Amazon.com just made my day! As a fanatic Mötley Crüe fan I nearly wet my pants when I found out that Amazon has put up previews of all 13 tracks of their coming masterpiece "Saints of Los Angeles". The Crüe has been one of my favorite bands since I was 12 years old - I can't help it :) Listen to the previews HERE!
"Mötley Crüe (IPA pronunciation: /'mɒtli kru/) is an American glam metal/heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The band was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx (who was, at the time, in a band called London) and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars (whom Sixx first met at a liquor store, before they met again through a classified ad) and singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 72 million album copies worldwide, including 25 million copies in the US alone. The band has often been noted for their hard-living lifestyles; all members have had numerous brushes with the law, spent time in jail, suffered long addictions to alcohol and drugs, had countless escapades with women, and are heavily tattooed. Their ninth studio album entitled Saints of Los Angeles is due to be released on June 17, 2008, while a film adaptation of their best-selling band autobiography The Dirt, is due to be released sometime in 2009". Source: Wikipedia
Every Tuesday the alternative icon that is Henry Rollins let's it rip on live radio - and every week Angela over at the Rollins Archive posts the show for you and me to download. "On May 17, 2004, Rollins began hosting a weekly radio show, Harmony in My Head on Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 radio. The show aired every Monday evening, with Rollins playing a variety of music ranging from early rock and jump blues to hard rock, blues rock, folk rock, punk rock, metal and rockabilly, but also touching on rap, jazz, world music, reggae, classical music and more. Harmony In My Head often emphasizes B-sides, live bootlegs and other rarities, and nearly every episode has featured a song by British group The Fall. Rollins put the show on a short hiatus to undertake a spoken-word tour in early 2005. Rollins posted playlists and commentary on-line; these lists were expanded with more information and published in book form as Fanatic! through 2.13.61 in November 2005. In late 2005, Rollins announced the show's return and began the first episode by playing the show's namesake Buzzcocks song. As of 2008, the show continues each week despite Rollins' constant touring with new pre-recorded shows between live broadcasts". Source: Wikipedia
I finally got my hands on this hard-to-get limited edition Turbonegro EP released late last year - so here it is for your enjoyment! This EP is sort of a mini compilation, as it features tracks from four different albums - but unfortunately no rare tracks. Some more info: Limited edition 6-track EP (2.000), with stamped number on the backside. It has a banner across the bottom of the front cover that reads: "2007 European Tour - Collector's Edition". Released by Scandinavian Leather Recordings (Norway) & Edel (Germany). Source: Turbonegro Archive
Tracklist: 1. Boys From Nowhere, 2. Get It On, 3. I Got Erection, 4. Sailor Man (Live), 5. I Will Never Die, 6. Punk Pals. Download (29 Mb): Megaupload / Rapidshare
This is the 1970 LP released originally by Phil Kaufman in an edition of 3,000 copies. The cover was designed by Al Swerdloff, a friend of Phil's. The first & last songs were originally issued as a single under the name Silverhawk in 1968. Dr. Demento has a copy of the Silverhawk single and is quite proud of it. The master tapes for the single had been lost when the LP was originally compiled so the single was used as the source for the LP master tape. The LIE LP was quickly reissued in 1971 by ESP Records and has been reissued countless times since then. Most of the material was recorded on Sept. 11, 1967 at the legendary Goldstar Studios in Los Angeles. On August 9, 1968 Charles and his friends went back into the studio for an overdub session. A final recording session took place during the summer of 1969 where the preamble to Arkansas and I'll Never Say Never To Always were recorded especially for this release. Personnel: Charles Manson; lead vocals, rhythm guitar, timpani, Bobby Beausoleil; electric guitar, Paul Watkins; french horn, Catherine Share; violin, Dianne Lake; recorder, Steve Grogan; electric bass, Mary Brunner; flute. Vocals on track 6; Nancy Pittman. Vocals on track 8; Sandra Good, Catherine Share, Lynette Fromme, Nancy Pittman & Cho-Cho. Backup vocals by Everybody.
Tracklist: 1. Look At Your Game, Girl, 2. Ego, 3. Mechanical Man, 4. People Say I'm No Good, 5. Your Home Is Where You're Happy, 6. Arkansas, 7. I'll Never Say Never to Always, 8. Garbage Dump, 9. Don't Do Anything Illegal, 10. Sick City, 11. Cease to Exist, 12. Big Iron Door (Clang Bang Clang), 13. I Once Knew Knew a Man, 14. Eyes of a Dreamer. Download (70 Mb): Rapidshare
This is a fresh Dualtrack transfer from previously unplayed first edition vinyl. 320 kbps mp3s. HQ scan of cover included in the archive.
HERE's the brand new episode of Heidi May's workplace harassment of Henry Rollins - Clip of the Month. This time Heidi's been drawing on Hank with a sharpie - much to her own amusement!
"I Need That Record" is a documentary feature examining why over 3000 independent record stores have closed across the U.S. in the past decade. Are they going to die off? Will they survive? Since the 1890s the record store was THE place to go for prerecorded music, but today the way we access and consume music has been redefined by technology. Ecommerce, iTunes, the iPod, P2P networks, music blogs, and social networking sites have all had a profound impact on the way we access music and on the state of the independent record store. Downloading and pirating seem to be the easy answers to the chaotic state of the music industry, but higher powers like major labels, big box stores (Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy etc.), and corporate owned FM radio are also shaking things up. The music industry has always been a unique marriage of art and commerce, but today commerce has proved to be the ultimate influence. Rather than develop great acts, embrace new technology, offer affordable products; the major labels are more concerned with turning the clocks back to preserve old business models - with only one thing in mind - THE BOTTOM LINE. Keep the full paid expense accounts and 7 figure incomes. Keep suing fans. Keep shoving bland music down people's throats that will sell x amounts. Keep producing homogenized radio programs that play the same 50 songs. Keep supporting big box businesses that could care less about music; businesses that sell music below list price. Keep screwing the consumers and retailers who love and care about good captivating music. Squash new ideas, new innovations, and new possibilities as the future of recorded music, a commodity that supports the artist, vanishes. While it would appear that the internet is the new force for musical discovery and delivery independent record stores have been, and still are a strong force on the musical experience. Record stores serve as important community spaces that provide foundations for new musical and artistic scenes and movements, a place where unique under the radar bands have been continuously supported, a place where the underground can thrive, a place where independent thought is encouraged and challenged, a place where people of different ages, races, and taste can mix and mingle face to face. Unlike the internet, physical stores are a real place, with real people, where community is formed and supported. Not just record stores, but original mom and pop main street stores are all in a fight to stay alive. Independent businesses are hubs for new jobs, new innovations, and creative thought. Over the past ten years it has become increasingly harder to compete with big chain businesses that have big money and Congress protecting them. The rich and powerful in business and government have thrown a wrench in the wheels of progress. American culture has become more isolated and atomized as a result of homogenous culture and thought. Businesses and establishments that make different parts of America distinct from one another are disappearing. In order to save community, ourselves, and our world what we need are independent creative places where new ideas and thought can be nurtured. Not more of the same... Through found footage, expository voice over, talking head interviews with artists, musicians, retail owners, and animation "I Need That Record" will tell the story of our connection to independent record stores and the importance of independent thought and culture. What happened to the stores and what will the future bring...
Some interviews include: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Ian Mackaye of Dischord Records Fugazi/Minor Threat/Teen Idles, Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers, Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads, Pat Carney of the Black Keys, Mike Watt of the Minutemen/reunited Stooges, Noam Chomsky, guitar composer Glenn Branca, punk author Legs McNeil, rock photographer Bob Gruen, Bryan Poole guitarist of Of Montreal, Numero Records, Rhino Records, Bloodshot Records, United Record Press (the largest vinyl plant in the U.S.), and many many many indie stores across the U.S. (NYC, Boston, DC, Cleveland, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Minneapolis, Memphis, Nashville, L.A.).
"Tired of being tied to your Xbox, just to play Guitar Hero? Activision is unveiling today -- exclusively through Game|Life -- a Guitar Hero mini-game widget that you can embed in your own blog or web page. The widget, played with the keyboard, contains three different songs: "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour, "School's Out" by Alice Cooper, and "Metal Heavy Lady" by Lions. Each is set at only one difficulty level: Easy, Medium, and Hard, respectively. With Guitar Hero and Rock Band locked in a battle over the music game market, anything either can do to raise their brand identity is paramount. Letting people play a mini-version of the game with their keyboards is certainly a clever marketing idea. And it could pay off for persistent gamers: Get high scores and stay on the Top Ten leaderboard, and you could be eligible to win prizes from developer Rocket XL and Activision". Source: Wired
This is the complete live recordings by Jimi Hendrix and his Band of Gypsys - Jimi, Billy Cox & Buddy Miles - compiled from the best available soundboard and audience sources. Recorded December 31st 1969 and January 1st 1970 at the Fillmore East in New York City, and three tracks (two songs) from Madison Square Garden January 28th 1970. "After attending to the successful defense of his drug possession charges in Toronto, Hendrix, in order to free his USA royalties that had been suspended by the USA courts, addressed his obligation to provide Ed Chalpin with an LP "of original material". Along with Billy Cox he hired another of his friends, drummer Buddy Miles (formerly with Wilson Pickett and The Electric Flag) for his Band of Gypsys project, they rehearsed for ten days at "Baggies" studio. They then performed a series of four concerts over the two nights of New Year and New Years day, which created the Band Of Gypsys LP, produced by Hendrix (under the name "Heaven Research"). This is the only official complete live LP released in his lifetime. This group also released a single Stepping Stone which was quickly withdrawn, and recorded several studio songs slated for Hendrix' future LP. Litigation involving Ed Chalpin continues until this day. The second and final Band of Gypsys appearance occurred one month later (January 28, 1970) at a twelve-act show in Madison Square Garden a benefit for the massively popular anti Vietnam war Moratorium Committee, titled the "Winter Festival for Peace". Similar to Woodstock, set delays forced Hendrix to take the stage at an inopportune 3am, only this time he was obviously in no shape to play. He played a dismal rendition of "Who Knows" before snapping a vulgar response at a woman who shouted a request for "Foxy Lady". He lasted halfway through a second song, then simply stopped playing, telling the audience: "That's what happens when earth fucks with space—never forget that". He then sat down on the drum riser for a minute and then walked off stage. Various unverifiable assertions have been proffered to explain this bizarre scene. Buddy Miles claimed that manager Michael Jeffery dosed Hendrix with LSD in an effort to sabotage the current band and bring about the return of the Experience lineup, and guitarist Johnny Winter said it was Hendrix's girlfriend Devon Wilson who spiked his drink with drugs for unknown reasons". Source: Wikipedia
Disc 1 (Incl. artwork): 1. Intro, 2. Power of Soul, 3. Lover Man, 4. Hear My Train a Comin', 5. Them Changes, 6. Izabella, 7. Machine Gun, 8. Stop, 9. Ezy Rider, 10. Bleeding Heart, 11. Earth Blues, 12. Burning Desire. Download (136 Mb): Megaupload
Disc 2: 1. Also Sparch Zarathustra/Countdown/Happy New Year, 2. Aud Lang Syne, 3. Who Knows, 4. Stepping Stone, 5. Burning Desire, 6. Fire, 7. Ezy Rider, 8. Machine Gun, 9. Power of Soul, 10. Stone Free. Download (115 Mb): Megaupload
Not going for the WOW! factor here, but this side project from the guys in Green Day really got my attention after I downloaded it today. It has a clean 60s style vibe complete with the organ and a swinging beat. "The Foxboro Hot Tubs is an American garage rock band. The group made its first appearance on the music scene in December 2007, debuting three songs on its website, foxborohottubs.com. Soon after, Foxboro Hot Tubs were discovered and subsequently made headlines, being heralded as the next secret side project of Green Day. Foxboro Hot Tubs has been confirmed as Green Day. While the band's history is, as yet, unknown, they are comprised of the members of Green Day, who are performing "garage" music under a nom de plume. Fans of Foxboro Hot Tubs have noted, on the group's MySpace site, many musical similarities between the band and Green Day. Among the common traits listed are Billie Joe Armstrong's "unmistakable" vocals and guitar playing, and a rhythm section which recalls the sound of Green Day's own Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool. Stop Drop and Roll is the first record from the band. The first six tracks of the album were made freely available on foxborohottubs.com, beginning on December 8, 2007. They have since been removed and replaced with a web site advertising the album. It is speculated that Stop Drop and Roll will be released on CD and vinyl. Musically, the songs exhibit influences as diverse as The Stooges, Iggy Pop, The Smiths, The Hi-Fives, and Tommy James and the Shondells. Some have compared the band's sound to more modern acts, such as The Strokes, The Hives, Arctic Monkeys, Wir sind Helden and The Fratellis - all of whom share common influences with Foxboro Hot Tubs. Initial reports described the record as having a "'60s style" sound. One thing about the album which is markedly different from most acknowledged Green Day releases is its use of samples. On the initial release of the first six songs, audio clips from various classic films are inserted at the beginning of each track. For example, "Stop Drop and Roll" and "She's a Saint, Not a Celebrity" are preceded by samples from the 1966 film Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, while "Ruby Room" contains a clip from the 1970 cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls". Source: Wikipedia
Tracklist: 1. Stop Drop and Roll, 2. Mother Mary, 3. Ruby Room, 4. Red Tide, 5. Highway 1, 6. She's a Saint Not a Celebrity, 7. Sally, 8. Aligator, 9. The Pedestrian, 10. 27th Ave Shuffle, 11. Dark Side of Night, 12. Pieces of Truth. Download (35 Mb): Megaupload / Rapidshare
THE WEEKEND! Here's some more of the fabulous Dictators. This time it's a show from the Irving Plaza in New York, back in February of 1981 - recorded just four days before the legendary live cassette "Fuck 'Em If they Can't Take a Joke", later re-released on LP & CD as "New York New York", both on Roir. "The Dictators are one of the monster bands of all time. Long before the Beastie Boys, they were there posin' at the White Castle as a heavy metal joke, a bunch of punks before there was punk with all the subtlety of a body slam - loud, obnoxious and fun". Maximum Rock N' Roll
Traclist: 1. The Next Big Thing, 2. Science Gone Too Far, 3. Weekend, 4. New York, New York, 5. Minnesota Strip, 6. No Tomorrow, 7. Loyola, 8. Talahassee Lassie, 9. What Goes On, 10. Faster and Louder, 11. Moon Upstairs, 12. Young, Fast and Scientific, 13. Search and Destroy, 14. Slow Death. Download (117 Mb): Megaupload