Saturday, December 26, 2020

Saturday Slumgullion


I’m sorry Slumgullion is late again this week but I was making rather merry last night. It won’t happen again, Mr. Scrooge. Actually, it will, and probably soon. At any rate, I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and staying safe and healthy.


Beatles fans who’ve been anxiously awaiting Peter Jackson’s documentary The Beatles Get Back received an early Christmas present when the acclaimed director shared an almost six-minute long preview this past Monday. The montage of previously unreleased footage provides an insider’s view of the band’s creative process as well as some cheeky humor. It was no surprise when Jackson’s clip quickly spread across social media.


Georgia Comes Alive - A Virtual Concert To Get Out The Vote kicked off at 3:00 pm today and offered performances by 50 bands. Foo Fighters; Los Lobos; Mike Mills Featuring Big Something; Portugal. The Man; Ben Folds; Pete Yarrow; Blind Boys Of Alabama; Phil Lesh And Friends; Nathaniel Rateliff; Grace Potter; Preservation Hall Jazz Band; and The Revivalists are just a few examples of the event’s wide range of entertainment. The event was a benefit for the Georgia Coalition For The People’s Agenda and CivicGeorgia.


Chicago singer-songwriter Phil Angotti’s new album Still Life is now available on his Bandcamp page. Like his 2017 Such Stories, it’s an introspective, acoustic effort that’s reminiscent at times of Simon and Garfunkel. This time out, Angotti is focused on the troubling events of the past year, as evidenced by the somber but well-crafted closing song, “The Weirdest Christmas.” 


In a completely different vein, Angotti, NRBQ member Casey McDonough, and producer/musician Blair Holmes recently posted “Tomorrow Never Snows” on YouTube. It’s a fun medley that finds the trio singing Christmas carol lyrics to the tune of classic Beatles songs. “Here Comes Santa Claus” rocks to “Here Comes The Sun,” and “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” “Frosty The Snowman,” and “Rudolph Then Red Nosed Reindeer” all sport beat group arrangements and harmony vocals.


The Chicago-based indie rock band The Handcuffs premiered a new song earlier today on DJ Mike Lidskin’s program on Woody Radio. “Love Me While You Can,” the first single from from their upcoming fourth album, has a January 8 release date on the Color Red Records. The full album Burn The Rails will be coming out in spring, and if it’s as good as their previous releases, well worth the wait.


Hushdrops, another impressive local band recently released the four-song EP Indian Summer. It’s their first new material in a while, but still resonates with the strong melodies and psychedelic ambience that made their earlier efforts so compelling.


Rock music fans have been known to puzzle over The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s choices for inductees—why some acts are chosen, why some keep getting overlooked—but The RRHOF is now actually selling 500-piece puzzles of some of its honorees. Choices include The Beatles; The Rolling Stones; The Who; Queen; David Bowie; and The Doors. As with the RRHOF t-shirts, it seems unfair that some inductees have two or three items while most have none. I’d love to see a lot more variety in The Hall’s merchandise.


Manchester Music Then And Now: Music Worth Fighting For is a new documentary celebrating the past few decades of the English city’s long history of bringing the world top-notch rock bands. Featured acts include Happy Mondays; New Order; Joy Division, and Denise Johnson. The 35-minute film can be viewed on the Visit Manchester website. 


BBC Radio 4 will be celebrating the life and work of Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and Rutles musician/Monty Python collaborator Neil Innes throughout December. The Monty Python Official Instagram page promises there will be new and archival interviews with Python members. 


As noted in an Instagram post from the music venue Sleeping Village, artist-musician Steve Krakow, AKA Plastic Crimewave, has joined forces with Wake Up! Music to create a Heroes Of Chicago House Coloring Book. The 34-page effort features illustrations of house music stars from the 1980s and 90s. It’s available from Wake Up! Music for $20, and $5 of each sale will go to the Sustain Chicago Music Organization.

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