Greg Kot

We used to call the debut LP "Cars greatest hits." Somehow the 2nd LP, "Candy O," topped it, at least in my world. Can a band that sold 43 million albums still be underappreciated? Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz, the band's biographer, makes the case on @soundopinions.bsky.social: shorturl.at/hvsrQ

Come for the movie (which I loved) and stay for the soundtrack. A few words about Jonny Greenwood's thrilling score for "One Battle After Another." shorturl.at/s0Mro

Neil turns 80

A playlist for Neil's 80th. Could've been easily twice as long, but these 40 songs ring true.
open.spotify.com/playlist/0kU...

Neil Young is 80. Somehow he's made it this far without turning into a greatest-hits jukebox. When he tours, he plays whatever the hell he wants. In one of our interviews, I asked Young about how he managed to avoid turning into a "heritage act" unlike so many of his peers:
shorturl.at/T1GOC

50th anniversary today of an album that I picked up the same week it was released, when I was a college freshman. I've got a longer chapter on Patti Smith and "Horses" in a forthcoming project, and here's a slice:
www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU6...

Still can't believe D'Angelo's gone, but then again, those three studio albums are for now, then & always. We run it all down, including our memories of one of the greatest concerts we'd ever seen: @soundopinions.bsky.social and the D'Angelo experience:
bit.ly/4oiILZA

From 11 years ago today, at the LBJ library in Austin, Texas -- a fitting home for Mavis and the story of her family's civil-rights activism. Plus this gives me an opportunity to mention that there will be new, updated edition of "I'll Take You There" coming soon.

I Guess There’s Just a Meanness in This World Nebraska, Highway Patrolman, and the Tenor of the Times

Best review I've read in this season of renewed appreciation for "Nebraska" isn't a review of the so-so Hollywood biopic, but an essay by Bill Janovitz, an author & songwriter (Buffalo Tom). There's a "meanness in this world," as Springsteen sang, and now we're living in it too.
shorturl.at/EhpHk

YouTube video by gnomen omen Jack DeJohnette - India

The great drummer & band leader Jack DeJohnette (RIP) played on some of my favorite recordings across several decades, including the Charles Lloyd Quartet's "Sombrero Sam" (from the "Dream Weaver" LP 1966), Miles Davis' "Live Evil" (1971) & "Special Edition" (1980).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4m9...

A few words about Tony Fitzpatrick -- an artist, poet, instigator, activist, story-teller and hard-core Chicagoan whose contributions were often beyond words. @soundopinions.bsky.social bonus podcast: tinyurl.com/yewyaybb

And here's our interview with Geoff and Jeannette:
bit.ly/3KZuQZJ

Rough Trade Records founder Geoff Travis and his partner Jeannette Lee give us the lowdown on their partnership with River Lea Records and a new wave of rough-hewn folk on @soundopinions.bsky.social. It got me thinking about some of my favorite Rough Trade records, which I list here:
bit.ly/3WeT98C

Chicago was getting after it today. Proud of my city. Miles and miles of citizen activists. Boisterous but peaceful protest. But kings? No thanks.

YouTube video by Funkonaut D'Angelo w/ David Sanborn & Friends - Use Me

D'Angelo, the son of a preacher man, connecting the dots between generations. In the lineage of the greats, an incalculable loss.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMb8...

Stunned by the death of D'Angelo at age 51. He left behind a small but powerful legacy: Three vital LPs and a series of concerts that I'll never forget. In 2000, "Voodoo" was my album of the year, and here's a little bit of what I wrote about it back then: shorturl.at/JxNvB

Arthur Baker has been crafting perfect beats since the '70s for myriad artists across multiple genres: New Order, Afrika Bambaataa, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Neneh Cherry, Al Green + many more. The @soundopinions.bsky.social interview: bit.ly/4q741mz

I have seen shocking footage of thousands of people in Chicago fleeing what I assume are horrible crime-doers, or as the lib media is falsely describing it “The Chicago Marathon.” It is a war zone here, folks, and people were running so fast from the crime-people that others were cheering for them!

...Jon and Tony put the poetry into stories that touched on Dylan Thomas, Paczkis, Steve Earle, the origins of baseball and how stories can sustain us at all hours, in the most unexpected moments. It was just another uplifting evening in an uplifting life. Raise a glass to a Chicago original. (2/2)

Chicago lost one of its best today. RIP Tony Fitzpatrick. I met Tony through Steve Earle, whose LP covers frequently became canvasses for Fitzpatrick's artwork. Jon Langford & Tony collaborated on a tribute to another one-of-a-kind Chicagoan, Lin Brehmer, at the Hideout in 2023 (pic below). (1/2)

I talked to Bob Mould in Chicago last night: “I’m astonished at the lack of protest music in the face of everything that’s out there today.” Then he went out and did something about it. Like his recent albums, his solo set spoke to what's happening in our streets. The review:
tinyurl.com/3xd56ndw

How the scene that emerged in a funky Manhattan neighborhood shaped the future of American music. @soundopinions.bsky.social with author David Browne.
My spiel here: bit.ly/4gVKQYx
Interview with David here: bit.ly/4mRRyjT
Enjoy!

Jim Kimball (RIP) put the overdrive into bands such as Laughing Hyenas, Mule, The Jesus Lizard, and more. He also did some fine work with Duane Denison and Ken Vandermark in a completely different musical vein. A few words about a drummer supreme on @soundopinions.bsky.social: bit.ly/42fkXNs

It’s a political movie but not a preachy one. It’s set in the now. And it’s both an entertainment and something much more. A reminder that the good fight can seem endless, unsustainable, but always remains essential to our humanity. A few words about "One Battle After Another":

tinyurl.com/meufdcsr

Indie rock, we hardly knew you.
Where it started and where it went. We talk with @chrisdeville.bsky.social, author of "Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion," on @soundopinions.bsky.social.

Some spiel here: bit.ly/4gOQufk
The show: bit.ly/3IIqp4G

YouTube video by Jimmy Kimmel Live Jimmy Kimmel is Back!

How many recognized @jimmykimmel.com's opening line was a tribute to Jack Paar? "As I was saying before I was interrupted," was Paar's opener upon his return after walking off the Tonight Show for 7 weeks in 1960 when NBC censors cut a joke about a water closet (bathroom). youtu.be/c1tjh_ZO_tY?...

Excited and honored to be the guest on today's @soundopinions.bsky.social discussing my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS and 21st century indie rock with living legends
@gregkot.bsky.social and @jimderogatis.bsky.social.

Check it out at the link / wherever you get your pods: www.soundopinions.org/show/1034

50th anniversary of a classic, from Mapplethorpe's cover shot to Patti's startling declaration of intent in the LP's first line. And then there's "Birdland," in which Smith pleads, “Please, take me up.” How did we get here? And how do we get the hell out? @soundopinions.bsky.social: bit.ly/3Vl7T5h

Redford was terrific in so many potent movies. My faves include "Three Days of the Condor, "Sneakers" and "Quiz Show." But nothing tops "All the President's Men." For us journalism students of a certain vintage, this movie helped point the way forward.

What the hell is "dad rock" anyway? Niko Stratis opens doors with some new perspective on how this maligned genre can change lives, as it did hers. bit.ly/4gg7Jpe

Latin jazz legend Eddie Palmieri is gone, but his music still cooks. What a life, what a career. A few words about the master on @soundopinions.bsky.social: bit.ly/46jVZPj