Rock Music

The fantastic Los Angeles duo, JJUUJJUU, are made up of Moon Block Party‘s Phil Pirrone and Incan Abraham‘s Andrew Clinco and they just released their first collection of Krautrock-inspired psychedelic jams as an EP entitled FRST on Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records in April, and made their first appearance at this year’s Austin Psych Fest later the same month. And I’m happy to say that we have a copy of the limited edition EP on white vinyl for one lucky TVD winner! Have a listen… The honorable Permanent Records Chicago calls FRST “…a mouthwatering ‘amuse bouche’ for this tasty morsel of heavy psych! Rolling drums and droning guitars ebb and sway, conjuring a peyote-fueled rollercoaster ride thru the blistering Mojave. There’s definitely a mood and vibe ruminating thru these grooves, with echoes of fellow voyagers like Spacemen 3, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and even some of the headier moments from the earlier Black Angels oeuvre. These guys are definitely ones to watch—we certainly will be.” And check out JJUUJJUU’s far-out video for “Ancient’s Future”… To win the limited edition JJUUJJUU FRST EP on white vinyl, name your favorite L.A. band ever. I’m gonna go with the Doors, in memory of the recently deceased Doors keyboardist, Ray Manzarek, whose role in the band’s overall sound should never be understated. Rest in peace, Ray. One winner with a North American address will be chosen a week from today, Thursday, May 30. Advertise here with BSA

A garage, two microphones, and a laptop might not seem like a recipe for media dominance, but then comedian Marc Maron doesn’t do things in a normal way. The former Air America host and journeyman stand-up started podcasting from his garage in 2009 at a time when he felt his career was at a dead-end. That dead-end quickly turned into an expressway for Maron’s multi-tiered intellect with the podcast giving him, for the first time in his career, an unencumbered, uncensored media outlet. His frank, in-depth interviews with his comedic peers quickly gained a loyal following which keeps WTF with Marc Maron in the Top Ten iTunes chart week after week. WTF’s success led to the current IFC Television series Maron, based on his life and starring Marc in the title role. He also recently published his second book, Attempting Normal, and did an exhaustive media blitz to promote it, including inaugural visits to The Howard Stern Show and Fresh Air with Terry Gross. As second acts go, it’s a doozy. Okay, that’s cool and all, but why is Marc talking to The Vinyl District? As he has noted many times on WTF, Marc is an enthusiastic vinyl fan which he illustrates with accounts of his listening sessions that brim with an almost evangelical zeal. Growing up in New Mexico, Marc’s first exposure to music came courtesy of his parent’s record and tape collection. About two years ago, after noticing new record stores opening in and around his Highland Park neighborhood, he dipped his toe back into the vinyl stream and is now thoroughly immersed. Of course, being Marc Maron, his neurotic side frets over becoming an obsessive collector and possible future episode subject of Hoarders. But for now, the joy of listening to music on a quality turntable and music system is keeping those fears at bay. What was the first album that really grabbed you when you were a kid? (Without hesitation) The Beatles Second Album. It sounded so great! I remember playing “Roll Over Beethoven” over and over. I was obsessed with that song. I even went out and bought a Mountain album (Twin Peaks) because it had that song on it. It took me a while before I found the Chuck Berry original. My parents had a lot of cassettes: Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison and stuff like that. I also had an aunt who gave me some some records. My musical education really started with a store called Budget Records and Tapes in Albuquerque. There was a guy named Jim there who turned me on to so many wild things. While you were getting this musical education, did you share it with you friends at school? Not really. At that time, Van Halen, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin were really popular. One of my buddies was a huge Journey fan. A lot of it was influenced by the concerts that came through. I listened to all that. What I was getting from the record store guys was probably far beyond the comprehension of my high school crowd. Later, I got into jazz and new music by artists like Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello. The ‘70s were a golden age for comedy albums. Were you into comedy at that point? Yes, I remember that being earlier, like the early ’70s. My brother and I listened to George Carlin, Richard Prior, Cheech and Chong, and Steve Martin’s Let’s Get Small. I listened to that one heavily on an all-in-one record player with built-in speakers. Later, I had a Yamaha system that I got when I was working part-time at a stereo store. What type of system do you have now? A pretty high-end Pro-Ject turntable, a Cronus Magnum tube amp and a good set of speakers. When I interviewed Jack White at Third Man, I noticed he had several Macintosh tube amps. When I went to price them, though, they were way more than I wanted to spend. Instead, I went over to Brooks Berdan and they helped me put together a nice system. How did you move away from vinyl? Practicality, I guess. I was still dragging the vinyl around but at some point, they convinced us that CDs were better. I wound up buyin

This week the RMR guys welcome Cinderella Lead Vocalist Tom Keifer to the show. Tom is out touring and promoting his new solo Cd "The way Life Goes". We'll play a couple tunes from it and talk to Tom about the tour and what's going on with Cinderella. We have the Metal News You Can't Use, a review of the Newsted show and our usual silliness! Tunes by Accept, Ace Frehley, Airbourne, BLS, Black Sabbath, Def Leppard, Jorn, Motorhead, Ozzy, Slash, Tesla and more…\m/

The wait is over: the new The Rolling Stones exhibit is open! Come celebrate Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Satisfaction and experience what all the buzz is about! How many Rolling Stones fans are excited to see it? #rockhallsatisfaction http://rockhall.com/exhibits/rolling-stones-50-years-of-satisfaction/

Review by toddbashee — The discovery of this website, and of all the prog activity I never knew about since my early days with Genesis/Gentle Giant/Yes/ELP, The Canterbury group and Henry Cow, has been a huge even in my life. Hitting 50 soon, and a whole new world of music that brings me back to the way music felt when I was a teenager. Thank you, truly. But, like then, when I couldn't quite "get" why certain music was popular, even here in Prog-Land, with my new compatriots, I feel strangely at odds. I began to choose new music based on the star-ratings and the kinds of adjectives people use, as well as what would tip me off as to their musical sophistication., So, here comes IQ, a band I never heard of, with some serious 4-stars-and-up ratings. Strange thing is, I responded to Dark Matter emotionally, hearing some passion, perspective, and simple, moving iconic phrases......but, with this and all other IQ albums, got bored after a maximum of twelve minutes. And then, I starting reading reviews raving about the sophistication, musicianship, and a comparison to The Lamb......and it started to hurt. I don't want to be a musical snob. I don't want to think I know more than my peers. This is music, dammit, and there are so many kinds and so many ways into the heart.....but, really? The Lamb? Some of the highest ratings of all the bands out there. So, what's my problem with IQ, as a complete newcomer to post-90's prog? FIrst, formula: As though they have three or four templates for types of chord progressions, song structure, tempo - extreme interchangeability of songs. Some of their recipes are GOOD, mind you....nothing wrong with a good, simple cookie. But, after being really happy listening most of Sacred Sound, song after song, after album after album, I heard music lego pieces being re-used again and again. I hear a solidly competent keyboardist with a feel for types of evocative but simplistic major to minor to major progressions played on limited number of synth settings; a guitarist who feels deeply while trying to find new uses for the Hackett, Howe and Cure licks and tics he practiced all those years ago; a passionate singer with an evocative but tonally and emotionally limited instrument, singing every Deeply Meaningful line as though it meant exactly the same thing as a Deeply Meaningful line in a bunch of other songs on this and other albums; a CLUNKY drummer with solid time and absolutely no groove or feel for the tone and soul of the drums (I'm a drummer, and learned from a combination of Collins/Bruford/Palmer and the jazz greats); competent no-ego bassist who does what is needed and doesn't over-reach. Basically, a shrewd and sincere group of adequate but limited musicians re-hashing the prog cliches they are capable of playing into a product that pleases fans who relate to a particular sound and vibe. This is the opposite of the Lamb, or Genesis, or Echolyn, or any of the really gifted creators of new music, of compositions that surprise and evoke emotions you didn't know you had. This is, I think, their best album, and has some memorable moments. But they are, to me, a one-trick pony, creating their trick out of moves their role models played with far greater competence and compositional variety. Not in the same musical universe as The Lamb, or Close to The Edge, or As The World, or Free Hand, or Stardust We Are. If it pleases the fans, all good....just don't call it progressive.

Next Tuesday is a big day for Kermit Ruffins and Terence Blanchard. It is national release day for both Ruffins’ We Partyin’ Traditional Style! and Blanchard’s Magnetic.  Ruffins has never been shy about his affection for traditional New Orleans jazz. However, his music has moved beyond the style that was the motivating force behind him leaving the Rebirth Brass Band to develop his solo act. His new record returns him to his trad roots with a collection of tunes that could have appeared on his debut record, World On A String. Favorites include “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South,” “Jeepers Creepers,” and “Careless Love.” The record also features the cream of the crop of local trad jazz talent including star turns by pianist Steve Pistorius and trombonist Lucien Barbarin. Mykia Jovan, a singer who appears regularly with Ruffins at his live gigs, duets with the leader on a great version of “All of Me.” Perhaps the only thing that Ruffins has in common with Terence Blanchard is the fact that they both play trumpet. His new release, Magnetic, is a tour de force of modern jazz. The album features ten original songs written by Blanchard or a member of his quintet: saxophonist Brice Winston, pianist Fabian Almazon, bassist Joshua Crumbly, and drummer Kendrick Scott. Magnetic also showcases special guest appearances from bass legend Ron Carter, as well as Blue Note Records label-mates saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and guitarist Lionel Loueke. Advertise here with BSA

Man On the Moon: An Interview With Tom Moon By Steven Ward (August 2001) Former professional musician Tom Moon, currently the pop music critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer, started his career in rock journalism because he was anxious to hear a new Steely Dan album. The year was 1980, the album was Gaucho, and Moon, then a freshman studying saxophone at the University of Miami, was about to embark upon a career of writing reviews. After a stint at his college newspaper, Moon began writing about music for the Miami Herald, while playing off and on with musicians like jazzman Maynard Ferguson. As a writer, Moon’s perspective on professional musicians is unique: he was one before he picked up a pen. Like New York Times pop music critic Jon Pareles, Moon’s name constantly comes up when other critics talk about their favorite music writers. rockcritics.com decided to find out what all the fuss was about, so we promptly sent Moon a questionnaire. The 40-year-old critic talks in detail about our favorite topic. -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  - Steven:   You are the pop critic of one of the largest daily newspapers in the country, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and you are a frequent freelance reviewer for Rolling Stone. Do you feel like you have power and influence with your position at the paper? Tom:   I’m not in it for power and influence. And if I was, the daily newspaper racket wouldn’t be the place: We’re pretty low on the overall food chain–it’s much more important for an act to crack MTV than get some kind of (often short and ultimately inconsequential) mention in our pages. I’m not sure that the people who buy CDs and are avid consumers of pop culture media take their cues from newspaper critics. Because it’s a general interest publication, we often look hopelessly un-hip to savvy music heads simply because we have to cover the Willa Fords of the world. And the Neil Diamonds. My goal is more to shine a bit of light on those artists who are not turning up all over the increasingly crowded media matrix, to advocate for stuff that is compelling musically. And when a Destiny’s Child record comes around, talk about it in a semi-intelligent and non-condescending way, to give both those who love and hate them a sense of what’s happening on the record. Steven:   And since the paper job is one that I would assume is so demanding and time consuming, why do you continue to write for magazines like Rolling Stone? Tom:   I have learned a ton from my editors at the newspaper, particularly Linda Hasert, with whom I’ve worked for the last ten years. She’s a really sharp eye who makes everything she touches better. At the same time, she’s the first to admit she’s not a music person. A while ago, I figured if I was ever going to get any better at this writing thing, I would need to work with a bunch of different kinds of editors–particularly people who were listening to all kinds of music. Anthony DeCurtis was one of the first people I encountered at Rolling Stone, and his approach remains an inspiration: He’s into checking out all kinds of stuff, very open minded. I’ve tried to emulate that: Somebody will have an assignment on an act I don’t know much about or isn’t my taste, and I’ll do it just to learn something. Right now there’s so much coming out all the time that I actually like it when someone can yank me away from the five records I have to hear for the paper and push me toward the one that I maybe wouldn’t find otherwise. Steven:   You write feature stories, CD reviews, concert reviews and do some music reporting at the paper. Do you prefer one of those tasks to the others? Tom:   For me it’s about a mix. I get cranky if I’m writing reviews of records and shows for too long without talking to people who are engaged in makin

Review by Dr?mmarenAdrian — There are records, often more or less concept records which are perfect as a unite and there are records like this, International Harvester's Sov gott Rose-Marie which is incoherent and sprawling. Some moments they shone how cool this music could be, with a very groovy minimalistic rock music. I have actually hard to find band that are som heavy as International Harvester. Important to know is that this band is the same band as P?rson Sound, Harvester and Tr?s, gr?s och stenar. On the time of this release they had changed name from P?rson Sound and were made up by Bo Anders Persson (guitar, vocals), Thomas Tidholm (saxophone, flute, vocals), Urban Yman (violin), Arne Eriksson (cello), Torbj?rn Abelli (bass) and Thomas Mera Gartz (drums, vocals). I could have rated this record "good but not essential" if it wasn't for some sound crap I have heard here. "I villande skogen" is thank lord very short but meaningless mumbles. "Klockan ?r mycket nu" is annoying and repeating and the almost twelve minutes long "How to survive" is awful and very boring, monotinic and not cool at all. "The runcorn report on western progress" is also slow and very bad.The better sides of International Harvester is the opener: "Dies Irae" with saxophone screaming chruch notes very powerfully and it ends up in birds singing. "There is no other place" is a cool rock song, typical for this band's better moments. "Ho Chi Minh" is a bunch of strong slogans in support of Vietnam's fight against USA, also powerful rock. "Ut till v?nster" is very short but has a nice flute melody. "Stadsministern" is great if you speak Swedish. They sang: "The Prime minister can read, The Prime Minister can write, The Prime Minister can count, but he can't dance rocka bogga rocka bogga dong dong dong". "Sommarl?ten" is a god song that also shows the best side of this band with a strong melody and skillful musicians. "Sov gott Rose-Marie" is a nice hypnotic lulluby. The long tracks: "I mourn you" and especially the bonus track "Sk?rdetider" is perhaps the most important tracks if you want to hear how they sounded. They are very minimalistic but also good. "Sk?rdetider" is very long, 25 minutes, dark och powerful but not very exciting. It depends on if you are interested in minimalistic music. I am not very found of that but enjoy some parts of this music. But this is not really my favourite form of prog and some parts are som bad and meaningless they destroy the record as a whole. I recommend this record to somebody, absolutely not everybody.

Ram, the second post-Beatle LP from Paul McCartney has just been reissued through Hear Music. There are numerous ways for the uninitiated to acquaint oneself with its contents, but the best is likely the two-disc Special Edition. It presents the contents of this hard-fought classic alongside a second album of appropriate bonus material. Paul McCartney was the member of the Fab Four that so many used to relish knocking around. Whether it was in spirited bar chats or animated discussions at parties, when the tide turned to The Beatles somebody could always be counted on for a hearty jibe at Macca’s expense. And in my above use of “so many” I’m generally referring to males and by “somebody” I’m specifically speaking of those who indisputably considered John Lennon to be the Best Beatle. While for those truly devoted fans of the band there could simply never be a Worst, for many Paul was the Square Beatle, a designation not borne out by the facts, for he was as interested in the avant-garde as any member. Hell, in ’68 he co-produced “I’m the Urban Spaceman” by The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band for Pete’s sake, an act that places him rather high up on the meter of cool. However, others derided him as the Corporate Beatle. And yeah, it’s true that Paul never lost track of the business aspect of the whole affair, but his behavior in this regard hasn’t really played out as particularly odious in comparison to other rock star types of not even half his stature or talent. But both Paul’s image and the assessment of his post-Beatle solo career has rebounded in recent years. Much of this might have to do with the constantly regenerating fanbase of the Four consistently growing older and perhaps letting go of the rebelliousness that inspired easy identification with Lennon or Harrison. It also might be related to the race for Coolest Living Beatle being down to him and Ringo “No More Mail, Thanks” Starr. But seriously. In my estimation Paul’s general critical resurgence is a welcome phenomenon, if only because his first two solo records have finally gotten something approximate to the proper level of respect. And yes, for years I bought the baloney regarding the collective underwhelming nature of McCartney and Ram, too. This was in part due to older acquaintances, even those quite favorable to McCartney’s work in The Beatles, being generally disapproving of his solo stuff, considering those early albums as grievous miscalculations of ambition (or lack thereof) and Wings (which of course wasn’t really Paul “solo,” being a band in its own right) as a severe pendulum swing into the other direction, offering safer though often more grandly scaled distillations of Paul’s talent. But the kibosh was Landau and Christgau’s critical double whammy on Ram, which was enough to make me weary for years. And yet, as I kept stumbling onto really great albums that either Jon or Bob (or both) disdained, and as the general curiosity inherent to music fans started getting the better of me, I decided to take the plunge. I sensibly started with McCartney, and was knocked plumb out by its stripped down feel; it’s been described as demo-like, and that’s accurate. In contrast to the over-slick efforts that were clogging the bins at my point of discovery, it was a real breath of fresh air. And unlike its rep, the level of the songwriting was excellent, and made clear that McCartney’s aims were indeed ambitious, though simply at odds with what the critical zeitgeist (it wasn’t add odds with the record buying public however; both McCartney and its follow-up sold an asston). But the high quality of Paul’s solo debut simply couldn’t prepare me for the exquisitely ramshackle affair that is Ram. While I already knew and highly enjoyed “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey,” I was a fresh-faced newcomer to the wonky blues of “3 Legs” or the rollicking smack-talk of “Smile Away.” In “Monkberry Moon Delight” I found a deliciously snide and considerably twisted stomp, and “Ram On,” with it

Poll created by Stool Man — Prog music has been going now for six decades. Stool Man2013-05-24 06:52:42