More copyright infringement, this time with Ed Sheeran
Coming on the heels of Led Zeppelin’s upcoming court case over “Stairway to Heaven” is news that the attorney who won the “Blurred Lines” case has just filed another [...]
Articles by Merideth C
Led Zeppelin News 6.6.2016
So, what’s going on with Zeppelin this week? First, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant will be in court next week for the “Stairway to Heaven” lawsuit. If you haven’t been following [...]
Review: Black Pistol Fire @ Emo’s
Black Pistol Fire is a banging two-man band from Austin via Toronto that just released their second (and even better than the first) album Don’t Wake the Riot (2016). Did you miss their album [...]
Review: Florence + The Machine @ the Moody Theater
There’s no way my review of Florence + The Machine‘s most recent ACL Live taping will be unbiased or objective in any way, because Florence Welch is one of the best performers making [...]
Review: Beach House w/ The Chamanas @ the Moody Theater
Beach House is by far my favorite dream pop group (which on the surface sounds like an insult, because how many dream pop groups could one person like? Answer: a lot, so it’s actually a pretty [...]
Review: Chvrches w/ Alvvays @ Stubb’s
There was a time I was really into synthpop. And yes, I’m a huge fan of The Human League and Pet Shop Boys; thanks for asking. I also loved the early 2000s synthpop revival that brought bands [...]
Train gives us what nobody was asking for
Train has re-recorded the 1969 album Led Zeppelin II and is releasing it at Starbucks. Let’s just let that soak in for a moment. Needless to say, the reaction from both music critics and music [...]
Review: A Prairie Home Companion @ Bass Concert Hall
I am not ashamed to admit I love A Prairie Home Companion. LOVE IT. I’ve been listening since before I can remember because my parents love it too (we are an NPR family through and through). No [...]
ACL Festival 2016 Lineup
It’s the happiest day of the year: the official Austin City Limits Festival 2016 lineup announcement! I called Radiohead, like, 2 days ago, people. I have my finger on the pulse in this city [...]
What’s going on with Radiohead lately?
A couple of days ago I was on Pitchfork and came across this article about Radiohead erasing their internet presence. I checked out their Twitter, Facebook, Google+, even their website, and indeed, [...]
A fitting tribute to Prince
There’s really only one way to honor a pop icon like Prince: by re-watching the dramatization of the best Prince story ever told from Dave Chappelle’s late, great sketch [...]
Car Seat Headrest is set to blow up
A few weeks ago, All Songs Considered featured a new song from Car Seat Headrest in the New Mix. Bob & Robin were all, “It’s the greatest song you’ll ever hear in your life; I [...]
Welcome to SXSW 2016!
Anyone who knows me knows SXSW isn’t my jam (am I the only music journalist who really doesn’t get excited about big festivals?). It’s mostly because it makes downtown nearly [...]
Hey, how about those Grammys?
Full disclosure: I didn’t watch the Grammys because I don’t have TV (I’m one of THOSE people). I prefer to just let them happen, then read/watch/listen to the recap the day after. However, the [...]
Farewell to one of the good ones
Journey on, David Bowie. Journey [...]
Jimmy Page’s former home burns down because of Aleister Crowley curse
No, for real though, that place is cursed. On December 23rd, the Boleskine House near Loch Ness in Scotland caught fire and about 60% of the house burned. The Boleskine House is famous mostly [...]
Our culture loves music. Too bad our economy doesn’t value it.
In today’s Washington Post there’s an important article by composer and producer T Bone Burnett. In it, he discusses the cultural, emotional and economic role music plays in our lives, [...]
Missy Elliott’s got a new video and it is excellent
Marionettes, [...]
The ACL Roundup 2015
I went to the Austin City Limits Festival this year, despite the fact that I am not at all a festival person. But it was my first chance to go to ACL so I wasn’t going to pass that up, and in the [...]
Farewell LivingLovingMaid, Hello Smack Madness
Hey, have you guys noticed that Led Zeppelin hasn’t actually been a band since about 1980? Yeah, me too. So while this site started as a fanzine for all things Led Zeppelin, it’s become more [...]
Itchy-O at Fantastic Fest
For the past 8 days I’ve been deep into Fantastic Fest — the biggest genre film festival in the US — hosted here in Austin at the Alamo Drafthouse. Honestly, it’s been pretty [...]
Feel free to sing “Happy Birthday” now
If you follow any old-person music news, you’ve probably heard that the copyright to the “Happy Birthday Song” has been in dispute for a while now. If you don’t follow [...]
Review: Kansas @ the Long Center
A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Kansas in preview of their show at the Long Center here in Austin. Obviously I listened to a bunch of their music in preparation for the interview, because I am a [...]
Surviving Festivals: The Austin City Limits Edition
I like music, but not music festivals. THERE I SAID IT; IT’S TRUE. I turned 30 and all of a sudden I was like, “I no longer desire to stand around in the rain all day with 5000 other people to [...]
Zeppelin in the Top 10 again
I was checking out the Billboard 200 (I know, I know, let me be) and lo and behold, Led Zeppelin’s got three albums in the top 20, because apparently it’s 1978. So, awesome. In Through [...]
Hey, remember that time I interviewed Kansas?
I’ve picked up some more writing gigs in Austin and one of my first assignments was to interview Kansas. Yeah, Kansas. Believe me, it took ALL of my fortitude not to say, “All we are is [...]
Led Zeppelin News 8.3.15
A broken leg isn’t keeping Dave Grohl down (because Dave Grohl is the most absurdly considerate rocker, ever. I dare you to find someone who claims differently), and he would never dream of [...]
China says “nah” to Maroon 5; can’t say I blame ’em
Sometimes I ask myself, “Why, exactly, have I seen The Backstreet Boys three times in my adult life?” It’s because the tickets were comped, I lived in Shanghai, and viable musical [...]
More sad songs to break your heart
As previously stated, I am a lover of misery. Sweet, sweet misery. For me, a sad song has to hit all the right notes (heh). So a poppy song about a traumatic breakup? Doesn’t do it for me. But put [...]
So your song’s been picked for a political campaign
I am thrilled about Donald Trump’s presidential announcement. My entire life for the next 16 months will be built around the bonkers debates, campaign ads and speeches that are sure to come from [...]
Smack Madness 