• Giveaway,  Soul

    Back to Soul / Back to School – An Ickmusic Giveaway

    / August 11, 2008

    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…

  • Bruce Springsteen

    Gordon and Bruce, then and now

    / August 9, 2008

    [courtesy of Perez Hilton]

    Nice photo of the Boss with Señor Sting at Thursday’s Police finale at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

    Rewind 20 years to a nice version of “The River”…

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-zOKTOajaI]

  • Rock,  Video

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

    / August 9, 2008

    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

    / August 8, 2008

    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…

  • Video

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

    / August 7, 2008

    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

    / August 6, 2008

    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!
  • Pop,  Punk

    My, What Cute Lepers

    / August 5, 2008

    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