Third Man

Haven't posted in a while. Check out Karen Elson with a release off Jack White's record label Third Man Records. Definitely a similar sound to White, but she's got her own style to it. Good stuff.


Karen Elson - The Truth is in the Dirt from Karen Elson on Vimeo.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

If anybody played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video games back in the day, you'll know this one. What a classic.

If you had N64 when you were a kid, you had Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. One of the most popular games of its time, THPS brought music into gaming in a new way and paved the way for more gaming-music inclusion. While licensing songs for use in games was not new, THPS definitely allowed it to grow as bands clamored to get their music into games. I can remember playing these games and not knowing the songs. As I got older, I'd hear them online or from a friend and think "Man, that was in Tony Hawk, how do I still remember the words?" Proof that music in games really does stick in people's heads.

Check this one out for a throwback: Goldfinger - Superman

Check My Machine

Echoes and grooves. That's what today's song is all about. Paul McCartney's solo stuff is definitely underrated. Everybody knows him for the Beatles and Wings but he had some great albums alone. This song definitely fits the mood for today, so slow down, let the machine fall from the sky.

Weezer

Hey everybody, been away for a while I know. Good news though! The music is on its way back.

I got a chance to see Weezer and the Flaming Lips two weeks ago. What a crazy show. The bands experimented with a new style of playing where one band would play a few songs and then the other band would come on and play a few songs. It was pretty awesome but the crowd was way more into Weezer, which kind of sucked. Don't get me wrong I love Weezer, but man did the Flaming Lips put on a great show. Yes, the Lips are a psychedelic-pop-funk-everything fusion, but the show they put on was spectacular - confetti everywhere, space balls (you're going to want to click on this link), balloons, strobes, crazy colors, weird images on the backing screen, Wayne Coyne's quirks and this list doesn't even do it any justice. But hey! This post is supposed to be about Weezer!
Weezer didn't fail to impress and the crowd received their set much better than the Flaming Lips were received. Interesting to note, though, that the lawn crowd could be heard from behind the seats singing the Lips songs AND the Weezer songs. Pretty awesome. Mostly Blue Album classics were played, with a few oddities and Pinkertons thrown in. I've heard very mixed reviews of Weezer live, but I have to say they were pretty good. Rivers (the lead singer) even came into the crowd during "If You're Wondering..." I was lucky enough to be close by to watch Rivers come sing with everybody. What a triumphant moment. Without further ado, I give you Rivers Cuomo:

Too Hot

Way too hot this week to sit by my computer at all... Check this one out and feel the heat......

Sad Day For Rock in NYC

It was announced earlier in the week that the New York radio station 101.9 WRXP The NY Rock Experience would be going off the air tonight at midnight. What a sad, sad day for rock in New York City. The city and surrounding areas are left with Q104.3 New York's Classic Rock and really no other viable rock station. There are practically no stations that play new rock, at least none as well known as 101.9 WRXP. Such a shame, the station was a beacon of hope for New York City; it supported local acts as well as the big acts, had great concert giveaways/giveaways in general, and always strived to be the best station in New York City. The station's ratings had been going up steadily over the past year, so the sale of the station (click the link for a solid story of the sale and some heartfelt comments by program director Leslie Fram) came as quite a shock. The new guys, Merlin Media, seem like they will be changing the format from rock to... something else. What a shame. 101.9 RXP The NY Rock Experience, you will be greatly missed.

I thought some of the lyrics to this song were particularly fitting for this sad moment:
"You're gone from here
soon you will disappear
fading into beautiful light
cause everybody's changing
and I don't feel right"

Virgin Mobile Free Fest Lineup Announced

Sup errrrbody!? Today, Richard Branson, king of Virgin Mobile, announced the lineup for the now annual Virgin Mobile Free Fest. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. There were rumors going around that Foo Fighters were going to play. It seems like Branson & Co. took a cue from the electronic scene that's blowing up right now and put a lot of emphasis on it. Now don't get me wrong, The Black Keys, an amazing blues rock duo is playing. A few other indie bands are playing as well, but Deadmau5 is going to be in attendance and you know what that means? The place will be flooded with mau5heads. I don't like electronic music too much, but sometimes it really hits me. I would have loved to see somebody like Bassnectar on the bill, rather than Mau5. I feel he's more creative and better suited for a festival atmosphere (but I've never seen either, only heard stories so don't listen to me too much (: ). Anyway here's a sick song from the Black Keys newest album "Brothers" to keep you guys happy. Peace and love.

Concert Calendar

Check out the concert calendar on the side bar. Scroll down to see concerts for the week in the NY/NJ/CT area.

Tribal Seeds

Happy Thursday everybody, the best day that's not the weekend! Today, while browsing my email I got an email from Tribal Seeds. One of my favorite bands, seen em twice, I was pretty excited to note that they are releasing a new EP on July 19th. I had already heard the single off the EP, the song "In Your Eyes," but the rest of the songs from the EP are pretty awesome too. Seeds is a lesser known reggae band, but the band is gaining popularity. They toured with Rebelution, a great band in their own right, last summer (which is how I found out about them, an awesome live band) and headlined a tour earlier this year. Currently the band is on a headlining tour again. So if you've got the time check out this song off Tribal Seeds' new EP, Soundwaves.

Happy 4t... 5th?

Yeah, I'm a little late, but its never too late to be patriotic! Happy Birthday Amurrica! Here's some Jimi for ya...

BONUS!!!!

Lazy Sunday

In honor of this 4th of July Eve, and the rain hitting the northeast check out this cover by John Mayer of Tom Petty's Free Fallin'. Some people think Mayer is complete asshole, but his arrangements and musical style are second to none sometimes. The guy is an incredibly underrated guitar player and can play any style, not to mention he's played with the greats like Clapton and B.B. King. So for today's lazy sunday, check out this song!

Drop into the Mystery

Hey everybody, I'm back. I figured I should lead off finishing with the previous clue since I was away for so long. If anybody knows the band DISPATCH then you know sometimes they have pretty confusing lyrics. Especially when Pete Francis writes the songs (his solos are unbelievable though!). SO, on that note see if you can "Ride a Tear" and figure out what this one means!

Look at the clock... its 3:11...

"Whoa-ohh prisoner, whoa-ohhh prisoner..." A prisoner of what? We're floating in the darkness here. Maybe you got the hint in the title...
Today's song comes out of a nice little tradition called reggae. I haven't done much reggae on this site yet, but I am a huge fan of reggae and the positive sounds of the music. Despite the title of today's song, its pretty upbeat and reminds me of a trip through some other world. If you just sit and listen a little with your eyes closed, maybe you'll drop into the mystery... (hint: give me some love in comments and see if you can guess my next post... there's a lyric in there somewhere............)
Prisoner - 311

February Thaw

"For I have the warmth of the sun (warmth of the sun), within me at night (within me at night)..." Ah the sun has decided to shed its warmth upon us today for the first time in what feels like months. After an unusually harsh winter, it seems spring is finally on its way here. Today's song is a warm and comforting song (musically, at least) that seems to say no matter what happens, love lost (happy V-day??), loved like the warmth of the sun, the warmth of the sun will always stick with you and never cease to be there.
Spawning out of surf rock and doo wop, the Beach Boys were a one of a kind band back in the 1960s. Comparable to the Beatles for their squabbling, especially in later years, the band made great music throughout the 60s and 70s, though they had various lineups throughout that time. Known for his brilliant arrangements, vocalist Brian Wilson (one of the many harmonious voices of the Beach Boys) penned today's song with Mike Love in 1964 for the album "Shut Down Volume 2." Today's song shows the awesome vocal prowess of the group. I think the Beach Boys vocal power contributes to the main power of the band. Harmonies and melodies were used so often and the band is capable of moving people just by singing, which contributes to this power.

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)

Hey all,
I've been pretty busy lately, with the Packers winning the Super Bowl (YEAHHH!) and some other things that took me a while to get off my plate. For today's post I decided to jump off the Jack White/White Stripes model from last week and give an interesting tidbit of music that most people of this generation haven't heard much of unless you were at Bonnaroo when Jack White's other band The Raconteurs played.
Now, most of you probably know this song, or at least some version of it (probably Jessica Simpson's version). The daughter of the great crooner Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra also sang pretty damn well. Today's song is unlike anything Jessica Simpson has ever done. This is a cover of a Cher song, "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down), but way better than Cher's version.
Sinatra's daughter started her career as an actress and singer, was almost dropped by her label (her father's label), and although she didn't write her own songs, her prowess as a singer is undeniable. This song was relatively unknown until it was featured in renowned director/writer Quentin Tarantino's movie "Kill Bill Volume 1."
Enjoy!

BONUS!! THE RACONTEURS DO BANG BANG! (at leeds)

White Stripes Fade to Black

Alas, the White Stripes are no more. Such a mix of emotions from this event. For those who loved the band and all its mystique, I'm sure today was a surprise and somewhat of a disappointment after three-ish years of no touring and no new albums since the "not so much a last hurrah of an album" Icky Thump. *Sigh* I guess we should've seen this moment coming, though, as in recent years Jack White has been focusing his efforts on side projects (maybe they're not really side projects anymore?) like The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.
While it's been pretty obvious that Jack White's efforts have been elsewhere, the news does come as a shock to me as a fan of the band and a fan of music in general. I guess myself and some other Stripes (check the official goodbye statement here) fans have been holding out for some kind of tour in the near future, some kind of reconvening of the band in any shape or form. But Jack White has always done his things in his own way.
As a way to commemorate and remember the music of a great band that hopefully will retain relevance to at least those who listen and follow music (and Jack White has surely made his mark on contemporary and some would say even classic rock), today's post is going to have a little playlist of maybe some lesser known songs that really show the band's style, grace, ability and adaptability.
PS: Check out this Rolling Stone article about Jack White and his help in shaping the last decade of music
PLAYLIST
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
You've Got Her In Your Pocket
Hello Operator
One More Cup of Coffee
A Martyr For My Love For You

BONUS!!! LIVE WHITE STRIPES!

Super Bowl Soundtrack

If you live in America, you know there's a pretty big national event coming up this weekend. Yes, that's right, the Super Bowl is this Sunday. Unless you've been living under a rock the last two weeks, you know the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers will be playing for one of the most coveted trophies in sports, the Vince Lombardi Trophy. I am a Packers fan, so I'm pretty damn excited for this weekend (sorry Oilfield, you're going down!).
    Going through my usual routine of reading news in the world of sports, I came upon this article by ESPN reporter Elizabeth Merrill. Coincidentally, I was also browsing my iTunes to find today's song of the day, trying to find something to fit this dreary northeastern mess. Ms. Merrill, however, brightened my day by telling me my buddy Aaron Rodgers plays guitar. After doing a little more research on the subject, I found a video of Rodgers talking to Fox Sports reporter Laura Okmin on a California beach about playing music and guitar. Little did I know, the guy also started his own record label, Suspended Sunrise Recording, LLC, not exactly the sort of thing you would expect form someone so good at his craft/job. Pretty cool though. So instead of a song, let Aaron Rodgers brighten your day!

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&brand=foxsports&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:c6ff887f-f8c7-4caa-81de-013064cef82d&showPlaylist=true&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videosearch&fg=RAMP" target="_new" title="Profiles: Rodgers' real passion">Video: Profiles: Rodgers' real passion</a><embed>

Old Skool

For today's post, I was feeling a bit nostalgic, that is to say... old. Back in the 1990s (so long ago!) these guys were just rising to prominence out of the LA club scene. Their previous album, "Mother's Milk" sold modestly, but the band was suffering after the death of original guitarist Hillel Slovak. Arguably one of the Chili Peppers best efforts, and for sure their first album that sold very well in the US, today's song comes from the 1991 album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik." While I could've picked "Under the Bridge," this song to me is the essence of what the Chili Peppers were about toward the end of the 80s and the early 90s. Hard and funky, their sound grew more mature as the band grew older, but even today you can still hear the funk and punk influences in their sound, even if their new sound is seemingly quite different from what it once was.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Mellowship Slinky In B Major"

A Special Request

Fridays are gonna be two for one from here on out thanks to a special request from a friend named Mike Ferrigbro. Check back every Friday for songs from everybody's favorite blink-182 wannabes, New Found Glory! NFG FRIDAYS BEGINS!