BOXES FULL OF MONKEES

If you were born anywhere between 1955 and 1960, and consequently were just a tad too young to teethe your ears upon Pet Sounds or Revolver, like me you tuned into your local NBC-TV affiliate on the evening of Sept. 12, 1966, sat transfixed for the next 30 minutes, and then told yourself, "Hey! So THAT'S what a rock 'n' roll band really lives, looks, sounds and acts like!" Eating communal Rice Krispies at the break of noon, practicing in front of the patio window every day instead of going to school or work, yet always making sure to keep too busy singing to put anybody (under the age of 25) down.

But even more importantly — and, as it turns out, much more slyly and cleverly — what Peter Tork, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith of The Monkees really did during their 58 half-hours on NBC was, for the very first time, bring the counter-culture boldly into the North American entertainment mainstream.

Really.

Continue reading "THE GARY PIG GOLD REPORT, Vol. 45" »

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Originally a solo project for singer/songwriter/guitarist Tony Dekker, Great Lake Swimmers eventually morphed into a full-fledged band. And while the Toronto group's lineup has changed over the course of its recording career, what has stayed the same is the commitment by Dekker and company to playing acoustic instruments.

The recently released "Easy Come Easy Go," which can be found on the fifth Great Lake Swimmers album, Near Wild Everywhere (due April 3), follows a similar path. That ought to please NBC news anchor, music blogger and GLS fan Brian Williams, but how much appeal is there for those unfamiliar with the folk-flavored band?

Continue reading "SONG SCRUTINY — 'EASY COME EASY GO'" »

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Liam Finn books January run at Brooklyn's Rock Shop

"Spontaneity and danger" — that's what attracts singer/songwriter Liam Finn to doing a club residency.

Finn should be able to satisfy that performance jones during Murmation, his Monday-night residency throughout January at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn, N.Y. His basic strategy will be to mix a casual attitude and anything-goes approach with craft and creativity. That said, it's quite possible he'll perform material from his acclaimed Yep Roc solo albums I'll Be Lightning and FOMO, a few songs by his former band Betchadupa, a choice cover or two and maybe something brand new — all in the same night.

Finn checked in a few days prior to his first scheduled Rock Shop show to talk about Murmation, as well as his plans for a follow-up to FOMO and more.

Continue reading "MONDAY NIGHT MAINSTAY" »

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Starlight Girls hit the road to support debut EP

Is Brooklyn, N.Y., the unofficial indie-rock capital of America? It sure appears that way, with scores of musicians relocating there and/or bands coming together in the hipster borough on a regular basis.

One of the more recent groups to emerge from Brooklyn is the female/male foursome Starlight Girls (the name coming from the 1980s animated TV series Jem). Guitarist Shaw Walters and drummer/singer Karys Rhea attended the same grade school and high school in California's Marin County and became friends years later when they reconnected in New York. About a year ago, they teamed up with singer/songwriter/keyboardist Christina B., who had been working on a solo project, to form Starlight Girls, then added a bassist from Seattle known as Tyson a few months ago to round out the current lineup of the garage-rock band.

Continue reading "BRIGHT BEGINNING" »

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