Something about music, everyday.
Box came in yesterday (the release date), and did not disappoint! Well packed, safe and sound without a scratch. Therew on a few sides with my wife and the pressing sounds great. The poster is larger than I realized, not sure where I'll put it yet. Looking at the other extras, I suddenly remembered I'd... Continue Reading →
I won't lie- I love The Donnas. Are they derivative? Yes. Are the fun? Absolutely yes! On what ended up being their last all original album, The Donnas slightly shifted gears into a harder-rock/metal sound. I say slightly, because they had already shown their appreciation for the genre by covering KISS and Judas Priest. Here, they go... Continue Reading →
The Tragically Hip 1989/11/30- Toronto (FM) 1. She Didnt Know 2. Highway Girl 3. Smalltown Bringdown 4. Opiated 5. Every Time You Go 6. Last American Exit 7. Boots or Hearts 8. 38 Years Old 9. Blow at High Dough 10. New Orleans Is Sinking 11. When the Weight Comes Down Unfortunately, I hadn't the... Continue Reading →
I must have been around thirteen when I heard this song on the classic rock station. Perfect timing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1sf2CzEq0w Killer song! Definately made me seek out more of their stuff. When I started buying records, I was excited to find a used copy of their '77 live album, which didn't have "Twilight Zone", but "Radar... Continue Reading →
From dead.net: "Circles Around The Sun explore new horizons on the band’s upcoming double album, LET IT WANDER. It’s the first new music from the quartet since their acclaimed 2015 debut, Interludes For The Dead. Guitarist Neal Casal, keyboardist Adam MacDougall (his bandmate in the Chris Robinson Brotherhood), bassist Dan Horne and drummer Mark Levy... Continue Reading →
From Soft Cell/Lexer Music: "Soft Cell - 2018 Club Remixes EP - (Limited Edition 12" Picture Disc) - pre-order [2018-08-24] To celebrate 40 years since their formation, Soft Cell are set to release some brand new remixes for clubs across the world this summer. Soft Cell have been synonymous with the club scene since their... Continue Reading →
Sean Lennon is proving to be an interesting musician very much on his own tallents and sensibilities. Alter Egos is a soundtrack to a film which I actually haven't seen, but intend to eventually. He was apparently highly involved with the film, its soundtrack process, and even having a role in the movie. It does, however,... Continue Reading →
Black Sabbath 2016/02/17- Kansas City, Missouri 1. Black Sabbath 2. Fairies Wear Boots 3. After Forever 4. Into The Void 5. Snowblind 6. War Pigs 7. Behind The Wall of Sleep 8. N.I.B. 9. Hand of Doom / Drum Solo / Rat Salad 10. Iron Man 11. Dirty Women 12. Children Of The Grave 13.... Continue Reading →
Just as Pink Floyd's popularity was exploding, founder Syd Barrett was imploding. Somehow, from these opposing forces, the band in transition managed to make this oddly beautiful record. In one very real sense, A Saucerful of Secrets is actually the linchpin album of their cannon. It successfully brought to a close their early, lysergic whimsy... Continue Reading →
The entire 1980 Anchorage run really is as amazing as its legend claims, and truly deserves a complete official release. For the band's only venture to the northernmost state, the beautiful surroundings and occasion (summer solstice, when the sun never really set) provided a backdrop for magic. What resulted are consistently strong performances of songs... Continue Reading →
The Jons 2015/10/14 d- Tucson, AZ, The Flycatcher- Tribute to David Bowie 1. Soundcheck 2. Intro- Life on Mars? 3. Banter-Changes 4. Space Oddity 5. Thanks-Queen Bitch 6. Sound and Vision-Band Intros 7. Under Pressure 365MM Tape #4c. Audience recording seated middle of the room. Zoom H1 and Audio Reality Binural Microphones w/High Quality WAV->Audacity... Continue Reading →
Stevie Stardust & The Thunder Chiefs From Mars 2015/10/14 c- Tucson, AZ, The Flycatcher- Tribute to David Bowie 1. Tuning 2. Ziggy Stardust 3. Golden Years 4. Starman-At the Bar 5. Marriage Shoutout-All the Young Dudes 365MM Tape #4b. Audience recording seated middle of the room. Zoom H1 and Audio Reality Binural Microphones w/High Quality... Continue Reading →
The Amy Mendoza Band 2015/10/14 b- Tucson, AZ, The Flycatcher- Tribute to David Bowie 1. //Fame 2. Stay 3. "Heroes" with Introduction 4. Moonage Daydream 365MM Tape #4a. Audience recording front of slightly raised stage. Zoom H1 and Audio Reality Binural Microphones w/High Quality WAV->Audacity track divisions/labeling/dead air cut->MP3. First generation, uncirculated. My wife and... Continue Reading →
To round out the weekend, the next enstalments of my personal tapes. This time, three different acts on the same night with a common theme. Remember the Audio Reality microphones I raved about in a recent review? My uncirculated recordings from now on utilize them. What a difference they make! Check it out!
Years ago, a coworker lent me the Nuggets box set. Out of a lot of great songs, the unquestionable highlight was The Thirteenth Floor Elevators' track. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0OytJYBfwUk With the ease of hindsight and comprehensive collections, I invested in the wonderful Music of the Spheres and Live Evolution Lost vinyl box sets and found a download... Continue Reading →
Off to see a band tonight! Brownout- cool metal/funk band I heard about from a local radio station. They do some killer Black Sabbath covers alongside their own material. Should be a good show! Here's one of their tracks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5oR5DvT2cE
Lou Reed 1978/03/22- San Francisco 1. Gimme Some Good Times 2. Satellite Of Love 3. Leave Me Alone 4. Lisa Says 5. Coney Island Baby/Band Intros 6. Walk On The Wild Side 7. Sweet Jane 8. Rock And Roll Reed live can be very hit or miss. This recording finds him mostly engaged and performing... Continue Reading →
The new Dead box is officially announced and it looks like a doozy! As usual, there are a few options to fit your interest and budget. 1. Complete set 6 Complete Shows On 19 Discs ($190) or digital options ($120-150) • 6/22/73 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C. • 6/24/73 Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR • 6/26/73... Continue Reading →
After my first few recordings utilizing only the internal microphones of my Zoom H1, I understood the need for external mics not only for better audio capturing, but also inconspicuous placement. While my recordings of Guthrie, and Garfunkel were fair during softer parts, everything louder/denser peaked and became much harsher than I'd like to listen... Continue Reading →
Jobriath is one of the best glam albums. Period. It has also been one of the most criminally unheard. Fortunately, with re-issues and a documentary, rock's self-proclaimed "truest fairy" has garnered the notoriety and appreciation he sadly never received in his lifetime. First and foremost, "Take Me I'm Yours" and "I'm a Man" are absolute... Continue Reading →
After five years, neo-mod Miles Kane is back with a new solo record! The release date is August 10, so we'll have to wait a bit longer to jam out. The lead single, "Loaded" and its music video is up if you want to sample it before buying. Sounds good to me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e53GyXCgys The album is... Continue Reading →
The Who 1968/04/06- New York, NY, Fillmore East 1. Summertime Blues 2. Fortune Teller 3. Tattoo 4. Little Billy 5. I Can't Explain 6. Happy Jack 7. Relax 8. A Quick One while He's Away 9. My May 10. Shakin' All Over 11. Boris The Spider 12. My Generation 13. I'm A Boy 14. Substitute... Continue Reading →
These videos have been around for a while but they still crack me up. The YouTuber takes clips of guitar gods on stage, and selectively removes audio, and replaces the shredding with hilariously bad and/or inappropriate tunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbrDwzxj-V8 Check out his other videos in the same format! Funny stuff!
This is a very pleasant record! Literal surf pop, this is the debut from a married couple who decided to sail around and then made an album from their experiences. Moore, the singer has a very sweet and listenable voice that flows well along with the tastefully nautical compositions. None of the songs outstay their welcome,... Continue Reading →
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TyWVaZsUQjc Relaxing with The Simpsons after some grueling racquetball and the episode "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds" came up. I always forget how great the song is!
Japan 1981/02/07- London, England, Hammersmith Odeon 1. Swing 2. Gentlemen Take Polaroids 3. Alien 4. … Rhodesia 5. Quiet Life 6. My New Career 7. Taking Islands in Africa 8. Methods of Dance 9. Ain't That Peculiar 10. Halloween 11. European Son This is one of my favorite Japan concerts! I would say the band... Continue Reading →
Technical Ecstasy is in my unpopular opinion, the last great Ozzy-era (and Sabbath in general) album. By no means is it a perfect album, but it mostly works very well. A trio of tracks really make the album for me. The real treat is the song, "You Won't Change Me". Over mammothly slow guitars and... Continue Reading →
I don't remember the exact first time I heard "Heart of Glass", or even if it was the first Blondie song to my ears, but it was occasionally on the radio and made an early impression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU What a cool band! How perfect a song is that? It still is, and only one of so... Continue Reading →
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tkzY_VwNIek For my wife's birthday we're heading off to a nearby aquarium for a day of aquatic fun! This song and video are stuck in my head as we travel there haha!
Jefferson Starship 1976/07/14- Hartford 1. Ride the Tiger 2. Fast Buck Freddie 3. That's for Sure 4. Love, Lovely Love 5. Hot Water 6. Somebody to Love 7. Ozymandias 8. With Your Love 9. Play on Love 10. Big City 11. Hyperdrive 12. Nighthawk 13. Cruisin' 14. St. Charles 15. Have You Seen the Saucers?... Continue Reading →
Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead had an interesting relationship. While Garcia and company were playing covers of his songs since the beginning of their career, and many more that worked their way into steady rotation over the years, Dylan took a bit longer to return the favor. Most importantly, the much maligned tour of... Continue Reading →
I try never have unrealistic expectations for remix albums. With that in mind, this doesn't disappoint, but neither does it impress. Its origin album The Ray, is far more interesting on virtually every level, but these versions are a fair listen and nice enough complement. With such great source material and good level of quality... Continue Reading →
The Stranglers 1982/02/05- Ipswich, Suffolk, England 1. Waltzinblack 2. Down In The Sewer 3. Just Like Nothing On Earth 4. Second Coming 5. Non Stop 6. The Man They Love To Hate 7. Golden Brown 8. How To Find True Love & Happiness In The Present Day 9. Tank 10. Let Me Introduce You To... Continue Reading →
When I decided to start audience recording, I didn't even own a tape recorder anymore. I needed equipment. After hours and hours of exhaustive research and weighing options, performance, and budget, I was left with the Zoom H1! If you are considering recording concerts yourself, I suggest you start here. F.Y.I.- This is an unpaid/unsponsored... Continue Reading →
I can't believe The Americans is ending! It has been, absolutely without hyperbole, the best show on television for years! My wife and I are both sad to see it go, and anxious for the endgame. Here's the hypnotically catchy theme to pump you up for the final chapter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20sAhKwWeJQ
