The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Music • Culture • Film • Travel • Photography • Vinyl
The last time I saw Billy Bragg was in 2017 when he played Iceland Airwaves at a small church right on a lake in Reykjavík. Now I was sitting down over Zoom to talk with the brilliant and outspoken UK folk punk singer, songwriter and guitarist to talk about his late friend Gary Smith, who... Continue Reading →
Arguably the best-known charity single in music history, and most star-studded for its time, “We Are the World” is the subject of a new documentary from Netflix titled The Greatest Night in Pop. Released this week on the streaming service, the film details the lead up to a single night in January 1985 when dozens... Continue Reading →
There's little argument that Boston - and it's surrounding neighborhoods - was a hotbed of indie rock music by the time the early '90s rolled around. Between The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr., Belly, Throwing Muses and Letters to Cleo, it was like looking through Lewis Largent's Rolodex to see who he was going to feature on... Continue Reading →
I've been a fan of Nada Surf for decades, and was lucky enough to have frontman Matthew Caws pen the foreword to my book, Depeche Mode: All That’s Left to Know About the World’s Finest Synth-pop Band. But he's got more music going on behind the scenes of this main outfit. This time around is with The... Continue Reading →
The news that rap rock titans Rage Against the Machine are apparently finished, according to drummer Brad Wilk, is both unsurprising and disappointing. And despite this not being the first time Wilk, guitarist Tom Morello, frontman Zack de la Rocha and bassist Tim Commerford have broken up, there’s a distinct feeling of finality to this... Continue Reading →
Welcome to this year’s edition of “New Year’s Resolutions for Rockers Who Need Them,” where we assist musicians with setting goals for the coming 12 months. It’s not an easy job, but one that begrudgingly must be done. Rockers, rollers and performers of all sorts are just like us: they make resolutions on December 31, sign... Continue Reading →
Children of famous musicians who attempt to follow in the family trade are a bit hit and miss in terms of talent, success and longevity. From Frank Sinatra Jr. to Miley Cyrus, results vary wildly, but what can’t hurt is doing a different kind of music altogether. Take Matteo Bocelli for instance. The 26-year-old son of superstar... Continue Reading →
The number of superlatives bandied about by those who have taken in one of the U2 shows at Sphere at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas since the state-of-the-art venue opened at the end of September is endless. Audience members report being left speechless at the sights and sounds while even the most hardened critics... Continue Reading →
Certain artists hit at just the right time. And for a small number, they hit generations over and over again. In the case of Violent Femmes, it's typically during the late-high school/early-college years sweet spot. Tracks like "Blister in the Sun," "Add It Up" and "American Music" have that folksy but funky swing while still... Continue Reading →
I'd been warned that Andy Summers doesn't suffer fools during interviews. And at 80 years of age - along with having to deal with Sting all those years - it's not exactly unexpected that he'd be a crotchety old man these days. Thankfully, the ex-Police guitarist and I got along like bank robbers when I... Continue Reading →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 