The Fuzzy Ball - Shoegazey Pop in Seattle and Portland Dec 16-17

REVERB RECORDS is doing it again! THE FUZZY BALL SEATTLE will be held at Neumos on Thursday, December 16th and THE FUZZY BALL PORTLAND will be held at The Wonder Ballroom on Friday, December 18th.

Looks totally cool - a tribute to shoegaze-y psychedelic fuzzy guitars! Who DOESN'T like a loud fuzzy guitar? Reverb hasn't announced lineups yet, but writes that "this will be THE best set of Fuzzy Ball events ever."

From the blurbs:
"On each night 10 bands will go on stage and each play one original song and three cover versions of the Shoegazer or Psychedelic variety (i.e. Fuzzy guitars being the main ingredient).

If you’re unfamiliar, the "Shoegazer" genre emanated from the UK in the 80's with bands such as Cocteau Twins, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3, Slowdive, Lush, Jesus & Mary Chain, etc. all staring heavily at their effects pedals (not their shoes as was reported by the press) to create this wonderful surreal and melodic wall of sound.

Also being celebrated is the ultra-hip resurgence in Psychedelic-Pop-Rock music made popular again today by artists like The Raveonettes, Ulrich Schnauss, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Flaming Lips, The Black Angels and Brian Jonestown Massacre, among many others."

Dfactor "Too Much Regulation" live

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend! I did, with the late last week opportunity for the Dfactor trio to play a Saturday night show at The Rogue Bar in Scottsdale, AZ. We rocked mightily, and folks dug it. Setlist included Dfactor past hits, two new songs and three Cheap Trick covers, holy Nielsen! (Oh Caroline, Southern Girls and Goodnight Now, fyi). Band after us named BoneCookie rocked awesomely - Evolution Revolution, indeed!

No recordings were made Saturday night, but we finally got a decent video of us rockin' out "Too Much Regulation" late in the set a month ago at the same club. See it below. Click here to sing along to the original version of "Too Much Regulation" on my 2009 'Slashing the Sunlight' CD. Or watch the solo acoustic version on the train from Summer 2010.

New Steve Wynn CD December // The Dream Syndicate - "That's What You Always Say" (Rare live 1986)

Found a great clip of The Dream Syndicate from the old days, rockin' it out in 1986 (or 1987, per the author below) doing a hot live version of "That's What You Always Say". More details below the Super 8 clip.



Danny Plotnick, who shot this clip, tells its story at his blog:

"I was big fan and went down the path for the long haul, and while The Days of Wine and Roses is still my fave, there was clearly gold later in the career. I saw the band in their Precoda incarnation, as well as with Paul Cutler, who took over on Out of the Grey. I saw the band on the Out of The Grey tour in 1986 or 1987 and, by far, that was the most explosive I’d ever seen the Syndicate.

And hey, I got the tape to prove it. My girlfriend and I decided to bring a couple of super 8 cameras to the show, interview the band and shoot one song on film. It was all we could afford since film cost a lot. We interviewed Cutler before the show and filmed 'That’s What You Always Say' on black and white super 8 (4X film stock me thinks). The film had to be shot silently and we recorded the audio separately on a little hand held piece of crap tape recorder (definitely not a walkman!). We then transferred the film to ¾” umatic video and tried to sync the audio to the picture. We tried for about an hour and then gave up. What a frickin’ disaster. It was impossible. The footage has been sitting in my garage for about 20 years and I decided to give the syncing another chance given the advent of non-linear editing. And wouldn’t you know it, success! "

Dream Syndicate singer-guitarist Steve Wynn and his band Miracle 3, which tours in the more comfy (ie paying!) confines of Euro rock clubs, is releasing its new CD Northern Aggression (that's it below) next week. You can download a track with your email at his website.

Music News From Around the Globe!!!

Hey., it's almost the weekend and there's lots of fun things happening in the world of rock and roll and otherwise-noise-called-music! Have a spin:

- The Posies have a new release (who knew?). It's called Blood/Candy and it's their first in five years. The Nashville Scene writes:
"After scrubbing much of the fuzz off their former formula, The Posies deliver a little less power and a lot more pop. Their old sense of epic dynamics still lingers in the air, but now floats back down like psychedelic snowflakes. That said, this is still the kind of hook-laden, chorus-driven, infectiously upbeat slab of ear candy of which Posies fans of yore know the band is still fully capable."

- It's the new underground garage sound of NOW! "New Garage Explosion!!: In Love With These Times" is a new documentary, presented by Scion A/V in association with VBS.tv, about the bands and culture surrounding the international garage rock community. Artists featured in the film include The Dirtbombs, Black Lips, Jay Reatard, Jack Oblivian, Hunx & His Punx, Pierced Arrows, Thee Oh Sees, The Clean, Girls, Goner Records, Human Eye, Vivian Girls, Smith Westerns, Ty Segall, Davila 666, Golden Triangle, Magic Kids and many more.

- Gang of Four have a new FREE 3-song EP available for download at its site and the damaged art-rock band is going on a US tour in February 2011.

- Gawker suggests that Kanye West really just shut the fuck up:
Dude, just shut up. Just stop saying words. Kanye West did a "surprise" show last night at New York City's Bowery Ballroom and he started running his mouth about this stupid Taylor Swift thing! Honestly! This is what the whiny baby said to his fans, who were presumably grownups, at the concert at around 1am: "Taylor never came to my defense at any interview. And rode the waves and rode it and rode it." Haha, what? Why would she come to your defense in an interview, you unbelievable narcissist? God almighty is he not the most insufferable jackass on the planet. Just the absolute worst. Saying that will probably make him cry, then yell, then cry some more and then whine to some publication about it, and then cry a little more, and then more yelling, and then sucking his thumb and staring petulantly at the floor, then nap time, because it's been a busy day for Little Lord Fauntleroy, prince of the universe."

- Classic rocker Ian Anderson (of veteran British prog-folk-rock band Jethro Tull) plays solo in NYC this week - He is delightfully quoted by the WSJ:
"The solo shows allow two things. It allows me to get into the great depth and breadth of the Tull catalog, a huge body that deserves to be heard. Also, when it's not a rock show, it keeps the riffraff out. You know, those who get drunk and holler. A benign and listening audience—it's good for them."

LennonNYC documentary - Watch at PBS

Last night, in between having to make some time w/visiting relatives, I caught most of the PBS premiere of "LENNONYC" the new John Lennon documentary. It's a candid look at the former Beatle trying to make his way in New York City in the late 60s and early 70s as a peace activist and musician with empathies to the Hippie-Yippie movement, and his struggles to be just 'a normal guy.'

The documentary has great 'bootleg' studio banter mixed in with images and talking heads from the times and current day as well. It chronicles Lennon's anti-war activities, bagism, marches in NYC, concerts for benefits, his 'alcoholiday' in Los Angeles for a spell, and present-day interviews with members of Lennon's band Elephant's Memory, Dick Cavett, producer Jack Douglas, photographer Bob Gruen, activist Tom Hayden and many more.

It's pretty kickass for anyone interested in learning more about Lennon in the 70s. Watch the entire film at PBS.org. You can also listen to the director Michael Epstein talk about the film and Lennon a few weeks ago on WNYC.

From the PR blurbs:

“LENNONNYC” is a two-hour documentary featuring unseen footage and recording outtakes, and interviews with close friends and associates, including Yoko Ono, Elton John, Klaus Voorman, David Geffen, and “Double Fantasy” producer Jack Douglas.
The documentary was directed, produced and written by Michael Epstein, who said:
“I have long been moved by the honesty and directness of John’s music. And, by using never-before heard studio talkback of John from this period, I think I was able to give the viewer a window into John Lennon that had not been put to film before.”

Yoko Ono co-operated fully with the production and claims to have been surprised by how much footage she hadn’t seen before – or even known was being filmed at the time. She also noted that the footage reminded her of how talented Lennon was:
“I was so impressed with how good John was. I knew him as a husband. I wish I could tell him, ‘Hey, you’re so good.’ But he is not there . . . I still think John’s songs are giving power to the people.”

Bon Jovi "What Do You Got" and big hits - American Music Awards

Veteran rock stars Bon Jovi rocked it out the best way they know how at Sunday's American Music Awards show. Here's the band playing their song "What Do You Got"...



...and the band kicking out their big hits for the industry crowd (but massive TV Audience)

Watch the Boss

Bruce Springsteen is out plugging the remastered 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' and it's a treat whenever he's on late night TV.

He hung out and spoke with late night TV cool guy Jimmy Fallon last night. And the two of them talked about (per PopWatch's Mandi):
"....Fallon’s “Born to Run” Emmy opening, Springsteen confers with a diehard fan in the audience to double-check that he’s right when he says that one particular concert of his had never been bootlegged, and he explains the stories behind a recent video of him singing in a Jersey bar and a photograph of him sitting on a bench with an engaged couple. And that’s just in the first interview segment. Springsteen also performs “Because the Night” and “Save My Love” with Steven Van Zandt and the Roots. Good times."

Part 1:


Part 2:

Guided by Voices "Don't Stop Now" (Matador at 21, Las Vegas)

Here's another great moment from the just completed main leg (only leg?) of the reunited Guided by Voices classic lineup shows from the past two months. It's the band playing their homage to their hometown Dayton roots, "Don't Stop Now" the so-called 'ballad of GBV' song according to GBV singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. Great stuff.


Guided By Voices - "Don't Stop Now (Live at Matador At

Matador | Myspace Video

GBV is playing NYC on NYE - tickets may be already sold out. See it. Believe it. Demand it. Receive it. You Got to Have It!

Teenage Fanclub - Rockin' Belgrade!

The guitar pop of Teenage Fanclub reigns well in this awesome fan clip at a recent Belgrade (Serbia) concert where the band is touring behind its well- received Shadows 2010 LP. They revisit some earlier classics with 'About You' and 'Star Sign' in this clip below.



Teenage Fanclub is also the new cover star of the latest Big Takeover magazine from the publishing empire of longtime punk 'n roll fan Jack Rabid. Order your copy today!

Ultravox "My Sex"

I'm only a year behind, but just caught win that the arty groundbreaking LP by
Ultravox! in 1977 was reissued in a remastered edition last year.

Besides the great "The Wild, The Beautiful and the Damned", check out another highlight from the LP called "My Sex" below.

Rock Clip of the Week - Sex Pistols Final Concert, Jan 14, 1978, Winterland, San Francisco, CA

Thanks to Kingblind for alerting us to this, we get in all its messy glory the final U.S. concert video on the Sex Pistols' ill-fated 1978 concert tour that led to its dissolution a few weeks after it started.

Kingblind writes:
"The complete final Sex Pistols show at Bill Graham’s Winterland, in San Francisco, 1978. For years all I’d ever seen was the B&W Target Video-shot version of this show, then this improved color version popped up on a quasi-legit Chinese DVD about ten or so years ago. Everyone always rags on their supposed shitty last performance… au contraire, folks, they’re incendiary here."

Here's the full concert on video.


The first few songs are a bit sloppy, but then it all clicks in. Rotten's in great voice, Cook keeps the beat pounding, Jones' guitar sounds big and fat and Sid gamely tries to keep up with the rest of 'em. God save the Queen.

Here's the Track listing

"God Save the Queen"
"I Wanna Be Me"
"Seventeen"
"New York"
"E.M.I."
"Belsen Was a Gas"
"Bodies"
"Holidays in the Sun"
"Liar"
"No Feelings"
"Problems"
"Pretty Vacant"
"Anarchy in the U.K."
"No Fun"

GBV show, Sunday night, Terminal 5, New York

I'm in here somewhere....



photo by tinittus photography

Rock Clip of the Week - Husker Du, Live 1985

Today's Rock Clip is Husker Du in a live videotaped performance in Indianapolis, IN in the hot summer of Reagan-era 1985. I chose Husker Du today as I just received the promo copy of a new book on the mighty buzzsaw trio by rock writer Andrew Earles called "Husker Du -- The Story of the Noise-Pop Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock". I will have some time to read it this weekend, and hope to capture some nuggets for you kind readers next week!

[One caveat - I notice on the back cover that the notes read the author spoke with "Grant Hart, Greg Norton and others" who who were around at the time. Obviously the name of Bob Mould is missing, and he's got his own book coming out next spring, so it looks like the inter-band rivalry will move into the book publishing arena as well!]

In the meantime, rock out and Keep Hangin' On!

Rock Around the World

Forget Election 2010 results! Waved Rumor gives you much MUCH more than simple numbers and percentages - we give you the view behind the numbers and percentages: to the sordid details of seamy underbelly of raga rock. Let's do it.

- Aussie poppunkers Tonight Alive signs to Sony Records. The next No Doubt? (via Crazed Hits).

- Chicago band Smith Westerns next release is "Dye It Blonde" comes out in January on Fat Possum. Gorilla vs. Bear is featuring the lead track from the release called "Weekends" - hear it below:
Smith Westerns - Weekend by forcefieldpr

- The Jam's 1980 classic LP 'Sound Affects' gets the deluxe reissue treatment. MOJO writes: "Originally released in November 1980, the album appeared hot on the heels of the band's first Number 1 single (Going Underground) and featured such Jam perennials as 'Start!', 'That's Entertainment' and 'Pretty Green'. "I still feel it was our best record," says Paul Weller today. "There are loads of other things I like, but as an overall body of work, I thought it was great. To me, it stills sounds fresh." The new two-disc package includes a remastered version of the original album, a 24-page booklet and 22 bonus tracks including B-sides, alternative versions, rare covers and demos." And according to Spinner.com, the 'Sound Affects' reissue unearths and includes The Jam doing a cover of The Kink's 'Waterloo Sunset' (which I say is as much a national music anthem for The Brits as say, Sweet Home Alabama is for Yanks).

- 80s/90s/00s music maestro Prince sells out 2 Madison Square Garden shows (Dec 18-19) in 30 minutes (via UnrealityShout.com)

- Amy Winehouse is back with a new (I say 'weak-voiced') cover of Lesley Gore's 60s nugget "It's My Party" - (via Spin) Hear it here:
It's My Party Feat Amy Winehouse (Prod Mark Ronson) www.pinboardblog.com by PinBoardBlog.com

- Frank Sinatra never liked rock and roll. Not sure why, because he kicked it with the best of 'em. But old Blue Eyes was quoted once as saying that rock music was "The most brutal, ugly, desperate, vicious form of expression it has been my misfortune to hear." But he sure loved Bossa Nova. And when Bossa Nova became the swinger's musical soundtrack of lush breezes for breezy lushes, Frank hopped on the wagon and teamed up with Antonio Carlos Jobin for groovy acoustic Bossa Nova calypso rhythms. Here's what Frank was doing while The Jefferson Airplane was creating a storm in San Francisco and the Doors were touring the US for the first time.

The Majesty of Rock, the Wonderment of Roll - Guided by Voices' "Gleemer" live

Someone up front at last week's Guided By Voices show in Bloomington, IN took a swell video of Tobin Sprout leading the band through "Gleemer" - it's definitely worth sharing. Rock and roll.



The band takes a couple of days off (after last night's Robert Pollard birthday club show at Oberlin, OH) and returns to finish their amazing tour in Boston, Philly and New York this weekend.