In our hustle-bustle world of music and entertainment, record labels have become an integral part of the creative process for musicians. Many record labels are now pushing their products and artists on the Web. Most record label sites are similar in that they list artists, releases and merchandise, but some sites are merely online ads for the label, while others are virtual music resources. Some allow you to shop online while others still send you down to the old record store to get their stuff. Anyway, we're going to look at a few sites-a couple of major labels and a couple of independent labels.
First up is American Recordings, Rick Rubin's label out of Los Angeles. This label is the home of artists ranging from Slayer to Johnny Cash. This page is nearly as eclectic as the label's artist roster. The main page features Rubin's mug upside-down, and prominent. Very cute.
This is a very colorful page, with lots of cool links. I had a problem with some of the links, though; it took some time to get them to work. The site is easy to move around in, though some of the main page's links are a little confusing. There are tons of video clips and downloadable images (many of which are 1 to 2 Megs in size) of American artists. The World Wide Web of Music is also very resourceful.
Overall, American Recordings has a good page, which I have bookmarked. I like the site, I like Rick Rubin, I like the label, a friend of mine works there, and they have my site, The Pit, linked as a Cool Site. So, there ya go.
Next up is Sub Pop, the label largely responsible for the Seattle grunge sound spearheaded by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney. This is a colorful, eye- catching site with groovy graphics and swanky backgrounds. The links are atypical but easy to use.
The Sub Pop Newsletter is posted online for your perusal, and online shopping and ordering are available. This is cool because you can get a lot of stuff here that you can no longer find in stores. The band list and bios are extensive, billed as "more information than is probably necessary," and include tour info, bios and photos.
Once again, this is a cool site because it is a music resource and not merely an ad for a record label. Definitely, bookmark material and worth repeated visits. Their Megamart is filled with cool merchandise at good value.
Now, one of my favorite indie labels! Estrus Records is home base to many awesome surf/horror/schlock/sci-fi/ race track/swing bands. Despite the overly long URL and the "Under Construction" warning, this is a decent site. The graphics are nice and bright and the fonts are very Pixar "Toy Story" like.
Here you can learn the label's history, check out the discography of releases, or order the latest Sir Estrus Quarterly newsletter and catalog. The band sections are very hip and stylized, and you can learn all about the likes of the Monomen, Man or Astroman? and the Trashwomen. Plenty of cool links to outside Estrus- related sites, as well.
This is a very distinctive label and cool Web site. Probably the coolest label of its type out there. Definitely worth bookmark space and regular visits.
Now on to the big boys-the corporate labels. A&M Records is a pretty conservative site with a nostalgic feel to it. A&M is the home to the Police, Oingo Boingo, and Soundgarden, some very no conservative bands. There are some cool sections here, though.
Reel-to-Reel details what A&M bands are up to, whether it is recording, touring, or writing a screenplay about pre-teen serial killers (like Danny Elfman). My main problem with this site is that it's just an ad for A&M. You can't order merchandise, either.
Even though I like some A&M artists, this isn't enough to get me to keep coming back to this site. There is little value here beyond A&M, and I have other sites bookmarked that deal more directly with some of the A&M artists.
The next big boy is Atlantic, home of Bad Religion. (Need I say more? I think I will.) This is a cute site with some genie-in-a-bottle-lookin' Mr. Clean guy on the main page. My BIG problem with this site is the multi-window format it's presented in. I don't like this setup. Other windows are too distracting, keeping it hard to focus on a particular section. These sites are also hard to move around in. Finally, the text is usually cut off on one side or the other; you have to scroll around like a madman to read some stuff.
Typical links here. A fair site annoyingly set up, with little value and narrow appeal. Wouldn't, couldn't, and shouldn't bookmark it.
Finally, we have Reprise, home of Alanis Morissette, Morrissey, and other such whiners. It's ironic, don't you think? Reprise calls itself the "coolest record company in the free world." Oh. I guess I wasn't around when they held the Record Company Coolness Olympics.
Artist links, News and Contests. I do like the links page here. Lots of music, non-music and bizarre links. Overall, this is a good page, though not as high quality as some of the others. Less pretentious and self-centered than some, though. I might bookmark this page.
I obviously lean more toward the smaller labels than the big-business ones. The best sites I reviewed here were more like online magazines than mere fancy ads. Another surprise is that the big labels seem to lack online ordering capabilities. The smaller labels have online record shops were you can get hard-to-find and not-so-hard-to-find stuff.
It just goes to show you that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. The best record label sites are those that not only advertise the label and its wares, but also act as a valuable addition to a musician's bookmark section. It's also convenient to be able to order merchandise online at affordable prices and get hard-to-find stuff, as well.
Monday, February 4, 2008
rise of the mp3 revolution
Another from Netweek. I wrote this right at the cusp of the Mp3 explosion and soon after the launch of San Diego's mp3.com.
Once derided as a flash in the pan, the Internet-based MP3 audio format now seems to be at the forefront of a long-awaited revolution in the music industry. Much to the chagrin of some major record labels, the MP3 file format enables artists and fans alike to bypass all traditional channels for music distribution. If it survives the mounting legal challenges that lie ahead, MP3 may forevermore change the shape of the music business.
MP3 is shorthand for MPEG1 Audio Layer 3, a file format that compresses and digitizes music so that it can easily be downloaded from the Internet. Downloading an MP3 file takes only a few minutes and results in a near-CD quality copy of a song that has been compressed to nearly one-tenth of its original file size.
If you want to listen to the files using your computer's built-in audio capabilities, all you have to do is download and install an MP3 player. Most MP3 players are available for free or are available as low-cost shareware. To choose a player compatible with your operating system, visit www.mp3.com/faq/playing2.html.
If you'd rather take your music with you, portable MP3 players are available. These lightweight devices fit in the palm of one hand and are smaller and much more convenient to use than CD and tape players. They also have no moving parts, so your songs will never skip when you walk or jog (as they might with a conventional CD player). Portable MP3 players currently retail for around $200, but are expected to go down in price as more competitors enter the market.
The most popular model today is Diamond Multimedia's Rio player. The $199 Rio PMP300, which is powered by a single AA battery, can hold over 60 minutes of music and will play continuously on a single charge for up to 12 hours. It's available at most large electronics stores or direct from the manufacturer at www.diamondmm.com.
Some major record labels, as well as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), fear that MP3s will promote bootlegging of copyrighted recordings. The RIAA recently filed a lawsuit to block the manufacture of the Rio player, but lost when Diamond proved that their player was designed only to record and play downloaded MP3 files, and was not capable of duplicating or uploading files to the Internet. The RIAA has so far been largely unsuccessful in combating the MP3 onslaught.
Not all record labels see the MP3 format as a threat. Some companies feel that the Internet offers a new market for old material that has (until now) been economically unfeasible to reissue. However, piracy is a concern, and the industry is currently scrambling to come up with an alternative file format that cannot be duplicated as easily as MP3.
Technically, MP3 is legal due to the fact that it is merely a file format. However, some of the applications people are finding for this new file format may be illegal. There is apparently a burgeoning subculture of audiophiles using the Internet to unlawfully distribute copyrighted music without the permission of the copyright holders. To make sure that you are not violating copyright laws and depriving an artist of his or her just compensation, you should always look for an ASCAP ( www.ascap.com) and/or BMI (www.bmi.com) license before you download an MP3 file.
More than a few established bands have been bitten by the MP3 bug. Many well-known artists (including recent chart-toppers such as the Beastie Boys) have defied their own record labels, offering their fans free MP3 tracks exclusively over the Internet. Other popular artists, including Tom Petty, are using MP3 as a promotional tool. Petty, with the blessing of his label, is offering early tastes of new and upcoming songs in MP3 format.
MP3 holds its real advantage for smaller, undiscovered bands, however. Talented musicians often struggle for years without ever getting noticed by the major labels. Those who do manage to sign a deal are given relatively little time to build a following. Recently, such critically acclaimed bands as the Reverend Horton Heat and the Supersuckers were dropped by their record label because they were unable to demonstrate immediate commercial success.
At a time when musicians seem to be valued less for their creative abilities and more for their economic potential, the MP3 file format may soon bring new vigor to the once-moribund world of popular music. Aspiring musicians must no longer depend upon the largess of a giant corporation in order to be heard. Today, any musician can record songs in MP3 format and sell them directly to listeners over the Internet. The format requires little, if any, investment in time or money, and the royalties can be high. In most cases, musicians retain all ownership rights to their music, a legal nicety most record labels disallow.
Currently spearheading the MP3 movement is MP3.com, based in San Diego, California. MP3.com exists to bring musicians and audiophiles together at www.mp3.com. Other major distributors of MP3 music include Goodnoise, at www.goodnoise.com and MusicMatch www.musicmatch.com.
MP3 and the Internet promise to bring the consumer a wider array of music choices than was ever before possible. With nothing more than an Internet connection and an MP3 player, an audiophile can easily build custom albums containing some of the most compelling and eclectic music the world has to offer.
Once derided as a flash in the pan, the Internet-based MP3 audio format now seems to be at the forefront of a long-awaited revolution in the music industry. Much to the chagrin of some major record labels, the MP3 file format enables artists and fans alike to bypass all traditional channels for music distribution. If it survives the mounting legal challenges that lie ahead, MP3 may forevermore change the shape of the music business.
MP3 is shorthand for MPEG1 Audio Layer 3, a file format that compresses and digitizes music so that it can easily be downloaded from the Internet. Downloading an MP3 file takes only a few minutes and results in a near-CD quality copy of a song that has been compressed to nearly one-tenth of its original file size.
If you want to listen to the files using your computer's built-in audio capabilities, all you have to do is download and install an MP3 player. Most MP3 players are available for free or are available as low-cost shareware. To choose a player compatible with your operating system, visit www.mp3.com/faq/playing2.html.
If you'd rather take your music with you, portable MP3 players are available. These lightweight devices fit in the palm of one hand and are smaller and much more convenient to use than CD and tape players. They also have no moving parts, so your songs will never skip when you walk or jog (as they might with a conventional CD player). Portable MP3 players currently retail for around $200, but are expected to go down in price as more competitors enter the market.
The most popular model today is Diamond Multimedia's Rio player. The $199 Rio PMP300, which is powered by a single AA battery, can hold over 60 minutes of music and will play continuously on a single charge for up to 12 hours. It's available at most large electronics stores or direct from the manufacturer at www.diamondmm.com.
Some major record labels, as well as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), fear that MP3s will promote bootlegging of copyrighted recordings. The RIAA recently filed a lawsuit to block the manufacture of the Rio player, but lost when Diamond proved that their player was designed only to record and play downloaded MP3 files, and was not capable of duplicating or uploading files to the Internet. The RIAA has so far been largely unsuccessful in combating the MP3 onslaught.
Not all record labels see the MP3 format as a threat. Some companies feel that the Internet offers a new market for old material that has (until now) been economically unfeasible to reissue. However, piracy is a concern, and the industry is currently scrambling to come up with an alternative file format that cannot be duplicated as easily as MP3.
Technically, MP3 is legal due to the fact that it is merely a file format. However, some of the applications people are finding for this new file format may be illegal. There is apparently a burgeoning subculture of audiophiles using the Internet to unlawfully distribute copyrighted music without the permission of the copyright holders. To make sure that you are not violating copyright laws and depriving an artist of his or her just compensation, you should always look for an ASCAP ( www.ascap.com) and/or BMI (www.bmi.com) license before you download an MP3 file.
More than a few established bands have been bitten by the MP3 bug. Many well-known artists (including recent chart-toppers such as the Beastie Boys) have defied their own record labels, offering their fans free MP3 tracks exclusively over the Internet. Other popular artists, including Tom Petty, are using MP3 as a promotional tool. Petty, with the blessing of his label, is offering early tastes of new and upcoming songs in MP3 format.
MP3 holds its real advantage for smaller, undiscovered bands, however. Talented musicians often struggle for years without ever getting noticed by the major labels. Those who do manage to sign a deal are given relatively little time to build a following. Recently, such critically acclaimed bands as the Reverend Horton Heat and the Supersuckers were dropped by their record label because they were unable to demonstrate immediate commercial success.
At a time when musicians seem to be valued less for their creative abilities and more for their economic potential, the MP3 file format may soon bring new vigor to the once-moribund world of popular music. Aspiring musicians must no longer depend upon the largess of a giant corporation in order to be heard. Today, any musician can record songs in MP3 format and sell them directly to listeners over the Internet. The format requires little, if any, investment in time or money, and the royalties can be high. In most cases, musicians retain all ownership rights to their music, a legal nicety most record labels disallow.
Currently spearheading the MP3 movement is MP3.com, based in San Diego, California. MP3.com exists to bring musicians and audiophiles together at www.mp3.com. Other major distributors of MP3 music include Goodnoise, at www.goodnoise.com and MusicMatch www.musicmatch.com.
MP3 and the Internet promise to bring the consumer a wider array of music choices than was ever before possible. With nothing more than an Internet connection and an MP3 player, an audiophile can easily build custom albums containing some of the most compelling and eclectic music the world has to offer.
hackers and hacking
I've always liked this one too...from the Education to Go weekly newsletter Netweek.
Hackers. You know them as gangly kids with radiation tans induced by too many late nights in front of a computer screen. Evil beings that have the power to wipe out your credit rating, cancel your cable TV, raise your insurance premiums, and raid your social security pension. Eccentrics who always avert their eyes and mumble under their breath about black helicopters and CIA transmissions. Paranoid social deviants who could start World War III from the privacy of their bedrooms. Or so the mainstream media would have you believe.
In reality, most hackers are ordinary people with a great deal of curiosity, above-average skills with a computer, a good understanding of human nature, and plenty of time to kill. Hackers have no distinguishing characteristics. Your next-door neighbor could be a hacker, as could your niece or nephew, one of your co-workers, or even the kid who serves you coffee in the morning. Not all hackers are dangerous and out to destroy business or damage lives.
The view of the general public toward hackers is mixed. A recent CNN poll shows 33% of respondents labeling hackers as "useful," 17% seeing them "as a menace," and the majority (45%) seeing hackers as "both" useful and a menace.
OVERVIEW
Hackers come in all sizes and shapes, but the types you hear the most about are network hackers, software hackers, and developers of virus and Trojan horses.
Network hackers generally will try to gain unauthorized access to private computer networks. Some will hack in just for the challenge, others will do so to look around and satisfy their curiosity, others will do so in an attempt to "liberate" (distribute) the information contained therein, and some will hack in to do damage. Network hackers employ strategies that they refer to as cracking to gain access. Such strategies include bombarding web servers with bogus access requests until it cries uncle, or flooding a mail server with mail until it crashes, spilling sensitive access information all over the net. Another common cracking strategy entails stealing, guessing, or cajoling passwords from users in order to gain complete access to a site or network.
A software hacker attempts to get around software security measures, such as registration, expiration dates, user limits, passwords, and serial number. Software hackers thumb their noses at copyright protections and ignore license agreements by using the Internet to distribute illegally obtained copies of costly applications.
Perhaps the most malicious and dangerous form of hacking has to do with the building and distribution of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Though these types of hacks can be harmless, more times than not they cause damage and cause hassle to individuals and companies.
Viruses are programs that attach themselves to a single file and slowly but methodically replicate themselves, spreading from one file to another until your hard disk is filled with copies of the virus code. Viruses often unintentionally damage the files they infect, and some have been known to destroy year's worth of work. Worms use a host computer's resources to replicate and spread from machine to machine throughout an entire network. Finally, a Trojan Horse is a program that fools the user into thinking it is doing one thing while it does something else entirely. A common ploy is to hide destructive code inside of an innocuous-looking game or silly multimedia animation. When the user tries to play the game or start the animation, the Trojan Horse erases the poor sap's hard drive or uses his modem to blast personal data across the Internet. The best way to protect against these attacks is to be diligent with programs and have up-to-date virus detection software in use at all times.
Network hackers take great pains to distinguish themselves from the more common software hackers and virus developers. While many software hackers and virus developers seem to act out of self-interest or with evil intent, true hackers see themselves as latter-day Magellans, exploring the electronic frontier to locate and share knowledge.
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR
Proponents of hacking characterize hackers as intelligent individuals with a great deal of technological skill who see telephones, computers, and networks not as tools, but as toys to be enjoyed. They hack for the challenge and to satisfy their own curiosity. Most hackers try to avoid inflicting harm on the networks they conquer.
Emmanuel Goldstein, the editor-in-chief of 2600:The Hacker Quarterly, pointed out in a recent CNN interview "While it's certainly possible to use hacking to commit a crime, once you do this you cease being a hacker and commence being a criminal."
This distinction is important within the Hacker subculture. Hackers see hacking as the free distribution of information and not as a crime. Many feel that hackers may infringe on the privacy rights of a few, but they help protect larger society by pointing out weaknesses in computer and network systems.
Goldstein continues, "I'm the first to say that people who cause damage should be punished, but I really don't think prison should be considered for something like this unless the offender is a true risk to society."
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Those who oppose hacking see it as a serious crime, because hacking generally entails unauthorized entry and access to computer and/or network systems. Hacking opponents see hacks as damaging even if no information is taken or damaged. Most hacking attempts slow down networks, stealing computer time from legitimate users and squandering expensive system resources. Many critics equate the curious hacker who merely snoops around to a criminal who breaks into a house, changes the locks, turns on all the lights, the air conditioner, and other appliances, takes a long shower or two, and goes through personal belongings, but does not steal any tangible objects.
THE KEVIN MITNICK CASE
The hacking subculture sees imprisoned "super hacker" Kevin Mitnick as a poster child for the cause of hacking. The hackers say that Mitnick has been unfairly targeted and imprisoned, while his opponents cite the millions in damages for which they claim Mitnick is responsible.
Mitnick has been in prison since 1995, held on a 25-count indictment with charges ranging from wire fraud to illegal possession of stolen computer files. At one time Mitnick was on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
Interestingly, Mitnick has been held without bail since his arrest, and has been held for over four years without a trial. He is currently housed in a Los Angeles facility reserved for violent criminals. Additionally, he was allowed no computer access until recently to review some 10 gigabytes of evidence against him.
Mitnick recently signed a plea bargain that may set him free after another year in prison. In the plea bargain, Mitnick admits his hacking activities caused between 5 and 10 million dollars in losses to the companies named in the indictment. Mitnick will not be allowed to tell his story for seven years, or be allowed to touch computers or other forms of high technology for three years.
WHAT TO DO
Whatever stance you take on the hacking issue, it's still a good idea to protect your computer, data, or network.
The best way to protect yourself is to back up your most important data files to disk or tape every day. Avoid downloading and opening executable files from sources you do not know and trust. Choose passwords consisting of nonsense words that cannot easily be guessed, don't give them out to anybody, and change them occasionally. Don't open files attached to e-mail messages. Finally, keep informed. Monitor the International Computer Security Association, Symantec Antivirus Research Center, and the other resources listed below to stay abreast of new threats and tools that can help protect your data from malicious attacks.
We must accept one fact: information wants to be free. Information caretakers must be ever vigilant: once information is made available to some, others will try to access that information if they can. The key words to remember are if they can.
Hackers. You know them as gangly kids with radiation tans induced by too many late nights in front of a computer screen. Evil beings that have the power to wipe out your credit rating, cancel your cable TV, raise your insurance premiums, and raid your social security pension. Eccentrics who always avert their eyes and mumble under their breath about black helicopters and CIA transmissions. Paranoid social deviants who could start World War III from the privacy of their bedrooms. Or so the mainstream media would have you believe.
In reality, most hackers are ordinary people with a great deal of curiosity, above-average skills with a computer, a good understanding of human nature, and plenty of time to kill. Hackers have no distinguishing characteristics. Your next-door neighbor could be a hacker, as could your niece or nephew, one of your co-workers, or even the kid who serves you coffee in the morning. Not all hackers are dangerous and out to destroy business or damage lives.
The view of the general public toward hackers is mixed. A recent CNN poll shows 33% of respondents labeling hackers as "useful," 17% seeing them "as a menace," and the majority (45%) seeing hackers as "both" useful and a menace.
OVERVIEW
Hackers come in all sizes and shapes, but the types you hear the most about are network hackers, software hackers, and developers of virus and Trojan horses.
Network hackers generally will try to gain unauthorized access to private computer networks. Some will hack in just for the challenge, others will do so to look around and satisfy their curiosity, others will do so in an attempt to "liberate" (distribute) the information contained therein, and some will hack in to do damage. Network hackers employ strategies that they refer to as cracking to gain access. Such strategies include bombarding web servers with bogus access requests until it cries uncle, or flooding a mail server with mail until it crashes, spilling sensitive access information all over the net. Another common cracking strategy entails stealing, guessing, or cajoling passwords from users in order to gain complete access to a site or network.
A software hacker attempts to get around software security measures, such as registration, expiration dates, user limits, passwords, and serial number. Software hackers thumb their noses at copyright protections and ignore license agreements by using the Internet to distribute illegally obtained copies of costly applications.
Perhaps the most malicious and dangerous form of hacking has to do with the building and distribution of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Though these types of hacks can be harmless, more times than not they cause damage and cause hassle to individuals and companies.
Viruses are programs that attach themselves to a single file and slowly but methodically replicate themselves, spreading from one file to another until your hard disk is filled with copies of the virus code. Viruses often unintentionally damage the files they infect, and some have been known to destroy year's worth of work. Worms use a host computer's resources to replicate and spread from machine to machine throughout an entire network. Finally, a Trojan Horse is a program that fools the user into thinking it is doing one thing while it does something else entirely. A common ploy is to hide destructive code inside of an innocuous-looking game or silly multimedia animation. When the user tries to play the game or start the animation, the Trojan Horse erases the poor sap's hard drive or uses his modem to blast personal data across the Internet. The best way to protect against these attacks is to be diligent with programs and have up-to-date virus detection software in use at all times.
Network hackers take great pains to distinguish themselves from the more common software hackers and virus developers. While many software hackers and virus developers seem to act out of self-interest or with evil intent, true hackers see themselves as latter-day Magellans, exploring the electronic frontier to locate and share knowledge.
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR
Proponents of hacking characterize hackers as intelligent individuals with a great deal of technological skill who see telephones, computers, and networks not as tools, but as toys to be enjoyed. They hack for the challenge and to satisfy their own curiosity. Most hackers try to avoid inflicting harm on the networks they conquer.
Emmanuel Goldstein, the editor-in-chief of 2600:The Hacker Quarterly, pointed out in a recent CNN interview "While it's certainly possible to use hacking to commit a crime, once you do this you cease being a hacker and commence being a criminal."
This distinction is important within the Hacker subculture. Hackers see hacking as the free distribution of information and not as a crime. Many feel that hackers may infringe on the privacy rights of a few, but they help protect larger society by pointing out weaknesses in computer and network systems.
Goldstein continues, "I'm the first to say that people who cause damage should be punished, but I really don't think prison should be considered for something like this unless the offender is a true risk to society."
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Those who oppose hacking see it as a serious crime, because hacking generally entails unauthorized entry and access to computer and/or network systems. Hacking opponents see hacks as damaging even if no information is taken or damaged. Most hacking attempts slow down networks, stealing computer time from legitimate users and squandering expensive system resources. Many critics equate the curious hacker who merely snoops around to a criminal who breaks into a house, changes the locks, turns on all the lights, the air conditioner, and other appliances, takes a long shower or two, and goes through personal belongings, but does not steal any tangible objects.
THE KEVIN MITNICK CASE
The hacking subculture sees imprisoned "super hacker" Kevin Mitnick as a poster child for the cause of hacking. The hackers say that Mitnick has been unfairly targeted and imprisoned, while his opponents cite the millions in damages for which they claim Mitnick is responsible.
Mitnick has been in prison since 1995, held on a 25-count indictment with charges ranging from wire fraud to illegal possession of stolen computer files. At one time Mitnick was on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
Interestingly, Mitnick has been held without bail since his arrest, and has been held for over four years without a trial. He is currently housed in a Los Angeles facility reserved for violent criminals. Additionally, he was allowed no computer access until recently to review some 10 gigabytes of evidence against him.
Mitnick recently signed a plea bargain that may set him free after another year in prison. In the plea bargain, Mitnick admits his hacking activities caused between 5 and 10 million dollars in losses to the companies named in the indictment. Mitnick will not be allowed to tell his story for seven years, or be allowed to touch computers or other forms of high technology for three years.
WHAT TO DO
Whatever stance you take on the hacking issue, it's still a good idea to protect your computer, data, or network.
The best way to protect yourself is to back up your most important data files to disk or tape every day. Avoid downloading and opening executable files from sources you do not know and trust. Choose passwords consisting of nonsense words that cannot easily be guessed, don't give them out to anybody, and change them occasionally. Don't open files attached to e-mail messages. Finally, keep informed. Monitor the International Computer Security Association, Symantec Antivirus Research Center, and the other resources listed below to stay abreast of new threats and tools that can help protect your data from malicious attacks.
We must accept one fact: information wants to be free. Information caretakers must be ever vigilant: once information is made available to some, others will try to access that information if they can. The key words to remember are if they can.
jim nantz
This is one of my favorite pieces, from Ashworth Collections 2002 Catalog. He's a great guy, I got to spend a weekend in NYC and get a behind the scenes look at the NFL Today, meet Mike Ditka, Deion Sanders, Randy Cross and Jerry Glanville...
Jim Nantz once said, "Never, ever, underestimate the importance of a dream." A little time spent with Nantz makes it clear that this is the guiding principle for his life. Blessed with innate skill and insight, Nantz has dominated his field in broadcasting, accomplishing precisely what he aspired to from an early age.
As a young boy, "Jimmy" would spend hours "listening to any game on the AM dial." However, he kept his radio hidden (under the covers at night) from his parents, who worried about his apparent obsession with sports. Craving sports information, Jimmy even devised a clever plan to gain access to the daily sports page in the local paper. Colts Neck, New Jersey was a very rural area, and there was no paper route-therefore, no sports page in the Nantz home. Always industrious, young Jim signed up his neighbors for the paper, contacted the Asbury Park Press, and started a paper route. Problem solved - he could now devour the Press' sports coverage on a daily basis.
To get his son interested in more than just sports, Jim's father encouraged him to invest some money and track the investment using the business section of the paper. Nantz placed his money with Chrysler, and he followed the company's progress through the financials. He has kept his commitment to his father and to the Chrysler stock, checking the financial pages every day, always reminded of his dad.
Jim's particular obsession with sports as a boy was not his love for the events, as much as a fascination for the voices behind the games: the announcers and broadcasters who told the stories of the games. He spent hours listening to tapes he made from broadcasts in the early 60's, studying style, technique, and nuances of his early idols: Pat Summerall, Chris Shemmel, Jack Whitaker and Jim McCay. McCay was a favorite, who would eventually be directly involved with Jim's life and career: "I always wanted to be Jim McCay...to do what Jim McCay did. He did golf, he did the Olympics!"
Golf was always an important pastime for the Nantz family, and Jim remembers walking the course with his parents when he was four. He started playing at a young age, and his mother would drop him off at the Bamm Hollow Country Club for the day, with some money for food. Jim worked at his game, spending time with older members of the club who taught him golf and important social skills he would use throughout life.
Jim continued to golf throughout high school. After graduation, his parents moved to Houston, Texas, and one day while golfing, he met Ron Webber, All American at University of Houston and former PGA Tour player. After seeing Nantz play, Webber felt strongly that he should play golf in college. He introduced Nantz to Dave Williams, coach of the U. of H. golf team, and after playing a round, Williams announced that there would be a spot on the team if Nantz decided to attend Houston. Although Jim had plans to attend University of Texas, this was all the encouragement he needed to change his agenda.
Williams' devotion to coaching and helping his athletes improve was invaluable to Jim and his teammates. He placed Jim in the dorm with two fellow freshman golf team members, Fred Couples and Blaine McAllister. The three bonded quickly, working on their game anytime, anywhere, even in the hallway of their dorm. However, slicing golf balls inside became expensive at $25 per broken window, so they eventually learned to put a mean spin on ping-pong balls for dorm practice. Nantz, Couples and McAllister still get together every year for their "Three Amigos Charity Golf Tournament."
By his junior year, Nantz was spending as much time in the broadcast booth as on the course, if not more. He started in campus radio at KUHF and quickly moved on to KTRH, the local CBS radio affiliate. By the end of the same year, he was working as the fill-in weekend sports anchor at the local CBS Television affiliate. This early experience proved invaluable to Nantz, and he soon perfected and mastered the conversational tone and ad lib qualities that are the hallmarks of one of broadcasting's most distinguished voices.
Nantz was often up by 3:45 AM in order to do his radio show and to get to his morning classes on time, also working as a stringer for CBS radio. Irwin "Winn" Elliot ran a show out of New York called "Sports Central USA," to which Jim submitted taped interviews and clips. These taped segments helped pay his way through college. A late night interview at a coffee shop with the infamous Muhammad Ali stands out as most memorable to Jim. Appreciative of Winn's support to his career, Jim taps Winn's studio door four times for luck every time he passes by it in the CBS studios.
Following graduation from Houston, Jim was enlisted by the CBS affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City to be their weekend sports anchor, covering BYU basketball, football and Utah Jazz games. He had set a goal of becoming a full time network sportscaster by the age of 30; however, Nantz met his goal four years early. The big network break came with a call for an audition in New York as one of four finalists to host the Prudential College Football Report. The audition consisted of hosting three unscripted, half time segments, which Nantz managed with characteristic comfort and confidence. After a follow-up interview, Jim became the youngest broadcaster hired full-time in CBS history.
Jim Nantz achieved his goal four years and one day after meeting his idol, Jim McKay. "He made me believe I could get there," remembers Nantz. "Little did I know as a young boy when I wrote him fan mail, that one day I would have the good fortune of getting to know him." In the early 90's, Jim had the honor of presenting McKay with the "Lifetime Achievement in Sports" Emmy. Ironically, years later McKay's son, Sean McManus presented Jim Nantz with the "National Sportscaster of the Year" award. At that time, McManus read a 3-page letter from McKay, remembering "the kid who used to write him" - a touching acknowledgement from the man little Jimmy emulated while hidden under the covers listening to AM radio.
Jim Nantz is currently the top voice in the CBS sports enclave. Those who don't know his name will recognize his face or perfect baritone voice. His reverence and thankfulness towards those who inspired and helped him achieve his dreams is one of his most endearing qualities. From McKay to Elliot, to Ron Webber, to Dave Williams, to golf peers Paul Marchand and Ken Venturi, to his father, Nantz remembers them all.
Nantz has surpassed his own expectations. He has called more Final Four and championship basketball games than any other announcer. He has covered the Masters since '89 with Venturi, as well as the PGA Championships. He hosted primetime coverage of the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Winter Olympics. He provided play-by-play coverage of U.S. Open tennis championships, NCAA track and field, skiing, speed skating, baseball, swimming, diving, gymnastics and college and NFL football. Jim hosted College Football Today, and is the current host of The NFL Today. After their Super bowl victory in January 2001, he awarded the Lombardi Trophy to the Baltimore Ravens. In addition, he hosted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades in 1994, 1995, and 2000, and will do so again in 2001.
Of all Nantz's broadcasting accomplishments, he thinks of himself "first and foremost as a golf announcer," and refers to his coverage of the Masters as "the most important thing I do professionally." Nantz remembers Fred Couples' 1992 Masters victory as his most rewarding experience. It seems that while the two were in college, Nantz informed Couples that he was sure Fred would one day win the Masters. At Nantz's insistence, the two role-played the Master's victory interview so that they would both be prepared. It must have been overwhelming years later when Couples won the Masters and Nantz interviewed him.
Jim has expanded his role in the world of sports. He has written the forwards to three books: Fred Couples, Golf's Reluctant Superstar, Ken Venturi's Stroke Savers, and Stories from the Final Four. He played a prominent role in the golf film, "Tin Cup," with Kevin Costner, and at the family's request, he provided narration to "Son, Hero, Companion," a documentary on the life of Tiger Woods.
Nantz is a member of the Ashworth Board of Directors and a corporate spokesman for the Brand. Seen weekly by millions of television viewers, Jim's appearance is crucial to him, and he has insisted on wearing Ashworth at such events as The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Awards. He says that he treasures his relationship with Ashworth, " ...because it exudes class."
"The core Ashworth philosophy, the knowledge that every day is a brand new game, a new chance to be your best - that feels right to a growing audience," says Jim. "The message seems to have transcended golf - Ashworth is now a lifestyle decision."
Getting to know Jim Nantz away from the microphones, cameras, and lights, you realize he is a man of impeccable class and professionalism. He gives the best and demands the best from his performance to his appearance. He treats everyone he encounters with consideration and respect, like the mentors throughout his life. Jim Nantz lives his dream, and he is a true champion of ideals and aspiration.
Jim Nantz once said, "Never, ever, underestimate the importance of a dream." A little time spent with Nantz makes it clear that this is the guiding principle for his life. Blessed with innate skill and insight, Nantz has dominated his field in broadcasting, accomplishing precisely what he aspired to from an early age.
As a young boy, "Jimmy" would spend hours "listening to any game on the AM dial." However, he kept his radio hidden (under the covers at night) from his parents, who worried about his apparent obsession with sports. Craving sports information, Jimmy even devised a clever plan to gain access to the daily sports page in the local paper. Colts Neck, New Jersey was a very rural area, and there was no paper route-therefore, no sports page in the Nantz home. Always industrious, young Jim signed up his neighbors for the paper, contacted the Asbury Park Press, and started a paper route. Problem solved - he could now devour the Press' sports coverage on a daily basis.
To get his son interested in more than just sports, Jim's father encouraged him to invest some money and track the investment using the business section of the paper. Nantz placed his money with Chrysler, and he followed the company's progress through the financials. He has kept his commitment to his father and to the Chrysler stock, checking the financial pages every day, always reminded of his dad.
Jim's particular obsession with sports as a boy was not his love for the events, as much as a fascination for the voices behind the games: the announcers and broadcasters who told the stories of the games. He spent hours listening to tapes he made from broadcasts in the early 60's, studying style, technique, and nuances of his early idols: Pat Summerall, Chris Shemmel, Jack Whitaker and Jim McCay. McCay was a favorite, who would eventually be directly involved with Jim's life and career: "I always wanted to be Jim McCay...to do what Jim McCay did. He did golf, he did the Olympics!"
Golf was always an important pastime for the Nantz family, and Jim remembers walking the course with his parents when he was four. He started playing at a young age, and his mother would drop him off at the Bamm Hollow Country Club for the day, with some money for food. Jim worked at his game, spending time with older members of the club who taught him golf and important social skills he would use throughout life.
Jim continued to golf throughout high school. After graduation, his parents moved to Houston, Texas, and one day while golfing, he met Ron Webber, All American at University of Houston and former PGA Tour player. After seeing Nantz play, Webber felt strongly that he should play golf in college. He introduced Nantz to Dave Williams, coach of the U. of H. golf team, and after playing a round, Williams announced that there would be a spot on the team if Nantz decided to attend Houston. Although Jim had plans to attend University of Texas, this was all the encouragement he needed to change his agenda.
Williams' devotion to coaching and helping his athletes improve was invaluable to Jim and his teammates. He placed Jim in the dorm with two fellow freshman golf team members, Fred Couples and Blaine McAllister. The three bonded quickly, working on their game anytime, anywhere, even in the hallway of their dorm. However, slicing golf balls inside became expensive at $25 per broken window, so they eventually learned to put a mean spin on ping-pong balls for dorm practice. Nantz, Couples and McAllister still get together every year for their "Three Amigos Charity Golf Tournament."
By his junior year, Nantz was spending as much time in the broadcast booth as on the course, if not more. He started in campus radio at KUHF and quickly moved on to KTRH, the local CBS radio affiliate. By the end of the same year, he was working as the fill-in weekend sports anchor at the local CBS Television affiliate. This early experience proved invaluable to Nantz, and he soon perfected and mastered the conversational tone and ad lib qualities that are the hallmarks of one of broadcasting's most distinguished voices.
Nantz was often up by 3:45 AM in order to do his radio show and to get to his morning classes on time, also working as a stringer for CBS radio. Irwin "Winn" Elliot ran a show out of New York called "Sports Central USA," to which Jim submitted taped interviews and clips. These taped segments helped pay his way through college. A late night interview at a coffee shop with the infamous Muhammad Ali stands out as most memorable to Jim. Appreciative of Winn's support to his career, Jim taps Winn's studio door four times for luck every time he passes by it in the CBS studios.
Following graduation from Houston, Jim was enlisted by the CBS affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City to be their weekend sports anchor, covering BYU basketball, football and Utah Jazz games. He had set a goal of becoming a full time network sportscaster by the age of 30; however, Nantz met his goal four years early. The big network break came with a call for an audition in New York as one of four finalists to host the Prudential College Football Report. The audition consisted of hosting three unscripted, half time segments, which Nantz managed with characteristic comfort and confidence. After a follow-up interview, Jim became the youngest broadcaster hired full-time in CBS history.
Jim Nantz achieved his goal four years and one day after meeting his idol, Jim McKay. "He made me believe I could get there," remembers Nantz. "Little did I know as a young boy when I wrote him fan mail, that one day I would have the good fortune of getting to know him." In the early 90's, Jim had the honor of presenting McKay with the "Lifetime Achievement in Sports" Emmy. Ironically, years later McKay's son, Sean McManus presented Jim Nantz with the "National Sportscaster of the Year" award. At that time, McManus read a 3-page letter from McKay, remembering "the kid who used to write him" - a touching acknowledgement from the man little Jimmy emulated while hidden under the covers listening to AM radio.
Jim Nantz is currently the top voice in the CBS sports enclave. Those who don't know his name will recognize his face or perfect baritone voice. His reverence and thankfulness towards those who inspired and helped him achieve his dreams is one of his most endearing qualities. From McKay to Elliot, to Ron Webber, to Dave Williams, to golf peers Paul Marchand and Ken Venturi, to his father, Nantz remembers them all.
Nantz has surpassed his own expectations. He has called more Final Four and championship basketball games than any other announcer. He has covered the Masters since '89 with Venturi, as well as the PGA Championships. He hosted primetime coverage of the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Winter Olympics. He provided play-by-play coverage of U.S. Open tennis championships, NCAA track and field, skiing, speed skating, baseball, swimming, diving, gymnastics and college and NFL football. Jim hosted College Football Today, and is the current host of The NFL Today. After their Super bowl victory in January 2001, he awarded the Lombardi Trophy to the Baltimore Ravens. In addition, he hosted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades in 1994, 1995, and 2000, and will do so again in 2001.
Of all Nantz's broadcasting accomplishments, he thinks of himself "first and foremost as a golf announcer," and refers to his coverage of the Masters as "the most important thing I do professionally." Nantz remembers Fred Couples' 1992 Masters victory as his most rewarding experience. It seems that while the two were in college, Nantz informed Couples that he was sure Fred would one day win the Masters. At Nantz's insistence, the two role-played the Master's victory interview so that they would both be prepared. It must have been overwhelming years later when Couples won the Masters and Nantz interviewed him.
Jim has expanded his role in the world of sports. He has written the forwards to three books: Fred Couples, Golf's Reluctant Superstar, Ken Venturi's Stroke Savers, and Stories from the Final Four. He played a prominent role in the golf film, "Tin Cup," with Kevin Costner, and at the family's request, he provided narration to "Son, Hero, Companion," a documentary on the life of Tiger Woods.
Nantz is a member of the Ashworth Board of Directors and a corporate spokesman for the Brand. Seen weekly by millions of television viewers, Jim's appearance is crucial to him, and he has insisted on wearing Ashworth at such events as The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Awards. He says that he treasures his relationship with Ashworth, " ...because it exudes class."
"The core Ashworth philosophy, the knowledge that every day is a brand new game, a new chance to be your best - that feels right to a growing audience," says Jim. "The message seems to have transcended golf - Ashworth is now a lifestyle decision."
Getting to know Jim Nantz away from the microphones, cameras, and lights, you realize he is a man of impeccable class and professionalism. He gives the best and demands the best from his performance to his appearance. He treats everyone he encounters with consideration and respect, like the mentors throughout his life. Jim Nantz lives his dream, and he is a true champion of ideals and aspiration.
nicotine poisoning
Thanks to the Jolly Roger, Poor Man's James Bond and Anarchist Cookbook for the three impressions they left in my head: exploding mufflers, stinky potatoes, and nicotine poisoning...
If you want to kill someone, it helps if they are a smoker like me.
Nicotine poisoning is the way to go. Pure nicotine distilled from their own stash.
In my case, from a tin of tobacco I lifted from an orderly. It’s amazing what opportunities lend themselves when you wait long enough.
Not my own ciggie butts, but I am killing myself, so I can do what I want.
It’s not another murder rap if you kill yourself is it?
I stole the chew, and soaked it in water overnight. I used a towel to strain the water and save the sticky syrup. I just drank a good amount of it in my coffee. Should get a nice buzz before I keel over.
Since I smoke like a chimney, they probably won’t even notice that it was nicotine that killed me.
I’m old, I’m tired. I’m tired of living this debt to society charade, secret’s been kept long enough. What’s a secret if you can’t pass it on?
I hope you remember and I hope you find what I need to give you. Just remember the game we played and what I taught you.
So many will be happy when I am gone. If they only knew the truth, they might not be so happy. You’ll know the truth, and what you do with it is up to you.
All is black where I go, I will be dead by morning.
Love and kisses,
Gramma
boxes
A piece written during a collaboration. I don't collaborate well...
People put things in boxes.
Some things to keep, others to hide. Some things they want to see again, other things they never want to see again but just cannot seem to get rid of.
Boxes have four corners. Some corners are always darker than others. Some boxes are kept in the darkest corners, never intended to be opened again after they are closed. It seems that it’s enough to know they box is there waiting, or maybe even hoping to be opened.
Though we may never want a box to be opened, all closed boxes are opened again at one time or another by someone. Hopefully it’s the right someone who opens the box.
Sometimes we don’t like what we find in the box, or what we remember. If we don’t want to see what is in a box, maybe we shouldn’t open it.
She had boxes of all kinds.
They were to help her to remember, and not to forget.
As with all memories, some were good, and some were bad. She didn’t really care, she just wanted the memories. She needed them. It was all she had left.
She had boxes in the darkest corners, with the darkest memories. She never wanted to open them again.
Until one day, she had to. She finally had to show someone, let them know.
Friday, February 1, 2008
t h e h o o l i g a n s l a s t c a l l
From The Pit...
The Hooligans are a hard band to categorize. They're basically a swing/rockabilly band out of San Diego. They don't look it, nor do they don't seem to like to be put in convenient categories either. Whether or not they like it or look like it, the Hooligans are one of the better rockabilly bands out there right now.
The band members look like refugees from "Clockwork Orange" or extras from the set of "Deliverance". On-stage the band members seem a little hesitant or unsure of themselves, until they start to play that is. When you catch the Hooligans live, it is obvious they came to play. They didn't come to make fashion statements, posture or be worshipped. The Hooligans show up, set up and rock the joint.
Their debut album on Skizmatic Records is "Last Call". The album was produced by Mike Keneally, a former guitarist for Frank Zappa. Keneally is known for his gutter work and technical wizardry. As musicians, the Hooligans are pros. These guys have obviously put in time on their instruments and into working as a cohesive unit together. Keneally called Hooligans stand up bass player Jerry Rig one of the best bass players he's ever worked with. Gig Fortier is a hot guitarist and a gravely vocalist as well. Heath Cooley keeps that rockabilly beat going and likes that ride cymbal.
Some of the Hooligans stuff is reminiscent of say, Reverend Horton Heat, especially Rig's bass action, and the interplay between the drummer and other musicians. See especially "Lampwick" and "A Town Called Hell", two of the album's instrumental tracks. The Hooligans easily venture into swing as well. "Bring Down the House" is a swingin' little ditty that will get your toes tappin'.
Other swingers include "Coffee Drinkin' Papa", and "The Witching Hour." Finally, "Last Cool" has some true rockabilly raunch with racks like "Junkyard Heart", "Lawnmower Man", and "Pickled".
So, you should do yourselves a favor and pick up the new Holligans CD. Then go see them live for some better than average rockabilly swingin'.
The Hooligans are a hard band to categorize. They're basically a swing/rockabilly band out of San Diego. They don't look it, nor do they don't seem to like to be put in convenient categories either. Whether or not they like it or look like it, the Hooligans are one of the better rockabilly bands out there right now.
The band members look like refugees from "Clockwork Orange" or extras from the set of "Deliverance". On-stage the band members seem a little hesitant or unsure of themselves, until they start to play that is. When you catch the Hooligans live, it is obvious they came to play. They didn't come to make fashion statements, posture or be worshipped. The Hooligans show up, set up and rock the joint.
Their debut album on Skizmatic Records is "Last Call". The album was produced by Mike Keneally, a former guitarist for Frank Zappa. Keneally is known for his gutter work and technical wizardry. As musicians, the Hooligans are pros. These guys have obviously put in time on their instruments and into working as a cohesive unit together. Keneally called Hooligans stand up bass player Jerry Rig one of the best bass players he's ever worked with. Gig Fortier is a hot guitarist and a gravely vocalist as well. Heath Cooley keeps that rockabilly beat going and likes that ride cymbal.
Some of the Hooligans stuff is reminiscent of say, Reverend Horton Heat, especially Rig's bass action, and the interplay between the drummer and other musicians. See especially "Lampwick" and "A Town Called Hell", two of the album's instrumental tracks. The Hooligans easily venture into swing as well. "Bring Down the House" is a swingin' little ditty that will get your toes tappin'.
Other swingers include "Coffee Drinkin' Papa", and "The Witching Hour." Finally, "Last Cool" has some true rockabilly raunch with racks like "Junkyard Heart", "Lawnmower Man", and "Pickled".
So, you should do yourselves a favor and pick up the new Holligans CD. Then go see them live for some better than average rockabilly swingin'.
Supersucker Concert Review Belly Up Tavern
From The Pit...
WHOOOOO! It was a back crackin’, head snappin’, Satan worshippen’, cowboy hat wearin’ rock and roll hoochie koopalooza recently at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach with The Supersuckers, Tenderloin, and Jesse Dayton’s band.
The day started early at Lou’s Records in Encinitas with a free laid back show from the Supersuckers. They pulled up with their tour bus with the Les Paul guitar exploding out of Texas painting on the side and started to unload their stuff. They set up under a canopy and played in the parking lot to a crowd of about 100-150 people. They started out with a cool, rockin’ Willie Nelson drinking song.
The Suckers then took some requests, the first being "400 Bucks", a Reverend Horton Heat song which the band had covered on a split single with the Rev a couple of years ago. They then played a rockin’ little set that included some old stuff and some new stuff. Stand outs included "Born With a Tail", "Creepy Jackaloupe Eye", "Gold Top", "Allright", and "G.I.K." an early track. This was a cool chance to see the Suckers up close, and they hung out for a while afterwards a met some fans and schmoozers. This was merely a teaser of what was to come later that night at the Belly Up.
The Jessie Dayton band opened the show. These guys were pretty much a country band with a little bit of rockabilly bluesiness thrown in for good measure. As a whole they’re a good band. Dayton is a pretty ass kickin’ guitar player, and the guy on slide guitar rocked like I’ve never heard slide guitar rock before. (I’m not a big fan of country slide guitar). Overall these guys were a little too country sounding for my tastes, but there were some really rockin’ points to their set, mainly in the more blues infected numbers. Their closing song kicked some serious ass, let me tell you.
Next up was Tenderloin, a blues rock punk power chord chunk a chunk locomotive of a band. These guys shook the very rafters of the Belly Up with their crunchy riffs. Their God of a drummer was none other than Taz, the former drummer for the Reverend Horton Heat. This seven foot tall lookin’ long hair havin’ monster pounds the skins like you wouldn’t believe. His double bass pedal assault pounds into your chest until your internal organs feel like they’re churning around like water, moving independently of each other in your body.
The highlight of Tenderloin is their lead singer. He is something to be seen. This is a big boy, and he makes no qualms about it. When you see him, voluptuous is the word that comes to mind and I don’t mean sexy. The guy is a rockin’ singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He really gets into his show. When he rips his shirt off, he dances around, using his flab as an instrument, catapulting things out into the audience, swinging it around, beaching himself on railings and such.
The Supersuckers took the stage to the strains of AC/DC’s "For Those About to Rock..." and quickly tore into "Gold Top", a song about Les Paul guitars. They didn’t play tons from their latest album "Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers" but did play the best tracks including "Bad Bad Bad", and "Born With A Tail" (You know/I’m in league with Satan/You know/There’s no debatin’ my Hellbound trail...).
They played a fine sampling from all their ass kickin’ albums, highlights including "Creepy Jackaloupe Eye", "On the Couch", "She’s My Bitch", and so on from "La Mano Cordurna". They didn’t leave out "Smoke of Hell", playing "Coattail Rider", "Caliente", "Hell City Hell" and "I say Fuck", with Taz on vocals for this one (I say Fuck and you say Yeah/I say yeah and you say Fuck). An interesting choice was the Suckers’ cover of "Dead Homiez", an Ice Cube song.
The band played a few requests, sticking to their $5 a request rule. If there was something they didn’t want to play, they gave the 5 spot back. They made about $20 off requests though.
The Suckers were pretty liberal in bringing members from the other bands up on stage to join in on songs. Several times members of the other acts were up on stage, adding to or filling in for other Supersuckers.
The crowd was pretty wild. The Belly Up used to always be pretty mellow, no matter who played, but now mosh pits are commonplace. The management has even bought a stage barrier, which mainly provides something for people to trip on and hit their heads. The wooden floor is also a problem for moshers because it gets like ice when it gets wet. Further, the Belly Up tries to discourage moshing and the security really are not very adept at handling a pit. They probably do much better with the Saturday afternoon swing dancers. One problem came up when a 12" stiletto was found on the floor. This put the security guards into a frenzy. Overall, this show had the most ejections that I have seen at a Belly Up show. Kick those punk rockers out!
Overall, this was a very cool show. The Supersuckers are a great Satan worshipin’ cowboy hat wearin’ Les Paul playin’ bunch of psychos!
WHOOOOO! It was a back crackin’, head snappin’, Satan worshippen’, cowboy hat wearin’ rock and roll hoochie koopalooza recently at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach with The Supersuckers, Tenderloin, and Jesse Dayton’s band.
The day started early at Lou’s Records in Encinitas with a free laid back show from the Supersuckers. They pulled up with their tour bus with the Les Paul guitar exploding out of Texas painting on the side and started to unload their stuff. They set up under a canopy and played in the parking lot to a crowd of about 100-150 people. They started out with a cool, rockin’ Willie Nelson drinking song.
The Suckers then took some requests, the first being "400 Bucks", a Reverend Horton Heat song which the band had covered on a split single with the Rev a couple of years ago. They then played a rockin’ little set that included some old stuff and some new stuff. Stand outs included "Born With a Tail", "Creepy Jackaloupe Eye", "Gold Top", "Allright", and "G.I.K." an early track. This was a cool chance to see the Suckers up close, and they hung out for a while afterwards a met some fans and schmoozers. This was merely a teaser of what was to come later that night at the Belly Up.
The Jessie Dayton band opened the show. These guys were pretty much a country band with a little bit of rockabilly bluesiness thrown in for good measure. As a whole they’re a good band. Dayton is a pretty ass kickin’ guitar player, and the guy on slide guitar rocked like I’ve never heard slide guitar rock before. (I’m not a big fan of country slide guitar). Overall these guys were a little too country sounding for my tastes, but there were some really rockin’ points to their set, mainly in the more blues infected numbers. Their closing song kicked some serious ass, let me tell you.
Next up was Tenderloin, a blues rock punk power chord chunk a chunk locomotive of a band. These guys shook the very rafters of the Belly Up with their crunchy riffs. Their God of a drummer was none other than Taz, the former drummer for the Reverend Horton Heat. This seven foot tall lookin’ long hair havin’ monster pounds the skins like you wouldn’t believe. His double bass pedal assault pounds into your chest until your internal organs feel like they’re churning around like water, moving independently of each other in your body.
The highlight of Tenderloin is their lead singer. He is something to be seen. This is a big boy, and he makes no qualms about it. When you see him, voluptuous is the word that comes to mind and I don’t mean sexy. The guy is a rockin’ singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He really gets into his show. When he rips his shirt off, he dances around, using his flab as an instrument, catapulting things out into the audience, swinging it around, beaching himself on railings and such.
The Supersuckers took the stage to the strains of AC/DC’s "For Those About to Rock..." and quickly tore into "Gold Top", a song about Les Paul guitars. They didn’t play tons from their latest album "Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers" but did play the best tracks including "Bad Bad Bad", and "Born With A Tail" (You know/I’m in league with Satan/You know/There’s no debatin’ my Hellbound trail...).
They played a fine sampling from all their ass kickin’ albums, highlights including "Creepy Jackaloupe Eye", "On the Couch", "She’s My Bitch", and so on from "La Mano Cordurna". They didn’t leave out "Smoke of Hell", playing "Coattail Rider", "Caliente", "Hell City Hell" and "I say Fuck", with Taz on vocals for this one (I say Fuck and you say Yeah/I say yeah and you say Fuck). An interesting choice was the Suckers’ cover of "Dead Homiez", an Ice Cube song.
The band played a few requests, sticking to their $5 a request rule. If there was something they didn’t want to play, they gave the 5 spot back. They made about $20 off requests though.
The Suckers were pretty liberal in bringing members from the other bands up on stage to join in on songs. Several times members of the other acts were up on stage, adding to or filling in for other Supersuckers.
The crowd was pretty wild. The Belly Up used to always be pretty mellow, no matter who played, but now mosh pits are commonplace. The management has even bought a stage barrier, which mainly provides something for people to trip on and hit their heads. The wooden floor is also a problem for moshers because it gets like ice when it gets wet. Further, the Belly Up tries to discourage moshing and the security really are not very adept at handling a pit. They probably do much better with the Saturday afternoon swing dancers. One problem came up when a 12" stiletto was found on the floor. This put the security guards into a frenzy. Overall, this show had the most ejections that I have seen at a Belly Up show. Kick those punk rockers out!
Overall, this was a very cool show. The Supersuckers are a great Satan worshipin’ cowboy hat wearin’ Les Paul playin’ bunch of psychos!
Soma Live New Years Eve
From The Pit...
You know, I could have gone to a formal on New Years Eve and worn a tuxedo. Instead I chose to go hang out with a bunch of sweaty, smelly, crazy punks at the Soma all ages New Years Bash. There were more 12-15 year olds here than in a pedophiles’ picture drawer. It turned out to be a pretty cool evening though. It’s cool that there is a venue like Soma willing to support an all ages scene. Certain club owners shouldn’t try to monopolize on the all ages scene though. BUT ANYWAY...
The show was held at the Sports Arena in sunny happy San Diego. Fifteen bucks for nineteen bands is a good deal any day. Most of the bands were worth it. There were two stages in the main arena and a lounge stage in the 21 and up Arena Club. In the main area, a band would play on one stage for about a half hour while another setup on the opposite stage across the arena. Between sets, everybody would move from stage to stage. If you were sitting in the seats, you would turn your head like you were watching a tennis match were the ball got hit by each side every half hour. The only problem was that you generally had no idea who was playing when. Posted schedules were hard to find. Some sort of flier that was handed out would have been a much better idea.
The sound in the arena was not too bad surprisingly. Some times the Sports Arena is an acoustic nightmare. It was a good idea to blow the sound out of speakers on both sides of the arena floor each time a band played on either stage. This compensated for any echo that might have existed.
It was definitely a ska/punk flavored evening. I guess you could call it a spunk show. HA HA HA. Very funny. Nineteen bands played including: No Doubt, Lagwagon, Vandals, Guttermouth, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Dance Hall Crashers, Buck O Nine, Unwritten Law, Blink-182, Sprung Monkey, fluf, Possum Dixon, Deadbolt, Sack Lunch, Dryve, Ghoulspoon, Swindle, Diablo 44, and Dry Socket.
I showed up late, and caught the last couple songs of fluf’s set, including my favorite fluf song ‘24-7 Years’. It wasn’t a total loss. During ‘24-7 Years’ fluf’s singer O, instructed the members of the pit on how to dance to the song. ‘O.k., this is a slow part so move around slow. The punk rock part is coming up soon.’
Sprung Monkey played soon after. These guys remind me of the bastard sons of Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More. Apparently Ghoulspoon played sometime that night too. See either one. They might as well be the same band. Actually, Sprung Monkey played some new stuff that wasn’t too bad. Dance Hall Crashers got the crowd going after the earlier bands had merely warmed the crowd up. Crashers are a good ska band from Berkeley that are much better live than on record. The cool thing about these guys is that they have two very cool, very energetic and very cute female singers. They run around and hop up and down and the one girl spins her pony tails like a couple of tassels on a strippers’ breasts. I was interested to notice that the lead singer from No Doubt was hanging out and watching her ska competition while she spoke with some fans.
Blink-182 took the stage soon after. These guys are complete rip offs of the Vandals. They played their hit ‘M&M’s’ off their first album ‘Cheshire Cat’, which actually isn’t too bad. They also bragged how they had just toured Australia with Pennywise and how Pennywise had paid for everything. Hey that’s great.
No Doubt was popular with the crowd. They played an energetic set that included stuff of their new album like ‘Excuse Me Mr.’ and ‘I’m Just a Girl’. The lead singer of No Doubt has a lot of energy. She DOES remind me of a little girl. If she ever needs a baby sitter, I’ll be there.
Buck O Nine, also a crowd favorite, continued the ska assault. These guys kick ass. They are a bunch of whacky, crazy, kooky guys. The crowd really dug ‘ em. They played stuff off their first two albums and their new e.p. ‘Water in My Head’. good music to pogo too. If you like horns, see these guys!
The Vandals nearly blew the other punk bands out of the place. These guys were one of the original 80’s California punk bands. The Vandals singer made a comment that they were being sued by Blink-182. Some people got the joke. We can tell an original from a fake. At one point on of the guys from Blink came out on stage, much to the chagrin of the Vandals. They weren’t too happy when one of the members from Pennywise came out either. The Vandals played a great set, punctuated by old stuff like ‘Pat Brown’, ‘Anarchy Burger’, and ‘Urban Struggle’.
One of San Diego’s more outstanding punk bands, Unwritten Law, also stood out. These guys used to be a heavy metal band and then decided they really wanted to sound like Green Day and Bad Religion mixed together. They are great live though. It was interesting to see the crowd gathered around the sides and back of the stage watching these guys. Their sets was topped off by ‘World War III’, and ‘Superficial Society’.
Another solid punk set was delivered by Guttermouth. I’d seen these guys before and wasn’t blown away by them. They kicked butt at this show though. The current buzz about them is justified. They tried to get a huge mosh pit started running around the whole arena but weren’t successful. Guttermouth got to count in the New Year.
I’d heard good things about the Voodoo Glow Skulls and really wanted to see them. They were just as good as I had heard. These guys are the perfect blend of ska and punk and have lots of energy. The were the best of the bands that played that I had never seen. They had a great horn section.
After the Voodoo Glow Skulls I retired to the Arena Club to see one of my favorites, Deadbolt ,who I’ve seen at least thirty times over the past few years. Harley Davidson, singer for the world’s scariest band, was just as abusive to the crowd as ever. He called punks fags, told audience members to ‘go get another fag haircut’, and apologized for ‘being drunk and hating fags’. He took a circular sander to his mic stand a couple of times, shooting sparks out into the audience. Deadbolt is fun, but it’s dangerous fun. You could lose an eye!!
Overall the Soma show went pretty well. The crowd was a little too rowdy, just like any Soma show. These kids can be dumb asses when they do things like throw shoes and lit cigarettes at people. They just don’t think about things. Slam dancing is cool but don’t force people to do it. Those little brats go pretty far when a guy like me pushes ‘em. I like to watch the expressions on their faces change.
There needs to be an underage scene and Soma fills a role. There need to be other all age clubs though. One club cannot have a monopoly over everything. This New Years show is an especially good idea because it keeps kids off the street and out of trouble. This gives them a chance to get together, see some bands, and bump into me and piss me off.
You know, I could have gone to a formal on New Years Eve and worn a tuxedo. Instead I chose to go hang out with a bunch of sweaty, smelly, crazy punks at the Soma all ages New Years Bash. There were more 12-15 year olds here than in a pedophiles’ picture drawer. It turned out to be a pretty cool evening though. It’s cool that there is a venue like Soma willing to support an all ages scene. Certain club owners shouldn’t try to monopolize on the all ages scene though. BUT ANYWAY...
The show was held at the Sports Arena in sunny happy San Diego. Fifteen bucks for nineteen bands is a good deal any day. Most of the bands were worth it. There were two stages in the main arena and a lounge stage in the 21 and up Arena Club. In the main area, a band would play on one stage for about a half hour while another setup on the opposite stage across the arena. Between sets, everybody would move from stage to stage. If you were sitting in the seats, you would turn your head like you were watching a tennis match were the ball got hit by each side every half hour. The only problem was that you generally had no idea who was playing when. Posted schedules were hard to find. Some sort of flier that was handed out would have been a much better idea.
The sound in the arena was not too bad surprisingly. Some times the Sports Arena is an acoustic nightmare. It was a good idea to blow the sound out of speakers on both sides of the arena floor each time a band played on either stage. This compensated for any echo that might have existed.
It was definitely a ska/punk flavored evening. I guess you could call it a spunk show. HA HA HA. Very funny. Nineteen bands played including: No Doubt, Lagwagon, Vandals, Guttermouth, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Dance Hall Crashers, Buck O Nine, Unwritten Law, Blink-182, Sprung Monkey, fluf, Possum Dixon, Deadbolt, Sack Lunch, Dryve, Ghoulspoon, Swindle, Diablo 44, and Dry Socket.
I showed up late, and caught the last couple songs of fluf’s set, including my favorite fluf song ‘24-7 Years’. It wasn’t a total loss. During ‘24-7 Years’ fluf’s singer O, instructed the members of the pit on how to dance to the song. ‘O.k., this is a slow part so move around slow. The punk rock part is coming up soon.’
Sprung Monkey played soon after. These guys remind me of the bastard sons of Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More. Apparently Ghoulspoon played sometime that night too. See either one. They might as well be the same band. Actually, Sprung Monkey played some new stuff that wasn’t too bad. Dance Hall Crashers got the crowd going after the earlier bands had merely warmed the crowd up. Crashers are a good ska band from Berkeley that are much better live than on record. The cool thing about these guys is that they have two very cool, very energetic and very cute female singers. They run around and hop up and down and the one girl spins her pony tails like a couple of tassels on a strippers’ breasts. I was interested to notice that the lead singer from No Doubt was hanging out and watching her ska competition while she spoke with some fans.
Blink-182 took the stage soon after. These guys are complete rip offs of the Vandals. They played their hit ‘M&M’s’ off their first album ‘Cheshire Cat’, which actually isn’t too bad. They also bragged how they had just toured Australia with Pennywise and how Pennywise had paid for everything. Hey that’s great.
No Doubt was popular with the crowd. They played an energetic set that included stuff of their new album like ‘Excuse Me Mr.’ and ‘I’m Just a Girl’. The lead singer of No Doubt has a lot of energy. She DOES remind me of a little girl. If she ever needs a baby sitter, I’ll be there.
Buck O Nine, also a crowd favorite, continued the ska assault. These guys kick ass. They are a bunch of whacky, crazy, kooky guys. The crowd really dug ‘ em. They played stuff off their first two albums and their new e.p. ‘Water in My Head’. good music to pogo too. If you like horns, see these guys!
The Vandals nearly blew the other punk bands out of the place. These guys were one of the original 80’s California punk bands. The Vandals singer made a comment that they were being sued by Blink-182. Some people got the joke. We can tell an original from a fake. At one point on of the guys from Blink came out on stage, much to the chagrin of the Vandals. They weren’t too happy when one of the members from Pennywise came out either. The Vandals played a great set, punctuated by old stuff like ‘Pat Brown’, ‘Anarchy Burger’, and ‘Urban Struggle’.
One of San Diego’s more outstanding punk bands, Unwritten Law, also stood out. These guys used to be a heavy metal band and then decided they really wanted to sound like Green Day and Bad Religion mixed together. They are great live though. It was interesting to see the crowd gathered around the sides and back of the stage watching these guys. Their sets was topped off by ‘World War III’, and ‘Superficial Society’.
Another solid punk set was delivered by Guttermouth. I’d seen these guys before and wasn’t blown away by them. They kicked butt at this show though. The current buzz about them is justified. They tried to get a huge mosh pit started running around the whole arena but weren’t successful. Guttermouth got to count in the New Year.
I’d heard good things about the Voodoo Glow Skulls and really wanted to see them. They were just as good as I had heard. These guys are the perfect blend of ska and punk and have lots of energy. The were the best of the bands that played that I had never seen. They had a great horn section.
After the Voodoo Glow Skulls I retired to the Arena Club to see one of my favorites, Deadbolt ,who I’ve seen at least thirty times over the past few years. Harley Davidson, singer for the world’s scariest band, was just as abusive to the crowd as ever. He called punks fags, told audience members to ‘go get another fag haircut’, and apologized for ‘being drunk and hating fags’. He took a circular sander to his mic stand a couple of times, shooting sparks out into the audience. Deadbolt is fun, but it’s dangerous fun. You could lose an eye!!
Overall the Soma show went pretty well. The crowd was a little too rowdy, just like any Soma show. These kids can be dumb asses when they do things like throw shoes and lit cigarettes at people. They just don’t think about things. Slam dancing is cool but don’t force people to do it. Those little brats go pretty far when a guy like me pushes ‘em. I like to watch the expressions on their faces change.
There needs to be an underage scene and Soma fills a role. There need to be other all age clubs though. One club cannot have a monopoly over everything. This New Years show is an especially good idea because it keeps kids off the street and out of trouble. This gives them a chance to get together, see some bands, and bump into me and piss me off.
Saturday Morning Cartoons - Greatest Hits Album Review
From The Pit...
Liz Phair & Material Issue, Sponge, Mathiew Sweet, Juliana Hatfield and Tonya Donelly, Butthole Surfers, Ramones, The Reverend Horton Heat, Face to Face, Sublime.
Saturday morning is not what it used to be. I remember when I was a little kid back in the seventies, wearing disco pants and little leisure suits. I used to get up at The crack of dawn on Saturday morning. I would start with whatever B horror movie was still running on channel 9 or 13. Then the Saturday morning cartoons would start.
I lived for Scooby Doo and Bugs Bunny, of course. I still go out of my way to watch these guys, and I’m 25 now. I remember the superhero cartoons too. Spiderman, League of Justice, blah blah blah. Saturday morning cartoons ruled. They were often so very, very bizarre.
The new compilation "Saturday Morning’s Greatest Hits" features classic Saturday morning cartoon themes done by alternative musicians. This is a great nostalgic trip for those of us who have developed our fine nineties values from watching 4-5 hours of weird, violent cartoons filled with sexual ambiguity and innuendo, every Saturday morning.
The packaging of the disc is very hip and happenin’. The liner notes are extensive, filled with photos from the shows, photos of the bands, history of the shows, lyrics, and commentary from the artists and producer.
The album opens with "The Tra La La Song", from the Banana Splits, done by Liz Phair and Material Issue. A good pairing. I love Liz Phair. Liz Phair rules. The next band up is Sponge. I don’t love Sponge. They kick ass on "Go Speed Racer Go" though.
How could I not love "Scooby-Doo Where are You’" done most excellently by Matthew Sweet. One of my favorite cartoons, and a conservative interpretation of the ORIGINAL theme I might add. Not one of the poor Scooby theme imitations that came along in subsequent years.
I also enjoy "Josie and the Pussycats". There’s something very erotic and seductive about Julianna Hatfield and Tanya Donnelly singing "pussycats" that drives me nuts. The Butthole Surfers follow soon after, making "Underdog" their own. It sounds like some sick, twisted Satanic Ennio Morricone theme or something.
1-2-3-4! The Ramones cover of the original "Spiderman" theme kicks ass, without a doubt one of the best on the album. "Is he strong/Listen bud/He’s got radioactive blood". Yeah.
In one of the more stylized tunes, the mighty Reverend Horton Heat revive two different themes in a little medley. They do "Johnny Quest" and "Stop That Pigeon". In the notes the Rev says this was a difficult tune to figure--all those whacky time changes!
Another great track is "Hong Kong Phooey", done by Sublime. This song has a great groove to it. "Hong Kong Phooey/Number one super guy/Hong Kong Phooey/He’s quicker than the human eye."
The one track that doesn’t really fit is Wax’s version of "Happy Happy, Joy Joy" from Ren and Stimpy. They do a good version of a good song from a cartoon that was great when it first started out. It just doesn’t fit in with the classic Saturday morning line up though.
If you want to flashback to Saturday morning without having to get your ass out of bed and eat stale cereal, pick up "Saturday Morning’s Greatest Hits." Put your pajamas on, get some fresh Captain Crunch and some 1% low fat milk and curl up in front of the CD player. I know you’ll dig it the most baby.
Liz Phair & Material Issue, Sponge, Mathiew Sweet, Juliana Hatfield and Tonya Donelly, Butthole Surfers, Ramones, The Reverend Horton Heat, Face to Face, Sublime.
Saturday morning is not what it used to be. I remember when I was a little kid back in the seventies, wearing disco pants and little leisure suits. I used to get up at The crack of dawn on Saturday morning. I would start with whatever B horror movie was still running on channel 9 or 13. Then the Saturday morning cartoons would start.
I lived for Scooby Doo and Bugs Bunny, of course. I still go out of my way to watch these guys, and I’m 25 now. I remember the superhero cartoons too. Spiderman, League of Justice, blah blah blah. Saturday morning cartoons ruled. They were often so very, very bizarre.
The new compilation "Saturday Morning’s Greatest Hits" features classic Saturday morning cartoon themes done by alternative musicians. This is a great nostalgic trip for those of us who have developed our fine nineties values from watching 4-5 hours of weird, violent cartoons filled with sexual ambiguity and innuendo, every Saturday morning.
The packaging of the disc is very hip and happenin’. The liner notes are extensive, filled with photos from the shows, photos of the bands, history of the shows, lyrics, and commentary from the artists and producer.
The album opens with "The Tra La La Song", from the Banana Splits, done by Liz Phair and Material Issue. A good pairing. I love Liz Phair. Liz Phair rules. The next band up is Sponge. I don’t love Sponge. They kick ass on "Go Speed Racer Go" though.
How could I not love "Scooby-Doo Where are You’" done most excellently by Matthew Sweet. One of my favorite cartoons, and a conservative interpretation of the ORIGINAL theme I might add. Not one of the poor Scooby theme imitations that came along in subsequent years.
I also enjoy "Josie and the Pussycats". There’s something very erotic and seductive about Julianna Hatfield and Tanya Donnelly singing "pussycats" that drives me nuts. The Butthole Surfers follow soon after, making "Underdog" their own. It sounds like some sick, twisted Satanic Ennio Morricone theme or something.
1-2-3-4! The Ramones cover of the original "Spiderman" theme kicks ass, without a doubt one of the best on the album. "Is he strong/Listen bud/He’s got radioactive blood". Yeah.
In one of the more stylized tunes, the mighty Reverend Horton Heat revive two different themes in a little medley. They do "Johnny Quest" and "Stop That Pigeon". In the notes the Rev says this was a difficult tune to figure--all those whacky time changes!
Another great track is "Hong Kong Phooey", done by Sublime. This song has a great groove to it. "Hong Kong Phooey/Number one super guy/Hong Kong Phooey/He’s quicker than the human eye."
The one track that doesn’t really fit is Wax’s version of "Happy Happy, Joy Joy" from Ren and Stimpy. They do a good version of a good song from a cartoon that was great when it first started out. It just doesn’t fit in with the classic Saturday morning line up though.
If you want to flashback to Saturday morning without having to get your ass out of bed and eat stale cereal, pick up "Saturday Morning’s Greatest Hits." Put your pajamas on, get some fresh Captain Crunch and some 1% low fat milk and curl up in front of the CD player. I know you’ll dig it the most baby.
s o c i a l d i s t o r t i o n w h i t e l i g h t , w h i t e h e a t , w h i t e t r a s h
From The Pit...
Some have said that Mike Ness has lost some of his edge. They say he can't write songs anymore. Maybe he should go back to jail or do some more drugs, they say. Then maybe he could write some good stuff again. Bullshit.
The new Social D. album "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" doesn't cover much new territory. We see a lot of the same themes we've seen before: anger, loneliness, regret, lost love. There is no doubt this album rocks. It's also got an edginess that Social D. has been missing.
Where Ness used to sing, he now growls and sneers. The melodies and sing alongs of the last couple of albums are missing here. Feedback fades in several of the tracks. New drummer Chuck Biscuits is a wise addition, gelling well with bass player John Maurer. Dennis Dannell's driving rhythm work continues to get Social D. where they need to go. Ness's songs are still the key to the band though.
"Dear Lover" opens the album, and is a typical broken hearted Social D. track. "Dear lover, I can't take the pain no more/Dear lover I pick my heart up off the floor." "Don't Drag me Down" is about society trying to keep you down and how family and society influence us. More typical Social D.
"I Was Wrong", the first single is all about regret for past actions. It is perhaps the most autobiographical song on the album. Ness seems to be telling his story on a few other tracks as well. See also "Through These Eyes", "Down on the World Again", "Gotta Know the Rules", and even "Crown of Thorns".
The final bonus track is their best cover yet of the Stones song "Under My Thumb". It stands out as one of the album's better tracks.
Social D. have gotten older, but they haven't gotten slower or mellower. They're still one of the most rockin' bands around. Their songs are what rock should be about--simple themes we all can relate to. Ness has gotten older too. The hard times he went through in his younger years still come through the music just as well as they did back in 1982 with "Mommy's Little Monster", Social Distortion's first, best and punkest album.
Some have said that Mike Ness has lost some of his edge. They say he can't write songs anymore. Maybe he should go back to jail or do some more drugs, they say. Then maybe he could write some good stuff again. Bullshit.
The new Social D. album "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" doesn't cover much new territory. We see a lot of the same themes we've seen before: anger, loneliness, regret, lost love. There is no doubt this album rocks. It's also got an edginess that Social D. has been missing.
Where Ness used to sing, he now growls and sneers. The melodies and sing alongs of the last couple of albums are missing here. Feedback fades in several of the tracks. New drummer Chuck Biscuits is a wise addition, gelling well with bass player John Maurer. Dennis Dannell's driving rhythm work continues to get Social D. where they need to go. Ness's songs are still the key to the band though.
"Dear Lover" opens the album, and is a typical broken hearted Social D. track. "Dear lover, I can't take the pain no more/Dear lover I pick my heart up off the floor." "Don't Drag me Down" is about society trying to keep you down and how family and society influence us. More typical Social D.
"I Was Wrong", the first single is all about regret for past actions. It is perhaps the most autobiographical song on the album. Ness seems to be telling his story on a few other tracks as well. See also "Through These Eyes", "Down on the World Again", "Gotta Know the Rules", and even "Crown of Thorns".
The final bonus track is their best cover yet of the Stones song "Under My Thumb". It stands out as one of the album's better tracks.
Social D. have gotten older, but they haven't gotten slower or mellower. They're still one of the most rockin' bands around. Their songs are what rock should be about--simple themes we all can relate to. Ness has gotten older too. The hard times he went through in his younger years still come through the music just as well as they did back in 1982 with "Mommy's Little Monster", Social Distortion's first, best and punkest album.
Rocket From The Crypt Band Feature
From The Pit. Laughed when I read the first line. I put in a lot of time at RFTC shows after this piece!
I’ve only seen Rocket From the Crypt live one time. I’ve TRIED to see them many other times, but they are always sold out. The time I saw them was 5 or 6 years ago on Halloween at some hotel in San Diego, with a few other bands. I remember not being too impressed with Rocket. I thought they were sloppy and too loud. Funny, that’s why I like them so much now. They’re sloppy and loud but they rock like Hell.
Rocket are Speedo, Atom, J.C. 2000, Petey X, N.D., and Apollo 9. The band first started playing together in 1989 after frontman Speedo’s original band Pitchfork broke up.
Rocket quickly became a staple of the San Diego alternative scene, typifying the San Diego garage punk sound, in addition to distinguishing it from the grunge of the Seattle scene. They built a sturdy fan base and helped to draw national attention to the San Diego music scene.
It was about three years ago when MTV, Rolling Stone, and Spin were touting San Diego as the "next Seattle". Record companies turned to San Diego for the new Nirvana. The result was a proliferation of bands and an exploding musical scene. Some of those bands are still around today, some disintegrated. Rocket survived it all. They’re still the biggest and baddest of the San Diego scene, hands down.
"Paint as a Fragrance", Rocket’s first full length album, was released on Headhunter/Cargo Records in 1991. The opening of the album features a trip up and down the radio dial, settling on a DJ droning "and here’s the new one from..." "Rocket From the Crypt!" screams Speedo and the album kicks into full swing. "French Guy", the first track, preaches "School aint shit/I read it in a book". Words to live by, of course. on "Basturds" Speedo intones "I say bad words cuz I’m a punk rocker!" Many Rocket fans hail "Paint" as the band’s best album to date.
The second Headhunter album, "Circa, Now!", really got the band some attention. The video for "Hippy Dippy Doo" got a lot of airplay on MTV’s 120 Minutes. It was without a doubt the strength of "Circa" that helped Rocket get signed to Interscope.
"Circa" has some great stuff on it. The opening number, "Short Lip Fuser", is typical Rocket fare. "Sturdy Wrists" whacks out more power chords, after the reverbed snare pop that brings on "Hippy...". The album ends with "Glazed", a locomotive ride that is Beatlesque in it’s "Everybody smoke pot" chant.
Next up was the noise infested pseudo compilation "All Systems Go". The sound on this one is a little less mainstream than the other albums. It still has that Rocket crunch though. It contains an Adam Ant cover, as well as an MC5 cover, among others. This is a pretty distortion leaden trip, not too much on the easy listening side for Grandma.
Rocket’s next full length and major label debut was "Scream Dracula Scream," on Interscope. This album has gained Rocket more critical appraise and another MTV video, this one for "Born in 69". The whole band even co-hosted 120 Minutes when the album came out. "Scream..." is a little more mainstream than usual for Rocket, but is still a strong album. The first three tracks are nearly worth the price of admission if you play them loud enough.
Just before "Scream..." Rocket put out a vinyl only album called "Hot Charity". This is, once again typical Rocket. It rocks, there’s no doubt about that. You should get it to keep your turntable on it’s toes. If you don’t have a turntable, buy one. That way it’s easier to keep up with the many Rocket From the Crypt 7"singles. You need to keep your collection up to date, if you can keep up with the Rocket that is!
I’ve only seen Rocket From the Crypt live one time. I’ve TRIED to see them many other times, but they are always sold out. The time I saw them was 5 or 6 years ago on Halloween at some hotel in San Diego, with a few other bands. I remember not being too impressed with Rocket. I thought they were sloppy and too loud. Funny, that’s why I like them so much now. They’re sloppy and loud but they rock like Hell.
Rocket are Speedo, Atom, J.C. 2000, Petey X, N.D., and Apollo 9. The band first started playing together in 1989 after frontman Speedo’s original band Pitchfork broke up.
Rocket quickly became a staple of the San Diego alternative scene, typifying the San Diego garage punk sound, in addition to distinguishing it from the grunge of the Seattle scene. They built a sturdy fan base and helped to draw national attention to the San Diego music scene.
It was about three years ago when MTV, Rolling Stone, and Spin were touting San Diego as the "next Seattle". Record companies turned to San Diego for the new Nirvana. The result was a proliferation of bands and an exploding musical scene. Some of those bands are still around today, some disintegrated. Rocket survived it all. They’re still the biggest and baddest of the San Diego scene, hands down.
"Paint as a Fragrance", Rocket’s first full length album, was released on Headhunter/Cargo Records in 1991. The opening of the album features a trip up and down the radio dial, settling on a DJ droning "and here’s the new one from..." "Rocket From the Crypt!" screams Speedo and the album kicks into full swing. "French Guy", the first track, preaches "School aint shit/I read it in a book". Words to live by, of course. on "Basturds" Speedo intones "I say bad words cuz I’m a punk rocker!" Many Rocket fans hail "Paint" as the band’s best album to date.
The second Headhunter album, "Circa, Now!", really got the band some attention. The video for "Hippy Dippy Doo" got a lot of airplay on MTV’s 120 Minutes. It was without a doubt the strength of "Circa" that helped Rocket get signed to Interscope.
"Circa" has some great stuff on it. The opening number, "Short Lip Fuser", is typical Rocket fare. "Sturdy Wrists" whacks out more power chords, after the reverbed snare pop that brings on "Hippy...". The album ends with "Glazed", a locomotive ride that is Beatlesque in it’s "Everybody smoke pot" chant.
Next up was the noise infested pseudo compilation "All Systems Go". The sound on this one is a little less mainstream than the other albums. It still has that Rocket crunch though. It contains an Adam Ant cover, as well as an MC5 cover, among others. This is a pretty distortion leaden trip, not too much on the easy listening side for Grandma.
Rocket’s next full length and major label debut was "Scream Dracula Scream," on Interscope. This album has gained Rocket more critical appraise and another MTV video, this one for "Born in 69". The whole band even co-hosted 120 Minutes when the album came out. "Scream..." is a little more mainstream than usual for Rocket, but is still a strong album. The first three tracks are nearly worth the price of admission if you play them loud enough.
Just before "Scream..." Rocket put out a vinyl only album called "Hot Charity". This is, once again typical Rocket. It rocks, there’s no doubt about that. You should get it to keep your turntable on it’s toes. If you don’t have a turntable, buy one. That way it’s easier to keep up with the many Rocket From the Crypt 7"singles. You need to keep your collection up to date, if you can keep up with the Rocket that is!
Rocket From the Crypt Scream Dracula Scream
From The Pit...
San Diego favorites Rocket From the Crypt have just released their new album Scream Dracula Scream on Interscope records. Yet another San Diego band has gone major label!
Scream has a newer more structured sound than the usual Rocket fare. The new album is less clattered and noisy than past releases. Not to say this is bad; this is still definitely a Rocket From the Crypt album. It sounds like the band may be trying to sound a little more mainstream nowadays.
According to the liner notes, Scream was recorded with a 4 track machine taking down the basic tracks. Overdubs followed after that. The liner notes also claim that the album was originally intended to be a concept album, or "symphony". Hmmmmm...
Symphony or not, there is the Rocket horn section and even some string arrangements, in addition , of course, to the guitar crunching.
The album starts out with three strong, rocking tracks which turn out to be the best stuff on the album. "Middle", "Born in '69", and "On a Rope" promise good things to come. The album loses a little bit of it's momentum from there on though. Some of the subsequent stuff sounds surfy, some sounds 70's influenced, and there even some Elvis Costelloy stuff thrown in for good measure.
Overall, Scream is a good album. It's a little different from past Rocket stuff, but most importantly it's still a Rocket From the Crypt album.
San Diego favorites Rocket From the Crypt have just released their new album Scream Dracula Scream on Interscope records. Yet another San Diego band has gone major label!
Scream has a newer more structured sound than the usual Rocket fare. The new album is less clattered and noisy than past releases. Not to say this is bad; this is still definitely a Rocket From the Crypt album. It sounds like the band may be trying to sound a little more mainstream nowadays.
According to the liner notes, Scream was recorded with a 4 track machine taking down the basic tracks. Overdubs followed after that. The liner notes also claim that the album was originally intended to be a concept album, or "symphony". Hmmmmm...
Symphony or not, there is the Rocket horn section and even some string arrangements, in addition , of course, to the guitar crunching.
The album starts out with three strong, rocking tracks which turn out to be the best stuff on the album. "Middle", "Born in '69", and "On a Rope" promise good things to come. The album loses a little bit of it's momentum from there on though. Some of the subsequent stuff sounds surfy, some sounds 70's influenced, and there even some Elvis Costelloy stuff thrown in for good measure.
Overall, Scream is a good album. It's a little different from past Rocket stuff, but most importantly it's still a Rocket From the Crypt album.
Reverend Horton Heat House Of Blues - 12/30/95
From The Pit...
Momma always told me there wasn’t enough religion in my poor sick pitiful life. I needed some religion. I needed the love of the Lord to grab me by the throat and scream "DEVIL GET OOOOOUUUUUUUUTTTTTTT!!!!!" So, I thought who better to preach to me about the Lord than the one, the only Reverend Horton Heat’
The Rev pulled his big revival circus tent sideshow into the House of Blues in Hollywood to spread the word and convert the unconverted masses of heathens. Opening the show were Big Sandy and the Paladins. I’ve seen the Rev three times now and this was probably the best of the three shows. Big Sandy were a good warm up for what was to come. They’re much mellower than the Rev and even the Paladins, but rockabilly nonetheless. They’re a pretty traditional band that relies mostly on acoustic guitars, and look almost like Los Lobos. In fact they reminded me of Los Lobos. Maybe they’re the same guys...
The Paladins really came out strong and left rockin’. The crowd was more familiar with these guys than with Big Sandy. The Paladins have a big sound that is more electric based and heavier and rockin’. They got the crowd hoppin, the boys drinkin’, the ladies dancin’, and the pompadours swingin’. The psychobilly freakout was only beginning though.
The Reverend is just amazing live. The band has so much rockin’ energy and attitude. "Nature Boy" Jimbo on stand-up bass brings new meaning to the instrument, playing it, throwing it, riding it like a surf board, and even lowering it to offer as a pulpit for a Reverend Horton Heat guitar solo.
The Rev also has a new drummer named Scott Churilla along who just tears up the skins and beats the Devil out of his cymbals. The previous night, Brian Setzer was in the house and sat in for a few tunes. Rev opened up with "I Can’t Surf" from the latest album "Liquor in the Front". Whether this was meant for the California crowd I don’t know. I do know this: there were more rockabilly boys and girls there than surfers. There was more hair grease, more tattoos, more chain wallets, more rolled up pants, and more leather jackets than at a Harley convention.
This crowd was without a doubt there for the Rev, as the sweating, flying, hurling bodies of the pit attested to. The band played the opening trio of songs of "Liquor" soon after. "Big Sky", "Baddest of the Bad", and "One Time For Me" have to be heard (and felt) live to really be experienced. "One Time for Me" was definitely a stand out of the evening, but all paled in comparison to "400 Bucks", my personal favorite Rev song. "Bitch! I want my 400 Dollars!"
Earlier stuff that stood out included "Psychobilly Freakout", "Wiggle Stick", "The Devil’s Chasin Me", and "Nurture My Pig". The Rev’s stuff is heavy and rocks like hell on album but the stuff knocks you on your butt live baby!! New songs played included "Martini Time", "Or is it Just Me", and "Slow".
More new stuff was played but who knows what the Hell is goin’ on when you get caught up in the foot tappin’, finger snappin’, spine snappin’, rock and roll sermon that only the Rev can deliver’ The House of Blues is a good place to see a show. There are many areas were you can see the stage. The valet parking is a little ridiculous (yawn) and the beer selection needs to be pumped up a little bit.
Overall it’s a good place to see a show, even if the tickets were a little overpriced. Jimbo tells us that the new album will be out in April. The band is putting the finishing touches on it, and "it will blow your mind," Jim says. "It’s now, it’s cool, it’s happenin’!"
Somebody told me they have gospel nights at the House of Blues on Sunday. HA! I say. I’ll take a little gospel from the Reverend Horton Heat on any Saturday night you shove in my face baby! Go see the Rev and put a little something in the offering basket for me. He’ll be back around this Fall.
Momma always told me there wasn’t enough religion in my poor sick pitiful life. I needed some religion. I needed the love of the Lord to grab me by the throat and scream "DEVIL GET OOOOOUUUUUUUUTTTTTTT!!!!!" So, I thought who better to preach to me about the Lord than the one, the only Reverend Horton Heat’
The Rev pulled his big revival circus tent sideshow into the House of Blues in Hollywood to spread the word and convert the unconverted masses of heathens. Opening the show were Big Sandy and the Paladins. I’ve seen the Rev three times now and this was probably the best of the three shows. Big Sandy were a good warm up for what was to come. They’re much mellower than the Rev and even the Paladins, but rockabilly nonetheless. They’re a pretty traditional band that relies mostly on acoustic guitars, and look almost like Los Lobos. In fact they reminded me of Los Lobos. Maybe they’re the same guys...
The Paladins really came out strong and left rockin’. The crowd was more familiar with these guys than with Big Sandy. The Paladins have a big sound that is more electric based and heavier and rockin’. They got the crowd hoppin, the boys drinkin’, the ladies dancin’, and the pompadours swingin’. The psychobilly freakout was only beginning though.
The Reverend is just amazing live. The band has so much rockin’ energy and attitude. "Nature Boy" Jimbo on stand-up bass brings new meaning to the instrument, playing it, throwing it, riding it like a surf board, and even lowering it to offer as a pulpit for a Reverend Horton Heat guitar solo.
The Rev also has a new drummer named Scott Churilla along who just tears up the skins and beats the Devil out of his cymbals. The previous night, Brian Setzer was in the house and sat in for a few tunes. Rev opened up with "I Can’t Surf" from the latest album "Liquor in the Front". Whether this was meant for the California crowd I don’t know. I do know this: there were more rockabilly boys and girls there than surfers. There was more hair grease, more tattoos, more chain wallets, more rolled up pants, and more leather jackets than at a Harley convention.
This crowd was without a doubt there for the Rev, as the sweating, flying, hurling bodies of the pit attested to. The band played the opening trio of songs of "Liquor" soon after. "Big Sky", "Baddest of the Bad", and "One Time For Me" have to be heard (and felt) live to really be experienced. "One Time for Me" was definitely a stand out of the evening, but all paled in comparison to "400 Bucks", my personal favorite Rev song. "Bitch! I want my 400 Dollars!"
Earlier stuff that stood out included "Psychobilly Freakout", "Wiggle Stick", "The Devil’s Chasin Me", and "Nurture My Pig". The Rev’s stuff is heavy and rocks like hell on album but the stuff knocks you on your butt live baby!! New songs played included "Martini Time", "Or is it Just Me", and "Slow".
More new stuff was played but who knows what the Hell is goin’ on when you get caught up in the foot tappin’, finger snappin’, spine snappin’, rock and roll sermon that only the Rev can deliver’ The House of Blues is a good place to see a show. There are many areas were you can see the stage. The valet parking is a little ridiculous (yawn) and the beer selection needs to be pumped up a little bit.
Overall it’s a good place to see a show, even if the tickets were a little overpriced. Jimbo tells us that the new album will be out in April. The band is putting the finishing touches on it, and "it will blow your mind," Jim says. "It’s now, it’s cool, it’s happenin’!"
Somebody told me they have gospel nights at the House of Blues on Sunday. HA! I say. I’ll take a little gospel from the Reverend Horton Heat on any Saturday night you shove in my face baby! Go see the Rev and put a little something in the offering basket for me. He’ll be back around this Fall.
r e v e r e n d h o r t o n h e a t m a r t i n i t i m e
From The Pit...
There are two types of martinis. Good ones and bad ones. When you get a good one, it's really good. The bad ones are just as bad. I'm not sure when the best time is for martinis but when the Reverend Horton Heat says it "Martini Time", that's fine with me, good or bad.
"Martini Time" is the newest album from the Rev.. Jimbo is still thumping that stand up bass, and the new drummer is Scott Churilla, formerly of Sister Machine Gun and KMFDM.
Everything in the Rev's repertoire is here. Heavy rockers, ballads, and swinging dance tracks are all present. The whole Rev. gospel of sex, booze, sleazy women and fast cars is here too.
The album opens with "Big Red Rocket of Love" about fast hard sex in the back of a car that's just as fast and hard. Following is "Slow", once again about sex, but this time about more skillful experienced sex. Sometimes it's good hard and fast, but there "aint no reason not to take it slow".
The title track is a nice little ditty that makes you want to find some sleazy dive, belly up to the bar, swig some martinis and smoke some cheap cigarettes.
"Generation Why" is a cross generation anthem, sometimes praising, sometimes criticizing the generation gap and it's generations. Are you looking for your own identity or trying to be someone else?
There are also a couple kickin' instrumentals here as well. "Slingshot" highlights the Rev's guitar work and Jimbo's slap happy bass work.
"Rock This Joint" is classic rockabilly while "Cowboy Love" is a twangy hillbilly ode to "interracial cowboy homo kinda love". Other hot rockers include "Time To Pray", and "Now, Right Now". "Or is it Just Me" is a reverby psychedelic orgasmatron that starts gently and builds to smashing, thrashing climax, multiple times.
The Vegas cheesy glitz of "That's Showbiz" closes the album. It's about working "689 days in a row, 6 shows a day, 15 minute breaks" and struggling for fame.
This is a typical Rev. album, with little new ground covered. That's perfect though. When I listen to the Reverend Horton Heat, I don't want to hear evolutionary musicianship and clever new guitar tunings. I want to rock, and the Reverend never fails to deliver.
There are two types of martinis. Good ones and bad ones. When you get a good one, it's really good. The bad ones are just as bad. I'm not sure when the best time is for martinis but when the Reverend Horton Heat says it "Martini Time", that's fine with me, good or bad.
"Martini Time" is the newest album from the Rev.. Jimbo is still thumping that stand up bass, and the new drummer is Scott Churilla, formerly of Sister Machine Gun and KMFDM.
Everything in the Rev's repertoire is here. Heavy rockers, ballads, and swinging dance tracks are all present. The whole Rev. gospel of sex, booze, sleazy women and fast cars is here too.
The album opens with "Big Red Rocket of Love" about fast hard sex in the back of a car that's just as fast and hard. Following is "Slow", once again about sex, but this time about more skillful experienced sex. Sometimes it's good hard and fast, but there "aint no reason not to take it slow".
The title track is a nice little ditty that makes you want to find some sleazy dive, belly up to the bar, swig some martinis and smoke some cheap cigarettes.
"Generation Why" is a cross generation anthem, sometimes praising, sometimes criticizing the generation gap and it's generations. Are you looking for your own identity or trying to be someone else?
There are also a couple kickin' instrumentals here as well. "Slingshot" highlights the Rev's guitar work and Jimbo's slap happy bass work.
"Rock This Joint" is classic rockabilly while "Cowboy Love" is a twangy hillbilly ode to "interracial cowboy homo kinda love". Other hot rockers include "Time To Pray", and "Now, Right Now". "Or is it Just Me" is a reverby psychedelic orgasmatron that starts gently and builds to smashing, thrashing climax, multiple times.
The Vegas cheesy glitz of "That's Showbiz" closes the album. It's about working "689 days in a row, 6 shows a day, 15 minute breaks" and struggling for fame.
This is a typical Rev. album, with little new ground covered. That's perfect though. When I listen to the Reverend Horton Heat, I don't want to hear evolutionary musicianship and clever new guitar tunings. I want to rock, and the Reverend never fails to deliver.
Pearl Jam San Diego Concert Review
From The Pit...
Pearl Jam finally fulfilled their musical obligations to San Diego recently playing two sold out shows at the Sports Arena with the godfathers of punk the Ramones opening both nights. Pearl Jam had canceled to previous shows in San Diego and made up well for their lack of touring presence with these shows. The shows were general admission which made it easy to get a good spot.
The Ramones came out onto the stage to the refrains of the theme from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", and with their trade mark "1-2-3-4" started into a ripping 45 minutes or so of classic punk. The boys of course had their trademark leather jackets and black locks, except for bass player C.J. whose head was shaved. Joey Ramone resembles Howard Stern so much, I sometimes wonder if they are the same person. I've never seen them together..hmmmmm. With little pause between songs the Ramones played such classics as "Lobotomy", "Rock and Roll High School", "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", "Blitzkrieg Bop", and "Pet Sematary" (before which Joey informed the crowd that the Sports Arena, or Civic Auditorium as he called it, was buried on a pet cemetery). Overall, the Ramones were hot and the crowd was really into it.
Pearl Jam played a strong, rocking two hour set on a stage that was minimal, but still impressive with its use of lights candles and even some minor pyrotechnics. They opened with "Release" and from their kicked into high gear for nearly the whole show. The whole band proved to be a tight, competent working group and Eddie Vedder did well himself on guitar.
The band played a crowd pleasing set with nearly all their signature tunes, a few new ones and a couple covers during the encores. From Ten they played "Evenflow", and "Alive" "Black", and "Once" and an interestingly reworked version of "Jeremy". It was surprising that some of the biggest response from the crowd came for two slower songs, "Daughter", and the show closer "Yellow Ledbetter".
Pearl Jam sampled heavily from Vs and Vitalogy, playing such songs as "Blood", "Rearview Mirror", "Animal", "Last Exit", "Spin the Black Circle", "Not For You", and so on. Curiously missing was "Go", the opening song from Vs. Overall though, the set list was a good sampling, with few surprises.
Vedder managed to skate across the stage a couple of times, and swig out a bottle of wine during the encores. Vedder seemed truly distressed when security tackled a stage jumper and carried him off stage. Vedder tried to offer the guy a swig of wine to no avail. Oh well Eddie, the same type of harassment you used to get when you live din San Diego yourself.
I must say the show was better than I expected. I like Pearl Jam but sometimes think they are a little overrated. This show proved to me that they are great live and maybe not so overrated afterall. Vedder said "See ya next year" as he left the stage. If all goes well, I will be there next time!
Pearl Jam finally fulfilled their musical obligations to San Diego recently playing two sold out shows at the Sports Arena with the godfathers of punk the Ramones opening both nights. Pearl Jam had canceled to previous shows in San Diego and made up well for their lack of touring presence with these shows. The shows were general admission which made it easy to get a good spot.
The Ramones came out onto the stage to the refrains of the theme from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", and with their trade mark "1-2-3-4" started into a ripping 45 minutes or so of classic punk. The boys of course had their trademark leather jackets and black locks, except for bass player C.J. whose head was shaved. Joey Ramone resembles Howard Stern so much, I sometimes wonder if they are the same person. I've never seen them together..hmmmmm. With little pause between songs the Ramones played such classics as "Lobotomy", "Rock and Roll High School", "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", "Blitzkrieg Bop", and "Pet Sematary" (before which Joey informed the crowd that the Sports Arena, or Civic Auditorium as he called it, was buried on a pet cemetery). Overall, the Ramones were hot and the crowd was really into it.
Pearl Jam played a strong, rocking two hour set on a stage that was minimal, but still impressive with its use of lights candles and even some minor pyrotechnics. They opened with "Release" and from their kicked into high gear for nearly the whole show. The whole band proved to be a tight, competent working group and Eddie Vedder did well himself on guitar.
The band played a crowd pleasing set with nearly all their signature tunes, a few new ones and a couple covers during the encores. From Ten they played "Evenflow", and "Alive" "Black", and "Once" and an interestingly reworked version of "Jeremy". It was surprising that some of the biggest response from the crowd came for two slower songs, "Daughter", and the show closer "Yellow Ledbetter".
Pearl Jam sampled heavily from Vs and Vitalogy, playing such songs as "Blood", "Rearview Mirror", "Animal", "Last Exit", "Spin the Black Circle", "Not For You", and so on. Curiously missing was "Go", the opening song from Vs. Overall though, the set list was a good sampling, with few surprises.
Vedder managed to skate across the stage a couple of times, and swig out a bottle of wine during the encores. Vedder seemed truly distressed when security tackled a stage jumper and carried him off stage. Vedder tried to offer the guy a swig of wine to no avail. Oh well Eddie, the same type of harassment you used to get when you live din San Diego yourself.
I must say the show was better than I expected. I like Pearl Jam but sometimes think they are a little overrated. This show proved to me that they are great live and maybe not so overrated afterall. Vedder said "See ya next year" as he left the stage. If all goes well, I will be there next time!
Pansy Division Wish I'd Taken Pictures
From The Pit...
I remember a few years ago at a friend's wedding reception there was a band that had come down from San Francisco to play as a gift to the bride and groom. The bride's friend Christopher Freeman played bass. They played pretty mellow wedding reception stuff, but weren't too bad. Well, their singer did look like Michael Bolton so they had that against them.
They didn't play stuff like "Feelings" or "Close to You". Then again, they didn't play anything close to what Freeman was working on with his other band Pansy Division. There was no "James Bondage" or "Dick of Death" played at this wedding reception.
Pansy Division are now on Lookout! records and have released their fourth album on the label. The other members of Pansy Division are Dustin Donaldson on drums and Jon Ginoli on vocals and guitars. Freeman plays bass, guitar, and sings as well. There had been a buzz about Pansy Division for a while. What really helped the band was an opening slot on fellow Frisco punk band Green Day?s first big arena tour.
Pansy Division spearhead what has been referred to as "queer punk". They are an openly gay punk band. In their CD sleeves are addresses and numbers for gay youth groups and other helpful items as condom use directions, complete with illustrations. Don't forget that KY Jelly!
Pansy Division are almost like the gay sons of the Ramones. They hold nothing back in their songs and lyrics. Try "Horny in the Morning" for instance. "Woke up with a morning woody/Could not keep my hands off my goodies".
One of my favorites is, of course, "Dick of Death". "He had the dick of death/I looked into his eyes/and let him sodomize me with his dick of death." Once again, don't forget that KY Jelly!
Not all Pansy Division songs are humorous though. A number deal with issues you might imagine gay males going through (in addition to the "Dick of Death" that is).
Unrequited love, expired condoms, hiding in the closet and so on.
If you're an open minded person and not easily shocked you should check out Pansy Division. Like some other gay advocacy groups, these guy seem to try to go out of their way to shock and flaunt their lifestyle, but that's cool. They're people and they're punks. These guys kick ass. Don't forget the KY Jelly!
I remember a few years ago at a friend's wedding reception there was a band that had come down from San Francisco to play as a gift to the bride and groom. The bride's friend Christopher Freeman played bass. They played pretty mellow wedding reception stuff, but weren't too bad. Well, their singer did look like Michael Bolton so they had that against them.
They didn't play stuff like "Feelings" or "Close to You". Then again, they didn't play anything close to what Freeman was working on with his other band Pansy Division. There was no "James Bondage" or "Dick of Death" played at this wedding reception.
Pansy Division are now on Lookout! records and have released their fourth album on the label. The other members of Pansy Division are Dustin Donaldson on drums and Jon Ginoli on vocals and guitars. Freeman plays bass, guitar, and sings as well. There had been a buzz about Pansy Division for a while. What really helped the band was an opening slot on fellow Frisco punk band Green Day?s first big arena tour.
Pansy Division spearhead what has been referred to as "queer punk". They are an openly gay punk band. In their CD sleeves are addresses and numbers for gay youth groups and other helpful items as condom use directions, complete with illustrations. Don't forget that KY Jelly!
Pansy Division are almost like the gay sons of the Ramones. They hold nothing back in their songs and lyrics. Try "Horny in the Morning" for instance. "Woke up with a morning woody/Could not keep my hands off my goodies".
One of my favorites is, of course, "Dick of Death". "He had the dick of death/I looked into his eyes/and let him sodomize me with his dick of death." Once again, don't forget that KY Jelly!
Not all Pansy Division songs are humorous though. A number deal with issues you might imagine gay males going through (in addition to the "Dick of Death" that is).
Unrequited love, expired condoms, hiding in the closet and so on.
If you're an open minded person and not easily shocked you should check out Pansy Division. Like some other gay advocacy groups, these guy seem to try to go out of their way to shock and flaunt their lifestyle, but that's cool. They're people and they're punks. These guys kick ass. Don't forget the KY Jelly!
Oingo Boingo Farewell Show
From The Pit...
Oingo Boingo held their final "Dead Man's Party" this past Halloween at the Universal Amphitheater. Boingo claims this is going to be the last ever tour, ending a seventeen year reign as one of the wildest and craziest bands around. This was certainly in evidence at the four hour, no holds barred Halloween show. When Boingo took the stage, singer Danny Elfman said "We're not leaving until they kick us off." Boingo didn't leave until about twenty minutes after the house lights came up about four hours later.
All in all, the show was amazing. Out of the four Boingo shows I've seen, this was by far the best. The original horn section was back and the whole deal was filmed and recorded for a live album and home video release. Boingo's energy lasted the entire four hours, as did the energy of the crowd. People danced in the aisles, on the seats and in the air above the mosh pit.
The set list was a hardcore Boingo fans dream. Boingo played nearly every classic song they've ever done, and many surprises. The show opened with "Insanity" from the last studio album and after that rocked almost constantly with such gems as "Little Girls", "Nasty Habits", "Aint this the Life", "I'm So Bad", an so on.
Of course the usual Boingo mainstays were included too. Standouts included "No One lives Forever", "Gratitude", "Nothing To Fear", "Not My Slave", "Who Do You Want to Be", "Gray Matter", "Only a Lad", and of course "Dead Man's Party". Some of the surprises included hearing old Boingo classics like all four tracks from the original Oingo Boingo EP, "Capitalism", and "Controller", from the Only A Lad album, and other are tracks like "Reptiles and Samurai", "Whole Day Off", and "Tiny Guns".
The show lost momentum only once for about 20 minutes, in what Elfman called "The coffee house portion of the show". Included in this lag were "Mary", "Useless", and "Change", all form the last album Boingo. A friend of mine took a nap during this part of the show. The band also played "We Close Our Eyes" two times in a row for some unknown reason. Elfman had said that they wouldn't play "Good-bye, Good-bye", but they wound up closing the show with it anyway.
The crowd was great the whole show. Energy was high and a good vibe could be felt in the air. The show was craziest during the encores, with moshing and body surfing breaking out everywhere to the strains of such tunes as "Wild Sex", "No Spill Blood", and "Only a Lad".
Overall, the last Boingo was nothing short of amazing. The band left in fine form and will be missed by all their fans. I will be surprised if we don't see the occasional Halloween reunion show though!
Oingo Boingo held their final "Dead Man's Party" this past Halloween at the Universal Amphitheater. Boingo claims this is going to be the last ever tour, ending a seventeen year reign as one of the wildest and craziest bands around. This was certainly in evidence at the four hour, no holds barred Halloween show. When Boingo took the stage, singer Danny Elfman said "We're not leaving until they kick us off." Boingo didn't leave until about twenty minutes after the house lights came up about four hours later.
All in all, the show was amazing. Out of the four Boingo shows I've seen, this was by far the best. The original horn section was back and the whole deal was filmed and recorded for a live album and home video release. Boingo's energy lasted the entire four hours, as did the energy of the crowd. People danced in the aisles, on the seats and in the air above the mosh pit.
The set list was a hardcore Boingo fans dream. Boingo played nearly every classic song they've ever done, and many surprises. The show opened with "Insanity" from the last studio album and after that rocked almost constantly with such gems as "Little Girls", "Nasty Habits", "Aint this the Life", "I'm So Bad", an so on.
Of course the usual Boingo mainstays were included too. Standouts included "No One lives Forever", "Gratitude", "Nothing To Fear", "Not My Slave", "Who Do You Want to Be", "Gray Matter", "Only a Lad", and of course "Dead Man's Party". Some of the surprises included hearing old Boingo classics like all four tracks from the original Oingo Boingo EP, "Capitalism", and "Controller", from the Only A Lad album, and other are tracks like "Reptiles and Samurai", "Whole Day Off", and "Tiny Guns".
The show lost momentum only once for about 20 minutes, in what Elfman called "The coffee house portion of the show". Included in this lag were "Mary", "Useless", and "Change", all form the last album Boingo. A friend of mine took a nap during this part of the show. The band also played "We Close Our Eyes" two times in a row for some unknown reason. Elfman had said that they wouldn't play "Good-bye, Good-bye", but they wound up closing the show with it anyway.
The crowd was great the whole show. Energy was high and a good vibe could be felt in the air. The show was craziest during the encores, with moshing and body surfing breaking out everywhere to the strains of such tunes as "Wild Sex", "No Spill Blood", and "Only a Lad".
Overall, the last Boingo was nothing short of amazing. The band left in fine form and will be missed by all their fans. I will be surprised if we don't see the occasional Halloween reunion show though!
Nine Inch Nails - Broken Video Review
From The Pit...
Following the completion of the ‘Broken" album in 1991, Trent Reznor decided to make a concept film to accompany the album. In accordance with all Nine Inch Nails work, it had to be extreme and push the limits, and be real moody and have guys in tight black leather running around. The rumor (which has been denied) was that this was an actual "snuff" film and that the violence was real.
Reznor hired director Peter Christopherson to make the film and the two worked on it for a period of about 2-3 months. The end result was so graphic and disturbing that Reznor decided not to release it commercially. The film is widely available on bootleg video, in underground distribution. Perhaps this is what Reznor hoped for in the first place. Maybe the whole project was some clever marketing ploy.
Where the album screamed "Fuck You" on an aural level, the film grabs the viewer and shoves shit, murder, blood, and violence in his face and smears it around. The film more or less is a presentation of NIN videos tied together by scenes of graphic torture. These scenes are lent a tragic realism with the use of a hand held camera, filmed with shaky movements, in and out of focus, static and distortion. The videos included in the film are those for "Pinion", "Wish", "Last", "Happiness in Slavery", and "Gave Up".
The film begins with our kidnapper driving around looking for his next victim. He finds a suitable young man, calls him over to the car and snatches him. They return to the kidnapper’s hideout and the torturous fun begins. The young man is tied and gagged.
The "Pinion" video is a charming little travel down a toilet’s plumbing into the throat of a bound and gagged bondage slave. During this, our victim is bound and gagged, smothered in gas which he is forced to eat with a shit chaser shoved down his throat for good measure.
The "Wish" video features Trent and the NIN boys playing the song in a huge cage that barely keeps the rabid crowd trying to get in at bay. People climb up and down the bars with clubs and sticks, screaming and yelling and throwing things. Just like a typical NIN concert, to tell the truth. It all has a "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" feel, just without Tina Turner and Mel Gibson. At the end of the song, the
crowd breaks through and begins to beat and strangle the band members. Just like a typical NIN show. During this our kidnapper is running around wearing a human skin mask and pulling the teeth of our victim friend with a pair of dirty pliers. No! Not dirty pliers!
The next video, "Happiness In Slavery" was banned by MTV. "Happiness" is truly a joy feast for the whole family. I can’t imagine why MTV would ban it. They play Hootie and the Blowfish don’t they?
Anyway, "Happiness" is an industrial nightmare blending man and machine in a technological fuck feast. The victim here is performance artist Bob Flanagan, apparently chosen for his stretchy skin and the high threshold for pain contained in his penis. This guy slowly strips for us, washes himself and then gets into this chair that slowly tortures and dismembers him. It’s the new Lazy Boy recliner for the Nineties kids!
Little arms and probes and saws and pokers and pins and needles emerge from all parts of the chair to poke, tear, rip, pierce, and drill poor Bob. A claw reaches up and grabs his penis, yanking it around like a red headed stepchild in a grocery store who eats one too many cookies. Finally the chair collapses around Bob, grinding him into ground chuck (or ground Bob). It then reopens, ready for the next victim who we see is our friend Trent, coming in to strip, wash, and ride that bull baby!
Finally we have "Gave Up". Here we return to our charming little kidnap scenario, and the Police Department’s discovery of the hideout, a little too late. We see a freezer and then a fridge full of dismembered bodies (the Jeffrey Dahmer model), and body parts and bones hanging all around like little decorative party treats.
Mr. Kidnapper hangs our friend from the ceiling by his wrists, proceeds to flail him, cut him with a razor and bleed him like a stuck pig. Then the kidnapper lights up a blow torch and scorches our hero.
Then the poor boy is castrated and dismembered with a chainsaw. The whole affair ends with a little necrophiliac night cap and a bit of cannibalism on the side, thank you.
This is all very interesting but not very mainstream, Mr. Reznor. I think that this was the idea though. Make something so shocking that many people wouldn’t be able to even sit through it. Then talk about it in interviews, start a buzz and accidentally let a few copies leak out so bootleggers can distribute copies. Interesting little plan.
The "Broken" film is not for the light hearted. It is extremely graphic and realistic. I can’t figure out what artistic value this has, but I guess that’s part of what makes it art and Reznor an artist. See it with the
kids--bring Mom (just kidding)!
Following the completion of the ‘Broken" album in 1991, Trent Reznor decided to make a concept film to accompany the album. In accordance with all Nine Inch Nails work, it had to be extreme and push the limits, and be real moody and have guys in tight black leather running around. The rumor (which has been denied) was that this was an actual "snuff" film and that the violence was real.
Reznor hired director Peter Christopherson to make the film and the two worked on it for a period of about 2-3 months. The end result was so graphic and disturbing that Reznor decided not to release it commercially. The film is widely available on bootleg video, in underground distribution. Perhaps this is what Reznor hoped for in the first place. Maybe the whole project was some clever marketing ploy.
Where the album screamed "Fuck You" on an aural level, the film grabs the viewer and shoves shit, murder, blood, and violence in his face and smears it around. The film more or less is a presentation of NIN videos tied together by scenes of graphic torture. These scenes are lent a tragic realism with the use of a hand held camera, filmed with shaky movements, in and out of focus, static and distortion. The videos included in the film are those for "Pinion", "Wish", "Last", "Happiness in Slavery", and "Gave Up".
The film begins with our kidnapper driving around looking for his next victim. He finds a suitable young man, calls him over to the car and snatches him. They return to the kidnapper’s hideout and the torturous fun begins. The young man is tied and gagged.
The "Pinion" video is a charming little travel down a toilet’s plumbing into the throat of a bound and gagged bondage slave. During this, our victim is bound and gagged, smothered in gas which he is forced to eat with a shit chaser shoved down his throat for good measure.
The "Wish" video features Trent and the NIN boys playing the song in a huge cage that barely keeps the rabid crowd trying to get in at bay. People climb up and down the bars with clubs and sticks, screaming and yelling and throwing things. Just like a typical NIN concert, to tell the truth. It all has a "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" feel, just without Tina Turner and Mel Gibson. At the end of the song, the
crowd breaks through and begins to beat and strangle the band members. Just like a typical NIN show. During this our kidnapper is running around wearing a human skin mask and pulling the teeth of our victim friend with a pair of dirty pliers. No! Not dirty pliers!
The next video, "Happiness In Slavery" was banned by MTV. "Happiness" is truly a joy feast for the whole family. I can’t imagine why MTV would ban it. They play Hootie and the Blowfish don’t they?
Anyway, "Happiness" is an industrial nightmare blending man and machine in a technological fuck feast. The victim here is performance artist Bob Flanagan, apparently chosen for his stretchy skin and the high threshold for pain contained in his penis. This guy slowly strips for us, washes himself and then gets into this chair that slowly tortures and dismembers him. It’s the new Lazy Boy recliner for the Nineties kids!
Little arms and probes and saws and pokers and pins and needles emerge from all parts of the chair to poke, tear, rip, pierce, and drill poor Bob. A claw reaches up and grabs his penis, yanking it around like a red headed stepchild in a grocery store who eats one too many cookies. Finally the chair collapses around Bob, grinding him into ground chuck (or ground Bob). It then reopens, ready for the next victim who we see is our friend Trent, coming in to strip, wash, and ride that bull baby!
Finally we have "Gave Up". Here we return to our charming little kidnap scenario, and the Police Department’s discovery of the hideout, a little too late. We see a freezer and then a fridge full of dismembered bodies (the Jeffrey Dahmer model), and body parts and bones hanging all around like little decorative party treats.
Mr. Kidnapper hangs our friend from the ceiling by his wrists, proceeds to flail him, cut him with a razor and bleed him like a stuck pig. Then the kidnapper lights up a blow torch and scorches our hero.
Then the poor boy is castrated and dismembered with a chainsaw. The whole affair ends with a little necrophiliac night cap and a bit of cannibalism on the side, thank you.
This is all very interesting but not very mainstream, Mr. Reznor. I think that this was the idea though. Make something so shocking that many people wouldn’t be able to even sit through it. Then talk about it in interviews, start a buzz and accidentally let a few copies leak out so bootleggers can distribute copies. Interesting little plan.
The "Broken" film is not for the light hearted. It is extremely graphic and realistic. I can’t figure out what artistic value this has, but I guess that’s part of what makes it art and Reznor an artist. See it with the
kids--bring Mom (just kidding)!
m e t a l l i c a l o a d
From The Pit...
The latest Metallica opus "Load", weighs in at a hefty 78 minutes. CDs don't come much longer than this kids. You can't say you're not gettin' a bunch of Mettalacrunch for your money. Then again, it's not how long your CD is, it's how you use it.
This is an all around new Metallica. A Metallica for the 90's. A Metallica with haircuts, tattoos, eyeliner, and pierced body parts. They almost look like an alternative band nowadays. They topped all this off by headlining this past summer's Lollapalooza. Whacky huh? The band brought in rock photographer Anton Corbijn to do band photos for the CD jacket. The band's posturing and the exotic locations of the photos makes it all look like some moody U2 or Depeche Mode poster shoot. The scene on the cover is a shot of a literal load--a piece of modern art that consists of glass, blood and semen. You figure it out yourself. I bet you wear gloves now the next time you pick this CD up.
The looks and packaging may have changed but the music is still pretty much the same. Bone crunching drumming by hyper arrogant little Lars Ulrich. Pounding lead and rhythm guitar work form Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield. Jason Newstead's throbbing bass. Hetfield still growls his lyrics like a pissed off pit bull. The album opens with "Aint My Bitch" which I had hoped was some misogynist diatribe. Turns out it's about griping. Oh, THAT type of bitch.
"2x4" hits you over the head like a 2x4. Classic Metallica. "The House Jack Built" builds itself into a steady thumping throb. "...and I shake as I take it in, let the show begin." Another drug song along the lines of "Master of Puppets" perhaps? Play that wah wah pedal.
The first single is not typical Metallica fare. Wait till you see the video! "Until it Sleeps" has that familiar song structure of balladish verses, heavy chorus, but is still a deviation. I really like the drums on this song--the subtle nuances and the pounding beats. "King Nothing" is definitely another standout track. Nice ominous beginning. The song itself is sort of reminiscent of "Enter Sandman".
The ballad "Hero of the Day" doesn't do it for me. It might not even be a ballad all the way through. I can't make it through this track. I like the country twang of "Mama Said" even less. This aint no Lenny Kravitz either baby. I prefer songs I can relate to like "Wasting My Hate". "Aint gonna waste my hate on you/I think I'll save it for myself."
Listening to a Metallica album all the way through can be an exhausting experience. Not for the faint hearted, pregnant women, or children shorter than this line. I rarely can make it through a full Metallica album in one sitting. I guess I lack the attention span required for this. I think some old Metallica fans have gone onto other things. I'm not sure "Load" is the album to bring them back either. Either way this load will have to do for a while won't it?
The latest Metallica opus "Load", weighs in at a hefty 78 minutes. CDs don't come much longer than this kids. You can't say you're not gettin' a bunch of Mettalacrunch for your money. Then again, it's not how long your CD is, it's how you use it.
This is an all around new Metallica. A Metallica for the 90's. A Metallica with haircuts, tattoos, eyeliner, and pierced body parts. They almost look like an alternative band nowadays. They topped all this off by headlining this past summer's Lollapalooza. Whacky huh? The band brought in rock photographer Anton Corbijn to do band photos for the CD jacket. The band's posturing and the exotic locations of the photos makes it all look like some moody U2 or Depeche Mode poster shoot. The scene on the cover is a shot of a literal load--a piece of modern art that consists of glass, blood and semen. You figure it out yourself. I bet you wear gloves now the next time you pick this CD up.
The looks and packaging may have changed but the music is still pretty much the same. Bone crunching drumming by hyper arrogant little Lars Ulrich. Pounding lead and rhythm guitar work form Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield. Jason Newstead's throbbing bass. Hetfield still growls his lyrics like a pissed off pit bull. The album opens with "Aint My Bitch" which I had hoped was some misogynist diatribe. Turns out it's about griping. Oh, THAT type of bitch.
"2x4" hits you over the head like a 2x4. Classic Metallica. "The House Jack Built" builds itself into a steady thumping throb. "...and I shake as I take it in, let the show begin." Another drug song along the lines of "Master of Puppets" perhaps? Play that wah wah pedal.
The first single is not typical Metallica fare. Wait till you see the video! "Until it Sleeps" has that familiar song structure of balladish verses, heavy chorus, but is still a deviation. I really like the drums on this song--the subtle nuances and the pounding beats. "King Nothing" is definitely another standout track. Nice ominous beginning. The song itself is sort of reminiscent of "Enter Sandman".
The ballad "Hero of the Day" doesn't do it for me. It might not even be a ballad all the way through. I can't make it through this track. I like the country twang of "Mama Said" even less. This aint no Lenny Kravitz either baby. I prefer songs I can relate to like "Wasting My Hate". "Aint gonna waste my hate on you/I think I'll save it for myself."
Listening to a Metallica album all the way through can be an exhausting experience. Not for the faint hearted, pregnant women, or children shorter than this line. I rarely can make it through a full Metallica album in one sitting. I guess I lack the attention span required for this. I think some old Metallica fans have gone onto other things. I'm not sure "Load" is the album to bring them back either. Either way this load will have to do for a while won't it?
fluf classic years
Classic Years is the third full length album from fluf, but is not really a new album. It is mostly an album comprised of previously released material, mostly from 7" singles. As a result, the sound quality is a little choppy throughout the album. That is, some songs sound better than others. This also takes a little away from the overall album cohesion.
The album opens with "24-7 Years", a song for Kurt Cobain, and without a doubt fluf's best song to date. It's an anthemic little ditty with happy lyrics like "No one really cares/ I've been sayin' it for years/ no one really cares can't you see through my tears." Next up are "Dumpling" and "Skyrocket", two more rocking songs in a similar vein.
The album slows down a little bit for a couple tracks like "Entire", a Spinanes cover, and "Song in D" an Overwhelming Colorfast cover. A third cover of PJ Harvey's "Sheela Na Gig" rocks out though.
Other standouts include "Rod Widdler" and the interestingly titled "All the Fuckers Live in Newport Beach." The Classic Years represents a departure for fluf in a couple of interesting areas. First of all, there are pictures of the actual band members in the cover. In the past, fluf had thrown in random, mysterious or blurred photos to represent the band. fluf has also had a traditional distaste for the CD format. So, it is interesting that the band would sacrifice of vinyl singles to release them on CD.
Overall though this is a good album with some real fluffy stuff on it. It rocks in many places.
The album opens with "24-7 Years", a song for Kurt Cobain, and without a doubt fluf's best song to date. It's an anthemic little ditty with happy lyrics like "No one really cares/ I've been sayin' it for years/ no one really cares can't you see through my tears." Next up are "Dumpling" and "Skyrocket", two more rocking songs in a similar vein.
The album slows down a little bit for a couple tracks like "Entire", a Spinanes cover, and "Song in D" an Overwhelming Colorfast cover. A third cover of PJ Harvey's "Sheela Na Gig" rocks out though.
Other standouts include "Rod Widdler" and the interestingly titled "All the Fuckers Live in Newport Beach." The Classic Years represents a departure for fluf in a couple of interesting areas. First of all, there are pictures of the actual band members in the cover. In the past, fluf had thrown in random, mysterious or blurred photos to represent the band. fluf has also had a traditional distaste for the CD format. So, it is interesting that the band would sacrifice of vinyl singles to release them on CD.
Overall though this is a good album with some real fluffy stuff on it. It rocks in many places.
d e p e c h e m o d e ultra
From The Pit...
Depeche Mode have had quite a tumultuous period between their last album "Songs of Faith and Devotion", the subsequent two part tour for that album, and the release of their latest disc entitled simply "Ultra".
Alan Wilder, usually an integral part of Depeche's sound and musical arrangements, left the band, citing personal and philosophical differences. Singer Dave Gahan battled heroin addiction and tried to kill himself. It looked like Depeche had reached their end, or had decided to take their lyrics a little too seriously.
"Ultra" debuted at number 5 on the Billboard charts in the US. The last Depeche studio album "Songs of Faith..." debuted at number one, despite its subsequent speedy descent down the charts. The tours for "Faith" sold out across the country. This time, Depeche will not be touring. There will be only three shows: one in London, one in New York, and one in Los Angeles. Apparently temptation and partying on tour were major contributors to Gahan's drug problems.
The first single form "Ultra" was "Barrel of a Gun", an uneventful tune which seems to have Depeche striving for some watered down industrial guitar driven sound. The chorus is catchy though.
The follow up single was "It's No Good", a more traditional Depeche number and one of their best pieces to date. "Don't tell me you want me/ don't tell me you need me/ don't tell me you love me/ it's understood".
Another standout on the album is "Useless". It starts with a driving guitar and keeps goin' from there. "All your stupid ideals/you've got your head in the clouds/you should see how it feels/with your feet on the ground".
"Ultra" is no "Violator" or "Black Celebration". This is sort of a new sound for Depeche Mode, due most likely to the absence of Wilder. The album was produced by Tim Simenon, with sparse arrangements and a lack of the multi layered fell of past Depeche efforts.
It was interesting to recently catch the band on "The Tonight Show" in their first American network television performance. The crowd was loud and supportive. The performance of "It's No Good" was exceptional, featuring live guitar, live drums and two synthesizers. The band, especially Gahan, seemed quite nervous. Perhaps they were contemplating their future as a band.
I think this will be the last Depeche album. Their career will be topped off by the greatest hits package due next year.
Depeche Mode have had quite a tumultuous period between their last album "Songs of Faith and Devotion", the subsequent two part tour for that album, and the release of their latest disc entitled simply "Ultra".
Alan Wilder, usually an integral part of Depeche's sound and musical arrangements, left the band, citing personal and philosophical differences. Singer Dave Gahan battled heroin addiction and tried to kill himself. It looked like Depeche had reached their end, or had decided to take their lyrics a little too seriously.
"Ultra" debuted at number 5 on the Billboard charts in the US. The last Depeche studio album "Songs of Faith..." debuted at number one, despite its subsequent speedy descent down the charts. The tours for "Faith" sold out across the country. This time, Depeche will not be touring. There will be only three shows: one in London, one in New York, and one in Los Angeles. Apparently temptation and partying on tour were major contributors to Gahan's drug problems.
The first single form "Ultra" was "Barrel of a Gun", an uneventful tune which seems to have Depeche striving for some watered down industrial guitar driven sound. The chorus is catchy though.
The follow up single was "It's No Good", a more traditional Depeche number and one of their best pieces to date. "Don't tell me you want me/ don't tell me you need me/ don't tell me you love me/ it's understood".
Another standout on the album is "Useless". It starts with a driving guitar and keeps goin' from there. "All your stupid ideals/you've got your head in the clouds/you should see how it feels/with your feet on the ground".
"Ultra" is no "Violator" or "Black Celebration". This is sort of a new sound for Depeche Mode, due most likely to the absence of Wilder. The album was produced by Tim Simenon, with sparse arrangements and a lack of the multi layered fell of past Depeche efforts.
It was interesting to recently catch the band on "The Tonight Show" in their first American network television performance. The crowd was loud and supportive. The performance of "It's No Good" was exceptional, featuring live guitar, live drums and two synthesizers. The band, especially Gahan, seemed quite nervous. Perhaps they were contemplating their future as a band.
I think this will be the last Depeche album. Their career will be topped off by the greatest hits package due next year.
Death Row Records Greatest
Another review from The Pit...
SO there's no war between the West Coast and East Coast rap world. Yeah right. I may be a dumb white boy but I can read the graffiti on the freeway sign.
2Pac was gunned down in Vegas. Notorious B.I.G. was hit in L.A.. Death Row Records head Suge Knight is in prison. Snoop Doggy Dog and Dr. Dre have been keeping mighty quite.
East Coast has Bad Boy Records and the West has Death Row. Both have been linked to gangs and gang money. Members of both rosters are former or current gang members, associate with gangs, have dealt drugs, an so on. Basically they live the lifestyle they sing about.
2 Pac calls out the East Coast rappers on the caustic "Hit Em Up", a steadily building tirade. 2 Pac brags about sleeping with his nemesis B.I.G.'s wife, brags about how Death Row are the "real" mob, and threatens "We gonna kill all you mother fuckers, die slow other fuckers".
"Death Row's Greatest" is a two disc compilation dominated by 2 Pac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop. Death Row purports selling over 26 million records and grossing $170 million.
Suge Knight's liner notes refer to Death Row Records music as chronicalling "the observation and experiences of young African-America". Interestingly, many of these experiences seem to hinge around drinking and drugs, gang banging, misogyny and sex. Perhaps this is the reality in African American life, perhaps it is a stereotype.
The Snoop selections are mellow compared to some of the other fare. "Sippin on gin and juice" and so on. The kind of stuff you might expect on MTV.
What is interesting is the divisiveness evident here, not only among the rap community, but among Death Row artists as well.
Ice Cube's "No Vaseline" is a tirade against Cube's former N.W.A. bandmates Eazy E and Doctor Dre. Cube suggests that Dre should "stick to producin'" and lives "with the whites", with no niggaz in site". Cube calls Eazy E a faggot, and says that Eazy "should be hangin' from a tree".
J Flex dis Dr. Dre some more in "Who been there, who done that?" The track accuses Dre of ripping off other rappers, for money, music and lyrics.
"Death Row Greatest Hits" is a no holds barred chronicle of the label's rise. It's interesting that Suge Knight is not messed with anywhere on the album.
Death Row's music is divisive, controversial and angry. There are a number of standouts on the album, the primary being 2 Pac's "Hit Em Up". Of all the tracks this one comes up as the most timely, angry and realistic.
This is definitely a lifestyle that is being sung about. A lifestyle that killed B.I.G. and 2 Pac. To say these murders are unrelated, is ridiculous. To say that Suge Knight doesn't know what really happened, in both cases, is perhaps even more ridiculous.
SO there's no war between the West Coast and East Coast rap world. Yeah right. I may be a dumb white boy but I can read the graffiti on the freeway sign.
2Pac was gunned down in Vegas. Notorious B.I.G. was hit in L.A.. Death Row Records head Suge Knight is in prison. Snoop Doggy Dog and Dr. Dre have been keeping mighty quite.
East Coast has Bad Boy Records and the West has Death Row. Both have been linked to gangs and gang money. Members of both rosters are former or current gang members, associate with gangs, have dealt drugs, an so on. Basically they live the lifestyle they sing about.
2 Pac calls out the East Coast rappers on the caustic "Hit Em Up", a steadily building tirade. 2 Pac brags about sleeping with his nemesis B.I.G.'s wife, brags about how Death Row are the "real" mob, and threatens "We gonna kill all you mother fuckers, die slow other fuckers".
"Death Row's Greatest" is a two disc compilation dominated by 2 Pac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop. Death Row purports selling over 26 million records and grossing $170 million.
Suge Knight's liner notes refer to Death Row Records music as chronicalling "the observation and experiences of young African-America". Interestingly, many of these experiences seem to hinge around drinking and drugs, gang banging, misogyny and sex. Perhaps this is the reality in African American life, perhaps it is a stereotype.
The Snoop selections are mellow compared to some of the other fare. "Sippin on gin and juice" and so on. The kind of stuff you might expect on MTV.
What is interesting is the divisiveness evident here, not only among the rap community, but among Death Row artists as well.
Ice Cube's "No Vaseline" is a tirade against Cube's former N.W.A. bandmates Eazy E and Doctor Dre. Cube suggests that Dre should "stick to producin'" and lives "with the whites", with no niggaz in site". Cube calls Eazy E a faggot, and says that Eazy "should be hangin' from a tree".
J Flex dis Dr. Dre some more in "Who been there, who done that?" The track accuses Dre of ripping off other rappers, for money, music and lyrics.
"Death Row Greatest Hits" is a no holds barred chronicle of the label's rise. It's interesting that Suge Knight is not messed with anywhere on the album.
Death Row's music is divisive, controversial and angry. There are a number of standouts on the album, the primary being 2 Pac's "Hit Em Up". Of all the tracks this one comes up as the most timely, angry and realistic.
This is definitely a lifestyle that is being sung about. A lifestyle that killed B.I.G. and 2 Pac. To say these murders are unrelated, is ridiculous. To say that Suge Knight doesn't know what really happened, in both cases, is perhaps even more ridiculous.
bad religion the gray race
From The Pit...
‘The Gray Race’ is the second major label release from Bad Religion. Many point a finger at Bad Religion for ‘selling out’ now that they are on a major label. SO WHAT’
‘Gray Race’ is the first album without Mr. Brett’s strong guitar work or songwriting contributions. Brett is now running Epitaph Records full-time. The guitar work for BR is now handled by Greg Hetson and Brian Baker.
The songs have all been written by Greg Graffin with the exception of ‘Streets of America’, ‘Spirit Shine’, ‘Nobody Listens’, and ‘The Gray Race’, cowritten by Graffin and Baker. The album is glossily produced by Ric Ocasek of Cars fame. The songs have punch and feeling but as a whole the album seems a little less raw and angry than earlier BR efforts.
The title track opens the album. It seems to be a call for individuality in a world where racial barriers have been blurred. ‘The gray race shrivels/trapped inside the world it creates.’ The three obvious standouts on the album are ‘A Walk’, ‘Punk Rock Song’, and ‘Come Join Us’.
‘A Walk’ stands among some of BR’s best work. Like so many BR songs, it’s a call for individuality and free thinking. Don’t let people who can’s think for themselves think for you.
‘Punk Rock Song’ is an unapolagetic anthem about how the world sucks. Some people have a clue, most don’t. ‘This is just a punk rock song/written for the people who can see something’s wrong’.
‘Come Join Us’ is for all the weak minded who turn to cults and religions to define themselves or understand the world. ‘You can go through life adrift and alone/desperate, desolate, on your own/but we’re lookin’ for a few more stalwart clones.’
‘Gray Race’ is a decent album. It’s not as good as earlier stuff like ‘Recipe for Hate’ or ‘Against the Grain’, or even the last album ‘Stranger Than Fiction’. It is a good set of songs with a couple of real stand out tracks.
The one constant with Bad Religion is that they play thinking man’s punk rock. The music has a message: think for yourself, be an individual. Don't let your parents, friends, government or especially religion tell you what to think or what to do.
‘The Gray Race’ is the second major label release from Bad Religion. Many point a finger at Bad Religion for ‘selling out’ now that they are on a major label. SO WHAT’
‘Gray Race’ is the first album without Mr. Brett’s strong guitar work or songwriting contributions. Brett is now running Epitaph Records full-time. The guitar work for BR is now handled by Greg Hetson and Brian Baker.
The songs have all been written by Greg Graffin with the exception of ‘Streets of America’, ‘Spirit Shine’, ‘Nobody Listens’, and ‘The Gray Race’, cowritten by Graffin and Baker. The album is glossily produced by Ric Ocasek of Cars fame. The songs have punch and feeling but as a whole the album seems a little less raw and angry than earlier BR efforts.
The title track opens the album. It seems to be a call for individuality in a world where racial barriers have been blurred. ‘The gray race shrivels/trapped inside the world it creates.’ The three obvious standouts on the album are ‘A Walk’, ‘Punk Rock Song’, and ‘Come Join Us’.
‘A Walk’ stands among some of BR’s best work. Like so many BR songs, it’s a call for individuality and free thinking. Don’t let people who can’s think for themselves think for you.
‘Punk Rock Song’ is an unapolagetic anthem about how the world sucks. Some people have a clue, most don’t. ‘This is just a punk rock song/written for the people who can see something’s wrong’.
‘Come Join Us’ is for all the weak minded who turn to cults and religions to define themselves or understand the world. ‘You can go through life adrift and alone/desperate, desolate, on your own/but we’re lookin’ for a few more stalwart clones.’
‘Gray Race’ is a decent album. It’s not as good as earlier stuff like ‘Recipe for Hate’ or ‘Against the Grain’, or even the last album ‘Stranger Than Fiction’. It is a good set of songs with a couple of real stand out tracks.
The one constant with Bad Religion is that they play thinking man’s punk rock. The music has a message: think for yourself, be an individual. Don't let your parents, friends, government or especially religion tell you what to think or what to do.
Industrial
More from The Pit...
My friend Scott and I were recently discussing the history of industrial music. We were debating the contributions of Al Jourgensen vs. those of Trent Reznor to industrial music. We agreed that Reznor and Nine Inch Nails brought industrial music to the malls, MTV and so on. NIN’s "Pretty Hate Machine" has sold over a million copies, afterall. We agreed more strongly that Jourgensen as an individual musician has done the most for industrial music as an art form and musical movement. Jourgensen couldn’t have done it without WaxTrax! Records though. WaxTrax! is synonymous with industrial music.
Some early purveyors of industrial have included Lou Reed, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, and Einsterzende Neubauten. Reed’s album "Metal Machine Music" was a noise infested early manifestation of what was to develop. Eno’s out there ambient musical experiments also would have influence on the industrial movement.
Einsterzende Neubauten and Kraftwerk are more directly hailed as influences on industrial and electronic based music. These bands took the industrial tag literally, beating on metal with hammers and other tools and setting it to a drum beat.
In addition there was Skinny Puppy, the Canadian industrial band on Nettwork records. Skinny puppy formed in the late Eighties and just released their final album, "Process". Their noise distorted sample filled music has had great influence as well.
The founders of WaxTrax!, Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher started a record store in 1973 in Denver. They began by raiding their own record collections and ordering stuff from record and tape clubs. They moved to Chicago in 1978 and opened Waxtrax! Records. It not only was a cool record store but became a hang out for the local Chicago alternative scenesters. WaxTrax! became a record label with the release of it’s first single "Immediate Action" from the band Strike Under.
When you own your own record label, you can release whatever you want. Flesher and Nash met B-movie drag queen Divine and offered to release a couple tracks he/she had recorded but never released. "The Name Game" by Divine was the second WaxTrax! single to be released. The original producers subsequently sued Divine and WaxTrax! but the charges were dropped when the low sales returns on the single were presented. It barely sold a few hundred copies.
Then along came Al with the sound that would come to define WaxTrax! Records. Al Jourgensen that is. Jourgensen would eventually release only a couple of Ministry singles on WaxTrax!, "Cold Life", and "Everyday is Halloween". More importantly, Al would become a core member of many WaxTrax! bands and do production work as well.
The next major artist to release on WaxTrax! was the Belgian band Front 242, with the single "Endless Riddance". Front 242’s classic album "Front By Front" would become the biggest selling WaxTrax! release.
Jourgensen’s first side project to record for WaxTrax! was called The Revolting Cocks. The first RevCo album was "Big Sexy Land" and was recorded with Richard 23 of Front 242. Before RevCo’s second WaxTrax! release "You Goddamned Son of Bitch", Richard 23 would leave the band. Paul Barker, William Rieflin, and Chris Connelly jumped on board. RevCo at one time or another would also include Ogre of Skinny Puppy and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.
Barker and Rieflin also became core members of Ministry. Barker and Jourgensen began to collaborate on a number of WaxTrax! projects together. These bands included Lead Into Gold, PTP (with Chris Connelly), Pailhead (with Ian Mackeye of Fugazi), Acid Horse, and 1,000 Homo Djs (with Trent Reznor). Barker and Jourgensen also began producing together, calling themselves Hypo Luxa and Hermes Pan.
Another well known WaxTrax! original was My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. Their first album, "I See Good Spirits and I See Bad Spirits" was the sound track to a film that would never be made. Other releases would include "Confessions of a Knife", and "Sexplosion".
Next up was KMFDM and "Don’t Blow Your Top". This was followed by "UAIOE". Despite what you’ve heard, KMFDM is a German acronym that translates to "no pity for the majority". It does NOT stand for "kill mother fucking Depeche Mode".
Other prominent WaxTrax! artists included Front Line Assembly, Sister Machine Gun, Coil, Psychic TV, Mussolini Headkick, and the KLF.
WaxTrax! went bankrupt in 1992, despite it’s important musical legacy. TVT records took over distribution soon after. Many bands used WaxTrax! as a spring board to the major labels. Despite this, most remained loyal to their early beginnings with the king of industrial labels out of Chicago.
My friend Scott and I were recently discussing the history of industrial music. We were debating the contributions of Al Jourgensen vs. those of Trent Reznor to industrial music. We agreed that Reznor and Nine Inch Nails brought industrial music to the malls, MTV and so on. NIN’s "Pretty Hate Machine" has sold over a million copies, afterall. We agreed more strongly that Jourgensen as an individual musician has done the most for industrial music as an art form and musical movement. Jourgensen couldn’t have done it without WaxTrax! Records though. WaxTrax! is synonymous with industrial music.
Some early purveyors of industrial have included Lou Reed, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, and Einsterzende Neubauten. Reed’s album "Metal Machine Music" was a noise infested early manifestation of what was to develop. Eno’s out there ambient musical experiments also would have influence on the industrial movement.
Einsterzende Neubauten and Kraftwerk are more directly hailed as influences on industrial and electronic based music. These bands took the industrial tag literally, beating on metal with hammers and other tools and setting it to a drum beat.
In addition there was Skinny Puppy, the Canadian industrial band on Nettwork records. Skinny puppy formed in the late Eighties and just released their final album, "Process". Their noise distorted sample filled music has had great influence as well.
The founders of WaxTrax!, Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher started a record store in 1973 in Denver. They began by raiding their own record collections and ordering stuff from record and tape clubs. They moved to Chicago in 1978 and opened Waxtrax! Records. It not only was a cool record store but became a hang out for the local Chicago alternative scenesters. WaxTrax! became a record label with the release of it’s first single "Immediate Action" from the band Strike Under.
When you own your own record label, you can release whatever you want. Flesher and Nash met B-movie drag queen Divine and offered to release a couple tracks he/she had recorded but never released. "The Name Game" by Divine was the second WaxTrax! single to be released. The original producers subsequently sued Divine and WaxTrax! but the charges were dropped when the low sales returns on the single were presented. It barely sold a few hundred copies.
Then along came Al with the sound that would come to define WaxTrax! Records. Al Jourgensen that is. Jourgensen would eventually release only a couple of Ministry singles on WaxTrax!, "Cold Life", and "Everyday is Halloween". More importantly, Al would become a core member of many WaxTrax! bands and do production work as well.
The next major artist to release on WaxTrax! was the Belgian band Front 242, with the single "Endless Riddance". Front 242’s classic album "Front By Front" would become the biggest selling WaxTrax! release.
Jourgensen’s first side project to record for WaxTrax! was called The Revolting Cocks. The first RevCo album was "Big Sexy Land" and was recorded with Richard 23 of Front 242. Before RevCo’s second WaxTrax! release "You Goddamned Son of Bitch", Richard 23 would leave the band. Paul Barker, William Rieflin, and Chris Connelly jumped on board. RevCo at one time or another would also include Ogre of Skinny Puppy and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.
Barker and Rieflin also became core members of Ministry. Barker and Jourgensen began to collaborate on a number of WaxTrax! projects together. These bands included Lead Into Gold, PTP (with Chris Connelly), Pailhead (with Ian Mackeye of Fugazi), Acid Horse, and 1,000 Homo Djs (with Trent Reznor). Barker and Jourgensen also began producing together, calling themselves Hypo Luxa and Hermes Pan.
Another well known WaxTrax! original was My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. Their first album, "I See Good Spirits and I See Bad Spirits" was the sound track to a film that would never be made. Other releases would include "Confessions of a Knife", and "Sexplosion".
Next up was KMFDM and "Don’t Blow Your Top". This was followed by "UAIOE". Despite what you’ve heard, KMFDM is a German acronym that translates to "no pity for the majority". It does NOT stand for "kill mother fucking Depeche Mode".
Other prominent WaxTrax! artists included Front Line Assembly, Sister Machine Gun, Coil, Psychic TV, Mussolini Headkick, and the KLF.
WaxTrax! went bankrupt in 1992, despite it’s important musical legacy. TVT records took over distribution soon after. Many bands used WaxTrax! as a spring board to the major labels. Despite this, most remained loyal to their early beginnings with the king of industrial labels out of Chicago.
E l e c t r o n i c M u s i c
Yet another dated Pit piece...
So it looks like the next ‘big thing’ might be so called ‘electronic music’. Rolling Stone recently asked ‘is electronic music the new alternative’’ The movement’s momentum has been spearheaded by the success of such DJ beat heavy bands as the Chemical Brothers and Prodigy, both of which have previous albums so are technically not new bands.
Mainstream acts are jumping on the electronic bandwagon as well. David Bowie and U2 have both dwelled into electronic influences on their latest albums. Depeche Mode have returned back to their more electronic oriented roots. Guns and Roses are considering having techno whiz Moby produce their next album.
Overall, the electronic movement has the potential for widespread appeal. It is less caustic and more mainstream than industrial, with a pseudo--industrial feel. There’s also a danceable aspect to the music that could bring in many cross genre fans.
Not surprisingly, the record companies have been making asses out of themselves courting electronic bands a DJs to fill the new demand. What’s going to happen is that there will be a proliferation of this new genre, and it will fizzle out.
Alternative isn’t the mainstream darling anymore, so something needs to fill the gap.
As many of you know, electronic music is nothing new. There have always been bands flirting between dance music, techno, and industrial. How about Depeche Mode, Moby, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, KMFDM, and so on’ It’s easy to see where Prodigy got their influence.
It’s always good to see something new and new genres getting exposure. Thanks to the money hungry record labels and the fickle tastes of the mainstream public, we’ll see a quick burnout on electronic music in a few months. Then something new will come along and get perverted, sold out, and exploited.
So it looks like the next ‘big thing’ might be so called ‘electronic music’. Rolling Stone recently asked ‘is electronic music the new alternative’’ The movement’s momentum has been spearheaded by the success of such DJ beat heavy bands as the Chemical Brothers and Prodigy, both of which have previous albums so are technically not new bands.
Mainstream acts are jumping on the electronic bandwagon as well. David Bowie and U2 have both dwelled into electronic influences on their latest albums. Depeche Mode have returned back to their more electronic oriented roots. Guns and Roses are considering having techno whiz Moby produce their next album.
Overall, the electronic movement has the potential for widespread appeal. It is less caustic and more mainstream than industrial, with a pseudo--industrial feel. There’s also a danceable aspect to the music that could bring in many cross genre fans.
Not surprisingly, the record companies have been making asses out of themselves courting electronic bands a DJs to fill the new demand. What’s going to happen is that there will be a proliferation of this new genre, and it will fizzle out.
Alternative isn’t the mainstream darling anymore, so something needs to fill the gap.
As many of you know, electronic music is nothing new. There have always been bands flirting between dance music, techno, and industrial. How about Depeche Mode, Moby, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, KMFDM, and so on’ It’s easy to see where Prodigy got their influence.
It’s always good to see something new and new genres getting exposure. Thanks to the money hungry record labels and the fickle tastes of the mainstream public, we’ll see a quick burnout on electronic music in a few months. Then something new will come along and get perverted, sold out, and exploited.
New Punk
Another dated Pit piece. I think this also became a paper for a sociology class!
Without a doubt, punk rock has had a huge influence on music. When punk began in the Seventies, it brought a needed slap in the face to the complacency of rock music and mainstream culture. Regional punk scenes sprang up in the U.S. and punk remained as a scene in England.
Then, in the early to mid Eighties, punk began to slowly die out. Heavy metal and rap were becoming the darlings of the mainstream, as was New Wave. To survive, the punks realized they needed to change with the times or break up and give up. Some bands like Bad Religion and Social Distortion made the transition and enjoyed underground popularity. Others like the Dead Kennedys and Circle Jerks could not take the pressure of mainstream dominance or Tipper Gore’s Parent’s Music Resource Center censorship. For all intensive purposes, punk was dead.
Then in 1991 a band called Nirvana released an album called Nevermind, and Mtv started playing a video from the first single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Once again, punk became a musical force to be reckoned with. The new punk was not the same though. Some of the energy was there, but at closer examination we see this ‘new school’ punk as a mere cheap imitation of it’s progenitor. The new punk bands lack much of the conviction of their forefathers, and it turns out seem more interested in mainstream success and making music videos and hooky little pop punk than true musical statements.
The new punk is a cheap imitation of the original. Many of the things the new punks stand for, the old punks were revolting against. ‘The millions of new fans who embraced groups like Green Day last year (1994) aren’t very interested in the bands that influenced them, punks founding fathers are discovering’ (Rolling Stone ).
Punk had it’s initial beginnings with the CBGB scene of mid seventies New York. Bands such as the Ramones, New York Dolls, Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, and Television are the true initiators of punk. The scene soon spread to England and influenced such British punks as the Sex Pistols, Clash, Jam and the Damned. The roots of punk can be traced back even earlier to such groundbreakers as Iggy Pop, David Bowie, the Velvet Underground, and MC5. After the demise of the Sex Pistols, regional punk scenes began to pop up in U.S. cities like Los Angeles with bands X and Social Distortion, Bad Religion, Fear, and the Germs. Out of San Francisco came the Dead Kennedys and Dolphin. There were still Brit punk bands like GBH and Buzzcocks. Then came the rise of Mtv, heavy metal and rap. Punk could not keep its already tenuous hold on the music scenes.
Perhaps the punk scenes were too local and regionalized to remain in existence for too long. With the emergence of the Seattle scene in the early part of the Nineties came the rise of such bands as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains. It is ironic that many of these early Seattle bands had their start on and indie label called Sub Pop, as indie labels were a mainstay of original punk. Following the success of Nirvana and their fellow Seattleites, the alternative music scene slowly but surely became the mainstream. Mtv had a huge hand in the rise of these bands, the success of the alternative, and the resurgence of punk.
As the nineties trudged on, bands such as Green Day, and Offspring began to enjoy success with their almost ‘punk lite’ sounds. Some of the older punks reunited and went on the road to try and ride the wave of the resurgence, like the Vandals, Circle Jerks, Fear, and 7 Seconds. Some were successful, others weren’t. Regardless, some of the originals who had managed to maintain cult followings like Bad Religion and Social Distortion found themselves being outsold 10 to 1 by bands like the Offspring.
The key factor in the mainstream acceptance of new punk was Mtv. Mtv was willing to give airplay to bands like Green Day and Offspring following the success it had had with giving exposure to the Seattle scene. These bands opened the door for other punk bands to get on Mtv. The young, trendy, mall punks and frat boys begin to learn about punk from these new videos and the radio friendly catchy songs like Green Day’s ‘Longview’ and Offspring’s ‘Come Out and Play’.
Overall, new punk is more melodic, catchy and musically conventional than original punk. It is also much less political and controversial. The success of new punk on the radio and Mtv gave these bands a much wider exposure than the original punks had. In addition, there are a lot more underage clubs and shows now than there were in the early Eighties. Thus, younger fans also have better access.
The new punk bands also enjoy much more favorable media coverage and critical acclaim than the punk founders. The new punks are now huge rock stars with worshipful fans who have no problem paying $20-30 to see these bands at huge arena shows. This whole mentality is part of what original punk revolted against. Huge tours, expensive shows, and expensive product seem to go against the original punk ideals.
Now punk is a major label enterprise and a million dollar investment. It was not very long ago that major record labels would have nothing to do with punk as a genre, much less as an accepted musical moneymaker. Mainstream acceptance was a luxury the original punks rarely enjoyed. Originally, punk had a smaller, more elite audience, not the diverse audience seen today. The original punk bands generally played in small clubs, and didn’t do many all ages shows. These punks were less accepted and more outcasts than trendy. They also were much more political and controversial in their music and views.
The original punk movement also emphasized independence over success. Since there was little major label interest, the bands generally were on small independent labels. Material from bands was issued a great deal of the time on 7’ vinyl and in compilation albums.
Some of the original bands like 7 Seconds, Circle Jerks, and Vandals seemingly modified their sound to survive the dying knells of early Eighties punk. With the resurgence we see these same bands changing their sound back and playing their old material again. Some have enjoyed little success, others not much at all.
Critical opinion of the original punks seems to be much kinder in retrospect than at the time. This is probably due to the fact that the influence punk would have was not so obvious at it’s inception and height of popularity. Without a doubt, the original punks paid more in the way of dues than their future prodigies. The tours that the original punks put on were much smaller in scale than those of today. The shows were much smaller and generally held in clubs. Often three or four bands would play together. You still see this today with underground bands, but rarely with the more well known bands we are dealing with here.
There was also a stricter separation of musical genres during the early punk years than there is now. Another factor that permeated the early punk scene was the fanzine. There are still many fanzines but this is pretty much when the fanzine craze began. Fanzines were often magazines put together at little cost, often Xeroxed and passed out at shows.
Most of the early punk bands started out on tiny independent labels, or began by releasing their own product. Most punk bands released 7’singles with anywhere from two to four songs on them. Sometimes a band would be able to get enough money together to put out a full length album. Very rarely was an early punk band signed to a major label early in it’s career. These bands had to pay their dues.
Stylistically, the old punks and new punk dress very similar in many ways. Leather jackets and boots are popular, as are jeans and tee-shirts. Many of today’s punks also incorporate the skate styles or grunge styles as part of their look. At any given show you will see kids with leather jackets, flannel shirts and baggy pants that don’t fit. The old punks had the style and hair first though. Once again, the new punk style is an imitation of the former.
Musically, the new punk is not as raw or controversial as the older classics. There is little controversy or social commentary in the mall punk of today. Musically you can trace the influence of nearly every new punk band back to the original. The point is: ITS ALL BEEN DONE BEFORE.
The original punk bands were fresh and new and went in musical directions that had rarely been explored up until that point. The original punks had more to say and were more politically minded. This is not to say that there weren’t some punks in it just for fun, but politically there is no comparison between a band like Green Day and a band like the Dead Kennedys. Economically, it seems that today’s punks are a little more spoon fed than their ancestors. The artists are also making much more money by comparison, due to huge record deals, tours, and shows.
The media shows more interest and gives the new punks more exposure than punk has ever gotten. Mtv has also been hugely responsible for punk’s new appeal. Major labels, Mtv, the media, and the consumers have made punk a multimillion dollar business. In contrast, old punks struggled on small labels, made little money and saw little commercial and critical interest. What the original punks did develop was a strong fan base that lasts even today.
The dominant culture accepts the new punks as merely youths expressing themselves. Punk is trendy, cool, and mainstream. Formerly, punks were outcasts and members of a pseudo-elite musical movement. Punk was not accepted and was frowned upon as different and weird. Metalheads and jocks used to beat the punks up. Now they are the punks!
There is no doubt that the new punk movement is not a subculture. The new punk is a trend that is accepted by the mainstream media, parents, and consumers. It is merely a shadow of the original punk subculture, which was a revolt in style, attitude, and music. New punk as a movement shows that there is little creativity in mainstream music of today. The music and style shows lack of originality. It is more of a nostalgia movement than a musical movement.
The old punks expressed their individuality through style, attitude, and music. The new punks are too busy arguing what is punk or not to come even close to the new attitude. The new punks revolt for revolt’s sake. The new movement is trendy and more selfish than underground punk and the original punk movements. The originals were attacking conservatism, censorship, stagnancy, boredom, and the pompous rock star syndrome that still permeates music. Individuality, not conformity and trendiness were emphasized.
Without a doubt, punk rock has had a huge influence on music. When punk began in the Seventies, it brought a needed slap in the face to the complacency of rock music and mainstream culture. Regional punk scenes sprang up in the U.S. and punk remained as a scene in England.
Then, in the early to mid Eighties, punk began to slowly die out. Heavy metal and rap were becoming the darlings of the mainstream, as was New Wave. To survive, the punks realized they needed to change with the times or break up and give up. Some bands like Bad Religion and Social Distortion made the transition and enjoyed underground popularity. Others like the Dead Kennedys and Circle Jerks could not take the pressure of mainstream dominance or Tipper Gore’s Parent’s Music Resource Center censorship. For all intensive purposes, punk was dead.
Then in 1991 a band called Nirvana released an album called Nevermind, and Mtv started playing a video from the first single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Once again, punk became a musical force to be reckoned with. The new punk was not the same though. Some of the energy was there, but at closer examination we see this ‘new school’ punk as a mere cheap imitation of it’s progenitor. The new punk bands lack much of the conviction of their forefathers, and it turns out seem more interested in mainstream success and making music videos and hooky little pop punk than true musical statements.
The new punk is a cheap imitation of the original. Many of the things the new punks stand for, the old punks were revolting against. ‘The millions of new fans who embraced groups like Green Day last year (1994) aren’t very interested in the bands that influenced them, punks founding fathers are discovering’ (Rolling Stone ).
Punk had it’s initial beginnings with the CBGB scene of mid seventies New York. Bands such as the Ramones, New York Dolls, Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, and Television are the true initiators of punk. The scene soon spread to England and influenced such British punks as the Sex Pistols, Clash, Jam and the Damned. The roots of punk can be traced back even earlier to such groundbreakers as Iggy Pop, David Bowie, the Velvet Underground, and MC5. After the demise of the Sex Pistols, regional punk scenes began to pop up in U.S. cities like Los Angeles with bands X and Social Distortion, Bad Religion, Fear, and the Germs. Out of San Francisco came the Dead Kennedys and Dolphin. There were still Brit punk bands like GBH and Buzzcocks. Then came the rise of Mtv, heavy metal and rap. Punk could not keep its already tenuous hold on the music scenes.
Perhaps the punk scenes were too local and regionalized to remain in existence for too long. With the emergence of the Seattle scene in the early part of the Nineties came the rise of such bands as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains. It is ironic that many of these early Seattle bands had their start on and indie label called Sub Pop, as indie labels were a mainstay of original punk. Following the success of Nirvana and their fellow Seattleites, the alternative music scene slowly but surely became the mainstream. Mtv had a huge hand in the rise of these bands, the success of the alternative, and the resurgence of punk.
As the nineties trudged on, bands such as Green Day, and Offspring began to enjoy success with their almost ‘punk lite’ sounds. Some of the older punks reunited and went on the road to try and ride the wave of the resurgence, like the Vandals, Circle Jerks, Fear, and 7 Seconds. Some were successful, others weren’t. Regardless, some of the originals who had managed to maintain cult followings like Bad Religion and Social Distortion found themselves being outsold 10 to 1 by bands like the Offspring.
The key factor in the mainstream acceptance of new punk was Mtv. Mtv was willing to give airplay to bands like Green Day and Offspring following the success it had had with giving exposure to the Seattle scene. These bands opened the door for other punk bands to get on Mtv. The young, trendy, mall punks and frat boys begin to learn about punk from these new videos and the radio friendly catchy songs like Green Day’s ‘Longview’ and Offspring’s ‘Come Out and Play’.
Overall, new punk is more melodic, catchy and musically conventional than original punk. It is also much less political and controversial. The success of new punk on the radio and Mtv gave these bands a much wider exposure than the original punks had. In addition, there are a lot more underage clubs and shows now than there were in the early Eighties. Thus, younger fans also have better access.
The new punk bands also enjoy much more favorable media coverage and critical acclaim than the punk founders. The new punks are now huge rock stars with worshipful fans who have no problem paying $20-30 to see these bands at huge arena shows. This whole mentality is part of what original punk revolted against. Huge tours, expensive shows, and expensive product seem to go against the original punk ideals.
Now punk is a major label enterprise and a million dollar investment. It was not very long ago that major record labels would have nothing to do with punk as a genre, much less as an accepted musical moneymaker. Mainstream acceptance was a luxury the original punks rarely enjoyed. Originally, punk had a smaller, more elite audience, not the diverse audience seen today. The original punk bands generally played in small clubs, and didn’t do many all ages shows. These punks were less accepted and more outcasts than trendy. They also were much more political and controversial in their music and views.
The original punk movement also emphasized independence over success. Since there was little major label interest, the bands generally were on small independent labels. Material from bands was issued a great deal of the time on 7’ vinyl and in compilation albums.
Some of the original bands like 7 Seconds, Circle Jerks, and Vandals seemingly modified their sound to survive the dying knells of early Eighties punk. With the resurgence we see these same bands changing their sound back and playing their old material again. Some have enjoyed little success, others not much at all.
Critical opinion of the original punks seems to be much kinder in retrospect than at the time. This is probably due to the fact that the influence punk would have was not so obvious at it’s inception and height of popularity. Without a doubt, the original punks paid more in the way of dues than their future prodigies. The tours that the original punks put on were much smaller in scale than those of today. The shows were much smaller and generally held in clubs. Often three or four bands would play together. You still see this today with underground bands, but rarely with the more well known bands we are dealing with here.
There was also a stricter separation of musical genres during the early punk years than there is now. Another factor that permeated the early punk scene was the fanzine. There are still many fanzines but this is pretty much when the fanzine craze began. Fanzines were often magazines put together at little cost, often Xeroxed and passed out at shows.
Most of the early punk bands started out on tiny independent labels, or began by releasing their own product. Most punk bands released 7’singles with anywhere from two to four songs on them. Sometimes a band would be able to get enough money together to put out a full length album. Very rarely was an early punk band signed to a major label early in it’s career. These bands had to pay their dues.
Stylistically, the old punks and new punk dress very similar in many ways. Leather jackets and boots are popular, as are jeans and tee-shirts. Many of today’s punks also incorporate the skate styles or grunge styles as part of their look. At any given show you will see kids with leather jackets, flannel shirts and baggy pants that don’t fit. The old punks had the style and hair first though. Once again, the new punk style is an imitation of the former.
Musically, the new punk is not as raw or controversial as the older classics. There is little controversy or social commentary in the mall punk of today. Musically you can trace the influence of nearly every new punk band back to the original. The point is: ITS ALL BEEN DONE BEFORE.
The original punk bands were fresh and new and went in musical directions that had rarely been explored up until that point. The original punks had more to say and were more politically minded. This is not to say that there weren’t some punks in it just for fun, but politically there is no comparison between a band like Green Day and a band like the Dead Kennedys. Economically, it seems that today’s punks are a little more spoon fed than their ancestors. The artists are also making much more money by comparison, due to huge record deals, tours, and shows.
The media shows more interest and gives the new punks more exposure than punk has ever gotten. Mtv has also been hugely responsible for punk’s new appeal. Major labels, Mtv, the media, and the consumers have made punk a multimillion dollar business. In contrast, old punks struggled on small labels, made little money and saw little commercial and critical interest. What the original punks did develop was a strong fan base that lasts even today.
The dominant culture accepts the new punks as merely youths expressing themselves. Punk is trendy, cool, and mainstream. Formerly, punks were outcasts and members of a pseudo-elite musical movement. Punk was not accepted and was frowned upon as different and weird. Metalheads and jocks used to beat the punks up. Now they are the punks!
There is no doubt that the new punk movement is not a subculture. The new punk is a trend that is accepted by the mainstream media, parents, and consumers. It is merely a shadow of the original punk subculture, which was a revolt in style, attitude, and music. New punk as a movement shows that there is little creativity in mainstream music of today. The music and style shows lack of originality. It is more of a nostalgia movement than a musical movement.
The old punks expressed their individuality through style, attitude, and music. The new punks are too busy arguing what is punk or not to come even close to the new attitude. The new punks revolt for revolt’s sake. The new movement is trendy and more selfish than underground punk and the original punk movements. The originals were attacking conservatism, censorship, stagnancy, boredom, and the pompous rock star syndrome that still permeates music. Individuality, not conformity and trendiness were emphasized.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)