According to a number of reports, the second annual Dear John concert, in honor of what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, will stream live on Friday, October 9th, at 3:00 p.m. ET from London’s Hard Rock Hotel on YouTube.
The organizer of…

Big names to be featured in John Lennon 80th Birthday live stream

There are quite a few rock stories that are sprinkled (or heavily dosed) with all sorts of eccentricities. From strange behavior, drugs, alcohol, debauchery to strange religious or occult practices. But then, those can matter more or less, depending…

From a Sweetheart to a Flying Burrito

Japanese animation experts Studio Ghibli, currently the world leader in cutting-edge animation films, has come up with another specialty for its fans during the pandemic. After releasing its films on Netflix and offering free Zoom backgrounds, it has…

Studio Ghibli releasing over 400 images from its films for free

Banksy’s 2005 painting “Show Me The Monet,” his environmentally conscious version of the famous Claude Monet painting “Water Lily Pond” from 1899, is coming up for auction at Sotheby’s London. It will be part of the auctioneers Contemporary Art…

Banksy’s version of a Monet masterpiece expected to fetch millions

London’s Masterpiece Gallery has decided to mark the 50th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s death (September 18, 1970) with a new exhibition that runs from September 14 to September 30, 2020.
Titled Bold As Love: Celebrating Hendrix the exhibition…

Marking the sad anniversary, a Jimi Hendrix exhibition opens in London

Reasons to be Cheerful David Byrne’s online magazine has a new edition. This time around it tackles division within society. This edition went online on September 17 and can be accessed until November 20.
The title of the new series is “We Are Not…

David Byrne releases another edition of his online magazine

Label: First Word Records
Those following the developments tied to all think tied to funky jazz sounds are probably familiar with Japanese trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, at least from his appearance on Jose James’ Rising Son album on Blue Note (2014). But…

(((O))) Review: Takuya Kuroda – Fly Moon Die Soon

Bob Dylan’s “Theme Time Radio Hour” will be back on the airwaves, or should we say, online! The restart is planned for September 21, 2020, and the first show will be based around one of Dylan’s recently favorite themes – whiskey. After all, the Nobel…

After more than 10 years, Bob Dylan is restarting his radio show

Sotheby’s, the best-known auction house in the world, held a big hip-hop auction on September 15, 2020. The biggest hit was the iconic plastic crown worn and signed by Notorious B.I.G. just three days before the rapper was shot in Los Angeles in…

THAT iconic Notorious B.I.G. crown just sold for almost $600,000

Columbia/Legacy Recordings are preparing a special treat for both fans of country and classical music all in one package! On November 13, 2020, the recording giant will release Johnny Cash and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, an album that…

On its new album, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra tackles Johnny Cash songs

Label: Backward Music
Ok, you wanted inventive and hauntingly beautiful at the same time? Well, here it is – Joshua Van Tassel’s Dance Music Volume II: More Songs For Slow Motion. “There’s a lot of really ugly shit happening in the world,” says the…

(((O))) Review: Joshua Van Tassel – Dance Music Volume II: More Songs For Slow Motion

Label: Self-Released
One of the problems many musicians that venture into the minefield called progressive music is trying to keep their instrumental prowess in check and channel it solely into creating some creative, coherent music and not just a…

(((O))) Review: Mark Vickness – Interconnected

Release date: September 1, 2020
Label: Self-Released
Even since the times the phrase progressive rock was coined way back in the late Sixties/early Seventies, there never seemed to be a middle ground in opinions about the genre. It was either revered…

Vast Caldera 1 by Vast Caldera

Yet another benefit of the approaching holiday season is a number of promising music documentaries coming our way.
The first such film of note is Billie, a documentary about probably the best female jazz singer, Bille Holliday. It is directed by…

Billie Holiday and Jimi Hendrix documentaries on their way

It’s no big miracle that as the Christmas holiday season approaches the number of special releases and box sets start to multiply – even decades ago, albums were released to attract holiday shoppers. This year it’s no different, and there are at…

With holiday season approaching, special releases and box sets abound

Label: Thrill Jockey
Those familiar with Sam Prekop know him as one of the linchpins in the Chicago’s masterful jazz/pop band The Sea and Cake, or as a solo artist. Over his four previous solo outings, Prekop has mainly remained in the same vein as…

(((O))) Review: Sam Prekop – Comma

Concert promoters Insomniac Events were probably taken aback when they recently put tickets on sale for the Day Trip Music Festival, which is to be held only in July of 2021. Their inaugural ticket sale had them sell out (tickets ranging in price…

Audiences are craving live shows – festival tickets sell out in 90 minutes

Label: Self-Released
Hip hop, rap, beat music can create very strong opinions among music lovers, with pro and contra arguments flying around like confetti. Still, there is always some common ground – artists that can create such hip hop/rap that can…

(((O))) Review: Eito – While You Were Sleeping

1968 is considered as a year of revolutions – in politics, culture in general, and music in particular. Brazil was no exception and its Tropicalia movement in music was seen as a big threat to the then-ruling military dictatorship.
One of the artists…

A documentary on Brazilian music legend, Caetano Veloso, to premiere at Venice Film Festival

Crooked Piece of Time: The Atlantic and Asylum Albums 1971-1980 is the title of the new box set that will be released as a memory to John Prine, one of the best folk musicians of recent times. The set will be issued by Rhino on October 23, 2020. It…