Published in The Riff·PinnedMember-onlyI Started the Mother of All Music NewslettersZappagram will inform and entertain you — I want to invite everyone to subscribe to my new music newsletter that launches tomorrow. My hope is that it will quickly become one of your favorite emails to receive. If you love music the way I do, I believe you’ll love this. I subscribe to several fantastic music newsletters…Music2 min readMusic2 min read
Published in The Riff·7 hours agoMember-onlyTom Verlaine of Television, Dead at 73Patti Smith eulogized that there was no one like him — Tom Verlaine couldn’t sing for shit. That sentiment is neither disparaging nor is it mine — Verlaine said it himself in multiple interviews over the years. If anything, that statement was modestly candid and wholly self-deprecating, as he was known to be. …Tom Verlaine3 min readTom Verlaine3 min read
Published in The Riff·2 days agoMember-onlyWhat the Artists Who Played Woodstock Were PaidTheir paychecks will blow your mind — Time Magazine called it “the greatest peaceful event in history.” Countless books have been written and documentaries made about the historic gathering of close to a half million souls at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair held in Bethel, New York, in August 1969. Viewed through the lens of its…Woodstock4 min readWoodstock4 min read
Published in The Riff·Jan 22Member-onlyRemembering Music Legend David CrosbyThe question isn’t how much time we have left — the question is, what are we going to do with that time? — Many words have been used to describe singer and songwriter David Crosby, who died earlier this week at the age of 81. Rock star. Rebel. Brilliant. Curmudgeon. Legend. Hippie. Asshole. Sweetheart. Undoubtedly, Crosby was all those things to different people at different times throughout his incredibly fruitful yet tumultuous life…David Crosby3 min readDavid Crosby3 min read
Published in The Riff·Jul 27, 2022Member-onlyCelebrating the Queen of Bass, Carol KayeThe fascinating story of an unsung music legend — In the early 1960s, a simple twist of fate would bring several Los Angeles session musicians together to loosely form the powerhouse collective that came to be known as “the wrecking crew.” Over the course of the next two decades, this proficient group would play on thousands of the most…Music4 min readMusic4 min read
Published in The Riff·Jul 26, 2022Member-onlyThe Worst Album Titles of All TimeVolume one (of many) — As an artist, it must be stressful coming up with album titles. It’s a bit like naming a baby, if that baby’s name was a determining factor in its commercial success or lack thereof. More often than not, artists strive for interesting names, names that make you think, inspiring one…Music5 min readMusic5 min read
Jul 7, 2022Member-onlyAmerica the InexcusableYou can’t make it great again if it never really was — Last week, a man, his wife, and their four children drove from Canada into rural Washington state to visit family. Within three hours of entering the United States, the man hears a loud sound and feels some sort of impact with his vehicle. Initially, he thinks it may be a…Politics5 min readPolitics5 min read
Published in The Riff·Jun 20, 2022Member-onlyHow To Automatically Skip Music You Don’t LikeA helpful tip for Mac users only — Everyone has some artists and songs they just can’t stand to listen to. Sometimes even our favorite bands release songs we don’t really care for and would be fine not hearing again. Every time these artists or songs begin playing on a shuffled playlist, we trip over ourselves to get…Music Apps3 min readMusic Apps3 min read
Published in A Parent Is Born·Jun 7, 2022Member-onlyYou Can’t Watch Them Too CloselyAll parents should heed this advice to avoid catastrophe. — Kids are full of surprises. They will amaze and amuse you, delight and astound you, and occasionally, they will bewilder and perplex you, overwhelm and even frighten you. As a first-time father working as hard as I can to be the best dad possible, I’m learning new lessons every day…Parenting8 min readParenting8 min read
Published in The Riff·Jun 6, 2022Member-onlyDee Dee Ramone Died 20 Years Ago TodayRemembering the legendary Ramones bassist — Anyone who has ever listened to the Ramones, will immediately recognize the famous rapid-fire shouted, “One! Two! Three! Four!” count-in for nearly every song they performed live or in-studio. That legendary rhythmic rally cry was courtesy of Dee Dee Ramone, bassist for The Ramones from the time of their formation…Dee Dee Ramone4 min readDee Dee Ramone4 min read
