Have a listen to some of these CDs from the CD Baby Store

If you are looking for some cool indie rock and roll that you may not have heard before, click on any one of these links and have a listen to these bands. If you like what hear go ahead and buy a copy and keep indie rock and roll alive and kicking!

JETTISON RED: Clear As DayThis album is like a powerpop high speed harley chase, so get in the fricken’ side car and enjoy the ride.

NITROMUSK: Things I’ve DoneDirty, sexy, silly & fun r’n'roll

TINY STEPS: Tiny Steps EPA band that, set against the cartoonish backdrop of Detroit’s roller coaster rock scene, won’t inspire anyone to utter the word “garage.” It’s pop music played by guys who play too loud to be a pop band.

TOM CAVANAGH: Bent PussycatAddictive guitar driven rock-pop-punk songs. 14 songs of power pop/punk rock In the style of Green day, Weezer, The Who, Rhino Caravan, Wardance and Cheap Trick.

CATS AND JAMMERS: Hurray For EverythingSnap-cracklin’ power pop goodness with a 60’s garage flair and a 70’s punk attitude.

THE SQUEAKY FROMME: PhotographyIndie Rock meets Classic American late 70’s early 80’s arena rock/ HotRock

The Drastic Plastic Program Playlist for August 28, 2006

Here is the Drastic Plastic Playlist for August 28, 2006 on CKUT FM which broadcasts live and on the Net every Monday night from 10:00 - 11:00 PM EST. Check out the Heavy Trash mini-set that host Doug Ford put together in the middle. Very cool stuff. I will be hosting my new monthly slot on September 4, 2006 so tune in and enjoy!

Band/Album/Song

• The Bellrays - Have a Lttle Faith - Time is Gone
• The Detroit Cobras - Baby - I Wanna Holler
• The Von Bondies - Pawn Shoppe Heart - No Regrets
• The Dirtbombs - If You Don’t Already Have a Look - Cedar Point ‘76
• The Black Keys - Magic Potion - Modern Times
• Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum - Out of Focus
• Heavy Trash - Heavy Trash - Justine All Right
• Heavy Trash - Heavy Trash - The Loveless
• Heavy Trash - Heavy Trash - Dark Hair’d Rider
• The Sadies - In Concert - Tailspin
• Jackie Greene - Sweet Somewhere Bound - About Cell Block #9
• James Chance and the Contortions - Live - Aux Bain Douche - Don’t Stop Until You’ve Had Enough (featured at the upcoming Osheaga Festival here in Montreal)

Later.

The Shys - Astoria (Sire Records)

There are still some of us who like our rock and roll with a bit of cocksure swagger. You know what I’m talking about- the cream colored Les Paul slung low down on the waste of Mick Ronson, the decadent debauchery of Exile on Main Street, the “fuck you” attitude of Iggy Pop, the rock and roll thump of AC/DC. As long as somebody continues to make amplifiers, somebody will plug their guitar into them, kick in the speaker and insist on playing fuzzed out three chord riffs while some too-skinny singer with acne and greasy hair sings in front of a stone-faced bass player and a frantically flailing drummer. It’s part of rock and roll’s DNA. Jet mined that vein to glory and The Shys are attempting to do the same with their Sire debut Astoria.

Making no apologies for their stripped-down sound, The Shys instead seem to revel in it. Never Gonna Die and Call in the Cavalry kick things off with a suitable kick in the pants but it’s the Stones meets Bolan of Waiting on the Sun that got me interested. Having it Large is great at high volume (it’s playing right now) and over all this stuff pretty much rocks from beginning to end. Good stuff and sure to be a band to see live if you get the chance as they are currently touring the country (I plan to catch them at the Osheaga Festival here in Montreal). There’s some great rock and roll meat on these bones. Take a bite…I’m sure you’ll like the taste. Check out their My Space site to listen to some of their tunes.

Later.

Any cool web design gurus out there?

Feel like helping out in rejiggering the look and feel of The Rock and Roll Report? Do you live in Montreal? If so contact me here at The Rock and Roll Report so we can talk about changing things up a bit in how the site looks and even perhaps on moving to WordPress. I have been burned once already trying to get this project off the ground so don’t mind me if I seem a bit….cautious.

Let the good times rock and roll!

Later.

p.s. If you like the logo check out http://msig.info/web2.php

The Drastic Plastic Program begins its inevitable conquest of Montreal rock and roll radio!

As seen on the Rant Line from the Montreal Mirror:

M I’m wondering if someone knows of any bars or clubs that play UK indie music in Montreal. The only British music I’ve heard here in months was this BLOKE, DJ Armitage Shanks, who played some brilliant shite on CKUT’s Drastic Plastic last Monday night. If you know anywhere else spinning mad UK tunes, please give the Rant Line™ a call. Cheers. [BLEEP!]

Remember to tune in to the Drastic Plastic Program every Monday night between 10:00-11:00 PM EST on CKUT FM either live over the airwaves and Net or downloaded from the CKUT archives. Either way we will rebuild rock and roll radio in Montreal one song at a time.

Later.

Osheaga Festival Finalizes Line-Up

Montreal is pumped to host the first ever Osheaga Festival at the beautiful Parc Jean Drapeau on Labour Day weekend and what a line-up they have assembled! Here is just a selection: Ben Harper, Sonic Youth, Flaming Lips, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Dinosaur Jr, Wolf Parade, Bedouin Soundclash, Montreal’s own The Stills, Brazilian Girls, Metric, Joseph Arthur, The Shys (expect a review of their new album on the site soon),  Star Sailor,  The Magic Numbers and more. Over 60 bands will be playing! I plan to attend and will report back on how it went. If you are looking for an excuse to visit Montreal (like you really need one) this is the festival to check out. The full schedule and a map can be downloaded here.

Later.

Independent Music Awards Deadline Extended- Entries Must Be Postmarked by Friday September 1, 2006

The deadline for the 2007 Independent Music Awards is extended by one week – providing procrastinating artists around the world a brief window to still submit materials to this prestigious program.

The IMAs celebrate the very best in independent music and design and this year’s crop of entries are shaping up to be the most diverse and talented in the award’s six-year history. A-list Artist judges including Peter Gabriel, Wynonna,

Ozzy Osbourne, Suzanne Vega, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Oakenfold, Afrika Bambaataa, Bill Frisell and others join influential Industry judges ranging from high profile Music Festival Artistic Directors, Record Label Executives, Film, TV & Gaming Music Supervisors and Music Journalists to determine this year’s winners.

Entries from Japan, Australia, Guam, Argentina, Cuba, Israel, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Greece, Estonia, Russia, Ireland, the UK, Canada and the United States reflect the program’s stature and reach throughout the international independent music community.

Read more

Rock & Roll Postcard from France - Girard reviews Gregg Swann - “Everybody’s Got to be Somewhere”

Gregg SWANN “Everybody’s Got to be Somewhere” www.greggswann.com

Pour ne rien vous cacher, je connais personnellement le bonhomme pour l’avoir reçu dans mon émission Pop Dreams et l’avoir suivi sur plusieurs dates sur le sol français. Mon amitié est indéfectible pour Gregg, être humain talentueux et sensible. Sa musique lui ressemble, humaine et donc non parfaite. Avec une discographie déjà très fournie mais une abscence de plusieurs années, vous pensez bien que c’est avec un plaisir non dissimulé que j’ai littéralement avalé les 10 titres que comporte ce joli digipack. Gregg, c’est ton meilleur album sans conteste! mélodique, chaleureux, fidèle à l’univers musical du new yorkais. Des pop songs évidentes que l’on a envie de chanter à tue tête et qui vous trotte dans la tête des journées entières. La bio cite Westerberg, Petty, je peux ajouter une pincée de early REM.(le titre “Hollywood”) Très beau retour aux affaires d’un vrai auteur. A découvrir d’urgence (salut amical à Jeff son bassiste)

I have nothing to hide, I know personally the man and because of this I received his CD for play on my radio show Pop Dreams as well as getting the opportunity to see him play on French soil. My friendship and respect for Gregg knows no bounds as he is truly talented and sensitive human being. His music is human and not at all perfect. With a rich discography but an absence of a number of years you would probably not be surprised to hear that I literally devoured these 10 new tracks on this great digipack. Gregg, this is your best CD, no contest! Melodique, inviting, this album is faithful to the New York musical universe. With pop songs that you sing along to constantly in your head they are so good that they stay with you for days. Hi bio cites Westerberg, Petty and a touch of early R.E.M. (on the title “Hollywood”) as influences. A great return to form for an amazing song writer. This is an album requiring urgent discovery. Oh, and a friendly high to Gregg’s bassist Jeff!

By Gérard Girard

GREGG SWANN: Everybody’s Got To Be SomewhereGuitar driven, hook-laden pop anthems and wistful ballads.

The Beatles are coming to Shea! The Beatles are coming to Shea!

OK not really, but the very well regarded Beatles tribute band 1964…The Tribute will be performing at Shea Stadium on August 23, 2006 (tonight!) on the 40th anniversary of the last Beatles concert in New York. They will be playing prior to the Mets-Cardinals game and during various innings. If you like baseball and the Beatles you will be in heaven.

Later.

To Tour Or Not To Tour…That Is The Question!

To Tour Or Not To Tour…That Is The Question!
by Sheena Metal,

MusicDish Network Sponsor

It’s every musician’s fantasy: The tour bus rolls up to the arena (full of groupies, beer and pizza). Fans are crowded out front hoping to catch a glimpse of America’s hottest band. The group is escorted to their dressing room (full of more groupies, beer and pizza). They enjoy the various pleasures of stardom while roadies set up the stage. It’s show time. The artists take the stage. The crowd is screaming. The lights are glaring. The amps are humming. The drummer clicks off the first song and…

You wake up in the back of your PT Cruiser. Your bass player’s elbow is in your ear and the drummer’s asleep on your foot. You’ve eaten nothing for the last week but corn dogs and frozen burritos. This is not the tour you imagined. This is not your Lilith Faire. This is not your Lollapalooza. This is not your Warped Tour. This…sucks.

Every musician dreams of touring. Getting out of their same boring town. Trying their tunes out on new crowds, in new areas, for fresh faces. Bonding on road, writing new tunes in the motel room, free food, free drinks, getting paid, getting laid…living the life.

But the music biz is full of touring horror stories. Bands stuck on the road with no money to come home. Musicians not eating for days. Clubs canceling gigs the night of with no warning. Negative reactions from bar patrons and local bands. The list goes on.

So, how do you make sure that your touring experience is a positive one? What can you, as musicians do, to eliminate potentially negative experiences and create positive ones.

The following are a few tips that add success to your touring experience:

1.) Don’t Plan A Tour Because You’re Unhappy At Home—Just as an affair will not fix the problems in a marriage, a tour is not the cure for: problems within the band, problems in the band members’ lives, or a general malaise for your local scene. A tour is strain and stress and loads of work. You should be excited, and enthusiastic and positive when planning.

2.) Over Prepare Before You Leave — You can never plan too much or take too many precautions. At home is the time to rethink ever scenario and arrange accordingly. Get the van tuned up. Pack extra emergency money. Bring a list of additional clubs in the area in case your gigs fall through. Pack extra strings and sticks. Bring a backup guitar. Pack extra merchandise. Bring emergency food/water. Pack extra batteries and power cords. Bring cell phones.

3.) Be Humble And Thankful — You’re in a strange town and a new club, act like a guest. Nothing ticks off a club owner/promoter who’s taken a chance on an unknown band more than out-of-towners swaggering into a club like Paris Hilton in an episode of "The Simple Life." No matter how cool you are in your own town, this is unproven ground and your first impression is important. Ask, don’t demand. Set up quickly. Play at an appropriate volume. Clean up after yourselves. Be friendly and courteous. Say "please" and "thank you". Unless you’re booking in Jerkville USA, this positive attitude could set you well on your way to a repeat booking with better perks and more local support.

4.) Seize Every Opportunity—If you’re going to take the time away from work, family, and the buzz you’ve built in your own music community to head out into the great beyond and conquer unknown lands…you might as well come back with something other than lovely memories and an out-of-state parking ticket. You’re in a new place and the possibilities are endless. Sell CDs. Sell T-shirts. Get new names on your mailing list. Solicit local reviews, interviews, and radio. Introduce yourself to other club owners for future bookings. Find out who books local festivals. Play an impromptu house party after your gig. Make new friends that can street team for you next time. Think of something I haven’t even written here and do it!

Don’t Expect To Conquer The World In One Tour—Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your touring empire be. Have fun. Enjoy each trip and using it as a building block to make each tour to that particular place better and more elaborate. Play your cards right, and after a few trips you may be making terrific money, have secured lodging (either new friends let you crash or a club pays for a motel), get food and drinks comped, and guaranteed press and radio coverage.

In short, touring can be the best thing that ever happened to your band if you work hard, play it smart, and follow through correctly. But no matter how much you love to tour, always remember to keep your foot in the door locally. It’s the great work that you do at home that makes other clubs excited about you bringing your show to their town.

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians’ assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2006 - Republished with Permission

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