Sonic Eye

This Is The Day

2009-04-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's that day again! To Kenneth, Pong, Bobby, and Toy - Happy Band Day, guys! Rakenrol!!

B.C. Does Smokey

2009-03-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

I caught a snatch of American Idol the other night and they were having Motown Night. Guest artist was Motown's great bard, the legendary Smokey Robinson. I didn't pay much attention to what most of the contestants sang, but I did wish that somebody would do my fave Smokey song: Tracks Of My Tears.

Well, I got my wish.

I was pleasantly surprised when Adam Lambert (that kid with the emo-kid-cum-matinee-idol good looks and the impressively wide vocal range) went on to do a captivating rendition of "Tracks". Accompanied by only an acoustic guitar and appearing onstage looking like Michael Buble, Adam sang the song like his life literally depended on it. Good job, man!

Lambert's venture into doing "Tracks Of My Tears" made me miss the live version of the song done by the late-great Big Country during the 80's. So the sentimental ol' fool in me dug up the net, wishing and hoping that, somewhere, there's a video of the band's performance of the song.

Guess what? I got my wish again! (Jeez, maybe I should try wishing for something really big, like winning the lottery or something.)

With that, here's the video of Big Country's live take on "Tracks Of My Tears". Enjoy!

Farewell, Francis

2009-03-07T01:25:00.000-08:00

My first blog in months and it's about death! Is that what it'd really take to get my ass back in front of a keyboard?

Anyway, it's a sad day for the local entertainment industry here. Francis Magalona, rightfully acknowledged as the King (and Father) of Philippine Rap passed away yesterday (March 6, 2009) from a form of leukemia. He was young, only 44.

When I was younger, I wouldn't touch rap music with an insulated ten-foot pole. I was more into "rock purist" crap. So when FrancisM (the name with which he would establish himself in the local music scene - of course, later on, people would fondly refer to him as "Kiko", a local nickname for "Francis") came out with his ground-breaking hit song "Mga Kababayan Ko", I went all punk purist and scoffed at the mainstream for trying to sell rap to ME (I was such a self-centered creep in those days. I hope I'm not anymore!). But no one could really stop the landslide Francis started as an avalanche of rap artists with diverse styles started to storm the hole he single-handedly punched through the walls of mainstream music.

In retrospect, FrancisM making the mainstream acknowledge the legitimacy of rap/hiphop music as an art form turned out to be one of the most important kicks in the ass that the local music industry ever got. Because of Francis, rap/hiphop music became not only a legitimate genre here, it also became a legitimate scene. This just proves how big a musical visionary Francis was. Great job, bro.

Now that I'm a lot older (and hopefully, wiser), I have a better appreciation of rap music. I'm still not a fan; but I don't go around knocking rap music anymore. In fact, to a certain extent, I actually like rap music. It's not much different from my beloved punk in such that both musical styles fiercely adhere to the DIY ethos, which make them something like brothers.

So, in recognition of his incalculable contributions to the local music scene, I'd like to ask everyone to say a prayer for the eternal repose of the Philippines' one and only Master Rapper, Francis Magalona.

Peace!

The Dark Knight Cometh

2008-07-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

Jeez, it's been ages already since I posted anything! Sorry, but I've been kinda dried up.

Anyway, I got to see The Dark Knight just recently and it totally blew me away. It was dark, it was sinister, and it wasn't cartoon-y at all. The late Heath Ledger was incredible as The Joker! It's a shame he passed away. He would've made the next Batman installment one to look out for.

Speaking of The Dark Knight, how come they never used The Jam's version of the Batman Theme from the 60's TV series, huh? I mean, I know the original 60's theme song was way too campy for any Batman movie but, hey, they could've snuck it in somewhere and it wouldn't have made any adverse effect on The Dark Knight movie.

Anyway, speaking of The Jam, here's a vid I found of The Jam doing their version of the 60's Batman Theme (it's mixed with some footages of the cartoon intro of the 60's TV show). Enjoy.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2008-06-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

It's the second time I've used this title for a blog post. Why? Because it's that time of the year again.

Today's my late father's birthday. He would've been 74 today. It's been three years but I still miss him terribly! (sigh!)

Anyway, whenever anything that has even the remotest connection to my dad's passing comes to my attention, Green Day's "Wake Me Up When Septmeber Ends" starts playing in my head. It was the song I'd always hear on the radio during trips between home and the hospital, and even up to the time of my dad's funeral.

Happy Birthday, Dad. Wherever you are, I know you know that we all still miss you a lot.

So, in honor of my dad's birthday, here's Green Day with "that song".

Back For A Smash

2008-06-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

Geez, it's been around a month since my last post. If anybody's been following this site, I'm really really sorry. I've been having a hard time finding time to sit down and kill time! A frickin' day job can really harsh your mellow!

Anyways, I'm still really tied down here. But I really wanna share this video from a little-known-but-totally-awesome act from the 80's: Smash Palace's drumroll-flavored "Living On The Borderline" taken from the band's 1985 eponymous album. Listen and enjoy!

I Heart Mom

2008-05-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

I know it's a bit late, but I just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there. Dads, how about doing the dishes a bit more often, huh? She married you so she can be your wife - not your maid! Kid, c'mon give her a break! I mean, she's your mom, for crying out loud. She deserves a whole lot more than that filthy mouth of yours and and that stinky attitude you keep giving her.

So, to all you moms out there, sit back and rock out (and maybe, enjoy a good laugh) on this video by Queen, "I Want To Break Free":

So This Is When Life's Supposed To Begin?

2008-05-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

That's it. It's official. I will inevitably be a year older on May 5. Jeez, it's strange; I don't feel any older - probably because arthritis hasn't kicked in yet (and I do hope it doesn't ever!). How many candles am I putting on the cake, you ask? Well that's for me to know and for everyone else to gossip about! But just to give you guys an idea: if you visit my earlier posts, you could see that I'm an 80's kid. So just do the math and we'll all be able to sleep better tonight.

So, am I supposed to be smarter and wiser now? I dunno. I do hope I have grown smarter and wiser after all these years of pretending I was. Hah, I guess I'll never know till I commit my next big goof up, right?

Anyway, since it's gonna be my birthday, I'm gonna cut my self some slack and be extra nice to me for a change - even if it's just for one day! So, while I'm feasting on roasted peanuts and ice-cold water (how grand! want some?), let's take a look at a video from old 80's band Altered Image called "Happy Birthday".

That one's for you. This one's for me, though. The Sex Pistols live take on "Seventeen" which, incidentally, was the age at which I officially declared my self Punk For Life!

Primal Therapy, Anyone?

2008-04-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

I was rummaging (again!) through my old cassette tape collection and found my copy of Tears For Fears' debut album, The Hurting.

Geez, was it that long ago when I first got hooked on the primal therapy pop/rock of these boys from Bath? I mean, I was still in high school when The Hurting first came out. Back then (and I guess, even now) the songs from the album exuded a freshness and quirkiness that no other act before or since has quite been able to emulate. By laying down lyrics that might have come from your Arthur Janov-educated shrink over layer after layer of synthesizers, percussions, and ambient sound effects, Tears For Fears presented music that would be like what rock n roll would be if it finished high school, joined the Ivy League, and graduated with top honors. I mean, its rock n roll with brains, man. A nice change of pace after getting used to rock lyrics that deal with sex and violence and drugs and parties and politics.

I followed the band throughout their first three albums (The Hurting, Songs From The Big Chair, and Seeds Of Love), which means I still have copies of those things on cassette. While I consider all the songs from the above albums as superb works, certain songs do stand out for me: from The Hurting, it's gotta be "Watch Me Bleed" (which I consider as one of the more underappreciated songs in the collection); from Songs From The Big Chair, it's "The Working Hour" (everything just gels so perfectly together; gotta love those sax passages); and from Seeds Of Love, I'd go for the title track "Sowing The Seeds Of Love" (which convinced me that Seeds Of Love is Tears For Fears' "Sgt. Pepper").

Of the three aforementioned songs, however, I really can't shake off "Watch Me Bleed". So here's a video of TFF's live take on the song. Better call your shrink. He might want to see this.

Bikini Girls With Machine Guns

2008-04-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

If I would be asked to dig up the history of rock n roll for the most shock-inducing acts ever to hit the stage or the nastiest bands ever to grab your balls through a twelve inch vinyl disc, The Cramps would definitely be in the top ten.

With perpetual members Lux Interior (Erick Purkhiser, vocals) and Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace, guitar) as its focal point, The Cramps dished out a bizaare but addictive stew of rockabilly, punk, and performance art mixed with twisted references to 50's americana. Their sound has been widely labeled as psychobilly. Rightly so. Listening to The Cramps is like listeneing to a 21-year old Elvis Presley get possessed by the spirit of ol' Sid Vicious. They don't sound like anybody, and it's quite likely that there will never EVER be a band like them again - EVER!

First song I ever heard from The Cramps was "Bikini Girls With Machine Guns". I was totally blown away by that song. I thought they couldn't possibly top that. Man, was I wrong! A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a video of a Cramps live gig and they were doing "Tear It Up"! Holy shit! With Lux screaming into a half-swallowed mic through most of the song, and Poison Ivy - with her gum-chewing Elvis Presley sneer -twanging away nonchalantly, The Cramps definitely remind me of the reasons why I love music that would get me branded as a prime candidate for the loony bin. I mean, a lot of my friends probably wouldn't touch this band with a ten-foot pole. But who cares? The Cramps were, still are, and will always be one of the best examples of the purest strain rock n roll. None of that pretentious emo stuff. Just pure rock n roll - loud, proud, and everything our parents hated about the kind of music we love!

So folks, as I end this post, here's The Cramps - LIVE! - with "Tear It Up"!

Who Is Daisy Hawkins?

2008-04-20T05:38:00.000-07:00

On this day in 1966, vocal tracks for one of the songs to appear on the legendary Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" were recorded. This song was originally titled "Daisy Hawkins", but its author, Beatle Paul McCartney, decided to change it to its now more familiar title. Which turned out to be a good decision. I mean, if Paul hadn't changed the song's original title, it would sound terribly awkward. Consider this lyric: "Daisy Hawkins, picks up the rice in a church where a wedding has been..." Doesn't really roll off the tongue as smoothly as "Eleonor Rigby, picks up the rice in a church where a wedding has been", right?

Yeah, I know, I just had a recent post on Eleonor Rigby. Well, I just guessed this piece of trivia might be interesting to some people, so there. Anyway, if you're wondering how the hell Paul came up with the title "Eleonor Rigby", Beatle lore has it that he saw the name Rigby on a clothes shop in Bristol. Similarly, I've read somewhere long ago that another classic Beatle song we now know as "Yesterday" was originally titled "Scrambled Egg". Weird, huh?

Guess I'll be doing some digging up on Beatle song titles now, huh?

Catting It Up In The Alleys

2008-04-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

While I'm all for getting into new music, I always make sure that I always reserve a special place for the seminal genres that gave birth to the myriad musical styles we hear on the radio. One of the early musical styles that I still cherish to this day is Doo Wop. Yep, that genre where a bunch of cool cats (usually between three to five guys) with really cool voices cat it up. They do it in the alleys, in front of the barber shop, inside the malt shop, on stage, on TV. Hell, wherever they do it - and whatever decade they do it - dudes who do Doo Wop are alright by me.

Obviously, I wasn't even a twinkle in the eyes of my parents when Doo Wop first came out. But that just goes to show you how enduring REALLY good music can be. I'm barely familiar with the legendary Doo Wop groups (The Five Satins, The Coasters, The Four Aces) or the classic Doo Wop songs ("In The Still Of The Night", "Blue Moon") that left an indelible imprint on popular music as we now know it. But I have definitely felt their mark on the music I grew up with and the stuff I listen to today. I mean, back in the 80's, even ex-Van Halen lead howler David Lee Roth gave Doo Wop a tip of the hat with his scat refrain in his remake of "I'm Just A Gigolo".

Two of the latter-day Doo Wop songs that I really really love are Billy Joel's "For The Longest Time" (from the album "Innocent Man") and Stray Cats' "I Won't Stand In Your Way" (from the album "Rant N Rave With The Stray Cats"). [The latter, I know how to play on guitar!] While they're not exactly from the era that spawned Doo Wop, these guys definitely could give the originators a good run for their money. Watch, listen, and enjoy!

For The Longest Time - Billy Joel

I Won't Stand In Your Way - Stray Cats

Bye, Mr. DJ

2008-04-17T03:36:00.000-07:00

I just got a very sad news today. One of the people I've known and worked with for quite a long time passed away.

It's surprising how people surprise you. I first met Mr. DJ (that's we all called him) around 1994. I guess he was in his early forties then. He was quiet, mild mannered, and seemed to be typical of most guys his age. That meant that I thought he'd probably be into "grampa" stuff. You know what I mean: getting up early, going to work, going straight home after work, and going to bed before nine. Well, at least for a couple of years that's the kind of guy I thought he was. No problem. That's pretty normal for anybody his age.

But then, the company we worked in participated in some kind of religious parade. I can't recall what the occasion was, but I do remember the company had a float constructed and some of us were to board the thing in keeping with the theme of the parade. I was cast as one of the no-good alcoholics who would waste their life drinking. Mr. DJ was cast as the big JC himself, complete with a flowing white robe and a long-haired wig.

It was at this precise instance when I got to see a surprisingly different (and totally unexpected) facet of Mr. DJ's life. While he was putting on his wig, getting ready to play JC, he said something like "Wow, I look like one of the members of Wolfgang!" Wolfgang was one of the hardest-rocking local alt-metal bands at the time. So I thought, "WTF? How'd this guy know about a band as loud and cool as Wolfgang?" He must've heard it from a teenage nephew or something, I thought. But he didn't stop with Wolfgang. He went on to rattle out names of a lot of the heaviest and coolest rock acts at the time. So I went like, "Whoa, this is one very cool old man!"

Later on, after getting to know Mr. DJ better, I learned that he's the real deal - not some trying-hard poser who's just over-eager to impress the younger set with a fake knowledge of what's hip and cool in local rock music. He really was a fan, just like me! He'd go to a lot of rock events, awards nights, gigs - everything! And we wouldn't know about it until much later when he'd hand out various memorabilia from all his rock n roll adventures. I still have with me a couple of NU107 stickers that he gave me, which he got from one of the gigs he went to. I'll be taking real good care of 'em now.

We'll all miss you, sir. I guess I can consider you one lucky guy - you will now get to jam with all the heavies up there in rock n roll heaven. Goodbye, Mr. DJ.

You And Me Always And Forever

2008-04-16T03:52:00.000-07:00

I just love 90's band The Wannadies' "You And Me Song". It has a nice 60's feel to it during the verses, but sounds absolutely 90's in the chorus. I'll have to look up more stuff about this band. In the meantime, here's their infectious "You And Me Song".

Add It Up

2008-04-15T04:15:00.000-07:00

The 80's produced a lot of interesting out-of-the-way, left-of-center bands. That's why I'll always say that that decade produced a great deal of the best music played (and, thankfully, shunned) by radio.

One of the most curious musical incarnations of the 80's was the three-piece band from Milwaukee, Violent Femmes. Made up of vocalist/guitaris Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and percussionist Victor DeLorenzo, Violent Femmes presented a unique sound that blended folk music with a strong dose of punk. While busking in front of the Oriental Theater in Milwaukee, they were discovered by James Honeyman-Scott of The Pretenders who were due to play the Oriental later that evening.

Despite freely careening around in any direction they fancied, Violent Femmes stayed clear of the mainstream while consistently pulling in new fans along the way. They have a bazillion hit songs under their belt and I love every one of 'em. But for the purpose of this post, let's take a look at one of their biggest hits - a quirky little song called "Add It Up".

Rockabilly Rules!

2008-04-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post one of my old rockabilly favorites. Here's Sexy + 17 from the Stray Cats hugely successful album "Rant 'N' Rave". Love those slicked up hairdos!

All The Lonely People...

2008-04-12T01:35:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with a nagging Beatles bender. So I took out my DVD of the Beatle cartoon movie Yellow Submarine and saw it for the nth time. Well, it didn't matter how many times I saw it before, I'd probably be seeing it again and again in the future.

Yellow Submarine's soundtrack in itself can easily pass for a Beatles Greatest Hits compilation when it's actually not. Anyway, one of my fave songs to be featured in the movie is "Eleonor Rigby", a song about,well, "all the lonely people". People who live in an existence devoid of warmth, company, friendship, and love. People who go through their lives invisible and leave this earth unnoticed and unappreciated. Truly a classic!

Anyways, I saw American Idol contestant David Cook cover "Eleonor Rigby" during AI's Beatles Night. I must admit, I got hooked on Cook's rendition of the song. It's gritty and rockin' but still retained the original version's melancholy. Nice work, man.

Here are clips of the song as it appeared on Yellow Submarine and of David's performance of "Rigby" on AI. Enjoy.

David Cook's Version of Eleonor Rigby

Eleonor Rigby As It Appeared On Yellow Submarine

Stillwater Runs Deep

2008-04-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

I felt an itch to see "Almost Famous". Maybe it was because of Kate Hudson's photo on the video sleeve. Or, maybe because - as I've mentioned a bazillion times before - I'm such a huge sucker for movies about bands (fictional or otherwise).

Anyway, Cameron Crowe's opus about a rock band called Stillwater had a similar feel as Tom Hanks' "That Thing You Do". Both movies were about fictional bands: Crowe's was Stillwater, Hanks' was The Wonders. Both fictional bands were representative of the predominant sound of their period: The Wonders with their dance-party-combo sound, Stillwater with their sludge/hard rock that was later to be labelled "Classic Rock". Both movies focused on a member of the band who was not the lead singer: "That Thing You Do" consistently showed deference to the importance of its drummer, Guy Patterson (played by Tom Everet Scott); "Almost Famous" put most of its focus on Stillwater's guitar player, Russel (played by Billy Crudup).

Anyway, back to Crowe's movie. I loved the scenes when the band would be onstage in front of an adoring crowd. I also enjoyed the scenes inside Doris, Stillwater's tour bus and - according to lead singer Jeff Bebe (played by Jason Lee) - the band's heart and soul. Of course, I also majorly crushed on Kate Hudson throughout the whole film.

I found a small clip from the movie featuring Stillwater doing their thing onstage. Sorry I don't know what the song's called. But who the fuck cares? It's only rock n roll.

First Ladies Of Grunge?

2008-04-08T05:10:00.000-07:00

I was just rummaging through my old cassette collection when I happened upon my copy of Hole's "Live Through This". Since it's been quite a while since I listened to this album, I decided to give it a spin.

"Live Through This" is bracing blast of pure riot grrrl that obviously tips its hat to neo-feminism and 90's punk. After bombarding my senses with this album, I am reminded why I bought it and have been fiercely protective of it. I never lent it to anybody - mostly because a lot of people who tried were just trend-surfing posers who weren't really into this kind of music. If I let them get their filthy poser hands on this, they'd have probably lost it and wouldn't have felt any kind of remorse or sense of loss. (Don't laugh, but these days it's pretty hard to get a copy of this album in these parts.)

Anyways, I'd like to share my favorite song from "Live Through This". It's a sweet little number called "Violet". Listen, watch, and enjoy!

Record Store Stars

2008-04-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

I mentioned somewhere in an earlier post that I'm a complete sucker for movies about musicians, both fictional and actual. That's because I'm a sucker for movies with bitchin' sountracks. But after seeing (for the nth time!) the 90's movie "Empire Records", I remembered that I'm also a big fan of movies whose lead characters work in record stores! Why? Because they also tend to have kick-ass soundtracks!

I don't think I've seen that many films where the star (or stars) work in good old-fashioned vinyl record stores. But I do recall three of 'em.

1. Empire Records

Like I mentioned earlier, this 90's classic (well, as far as I'm concerned, it's already one) looks at a day in the life of eight kids who work in a record store called --- you guessed it --- Empire Records, which is under the management of Joe, an ex-musician who still keeps his drum kit in his office. On this particular day, Rex Manning Day (as dubbed by the kids themselves because it's the day when faded TV and recording star Rex Manning was coming to Empire Records to promote his new album and sign autographs for his dwindling fans), the gang of Lucas, A.J., Mark, Eddie, Birko, Debbie, Gina, and Corey go through all the thrills, heartaches, fun, and disappointments that are part of being young in a pace that makes you wonder halfway in the movie if everything that was happening really did happen all in just one day. Man, all the stress that everybody went through on Rex Manning Day could kill an ordinary mortal. But, hey, we're talkin' about the employees of Empire Records here. They're hip, they're cool, they're young, they're resilient, and they still manage to look good even with all the heavy drama that periodically interrupts the movie!

Like I said, this movie features music from a lot of great acts that came out in the 90's to kick up its coolness quotient: Gin Blossoms, The Cranberries, The Buggles. I strongly recommend you get a copy of Empire Records for your collection. (Hey, shouldn't the producers be paying me for promoting their movie on my blog?)

2. High Fidelity

Where Empire Records dealt with the life of teenage record store employees, High Fidelity (starring John Cusack) looks at the life of record store employees who're already done worrying about zits and puppy love. In this movie, Cusack plays a guy who owns and runs a vinyl record store, Champion Records. He has two odd employees whom he says just kept showing up for work after he hired them. One of them is the fiercely opinionated rock snob Barry (played to the hilt by Jack Black), and the other is Dick (sorry, can't remember the actor's name).

This movie is absolutely fun to watch as it features three grown (albeit immature) men bickering incessantly about even the most miniscule piece of rock trivia and Top Whatever Lists. Who was it who had the car accident, Jan or Dean? Green Day is obviously most influenced by which two bands? Name your Top Five songs about death. Stuff like that. And, they (especially Black's Barry) would mercilessly pound on somebody who just happens to make the mistake of not having enough knowledge of rock trivia and folklore and displaying such ignorance. Fuck, I love those guys!

The movie's soundtrack is more eclectic as it features music from different genres: punk, new wave, 60's sould, rap-rock, and pop. For the guy who likes his rock snobs over 21, this one's for you.

3. Pretty In Pink

Now how'd this get in here? Well, actually, while this movie does have a great soundtrack, its protagonist --- 80's everygirl Molly Ringwald playing Andie Walsh --- also works in a record store. Although that part of Ringwald's Andie is not given any significant attention at all, I guess it still qualifies Pretty In Pink for this short list.

You know, I wish all record store employees are as knowledgeable about the records they sell as the characters from these movies. It just kills me when I ask a record store clerk about a record and they'll just say "It's on aisle number 8"! Well, I guess only the fictional record stores get the best workers.

Early Morning, April 4...

2008-04-04T03:19:00.000-07:00

Everytime this day comes around, I get a little restless, a little nostalgic, a little misty. Hell, everytime April 4 comes around, I feel like smashing a guitar to bloody smithereens in front of a throbbing slampit of punks!

So what's so special about today anyway? It's April 4, so what?

Well, I'll tell you.

When I was around 19 and still in college, a bunch of my friends from school invited me to join their band. Yep, a band. As in, an honest-to-goodness-true-blue-kick-ass rock n roll band.

Actually, those guys were already in a band when they invited me to join. I guess they were in the middle of a line-up revamp or something. Or maybe they wanted to go to a different musical direction. Whatever.

Anyway, one Saturday afternoon I auditioned for them, not really knowing what they were expecting, what I could actually do, what I could bring to the band, or if they would even want what I had to bring in the first place. We ran through a lot of songs that I kept losing track of what we were actually doing: were we still holding the audition or were we just already dicking around in the tiny hot-as-hell studio? Luckily, after howling through several sets (which included U2's laryngitis-inducing "Bad"), the guys let me in the band. Great.

So what's this got to do with April 4?

Well, we needed a name. So during one rehearsal session, we were asking each other: what do we call ourselves? This was during the time when U2 totally broke into the American market and the world was beginning to feel the initial reverbations of one of the biggest band in rock n roll history. We were into their songs, totally. And one song that stuck out for us was "Pride", which included the line "Early morning, April 4, a shot rings out in the Memphis sky..." So April 4 it was.

April 4 was a college band made up of five school friends who loved different kinds of rock n roll music. Bass player Kenneth (to protect their privacy, I will not be giving you their last names; you'll have to pay us some kind of royalty for that! Hah!)grew up on a diet of hard rock with a little bit of pop-rock thrown in. Semi-anti-guitar hero Bobby was raised on heavy metal. Drummer Pong's (who also did back-up vocals and some songwriting) taste spanned hard rock, pop-rock, a little bit of punk, and underground music (it wasn't called "alternative" then - thank God). Keyboard player Toy (also the youngest in the band) leaned towards The Beatles and the whole gamut of British acts polluting the airwaves then. As for me, well I was (and still am) partial to punk, hardcore, Brit rock, and left-of-center acts. And I was sort of the unofficial rock trivia prince, a kind of rock snob: I'd tell the other guys that, before Generation X, Billy Idol was part of a gang called The Bromley Contingent. Stuff like that. I guess they didn't give a hoot where the hell Billy Idol buys his underwear either.

Those different musical influences helped make April 4 a very interesting combo. We could play punk or hard rock or any kind of earsplitting cacophony if we felt like it; but a lot of times we played a lot of U2, some Cactus World News, Translator, and a whole lot of bands that the frickin' mainstream were (and still are) blissfully ignorant of. We learned a lot from each other (I learned a lot of chords from Bobby)and taught each other a lot, too. We also learned how to --- using this fucking word is so shitty --- "multi-task". It was during my time with the band that I actually got to touch and play a real electric six string (Bobby used to have this awesome Aria Pro guitar), to sit in on Pong's drums when we were just dicking around, learn a couple of keyboard riffs from Toy (I learned the intro to The Colourfield's "Confessions" from him), or pinch hit on bass while Kenneth took five.

We got into a fair number of gigs, too. Some of them were good (we played well, had a good time, got warm reception from the crowd). Others, not too good - fuck, they were even downright depressing (example: the police had to stop the gig using fucking machine guns because the crowd was getting unruly)! But some of them have been so frickin' great that they're burned to permanency on my brain (people went crazy and took to calling our names out in the streets a couple of weeks after the gig)!

We met a lot of great people from other upcoming bands. We would be regularly bumping into bands like In The Dark, Stampinground, Major Minor, Child Flesh, and Temper of The Times while gigging around town. We became friends with a DJ from a popular radio station - he liked us so much that he would refer to us as "his band".
We had something that resembled a sort of a fan base (which included Mom, Dad, the neighbor's dog).

Yeah, those were the days, man. When did all that happen? What, between 1987 to 1989? It was that long ago, huh? Guess nothing that good can last forever.

Anyway, to the guys who were a big part of some of the best days of my life --- Pong, Kenneth, Toy, and Bobby --- Happy Band Day, guys! Rock n Roll!

I'll end this post with a video of the song from whence April 4 took its name: U2's "Pride". Enjoy

Best Friends And Their Girlfriends

2008-03-05T04:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was looking for some old songs to download. Not just any old "old songs", but songs that got covered by later acts and still sounded as good as if not better than the originals. I got hold of Bratmobile's version of The Runaways classic "Cherry Bomb". I also got Love Spit Love's take on The Smiths' wicca anthem "How Soon Is Now" (yeah, the one that they used for the soundtrack of the 90's TV series "Charmed"). There was also L7's cover of Blondie's "Hanging On The Telephone". Yeah, I got a couple of goods ones.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, I remembered that Rick Springfield song in the 80's about whatsisname's girlfriend.

"Jessie's Girl" was included in Rick's 1981 album "Working Class Dog" and was a huge hit, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and winning Springfield a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. "Rock Vocal Performance"? Wasn't this dude a teenybop sensation?

Anyway, story goes that the song - which is obviously about unrequited love - was written based on Rick's actual life experience. Seems he had a friend named Gary (he changed the name to Jessie for the song after he saw a girl in a softball jersey with the name "Jessie" on it) who had a girlfriend he majorly crushed on. Jeez, that sounds so frickin familiar.

Oh, and speaking of "frickin", a band called Frickin A covered Jessie's Girl and did a good job.

So I ended up downloading two versions of Jessie's Girl: Rick Springfield's and Frickin A. Yeah, I know, Everclear also did a live cover of the song but, hey, I like Frickin A's better. Got a problem with that?

Check out these videos and decide which one you like better.

Frickin A - Jessie's Girl

Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl

A Sort Of Homecoming

2008-02-16T03:33:00.000-08:00

U2's live album "Wide Awake In America" was a thoroughly rivetting piece of work from the period in the band's life when mainstream America finally caught on with U2-mania. The album, despite containing around only four songs (2 songs per side of the ol' vinyl 12-inch), boasts of some of the most impassioned performances ever delivered by Ireland's favorite sons. One of the songs on the album, "A Sort Of Homecoming" (originally from the album "The Unforgettable Fire"), has been one of my most favorite performances by Bono and company because, for me, it managed to come out far better than the original album version. Check out the video.

The Valentine Post

2008-02-13T01:47:00.000-08:00

Yeah, well it's that time of the year again when entire industries make extra loads of cash on people's commercialized sense of sentimentality. Flower shops, greeting card companies, fine dining restaurants, jewelry shops, movie houses, motels and hotels - they all just love it when Valentine's Day comes around! Why wouldn't they? I mean, people these days are so damn busy that they've become more than willing to unload wads of cash just to remind their "significant others" that, even with the 18-hour 7-day work week, they still have that burning romantic yearning inside of them. That's all good - especially if you put in the right kind of music to enhance the Valentine mood.

Now I'm no expert on the affairs of the heart. (Hell, I'm not even an expert on the affairs of any other body part!) But, if I may be so bold to suggest, the following songs may just be the ones to really "complete" your Valentine moments (doesn't it seem sininster that I put quotation marks on the word complete?):

1. My Funny Valentine

This old chestnut has been covered by a host of many legendary artists. It's a somewhat melancholic piece that has its origins from the 1937 Rogers and Hart musical "Babes In Arms". I honestly don't know what that musical is all about, but judging from what I can seem to remember from the song's lyrics, "My Funny Valentine" strikes me as a song for a circus clown or a washed-up stand-up comic. Ladies, if you're going on a Valentine's date with any of the two types of previously mentioned people, this is the song that should be playing while he is performing the Heimlich Maneuver on you because you choked on a huge chunk of beef while you were laughing so hard at one of his racially-charged jokes.

2. Be My Number Two by Joe Jackson

Obviously, a song for a guy who has to take more than one lady out on a date on Valentine's night. If the guy is married, then he better make sure that he's properly insured. Otherwise, if the missus finds out, he's gonna need to borrow someone else's dick for the rest of his life.

3. Love Stinks by The J. Geils Band

Ah, just the song to have in the background when, after just being dumped by your no-good partner, you walk into a nice little restaurant full of nice people out to have a nice Valentine dinner. Then, just like Adam Sandler in "The Wedding Singer", you randomly jump on tables, stomp on the steak, knock over the champagne glasses, and sing (or scream - it's your choice) along to this angst-ridden anthem. Utterly romantic!

4. Every Breath You Take by The Police

I'd recommend this song to those sickos who'd like to get into the business of stalking someone. I mean, listen to the lyrics, man: "Every move you make, every step you take, I'll be watching you". Sounds like the perfect Valentine dinner song for your average CIA guy and his lady.

5. Skyline Pigeon by Elton John

Just the perfect tune to have in the background for married people who'd like to broach the idea of getting divorced over a nice Valentine dinner. Guys, be sure to wear a bulletproof vest. Ladies, make sure you already hired a huge bodyguard to beat the shit out of your no-good husband if he tries anything funny.

Well, I guess that's it for now. Can't think of anything else at this point. I'm too busy worrying about my friends who're sweating bullets right now thinking of what "magical" thing to do for their partners on Valentine's Day. Me? Let's just say I got it all covered. Hah!

Waiting For The Train To Come Back

2008-01-24T00:35:00.000-08:00

Like I mentioned in earlier posts, I grew up in the 80's. I mean, that was the time when I started getting zits; when hair started growing in weird places all over my skinny body; and, when I officially decided on what kind of music to like, love, revere, dislike, despise, and loathe. I thought that the 80's have permanently left the building. Well, I was wrong. Like Freddy Kreuger, the 80's are starting to once again invade everybody's consciousness (and, subconsciousness).

You see it first through fashion trends.

Tight pants (now called "skinny jeans" - hee-hee-hee) have made a comeback of sorts. I see a lot of kids wearing Vans checkerboard-pattern sneakers (just like Sean Penn in Fast Times At Ridgemont High). T-shirts with huge slogans emblazoned on them are again very visible on the streets. (Remeber the gigantic "Relax" T-shirts that came into vogue after the chart success of Frankie Goes To Hollywood?) Mohawks, fauxhawks, and 80's-style haircuts are again adorning the dandruff-covered scalps of the young, the hip, and the wannabes; but, unlike in the 80's when your folks would send you to rehab if you ever went out of the house wearing a "non-regulation" haircut, these do's are now widely accepted, tolerated, and - fuck - sometimes even encouraged.

Yep, 80's fashion is coming back. That's all well and good. But what I'm really waiting for now is for 80's music to stage an encore.

Now even though I'm a product of that era (yes, I think we've long established that, thank you), I'm NOT for the comeback of ALL music from the 80's. I mean, a lot of it was good, even great. But a lot of it would also be better left to rot in the garbage bin where they belong.

But why focus on the bad side of the music of a period that's making a return flight? Let's take a look at one of the better acts to come out of the era that spawned a million mindless T&A movies, factory-manufactured muscle-bound action films, and surfer dude talk.

One of the bands from the 80's that I really liked (and still do)is Wire Train, that San Francisco band with the tricky drum assault, the snaky bassline, the echo-ey guitar twang, and the somewhat nerdy lead vocals. I especially like (no, I literally worship) their album Between Two Words (1985)which include the tracks "Last Perfect Thing", "God On Our Side", "Love Love", and "Skill Of Summer". The lyrics of those songs, while dealing with the oft-covered topic of love, approach their subject matter from a refreshingly unique angle (except maybe, "God On Our Side", which is more of a song on self-affirmation and faith - I guess).

I miss a lot of the good 80's band, partially, for this reason - their gift in using words to tell an old worn-out story and make it sound fresh and new. The line-up that made up Wire Train on the Between Two Words album are: Kevin Hunter (vocals, guitar), Kurt Herr (guitar), Anders Rundblad (bass), and Brian MacLeod (drums). Check out the video of a beloved Wire Train song, "Last Perfect Thing".

Queens of Noise

2008-01-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it was, but all of a sudden pioneering all-girl rock group The Runaways just popped into my head. With its most famous alum, Joan Jett, being credited as a major inspiration for a slew of 90's riot grrl groups, The Runaways were initially regarded as nothing more than a badly-told joke. However, with the rise of the riot grrl movement in the 90's, their importance has been, rightfully, given due recognition.

Check out this video of a live performance of their biggest hit song "Cherry Bomb":

The End Is The Begining

2007-12-30T03:29:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna be unavailable to post anything from this point up until New Year's Day. Maybe I'm still gonna be busy after that... Anyway, before the place gets all crowded, I'd just like to greet everybody a Happy New Year!

As is always the case, this time of the year always brings to my mind one of the best songs to ever come out of the 80's - U2's New Year's Day from their album War.

Check out the video.

Feed The World!

2007-12-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Christmas Eve again. As the season, which has devolved into a pathetic level of crass commercialism, finally climaxes, I think it would be timely for us remember what Christmas is really all about.

Oh sure, everybody'll say "Christmas is all about peace, love,and giving,". They'll all yak like they're God's gift of salvation to the poor and needy. "I come to help, all ye downtrodden souls of this wretched earth" yadda yadda yadda. Or, they'll make like "hey, let's give to the poor - after all it is Christmas" and proceed for the rest of the year living like the world is their personal toilet. Or worse still, some of them may go "let's give something to the poor people of this world this Christmas - it'll be good for the company's image". Fuck. (Oops, that's one non-Christmas word that'll definitely keep me in Santa's Naughty List.)

Am I beginning to sound like Scrooge? Sorry, can't help it - I'm related to the guy.

Anyway... Christmas really is about peace, love, and giving - really. It's just sad that people only remember this within a specific period of time during the year, when the marketing mavericks tell us it's time to go crazy with the credit cards "so that we can enjoy a truly Merry Christmas!" Really now. Is Christmas really meant to surround people who already have enough with more stuff bought with money that could've been used to help others for a longer period of time? I don't believe so.

I mean, if you have the capacity to give, why not give where it'll count more? Sure, you'd like to buy your niece or nephew that nifty new toy she/he has been badgering you about because they've been good all year. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. But I guess it'd be nice too if we remember to give to those who really don't have much at all even in terms of the basics of food, shelter, and clothing - which brings me to the heart of this post.

In 1984, a group of British artists, led by Boomtown Rats' main rat Bob Geldof, set about to record a song the proceeds from the sale of which would be donated to the famine relief efforts in Africa. The song was called "Do They Know It's Christmas" (credited to Band Aid) and a veritable who's who of British rock and pop music took part in this laudable effort: Geldof, Sting, blue-eyed soul star Paul Young, Boy George and the rest of Culture Club, Phil Collins, ex-Wham star George Michael, Simon Le Bon and the rest of Duran Duran (Nick Rhodes really doesn't go out of the house without his trademark thick eyeliners), Tony Hadley and the rest of Spandau Ballet, U2's Bono, Paul Weller (ex of the late lamented punk group The Jam but by this time leader of the jazzy Style Council), Midge Ure (of Ultravox, and Geldof's main partner-in-crime for this project), Brit girl group Bananarama (Sarah Dallin, Keren Woodward, and Siobhan Fahey), model Iman, gender-bender artist Marilyn, and a lot of other big names in British music at the time.

The success of this single sparked a similar action from across the Atlantic. In the U.S., American artists also came out with their own fund-raising single: "We Are The World". Like in the U.K., this American single (credited to USA for Africa or United Support of Artists for Africa) also featured the top recording artists and personalities at the time: Quincy Jones, Lionel Ritchie (yep, Nicole's dad), Michael Jackson (hey, he may be weird but at least back then he knew a good cause when he saw one), New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen, country stars Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers (yup, the fried chicken guy), calypso king Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, piano man Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, Journey's Steve Perry, the legendary Ray Charles, spokesman-for-his-generation Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, and a host of other big-name personalities.

Eventually, with the success of both "Do They Know It's Christmas" and "We Are The World", Bob Geldof got it in his head that maybe, just maybe, they can do more to help the starving people of Africa. It was here that the concept of Live Aid was born. Live Aid was the biggest gathering of musical legends and exciting newcomers to ever hit the stage. It had two venues: Wembley Stadium in the U.K. and JFK Stadium the U.S. The shows at both stadiums were connected via satellite, ensuring a continuous flow of music for everyone. Concorde donated its services for free, flying Phil Collins, who played drums at the Wembley show, to the US so he could beat skin at the US venue. Live Aid was to the 80's what Woodstock was to the 60's, so you probably get the picture.

Anyway, I scavenged YouTube for the appropriate videos. For those of us who saw it live or on TV, here's your chance to relive everything. For those of you who weren't around yet at the time, check out the videos and ask your parents about it.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the entire human race!

DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS - BAND AID

WE ARE THE WORLD - USA FOR AFRICA

EXCERPTS FROM LIVE AID

(Awsome performance by Queen!)

(U2 did a damn great set!)

(The event's main man himself, Bob Geldof, with his band the Boomtown Rats!)

Rock N Roll Grampa

2007-12-19T03:45:00.000-08:00

Check out this really cool anime video. I wish I could play guitar like ol' gramps.

Along Came Emo

2007-12-10T03:34:00.000-08:00

Every kid I know (yeah, all three of 'em)is into this "emo" thing. They yak about bands with names like Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance. Now, I don't know who these guys are (and who gives a rat's ass anyway?!). I just hear their names a lot from the so-called "emo" kids who look the same, talk the same, act the same, and, fuck, maybe even smell the same. So I got curious. How the hell do these "emo" bands sound?

When I was seventeen, a band that could blast your eardrums clean out of your skull and spit out lyrics that would guarantee your eternal damnation in hell really got my juices going. It got me interested. It got me doing research on the band. In short, it made me fan.

So I gave some of these emo shit bands a little listen just to see what the fuck the kids are being so stupid about. Here's what I thought:

1. Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Uh-huh...

2. Sugar We're Going Down by Fall Out Boy

Uh-huh...

3. Cancer by My Chemical Romance

Uh-huh...

Well, that was an absolute waste of time. I couldn't fucking tell them apart! They all sound the same! Aaargh! What has this world come to?! Maybe this "emo" music thing is an acquired taste? I dunno; I guess I'll have to check it out some more.

But a lot of kids are really sucking up this emo shit. Especially the look: hair dyed black and parted, black eyeliner, black nailpolish, skinny jeans, and an experession that looks like their friggin nuts have been thoroughly crushed by a pair of rusty old pliers. I guess for every one "real" emo kid (whatever the hell that is), there must be - what? - a bazillion other trying hard wannabes that are desperately trying to crossover from being ordinary normal dorks to becoming the newest "It" kid in town.

I came across this really hilarious clip on www.emobands.com. It's a very educational (albeit funny) clip on - get this - "How To Be Emo". I laughed so hard, I farted nerve gas! Go check it out.

Watching The Monster Mutate

2007-12-09T00:45:00.000-08:00

I've always been an avid observer of how music transforms into different genres and sub-genres. It's like having a seven-headed Hydra for a pet: everytime you cut off one of its heads, a couple of new heads grow from the bloody stump. Yep, I've been a keen watcher of musical mutations - up until the 90's.

With the coming of the new millenium, I seemed to have lost a good deal of interest in checking out the current music scene. I mean, after the thrill of watching grunge rise and fall, there really hasn't been much to watch in music, for me. I guess that comes with age. But wait, no. Age has nothing to do with it. I could be 80 but still be bang in tune with what's going on in music. I guess tt's just that I can't find anything to write about in today's music that really interests me.

Nothing.

A lot of new acts today strike me as absolutely lazy in coming up with really engaging original stuff. They're too lazy to write new stuff so they stick to covering old tried and tested chestnuts. And if ever they do get the tiny inspiration to move their asses to write their own song, I almost always never see or hear anything fresh from it. I mean, it's like eating the same dish everyday at a restaurant, but each time the waiter calls it by a different name.

Also, a lot of new bands today are populated by the so-called third-wave-of-emo types: guys who wear their bleeding hearts on their CD sleeves and whose main purpose in life is to come across as vulnerable and sensitive new age dweebs. Now, I have nothing against people who are really like that. That's who they are. But if somebody wants to use that as a marketing tool, well maybe they should just - I dunno - kill themselves and leave achingly sad suicide notes so the world can see just how vulnerable and sensitive they are. Besides, in some instances, suicide (or just plain death) have proven to be a very effective marketing tool.

And that another thing that I find really boring about today's music scene. EVERYTHING IS SO FUCKING FOCUSED ON IMAGE AND MARKETING AN IMAGE! I know the music scene is a business. And I know that you do have to do certain marketing moves to make sure you don't just survive but also thrive. But come on, man! A lot of times, the scene markets a lot of acts who are certainly lacking in talent, originality, and potential. These days anybody can become a recording star! I know that's democracy at work, and I'm all for democracy; but if things don't perk up really soon, we'll all be like the late fifties after the fall of the true originators of rock n roll when truckloads of non-talent Elvis wannabes took over the scene singing about saccharine subjects like crushes and undying romantic love. (Excuse me while I throw up.) As it is, I'm already getting sick of all the Fabians running around stadiums worldwide.

Who's Fabian, you say?

That's exactly my point.

Kevin DuBrow, 52

2007-11-28T02:04:00.000-08:00

For those like me who grew up in the 80's and tripped out on the shambolic metallic music of Quiet Riot, the death of lead singer Kevin DuBrow is sad news indeed.

Kevin was found dead in his Las Vegas home. He was 52. The Associated Press released the following report:

Lead singer of Quiet Riot Kevin DuBrow found dead
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS --Kevin DuBrow, lead singer for the 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot that scored a hit with Cum on Feel the Noize, was found dead in a Las Vegas home. He was 52.

The cause was not immediately known.

A neighbor summoned police and paramedics Sunday to the house, where Mr. DuBrow was pronounced dead, police and coroner's officials said.

There was no forced entry, and no suspicious circumstances were reported, police Officer Jose Montoya said Monday.

Quiet Riot was perhaps best known for its 1983 cover of Cum on Feel the Noize. The song, featuring Mr. DuBrow's powerful, gravelly voice, appeared on the band's album Metal Health -- which was the first by a metal band to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

Mr. DuBrow recorded his first solo album in 2004, In for the Kill, and the band's last studio CD, Rehab, came out in October 2006.

"I can't even find words to say," Quiet Riot drummer Frank Banali wrote on his Web site. "Please respect my privacy as I mourn the passing and honor the memory of my dearest friend Kevin DuBrow."

Determination of the cause of death was pending an autopsy and toxicology results, Clark County coroner's spokeswoman Samantha Charles said.

I remember first hearing Quiet Riot's version of "Cum On Feel the Noise" in 1983. Man, it blew me away - all that noise, the addictive guitar-solo, and DuBrow's smart-alecky gravel voiced howling. There was a time back in high school when every self-respecting rocker in school should own their "Metal Health" album and be able to sing at least a couple of lines from "Cum On..." if they wanted to maintain their creds.

We'll miss you, Kev. Rock on!

Name Game 2

2007-11-20T01:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a long established and accepted practice, musicians adopting stage names. I don't know why they do it. Anomimity? Shock value? Additional street creds? I dunno.

But every now and then, somebody in popular music would break out carrying a name he wasn't really born with. There's nothing wrong with that I guess. I mean, they are, after all, still part of the whole tradition of showbiz.

The stage names that musical artists have come out with in modern music have been witty, tough-sounding, apt, not-so-apt. Whatever it is, most of them have all been interesting and memorable.

Let's take a look at some examples.

1. Johnny Rotten

Okay, since I'm extremely partial to old school punk, let's start with one of my anti-heroes. The Sex Pistols howler was born John Lydon. The "Rotten" appelation is said to have referred to his precarious dentures.

2. Sid Vicious

Another Sex Pistol alumnus, the Pistols' main image guy's real name was John Simon Ritchie. "Sid" was said to be the name of his pet hamster (he had a fucking pet hamster?) and "Vicious" was an intentional misnomer as, to paraphrase his buddy Johnny Rotten, "Sid was the most non-vicious person I knew."

3. Ringo Starr

The drummer for the legendary (they deserve this tag, like it or not) rock n roll band was Richard Starkey in real life. "Ringo" was a nod to his predilection for rings while "Starr" was simply an abbreviation of his real surname.

4. Ritchie Valens

The pioneering rock n roll star was born Ricardo Valenzuela. To make him more acceptable to a then very caucasian-oriented music-buying public, his manager convinced him to shorten - and anglicize - his thoroughly hispanic name.

5. Freddie Mercury

Queen's flamboyant and inimitable lead singer was born Farrokh Bulsara. I guess his onstage alias does sound more bang in tune with his mission to make it to rock stardom.

6. Flea

Red Hot Chilli Peppers' bassman was born Michael Balzary. How he got this nickname is still something of a mystery to me.

7. Bono

The U2 frontman originally went by the name Bono Vox, which means "good voice" and which was taken from an advertisement for hearing aids, but later decided to shorten in to just "Bono". His real name is Paul Hewson.

8. The Edge

U2's resident anti-guitar hero guitar genious is David Howell Evans in real life. Why "The Edge"? Well, some say it's because of his particulary "edgy" guitar style. Others say it's because he often preferred to just "stand by the edge" while things happen. You decide.

9. Billy Idol

Prior to adopting the name with which he would gain fame, the Generation X lead singer and one-time member of Sex Pistol fan gang Bromley Contingent was known as William Michael Albert Broad.

10. The Ramones

We know the original line-up of these guys as Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, and Tommy Ramone. Their non-Ramone names are Jeffrey Hyman (Joey), John Cummings (Johnny), Douglas Glenn Colvin (Dee Dee), and Thomas Erdelyi (Tommy).

The other Ramones who subsequently became part of the legend were Marc Bell (Marky Ramone), Richard Reinhardt (Richie Ramone), Clem Burke (Elvis Ramone), and Christopher John Ward (CJ Ramone).

There are still a lot of other musicians out there with intruiging, interesting, or cringeworthy stage names. And there will still be a lot more of them who will choose to present themselves under an alias. But what the hell, it's still rock n roll to me.

Eighties

2007-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Over the past couple of days, I've been mulling over the bands I grew up listening to in college, deciding which ones to relegate to the back recesses of memory and which ones to brag about to my kids.

Growing up in the eighties, I got huge doses of the most diverse music to ever populate the airwaves. I mean, back then we had punk, oi, hardcore, rockabilly, punkabilly, psychobilly, new wave, ska, reggae, goth, trash metal, death metal, noisepop, early riot grrl - you name it! What's more, each of those genres had loads of great bands that proudly carried their torches.

But, for the purpose of this post, there is one band - and one song - that, aptly, stands out: Killing Joke and their song "Eighties".

Taken from their 1985 album Night Time, "Eighties" boasts of snappy rhythms, snaky bass lines, impassioned vocals (I just love lead singer Jaz Coleman's thick Brit accent!), and a hook-y guitar riff that people say was ripped off by 90's grunge legend Nirvana for their hit song "Come As You Are".

Anyway, I'm happy to note that "Eighties" hasn't lost any of its teeth despite being two decades old already. Check out the video!

Hey Ya, Nice Cover Man!

2007-11-09T05:39:00.000-08:00

I just love it when I run into terrific YouTube performances by non-mainstream musicians by chance. This guy named Matt Weder of Obadiah Parker does a really impressive cover of the Outkast song "Hey Ya". Nice work, my man.

Check out the video!

When God Is In The Lyrics

2007-11-08T03:33:00.000-08:00

Popular music covers just about any topic under, over, around, and even beyond the sun. I find it awe-inspiring that musical artists can come up with songs tackling almost anything you can think of. Of course, the most covered topic is, well, l-o-v-e. Good love, bad love, straight love, gay love, eternal love, 15-minute love. It gets pretty sickening after a while, really. I wish more artists would cover more off-the-wall topics, stuff that you don't normally hear being sung about. Like God, for instance.

Well, I know God gets sung about all the time in churches, in religious gatherings, in a lot of other places and situations. But when you use the idea of God in popular music, somehow it come across as sacrilege even though it wasn't meant to be. Now I'm not encouraging people to knock God. I just find it intruiging, in a philosophical way, when God becomes the center of a secular song.

Anyway, just the other day this old song suddenly pops into my head and plays in a loop for half a day. It's an quirky and dark old dirge called "Blasphemous Rumours" by 80's synth-pop icons Depeche Mode. Basically, it tinkers with one of the most irritating ironies I know in life: when you have no desire for something (like your own life), you get it by the truckload; but, when you want something real bad (like wanting to live to be 100), you're always left holding an empty bag.

"Blasphemous Rumours" is sort of a rant against the seeming unfairness of a god with a terrifying sense of sick cosmic humor. It tells of a sad and bored young girl who tries to commit suicide but somehow survives. After a few years, she matures and finds peace and Jesus, and decides that life is beautiful after all. This is when she gets hit by a car and eventually dies. What a total bummer.

Check out the lyrics:

Blasphemous Rumours - Depeche Mode

Girl of sixteen, whole life ahead of her
Slashed her wrists, bored with life
Didn't succeed
Thank the Lord for small mercies

Fighting back the tears, mother reads the note again
Sixteen candles burn in her mind
She takes the blame, it's always the same
She goes down on her knees and prays

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours
But I think that God's got a sick sense of humor
And when I die, I expect to find him laughing

Girl of eighteen, fell in love with everything
Found new life in Jesus Christ
Hit by a car
Ended up on a life support machine

Summer's day as she passed away
Birds were singing in the summer sky
Then came the rain
And once again a tear fell from her mother's eye

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours
But I think that God's got a sick sense of humor
And when I die, I expect to find him laughing

Fright Night

2007-10-31T04:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! It's that time of the year again when things that go bump in the night emerge from the darkest recesses of the underworld to prowl the earth and walk amongst us. I guess all kinds of ghouls will be having a ball tonight. So while they're doing that, I guess they'd like us to put on some goth music.

So to all creatures of the night out there, this video's for you. It's from Bauhaus, one of the greatest goth acts to ever come out of the coffin, and its title is a tribute to a truly legendary Hollywood vampire/werewolf/Frankenstein's monster, Bela Lugosi.

The Invisible (?) Bass Player

2007-10-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

Have you guys ever seen the Tom Hanks-directed 60's combo movie "That Thing You Do"? It was released sometime in the late 90's and was about this fictional 60's band called The Wonders who managed a short but action-packed roller coaster ride on the rock n roll scene.

I'm a sucker for movies about musicians or bands, whether actual or fictional. The movie was a fun - and ultimately sobering - look at the life inside the rock n roll circus. A struggling band stumbles upon their one hit song. They establish a fan base big enough to get them noticed by a big record company. They become part of an exciting tour with the other acts on the record company's roster. Then they finally succumb to the pressures every band eventually becomes prone to: personality conflicts, conflicts with management, personal problems. The acting was okay and the soundtrack was infectious.

Anyway, towards the end of it, the movie shows some update on what eventually happened to each member of the band. I found it curious that, while everybody in the band had names (example, the drummer, played by Tom Everret Scott, was called Guy Patterson), the bass player (played by Ethan Embry) was identified simply as T.B. Player - "The Bass Player". And, if you watched the film, he was never really called by name. Case in point: when he went missing to join a bunch of marines go to Disneyland, Mr. White (Tom Hanks) asked "Where is your bass player?"

So what's with the nameless bass player?

In an interview, Tom Hanks said this was intentional. He explained that back in the 60's, it was normally the lead singer and/or the lead guitarist of a band who got the public's attention. Bass players usually just hung in the background, nameless and faceless. I guess Hanks was calling attention to the fact that the bass player is as vital a member of any band as are the singer or the lead guitarist.

I guess everybody would totally agree. In fact, it's sometimes the bass player that gives a band much of its image and media impact. I mean, check out these bass-playing spotlight magnets:

1. Stewart Sutcliffe

The original Beatles' bass player was never more than an adequate musician. However, it was Stu who serendipituously became the legendary band's unofficial style guru: he was the one who came up with the trademark Beatle haircut, long and combed down. Also, he's always been the one who had an acute sense of what's hip in terms of clothes.

2. Paul McCartney

Having taken over bass chores after Stu Sutcliffe's untimely demise, Paul rose to eventually become one of the glibbest song writers in music history. Even John Lennon himself acknowledged that the concept behind The Beatles' finest work "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was Paul's idea. In fact, a lot of The Beatles' later works had Paul's mark on them.

3. Lee Rocker

The quiffed Stray Cats bassist (born Leon Drucker) catches everybody's attention everytime he straddles his huge double bass during live performances. On top of such eye-catching onstage stunts, he has also done some vocals for some of the legendary rockabilly band's songs.

4. Sting

Born Gordon Sumner, Sting got his nickname as a result of his penchant for wearing a black and yellow striped t-shirt during the early days of The Police. Well, since this is Sting we're talking about - and everybody knows what he's done in rock music - there's really not much to say that nobody knows about already.

5. Sid Vicious

Ah, the one and only Prince of Punk. Born John Simon Ritchie, Sid gave the Sex Pistols their razor edge. According to a lot of sources, he wasn't even an adequate bass player (If you'd take a look at old footages of the Pistols' live performances, you may notice that his amp didn't seem to be plugged in!). However, whatever he lacked in musicianship, he more than made up for in publicity. I mean, what names come to mind when you hear the name Sex Pistols? Just Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, right?

6. Paul Simonon

I think it was the late Joe Strummer himself who acknowledged, in an early interview, that it's Paul Simonon who gives The Clash its image. If you wanted to visualize The Clash as an individual person, it was Paul.

I agree. I mean, he did provide the unforgettable image that was used as the sleeve for The Clash's best album ever: he's the guy caught on camera in mid-swing smashing his bass guitar on the cover of the album London Calling.

7. Gene Simmons

The awesome image of Kiss bassman Gene "Demon" Simmons has been capturing the imagination of fans and non-fans alike. Just look at how much money stores make selling Gene Simmons masks! I'm not really a fan of Kiss and, frankly, I'm not that familiar with their work; but who can ever forget the image of the demon-faced bass player puking fake blood during live performances.

8. Flea

Known as Michael Balzary offstage, Flea has always been a strong presence in the Peppers' live performances and music videos with his lunatic edge and bizaare antics: playing bass while suspended upside down by the ankles, getting onstage wearing nothing but his bass guitar, etc. Definitely make wathcing the Red Hot Chilli Peppers a more enjoyable experience.

9. John Waite

Who woulda thought, huh? The former bassman for obscure band The Babys left for a solo career and scored with the 80's hit single "Missing You" from the equally successful album "No Brakes". He then went on to bigger things with the band he formed, Bad English.

10. Kim Gordon

Being the singing bass player for one of the seminal post-punk bands of the 80's Sonic Youth, Gordon has obviously inspired a lot of people in the riot grrl movement. However, despite the multitudes of rock chicks trying to emulate her, nobody even comes close to doing what Kim Gordon does.

The American Toy Boy

2007-10-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this video while checking out Yahoo videos. I thought it was really awesome. The way the artist twiddled with the Etch-A-Sketch and the song itself really blew me away. Impressive visuals and smart lyrics, it's got it all, man.

Check it out.

Lost in Translation

2007-10-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

While the global music industry traditionally thrives on songs written in the English language, there have been a lot of acts - past and present - who experiment with idea of sending their messages using another language.

Of course, these days any song written and performed in any language can get enough exposure to a wider audience, thanks to the internet and the concept of the global village. But back when the internet was not even a blip in the consciousness of the record-buying public, English was the language that artists perfunctorily used if they wanted a shot at the international market. Come to think of it, in a lot of ways it still is.

I know there must be a hundred old songs out there performed in languages other than English that managed to make some sort of dent on the international music scene . Unfortunately for me, I don't have enough time to look them all up. So let's just go with the next best thing: let's take a look at the songs THAT I CAN REMEMBER (WHILE MY BUTT IS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER) that have, entirely or partially, non-English lyrics or songs whose history or origin isn't really English.

So here we go...

1. My Way

This old chestnut, popularized by Ol' Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra, has English lyrics but French origins. The melody is adopted from the French song "Comme D'habitude" and was composed by Claude Francois and Jacques Revaux. The original French lyrics were written by Francios and Gilles Thibaut. It was U.S. pop sensation Paul Anka who provided the song's English lyrics, although his words had nothing to do with the original French version.

Anyway, as additional trivia, "My Way" has been covered over the years by many artists as disparate as Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and the late legendary Sid Vicious. It is also said that it is the most frequently played song at British funerals. (According to one interview, J.K. Rowling said that "My Way" would be the song she would want to play at Professor Dumbledore's funeral.) Here in my beloved country, "My Way" is often the related cause of death or injury to a lot of poor souls who sing it in seedy karaoke/videoke bars that are usually full of drunk, short-tempered, razor-wielding hooligans. I guess these morbid connections are but fitting as "My Way" is said to be a song about a person who's nearing death.

2. Sukiyaki

This song by the late Japanese artist Kyu Sakamoto holds a unique place in American pop music history: it is the only Japanese song to not only chart but also reach No. 1 in the Billboard singles chart. Originally recorded in Japanese with the title "Ueo Muite Arako" ("I Look Up When I Walk"), it was given English lyrics after an English record company boss heard it while on a trip to Tokyo. Recognizing that most British DJs would find it difficult to pronounce the song's original title, the exec decided to change the title to something more familiar to radio listeners. Hence, "Sukiyaki" , a kind of Japanese stew that has absolutely nothing to do with the song. So this exec then had jazzman Kenny Ball record the new version which became a UK Top 10 hit.

It was around this time that Washington state DJ Rich Osborne got a copy of the original version of the song and started playing it on air. Despite the language barrier, "Sukiyaki" became a huge hit for Kyu Sakamoto.

3. La Bamba

Originally a Mexican folk song, La Bamba became one of the first entirely non-English hits during the infancy of rock n roll when seventeen year-old Ritchie Valens (real name: Ricardo Valenzuela) recorded it around the start of his short but action-packed career. Despite misgivings by his manager who was worried they might offend the Spanish-speaking population by reworking a beloved folk song into a raucous rock n roll outing, Valens insisted on releasing the song in vinyl, citing that Nat "King" Cole also injects some Spanish into some of his lyrics. (Come to think of it, yeah, I did hear Cole sing in Spanish in one of his songs. I just can't remember what song it was right now.)

For a better appreciation of the song and the artist, I suggest you guys go see the late 80's bio-pic "La Bamba" starring Lou Diamond Philips as Ritchie Valens.

4. Govinda

After listening to the 90's hit "Govinda", it's not improbable that you'll be asking your self: Are the members of Kula Shaker George Harrison's kids? Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. The band, led by singer/guitarist Crispian Mills (son of 60's British actress and hitmaker Hayley Mills), evokes the same ethereal eastern mysticism and psychedelia that characterized much of Harrison's music during the latter part of The Beatles life. Like Harrison, Kula Shaker's decidedly Indian influence came after Mills went on a spiritual pilgrimage to India.

Written entirely in the Indian language, "Govinda" is haunting and mood-heavy, and sticks inside your head like a mantra for inner peace. I dunno what the lyrics mean - yet (I still have to look it up). But if you're in the mood for 60's style psychedelia with exotic, mysterious lyrics and tabla players, "Govinda" is it.

5. 99 Luftballons

The 80's wouldn't have been what they were without this radio staple. Recorded in both its original German version and in English, Nena's "99 Loftballons" is a song about the ugly business of war. While its English version has been more popular and has been inevitably covered by other subsequent acts, the German version, says those in the know, is still lyrically better and more fluid. I dunno. I'll have to learn German first before I make any comments on that.

So, that's it for now. If I get to dig up some dirt on some other related songs, I'll post it ASAP.

See ya.

Remembering John

2007-10-09T04:52:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN!

John Winston Ono Lennon

October 9, 1940 - December 8, 1980

The Name Game

2007-10-08T04:29:00.000-07:00

Along with figuring out what influences a band to sound (or look) the way it does, how a band gets its name is an equally intruiging puzzle for me. While a lot of bands can brag about killer guitar riffs, snaky bass lines, thundering drums, and let-go-of-my-balls vocals, some of them carry names that, well, doesn't quite arouse your curiosity enough to give them a first listen when you come across their work at the local record store.

Hey, how a band wants to call themselves is their own business. But I must admit, there have been some bands whose music may not necessarily sound great but whose name definitely does. Which always gets me thinking: how the hell did they get their name?

Let's take a look at some of these musical groups who carry unique sobriquets.

1. Sex Pistols

Their name doesn't really make any sense when you first hear it. It was given by their then manager, the notorious Malcolm McClaren. Back when the Pistols were just a bunch of underage punks, McClaren owned a Kings Road clothes shop called Sex where original Pistol bass player Glen Mattlock was an employee. So that explains the first half of the band's name. But what about Pistol? Well, it was said that McClaren's original idea for the band was to be like - get this - "sexy assassins"! LOL! So Sex Pistols it was.

2. The Beatles

What would a discussion on music be without a mention of The Beatles? Beatle lore, handed down through generations of devoted fans, says that "Beatle" was John Lennon's tribute of sorts to a "bug" band he really admired: Buddy Holly and The Crickets. But the bug connection stops there. With his predilection for word play, Lennon changed the spelling of "beetle" to "beatle" to emphasize the concept of the "beat" or pulse that characterized their music. This explanation on the origin of The Beatles' name would have been totally sufficient had not its author (Lennon) come up with a second more whimsical - but equally convincing - story (which I have heard and read about more than once!).

Version 2 of the story behind the name The Beatles also credits Lennon with coming up with the name. But, as described by Lennon, the circumstances that lead to the band's name can be, at best, charitably described as surreal.

According to Lennon, a man appeared to him in dream. He narrated that this man was standing on a flaming pie (yes, a flaming pie!) and told him: "You will be a Beatle, with an 'a'."

Now, since this is John Lennon we're talking about, I guess both versions make equal sense.

3. The Ramones

The origin of the name of this band is anchored on Beatle history, although it was usually considered out of character and uncool for any punk band to have anything to do with The Beatles as such association was said to be bad for their street creds. But I guess The Ramones didn't give a rat's stinking ass about what other people thought was "cool".

So what's the story behind the name?

Well, during their early years, The Beatles undertook a short Scottish tour. This being the early incarnation of the band, they still had with them as original bass player John Lennon's friend Stuart "Stu" Sutcliffe. Paul McCartney, like Lennon, played guitar then.

Anyway, it has been told that during this particular tour, Sutcliffe and McCartney adopted stage names: Stu was Stuart De Staehl while Paul was Paul Ramone. And so it goes that this piece of Beatle history became the springboard from which The Ramones came up with their collective name as well as their individual stage names: Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Tommy Ramone, and any other "Ramone" who would join the band during its long and legendary existence.

4. Duran Duran

The synth-pop band's name was taken from a character from a 60's sci-fi TV show called Barbarella. The character Duran Duran was, if I recall correctly, the villain in that show.

5. R.E.M.

This band from Athens, GA apparently took its name from a stage in the human sleep cycle: Rapid Eye Movement. But some sources cite that the name R.E.M. was derived from a technique used by combat soldiers. I dunno...

So, which version is true?

Who the hell cares?! Bottom line is they were a great band (up to their album Document; everything else that came out after that, I found uninteresting. I especially loathe their played-to-death radio hit Losing My Religion!).

Well, I guess that's all I got for now. I'll try looking up more band name histories. Till then, see ya...

Anybody Seen A Cactus In The Desert?

2007-10-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

For years I've been busting my ass trying to get hold of a copy of a very elusive album (well, around these parts, the album is practically non-existent). While I have managed to download three excellent songs from said album, I really would want to have the whole album. I got a list of the titles in the album, but I've managed to hear only those three songs off said album.

I'm talking about the album Urban Beaches by almost-made-it-to-the-top Irish band Cactus World News.

Released in 1986, Urban Beaches contained ten songs. Having heard only three of them, I guess it would be safe to presume that the rest of the titles are equally rivetting. The songs in the album are as follows:

1. Worlds Apart

2. In A Whirlpool

3. Promise

4. The Bridge

5. State of Emergency

6. Years Later

7. Church of the Cold

8. Pilots of Beka

9. Jigsaw Street

10. Maybe This Time

The only three songs I've managed to hear from this line-up are Worlds Apart, The Bridge, and Years Later.

History says that the band submitted a demo to U2 frontman Bono in 1985, and it was U2 who gave them a much needed push. Listening to those three tracks, one would recognize how heavily U2 influenced Cactus World News. I mean, listen to the guitar riffs on those three tracks, man: ethereal, howling, melodic, and echo-drenched. And the vocals - it has the same impassioned delivery as Bono during U2's early days.

Now the U2 comparisons shouldn't be taken as put-downs because they're not. I mean, both bands are Irish so that probably explains things a bit: as fellow Irishmen, they may inherently have similar ideas on how to launch their respective sonic assaults. And while Urban Beaches received very positive reviews, it's just sad that they didn't get to eventually follow in U2's steps towards a well-deserved superstardom.

But hey, at least they remain one of the great should-have-beens of rock music and didn't end up as one those middle-aged bands trying unsuccessfully to regain old glories by acting like their still 21.

You can try singing along:

The Bridge (Live at Self Aid 1986)
Cactus World News
(Urban Beaches - 1986)

I, within walking distance of your heart
I'm just within earshot to a fresher start
I get the feeling that somebody else is thinking about me
I'm this close, I can touch it with my hands

Going up and over, over the bridge
Springtide will lift me and take me across

I'm looking down and I should be collapsing
Since the earth underneath us long since opened up
Do you see me falling? Do you see me die in my own way?
When I give up, you always go on

Going up and over, over the bridge
Springtide will lift me and take me across

Bring me down, down on the wings of heaven (heaven)
Bring me down the wings of heaven and on my life
Bring me down, comeback is so wonderful

I will cross to the other side

Here we are now in the strangest of all possible circumstances
I don't understand it but I know that if feels so good
But there's one thing that I do know when I sing this song for you
I'll go across to the other side

Going up and over, over the bridge
Springtide will lift me and take me across

Freeze Frame

2007-10-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

For me, this is one of the best photos ever used for an album sleeve! The Clash's Paul Simonon smashing his bass guitar during a gig! The cover of the highly acclaimed album London Calling!

I mean, how often do bass players steal the show like that? Lead guitarists, yeah. But bass players? Way to go, Paul!

Last Song Syndrome

2007-10-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

I know this sort of thing has happened to you. You wake up in the morning, walk groggily to the john to take a piss, and emerge scratching your bloated belly when, all of a sudden, a song starts playing in your head. You eat breakfast, take a shower, and get dressed - the song's still playing. You board a bus to work, stare forlornly at the sprawling cityscape whizzing past the window, and count the time between changes in the traffic light - it's still there. You get to work and leave work but it still keeps playing! Ah, you got a really bad case of Last Song Syndrome. And it doesn't last for just a day. Sometimes a song will stick with you for a week! Like what's happening to me now.

The song in question is called "Sullivan" by Caroline's Spine.

By today's standards, it's already a pretty old song. Around ten years old maybe. But there's something about it that my brain can't shut out.

"It's not hard to reach back to the days after the attack on Pearl..."

Well, lyrically, Sullivan is a history lesson focusing on the tragedy, heroism, and the utter sense of waste that war brings. It tells the story of five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa - Joseph,
Frank, Albert, Madison, and George Sullivan - who all enlisted together in the Navy during World War II after the Pearl Harbor attack, and who all insisted on staying together during their enlistment. It also tells of how they all died as a result of a Japanese submarine attack, leaving their devastated family to pick up the pieces.

Musically, Sullivan is a very haunting and hook-laden tune. Guitarist Mark Haugh's searing riffs dominates the entire song and gives it it's identity; Jason Gilardi's skin-bashing gives the song a sense of urgency and excitement; while Jimmy Newquist's vocals provides it with an apt melancholy that simmers with the indignity of getting unwillingly getting dragged into the memory of an armed conflict.

All in all, I'll be keeping Sullivan in my collection.

"Say goodbye, bye-bye, Mrs. Sullivan..."

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2007-09-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

September's almost over. Funny, but I feel kinda blah. Not that I'm supposed to feel something else. I guess I'm just kinda tired and still nursing a bit of a fever.

Anyway, while I'm writing this, I'm stuck with a very appropriate Green Day song in my head. Yep, you guessed it: Wake Me Up When September Ends.

I always get sad when I hear this song. Reminds me of when my dad passed away a couple of years ago. In between trips from the house to the hospital, from the hospital to the funeral, and from the funeral back to the house, this song was always on the radio.

Maybe that's why I have the blues right now...

Flashbacks

2007-09-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

I grew up in the 80's, that time when people walked around in weird clothes and even weirder haircuts; when there were a bazillion different musical genres jockeying for dominance of the airwaves (I mean, we hand punk, oi, hardcore, goth, rockabilly, punkabilly, new wave, europop, noise pop, thrash metal; you name it); when most people still bought vinyl records and listened to them until they wore out. I was already a pimply teenaged social outcast when the music of bands like Cactus World News, Wire Train, The Smiths, Social Distortion, Husker Du, and a slew of other acts made up the catalogue of my music collection. Yeah, I'm an 80's kid. And am I glad.

80's music has, after twenty or so odd years, managed to retain its freshness despite what a lot of people might say. Want proof? Well, let's take a look at how some post-80's movies use 80's music to spice up their soundtracks.

1. The Wedding Singer

This early 90's movie starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore is set in 1985. Thus, it features music from that period: Elvis Costello and The Attractions ("Everyday I Write The Book"), Kajagoogoo ("Too Shy"), J. Geils Band ("Love Stinks"), and Culture Club ("Do You Really Want To Hurt Me", which, by the way, was hilariously covered ad nauseum by Sandler's onscreen in-house Boy George named, well, George) to name a few.

It seems to me that Sandler had more than a little to do with choosing the songs that went in this romantic comedy as the guy evidently really loves 80's music. (I guess he grew up in the 80's, too) I mean, in his next team up with Barrymore, the soundtrack again screams 80's. Which brings us to the next entry...

2. 50 First Dates

The second Sandler-Barrymore team-up is sweet and funny. Again, it features reggae-fied versions of popular 80's songs. Let's see... there was this Thompson Twins song, the title of which escapes me. And... Darn, I can't remember the other songs in the soundtrack! I'll have to watch the damn thing again to remember them all.

3. Sky High

This Disney-produced movie about a high school for superheroes-in-the-making stars kids who were most probably born around the time the 80's were already drawing to a close. Thus, they probably have no idea about where the hell the songs on the soundtrack came from. At any rate, the songs featured in Sky High were not the original versions but covers of beloved 80's songs: Everybody Wants To Rule The World (originally by Tears For Fears), Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (originally by The Smiths), and I Melt With You (originally by Modern English) to name a few.

I guess we should be expecting more movies which feature 80's music (either the originals or just covers) in their soundtracks. Why? Because those kids who grew up in the 80's - guys like me - are now the movers in show business today. Hah! That means, we call the shots now! So, when we say we wanna put on a Billy Idol song in the background of a tender and romantic wedding scene, nobody can stop us!

Jeez, does this mean we are now the adults that a lot of 80's teen-oriented movies despised?

Dead Air and Mayhem

2007-09-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty quiet here for the past couple days. My monitor conked out on me, leaving me scouting for a new one at the nearest mall. And, I have been down with something for the past couple of days. Tonight, I came home from work shivering harder than a naked man in the middle of the North Pole. I hate it when I get fever chills like that. I'm a bit better now though, thank you very much.

Anyway, these past few days, I've been on a muppet bender. I mean, a real serious muppet bender. I must admit, much of my pre- and grade school years were spent immersed in the happy, sad, and sometimes off-the-wall songs from my main nannies: Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and the Muppet Show.

The past few days, I've been an avid visitor at YouTube, scouting out classic S.S., T.E.C., and T.M.S. "music videos". I found the one on "Lower Case N", a story about loneliness and of finding "The One", set against the strumming of a sad and maudlin acoustic guitar. I also found the one on "Capital I" which is a fairy tale song about - what else - the capital letter I which is situated "in the middle of the desert, in the center of the sky". The real gems, however, were the ones featuring the one and only muppet rock n roll band: The Electric Mayhem.

Before there were virtual bands like Gorillaz, there was The Electric Mayhem. Having been saddled with the dues-paying task of being the house band for Kermit The Frog's Muppet Show, The Electric Mayhem dished out a lot of ear candy for many of the show's musical numbers. What's more, they're one hell of a multi-talented bunch. You can catch several members performing solo and taking part in a lot of crazy sketches. Who are The Electric Mayhem anyway? The line-up stands thus:

1. Dr. Teeth - band leader, lead vocals, keyboards, gold tooth
2. Janice - lead guitar, back-up vocals, pouting lips, blonde hair, in-house-funny-girl
3. Floyd - bass, dark glasses, cool-guy-presence
4. Zoot - sax, fuzz-out-man
5. Animal - drums, destruction, demolition

Occasionally, the band is joined onstage by Rolf (the brown dog) on piano, or by some other musical artist-guest who isn't afraid to rock out with a bunch of muppet musicians. And there have been a lot.

Anyway, there was this video on YouTube featuring the band doing Paul Simon's 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, with Floyd singing lead. While I'm not a huge fan of Paul Simon, I wouldn't say I don't like his work. The Electric Mayhem's cover of this particular Paul Simon song showed a different side of the band, especially Animal. I mean, he was playing soft shuffles on his snare! Usually, he would demolish his drum kit a la Keith Moon. But in this particular number, wow, he really showed some neat chops. On top of that, jamming beside him was Rizzo the Rat playing some percussion thingie. (My favorite Rizzo quote: "Don't forget. 'Rats' spelled backwards is 'Star'!")

Floyd was, as usual, laid back in his delivery of the song. Laid back but still pouring out the potent emotions found in the original. Janice looked quite pensive during the entire number (but still got around to providing cool back-up vocals). I found it a bit unusual though that Dr. Teeth and Zoot were nowhere onstage. Rolf, however, made a hilarious cameo onstage in the middle of the song!

I know talking about a bunch of muppet musicians may sound a bit stupid. But, hey, what do you call it when people rave about a band like Gorillaz, huh?

I guess I just miss the songs I grew up with.

Rain Rain Rain

2007-09-19T04:53:00.000-07:00

Waking up to rainy morning always really makes me feel like ditching work, staying at home, and just vegging out. It's been raining for most of the day, which is fine with me. I've always considered perfect weather to have downcast skies and dark clouds with a slight drizzle.

Today's weather got me thinking: how many songs have been written about rain? I know there's been a lot. But off the bat, how many can you name? And who sang them?

While I was at work today, I made up a small list in my head of all rain songs I can remember. Let's take a look at it. By the way, this list is in no particular order.

1. Purple Rain by Prince
2. Blame It On The Rain by Milli Vanilli
3. Rhythm Of The Rain by The Cascades
4. Rain In The Summertime by The Alarm
5. November Rain by Guns n Roses
6. Crying In The Rain by A-Ha
7. Rain by Dragon
8. Have You Ever Seen The Rain? by Creedence Clearwater Revival
9. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by Burt Bacharach
10. Singing In The Rain by Gene Kelly
11. Kiss The Rain by Billie Myers
12. So. Central Rain by R.E.M.
13. After The Rain by Nelson
14. Rain by The Beatles
15. Rain On The Scarecrow by John Cougar Mellencamp

I guess that's it. Can't think of any more rain songs. I would have liked to say a little something about each song... but it already stopped raining outside. Yeah, it kinda ruined the mood.

But hey, there'll always be other rainy days. So until then...

The Eye Wakes Up

2007-09-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Sonic Eye.

This is my little corner in cyberspace where I can talk about music, musicians, and everything else that has something to do with - well - music and the artists that make them.

Though I intend to dedicate this site to mostly stuff about music, I may occasionally segue into such disparate topics as movies, pet peeves, people, this, that, and everything else - if I feel like it. I mean, what the hey - I have the space; might as well make the most of it, right?

Right.

I grew up always liking music. Lots of different kinds of music. I consciously started to like listening to music when I was around five. I'd turn on the TV and watch some cheesy movie stupidly chugging along to some equally cheesy soundtrack. Being that young, I really didn't care if the songs sucked. In fact, I had no clue at all if a song actually sucked. I just watched and listened. (I guess I was one of the early prototypes for the zombies that would eventually become collectively known as the MTV generation.)

A year later, I discovered The Beatles. An uncle who was visiting brought a copy of A Hard Day's Night. I was fascinated by the sleeve art. I thought the multiple-photo montage of the Fab Four at the album's back cover was the coolest thing ever. I actually didn't know who The Beatles were at that time. What I did know was that they sounded really great to my uninitiated 7-year old ears. They still do.

Then I discovered Elvis. (Don't laugh, but back when he still wasn't crowned by the money-grubbing music industry as The King, Elvis Presley was actually everything the press eventually hailed him to be: fresh, trailblazing, dangerous, mean, moody, and magnificent.)

I actually kind of accidentally "ran into" Elvis (and, unknowingly, into rockabilly music as well) one day while switching channels on the old black-and-white TV. I think I saw him first on one of those reruns that TV stations show between 7 to 9 a.m. Anyway, there he was: dressed in black leather, hair slicked back into a neat pompadour, an acoustic guitar on his lap, his ass parked on a tall stool. He was on this tiny stage with his backing band (which, if I remember correctly, still included guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black - I dunno) and was surrounded 360 degrees by the audience. Man, he ran through a lot of his early hits: the ones he made when he was still with Sun Records and his early RCA chart toppers. Later on, I would catch The King in reruns of the movies (aaargh! those dreaded movies!) he made during the 60's. Still later, in 1977, I would hear that he had died of a (cough!) heart attack.

My musical education didn't stop with the passing of The King though. I spent the later part of the 70's listening to music representing genres and styles that were totally new to me. I got hooked for a time on ELO (that's Electric Light Orchestra, whose members were from the defunct psychedelic 60's band The Move) and their radio hit "Midnight Blue". In fact, "Midnight Blue" was the first 45 I ever bought. I was also introduced to Queen, Freddie Mercury, and Bohemian Rhapsody. (To this day, it still blows my mind wondering how just four dudes could actually sound like the entire cast of an opera!) Snippets of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Wings, Cheap Trick, Boston, and a host of other hot bands of the 70's managed to make their way into my consciousness (thanks to an older cousin). Everything sounded new, everything sounded different. So, like a sponge, I took it all in. But I wasn't aware that the best musical kick-in-the-head I'll ever have was still to come.

Around 1979, a song came out that featured snappy drumwork, off-the-wall lyrics, weird 60's-like surf guitar riffs, go-go girl backup vocals, and a deadpan drawl of a male lead singer. Welcome to the world of "New Wave Rock"! "Rock Lobster" by Athens, GA band The B-52's (from their eponymous "Yellow Album") gave me an intoxicating dose of quirkiness, hip riffs, and addictive hooks. This was followed by another New Wave assault that boasted of an ultra-tight groove and an enjoyably long and addictive guitar solo. The Knack's "My Sharona" effectively sealed the coffin on my Classic Rock past. This was it, I thought. Nothing can probably top what these guys do. And, most people I know don't like this stuff! Perfect!

However, with the advent of the 80's, I became adventurous and anxious in seeking out music that mainstream audiences wouldn't care to touch. I feverishly dug for the roots of this exhilerating new music. I wanted to find out: where did all this fantastic stuff come from?

Punk was, for me, the epiphany that would become a major guiding light in a lot of things I would eventually do. I know it sounds cheesy, but bands like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones, Cockney Rejects, Husker Du, and a lot of other off-the-radar bands (well, as far as the environment I grew up in was concerned, they were off-the-radar) have influenced me in other ways aside from music. In fact the DIY ethos and the egalitarian mentality of the punk scene I still cherish to this day.

The 80's became the 90's. And, along with the return of bell-bottom pants came the rise (and fall) of grunge and "alternative music". Well, there were a lot of interesting bands that came out in the 90's. Lots of diversity, both in musical style and in the lyrical territory that the artists mined. But, compared to the mayhem, chaos, and experimentation of the bands from the 80's, the acts that came out in the 90's seemed to lack something. I dunno, it just seems that there was something missing.

With the coming of the new millennium, the direction of almost all musical acts these days is towards becoming "all-around family entertainers". Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just that, for me, a rock n roll band is a bunch of guys (or girls) who set out to change the system, not to get swallowed by it.

Who knows? Things may still get interesting. I hope that somebody somewhere is getting bored of the complacency that ails the music scene today. That'll give guys like me a lot to write about again.