He's one of the greatest American treasures we've ever had in this country ... I want his name written in stone.
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Leon Russell, 1942–2016. (Abby Gillardi)
Monday - November 14, 2016 Mon - 11/14/16
rantnrave:// PIOTR ORLOV followed TIM LAWRENCE around NEW YORK for a feature on Lawrence's book "LIFE AND DEATH ON THE NEW YORK DANCE FLOOR, 1980–1983," and ended up with a crucial essay of his own on the cross-cultural, borderless wonder that was New York club culture at that magical moment. And how strains of that culture still exist, despite time and politics and economics and a mutating population, in clubs like HOUSE OF YES and parties like DEEP SPACE. And how it has served—and still can serve—as a kind of moral compass for the city itself. Which seems especially important during another moment in time when the very idea of multiculturalism is under attack. A great read... We lost another musical giant this weekend and I don't know if this is ever going to end. Besides being that guy with the hat and the hair, singer/songwriter/pianist/producer LEON RUSSELL was another kind of American cross-cultural treasure, a devotee of R&B, blues, country, rock, pop, jazz and more who played on records by FRANK SINATRA, the BEACH BOYS, the ROLLING STONES, ARETHA FRANKLIN, WILLIE NELSON, BOB DYLAN and [you can fill in as many blanks as you want here], and wrote enduring standards that were captured at various points in time by the likes of the CARPENTERS, GEORGE BENSON, AMY WINEHOUSE and [fill in more blanks]. Remove him from the picture and there's a decent-sized section of rock and pop that collapses in on itself. As a headliner, Russell's albums were frequently excellent and his success modest. Most important, he loved you in place where there's no space and time. Which is pretty much where he existed for most of his 74 years anyway. RIP... MILEY CYRUS, who has consistently been a good egg, responds to last week's election by getting involved... Members of CAN are reuniting for what is, for now, one show next spring... LE BATACLAN reopens... ICYMI: KATE's HILLARY sings LEONARD's "HALLELUJAH."
- Matty Karas, curator
a song for you
The Guardian
The golden age of New York clubbing: 'We wanted to be part of something'
by Piotr Orlov
When nightlife expert Tim Lawrence came to the city to promote his book about the early 80s, the clubs he went to revealed how much has (and hasn’t) changed.
The Atlantic
Popular Culture's Failed Presidential Campaign
by Spencer Kornhaber
Political science suggests the celebrities who supported Hillary Clinton appealed to her base but also emphasized wider divides.
Rolling Stone
RETRO READ: Leon Russell: The Rolling Stone Interview (1970)
by Ben Fong-Torres
Leon Russell. The image - if we can narrow it down to one - is aural. He's always counting off, "One, two, three, four" at the end of those driving, lurchy, churchy rock and roll songs, pushing the endings, topping them with maybe a swirl of screams from his little chorale or with him on the piano, tickling out crazy little figures before a final "One, two, three, four" and a final chorus.
Complex
Waves Don't Die: Behind the Making of A Tribe Called Quest's Curtain Call
by Noah Callahan-Bever and Zach Gross
In a series of photos, Complex chronicles the making of the legendary hip-hop group's final album and its last days with Phife Dawg.
Resident Advisor
Oren Ambarchi: Dream request
by Andy Beta
With a new album featuring Ricardo Villalobos and Mark Fell among others, this acclaimed experimental guitarist has made a confident stride into the world of electronic music. Andy Beta talks to him about his influences and creative process.
Thump
Why Are People Brushing Their Teeth at Noise Shows? An Investigation
by Colin Joyce
Untangling the densely woven web of an oral hygiene conspiracy.
MusicAlly
SoundCloud on acquisition talk: ‘There is a lot of interest in us’
by Eamonn Forde
SoundCloud co-founder and CTO Eric Wahlforss was hardly likely to confirm rumours about Spotify buying his company while on-stage at Web Summit. But he didn't outright deny it.
The New Yorker
Miranda Lambert's Power Play
by Kelefa Sanneh
The country singer’s sprawling concept album, “The Weight of These Wings,” defies Nashville wisdom--and is one of the year’s best releases.
NPR
A Story Of Crisis And Resilience, Told Through Music
by Rachel Martin
Music in Exile is a project that records the work of displaced musicians. "I'm just playing this music and singing to forget myself," Yazidi refugee Barakat Ali Khalaf says. "To not be so worried."
UPROXX
The Story Of The Fugees' Bitter Breakup And Unforgettable Legacy
by Carl Williott
Why, after suffering so many deaths, do we refuse to say goodbye to The Fugees?
this masquerade
The Guardian
The future 50: the rising music stars to look out for
by Alexis Petridis
From squat rock to laptop futurism, 2016’s most creative music is being made away from focus groups, major labels and publicists. Meet the most exciting independent minds in music.
Billboard
Innocence, Experience, Chaos & Fear: U2 Director Remembers the Night of the Bataclan Attack
by Shirley Halperin
"It could have been any music fan in any city in the world -- at any show,” Hamish Hamilton tells Billboard.
Noisey
From Moist Dishcloth to Swaggering Motherlover: The Transformation of Bruno Mars
by Lauren O'Neill
In two singles, Mars' potential as one of the standout male performers of this decade has become realised.
Los Angeles Times
What did Leonard Cohen really mean when he sang 'Hallelujah'?
by Mikael Wood
Nothing about Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” - the original version of the song Cohen recorded for his 1984 album “Various Positions” - leads you to conclude that it would go on to become one of pop music’s most durable compositions.
Medium
The Time Leonard Held My Hand
by Judy Miller Silverman
In the 7th week of pregnancy my husband took me to the doctor’s office to have what was considered a D&C. I put on noise canceling headphones and played enough Leonard Cohen to make myself cry and in a short time it was over. I was a woman who had an abortion as a married, 40-year old financially stable woman. Who was I? Did I make the right decision?
Noisey
Shovels and Rope Make the Mundane Sound Magical
by Annalise Domenighini
The Americana duo (and new parents) make country music for White Stripes fans on 'Little Seeds.'
NPR
Composing An Otherworldly And Intimate Soundtrack To 'Arrival'
by Elizabeth Blair
Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson talks about how he scored the science fiction movie "Arrival" with inspiration from the movie's images.
Los Angeles Times
For Mija, club-music success came quickly. Now she's trying to subvert it
by August Brown
Compared with her current career as one of L.A.’s fastest-rising club music DJs, Amber Giles’ first consistent music gig wasn’t quite so glamorous.
Rolling Stone
Reconsidering Yoko Ono: Three Reissues Honor Legacy of Avant-Rock Icon
by Christopher R. Weingarten
'Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band,' is highlight of re-releases which include two notorious Lennon collaborations.
The New York Times
Leon Russell, Hit Maker and Musicians’ Musician, Dies at 74
by Jon Pareles
Leon Russell, the longhaired, scratchy-voiced pianist, guitarist, songwriter and bandleader who moved from playing countless recording sessions to making hits on his own, died on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. He was 74.
MUSIC OF THE DAY
via YouTube
"Big Moon"
Arthur Russell
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