Happy Beaster!
Kosher And Joyous “Passover” From The Black Angels And MAGNET
To our ears, nothing sounds more like Passover than Passover by the Black Angels. Goes great with a little gefilte fish and chrain. Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach! And read our Black Angels Q&A from 2011.
April 5: The Day The Music Died
R.I.P. all.
Bob Hite (Canned Heat), 1981
Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), 1994
Allen Ginsberg, 1997
Cozy Powell (Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Black Sabbath), 1998
Layne Staley (Alice In Chains), 2002
Gene Pitney, 2006
Mark St. John (Kiss), 2007
Jim Marshall (Marshall amplifiers), 2012
Black gives way to blue.
MAGNET Goes To The 2019 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction
That headline is correct: MAGNET did get to go to the 2019 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. And our Wes Orshoski did shoot these images for us. But he didn’t have the right credentials to take photos of the actual show. So he was relegated to watch the Cure from backstage, on a screen like the rest of us MAGNETeers who have been binging on Robert Smith and Co. recently. (Though he did get to see as much of absentee inductee Thom Yorke as the folks in the good seats, which is to say not at all.) But Wes had a fun night, and though he was totally bummed he didn’t actually see the Cure play live, he’s not complaining. Boys don’t cry after all.
Remembering Liverpool Duo Her’s, Gone Way Too Soon (R.I.P.)
On Monday, we posted a live review and photos of up-and-coming Liverpool band Her’s, who were also gracious enough to let MAGNET photographer Chris Sikich shoot portraits of them that night in Philadelphia. Two days later, the duo (Stephen Fitzpatrick and Audun Laading) and their tour manager (Minneapolis musician Trevor Engelbrektson) were killed in a car accident in Arizona while still on tour. Our hearts go out to the families, friends and fellow fans of Fitzpatrick, Laading and Engelbrektson.
“They were so nice and promising,” says Sikich. “The crowd loved them, too. Such devastating news.”
Scott Walker (1943-2019)
We lost a really good one last Friday. Scott Walker was a teen pop star who became one of the most important, influential and indescribable musicians in recent memory. Here we give you a glimpse at the enigmatic man through our words, his words and the words of some of the diverse musicians who proudly call themselves fans.
R.I.P. Scott Walker
R.I.P. Scott Walker. Read our classic, comprehensive feature on this legend:
R.I.P. Mark Hollis (Talk Talk)
R.I.P. Mark Hollis (Talk Talk). Life’s what you made it, and it never ends. Read White Lies in MAGNET on Talk Talk:
Normal History Vol. 518: The Art Of David Lester
Every Saturday, we’ll be posting a new illustration by David Lester. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events from his band’s 35-year run, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.
“When we put out our first LP, it was promptly called the worst record ever made by a reviewer who added that my guitar player should kill me. Meanwhile, the same city’s college-radio station had us at number one. Being disliked and appreciated have both contributed to our intensity and longevity.” —Jean Smith, “Surviving The Underground,” Monitor Mix, NPR, 2009
“Every Wrong Word” from The Family Swan (Kill Rock Stars, 2002) (download):
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart Released Their Self-Titled Debut 10 Years Ago Today
10 years ago today, the Pains Of Being Pure At Heart released their self-titled debut. Young adult friction. Read Mac McCaughan (Merge Records, Superchunk) in MAGNET on the band that same year: