fIREHOSE | REVIEW STALKER

The Brixton Riot – Palace Amusements

by admin | Mar 14, 2012 | Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Palace Amusements by The Brixton Riot on Modern Hymnal Records is a great throw-back to everything that is good about rock music that is missing these days from the island known as Brooklyn. These Jersey guys reminds us of the hooky parts of Jets to Brazil, Ted Leo RX and the more memorable parts of 70’s and 80’s jangly guitar punk. To help them celebrate this release you should get your ass down to Maxwells on Fri March 23rd where they will play with Lieder, Roadside Graves and yours truly Eastern Anchors for some rock schooling.

I’m not sure there is any irony in a song title like “Hipster Turns 30” when the lyrics sober you up and say ‘get a mortgage and buy a car’. In fact I’d venture to say it’s probably more fandom on the sleeve than anything else. Hard working musicians with 9-5’s doing what they must in order not to drown in the hum-drum doldrums of the working stiffs union. You can tell every note and tone here is plucked just in the right spot and amusement created out of passion. This kingdom of rock is held in the highest of regards like a well crafted champion beer with a pedigree of influences that lends itself to something so familiar you’ll be happy you visited.

Canvas Shoes MP3 by The Brixton Riot [BUY CD]

These sounds remind me of that sound man:
Morning New Disease MP3 by Jets To Brazil from Orange Rhyming Dictionary (1998)
Sometimes MP3 by fIREHOSE from If’n (1987)
Three Girl Rhumba MP3 by Wire from Pink Flag (1977)
Love You More MP3 by The Buzzcocks from Singles Going Steady (1979)

Bass-wreckin’ Mike Watt as Hyphenated-Man

by admin | Jan 1, 2012 | Bass Players

We did a post a few months ago back in the 2011 about the best bassplayers however it was incomplete list because we subconsciously some how left off bass wreckin’ Mike Watt. Our readers quickly pointed out the error. Jesuz H Christ me off all people can’t ignore the 10×10 original photo I have of the man wearing his chucks sitting on a comfortable chair in my downstairs bathroom. If I can get a good scan I’ll post the photo. It’s pretty cool. Whole story there how I came about it but for now lets focus on this punk innovator. My favorite thing about him is his attitude towards the bass instrument. He never has shown mercy for the thing. I’ve seen him breaking strings and not even pause. The mother-effer just keeps playing whatever he gots. He might was well be playing some rocks he found in Pedro. He’d still make better music than anything being as passed off as punk rock these days. Anyway you get the point. Here’s a few from the archives and one from his 2011 release Hyphenated-man. The man qualifies as a living legend.

MP3 Downloads:
belly-stabbed-man by Mike Watt from Hyphenated-Man. [Buy It]
Down With The Bass by fIREHOSE from Flyin’ The Flannel
Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs by Minutemen from What Makes A Man Start Fires?
Fetch The Water by MinuteFlag