Winchester, Author at The New York Independent, New York City, NY

Whitney Houston a Sad Lesson; Grammy Show in Chaos

WinchesterFebruary 12, 2012

I wasn't the biggest Whitney Houston fan ever, but when she sang, she did take my breath way. Her death at only 48 was a devastating loss for sure. I think more than anything, this is cautionary tale for us all. You play with drugs, eventually you're going to get burned. But, what a gift she did possess....

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Elton John, Leon Russell Get Super Look in Crowe's 'The Union' on HBO

WinchesterFebruary 10, 2012

Cameron Crowe's documentary "The Union," takes a very detailed and superlative look at the recording of the album, The Union, by Elton John and Leon Russell. If you're a fan of Crowe’s style, this was a must-see HBO film for sure....

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Kim Kardashian's Reality Show Embarrasses New York City

WinchesterFebruary 3, 2012

Owing to an ill-timed session on the stairmaster, I caught Kim Kardashian and clan's reality show, "Kourtney & Kim Take New York," on the E! Entertainment Network and was almost stopped dead in my tracks. Is what passes for entertainment these days?...

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Bruce Springsteen Lives Up to the Hype of Early Years

WinchesterJanuary 30, 2012

Bruce Springsteen’s new single “We Take Care of Our Own” is his best record … ever. Anthemic, moving, emotional, and just plain sensational. It could well be the first great record of this nascent year. I have a funny dynamic with Springsteen. When he first hit, and hit big, I had a real hard time getting beyond all the hype. Remember, he was on the front covers of both Time and Newsweek, on Oct. 27, 1975....

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Ringo Starr Drops New Album; Talks With Russell Brand

WinchesterJanuary 26, 2012

British actor-comedian Russell Brand will interview former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr for the Town Hall show on Sirius XM Radio, Jan. 30. Music producer Don Was will moderate, and Starr will perform. The next day, Starr will release his 17th solo album, Ringo 2012....

BETWEEN THE LINESROCK

Ricky Gervais Missteps, Flops at Golden Globes

WinchesterJanuary 21, 2012

Ricky Gervais was roundly criticized at last year’s Golden Globes for crude jokes about closeted Scientologists and other easy targets. He was roundly criticized this year, too, but for different reasons. He flopped....

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Attorney General William Barr (left) is closely following Trump policy by dismissing Flynn guilty plea. (Photo: ScreenCap)

Tristate Mixes Classical, Hip-Hop for Sound All His Own

WinchesterJanuary 19, 2012

Music returned to an artist’s-oriented medium last year, through new, original sounds from Adele, Katy Perry, Drake, Black Keys, Coldplay, Lady Antebellum and Florence + The Machine. But when it comes to mixing genres New York native Tristate goes one step further....

CLASSICALMusic

Bruce Springsteen, Rock's Last Angry Man, Readies New Album

WinchesterJanuary 16, 2012

Bruce Springstein may be the last angry man in rock and roll. While the nation nearly collapsed from financial wrongdoing and unjust war in Iraq, most music artists sang silly little love songs. But not "The Boss."...

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Glen Campbell Goes Out on Top With Ghost of the Canvas

WinchesterJanuary 4, 2012

Glen Campbell’s Ghost on the Canvas came to my attention over the summer in tandem with the artists’ announcement about his fight with Alzheimer's. We don't know how we missed it last year for our best albums list. It's his best ever....

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Dick Clark Rocks His 40th Rockin' New Year's Eve

WinchesterJanuary 2, 2012

I didn’t get to watch Dick Clark’s “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve” in its entirety the other night, but I did see a heavily made-up Clark trying in earnest to get his thoughts across. Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy did yeoman duty counting the minutes down to the big moment....

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Dayme Meets Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro at PBA Party

WinchesterDecember 23, 2011

The Police Benevolent Association's party for police widows and orphans this year was was one of their best ever and attracted a number of top celebrities from Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel to Colin Quinn and up-and-coming singer Dayme....

BETWEEN THE LINESCalendarCELEBRITIES

How Comely Gwyenth Paltrow Turned Me On to Coldplay (video)

WinchesterJuly 22, 2011

It took me more than a few tries to get into the last great British Band Coldplay. The really first caught my attention when Chris Martin married Gwyneth Paltrow....

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Robbie Robertson Returns to Form With 'Clairvoyant' (video)

WinchesterMay 16, 2011

I’ve always had an interesting relationship regarding Robbie Robertson from The Band. Even though I was a die-hard college radio geek, I just never really got into the band, although boy did I try more than once....

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Eric Lefcowitz Sees Fun, Madness in The Monkees

WinchesterMarch 3, 2011

For more than 25 years, Eric Lefcowitz’s career as a self-described “pop archeologist” has taken him in unpredictable directions. His latest book, “Monkee Business: The Revolutionary Made-For-TV Band” (Retrofuture Products), is a case in point....

Music

Enter City Boy Records: A Label Rises Amid Industry Decline

WinchesterJanuary 17, 2011

It’s not every day of late that someone starts a record company; the music business today is a harder crack than ever. Yet Bruce Pegg, chief executive of City Boy Records sees opportunity all around him. "It’s definitely more challenging, but options exist like never before,” he says....

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