Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Beat.
Memories of Old and AM Gold (Part 1)
Whenever summer rolls around, it annually evokes fond memories of youthful days I’d eagerly spend counting down until the school year would finally end. The anticipation of long, lazy summer days, extended car rides, and family vacations was always palpable. That was the era of AM radio hits which often turned into road trip sing-alongs which served as a much needed reprieve from being cooped up for hours on end in the car. I’m referring to a time when portable electronics were almost non-existent and the only access to music was the standard AM radio that came factory installed in the family owned American automobile. Back then, everyone mostly subsisted on the familiar sounds of the most popular Top 40 radio hits of the day, unless you were lucky enough to have the infamous 8-track tape deck, which did NOT include fast-forward or rewind options.
By Eric Allen9 years ago in Beat
Fender Toronado: Not to Be Confused With Grandma's GM Oldsmobile
This is not to be confused with your Grandma’s old boat of a car, the GM Oldsmobile Toronado! This is a guitar folks. This is one breed of guitar that has both confused and interested me at the same time. When it first came out a few years ago, it caught my eye because it, at first glance, looked like an alternate version of the Jazz Master. But let me say straight up that a Jazz Master it is not... and to be fair, nor was it intended to be.
By Mark Darnell9 years ago in Beat
Review of Rob Sheffield's Dreaming The Beatles: 6 of X
Rob Sheffield makes the case for Ringo in the next chapter of his stellar Dreaming the Beatles, putting the question regarding Ringo as whether he was an all-time genius drummer who made the Beatles possible, or "a clod who got lucky, the biggest fool who ever hit the big time". Sheffield puts his chips on the genius.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Beat
The Worst Song to Ever be Created
Sometimes, bad music happens to good bands. Elvis Presley infamously sang "Confidence" as part of a children's movie he filmed in the late 60s. Chuck Berry's song, "My Ding-A-Ling," was his only solo hit - and also happened to be a several minute long joke about his ding-a-ling. Even Paul Simon had a gaffe or two under his belt.
By Skunk Uzeki9 years ago in Beat
Music and Concert Documentaries on Netflix
Too few people watch documentaries, which means that many music and concert documentaries on Netflix go unwatched. It's a damn shame, too, because there are a multitude of great ones no one sees. With so many movies and shows on the streaming service, it's hard to figure out what to watch. So often, quality shows are drowned in a quantity of crap. And documentaries can be made and uploaded to the service on the cheap.
By Anthony Gramuglia9 years ago in Beat
Review of Rob Sheffield's Dreaming The Beatles: 5 of X
Rob Sheffield's short chapter in his Dreaming the Beatles (actually, they're all short, which is good) is about "It Won't Be Long," and is about as fine a piece of music journalism, or rock 'n' roll analysis, or whatever you want to call it, as you can find. It's a holographic sample of why the book as a whole is so enjoyable and important.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Beat
Best Indie Rock Bands
We're pretty sure that VH1 has done at least one list ranking the best indie rock bands of all time. Indie rock has been around for longer than hipsters have been in Brooklyn, and the fact is that many of the biggest movements in music were sparked by good indie rock bands and their unique sounds.
By Skunk Uzeki9 years ago in Beat
Listen To The Music!
Ever since pre-historic cavemen first banged two rocks together in an eurythmic beat that entertained the ear, music has been an integral part of every culture in the world. Whether it be drums covered with animal skins or a flute carved from a hollow reed, mankind has sought out ways to make sounds that not only served as a means of communication but conveyed emotion and identity.
By Marlene Affeld9 years ago in Beat
It Really Was 50 Years Ago Today!
The Beatles manager Brian Epstein had just come out of a drug-induced collapse in May 1967, in the Priory Hospital in Roehampton in West London, when he heard the group he had propelled to international stardom’s latest album. A stereo had been set up by his bedside and acetate provided; he closed his eyes, lay back and listened to the magic that filled the room.
By Bob Robertson9 years ago in Beat
Review of Rob Sheffield's Dreaming The Beatles: 4 of X
I don't want to get too far into Rob Sheffield's addictive book without posting another review, so I thought I'd check in here after finishing a chapter on George, which comes after discussions of Ringo (which I talk about in my last review) and Paul and John, which are of course a part of every chapter.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Beat
