FASCUBE-POUND

STAR WARS - RETRO PLASTIC IN ACTION

2010-06-16T09:34:00.001-05:00

Ahhh... this goes back to a much simpler time.

Before College.. and the Bush Debacle.....

Yesterday my dear friends, yesterday.

Posted by Cantu THE KING OF ROCK MUSIC, Metro Detroit 2010

Burger Millenium Falcon King !!!

2010-06-16T09:24:00.002-05:00

GOOD MERCY !!! ITS BURGER KING STAR WARS !!!
Where do I begin? The ending shot of the Burger King Millenium Falcon is pretty hilarious and in some ways... KING! I prefer this to the scary emotionless creeped out Burger King that is all of the current commercials. Definately destined to make you stay up countless nights in a state of sheer fear and panic.

I like this commercial because it goes back to a much more exciting time.

These glasses were never high caliber in quality. They would explode in your dish washer as my mother found out. These things are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP... and manufactured in the salt mines of China with illegal help at the cost of 2 cents per hour. That is some mighty fine cheap labor.

Posted by Ted Cantu - He remembers an easier and gentler time in America's rich history.

2009 What Happened To You?

2010-05-31T19:05:00.002-05:00

Good lord.

I just realized that I never even bothered to plug in ONE entry into this blog througout 2009. Will I be arrested? Have a committed a crime against humanity?

Maybe I will I mean ... after all. I subjected you to senseless radio drivel like 1 Eskimo and Peal Jam all last year. I never interviened with some intelligent sounds. Shame on me. And, I forgot to mention some of the more interesting musical news thats occured lately... such as the death of Malcom McLaren, (inventor of the Great Rock and Roll Swindle.. one of the greatest rock films ever constructed and filmed).

I cannot believe I subjected all of you kids out there to the available media. I should have been more on top of things....
What will happen now?

Dead Milkmen - Big Time Operator - Revisited

2010-05-31T18:57:00.002-05:00

1987 - Now That Was Music -- THE DEAD MILKMEN

It seems like a dream now. But one of these brilliant musicians is actually dead. The year 1987 seems like an entire lifetime ago -- in fact it was. But this song rings true like so many other songs of its era. It depicts an uplifting time when it seemed like anything was possible. In fact it was.

We still had MTV. And music was diverse.

It was before Pearl Jam, derivitive bands and Nirvana rip offs.

Enjoy, the song..... listen to its brilliance.

Ted Cantu writes about music and pop culture in Metro Detroit.

Jackie Rogers Junior For President Part 2

2008-05-07T22:44:00.002-05:00

Jackie Rogers Junior For President Part 1

2008-05-07T22:44:00.001-05:00

THE CHARLATANS UK - IMPOSSIBLE

2008-05-07T22:30:00.003-05:00

CONTROL - TRAILER

THE LIFE OF IAN CURTIS

========================

the Charlatans UK - Impossible

One of the more overlooked songs on the Only US release.......

When this tour took off in NYC they played mostly older material at the Roseland. I wasn't complaining however, I was lucky enough to get as close to them as I did.

Cantu - 2008

THE PLASTICS - ON SCTV

2008-05-07T22:10:00.000-05:00

From the early 80's

LOVE AND ROCKETS - ITS ALL IN MY MIND

2008-05-07T22:07:00.001-05:00

JACKIE ROGERS JUNIOR - IN HOT WATER AGAIN

2008-05-07T21:44:00.001-05:00

Posted by CANTU - on May 7, 2008

ECHOBELLY - IN THE YEAR.....

2008-05-07T21:14:00.002-05:00

"WHERE IS THE VIDEO - I SAID !!??"

Sadly, there was never a video for this track. However, it is one of the more brilliant songs from the ON CD.... This release was interesting for another reason. When you flipped the CD over on a 180 degree angle, it reads as NO. Hmmmm

I like this poppy version of Echobelly -- the first three albums really speak to me. There are so many guitar hooks on them so they never fall flat or become tiresome. The later CD's are very somber -- still brilliant -- but different.

This is worth picking up -- and you can still get it at Amazon.com.

This and "EGO - everybodys, got one" is definately worth getting because it has the same central themes working through the songs. Singer Sonya Aurora has a lot of heart and soul in these tracks while some riffs speak from the vault of The Smiths. Actually Morrissey first praised this band in an old issue of the now defunct, RayGun magazine. This was the creation of graphic uberlord David Carson.

After all this time -- this track shines in the dark.

Posted by Cantu on May 7, 2008

The FUTUREHEADS - Radio Heart

2008-05-07T21:10:00.003-05:00

"Thank You BBC - For Keeping Me In Tune With You"

This is what I get for not listening to the BBC for months on end. Yes, I have been busy with my business and have dropped the ball on my pop culture sensibilities. This band sort of snuck up on me on the BBC. I looked into it and realized I was missing out on something near great!

Ah, but such is the way of life in the world of pop. It is those unexpected times that you find gems in the dust. I cannot figure out where these guys are from. They only have a few singles and a couple of albums I believe. They are on ITUNES but this song is not featured which is too bad - because in a short time it becomes very memorable.

Cantu - posted this on May 7, 2008 at 10:22 PM

THE HOOSIERS - Cops and Robbers

2008-05-07T21:02:00.004-05:00

TH3 CURE - WHY CANT I BE YOU? Remember that song when it came out? I know I wasn't ready to see my Goth heroes glammed out with a jazzy horn section. I still don't understand the furry bear suit Robert Smith was wearing. I recall that video and song leaving me very confused and befuddled.

That is how I feel about The Hoosiers. I don't get it at first but it is a hybrid of somekind. Call me crazy but I can pick up a bit of Maroon 5 in here.... and a yearning to be memorable. At parts this song tries too hard but it is catchy.... and yes it does remind me of the Cure.... I'm thinking Lovecats... but that is really not it either.

Somehow all this bouncing around from note to note has made this song likeable. But they are cues pulled in from likeable material you have no doubt heard before. Still, I must say, I find these guys a wee bit interesting.

Enough for a second listen in any case !

Posted by Cantu on May 7, 2008 at 10:38 PM

THE WHO - SISTER DISCO

2008-02-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

KEITH MOON WILL NOT BE SEEN TONIGHT.....

This song has been dropped from the later WHO sets - which is a shame. This is actually a very good song. This was taken during the first Farewell Tour. The replacement drummer is Kenny Jones. Keith Moon, the former drummer, had a date with destiny after taking an overdose of pills and booze.

This punchy type performance is brilliant stuff. It came off terrible when it was released later as WHOS LAST, (Yes I bought it on tape!) as the sound levels were very muddy. As with all their performances you have to take the good with the bad and be lucky you got anything at all. I have heard some of the legendary 1976 performances on CD snippets and off DVD's floating around and those are much better if you can find them.

The latest WHO releases showcase a very different type of band. This was how I remembered them as a performing band -- loud, edgy and animated.

Cantu - posted this on Feb. 8 2008 9:37 PM

RICHARD BERGIS - MAN OF GOD

2008-02-08T21:16:00.000-05:00

"SURE, THERE ARE MANY IMPORTANT THINGS I COULD BE DOING.... BUT IM NOT DOING ANY OF THEM RIGHT NOW....."

This guy Bergis is about as smart as a box of rocks. He is repeatedly pranked by two guys over and over and over again. He never seems to figure out that its a set up and he is being positioned for unlimited harrassmnt. Still -- its very entertaining.

There are rants about God, Nascar, Christians, Gays, Multi Racial people and many more things including a very strange paternity case. If you like your comedy raw and crude then you will adore this ridiculous collection of tirades, rants and proclamations and near promises. There is nothing wrong with a little mental illness now and then.

The best part of this clip is when they call him back no less than an additional two times. It is hilarious on many levels. First up, nothing here is scripted. This level of comedy comes straight at ya from the hip. The other noticeable thing about this type of comedy is that there is nothing really likable about the victim. He is crass. It makes the jaunting all the more deserved.

The wife at the end of the clip is actually very frightening when she identifies herself and her distorted husband as people of God. Still, all and all they could always just hang up the phone. But they never seem to progress that far. These rants continue to get worse and we can see Bergis become hypnotically unravelled in the scope of under ten minutes.

Its predictable. And its perfect.

Cantu IS BACK and posted this on Feb 8, 2008

THE LITLE BRO PROGRAM

2008-02-08T16:52:00.000-05:00

THE HARDCORE ROCK AND ROLL LITTLE "BRO" PROGRAM

Hot Damn. Don't say we didn't warn ye.
Mein gott this is something else. This guy goes bananas. The comedy of this thing hits you square over the head about halfway through. The premise for this call is ridiculous. The infamous MR. BURGESS is once again dragged through the stinging red hot coals of interacial comedy.

Its hard. Its cruel. But by God, its hilarious.

Cantu is BACK .. MAN !.. and can be found at http://www.1seomichigan.com

THE REAL CONTROL - JOY DIVISION

2007-11-11T15:58:00.000-05:00

"CONTROL: TRANSMISSION RECIEVED...."

The overall effect of the movie, "CONTROL" made one feel out of sorts. At times you feel as if you are looking over Ian Curtis' life as an intruder. The film comes off simplistically in the beginning and you get panoramic viewpoints of what this movie is going to bring. It takes your concentration off the words that Ian is saying to you as a viewer. I missed the main part of the focus because I was trying to get a feel of the world he was in.

Ridiculous but true. I caught this subtlety the second time around. There is a full message there of course and the film is well constructed and whole.

Anton Corbijn, the director of the film, stated recently that everything he remembers he does so in black and white. Corbijn was the original photographer, he is of Dutch origin, and was there in the early days and snapped the compositions. But these formed his opinions on how the film was going to ultimately look like.

The band in the film did their own sound. But this sound, although impressive, lacks the total starkness that the studio releases had. That is what made the Joy Division sound so memorable because at times it was very eerie. They knew exactly what they wanted to create and what they wanted the audience to experience.

It still bothers me. You cannot shake it too easily.

Posted by Cantu on Nov. 11, 2007

ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN - LIPS LIKE SUGAR - LIVE

2007-10-30T19:02:00.001-05:00

Oh thank heavens... for little bootlegs......

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 30, 2007 at 8:02 PM

THE TUBES - TALK TO YOU LATER - "Fee Waybill - Rocks The House With A Snarl"

2007-10-25T20:47:00.001-05:00

"Fee Waybill - Rocks The House With A Snarl"
I could never figure out what these guys were trying to accomplish. This track is brilliant but the rest of the stuff off this album was hard on the eardrums. "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, (Attack)" was excruciating and "powertools" left me daft and embarrassed even when no one was around me.

Still, Fee was quite popular. His sound was FM radio ready in 83' and radio stations paid attention to him. They gave him lots of airplay too like on MTV and SCTV where they were guest stars for an episode of, "The Fishin' Musician" with John Candy. They also did a rocking tune called, 'Sushi Sue" and released some videos for SONY when the SONY 45 tapes were the thing to buy. This must appear like ancient history though with all this Internet glory going on in this wacky world.

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 25, 2007 at 9:53 PM

THE TRUTH - PLAYGROUND - Dennis Greives

2007-10-20T07:49:00.000-05:00

THE TRUTH - PLAYGROUND - On IRS Records

This is an another clip of a previous post on THE TRUTH, (Dennis Greives from Nine Below Zero). In the previous post it came with a somewhat unwanted extra of X singing BURNING HOUSE OF LOVE which I didn't particulary like.

I like the IRS tag in the beginning of the song. Here is what is interesting about this clip. Sure on one hand it is a total WHO rip off because its thrashy power chords with crashing drum rolls. But it works. THE TRUTH released this in 1985 and it is literally out of print.

I think its the most brilliant thing they ever did. The other albums they put out weren't as gripping as this. I also liked Grievsies later releases with Nine Below Zero but he really takes the R and B thing to a sleeping lull. Sometimes its amazing and sometimes its very subtle.

I liked the Townsend jump in the beginning. Its almost as if the UK kids had to come over here and show us how to do rock music. This really stuck in my head for years. The album - should you find it - is extremely expensive now and rare. I remember it being absolutely amazing in just about every way.

You really needed an album label like IRS back in the day. There was a lot of drivel going around with the devil and 666 stuff in the high schools. I was bored with it. I wanted something exciting. The edits are all equal length here for the most part. Its got a tempo to it.

Funny how you start to notice those sort of things when you actually do editing. Back in the 80's a lot of this stuff was done by hand before digital desktop editing....

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The only computers we had in 85' were those crappy Macs that were the size of a bowling ball.

The opening is from Back Porch Video. The Smartest kids in my neighborhood. I grew up in the same town as they did and used to watch this show growing up in Ann Arbor. They were the only kids that understood what I wanted to see and what mattered most. It wasn't rap music which at the time was not widely accepted as being a serious musical form. The things that captured my attention was bands like these.

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 20, 2007 at 9:02 AM

PAUL SHAFFER - DRESS COOL - DAVID LETTERMAN SHOW

2007-10-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

I remember seeing this but for some reason it stayed stuck in my head. After seeing it again I am not convinced that this was a comedy piece. I think Paul Shaffer was trying to be serious in this rock(?) video because the song is somewhat...... real?

Look for the guy who dresses up in christmas tinsel. I remember that scene. There is a lot of production that went behind this with stop motion animation and so on.

This was recorded in the mid-80's when David Letterman was really picking up a lot of fans. I would put this in 1985 - 1986. The whole period of 1984 - 1986 was sort of a high moment for the show because it was somewhat unpredictable and fun to watch. 1987 brought on a lot of attention to some of the things I took for granted like the TOP TEN list. When that segment rolled out in the 87' season they had monster CGI graphics and I really thought the production was trying too hard. I sort of lost interest in the show after that.

When it moved to CBS it had a whole different vibe to it. Remember too that in 1986 Eddie Van Halen used to play with Shaffer in the band. That was kind of weird to see since Eddie was always considered somewhat of a cult hero.

This clip picks up on the eccentricities of the 80's and how fun the early shows of Letterman used to be before they went big budget.

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 20, 2007 at 8:43 AM

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 20, 2007 at 8:39 AM

DEPECHE MODE - STRIPPED

2007-10-11T21:49:00.000-05:00

FROM DEPECHE MODE 101
The 80's brought on a ton of self loathing, emotionally stunted musical genius frontmen. Morrissey being one of them -- David Gahan being the other. There was something so dark about Depeche Mode that behind all those smiles it was hard to accept this as happy music. "People are People" made them popular on the radio but they were a lot darker than what they appeared to be. Yet, they were fascinating too.

And.... no it never surprised me when Gahan tried to take his own life. I was somewhat surprised though at the amount of drugs he took. Its amazing to see what kind of effect they had over their audience.

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 11, 2007 at 10:54 PM

DEPECHE MODE - STRANGE LOVE

2007-10-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

This was recorded during their height. I heard every version of this song when it first came out. It was super popular. There was a 12" mix, a dance mix, a club mix, you get the idea. There was a ton of different versions and some had just a little differences to set them apart. But I really thought they all sounded alike. I couldn't wait for the day when I could listen to this song and not hate it.

And that day is today.

There is a video of footage being shown on the sides of buildings that is great. This black and white version is nice too and it works on several levels. The confrontation of the word love appears in the palm of their hands. They laugh like schoolboys but the overall look is stark and startling. It worked wonders on me as I saw this brief clip shown on a commercial for SPIN magazine. I remember that entire sequence..... To me, that took balls. To confront an emotion in such a way.

... It was is there was some attempt to meet the emotion halfway. Yet on the other hand it was wearing ones heart on its sleeve. Still, I thought it was amazing.

I saw them around this time.

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 11, 2007 at 10:44 PM

FEMALE TROUBLES - CHA CHA HEELS

2007-10-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

Ah yes... this brings back sordid memories. This movie is horrific. Its Tragi-Comedic. And on the other hand it just plain sucks. But it does have some pretty good moments. These movies resurfaced in the late 80's where they were much appreciated.

The 80's were an amazing time. You could release just about anything on video tape and it would get rented. Thats where I first ran into this John Waters classic. Waters was an interesting fellow until he decided to turn into Walt Disney. Its amazing what a little money can do to some people. This new thing, "HairSpray" is just depressing and high budget. I prefer Waters when he had nothing to show in his stable but this morose heap of an actor, Divine.

Cantu posted this on Oct. 11, 2007 at 10:25 PM

THE ALARM - MAKING OF THE ALARM

2007-10-06T09:01:00.000-05:00

"Up Close With The Alarm - and Mike Peters"

This is inside the bands perspective of putting together a video. Peters and crew called it quits years ago until a recent VH1 show got them all together. Here they are perfecting their signature sound.

They are interesting because of their stage presence. Notice the cameras and mics coming from the ceiling like a boxers mic. This adds height to the performance. Also the multiple images being shown over the band adds a bit of visual dynamicism.

These guys really carried over the look and upbeat positive feel that created the image for IRS RECORDS, (which is now defunct). There was a lot of imagery and text floating over the bands videos and live performances. This was the case for a lot of the early IRS bands and added to their complex nature. All of these bands in the early days were quite interesting.

The Alarm is still producing this type of look and it really does cut against the whiney pop diva subculture that exists today. The other thing that sets them apart from competition is their ability to deliver sharp guitar hooks that jar up against one another. Somewhere in all that chaos this Dublin band is still able to deliver a likeable melody. When the entire thing is delivered and signed over you want to listen to it again and again. It has this long lasting effect that so many bands today seem to miss.

Ted Cantu posted this on Oct. 6, 2007 at 10:08 AM