101 Series Lesson 90 Side Projects

Everybody needs an alter ego to express those feelings your “real” self can’t express. In the music world, you either put together a solo record with the songs that were rejected by the other band members. Or you find like-minded players in other bands and discover a whole new persona. These are called Side Projects […]

101 Series Lesson 89: Britpop

We’ve been making several international journeys of late. There is one final musical trip we would like to take to a place we’ve been before and then we can fly home. It’s time to travel back to England for Lesson 89 of the 101 Series and a serious look at and listen to the pop-Top […]

101 Series Lesson 88: New England Rox

Alright, time for some rock with funny accents . . . American-style. In Lesson 88 of the 101 Series we visit some of the colder states in the union: Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. You call them New England. We, at the Balcony who are familiar with American history, call it […]

101 Series Lesson 87: French Musique

When it comes to the music of France one can write it has a certain joie de vivre, a quelque chose de spécial, a certain je ne sais quoi. Pronouncing it is a whole different matter. In Lesson 87 of the 101 Series we listen to music from France and make every possible human effort to […]

101 Series Lesson 86: 90’s R & B

Everyone had a bad 80s. Rock. Pop. Country. You. Me. You know who had a really bad 80s: R&B. It’s just not good. But, you can’t keep a good groove down for too long . . . and R&B made a strong comeback in the next decade. In Lesson 86 of the 101 Series we […]

101 Series Lesson 85: History of Sub Pop Records

Rising from the murky depths of the Puget Sound comes a sound that at one time record executives, A&R men and mallrats called grunge. We, at The Balcony, will not call it grunge. It is flannel rock. Here in Lesson 85 of the 101 Series we focus on the label that brought some authenticity back […]

101 Series Lesson 84: Rock Instrumentals

Once upon a time there was a song that said, “What are words for when no one listens anymore?”. Here in The Balcony we completely understand that sentiment. And so with lesson 84 in the 101 Series we take our metaphoric pencil and erase the words – or most of them at least – and […]

101 Series Lesson 83: Family Bands

Not every bloodline is gold. For every Frank Sinatra, we have a Frank Sinatra, Jr.; for every John Lennon, a Sean Lennon. But, every once in a while . . . talent is in the genes. In Lesson 83 of the 101 Series we keep it in the family and feature bands made up of […]

101 Series Lesson 82: Live at CBGBs

Few places on earth are and were worth making a pilgrimage to . . . Mecca . . . the pyramids . . . the Great Wall . . . One of them, probably the most important, is no longer a place you can physically travel to: CBGB. In Lesson 82 of the 101 Series we […]

101 Series Lesson 81: Songs About Radio

There are so many things you can say about radio. The sound of static and a mis-dialed station can’t be replicated on a DSL line. Also, someone once said “Radio is a heartbreak.” That same someone then got the idea to write a song or two about it. And so did a lot of other […]