PIGSHIT by Gary Pig Gold – THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE SIXTIES
July 31, 2009 by Gary Pig Gold · Leave a Comment
If veteran rabble-rousing, uber-networking, visionary (“Blacklisted”) journalist Al Aronowitz’s lifetime of achievements should be remembered for but one solitary event, may I posit it be for what he managed to pull off in the immediate hours following The Beatles’ concert debut at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, New York, one dreamy midsummer 1964’s night.
For it was within mere minutes after the final shrieks of and around “Long Tall Sally” wafted skyward that our story begins, with the Fab Four safely ensconced back upon the sixth floor of Manhattan’s Hotel Delmonico. Somehow, into that inner sanctum high atop the Beatle-manic corner of Park and 59th, was snuck none other than Bob Dylan, a bottle of cheap wine, and a fateful envelope’s worth of herbal libation.
Ladies and gentlemen, life as we knew it was about to abruptly cut from stark black and white to rich, fully-dimensional stereophonic day-glo from that momentous moment hence.
It seems Bob, misreading a certain “I Want To Hold Your Hand” refrain as “I get high” as opposed to “I can’t hide,” had been convinced to confront those four lyrical Liverpudlians he’d previously dismissed with that cruelest of epithets: “Bubblegum!” In the process, to break the trans-oceanic ice as it were, he decided to introduce his fabulous new pals to the hitherto non-rockin’ accoutrement known as, yep, marijuana.
CD Review: Dead Poets – Starving Artist (Level Media House)
July 30, 2009 by Scott Homewood · Leave a Comment
Let’s face it: since the early 1980’s rock and roll in all of its’ forms has been pretty much passe. The chords have all been struck, the modes and scales shredded and re-shredded like yesterday’s coleslaw and all the melodies sound re-hashed and unmemorable. And while there are plenty of bands and artists that excite me musically, they aren’t exactly paving any new ground. They simply do what they do well enough for me to think they have what it takes to make some noise in a big way. Some excel at what they do so much it almost makes me think they have a chance at setting the world on fire and come with something totally transcendent down the line. A select few make me believe that rock and roll might have a chance. Most however, just do the bar band thing and are competent enough to get to a certain level but no higher (hello John Mayer – I am looking at you!) as they carve out a niche for themselves and their coterie of hipper-than-thou fans, most of which would rather keep their “new discoveries” to themselves anyway lest people they find uncool (ie. THE PUBLIC AT LARGE) also somehow enjoy their music, comfort them by saying they “wouldn’t be understood” anyways. But, rising above the din and reconfiguring all of modern music has been the arrival of rap/hip-hop music – bringing the vitality of the streets and combining it with technology to create a style of music both primal and futuristic and discombobulating everything that has come since.
Dragonair Partners Up With Global Battle Of The Bands (China)!
July 30, 2009 by Mark Boudreau · Leave a Comment
HONG KONG, 24 July, 2009–Dragonair (KA) is supporting the global live music competition by providing flights for the winning Shanghai and winning Beijing bands to attend the China final (to be held in Hong Kong). Mr Kenny Tang, Chief Executive Officer of Dragonair said: “We are delighted to be involved with the live music scene in China which has lots to offer to the entire world.”
Global Battle of the Bands China this year will include five cities: Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Each city will select one winning band based on judges and audience votes. Judges comprising of established musicians, respected music journalists, music editors and people involved in the music industry. Judges confirmed so far include: Jun Kung (drummer, producer), Soler (band), Silvester See Wai Yin (veteran musician, Acehero Films), Vincent Lee (Warner Music Hong Kong) and Christine Samson (Singer & Vocal Coach to top artists in HK such as Joey Yung, G.E.M., Fong Lik Sun). Top live music venues from each city will be used : Yugongyishan (Beijing), Yuyingtang (Shanghai), The Cavern (Hong Kong), Jin Bar (Shenzhen) and XL Creations (Macau).
Each of the five cities winners will battle out in Hong Kong in November 2009 to see who will represent China in the World Final of Global Battle of the Bands in London, England and the chance to win the grand prize of US$100,000 in band development (1 week in a top London recording studio with a producer, a 10 date United Kingdom tour and 10,000 USD in cash.) The competition in China will take off in August and over 200 bands are expected to participate and only one can represent China in London, England in December 2009.
Chris B, National Director of GBOB China, “Everyone is now looking at China for the next big band that is un-manufactured and playing real music, this competition will expose those potential bands to the world.”
GBOB International was formed in 2004 and the China division created in 2008. Over 36 countries are taking part in 2009. The World Final will be held in La Scala, London, England on 13 December 2009.
In 2008, there were 28 countries taking part. The 2008 World Final GBOB judges; comprised Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols bassist/songwriter), Jim Lowe (producer: Stereophonics, Charlatans etc) and Ben Adams (ex-member of A1 and now producer) and they all agreed that China would be the country to watch at 2009 finals. “Clearly Killer Soap have put the world on notice that Chinese bands are ready to take the world stage in rock music” said Matt Walker, organizer of the Global Battle of the bands competition. “The bands enthusiasm, sound and great vocals really got the judges attention” he said.
Killer Soap (from Hong Kong) represented China at the GBOB 2008 World Final. Killer Soap’s guitarist Kevin said “Killer Soap’s participation in the GBOB World Final in 2008 opened up a whole new chapter for us, both musically and culturally. It was really really exciting to share music with bands from other parts of the world . Despite the difference in our languages, skin colors, cultural backgrounds and musical styles, we came together, in London, to share and appreciate music. Music became the universal language for us to communicate with each other.”
In 2008 GBOB China did not include Beijing due to the restrictions of the Olympic Games, and all the Beijing bands are excited to be included this year. There are over 2000 bands in Beijing alone.
Photo Essay and Review: The Rebel Reviewer Checks Out KISS!
July 29, 2009 by Mike Forbes · 2 Comments
Out of the 6 or 7 times I’ve seen Kiss, I thoroughly enjoyed this show the most by far. Sure they had all the fire, blood, bombs and other pyro, but the show just seemed a whole lot simpler for some reason. Maybe it was the pint sized stage that barely held their equipment, logo and video screens. Or maybe it’s cuz there’s only 2 guys in the band that they can really spotlight and show off anymore as the others are really just hired guns doing what they’re told to do.
Yes I know the fine people at Bayfest went out and spent a gazillion dollars on a new stage, the biggest one they’ve had yet, and a fine stage it is, but for Kiss, it’s a pretty small stage! That being said, the small stage is where ya wanna see the larger than life Kiss members anyway. Every time I saw Kiss, it was from a fair distance from the stage. Never had I had the chance to push my way up to 3rd row to take in my favourite childhood band and enjoy them so close up.
CD Review: Bleu “A Watched Pot”
July 29, 2009 by Bill Sullivan · 1 Comment
Bleu needs no introduction to readers of my blog, so I will cut right to the chase and tell you that his new record, “A Watched Pot” is nothing short of brilliant. I believe my hunch that this record would be an instant classic (read here) was right on the money. What does it sound like? Well, not quite “Twisted Sister meets Mister Mister”, as Bleu sings in “Boy Meets Girl”.
The first thing that struck me about the record was the number of slow to mid-tempo numbers. Nothing really accelerates much except the thrilling E.L.O. flavored “Kiss Me”, which could easily have been written during his stint with L.E.O. – reviewed here). Normally a collection of slower tunes would be a turnoff for me, but these songs are so infectious, so meticulously produced, and so well sung that you forget their pace. Bleu sounds better than ever on this batch of tunes, pulling off some of the greatest vocal moments I’ve heard from him. Sandra McCracken (sounding very much like Sheryl Crow) duets with Bleu on the ballad “When the Lights Go Out” while The Get Up Choir contributes to “One Day”, giving both tracks that little something extra to make it special.
CD Review: Daughtry “Leave This Town”
July 28, 2009 by Bill Sullivan · Leave a Comment
Chris Daughtry is now feeling the other side of the double-edge sword of having a phenomenally successful debut album. The former American Idol contestant was subject to one of the biggest injustices in the history of the show by being voted off far too early in the competition several years ago. Perhaps a blessing in disguise, he went on to make one of the biggest selling records in recent times, gracing radio with plenty of melodic hard rock goodness. He is his own hard act to follow.
To help with the sophomore effort, Daughtry has enlisted the songwriting talents of Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, Brian Howes, Mitch Allen, and more. The disc begins with the in your face guitars and the soaring, badass vocals we all expect from Daughtry. After this fierce reminder that he is still a force to be reckoned with, he glides right into the more radio-friendly “No Surprise”, following this up with three more pop-based rockers, “Everytime You Turn Around” (a personal favorite), “Life After You”, and “What I Meant To Say”. After this, the songs are OK, rarely leaving the ballad or mid-tempo pace, and not matching the quality we’ve heard on the debut. The latter half of the CD is very ballad heavy and grows tiresome, not helped by duds like the country-flavored “Tennessee Line”.
Another complaint is that the record seems to be on a mission to impress with the guitars and bombastic production rather than the voice. Daughtry has an amazing voice, but it is a shame to hear it take so few chances and to persistently get buried in the excessively loud guitars. Lyrically, we’re also on ho-hum ground: unimaginative and straight-forward, but at least not silly.
The record is solid, but Daughtry is just running in place. In short, the title of the first single pretty much sums up the record as a whole: no surprise. I hope he comes back with a vengeance on the third release to give us the record we know he has the potential to deliver.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8
Daughtry: Official site.
Click on the album cover and buy it from Amazon:
UnCovered Interview – The Rolling Stones Lips & Tongue logo, with designs by Ernie Cefalu
July 27, 2009 by Michael Goldstein · 1 Comment
Interview with Ernie Cefalu – Part 2
When setting out to do the research needed to provide the introductions to the articles I write on album cover art and the talented people who create it, I typically follow a fairly straight-forward process. After selecting the record cover I want to feature, I either dig through my own LP collection or do the research online to find out who’s credited for the photograph, illustration and/or overall design of the package. I then contact that individual and ask them to help me uncover the story behind “the making of” that image, which I then craft into the interview articles you’ve read (and, hopefully, enjoyed) online or in print.
In that research, I sometimes find that credit is given solely to a record label’s Art Director, whether the AD actually participated in the production of the work or simply supervised it (usually, it’s some combination of both hands-on and directorial work). For those of you who haven’t worked in a “creative” field (advertising, graphic design, photography, music, etc.), yes, it’s true – egos do sometimes run wild and sometimes credit is not given where it is due (”please say it ain’t so, Joe!”).
The Rock and Roll Report Band of the Week is Fire Bug
July 27, 2009 by Matheson Kamin · Leave a Comment
(Editor’s note: We continue our occasional look back at past Band’s of the Week over the summer with a trip back to February 2, 2009)
To set themselves apart from the crowd, today’s musicians that are looking for some popularity have gone from making the same old tired rock to making something that catches the ear of the listener. Whether it’s taking today’s style of music and adding some elements from other eras, or by adding instruments that have never really been popular in rock, the unusual has started to become the usual as some musicians want to revitalize music. It’s not the big record companies who are trying to bring some fresh ideas back to the music, it’s these musicians who are trying to stand apart from the crowd that are the ones who are keeping today’s rock fresh. One such band that’s making music that stands apart from most of what’s out there right now is the band Fire Bug.
CD Review: ‘In the Wooded Forest’ by Savoir Adore
July 27, 2009 by Stefany Mohebban · Leave a Comment
You won’t often find me seeking out poppy, experimental rock. But I can’t deny that it is sometimes catchy and appropriate, and makes good background music while doing certain chores, such as ironing clothes or dusting my bedroom. I gave ‘In The Wooded Forest’ the first full length album by Savoir Adore (a Brooklyn based indie band) a listen the other day while I was browsing the internet. I thought to myself “I’m gonna hate it and throw in Mastodon before the second song ends!”. But that was not the case. I made it through the entire album, even stopping to check what a couple of the tracks were called. Before I get into the music, i’d like to give props to the artist who made the album art. It compliments the music and what I think the band is emitting, quite successfully… and it’s pretty!
Gary Pig Gold has EIGHT QUESTIONS For NARDWUAR (The Human Serviette)
July 24, 2009 by Gary Pig Gold · Leave a Comment
The single greatest living Canadian since Stompin’ Tom Connors, whose latest Evaporators release “A Wild Pear” shares seven Mint Records inches with Andrew W.K., tells us all…..
1. “Munsters” or “Addams Family”: Which one’s for you, and Why?
Well, “Munsters” of course, since Yvonne De Carlo (Lily!) was born in my hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. By the way, since we’re speaking of births, why not mention death? Errol Flynn died in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 1959, to be exact. With his 16-year-old lover. Like you care.
2. Who in the world, living or dead, would you most like to play a game of “Twister” with?
I don’t know yet. My dad once met John Denver on an airplane ride. Does that count?
3. How many Sid King & The Five Strings records do you own?
Gary, I don’t know who Sid King & The Five Strings are! Please, oh please tell me, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, who Sid King & The Five Strings are:
[ well, Nardwuar, simply check out my piece on ‘em in Visible Ink Press’ “Music Hound Rock: The Essential Album Guide” book, OK? And/or contact the very good folk at Norton Records. ]
