John Lingan
@johnlingan.bsky.social
Writer. "BACKBEATS: A History of Rock and Roll in 15 Drummers" is one of Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books of 2025. Also: "Homeplace," about Patsy Cline's hometown. "A Song for Everyone," about Creedence. johnlingan.com
Red Right Hand Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry The Ship Song Hiding All Away Stagger Lee Are You The One I’ve Been Waiting For Night of the Lotus Eaters O My Lord Free to Walk Babe I’m On Fire
stim possible@jessespector.com · 3d agohere’s a little game… pick a band/artist, and name your top however many songs you can do, limited to one per album
In which Paul McCartney plays drums, 1991.
I’d pay $1000 to shoot this guy out of a cannon.
Baltimore Banner Sports@sports.thebaltimorebanner.com · 5d agoMike Elias says the Orioles won't be definite buyers or sellers as they approach Monday's trade deadline. "I don't think we can sink all of our attention and chips into 2026. I just don't think that would be responsible."
Taking my first trip to Detroit soon. Hitsville’s closed for repairs 😫 but I’d love any recs, music related or otherwise.
Describing Olivia Rodrigo as "like a tour guide walking backwards" is why Chris remains the best. A perfect image for a thought I've had but couldn't fully express. Subscribe.
Chris Richards@chrisrichards.bsky.social · 6d agoProof of listening, proof of life — I just reviewed 102 recordings for THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE. Read it for free / tell a friend open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...
Been thinking of “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself To You” for days now. One of my fav 21c. Bob songs, which on record sounds romantic but in person near the end of 6-decade-spanning set felt like a clear message to his audience. One of the most generous performers ever. I love him.
B. Dylan & His Band - Wolf Trap 7/25/2026 [Full Audio]
YouTube video by jmp_097
youtube.com
John Lingan@johnlingan.bsky.social · 2w agoSeated for my first Bob Dylan show in 20+ yrs, so overwhelmed with emotion and excitement that I keep forgetting the opener is Lucinda Williams (first time in 20+ years) who alone would be the highlight of my year. If I die here don’t weep for me.
Mike Leigh is the only director in the West who practices the radical stuff Stanislavski came to at the end of his life. On small budgets he manages to afford it, & to get actors to agree to it. We’ll never see acting like this again.
This made me tear up. One of the absolute most important artists in my life, constantly reinvigorating my sense of what is possible in creative work. Hoping for a dignified final act after an extraordinary career.
Josh Slater-Williams@jslaterwilliams.bsky.social · last wk.Mike Leigh Says ‘Tender Loving Care’ Is Most Likely His Final Film Due to Illness www.indiewire.com/features/int...
Seated for my first Bob Dylan show in 20+ yrs, so overwhelmed with emotion and excitement that I keep forgetting the opener is Lucinda Williams (first time in 20+ years) who alone would be the highlight of my year. If I die here don’t weep for me.
Once again, I'm reminded that Kurt Wagner's Lambchop is one of our greatest bands. Album number 17(!) is yet another absolutely lovely and heartwrenching record that takes some big, beautiful swings.
Lambchop - Weakened (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Lambchop
youtu.be
Here we have a wildly thoughtful and creative editor who would be an asset anywhere. Spread the word.
Stassa Edwards@stassa.bsky.social · 2w agoI was caught up by Disney’s layoffs today and lost my gig with National Geographic. If anyone is looking for a features editor with a decade of experience, lmk
Just missed the 8th anniversary of my first book. It's about 80 years of history in Patsy Cline's hometown and the Blue Ridge Mountain country bar that was founded & run by her close friend. Reporting this over a 4-yr span really made me a writer, and I adore the many photos by my friend Matt.
The highlights were two beautiful songs Hogan wrote for Neko Case and Alejandro Escovedo respectively, as well as this absolute barn burner from Langford. I was prepared for the gorgeous sound of her voice, less so for the sandpapery power of his from close range. Wonderful musicians.
Waco Brothers "Walking On Hell's Roof Looking At The Flowers"
YouTube video by Music Fog
youtube.com
John Lingan@johnlingan.bsky.social · 2w agoA marvelous house show with Jon Langford and Kelly Hogan is underway in Washington DC right now, bless us all.
Paul Cook turns 70 today. the Sex Pistols work in great part because of him: the steady, driving, rock center of the band. a version of "God Save the Queen" with just his drums and Lydon's vocal: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk2K...
Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen - Isolated drums & vocals
YouTube video by Isolated Music Tracks
youtube.com
A marvelous house show with Jon Langford and Kelly Hogan is underway in Washington DC right now, bless us all.
Shout out to Rick Springfield's "State of the Heart," a mostly unobjectionable '80s song with maybe the single ugliest solo I have ever heard
A proper country would revere Short Cuts more than Heat.
Josephine "beckbook.com" Riesman@josie.zone · 3w agoOkay, prompt time: What is your favorite iconic _L.A. Movie_ that isn't HEAT (1995)? Define "iconic" however you like
Happy birthday to Philly Joe Jones! Nobody better in his lane, full stop. Here’s my centennial tribute from 2023.
Nate Chinen (@natechinen)
Happy birthday, Philly Joe Jones! Nobody better in his lane, full stop. Here’s the centennial tribute I posted in 2023. 🥁
substack.com
Foxy Brown getting a manicure while hosting Yo! MTV Raps in '96.
FYI, Levon Helm’s barn in Woodstock became a venue and studio in the last decade of his life, attracting world class talent. It has remained so since Levon died in 2012, w/ involvement from his daughter, also an acclaimed musician. But every aspect of The Band’s history has to curdle at some point.
John Lingan@johnlingan.bsky.social · 3w agoSeems that the current fracas over Levon Helm Studios has been mostly confined to Instagram, but here is a good primer on the issues. Levon’s daughter Amy Helm has lost her controlling stake and claims that her stepmother, Levon’s widow, is being manipulated.
Seems that the current fracas over Levon Helm Studios has been mostly confined to Instagram, but here is a good primer on the issues. Levon’s daughter Amy Helm has lost her controlling stake and claims that her stepmother, Levon’s widow, is being manipulated.
Amy Helm Removed From Management in Levon Helm Studios Power Shift
Levon Helm Studios, the storied and intimate Woodstock venue founded by the legendary late drummer of The Band, is in turmoil after a shift in voting control removed Helm’s daughter, musician Amy Helm...
theoverlooknews.com
This was really an honor. The producers did an amazing job with the segment and music. Didn't get a chance to say (again) that Andrew Watt should be buried 100 ft underground for making Charlie and Steve Jordan sound like they do on this new album.
John Lingan@johnlingan.bsky.social · 4w agoI’m on the CBC’s Day Six today talking about Charlie Watts! Starts at about 34:00.
"The steam drill didn’t want John Henry’s job. Carey Dupont and the Velvet Sundown don’t want mine. They’re just machines. It’s the human beings behind these machines who don’t care about the livelihoods of working people, much less the unfathomable power of music to connect human beings."
John Lingan@johnlingan.bsky.social · 3w agoThis is an article that needed to be written and Owen Lyman-Schmidt took it all the way for @phillymag.com. Fascinating and angering.
This is an article that needed to be written and Owen Lyman-Schmidt took it all the way for @phillymag.com. Fascinating and angering.
AI Bots Stole My Music
One West Philly musician’s surreal, unsettling journey into the world of fake artists, bot listeners, and the streaming industry that’s failing creators.
phillymag.com
Happy birthday to Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Swilliams, one of American music's true originals. Here are two things I wrote about him back in 2024. (And don't miss his great new album, of which I'm sure I'll be writing more in the future.) Here's a tribute to some of my favorites from him...
Swamp Dogg: A Love Letter in 16 Songs
Charles with some favorites from an artist he loves
nofencesreview.substack.com