Cracker: The Grateful Dead of indie rock
(Above: Cracker perform “Take Me Down to the Infirmary” at Crossroads in Kansas City on July 6, 2007.) By Joel Francis The Daily Record As the 1980s morphed into the 1990s, David Lowery was riding...
View ArticleThe attics of my mind
(Above: Stefani Germanotta goes gaga for John Lennon.) A few random thoughts for this mid-week blog entry. By Joel Francis The Daily Record Lilith Fair I’m looking forward to catching my first-ever...
View ArticleStrange Crew: Tommy James and the mob
(Above: Tommy James and the Shondells do the hanky panky, or at least pretend to.) By Joel Francis The Daily Record Even as it was unfolding, Tommy James knew he had a heck of a story to tell. The...
View ArticleGrandpa’s Got A Brand New Bag
(Above: “Jefferson Jericho Blues” is one of several new songs Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been regularly playing on their tour this summer.) By Joel Francis The Daily Record The sets Heart and...
View ArticleReview: “Ripped” by Greg Kot
(Above: Author Greg Kot discusses his book “Ripped” in this 30-minute radio interview.) By Joel Francis The Daily Record When I was in graduate school I wrote my précis – an abridged thesis – on how...
View ArticleFiasco Friday sparks Howard Beale moment
(Above: “Go To Sleep” is one of many new songs rapper Lupe Fiasco has completed for his new album, “Lasers.” Despite submitting the album to his label two years ago, a release date of March, 2011, was...
View ArticleA Christmas conversation
(Above: Jimmy Smith’s “Christmas Cooking,” released in 1964, is a classic, overlooked holiday album.) By Joel Francis The Daily Record The other day I was in a retail bookstore when I noticed the...
View ArticleA Grammys note
(Above: A pre-Soy Bomb Grammy performance by Bob Dylan.) For the past couple years, The Daily Record has celebrated the Grammy Awards with a running diary, documenting every moment with maximum snark....
View ArticleCake: John McCrea sees a future without music
(Above: Cake’s newest video is called “Sick of You.” They definitely seem tired of the lifestyle.) By Joel Francis The Kansas City Star It won’t be hard to spot John McCrea on Friday night. The lead...
View ArticlePowerful songs help move protest music back in mainstream
(Above: D’Angelo exposes “The Charade” in the opening hours of Black History Month on “Saturday Night Live.”) By Joel Francis The Daily Record Two anthems of the civil rights movement were released...
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