WAVED RUMOR - Rock n' Roll

Remembering The Sweet's Brian Connolly

2012-02-10T15:38:00.007-05:00

Fifteen years ago, Brian Connolly, original lead singer of famed UK glam band The Sweet, was found dead of kidney and liver failure at the age of 47.

Between 1971 and 1978, The Sweet sold in excess of 50 million records. That's a lot of vinyl, my friends. To most US fans, 'Desolation Boulevard' remains the most glorious collection of tunes ranging from hard rock (Sweet FA) to glam rock (Fox on the Run).

Wikipedia notes:
"In 1974 Connolly was badly beaten up after leaving a nightclub in Uxbridge where he received several kicks to his throat which resulted in him being unable to sing for some time and losing some of his vocal range permanently. This event also meant the band missed out on supporting The Who at Charlton Athletic Football Ground. Several songs on the Sweet Fanny Adams had to be sung by other members of the band.

As time progressed issues between Connolly and other members of Sweet developed and he would find the band excluding him from decisions. Brian developed a significant alcohol problem in the mid-1970s. During 1977, when no tours were undertaken and two of Sweet's most successful albums were recorded, the power struggle within to run the band became even more apparent. Brian's alcohol abuse further compromised his role with the band as his voice began showing the impact in recordings and on stage during Sweet's 1978 US tour. He played his last British show with the classic Sweet line-up at Hammersmith Odeon, London on 24 February 1978. His final live performance with the band was in July 1978 in Florida, USA when they supported Alice Cooper. His departure was not made public until March 1979."

You can stream all three parts of "Don't Leave Me This Way" rock doc on The Sweet and Brian Connolly - Part 1 is below.

The Sweet's Hit Singles: 1971-1976
1971 Funny Funny
1971 Co-Co
1971 Alexander Graham Bell
1972 Poppa Joe
1972 Little Willy
1972 Wig-Wam Bam
1973 Block Buster
1973 Hell Raiser
1973 The Ballroom Blitz
1974 Teenage Rampage
1974 The Six Teens
1974 Turn It Down
1974 Peppermint Twist/Rebel Rouser (Australia only double A-side).
1975 Fox On The Run
1975 Action
1976 The Lies In Your Eyes

Cursive - New LP "I Am Gemini", Tour Dates, Crescent Ballroom, PHX Feb 27

2012-02-09T17:07:00.011-05:00

Veteran Omaha, NE crunch noisers Cursive have a new LP coming out, called "I Am Gemini". You can buy it now online. Physical version comes out end February.

Cursive's tour dates start this weekend, and the band comes to Phoenix later in the month. You can download two MP3s from the LP which the band call 'probably the most poppy/catchiest on the record' at Saddle Creek Store. Tour dates below.

The blurbists write:
"I Am Gemini is the surreal and powerful musical tale of Cassius and Pollock, twin brothers separated at birth. One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion in a house that is not a home ignites a classic struggle for the soul, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils, and twin sisters conjoined at the head.

Recorded in the summer/fall of 2011 at Omaha, NE’s ARC Studios and mixed at Red Room in Seattle, WA with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Minus The Bear, Isis), I Am Gemini marks the first time front man Tim Kasher, holding the completed story already in mind, wrote album lyrics in a linear fashion, in order, from song 1 to song 13. The result is thirteen singularly cohesive song chapters that blend effortlessly into one unique narrative. The moody and playfully sinister I Am Gemini is Cursive’s musically heaviest in years, with alternately muscular and angular guitars, pounding drums and driving bass. From the eerie introductory sounds of epic barnstormer “This House Alive” and the irresistibly catchy, insistent “The Sun and Moon”, to the searing “Double Dead” and the split personality prog-pop of “Twin Dragon/Hello Skeleton”, to the roaring, mournful closing track “Eulogy for No Name”, the album is a dynamic, mind-bending, and imaginative ride."

Cursive started in 1995, and rolled into the new century, opening for The Cure in 2004, before going on hiatus. They came back late in the decade, making their debut TV appearance on Dave Letterman's late night show in 2009 playing their melancholy "From the Hips" - Here's how that looked then:

Here's the first leg of their tour, which hits the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix on Feb 27th.

Sun-Feb-12, Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
Tue-Feb-14, Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
Wed-Feb-15, Neurolux, Boise, ID
Thu-Feb-16, Belltower, Pullman, WA
Fri-Feb-17, Neumo’s, Seattle, WA
Sat-Feb-18, Media Club, Vancouver, BC
Sun-Feb-19, Bunk Bar, Portland, OR
Mon-Feb-20, Wow Hall, Eugene, OR
Wed-Feb-22, Great American (NoisePop Festival), San Francisco, CA
Fri-Feb-24, Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
Sat-Feb-25, Glasshouse, Pomona, CA
Sun-Feb-26, Casbah, San Diego, CA
Mon-Feb-27, Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ
Tue-Feb-28, Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM
Thu-Mar-01, Abode, Wichita, KS
Fri-Mar-02, Record Bar, Kansas City, MO
Sat-Mar-03, Slowdown, Omaha, NE

Mid-Week Rock and Roll Wonderment

2012-02-08T14:37:00.007-05:00

There is a place in your life for rock 'n roll. Where you choose to put it and how much time you devote to it is entirely up to you. That being said, here are a few stories from around the Internet-O-Meter of Goodness.

- Creative recording magazine site TapeOp has a great interview in this month's mag with Steve Albini, the '80s punk rocker w/Big Black and Naked Raygun and current well-known record producer at his own Chicago-based recording studio Electrical Audio. In it, Steve shares his knowledge of recording bands, forging music communities, calling bullshit when it needed to be called, and working with illustrious rock icons like Cheap Trick, Nirvana, The Wedding Present and The Pixies.

- Classic Rock informs us that the 1971 T. Rex LP Electric Warrior is to be released in April by Universal. The new version will include four bonus tracks, previously unreleased demos and outtakes, radio promos, b-sides and the usual riff and raff.

- Amateur pop wunderkind Lana Del Ray played famed record emporium Amoeba Records yesterday. Yes, it was packed - click through for a crowd pic. And LAWeekly wrote kindly: "The tragic/romantic "Video Games" was more haunting than despairing, its melody lingering reproachfully in the air, the ghost of a long-lost and steadfast lover. Del Rey steadfastly thanked the overflow crowd for sticking by her during her recent controversies." How sweet. Check out a clip here.

- Freakin' Ringo Starr (read about his new tour in Rolling Stone) looks 100 times better today than he did in 1962! What's his secret? Well, he told an interviewer last year "I work out. I have a trainer. And I watch what I eat. That's it really. And I'm in love with a beautiful girl, so it keeps me young." BINGO! RINGO! I Wanna Hold Your....?

- Speaking of drummers, you know what they say? The bigger the rock 'n roll drumset, the bigger the drummer's... ego? :-)

Bob Mould to Play Entirety of SUGAR's Copper Blue

2012-02-07T15:28:00.009-05:00

Author turned punker Bob Mould has pulled in an awesome rhythm section to play his band SUGAR's classic 1992 release "Copper Blue".

In honor of the 20-year anniversary of Sugar's COPPER BLUE, Bob along with his band, Jon Wurster (Superchunk, The Mountain Goats), and Jason Narducy (Robert Pollard, Verbow) will be performing the album in its entirety for the first time ever at San Francisco's beloved small rock club, Bottom of the Hill, on Friday, February 24th as part of the 20th Noise Pop Festival.

Select European dates are listed below and go on sale this Friday, February 10th. Released in 1992, COPPER BLUE is widely recognized as a seminal work of Bob's 30-plus-year career. Featuring the singles 'A Good Idea', 'Helpless', 'Changes', and 'If I Can't Change Your Mind', it was named album of the year by NME and dubbed "thunderous" by Rolling Stone.

Bob Mould Plays COPPER BLUE Featuring Jon Wurster and Jason Narducy

Friday, June 1st
Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, UK
Tickets go on sale Friday, February 10th

Sunday, June 3rd
Ancienne Brussels - Brussels, Belgium
Tickets go on sale Friday, February 10th

Monday, August 6th
Tavastia - Helsinki, Finland,
Tickets go on sale Friday, February 10th

Counting Crows unveil new LP cover for 'Underwater Sunshine'

2012-02-07T14:47:00.009-05:00

From a fan-driven art contest, the vet alt-folk-rock band The Counting Crows got their next LP cover.

The LP is full of covers of favorite songs by the bandmembers. See full list below. Counting Crwos will play covers of songs by Teenage Fanclub (yay! Great choice!), Big Star, Pure Prairie League (Amy? oh no)and others.

CC singer Adam Duritz wrote to fans in an email: "The album art contest was a huge success for Creative Allies with more than a thousand entries, the most they've ever received. It's an even bigger success for us since we got our album cover from it."

Here's the next LP cover:

You can grab the song 'Mercy' at the band's website or at the widget below by giving up an email address.

And in a nice turnabout, the band is offering fans to record their fave versions of Counting Crows songs in an online contest at Indaba Music. Ever wanted to record 'Round Here'? Well, now's your chance.

Here's the tracklisting for the Underwater Sunshine LP:
Untitled (Love Song) by Romany Pye
Start Again by Teenage Fanclub
Hospital by Coby Brown
Mercy by Tender Mercies
Meet On The Ledge by Fairport Convention
Like Teenage Gravity by Kasey Anderson & The Honkies
Amie by Pure Prairie League
Coming Around by Travis
Ooh La La by The Faces
All My Failures by Dawes
Return of the Grevious Angel by Gram Parsons
Four White Stallions by Tender Mercies
Jumping Jesus by Sordid Humor
You Ain’t Going Nowhere by Bob Dylan
The Ballad of El Goodo by Big Star

Adam Ant added to Rewind 80s Music Festival lineup

2012-02-06T16:49:00.016-05:00

'80s music nostalgia is in the air! Never Gonna Give You Up! Red Red Wine! Back to Life, Back to Reality, and I'm Too Sexy! It's a Glastonbury for the middle-classed, 2 kids-and-a-flat set that bit their lips quaveringly in the 1980s while dancing at the local discotheque.

The Rewind Festivalm, now in its fourth year, will be held in two locations this coming summer - in Perthshire, Scotland on July 21-22 and in Thames on Henley, England on August 18-19. And the NEW news is that the Rewind Festival have confirmed “Adam Ant and The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse” as very special guest.

Adam Ant joins the glittering line-up of iconic 80s artists already on the bill for both Rewind Festivals, including Kool & The Gang, The Bangles, OMD and Soul II Soul, Average White Band, Ali Campbell’s UB40, Holly Johnson and Village People. This year's Rewind 80s Music Festivals in Perth and Henley will feature another massive line-up of iconic 80s recording artists.

If Adam Ant plays 'Beat my Guest' at the shows, it would soooooo worth going! Adam Ant is apparently back in good physical and mental health and will tour all over the world this year - see his tour dates here. Playing San Diego's 4th & B club? Chicago's Cubby Bear? Crazy cool. Beat me, daddio-oh-oh.

Click over to NME for videos of past '80s performers at earlier Rewind festivals.

Capsula - New track, SxSW, tour dates

2012-02-06T11:33:00.007-05:00

I'm digging this revved-up Stooges-like-intensity rock 'n roll song called "Hit 'n Miss" from the band Capsula, a trio of long hairs from south of the border, like South America south!

From the blurbsters:
"Capsula's Martin Guevara (vocals/guitar) and Coni Duchess (vocals/bass), along with Capsula drummer, Nacho, collectively create the musical storm, a whirlwind of psychedelic wonder and punk rock fury. Their music roars with a combination of garage rock toughness and modern style that have earned them a wide range of comparisons from The Stooges and The Pixies to Sonic Youth and David Bowie.

Although the band now lives in Bilbao, Spain, all three were born in Argentina. Capsula will be touring the US in 2012, following their third SXSW showcase, on Thursday March 15. Witnessing Capsula live is an experience not easily forgotten, as they tear though blistering washes of guitar and pounding rhythms delivered with the true essence of punk rock attitude, garnering a great deal of acclaim from Rolling Stone, Wired Magazine and The Chicago Tribune."

Capsula's SxSW dates and European dates are below. More rockin' songs and info at the band's MySpace page. Here's "Hit 'n Miss":

Feb 18 Madrid, Joy Eslava, ARCO MADRID 2012
Feb 23 Barcelona, Sidecar (GPS)
Feb 24 Zaragoza, Sala López (GPS)
Feb 25 Castellon, Four Seasons
Feb 29 Madrid, FNAC Callao
Feb 29 Madrid, Siroco (GPS)
Mar 01 Valencia, Xtra Large (GPS)
Mar 13 House Of Creatives, Austin, Tx
Mar 15 SXSW Krian / BFM Showcase, Iron Bear, Austin, Tx
Vhs Or Beta, Capsula, Hands, The Ettes, Suckers, The Strange Familiar
Mar 16 EIS, Austin, Tx
Mar 30 Ponferrada, La Vaca (GPS)
Mar 31 Leganes, Derry (GPS)
Jun 09 Zarautz, Rockumentalak 2012

Natural Child - Balls to the Wall Rock

2012-02-03T14:25:00.009-05:00

Nashville smokin' classic rock revivalists band Natural Child is heading out with Oakland's Hunx and His Punx for an April tour, with a stop at Tempe's Yucca Tap room on (yep, you guessed it) 4/20. Weed, dude.

Natural Child's bio is a pot-brownie-filled hoot...To wit:
summer 2009 wez ate brownies had a vision. He told big black zack and called seth 3 times. They started the nashville-based three piece rock band called Natural Child. Maybe known as much for their incessant rambling on-stage banter as their unprecedented pure rock sound, Natural Child are often described as “the greatest rock n’ roll band in the world”, a title which the trio has worked mercilessly hard to gain…and they have the balls to show for it.

Natural Child want to play in Jamaica and want to play at the pyramids. They have a plan that involves Jack White to befriend Keith Richards and be the opening act on Rolling Stones farewell tour, thus having “the greatest rock n’ roll band in the world” torch officially passed on to them. Not Jack White. These guys love to party. And they love to ride in that van. Oh man."

Natural Child are touring like mad, and will be playing shows with Thee Oh Sees at SXSW. The band is releasing three LPs this year. Two of those albums via Burger Records: Bodyswitchers, a reissue to be released in March (originally released on cassette on Infinity Cat) and For the Love of the Game set to be released in May. The guys are currently working on Hard in Heaven, their fourth full-length album, which will drop "before the world ends in 2012."

Stream Natural Child's new song "Ain't Gonna Stop" from their upcoming release "For the Love of the Game".

Natural Child Tour with Hunx and His Punx

04/05/12 Poughkeepsie, NY @ Vassar College
04/06/12 Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
04/08/12 Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space
04/09/12 Belmont, NC @ Haunted Mill
04/10/12 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
04/11/12 Birmingham, AL @ BottleTree
04/12/12 Gainesville, FL @ Boca Fiesta
04/13/12 Miami, FL @ Churchills
04/14/12 Orlando, FL @ Wills Pub
04/17/12 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
04/18/12 Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
04/19/12 El Paso, TX @ M’s Lips
04/20/12 Tempe, AZ @ Yuca Tap Room
04/21/12 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah

No 'Rock n Roll Pt 2' at Super Bowl

2012-02-03T14:14:00.006-05:00

1970s British popster Gary Glitter's glam rock anthem 'Rock n Roll Pt. 2' which in the past years was heard at certain sporting events, has been banned by the NFL.

Spinner writes:
"NFL bosses have banned Gary Glitter songs from being playing at this Sunday's Super Bowl. The pedophile pop star created a stir when fans believed he stood to rake in thousands of dollars if his 1972 anthem 'Rock and Roll Part 2' was blasted at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.

"No version of that song ['Rock and Roll Part II'] has been played at the Super Bowl since 2006. We are not playing the song on Sunday and never intended to," NFL representative Brian McCarthy said. The NFL asked teams not to play the Glitter song in 2006, but stadiums were permitted to use a cover version."

That's OK, I always liked "I Didn't Know I Love You Til I Saw You Rock n Roll" better anyway...

Fishbone Documentary "Everyday Sunshine"

2012-02-03T14:04:00.006-05:00

Indie soul-ska-punkers Fishbone have their own documentary! It's called 'Everyday Sunshine'and it's playing at a bunch of independent showings. Check the documentary screening dates page for info and dates.

"Everyday Sunshine is a documentary about the band Fishbone, musical pioneers who have been rocking on the margins of pop culture for the past 25 years. From the streets of South Central-Los Angeles and the competitive Hollywood music scene of the 1980's, the band rose to prominence, only to fall apart when on the verge of "making it."

Laurence Fishburne narrates Everyday Sunshine, an entertaining cinematic journey into the personal lives of this unique Black rock band, and an untold story of fiercely individual artists in their quest to reclaim their musical legacy while debunking the myths of young Black men from urban America.

At the heart of the film's story is lead singer Angelo Moore and bassist Norwood Fisher who show how they keep the band rolling out of pride, desperation and love for their art. To overcome money woes, family strife, and the strain of being aging Punk rockers on the road, Norwood and Angelo are challenged to re-invent themselves in the face of dysfunction and ghosts from a painful past.

Highlighting the parallel journeys of a band and their city, Everyday Sunshine explores the personal and cultural forces that gave rise to California's legendary Black punk sons that continue to defy categories and expectations."

The current Fishbone lineup is touring most of February on the backs of their new 'Crazy Glue' EP.

Here's Fishbone in 1991 doing the song 'Everyday Sunshine' live:

The Foo Fighters "These Days" Plus Grammys

2012-02-02T14:31:00.007-05:00

The Grammys are coming to your screen of choice on February 12th. The latest Grammy news is that Bruce Springsteen is going to playing (his new single, perhaps?). From the blurb:

"Twenty-time GRAMMY winner Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have been added to the stellar lineup for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Actor/recording artist Jack Black, six-time GRAMMY winner and current three-time nominee Fergie, three-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of the Roots, and nine-time GRAMMY winner Ringo Starr will appear as presenters. Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon.

Previously announced performers for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards include Adele (in her first live performance since undergoing vocal cord surgery last fall); Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson; Glen Campbell with the Band Perry and Blake Shelton; Coldplay and Rihanna; Foo Fighters; Bruno Mars; Paul McCartney; Nicki Minaj; Katy Perry; and Taylor Swift. Aldean, the Band Perry, Minaj, and Shelton will perform on the GRAMMY telecast for the first time."

The Foo Fighters, who are nominated in several rock music categories, are likely a shoo-in for 'Best Rock Album' - how can Jeff Beck, Wilco, Red Hot Chili Peppers or Kings of Leon compete with the Dave Grohl rock 'n roll juggernaut? Answer? They can't.

You wanna know why? This is why. See the Foo Fighters' new five-and-a-half-minute video below for their song "These Days". HUGE rock audiences, Dave Grohl's rock enthusiasm and band shots from on and off the stage combine to make this an epic video.

The Hives - 2012 Tour Dates

2012-02-01T13:56:00.004-05:00

Do you wanna see The Hives? I said DO YOU WANNA SEE THE HIVES? You know you do!

If so, you gotta be on the West Coast in April - Coachella on successive weekends, and California club and theater dates in between.

APRIL 2012

15 April 2012 - Indio, CA COACHELLA

17 April 2012 - Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern (click here for presale link)

18 April 2012 - San Francisco, CA The Warfield

22 April 2012 - Indio, CA COACHELLA

Click to their tour page for links to get tickets.

Happy Birthday, Johnny Rotten!

2012-01-31T19:15:00.009-05:00

The Rock 'n Roll Guru reminded us today....

"January 31, 1956: John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten, was born. He is 56. Johnny Rotten was a member of the much-loved yet short-lived (save for a few reunion tours) Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols were the definitive punk band and left a legacy well beyond their brief existence."

Forget the Pistols! It's 2012 and John at 56 is all about Public Image Ltd., Lydon's post Pistols band. The PiL musical entity (ie. band) is planning for the release of a new LP this spring, while its entire PIL back catalog is being reissued this year, and the band is planning tour dates. Its first date is at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, England on August 4th.

Lydon formed Public Image in 1978 with early Clash guitarist Keith Levene (guitar), Jah Wobble (bass), and Jim Walker (drums). The band then signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single 'Public Image' in October, followed by the album 'Public Image - First Issue' in December. PiL played their first UK shows on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Read more of the band's history.

Catch Mr. Lydon doing his thing with PiL below.

Urge Overkill - Australia dates, Stripped down video for 'Quiet Person'

2012-01-30T17:46:00.008-05:00

Spinner.com has a new video from Urge Overkill for their song 'Quiet Person'. It's a track from the reunited band's 'Rock and Roll Submarine' LP from last year. But in its version below, it's stripped down, bare and raw, and ultimately affecting.

"'Quiet Person' came from a project given to me during rehab in Malibu because I had talked a lot about depression and how it led to feeling like I had a bad case of writer's block," vocalist and guitarist Eddie "King" Roeser tells Spinner. "My counselor finally said if you want to get out of here you'll have to come up with a finished song, but I never thought of it for Urge Overkill until everyone heard it and thought it should be put out in its raw form, straight from the treatment center!"

The band's Ed Roeser is also interviewed by the AU Review, and it's worth a read to learn about the band's early days. Here's a snippet:

"A couple of weeks later I asked around where I could get a hold of this Nash character and even though I had never played bass before that’s how we started out like I just lost the drummer and the bass player I’m sorry it’s over. I said well I’m sure I could pick up the bass. Let’s give it a shot, I’d always been a guitar player with my own ideas. You know, it took off from there. Steve Albini was at the same school. He was Nash’s roommate at the time and the band moved off campus and very soon he had dropped out so needless to say I didn’t spend a whole lot of time on campus after that.

But Big Black … played at the same party actually. I saw Big Black do their first night and that was a real eye opener for me in that you know it was a fairly conservative campus at that time and I finally found - after being there a year- I finally found you know the people that I wanted to hang out with. Steve was just learning to record music and soon after that, in the next couple of years, he was moving to a house and setting up a recording studio and we recorded most of our record in his basement as sort of a guinea pig project. And Touch N Go had been releasing Big Black and Steve played them some of our material so that’s how we got our first record out. That was all happening in Chicago back in the late 80s."

Urge Overkill tour dates are in Australia in the coming weeks.

Code Orange Kids - New release, tour dates

2012-01-30T17:16:00.006-05:00

Code Orange Kids are a bunch of young punk kids from Pennsylvania who make a slamnoisyfastracket (check out some tracks at their Bandcamp site). It's intense, in your face, and it may piss you off just listening to it.

Their pals at Topshelf Records will release a split EP featuring Code Orange Kids and Full of Hell in April. Here's what they say about Code Orange Kids:

"They do things their way, creatively cutting their own path through it all. Unconcerned with the direction of other artists, their brand of gritty hardcore/punk is simply refreshing to hear. Merging cryptic melody, dirty hardcore power, and intense dirges into their own uniquely inspired sound."

Code Orange Kids are on tour now in the U.S. with Xerxes (whose van broke down over the weekend - hopefully they are back and running). Dates are below:

01/26: Fresno , CA @ China Youth Center w/ Xerxes
01/27: Sacramento , CA @ The Dough Joe w/ Xerxes
01/28: Santa Rosa , CA @ Transient Lounge w/ Xerxes
01/29: Portland , OR @ Punk Tank w/ Xerxes
01/30: Tacoma , WA @ The Red Room w/ Xerxes
01/31: Boise , ID @ Studio 9 w/ Xerxes
02/01: Salt Lake City , UT @ TBA w/ Xerxes
02/02: Denver , CO @ Blast-O-Mat w/ Xerxes
02/03: Kansas City , MO @ Asshole Castle w/ Xerxes
02/04: Omaha , NE @ TBA w/ Xerxes
02/05: Cedar Fall, IA @ 1108 House w/ Xerxes
02/06: Peoria , IL @ Washington Illinois VFW w/ Xerxes
02/07: Chicago , IL @ Subterranean w/ Xerxes
02/08: Grand Rapids , MI @ DACC w/ Xerxes
02/09: Ashtabula , OH @ West End Art Space w/ Xerxes
02/10: Louisville , KY @ Chestnut House w/ Xerxes

Rock Clip of the Week - The Living End "Prisoner of Society" (live)

2012-01-27T18:21:00.007-05:00

It's summertime now in the southern hemisphere, and that means Australia is in the middle of its Big Day Out festivals all across the country.

One of the perennial favorites for Big Day Out is the rockin' punk trio The Living End, who played Sydney's Big Day Out fest on Thursday, and will again perform at the Melbourne Big Day Out date on Sunday. The Living End joins Kanye West, My Chemical Romance, Noel Gallagher and his birds, and others on the stages.

The Big Day Out promo blurb captures the excitement of The Living End:

-- "Leading the Aussie charge onto the battlefields of BIG DAY OUT 2012 are THE LIVING END and our troops couldn’t be in more capable hands. This will mark the band’s fifth appearance on the national tour and it’s safe to say Chris Cheney, Scott Owen and Andy Strachan have well and truly solidified their place in the annals of the BDO since their first showing in 1999. Evidently the trio have also made a huge impact on a national scale having landed the No. 4 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time with their self titled debut album . With their sixth album, The End is Just the Beginning Repeating, in tow the boys are set to write another, darker chapter, to their legacy with what they state is their most honest album to date. It’s no holds barred this time around, with THE LIVING END set to lay it bare."

Here's a clip of The Living End doing a classic track of theirs called "Prisoner of Society" at the 2009 Big Day Out fest. An enterprising promoter should put Bad Religion and the Living End together for a tour - like brothers from a different mother!

Have a rock n roll weekend!

PsychFest - Austin, TX April 27-29

2012-01-27T14:17:00.008-05:00

Set your roadtrip (and headtrip) plans now. The initial lineup for the Austin Psych Fest 2012 on April 27-29, 2012 features Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels and The Black Lips lead the lineup.

The all-ages festival will be held at Emo's East & Beauty Ballroom in Austin. Tickets are available now. Here's the full list of bands:

Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels, The Black Lips, Olivia Tremor Control,
Dead Meadow, Wooden Shjips, Bombino, Woods, The Telescopes, Pink Mountaintops,
Disappears, Sun Araw, Peaking Lights, Prince Rama, Psychic Ills, Pure X, Indian Jewelry, Sleep Over, Lotus Plaza, Moon Duo, Quilt, The Intelligence, Amen Dunes,
Ringo Deathstarr, Headdress, Spindrift, Night Beats, Acid Baby Jesus, The UFO Club,
Allah Las, Federale, Quest for Fire, High Wolf, Christian Bland and The Revelators,
Cosmonauts, MMOSS, Smoke and Feathers, Orange Revival, The Band In Heaven, The Cush.

Phoenix Open Bird's Nest Music Feb 1-Feb 4

2012-01-27T13:33:00.006-05:00

Pro golf, beautiful weather, live music and beer? That's what the Waste Management Phoenix Open offers year after year. And sure, there are no real surprises, but hanging out at the golf outing's live venue "The Bird's Nest" is usually a good time, if you can deal with occasional douchebaggery and drunken shenanigans. The music and the women make it worth a trip.

Here's the music lineup for this year's fun: (thanks to Scoop Factory for the content below)

Wednesday, February 1: Slightly Stoopid will kick off the four days of concerts, entertaining fans with their reggae rock fusion. Local band Elvis Before Noon and DJ Ronnie G will also perform. Show begins at 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 2: The Goo Goo Dolls will slide into the Birds Nest to perform some of your favorites like it was 1998 again. DJ Ronnie G and Kelly James will also perform beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Friday, February 3: Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas will be spinning records. Check out his DJ skills before his electro-dance album drops later this year. Also performing, The Chadwicks, Kelly James and yep, DJ Ronnie G beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 4: What PGA Tour wouldn’t be complete without an 80s cover band? Flashback Heart Attack, from southern California, performs with Champagne Tap, Smasht and DJ Ronnie G beginning at 6:00 p.m.

The Ex-Girlfriends Club - New LP, Sonics Cover

2012-01-26T22:11:00.010-05:00

Great to read that Portland garage-punk glam rockers The Ex-Girlfriends Club have a new release coming out next week.

The LP is called 'Boo Hoo Hoo' and it's available from 1/31 at all the digital outlets. Guitarist Orion of the Apocalypse wrote recently to say: "'Boo Hoo Hoo' is for fans of Pissed Jeans, The Murder City Devils, Queens of the Stone Age and older bands like The Dead Boys or The Stooges. We worked with Timothy Stollenwerk (Thee Oh Sees, Wooden Shjips) from Stereophonic on this record and we're really excited about it!"

The band covers The Sonics' 'Witch' - Grab the MP3 of The Ex-Girlfriends Club cover of The Sonics' 'Witch' You can also grab an MP3 of the opening track "Your Prescription" from the band's website.

Tracks include:
01 Your Prescription
02 Coming Off Benzos
03 Lightning Bolt
04 The Witch
05 Take it From Me
06 Devil Eyes
07 Mister Singer
08 I'm Not Your Man
09 The Seer

The Ex-Girlfriends Club is celebrating with a few hometown shows for the release. No word on if a tour is in the offing.
01|28|12 @ Slabtown, Portland OR w/The Cry | Beyond Veronica
01|29|12 @ Club 21, Portland OR w/Holy Children | LSD&D

Nada Surf - Live NYC show (Jan 24, 2012)

2012-01-26T22:02:00.006-05:00

If you've never seen Nada Surf play live, then you're missing gorgeous vocals, cracklin' guitars, and a pop-tight rhythm section.

Here is the next best thing. Nada Surf played NYC's Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday night, and turned in a great performance, with a bunch of new songs from their new LP. Added guitarist Doug Gillard plays wonderfully off singer-guitarist Matthew Caws. Online music channel Rdio & BandPage sponsored the video and Nada Surf is sharing at YouTube. It's embedded below.

The SST Tour - 1985 (Husker Du, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Saccharine Trust, SWA)

2012-01-26T00:08:00.016-05:00

SST Records used to put together its SST bands on package tours and send 'em out to do Greg Ginn's bidding, er, I mean to play shows! And then a video of the show would come out. Here's the liner sleeve above for the full video clip below.

Looking back on those lineups today, you're likely to think 'WOW, it must've been amazing to see these bands back in their heyday'. And maybe you're right, and maybe you're wrong. Some nights might've smoked and other nights might's been drunken aberrations or dope-fueled jam sessions.

But in the case of this SST tour from early in 1985, you have what D. Boon of The Minutemen call 'a brotherhood of bands'. Indeed, it was - SWA, Saccharine Trust, The Meat Puppets, The Minutemen and Husker Du - a brotherhood of bands. This clip below is a compilation of all the band's sets from January 5, 1985.

And it's cool. Great to see early Saccharine Trust and SWA, a youthful, gangly Meat Puppets playing oldies onstage and The Minutemen and Husker Du live in their prime. Amazing the sound that killer trios can make. Catch The Minutemen covering the Meat Puppet's classic "Lost", Husker Du's Grant Hart drumming barefoot and pounding out a thrilling "Diane" as the first song of their set (though Husker's set is marred by the audio-video synch being off for much of the rest of the set).

[Thanks to the Meat Puppets for putting this on their Facebook feed tonight]

For another POV on the 1:21:00 video, check out this comprehensive review from Aaron Poehler.

New solo Robert Pollard release - Mouseman Cloud

2012-01-21T18:21:00.008-05:00

Fire Records announces the impending release of rock craftsman Robert Pollard's upcoming solo LP "Mouseman Cloud".

Robert Pollard - "Mouseman Cloud" Album Release Date: March 12, 2012
"Robert Pollard's new solo album Mouseman Cloud shows the Guided By Voices frontman in a playful and spontaneous mood. This is a record by a guy who just wants to rock, and not have to worry about how that rock will be received by anyone other than himself.

While the songs here are not a world away from anything you'll find on GBV's Let's Go Eat The Factory, the emphasis on Mouseman Cloud is on wordplay rather than melody, on unkempt exploration rather than traditional song structure. A lot of the tracks sound as if they started as lyrics - even poetry - first, and were fit around the sounds, which is not an uncommon way for Pollard to work, but the album's gleeful verbosity could be interpreted as the work of a man who's maybe been feeling the pressure of expectations from (for instance) a Guided By Voices reunion and just wants to cut loose.

Recorded in collaboration with producer/multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias, Mouseman Cloud is catchy, heavy, lovely, rocky, exuberant, complexly simple and freaking wonderful. Not sweating the small stuff is not the same as taking no pains over the writing and recording - too often the two are conflated when discussing Pollard's prodigious output. He takes pains. He edits. He cares deeply about each and every part of each and every song he records. That he seems to do so frequently and effortlessly is not his fault. It's a unique and unparalleled talent. Mouseman Cloud is the work of a consummate craftsman as well as a crazy genius, and proof that these two traits are not incompatible."

Here's the track listing:
1. Obvious #1
2. Picnic Drums
3. Mouseman Cloud
4. Dr. Time
5. Lizard Ladder
6. Human Zoo
7. Bats Flew Up
8. Mother's Milk and Magnets
9. Continue To Break
10. I Was Silence
11. Smacks of Euphoria
12. Science Magazine
13. No Tools
14. Aspirin Moon
15. Half-Strained
16. Zen Mother Hen
17. Chief Meteorologist

Nada Surf - Stream the new LP, tour dates

2012-01-19T01:38:00.003-05:00

The wonderfully melodic, guitar-pop classicists Nada Surf have a great new rock LP and tour dates in the US and Europe.

The LP is called The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy, and features the veteran trio of Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot. Rock vet Doug Gillard, previously Nada Surf's touring guitarist (and GBV guitarist 1997-2004), also played on every song on the release. According to the band's press blurb, Gillard became such an integral part of the band’s sound that they invited him to play on Stars too, and while his solos do somewhat recall the late great James Honeyman-Scott (The Pretenders), they ignite the music with a brilliance all their own. "What’s amazing about Doug is that he’s got classic rock chops," explains Caws, "but a sideways new wave brain."

The LP kicks off with two amazing rockers. The first is "Clear Eye Clouded Mind", which highlights Caws' wonderful pop voice singing the LP title in a verse over storming guitars. Killer drums, too! It's followed by what is a hit single in my universe "Waiting for Something", a brisk power-rocker with a chorus not miles away from Superchunk's equally catchy "Digging for Something" from last year.

The LP is available to buy in January 18 (Japan), January 23 (UK/EU), January 24 (USA). You can stream the LP right now at Paste Magazine, which also awarded it an 8.0 on the Paste-Record-O-Meter.

2012-01-18T13:08:00.002-05:00

Learn more about SOPA at this video:

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Time Out for Rock

2012-01-16T09:10:00.000-05:00

Waved Rumor is taking some time off for a death in the family. We'll resume in a week or so.