• Funk,  Rock,  Soul

    Budos Band’s Chicago Falcon

    / April 14, 2008

    They bill themselves as “the unheralded emperors of Instrumental Staten Island Afro-Soul”. They are white, they are bearded, and they know how to get down in that old school “Dirty Harry” kinda way (this could fit right into ‘The Enforcer‘). Check ’em out….

    The Budos Band – Chicago Falcon

    Links: Official Site

  • Rock

    Songs To Wrestle To – WWE, The Music

    / April 13, 2008

    I can’t call myself a fan of the rasslin’, but my buddy Charlie sure is. It’s time for Charlie to spread the good word of the WWE… – Pete

    Professional wrestling is a lot more than big, sweaty men throwing each other around in tights. True to their name, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) truly tries to entertain their fans. Music plays a huge role in wrestling today. Back in the early 80’s wrestlers started playing music to accompany their walk to the ring. Wrestlers would use popular rock songs when this practice first started. Welcome to the future. Now, most of the songs used for entrance themes are all original.

    It is a very exhilarating feeling when you’re sitting in a crowded arena and the music of your favorite wrestler blasts across the sound system. People start cheering or booing after the first seconds of the songs. Only sick, demented wrestling fans like myself would understand that feeling. The WWE just released WWE: The Music, Volume 8, the latest installment in the company’s top selling series. There are 14 tracks on the CD, and you’ll find a heavy rock influence to most of the songs. My favorite is the song “Break The Walls Down”. It’s the entrance theme for a guy named Chris Jericho. You might recognize him because he was the lead singer for a group called, Fozzy. The music matches his persona in the ring perfectly.
    Check out this cd and the next time the WWE has a live event in your town, buy a ticket and go be entertained for a couple of hours. It beats reality!

    EndeverafteR – No More Words [mp3] (Jeff Hardy Theme)

    Buy WWE: The Music, Volume 8

  • Indie,  Video

    Music and Ads: Let Me Sleep On It

    / April 13, 2008

    By no means do I think it’s a great idea for respected musicians to shill products on TV. But once in a while, as hard as it may be to stomach, I can’t help but be entertained. Case in point, the use of Meatloaf and “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” in a new AT&T “GoPhone” commercial. Oh, and that’s 80’s teen queen Tiffany playing Mom.

    Another recent surprise is the appearance of Grandaddy’s music in the advertising world. “A.M. 180” shows up in the new Dodge Journey ads…

    Grandaddy – A.M. 180

    This one comes from Under the Western Freeway.

  • Miscellaneous

    Ickmusic.com: The Unavailable Weeks

    / April 11, 2008

    Question for the regulars. Have you had problems over the last few weeks with my web site timing out, or being unavailable? Has it happened more than once for you? And most importantly, is it getting to the point where it’s a nuisance for you?

    I’ve been on a new host, Hostmonster, since mid March. While their customer service is great, I’m having trouble with my web site staying up 24×7. I wanted to get some feedback from you all to find out if it’s noticeable.

    Bear with me, I’ll get everything going full time. If I have to jump to another host, so be it.

    UPDATE (4/14): Okay, I moved back to my old host (IPOWER) – Hostmonster’s customer service was great, but the site would be down multiple times every day. iPower’s customer service isn’t stellar, but at least they keep my site up.

  • Heartworn Highways movie poster
    Country,  Folk,  Video

    Townes Van Zandt in Heartworn Highways

    / April 10, 2008

    I just watched Heartworn Highways last night. It’s a great music film, a snapshot of the mid-70’s Nashville and Austin outlaw music scene. It features Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, David Allan Coe, Steve Young, a very young Steve Earle, and Townes Van Zandt (among a lot of others). In this clip, Townes has just got done listening to Seymour Washington talk about his life. Seymour is an old timer, 79 years old at the time this was filmed in 1975. He talks about his life on the farm, of shoeing horses, of the importance of good whiskey.

    This clip picks up right before Townes plays “Waiting Around to Die”. You’ll see Seymour in the background – an emotional moment, as you’ll see…

  • Bruce Springsteen

    In Anaheim with the Ghost of Tom Joad

    / April 8, 2008

    Before I jump on a plane and head back to Arizona, let me share the highlight of last night’s Boss show at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) joined Bruce and the band for “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, and – oh – basically brought the house down. My GAWD – Morello did an amazing job of trading verses with Bruce, and harmonizing on the chorus – but the true jaw=dropping madness began when he launched into a blistering, effects-laden guitar solo for the song finale. I have a new found respect for Tom #%^@# Morello.

    Here’s the vid…

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJT1EdKRF2g]

  • Funk

    Sly’s Fillmore Funk

    / April 2, 2008

    It is time. It is time to be funked.

    Here we have Sly and the Family Stone, live at the Fillmore East, October of 1968. The quality is great, and the funk is flyin’. So wake the neighbors, eat a pork sandwich and call yourself Jim (or Wanda). Yes, that made no sense.

    Sly & the Family Stone
    Live at the Fillmore East, New York City
    October 5th, 1968

    M’Lady
    Life
    Are You Ready
    It Won’t Be Long
    Color Me True
    Dance To The Music
    Love City
    Turn Me Loose
    Outro

  • BritPop,  Folk

    New Tunes: Newton Faulkner

    / April 1, 2008

    Dreds UK

    Here’s a cool cover of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop”, courtesy of 23-year old Brit-folk-popster Newton Faulkner. Good ol’ Newt will see the release of his U.S. debut album, Hand Built by Robots, on April 29th. But a 3-song iTunes exclusive EP is available right now, featuring the first single, “Dream Catch Me”.

    Faulkner has a cool hand-tap percussion / bass / strumming technique on his guitar. You can see it in action in the video below. Pretty sweet.

    Check out “Teardrop” and show the Newt some state-side looove…

    Newton Faulkner – Teardrop (mp3)

    Check out his official site at NewtonFaulknerMusic.com.

    [youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=droZGvBt5DY 300 248]