Morning, readers.
*The Daily Caller roasts Sen. Robert Byrd on the occasion of his death. Apart from the nominally provocative use of epithets like "woodhicks" to describe the late senator's constituents, Tucker Carlson's online publication also unearths what must stand as the angriest-looking photograph of latter-day Byrd (in keeping with the article's [...]
As promised, we've got this summer's slate below. (Lineup broke today.) Check back for superior analysis from J.L. Fischer and others.
Monday, June 28th
The Public Good, America Hearts, Tiny Bombs
Thursday, July 1st
Sleeper Agent, Gangland Buries Its Own, The Black Sparks
Monday, July 5th
The Cheniers, Dynamite Fishermen
Tomorrow morning, at the ungodly hour of 8:30 a.m., I will appear on Captain Fly's "Oldies House Party" on WPFW (89.3 on your FM dial). I'll be there to discuss my story on Terry Huff and Special Delivery. We'll also be playing pertinent records from many of the groups name-checked in that story.
Early risers can [...]
For this week's cover, I wrote about Terry Huff, a largely forgotten singer and songwriter from a special moment in D.C. R&B.
Huff came from a family of 18 kids, was burned out of his house, went to a foster farm, sang on streetcorners, met a Greek named Johnny Boy Katsouros who [...]
Morning, readers.
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*NPR lavishes much-deserved attention on Jeff Campbell, the man behind D.C.'s Hungry for Music, which supplies underprivileged kids with used instruments.
*The D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities today announced the audition schedule for the 2010-11 American Youth Chorus.
*In the Post, Jonathan Yardley [...]
Morning, readers.
*John Prine gets a lot of love on a new star-packed tribute record called Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine. Conor Oberst, Deer Tick, My Morning Jacket, and the DBT are all, apparently, implicated. Sounds like a recipe for awesome. (Via Pitchfork, which also has the track listing.)
*The Independent zings the [...]
Morning, readers.
*À propos of EVERYTHING, here's Anthony Burgess on the Beatles, the Youth, and the dangers of trusting "pop prophets." (Keep an eye out for Zappa in the last frame):
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*The New York Times asks, and Christopher Hitchens responds to, questions about 1) memoir vs. [...]
Tonight, and with apologies to Jimmy Scott, I'll be joining the Washington Post's Jane Horwitz and Sarah Kaufman on the judging panel at the 2010 Bard-a-Thon. The event, part of Theatre Lab's "Send a Kid to Theatre Camp" benefit, features local media types performing scenes from Shakespeare.
But not in doublets!
"Everyone will be performing in their [...]
Morning, readers.
*Yesterday, Mike West reported on the death at 90 of bop pianist Hank Jones (right). Below the jump, find a lilting little rendition of "Willow Weep for Me."
*The 40th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's death has supplied us with a) a lot of excitement over B-sides and b) further evidence that Hendrix remains better appreciated [...]
The D.C. Theater Scene (no, not that one) was rocked—rocked!—this week with news of a proposed tax on theaters to help with the city's fiscal woes. Yesterday, Helen Hayes President & CEO Linda Grossman filed a letter with the D.C. Council protesting the move and proposing a hearing where the theater community might voice its [...]
