This is a bummer. Torry Castellano (aka “Donna C”), drummer for The Donnas, has been forced to quit the band and completely retire from playing drums due to a chronic, severe shoulder injury. I interviewed Torry several years ago and she was lots of fun. This is really a shame, as not only are The Donnas an awesome band, but I know how passionate drummers are about their craft. No one wants to be forced into retirement due to an injury, but her decision makes sense considering that she was faced with having to choose living without pain over pursuing her art. You can read Torry’s heart-felt statement to her fans at this link. Good luck Torry, you will always continue to rock in my book!
Tag Archives: bands
Queen Release "Keep Yourself Alive"
On This Date, July 6th in in 1973: Queen released their debut single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” in the U.K. on EMI Records. What a great song!
Rad CD of the Week: The Grip Weeds, Strange Change Machine
As the past is reinvented to serve present needs, modern pop music continues to suffer from an absence of historical revisionism dating back farther than last Tuesday. It’s not such a mystery why anyone over the age of 17 (wait, make that ‘anyone with taste,’ which is not always a given) would probably rather listen to music from 20, 30 or even 40 years ago than anything currently stagnating on “the charts” – which haven’t been interesting or relevant since you were an egg.
That’s why it’s so refreshing to be able to moderate my regular listening sessions of Love’s Forever Changes and Mania, the lone album by Australia’s The Lucy Show (remember them?) with liberal doses of New Jersey’s best, not-well-known-enough band, The Grip Weeds.
Continue reading Rad CD of the Week: The Grip Weeds, Strange Change Machine
Album of the Year: MGMT’s Congratulations!
OK, I realize it’s not even April yet, but I’m predicting now that there will be no better album released in the year 2010 than MGMT’s sophomore release, Congratulations; due to drop officially on April 13th. Downloads of Congratulations first leaked all over the Internet weeks ago, so of course this work of sheer aural bliss found its way to me, as things of great genius tend to do. Being blessed with a pair of old-school rock and roll ears, these nine heavily 60s and 70s influenced tracks appealed to me on first listen. Yes, this album is a massive departure from the dense electro-pop of Oracular Spectacular – which was my favorite album of 2008. And in this case, change is good.
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The Who Record Pinball Wizard
Pinball Wizard Picture Sleeve (German Release)
On This Date, February 7th in 1969: The Who recorded “Pinball Wizard” at Morgan Studios in London. Although it was not one of songwriter Pete Townshend’s favorites, it went on to become by far the most popular song from the rock opera, Tommy, reaching #4 in the UK charts and #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. “Pinball Wizard” remains part of The Who’s live set to this day. Perhaps they will perform it later today when they provide musical entertainment for the half time show at the Super Bowl (aka The Stupid Bowl), which I will be doing everything in my power to avoid watching!