All the talk about the Jane’s Addiction reunion got me thinking about how much I used to love these guys when I was in high school. No, I didn’t dress up in spandex, have dreads or any crap like that, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to. I grew a mustache instead. Nothing’s Shocking, one of my top albums of all time.
I don’t have much to say about Bjork, except that she’s weird and I like her.
i thought i’d show some love for the ladies. My favorite Blondie song from 1978, which I recently found out was originally done by The Nerves in 1976. Go figure.
In most instances, when an amazing band calls it quits, it is unlikely for the disbanded members to go on and create something equal or even close to what made them great the first time around. That being said, there are a few that have moved on and brought some of the most influential music of my generation. Although they may not have had the commercial success that should go along with such a feat, Quicksand is definitely one of those bands. Hailing from two of the most notable New York Hardcore bands of the late 80s (Youth of Today and Gorilla Biscuits), Walter Schreifels went on to front a group that had a heavy hand in creating a Post-Hardcore moment that many bands to this day still try to emulate. You can add these guys to the “Before Their Time” file.
When I was roughly 7 or 8 years old there was this girl across the street that would baby sit me. She was this kinda punk rock, new wavish chick that loved Duran Duran, and would be glued to MTV every time a video came on. My mom never let me watch MTV, so these were the only videos I was being exposed to. I guess it rubbed off on me, because to this day, this is still one of my all time favorite songs.
Although it was only one time, I was fortunate enough to witness these guys onstage. It was before the release of The Shape of Punk to Come mid 1998 at Showcase Theater. I had never heard of them before this show and was told that they were from Sweden and were amazing. Well, I have to say that amazing was an understatement. Unfortunately, they disbanded shortly after the album was released. Keep in mind that this is just about 10 years old…a band definitely before their time.
Descendents…picking our butts tonight.”
With lyrics like that, how could you not love this band? I would say that they are probably the most covered punk band of all time and rightfully so. Pick up any album and every track is pretty much about girls, farting, and eating…very funny, very short, and catchy as hell. They branched out into different bands and projects over the years, but this is where it all started.
Propagandhi are one of the very few bands that i can still listen to on a daily basis. I’m not exactly sure why, but I believe it’s just the raw energy that comes across every one of their songs. You may not agree with everything they have to say, but how many bands have you seen bring generator to a San Diego street corner and start playing? I’m guessing none.
June 11, 1994
Though it is agreed, they are the greatest rock n roll band to ever exist…most still seem to overlook how incredibly tightly-niched this band was; their recordings, their live shows, and just them jamming was nothing short of flawless. Every member was a musical genius when it came to their instrument, especially when collaborating with the other members. Without anymore rambling on…here they are, the greatest rock band of all time; Led Zeppelin with ‘the song remains the same’ 1973.
:L
The internet has killed the record industry! Many bands and record labels have been crying about this for quite some time now, but there have been a select few that have decided to do something about it. For instance, The Mars Volta has made their newest release, The Bedlam in Goliath, not only available on traditional formats, but also in digital form on a USB flash drive.
This USB flash drive contains the new album, along with album artwork and the video for “Wax Simulacra.” Each USB flash drive has a 1GB capacity and are Windows and Mac compatible.
And for added value – on the 29th of every month, plug in your flash drive and you can get new content from The Mars Volta all year long directly on your computer. Content includes B-sides, webisodes, limited edition wallpaper, exclusive tracks, and much much more. All at no extra cost!
The fact that they are sold out already has got to tell you something. Hopefully bands and record labels will continue to spend their energy creating new product instead of complaining about the inevitable.
They will be available again in March. You can pre-order at www.themarsvolta.com