Pop counterculture photojournalist, Theresa Kereakes has been chronicling bands since the late 1970s. From working the ticket counter at the Whiskey to producing and supervising installments of VH1’s infamous Storytellers series to shooting video for Sting’s Rain Forest Foundation, her career continues to expand. This month the photographer has the distinctive experience of having two sets of works in Christie’s Pop Culture Auction.

Among collectables of poster bills for the Velvet Underground, Joy Division and Clash along with vintage Seditionaries bondage pants and historic pop culture pins will be Kereakes’ formidable photographic works. These include sets of twelve shots of The Germs first practice and of Belinda Carlisle and dancer Pleasant Gehman affecting various pin up girl poses. Each set is accompanied by a letter from the artist.
Christie’s Pop Culture Auction starts Tuesday, June 23rd 2009.

There’s a slew of blogs filed under B to take care of this week. The first of which is Ben Fong-Torres’s blog. The former Stone editor, author and scribe has chosen The Red Room site to host his blog where one can read his musings, catch audio and video clips and have access to related links, including ones to his published works.
Recent entries include musings on how one of his supposedly limited edition autographed books (with Ray Manzarek) from a smaller book shop in the Bay Area wound up at a Barnes & Noble bargain bin. And his ventures into karaoke, one which led him to the Dick Clark produced, “Your Big Break” in 2000, where contestants dressed as the song’s originators. Take that, Zimmy.

Up next is BerlinBites, expatriate and NPR correspondant, Ed Ward’s blog, which has since switched to City on a Hill (Ward in France) his “Blog From Montpellier, France. Food, Wine, Travel, and, Unavoidably, the French”, upon his move to Montpelier earlier this spring. B2 is kept on our sidebar since its terribly interesting and leads the reader right to the latest City on a Hill entry.
Of his move, Ed candidly writes, “Berlin, it seems, is a place which doesn’t seem to hold people: even a large percentage of the Germans I’ve known over the years have moved on, unable to achieve what they wanted to do in the negative atmosphere the place exudes. Berlin is broke. Berlin is huge. Berlin is ugly. Individuals can try to spend a part of their energy in resisting that, or they can move on. I made my choice.”
Hmm… not the panacea of marzipan and cross-dressing that Lou Reed painted. But what didn’t kill either of them sent one to South France where he writes so descriptively of the place that the reader feels as if they are there. The vivid visuals don’t hurt, either. Sacre bleu, Ed.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly, budscorner lets you, the reader, in on the mind of music writer and former A&R man, Bud Scoppa. Here you can read selections of his mid-year playlist to his thoughts on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Scoppa even treats you to some exclusive interviews, like he did earlier this spring with guitar empresario, M. Ward.

These veteran music writers have definitely evolved and branched out in terms of music and subjects, so visiting them is always worthwhile.

The past few weeks have seen some break ups ( Radio & Records, Performing Songwriter) and shake ups ( Paste Magazine’s appeal to readers), while other e-zines and print mags have gone about their business with new issues. Two that stand out are the premiere and spring issues of Blurt (in print) and The Oxford American #10 (which includes a two CD set to be discussed further in another column).

Within the pages of Oxford American’s Southern Music Issue you will find a stellar cast of music critic/writers as Alan Light, Chet Flippo, Greil Marcus and Peter Guralnick. Some of the subjects like Neko Case, Love… with Arthur Lee and Jack Teagarden get double treatment with two contrasting stories a piece.

In its debut print issue, Blurt contains a fine how do you do from the editor in chief, Scott Crawford plus a reintroduction to the dedicated editorial staff, a cover story on “14 Ways to Forget About the Recession”, features on Heartless Bastards and Anthony & the Johnsons, a heart felt piece on the late Ron Ashton by Tim Stegall (while Lux Interior is the spring issue’s “In Memorium”), and more Neko Case for those who need it. The prolific Robyn Hitchcock graces “Famous Last Words” (Blurt’s back pages).
Much like The Oxford American, the glossy print versions area bound to be keepsakes at $12 a year. And, of course, the online mag updates daily. Presently, there is a nostalgiac piece on the 38th anniversary of the Fillmore West’s closing.

******

Perfect Sound Forever editor Jason Gross, who has a copious in depth article on ’70s psychedelic blues jam band The Insect Trust in The Oxford American, has the latest issue of his e-mag up. This installment features pieces on 360 deals and vinyl resurgence as well as an extensive interview with pre-punk music empressario Danny Fields and another with Velvet Underground engineer and unoffical co-producer, Norman Dolph by Richie Unterberger. The latter is exerpted from his upcoming, comprehensive book about the band, White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day-By-Day. Unterberger, author of eight other tomes is a cheif music reviewer for AllMusicGuide.com.

PSF also boasts the most comprehensive interview with Richard Meltzer (other than our own, of course). And speaking of Mr. Meltzer, be sure to check out Mike Watt’s latest podcast with him as a guest on the Watt from Pedro Show.

for women in music journalism? And if so, has it gotten easier or more difficult over time?

Truth be told, when it comes to Lester Bangs – and I don’t think I’m alone here – I just can’t get enough. That’s why weathering through footage of Eric Clapton is worth it in this clip. That and the fact that he looks more like Richard Thompson (who would have been preferable) and is more tolerable when he’s high, which it looks like he is here. Ironically, this is the subject Lester hits on during his time on-screen. There has to be more video out there; footage that wouldn’t be taken down by WEA.

Just in time for these balmy, anodyne days of spring is this recently available interview with music journalist Mark Kemp discussing his book, “Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race and New Beginnings in a New South.” Host, John Seigenthaler, a civil rights activist, journalist and founder of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt, had Mark as a guest on the Nashville public TV show “A Word On Words” in September of 2004.

How have you, your friends and colleagues been doing in the face of layoffs and downsizing?

Our friend in better times

From Paul Williams Website and Support Fund:

In 1995, Paul Williams suffered a traumatic brain injury in a bicycle accident, leading to early onset of dementia, and a steady decline to the point where he now requires full-time care.

The pressure on his immediate family has been immense.

Our purpose in creating this site is to ask for your help, in the form of contributions of any size, to assist in Paul’s continued care and medical attention.

We hope you’ll explore the site, and learn more about the work of this remarkable individual.

Then, if you can, please visit the donation page we’ve set up, and contribute.

Love,

The Friends and Family of Paul Williams. And, of course, Paul himself.

a free pass in life, or particularly after their deaths… remember them with rose colored glasses rather than lasik clarity?

What’s more difficult than writing an obituary for one of your most admired musicians? Perhaps doing so for one of your own. News reverberated two weeks back about the sudden illness and almost as hastened passing of Rickey Wright, Seattle writer and blogger (as can be seen on the right-hand column of this esteemed site). Rickey passed away February 19th from complications after suffering a stroke. Those who have read anything about him over the past month, either through communication with his Aunt Deborah Ebel, or by updates on other news sites and blogs, know that Rickey was a natural born vinylophile.

He cut his critical teeth, like many his age, on the Beatles, but his love for the actual magic of the music is what walked him through the decades until he took pen to paper. After graduating Virginia Commonwealth University in 1987, Rickey wrote and edited for a regional ‘zine, area newspaper and hosted a local public radio show before traveling from his home of Norfolk, VA across country to Seattle, WA. Rickey’s employ found him writing for such papers as The Village Voice, Washington City Paper and The Seattle Weekly to being one of the first writers for Amazon.com.

Rickey’s expansive knowledge – one that garnered him the coveted title “Geekus Music Maximus” after winning a Rhino Records competition – impressed not only other writers, but musicians; two audiences that can be mutually disdainful. But this past month it was his other attributes that had family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances talking.

Friends spanning 20 years gathered to say their farewells to Rickey Wright, back in his hometown. The common theme was shared by all was said not to be strictly music but Rickey’s genuine and unassuming ways. His vulnerability and ability to make you feel like the most important person he’d ever talked to. It was said that the weather was lovely, 67 degrees and sunny, but memories expressed were much warmer and brighter. And as Rickey turned to go, “Let It Be” played in the background.

Rickey’s aunt Deborah, who was family spokesperson during the week, keeping people from Rickey’s life in the loop shared this sentiment:
“In 1964, Rickey was barely a year old. I would hold him in my arms and we would dance all over the living room. Then I would start the records again and we would begin dancing again. One of my favorite songs at that time was the Beatles,’ ‘She Loves You.’ We would sing along with the record: She loves you… yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, eventually, even a teenage girl gets tired and I would stop dancing and give him a cue that maybe it was time for us to do something else. Rickey wasn’t always ready to stop dancing. He wasn’t always ready to stop the music. He would point frantically toward the record player, crying out yeah yeah on! yeah yeah on! He wanted the music to play on and on and on … and never stop.
Rickey, we weren’t ready to stop dancing. We weren’t ready to stop the music. We weren’t ready to lose you. But you had to go.
Rest in peace, Rickey. We love you. And rock on, Rickey. Rock on.”

In keeping with Rickey’s giving spirit, those wishing to put their grief and generosity to great use may make donations to the ASPCA or Animal Rescue League. The family also asks to request the organization to send notice of any gifts to the Wright Family, 2719 Overbrook Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23513, and to please stay in touch if you are so inclined.

Rickey Wright’s Seattle Service will be held Saturday, March 14, 2009, from 4 – 7 pm at The Sunset on Ballard.
The Sunset
5433 Ballard Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98107
(206) 784-4880
http://www.sunsettavern.com/