The Very Foundation free MP3 (featuring members of DECEMBERISTS)

RUNAWAY TO TOKYO :: The Very Foundation is giving away a free/legal MP3 this song features 2 members of the DECEMBERISTS on it!

grab it at link above!

A Letter From David Bowie

Letters of Note has posted a letter from David Bowie to his very first American fan letter writer:

In answer to your questions, my real name is David Jones and I don't have to tell you why I changed it. "Nobody's going to make a monkey out of you" said my manager. My birthday is January 8th and I guess I'm 5'10". There is a Fan Club here in England, but if things go well in the States then we'll have one there I suppose. It's a little early to even think about it.

Read the rest: Letters of Note: My real name is David Jones

Technorati Tags: david bowie, fan mail, fan letter, fan club, letter, letters of note, music, rock

MOG Music Subscription Service

MOG music subscription has launched:

We wrote last week about the impending launch of the MOG music subscription service, and now that day is here. To recap, MOG will be taking on Napster and Rhapsody in the all-you-can-eat, on-demand listening experience for $5 per month.

With an extensive library of millions of tracks backed by all four of the giant major label consortiums and an innovative music management interface (see the embedded video below for a demo), it seems like MOG is stepping up to the plate with a compelling offering in the music subscription space.

Read the rest: MOG Launches All You Can Eat Music Service [FREE INVITES]

Technorati Tags: MOG, music, subscription

Labels Losing Money, Not Artists

Informative article on Boing Boing about labels losing money, but artists seem to be making dough still:

The Times Labs blog takes a hard look at the data on music sales and live performances and concludes that while the labels' profits might be falling, artists are taking in more money, thanks to the booming growth of live shows. The Times says that they'd like more granular data about who's making all the money from concerts -- is there a category of act that's a real winner here? -- but the trend seems clear. The 21st century music scene is the best world ever for some musicians and music-industry businesses, and the worst for others. Which raises the question: is it really copyright law's job to make sure that last years winners keep on winning? Or is it enough to ensure that there will always be winners?

Labels may be losing money, but artists are making more than ever - Boing Boing

Technorati Tags: music, artists, labels, money

Alicia Keys to Stream Concert Live on YouTube

In October, YouTube hosted one of the biggest live streaming events ever held: a U2 concert generating more than 10 million streams across 7 continents.

Now YouTube is looking to repeat that success, with an Alicia Keys concert being live streamed on December 1st at 8pm ET.

The concert, to be held at the Nokia Theatre in New York City, aims to draw attention to World AIDS Day; viewers will be encouraged to donate to Alicia’s chosen charity, Keep a Child Alive. You’ll be able to tune in at the Alicia Keys YouTube channel.

YouTube to Live Stream Alicia Keys Concert Worldwide [VIDEO]

Technorati Tags: alicia keys, music, concert, live concert, streaming video, music

Good Canadian Kids: Hey Rosetta!

I was driving my baby boy to daycare this morning and we were listening to the radio, when a really cool song came on and my baby Joey and I started clapping and laughing to it. So I shazammed it and there were no results! Which sux 'cause I would have tweeted it from Shazam and then all my followers coulda Googled them (oh, don't you love today's fresh new lingo?). Anyway, I remembered some lyrics and came home and Googled them myself, and found out it was Hey Rosetta! from Newfoundland, Canada! I haven't had the pleasure of listening to the rest of their album yet, but the song I heard was called Red Heart and you cn hear it over at the album's Amazon page:



Technorati Tags: hey rosetta, newfoundland, red heart, into your lungs, album, music, song, band, indie rock

Tom Waits: Glitter and Doom Live

Tom Waits has released a new live album recorded on his 2008 tour called Glitter and Doom. It's a double CD set that has a disc that is just Tom talking, telling jokes, etc. It sounds fantastic! Typical Tom Waits awesomeness. You can take a listen over at Paste Magazine: Tom Waits: Glitter and Doom Live :: Music :: Reviews :: Paste

Technorati Tags: tom waits, cd release, album release, glitter and doom, album, music

Documentary About Chuck Prophet

Thanks to Boing Boing for posting about this:

My film director pal Scott Compton just finished shooting a documentary about singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet. Scott and collaborator John Behrens joined Prophet and his band in Mexico City earlier this year where the group recorded ¡Let Freedom Ring!, an album of "political songs for non political people." My favorite Prophet quote from the trailer: "I walk into the (recording studio's) control room and I could not believe what I saw -- I was looking at a studio that is totally state-of-the-art... for 1957." So with a background of earthquakes, H1N1 hysteria, power outages, sirens, and corrupt police, the band plugged in their instruments and set to work. "The best thing about Prophet as a film subject," Scott told me, "is that even as things fell apart around him, he always was looking for the bright side of the mayhem." I can't wait to watch the whole film, slated for completion by March.

Read the rest of this: Chuck Prophet documentary - Boing Boing

Technorati Tags: chuck prophet, documentary, mexico city, studio, recording, vieo, music

Sony Online Service

Souns pretty cool, but I can't say I like the name...

Sony is one of world’s best known brands when it comes to home electronics, gadgetry, and entertainment.

However, the landscape has changed in recent years. You can have the best media player around, but if you don’t offer users a place where they can easily get content for it, it won’t be competitive. And it’s been proven twice (first with the iPod, then with the iPhone) by Apple’s iTunes. Although a bit late to the game, Sony has now revealed its plans to launch its own iTunes-like online store, imaginatively called Sony Online Service.

The folks at Sony hasn’t given details about the store’s look or features, but they’ve said it will sell music, movies, books, and apps for mobile gadgets. Furthermore, it’ll also let users upload content (such as photos and videos) to their online accounts, making the store a cross between YouTube (YouTube) and iTunes.

Read the rest of this post over at Mashable: Sony Online Service Wants a Bite Out of Apple's iTunes

Technorati Tags: sony, itunes, music, store

A Letter From Kurt Cobain to William S. Burroughs

Posted over at Letters of Note, is this letter from Kurt Cobain to William S. Burroughs, asking him to appear in the video for Heart-Shaped Box. A year prior, they had collaborated on The Priest They Called Him which is one of the 5 or 6 albums I still have a hard copy of. It's haunting and awesome, and woth checking out : The Priest They Called Him

August 2, 1993

Mr. William Burroughs
WILLIAM BURROUGHS COMUNICATIONS

Dear William:

It's a bit odd writing someone whom I've never met but with whom I've already recorded a record. I really enjoyed the opportunity to do the record -- it's a great honor to be pictured alongside you on the back cover. I am writing you now regarding the possibility of your appearing alongside my band (Nirvana) in the first video from our new album, "In Utero."

While I know that Michael Meisel from Gold Mountain Entertainment (my management company) has been speaking to James Grauerholz, I wanted the opportunity to personally let you know why I wanted you to appear in the video.

Most importantly, I wanted you to know that this request is not based on a desire to exploit you in any way. I realize that stories in the press regarding my drug use may make you think that this request comes from a desire to parallel our lives. Let me assure you that this is not the case. As a fan and student of your work, I would cherish the opportunity to work directly with you. To the extent that you may want to avoid any direct use of your image (thus avoiding the aforementioned link for the press to devour). I would be happy to have my director look into make-up techniques that could conceal your identity. While I would be proud to have William Burroughs appear as himself in my video, I am more concerned with getting the opportunity to work with you than I am with letting the public know (should that be your wish).

Having said that, let me reiterate how much I would like to make this happen. While I am comfortable letting Michael and James discuss this further, I am available to discuss this with you at your convenience.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Best regards,

(Signed, 'Kurt')

Kurt Cobain

Check out the rest of this post here : Letters of Note: Best regards, Kurt

Technorati Tags: kurt cobain, nirvana, in utero, heart-shaped box, william s. burroughs, william burroughs, the priest they called him, music, rock, rock and roll, grunge

the 2009 best of lists....

It is time for all those best of 2009 lists. Well i stumbled across an artist "THE UNIT BREED" who had some interesting lists of his own CHECK THIS OUT



Top 3 dreams this month

1. swimming with my dad while he explains how he will be island hopping by holding onto a rope tied to a cruse ship. While he starts his journey I float off in my sleeping bag across the water to a suburban island. A friend of mine joins me and breaks into a house where two little kids live. There father comes out and thinks I'm there to purchase porn. The real porn buyer shows up behind me and I back away and join the blacks down by the docks where we dance and drink while a live band plays the blues.

2. While walking along the sidewalk of a large city, possibly new york, I am with three beautiful women. A carnival is passing bye. The carnival consists mostly of rocker kids in punk get ups on top of burned out cars playing trashy music and showing off there peacock feathers. One of the cars makes a harsh turn and the band on the roof falls to the street but continue to play.

3. There is a head that is inside of another head and we all walk outside of a pair of eyes that is the backdrop to a theaters stage. The audience are in penguin suits. Everything empties out and I am standing alone in what once was an active beautiful theater but now looks as if it has burned down in the 1920's.
------------------------
Top 3 brain foods

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seed's - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! - 2008
2. Terry Gilliam's - Brazil - 1985
3. Carlos Castaneda's - The Art of Dreaming - 1993
-------------

Top 3 life changing experiences
1. Smoking DMT
2. The death of my father
3. Loosing the hearing in my right ear
..........................


Top 3 recent visions

1. There is a man who is following me. He is not part of this world. I've most recently seen him in my basement, at a close friends house in portland, and the most pronounced appearance was at 4 am at the Gingerbread House in San Jose CA the day after Halloween where he walked up to me and vanished.

2. There is a doorway inside of my basement. I've only seen it once. It opened in the center of my room and someone's shadow closed it.

3. The week following my DMT experience a white haired goat creature began peeking into my window. He has not been seen I spoke about him.

Top 3 stupid tricks imagination drugs lights shadows and mirrors can play on you
1. Dimensional non understanding
2. The beginning and end of all things
3. Perfections simple wonder

- Joe / The Unit Breed
I paint things - www.josephdemaree.com
I make music - www.theunitbreed.com
I myspace - www.myspace.com/theunitbreed
I like to share - www.idiomism.com

Chamillionaire vs. Universal : What's wrong with the Entertainment Industries?

I'm constantly talking about how the music industry needs to adapt better to the changing times and technology, instead of waiting around for the tech companies to do it, like Apple did with iTunes. It extends to television as well, and televised sports, etc. The companies that make money from people watching their television, sports or listening to their music, simply do not understand that there is no way to stop it. People will watch and listen to this stuff over the internet for free one way or another. It doesn't matter how strong you make your next security features, someone will beat it.

The NFL in particular really pisses me off. When I was living in Mexico, I couldn't watch my boys, the Cleveland Browns (though after last night's performance, feel free to refer to them as the Cleveland Steamers) unless I got satellite TV installed and bought Sunday Ticket. Anyone who's ever lived in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, knows that you don't just call up the Satellite TV company and say "I want to pay you money, please come install your dish" and have then show up. It is a far more complicated, annoying process which usually ends up with the SKY TV guy spouting some bullshit about how they can't install in my area because there are no lines or I live in some anti-satellite bubble zone or some bullshit that just basically translates to, "nah, I feel like drinking on the beach instead of installing your satellite dish". And you can't really blame them, have you seen the beach in PDC?

This left me with two options. I either headed down to the closest gringo bar and watched Sunday football with a bunch of drunk American fugitives and take my chances on whether or not a bunch of guys from Texas and Seattle will be watching the Cleveland game, or I find a stream on some illegal streaming TV site. Obviously a no brainer. Especially given the fact I have a small son who doesn't fare so well sitting in the Caribbean heat for 3 hours while Derek Andersen breaks records for most interceptions thrown in a game.

Sometimes this didn't work either as the NFL liked to crack down on these streams that air the games over the internet and it was a toss up, whether we would be able to watch the game or not.

This is ridiculous if you ask me. Basically, I'm saying to the NFL and the television network airing the game, that I am willing to watch their advertising and be a die hard fan even through the Browns total collapse, and the NFL is saying no.

What the NFL (and any television station or music company) needs to do, is adapt. They need to accept the fact that in about 10 years, television and internet will be one and the same. Take that first step. Air your games for free on the internet and sell more advertising space. Sell to advertisers in other countries and have an IP detection system that tells the site where your viewers are located and then feeds them geo-specific ads. This opens up the NFL and television networks to infinite more advertising dollars, employs more people and allows die hard Cleveland Steamers fans in Mexico the opportunity to watch Brady Quinn be a really, really pretty bench warmer!

Anyway, this whole rant was brought on by me reading about Chamillionaire (a-say-what?) ignoring Universal's rules and allows his fans to embed his new music video on their web and social networking pages.

By all accounts, fans responded positively to the artist’s social media initiative. The Ustream/Facebook live broadcast saw more than 90,000 total views with more than 9,000 simultaneous viewers at the peak.
Chamillionaire Breaks Universal’s Rules So Fans Can Embed Music Video

What is wrong with Universal that they think that turning away 90,000 viewers is a sound business decision? I say rope in those viewers and sell some damned ads. Make your money selling music, just do it differently. Don't sell the actual music, sell ads! No matter what anyone does, people will still get their music for free. They will see music videos for free. As hard as NBC tries, people still see SNL videos in places they are not allowed to. It's ridiculous and fighting it is only going to cost you more money. The future is free, streaming television, free, streaming music and free, streaming videos. When the music industry sees that what Chamillionaire did is a good thing, and they adapt to the changing times, that's when they'll start making money again and it won't be such a hurting industry anymore.

For those of you who are interested :

Technorati Tags: chamillionaire, universal, music, music industry, music video, embed video, youtube, vidly, nfl, cleveland browns, streaming television

Free Fun Legal Holiday Music!

Are you ready for holiday music!!!

here is a free legal holiday album 11 bands from all over world http://www.xopublicity.com/xofortheholidays2.html

great holiday music! please do share with anyone!

album is called "xo for the holidays" volume II

Awesome video

Awesome.

Eclectic Method Goes Phish from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.

Technorati Tags: video, classic rock, mashup, music, rock, rock and roll

Concert Vault

Wolfgang's Concert Vault has a ton of live recorded performances from a ton of awesome rock bands. Over 5000! You have to register to use, but dude, once you do, you can listen to Foreigner performing live in the 70s to your hearts content!

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/concerts/

Technorati Tags: music, rock and roll, rock, live, performance, concert, recording, band

Could Illegal Downloading Boost Your Music Sales?

POLL: Illegal Downloaders Buy the Most Music

The UK’s Independent newspaper picks up on a curious study today: people who download music illegally also buy more music legally, according to a poll’s results. The study comes as the UK plans a controversial “three strikes and you’re out” rule that would disconnect copyright infringers from the Internet – it’s set to become law in April 2010.

The Independent writes:

The survey, published today, found that those who admit illegally downloading music spent an average of £77 a year on music – £33 more than those who claim that they never download music dishonestly…The poll, which surveyed 1,000 16- to 50-year-olds with internet access, found that one in 10 people admit to downloading music illegally.

Very interesting. There are a few problems with this, as Mashable suggests if you follow the link, but it does kind of make sense. Really hard core music lovers tend to get music any way they can. They probably download the most, as well as purchase the most. My two cents, anyway.

Technorati Tags: music, download, itunes, illegal downloads, piracy

Fresh Music at the Good Price: Free!

Fresh Music at the Good Price: Free!
By Lauren Carroll

Updated: Monday, November 2, 2009

What's better than a MP3 player of cool, new music? How about if all that new music was free and 100 percent legal? It's not an oxymoron. It's the main philosophy of the No. 1 Web site for independent new music, NewBandDaily.com
Santiago Vega started NewBandDaily.com with a simple idea;-- help music fans find great new bands and help up-and-coming bands get their music to fans. "I started New Band Daily out of frustration," Vega said. " As all other music lovers, I had to spend a considerable amount of time browsing through literally several dozen of online and print publications just to find new acts, not to mention find good music that's free and legal."

The Web site initially launched in April 2009 as a forum for bands, but after the demand for music, NewBandDaily.com recently re-launched with an interactive, completely free MP3 download from the featured band . "We foot the bill ourselves," Vega said. Subscribers don't have to worry about hidden fees or the dreaded Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lawsuit. Vega worked closely with publicists, managers and bands to be able to offer free music for the Web site's subscribers..

The Web site couldn't be easier to use. As a fan, all you need to do is enter in your e-mail address, select your favorite genres of music and wait for a band biography paired with a free MP3 in your inbox. Since signing up for New Band Daily, every morning has been like Christmas morning, with a new MP3 right in my inbox, specifically tailored to my tastes. October was a good mix of American and international bands. By far, my favorite discovery was on Oct, 27. I was introduced to Naive New Beaters, a cool indie rock band from France, with a bit of a pop and electronic influence to create a new sound.

New Band Daily also has a link for bands and artists to submit their band information and an MP3. "We started thinking about how to also better serve the independent music community," Vega said. "The more you better address and serve consumers' needs, the better service you also provide to music artists."

THE QUAD NEWS

Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer Sums up Hip Hop History

Love the banjolele.

Technorati Tags: mr. b, gentleman rhymer, hip hop, video, music

Jonesin' - "Hi, We're Jonesin'!

Wanted to give you something to watch today... a cute little video from the Jonesin' - "Hi, We're Jonesin'!
the song is "Rollarskates"

Stop-Motion Animation with Pictures of Then (fun video)

Minneapolis's The Onion took notice so did I! This video was very fun to watch. I do miss the days of video's on MTV it's just not the same watching a music video on youtube.

But check this one out from Pictures of Then

"Local foursome Pictures Of Then released its second album, And The Wicked Sea, in July. Critical consensus indicates that the band's edgy throwback sound-channeling current indie greats like Dr. Dog and Wilco-will find an audience beyond its Minneapolis roots. The video for pseudo-title track "Wicked Sea" combines wide-eyed dolls in stop-motion animation with a trippy revenge storyline that strangely suits the song's restlessly poppy vibe. Of course, romantic tension can be difficult to create with plastic figurines." THE ONION

Would you pay $1 for a song?

How about 1$ for 2 songs? 3 songs? How about this I will send you 3 songs that will blow your mind for just $1. Man this sounds like an infomercial, but really I am just trying to cover some costs and get some feedback on some music I am working on with a band that wishes to remain anonymous. So let's do this and build on what is already becoming a great musical friendship!

Thanks in advance!

Music Lovers...

I have been back to my old habits of posting, the not, then posting then not. I have a backlog of music I am trying to get to reviewing for The Steamroller, and I will hopefully be able to tackle it very soon.

In the meantime I want to offer my loyal readers a special offer. I have a number of songs that I have been working on with a certain band that wishes to remain anonymous, but they are looking for some unbiased feedback as it's a bit of a departure for them. I can tell you that they are a pop/rock band that is venturing into some very interesting directions.

The band has given me the go ahead to charge a whopping $1 for the song they wish to get some feedback on. I don't have a system set up at the moment to sell downloads, like itunes or anything, so I will have to email it to those of you who wish to have a listen.

This is for serious music lovers only! Just follow the Buy Now button to pay with Paypal, and I will email you the song.

Thanks in advance!

Nick Lattanzi

I'm just having a listen to the songs on Nick Lattanzi's web site/blog page. One thing I will say is that this kid's styles are all over the map and I like that. He's being compared to some pretty huge company bellow, and in my opinion he's got some work to do before I would give him such credit.

Those who know me know that I enjoy a great song. It doesn't matter what style or instruments used or the reputation behind the artist. I've now listened to 3 songs and part of one other. I am currently listening to the first "gem" out of the bunch. This one is called "Someone's in Your Corner". I'm not even going to try to describe it just go give it a listen.

Obviously this kid has talent, and if he's playing most of the instruments then full props. Get into a real studio and lay down some tracks, I like the low-fi sound but you need a bit of polishing in the studio. And when I say that I don't mean "Rick Rubin" should be there, I just mean clean up the production a bit.

Great work, I'll be checking out your stuff again!

www.nicklattanzi.com

"Nick Lattanzi is a 19-year old artist from Boston, known for his unique and
independent blend alternative folk, reggae, psychedelic sampling, and hip
hop. Described as "next in the line of the brilliant multi-instrumentalist /
stream of consciousness-ish sound." If you like Beck, Radiohead, Bob Dylan,
you will be blown away."

-Last FM

"Staying true to the American folk tradition, he has played subway stations
and street corners for the past two years, often writing songs in the
process. His simultaneous work with electronic instrumentation and samples
has been notedly influenced by the likes of Radiohead and Fourtet, while his
stream of conciousness style of lyricism takes root in the work of artists
like Beck and Bob Dylan. With two phenomenal albums released onto iTunes and
a third on the way, Nick Lattanzi has established himself as one of the best
kept secrets in the American indie genre"

Technorati Tags: nick lattanzi, multi-instrumentalist, 19 year old,

They are so SMRT

Where were you guys 15 years ago, or hell even 6 months ago? If you're an indie artist and want your music on CD in your hands in a professional looking package but don't want to have boxes upon boxes upon boxes of those same cd's sitting in the corner of your garage/jam room, then this may be the answer. Now I am not endorsing this company as I have never personally used them or even read any feedback on them, but they are offering a service like I have never seen in my 15 years in the music business. CD one off's complete with digipack for $2.95! Yes I said ONE OFF's! That's the crazy part. Ok, $2.95 isn't exactly the cheapest I've ever come across, digipack or otherwise, but it's certainly the cheapest in quantities less than 1000!

But wait there's more! For $399 they will release your music to digital retailers such as itunes, as well as Soundscan, AND they take orders for your cd online. All you have to do is make the great music and promote the living hell out of it like you would anyway. It's like they've just taken half the work load off the indie artist.

At a glance it looks a tad expensive to me, but again I'm comparing to the 1000 units ordered price vs this system. I think it's worth paying more per unit and knowing that you won't be stuck with a closet full of cd's.

With the submission to itunes, and other digital retailers I'm a little suspect. I'm not sure if this service is really worth $399, but from past experience I know that it takes a lot of time to do all of this, so perhaps it's better worth it for your time to be spent on your music instead.

I would love to hear from anyone who has used this company, how the service was, and the quality of the product.

Here is an excerp from the company FAQ about how the process works. Check it out:

smrtrelease.com

Take me through how it works exactly.

1. You decide you’re in. You have songs and you want them released.
2. You call us to set it up at 1-888-88-INDIE. At some point, we may allow this to happen online self serve, but for now, to be cautious, we prefer to handle the delicate set up ourselves. We are dealing with people’s babies here, there are a lot of variables and there are usually questions.
3. You pay the $399. We get the ball rolling.
4. We need to collect 3 parts from you in order to create your Test Copy: audio master, artwork and the signed agreement.
5. Once we have these parts from you, we send you a Test Copy of your release. This is SMRT’s greatest feature because you actually get to have a real proof of what it will look like. You check it out, you listen to the CD, you make sure it’s exactly the way you want it. If it isn’t, you resubmit artwork or master ($45 resubmission charge applies) and we send you a new Test Copy. Repeat as required.
6. The way you approve the Test Copy is by ordering your first order of CDs, any quantity of course. When we receive that first order, we know the release is real and ready to go, so we start sending it to digital retailers, and cataloguing it and doing all the data uploads. There’s no turning back at this point.
7. You order any number of CDs you need, anytime. They are ready for pick up or shipment by the end of the day, two business days after the order is received.
8. Over the next 4 to 8 weeks, the tracks will begin to appear in digital retailers and everywhere else we send it (All Music Guide, Gracenote, Soundscan, etc…).
9. When we receive retail or online orders, we create copies and fill the orders. We are stockless and make CDs when they are ordered.
10. You will receive monthly statements of your sales from digital, online and retail. We pay you monthly by direct deposit and will secure that information from you at the appropriate time.

Technorati Tags: smrt, digital retailers, indie music, cd's, manufacturing

I'm Ready for New Music

For a number of reasons, mostly called "life", I've been really struggling to get fully back into this whole running an indie "record label/music blog". I try my best to post regularly but still it's not uncommon for me to go a few weeks between posts. When I moved to Mexico just over a year ago I did somewhat disconnect from my musical DNA. I can't go see live shows like I used to, or listen to radio (as crappy as it was usually it still kept me on my toes and in the loop as far as pop music goes). I don't have a close circle of friends who are really into new music here. However I do have the internet and cover bands playing Hotel California over and over with bad renditions of I Shot the Sheriff as relief from the "raisin rock" standards. But enough whining about waking up to the warm Caribbean air EVERY morning.

As the old school readers of this blog may remember when we were called "The Steamroller E-Zine", we used to do regular reviews of indie bands. Often we would go out and try to attract bands to promote, and in turn they would help promote the blog. Win-win for everyone. Anyway, since I have been slacking off over the past year and change, and my posts have been less regular, and I've stopped looking for bands to write about, it seems they have started finding me. I get probably between 10-20 bands sending me their music, or press releases, tour dates, etc each week. I do my best to give them all a listen, and if they send me something that's blog ready I'll usually plug them on The Steamroller.

What I am trying to do now is get back to reviewing bands and encouraging more bands to submit their music or just bio's and press releases. I can't write about them all obviously, but I am always looking for new music to listen to myself. In fact so far this year, I've found myself really craving something new and exciting or dare I say it even inspiring! I have got a few reviews in the works already. 2 bands that contacted me and caught my ear. I won't let the cat out of the bag yet as to who, but one of them has been in heavy rotation in my itunes since I downloaded it yesterday.

What's my point here? I want new music, and I want GOOD new music. I don't care what the genre is, but make me love it or make me hate. If I feel nothing towards it, it's not worth the 10010010100100101001001's it's stored on, and likely won't see the light of day passed my inbox.

So what do you say? Blow me away if you think you can: info@wornrecords.ca

Spork Kills, New Video

Friends of The Steamroller, Spork Kills, have just released a video for the track "Night of the Hip N Dead" from their debut EP "Beaches Love Us". Spork Kills are the fathers of Surf Rap and they must be checked out.

Technorati Tags: spork kills, surf rap, night of the hip n dead, beaches love us

Heat Ray release 3 new songs for free download

After the success of their debut single, Spit it out, Warning! Heat Ray! graduate from home recording duo to studio band, releasing three new songs for download on May 4th 2009. If you enjoyed the blunt lyrical content or dense textural layers found on their previous recordings, you'll find the new material builds upon these characteristic traits.

The beat goes on is a taut three-minute workout that breaks and explodes like a sonic aerial explosion which, though hinting at Queens of the Stone Age styled stonerisms, is a vehement tirade against the greed of city bankers. Permanent Machine revels in the band’s love of dub reggae, and is a personal invocation to simply ‘get it done’.Finally, My quiet riot is lyrically fuelled by anger and mercilessly fires a shot into the outsized belly of stadium rock.

You can listen to and download these songs by clicking this link :
http://drop.io/warningheatray

Your password is: freedom (and this will expire one week from now).

These songs comprise a 3 track EP, and can be individually downloaded for free, or listeners can choose to download at higher bit-rates and pay whatever they like.

About the band.

With three new band members in tow, WHR are now an electric quintet, with the concurring sound containing additionally addictive additives.

The band has been gigging in and around London and, having built a loyal following, are looking forward to their confirmed appearance at Oxford’s Cornbury Festival with further festivals and high profile gigs (including a support slot with British ska legends The Beat) to be confirmed.

For further information, contact - warningheatray@gmail.com

Warning Heat Ray! www.myspace.com/thegreenstoneproject

Technorati Tags: heat ray!, free download, london, music, indie

Black Eyes and Neckties UK Tour

Black Eyes and Neckties | Front

Black Eyes & Neckties recently signed to the William Morris Agency over in the UK and we couldn’t be happier. Their first trip over there will be happening in May and tour will be based around them playing the infamous Dot to Dot Festival . If anyone has friends over there, let us know. We’d love to invite them to the shows and maybe they’d even want to be super generous and offer a place to rest our weary bones. Here’s what we have confirmed so far - more to come!

Technorati Tags: bent, black eyes & neckties, tour, uk

Free Indie Music is never a bad thing

paidContent.org - Indie Radio Station Launches Free Music Site - washingtonpost.com

At a time when some of the big music sites are raising their prices, one new venture is offering to give its music library away for nothing?on the theory that free tunes will actually increase sales by introducing people to music they wouldn't otherwise have known about.

WFMU, an independent radio station in New York City with audiences online and on terrestrial radio, launched the Free Music Archives today. The database consists of individual tracks that users can download for free and listen to on portable devices, or as music for audio or video productions and other miscellaneous uses, like podcasts (via ReadWriteWeb).

Based on a quick scan, the database mostly consists of tracks from unsigned artists or those on small, independent labels. And therein lies the big challenge for WFMU: While giving away music may provide much-needed attention to the new acts, it's unlikely to drive a material amount of sales, as these acts still won't have the marketing and promotion muscle that signed acts do. We were not able to reach WFMU to find out if any larger acts are included in the service.
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WFMU has partnered with fellow indie music champions KEXP, dublab, KBOO, ISSUE Project Room and CASH Music to choose those tracks they feel represents the best new music available today. The move follows on the heels of yesterday's announcement that Universal Music Group and YouTube formed their own partnership called Vevo?that one is a for-profit venture, though.

Technorati Tags: free, indie, music, online, downloads

New Indie Store on Itunes

Hmm, not sure how I feel about this yet. On one hand it sounds like a great way for indie bands to reach more fans without the help of a major record label, or a record label period, but on the other hand what about all the record stores that are already struggling? How will this affect them? You could always count on the your favorite record shop to have the obscure titles that the big guys won't, or at the very least be able to get them for you. Sure they are often more expensive, but it doesn't hurt the wallet as much when you know more of your money is going to the artist and not the many companies involved from the label to the distribution, to the 8000 sq foot record store, leaving a few cents per unit for the song writters.

iTunes Launches Indie Store

Oh tiny independent record store, now you have even more competition. The good people at Apple have apparently decided that it isn't enough that independent artists seem to get a pretty decent share of the normal iTunes Store homepage, so they've gone and created this "Indie Spotlight" feature, which only features independent artists. The feature is currently only in its soft launch phase, so there's a possibility that we're going to get some new features out of this, but currently there's a list of indie podcasts, indie artist playlists, and not much else.



The homepage prominently features Vetiver, bloghouse/New York Times golden boy Wavves, Neko Case, Fever Ray, Lemonade, Cut Copy, and Animal Collective. The artist playlists include Bon Iver, Hercules and Love Affair, Diplo, Switch and Digitalism. What does this all mean, since it's not like these are things that aren't avaiable through the normal iTunes store? Well, it could mean that the people at iTunes are genuine lovers of independent music who just wanted to show some love for "the most innovative aspects of music... coming out on indie labels all over the world," like it says on the page of the store dedicated to Wavves. It could also mean that Apple has got a bunch of cool dads sitting around in the office, who've recently become aware of the money to be made in marketing independent artists to an increasingly "hip" demographic of music consumers, and the importance of looking cool.



Whatever the reason, if this results in independent artists and labels getting a little more cash funneled their way, or the Indie Spotlight feature being used to break new artists, then Apple deserves a pat on the back.

Technorati Tags: indie music, itunes, store, record store,

Indie, what does it mean?

CN&R > Music > CAMMIES: Indie/Experimental, Hip-hop, Electro > 04.02.09

You have your indie rock, you have your experimental. You have your indie-experimental. How about alternative? The Alternative Nation? What does it mean? It’s all so confusing.

Labels in music are silly, yet they’ve always functioned as a way to help record companies sell their product … back when they sold product. If you took the term “indie” at face value, every band in Chico would be considered indie.

“Indie rock appears to be a very subjective term,” says Nolan Ford of this year’s CAMMIE-nominated The Secret Stolen. “It doesn’t really define what the music sounds like as much as it is concerned with classifying bands by their promotional philosophies.” Fair enough. TSS does it DIY, while putting out some serious rock ’n’ roll—the kind you’d hear if you crossed Melt-Banana and George Thorogood.

Experimental is much more simple to define, although what exactly does one have to do to be considered experimental? Maybe play a double-neck mandolin with your toes? Let’s just be happy there are bands in Chico pushing the boundaries of sound (as we box them into an easily identifiable category). This year’s nominees are eclectic. And the voting was so close that the category has grown by two bands.

First-time nominee Dr. Yes! is one man and an arsenal of gadgetry. Sometimes he brings a band along for the ride (called The Soulgazers). It’s krautrock meets disco meets psychedelic. Categorize that.

Maybe experimental means your band has no vocals—like jazz, you have only the notes telling you what you’re supposed to feel. As is the case with Red Giant and La Fin du Monde—two bands, sans vocals, that tip-toe and stomp over a number of styles including jazz and metal. They’ve made a lot of friends without saying a single word.

Technorati Tags: indie, music, genres

Harrisonburg College Music Festival

MACROCK XII: The Annual College Music Festival Returns to the ‘Burg April 3 & 4 - March 26, 2009 - The WeatherVane Online

Ripped jeans. Faded rock t-shirts. Large white vans pulling boxy trailers covered in bumper stickers and filled with guitars, drums, amps, cd’s and t-shirts. Crowds of young kids with matching neon event wristbands yelling in anticipation and admiration. Loud singers with even louder guitars.

These are a few of the sights and sounds of the Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference (MACRoCk). The annual weekend festival, which takes place on April 3 and 4, draws fans and bands to Harrisonburg for a celebration of independent music. From hip-hop to hardcore, bluegrass to experimental and everything in between, the two-day event covers a vast array of the indie music landscape.

From its creation twelve years ago, MACRoCk has been trying to connect bands, labels, and fans through concerts, workshops and panels. Started in conjunction with JMU, the event is now a collective effort of staff at local college radio station WXJM, local volunteers, and downtown businesses.

Ben Schlabach, an EMU alumnus whose band Mild Winter will be playing at MACRoCk for the second year, has been going to the festival for several years. “I’ve been personally going to MACRoCk for like eight years or so,” said Schlabach. “There are lots of cool bands that people haven’t heard of. A lot of smaller bands working really hard in the music scene.”

Over 80 bands are slated to play this year’s festival. Many bands are Virginia natives, but several are traveling long distances to play in Harrisonburg. Liquid Limbs from Gainsville, FL and Cast Spells from Chicago are just two bands that penciled MACRoCk into their touring schedule. North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio are also being represented at the event.

“It’s a little bit of a hometown pride thing,” said Schlabach. “It brings kids to Harrisonburg and shows them that Harrisonburg has a pretty good scene.”

Restaurants like the Artful Dodger, Blue Nile, Clementine Cafe, The Little Grill, and Franklin’s Cafe and Wine Bar join Court Square Theater and Lucy Simms School in hosting the shows.

Aside from concerts, the festival features discussion panels made up of various band members, radio personalities, and community organizations. The panels, held at various places around town, deal with topics like independent publishing, careers in radio, graphic designing, community improvement, and “behind the music” tales from band members.

Another weekend event aimed at linking bands, labels, and other members of the independent music community is the label expo. Artists, labels, booking agencies and public relations companies will have booths and stands discussing and showcasing their products and services.

MACRoCk celebrates its twelfth year on the weekend of April 4 -5. Shows start on Friday at 5 p.m. and on Saturday at 2 p.m. and continue past midnight.

Pre-sale tickets for both days are available for $15 at macrock.org. Tickets can also be purchased separately for Friday and Saturday at the box office at Court Square Theater.

More details including a full band list and schedule are available at macrock.org.

Technorati Tags: college, music festival, mid-atlantic radio conference

South by Southwest Festival

TheStar.com | Music | Texas fest more than just a lot of noise

AUSTIN, Tex. – The music industry is in a perpetual panic and the world in general seems to be heading down the toilet, but the vibe at the South by Southwest festival has – will wonders never cease? – been as sunny and positive as ever this year.

Officially, registration for the music side of the festival was down a tad this year, while the stable film and surging "interactive" components took up the slack. The streets, however, were still a riot of errant noise and boozy misbehaviour – police estimates put the number of visitors in town for SXSW and Spring Break well in excess of 100,000 per day – Austin's clubs and concert halls were bursting at the seams and there were a whopping 2,000 acts in town to play. So, you know, it's doing all right.

Belts might be tightening around the globe, but they were definitely loosened a little during the five days that North America's largest and most closely watched music festival blew into town. Free stuff was still abundant – you can't turn a corner in Austin during SXSW without someone handing you a CD, a beer, a plate of grilled meat, a pack of smokes or a pair of flip-flops – and the innumerable satellite parties on the fringes of the actual festival have gotten utterly ridiculous in scale.

Technorati Tags: south by southwest festival, austin texas, independent bands,

Food4Music 2009 Metal Showcase

As a former Vancouver musician, and having gear stolen on a few occasions, I feel for these guys. If ever there was a time to support your local indie bands this would be it. Helping out the food bank is always good karma too, so get your ass down to the Cobalt on April 11th and do your part!

Bands Team Up to Help Support One of Their Own

VANCOUVER, BC – Food4Music 2009 – On Saturday, April 11th, Vancouver-based Entertainment Company, Food4Music, known for its successful fundraisers for local Food Banks around North America, is extending their services to help out a local independent band, Flood of Fire, recoup stolen gear from a recent theft. This fundraiser will feature performances from Flood of Fire, Reckoner and Venomous Tusk and will feature a performance from Canada’s only female fronted tribute band to Black Sabbath, Sister Sabbath. www.sistersabbath.com

All fans are asked to bring a non-perishable food item which will be donated to Vancouver’s local food banks. All ticket/door proceeds will be donated to Flood of Fire www.myspace.com/floodoffire to assist them with the cost of replacing their stolen gear. Fans will also have a chance to participate in the 50/50 draw for cash winnings, in which 50% of the proceeds will be donated to local food banks.

Place: The Cobalt
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2009
Time: 9:00PM

Food4Music Events Inc. is a music entertainment company featuring live music acts helping to raise proceeds for local food banks. Our main objectives are to support local artists through gained exposure, help strengthen the community through charity involvement and assisting local businesses via sponsorship roles. Food4Music books benefit shows in both Canada and USA featuring many different music genres.Food4Music has raised over $13,640 in cash proceeds plus more than 2,000 pounds in food donations for North American Food Banks while showcasing some of the nation’s finest talent.

Food4music would like to give a special thanks to Brutal Entertainment for their promotional support, Europe Bound Travel Outfitters for donating prizes and Sister Sabbath for donating their performance as a show headliner.
For complete details about the show or Food4Music Events, please visit www.food4music.com or www.myspace.com/food4music.

Technorati Tags: vancouver, flood of fire, sister sabbath, the cobalt, stollen gear, food bank, food4music,

Indy Hostel - Cheap Indianapolis Hotel, Music, and Events

Check out Indy Hostel, a cheap hotel in Indianapolis for a great place to stay when passing through, or staying a while. I was just looking through some of their events listed on their web site and this place is pretty cool. They put on shows for sing/songwriters, local and from around the world. Nothing better than rolling into town, hitting the shower, followed by a few beers and some great music.

It reminds me of the old Niagra Hotel back in Vancouver except well..... nice. I remember back in the day I played a show at the Niagra opening for the Dayglo Abortions. What a show! I think Gob may have played as well, but it didn't matter. Once Dayglo's hit the stage all bets were off. I still remember them busting into "I Wanna Be an East Indian", much to the displeasure of the one East Indian fellow in the audience. Actually to be fair I think he wasn't all that bothered by it, it was more the drunken white red necks that just decided to give him a hard time. Other than that minor lapse, it was a fun, drunken show/evening. At least until I got to my car after the show only discover it had been broken in to. That sucked. My brand new cd player was gone, bastards. Insurance covered it, but not before a long drawn out fight with ICBC.

Anyway, back to Indy Hostel. This place would be very cool to play or visit if you are passing through Indianapolis. Very friendly folks run the place, they always know what's going on around town and more things to do. Check them out and drop them a line, even it's just to say hi!

Technorati Tags: indy hostel, singer/songwriters, indie music, touring, indianapolis,

Spork Kills, The Fathers of Surf Rap

Check these guys out, very cool, and very unique! Never thought I'd see the day surf and rap fused, but hey here it is! Now I know what you're thinking; Dick Dale meets Snoop Dog! Now, yes I agree that would be pretty sweet. But I think this may even top Snoop and his "nothin' but a g thang" with a surf backdrop.

Seriously though check these guys out! Nothing like I've ever heard before:

AP (Associated Press) Sept, 2008

"Madness! It can't be true!" This was the headline in world news when it was announced that someone had finally found a way to fuse rap and rock without sucking. The year was 2004 & unsuspecting indie rap renegade, Louis Dorley née louis logic, was about to step foot into another routine overseas collaboration, this time with Copenhagen production syndicate Nobody Beats the Beats. As fate would have it, the engineer who was to record this magical session fell ill and was replaced by flamenco guitarist extraordinaire, Laust "Juelz" Jeppesen. It was a classic case of loathe at first site when the two discovered they shared the same disdain for the monotony of 1994 rap revivalists. Three hours and one run of the mill rap song later, plans for a secret summit were orchestrated to invent something the hip hop world hadn't seen in years: The Next Cool.
In attendance at this freak show power summit were Jeppesen, Dorley and former hitman turned teen idol, Rolf Sigurd Heat. The discussion began simply enough with the objective to shun all things reeking of regimented rapping and banal beat-smithing. In no time the ill fated trio had whipped up a helping of original, sample-free, live music smacking of an early Roots album outtake. It was then that they realized they must go further. Their travels took them into unfamiliar territory, hacking their way through the overgrown forest of 50's and 60's white music "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" style.

At first, it was the ooze of sleazy lounge lizard jazz, which gave way to circus like waltzes and even histrionic Anglo spy scores. Then, born in the wake of a series of personal tragedies, sanctimonious late night speeches about reaching true potential and ice cold beers, the first Surf Rap song in the history of mankind materialized. Naturally, as was the case with man's first walk on the moon, something so exciting could not simply be explored once. Or rather, it could, but this trio was determined, neigh, bent on reshaping the rap game into something silly enough to enjoy once again. So it was that in this the year of our lord 2008, Spork Kills would rise to fame as the Fathers of Surf Rap.

Now Available:

Spork Kills "Beaches Love Us" EP
(featuring "Night of the Hip 'N Dead" Video)

Spork Kills

Playa Dogs - Farewell Tour

Well, it's only been 3 weeks since we first took the stage at Bad Boys Beach Bar in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico and we've already had our farewell show. It reminds me a bit of when I played in a band Selvatone many years ago. We spent the better part of a year making a record, gigging, and promoting ourselves as much as possible only to plan out big CD release show. The show was a great success, and a tone of fun but it was also our last show! But that's a whole other story.

Back to the Dogs, or Dawgs, or even Dawgz as I've referred to them now on this blog. We spent this past week fine tuning a couple tunes that we played over the last 2 weeks, Smokin' In the Boys Room, and La Grange. But the best was yet to come. We decided to take on our most challenging and best song so far. Billy Idol's Rebel Yell. I used to play this song with The Misconducts, and we used to kick the shit out of it, but we never really learned all the little changes properly. That wasn't The Misconducts way. We liked to do songs our own way, but again that's yet another story.

Rebel Yell got better and better throughout the week, and as of Friday's practice it was really starting to take shape. We ran through it quickly Saturday afternoon and it was the best we had ever played it. That was until we hit the stage at Bad Boys Saturday night. We opened up with it, and it rocked. Not only was it the best we had played it all week, I think it was the best song we played over the 3 weeks of performing! We followed it with Smokin' and ended off for the third Saturday in a row with La Grange. It rocked! Special thanks to Carl for adding some mouth harp on both Smokin' and La Grange.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and Eric (our temporary guitar player) will be leaving this Thursday, heading back to the home of those no-good outta be tossed out of the NHL, Minnesota Wild. He'll be back next year, and we'll be sure to reform then. In the meantime we're holding open auditions for a new guitar player. Here's the deal, you must rock, rock, rock! It pays nothing, bring your own chicks, drugs and/or booze. You must NOT live to play "Hotel California", "Old Time Rock n Roll", or "Mustang Sally". Other than that, all you need is to know a few chords and how to rock!

In all seriousness though, it was a lot of fun with Eric, great guy and even a better player. Hopefully our next axe man will be just as cool!

The memories will live on though, as over the last week of practices, I was rolling tape. Not tape literally, but you know what I mean. I've got several versions of all the songs we've learned down already except for Paranoid. We plan on getting together one more time this week before Eric leaves and hopefully we can lay down a good recording of all 4 songs. If it happens I will be sure to post some mp3's for all to enjoy.

And.... as you can see above, there were a few photo's taken from this past Saturday as well as a video of Rebel Yell! Apparently all the photo's of me were too obscene to publish so I never saw them. Either that or their weren't any, I'm not certain. The video is a bit rough as there were some camera malfunctions during the performance as per Rick:

"My camera would stop recording every sixty seconds, so I had to splice together five segments. Try to ignore the "hiccups" every minute "

None the less it's pretty good and shows us rocking out! Hopefully we'll be back at it soon enough, but until then long live the Playa Dogs!

Playa Dawgs - Round 2

So apparently all the pictures and videos from last weeks historic Playa Dawgz first live performance at Bad Boys Beach Bar in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico were accidentally erased. It sounds suspect to me, but hey what do you do.

So anyway, another Saturday means another opportunity for the Playa Dawgz to hijack the stage from JJ and the Nasty Bastards at Bad Boys Beach Bar. This time however, a few pictures were captured and even some video.

We played 3 songs this time. Sabbath's Paranoid again, went really well, tight, and Andy could again easily pass for the the prince of fucking darkness! Next was the newest addition to the set, Smokin' In the Boys Room. We do the original Brownville Station version justice but honestly I think we were more inspired by the later Motley Crue version! It wasn't quite as good as we had done it in practice, but none the less we kicked the shit out of it! And last we once again ended off with ZZ-Tops's La Grange. Good tune, crowd pleaser, rockin', what can I say it's a 12 bar blues song!

All in all, the evening was a great success, fun was had by the Playa Dawgz, the crowd, and i'm sure even the Nasty Bastards. After we finished playing and reveling in the glory, we had a few beers and chatted up some of the poor buggers on vacation that have to go home soon. Suckers. I met this one guy who was wearing a Drive By Truckers shirt. I was impressed as you don't meet a lot of Truckers fans, especially here. Cool guy, we talked rock for a while. I didn't hang out to long as the night was still young, my liver was still fairly dry, and there was hockey games to go watch.

Next week we are looking to add Billy Idol's Rebel Yell to the set. We'll do 4 songs if JJ will allow it, but 3 again for sure. Not sure which one we'll drop if we have to. I guess we'll wait and see what happens. Either way it should be a hoot! It's great to be doing some playing again, and with a couple of great guys Andy and Eric. Unfortunately Eric is heading back home to Minnesota in a couple weeks, so I think we only have 1 or 2 Saturdays left with this line up of the Playa Dawgz. Andy and I will be continuing on after Eric leaves, hopefully finding another guitarist worthy of completing this trio of "bark" and destruction!

And for the videos... of course you can barely see me, but that's nothing new to me as a drummer. We always seem to be hidden behind someone, or something in nearly every shot. It's all good though, thanks to Rick for the videos:

Birth of the Playa Dawgz

So as many of you know, I'm living in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico and have been for nearly a year now. Still involved in music back home to a degree through the web and such. I try to do as much playing as I can down here, though it's not always easy especially for a hard hitting ex punk drummer like myself. Guitar players down here are a dime a dozen, and all believe they're the next coming of Stevie Ray Vaughn. Don't get me wrong I love Stevie, but there was only one. Any musician who's not one of the sort of guitar players will know exactly what I'm getting at here, but that's for another post all together.

I've been jamming with this guy Andy, who runs the dog shelter that I volunteer at sometimes, Peanut Pet Shelter. He has this little dingy, dirty, stinky, back room that we jam in. He plays bass, and I'm on the drums, or sometimes guitar if there's no one else. Just the two of us, nothing to exciting but a fun way to spend an evening with a few beers. Well his friend Eric is down from Minnesota for a month. Eric is a really great guitar player and we've been practicing a couple songs to play at Bad Boys beach bar.

Bad Boys has a house band, JJ and the Nasty Bastards that play every Thurs and Sat and have guest musicians throughout the night. They play mostly standard cover songs like, Sweet Home Alabama, Mustang Sally, Old Time Rock and Roll, Margarita Vile, ect, ect, ect,. So we threw together Black Sabbath's Paranoid, and ZZ Top's La Grange and went down to Bad Boys last night. We took the stage to start their 3rd set, about 7:45 or so. This bar actually closes at 9 or so, weird I know, but I think it's because it's right on the beach and most of the night life is up on 5th ave, or down near the night club scene so it makes sense. Also "some" of the clientele is, let's call them....... blue hairs, or older than dirt, you get the idea. So needless to say by 9:00 when the band finishes "some" of the customers are tired and need to head home to bed and get their dentures out! (just kidding)

So we get up on stage and JJ introduces us as this new band in Playa called the Playa Dawgz. We bust into Paranoid. I don't really know what to expect from the crowd as this is a much heavier song than this bar is accustomed to hearing, not to mention the frequent Satanic references! I wasn't really paying attention to the crowd anyway. I wasn't nervous or anything, but when I perform I just focus, and tune everything else out that's not part of the music, its a science! We're rockin' out, it's loud, way louder than any of our practices, it great! After the guitar solo we head back into a verse, and I look over at Andy (who's doing the singing on this one - great job singing Ozzy, most people wouldn't dare trying to sing like the prince of fucking darkness!) and he's fumbling around in his pocket, telling us to keep going. Of course Eric and I keep on rockin', looking at each other with confusion on our faces. After playing through an entire verse without any singing or bass for that matter, Andy finally pulls out this crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, unfolds it and sets it on the floor in front of him. Ah yes, his lyrics! So we all have a quick chuckle as Andy jumps back into the verse! It was great! It was comical, yet we didn't miss a beat, and for the most part I doubt much of the audience even had a clue what was going on.

So we powered threw the rest of Paranoid and as I hit the last crash to end the song, the place erupted, went absolutely nuts like I've never heard before! It was crazy! This is a small bar and it sounded like a small coliseum after we finished the song. We quickly got our focus back and kicked into La Grange by ZZ Top this time Tony from the Nasty Bastards jumped in on guitar, as well as Skinny on keyboard. Not my favorite song by any means, but none the less we kicked the crap out of it and got a huge ovation again! It was fun. It was what I prefer to do rather what I have been doing here, music wise that is. We aren't the greatest players, but I like planning a couple songs, practicing a bit, and then performing them. We are going to do this every Saturday for the next few weeks while Eric is in town. Next week I think we're doing Smokin' in the Boys Room, and maybe Hells Bells by AC-DC. Should be awesome! I'll be sure to post some pictures and maybe even video if anyone captured any.

My new blog

I've started a new blog, Tech Blog Today to showcase new products, new technology, and stories about electronics, gadgets, audio/video equipment and more. Many of my posts will draw from my recording days and experience in the music business and how it relates to the equipment and technology involved. I hope the Steamroller Music readers will check it out, and perhaps even contribute their own product reviews and experiences. If you are interested in writing for Tech Blog Today, or for Steamroller Music for that matter, email me: info@wornrecords.ca

New Music.... uhhh what's that?

It's funny how life takes a hold of us and steers us in directions that we didn't plan, or even necessarily think were options. I've been in a constant state of internal struggle with music for some time now. Back to my serious playing days, to my serious recording/producing days, and even my not so serious playing days. Music has always been a part of me in some way. It's in my soul, my skin, my dna. Even after selling most of my gear a while back so I could move to Mexico and be with my new born son, I have still had the music bug in my, I couldn't shake it. I suppose this web site, and this blog are an extension of this. The constant struggle between life, and music. One might argue that music is life, and I would have a hard time debating that point. However at what cost?

I have seen friendships, relationships, partnerships destroyed because of music. Is music, and one persons passion worth more than friendship? There is a rule in the entertainment industry that basically states, "there's no friends in rock & roll" or "in order to make an omelet you have to break some eggs". You get the idea. Essentially if you are going to "make it" you're going to have to piss off a few people along the way. I don't know, is that really true? I personally don't know a lot of people that have "made it". I used to know some people who then went on to have some success, perhaps I would even say they "made it". But I wouldn't say that I am really friends with these people anymore. Not that their was a falling out, or hurt feelings or anything, but just choices that people make. Priorities. Music is time consuming, money consuming, and above all else life consuming.

You always hear about bands touring for many months, or even years. Being away from friends and family and maybe even their children. And on top of that being with the same group of people for that entire tour. How do they cope? Drugs, sex, anger, sadness, a combination of all of these maybe. I'm not so much talking about the boys of Metallica, or The Rolling Stones. I mean they can just bring family with them, or fly home after every show. I'm talking more about the working band. The ones trying to make living, and barely doing so. Tour to pay the rent, support the family, that sort of band. Let's face it, not many bands are making money on record sales anymore. Touring is one of the only ways to make a buck for yourself and the record company anymore, aside from maybe video games, commercials and that sort of thing. The working band has always and always will tour.

What happens when the music's over? I guess you hope that you still have your friends and family. In a lot of cases I'm sure that people do. In other cases, who knows. Maybe that's why so many musicians keep going, reinventing themselves whether it be in writing, performing, producing, tv, etc. Hard to let go, and who wants to get a real job? I'm grateful for my time in music. I rarely made much money, but I have lots to show for myself. Lots of things I am proud of, things I look forward to showing my son when he's older and my daughter now. I always find a way to reinvent myself, and now is no exception. I have things on the go, and you haven't heard the last from me. I will finish this web site, I will have new music, both my own and others. Stay tuned, this is just the beginning.

Grandpa's Car

Just going through some old photos and scanning them before trashing them all:

This was a shot taken while my friend Rob and I, from our band Willis, were trying to take some band "promo"shots. Actually I think we were just trying to use up the roll of film he had before getting it developed, but none the less..... This was my Grandpa's car before he passed away and I ended up with it. A 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The thing had a small 8 cylinder, 296??? I think? Anyway if it wasn't for the gas war going on in 1998 there was no way I could have afforded to drive it, but it got us to and from many band practices. Sometimes we would have to stop and get gas and oil because of the gas/oil leak, and we would then have to hammer the starter to get it to start again, but we would always get a jam in eventually. In fact at the corner of #5 rd and King rd in Richmond, B.C. you can still see the oil stains on the road where I used to turn everyday and my leaky rear main seal used to leave a nice black streak of oil on the pavement. Those were the days, to think I don't even own a car anymore....