Emily Ryan of Emily’s Sassy Lime — Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Interview

Emily Ryan is an artist/actress/DJ/musician who, in 1994, formed possibly the first all female Asian American rock group, Emily's Sassy Lime, with sisters Amy and Wendy Yao. In 2002, she played James Duval's girlfriend in Jon Moritsugu's underground classic Scumrock. Eric Brightwell: Question 1: what other all Asian-American rock bands were there before Emily's Sassy … Continue reading Emily Ryan of Emily’s Sassy Lime — Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Interview

Elli et Jacno… et Lio — Les electro-ye-yes

Denis Quillard (born in 1957) came from an eccentric but distinguished family in Champagne. A chainsmoking fan of Gauloises, he was known to some as "Jacno," after Marcel Jacno, the illustrator who designed the cigarette manufacturer's logo. Jacno had learned to play flute at a religious school in Margency, Notre-Dame-de-Bury. As a child his musical … Continue reading Elli et Jacno… et Lio — Les electro-ye-yes

Music Biographies — The Action

In the 2000s, Amoeba Music enlisted an army of writers and data entry people to work on an ambitious website that was meant to be a sort of combination of Allmusic, Apple Music, Discogs, Wikipedia, and more. Despite investing a tremendous amount of time, labor and money, the site, as envisioned, never got off the ground. In 2020 — without so … Continue reading Music Biographies — The Action

Glam & Glitter Christmas

  I'm not sure what it is about Glam Rock and Christmas but I've always appreciated how many contributions to the Christmas song canon have big drums, fuzzy sax and '50s via the '70s Yuletide vibes.   My vote for the best Glam Rock Christmas song goes, hands down, to Slade with their never-tiresome-no-matter-how-many-times-you-hear-it classic, … Continue reading Glam & Glitter Christmas

Glitter Rock — The red-headed stepchild of a red-headed stepchild

If you find Glam too brainy, too challenging, too confusing, then perhaps you're what the press used to refer to as a Glitter Kid! These bands didn't take their cues from the androgynous, artistic pretensions of David Bowie, Bretty Smiley, Cockney Rebel, Doctors of Madness or Jobriath. They looked to the big, stomping beats and … Continue reading Glitter Rock — The red-headed stepchild of a red-headed stepchild

Warren Mayes – Keep on kickin it

In the mid-1980s, though hip hop was still primarily an east coast phenomenon, it was quickly spreading to other locales like the musically rich bottom of the map, New Orleans. In 1984, Mannie Fresh, Mia X, DJ Wop and New York-transplant Denny D formed New Orleans' first rap crew, New York Incorporated. Two years later, … Continue reading Warren Mayes – Keep on kickin it

Music Biographies — Turk

In the 2000s, Amoeba Music enlisted an army of writers and data entry people to work on an ambitious website that was meant to be a sort of combination of Allmusic, Apple Music, Discogs, Wikipedia, and more. Despite investing a tremendous amount of time, labor and money, the site, as envisioned, never got off the ground. In 2020 — without so … Continue reading Music Biographies — Turk

Vietnamese New Wave — German Euro-disco

Vietnamese New Wave Are any of my readers out there Vietnamese? I was turned on to this amazing genre by "the Jewel of La Puente," the one and only (OK, one of thousands but still one of a kind) Ngoc Nuyen. I have asked the experts here at Amoeba Hollywood about "Vietnamese New Wave" (also referred … Continue reading Vietnamese New Wave — German Euro-disco

Pulp in the pre-Britpop Era

I was wondering whilst trying to fall asleep the other night why I haven't ever looked up any Pulp videos on Youtube before. Then I remembered that I had a DVD called Hits, so what else could there be? A few seconds later, a vacuum tube in my mind sparked to life and I recalled … Continue reading Pulp in the pre-Britpop Era