Check out some of the beautiful women of the weekend. Ciara and Kelly Rowland were at the MILK Records promoting the new Samsung Infuse phone, along with other celebs, too.
But these two women caught my eye; one looked alluring and another looked sophisicated, but both were SEXY and runway-ready. Check out Ciara in her one-shouldered nude-colored dress and noticeable Louboutins, and Kelly in her white blazer, jeans, and stilettos. STUNNING and PERFECT, for realz...
As many of you know, Beyonce pushed back her release of the 'GIRLS' music video because it needed more polishing (due to lackluster acclaim).
But I know ONE THING that isn't lackluster-- Beyonce's GARETH PUGH gold dress and shoes. They're OUTTA THIS WORLD, DUDE!! It's being used for the upcoming video.
Over here at the Ripple, we love giving away free (legal) music. Spread the word. Help the bands. The problem is that so much free music comes in, we don't have enough time to post it all.
Enter Ripple Facebook. Pop on over and "like" the Ripple Effect page, and stay tuned in to the best free songs, EP's, and Album downloads that bands, labels and PR companies send our way.
Here's a sampler of what you can find there right now:
10 free downloadable tracks that sample their catalogue. The Tsurumi Sampler will be available for free until the release of their 5th album Last Chance Summer Dance by latest label signee Fonzarelli.
The Soda Shop have their excellent free compilation with such bands as Stone Axe, Mos Generator, Venomin James, Gozu, and Lo-Pan. Seriously amazing . . .
The good folk at Exploding in Sound are releasing their 9th free compilation, featuring such artists as ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, J Mascis, Steve Brodsky, Marnie Stern, Bad Books, Guards, Adebisi Shank, Bunny's A Swine, Mini Mansions, Hammer No More The Fingers, Tijuana Panthers, Crystal Antlers, Weekend, Tidal Arms, Hawk Eyes (aka Chickenhawk) and more!
And much, much more. Go to Ripple Facebook, become a friend and get the inside line on tons of free music.
This was my first “field trip” where I write a review and as I am writing not long after viewing the band, the post-live-music hype is still going around my head. So, in advance, I apologise for any craziness.
The Band- Disco Nap is a group of two, Ross Hope and Derek Mudge, who sometimes play with lots of other people. They call themselves “electronic, emotronic, indie” I just call them cool. They also celebrated a Triple J Unearthed award.
The Scene- Powerhouse Theatre, Friday night, 6pm playing as part of the “Residents” (which basically is just one band comes along and plays every Friday of a month to get some publicity going). It has a casual feel to it, just a small crowd. Really pretty location as well (google it.)
The Night- These guys are great and no, I won't stop saying that. They are funny and can play like dynamite.
They opened the night with “False Teeth” which is a really sweet love song with lyrics like, “The truth is it's you that I see, In a nursing home next to me The truth is I hope you're with me, When we're old and frail with false teeth”
The line up got even better from there with the likes of “Back Down The Aisle”, “Birthday Song” and “Home Karaoke” to mention a few.
There was plenty of audience interaction, which always manages to make the night far more interesting than just the band playing song after song...
“I think we discussed today that we are veterans of the music industry.. *starts playing*..And all of the money to show for it too!” (Ross Hope)
“That song was going to be for my wife, but I don't think she is even here. I think that is grounds for divorce. What do you think?” (Ross Hope)
It could very easily be said that the highlight of the night was their cover of Icehouse's “Electric Blue” (now... I wasn't around in the 80's so if anyone can confirm or disprove this, please let me know). Disco Nap learnt the song in a week to live up to a promise they made. The reason the cover was so awesome was because of Derek Hope's saxophone solo... on the keyboard. After finishing the song... “Can we do the solo bit again? I practised for two hours today” The encore was granted and after he finished there was a huge round of applause.
Finishing off with “Can't Concentrate” was a wise move. The loud electric guitar and bass filled climax resulted with half of the audience doing an amusing head nod.
Now, as I wrap this up I think I had better confess that I already loved this band before I sought out permission to write about them, which made it even better. They are really enjoyable and you really do have to admire Derek Mudge for his wild “looking for the sound” after every song change. Ross Hope's vocals are very strong and top off their music beautifully.
Worth seeing or buying their album (Running Red Lights).
Losing weight means being able to fit into a myriad of new looks, which Raven is doing right now! She has come a long way since her 'bloated days' on 'THAT'S SO RAVEN'. Maaan, check homegirl out in her SWAG, especially in her silver sequined shorts and clear Louboutins!
Like a list on Cracked's website, I've gone through all 14 songs from Earache Records' new compilation, New Noise Attack, and stripped away the hype and puffery from each track, essentially translating each into fanspeak, or, What You'll Probably Say After Hearing Each Number.
Follow that? Yeah, you did. Nice.
Track 1-- Enforcer's "Midnight Vice": practically straight out of 1985, even production wise (light on the bass, drums doing nothing beyond bumpa-chih, bumpa-chih, bumpa-chih), this literally could've come straight from the last hour of Headbanger's Ball (were it actually around in 1985)-- sounds like Krokus.
Track 2-- White Wizzard, "Shooting Star": heavy Dokken with an Iron Maiden chorus. Will instantly transport you to 1985, unless you have no memory of that, in which case it might sound unique. Utterly derivative, but actually pretty fun.
Track 3-- Cauldron's "All or Nothing": even heavier Dokken, almost Motörhead-ish. Very cool.
Track 4-- Hour of 13, "Naked Star," is Badlands or the Black Crowes (or similar Led Zep/ Stones worshipers) [also] worshiping the devil.
Track 5-- The Soulless, "Earthbound," is similar to The Faceless or Obscura or every other tech-death band. Catchy, but nothing special.
Track 6-- The Browning [is this an Elizabeth Barrett reference or a lessening of Machinehead's "The Blackening?"] and their "Standing on the Edge" is --wait for it-- a mix of deathcore with an electronic section that sounds like Paul Oakenfold. Primary reaction to this will be "Why?"
Track 7-- Woods of Ypres, "I Was Buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetary": somber solo piano opener, like a combination of Chopin and Night Ranger; becomes then a Smiths' number if Morrissey liked Rammstein.
Track 8-- Wormrot's "Erased Existence," is a fun, puckish hyperkinetic grindcore number. Quite diggable. (Also, 0:43 long.)
Track 9-- Oceano, "Weaponized." Everything that is wrong with Deathcore.
Track 10-- Cerebral Bore, "The Bald Cadaver": completely formulaic tech-death, but done so enthusiastically it's fun to hear. Like everyone in the band is too young to have any original ideas, but is so young that they have enough excitement and adrenaline to make you remember how furious death metal can be. Also there are pig squeals.
Track 11-- And Hell Followed With, "This Night is the Coroner's": cool band name and song title, but otherwise Every Technical Death Metal Band You've Ever Heard. It's like Earache, at this point, are shotgunning death metal bands into the public ears, i.e., "Let's hit them will thousands of bands that are exactly the same-- one or two or them are bound to hit home."
Track 12-- Bonded by Blood, "Prototype: Death Machine": we have some points! It's generic too, but it's not death metal! It's thrash! Bay area-style! Slow, groovy introductory number followed by a groovy mid-tempo number with a fast chorus chock-full of gang vocals. Takes you straight back to 1988.
Track 13-- SSS, "Eat me, drink me, burn me," is similarly thrash, but more east coast (think MOD, right down to the Milano-ish vocals, or even Gothic Slam)-- fun, punkish thrash ranting.
Track 14-- Diamond Plate, "Waste of Life," back to the west coast with our now-progressive thrash. Sounds like Forbidden with a less-melodic, more gutteral Russ Anderson. Good, not great. Tasty drummer, though.
So, top tracks, in order: Wormrot, Cauldron, White Wizzard, Cerebral Bore.
When it comes to the MC5 I’m always ready to testify about any of their albums. If someone asks me which one is my favorite it takes a lot less than 5 seconds of decision. Kick Out The Jams rules and Back In The USA is great, too but High Time is IT. Always has been, always will. The MC5 are a prime example of what happens when very talented individuals combine forces and record collections in order to break thru the terminal stasis of boredom, classification and mediocrity. This can only be achieved through thousands of hours in the practice room and on the stage. Tons of weeed helps, too.
The history of the MC5 has been written many times before so there’s no need for me to recap it again for you. (Does anyone know what ever happened to Ben Edmonds’ biography No Greater Noise that was supposed to come out almost TWENTY years ago?) By 1971 the MC5 had proven themselves as a major force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, most people decided that their brand of mayhem was waaaay too much of a mellow harsher and they would rather not have the band spray their sweat all over them as they worked the stage. Ignoring the marketplace, the band created what was to be their final album High Time. Turns out it was creatively their most successful merger of pure Chuck Berry/Link Wray rock n roll, James Brown dynamics and the ferocious group improv of Sun Ra and the John Coltrane Quartet. Most bands can only attempt to move in one of those directions but the MC5 aimed high and went for a triple pronged attack.
Side one, song one - “Sister Anne” – BOOM! One of the greatest rock songs of all time. Starts off with a great, circular guitar riff and then the band comes crashing in with a monster boogie that makes the rest of your record collection seem kinda lightweight. At over 7 minutes, it never gets boring and you want it to keep going. Excellent lyrics written by guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith delivered with a lot of heart and soul by vocalist Rob Tyner. Great guitar solos from Fred and fellow guiterrorist Wayne Kramer, a harmonica solo from Rob and even the Salvation Army marching band at the end. It’s such a shame that classic rock radio has ignored this song for so many years. What would happen if they played one less Meat Loaf or Bob Seger song once a week and played this instead? Would someone die? How much advertising revenue would they really lose? Their mistake means we just have to play it louder with the windows down so everyone else can hear it.
After that monolith comes the hyper boogie of “Baby Won’t Ya,” another winner written by Fred. On past MC5 albums all the band members shared songwriting credits equally but High Time is the first one with individuals noted. Fred dominates with four songs, half of the album and some of the best ones. The other Fred songs are "Over and Over” and "Skunk (Sonicly Speaking)." "Over and Over” deals with the frustration of war, society and inequality. Rob’s extremely pissed off vocals let you know he’s not fucking around. On the other hand, “Skunk” is pure rhythm and who knows what the lyrics are about. Fred wrote this one to show off the skills of Dennis Thompson, one of rock’s greatest drummers. “Skunk” starts off with Dennis pounding out a furious beat and is then joined by a bunch of others (including Seger) pounding on cans, bottles, cowbells, etc until Fred fires up another one of his classic riffs. Dennis has always said his two favorite drummers are Keith Moon and Elvin Jones and he makes that obvious here. His technique is incredible but he never sacrifices passion for it, and vice versa. Monster fucking drummer. Dennis’ partner in the rhythm section, bassist Mike Davis, is no slouch either although rumor has it he doesn’t play on all the songs here. Unfortunately, Mike had some drug problems that eventually got him kicked out of the band but he’s still alive and well. Very nice guy and I was fortunate enough to spend about an hour talking to him after one of the DKT/MC5 reunion shows in NYC back in 2005.
Dennis returns the favor and wrote “Gotta Keep Movin’” to show off Fred’s speedy guitar leads. Everything about this song is awesome. It contains some of the best belligerent “get out of my way” lyrics ever written, a violent groove and burning guitar playing. You will get a speeding ticket listening to this one in the car. Pure Motorhead music about 5 years before Motorhead existed.
"Future/Now" is the lone composition from Rob Tyner but it’s a killer, too. A great bass line starts it off then a killer drum fill cues the rest of the band in. Rob’s been described as the philosopher of the band and the lyrics bear that out – “the future's here right now if you're willing to pay the cost.” Turns out most of the hippies in the 1960’s weren’t willing to pay the cost, which is how we wound up with Richard Nixon as president and Fleetwood Mac ruling the airwaves.
Brother Wayne Kramer contributes two songs. “Miss X” is a piano driven ballad that I’ve never much cared for but I’m not big on ballads to begin with. I was very happy to hear it turn up in an episode of HBO’s East Bound & Down, though. (Wayne works as musical director on the show). His other song is more my style, a full blooded rocker called “Poison” with some of his most blistering guitar work. He later did a great cover of this song with the Melvins on one of his solo albums.
After High Time the band unfortunately fell apart and was not able to realize its full potential. The MC5 should have been packing stadiums and blowing away the competition for many years after 1971. Like most pioneers, they took the arrows and paved the way for everyone from Aerosmith to the Ramones. The MC5 are often credited as a “pre-punk” or “proto-metal” band but the truth is they go way beyond either of those categories. Most punk bands never had a rhythm section as tight or could offer up the guitar fire power as the MC5, and only the Ramones delivered the triple Marshall stack attack on punk crowds. Metal bands took the volume and powertrip spectacle but made things too rehearsed and downright silly. At the end of the day the MC5 were, to quote Duke Ellington, “beyond category.” If you have a stereo with a volume knob, High Time better be in your collection.
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We're still waiting on Beyonce... she must've like the suspense. She continues to throw out teasers for her new video 'Who Run The World (Girls)', and the Billboard cover above is one of them. Beyonce looks fun, captivating, and confidence in her red outfit and blown-back hair.
It's a nice look... and I'm waiting Beyonce... c'mon!!!
Also check out the teaser image for her new single and also for her new album, which is to be called "4."
If you haven't heard Rihanna's 'Man Down', check it out on YouTube. It has the perfect blend of Reggae, sensual undertones of jazz, and the 'OH WHY' that resonates throughout the song is strikingly similar to Michael Jackson in "Human Nature.'
I just love it; while the song doesn't relate to fashion, it's 'fashion' to my ears. :-)
An uneasy, uncertain, and unnerved man pops a newly purchased DVD into his player and pushes the play button. He sits down on his couch facing his TV. The Ripple Effect logo is emblazoned on the screen for a few seconds, and then fades away to black. Moments later a familiar cartoon face appears, and some schmaltzy background music begins to play.
“Hello there friend. My name is Penfold. You might remember me from such films as…wait…I haven’t been in any. Well, you might remember me from such sparkling write ups as…okay, you’ve probably not seen any of those either. You know what? That’s okay! This isn’t about me. We’re going to be focusing on you right now. I’m here to help you through whatever relationship problem you’re experiencing at the present time by providing you with my expert advice and guidance. You see, I’ve recently discovered the solution to all relationship problems. That’s right! And I’m going to share that secret with you my friend. So get ready, because here it comes!”
“Over the next few minutes I’m going to demonstrate four relationship-related scenarios with the help of a few of my friends. There will be a common thread running through each of them. Let’s see if you can spot what that thread is.”
Scenario One: The Lead Up
“Hey Penfold, where are we going?” “We’re going to the most popular night club in the city. It’s always packed, so it should definitely be a target rich environment.” “Awesome! Hey man, I need to get psyched up for this. I need something that will boost my confidence and energize me at the same time. Put on some tunes!” “I know just the thing. This is the new Torche album, Songs For Singles.” “Sweet!”
Scenario Two: After the Crushing Blow
“Penfold, why are you crying?” “It’s over man! She left me.” “Oh jeez, I’m sorry to hear that. That’s terrible.” “I know. This is the worst day of my life!” “Hey listen; I’ve got something here that will cheer you right up.” “I sincerely doubt it.” “No seriously, I know how much you like your music.” “Yeah, so?” “Soooo…this is the new Torche album, Songs For Singles, and with one listen it’s going to turn your whole day around!”
Scenario Three: The Decider
“Hey babe, welcome home. How was your day?” “Hey Penfold. Eh, my day was fine. Same as all the others I suppose. So what have you been up to?” “Oh, not much. I’ve been hunkered down writing for most of the day.” “Ah, I should have known. Say babe, what are you listening to over there?” “This? This is Songs For Singles, the new album from Torche. Good, huh?” “Babe, I have to tell you. You have the worst taste in music of anyone I’ve ever known.” “You know…this really isn’t working out. I’m out of here. Have a nice life.”
Scenario Four: Fireworks
“Yep, here we are Mr. Penfold. This is the last available copy of Torche’s new album Songs For Singles in the entire city.” “Thanks.” The sales clerk leaves and another party approaches. They happen to be very attractive. “Oh shoot, is that the last one?” “I’m afraid so ma’am.” “Dangit! I love that band and I’ve looked everywhere for this album!” “You like Torche?” “Of course!? They rock! Don’t you think so?” “I do indeed! Tell you what. If I can have your phone number, I’ll gladly let you have this album.” “You drive a hard bargain, but I like your style…done. What’s your name?” Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner!
All right waveriders. It’s time to get serious. If you could not have guessed, I like Torche. I like Torche…a lot. I’ve been following this band for quite a few years now. They made a gigantic initial impression on me when I witnessed their ferocious live show. Needless to say I left that show with their first album in tow, and my appreciation for the band’s music has grown by leaps and bounds ever since. To put it succinctly, Torche serves as my brain’s musical reset button. Whenever I have befuddled my musical consciousness under a mountainous heap of undesirables, all I have to do is put on a Torche album and the world is right once again. So what type of music holds this kind of sway over my mind? Let me to try to explain.
You see, it is a bit difficult to adequately describe this group thanks to their musical approach. I’m sure there are many people out there who can tell you that Torche sounds like one band or another, but try as I might I simply don’t have that ability. Torche sounds like Torche, plain and simple. These gentlemen play an invigorating combination of stoner rock, sludge metal, and pop that in my experience is entirely their own. For further clarification I’m going to lift a couple of choice quotes I’ve run across that I think will be helpful. Revolver magazine states, “At long last, we know what life would be like in a parallel universe where The Melvins became a pop sensation”. And a sticker on the front of Songs For Singles finds the bass player, Jonathan Nunez, reflecting, “It’s a bunch of radio rock bullshit”. Yeah right, if only! I might actually listen to commercial radio if that was the case.
Songs For Singles is Torche’s third full length album. It comes at the listener fast, furious, and melodious. While it is the band’s most ear-pleasingly poppy release to date, make no mistake waveriders, this band is as heavy as a pallet of gold bricks and as solid as a blacksmith’s anvil. To their credit, the immense amount of rock goes down extremely easily behind the clean singing and hummable riffs. Discerning shoppers may look at the length of this album, just under twenty two minutes, and question whether or not it offers enough substance to justify its cost. Rest assured. The answer is a resounding YES! All eight songs run rampant from the speakers, leveling all that dare to stand before them in defiance of their rock. My personal favorites are pulsating album opener “UFO”, rheumatologist friendly “Hideaway”, and sonically uplifting “Cast Into Unkown”. Oops, looks like we’ve reached the conclusion of the tape.
“So there you have it my friend. This album, Songs For Singles by Torche, is the answer you have been waiting for! We’ve demonstrated exactly how you can use this music to begin, end, or recover from a relationship. Now it’s up to you to put what you’ve learned to good use. I wish you luck! But seriously; with this album and my patented techniques, who needs luck?”
Jill Scott is one of the most influential artists of our time; she pours so much soul and spirituality into what she does.
Check her out on the cover of EBONY MAGAZINE with a new look and body. WOW. Beautiful background, beautiful hair, jacket, RED-RED, and everything else. Gorgeous!
Glad that EBONY MAGAZINE allowed their cover to be a little more 'natural' than a look straight out of a photo studio...
swimsuit girl Jalie Boy-Leg Leotard/Swimsuit Pattern By The EachThis leotard/bathing suit pattern features a scoop neckline tummy-control panel (optional) bra and can be lined at the front for children. Style A (with leg) is perfect for athletic people both adults and children while style B (without leg) is perfect for swimming. Both styles caneasily be adapted for mothers-to-be (alteration
With her sheer blue dress concealing her unmentionables from the waist down but showing a bit from the waist up, along with her 12-INCH PLATFORMS, we probably can do nothing but shake our heads in either amazement, disgust, or in mere confirmation that we're used to the LADY GAGA way.
I think people just love when they portray themselves as another character or arise a persona hiding deep inside of them...kinda like me, THE ONLY JAIDEN.
Well check out Dawn richards of Diddy Dirty Money in her latest photo shoot. The persona she takes on is 'Neon,' an eccentric yet bold lady.
I have to say KUDOS to her because she's really coming into her own more as a model (except she actually sings). She's come a long way since DANITY KANE and her relationship with ex Que.
All artists must hone their craft before they experience large scale acceptance and success. Bob Dylan played in coffee houses for whoever happened to come in for a cup of joe. The Beatles played dank cellars and pubs before they ever wooed a wider audience. Elvis Presley sang in counrty western bars and truck stops prior to being the “King.” In the immortal words of Richard Starkey -”You got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues and you know it don't come easy.”
Ari Hest grew up surrounded by music. His father wrote jingles for toy commercials and his mother was (and still is) a cantor at a New York Jewish temple. He was raised on music that moved people to action. He was always a good singer with a great range and decent guitar skills.
Hest played the colleges and the Battles of the Bands. Many others did as well. Most have ended in obscurity. It is simply the nature of the music business. It is a difficult creative business where the business part lacks soul and heart and the creative part is all soul and heart.
Just like his father Hest thought he had found that hook which would propel him to musical and financial success. It was a new business model for music in an internet age that he called “52.” Here is how it worked. For the entire year of 2008, he wrote, recorded and released a new song every week and sent them via email to subscribers who paid a one time fee to receive them throughout the year. The, in 2009, he released an album, Twelve Mondays, that collected 12 of the 52 songs selected by his subscribers which he reworked and rerecorded.
Although 52 was somewhat successful it did not propel Hest to financial and musical success. However, writing a new song every week did one very important thing for Hest - it made him hone his craft. He learned lessons in nuance, drama and the emotive nature of music. His songwriting improved. His skill in arrangement grew. An expertise in the use of strings and percussion flourished.
It was his songwriting that improved the most. His first song in 1996, Hest recalls, was about "something involving a made-up girlfriend and a hot-air balloon". By the end of 2009, his lyrics now swelled with allusion and emotion, and evoked tales with which his audience could relate. Gone were the cotton candy, made-up girlfriends and hot-air balloons. Hest learned to connect with his audience with something worth saying and his audiences began to believe this quirky folk rock balladeer had something worth hearing.
In 2010 Hest went back into the studio and, on March 1, 2011, out came his new album “Sunset Over Hope Street.” The album consists of eleven folk-infused well-orchestrated songs. Each is awash in strings. Violins, cellos, guitars, bass, percussion, drums and keyboards intertwine to create stirring music. It is folk music but with deeper, more involved musicianship.
It is unfortunate that the album is named after what may be the worst effort on the album. The best and most accessible lyrical track is “Business Of America”:
Faith is a victim of circumstance
In this shallow age
It doesn't stand a chance
Just when you think that it can't get worse
They will twist your words
So they sound perverse
Oh, can I believe in my America?
Oh, in the business of America
Gather up the goods like a good robot
It isn't what you are
It is what you got
Pay no attention to the dying man
If he ain't got cash
We won't lend a hand
Oh, can I believe in my America
Oh, in the business of America
Oh, that's the system at work
Everybody's a jerk
Oh, can I believe in my America
Oh, hard to believe in my America
Oh, that's the system at work
Everybody's a jerk
Gotta get the most, all that's mine, mine, mine
And ignore the ones
Who are left behind
Here is Hest at his most sardonic, critical and poignant. Bob Dylan couldn’t have done any better.
Hest has grown. He has paid his dues. With Sunset Over Hope Street Hest is now poised for large scale acceptance and success. Best of all it is now worth listening to what he has to say. - Old School
Check out Chris Brown, back in blonde, livin' up his 22nd B-Day.
Also check out the shoes that catapults him into 'SUPER SNEAKERDOM.' These are Christian Louboutin Rantus Orlato Star sneakers for $650. I was really feeling those sneakers when I saw them both in a store and on the Christian Louboutin website.
They look even better on Chris, and while I would love to shell out $650 for these... I kinda got bills to pay, and still tryin' to recover from Mother's Day spending.
One of the funnest things about this mysterious world that we call Ripple is that we don't always agree with each other. Often times, I'll look at Pope's musical discoveries with a look of utter dismay, and Pope will return the favor by addressing my choices with pure boredom. It's what makes the world revolve. We all like different things. We all dig different sounds. The job of the Ripple is merely to tell you, our waveriders, what each one of us hears in a piece of music and how it gets us off.
Never is this dichotomy between the Pope and I made more clear than with Bang Tango.
I remember years ago when we first discussed these guys, Pope dismissed them completely with a brief wave of his hand, a shrug of his shoulders, and a look that closely approximated an acute onset of food poisoning. I, on the other hand, found them oddly compelling with their massive bass heavy groove, dark glam, and sizzling guitars. In truth, I understand exactly where Pope was coming from, and in many ways it represents the very problems that this LA quintet faced in making it big. Pope was a metalhead. He came from the point of view of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, even Guns and Roses. When he heard Bang Tango his knee jerk response was, "this ain't metal." And it ain't.
I came from a post punk world where bands like The Cult, Sisters of Mercy, Mission UK, and Specimen ruled my orgasmic listening times. Yet, I'd been a metalhead, trouncing heads to the early NWOBHM terrors of Iron Maiden (Dianno years), Angelwitch, Witchfynde, Saxon, and Motorhead. In Bang Tango I found the perfect mathematical union of two sets. The aggression, riffing and searing leads of metal fused to that pulsating, dark post-punk glam of the early Cult.
And listening to this newly MetalMind re-issued disc, I still do.
Bang Tango never really had a chance to get the respect they deserved. Being part of the LA Sunset Strip scene of the late '80's, they were immediately lumped in with the hair metal bands that ruled the streets. And with the dual guitars of Mark Knight and Kyle Stevens and some serious Slash-esque riffing, they immediately did nothing to dispel that association. But they weren't metal. In singer Joe LeSte they had a shrieker of undefined tone. He could belt out metal, he could scream out a post-punk frenzy. He could harmonize some glam. And in bass player Kyle Kyle and kit pounder Tigg Kelter they had a backing section that really wanted nothing more than to lay down some serious funk. And they all had the look. I mean, The Look, with chiseled cheekbones, dyed hair, and an image taken from The Cult'sLove album.
Funk. Glam. Goth. Metal. That's Bang Tango.
And I dig it.
And maybe it's because Bang Tango were so many disparate things that they still sound so fucking good to my ears today. Disclaimer. I've had Psycho Cafe in my collection for years and I'd pulled it off the shelves not infrequently, as I have with Dancin' on Coals, their follow-up. Having said that, to me, Bang Tango have aged much better than most of the Sunset Strip crap that came out in the late eighties. Kyle's bass thuds and pulses with more unbridled sex than I ever heard before. Joe's vocals screech and dive and seduce with more passion. And the dual guitars shred with more metal velocity than I ever gave them credit. Basically, this shit is just plain ol' good glam metal and definitely worth a revisit in 2011.
Psycho Cafe let's it all out right there on the first number. From the muted guitar, bass, and effect opening of "Attack of Life," right into that throbbing post-gothic metal riff. Both guitars blaze and steam through this baby. When LeSte comes in, shrieking in full higher octave, we're in a full on glam blitzkrieg. Some may not dig his voice. Some may call if forced. I dig it. Full on dig it. The song quickly locks into a comfortable groove that I'm sure tore it up live. Then as LeSte drops his voice to a lower register for the kick-ass chorus, I realize who these guys really were. It may sound strange but they were the American Billy Idol, marrying that image, that post punk vitality, that snotty sneer to some beefy metal riffs and serving that whole thing on a steaming platter of funky pop. Maybe a touch of the Cult also. Either way, they were much more Red Hot Chili Peppers than they were Metallica.
"Someone Like You," is of course the piece de resistance on the album and probably the song the band is best remembered for. With it's "Sweet Child of Mine" harmonic-laden intro to it's staggering build up beat, this certainly seemed to be metal at home on the Strip. Then comes that breakdown, Kyle's massively funky bass and the chugging guitar riff that revs and soars like a charging locomotive. LeSte's voice is all over the place here, shrieking and wailing like a siren, then bottoming out in Billy Idol baritone. Guitar solos whip in and out like hornets buzzing from a hive under attack. This is truly one of my favorite goth/glam/funk/metal tunes of all time. A hands-over-the-head screamer.
"Wrap My Wings," seems to settle into a monstrously funky mid-tempo groove that just oozes sex appeal. Again, Stevens and Knight prove that they were vastly under-rated axemen, sizzling their strings with wailing electric solos. Too goth/funk for metal? Too metal for the goth crowd? Probably. That's probably why the album never broke big. I'd have liked to see these cats play this shit at the infamous London Batcave goth club and see how it would've been received. Would they have got it? Would it have been too metal? Did the boys need a club scene all their own? Who knows. All I know is that to this post-punk metalhead, this is some seriously fun stuff.
"Breaking Up a Heart of Stone," lays it all back on the line, with it's bass-laden groove. The bridge brings in a touch of pop as the song roars to it's big chorus hook. I'm sure back in the day, the chicks dug this one cause it rocked and you could move your ass to it. "Shotgun Man," roars back with a hyped up metal guitar attack, but as always the funk is still there. Percolating under LeSte's shrieking. Bookending that chunky guitar-burst chorus. Kyle really goes out of his skull on this one, popping and thumping that bass as if he was auditioning for Parliment or the Bar-Kays. Other songs like the chugging "Don't Stop Now," the intensely funky "Love Injection" the somber "Just for You," and the frenzy-neo-metallic-Chili-Peppers funk freak of "Do What Your Told" keep the energy raving and explore all the aspects of this band. In fact, "Do What Your Told" is such an ecstasy burst of fiery alt-funk metal that it's shocking the song wasn't bigger.
So where does this leave us? In my mind, Bang Tango were a band that was vastly misunderstood. Lumped in with the hair metal scene, it's no wonder many metalheads dismissed them. They were too different. Way too different. Perhaps like another lost Sunset Strip casualty, Bang Bang, these cats were simply too many things for people to identify with. They had a unique sound when every band sounded the same. They had a unique look when the others all looked the same.
But it's this difference that captivates me. Glam, funk, goth, metal. They were a little bit of it all and brewed their swirling fury into an intoxicating beverage that still goes down extremely easy today.
scholarships for study abroad Financial Aid for Research and Creative Activities Abroad: 1999-2001 (Financial Aid for Research and Creative Activities Abroad)
Check out RIHANNA's new bachelorette pad. It could actually be perfect for 'The Bachelor' tapings or a reality series. But this home is quite the home that many would want to live in. After all, who wouldn't like sweeping views, spacious rooms.... and 12 BATHROOMS TO EXPLORE!
Rihanna's only 23 and she apparently has that LONG MONEY... but of course, that doesn't usually prove anything. People usually overspend and outspend to impress people who aren't even paying THE OVERSPENDER'S BILLS!!
Talk about expensive California living!! See more pics from Media Takeout:
'Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers and mothers-to-be! Thanks for all you do, your care, your love, some of your distinguished discipline (LOL), and just basically doing your best to keep us on the right path. I LOVE YOU!' - Joshua, The Only Jaiden
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I had know idea who or what Syd Arthur was, but what I heard was not what I was expecting by any means. Moving World was another 'gift sent' to me by Ripple Music, and I really don't know what to make of it. It melds styles I previously thought un-meldable. Truly a conundrum of sound and style. I only label this as progressive rock because I don't know what else to classify it as, it is that much of an interesting mash-up of style.
I'm going to assume Syd Arthur is either a nickname or the band name, like Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull or Franz Ferdinand, a name that sounds like a person's, but is in fact the group's name (in my searches I discovered a theory that the band gets it's name from Syd Barret (original singer for Pink Floyd) and from The Kinks' album, Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire), so that's kind of interesting. I say this because the singer has a very peculiar voice; At times making me think it is a female singing, and at others just a really odd male (the first draft of this paragraph was all about a female vocalist, then I did some actual research and learned the truth). It is really odd, I can tell that he's British, but other then that I am at a loss.
The music off of Moving World is an odd conglomeration of styles. I hear elements of funk, jazz, classic rock, singer-songwriter, soul, Latin, etc, etc. Each of the songs begins in one fashion and then heads into another at one point or another. Track two, "Pulse," begins with a bluesy classic rock riff, then moves into a funk/soul blend. The following, "Exit Domino," spends most of it's time with only the (odd) voice and a plucked guitar melody, but at parts it becomes much more involved with a semi-impressive drum-cymbal collaboration and a much more heavy guitar (but still not close to metal by any means). The best part of the song is towards the end when the vocals cut out and the guitar goes into a frantic solo-style with a keyboard/maybe-guitar over it all. It all builds into this crescendo and then dies suddenly and drastically, leaving only a single wailing guitar. Probably the best song on the EP.
Throughout it all there is that solo-songwriter style of a focus on vocals and guitar, with the rest of the instruments only getting the green light to truly perform when the vocals are dormant. The final track is the best example of this; "Hermethio" begins with a big band sound, with piano, flute, strings, moving drums and a couple of guitars, their only instrumental track. This song shows that the act can pull off some decent music, but the rest of the disc doesn't really support this theory.
All in all... um, I don't know. I don't have some witty way to wrap up Syd Arthur. The music is eclectic and odd... but good. The vocals are... weird to say the least. There are a few good moments on Moving World, and a couple decent songs. The band knows how to play, and how to write some compelling music, but there is something missing in their conception. If you are in market for something interesting and odd then Syd Arthur may be just your bag, give them a spin and let me know what you think.
