OK this looks really good.
I am a great fan of Green Lantern but something just didn't sit right with the trailer, can't quite put my finger on it…but this, this certainly ticks the boxes
acting agent temperature and humidity logger Temperature RH Datalogger Set by Sper Scientific
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Who is the Best 'JUSTIN'???
I found this interesting post on Celebuzz, and I wanna aim this towards the ladies.
Here's a pic of all the JUSTINs: Justin Bieber, Justin Timberalke, Justin Long, and Justin Bartha. As far as style BIEBER and TIMBERLAKE has it ON LOCK.
Pic: Google
Milk Maid- Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to arid parts of North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. It is also the debut album of Milk Maid.
Yucca was recorded in Martin Cohen's flat with fellow Milk Maid members, Ian Hodson, Rick Entezari and Adam Carless. The rough recording suits the rough subject matter, but not the silky smooth music.
It all starts with “Such Fun” opening up with some really fun guitar riff that seems like it would be in place in some Fall Out Boy song but then the lyrics start and you realise that it far more NIN. In fact, these lyrics make Trent Renzor seem positively euphoric.
“I know a man who will cut your throat out for a buck or two”
Yep. No happy pop happening here...
What really trips me out though is that it is almost subliminal because the vocals are distorted by the happy pop melody. You really have to pay attention to understand that these are quite... messed up songs.... However, in the same stroke you are bopping along anyway!
This continues happening through the album with the next stand out being “Dead Wrong.” I had to listen to the song a few times to get the exact lyrics, but even though I didn't know what he was singing I was tapping along to the music. When I found out what he was singing, I was singing too!
“Dead wrong, your killing yourself to cut your arms off.
Stabbing yourself in the guts,
You keep on holding on to a heavy stone,
That will drag you under if you don't let go.”
Don't freak out though! Not all of the songs are dark and dank!
“Girl” is the example I will whip out now. It's a sweet song about a lost love and the home recorded sound rough rock sound transforms into something soft and kind. The music supports this song really well, cleaner, smoother but still fun.
I love the fingerpicking in “Same As What” and the lyrics somewhat glum lyrics
“You're not worth the family that carries your name,
And you just say, you need more time,
You can't have mine.”
Yucca is tied off with “Someone You Thought You Forgot,” a sad slow ballad. Very nice.
I really love how Milk Maid has managed to mix the pop music to their dark lyrics without making it sound try hard. It does have a certain air of eeriness. Yucca- great album, best savoured loudly when a couple in front of you on the train INSISTS on sucking face. Worst savoured walking home alone in the dark. Don't do that. It makes you jump at leaves. Creepy....
- Koala
Buy here: Yucca
No youtube links, but a sound cloud one!
http://soundcloud.com/suffering-jukebox/such-fun-milk-maid
FLASHBACK: 2009 Rihanna 'Rated R' Looks!! She A Bad Mutha....
As many of you can state the obvious, I'm a big RIHANNA fan.
She's one sexy thang in anything she wears; she can even make a TRASH BAG look good. Seriously. No jokes. So I was just strolling through the internet for RIHANNA photos and was bombarded by memories of Rihanna's coming out after the CHRIS BROWN thing that some people can't seem to stop talking about (I'm not talkin' 'bout it; I'm just sayin'...)
So check out some pics at Rihanna's baddest in the 2009-2010 season; time really flies!!
*SMH*--- in a good way...
RIP GENE COLAN
An absolute genius of an artist died yesterday.
RIP Gene, September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011
pic: Inside pulse
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime and Rage For Order
1988.
Prime impressionable/adolescent years.
Operation: Mindcrime.
Progressive metal laden with heavy hooks, complex guitar solos, and political messages.
Everyone's "greatest album ever" is usually indelibly linked to the most emotionally-impressionable times in their life: usually mid/late high school, though it obviously varies.
This emotional connection can obviously bias listening-- maybe I wouldn't like Operation: Mindcrime if I heard it for the first time today.
But the fact is, I did hear it for the first time, on cassette, after a glowing review of it in People magazine --of all places-- in 1988.
If I absolutely had to pick-- was forced to at gunpoint to-- just above Master of Puppets, I'd have to place Operation: Mindcrime as my Greatest Album Ever.
Tracks: "I Remember Now," the spoken intro to the concept album that Mindcrime describes, then "Anarchy X," a rousing militaristic instrumental... and then--
"Revolution Calling" and its clarion call to action... nearly 25 years later and it still gets me the same way it did in the late 80s... at 0:32 Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton's solos still represent to me the Ultimate Musical Statement of Revolution, however idealistic and naive that statement....
I know every Goddamn note by heart. Seriously. Not a single sound coming from this record --bass, guitar, drums-- do I not know like I know my own dick.
"I used to trust the media to tell me the truth, tell us the truth... but now I see the payoffs everywhere I look... who do you trust when everyone's a crook...? Revolution Calling...!"
My teenage world was completely rocked. Ideologically, musically, in all ways, really....
Maybe for old(er) readers Crosby Stills Nash & Young represent what I'm talking about... maybe it's Hendrix, or Dylan... for me, Operation: Mindcrime was the last gasp of angry political comment or activism (one that to this day makes me angry about political deception... makes me worry that the current generation is too hip/ironic enough to be angry about these political maneuvers....)-- one that taught me, whether intentionally or not, that we (as plebians, as groundlings, as common citizens) were consistently being lied to, and we should respond with anger and outrage to effect legitimate change in the political system....
See? I'm getting carried away already.
"Operation Mindcrime," the title track, with its minor third Riff of Riffs (unusual for a progressive band to have a riff like this): F# to C# or D, and back again.... "I'm gonna take away the questions, yeah-- I'm gonna make you sure...." Exactly what you did, Geoff Tate and Company....
"Speak" with its Epic lick and riff... a guitar solo worthy of any other, anywhere....
"Spreading the Disease," with its innocence-shredding lyrics and verse riffaliciousness.... This song made me angry I wasn't an assassin in Service of the Truth... "He takes her once a week, on the altar like a sacrifice... religion and sex are power plays, manipulate the people for the money they pay, selling skin... selling God, the numbers look the same on their credit cards....Fighting fire with empty words, while the banks get fat, the poor stay poor... the rich get rich*, the cops get paid, to look away-- as the one percent rules America...."
It pierces that facade of irony, even now-- it makes me energetic and pissed off, it makes me wanna find a way to effect change and impact the political system....
"Suite Sister Mary," the greatest metal ballad ever. It begins with:
"Kill her. That's all you have to do."
"Kill Mary?"
"She's a risk. And get the priest as well...."
"The Needle Lies," perhaps the most rocking/metal tune ever, describes the narrator's struggles with heroin after his beloved dies... "Now, every time I'm weak, words scream from my arm...."
In all seriousness: my most perfect album ever.
20/10. A perfect record.
*Which references several literary allusions, from Adam X's book about politics, to Shelley, who also applied the idiom (scylla and charybdis) politically in an analogy of how society is poised between anarchy and despotism in his essay A Defense of Poetry (1820). The passage reads: 'The rich have become richer, and the poor have become poorer; and the vessel of the state is driven between the Scylla and Charybdis of anarchy and despotism'.
With Operation: Mindcrime in my top 5 albums of all time, if not the top, and Empire in the top 20... it seemed as though Queensrÿche's Rage For Order should be reviewed.
Great tracks:
"Walk in the Shadows," Geoff Tate's voice full of menace and self-loathing ("Our secret's safe for one more night... But when the morning comes, remember--I'll be with you.")
There's a ton of early/mid-20s self-loathing, hating the relationship we're in yet unable to get out vibe to this record, but it also solves Queensrÿche's primary (if only at the time) flaw: they're borderline fruity/too abstract progressive metal, in danger of disappearing up their own butt, BUT: the anger ("Rage"?) present in this record (and in Operation: Mindcrime, though already diminishing to an appreciable extent in Empire) makes it a Truly Great Record, one immune to age and trends, one that can be as appreciable in 2011 as in 1986.
The first side (fucking records and cassettes, how do they work?) is perfect: the second not nearly as, but still great. "I Dream In Infrared" with its haunting, gut-wrenching lyrics ("When you woke this morning, and opened up your eyes... did you notice the tear stains lining your face were mine?" and "I even feel alone when you're near, 'cause you... never understand. When we first met, I must've seemed... a million miles away. Strange, how our lives have touched, but... the time is right... I leave tonight... don't look in my eyes 'cause you've never seen them so black....")
Obviously, I am biased, but only because of the awesomeness.
Go listen to either one, or even Empire. I'm not completely full of shit. See what you think.
--Horn
Buy here: Amazon Queensryche page
HAPPY SMURFDAY
Happy Birthday you blue things who fight evil humans who want to take over your village and way of life
Ah, hang on…
that's better
And here's something guaranteed to stick in your head and annoy you for hours, enjoy
Ah, hang on…
that's better
And here's something guaranteed to stick in your head and annoy you for hours, enjoy
PYNK Magazine Features LALA VASQUEZ As 1st Lady of New York (via MTO)
Yes, I have a big old picture of LaLa Vasquez featuredin PYNK Magazine, and it's bigger than the other pictures I post up. After all, looking at this picture should be 'FASHION' enough for your eyes.
Beyond beautiful. Everything in the picture is brought together nicely. Exquisite. Alluring. Content. WOW.
Pic: Media Takeout
TEYANA TAYLOR In New Video Shoot 'Her Room'; On "Chill" Mode
Once again, THE ONLY JAIDEN focuses on the magic in fashion that interprets itself in many ways, especially through music. So check out rapper TEYANA TAYLOR in a more personal kind of setting, in her video with Omarion.
Look at this mood she's putting on; it's the classic emotion of a girl longing after her man, and the clothes Teyana wears are once again personal and the norm of what to wear when one is in "chill mode." What do YOU interpret about the pictures?
I KNOW... I THINK KIND OF DEEP...
Pic: Global Grind
SADE: Dipped In The Fountain of Youth!!
I was stunned by the picture... I'm actually attracted to SADE, and here's the kicker:
She is 52 YEARS OLD.
And no... she's not wearing all-black (which is a nice outfit BTW) just to look young... just look at her... she's already better looking than most 35-year-olds!!
Pic: Google/ MTO
MARLO HAMPTON (New 'Atlanta' Housewive) In New Photo Shoot
After circulation of Marlo Hampton's leaked rap sheet for 'ASSAULT/GREAT BODILY HARM', people (including me) have been anticipating Marlo's debut on 'Real Housewives of Atlanta.'
But anyway she did a photo shoot, featured on YBF. She looks great and looks well-pampered surrounded by Chanel boxes and jewelry. HMM... SEXY.
Check it out:
Dat's wassup...
Pic: YBF
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONIC
Are all these anniversaries coming out just to make me feel old?
Sonic the Hedgehog is 20 years old...
sheesh
Delaney & Bonnie And Friends - On Tour With Eric Clapton
Racer’s been sending me links for all kinds of cool digital promos of new music but I’m having trouble with the computer again. They installed some new systems on my box at work and it’s been slowing everything down. The past two weeks lots of things have been stalling on me and causing me to reboot. The upshot of all this is that a friend of mine loaned me this Delaney & Bonnie box set and I’ve been playing the hell out of it and it’s brought back some great memories.
Way back when I was first starting to get into rock music in the late 70’s I used to go to the local public library and borrow records to help me determine just what kind of music I liked. The rock section was pretty small so I would grab just about anything available. This is the reason why I know that I don’t like Steeleye Span at all and that I find Procol Harum a little dull. One week I stumbled across an album by Delaney & Bonnie And Friends called On Tour With Eric Clapton. I’d heard plenty of Clapton on the radio, some I liked some I didn’t but I brought it home and gave it a spin and fell in love with it. Through an older brother I had been exposed to a lot of soul music like Booker T. & The MG’s and James Brown as well as a healthy dose rock & roll originators like Chuck Berry and Little Richard. This Delaney & Bonnie album appealed to me immediately and I made a cassette copy of it that I played all the time. A few years later the tape broke and I had started my path to heavy metal madness and never bothered to pick it up again.
So about 30 years later I’m at a friends place and he mentions that he just acquired a box set of 4 complete shows recorded on the tour that produced the album with Eric Clapton and would I like to hear some of it. From the first note, memories came flooding back and the music sounded better than I remembered. Jeezus, what a band! In 1969 Delaney & Bonnie were touring as the opening act for Blind Faith. Eric Clapton was so smitten with them that when Blind Faith broke up he joined their band for their next tour and brought along his friend George Harrison. It’s easy to see why these British musicians would be so impressed. England has produced a lot of great players and bands but it’s pretty hard to compete with a rhythm section of American dudes from the south. The core of the band is Bobby Whitlock on organ, Carl Radle on bass and Jim Gordon on drums. Do those names sound familiar? George Harrison used them on his album All Things Must Pass before they formed Derek & The Dominos with Clapton. The horn section of Bobby Keys and Jim Price would later join the Rolling Stones. Even backing vocalist Rita Coolidge went on to be a pretty big star not long after this. Dave Mason and Leon Russell turn up from time to time as special guests.
The original LP was only about 40 minutes edited down from 4 concerts recorded in December 1969. This box presents all the shows in complete form. It’s probably overkill for most but that’s why it’s a limited edition box set. The Royal Albert Hall show is the longest of all 4 shows and captures the band in peak form. There haven’t been too many bands that have been able to blend soul music with rock & roll and blues this well. This is southern music but not “southern rock” although it does rock. They boogie like no other on the uptempo songs like “Things Get Better,” “Coming Home,” “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” and on Dave Mason’s “Only You Know & I Know.” Delaney and Bonnie’s vocals really shine on the slower ballads like “Poor Elija” and “Everybody Loves A Winner.” A highlight of most of the shows is a medley of the songs “Pour Your Love On Me/Just Plain Beautiful.” The band really smokes on this and there’s some great guitar interplay between all the guitarists. Most of the songs are repeated on each disc but there are some cool one time performances. A great version of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and a cover of Booker T.’s “Pigmy” are highlights of disc 4.
The original album is still in print and worth picking up if you’re low on funds, but if this sounds at all interesting to you go for the box. The packaging is very cool and it will probably be out of print soon. MP3’s from itunes do not due music like this any justice. Don’t be afraid to turn it up and get funky. And support your local library!
--Woody
Buy here: Delaney & Bonnie On Tour With Eric Clapton
Buy here mp3: On Tour With Eric Clapton
LADY GAGA In Green: The Color of Money and Freshness, that is...
The crazy interesting LADY GAGA continues to stun her little monsters and even her non-monsters with what she wears. Instead of all the crazy stuff we usually see Lady GaGa wear, this look above is extremely understated by GAGA STANDARDS. This is a MONEY look, meaning that everything about her look is expensive in all categories.
After all, she IS wearing the color of money.
She wore an interesting, Nicki Minaj-ish teal wig which fades to black at the roots to compliment the black glasses, a Valentino leather trench coat, and the formidable CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN 'DAFFODIL' PUMPS for $995. Only GaGa.
Pic: UpscaleHype
DWYANE WADE Is Also A Fashion Buff; Attends Fashion Show In Milan!
Check out Dwyane Wade looking on top of his style game, even more so since he attended the DSquared Fashion Show in Milan. I found his looks on UpscaleHype, and may I say that it looks so... so... ME.
D. Wade was wearing a DSquared2 poplin blazer for about $1,200, as well as the jeans for about $500, and the cherry on top is the YSL sneakers for $410.
I happen to know that D. Wade is quite the good dresser... he needs to be featured more in fashion blogs and websites, especially in the OFF-SEASON. Thumbs up to Wade!!
Pic: UpscaleHype
cabernet bras fashion design schools Eccentric Glamour with Simon Doonan [HD]
fashion design schools Eccentric Glamour with Simon Doonan [HD]
The House Harkonnen - Vol. 6
A film by Penfold.
Episode 6: 2009 – Present Day
Previously, we explored the rich history of The House Harkonnen. Thanks to the scarcity of true first-hand accounts, the House’s covert formation in 2003 has remained a mystery to much of the world. Historians only agreed on the 2003 formation date due to that being the origin year displayed on honorific patches worn by all House members. 2004 proved to be the year the House went public, actively promoting its ideals and endeavors in ever expanding circles of influence. In this episode, we pick up the history towards the end of 2009.
Countries around the globe were descending into chaos. Tumultuous protests were occurring on an almost weekly basis. Some of these protests lasted only hours before they were forcibly broken up. Others amassed so many people that they could not be stopped, lasting for several days before the crowds dispersed. Trained observers noted that the only thing holding back massive societal change was the lack of a unifying leader who could bring these disparate protesters together. Essentially, the world was a powder keg primed and ready to explode.
The House Harkonnen had bided its time until it was absolutely convinced its efforts would result in success. On October 15th, 2009 the four leaders of the House emerged from their lair, a modified lighthouse located in Silo Town, U.S.A., and traveled to central points on the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. Electronic and physical pamphlets had been liberally dispersed among the population centers of these continents prior to the House leaders’ arrival. This being the case, each leader was able to instantly connect with an army of eager converts ready to do their bidding.
According to plan, the House leaders spent a week and a half sermonizing how the priorities of The House Harkonnen mirrored those of the common man. New influxes of supporters streamed into House controlled campsites daily. It is estimated that the amount of supporters eventually numbered around 300,000 per House leader. Understandably, the local governments began to fear the power wielded by these four outsiders. They sent envoys in order to gauge the House leaders’ intentions. All of these couriers were sent back with the same response. It stated ‘We, The House Harkonnen, have come to your land to take over. If you don’t like it, that’s tough fucking news’. Cut and dried to say the least.
A few of the nearby politicians took the House’s statement of intent seriously, but most met their words with laughter and scorn. Unfortunately for them they were not aware of the secret weapon that House archeologists had unearthed back in the United States. Exactly one year prior those archeologists found a sealed urn buried deep underground. Inside that urn was a knife. It appeared plain and unvarnished. The only distinguishing element to the knife appeared to be some indecipherable text along the knife’s hilt. Detailed examination revealed that this knife was actually the famed ‘blade to take the world’. Historical precedent established that whoever possessed this fabled blade was destined to rule over everyone and everything.
Pity the world’s former powers. Praise The House Harkonnen.
It appears that the state of Texas has another secret to tell. What may seem strange to some people is that this secret doesn’t call Austin home. The House Harkonnen is a self described ‘slop rock’ band that hails from Arlington, a large city inside the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. The band has been plying their trade since the early years of the new millennium. In that time they have released six slabs of scathing rock upon the masses (although I can personally vouch for only four of those six slabs, I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt on the remaining two), appropriately titled Volume 1 through 6. Volume 6, the newest to be released into the wild back in October of 2009, is the focus of our attention today.
There is no way around it people. Volume 6 is an absolute monster! It’s beastly! This album does more to rock my world during its half hour running length than most anything I’ve come across in recent memory. After a brief muscle flexing wall of heavy guitar tonality provides the proper introduction, the band mashes on the accelerator and never lets up. Honestly, this album…it completes me. So what kind of sonic template am I talking about exactly? What does this ‘slop rock’ sound like? Allow me to provide some insight.
First of all you have dueling guitars mounting a riff based assault upon your senses. The guitars are inescapable! They fill any void with a deep, rich, aggressive sound all the while in powerful harmony with one another. Second, the bass and drums lay down an incredibly thick, meaty groove on every song in perfect lockstep. Seriously, the propulsion they provide should come with a warning indicator about possible radiation exposure. Last but not least we have the vocals. During the majority of Volume 6 the vocals are very hardcore-ish in nature. They exhibit a primal urgency that connects deeply with any soul seeking honest, genuine emotion from their singers. To top that off, there is plenty of vocal variety on offer throughout the album. As stated you have the hardcore stuff, but there are also songs with clean singing, and others mixing the two approaches.
I could easily break down every song on this album. In truth, I would do so happily! Now let me explain why I’m not going to do that. It’s very simple. I don’t feel that my writing can do this music justice. Reading about tunes like these is all well and good, but actually hearing them will be far more impressive. Consider this a challenge waveriders; from me to you. Point your browser over to The House Harkonnen’s website (www.thehouseharkonnen.com), click on the audio tab, start the player, and let Volume 6 energize you. To sum up, if you listen to “A Blade To Take The World” and remain calm and unaffected, you need to seek emergency medical assistance. Something is dreadfully wrong!
--Penfold
Buy here: Vol. 6
Ripple Music To Celebrate 1 year Anniversary with Thank You Discounts and a Special Giveaway!
After exploding onto the scene June of last year, Ripple Music continues its path as one of the fastest growing Independent Record Labels in America!
Following a year that saw the signing and releasing of new and vintage material from Stone Axe, Poobah, JPT Scare Band, Fen, Modern Day Moonshine, Mighty High, Grand Atlantic, Sky Parade, and Kevin Beadles, Ripple Music followed up by adding such bands as Mos Generator, Iron Claw, Grifter, and Tripdavon to their roster, and inked several major international distribution deals. And there's much more to come!
Now, as Ripple Music moves into its second year, founders John Rancik and Todd Severin want to celebrate the enthusiasm of their music lovers (known as waveriders) with some Anniversary Specials. As a thank you to their fans and supporters who’ve allowed Ripple to strike out and bring independent music to the world, Ripple will be applying special 15% discounts on everything ordered from the Ripple Store from anniversary day, June 22nd through Independence day July 4th.
And when Ripple Music says “discount on everything” they mean everything, including special collectors packages of Stone Axe I deluxe CD/DVD, vinyl and 7” single, the new Heavy Ripples double 7” package, and the best-selling Poobah “Let Me In” double 12” LP. In the store, you can also find classic non-Ripple albums from Ripple artists Stone Axe, Mos Generator, and JPT Scare Band. All of which will get the additional anniversary discount.
But wait, there's more. Every waverider who places an order during the anniversary special will get their name placed into a drawing for a very special, last-one-of-its-kind surprise Test Pressing. Yes, John and Todd are going to go back into the vault and pull out the last test pressing available and give it away as a special surprise to one lucky fan.
But wait, there's more. Every waverider who places an order during the anniversary special will get their name placed into a drawing for a very special, last-one-of-its-kind surprise Test Pressing. Yes, John and Todd are going to go back into the vault and pull out the last test pressing available and give it away as a special surprise to one lucky fan.
It’s all just Ripple’s way of saying thank you for allowing them to keep doing what they love, bringing the best music your way and putting the guts back into rock and roll!
RIPPLE MUSIC STORE
RIPPLE MUSIC STORE
Ripple News - Help Support the Music Maker Relief Foundation
Music Maker Relief Foundation keeps our culture vital by directly
supporting senior (over 55) American roots musicians in need. We
provide for basic life essentials while expanding their professional
careers so that our rich musical heritage can be shared with the world
and preserved for future generations.
Since the organization’s founding in 1994, Music Maker has assisted
hundreds of musicians who represent the traditions of Blues, Gospel,
Old-Time String Band, Jazz and more.
Music Maker’s programs ensure the talents of these cultural treasures
are accessible through hundreds of US and international live
performances, multi-media documentation and outreach initiatives.
Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. is a tax exempt, public charity
under IRS code 501(c)3.
Programs
Musician Sustenance - grants to meet basic life needs and emergency relief.
Musical Development - grants and services for recipient artist
professional development and career advancement.
Cultural Access - supports the preservation and proliferation of
American musical traditions.
This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council with
funding from the state of North Carolina and the National Endownment
for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
Check it all out at the Music Maker Relief Foundation. Support the cause. Keep the music alive!
NBA Baller Dwight Howard Brings Out The 'Rihanna' In Him, But Looks More Like Serena *LOL*!!
Dwight Howard appeared on a show to do a parody of Rihanna with her red wig. Funny, funny, funny when I saw that this morning. But no matter how much harder I look at the pic, Dwight looks more like tennis superstar Serena Williams!
Check it out below:
See what I mean? 'Jaiden' doesn't lie...
Pic: Google/ MediaTakeout
See what I mean? 'Jaiden' doesn't lie...
Pic: Google/ MediaTakeout
Kaye Bohler - Like A Flower
One of the constants in my life since I first moved to Northern California over thirty years ago has been the local music scene. Ever since the blues moved west in the 1940’s the area between Monterey and Eureka,- the Bay, Coast, Redwoods, Peninsula and Delta - have been magnets for musicians and artists. Well above the average per capita number of musicians and artists live here than live in most other major metropolitan areas. Northern California has its own cadence and its own style.
The Bay Area was overrun with great players well before the blues-based “San Francisco Sound” - that counterculture rock music performed live and recorded by San Francisco-based rock groups of the mid-1960s to early-1970s. After World War II the “West Coast Blues” style exploded all over the Bay Area. It was typified by T-Bone Walker and Charlie Christian with their jazzy swing versions of Chicago jump blues. The West Coast Blues became the progenitor of the “San Francisco Sound.”
The result of all of this talent in one place inevitably leads to recording sessions by neighbors and friends. Such is the case with Kaye Bohler’s release Like A Flower. Kaye is a Bay Area singer/songwriter who fronts her own blues band, The Kaye Bohler Band. On Like A Flower she enlists the help of two Northern California blues guitar legends, the amazing Robben Ford and the incomparable Tommy Castro. When put all together by Berkeley-based Red Rooster Studio Producer Tony Lufrano you get a great album of Kaye Bohler written blues tunes that provides a wonderful snapshot of the West Coast Blues community in the early 21st Century.
Bohler has a deep blues voice with decent, but limited, range. Yet, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Billie Holiday’s voice lacked range, was thin, and due to years of excessive drug use, quivered. There is more to singing than range, such as delivery, and Bohler makes the most of what she has.
It is the rotating band line-ups that standout on this release. Predictably, the tracks with Tommy Castro and Robben Ford are incredibly tight, However, the band on every track cooks despite ever-changing band personnel. It seems as if every track is backed by a different group of players. It makes for a “Who’s Who” of today’s Northern California blues player community. Kaye is joined by her husband drummer John Paul and lead guitarist Sammy Varela, both from Kaye’s Bay Area Band; bassist Steve Evans from the East Bay’s Chris Cain Band; Berkeley-based session guitarist and instructor Garth Webber; percussionist Cubby Ingram from the San Francisco group What a Band!; San Francisco vocalists Kathy Kennedy and Keta Bill; Bay Area guitarist Danny Caron; Oakland trumpteer Tom Fuglestadt; Walnut Creek saxophonist Armon Boyd; tombonist Joel Behrman from the San Francisco group Brass Mafia; Bay Area drummer Jimmy Sanchez formerly from the Delta Rhythm Kings and now with the Flying Other Brothers; San Francisco trumpeteer Tom Poole; and the list goes on and on.
That, in itself, makes Like A Flower an important album in the history of the “West Coast Blues.” I know of no other album that brings together the backbone of the Northern California blues-based music community in one release. Future music lovers will be able to listen to this 2009 album and hear and feel the West Coast Bay Area blues music scene of the first decade of the second millennia.
They should like what they hear.
- Old School
Buy here: Like a Flower
Buy here mp3: Like a Flower
Mesmerized by Baldness: LADY GAGA Stuns Crowd The Other Day W/ Bald Head!
It can't be... is LADY GAGA really bald??!!
I doubt it. That's probably a well-designed flesh cap on her head. Heyy... is it just me or does LADY GAGA look like AMBER ROSE in the above picture?
Pic: Google
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