Shadows Collide With People

Over the holiday weekend I promised myself to listen to some cd's that I hadn't played in over a year. The first was John Frusciantes', Shadows Collide With People. Different than what you would expect from a Chili Peppers' sound the album allows Frusciante to expand on different sounds and overdubbing techniques. An interesting listen by one of my all time favorite guitarists.
This Cold
"Between 1992 and 1997, John Frusciante had many periods where his main social activity was with spirits manifested as voices, thought waves, astral bodies and decay of physical matter. The things they taught him (often in non-Earth language, but often in English) are contained in this record's words. The feelings of this music is the feeling of the spirits John Frusciante is friends with." -John Frusciante self penned bio.
Chances
"Since I was four I've had deep feelings for music. By the time I was 7, I started becoming obsessed about the groups I liked. By the time I was 10, 11, music was the only thing that made life meaningful to me. My excitement about music is what led me to play the guitar in the first place – as well as feelings of pain inside me that I didn't know where to direct."
"Once I found music as a place to put that energy, I became a much more relaxed person, because I was starting to get aggravated at the age I started playing guitar, when I was, like, 12. I was getting very frustrated and angry, and once I started being able to learn punk songs and bash on my guitar, I became the peaceful person that I'm supposed to be." -(Austin Chronicle, Raoul Hernandez, 11/26/04)
Second Walk
"To make the album without the experience in my life would be impossible. It's only because I've gone so deep inside myself and faced so many things that by nature I should be scared of. You know, being in a room and sitting there with a ghost, hearing their voice in your head and seeing them as clearly as I'm seeing you right now." (Kerrang! Magazine, on 2/10/01)

Music Equals The Images

Yesterday, while I was driving home from yet another meeting a song came on the radio that instantly flashed an image in my mind. The opening guitar chords had barely started and I had a vivid image of people walking down the beach. Two heartbeats later the vocals kicked in and I placed the song, "In The City", to the movie, The Warriors. I haven't seen the movie in awhile but it just clicked right then and there. I got to thinking about how one of my favorite bands ever could be co-opted so freely. The movie scene over powers the numerous live Eagles concerts I attended. That's some freaky shit! It's funny but after a few minutes of thinking about it there are a couple songs that I associate more with the visual image from a movie than the band or the songs video. Case in point, Derek & The Domino's, "Layla" piano outro is attached to Goodfellas. Queens', "Bohemian Rhapsody" will be forever linked to Waynes' World. Elton Johns' "Tiny Dancer" will instantly take me back on the bus in Almost Famous. Stealers Wheel, "Stuck In The Middle (With You)", I don't care how many commercials later will always bring up the "ear scene" in Reservoir Dogs.

Audience participation time. What songs place you back in a film or television show instantly? Drop a comment below and I'll dedicate a post to it next week.

Gigantic: A Tale Of Two Johns

Over the weekend I watched the wonderful documentary on They Might Be Giants, Gigantic: A Tale Of Two Johns. The film chonicled the journey the TMBG endured over their twenty plus year career. Lots of behind the scene stuff, rehearsals, late night television visits, in studio and live perfomances. Highly recommended.
I'll be the first to admit that when They Might Be Giants first appeared on my radar I didn't get them. During the '80's I was a die hard metal fan. A guy playing poppy weird songs with an accordian just didn't fit my musical stylings. I passed them off as novelty song jokesters to fade away. They didn't and I ended up marrying a gal who could receit their album Flood forwards and backwards. Over the last nine years she has converted me to a TMBG fan. Their songs are intriguing, clever and don't disappoint.

Birdhouse In Your Soul
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Man It's So Loud In Here
Particle Man

Back And To The Left

In 1997 at the height of their independent career Texas Is The Reason imploded. They were one of my favorite bands during the '90's. For two nights only at the end of this month they are reuniting to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Do You Know Who You Are?. Here is my favorite track from that album and the subsequent bands the members joined.

Texas Is The Reason
Back And To The Left
from, Do You Know Who You Are?

New End Original
Lukewarm
from, Thriller.

The New Rising Sons
Monday's Highs
from, The New Rising Sons E.P.

Jets To Brazil
You're Having The Time Of My Life
from, Four Cornered Night

Sing Along With Monty Python

Hey, I'm stuck in a meeting for the day. They think I'm taking some stellar notes. Here are a couple songs to start your week off right.
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
I Like Chinese
Lumberjack Song
Sit On My Face
You Won't Succeed On Broadway from Spamalot.

The White Buffalo E.P

Last Friday I went to see Ziggy Marley in concert. The opening act was an amazing guy from Oregon, The White Buffalo (a.k.a Jake Smith). When he walked on stage with an acoustic guitar and two cans of beer I immediately thought he was a guitar tech. Once plugged in the next forty-five minutes were a set of heartfelt songs carried by a voice not regulary associated with a man of his stature.
Always one to have a unique way of looking at and processing the world around him, his lyrics showcase his perceptive observations and his interest in human situations. (ascap.com)
If there is one thing you ever blind download from this site this is the one.
Love Song #1
10 'til 2
The Matador
Purchase the The White Buffalo E.P

“I wanted to keep it organic, keep it raw,” he explains of the sound. It is. It’s sparse and essentially one voice, one guitar, letting the music infect you and the lyrics sink deep. “I really like words,” he says. And you can tell. He ploys with them with intelligence and creativity and core. Some of these songs come from life; some from a darker place again. And some just arrive. “A lot of it comes from nowhere,” he says. “a kind of gibberish that turns into something.”(surfingvibe.com)

Brian Setzer - 13

Brian Setzer moves to Minneapolis and unleashes a killer new album, 13. 13 was recorded locally at Pachyderm Studio, the same studio were Nirvana made In Utero. The songs are guitar driven encompassing a harder edge than on his previous records. Fueled more by the rock, than the rockabilly, 13 doesn't disappoint.
"This album is really coming straight from my guitar; it's all about the riffs." - Brian Setzer, on 13
Really Rockabilly
"Everybody’s trying to be this straight-out-of-the-book, ‘50s character, like they want to be an exact replica of Johnny Cash. Well, there was only one Johnny, so why not do something new?”
Drugs And Alcohol (Bullet Holes)
The Hennepin Avenue Bridge
Here are some local sites name checked in The Hennepin Avenue Bridge song.


The Hennepin Avenue Bridge

Nye's Polonaise Bar


St. Anthony Falls

I'm excited, having Brian in town will probably lead to more shows at Lee's Liquor Lounge.

Strummerlicious!

A couple of bands I have been listening a lot to lately are The Ruts and The Slits.

"Babylon's Burning" a (lamentably obscure) punky reggae classic, comparable to early Clash and angrier Specials songs, and it's full of great elements that function well on their own: a sinister riff-chugging intro, the late Malcolm Owen's Strummerlicious vocals, spine-tingling gang backing vocals and a wonderful ascending guitar figure that anticipates all the best things about post-punk. -- George Zahora
Babylon's Burning
Blackman's Pinch (AKA Let's Give Youth A Chance)
In A Rut



"They (The Slits) were loud brash bold and unrepentant.. they never compromised their image or stance...they must have inspired loads of women to pick up a guitar and form a band....they were pure punk driven by female power...they shocked a lot of people, both on and of stage. They were dangerous, and their very presence threatened those that considered rock to be a male-only pursuit." Mark Perry, 'And God Created Punk'
Typical Girls
Instant Hit
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Newtown

Joan Jett Can Kick Your Ass!

Alright we are up and running again. Last week I went to the Joan Jett and the Blackhearts show at First Avenue and was blown away. Now, I haven't seriously sought out a Joan Jett record in many years but lately I've been hearing her stuff all over the place. (The added bonus was also seeing Eagles of Death Metal.) The Blackhearts were out promoting their new CD, Sinner. The music on Sinner is the real deal rock n' roll that Joan made famous over her thirty year career. Edgy rock driven by her definitive voice and guitar. When Joan walked on stage and kicked into Bad Reputation the crowd new they were in for something awesome. Sadly, they stopped after the first song to announce the death of former Runaways bandmate, Sandy West. Joan dedicated the Runaways hit, Cherry Bomb and the show to West. The next hour and half was filled with some of the tightest musicianship I've seen in awhile. Goes to show that you only get better with age.
Bad Reputation (Live)
From Sinner
ACDC
Androgynous
Fetish

Dammit Janet

One last Halloween treat.
Who can get enough of men in fishnet stockings? This is the 1974 Roxy Cast recording starring Tim Curry.
Science Fiction/ Double Feature
Dammit Janet
Over At The Frankenstein Place
Sweet Transvestite
Time Warp
The Sword Of Damoclese
Charles Atlas Song
What Ever Happened To Saturday Night
Charles Atlas Song (Reprise)
Toucha, Toucha, Touch Me
Once In Awhile
Eddie's Teddy
Planet Shmanet Janet
Rose Tint My World
I'm Going Home
Super Heroes


The Rocky Horror Show Roxy Cast Recording.zip