• Rock

    Lions in the Street

    It’s nice to know there’s a band out there that is dedicated to the balls-out dirty rock and blues of years past. Drawing on influences like the Stones, Allmans Brothers and Derek and the Dominos, Vancouver’s Lions in the Street know how to rock out.  Hearing this tune, I picture myself tearing through the driving rain, on my way to who knows where.

    Lions will be at SXSW next month. They also have a free mixtape EP available for download on their site, in anticipation of their first full length album later this year.

    Rock out.

    Lion in the StreetWalking Back To You (mp3)

    Links: Official Site | MySpace | SXSW Page

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: February 13, 2009

    https://ickmusic.com/pics/FridayFive06.png

    The best laid plans… I had intended on launching the new (and improved) format, but alas time and life got in the way, next week I promise the new look (and a new take) on the Friday Five… until then here’s this weeks all to brief five!

    For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.

    The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!

    The Five:

    “All Night Long (All Night)” – Lionel Ritchie (from Can’t Slow Down)

    “I Know” – The Derek Trucks Band (from Already Free)

    “Fopp” – The Ohio Players (from Honey)

    “I Don’t Care” – Fall Out Boy (from Folie à Deux)

    “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” – AC/DC (from Back in Black)

    What’s playing in your neck of the woods?

  • BritPop,  Ick's Pick

    Ick’s Pick (Week VI): Lily Allen – ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’

    I decided to go mainstream, and feature young, pretty, n’ wild Lily Allen as my pick of the week. I’ve never owned a Lily album, and I couldn’t have named a Lily song before this week, but hot diggity ding dang, I am smitten with this cheeky lass!

    I knew I’d gone mainstream when I heard “The Fear” piping through my local gas station mini-mart today. One of those gas stations that features those window repair cretins that prowl the pumps and point out blemishes on your windshield. “Your insurance will pay for it. I can fix it for you in 5 minutes.”   “No thanks.”  [he chuckles condescendingly] “But your insurance will PAY FOR IT! Why don’t I just take care of it for you real qu-” *SMACK* upside the head. Okay that last part was made up. Sorry, I got sidetracked.

    Right. Lily Allen. My favorite off the album is a rip on her man that can’t perform between the ol’ sheets: “No Fair”. Quick tempo. Some sort of futuristic electro-hillbilly beat, with Lily’s biting lyrics hiding behind her sweet voice:

    Oh I lie here in the wet patch
    In the middle of the bed
    I’m feeling pretty damn hard done by
    I spent ages giving head
    Then I remember all the nice things that you ever said to me
    Maybe I’m just overreacting maybe you’re the one for me

    There’s just one thing that’s getting in the way
    When we go up to bed you’re just no good
    It’s such a shame
    I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
    And then you make this noise and it’s apparent it’s all over

    Other standout tunes for me: “Everyone’s At It”, “Never Gonna Happen”, and yes, “The Fear”.

    “Fuck You” is good novelty fare I guess. Starting off with the piano riff from the Carpenters “Close To You”, and leading to a sunny chorus that sings “Fuck You / Fuck you very very much…”. I guess it’s directed at the former U.S. Prez.

    Overall, I like the vibe of the album. Lily has a great voice  with that sexy Mockney accent. The production and instrumentation leans toward electro-pop, something I can enjoy. The fact that Lily Allen is 23 years old and can write catchy pop tunes that a 38 year old dude can enjoy is testament to her talent.

    But I’ll be damned if I’ll let my 2 young daughters near this album.

    Here’s my favorite – “Not Fair”…

  • Rock

    The Death of Satellite Radio At Hand?

    Ouch.

    A good day it was not for Sirius-XM. Bankruptcy rumors knocked 50% off the stock, which closed at – ehh – 6 cents.

    I’m starting to realize that as much as I love the technology and all I love about it: Howard Stern, E Street Radio, Backspin, Deep Tracks, Jam On, Classic Rewind, The Bridge, Outlaw Country – that the reality is it may not have much of a future.

    In the internet age, where SO MUCH is available in a few clicks, and the technology of free internet radio in the car not far away… well, how can they possibly convince more people to shell out $150 a year for satellite radio?

    I hope it sticks around, and as a shareholder, I hope there isn’t a bankruptcy (and that the stock slingshots back up), but I’m not holding much hope.

    Sirius XM drops 50% on reports of possible bankruptcy (CBS MarketWatch)

  • Country Rock,  Roots Rock

    New Raul Malo – Lucky One

    Former Mavericks frontman Raul Malo will be releasing his first album of original material in eight years on March 3rd. Lucky One was recorded over the last couple of years at Raul’s Nashville home. Co-producing several of the tracks is Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin.

    Here’s a free & clear mp3, courtesy of Fantasy Records, Raul’s new label. Seriously, I could listen to Raul Malo sing the phone book…

    Raul Malo Lucky One (mp3)

    Links: Pre-Order Lucky One on Amazon |Raul’s Official Site | MySpace | Facebook/iLike

  • McDowell Mountain Music Festival,  Rock

    Flaming Lips to headline day 2 of McDowell Mountain Music Festival

    It’s been a few days for me. My Ickmusic command center (aka my loft) is in the process of a makeover (hardwood floors), so the Mac has been moving hither and yonder and I’ve been busy doing man stuff. My neighbor Kevin is a jack of all trades, and he works for beer (for his next door neighbors). So thanks Kevin for showing me how it’s all done…

    So here’s some big news from Arizona’s coolest music festival, the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. They just announced the Flaming Lips as Saturday night’s headliner! Their past lineups have always been impressive, but have tended to lean more toward the jam scene and reggae, which I have no problem with at all. But with the announcement of the Flaming Lips, they’re clearly expanding into other territory that will bring in a wider audience, and give it more clout to pull in more impressive acts for years to come.

    I’ve heard great things about the Flaming Lips live show, so I can’t wait. Now I need to get a good primer on the their music, because I just checked my iTunes, and I only have three tunes: “In the Morning of the Magician” and “Do You Realize” from ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’, and “The Machine in India” off of ‘Zaireeka’. – – – Okay, well I just bought all of ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’. So Lips fans, where do I go next? What’s the essential album? Any good DVD’s I can Netflix?

    The Flaming Lips – “In the Morning of the Magician” (mp3) – from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

    McDowell Mountain Music Festival – 2009 (Web Site)

    Friday, April 24th

    Saturday, April 25th

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: February 6, 2009

    I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old shuffle for dinner.

    52 Weeks, 261 Songs and a full year later ‘The Friday Five’ is officially a year old. It has been consistently one of our most popular features and for that I want to thank the folks that take the time every week to play along. The coming weeks will bring a slight facelift to the five as well as a few guest spots. This week we’ve got a short but sweet list…

    For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me.

    The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments. The more the merrier!

    The Five:

    Rich Girl” (mp3) – Hall & Oates (from Greatest Hits: Rock ‘n Soul, Part 1)

    Hall & Oates never fails to bring a smile to my face.

    “1999” – Prince (from Purple Storm in the Coachella Valley)

    Live from Prince‘s headline set at last years Coachella festival.

    The Brainsong” (mp3) – Fury in the Slaughterhouse (from Mono)

    I never really understood why Fury in the Slaughterhouse wasn’t huge in the states. Has anyone else ever heard of this band, or am I the only one?

    “Footprints” – A Tribe Called Quest (from People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm)

    Kicking off with a sample of the Stevie Wonder‘s “Sir Duke” this is real hip-hop. Q-Tip is in perfect form spitting a wicked rhyme as only he can over the bouncy funk track.

    “Losing a Whole Year” – Third Eye Blind (from Third Eye Blind)

    I’ve found out that there is a new genre definition for all the alternative bands of the mid-90’s that we all love (or love to hate), it’s called Post-Grunge

    Tag! You’re it!

  • Ick's Pick,  Irish,  Prince,  Rock

    Ick’s Pick (Week V): Young Dubliners – ‘Saints and Sinners’

    90% of my ancestry points to Germany, but somewhere along the line, there must have been an Irishman in the mix. Or maybe from a past life. Whatever it is, I am drawn to the Emerald Isle’s offerings – especially where beer and music is concerned. Give me some Waterboys, some Chieftains, some Pogues, and a few pints of Guinness, and I’m a happy man.

    Young Dubliners have been putting forth their brand of Celtic rock and roll for over 20 years now, and their new album ‘Saints and Sinners‘ happily fills my appetite for great Irish-branded rock & roll. Co-founder Keith Roberts has been leading the Young Dubs since he moved over to the states and formed the Young Dubs in 1988. They made their mark at the Irish Rover pub in Santa Monica, California. If you were listening to AAA radio back in the early 90’s, you may remember their most popular tune, “Last House on the Street” (a great song that I canNOT seem to find anywhere online, anyone?).

    But that was then, and this is now. ‘Saints & Sinners’ isn’t just a collection of predictable Celtic sounds. It’s an eclectic mix of well written tunes.. It’s got great pop hooks (“Buy You a Life”), heart-wrenching ballads (“(I Don’t Think I’ll) Love Anymore”), an instrumental rocker featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd on blistering guitar (“Saoirse”), and some straight-ahead get off your ass and party anthems on the the first trio of tunes on the album (“Saints and Sinners”, “Howaya Girls”, and “Rosie”). “My Town” surprised me too in its positive outlook on these tough economic times. The lyrics about never giving up and getting back up when you’re down sound a little cliche and corny at face value, but Keith and his band make it work. I’m drawn to those songwriters who write about those who experience despair and tough times in life, but keep a hopeful and positive spirit, and know there’s a better day coming (read: Bruce Springsteen). That’s who I am, after all.

    Young Dubliners are road dogs, spending about 200 days on the road a year. Reports are that they’re a great live band to see. Hearing some of the songs on ‘Saints and Sinners‘ has me pumped to hear ’em live. If you’re here with me in Arizona, you can catch them April 25th at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. They have the 1:30pm slot, which is way too early for these guys in my opinion, but I’ll take it.

  • Bruce Springsteen

    Super Bowl Boss: Half Time

    Photo Credit: David J. Phillip (AP Photo)
    Photo Credit: David J. Phillip (AP Photo)

    First of all, may I take a moment for a self-congratulatory look at my set list prediction for Bruce’s half-time show? This was my Twitter to the world at 8:42am yesterday morning:

    I called 3 out of 4, in the correct order, mind you (and no, I didn’t have any advance notice!). He didn’t end with “Twist & Shout”. Instead, he opened with “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”. But golly, that’s a mighty fine prediction…

    So, my hometown Arizona Cardinals couldn’t pull it off against the Steelers, though they sure made it close. Thanks to Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald for giving us an opportunity to jump up and down for a few minutes in the second half. By that time, the Fat Tire had run dry, and we had raided the ladies supply of Strawberry Daiquiris. We were convinced that the red drink was the good luck charm. Turns out we were wrong.

    Bruce and the band’s half-time performance was as intense as I expected. It was fun to see Bruce pull out all the tricks from an E Street Show and condense them into a dozen minutes: Working the crowd. The running stage slide. Right into the camera. We saw Bruce hang on to the mic stand for one of his lean-backs (a move that had a co-worker of mine wondering for a moment if he was stuck, and needed the Big Man to help him back up). We got the leap on to the piano and the guitar swing-around. And how about the opening silhouette shot, as Bruce and Clarence brought the Born to Run era back to life? Nice.

    Sure, I enjoyed the hell out of seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform at the Super Bowl. How could I not? But at the same time, a lot of my focus was spent wondering how others might be perceiving the performance – sort of how I felt the last couple years watching Petty and Prince. These are three of my absolute favorites, after all. Each of them legendary live performers whom I’ve had the privilege of seeing many many times. I know what to expect.  So most of my energy is spent thinking about how they’re playing out to the biggest audience of their careers. What Joe Six-Pack is thinking… What the people around me in the room are thinking. It doesn’t make a difference, of course, but that’s how I’m wired to watch my favorites at the Super Bowl.

    What it also did was get me even more pumped for 10am this morning, when tickets went on sale for the Boss’s Phoenix date – Friday, April 3rd at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale. I secured my GA-Floor ticket, and will be taking a vacation day, planting my butt out at the arena nice and early, and working my way into the pit, as close to the stage as I can get.

    It was a thrill watching the Boss give it to the world for 12 minutes. But it’ll be even better watching 160-180 minutes in person. There’s nothing like it, people. If you’re one of the people who was intrigued and entertained by the E Street Band: Super Bowl Edition, do yourself a very big favor and catch them in your town on this tour.

    Life’s too short not to.

    Bruce Springsteen.net

    See some other Super Bowl thoughts from some friend of Ickmusic:

    And this just in…

    The Boss and Phish to headline Bonnaroo in June. Looks like it’s time for that RV trip to Tennessee… Holy flippin’ poopy pants.