tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292705322024-03-14T02:51:42.898-04:00Licorice Pizza“Rock ’n’ roll has absolutely nothing to do with music. It’s much more than music. Rock ’n’ roll is who you are.”
- Lux Interioraikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.comBlogger729125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-67512697169305722010-07-09T19:06:00.000-04:002010-07-09T19:07:02.050-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDergoqnqhI/AAAAAAAADvk/DzJL7v719cE/s1600/gone+fishing+2+stack.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDergoqnqhI/AAAAAAAADvk/DzJL7v719cE/s320/gone+fishing+2+stack.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492046847761951250" /></a>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-9266149825147186172010-07-08T07:00:00.001-04:002010-07-08T07:00:03.442-04:00Auf WiedersehenWell, it looks like this is the end of the ride. I’m not much for long goodbyes, so I want to mention a few things and then I guess we’ll call it a day. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDUwhEa8DQI/AAAAAAAADvc/motixLcwRgc/s1600/taf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDUwhEa8DQI/AAAAAAAADvc/motixLcwRgc/s320/taf.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491348665328733442" /></a> First, a month or so ago I went over a half-million hits to my little blog. I had meant to mention it at the time, but the moment slipped away. I want to thank those of you who were faithful readers and checked in regularly. And thanks to anyone who even occasionally dropped by. Special thanks to the 25 people who “follow” my blog and to those of you who left comments so I would know I wasn’t doing this solely to entertain myself.<br /><br />Thanks in particular to two blogs: <a href="http://www.fuelfriendsblog.com/">I Am Fuel, You Are Friends</a> and <a href="http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/">Aquarium Drunkard</a>. These are two of the very first music-related blogs I found and they served as inspiration for starting my own. Thanks also to everyone else who exchanged links with me and added me to your blogrolls or linked something I had posted. Although I’ve never met any of you, I nonetheless feel like we’re a bit of a community. <br /><br />Big thanks to every band or artist’s rep that sent me music. I especially want to mention Amber and Clinno from <a href="http://www.buggirl.net/">BugGiRL</a>, who not only sent me music, but also stayed in touch. And when I saw them play live and met them, they were very cool and decent people. Also, thanks to every band that didn’t ask me to take down any of their music I had posted. <br /><br />Never say never. I may decide in the future I miss this and start up the blog again. We’ll see....<br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/4-04%20Rock%20and%20Roll%20Music.mp3">Rock and Roll Music.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-43586582711711559972010-07-06T22:00:00.003-04:002010-07-06T22:12:16.733-04:00Dead Weather: Bonnaroo, 2010This will probably be my last major post before <a href="http://licorice-pizza.blogspot.com/2010/06/music-from-my-mailbox-and-other_13.html">I cease operations</a> here at the Licorice Pizza blog. That should happen at the end of this week. As such, I wanted to share something really decent I got hold of not long ago. <br /><br />The Dead Weather played Day 3 (June 12) of this year’s Bonnaroo Festival, sandwiched on the “What” stage between Big Sam's Funky Nation and Jimmy Cliff on one side and Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z on the other. Kind of an unlikely, yet appropriate, slot for this unholy gothic blues quartet. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDPg37egvwI/AAAAAAAADvU/IZACHw-xHZo/s1600/deadweather_wide.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDPg37egvwI/AAAAAAAADvU/IZACHw-xHZo/s320/deadweather_wide.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490979622157860610" /></a> I’ve made no secret of mentioning that I really liked <em>Sea of Cowards</em>. I think the band and album are a natural progression for Jack White, moving forward from the basic blues stomp of the White Stripes. My only issue is that I would rather hear Jack on guitar than drums. Fans at Bonnaroo got a chance to see him do just that during their set: White stepped out to play lead guitar on “Will There Be Enough Water?” launching into an extended solo to end the set. When the band returned for its encore, Jack again took lead guitar for “I Can’t Hear You.” <br /><br />Like every other year and every other festival, needless to say I couldn’t attend Bonnaroo. It sounds as if Dead Weather was phenomenal. <em>Rolling Stone</em> wrote, “Their set was a nasty reconfiguration of classic blues, ripping out everything but the floorboards and rebuilding a rickety, menacing house on top of them.”<br /><br />I’m not sure of the original source for this recording, but the sound quality is as suitably great as the band. Again, my host is expiring in a couple of days and the individual tracks are likely not going to be available after that. The RapidShare file should be around a bit longer. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/01%20Forever%20My%20Queen.mp3">Forever My Queen.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/02%2060%20Feet%20Tall.mp3">60 Feet Tall.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/03%20Hang%20You%20From%20The%20Heavens.mp3">Hang You from the Heavens.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/04%20You%20Just%20Cant%20Win.mp3">You Just Can’t Win.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/05%20So%20Far%20From%20Your%20Weapon.mp3">So Far from Your Weapon.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/06%20I%20Cut%20Like%20A%20Buffalo.mp3">I Cut Like a Buffalo.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/07%20No%20Horse.mp3">No Horse.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/08%20A%20Child%20of%20a%20Few%20Hours%20is%20Burning.mp3">A Child of a Few Hours is Burning to Death.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/09%20The%20Difference%20Between%20Us%20Im%20M.mp3">The Difference Between Us / I’m Mad.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/10%20Hustle%20and%20Cuss.mp3">Hustle & Cuss.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/11%20Die%20By%20The%20Drop.mp3">Die by the Drop.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/12%20New%20Pony.mp3">New Pony.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/13%20Will%20There%20Be%20Enough%20Water.mp3">Will There Be Enough Water.mp3</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">encore</span><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/14%20Blue%20Blood%20Blues.mp3">Blue Blood Blues.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/15%20I%20Cant%20Hear%20You.mp3">I Can’t Hear You.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/dead%20weather/16%20Treat%20Me%20Like%20Your%20Mother.mp3">Treat Me Like Your Mother.mp3</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/405410399/dead_weather.zip">Zipfile linkage</a><br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-87317702360464660582010-07-05T21:15:00.006-04:002010-07-05T21:25:22.404-04:00Some Quick Thoughts On Peter IversA few days ago I started reading “In Heaven Everything is Fine: The Unsolved Life of Peter Ivers and the Lost History of New Wave Theatre,” by Josh Frank and Charlie Buckholtz (Free Press, $25). I had read something a couple of weeks ago that piqued my interest about Ivers and this book, although admittedly, I really knew nothing about him other than being peripherally aware of New Wave Theatre. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDKFTilAklI/AAAAAAAADvE/3G5nixDTo1k/s1600/ivers5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDKFTilAklI/AAAAAAAADvE/3G5nixDTo1k/s320/ivers5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490597466464096850" /></a> There are a couple of things that so far have really made an impression on me: First is the incredible wealth of talent that came Harvard during that era (the late 1960’s). Ivers’ classmates and friends included Harold Ramis, Stockard Channing. Doug Kenney, and Tommy Lee Jones. And those are just the bigger names that I was immediately familiar with. <br /><br />The other thing that absolutely stunned me was a title bestowed on Ivers by none other than Muddy Waters. One night in 1968, Ivers and then-girlfriend Channing were at the Cambridge Blues Club in Boston, watching Waters perform. “At one point between songs, Muddy Waters gestured to Peter and began to speak about him,” the authors write. Waters tells the crowd about his previous encounters with Ivers, including times the two had played together. “Looking out over the small but devoted audience in the smoky room, Waters referred to Peter as ‘the greatest harp player alive.’” <br /><br />A white kid from Harvard was “the greatest harp player alive”? No doubt about it, I wanted to hear this. Ivers’ music is sort of hard to find, even on the Internet. eMusic has a couple of his later albums, but they’re mistitled as being by “Pete Rivers.” After some digging, though, I managed to find a couple of things I wanted to share here. Both of Ivers’ songs here display his harmonica talent, which is quite amazing. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDKF6VZlpCI/AAAAAAAADvM/kVquzId5-tA/s1600/lady_in_the_radiator1229296452.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDKF6VZlpCI/AAAAAAAADvM/kVquzId5-tA/s320/lady_in_the_radiator1229296452.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490598132941431842" /></a> The other two songs are versions of “In Heaven (Everything is Fine),” the song that lent its name to the book I’m reading. David Lynch asked Ivers to write a song for the 1977 movie Eraserhead and “In Heaven” was what he came up with. The first version is the original from the movie; the other is the Pixie’s version, from a BBC broadcast. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/ivers/08_Ive%20Got%20A%20Sex%20Crush.mp3">I’ve Got a Sex Crush.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/ivers/12_Harmonica%20Solo.mp3">Harmonica Solo.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/ivers/In%20Heaven%20-%20Eraserhead.mp3">In Heaven (Everything is Fine).mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/ivers/The%20Pixies_15_In%20Heaven%20(Lady%20in%20the%20Radiator%20Song).mp3">In Heaven (The Lady in the Radiator Song).mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-77074608873409583932010-07-04T12:45:00.003-04:002010-07-04T12:50:51.910-04:00Happy Independence DayIt was kind of a tough call deciding what would be an appropriate Fourth of July post. The most obvious call was the Beach Boys – why, I don’t know, but the Beach Boys always seem right. At some point last night I woke up and thought the Rolling Stones, but in the clear light of day I realized that was an obviously delusional idea. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDC7zefF9vI/AAAAAAAADu8/28FVklRQvwU/s1600/july4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TDC7zefF9vI/AAAAAAAADu8/28FVklRQvwU/s320/july4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490094438795835122" /></a> While looking through music this morning, I found what seems to be perfect: Bob Dylan and Tom Petty playing a July 4 concert in New York. I mean, what’s more American than that? I suppose I could upload some hotdogs for you. <br /><br />While this is a great show and I would have loved to see any stop on the True Confessions tour, the sound quality here is about a C-. That being the case, I'm posting only a handful of songs – just something to get your morning moving. Enjoy your Fourth. <br /><br /><A href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/tpbd/1-07%20Masters%20Of%20War.mp3">Masters of War.mp3</a> ~ <span style="font-style:italic;">Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers</span><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/tpbd/1-11%20Breakdown.mp3">Breakdown.mp3</a> ~ <span style="font-style:italic;">Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers</span><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/tpbd/1-14%20A%20Hard%20Rains%20A-Gonna%20Fall.mp3">A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall.mp3</a> ~ <span style="font-style:italic;">Bob Dylan (acoustic)</span><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/tpbd/2-05%20Ballad%20Of%20A%20Thin%20Man.mp3">Ballad of a Thin Man.mp3</a> ~ <span style="font-style:italic;">Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers</span><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/tpbd/2-06%20Johnny%20B.%20Goode.mp3">Johnny B. Goode.mp3</a> ~ <span style="font-style:italic;">Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers</span><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/tpbd/2-09%20Refugee.mp3">Refugee.mp3</a> ~ Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers<br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/tpbd/2-10%20Rainy%20Day%20Women%2012%2035.mp3">Rainy Day Women #12 & 35.mp3</a> ~ <span style="font-style:italic;">Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers</span><br /><br />This recording is from the July 4, 1986, show at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y. It may or may not show up as July 14 when downloaded. According to the <a href="http://www.gonegator.com/tours/tours_true.asp">Gone Gator Website</a>, there was no July 14 show on that tour, so I take that as a typo and assume this is the July 4 show. <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-49536201887888327222010-07-03T12:36:00.005-04:002010-07-03T12:42:57.641-04:00Hole: Live 1995I realized last night that I’ve been going to concerts longer probably than some of you have been alive – my first show was KISS, on the 1979 <em>Dynasty</em> tour.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TC9oQW0xXCI/AAAAAAAADus/AC-uV86p23g/s1600/courtneylove_hole-dams.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TC9oQW0xXCI/AAAAAAAADus/AC-uV86p23g/s320/courtneylove_hole-dams.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489721101002038306" /></a> This realization came to me while I was waiting for Hole to take the stage at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach. What brought this realization is watching everyone around me busy with their cell phones: texting, tweeting, taking pictures, and generally doing everything to remember this experience other than actually experiencing it. It made me feel old and annoyed thinking about how much the concert-going experience has changed over the years. <br /><br />I remember when I saw Iggy in 1980 or '81, I was <em>scared</em>! The crowd was ugly. I later learned that it’s mostly in fun, but it’s rare these days to see a band and worry about your safety. Everything is very sanitized these days, which I guess makes venue owners sleep better at night. I compare that Iggy experience with the Hole show because the theaters are probably more or less the same size (I saw Iggy at the Hollywood Palladium in California) and Courtney, being Courtney, always brings the potential for some kind of disorder. There were no surging crowds last night; no one spit at Courtney; no one crowd-surfed or stage-dived; and there was no mosh pit full of sweaty, shirtless fat guys. Hmm, maybe that’s <em>not</em> such a bad thing. <br /><br />So how was the show?<br /><br />Courtney Love released <em>Nobody’s Daughter</em> and is touring under the name “Hole.” Regardless, this is the Courtney Love show: She’s such a personality that, at his point, it doesn’t much matter whether it’s Eric Erlandson or Micko Larkin alongside her; it’s still gonna be the Courtney show. The current band has been together long enough that there’s some form of chemistry, but it’s really not “Hole” per se. And apparently, use of the name is still being <a href="http://grungereport.net/2010/04/14/grungereport-net-exclusive-interview-with-former-hole-guitarist-eric-erlandson/">discussed</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TC9ob9duUwI/AAAAAAAADu0/ldudKWei-UQ/s1600/hole-live.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TC9ob9duUwI/AAAAAAAADu0/ldudKWei-UQ/s320/hole-live.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489721300352914178" /></a> Regardless, this version of Hole opened with an appropriate cover of “Sympathy for the Devil.” They ripped through about an hour-and-a-half worth of material, mostly from <em>Nobody’s Daughter</em> and 1994’s <em>Live Through This</em>, going deep into the latter for songs such as “Plump.” As advertised, Courtney stayed clear of material from <em>America’s Sweetheart</em>. Also, regrettably, they didn’t play anything from Hole’s debut, <em>Pretty On the Inside</em>. <br /><br />So, the band has changed. The concert-going experience has changed. Has anything stayed the same? Well, due to a DUI roadblock (Thank God and $12 beers I wasn’t drinking) it still took two hours to get home, just like the old days driving back from Los Angeles. <br /><br />This recording goes back to the original Hole band; it was recorded February 1995 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. I also added in “Loser Dust,” one of my favorites from the new album, but a song they did not play last night. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/12%20Plump.mp3">Plump.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/13%20My%20Beautiful%20Son.mp3">My Beautiful Son.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/14%20Miss%20World.mp3">Miss World.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/15%20Asking%20For%20It.mp3">Asking for It.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/16%20Hungry%20Like%20The%20Wolf.mp3">Hungry Like the Wolf.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/17%20Gutless.mp3">Gutless.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/18%20I%20Think%20That%20I%20Would%20Die.mp3">I Think That I Would Die.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/19%20Credit%20In%20The%20Straight%20World.mp3">Credit in the Straight World.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/20%20Teenage%20Whore.mp3">Teenage Whore.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/21%20Violet.mp3">Violet.mp3</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/hole/09%20Loser%20Dust%20(Explicit).mp3">Loser Dust.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-61973739202527685072010-07-01T19:57:00.002-04:002010-07-01T19:59:42.407-04:00‘All Night Long’I heard this Rainbow song, “All Night Long,” yesterday afternoon. I can’t even tell you how long it’s been since I’ve heard that sleazy paean to “band aides.” <br /><br />“All Night Long” is great in its unapologetic portrayal of the girls who love the bands: “Your mind is dirty but your hands are clean / You’re short on class but your legs are long.” How awesome are those lyrics? And they’re certainly not the typical Ritchie Blackmore fare. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TC0rx59rkcI/AAAAAAAADuU/XGZNanVYVYI/s1600/pamela_desbarres.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TC0rx59rkcI/AAAAAAAADuU/XGZNanVYVYI/s320/pamela_desbarres.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489091657207615938" /></a> This was actually my introduction to Rainbow, coming by way of the first Monsters of Rock album, recorded at Castle Donnington in 1980. Dio sang that version, though, whereas Graham Bonnet handled original vocal duties. It was only after I heard this song that I became more interested in Rainbow and Ritchie Blackmore. Actually, I take that back. Castle Donnington <em>was</em> my introduction to Rainbow, but it was a video clip of the performance that I had seen on TV that made me seek them out and, ultimately, led me to the Castle Donnington album and “All Night Long.”<br /><br />Still with me? Good.<br /><br />I was looking for a little information about this song and came up with the following: “All Night Long” – surprisingly – came in for some criticism from feminists. However, in a 1980 <em>Sounds</em> magazine article, Roger Glover was quoted to the effect that the song was “supposed to be funny.” <br /><br />I also found an interesting Website called <a href="http://www.groupiedirt.com/">Groupie Dirt</a>, which I’ll let you explore on your own. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jul%2010/16%20-%20All%20Night%20Long.mp3">All Night Long.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-64908018287113375972010-06-29T22:07:00.005-04:002010-06-29T22:16:14.630-04:00Why Radio Sucks NowThe horrible state of commercial radio never ceases to amaze me. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCqocHS_AyI/AAAAAAAADuE/cpJvTZHaAfQ/s1600/7493268_b42b97a2aa.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCqocHS_AyI/AAAAAAAADuE/cpJvTZHaAfQ/s200/7493268_b42b97a2aa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488384296852849442" /></a> I had a small change to my work situation so, now, instead of spending time in a car with my satellite radio, I’m working indoors. I don’t yet have a portable adaptor for my satellite receiver, so lately I’ve been listening to a lot of government radio. Specifically, the local “active rock” station. Their playlist seems to consist mainly of a mix of old Pearl Jam, old Black Sabbath, old Motley Crue, and way too much Nickleback and bands who sound like Nickleback. <br /><br />I mention this (yet again) by way of transitioning to today’s post. Granted it was a long time ago, but when I was growing up, commercial radio was <em>the</em> source for new music. And they actually played new music. During that weird period between early 1970’s freeform FM and the homogenization of your FM dial, there was a time when radio stations would actually play things you hadn't heard 10,000 times. <br /><br />One of the artists introduced to my expanding taste was Robert Gordon. Rockabilly music and the guy playing it immediately enthralled me. He looked like the Stray Cats, but <em>before</em> the Stray Cats. Gordon’s voice sounded like the old Elvis records my dad listened to, but he had found a plugged-in Scotty Moore in the form of Chris Spedding. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCqorZ_vICI/AAAAAAAADuM/nGOPep52z6A/s1600/GordonSpedding05.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 314px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCqorZ_vICI/AAAAAAAADuM/nGOPep52z6A/s320/GordonSpedding05.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488384559570427938" /></a> The album that introduced me to Gordon was <em>Rock Billy Boogie</em>, which he released on RCA in 1979. There was no rockabilly revival fad and Gordon wasn't following trends; just a guy making the music he loved. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/gordon/01_Rock%20Billy%20Boogie.mp3">Rock Billy Boogie.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/gordon/05_Black%20Slacks.mp3">Black Slacks.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-80889085238347339372010-06-27T12:16:00.010-04:002010-06-27T12:27:58.764-04:00Music from My Mailbox<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCd7YLtYvoI/AAAAAAAADtk/Gpaa1PgseN4/s1600/mailbox.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCd7YLtYvoI/AAAAAAAADtk/Gpaa1PgseN4/s200/mailbox.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487490326364470914" /></a> Could I just copy the words to The Sun Also Rises, throw in some fresh adjectives and updated references and get it published as the remixed version? Honestly, I’m so tired of remixes. I go through my inbox and see remix after remix after remix. Are you serious? Make your own damned music if you’re so talented. And not to be hateful, but I don’t even care if you disagree. <br /><br />So, that said, here’s what I found that wasn’t just someone else’s music with a couple of echo effects and a drum loop thrown in: While this mailbox purge is short on my beloved garage punk, there are still a few interesting things here. The first I want to mention is The Emotron. I’m not sure what’s up with this guy. He lights his pubic hair on fire during live performances and claims to be some kind of synth-punk G.G. Allin, a feat I’m sure no one could really pull off. This song, “Drink A Beer for Me,” sounds more like a novelty song than it does anything from G.G.’s catalogue. See what you think. <br /><br />There are a couple of reggae-type bands represented: 10ft. Tall Ganja Plant (ha! Like you wouldn’t have guess <em>they</em> were reggae!) and Indofin. Both are great for a relaxing on a summer evening. <br /><br />“Neon for You” comes from My First Earthquake’s just released EP <em>Crush</em>. The disk hearkens back to 80’s pop and is very enjoyable. In a wide-open field, this track is one of my favorites. <br /><br />As always, follow the links for more information.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCd7jrbYG9I/AAAAAAAADts/uvdKiQRRlNE/s1600/mfe_band.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCd7jrbYG9I/AAAAAAAADts/uvdKiQRRlNE/s200/mfe_band.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487490523857427410" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">My First Earthquake</span><br />Indie / Electro / Rock<br />From: San Francisco, Calif.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/myfirstearthquake">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/02%20Neon%20for%20You.mp3">Neon for You.mp3</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />10ft. Ganja Plant</span><br />Reggae / Dub / Roots Music<br />From: Brooklyn, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/10ftganjaplant420">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/01_BonnyandClyde.mp3">Bonny & Clyde.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Love Crushed Velvet</span><br />Rock / Alternative / Pop<br />From: New York, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lovecrushedvelvet">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/01%20Love%20Crushed%20Velvet.mp3">Love Crushed Velvet.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Electric Tickle Machine</span><br />Indie / Alternative<br />From: East Village, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/electricticklemachine">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/honestinjun.mp3">Honest Injun.mp3</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCd7r2Biz-I/AAAAAAAADt0/8_6Lh2VRPBw/s1600/joy+ike.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCd7r2Biz-I/AAAAAAAADt0/8_6Lh2VRPBw/s200/joy+ike.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487490664140820450" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Joy Ike</span><br />Indie / Soul / Pop<br />From: Pittsburgh, Penn.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/joyike">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/01%20Sweeter.mp3">Sweeter.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Indofin</span><br />Reggae / Ska / Punk<br />From: Austin, Texas<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/indofin">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/02_Bluelight.mp3">Bluelight.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Imagine Dragons</span><br />Indie / Pop / Rock<br />From: Las Vegas, Nev.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/imaginedragons">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/04_Selene.mp3">Selene.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Upstation</span><br />Pop / Indie <br />From: Moscow, Russian Federation<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/upstationband">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/01%20-%20no%20more%20promises.mp3">No More Promises.mp3</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCd7y17jDDI/AAAAAAAADt8/SZEq46EbNMo/s1600/emotron.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 112px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCd7y17jDDI/AAAAAAAADt8/SZEq46EbNMo/s200/emotron.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487490784374754354" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Emotron</span><br />Punk / Rock / New Wave<br />From: West Fuckin’ Philly/Georgia/Pennsylvania<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theemotron">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/The_Emotron_Drink_A_Beer_For_Me.mp3">Drink a Beer for Me.mp3</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Eagle Winged Palace</span><br />Acoustic / Indie / Classical<br />From: The Deepest Darkest Corners of California<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eaglewingedpalacecali">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox2/movinontoavalon.mp3">Movin’ on to Avalon.mp3</a> <br /><br />~~~~~<br />(pictures, top-to-bottom: My First Earthquake, Joy Ike, The Emotron)<br /><br />~~~~~<br /><em>As a reminder, there is a little less than two weeks left on my host, so if there is anything you want to hear, you need to act quickly.</em><br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-43664789098026020382010-06-26T12:55:00.007-04:002010-06-26T13:11:08.412-04:00Rolling Stones: SNL, 1978<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCYzFDw99CI/AAAAAAAADtU/5nzmk2oKlfY/s1600/41o0ya2k5lsx320sy240.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCYzFDw99CI/AAAAAAAADtU/5nzmk2oKlfY/s200/41o0ya2k5lsx320sy240.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487129358000583714" /></a> I mentioned the other day I was involved in watching season four of Saturday Night Live. Somehow there was a mix-up down at Blockbuster and they sent disk two before they sent disk one. Eventually disk one arrived and I was able to look at that season's opening episode, which featured the Rolling Stones. <br /><br />American music in 1978 was on the precipice between the punk rock and disco eras. The Stones had just released <em>Some Girls</em> with “Miss You,” a strongly danceable track, opening the album. This SNL appearance would throw all disco pretense out the window as they took the stage for a classically ragged performance.<br /><br />“Get out of my life / Don’t fuck my wife.” Did that really make it past the censors? Keef, reportedly so drunk at dress rehearsal that he was dropped from a sketch, makes it onstage to play (he’s a trained professional, kids). Mick’s voice blown into ragged hoarseness. The band a mesmorizing mess. This is the Stones in boiled down, punk rock mode. Barely even recognizable as the band we’ll see three decades later in Shine A Light.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCYzOmhId9I/AAAAAAAADtc/82Eqyb8j--U/s1600/chron1978.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCYzOmhId9I/AAAAAAAADtc/82Eqyb8j--U/s320/chron1978.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487129521948227538" /></a> These tracks were unofficially released as part of a boot titled <em>Sucking Don on SNL</em>. Along with the SNL appearance, the disk includes performances from Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, as well as the SNL rehearsals. I owe big, big thanks to Dino over at <a href="http://bootlegtunzworld.blogspot.com/">D&P’s Bootleg Tunz World</a> for finding this for me. I had spent quite a bit of time looking for <em>Sucking Don</em> before I reached out to Dino. Within a few hours, one of his readers had located it and passed it along. His site is great and I want to encourage you to visit it early and often. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/stones/08%20Beast%20Of%20Burden.mp3">Beast of Burden.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/stones/09%20Respectable.mp3">Respectable.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/stones/10%20Shattered.mp3">Shattered.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-86098872882099319442010-06-22T11:56:00.004-04:002010-06-22T14:49:56.262-04:00Cyndi Lauper's BluesCyndi Lauper dropped by the <a href="http://www.howardstern.com/">Howard Stern show</a> this morning to promote her brand new album, <em>Memphis Blues</em>, a collection of old standard blues songs. She brought with her a collection of ace musicians, including hotshot blues guitarist Jonny Lang, and jammed a very credible version of “Crossroads.”<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCDeSAlDutI/AAAAAAAADtM/yGA1h_PwYhw/s1600/Cyndi-Lauper-Memphis-Blues-fulll.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TCDeSAlDutI/AAAAAAAADtM/yGA1h_PwYhw/s320/Cyndi-Lauper-Memphis-Blues-fulll.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485628747111709394" /></a> I use the word “credible” because Delta blues isn’t really the first thing that comes to mind when you think Cyndi Lauper. Like it’s hard to picture B.B. King doing “She Bop.” It just don’t fit. But like Cyndi told Howard, her music is based in the blues anyway. Which, technically, I suppose it all is. So, if you can ignore Cyndi’s Queens accent that leaks through at times, you can say she has done a credible job on her <em>Memphis Blues</em> album. <br /><br />Along with Lang, <em>Memphis Blues</em> also has guest appearances from legends such as Allen Toussaint, Charlie Musselwhite, and the aforementioned Mr. King himself. She recorded the disk in Memphis, where she says they played a lot of it live: “It was a very big priority that we walk in and play live,” she told <a href="http://new.music.yahoo.com/b-b-king/news/cyndi-lauper-realizes-longtime-dream-with-quot-blues-quot--62002688">Yahoo news</a>. “This album was all about the moment and what happens when the groove is exact and the key is right.”<br /><br /><em>Memphis Blues</em> isn’t <em>Pearl</em>, but it’s an interesting and, yes, <em>credible</em>, homage to the genre by an artist you maybe wouldn’t have expected to go that way. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/11_Crossroads.mp3">Crossroads.mp3</a> <br /><br />*<span style="font-style:italic;">edited for error corrections</span>...<br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-27078329144103404432010-06-20T11:27:00.005-04:002010-06-20T11:32:20.402-04:00The Blues Brothers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TB4z2glxUnI/AAAAAAAADss/QNJIUohyVUs/s1600/bluesbrothers2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TB4z2glxUnI/AAAAAAAADss/QNJIUohyVUs/s320/bluesbrothers2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878407738151538" /></a> I spent some time yesterday watching part of Saturday Night Live’s fourth season, which was, I think, the last year with the original cast. It aired during the 1978-79 television season. What’s great is going back and seeing so much stuff and so many characters that have become part of pop culture: John Belushi’s samurai; Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin as the swinging Czech brothers; and Garrett Morris’ Chico Escuela, just to name a couple. <br /><br />One absolute classic that appeared that season was the Blues Brothers. They opened the Nov. 18, 1978, show with a manic version of “Soul Man.” I couldn’t help but smile at Danny Aykroyd’s spastic dancing and Belushi’s cartwheels as I watched this yesterday. <br /><br />I vaguely remember seeing this when it originally aired and I remember not being sure if it were real or shtick. No doubt there’s plenty of shtick behind the act, but there’s also some real love of the blues, especially on Aykroyd’s part. Enjoy some delicious copy-pasta from the Blues Brothers’ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Brothers">Wiki</a>:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Following tapings of SNL, it was popular among cast members and the weekly hosts to attend Aykroyd’s Holland Tunnel Blues bar, which he had rented not long after joining the cast.... It was here that Dan and Ron Gwynne wrote and developed the original story that Dan turned into the initial story draft of the Blues Brothers movie.... It was also at the bar that Aykroyd introduced Belushi to the blues. An interest soon became a fascination and it wasn't long before the two began singing with local blues bands.</span></blockquote> The article goes on to talk about Aykroyd growing up in Canada and attending blues shows at Ottawa's Le Hibou Coffee House and other influences on him personally and on the Blues Brothers act. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TB40F3hkubI/AAAAAAAADs0/PoCZAm7g-Tc/s1600/The+Blues+Brothers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TB40F3hkubI/AAAAAAAADs0/PoCZAm7g-Tc/s320/The+Blues+Brothers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484878671592602034" /></a> After John Belushi’s 1982 death, Aykroyd would occasionally join up with John’s little brother James and/or John Goodman to perform as the Blues Brothers, but, in my opinion, that original spark was gone. It’s also been diluted through various tribute acts and bad movie sequels. <br /><br />“<span style="font-style:italic;">You know, so much of the music we hear these days is pre-programmed electronic disco we never get a chance to hear master bluesmen practicing their craft anymore. By the year 2006, the music known today as the blues will exist only in the classical records department of your local public library.</span>” ~ Elwood Blues, from the opening of <em>Briefcase Full of Blues</em> <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/blues/05%20Soul%20Man.mp3">Soul Man.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/blues/09%20(I%20Got%20Every%20Thing%20I%20Need)%20Almost.mp3">(I Got Everything I Need) Almost.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-67113216236806131912010-06-16T20:41:00.004-04:002010-06-16T20:48:57.740-04:00A Shower with Norman Bates<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBlwbEHAFgI/AAAAAAAADsc/zYZjlEV2V5E/s1600/Psycho_(1960).jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBlwbEHAFgI/AAAAAAAADsc/zYZjlEV2V5E/s200/Psycho_(1960).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483537631562176002" /></a> I read earlier that today is the 50th anniversary of the release of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and I thought it might be appropriate to make mention of that before I go shower. <br /><br />Psycho is now, of course, considered a classic, but I was surprised to learn that it opened to not-so-great reviews: “There is not an abundance of subtlety or the lately familiar Hitchcock bent toward significant and colorful scenery in this obviously low-budget job,” Bosley Crowther wrote in a June 17, 1960, <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173DE273BC4F52DFB066838B679EDE"><em>New York Times</em> review</a>. <br /><br />Like now, though, even bad reviews didn’t keep the public away; the film broke box office records all over the world and would ultimately become Hitchcock’s most successful movie. <br /><br />Some random Psycho trivia:<br /><blockquote>Anthony Perkins was paid $40,000 for his role, which is exactly the same amount of money that Marion Crane embezzles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBlwl1yujOI/AAAAAAAADsk/wFEbidFVrJI/s1600/psychoREX0105_468x461-768164.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBlwl1yujOI/AAAAAAAADsk/wFEbidFVrJI/s200/psychoREX0105_468x461-768164.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483537816697605346" /></a> Marion’s white 1957 Ford sedan is the same car (owned by Universal) that the Cleaver family drove on “Leave It to Beaver”<br /><br />Psycho was the first American film ever to show a toilet flushing on screen.<br /><br />In the murder scene in the shower, there are only two split second frames of the knife actually touching the body.</blockquote> And some random music about Norman Bates:<br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/bates/Utopians_03_Norman%20Bates.mp3">Norman Bates.mp3</a> ~ Utopians<br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/bates/blf03_Norman%20Bates.mp3">Norman Bates.mp3</a> ~ Bright Light Fever<br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/bates/va22_Norman%20Bates.mp3">Norman Bates.mp3</a> ~ The Tailgators <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/bates/Diverse%20kunstnere_12_Norman%20Bates.mp3">Norman Bates.mp3</a> ~ from a German electronica collection titled <em>Cyberworld II</em><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/bates/03_A%20shower%20with%20Norman%20Bates.mp3">A Shower with Norman Bates.mp3</a> ~ Etienne & Moi<br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-84696862289480365242010-06-14T07:00:00.000-04:002010-06-14T07:00:07.408-04:00Can You Go a Little Deeper: UFO<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBWAPg4YgNI/AAAAAAAADsM/QoDx8OPPqQA/s1600/8fxtrt1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBWAPg4YgNI/AAAAAAAADsM/QoDx8OPPqQA/s200/8fxtrt1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482429125406261458" /></a> In a catalogue of songs with abstract meaning and near-indecipherable lyrics, UFO’s “Dance Your Life Away,” from their 1975 album <em>Force It</em>, has to be one of the strangest. <br /><br />The track, ostensibly about a dance contest (“In a dance band competition / Fox-trotting with my girl”), sits hidden among songs about blackmail (“Shoot Shoot”) and washed up groupies (“Love Lost Love”). But as it hits the bridge, the song’s meaning becomes clearer: “You try your hand at anything you know / Just to try to earn a dollar.” At the risk of turning a rock song into an English class, that’s where we see the protagonist as a loser who fits more appropriately alongside the whores and misfits that populate the rest of the album.<br /><br /><em>Force It</em> was UFO’s fourth release and the one that set the band on an upward spiral in popularity, setting the stage for the classic <em>Lights Out</em> album two years later. “Heavy metal that's not hard to take? wrote Robert Christgau, the “Dean of American Rock Critics.” “What? Well, the whole first side moves to smartly you could almost mistake it for rock and roll.”<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBWAYNyGLpI/AAAAAAAADsU/WspwEzH6kQU/s1600/Force_It_cover.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBWAYNyGLpI/AAAAAAAADsU/WspwEzH6kQU/s200/Force_It_cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482429274898443922" /></a> Some trivia about the album cover: Hipgnosis designed the cover, as they had several other UFO covers of the era. (They also, of course, did <em>Dark Side of the Moon</em>). On both the vinyl and CD versions I have of <em>Force It</em>, the couple on the cover are almost transparent, something done for the U.S. market and our virginal eyes and morals. Eventually the album was released as intended, with the pair fully visible. The models, by the way, were Genesis P. Orridge and his girlfriend Cosey Fanni Tutti, both later of the band Throbbing Gristle.<br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/08-Dance%20Your%20Life%20Away.mp3">Dance Your Life Away.mp3</a> <br /><br />~~~~~<br />(<a href="http://licorice-pizza.blogspot.com/search/label/deep%20tracks">Can You Go a Little Deeper</a> <em>is an irregularly recurring feature here wherein I resurrect old favorites, lost songs, and other things you maybe haven’t heard in a while</em>)<br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-9947678083563447602010-06-13T12:02:00.007-04:002010-06-13T12:13:09.135-04:00Music from My Mailbox and Other Important News<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBUBhQc2haI/AAAAAAAADrk/2F8qHw9ijn0/s1600/mailbox.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBUBhQc2haI/AAAAAAAADrk/2F8qHw9ijn0/s200/mailbox.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482289792256738722" /></a> OK. Important things going on, so please don’t skip the first part of this post. I have slightly less than a month left on my web host. When that time is over, I am not planning to renew. What that means to you is, in all likelihood, I will bring this blog to an end. I’ve learned to never say never, but I’d say there is about a 99.9% chance Licorice Pizza will cease operations in about a month. <br /><br />The reason for this decision is two-fold: First, while Dreamhost is an excellent host, I do pay quite a bit for that service. Quite frankly, I have never donated to anyone else’s blog fund and don’t feel you need to contribute to mine. This is something I do for fun and if you’re going to pay for my fun, well, there are other things you can buy me. But understand it’s not just about the cost of the host, which brings me to my second point:<br /><br />I have been at this for four years and my interest has waned a bit, although I still go on posting jags once in a while (see last month). I can tell by the quality of some of the posts I’ve made recently that I’m forcing them and I don’t want to continue doing that. <br /><br />Although this post has been on my mind for some time, it makes me a bit sad to actually write it. I may at some point decide I miss doing this and I’ll start up again. In the meantime, I assume that once my host expires, so does access to anything on that host. I encourage you to look back over the past couple of years for anything you wanted to hear but put off listening to. If you find something that is no longer available, drop me a note and I’ll do my best to re-up it. <br /><br />I’ve started a <a href="http://apt104.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> page, in case I feel like there’s something I need to say. You can up music on those pages, but you can’t share it, which is a disadvantage of sorts. Feel free to check it out if you care to; there’s not much there now but I may get more active with it in the future. <br /><br />As always, follow the links for more information....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBUBs9xrmkI/AAAAAAAADrs/O6folGpmqYw/s1600/grace+potter.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBUBs9xrmkI/AAAAAAAADrs/O6folGpmqYw/s200/grace+potter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482289993402260034" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Grace Potter and the Nocturnals</span><br />Indie / Alternative<br />From: Vermont, USA<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/gracepotterandthenocturnals">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/Things%20I%20Never%20Needed%20(acoustic).mp3">Things I Never Needed (acoustic).mp3</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Soft Tags</span><br />Indie / Shoegaze<br />From: Portland, Ore.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/softtags">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/pinebarrens.mp3">The Pine Barrens.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">22-20s</span><br />Alternative<br />From: United Kingdom<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/2220s">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/01%20Latest%20Heartbreak.mp3">Latest Heartbreak.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ashton Nyte</span><br />Alternative / Folk / Indie<br />From: Johannesburg, South Africa<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ashtonnyte">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/02%20Jennifer.mp3">Jennifer.mp3</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBUB7CqfnAI/AAAAAAAADr0/96rwb-aWRS8/s1600/horrorfall.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBUB7CqfnAI/AAAAAAAADr0/96rwb-aWRS8/s200/horrorfall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482290235232459778" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Horrorfall</span><br />Electronica / Industrial / Shoegaze<br />From: Los Angeles, Calif.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/horrorfall">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/necroplasmfix.mp3">Necroplasm Fix.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nada Surf</span><br />Rock / Indie / Pop<br />From: Brooklyn, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nadasurf">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/Nada%20Surf%20-%20Electrocution.mp3">Electrocution.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Constellations</span><br />Psychedelic / Ghettotech / Showtunes<br />From: Atlanta, Ga.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theconstellations">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/constellations_set_back.mp3">Setback.mp3</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio)</span><br />Acoustic / Indie<br />From: United States<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/tvotr">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/Frog_Went_A-Courtin.mp3">Frog Went a-Courtin’.mp3</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBUCH3CdDeI/AAAAAAAADr8/V2gbctySQrE/s1600/nadia.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBUCH3CdDeI/AAAAAAAADr8/V2gbctySQrE/s200/nadia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482290455450029538" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Nadia Kazmi</span><br />Pop / Rock / Soul<br />From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nadiakazmi">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/02_Mother.mp3">Mother.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Burnt Ones</span><br />Minimalist / Psychedelic / Thrash<br />From: Indianapolis, Ind.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/burntonesforever">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/Burnt%20Ones%20-%2007%20-%20Gonna%20Listen%20To%20T.%20Rex%20(All%20Night%20Long).mp3">Gonna Listen to T. Rex (All Night Long).mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Public Good</span><br />Rock / Powerpop / Indie<br />From: Washington, D.C.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thepublicgood">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/mailbox/11_My_Pre-Existing_Conditions.mp3">My Pre-existing Conditions.mp3</a> <br /><br />~~~~~<br />(<em>pictures, top-to-bottom: Grace Potter, Horrorfall, Nadia Kazmi</em>)<br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-63934118346695000262010-06-12T10:51:00.004-04:002010-06-12T10:56:59.329-04:00Hendrix in Miami(!?!): live 1968Here’s what I like about the Internet: Last night I read something about the 1968 Miami Pop Festival (more about what I read in a sec), and within the half hour I had located a recording of Jimi Hendrix’s appearance and was listening to it. Not all that long ago, I probably never would even have heard about the festival, let alone been able to so quickly find a recording from one of the artists playing there. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBOfy_AwqfI/AAAAAAAADrU/sl2amM0Jxy8/s1600/miamicolor6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 289px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBOfy_AwqfI/AAAAAAAADrU/sl2amM0Jxy8/s320/miamicolor6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481900869696924146" /></a> Some quick background info on the Miami Pop Festival, then I’m going to link you to the site that got this whole post going. “Woodstock was born at Miami Pop” is the retrospective tagline attached to the event. Michael Lang, who would go on to be one of the brains behind Woodstock, was the Miami event promoter.<br /><br />The two-day festival took place May 18 and 19 at the Gulfstream Park horse racing track in Hallandale Beach, which is actually just north of Miami. Featured acts included Hendrix, Steppenwolf, the Mothers of Invention, and Blue Cheer. The weather was typical Miami for that time of year – rain, rain, and more rain. Hendrix’s “Rainy Day, Dream Away” was supposedly written in response to the rain cancellation of the Sunday show. Rock legend also has it that rain and technical difficulties plagued Hendrix’s short set and resulted in Jimi tossing his guitar into the audience, only to be claimed by Frank Zappa.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBOf-BvTpWI/AAAAAAAADrc/wnbxaSliY90/s1600/miamicolor1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBOf-BvTpWI/AAAAAAAADrc/wnbxaSliY90/s320/miamicolor1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481901059407586658" /></a> The article I read was posted yesterday on a site called REV Miami. The site basically covers music, art, and similar happenings from around this area. One of the site’s creators, Ric Delgado, managed to land an interview with Ken Davidoff, a rock photog of some renown. The Miami Pop Festival the first major event Davidoff covered, and he shared his memories of that with REV Miami, including a run in with Hendrix: “My first night time shot was a beautiful full length pic of Jimi in these blue crushed velvet pants that practically glowed,” Davidoff said. “For the second shot I moved closer. As the strobe went off for the second time, I was stunned to hear Jimi stop, look directly at me, and say, ‘There will be no more flash photography.’”<br /><br />The rest of the interview, including Davidoff’s memories of shooting other rock greats and some outstanding examples of his work, can all be found at the <a href="http://www.revmiami.com/2010/06/ken-davidoff-bringing-back-old-school/">REV Miami Website</a>. I cannot encourage you enough to go there when you’re finished here. <br /><br />This is a soundboard recording of very good quality and, as far as I know, has never been officially released, although obviously it’s been bootlegged aplenty. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/hendrix/1.%20INTRO.mp3">Intro.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/hendrix/2.%20FOXY%20LADY.mp3">Foxy Lady.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/hendrix/3.%20FIRE.mp3">Fire.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/hendrix/4.%20HEAR%20MY%20TRAIN%20A%20COMIN.mp3">Hear My Train a Comin’.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/hendrix/5.%20PURPLE%20HAZE.mp3">Purple Haze.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/hendrix/6.%20OUTRO.mp3">Outro.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-73469501579651723612010-06-10T07:00:00.000-04:002010-06-10T07:00:02.574-04:00Hank III's Rebel is Still WithinI toss out the phrase “not reinventing the wheel” pretty freely here. I don’t mean nothing by it; all I’m saying is that a band has found something that works for them and their fans and they stick with it. You don’t want to pick up, say, a Metallica record only to find out they’ve decided to have a try at some Lady Gaga sounds. No, you sure don’t. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBA_2Ys_0hI/AAAAAAAADrM/yu7IRvJAq_Q/s1600/rebelwithin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TBA_2Ys_0hI/AAAAAAAADrM/yu7IRvJAq_Q/s320/rebelwithin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480950950086562322" /></a> Take it as an endorsement, then, when I tell you Hank III ain’t reinventing nothing on <em>Rebel Within</em>, his new album. “I’m drunk (again), and stoned (again), let’s fuck (again) ‘til dawn (again),” goes the title track. So it should come as no surprise to fans that III is still drifting, stoned, lonesome, and everything else he’s been for the past decade.<br /><br />As someone said on the Hank III message board: “I think he's gonna do whatever the fuck he wants to anyway...no matter how many people pick it apart.” So if you haven’t liked his previous albums, you won’t like this one. But if you, like me, are a fan, then you’re going to want to get yourself a copy of <em>Rebel Within</em>. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/02%20Rebel%20Within.mp3">Rebel Within.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-34844218719604892282010-06-07T07:00:00.000-04:002010-06-07T07:00:10.972-04:00Motley Crue: Live 1982I was at a friend’s house this weekend when he put on a DVD of some stuff he had recorded from a TV channel called <a href="http://www.palladia.tv/">Palladia</a>. Now, I’ve got low-end cable, so of course I’d never heard of the channel. What it is, is “a 1080i high definition music television network that shows music-related content from its owner, MTV Networks.” In layman’s terms, we watched a couple of cool-ass concerts. <br /><br />The channel broadcasts a lot of the stuff that MTV and VH1 used to, but they also have what looks like a fair amount of original and live performance content, such as a Lily Allen concert playing this week. Palladia appears to be available mostly via satellite TV providers, but after some searching, I found that iTunes makes some of the station’s programming available for streaming or purchase. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAxBqzklYfI/AAAAAAAADrE/gojz09wM-8s/s1600/1982-12-31front-bw.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAxBqzklYfI/AAAAAAAADrE/gojz09wM-8s/s320/1982-12-31front-bw.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479827050257015282" /></a> How does this all relate to what we’re doing here today? One of the concerts we watched was a Motley Crue show from last year. During the show we were talking about all the <em>serious</em> shit Motley Crue has done during their nearly 30-year career; from Vince Neil’s car crash that killed Razzle from Hanoi Rocks to filming anti-drug commercials while wasted off their asses. These guys were the epitome of out-of-control rock ‘n’ rollers. Presumably they’ve cleaned up a bit, but they can still bring a sleazy rock show complete with strippers and a crowd of breast-baring women. Musically the band sounded as good as they ever have, with Vince Neil’s voice still standing up to the hair metal falsettos of the Crue’s first album. <br /><br />I went back and forth on whether to post an old or new Motley Crue show. In the end I went with the former because I’ve had this on my drive forever. It was recorded Nov. 19, 1982, at Perkin’s Palace in Los Angeles and originally broadcast on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KMET_%28defunct%29">"mighty MET."</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/01-Take%20Me%20to%20the%20Top.mp3">Take Me to the Top.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/02-Looks%20That%20Kill.mp3">Looks That Kill.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/03-Public%20Enemy%20No.%201.mp3">Public Enemy #1.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/04-Red%20Hot.mp3">Red Hot.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/05-Starry%20Eyes.mp3">Starry Eyes.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/06-Piece%20of%20Your%20Action.mp3">Piece of Your Action.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/07-Shout%20at%20the%20Devil.mp3">Shout at the Devil.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/08-Merry-Go-Round.mp3">Merry-Go-Round.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/09-Running%20Wild%20in%20the%20Night.mp3">Running Wild in the Night.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/10-Hotter%20than%20Hell.mp3">Hotter than Hell.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/crue/11-Live%20Wire.mp3">Live Wire.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-19786304889131390882010-06-01T21:35:00.005-04:002010-06-01T21:41:28.686-04:00OST OCD: Colors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAW2YXNjgTI/AAAAAAAADq0/W2tj6u0wCos/s1600/Colors_film.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAW2YXNjgTI/AAAAAAAADq0/W2tj6u0wCos/s320/Colors_film.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477985051430060338" /></a> If you’ll do me the favor of thinking back a couple of weeks, you’ll recollect I <a href="http://licorice-pizza.blogspot.com/2010/05/music-from-my-mailbox_16.html">posted</a> up a remixed cover version of Ice-T’s classic “Colors.” At that time I mentioned I would consider a post of the original if I still had the soundtrack. Well, friends, guess what?<br /><br />This is actually sort of a relevant time to post from this soundtrack, with the death last week of Dennis Hopper. Hopper, in case you’ve forgotten, directed the 1988 flick, which starred Robert Duvall and Sean Penn. <br /><br />Your basic plot summary, from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094894/">IMDB</a>:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Colors stars Robert Duvall and Sean Penn as partners on the LAPD’s gang crime division. Duvall had hoped to spend more time with his family, but he's pulled back into active service because of a step-up in gang activity. He makes no secret of his contempt for his novice partner Penn, but eventually comes to rely on the younger man as a valuable street contact. The central crisis is the battle for supremacy between the Crips and the Bloods, with every effort to call a truce stymied by the gang members themselves and by undue police intervention.</span></blockquote> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAW2iEYzfHI/AAAAAAAADq8/T9t0sBeb-to/s1600/ice-t_gangsta_rap.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAW2iEYzfHI/AAAAAAAADq8/T9t0sBeb-to/s200/ice-t_gangsta_rap.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477985218175663218" /></a> The soundtrack itself did pretty well, chart-wise. It went as high as number 31 on the Billboard charts, and helped launch the career of the future Detective “Fin” Tutuola. Before Colors, Ice-T was doing OK, releasing 12-inch singles and the moderately successful <em>Rhyme Pays</em>. But it would be “Colors” that put Ice-T on the map as a “gangsta rapper” as well as a commentator on that lifestyle. From that point, Ice’s lyrics would become sharper and more incisive, putting him in the role as “OG” of west coast rap. <br /><br />Along with “Colors,” I’ve also got for you the classic Cold Cut remix of Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full,” another old-school, not-to-be-missed hip hop track.<br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/colors/01%20Colors.mp3">Colors.mp3</a> <br /><a href="http://apt104.com/Jun%2010/colors/05%20Paid%20In%20Full%20(7%20Minutes%20Of%20Madness)%20(The%20Cold%20Cut%20Re-Mix).mp3">Paid in Full - 7 Minutes of Madness (The Cold Cut remix).mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-28806893024774284332010-05-30T13:11:00.005-04:002010-05-30T13:23:46.160-04:00Music from My Mailbox<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAKeKrPpS3I/AAAAAAAADqM/5znefZTcPuE/s1600/mailbox.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAKeKrPpS3I/AAAAAAAADqM/5znefZTcPuE/s200/mailbox.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477114003080170354" /></a> This month has probably been the most prolific month for me since I’ve started this blog. I’ve blasted out 20 posts (21 counting this one) and cleared out my mailbox three times. By my own low standards, that’s amazing. I think I deserve a vacation. <br /><br />Items of note for you to note: Amanda Zelina makes a third appearance on these hallowed pages. This go ‘round, she has released an album of gritty blues under the name The Coppertone. It’s very much in the vein of the Dead Weather. I’ve liked everything I’ve heard from Amanda and this is no different. <br /><br />When I opened the e-mail from These Guys and read all the typical raves, “These Guys are the second coming, blah, blah, blah,” I almost hit delete and just moved on. Instead, something made me click the link to watch the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtkyFo7Urtk">video</a> for “Pete’s Sweet Sixteen.” It is just auto-tuned, cross-dressing hilarity: “You’re like a sister to us, bro.” I can’t let you miss out on this. <br /><br />In a similar vein are the Deli Boys, whose indictment of Sex & the City culture is neatly wrapped up in “P.R. Girls.”<br /><br />And if you’re tuning in for some regular ol’ rock ‘n’ roll, try Shellshag, The Enthusiasts, or Tomorrow’s Tulips. You know I ain’t gonna steer ya wrong. <br /><br />As always, follow the links for more information. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAKeRNrJmmI/AAAAAAAADqU/l17yvI4X1e8/s1600/amanda+zelina.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAKeRNrJmmI/AAAAAAAADqU/l17yvI4X1e8/s200/amanda+zelina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477114115401554530" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Coppertone </span><br />Blues / Rock / Soul<br />From: Ontario, Canada<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thecoppertone">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/02%20Nighttime%20Wishes.mp3">Nighttime Wishes.mp3</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Thought</span><br />Rock / 2-Step / Funk<br />From: Brooklyn, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thoughtmusic">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/04%20Echka%20(I%20Like%20to%20Party).mp3">Echka (I Like to Party).mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Shellshag</span><br />Punk / Rock<br />From: Brooklyn, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/shellshag">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/01%20Crashing%20Rockets.mp3">Crashing Rockets.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">PackFM</span><br />Hip-Hop / Rap<br />From: Brooklyn, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/packfm">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/02%20I%20Fcking%20Hate%20Rappers.mp3">I F*cking Hate Rappers.mp3</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAKeajlCNyI/AAAAAAAADqc/M_90jCpF6pM/s1600/these+guys.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAKeajlCNyI/AAAAAAAADqc/M_90jCpF6pM/s200/these+guys.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477114275900307234" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">These Guys</span><br />Rock / Comedy / Grunge<br />From: Los Angeles, Calif.<br />Band <a href="http://theseguysmusic.com/site/">Website</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/Petes%20Sweet%20Sixteen.mp3">Pete’s Sweet Sixteen.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Enthusiasts</span><br />Garage / Blues / Pop<br />From: Ardsley, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/enthusiastsny">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/in%20the%20city.mp3">In the City.mp3</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Hot Hot Heat</span><br />Indie / Minimalist / Showtunes<br />From: Vancouver, B.C., Canada<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/hothotheat">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/Zero%20Results.mp3">Zero Results.mp3</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Moving Castles</span><br />Indie / Rock / Progressive<br />From: Tyler, Texas<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/movingcastles">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/02%20Wives%20(Youre%20near%20me%20always).mp3">Wives (You’re Near Me Always).mp3</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAKeic2b_uI/AAAAAAAADqk/2GxbrNkmYhw/s1600/deli+boys.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAKeic2b_uI/AAAAAAAADqk/2GxbrNkmYhw/s200/deli+boys.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477114411533205218" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Deli Boys</span><br />Electro / Crunk / Comedy<br />From: New York, N.Y.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thedeliboysmusic">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/PR%20GIRLS21.mp3">P.R. Girls.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thank God</span><br />Punk / Experimental / Jam Band<br />From: Columbia, Atlanta, Charleston<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thnkgod">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/01%20Ice%20Age.mp3">Ice Age.mp3</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Monarques</span><br />Pop<br />From: Portland, Ore.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/monarquesmusic">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/01%20Angel%20Eyes.mp3">Angel Eyes.mp3</a> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Tomorrow’s Tulips</span><br />Minimalist / Pop / Shoegaze<br />From: Costa Mesa, Calif.<br />Band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/tomorrowstulips">Myspace</a><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/mailbox3/EternallyTeenage.mp3 ">Eternally Teenage.mp3</a> <br /><br />~~~~~<br /><em>Pictures, top-to-bottom: The Coppertone, These Guys, The Deli Boys</em>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-919853783170502612010-05-29T18:30:00.006-04:002010-05-29T18:41:49.256-04:00R.I.P. Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman, and Art LinkletterIt’s one of those weird coincidences that celebrity deaths seem to come in threes. Last year Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon passed within two days of each other – Michael and Farrah on the same day. Now, over the past four days, we’ve lost Art Linkletter, Gary Coleman, and, today, Dennis Hopper. <br /><br />Hopper, 74, died of prostate cancer; Coleman, 42, after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage; no specific cause has been given for Linkletter, who was 97 years old. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAGWqxmvGaI/AAAAAAAADp0/VBp6Pd8MONk/s1600/20960~Dennis_Hopper_and_Peter_Fonda_Posters.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAGWqxmvGaI/AAAAAAAADp0/VBp6Pd8MONk/s320/20960~Dennis_Hopper_and_Peter_Fonda_Posters.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476824283473713570" /></a><br /><br />The idea that death comes is threes is an old superstition, extending to the idea that death in a family or community comes in threes and that bad luck in general comes in threes. A book titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-did-begin-superstitions-romantic/dp/B0007ETK28/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275168270&sr=1-1">“How Did It Begin”</a> explains that the superstition of three may have started with British troops in the Boer War who thought it bad luck to light three cigarettes from one match. <br /><br />Some miscellaneous thoughts on the latest three stars: <br /><br />Inverting a famous line of dialogue spoken by Peter Fonda in “Easy Rider,” <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/movies/11dargis.html">Manohla Dargis wrote</a> of Dennis Hopper in <em>The New York Times</em>:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Dennis Hopper – actor, filmmaker, photographer, art collector, world-class burnout, first-rate survivor – never blew it. Unlike the villains and freaks he has played over the decades – the psycho with the mommy complex in “Blue Velvet,” the mad bomber with the grudge in “Speed” – he has made it through the good, the bad and some spectacularly terrible times. He rode out the golden age of Hollywood by roaring into a new movie era with “Easy Rider.” He hung out with James Dean, played Elizabeth Taylor’s son, acted for Quentin Tarantino. He has been rich and infamous, lost and found, the next big thing, the last man standing.</span></blockquote> ~~~~~<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAGXGGCcG-I/AAAAAAAADp8/aT5JmtlTmS4/s1600/gary-coleman.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAGXGGCcG-I/AAAAAAAADp8/aT5JmtlTmS4/s200/gary-coleman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476824752815086562" /></a> Number One on <a href="http://www.chartattack.com/news/85906/ten-reasons-gary-coleman-was-cool">ChartAttack.com</a>’s “Ten Reasons Gary Coleman Was Cool” list:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Coleman made cameo appearances in several music videos going back to the early '90s. Some notable ones include Raging Slab’s “Anywhere But Here,” Kid Rock’s “Cowboy,” and Moby’s “We Are All Made Of Stars.”</span></blockquote> ~~~~~<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAGXeeAMelI/AAAAAAAADqE/8pwkJiVBlVU/s1600/linkletter1-articleInline.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/TAGXeeAMelI/AAAAAAAADqE/8pwkJiVBlVU/s200/linkletter1-articleInline.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476825171564984914" /></a> Art Linkletter’s biggest successes came mostly before my time, but I’m familiar with “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” the Bill Cosby-hosted TV series based on Linkletter’s books. Linkletter was also a passionate anti-drug activist – his daughter, Diane, jumped to her death in 1969, an act Linkletter said was caused by her LSD usage. <br /><br />Today’s music is a seeming bizarre mix of things, but trust me when I tell you I will relate it all back to our topic: “Born to Be Wild,” of course, was made famous in Easy Rider; “Cowboy” I explained above. (That video is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glb2U6y-GdU">here</a>); “We Love You; Call Collect” is an appeal to an erring daughter to return home. Linkletter recorded the song with Diane, ironically, just a few months before her death. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/celebs/Born%20To%20Be%20Wild.mp3">Born to Be Wild.mp3</a> ~ Steppenwolf<br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/celebs/02%20Cowboy.mp3">Cowboy.mp3</a> ~ Kid Rock<br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/celebs/Art%20Linkletter-CallCollect.mp3">We Love You; Call Collect.mp3</a> ~ Art and Diane Linkletter<br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-4252081502483213942010-05-28T07:00:00.001-04:002010-05-28T07:16:21.888-04:00‘Between the Lines’Speaking of unpacking my old flannel shirts, Stone Temple Pilots are back. Again. But unlike previous efforts at reconciliation, they seem for real this time, having released on Tuesday the eponymously named <em>Stone Temple Pilots</em>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_8pWm6OqyI/AAAAAAAADpk/P_ZB7MBs_mI/s1600/stone_temple_pilots-00-between_the_lines-web-2010-som.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_8pWm6OqyI/AAAAAAAADpk/P_ZB7MBs_mI/s320/stone_temple_pilots-00-between_the_lines-web-2010-som.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476141140284451618" /></a> After splitting in 2003, STP reunited five years later for a <a href="http://licorice-pizza.blogspot.com/2008/08/stp-for-my-birthday.html">North American tour</a>. The band continued together in a sort of half-hazard manner, playing festivals, battling their record company, and weathering a Weiland solo album and tour. <br /><br />Finally getting it all back together last year, STP did a short tour, then went almost immediately into the studio and recorded the tracks that would make up <em>Stone Temple Pilots</em>. The new songs have the feel of a classic STP album, from the grungy, hippy feel of the opening track, “Between the Lines,” to the oddball closing track, “Samba Nova.” In between is the grunge/pop/hook-filled-whatever-it-is you’ve come to love from STP.<br /><br />One thing that I never even considered as I listened to this disk is that STP was taking a country music approach to the album. Songs such as “Hickory Dichotomy” and “Huckleberry Crumble” “really are a lot of country riffs, but in typical STP fashion we stepped into some other areas,” guitarist Dean DeLeo told <a href="http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/stone-temple-pilots-dean-deleo-on-the-bands-comeback-album-252629">MusicRadar.com</a>. “It's amazing how if you were to present [“Huckleberry Crumble’s”] opening riff on a Tele really clean, it's almost a country riff. But if you present it with a Les Paul through a Marshall, it takes on this whole different thing.”<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_8pmOVRgQI/AAAAAAAADps/pSoBMlSZWGQ/s1600/Stpfinalcover.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_8pmOVRgQI/AAAAAAAADps/pSoBMlSZWGQ/s200/Stpfinalcover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476141408564904194" /></a> STP resume their current tour June 5 in Irvine, Calif. For more tour information, etc., check out their <a href="http://stonetemplepilots.com/">Website</a>. What? No Florida dates? lol<br /><br />This is a live version of “Between the Lines,” the first single and song one on side one of <em>Stone Temple Pilots</em>. It was included as a bonus track on the version of the CD I got. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/16%20Between%20The%20Lines%20(Live%20from%20Chicago).mp3">Between the Lines (live).mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-78552342570255610182010-05-27T07:00:00.000-04:002010-05-27T07:00:07.266-04:00‘If You Want Some True Lovin’, Make Sure Her Eyes Are Brown’Even if you’ve never heard it, there’s something instantly familiar about the Swingin’ Neckbreakers’ “Brown-Eyed Girl.” Maybe it’s the sludgy riffing, maybe it’s the heavy garage sound, maybe it’s just that it kicks so much ass it sounds like something you <em>must</em> have heard before. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_3QtGGBGMI/AAAAAAAADpc/L7TFYYWHRkU/s1600/506a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_3QtGGBGMI/AAAAAAAADpc/L7TFYYWHRkU/s320/506a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475762195100932290" /></a> Actually, if you’re tuned in to your rock history, you’ll know the Neckbreakers’ “Brown-Eyed Girl” is a cover of the closest thing to a hit John Fogerty’s pre-CCR band, the Golliwogs, ever had. (On a side note, and aptly enough, the Golliwogs’ song charted highest here in Miami.)<br /><br />As far as the Swingin’ Neckbreakers’ version, I had no idea until recently it had been around since their second album, 1995’s <em>Shake Break</em>. When the Neckbreakers originally released that disk, they were just coming off a tour behind their debut, <em>Live for Buzz</em>. Returning home after the European leg, they went straight into the studio. Still riding the momentum from the successful tour, they blasted out an album showing how far the band had come in two years. All Music Guide described <em>Shake Break</em> as “a straightforward brand of rock ‘n’ raunch that critics hate but nonetheless resonates perfectly with the average Joe who just wants to shake it down.”<br /><br />This version of “Brown-Eyed Girl” is a perfect example of the Swingin’ Neckbreakers taking in their classic heritage, cranking the volume until the speakers crack, then spitting it back at you. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/15_Brown-Eyed%20Girl.mp3">Brown-Eyed Girl.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-7276720284373812922010-05-26T07:00:00.000-04:002010-05-26T07:00:02.324-04:00Time to Get Out the FlannelSoundgarden’s reuniting and the Melvins are releasing their 20th album next week. It’s starting to look like a good thing I didn’t throw out all of my old flannel shirts. <br /><br />I just got an email last night announcing the June 1 release of <em>The Bride Screamed Murder</em>. Fortuitously, “The Water Glass,” which will be the first single from the upcoming disk, accompanied the message. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_xy0tq_FSI/AAAAAAAADpU/m0LFsyk7wAU/s1600/tbsm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_xy0tq_FSI/AAAAAAAADpU/m0LFsyk7wAU/s320/tbsm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475377496914335010" /></a> A mostly instrumental track, “The Water Glass” blasts right at you with serious riffage and heavy drums. About halfway through it takes a turn for the weird as the band breaks into a military marching cadence that sounds like maybe Adam Ant had decided to grunge it up a bit. It's twisted, but it has grown on me the more I've listened to it. <br /><br />The Melvins are hitting the road in support of <em>The Bride Screamed Murder</em>, kicking off their tour June 1 in San Diego, Calif. Surprisingly */sarcasm*, I see no Florida dates on their schedule. To see if <em>your</em> city has been included, you can drop by the Melvins’ <a href="http://www.myspace.com/themelvins">MySpace</a> page. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/melvins_thewaterglass.mp3">The Waterglass.mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29270532.post-70147843489042713142010-05-25T07:00:00.000-04:002010-05-25T07:00:07.954-04:00Jewel’s ‘Needle and the Damage Done’I like to – every now and again – throw a curveball at you with something I post. I sure don’t want you getting bored or complacent and thinking you can tune in any ol’ time and just pick up some oddball garage rock or a classic rock ROIO. <br /><br />Hence today’s post. <br /><br />I know very little about Jewel. I’ve heard the song that made her famous: “You Were Meant For Me” (ha! Tell me that song’s not in your head <em>right now</em>!); I know she can yodel; and I know she’s really attractive. Beyond that, I dunno....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_sizkSMKBI/AAAAAAAADpM/LYFVdjJ53MQ/s1600/JewelThuresson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 283px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8TG-BsNNjjQ/S_sizkSMKBI/AAAAAAAADpM/LYFVdjJ53MQ/s320/JewelThuresson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475008041307613202" /></a> So it came as a surprise to me to learn that she regularly performs the Neil Young classic “The Needle and the Damage Done” when she plays live. I found out about this yesterday, when Jewel was on the Howard Stern show. At Howard’s request she played her version of the song he said “wrecks him every time.” <br /><br />Without a doubt Jewel brings something different to her version of “Needle.” She doesn’t have the intimate feeling of loss that drove Young to write the song, but she struggled a lot on her way to where she is and I have no problem with her putting her own emotions to such a heavy song. <br /><br />To my knowledge, although Jewel regularly performs “The Needle and the Damage Done” live, it has never been officially released. The track here is a YouTube rip – it is not from the Stern show, btw; I don’t know where it was recorded. On a quality note, I’ve found some new software that pulls stuff from videos at a higher bit rate, bringing a slightly better sound than previous YouTube stuff I’ve posted. <br /><br /><a href="http://apt104.com/May%2010/The%20Needle%20And%20The%20Damage%20Done.mp3">The Needle and the Damage Done (Neil Young cover).mp3</a> <br /><br></br>aikinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11588718221926483184noreply@blogger.com2