Category Archives: Music
Charlie Watts was never the most flashy drummer. He wasn’t known for the frenzied solos of Cream’s Ginger Baker, or for placing explosives in his kick drum like The Who’s Keith Moon. Instead, he was the subtle, stoic heartbeat of The Rolling Stones for almost 60 years.
On and off the stage, he was quiet and reserved – sticking to the shadows and letting the rest of the band suck up the limelight.
“I’ve actually never been interested in all that stuff and still am not,” he told the San Diego Tribune in 1991. “I don’t know what showbiz is and I’ve never watched MTV. There are people who just play instruments, and I’m pleased to know that I’m one of them.”
I haven’t had much time in the past few months, but I didn’t want to miss reflecting on this. It takes a humble drummer to avoid the spotlight and simply be the solid foundation behind the rest of the band. By all accounts from those who knew him best, humble appears to be an understatement for Charlie. What a career.
I was on Accidental Tech Podcast a few weeks ago! I emailed Casey a question for Ask ATP a while back about getting a Jeep Wrangler or another weekend convertible. A little behind on my listening, I was catching up on my podcasts and was surprised to hear my question. It totally made my day. This is Episode 271, and Casey Liss, Marco Arment, and John Siracusa chime in on my question around the 1:15:15 mark.
ATP is a fantastic podcast about Apple and the tech industry, but they typically switch gears and cover cars at the end of each episode. You can support them by ordering merch at their store here.
Listen to the best of this year’s regional Eurovision contestants that were (for reasons unknown to Radiostoyevsky) eliminated during their country’s 2018 National Selection competition. Hear from a selection of the best Eurovision runner ups from Romania, Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine along with special commentary from Eurovision rookie, DJ Mike Roselli.
I was in Arlington and DC this past weekend and had the amazing opportunity to join Jaime Cordes in the studio to record the latest broadcast of Radiostoyevsky. I didn’t contribute very much, but had an absolute blast.
Was extremely fortunate to get special guest Chuck Godfrey to join us for our second episode. An expert in all things Deadpool and Star Wars, you can imagine what we talked about…
One of my top favorite drummers is working on a new album that reinvisions Porcupine Tree tracks in a big-band style. I play along to Porcupine Tree often, and being a drummer with jazz and swing foundations really makes me excited to play along to these tracks. Very much looking forward to hearing it!
Here’s more about his album, as well as his top 5 tips for drummers.
I’m very excited and can’t wait to hear Dream Theater’s new album, hitting shelves next month, with new drummer Mike Mangini. It’s preordered and in the pipeline, but when I have a chance to take a listen, I’ll post my review. In the meantime, I’ve kept my ears fresh by following former DT drummer Mike Portnoy’s new band, Adrenaline Mob. These guys rock, really, really hard. Their EP is available on iTunes.
In other artistic news, my friend Jessica Prescott published a guest post that I wrote on her poetry blog. If you think you have what it takes to pen a magnificent six-word short story, Ernest Hemingway style, head over to the comments section and give it a shot.