Nowadays Olive Can't Even Write

Today is a special day for the Monkees, as two of their beloved members, Nez and Davy, share a birthday! Davy Jones, an active singer from 1961 up until his death in 2012, was considered a teen idol in the peak of his fame. He also had a love for horses, and held a short career as a jockey before fully committing to music and acting. He would have been 77 today. Source: Monkees Live Almanac Michael "Nez" Nesmith, who was an active guitarist from 1965 up until his death, learned to play guitar after being gifted one by his mother and stepfather. He was fresh out of the air force, and learned to play as he went as he worked with bands of various genres. Those genres include folk, country, and rock. Nez would have turned 80 years old today. As we remember these two on their special day, I should also note that the Monkees show is apparently free to view on Tubi, if you would either like to see it for the first time or take a trip down memory lane.  Happy listening!

On this day in 2009, Governor-General Michaelle Jean announced the appointment Neil Young as an Officer of the Order of Canada, as well as the appointments of 56 others.  Source: Zapista Gosatti/GettyImages Established in April of 1967, the Order of Canada is the country's second most highly regarded honor, being surpassed only by the Order of Merit. All living Canadians are eligible for it as long as they exhibit an outstanding level of talent or contribution to humanity.  Other musicians who have received the honor include Burt Cummings of the Guess Who and all three members of Rush. Congratulations, Neil! Happy listening!

Today, December 29, marks 54 years since the second day of the Miami Pop Festival.  Held from the dates of December 28-30, The Miami Pop Festival made history as the first major rock festival to take place on the east coast, and included bands and artists such as Joni Mitchell, Canned Heat, Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Chuck Berry, and many more. The total crowd size for all three days was estimated to be around 100,000 people.  At the festival, concertgoers received comic books commemorating their favorite musicians as superheroes in the form of the official program and map. If you're a collector (or just a fan) and would like one, there are some for sale, but they will run you a pretty penny. They're valued around 200-400 dollars now. Source: Heritage Auctions I've found a touched-up version of one of the promotional posters, which includes details on when performances are scheduled. There were two stages, several hundred yards apart, known as the Flower Stage and the Fl...

Today we're celebrating the 76th birthday of Edgar Holland Winter, a talented multi-instrumentalist who is mainly known for his material with the Edgar Winter Band (which also included musicians Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose, and Chuck Ruff), as well as his involvement with Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band. He has several genres under his belt, including rock, jazz, blues, pop, and soul.  Source: Rich Zimmermann Although I admittedly haven't listened to much of his material, I must give him proper credit for his skill. He's known for blending genres in a way that gives him a lot of freedom without compromising his signature style. He mastered it in a way that many musicians haven't.  With that being said, I would love for someone to send me some music recommendations. What are your favorite song of his? Happy birthday, Edgar! Happy listening!

Today we celebrate the birthday of Mick Jones, co-founder and last remaining original member of Foreigner.  Source: Vintage Guitar Magazine An active guitarist since 1961, Jones has worked with various bands and musicians such as Nero and the Gladiators, Wonderwheel, Spooky Tooth, and the Leslie West Band before co-founding Foreigner with Ian McDonald (formerly of King Crimson). They recruited lead singer Lou Gramm, and he became a primary songwriter alongside Mick Jones, who has songwriting credits on all of their hit songs. Their biggest hit single, which was " I Want to Know What Love Is ", is one of those, as Jones wrote it himself. In the mid '80s, he also started a side career as a producer, working with artists such as Van Halen, Billy Joel, Bad Company, The Cult, and more. He started in 1986 with Van Halen's " 5150 " and ended with the Cult's 2001 album, " Beyond Good and Evil ". He also co-produced all of Foreigner's albums, includ...

Today we're wishing a happy birthday to the one and only Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, The Band, etc), who was born today in 1940. Although he wasn't a highly prolific songwriter during his time in Jefferson Airplane (in which he named the band, as well as recruited bassist Jack Casady), he and Casady later formed Hot Tuna, a spin-off group that gave him more freedom. That's when he really came into his own. Photo Courtesy of IMDb To this day, he still actively tours. He is set to embark on a solo tour in early 2023, and later join up with Hot Tuna in April. You can check for dates near you here . Just be sure to note the rules on photography and recording beforehand.  I should also mention that if you're a Vermonter (or traveling to Vermont for this concert), you may see me in Essex Junction on March 4th. Don't be a stranger! Happy Listening!

December 21, 2022 - Today marks a special holiday for Rush fans - it's international Rush day! In reference to their legendary 1976  album " 2112 ", this unofficial holiday's date makes it a bigger celebration of the album than the its actual release date, as well as a rather popular day for Rush fans all over the world to crack out their albums, merch, and memorabilia. My plans this year will be very much tied with my plans for Yule, but there's no way I could miss a holiday for one of my favorite bands! Source: Wikipedia Although " 2112 " isn't the first album I had heard from them, it played a deeply important part in my discovery of Rush. It became part of my regular rotation of albums in my sophomore year of high school, alongside " Moving Pictures " and their self-titled album. Now, as an adult, I can happily say that none of these albums have left said rotation to this day. I've already pestered my own mom (who is also a fan) abo...

Today, December 18. 2022, is the 79th birthday of none other than the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards! Richards got his start as a musician in the early '60s after dropping out of Sidcup Art College, where he had spent most of his time learning how to play most of Chuck Berry's guitar solos rather than focusing on his work. He, Mick Jagger, and Brian Jones moved into a flat together that same year and performed cover songs as the Rolling Stones before their manager encouraged them to write original material in 1963. They found their major success after doing so, with Richards being one of the primary songwriters alongside Jagger. Source: Ken Regan/OfficialKeef on Instagram On top of it being his birthday, it is also he and his wife, Patti Hansen's 39th wedding anniversary. They were married in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 1983 and now reside in Weston, Connecticut.  Today is a great day for Mr. Richards. We're wishing him all the best here at NOCEW. Happy listening!

  Tomorrow, on December 16th, a new Christmas song will be available to stream and download on your favorite platforms. "This Christmas Time", which was written by Prof. Sir Chris Evans features a narrated introduction by Ozzy Osbourne, lead vocals by Casi Wyn, and is backed by Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Andy Taylor (Duran Duran), and Noddy Holder (Slade) among others. The song is meant to support an online global project that provides information to people living with cancer led by the Cancer Awareness Trust.  Source: The Cancer Awareness Trust Just last month, former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, but could not make it to the ceremony due to setback in his diagnosis of stage four metastatic prostate cancer. Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon read a letter written by him highlighting this announcement. Part of the letter reads: "Although my current condition is not immediately life threatening there is no cure. Rec...

December 12, 2022 - Today marks 19 years since Mick Jagger was officially knighted by the now-King Charles III at Buckingham Palace for 40 years of service to popular music. He was joined by two of his daughters, Karis and Elizabeth, as well as his 92-year-old father.  Although he is not the first musician to receive such high honors, Jagger has made history as one of the most controversial candidates to be considered for it. He has always kept a rebellious image, between his anti-establishment views, drug use, and many romantic and sexual affairs. He referred to the Queen herself as "Chief Witch" and proclaimed that "Anarchy is is the only slight glimmer of hope". Rolling Stones guitarist and fellow songwriter Keith Richards criticized him and called him a sellout for accepting the knighthood. Other musicians, such as David Bowie, also disagreed with his decision to take part in the ceremony. Credit: AFP/Rolling Stone Magazine On top of that, Queen Elizabeth hersel...

42 years ago, on the night December 8, 1980, the world was sent into shock by the unexpected death of John Lennon. Lennon was assassinated by Mark David Chapman, who had him autograph a copy of "Double Fantasy" almost six hours beforehand as he and then-wife Yoko Ono were leaving The Dakota, the apartment complex where they resided, and later returned to at 10:50 PM. As they were entering the building, Chapman shot him a total of four times (twice in the back, twice in the shoulder) at close range. He was rushed to the hospital in the back of a police cruiser and announced dead on arrival at 11:15 PM. Source: AP Photo The following morning, Yoko Ono issued a statement reading "There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him. Love, Yoko and Sean." Many of the following details covering the aftermath of John Lennon's Death have been highly disputed, as many different versions of the event's timeline as well as...

Today we remember Jim Morrison, who would have been turning 79 today. James Douglas "Jim" Morrison, born December 8, 1943 was a singer and poet. He was best known for his time as the frontman of The Doors starting in 1965 up to his death in 1971 at the age of 27. Due to how close his death was in proximity to other musicians at the time such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Brian Jones, it was his death along with theirs that helped to create and feed into the urban legend of the 27 club. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives Much of his writing was influenced by heavy usage of LSD, with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek claiming he lived on nothing but canned beans and LSD for several months after graduating college, with the Doors being named after Aldous Huxley's " The Doors of Perception" . Other influences for his music and poetry include a car accident he witnessed as a child on a Native American reservation in the desert, although details are rather fuzzy due to h...

On December 2nd, Scottish singer Donovan released his new album, "Gaelia" to streaming platforms , which featured ten fabulous musicians over the course of thirteen tracks. It blends the styles of folk, rock, and traditional Scottish music in a manner that makes each track timeless. But as an album, does it stand well in Donovan's catalog? Here are my opinions on each track: Picture credit: Donovan's official site. shorturl.at/fzUX3 1. "Moon over Clare" One of my favorite things about this track is the fife that sort of weaves through the rest of the song, kind of like it's dancing around Donovan and his guitar. It also features a brief section involving strings that I wish could have been utilized in more of the song, however, " Moon over Clare"  is a lovely piece nonetheless. 8/10 "Watching the Sun Go Down" The very first thing that stood out to me was the usage of the lute, but the didgeridoo caught my attention rather quickly. Don...

  December 1st, 1973 marks the release of one of Black Sabbath's most famous albums, " Sabbath Bloody Sabbath ", which was the first album of theirs to receive positive reviews within the mainstream press upon release.  My personal favorite track, as well as my personal favorite Sabbath song in general, is " Sabbra Cadabra ". It features Rick Wakeman of Yes (who was recording "Tales from Topographic Oceans" next door) as a session player, but rather than being paid with money, he preferred his payment to be in beer. Fair enough, Rick. I can't argue with that. Image Credit: Wikipedia Then vocalist Ozzy Osbourne cites the album as the "beginning of the end" of Black Sabbath's original lineup. The band was far into substance and alcohol abuse at the time, and as a result, tensions were rising. Guitarist Tony Iommi had grown tired of being the primary songwriter, as it became too much pressure for him to come up with ideas with little he...

Hey there, readers. Yesterday, the world learned the shocking news of Christine McVie's passing. The music community has suffered a major loss, and I (as well as many others) am absolutely gutted that she is no longer with us. She penned some of Fleetwood Mac's greatest songs as well as some amazing songs of her own that will, no doubt, carry her legacy for years to come.  I would also like to remind people at this time to respect the privacy of McVie's family and bandmates as they grieve. Rest easy, Songbird.  - Olive Grace