On This Day..
1967 – The Beatles filmed part of the promo clip for ‘Penny Lane’ around the Royal Theatre, Stratford, London and walking up and down Angel Lane in London. Together with the video for ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, this was one of the first examples of what later became known as a music video.
1971 – Black Sabbath started recording what would be their third album, Master Of Reality at Island Studios in London, England. Released in July of this year, it is sometimes noted as the first stoner rock album. Guitarist Tony Iommi, decided to down tune his guitar down three semi-tones, Geezer Butler also down tuned his bass guitar to match Iommi. The result was a noticeably ‘darker’ sound that almost two decades later would prove hugely influential on at least three of the biggest grunge acts, namely Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, and Nirvana.
2003 – Courtney Love blamed her bad language for the alleged air rage incident that led to her arrest at London’s Heathrow Airport. As she left Heathrow’s police station the singer said: “I cussed at a lady-my daughter always said I had a potty mouth.” When asked what it had been like inside the police station, the singer said: “It was fine. They were wonderful in there. It was like being on Prime Suspect.”
2004 – Janet Jackson’s right breast became the most searched-for image in net history, Jackson’s breast was seen by millions on TV after Justin Timberlake pulled at her bodice during a duet. Search engines reported a big jump in searches for Janet Jackson and Super Bowl, as people turned to the web for images of the event. This also popularized the phrase: “wardrobe malfunction”.
2008 – Amy Winehouse was questioned by police in connection with a video apparently showing her smoking a crack-cocaine pipe. The singer, who was not arrested, was interviewed under caution after the video was posted online by the Sun newspaper.
2016 – A new species of black tarantula that lives near Folsom Prison, California, was named after Johnny Cash. Aphonopelma johnnycashi was among 14 new tarantula species from the southern US which were described by biologists in the journal ZooKeys.
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Brand New Music..
Junior Boys | Big Black Coat
There’s a lot of urgency in this release. Easy to love, Big Black Coat is unashamed of it’s own influences. While Junior Boys have left behind their deep understanding of synthpop and R&B for a sound more reminiscent of techno – they do so still with a sense of deep introspection. This an impressive act as the album, as a whole, remains vibrant and smooth.
DIIV | Is the Is Are
The latest from DIIV feels like more of a novel than an album. While they’ve relied more and more on a defined sound, their exploration, and frankly overindulgence, of their fantastical indie-pop style whisks away any willing listener into their own world of sad addition. There’s a lot of baggage here that the band is trying to unpack, and while it drags on though 17 tracks, it still gives ample opportunity to lose yourself in it’s complexities.
Field Music | commontime
It’s a little drawn out, but it’s continuously fun. Intelligent and never really dipping in terms of quality – Field Music blends rock, pop, R&B with a sort of regional high-art better than ever with Commontime. Field Music could easily be the generational answer to Steely Dan – something gratuitously jazzy, but really satisfying.
