Although for most people the strains of "The Entertainer" and other rags now primarily evoke quaint, scratchy images of silent films projected at the wrong speed, when ragtime first appeared around the 1870s, it was the soundtrack of Missouri's whorehouses, parlors and gambling clubs. St. Louis in the 1870s Ragtime was also one of the first … Continue reading The Roots of Jazz: Ragtime
The Roots of Jazz: Cakewalk
A performative, competitive dance known as the chalk line walk first appeared around the 1850s on the plantations along the Gulf Coast. Its origins lay in the African-derived dance known as the bamboula -- also the name of a drum -- and it was performed in New Orleans, where on Sundays slaves were allowed to … Continue reading The Roots of Jazz: Cakewalk
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The Evolution of the Music Video
Video and the Radio Star I think it's safe to say that many, if not most, people seem to assume that music videos began with the initial broadcast of MTV on 1 August 1981. That first video, the Buggles' excruciating "Video Killed the Radio Star," came out in 1979, so what were they singing about? Were the Buggles prophets or … Continue reading The Evolution of the Music Video
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Cash Money Records – The Independent Years (1991-1998)
By now, anyone that reads this blog and is a fan of the many, great New Orleans labels that sprouted in the fertile hip-hop delta back in the '90s may've wondered why no Cash Money thus far. Well, I've been working on it but the greatest of labels required a lot of work. Hope you … Continue reading Cash Money Records – The Independent Years (1991-1998)
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Fucking with the Tombstone! — A history of New Orleans’s Tombstone Records
This blog entry is a look back at one of New Orleans's more obscure hip-hip labels, Tombstone. Tombstone Records was a notable New Orleans Rap label in the 1990s that released a handful of high caliber releases that sold over 100,000 albums around the South in three years before abruptly ceasing operations after a series … Continue reading Fucking with the Tombstone! — A history of New Orleans’s Tombstone Records
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Moon Missions and the Children of Major Tom — The End of the Space Age and the Music Which Followed
It's the 40th anniversary of the first manned moon landing, and looking back at that achievement it's obvious that one of the many repercussions was evinced in the music of the era. In addition to the space rock of bands like Pink Floyd and Hawkwind and sci-fi minded funk acts like Funkadelic, the glam rock … Continue reading Moon Missions and the Children of Major Tom — The End of the Space Age and the Music Which Followed
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Greenland –> Naalakkersuisut – and Inuit cinema and music
Though Greenland has been home-ruled since 1979, on 21 June 2009, the Danish government made steps toward granting Greenland full independence. In a 2008 referendum, 76% of the 58,000 residents of the sparsely populated island voted for self-rule and the Danish government has been handing over control of services to the local government and making symbolic … Continue reading Greenland –> Naalakkersuisut – and Inuit cinema and music
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Confession: Old Time Radio Drama
Confession is a crime drama anthology that originally aired on NBC from July 5 to September 14 in 1953,Sunday nights at 9:30. Each episode featured Paul Frees as Richard McGee -- then the director of California Department of Corrections. John Wald was the announcer. The rest of the cast changed from episode to episode and … Continue reading Confession: Old Time Radio Drama
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Cypress Park
In this installment of the California Fool's Gold, we visit Cypress Park. The western entry into the neighborhood Cypress Park is a neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles hemmed in by Mt. Washington to the northeast, the LA River on the southwest and Lincoln Heights to the south. Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Maps of Northeast … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Cypress Park
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Parkway Pumpin – Be Pumpin’ Hits Like its Motown
Although many independent labels appeared in the wake of New Orleans's 1991 bounce explosion, Parkway Pumpin' was one of the first. It was also one of the most influential stables of talent, although the limited finances of KLC (the man behind the boards) resulted in precious few recordings. When Master P relocated No Limit from Richmond, … Continue reading Parkway Pumpin – Be Pumpin’ Hits Like its Motown
Eric Brightwell 