OPAL - HAPPY NIGHTMARE BABY (1987) Opal was an American band associated with the Paisley Underground and whose guiding force was David Roback, a guitarist and songwriter from Pacific Palisades. Roback graduated from high school in 1975 and in 1981 formed The Sidewalks who, renamed Rain Parade, were seminal within the Paisley Underground scene. Roback quit Rain Parade in 1983 after the release of their … Continue reading One Album Wonders: Opal’s Happy Nightmare Baby
Month: June 2015
There It Is, Revitalize It — Visiting the Silver Lake Reservoir
The other night (24 June), the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and outgoing (in both senses of the word) city council member Tom LaBonge arranged to have the gates of the Silver Lake Reservoir unlocked for a few hours and thus the South Dam was briefly opened to the public. Despite the … Continue reading There It Is, Revitalize It — Visiting the Silver Lake Reservoir
One Album Wonders Northside’s Chicken Rhythms
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog NORTHSIDE - CHICKEN RHYTHMS (1991) My introduction to the quartet named Northside came in my second year of college, I believe, a few years after the release of their only album, Chicken Rhythms. As a teenage fan of all things Madchester, I'd heard of them, of course, but it … Continue reading One Album Wonders Northside’s Chicken Rhythms
A look at The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe on the anniversary of its debut
NBC's The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe was the first of two radio dramas featuring Raymond Chandler's most enduring literary creation, hardboiled Los Angeles detective, Philip Marlowe. The program was popular Van Heflin but short-lived, a summer replacement which kept a time slot warm and whose star after its conclusion returned to film. It was followed one year … Continue reading A look at The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe on the anniversary of its debut
One Album Wonders: The Paris Sisters Sing Everything Under the Sun!!!
Real life siblings Priscilla, Albeth, and Sherrell began cutting records as The Paris Sisters in 1954. In the fifteen years that followed, they only released on full-length studio LP and in their final year as a recording unit. The San Francisco trio did appear on more than 25 singles, however, and are best remembered for … Continue reading One Album Wonders: The Paris Sisters Sing Everything Under the Sun!!!
An introduction to Crime Classics on the anniversary of its debut
Crime Classics was a CBS radio series which following a 1952 audition aired from 15 June 15 1953 to 30 June 1954. To quote its own introduction it was “A series of true crime stories from the records and newspapers of every land, from every time.” It's one of the finest programs of its sort. Crime Classics was … Continue reading An introduction to Crime Classics on the anniversary of its debut
One Album Wonders: The La’s
In 2000, Pearl Jam treated their audience to a cover of The La’s’ “Timeless Melody.” Eddie Vedder, addressing the Mancunian audience characteristically mumbled, “Hey! There’s a good, uh — fuckin’ good? -- a great band who made one great record and they’re called The La’s and I think they’re from your town… I believe. A … Continue reading One Album Wonders: The La’s
One Album Wonders: The Music Machine’s (Turn On) The Music Machine
The following entry originally appeared on the Amoeblog THE MUSIC MACHINE -- (TURN ON) THE MUSIC MACHINE (1966) Los Angeles's The Music Machine are one of those bands which was not only a one album wonder but aone hit wonder as well (there are a few of them). The Music Machine’s big hit was “Talk Talk,” … Continue reading One Album Wonders: The Music Machine’s (Turn On) The Music Machine
High Rising — Visiting the Hotel Figueroa
Los Angeles is often characterized as an horizontal city, spread as it is across an area that could contain Boston, Cleveland, Manhattan, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, St. Louis, and several interchangeable college towns. Dodger Stadium's parking lot alone is larger than some principalities. Less often acknowledged is the fact that no city on Earth is as vertical either, stretching as … Continue reading High Rising — Visiting the Hotel Figueroa
Eric Brightwell 