Showing posts with label rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rock. Show all posts
Saturday, August 21, 2010
August 21
Happy Birthday to Stephen Hillenburg, animator; today, we're going to feature his pre-Spongebob work.
His first college degree was in marine biology; in fact, he taught marine biology for several years before he pursued his second life passion, animation. Before he graduated in 1992, he had two short films making the festival circuit. One of those films, "The Green Beret," also appeared on the "Liquid Television" anthology:
His festival shorts caught the notice of animator Joe Murray, who hired Hillenberg as a writer and director for Rocko's Modern Life, which ran for four seasons on Nickelodeon.
The following clip, from "Jet Scream", is one of Murray's favorite episodes in the series:
After Rocko's Modern Life was done, a colleague encourage Hillenberg to pitch the Spongebob character to Nickelodeon. Since his debut in 1999, Spongebob has become Nickelodeon's most successful series; their most recent contract guarantees a ninth season, and enough episodes to make it the longest running series on the network.
I can't offer much insight on post-Spongebob projects: the Spongebob Squarepants theatrical movie, intended as a series finale, was Hillenberg's farewell as an active creator of Spongebob's adventures. Although he heads United Plankton Pictures (which oversees the Spongebob empire), his most prominent activities appear to be on the academic circuit, speaking about his twin loves: marine biology and animation. So, no telling what he'll do once this Spongebob train runs out of steam...
Apologies if this clip still auto-plays: it's still my favorite Spongebob moment, a typically atypical moment that let me know that, within its all-ages confines, anything could happen...
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
August 17
Let's talk about Eric Johnson, musician's musician and guitar god. If you're a Guitar Hero player, you know how hard it is to play along with "Cliffs of Dover," his biggest charting hit. The song came from the 1990 album 'Ah Via Musicon', his Grammy-winning platinum record. Here's a performance of the song from the 'Tonight Show':
If you're not convinced of his awesomeness after that performance, you don't have to apologize. Sometimes in this column, we talk about why certain talents aren't superstars. Eric Johnson's downfall is a more pronounced but typical demonstration of why musician's musicians don't become superstars.
Let's put it in context: 1990's "Ah Via Musicon" is a technical masterpiece. In that album, he achieved the ultimate artistic goal of revealing his unique voice within his medium of guitar playing, of establishing his own sound.
When you get beyond the guitar wizardry, you can't ignore the fact that it's a soft rock record. It is so easy to believe that this guy got his big break doing studio sessions for Christopher Cross. Here's another song that Eric Johnson did with ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John5, just to remind you that Johnson can still rock:
Back to Eric Johnson: Some of the songs on "Musicon" are barely songwriting, just skeletons to let the guitar drift and zoom around the room... that's why people gave up on jazz. It's what they call "guitar wanking", and it sets a divide between the audience and the musician. It's like any athlete or artist flexing their muscles: after a while, the only audience the performer is concerned about is the performer. And while there's something to be said about the purity of the artistic expression, what gives art its resonance is its connection with an audience.
Let me encapsulate the difference: listening to most Eric Johnson songs, at best, makes me want to play guitar like Eric Johnson. But a song like "Cliffs of Dover"... it makes me want to fly like Superman.
I don't know if he's ever going to try to hit the charts again; heck, I can't tell if he'll release another solo album on schedule (every six years.) But Eric Johnson has found great success as the 'musician's musician'. After two successful world tours with G3 (a triple bill with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai), he's doing a Guitar Masters tour in 2011, alongside other guitar masters. That's success aplenty...
If you're not convinced of his awesomeness after that performance, you don't have to apologize. Sometimes in this column, we talk about why certain talents aren't superstars. Eric Johnson's downfall is a more pronounced but typical demonstration of why musician's musicians don't become superstars.
Let's put it in context: 1990's "Ah Via Musicon" is a technical masterpiece. In that album, he achieved the ultimate artistic goal of revealing his unique voice within his medium of guitar playing, of establishing his own sound.
When you get beyond the guitar wizardry, you can't ignore the fact that it's a soft rock record. It is so easy to believe that this guy got his big break doing studio sessions for Christopher Cross. Here's another song that Eric Johnson did with ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John5, just to remind you that Johnson can still rock:
Back to Eric Johnson: Some of the songs on "Musicon" are barely songwriting, just skeletons to let the guitar drift and zoom around the room... that's why people gave up on jazz. It's what they call "guitar wanking", and it sets a divide between the audience and the musician. It's like any athlete or artist flexing their muscles: after a while, the only audience the performer is concerned about is the performer. And while there's something to be said about the purity of the artistic expression, what gives art its resonance is its connection with an audience.
Let me encapsulate the difference: listening to most Eric Johnson songs, at best, makes me want to play guitar like Eric Johnson. But a song like "Cliffs of Dover"... it makes me want to fly like Superman.
I don't know if he's ever going to try to hit the charts again; heck, I can't tell if he'll release another solo album on schedule (every six years.) But Eric Johnson has found great success as the 'musician's musician'. After two successful world tours with G3 (a triple bill with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai), he's doing a Guitar Masters tour in 2011, alongside other guitar masters. That's success aplenty...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
August 10
Today's birthday goes to Jon Farriss, the drummer for the Australian band INXS. The members have been together over 30 years, ever since they were a new wave/ska band called the Farriss Brothers (Jon's brothers, Andrew and Tim, play keyboards and lead guitar, respectively.) A former manager, who almost convinced them to become a Christian band, gave them the INXS name.
Instead, they developed their own rock sound (and their confidence to follow the beat of their own drummer, so to speak) and became one of the biggest music acts of the 80's. In their first 20 years, five of their albums went platinum, and they charted singles in the US 22 times (including "Disappear", which Jon co-wrote with lead singer Michael Hutchence.)
After the death of lead singer Hutchence in 1997, the rest of the band struggled to determine their next step. Over the next few years, the band would perform one-off shows with guest vocalists, then almost found a new singer - who left before they could record an album. Finally in 2004, they took the audacious step of making a worldwide search for their next lead singer, and making it part of a reality TV show. Though met with criticism, the show did produce what they were looking for: their next singer, J D Fortune, a guy as rebellious as the band is. He got the job and toured with the band for the next few years.
What happened after the tour is still under debate. Either JD got sent home after the tour, or he got 'sent home'. [As of 2010, the band and JD have confirmed that he is definitely the lead singer of INXS.] Either way, the next INXS album isn't with JD Fortune; it's a tribute album to Michael Hutchence, with guest singers performing covers from the first 20 years of the band's history. Among the names confirmed are the Killers' Brandon Flowers, Rob Thomas, Nikki Costa, and Ben Harper.
Here's a Ben Harper concert performance, with birthday boy Jon sitting in, of "Never Tear Us Apart":
Instead, they developed their own rock sound (and their confidence to follow the beat of their own drummer, so to speak) and became one of the biggest music acts of the 80's. In their first 20 years, five of their albums went platinum, and they charted singles in the US 22 times (including "Disappear", which Jon co-wrote with lead singer Michael Hutchence.)
After the death of lead singer Hutchence in 1997, the rest of the band struggled to determine their next step. Over the next few years, the band would perform one-off shows with guest vocalists, then almost found a new singer - who left before they could record an album. Finally in 2004, they took the audacious step of making a worldwide search for their next lead singer, and making it part of a reality TV show. Though met with criticism, the show did produce what they were looking for: their next singer, J D Fortune, a guy as rebellious as the band is. He got the job and toured with the band for the next few years.
What happened after the tour is still under debate. Either JD got sent home after the tour, or he got 'sent home'. [As of 2010, the band and JD have confirmed that he is definitely the lead singer of INXS.] Either way, the next INXS album isn't with JD Fortune; it's a tribute album to Michael Hutchence, with guest singers performing covers from the first 20 years of the band's history. Among the names confirmed are the Killers' Brandon Flowers, Rob Thomas, Nikki Costa, and Ben Harper.
Here's a Ben Harper concert performance, with birthday boy Jon sitting in, of "Never Tear Us Apart":
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
June 17
Why does Paul Young get an honorary holiday today? Because Wikipedia's got 10 Paul Youngs. And particularly because the Paul Young that comes to mind of the average person on the street is the singer of such hits as "Every Time You Go Away" and "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted." But this is a different Paul Young. Today's Paul Young has had an uphill battle, particularly since he passed away in 2000.
He first made a go of it when he joined the Toggery Five, a British Invasion-era band. Two of the five would eventually join Jethro Tull; Young, meanwhile, would end up struggling for another decade before he would end up at the Sad Cafe, who offered straight-ahead rock songs in the late 70's post-punk era. They put a few songs in the UK charts, before calling it a day in 1981:
By 1983, Young and his family were almost penniless, when he got offered a job as a Mechanic. Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford suddenly found the time for a solo project, so he began recruiting band members. He needed a proven, talented singer; he chose Paul Carrack. Then he decided he needed another one, and his drummer recommended Young.
Here's my favorite Mike and the Mechanics track, and its epic video:
The success of Mike and the Mechanics was the ultimate turnaround for Young; it even allowed a brief resurrection of Sad Cafe. He died in 2000, shortly after his sixth Mike and the Mechanics album. Jason Young, Paul's son, curates the Forever Young website, offering historical notes and re-release updates on the approximately twenty bands that featured the Paul Young he knew best.
He first made a go of it when he joined the Toggery Five, a British Invasion-era band. Two of the five would eventually join Jethro Tull; Young, meanwhile, would end up struggling for another decade before he would end up at the Sad Cafe, who offered straight-ahead rock songs in the late 70's post-punk era. They put a few songs in the UK charts, before calling it a day in 1981:
By 1983, Young and his family were almost penniless, when he got offered a job as a Mechanic. Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford suddenly found the time for a solo project, so he began recruiting band members. He needed a proven, talented singer; he chose Paul Carrack. Then he decided he needed another one, and his drummer recommended Young.
Here's my favorite Mike and the Mechanics track, and its epic video:
The success of Mike and the Mechanics was the ultimate turnaround for Young; it even allowed a brief resurrection of Sad Cafe. He died in 2000, shortly after his sixth Mike and the Mechanics album. Jason Young, Paul's son, curates the Forever Young website, offering historical notes and re-release updates on the approximately twenty bands that featured the Paul Young he knew best.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
June 6
Happy Birthday to Dwight Twilley: he's a practicioner of power pop, a genre that always loved the radio more than radio loved the genre (see: Badfinger, Big Star, The Knack, OK Go.)
Raised in Tulsa, OK, Twilley met fellow Beatles fan Phil Seymour at a screening of "A Hard Day's Night" in 1967. They started writing songs together and playing them out as the band Oister. They made the trip to Sun Studios, ingesting the rockabilly rhythm into their sound. They moved to LA and signed to a label that renamed them the Dwight Twilley Band. Almost without trying, they got their first top 20 single "I'm On Fire". That turned out to be the apex of the band's success; label interference (they didn't release the second single "Shark" because they didn't want to piggyback on the success of "Jaws"... what?) and difficulties (first album delayed almost a year, second never released, label sold and resold) wore the band down to pieces.
By 1978, the band was broken, and Twilley had a solo career... and it's his return to the charts that I remember. In 1984, I was 10 years old and a bit of a troll, which didn't bother me so much at the time. And yet there was something missing which I couldn't explain, until I discovered cable television, and MTV, and Night Flight, and Dwight Twilley's "Girls" (this might be the NSFW version:
I can't be certain if I actually saw the unedited version or not; the only copy I have on VHS is the 'dialectic' version, which re-edited the video with clips from Eisenstein and 30's exploitation films. Also, don't remember the video using a girl to lip-sync Tom Petty's vocals in the video. But that video got me on the road to years of late night viewing, whether it was all-night Marx Brothers marathons, weirdo cartoons, schlock sci-fi or the vibrating Rorscach tests that were unscrambled Skinemax broadcasts...
As for Dwight Twilley, "Girls" was his last top 40 hit. The digital revolution finally rolled things his way, with most of his recordings finally seeing daylight in the 00's. In 2009, he even released a Beatles covers album.
Here's a couple of other tracks. The first is "Why You Gonna Break My Heart", his other top 20 hit (released just before "Girls".) The audio is the studio recording, overlaid on a performance on "American Bandstand"...
...and this is just one more song I liked.
Raised in Tulsa, OK, Twilley met fellow Beatles fan Phil Seymour at a screening of "A Hard Day's Night" in 1967. They started writing songs together and playing them out as the band Oister. They made the trip to Sun Studios, ingesting the rockabilly rhythm into their sound. They moved to LA and signed to a label that renamed them the Dwight Twilley Band. Almost without trying, they got their first top 20 single "I'm On Fire". That turned out to be the apex of the band's success; label interference (they didn't release the second single "Shark" because they didn't want to piggyback on the success of "Jaws"... what?) and difficulties (first album delayed almost a year, second never released, label sold and resold) wore the band down to pieces.
By 1978, the band was broken, and Twilley had a solo career... and it's his return to the charts that I remember. In 1984, I was 10 years old and a bit of a troll, which didn't bother me so much at the time. And yet there was something missing which I couldn't explain, until I discovered cable television, and MTV, and Night Flight, and Dwight Twilley's "Girls" (this might be the NSFW version:
I can't be certain if I actually saw the unedited version or not; the only copy I have on VHS is the 'dialectic' version, which re-edited the video with clips from Eisenstein and 30's exploitation films. Also, don't remember the video using a girl to lip-sync Tom Petty's vocals in the video. But that video got me on the road to years of late night viewing, whether it was all-night Marx Brothers marathons, weirdo cartoons, schlock sci-fi or the vibrating Rorscach tests that were unscrambled Skinemax broadcasts...
As for Dwight Twilley, "Girls" was his last top 40 hit. The digital revolution finally rolled things his way, with most of his recordings finally seeing daylight in the 00's. In 2009, he even released a Beatles covers album.
Here's a couple of other tracks. The first is "Why You Gonna Break My Heart", his other top 20 hit (released just before "Girls".) The audio is the studio recording, overlaid on a performance on "American Bandstand"...
...and this is just one more song I liked.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
April 25
I was researching Steve Ferrone for today's blog, and ended up answering one of the most nagging questions I've had the past eighteen months: what is the name of this song?
I'd been hearing "Pick Up the Pieces" on the local oldies station for months, although they'd given up on human deejays, so I never knew what the song was actually called. I'd given up ever finding out, and was resorting to "Theme Song for Public Broadcast Show at 5:30 in the Morning." Radio, bring back the deejays!
Anyway, Ferrone joined the Average White Band after this million seller was recorded, replacing their deceased drummer. He would end up seeing the band through the rest of the 70's, and the rest of their time on the charts.
After AWB, Ferrone did session work and was a hired gun for bands like Duran Duran and Scritti Politti. In 1994, Ferrone formally joined Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, which are still going strong with a tour and new album in 2010. Rock on, Ferrone...
I'd been hearing "Pick Up the Pieces" on the local oldies station for months, although they'd given up on human deejays, so I never knew what the song was actually called. I'd given up ever finding out, and was resorting to "Theme Song for Public Broadcast Show at 5:30 in the Morning." Radio, bring back the deejays!
Anyway, Ferrone joined the Average White Band after this million seller was recorded, replacing their deceased drummer. He would end up seeing the band through the rest of the 70's, and the rest of their time on the charts.
After AWB, Ferrone did session work and was a hired gun for bands like Duran Duran and Scritti Politti. In 1994, Ferrone formally joined Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, which are still going strong with a tour and new album in 2010. Rock on, Ferrone...
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 20
There are too many people to write about today, particularly of the crazy, intent-on-world-domination types. But the winner of today's birthday brawl is Bjorn Skifs, lead singer of Blue Swede, among other things. His music career has lasted over 35 years, and he represented his homeland in Eurovision Song Contest twice. He's even got a hearty film resume, between his acting and screenwriting credits.
But to English speaking audiences, if he's anything at all, he's the guy who sings with that "ooga-chaka" band. Blue Swede's version of the standard "Hooked on a Feeling" was a number 1 hit in its mid-70's release, and a hipster revival when it appeared in the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack.
You don't remember how the song goes? It's like this:
But to English speaking audiences, if he's anything at all, he's the guy who sings with that "ooga-chaka" band. Blue Swede's version of the standard "Hooked on a Feeling" was a number 1 hit in its mid-70's release, and a hipster revival when it appeared in the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack.
You don't remember how the song goes? It's like this:
Sunday, April 18, 2010
April 19
Happy Birthday, Tim Curry! I know that I started this blog for the under-recognized, but Rocky Horror trumps that. But he's more than Dr Frank N Furter: he's got an armada of villainous roles to inspire a dozen cults. Pennywise from Stephen King's It, Legend's Lord of Darkness, Fern Gully, Muppet Treasure Island, Congo, Annie, the McHale's Navy movie, Captain Planet and the Planeteers... he was even Tim Burton's second choice for the Joker.
But we're not going to go on about that. And we're not going to talk about Nigel Thornberry or King Arthur, either (beyond this sentence.) No, we're going to spotlight his brief tenure as a rock star!
He recorded three albums with A & M, with one foot in the Lou Reed/Warren Zevon sound and another still on the West End stage. The sound didn't quite connect with audiences, although his second album did get some play on early MTV. 1981 was his third strike, and he was out, which is fine for movie fans.
In 2010, "...From the Vaults" was released, featuring several songs Tim Curry recorded in 1976 for Ode Records, a label started by Rocky Horror producer Lou Adler. That album never materialized, with only a few songs floating around in bootlegs over the decades.
Speaking of bootlegs, here's a clip from a 1978 concert featuring Tim performing Frank N Furter's signature ballad.
Still looks better than a cameraphone...
But we're not going to go on about that. And we're not going to talk about Nigel Thornberry or King Arthur, either (beyond this sentence.) No, we're going to spotlight his brief tenure as a rock star!
He recorded three albums with A & M, with one foot in the Lou Reed/Warren Zevon sound and another still on the West End stage. The sound didn't quite connect with audiences, although his second album did get some play on early MTV. 1981 was his third strike, and he was out, which is fine for movie fans.
In 2010, "...From the Vaults" was released, featuring several songs Tim Curry recorded in 1976 for Ode Records, a label started by Rocky Horror producer Lou Adler. That album never materialized, with only a few songs floating around in bootlegs over the decades.
Speaking of bootlegs, here's a clip from a 1978 concert featuring Tim performing Frank N Furter's signature ballad.
Still looks better than a cameraphone...
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
April 15
This one's a discovery for me, so I'm sorry not to offer any insights to Tonio K fans that visit this site via Google. He's often described as America's answer to Elvis Costello and Johnny Rotten, and I can hear that in the tracks I found. He made several albums in the post-punk era that won over critics but not crowds. He found more success as a songwriter (his biggest credit was co-writing the Vanessa Williams hit "Love Is"; he said he wrote it for Tom Waits' voice.) But I can't tell if he's done these days or sitting on a bed of songs. Heck, he just got a Myspace page in 2009, and even that's through an intermeidary.
All I know is, I'd like to hear more of this:
All I know is, I'd like to hear more of this:
April 14
There's a scientific term called the Uncanny Valley, when something that looks like a person looks too much so for someone to be comfortable. The phrase has come up in recent years as robots get closer to looking and acting similar to people. But to get a better idea of what the Uncanny Valley is, compare the cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks with the 'live-action' Alvin and the Chipmunks. Which one's adorable, and which one would you call an exterminator on?
Another form of entertainment that lives along the Uncanny Valley are marionettes, particularly the creations of Gerry Anderson. "Thunderbirds Are Go" is his most famous, but for several decades, Anderson's created several sci-fi shows, for kids and adults, utilizing "supermarionation". "Supermarionation" are puppets with solenoids in their jaws, so their mouths move in sync with an audio signal - such as an actor's dialogue. The result is a puppet that talks almost as expressively as a person, even if it still walks like a floating cardboard box.
So that might creep some people out.
Not me, nor the millions of fans that have built up over the years. Heck, watch "Team America: World Police," which is more a tribute to "Thunderbirds" than the Hollywood remake (a paycheck for Ben Kingsley, and a resume filler for Vanessa Hudgins.) Or how about this Dire Straits video for "Calling Elvis", with new and classic puppet sequences produced by Gerry Anderson:
Dire Straits - Calling Elvis
Another form of entertainment that lives along the Uncanny Valley are marionettes, particularly the creations of Gerry Anderson. "Thunderbirds Are Go" is his most famous, but for several decades, Anderson's created several sci-fi shows, for kids and adults, utilizing "supermarionation". "Supermarionation" are puppets with solenoids in their jaws, so their mouths move in sync with an audio signal - such as an actor's dialogue. The result is a puppet that talks almost as expressively as a person, even if it still walks like a floating cardboard box.
So that might creep some people out.
Not me, nor the millions of fans that have built up over the years. Heck, watch "Team America: World Police," which is more a tribute to "Thunderbirds" than the Hollywood remake (a paycheck for Ben Kingsley, and a resume filler for Vanessa Hudgins.) Or how about this Dire Straits video for "Calling Elvis", with new and classic puppet sequences produced by Gerry Anderson:
Dire Straits - Calling Elvis
Thursday, February 25, 2010
February 26
And now for something completely different; a birthday rememberance for an unforgettable amnesiac. HM, born in 1926, suffered from epileptic attacks as a child. At the age of 27, he underwent brain surgery to combat his seizures; a side effect of the surgery was retrograde amnesia, the inability to create new long-term memories. He lived to the age of 82, but couldn't remember anything after 1953.
He spent the rest of his life as a professional test subject, the case study known in research circles as "HM". HM would become the cornerstone of modern neurological research; the study of his dysfunction obliterated old theories on how the brain works, and inspired new ideas. His life offered physiological evidence of a subconscious- that alone deserves a place in history.
In 2008, he passed away, and his brain was sliced up and preserved for further research. Upon his death, his birth name was finally revealed to the world: Henry Gustav Molaison.
Today's video is a fanvid for the Foo Fighters' "Everlong," using clips from the Christopher Nolan film "Memento," which is most people's exposure to retrograde amnesia.
(BTW, the editor used some of the R-rated plot points, so this video is NSFW and SPOILERY.)
"Memento" isn't the only movie to use retrograde amnesia as a device; I can think of a few comedies that tried to milk laughs from it. I figured it was worth sharing that such a thing as retrograde amnesia actually exists, and somebody lived with it, in front of the world. Happy Birthday, Henry, and thanks for the memories...
He spent the rest of his life as a professional test subject, the case study known in research circles as "HM". HM would become the cornerstone of modern neurological research; the study of his dysfunction obliterated old theories on how the brain works, and inspired new ideas. His life offered physiological evidence of a subconscious- that alone deserves a place in history.
In 2008, he passed away, and his brain was sliced up and preserved for further research. Upon his death, his birth name was finally revealed to the world: Henry Gustav Molaison.
Today's video is a fanvid for the Foo Fighters' "Everlong," using clips from the Christopher Nolan film "Memento," which is most people's exposure to retrograde amnesia.
(BTW, the editor used some of the R-rated plot points, so this video is NSFW and SPOILERY.)
"Memento" isn't the only movie to use retrograde amnesia as a device; I can think of a few comedies that tried to milk laughs from it. I figured it was worth sharing that such a thing as retrograde amnesia actually exists, and somebody lived with it, in front of the world. Happy Birthday, Henry, and thanks for the memories...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 11
Trying to get back on the horse with the blog, so I'm popping in the deck some Fort Minor, featuring birthday boy Mike Shinoda. More than the guy who gives Chester time to breathe, he plays a dozen instruments and handles the artwork for Linkin Park, masterminds the Fort Minor project, produces for a fistful of other bands and artists... A multi-tasker after my own heart.
The AMV's decent, and I'm in the mood for swords. 'Kay?
The AMV's decent, and I'm in the mood for swords. 'Kay?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
January 9
I've got over four months behind me, but I'm not writing this for the old reasons anymore. I was writing this to satisfy my writing itch, share a peculiar interest, and start a potential new revenue stream. Since then, I've dropped the ads, probably because I get a hit a week, probably because it's a stretch to call what I do writing. Although it's not a grocery list, it's basically caption writing in front of whatever video I can find. Time constraints has me spending 30 minutes a day, choosing one subject with a neato video, and spouting my first thoughts before I'm pulled away or pass out. But I want to finish this marathon; I might have brain fatigue, but I still intend on punching through.
Don't know if today's choice had anything to do with that outburst just then. Carl Bell is the guitarist and lyricist for the band Fuel, which warrants the debate of what the most important part of a band is. I remember Fuel's first splash on the radio ("Shimmer") in 1998, little anticipating their evolution into an American Nickelback clone. Ten years later, the drummer got fired, the singer left, and the bass player started a band with the ex-singer performing songs from the first three Fuel albums (just in case you miss the point, their band's called ReFueled.)
So are they a Fuel cover band, or what? It goes back to that fuzzy logic question of how many parts can you change on your old car before it's not your old car anymore, or how many parts of Van Halen can you change before it's not Van Halen anymore. Was Van Hagar the end? Cherrone? Chickenfoot? Wolfgang? I've veered off a bit...
I want to root for Carl on this one, because singer Brett Scallions' voice automatically notches a song in the American Idol Rock sound, while songs like "Shimmer" and "Hemorrage" suggest something with a bit more... range, I guess. On the other hand, Fuel 2.0 was a non-starter...
In the end, I'm of a mind that each artistic enterprise (even if its the musical equivalent of making greasepit cheeseburgers) is its own creature; when the alchemy's changed, it's time to change the name. It's hell on the marketing, but it's for the best...
At this point, the pieces of Fuel past and present are scattered to the four winds; Carl's working on theme songs for TV pilots, the hired guns are now in Everclear 3.0 (don't get me started,) and everybody's thinking about the good old days. So, I presume that in five years time, we'll see most of Fuel reunited on the Legacy circuit of state fairs and casino stages (Stone Temple Pilots already broke that barrier for 90's bands, and don't get me started about them...)
Here's a Carl Bell composition, from back in the day, in a FLCL AMV:
Don't know if today's choice had anything to do with that outburst just then. Carl Bell is the guitarist and lyricist for the band Fuel, which warrants the debate of what the most important part of a band is. I remember Fuel's first splash on the radio ("Shimmer") in 1998, little anticipating their evolution into an American Nickelback clone. Ten years later, the drummer got fired, the singer left, and the bass player started a band with the ex-singer performing songs from the first three Fuel albums (just in case you miss the point, their band's called ReFueled.)
So are they a Fuel cover band, or what? It goes back to that fuzzy logic question of how many parts can you change on your old car before it's not your old car anymore, or how many parts of Van Halen can you change before it's not Van Halen anymore. Was Van Hagar the end? Cherrone? Chickenfoot? Wolfgang? I've veered off a bit...
I want to root for Carl on this one, because singer Brett Scallions' voice automatically notches a song in the American Idol Rock sound, while songs like "Shimmer" and "Hemorrage" suggest something with a bit more... range, I guess. On the other hand, Fuel 2.0 was a non-starter...
In the end, I'm of a mind that each artistic enterprise (even if its the musical equivalent of making greasepit cheeseburgers) is its own creature; when the alchemy's changed, it's time to change the name. It's hell on the marketing, but it's for the best...
At this point, the pieces of Fuel past and present are scattered to the four winds; Carl's working on theme songs for TV pilots, the hired guns are now in Everclear 3.0 (don't get me started,) and everybody's thinking about the good old days. So, I presume that in five years time, we'll see most of Fuel reunited on the Legacy circuit of state fairs and casino stages (Stone Temple Pilots already broke that barrier for 90's bands, and don't get me started about them...)
Here's a Carl Bell composition, from back in the day, in a FLCL AMV:
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
January 7
Looks like today's post is going to be for Kathy Valentine, bassist for the Go-Go's. She's another great example of the bass player being the bedrock for a band; she was there at the beginning of their recording career, and is still a member today (that is, when they take their turn on the legacy circuit.) She's also in two or three other bands while raising a family in Austin, Texas. That, plus her solo album a few years back, and she's a pretty prolific artist.
Let's jam with one of my fave Go-Go's songs, "Vacation". I'm really needing this song today:
Let's jam with one of my fave Go-Go's songs, "Vacation". I'm really needing this song today:
Friday, November 6, 2009
November 6
Here's two for today:
Paul Gilbert is the prototypical B-Blog subject. He's a phenomenal talent that's sneaked under most people's radar for years. In this case, his biggest gig was playing for Mr Big, which has been just another bunch of hair metal balladeers to me. But he co-headlined the 3G Tour with Satriani and Eric Johnson, so he's definitely got powers.
Oh, okay; just listen to this:
Great; now I'll have to listen to a Mr Big album now. (Unless a reader can direct me to the good parts...)
Our second feature is to Trace Beaulieu, one of the co-conspirators on Cinematic Titanic, and the original voice of Crow T Robot for Mystery Science Theater 3000. Nobody debates about the merits of Trace's Crow versus Bill Corbett's Crow with the gusto of Joel vs Mike, but any MST3K fan knows to give props to Trace. Even if he was head writer for America's Funniest Home Videos...
Anyway, this may be as close to Christmas as I get to posting this song (Kevin Murphy's was three days ago, and Joel's is in March, I think.) And the World Series is over, so it's legal to play Christmas music in public again. So, as a birthday nod to Trace, a belated birthday wink to Bill, and a tribute to the Swayze, here's "Patrick Swayze Christmas":
Here's hoping we can keep that spirit on to Christmas, and the rest of our days....
Paul Gilbert is the prototypical B-Blog subject. He's a phenomenal talent that's sneaked under most people's radar for years. In this case, his biggest gig was playing for Mr Big, which has been just another bunch of hair metal balladeers to me. But he co-headlined the 3G Tour with Satriani and Eric Johnson, so he's definitely got powers.
Oh, okay; just listen to this:
Great; now I'll have to listen to a Mr Big album now. (Unless a reader can direct me to the good parts...)
Our second feature is to Trace Beaulieu, one of the co-conspirators on Cinematic Titanic, and the original voice of Crow T Robot for Mystery Science Theater 3000. Nobody debates about the merits of Trace's Crow versus Bill Corbett's Crow with the gusto of Joel vs Mike, but any MST3K fan knows to give props to Trace. Even if he was head writer for America's Funniest Home Videos...
Anyway, this may be as close to Christmas as I get to posting this song (Kevin Murphy's was three days ago, and Joel's is in March, I think.) And the World Series is over, so it's legal to play Christmas music in public again. So, as a birthday nod to Trace, a belated birthday wink to Bill, and a tribute to the Swayze, here's "Patrick Swayze Christmas":
Here's hoping we can keep that spirit on to Christmas, and the rest of our days....
Thursday, October 29, 2009
October 29
Our birthday spotlight shines on Winona Ryder, actress and 80's/90's hottie. To commemorate the occasion, I've invited the Winona Riders (not to be confused with the early 90's punk band Winona Ryders) to share one of their after-school practice sessions at our little party here.
Hey, look! It's Blake Sennett, her indie rocker ex-boyfriend. He's co-founder of the band Rilo Kiley. Look's like he's got something to say...
And there's her ex-boyfriend Rhett Miller, singer/songwriter and frontman for the Old 97's. What's on his mind?
There's Ken Stringfellow, singer/songwriter and frontman for the Posies...
There's Ryan Adams, singer/songwriter and- hey, wait a minute...
I'm sensing a trend here...
Funny; that doesn't look like Pete Yorn...
Hey! Page Hamilton from Helmet! Somebody that rocks!
Look! Matthew Sweet's written a song for her...
So has Les Claypool!
Here comes Dave Pirner. He looks pissed...
Look, I know, this joke is going to get old in about two more clips. If I can get another six or so after that...
It'll be effin' hilarious...
It's the "funny by overkill" rule in comedy. Will Ferrell does it all the time...
Look, don't consider this an attack on Winona's character. For crying out loud, she's been on the dating scene since the 80's. I'm just making light of the fact that sensitive rockers seem to be her kryptonite. Honestly, this list reads like the dating history of any typical indie club talent booker...
I mean, if you got together all the bands that have an ex-boyfriend of Winona Ryder's for one superconcert, it would be cooler than Coachella. And two days longer, probably...
Winona's also dated a few actors, comedians, one or two directors... The latest I found, she's hooked up with ex-actor-turned-professional-rapper Joaquin Phoenix. So that's progress, I'm sure...
Meanwhile, what's going on with her acting? The biggest role she's had in years was playing Spock's mom in the new Star Trek. Otherwise, parts have dried up to the point that she's signed on to a sequel for Heathers (Christian Slater, too... and that works HOW?!? Is he going to be some Jigsaw-level evil mastermind delivering videotaped instructions from beyond the grave?)
Oh, now he's not even a real musician! What's he doing in here?
Mike Nesmith?!? Really? She dated a Monkee?
Okay, this ain't funny anymore; girl needs an intervention. Somebody find her a nice orthodontist, stat!
Hey, look! It's Blake Sennett, her indie rocker ex-boyfriend. He's co-founder of the band Rilo Kiley. Look's like he's got something to say...
And there's her ex-boyfriend Rhett Miller, singer/songwriter and frontman for the Old 97's. What's on his mind?
There's Ken Stringfellow, singer/songwriter and frontman for the Posies...
There's Ryan Adams, singer/songwriter and- hey, wait a minute...
I'm sensing a trend here...
Funny; that doesn't look like Pete Yorn...
Hey! Page Hamilton from Helmet! Somebody that rocks!
Look! Matthew Sweet's written a song for her...
So has Les Claypool!
Here comes Dave Pirner. He looks pissed...
Look, I know, this joke is going to get old in about two more clips. If I can get another six or so after that...
It'll be effin' hilarious...
It's the "funny by overkill" rule in comedy. Will Ferrell does it all the time...
Look, don't consider this an attack on Winona's character. For crying out loud, she's been on the dating scene since the 80's. I'm just making light of the fact that sensitive rockers seem to be her kryptonite. Honestly, this list reads like the dating history of any typical indie club talent booker...
I mean, if you got together all the bands that have an ex-boyfriend of Winona Ryder's for one superconcert, it would be cooler than Coachella. And two days longer, probably...
Winona's also dated a few actors, comedians, one or two directors... The latest I found, she's hooked up with ex-actor-turned-professional-rapper Joaquin Phoenix. So that's progress, I'm sure...
Meanwhile, what's going on with her acting? The biggest role she's had in years was playing Spock's mom in the new Star Trek. Otherwise, parts have dried up to the point that she's signed on to a sequel for Heathers (Christian Slater, too... and that works HOW?!? Is he going to be some Jigsaw-level evil mastermind delivering videotaped instructions from beyond the grave?)
Oh, now he's not even a real musician! What's he doing in here?
Mike Nesmith?!? Really? She dated a Monkee?
Okay, this ain't funny anymore; girl needs an intervention. Somebody find her a nice orthodontist, stat!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
October 5
My favorite actress in the business, Oscar winner Kate Winslet, is 34. It's not just her beauty, talent and fearlessness that get to me, it's her intelligence. I mean, she's got a plan. The girl knows what she's doing.
See what I mean? Actually, that's a clip from the TV series "Extras," which is that hilarious in every single episode.
Not easy to find a video of music featuring Winslet. I was worried I'd have to show a clip from that painful film "Romance and Cigarettes," (she was the best part, of course) and then I learned that she did a duet with Weird Al Yankovic (!!!) for some children's book/CD set. That's like putting two great tastes together!
Yup... that's like chocolate-covered macaroni. We're going to leave the music to the professionals for the rest of today....
Lee Thompson, saxaphonist for Madness, the most successful 2nd wave ska band ever. They made me fall in love with ska before I knew what it was. Hearing Lee's wailing
on "One Step Beyond" takes me back to Friday nights St Louis community radio, getting my weekly dosage of ska and reggae.
Something's in the air; so far, three seminal ska bands have returned to the stage this year. In fact, Madness is getting some of the best reviews of their career, even if their work's 'maturing'. Judge the new stuff for yourself...
Brian Johnson, vocalist for AC/DC. Some still call him 'the other vocalist', but Brian's the one that's sang their biggest hits. [Did you know that the "Back in Black" LP is the second best-selling album of all time?] He gives hope for every band that tries to get together its second act.
This year's tour might be it for the boys. Six dates last month were cancelled while Brian was recovering from surgery, treating typical 'old man' problems. No word if they removed that hernia that's the source of Brian Johnson's vocal power; that would be like giving Macy Gray a lozenge...
Finally, I'm posting a Velvet Underground track because it's Vaclav Havel's birthday. In 1968, Havel was a playwright in communist Czechoslovakia, while the Velvet Underground was another band whose music was being smuggled in and share in the Prague underground. People started their own bands, despite government efforts at suppresion. The arrest of several musicians in 1977 inspired the Charter 77 manifesto, which would be the guiding principles of the Velvet Revolution, the bloodless regime change that would see the end of communism in Czechoslovakia and the beginnings of free elections. Havel, who was sent to prison several times for speaking out for human rights in his plays and in public, would become the first president of the Czech Republic. When he welcomed Lou Reed to a democratic Czechoslovakia in 1990, Havel said to him, "Did you know that I am president because of you?"
Havel's retired from public office, but not from public life. He continues to work with human rights organizations, and speak about those issues. He's returned to playwriting, and parlaying that into directing his first feature film.
Havel's life story reminds me that art, even in inherently disposable forms like 3-minute rock songs, can affect and inspire others; the Velvet Underground's fearlessness in the realm of music inspired Havel and his peers to seek that fearlessness in their own lives.
So, here's a video of the Velvet Underground track "European Son", to salute Vaclav Havel and hope that we tap into the fearlessness in our own hearts that we need to change our world for the better...
The Velvet Underground - European Son
See what I mean? Actually, that's a clip from the TV series "Extras," which is that hilarious in every single episode.
Not easy to find a video of music featuring Winslet. I was worried I'd have to show a clip from that painful film "Romance and Cigarettes," (she was the best part, of course) and then I learned that she did a duet with Weird Al Yankovic (!!!) for some children's book/CD set. That's like putting two great tastes together!
Yup... that's like chocolate-covered macaroni. We're going to leave the music to the professionals for the rest of today....
Lee Thompson, saxaphonist for Madness, the most successful 2nd wave ska band ever. They made me fall in love with ska before I knew what it was. Hearing Lee's wailing
on "One Step Beyond" takes me back to Friday nights St Louis community radio, getting my weekly dosage of ska and reggae.
Something's in the air; so far, three seminal ska bands have returned to the stage this year. In fact, Madness is getting some of the best reviews of their career, even if their work's 'maturing'. Judge the new stuff for yourself...
Brian Johnson, vocalist for AC/DC. Some still call him 'the other vocalist', but Brian's the one that's sang their biggest hits. [Did you know that the "Back in Black" LP is the second best-selling album of all time?] He gives hope for every band that tries to get together its second act.
This year's tour might be it for the boys. Six dates last month were cancelled while Brian was recovering from surgery, treating typical 'old man' problems. No word if they removed that hernia that's the source of Brian Johnson's vocal power; that would be like giving Macy Gray a lozenge...
Finally, I'm posting a Velvet Underground track because it's Vaclav Havel's birthday. In 1968, Havel was a playwright in communist Czechoslovakia, while the Velvet Underground was another band whose music was being smuggled in and share in the Prague underground. People started their own bands, despite government efforts at suppresion. The arrest of several musicians in 1977 inspired the Charter 77 manifesto, which would be the guiding principles of the Velvet Revolution, the bloodless regime change that would see the end of communism in Czechoslovakia and the beginnings of free elections. Havel, who was sent to prison several times for speaking out for human rights in his plays and in public, would become the first president of the Czech Republic. When he welcomed Lou Reed to a democratic Czechoslovakia in 1990, Havel said to him, "Did you know that I am president because of you?"
Havel's retired from public office, but not from public life. He continues to work with human rights organizations, and speak about those issues. He's returned to playwriting, and parlaying that into directing his first feature film.
Havel's life story reminds me that art, even in inherently disposable forms like 3-minute rock songs, can affect and inspire others; the Velvet Underground's fearlessness in the realm of music inspired Havel and his peers to seek that fearlessness in their own lives.
So, here's a video of the Velvet Underground track "European Son", to salute Vaclav Havel and hope that we tap into the fearlessness in our own hearts that we need to change our world for the better...
The Velvet Underground - European Son
Thursday, September 10, 2009
September 10
David Lowery and Johnny Hickman, bandmates in Cracker, know how to throw a birthday party. This weekend, the 5th annual Pioneertown Campout offers a two-day concert in the woods; Cracker plays Saturday night, while Lowery’s other band, Camper Van Beethoven, closes Friday night’s stage.
Cracker had to make an appearance on this blog, for their Kerosene Hat single, “Happy Birthday to Me.” Couldn’t find the original video, but I found this fanvid, featuring a collection of Hubble photos; good enough for me!
Siobhan Fahey is another music artist who’s done double duty on the charts. In the 80’s, she was part of the pop trio Bananarama. In the 90’s, she started the duo Shakespeare’s Sister. These days, she’s working on solo material, and I’m hoping she doesn’t disappear altogether.
Bananarama was good for what it was, but I still remember the video for “Stay,” and that spooky, goth’d out Fahey.
Here’s somebody I discovered today: Don Powell, drummer for Slade. One of the UK’s most successful acts of the 70’s, they remain inspirations for today’s rockers’ inspirations. I didn’t realize how many of their songs I knew, until I did the research. That, and I mixed them up with the Sweet.
Don Powell’s story is kind of heartbreaking. In 1973, Don was in a car crash that took the life of his girlfriend. He woke six days later, without his sense of smell or taste, and with his short-term memory severely damaged (yes, Memento-style.) He rehabilitated his body so he could play drums again, saw the band through another flock of hits in the 70's and 80's, and still plays with Slade today...
Tomorrow: more British rock…
Cracker had to make an appearance on this blog, for their Kerosene Hat single, “Happy Birthday to Me.” Couldn’t find the original video, but I found this fanvid, featuring a collection of Hubble photos; good enough for me!
Siobhan Fahey is another music artist who’s done double duty on the charts. In the 80’s, she was part of the pop trio Bananarama. In the 90’s, she started the duo Shakespeare’s Sister. These days, she’s working on solo material, and I’m hoping she doesn’t disappear altogether.
Bananarama was good for what it was, but I still remember the video for “Stay,” and that spooky, goth’d out Fahey.
Here’s somebody I discovered today: Don Powell, drummer for Slade. One of the UK’s most successful acts of the 70’s, they remain inspirations for today’s rockers’ inspirations. I didn’t realize how many of their songs I knew, until I did the research. That, and I mixed them up with the Sweet.
Don Powell’s story is kind of heartbreaking. In 1973, Don was in a car crash that took the life of his girlfriend. He woke six days later, without his sense of smell or taste, and with his short-term memory severely damaged (yes, Memento-style.) He rehabilitated his body so he could play drums again, saw the band through another flock of hits in the 70's and 80's, and still plays with Slade today...
Tomorrow: more British rock…
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