• Giveaway,  Soul

    Back to Soul / Back to School – An Ickmusic Giveaway

    This may be the first and last time you will ever see the words “Avril Lavigne” or “Hayden Panetierre” ever mentioned here (at least by me). But today, these words will be uttered, and they’ll be uttered in the same space as the Godfather of Soul, James Brown!

    Blasphemy? Perhaps.

    It’s a double shot of giveaway goodness, people . Thanks to the good folks at Kohl’s and the Shout! Factory, these items are up for grabs to one lucky commenter.

    • I Got the Feelin’: James Brown in the 60’s – a deluxe, 3-DVD box set of a JB documentary and vintage performances.
    • A $50 gift card to Kohl’s.

    And going against all of my instincts, I haven’t even opened the DVD set. I’ll force myself to Netflix it. So this is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. And what do I ask of you? Well, read on after the jump…

  • Rock,  Video

    Rhymin’ and Stealin’: Kid Rock’s All Summer Long

    Okay, so I guess Kid Rock’s idea was to borrow heavily from two of his summer favorites growing up: “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Werewolves of London”. The result, “All Summer Long”, is zooming up the charts as we speak (currently #34 on the Billboard Hot 100).

    It’s an interesting concept. And depending how popular the song gets, you have to wonder if the copycats will soon follow. What does this say for originality in songwriting? Come to think of it, hip-hop artists have been doing this for years now. Some sampling is so blatant, and shapes the song so much, it’s a wonder they can get away with it at all (I keep thinking of that Puff Daddy song that was basically Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”, with Diddy “uhh”ing and “yeah”ing his way through it).

    So what do you all think of this? Lynyrd Skynyrd and Warren Zevon’s estate have to be getting paid for this, right? (or whoever owns the songs)…

    Kids…. this is Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama“, and this is the late, great Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves in London“.

    Gotta hand it to Kid Rock though. He’s hitting that nostalgia vein hard – playing to the masses like the populist he is.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwIGZLjugKA]

  • Punk

    Games in the Forbidden City

    The Olympics got under way today. I haven’t been too in tune with who to watch out for this year, but I will undoubtedly get in the spirit over the next couple of weeks. All I’ve really seen is Michael Phelps’s Village People-riffic mustache!

    So let’s forget about that pesky issue of China’s horrific human rights record, and let’s focus on cute panda bears or something.

    Let the games begin!
    Smog smog go away!

    Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros – Forbidden City (mp3)

    From Rock Art and the X-Ray Style…

  • Friday Five

    Ickmusic’s Friday Five: August 8, 2008

    Keep That Shuffle Complexion.

    So if you are reading this you clearly have been on the internet long enough to know that today 8-8-08 is the official beginning of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. And in honor of the occasion, I thought it only appropriate that we take part in the festivities with an Olympic themed playlist. So in the spirit of “One World One Dream” here is your playlist for this week’s Friday Five.

    Tough on Dirt, Gentle on Olympics.

    Match ANY of the following conditions

    NAME contains One
    NAME contains World
    NAME contains Dream
    NAME contains Games
    NAME contains Flame
    NAME contains Gold
    NAME contains Silver
    NAME contains Bronze

    756 Tracks, not bad… (at Pete’s suggestion I’ve added the other medals)

    Last week’s birthday celebration brought out a parade of everyone’s party favorites and served as the basis for some interesting juxtapositions across the genres, tempos, moods, you name it.

    “The Theme Days of Summer” are coming to a close and as I mentioned last week I’m looking to give back to the faithful fivers so send your playlist ideas to michael at Ickmusic.com with the subject line “The Theme Days of Summer” and I’ll choose the best two to be featured in a coming Friday Five.

    For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with some words (and on occasion the song itself) for each track.

    Then it’s your turn! You can play along with the themed playlist or just share the first five of your shuffle, either way the fun is in playing musical voyeur for the day.

    Here are this week’s tracks:

    1. Maceo Parker – Tell the World (from Funkcronomicon)

    I love me some Maceo Parker, but this is not really the Maceo I know and love. Part of a brilliant overall record this is Maceo with Sly Stone, Bobby Byrd and Bootsy Collins performing a track from Maceo’s For All the King’s Men.

    2. Earth, Wind & Fire – That’s the Way of the World (from That’s the Way of the World)

    It has got to be hard being the song after “Shining Star”, no?

    3.  Daft Punk – Around the World (radio edit) (MP3) (from Around the World)

    10 years on this track still makes me move my butt.

    4. Dave Matthews Band – The Dreaming Tree (from Before These Crowded Streets)

    From what I consider the bands magnum opus, this song stands as a testament to the power of music to heal. Written by bassist Stefan Lessard after the death of his infant daughter, the songs protagonist questions his faith in dealing with death while clinging to the perfect world in his mind (The Dreaming Tree). Lyrically and musically it’s one of the most beautiful and moving songs in the bands discography.

    5. Otis Redding – I’ve Got Dreams to Remember (from The Very Best of Otis Redding)

    This is a very good tune. My mother used to sing this. I love Otis.

    So what’s got you going for the gold this weekend?

  • Video

    Video: BPA’s Toe Jam feat. Dizzee Rascal and David Byrne

    Here’s Fatboy Slim’s new project under the name BPA (Brighton Port Authority). It features special guests David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal.

    “Everyday is fu*k*ng* perfect” – David Byrne

    Now this is entertainment! What brilliant usage of the “black bar”(s). Enjoy. Mostly SFW, right?

    [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/1146413 w=500&h=281]
    THE BPA – THE BPA ‘TOE JAM’ FEAT. DAVID BYRNE & DIZZEE RASCAL from Fabio Resende on Vimeo.

    Thanks Marco for the tip.

  • Nudges

    A Nudge in the Right Direction

    It’s been a while since a nudge toward some sites and posts that have piqued my interest. Here’s a good batch…

    • Captains Dead is a fine blog. You should really check out a full Faces concert from 1970, part one and part two.
    • Sir Jeff and his merry gang of bloggers are keeping Popdose at full steam ahead. Check out the collaborative Tweener Mix Tape post; Matthew breaks down Prince’s Batman album; and the latest installment of “The Popdose Guide to” features the Pogues! Go and be edu-ma-cated.
    • You know, Paris Hilton’s response video to McBush’s campaign ad isn’t really that annoying. Paris actually got a chuckle out of me. I’m – well – shocked!
    • Stereogum has video of Wilco’s “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” gig at Wrigley Field the other day.
    • Aikin is going ballistic at Licorice Pizza with a multi-part series featuring tons of Led Zeppelin studio sessions, outttakes, etc. He’s three parts into it so far. A one. A two. A three.
    • And – hey wow, Ekko posted a 1988 Joe Strummer show on Berkeley Place, with his then backup band the Latino Rockabilly War. Hold on, must download now. *click* Okay, I’m back.
    • The Vinyl District is always ripping some great LP tracks. Check out these early reggae selections.
    • Non-music: In these times, we all need a good laugh at the expense of others. For a daily dose, be sure to make Hot Chicks with Douchebags a stop!
    • Finaly, if any of you feel like contributing to my DIY blog, go on over and register. Come one come all!
  • Pop,  Punk

    My, What Cute Lepers

    Okay, well, this band hasn’t grabbed hold of my love handles like the Hawaii Mud Bombers, but the Cute Lepers (besides the catchy moniker) lay down a nice brand of retro pop-punk. Their debut album for their new label, Blackheart Records, just came out, and they’re in the midst of a tour across this great land of ours.

    “Terminal Boredom” is their first single from the album. The affectations of lead singer Steve E. Nix – yeah, I said it – may remind you of Green Day’s Billie Joe. And if you’re like me, the verses will most certainly remind you of the Clash’s “Safe European Home” (which I listened to very loudly in the shower this morning – TMI? Perhaps).

    Do you like? Do you hate? Is it crappy, is it great? You tell me. The comments have been a tad dead lately. Liven up the joint.

    By the way, the band photo up there? The one on the left? Hands off. She’s mine.

    Cute Lepers – Terminal Boredom (mp3) [thanks to Shorefire for clearing the mp3 with the label. I’m too legit to quit!]

    Links: Official Site | MySpace | Buy Can’t Stand Modern Music