Email Author Michael Batty

1997 Stories by Michael Batty

• Riff Raff

  published September 24, 1997

  Punk Politesse With any luck, old punks will never end up like the rather depressing ex-hippies -- San Francisco can't afford the detritus of two... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published September 17, 1997

  Selvin Watch: By the Numbers In newspaper writing, the saddest mistakes are the ones that are hard to make. That's why watching Joel Selvin's... More >>

• The Impotence of Being Earnest

  published September 17, 1997

  Phil Ochs Farewells & Fantasies (Elektra Traditions/Rhino) Despite himself, Phil Ochs just didn't like the cut of his gold lame... More >>

• Soul Searching

  published September 10, 1997

  Various Artists Beg Scream & Shout! The Big Ol' Box of '60s Soul (Rhino) If popular culture is to be believed -- and, granted,... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published September 10, 1997

  As Phony as a $3 Bill Like folks at Dead shows of the past, where cries of "I need a miracle" wove between drum rumbles and bong gurgles, many of... More >>

• Reviews

  published September 3, 1997

  Omar Sosa Free Roots Release Party Saturday, Aug. 23 Great American Music Hall Some danced during Omar Sosa's show two... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published September 3, 1997

  Chapter 37 in an Ongoing Saga After the San Francisco Chronicle's two-year search -- two years! -- to add a second pop music critic to the... More >>

• riff raff

  published August 27, 1997

  Take a Really Deep Breath Just as housewives of yore used to "extend" their supply of meat by adding increasing quantities of bread, grain,... More >>

• Grope for Merit

  published August 20, 1997

  Before that pasty altrock stew bubbled over into their arena, it seemed the Melvins could do no wrong. Not because their odd, abbreviated albums... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published August 20, 1997

  The Drummer Vanishes In a moot juxtaposition of publicity spin and state propaganda, Riff Raff offers the two pictures seen here. One we received... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published August 13, 1997

  Some Friendly Advice to All Baby Boomers From the Music Editor Concerning the 20th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's Demise Upon That Fabled Toilet,... More >>

• Reviews

  published August 13, 1997

  The Specials, Undercover S.K.A. Fillmore Thursday, July 31 Have you ever dreamed about going back in time to one of the... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published August 6, 1997

  Publicity TKO In keeping with the current spirit of publicity in San Francisco, Riff Raff offers no comment on the reported scuffle between OMC... More >>

• Reviews

  published August 6, 1997

  Radiohead Warfield Sunday, July 27 If a band wants to have an audience in the years ABB (After Buzz Bin), it is important for... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published July 30, 1997

  Ingenuine Draft For the record, that was Dave Grohl -- the guy who played drums in Nirvana -- onstage at the Fillmore doing a Miller commercial... More >>

• Odd, Even

  published July 23, 1997

  Geraldine Fibbers, Claw Hammer, Patsy Great American Music Hall Tuesday, July 15 To say you have something against the sort of... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published July 23, 1997

  Another Reason Why S.T. Should Henceforth Be Known as Riff Raff's "Goth Correspondent" Those of you who were watching Hard Copy on June 26 -- and... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published July 16, 1997

  A Clarification, Courtesy of the Music Editor, Regarding the Credo at the Very Bottom of This Column That's "flack," not "flak." We like flak.... More >>

• Recordings

  published July 16, 1997

  Dr. Octagon Dr. Octagonecologyst Instrumentalyst (Dreamworks) Dr. Octagon, aka Kool Keith, is one of the great paradoxes... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published July 9, 1997

  Lawyer Rock Colossal Pictures -- the San Francisco multimedia company that brought you MTV's Liquid Television, among other things -- has filed... More >>

• Quiet, Please -- We're Rocking

  published July 9, 1997

  When we talk about "rock" -- a genre that has already lost its "roll," not to mention its "'n' " -- what do we mean? Yes, the term comes from old... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published July 2, 1997

  Kinetics Kop Krackerite Three Thursdays ago, at one of the Kinetics' regularly packed shows, at Bruno's, a promising future began to unfold for... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published June 18, 1997

  Still Two Dailies, Still No Rock Critics. What's Up With That? The local newspaper guild is starting to put some pressure on the Chron and the... More >>

• Riff Raff

  published June 11, 1997

  Spin Off The news that Spin has been sold to the owners of Vibe magazine brings at least to a temporary end the career in rock journalism of Bob... More >>

• Americana Gothic

  published June 11, 1997

  Savor whatever sort of refinement you wish in this culture of ours; I say that American art (musical, literary, cinematic, plastic -- hell, even... More >>