DJ Craig's Web Log

Watch That Man

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:30:00 +0000

A pretty creative video featuring the man that practically invented New Wave music, David Bowie. He may have exploded onto the scene in the 70s but his influence continues to reverberate even today.

Hot Silk Pockets

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:25:00 +0000

"What's The Matter?" is the new song from Hot Silk Pockets. An irresistible bassline, punky guitar and Altered Image-esque vocals power this pop gem.

This up and coming band doesn't yet realize how great they are. Their loss is your gain as they are currently giving away this song for FREE!

Click here for "What's The Matter?" free download

The Regeneration Tour

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:54:00 +0000

The 2008 Regeneration Tour kicks off August 1 in Arizona.

80s New Wave Heroes Human League, Belinda Carlisle, ABC, A Flock Of Seagulls and Naked Eyes are on the bill.

Get ready to pogo, skank and mosh like it's 1983!

David Bowie Live '72 Santa Monica

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:21:00 +0000

This live recording captures Ziggy Stardust at the peak of his glory.

The previously unreleased October 20, 1972 concert at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (Bowie's first U.S. Radio performance), was broadcasted by the now defunct Los Angeles station KMET. Hear the entire concert here:

David Bowie - Santa Monica '72

Mr. Really Bad Dancer

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:22:00 +0000

One famous adage says, "Dance like no one is looking".

Please don't. People ARE looking. And it's because of the way you dance.

False Alarm

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:47:00 +0000

In the eighties, The Alarm tried sooo hard to be U2 but could never quite measure up. Where Bono could be overblown as well as profound, Mike Peters just came across as bombastic.

Now the mimicry continues. Only this time it is The Clash they are imitating on their latest release, "Guerilla Tactics". "Three Sevens Clash" has a fast punk tempo and hard edged guitar with lead singer Mike Peters doing his best Joe Strummer imitation. "Alarm Calling" is so close to "London Calling", not only in name but in beat and guitar riff, it borders on bad parody. "Right Now" is the album's obligatory stab at reggae.

All in all, this sounds less like a group collaboration and more like Mike Peters' own vanity release. The lack of depth in the song writing being compensated for by over-the-top pleading to "join the fight", is signature Alarm. The catchy hooks of past Alarm songs are few here.

The Man Who Refused To Die

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:45:00 +0000

Billy Idol keeps on keeping on. Idol, who admittedly has already, "used up his nine lives" is not only a survivor, he is thriving. He has overcome a serious motorcycle accident, drug excesses and a near career ending style change. Billy has finally come back from the brink to reclaim his mantle as Punk's snarlingest front man.

2005's "Devil's Playground" was arguably his best album ever. And he has seemingly been on tour non-stop since. While the majority of Billy's 80s contemporaries have long ago been thrown on the junk heap of pop culture, he continues to create new music. "New Future Weapon" and "John Wayne" are featured on a new greatest hits package, "Idolize Yourself - Best of Billy Idol".

Below is a live performance of "John Wayne" from a recent Jimmy Kimmel show:

Cover Songs- Tributes To The Classics

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:48:00 +0000

FLUNK gets an "A+"!

A good cover pays homage to a great song and the band that originally made it a hit. It is a tribute and a show of appreciation. It demonstrates that a classic song can stand the test of time.

To be successful, the artist covering the song has to put their own spin on it and not simply recreate a note for note replica just to boost their own image or pad music sales. When they can successfully change the instrumentation or arrangement, giving the song new life and meaning, it transcends its former limits!

Examples:

"Blue Monday"- Flunk
http://www.myspace.com/flunktheband

"Somebody Got Murdered"- Matthew Ryan
http://www.last.fm/music/Matthew+Ryan/_/Somebody+Got+Murdered

"Stop Me"- Mark Ronson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4kBr5WWiBM

"Rebel Yell"- Mr. Badwrench
http://www.last.fm/music/Mr.+Badwrench/_/Rebel+Yell

"Enjoy the Silence"- Lacuna Coil

Absolutely 100% FREE Music!

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:52:00 +0000

You say you want to download high quality music quickly and easily. You want cool music from both established, well known artists and cutting edge newcomers. Oh... and you don't want to pay a DIME for it?

Well why didn't you say so?

Lots of free music is available online with no strings attached. And not the kind that the RIAA will be taking you to court over!

Many legitimate sites offer promotional downloads just to get you to check out their webspace. It sure beats looking over your shoulder while you connect to some dubious peer to peer sharing network, hoping to find a good song at the risk of infecting your computer with a hard-drive-eating worm.

The Apple Music Store offers a free download, usually from an up and coming artist, once each week. Past offerings have included music from Cut Copy, Duffy, The Last Goodnight and Amy Winehouse. Check each Tuesday for the newest releases.

If you don't already have iTunes you can download it here for free:

APPLE iTunes

iLike is a social networking site that focuses on music and music lovers. iLike.com offers many free downloads. They range from established pop superstars like Cyndi Lauper to newcomers like She Wants Revenge. Here's a few FREE faves (click on the name to get your free download):

Astrid Williamson

Gabby Glaser

Cyndi Lauper

The Jan Watkins Band

Bridges And Powerlines

Al Marconi

She Wants Revenge

Amazon.com has now jumped on the mp3 downloading bandwagon with both feet. Poking around a bit in their mp3 store reveals lots of free stuff. Check out and download these without paying a cent for them while you can (click on the name to get your free download):

John Doe

The Raveonettes

Whitsundays

OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark)

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings

Ted Nugent

Dolly Parton

Nina Person

Finest Dearest

Michael McDonald

Brian Setzer

Good hunting!

Free downloads are subject to change and may only be available for a limited time. All downloads listed here should be both Mac and PC compatible.

Don't You Forget About Me

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:32:00 +0000

According to Billboard, New Wave heroes Simple Minds will reunite with all of it's original members next month. The original lineup will hit the studio for the first time in 27 years with the goal of recording "at least two new tracks" for release before the end of the year.

Blondie celebrates the 30th anniversary of their 80s masterpiece, "Parallel Lines". The album, featuring the smash hit "Heart Of Glass", has sold over 30 million copies.

The "Parallel Lines 30th Anniversary Edition" includes the 7" single version of "Heart of Glass," the French version of "Sunday Girl" and some remixes, plus a DVD with promo videos and TV performances.

RIAA Gets It Wrong Again

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:29:00 +0000

First, the Recording Industry Association of America generated tons of bad publicity by it's campaign to sue single mothers (and others) for hundreds of thousands of dollars for alleged illegal file sharing. Now the RIAA has effectively shot themselves in the foot.

Tanya Anderson of Portland, Oregon has been awarded $103,000.00 to cover court costs and legal fees stemming from the RIAAs unsuccessful prosecution of her last summer. The RIAA plans to appeal but still faces a case of malicious prosecution brought by Anderson.

Meanwhile a Minnesota judge is considering granting an appeal to Jamie Thomas, who was the first P2P defendant to face a jury trial for illegal file sharing. Thomas was originally ordered to pay $222,000.00 in damages.

The appeal judge is citing a potential "error of law" as to whether making a track available in a shared folder on a P2P network is an infringement. Arguments for a new trial begin July 1.

How about the RIAA taking some of that prosecution money and putting it towards helping the artists they represent put out a product people want to pay for?

Last Shadow Puppets Stuck In Time Warp

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:26:00 +0000

The Last Shadow Puppets new album, "The Age of the Understatement" is out. Arctic Monkey's leader Alex Turner's side project has produced wonderful results.

The album has a dramatic retro vibe that can only be described as Burt Bacharach meets Quentin Tarantino. Songs like, "Standing Next to Me" and "The Chamber" have a Mersey beat sound that will have you reminiscing about Gerry and The Pacemakers.

"Black Plant", with it's driving beat, Herb Alpertish horns and swirling violins, could easily be mistaken for a lost track from an old James Bond movie. "Standing Next to Me" is pure 60's talk show cabaret. "My Mistakes Were Made for You" looks to be the lead single.

If having one of the most compelling new voices in Rock allows for this type of experimentation, I'm all for it.

Why I Hate "Emo"

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:51:00 +0000

"The White Tie Affair" and "The Black Swan" are two more bands with new albums out this week that have been seemingly cloned from the prototypical, whining, emo-rock blueprint.

It is more disposable, angst ridden emo that is utterly indistinguishable from a thousand other groups jumping on the, "Look at me, I'm so sensitive I think I'll sing through my nose", bandwagon.

Oh the difficulties of going to the mall, meeting girls and not actually having to learn anything in order to progress through school. Life is tough.

If you've heard Fallout Boy, My Chemical Romance or any of the other in a long line of "misunderstood", enraged by pubescence boy bands, you've already heard this. Not that that will stop more of them from showing up on the scene in the weeks and months to come.

Feigning angst has never been so much fun.

B-52s Bring The Funplex

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:50:00 +0000

B-52s live on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" April 2, 2008;

The B-52's recent visit to KCRW includes live performances of material from their new album, Funplex, and old classics.

U2- Old And New

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:09:00 +0000

Irish rock group U2 took a break over Easter and have now returned to the recording studio to continue working on their 13th studio album.

Producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois are expecting a 2008 release.

The band's first three albums - Boy, October and War - have been remastered and will be released in July. Each album will be put out as a standard single disc, a deluxe double version that includes B-sides, live tracks and rarities and a vinyl edition.

Diamonds Are Forever

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:55:00 +0000

The Arctic Monkeys covering a Shirley Bassey classic:

The Worst New Wave Cover Song... Ever

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:28:00 +0000

I would like to nominate the immortal Jack Jones, who stole Bill Murray's bad lounge act parody and parlayed it into a career of impressive crapsuckiness, for his version of "Every Breath You Take".

"I'm here all week, tell your friends".

Return Of The Killer Bs

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:10:00 +0000

The B-52's latest release, "Funplex", is their first studio album in 16 years. The album picks up pretty much where the Bs left off, with "Love Shack" type tempos and party attitudes in many of the songs.

"Juliet Of The Spirits" stands out. It's no coincidence that Fred Schneider is absent on this cut. Throughout the rest of the album, Fred Schneider's voice is a distracting irritant rather than a highlight.

Walking the line between campy and cool is a difficult challenge that Fred and The B-52s have done so often I have come to expect it. But that spirited nuance is missing in Schneider's voice on this record. Too bad. "Deviant Ingredient" sounds great until Fred chimes in. Almost sounds as if he is reading off a cue card at times.

A couple of live versions round out the album. "Private Idaho" and "Planet Claire", both recorded during a show at the Roxy, prove that the B-52s can still kick it live!

Two Cougars and Five Daves Inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:23:00 +0000

Madonna, John Mellencamp and The Dave Clark Five take top honors at the March 10 ceremony.

With more than 200 million albums sold, Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the very first year of her eligibility.

The induction of 60's "British Invasion" rockers, The Dave Clark Five, came less than two weeks after losing lead singer Mike Smith to pneumonia at age 64.

"Heartland rocker" John "Cougar" Mellencamp was also inducted along with "rock and roll poet" Leonard Cohen and the 1960s surf band band The Ventures. Mellencamp took the stage to sing his 1984 single "Authority Song."

Iggy Pop and The Stooges performed at The Material Girl's request at the ceremony- the Godfather of Punk saluting the ultimate 80s commercial icon.

Lampooning Duran Duran

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:37:00 +0000

Those god awful videos from the 80s finally get their due in these hilarious parodies!

New Moon on Monday

Wild Boys

Union of the Snake

Elvis Is Alive!

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:15:00 +0000

The rerelease of Elvis Costello & The Attraction's "This Year's Model" (Deluxe Edition) is a revelation. The newly remastered 1978 album features bonus tracks that rival or surpass the studio versions. Included are liner notes from Elvis, complete lyrics and archival photos.

Among the jewels here are "The Beat" (Live), "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" (Live) and "Watching the Detectives" (Live). Each of these versions capture an immediacy and energy not found on the album versions. The keyboards are more prominent and sound more improvised, playing off of a darker lead guitar. Elvis sounds indignant and snotty, as you would expect but with a bit more sneer in his voice.

There are 40 tracks in all on this revamped classic.

The Clash LIVE!

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Here is a preview of The Clash - Live: Revolution Rock, which airs on PBS starting next week and hits stores on April 15. Check www.theclashonline.com to find the PBS airing in your market.

The Revolution Rock DVD follows the live transformation of the band, incorporating footage from all phases of The Clash's meteoric career, beginning with live-in-the-studio clips from 1979, through triumphant concerts from clubland (London's The Music Machine, 1978) and theatres (The Lyceum, 1978, 1980), climaxing with a transcendent blow-out performance at New York's Shea Stadium in 1982. The DVD also includes rare footage of the band’s performance on The Tom Snyder Show and on ABC’s Fridays.

TV Airing Schedule for So Cal:

Saturday, March 01, 9:00 PM
KCET - Channel 28

Saturday, March 01, 9:00 PM
KCET HD [D]

Thursday, March 06, 9:30 PM
KCET - Channel 28

Thursday, March 06, 9:30 PM
KCET HD [D]

Friday, March 07, 2:00 AM
KCET - Channel 28

Friday, March 07, 2:00 AM
KCET HD [D]

Sunday, March 09, 11:30 PM
KCET - Channel 28

Sunday, March 09, 11:30 PM
KCET HD [D]

Once!

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000

"Once" is the little movie that could!

Shot in Ireland over three weeks for a paltry hundred thousand dollars, the movie and it's soundtrack have gone on to garner critical acclaim, box office success and now, an Academy award for best original song for "Falling Slowly".

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who starred in and created the soundtrack, gave a heartfelt acceptance speech.

"This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all independent musicians and artists who spend so much of their time struggling," said Irglova. "No matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible ... this song was written was from a perspective of hope, and at the end of the day, hope connects us all."

Once is available on DVD and the soundtrack can be downloaded on iTunes and other music sites.

Blender Gives Props

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:26:00 +0000

The much maligned Blender Magazine has named among it's Top 209 Songs Of 2007;

Arcade Fire- "No Cars Go", "Keep The Car Running"
Bloc Party- "I Still Remember"
The Shins- "Phantom Limb"
Arctic Monkeys- "Brianstorm"
The Bravery- "Time Won't let Me Go"
Interpol- "The Heinrich Maneuver"
Klaxons- "Gravity's Rainbow"
Tegan And Sara- "Back In Your Head"
Kings Of Leon- "On Call"
Modest Mouse- "Little Motel"
Babyshambles- "Delivery"

As much as I might want to argue some of these choices (and no mention of The Cribs, The Cinematics or Shiny Toy Guns), it's nice to see Next Wave music getting some props.

Arcade Fire's Neon Bible album was ranked 2nd best of the year.

http://www.blender.com/The25BestAlbumsof2007/articles/10512.aspx

Bob Mould and Hüsker Dü

noreply@blogger.com (C) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 01:59:00 +0000

Before there was Nirvana, Grunge or the current crop of Daughtry/Nickelback sound-a-likes, there was Bob Mould and Hüsker Dü.

Mould, Hüsker Dü and later, Sugar, helped pave the way for the wall of guitar, angst filled rock that now dominates the "alternative" scene and did it better than most of these Johnny-come-latelys. Bob showed that hard edged rock and subtlety can live together in the same song- something that is lost on today's crop of axe grinding, over the top, guitar heroes.

Mould just released a new album, "District Line". He's still got a great voice to which his signature guitar sound, as always, serves as a melodic backdrop (what a concept).

Check out "The Silence Between Us" and "Stupid Now" if you get a chance. "Stupid Now" is the song Disturbed WISHES they could make!

Speaking of old punk rockers, The Sex Pistols have been confirmed as one of the headliners for this year's Exit Festival in Serbia.

John Lydon and band will top the bill at the Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad on July 13. Tickets are currently on sale. The Pistols have already announced they will be one of the headliners at this year's Isle of Wight Festival, and are rumored to be among the acts playing this year's Glastonbury.