Music – Page 5 – Los Bastardos Reunidos

September 10, 2019October 28, 2019 // 3 Comments

Born To Lose

Say what you want about Sid being a shit bassist, he would have made a fucking great front man. Just look at him! And give the RUGGED MAN SONG OF THE WEEK™ a play over there while you’re at it. Horrible live recording, but he had the goods as a rock vocalist.

EDIT: Here it is again, for archiving purposes.

According to ancient punk lore, he actually came very close to fronting a band. Twice. The Damned asked him to audition when they were first getting together. Sneaky Dave Vanian had other plans, and sabotaged the rehearsal so he could try out first. Seems Vanian (or an associate) told Sid the band had canceled at the last minute, while Captain Sensible and the boys just assumed Sid no-showed.

Then one day, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood were discussing who would make a good lead singer for this new band Malcolm was going to manage. Vivienne suggested one of the Johns who hung around the shop all the time, because he had a great look. Malcolm assumed she meant John Lydon; she really meant John Ritchie – AKA John Beverly, AKA Sid Vicious.

Would the Pistols have had the same impact without Lydon’s brilliant, confrontational lyrics? Arguably not. Still …

BONUS: Here’s an interview Judy Vermorel conducted with Sid for her book, Sex Pistols: The Inside Story. Like most 20-year-olds, Mr. Vicious is in turns insightful and moronic.

August 31, 2019 // 0 Comments

Project Magenta

Co-creating with AI. Fascinating stuff.

New technologies have fundamentally changed the way we make and experience music. In this session Claire Evans, artist, author and one half of the pop duo YACHT talks about deep learning as a tool in their creative process. Their new album explores Google AI’s research project, Magenta, an open-source music-making package using machine learning models.

August 29, 2019August 30, 2019 // 2 Comments

The Song That Started It All

For The Replacements, I mean. This is the demo version of “Raised in the City,” which I hadn’t heard until Other Other Elvis hipped me to that song-ranking site. Far superior to the album version.

The band soon recorded a four-song demo tape in Mars’s basement and handed it to Peter Jesperson in May 1980. Westerberg originally handed in the tape to see if the band could perform at Jay’s Longhorn Bar, a local venue where Jesperson worked as a disc jockey. He eavesdropped as Jesperson put in the tape, only to run away as soon as the first song, “Raised in the City,” played. Jesperson played the song again and again. “If I’ve ever had a magic moment in my life, it was popping that tape in,” said Jesperson. “I didn’t even get through the first song before I thought my head was going to explode.”

August 12, 2019 // 3 Comments

Uh Oh!

As heard on Underground Garage this morning. Good stuff!

The Coolies are a new collaboration between Muffs frontwoman Kim Shattuck, former Friggs guitarist Palmyra Delran and Muffs / White Flag member Melanie Vammen. This supergroup of sorts has released their debut 6 song EP on Wicked Cool Records. Some amazing guest musicians are along for the ride.

August 1, 2019 // 2 Comments

This Kid Should Be In The X-Men

Because he’s a mutant.

August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 // 3 Comments

Those Crazy Germans

MIND BLOWN by this odd vinyl/tape hybrid. Just think, if we’d lost WWII we might be experiencing a TEFI revival right now.

July 11, 2019 // 2 Comments

New Spoon

New single from Everything Hits At Once: The Best of Spoon, coming July 26th.

Check it, yo.

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 // 0 Comments

Replacements At A Turning Point

Here’s a great 32-year-old article from SPIN’s archives, from around the time that I was getting into them. (Yes, I was late to the party and had to work my way back through the Twin/Tone albums.) The band had just parted ways with manager Pete Jesperson, fired lead guitarist Bob Stinson, and released one of their best albums, Pleased To Meet Me. Recorded right here in Memphis!

“When we started,” [Westerberg] says, pausing to sip from a midmorning Schmidt, “we definitely had a fear of success. We had a fear of everything. We were all very paranoid, and I think that goes hand in hand with the excessive drinking thing. We’d get drunk because we were basically scared shitless, and that snowballed into image. Now we’re a little more assured of what we’re doing. We’re not positive which way we’re going, but we think we know what mistakes lie ahead, and we’re trying to sidestep ‘em.”

Full article here.

July 9, 2019 // 3 Comments

Cheap Trick, Rock ‘n’ Roll Juggernaut

https://youtu.be/FQDc9loiFuk

Prime Cheap Trick, one of my great obsessions.

June 26, 2019 // 2 Comments

The Black Godfather

Ok this is a great documentary. Clarence Avant freakin’ was into everything, and everything he touched turned to gold. I have to admit that I didn’t know much about him before I watched this, but now I’m fascinated. Login to the Netflix and watch this posthaste.