Happy Birthday, Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls

July 15, 2008

Today would mark the 56th birthday of John Anthony Genzale, Jr., aka Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls.  Thunders’ guitar style was a prime influence on the punk rock genre.  Johnny Thunders passed away under mysterious circumstances in 1991.  Here’s a great 1973 performance of “Personality Crisis” by the New York Dolls on “The Midnight Special.”

Please try to forget the fact that David Johansen would later become Buster Poindexter, no matter how ironically he portrayed the character.

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Posted by Jason Austinite

New Releases of Note: 7/15/08

July 15, 2008

Via AMG.

It’s a big week for new releases, with highly anticipated albums dropping from The Hold Steady and Nas, rare Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons available for the first time in decades, a double-CD Foreigner best-of, and new albums from other big names.

The Hold Steady – Stay Positive

David Banner – The Greatest Story Ever Told

Dirty Pretty Things – Romance at Short Notice

Foreigner – No End In Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner

Nas – Nas

Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons – The Motown Years

John Mellencamp – Life, Death, Love, and Freedom

Randy Travis – Around the Bend

Unkle – End Titles: Stories for Film

Soundtrack – The Dark Knight

Full list here.

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Posted by Gordon Winslow

Da Mystery of Chessboxin’

July 15, 2008

“A game of chess is like a sword fight. You must think first…before you move.”

The matches work like this: competitors alternate between three-minute rounds of boxing and four-minute rounds of speed chess with one-minute breaks in between to get the gloves off and hunker down at the chess table. The winner is determined by knockout, checkmate, or referee decision.

* * *

European chess-boxing arose independently from the American hip-hop community’s efforts to train children in chess alongside martial arts like Jujitsu. One of hip-hop’s biggest chess fans is the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA. (He plays exhibition chess matches on WuChess.com: “Play in tournaments for prizes, or just for the joy of flexin’ ya mentals.”) Banjoko and RZA will be speaking to the U.N. in August about the practice’s potential for giving children resources for peaceful conflict resolution.

Q: My peoples are you with me, where you at?

A: In the front, in the back, killer bees on attack!

Rappenin’ is what’s happenin’!

(Via Time.)

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Posted by Gordon Winslow