Blog: Review Stalker

LIVE BAND REVIEW: We know it is going to be a momentary thing. We know if we want to live for another chance. This was it - sorry baltimore and chicago you lost again. The time to experience the sonic bliss was now; already yesterday. The drumming of The James Low does not even have a suitable metaphor --it is just uncharted. We put up with the bassplayer just got off a plane jokes . The chance to hear a live set(1 of 3) mixed by Bob Weston was worth the price of admission -- quality control- [...]

I've been pretty busy so here are three quick posts in one. Lots of stuff going on and during the holidays it is important to take a minute or two and think about the people you miss and people who made a difference in the world. Joe Strummer was one of those people. CHRISTMAS MP3's I've also been mining all the dang Christmas mp3 blog posts and top 2006 song posts. so if your are looking for music to spice up your mixes, well here you go: Get Merry from the The Torture Garden [...]

I thought this video of The Velvet Underground is fantastic. Tomorrow: Gene(Aaron) and Dean(Mickey) Ween will be supporting Chris Harford when he appears on WXPN 's "Free at Noon" show, Friday Dec. 8th at NOON (duh, really?). This is an hour long show that is performed live as it is broadcast from the "World Cafe Live" venue in Philadelpia. This very intimate event is open to the public and if you have never seen these guys perform together in a venue like John and Peter's in New Hope, or at [...]

"The boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the Rock 'n' Roll Era. You may dispute this, but I'm right and you're wrong!" John Peel. The premier screening of the film "The Wedding Present – Drive" is going to be on Thursday, December 7, at Bridgette Mayer Gallery , Philadelphia, PA, which documents their first tour of the U.S. and Canada in more than 8 years. My old pal Steve from vital cog records and now third hand films tells me seating is limited so get in touch with [...]

Now this is a 'viral promo' worth telling you about, by entering to win a free trip to Seattle to Death Cab for Cutie , MOG beta has enticed music addicts like myself to click-away and part-take in their community thing. I am in the middle of checking out their MOG-O-MATIC music widget and inteface so I can't speak to it yet but since I like taking acid free trips it seemed like the impulse-net thing to do today. THIS COMING WEEKEND IN ROCKN'ROLL: Sat December 02, 2006 - The Court Tavern [...]

LIVE ROCK REVIEW : For being my first time seeing a show at Warsaw in Brooklyn and The Hold Steady it was pretty damn good time considering the low opinion of the venue on City Search. Their obscure location(definitely drive if you can), makes it a weird commute in and stay away from the food, although I didn't try, the people were friendly enough, not sure if that had to do with live nation or not but the sound was pretty damn good and the price was reasonable; and I have to say the polish bottled [...]

So on one visit to Digitalpodcast.com this past week I've found some really quality podcast shows and I am greatful to know where the bar is production wise: a good day for airplay | feed - spining mostly power pop with some hot trax inbetween. +++ Not your usual bollocks | feed - rock and electronic music genres complete with English accent to make you feel cutting edge, in with the new wave. +++++ [...]

As reported by the pitchfork there are some live Chavez shows on the horizon. Nobody would confirm or deny new material eventhough i did get the word that there is actually some twiddling going on from a myspace pocket man insider. So hopefully some of them will be spawned at the upcoming shows. Why else would you make a Men of Chavez website ? Seems like an extreme amount of effort if new material is not on the horizon. 12-02 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar 12-09 Chicago, IL - [...]

• Chavez - The Guard Attacks (Remastered) / Unreal Is Here (Remastered)

...AYWKTBTTOD are musically a band under the terror of noise from Conrad Keely's head and I think the band are just getting better at interpreting music and taking it all to a different level much in the same way the Stones did in the 70's but this time for indie rock. Christ they've been keeping at for 10 years with no big hit but still manage to raise the proverbial bar to the point where indie snobs get noise bleeds and then break their neck after it was jammed in their ass (crude but fair- I know). I would [...]

Now that we're in Q4, it's time to look back and see what releases have secured their spots in my top 11 for 2006, so here it goes: radiodread by Easy Star All-stars- which if you haven't the justice that prevails to the bands music, these dub-masters remake the classic ok computer as if it were their own. it is awesome The outsider by DJ Shadow is quite the diverse mix from acoustic to blow your trunk open speaker bangin' rok the house. I have turn it down at stop [...]

Now i'm not used to major shows happening right around the corner from my house, but it seems The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will present Music Fest ’06 on Saturday, September 16 in Cranford featuring Cheap Trick!(8:30) Mike Peters of The Alarm Is going to play the second set(2pm), w/ bunch of more expected performers like a beatles cover band Fab Faux and LaBamba’s Big Band with guest vocalist Southside Johnny. On ther turn table is radiodread which OK Computer done by the Easy Star All-Stars. Highly recommended.

I am getting very excited for the PA ween show on Aug 31 with the Lips and sonic youth. To get me in the mood I've been digging into the archives over at ween.net 's audio archive that has classic duo ween at The court tavern where they futz with cassettes inbetween songs, hassle their friends to bring them beers to stage while Kirk Miller their sound guy messes with the analog delay. I was always inspired by all the folks and rabid fans ween had that have been following them around since the days of fanzines and [...]

• artist - Track 07

I completely agree with Brandon Stosuy that "those stoner fucks created something essential" as he remembers the indie glory days with the re-release review of Sebadoh III over at pitchdork. Mr. White Bread (Brandon’s old self published zine) makes you want to relive the hey-day of indie-dome. He or Lou Barlow might not say it but they seem to speak of a certain time period that reminds me of the moment when you peeled apart his zine, Boiled Angel, Crank, or some other rag like Insight there in print was some band [...]

Personally I look for variety from mp3 bloggers. They are my modern day djs and heroes. Their tastemaker agenda is usually pretty clear: They breath music on their sites through one another and like rapid fire they constantly feed off each other. For instance I read an awesome review of the Scratch documentary on I am Fuel, you are Friends and got 'Rock it' by Herbie Hancock, and some The Ultimate Lessons tracks 1,2 & 3 by Double Dee & Steinski and then down the bottom I was reminded of The Whitey Album by Ciccone Youth (1988) [...]

• Beck - Clementine
• Beck - Pink Moon (Nick Drake Cover)

Ok, If you like that 'I'm on the Mexican radio' song by Wall of VooDoo mixed with your beer and politics then my dear friends you will dig North Carolina's Majestic Twelve's new album Schizophrenology which they are distributing for freakin' free on my space and their site. The single is "Condoleezza Check My Posse" which is pretty funny in a puppet sort of way. My particular favorite standard

So, always wanting to pay my way but interested in what fine gems people like Heather from Fuel Friends and the Aquarium Drunkard are serving up. I now find myself digging into the realm of live bootlegs and well recorded shows. There are a few must haves over at rbally.net : GBV at the 40 Watt, a Jeff Tweedy 48 song set , Jesus and Mary Chain Live in Vienna and over at Transmission3000.com: two sets by the Afghan Whigs , Fugazi , and Hot Snakes to name a few. The T3 [...]

If you like Jaco and some of the out there King Crimson you are going to dig the in-f-ing-credible keyboard playing of Hiromi from this live perfomance to what looks like a very polite Japanese audience. Granted there is some prog i detest. Like how many notes can i fit in beat type of stuff. This is musical, there is a bass solo, and she switches to piano mid-way, which is a cool move. Reminds me a in strange way of Drums & Tuba , without the sampling and funk and copious notes, because those [...]

One my favorite singles was Jesus and Mary Chain 7" that had a Syd Barrett Cover on it called "Vegetable Man". While the cause of death has not been disclosed, CMJ reports he was a type 2 diabetic. Famouse for downing unhuman amounts of acid and then quiting Pink Floyd when they broke and moving into his mum's house in Cambridge , there were tons of bands like the Flaming Lips, Johnny Mar and Bowie to name a few who credited him as an influence to their music and existance. Nevermind the Beatles, he was an innovators innovator for [...]

Ok, the bad thing about on the spot video podcast documentaries is that all the mystery is given away. Artist can come accross as boring and flat. So all artists should not think they can just start putting themselves on the small screen. On the other hand for folks who are pationate about music can see and hear the real answers in this dark moody piece. Truth vs fiction vs sad music industry hot air is the musical promotion playing field. What is great about Mr. Yorke's art is that his passion comes accross as 'from the real'. The [...]

Last month Emusic offered an anti-records sampler. This month to one up them is a free sampler from the pitchdorks, and Damn it's pretty good. Granted some of the bands were obvious includes but the ones I had no clue about are worth my bandwidth. The best part is, is the free part, no need to go scowering their site, or any of my usual free mp3 haunts. Get the Pitchfork music samplete while it is hot . Besides the obviouse selections: tapes n' tapes, art brut and ted leo; the unknowns struck as familiar chords and beyond expectation [...]