• Punk

    The Sex Pistols’ Last Show

    January 15, 2008 /

    Thirty years ago yesterday, the Sex Pistols ended their ill-fated U.S. tour with this show at San Francisco’s Winterland – a venue which would close later that year (marked by a New Year’s Eve finale show by the Grateful Dead – available on CD as The Closing of Winterland).

    In early January, the Pistols embarked on their first U.S. tour with a string of dates through the Deep South – purposely booked by their manager Malcolm McLaren to create an atmosphere of tension and hostility. Mission accomplished! Sid Vicious was deep into his heroin habit by then, and increasingly hostile to the audience. Fights would break out, people would attack him on stage. It was ugly. Johnny Rotten was increasingly disillusioned during the tour. He was disgusted by Sid’s behavior, and found himself more and more isolated from Steve Jones and Paul Cook (the other members of the band).

    By the time they made it to San Francisco for their January 14th show, enough was enough. After the final song, a cover of the Stooges tune “No Fun” (not coincidental, it would seem), Rotten famously exclaimed: “Ever get the feeling you’re being cheated? Good night.” And walked off the stage. That was it for the band – at least in that incarnation.

    The Sex Pistols
    Live at Winterland, San Francisco
    January 14th, 1978

    God Save The Queen
    I Wanna Be Me
    Seventeen
    New York
    E.M.I.
    Belsen Was A Gas
    Bodies
    Holidays In The Sun
    Liar
    No Feelings
    Problems
    Pretty Vacant
    Anarchy In The U.K.
    No Fun

  • Funk

    KC Funk with KLT

    January 14, 2008 /

    Funk. Kansas City Funk.

    Kenny Carter is a KC-area musician very much influenced by Uncle Geroge and the P-Funk Universe. One of Kenny’s projects in recent years was KLT – a sort of KC area funk collective. In 2003, they dropped KLT Presents…Butch. Knowing my penchant for Prince and all things Funky, one of my readers, Steve, passed along a link to this album on CD Baby. I enjoyed it from the first minute of the first song I listened to: “Lamblast”. I believe it was the System who so wisely said, “Don’t Disturb This Groove”….

    Butch is an orphaned stick figure superhero from the planet Grunt. One day, ol’ Butch is transformed into “a big, black mass of muscle with giant hands that can crush just about anything”. This album is the first in a trilogy, detailing the stories and adventures behind Butch.

    Now, the album was released in late 2003, and – well – there isn’t a whole lot that’s been updated on their web sites since. But the album is funky and entertaining enough to merit a listen… and maybe we can coax Kenny and KLT back from the planet Grunt or whatever galaxy they’ve zipped off too, and demand some more!

    Thanks Steve for the tip. Always glad to be tipped to the f-u-n-k.

    Funk it up now.

    KLT – Lamblast (mp3)

  • Nudges

    A Nudge in the Right Direction

    January 13, 2008 /

  • Old School

    Old School Friday: Lisa Lisa!

    January 11, 2008 /

    It would be interesting to investigate the history of Old School Friday, and how often it correlates directly with an after work happy hour. I’m pretty sure the former has always been accompanied by the latter. So who am I to mess with destiny?

    Tonight, we forget about Britney Spears and her paparazzi boy toy; we forget about Huckabees and Romneys and O’Reillys; we forget about the fact that I live in a country where Howie Mandel and Jeff Foxworthy have hit prime time game shows in the year 2008. Yes, my friends , we go back to a simpler time…

    Lisa Velez was a latina teenager from the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan when she was introduced to the strapping young lads from Full Force: Paul Anthony, Bow-Legged Lou, Shy Shy and friends. When they heard her sing, they dubbed her Lisa Lisa, and put her together with a roadie from Full Force (Mike Hughes) and a friend, Alex “Spanador” Moseley (is there a better nickname than Spanador? I think not).

    Full Force produced Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam’s first hit single, “I Wonder If I Take You Home”, which became a pop and R&B hit during the summer of 1985. They would go on to have success with singles like “Can You Feel the Beat”, “All Cried Out”, and “Lost in Emotion”.

    Checking out Lisa Lisa’ web sites tonight, it looks like she’s still going strong, doing some singing and acting, and even planning a tour in 2008.

    And she still looks great – holy crap I feel 15 again!

    Grrreeeowrrr…..

    Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (w/ Full Force) – I Wonder If I Take You Home (mp3)

    Buy

    Full Force – Old Flames Never Die (mp3)

    Buy

    Links:

    Video: “Can You Feel the Beat”

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F5lQNrxg7c 336 278]

    Video: “Lost in Emotion”

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6NL5yku59E 336 278]

  • Rock

    Marah’s New One: Angels of Destruction!

    January 10, 2008 /


    photo by Hannah Torreson

    Though their past few albums – to me – have never matched the brilliance and intensity of their first two albums: Let’s Cut the Crap and Hook Up Later on Tonight and Kids in Philly – they sure keep inching more and more back to that original form – both with 2005’s If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry and now with Angels of Destruction! – which just came out Tuesday. One of my favorites so far is the opener, “Coughing Up Blood” – a perfect way to kick off the album. A lazy, rolling groove, catchy backing vocals that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Wilburys or Little Village record, and Dave Bielanko’s talent – one of my favorite singers and an amazingly creative lyricist. Dave & Serge Bielanko and their supporting gang are on a roll…

    Marah – Coughing Up Blood (mp3)

    Buy non-DRM’ed 256 kbps (that’s a good thing) MP3’s from Amazon’s MP3 Store…

    Links:

    Marah’s Official Site
    MySpace
    Watch Marah perform “Angels of Destruction” on Wednesday’s Conan O’Brien show.

  • Oldies

    Elvis is Back!

    January 8, 2008 /

    Well, not exactly, but it is his birthday today. The King would have turned 73 today if he had managed to keep that ticker going. But he didn’t. Thankfully, we have the music (and the movies – can I get a Clambake!); and the music never gets old for me. There’s so much that I still haven’t heard.

    This past week, I used my iTunes gift card to pick up Elvis is Back! It was his first studio release after returning from his stint in the U.S. Army, where he did his duty and managed to seduce a young Priscilla Beaulieu over in Germany.

    In March 1960, Elvis and his gang hit RCA’s Studio B in Nashville. They recorded into April. Musicians included the usual suspects: Scotty Moore on guitar, D.J. Fontana on drums, Bob Moore on bass, and the Jordanaires providing their trademark vocals. Floyd Cramer also played piano on the album. He would hit it big that same year with an instrumental: “Last Date”. You know the tune…

    Floyd Cramer – Last Date
    So the resulting album from these sessions was Elvis is Back! Now, if you don’t care for Elvis’s music – particularly pre-Hollywood “early Elvis” – I don’t understand you. There’s something so appealing and universal about these songs, that voice. It’s always struck a chord with me, and it looks to have the same effect on my kids. They won’t shake their moneymakers to just any ol’ tune. But when the first chords of an Elvis song plays, their primal instinct is to move – to smile… It’s really a testament – not just to music in general – but to the timelessness of Elvis Presley in his prime.

    Happy Birthday to the King!

    Elvis Presley – Reconsider Baby (mp3)

    Buy the remastered version of Elvis is Back! on Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back! (Remastered)

  • Rock n' Folk

    Martin Sexton’s Diner

    January 6, 2008 /

    As the new, 21st century American Gladiators plays on television in the distance (on Mute), and I get sick to my stomach and lament the fact that society and popular culture seem to be on a downward spiral down the ol’ proverbial toilet… I hear this song.

    I have been told before to listen to Martin Sexton. I have been told to go see him live. And it’s clearly my fault for not doing so sooner. A single song like this can endear me to an artist, and move me to seek out an entire catalog. This song is that good, in my opinion. It’s an ode to the American diner, performed in such a catchy, clever, sweet way – that my head is reeling. Best new song of 2008, people! And it’s a dozen years old. Go figure. Thanks again, Sirius Disorder.

    Buy:

    Links: Official Site | MySpace

  • Local,  Punk

    A Local Joe Strummer Tribute with Glass Heroes

    January 4, 2008 /

    joe strummer and keith jackson of glass heroes

    I had December 27th marked on my calendar since early November. A Joe Strummer Tribute & Benefit in my own hometown? Yes please! I headed down to my favorite small club in Phoenix, the Rhythm Room, and caught the last two bands, the Jeff Dahl Band and headliner Glass Heroes. Keith Jackson is the lead singer and guitarist in Glass Heroes (that’s him with Joe Strummer above), and this is the fourth year in a row he has organized a local Strummer tribute to benefit Strummerville.

    strummer benefit at the rhythm room

    I was impressed by both bands. They’re both veterans of the Arizona punk scene, which is alive and well. Dahl’s four piece power combo tore through their set, the rhythm section of Jason Smith (bass) and particularly Russ Covner on drums laying down some ferocious punk beats. Really impressive. They kicked off the set with “Janie Jones”, then concentrated on their own material for the next 35 minutes or so.

    Keith Jackson and his Glass Heroes were next. They offered up great versions of “What’s My Name”, “Tommy Gun”, another “Janie Jones”, and “Police on my Back”. Their originals definitely showed the Clash influence. One of my faves was “Kick Down the Doors”, which I grabbed off their MySpace page. Check it out below.

    Kudos to Keith for keeping Joe’s spirit alive, and gathering the local Strummer faithful for a great evening.

    Glass Heroes – Kick Down the Doors (mp3)

    Links: Glass Heroes Official Site | MySpace | Jeff Dahl Band’s MySpace

    Have you guys and gals checked out imeem yet? It’s a social music site where you can stream music & videos. The extra bonus is that they have licensing agreements with 2 out of the 3 major labels, so you can find and listen to full songs, make your own playlists, and basically waste several additional hours of your life on another music site. Here’s a lil’ Strummer / Clash mix I put together.

  • Hip Hop,  Kids are Listening To,  Video

    What the Kids are Listening to: Flo Rida

    January 2, 2008 /

    The # 1 song in the country, folks, is “Low” by Flo Rida.

    It’s your basic club hit of the month. The same machismo / underlying misogyny, the same “baby girl” references, the same drum machine programming. Same same same. But it’s blowin’ up.

    What grabbed my attention and sounded the alarm on the easily annoyed side of me was the name. Flo Rida. “Flow Rider” from Florida. Clever. As the calendar turns again to another year, these are the simple things that increasingly annoy me. The simple fact that the #1 song in our nation is performed by Flo Rida. With special guest T-Pain, of course. It’s always T-Pain or Akon.

    So I’m ready to join up with a label and discover some new talent. My first acts:

    • Ari Zona – Hasidic hip-hop act, a la Matisyahu, comin’ at you straight outta the deZert.
    • Cal I. Fornia – New bubblegum mainstream Country act. Sort of looks like that country guy from the first season of the “Real World”. I see duets with Kellie Pickler. I see a 21st century Hee Haw. I see him impregnating Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears, and Aries Spears. I see the twilight of his career spent in a trailer with Uncle Kracker and K-Fed.
    • Minnie Sota – Dammit it’s time for a Nordic Hannah Montana from the Land of 10,000 Lakes! Hit singles: “He Grabbed My Lutefisk (and Stole My Heart)” and “Ya Darn Tootin’ (I’d Move to Bemidji with You)”.

    Who am I missing?

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBBsC0u_qoI 336 278]