1. Queen – Save Me
On New Years when I was all doped up I stumbled across this epic live Queen show on PBS (Queen Rock Montreal) and I was just captivated. Freddie, sweet mercy you had stage presence. It started with Brian May on the piano and then Freddie took over at the end so Brian could slay in his brilliant fashion. The beginning sounds like a man in mourning and the lyrics trample my little heart plus his “I love you until I die” admission before he breaks into the choir and full band of Save Me’s. The arrangement is just overwhelming. 2. The Doors – Not To Touch The Earth
I’m really delving into the nerding out of The Doors, which is so exciting. Its great to wake up and know there’s something new to listen on repeat while on the bus! I’m picking this song as a two-pronger because it seems like such a natural song for my other obsession, Queens of the Stone Age to cover. Which they did in August at the benefit for Natasha Shneider.
Naturally the cover is awesome but the original certainly sets some bars for the pushing of experimentation in music, the taunting guitar and keyboard which at times is childlike. I love the surf guitar line that echoes the vocals on the chorus. But then it continues to build, Jim Morrison seems more urgent. The keys and guitars chase themselves, there is some mashing of keyboards . It all caps off with either producer Paul Rothchild or engineer Bruce Botnick noting, “okay that gives us the ass end”. Hehe.
3. The Doors – Alabama Song
Okay so maybe I should have called this “Doors Songs I Can’t Get Enough Of” maybe that will be a future edition. Presently I feel like I need to commentate on a select few. This song is actually a cover of a 1930’s opera by Kurt Weill & Bertolt Brecht called The Rise & Fall of the City of Mahogany”. As delightful as the oompapa’s and the sheer oddness of Ray Manzarek’s idea, I have to say my favorite part is the annunciation of the line “for if we don’t find the next whiskey bar”, particularly the drag on “we”, Jim Morrison just has so much bravado even while adapting German operas.
4. All American Rejects – I Wanna
I’m not really sure how you follow those three stunners with AAR but I am making no apologies. I effin love pop punk. Power chords make me feel young, mind you not young enough that if I were to attend one of their concerts I wouldn’t be confused for someone’s mom coughmotioncitysoundtrackcough but hey the line ups at the beer gardens are short. This song is dance beat drums, soaring aforementioned power chords and the high pitched doubled or perhaps tripled vocals of lead singer Tyson Ritter who looks like all kind of dirty and yet I don’t seem to care. I am legal. Take that teenyboppers.
5. David Bowie – Golden Years
This is purely for my sister who was shocked and appalled that I didn’t know this song as of last summer. Clearly I was too busy listening to All American Rejects endlessly…I’LL KEEP YOU MY DIRTY LITTLE SEEEEECRET…but really I didn’t know this song. Then it was featured in A Knight’s Tale which we happened to view one night I spent the rest of my summer being ridiculed. This of course was righted at Christmas when Jen so cleverly gave me The Best of Bowie. This song rules. I don’t even know how I existed for my 24 years without hustling about my living room to it every day. Which I will make up for now.
Nowadays it’s tough to wage that indepedent war bands all over the music landscape are facing. Traditional retail distribution is sparse and ineffective, fans are fickle and it takes an awful lot of manuevering to reach them all. The majors are having a hard enough time so you can imagine the struggle for indies to spread the word and make a sale.
Take Vancouver based band The Vincent Black Shadow , they independently released their sophmore album, El Monstruo back in September through their fledgling label, Beef Records. The task has been an uphill battle but they’re making it work by reaching their fans online and short concentrated tours. You may know the band from their minor hit “Metro”(you say I’m crazy I know but the drugs don’t work no more) or you may know them from being out on Warped Tour, whatever the case may be its a definite adventure tracking those fans down, informing them the album is out and the added twist being its only available online at www.tvbsmusic.com . For the fans that actually go out and buy CDs (myself included) or purchase online through (my backup to not getting it in the store) it seems a bit like foreign territory.
This holiday season, The Vincent Black Shadow’s stellar second album is now available on iTunes. Of course the band’s own site is direct and reliable and features the album in higher quality then you’ll receive at iTunes but when you’re racking up those giftcards at least you’ll know where to put them to good use!
Back in early Dec likefoundlike posted that The Vincent Black Shadow digitally released the Head In A Box EP featuring the bonus tracks, “Head in A Box”, “Other People’s Children” and the insanely fantastic cover “White Rabbit”. You can purchase it now for instant download at www.tvbsmusic.com.
Hands down one of my favorite Vancouver bands is Nim Vind. I’m not even sure how to describe the music, its a little punk, its a little rock, its got a dash of Elvis, the voice is serious crooning. Influences include The Misfits and David Bowie so if that strikes your fancy, check it out.
Naturally I was pleased to hear that the lead off single from The Stillness Illness, “Killing Saturday Night” is now available at iTunes and Amazon just in time for Xmas. I find supporting local music to really be the best any time of year but especially at Christmas, when you see their ambitious little musician faces, it just warms the heart.
I’m going to go ahead and predict 2009 is going to be a big year for Nim Vind with the new album, hopefully lots of cross country touring and really getting the word out. If you haven’t already read up and pick up a copy of 2005’s The Fashion of Fear, featuring the real gems, “Killer Creature Double Feature” and “Saturday Night Creepers”. There seems to be a lot going on, on Saturdays which I’m totally okay with.
It’s amazing that since the advent of the internet the snail’s pace it’s taken the music industry to understand what the eff is going on. I mean big business is always slow to change, clinging to the past, never learning from their mistakes. Tape recording is killing the industry, video is killing the radio star, heaven forbid you attempt stay two steps ahead of the game rather than Lars Ulriching your way through your out of date business model.
Just this week it was announced the RIAA is going to stop suing people for illegally downloading copyrighted material. But rather than actually address the issue they’re just going to rely on ISP’s to rat our their users so they can proceed with teaching them a lesson. How about a lesson that you move your internet service to someone that won’t rat you out? We all know its only a matter of time before some kid gets their way around that plan of action and the downloading carries on. Give me a break.
Also just this week Nielsen released that music sales are up for bands that have their music in games like Rockband or Guitar Hero. No shit. No shit that alternative means of promotion are resulting in greater sales. Isn’t it obvious that no one is really in the business of music anymore? It’s generally just a bi-product a grander business.
It’s a shame that the labels couldn’t have been ahead of the trend and developed out a video game rather than having to license music and only make a minimum return and pray for a positive reflection in sales. Just like its a shame they couldn’t have been ahead the trend and developed user friendly online music stores rather than having to answer to iTunes.
Below is a clever little representation of how an entire generation will end up thinking. Sadly.
I love Queens of the Stone Age. Last Christmas I spent a majority of my down time staring at the screen watching YouTube video after YouTube video of every performance and interview from 1998 to today. It was quite the undertaking. So in honour of this fine holiday season here’s a little festive treat. It’s Josh, Troy, Joey, Deano & Mikey celebrating on Anthony’ Bourdain’s No Reservations Christmas Special. I’m not going to lie, it drags a little here and there, even though its been edited to just have the Queens moments but highlights include the ugly Christmas sweaters (Josh is looking a little festively plump, if you know what I’m saying and Mikey has one with kittens), the Mosquito Song (brilliant!), the very charming 37 Beers (outtake link provided).
Well I guess it didn’t seem worthy to spell out on their post, oh wait it was added as a PS 8 hours ago, that the Season 2 premiere of Flight of Conchords was only going to available to viewers in the US. Well. Wow. Thanks for nothing Funny or Die. Also thank you for completely countering everything I said about the internet leveling the playing field.
Who is deciding this makes sense?
There is nothing more annoying than the “we’re sorry this video is not available for viewing in your territory”.
Well I hope your content gets scammed and posted illegally because you couldn’t think of a logical way to circumvent the situation. Do you not see the lost cache in making it available the dedicated fans who want to see it first, who don’t primarily exist in the US. Who exist in this fancy thing called the world wide web, which generally isn’t contained by borders. Regulating the internet is a giant fail.
So a few months back, June to be exact, the blog Anti Quiet leaked a few of the yet to be released, still very mythical tracks off of GNR’s Chinese Democracy. Kevin “Skwerl” Cogill was then arrested in September, you can read all about his FBI adventure on his blog.
Now when this all went down, obviously this fellow was caught in a bit of a journalistic crossfire and the release of copyrighted material is an issue the music industry and legal system has been struggling with since the advent of the internet. It seems like an awful lot of grey if you ask me. I mean Shawn Fanning, the guy behind Napster, was releasing tons and tons of copyrighted material and basically shifted the entire scope of generating revenue within the music industry and I don’t recall him being dragged in by the FBI at gunpoint. I mean the FBI, give me a break, this is what they worry about whether or not Axl Roses’ majorly overdue album is available online? If anything his label should send the guy a thank you note for stirring up the already dedicated masses. Press is press and those dudes searching GNR leaks are the ones waiting with bated breath to get Chinese Democracy, and chances are forking over the $$. Its the casual listener isn’t hunting down leaks. And the FBI, well the FBI should be taking care of pressing issues. I’m not saying that makes the argument any better or worse, but I am saying it seems more like a matter of Geffen suing the guy rather than the FBI taking him down. Honestly now.
Anyways according to Jam Showbiz, Skwerl has pleaded guilty and who can blame him, how is one dude gonna fight this kind of hammer coming down on him. A requirement of his plea is to co-operate fully with investigators. I imagine names will be named, and I’m really quire curious as to the type of punishment the intial leaker receives and what happens to poor Skwerl. His blog is quite good, and he was clearly delivering something to the masses and now more than just eager GNR fans are taking notice, you should check er out.
Last year I was introduced to the glory that is Flight of the Conchords, the kiwi duo of Brett (Britt?) and Jermaine. Despite not having HBO I welcomed them into my home…and then naturally picked up the DVD when it became available to us poor behind saps in Canada. Now it can be viewed on The Comedy Network if you reside north of the border.
I’d been hearing rumours here and there that Season 2 was being written and/or in production but last night my suspicions were confirmed and much to my delight its going to be available much sooner than I thought! According to Funny or Die the premiere of FoTC will air Wednesday December 17th at 12pm EST/9am PST (I dunno about that am-pm ratio…looks questionable like a typo, huh). Naturally it’s business time.
Sometimes I can’t believe how regulated the internet can be so I have to say I really appreciate this trend in making more things available for online viewing, it makes living in Canada less annoying. There’s nothing worse than being behind and thankfully the internet is starting to level the playing field. And with something as hilarious and worth owning as FoTC, you really do need to go out and purchase the DVD. Speaking of which Season 1 would make an excellent holiday gift.
So obviously the biggest video online right now is the Jizz In My Pants SNL Digital Short from Dec 6 . The first time I watched it on YouTube it had only been viewed a 250,000 times , and now its up over 6.5 million. If that is not the power of viral videos I don’t know what is. Those guys are brilliant, and even more so for having it available legally on YouTube and not just the NBC site.
So naturally after viewing Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone scenester their way such a hilariously unsexy subject I had to see what else The Lonely Island guys had going on. Which has led me to my brand new favorite online video, Ka-Blamo! I’m going to use the term “brand new” very loosely as this clever tune was added in December of ‘05. Anyways is a Beastie Boys Whatcha Want type instruction on how to use the term “ka-blamo”, which isn’t really that complicated (your waters watery: kablamo, majoring in pottery: not kablamo). I recommend introducing it into your vocabulary immediately.
