by admin | Oct 30, 2010 | Free Mp3s, Halloween, NJ, Playlists
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
by admin | Aug 29, 2010 | Jesse Malin. The Zombies, Music Fest, NJ, Spoon
Lots of great bands playing the Union Country Music Festival this year in 2010. Nice mix of headliners like Spoon and supporting bands playing the stages like: The Zombies, Ok Go!, Jesse Malin, Soul Asylum, Suzanne Vega with bands starting Weds Sept 8th through Sunday Sept 12th. Oh did I mention the entertainments is FREE!? Another reason why Jersey is becoming cooler every year. Not that you had to tell me that but just in case you want to road trip it for the day. The fest usually has decent vendor provided food and recently has added a beer garden and lots of stuff for the kids to do. So great reason to burn in the sun in Oak Ridge Park, in Clark NJ.
Track a couple tracks from the bands that are playing:
Queen Of The Underworld by Jesse Malin. This is a older track from the glam punker you might know jesse from D Generation days. Matured into something influenced by The Rolling Stones and cleaner P.Westerberg jams.
The Way We Get by from Spoon’s awesome Kill the Moonlight album. If you get anything before their new one Transference get that one then back-fill. All great records.
The Zombies live on the BBC 1965-66: I found these live radio tracks a year or so ago out in the blogosphere so enjoy them. The songs have little radio bits with the band being interviewed and telling funny little stories about young fan girls chasing them down in hotels. Remember this was on the eve of Beatlemania. They could have been bigger than Ringo, John, Paul and George.
I Must Move
Just out of reach
When Ever You’re Ready
Will you love me tomorrow?
Sitting In The Park (1966)
by admin | Jul 28, 2010 | free Mp3, NJ, Pete Yorn
Talk about a public advance. In September the new S/T album by Pete Yorn on Vagrant records is coming out. It’s back to a older form from the sounds of the new single “Precious Stone”. Which if you tweet and follow you can download here for free. I’m interested in this record as a body of work vs. a single but here you go. It’s the new promotion model and the way things are going. The question is will the music industry ever be able to track this like a top 40 list for pop or rock? Or does a new music release really matter and can it make artists money with their tie-ins? Seems like a lot of work. Does it matter what brands they associate themselves with? Do you care?
If you were at one of the SPIN 25 live shows (Smashing pumpkins, Flaming Lips, BLack Keys) this week in NYC that were broadcast live you also got a download card (if you took one) and could grab four free music tracks from zync.hipdigitalstore.com (totally a banal url but whatev) some of the models handing out the cards were hot but I mostly witnessed people not taking the hand-out. Obvious catch it’s a Amex credit card acquisition program looking to hook up another generation with buying power. I might be over qualified but if you don’t have credit probably a good way to start your trek into adulthood and get some music. Then again the chick who had fallen down outside from the nitrous oxide balloon hit is probably not a good candidate but that won’t show-up on her credit report.
These choices bring up a couple questions. How would you prefer to support your favorite artists? I’m ok with the Zync model because you know the Lips got paid to drive you to get some sponsored downloads (at least I hope) and see them do their thing live in a smallish venue. Much like iTunes did in the early days of those bottle cap promotions with Coke. Or was that Pepsi? Or does it matter? Truth is 10% of world cares how they get their music and even that guess is a generous one but question is how do we expand the branded model. There is so much great music out there and to support Lady Gaga does not make any fucking sense at all. It’s a better practice to change the model of ripping of artists when we can although i don’t see myself downloading anything above the line (ever!). Sure this blog posts free downloads but it’s to hook you into the deeper quest to share culture and support by making the point of entry as easy as possible and turn you onto stuff you might like.
Anyway.
by admin | Jun 19, 2009 | Baxter, free Mp3, NJ, Seven Inch Friday, Unsane
Seven Inch Friday: Noise pollution sometimes can be seen as good thing. The east coast was fortunate to have plenty of bands stricken with the need to play fast and loud with the vocals and melody playing a backseat. Enter the Toms River New Jersey band Baxter and Unsane from NYC.
Although they were around for short blip in time the punk rock continuum they put out one hell of 7 inch on their own make-shift label Velocipede. Mark (vocals/Guitar) and Daneal(drums -later to play in Aviso’Hara) were the Jersey shore’s king and queen of indie. This blistering inferno of a band was known to play 4-5 sets tops and then cut the chord. Mark would later go on to form The Trans Megetti and put out a couple releases on Art Monk Construction and full length on Southern Records. Photo by your’s truly.
Baxter an accident waiting to happen Velocipede 7″
mp3 car twenty seven – Side 1
mp3 simba – Side 2
mp3 superstar
BONUS: The Trans Megetti (pictured above) mp3 – “Opposite of Techno” (Courtesy of Southern)
Now onto one of the most morose record covers I own by a band that made a interesting turn post-hardcore.
mp3 – Concrete bed A side
mp3 – El Mundo – B Side
This is probably a little tasteless considering the Cobain reference below but then again I feel this is the premise. The music of the UNSANE should scare you out of your gore. Chris Spencer(Guitar.vox) and team were big time into horror flicks and the german Glitterhouse(GR0090) label were more than willing to accommodate. Now for some this straight forward display of rock was everything the new york noise scene stood for and umbrella’d like Foetus, the Swans, Sick of it all, etc. I saw them open for Crash Worship once (more on them sometime) and the unsane just made such a awesome wall of sound. Delivered with a scalpel precision which was only to be washed out by a literal flood and fire by CW. Amazing show. I remember Allen Ginsberg’s boy punk rock lover David Greenberg cowling over them one time. I didn’t get it at first but then I was like this rocks to holy hell. Damn. Don’t expect a melody to catch you. Just let the molten guitar power grab ya which is akin to electrifying a vacuum cleaner sucking the air right out of you right to the end.
Unsane @ Wetlands NYC – More fanzeen rock scene photos up on the facebook
Past 7 Inch Fridays:
Jesus and Mary Chain vs North Elementary and Pistolero
Superconductor vs Mudhoney and George Clinton
Monster Magnet Glitterhouse seven inch
by admin | Mar 12, 2009 | 2009, Music reviews, NJ, Pronto
The early description of 70’s icons like Randy Newman, Jackson Browne and Glen Frey come to mind when listening to Pronto’s debut All Is Golden. Under the analog edge is a indie band playing retro, sparse and working to let the core of the song bring it on home like a inspired yelling carpediem. No massive amounts of compression, comfortable sweaters, or studio trickery can fool the good song radar. The tracks are purposely sparse with just enough musical layers to keep it honest and golden. ha! In the middle of the record there is an attempt to get a little proggy in a AIR sort of way but it’s quickly abandoned for higher ground. This is all Mikael Jorgensen. Labeled as his solo project he is supported by long time friend and drummer Mr. Greg O’Keeffe and some other indie guys from Iron & Wine, Califone, and Antibalas as a the namedrop bio’s goes on. He could have picked up anybody in all honestly and I wouldn’t have noticed. The New Jersey roots are having played in Movere Workshop and Lizard Music. If this band would have come in 1978 nobody would have noticed but being that the time machine was fixed and have transported 30 years later. Their debut is much welcome in the emosoundscape and the mushrooming repeater stations. The music is proof positive that the art of song writing is alive and well and has not changed much since that time. You can even twitter them in the prontospere but no modern marketing tool gimic will change the connection the music makes all on it’s own. I’m not sure how access translates into live performances or music but what do i know. The couple sample tracks here are quite good cuts like a freshly poured beer. They refresh and numb the palette. There is hope for people who will take the the time to seek out music. Catch them live starting in March and thru out the spring of 2009.
Precious Like A Sneer by Pronto | Buy some
Good Friends Have Gone | Label Contraphonic
Later.
by admin | Feb 6, 2009 | demos, DUH, Free Mp3s, Hardcore, NJ, Westfield
New Jersey yielded some great hardcore, Thrash and punk bands in the 80’s. One of them was a band called DUH with ties to Westfield, NJ which featured drummer Ben Forgash and guys from Rutgers( think one was named was just “J”?) I can’t remember exactly. Anyway, I’m not even sure that this 11 song record was called Trout (I made that shit up but it seems appropriate). Whatever the case here are 11 tracks I made from a cassette I had of their full length demo lp. I saw them play a few times in high-school and I always thought they were sort of goofy and sometimes akin to the philly band that did bitch’ camero. These guys wrote songs and goofed very sarcastically about fishing, Apex tech and Quick Chek (making fun of jersey maulers chicks with lots of hair spray). Your normal white suburban textbook theme i guess looking back at the songs now.
01 Fish House Road
02 Poison Ivy
03 Put the mask on
04 oeieoeo
05 Swamp Thing
06 Chopping up your friends
07 New by Ronko
08 Anaconda
09 Quick Chek Baby [ Download mp3 ] This is a WRSU classic
10 Apex Tech [ Download mp3 ]
11 Trout
Get the whole Trout ZIP here [ You are Welcome ]
I’ve also discovered a great list of older thrash/Hardcore by Dirge and Ripping Corpse, etc up on FB the other day. You’ll find old demos and out of print 7 inches and lps and some hilarious photos. Check out NJHC Jerseyshore reunion group. later.
by admin | Jan 21, 2009 | demos, Hardcore, NJ, Punk Rock, Thrash
So if you’re old enough to remember there was a time that any band with any sort of DIY ethic could put out a run of 100 demos. No internet. No email. Just collect the beer money set-up the mic, make some artwork and then just start duping tapes. The distribution network was slow and conducted via snail mail and shows. Tommy Southern AKA devil dick has another blog playing tribute to said lost demos (his other mp3 blog is pretty killer too) who just never could release a proper LP. With all his posting he writes about all the bullshit that went along with the punk/hardcore and thrash scene of the day. Much like a modern day reality show except there were no damn producers or videos cameras. Just bored suburban kids living without a care in the world other than their scene. If you have been digging around looking for for Hogan’s Heroes, Lethal Aggression< Social decay go no further than to the demo tapes blog. He’s on a mission from Satan.
by admin | Nov 27, 2008 | Alternative Rock, Eastern Anchors, free Mp3, NJ, Noise Rock
Hey so Eastern Anchors are about to drop anchors on our shores as they dock up at Trax East and begin the mastering process for the full length debut. The sirens are talking and it may include LP version. If you like trail of dead, sonic youth, hot snakes, hum or poster children chances are these mates are right up your alley. For a few ale swilling downloads grab some free tracks from last.fm. The album has been a long time coming.
by admin | Sep 17, 2008 | Music reviews, NJ, Punk Rock
New Jersey has been producing great music for some time. In fact we will grandstand here and say all the fools who move to newborklyn or la to “make it” or be entertained are retards. Stuyvesant is all parts equipped with punk veterans and can keep the attention of any special needs kids who needs to be spoon fed their music. Sometimes sounding like the west coast and other times packing that NJ edge makes Stuyvesant’s latest tasty album release on Manual Phono unlike the acquired taste of a Fishmilk shake. I kid them because I think I’ve known a couple of them for more than 10 years (Yikes! we’re fuckin old) so it is hard to be an ass and be constructive at the same time so I can only tell it like it is my brothers. So lets start with Linden Callings artwork shall we? I love it, nobody takes the time anymore to make stuff look cool, as if were handled with care, in particular if you are comic book fan the Boy Howdy tv illustration is killer(which you can get from their site stuyvesantrock.com i think). The lyrics here won’t win a Pulitzer but if there were a rock lyrics award Ralph Malanga (formerly of Footstone) would be in the running for story telling and fitting large amounts of syllables in 3 minute pop-punk marvels that don’t need to studio pro-tool polish most bands hide behind these days. Plus,there are only three chords required to rock and this records proves the point. Their music shows their fan dome for the likes of Social D, Ted Leo, Mats and the Decendents ,etc,etc, blah, blah. Hats off to some of the song names but these are the stand-out tracks: “Liars Poker”, “Tape Hiss”, “forgotten two” and “Salieri”. Enjoy.
by admin | Sep 7, 2008 | 2008, Live Review, Music Fest, NJ
This years Music fest in Cranford NJ put on by the County Freeholders and sponsored by a myriad of corporate sponsors including the love hope and strength cancer foundation was a very ambitious undertaking. Complete with two nights and three stages. Day 2 suffered from lots of excess rain from the hurricanes. I could not got go to day 1 because I was working and totally tired on Friday night but did manage to catch the first half of Day 2 before the torrents of water. We made sure to get there right after nap time first to catch Dan Zanes & Friends along with every other cool parent in the area. Former Del Fuegos guitarist has morphed into this folk rock niche without being too corny that with his real target audience being me. He played a bunch of tracks from his new album Neuvo York with lots spanish versed songs. All good btw. If you have kids and they remotely like music this performer is for you. Their set time worked out perfectly at 11 AM and then the clouds started to hint of what was to come even though Zanes tried to make it go away with some voodoo. Next up on the 3rd stage was New Brunswick’s Roadside Graves who performed after some BMX’ers. Yes, dudes doing these flips on their bikes over a large ramp. Quite impressive I must admit but sadly the crowd of kids dispersed before RG’s set. Not sure if it was their crowd and it was kind of wierd having a rock stage tucked away by bathrooms. The bands best moment was at the end when they sounded more like the Stones and less like this washed out version of Jack Johnson if there could be such a thing. I’ve seen them play better at the court tavern but alas not easy to command a festival crowd.
The highlight was Mike Peters from the Alarm playing with the NJ symphony Orchestra. Every classic Alarm song was smooth and reached a couple moving points when Mike referenced his own fight with cancer and 20 years of marriage to his wife. His voiced sounded as good as it ever has and it was great to see him perform in front of tons of dedicated old school fans in the spirit of 76′. Can’t wait till next year and hope there is no rain to spoil the show.
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