Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The future of Metal is in good hands!

I know I'm late to this game, but I can't say enough good things about Huntington California's Avenged Sevenfold.

I'm still fixated on their latest release "Nightmare", while slowly delving into their back catalog.

I love, love this album.  It has shot the band into my top 10 along with Rush, Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden.  Heavy lyrics, often with vaguely spiritual allusions are the MO here.  I've found most of the newer metal and/or metalcore bands lack a certain lyrical depth.  Not these guys. I'd put them up there with Maiden or Dream Theater.

Heavy guitars with brilliant melodies and time signatures that expose a certain progressive element seems to be the default setting.  Add big choruses and even a "power" ballad!!  I find myself struggling to describe their sound, because I'm listening and I'm transfixed.

Oh, and love the little bell in the beginning of Natural Born Killers - it makes me laugh out loud every time.

Make no mistake, this is a metal album, by a metal band.  It will not appeal to everyone.  However, take a chance, you might be surprised.

Other tracks, not on Nightmare that have my attention are, Almost Easy, Afterlife and Bat County.  Bat Country was inspired by Hunter S Thompson's Book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

I'm hooked I tell ya! These guys are fellow travelers for sure.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

My favorite songs of 2011

Mark has already shared his favorite tunes from the past year. Now, it's my turn.

To be honest, I had a difficult time with my list, because I spend most of my time stuck in the 80's and 90's and my playlists consist mostly of metal bands (with a few surprises thrown in for good measure). But, as I looked back on the songs that helped shape my 2011 soundtrack, I realized that a handful were actually songs from the past year!

So, here they are (not in any particular order):

Party Rock Anthem/LMFAO - I first heard this song on a commercial that confused me, because I couldn't figure out what they were trying to sell: cars or video games. I've never heard the song in full and I don't care to. Just give me the dancing hamsters!



No More/LL Cool J & Ne-Yo - I've loved LL Cool J since he first hit the scene in the 80's. When he branched out into acting, I wasn't sure what to think until I saw him in action. I love his acting talent, but was thrilled when a recent NCIS: Los Angeles episode ended with this song. I love it more than I can say. BTW, if you're on Twitter, LL is one of the most positive and inspirational/motivational people there. Follow him: @LLCoolJ



Starlight/Rachael Yamagata - I first heard this song when Rachael performed on the show I work on. I immediately fell in love with her unique vocals and the stripped down accompaniment. The fully electric version is just as awesome, although the beginning is a little repetitive. Wait for her to reach the chorus, then listen through to the end of the song. You won't regret it.



Make Some Noise/Beastie Boys - I love love love love love love love the Beasties! They could rap the alphabet and it would make my list. The video really makes this song. There are so many cameos that I had to keep watching over and over just to see everyone. Okay, that's the excuse I'm using, anyway.  I will say this: Ted Danson was quite the surprise. I would never use his name and the Beasties in the same breath.



Up/James Morrison - I sometimes call James a "guilty pleasure," then I think he doesn't really fit that mold. I also like Leif Garrett and think he fits more into the "guilty pleasure" mode. So, James is stepping up and taking his place along the likes of Beasties, Coldplay and other "mainstream" acts. "Up" is one of the songs from his new album. I like the message, the tune and the duet he does with Jessie J.



More/Usher - I thought this song was older than 2011, but it was on a list of 2011 songs, so I'm sticking it in this list. I love love love this song. I first heard it as a promo to NBA playoffs and even though I hate the NBA, I liked the ad because of the song. If you think I watch a lot of TV, including commercials, you're right (see the dancing hamsters above)



Bad As Me/Tom Waits - Listening to Tom Waits is like doing shots of whiskey all night without getting drunk or waking up with a hangover the next morning.




Every Teardrop is a Waterfall/Coldplay - I like this song because it gets my toes tapping and lifts my spirits. I feel like dancing whenever I hear it.



Accidents Can Happen (Acoustic)/Sixx: A.M. - The electric version of this song is also very stellar, but the acoustic version seems more intimate and personal. I love this song for many reasons. If you know me, you've read the post I wrote on my Tumblr site explaining my connection to this song. The thing that really blows my mind about Sixx: A.M. is hearing that the singer (James Michael) doesn't consider himself a "singer." He identifies himself more as a producer. Listen to this song and you'll see what I mean when I say he's full of shit. He's one of the most incredible singers I've heard in a long time.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Top Songs of 2011.

OK, as usual the criteria is simple.  It has to be - consider the source.  The song had to be released in 2011 and I had to like it enough to pay money for it.  I was going to do the traditional Top 10, but the first cut included over 30 songs, so let's see if I can narrow it down just a bit...

Not content to release one of the biggest Alt-Rock albums of 2010, the Akron, Ohio based Black Keys come in under the year-end wire with El Camino.  "Lonely Boy" is the first single and will catch your attention quickly.  At the same time sounding vintage and new, it's a high speed rock n' roll dance tune that will get you moving and singing along.

First let me say that I love how divisive Coldplay have become.  The band that the critics and the hipsters love to hate.  Well, I have a new acronym for you , "FUILCP"... Have we become so cynical that a band that has become successful for recording well crafted pop that makes you smile and you can sing along to on the radio is a bad thing?  Sure they're treacly, but so is pumpkin pie - and I love pumpkin pie!  On to the songs!  The first two singles off of the new album Mylo Xyloto are a contrast in styles for sure.  ETiaW is classic Coldplay.  Starting out with a bouncy (yes I said "bouncy") synth part that is more than vaguely reminiscent of the Eighties, it then proceeds to flow into a guitar sound that would make Big Country proud.  I have no real idea what the song is about, but damn if I can get it out of my head.  "Paradise", on the other hand, is rather atypical of a Coldplay song.  It wouldn't completely sound out of place on a Justin Timberlake album, production wise.  Chris Martin's singing of  "Para, Para, Paradise" in the chorus makes me laugh and think of Rhianna.
 Death Cab's lead man, Ben Gibbard's introduction of this song on Storytellers goes something like this - "being that I'm a happily married man now, I figure I can put a love song on the album."  He and his wife separated soon after.  Ironic, huh?  That notwithstanding, "Stay Young, Go Dancing" is a lovely, wistful love song.
OK, time to gush... I love, love, love, love this girl.  I discovered her first album earlier this year and have tried to listen to everything I can find and expose as many others to her and her wonderful song-craft. Think if Kate Bush, Anne Lennox, and Tim Burton had a love child.  Yeah, I know!  "What The Water Gave Me" is a gothic, melodramatic torch song, or something like that.  You just have to hear that voice and you'll know.
Dave Grohl is doing his level best to keep guitar based rock music alive.  I'd say he's done a great job with this year's Wasting Light.  The album is chock full of great songs, but my hands down favorite is "Walk". Listen to the lyrics.  If you know me, you should be able to piece it together. It's also got one of the coolest Foo Fighters' videos ever!
I wasn't real familiar with Kasabian before I heard this song, but they get my "The Next Oasis" award.  There will always be a place in my heart and my cochlea for snarling Brit rock.  The Album is Velociraptor, because "Raptors are the glammest of all dinosaurs". 'Nuff said?  "Days Are Forgotten" is a stomping, swinging rock song full of cheeky attitude.  It's best played with the windows down and the volume up!

A number of others have already declared Adele's ubiquitous hit the song of the year.  It has even been nominated for the Song of the Year Grammy.  It's a gut wrenching tale of lost love, for sure.  The Linkin Park cover, recorded live, adds just a bit of Chester Bennington's trademark anger to the song.  I highly recommend adding both to your post breakup playlist.  One for sad, the other for mad as hell!
These two go together because I saw them both open for the Foo Fighters.  Social D has gone from an early Southern California punk rock band to a more mainstream rock sound over the years.  "California (Hustle and Flow)" finds them dropping a bit of soul into the mix. Mike Ness sings "Well I was born, babe, with nothing to lose, But the black man taught me how to sing the blues..."  That tells you everything.  

The Joy Formidable create a special sound. Call it noise-pop, if you will.  The trio hails from Wales and fronted by the diminutive Ritzy Bryan.  Swirling, layered and noisy guitars only serve the enhance her sweet alto voice and the melodic structure of the song.  
Here we have a trio of bands that made their marks originally in the 1990s and have come roaring back in the second decade of the 21st century.  Blink 182's ode to the worries of adulthood is a slamming piece of pop-punk that'll get you pogoing for sure.  (Dated myself there a bit, huh).  Jane's Addiction's "Irresistible Force" is a love song about the symbiosis between Creationism and the Big Bang Theory. Seriously. Perry Farrell said so.  "Sunset in July" is as an infectious and bouncy Summer dance hit as there was this year, on Alt-Rock radio anyway.
OK, this is where I go off of the mainstream reservation on you.  Here are a trio of bands who've become the critics darlings, but probably have eluded most everyone's radar.  Wild Flag is a Portland, Oregon/Washington, D.C. based all woman band consisting of ex-members of the bands Sleater-Kinney, Helium and The Minder. U.S. Royalty is out of Washington D.C. and the young lads of the Smith Westerns hail from Chicago.  "Romance" is a pulsing rocker with a great win guitar attack.  "Monte Carlo" sounds like Rumors era Fleetwood Mac with a gentle fiddle melody.  "Weekend" is a Strokes like nugget that will get you itching for some open asphalt.

There's something about this song that makes me feel like morning.   It has kind of a hazy energy that's pretty irresistible.  The video is a game of musical chairs with models, pretty clever.
Great Big Rock Songs!  That's Seether's speciality.  So here, they crank it back a notch and release an almost sensitive love song.  Almost.
The RHCP are back in a big way this year.  Flea brings the Funk on this track, with a Bootsy approved groove.  Lyrically it's fairly typical Chili Peppers, not sure WTH Anthony is singing about, but it works.

    Monday, December 19, 2011

    Coming soon... I hope!

    My top 10s for 2011.  Top 10 Albums, songs and shows.  Think I can pull it off?  We'll see, won't we?

    Saturday, November 12, 2011

    Foo Fighters at the Verizon Center, Washington DC w/ Social Distortion and the Joy Formidable

    Wow!  Just fucking wow!

    Dave Grohl relishes the role of Rock Star and guitar Hero, that much is obvious.

    He led his crack band through a three hour set last night at the Verizon Center that was alternately exhausting and left the crowd screaming for more.  This is a band at the height of their powers.

    After exploding through the first four songs or so, Dave finally addressed the sold out crowd.  It's not clear who was more excited.

    Dave talked about growing up in Northern Virginia, including a rap about how his beloved Springfield Mall has fallen into a state of disrepair, "That shit's fucked up!", he commented to the screams of recognition from the crowd.  This was his crowd, his people.  It's hard to imagine that he connected with the other crowds on the tour like this.  "We've played at every shit-hole venue in this town, and now to come home and sell out the biggest arena...!"  It was clear that it was an emotional night for Grohl.  Home.  Dave came home and he brought the party.

    And this crowd came to party.  Nineteen thousand strong, standing and screaming along the lyrics for three hours.

    The Foo Fighters brought the whole arena rock package with them.  The stage set up included a combo speaker/light rig that was flown from above and moved up and down throughout the show, at one point no more than 10 feet or so over the heads of the band.  The stage itself was a large screen on which  animations and effects were played.  At times this created an almost three dimensional effect.  A long catwalk extended from the front of the stage to a smaller stage that sat in the middle of the arena floor.  It was from this smaller stage that Dave performed a short set of unaccompanied acoustic songs as it raised him up over the crowd.  "Those shitty seats of yours, suddenly aren't so shitty now are they?", he asked the fans who were sitting opposite of the stage, behind where a hockey goal is normally installed.  You can guess the kind of response that question received.  Add to that, screens hung on the sides and behind the stage so that even those of us in the nose-bleed seats could see the whites of his eyes. The sound quality was very good, surprisingly so considering we were in a hockey arena.  I was thinking about how much live sound has evolved in the 30 years plus since my first concert in Germany. Gone are the banks of speaker cabinets stacked at the front of the stage, replaced by high efficiency horns flown above the stage and pointed to all four corners of the room.  I love technology!

    Going against standard rock concert convention, Dave introduced the band early in the set.  This took on the air of a stand-up routine/roast.  It's clear that he's fond of his band and has great respect for their skills.  When he introduced punk rock legend and former and current Foo, Pat Smear, the house just about came down around their ears.  The ovation was thunderous.  He commented to Pat, "don't move to DC, man - they love you too much here!"  The drummer who needed "no introduction" received almost as loud a response from the crowd.

    The set was heavy on songs from the latest album, Wasting Light, interspersed with many of the expected big hits.  During the song Dear Rosemary from the new album, the band was joined onstage by the legendary Bob Mould of Husker Du and Sugar fame, who appears on that song on the album.  Mould is now a DC resident and I was really expecting his appearance.  While not surprised, I was thrilled to get to see such a collaboration. 

    The Foo Fighters are know for peppering their sets with a few choice cover tunes.  Last night was no exception.  The hit These Days segued into In the Flesh by Pink Floyd.  The Floyd never rocked that tune this hard.  Dave also shared a story about his first young heartbreak as a lead in to a cover of Breakdown by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  He finished his story with "and she's in the crowd tonight..." as he dropped that iconic opening guitar lick on the crowd.  Of course, we went apeshit!

    This easily was the show of the year in a year of some great concerts.  Damn Dave, thanks!

    The Foos where supported on this leg of the tour by the fledgling alt-rock act the Joy Formidible from Wales and the Southern California punk rock legends Social Distortion.

    The Joy Formidable are a young three piece fronted by a wee blonde pixie of a girl on lead vocals and guitar.  They have scored a couple of hits in the US and are definitely worth listening to, if you haven't heard them yet.

    This is the second time I've seen Social D in this building.  The first time was about 10 years ago.  Both times they've had to play less than full sets.  I obviously need to take in a full show from these guys.  They closed with their cover of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire, a song that always makes me want to start a band.

    Other than flying solo, I couldn't have asked for a better night.  The Metro in and out was quick and smooth.  I had a nice burger and some half-priced Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA's at Bar Louie in the adjacent Galleria.  Three dollar DFH's!  I took that as a good omen.  They even had Starr Hill's Dark Star Stout at the concession stand inside!

    Oh, but don't worry LeAnn, I had a terrible time...

    Saturday, October 29, 2011

    Halloween Playlist 2011

    Here's my playlist for this Halloween. All songs are in my iTunes library.

    Name
    Artist
    Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Theme)
    Nerf Herder
    Dead Girls Are Easy
    69 Eyes
    Black Sabbath
    Black Sabbath
    The Time Warp
    Rocky Horror Picture Show
    Keepin' Halloween Alive
    Alice Cooper
    Angel Main (Theme)
    Darling Violetta
    A Night With The Jersey Devil
    Bruce Springsteen
    Science Fiction / Double Feature
    Me First & The Gimme Gimmes
    Super Villain
    Powerman 5000
    Long Live the Dead
    Sex Slaves
    (Don't Fear) The Reaper
    Blue Öyster Cult
    Ghost Town
    The Specials
    Werewolves of London
    Adam Sandler
    Halloween - Main Theme
    Crouch End Festival Chorus & The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
    Zombies, March!
    GWAR
    Feed My Frankenstein
    Alice Cooper
    Creep (Explicit)
    Radiohead
    Dead Man's Party
    Oingo Boingo
    Zombie
    Schuyler Fisk
    Frankestein Twist
    The Mansfields
    I Want Candy
    Bow Wow Wow
    Pet Sematary
    The Ramones
    Thriller
    Michael Jackson
    Sweet Transvestite
    Apocalypse Hoboken
    The Boogie Monster
    Gnarls Barkley
    The Munsters Theme
    Comateens
    Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
    AC/DC
    Monster Mash
    The Misfits
    Zombie Stomp
    Ozzy Osbourne
    Carmina Burana (Introduction)
    Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
    Living Dead Girl
    Rob Zombie
    Sympathy For The Devil
    The Rolling Stones
    The Exorcist - Tubular Bells
    Crouch End Festival Chorus & The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
    Disturbia
    Rihanna
    B-Movie Scream Queen
    Murderdolls
    Welcome to My Nightmare
    Alice Cooper
    Creatures Of The Night
    KISS

    Monday, September 26, 2011

    I need more concerts!

    So, let me see if I can remember everything here...

    • April - Accept @ Jaxx
    • May - Caroline Rebellion in Charlotte (Seether, Alter Bridge, Pop Evil, Skillet, Godsmack, etc)
      Ryan Montbeau Band @ Ashland Coffee & Tea and @ Club Iota
    • June - the Go-Go's w/ the Dollyrots@ Wolf Trap
      Black Country Communion @ the 9:30 club
    • July - Mayhem Fest @ Jiffy Lube Live (the Lube) (Megadeth, Godsmack, etc)
    • August - Uproar Fest @ Jiffy Lube Live (Avenged Sevenfold, Seether, Three Days Grace, Bullet For My Valentine, etc)
    • September - Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers w/ Sons of Bill @ the State Theater
    Coming Up -

    • October - the Bangles @ the 9:30 club
    • November - Foo Fighters w/ Social Distortion and the Joy Formidable @ the Verizon Ctr
      Ryan Montbleau Band @ Jammin' Java