Lunatic Entrails

Billboard Top Artists of 2011

2011-12-23T22:26:00.000-08:00

LOL...OK, I promised myself I wasn't going to do this anymore but I just cant help it. A freind of mine sent me a link to Billboard.com as they have just published their list of the top 100 artists of 2012 and just had to sound off about the choices, I'll keep it short so I dont bore the shit out of you. Im not going to talk about the entire list, rather I'll just stick to the top ten which are as follows...Adele, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Chris Brown. The entire list can be found at the link below...

http://www.billboard.com/features/the-year-in-pop-adele-makes-history-1005644432.story#/charts-year-end/top-artists?year=2011

Thank God I grew up in the 80's, if I was in high school now I'd probably kill myself. Back in the 80's an artist, meant you wrote your own music, performed your own music, sang your own music , quite often it also meant you played a musical instrument as well. With the exception of Adele who I believe can actually sing (and maybe one or two other persons) I don't really see many artists on Billboards Illustrious list for 2011. To suggest that Justine Beiber is an artist is to suggest that a box of Kraft Dinner is also an artist, they are not, they are simply manufactured products designed for one purpose, to make money, nothing more.

On the bright side SPIN magazine named Fucked Up's new album 'David Comes To Life' as album of the year, perhaps there's hope for the record industry yet. For those of you that don't know 'Fucked Up' is a Canadian Hardcore band based out of Toronto. The SPIN article is below...

http://www.spin.com/articles/one-fucked-year-spins-best-2011-issue

2011 Zombie Walk - Toronto

2011-10-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Been so busy I just haven't had the time to write much this month, got a new job. Making more money that I used too, more money means more responsibility, more responsibility means more bullshit...Anyway, the end result is that I haven't had much time to write shit recently, I'd like to apologize to my fifteen loyal fans for my absenteeism. Last week week we had the 2011 Zombie walk in Toronto. Your truly went down for the day and while I was there I took a few shots. Last year nearly 6000 corpses writhed, weaved and lurched their way through the streets of Toronto feasting on those unlucky enough to be living. This year there must have been like 10,000. Me with my trusty Nikon found a nice perch on the top steps of a church along Queen St. West and managed to fire off a few shots. The walk lasted hours, Ive never seen so many zombies in my in my life...incidental the Zombie march started in Toronto and is now held in most major cities in the world. Last week Chile had their annual Zombie walk (Saturday Oct. 15, 2011) and thousands show up to eat the flesh of the living that live in Santiago....It's cool to be dead...

Toronto Fan Expo 2011

2011-08-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

Gary Kurtz signs my Star Wars Poster, this is the guy I was there to see. Gary produced not only Star Wars, but also the Empire Strikes Back.

Eliza Dushku signs some autographs at this years Fan Expo, she was actually supposed to be at last years event but had to bow out at the last minute.

Ahh the Fan Expo, it aint just for geeks anymore, there were quite a few girls walkin around with very little clothing, and ya gotta luv that.

Ghostbusters fans at the Fan Expo, this costuming group is getting more and more popular every year.

Willian Shatner signs some autographs at the Fan Expo. Crazy Bill was chargin $80.00 a shot, but I guess the Trekkie's didn't mind as they were lining up in droves.

Of cours my favorite group the 501st Legion was there in full force, approximately 70 members if I'm not mistake. These costumes are worth thousands of dollars and are all hand made.

Imperial Biker Scouts stand guard at the Lucasfilm booth helping promote the release of Star Wars on Blue ray, which became available on September 16. These guys always draw a bit crowd at the Fan Expo.

You'll never see so many different costumes in one place at one time as you will at the Fan Expo. What ever you're into, you'll find it at this event. It's also a great opportunity to take some really fantastic photographs as well. Of all the shots I took this weekend I think this is my favorite.

Well another summer has come and gone, and like every summer we like to cap it off by attending the Toronto Fan Expo. Of all the personalities there, I think none fascinated me more than Gary Kurtz. For those that are unaware, Mr. Kurtz is the producer of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes back, among other things (many other things) . Based out of London England he is to say the least one of the most powerful influential producers in the UK, and their wasn't ever a line up. Happily this gave me the opportunity to have a nice fifteen minute conversation with him. Don't think I made a very good impression as I think I came off sounding like a bumbling idiot more than anything else. Not really much I could do about it though. To me this guys is more like a god than a man, I tried my best to sound a intelligent, and not to much like a retard. I think when I look back at this experience years from now I'll probably see it as a missed opportunity. I'm currently working on a script, albeit not a very good one, but I think it has potential. I've heard it that only one in a thousand scripts will even make of to a producers desk, most won't even make it to their secretary. Anyway, it was a fantastic weekend for all and they solved the overcrowding problems that plagued last years event. Among the guest that made an appearance at years event were Katee Sackhoff, William Shatner, Larry Hagmen, Michael Biehn, Martin Landau, Anthony Daniels and Nichelle Nichols to name just a few. Hats off to James Armstrong and his staff for a job well done, I'm sure attendance exceeded 80, 000 this years and it went off without a hitch.

Def Leppard at the Amphitheater

2011-08-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

Just got home from Ontario place were Def Leppard played to a sold out crowd at the Molson Amphitheater. An Absolutely Fantastic show, very impressive. I think Joe Elliott's been a bit pissed at British music press lately as he feels the band has not been given the respect it deserves. I'm willing to bet that there's some truth to that, but one thing is certain, they sure get the respect they deserve in Toronto, the fans love em, and they really got into it at last nights concert. It's unbelievable how great they sound live, this is the first time I've ever gone to see them, I'll definitely go again when they come back. This was also the best deal of the summer as far as concerts go: lawn seating was only $20 bucks. How can you go wrong. Indecently the opening band was Heart, need I say more. They put on a fantastic set, and saved the best for last with a stellar rendition of The Who's Love, Reign O'er Me, one of my all time favorite tunes...click on the image to see full size btw...

Nortel Networks

2011-08-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

A music blog this is, but I felt I should say at least something about this company since nobody else has...call it an obituary of sorts...Nortel Networks this week completed the sale of its remaining patents to a variety of company across the globe, thereby winding up it's business forever. The company has just delisted form the NASDAQ Pink sheets, and for all intensive purposes no longer exists. I know we all saw it coming but I find it a bit disheartening that not a single paper or news agency bothered to mention it. Here's a Canadian Company that had operated for almost hundred and thirty years, a company which at its height accounted for almost one third of the total valuation of the Toronto Stock Exchange ($400 billion) and not a single word.... If you don't give a damn you probably should, because chances are YOU were effect by what happened to Nortel, you just don't know it. This was a crime, make no mistake, thousands and thousands of employees lost there jobs, hundreds of thousands of people had their retirement savings wiped out, millions of employees in support industries and also the investment industry were effected, not mention their families and the communities in which they lived, all of which shared a stake in the success of this company.
....Although not the only culprit, John Roth and his board of directors (if you can call them that) along those executives running the company during the 90's are largely responsible for driving Nortel Networks into the ground. One of Canada's biggest and most storied companies completely annihilated; and to add insult to injury, not a single one of these perpetrators spent so much as a minute in prison; on the contrary they were all richly rewarded with hundreds of millions in corporate bonuses, all the while millions good honest hard working Canadian and Americans lost everything. The pain and suffering caused by the collapse of this company can never truly be measured. But one thing that is certain, this was one of the largest transfers of wealth from the poor & middle classes to the rich elite that this country has ever seen. North American Securities Regulators have completely failed to protect Investors and the public from John Roth and others like him whose greed is absolutely boundless, and the fact that not a single executive went to jail pretty much guarantees that this will continue to happen over and over again.... Eventually, we as a people are going to have to stand up and say enough is enough. If our government is unwilling, or unable to address problems plaguing the free market system, namely corporate corruption, then the people absolutely must. If we don't then we will soon see the demise of the middle class in our country.... My advise of the day is simply this... if someone steals from you then you have a moral obligation to steal from them ...if you don't then we're all seriously screwed...
...AND REMEMBER...there is no such thing as white collar crime...there is only CRIME.
..back to our regularly scheduled program.

Nothing Without You - Another Black Season

2011-07-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ya gotta love this guys work. "Nothing Without You" is the latest single from Another Black Season. Although the record company's continue to pump out a myriad of mediocre nonsense, it's comforting to know that there's some real music still being made out there. Many artists like the aforementioned carry on with the do it yourself approach creating some really fantastic material. I think this is testament that the best work today is being done by the independents who aren't influenced by the latest trends or flavor of the month MTV crap. I hear a number of influences in this latest release, a combination of U2, Depeche Mode, and perhaps even a bit of Coldplay thrown in for good measure, yet it remains unique in it's overall sound.. really great stuff...

She's In Parties - Bauhaus

2011-07-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

The Goth scene today includes many bands that I'm not entirely familiar with, bands and artists like Marilyn Manson, Evanescence, Slipknot, plus many more have all made their impact on today's music environment. I can't really argue for or against the inclusion of these bands into the Goth genre because as I've indicated I don't know nearly enough about them to comment either way. What I do know is that most post 80's Goth bands have been influenced by Bauhaus in very significant way. They're not only one of the greatest Goth/Alternative bands of all time, but one of the greatest bands of all time Period... "She's in Parties" goes far beyond being just a great song, it's a Classic Modern Masterpiece, an alternative tune that's destined to weather the sands of time for all eternity. This really gives you an idea of what Bauhaus was all about, it also really shows off the tremendous vocal talent of Peter Murphy, it's completely original and innovative, the cool thing about Bauhaus is that they didn't sound like any other band. Hard to believe this ones almost thirty years old...Arghh!! forget I said that...

Deutsche Amerrikanische Freundschaft (DAF)

2011-07-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

Translated into English, it means German American Friendship, formed in 1978 featuring Gabriel "Gabi" Delgado-López (vocals), Robert Görl (drums, percussion, electronic instruments). This German electropunk band from Dusseldorf Germany released their first single "Kebab-Traume" in 1980 under the Mute Records label. Shortly after the first album Die Kleinen Die Bosen was released.
...DAF originally started as a standard five piece band as Gorl and Lopez added additional musicians, eventually though they reduced themselves back to a duo, concentrating primarily on the electronica sound they're know for. Although still together, they did officially split up in 1983 briefly re-forming a few years later for one album. As a result there's been large gaps over the years in which no new material was released, namely 1989 - 2002...All in All DAF has released 7 albums and close to 20 singles including "Voulez Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir" (1986) which was a massive global hit. In 2010 a greatest hits package became available "Du Bist DAF" for those of you that don't feel like pickin up the entire catalog, this is a great way to introduce yourself to the band.
....As performers their a bit like the Pet Shop Boys in that that the singer Lopez appears relatively extroverted while Robert Gorl appears quiet and reserved, content to sit quietly behind his keyboard much like Chris Lowe.

Static In Transmission - Spoons

2011-07-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well what can I say about this one...It would have been difficult, if not impossible for Gord and Sandy to release anything short of perfect. Not just just because of their extraordinary talent, but because the simple fact they've had 20 years to write this album. Anything less than perfect would have been unacceptable. Of course anyone that knows anything about this band pretty much knew what to expect before buying it; an Absolute Masterpiece from beginning to end. That's what we expected and that's what we got. Gordon Deppe is one of the most exceptional singer song writers in Canadian music history, and I don't think he even realizes it. It's been far too long between projects, far far too long...
....This is the first release of new material by the Spoons since 1988s "Vertigo Tango", I think many of us were afraid at one point that we may never see or hear from this band again. Like many of the bands of the 80's they have continued to fight an uphill battle against a record industry that values style over substance and were talent and creatively are inconsequential. Many bands fell by the wayside as the music industry rushed headlong into the 90's in pursuit of Boy Bands and Grunge music, both of these genre's adhering obnoxiously to the conformity that hallmarks the 90's music scene; a creative wasteland to say the least... In this path of destruction a great many bands met their demise and the Spoons may very well have been one of them. Thankfully thought, to the delight of their fans, every once in a while this great Canadian band would resurface, play the occasional show, only to disappear once again, back into the shadows, I'm sure most of us had given up on ever hearing new material again... then, just a few years ago it appears things began to change, and change for the better. Not exactly sure when, or why but I suspect it had something to do with the release of "Unexpected Guest at a Cancelled Party", an album of previously unreleased material that gave Spoons fans the opportunity to hear music that they had never heard before. In addition Linus Entertainment released "The Spoons Live In Concert" a DVD featuring two classic shows for the 80's, one from the Concert Hall in Toronto and the other from the Forum in Montreal. Following these two important releases interest has steadily grown as the fans once again discover one of Canada's greatest bands.
....THE ALBUM - Static In Transmission starts with a bang "Breaking In" the lead of track is a high energy tune that feature some astounding keyboard work reminiscent of the 80's yet stylistically updated to sound new and innovative in a way that I can only describe as a fusion of two decades. The second track "Imperfkt" is the first single released off the album and one of my favorite tracks . This is a pop oriented upbeat tune will have ya tapping you feet immediately, I find myself playing this track over and over, it's absolutely fantastic. The third track "Numb" slows thing down and features some beautiful lyrics as Gord Depp, this is sure to be a favorite for many fans. The fifth track "Star Maps" once again kicks it into high gear, featuring some great guitar work by Gord, and an astounding bass line by Sandy Horne. The great lyrics and a killer hook (chorus), make this tune a perfect choice for the next single, it's one of the strongest tracks on the album. The fifth track "Escape With You" is my personal favorite, the song is about an obsessive fan, and the lyrics are pure genius. This is also the track were Sandy Horn takes the lead on vocals, once again this track should certainly be released as a single as it is a number one hit for certain. "You Light Up" is the first official single released off the new album, and upbeat poppy tune that really gets the crowd going. It features some great key board work and a high energy pace that's perfect for introducing a new generation of music fans to the band. Track seven "B-Movie" is beautiful ballad, which I interpret as a song about the Spoons and how they were treated by record industry in the late 80's. Of course that's just my opinion, you may interpret it completely differently, I believe the song and/or subject matter is a metaphor for the bands trials and tribulations. Track eight "End of Story" once again kicks it up a notch in this fantastic tune that features some excellent keyboards work reminiscent of their 80's heyday material, add to that some great lyrics by Gord and this tune's an excellent choice for future release as a single. It also features some nice back up vocals by Sandy Horne, especially near the end. "Words Will Smash Walls" the ninth track features some uniquely different keyboard work, especially at the intro, Gord took the time to ensure that each song is completely unique, and stands on it's own. Simple and catchy, this tune is sure to a favorite of many a fan. "The Closing Credits" the final track on the album is a perfect close-out to this perfect album. Gord and Sandy slow it down, in a song full of meaning with heart felt lyrics that leave you feeling just little bit sad, cause it's all over...until next time that is : )

Produced By Jeff Carter
Universal Music / Fontana North

The Spoons are:

Gordon Deppe: Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards

Sandy Horne: Bass Guitar, Vocals

NXNE 2011 - Toronto

2011-06-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

Just got home from the NXNE concert at Yonge and Dundas Square. The North By North East Festival is THE music event of the summer. Like last year, bands played all day and well into the night. The concert ended around 4:00 am, and thousands of music fans showed up for this once a year event. It's not only Yonge and Dundas that draws the crowd, bars and clubs all over the city hosts bands of all shapes, sizes and styles, and as an added bonus most of the bars kept serving till 4:00 in the morning, how often does that happen. Among the headliners for Saturday night included two iconic bands that need no introduction and certainly know how to kick it. Men Without Hats took the stage around 8 pm and played a fast paced set that lasted just under an hour, it really got the crowd going. DEVO hit the stage at approximately 9:30, what a set they put on. It lasted about an hour and a half in which they played many of the old classics plus some of the newer material including tracks off their latest album "Something For Everyone" the first studio release in 20 years . I'm glad I saw the show, wasn't certain I was gonna to make it...it's easy to see why their still doing it after 30 years ... I'm on my out the door to buy the new album right now.

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DEVO Headlined Saturday nights concert.

From Assorted Concert Photos

Thousand packed Yonge and Dundas Square to see DEVO play a set that lasted just over an hour an a half.

From Assorted Concert Photos

The energy of this band is unbelievable, you could tell they were all having a great time. It's easy to see why they're still doing it after 30 years.

From Assorted Concert Photos

As is the case with DEVO the occasional costume change seems to be one of their hallmarks. But don't let that that fool you, these guys are amount the most talented musicians in the world.


From Assorted Concert Photos

From Assorted Concert Photos

Just like every year thousands and thousands jammed Yonge and Dundas Square for this free summer concert which features bands from all over the world.

From Assorted Concert Photos

Another great Canadian Band "Men Without Hats" also played a great set that lasted just under an hour.

From Assorted Concert Photos

I was thoroughly impressed with Men Without Hats, this is a band I never got to see during the 80's. One thing you'll notice about these of 80's bands that you don't really see allot of today... singers that actually sing, and the musicians actually play instruments... No lip syncing...

From Assorted Concert Photos

Below is DEVO's opening from the NXNE concert in Toronto. Yours truly was at the very front just to the right of the stage, although I don't think I'm in this footage. This will give you an idea of just how energetic and electric this show was.

Spoons CD Release Party - June 1, 2011

2011-06-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Last Night at The Revival, a club along College street in Toronto The Spoons had their CD release Party for the new album "Static In Transmission". As usual the venue was filled to maximum capacity and everyone there had a great time. This is the first release of new material by the Spoons since 1988s "Vertigo Tango", and the new album is nothing short of spectacular (of course it should be, it's not like they haven't had 23 years to write it). New member Casey MQ (keyboards) and Chris McNeil (Drums) did a fantastic job fitting right in to their new roles as part of one of Canada's greatest bands. The resurgence of the Spoons continues to move ahead full throttle, as newspaper articles, TV and radio appearances along with a fantastic new video in support of the latest single "You Light Up" has once again garnered lots of attention. How far will Gord and Sandy take it this time?, well that's anyone's guess. With a Canadian tour planned as well as an album of great new material to perform I'd say the possibilities are limitless. I've included some pics I took a the show... very dark at the Revival, very hard to get anything worthwhile... The link to the entire album is at the very bottom (smaller icon) enjoy...
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From Spoons CD Release Party

Spoons CD Release Party

Mother Mother

2011-04-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

As I've said previously, to write from a point of view that 1980's were the Good Ol' Days would be to suggest that all the great bands and artists are gone, and the creativity, and rebellious spirit that drove them in the first place has disappeared... this is not the case. There are many new or relatively new bands that are releasing some really great material. Many still fall into what I would consider the New Wave or Alternative genre, and as long as there are bands like this one the music industry still has a chance. Mother Mother is a Canadian band from Vancouver, British Columbia. The members include Ryan Guldemond on guitar and vocals, Molly Guldemond on vocals and keyboard, Jasmin Parkin on keyboard and vocals, Ali Siadat on drums, and Jeremy Page on bass. They independently released there first album in 2005 (Self Titled) and last month their third album "Eureka" was released under the label Last Gang Records. This really is fantastic stuff and the octave range of singer Ryan Guldemond absolutely unbelievable. Below I've included the video for Body of Years, a single off their second album "O My Heart" it's a great song and the video is really cool.

Spoons - You Light Up - Video Shoot.

2011-04-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

I was invited to the shoot for the Spoons new video last Sunday. The new singles called "You Light Up" and it's off the new album Static In Transmission, which also came out last week. What a fantastic time I had, and what a fantastic new single. They played it a bunch of times while they were filming and then they performed a mini-concert that lasted about 45 minutes. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon that's for sure. I'm not gonna review the new album yet as I have listened to it enough times. Generally I like to spin it at least ten times before I make a comment, so far so good though... Her are some shots I took at the video shoot, Gord and Sandy are always cool about cameras, that's one of the things I like about them.

. The link to the entire album is below.

https://picasaweb.google.com/Lunatic.Entrails/SpoonsVideoShootApril32011?feat=directlink

Thin Lizzy at the Sound Academy - March 30, 2011

2011-03-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Toronto where I saw Thin Lizzy play live at the Sound Academy. My eardrums are bleeding. Well worth it though. Great show, I'll post some of my pics and write some more about it tomorrow; right now I need to sleep...gotta be up in five hours...some of us work for a living... ................ ......... . grgrtgrgrgrtgrtgtrgtrtrrrg

....some time later...I've got the album Live and Dangerous and it really is a fantastic album, but it doesn't compare to seeing this band in a proper concert. I know this could probably be said of most bands, but the raw energy and power of Thin Lizzy really can't be experienced through a recording, ya just gotta see it for real. Granted it ain't the original line up, and several member have passed on, but Hell, that's true of just about every 60's and 70's band nowadays. If ya can't deal with that then I suggest you start listening to the f----- Jonas Brothers... The Reality is, if ya wanna continue to see the older guys play then I'm afraid yer just gonna have to tolerate the occasional line up change. Scott Gorham began to assemble this latest version of Thin Lizzy in 2009, in May 2010 a new, line-up was announced. Joining Gorham was original drummer Brian Downey, long-standing keyboardist Darren Wharton, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, and singer Ricky Warwick while Marco Mendoza returned to fill the bass guitar role. This is the band that is currently touring and this is the line-up we saw on Wednesday night. One thing that struck me about this show was how much fun they seems to be haveing. They were laughing and joking and just generally seemed to be having a really good time. The crowd sure did appreciate it too, I'm glad I did miss this show. If you get the oppertunity, you really should see this band.

Here's a link to all my pics...

Click the thumbnail.

Thin Lizzy March 30, 2011

LOL... Sh_t... I found this funny.

2011-03-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

OK, not for me to bash other peoples, ahhh, ...errr well you know...but in this case I almost pissed myself laughing. So I gotta share...LOL.

2011-02-25T23:35:00.000-08:00

Ahhh...been off-line for 6 months... it's great to see my loyal 8 followers are still here, LOL...Lets see if in the next year or so I can score another 8 followers....Great to be back... ready for more of my opinions...and ya know what they say about opinions...Opinions are like assholes, everyones got one...

Gentlemen Take Polaroids - Japan

2010-10-03T09:30:00.001-07:00

.....Japan actually formed in in 1974 but are largely associated with the 1980's as this was the period in which they achieved most of their success. Be it intentionally or not, many music fans (myself included) associate Japan, in terms of genre, with the New Romantic movement. They were a reaction in both style and sound to the doldrums of the 1970's. Ironically, just as internal conflict began to tear the band apart, they released two of there most successful studio albums, Gentlemen Take Polaroids, in 1980, and Tin Drum, in 1981. By 1982, following the successful release of Tin Drum, the final curtain came down on Japan, and the band broke up, reforming partially and only momentarily in 1990.
.....Gentlemen Take Polaroids was the first of two studio albums releases under the Virgins records label, and it's an exception piece of work. Like many of the great albums of this era, this one was produced by John Punter, a legend in his own right. One can't help but notice some similarities between this album, and Duran Duran's first release, specifically with respect to the the keyboards, and of course the vocals of David Sylvian. I also find myself hearing similarities indicative of later Roxy Music (Avalon, Flesh + Blood), especially in songs like "Swing" and "The Experience of Swimming". Like much of the New Romantic releases of the time, Japan experiments with a variety of sounds, and the keyboard takes prominences, this typical in tracks like "Burning Bridges", and "Ain't That Peculiar". That said, the over-all sound is still balanced by the guitar work of Rob Dean and some great saxophone work by Mick Karn.
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Track List
1. Gentleman Take Polaroids
2. Swing
3. Burning Bridges
4. My New Career
5. Methods of Dance
6. Aint That Peculiar
7. Nightporter
8. Talking Islands In Africa
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Produced by John Punter
Virgin Records

JAPAN are...
David Sylvian.........Rob Dean..........Richard Barbieri..........Mick Karn..........Steve Jansen
Note: This CD was re-released in 2003.
The re-issue contains three additional tracks ."The Experience of Swimming", "The Width of a Room" and "Talking Islands In Africa"

Below...The Title track from the album which is nothing short of spectacular...

Remain In Light - Talking Heads

2010-09-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Released in 1980, this was the last of a trilogy of records the Heads made with Brian Eno (Roxy Music, U2, David Bowie) it is also the strongest of the three. Recorded in New York city and the Bahamas with the help of outside musicians such as Adrian Belew (King Crimson, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails) the records sound can best be described as 1980's King Crimson, meets Parliament funk. Songs such as "Crosseyed and Painless", "Once in a Lifetime" and the amazing "The Great Curve" all have a bit of that George Clinton funk. That being said it still sounds like the Talking Heads (It still has the David Byrn quirky vocals and his own unique brand of guitar playing) This album was so complex, that by the time they finished the record and went on tour, they would need a ten piece band to perform the songs live. If you are interested in checking out what this band sounded like live, you may want to check out the second CD "The Name of the Band Is Talking Heads" gives you a complete show.

Note: If you have a surround sound system try to buy the Duel Disc (DVD side containing a DVD Audio and a Dolby Digital version of the mix) it comes with a new stereo master, plus on of the best 5.1 mixes I have ever heard. You also get two songs done live on German TV (video).

Track Listing

1. Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)

2. Crosseyed and Painless

3. The Great Curve

4. Once In A Lifetime

5. Houses In Motion

6. Seen and Not Seen

7. Listening Wind

8. The Overlord

All songs written and composed by The Talking Heads and Brian Eno.

The remastered re-issue was produced by Andy Zax, with the help of the Talking Heads.

Sire Records

Toronto Fan Expo 2010

2010-09-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

...... Mavel Comic had a costume contest, lots of fun, lots of free stuff.

...................You'll see some of the most amazing costumes ever at the Toronto Fan Expo.

Summer Glau signs autographs at the Tornto Fan Expo as thousands of fans that line up to see her. From all accounts Summer was extremly nice and appreciative of all the fans, taking the time to personalize each and every autograph.

The 501st Legion is alway there in full forces at the Fan Expo, they are by far my favorite costumes, of course my opionion is a bit bias.

It's not easy being a Sandtrooper when tempatures this weekend exceeded 32 degrees, WOW was it hot.

The fighting 501st, you gotta love it, almost five thousand strong world wide, and growing every day.

The Steam Punks are a newer group that is getting more and more popular every year. They have some truly amazing costumes, and it appeals to a very wide range of fans.

Imperial Stormtrooper patrol the Fan Expo as the Galactic Empire brings law and order to the Toronto Fan Expo.

A great week to be a Geek, and every geek looks forward to the Fan Expo, I'm no exception, this is by far the biggest event of it's kind in Canada. This year, like every other had it's share of problems, primarily due to over-crowding. I'm not sure what the final numbers are but if I had to guess, I'd say that attendance exceeded eighty thousand. Part of the problem was the venue, in previous years the event was held in the South Hall of the Toronto Convention center, but due to scheduling conflict, this year it had to be moved to the smaller North Building. Thankfully next year it moves back to the south hall, but I suspect over crowding will still be an issue. That said is was still a fantastic weekend, among the many featured guest this year were Stan Lee, William Shatner, Adam West, Burt Ward, Summer Glau, Michelle Forbes, Peter Mayhew, Earnest Borgnine plus many, many others. Not gonna go into too much detail, it's quite impossible to describe this event, ya just gotta see it for yer self, suffice to say it's got a little of something for everyone. If ya can't find something that interests you at the Fan Expo, then your probably dead and just don't realize it.

The Filth And The Fury

2010-09-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

"Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York."
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England was burning, a country brought to it's knees. The late seventies was characterized by turmoil, poverty and misery, the likes of which had not been seen for a very long time. Unemployment rocketed to 30 percent, while labour strikes in conjunction with violent protest became common place, not just in England but the rest of Europe as well. Ill-conceived Liberal policies originally adopted as an effort to assist working class had just the opposite effect, widening the gap between rich and poor, feeding the fires of discontent, and marking the most miserable era's since the great depression.
Enter The Sex Pistols, from all the carnage and misery arose one of the greatest and influential, but also short lived bands of all time. Truly a product of their own environment, bread of the discontent that surrounded them, the Sex Pistols were the quintessential backlash to a government, and a social system that had for all intensive purposes declared war on it's own population. "The Fifth and the Fury" is one of the best rock documentaries ever done. Weather you're a fan of punk rock or not, you will enjoy watching this film. In my opinion, it's as much a portrait of England, and in particular the lower class of the time , as it a documentary on the band.
....A Julian Temple film, The Filth and the Fury covers the entire story of the Pistols in a way that's never been done before. From their humble beginnings, growing up in the poor working class neighborhoods of London, thought their meteoric rise to stardom, and finally the utter implosions only 26 months after their formation. It's amazing story of success and failure, both happy and humorous, also sad and tragic. It includes some of the best video footage I've ever seen of the Pistols filmed during the pinnacle of their success. It also includes fascinating, and revealing interviews from all four member of the band who each give an account of the events with their own unique perspective. It helps paint a vivid picture of band awash in turmoil, and yet so intriguingly special, one can't help but be absolutely fascinated at the impossibility of it all. Every time I watch this documentary (and I watch it often) I find myself asking how the Sex Pistols could possibly have come to exist... in the immortal words of Johnny Lydon, "It shouldn't have worked, but it did."
....The DVD also contains a full length commentary by film maker Julian Temple, and a exception documentary called "Un-defining Punk", which is a very interesting in-depth examination of the Punk movement, a must see if ya haven't seen it already.
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Fineline Features
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a Jersey Shore/Nitrate Film a Julian Temple Film
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Paul Cook......Steve Jones......Glen Matlock......Johnny Lydon......Sid Vicious

Stiff Little Fingers

2010-09-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

.....The little facts you uncover when ya start lookin...I'll bet ya didn't know that U2 opened for this band back in 1981 when they played Leeds University... actually to be honest, I didn't know either until recently.

.....Formed in 1977, they came from, what was at the time strife-torn Belfast, Northern Ireland. There were a number of personnel changes over the years, but originally the band comprised of Jack Burns (Guitar, vocals), Brian Faloon (drums), Henry Cluney (guitar, vocals), and Ali McMordie (bass). They had a hard edged sound, inspired stylistically by bands like the Clash and the Sex Pistols.

.....There first two singles "Suspect Device" and "Wasted Weekend" were released on their own independent recording label Rigit Digits, and went on to sell over 30,000 copies, thanks to the help of London DJ John Peel who gave them extensive exposure. Their first full album Inflammable Material yielded the single "Alternative Ulster" the album hit the top 30 in the UK, quite an accomplishment for SLF, who were essentially a punk band. After moving to London, drummer Brian Fallon quite and was replaced by Jimmy Reilly, the band signed a deal with Chryslis Records in December 1978, and released their fourth single "Straw Dogs". In 1980 their second LP, Nobody's Heros was released which made the English top 10. The success of this album led to an extensive tour of not only the UK, but North America as well. The next release was a live album in 1981 called Hanx! followed by two more studio albums, Go For It, also in 81' and Now Then, in 1982.

.....Unfortunately by 1983 it was pretty much over, a number of issues including, but not limited to, declining album sales, dwindling fan support, and creative differences lead to the bands break up, although they did reform in 1987.

Stiff Little Fingers are...

Jake Burns

Ali McMordie

Steve Grantley

Ian McCallum

Former Memebers...

Gordon Blair

Henry Cluney

Brian Faloon

Bruce Foxton

Jim Reilly

Dave Sharp

Dolphin Taylor

Here We Go Again

2010-09-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Let us all take a moment....each in our own special way.....To thank GOD for THE NEW OLEANS SAINTS FOOTBALL CLUB!!! Who tommorrow night start their long and arduous journey which will once again lead them back to the Superbowl... Tommorow night they begin their stand in the Superdome against Darth Favre and the evil forces of Minnisota... tommorrow night they STAND and DEFEND what is rightfully theirs. Go Saints !!!!!

No Offense to Viking Fans, I actually like the Vikings, but I'm a die hard Saints Fan, have been for the last 25 years.

Celebration V - Orlando Florida

2010-08-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

When ever I see something impressive, I just need to say something about it, and few things are as impressive as the Star Wars Celebration events. Star Wars Celebration V took place Aug. 12-15, 2010 at the Orange County Convention Center, and I pulled a few picks off Flickr just to give you an idea of how massive this event is. Countless thousands of fans from all over the planet show up at this event that celebrates all things Star Wars, I've never seen so many members of the 501st Legion in one place, at one time, ever before, unbelievable. I will one day make it to this convention personally, soon as I can scrounge up the cash, it sucks having a mortgage.

Aerosmith - at the Air Canada Center

2010-08-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

I saw Aerosmith in Toronto tonight, not exactly a new wave band that much is certain, but damn if it wasn't a great concert. The show was opened by Sammy Hagar who also did a fantastic job rockin a packed ACC. The fact that bands like these are still filling 20,000 seat venues like the Air Canada Center after 30 years says alot about these artists, and their loyal fans. Wasn't entirely sure I'd enjoy this night, as it's not really my bag... I was impressed to say the least...Rock On !!!

Wallpaper of the week - David Bowie

2010-07-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

Click on the image for full size....

Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

2010-07-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well ya knew sooner or later you were gonna get this one, love it or hate it, it's undeniably one of the most recognizable, albeit overplayed tunes of the 80's. The big single off Welcome To The Pleasure Dome, this song was absolutely everywhere. And if you weren't listening to it on the radio, or playing it in the clubs, you were probably wearing it on your T-Shirt FRANKIE SAYS RELAX. I think this tune actually sold more t-shirts than it did singles (if that's possible). It was a massive hit all over the planet, especially England, where it stayed on the UK charts for 48 weeks, 5 of those weeks at #1. Of course it got some help from the wonderful people at BBC Radio 1, who refused to play it because of offensive lyrics...when will they ever learn...And you have to love the cover art, done by artist Anne Yvonne Gilbert, perhaps one of the most striking illustrations ever done for an album, or at least for a 12' inch single. A testament to a time when every aspect of an artistic release was meticulously thought out and created to be unique and original, much like the music.

Side 1

Relax (Long Version) Time 7:23

Side 2

Relax (7" Version Time) Time 3:56

Relax (Instrumental) Time 4:22

Written by Holly Johston, Mark O'Toole and Peter Gill

Prouced by Trevor Horn

1983 Zang Tumb Tuum (ZTT Records)

Manufacture by Island Records

G20 Toronto

2010-06-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

...Regardless of what you've seen in Canada's over-sensationalized media, the police and the protesters got along quite well this weekend. It was an atmosphere of peaceful tolerance and mutual respect. There were some really great people that came out this weekend, representing some really important issues. It's a shame much of this got lost due to the antics of a very small number of individuals. I'm also very disappointed in the way our local media chose to portray this event, a very poor job to say the least. There were mistakes made by both sides, that much is certain, so lets just leave it at that.

...There are very few villains here, mostly there are just good people exercising there democratic right to voice their opinion on some very important issues, issues that should matter to all of us. Estimates are that this summit cost the Canadian tax payer about 1.4 billion dollars, off the record I'd say it's probably closer to 2.5 billion, but that just my opinion. Think of all the homeless that could have been sheltered, think of all the hungry that could have been fed, think of the Hospitals, and schools that could have been built, that's what pissed me off. There's been alot of bad feelings created this weekend for no good reason, and that's shame, a real bloody shame...I think both the police and the protesters need to be commended for a very orderly weekend in which not a single injury was reported...back to our regularly scheduled program...

2010-06-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

My Photography - Rampage

Time for some shameless self promotion.. as I've said previously I'm a photographer not a writer. I'm sure that's quite obvious to any who have taken the time to read anything I've written. Anyway, I shot this a few years ago for a local heavy metal band called Rampage. I photographed them with my Hasselblad using Infrared film, which gives the trees that ghostly white look. I think it turnned out quite nice. The thing with shooting infrared is that ya need to over expose the film, and everything has to be processed in total darkness, not easy, but well worth the effort... Click on the Image to see it full size.
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Images In Vogue

2010-06-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

....From safety pins to synthesizers, someone once used this term to describe the transition of music from the punk rock 70's to the New Wave 80's. While there may be some truth to that, I seriously doubt you'd find any music fan that would agree that punk transformed into New Wave. Rather New Wave was born as a result of it, and just like punk it was the necessity to express ones self in a unique, independent and ofter rebellious way that made it so appealing. Canada like so many countries a the time, produced it's fair share of New Wave bands, the pool of talent during the 80's developed, and prospered on many different continents, and a myriad of nations were represented by bands of all sorts and styles, today this is of course no longer the case.

...One of the more unique and original sounding New Wave bands of the 1980's was Images In Vogue. The band was formed in 1981 in Vancouver, and originally consisted of vocalist Dale Martindale, guitarist Don Gordon, synth players Joe Vizvary and Glen Nelson, bassist Gary Smith and percussionist Kevin Crompton. They are a Canadian band of exceptional talent, from the very beginning they showed a willingness to pushed the creative envelope, blending synthesizers, guitars and electronic drums, moving back and fourth across that imaginary, and often dangerous line that separated innovative New Wave from Pop.

...I think "Lust For Love" is one of the best New Wave songs ever written, it also happens to be the most widely recognized song by this band. Until recently there wasn't a descend download of this video available anywhere, then this on showed up on Youtube. A Perfect Transfer !!, it appears to have been fully restored, if I didn't know better, I would swear it was filmed yesterday. Whoever did the work on this is a genius and I am eternally grateful...This is also one of the Coolest video's of the 80's...Enjoy...

circa 1977: The Diodes

2010-06-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

An Extraordinary Independent film

Friday June 25, 2010 at Oz Studios Toronto

This short notice, but if you can free up some time this Friday night, it'll be well worth your while, and you might even learn somethin... Much of the following info is re-blogged from another site, the link to which I will include below...

After a successful, sold out screening at the NxNE Film Festival, circa 1977: The Diodes will be shown a second time this Friday, June 25 at Oz Studios, 134 Ossington Ave. Toronto. The screening times are 8:00 and 9:30 pm - seating is limited so get there early.

NOW Magazine gave the film a 4 out of 5 star rating and said that "in just under half an hour, circa 1977: The Diodes creates a vivid picture of the Toronto punk scene 33 years past."

Produced by Ralph Alfonso and Nick Cushing, this is a new release by Independent film maker Aldo Erdic that documents the Toronto Punk scene through the past 33 years and in particular The Diodes, one of Canada's first punk bands.

A Synopsis of the film...

Formed in October 1976, the Diodes were one of Canada's first punk bands who, in the span of one year, opened Toronto's first punk club, became the first Canadian punk band to sign with a major label and had their debut album released before the Sex Pistols and other first wave UK punk bands. The Crash'n'Burn club they opened helped inspire new bands to form and catalyzed an explosive local punk scene that proved to be of the same caliber as the early New York and U.K. scenes. However, by 1981, the band was worn down by an indifferent Canadian music industry, a worsening economy and a lack of touring venues.

The Diodes are...

John Catto.......Paul Robinson.......John Hamilton.......Ian Mackay

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Directed by Aldo Erdic.
A Bongo Beat Films/ToBeScene Production
Running Time: 28 minutes.

The link to the official blog is below, check it out. You'll find a wealth of information on this important Canadian band and this important Canadian film....

http://circa1977thediodes.blogspot.com/

The link to TObeScene.Com is below, it's great place to get some valuable info on the latest independant Music, Film and Art. There's also alotta really cool video of some really cool bands to check out as well.

http://www.tobescene.com/content/index.php

NXNE Toronto 2010

2010-06-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

This really is the kind of event you need to take the entire week off work to truely experience. NXNE runs from June 14 to June 20 and features roughly 650 bands playing on over 40 different stages across Toronto. The North by Northeast Music Festival features something for just about everyones taste, and it's more than just a massive music festival, it features that lastest ideas in film, interactive media, and attracts artists from all over the world. You can click on the images to see them full size, except for the one directly below, for some reason it won't enlarge, not sure why... but I don't feel like re-uploading it so yer just gonna have to live with it. Have a nice day : )

NXNE has it all, you'll see everything from well established bands, to garage bands, and even a few bands that can't yet afford a garage, and they all did a fantastic job bringing the city to life.

Iggy Pop and the Stooges hit the stage at about 9:30 and the crowd went absolutely nuts. The amount of energy he has is unbelievable. Hard to belive he's 63.
. Iggy and the Stooges put on a hard rockin 90 minute show, it's easy to see why many consider them the greatest punk band in history. In March 2010 the Stooges and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it's about f_-kin time.
. The Raveonettes took the stage before the Stooges, a very impressive Danish alternative rock group that I would describe as a cross between Bauhause, Siouxie And The Banshees, and The Jesus And Mary Chain.

The Raveonettes formed in Copenhagen in 2001 and have to date recorded four studio albums, plus a number of EP's. They are an exceptional band.
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WOW, what a crazy-ass party last night at NXNE. Headlining a free outdoor concert was Iggy Pop and the Stooges who came on stage at about 9:30 pm and put on a wild 90-minute show. The all day concert featured many different bands, and attracted more than 10,000 to downtown's Yonge-Dundas Square. The pictures I took kinda sucked, its hard to shoot in world's biggest mosh pit, but I did my best. Along with the absolute chaos, there was the sweltering heat to contend with as temperatures hit 32 degrees last night. Never-the-less the Stooges put on as great show, as did all the bands. What an amazing event.

Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo & The Bunnymen

2010-06-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

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Jimmy Brown made of stone, Charlie Clown no way home. Bring on the Dancing Horses, headless and all alone...

...Echo & The Bunnymen had so many great tunes over the years it's hard to decide on a favorite, but I think if I had to choose this would probably be it. I also like the video, it's really f----n weird, I'm not sure who came up with the concept, but it's bloody brilliant, Perhaps it's politically motivated, or perhaps they were just smokin a little too much &!!#@, you make the call.

...For those who don't know ( and I hope that ain't many of ya) this band is from the great northern realm of Liverpool. They are one of the truly fantastic alternative bands of the early 80's. This tune was released as a stand alone in 1985 but was never actually part of an album. It was included on Songs to Learn & Sing, which was a singles compilation released by the band in November of the same year. I'm Still looking for the 12'inch single of this one, preferably a UK Import... I'm sure I'll find it eventually.

Duel - Propaganda

2010-06-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

....From Düsseldorf, Germany, who can forget this single, absolutely incredible work. Once again depending on who ya talk to, Propagada's either a New Wave band, a Synthpop band, or an Industrial band. Ain't it great the way everything was classified back then, everything fell neatly into it's own little category. Actually, come to think of it, things haven't changed much, they still do the same sh-t today. Personally, I'd classify them as New Wave, but you can call them what what ever the hell ya want, as long as ya call em good.
....This is the second single released by Propaganda, it features great vocals, fantastic keyboard work, and a heavy Industrialized beat. It's also the band's most recognisable release, the most successful single in the UK, and my favorite song by Propaganda. As was the norm in the 80's alot of time and effort went into the design for the record sleeve, this is as much a piece of art as it is a 12' inch single. In addition to being beautiful, the sleeve was also made of thin flimsy paper, so finding a copy of this EP without a crease in the cover is next to impossible, even mine has a couple of dents.

Band Members for Propaganda at this time (1985)...

Suzanne Freytag
Ralf Dörper
Claudia Brücken
Michael Mertens

Produced by S.J. Lipson and Boby Krausbar

Musical Director Trevor Horn

Sleve Design....London Design Partnership with z.t.t.

Photography by David Levine (screams) and Peter Brown (skin shots)

ZTT Records London England.

London Calling - The Clash

2010-06-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

... The Clash formed in England formed in 1976 and are largely considered to be a punk band, although I'm not entirely sure I agree. While their music does contain elements of punk, they draw off a wide variety of styles that include ska, dub, funk, rap, dance and rockabilly. In the end, I just like to consider them a really great band, and part of the second British Invasion that exploded onto the North American music scene during the 80's. This is a great tune and a fantastic raw edged, no bullshit video, you won't see any special affects or choreographed dancing girls in this one. This is of course the title track of their third album, it's not surprising the Rolling Stone declared "London Calling" the best album of the 1980's, and the Clash as one of the greatest bands of all time.

Dead Kennedys

2010-06-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

.... Atack ! Attack! Attack!!! In the 80's I woulda gotten beaten up for writing about the Dead Kennedys and the Pet Shot Boys in the same Blog, except in the 80's there were no Blogs LOL , Ah well... Just like New Wave, the late 70's, and early 80's represented an explosive time for punk, and this band was one of the pioneers. I own a few albums by this band which I'll be blogging in the future, but I wouldn't want to do so without at least giving a little bit of their history first.

....Much like many of the other bands I've written about the Dead Kennedys have continued to retain their fan base over the years, and their history is well documented. They are perhaps the most famous of all American Punk bands, The Kennedy's, as they were called form in San Francisco in 1978. The were heavily influenced by the British punk rock scene, and bands like the Sex Pistols. Their songs mixed shocking lyrics with sarcastic criticism of social and political issues of the 1980's. Many people including Christians, and right-wing politicians considered them the most dangerous of all hardcore bands at the time.
....On March 25, 1980, Dead Kennedys were invited to perform at the Bay Area Music Awards in front of music industry executives in order to give the event some "New Wave credibility", in the words of the organizers. They were to play, their underground hit, "California Über Alles", after about 15 seconds into the song, frontman Jello Biafra said, "Hold it! We've gotta prove that we're adults now. We're not a punk rock band, we're a new wave band". The band, who all wore white shirts with a big, black S painted on the front, pulled black ties from around the backs of their necks to form a dollar sign, then started playing a new song "Pull My Strings", a barbed, satirical attack on the ethics of the mainstream music industry, which contained the lyrics, "Is my cock big enough, is my brain small enough, for you to make me a star?". The song also referenced The Knack's biggest New Wave hit, "My Sharona". The song was never recorded in the studio but this performance, the first and only time the song was ever performed, was released on the compilation "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death", which I actually own and will write about at some point.

....In 1985, the band was involved in perhaps their most famous incident of all, an incident that brought the band even more notoriety. An obscenity trial over the artwork of their fourth studio album, "Frankenchrist", which included with the album was a poster of the Swiss artist H.R. Giger's illustration of penises and anuses. In 1987 the case ended with a hung jury and was eventually dismissed.
....Among the bands other accomplishments was the formation of thier own record label, Alternative Tentacles, in 1981, the first release under this label was the EP, "In God We Trust". After realizing the potential for this independent label, they started releasing records for other bands as well. Alternative Tentacles continues to exist today, and is still owned by the bands ex-lead singer Jello Biafra, many hard core punk bands past and present are signed to this label.

....The Dead Kennedys released a total of four studio albums, one EP, three live albums, plus some compilations, not bad for eight years work. In January 1986, frustrated and alienated their own music scene, the Dead Kennedys broke up, they played their last concert on February 21, 1986. The bands history is a turbulent one, fraught with in-fighting among members, along with legal disputes over royalties and commercial activities. Never-the-less the band has maintained a loyal cult following over the years. They actually reformed in 2003, although the reformation did not include original lead singer Jello Biafra. In August of 2008, the band announced that they will no longer be touring in the foreseeable future due to health related issues of several members...the final chapter may well have been written for this band...

Dead Kennedys former members...

East Bay Ray (Raymond John Pepperell)
Klaus Flouride
D. H. Peligro
Jello Biafra
Brandon Cruz
6025 (Carlos Cadona)
Ted (Bruce Slesinger)
Jeff Penalty
Ron "Skip" Greer
Dave Scheff

The bands web site...

http://www.deadkennedys.com/

Deluxe Edition CD's a-ha - Rhino

2010-05-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

a-ha - Two releases.........These will be shipped in June.
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For those lucky bastards that have the cash, these are well worth picking up. For those who are unfamiliar with Rhino, they are a specialty record label and they only release the best. Everything from Rhino is of the highest quality, and can be considered a rare collectible treasure. As part of a-ha's 25th anniversary Rhino is releasing an exclusive double-disc editions of HUNTING HIGH AND LOW and SCOUNDREL DAYS, featuring the original recordings expanded with unreleased and rare demos, alternate mixes and live recordings. These limited Deluxe Editions are exclusive to Rhino.com and won't be available in stores. The link is below...
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http://www.rhino.com/article/ha-take-3?eml=rn/052310/ahabanner

U2 - Magnificent

2010-05-28T00:56:00.000-07:00

.....I gotta be honest, I'm not crazy about the new album, but this song is absolutely astounding. It definitely reminds me of why I originally went crazy over this band in the first place. Magnificent has that old school feel, a back to basic approach. I love the guitar work by the Edge, and the video ain't half bad. Here's hoping Bono Vox recovers soon, I know there's alot of fans out there that were looking forward to the second leg of the North American tour. Get well soon Bono...

Another Black Season

2010-05-27T18:06:00.001-07:00

.......This is a new band, or should I say artist. The New Wave in its many forms changed our landscape during the 80's and this was definitely a change for the better. The punk explosion of the mid 70's helped usher in this decade innovation. But the 1980's was much more than just a decade of cool music, it was also a state of mind, a time when artists questioned the establishment, and broke from the norms to create some of the most amazing music ever. To write from a point of view that these were the Good Ol' Days would be to suggest that all the great bands and artists are gone, and the creative spirit, and sense of rebellion that drove them in the first place has disappeared... this is not the case.
.....Although we now live in an age of Boy Bands and Bubble Gum Pop, were the airwaves, and the record stores are polluted with corporate shit ( I hope that didn't sound too cynical ) it's important to point out that there are still artist out there making great music. Although eradicated from the mainstream in the late 80's, along with most of the independent record labels, they still exists. Real bands making real music, I suppose they always have existed, it's just alot harder to find.

.....This artist's name is Robert Michaels, and he's based out of California, this exceptional work is released under the moniker of Another Black Season. Drawing his influence from a number of bands such as U2, Depeche Mode and The Verve, he's creating some absolutely incredible work, a unique sound that's definitely worth checking out.

....This guy really is unbelievable, not only writes his own music, but also plays all the instruments, and does the vocals; and if that ain't enough he's also the sound engineer..

Check out the myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/anotherblackseason

Below: "Tonight's The Best Thing", from the Eden's Gift album by Another Black Season on iTunes now.

Check out all of Another Black Season's music on iTunes and Youtube.

Depeche Mode

2010-05-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

...This band along with Duran Duran and U2, more than any other is what most people associate with the new music explosion during the 1980's (at least the commercial side of it), and why not. They were popular, sold a shit load of albums, the chicks loved em, and the music wasn't half bad. I'll write a few words about them because sooner or later I have to. You can't really write about the New Wave movement without paying homige to this band. They were extremely good, and made positive contribution to the genre, a major factor in the explosive upheaval the occurred during this era. I'm not sure it's nessissary to write a whole lot about Depeche Mode because their history is well documented, there's a Gazillion web sites devoted to them already, most of which are alot better than mine, but here goes.
....They are from Essex England and are of course one of THE quintessential New Wave / Electronica bands. At one point during the 80's they were actualy classified as Industrial, but that term has long since been confiscated by other bands far different in sound and style than Depeche Mode, and I'm not even gonna start down that frickin road. Suffice to say that they are likely the most popular band of their type in all history, selling over 100 million albums and scoring #1 single in the UK, Europe as well as North America.
...The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, chief songwriter after 1981), Andrew Fletcher (keyboards) and Vince Clarke (keyboards, chief songwriter 1980–81). Vince Clarke left the band after the release of their 1981 debut album, Speak & Spell, and was replaced by Alan Wilder (keyboards, drums) with Gore taking over songwriting. The band made their recording debut in 1980 on the Some Bizzare Album with the song "Photographic", which was later re-recorded for their debut album Speak & Spell which was released under the Mute Records label in 1981. Also in 1981 just prior to the release of there debut album the band scored their first top ten single, "Just Can't Get Enough", the song remains popular to this day, and just about any bar that hosts an eighties night will play this catchy little tune regularly.

....To date the band has release twelve studio albums the most recent being Sounds of the Universe released in 2009. They continues to tour, and their loyal fans provde ample support, in fact just last summer they played to a sold out crowd at the Molson Amphetheater in Toronto. I had to miss that show but I'm sure they'll be back, something tells me this bands gonna stick around awhile longer. Depeche Mode is proof there's still a demand for real musicians, that write real music, and who actually really sing during their live concerts. Something we don't see a whole lot of today.

Depeche Mode are...

David Gahan

Martin Gore

Andrew Fletcher

Former members

Vince Clarke

Alan Wilder

Ronnie James Dio

2010-05-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

....I was saddened to hear we've just lost a friend , Ronnie James Dio passed away yesterday morning, he was only 67 years old. You don't need to be a Metal fan to appreciate him, or his contribution to rock'n'roll. He will be missed by friends, family and music fans everywhere. Dio became well known as the lead singer who replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath back in 1979. As their new lead man they went on to make two of the bands most successful albums of all time "Heaven and Hell" and "Mob Rules", he also fronted other groups like Elf, Rainbow and his own successful solo career.
....Dio announced last fall he was suffering from stomach cancer. According to his web site he was being treated at a Houston hospital. It was always hopeful he'd make a full recovery. I had the privilege of seeing him twice in concert, he was a wonderful talent and an incredible performer.

...Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever.

- Wendy Dio

The link to his official web site is below, and if you get a chance stop by facebook and post a comment of condolence, I know his family will appreciate it...

http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/

Ball of Confusion - Love and Rockets

2010-05-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

From the Ashes of Bauhaus came Love and Rockets and this is their first release under this new moniker. This is the 12 inch single version of "Ball of Confusion", released in 1985 under the Beggar Banquet record label. Much like my other EP's from the time, I wore out my original years ago and I acquired this copy just recently. Wikipedia refers to it a minor hit...perhaps as a bean counter from a pure sales perspective one might agree. For those who were paying attention to the music scene at the time and remember it's popularity, they couldn't be further from the truth. This quickly became a classic cover, and I don't know a single 80's music collector that doesn't have it, or doesn't want it. A hard edged punk/goth combination with regards to style, they turned this Motown tune into a phenomenally popular track, heard in ever new wave cave, and underground club, the world over. I absolutley love this tune, as far as cover songs go, this is one of the best ever done.

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Ball Of Confusion (12' Remix)
Beggars Banquet / Virtigo
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This Side......Ball Of Confusion (The Extended U.K. Vesion) Remixed
That Side.....Ball Of Confusion (The U.S. Remixed Version)
Both Side mixed by N.Whitfield / B. Strong
Produced by John A River & Love and Rockets

The Fall

2010-05-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

...The Fall are an English post-punk group, formed in Greater Manchester in January 1977. The group has existed in some form ever since their creation, but has the probably had more member changes than any other band in history with only vocalist Mark E Smith remaining the constant. The original lineup featured Smith on guitar, Martin Bramah on vocals, Una Baines on drums, and Tony Friel on bass guitar, but Smith and Bramah soon switched roles, and Baines switched to keyboards, new drummer Karl Burnes was brought in to replace Baines.
''' The group first recorded for independent label Step Forward Records in 1978 releasing an EP Bingo Master Break Out in August and their first single "It's The New Thing" in November of the same year. Their first album Live at the Witch Trials was recorded in one day and released in March of 1979. It was followed by the single "Rowche Rumble", and their second album Dragnet in November. After a final EP for Step Forward Records, Fiery Jack, released in January 1980 the band signed to new a new record label Rough Trade. The first single under this new label was "How I Wrote Electric Man" and was followed by their third studio album Grotesque (After The Gramme) and a live album Totale's Turn, and the EP Slates, all in the same year of 1980.
... The group's output has been unbelievable over the years, as of April 2010 they have released 28 studio albums, and more than triple that in live albums and other releases. In January 2005, The Fall were the subject of a BBC TV documentary, The Fall: The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E Smith. They've never achieved widespread public success beyond a handful of minor hit singles in the late 1980s, but have maintained a strong cult following over the years. Through their history they have recorded under the following record labels, Step Forward, Rough Trade, Beggars Banquet, Situation Two, Narnack, Phonogram, Fontana and Matador. I normally include a list of band members at the bottom of each blog but in this case, it would be a long arduous task, taking more time than I care to spend, suffice to say this band is a revolving door, built around perennial lead man Mark E Smith.

The video below is more recent, recorded in 2006. Halarious, Robert Plant followed by The Fall.

What a contrast, they don't quite fit together, and they certainly should'nt follow one-another.

Tattoo Rock Parlour - April 30, 2010 - Spoons

2010-05-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

...The first concert of the summer , and what better way to start off the season than with the Spoons live at the Tattoo. They played their 30th Anniversary party to sold out crowd, in what is sure to be one of the best shows of the summer. Every time I see this band they get better and better, and the shows get busier and busier. Arrived an hour before the doors opened last Friday and there was a hundred people in line, perhaps I should be concerned, I'd be extremly pissed if I showed for a gig one night and couldn't get in... It's certainly clear that their popularity is once again growing, and we're gonna have to share... Ahh Well, I guess that's a good thing.

...The show included a few surprises that many were'nt expecting, David Marsden, the driving force behind CFNY during the 80's was on hand to introduce the band. Marsden was one of the most influential figures in the Canadian Music Industry during the 80's, giving many Canadian bands and international alternative bands Major Canadian radio exposure. Also on hand was legendary producer John Punter, who not only worked with the Spoons but also Roxy Music, Nazareth, John Cougar, Japan, Bryan Ferry, Procol Harum and Sara Craig to name just a few.
...Along with the Spoons regular line up which includes Gordon Deppe, Sandy Horne, Steve Kendry and Steve Sweeny, Rob Preuss also returned to the keyboards for the first time in almost 25 years. Rob was the Spoons keyboardist during their heyday era of 81 to 85, he did a fantastic job playing the final set of the night as well as the encor. It's obvious he'd been practicing because it was an absolutley perfect set. He pulled it off without a hitch, much to the thrill of the crowd, most of whom were not expecting this surprise. Well done Rob, Way-da-Go!!! ...What a fantastic night.

The Set List for the show was as follows...

Trade Winds

Arias & Synphonies

Smiling In Winter

Romantic Traffic

Rodeo

Bending

2000 Years

New Song #1 - The Epic

New Song #2 - The Pop Song

My Favorite Page

Stop

The Rythem

Quiet World

Old Emotions

No Elections

Encore

Tell No Lies

...To view my entire albums simply click on the link below, still workin out a few minor problem with my new camera, but the pics didn't turn out bad.

Spoons at the Tattoo 2010

For more pics and video clips of the show, check out the Spoons official web site below...

http://www.thespoons.ca/index2.shtml

2010-04-13T15:46:00.001-07:00

Some of the Concerts coming to town very very soon...
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PIL - Public Image Limited - Kool Hause - Toronto - Friday May 7th - This might be the last chance to see Johnny Lydon and the boys, they don't come to town that often.
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The Spoons - Tatoo Rock Parlour - Friday April 30th - This is a 30th Anniversary Party and they always put on a great show. It will likley Sell out so get there early.
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Echo and the Bunnymen - The Phoenix- Friday April 23 - A great band, that always draws a big crowd when they hit Toronto. Don't wait until the last second for this one.
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Massive Attack - The Sound Academy - May 7th and 9th - I've never had a chance to see them, need to mark this one on my calender.

Malcolm McLaren dead at age 64

2010-04-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

....I was saddened to hear Malcolm McLaren, the former manager of The Sex Pistols and The New York Dolls has died, he was only 64. McLaren was one of the guiding forces behind the punk movement in the 1970's, he gained most of his notoriety as manager of The Sex Pistols, who shot to fame with irreverent songs like "God Save The Queen" and "Anarchy in the UK", during 1977. To help boost publicity for the band, McLaren organized a boat charter, having the Pistols play God Save The Queen on the River Thames, in front of the British House of Parliament. The Pistols split up after only one year but their influence continues to be felt to this day. Legal battles between McLaren and John Lydon continued until Lydon successfully sued McLaren in 1987 for contract rights and unpaid revenues. I think it's safe to say Johnny won't be attending the funeral.
...I think in a thousand years, three bands, above all others will define the Rock Music era of the twentieth century. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Sex Pistols. Admittedly, I've never has much use for the first two, but the Pistols have always been among my favorite bands of all time.

Wallpaper of the Day

2010-03-16T16:32:00.001-07:00

Click the Image for full Size.
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Corey Haim

2010-03-10T17:59:00.001-08:00

'''.A teenager in the 80's I can't help but remember this decade as anything other than the greatest time of my life, and one of the most memorable films of the 80's was of course "The Lost Boys" Almost a microcosm of the era in which it was made, it featured big hair, outrageous cloths, and the over-the-top grandiosity of Pop music characteristic of the 80's. Where else in history, other than 1987 could ya possibly find a saxophone player that looked like Thor ???. Like or hate it, this was at the height Post Punk era; a time where fashion and music had no rules, where anything, and everything was possible. Far removed from the mundane, cookie cutter age we're now currently living in, an age were Prefab Boy bands, Pop Tarts, and Grunge have stifled every semblance of individuality and creativity...fuck that was deep This film really does take us back to a special place, Corey Haim through his part in this film helped create that place and he will be sorely missed. Born in my home town of Toronto his career and his life were cut tragically short after and apparent prescription drug over dose on Wednesday. It's no secret that Corey spend much of his life battling a whole slew of personal demons, that much has been well documented.
....There's no reason to discuss drug addiction because I believe it's pretty much all been said before, god knows I've got enough soap boxes as it is. I think were all aware of what can happen when you venture down that road, today is but another unfortunate example of where that road can lead. Through the years Corey fought the good fight but in the end, like so many before, he lost. I know I speak for all of us when I say we wish him well, be safe and Godspeed in you journey to the other side...see ya there dude.

Bauhaus

2010-03-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

....There's a myriad of genres and sub-genres within the New Wave/Alternative, Punk/Post Punk movement, it's sometimes hard to classify bands as they move back and fourth across the spectrum of styles. I don't think many will argue that Bauhaus was; and still is a Goth band, one might even consider them the original Goth band. I saw them live about 10 years ago and what a fantastic show, many Marlyn Manson fans turned out for this gig. That familiar Goth sound that we are all so accustomed to today was pioneered by Bauhaus. There are few concerts where you'll see such a wide range in fans, everything from the teenaged punks, to the forty somethings right off Bay street. It's cool that some bands can still bridge the generational gap.

....With a darker more gloomy sound, they were a sort of backlash to the more commercial or Pop oriented New Wave bands emerging in the early 80's; God knows there were alot of them. Appealing to the more rebellious fringe types who preferred the underground music scene, Bauhaus targeted those music fans that abhorred anything that was even remotely close to commercialized; although if it was their intention to avoid the mainstream (as has been well documented) then I'd really like someone to explain to me why they appeared on Top of the Pops in 82'...Ah Well... We all have our moments of weakness...

....A quick history lesson; Bauhaus originated in 1977, or rather was formed from the remnants of two other bands back in 1977. A Northampton punk band called The Submerged Tenth (a phrase used to describe the lowest form of proletariat class) who among their members included David Jay (bass) and Keven Haskins (Drums). The band broke up after only three gigs which lead to the formation of a second band called The Craze, enter Daniel Ash (guitar). Much like the last band things went nowhere, but this short endeavor did lead to an introduction with Peter Murphy (singer), and the eventual formation of Bauhaus. The band released their first single in 1979 a 12" EP called "Bela Lugosi's Dead" under the Small Wonder Records label, which received alot of airplay on BBC1 and helped establish the band. In 1980 following the release of three additional singles "Dark Entries", "Terror Couple Kill Colonel" and "Telegram Sam" they release their first full album "In Flat Fields" under the 4AD record label. Shortly after this band moved to the Beggars Banquet record label the parent of 4AD and the rest is history, if ya need more go to Wikipedia or read a book.

...This band more than most has become almost legendary, in a relatively short time frame, from 1979 until their official break up in 1983 Bauhaus established themselves as one of the seminal bands of the 1980's with legions of fans that remain forever loyal. On a number of occasions through the years Bauhaus has re-united to play sold out concerts on both sides of the pond, they've even released new material for those diehards that just can't seem to get enough.

....Their fifth and final studio album "Go Away White" was released in 2008 after which they once again disbanded.

Bauhaus are...

Peter Murphy - Vocals

Daniel Ash - Guitar, sax

Davis J - Bass

Keven Haskins - Drums

The bands official web site.

http://www.bauhausmusik.com/

Pet Shop Boys - Live DVD / CD Release

2010-02-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Feb 20, 2010 - Pet Shop Boys Announce Live DVD/CD Release was a top story for this week. Pet Shop Boys return with "Pandemonium", a deluxe DVD/CD set containing their entire live show from London's O2 Arena on December 21, 2009. The film has been made by David Barnard who directed Pet Shop Boys' 'Cubism' DVD of the Fundamental tour. The audio for the DVD was mixed by Dave Woolley. My review will follow shortly.

Toyah

2010-02-19T16:03:00.000-08:00

Originally part of the punk / alternative scene along the lines of Siouxsie & the Banshees, before restyling more towards a new wave and main stream. She always wanted to more popular in America, I'd say that's America's loss, not hers. Her music exemplifies the creativity and strive for uniqueness that was to prevalent to the 80's, a far cry from the conveyor belt pop we get from the music industry today. Toyah Wilcox was born in Birmingham England on May 18, 1958 and is recognized as much for her theatrical work as for her contribution to music. During late 1977 she formed her first band consisting of Joel Bogen on guitar, Steve Bray on drums, Pete Bush on keyboards, and Mark Henry on Bass. After signing with Safari Records in 1978 she released her first single "Victims Of The Riddle" and an EP "Sheep Farming In Barnet". In 1980 following her second single,"Bird In Flight" she released her first full album "Blue Meaning" which made the top 40 chart in the UK. After a UK tour mixed with extensive acting engagements Toyah still found the time to release a new single " Brave New World" and a new album "The Changeling" which incidentally was produced by Steve Lillywhite, perhaps my favorite producer of all time...1980 was pretty damn busy. She's continued to perform through the years and to date has released 30 albums.

My List of Troops with the 501st.

2010-01-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

1. Fan Expo 2008 - Toronto - August 22 - 24 2008
2. Star Wars 80's Toy Expo - Burlinton - Sept 28, 2008
3. Clone Wars - TV Launch, Bloor Cinema - October 4 2008
4. Anthony Forest Signing - Silver Snail Toronto - Novemebr 1st 2008
5. Psion Tek - Kids Party - Mississauga - December 14th 2008
6. Got My Kids Show - Richmond Hill - Feb 8 2009
7. Got My Kids Show - Vaughan - Feb 15 2009
8. Ad Astra 2009 - Toronto - March 27 2009
9. Got My Kids Show - Richmond Hill - Sunday August 16 2009
10. Fan Expo 2009 - Toronto - August 28 - 30th
11. Star Wars In Concert - Toronto - Novemebr 26 - 2009
12. Ad Astra Cantina Party - Etobabcoke - Feb 27, 2010
13. Wizard World, Comic Con- Toronto - March 26 - 28, 2010
14. Ad Astra - Toronto - April 9, 10, 11th. 2010
15. Canadian Collectable Toy Expo - Burlington - April 25, 2010
16. 2010 Canadian 80's Toy Expo - Toronto - July 18, 2010

Brittany Murphy Dead at 32

2009-12-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

Chalk another one up for Big Pharma, when will the killing stop.... December 20, Brittany Murphy was pronounced dead of an apparent cardiac arrest, after she was found collapsed at her Los Angeles home and rushed to the nearby Cedars-Sinai hospital, where medics attempted to revive her. While details regarding the exact reason why a 32-year-old would suffer a fatal heart attack are still coming in, I'd be lying if I didn't say I know exactly what industry we can blame for this one, and it aint Oil and Gas: Brittany's death is a great loss...
....Brittany made a name for herself playing quirky, eccentric roles--from the goofy skater girl in Clueless, to psych-ward patients in Girl, Interrupted and Don't Say A Word, to even the voice of trailer-park airhead Luann Platter in the animated series King Of The Hill. So it made sense that she crossed over to the edgier music scene--not just in 8 Mile, in which she played Eminem's love interest (aka the "Kim Mathers" role), but as a vocalist in her own right. Most recently she was cast in Stallone's new film "The Expendables" due for release next year.

....Thought I'd include two videos the first from an appearance she did on Letterman a while ago. She lights up the room the moment she walks on stage, one can't help but smile and appreciate just how wonderful she was...

Blue Peter

2009-11-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

....A band started by Chris Wardman and Paul Humphrey they were another Canadian backlash against the corporate controlled airwaves of the 1970's. Blue Peter was from Toronto they formed in 1978 and gained allot of success during the early to mid 80’s. As I’ve mention previously one of the things that characterized the 80’s was a musical upheaval, smaller independent bands began to wage war against the fascist North American record industry which had barred the gates for new talent. Blue Peter was at the forefront of this war, with a completely original sound this new wave band was the very thing that made the alternative scene so interesting and appealing. The brutally restrictive 70’s created the perfect environment or breeding ground for bands such as this who were at the time just trying to get there music heard.

....Funny enough the first time I saw this band live I was with a crowd that geared more towards the punk scene rather than the new wave scene preferring stuff like the Sex Pistols or the Dead Kennedys over Alphaville or Simple Minds. Blue Peter was less electronic, and a more guitar oriented band so they could be construed as a sort of cross over between the two genre’s somewhere between rock and new wave stylistically. Most importantly though they are responsible for some really great tunes that everyone liked regardless of what genre you’re into. Their shows were characterized by an eclectic mix of new wave and punk fans with a few of the main stream crowd thrown in for good measure, which tends to happens once your videos make it to MTV.
....Blue Peter reached their Zenith in 1983 with the release of their seminal album “Falling” which yielded the massive hit 'Don’t Walk Past’ recorded under the Ready Records label. This solidified the band as a Canadian Indy Powerhouse on the presipus on international success, a band that despite the odds now seemed positioned to take the world by storm. It's hard to forget the cutting edge Film noir video for "Don’t Walk Past" featuring Paul Humphrey’s unorthodox dance as he navigates that smokey hallway one the most innovative videos of that era (link below). It received wide acclaim as well as airplay, it can still be seen on YouTube although it’s desperately in need of some restoration as are many of the videos from this time. Following the success of “Falling” Blue Peter was invited to participate in The Police Picnic in 1983 at CNE Stadium and also opened for Simple Minds during their Canadian Tour in 84. They toured extensively during this time playing sold out venues across the country including the Ontario Place Forum which seated up to 18,000 people. Sadly this is the peak for Blue Peter the possibility of international success would never come to fruition as the band broke apart in 1985. Sighting a grueling touring schedule and a seven year workload that had left the band drain they decided to call it quits, and in doing so added yet another page to the book of bands that failed to achieve there full potential. Many fans myself included were distraught and left wondering how far they could have gone.
,,,,Happily Blue Peter does re-unite from time to time and play a show, much to the thrill of their fans who continue to keep the faith. Their most recent gig was September 2009 at Dundas Square in Toronto (according to their web site). I missed my last the opportunity to see them perform a joint concert with the Spoons at the Pilot Room some time ago ,but hopefully I'll have the chance to see them again in the future.

Blue Peter are…

Paul Humphrey – vocals
Chris Wardman - Guitar/Songwriter
Owen Tennyson - Drums
Jason Sniderman - Keyboards
Rick Joudrey – Bass

Geoff McOuat - Bass (1978-1980)
Mike Bambrick - Drums (1978, 1980-1982)
Ron Tomlinson - Drums (1979)

Blue Peter's Website below...

http://bluepeterband.com/

The Velvet Underground Toronto - Halloween

2009-11-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

....Last Saturday we were at The Velvet Underground in Toronto, located on Queen St. it's one of those legendary bars that's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Halloween is always a great night at the Velvet and last weekend was no exception. The place was packed and there was a massive line up outside waiting to get in. We arrived early to avoid the non-sense there's nothing I hate more than standing in a frackin lineup. The thing I like most about the Velvet is that nothing ever seems to change, not the music not the people, and not the atmosphere yet at the same time they seem to years ahead of the mainstream when it comes to just about everything if that makes any sense. One things you'll notice immediate is the diversity in the crowd. The average age of the people that frequent this place is anywhere between 18 to 50 it has always been and always will be Toronto's best night spot, especailly for those that like to be different. Above are some pics I took, it was a pretty wild night and happily all we survived it.

...to see the pics in full size just click on the images they will enlarge.

Ignatius Jones

2009-10-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

....Part of a group that would have driven your parent absolutely nuts. An Australian artist and the frontman for "Jimmy and the Boys" a shock rock group that featured obscene lyrics and imagery among other things. Their act included horror related theatrics, S&M, transvestism, self mutilation, simulated sex, drug abuse and even a mock rape enactment all in an attempt to convey the degeneration of our society. The core of the group form in 1976 and included Ignacius as well as keyboard player Joylene Hairmouth who was a transvestite.

Rock 'N' Roll Might Be Over, Says...U2?

2009-10-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

.....I read an article on Yahoo today and that's precisely how it started and I have to be honest it made me laugh. Bono Vox is apparently unhappy with the sales of U2's latest album "No Line On The Horizon" not gonna go into details, suffice to say he's blaming the record industry which is increasingly being geared towards pop music. Don't get me wrong, I like U2 but to blame pop and suggest the lackluster sales are because rock'n'roll is dying would be to suggest that U2 is rock band ...THEY'RE NOT... U2 is in fact a POP band and have been so for at least 20 years. Second to perhaps only Abba they're the most successful pop band in history. Obviously they aren't making the same kinda pop as "Brittney Spears" or the "INSYNC" but they are in fact a Pop group, I hope this doesn't offend anyone not trying to be offensive but I gotta call it the way I see it. The last legitimate rock album U2 put out was "War" and by the time the "Joshua Tree" was released they'd made the full transition into main stream music. In saying that I need to be clear, there is nothing wrong with pop, I like a lot of pop bands, probably more than I should, but for Bono to blame the very thing that is responsible for U2's success, as the instrument of their failure is in my opinion quite ridiculous...

Duran Duran

2009-10-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

....Well ya knew this one was coming...few bands during the 80's polarized music fans quite as much as these guys, most people had an opinion either ya loved them or you hated them. Were they legitimate New Romantic pioneers or sugar coated garbage? I'm still trying to decide. I talked to many who feel Duran Duran were all style a no substance, while others feel they were one of the most important groups to emerge in the 80's, the quintessential New Wave band. I'm not gonna argue either side they are what they are, but considering they've been around for close to thirty years and still making albums perhaps it's time for the bashers to cut them a little slack.
.....Not going to spend alot of time on a history lesson, if you're really interested there are a lot better places you can look than here. Duran Duran is a New Romantic band from Birmingham, England. They were one of the most successful groups of the 1980's spearheading what many at the time called the second British Invasion. There original line up consisted of Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Stephen (Tin Tin) Duffy, and later Roger Taylor, after numerous personnel changes, Andy Taylor, and Simon Le Bon were also added while Tin Tin departed. band's first album, Duran Duran, was released on the EMI label in 1981 it yielded three singles "Planet Earth", "Careless Memories" and of course "Girls On Film" the video to which created so much of controversy was banned by the BBC and heavily edited for MTV. The second album Rio released in 1982 was the one that broke Duran Duran world wide, yielding no less than 5 singles they charted across the planet and they became for a time the biggest band in the world. It seemed to happen almost over night an absolute hysteria everyone went nuts for them especially chicks, go figure. A world tour followed, in support of the album and MTV seemed to play their videos 24/7 their images were splashed across every magazine on the planet as the mania spread. When I look back on it now in my mind it seems like it went on forever, but in reality the bulk of their success was achieved over a relatively short period of time between 82 and 85, by the time their fourth album "Notorious" was release in 86 much of the hype had subsided and their popularity wained. Still can't take away from what they did, for a short time during the 80's Duran Duran were being compared to the Beetles a band above all others, an astounding feet to say the least.

....Duran Duran is now in their 28 year and have released a total of 13 albums, the line up has changed over time as members come and go. They still tour pretty regularly to the thrill of their fans, in fact just this summer they were in Toronto to play a sold out Air Canada Center. They still look and sound great after almost 30 years and although I wouldn't consider myself the biggest fan of their music, I still respect them and believe they made a valuable contribution to the New Wave movement. I own a few albums and concert DVDs I think the The Wedding Album released in 1993 is absolutely ingenious and perhaps their best work. To this day I've not yet seen them live but intend to at some point, from what I've heard they put on a great show.

Duran Duran's line up during their period of Global domination 81-85 is as follows..

Simon Le Bon

Nick Rhodes

John Taylor

Roger Taylor

Andy Taylor

Other past and present members are as follows...

Dominic Brown

Sterling Campbell

Warren Cuccurullo

Stephen Duffy

Andy Wickett

Simon Colley

Alan Curtis

Jeff Thomas

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I've Included below the video "Save A Prayer" released in August 1982 perhaps a bit sappy but still my favorite song by the band...
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Charlitans UK Cancel North American Tour.

2009-09-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Charlatans were to play the Mod Club in Toronto tonight but unfortunatly the show has been cancelled along with the London show, this is from their web site...The Charlatans are sorry to announce the cancellation of their forthcoming North American tour. This is due to drummer Jon Brookes' longstanding shoulder complaint. He has been strongly advised by doctors against undertaking 23 concerts in 28 days as this could cause severe damage to ligaments in the affected area. He will start a course of treatment starting in September and in the coming months to rectify the condition.

Elemental - Tears For Fears

2009-09-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

...I was never so sure in my life that I was gonna hate an album, after all Curt Smith was gone leaving only Roland Orzabal how could it possibly work. As far as I was concerned Tears for Fears was done, I thought it best they just fade quietly into the night. I didn't actually pick this album up till years later, and the only reason I picked it up at all is because it was on sale. Even after I bought it, it just kinda sat on my shelf collecting dust for a year. It was release in 1993 and I didn't get round to listening to it until around 98, happily I finally did and to my pleasant surprise I was completely and totally wrong. This isn't just a good album it's a bloody great album. It's now loaded on my iPod were it receives regular play, and I mean the entire album not just select songs.

...The big single of the album was "Break It Down Again", which charted well in Europe as well as North America, "Cold", "Elemental" and "Goodnight Song" which are equally impressive were also released as singles, not sure why they didn't chart better in North America, I guess I'll attribute it to our bad taste, or perhaps our sudden 90's fascination in boy bands and grunge music. "Power" my personal favorite should have been released as a single also, come to think of it there isn't a week track on the entire disk. With Smith's departure Orzalbal co wrote this album with Alan Griffith, they'd worked together many time in the past and the end result in an almost perfect album. I know I've said this before and I'm gonna keep on saying it every time I feel an album's gone un-appreciated. Buy this Album!!... you will not be disappointed.

Patrick Swayze dies at age 57

2009-09-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

...I really don't like times like this, I don't like writing about it, I wish it would never happen, it's always so very sadening... another friend and familiar face we all grew up with has passed on. Although this is a music blog I'll deviate much of the time especially when it comes to something I believe is important. I've always said I feel lucky to have been a teenager during the 1980's a decade that was defined not only by it's great music but also by the great people that shaped it. There are few things that anchor us to a period in history quite like the movies, they're a microcosm of an age, a window through which we see our passing time. Few actors defined our generation or were as popular in this era as Patrick Swayze. One of our iconic film stars, he died today after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, he was only 57. He passed away peacefully with family at his side by all accounts he remained happy and positive till the very end..

... Like so many others I still enjoy watching films like Red Dawn, The Outsiders and of course Road House which I especially relate to having spent so many years working in the bar business. I know I'm not alone when I say he will be missed, also like millions of others I will continue to enjoy his work for many years to come. Art in it's many forms lasts long after we are gone, I think we can look at his films as a gift, something that Patrick left us, something that we and future generations can enjoy always. Condolences to his friends and family ...

MVAs The Shame.

2009-09-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Pathetic little man, shame, shame, shame !!!

....What Kanye West did last night was inexcusable I don't think in all my years I've seen a display quite so mean, nasty and pathetic. Not a big fan of these types of award shows I feel inclined never the-less to say few words about what happened the other night. Taylor Swift from all accounts one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, still a teenager she doesn't even turn 20 until December, the 19-year-old was so happy she'd won an award for her song "You Belong With Me," her first ever MVA, a special night indeed. Ready with her acceptance speech she stepped to the podium to thank all who helped with this monumental achievement. With her friends and family in attendance for support this truly was her special moment in the Sun...

........Kanye West ruined that for her. In perhaps one of the most selfish acts I've ever seen he jumped on stage at Radio City Music Hall grabbed the microphone from Taylor and started to spew off some non-sense about a Beyonce's video being better, ruining her speech and humiliating her in the process. It absolutely infuriated me, it just plain pisses me off that there people in the world that are like this little twerp (trying to keep the profanity to a minmum) if I was Taylor's father it's likely Mr West would have left this awards show on a stretcher instead of his own two feet, but that's just me.. As it is he was escorted out by security as the crowd booed him, good thing too rumor has it Pink had to be restrained as she tryed to tear his eyeballs out, that's one girl you don't wanna piss off.

.... This isn't the first time Kanye has pulled these kind of thing, I believe it's his third incident. He clearly has psychological issues and they need to be addressed, if he's not prepared or willing to get the help he so desperately requires then he should be forced to do so via court order. It also seems clear he has a drinking problem, which once again needs to be addressed and if he is not prepared to seek help then he should be forced to via court order, just my opinion. I'm sure right now Kanye's mother is rolling in her grave, he humiliated poor little Taylor for no good reason. What's he gonna do for an encore kill a puppy ?

Raybeats

2009-09-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

...The Raybeats were one of those great post punk bands that never really got their due credit, the landscape of this era is littered with bands that suffered much the same fate. They were labeled as No Wave, which is a slag against the commercial elements of the New Wave scene during the early 80's. But like New Wave / Alternative bands of the time, they drew on mish-mash of styles such as rock'n'roll, punk, jazz, blues and funk to create yet another sub genre of music quite unique but hard to categorized. There were no rules for bands in the 80's, just idea's and choices.

...Originally formed for shits and giggles (as a hobby) in New York 1979 the Raybeats consisted of Jody Harris on guitar, Don Christenson on drums, Pat Irwin on keyboard/sax/guitar and original bassist George Scott. They quickly gained prominence on the New York club circuit and decided to make the group permanent. When George Scott died from a drug overdose in August 1980 he was replaced by Danny Amis shortly after they signed a recording deal with Don't Fall Off the Mountain, a subsidiary of British recording label Beggars Banquet. There first EP was completed in late 1980 called "Roping Wild Bears" and in 1981 their first full album, "Guitar Beat" hit the shops. Amis's departed in 1982, the Raybeats recorded one more album, "It's Only A Movie!" which was released on Shanachie Records in 1983 I have no information on sales or singles unfortunately . They disbanded in 1984 and that's a shame, I'll include video at the end of this post so you can see how talented they were. It's a sad reality that true genius is often not rewarded...

The Raybeats are...

Jody Harris - guitar
Pat Irwin - Keyboards, sax, gutar
Don Christense - Drums
Danny Amis - Bass
George Scott III - Bass

other musician that played Base post Amis - David Hofstra, Bobby Albertson and Gene Holder

Raybeats - Jack The Ripper

Simple Minds - Sanctify Yourself ( Extended )

2009-09-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

.
. "This is the Age of Thunder and Rage..."
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....Great opening lyric, some dude unloaded his entire record collection and I was able pick up a few choice gems in pristine condition. This extended re-mix was released by Simple Minds under the Virgin Records label 1986, it received alot of airplay back in the day. This EP contains two version of "Sanctify Yourself" an Extended mix and a dub mix. It was co-produced by two legends in the recording industry Bob Clearmountain and James Iovine who's resumes are to say the least extremely impressive. Bob Clearmountain's been nominated for four Grammy awards and worked with likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Bryan Adams and Robbie Williams to name just a few. James Iovine has engineered for John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen and produced for U2, Dire Straits and Patty Smith to name just a few. This version (extended) starts off with a simple beat overlayed with Jim Kerrs vocals approximately 20 seconds ahead the the heavy beat kicks in followed shortly after with the keyboard and bass tracks. Made for mixing the you get a good two minutes of repetitive droning before the meat the song proper transitions. An excellent variation of the original deviating enough to make it unique but not so much as to make it unrecognizable. Obviously the purpose of this 12 inch was the clubs and pubs so the drum tracks takes on increased prominence throughout, it works well. The B-Side dub mix is pure instrumental (well almost), very repetitive, very cool this is for pure mixing purposes, there are some vocals at the very end, also very repetitive. This is an extremely well done EP can't believe someone gave it up.

A. Sanctify Yourself - extended mix 7:10

B. Sanctify Yourself - dub mix 6:11

Produced by Bob Clearmountain & Jimmy Iovine

Mixed by Jay Burnette, Bob Clearmountain assissted by Moira Marquis

Written by Simple Minds

Virgin Records 1986

Toronto Fan Expo 2009

2009-09-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

BRUCE CAMPBELL, The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness and Bubba Ho-Tep among other things was there on Sunday. He was only willing to sight a few hunder autographs before calling it quits, kinda disrespectful if you ask me. The first time he's been here to my knowlege and there were alot of disappointed fans who I'm sure wanted to meet him but could'nt because he decided to be a dinky dink.

LOU FERRIGNO, The Incredible Hulk from all accounts one of the nicest guys at the show, always willing to talk to the fans and joke around.

It aint just about Science fiction at the Fan Expo many of the Menga and Comic Hero costumes as well as costumes from video games such as Legend of Zelda and Guitar hero are also popular. Very impressive to say the least these kids sure put alot of work into them.

What ever your into you'll find it at the Fan Expo, here the WWF's Iron Shiek and the Honky Tonk Man sign autographs and converse with the fans. Dang is that Iron Shiek ever loud, scared the hell otta me, always yelling at someone...all in good fun for the show of course.

Yup the 501st Legion of which I'm a proud member, we have alot of fun and the crowd is always appreciative. I usually spend much of my weekend posing for pictures.

LEONARD NIMOY was also there, long line up for this guy, yet he was always friendly and made sure all the fan got their autograph or picture. definitely one of the highlights having him there.

Aaron Douglas-"Battlestar Galactica" and Erin Grey- "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" sign autographs for fans. This is a tragedy for me, I really wanted Erin Greys autograph, who can forget her in the white spandex pilot outfit, it was truely pivotal moment in Sci-Fi TV history...at least it was for me. I got so busy and I completely forgot to go see her. I hope she comes back again. I'll never forgive myself for missing out on what could have been one of the defining moment of my life...Ohhh.. notice the look of bewilderment on Aaron's face, that's because someone has just handed him a bootleg copy of BSG to be signed, I wonder sometimes what goes through peoples heads.

.
...Well another Fan Expo has come and gone, I spent all weekend at the Toronto convention center I'm exhausted, never walked so much in my life. This year was bigger than ever as a record 60,000 people attended, what a crazy mad house it was. I took some shots at the show but spent most of the time trooping with the 501st Legion. I think it would be best they move this event to the North building for next years show as some people reported a two hour wait just to get in. Security had a tough time keeping control the line was so long it went all the way up the stairs through the concourse, down the outside steps were it snaked half way around the Sky Dome (Rogers Center). That said a good time was had by all, I now count the day until the next one.

Below is a slide show of many of pics I did last weekend enjoy.

Toronto Fan Expo 2009

The link to the entire album is here...

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/574439110vCwHqz?vhost=good-times

Moody Blues - Live at the Amphetheater

2009-08-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

.....August 12 2009 - Last Night at the Molson Amphitheater in Toronto I went to see the Moody Blues put on a spectacular show . After four decades Justine Hayward alongside longtime members bassist John Lodge and drummer Graeme Edge continue performing their many classics and last nights crowd of nearly 10,000 certainly got their money's worth. This is another one of those bands I never got the privilege of seeing back in the 70's or 80's, few bands have the staying power or stamina these guys do especially after almost fourty years, nor do many command quite the loyal following as do the Moody Blues. As appreciative as the crowd was of this iconic group they are equally appreciative of their fans. Near the end of the evening Justine just took a moment to thank all who attended saying "we love you and thank you for keeping the faith". Needless to say the crowd went wild. Being primarily a fan of the New Wave/Alternative scene during the 80's I really didn't have allot of exposure to bands like this, I'm glad I do now. It's easy to forget in this day and age that there was a time in the music industry when talent was mattered most.

Underworld at The Kool Haus

2009-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

August 11 2008...Click on the pics to see full size image...
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...The Kool Haus (formerly the Warehouse, and RPM) is approximately 27,000 sq ft and located on the Lakeshore in the heart downtown Toronto many a great bands have played there over the years. I was there last night to see "Underworld" an English electronica / techno group that have been around since the 80's. To tell you the truth I'm actually more familiar with there earlier stuff when they recorded under there original moniker "Freur". I've heard Born "Slippy NUXX" many times before (who hasn't) but that said last night was predominantly an educational experience for me. I loved it, they put on a radical high energy show of sight and sound for a sold out crowd of approximately 2500, everyone was really into it.

....I took some pics but it was tough gettin anything worth posting, the room was filled with smoke from the start. I guess it's done on purpose to increase the mood/effect of the light show which seriously augments the music, like I said before it's was a combination of both sight and sound that made the experience so unique. The crowd seemed to moved in unison for much of the night, as if in a trace, hence their popularity with the Rave scene. I'm gonna be picking up some of their CD's shortly so I can get more familiar with the work thats for sure...CD's are those little round silvery things about four inches wide that you can still buy at HMV...

Underworld are...

Rick Smith - keyboards

Karl Hyde - vocals, guitars

Darren Price - keyboards, mixing and live assistant

Talk Talk - It's My Life ( 12" Extended )

2009-07-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

....A bit perplexed by this one, without an argument Talk Talks most commercially successful single and a rare 12 inch. I acquired this recently and it's nothing like the one I owned twenty years ago which had only the one extended single with four different versions of the same song. This EP contains not only It's My life 12" Mix, but also 12" Mixes of Dum Dum Girl, Such A Shame, Talk Talk, My Foolish Friend and Why So Hard, each of these songs is excellent on there own, it's almost like a mini greatest hits package (early stuff only), except they're all extended versions. The sleeve leads me to believe it was created for the North American market, with packaging designed in Italy and remixed in 1984 by Steve Thompson. This copy above belongs to me and was pressed right here in Canada in the bustling metropolis of Mississauga. A great set list and well worth picking up if you can find a copy in decent condition. Each and every track was eventually re-released on CD, after all Talk Talk aint exactly obscure or unknown. But the reason I pick these up has nothing to do with weather they've been re-released or remastered I don't much care about that. I pick them up because they are rare, and rarer still in perfect condition, also because I dig the photography and cover art which is so interesting.

Track List

1. Why Is It So Hard?... 12" U.S.Remix - Extended

2. Talk Talk... 12" Mix - Extended

3. My Foolish Friend... 12" Mix - Extended

4. It's My Life... 12" Mix - Extended

5. Dum Dum Girl... 12" Remix - Extended

6. Such A Shame... 12" U.S. Remix - Extended

Tracks 1, 5, 6 : Remixed by Steve Thompson

1984 EMI Records

Front Cover Photo by Sheila Rock

Glastonbury Festival 2009 Pictures

2009-07-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

....These are some really spectacular images and I thought I'd share them. What I wouldn't give to attend this festival just once, ahhh well perhaps one day it'll happen. Just have to add it to a long list of things I need to do before I die. The last week of June, approximately 190,000 people made their way to Worthy Farm in western England to attend the 2009 Glastonbury Festival. Attendees came to see performances at what is billed as "Europe's largest open-air music festival" on many stages over four days - headliners included Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and a reunited Blur. Rainy weather did little to dampen the mood, as attendees enjoyed themselves in tent cities, concert performances, dance tents, and the surrounding countryside of Somerset, England. Collected here are a handful of images from this year's festival...

You need to see this...link below...

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/glastonbury_2009.html

Ministry - Everyday ( Is Halloween ) & All Day

2009-07-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

It's Industrial, err... I mean New Wave, no it's Industrial, no it's..it's..it's Ministry. From my collection another piece of plastic that got heavy rotation during my time in the booth, one of Ministry's early singles and still my favorite. Far removed from the industrial metal sound they are known for today, Ministry originally started as a New Wave band with a distinctive electronic sound, although one might say they were teetering on the precipice of an Industrial revolution. Al Jourgensen has reportedly expressed disappointment with Ministry's music during these early years, not really sure why. I think it had something to do with creative control, a problem that I'm sure most artist encounter with their record company occasionally. Ahh well screw it, whatever the reason I know I speak for many when I say that "WE" the fans were not disappointed. This was their signature single "Everyday is Halloween" with "All Day" on the flip side was essential vinyl for any music collector and fan of this genre. Ministry released a total of 4 singles under the Wax Trax Records label, I believe this was the most successful but don't quote me on that, sometimes I don't know what the ___ I'm talkin about...

this side

Everyday ( Is Holloween ) 6:35

other side

All Day 5:51

WAX TRAX! RECORDS

2445 Lincoln Ave Chicago IL

The New YorK Dolls

2009-07-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

.....On Tuesday night I went to Lee's Palace in Toronto and saw the New York Dolls put on one helluva kick-ass show. They played an amazing, two hour set that had the crowed hoppin. Above are some of the shots I took during the evening. I was using a little Canon Powershot, not the most professional camera in the world, but they actually turned out OK.

..... The Dolls originally formed in 1971 so the line up that we saw play tonight has changed somewhat from the what it was originally. In 2004 the band reformed with three of their original members, two of whom, David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain, continue on today and have released two new records. The original bassist, Arthur Kane died shortly after their first reunion concert. The new members are Steve Conte, Sami Yaffa, Brian Delaney and Brian Koonin. The link to my entire photo album of shots from the show is below...

http://picasaweb.google.com/Lunatic.Entrails/NewYorkDolls?feat=directlink

No Doubt with Paramore

2009-06-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

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Air Canada Center Tuesday June 16 2009

...Not always about the 80's...

.....It's been five years since No Doubt recorded an album yet last night they rolled into Toronto and played to twenty thousand screaming fans at a sold out Air Canada Center. I know this because I was one of those fans, what a absolutely fantastic show not only was I there but for the first time in almost 20 years I had front row centers. The show lasted a blistering one hour and forty minutes in which Gwen Stefani and the boys blasted through hit after hit in a high energy fast paced show that had the crowd, myself included on their feet non stop. It's easy to see why they still command such a loyal following, the moment Gwen appeared the crowd was transfixed, a performer like no other she has a stage presence, charisma and stamina that few in the music industry can match, add to that...

Set List

Hella Good
Underneath It All
Excuse Me Mister
Ex-Girlfriend
Happy Now/End It On This
Simple Kind of Life
Bathwater
Guns of Navarone
New
Hey Baby
Running
Different People
Don't Speak
It's My Life
Just A Girl
Encore:
Rock Steady
Stand and Deliver
Sunday Morning

Yes - Pet Shop Boys

2009-06-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

....I picked YES up last week, I wanted to listen to it at least ten times before writing anything and that's exactly what I did. Truth be told I probably could have written a review before even listening to the album. When it comes to the Pet Shop Boys I pretty much know what to expect, perfection, absolute perfection. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have crafted another masterpiece, right from the lead off single "Love Inc." the album grabs you and pulls you in. Each song carefully crafted, layer upon layer of synthesizers intertwined with a that heavy redundant trance like beat we're all accustomed to, add to that some selected guitar riffs by ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and you get a sound experience like no other. That albums has already caught on huge in Europe, the Pet Shop Boys music is after all tailor made for the UK underground.

....It's hard to pick the strongest tracks, because as a rule they don't don't normally include any fill on their albums, it usually a two to three year gap between releases. Besides "Love Inc" their are a number of other track that could easily be issued as singles. "All Over the World" should be the second release a catchy trance like droning dance track that's already being played in the clubs. "More Than a Dream" an upbeat dance track with combining a new wave syth-pop sound with a slight disco beat, it also has one of the best hooks on the album, "Building a Wall" my personal favorite, it has that older 80's style feel to it, a real throw back to the original Pet Shop Boys sound, and "King Of Rome" every album contain at least one ballad, and YES is no exception, a beautiful heart felt song that balances guitar and keyboards with meaningful lyrics and an hypnotic beat.

The Track List is as Follows...

1.... Love Inc

2....All Over the World

3....Beautiful People

4....Did You See Me Coming?

5....Vulnerable

6....More Than a Dream

7....Building a Wall

8....King of Rome

9....Pandemonium

10..The Way It Used to Be

11..Legacy

At the time of writing this review, the album is currently sitting at number 3 on the European Top 100 Albums, #4 on the UK Albums Chart, #3 on the German Album Chart and occupies chart position in 16 other countries around the world, not bad for two guys approaching their fifties.

Supplementary July 24 2009

"Love etc." has moved up to 1 from number 2 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart in the USA. This is Pet Shop Boys' ninth Billboard Dance number one hit, the first being "West End girls" in 1986. According to Billboard.biz: "...Pet Shop Boys set the record for the most No. 1s in the history of the Hot Dance Club Songs chart among duos or groups this week as "Love Etc." becomes the ninth Pet Shop Boys song to hit the top slot."

Suplementary Feb 18, 2010
The album contunues to expolde all over the world, here's a clip from CNN Feb 18. 2010
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Comateens

2009-05-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

.....Back in the 1980's and to a lesser extent the early 90's their was a venue in Toronto that played host to some of the greatest bands that I have ever seen. It was called The Concert Hall and it was located on Young Street in the heart of Toronto. Although most would be hard pressed to remember it today back in the mid 80's everyone who was anyone played there. It wasn't a big place, it only housed about 1500 if memory serves me, yet most bands seemed to end up performing their at one time or another. To name just a few U2, Simple Minds, The Sex Pistols, The Spoons, Love & Rockets, Billy Bragg, Public Image Ltd, etc...you get the picture. Anyway A Flock Of Seagulls were in town playing the Concert Hall and it so happens I was in attendance, normally I don't pay too much attendance on the opening act, but on this night it was different. The opening band on this night was the Comateens, an upbeat New Wave group from New York City with an infectious energetic sound that had us all hoping immediately. It's been 25 years since that show so what I remember is extremely limited, The Seagulls put on a great show that much is certain, but the opening band was equally impressive. Our goal the following day was to hit the Record Peddler and other shops in search of vinyl by this new band, a single or an album, whatever we could find. Much to our disappointment we were unable to find anything, I like to think of Toronto on the cutting edge when it comes to new music, especially in the mid 80's but for some reason this talented band has failed to make an impact up here...or perhaps the store was just out of stock. Anyway I looked for a few month then finally gave up, I never was able to acquire anything by this band and it always kinda bothered me.

....Now we have the Internet and it opens up a lot of possibilities, were searching for obscure band in the 80's and 90's could be next to impossible, today it has become relatively easy, countless bands from many eras and genres can be researched although sometimes info can still be limited. Many times over the years I search the name Comateens without success, either I'd find a small reference attesting to there existence and perhaps a sentence of two, or I'd find nothing at all. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I tryed yet another search an BINGO !!!, not just a Wikipedia reference or Myspace page but an entire Website, and a good one at that. (link at the end ) someones been busy.
....It turns out that although their albums were hard to come north of the board they actually did had a pretty loyal following in the Northern States and especially New York were they' play clubs like Max's Trax, Heat, The Blitz, and of course CBGBs, they also has success across the pond in Europe touring France and Belgium on more than one occasion. The did one Canadian tour as well in 1984 but unfortunatley I missed that one, had I know I most certainly would have attended. The Comateens originally formed in 1978 as duo, Nick North and Romona Lee Jan met in a New York recording studio and began to write songs together. In December of the same year Lyn Byrd joins to do vocals and they become a three peice. The first songs ever pressed to vinyle by the Commateens was on a New Your Based compilation album called 2x5, as the name suggests it was a compilation of 5 bands each contributing two song. The Comateen contributed "Late Night City" and "Overseas". With regards to their catalog it can get a bit confusing, there were two studio albums, "Comateen" (self titled) and "Pictures on a String", there were also various 45's and videos releases more info can be obtained at their web site below.

The Comateens are as follows...

Band members changed over the years and there was also the tragic death of Oliver North and Nic North, so the musician below were involved with the band at various stages between 1978 and the present.

LYN BYRD - Vocal, Keyboard

RAMONA JAN: Vocals, guitar

NIC NORTH: Vocals, bass, keyboards, percussion

OLIVER NORTH: Vocals, guitars

ROLLY: Percussion

JEFF ZILM: Drums

NIC O. TEEN: Vocals, bass

HARRY VIDERCI: Drums

Comateens website, were alot of info can be found, plus some Downloads...

http://www.comateens.com/index.html

Vis:A:Vis - Heart and Soul

2009-05-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

...One of the most fascinating things about the 80's was the hundreds of tiny independent record labels that waged war against the corporate machine that controlled a stagnating music industry at the time. Hundreds perhaps even thousands of small and medium sized bands from all over the world took part in this backlash, assaulting the airwaves, the charts, and most importantly the club scene. Independent college and University Radio stations along with non-commercial radio like CFNY ( back when they were still good ) help make us aware of the existance of these bands. It became a weekend passtime to head downtown to small record shops in search of hard to find albums and 12'inch singles, both domestic and imported.

.....One of the smaller, but very talented groups involved was Vis-A-Vis a Canadian New Wave band that gained a relatively loyal following during the mid 80's. The album shown above belongs to me and it's in almost perfect condition, an incredibly rare find. My original copy purchase back in 86 received regular rotation at the bar I used to DJ, sadly that copy has long since disappeared. This copy I found about a year ago at a flee market and I was to say the least absolutely thrilled. Heart and Soul is a mini album, it only has four tracks, five tracks if you include both versions of "I am the night". They have a distinctively new wave sound, with multiple keyboard layers but also featuring a prominent bass line intertwined with strong guitar riffs throughout, Rude Van Steenes provides some great vocals to round out the project. I would describe it as a cross between INXS an Simple Minds, yet it still retains an original sound. An excellent piece of work by a band that's gone but not forgotten.

Track List

I am the night

Prison of eyes

Where angels tread

Dance with me

I am the night (version)

Vis A Vis are...

Ed Galati (drums)

Gene Donofrio (bass)

Rude Van Steenes (vocals)

Kurt La Porte (guitar, backing vocals)

Norm Brown (keyboards)

additional musicians...

D'arcy Pickering - drums track 1,2,4

Scott Humphrey - PPG programs trk 3

Heart and Soul

Produced by Garth Richardson, assisted by William Robertson

Recorded and Mixed at 'Phase One Studios' Toronto in the fall of 1985

Glamatron Publishing / CAPAC / Vis:A:Vis

Vis:A:Vis also thanks the Spoons and their crew for support on this project.

I get Along - Pet Shop Boys

2009-05-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

"I get along" is a single by the Pet Shop Boys from their album Release. A love song, Neil Tennant has also hinted that it can also be interpreted as commentary on the then fraught relationship between British prime minister Tony Blair and New Labour architect Peter Mandelson after the later had to resign from the British Cabinet after a second major scandal he was involved in. This is a beautifully video it portrays a number of young actors in a New York artist's studio and also features Russian super model Natalia Vodianova (before she became famous). Natalia grew up in a poor district of Gorky USSR. She enrolled in modelling at age 15 and by 17 she'd moved to France to establish her self as a successful runway model. Today Vodianova is ranked 14th in the U.K. as one of the World's Greatest Supermodels and has done the cover of every major magazine in the world. But Natalie is more than just a pretty face, she is the founder and the President of the Naked Heart Foundation, a philanthropy that strives to provide a safe and inspiring environment in which to play for every child living in urban Russia.

Wishing ( If I Had A Photograph Of You )

2009-05-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

Click on the artwork to get full size.

....It bothers me when A Flock of Seagulls are refered to as a one hit Wonder. All to often One-Hit-Wonder charts compiled by various companies like VH1 ( an American cable television network based in New York City) include the song "I Ran" on their list. Problem is A Flock Of Seagulls are about as far from a one hit wonder as you can possible get "I Ran" was just one of many hits they wrote over the years. It might not bother me so much if was just some idiot who knows absolutely nothing about music, but it's not. These are industry people, companies like VH1 and Much Music are suppose to know this kinda stuff, they're involved in producing music based television shows, hence the name "Much Music"...

.....This will be one of many post that helps document the charting singles released by "A Flock Of Seagulls" although according to industry people, and the people responsible for producing these fictional TV shows they are a band with only one hit....perhaps these songs don't actually exist.... Granted none of these reached number one, but they we still hits.

..... Released in 1983 this was the first single off there second album LISTEN. The photo above is the artwork from the EP ( for those idiot industry people EP stands for Extended Play a.k.a. the 12'inch single...) "Wishing" peaked strongly in Great Britain and in Canada where it reached the Top 10, in the U.S. it reach #26 on the Billboard charts, it also charted in Germany as well. The version above is my personal copy, it's just over 6 minutes long (6:03 to be exact) it's the version that received regular rotation in all the dance clubs, the original version of this song clocked in at nearly 14 minutes. It also holds the rare distinction of having been performed almost entirely on the black keys of a keyboard.

...... In a celebration of early electronic music, digital radio station BBC 6 Music compiled a chart of its listeners' favourite synthesizer riffs in November 2006. "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" came second in the list.

Wishing ( If I Had A Photograph Of You )

1983 Zomba Productions Ltd.

Jive / Arista

Side A.

Wishing ( If I Had A Photograph Of You )

The Flight Of Yuri Gagarin

Side B

Rosenmotag

Committed

Classix Nouveaux

2009-05-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

A band I always intended to explore more closely but just never found the time. Classix Nouveaux are Sal Solo (vocals/guitar, synthesizers) Mike Sweeney (bass guitar ) B.P.Harding (drums, percussion), and Jak Airport (lead guitar) Airport was replaced by Gary Steadman (guitar). Steadman left in 1982 to be replace by Jimi Suman who played a number of instruments. Categorized as a New Romantic band this group did the bulk of their recording and touring between 1981 to 1983. They first gained popularity in 1981 with the release of their hit single "Guilty" which received extensive airplay in Britain. They did two European tours that year and began to gain a loyal following. Their debut album Night People was also released in 1981, it was actually released in 27 countries and charted in many of them, they spent the remainder of the year on an 11 country tour which included Sweden, Yugoslavia and Portugal to name just a few. Releasing their next album La Verité in 1982, led to their highest UK charting single, "Is It A Dream" the band toured worldwide. In 1983 their final album was released Secret featuring tracks such as "Never Never Comes" and "Heart From The Start". They were one of the first modern bands to perform in communist Poland, they also played other Eastern block countries like Hungary and Czechoslovakia, their largest crowd ever for a concert was in Helsinki, Finland where 25,000 attended . This was truly a band without boarders if ever one existed, in addition to the previously mentioned nations they also played India and became the first western rock group to play Sri Lanka.

This band changed members like most people change underwear, I've included all member below, at least I think I have.

Sal Solo - vocals/guitar

Mik Sweeney - bass

Jak Airport - lead guitar

BP Hurding - drums

Gary Steadman - lead guitar

Jimi Sumen - lead guitar

Rick Driscoll - lead guitar

Paul Turley - drums

Pandit Dinesh - percussion

HMV Rant

2009-04-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

.....The Pet Shop Boys new album "YES" was released in North America yesterday. I went to my local HMV today to get my copy. As with most bands, when a new album comes out I tend to buy the deluxe or limited two disc addition... Imagine my surprise when they didn't have it.

..... HMV is a funny f**kin store store, when you walk in the first thing ya see is the new release wall, no Bleepin Pet Shop Boys... ya get four bloody rows of Miley Cyrus, four bloody rows of the Jonas Bothers and four rows of Tylor f**kin Swift, not to mention four rows of the new Depeche Mode album, which by all accounts isn't very good... but no f**kin Pet Shop Boys. I went to the back of the store and checked the "P" section under "Pet Shop Boys" but only found two standard one disc additions, I was pissed off to say the least. Here's the thing... If HMV is gonna basically drive every other record store out of business and make themselves the defacto monopoly for new music ( which is essentially what they've done ) then the least they can bloody well do is provide a decent selection of albums for those of us that don't like over commercialized pop. If it was some obcure band I might undersand, but we're talking about a group that has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, a band that's been around as long as U2 and released just as many albums, if not more ( most of which BTW ain't even available at HMV ) the disrespect is mind-boggling...

Spoons at the Tattoo Rock Parlour March 26 2009

2009-03-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

The Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto was packed to full capacity last night for the Spoons concert, sorry my picks ain't better, I need to get a decent camera. They put on a fantastic show for the very lively crowd, it's amazing how many hits this band has, no matter how many time I see them I'm always amazed. Its easy to see why after all these years they still command such a loyal following and of course the musicianship is second to none, 30 years of playing together tends to do that... last nights set included a couple of songs I'd never heard live before. Mecurial Girl and Rodeo.

The set list was as follows..
.
Trade Winds (Recorded)
Arias & Symphonies
Smiling In Winter
Bridges Over Borders
Romantic Traffic
Like A MemoryWaterline
Mercurial Girl
Old Emotions
Tell No LiesRed Light
No Electrons
One In Ten Words
Nova Heart
When Time Turns Around (E1)
Rodeo (E2)

Bananarama

2009-03-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

....Sometimes it's hard to tell were New Wave ends and Pop begins, the line begins to blur and at some point gets crossed. When I was a teenager I might of cared about such things but now I don't give a shit, I'm not that pretentious.

.... This English girls group first formed in 1979 with the original line up of Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin who had all been friends since childhood. In 1981, Bananarama's members were living in a flat above the rehearsal room used by former Sex Pistols members Steve Jones and Paul Cook with their help, Bananarama recorded their first demo "Aie a Mwana" During the early period Bananarama was approached by Malcolm MacLare, the Pistols manger who tryed to sign them, they turned him down which in hindsight was probably a good idea. Their greatest success was during the period from 1982 to 1989 most of there top charting singles were recorded during this time. Their debut album Deep Sea Skiving was released in 1983 and yeilded three UK singles "Really Saying Something" (#5 UK) and "Shy Boy" (#4 UK) — and a cover "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" (#5 UK). Although there have been some line up changes over the years they continue to perform today and have released a total of 9 studio albums.

Hysteria - The Human League

2009-03-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm not gonna lie about this one, not a big fan of the album, I guess they can't all be good, I just closed my eyes, reached into my CD collection and pulled out anything. A shinny little gem floating in a sea of mediocrity, that's how I'd describe "The Lebanon" the lead off single from Hysteria. This politically charged tune boasts a killer bass line, meaningful lyrics plus a fusion of guitar and synthesizers that create an energy like few songs can, add to that a great hook and you get what could be considered an almost perfect song. Unfortunately the rest the tracks don't fare quite as well, the album seems rushed, thrown together almost as if Philip Oakey was in a hurry. It's not that the albums bad, don't wanna give that impression, just a bit mediocre and simple. There's a few other tracks I found interesting, namely "The Sign", "So Hurt" and "Life on Your Own" but in general it's a forgettable disc by an otherwise talented band.

Hysteria peeked at number 62 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.

The Tracks are as follows...

1. I'm Coming Back

2. I Love You Too Much

3. Rock Me Again and Again and Again and Again and Again (Six Times)

4. Louise

5. The Lebanon

6. Betrayed

7. The Sign

8. So Hurt

9. Life On Your Own

10. Don't You Know I Want You

Bonus Tracks on CD Re-master

1. Thirteen.

2. The World Tonight

3. The Lebanon ( Extended )

4. Life On Your Own ( Extended )

5. The Sign ( Extended )

Express - Love and Rockets

2009-03-04T17:58:00.000-08:00

Express is the second album by Love and Rockets, released in 1986 on Beggar's Banquet label and it is the first recording I personally picked up by this phenomenal British band. I believe it is their strongest work in a library that includes seven studio albums over thirteen years, although I must admit I'm still unfamiliar with their final two releases ( Sweet F.A, and Lift ). The album is ingenious and could best be describes as having a post punk, psychedelic sound with a bit of gothic style thrown in for good measure, a remnant from the old Bahause days. I still listen to it on a regular basis, it is a mainstay in my collection there aint nothing better than blasting this album loud. The big single I guess would haved to be "Yin and Yang" but every track is strong, especially "An American Dream" which is my personal favorite. I don't really think this band gave a shit about commercial success, if they had I suspect this album would have been much bigger than it was... it is an almost perfect record. Like Bauhause before them Love and Rockets cared more about the music and the fans, sales seemed be a second priority... It appeared to me at the time ( once again this is only my opinion ) that everyone I knew had this album (in my social circle anyway) but there was very little fanfare during the release nor any real advertising during the initial run, word of mouth seemed to be the order of the day, the band had their cor set of fans that were quite loyal of which I was one of them and that seemed to be sufficient...if you disagree fell free to say so, sometimes I can be quite full of sh*t.....

Track list is as follows...

1. "It Could Be Sunshine"
2. "Kundalini Express"
3. "All in My Mind"
4. "Life in Laralay"
5. "Yin and Yang (The Flowerpot Man)"
6. "Love Me"
7. "All in My Mind (acoustic)"
8. "An American Dream"

The original CD release also included "Ball Of Confusion"

David Byrne at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre

2009-02-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

It's great to see he's still going strong...As a member of the legendary new-wave pioneers Talking Heads, David Byrne has captivated audiences for over 30 years. And now, as a solo he is touring his latest record, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, Byrne pulled into Vancouver for a stop at the Queen Elizabeth Theater last Friday evening Feb 20th. Byrne's latest record is his first collaboration with famed producer Brian Eno in 17 years. He is touring with a four member backing band and three back-up singers this time. During their lengthy set they played material from the new release and also some classics like "Once In A Lifetime" and "Take Me To The River", for those that may not be familiar with his new work. By all accounts it was a great show, the sell out crowd spent most of the night on their feet, I wish I could have been there...

B-Movie

2009-02-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

....Whoever screwed up the marketing/promo on this band is perhaps guilty of one of the most heinous crimes in music history, a public execution would not be unjustified. One of those odd ball new wave bands that I used to like but had a hard time following because the material available was so limited. Two of the most phenomenal club singles from the 80's were released by this relatively unknown band. "A Letter From A Far", which I bought 12'inch single back in 84 still in my opinion one of the best songs of all time, and "Nowhere Girl" their most popular single. Surprisingly the bands most successful single in the UK was "Remembrance Days" which although good is in my opinion the weakest of the three songs ( I hope I didn't just piss someone off ) it received good reviews but was largly ignored by daytime radio charting at number 61...as a DJ in the 80's, and also someone who frequented the New wave club scene, I can tell you that these songs were in heavy rotation, hearing them brings back memories of jam packed underground dance halls were thousands of people in the sweltering heat moved to the ghostly melodics of B-Movie and other cutting edge bands.

....From Mansfield England the formed in 1978, active in the first half of the 1980,s they called themselves B-Movie after an Andy Warhol painting of the same name. They were originally signed to the Some Bizzare record label. Bizzare Records was a British independent record label founded in 1981, with the release of Some Bizzare Album , a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode , Soft Cell , The The and Blancmange. Though B-Movie release a number of singles they didn't actually release an entire album until 1985, the album was called Forever Running ( Sire Records ) unfortunately is was a commercial failure. Shortly after it's release the band broke up, each going their separate ways, most joining with other bands.

...It's a shame the public didn't show more interest... I'm not sure what happened, I'm not sure why they weren't hugely successful... it wasn't lack of talent I know that much. Perhaps the record company just lacked the experience or the finance resources to market them properly, either way they're gone now... one can only speculate as to what might have been...

B-Movie are...

Rick Holliday.......Keyboards
Steve Hovington..Vocals/bass
Paul Statham......Guitar
Graham Boffey....Drums

Everythings Different Now - Til Tuesday

2009-02-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

An American contribution to the New Wave scene exceeding by far most others, an absolute a tour de force. Released in 1988 it was Til Tuesday's third and final album, much like the second album it was poorly promoted by Epic Records and as a result it finished up at position 124 on the Billboard Top 200. A tradgedy to be sure, and as usual it's the music fans that suffer the most, a gem has been lost to the masses forever. Few, if any below the age of thirty-five will even know of it's existence, much less be inclined to buy it. The only single to be released "( Believed You Were) Lucky" although an excellent song, was far from the best. Four songs in particular " Everything's Different Now", "Rip In Heaven", "Long Gone" and "How Can You Give Up" each stronger than the lead off single should have also been released. Bring me the record executive that is responsible for this debacle, I want his f##kin head on a platter, material like this should not be allowed to fade into obscurity. The whole album is strong, there in no fill on this record at all, once more Aimee Mann shows her incredible singer / song writer ability. I've listened to this album countless time over the years and will continue to in the future...

Track Listing

1. Everythings Different Now

2. Rip In Heaven

3. Why Must I.

4. J For Jules

5. ( Believed You Were ) Lucky

6. Limits To Love

7. Long Gone (Buddy)

8. The Other End ( Of the Telescope )

9. Crash and Burn

10. How Can You Give Up

Til Tuesday Are...

Aimee Mann............ bassist/vocalist

Michael Hausman......drums

Robert Holm...........guitarist/ background vocalist

Michael Montes........keyboards (replaced Joey Pesce previously on keyboards )

Below I'll include the video "Lucky", the one single to be released, but as previously stated, although it is a great tune it is far from the best this disc had to offer...

Talk Talk Talk - The Psychedelic Furs

2009-01-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

There are albums I've continued to spin over the years, albums that I never seem to get board with, this is one of those albums. I first picked it up in perhaps 1983 on vinyl two years after its original release in 1981. I was just starting to discover the whole new wave scene and was looking for new stuff to listen to, it didn't take long to find this gem. Considered by many to be the Furs best work Talk Talk Talk is the second of five releases by The Psychedelic Furs. Produced by Steve Lillywhite it helped establish the band not only in the UK but North America as well. A solid album from beginning to end it yielded two charting singles "Dumb Waiters" and an original version of "Pretty in Pink" which slightly different than the version used in the John Hughes film. A raw hard edged sound but at the same time well composed an melodic, it is an excellent example of the work being done in the post punk era by a band that knew how to write good songs. I absolutely f--kin love this album, the saxophone work is exception, pick it up...

The Tracks are as Follows, including bonuses on the CD re-issue.

1. Dumb Waiters

2. Pretty In Pink

3. I Wanna Sleep With You

4. No Tears

5. Mr. Jones

6. Into You Like A Train

7. It Goes On

8. So Run Down

9. All Of This And Nothing.

10. She Is Mine

Bonus Tracks

11. Mr Jones (single version)

12. So Run Down (early version)

13. All Of This And Nothing (demo)

Serious Young Insects

2009-01-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

New Wave / Power Pop

Though not entirely familiar with their work this is what I do know about the group. From Melbourne Australia they played their first professional gigs in 1980. They were at first a garage band consisting of five members in 1979. Mark White ( vocals and drums ) and Mick Vallance (vocals and Base) and three unknown members that were dropped after they met Peter Farnan (vocals and guitar). Their early success was due entirely to word of mouth as they had no recording contract. As the popularity of their music grew the the number of gigs increased and they would play regularly. By the late 80's Serious Young Insects has opened for bands like XTC, and the Cure. What set this band apart from many others was that all three were singer song writers and as such provided the band with lots of material, and also different styles. Their first single release in 1981 was "Trouble Understanding Words". In early 1982 they released their first album Housebreaking which was worked on by veteran engineer John French. The first single of the album was called "Be Patient" it wasn't well received. In October of 1982 the third single was release "Faraway Places". slightly better response. They did some touring that year but that's pretty much it, they did their last gig in December 1982. They played over 35 songs and came off stage arguing over what they forgot to play, end of story, if Ive forgot anything lemme know...

Nowhere Girl - B-Movie

2009-01-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

B-Movie was a New Wave band from Mansfield England active in the first half of the 1980s. They released this tune 'Nowhere Girl' in 1982, it's probably my second favorite single, it made the Top 10 in many European countries and reached 68 in the United Kingdom. My favorite single was "A Letter from a Far" but unfortunately they never made a video for it...or at least I don't think they did, but then again wtf do I know...

Nowhere Girl

The Stooges - Ronald Frank Asheton

2009-01-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

Another bad week for music...- Ron Asheton, a guitarist and founding member of the influential rock band The Stooges, has passed away at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan last Tuesday he was 60 years old. The Stooges formed in 1967, with a lineup that consisted of Ron Asheton his brother Scott on drums and the late Dave Alexander on bass and of course Iggy Pop on vocals. Known for a violent and primitive style that featured stage-diving and outrageous antics by Pop, The Stooges were part of a late 1960s Detroit-area rock scene.

From Iggy's Web site...

Ronald Frank Asheton July 17, 1948 - January 6, 2009

We are shocked and shaken by the news of Ron’s death. He was a great friend, brother, musician, trooper. Irreplaceable. He will be missed.

For all that knew him behind the façade of Mr Cool & Quirky, he was a kind-hearted, genuine, warm person who always believed that people meant well even if they did not.

As a musician Ron was The Guitar God, idol to follow and inspire others. That is how he will be remembered by people who had a great pleasure to work with him, learn from him and share good and bad times with him.

Iggy, Scott, Steve, Mike and Crew

-----------------------------------------

I am in shock. He was my best friend.

Iggy Pop

Thanks Steve

The Dream Academy

2008-12-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

A very talented band that formed in England in the early 1980's. It consisted of Nick Laird-Clowes, Kate St John and Gilbert Gabriel. Shown above is the first album, their self titled debue which is an absolute master piece. Yielding three hit singles "The Edge Of Forever" (appears in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off), "The Love Parade", and of course "Life In A Northern Town", which gave the band worldwide success in 1985 and a tremendous hit in the U.S. charting at #7 on the Billboard. Not many people are aware that David Gilmore from Pink Floyd co-produced this record with Clowes and on the third album Gilmore even co-wrote one of the tracks "Twelve-eight Angel". In addition to the self titled debut the band went on to release two more albums Remembrance Days in 1987 and A Different Kind of Weather in 1991, I myself am still looking for Remembrance Days as it contains my favorite single by the Dream Academy "Indian Summer" I'm sure sooner or later I'll find it, I usually do. The Dreamy Academy were part of the English New Wave Scene during the 80's, what set them appart from other bands was their use of instruments and sounds that were not normally utilized in the Rock/Pop genre(strings, woodwinds, tympani). Like the decade itself they achieved excellence through attention to detail and a willingness to take chances in their endeavour to create an original sound, a great band to be sure, they should not be forgotten.

The Dream Academy are...

Nick Laird-Clowes...singer/guitarist.
Kate St John... Oboe & English horn.
Gilbert Gabriel...Keyboards

Melanie C - Have Yourself A Merry Little X-Mas

2008-12-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

Ti's the season to be jolly and what better way than this. If there was ever any argument as to who was the most talented Spice this should pretty much put it to rest. Melanie displays her impressive vocal talents in this beautiful and heartfelt performance filmed Germany during Christmas 2006. It's no secret I'm a big fan of hers, a very exciting and talented artist. Hope ya like it... Merry Christmas to all...

Kenny MacLean

2008-11-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

Another tragic loss yesterday Kenny MacLean, the bassist for Platinum Blond, passed away. MacLean was only 52, and was reportedly found on Monday by his sister, collapsed in the bathroom of his Toronto recording studio. An accomplished artist in his own right he had just released his third solo album "Completely".

...Although you would be hard pressed to hear anyone mention Platinum Blond today, back in the mid 80's they were an extremely popular and successful band credited with a string of hits that included "Hungry Eyes," "Crying Over You," "Standing in the Dark" and "It Doesn't Really Matter." As I've mentioned previously the 80's was an extremely creative era for music, it saw the birth of the New Wave genre, it was a time were artist and band alike on both small and large recording labels were free to experiment with new idea's new sounds and of course new looks. Platinum blond was part of that movement and although they were never my favorite, I did never the less respect them for their significant contribution . MacLean joined the band for their second album "Alien Shores" in 1985, which went quadruple platinum and featured their only US hit "Somebody Somewhere" he will be missed.

Micheal Crichton

2008-11-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

We lost another great man this month, Michael Crichton, passed away on November 4, 2008. I have to admit I've never been a big reader, not because I don't like it... I just never seem to find the time, but I was always a big fan of his work. I have read the following Crichton books: The Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Congo, and Sphere. It is always sad when a great storyteller dies and we are left wondering what other great stories we may have read if he had lived. He died of cancer in Los Angeles early this month, he was only 66. He will be missed...

Fans - Malcom McLaren

2008-10-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Released in 1984 this is an incredibly difficult album to find but every once in a while it does come up for sale on E-Bay. I scoured the Flee Markets for a few years before I acquired my copy. For those dumbass's that don't know who Malcom McLaren is, he was the manager of iconic punk rock band The Sex Pistols during their meteoric albeit short lived rise to glory during the late 70's. Over the years he experimented with many sounds and idea's. Many call him innovative, while other claim he did nothing more than steal original ideas from others and make them his own. There are argument to merit both sides, and I suspect he may be a little of both. This album is his attempt to fuse Opera, 80's New Wave and R&B together to create an entirely new sound and if do say so myself it worked out incredibly well. The stand out track on "Fans" is of course Madam Butterfly, the single that charted on both sides of the Atlantic. It's an amazing creation of two musical genre's that are seldom mixed and he pulls it off successfully. This album is by no means perfect, the rest of the album is more of the same but none of the other tracks seem to work anywhere near as well as Madam Butterfly, although I do like "Boys Chorus". If you find this album grab it, its worth it just for the one single and also I would think as a collectors item in a few years.

The Tracks are as follows...

"Madam Butterfly" ( UnB el di Veremo)

"Fans" (Nessun Dorma)

"Carmen" (L'Oiseau rebelle)

"Boys Chorus" (La sui monti dell' Est)

"Lauretta" (O mio babbina Caro)

"Death Of A Butterfly" (Tu Tu Piccolo)

Produced by Malcolm McLaren and Robbie Kilgore

Produced and Engineered by Stephen Hague and Walter Turbitt

Virgin Records

The Church

2008-10-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Another band that I liked very much that never seemed to reach their full potential ( at least not in North america ) was The Church. They were another Australian band formed in Canberra in 1980. Initially associated with New Wave sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more "prog rock" featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay. In 1988, With the album Starfish and the American Top 40 hit "Under the Milky Way." they had there most significant comercial success. I believe this song was one the best singles of the 80's and I'll include a link to the video so you can check it out. The band went through several line-up changes in the 1990s and continue to perform to this day. In 2007, they recorded new music to soundtrack a short film based on Jeff Vandermeer 's book Shriek: An Afterword . The band has put together an internet-only album that compiles the extended tracks and the film was released to the internet on August 14 this year. The members are as follows...

Steve Kilbey

Marty Willson-Piper

Tim Powles

Peter Koppes

former members...

Nick Ward

Richard Ploog

Jay Dee Daugherty

Sex Pistols DVD

2008-10-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to picking this up, It's hard to believe that there's never been an official Sex Pistols concert DVD. The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle, The Punk Rock Movie, D.O.A. and The Filth And The Fury featured live Pistols footage, but there hasn't been an official DVD or video of the Pistols in action. That changed on Oct. 14 when Rhino Records released " There'll Always Be An England ". The footage is from a show that the band's original lineup (singer Johnny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook) performed at London, England's Brixton Academy last November. The set list features songs from Never Mind The Bollocks, their cover of The Stooges' "No Fun," the B-side "Did You No Wrong" and covers of The Monkees' "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" and Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner" from The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle.The DVD also comes with more than 90 minutes of bonus material, including a documentary called The Knowledge. Julien Temple directed the piece, in which he follows each Sex Pistol around London as they revisit their old stomping grounds and see how they've changed.