SINGLE REVIEWS: The inbox has been flooding with music on a daily basis so the listening queue is getting longer and longer. So if I don't get right back to you please don't take it personally. When my ears perk-up like a dog that hears a sound with that sound is when I get excited and reminded why I do this for ya'll. To be fair though and as a general FYI I grab everything and put it in a For Review playlist and do the due dilligence and drop the needle in there and [...]
Ok, here's part two of the girls that rock the underground. If there is a young or unknown upstart you think we should know about please let us know and we'll get their music out. These next ladies have been there and done that. Surely setting the bar for girls in rock. Juliana Maxwells 05' Juliana Hatfield - The years have encroached on Juliana but she's somehow managed to make a lot of really consistant records since going solo after the break-up of [...]
This is no way a complete list of alternative underground female singers. Not even close to a short artist list either. Lets call it the first entry. Mostly independent non-super-star artists who have stamp their name clearly in underground music. We'll have to revisit for sure as this always part of the music discovery process. Mostly obvious choice with some new faces which is awesome to see and hear. Liz Phair from a recent show at Maxwells doing the teenage dream song "fuck and run" because she was much better [...]
Green Arrows Music Written by Benjamin High ALBUM REVIEW: Benjamin High's Green Arrows record Matters is pure like salt. The music and lyrics can melt the ice off young and old hearts in it's simplicity, confidence and cadent delivery. Ben was a regular young man. He played video games, listened and wrote music with his friends. His pal Joe D'Agostino even tattooed a simple note on his right wrist "1,2.33 which is a song on this incredible record to remind him of those halcyon days. See Ben even had a stint in a [...]
Somasek London Recordings ALBUM REVIEW: Something between the electronic gadgetry of grandaddy, Rufus Wainwright's vocal flair and Mike Peters's acoustic Alarm marches is Joshua Flowers's SOMASEK London Recordings . Floating in spacey vibrations plush with wall to wall carpeting set for that modern music you may imagine in A Clockwork Orange's record store scene. Where they cater to a debonair and young Malcolm Mcdowell's taste as he flips through records and picks up some play things for a quick roll in the hay. Other times there are some [...]
The Project Matters Benefit w/ Charles Bissell + music by Green Arrows BENEFIT SHOW: From what I can gather the Project Matters Organization will help fund and give good advise to young musicians under 21 who aspire to play music. Sort of a PAL for kids who maybe went to School of Rock but maybe just need some good legal advise. Which I think is great. I wish this sort resource was available to guide me as I figured out the music scene landscape. [...]
Jack Endino is one of the godfathers of the Seattle grunge scene. Mainly because he recorded bands cheap and fast for a bunch of Sub Pop bands. He also was pretty good head banging guitar player and Skin Yard was his band which literally influenced Screaming Trees, The Melvins and Green River. Matt Cameron was the original drummer before going over to play with Soundgarden. Skin Yard had releases on Toxic Shock, C/Z and Cruz Records. I got to see them on the 1,000 Smiling Knuckles tour at Maxwells . In fact I still [...]
Clair Reilly-Roe's Island in the City I love the joke in the Blue Brothers movie: So what kind of music do you guys have here normally? "Both Kinds. Country & Western." Well the answer around here is about the same but I thought it would be a good idea to focus on some pop music for a change. So here's a cover by Clair Reilly-Roe doing "New Years Day". Some pop can really gets under your skin mainly because you hear it too much or it all sounds the same, etc. Easy to be a [...]
We love the Archers of Loaf around these parts. I'm not sure if Indie Rock as I knew it would have any real meaning without Icky Mettle . Seriously, the record is wholesome college noisy indie rock with just the right amount of grit and sing-along to make it a true college radio break-out. They got weirder as they went breaking boundries staying under the radar from major airplay. Meaning no top 40 hit but all hits on every record in their own right. So it's about time they did a reunion show. Don't get [...]
Welcome to 73 Friday again! A little late today as I was distracted by the new 13th sign (see last post) but anyway here's Elvis Costello And The Atractions Live at Hollywood High recorded in 1978. I found this EP at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ the other day. I think its from a recent Record Store day goody but I don't know. I got the last copy and that is all that matters. The whole show is available if you'd like to hear the master of pop in his prime. [...]
Is Ophiuchus the 13th Zodiac Sign? Let me see if I can figure this out. The issue has been debunked by some astrology experts in order to save their books and mythical practice because the zodiac is moon based per The Babylonians, but what the scientists are saying is that the constellation and earth's axis moved for sure making "alignment" off by 30 or so days. Also, the earth, sun and constellation does not align like it did 3,000 years ago but this you all knew right? You see there is nothing "new" perse that [...]
MUSIC REVIEW: Putting hair on a band based out of Brooklyn that sounds like a real rock band is not so difficult. I'm personally tired of bands with headbands and mustaches. That's so 2010 on the bad breath-o-meter. Give me regular dudes who make music with a tight rythem section and a singer who has some British swagger although from North America and can hit some notes alla Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) on vocals any day and we're in good shape. A sense of humor is optional at that point but sticking with any carny's breakfast heroes storyline protects [...]
Numerology is one of those real weirdo sciences based on some sort of mathematical religion I won't even begin to understand. What does interest me though is that our time on this giant landfill is limited so when there is a awesome calendar that ends on 2012 you have to begin to wonder what the Mayans knew? What is going to happen from a year from now? Obviously their civilization did not stick around or maybe they just got on the good ship, put on their sneakers and got out of Dodge. Whatever the reason when ever there are songs [...]
Repo Man (1984) Directed by Alex Cox (Straight to Hell, Sid & Nancy) is probably one of the most quotable movies involving punk and sci-fi you'll ever see. The flick self mocks the punk aesthetic as much as it embraces the scene eventhough the soundtrack compilation is not 100% complete it's pretty awesome. The Plugz a mexican-american punk band composed the original instrumental score for the film, and performed "Hombre Secreto," a Spanish version of Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man" plus a few other classics. Emilio (Sheen) Estevez, Dick Rude, Harry Dean Stanton, Sy Richardson, a [...]
Hydrostatic b/w Trepid Hundreds of bands have sprung from the very ripe boon-dock known as the New Brunswick N.J. Hub City/Rock City scene, even though some of is straight-up emo basement level variety hardcore. ExVegas was one of the more promising urban alternative legends that morphed into another band called Prosolar Mechanics . EV had a double guitar storm featuring Alex(Saville) the sonic reducer and T.Sands on the V2 Rocket which were more Chicago sounding than anything from Chicagoland(you know jesus lizard, rapeman, etc) Their guitar combo was as [...]
Who knew that so many great songs start with the word "Hey" in the title of it. Total excuse for a quickie playlist but here's a few attention getters to fill your brainspace when you're trying to make a point or can't remember the words you were trying to put together - Hey buys you time while you're try figure out what you are going to say. When you feel you've been cheated out of something you deserved. When somebody steps on your toe and you scream "Hey mother F'er!". When somebody cuts you off in traffic and you also [...]
No Imagination by Sam Forrest ALBUM REVIEW: Please meet Sam Forrest's 3rd solo effort No Imagination which finds him moving away from the straight up acoustic/folksy guy in the back shed to the do-it all himself rockband (including drums). This North Yorkshire creator/guitarist has added some noise on rediscovery of the sonic youth adding some nice layers of feedback to the palette of man vs songs and is at the top of his craft. No Imagination will give purveyors of sounds a couple subtle winterly chills that [...]
Here's a few last minute funky jamz to ring in the New Year! Any of these tunes will spruce up your set-list. Happy Downloading: Let's Rave On by The Ravenettes from Chain Gang Of Love Flavor by JSBX from Orange 01 Expensive Shit by Fela Kuti (1975) Soul Searching by the Electric Flag from An American Music Band / A Long Time Coming Get On The Good [...]
As the year and this decade winds down it's a new habit in my life to see who's passed on to the other side. Morbid I know but at the same time it gives me inspiration to enjoy interacting with my own family when I can and everyday extraordinary people. Someone once said to treat every moment and thing as it happens as a minor miracle. The musicians music people listed here either touched some aspect of music and if you take a moment to appreciate their achievements through to their demise. Their existence will have touched you too. Even [...]
Happy Christmas and winter solstice. Heres a four song Nirvana bootleg 73 put out on Teen Spirit Records(001) from a performance on the Mark Goodier Radio 1 Sessions from Nov 1991. The actual vinyl says they are "Groovey Tunes" by a band called Love Buzz , which is an awesome song on their Sub Pop release Bleach (1989) but most hardcore fans know this but you may not have these live versions which is proof positive they were an awesome live band. Fair to say this is out of print. Enjoy. MP3 [...]
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Azealia Banks - '1991' [Listen]
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