Rock
It is well established that the lyrics to the song on “Queen II” that’s directly about the painting (called “The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke”) originate from a poem Richard Dadd wrote about his picture. What’s never been established though is exactly how Freddie Mercury became aware of this poem.
Saturday night’s advertised performers paid robust homage to the late Gary Smith — the Fort Apache Studios owner, producer, and band manager — across three and a half hours at the Somerville Theatre.
The Disco Biscuits are playing champion-level shows following a period of rebuilding and recalibrating that brought the band out of semi-retirement.
“The Past is Still Alive” hones Alynda Segarra’s songs to an accessible Americana that allows their travelogue-tinged tales to nestle in ways both literal and metaphorical. It’s one of the best records of the nascent new year.
The Disco Biscuits improvisations are not driven by a guitar-rock root: they are more apt to dive into a piece of classical music and then ease into a propulsive dance-club beat that eventually swerves into Zappa-style brainy grime.
The album’s layers of thick and swampy sound make Kim Gordon’s anxious point.
Cat Power transformed Dylan’s songs across a 90-minute set that appeared organically studied, slightly unsettled, and ultimately sublime, as the singer rode the arc from a shadowy “She Belongs to Me” to an exultant “Like a Rolling Stone.”
For years now, Cowboy Junkies has been bringing its brand of contemplative, atmospheric rock ’n’ roll into a patchwork of independent venues in our region.
The album suggests an earlier time, but most of the music is modern, relevant, and timeless.
Music Commentary: A Deep Dive into The Mothers of Invention’s “Plastic People”
Frank Zappa’s tight editing ensured that “Plastic People” was a compelling aural creation, and his fierce confidence compelled listeners to pay attention to the words.
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