Norman's Rockwell

“The Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air” is a trippy new mystery novel from Phillip Mottaz. It captures the grit and gilt of the City of Angels with the flair of a contemporary Raymond Chandler. The brisk pace and wit are reminiscent of Douglas Adams’s entries in the detective game. Flourishes of  Fletch  and “Medium” also spring to mind. However, Mottaz has added a psychic/mutant/superhuman touch and his own comedic voice, structure and internal monologues to the proceedings that help the author announce his own style and the arrival of a literary heroine for a new generation. Hairstylist and budding private investigator, Danica Luman is the perfect character to convey the irony, angst and sarcasm needed to tell a 21st century L.A. crime story. Danica also represents anyone who thought it would be neat to get tangled up in a mystery and the darkly comic cautionary tale that follows. The genre is recognizable, but Mottaz offers a fresh take on the not-ready-for-prime-ti...

Lord Huron - Long Lost  Republic, 2021 Released on Whispering Pines Records & Tapes, Lord Huron’s new LP Long Lost is a Fabulist & Western concept album. The band has traditionally tapped into the spirit of Hank Williams, Springsteen and Roy Orbison with lovelorn, operatic flair. Ghosts are never too far, either, and Lord Huron have never been ‘fraid of them or reverb. They have added to their usual cinematic repertoire by way of interludes jarring and organic, spoken word introductions (maybe label founder Tubbs Tarbell?) and reprises, enhanced by headphone listening. The result is an experience that sounds like a vintage radio show produced by David Lynch with lead singer Ben Schneider in the role of Special Agent Chester Desmond’s musical nephew’s doppelgänger. Standout songs are the stunning title track Long Lost, I Lied, and Not Dead Yet. The last quarter of the album is a dream state soundscape, Time’s Blur, the band becoming the radio wave escaping earth’s atmospher...

Hey Soulmates, been some time, but many of you on Facebook have already seen that Rush Hour Soul is back. I am very excited that while we are looking back at the 15th anniversary of our 2006 UK tour, there are things happening behind the scenes for 2021. For those unfamiliar, Rush Hour Soul is a trio with myself on bass and lead vocals. We were a part of the Indie/Powerpop scene in Los Angeles from 2004-2008, although our style was heavily informed by the Rolling Stones, Chic, ABC, and Sam & Dave. Funkier than our peers.  The well-known venues Rush Hour Soul played around Los Angeles included The El Rey, B.B. King's Blues Club and The Hard Rock Cafe. Our travels in Britain took us to Sheffield, Liverpool, York and back to London. There was a four day detour to Monnow Valley Studios in Wales where recorded in the old manor house. We shot a music video in London, as well. 2006 was a magical summer for the band. In 2008, the project was rechristened as a solo recording under my n...

Now that the year is done, here are my Top 10 favorite recordings released in 2020. No order. Hope you discovered new music to elevate you. Keep your ears open in 2021. Dua Lipa - "Break My Heart" The Stokes - "Bad Decisions" BTS - "Dynamite" Evie Sands - "If You Give Up" Brian Whelan - "So Long Blue" Polo G - "Wishing For A Hero" Kevin McGowan - "Lennon Said" Harry Styles - "Watermelon Sugar" Liam Gallagher - "All You're Dreaming Of" Misterwives - "Superbloom" #top10

Remembering John Lennon today. Forty years have flashed by. I can still hear my clock radio turning on to the incongruent sound of the Beatles on Dec. 9, 1980 and wondering why? I think about John every day. I am fortunate to have been able to make pilgrimage to Mendips, Abbey Road and Strawberry Fields, NY; to play on stages like the Cavern, the Jacaranda and the Troubadour where he performed or made trouble, or both. Here’s a quick playlist for you and me. (Just Like) Starting Over I Should Have Known Better Bless You Nobody Told Me Strawberry Fields Forever Nowhere Man Enjoy the day. Fill it with peace. Fill it with music. #JohnLennon #Liverpool

Happy 20th Anniversary to Entertainment Now . This record from my band Bat Country was released on 9/30/2000. Long time fans may recall it shipped too late for our 'record release' show at the Roxy Theatre. We still had a blast playing one of L.A.'s most storied venues for the occasion. The album features "Can't Endure Any More," "Forcefield," and "Bad Penny Blues," along with a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Miss You." "Can't Endure Any More" was featured earlier a single on a compilation from Yesterday Girl Records. It remains one of my favorite recordings. Several of these songs were revived for my IPO set in 2019. Many thanks to the main musicians who played on the record, Dave DeMarco, Tom Wolfe and Larry Doran; the O.G. Bat Country lineup. And thanks to the guys who subsequently played and toured the record: Henry Castro, Scott Franse and Dennis Satterfield. Thanks to Bobby Bognar for additional support and ...

Tomorrow, the Sign ‘O’ The Times deluxe reissue will be released. I am very excited to hear the remasters and the many treasures from the vault. All of Prince’s records deserve the upgrade, but this one is particularly special for me. I was a royal subject for several years before the album came out March 31, 1987. However this was the first Prince album that I owned and heard before my older brother had it. Therefore, even while Parade is my favorite Prince album, I consider this to be *my* Prince album. SOTT was a changing of the guard. The Purple Army was suddenly told to dress in Peach and Black, and OG fans like my brother dropped ranks. That Monday, I went straight to the wrecka stow after school to buy it. I bought it on cassette and when I got home, I put it on and listened to it in one non-stop sitting. My head practically exploded by track three, “Housequake.” There were so many new ideas, voices and sounds. I had virtually memorized every note of his previous four albums,...

Hope you've had a marvelous Boxing Day after a wonderful Christmas. As promised here is my rundown of my favorite singles/songs from the past decade (2010-2019). Unlike the LPs, I decided to run with a Top 20. Many beloved tracks that appear on albums in my Top 10 are not here, in part because while they are spectacular, they work mainly in context with the LP. This list could easily be 40 songs deep, but I wanted one to encourage you to discover a new record or two. As with the album list, none of my own works are included. In ascending order to my favorite song of the 2010's, here we go with the Top 20: 20. A Tribe Called Quest - "Dis Generation" 19. Flyte - "Over & Out" 18. The Weeknd - "I Can't Feel My Face" 17. Natalie Prass - "Short Court Style" 16. Daft Punk (feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers) - "Get Lucky" 15. Paul McCartney - "New" 14. Liam Gallagher - "Wall of Glass" 13. Radiohead -...

Shut up already! Thirty years ago today, Prince unleashed the funkiest, most amazing artistic statement of his career: the double album Sign 'O' The Times . Music does not get better than this. I still get chills spinning this. I remember buying Sign after school the day it came out and racing home to play it undisturbed in one sitting. Mesmerized. It contains Prince's utterly genius "Housequake" and "If I Was Your Girlfriend" and so much more. Go dig it.

This took me a while, because I love music and I listen to a lot of it and I think about it almost as much as I listen to it. My friend Phillip Mottaz put me up to this and I accepted the challenge. Here are my Favorite Albums by Year for Each Year of my Life. I went by actual release year, not peak of popularity. They were not necessarily my favorites at the time of release. A few, like 1984, were no brainers (a right answer, as Phillip says). 1970, 1985 and 1994 became Sophie's Choice. As a result some of my all time favorite records are absent. Some favorite artists recur, proving they made consistently great albums that have influenced my listening habits perpetually. Steely Dan is here twice, but not my favorite Steely Dan record. I apparently enjoy Franz Ferdinand far more than I would have guessed. If I tackle this exercise again in 5 years or 5 weeks, I would expect about 3 or 4 to change. Here we go, as of today... 1969 - Abbey Road - The Beatles 1970 - ABC - The Jackson ...

Chuck Berry = Rock & Roll. My three cents. My first rock and roll 45 was "My Ding-A-Ling." A Christmas gift from a hip uncle and Chuck's only #1.  The first rock and roll number I performed on stage with a band was the Beatles' arrangement of Chuck Berry's "Rock And Roll Music." I've never looked back. For my 19th birthday, I bought myself a ticket to check out Chuck Berry in DC. Some college classmates laughed because I was going to see a 60 year old has-been. I saw the duck walk. I don't think Chuck Berry wouldn't want nobody to cry over him, he'd want you to turn that record up! Roll over, Beethoven and make way for Mr. Chuck Berry.

Leaving London this afternoon following a successful fortnight of musical adventures. Pacific Soul Ltd. had a nice run of shows from North to South. I enjoyed each show. They were all gratifying and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to return to the UK to perform. Cavern Pub made for a superb warmup/introduction for the band and for playing with Jon. We were in good hands with his steady beat. What a profoundly cool person and top musician. The Cavern Club show was a barn burner. The energy and the audience were on point. The most fun I've had playing there yet. Thanks, IPO! Our gig at the Jacaranda was a welcome surprise. Getting to play on a true relic of the Beatles' halcyon days was indescribable. So I won't try. Our harmonies were tight at the Jac. Rolling out to Bradford was an Amazing Race. Driving on the right side of the car/left side of the road on a bit of a Magical Mystery Tour. Ate some good curry up there. The audio difficulties we had wer...

Fifth day of the tour was split in thirds. The first third was spent at the Liverpool Cathedral. Always interesting to visit churches. I had been before and was looking forward to revisiting the Lady Chapel at the Cathedral, which is a divine space. Said a few prayers. Had lunch there, too. The second 2/3rds were Beatle-heavy. We did a repeat of the National Trust's tour of the Beatles' Childhood homes. The NT takes you to 20 Forthlin Rd (the former McCartney residence) and 2 51 Menlove Ave. aka Mendips (where John Lennon was raised). On this tour you are allowed into the homes and are regaled with stories from two expert guides, wife and husband team Sylvia and Colin. Visiting those shrines is moving, inspiring and a marvel. The Beatles lived in Liverpool right up until they broke in the US. They were already famous in the UK, but hadn't fully abandoned there hometown. From there we went to Strawberry Field. Caught a cab and the driver took us to Penny Lane. And th...

Fourth day on the road was a day of rest in Liverpool. We went to check out the Beatles Story museum at Albert Dock. I hadn't been since 2006 and many of the displays had been updated and spruced up. Well worth the revisit. Highlights included George Harrison's first guitar, the Mellotron used by the Beatles on legendary mid-career recordings like the astounding "Strawberry Fields Forever," and George Martin's handwritten tracking notes for the HELP! LP ('me on Hammond'). I a m well-versed in Beatles' lore, but seeing their story told through the lens of their hometown is fascinating. After the visit, Jon, Adam and I talked about the band and their impact. Fun conversation. We also wrote some fan mail with Teresa while we had dinner at Leaf. After that the whole party hiked uphill to the Cathedral. It was 9 o'clock and just dusk. Golden light cast over Liverpool. Perfect for pics with this fun company. All for now. Maybe some more music-making tomo...

Friends and fans, what a fantastic experience to be back in Liverpool and playing for you. I didn't know when or if the day would arrive that I would return to the Cavern (or anywhere) to play again. The two Pacific Soul Ltd. sets for IPO were a thrill. It's tremendous to be onstage with such talented people. Jon Braun, Teresa Cowles and Adam Marsland make it really easy. We are playing a potent combination of PSL songs, Adam's and my material. Adam, Teresa and I trade the s potlight. Which means I can rev up and cool down appropriately during the show to maintain my energy. We are doing the coolest transition from my tune "Your Majestic Rejection" to the acapella intro to Adam's poignant "Portland." Anyway, here's the link to the PSL page for the set lists. Thanks to everyone who attended yesterday's the shows. It means a lot to me to have you in attendance. I feel blessed to be alive and well enough to be on stage in Great Britain....

The second day of the Pacific Soul Ltd. tour is done. First, three of us met up in Glasgow to catch the train down to Liverpool. Glasgow Central is a beautifully gilded station that reminded me I don't take trains enough. It took several hours to get here, but you glide past beautiful Scottish hills and English countryside. Typically, I have driven in the UK, so it's a relief to take it easy and just ride. Of course, we couldn't resist talking about the Beatles and repeating  dialogue from "A Hard Days Night." Once we got to Liverpool, we checked into our hotel just a few blocks from the Cavern Quarter and literally a block from the Jacaranda. The Jac was a club the Silver Beetles played before becoming the Beatles. Our whole band met up there after dinner, including our drummer Jon Braun who arrived today. The Jacaranda staff was very friendly and wanted to know all about PSLtd and of course, we wanted the history. We got a private tour of the basement stage...

The first full day of the tour. No show for me, but plenty of high notes. And plenty of walking. Glasgow is a very musical city. We started the day with church at the Glasgow Cathedral. The choir is blessed with some amazing voices. Their rendition of Locus Iste was moving. Following that was afternoon tea at the Willow Tea Rooms designed by art nouveau genius Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Never pass up the opportunity to take tea. A drizzle became a steady rain through the aft ernoon. Thank goodness for inexpensive taxi cabs. Next stop was the Kelvington Museum. We walked in and their was a recital on their giant pipe organ. A little Bach for all. More music. Highlights here included more of Mackintosh's works and Dali's "Christ of St. John of the Cross." So much crazy culture, so little time. Dinner was at Mono Cafe. It's a vegan restaurant that is also home to Monorail Records. That's right, a dream come true. Healthy eats and vinyl! I had "to-f...

This appreciation originally appeared on Facebook in the King Tut Vintage Album and Cassette Museum of Jacksonville blog, curated by David Roberts. I have known Mr. Roberts for going on 30 years and he was kind enough to tab me to pen this retrospective of Marvin Gaye's LET'S GET IT ON. The concept of his blog is that the "Museum" houses only LPs released from about 1964 to 1986 and each "delivery" to the Museum gets a reflection by the Curator, King Tut, or in my case, a guest curator. Delivery 536, Sunday, May 3, 2015 (Note: today's delivery was written by Guest Curator Norman Kelsey) MARVIN GAYE - LET’S GET IT ON. Released on Tamla Records, August 28 1973. Produced by Marvin Gaye & Ed Townsend.     Imagine Berry Gordy is in his Motown office 1971 and he receives a telephone call from his biggest male vocal star, Marvin Gaye calling to pitch an idea for his next album. I think the conversation might have gone something like this. “Hello...? Yes.....

Thirty years ago, on April 22, 1985, Prince and the Revolution took us AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY. Hidden between Prince's breakthrough album (1999 in 1982), his global triumph (PURPLE RAIN in 1984), his reassessed masterwork (PARADE in 1986) and his acknowledged masterpiece (SIGN 'O' THE TIMES in 1987) is the little technicolor waif AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY (ATWIAD). I swear ATWIAD arrived completely unannounced. In the Spring of 1985, my friends and I were still in thrall to the purple madness. The real paisley peak hadn't arrived. Prince was about to separate the fans from the rabble and find out who was really along for the ride. This was a polarizing record that confounded critics and fans alike who wanted PURPLE RAIN 2. Instead of 9 super bona fide hits, we got 9 wide ranging tracks that went from wide-eyed psychedelic pop to melodrama to a tight all-percussion percolator to an overwrought religious story-song and back. Well, you could say most of the album is...

An Appreciation for the Melvoin Sisters.   Susannah's Pajamas & Little Girl Wendy's Parade. There are two sets of musical twins that weigh heavily in my musical orbit. Of course, there are Robin and Maurice Gibb. But today is the birthday of Susannah and Wendy Melvoin.   Susannah was a part of the Family, one of Prince's spin off bands. They had a 1985 hit with Screams of Passion. The group was a testing ground for some of the jazzier, orchestrated textures Prince would employee on his next few records ( Parade and Sign "O" the Times ). She was also his muse several years running. Susannah sang backing vocals on many of the sides he cut at the time. You can catch her in the spectacular video for Girls & Boys. Her twin sister, you probably know - better - as the sarcastic, sexy, whirling & twirling Rickenbacker-wielding guitar demi-goddess in paisley and lace from Purple Rain that Madonna was trying to be. Wendy was half of "Wendy & Lisa,...