Mojo Nixon Dead at 66

Outspoken Performer On Cruise Tour When He Died

Neill Kirby McMillan Jr., better known by his stage name Mojo Nixon, was found dead today onboard the annual Outlaw Country Cruise. This event features many country and country-related alternative acts. According to family members, he died as a result of a cardiac event.

McMillan was born on August 2, 1957, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but grew up in Danville, Virginia. As Mojo Nixon, he became an iconic figure in the American music scene, celebrated for his distinctive blend of psychobilly—a fusion of punk, country, and rockabilly—and his satirical, politically infused lyrics. Nixon’s work is marked by a unique mix of humor and critique, wrapped in energetic and often provocative performances. Continue reading “Mojo Nixon Dead at 66”

Blank Generation Radio Introduces New Ska Show

“Skaturday Night” pays tribute to the genre with ska artists past and present.

Ska is a musical genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and has

Skaturday Night on Blank Generation Radio. Image courtesy
Garg21.

since become a global phenomenon. It is characterized by its upbeat and lively tempo, often featuring a prominent offbeat rhythm known as the “skank.” Ska music typically incorporates elements of jazz, rhythm and blues, and Caribbean music, creating a unique and danceable sound. Continue reading “Blank Generation Radio Introduces New Ska Show”

The Pretenders Release Single Ahead Of New Album

Showing no signs of slowing down, Chrissie Hynde and the band are set to release their 12th LP, ‘Relentless’

In 1980, The Pretenders burst onto the scene with their self-titled LP and a

Chrissie Hynde at the Royal Opera House 2021. Photo by Raph_PH

top 40 hit, Brass In Pocket. The rest of the album however was filled with hard-edged alternative rock played across AOR and New Wave stations alike. Indeed a triple threat, the band, fronted by guitarist-lead vocalist Chrissie Hynde, along with three Brits (Lead guitarist James Honeyman Scott, Bassist Peter Farndon, and drummer Martin Chambers), appeared to be poised for rock and roll superstardom. Tragically, within three years, Scott and Farndon would be dead from drug overdoses, putting the band’s trajectory in question. Continue reading “The Pretenders Release Single Ahead Of New Album”

The Lasting Impact Of Sparks

With a career spanning more than 50 years, Sparks continues to entertain and innovate.

It was sometime in the Fall of 1981, and I, a high school senior and budding “New Wave” acolyte, heard a song on LA alternative station KROQ that discussed a man whose life was ruined by his beauty. Everyone only liked him for his looks, which left him shallow. The song concludes with the subject being involved in a terrible accident, disfiguring his face and thus providing him with a life of bliss.

Sometime later, I heard a song on the same radio station discussing someone who fell in love with a girl from Mars. They had a great time (And obviously, great sex) and had a quickie Vegas marriage. Once the vows were complete, she became an unrecognizable alien, thus ending the romance and the union. Continue reading “The Lasting Impact Of Sparks”

Osaka Popstar

If classic New York punk, anime, cult movies, comic books & toys formed a band on a sugar rush…

For many years, musicians and bands have collaborated on media projects. Elvis Presley, for instance, starred in numerous movies (though, in my opinion, only a few were good) and appeared in two television specials: the “68 Comeback” Special and Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite. The Beatles, on the other hand, starred in major motion pictures and created “promotional films” for their hits because they couldn’t be in different places simultaneously. Additionally, The Monkees was a multimedia experience that combined television, music, and merchandise into one glossy pop package.

Meet Osaka Popstar

Fast forward to Osaka Popstar. Fronted by John Cafiero, a long-time

collaborator with The Misfits and The Ramones, and a platinum-selling film and video director, Osaka Popstar has made an art of combining high-energy post-punk pop with an anime-style presentation that includes music, video, and of course, merch. Along with Cafiero, their latest lineup includes Dean Rispler (Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, The Dictators) on Guitar and Bass and Jon Wurster (Bob Mould, Superchunk and The Mountain Goats) on Drums.

Continue reading “Osaka Popstar”