BIG EARS: Things I learned from Don Letts, Part 1

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photo: Dean Chalkley

One of the benefits age is hindsight. From my ancient vantage point, I can look back and survey all of the twists and turns my musical tastes have taken over the years. Some of my departures may have appeared as radical tangents or even defections at the time, but if you stand this far back and zoom out, the jagged zig zags of my detours become mere points along a long curve. The story of my musical learning curve is probably not much different to a lot of people searching for new music outside the mainstream in the days before the internet. Looking back, I can clearly see where a British man of West Indian descent named Don Letts has both consciously and subconsciously affected the trajectory of my musical consumption. If you are reading this, Don Letts has most likely had some of effect on yours as well.

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Shepard Fairey: One of us

Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey

I remember going to an opening a few years ago in Dumbo. It was the one where The Splasher lit off smoke bombs inside and got nabbed by the cops. Haters will always hate and with Shepard Fairey, there’s plenty to be jealous of. He had two big shows in NYC at the time and of course it was a big deal. Instead of letting everyone ride his jock and walk around his opening like a big old dick, he sat behind his laptop and played some songs. As I tried to suck down my share of free booze, I remember thinking, hey, nice tunes.  The playlist kinda went like this:

Plastic Bertrand – Ca Plane Popp Moi
Daft Punk – Robot Rock
Public Enemy – Bring the Noise
Sex Pistols – My Way
The Ramones – Rockaway Beach
Circle Jerks – Coup D’Etat
Bauhaus – Bela Lugosi’s Dead
The Clash – Magnificent
Public Image Ltd. Death Disco
Bowie – Ziggy Stardust
The Sweet – Ballroom Blitz
Iggy Pop – Search and Destroy
Kraftwerk – The Model
Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Ice T – Power
Jimmy Hendrix – I Don’t Live Today
Bad Brains – Big Takeover
N.W.A. – Fuck the Police
Billy Idol or Gen X – Dancing with Myself
Bob Marley – Rasta Man Vibrations
*Black Flag* – Rise Above
Velvet Underground – Sweet Jane
The Specials – Ghost Town
Blonde – Rip Her to Shreds
Black Keys – Tighten Up
Amy Winehouse- Valerie
Police – Next To You

Nice one, Shepard Fairey. Keep doing you.

Fred Armisen, One of Us.

One more reason to love Portlandia. Besides creating the smartest, funniest show on TV with Carrie Brownstein, Mr. Armisen has got mad musical skills. We all know Carrie Brownstein from her Sleater Kinney days, but I was oblivious that Fred was the drummer of the post-hardcore 90’s band Trenchmouth until Neighbor Dave pointed it out. Continue Reading