Rock and Roll Report Blitz: The Armed Forces

The thing I love about rock and roll is the wide sonic pallet that it encompasses. That is why I never get bogged down in genres, but sometimes I do feel myself listening a bit too much to one style or other so it’s nice to have a band come along and kind of smack me upside the head and change my sense of direction.

The Armed Forces are from Nashville, Tennessee and at first listen of their CD Modern Gospel For Modern Men & Modern Women I knew there was something there that I liked, I just wasn’t sure what it was. But as with all of my favourite CDs, multiple listening revealed to me a great band that had a definite, modern twist to their powerpop hook. The song that got to me first was The Runaways. The finger clicking and female back up vocals clinched it for me and made me hungry for more. In The Free World was next and everything else on this 5 song CD followed quickly thereafter. I won’t insult you by comparing them to somebody since you will probably email me to tell me that I am out of my tree because they sound more like THIS band but I will toss out moder, hooky, angry at times and volume knob worthy.

Check them out at their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/thearmedforce and listen to them on an upcoming edition of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast and Rock and Roll Report Radio. Good stuff!

Later.

Mark

The WFMU Fund Raising Marathon Is On Now!

I spend a lot of time blasting commercial rock radio, and for good reason I believe. It is ad driven instead of music driven, it is devoid of personality, it caters to the lowest common denominator and it plays the same songs over and over again. That being said, non-commercial radio still holds out some hope for all of us who actually care about radio (and I do actually give a shit about the medium). From my very own CKUT FM here in Montreal which broadcasts an amazing array of programming serving a population that is not adequately served by “mainstream” media to stations like KCRW and the Pacifica Network, non-commercial radio is frequently challenging, often frustrating but never boring, just what good radio should be, and at the top of the heap in my opinion sits WFMU, gazing down regally at us all with a slightly bemused smirk on its face.

To me, WFMU embodies everything that is great about radio. Featuring a mind boggling array of programming that is astonishing in its depth and let’s face it weirdness, WFMU continues to fly the freeform flag proudly while existing solely due to the support of its listeners. And unlike other non-commercial stations that run fund raising events throughout the year, WFMU runs their fundraising marathon just once, and now is the time.

From February 25th until March 9th, 2008 WFMU is holding out their hand to their listeners, fans and people who just like to support freaky institutions for their annula fund raising extravaganza. And WFMU is truly an institution as this is the 50th anniversary of the station. Whether you are into garage punk, Tahitian guitar music, reggae, warped country and bluegrass and numerous other “genres” of music, ‘FMU probably plays it. And if listening to them online at www.wfmu.org won’t convince you, perhaps a flip through the utterly fascinating and borderline psychotic The Best of LCD: The Art and Writing of WFMU will.

Recently published by Raincoast Books, The Best of LCD is as eclectic as the station it portrays featuring a number of articles, comics and just plain weirdness from “FMU’s defunct program guide LDC (Lowest Common Denominator). Chock full of amazingly interesting portraits of zany DJs from the ‘50s, guides to the best “Anti-Rock” books and a still accurate diatribe against commercial rock radio, The Best of LCD is a worthy read and perfect for that well stocked bathroom.

If you care about radio, I urge you to make a pledge towards WFMU where freeform radio is not just a slogan; it’s a way of life. Here’s to another 50 years of WFMU, arguably the greatest radio station on the planet.

Later.

Mark

Rock TV Done Right - From The Basement

If you are fed up with the current state of “music television” then head over to http://www.fromthebasement.tv/ for a refreshing change of pace. No logos, no presenters and no typical TV studio paraphernalia. Just straight up performances from people like The Shins, White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Thom Yorke, the Super Furry Animals and more. According to From the Basement founder Nigel Godrich: “I’m a sad fan trying to bring the magic back to music TV.”

Check it out and see how cool music TV can be.

Later.

Mark

The Live Rock and Roll Experience

I have made the case in the past how it is important, if you REALLY love rock and roll to experience it live as often as possible. No, I am not talking about U2 or Springsteen at the local Enormodome but about seeing the hundreds (probably thousands) of bands that ply their trade from one rock and roll dive bar to another.

Let me use a recent experience to illustrate. A few weeks ago I caught one of my current faves The Brown Hornets at a local bar here in Montreal. Now granted the bar itself was nothing special in the interior decor department and the lighting onstage was suspect but the place certainly has character and that counts for maximum points in my book. There was no cover charge, the bar held maybe 50-75 people max and yet when I walked out of there on the shady side of 1:00 AM I was positively vibrating with excitement.

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Rock and Roll Report Focus on APG

photo courtesy of Amanda Willman

When a popular band decides to call it a day, usually the followers of that band are left with an empty feeling of never being able to see that band again. And if it happens that two bands decide to call it a day at the same time, twice as many people have the same empty feeling.

This is what happened when Cleveland-based band hard rock band Another Path and heavy metal band Gatlin decided that it was time to move on. However, when members of both bands heard of the other’s demise, a new partnership began between the lead singer of Another Path and the remaining members of Gatlin.

The new project became known as A Passion Greater, now known simply as APG. The lead singer, Dave Hudec, picked up where he left off in Another Path by writing songs for his new band, and his new band mates helped turn the new songs into something real, something different than what either band was playing before they broke apart. Along with Dave Hudec on vocals, the rest of the band consists of Jon Drake on bass/vocals, Don DeBiase on guitar, John Marshall on guitar, and Tony Castillo on drums.

The members of APG merged their two styles together into a melodic hard rock band. Taking the best of both worlds and combining them into one makes APG a band with a sound that would fit on any modern day rock station.

Once the band was together, they went into the studio to record their debut album, This Brutal Addiction. Engineered by the band’s lead guitarist, Don DeBiase, the 2007 album gives the listener their money’s worth, as the album clocks in at just under an hour.

One of the best hard rock albums of 2007, This Brutal Addiction definitely is one of those albums that you should check out if you like rock music. And the public agrees as the band has been nominated for the 2008 Free Times Music Awards in Cleveland for Best Hard Rock Band. This is the perfect time to check out this Cleveland group and their music.

For more information, go to www.myspace.apg. Also check them out at www.purevolume.com/apg.

Matheson Kamin

Cover Story - Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Are You Experienced?”, with photography by Karl Ferris

Copyright ©1967 and 2008 by Karl Ferris - All rights reserved.

Subject: Are You Experienced?, a 1967 release (on Reprise Records) by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, with cover photo & design by Karl Ferris

Considered by many music fans and critics as one of the (if not THE) greatest debut record from a rock-era artist, Are You Experienced (with or without the ?) also illustrated how records were produced, packaged and tailored for distribution to the world’s music marketplaces. Released in the U.K. in May, 1967, the record was a compilation of the fantastic music and performances that had been wowing crowds in London theaters up to that point. Those crowds included most of members of the leading musical acts of the time - including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Hollies, The Who (and many others) – who’d all come to watch and listen in stunned amazement to the trio’s musical magic.

In the 40+ years (yes, that long ago!) since its release, the record’s influence on both the musicians who’ve striven “to play guitar like Hendrix” and those who create “Best Of” lists continues, with EVERY top guitarist today confirming Hendrix’s influence on their playing and the record’s positions on Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” (#15) in 2003 (following up its #5 ranking in 1987’s “Best Albums of the Last 20 Years” and #5 on a similarly-titled list published in 2001 by cable net VH-1. It is now also a national treasure in that it has also been selected to be permanently preserved by the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry and archive.

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The Sex and Rock and Roll Podcast

Well, like I say in the podcast, rock and roll has been obsessed with sex from the very beginning and these songs certainly continue the tradition! I hope this selection of songs puts makes you feel just a little bit randy…..

Please email me at rockandrollreport@gmail.com and let me know what you thought of the show and if you liked it tell your friends! You can also leave a voice comment at 206-339-3646. Thanks for listening! And if you are a subscriber, on behalf of all the bands featured on the Rock and Roll Report thank you so very much for supporting and encouraging independent and unsigned rock and roll all over the world.

A big thank you to good friend of The Rock and Roll Report Shaz for the very hot pic featured above! You rock Shaz!

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click either of the links below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

Here is what I played on the podcast with links to the bands as well as links to where you can buy their music where I could find it.

1. Rock and Roll Report Podcast Intro by Featured on Fridays
2. Turn it On by Chop Suicide
3. M.I.L.F. by Big Cock
4. Getting You Off by Handsome Devil
   
5. All Night by EndeverAfter
   
6. Going Down Slow by a Lick and a Promise
7. Tits and Champagne by The Joneses
   
8. She’s So Pretty by Shameless
9. Little Nympho by the Naked Apes
10. I Wanna Be Your Monkey by Poets & Pornstars
    
11. Rock and Roll Report Podcast Outro by Featured on Fridays

Later.

Mark

Rock and Roll Report Focus on Joal Rush

Just when you start thinking that no one is making good rock-n-roll music anymore, you find someone who amazes you with their style of straight-out rock music. One such musician that is currently making that style of straight-out rock that is sadly all-too-uncommon is Joal Rush.
In 2004, Joal Rush released his debut EP, Delightful Things. With that release, Joal started making a name for himself. The reason for that is the CD started receiving critical acclaim from those who reviewed the release. Along with praise from the critics, Joal started gaining a following from his fans.

Since releasing Delightful Things , Joal has enjoyed a bit of success as good things started happening. The Atlanta, GA musician has shared then stage with the likes of Edwin McCain, Will Hoge and Styx; Joal has had his music added to XM Radio’s Unsigned channel 52 where it has become a fixture of the station; and he has had his song Carry On put on the Awarestore.com Ear Snacks Vol. 6 compilation.

After having success with Delightful Things and receiving all of the accolades that have come with it, Joal Rush is back with his second release, Imagination. With this new EP, Joal has taken his writing style and improved upon it, giving the songs on Imagination more power than before.
The new EP contains 6 great songs. The best tracks on the release are, in my opinion, Imagination, Living a Lie, and Bleed. The CD even comes with a ballad, You Are, that helps to wrap up the release.

Joal has put out a great rock release. His style would belong with groups who were around before there were styles of rock called Alternative or Grunge. His music seems a little out of place with what is on the airwaves right now, but that is because the majority of the groups out there right now follow whatever trends are big at the time and refuse to veer away from the mainstream. It takes courageous musicians like Joal Rush to take a chance at releasing music that is not pigeon-holed by today’s radio formats.

If you like pre-Alternative rock music, Joal Rush is making music just for you. You can check out Joal Rush and his music at www.joalrush.com and at www.MySpace.com/joalrush.

Matheson Kamin

Bodog Battle Brings On Major Equipment Sponsors To Spread The Rock: Mesa/Boogie, Hoshino/Tama and Paiste

For Immediate Release

Bodog Battle worldwide unites with a group of gear greats. Bodog Battle is proud to be teaming with Mesa/Boogie, Hoshino/Tama and Paiste Alpha Cymbals to provide the thousands of musicians competing in Bodog Battle 2008 with the highest quality instruments and equipment available today. With 400+ live battle performances taking place within 70 cities in Europe, Canada and across the United States, Bodog Battle keeps the rock sounding as huge as ever by working with some of the greatest names in music equipment to provide the backline for the 2008 Bodog Battle competition and Bodog Battle reality show.

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Rock and Roll Report Blitz: The Meddling Kids

Like a sugar-coated razor blade, Rochester, New York’s The Meddling Kids offer up a great mix of finely crafted hard pop songs that hide behind those sweet vocal harmonies some pretty biting lyrics.

I came across the band early last year when I was sent a copy of a pre-release version of their great lead off track Let Her Go which has since been honed to a biting sharpness which brings the guitar even more to the forefront. Their self-titled CD is resplendid with hooks galore, both of the guitar and vocal variety. Whether on Goodbye, 7 More Days or one of my favoutites Guilloteenager, these guys know how to draw you in and hold you from beginning to end.

I like all kinds of rock and roll but I have always especially enjoyed well-crafted rock songs laden with hooks. Some may call it commercial, I just call it rock and roll fun of the highest order. Great stuff.

You can listen to some tracks at their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/themeddlingkidsrock

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