Wednesday, November 21, 2012

CD Review: Discarded Angels by Amy Madden



If you are an asshole with an opinion, you can write a music blog.  It is often odd to me that people request that I review their albums.  I have to wonder “have they read any of my reviews?”  Because they are seldom flattering.  I guess it comes down to any press is good press.

One such review request came from the Swedish based label Belpid Records.  They were soliciting a recent release by Amy Madden called Discarded Angels.  Not familiar with the label, or the artist, the description sounded interesting so I bit.

First the asshole’s opinion, some of the instrumentation seems out of place.  This is not a blues album, and that is awesome because blues is trite and has had all the mystery sucked out of it, but despite the fact that it is not a blues album, it has blues guitar, and blues harmonica.  Minus those parts, the music is interesting.  With those parts, it becomes bland and leans toward un-imaginative.  Like somebody said “if you do this, then you follow it with this and that is how you bake a cake, or how you build a song”

Discarded Angels by Amy Madden is not a pop album.  It is personal, and heart felt.  The lyrics are written like spoken word poetry.  Telling a story perhaps not intended to be insightful about the author, but like all good art, glimpses of the creator shine through. Amy has something to say and she lays it out like Lou Reed, or Scott Walker.  You may not know what she is talking about, but you get the idea that she clearly means it.  She doesn’t dilute her medium with over production.  Keeping the canvas simple, she delivers much stronger broad strokes stabbing at her story.  This is the type of album that an artist can be proud of, but few people will ever buy.

I recommend track #6 “Kathy.”

Saturday, November 10, 2012

SXSW: Pay to Play With No Chance of Actually Playing = A Scam


I know exactly what you are saying.  You and your band have created an entirely new sound unlike anything anybody has every heard.  If only you could get the right people to hear it, there is no doubt they will literally shit their pants.  After hearing your music, then cleaning themselves up, they will sign you to a multt-million-dollar contract, the world will be your oyster, and your unique artistic vision will finally receive the recognition it deserves.

Hey, I know.  How about you apply for SXSW, huh? HUH?!?  They are looking for unheard of bands just like yours and the only reason they bother to have the festival is so they can turn each band that plays there into an international success.  There is an application fee but hell just consider that an investment in your future.

Sarcasm aside, the original point of SXSW was to showcase up and coming bands. Last festival (2012) SXSW was very proud to announce Lionel Ritchie would be performing. ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!?!?  It has been 40 years since he was up and coming and 20 years since he had a hit.  I wonder if he had to pay the application fee? 


If you are a band thinking about applying for SXSW take the time to look at who is playing and wonder “did they have to go through the same application process as me” because there are less than 2000 slots and a shit load of major acts performing. Each big name they put on the bill, reduces your chance of playing by one.


Have you ever been to SXSW?  The “showcases” are basically an advertisement. Some business pays a hefty fee to get to choose which bands get to play.  In other words, if you go, you will see “Such and Such showcase” sponsored by “Such and Such entertainment management” and ironically, I don’t know how this happens, but each band performing in that particular showcase just happens to be handled by “Such and Such Entertainment Management”..  It is the strangest thing.

Have you ever heard of the band The Cringe?  They are, at best, an un-interesting bar band.  I saw them perform twice at SXSW and found out they play there often.  The singer is married to (TV celebrity) Rachael Ray.  The grocery store chain Whole Foods has a huge endorsement deal with  Rachael Ray. The home office for Whole Foods is located in Austin and puts on it’s own showcase each year. I am not even going to pretend I don't understand. Basically this undeserving band (The Cringe) is handed this spot because of nepotism, and your chance of being chosen was reduced by one.

So lets say you have been paying the application fee for years, I highly recommend that you should go to Austin this coming March.  One thing you will see is showcases sponsored by music schools, or Universities with large music business programs.  I saw at least 3 of these in the 2012 rendition of the festival.  In these showcases you will see 18 year old music students that have only been playing for a few months ACCEPTED INTO SXSW while you were denied.  Are they any good?  It doesn’t matter.  As long as they are attending a school that pays to promote at SXSW, they will get to play either way.

After March 2012 SXSW boasted on their web page that over 20,000 bands applied and nearly 2,000 got to play. Yesterday they posted their list of the first round picks for SXSW 2013:

http://elizabeth.cmail2.com/t/ViewEmail/y/9D97D9464D5A1033/302A604FEE1C829614399806BE9B4083

What was the last great band to come out of Texas.  I am sure the state has churned out more than its fair share of over hyped crap (e.g. Bright Light Social Hour, Butthole Surfers), but I can’t think of the last really great act from the lone star state. Maybe it was Pantera? According to the SXSW list, Texas has more great bands than any other place on Earth.  15% of the first round draft picks are from Texas.  Is it because they deserve it? No it’s just more nepotism.  Each un-interesting, can’t write a song to save their fucking life, related to the right person or sucking off the right person, band that is pre-approved reduces your chance of being selected by one.

Who is left? The remaining group of bands that get selected is an extremely small group.  Strictly speculating, I would guess it’s like 0.000000001% of the bands that get chosen.  Those bands are not

1. Already a platinum selling artists.
2. Associated with a showcase’s sponsor
3. A local band that has made the right friends
4. Sucking the right SXSW cock, going down on Rachael Ray, or just related to the right person connected to SXSW.


And despite the four strikes against them, they still get picked.  They may not be famous (i.e. Broncho from the 2013 list) but each and every one of them have the “right” recognition.  SXSW doesn’t have the balls to make a decision without other reliable sources such as NPR or Pitchfork determining before hand that this band is okay.

Let’s say that is you.  You over came all the odds and you get to play.  The idea is that by allowing you to perform while 50 other allegedly equally promising bands are performing at the exact same time all over town, a record executive will see you and say "Son, I am going to make you a star."  Based on what?  What evidence is there that anybody is ever “discovered” at SXSW?  I know that in the 1990’s (when the festival was new) it happened occasionally.  But in the last ten years, what AMAZING artist was discovered at SXSW?  Don’t know? The answer is none, not one.  Don’t believe me?  Here is the list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_by_Southwest

People like to spread urban legends about so and so was discovered there.  They will tell you Nora Jones was discovered at SXSW.  Nora Jones is Ravi Shankar's daughter and she would have been discovered if the only place she played was Nebraska.  This wikipedia page lists The Polyphonic Spree as having been discovered there but The Spree was formed by Tripping Daisies front man Tim DeLaughter, they were a Texas band already connected in the Austin scene, and they are another example of over hyped Texas bands that never really amounted to anything.


DON’T PAY THE FEE!!!!!  Tell every band you know “DON’T PAY THE FEE!!!!”  It is pay to play, except that you won’t ever get to play.

Having said all that, I highly recommend you attend SXSW.  As a matter of fact get you some house party gigs.  You never know who you might meet.  Record executives go to house parties.  And the over all experience of SXSW is a damn good time.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

The Heart Of Rock N Roll Is Still Beating, But The Pulse Is Weak


A. Where do we go from here?


The New York Times reports Fender is struggling to stay in business citing a decrease in interest in rock music as part of the problem


I would also speculate that the current trend in acoustic music would drive down their sales. Fender does make acoustic guitars, so it would stand to reason that people buy them, but I never see anybody playing one.

Gibson recently posted on their Facebook that they intend to increase the price on their instruments to make up for their own sales slump.

The death of Rock N Roll has consistently been a discussion and predicted since approximately the year 2000 or so. People often point out how there are fewer radio stations with a Rock format, and several record labels no longer have a Rock department. Studies have shown when asked what kind of music do you listen to, few people say Rock, but after monitoring the playlists of same peoples, it turns out they have a very Rock oriented preference.

Perhaps the problem isn’t that people don’t like Rock music. Perhaps the problem is that people don’t like the watered down crap that record labels try to convince them is rock music. Rock is supposed to be raw and rebellious. Today bands generally reduce cussing on an album because Wal-Mart won’t sell it if they say the fuck word. Rock music isn’t supposed to be written according to marketing trends. Why would a kid want to grow up to be a Rock musician if Nickelback is the only Rock N Roll exposure they get?

Did you see this Green Day performance?

 
 

He says “I’m not Justin Bieber” Yeah, Justin probably would have behaved less like a diva. But look at the audience. Most of them are sitting and texting, waiting for this “Punk” band to get off the stage. Why would he want to play for people that don’t want to hear him, and I guarantee you he got paid the same either way. So he rebelliously tears up his guitar like Kurt Cobain would often do when he was mimicking Pete Townshend. Only, when Billy Joel Armstrong does it, he looks like a bitch throwing a fit. On the bright side, Fender enjoyed a small increase in sales when Armstrong had to buy a replacement instrument.

You know why Green Day sells enough CDs to be allowed to stay on their label? It’s not because they write good music. It’s because people want Rock music.
 

B. Nicki Minaj Endorses Mitt Romney


Speaking of rebellion in music. Remember when people worried about the kids because their idols were worshiping Satan? Well nothing has changed.


  

Friday, September 14, 2012

CD Review: The Saint by Alex The Great


In modern times, if you are anybody that has something and you want somebody to see it, the internet is step one. Now you want your product to rise above and stand out. Product name is very important. If you made a movie and called it Oreo there is no chance anybody looking for it will ever find it. If some kid in Brazil read an article about you in the latest issue of Independente Filme Brasil and he is just busting to find more information on you and your stupendous film, all he will find is Nabisco advertisements.

I did a Google search for the band Alex The Great and was bombarded by endless links regarding Alexander the Great. He was the king of Macedonia. Are you familiar with his work?
Alex The Great is an indie-rock band from Brighton, UK. Their 4 song EP “The Saint” is pretty fucking impressive. I am going to state the negative first. Their lyrics are not that great. The band’s BIO is equally, un-interestingly written. When I heard this CD and was instantly drawn to it, I wanted to learn some facts about this band, their achievements, previous releases, or even just stories/anecdotes about the process of recording this album. Instead what I got was hyperbole such as “each musician brings a sense of individuality to every song, creating a sound that is truly unique.” I really like this CD, but as far as being truly unique, it could easily be compared to the band America or World Party.

With the EP title being “The Saint” and songs 1,2,3 being The Saint I, The Saint II, and The Saint III it appears to be a concept album. Track 1 comes across like a “Father of Mine” type of song, but the other two aren’t clear in meaning. I would speculate that it is a concept CD, but too personal to interpret.

So letting go of that, and moving past it, great vocals, harmonies that hook you, and top-notch musicianship completely over shadow the lyrics. The songwriting (melodies, and instrumentation) is beautiful. This album teeters on amazing, dipping towards it, and almost touching.

There are a lot of “new folk” or “Americana” bands out there right now, and acoustic music is hot. This is not that. These are sounds that create airy dreamscapes, a controlled energy demonstrating power rock via soft exposure.

Today, artist development is virtually dead. Did you know R.E.M. was almost unknown until their 5th album “Document”, and it wasn’t until their 6th album “Green” that a large part of the population knew who they were? Despite that, their record label (IRS) released an album a year, every year between 1983 and 1988 until they blew up huge. Today labels expect the quick fix, and to be fair, musicians also expect instant gratification. Often if a band doesn’t get recognized quickly, the members will want to move on to another project with the hopes the new one will have that magic.

Alex The Great is a young band. If they stay together and grow together, they are capable of making something significant. I look forward to hearing their future efforts.

Sample it, and buy it.

No Italian-American ever commited a crime.


Apparently "the mafia" is only a Hollywood creation with no basis in reality. We should all be ashamed of ourselves for falling for such trickery. I received a press release showing me the path that is right. My favorite line from the press release is "These trash-television purveyors now want to brainwash a new generation with this insidious and hurtful stereotype of Italian Americans," Right on, I mean did you ever see Jersey Shore? Why can't Hollywood portray more Italian American's like that?

 _____________________________________

 From PRNewswire:

Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition Demands Nickelodeon Halt Film Production of 'Nicky Deuce' Citing Stereotyping of Italian Americans as Criminals

Italian American anti-bias group blasts Nickelodeon, MarVista Entertainment and Viacom as "irresponsible" for racist depictions and stereotypes of Italian Americans aimed at young audience BLOOMFIELD, N.J., Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling upcoming film "Nicky Deuce" an example of one of the most irresponsible levels of broadcasting targeted at young children that will portray negative stereotypes about Italian Americans, Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition (IAOVC) President Andre DiMino called on Nickelodeon, its affiliates and parent company, to halt production of the movie. "Nicky Deuce," being produced by Nickelodeon (whose parent company Viacom infamously produces "Jersey Shore" with MTV) and MarVista Entertainment, is based on a children's book by former "Sopranos" cast member Steven Schirippa and co-author Charles Fleming. The book is about a 12-year-old boy who spends the summer in Brooklyn with his Italian grandmother and Italian uncle, who he suspects is in the Mafia. While in Brooklyn, he meets any number of negatively stereotyped Italian Americans, and befriends another Italian boy and begins his descent into a life of petty crime involving counterfeit bills and bootlegging. The film, currently in production in Canada, is scheduled to debut on Nickelodeon next year. The production recently announced the additional bad news that four "Sopranos" cast members would also be starring. "These trash-television purveyors now want to brainwash a new generation with this insidious and hurtful stereotype of Italian Americans," DiMino stated. "We are appealing to all parents - please, don't let your children watch this garbage." "Numerous studies since the advent of television have shown the impact this type of programming can have on the minds of young children," DiMino said. "It is beyond reprehensible that a children's network like Nickelodeon would so grossly abdicate any semblance of corporate responsibility and target young children with a racist, stereotypical movie on Italian Americans. This is gutter television at its very worst, and all parents whose children watch Nickelodeon should be forewarned about 'Nicky Deuce.'" DiMino noted that ONE VOICE is planning a campaign to reach out to educators, family organizations, and Nickelodeon's sponsors regarding this matter. ONE VOICE opposed and criticized the book when it was released in 2005, and had completed a 26-page report which included the results of a questionnaire sent to educators and community activists. A summary is available upon request for those interested in its findings. ONE VOICE's sole focus and objective is to fight bias, stereotyping and discrimination against Italian Americans. It is the only national Italian American organization with this exclusive mission. ONE VOICE has activists and organization members across the country and issues a regular email newsletter, "The Alfano Digest," to more than 5,000 individuals and Italian American organizations nationwide. _______________________________________________________________________

CD Review: APRIL by Fallon Cush

Rock music seems to be a dying art. Electronic music is thriving, and a lot of the "rock oriented" music being given to us is so over produced it becomes heavily flawed by it's flawlessness.

 The album April by Fallon Cush is not that. With strong, sincere and honest song writing, and production levels set where they should be, this album is certainly authentic.

 April is a solid pop-rock with a country feel CD. It is not quite Eagles caliber, but very Tom Petty. If you like the traditional, mainstream, rock style I would recommend this album. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/falloncush3

Monday, September 10, 2012

To Rant Tyrannical Rants


"Inundated" is a word I virtually never use. Honestly, I had to look it up just now to confirm its meaning. I learn words from TV or movies and assume I know what they mean. I often use the words correctly, but pronounce them wrong.

 In school we took spelling and vocabulary tests that were ripped directly from the back of our books. Every August school would start with us tearing out a year’s worth of tests and passing them to the front. The teacher would use these as the tests that would be passed back out to us, one a week for the next nine months (minus Xmas vacation and spring break).

 In the seventh grade I did something that I am now reminded of almost daily. At the end of the school year, my math teacher asked for a volunteer to take the books back down to the storage room. Taking on this task got me access to the supply room. In the supply room, I had access to every spelling and vocabulary test for the remainder of my K-12 career.

 It is really pretty amazing that a person that made straight A’s in the subject, could have such a limited vocabulary. I blame the public school system.

 The world is inundated with new music. So much of it coming out every day, some good, some bad, some mediocre, barely any of it is fantastic, but certainly an incomprehensible amount generated very second of every day.

 

 If you pay any attention at all to music, you will know what I am talking about. It is not something I only just discovered, but rather something that was recently pushed home. Last week I had a phone conversation with a program director I don’t know from a station I never heard of in Portland Oregon. During the conversation she mentioned that a particular band was “a bit soft for our format.” This excited me. I got a tingle in my scrotum because I am ready for the re-surge of heavy, or at least angry, rock. I had to know what “not soft” music she was playing. So I asked, “what not soft music do you play” and she gave me a very long, very detailed list of bands. I did not recognize a single one. I looked her directly in the eye over the phone and thought "For all I know you are making up these band names," She could have very well have been fucking with me, “oh you know we play Carpet and that one band Desk, oh yeah and Lamp. I love Lamp”

 

 For approximately 2 minutes I went “uh huh, oh yeah? them too?” Politely I waited until she finished. Then I said, “I have never heard of a single one of them.” She did the thing that people do where they pretend like you are not as up to speed on music as they are, and eventually told me they all tasted like chicken and sounded like Arcade Fire, Built to Spill or Foo Fighters. These were names I recognized, but don’t listen too because they are too soft for my playlist format.

 I get over 10 new albums a day recommended for potential reviews. Some of it’s “ok” none of its really that great. In the words of Jack Nicholson, “this town needs an enema.”

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Lauren O'Connell: Acoustic, but not New-Folk nor Americana.


I am waiting for some marketing genius to coin the phrase that will be widely accepted as the identifying term to describe the years 2000 to 2012. We have all grown accustomed to calling the crazy hippie / anti war years “the sixties”, the disco years “the seventies”, Reagan / MTV years “the eighties”, and the grunge / no national debt / violent crime dropped in the United States (for the first time in five decades) years “the nineties” but what do we call 2000 to 2012? Will those be the preteen years, or simply “the aughts” as in two thousand aught one.


Musically speaking, these years will turn out to be some of the most historically significant. Y2K may not have had wide spread results, shutting down infrastructures or really doing much of anything, but with the invention of Napster in 1999, the year 2000 was the beginning of the end of what the record industry perceived as reality. But, like Papa Hemingway once told us, the sun also rises.

 In the post-apocalyptic world of illegal downloading, new methods of promoting music have arisen. Among these, Youtube has been recognized as a cheap and effective way for musicians to get themselves seen… Well the effectiveness DID exist. Now Google has turned it into such a cluttered mess, it is less likely that your video will be seen. But in the last five years of this century’s first decade, or “the aughts”, Youtube made some people celebrities on some level. Of these side-stage stars, Lauren O’Connell shines the brightest.

 For the most part the majority of the Youtube darlings are cover bands, and for the most part they all do the same schtick. They do jazzy renditions of pop songs. It’s a slightly less ridiculous version of the Richard Cheese routine. Of these, Pomplamoose reign king and queen. If not for their popularity, I would never had heard Lauren O’Connell. Initially I was exposed to her side project with Nataly Dawn: My Terrible Friend. Up front, it doesn’t appear any different than the rest. They did covers, though with choices like Tom Waits, they were admittedly less from the pop charts. I watched their videos, not really interested, until I saw them perform the song “When I Decide.” The song doesn’t list any writing credit. I am not 100% sure it is an O’Connell song, but having grown more familiar with her wit, clever cynicism, and poetic taunts, I would be willing to go all in and bet the credit is her’s.

  

 It is a wonderful song, and if My Terrible Friend had less cover songs, and more songs like “When I Decide” and “The Daylight Here” I would have bought their EP. Don’t get me wrong. From a commercially viable, units sold, perspective, the cover song gig works. I just prefer cover songs in smaller doses, heavily slathered in a gravy of original material.

 At that time, prior to the release of Quitters (her 3rd album) O’Connell was offering a bulk download of everything she had ever recorded for $20. It was about 25 songs including her albums Sitting In Chairs, and The Shakes. In addition there were some out takes including the song White Noise which eventually ended up on the next release, Quitters.


 

 The CD Sitting In Chairs doesn’t really do much for me. I am glad I didn’t hear of her when this album was released because I know how narrow minded I am and it is possible I might have dismissed her permanently based on this album. It is much easier in hind site to look at it compared to the two albums that followed and guess that she was likely just finding her voice. Maybe she was shaking off everything she learned, and preparing to do things her own way. When it comes to song writing, you never really know. To Lauren, these songs on the first album could be the most personal, and in some cases those tend to be the ones that don’t really resonate as well with others. That is unless you are Eric Clapton and you have the ability to go up to Will Jennings and say “hey, I will pay you to write a song about my kid dying, so I can tell everybody I wrote it, put it on a sound track, and make millions off his death.”

 From the first line from the first song from The Shakes, the Lauren O’Connell style stands out. With beauty and charm she describes something as simple as her lawn, and when you think she is making a point, she lets you know she is not:

"There's a tree in my yard and it killed all the other plants / And showed no remorse but even nature's a bitch / So that bitch is gonna take her course /  It dominates the lawn and it doesn't seem right / It played out like that / But you won't hear me complain 'cause it don't look bad"

 There is a theme in O’Connell’s writing. She often comes across as “Maybe I care. Maybe I don’t” and she delivers the message with astute observations of minute details while spinning a yarn half exaggerated, and a quarter true.

 The first two albums were very well recorded, but obviously home made. For her third effort, she wanted to go into a studio. Lauren chose to utilize Pledgemusic to raise money to help with her recording cost. She set an undisclosed goal, and created a new Pledgemusic standard by raising her goal in less than 24 hours (the first to do this). Sixty days later, at the end of the pledge drive, she had reached 268% of her original goal.

 Very shortly after raising 268% of her goal, O’Connell announced to her fans that she was going to ask them for more money to pay her way to SXSW. At the time, that struck me as rather ballsy.

 Still operating on her own, with no label support, Lauren released the album Quitters March 2012. The record was engineered & mixed by Oz Fritz, and is pretty impressive. O’Connell has really come into her own. She has an all around understanding of what makes an album enjoyable from beginning to end. In addition to focusing on song writing, she also crafts the complete work like a roller coaster ride. Just when you are tired of the lows, she lifts you up, and then eventually drops you down again. The woman is a rock star. She just doesn’t know it yet. She is a Neil Young for her generation. She has the ability to take us down the middle of the road, and maintain a mainstream interest, but she won’t. She is going to hit the ditches and cross the field and take us on a more interesting journey. I personally am looking forward to the ride.


 

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

CD Review: Collette Savard - Best Dress

Artist:  Collette Savard
Album:  Best Dress
Label:  Self released
Release date: April 21 2012

The first track on this CD is Nicer Things, which is a slow paced country song.  When I first listened to it I noticed that the vocals sounded far away.  Initially I didn’t like it, but gradually I began to appreciate it.  It was a brave measure for an otherwise straightforward song.  I could tell she had a beautiful voice, and thought it was interesting she had chose to bury it in the mix.  Then I realized my headphones were plugged in all the way.  Yep, that fixed it and put the vocals back on top of the mix as the artist intended.

The musicianship that went into Best Dress is impressive.  There are something like fifteen instruments being played on the album, but not necessarily all at once so it provides variety without being overwhelming.  Collette has a beautiful voice and controls it as an instrument and not just as a means to express the lyrics.  Her music is folk, country, pop.  I would really like to hear her sing sincere angry rock from her heart.  She has a voice that, if fueled by true vengeful hurt, would bring a level of legitimacy back to a whore of an industry………………… But that is not her style.

By song #6 I wasn’t sure about this album as a whole.  Individually the songs were good, but together there wasn’t enough variety for my taste.  Then track seven started: Are You Coming Along.  This is my favorite track on the album.  The composition is very interesting and the reverse tracks utilized in mixing changes the otherwise conventional style of the album.  The song is hooky and catches your attention more so than the rest.

I went and looked up some of Collette’s other material online.  The two main players in the project have a lot of talent, and are doing some very interesting things.  I could be missing the mark, but it almost seems like they are hungry to get out of the box.  Every now and then they create an ethereal noise that stands apart from the rest of their music.  I think it is those few glimpses where we see of what they are capable.

This is not from the album, but I like it.

Monday, July 2, 2012

What What

I received a press release that said:

Orange County Musician Hosts a Show on Airsee.com

STOP THE MOTHER FLIPPING PRESSES... Oh, wait a minute, that is what Airsee.com is for... I guess this isn't really news. Okay, go ahead a restart the presses.

That would be equal to, but not as interesting as, a press release titled:

Cleveland County woman urinates in toilet.... Film at Eleven.

CD Review: 2nd Life - Everything is Possible

I receive CDs to be reviewed and have no real rule of thumb deciding which ones to review. I chose the album Everything’s Possible by 2nd Life because they are from South Africa and I decided I wanted to hear what S.A. had to offer.

Unlike most people, I not only like, but actually really love cover songs. Some times I get excited about them. If it is a song I really like, I want to hear what one musician did with it compared to the original artist’s presentation of it. So when I got this CD and I saw the title of track 5, I went straight to it.

This band’s rendition of Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac is interesting and certainly not bad, but lacks the power of the original.  Stevie Nicks has done interviews stating how much she hates singing the song because, when written, it was Lindey Buckingham’s way of calling her a bitch and a slut. The song comes from pain and anger. 2nd Life’s version is empty of either.

The album over all is poppy and upbeat. I could find very little information on the artist (2nd life is a one man band) other than his previous band experience, but just listening to this album gives you a pretty clear idea of his musical influences. At different times during different songs your ear can taste ingredients like Kansas, Metalica, Rick Springfield, Hoodie and the Blowfish, etc.

This is a very safe album with an almost Christian Rock sound. If you have a young niece and her mom doesn’t want her listening to a lot of songs that may contain the “fuck” word, then this is a safe buy.

Check out the video for the song 2011. Even though they don’t sound exactly a like, see if the intro guitar riff makes you want to start singing “Hold On Loosely” by 38 Special.


_____________________________________________________

Side note:

For a less pretty, but more angry version of Go Your Own Way, check out the version by the punk band Seaweed.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Flaming Lips break record for most shows in 24 hours

(Reuters) Oklahoma rockers The Flaming Lips broke the Guinness world record for most shows performed in 24 hours this week, taking the title from previous record holder Jay-Z. The band performed eight shows in eight different U.S. cities, kicking off in Memphis, Tennessee on Wednesday, playing through Mississippi and finishing in New Orleans, Louisiana on Thursday. Front man Wayne Coyne posted a picture on Twitter on Thursday with a certificate from Guinness World Records after the band's fast-paced tour that viewers were able to watch live online as part of the O Music Awards. Rapper Jay-Z previously held the record for performing in seven cities across the United States in November 2006, using his private jet to travel from Atlanta to Las Vegas in 24 hours. The Flaming Lips rose to fame with their 1993 single "She Don't Use Jelly," and have won three Grammy awards. The band caused a buzz with fans and critics earlier this month after releasing a controversial video featuring singer Erykah Badu naked for their song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." (Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and David Gregorio)

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Video Review: Soundgarden - Live To Rise

Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron are gods. Ben Shepherd doesn't stand in their way. Chris Cornell is a tattered shell empty of the creamy soul center that once made him such a joy to hear.  

Sunday, February 12, 2012

CD Review: Big Okie Doom - Oklahomegrown

CD: OKLAHOMEGROWN
BAND: Big Okie Doom
LABEL: Lackpro Records
.
RELEASE DATE: March 2nd. 2012

MEMBERS:
Michael Albatross - Guitar/Vocals
Paige Vernon - Drums
Price Vernon - Bass

Hailing from the world's largest small town, Big Okie Doom is an Oklahoma City band with years of street cred, while maintaining virtual anonymity. Having been involved in bands such as the legendary New Orleans based "The Slugs" (now known as Crowbar), Pavement recording artist "Ugly Stick", the L.A. pop-punk band "Kottak", and an endless list of other bands, the members of Big Okie Doom have rooted themselves deep in the heavier side of Americana music.

Now, in anticipation of the release of their first CD with Lackpro Records it is not likely the members of Big Okie Doom will be able to continue lurking in the shadows. People are going to listen. This album has got groove.

In the time of Pro Tools and over the top production, the CD "OKLAHOMEGROWN" utilizes lo-fi recording methods. Reminiscent of bands such as Guided By Voices, Big Okie Doom has done more with less, allowing songwriting and style to stand out.

The style of Big Okie Doom is an incomparable amalgam of fused influences that include stoner rock with heavy metal vocals that explode from a country and western core.This band provides crunchy guitar riffs that lean toward flashy, then come back to tasty. The drums are not complex, but create a rhythmic melody into which you want to fall and flow. The bass follows where it should, and leads when it needs. In any particular song you might hear hints of TOOL, Ted Nugent, Queens Of The Stone Age or Alabama, but B.O.D. doesn't attempt to emulate their peers. WIth the EP OKLAHOMEGROWN, Big Okie Doom has created a whole that is more than the sum of it’s parts. This CD is raw, and powerful.