JarFive
- boygenius taking a break.
On the eve of Grammy weekend, nominated trio boygenius (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker) are apparently taking a break. They played a couple of acoustic sets last night, at a secret location in LA. Attendees claim that the group announced their hiatus. I’ve had a few opportunities to see them live, with their fantastic appearance at Coachella last year, along with a record store performance at Fingerprints Music in the fall (video below). I’m guessing we’ll be seeing solo releases over the coming year.
- The Last Dinner Party release their full debut, “Prelude to Ecstasy”
After considerable attention with their single release of “Nothing Matters,’ British quintet The Last Dinner Party released their full length debut today. While I’ve seen some people on Reddit throwing around the ‘industry plant’ label to describe them, I dig the Kate Bush vibes I get from some of their music. The strings also give a classical/baroque feel. They’re a rock band not conforming to any template, and that’s always appealing. The band is also on the Coachella lineup this year, so I’m looking forward to that set. Put them on your radar, if they aren’t already.
- The story of “We Are The World,” on Netflix
By accident, I stumbled on the “The Greatest Night in Pop,” the Netflix doc telling the story of the legendary star-studded song. The song was perhaps the pinnacle of pop stars using music, and their fame, to collectively draw attention to a global cause. While I knew a few bits about this track from my youth, I did learn a lot from the film. And I couldn’t help but be nostalgic for distinct artists that could perform without the help of autotune. Here are some highlights:
- Quincy Jones was a master psychologist throughout. The fact that he had so many stars there, and only one night to record this track, really highlights his ability to tap into each artist’s psyche to get the results he needed.
- Al Jarreau was eventually drunk, and they had a challenge getting him to record his part.
- Bob Dylan was apparently one of the first artists to sign on, yet he looked the most awkward there. Dylan’s known for a lot of things, but being a powerhouse vocalist isn’t one of them. Again, kudos to Quincy (and Stevie Wonder) for stepping in to help him get the vocal down. They had everyone else leave the room while this happened.
- Sheila E. was used to try to lure Prince to perform. He never came, and Sheila E. ended up leaving, clearly upset that she wasn’t going to be recording a verse.
- At one point, Stevie Wonder wanted to record some lyrics in Swahili. Waylon Jennings wasn’t having it, and took off.
- Diana Ross was apparently a fan of Daryl Hall, and asked him for an autograph.
- Michael Jackson wasn’t originally planning to record on the track he co-wrote with Lionel Richie. I was equally impressed with Lionel Richie hosting the American Music Awards, and then rushing to record this track.
- Billy Joel’s first new song in 17 years
Billy Joel released his first new song in 17 years, with “Turn The Lights Back On.’ Honestly, the first thing that struck me was how great is voice sounds. After seeing clips some years back of his voice straining, this was very refreshing. The start of the song sounded a bit like Elton John, but eventually sounds a bit like 70’s Joel, with a “Downeaster Alexa” feel closing out the song. This track is better than I thought it would.
- Two of my local favorites perform on Saturday
I’ll close out my five with a local shoutout. Widows Gold and Sweet Nobody are both playing tomorrow night here in Long Beach, at Vine. Check them out if you get a chance!
The Jarvis Lounge 
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