Happy Halloween from Alice Cooper.
(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Happy Halloween from Alice Cooper.
(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
MUSICREDEF PICKS
Fakin' It, How 'Stan' Became a Verb, Lyor Cohen, Cardi B, Hüsker Dü, And You Can Dance...
Matty Karas, curator October 31, 2017
QUOTABLES!
quote of the day
Merely existing every day as a black woman in this country is a form of activism. Cardi B is an activist; she's my feminist icon.
music
rant n' rave
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If you can draw the wrath of FRANK SINATRA, the dance-music community and DUKE ELLINGTON's family with a single law, you might want to rethink that law. Take your time, though. NEW YORK CITY reportedly will have a long-overdue rethink today, when the CITY COUNCIL votes on scrapping the 91-year-old Cabaret Law, which has made it illegal to allow dancing, or even swaying in most bars and restaurants since the COOLIDGE administration. Since before the invention of the first electric instrument (this thing). Since before anyone knew what the jitterbug was. Despite its "absurd, antiquated, racist and extremely embarrassing" history, the law resisted decades of repeal efforts. It was originally enacted to regulate speakeasies during PROHIBITION and was used by various city administrations to police nightclubs and musicians from BILLIE HOLIDAY to RAY CHARLES to ravers in WILLIAMSBURG to indie-rock fans in BUSHWICK. Years of organizing—it pays to resist, kids—appear to have finally paid off, maybe because NEW YORK now has a nightlife-friendly mayor, maybe because of fears of driving dancers to dangerous, unregulated spaces in the wake of the GHOST SHIP tragedy in OAKLAND a year ago, or maybe just because the time is right. Not that it isn't ever a good time to dance. Raise a glass and do a jitterbug in New York's honor today... Exactly three of this year's top 25 HALLOWEEN songs—as measured by BILLBOARD from a week's worth of airplay, streams and digital sales of songs about demons, devils and monsters—were released in the 2010s. Can you name them without looking it up? (Hint: two are rock songs and one is a hip-hop/R&B superstar collaboration)... Thirteen most Satanic metal bands... Several boldface names reportedly bidding for ROLLING STONE. But no longer in the running: HARVEY WEINSTEIN... Can you fit all the gear you used to record and mix your latest album into an INSTAGRAM photo?... Have I mentioned lately that QUESTLOVE is the best pop critic currently going?... Surprise album: 21 SAVAGE, OFFSET & METRO BOOMIN... DAVE GROHL guest-hosts JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE tonight... RIP KEITH WILDER, one of the two brothers who fronted '70s R&B/disco faves HEATWAVE.

Matty Karas, curator

October 31, 2017