Tag Archives: Rolling Stones

PIGSHIT: “MACH SCHAU, PEEDLES!”

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Every Sixties recording artist seemed to have ‘em:  There were the Beach Boys’ Hite Morgan tapes, the Stones’ IBC demos, the Byrds’ notorious Jet Set sessions, and even the Velvet Underground’s attempts at becoming East Coast studio stringers for Gary Lewis and the Playboys (…just kidding about that last one) (I think).

As a brand new collection called The Beatles with Tony Sheridan: First Recordings, 50th Anniversary Edition more than proves, even the almighty Fab Four were not immune to this pre-fame plague of skeletons-in-the-audio-closet. For you see, when not binging on Chuck Berry, Preludins and Schnaps in Hamburg’s red-light district throughout their, um, formative years, our heroes also served as in-studio back-up band to one of Britain’s then very biggest rock stars.  Continue reading →

PIGSHIT: The small machine that could

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For all intents and purposes, Lindsey Adams Buckingham has lived a charmed life.

Raised in the comfy Bay Area opulence of 1950′s Atherton, California, a handsome, athletic golden boy suddenly and forever sidetracked by his elder brother’s Elvis and Buddy Holly 45s. He quit the school water polo team, moved with his guitar into a local hotshot band called Fritz, left for L.A. with their singer Stevie, produced with her the magnificently understated Buckingham Nicks album, was soonafter asked to join Fleetwood Mac with whom he helped craft a 40-million-plus-selling album called Rumours and, by 1978 at the age of twenty-nine finally found himself at the very tip-top of his game.

For all intents and purposes, that is.  Continue reading →

PIGSHIT: High Tide and Fazed Cookies

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The jury – to say nothing of the legal teams – appear to still be out on precisely how much of a bigger bang the Rolling Stones are planning next year to mark their fiftieth (!) year together as a band. Will they in fact, even for a concert or two, be able to regain the best bass player they ever had? Can even long-lost Mick Taylor again be convinced to try to fill Brian’s musical shoes for maybe a solo or two?? Anything to prevent, or at least delay, the next Jagger so-low album, I can already hear all of you thinking out there!  Continue reading →

PIGSHIT: They Ain’t Heavy…

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Never as naughty as the Rolling Stones, nor as pin-up perfect as Herman’s Hermits; seldom as musically adventurous as the Yardbirds, nitty-gritty as the Animals, or full-on bombastic as The Who. Of course, as truly no-one was, they just weren’t as precociously talented as those Beatles either.

In fact, throughout the entire artistic marathon which was 1960′s pop, perhaps their only true competition – in the vocal department at least – would be the all-American Beach Boys. And, like them, it seems the only true “crime” The Hollies ever committed during their illustrious decades-long career was that they solely concentrated on, well, just making good records.  Continue reading →

“Our band is called Sun Wizard, how about you guys?” – James Younger

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Vancouver’s Sun Wizard is a catchy band whose music is as brilliant as the sun. The group is made up of four friends: James, Mally, Ben and Francesco. The lead singer has the perfect rough voice to make their rock tracks appealing and enjoyable and my favorite one off their new album, Positively 4th Avenue, is “World’s Got a Handle,” a song that reminds me of Razorlight.

“10 Buildings” can take you back to the 1990s, as it has a very similar sound to Nirvana, and overall, with its diversity, Positively 4th Avenue is an album worth listening to because it has the knack to transport you into the band’s own psychic world.  Song writer and guitarist James Younger took time to answer some questions before the album’s September 20th release. Continue reading →

16-year-old soul, forty-five years later

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Most of us first met this latest in a long line of Fifth Beatles on or soon after April 11, 1969 with the release of a self-described little “song to roller-coast by” called “Get Back.” Never before, you see, had the Fab Four shared sacred label credit with anyone other than themselves. But there it was, printed right atop that bright green revolving Granny Smith: “The Beatles… with Billy Preston.”

However, much prior to his musical roller-coasting, William Everett Preston already enjoyed a proud and prodigious career, launched from his mother’s lap where, at age three, he began playing the family piano. Soon he was performing with James Cleveland, Andraé Crouch and Mahalia Jackson, and in 1958 portrayed W.C. Handy (alongside Nat “King” Cole) in the film St. Louis Blues. Barely into his teens, Billy was on the road with Little Richard (first running into the Beatles in Hamburg, Germany) and Ray Charles when he was hired in 1963 to perform on the Sam Cooke album Night Beat. His organ work throughout those sessions – on the version of “Little Red Rooster” therein especially – lead to his immediately being signed, on the spot, to Cooke’s fledgling SAR label. Continue reading →

Cd Review: The Trews “Hope and Ruin”

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We should know who The Trews are. This Canadian band has released four albums in the last seven years. Two of them went gold. They’ve had two number one hits and ten Top-10 singles. They’ve played nearly 800 live shows, including support slots for the Rolling Stones, Robert Plant, Guns N’ Roses, Nickelback and KISS.

Led by an exceptional voice that is nearly a dead ringer for Pat Monahan (Train) on his best day and backed by an organic, roots rock ensemble, The Trews is a refreshing blast of modern pop rock. Producing good hooks just seems to be in the very fabric of this band’s DNA and there’s no shortage of excellent songs to mine from the dozen on their latest, “Hope and Ruin”. Continue reading →

Sandman Viper Command bring the greasy!

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I have to be honest and say that the first time I listened to Sandman Viper Command, I was not impressed. It was once I heard them live at Le Divan Orange in Montreal that my appreciation for them grew. Their gig convinced me that this band is worth paying attention to. What made me change my mind about them was their great enthusiasm and their ability to create a rich sound for their audience. During their performance, the four boys (Rob Janson, Daniel Reardon, Matt Meyer and Aaron Harvey) proved that they are pretty good at what they do: their instruments were always in harmony with one another, and I could tell that there was an honest collaboration between each member of the band.  By the end of their show, I could even see some similarities between their sound and that of The Rolling Stones. Overall, this is a talented band that delivers songs that are a good mix of garage rock inspired by the 1960s and indie pop.

Q) What is the main message your music tries to convey? Continue reading →

The Edification of Lick And A Promise

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You may have recently read my review of Come Together In The Morning by Lick And A Promise. Well, I have just had a chat with them regarding their formation, influences and instrument choice. They also talked a little about their recent US mini tour and their hopes for a similar tour in the UK.

Q: Can you give us a little more info on how Lick And A Promise came together in 2005?

A: Jochen and Manuel have been playing together in different bands like, forever and recorded their first real album in 2006. A year after they’ve founded Lick And A Promise. The record, which they had to produce on their own after some falling out with the original producer (but he’s a homefuck anyway), was alright, but things just didn’t really work out with the other band members. So the band kinda drifted apart without ever having played a single gig together. Continue reading →

CD Review: Lick And A Promise “Come Together In The Morning”

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You know how it goes when you get a new album: It gets loaded for the first play, as all of your attention gets drawn to it. Sometimes you may wonder why you did so and if or when it may improve. Occasionally, you may hardly notice as the music flows like an old friend singing the same old song. Every once in a while, you find something which gains your interest and draws you along, but leaves you wanting something more to complete the music pleasure or craving. When you are really, lucky you get to play something which may not instantly feed all of your cravings and as you listen, your appetite is teased with some tantalizing hors d’oeuvres on the way into a feast. Continue reading →