Show a little faith there's magic in the night
Tonight I finally had the chance to see #standwithteachers, a virtual fundraiser for the benefit of the educational TeachRock program, that Steven Van Zandt hosted on December 21. The TeachRock program is a standards-aligned, arts integration curriculum that uses the history of popular music and culture to help teachers engage students. The rich multimedia materials... Continue Reading →
In this end-of-the-year review I’m going to reflect on the passed year, a year that has been characterised by a nasty virus that has made us reevaluate and rearrange our lives. I'm going to talk about the media I’ve consumed, the trips I've made and other personal stuff. I'm starting with my own blog Stray... Continue Reading →
Although a patchwork of moments, chosen from a number of live shows, The War on Drugs’ first live album Live Drugs (released on November 20, 2020) flows well. The songs are arranged to replicate the flow of a live set and it sure sounds like they were all from one show. My favourite song is... Continue Reading →
This entry is the first in quite a while. I haven’t felt motivated to write and when I started writing this piece I was quite overwhelmed and daunted by all other, perfectly written reviews out there. However, I figured I can’t run a Bruce Springsteen blog without a comment on the new album, so here... Continue Reading →
Almost one year after being blown away by the film Blinded by the Light, I’ve read Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock ‘n’ Roll (2007), which is the memoir that inspired the film. The title is, of course, a play on words based on the part of Luton, north of London where Manzoor... Continue Reading →
On 17 July, 2020 a new Bruce Springsteen archival live compilation was released via streaming services. It is the eight “chapter” of the Live Series, a joint product of the Legacy imprint of Springsteen’s Sony label and Nugs.net. This new playlist gathers 15 ”stripped down” live renditions of songs that Springsteen has played with The... Continue Reading →
Americana singer-songwriter Jason Isbell and his band the 400 Unit have been favourites of mine ever since I saw them in Gothenburg on June 17, 2018. Isbell has a unique voice and he’s an excellent guitarist. On May 15, 2020 they released a new album, Reunions, their first with new material since The Nashville Sound... Continue Reading →
Out now on streaming services and digital download is the seventh “chapter” of the Live Series, a joint product of the Legacy imprint of Springsteen’s Sony label and Nugs.net, which produces and distributes his monthly archival sets. This new playlist named Songs of Summer features a 15-track complication of “feel-good favourites”. https://twitter.com/springsteen/status/1261340566266081281?s=21 The collection is... Continue Reading →
Bruce Springsteen’s exploration through the lives of working class people has been a frequent theme throughout his musicianship. He has become a storyteller of characters struggling to find their place in the world. In honour of International Worker’s Day 2020, check out my list of six Springsteen tracks that feature their protagonist actually working. I’m... Continue Reading →
Pearl Jam’s eleventh studio album Gigaton, the first in seven years (!) was released on March 27, 2020. Gigaton consists of twelve newly written tracks and it starts off quite energetically with Who Ever Said and Superblood Wolfmoon. The level of intensity is almost the same as of classic Pearl Jam albums, which nostalgic fans... Continue Reading →
Stray Bullet 