November 2024 - Rock Oracle

November 26, 2024 Jason Shrum

Love Courtney 🖤

On March 14th, 1995, my friend Josh Kaye and I grabbed tickets to go see Hole at The Edge in Orlando, Florida. It was one of the first shows that Courtney Love and her band played after the death of her husband, Kurt Cobain, nearly one year earlier. This was the closest I could get to seeing Kurt and Nirvana and I was super excited to see the show. To see Courtney, and no, I don’t think she had anything to do with his death. I think that conspiracy makes people feel better about the untimely death of our John Lennon. Like, he didn’t leave us, he was taken away.

B Sides FEATURED MUSIC NEWS

November 25, 2024 Jason Shrum

The Thrill of the Pick!

Record Store Day was created with a nod to “Free Comic Book Day”. Its inspiration came from an independently owned record store ownership meeting in Baltimore. Founded officially by Michael Kurtz, Eric Leven, Amy Dorfman, Carrie Colliton, Brian Poehner, and Don Van Cleave, Record Store Day was established in 2007 in celebration of individual artists. Packed with performances, special appearances, and meet-and-greets, Record Store Day celebrated everything musical while upholding the individuality of each store.

B Sides FEATURED MUSIC NEWS

November 21, 2024 Jason Shrum

Beyoncé Bounced

“Cowboy Carter” has been considered a reclamation of country music because it highlights Black artists’ contributions to the genre. Many folks had hoped that it would bring even more visibility to country Black artists. Emmett Price III, dean of Africana studies at Berklee College of Music, said her album was “calling into question not only the historical and cultural roots of country and Western but also how we normalize certain cultural aspects of country culture.”

FEATURED LIVE REVIEWS

November 17, 2024 Jason Shrum

A Space Disco with The Weird Sisters

They are the self-described “Dance Commanders” and that aptly chronicles the status of their compilations. Funk has collided with electronica and slammed danced with jazz and soul with punk-EDM and psychedelia ploughing into the onslaught. Are you getting it yet? You will just have to listen for yourselves. In fact, I implore you to dive into the pool. The water is nice, but you cannot see the bottom and if your feet do not touch, you are in the right place.

FEATURED MUSIC NEWS

November 10, 2024 Jason Shrum

The Beatles Get a Grammy Nod

The Beatles might finally be able to win a “Record of the Year” Grammy. The Fab Four’s latest “new” song, ‘Now and Then,’ was nominated this past Friday for the “Record of the Year” Grammy and will be competing against songs by Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone.