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.

(more…)

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Patti Smith is one of the keynote speakers and performers at Pop Montreal, a huge music festival/conference that kicked off here yesterday. When questioned about what rock and roll meant to her and what she felt rock and roll represented she said that “It’s an idea of common expression.” She elaborated by saying that wherever she tours around the world, rock and roll acts as a common expression, a form of universal language. From people wearing their CBGB’s T shirts on the floors of a club in Munich to crowds of strangers singing along to her songs by heart in Montreal, rock and roll is truly a universal form of expression.

How many times have you encountered a stranger and when you learn that the music that inspires them is the same that floats your boat? It’s like you know that person despite the fact that you have never met them before. Rock and Roll can forge a common bond amongst disparate groups of people; it is one of the amazing things about this particular form of music. Just think of all those weddings you attended where the songs that really got people out of their seats, and I mean everybody were old classics like the Beatles where everyone knows the lyrics to the songs regardless of their personal listening habits. You might hate “Twist and Shout” but dammit you will probably sing along to it whether you want to or not.

I don’t want to get all clichéd about this but you know that buzz you get when you are at a show and hundreds or thousands of people are passionately singing along to the music coming from the stage? In this day and age of death and destruction, it truly is a wonderful place to be. Rock and Roll might not be able to save lives but it certainly makes living the life you are leading worthwhile. Pretty cool huh?

Later.

Mark

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So says Brian Slagel, the man behind Metal Blade Records which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. In an interview with the Ventura County Star Slagel states that “What’s happening now reminds me so much of the early ’80s,” he said. “I think there will be a second big wave of heavy metal.”

One thing that is fascinating is his take on running an indie label and the one thing that makes it such a challenge:

If metal gets big again, Slagel concedes that Metal Blade might face the same issue it did in the ’80s — losing bands to major labels. Back then, about 15 bands defected (although some would later crawl back). Slagel admitted that sometimes that hurts, after doing “all the dirty work” to help bands grow. But part of it, he added, is natural career progression.

That is the unfortunate situation of a lot of indie labels. They are like the minor leagues of rock and roll in some ways and tend to do all the work only to be usurped by someone bigger. Such is life in the rock and roll jungle. It doesn’t sound like Brian Slagel is complaining too much.

Later.

Mark

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So it appears that Hilly Kristal was really loaded when he closed down the famed CBGB club last fall due he said to an increase in rent. Not really sure what to make of this since CBGB was really a hole if you ever had the pleasure of visiting, rock and roll history be damned.

On other CBGB-related news, MVD will be releasing a series of live recordings from the club recorded from the ’80s to the ’00s. The initial offerings will come from Mooney Suzuki, The Queers, and H2O. More are expected to be announced in the fourth quarter of 2007, including some limited edition vinyl releases.

I certainly don’t deny CBGBs and Mr. Kristal their due but I don’t buy the reason why it was closed and then magically an announcement comes that they will re-open in Las Vegas. It’s just another rock and roll asset to be exploited, just like the famed “Fillmore” name which is now gracing a whole bunch of venues with no relation to the Fillmore’s East or West. More power to them I suppose but let’s not forget what made those clubs the institutions that they became. It was all about the music baby…

Later.

Mark

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If you have listened to Rock and Roll Report Radio or read The Rock and Roll Report for any length of time you will know that the whole purpose behind them (as well as the upcoming podcast) is to shine a light on unsigned and indie artists who represent to me the spirit and sound of what rock and roll is and should be. As such I tend not to listen to too much commercial rock radio but that does not mean that I have abandoned it completely. Let me tell you a story to illustrate why.

About a week ago I was driving around on a Saturday running errands and generally dumping more CO2 into the atmosphere as I attempted to get done all those things I needed doing. Normally when I am in the car I listen to CDs sent to me for review by various artists or a Rock and Roll Report Radio CD-R that I always make for the show. If I do listen to the radio and nothing is on CKUT I will either listen to the local classic rock radio station CHOM FM or the nearby “alternative rock” station The Buzz. I tend to constantly flip back and forth between the two since listening to the same song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is just as bad as listening to the same song by the Eagles hence my frustration with commercial radio.

As I flipped over to CHOM they were playing The Ocean by Led Zeppelin and I cranked it as I have always loved that song. After that was an oldie by April Wine and then something from Fleetwood Mac and finally an AC/DC track. The thing is, I was loving all of it and the reason is quite simple. Despite the fact that I grew up with this stuff, I don’t listen to it much anymore mainly because there is too much great new stuff to listen to but I will never deny (and you’d be insane not to) that rock and roll today is shaped as much by what has come in the past as to the technology and influences of today. And the thing of it is, when it is not constantly shoved down your throat it’s a blast to listen to! “Classic” rock and roll (for want of a better word) is still great music, it is just the unfortunate fact that having been played to death, the sheer joy of listening to it has been lost. I recently pulled out Exile on Main Street and listened to that thing like it was my first time, precisely because I have not had it foisted on me by annoying rock jocks who are more concerned with selling stereos and trips to the Dominican Republic than rock and roll and man was that a blast!

The moral of this long winded, poorly constructed story? Classic rock is not “bad” in the way that French fries are not bad. Constant exposure to both will lead to problems down the road but indulging every once in a while is not only a lot of fun but your enjoyment level will be that much higher. When I hear some indie rock dude complain about the Beatles or boast how they don’t own a record by the Doors I have to laugh because they are denying themselves an important part of rock and roll history. Yes classic rock radio has sucked the life out of rock and roll by not supporting emerging artists that I know will appeal to fans of Queen and David Bowie but let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. The future is well taken care of and there are more than enough bands and artists to satisfy my rock and roll urge but taking a look back at all the great rock and roll that has come before is not an act of nostalgia in my books. It is simply acknowledging that rock and roll is a living, breathing creature with a past, a present and one hell of a future.

Too much of a good thing is no good but abstinence is just denying you some great music to listen to. So pull out that old CCR album and have a listen. You will be surprised at what you are missing. Then crank it up and enjoy.

Later.

Mark

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I just read an interesting article over at the Wall Street Journal (ahem! Much adjusting of expensive tie…) by Lee Gomes who asks the question of whether the huge popularity of iPods and MP3 files is leading to a lower quality in the way music is recorded.

According to Are Technology Limits in MP3s and iPods Ruining Pop Music? he argues that a lot of producers are using MP3s as the reference standard for recording pop music which results in listener fatigue since the ear can only tolerate this radically compressed music for so long. According to LA engineer Jack Joseph Puig who is quoted in the article:

“Ten years ago, music was warmer; it was rich and thick, with more tones and more ‘real power.’ But newer records are more brittle and bright. They have what I call ‘implied power.’ It’s all done with delays and reverbs and compression to fool your brain.”

I know that this also relates to the whole argument that CDs are recorded too loud these days because “loud sells” and it is a trend that I find a bit frightening. I am getting firsthand experience with compressing audio files for an iPod as I prepare the podcast and it is true that a lot of the nuiances of music is being lost as we compress the hell out of sound files but I still wonder how much of this we actually notice.

The article does have some listening tests that you can do which I will try out and we will see how that all plays out with these ears but it is a fascinating, perhaps unforeseen dilemma that the huge popularity of MP3 players has created. Has the convenience of MP3s ruined the quality of the music we hear? What do you think?

UPDATE! Podcasting News is talking about the same article and brought up a good point when they say:

“The WSJ seems to have forgotten that for half the history of modern pop music, it was engineered to sound good relatively primitive stereos and car radios. Today’s portable media players deliver sound that’s a leap ahead of the AM car radios, transistor radios and Walkmans of the past.”

This is a valid point, I just hope that an MP3 will not become the reference point for recording engineers believing that the sound quality will be “good enough.” I want high quality recording and mastering on my rock and roll! I listen to it on an iPod as well as my kick ass stereo at home and I can tell the difference.

Later.

Mark

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Coolfer posted a link to an interesting article over at The Guardian Online called Smells Like Indie Spirit where writer Jude Rogers argues that there appears to be a resurgence in indie music in the UK but what does he consider to be indie? It is certainly not a musical genre in my opinion and should never be used to identify a style of music.

Indie is short for independent but independent of what? To me, indie is a philosophy, not a type of music. It is maintaining control of your art and ensuring that it is only presented the way you want it to be presented. That is why you will rarely hear me purposely trumpet the fact that I play and write about indie and unsigned bands since I don’t want people to mistakenly think I play something vaguely referred to as indie music. The Rock and Roll Report is about rock and roll, pure and simple. How it is distributed is something that is a side issue to the music. I tend to focus on music not on major labels only because I have found that some of the best rock and roll can be found there. It is an unfortunate fact that it is those bands and artists that to me best signify what rock and roll are all about that are often side-lined from commercial radio due to their indie status and it is for this reason that I champion their cause.

I refuse to classify my music by mode of distribution. It is not indie or alternative. It is rock and roll, nothing more, nothing less.

Check out the excellent documentary What is Indie? which I think best answers this whole question.

Later.

Mark

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I hate to be a cynic because cynicism is the natural enemy of optimism and I have always considered myself to be somewhat of an optimist but it is hard for me not be just a little cynical about Saturday’s Live Earth concerts.

First of all, let’s not fool ourselves, the majority of the people at these concerts were there to see Madonna or the Black Eyed Peas or The Police and if you asked them what a carbon footprint was they would probably knock you over on their way to the beer tent after telling you that they must have missed that band. That’s not to say I don’t agree with the idea behind Live Earth. Global warming is not a fallacy, it is a real problem and we need to collectively get our heads out of our asses and deal with the problem now but a series of rock concerts? I mean really, that is so ‘80s. On top of that, as both the Arctic Monkeys (who didn’t participate) and Snow Patrol (who did) pointed out, touring musicians are one of the greatest contributors of CO2 emissions out there although admittedly that is something that is changing due to the work of such organizations as Reverb. Still, watching the various concerts and those huge lighting trusses and banks of amplifiers or thinking of those idling broadcast trucks in all the venues parking lots bringing the images into our homes couldn’t make you but shake your head and wonder if somehow the point could have been made in a bit more of an environmentally benign way.

I will give the organizers their due in that they have tried to lessen the environmental impact as much as possible as a quick glance at their Green Event Guidelines point out but when somebody like Madonna has parked in her garage a Mercedes Maybach, two Range Rovers, an Audi A8 and a Mini Cooper S (according to the Guardian) you have to wonder if the performers are taking this whole thing to heart. A big thumbs up to Simon LeBon of Duran Duran who sarcastically asked the question “who did not show up at Wembley in a private jet?” A good point to be sure.

As for the entertainment value of the whole thing, I was impressed at watching Madonna strut around with a Gibson LesPaul slung low and those Pussycat Dolls are, ahem mighty impressive but I think I am pretty much Stinged out although it was interesting to see James Hetfield’s Talibanesque beard. Personally the highlights for me were Spinal Tap and those part-time scientist-musicians in Antarctica so that pretty much shows where I stand on all of this.

At the end of the day I suppose if it convinces a good number (how many?) of people to buy those new low-wattage fluorescent light bulbs and to change their day-to-day way of living to at least make some relatively simple changes to their routine then the whole exercise will have been somewhat of a success. My big question is how many people out there are tired of being preached to by rock stars and pop tarts and by extension refuse to listen to anything they have to say, no matter how right it may be? I am not sure I would do anything that James Blunt asked me to do but if Shakira asked I suppose I might change my tune…

Cynical? Maybe just a little bit.

If you are looking for some ways you can lessen your impact on the environment and reign in your contribution to global warming the Live earth site does have some good suggestions and tools and Greenpeace has published the handy How to Save the Climate so you can start there.

Every little bit helps.

Later

Mark

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Is live rock and roll dead? You might think I’m nuts in asking the question but from where I sit (or stand primarily) the attendance at shows in clubs holding less than 500 people has been disappointing to say the least and I am hearing similar rumblings from others.

The mega shows like the Stones, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Nickleback for that matter will do fine but where rock and roll really lives and breaths is in the small clubs around the world, the dives where the up and comers ply their trade. To me there is nothing better than going to a small club and listening to rock and roll for a number of reasons. First off, its affordable. In these days of $300.00 “Gold Circle” seating I am in no mood to go to a show when for the same price I could fly to a freaking beach and enjoy a few days R& R.

Second, the whole experience is more personal. You’re up close. When the band takes a break you can chat with them at the bar or more likely while you’re taking a pee in the bathroom. The experience is more “real” for want of a better word and for that reason much more enjoyable, at least to me.

Seeing bands at small clubs also kindles a sense of rock and roll adventure. If you are only going to drop 10 or 20 bucks to go in and see a band (with 20 bucks being the high end of the scale) you are more willing to take a chance on the unknown, that band whose name sounds cool but who you have no idea what they are about. Sometimes it works out and you love them, sometimes less so but it is always an experience, which is what rock and roll should be.

Unfortunately, at some recent shows that I have been at, the attendance has been meager at best. This to me is quite depressing as rock and roll has always been a live medium and the only true way to experience the power of the music is to experience it at ear-splitting volume with a beer in one hand and your buddies and/or girlfriend crowded around dancing, yelling and otherwise making complete idiots of themselves. It is a way to lift you out of the here and now and bring you to a better, fun place, if only for the night.

In the rock and roll ecosystem, touring puts the butter on the bread for most bands and is the primary way for them to generate interest in their music, sell some CDs and merchandise and generally move up the popularity ladder. Lack of fans means lack of opportunities, lack of money and that could quite possibly spell the end for many a band. My challenge to you is this: Go see some live shows this summer at some of the medium to smaller clubs in your area. Haven’t heard of the band? Who cares! Give it a shot, you may very well be surprised at what you hear.

There is tons of great rock and roll being played on stages throughout the land. Go experience it, encourage the artists to create more and make live rock and roll a part of your life. How can you possibly regret that?

Am I right or am I wrong?

UPDATED! I just read the news that Sparkelfest, one of the best powerpop/rock music festivals around has called it quits due to a lack of advertising support and attendance figures that should be better than what they have been. We’re not doing ourselves any favours people….

Later.

Mark

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You tread on hallowed ground when talking about the Beatles and to diss them is certainly nothing short of blasphemy but I ask this simple question: Does anybody actually still listen to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?

As we approach the 40th anniversary of the legendary recording on June 1st, the paeans to this classic are pouring in but it is ironically an actual Beatle, Ringo Starr himself that is pouring some cold water on all the platitudes. “It served its purpose. But as a musician I preferred Revolver and I preferred The White Album because we were back being musicians. It was like everybody got their madness out in Sergeant Pepper.” Now I am not denying the historical significance of the record. It ushered in a number of firsts (if these are things that really matter in rock and roll): first gatefold sleeve, first time lyrics were printed on an album, arguably the first “concept” album (there is a huge argument to be had here since there is no real unifying theme to the songs other than the opening track and reprise at the end and both the 13th Floor Elevators and the Beach Boys had similar “concept” albums in the can) and certainly it was the album that broke the back of the 2:30 minute pop single.

But honestly, who has recently slapped Peppers on their CD player? Admit that you only listen to “A Day in the Life” and maybe “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and when you do it is most probably off of the Blue album. I have always felt that, as innovative an album that it is, Sergeant Peppers has suffered from a disease I called criticalitis in which when you have enough critics saying it is the greatest, people will tend to believe it without actually pondering whether they actually even listen to the damn thing or not.

The irony is that what was really so innovative of Peppers is not the songs so much as how they were created and recorded. The techniques devised to put this album together laid down the framework for every major recording technique outside of computer-based recording that we have today. And the ideas behind the pacing of the album and the way the songs are linked definitely set the stage for those monstrous prog-rock concept album of the ’70s despite the fact that, like I said Peppers was a concept in the mind primarily of Paul McCartney but not in the actual aural output of its 13 songs.

I am not here to tear down the mythology of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. I think John Lennon and Ringo Starr have done enough of that. While I do enjoy the album, it is frustrating to me that so many people seem to blindly accept its place as the pinnacle of rock and roll as high art. Whenever I hear somebody expounding on the virtues of this record, I always ask the same question: “When was the last time you listened to it?” The response is more often than not a fumbling for words and the infamous rhetorical quip “That’s not the point.” If the point of rock and roll records is for people to play them then I ask you, as great as Peppers is supposed to be, when was the last time that you listened to it?

I thought so.

Later.

Mark

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Well the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had their induction ceremony last night and it was quite an interesting night if you take all of this stuff seriously. It was nice to see Bill Berry back behind the drum kit with R.E.M. but the whole Van Halen fiasco was absolutely ridiculous. With Eddie Van Halen in rehab and David Lee Roth refusing to show because of a tiff with organizers over what song he would play with Velevet Revolver, it was left to motor mouth Sammy Hagar and original bassist Michael Anthony (no not new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen) to accept the accolades.

What has happened with Van Halen is a great example of what happens when great bands don’t know when to call it a day. No doubt urged on by their lawyers and accountants who predict an inevitably huge payday, Van Halen is such a disfunctional unit that it seems almost strange to talk about their music anymore. Where once there was the brilliance of Eddie Van Halen that was brilliantly played off of by the party-guy antics of David Lee Roth, there now lies a depressing soap opera of booze, bullshit and creative dead ends as the boys who created fun, wild eyed party rock and roll lurch from one attempted reunion to another.

My advice to Van Halen? Get healthy, get a life and then sit back and assemble a great retrospective box set of Van Halen material that will blow the socks off your long suffering fans. Then call it a day before what is left of your fan base completely gives up on you and refuses to listen to anything recorded after Van Halen 1. It could have already happened.

Later.

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Can you believe there is a brand of vodka called Hendrix Electric Vodka? Ya, neither could his estate who are suing the company responsible since (a) they did not sanction it, (b) they are coming out with a non-alcoholic drink this summer and (c) Jimi died on his own vomit from mixing sleeping pills and wine according to the article Drinking with Jimi by Janeen Burkholder.

My question would have to be: who in the hell wants to drink a vodka named after a dead rock star? I’m off to have a nice cold Brian Jones Brew.

Later.

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2007 is turning out to be one weird year in rock and roll. We have the Police back together and touring, David Lee Roth back with Van Halen and touring (or not?). There are rumblings that Page, Plant and Jones are planning a trip to a concert stage near you, 2/3 of The Jam are back (no Paul Weller so what’s the point?). Plus there is talk that the original version of Guns and Roses are thinking of hitting the road again as well as a newly reunited Cult. To top that all off I noticed that this year’s Rock Fest is a veritable trip back to 1976. We have Boston, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad and Chicago joining personal fave The Tragically Hip for a night of what, nostalgia? Bad weed? Trying to figure out why the lead singer looks nowhere near like the guy featured on that huge poster of Boston you used to have hanging in your bedroom in high school?

All these reunions are starting to take there toll on me. Personally I think the Police reunion is a good thing as they never properly exited the scene but Grand Funk Railroad!!! Yikes, pass the Thunderbird and slap on an 8 track before I wake up. I’m all dazed and confused.

Later.

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It’s interesting that I just focused on the label Crusher Records on this week’s 3 Amigos show, a label that releases all of its recordings on 7″ vinyl. Interesting because vinyl, while not back as a popular format, has certainly not died the death we thought was so obvious once CDs and certainly MP3 downloads became commonplace.

Check out the article Record plant still pressing vinyl albums by John Gerome. Although vinyl is primarily used these days by DJs who scratch with them, there is no doubt that the warm, rich sound of a vinyl record is a welcome sound to many music afficianados, much like those guitarists that insist that an electric guitar sounds best coming through a tube amp.

While I look back fondly at vinyl, I tend to focus more on the hassles then the sound. I will never forget receiving “Ghost in the Machine” for my birthday years ago only to have my buddies pull it out at a party that night and proceed to scratch pretty much every song I liked on the album, making it pretty much unlistenable thereafter. At the same time, flipping through those Crusher Records releases certainly gave me a more visceral thrill than any CD I can recall opening. Perhaps that is where the appeal lies. Plus the artwork on an album is so much easier to enjoy than on a CD.

Later.

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While sitting on the tarmac in Toronto waiting for my plane to be de-iced I did the only thing any bored airline traveler could do in the situation except for screaming at the top their lungs, I grabbed one of the books I had packed for my business trip and hunkered down to read a chapter or 2. Luckily I had dragged along with me a book that has sat neglected for some time but seemed perfectly appropriate for the situation. Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung is an anthology of writings by Lester Bangs edited by Greil Marcus and collects a number of his prolific writings on rock and roll, life on the edge and the need for a revolution now. How does he hold up in these days of blogs, podcasts and instant microwaveable pop? Pretty damn good in my humble opinion.

It’s unfortunate that we live in a time where we are not so much interested in instant gratification as we are in instantaneous answers. We want to know now why that movie sucks, or that CD is good or that band is worth seeing. We don’t have the time to wade through pages of prose in order to get our answer of whether we should buy or more likely download the stuff. Just give us a yes or no, we don’t have the time or the inclination to have to think for crying out loud. The difference between a critic like Bangs and what we supposedly need now is that he took the time to formulate an opinion by elaborately and artfully setting up his argument while most probably deconstructing everything you liked at the time. I don’t think in this day and age anybody wants to be told they’re full of shit and this is unfortunate because Lester Bangs had no problem telling us that we are all in fact full of shit. Never one for a simple answer, he needed the time and space to elaborate on why we are full of shit and that luxury is unfortunately not available to most unless you count those esoteric blogs hanging off the edge of cyberspace that no one reads anyways.

Take for example his review of Funhouse by The Stooges that was published in Creem through November and December 1970. Titled “Of Pop and Pies and Fun: A Program for Mass Liberation in the Form of a Stooges Review, or, Whose the Fool?” most people today would not have the patience to read that review. They would skip to the end to see how many stars he rated the album or his general two line conclusion but they would have been disappointed and pissed off and probably would have just complained that this guy is too damn wordy and maybe just a little bit over the top. Bu they would be missing the whole point. Good critics are not here to tell us whether something is good or bad. A good critic is somebody who makes you think “holy shit, what is this lunatic talking about? I need to investigate this for myself because it may just mean something to me, good or bad.” A critic is not there to tell you how to spend your money but to help you decide why you should experience something for the sake of the experience. Lester Bangs would be the first to argue that he could very well be full of shit himself and the last thing he would want is a complete acceptance of his truth as the truth. Far from it. When I read anything that Bangs wrote half the time I’m shaking my head thinking he’s the one who is full of it. Monotony is not music and what the hell does he have against Led Zeppelin anyway? But at least he unleashes some passion, some emotion as the reader strives to justify to themselves why they like what they like and maybe, just maybe that album which you claim is so great is really a piece of crap and deep down you just know it. Lester Bangs wrote record reviews like little novels. There was passion in his art. He was a joy to read because he was so opinionated. He probably wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a mainstream magazine today.

Later.

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It was inevitable that the music industry should feature prominently in the reality TV genre. Whether it be “Rebel Billionaire” with Richard Branson where contestants had to pick and promote a band to be featured at that year’s V Festival, or the various episodes of the Apprentice where the teams had to work with Jessica Simpson (!) and other “hot” musical acts, music is often fertile grounds for reality TV drama. Of course the various “Idol” shows as well as the “Rockstar” franchise go to show that people just can’t seem to get enough of that long hard slog over, ahem, 6 weeks to make it to rock and roll super stardom. I suppose then that it was inevitable that MTV, that corporate music whore and Rolling Stone, the legendary music and culture mag should get together and try and spin a little bit of reality TV magic their way. The result is “I’m From Rolling Stone” a TV show chronicling six aspiring writers who intern with the mag for the summer hoping to land a coveted contributing editor spot for the next year.

Now I must confess, I have a love/hate affair with Rolling Stone. I was a long time subscriber who suffered through its turn away from rock and roll to People magazine on steroids and I can’t say that I turn to it much for music writing these days. I do pick it up occasionally for the odd political piece or for things like the cover piece on John Stewart and Stephen Colbert, but I tend to get my music writing from mags such as Bucketful of Brains, The Big Takeover, Ugly Things, Magnet and this thing called the Internet. That being said I decided to check it out because I still have a place for Rolling Stone in my magazine rack and I was curious about what some of these interns could do.

Of course as with any of these shows, the key is how it has been edited and its pretty clear that the idea was to get as disparate a group as possible for the show since that would obviously make good TV and give the editors a lot of room to maneuver. Therefore you have to make sure that there is in equal parts sexual and racial tension and the clash between street culture and the more mainstream music scene championed by Rolling Stone because nobody wants to watch a bunch of eager writers just well, writing. That is not to say that I am disparaging the talents of the cast of the show. Far from it. From what little I have seen it impresses me that people out there still want to write, and who treat the well written word with the reverence it so richly deserves. I think its the writing and not the star fucking that is what I will be looking out for in future episodes because that’s what working at Rolling Stone should be all about. Of course, Jann Wenner initially started Rolling Stone so he could meet Mick Jagger so it was never a purely journalistic enterprise from the get go.

So what’s my verdict? Too soon to say. The first episode was a little dry and I’m already annoyed with Peter the surfer dude and Russell (despite the fact that you get the impression that he is the most talented). Still, “I’m From Rolling Stone” isn’t that bad. I choose not to look at it as one big ad to subscribe to the magazine and instead as an opportunity to maybe inspire a bunch of kids out there to grab a pen and paper or I suppose a Macbook and bang out the next great record review. Just call it the romantic in me.

And if you think you can write, check out the link above where you can submit your stuff to Rolling Stone in a competition for the public. You just might be the next Lester Bangs or Hunter S. Thompson!

“I’m From Rolling Stone” airs Sunday nights at 10:00 PM on MTV and Thursday nights at 10:30 PM on MTV Canada.

Later.

UPDATED! For an interesting take on the show from a former Rolling Stone writer check out I was once ‘From Rolling Stone,’ and it wasn’t anything like MTV’s new show by rock critic Jim DeRogatis for his cynical take on the whole Rolling Stone “experience.”

UPDATED AGAIN! These are the best and brightest out of 2,000 applicants? Of course not. I learned, from an insider on the show, that writing samples and photos weren’t all that were required from applicants. They were asked such questions as: “What was the last thing that made you cry?” So writes Rolling Stone alumni Ben Fong-Torres in He was from Rolling Stone — he can tell you what it’s really like as he pretty much rips the reality program, and Rolling Stone in the process. I’m still watching but I have to admit my interest is dimming after each episode. The actual process of writing and editing magazine articles as depicted on the show is fascinating but the six interns are all just just getting a little annoying.

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced this year’s inductees to that “hallowed” institution. R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash and the Ronettes made the grade for 2007. It will be fun to see R.E.M. perform with Bill Berry again but who will front the soap opera that has become Van Halen? And will Michael Anthony be invited?

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I just read the news on the mighty Punmaster Musicwire that The Police are rumored to be reforming for a 30th anniversary tour. Now there have been tons of rumors of this in the past but it wouldn’t surprise me as Sting has pretty much been the only hold out in the past but is this a good thing? Do I really want to see The Police, one of the biggest influences on me growing up, to try and rekindle past glories?

To say I was a big fan of the band is an understatement. I always enjoyed The Police because they managed to couple that punk attitude with a popwer pop sensibility with just the right amount of exotic influences to make things interesting. And as a young drummer, Stewart Copeland had an enormous influence on my drumming, second only to Neil Peart. With that in mind, I still get nervous about reunions like this. Be it the Doors, the MC5, the Stooges, Plant and Page, one always worries that these things will do more to tarnish the image of your favourite band then enhance it.

I have no doubt that Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers and Sting can pull this off musically, that’s a given. And I do think fans would appreciate a proper way to say goodbye to the band, something they were denied in the 80s when all they had to go on were vague promises, a luke-warm reunion single and those Amnesty reunion shows. I think I would be able to accept this if it was done as a one-off tour with no new recordings except for perhaps a live album/DVD. That would be a fitting end to one of the greatest groups in rock and roll and certainly for me, one of the most influential. But still, you have to wonder is it for love or money….

Do do do do, da da da da.

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I’m not one of those university graduates who runs around loaded in alumni gear going on and on about the place where they partied their brains out for 3 years and did some studying on the side but at the same time, I like to toot their horns when the right opportunity comes around. As a graduate of Concordia University (as well as the University of Western Ontario) when I saw the article Concordia alumni lead the way in the Montreal indie-rock scene I just thought that this was the perfect thing to post about.

I think for a number of years Concordia has toiled away from the spotlight that was perpetually shining on the much older and better respected McGill University but as we hit the 21st century in full press Concordia is well pressed to confront this century’s needs. On top of all of their impressive programs in business, computer science, film, journalism and communications studies, Concordia has always prided itself on its contributions to the fine arts. Whether indie rock can be considered a “fine art” of course is open to debate but there is no doubt that Concordia grads have their fair share of influence in Montreal’s red hot music scene. Read the article to get the low down on just a few.

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I love technology and I love how it has enabled so many musicians to create great sounding music and then get it heard through services like MySpace as well as via podcasts and music blogs. I distinctly remember being in a band in the early days of the cassette- based Portastudio “revolution” and I am not quite sure if those early 2 and 4 track cassette recorders enhanced or hindered creativity due to their convoluted inputs and the requirement to “ping pong” recorded tracks. But today, bands have a lot of amazing, relatively inexpensive and easy to use options to help the creative process along and one such program, Apple’s Garageband software that comes bundled with all Macs is coming under a bit of criticism.

According to Trading guitars for software: Today’s garage bands are more likely to be one person and a computer author Emily Young laments that the days of a bunch of friends getting together in somebody’s garage and banging out some rough and ready rock and roll may be over as musicians trade in the family garage or rec room, as well as their buddies on bass and drums for a laptop and some software. Now there is no doubt that the range of backing loops available for something like Garageband opens up the sonic possibilities considerably for a musician but the fear that this will replace performing with other live musicians, I believe is a little off the mark. Rock and roll has always been about playing live and the feedback and interaction you get from both the crowd and your fellow band members. Being a drummer, the buzz that I would get from just making eye contact with the bass player as we locked into a groove could never, ever be replaced by any software. As Janet Meyer argues in her response piece Garageband: Harmful to Musical Creativity? software like Garageband will “continue to be a good tool to enhance creativity” but anybody who locks themselves in their bedroom to create a 64 track rock and roll opus by themselves to be released only online will miss out on why we tend to make music in the first place, that it is a communal act best experienced in the company of friends (in the band) and strangers (in the crowd).

While software and laptops will increase in capacity and quality and more and more musicians will use them to jot down their ideas in a more fully realized form that they might have been unable to do in the past, the fear that we will all revert to our bedrooms to make music is a bit unfounded in my book because it goes against our nature. Even interacting on something like MySpace, as sociable as that is leaves something to be desired as you tend to miss that all important physical interaction that really makes life worth living. We are social animals and while there will always be those of us who will retreat to their lairs and shun all human contact, most of us will realize that the joy of music is best shared with other people. Anything less just demeans the power and impact of the music and its effect on us as people. Just ask Brian Wilson.

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As a former Rolling Stone subscriber who just became so fed up with the mag that I let my long time subscription lapse, I felt slightly hypocrytical this past summer when I found myself buying not one but three copies of the mag in a row over my holidays. Except for the issue with Led Zeppelin on the cover I didn’t actually pick it up for the music-related content but more for the articles by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on voting irregularities in the last U.S. election but I have to say I kind of enjoyed the read. Has it improved much since I was last subscriber? Yes it has. Could it be considered some kind of bellweather for new and emerging rock and roll bands? Uh, no not really but at least I can see what Eddie Vedder is up to.

In this day and age of blogs, podcasts, Myspace and the like it is a pretty tough for any magazine to be some kind of musical barometer. There are a couple that do a good job in my books (like The Big Takeover, Bucketfull of Brains and Amplifier to name just three) but really, I find myself reading Rolling Stone much the same way I’ll pick up People magazine if I see it lying around by the pool. An interesting read that is uterly dispensible. Is this a good enough reason to subscribe? I’m starting to think that way but damn, it is a considerable waste of paper when I toss it out after finishing each issue. Decisions, decisions.

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I just read an interesting article on the CD Baby website talking about how the performer Caesar Pink and the Imperial Orgy and their CD “The Sexual Revolution is not Over!” is being banned by a number of American college radio stations. Their CD “Gospel Hymns For Agnostics & Atheists” has been banned by KWRS of Spokane, WA, WDTS of Georgetown, DE, WMHW of Mount Pleasant, MI, WBER of Penfield, NY, KPNI of Dallas, TX, WTHS of Dearborn, MI, WSAJ of Grove City, GA and WFHU of Henderson, TN. Deemed too controversial by college radio because of its explicit sexual nature, according to Caesar Pink it goes beyond that:

“This trend in college radio towards censoring political expression is disturbing. For an artist, if you don’t have access to the media you have no voice with which to reach people. It’s a sign of the conformist spirit that has taken America. It’s odd because you can be as outrageous as you want when it comes to sex and violence and no one gets too excited, but ideas are what tend to get censored. If you dare to suggest that people should think for themselves and not blindly accept the dictates of church and state, that is when people get nervous and try to shut you up. Rock music has become so safe and vacuous that young Americans have forgotten that music is an art-form with which to express ideas, and that there was a time when rock music was a conduit for social change.”

I definitely have to agree with his sentiment that rock music, once the voice of rebellion has become in some ways too safe for its’ own good. In this increasingly PC world it is getting harder and harder to find musicians who are perhaps more “raw” and less concerned with what the major labels deem to be commercial. That is why so much of the best rock and roll can be found on indie labels who tend to give their artists more leeway in what they want to say and how they want to say it but then that’s because most indie labels are run by music fans and not by accountants and lawyers.

I have always been of the opinion that it should be up to the listener to decide if they agree or disagree with an artists point of view and it is then up to them if they want to support the artist or not. Examples such as this and the whole Dixie Chicks fiasco where country radio stations are banning their music because of their comments on George Bush are so disheartening. If you don’t like what a band stands for change the channel or don’t buy or download their CD but don’t dictate to me what I can and cannot hear thank you very much. The First Ammendment has to be excercised regularly or it will atrophy. This kind of idiocy makes a mockery of American values in my opinion and I’m not even American! Sigh….

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THE IMPERIAL ORGY: The Sexual Revolution Is Not Over!Erotic music and poetry from The Imperial Orgy community of sexual and spiritual explorers.

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On the eve of the launch of the Rolling Stones latest tour, I find myself once again listening to their recorded catalog and flipping through my ever-growing collection of Rolling Stones coffee table books and just generally thinking about the band, something I don’t do as often as I used to. The thing that I always come back to is my amazement at the sheer diversity of the stuff they have released and the influence they have had on rock and roll and me personally. I have long given up trying to defend the band to my indie friends and they always seem amazed that I still profess a love for the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest rock and roll band” but hell, the Rolling Stones were essentially responsible for me falling in love with rock and roll and for that I will forever be in their debt.

Upon the release of “Forty Licks” I listened with dismay to “Don’t Stop” and the other 3 new songs and pretty much concluded that that was it for me, they have finally hit the wall with four straight mediocre songs but listening to “A Bigger Bang” has reignited my interest in the band. Both “Rough Justice” and “Back of My Hand” are vintage Stones and a welcome relief from a band that seemed on the verge of being overshadowed by their backing musicians (much like Pink Floyd has been on their last 2 tours in my opinion). Mick and Keef have seemed to have rekindled their writing partnership in the wake of Charlie Watt’s cancer scare and perhaps this was the kick in the arse that they needed. Either way it’s nice to be excited about a Stones album again regardless of what that does do my “indie cred.”

But that is not really what prompted me to break out of my summer hibernation (I should be back up to speed by September) and write this screed. The thing that got me going was picking up another “Bargain Bin Book Classic” in “According to The Rolling Stones” ($14.99 CDN at Chapters here in Montreal). Nice book, cool pictures but what stood out for me was the “Who’s Who” at the end of the book. Specifically the entries for people like Don Covay, Alexis Korner, Gram Parsons, Jimmy Reed, Hubert Sumlin, Little Walter, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Under each one of these names is not only a capsule summary of who they were and how they influenced the Stones but each contained a “recommended CD” so that you could go out and listen to the source for yourself. This has been the greatest influence that the Rolling Stones have had on me. While I learned about rock and roll by just listening to the amazing bands that they have toured with throughout the years (the list is massive and grows with each tour), it has always been the musicians that they have waxed poetic about that have caught my ear and introduced me to some amazing music I might otherwise have never discovered: Peter Tosh, the aforementioned Gram Parsons, Chuck Berry, the Master Musicians of Jajouka, Stevie Wonder, the Meters, Dr. John, Clifton Chenier, Otis Redding, Bobby Womack, Ike and Tina Turner, Ahmet Ertegun and his Atlantic record label or Leonard and Phil Chess and their Chess record label, the list can go on. Perhaps I would have discovered these musicians on my on but as an impressionable teenager reading about Keith Richards’ love of Robert Johnson or even Charlie Watts enthusing about some obscure jazz giant, I just had to find out for myself what it was that held these Rock Gods in such awe. Some stuff I passed on (still working on the jazz stuff) but most of these musicians have been added to my music collection and remain an important part of my musical upbringing. Sure the band is in their sixties (except for Woody but he just looks like he is sixty!) but man what an education these guys have given me. It is for this reason that I will always be a fan of the band and continue to look forward to their latest album and over-priced rock and roll extravaganza that they insist on putting together every couple of years. They have earned their stripes and they have certainly done their part to spread The Word. Even if they never release another new song (something I am sure many would hope!) I will continue to listen (to both old and new) and read and study them because they are wise in the ways of rock and roll. I can think of no better teachers to have than Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman, Brian Jones and Mick Taylor. They are the greatest rock ‘n’ roll university around. And I still have not graduated! Enjoy ‘em while they are still around.

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That bastion of rock and roll journalism, USA Today has determined that it is Pearl Jam that is the greatest American band of all time according to a reader poll conducted by one Whitney Matheson in her “Pop Candy” column. Now I’m not going to argue about this since it’s too hot to argue but I can certainly say without question that Journey, Van Halen (love the DLR-era), Queensryche, KISS (do I have to spell it in capitals?) and Bon Jovi should certainly not be on the list. Hey, I have enjoyed “Wheel in the Sky” and “Livin’ on a Prayer” as much as the next drunkin’ slob but that in my mind does not in any way consititute “greatest American band.” Of course, these are the readers of USA Today so I shouldn’t be too surprised. Run the same poll at Harp or Magnet and I suspect the list would be vastly different (with The Ramones, Replacements and R.E.M. probably more prominent) so I shouldn’t be too harsh. What do you think? Who is the greatest American band ever? Enquiring minds wanna know!
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Yes I sat at home most of Saturday and watched Live8 with particular emphasis obviously on the Canadian portion of the global extravaganza and these are a few thoughts I had about the event:

The Cause

The intention of Live8 is to focus the public’s attention on poverty in Africa and specifically to urge the G8 nations (United States, Britain, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia) to forgive the massive debt that most African countries owe them and to commit to contributing .7% of their GDP to third world aid. I personally have no problem supporting this goal but as some Africans themselves have pointed out, giving more aid to the same corrupt leaders so that they can afford more Mercedes limousines doesn’t exactly solve the problem of poverty as it neglects the real root issues causing such widespread poverty in the first place. Fair enough. Certainly the African blogosphere has a bit of a different take on the event as a whole and the Blog Herald nicely summarizes their feelings towards the event but at the very least it is important that we understand the issues from all sides and delve beyond the sound bites and effective but simplistic ads (one of which is featured on this very site) in order to at the very least become aware of what is happening in Africa even as we struggle to come to terms with how we can effectively help. Ignorance is not bliss.

The Concerts

While I enjoyed some of the performances I have to admit that I am getting tired of the same old white rockers strapping on the guitars for yet another cause they might very well forget about by next month. Of course since that’s what attracts the most eyeballs I suppose it’s a neccessary evil so for me the highlights included:

• Pink Floyd - while their performance certainly was nothing to write home about, the significance of Roger Waters reuniting with the rest of the band was quite significant in rock and roll terms. If they decide to finally pack up the inflatable pigs and circular screens, at least the circle is now complete. And the tribute to Syd Barett was classy and appropriate. Well done.
• Neil Young - The man will forever make Canada proud.
• The Tragically Hip - Gord and the boys, though marred by awful sound rocked out.
• U2 and Paul McCartney kicking things off with Sergeant Peppers - Very cool way to start the show although I would have been more impressed if Macca had joined up with somebody like Sloan or heck even Oasis.
• Jet - Good ol’ fashioned rock and roll.
• Celine Dion being booed - It was a beautiful sight.
• Green Day - I have liked these guys from the get go and now my son likes them as well. Still a great band but why all these covers of Queen songs?
• R.E.M. - Cool band, weird Stipe make-up, still great.
• Brian Wilson - Nice to see Mr. Wilson getting the recognition he deserves. What would have happened if he had finished Smile in the ’80s instead of now? No “Kokomo”?

You know, in a lot of ways events like these are superficial to some extent since a majority of the people there are there for the music and not the message but still, can it really be argued that doing nothing at all is the better alternative? I’m not so sure about that.
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