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(via Heavy Consequence) by Spencer Kaufman After recently announcing that he’ll be playing Riot Fest in September, 95-year-old William Shatner has unveiled an outrageous list of rider demands that puts classic-era Van Halen to shame. Shatner’s ready to bring the metal to the three-day Chicago festival, as he has confirmed that he’ll be playing on Sunday, September 20th, with his metal backing…

Donnie Iris: “That’s the Way Love Ought to Be” (1981) Pittsburgh legend Donnie Iris was effectively a one-hit wonder twice–although the story is a bit more complicated. The writer and singer of the Jaggerz’ sole, idiosyncratic 1970 hit “The Rapper”, he later joined Ohio funk band Wild Cherry, though his tenure came after their one megahit, “Play That Funky Music” From his first solo album,…

MC Hawking: A Brief History of Rhyme: MC Hawking’s Greatest Hits (2004) This blog celebrates wide ranging musical efforts, from the sublime to the ridiculous. And we’ve given plenty of attention to the sublime lately, so… Nerdcore rapper and web developer Ken Lawrence a.k.a. MC Hawking rose to internet prominence in the early 2000’s with mp3’s released through his website that employed a…

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Manu Chao: “Tu Te Vas” (2024) Listening to 2024’s Viva Tu is a bit dizzying: Spanish, French and English, all within the first three songs of Manu Chao’s 2024 release. A half-dozen languages across an album that mixes the personal and the political, the intimate and the anthemic. Remarkably, it was the singer’s first studio album in 17 years, but his unique formula remained intact, much to the…

Connie Converse: “House” (2026) We elsewhere told the tale of singular folk songwriter Connie Converse, her inspired music, disappointing career and mysterious disappearance. To the 2026 reissue of her How Sad, How Lovely album was added this bonus, previously unreleased track. It’s one more example of her lyrical gift, and a heartfelt reminder of all the things “home” can mean. See also:…

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Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)–Jim Croce Hey Western Union Man–Jerry Butler Sylvia’s Mother–Dr. Hookand the Medicine Show Take a Letter, Maria–R.B. Greaves Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair–Sheena Easton Western Union–The Five Americans

Talk: “Run Away to Mars” (2021) Canadian Nicholas Durocher, professionally known as Talk, specializes in soaring, emotionally-charged choruses and songs about isolation and disconnectedness. During a COVID-era stint as an out of work musician living in his parents’ basement, a lonely, depressed Durocher wrote “Run Away to Mars” after watching the movie Interstellar. The song went viral on…

The Flashing Lights: “Summertime Climb” (1999) Led by singer/guitarist Matt Murphy, this Canadian foursome’s roots as a 60’s cover band showed on their independently released 1999 debut. The sound of power pop is definitely the sound of summer.

Madison Beer: “Lovergirl” (2026) Madison Beer first achieved notice when Justin Bieber shared link to her singing a cover of “At Last” at age 13. Three albums into her career the Long Island native has established herself as a first-rate songwriter, albeit one whose singles and albums routinely perform better outside her native US. After four singles were released from her 2026 locket LP, the…

Luna Lee breathes new life into the classic rock of Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan and others by blending the modern with the traditional, and the western with the eastern. The results are dazzling. As she explains on her website: The gayageum that I play is an ancient, traditional Korean instrument made for the purpose of playing traditional Korean music. My ancestors played the…