Jason Shrum, Author at Rock Oracle

June 11, 2025 Jason Shrum

Brian Wilson has passed at 82

A singer, songwriter, and record producer, Brian Douglas Wilson was born on June 20, 1942. He co-founded the band in Hawthorne, California, in 1961, with his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. I was lucky enough to see the remaining members minus Wilson perform at Bourbon and Beyond last year in Louisville, Kentucky.

That tonality and surf & sun soaked scapes that Wilson and his family created will never be damaged as they live in infamy. The legacy is greater than the man himself who was unfortunately blanketed in hopelessness for a good portion of his life. Thankfully he was able to break free from his own shadows and share the music with his fans once again.

FEATURED MUSIC NEWS

June 10, 2025 Jason Shrum

Sly Stone, Sly and the Family Stone Frontman, Dead at 82

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone,” his family said in a statement on Monday, June 9. “After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

FEATURED MUSIC NEWS

June 8, 2025 Jason Shrum

June Newsletter

ALBUM REVIEWS FEATURED INTERVIEWS MUSIC NEWS

May 30, 2025 Jason Shrum

The Journey with Inclement Weather Department

I met Cam, Joey, Trevor, Brian, Connor and TJ before even knowing that they were a band. I co-owned a small batch brewery in north Seattle, in a neighborhood know as Ballard (don’t let anyone tell you it was Fremont). About 2 blocks up the road, in Fremont, sat an unmarked building, with no windows and no plaque out front even though it was once the home of Reciprocal Records until the early 1990’s. Why is that important? Well, it is where Nirvana, along with producer Jack Endino laid down the band’s first album, Bleach. Other bands like Soundgarden, Death Cab For Cutie, Green River and Tad, among others, would also record here. I didn’t know this at first and I soon realized that I near a pretty special place in music history.

FEATURED LIVE REVIEWS

May 20, 2025 Jason Shrum

Billy Idol & Joan Jett Still Crushing It

Billy Idol followed about a half hour after Joan and her Blackheart mates finished their set. Idol, now 69, also looked fantastic and I wondered how he would sound. I have been a long-time fan of both musicians since I was about 12 years old. I knew about Runaways and was also listening to Billy’s former band Generation X thanks to the older kids that I knew when I was in middle school. Again, these formations broke-up long before I was listening, but I had catching up to do.

FEATURED LIVE REVIEWS

May 10, 2025 Jason Shrum

Spinning The Black Circle Of Life

I was beyond thrilled that I was in the right place at the right time to complete this journey of mine. I still have my Lollapalooza ticket from 1992 and I was sure to get an actual ticket from this show as well (it’s in the mail-hopefully). I write about many shows, as I go to a lot of concerts, but this one rang special. I do not know if I will ever see the band live again, but I got to see them when they were just starting out and now, I have visited them as one of the biggest bands in the world. I am glad we all got to live this long and navigate this floating rock together.

B Sides FEATURED MUSIC NEWS

May 6, 2025 Jason Shrum

There is an Assassinate Attempt Being Made on Public Media

Several years ago, in Seattle I discovered Independent Radio (and yes, I am capitalizing because it’s important), funded by the listeners, and it changed my life for the better. That radio station was KEXP and it became my everything. DJs can play whatever they want, any theme, without algorithms or pay-to-play formats. They are both educational and spin a heavy rotation of local music as well as classic indie gems. I had never heard anything like it before. You might catch Public Enemy, followed by Joni Mitchell and then some small independent artist follows that track. Each radio host did their own thing as well. John Richards was the host that I first caught onto, and his music knowledge floored me. I like to think of myself as having a refined palate of sound logged in my craw, but this dude buried my grasp of music, and I learned so much from him. I am forever indebted. I got to meet him once and as I trembled terribly inside, I think I played it cool.