history
Iconic moments in music history.
The Music of B.J. Thomas
This incredible singer who’s had many popular hits is called Billy Joe Thomas, better known to his fans as B.J. Thomas. He’s an American singer who's charted on pop, country, and Christian charts. His most popular hits came out in the 1960s and 1970s.
By Rasma Raisters7 years ago in Beat
Astro-Yardies & Algoriddims: An Introduction to Jamaican Afrofuturism
I have an otherworldly memory from my young boyhood in Kingston, Jamaica. This was in the late 70s, and our family had recently moved there from New York City. I was navigating so many cultural shifts. It was Christmas time (my first without snow), and we were walking through a shopping plaza. Through the crowd, I heard a lively, hypnotic African drum pattern with a staccato flute or "fife," punctuating it. I looked towards the source of the sound and gasped. A small menagerie of bizarre humanoids were dancing by. I gaped at them. One had bull horns on their head, another was a dancing patchwork quilt of whirling multicolored flaps of cloth, and yet another had a horse's head. They were all very colorful, and completely outlandish. No human faces could be seen. Neither I nor my younger sister had context for any of this. These entities seemed to have just danced through a portal from another dimension. My sister and I looked quizzically at each other and shrunk closer to my parents. "What's that?" I asked. "Oh, that's Jonkanoo," Dad said with a smile. That didn't help me understand the surreal scene, but it let me know that this was a known phenomenon that people were familiar with, and it had a name. So I wasn't hallucinating. I looked around and saw other children cautiously stepping back; other smiling adults; and a lot of people just kinda going about their business like nothing unusual was happening. I learned later that Jonkanoo comes from a mixture of Akan (Ghana) and Yoruba (Nigeria) masquerade dance traditions, and is celebrated around Christmas time in Jamaica, as well as other Caribbean countries. But at that moment, I felt like I had been transported through the looking glass into the West African/Jamaican version of "Alice In Wonderland."
By Richard Wright, MA7 years ago in Beat
Memphis Music Legends: Dewey Phillips
In the late 1940s an unassuming young man, straight out of the military, made a move from his hometown Adamsville, TN, to Memphis. The kid with an effervescent southern draw and an in-your-face personality, would almost overnight become the iconoclast of the music world. His keen ear, coupled with his fascination and adoration of what was known as “race music” would change the face of radio and the demographic of listeners forever.
By Virtuosity's NewVMusic 7 years ago in Beat
Why Are You Ranking: Best Musical Acts to Have Enriched Delaware from the Admired Duly to the Adored Greatly
The first state to ratify the United States Constitution has played home to a number of notable musical acts that have gone under the radar. Though it may be hard to believe, some of the most talented musicians either saw birth here or traveled here during a time in their lives. The largest city in Delaware, Wilmington, continues to be a hub for upcoming acts. The Queen in Wilmington hosts some of the best musical acts from around the country. But in the past, Delaware also allowed for artists to hone their crafts, seek refuge, and build up a rapport with their audience. The advent of festivals like Firefly and the newest day party scene, Trapstock, seem to be boosting the profile of the state. Though often looked down upon as small, flat, and boring, Delawareans and outsiders alike can enjoy the sounds that flow from the Diamond State. For musicians, Delaware has provided opportunities for listeners to reap new and different musical stylings. From Bossa Nova innovators like Diego Paulo to Hip Hop pioneers like Shizz Nitty, the state has transformed from a tiny dot to a significant part of the euphonic landscape. Even some of the Hip Hop acts like Swish Maddi and producers like SAP (Sounds of a Pioneer) can call Delaware home. Perhaps the most prominent Wilmingtonian in the rap game is Gimel Androus Keaton, best known as Young Guru, the engineer for Rap titan Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter amongst others. So gather your blue hen colored guitars and drum machines for, Why Are You Ranking: Best Musical Acts to Have Enriched Delaware from the Admired Duly to the Adored Greatly.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Beat
How the Stone Roses Managed to Become One of the Most Important Bands in History yet Still Feel Underground
The Stone Roses are arguably one of the most important bands in the history of British music, with their immense influence still being present today as they changed the face of British rock.
By Jenny McDowell-Langford8 years ago in Beat
Let's Rock and Roll
Music is the language of the world; it brings people together through the ups and downs of one's life. Throughout history, music has had a significant influence on various cultures and groups of people. With this great influence, music has had its negative and positive outlooks due to the subject matter of certain songs and the artists that represent the various music genres. This comes down to the listener of the music and their background. The negative and positive outlooks make music a debatable topic to discuss; the questions in mind being: what are the negative and positive aspects of certain musical genres? And how greatly does music influence individuals in both negative and positive ways? I want to answer these questions by going over one of my favorite genres, rock. I am constantly listening to rock music and different artists within the rock genre.
By Shadora Robinson8 years ago in Beat
My Guitar Couldn't Hold You So I Split the Band
When Elton John was sent to the United States by Dick James Music in 1970 to perform. He was accompanied by a touring band comprised of Dee Murray on Bass and Nigel Olsson on drums. Though Dee and Nigel would appear sparingly on Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water, the early albums relied almost exclusively on Session Musicians, that changed in 1972 with the addition of Davey Johnstone on Guitar after which the touring band would also be used on Studio Recordings for the bulk of the rest of Elton's recorded work. His band saw many (Often controversial) changes throughout the years including firing his core rhythm section of Olsson and Murray, twice.
By Sean Callaghan8 years ago in Beat
An Idiot's Guide to Pop Punk
Three chord sequences, pogoing, sunshine (mostly) and sometimes pizza - pop punk is THE summer genre, and holds a special place in the heart of many an alternative music fan. Whether you're a 'pop punk till I die' kind of fan or one who keeps it as a guilty pleasure, it can't be denied that without it, our corner of the world would be a far more po-faced, sullen place. And if you're just getting into it, or you want to but aren't sure where to start, what better time to discover it than during the height of summer, and with this article? This is the lowdown on everything - the bands, the albums, and the stories - pop punk.
By E.W Hemmings8 years ago in Beat
Riot Grrrl: Feminism's Most Important Soundtrack
The 1980s were a time when the music scene was primarily dominated by a misogynistic and masculine aesthetic and sound, an issue that was merely the spark to the Feminist bonfire that would slowly start to consume the industry for the next couple decades. The short-lived, but forever inspirational “Riot Grrrl” scene was ground zero. Not everyone knows what Riot Grrrl is, not even all punk enthusiasts know, but I personally believe that Riot Grrrl was a major part of the influential decade that was the 90s. It was the most important Feminist movement in music history.
By Aaron Kerper8 years ago in Beat
