Top 10 BEST and WORST Drummers In Rock & Roll

First off, no list of the ten best and worst drummers in rock & roll would be complete without first letting you know our parameters.  What we looked for was not only technical ability, or lack thereof, but how the drummer's playing fit within their respective group.  If they made the band better, that was one thing.  If, however, their mere presence led the band to be less than what it was capable of, serious points were then deducted.

So, without further delay, we bring you our list of the Top 10 Best & Worst Drummers In Rock & Roll.

First, the BEST (in no particular order):

Ringo Starr (The Beatles)
Some might consider him to be one of the luckiest bastards in rock & roll, ushered into the Beatles at the last minute before their debut as EMI recording artists.  He may have paid his dues, but not as a Beatle, still his steady backbeat and creative fills were a perfect counterpoint for Lennon & McCartney's increasingly groundbreaking pop songcraft.  Also, the dude had loads of personality, which was quite necessary once each of the fab four became a cottage industry unto themselves.  In that respect, he held his own with the best of them.

Bun E Carlos (Cheap Trick)
No other drummer complements their band more than Carlos does Cheap Trick.  While he's got the chops of a jazz master and an encyclopedic music knowledge, Carlos brings only that which is necessary to drive the band's hard-edged pop tunes.  Whether the song requires playing live to a click, or non-nonsense four-on-the-floor propulsion, Carlos is a human juggernaut of metronomic drum power.  Any band would be lucky to have him, including Cheap Trick, as Carlos has suddenly gone M.I.A. and the band has yet to issue a proper statement addressing the reasons why.  We at He's A Whore hope all is well with Bun E. and look forward to seeing him behind the kit very soon.

Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Then Crooked Vultures)
While I've found his playing to lack nuance, his special brand of "lunkhead" drumming was perfect for Nirvana...totally wrong, but hilarious to watch for his brief tenure in Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers...and then totally right again for the first Foo Fighters record and, most recently, in the super-group Them Crooked Vultures.  Again, the guy has absolutely no finesse whatsoever, which made him a perfect choice for the self-titled Killing Joke record he played on, but there is enough of an art to just banging it out the way he does that there are few who can approach his level of bang-it-outsmanship.  There, we just invented a word in Grohl's honor.

Martin Chambers (The Pretenders)
One of the biggest musical injustices ever committed was when Chrissie Hynde kicked Martin Chambers out of the Pretenders.  Anyone who has ever heard one of the band's early albums can't help but recognize the supreme power and swing that Chambers brought to those records.  Sure, he may not be the first guy you wanna call in if you need someone to play along to a click track, but, let's face it, anyone who brings a click track to a Pretenders session is a fucking pussy...I'm looking at you, Chrissie "I'll Stand By You" Hynde. WTF?  Thankfully, Hynde realized her mistake and brought Chambers back into the fold, but she still refuses to let him take part in album sessions.  Sigh.  Until Chambers is back recording with Hyne, I will continue to refer to each new Pretenders album as "the new pretend Pretenders" album

Stewart Copeland (The Police)
Easily one of the most creative drummers to ever grace the stage, it can be said quite unequivocally that The Police would not have been The Police without Sting, but neither would they have been The Police without Stewart Copeland's angular reggae-tinged grooves and effervescent fills and percussive flourishes.  By the same token, The Police are the only band wherein Copeland's true talents would have been put to any notable use whatsoever.  He'd done time in prog band Curved Air, but fell far from changing the world in that musical turn.  For him, it was The Police or bust and we are all the better for Sting buying into Copeland's sly attempt to ride the punk juggernaut, for it turned into something altogether magical.

Keith Moon (The Who)
Can you imagine any other drummer working so well within The Who?  I believe Kenny Jones, a very respectable drummer in his own right, proved once and for all that you can mimic the parts, but there's no replacing the legendary Keith Moon and filling the massive shoes left by his untimely death.  Fittingly, only Ringo Starr's son Zack has come closest to replacing Moon, but only because Moon was his #1 influence as a child.

John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
While millions of music fans were left scratching their heads at Led Zep's sudden disbandment after the death of drummer John Bonham, time has proven that the band may have done the right thing.  For starters, the band's legacy remains largely untarnished despite a couple ill-conceived live reunion attempts.  The truth is that the band very well had run their course by the time of Bonham's death.  The recorded output remains just as groundbreaking and Bonham's playing is stunning in its complex simplicity.  Bonham, if nothing else, was a drummer who served the song by injecting as much of his own musical personality as could fit.  I dare say he could never be bothered to play a song the same way twice, but every take was a keeper and every live gig was a thundering display of drums as a weapon of mass destruction.

Neil Peart (Rush)
I remember reading in an interview where Peart said that he found simple straight-ahead drumming to be boring.  At the time, I found Rush to be boring because I viewed their music as too preconceived, too formulaic in its drive to be technically proficient...but the years have revealed a certain level of genius and "serving the music" in Peart's playing.  I would simply urge anyone who disagrees to listen to the album Moving Picture, which ranks as one of the most note-perfect rock albums of all time.  You may not like Rush, or Geddy Lee voice, or the fact that the band was never ever considered cool, but you've got to admit that Peart fits Rush like a glove and they are a better band for it.

Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors)
Much like Neil Peart, my early opinion of Comess was colored by something I remember him saying in an interview.  In said interview with Modern Drummer, Comess stated that, while he knew he had the chops to play anything, he felt he still had a long way to go as far as grooving went.  While I may not ever wish to hear a Spin Doctors' song anytime soon, for the few years I could not escape their music, I found Comess' playing to be exemplary and pretty damn tasty, all things considered.  Anyone needing proof of this need only listen to "Two Princes" to see his prowess for using those chops to build a very groovy foundation.
 
Tie: Gina Schock (The Go-Go's)/Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones)
Again, when you consider the criteria we outlined above, Gina Schock was to the Go-Go's what Ringo Starr was to the Beatles; a late-comer who immediately helped take them to the next level.  In a band of mediocre musicians (not that there's anything wrong with that), Schock's steady and propulsive drum skills helped the band gel into a unit fit for mass consumption.  Up until that point, they were a hobby band at best.  After Schock joined, her professionalism rubbed off on the others and the rest, as they say, is history.

As for Charlie Watts, I personally find his style almost too minimalistic to be taken seriously, but then if I simply listen to any number of classic Stones' tunes, it somehow works.  For that, and his 158-year career as drummer in the second greatest band in the world, he deserves a mention.

And now the Top 10 Worst Drummers in Rock & Roll (in no particular order)!!

Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
Would Metallica have happened without Lars?  Maybe not.  After all, his enthusiasm and conceptual input was vital to the band's direction,  Having said that, his playing, even to this day, remains dreadful and completely unimaginative.  His fills are uniformly flaccid and his tempo is all over the place.  Definitely one of rock's luckier bastards.

Meg White (White Stripes)
I am continually amazed at the amount of slack bestowed upon Meg White simply because she has a decent rack.  While I enjoy the DIY guitar-and-drums approach as much as the next guy, there are a gazillion drummers that could have made those White Stripes albums truly swing.  That they're at all listenable is a credit to Jack White's absolute force-of-nature playing style, wherein he wails and steamrolls to and fro like a drunken bulldozer to the point of almost making the drums disappear completely from the landscape.

Terry Bozzio (the Knack, Missing Persons)
While I dug Missing Persons, their second LP Rhyme And Reason, aside from a couple songs, was a lopsided mess of over-the-top drum gymnastics that did little to accentuate the songs.  Thus, it was no surprise to see Bozzio go on to film dozens of ridiculously self-important drum instruction tapes that no doubt taught hundreds of aspiring lunkheads how to stand out like a sore thumb in any band.  His turn as the drummer for The Knack was a great example of "wrong dude for the job, but, hey, he's good friends with Doug" and single-handedly landed him on this list.  Ugh.

Nick Mason (Pink Floyd)
I adore Pink Floyd, but Nick Mason's drum skills are pedestrian at best.  He is without a doubt the luckiest bastard in all of rock and roll.  Seriously, have you ever listened to a Pink Floyd album and said "Wow, I love what the drums are doing in that song"?  Of course not.  Don't lie.  Even in a song like "Money", with its odd meter, the performance is so fucking lackadaisical.  I imagine the guy sitting behind the drums with his eyes half-closed (see above picture), nodding off as the band plays on.  Would have loved to have heard a song that like truly swing instead of simply and lethargically lurch forward.  A great song, yes, but certainly in no way because of the drums.

Bill Stevenson (Black Flag/Descendents)
How this guy came to be such a punk luminary escapes me.  As a drummer, he single-handedly ruined every Black Flag album he played on with his inability to keep simple time.  It was like listening to someone rolling a brick down a steep hill.  If they'd had even half a decent drummer, those albums would have fucking swung, baby.  Instead, a lot of great songs never got heard beyond the constant speeding-up and slowing-down of one Bill Stevenson.

Carl Palmer (ELP/Asia)
Dude obviously has chops, but no sense of timing whatsoever.  Set up a metronome to "Heat of The Moment" and prepare to be appalled.  Any number of drummers could have filled his shoes.  Definitely in my Top 3 of Luckiest Bastards in Rock & Roll.

Tom Petty
I love Tom Petty like the older brother I never had, but his decision to play drums on "Highway Companion" was a bad one.  I love the songs, but Petty's playing detracts seriously from my enjoyment.  I can't go ten seconds without picking up on the numerous punch-in's and Pro Tools fixes needed to cobble together a workable drum part for each song when they could have so easily brought in a REAL DRUMMER to just rock the fuck out of the tunes.  Maybe Stan Lynch, perhaps...wishful thinking, I know.

Josh Freese (too many to list)
The dude can play, but he's a fucking jinx.  That's all there is to it.  The minute this dude joins a good band, their days are numbered.  Fuck, he even managed to break up Nine Inch Nails and that's just one guy.  That must have taken some work.  Of course, my knowledge of his band-busting ways goes back to the very early 90's, when he played on School Of Fish's second album.  Then they broke up.  He played drums on New Radicals debut album.  Then they broke up.  Many years later, he played drums on the first Daughtry album, but, wouldn't you fucking know it, they didn't break up.  What the fuck, Josh?  These days, Josh plays drums in DEVO.  So help me, God, if you make DEVO break up, Josh...

Bill Berry (R.E.M.)
I have a love-hate relationship with Bill Berry.  The whole time he was in R.E.M., I found his drumming to lack any sort of swing whatsoever.  In fact, his whole approach seemed to be to bring as much "plod" to every song he played on, as if drumming underwater.  I often wished Love Tractor's Andrew Carter would have been in the right place at the right time and been R.E.M.s drummer instead (and that Berry, in turn, would have stayed with Love Tractor).  In an odd turn of events, though, I have found current R.E.M. drummer Bill Rieflin to be a better drummer, technically speaking, but his playing is almost inaudible in its complete and utter functionality.  I guess I kinda wish they were still kinda clunky and loose-around-the-edges like they were when they began.  At least I knew Bill Berry was there when he played.  Maybe it was the uni-brow, I dunno.

Peter Criss (KISS)
Another one of those "lucky bastards of rock & roll".  His playing on those early KISS records is almost impossible to listen to these days.  His biggest crime against music, though, was his singing on the dreadful ballad "Beth" (which, thankfully, has no drums).  A close second is his limp-noodle abomination on what should have been a righteous mother-fucker of a rock tune called "Do You Love Me?".  Apparently, it was more important to Gene and Paul that they had a guy who wouldn't rock the boat, but, then he started rocking the boat and was given the boot.  By then it was too late, though, as I was no longer nine years old and had moved on to bands like Cheap Trick and The Romantics...with drummers who could fucking bring it home.

An Odd Thing Happened When I Googled Gina Schock Last Night...

It began with a Google image search for a pic of Gina Schock to use for my Top 10 Best/Worst Drummers In Rock & Roll article (appearing later today).  I happened upon a somewhat outdated website that featured a rock fan's personal collection of rock gear, including a set of Gina Schock's drums.

 (L to R: Pat DiNizio, Patrick Scranton, and wife Victoria)

(The Kings LIVE!...at Piping Products, Inc.)

Intrigued, I investigated a little further and saw that this guy (Patrick Scranton) was part of what looked like a family-owning pipe manufacturing business in Texas and had invited some of his favorite bands to play private concerts at the company's facility.  Among the artists to appear in this private, intimate setting were Pat DiNizio from the Smithereens, Fastball, and one of my favorite bands of all-time, The Kings.

I was flabbergasted.

That there was a guy out there who was obviously financially-secure enough to not only buy some pretty special gear from the likes of DiNizio, Schock and others, as well as pay these artists to perform private concerts at his business and in his home blew my mind.

 (Patrick with Kathy Valentine's custom Bolin bass guitar)

My first thought was that I just had to send this fella an e-mail and tell him how great I thought it was for him to do such things.  I mean, this was obviously a guy who dug his music.

I dug further and saw photos of him with Cyndi Lauper (another fave of mine), and many others.  Above all else, he absolutely worshiped local 80's band The Judy's.   My respect and awe grew with every click of my mouse.  "Okay, I'm emailing this guy right now," I said, but first, let me check out the URL in his email address, and see what this company's all about.

From the looks of it, a typical, no-frills web site for a pipe company.  At the bottom of the first page, I noticed a small hyperlink labeled "http://www.dsrct.com/".  I clicked on it and saw one of those web pages that recalls those GeoCities pages that once filled the internet back when everyone was on a dail-up connection; just a mish-mash of text and boxes, mentioning something about a rare form of cancer.

I couldn't figure out what it had to do with a pipe company...then I scrolled down a little and saw a picture of the same guy who'd been in all those photos with Miles Zuniga from Fastball, and The Kings, and Cyndi Lauper...and the words "PATRICK SCRANTON, November 20, 1962 - May 5, 2005"

(Patrick with Cyndi Lauper, 2004)

The last photo, taken within a month of his passing shows him full of life, it seems, but the smile that lights up every other photo I'd seen of him is not there.

I then notice that the screen has become blurred.  Tears have come out of nowhere and are now welling up in my eyes over someone I'd never met and who passed away almost five years before I ever knew he existed.  Though he was taken all too soon, I can't help but admire the life he led and the many whose lives he seems to have touched.

Further clicking took me to a memorial guest book in his honor, where people continue to leave their thoughts and condolences to this day.  I see that the guest book is scheduled to remain up until June 7, 2010, at which time I suppose it will be removed, but wonder why such a thing is truly necessary.  Perhaps someone will think better of it and allow it to live on as a reminder of the great man who once graced the world with what appears to have been a whole lot of love, energy and enthusiasm for life.

It appears he left behind a wife and daughter.

As a fellow cancer patient, my curiosity about DSRCT (Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor) led me to do a little Googling and, in doing so, my evening was only bound to get sadder.  While there is precious little tangible information on the web about this rare, but aggressive sarcoma, the web is absolutely full of web pages documenting one patient after another's struggle with the dreadful disease.

What was most heartbreaking was that I would find my way to a patient's page, see that they'd been making some progress, but that the entry was dated 2007.  Further investigation would invariably take me to a current entry that lists the date of their subsequent passing.

Isn't it horrible enough to be stricken with cancer in the first place?  But to be blind-sided by a form of cancer for which there is no proven, or documented treatment is such a cruel twist of the knife, it seems.  Still, I spend the rest of the evening being filled with both inspiration at the courageous fights waged by Patrick and many others (such as , and sadness upon seeing each one ultimately lose the fight.

I never did get around to finding a photo of Schock for my article, but I'll never forget the beautiful people I came to know and admire, and whose passing brought me great sadness, as a result of one little Google image search took.

Sneak Peek: Court Yard Hounds "It Didn't Make A Sound"

Pre-order Court Yard Hounds Today!

For anyone paying attention, the seemingly meteoric rise of the Dixie Chicks was actually a long time comin'.  Sisters and founding members Emily Robison and Martie Maquire had released three well-received, if only moderately successful, albums of bluegrass tunes under the name Dixie Chicks.  Then, in what can only be deemed "the mother of all career moves', they welcomed newcomer Natalie Maines into the group in 1997, opted for a more pop-oriented sound, and hit paydirt.

My hunch from the beginning was that the sisters' alliance with Maines was an uneasy one from the start, but the results could not be denied.  Rather than hop off the roller coaster, they simply enjoyed the ride.  Success and million-dollar lifestyles obviously made whatever reservations they had fall by the wayside.

Then, in 2003, during a UK gig, Natalie Maines dissed Dubya and the conservative media turned it into the shit storm to end all shit storms.  Emily and Martie hadn't said anything.  They'd just been playing their instruments, yet they bore the brunt of the huge backlash against the band.

Natalie, of course, remained defiant and, when they returned three years later with a new single, "Not Ready To Make Nice", she - and they seemed determined to let the subject rest just yet.  The thing was, the subject was such old news to the general public that the move seemed a tad calculated, as did their appearance on Barbara Walters latest special, where interview subjects seemed required to break down in tears in order to drum up the largest TV ratings possible.  While no tears were shed, the Dixie Chicks were certainly playing the "victim" card for maximum publicity.  Sadly, such interviews had little to do about their music.

Like all things that get too big, the Dixie Chicks were now more spectacle than singing group.

So, in a bid to reclaim some semblance of control, at least until its time to go out and make some more "real money" this summer when the Dixie Chicks open for Eagles, Emily and Martie are releasing their first album as the duo Court Yard Hounds.

Having listened to first single, "It Didn't Make A Sound", I am struck by how much this song could be mistaken for something off of any recent Sheryl Crow album.  While likable enough, I was kind of hoping the duo would take this opportunity to return to their bluegrass roots, but I guess there really is no going back to your roots at this point.

Still, when I saw the video for the song, I was happy to see how relaxed the gals seemed.  Easy smiles and laughter made me wish I could have been a fly on the wall during these sessions.  By comparison, the past few times I'd seen them performing with Maines, they looked so tense and business-like, as if being a Dixie Chick and getting paid millions to play in front of sold-out houses around the world had become a job more than a joy.

I am hoping that Court Yard Hounds remains a joy for sisters Emily and Martie, and that die-hard Dixie Chicks fans will find something to like here. 

Court Yard Hounds - It Didn't Make A Sound

Sneak Peak: Tom Petty's Upcoming CD "Mojo"

Pre-Order MOJO Today!

As welcome as a summer breeze, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers return with a new studio album, Mojo (release date Spring 2010) and a full slate of summer U.S. concert tour dates.

May 06 – Time Warner Cable Pavilion at Walnut Creek / Raleigh, NC *
May 07 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre / Charlotte, NC*
May 09 -  St. Pete Times Forum / Tampa *
May 15 -  Superpages.com Center / Dallas *
May 16 -  Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion / Houston *
May 18 -  US Airways Arena / Phoenix *
May 22 – Hollywood Bowl / Los Angeles *
Jun 02 -  Cricket Wireless Pavilion / San Diego *
Jun 03 -  Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre / Irvine, Ca. *
Jun 05 -  Oracle Pavilion / Oakland, Ca. *
Jun 08 -  GM Place / Vancouver *
Jun 11 -  The Gorge / Seattle *
Jun 12 -  The Gorge / Seattle *
Jun 15 -  Pengrowth Saddledome / Calgary *
Jun 16 -  Rexall Place / Edmonton *
Jun 19 -  MTS Centre / Winnipeg *
Jun 22 -  Xcel Energy Center / St. Paul ^
Jun 23 - Qwest Center / Omaha ^
Jun 25 -  Summerfest / Milwaukee
Jul 10 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre / Indianapolis ^
Jul 13 – Sprint Center / Kansas City ^
Jul 15 – Riverbend Music Center / Cincinnati ^
Jul 17 - United Center / Chicago ^
Jul 20 – Blossom Music Center / Cleveland ^
Jul 22 - Palace of Auburn Hills / Detroit ^
Jul 24 - First Niagra Pavilion / Pittsburgh ^
Jul 28 - Madison Square Garden / New York City
Jul 31  – Wachovia Center / Philadelphia
Aug 11 - Philips Arena / Atlanta #
Aug 12 - Sommet Center / Nashville #
Aug 14 – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center / Darien Lake, NY #
Aug 15 – Jiffy Lube Live / Bristow #
Aug 17 – Comcast Theater / Hartford, Ct. #
Aug 19 - Comcast Center / Boston %
Aug 21 – Comcast Center / Boston %
Aug 24 - IZOD Center / East Rutherford, NJ %
Aug 25 – Air Canada Center / Toronto #
Aug 27 - Saratoga Performing Arts Center / Saratoga Springs, Fl. #

Special Guests:

* w/ Joe Cocker
^ w/Drive-By Truckers
# w/ Crosby Still & Nash
% w/ My Morning Jacket

Tickets for the May 22 Hollywood Bowl and June 3 Irvine shows went on sale this past week.  Click here for more info.

As if that weren't cool enough, the WB have been kind enough to offer an advance track called "First Flash Of Freedom" to entice you to pre-order the new album today!

Once you've had a chance to listen to the tune, we'd love you to take part in our FLY (you liked it) or NICE TRY (you didn't) poll at the top of the right sidebar.

Never Before Seen: Cheap Trick Rehearsal Live Version of "I Must Be Dreamin'"

Some pretty cool CT stuff has hit the YouTube airwaves direct from Cheap Trick themselves.  The above clip is one of 9 from CT's pre-ChicagoFest rehearsals and includes some pretty inspired performances, including this ultra-rare performance of "I Must Be Dreamin'" from the Heavy Metal soundtrack featuring Pete Comita on bass.

Song Of The Day: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "Conscience Killer"

Buy the new BRMC album Beat The Devil's Tattoo

For anyone who was around when Iggy, Stiv, the Troggs, or any number of beautifully rough-around-the-edges garage rockers were at their prime, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club can come across as absurdly derivative at times.  But, like Iggy himself, the band gets bonus points for sticking to their guns and weathering the inevitable peaks and valleys and label changes that may bring.

On their fifth studio album (and first for Vagrant Records), Beat The Devil's Tattoo, the band return to the "all-garage-all-the-time" forumla that made their first two albums essential slabs of left-of-the-dial rock & roll.  There's no new ground being broken here, but, like the Ramones (before they started messing with synths on Too Tough To Die, that is), BRMC have found the one thing they're good at and are sticking to it.

"Conscience Killer" is a beautiful mix of sneering punk and bubblegum rolled into one blistering juggernaut.  Peter Hayes' vocals brilliantly recall both Iggy Pop and Stiv Bator without ever seeming unconventional, as both of those singers were in spades.  Nice trick.

The rest of the album is packed to the brim with distorto-riffs aplenty and sly hooks that will remain stuck in your head while you sleep, forcing your dreams to conform to the sheet-metal soundtrack in your brain.

BRMC - Conscience Killer

He's A Whore Unveils Our Own Custom KEDS Hi-Top Sneakers

Leave it to He's A Whore to be the first world-famous rock blog to bring you our very own Custom KEDS Hi-Top Sneakers.  This is fashion that never goes out of style made even cooler by the full-on custom design of He's A Whore head honcho Darren Robbins.

Click here to get your hands on your very own pair of He's A Whore KEDS Hi-Top sneakers while supplies last.

You can also check out our line of He's A Whore merch at our He's A Whore Superstore.

#1 On My 2010 Dead Pool: Blockbuster Video

While others may have Lindsay Lohan or Courtney Love atop their "2010 Dead Pool" lists, I have chosen the once-thriving brick-and-mortar video giant Blockbuster Video, even despite the recent announcement that they've beaten Netflix to the punch in offering the latest titles on T-Mobile's new HTC HD2 smart phone (with service also expected to be available on Android and Windows Mobile phones soon).

This move is some much-needed forward thinking by a chain that has been losing considerable ground to Netflix! and, most recently, Redbox.

Still, as long as the chain remains tied to their 3,000+ retail locations, no amount of profits generated by the new pact with T-Mobile and other telecommunications companies can put them in the black.

While I hate to see anyone lose their jobs, there's no other sensible option for Blockbuster than to shutter their retail locations. While that audience isn't completely gone, it's getting drastically smaller by the day and never coming back. Anyone put out of work by such a move should have no problem finding another gig in the retail sector, where 39% companies enjoyed an above-average March and expect continued, albeit slow growth for the rest of the year.

Blockbuster, in truth, has no other choice but to walk away from their physical locations and invest heavily in re-branding the company as the leader in online movie downloads. If they can secure a deal with iPhone before Netflix does, that will give them an even better advantage in dominating this new market.

If, on the other hand, they don't immediately ditch the retail locations, they'll be bankrupt by year's end.

ADDENDUM: Looks like Blockbuster Video is now aware of He's A Whore...

(click to enlarge)

Song Of The Day: Art Garfunkel "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)"

Buy some doggone Garfunkel!

I recently played this song for a friend of mine who'd gotten married just weeks prior.  As the song played, tears welled up in their eyes and they then told me that this had been their wedding song, but not the Art Garfunkel version.  They then went on to say that if they'd have known of Garfunkel's version they'd have used that one.

For me, there has never been any other version, but I will admit that this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written and, thus, nearly impossible to mess up.  Note to cover bands: If you can't make at least one person weep tears of heartache and/or joy, then drop the tune from your playlist.

While Paul Simon gets all the accolades and is credited time and time again as a genius, I can't help feel that Art Garfunkel is a genius in his own right.  Given a voice that thousands would kill for, he has used it in the most "art"-ful (pun intended) way, never over-singing, and always crafting his vocal arrangements so perfectly.  That, in and of itself, is a skill few have and, thus, I bestow the esteemed tag of "genius" upon Mr. Garfunkel.

So, it was 1975... Garfunkel's debut solo album, Angel Claire, had been a Top 5 smash.  Roy Halee, who produced Simon & Garfunkel, had been behind the knobs, ensuring that this album would not stray too much from the sound of S&G.  However, on his second effort, Garfunkel chose to bring in new producer Richard Perry, initially drawing some concern from the label brass. 

The result was Breakaway, an album that would become his best-selling solo release.  The album was full of lushly orchestrated pop gems, two of which went Top 40 (the title cut and "I Only Have Eyes For You").  Strangely, his superb cover of Stevie Wonder's "I Believe" was never released as a single.  How on earth does such a thing happen, I ask you?  Will wonders (pun again intended) never cease?


Art Garfunkel - I Believe

SXSW Wrap-Up: Cheap Trick, Courtney Love

Well, there was some concern when longtime Cheap Trick fans noticed that drummer Bun E. Carlos was not in attendance for any of the group's press appearances.  Then, a day before the band were set to headline a free concert as part of SXSW, a very brief and to-the-point announcement appeared on the band's website:

Bun E. Carlos is not currently the touring drummer for Cheap Trick. Bun E. remains a band member. Everyone is healthy and Cheap Trick will continue to tour as planned.

Currently manning the drum throne is Rick Nielsen's son, Dax, who does a mighty fine job filling Bun E's shoes.

In other SXSW news, a newly-tattooed Courtney Love debuted her new Hole line-up during the festival to a packed house of spectators gathering for what wasn't nearly the car crash many were expecting.  While the band turned in passable versions of Hole standards such as "Celebrity Skin" and "Miss World, the new songs left a tad to be desired, despite Courtney's rambling between-song banter about how huge a summer radio hit "Honey" would be.  After the show, if I'd had a nickel for every time I heard someone say the word "delusional", I'd have left a very rich man.  Well, okay, maybe not rich, but definitely not the non-profit organization I seem to be these days.

Did we mention Courtney's new tattoos?  Yikers.  Seems she woke up one day and decided she wanted a bunch of cute little flower tattoos all over herself.  Dunno what effect she was shooting for, but if it was "little girl goes crazy with the press-on tattoos" effect, then she definitely succeeded.

Song Of The Day: Chumbawamba "Torturing James Hetfield"

Buy a Chumbawamba album and play it for your friends without telling them who it is!

 Quick, name two Chumbawamba songs.

You can't do it, can you?  Neither could I until I took a listen to a Chumbawamba album for the first time in my life last week.  The album in question is the band's fifteenth and latest release, ABCDEFG, which was released earlier this month.

The issue of Chumbawamba is a divisive one in America due to the fact that their sole US hit "Tubthumping" became a gigantic hit, played in heavy rotation on MTV and radio stations across the land.  Then it was played some more and, well, people sort of got bent out of shape after hearing it maybe a thousand too many times.

To have so gradually grown from an independent, anti-establishment musical group to a band signed to, of all labels, EMI and then to become victims of such massive musical over-exposure seemed to say to many that there's just no way to keep growing in popularity without ultimately embracing the major label system and then paying the heaviest of prices when one of your songs blows up.

Regardless, there I was listening to a Chumbawamba album.  The thing I had not ever expected to happen, though, was the level of enjoyment that doing so brought me.  I was then determined to dive into their immense back catalogue and see what else I had missed.  Cooler heads prevailed and I've decided to not be quite so hasty, for ruining a good musical buzz. 

As it stands, I'm still quite enjoying their new album and urge you to give it a chance.  It's actually one of the more refreshing albums I've heard in quite some time, mostly acoustic, full of tasty piano, lush vocals, and slyly humorous lyrics...such as those found within today's featured song:


Chumbawamba - Torturing James Hetfield

Dwight Twilley, Big Star, SXSW, and The Morning After

Only 6 - Make That 4 - Twilley SXSW t-shirts left, buy one now!

Well, last night's Dwight Twilley show was, in a word, amazing!  In addition to designing Twilley's SXSW concert tee, I volunteered to run the merch table, which was a new experience for me.  This gave me the honor of meeting a good number of die-hard Twilley fans, including some who flew in from Sweden just to see Twilley's performance at the festival.

Twilley Set List:

"TV"
"Shakin' in the Brown Grass"
"God Didn't Do It"
"Baby Girl"
"I'm on Fire"
"Lookin' For The Magic"
"Runnin'"
"Girls."

What I recall most favorably was that Twilley's new material stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the hits for which he is best remembered.  How many legacy artists are there that you can say that about?  Not many, but Twilley is one of them.

Additionally, his band, which included ace guitarist Bill Pitcock, was made all the better by the inclusion of one Susan Cowsill, whose soaring harmonies worked their soulful magic, meshing perfectly with Twilley's vocals.  After the show, I had the good fortune to meet her.  Upon seeing the limited-edition Twilley SXSW shirt, she reached into her handbag to gather the necessary cash to buy one, but I could not bring myself to take her money.  Seriously, would you make Susan Cowsill pay for a Twilley shirt? :)

As someone who has designed t-shirts for a while now, I usually just hand the finished product over to my clients for them to sell on their own, or I process online orders by placing the requested t-shirt in a mailer and dropping it off at the local post office.  On this given night, however, being the "merch man" enabled me to see first-hand the response from Twilley fans when they laid eyes upon the Twilley SXSW shirts.  On at least three occasions during the night, a Twilley fan, upon entering the venue, would glance over at the merch table, see the shirt, and exclaim "Holy shit!" before making a bee-line straight to the merch table, dollar bills a'flying.

That was damn rewarding.  Just as importantly, Twilley liked them.

After his roof-rocking performance, the man himself sauntered over to the merch table and did not leave until the last autograph was signed and the last photo was taken with a fan.  Oh, that every rock legend could be as friendly and available to fans as Twilley was last night.  Strangely, of all the bands that played that night, Twilley was the only one to sell merchandise.  Additionally, he was the only one to make himself available to fans who wanted to meet him.  Many times during the show, people who'd enjoyed one of the other bands would ask me if I was selling merch for any of the other acts, or knew if any band members of those bands were around.  Truth be told, I think most of them were only too happy to make use of their drink tickets and hang out in the backstage area.  Not a smart move at a festival that is all about making new fans and contacts, if you ask me.  But hey, what do I know?

The most surprising aspect of the night, however, BY FAR, was the decision by Jody Stephens to go on with Big Star's planned performance mere days after the passing of Alex Chilton.  To say that his death cast a dark shadow over the entire festival would have been a major understatement.  This is, after all, a festival run by and for those who come to find themselves in some aspect of the music industry because of their immense love for their musical heroes and Alex was a musical hero to many in attendance.

As has long been the case, Stephens was joined by Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow, along with a host of guests that included John Doe, the Watson Twins, Chris Stamey, and REM's Mike Mills, among others.  While the bandmembers tried their best to keep things light and positive, the look on Stephens face as he pounded the drums was heartbreaking to watch at times.  His friend and longtime musical partner was gone and he found himself playing the songs they'd made famous together alone, albeit with friends who loved Alex as much as he did.

Their show began with the reading of a message from Alex's wife Laura, which, perhaps like the man himself, was more analytical than emotional, but no less touching in its candor.  She mentioned that, among other things, Alex still spoke fondly about producing those early Cramps records, which surprised me and drew mild laughter and applause from the crowd.

With misty eyes dotting the crowd, the band took the stage and the night's performance was underway with an emotional (to say the least) performance of "Back Of A Car".

Thankfully, the band performed until they'd run through every Big Star song they knew, ending with "September Gurls", sung so wonderfully by Susan Cowsill and the Watson Twins.  Stephens then thanked Auer and Stringfellow for the many years of musical support they'd provided and they, in turn, expressed much gratitude to Jody (and Alex) for being given the chance to be a part of the Big Star legacy.

After the stage went dark and house lights went up, many audience members lingered, almost not wanting the night to end.  For many, who'd been running ragged for the past few days, taking in all that the festival had to offer, there may have been some exhausted yawns, but none were truly ready to say goodbye to Big Star, and to Alex.

It was an honor to have been in that room last night.  You could honestly feel that there was a higher presence looming above, making itself known in little ways.  It was a night where there were no strangers, only friends, and the sort of night that Alex would have loved.

Song of The Day: Bram Tchaikovsky "Robber"

Remember when album covers told you everything you needed to know about a band? 

So it was that an impressionable young lad cruised into his local record store and was immediately transfixed by the cover of Bram Tchaikovsky's debut album, Strange Man, Changed Man.

It was as if I knew that once I got the album home, I'd fall head over the hills for the music found within the grooves of the spinning vinyl.

I was expecting something along the lines of another favorite album at the time, The Jam's "All Mod Cons", and Bram did not disappoint at all.  Whereas most band's debut efforts merely hint at greatness to come, Bram's first release was one of the more fully-formed debuts I'd ever heard and it remains one of my favorites.

"Robber", of course, was the first tune I heard - heck, it's the first song on the album - and from the opening lick that recalls "Paperback Writer" without nicking it completely, I was head over heels.

Strange Man remains the band's best work and a recent re-issue of the album came loaded with bonus tracks, making it all the more essential.  As one would expect, this release is now out-of-print and used copies will run you about $50.

Bram Tchaikovsky - Robber

Song Of The Day: Victims "Television Addict"

In preparing for my interview today with Hoodoo Gurus' singer/guitarist Dave Faulkner, I revisited some of his earlier work with the punk band The Victims and was reminded just how cool "Television Addict" was. Thus, I thought others may enjoy it as well, so here it is.

Dave and I rode around in this mobile studio sponsored by Clearwire, seated a couch that came complete with seat belts, as he explained the wild, crazy trip that is Hoodoo Gurus. We'll post video later, when it becomes available to us, which will be closer to the band's US release date for their brilliant new CD, Purity Of Essence.

Upon completion of our interview, and once the mics had been turned off, Dave bolted up from the couch and, laughing, he exclaimed, "He's a whore?! Where'd that name come from?"

I then told him that I'd name by blog after one of my favorite Cheap Trick tunes and he immediately asked if I was going to the Cheap Trick show tomorrow night. I said "Hellz yeah" and asked if he was going, to which he proudly exclaimed that seeing Trick would be one of the highlights of his trip to SXSW.

Seems that, along with the Ramones, who Dave mentioned are his #1, #2 and #3 favorite band of all time, he also digs Trick...bonus points in my book for a guy I already adore.

So, without further adieu...

The Victims - Television Addict

Chris Dodd Tarred And Feathered Outside DC Strip Club, American Idol Canceled, Which One Got Your Attention?

Don't worry, it's only three minutes, but it's three minutes you really need to see. Unless, of course, you think everything's just fine.

Whether you're a Republican, or a Democrat, what you need to remind yourself is that you are first and foremost an American. That may not matter to you, either. If push comes to shove and there were enemies at your door, would you defend this country, your way of life, or the well-being of those close to you? Or would you just let them take your house, your land, and everything you've worked so hard to attain?

We as Americans have allowed ourselves to be lied to and sat willfully by, too busy voting for the next "American Idol" to even care that the same issues that led to the crash of '08 are still happening. "Oh, but the DOW is doing fine, man. Now worries." What?!

Months ago, bank executives and automotive CEO's went to congress in their private jets to explain how they could have possibly allowed all of this to happen and walked away with checks for billions of dollars and no strings attached. As our faithful politicians pretended to read them the riot act, back room deals were worked out so that these same crooks would be allowed to continue operating in exactly the same fashion as they always have.

Some have gone back again because since then because, well, they ran out of money and, with hands out, reminded the crooks in Washington that they're still "too big to fail". They left with more cash in-hand and, in-doing so, got a great return on their initial investments (i.e., campaign contributions). Not bad for $10,000 to this guy, $5,000 to that guy. Fuck, who do I have to write a check to in order to get my own bail-out worth millions when I fuck shit up but good?

Of course, there are still no regulations in place to prevent the banks from wasting the billions they were given. Bank Of America continues foreclosing on houses and refusing to negotiate with Americans, or to sell the houses they've claimed because doing so would drive down the price of housing. In other words, they don't want to merely let a little air out of the bubble...but who will get rescued first when it bursts, them or you?

Chris Dodd isn't the only crook, but his name has come up so often that I can't believe the American people haven't stormed the door of his mansion and carried him out into the street, tar and feathers at the ready. The fact that nobody has means that we are, in essence, tolerant of such behavior, which sends a signal to every other political crony that "We The People" will let them do anything and not say a friggin' word.

Everyone talks about revolution...but nothing changes. We just keep right on taking it, things get worse, and we just adjust. We take it. Like weak sheep who don't have the intelligence to know when we've been lied to, stolen from, and mocked openly by the very people sent to Washington to act on our behalf.

Oh, but if someone were to steal your car tonight, you'd be pissed, right? I ask because I honestly don't know anymore. Maybe you'd just roll with it like you have regarding all of this other stuff. What's it gonna take for it to be bad enough to get your attention?

Did I mention that "American Idol" has been cancelled? Yep, seems Ryan Seacrest ripped Simon Cowell's head clean off his body the other night. Your heart rate just doubled, didn't it? Fuck, what will you do now? Watch "Dancing With The Stars"? Nope, sorry, that got canceled, too.

Holy shit, now you're fighting mad!

"GIMME BACK MY TV SHOWS, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!"

Are you crying?!

REFRESHER COURSE: CHRIS DODD SCANDAL SCORECARD

1985 – Dodd and good friend Ted Kennedy are accused of groping a waitress. Witness reported that the pair, after a night of heavy drinking, made a “man sandwich” and squeezed said waitress between their bodies while their dates went to use the restroom. No formal charges were ever filed.

1986 - Dodd purchased a Washington D.C. condominium with New York businessman/socialite/campaign contributor Edward Downe Jr. Dodd lived in the unit; Downe paid half the mortgage, fees and taxes -- but rarely used the apartment. The subsidy ended in 1990 as federal authorities uncovered Downe's lucrative off-shore insider-trading scheme.

1994 - Dodd bought a waterfront home on 10 acres in County Galway, Ireland for $160,000. Actually, he got a 1/3 interest: The remainder was purchased by William "Bucky" Kessinger, Kansas City, Mo. real-estate developer (and college classmate/business partner of Downe, who by then had been convicted).

2001 - Dodd successfully lobbied for a Presidential pardon on Downe’s behalf by circumventing the necessary vetting process for pardons and made a personal request to then-President Clinton.

2002 - Dodd bought out Kessinger for only $122,351. He says he also paid the balance of the outstanding mortgage -- but other records suggest that couldn't have been much, so Dodd still realized a substantial profit on the deal. Dodd claims that 2002 purchase price was based on an “independent appraisal”. Never mind that the value of other properties in the region had quadrupled and that reliable sources placed the true value of the property at over $1 million.

2008 - Conde Nast Portfolio revealed that he had gotten two cut-rate mortgages of nearly $800,000 from sub-prime giant Countrywide Financial in 2003. As the magazine reported, Dodd was a "Friend of Angelo" -- one of several notables marked for special treatment by Countrywide co-founder Angelo Mozilo.

2009 – Dodd singlehandedly inserted an amendment into the stimulus bill ensuring that executives of firms bailed out by the government (such as AIG) could still collect already-contracted bonuses. When this issue was revealed to the public, Dodd denied any such thing had taken place – then, when documentation proved otherwise, admitted it, but tried to lay blame upon the Obama administration. It is worth noting that AIG had donated more to Dodd than to any other American politician.

Not surprisingly, his wife also served for three years (2001-2004) on the board of a Bermuda-based subsidiary of...drum roll please...AIG. Needless to say, the press and constituents of Connecticut were not at all happy to discover they’d been tricked, then lied to, and called for Dodd to not run for re-election. Dodd ignored them until January 2010 opinion polls revealed that he trailed both potential Republican challengers by a wide margin.

Alex Chilton R.I.P.

With his band Big Star set to perform at SXSW in a few days, the news of Alex Chilton's passing comes as a shock to not only myself, but the millions of fans who recognized this music pioneer's genius.

It seems the iconic rocker had been complaining of health issues for the past few days and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.  The initial cause of death is a heart attack.

Dead at 59, Alex Chilton.

Chilton leaves behind a recorded legacy that, while not commercially successful, was influential to literally hundreds of musicians.  The Replacements' Paul Westerberg forever immortalized his hero with the song "Alex Chilton" on his band's Pleased To Meet Me album.

In recent years, Chilton was regularly performing with his first band, The Box Tops, as well as recording and performing with a re-constituted Big Star line-up.  The band had, in fact, been scheduled to headline at Antone's in Austin on March 20th.



From a personal standpoint, I can remember the first time I dropped the needle on "September Gurls" and being transfixed by the jangly guitars and Chilton's plaintive vocals.  I was immediately left scratching my head, wondering how a man that great was not a household name.

Hold on to your heroes, ladies and gentlemen...for you never know when they'll be gone.  Sigh, not much else to say, except "Thanks Alex, your music made my world a better place."

Kool-Aid Unveils New Flavor Dingleberry Punch, Citing The Time Is Right For Shit-Flavored Sugar Water

(not a real product or flavor...duh)

If you've ever been a kid, and I am presuming most of you were at one time, then you no doubt spent at least part of your childhood walking around with a Kool-Aid mustache.  Hell, I showed up at my last job interview with one, but that's neither here nor there.

So it was with great excitement that we responded to Kool-Aid's request that we at He's A Whore be the first to announce Kool-Aid's newest flavor, Dingleberry Punch.

Kool-Aid's rep cited, "In a world where Lady Gaga is considered talented and beautiful, where Adam Lambert is considered cutting-edge, and where one whore after another is given more money than most of us make in a year to reveal intimate details of their tryst with a married golfer, we felt the time was right to debut this one-of-a-kind flavor that would stand as Kool-Aid's reflection of the times.  No flavor says it better than Dingleberry Punch."

"From the very first taste, you'll fall in love with the rich, oaty hues and airy, flatulent texture that lingers upon the palette.  Truth be told, none of us have yet to taste it, but by the smell of it, we are confident that today's generation of mouth-breathing miscreants will embrace it wholeheartedly.  We've already had great success in marketing the new beverage to schools across the country as the perfect complement to the cardboard-and- papier-mache-paste best known as 'veal parmesan', not to mention the mystery substance known as 'beanie weenies'.  Together, we are confident that today's underachievers will fully embrace the beverage we lovingly refer to as 'ass in a glass', although Starbucks may sue us at some point for infringing upon their trademark.  When it comes to shit-flavored sugar water, nobody does it better than Kool-Aid."

Phoenix band Race You There "Starcrossed" Video: Made Entirely With Google Street View feature!

Looks like OKGo (away already) have some serious competition on the DIY-video front.  Phoenix, AZ band Race You There have created one of the coolest videos I've seen in forever.  Here's the even cooler part: the song is actually pretty good too.

Green Day's American Idiot Bound For Broadway. No, Seriously!

Well, the line between punk rock and Broadway schmaltz will be forever blurred by Green Day's entry into the world of high theatre as their "American Idiot" makes its Broadway debut on March 24th at the St.James Theatre.

Producers describe the production as follows:

"American Idiot follows the exhilarating journey of a new generation of young Americans as they search for meaning in a post-9/11 world, borne along by Green Day's electrifying score. With a cast of 19 led by Tony Award-winner John Gallagher, Jr., this high-octane musical tells the story of three lifelong friends as one takes off for a life in the city, one leaves home to fight for his country and one stays behind, frozen in the safety of suburbia."

So, basically "RENT" with guitars and guyliner...okay, more guyliner.  A new version of "21 Guns" featuring Green Day and the cast of the production is available at iTunes now.

American Idiot
St. James Theatre
246 West 44th Street (Between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
New York NY 10036

Previews begin March 24, opens officially on April 20.  Buy tickets HERE. 

"I Went To A Riot And A GNR Concert Broke Out!"

On Friday, March 12, Axl Rose pulled out of a private concert for A-list invitees in Brazil, leading to a riot among the well-to-do crowd.

What the hell is with this Axl Rose guy?  When it comes to concerts, this guy has pulled out more times than Ron Jeremy.  For someone who claims to be a huge Queen fan, you'd think he'd be well aware of the axiom, "The Show Must Go On"...maybe even take it to heart, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.  The guy flies all the way to fucking Brazil to sit in his dressing room and play Mario Karts.

What I think is that Rose is addicted to violence and that he personally gets a little chubby out of seeing a crowd of fans turn on one another.  Some people like UFC, others like seeing rock fans beat each other over the head with metal chairs.

One thing's for sure, none of this bodes well for Guns 'n' Roses finding an insurer for their rumored USA tour later this year.  Of course, I think that may also be part of Axl's plan.  If he can cause enough destruction in Brazil and South America, get a little free publicity in the process, then the fact that he can't find anyone willing to carry the insurance for a US tour will be the perfect excuse, and he can go back to ordering Domino's pizza and playing video games by himself in his palatial Malibu mansion.

Lady Gaga Pulls A Scott Stapp in New Zealand

Sigh, wondering how long the rest of the world will take to wake up from the smoke-and-mirrors act that is Lady Gaga and her current Cirque Du Gaga Vegas show that is currently touring New Zealand.  Anyone who saw Creed's infamous Chicago show some years back where Scott Stapp spent most of the show on his back will probably note some Stapp-tastic similarities in Gaga's "performance".

Seriously, being an old guy who enjoys dollar-meal burgers and Jelly Bellies way too much, even I can sing like a motherfucker (no Auto-tune needed, unlike some people) on my daily hour-long runs without needing to lie on my back for a song or two.

Just sayin'.

He's A Whore Debuts Exclusive SXSW Dwight Twilley T-Shirt!

As many of you know, He's A Whore was born of one man's love for great rock music.  Along with that music came also a love of the visual aspects of rock and roll; from the cover art and posters, to the supremely cool rock t-shirts that one would procure at their favorite band's concerts, and wear proudly to school the next day.

Having attended many a recent rock show and seeing the complete lack of imagination being shown on the merchandise front by some of our favorite acts...seriously, $30 for a one-sided Death Cab For Cutie t-shirt with a picture of a pencil and a cursive "Death Cab" logo?!...we decided to dip our toe ever so gently into the merchandise arena with our first two limited-edition t-shirt designs, N'Vader and Elvisidal Tendencies.  What we were working toward, however, was the chance to design limited-edition rock tees for artists we dug.

The first such artist that He's A Whore has partnered with is none other than legendary rocker Dwight Twilley, who first blasted into the Top 20 with the rocking "I'm On Fire".  As a kid, I remember tuning into the Saturday morning TV show "Wacko" (which starred "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" actor Charles Fleischer among others) and catching the show's musical guest Dwight Twilley (with Tom Petty on bass, no less) for the first time.  I distinctly recall being absolutely hooked on the guy's music from the first note and have been a fan of his work ever since.

Thus, it's a huge thrill to announce the creation of a very limited-edition 2010 SXSW t-shirt to commemorate Dwight Twilley's SXSW March 20 appearance at Antone's (on a bill that also includes Big Star, I might add). As these shirts will only be sold at this show, we are making but a mere handful available online via the He's A Whore T-Shirt Store.  These will not last so if you are not able to make the show, but still wanna get your hands on this little piece of rock history, then jump on it! :)

BUY NOW!

New Atari Teenage Riot London Reunion Show May 12th!

from press release:

In the late 90s Atari Teenage Riot (ATR) emerged out of the electronica genre, to subvert all rules of rock and techno music. The original conception was Alec Empire's and when joined by Hanin Elias, Nic Endo and Carl Crack on stage, the mixed race, mixed sex image of the band provoked people before they even heard the music.

The seminal band was too radical in its views and statements and simply too loud and noisy to fit in neatly inside any genre, with Hanin screaming about police violence and revolution, ATR opened many doors for female artists to follow at the time.

In 1996, Alec Empire teamed up with the Beastie Boys to negotiate a label deal between Grand Royal and Digital Hardcore Recordings for North America. The album, "Burn Berlin Burn" was born.

Shortly after, tours with Rage Against The Machine, Wu-Tang Clan and Beck swiftly followed. But with the success came tension. Every musician has their own way of dealing with it, and ATR were extremely intense. Very soon the thin line between reality and paranoia started to vanish.

When John Peel asked ATR to play Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in 1999, the band had just released their 3rd and best album, "60 Second Wipe Out", which was mixed with Andy Wallace (Nirvana's "Nevermind", Slayer). During the song "Revolution Action", kids stormed the stage and pandemonium descended on the capital.

When the Berlin quartet played their last show at the Big Day Out Festival, Australia in 2000 everyone was watching: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, The Clash's Joe Strummer, Foo Fighters and Primal Scream on the side of the stage. The band finally dissolved in the wake of MC Carl Crack's death just days before September 11th 2001.

Their records stand as a testament to the years 1992-2000, where anything seemed possible. Now Atari Teenage Riot have reunited for one more show:

May 12th 2010

The Electric Ballroom, London

184 Camden High Street, London, NW1 8QP

7pm / £16 / 14+

For tickets www.gigantic.com

Song Of The Day: Goldfrapp "Believer"

Buy the new Goldfrapp CD Head First (due 3.23.10)

It wasn't until I heard "Rocket" from Goldfrapp's upcoming album Head First (due 3.23.10) that I realized just how much I missed the early '80s soft-pop stylings of Melissa Manchester ("You Should Hear How She Talks About You"), Sheena Easton ("Telefone Operator"), and Laura Branigan ("Solitaire").  For it seems to be singer Alison Goldfrapp's own desire on this, the fifth Goldfrapp longplayer, to dispense with the more experimental and ambient soundscapes of past efforts and go straight for the throat.

Make no mistake, Goldfrapp have revealed their love for king-size hooks and creating songs that bristle with unabashed love for all things "pop", but, often, just as quickly, they resort to more ambient and less conventional fare in some attempt to retain an air of mystery.  I will say that employing such a strategy has worked wonders, resulting in a growing legion of Goldfrapp fans that refer to the duo in the sort of reverential tone usually reserved for religious figures.

The hipsters have long been down with Goldfrapp, but the duo's potential for appealing to wider demographic has always bubbled just below the surface.  On a recent road trip with the parents of a woman I was dating, I recall popping Goldfrapp's "Black Cherry" album into the CD player as we sped towards our weekend destination.  As I simultaneously drove and tried to make some sense of the sketchy directions I'd been given, I only half-noticed that my passengers sat in absolute silence as the Goldfrapp CD played in its entirety.

We, of course, had a wonderful weekend and, as we jumped into the car to begin our journey home two days later, it was decided my girlfriend's parents that we'd be listening to nothing else besides the Goldfrapp CD.  I took Goldfrapp's appeal to the AARP set as a positive sign, while my girlfriend did not.  That her parents had fallen in love with the same Goldfrapp that she and I had seemed to completely diminish her own love of the album.  As her parents nodded their heads in time to the music, I found my girlfriend's constant scowl in the rear view mirror highly entertaining.

Of course, we haven't spoken in years, but I can't help think that her parents would dig the hell out of this record, as it even more unabashedly explores a classic pop territory of which they are already quite fond.   If, by doing so, Goldfrapp sacrifices some of their hipster cred, I say more power to them.  The world-at-large c an always use some more quality pop music that aspires to exist on its own merits rather than embrace some sort of hipster aesthetic or endless gimmickry (I'm looking at you Lady Gaga).

Today's Song of The Day, "Believer", is the sort of song Olivia Newton-John would have wrapped her loving arms around in the late 70's.  As you listen, you may find yourself closing your eyes and seeing Alison Goldfrapp lip-syncing the words ever so seductively on the set of Solid Gold as dancers dressed in skimpy outfits gyrate wildly behind her.  If you also find yourself missing those perfect pop days of yore,be wistful no more because those days are back and in good hands.

Goldfrapp - Believer

Open Letter To Conan O'Brien

In my recent post, entitled "Conan O'Brien Ain't Funny", I railed against what I determined to be the overall mediocrity being celebrated by Conan's fans, as well as by Conan himself.

Having received considerable feedback from dozens of readers, most of which I deem to be part of the problem, I have given the issue some considerable thought and felt it would be more constructive to offer an open letter, if you will, to Conan himself.

Dear Conan,

First off, let me state officially for the record that I have nothing against you or your fans.  I find you reasonably likable and capable of accomplishing great things.  What I had earlier criticized was what I saw as the celebration of mediocrity simply because said mediocrity had been awarded "underdog" status due to your removal from the NBC roster.  'Tis true people like an underdog, but only for so long. 

Those who wrote me defending your talents, did not cite your original Late Night show or your brief tenure as host of The Tonight Show.  Instead, they mentioned how funny you'd been as a writer on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons".  While I still tend to disagree with them regarding the depth of your talents as a writer, it seems that even they find it difficult to defend your hosting abilities.

By declaring to the world that they are "With Coco", almost a million Facebook'ers have formed the world's largest water cooler idiot circle to celebrate the mediocrity of your late night accomplishments.  Are these people you really want to cater to, or would you rather succeed at doing something truly legendary, even if it means not giving them what they want or expect from you?

Let me see if I can throw out an analogy that will explain my point more effectively.

In 1987, the rock band U2 released an album called "The Joshua Tree".

To the millions of fans who'd had fallen in love with the band's prior work - songs like "I Will Follow", "New Year's Day" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" - this new album flew in the face of what they'd come to expect from the band.  Many saw the change in direction as almost a personal betrayal, criticizing the band for straying from the formula and following their artistic passions.

It is true that the band had made their most experimental record to date, all conventions and expectations tossed out the window.  To do so must have been a scary thing for the band.  By following their hearts, they might very well be throwing away their careers.  Ultimately, however, the album weathered the storm and the album quickly became a huge, groundbreaking success that secured their place as one of the hugest rock bands in the world while also being respected universally as a monumental artistic statement.

Even some twenty three years later, people think nothing of spending hundreds of dollars to see the band in hopes of hearing U2 perform songs from "The Joshua Tree".  You're selling out concert shows today Conan, but is there anything you've done that people would still pay to see twenty years from now?

What, pray tell, is your Joshua Tree, Conan?

My hunch is that it is still forthcoming.  That's why it pains me to see you choosing to embrace such mediocrity rather than tear down the existing foundation and start from scratch.  While I find your decision to dedicate a large chunk of your severance package to paying members of your staff while you plot your return to late night, a part of me can't help but feel this is the wrong move.

Perhaps another way of thinking is to let these staffers go.  You owe them nothing and, if they are as talented as you lead us to believe, they will no doubt find new projects.  Maybe they aren't nearly as talented, though, and this is simply a nice little gravy train they've been fortunate enough to grab onto, knowing full well that it's a once-in-a-lifetime situation.

I mean, unless I'm wrong, most people do not have the luxury of having their lifestyle maintained after being asked to leave.  I know that when I've quit past positions, I walked away with nothing.  When relieved of my duties, for whatever reason, I was lucky to exit with a check equal to two-week's pay.

It's obvious you feel responsible for moving many of them cross-country.  It is, however, a choice they, themselves, made and a risk that they, themselves, took quite willingly.  At this point, you owe them nothing.  You do, however, owe it to yourself to be true to your passion and to do something that brings happiness and a level of success that is meaningful and rewarding to you.

The last time I was in Vegas, I saw billboards around the city advertising Carrot Top's residency at one of the local casinos.  Upon seeing his show, I quickly realized that this once-vital comedian was simply going through the motions.  There was no new ground being broken on that stage.  Instead, he was giving an audience of tourists exactly what they'd vaguely expected to get.  This is not a career with any sort of upward ark and one couldn't help but feel a bit...sad about the whole thing.  By playing it absolutely safe, giving the people exactly what they want, Carrot Top is no doubt paid very well and maybe that's enough for him.  Maybe as long as he is able to afford the nice house, and the cars, and the daily shots of botox, he's absolutely happy, but I doubt that this is what you'd consider to be happiness.

I know that it may be easy to dismiss as cheese-ball Psychology 101, but there is a very interesting book by Dr. David Niven (not the famous actor) called "The 100 Simple Secrets Of Successful People".  In it, Niven explains that to truly succeed, one must resist the urge to be average.  This includes doing away with the "yes men" one can easily surround themselves with if they've got the money and power.  By surrounding yourself with average people, such as the ones who populate the "I'm With Coco" Facebook page, they entice you to be more like them when, in fact, it is better to not be.  There's a saying that he then mentions: "A person who wants to be a leader must turn his back to the crowd."  Granted, by doing so, you run the risk of alienating the converted, but you also stand the best chance of reaching heights you might not have otherwise reached.

Additionally, Niven suggests accepting input from your opposites.  By that, he suggests that there is much to be gained by surrounding yourself not with those who agree with you, but to instead embrace the ideas of those whose ideas differ greatly from yours. 

Perhaps most effective, but also most difficult to implement, is the idea of listening to the criticism of others...take me, for example.  Believe me, I know how hard it is to accept criticism as constructive.  The natural human response is to reject it and, as many of those who've written to me in the past few days have done, deny the validity of the criticism by undermining the messenger.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," wrote one Conan defender.  "For one thing, your music sucks."

Ah, the ol' "undermine the messenger" trick in action.

By all means, you can simply deflect criticism because you can, but the bigger man finds a way to listen...really listen.

You could start by simply listening to a few questions that I have:

 - Do you enjoy hosting a late night TV show, or is this something you fell into, realizing that it would be ridiculous to walk away from such an opportunity..and a helluva pay check to boot?

 - A someone who has made comedy their career, what makes you laugh?  I don't mean a pleasant, soon-forgotten chuckle, but fall-down-holding-your-side laughter.  Whatever it is, find a way to share that with the world?  If only twelve people in the whole world find it as funny as you do, that might not bode well for you maintaining a Hollywood lifestyle, but is that truly important to you or is doing what you truly love and makes you happy more important?

 - Are the people who click on a "Become A Fan" button on Facebook the sort of fans you wish to cater to...and why couldn't each and every one of those people have taken the time to write NBC directly and plead for the saving fo your show?  At last count, the "I'm With Coco" page has almost 980,000 fans...by comparison, how many letters did NBC receive on your behalf?

 - Who do you keep close simply because they don't encroach upon the attention being paid to you?  I'm reminded of the perfect foil that Johnny Carson had in Ed McMahon.  McMahon was no hack, though.  He sisn't just stay out of Johnny's way, he complemented him perfectly and allowed Carson to shine.  Surround yourself with those people in every facet of your next undertaking and do not mistake their willingness to play second fiddle as a talent that can't be replaced by someone much, much better.  Additionally, allow other supremely talented people to shine.  It'll only make you look better in the process.

You may never be paid $45 million to leave ever again.  I imagine that kinda money can redefine one's expectations for the future, but I urge you to follow your heart, forget what is expected of you, and break the fucking mold.  In that regard, I wish you all the success in the world.

Sincerely,
Darren Robbins

BBC 6 Music: Only The Good Die Young?

It was American singer Billy Joel who once sang "Only The Good Die Young" and, sadly, I have found myself repeating the line anytime someone seemingly too good for this world is taken so early.  I had yet to do it for a radio station, that is, until earlier this month when the Director General of the BBC confirmed the many rumors concerning the closing of the radio station.

BBC 6 Music, which is a digital-only radio station founded by the BBC in 2002, has quickly endeared itself to millions of listeners around the world for offering a true musical alternative to the more commercial fare offered by Radio 1 and 2.  By offering a steady diet of classic rock, punk, indie, and dance-oriented music, not to mention airing archival John Peel sessions, the station has carved out quite a niche for itself.

In the last week alone, the station has aired in-studio performances by the likes of Wolf Parade and the Pastels, as well as running in-depth (and quite well-researched) retrospective on Casablanca Records.  You can click here to take a gander at the stations general A/B/C playlist and if that doesn't make you tune in immediately, well, then perhaps an outright bribe is in order. :)

True, internet radio has not yet discovered a way to turn digital broadcasting into a profitable enterprise, but such things will certainly be rectified as we quickly make a complete shift from terrestrial radio to online and satellite options as telecommunications companies rush to integrate such capabilities into their new products.

Our cell phones already do so much already.  It only stands to reason that streaming internet radio would soon become as common as turning on the television.  Yet the BBC seems to disagree and has made the first move toward cutting their losses.

If so moved, join this Save BBC 6 Music Facebook page, which also includes links and information for lodging a formal request to save the station.  And, of course, keep on listening to BBC 6!

Quote Of The Day: Myley Cyrus Is "Deeper Than Most People"

Seems the auto-tuned semen spawn of Billy Ray Cyrus has completely lost touch...if she was ever in touch to begin with, that is.  In the latest ish of Teen Vogue (sigh, when will they just stop beating around the bush and start a mag called Teen Cosmo already?), the Hannah Montana star says of herself and current, but not-worth-mentioning-because-he'll-be-history-soon-enough Australian boyfriend:

"I think we're both deeper than normal people -- what they think and how they feel. He's very grateful for what he has, but he doesn't let it go to his head. I'm like that too."

Um, hi, Earth to Vacuous No-Talent, just because you realize that you're lucky to have a nation of brain-dead Tweeners worshipping your every move doesn't make you better than them, and what makes you think these mouth-breathing tantrum-throwers you call fans constitute "most people"?

Contrary to what you may believe, "most people" are not little dipshits running around texting and sexting and taking little bathroom shots of themselves to post on their MySpace page in hopes that the third-string junior varsity quarterback, no doubt named Josh or Ethan (serious parents enough with the bullshit lack of creativity in the names department) will finger-bang them at the next dance.

Just sayin'.

Help Name Liam Gallagher's New Band

With Noel Gallagher having quit Oasis, the remaining members of the band have chosen to carry on without him, albeit not under the name Oasis. While the band is set to begin work on their debut album in April and expects to be performing live this year, Liam reports that the band still hasn't come up with a name for themselves.

"There's one that we're digging at the moment," says Liam, "but we're going to get on with the music and see how it goes. If we haven't got a better one by then, we'll go with the one we're into."

We figured we might help the band out a bit by throwing out some ideas that might strike their fancy:

Mirage

Liam Gallagher & The Liam Gallagher Band featuring Liam Gallagher

Oh, Wha's This? (say it fast...)

Still Not The Beatles

God Fodder

Monobraü

Feel free to offer some suggestions of your own...who knows, Liam may be end up using one of them.