Going Underground

Did you ever hear about a British musician called Paul Weller? What about a band called THE JAM? Did you answered “no” for either on of the questions? Really? So .. you don’t know who they are. For Satan’s glory, you suck!

THE JAM was a mix of punk-rock band and mod-revival. Playing an aggressive sounds but still using very well tailored suits, just like the good old THE WHO. They were a major influence to the modern British rock bands like STONE ROSES, OASIS, BLUR, THE VERVE and many others.

Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler debut in 1977 with the single “In The City” going straight to the Top Singles Parade in the United Kingdom.The band rocked the parades until 1982, when Paul Weller disbanded the group after a long farewell tour, to pursuit a very success solo career.

There’re too many hits by THE JAM, in special there’re the ones who hit #1: “Going Underground” , “Dream of Children” (which inspired Noel Gallagher to write OASIS’s hit “Fade Away”), “Start!”, “Town Called Malice”, “Precious” and my personal favorite “Beat Surrender”.

So, you can’t miss. If you want a massive party crystal-meth: You gotta play THE JAM. Go to you nearest record store, request access to the basement and look for the following vinyls:

- In the City (1977)
- This Is the Modern World (1977)
- All Mod Cons (1978)
- Setting Sons (1979)
- Sound Affects (1980)
- The Gift (1982)

Oracular Spectacular

Imagine a indie rock duo (yes, a duo) from Brooklyn, New York. Now add a psychedelic sound from the 70s and a grunge-like posture. You just got yourself MGMT, one of the crazies bands/duos in action nowadays.

Formed in 2002 and originally called “The Management”, they signed with a major label in 2006 and changed their name. Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser debuted their first album “Oracular Spectacular” digitally in October/2007 and released in vinyl in January/2008, this work showed how indie and insane can a mainstream and critically acclaimed artist be.

MGMT scored several major hits in commercial and underground radios all over the world, including the psychedelic reel “Kids”. This tune was used by EA Games’ FIFA’09 and even by the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. The band is suing the last one for the illegal use of their work. Funny, hm?

So, if you want something brand-new and utterly crazy to play at your turntable, go for MGMT’s “Oracular Spectacular”. You’ll be the coolest kid alive. I garantee you that.

X Offender

Did you ever hear about a blond bombshell called Debbie Harry? I bet you can’t even imagine who she is. Well, she’s the voice and pure lust leading BLONDIE on stage. And she is HOT as Hell, my friend. Yes, she is.

BLONDIE showed how American rock bands could be cool and sometimes savage. Sharing the C.B.G.B. stage with icons like Talking Heads and The Ramones, they had a mix of rock, punk, disco and reggae while maintaining a main line of pure pre-80s new wave.

Their self-title debut album from 1976 was a huge hit in the New York City rock scenery. But the band remained as an underground legend until the release of “Parallel Lines” (1978), over the next three years, the band achieved several hit singles taking the band to the mainstream of arts.

They became a massive force during the late 70s and early 80s dictating style, music and even fashion trends. But, unfortunately, they collapsed upon their own weight with internal problems a a poor reception of the album “Hunter” (1982).

Debbie, Stein, Burke, Foxx, Carbonara, Katz-Bohen and Destri: The current lineup of BLONDIE got back in action in 1997 scoring another number one single called “Maria”, and they’re still around as a rocking legend.

If you’re thinking about throwing a kick-ass party, this’s the way to go. Check with your local record store for the following BLONDIE albums:

- Blondie (1976)
- Plastic Letters (1977)
- Parallel Lines (1978)
- Eat to the Beat (1979)
- Autoamerican (1980)
- The Hunter (1982)
- No Exit (1999)
- The Curse of Blondie (2003)

Road To Nowhere

They were one of the many successful children of C.B.G.B, formed on 1974 in New York City, THE TALKING HEADS were for long years a beacon of new trends, musical innovations and awesomeness.

With a legendary lineup: David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison. They rocked really hard the alternative and independent rock scenery of NYC, their iconic “avant-garde” style combined post-punk, pop, rock and new wave.

THE TALKING HEADS are a pretty rare case in rock’n'roll: They were critically acclaimed and still managed to have several pop hits. Such hits are played in every single decent rock party, like “Road To Nowhere” (1985), “Psycho Killer” (1977), “And Then She Was” (1985), “Life During Wartime” (1979), among others.

All the achievements and uncanny success, both in the underground scenery and in the commercial radios, is due to a solid group of talented musicians and their crazy, egocentric and astonishingly talented leader, David Byrne, who still is a successful composer, producer and performer. We can’t forget their solid partnership with producer and composer Brian Eno (ex-Roxy Music).

If you’re looking for something to listen tons of times and to play in all your parties, here you go with THE TALKING HEADS.

Albums:

- Talking Heads (1977)
- More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)
- Fear of Music (1979)
- Remain in Light (1980)
- Speaking in Tongues (1983)
- Little Creatures (1985)
- True Stories (1986)
- Naked (1988)

30 Days In a Hole

Do you know HUMBLE PIE? .. No? You son of a bitch!

By now, you should know the term “super group” and that it do NOT stand for any piece-of-crap. Your favorite boy-band would have to get their asses made of steel to be closer enough to be called a “super group”. And that’s exactly what HUMBLE PIE had: An ass made of steel.

Peter “Fucking” Frampton (Yeah! That Frampton!), Steve Marriott (Ex-SMALL FACES), Greg Ridley and Jerry Shirley: This was the original lineup of this incredible band. Scary, isn’t it? They rocked classics like “Natural Born Boogie” and “The Sad Bag Of Shaky Jake”. You can actually experience LSD embedded in those tracks.

The chance to listen the album “Smokin” (1972) on vinyl is something you must NOT miss. The moment you first listen Marriot’s guitar with that rumbling noise of the needle on the vinyl. It’s just uncanny. It’ll scare the hell out of you, I assure you that.

Go to your local record store and buy any of their early work (69 – 76), you just can’t go wrong. Get also a bag of your favorite amusement, if you catch my drift, and you’re done!

HUMBLE PIE’s early work:

- As Safe As Yesterday Is (1969)
- Town and Country (1969)
- Humble Pie (1970)
- Rock On (1971)
- Smokin’ (1972)
- Eat It (1973)
- Thunderbox (1974)
- Street Rats (1975)
- Back Home Again (1976)

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King

Why is “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King” already one of the best albums by the DAVE MATTHEWS BAND?

Well, it’s true. The newest material by Mr. Matthews and his band mates is by far one of the best ever produced by them. It has a sense of completeness, as if it reminisce the bands career. This album has a hint of every past album.

Do you think it’s crazy talk? Please, allow me to explain: if we go along the track of this album we’ll be able to identify each and every reference.

For instance, “Shake Me Like a Monkey” is essentially the album “Under The Table And Dreaming” (1994), following the same idea “Funny The Way It Is” has a huge “Before Theses Crowded Streets” (1998) vibe. Moving a bit further we have “Alligator Pie” which has the soul of “Everyday” (2001). And so it goes.

To summarize the whole idea, “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King” is a kick-ass album by a legendary band, which is clearly missing an essential part of it: LeRoi Moore, a great saxophonist. On the other side, we have the guitar-hero Tim Reynolds playing with the DAVE MATTHEWS BAND for the first time since 1998.

So, go to your nearest store and buy it! If you download it, I will fight you! That’s no lie. For your information, this album is the first to be released in vinyl since “Before These Crowded Streets” (1998).

“Heaven or hell I’m going down with the Groo Grux King!”

By the way, The madeup word “GrooGrux” is a nickname for the wild-sounding rhythm LeRoi Moore, Carter Beauford, Tim Reynolds and Tim Wicks made when they play together.

About the album:

Artist: Dave Matthews Band
Title: Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
Released: June, 2009
Lable: RCA
Producer: Rob Cavallo

The West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Ladies and gentlemen, The almighty KASABIAN is back. More insane and much more impressing with “The West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum”.

This is quite an album for a band of such talent, the title reminds me of the legendary “Sergeant Pepper’s ..” but the content is far more powerful, exquisite and, in many times, weird. But not that bad-weird (like Jonas Suck-My-Dick Brothers), great-weird like Marc Bolan and his T.REX.

In many tracks along the album, you can actually feel the solid influence by T.REX in Pizzorno’s riff on the guitar and in Tom Meighan’s slow and sometimes husky vocals.

“Fast Fuse”, “Fire and “Vlad: The Impaler” are three classic KASABIAN tunes, but this album has much more to offer like “Ladies And Gentlemen (Roll The Dice)” a very melodic and smooth tune, showing how deep OASIS inspire these guys.

Go buy it! Don’t wait for anything else! And please, do NOT download it. It’s worth the investment. This album is 100% pure British rock’n'roll.

About the album:

Artist: Kasabian
Title: The West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Released: June, 2009
Label: RCA/Columbia
Producer: DAN The Automator