There's something special about black-and-white pics. They're classic and bring a sense of tranquility and sometimes an EERINESS since there's a VOID in color.
What's your feeling about black-and-white photos?
Check out Jaden Smith's black-and-white pics from his recent photo shoot. Man, this boy really is determined to be on the cover of GQ magazine. And judging by his pics, he just may get there.
Well, hello again READERS, check out another Chris Brown tattoo. As many of you know, Chris Breezy has tats on his chest and two arm sleeves, but none on his back.
Now he has a SMILEY SKELETON FACE on his back.
Uh-oh. What will Chris look like 5 years from now--- Lil' Wayne???!!!
So, I know this guy. His name is Joe. He is pretty damn awesome. He is attractive, smart and funny but there is one thing that really REALLY annoys me about him- he knows music. This guy lives for it. Breathes it. I swear he eats sheet music for breakfast. That is not the issue though. The issue is he seems to know every band that has ever existed and when I don't know the band he knows, can't play at least three of their songs, can't recite every lyric of their third song on their second EP it is met with a very loud, very long groan. A groan of disgust. A groan that tells me I am a disappointment, will never measure up and I am just not “cool.” This is frustrating for me because music has become an area of exploration for me. I don't know what I really like, I seem to like everything and there is so much music out there for me to discover it seems endless. So, I seek revenge. I seek revenge on the large scale, and Ripple along with Eldridge Rodriguez is helping me do that... Time to launch my first attack...
First step, find out about the artist. Eldridge Rodriguez is the front man of The Beatings and You Are Released is a solo outing from the bands reported legendary sounds of
Second step, fall in love with the music... This step was the easiest. You Are Released is creative. It has.. zing. It is electric and acoustic and the vocals are surprising at first, then comforting as the album progresses. It is quite a dark sound, perfectly appropriate for a revenge mission. Let me walk you through my favourites on the album...
I personally feel that the first song on the album tells you exactly what you have signed yourself up for, what each of the creative works that follow will explore deeper. “The Big Windup” has a heavy sound, is sort of blurry for your ears but is still so nice too... Hard to describe.
A few songs later came the anthem for my revenge mission“The Shame Of The Scene”. Well played Rodriguez. You are really helping me out here!
“Some day, I will be playing it smart, Some day, I will be stealing your heart”
“Run MF Run” is my favourite song. Yes, “The Shame Of The Scene” is the anthem but this song is more fun! In a dark, dreary sort of way. It starts off with a catchy sound that drags you into its depths, it is heavy and has really great moments when there are big loud parts. It is a song that you can sing along loudly to when you are in a dark mood or driving. (Am I allowed to swear in this? It is a direct quote.. If not, you will see Racer editing out the naughty words.)
“You gotta run mother fucker run, You gotta run mother fucker run... ...I can't get done what I need to get done I cant have fun when I need to have fun”
Not that there is much of a difference between my dark moods and how I drive...
“Miss Me When I Am Gone” is the song that I was first introduced to Eldridge Rodriguez and that was what made me first like him. It is also the second last song on You Are Released. It is awesome with its acoustic clean sounds and dark lyrics,
“You're gonna miss me when I'm gone, You're gonna miss me when I'm gone, Like a face that needs a fist, Like a razor needs a wrist, You're gonna need my when I'm gone”
Whats not to love? A dark album, sounds varying from clean to messy, and despite the dreariness it is fun.
Third step, launch attack... (Fades to black with evil laughing..)
I heard the voice of an angel. Her name is Lykke Li. For those not familiar with this Swedish goddess, immediately check her out. Without a doubt, Lykke Li is one the best female pop vocalists waiting to breakthrough. I first heard about Lykke Li in 2009, when she was rumored to be dating a certain Hollywood actor, but I never followed up on her. Now I am kicking myself in the head.
There have been times where I came across an amazing artist, but just never really delved into their music only to rediscover them at a later date. Lykke Li is a perfect example. For most of my life I unintentionally go through music listening trends, whether it’s primarily listening to early 80s punk music or shoegazing music. As long as the music sounds good, it doesn’t matter to me. Usually when I go through these music listening trends I discover cool bands that I never heard of and feel better for “going through a phase.”
Back in 2008, Franz Ferdinand, one of my favorite bands, was preparing to release their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. About that time I happened to discover some unusual, yet unique Scottish alternative bands that just rocked my world including Glasvegas and The Retrosexuals. Somehow I become mesmerized and fall into a trance whenever I listen to non-US musical groups because I always want to discover more awesome bands like the one I “just discovered.”
In 2010, I came across another Swedish superstar, Robyn. Three of the best albums I heard all of last year came from her: Body Talk Part 1, Body Talk Part 2 and Body Talk, which is practically a compilation of the two Body Talk mini-albums plus five new original songs (They were all tied for 13th place on my Top 20 Albums list of 2010). Robyn initially intended to release three mini-albums and issued the first two in June and September respectively, but decided to release a full length album in November 2010. I bring this up because I became enamored with Robyn and was shocked why I didn’t know about her sooner. You always have to be consistently and actively on the lookout for new bands. That’s how I rediscovered Lykke Li.
The first time I heard Lykke Li was in Amanda Blank’s song, “Leaving You Behind,” but for others it was a different kind of medium. Li wrote the song, "Possibility," for New Moon from the Twilight series and her music was recently covered on an episode of Glee. Also back in 2009, Drake sampled Li’s “Little Bit” on his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone Little Bit in his song also titled “Little Bit.” Needless to say, she has already made a strong impact in the world of music.
Inspired by Alejandro Jodorowsky’s cult classic film Holy Mountain, Lykke Li delivers a stellar sophomore album, Wounded Rhymes, destined for greatness. Unlike her debut album, Youth Novels, Lykke Li has matured with a dark album capturing lost love and the torment of youthful romances. Easily this is one of the year’s top ten albums and currently my album of the year. The album is well balanced with indie rock, folk, alternative and dabs of electro-pop sounds solidifying a well-produced album (produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John fame).
Li’s tormented voice captures the darker aspects of love and appears to be the new quintessential breakup album everyone should own. From beginning to end, Lykke Li progresses from reality to fantasy discussing sex, obsession, unrequited love, and the vulnerable feelings one faces when they’ve been wounded by an ex. Wounded Rhymes is a poignant, powerful and passionate album that leaves an immediate impact on you.
The album opens up with “Youth Knows No Pain” and you’re immediately put into a trance. Lykke Li’s swagger swings your moods back and forth, but you don’t mind the dance. The combination of tambourine, tribal drums, and eerie organ, this song is the perfect song to clap along with. The second track, “I Follow Rivers” is phenomenal! Lykke Li’s lovely voice is accompanied by pitch perfect percussion in one of my favorite tracks. It’s a really romantic song that’s an awesome predecessor to “Love Out of Lust.”
“Love Out of Lust” opens up with the beautiful lyrics, “Rather die in your arms, than die lonesome/ Rather die hard, than die hollow/The higher that I climb /the deeper I fall down /I'm running out of time /So let's dance while we're waiting.” It’s another amazing song on this superb album.
“Unrequited Love” is a perfect example of Li embracing her heartache and happiness wholeheartedly without holding back on any of her emotions. The song also includes an awesome throwback with a 1950s doo-wop sound. The remarkable thing is no aspect of love is off limits for this breathtaking, beautiful popstar.
The infectious up-tempo “Get Some” in recent weeks has become a staple on the LA Radio. I couldn’t be happier because “Get Some” is my favorite song on this album and thus far, my favorite song of the year. Lykke Li is phenomenal with creating catchy lyrics and this is a perfect example in this song, “Like the shotgun need an outcome/I'm your prostitute, you gon get some.” I am completely ecstatic that friends who aren’t familiar with Li know this song.
With two awesome ballads like “I Know Places” and “Sadness is a Blessing,” there really isn’t anything Lykke Li can’t do. This is a must own for everyone who consider themselves a music buff. Not only do I own the vinyl, but the CD and the iTunes edition of the album. Wounded Rhymes is a mature modern masterpiece and an instant classic. Li is the bright future of music.
Check out the hott CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN designs I looked up. These are some hott looks for this summer. Keep it 100 ladies... with these kinds of shoes on your feet. And NO.... you won't need to shell out $800-$1000+ just to look good. There's plenty of places you can do that, and I'm sure you beautiful ladies know where...
But my place of choice for you is ALDO or STEVE MADDEN.
So it beings again. What is it about the EU technocrats and their mission creep. One step at a time they creep, grabbing bits and pieces subtlely until you wake up with no roof over your head and a bill for the privilege of losing it.
The one area that patently doesn't work in EU-world is fiscal policy. It is for the Northern economies of Germany and Netherlands not the PIGS.
While they scream out for some leeway, the North is concerned about over-heating.
So why on earth should it be a good idea for a finance ministry that can make decisions about a nation's fiscal policy - especially one that isn't even in the Euro?
Please can someone explain how the technos can make these leaps of logic that presumes that all will jump up and down applauding saying Capitol?!?
Begin the ritual: get some time to yourself, put on a good stereo or good headphones, and put the volume up slightly louder than you would normally.
Then wait--
It starts, and continues, with a bass-heavy air raid siren-- when the blast beats start, a London blitzkrieg later, you (seriously) might mistake them for machine gun fire.
So much bass on this; very cool and a nice improvement to the (already good) sounds of previous LP Wormwood.
Mortuus' vocals, unlike Watain's (rageful, exultant) or Nefarium's (just rageful), sound like he's rasping out his unfiltered, genuine hatred-- because he's being strangled to death.
He's dying, and he's got no reason to lie to you.
And Mortuus HATES you.
I love the plain cover, barely an image, but a powerful nearly-monotone one, with an Old English font title and the band's name as legible as can be-- old confidence for a black metal band. And for some reason, adding the "by" in by Marduk makes for seemingly subtle modesty, which makes them seem supremely confident, and is the crowning moment of awesome for the cover.
Track one, "Warschau II-- Headhunter Halfmoon," with it's bombastic five-tone riff, Track two, "Wacht Am Rhein Drumbeats of Death," culminates in what may be wolf howls, and--
Three, "Prochorovka - Blood and Sunflowers," is the "ballad"-- Marduk playing sludge/doom-- and it is fucking awesome. A combination of Marduk, Earth and Winter. I've read about this track being considered "filler," and while it is different from most other Marduk stuff, if it was in fact intended as filler, they should do that more often. I really dug this song.
Iron Dawn is three songs, and it's the perfect length: enough to blow you away, not enough to desensitize you.
Speaking of which, fun Iron Dawn story:
I had been listening to an LP and reading. For some reason on my stereo the LPs have to be turned up more loudly than do CDs, so the volume was way up. A storm front was passing through, and it knocked out the power for about a nanosecond-- just enough to turn the stereo off and back on.
Now, if the stereo does in fact cut off, for whatever reason, it autoplays whatever CD is in it. At whatever volume it was on.
The record had finished a while ago, and I didn't even notice that the stereo had reset...
...until, at jet engine fucking volume, "Warschau II-- Headhunter Halfmoon" started playing (it intros, remember, with air raid sirens) and scared the HOLY LIVING JESUS SHIT out of me.
Ear-splitting air-raid sirens, just after a power outage, during a storm...?
I'm pretty proud I didn't piss myself.
The point IS-- Iron Dawn, three songs or not, is a mighty record.
Okily-Dokily Simpsons & AeroFans, get ready for the best-darn-diddily contest yet! Joey Kramer just returned to The Simpsons for the Season 22 Finale! We hope you poured yourself a Flaming Moe (without forgetting the cough syrup) and tuned in to catch Joey’s return to Springfield in an episode entitled “The Ned-Liest Catch.”
Not only does Joey hope that you tuned in, but he also wants to make sure that you have a chance to win a special collectors item! To paraphrase Comic Book Guy, "[Best] Contest Ever!" ENTER NOW!
Joey is giving away (3) framed The Simpsons "The Ned-Liest Catch" script covers, which are AUTOGRAPHED by the man himself, Joey Kramer!
You can't find this anywhere else, so hurry up and enter to win this collectors item (and piece of history!). This giveaway ends Friday, June 17th, so make sure to enter once a day to increase your chances of being one of the (3) winners!
Everyone keeps telling me, “Alex, listen to Tesseract, listen to TESSERACT!” So I listened to their MySpace awhile back, and honestly it didn’t do too much for me, so then it was on to the next thing.
Fast forward a few months, and I am holding a copy of their debut full length, One, which is out now via our friends at Century Media. I take back what I said earlier, because now I am literally doing backflips! Will definitely say now that I thoroughly enjoy these progressive metallers, and that I can continue to put One in my CD player on a continual basis. The use of dark, melodic, theatrical, and sometimes pop-like clean singing in progressive metal has been a hot trend lately. Many of you nobs are quick to think Tesseract and Periphery, but think back 4-5 years when The Human Abstract came out with Nocturne, and you can love or hate that band (I’m kinda 50/50), but at its time it was totally different and groundbreaking. Go back further and study up on the Swedish progressive metal movement of Katatonia and Opeth and the harmonic vocals that were used, maybe not in a pop fashion, but with a great sense of harmony. Now rewind back to the beginning where Queensryche and Fates Warning helped define everything that is progressive metal, taking influence from Rush to Judas Priest, and making something completely brain numbing at the time.
Anyways, the point I’m trying to make here is that I’m glad to see progressive metal keep progressing when a great band like Tesseract comes along. The term progressive metal is almost being taken for granite now, and I can’t fucking stand it. With every new band on the block cloning Meshuggah and calling themselves “progressive” really bugs me! I’m not going to namedrop a million bands here, nor am I even the biggest prog nerd in the world (my Uncle worships Queensryche religiously, so I’ve had my fair share of Tate [Geoff] growing up) , but what’s obvious is obvious – I want that real, rhythmic challenging, epic, and trend setting progressive metal that defines such a niche genre.
TESSERACT’s opus One album flows perfectly from start to finish, and you’ll easily get sucked into its rich concept.
“Acceptance - Concealing Fate Part One” is my favorite song on One, and is loaded with memorable melodies, thick overtones, an undeniable clean guitar rhythm, and plenty of low end, as AcieKahney and James Monteith’s guitars gently weep. The song buildup of “Acceptance - Concealing Fate Part One” keeps the listener engaged to the max, and is filled with a lot of down tuned drops, a gentle yet perfect-sounding clean guitar, Tomkins’ epic vocals, and even a few mosh worthy breaks. Complexity is a norm for Tesseract as all of their progressive transitions, sudden mood swings, and time signatures come so naturally. The ending is as epic as can be, with Tomkins is at his catchiest expressing his great harmonic vocal range. This song will move you.
Other great songs like “Deception - Concealing Fate Part Two” and “The Impossible - Concealing Fate Part Three” have their moments. Tomkins’ vocal prowess is quite intriguing, and there’s plenty of low end and interesting time signatures for all you djent lovers! The clean guitar passages and the atmospherics again is what really separate these boys from the pack. These two songs showcase more of the heavier side of Tesseract as well as introduce a tribal side of the band, and at times sounding very similar to fellow UK progressive metallers Sikth in the instrumentals.
Tesseractcan also put on quite the jam session in “Epiphany - Concealing Fate Part Five” and “Sunrise”, and show the band a tad heavier than their other songs. In “Sunrise”, the song is brutal yet equally unique with its ambient passages, and the intro chugging reminds me of old Sevendust for some reason. Vocally, Mr. Tomkins I swear starts to morph into Maynard James Keenan when in clean singing motion, and screaming, yeah, a little bit like Morgan Rose of Sevendust. The percussion truly shines in “Epiphany - Concealing Fate Part Five” and talk about quite the Meshuggah jam session in that one. You definitely hear a heavy Meshuggah influence, and if you’re a fan of the almighty Fredrik Thordendal then you’ll probably like “Epiphany - Concealing Fate Part Five”. Tight and heavily syncopated riff work at its best on One.
One is easily one of my favorite progressive metal releases of the year. Overall, Tesseract does a great job enveloping the listener, and taking them into their own world. I’m curious to see what Tesseract has up their sleeve next, because a band as creative as this has always got something neat in the works. Yes, I’ll say it right now: I think Tesseract is better than Periphery. Anyways, would anyone like to come to the 4th dimension with me??
Supermodel EVA MARCILLE is unmistakably the beauty of this summer with her VIBE MAGAZINE photo shoot which took place in a desert. GIRL was on point with her looks, clothing, and long, braided ponytail. The ponytail shot reminded me of Willow Smith in 'Whip My Hair,' but Eva still made it her own.
Check out more pics... I'm just lovin' photo shoots, y'all!!! I'll have mine coming up real soon, or just check out Model Mayhem at http://modelmayhem.com/theonlyjaiden .
Crack is a helluva drug. Pentagram mainman Bobby Liebling was hooked on the stuff for a long, long time and saw many bands he’s influenced crawl past him in the doom metal sweepstakes. After decades years of fluctuating line ups, shady record deals and spotty releases he seems to have gotten himself straightened out and is back with a good new album, Last Rites on Metal Blade Records. I was on the fence about picking this up but knowing that long suffering guitarist Victor Griffin had rejoined Pentagram again was a big selling point.
Right off the bat, Pentagram comes out swinging hard on opening song “Treat Me Right.” For a band considered one of the pioneers of doom metal they throw down a Motorhead worthy scorcher. Victor’s tone is hella-huge as he fires up a killer speedy riff and the band kicks in. Bobby’s voice sounds stronger than it has in a long time and you can just see his Marty Feldman bug eyes popping as he spits out the lyrics. We’re off to a good start!
“Call The Man” returns to more familiar doomy Pentagram material and lets the stomping rhythm section of Greg Turley (bass) and Tim Tomaselli (drums) shine on this one. Tim and Greg have done time in Victor’s band Place Of Skulls and it’s obvious those 3 have a great musical rapport. The proof is in the groove. “8” starts off moody and tribal before shifting gears into a psychedelic headbanger. Hopefully they have some strobe lights and fog machines when they play this one live. Victor takes lead vocals on “American Dream” and unsurprisingly it sounds a lot like a Place Of Skulls song. The only song I’m not in love with on the album is “Windmills and Chimes.” For some reason when they go into the chorus “Baby I Love Your Way” pops into my head. It doesn’t really sound like the Frampton song but it bothers me enough that I have to skip past it every time.
Pentagram has a huge backlog of songs that were written throughout the 1970’s and Bobby usually revisits a few on each album. “Everything’s Turning To Night” and “Walk In The Blue Light” are on the First Daze collections that Relapse has put out. The arrangements are a little different and the fidelity is much improved on the originals. “Into The Ground” and “Nothing Left” go back to Bobby’s pre-Pentagram band Stone Bunny. I’ve never heard the originals of either of these but they’re both heavy doom mongers. “Into The Ground” has a 70’s Judas Priest feel with some nice Glenn Tipton melodic lead playing.
Last Rites is a solid metal album and hopefully Bobby will stay away from the pipe so he can keep his kick ass band. Even better news is that Pentagram will be touring and the Bobby Liebling documentary (also titled Last Rites) will be released later this year.
My legs dangled off the examination table swinging to an off-time rhythm. I had been staring at the optics chart on the wall in front of me for the better part of ten minutes. Other people might see boredom set in after awhile, but I was completely indifferent. To be blunt, that feeling of indifference was in point of fact the main catalyst behind this well being check up. Since neither I nor anything mechanical in my room was producing any noise, I was able to hear the doctor’s footsteps as she approached from down the hall. The door opened and the doctor greeted me warmly.
“Good morning Mr. Penfold. I’m Doctor Clinique. This is your first visit to my office?” “Yes ma’am.” “What seems to be the trouble?” “Doc, I’m really not sure how to describe it. I’ve simply stopped caring.” “Mr. Penfold, I’m going to stop you for a moment. You do realize that I am not a psychologist, yes?” “I certainly do ma’am. My troubles are physical in nature.” “All right. Do you remember when these troubles began?” “Yes ma’am. I’ve gone over my situation time and time again. Although I cannot pinpoint one exact moment or event as the harbinger of my current predicament, I am absolutely certain about the timeframe. I stopped caring about the world around me back in 1996. This led directly to strange physical conditions that I’ve experienced ever since.” “Can you elaborate on these physical conditions for me?” “Of course, Doctor. From early 1996 to halfway through 2000 I felt nothing. Literally. It was as if I were wearing a suit of heavy padding over my entire body. My hands and feet gave very little tactile feedback. I would hold an object in my hands, but without actually looking at the object I could not have identified it. No nuance of the item’s surface would be gleaned from my touch alone. Also, objects would impact my body with little or no immediate result. My skin would bruise up after heavy contact like normal, but it was as if my nerve endings had gone to sleep.” “I see Mr. Penfold. Has that problem persisted?” “No, ma’am. The lack of feeling did stop, but a new problem took its place. From late 2000 to the end of 2006 I felt everything. I’m not just referring to the temperature or how hard or soft something is here. No, I was hypersensitive. The world was brought into sharp relief, and I was even able to feel other people’s emotions. When someone spoke to me angrily it was as if their words were punching me in the stomach. On the opposite end of the spectrum, when someone whispered something to me it felt like a feather running along the inside of my ear.” “Very interesting Mr. Penfold. You said these feelings ended back in 2006. What happened next?” “Well Doc, for a few months everything went back to normal and I felt fine. But since the spring of 2007 I’ve been encountering stretches of time where I flip flop between my two previous conditions. One day I feel nothing, the next I feel everything, and the next I’m normal again. I know that you’re not a psychologist ma’am, but this constant turnabout has altered my worldview substantially. I now strongly believe that everything is nothing. While I’m not sure that I want that to change, I would certainly like my nerves to stabilize and give me a rest from this merry-go-round I’m stuck riding. Can you help me Doc?” “Mr. Penfold, I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve never run across someone with your problem before. If you’re willing to wait here for a few minutes, I need to make some phone calls to a few of my esteemed colleagues. With any luck they will know exactly what can help you. Is that okay?” “Yeah sure, Doctor. I’ve got some music to listen to while you’re away. I’ll be fine.” “Great. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
With the doctor gone I reached into my pocket and removed my mp3 player. The earbuds went in my ears, the player was turned on, and the play button was depressed. A bass heavy beat signaled the beginning of K. Flay’s new mixtape, coincidentally titled I Stopped Caring in ’96. What followed was a nine track musical juggernaut. If you’re looking for an interesting hip hop artist who offers something different than the norm, your search just ended.
What makes K. Flay different you ask? Well for starters she’s a female emcee. I’m not saying that there aren’t any other interesting female emcees producing music in the world, just that they are fairly difficult to locate if you’re using the mainstream media as your guide. But hey, that’s why The Ripple Effect exists! Another difference is that K. Flay doesn’t hide or downplay her intelligence. Her lyrics jump from clever thought to clever idea with the clear understanding that the listener is either smart enough to follow along, or they will be left in the dust. Speaking of her lyrical prowess, K. Flay utilizes a sick and varied lyrical flow which consistently captivates her audience. Seriously, it’s borderline terminal.
I Stopped Caring in ’96 was released in three song increments, on three separate days over the course of the month of April. The first block of tunes was entitled ‘I Feel Nothing’. The three songs share feelings of detachment and disillusionment from the world. ‘I Feel Everything’ came next. As you might have guessed these three songs are more emotionally charged affairs. “Doctor Don’t Know” happens to be my favorite song on the mixtape, and “Danger Starts” is harrowing. The last piece to the puzzle is called ‘Everything is Nothing’. This portion is fairly cathartic for the listener following the serious subject matter discussed in the earlier songs. These last three tracks, including the standout “Elle Fanning” and especially “PARTY”, are far lighter in tone and content than the other six.
I’m guessing at this point that you waveriders would appreciate a sample verse to help get a better feel for what to expect. Happy to oblige. This is the second verse from “Doctor Don’t Know”.
All these folks telling me I’m about to be something big, but you see joke’s on them / Sitting in a board room hella bored, can’t hear a thing though my amp’s on ten / Mind in a permanent state of flux, mental double dutch, had a bag of cheetos ate ‘em up / 3 PM and I’m still waking up / Wishin’ I could save myself but I’m not brave enough / Sick of all these handshakes, before knowing every morning bran flakes / How much bullshit can a man take, till she finally breaks? / The difference between getting what you want, and what they want, is nuance / So listen baby girl get your boots on, here’s something to chew on / In the end we might go to hell, or we might go to heaven, so you might as well / Cut it out with the crisis of faith, and then crushed in the dome like a vice to the face / And you might just escape all the time that you wasted, if you stuck to the basics / Get a grip, buckle up / Take a pill, what the fuck?
Mmmm, hmmmm. By the way, this is a free mixtape. That’s right! There is absolutely no barrier to entry. Simply surf your way over to K. Flay’s website, www.kflay.com, and get downloading. The sooner you start listening, the sooner you can recommend K. Flay to someone else! Waveriders, you all have your signed prescription sheets. Disperse and be healed!
Continuing with the company tradition of giving back to the community, Ripple Music will auction an extremely rare original test pressing of Heavy Ripples: vol 1, featuring Stone Axe, Sun Gods in Exile, Grifter and Mighty High, with proceeds going to benefit Joplin Tornado Victims. The auction will take place on eBay at the Ripple store, starting Tuesday, May 31st, and run for 7 days only.
Only 5 of these test pressings exist, and this is the only one made available to the public. You can jump into the auction, win a cool heavy rock collectible and benefit disaster relief at the Ripple Music Ebay Store.
The Heavy Ripples test press auction is the latest in a growing line of charity auctions that Ripple Music has created. Previously, rare JPT Scare Band and Stone Axe test pressings were auctioned with proceeds going to Gulf Disaster and Japan Tsunami disaster relief agencies. With the tragedy that recently unfolded in Joplin, Mo., Ripple founders John Rancik and Todd Severin thought the time was right to release another rare test pressing from their vault and raise money for a worthwhile effort.
Press raves about Heavy Ripples, vol. I:
"Ripple Music is back with a vinyl-only compilation and, as expected, keeps delivering quality products, not only in respect of their musical taste but also concerning the layout and packaging of the double 7" vinyl set. 'Heavy Ripples' is an excellent compilation which offers the possibility to discover some great unknown bands. The packaging is also high-quality because both records are hidden in a tasteful gatefold sleeve which includes a sweet inside illustration painted by Wayne "Braino" Bjerke." - Cosmic Lava
Stone Axe's “Nightwolf” is one of the bad ass of all bad ass songs, reminds me a bit of ZZ Top’s “Tush” mixed with early Judas Priest. Sun Gods in Exile’s “Over My Broken Bones” and continues the great sound from their 2009 debut. Grifter gets two songs on this release, and both are punchy, upbeat, catchy and Grifter seems to be having a lot of fun. Mighty High's “Hempophobic” is fast punchy and the guitars are tight with hints of a blues tune in between the bong hitting.This delicious slab of wax first pressing is limited to 500 copies so don’t hesitate on ordering yours." -- the Soda Shop
"For fans of heavy classic rock and fans in general of unpretentious riffery, it’s a must-have! Increasingly, Ripple are becoming a force to be reckoned with when it comes to purveying quality (and varied) rock and roll. A cool listen for converted heads and one that might even win over a few new recruits to the cause." -- The Obelisk
Check out Kelly Rowland's black-and-white photos for Wonderland Magazine (London). These photos were found on several sites, meaning there's a lot of people diggin' these pics. Check out Kelly's interesting HAIRY outfit (looks like a beautiful, giant.... WEAVE she's swathed in with leopard underwear peeking underneath).
Don't matter-- the outfit, her priceless emotions, bone structure, and the lighting in these photos are all GOOD.
It's interesting to me how musicians/performers can also pass for MODELS...
Not just for her music; it's the way she captures attention, knowing that the more often she changes her hair which is in the same hue, the more people can't help but to look at it. For example, I can't help but to look at her style sense.
It looks like something that she just put on in the spur of the moment but I guess from a fashionista standpoint, it's cleverly put together. Take into account of all the hues she has. Who says that one has to MATCH and look good? It's all about HOW one puts an outfit together.
Look at the red hair, black mini-dress, and nude Prada heels. It's placed together so innocently yet it's still clever. I wonder how she will appear (what she will wear) at her LOUD concerts.
Some people just FELL OUT at the notion of Common performing at the White House. In my opinion (which is close to a fact), this world is changing and these old-thinking people need to get with the program. It's OK to critique a person, but not good for someone to be generally set into their own ways, not giving anyone a chance (just as long as that new 'chance' is not destructive to livelihood).
Of course people criticized Michelle Obama for promoting a man whose lyrics included 'cop killing' (which would fall in line as 'destructive') but I guess Obama took it as an art, not an action. See what she said below:
“We had a poetry session and we invited young kids in just last week from all over the country. And they talked to some of the most outstanding poets, and they read their poetry in the state room. And then we had a poetry night and Common was there. He’s very cute. But everybody from poet laureates to hip-hop folks, being able to mix up the world in that very interesting way, the WhiteHouse allows you to do that.”
Check out Rihanna's Cosmopolitan shoot. I don't read Cosmo Magazine (duh) but the pics of her in the 'tattoo shoot' was wayy hott and awesome. Yes, SEXY is included. thanks to Cosmopolitan Magazine for capturing the inked beauty. See more pics:
A band’s best music is not necessarily their most commercially successful. Few bands have proven that adage better than Blue Öyster Cult.
There’s a long history to this ear-splitting, thunderous, arena rock group. They started off life trying to be the American answer to Black Sabbath and for me, growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, they were. The band first hit the scene in New York under the name Soft White Underbelly, found a modicum of success and an interested major record label. Unfortunately, in 1969 their lead singer left during the recording of their first album and the label shelved the project. The band continued to perform live as Soft White Underbelly until it received a bad review of a 1969 concert at Fillmore East. Instead of letting the band slog through the critical review in order to find redemption their manager decided they should just rename the band. For two long years the band changed names nearly every six months. Then, in 1971, the band settled on Blue Öyster Cult which was based on their manager’s poem about a group of aliens who had assembled to secretly guide Earth's history. Under the new name the band landed a recording contract with Columbia Records.
The band toiled in relative obscurity, sometimes even playing small venues as Soft White Underbelly, through 1975. They had released a self-titled album in 1972 containing some of the hardest rocking hard rock of the day, that found a small loyal following, and followed it up with a 1973 release entitled Tyranny and Mutation that contained the first of many of the band’s collaborations with Patti Smith. In 1974 they released a third album, Secret Treaties, that earned them faint praise. However, it was their constant touring that lured in a fan base. Blue Öyster Cult live shows became legendary.
In 1975, the band released On Your Feet or On Your Knees, a live album that went gold. It captured the essence of their live shows. Here were band members Eric Bloom, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, Allen Lanier, and Joe and Albert Bouchard at their road-tested best and earning their first taste of super stardom. To this day I rank this effort as one of the best live albums ever produced.
The album cover sports an old ghostly stone gothic church in a murky fog fronted by a 1970’s black Cadillac stretch limousine. The back of the album has a photograph of hands in medieval gloves of an executioner holding a bible-like volume with the symbol of the band amongst the text. The double album has two sleeves and the fold-out inside is festooned with a picture of an ornate gothic stage with a row of full stack Marshall amplifiers from stage right to stage left fronted by the band jumping into space playing electric guitars over the heads of their audiience.
The first disk starts with a live audience and a mysterious announcement to the gathered crowd - “On your feet or on your knees. It is the amazing Blue Öyster Cult.” Then the band immediately dives in to some of the hottest guitar rock leather band live performances of the decade.
The recording is comprised of three songs from each of the band’s first three studio albums and two cover songs. A dizzying array of guitar leads, pounding drums, electric bass and vocals permeate the rockers and ballads and leave the listener amped and asking for more. "Subhuman," then "Harvester of Eyes," lead to “Hot Rails to Hell" followed by scorching versions of "The Red and the Black" and “Screaming Diz-Busters." Then comes “Buck's Boogie," a veritable ear bleeding break the speed barrier bopper. A smooth arena rock ballad "(Then Came The) Last Days of May" slows the pace but only long enough for the band to reboot the sustain with “Cities on Flame," "ME 262," and the heart pounding "Before the Kiss (A Redcap)." The album concludes with two cover songs - “I Ain’t Got You” (with modified lyrics) and the best version of “Born To Be Wild” you have ever heard.
Blue Öyster Cult’s greatest commercial success still was to come when On Your Feet Or On Your Knees was released. Their biggest hit singles “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and “Godzilla” did not chart until 1976 and 1977, respectively,and, to be honest, are watered down versions of the band’s music tuned to appeal to a wider audience.
Blue Öyster Cult is still around and occasionally records and tours under that name. However, if you really want to experience the music like it was, when they produced cutting edge rock and roll and not AM hits for mass consumption, look for a small notice printed on the back of a local throwaway free press newspaper that says that Soft White Underbelly is playing at a small bar venue. Go. You won’t be disappointed whether you have to watch on your feet or on your knees.
~Two-Disc Set, Notes From San Francisco, Via Eagle Rock Entertainment ~
~Lavish Package Includes Never-Before-Released 1979 Concert!~
The story goes that Jimi Hendrix was once asked what it was like to be the greatest guitarist in the world, to which he replied, “I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher!”
Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) is simply one of the all-time guitar greats. Slash, The Edge, Brian May, Johnny Marr, Janick Gers, Ritchie Blackmore, Glenn Tipton and Vivian Campbell have all said it. Since practically inventing the Power Trio format in Taste (both Cream and Taste debuted in 1966), Gallagher’s music has stood the test of time and he’s as popular now as he ever was, his influence gargantuan.
The story of Rory’s lost San Francisco album actually starts in Japan. In November 1977, after a grueling six-month world tour, the band flew straight from their last show in Japan to San Francisco to begin working on a new album with famed American producer Elliot Mazer (who worked on Neil Young’s Harvest, Big Brother & The Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills and The Band’s The Last Waltz). Mazer recalls the sessions grew “tense,” as Gallagher thought the mixing process “too complicated.” By the end of January 1978, he had shelved the whole record and broke up his band of the past five years.
Fast forward to 2011 when Rory’s brother/manager Donal allowed his son Daniel to recover the album from the Gallagher archive and begin the process of mixing it with his engineer. Rory said in 1992 he hoped the album would surface one day but only if it were remixed. Bingo. Hearing this historic never-before-issued studio album from a key period of Gallagher’s career (the album that would have been released between Calling Card and Photo Finish) is the Holy Grail for Rory’s fans.
CD #2 is another fabulous discovery: a blistering live album taken from four December nights in 1979 at San Francisco’s The Old Waldorf. In the audience Van Morrison, on stage Rory Gallagher (guitar/vocals), Gerry McAvoy (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums). Daniel Gallagher chose to add the live side to highlight why Rory chose to shelve the studio album and reduce his band back down to a three-piece. Rory, after seeing The Sex Pistols at Winterland during final mixes for his own album, was struck by the stark drama and blunt primitivism of pure punk. “It was as close to Eddie Cochran as you’re going to get,'' he enthused. He had been saying that he wanted to get back to what he called “meat’n’potato rock’n’roll,” a stripped-back primal raw immediacy hearkening back to his Taste days.
A street has been named after him in Paris; a corner in Dublin; a statue in his Ballyshannon birthplace, where The International Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival is held. There’s a Rory Gallagher Place and Rory Gallagher Music Library in Cork. Annual tributes are held in Germany and Japan. The man has sold in excess of 20 million albums. Notes From San Francisco [MSRP $17.98] will be a worthy addition to his canon.
Track Listing:
CD1 1. Rue The Day 2. Persuasion 3. B Girl 4. Mississippi Sheiks 5. Wheels Within Wheels 6. Overnight Bag 7. Cruise On Out 8. Brute Force & Ignorance 9. Fuel To The Fire
BONUS TRACKS 10. Wheels Within Wheels (Alt version) 11. Cut A Dash 12. Out On The Tiles
CD2 1. Follow Me 2. Shinkicker 3. Off The Handle 4. Bought And Sold 5. I’m Leavin’ 6. Tattoo’d Lady 7. Do You Read Me 8. Country Mile 9. Calling Card 10. Shadow Play 11. Bullfrog Blues 12. Sea Cruise
Truthfully, this album could never be more aptly titled. Southern Darkness. That’s what it says and that’s what you get. Perhaps in a moment of inspiration, they could have called it Southern Heavy Darkness or The Night of the Heavy Southern Darkness or such, because that’s the only word missing. Heavy. Damn Heavy. Massive Gibson Clutch-esque riffs, rolling monstrous bottom end, thick, sludgy southern groove. And dark. All dark. “Solace” is the kind of opening track that most bands could only dream of writing. “Lady Whiskey” adds a dollop of sensitive guitar to the fray before the heaviness comes in like a storm drifting in off the Gulf. “Mississippi River” floats in a morass of acoustic, countrified blues without ever losing it’s power, while “Machine Gun Mantra” is everything it’s title promises. A deadly assault of neck-breaking riffs and chugging intensity. For fans of Clutch. Not to be missed.
King Lizard – Viva La Decadence
Viva La Decadence indeed. If any of you out there felt that sleaze-mongers like Buckcherry played things just a little too G-rated and safe, have I got a band for you. London’s King Lizard pick up where the Crue left off, stuff their briefs with a ton of man-meat and attitude, bathe the whole shebang in a “Fuck You” and a “I’m Gonna Fuck You,” attitude and roar out of the gate like a poisonous snake on the loose. As you can tell by the album cover, subtlety ain’t in these cats’ vocabulary. The title track is a flaming rage to post-Crue hedonism. Better than Vince Neil vocals screaming over wailing guitars, big post-80’s riffs and a vat of bathtub meth velocity. “Video Lover,” has got to be more perverse than a busload of groupies could handle. Sex runs through the grooves of this song like blood runs through their veins. Others like “Rain on You,” “Hell Yeah,” and “Taste the Hate,” load up with more than enough obscenity-spitting attitude to make up for any lack of subtlety. Hair sleaze ain’t dead. It just has a new name. Hyper-adrenalized, big hair rape. Rubbers not included.
Foobar – Grand Theft Audio
I fell in love with this the first instant I heard it. Brutally, full of snot, gun-metal rock and roll. Five songs that approach like thunder and leave like a hurricane . . . devastation in their wake. Coming from Sweden, this ain’t stoner, it ain’t blues. It’s rock and roll with a purpose. A deliberate intention to unsettle the foundations of your house, your mind, and your ears. Huge riffs with a bottom end that could bounce your goldfish clear outta their tank. Or make them want to jump out and rock (if you could visualize a goldfish headbanging that is). Hard driving, gunpowder metal with a stoner glaze on top. Give me a full-length album and do it quickly. This is some seriously great stuff.
The Stone Foxes – Bears & Bulls
Not since the Swamp sludge blues of Black Bone Child first graced the Ripple office have I heard a band who so effectively got it. I mean really got it. Slacked strung acoustic guitar blues force fed some modern rock flair and dropped kicking and screaming right into the Mississippi Delta. This is ass-kickin’, foot-stompin’ backyard party blues that never forgets to rock the fuck out. Just listen as opening acoustic-jam “Stomp” transforms into the blistering rock assault of “Patience.” Crap! Break out some Blackened Voodoo beer, toss the crawdads into the pot and fry up some hush puppies because I’m deep in the south and lovin’ every minute there. Musical skill to turn from blues to rock to metal to indy on a dime. A soulful singer who can belt it out like a house on fire. Groove, baby groove.
Crack is a helluva drug. Pentagram mainman Bobby Liebling was hooked on the stuff for a long, long time and saw many bands he’s influenced crawl past him in the doom metal sweepstakes. After decades years of fluctuating line ups, shady record deals and spotty releases he seems to have gotten himself straightened out and is back with a good new album, Last Rites on Metal Blade Records. I was on the fence about picking this up but knowing that long suffering guitarist Victor Griffin had rejoined Pentagram again was a big selling point.
![Southern Darkness [Explicit]](http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002AXM4UO&tag=theripeff0a-20)
King Giant – Southern Darkness
The Stone Foxes – Bears & Bulls