Rock Clip of the Week - Stiff Little Fingers, Gotta Getaway (live)

I've been on a '76-'79 UK punk listening spree lately - Pistols, Adverts, Clash, Buzzcocks and more, a result of digging out my Q 'True Story of Punk' mag from a few years back.

Anyway, it seems to me that Stiff Little Fingers has always gotten forgotten in the punk books. Sure, they were Irish and Inflammable Material didn't even come out until 1979. But its sound, passion and balls had everything about the Class of '77 on it. If this came out in early 1977, SLF would've been considered among the greats.

I chose SLF's single 'Gotta Getaway' the opening track on the band's 2nd album 'Nobody's Heroes' for this week's Rock Clip of the Week. I love its energy - the band seems explosive on this clip (date unknown? 1980?).

Arctic Monkeys' live new album preview

Arctic Monkeys fan and YouTube user thejeeean has posted a few clips from the Arctic Monkeys live Web stream today.

The Arctic Monkeys did the performance to highlight the band's new LP coming out in late August called 'Humbug', said the NME Unfortunately, when the band tours the U.S. in September, I'll have to hit San Diego to see the band. No PHX stop scheduled, too bad.

Here's a clip called "Pretty Visitors" - weird, heavy, vaguely proggy song with a backbeat and lyrics like "what came first? the chicken or the dickheads?". Take a peek.

Tuesday Around Web World

Once around the neighborhood, and who's spouting what:

- Jonathan McNamara writes for Phoenix New Times about last night's Aerosmith/ZZ Top show in Phoenix (one I really should've tried to attend):
"Aerosmith and ZZ Top have achieved rock legend status in a way that no game player with a plastic guitar can ever hope to match regardless of how many times they've taken down a perfect score on Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames." These bands are living legends who can not only still bring down a house after decades of rock stardom, but do it far better than most of the bands who have come after them."

- Who would've guessed the WOMAD festival is still up and running? Guess I've been sleeping. Guardian UK reviews the weekend UK show and writes... "Saturday saw a gig from Womad co-founder Peter Gabriel, playing his only European show this year. He mingled old hits with experimental new numbers, using an impressive string quartet for a slow, thoughtful reworking of Paul Simon's The Boy in the Bubble. The last number was a powerful treatment of Biko, accompanied by a mention of Gabriel's Witness charity, which uses technology to expose human rights violations."

- The trend of bands playing their classic LPs in its entirety continues. Billboard reports that The Pixies are going to play 'Doolittle" for US fans this fall. The Pixies U.S. "Doolittle" tour dates include:
Nov 4: Los Angeles (The Palladium)
Nov 8-9: Oakland, CA (Fox Theater)
Nov 12-13: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)
Nov 14: Eugene, OR (Hult Center)
Nov 16: Denver (The Fillmore)
Nov 20-21: Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
Nov 23-25: New York (Hammerstein Ballroom)
Nov 27: Boston (Wang Center)
Nov 30: Washington, D.C. (Constitution Hall)

- NPR's got video of two new Weezer songs from recent Korean concerts (allegedly). Carrie Bownstein didn't like the songs. I don't mind 'em.

GBV, Robert Pollard offerings

It's been a helluva productive year over in Dayton Ohio for Robert Pollard. Not only has the former GBV mainman been pumping out solo and collaborative CDs this year like a muthafucka, but now I see news of his new SOLO release Elephant Jokes is available for purchase at The Factory of Raw Essentials. As I wrote two weeks ago, it's a great disc of creatively inspiring rock music from the vital-as-all-get-out Mr. Pollard (and musical cohort Todd Tobias).

But that's not all! A new Pollard-GBV-related DVD offering called "The Devil Went Home and Puked" is slated for November release. Check out the trailer clip at this link or watch it below. Looks like a collage of fun, including clips of cut-up drunken antics with his Dayton gang mixed in with the rock of GBV and Pollard live shows, and behind the scenes stuff. A definite stocker stuffer.

Jon's One Man Band - Foreplay/Long Time

Twitter unearths things like this:

18 yr. old Jon Baglo, son of a music producer, along with his brother and friends, making a split-screen version of his recording of Boston's 'Foreplay/Long Time'. Fun stuff. Nice f*****' studio too, eh? A little more background on Baglo in this article.

[Wish I'd known some video whiz kids when I was recording my rock covers for the "12 Covers-12 Months" series a few years back. Would've been cool to make something like this.]



Here's Jon interviewed by a Canadian radio station about the video above:

Courtney Marie Andrews CD Release Part - PHX - Modified

I haven't made it out to too many local #phx music shows in a while. I could say it's too hot, or I'm too lazy, but in fact, it's not for lack of want, but rather I'm pretty busy with head down, getting my own new release done and ready for public consumption (Soon! Two weeks!).

But I'm trying to make it out Friday night to Modified Arts in Phoenix to see Courtney Marie Andrews' CD Release party for hew new release called Painter's Hands and a Seventh Son. Absolute lovely folk pop, with melancholic underpinnings, well-placed piano and a cello that frames her songs in a slight urgency all makes for solidly satisfying music. Just check out the lovely fingerpicking that lays the backbone of 'Darling Boy'. Nice stuff.

In any case, I'm enjoying the songs on her MySpace site. Download a couple of her MP3s at Guilt Free Pleasures.

Bob Geldof (and other Rats) - Rat Trap at The Brits 2005

I found this video tonight just uploaded a month ago and only 134 views! It's a pretty excellent version some 27 years later of the great 1978 Boomtown Rats song 'Rat Trap' featuring Bob Geldof leading a HUGE band in the song (logistics must've been crazed!). Enjoy!

DVD Reviews - Punk in London, Punk in England

The good peeps at MVD Entertainment Group (purveyors of fine musical visual and audio wares) hooked me up a month or so ago with their remasters of old school punk films "Punk in London" and "Punk in England".

After a few chaotic weeks of trying to find late night time to watch them, and not getting it, I finally watched them back to back last night. Punk in London (1977) was the first one. German indie filmmaker Wolfgang Buld (ya, das is Deutsch) came to London to check out the punk scene in 1977. DVD Talk writes "As part of a film school project, wannabe director Wolfgang Büld decided to travel to the UK and document up and coming bands who were redefining the entire nature of rock and roll."

He got inside some of the scene and filmed concert footage and backstage interviews. Not all the bands liked the way-too-serious German guy following them around when they just wanted him to bugger off. But he persisted and made another punk document of the times back then. There's some concert footage of the Clash that's cool, way too much of Chelsea's bassist and more of the Lurkers than you'd ever want. It's OK, not great and I think other punk docs tell the story in a better way, but this video is like a decent side dish: it's available and worth eating but not as good as the main course.



I much preferred the second part of Buld's journey back to England a bit later for his follow-up "Punk in England" when he tried to capture this gritty urban phenomenon as it spread throughout the country. This review of Punk in England claims Buld revisited the scene three years later after 1977, which would make it 1980. I think it was closer to maybe 18-24 months later, probably tail end of 1978 or early 1979 when this was shot.

Punk in England has way better live performances from the Jam and The Clash (fave rock!) and more from the burgeoning ska scene in the UK, with great footage of Madness and The Specials. Buld even caught up with the Pretenders and shot a few of their songs in their rehearsal space a few weeks before their debut LP got released. They seemed a bit nervous, but 'Brass in Pocket' and 'Stop Your Sobbing' still sound OK. Here's a promo clip from the DVD.



There are fun bonus materials on the DVD - notably the 'Women in Rock' documentary featuring live performances and interviews with Siouxsie & the Banshees (great live version of 'Christine'), The Slits and Girlschool.

I still have yet to make time for the 'Reggae in Babylon' DVD that also came with my package, but the next night I get my ganja on, I'll think about it. :-)

Rock Clip of the Week - Suede, Metal Mickey (Live)

From completely out of left field....I bring you England's Suede, from 1993 doing the Jay Leno Show with a smokin' hot version of "Metal Mickey" from their debut LP.

I saw Suede in Amsterdam in 1994 at Paradiso. This was the tour after Bernard Butler (on guitar in the clip below) left the band to be replaced by Richard Oakes, who did a great job on the Dog Man Star tour. Fantastic live band at their peak, Suede was...particularly good was singer Brett Anderson.

Meat Puppets Story - ABC News 'Amplified'

Dan Harris, ABC News fanboy of the Meat Puppets does a two-parter on Tempe, AZ's rocker brothers. It's very cool - rare footage, present day interviews and much more. Worth watching both clips. (Sidenote: Lots of good Amplified clips on other bands, including the baby life rock style for Mates of State.

The Meat Puppets have been touring this summer, but are kicking off their new fall tour in its hometown of Tempe, AZ in September. Fall dates here.

Meat Puppets 1


Meat Puppets 2

The Obits - Pine On (new video)

I loved this video I saw on Pitchfork's Twitter feed this morning. It's from Sub Pop band The Obits, based in Brooklyn. A couple of guys laying down, their beards, cheap pasted mini faces on their chins and an upside camera. That's it, kids, make your rock video. Cool song and good humor.

Mott the Hoople - 1974 Live Show at ConcertVault

Can't make the Mott the Hoople reunion shows in October? Then try the next best thing! Click over to ConcertVault for their Mott the Hoople 1974 NYC show at the Uris Theater.

(Is this show the one the band used for its live LP? I dunno...you make the call!)

ConcertVault writes... "By the time of this show, the lineup had changed. Hunter's co-leader, guitarist Mick Ralphs, had departed to form Bad Company with Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke from Free and Boz Burrell from King Crimson. He was replaced by former Spooky Tooth guitarist Luther Grossvenor, who was now calling himself Ariel Bender. The band had also added a new keyboard player, Matthew Fisher, who had been in Procol Harum.
Among the tracks featured here are "One Of The Boys" (which would re-appear after Mick Ralphs left Mott the Hoople as "Can't Get Enough" by Bad Company), and "All The Way From Memphis," an anthem that tells the history of rock in one of the best tracks the band ever recorded."

Tears for Fears - Phoenix Tonight, Celebrity Theater

British rock band Tears for Fears is in Phoenix tonight at the Celebrity Theater. Tears for Fears (aka the duo of Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal) have created many fine pop songs over the years. You all know "Shout", "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", "Pale Shelter", "Woman in Chains" and others from their '80s heyday. (I was just playing "The Hurting" LP this weekend!) But even though the two split for awhile, they never really stopped playing music.

And when they got together a few years ago, Tears for Fears released a great CD called Everyone Loves a Happy Ending that I received an advance of but it went unreleased for a year afterwards. It had terrific Tears for Fears classic songs like "Closest Thing to Heaven" and "Call Me Mellow", which you can watch below, when the band played Conan a while back. Great chorus on this song.







If anyone's got an extra ticket and wants to treat me, I'm open...

Dfest Music conference - July 24-25 - Tulsa, OK

"Diversafest, better known as Dfest, is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing and unique music festivals and conferences in the country. The festival, which takes place July 24 and 25, is comprised of a wide variety of music spanning across 20 different genres. Now in its 8th year, Dfest will feature 164 bands that will play on 13 stages spread throughout downtown Tulsa’s historic Blue Dome District. This year’s headliners include The Black Crowes, Cake and Ra Ra Riot."

This conference looks a little under the radar next to other more high profile music conferences, but's got some heat under it. Andrew WK will be on hand as the keynote, panelists like Ben Spear of Smartpunk.com and Daryl Berg, Music Supervisor at Fuel TV will share their ideas and action steps and the music is split up between emerging bands and established ones like Cake, Black Crowes and others will keep everyone's musical muse mollified.

But what's with all the Yoga activities?

Yoga + indie pop/rock music = confusion?

Monday Mashup

Gotta credit Mashable with this one (I caught Mashable Pete's tweet about it)

Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" mashed with Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up"
Excellent work by "DJ Morgoth, an excellent mashup creator and DJ based in Germany."



Hey, maybe I'll make 'Monday mashups' a regular feature if there are cool ones out here like this, rather than the same ol Michael Jackson-Britney spears mashups. You know of other cool mashups that rock? Put it in the comments...

Music Weekend TV

Glide Magazine points us to the music-related content you might want to see on TV this weekend:

Friday, July 17 [all times Eastern]:

Dave Letterman: Metric [CBS 11:35PM]
Craig Ferguson: Ray LaMontagne [CBS 12:35AM]
Jimmy Fallon: Dead Weather [NBC 12:35AM]
Carson Daly: Chris Cornell [NBC 1:35AM]

Saturday, July 18:

Saturday Night Live: Duffy [NBC 11:30PM]
Austin City Limits: Old Crow Medicine Show [PBS Check Listings]
Decline of Western Civilization II: Metal [IFC Noon]
Film: Purple Rain [Fuse 8:30PM]

Sunday, June 19:

Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits Live [Ovation 2PM]
Documentary: Bob Dylan - Don’t Look Back [Palladia 3PM]
Film: The Killing of John Lennon [Sundance 7PM]
Jools Holland: Band of Horses [Fuse 10:20PM]

Rock Clip of the Week - Superchunk, Fishing

Before moving to PHX in 2008, I enjoyed one of the treats of suffering through rainy, humid NYC summers - free rock shows around the island. One of the great series that startd some five years back is the Seaport Music Series.

As I type on this Friday, Superchunk is about to play (along with Versus) tonight at the free show, and likely hundreds of young (and older) rockpunkers will be out kicking along to the blistering sounds of classic Superchunk.

So in recognition of those great summer shows I attended and to Superchunk, here's one of the band's early corkers - Fishing. Dig the rock. Happy Friday!

Catching up with Green Day tour

Thought I'd poke around and see what's up with the Green Day Tour, now a few weeks in, for their recent CD "21st Century Breakdown".


(photo by Rolling Stone)

The Detroit News' Adam Graham brought together some Springsteen and Billie Joe Armstrong comparisons after seeing the band on Tuesday night 7/14: "While they draw from wildly different palates -- Green Day from three-chord punk rock, Springsteen from more traditional rock and roll -- both sing songs about the dark side and failed promise of the American dream and the triumphant power of rock 'n' roll. In an odd way, they're kindred spirits. But while Springsteen has always been a man of the people, he's never handed over control to his audience in quite the same way as Armstrong does. During Green Day's wildly energetic set Tuesday -- the group's first local concert since a sold-out Palace date in September 2005 -- Armstrong was constantly pulling kids out of the audience and putting them to work on stage. Fans were pulled up to sing "Longview," to play guitar on "Jesus of Suburbia," and to sway their arms during "Are We the Waiting," which is to say nothing of the young boy from Flint who was "saved" during the early preacher gag."

A night earlier in Chicago (7/13), the Chicago Tribune review wrote that "the group's intent became clear: This was rock as participatory theater, a communal forum where emotional releases were meant to be screamed, spread and shared. No amount of bombast proved too much."

And last week, the North Dakota show was covered like this: "From the opening track, “21st Century Breakdown,” through the penultimate number, “Minority,” Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt worked the stage and the crowd. A few fans even found their way to the stage. Armstrong “saved” a young boy during “East Jesus Nowhere.” Later, he pulled up a girl to join him for the sing-along “Are We the Waiting.” During an interlude to “Brain Stew,” another young man came up to spray the crowd with a Super Soaker while Armstrong fired a Silly String gun and shot T-shirts into the crowd. It was kind of like if the Jonas Brothers grew up. Or maybe just aged but stayed immature."

Sounds like the band is having a terrific time, and the fans are eating up the antics. Green Day hits my Phoenix, AZ locale next month, August 22nd. Here's a video of the band from its July 4th Vancouver show:



Or dig back 15 years and watch the band at its early heights at a 1994 Chicago show taped for MTV:

MidWeek Merriment

Lots of good stuff to read on OPB (Other People's Blogs):

- PHX New Times Music Editor @Martincizmar saw Rancid and Rise Against yesterday and lived to get all rhetorical about their performance. My fave part in his piece that wonders what Rise Against is angry about is this: "Though Obama has been in power for six months now, this alternate theory supposes, Rise Against is either too lazy or too stupid to update their image by developing an equally lucrative schema reflective of our nation's current political climate."

- Hear sets by Blitzen Trapper, Suckers and Blind Pilot, all at Daytrotter.

- PopMatters reviews the newly released David Bowie Storytellers DVD (recorded a decade ago!) and concludes "Given that this performance occurred in 1999 and is of underwhelming quality, it is difficult to see this release as anything but an attempted cash-in for his former label Virgin."

- Didja know that Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and Wilie Nelson are barnstroming the minor leagues? Read Monday's night show review at Consequence of Sound.

- The hardcore band Tragedy kicked a lot of asses in Brooklyn over the weekend, writes Brooklyn Vegan's metal guy Black Bubblegum. Here's a musical taste:

Tragedy - The Day After Live at Studio B. July 12th, 2009 from Jack Crank on Vimeo.

Got Joaquin Phoenix video to lend?

This dude below says he's working on a doc about Joaquin's 'transition from movies to music' and if you have any footage of live shows, etc, to get in touch with the team at Joaqdoc.com.

Not sure if this is THE doc we've heard about or a doc about the doc about the 'transition'....it's soooo confusing...

Paul McCartney Promotes US tour on Letterman Wednesday Show

Yes, Paul McCartney hits Letterman on Wednesday's show to promote his US tour which starts a few days later at Citi Field (aka the old Shea Stadium, where The Beatles did their thing a hundred years ago...Ok, sorry, August 15, 1965).

(Whew, run-on sentence, sorry.)

I'll try to watch. Out here in sunny PHX, we get Letterman at 10:30pm, not 11:30pm, like in NYC, so I guess an hour earlier is better for us old guys, right? I hope Paul opens with his new Fireman single action "Dance Till We're High" - that would rock Paul Shaffer's nuts off, am I right?

Beatles - Shea Stadium - Summer 1965 - I Feel Fine


Paul's vacation, er, US tour:
Fri Jul 17 / 09 - Flushing, NY Citi Field
Sat Jul 18 / 09 - Flushing, NY Citi Field
Tue Jul 21 / 09 - Flushing, NY Citi Field
Sat Aug 01 / 09 - Landover, MD FedEx Field
Wed Aug 05 / 09 - Boston, MA Fenway Park
Thu Aug 06 / 09 - Boston, MA Fenway Park
Sat Aug 15 / 09 - Atlanta, GA Piedmont Park
Mon Aug 17 / 09 - Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Wed Aug 19 / 09 - Arlington, TX Dallas Cowboys Stadium

Or maybe Paul will play a solo acoustic version of Buddy Holly's "Words of Love" like he did here years ago. Funny thing, I just watched this video tonight (library rental). A little old, but good Buddy stuff. And earliest Elvis colorized film. Yo.

MLB All-Star Game tonight - Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Baseball styling! Songs about Baseball! All-Star Game and Beer tonight!



John Fogerty - Centerfield (live)


The Baseball Project (Buck, McCaughey, Pitmon, Wynn)


Here Come the Yankees!


Take Me Out to the Ball Game

The Counting Crows' Traveling Circus Starts Thursday

Counting Crows' front man Adam Duritz is a pretty creative guy (follow him on Twitter). Seems he's concocted a new fun touring extravaganza for his rock band The Counting Crows called the The Traveling Circus Show.

Adam writes "I know you're all used to showing up at 8:30 or 9PM for concerts that started at 7. It's understandable. You're there to see YOUR band and you're showing up when you think they're gonna play, right? Well, starting on Thursday July 16th at Marymoor Amphitheatre in Redmond, Washington, that's all going to change.

Ladies and Gentlemen, at 7:15PM, when the curtain goes up on *The Saturday Night Rebel Rockers Traveling Circus & Medicine Show*, *Augustana* AND *Counting Crows* are all going to be walking out onstage together and that show is going to start with EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US onstage singing and playing our brains out. We'll do a few songs together and then it may be *Counting Crows* that plays the first set alone. I don't know exactly how the shows going to run every night. It'll definitely be different a few days later in Friant, CA when *Michael Franti & Spearhead* join up. It'll probably be different every night. The only thing I know for sure is that EVERY show on this tour is going to start with EVERYONE onstage together and we're going to all be running on & off stage all night playing on each others songs and playing songs all together and basically just playing whenever we feel like playing. So you get my point, right? GET HERE ON TIME! Cuz when the curtain rises...THE CIRCUS BEGINS!"

Seems like fun for the bands, but are audiences ready for a smorgasborg of musical acts dipping in and out of their own songs, other bands' songs, crazy covers and more? Will any momentum be built? Maybe. The band warmed up over the weekend with The Hold Steady, the Jayhawks and other bands in beer-sodden Minneapolis. The fun starts this Thursday in Bill Gates' backyard. Tour dates for the Traveling Circus Show are here:

07.16.2009 Redmond, WA - Marymoor Amphitheater
07.17.2009 Goldendale, WA - Maryhill Winery
07.19.2009 Friant, CA - Table Mountain Casino
07.21.2009 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
07.22.2009 Temecula, CA - Pechanga Resort & Casino
07.24.2009 Henderson, NV - Red Rock Resort, Spa & Casino
07.26.2009 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theater in Berkeley
07.29.2009 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater
08.01.2009 Houston, TX - The Showgrounds at Sam Houston Racepark
08.03.2009 Austin, TX - Austin Music Hall
08.04.2009 Grand Prairie (D allas), TX - Nokia Theater at Grand Prairie
08.06.2009 Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage Theatre
08.07.2009 Orange Beach, AL - The Amphitheater at the Wharf
08.08.2009 Tunica, MS - Harrah's Casino
08.11.2009 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
08.12.2009 Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheater
08.14.2009 St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater
08.15.2009 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
08.17.2009 Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
08.18.2009 Miami, FL - Bayfront Amphitheater
08.20.2009 North Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
08.21.2009 Charlotte, NC - The Uptown Amphitheatre at The Music
08.25.2009 New York, New York - Hammerstein Ballroom
08.26.2009 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theater
08.28.2009 Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Casino
08.29.2009 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun
08.31.2009 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
09.03.2009 New York, NY - Rumsey Playfield at Central Park Summerstage
09.05.2009 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
09.06.2009 Canandaigua, NY - CMAC

Music News - Rock News - Band News

I get lots of PR emails about bands, labels, events and more in my inbox. Thanks for sending. Here's a smattering of what's come down the pike in the last few weeks (when I've admittedly slacked in the hot summer PHX fun). Dig.

- The Devil Makes Three frontman Pete Bernhard unveils “Straight Line” - his 2nd solo album out in September on Milan Records

- Detroit band The Silent Years have a new CD out today - it's called Let Go. The band was a Paste Magazine band of the week in May. Click here for an MP3 of their song “Taking Drugs At The Amusement Park”. Cool "da dadada da da dadaddadas..."

- The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde kissed a girl and she didn't like it. The band is touring UK, without alcohol on the rider (allegedly...).

- Brooklyn boy band Miracles of Modern Science sound good, look good, are college-educated, play their instruments well and are attracting fans and buzz. Check them out.

- Starz have a rock show on the horizon - August 22nd at Sunken Garden Theater in San Antonio, TX, along with British metal band Saxon. While Starz hasn't played out too recently as 'Starz', guitarist-leader Richie Ranno and Starz drummer Joe X Dube gig most weekends all over NY/NJ as Richie Ranno's All Stars, playing a mix of Starz songs and rock covers.

- This is for Klaus Kinski - a Classic Rock Mag article about every record by the Mael brothers aka Sparks.

- The Strokes mainman Julian Casblancas is putting out solo stuff this autumn called 'Phrazes for the Young'. Click to his site for a trailer to the film, er, songs, er, nature documentary? (Via NME)

"Dis-co Sucks!" Disco Demolition Night, Comiskey Park, Chicago, July 12, 1979

What was I doing 30 years ago this past weekend? Well, I was one of the rocked-out teens on the field at Chicago's Comiskey Park taking part in Disco Demolition Night.

WLUP DJ and anti-disco advocate Steve Dahl (and CoHo cohort Garry Meier), Chicago radio geniuses, threw a disco record demolition promotion between the White Sox doubleheader that night. I had been a huge Dahl radio fan, seeing him at live appearances and buying his parody records in the name of stomping out disco.



So many stoned, drinking teens there that night. It was the late 70s! The newsperson asks below "Why did the kids get all hyper"? Um, 30 beers and reefer? Once the records got blown up, lots of us ran on the field getting wacky. We stormed the field "...thousands of youths taking part in an anti-disco rally, swarming on the field."

It was FUN, but would've been a lot more fun if flying vinyl disco LPs didn't start zinging around my head like metal blade frisbees. In the interest of preserving my head for future years, I moved to near the foul lines until security started ramping down on us. Great fun for a white male teen into rock and roll. As the newsman says below "The pungent smell of marijuna was in the air'. Duh.

Here's an in-depth, detail-filled story on that night and its inception by Swindle Magazine.

Here's a bit of news report footage from that night:


Here's Pt 1 of Steve & Garry's next morning's radio show. Funny stuff - lots more at YouTube.


Disco STILL sucks. Long live punk rock 'n roll. :-)

photo above by Steve Mandich

Robert Pollard - Elephant Jokes - August release

Good weekend! My mailbox last night had a copy the upcoming Robert Pollard CD 'Elephant Jokes', slated for August release. Sweeet. I just plunked it on and am rockin' to the big rock sounds. 2nd track, Johnny Optimist, great song. Big chorus. Robert Pollard is alive. More reviewness coming as I get through it...

UPDATE: Here's a bit more on the CD - plus an MP3 from 'Elephant Jokes' below. Robert Pollard's artistry knows no bounds.

First, some promo copy as written by Bee Thousand 33/13 writer Marc Woodworth:

"You want nostalgia? OK, here's some nostalgia. Think music as real and unselfconscious as anything since Same Place the Fly Got Smashed or songs alive with Alien Lanes' aesthetic but even hookier and smarter ('Stiff Me'? Are you kidding? Pure gold!). Music that sounds just like friends playing for the fun of it in the family basement (so the family's grown up and moved away, it's a different house and it's not exactly a basement anyway, but I defy you to hear the difference).

On Todd Tobias' playground, everything's possible, same as it ever was. Ocarina and kiddie chord organ on 'Jimmy' with a drum beat as pared down as Hot Freak's trusty old 4/4? Check. A turn on the guitar by Tim Tobias, GBV '99-'03. Uh huh. A verbal landscape where angels look like hell and Cyclops calls for his perverted eyelash? Did you expect anything less?"

Dfactor sez: Whew. That's some promo copy. I think I remembered just now why I didn't like that GBV 33 1/3 book so much. But nonetheless, I think the point of Woodworth's beer-fueled prose is to get across the point that Pollard's new songs should DEFINITELY appeal to the old school GBV fanboy inside many of us, who always want to hear the "old shit" instead of the 'new shit". And I think he's right.

It's only my first time listening through, and I'm hearing cool riffs with great vocals (Newly Selected Dirt Spots), as well as a classic GBV-styled riff with some of the lowest register Pollard vocals ever on (All You Need) To Know. From wavering melancholy vocals on the new CD's Desiring over tender acoustic guitar to the one verse-one chorus rock brilliance of Hippsville (Where the Frisbees Fly Forever).

The thing about Pollard is that "He Stockpiles Songs for Armageddon" (suggested song title). He is constantly writing songs, recording 'em and filing them away. So this MP3 for the 14th track on the CD - "Jimmy" - which starts a bit like 'Hot Freaks' and has a kooky catchy chorus: "Jimmy hits (it's?) your love, Jimmy get your gun, Jimmy hits your love gun, supersonic love gun" - could've been written and recorded anytime in the last 2-12 years? Who knows? Anyway, it's fun. (Click the link, wait 30 secs for the file, then download - I don't host music files too often, but if anyone has better suggestions, shout 'em out)

Ted Leo Mix

It's been awhile since I made a new Imeem mix - Here's my new one for a guy that works hard at his rock - Ted Leo and his band The Pharmacists. Ted's gearing up for a big NYC Pier 54 Hudson riverfront show at the end of the month.

This mix will also be up on the blog in the right column for about a month, or until I get inspired to select a new artist.

Ted Leo

Rock Clip of the Week - Van Halen, Ice Cream Man

This week's Rock Clip of the Week is Van Halen. Why? Well, this week I've zipped through Ian Criste's 2007 saga of the band "Everybody Wants Some - the Van Halen Saga" (You can read the whole thing at Google Books). It was a fairly entertaining read - Christe is no Azerrad, but he puts all the news items and band highlights together in a friendly, easy read. He favors the Van Halen brothers, and gets digs in at Roth, but overall it's a decent account of the band's history up until right before the reunion tour came together in Fall 07-Winter 08.

Did you know???
- Van Halen is the 20th best selling band/artist of all time with sales of over 56 million albums in the USA
- Van Halen is one of five rock bands that have had two albums sell more than 10 million copies in the USA.

So since I'm in that VH mindset, I thought I'd dig out a classic cruncher from the VH early days - Ice Cream Man for the summer! Enjoy!

D.O.A - Police Brutality (new video) plus new DVD comp

It's like 1982 all over again! Longtime Canadian punk band D.O.A. remains very active, releasing a Best-of DVD with videos and history of the band, touring all over the world, all while kicking out new videos based on old anarchic punk themes that just never seem to go away. Fucked Up Ronnie, indeed! Here is more on the August release of D.O.A "The Men of Action" 30th Anniversary DVD:

"D.O.A., Canada's legendary punks and the progenitors of hardcore punk, have produced an extraordinary DVD that covers the band's 30 year career. It's an essential collection of songs and punk/activist stories.

The DVD consists of 26 songs, 10 that the band produced storyline videos for and 16 that are live productions. There are two ways to view the DVD: "Chaos Program" features the music videos only, while "Anarchy Program" features Joe Shithead Keithley, Canada's godfather of punk, telling the story of D.O.A. and punk in general as the videos play.

The anniversary DVD package also includes as a bonus, D.O.A.'s critically acclaimed new album Northern Avenger, produced by the legendary Bob Rock. The album has received rave reviews around the world. Also included is a 12-page booklet that includes rare photos of D.O.A. On the DVD itself, included are some hilarious hidden tracks."

Here's D.O.A's new video, Police Brutality, from their 2008 CD Northern Avenger.

First (best?) Summer 2009 LP - Elephant Stone: The Seven Seas

You like jangly pop? Chiming guitars? Trippy keyboards? Floating vocals on a cascade of pulsating rhythms? Oh boy, I think you're gonna like the release "The Seven Seas" from band Elephant Stone.

Indiecision wrote (and I'm right there with it): "The first three songs breeze through territory crowded by timeless hits and perennial classics. Heartland rock by Tom Petty, British arena rock a la Manic Street Preachers, and jangly classic rock like the Blue Oyster Cult are some of the reference points that come to mind."
I'd go further and throw the Stone Roses (Elephant Stone - duh!), The La's and maybe the melancholic sounds of 80s Aussie chartmakers The Church too.

Seems the band is the brainchild of ex-High Dials bassist/singer Rishi Dhir, his first record since leaving The High Dials in 2006. Some of the songs display some sitar/Indian influence (their MySpace page calls it 'Hindie Rock'), but I hear classic/indie rock all the way through. You can stream the release at the link above, or download the single "I am Blind". Either way, you win, with summery pop anthems. Sweet sweet sweet.

Elephant Stone at MySpace. Plus, if you have time, read this Vancouver, CA-article about Rishi Dhir, written by his landlord! Ha!

Rock Clip of the Week - CCR, Hey Tonight

When I think of July 4th, I know it's summer. And when I think back of summer days, I always remember my dad driving my brothers and I in the car across the Midwest, listening to the rock and roll radio station. And in the late 60s, early 70s, Creedence Clearwater Revival was the shit all over the radio. Here's one of their corkiest corkers from those sumemr vacation driving days. Happy weekend. Think of your country, then think of something to improve it.

New Harlem Shakes video - Strictly Game

Here's the new fun video from NYC's Harlem Shakes - this fine pop song is edited at the speed of sound - blink and you'll miss parts!



"Technicolor Health was made after and during some tough times (involving serious sickness) for the band. The record captures the weary, hopeful, and sometimes triumphal vibe of that period in their lives. Above all, the album is about surviving abject shittiness. But it's also about what new-wave bands and new-wave revival bands call, "modern life," as lived by five thoughtful men in their early and mid-twenties during a weird, sometimes miserable, mostly thrilling historical moment. Harlem Shakes have been obsessed by pop music their whole lives, and after all the reiterations, they still have great faith in its power to make you and them feel a little better about things, and to say something vital, and God willing, maybe even enduring."

Bruce Springsteen assists The Gaslight Anthem for "The '59 Sound"

Great clip from last weekend's Glastonbury UK fest - Bruce Springsteen kicks out the guitar to assist The Gaslight Anthem
for "The '59 Sound".

the 59 sound - bruce springsteen & gaslight anthem( glasto )
Uploaded by runawaydream. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Warped Tour - Phoenix, AZ, June 30

Whoo Hoo! I had my first Warped Tour visit ever (I know, I know) yesterday in Phoenix. Nice hot sunny day, full of sweaty teenagers and bikini-clad babes sporting sexy tats. But I was there to learn about bands I know nothing about - the whole AltPress-Warped-The Hills kind of bands, ya know? And I did. I was so excited I didn't even feel the 105 degree heat! Swag and booths and bikinis and rock all around. Excellent. I only saw maybe 10 of the 50 bands that played yesterday, not knowing that arriving at 4:30ish would be more than halfway through the day (Hey, it was a Tuesday!). To the bands!

- Therefore I Am, a Boston postcore band pictured to the left, kicked total ass in front of a smallish crowd (cuz everyone else was watching 3Oh!3 and waiting for Bad Religion). Great energy, amazing riffs and total commitment to the moment. They're backing a new CD called "The Sound of Human Lives" - they LIVED it. Wonderful to see.


- Tempe band The Maine had a huge crowd eating out of their hand. Great frontman John 'O Callaghan with a shirt that read 'Are You on Our Side?' - the band played really well and seemed pretty pumped about everything. I caught maybe half the set then left when 'O Callaghan said they would slow it down. Seems there was a brawl up front, and some kid got whacked bad. So he asked the crowd to hug one another instead of punching. That was my cue to stroll.


- Caught the last wheezes of Aiden's set - singer William looked red-eyed and really kinda scary, but he also said some very heartfelt words at the set's end and seemed to have a huge heart for the kids. After the set, Aiden's booth had a huge long line waiting to speak to him.


- Canadian hardcore band Alexis on Fire put on a fantastic set - full of fire and spit. They are promoting a new CD "Old Crows/Young Cardinals". Great stuff, wish I had more pics. That's the only one that came out decent.

- I didn't know the band 3OH!3 (but recognized some songs of theirs from rock radio here in PHX), and they put on a great show, even if the two front guys Sean and Nathaniel look like 80s-styled fitness gurus onstage. But the live band rocked, the electronic samples soared and the crowd was all over it. I couldn't get close enough for pix.


- Bad Religion finished the night with a excellent, sturdy set that included songs from 2007's "New Maps of Hell" and classic nuggets from their vast catalogue. Greg Hetson's and Brian Baker's guitars roared and snarled, and Greg Graffin was in fine voice, though mentioning some hoarseness. The kids were throwing plastic water bottles and crowdsurfing, and despite the tiredness of everyone who was there all day, the band and the crowd synched great.(Q: Who was the guy next to the drummer onstage just smiling and laughing the whole time?)


All in all, a great afternoon/evening of rock, and way more fuckin' fun than being in a dark club. And I even got to meet and chat with Ramones' creative guru Arturo Vega, who was running the RamonesWorld booth at Warped. Cool. Crazy I lived in Manhattan for a decade and never ran in Vega at any shows, and I come out west and there he is. Nuts.

All my pix from yesterday show with my not great but decent phonecam on at my Flickr page.