style

Rock’s Unfulfilled Fashion Ideas: Jewelry

Mar 272009

Medallions not included.

There was a ’60s party band called The Swingin’ Medallions, a great name says this medallion lover, but a quick search turned up no photos of them wearing medallions. Other “Goatee Rock” bands of the second half of the ’60s surely wore medallions, but rock ‘n roll and medallions were never as closely related as I would argue they should have been. Urge/Overkill wore medallions, but similarly they never caught on as part of rock fashion in the early ’90s.

Rock fans have long been ready to adopt the Look of a favorite rock star, and rock ‘n roll artists have a long history of dressing up for both the stage and photo/video shoots. However, for all the influence rockers have had on fans in the areas of hairstyles, clothing, and makeup, I believe there is a dearth of rockers who can make a claim for inspiring any fashion trends around jewelry.

Think of rock ‘n roll and jewelry, and who’s the first rock artist that comes to mind? I asked a couple of colleagues in the Halls of Rock before drafting this piece, and one suggested this guy.
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Battle Royale: Most Rockin’ Moustache

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Mar 262009

My money’s on this mystery rocker. How ’bout you? Nugent? Peter Wolf, ca. 1979? Who’s it gonna be? Give us directions to a picture for extra credit.

HVB

Mandom

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 062009

Why bring back the following series of clips? To ensure we never forget the true essence of Mandom. That’s why.

This post initially appeared 4/30/07.

This pretty much sums up my life. Maybe your’s too. Mad props to would-be Townsman Jay for pointing this out.

UPDATED!
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Jazzmat: Beware the Dashiki-Wearing Coltrane Associates on Impulse! Releases Employing Psychedelic Fonts

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 272009

Burnt!

John Coltrane‘s ’60s records were my entry into any appreciation I have to this day for jazz. I love most of the dozen or so albums I own from this period, but Coltrane is responsible for one of the great toxic waste bins in the jazz section of any store or online retailer. I’ve got nothing against dashikis or psychedelic fonts, in fact, I love them. But put them together on an Impulse! release and I’m not buying. I’ve been burnt one too many time – twice, in fact – by Coltrane albums packaged in this manner, and I won’t be burnt again.

Sorry, Pharoah. I’m sure you’ll understand.

After buying a few “pyschedelic” Coltrane albums I steered clear of possibly Pharoah Sanders’ best works, but I probably saved myself the money and effort of trying to get into countless other “psychedelic jazz” wankfests. If for no other reason, I’m confident my bias against attempts by Impulse! to tap into the psychedelic rock era were justified by the line I swore I would never cross:
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Cool Pass

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 242009

Which rocker gets a Cool Pass from you? For all you can tell this rocker made little significant contribution to his or her band other than a major injection of cool. For this reason alone you, highly discriminating Townsperson, has given this rocker a Cool Pass. For me it’s Brian Jones, and it’s not all about his hair.

History tells us that Jones was integral in the Stones coming together and developing their R&B-based sound, but watch an early clip of the band, before he was completely wasted, and tell me his animal magnetism doesn’t create rock’s first Isoceles Triangle of Cool with Jagger and Richards, no matter how what subtle or exotic touch he was adding to a song. What other band’s third banana always threatened to steal the audience’s attention the way a young Brian Jones did? Maybe Eno, if he was considered a third banana after Ferry and Manzanera? Brian Jones, you have earned a Cool Pass from me. You’ve each got one Cool Pass to hand out, if you deem it necessary.

Rock Rugs

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 302009

Perkins!

What rockers are wearing a piece or otherwise fortifying what age and genetics have denied them? Elton John and Carl Perkins are givens. Paul Simon gave up trying, so he’s no longer under observation. I’ve long suspected something’s going on with Ron Wood (rug), Bill Wyman (rug), and Steven Tyler (weave), but I can’t be sure. I’d like to think something’s up with Gene Simmons, but they couldn’t sell a weave that looks that bad, could they?

Bands on the Run

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jan 232009

UPDATED!

Long before Paul McCartney and Wings put out an album of the same name, the idea of a band on the run ties into rock’s rebel spirit as well as the earlier tradition of the bluesman with hellhounds on his trail. Although rock artists often sing of being on the run – from The Man, hellhounds, adoring fans, what have you – they rarely agree to be filmed running. Lately I’ve been scouring YouTube to find videos showing actual rock musicians in the act of running. It’s been tough finding all but a handful of clips that my fading memory could remember from the days when MTV and VH1 actually played music videos. Even that wildly popular OK Go video, although choreographed for treadmill, includes no running. The results are mixed, but I think the results of my survey will satisfy any lingering questions you might have over the marriage of rock music and running. Take your time with this one; we may need all weekend.

Let’s start this examination of bands on the run with arguably the greatest of rock running videos.

NEXT: Arguably the greatest of rock running videos!

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