REM and Van Halen Top Nominees List

College rock pioneers REM and 80s powerhouse Van Halen (not Van Hagar) are two of the bands up for consideration for this year's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Who else is on the list? Further details available here.

Gomez - Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004

4.5 out of 5 Stars
If you are one of the unfortunate ones who've never heard of Gomez or the rollicking licks they've produced in the past 8-10 years, then this album is for you. Five Men in a Hut provides a great introduction to 36 of the most critical tracks the band ever laid down on tape between the years of 1998 and 2004. Key songs include 'Catch Me Up (mp3),' 'Sweet Virginia (mp3),' and 'Big Man (mp3)' to name a few. For an effective refresher course on a spectacular band, this collection works very well.

Gomez - 'Sweet Virginia'

Caught On Tape: MC Hammer - 'Addams Groove'

They do what they want to do, say what they want to say, live how they want to live, play how they want to play, dance how they want to dance, and they even kick and they slap a friend. Who could I be talking about? Why, none other than the Addams Family, of course.

The family began as a comic strip in the 1930s and moved on to become a successful television series between 1964 and 1966. A television cartoon series followed in the 1970s, and eventually, another cartoon series and several live-action movies were produced in the 1990s. This macabre take on family life was able to transcend generations of viewers. In 1993, for the second feature film, Addams Family Values, hip hop phenomenon MC Hammer produced his own spin on the original show's popular theme song. Titled 'Addams Groove', the single became an instant success in the midst of the film's release.

The music video for the song starts with Hammer getting his head chopped off in a guillotine. The head then procedes to bounce around the floor, rapping the lyrics to the song. From there, we see Hammer as the victim of much of the family's torturous amusement. Hammer, his dancers, and his big pants also make sure to bust some pretty wicked moves throughout. Even Thing, the Addams' pet hand, leads the viewer through the chorus in part of the song.

In a nutshell this video is pretty legit. In fact, it is almost 2 legit 2 quit. With that said, and with the Halloween holiday just around the corner, enjoy this devilishly funny trip back to a time when MC Hammer was all the rage. Scary, isn't it?

Buckcherry

September 19, 2006 -- Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines, Iowa

Hank here, glad to be posting again as your concert/beat writer. I haven’t posted in a while, but hope to do so now with regularity. So for all who have missed me, (I’m sure it’s a ton of you) I’m back. You might think I haven’t been to a concert in a while, but that is quite the contrary. It's just that I have seen some bands (Staind, Breaking Benjamin, Evans Blue etc…) that I have already posted about, so I had no need to repost them. So without further adieu, here goes:

The Bangkok Five

With my lovely companion in tow, we arrived at the magnificient Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines just in time to catch the opener, The Bangkok Five. I’m not going to lie, I don’t think I needed to hurry to catch this band. I went to their site prior to the show and listened to their debut single off of their debut EP Who’s Gonna Take Us Alive?, and I really enjoyed the song. I also enjoyed "Karmakazi," "Spread Eagle," and "Starting Me Up," so I was a little excited to see them. However, seeing them in concert, I was a little disappointed. The five-piece just seemed to be making a lot of noise on stage and not really attempting to create any flow. They have a nice jangly guitar to complement the noise, but it seemed to get lost in all the noise. The band ‘complemented’ their sound with lots of random screaming, yelling, and guitar chords between songs, for absolutely no reason at all. I almost felt like I was at a Henry Rollins rant instead of a rock concert. Add on their constant complaining of the record industry and how unsigned bands get no respect, and it just got downright annoying. They seem like a band that’s in it for just the sex, drugs, and partying, and not so much the music, even uttering a nice phrase like “….there’s lots of underage pussy in here.” Classy.

Here’s a hint guys: most of your audience are high school kids who live at home with their parents or are poor college age or post-graduate 20 something’s who deal with a lot more crap than you do, so don’t preach to us about how much you’ve suffered. We know how much the record industry sucks (i.e. Napster downloading controversy), so thanks for the reminder. We’re paying good money to see you play (which I’m guessing is your dream come true, so how bad is your life??), so spare us your sob story and give us some positive energy. It was almost as bad as listening to a band bring political onesidedness on stage, something I absolutely will not tolerate. Music knows no bounds, so alienating fans who pay good money at your concert just to bash a certain political party is uncalled for. Speak about it on TV or in an interview or even in your lyrics, but in between songs, just thank the crowd from being there. How can I say this and be a Rage Against the Machine fan? They hated both Republicans and Democrats equally, and did not hold their hatred for anyone. Plus, when you went to their shows, you KNEW what you were getting!

Ok, so sorry about the rant, it’s just that I felt The Bangkok Five’s performance in concert didn’t do them justice. Their lead singer Frost has a good animated voice, he just needs to channel it and make it more powerful. They have a good sound, just need more practice getting the crowd involved. I’m sure it is hard being a newer band and winning fans, but even the best bands out there will tell you it’s not how good your songs are, just how you connect with your audience. I really think this band has a good future, if they can just perfect their visual show. Give them a listen here, I think you will enjoy them.

Buckcherry

From the instant Josh Todd, took the stage, he just exuded the look of a rock star: shirtless, stick skinny, leather pants, lots of tats, and crazy; he could have carried the crowd all night. Blazing into a great opening song “So Far”, he dominated the ambiance of the steamy Val Air all night. Being a med student, I found it humorous when girls talked of how accentuated his “penis muscles” were than night. Penis muscles? You know what I’m talking about; it’s the lower part of the abdomen on the sides where the curve seems to lead right toward the center and to his ‘nether-regions.’ If you can’t picture what I’m talking about, just picture D’Angelo in his very steamy video “Untitled” standing there naked with this shirt off, and you will know what I’m talking about. Well, I’ve heard numerous girls talk about how ‘sexy’ this is on a guy, and Josh Todd was in full effect in this category. However, it’s disappointing for these girls when I tell them that’s it’s no special ‘penis muscle,’ just the end of the rectus abdominus muscles on the abdomen, and the apparent line is just the inguinal ligament running over a relatively non-muscular region of the body, providing the pathway where the testes descend into the scrotum during development (consequently the same area where men tend to get hernias, since it is such a weak area – learn something new everyday, huh?). So not so exciting huh? Ok sorry, I’m sure what was boring, but you can’t say you aren’t smarter from having read this article!

Buckcherry played a strong set, focusing on their new CD Fifteen (which I think is dynamite), and hitting important tracks from their first two CD’s. They really nailed and their sappy slow song, “Sorry.” And they played my companion’s favorite song, the title track off of their new EP, “Fifteen,” which made us very happy. I did have a question about one thing from their presentation: they were displaying their old artwork from their first album as their background. Wouldn’t you think you’d want to show off your new artwork from the album you are supposed to be promoting?? Just a thought…. I did really like another piece of 'artwork' they included, which consisted of two girls dancing just behind the drum set. Was there any reason for it? Probably not, but would you expect anything less of Buckcherry? I mean, c’mon, these are the same guys who just had a lawsuit filed against them about some girl who appeared in their video when she was underage!

When they finally got into my personal fave song “Crazy Bitch,” they added a little impromptu break in the middle of the song, adding “The Stroke,” and “Fire” from Billy Squire and The Ohio Players, respectively. Two interesting, but effective, choices indeed. They then plowed through the rest of their set, not missing a beat all night. "Broken Glass" and "Next 2 You" lived up to expectations as move-your-body songs. As they played “Lit up” into their encore, Josh Todd made us repeat “cocaine” over and over (possibly to make us crave some?), even telling us that it "helps him drink more Budweiser." Can’t say I have personal experience, but it sounds interesting (I guess). As the set ended, I left feeling very satisfied, except for them leaving "Brooklyn" out of the set. When I first heard their new CD Fifteen, I was completely blown away with how much they had matured since I first heard them in 1999. It’s a complete album, filled with all types of songs. Somebody much wiser than myself told me they were starting to sound much like the Black Crowes. I first scoffed at the idea, since the Crowes are one of my favorite bands, but after listening to their album and experiencing them in concert, they definitely fit into that southern rock mode. They have really found their sound, and I was lucky to have caught them at their peak. Check out pictures of the concert courtesy of Lazer 103.3.

I will leave you with this quote straight from Josh Todd’s mouth:

"What excites you Iowa? For me, it’s big tits and a fat fucking ass!”
-Josh Todd

We shall speak again soon. Until then, adios!

Coming soon: Hopefully Godsmack and Alice in Chains shows.

Underrated and Overhyped: The Trials and Tribulations of K-Fed

"I'm the most talked-about of anyone over the last couple of years." That's what Britney Spears coattail rider (and spouse) Kevin Federline told Entertainment Weekly recently. When asked by the publication to name the most underrated rap artist, he replied with a simple, but concise, "Me."

Oh, the world can be a horrible place for a faux artist like Federline. But wait, the agony doesn't cease there: "I used to be embarrassed to go to the store and buy tampons [for Britney], but that's all past tense. Once you make it through that, then you're good."

Between the critics, and the supermarket favors for his wife, it is obvious K-Fed is a tortured soul. On that note, who could possibly resist the cheer-up factor of Federline's single 'Lose Control?' I know I can't:

The Peasant, Damien DeRose

There are a bajillion singer-songwriters out there vying for king of the lo-fi circuit, but Damien DeRose is a stand out for many reasons. At the young age of 20, DeRose, known as Peasant, sold-out every pressing of his debut Fear Not... Remarkably, Fear Not... was self-released and distributed on his own time.

The Wind is the most recent work made available by this underground folk phenomenon. But if you're interested in acquiring this latest piece by Peasant, you better take action fast: only 200 copies of this release will be pressed.

Below you can stream one of the featured tracks, 'I can't Believe You're Believin,'' or you can download it here. Additionally, you can also stream The Wind.

Peasant - 'I Can't Believe You're Believin''

No Wait Wait

No Wait Wait is a spectacular outfit from Duluth, Minnesota. The band was formed when New Yorker Marc Gartman traveled to the "air conditoned city" for a brief visit, but ended up falling in love with the burg and starting the group instead.

The album About You is No Wait Wait's latest, and you can stream the entire disc here. I have also included a stream to the single 'Don't Give Up (On Your Man)' below. Additionally, you can download that same track here.

No Wait Wait - 'Don't Give Up (On Your Man)'

Norwegian Electro Rockers 120 Days

Just in time for Halloween comes an eerie, yet enchanting single from Scandanavian foursome 120 Days. An excerpt from their press release:

The four young men of 120 Days have already graced the stages at Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK. Their self-titled debut album hits stores on Oct 10, and can best be described as the new dawn in electronic rock. Featuring vintage keyboards, droning guitars, and a drum machine reminiscent of Kraftwerk and NEU, this band has become all the rage in their home country.

You can find out more about 120 Days by visiting their official website, download 'Come Out, Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone' here, or stream the single below.

120 Days - 'Come Out, Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone'

Jimmy Chamberlain Speaks About New Smashing Pumpkins Album

From Monsters and Critics:

Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has broken his silence about the reunited band`s new album, which, as previously reported, will feature production by Roy Thomas Baker (Queen). Still up in the air is who, if anyone, Chamberlin and Pumpkins mainman Billy Corgan are playing with in the studio.

Read the rest of the article here.

According to Axl, Xtina is One of the Greatest

Is Axl Rose going soft in middle age? First, the GNR bad boy backs down from the fists of milquetoast clothing mogul Tommy Hilfiger. Now he professes his adoration for pop superstar Christina Aguilera?

According to Soundgenerator, Aguilera told Blender in a recent interview that Rose personally revealed to her that he thought she was "one of the greatest vocalists of our time" backstage at the VMAs in late August. The sultry sexpot disclosed to the magazine that she thought the compliment was "sweet."

With Axl's new savoir-faire, is it possible that the former posterchild of bad behavior is ready to re-enter society from his reclusive cocoon of the past decade---or more importantly, to finally drop the long fabled Chinese Democracy to the public? The album is rumored to have a release date of November 21, 2006.

Ted's Song of the Week - 10/17/06

Bling (Confessions of a King)
The Killers
Sam's Town

Well, the Killers couldn't live up to the hype. Before Sam's Town dropped in stores, the group had been touting their latest musical effort as "one of the best albums in the past 20 years". However, the Las Vegas quartet fell far short of those expectations, but still managed to eke out one of the best albums of 2006, which isn't exactly a bad thing.

Sam's Town has been able to produce a solid first single in "When You Were Young" and with the second single "Bones" to be released shortly, the group will once again celebrate success on the synth-rock circuit.

After listening to the album a number of times, I've found that my favorite track would have to be "Bling (Confessions of a King)". With a brooding intro, the song slowly builds steam and releases a haymaker of intensity. Vocalist Brandon Flowers leads the charge on a track that clearly borrows a couple pages out of U2's playbook.

The Killers - Bling (Confessions of a King)

Paul McCartney To Trademark His Name

The headline says it all. Paul McCartney is in the process of making his name a legal trademark. You can read more details here.

Hawkins Blows $300,000 on Blow; Leaves The Darkness

After admitting that he has spent over a quarter of a million dollars on cocaine, lead singer for The Darkness, Justin Hawkins, has split from the band. The Darkness have immediate plans to look for a new front man. In the meantime, Hawkins will be entering rehab.

Read the rest of the story here.

10 Reasons You Shouldn't Go to Film School

Just in case you were thinking about investing thousands of dollars in a film school curriculum, DVGuru has ten reasons listed for why that may be a bad idea. Read the list here.

Ted's Song of the Week - 10/11/06

Live To Win
Paul Stanley
Live To Win

If you happened to catch the latest episode of South Park, entitled "Make Love, Not Warcraft," you would have heard the latest from KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley during the hilarious montage sequence of the show. "Live to Win" is a guitar-driven dervish of arena-rock that would make Megadeth proud. If you ever need a cheesy pump-up track for the next sporting event, this is the song for you.

This is only the second solo effort from Stanley, but it may as well be his last. "Live to Win" is a catchy track, but it also sounds a bit forced. The lyrics are laughable and elementary. I have to wonder if Stanley even took this seriously. In a nutshell, this track is so bad that it's awesome. This isn't the first time that Stanley has tread down this road of mediocre greatness. His work on KISS's Psycho Circus is a prime example of this.

All in all, Paul Stanley should retire while he still has some some rock credibility. Otherwise, he'll have to rely on South Park to promote his wares.

To see the song put to use in South Park, click here.

Paul Stanley - Live To Win

Wham! To Regroup

Fashion experts say the 80s are coming back, and as latest reports suggest, so is Wham! According to Soundgenerator, Andrew Ridgeley is reuniting with George Michael for a concert this Christmas. Ridgely's presence is nescessary in order to provide critical "oohs" and "aahs" for the background vocals.

To celebrate the comeback, I'm posting the video to Lonely Note contributor fave, 'Everything She Wants.' Maybe the George Michael hologram hair will make a reapperance as well??



Some people work for a living, some people work for fun, Girl I just work for yooouuuu!

Paris and Nicole Bury the Hatchet

North Korea may have tested its nuke today, but at least I can sleep a little easier knowing that Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie are friends again. As the picture above attests, the two were spotted together over the weekend.

Does this mean Nicole will be invited to duet on the new Paris album?

Leak of the Year?

Idolator claims to have a leak of the new Jay-Z song. Get it while it's hot here.

Caught On Tape: Robbie Williams - 'Rock DJ'

When Robbie Williams burst onto the American pop culture scene (ca.1999) with his hit single, 'Millenium,' he was already rich and famous in his British homeland. However, I was completely out of the loop and had no idea. So, I can distinctly remember watching the music video, and thinking, "Who is this weiner? And why is he pretending to be so wealthy and popular?"

Well, little did I know that he had cut his teeth in the early 90s brit-pop sensation, Take That - which could be taken as the UK's answer to New Kids on the Block. Remember the song 'Back for Good?' Well, while Take That never took off as much in the USA, their popularity overseas helped pave the way for Williams' extravagant solo endeavors. His first American success wasn't gained until the release of The Ego Has Landed, which had been produced as a compilation album.

In 2000, Williams followed up his success with a fresh album - aptly-titled, Sing When You're Winning. This album spawned the popular single, 'Rock DJ.' What helped propel 'Rock DJ' to fame was the shock value of its music video. Creative and a bit disgusting, the video portrays Williams singing to a group of his adoring fans. And throwing himself to them...literally. The video takes a slightly naughty twist from the get go, as Williams begins to perform a striptease to his song - throwing his clothes to the crowd as he goes. Before long, ol' Robbie is as naked as a jay bird, with only a little video editing to cover up necessary areas. But the video doesn't end there.

This darkly humorous video is clever in that it seems to pose a valid question: 'What more can an artist give once he's been stripped of his clothes?' If you haven't seen the video and are interested in finding out Robbie Williams' answer to that question, look no further. And, if you HAVE seen it before, well...another viewing surely won't hurt.




"What's a guy gotta do to get a little attention around here?!"

Gertie Fox - 'Modern Love'

The first 15 seconds of 'Modern Love' are confusing: you almost start to believe it is 1994 and that great riff you hear playing is in fact the new Dinosaur Jr. record. While Gertie Fox may be very accessible here in the present day, their music sounds strikingly familar to those of us who never knew a time before MTV, but who are old enough to remember when only drug dealers and stock brokers had cell phones.

You can find out more about this great band here, download the MP3 for 'Modern Love', or listen to the song below:

Gertie Fox - 'Modern Love'

Did Brandon Flowers Kill a Man?

Brandon Flowers may sing for a band named The Killers, but could he actually be a literal killer himself? Gigwise reports the "frontman has admitted that he once accidentally ran someone over while driving, but wasn't told what happened, causing him to fear he killed someone."

Read the details here.

Bossanova - 'Calvary'

Bossanova's latest, Hey Sugar, has been available for a good portion of 2006, but it wasn't until recently that the tasty nugget 'Calvary' was brought to my attention. The Vancouver outfit utilizes organs and keyboards to produce classic pop throughout the album, and such strategies are apparant here.

Below I've included a stream to 'Calvary', or you can download the actual MP3 here.

Bossanova - 'Calvary'

Tap It Out!

Have you ever come across a song that you absolutely loved at first listen, yet you didn't know the title, artist, and/or lyrics? Unless you have friends who can identify this mystery track through your off-key humming, it's fair to say that you're going to have to wait for another time to identify the song. Or do you?

There is an online program named Song Tapper that can identify your mystery track through the simple procedure of tapping the melody on the computer's spacebar. I spent a half-hour testing it out and found that it was right roughly 50% of the time, but those odds aren't too bad for rocking out the keyboard.

Song Tapper will usually produce ten guesses to what the song may be, so you can get a variety of interesting results. For instance, I typed in the melody to Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous Girl" and ended up getting that track plus Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back" and Slipknot's "Spit It Out".

To check out the site, click here.

Ted's Song of the Week - 10/03/06

Punkrocker
Teddybears
Soft Machine

If NYC hipsters Interpol were to take Ritalin, you might get a taste of what the Teddybears sound like. With a mixture of poppy effects, varied vocalists and throbbing beats, this Swedish group has found an excellent recipe for a quality album. It comes as somewhat of a surprise, being that the group was formerly part of the Norwegian black metal scene in the early 90's. I guess it goes to show that there's a pop-junkie in even the most hardcore of musicians.

"Punkrocker" is one my personal favorites on the album. It is an infectious song that will have one chanting along to the chorus in no time. As a special bonus, Iggy Pop guest-vocals on the track.

Fun Fact: Guitarist Joakim Åhlund also plays lead guitar for The Caesars, the group that gave us "Jerk It Out" (From those insufferable iPod commercials).

Teddybears - Punkrocker

21st Century Bluesman Paolo Nutini

Paolo Nutini has a name that sounds Italian, but he's entirely Scottish. He has jammed with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and he's known for his mellowed-out cover of the Lovin' Spoonful's 'Daydream.'

These Streets, Nutini's debut, dropped all the way back in July, but he's only now starting to get more attention here in the states. Below is track number one off that album, the bluesy 'Jenny Don't Be Hasty.'

Paolo Nutini - 'Jenny Don't Be Hasty'