The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Music • Culture • Film • Travel • Photography • Vinyl
I've been doing the 617 Q&A series over at Vanyaland for quite some time now. Incredibly, it took until just a few months ago, with the electronic duo Phantogram, that I conducted it with more than one person. It's hard enough keeping the pieces to a manageable length with a single interviewee, even with the... Continue Reading →
Sidemen in music are often an underappreciated, faceless lot. You either have to make some serious noise in your career or work with some major names to get any sort of recognition. Earl Slick has done both. The guitarist is best known for performing alongside David Bowie beginning in the early-70s live and on landmark... Continue Reading →
Following her split with husband and musical partner Ike Turner in the late '70s, Tina Turner’s career was dead. Two solo albums tanked in quick succession, she was left without a record label and reduced to performing in tiny clubs or as part of Las Vegas cabaret shows. Even a prestigious opening slot for a... Continue Reading →
It's been about nine years since I waxed on my affinity for Local H in this space. TLDR: I've followed them since college; they were one of my (if not the) first in-person interviews I did; I've probably seen them more than any other band - save for The Afghan Whigs/Greg Dulli-related projects - and... Continue Reading →
The last time I saw Thievery Corporation, it was at The Wiltern in Los Angeles in 2023. They just happened to be in town at the same time I was there to see AFI celebrate the 20th anniversary of their landmark Sing the Sorrow LP by playing it in full. But even though that weekend... Continue Reading →
If the Rolling Stones were one of the hottest bands of the late '60s, then frontman Mick Jagger was on fire. An expert at preening and posturing, it was only natural an opportunity to appear on the big screen would eventually come calling for the singer. His debut acting role in 1970’s Performance, however, looked... Continue Reading →
It's hard to contain my nerding out when it comes to bands I absolutely adore, like Phantogram. The electronic rock/pop/psych/indie pair made up of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter are so damn talented together. More importantly, they seem to have cracked the code of getting better with each ensuing release. Their latest, Memory of a... Continue Reading →
Back in 2023, I spoke with Marty Friedman for Metal Edge. He was touring the U.S. in support of Queensrÿche at the time and told me how it was all a part of his grand plan to reintroduce himself to the country, as he'd lived in Japan for over 20 years at that juncture. Now,... Continue Reading →
Welcome to this year’s edition of “New Year’s Resolutions for Rockers Who Need Them,” where we offer some assistance to the musicians out there who may have trouble lining up goals for the coming year. It’s not an easy job, but one we’re more than happy to take on because, hey, these folks are busy.... Continue Reading →
You've heard of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Well, this year over at Vanyaland, we did something like that...but not really like that at all. The staff compiled a dozen of their favorite songs, films, comedy moments, and more from the past dozen months to close out another loop 'round the sun for "The Year... Continue Reading →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 