Most everybody on the planet has Beatles music in some form or another. So why not get a cover version instead by grabbing a tune from The Ultimate Beatles Cover Band. That’s the name of the band. Seriously. Did I go too fast? You can go pay over the top prices on iTunes of course. That’s your problem. I guess there was some scuttlebutt on a early leak but I’m sure it was done on purpose to fire up the intertweebs. You guys fell for it.
Tomorrow Never Knows (mp3) – From Revolver by The Beatles from the record More Beatles Gold by the band – The Ultimate Beatles Cover Band. Did I loose you yet?
I had the pleasure of hosting Wesley Willis(RIP 1963-2003) a few times on his tours. You might even heard or read me tell the story that every time he managed to break my toilet seats but despite that he was a totally sweet human being. He had his moments being a diagnosed schizophrenic and all and it was quite the chore for any band to bring him out. One of those bands was a Chicago band called Today’s My Super Space Out Day. Sort of a short emo band name by today’s standards but actually a really powerful rock trio. Anyway, below is a jam recorded in my living room in Red Bank, NJ one morning after a rock show. Rock Over London Rock over New Jersey. Now give me a head-butt. Miss you Wesley.
“Ziggy killed the band” by Wesley Willis w/Rick Nitz on Acoustic Guitar from TMSSOD. “Henry Rollins” by Wesley from SMD Promotions CD (autographed)
ALBUM REVIEW: Huge change in what I’ll call introverted Elvis Costello for right now on National Ransom. This music is free in form with the subtle blues and that driving rhythmic bass pounding found on earlier Costello. And that is just on the title track! It’s a glorious intro and mix of style with a tip of the hat to New Orleans instrumentation. Great Americana without the “K”. Let him be your DJ for that hip holiday party. The voice is gritty and sounds like thunder in the evening neon lit clubs that are filled with sadness sometimes, broken bottles and those once smoke filled rooms. The haze is lifted. I believe this is progress in awesome string of records. The bar is set high for any solo singer songwriters. He does great with all these players with no fear. T-Bone Burnett and he have put together something amazing and classic.
Check out a track: Five Small Words by Elvis Costello from National Ransom. This has great country blues swing thing going on. [Buy] Little Triggers from This Year’s Model (1978)
ALBUM REVIEW: Working too much. Too tired to write or listen to music most of the time. I am so pathetic but i did just manage to pick-up Phosphene Dream by The Black Angels. It’s killer psych and i am willing to sacrifice my will.
This is music without the need for acid and the hang-over. [Insert pot reference here] All of it is in here though with the audio experience via tremolo and lots of reverb and stereo panning. Better and bigger than Passover but just as trippy with citar riffs and puffy clouds of dust. Psychedelic slow rock for your dreams. I saw them play during the day time at the All Points West fest and was impressed. This music is better suited for a Apocalypse Now type soundtrack as it floats you down a river of chaos. The track “Telephone” is the only odd ball throwback on here in a jonestown massacre kind of way. I swear it’s a Kinks or Zombies cover. All the tracks are great though and worth a careful listen.
I’m stuck trying to decide if tonight I should be The Situation or Bruce in keeping with our Jersey theme tonight. In the meantime here’s some halloween songs for all of you who have decided to be your favorite political figure, a iPhone or that Oldspice Guy. Nerds.
Hallowe’en by Sonic Youth from Badmoon Rising Halloween by the Dead Kennedys from Plastic Surgery Disaster Haunted House Blues by Bessie Smith Halloween by The Dream Syndicate from The Days Of Wine and Roses It’s Halloween by The Shaggs from Philosophy of the World
Dear CMJ Friends, here’s the one guy who has had the honor of drinking with Joe Strummer, seeing the music industry implode and basically keeping one of the most in depth music magazines alive for the past 30 years – The Big Takeover. This humble guy is Jack Rabid. His army of devout writers and friends have helped carry the torch for music with heart and that matters in a time when we need it the most. If you love music and understand the creation of it as one of those things that makes life meaningful. Then this is the essence what Jack and co have captured in print for all these years. I always talk “oh-crap – how did I miss this band or that band”. Jack Rabid and company don’t miss a beat or least twice a year they feature many not so obvious bands. What is super unique and whole reason in of itself to back-issues is he’s never posted one word of the content featured in the pages of his magazine. So you’ll only what I am talking about if you read and subvert this whole social media thing.
Back story: As I embarked on working on this Artist series for Ogilvy; little did a I know that myself as a super fan of his magazine, and a random music post about his 30th anniversary show that it would lead to episode in this mini documentary series. The topic is so close to my heart as the blood is in my veins that having him end up being featured has seriously made my year. So I am happy to share this video and I hope you dig it. Plus some of the others artists and tremendous talent I have been privileged to have met so far. Who should I interview next?
(The Create or Else Team: L-R Nancy H, Myself, Jack and D.Zellerford)
A short playlist for friends: I Didn’t See It Coming by Belle and Sebastian from their new one Write About Love [BUY] Second Life Life by Gang of Four from the Second Life EP [BUY] Nothin’ ’bout Nothin’ by Joe Strummer. This track is music Joe Recorded after disbanding The Clash. I didn’t know it existed until i found this comp from Permanent Records. [BUY] Big Takeover b/w Attitude by Bad Brains self titled (1982) – [BUY] Aftertaste by For Against from Nebraska. Featured in the video above. [BUY]
I think this could be considered a ode to John Cage’s thoughts on Silence. Where on UK’s Remembrance Sunday for us all to think about all the troops who have lost their lives in idiotic wars. The Goal is to get a silent single to go to #1. Thom Yorke has lent his mug to give this thoughts attention to this cause. This is Bono territory and good to see him not just talk the talk. Check out the poppysingle2010 page on facebook. This is the 10 second video single for “2 MINUTE SILENCE”. Help get it to Number 1 in the charts for Nov 14. Sign up at the British Legion for a friendly reminder.
“The sound experience which i prefer to all others is the experience of silence. And the silence almost everywhere in the world now is traffic…” – John Cage.
Cage is known for the piece “4:33” or yes that is four minutes thirty-three seconds which you can see here being played here by a full concert orchestra on TV. On analog clock of course!
(Photo from Aviso’Hara tours pics circa 2001, 40 watt Athens, GA – Grant and his bag-o-money. Note can of PBR in my hands. Was part of our pay and we stole Grant’s since he was not drinking at the time and was throwing out into audience in this strange fit.)
ALBUM REVIEW: So many records go beneath my radar mostly due to my headpsace being over-run by lifestuff. If I had seen this record on the shelf at my local dealer I would have put HOT WAX right in a stack of wax and plastic. This record is great, although short with weird mastering timing between songs; but to tell you the truth I might prefer it that way with just the hits –who needs all the filler and fluff. Sounding like The 60’s in all these perfect ways alla Brian Jonestown Massacre, Costello, The Creation and Zombies, etc. This is the good shit not for sale in dime-bags on the corner or from the indie geek pumping out crap on his computer. This is song craft. Grant is an artist who got strung up and in tax trouble from his early days. We lost him for 10 years and he’s survived to give us this slice of post-husker-du. Well worth a visit.
You’re the Reflection of the Moon on the Water by Grant Hart from the record Hot Wax(2009). This is the lead off track setting the tone to drag you into his world with modish keyboards looking in the background on this particular track which The Original Sins used to do really well too(see sample below). Grant’s got song skills no doubt. Also on the record is a track called “Barbara” in his traditions of female titled songs but sounds more like the Zombies – in all great mix of music and instrumentation.[BUY HOT WAX]
Not Gonna Be All Right by the Original Sins from Big Soul (1987). Hailing from steel town of of Bethlehem, PA. The Sins were started by JT singer/songwriter/guitarist. If you like those velvet underground james where you just get lost in the swirl of distortion you will love this garage band. This is the second track from their debut full-length. They have put out tons of records since, super prolific but start with this one and then hunt the rest down. You won’t regret it. [BUY IT]
What Goes On (COVER) by the Screaming Trees from Unpiecing the Jigsaw – A Tribute to The Velvet Underground Not sure I would have expected this version from these guys but they totally rock it out. I think this song has been covered more times than I can count but this is a great version and deserves a blog post devoted just to that song. [Buy]
Straight Up And Down by The Brian Jonestown Massacre from Take it from the man! I hope to god he’s taking the checks on this one. This song is featured in the intro credits to the Boardwalk on HBO based on prohibition in Atlantic city, New Jersey. Great cast. This record is great to for all of you garage music fans. Happening 60’s revivalists already own it and are familiar with the guitar twangs and constant tambourine. [Buy]
I’m not a huge fanatic of Surf Music genre but there are a bunch of great bands that have kept this type of homage alive to 60’s nostalgia, drive-in movies and the Hawaiian shirt. Ok a lot of images come to mind when you think of tunes drenched in fender reverb, fast guitar picking instrumentals and hot babes. Crap they’ll write a song about anything. The greatest thing is the music is devoid of pretense and rarely a is there a vocal melody to be had. The guitars do the talking in it’s purest of white-bread Americana.
Drag Strip by Link Ray w/ The Fenders Benders from Some Kine of Nut Vol.3. Yeah, this guy single-handedly pretty much defines quality control for Surf Music having recorded probably more than any other or even lent his gear to folks recording his kind of music. Frederick Lincoln AKA “Link” Wray Jr.(1929 – 2005) was first known for his song “Rumble.”
Fathom This! by The Fathoms from Boston, Mass. Are you noticing a theme with all the water related names? Noticeable pun perhaps or just good surf marketing? Is there such a thing as bad surf music marketing? Some of these bands brought back the genre in 1990’s and others are just some of the originators, which there are 100’s of.
Six Pack by The Phantom Surfers. Yeah a cool a song about beer. What kind of beer? Does it even fucking matter? I could and will some day write a whole blog post about beer. From San Francisco according to their MS page and
“Better than Most Surf Bands, Not as good as Some”. Have put out records on Estrus, Look-out you name it. Crap i don’t even think the artwork is right but whatever…
Psychotronic by The Insect Surfers from the compilation Rock Don’t Run Vol.3. A lot of great stuff on here. One song or band is more brilliantly titled after the next. Also features tracks by Los Straightjackets, Boss Martians, and The Tiki-Tones. Coming up with the kookie surf band names is a fun drinking game. TIS claim to be the longest running “modern” surf band.
Wave by Satan’s Pilgrams from Around The World With Satan’s Pilgrims. I was introduced to this band by Empty Records back in 94-95 and I loved them ever since. They took their name from 60’s B-flick Satan’s Sadists. Great shit. [Buy]
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