HAD TO choose between this and the Palladium show (the entire Black Uhuru American Tour) and I figured this was the show to see. ...

Was (Not Was): Mudd Club, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 24 October 1981

WAS CRAWL OUT THE WOODWORK ...

Black Uhuru: Roots Reality

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, November 1981

SEE BLOOD! ...

Gregory Isaacs: Savoy, New York NYC

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New York Rocker, January 1982

SMOOTH IS the word for Gregory Isaacs. So smooth, and so suave. The cool king of that gentle, romantic Jamaican reggae called lover's rock. ...

Pere Ubu, David Thomas: UBU!

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 9 January 1982

Small American journalists and stout American singers... we confront the issue most music papers shy away from. In the shadows of the city of Meatloaf, ...

Robert Fripp, King Crimson: King Crimson: Robert Fripp's Chocolate Cake Discipline

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, February 1982

In The Court Of The Crimson King, Phase II ...

Afrika Bambaataa, Fab 5 Freddy, Jazzy Jay: Bucking the Bronx with the B-Boys

Report by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 6 February 1982

"B-BOYS, ARE you ready, are you ready, are you ready?" ...

Hamilton Bohannon, Slave: Slave, Bohannon: Palladium, New York

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 13 March 1982

HEAVENLY GAMES AND BODY HEAT ...

Suicide, Alan Vega: Viva Alan Vega!

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 13 March 1982

Still controversial, still reviled — and still unsuccessful, Alan Vega discusses life after Suicide, politics and rock. ...

Chic, D-Train, T-Connection: Palladium, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 24 April 1982

FUNK ALWAYS has its conventions, routines and common signals. The difference between great funk and bad is in how they are applied. Funk needs a ...

Brian Eno, Talking Heads: Eno: The Soul Inside The Shades

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 24 April 1982

Richard Grabel practises the pussyfoot with Brian Eno, the father of electronic pop. ...

James White and The Blacks: Danceteria, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 24 April 1982

FLINGING THE FUNK IN YOUR FACE ...

The Waitresses Get Tipped

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, May 1982

NEW YORK — There was this single hanging around most of last year, playing in clubs and on the radio, becoming part of the background, ...

Black Uhuru, The Police: The Police, Black Uhuru: Byrne Arena, East Rutherford NJ

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 8 May 1982

IT LOOKS intriguing from a distance, the Byrne Arena, glowing in the darkness of the New Jersey Meadowlands. But it starts to look scary as ...

Kid Creole & The Coconuts: The Rake's Progress

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 15 May 1982

One singer sacked, bad vibes with the vibes player, a dodgy new LP, and a frankly suspect panama hat – Richard Grabel battles through the ...

New Order (For The Old Ceremony)

Report and Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, June 1982

NEW YORK — The word had gone out through Ruth Polsky, the booking agent handling New Order's American tour. No interviews. They never do them. ...

X's Wild Los Angeles Gift: Sign On The Dotted Line, Please!

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, June 1982

X ARE FINALLY getting some respect. Their first album, Los Angeles, released in 1980 on the independent Slash label, sold some 80,000 copies, not bad ...

Flipper: "Hello children. Our name is Flipper and we'd like you to try some of our MANIC DISRUPTION — we think it'll do you good."

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 28 August 1982

I'D JUST been thinking about Haircut 100 — lovely boys, polite as can be — making cheerful, playful music. But I'd had enough of candy, ...

Fun Boy Three: Inside The Asylum

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, September 1982

NEW YORK — When the Specials broke up, the group split into two camps. Jerry Dammers, the gap-toothed keyboardist who was usually considered the mastermind ...

R.E.M.: REM: Chronic Town

Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 12 November 1982

A TOWN IS CHRONIC because we are fated to revisit it time and time again. A chronic town might also be a carny town, jammed ...

Yellowman: Meet The Years Most Unlikely Sex Symbol

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 25 December 1982

"I THINK I know what's coming..." ...

ABC: The Ritz, New York, NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 15 January 1983

THE BLAND PLAYED ON ...

Adele Bertei: Vortex — The Motion Picture Soundtrack (Neutral)

Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 29 January 1983

NOIR HEAT ...

Yello: Swiss Miss Vs. Yello Snow!

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, February 1983

NEW YORK — The disco boom of the mid-'70s was the first place to prove that club play was a viable alternative route for "breaking" ...

James Blood Ulmer: The Bottom Line, New York

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 5 February 1983

DEMOLITION BLUES ...

Prince Charles & The City Beat Band: Big Bad Prince Charles

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 12 February 1983

Richard Grabel comes face-to-face with a studied image of comic-book cool steaming off the streets of New York. ...

Black Uhuru: Pure Mad People Live In This Place

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, April 1983

WHEN BOB Marley died, there was some loose talk going around about Michael Rose, Black Uhuru's lead singer and songwriter, being groomed to be "the ...

New Edition: Editions Of Youth

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 16 April 1983

HERE'S SOMETHING that can't miss. Five young and cute boys (ages 14 and 15) who can sing and dance, including one outstanding lead singer whose ...

Prince: Radio City Music Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 16 April 1983

SEX BEAT ...

Arthur Baker, John "Jellybean" Benitez: Burn This Disco Out

Report by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 21 May 1983

THE BEST DISCO IN NEW YORK IS THE FUNHOUSE WHERE SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER IS ENJOYING A RENAISSANCE WITH AMERICA'S TEENAGERS. RICHARD GRABEL INVESTIGATES THE NEW ...

Bow Wow Wow: Here & Now It's Bow Wow Wow!

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, June 1983

THE STORY has to begin with Malcolm McLaren, the ex-Kings Road clothier who brought the Sex Pistols to the world. Having seen his punk rock ...

Marvin Gaye: Radio City Music Hall, New York

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 4 June 1983

THERE IS a video tape circulating around Black Rock (CBS corporate headquarters) that is a five-minute demonstration of Marvin Gaye's pure genius. It records a ...

Chaka Khan, Mtume: 44th Street Pier, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 6 August 1983

Chaka Works The Crowd But Doesn't Wear The Crown ...

ZZ Top: TOP KATZZ

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 20 August 1983

TEXAN WEIRD BEARDS REVEAL THE FACE OF MODERN METAL. RICHARD GRABEL FINDS THAT HIRSUTE IS CUTE AND HAIR AIN'T SQUARE. ...

R.E.M.: Murmur (IRS)

Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 3 September 1983

R.E.M., LIKE THE B-52's, come from Athens, Georgia, but it must be the other side of town. Where the Bs are flamboyant, emblazoning their borrowed ...

The Fleshtones: Hexbreaker! (IRS)

Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 10 September 1983

RESOLUTELY UNFASHIONABLE, the stalwart Fleshtones keep making their good-time party records and getting better at it each time out. ...

Talking Heads: Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 17 September 1983

THE ESSENTIAL Talking Heads identity has always had David Byrne as its focus, no matter how much he may theorize about creating some sort of ...

Peter Tosh: Peter Be Good Tonight!

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, November 1983

NEW YORK — Peter Tosh's new album Mama Africa is the strongest he's made in years. Aside from its clever reggae reworking of 'Johnny B. ...

R.E.M.: Making Loud Murmurs

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 5 November 1983

TAKE R.E.M. POP VITAMINS FOR A HEALTHY MUSICAL DIET! ...

Altered Images: Growing Up "Normal" With Altered Images

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, January 1984

AT THE end of my interview with Altered Images, singer Clare Grogan lets me in on a secret. She's extremely nearsighted. In fact, so is ...

The Plimsouls: Everywhere At Once (Geffen)

Review by Richard Grabel, Creem, March 1984

THE PLIMSOULS came of age on the L.A. punk-club circuit, but what they are is a classic ordinary rock band. ...

Trouble Funk: Trouble A Go Go

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 14 April 1984

Hip-hop? Hell no, go-go! RICHARD GRABEL keeps up with TROUBLE FUNK, grand masters of the D.C. sound. ...

Run-DMC: It's Like That, Is It?: Run DMC: Danceteria, New York

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 26 May 1984

RAP'S STILL going strong, because all of what has to be said has not yet been said. Street kids have got to get over, and ...

Run-DMC: Fresh Rap Realism

Profile by Richard Grabel, Musician, August 1984

RAP CONTINUES to have plenty to say, and with good reason. The unemployment, underemployment and general hardship that afflict ghetto kids aren't ending under the ...

Sly & the Family Stone, Bobby Womack: Bobby Womack, Sly Stone: Beacon Theatre, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 18 August 1984

SOUL SONIC FORCE ...

Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Experience Unlimited (EU), Trouble Funk: Go-Go: Drop The Bomb On The Love Boat

Report by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 22 September 1984

Go-go's got a godfather and a group in every area!! RICHARD GRABEL goes ga-ga in Washington as he uncovers the biggest show in those suburbs. ...

The Minutemen: Double Nickels On The Dime (SST double — US import)

Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 29 September 1984

60 SECONDS THAT EMOTION ...

The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, J.D. Steele Singers: Various Artists: The Gospel at Colonus (Warner Brothers)

Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 5 January 1985

OEDIPUS — SING TO YOUR MUM ...

The Neville Brothers: A Tiptoe Through The Tchipitoulas

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 2 February 1985

Fame has never courted the NEVILLE BROTHERS, but RICHARD GRABEL is pleased to report that the veteran culcha soulsters are at last getting their due. ...

The Replacements: Howling Trade Winds From Minneapolis

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 9 February 1985

The Replacements tell how the wonderful world of pop has saved them from gutters! crime! Sympathetic hearing, Richard Grabel. ...

Augustus Pablo: The Kitchen, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 4 May 1985

PIPING HOT! ...

General Public: Being of General Public Interest

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, July 1985

AS THE mainstays of the Beat (known in America as the English Beat, to distinguish them from a California power-pop band that had first dibs ...

Boys From Nowhere, The Fuzztones, Vipers, The (US): The Garage Sale

Report and Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, August 1985

NEW YORK — Garage rock is coming back. Though it may be made by bands who practice in abandoned urban industrial lofts or clammy basements ...

The Neats, The Replacements: The Replacements, the Neats: Irving Plaza, New York

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 28 September 1985

YUM YUM! ...

Richard Lloyd, Television: Richard Lloyd: The Well-Tempered Guitarist

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 16 November 1985

When RICHARD LLOYD turned off the Television, he switched to drug and alcohol abuse. A nervous breakdown followed... RICHARD GRABEL hears how the new Field ...

Kurtis Blow, Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew, LL Cool J: LL Cool J, Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis Blow: Krush Groove Party, Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 18 January 1986

RUSH PRODUCTIONS, an organization with the best intentions, conceived this event to be a celebration of the success of the film Krush Groove and of the consolidation ...

Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum: Irving Plaza, New York

Live Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 1 March 1986

SOUL ASYLUM are lean, scrappy, hungry. they play with a determination to make their mark quickly. They play to win. ...

Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Experience Unlimited (EU), Redds And The Boys, Trouble Funk: Crankin' That Go Go Gadget

Report and Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, April 1986

THIS IS CRAZY. I'm in Cheriy's Roller Rink, in Northeast Washington, D.C. The place is filled with black teenagers, and even their younger brothers and ...

Black Flag: My War (Continued)

Report and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 12 July 1986

FRIDAY NIGHT at New York's Irving Plaza, filled to the rafters with punks letting their freak flags fly. Tattered, dazed and confused kids line the ...

The Pogues: It's Really Pogue, Man

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, September 1986

TALKING TO Shane MacGowan, singer and lyricist with a spirited bunch of North London Irish lunatics called the Pogues – trying to decipher the words ...

Camper Van Beethoven: Ludwiggin' Out!

Profile and Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 13 September 1986

WHAT'S A Camper Van Beethoven? Actually, I forgot to ask. But check what I heard when I asked about its role models. ...

Let's Active

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, October 1986

IT'S BEAUTIFUL down in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where Let's Active live. Maybe it influences the gentle dynamism and meticulous construction of their ingenious pop sounds ...

Meat Puppets: The Meat Puppets Be Hep!

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, November 1986

TALL, THIN, with long black hair framing a face that, when relaxed, takes on an angelic sweetness, Curt Kirkwood, the singer, guitarist and main songwriter ...

Double Dee & Steinski: Steinski: Remix the Apocalypse

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 31 January 1987

Turn it up! Crank up the bass! Take a break listening to crazy Cronkite's commentary of president Kennedy's assassination! Whizz-kid adman turned master-mixer STEINSKI — ...

Hüsker Dü: Dü You Believe In Magic?

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 25 April 1987

Hüsker Dü, major-label guys, zoom on with their finest LP yet and an affirmation of their world view. RICHARD GRABEL is still a true believer ...

Eric B. & Rakim: Eric B & Rakim: 
Paid In Full

Review by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, August 1987

THE BOY Rakim has a helluva style on the mike. ...

Wire ...Of The Tastiest Kind

Interview by Richard Grabel, Creem, September 1987

COLIN NEWMAN and Graham Lewis, of the nearly living legendary beat combo Wire, are amiable, approachable guys who nonetheless make no attempt to hide their ...

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