The Black Ark of Lee Scratch Perry

The Black Ark is a pretty cool reggae site. I go into the kick recently having noticed an essential Lee perry listing on itunes. Reminded how deep reggea genre is and how influential this guy was to bands like the clash and 100s of other reggea bands. Some of my favorites like Black Uhuru, the upsetters and of course Bob Marley and the Wailers are just the tip of island, mon. Sunday mornings usually start off with Reggae Schoolroom with Jeff Sarge on wfmu, to be honest most of the time it seems to meld, like jazz once did, but slowly the subtle differences make this music great stuff to listen to when it's blazing hot outside.

Jhon thumb vs Buzzkill

What does jazz grunge guitar sound like? You should attend to this NJ. "Now that word has spread throughout the tri-state area of what is being
billed as the Jhon Thumb Homecoming, it is confirmed that Bruce Steinert
Jr. has booked a flight from San Francisco to Newark so that Buzzkill can
join the guitar-face faceoff. Who will win? Will it be Chris Wargo?
Betting is now open. Will you be the first one to be punched in the face
by Dan Roorda? Will Jhon make it to the stage before being thrown out?"
re-live it: Tonight 8/28 Court Tavern

download:lovegas | buzzkil | Jhon THumb

Not Just Anyone can be Trs MCcall

Well Not Just Anyone can be as ambitious as Tris McCall. He has given himself a challenge, which for him just a pittance. He is going to post a free mp3 on his once a week. The hello or The fireside chats took it one step further a couple years ago by writing and recording a new song once a week. Not as easy as it sounds. Sure, if you have a back log it is do-able, as I'm sure Tris has. His claim is that "Not just anyone" is the best recording he never released, almost. Says track comes from his Straw Man Special cassette. The recording is clean and a good sampling of what he is all about. check it out.

Lollapalooza 05 Blogwarrior festival

I am a weekend blogwarrior because being back at a large Agency means there is no time to eat, rock or crap. However those that have true music jobs like Jon Pareles, the new york times pop music writer, have hit the "weekend festival" 05 'pallooza's 2 days worth of shows in Chicago for us(me). His summary is that YES, The Pixies translate to the main stage. I already knew that and this is not news. There are no grandious mysterious claims like back in pooza 03. It is obvious the brand is established. Some lucky people are going there this year to see some of their favorite rockers and knowing why a water costs $10. I might be making the number up but I am sure I am pretty close. It's a very large water. Hitting the stage are: Chicago native Liz Phair(picture courtesy of ny times), Weezer (metal posers),...and you will know us by the trail of dead (fun name to not abbreviate and one of the Indie bands that is famous for destroying their gear after every show --at least the drums), Pixies (songs about monkeys and UFOS - both funny song topics), Digable Planets (old hip hop) and Perry Farel on the kidsapooza stage(follow- trends muchs?). Honestly, it is too bad it was not scaled down in scope instead of cancelled across the country. There are a couple fall tours to look forward to before the clear channel ruined large live rock shows as we know it because of the control they have over the airwaves(a blog for another time inself).

Chime in people
What are your poza memories? I just remember being pissed because I couldn't go see Nirvana and played a loozerpallooza indie show down in south jersey somewhere. Why do you think the clear channel suck?[easy target]

Maybe by then I will have part of my life back? If anybody else goes to see something cool I would love to get a report, a cd, a blog... Hey even a bootleg of 05 pooza! Since, I do have a foreseen steady commute for the next millennium, I will have time to listen to music again. So in those regards you win.
Fall indie shows to look forward to: NJ's Wrens and Built to Spill.

Rock shows for your summer vs Pollstar

I have been underwater at my new Agency gig but allas, i will be dreaming and remembering a time that I actually went to rock shows and had a good time. This summer please drink lots of beer and enjoy: Teenage Fanclub, Arcade Fire, and Pretty Girls Make Graves.

I heard awesome things about the recent Dinosour Jr. reunion shows. They played mostly older material and sounded great, my buddy Walter said he heard people complaining at the Philly that people wanted to hear the more recent stuff and also said J Mascis looked like an old hippy man and has long lochs have gone completely grey, and somehow Lou Barlow looks like he is pulling 30. Now it's only a matter of time for firehose to get back together for a tour and get edFromohio off the bar stool down in the Carolinas. Who would you like to see get back together from when music was good?

So you wanna be a has been Rock Star

Round 1 dismissal was a good choice. The best thing I can say is these wanna be Rock Stars are not INXS clones. That would be miserable. What makes it questionable is that for the most part you can pick who's images they are ripping off. Some of their first song choices were very telling. Come on people has there ever been a real Van Halen since David Lee fronted the band? Drummers and bass players are easy to replace. Personalities not so much. Guitar player's, well it gets a little tricky in particular if they are part of the sound. Isn't that right Mr. Dave Navarro ex-RHCP? We know you love yourself that is obvious. What will be interesting to see if they can really see something interesting in a performer and if said skills will also translate in their hits, as well as new material. The fans want to hear the old stuff. It's hard to bring the magic and then come back from the dead.

Mr. Ambulance Driver vs. A Safe Bet

I got an email from Wayne of the Flaming Lips yesterday to check out a preview for their new single "Mr. Ambulance driver". You can listen to it: Windows or QuickTime which is on the wedding crashers soundtrack. It's fairly minimal, 70's-esque quagmire that builds itself up like all good Lip's tunes. Starts off with a nice guitar and electric piano talking about some sirens in the distance... Fairly fitting for the new kind of living 'Mericans are doing these days that the rest of world as already known for a very long time. Today's free emusic toolbar single "A Safe Bet" by Bats And Mice from their 2002 album Believe It Mammals is good rock. The chorus echos something classic emo by Sunny Day Real Estate mixed with some choppy midwestern bass riffage in the verses. Most definetly the better freebee mp3 of the week for sure. The hook relies on that sound found in more distinctive SDRE tunes but should make somebody curious enough to hear a couple more. There is a new Ep available on Lovitt records and as I parused the comeback of Bats And Mice makes sense because one of the guys played in Richmond's VA'sEngine Down, who are consequently calling it quits but not before going out on a long cross country tour in Aug.

What the hell is going on with all these bands breaking up? Catch a few free mp3s off of epitonic's site ED's 02 album Demure has some awesome guitar rock then do the dead on the cheap from emusic. Trust me on this one kids.

The Air Guitar Champs vs Q and not U

Well damn these bands if they can't stay together longer than a few measly years. Haven't they ever heard of the rolling stones, REM and U2? Who is going to be the big Indie band that is going to do their thing until they are these old farts. Ok so maybe Q and Not U feel they've left their mark and it is time to move onto other projects. I'm not so sure doing your new thing and then disappearing is such a great idea. Ok so perhaps superchunk and Fugazi are decent models and radiohead even though they are not really indie they have longevity in their art. E.G. is paying off in the wallet area. Solo projects in my opinion should remain as something you fall back on, especially if your group is starting to pick. Ok sure. If they were men they would say. Hey i have to get a real job that pays. I can respect that completely. The magic happens though when the combo is together. You write some songs with your buddies because you have "it" when your're together. For a decent live band reminder we are going to have to go beyond kereoke and step into the world of Air Guitar Championships. That's right Aireoke. The 2005 finalists have been announced! The showdown is happening July 14th at the Key Club in West Hollywood. Contestants will with wrestling tags like C-diddy, American Breeder and NY regional winner Bjorn Turoque will be judged on technical prowess, stage presence and "airness". Now this is a show worth paying to see. Who would not want to see somebody air to "Eruption" by Eddie Van Halen. I know I was pretty good at it when I was a kid. ~Diver Down

Superchunk's No Pocky for Kitty - Yeah!

Formerly on Matador Records and available thru Merge now Superchunk's seminal indie rock album No Pocky for Kity originally released in 91' is now available on emusic.com! This is a must have for any indie rock snob. Like I can't even talk to you if you haven't blasted this one full-on. I had borrowed it many moons ago on cassette from my friend Ted. Their whole catalog is available including, tossing the seeds 7" compilation which you should also have for their version of Sebadoh's "It's so hard to fall in love" and of course "Slack Mother Fucker". If their ever were a indie rock anthem that is the one. A close 2nd is of course the tune "Web in front" off of Icky Mettle by The Archers of Loaf, which by the way I have not been able to find anywhere either. So somebody please hip me to a legal version of it. This too was on cassette for a very long time that I got to review for Jersey Beat, then a girlfriend ran off with the CD version, I had aquired after the tape had smoldered away... Yes, it's true you can recount your life biographically thru music like in the movie High Fidelity.

Hot snakes disband

Damn those hot snakes. Christ just when I thought loud pounding rock and roll was making a comeback. F-THIS!!! Well all the more reason to start your own band because in the end --it is always for the kids because the kids are alright.

gratis daily eMusic tool bar

So if the weekly free itune does not make satisfy you, perhaps a free daily mp3 via the emusic indie providers tool bar will float your boat! I know for me in general everything is pretty vanilla that is free unless it is label specific. Today's freebee is described as a "emo rapper"(?) Called Atmosphere from epitaph. What it involves is you thinking is: 1) Yes, here is a another white cusin' and angry eminem type but is really two dudes. 2) The sound is tough, like Sublime was a tough, on the free single called "trying to find a balance". The chance meeting has made me a little curious to be honest. 3) You can always delete the bar if you are unsatisfied and file. I for one am going to give it a try this week and see how it goes. 2 thumbs up for emusic for trying something more marketing more aggresive. I'm sure the bands appreciate. My only wish is that they expand their indie rock section more.

XBXRX noise vs performance

Xbxrx noise, originally from Alabama, have signed to polyvynl records to follow-up their much touted 2000 releases Gop Ist Minee which they recorded when some of them were barely in highschool! Their spastic version of punk rock melds the mind because it's so damn fast and spend most of the 20 minute show running around the venue. No performance is ever like the last. By buying their music helps them entertain the next crowd. I am curious to see if they take it to the next level visually. Otherwise it is not anything you are going to really spin but just talk about. It's just art with a thinly veiled point. The band is something fun you experience. Just like more tribal Crash Worship which I saw flood the Wetlands in nyc, and swing a flaming boars head into the audience. The bonus of their show is that it can go on for hours if club management lets them. There was another NJ band called Codger which did a similar thing. Basically make a huge fuckin' mess, played a set of deranged metal noise and just get the whole audience involved in their performance.

On the flip side there are bands where the musical performance is just as important as the content. The flaming Lips and >Neurosis fall into this category. Neurosis is more metal and about the mystique they create and the lips more about the art and mad hatter type of fun, I mean the second you introduce a puppet to sing along and very large bunny rabbits you know you've chosen the blue pill. No green. Blue. Green. Both are heavy into multi media aspect of their performance and make the experience well rounded. Consequently a group I used play with was more about what you can say with art through social imagery. See suran song's site.

The third type is good ole live rocknroll. Band and audience.

From Russia w/ Love Foo Fighters & Gorrilaz

Get 10MB worth of songs just for signing up with Allofmp3.com. When you get there make sure to click the English text link in the upper left hand corner. Their registration process is not immediate but it will get to you. Their pricing structure is more than fair and they give you the option to download not only mp3 files but cd quality too!

My takes were: Gorillaz from their new album Demon Days, second cut "Last Living Souls" and one of the deeper tracks from In Your Honor by the new Foo Fighters called "Virginia Moon" (Featuring. Norah Jones). Dave's raspy swagger is complemented very well by Norah's voice. Has this down home lounge jazz guitar feel with drum brushes, xylophone, and piano. The Gorillaz track is pretty cool and I think I am going to have to invest in the whole cd. The synth string arrangements are cool. It's not over produced electronic and the melody is strong.