Shay Quillen, 05:21 PM in ,
There were a lot of bands Friday at Live 105's Not So Silent Night concert, but only two certifiable rock stars: Jack White of the Raconteurs and Brandon Flowers of the Killers.
Shay Quillen, 09:35 AM in ,
Mary J. Blige led all artists this morning as nominations were announced for the 49th annual Grammy awards.
The veteran R B diva received eight nominations, including nods for record of the year, song of the year and best pop collaboration with vocals, as well as five nominations in the R B category. But the biggest surprise was what didn't make the best album list: Bob Dylan's critical and popular smash Modern Times. You can view the entire list of nominees , and then join me for the second-guessing .
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Shay Quillen, 11:06 AM in ,
In my about Day One Symphony that ran in today's local section, a lot of good stuff ended up on the cutting-room floor.
In particular, I got an interesting quote about the guys from Drew Roulette of dredg via e-mail as I wrapped up the story. I couldn't find a way to work it into the narrative, so I thought I'd share it here:
Shay Quillen, 10:19 AM in ,
Joanna Newsom's performance of her new album, Ys, Friday night in Santa Cruz had the feeling of an event. At a sold-out Rio Theatre, sprinkled liberally with family and friends of the San Francisco-based troubadour, Newsom performed an entrancing 90-minute show, the centerpiece of which was the remarkable Ys, performed in its entirety.
Shay Quillen, 02:25 PM in ,
As fall turns to winter, the rock critic's thoughts turn to the year-end Top 10 list. I've listened to dozens (hundreds?) of worthy selections since coming on board in September, but I know I've missed countless others, especially from the first half of '06.
So here's where you can help. If you've got a favorite that I absolutely, positively must check out before making my list, please let me know here, and include a few sentences to back up your selection (and yes, I already know all about K-Fed's Playing With Fire ). I'll do my best to track it down and give it a good listen.
And if your choice makes my Top 10 list, the Mercury News will give you $1 million! Well, not really, but you'll certainly have bragging rights among your friends. Let the lobbying begin!
Shay Quillen, 01:32 AM in ,
Jack Black and Kyle Gass' acoustic goof on heavy metal music has gone big time. Playing before their biggest crowd to date as headliners, Tenacious D rocked the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Monday night for a crowd that was singing along to nearly every hilarious, naughty word. And this time they brought along a band.
Shay Quillen, 07:37 AM in ,
On the day the movie Shut Up and Sing came out in the Bay Area, Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines showed Friday that she's not inclined to do the former and is truly gifted at the latter. She and her fellow Chicks treated the mostly full house at the Oakland Arena to a two-hour set that covered the old hits and seven tunes from the band's latest album, Taking the Long Way. As Spinal Tap's manager would say, the Dixie Chicks' appeal has become more selective since Maines sounded off about George W.
Bush on the brink of the Iraq war. But the adoring response Friday to hits like Goodbye Earl and Wide Open Spaces showed that in the Bay Area, at least, they've still got plenty of backers.
Shay Quillen, 09:22 AM in ,
It was billed as a Special acoustic evening with dredg, but the only acoustic instruments I saw up there were drums and cymbals.
Despite the false advertising, though, the Los Gatos band left no one at a packed Cafe du Nord disappointed Thursday night with its stripped-down performance on behalf of the non-profit organization Music for America.
Shay Quillen, 03:13 PM in ,
A collapsed lung has forced Bloc Party to leave the tour featuring Panic! at the Disco that hits San Jose's HP Pavilion on Dec.
5. The British art-punk band's drummer, Matt Tong, suffered the injury on Thursday during a show in Atlanta. According to a statement posted on the band's Web site, While Matt is on the road to recovery, doctors have advised that he not travel or play again for another few weeks in order to give his lung time to properly heal.
You can read the band's statement . Cobra Starship, fresh from the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack, will join Panic! and Jack's Mannequin starting Nov.
28 for a string of shows including the one in San Jose. Plain White T's are currently filling BP's spot on the bill. If you had your heart set on seeing Bloc Party, refunds are available at the point of purchase.
Shay Quillen, 12:08 PM in ,
James Blunt doesn't have enough good songs yet to fill a 90-minute set, but with the help of a couple of well-chosen covers, he put on an entertaining show Friday night at the San Jose State Event Center. Sensitivity was in abundance, for sure, but there were also traces of goofy good humor and one taste of hard-hitting geopolitical outrage.
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