Judakris

So long and goodnight

2009-05-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

It's been a helluva ride, but I'll be signing off as well. J and I have had so many adventures on the road seeing bands in St Louis and Chicago and each one was a thrill. I'll never forget all the good times we've shared as Judakris. Thanks to everyone for reading our little labor of love! And, a HUGE thank you to all of our favorite bands for giving us so much to live for...MCR, HIM, Foo Fighters, The Killers, Kings of Leon...-K

See Ya

2009-05-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

This blog has been really about two things to me: a place to share my love of music, especially live, and a good friend to share that love of music with. For J it’s time for this time capsule to close. Thanks for reading! --J

Notesfromthepit.com

2009-05-01T09:26:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let the reader know about my friend L's website called Notes From The Pit. L and I met in the photo pit of a HIM show in St. Louis and have been friends ever since. She photographs and interviews bands regularly and her latest interview with Aiden can be seen here. Take a look at her website. She's recently covered Chris Cornell, Silverstein and of course Aiden. She's got great links to rock news and of course Metal from Finland- yeah! Enjoy! -K

The Singer

2009-04-22T03:55:00.000-05:00

If you’re a Morrissey fan and you can watch it in your region you may want to go youtube and search for Zane Lowe Morrissey Interview which ran on MTV last month. An aspect of the interview has been on my mind since I watched it. He was asked about his band writing music and why he doesn’t. Here are some of the quotes:

“I don’t want to be a musician. I was only ever interested in the singing voice. I think something extraordinary happens to people when they sing.”

He talks about at an early age being obsessed with any singer who stood there without an instrument and just their voice and explains that not all great singers have great voices. His top two great singers – Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley and what makes them great is that they are timeless.

“There’s a very strong sexual component in singing and most people don’t talk about it of course but there is something very sexual about the singing voice and it draws you in and it doesn’t mean you necessarily want to be physical with the person but the person’s pulling at your very being.”

I’ve always been a fan of the multi-tasker because I think there are a lot of singers that can’t pull off what Morrissey is describing, but when it’s done right, it’s amazing. If you want to see it done wrong, well, American Idol provides lots of examples each week. --J

My Springtime Guilty Pleasure

2009-04-18T02:39:00.000-05:00

Can we say 80's retro? This song makes me want to put on a headband and do high-impact aerobics or run through an abandoned barn dancing a la Kevin Bacon in Footloose. If you dig it, check out Ladyhawke's Paris is Burning. It makes me think of Bananarama. --J

The Last Outlaw Poet: By Ethan Hawke

2009-04-13T21:24:00.000-05:00

I would never have been intrigued by this article had my friend C not made me listen to a bunch of Kris Kristofferson following a concert he gave in St. Louis. She told me stories of loving his music for years and how life-changing it was to hear him tell his stories. Some of the stories are touched on in this article, which can be previewed online at RS.com. Ethan Hawke's profile is incredibly engaging, telling the story of a complex soul who suffered failures and successes, wrote some incredible songs, and got naked with Janis Joplin. What surprises me is that Kris didn't make it on the cover. Instead, they chose Lil Wayne, whose story is the antithesis of a complex musical hero: a one-dimensional personality who seems to do nothing throughout the interview but talk about how gangsta and awesome he is. Uch. Unbelievable how gullible the masses can be. -K

Love is a Musical Battlefield

2009-04-13T20:52:00.000-05:00

So, G and I settled into a nice long Saturday evening of watching the channel Palladium. There were a number of musical programs playing that night, including the movie Coachella. It was the first time G had been exposed to Fischerspooner, The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, and Amy Winehouse (from another concert). He commented on how there was a musical side to me that he was just discovering; that as much as I was talking about these artists he realized how little exposure he's had to anything outside of what Northern Alabama allows you to hear. He started to tell me about seeing a Hasidic Jew rap/reggae his way around the stage opening for 311 a couple of years ago. He said that for a few moments he actually thought the name of the artist was Modest Yahoo. Then he shook it off and realized that had to be wrong. At first I sat in stunned silence until the laughter began to boil to the surface like a volcano erupting. Even he found this blunder hilarious. Of course, he's known for some time now that it's actually "Matisyahu", but I still like to bring it up because it makes me laugh. However, you don't really make fun of someone when he is a walking musical/lyrical wikipedia with a photographic memory without expecting some retaliation. When he does retaliate he launches into my version of the lyrics to Tush from ZZ Top: "I said lord take me downtown, I'm just looking for some touch."-K

4am Music Shopping

2009-04-08T05:45:00.000-05:00

4am – what to do besides stress about what’s happening in the work part of my life? In the darkness of my living room, as I sat cross-legged on the world’s most uncomfortable sofa I remembered that my good buddy Mel had sent me an iTunes birthday gift so I went to the store and said to myself, pick out only things that you truly enjoy, songs you would sing along to in the car. Put aside pretension, concern about what others might think, just go for the sounds you love.

What did I end up with?

Well, I bought the latest Joan as Police Woman record. I’ll review that in the future…

Some of my single selections:

Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
Son of A Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield
I Will Survive – Cake
I Miss You – Blink-182 (makes me think of my nephews, and as much as I hate to admit it, I like the drums)
Fat Lip – Sum 41 (yes, I probably watch too much Kerrang! But the lyrics are hilarious)
Slave to Love – Bryan Ferry
Money Changes Everything – Cyndi Lauper
Baby, Now That I’ve Found You – Alison Krauss
No Myth – Michael Penn
Just Another Night – Mick Jagger (would he in 2009 be caught dead in a “hundred dollar hotel room”?)
No Rest for the Wicked – Cage the Elephant

This list has kept me going all week. Thanks Mel. --J

???

2009-04-07T13:31:00.000-05:00

So, last night I had this dream that I was Charles Manson's therapist in jail. Why? He kept trying to physically corner me and I spent the whole dream trying not to show fear and hoping I wasn't going to become one of the Manson girls. In the background The Carpenters' song "Top of the World" kept playing quietly and peacefully. The dream sort of caused a strange funk this morning and now I'm not sure I could ever listen to that song and feel the same ever again. -K

Blacklist

2009-04-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

I couldn't make it to our annual conference this year because I was sick all weekend. For those that know me they understand this was hard because missing conference is like missing the really big SENIOR class party. Even if you don't really enjoy every minute of it you still don't want to miss it.

Anyway, this year we were given a strict dress code: Black golf shirts and black pants. I was at once horrified at having to wear a "golf" shirt and thrilled since I love wearing black. In fact, a lot of people do, but it is SO not appropriate for a Users Conference. I'm not going to elaborate on my feelings on this, but what really pisses me off is that in addition to no coworkers having had a choice in this decision, our company logo is nowhere to be seen on the "golf" shirt. Really?

The point of this blog is my friend RB who was busy packing on Saturday (I know this because her Facebook status told me so) and we started emailing back and forth about the conference. She sent me this playlist she created in homage to our blackout cleverly titled "Blacklist". This is a great playlist so enjoy. -K

Blackout Muse
Black Swan Greg Dulli
Back To Black Amy Winehouse
Black Star Radiohead
Black Celebration Depeche Mode
Blacklisted Neko Case
Where Is My Mind? Frank Black
Six Sixty Six (live) Frank Black
Death's Black Train Gob Iron
Dolly The Blacks
Black Math The White Stripes
Black Swan Thom Yorke
Sweet Black Angel The Rolling Stones
Black Arrow, Bleeding Heart Whiskeytown
Black Tongue Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Paint It Black The Rolling Stones
Black Like Me Spoon
Howl Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Flowers Yo La Tengo
Black Boys On Mopeds Sinead O'Connor
I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You Black Kids
The Deepest Blues Are Black Foo Fighters
White Summer/Black Mountain Side Led Zeppelin
Black Dog Led Zeppelin
Unlovable The Smiths
Black Angel The Cult
Black Milk Massive Attack
Black Pete Yorn
Long Black Veil The Band
Black Mirror Arcade Fire
Black Wave / Bad Vibrations Arcade Fire
Lexus Joseph Arthur
Black Country Woman Led Zeppelin
Fade to Black Metallica
Black History Month (Josh Homme Remix) Death From Above 1979
Black Metal Valentine Califone
After the Ladder The Black Heart Procession
To Bring You Back The Black Heart Procession
Set you free The Black Keys
Hold me in your arms The Black Keys
Black Cat Ladytron
Black Hole She & Him
Black Out Pavement
Black Cloud Morrissey
Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud), Pt. 1 (Single Pt. 1) James Brown
Kerosene Big Black

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

2009-04-03T01:50:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't like a good story song? Ain't No Rest for the Wicked, it's my work day theme song. --J

Something To Look Forward To

2009-03-30T14:44:00.000-05:00

At exactly 7pm this evening I was hitting an unresponsive ticket seller website, until surprisingly, success! --J

RIP Blender - J's Take

2009-03-27T13:38:00.000-05:00

Back in 2002 I began to subscribe to Blender. I remember my brother S and I discussing the issue that turned him into a fan. Blender had this great regular bit called “The Greatest Songs Ever!” and he was sold when Train in Vain by The Clash was the focus in this section in the April/May 2002 issue. Most months I found myself turning to that section and thinking “Yes! I love that song!” to whatever was being covered and enjoying the back story.

In the past few years, I felt like the content no longer matched my taste, but there were always moments of brilliance. --J

Music Mag Blender Closes Down

2009-03-26T14:57:00.000-05:00

Alpha Media Group closed Blender magazine today. The April issue of Blender out now with Kelly Clarkson on its cover will be its last. Sad sign of the times, for sure. -K

The British Music Experience

2009-03-25T02:25:00.000-05:00

I spent Sunday afternoon touring the British Music Experience, a new exhibit at the O2 Arena in London. As I entered the exhibit, I was thinking quite a bit about a tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland a few years ago with my buddy RB and another co-worker. RB and I were in heaven, looking at Jim Morrison’s school report cards, U2’s record company rejection letters, etc. etc. Our co-worker was unimpressed, stating at the end of the experience that basically there were only two musical acts she would ever pay money to see, Jimmy Buffett and Bon Jovi. RB and I, who both hardcore lovers of music, had no response.

The British Music Experience is trying to do the same thing, but on a smaller scale and added technology. It felt a little all over the place though since I thought the purpose was to focus on all things British. But it kind of bled all over the place with Jimi Hendrix memorabilia, Kraftwerk singles in one of the jukeboxes, a sign in tribute of Dylan going electric, when they had plenty of good material that they could have just expanded on. Here are some thoughts:

Great Things
Seeing David Bowie’s costume from the Ashes to Ashes video (I’ve never done good things, I’ve never done bad things…)
Hearing Cliff Richards and other early Brit rockers talk about Elvis Presley’s influence
The Gibson Studio where I was able to record my very own drum track to Blur’s Song 2 and listen to it online when I got home
Huge UK graphic which lit up with musicians’ hometowns, video locations, important locations in musical history

A note on the Gibson studio – This was very cool because they had real Les Pauls out for people to play and record from with instructional videos, they had acoustic guitars, drums, keyboards, bass guitars, and even a voice recording studio. The drum kit was not the typical drum kit since it was designed for the user not to have to hit the drums hard to hear the drum sound in your headphones and the cymbals looked like they were made from some heavy plastic, all computerized I suppose. As I sat down at my drum kit taking the instructional video some woman brings her adult son over to the other drum kit in front of me and he sits down and he starts going crazy on the kit, hitting everything at full force. She’s smiling proudly as everyone turns around to look at him in annoyance.

Good Things
Adam Ant’s costumes
Beatles Fan Club Memorabilia
Britpop Display
Punk Display – needed way more coverage
But everything in the “good” category could have been expanded (except Adam Ant)

Unnecessary Things
Video Studio where you could record yourself doing dances like the Macarena or Disco from Saturday Night Fever

Missing Things
Maybe this is from an American perspective but they could have done more with the rise of video. I watched a lot of Brit acts in the 80s before MTV launched and there was an occasional video show launched from a Chicago television station. Bands like ABC, Talk Talk, Haircut 100, Nik Kershaw, etc. would have never been played on mainstream U.S. radio at this time, but the videos had me hooked. There was a slight mention of the New Romantics, but not as much as I would have expected.

I thought of K and our friend M because Suede, a band they both love, was prominent in their decade exhibit. I had never heard of them.

The best, best, best part of the display was saved for the end and I am glad it was a slow Sunday because the girl that was working this display ushered me in alone. It was a montage of concert footage that wrapped around the viewer from front on both sides, with great crowd scenes from festivals and then musical acts through the decades became almost holographic. So here I was standing like I was part of the crowd watching Jimmy Page and Robert Plant perform Whole Lotta Love, and then it switched to Oasis, and then it switched to vintage Elton John, and on and on. When it ended the girl who worked the display asked me what I thought and I told her that I was glad it ended on the live music experience. She said, “Yes, and because you were by yourself it was like they were all performing for you!” It really came close to catching that live music euphoria. I wanted to watch it again and again. --J

You Don't Look At Their Faces, And You Don't Ask Their Name

2009-03-23T08:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, G and I went over to a married couple's house to hang out and grill (ok, the wife and I have a fascination with Twilight and the dvd came out yesterday so we wanted to watch all the special features). At some point in the evening, the wife mentioned that they had both heard Tina Turner's Private Dancer Friday night while out celebrating her birthday. One day later on Sunday morning they both couldn't get the song out of their heads. So, the husband started doing his best Tina impersonation which then prompted me to do my best drag queen Tina, which then got him to do HIS best drag Tina. From there it just snowballed. What cracked me up was that the husband focused on making his voice all scratchy with a rapid vibrato...my strength was focusing on the facial expression. It was like we had developed weapons based on Tina Turner characteristics. This continued as we walked out to the car to go home, mind you, haha. -K

Sold Out!

2009-03-22T14:59:00.000-05:00

These posters can be seen throughout London. I was at the O2 Arena today and there were no advertisements at the Arena, just a sign to say that all 50 shows were completely sold out. Why Michael Jackson is doing these concerts is on everyone's mind. Here's an interesting article. --J

Morrissey - Years of Refusal

2009-03-19T01:46:00.000-05:00

Morrissey has a strange pull on people. His fans seem to either want to worship him or rub up against him or maybe both. K and I witnessed the man in person a few years back documented here and here and I found him incredibly charming. Morrissey in many ways represents England to me and that night, unbeknown to those I was there with, I had been offered a position in the UK and I was struggling with the decision. While I stood there watching him moved by the music, I was also grappling with a personal issue.

Here I am two years later, walking in the countryside in England listening to the man's new record on my iPod. I am certainly coming at this record from a different place. I can't say I adore the record from front to back but there are some wonderful Morrissey moments here. My favorite is "All You Need is Me". It's got a driving beat and the classic sardonic lyrics. My favorite Morrissey song is "The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get" off Vauxhall and I. That lyric "Beware I bear more grudges than lonely high court judges" sung in such a gentle voice makes me laugh every time. There are moments like that on this record. If you are a fan in the least, you won't be disappointed. And P.S. great album cover! --J

Umbrella Academy Gets Ready to Hit Big Screen

2009-03-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

Thank you J for sending this link to me from NME online. Apprently, Gerard Way's comic Umbrella Academy is getting prepped for a screen adaptation! -K

Astro Zombies

2009-03-15T19:33:00.000-05:00

I've been on a musical sabbatical lately and I'm sorry for letting J down to carry this blog on her own. Sometimes I go through this dark age with my music where I get sick of everything and have to cleanse myself of all the noise. I've also been out of pocket for another reason, but I'll reveal that soon enough... ANYWAY, today I've been thinking about My Chemical Romance a lot and reminiscing of the times when I braved the heat of St. Louis just to see these newly famous kids from Jersey play to thousands at Warped. I've also been thinking back to when I would feel less than stellar I could put in Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and feel incredibly empowered. That's what I'm needing now and that's why I'm thinking about MCR. HIM may be home, but MCR makes me feel alive again.

Back in 2005 I got a copy of MCR's cover of the Misfits' Astro Zombies and loved it. I'm not sure how I lost it on my iPod, but I think it had something to do with a crashed laptop and a lost iTunes library that had to be rebuilt. There was a also a wonderful version of All I Want for Christmas is You from MCR, but that was lost as well. Anyway, I just found it again on iTunes and I'm so happy! Here's a youtube clip of this short but sweet, punk rock song recorded back when MCR were still a hungry band wanting to change the world. -K

"What would K be doing in 2010" courtesy of 1993

2009-03-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

So, thanks to Facebook I've been able to connect to all of my high school friends in Germany and beyond. One of my old classmates from Mannheim, R, posted a scan of an article that our school newspaper published in which satirical futures were created for the senior class. Here's what mine read:

Quit her job for the National Enquirer, moved to London, and became the agent for the band "Queen Junior." Although successful, she still sells Indian jewelry on Piccadilly Circus.

I don't know who Queen Junior is, but I imagine it was the spin-off of Queen, a band I had had a lifelong obsession with. During the horrible grunge phase, I completely rebelled by being into glam artists like Suede, classic Queen, and Bowie. And, just like today, I still have a fascination with celebrity gossip. I can't help but read that blurb and think "gosh, I haven't really changed at all". Actually, I'm kind of proud of that little blurb...satire or no. -K

Entitlement Indeed!

2009-03-15T03:20:00.000-05:00

I thought this was a funny news item. Miley Cyrus went on a radio show after the Grammys to share with the listening audience that Radiohead wouldn't meet her at the Grammys. Here's a link to the actual radio interview. NME posted this side of the story on their website. --J

The Honey and the Vinegar

2009-03-07T10:32:00.000-06:00

Here’s my take on some of the top records of 2008, a bit late I know!

TV on the Radio’s new record, Dear Science topped many a critic’s list at the end of last year and I have to agree. My favorite track after many a listen remains the first on the record, Halfway Home.

On the other hand, I borrowed a copy of Fleet Foxes’ self-titled debut to see what all the fuss was about. I hate this record. I couldn’t even give it a few listens through. I never thought harmonies would be so grating, but this is just not my thing.

Lately the iPod has been wandering back to the old favorites. --J

Lux Interior

2009-02-26T13:26:00.000-06:00

My friend D, who writes for Black&White in Birmingham, AL, just sent me his article on the passing of The Cramps' Lux Interior. I was not a fan of The Cramps, but D can make me interested in just about any artist he writes about. Enjoy -K

Humility a No-Show at the Brit Awards 2009

2009-02-21T08:34:00.000-06:00

Due to a busy week I just got around to watching the Brit Awards last night. More than one artist started their acceptance speech with “Finally!” Hahahaha

With the Grammys fresh on my mind, U2 starting the show singing Get on Your Boots was a bit anti-climatic as was Coldplay’s performance. Is anyone else scared of Bono’s Herman Munster shoes? --J

Living Things Release New Album

2009-02-18T00:58:00.000-06:00

Are they listening to judakris??? Regular readers may remember our shambolic trip to the Creepy Crawl for their gig a few summers ago, which in the end remains one of my fave judakris nights out despite their strange behavior. You can read our reviews here and here. The new song isn't bad. The look and sound are very retro. I noticed even though St. Louis is mentioned a number of times in their on-line bio, they don't have a St. Louis gig date scheduled. Probably a good thing. --J

The Killers - Video for Spaceman

2009-02-07T04:49:00.000-06:00

Spaceman is my favorite track of the new record and I was hoping for a perfomance video. I just saw the new video and my first impression is that it is one part Velvet Goldmine, one part Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, and one part American football. --J

The Only Choice for Half-Time Show

2009-02-02T02:10:00.000-06:00

As we ride the high from the Inauguration I was pleased to see that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had been selected as the Half-Time Show performer for the Super Bowl. No so-called "amazing" collaborations were on the schedule. They brought an authentic American stadium rock show to an All-American evening.

We watched it live at 1:00am this morning. That and the amazing Steelers touchdown was worth how tired I feel today. --J

Lily Allen - New Track

2009-01-30T00:56:00.000-06:00

The clever girl and UK tabloid favorite has released her first single from her new record. I must admit, I love it. You can check it out on her website. It's called The Fear. --J

P.S. I'm also attaching her version of Britney's Womanizer.

Helldone 2008

2009-01-08T19:26:00.000-06:00

Well, it’s the beginning of January 2009 which means that New Year’s Eve was celebrated all around the world. This Eve I found myself once again in beautiful Helsinki, Finland to attend Helldone, the annual three-night music festival that ends with HIM performing to their hometown at Tavastia at midnight on December 31. I went last year for my first time and for some reason just had to experience the Finnish winter one more time. I’m so glad I did and that I hadn’t burned any contacts with HIM’s people over the year because they provided me with photo access once again and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try out a new camera. What follows is not exactly the type of book that I wrote last year. To be honest, I spent most nights drunk and happy, meeting locals and even getting caught up on world events while sharing a light with someone in the smoking area. My tripmate Jess and I spent most days sleeping, recovering, and then foraging for food before cleaning up to start another night out. It seemed appropriately “Finnish” in a way and for the first time I felt my age. Sigh. Anyway, let’s get down to why I was there in the first place...
Helldone 2008 marked the tenth anniversary of HIM’s New Year’s Eve show at Tavastia club, the tradition that began the Helldone Festival. This year was the fourth official year of the festival and unlike last year, per the fans’ request, it featured only Finnish bands. It also included 3 additional performances at Nosturi in Helsinki and then in the towns of Oulu and Tampere. The neighboring “chill-out” club next door to Tavastia, Semifinal, featured drummer Jussi69 from The 69 Eyes spinning records.
The lineup included:
HIM
KYPCK
45 Degree Woman
Stam1na
Diablo
Godsplague
The 69 Eyes
Negative
Sara
At Tavastia, I was very interested in seeing Negative, lead by striking blonde lead singer Jonne Aaron, who performed to an adoring crowd, because they are a total throwback to the Sunset Strip glam rock scene from 1986. I wish I knew more about these guys, but I can name one song that I recognized from the setlist: “Won’t Let Go”, off the 4th and latest album “Karma Killer”.
Introduced by Bam Margera and wife Missy, along with a spacy Andy McCoy from Hanoi Rocks, The 69 Eyes did not disappoint. This quintet formed back in the early ‘90s in the clubs of Helsinki and while gothic, are anything but gloomy. Their influences include Guns ‘N Roses, The Misfits, and Sisters of Mercy which made me very excited to get to see them. There’s a whole lotta look going on with this band and they always seem on the precipice of taking themselves a bit seriously, but they were a blast live. In terms of Finnish rock, these guys could be considered titans.
On New Year’s Eve, HIM sounded perfect onstage and changed up their setlist a little bit to include some old favorites like "When Love and Death Embrace" and their cover of "Rebel Yell". There were a lot of classic setlist songs like "Your Sweet 666", "The Sacrament", and "Funeral of Hearts". They didn’t play "Vampire Heart", much to my disappointment. However, Ville looked like he’d had some good rest and even more so than last year seemed to enjoy the performance. The crowd loved every minute of the New Year’s celebration, though Ville did have to dodge being hit by a banana thrown by an audience member at some point. In reaction, Ville simply shook his head and scolded the person in his strangely sedate way. He seemed to speak more Finnish than I remember from last year, though he did take a few minutes to promote his father’s sex shop in the Kallio district in English.
At the Nosturi show, a Finnish woman said to me in a vitriolic tone after I asked what Finland thinks of HIM “I think HIM is an ok band and Ville is sexy, but I don’t understand the fuss. I don’t get how “this band” has suddenly become responsible for putting Finland on the map.” I was extremely entertained by this because her boyfriend held nothing but pride for HIM and what they’ve done for Finland. In fact, he loved them so much that at one point he fell to his knees and sang HIM lyrics to her while she responded with indifference and walked away. In a purely platonic, friendship sort of way I think J and I have had a very similar type of exchange! Happy New Year everybody! UNBELIEVABLE-K

The Undertones - Teenage Kicks

2009-01-04T10:06:00.000-06:00

Forget that it’s 2009 and let’s get in the way-back machine to 1978. Here’s my song of the day, Teenage Kicks by The Undertones. While this Irish band never made an impression in the U.S. mainstream, do a search for Teenage Kicks on youtube and you'll see that they did make an impression on many American musicians. --J

Happy New Year from J

2009-01-01T06:18:00.000-06:00

I’m not at all speaking for K, but I’ve been thinking quite a bit about whether I have anything to say on this blog anymore. When we started out writing, we were living in the same city and seeing lots of live shows. Sharing our experience at those live shows was the basis for the blog. We have since both relocated to other places, and while London is right on my doorstep with more music opportunities than I could hope for, my primary responsibilities, like bringin home the bacon, have made it more and more difficult to take advantage of them. Isn’t it just the way when one most needs an outlet, there’s no time for that outlet?

Anyway, I feel the need to re-state my mission here since the live music slant will probably once again be less and less of what I write about in 2009. And when it does, I fear as it was this year, it won’t be much variety but instead a true favorite. My love of music hasn’t changed so I’ll continue to post record reviews and the like. If you’re interested, keep reading. Thanks and Happy New Year! --J

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-21T11:04:00.000-06:00

I missed this last year. They've been showing The Killers' Don't Shoot Me Santa on all of the Christmas video countdowns in the UK and I laugh everytime I see it. It's stereotypically American. --J

It Just Ain't Christmas

2008-12-18T14:23:00.000-06:00

My friend DP just sent this to me. -K

It just ain't Christmas

...without Grace Jones in all her Jean-Paul Gaultier glory.I have never heard a better version of this song(excluding the Chet Aktins morphine-drip intrumental version). How tasteful- and merciful - of her to sing only a single verse. Even without all the brilliant gay subtext that made Pee Wee's holiday showa minor masterpiece of good-natured subversion (" I hope it's not afruitcake...." quips Pee Wee. "Sorry Grace, back in the box," he continues)this non-sequitur moment might provide an avant garde touch that wouldreduce Marcel Duchamp and Jean Cocteau to hot tears of envy.But they weren't around in the 80s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98JrWm9IMMA

Papa Roach Ex-Drummer Sues Band

2008-12-13T17:19:00.000-06:00

The ex-drummer of Papa Roach, Dave Buckner, who quit (fired) last Christmas Eve due to substance abuse issues is now suing the band for profits he supposedly should have earned over the last year. Apparently, after he officially left the band no one did anything about the fact that he remained a partner in the various companies the band formed. Profits were made and bank loans happened, all of which he was excluded from. He wants to dissolve those companies and get the money he is owed.

There's hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake here. I'm slightly curious to know what sort of "companies" the band formed, especially after I can't seem to find out anything about them online. -K

You're So Vain - Foo Fighters

2008-12-13T03:15:00.000-06:00

Since all I have seen is this youtube video, I don't understand the context of Foo Fighters playing a Carly Simon cover on a Grammy nominations show. Was everyone performing asked to do a cover? All I know is this was a pleasant surprise to watch over morning coffee. This past June I got obsessed with that song for the second time in my life. I like the combination of Carly Simon and Mick Jagger's vocals on it and the lyrics are classic. So on a flight from Salt Lake City to London, I put it on a playlist I've been playing quite a bit.

Dave's growl adds a certain menacing quality to the song. It's more like "You're so vain and I'm gonna make sure you don't live anymore because of it". Hahaha --J

Kings of Leon - O2 Arena

2008-12-12T12:29:00.000-06:00

Sorry, this post probably says more about me than the band…

It’s 5:45pm and I’m on a conference call that’s running over with no signs of ending. I’ve got a train to catch to get to North Greenwich at 6:42pm and I’ve got my husband’s suit to pick up from the cleaners and a parent to call about tomorrow’s slumber party and I’ve got to stop off to dispose of the laptop. I also see someone pacing outside my office door. Something’s not right here. They are seriously killing my pre-concert buzz.

Okay, I missed the 6:42 train and missed any opening act, but did make it to the arena as they were setting up for the main attraction. The arena seemed so big for Kings of Leon, the band I saw at Pop’s just two years ago, but it truly was sold out. I started to get out some paper to write down the set list and then I made the decision to get out of task mode and just enjoy the show.

The stage was not over the top busy like some arena rock shows, but pretty simple. As usual there was not a lot of chatter with the audience. Caleb did say that when they walked into the arena that day they were blown away by the size as well.

They started the set with Closer and then Crawl and for a moment I wondered if they would play Only By the Night from start to finish. After Crawl they varied the setlist to contain tracks from all of the other records. The set was a little under two hours but with little banter, they covered a lot of ground.

Rumors circulated in the UK press a few weeks ago that the whole UK arena tour might be cancelled due to Caleb’s drinking but they laughed off reports of this a few days ago. There were no signs of such an issue on stage. He never sounded better. I have to say that the worldwide success looks to be agreeing with them. They all looked confident and looked as if they were enjoying the moment. It was such a solid set that I have a hard time picking a favorite.

As I skipped out on the last song of the encore to catch the train, there was a guy and his buddy in front of me and they were very drunk and complaining that they didn’t play California Waiting. It is one of my favorites but they played so many of my other favorites that I didn’t seem to miss it. When these two guys were figuring out where their destination was one of them kept saying “We need to get to St. Pancreas Station!” (It’s St. Pancras). Hearing the word ‘pancreas’ and seeing his nauseated face made me think of bodily functions so I moved further down the escalator to avoid his potential vomit. --J

The Loneliest Man in the World

2008-12-11T03:11:00.000-06:00

Have you ever found yourself alone at about 3:00 in the morning sitting in the dark, the party is over, no cigarettes or booze left, and you begin questioning your life? That’s what Kanye West’s new record sounds like to me. While the music on most tracks is cold and electronic, the lyrics are pure emotion, with Kanye singing more than rapping on most songs. I think this lyric from Welcome to Heartbreak explains where Kanye’s head is at:

Chased the good life my whole life long
Look back on my life and my life gone
Where did I go wrong?

It doesn’t come off as “poor me”, maybe because of the production of the songs. What a shock to hear a hip hop record where someone is reeling off brand names but only in order to say that they aren’t making him happy. Hip hop in general is not my thing, but after seeing Kanye open for U2 in St. Louis a few years ago I have always been interested to see what he is doing. His performance was not what I expected and I think this record proves he is willing to continue going in unexpected directions. --J

This is Random

2008-12-06T03:12:00.000-06:00

I threw out my copy of Q Magazine with Noel Gallagher's mug on the cover. I wish I still had it so I could quote him directly but a paraphrase will have to do. In the interview he made a statement, something like the UK has better fashion and music than the U.S. He was asked what music he likes and he recommended a local artist, The Jim Jones Revue. This jumped out at me since that's probably the only English artist I have seen live since my arrival in the UK a year ago. I found a video of the Jim Jones Revue on youtube that I thought I would share. If this doesn't look like an imitation of American Roots Music, I don't know what does. So is Noel trying to say that the English do American music better because this looks like an imitation, and in my opinion, not a superior one.

I'm not saying that the U.S. doesn't have its fair share of manufactured music, but I feel like I'm overloaded with it here, especially covers of good songs. I read recently that the X-Factor winner (for Americans, think American Idol) will cover Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Seriously? They are claiming it will be the number one record this Christmas. Again, seriously? Can Simon Cowell be stopped? He is the man behind this as well. Yuck.

For your amusement check out this boy band from the mid-90s that didn't make it over the pond. It's a bad cover (Cat Stevens) and it has all of the trappings of a bad boy band video. What do we do with the rest of the guys while the main guy sings the song? Let's have some of them look menacingly into the camera. How about we spend some money on crazy special effects and light up their hands?

The Killers Day & Age - J's Review

2008-11-28T03:12:00.000-06:00

Four times through, I need to listen to a record four times through before I trust that my initial reaction is valid. It's not a good sign for me when I'm listening to a record and the music just fades into the background unnoticed, and that's what happens with Day and Age. I went back and looked at how many songs of the two previous Killers records I love. Hot Fuss, I could listen to the first five songs over and over again and do still on a regular basis. Sam's Town, I ended up liking that material more after seeing some of it live than I did on my first reaction but again five songs stick with me there as well (first six minus Bling and then The River is Wild). Honestly on Day and Age, Losing Touch and Spaceman are my only faves and will be on regular rotation. I'm not even that wild about Human.

This new record has made me wonder what is it then in that handful of songs that appeals to me. I think the song Jenny Was a Friend of Mine is a good example. The song has a prominent bass line and a good mixture of guitar and keyboards. But the vocals, I love that Brandon can sound like he is completely insane ("She said she loved me!"). That's what does it for me, and you usually only get that on the faster material. With an album made up mostly of mid-tempo songs, there aren't enough opportunities to hear this.

Even though I'm not happy with the record, I am still very disappointed that I missed out getting a ticket to their O2 Arena performance here in London in February when the tickets sold out in record time. I would go see them again in a heartbeat.

On a side note, The Killers will now always make me think of haggis. We stopped in a pub in Edinburgh to try this legendary Scottish dish back in October and the music overhead was a compilation of Sam's Town and Hot Fuss. My daughter A and I sang along as we waited for our meal.--J

The Killers Day & Age - K's Review

2008-11-28T00:05:00.000-06:00

Due to the fact that this Las Vegas group has never denied their 80s influences (actually, calling the following artists mere influences is like saying Zoso is just influenced by Led Zeppelin) like Bruce Springsteen, Joy Division, or Roxy Music, I tend to listen to them and judge how much I like their interpretations of these influences rather than look at them as artists of original music.

The first band I ever saw in St. Louis back in 2004, when I was fresh off the boat, was The Killers at Mississippi Night. I later saw them at The Pageant with J and M. I feel like, not only do they make me nostalgic about the 80s, but they also make me nostalgic for my few years in St. Louis. In general, my Killers admiration can get complicated and cloudy.

I also feel like my admiration for this band is incredibly manic, too. I will tear up a Killers album like a dog with a new toy. Once I’m done I throw it out and have no interest in listening to it until I’m ready to start the cycle again. When I’m in full-on Killers mode I do stupid things like get speeding tickets because I’m lost in the cd. But who knows when the mood will hit? How can a band be a danger to my mental health? What is it about them?

At the end of the day, I am undeniably in love with The Killers. They symbolize a somic euphoria to me that keeps me one foot in even while I’m facing the other direction.

But, back to Day and Age. I was extremely pleased by more than half the songs I loved while the rest I felt were just fillers. In the same mold as Sam's Town, it seemed like the second half of the album contained the most. That's extremely disappointing since I think this band is capable of so much more.

My highlights include:
Losing Touch - A Bowie-esque/ U2 Pop era tune layered with saxes and ping pong or Atari-sounding keyboards that opens the album.
Human - This is The Killers that I know J loves. I do, too! It’s a synth-laden, pop new wave throwback at the band’s best. This one also happens to be the theme song to the latest Blackberry Storm ads.
Spaceman - 80s pop HIT style. This song is the gateway drug that eventually leads the way to an incredibly poor attempt of me doing Molly Ringwald dance. This song will bring a tear to my eye when I see them live next year in Nashville. God, this one will be the one to make me get a ticket again. I get lost in this one.
I Can’t Stay - In my opinion, this song is a total hats-off to Talking Heads... the Talking Heads material I can stomach. I love the breezy, Caribbean flow of this one.

I am about to echo J here regarding the tempo of some of the songs..to me, this album contains a frenzy of mid-tempo fillers (not including bonus tracks):
A Dustland Fairytale - Sad 80s.
This Is Your Life - African chant 80s, big with artists like Peter Gabriel or the Dream Academy (Life in a Northern Town guys).
The World We Live In- Bad 80s.
Neon Tiger - Tune that needs a dance remix.
Joy Ride - Roxy Music all the way. I think this one could grow on me, but just doesn’t quite cut it.
Goodnight, Travel Well - If you strip away the layers of music you’ll hear planetarium theme music wedged into the background which makes it sort of interesting to me, but otherwise this album doesn’t benefit from it.

In the end I know I have to choose a rating. In my opinion, though there are a few stand-outs, I think this one is for the fans. This is hard to do, but I give it an UNMOVING. -K

Kings of Leon - Q's Band of the Year

2008-11-23T08:46:00.000-06:00

Great cover pic!

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

2008-11-22T03:20:00.000-06:00

This American band is getting a lot of press in the UK. Their song “Time to Pretend” was a free download on iTunes in America awhile back and while the lyrics are very cliché, it sticks with you. I gave the rest of the disc a spin about five times and the sounds are all over the place. There are times I think they are trying to sound like Bowie and there are times the vocals sound like Jagger on “Emotional Rescue”. In the end, it just doesn’t do much for me. --J

Is it Really Going to Happen?

2008-11-21T02:52:00.000-06:00

Well folks, it looks like Chinese Democracy is really getting released. If you haven’t read Chuck Klosterman’s April Fool’s Review, check it out. My favorite quote is:

If you purchased a kitten on the day that Use Your Illusion I & II arrived in stores, it's probably dead by now.

--J

The Killers at Royal Albert Hall

2008-11-04T03:44:00.000-06:00

As K reported, I was at the Royal Albert Hall last night for The Killers’ one-off London gig before their world tour starts. The show had been sold out for some time. If you go to a number of concerts, inevitably you have probably gone to a venue which used to be some grand theatre or movie house in its day, but now is kind of run down and the owners think, a perfect place for a rock show! The Riviera in Chicago is an example. Well, imagine walking into one of those places if it wasn’t run down and multiply that by six. That’s the Royal Albert Hall. It is incredibly beautiful. I walked in and instead of feeling like I was going to a rock show, I thought I was going to the opera. Because the show was going to be broadcast live on BBC Radio One, they did not have an opening band. Instead BBC Radio One’s DJ Zane Lowe took to the turntables playing a mix that began with a choir’s rendition of The Beatles’ All You Need is Love and featured ACDC’s Back in Black, The Strokes’ Last Night, Oasis’ Wonderwall, and Blur’s Song 2. He finished his set with Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas. When he started his set, he said to the crowd, “Can you hear me?” and the guy behind me yelled back, “Yeah you fuckin twat!” Suddenly I didn’t feel like I was at the opera anymore…

When I was finding my way into the venue I passed two women with thick Eastern European (?) accents in matching leopard coats and jet black hair singing “Human” loudly. Two things popped into my head. 1. The new stuff is catching on. 2. They reminded me of the creepy twins in the hair metal band Cinderella’s videos.

The set was a tight 90 minutes filled with all of the big hits from Hot Fuss and Sam’s Town, some new material, and their cover of Joy Division’s Shadowplay. K and I texted back and forth throughout the set commenting on our favorite moments and what we thought of the new stuff. I loved “Spaceman” and “Losing Touch”. I may need to listen to others a bit more. Their new song “Joyride”, due to the bongos, made me think of Copacabana. I don’t want to think of Barry Manilow during a Killers show!

The band was tight and Brandon’s voice and showmanship were unbelievable. While his voice is perfect for their material, he also has this timeless air about him, like it wouldn’t be out of place for him to break into a Cole Porter standard. My favorite moments are too many to list, so I’ll just post the setlist that K so kindly compiled. --J

Human
For Reasons Unknown
Smile Like You Mean It
Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
Somebody Told Me
Sweet Talk
Losing Touch
Spaceman
Sam's Town
Read My Mind
Joyride
Bones
Shadowplay
Mr Brightside

Neon Tiger
All These Things That I've Done
When You Were Young

The Killers at Royal Albert Hall RIGHT NOW

2008-11-03T15:06:00.000-06:00

At this very moment, J is in the audience at the Royal Albert Hall in London watching The Killers. Thousands of miles away I am sitting at my desk in Huntsville, AL beaming in BBC Radio 1 to listen in live. J, thanks for the tip and I'm SO THERE with you babe! "...BUT MY HEART, IT DON'T BEEAAAT, IT DON'T BEEAAAT THE WAY IT USED TOOOOOO..." :-) Have fun sweety! -K

The Killers Get Existential

2008-10-26T19:09:00.000-05:00

Seriously, are we human or are we dancer?

I'll be honest, I'd sometimes like to be more dancer than human because every now and then I just wish someone would tell me what to do, tell me how to feel, and tell me what to wear. If you don't want to think about the lyrics too much, just sit back and enjoy the 80s Pet Shop Boys sound. Otherwise, the lyrics might seem appropriate for the times...

I can't wait for Day & Age to come out because the recently released single "Human", which begs the metaphorical question above, is giving my iPod a good workout again. Hopefully, when this album is released it won't mean another speeding ticket.

Woohoo! The Killers ARE BACK! -K

The Last Shadow Puppets

2008-10-24T03:06:00.000-05:00

Alex Turner seems to have it all here in the UK. He's lead singer of the successful Arctic Monkeys, he is dating media "it" girl and former model Alexa Chung, and now a successful side project, The Last Shadow Puppets. I'm always interested in hearing what a musician chooses to do on a side project. Is it more of the same or different?

Vocally and lyrically what I like about The Arctic Monkeys is also here. The arrangements are much different. I can't believe I'm using this word, but I'm gonna....orchestral. The record has a real vintage feel to it, which I love.

I don't know if it will translate to the U.S. market. I'm attaching a link to my favorite song off the record. Enjoy! --J

YouMeAtSix at HMV

2008-10-18T03:19:00.000-05:00

The Brits call The Killers the most English American Band. I would say that YouMeAtSix is the most American British band. Standing at their in-store at HMV a few weeks ago, if I closed my eyes, I could have imagined I was at a stop on the Warped tour. The band played a high energy set from their first record, Take Off Your Colours, released that day. They also stayed and signed merch for all of the fans. The band has become a favorite of Kerrang! with a recent cover story and regular rotation on their network. Check out my favorite from the record. --J

Updated: Dee Snider in the Heart of the Valley?

2008-10-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

This is what Dee was in Huntsville for. -K

Dee Snider in the Heart of the Valley?

2008-10-11T14:53:00.000-05:00

Yes. I walked onto my Delta flight last night in Atlanta heading home to Huntsville after a few days at LSU and locked eyes for a few seconds with Dee Snider sitting in first class. Being so tall, he looked folded up and slightly uncomfortable even in first class. And you know what, without all the make-up and public attitude he's got really kind eyes. I did not expect that.

With blackberry in hand, I emailed and texted 10 people. I felt very Gossip Girl...Spotted: a twisted sister lost in his iPod in Delta first class. Flying south for the winter, Dee? -K

Big Spring Jam XVI

2008-09-29T21:54:00.000-05:00

Lee Greenwood's audience of thousands.

One of my favorite memories, and something that many of my friends in Huntsville share, is seeing Foo Fighters at the Big Spring Jam ten years ago. FF weren’t the megaband they are today, but for all of us who experienced Nirvana, seeing a solo Dave Grohl was an exciting curiosity. Would they play there now?

Some folks I talked to had some questions about this year’s line-up at the 16th Big Spring Jam in downtown Huntsville, AL. Huntsvillians complain about the line-up EVERY year. That hasn’t changed.

Three Dog Night

BSJ has always had a perhaps unfair reputation here in town of boasting a line-up of artists who were on their way up or on their way out. I may not be the demographic for Gretchen Wilson, but she’s still very successful. Buckcherry and Hinder are smaller known bands, but they’ve arrived onto their rock scenes according to their demographic. Other artists include Lee Greenwood, Kenny Rogers, Kansas, Styx, Three Dog Night and The Guess Who. These artists may be past their halcyon days, but they’re still considered giants in the industry. BSJ even booked its first hip-hop artist, T-Pain.

Fred LeBlanc from New Orleans' band Cowboy Mouth.

What did change this year is the number of stages: down to 3 instead of 5. Having been to a handful of BSJs in the past, I personally liked having fewer stages and more spacial area to gather for a show.

Make no mistake, Big Spring Jam, which falls on the fourth weekend in September every year, is a family event. There may be much live music, but there are tons of kids everywhere. Beer is roughly $4.50 a bottle, so who’s gonna be able to get hammered in this environment and economy?

Josh during Shinedown's performance at WZYP stage.

There are plenty of pockets reserved to keep the kids occupied and if you’re more interested to find out how Bama or Auburn are doing there are stations set up with widescreen televisions broadcasting the games. Have a brat, have some Greek food, or have a panini. Sip some pricy Bud Light or freshly squeezed lemonade. Relax, enjoy the fact that the humidity has finally let up, and stride lazily to your stage of choice.

This weekend I caught Cowboy Mouth, waved an American flag during Lee Greenwood’s set, sang along to Shinedown’s set, of which I had no idea how much I would know, and got more than I expected from Buckcherry. Let's talk a little about Buckcherry...

LA's Buckcherry Friday night at WZYP stage.

LA’s Buckcherry is not new to the scene, but they got a boost of mainstream success after their critically acclaimed album, 15, produced hits like “Sorry” and “Crazy Bitch”. Their sound is the love child of Sunset Strip bands of the 80s like Guns N’ Roses, Faster Pussycat, and Motley Crue. With no surprise I was in the audience, awaiting the sound I grew up with and loved so desperately. The band took the stage after ten and performed an energetic and shocking set that included the most sexually explicit soliloquies from lead singer, Josh Todd. It was so explicit I saw disgusted glances between some audience members, parents leaving with their children (didn’t they know?), and shocking still were the parents remaining. And I, standing with one hand permanently glued to my mouth with eyebrows raised, waited for the cops to haul Josh away in handcuffs at any moment. I won’t lie, it was that spectacle that made thousands in the audience break into an evangelical frenzy. It was quite a performance, and when I looked past the excessive graphic descriptions, Buckcherry earned every penny with their talent and experience and good music. I walked away a new fan. Ironic, I know.

The next band that surprised me was Hinder on Sunday night. I have always been critical of their over-produced jock rock sound, though there was something about “Homecoming Queen” that I had to have it on my iPod. The band hails from Oklahoma and are no strangers to Huntsville, having performed at Sammy T’s in the recent past (there was also the dozens of
times that lead singer Austin Winkler referenced Huntsville during the set).

Crowd surfing at Hinder's show.

They definitely have a demographic here and you could tell by the size of the audience that had swelled to three times its size by the time the band took the stage. The band performed hits such as their debut single “Get Stoned”, mega-hit “Lips of an Angel”, “Better Than Me” and my favorite “Homecoming Queen”. The boys sipped jager throughout the set and worked hard for the audience’s approval. I was impressed. I suppose the next thing to look for are the four horsemen?

Happiness at Styx show.

So, with that Huntsville’s Big Spring Jam XVI came to a close Sunday night and I ate my words about two bands that I swore I would never get into. Well, perhaps I’m not a superfan of either, but I’m about to transfer a few new songs onto my little iPod. UNEXPECTED. -K

Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

2008-09-27T01:01:00.000-05:00

We’ve said this before here at judakris.com, It’s harder to write about something you like than something you don’t. I think my buddy S though sums up how I feel about the new KoL record if I might plagiarize…

Sweet, 6lb, 8oz Baby Jesus!!!

Funny, as I listen through their back catalog, I am surprised, of all their records before this one, that Youth and Young Manhood, their first didn’t make more of an impact on the U.S. I hear lots of singles on that one. But that was before this record. This is the one. If you don’t like this record, then just hang it up, you won’t like this band. The vocals are accessible, the bass lines are groovy, it’s KoL ready for U.S. primetime. –J

Get Outta My Way iTunes!

2008-09-25T03:57:00.000-05:00

Have any of you scratched your head at the concept of pre-ordering a record on iTunes? What really is the point since iTunes is all about instant gratification. Well, lately they have started adding bonus tracks not available unless you pre-order to make this idea more appealing. I recently pre-ordered a record since I knew the day it came out I would be purchasing it anyway in order to take a look at the bonus material.

Picture this, it is Tuesday morning in the UK and I settle down to a cup of coffee and the plugging in of my iPod to download the new record for my commute to work.

Commute to work starts and after daughter is safely off to school, I put in my ear buds and prepare for my first listen of some of the new material….but they aren’t there. I frantically do a check on the iPod and only three of the tracks have downloaded. Hmmm, maybe I unplugged before the downloading had finished?

Get to work and plug everything in and click on the check for purchases, get the message that there are no new purchases and the iPod is synched up.

Begin my commute home, thinking alright, all the tracks must now be there! NOPE!

So I try it all again when I get home, comparing the tracklist to what is in my iTunes and I still don’t see all the songs. I go to the purchase history and it looks like I have purchased ALL the tracks so next to the album title there is a “report a problem”. I use this to explain that not all the tracks downloaded. I also go to the “report a problem” next to a couple of individual tracks and report that they haven’t been downloaded thinking this is overkill since I am hoping my reporting of the problem with the album as a whole will fix the situation.

Picture this, I wake up Wednesday morning and with my cup of coffee I check my email and see that iTunes has fixed the problem but only with the two individual tracks that I have reported, which means I had to report the other two today in order to get the complete album. So what this means is that I could have walked to a London record store from my village and back and bought a copy before I had the entire album from iTunes. What the fuck?

If I am going to buy a full album, I want to hear it for the first couple of times from start to finish. Is that too much to ask for?

Accidents can happen and since I work in a technology company, I can forgive a portion of this. What I have trouble with is the stingy customer support. After typing into what ended up being six or seven “report a problem” forms, you’d think they’d just set up my account to download the whole album again. It’s not like I would be getting something for free by them doing this. Somehow the bonuses just don’t seem like bonuses now… --J

I Feel Bad For Laughing But...

2008-09-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

You know, it's a crappy thing for me to bring this up since I know these boys have become America's "precious". Regardless, I can't get over this video in which one of the wholesome trio eats it onstage at the 2007 AMAs. I once sent this video to J to make her smile. I think it worked. Watch and enjoy. -K

Gerard and Mikey? Did I Hear That Right?

2008-09-22T17:17:00.000-05:00

Last night Mad Men aired a repeat of the Three Sundays episode from Season 2, during which the new parish priest joins one of the characters' family for a meal. Just as the family is about to sit down at the table one of them yells "Gerard, Mikey! Wash your hands!". This is the second time I've seen this episode. How did I miss this? -K

Travis Barker and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein Sustain Critical Burns in Weekend Plane Crash

2008-09-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I feel like all I'm doing these days is delivering bad news.This weekend I got a phone call from a friend saying that the former Blink 182 drummer was killed in a plane crash. My mouth fell open from shock, but here’s what actually happened...

Travis Barker and Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein were taking off from Columbia Metropolitan Airport in a small jet when a tire blew. The crew was unable to reject the takeoff and the plane ran off the end of the runway, over a highway, and crashed into a berm. An eye witness on the news over the weekend said they saw two men stumble away from the wreckage and that they were badly burned. These two men were Travis and Adam. They are currently being treated for second- and third-degree burns, but are expected to fully recover. Unfortunately, the 2 crewmen and 2 passengers did not survive the crash.

Travis and Adam had just played a free outdoor concert in the Five Points District on Friday night and were headed back to Van Nuys, CA. -K

The Celebrity Playlist

2008-09-21T05:43:00.000-05:00

Have you ever looked the celebrity playlists on iTunes? Every once in awhile I do, but it doesn’t influence my purchases. Sometimes it seriously looks like a celebrity must be in promotion mode for a new record/television show/movie and their publicist must have presented them with the opportunity to do a celebrity playlist. I could see the directions being something like:

At least one song must be a current hit
At least one song must be an oldie to show that you listen to more than top 40
At least one song must be obscure
At least one song must be critically acclaimed

Some of them seem unbelievable and unnecessary like Dina Lohan (?). My favorite recently was Chris Rock’s playlist. I think it got my attention because Wet Sand is my favorite song off of Stadium Arcadium, but it also seems like a believable mix by someone who loves music. Here's his playlist. Log on to iTunes to see his commments about each. --J

187um (Deep Cover Remix)[feat. Snoop Dogg] - Dr. Dre
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
Wet Sand - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Stop F****n' WIt Me - Lil John
Never Enough - The Cure
Ball and Biscuit - The White Stripes
She Lives in My Lap - OutKast and Rosario Dawson
Hello It's Me - Todd Rundgren
Stroke of Death - Ghostface Killah
The Moment is All There Is - Lenny Kravitz

Pink Floyd Keyboardist Dies

2008-09-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

I just received a text message from a fellow Floyd fan with the sad news that Richard Wright died from cancer today. He created some of the most haunting and inspiring atmospheres to classic albums like Dark Side of the Moon, Meddle, The Division Bell and Wish You Were Here. -K

Lovebug to Sex On Fire

2008-09-15T11:59:00.000-05:00

I am trying NOT to make my half of this blog all about Kings of Leon but they do have a new record coming out next week and since work is kicking my ass and I want a sure thing, the only concert I have on the books is seeing them at the O2 Arena in December, even though I just saw them last month. Also, because of the publicity surrounding the new record, the press is pouring in and the attached article is killing me! Maybe the Followills just need to start a mentoring program…

On a related note, KoL is sharing with their fans 23 home movies for the 23 days leading up to the release of Only By The Night. There are some hilarious moments, including their cousin and tour manager explaining how he got his nickname (some very un-Jonas behavior is discussed). My favorite though is when their mother is in the studio singing a gospel song with Caleb harmonizing, Nathan smoking, and Jared mugging for the camera as only a baby of the family can.

KoL fans, protect me… I tried to make a feminist statement about Fall Out Boy a few years back that was misinterpreted by their fans as a slam (so not what I meant). The Jonas Brothers fans may hunt me down and kill me. --J

The Jonas Brothers

2008-09-13T03:34:00.000-05:00

The Jonas Brothers played a single gig in the UK this week. Do they cause the same stir here? Read the review...

Madonna at Wembley

2008-09-13T03:22:00.000-05:00

So Madonna performed at Wembley on September 11th and The London Paper had a sensational review of it. My favorite quote was this:

"After seeing Kylie Minogue recently, all I can say is that maybe it is time Madonna gave it up. Kylie charges half the price for a ticket, actually signs live, looks better and cares about the audience."

It was hilarious to read that since last month I had written the following, but just hadn’t posted it.

I laugh whenever I think of an IM chat that K and I had months ago. I have never followed Kylie Minogue’s career and I was surprised to learn after I moved to the UK that her sister Dannii has also had a pop career. One day I IM’d her and said that I knew what I would say may be controversial to some people but I didn’t understand why the world needed two Minogues. Her response was, “Lay off the Minogues Woman!” hahahahaha

Today I was flipping channels and ran across Kylie’s recent concert at the O2 Arena in London and I stopped and watched for a few songs. Is Kylie the poor man’s Madonna? I ask this because there was a lot of choreography, costume changes, and even a Geisha theme as Madonna has done in the past.

Madonna, one of your target audiences may be questioning you. --J

OH MY GOD!!!!!

2008-09-13T03:09:00.000-05:00

Oasis is releasing a new record. Underwhelmed? Feeling like the title of this post is unnecessary? Yeah, I feel that way. Should there be this much fanfare for a new Oasis record? Here in the UK Q is pulling out all the stops in their magazine and on their music channel.

I might feel differently if K and I hadn’t seen them live in 2005 in Chicago. Every time they would play a song from their catalog beyond Be Here Now, the momentum of the show just slowed. In the late 90's they seemed like a refreshing change from what was going on in American music but now, not so much.--J

2008 VMAs - Heaven Help Us

2008-09-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

Debby Downer alert!

I just watched the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and just want to put a couple things out there. Britney “dead eyes” Spears owned the night and gave the same acceptance speech for each award. Really there’s nothing more to say about that.

Secondly, the whole “nothing is as it seems” didn’t translate at all from my perspective. The performances seemed small and minor. The VMAs didn’t have that pomp and circumstance that it used to. The producers tried to give the illusion that it was big or something, but it failed. Simply put, I found it boring as hell.

Thirdly, why- OH WHY are we celebrating The Jonas Virgins, I mean Brothers? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US?

Finally, poor Brit Russell Brand didn’t translate in America. His rather funny and harmless comment about the Jonas’ Brothers vow of chastity, symbolized by rings, unleashed the fury of fellow virgin Jordin Sparks who stood defiantly onstage with the shoulders of a linebacker and defended the promise of abstinence. Standing next to John Legend, who looked like Mike Meyers did when Kanye West declared that George Bush doesn’t care about black people on live television, she stated “I just have one thing to say about promise rings. It's not bad to wear a promise ring, because not everybody, guy or a girl, wants to be a slut.” Am I wrong to say that I find it hard to believe one of them is a virgin after dating Miley Cyrus? I’m just saying. We ALL saw the multiple pics of her being a regular teenager...in the shower. Anyway, as J put it, Sparks is in her fourteenth minute of fame so who gives a shit what she says. But, I think Russell put it well when he countered with “a little sex never hurt anybody.” Ha! Russell, you may want to stay on your shores. We’re all drowning in our own hypocrisy and recession in this great country.

The pomp and circumstance of past VMAs were noticeably absent, we imported a host, we celebrated mediocre virgins and then saw Britney own the night--it's clear these are signs that we are in dire straits in this country. Finland, take me away.

Check out this hilarious bit from Popcrunch.com. It's like this chick is reading my mind 0:-)

-K

Pop Britannica

2008-09-06T14:34:00.000-05:00

Last week I watched a great documentary about pop music in England. I think it was a multi-parter but I saw just one part. In the timeline of the show, right after discussing the manufactured pop bands of the 90’s and then the rise of shows like Pop Idol and X Factor, there was a segment on Damon Albarn’s next project, Gorillaz which he created with a graphic artist. It was described as the ultimate manufactured band since it was made of two dimensional characters.

Damon Albarn said this of Gorillaz: It was “An English version of hip hop very successful in America… it is British but because it’s a cartoon it is very hard to identify that. Especially for the Americans and that’s why it did well because Americans don’t, to be honest with you allow anything other than American hip hop”

Well, my first thought was if they keep sending things like Lady Sovereign to our shores, yes, we will only accept American hip hop! But then I also started thinking about Gorillaz and how, if I am remembering correctly, Gorillaz was totally marketed to the U.S. alternative market, not the hip hop market, so I guess it still wasn’t accepted as he intended it to be. Whenever I play Feel Good Inc. I’m taken back to the summer of 2005. It was on heavy rotation on my iPod and part of mine and K’s late night drives back from concerts. --J

Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple

2008-08-31T11:17:00.000-05:00

Even though I absolutely loved the first Gnarls Barkley record and thought their live show was something everyone should experience, I was slow to want to hear their second record. After prompting from my buddy Jim, I picked up a copy. No, it doesn’t have a phenomenon like Crazy on it but it is a really solid record, that proves once again, Gnarls Barkley do whatever the hell they want. My favorite song is probably Going On. It has been the soundtrack to my bus journey for a few weeks now. --J

My Bloody Valentine

2008-08-25T12:28:00.000-05:00

My Bloody Valentine is reuniting. I picked up Loveless for the first time about six months ago since so many bands name them as an influence. I believe I like the bands they influenced more than My Bloody Valentine, I just don’t get it. Any readers out there who are MBV fans, I would love to hear what you think. I’ve heard the critical praise, now I’d like to hear why it speaks to you. --J

Reading - Rock Day

2008-08-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

Metallica headlined the last day of Reading. I have a certain amount of respect for them although I don’t own any of their music and was flabbergasted that they were the band to do two hours of therapy on camera (see Some Kind of Monster). They put on an impressive live show and what blew me away is the kids in Metallica t-shirts at Reading looked just like the guys in my high school all those years ago who sported Metallica t-shirts. There is something timeless in their music that speaks to them for sure. --J

Reading and Leads - Day Two

2008-08-24T12:29:00.000-05:00

The festival just got better on Saturday. Coverage included:

The Raconteurs
The Editors
Mystery Jets
Santogold
Cage the Elephant
Bloc Party
The Killers
The Black Kids
The Kills
The Ting Tings
Bullet for My Valentine
Manic Street Preachers
The Subways

The Killers were over the top great. How cool to see Cage the Elephant from Bowling Green, Kentucky on the big screen. Their song Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked sounds like a funkier version of The Band. --J

Reading and Leads - Day One

2008-08-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

Watching the coverage of Reading and Leeds this year is bittersweet since I had the opportunity to cover Reading and had to turn it down. But I have to say, with a nasty summer cold, I’m glad to be enjoying the coverage wrapped in a blanket on the sofa instead of queuing at a port-a-potty with thousands of people.

Day One Coverage Included:

The Enemy
Jack Penate
The Fratellis
Biffy Clyro
Dizzee Rascal
Ida Maria
MGMT
Friendly Fires
Vampire Weekend
Queens of the Stone Age
Tom Morello and Serj Tankian (acoustic)
One Night Only
The Wombats
Babyshambles
Glasvegas

I hope this link to the Friendly Fires’ BBC3 performance can be seen in the States. The dance moves and the shoes with no socks make the performance.

What band was not televised? Rage Against the Machine. They have been making the festival rounds but nowhere have they allowed camera crews to officially cover them from what I have heard. This is unfortunate. I’m still not sure what to make of MGMT. The presentation is a bit on the hippie side but the music doesn’t match that look. Maybe I need to hear the whole record to understand it. The Enemy sounded great and so did Queens of the Stone Age. When being interviewed by Zane after the set, Josh Homme told him he was feeling sexy and then took the joke further offering to have sex with Zane. An awkward giggle from Zane wrapped up the interview. --J

Madonna Turns 50

2008-08-24T02:23:00.000-05:00

I used to love her back in the day. Now, although occasionally I still like one of her tunes, her public image annoys me. They ran this clip on one of the UK music video show countdowns as an example of a "stunning debut". It made me laugh out loud, not because of Madonna but because this had to be the beginning of the end for Solid Gold. The dancer's disco costumes just look so out of date compared to Madonna's. You think it can't get any cheesier until host Marilyn McCoo comes on.

Here's where mainstream exposure began for Madonna in America. Enjoy! --J

Seasonal Music

2008-08-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

Now that there is an ocean between K and I, we just don’t have those five hour road trips to discuss music like we used to. Now it’s usually a quick chat here or there over IM. I mentioned to her that one of the highlights from V Festival coverage was Travis. I am not that familiar with their stuff but now I’ll check it out. K mentioned that Travis is a fall/winter band for her. That got me thinking, (cue the Sex and the City clip as Carrie types on her laptop), “are some bands seasonal?”

Well, I would say that missing a real summer this year is making me gravitate towards breezy pop music. Check out Alphabeat’s latest single. This is sooo summer and so 80s to me. --J

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time...

2008-08-20T14:37:00.000-05:00

How often do you see a slam dancer in a pink tutu? You would have seen it at V this weekend, hahahaha. --J

Hit the FF Button

2008-08-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

I whizzed through about ten hours of V Festival coverage last night that included sets by

Air Traffic
The Stereophonics
The Futureheads
The Pigeon Detectives
The Kooks
The Hoosiers
The Prodigy
Ian Brown
Muse
Estelle
The Script
The Pogues
Maximo Park
Duffy
Sugababes

Wow, there’s a lot of really boring guitar rock on the main stage. The Prodigy and Muse were by far the best acts. It made me once again appreciate the Muse show at The Pageant in St. Louis that Judakris attended awhile back. When they launched into Hysteria, the massive crowd went wild. --J

Un-Summer Playlist

2008-08-17T09:47:00.000-05:00

The only truly hot summer days I’ve experienced were outside of my new home country. Therefore, I consider this the un-summer of 2008. Here are the songs that have amused me, captivated me, and annoyed me in the last few months. M, this one’s for you since in Houston, it’s summer all year round! --J

Many Shades of Black – The Raconteurs
Let’s Dance to Joy Division – The Wombats
Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon
Strange Times – The Black Keys
Going On – Gnarls Barkley
Closer – Ne-Yo
Like This - GirlTalk

(In the annoyed me category…)
I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You – The Black Kids
I Kissed a Girl – Katy Perry
No Air – Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown

Red-State, Jock Rock Hell

2008-08-16T20:05:00.000-05:00

For the first time in my life I left a show before seeing the headliner. It happened here in Huntsville when I got hold of a free ticket to see Alter Bridge. If you don’t know them, they are Creed without Scott Stapp. I assure you I would not have paid to see these guys.

The doors to the venue were to open at 7:00 PM, but standing in line to enter Sammy T’s it was about 7:30 before we actually started moving. I think I made it inside the venue around 8. That seemed ridiculous.

There were a few funny moments, but the best happened while I was in line. There was a “healthy” couple behind me who were pretty clearly wasted- or at least on their way. One of them noticed musicians driving by. The man said “next time they drive by show ‘em your tits”. She said “Hell no, I’m too old. You show ‘em yours.”

By the time Baton Rouge natives and opener Meriwhether took to the stage and delivered a mediocre set I had heard Hinder’s Lips of an Angel three times overhead. When they left the stage that song plus a short playlist of other hardly discernible songs played over and over. It was 10:00 P.M. and the headliners had not come on. It was a Tuesday night and I had an 8:30 AM meeting the following morning. I put my beer down and with a sigh of relief exited the venue.

The audience was in good spirits, but mostly wasted by the time I left Sammy T’s. I’m not impressed with this venue. It’s much too loud and gets too hot too quickly with only a few good vantage points if you’re below average height (coughs). You’d be surprised how often my height has not been an issue! For being so convenient, I wish the venue would have better air ventilation and offer a wider variety of bands.

Because I work across the street, I walk past the venue whenever I walk up to the local cafe and grab my morning latte. Whenever bands are playing that evening you’ll see the buses and equipment trucks parked in the street and the flurry of activity is kind of fun to walk past. That morning I noticed a few people who were camped out determined to be first in line. It was a brutally hot day and I don’t know how they did it. Good on them. I do hope that they weren’t disappointed at the end of the night after their efforts, but something tells me their expectations were FAR different from mine. -K

Glasvegas Open for Kings of Leon

2008-08-16T01:33:00.000-05:00

How would one describe their music? Maybe morose 50’s doo-wop (without any harmonies). They sounded good, and looked good on stage. I love the chick drummer who plays standing up. But to me, going to a concert should be an adrenaline-inducing experience so I would probably not intentionally buy a ticket to see a band with somber music. They were good at what they do but it wasn’t my cup of tea. I might check out the record, but I don’t need the live performance. --J

The Best Seat in the House and The Worst Seat in the House

2008-08-15T06:25:00.000-05:00

I had the great fortune of covering the sold out Kings of Leon gig at Brixton’s Carling Academy last night for a web publication. On paper it sounds like the perfect night. I get to be in the photographer’s pit, the front of the front row, for one of my favorite bands for the first three songs of their set. But being a fan can have its problems in such a situation. You could tell that for the other photographers, this was just a job. While they were snapping away, trying to get the best shot to sell to the highest bidder, I would have moments of distraction wanting to sing along with the music and wanting to step away from behind the camera to take the moment in.

K and I have talked many times about the thrill of that moment when the lights get turned off and the crowd goes wild as you see the shadowy figures of a favorite band take the stage. It is such a rush. Standing up against the stage and hearing the roar of the crowd behind me, it did let me feel for a fraction of a moment what the guys on stage might be experiencing. It is amazing. But alas, I had a job to do and I think I scored some good pictures.

After being in the pit, I had to find a place to stand to enjoy the rest of the show. I found myself at the far back corner of the bottom floor of the theatre, where I could see nothing and the sound was not very good. Caleb was more talkative than usual, but I couldn’t make out what was being said.

The Followills really seemed to be enjoying themselves and they sounded great. They opened with Crawl, which has kind of a slow and sexy beginning that totally set the tone for the rest of the set. The setlist combined all of best of their records, and the new single, Sex on Fire, had everyone screaming along. I have a ticket for their sold out arena show at the O2 in London in December and I can’t wait to see how the set changes in that huge arena with the new record then released. I will be all fan that night, not worrying about anything but enjoying the music.

Sex on Fire is available on iTunes. Go get it now! --J

Jackson Browne Sues John McCain, Entire Rep Nat'l Committee

2008-08-14T14:37:00.000-05:00

Liberal political activist Jackson Browne has filed a lawsuit against Senator John McCain and the whole Republican National Committee alleging that McCain's group used Browne's hit "Running On Empty" in a political ad without his permission.
The suit alleges that a license was never obtained and that it infringes upon the artist's right to publicity in the state of California. He's seeking permanent injunction of any Jackson Browne song AND damages (of course). I wonder how we're quantifying damages in dollar signs in this case.

Remember when Born In The USA was used by Reagan's camp? I ran across this on wikipedia and thought it was interesting and kind of funny...

Born in the U.S.A. album was selling very well, its songs were all over the radio, and the associated tour was drawing considerable press. Springsteen shows at the Capital Centre outside of Washington, D.C. thus attracted even more media attention, in particular from CBS Evening News correspondent Bernard Goldberg, who saw Springsteen as a modern-day Horatio Alger story. Yet more notably, the widely-read conservative columnist George Will, after attending a show, published on September 13, 1984 a piece entitled "A Yankee Doodle Springsteen" in which he praised Springsteen as an exemplar of classic American values. He wrote: "I have not got a clue about Springsteen's politics, if any, but flags get waved at his concerts while he sings songs about hard times. He is no whiner, and the recitation of closed factories and other problems always seems punctuated by a grand, cheerful affirmation: 'Born in the U.S.A.!'"[3] The 1984 presidential campaign was in full stride at the time, and Will had connections to President Ronald Reagan's re-election organization. Will thought that Springsteen might endorse Reagan, and got the notion pushed up to high-level Reagan advisor Michael Deaver's office. Those staffers made inquiries to Springsteen's management which were politely rebuffed.

Nevertheless, on September 19, 1984, at a campaign stop in Hammonton, New Jersey, Reagan added the following to his usual stump speech:

"America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts; it rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about."

The campaign press immediately expressed skepticism that Reagan knew anything about Springsteen, and asked what his favorite Springsteen song was; "Born to Run" was the tardy response from staffers. Johnny Carson then joked on The Tonight Show, "If you believe that, I've got a couple of tickets to the Mondale-Ferraro inaugural ball I'd like to sell you."

During a September 22 concert in Pittsburgh, Springsteen responded negatively by introducing his song "Johnny 99", a song about an unemployed auto worker who turns to murder, "The President was mentioning my name the other day, and I kinda got to wondering what his favorite album musta been. I don't think it was the Nebraska album. I don't think he's been listening to this one."

A few days after that, presidential challenger Walter Mondale said, "Bruce Springsteen may have been born to run but he wasn't born yesterday," and then claimed to have been endorsed by Springsteen. Springsteen manager Jon Landau denied any such endorsement, and the Mondale campaign issued a correction.

-K

Musical Prozac

2008-07-30T17:06:00.000-05:00

For the past few years I’ve seen bits and pieces of press on Girl Talk but shrugged it off until I heard Greg Gillis on Sound Opinions a few months ago. I’ve been dragging ass since I got back from the States this weekend. I downloaded Girl Talk’s new record, Feed The Animals, which can be downloaded for whatever price you want to pay. While I went to catch my bus to work this morning, I felt much better after hearing this on the iPod. Don’t like what you hear at the moment, don’t worry, it will change in seconds. It’s a great way to hear little snippets of favorite guilty pleasures in ways you never imagined. Check it out. You can download for free if you are skeptical. --J

You Might Be...

2008-07-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

OK, it's been about 3 years and I'm still checking in with a live journal site dedicated to Ville Valo on a daily basis. It's weird. I've never been so committed to anything in my life. Despite the fact that M and I got in trouble with the site for this post, the ladies at the site and I have corresponded about our travels for this band a few times in the last few years and it's not something I see stopping anytime soon.

Usually, I don't enjoy reading lists like "you know you might be obsessed when…", but when I came across this one on the aforementioned site, by the end I was almost crying from laughter. I pointed some of these out to my friend M, with whom I've shared few wine-soaked HIM nights and he added a couple of subpoints to number 25. The ones we have been laughing at are numbers 25, 52&53, 61,124.

Number 44 is especially poignant to me and M and J know this firsthand. As a fan, it was shocking to see pictures, interviews, and performances become increasingly worse. Thank god he got help is alls I'm sayin. ANYWAY there are so many other things in this list that are wickedly true. Sigh. So, ladies and gentlemen, THE list that made me realize exactly how painfully devoted I am.

You Know You Might Be Obsessed with HIM and Ville Valo When:

1. Tattooing the portraits of dead poets on your body makes perfect sense.
2. You know EXACTLY what DILLIGAF means.
3. In fact, you might even have DILLIGAF somewhere on your skin.
4. November 22nd is an International holiday and should be celebrated by all.
5. If you see anything with a heartagram on it, you either buy it, or resist the urge because your house is already covered in them.
6. Your favorite colors are red, black, and purple. And sometimes hot pink.
7. You know who Daniel Lioneye actually is.
8. Someone says Our Lord and you instantly say, “Oh, you’re a fan of HIM, too?!”
9. You considered purchasing a chicken foot.
10. $50 seems completely reasonable for a Limited Edition CD.
11. Your internet screen name has one or more of the following in it- heartagram, 666, 616, Valo, razorblade, sin, poison, redemption, or any other HIM lyric reference.
12. Getting Ville Valo’s water bottle at a concert is the equivalent of the Holy Grail.
13. And you swear up and down that it has magical healing powers, too.
14. You buy a soundtrack to a movie that you have never seen just because it has a HIM song on it.
15. You say, on a regular basis, kiitos and hei…and you’re NOT Finnish.
16. When sitting next to a campfire, you say “I’m so close to the flame.”
17. You’ve seen Mige‘s naughty bits. And not on purpose.
18. You would practically sell your soul for the GOOD pics of the Bam and Ville Huck photo shoot.
19. And then you would lock yourself in your room for 24 hours or so with said pictures.
20. At some point during the day, you find yourself quoting HIM songs, completely subconsciously.
21. You remember a time when Linde DIDN’T have dreads.
22. You became enraged that a teacher lost her job because of playing a HIM song in her classroom.
23. You have taken duct tape and a black Sharpie and covered a street sign with Dead Lover’s Lane.
24. It’s a religious matter!!!
25. You can’t recall ever seeing Ville kiss a girlfriend in public…but you have all of the pics of him kissing boys in public.
And hence: 25.1 You've discussed with a friend the plausibility it would be for Ville Valo and Gerard Way to hook up
25.2 And quasi-seriously over wine discussed entry points for fan-fic even though fan-fic is denounced while sober
26. Photobucket is your own personal HIM gallery.
27. You call your friends nidiots.
28. You don’t just have a Ville Valo poster…you have a Ville Valo WALL.
29. You know who Sylvester is.
30. Even though you may like Bam, he did NOT invent the heartagram.
31. The Tavastia is your version of Mecca.
32. You’ve given a microphone a blowjob.
33. And it gave you negative feedback.
34. You have made the Love Metal drink.
35. And you liked it.
36. You realize a tower is a PERFECT place to live, and now you want one of your own.
37. You have to have a blood test done and you say to the nurse, “I bleed well.”
38. At one point in your life, you have been in love and lonely.
39. Out of Ville and Linde, you know who has the deeper voice.
40. Your life since 1997 can be separated into the following categories- When Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 came out, when Razorblade Romance came out, when Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights came out……
41. Your personal mantra is “Life is short and love is over in the morning.”
42. You would die tonight for love.
43. You paid $35 for an empty Coke can on eBay…because it was designed by Ville Valo.
44. You started tearing up when you saw the pics of Ville right before he checked himself into rehab.
45. You wear a beanie even in the middle of summer.
46. You’re jealous of Bam Margera.
47. You see someone wearing a HIM t-shirt and find it a turn-on.
48. You know that all men think with their dick’s, but Ville Valo’s dick is different.
49. You had a heartagram cake for one of your birthdays.
50. And you almost couldn’t eat it because it was so damn pretty.
51. Just one look from his eyes, one look and you’re dying, because he’s so beautiful.
52. You didn’t throw panties onstage at the HIM concert. You threw a book of Baudelaire’s poetry.
53. With your phone number on the inside cover. (just in case)
54. You have a drawing of Homer Simpson wearing a HIM shirt.
55. At school, you studied ethics instead of religion.
56. You can recall basically every piece of Ville Valo’s wardrobe. Especially the leather pants.
57. As far as greatness goes, you compare Sleepwalking Past Hope with Stairway to Heaven.
58. Your idea of the PERFECT vacation spot is Finland.
59. You would happily accept an autograph from Ville Valo in sperm or blood.
60. You have crossed oceans of wine to find a HIM concert.
61. You find yourself singing “Like a wirgin, touched for the wery first time…”
62. You’re not addicted to HERoin, you’re addicted to HIMoin.
63. Your dog is named Sami.
64. Love Metal is considered by you to be a very real genre of music. (which it is, thankyouverymuch)
65. It’s been years since you went a single day without listening to at least one HIM song.
66. Your wedding vows consisted of, or will consist of, “In sickness and in health, in joy and sorrow, until love and death embrace.”
67. When the moon is full and shining, you refer to it as Dark Light.
68. During a game of tug-of-war, you yell to your teammates “Please don’t let it go! Because if you won’t let it, I won’t let it go!”
69. The first trick you taught your dog, Sami, was to Play Dead.
70. It’s not peace, love, and harmony. It’s peace, love, and VEGETABLES.
71. Every time you hear the word Venus, you think Doom.
72. You have been jealous of Ville’s cigarettes, because damn it all if you don’t want to be pressed between his lips.
73. You know for a fact that I love you is eight letters….and so is bullshit.
74. While meeting HIM, you blurt out “I’m waiting for you to drown in my love!”
75. Like myself, you took the actual time to write a list like this. XD
76. You have more pictures of Ville Valo and HIM than you do your family.
77. In fact, you have seen HIM in person more than you have some members of your family.
78. You made Ville Valo a birthday cake……and you live 8,000 miles from him.
79. While blowing out the candles for him on said birthday cake, you wished FOR Ville Valo.
80. You suddenly find yourself thinking about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as dinner.
81. Your Mp3 player consists of the following- HIM songs, HIM acoustic songs, cover songs done by HIM, tributes to HIM, collaborations with HIM, HIM bootlegs……and Daniel Lioneye.
82. You bought the book “Finnish for Dummies”.
83. And you drew a heartagram on it.
84. On the list of places to see before you die is a certain sex shop in Helsinki.
85. You took your Rolling Stones t-shirt with the lips and tongue and cut off the sleeves.
86. You think that the footage of Ville Valo flashing the audience his abs should win an Academy Award for “Best Short Film“.
87. A friend gives you hell about smoking, and you calmly say “Smoking kills, but only love will break your heart.”
88. You fear for the best, and hope for the worst.
89. You’re asked where you are going to take a walk, and you reply “The Path.”
90. You wish that razorblades came with heart cut-outs in the middle.
91. You have taken pictures of yourself snarling at the camera.
92. With massive amounts of black eyeliner and lip gloss.
93. And you’re a guy.
94. You truly believe that Ville Valo’s smile is the ACTUAL cause of global warming.
95. You have pet names for Ville’s “pecker”. *COUGH*
96. For Halloween, you went as one of the guys from HIM.
97. And you’re a girl.
98. It’s been raining for weeks, your lover just broke your heart, your kitty just died…..and looking at Ville still makes you smile.
99. You go to karaoke with your friends, and upon singing a HIM song, you grab the mic stand, hop onto the speaker, lean back, bend the mic stand, and fall flat on your ass…..but you still looked wicked cool doing it.
100. Upon walking into a dark house, you think to yourself “I’ve got to light this endless dark.”
101. You know that there are two guys in HIM named Mikko in real life.
102. And you know who they are.
103. You made out for the first time with the person you liked while piss drunk, and then threw up on their bed……and felt quietly proud because now you and Ville had something in common.
104. Your friends now call you (your name) Valo.
105. Instead of OMG, it’s OMV.
106. You know that the beginning of the end isn’t really the end…because then there’s Don’t Fear The Reaper and a hidden track.
107. You want to paint the outside of your bedroom door crimson, so that when you are in your room and it’s closed, you can say you are behind it.
the peace sign, but you do use the live long and prosper sign.
113. And you never watched Star Trek a day in your life.
114. You sent Ville a rubber duck.
115. You know who’s milkshake REALLY brings all the girls to the yard.
116. And some boys, too.
117. Your favorite phrase is “the pot calling the kettle black”.
118. Gorgeous, beautiful, handsome, sexy, and any other adjective in that genre do him no real justice.
119. You get annoyed when someone asks AGAIN what Love Metal is.
120. You know ALL the words to Valo Yossa…..but you have no fucking clue what you’re saying.
121. You bought a bass guitar.
122. And you named it Rambo.
123. You know that the song Razorblade Kiss is actually about fucking.
124. You have poured beer on a hotel room bed for your homies….and then fell off the bed.
125. You understand everything that I have just taken 2 days to write….and you want me to keep going.

And just because I REALLY love me some beanie...
Please go here to see more of this list and to see what the lovely ladies at v_d have for you…-K

Comic Book Tattoo

2008-07-29T23:40:00.000-05:00

This is fascinating. Apparently, over 80 writers contributed 50 stories to produce “Comic Book Tattoo”, an anthology graphic novel inspired by Tori Amos songs, which boasts an introduction by my personal favorite graphic novelist, Neil Gaiman with whom Tori has always had an artistic connection. I found the complete list of collaborators online:

David Mack, Josh Hechinger, Matthew Humphreys, Jonathan Tsuei, Eric Canete, Jason Horn, Dean Trippe, Sara Ryan, Jonathan Case, Rantz A. Hoseley, James Stokoe, Tristan Crane, Atticus Wolrab, Kako, Nikki Cook, Drew Bell, Kevin Mellon, Jeff Carroll, Mike May, Jeremy Haun, Amber Stone, Leif Jones, Elizabeth Genco, Carla Speed Mcneil, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Andy Macdonald, Nick Filardi, Cat Mihos, Andre Szymanowicz, Gabe Bautista, C.B. Cebulksi, Ethan Young, Joey Weltjens & Lee Duhig, Omaha Perez, Irma Page, Mark Buckingham, Rantz A. Hoseley, Ming Doyle, Mike Maihack, John Ney Reiber, Ryan Kelly, Alice Hunt, Trudy Cooper, Jonathan Hickman, Matthew S. Armstrong, Neil Kleid, Christopher Mitten, Kristyn Ferretti, Stephanie Leong, Sonia Leong, Peov, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Laurenn Mccubbin, John Bivens, Hope Larson, Emma Vieceli, Faye Yong, Chris Arrant, Star St.Germain, Mike Dringenberg, Paul Maybury, Jim Bricker, Craig Taillefer, Dame Darcy, G. Willow Wilson, Steve Sampson, Neal Shaffer, Daniel Krall, Adisakdi Tantimedh, Ken Meyer Jr., Mark Sable, Salgood Sam, Tom Williams, James Owen, Seth Peck, Daniel Heard, Ivan Brandon, Callum Alexander Watt, Leah Moore, John Reppion, Pia Guerra, Mark Sweeney, Kristyn Ferretti, Jessica Staley, Shane White, Ted Mckeever, Chris Chuckry, Jimmie Robinson, Lea Hernandez Derek Mcculloch, Colleen Doran and Jason Hanley.

For more information and a list of songs and creators go to Tori’s official website here.

Tori appeared at the San Diego Comic Con last Saturday as part of a panel and book signing. One attendee blogger who who was there, recounted that Tori said when she read the stories, she didn’t hear the songs they were based on in her head- she heard new music, which she is now working on.

The book itself became available in comic shops on July 23rd and will be everywhere on July 29th.

Tori works the Comic Con Chic look. -K

Manna - Sister

2008-07-28T22:53:00.000-05:00

Sexy Finnish lass Manna has debuted with a sweet and mysterious album that paints the picture of a woman with a pure heart capable of witholding a secret or two. Sister is an ambient and sometimes Beatles-esque dreamscape of an album that I find perfect for these lazy summer days. Download it all, but my picks are “Just For Tonight”, “Stars” , “In the Book of Love”, and my favorite “I Gave In”. I can’t believe it, but the album is actually available on iTunes. For the complete experience, go here . -K

This is completely gratuitous of me , but I just love these green shoes...

Hit It, CC! Poison in Birmingham, AL

2008-07-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

There was no where this former 80s rocker wanted to be Saturday night but the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Pelham, AL outside Birmingham last weekend. On the bill was Sebastian Bach, Dokken, and Poison.

When I first saw Sebastian Bach live as lead singer of Skid Row, he was opening for Bon Jovi at Giants Stadium in 1989 and he was as Kerrang! once put “a swaggering one man tornado”. He hasn’t changed. I must admit, as soon as he stepped out onstage my heart skipped a little. Supporting his new album Angel Down, he opened strongly with a remake of Aerosmith’s Back in the Saddle and then hit us with classics like 18 and Life, I Remember You (which brought me right back to summer 1988), and Youth Gone Wild. Sebastian still has the pipes he had years ago and I could tell he didn’t want to leave the stage. It seemed wrong that he was the opener of the opener and I hated that the amphitheater was not sold out.

Dokken was pretty cool to see, but the absence of guitarist George Lynch and Don’s inability to hit the high notes was a disappointment for at least one fan, who I overheard say “Don needs to give it up”. Regardless, the band’s setlist included classics such as Kiss of Death, Tooth and Nail, Breaking the Chains, Alone Again, In My Dreams, and Just Got Lucky. Don did crack me up once, commenting on how hot and humid Birmingham was that night, saying “I haven’t sweat this much since the first time I had sex!”

Poison did a fantastic job connecting with the audience. Drummer Rikki Rocket hung a Bama jersey from his drum kit, CC Deville played Amazing Grace and Georgia on my Mind, and Bret Michaels gave a shout out to our Bama boys over in Iraq and sang Something to Believe In as a dedication to our Armed Forces overseas. Poison invited everyone to join them at the Iron Horse Cafe for an after party. The last song? Bret yelled out “give me some Sweet Home Alabama” and at his command Lynyrd Skynyrd blasted through the speakers. I once mentioned to a friend once that it was funny how Poison, probably due to the success of Rock of Love, had suddenly become the symbol of the hair metal era even though at the time a lot of us who were rockers in the 80s wouldn’t admit to liking these fluffy pop metallers. The set itself wasn’t jam-packed with music. In fact, a lot of the show was Bret talking (and a reference to CC every five minutes- even a “hit it CC” which had me rolling.) I think we’re all ready for a good time in these dark days in America. Maybe I’ve mellowed in my age, but I sang every fucking song they played Saturday night and I was not the only one. I must have been paying some attention back in the 80s... I give it an UNEXPECTED. -K

By the way, does anyone know what happened to this guy? I saw him walking north on I-65 the next morning. You can’t forget seeing a shirt that reads “Warning: choking hazard” with an arrow pointing down.

Could This Be The One???

2008-07-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

Go to the Kings of Leon website to download their first single of the upcoming record! I was a little nervous when I read that it had a political message but so far I'm likin what I hear. Will this be the record that breaks them in the States? --J

The Look on Bam's Face...

2008-07-21T15:32:00.000-05:00

shutterblast.net photo from Ruisrock 2008.
I don't know why Bam's face cracks me up so much, but LOOK at that expression. Bam, honey, I know. You don't don't have to explain anything.

I honestly love those two together and if only Bam could direct another HIM video like And Love Said No. He gets what HIM is about, he knows how to make Ville look like the sexpot he is, and he's a fan. What more could we ask for. I'm sure some HIM fans will snark at this, but I will admit that if it wasn't for Bam Margera, this American girl wouldn't have hated HIM so much that once she ACTUALLY listened to the music, realized that all along she simply wasn't ready to face the unadulterated love she stored in her heart for these Finns. It was a complicated beginning, starting with me stating to J in an unimpressed tone that "the lead singer just stands there". Well, a girl can change her mind.

Anyway, HIM is on my mind today because I had to decide that I wouldn't be going to Helldone in Helsinki this year for economical as well as familial reasons and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dying a little on the inside because of it. -K

Free Andrew Bird Concert in SLC

2008-07-18T09:10:00.000-05:00

Our friend R in Salt Lake City sent us this picture from last nights free Andrew Bird concert at the Gallivan Center. If any of our readers attended we'd love to hear what you thought. -K

Quagmire and Manilow

2008-07-09T16:03:00.000-05:00

I know I could be focusing on something a bit more substantive, but oh my god... I finally found the actual performance. For some reason it became the goal of the afternoon. Wait for Quagmire's reaction to Barry's twist of the lyrics...-K

Family Guy and Barry Manilow

2008-07-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

I saw this last weekend and cracked up! -K

Conversations with Jim, Part Two

2008-07-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

J--Any thoughts on Bo Diddley given the latest news?

Jim-- Just that there's one less giant walking the earth now. I read about his stroke last year on CNN's ticker, but I thought he'd get better. I always harbor these fantasies of going into the studio and producing albums by my idols. I'm starting to run out of idols.

J-- When you played with Bo Diddley, one of the things I remember about that night was a woman at the front of the crowd practically stripping to the music. We all couldn’t take our eyes off her! I guess you never know how audiences will react to the performance. What is the strangest thing you have witnessed when looking out at the crowd during one of your performances?

Jim-- That's a tough one, since I used to play in biker bands in Texas and Illinois, and there were just too many memorable incidents to recount here. And when you play for Deadheads and such, damn near everything they do looks strange, so where do you draw the line? One time the blues band I played bass for in Texas got to play at this biker party that people brought children to, and later there were several girls competing in what started as a wet t-shirt contest, but ended up a naked dancing contest. With the kids sitting there watching, mind you. Probably watching their own moms. As we played an endless blues shuffle, the winner was rolling around naked on the freshly cut grass, and wound up covered with grass clippings and chigger bites. Hot stuff. At one of my open mic nights a brother and sister got up to "perform", and the sister suddenly punched her brother in the face. I mean just cleaned his clock, for no reason any of us could discern. She wound up falling off the stage and landing face down on the floor below. Nobody came to her aid. Always drink responsibly, kids. One guy handed me a note as he left an open mic night while I was playing, and at the end of the night I finally read it -- he was a step away from strapping a bomb around his waist. It wasn't my gig, but I did see a woman wet her pants once. When she fled to the bathroom, the drummer on stage said into his mic, "Wow! We've never gotten that kind of response before!" And of course, fights will break out on occasion. But to me, the weirdest response is when guys, usually fellow guitarists, stand right in front of me with a blank stare. I've not yet learned how to react to that.

J-- Open mic nights - were you ever blown away by someone who showed up for one of these? Did you ever have to tell someone "cut your losses and try something next time within your reach"?

Jim-- There were plenty of times I was blown away. There's a girl here named Summer Johnson who sings like a woman possessed, and I mean that in a good way. Every time she came in it was a treat. One of my former guitar students named Marah Bobilin was also a terrific singer, and she would sometimes put together a complete show for her set, involving her and her band wearing Mexican wrestling masks, playing surf guitar instrumentals, singing numbers that would show off her multi-octave voice, etc.. There was a hip hop group that came in and had a very prepared set that knocked me out, although a lot of people in the room were openly hostile to them, which made their performance all the more impressive. I don't remember what they called themselves, but boy were they good. There was a soul singer and guitarist named Robert something, and he would literally make up tunes on the spot, and he always amazed me, even though he was rarely sober. Quite a few guitarists were not shabby as well; Huntsville has a surplus of terrific guitar players. The surf band Daikaiju started out playing at my open mic nights, and they went on to tour and have records on iTunes. I played in an offshoot surf band with their guitarist, Santanu Mitra; we called ourselves the Rocket Scientists. Several performers have become good friends, and some I wound up playing in other bands with later on. As far as giving somebody the hook, I've always looked at open mic nights as amateur hour, meaning that everyone who comes in should understand that these aren't seasoned pros for the most part. If they stink, that's their right. And it's a variety show; if you don't like whoever's up there right now, wait ten minutes. I got a lot of grief from club owners and audience members (many of whom were also would-be performers) because I didn't insist on applying any standard of quality. If I had, many of the ones complaining would've been the first cut, because they were often so boring. But I've always believed that the best musicians are the ones willing to make fools of themselves in public. That's how you learn to get better. And a bunch of those regulars got pretty great as time went on. Of course, some didn't, too, but then my GPA was never very impressive, either.

J-- You mention that Clapton has had his moments. What do you see as a highlight?

Jim-- Well, the original "Layla" and "Bell Bottom Blues" still hit the bullseye, despite decades of heavy rotation on Classic Rock Radio. To clarify what I was complaining about before, the Layla album was a case where Clapton went beyond the constrictions of "blues", by applying an Abbey Road-style songwriting and production strategy, and not only did he cough up a hit, but he also made a record that was truer to the spirit of the blues than any of his more purist attempts. And he's spent his career running away from that kind of emotional exposure, even though that's what he claims to love about the blues. But then, all those post-Monterey "rock" icons benefit from a double standard. I mean, as you know, I'm a huge Elvis fan, and he got accused of selling out for putting out a bunch of movie soundtracks, but at least those had the frequent "bonus tracks" where he's do a transcendent Dylan cover, or a funky Jimmy Reed tune, and some of the soundtracks themselves weren't bad at all, like Kid Galahad and Viva Las Vegas. But in any case, he made some damn good records even during that fallow period, and somehow kept faith with the idea that music ought to be emotionally honest. In the course of his career, his failures were as spectacular as his successes. But now we still have Rod Stewart treated like a rock god even though he hasn't made an interesting record in thirty-plus years. He wouldn't know emotional honesty if it kicked him in the balls. The Who regroup every few years for yet another "farewell tour". Sting has taken up the lute to prove what an erudite, cultured kind of guy he is -- remember how the Police were once considered a "punk-influenced" band? People need to see through the hype and the "conventional wisdom" about what artists are up to.

J-- What a good singer brings to a song is at least as important as songwriting, I would agree. But I have to admit, I do have a problem with the non-multi-tasker, the singer that does not play an instrument as well. Some can pull it off, but there are a lot of frontmen and women who need to be distracted by an instrument because they’re not engaging enough to stand up there with just their voice. What do you think?

Jim-- You must have been thinking of me when you dreamed up that question. I'm the poster boy for Please-Don't-Forget-Your-Guitar. The one time I ever tried singing without my ax I couldn't remember any of the words. I just stood there like an idiot. You're right, it takes a special kind of charisma to be able to stand up there with no props to hide behind. Bruce Springsteen tries it sometimes, and just looks plain awkward, although John Mellencamp has better luck. Elvis pulled it off, though he was even better when he had his guitar strapped on. Same with Prince. The ones who manage it are always great dancers, like James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Michael Jackson, or at least have some unique moves, like Robert Plant, Axl Rose, Madonna in her choreographed way. David Lee Roth was a kick to watch both times I saw him, though not so much lately. Iggy Pop was certainly an original; anyone who can abuse himself with peanut butter and broken glass should get a nod in the history books for sure. All the footage I've ever seen of Johnny Rotten was cool-looking. Someone described his look onstage as "singing into a wind tunnel", which sums it up pretty well. Joey Ramone made a virtue of his own dorkitude, sort of like being the proud owner of a Corvair. That's the secret -- stand tall, be proudly yourself. But most of us still need a cool crutch.

J-- I fell in love with the Allison Krauss/Robert Plant record as well. It didn’t seem far off the mark in terms of style for Krauss. What was Plant bringing to the table?

Jim-- That voice and that attitude. I think even at their most airy-fairy, Led Zeppelin must have always seen their music as an outgrowth of '50s big beat rock 'n' roll, which is to say Americana. His singing style has its roots in Gene Vincent, especially the groaning sexuality. The Krauss/Plant record sounds to me like early rock 'n' roll as remembered in a feverish dream, where the drums sound like some primitive ritual, the guitars throb through a Bo Diddley-ish tremolo, the singers sound like they're looking you in the eye and they mean business. And boy do they harmonize well, too. In some ways, I think it was more of a stretch for Alison Krauss than for Robert Plant, since she normally doesn't front a rhythm section with drums, just a small acoustic bluegrass lineup. I was glad I got to catch them live. And I'm glad the record has done well, in spite of mainstream radio treating it like leprosy. There are quite a few records out right at the moment that probably won't get any airplay, like that new Gnarls Barkley. Al Green's new one produced by ?uestlove from the Roots is his best in thirty years, but where will you hear it? I suppose I should fork over the bucks for cable radio. For people like me old enough to remember when radio was a lifeline, these are tough times.

Armchair Concertgoer

2008-06-30T11:40:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my new hi-def television, I felt like I had (very comfortable) front row seat for some of the best performances of Glastonbury this year. It even had the capability of switching the program to different stages if the current performer was not to my liking. All that and no port-a-potty! I found myself thinking well if this is possible in 2008, when I’m in the old folks’ home technology will probably be so good that I’ll be able to virtually crowd surf when I’m 80 years old!

All kidding aside, the weather was beautiful and there were some really good performances. My favorites were Kings of Leon, The Kills, The Ting Tings, and The Enemy. Would Amy Winehouse show up to perform? Yes, she did. Once again though, I am just not very taken with her live performance.

I have to comment on the Jay-Z performance. There was a lot of controversy about him taking the headlining slot. I believe Noel Gallagher stated that hip hop had no place at a guitar based festival. I love that Jay-Z took it upon himself to perform an Oasis song during his set smiling the whole time. I was unexpectedly impressed with Jay-Z, since I only like a tiny bit of the music that the hip hop scene has to offer. I do find it interesting that a hip hop artist can come to England in 2008 and project an enormous picture of the U.S. President and state very clearly “Fuck Bush”. Only a few years ago an artist (Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks) with a more Republican fan base almost got burned at the stake for saying something a lot less blatant. --J

Duffy - Warwick Avenue

2008-06-25T12:04:00.000-05:00

Duffy’s Mercy was the free download on the U.S. iTunes awhile back. Last week when I was on vacation I spent probably a day just watching music videos. This one’s getting heavy rotation in the UK and it’s got that great vintage girl group sound. --J

Viva La Vida - Coldplay

2008-06-22T18:15:00.000-05:00

I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Martin, clever as he is, knew full well that by enlisting the sonic assistance of Brian Eno on their latest album Viva La Vida (or Death and All His Friends), that the already present comparisons to U2 would be now undeniable. But by working with Brian and not hiding it Coldplay takes control and throws it in your face. Yes, they are influenced by the sounds of U2. Yes, like U2 they even take themselves too seriously at times, but I dare anyone to hear the opening notes of their songs and think that it’s a U2 song and not Coldplay.

VLV is a wide-angle beautiful work of art. It doesn’t force itself on you, which is exactly why I keep listening to it. Eno’s own ambient music and his collaborations always allow for the listener to make a choice; to pay attention when one wants and not when the song dictates. I read one review that encapsulates the album for me perfectly. The writer felt that the band steps back into the scenery at times letting the music tell the story without words and then comes back into the spotlight to offer the occasional rock-out; all very Eno and all the while maintaining their identity as a band.

The album begins with a sweeping instrumental called “Life in Technicolour” that leads in a catchy little stomp-clap tune called “Lost!” that refuses to leave my head. “42” reminds a lot of the Rush of Blood to the Head era Coldplay. It’s got that lonely piano and Chris demonstrates his falsetto with the regretful tone he’s so well-known for and then halfway through rocks out. “Lovers in Japan” just makes me want to skip down the street. “Reign of Love” is a beautiful ambient piano-piece that reminds me a lot of that scene in Trainspotting when Renton dives down into the toilet to find the opiate suppositories (seriously). The Asian twangy sound of “Strawberry Swing” is incomparable to me, but it does have a pinch of David Bowie thrown in which is itself reason enough to give it a listen. “Death and All His Friends” is going to be stunning live. Towards the end there’s a second version of “Lost!” called “Lost?” that is the piano version that I think my friend M will put on repeat. There’s also an acoustic version of “Lovers in Japan” that just calms the soul.

Y’all, I have tried to find the negative in this cd and I can’t. I recommend everyone try it. Just note: if the temptation arises to compare this band to U2, try listening to Gang of 4 and The Clash and realize that U2 were once “inspired”, too. -K

Photog Mishandled by Security at MCR show, St. Louis

2008-06-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

This link was sent to me by a fellow MCR fan who attended the May show at The Pageant in St. Louis. I was shocked at first, but cannot bring myself to be overly sympathetic. Read on to find out why.

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-05-14/news/just-shoot-me/

I was at the show that night and had to sign a waiver in order to get my pass, which seemed very stringent to me. When I reviewed the agreement, I thought it stated that you could only shoot during the first three songs and that you could not use the photographs you took for anything outside of the publication you were photographing for. I thought it also mentioned no camera phones could be used during the show. It was extremely strict and I remember feeling a bit nervous after signing it. It didn't matter if you had a photo pass or not- after your time in the pit was over you needed to exit the area and not even think about photography while you were still in the venue. I can remember chatting with Todd from ishootshows.com, a regular photographer at The Pageant, about this. He had never had to sign a waiver before either and we both were a little taken aback by it. I'm too German to even think about not following the rules so I was determined to play it straight and narrow all night. I'm always too grateful and shocked that I've been granted the opportunity to shoot a show so I am usually operating under a submissive mindset anyhow!

After I finished shooting and joined my friends, I was standing in view of the photographer when she was shooting from the balcony. When I spied her I thought "good on her, but she needs to watch herself." Security was tapping on shoulders all night. It was not the most relaxing atmosphere despite the fact that the band out on a helluva show. I hate that she was so excessively manhandled like that and it's good that MCR tried to compensate her, but she was in direct violation of the agreement. Full stop.

I have never had a bad experience with security at The Pageant. They've been annoying at times, in fact J and I got in trouble a few times with those guys because we didn't want to stand where they wanted us to stand, but they've always been a necessary presence that we have to accept and we do. They've never been rude or aggressive. If anything, they've been guys we'd share a laugh with when things got really crazy. When I read this article I knew it couldn't have been a Pageant security dude being so aggressive. In fact, the more I read about it, it was indeed an MCR security guard who may or may not be employed by the band anymore after this incident. -K

Martha Wainwright- I Know You're Married But I Have Feelings Too

2008-06-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

Years ago Rufus Wainwright’s song April Fools became part of my life soundtrack. I’ve never been able to take a lot of his sedate and draggy voice, but for some reason I’ve never been able to write this boy off. I will never say you shouldn't put some Rufus W on if we’re drinking wine. I have never cared who his family is, I just think he’s charming.

So, the other day I came across this his sister’s cd cover and thought “now that looks like one of many pictures I took back when after a series of questionable decisions at a party I would get myself to a point where I would be legs up on a couch with my good shoes on”. I was intrigued. I finally bought the album because of Rufus’ strange pull and because the title just cracks me up. You know what, this cd is really good.

Martha Wainwright goes from sounding like Ani DiFranco to Kate Bush to Annie Lennox to Maria McKee on this album. She does an ambitious yet fascinating cover of Eurythmic’s Love is a Stranger and Syd Barrett’s See Emily Play. My favorite is probably You Cheated Me because the chorus feels very Suede-like, but the whole album is download-worthy. -K

Download- Crying on the Inside

2008-06-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

My aunt in England called to tell me that the Download festival was happening just down the street from her. Sigh. I love Huntsville, but the lack of live shows I want to see is killing me. I've been reading great reviews of HIM's performance which is wonderful for this fan. Poor substitute, but I found this NME interview on You Tube from Download. About 1:50 is fantastic. -K

Kanye West BonnaBoo'd at Bonnaroo

2008-06-16T20:47:00.000-05:00

Picture from E!Online.
I cannot wait to ask my coworker who went to this year's festival about this. Check out this link to read what happened. -K

Webb Wilder

2008-06-16T14:21:00.000-05:00

I have never been a big fan of the roots rock, no-frills Americana style that characterizes bands such as L.A.'s The Blasters. Had I not gone down to Huntsville's Humphrey's Saturday night I would ignorantly have grouped Webb Wilder into this genre. I would have also walked out before I finished my first beer had I not had respect for J's brother's taste in music who suggested I see this guy perform. In his words Webb Wilder is "a good example of how music should sound."

Humphrey's in downtown Huntsville is a place that used to be called Bubba's years ago. This is going to sound crass, but when I was in college and later a starving library clerk in grad school, my friends and I would go to Bubba's every weekend and get loaded. They had a great music. It was in walking distance from my $250/month 80-year old apartment so I never had to worry about getting home. Bubba's was a down-home watering hole. Something went down with the owner and it was soon replaced by Humphrey's, which is the same kind of place only upgraded. The back of the bar/restaurant opens up into a courtyard with a giant old tree in the middle that grows up into the sky. The courtyard is old-south style, with black wrought-iron latticework and brick. The side of the brick building (Mason's Pub) creates a backdrop for Humphrey's courtyard and is where the small stage is constructed for weekend performances. Saturday night was a sultry, moonlit southern night and the courtyard was buzzing with eager fans while fans blew cool mist over their heads and beer flowed freely.

A little after 9 the band ripped into a lengthy set that had the locals on their feet in no time. The collection of guitars played were an impressive part of the evening. Webb dominated the set with his Fender Telecaster and occasionally moved to his Stratocaster. The lead guitarist played a Fender Strat (old school colors from the 60s- looked like surf green or daphne blue color). He also played a natural Gibson Explorer (shark fin look) and a white Danelectro for his slide guitar. Webb wore his fedora hat and at one time bragged that his last album had sold "dozens." Ha!

The set included his original catalog, peppered with blues instrumentals and a cover of Jumpin Jack Flash. This may or may not make sense, but I observed a British influence in his material with a reliance on chord transition and melody rather than a percussive rhythm like that of most American roots-rock artists, i.e., Bo Diddley. It spoke to me more than The Blasters did, for sure. I give it an UNEXPECTED. -K

Big Butter Jesus

2008-06-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

Some coworkers and I recently went on a business trip to Peoria, IL where we stayed at a hotel that reminded us of butter. The walls were the color of butter cream icing, with a broad spackling effect that reminded me of cake. The bedspreads were a yellowish beige. The furniture was light beigy wood. Anyway, one of us on the trip kept mentioning that the hotel reminded him of the "big butter jesus". I thought this was just a creation of his imagination, but apparently not. He just sent me a link to a song written by Heywood Banks called "Big Butter Jesus." Frightening that this thing is real. Only in America. -K

In southern Ohio, just north of Cincinnati
I beheld a vision, next to the expressway.
Was a 60 foot jesus, with his hands in the air
looks like he’s carved out of butter,
just like at the state fair.
Big butter Jesus
Sweet cream Jesus
Oh country fresh Jesus
Unsalted Jesus
Oh Promise Jesus
Imperial Jesus
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus
Oleo Lord.
Well you see him from the chest up
like he’s about to do a back flip,
like he scored a touchdown
or maybe melting or about to drown.
Well I’ve been to the state fair
seen a cow made out of corn cobs
Garth Brooks made of string cheese
and the virgin out of olives.
Big butter Jesus
Sweet cream Jesus
Oh country fresh Jesus
Unsalted Jesus
Oh Promise Jesus
Imperial Jesus
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus
Oleo Lord.
Shipped in pieces on a flatbed
staring backwards was his big head
Driver stuck in traffic backups
desperately avoiding eye contact
Well don’t make no graven images.
That’s one of the 10 commandments
I hope the grading curve is kindly
You get to heaven with a 90
Big butter Jesus
Sweet cream Jesus
Oh country fresh Jesus
Unsalted Jesus
Oh Promise Jesus
Imperial Jesus
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus
Oleo Lord.
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus,
Oh spread the word.

Which One is The Celebrity?

2008-06-10T16:50:00.000-05:00

One day at work we were laughing about how when you see a picture of a celebrity with a fan, even if you don’t recognize the celebrity, you can easily decipher them because the other person looks insane with excitement. When I got my moment to have my picture taken with Dave Grohl, I just looked insane. I’ll blame it on the delayed flash of the digital camera and the fact that it was 2:30am, hell, who knows. I remember asking our friend M, who is a master with Photoshop if he could work his magic and somehow make me look normal. I think he simply said, “No”. Hahaha

So I was so pleased when Ross Halfin’s pictures were posted from Saturday night’s Wembley show. Dave looks like a true fan beaming with joy as he shares the stage with John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page. It’s nice to see someone have a moment like that. --J