Their singer, simply listed in the liner notes as ldquo;Dick, rdquo; adds what I rsquo;d call a little Irish accent to the mix that gives the band the feel of something you might run across in a dirty London pub. br / br / Their new CD i Deadline, /i a ldquo;split rdquo; album with New York hardcore purveyors Leftover Crack, is a powerhouse collection of songs proving, despite the frequent whining of mainstream music fans, there are still some great politically charged bands out there, if you know where to look. Fat Wreck Chord Records obviously does.
br / br / Citizen Fish rsquo;s portion of the CD starts out with a battle cry for the working class in the form of ldquo;Working on the Inside rdquo; and goes on to assail the Government and Corporate ideals on songs like ldquo;Join the Dots, rdquo; about the misdirected war on drugs, and the self-explanatory tirade ldquo;Clear Channel (Fuck Off). rdquo; br / br / The Leftover Crack half of the CD is even more abrasive and politically incorrect. The horns go out the window and the band beats down listeners with song titles like ldquo;Baby Punchers, rdquo; and the hilarious ldquo; hellip;And Out Comes the N-Bomb.
rdquo; Don rsquo;t let the title fool you though, these aren rsquo;t useless fits of unrestrained anger like Insane Clown Posse might record for instance, but rather well thought out, albeit sometimes vulgar, social statements. br / br / It rsquo;s good to see there are still some kick-ass, disenfranchised bands left in the world. i Deadline /i sees both Citizen Fish and Leftover Crack on top of their games and on top of anyone who gets in their way.
Split CDs are a great thing and i Deadline /i is another great release from Fat Wreck Chord Records. br / /p div id="authorbio" Music writer and all around good guy from D-town, Colorado!
Over the past few years, however, at least in terms of music preferences, I've dived right passed moody and directly into pissed and heavy. Usually when I'm in such an emotional free-fall, there is one band that I know has the visceral oomph to not only handle my fall, but to energize me enough to want to make the climb back to where I started. That band goes by the name of Nine Inch Nails (NIN).
/p p I'm not about to start babbling about how NIN saved my life or anything like that, but when I'm feeling like shit and need affirmation that it's okay to feel like shit, they are my sonic weapon of choice in the war to maintain my sanity on especially shitty days. /p p Having said that, I think it is only fair to say that NIN's new DVD, I Beside You In Time /I , has been actively deployed in my house for a couple of weeks now, and it is kicking much ass and taking names. Chronicling the band's American I With Teeth /I tour, I Beside You In Time /I is all that I ever wished for in a live NIN recording.
/p p Sure, 1997's I Closure /I was something I trumpeted loudly when it came out. Instead of merely producing a video record of one particular concert, Reznor's choice to release a tour documentary that features tons of live performances (as well as a companion piece that held all the band's video releases) was what I wanted at the time. /p p I wanted to learn more about the band, you see.
/p p When 2002's I And All That Could Have Been /I was released, it floored me. Not only was it an amazing document of NIN's "Fragility" tour from 2002, but it was just about the most amazing concert DVD I'd ever seen. Instead of simply putting a couple of cameras in place to capture the concert recordings, Reznor seemed to go over the deep end and place cameras in any and every place that would hold a camera.
The results, when edited into the released DVD, were stunning. /p p While I Closure /I had held my hand and taught me about what went on behind the wizard's curtain and I And All That Could Have Been /I showed me every possible angle of the wizard performing his magic (so that I could be sure it was magic, I think, and not an illusion) , I Beside You In Time /I simply shows me the naked power the magic show is capable of. /p p NIN, and Reznor in particular, look and sound amazing.
Hell, Reznor looks like he's in the best physical and mental shape of his life, and he uses that power and clarity to just blaze his way through each and every song. /p p When he sings "Closer," for instance, his voice isn't the only thing evoking the dark longing of the song. No, his entire body is coiled and seems ready to explode on stage.
If I didn't know better I'd say he's been watching a lot of Iggy Pop or Henry Rollins performances. /p p He looks like he wants to kick the audience's ass personally this time, instead of letting his music have all the fun, if that makes any sense - and what music. /p 19.
Head Like A Hole /p p 01. An image gallery (in full 1920X1080 high-definition) br/ 02. Video for "The Hand That Feeds" br/ 03.
Video for "Only" br/ 04. Clip of "The Collector" filmed in rehearsals br/ 05. Clip of "Every Day Is Exactly The Same" filmed in rehearsals br/ 06.
Clip of "Love Is Not Enough" filmed in rehearsals /p p There's also a collection of recordings from the earlier American leg of the tour, but I'll leave that as a surprise as I'm currently watching the concert as I write this and I'm too busy head banging to be bothered with stopping the DVD and looking it up. /p p Whether you are a casual or dedicated fan of NIN, I cannot tell you how much I think you will enjoy this DVD were you to purchase it. It's brutal, it's beautiful, and it might be the most insane thing I've ever tried to treadmill to, but that's another story.
/p p I Beside You In Time /I is being released in three different formats: Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, and regular DVD. I've only got the regular DVD, and it is visually stunning. I can't imagine what treats are in store for those of you who choose to purchase either of the other two formats.
/p p I Beside You In Time /I is an excellent way to spend the time waiting on the coming release of NIN's latest studio album, I Year Zero /I . /p br style="clear: both;"/ p Going to a concert solely populated by local bands can be a questionable affair. Honestly, how many times have you gone to a local show only to be confronted with some of the most awful music you ve ever heard?
/p p I have had moments like this, never a complete show, mind you, but there are a lot of bad bands out there. However, you have to realize that your favorite bands have to come from somewhere, and that is the local scene, your local scene. So you have to go out and find the good ones.
Believe me, there are good ones out there, and when you hear them, you will wonder why they are local. They can be that good. /p p What does that have to do with this show?
Well, this was one of those shows where the stars aligned, a local show that was stacked with talent determined to put on the best show they could. You could see the determination in the face of everyone that took that stage. Were they all successful?
No. The show was not perfect, but few are. Still, this was a local show to restore faith in the local scene.
br / br / As I walked into The Chance Theater, I was greeted by the music of Within Another whose set had just begun. I had seen them once before, in a much smaller venue. I remember remarking that their sound needed a bigger venue for the large progressive rock they played.
I am happy to report that I was right, the larger theater gave them the room they needed to spread out. They have a sound that is reminiscent of Queensryche, particularly in Jerry Scharsu s voice. He has a powerfully clean voice that can let out a bloodcurdling scream when called for.
/p p The rest of the band is no slouch either, excellent leads from both guitarists, particularly from Paul Mallory. Solid drumming and virtuoso bass round the band out. I cannot claim to be a big fan.
Despite likeing a lot of what they were doing, there were chunks that just did not grab me. They put on a good show and are definitely a band to keep an eye on. Nice way to open the show.
br / br / Next up was Hyngd, a band I believe that I have seen before, but cannot quite remember when. Anyway, they took the momentum that Within Another had built up and kept the night rolling along. I was very impressed with their performance, and considering that lead singer, Shane, was a little under the weather, he really put it all out on the stage.
/p p Their sound has some overtones of Tool and Staind, yet steps in a different direction. The music was solid, full of energy, and just great to listen to. Most impressive was drummer, Gregg, he wasn t flashy, but he was incredibly crisp and tight, with perfect timing, very impressive.
This is definitely an act to revisit, I see a good future ahead of them. br / br / Kristen Capolino was the third act to take the stage, and the one performance to give me the most mixed feelings. Let me start with the good.
Kristen is an absolutely phenomenal talent. She is a 17 year guitar prodigy, who is just amazing to listen to. She came to the stage with a Gibson Flying V which looked to be larger than her, a slight presence with a big sound and a virtual ton of enthusiasm.
Plain and simple the girl can shred. /p p Now for the bad, or more accurately, the not so good. She needs someone who can better focus her abilities.
Her songwriting was not terribly strong. The songs just did not strike me as songs so much as ways to show what she can do. Fortunately, what she can do with six strings is impressive.
Then there is the problem of her singing; it was not all that impressive. Still, it is hard to dwell on the bad when in the presence of this enormous stockpile of talent. She was even able to bust out covers of Michael Schenker and Paula Abdul in the same set.
I doubt many bands could reconcile that. I would definitely be interested in seeing her perform again, even if that youthful enthusiasm got to the aging cynic inside of me. br / br / The final act before our main event was the reuniting Section 18, a band that has impressed me in the past with their straight up rock/metal sound.
They came to the stage with a look which seems to bring up the likes of Pantera, yet offer up a decidedly different sound. Coming together with what may just be a one off, the band really played as a tight unit. They sounded fantastic, succeeding in getting the crowd all riled up, singer Mike Pettigrew jumping in the pit certainly helped to that end as much as the music did.
I may wish they had a heavier sound, but they are still a solidly entertaining band, and if the crowd reaction is any indication, they should stick together and keep playing. They do it so well. br / br / Now, the band of the hour, featuring birthday boy Jim Norton on bass, Audible Thought.
This was a big night for the four piece and I believe it was the longest set that they have played. Plus, they were filming footage for a DVD release they would like to have out this summer, not to mention the fact that there was a very good crowd on hand. Needless to say, the pressure was on for a good show.
/p p They went on right about midnight and proceeded to put on the show of their careers. I have had the opportunity to see them on a number of occasions, and they just keep getting better, this performance was easily the best I have seen from them yet. Their sound was a little chunkier and heavier, the vocals had a little more bite to them, the drums sounded enormous, it was a joy to listen to.
/p p They played, I believe, every song in their live catalog, everything from their debut CD, i Measure Up /i , plus a pair of new tracks, and a third that could be called new, as it has only been played live on a couple of occasions. The highlight of the show would have to be Can t Break Me, the song brings all of the elements that make Audible Thought who they are, from the emotionally charged lyrics, to the blend of crunchy heaviness and melody, to the screaming lead guitar work, it has it all and is destined to be a mainstay of their live set. Both of their other new cuts played very well, although I cannot recall their names, demonstrating a true growth in their songwriting, imbueing more emotion and complexity signifying how much stronger of a unit they are coming to be.
br / br / Other highlights of the night include Measure Up, Darkness, Respect, and Games. Lou West, recovered from an absessed tooth which hampered recent performances, brought his A-game and sounded great, while drummer Carl Fogarty has improved by leaps and bounds making his kit a powerful presence. Jim Norton s bass is solid as ever while he provides an imposing presence on the stage through his constant movement.
/p p Finally Ryan Cady was absolutely shredding it as he ripped through his solos. Overall, there was a distinctly heavier and faster aura to some of the older songs, making them sound fresh, and showing how the art of songwriting is an ever changing process, working to improve on what they have as they come together as a band. br / br / This was a fantastic night for local music.
From top to bottom this was a strong card, lots of bands at the top of their game and a large crowd to support the local scene. Perhaps, one day, some or all of these acts will be able to take their music to the world at large. Oh yeah, I cannot wait to see how the DVD comes out.
br / /p div id="authorbio" img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/draven99/littleme-1.
jpg" style="float:left; margin-right:10px;" border=0 Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about entertainment when he isn't sitting in a movie theater. He is known around the office as the "Movie Guy" and is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Interests include science fiction, horror, and metal music.
His writings can be found at a href="http://draven99.blogspot.com" Draven99's Musings /a , as well as a href="http://filmschoolrejects.
com" Film School Rejects /a . /div br style="clear: both;"/
/p p In i a href="http://www.rhino.com/fun/listeningparties/73384_PartyPlayer.
lasso" The Very Best of The Doobie Brothers /a /i , fans will enjoy 33 tracks that span the entire recording history of the band. Every one of their major hits are included as well as some lesser-known tracks that still serve to show the tremendous range of the band. /p p In the early days, The Doobie Brothers were more of a hard rock band, as can be heard in their early hits such as China Grove , Jesus Is Just Alright .
and Rockin Down the Highway . There are country and folk influences evident in such tracks as Another Park, Another Sunday , Black Water and South City Midnight Lady . By the mid-1970 s the shift was to more R B and pop-oriented tracks which can be heard in such songs as Little Darling (I Need You) , One Step Closer , Minute by Minute and What A Fool Believes .
Then by the time the 1980s roll around, the band moves back towards its rock roots with tracks such as The Doctor and Need a Little Taste of Love . /p p In the end, this two disc set captures the entire spectrum of the music that was The Doobie Brothers. Very few bands could so easily swing from one type of music to the other and consistently produce so many radio hits and sell so many records.
But that s exactly what makes The Doobie Brothers so unique in the history of rock and roll. /p div id="authorbio" Tom Parsons has been blogging under the pseudonym Daddypundit since October 2004. His nickname reflects his personal blog's focus on a father's persepctive on news, politics and current events.
Tom is an avid reader, musician, and occasional golfer. He lives in Virginia with his wife and two daughters. /div br style="clear: both;"/ p "Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," the 55-year-old, Bronx-bred rocker said today in a release from spokesperson Carol Kaye.
The statement also indicated Frehley is "alive and well and working on his highly anticipated solo album." /p p "I don't know how this ridiculous rumor got started," the release quotes the formerly star-faced guitarist as saying, before also mentioning that the veteran ax-wielder eats wheat germ and treadmills daily. /p p a href="http://www.
flickr.com/photos/15154513@N00/399974464/" title="Photo Sharing" img src="http://farm1.static.
flickr.com/161/399974464_9137fad305_o.jpg" width="156" height="240" alt="Ace Frehley" align=right hspace=5 vspace=5 / /a No one who has ever eaten wheat germ or pounded the treadmill has ever committed suicide.
You could look it up. The formerly hard partying rock star has reportedly be sober for a number of years, incidentally. /p p Not sure where MySpace blogger Hal got the "news," but he was certainly sincere in his tribute to the KISS founding guitarist.
"When I grew up in Kentucky the guys in KISS had a profound impact on me," he writes. "They were in many ways ..
. my primary male role models ..
. Ace always seemed the perfect representation of disconnect. That lack of material connection to the earth plane that is an important part of being an artist," Hal avers.
"Ace's songs ...
like 'Strange Ways,' 'Ozone' and the instrumental 'Fractured Mirror' gave a depth to KISS' catalogue it would have missed otherwise. I truly love these songs." /p div id="authorbio" Career media professional a href="/author.
php?author=Eric%20Olsen" Eric Olsen /a is honored to be the founder and publisher of Blogcritics.org, which, quite frankly, rules - as do his a href="/author.
php?author=Dawn%20Olsen" wife /a and four children. /div br style="clear: both;"/
The ones that are left are truly classics from my own 1300-plus lifetime show itinerary. They rsquo;re all laundered, neatly folded and stored with a few Bounce dryer sheets in large Tupperware containers hellip; to keep lsquo;em fresh, of course. /p p And when I rsquo;m overcome by the very nostalgia that inspired me to buy them ndash; that same wistfulness I often hassle others for ndash; I break one out and wear it someplace.
The grocery store, the dog park, record stores, occasionally a party (properly accessorized, of course), family get-togethers, vacation hellip; or wherever and whenever the mood strikes. It always draws looks. /p p Like every aging rocker, I trot out my best ones when I rsquo;m headed to a show.
If I think someone in the crowd might recognize it and start up a conversation, it rsquo;s definitely gonna get worn. I rsquo;m talking about the cr me de la cr me of tour merch, concert t-shirts. As for the gazes at the shows I wear them to?
I rsquo;m guessing they rsquo;re the same ones I gave to the ldquo;old coots rdquo; who were standing in the back of the club when I was younger. /p p Wearing a tour shirt ldquo;back in the day rdquo; was not merely a grubby, mutinous fashion statement. It wasn rsquo;t just about independence or thumbing your nose at other kids with ldquo;I was there rdquo; attitude, either.
You i revered /i your concert experiences as much as you did the globe-trotting itineraries on the backs of those shirts. You felt like you understood the artists as much as you felt they i understood you /i . For one night (or maybe two, if you were lucky enough to live in a larger market) you were i on the road /i with the band.
/p p Donning one on the next day made you feel like a part of history, honoring the shared experiences others like you had all over the country and the world. It rsquo;s that concept of collective consciousness, full-tilt and ldquo;front row center, rdquo; and it was easily as fulfilling as a travel experience for sheltered little selves like yours truly. Sporting loot from the latest leg of a U2, R.
E.M., Depeche Mode, Bowie, Gabriel, Sting or Tears for Fears tour was style and substance combined ndash; and like getting off an airplane wearing a giant passport full of stamps across your back to boot.
/p p Utrecht. Auckland. Copenhagen.
Belfast. Vancouver. Mexico City.
Detroit. Miami. i Des Moines /i .
See, you i knew /i people in all of these places. Your shirt said so. And those people were i just like you /i .
Their fathers made i them /i mow the lawn for the ticket money, too. Their grandparents still squeezed i their /i cheeks on Sundays. They were suckers for ldquo;pricey car wash rags with logos rdquo; ndash; thanks, Dad ndash; just like you were.
And yeah, they got beat up in between periods at school over them and liking Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson instead of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard. (Those bullies secretly i liked /i your favorite band..
. and like you, those kids you knew in Vancouver would later see those bullies in cover bands playing Pump It Up just like you did, too). All that said, I don rsquo;t see many people in concert t-shirts anymore.
Sure, they still sell them at the merch kiosks at shows. And somebody must i buy /i them I guess ndash; I rsquo;ve all but stopped for the sake of my marriage, my wallet and closet space ndash; but I rsquo;m guessing you don rsquo;t see kids trolling around Homeroom, French class, swim team practice or Key Club meetings in them anymore. I sure don rsquo;t see any of them in my neighborhood, anyway.
/p p So, is the love for concert tour t-shirts gone forever? Don t tell that to the winning bidder for a 1991 Pearl Jam tour shirt that just sold for over $100 on eBay yesterday (#190083191406). That tells me a) these shirts are still important to some people; b) some thirty-something like me with disposable income (or a whole lotta room on their credit card) had too much to drink last night; and c) that person (probably a guy) drunk-dialed an ex- afterwards.
.. in their signed Monsters of Rock t-shirt.
/p p Is there a future for concert tour t-shirts? You still see a few styles hanging on the wall of a club at every show. And some clothing stores are reproducing them for more general fashion consumption.
But aside from vintage resales on eBay ndash; I paid i eight months /i worth of my mortgage by auctioning some 200 of my vintage collection recently ndash; I think those halcyon days are long gone. It rsquo;s too bad, but it rsquo;s really very much a different world now. /p p Kids who want to see Utrecht or Auckland or talk to someone there can hop on the Internet.
They can find out what songs their favorite band recently played there, too. Sometimes the sets are updated from the club or arena in real time, depending on if the kids and/or band have portable devices with Wi-Fi connections. Which leads me to another observation: most kids don rsquo;t want tacky clothing like that anymore.
They have/want iPods or ldquo;smartphones rdquo; ndash; combined wireless handhelds ndash; and they buy ldquo;official rdquo; bootleg CDs or downloads from the very show they were at. Sometimes they rsquo;re able to grab them i on their way out /i of the venue! It all just seems too cold for me.
I must be getting old. At least my shirts say so. /p p Before I go, let it be known to the shock and dismay of interior design gurus like Kenneth Brown and Candice Olson, not only have I considered framing some of my favorite vintage concert t-shirts hellip; I rsquo;ve actually toyed with turning them into a i quilt /i .
I rsquo;ve since decided against it, but not because it rsquo;s shabby beyond words to do so. Getting the odd looks at concerts is about as subversive as things get in my world these days. I rsquo;m not ready to give that up, let alone that feeling like I rsquo;ve been a part of history, just yet.
/p div id="authorbio" Peter Chakerian is the Managing Editor of CoolCleveland.com, a free, subscription-based "e-blast" newsletter in Northeast Ohio. His work has appeared in The Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal, Northern Ohio Live, Scene Magazine, Cleveland Magazine, Sun Newspapers and the Cleveland Free Times, among others.
His blog http://www.joyrides4shutins.typepad.
com has nothing to do with the Cavedogs. /div br style="clear: both;"/
But not all of the ravages of Katrina were physical, and a couple of New Orleans natives have taken it upon themselves to help address the psychological toll the storm took. br / br / i a href="http://www.dogfingers.
com/boxcar-blackwater.html" Black Water Rising /a /i takes on the traditional split single format, with San Antonio s Boxcar Satan trying their hand at a song by San Francisco s Graves Brothers Deluxe and vice versa. What sets this four-song EP apart is that proceeds from its sale are being donated to groups providing free mental health care to residents of the Gulf Coast.
Stoo Odom of GBD and Patrick Sane of Boxcar Satan both hail from New Orleans, so the cause is near and dear to their hearts. br / br / But don t buy i Black Water Rising /i just for charity s sake; buy it because it s great, too. GBD does an excellent, understated acoustic bass and fuzz guitar rendition of Shoot Down the Sun , and Boxcar Satan takes on Legs Rub Together , showing off their mellow side for the first half of the track before bringing it to a rousing conclusion.
br / br / img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.
com/146/396410740_ebdc0e45b3_m.jpg" alt="" align="left" / In addition to the regular split single fare, however, each band contributes a cover version of an old southern blues standard, and it is these songs that really make i Black Water Rising /i stand out. br / br / Boxcar Satan opens the disc with a raucous cover of High Water Everywhere , a blues stomp by the legendary Delta blues guitarist Charley Patton.
The Graves Brothers Deluxe do an uplifting cover of Don t You Just Know It , a call-and-response R B tune that was a Top Ten hit for New Orleans own Huey Piano Smith in 1958. br / br / The inclusion of the Patton and Smith tunes really rings true here, because Boxcar Satan and GBD are not only paying tribute to the city of New Orleans in its time of need; they re paying tribute to the indomitability of the spirit in the face of crushing adversity, and if that ain t the blues , I don t know what is. br / br / i Ordering info at a href="http://www.
dogfingers.com/boxcar-blackwater.html" Dogfingers Records /a /i /p div id="authorbio" Pete Blackwell is a street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm.
He lives in St. Louis, Gateway to the West and proud home of Provel cheese. p a href="http://parentheticalremarks.
blogspot.com" img src="http://feeds.feedburner.
com/parentheticalremarks.
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