Tag: justice

June 28, 2013 - Activist- musician Tom Morello has offered to fund the whistleblower Edward Snowden after he uncovered the fact that our NSA is unconstitutionally eavesdropping on American's emails and phone calls in a widespread and systematic fashion, all in top secret. Speaking to TMZ, Tom Morello said, "I think he should live a happy life in Ecuador. That's what I think. He's a hero." Then he added, "He exposed the crimes of the government. That we're all being spied on, all the time by the Obama administration. If anybody deserves to be in jail, it's not Snowden." Watch the video interview of Tom Morello on TMZ.com below, and join the conversation at our Facebook Page!

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June 7, 2013 - Who "invented" the electric guitar solo? Have you ever thought about that? Who was the first person to "shred" the electric guitar and pave the way for all the greats we know of today like Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and others? The electric guitar when it first came out was mainly just rhythm, in the background. Around 1939 "bebop" and "cool jazz" started coming out and becoming popular. One musician, who was playing with Benny Goodman's Sextet and Orchestra, stepped out and started playing "solos" on the electric guitar and paved the way for all the guitar shredding we enjoy today. That man is Charlie Christian. Some argue he wasn't the first, but in many people's opinions (including mine) he made the electric guitar lead solo "popular", and in essence "invented" it.

Charlie Christian was born in Bonham, Texas in 1916 to a musical family, and they soon moved to Oklahoma. He inherited his musical talent from his father, who lost his sight due to a fever, and had to turn to "busking" to support the family even involving the children. He eventually became very popular in the Oklahoma City area, and in 1939 caught the attention of John Hammond, who told Benny Goodman about him. He quickly became part of Benny's new sextet. Charlie's "tension and release" technique on the guitar was groundbreaking, and he started a whole new way of playing the electric guitar, bringing it out of the shadows of a rhythm guitar, to lead solos out in front. He first played a Gibson ES-150, and the special electric pickup was eventually named after him. 

Charlie had contracted tuberculosis in the 1930s, and in the 1940s it flared up again and his health declined, and the late night jam sessions in Harlem, NY didn't help. He died March 2, 1942 at the very young age of 25. Sadly, he was buried in Bonham, Texas in an unmarked grave. It wasn't until 1994 till people attempted to locate his burial place in Gates Hill Cemetery. A headstone and historical marker was placed to honor this pioneering musician, who led the way for Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Buddy Guy, Eddie Van Halen and all the great guitar shredders. Watch a video below of him, with a good representation of what he pioneered in the song "Stompin' at the Savoy" from wilson mcphert on YouTube.
 

June 6, 2013 - A new book called "The Riot Grrrl Collection" is out featuring artwork, manifestos, fanzines and fiction, and details the girl punk rock movement of the 1990s. Girls would hand out zines and fliers at punk rock music shows, and an underground feminist movement came into being, exchanging art and fiction commenting on the male dominated society. It gave rise to such groups as Sleater-Kinney, and even now we see their influence in the Russian punk rock group Pussy Riot. Check out a few pics from the book and a great article by Evelyn McDonald about it on the LA Times Jacket Copy.  (Picture: Carrie Brownstein/Credit: Eliah Hecht CC)

(Joey Covington at his final performance on June 1, 2013- Photo credit: Dean M. Gray/DesertVortex/Flickr)

JUNE 6, 2013 - Sad news in the realm of '60s music, Joey Covington who played drums for one of the 1960s biggest groups, Jefferson Airplane, died in a car crash. His common law wife, thinks that a stroke or other health problem might have been a factor. He apparently drove off the road and hit a cement wall. He wasn't wearing his seat belt. A man at the scene tried to resuscitate, but was unsuccessful. Joey was 67.

Joey was born in 1945 in Pennsylvania and taught himself to play the drums. He started recording music in Johnstown, PA when he was only sixteen. His first group was the Fenways, jammed a while with Jimmy Greenspoon in LA (who later went on to fame with Three Dog Night) and also played with Papa John Creach.

In 1969 he formed the group Hot Tuna with Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen, and also joined Jefferson Airplane; either double-drumming with Spencer Dryden, or sometimes replacing him entirely. He broke his leg and was not able to play drums for their Woodstock show. In the 1970s he went solo, then in the 1980s and 1990s he was part of the group San Francisco Allstars. He was popular in the Palm Springs area, and even played free gigs, and talking to the fans after the show. Read more on Today.com here, and a report with pictures from the local CBS affiliate here.

June 5, 2013 - The punk rock, activist "art collective" Pussy Riot is the focus of a new film by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorvokin titled "Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer". The documentary explores what is really going on with the arrest and jailing of three women in Russia, who were merely exercising the right of free speech. The film has had great reviews and acceptance, and won a World Cinema Jury Prize from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The film is a six-month journey into the lives of the three women, Nadya, Masha and Katia and their ordeal with the Russian justice system facing charges of "hooliganism" after performing a 40-second free speech action at the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. The church lobbied heavily with the Putin government to come down hard on the girls, and they all 3 ended up with prison time. Their predicament has garnered worldwide attention, and has sent shock waves reverberating through Russia.

Nadya has been freed on appeal, but the other two remain jailed. In fact, there is a new law unofficially called the "Pussy Riot Law" that just passed, that will make the penalties even stiffer if someone else tries this in the future. The new "Pussy Riot Law" calls for one year in jail and a fine of $300,000 rubles ($9,400 US) for "public actions expressing clear disrespect for society and committed with intent to offend the religious feelings of the faithful." If one does it in a house of worship, the penalties get even worse.

Check out an interview with the filmmakers on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the other night below (fast forward to end), the direct link is here. Also, check out the movie's website here to see the trailer and learn more about the film. Apparently Vladmir Putin likes Dire Straights, so we need to get Mark Knopfler to come out in support of the girls and say, "Free Pussy Riot!", and maybe Putin will pardon them. So Mark, please come out in support of freeing Pussy Riot!