Music to My Ears.

Years ago I learned how to play music. Not as much by choice but because the school I went to required two years. The first year everyone picked up the recorder. Typical. The next year however, everyone had to pick an instrument. Keep in mind I commuted to school from the next town over. So by the time I arrived to try picking out my instrument, many had already been filled up. Percussion? Filled. Trumpet? Filled. Sax? Filled. I ended up with a flute. Yes, my first instrument was the piece of metal that was given new life as a dirty joke. At the time I thought it was a joke too.Fast forward a few years, and I not only learned to appreciate it, but loved it. I played right into my Junior High days. Then change was about to happen.

Teenage angst was setting in. The bad director I had was a... well 30 years later and I still can't find a word to describe my disdain. Not only did I get the flute jokes from other band members, and the student body, but was belittled by this toxic life form for the same thing. I no longer wanted to play. I kept my flute at home and made a change. I finally went to the percussion section. Xylophone, tympani, bells, cymbals, etc. You put me behind them, and I wasn't going to just play them. I was going to beat them! My anger and frustration went into whatever I was going to be playing for a given song. And he hated it.

Enter my dad. He played guitar since he was a kid, and picked up piano/ keyboards along the way by ear. He'd played with many a band, and had tried to teach me some guitar, but I didn't want it at the time. So he did the next best thing, and bought me a drum kit. At this point I didn't like playing in front of people much because of said band director. I'd mess around sometimes with friends. My pleasure was much more in the confines of home though. I'd crank the stereo, or put on my headphones, and would kick that kit for all I was worth in high school.

Then of course life happened. I went to a military school, enlisted in the Marine Corps, had a child, and on and on. When I finally came home to the US. My beloved flute was long gone, lost amongst my parents moving. My drums were destroyed by a bad roommate of my future stepdad's when my folks split. The only music in my life was the radio, cd's, and old cassettes. I accepted it for years. I tried getting into the whole guitar hero thing with my kids. And while the drums were good "FOR A GAME". They weren't the real thing. I had a hole begging to be filled.

The day finally came to fill that hole. I'd been looking around some local music stores. One day, my dad was in town and asked me if I could get any instrument there, which one would I choose? Thinking is was a hypothetical question I answered honestly and showed him the bass guitar I'd had my eye on. I don't know what it was, but I was just drawn to her. He bought her on the spot along with an amp. My jaw dropped!

The day I brought Ol' Blue home.

My journey back into music was rekindled. My ex thought I was wasting my time. So I'd spend what time I could back in the bedroom (sexy I know) getting to know my new found love. Not long after I had started to get to know her, tragedy struck. My dad died unexpectedly. I couldn't even look at Ol' Blue without wanting to cry. So she was put away for a couple years. Once in a while I'd try, but couldn't. Finally, enough time went by and I not only could bring her out of her confinement, but I started getting to know her all over again. Just a little at a time. It was like I was able to spend time with my dad.

Fast forward a little bit, and the church was looking for a bassist. I didn't say anything at first. And then a friend, who knew I played a little, told the music director. I explained I was just learning and didn't think I'd be up to par. Really it was because after all those years, I was still that kid that didn't want to play for people anymore. But after some discussion I went out, and a couple weeks later found myself stepping into a band again. It was different this time. I wasn't playing for people, I was serving the Lord! While it wasn't exactly my style of music, that didn't matter anymore. The game had changed!

The Artist hanging out on stage.

A a rapid rate I found myself starting on just mid-week service, to playing mid-week and all Sunday services as well. It was exciting. And then it got more exciting. Mid-week service went away during the summer do to so many things happening in the church and there not being prep-time. But when they came back, we found ourselves doing an acoustic night, since our keys man was leading the Youth service now. So I found myself an acoustic/electric bass to go with the sound. She's gotten a lot of praise. And then another change had taken its toll as well.

My violin bass Happy Camper.

 I'd sustained a back injury at work and needed something a little lighter than Ol' Blue. Enter Happy Camper. And just like any other instrument, they each have their own personality and sound. I've found myself switching out between the three, depending on what day it is, what we're playing, or just plain how I'm feeling.

That hole has been filled. I have music in it's rawest form back in my life. And when I'm down, it really helps. It transcends just listening. I hear it, feel it, clear my head, spend time with loved ones past, and most importantly learn. Whether it's a technique, and adjustment to a song, or a riff that's in my head, I'm a student of music. I enjoy playing again. Not only am I part of a band of people I respect, I'm part of the greatest band on earth. God's band. You'll find them in your local church, with varying styles of play and worship.

Now you're probably asking what the point is. And there is one. This has just been a part of my journey. NEVER LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR MUSIC. You may not find it again. Your music may be literal, or something else entirely. But it's a part of you. You can take breaks if need be. But don't lose it. Ever.

Serving with the Lords blessings upon me.

Random Pet Peeve

Time for a random tick. You have to love people with a delusion of grandeur. The security guard who truly believe he's a cop, the ugly person who thinks they're a model, and something that's been on my mind for a while is the karaoke singer who thinks they are the front man for the next big band. You know the types I'm talking about.

Now we all have friends and family with good singing voices. I'm the first to admit mine sounds like a dog that's still awake while getting castrated. Yup, it's that bad. Luckily I have other talents to make up for it. However a while back, alright way back,  I met a guy at work who said in his off time he's a singer for a local band. To protect the embarrassment of the group, I won't list it's name and we'll refer to this guy as Red. But I digress. So Red's a singer right. And of course we challenge him to sing something for us. He tries, and fails with some poor excuse. And we all write him off. 

A couple years later, Red pop's up again. Our workplace is making some big fuss about him because he's going to a karaoke championship. I'm thinking, "great, he can sing if he's reading." My kids can do that while playing Rock Band, big deal. And it turns out, he did pretty good. Proving, yes it's easier when you can just read the words instead of having talent. At this point Red and I are both leaving for other business ventures, and he disappears. Out of sight, out of mind.

So fast forward to a couple months ago. My wife and I take a nice long weekend to Buffalo Thunder to get away for a little while. We're walking around and who do I find? You guessed it, here's Red and his band playing at one of the clubs at this resort. So Erica and I do what comes natural, we sit down, place an order and listen to them for a while. Overall the band isn't bad. The drummer is wailing on his kit, the bassist is walking around and killing it, the guitarist isn't great but they're getting the job done, there's a female singer that knows what she's doing and has a good voice, then there's Red. 

Red's trying to move with the dancing skills of a toddler, trying way to hard to act like a rock star, and I'm thinking to myself, "What The French Toast" For all he's worth, he can't get two feet from his mic stand. You may be asking what's the significance of that? Well he's holding a mic, it's not on the stand. The stand has an iPad holder with, that's right sports fan, an iPad! He's reading every stinking word! And very obviously at that! He's treating it like a karaoke machine! Song's that are very well rehearsed by the band, and one song being the same one he bombed all those years ago when we challenged him. He can't do anything without this stinking tablet!

Here's the pet peeve. As I've mentioned in the past, I grew up around musicians. My dad being one. Myself, being one. And many friends being musicians. If you're in a band, let alone singing, you take some pride in the fact YOU KNOW THE MATERIAL! A set list, with one or two notes is no big thing. But know the material. If you're standing in front of a tablet, you are not a musician. Red you're a hack! I don't care if you're sing the national anthem, learn it, take the heat and grow from your mistakes, or get the stage! There is one time it's okay to read the music if you're performing in front of a crowd aside from being in school, it's called being in an orchestra. Red, it's time for you exit, stage right. 

A Night of Rock

The Raskins, Alice Cooper, and Motley Crue

 Time for an entry in the concert series. Last night was a great night. It was time to break away from the hum drum crap of the world, immerse myself in some loud music, and lose myself for a few hours with some like minded people. Motley Crue's Final Tour at the Isleta Amphitheater, Albuquerque, NM. In the singing voice of Vince Neil, it kicked some ass! So time for a breakdown of the night. 

Sunset at the Isleta Amphitheatre, Albuquerque, NM

The warm up act took stage on time. Some crap group from NY called foreskins or some similar name not worth remembering. The didn't have a single song of their own, and played one of the worst Ramons covers I've ever heard. Most of the crowd ignored them and continued to get merchandise, food, and of course adult beverages. What's really sad is the fact that they weren't that bad if you got rid of the front man. Yes, he was that bad. So moving along.

Alice Cooper, center stage!

Time for Alice Cooper! Alice hasn't lost a step. Wardrobe changes, Frankenstein, beheadings, you were entertained from beginning to end. A truly great set from the master. If you were standing in the crowd in my section, it was behind me. Sadly I was in a noticeably weak section off the crowd. Don't get me wrong, I had a great view. But that's because from beginning to end, I was standing behind a sea of dead asses. Not a single person stood! Only part of the crowd! Obviously they didn't know what they were in for, our how to react. Losers. I felt bad for Alice, but I stood up raised my hand in the air and got the groove! It's ALICE! Amazing!

The sea of dead asses in front of me on the lawn. This is at the end of Alice's set.

Then of course a short intermission to adjust the stage for Crue. A short video came on the screens off stage and the sea of dead asses got up thinking it was actually their time. Morons! So I took the time to check merch, and food.

Motley Crue!

Now time for the so called FINAL TOUR (we'll see how that goes), Motley Crue takes the stage!  And BOOM! We're off and running! Balls to the wall! Everyone is on their feet and looking around you can finally tell that this is a sold out show! Lights, pyro, and ROCK! Another great set. The crowd was singing along, heads were bobbing, hands in the air, whistles, screams, a few lighters, all the good stuff that a concert should be. A little verbage from Vince and Nikki of course, and a couple of solo's. Sadly none from Tommy. But a great show none the less. Lights that give Kiss a run for their money easily, and pyro that kicks Kiss square in the balls. And to finish off the night... the boys moved to a stage in the middle of the audience to play Home Sweet Home.

Crue playing Home Sweet Home

And of course like any good show, aside from the fellow metalheads in the crowd, it was enjoyed with family and friends. Love ya!

What happened?

Whatever happened to rap? Now I'm not a big fan of it, but it's really changed over the years. Think about it. Back in the late 70's, and the 80's is where it became a recognized entity. And it was fun. Sure, it's had controversy about it's messages, but so have other major forms of music. For instance Rapper's Delight. To this day it's become a staple of the beginning of the rap industry. It's one of those songs that you don't know, and don't really have to know the lyrics to enjoy. It's catchy and takes you for a ride.

The delivery methods started to change quickly, as did the beat and sound mix it was put too, however it stayed true to its roots up until the 90's. MC Hammer, and Vanilla Ice were the big hitters that everyone loved at the time. Sure, now they'll claim they didn't, but it's garbage. Especially when it comes to Vanilla Ice. Even DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince where success stories. While many will pan the Fresh Prince today (aka Will Smith) he's stayed loyal to his roots as well, and is just about having a good time.

But then the sun began to set. The new heavy hitters came to play, and they were looking for an outlet to bring attention to where they came from. Ice Cube, 2Pac, Notorious BIG, Snoop Dog, Dr Dre. 2Pac I especially like to point out as a person of interest here, because he was a huge part of the transition. He went from the late part of the early era with Digital Undergound to this new era as a solo artist. While there was some fun and games here, the tone became dark. Instead of talking about good times, they began looking at where they came from. Hard hitting streets filled with drugs, alcohol, and violence. It was different, edgy, and hard hitting. An overnight sensation saw the birth of gangster rap. There were few alternatives to this style without leaving the genre.

Then came what I call the dark days, which we are still in. Ever since these few stepped of to the challenge and made the gamble to fall flat on their face, few have actually had the intestinal fortitude to follow suite. A few players have come and gone from the game like Will Smith, Ice T, LL Cool J, but they don't have much left for the music world, and certainly have enough other things on their plate. ICP, and Eminem have brought their own moves to the game, but overall the boat has run derelict, and is lost at sea.

There's nothing new being offered up. Basically people are just following a set template, and mimicking what's already been done. Really it's at varying success as well as what the money men want to cram down our throats. Some artists, shouldn't even be called artists in my opinion. They offer little more than back up, "yeah" or "yea-uhhh" or some stupid word(s) that don't add, but can certainly takes away from what is out there.  And they're as fake as it gets. The irony being they rap about getting rich from crime, but raise hell about pirated music. It's called karma you fake musician!

While I'm not a fan of modern rap music, it's not to say I've never been a fan or don't have respect for the artists. I have been a fan, and occasionally come across something I like. But these days it's very rare indeed. As a one time musician myself, and growing up in a musicians house, I know how hard it can be. What I do want to see, and what I am saying is that it's time for a new era. Originality, and creativity need to come back. Ludacris has offered a glimpse of some of that, as have few others. Sadly, most are gone before they even really get started in the industry though. Meanwhile we get more garbage building up.

The sheep continue to be herded.

Worldwide Warriors: The Party and the Jack

Time for a special edition from yours truly. I say special edition, because this isn't something I was actually going to write about. But enough people have asked me, so here it is. Time for my take on last nights concert! From the get go, I have to admit this isn't my style of music as many of you know. So I'll do my best to remain objective.

Ticket to the show!

So my wife is a fan, and really wanted to go see Pitbull. Being the kind of hubby that I am, I bought tickets. The headliners for this tour of course being Pitbull & Kesha. The people that are touring with them are Justice Crew and Jump Smokers. So before I get into Pitbull & Kesha, let me get the negatives out of the way.

Isleta Amphitheater, Albuquerque, NM on the lawn

The show opened with Justice Crew. For those who don't know, myself being one until last night, Justice Crew is a hip-hop/dance group out of Australia. Holy cow! I cannot explain how far up the ladder of garbage this group is. First off, they didn't come out to a song of their own. They looked like a group of wannabe strippers concentrating more on remembering their choreography, than actually trying to dance. It was horrible. Not only that, but the lack of commitment was sad. They'd poorly perform through a section of a song, then stop for some unpracticed banter that came off like they were reading it from a cue card for the first time. While I'm sure they have some sort of talent somewhere in there, it just wasn't seen at all last night. The dancer on a sheet of cardboard outside the local Walmart is more entertaining than this group of aspiring artists. Keep practicing guys, you need it! To end the pain, they finally performed a single of their own. It sounded like a rip off that was stuck between Nsync and Justin Bieber. Aside from the teenage girls who don't know any better, the audience just didn't care by that point. Everyone was looking for a new drink, or waiting in line for the restroom. For this segment I give it two thumbs down, and a huge yawn. 

Next on the list of, "What were you thinking?" is the filler that came out between Kesha & Pitbull. A couple of DJ's that call themselves Jump Smokers. I'm still trying to figure out how the heck these idiots are classified as a band. They came out and did a club set that was 100% was I hear on the local radio stations at night. Original? A far screaming cry from it. Aside from a couple of record scratches here and there, and one of them wanting to talk about a dance party like they were at a middle school dance, it was literally just a radio set. I mean, I paid good money to see a show. Where's the show? A couple of lights, and laptop next to a turn table while some idiot is blabbing away to put your hands in the air is not a show, let alone a band. This was the set that really showed who the school kids were. I honestly believe this actually took away from the show. We're not talking about giving a break to some up and comers to try to do something like Justice Crew. We're talking about bonafide DJ's. They belong in a local dance hall, not the big stage. If they truly wanted some decent DJ's to act as a filler, I'd have recommended they take a look at EDC, Ultra Music Fest, etc to see who could actually keep the energy pumping and not sound like a radio jockey on the AM band. Not only do I give this segment two thumbs down, but a flaming bag of dog poo!

Now, on to the our headliners!

Kesha

Kesha came out first of course. Lighting was good. Sound was pretty solid. Props were good. Costumes were well done. What took away from it was the fact it was still so bright out. It really toned down the lights, glitter, props, etc. And there were a ton. Her costume revealed a lot of skin, but was still a prop in itself which is a nice change from the typical hooker look that so many go for anymore. You could tell she gained a little weight, which is definitely to her benefit as she looks a lot better with it. I hope she keeps it. What's more is that when she actually opened her mouth, you could tell it was her. You could tell when she was actually singing, opposed to her background vocal tracks. And she did try to get the audience engaged. Some dialog here, some actual engagement there, some story telling to set the stage for the next song. It was there. You could tell she's still working on fully getting the audience involved, but the effort was there. In a nice twist she'd insert something random into some of her songs, such as flat out saying what something was instead of using the metaphor that her lyrics actually used. Sometimes it hit the mark, other times not so much, yet others I think was more to try catching the audience with their guard down and shocking them. You could tell that once she warmed up though, she and her dancers were having some fun. It added some comedy when a couple of her props didn't work quite right, and when a dancer, who was probably blinded by the big mascot style head he was wearing tripped, and took her down with him. She laughed it off and was back into the song quickly, which was great. She even had good fillers while changing her costume. 

Kesha nearing the end of her set

While not her fault, I think where her set fell flat is that the audience had already used up its first wind with the disappointing opener and hadn't quite gotten it's second wind when she took the stage. Also, there were bits where she was playing guitar that just didn't seem right. To explain you had this "recording" perfect jam that seemed more like she was pretending to play over a pre-recorded track. While everyone is used to her being totally auto-tuned as well, the sound mixers had their work cut out for them trying to keep her sounding just right as well. Other than those couple of things, she did well and will get better moving forward. Two thumbs up. 

Pitbull

Now for Pitbull. The audience absolutely had its second wind when he made it to the stage. I was actually very surprised by his live performance, and have to give him big kudos for it. His energy alone actually reminded me of Angus Young's as there was no stopping him while he was out there. He was moving, dancing, jumping, the stage was a playground, and he owned it. He was all over the place. His voice was obviously not a recorded track. When he sang you knew it, just like when he rapped you knew it. And he stayed engaged with the audience. Story telling, knowing where he was, etc. He was in the moment and you could tell in was genuine, which isn't always seen in any genre of music. Lighting was amazing, lasers, strobes, LED's on the stage, props, and more. And in a bright rainbow of colors. His dancers were changing costumes faster than Las Vegas show girls, at a pace that even Bette Midler would have gasped at. Which brings us to an area of concern I had going in. As many of you know, he has few songs that are just him. Most are collaborations with other artists. Artists that are not on the road with him. The recordings of those artists spots were crisp, clear, and amazing. Sometimes he'd even have their parts from the music videos up on the Jumbotron. Other times, he'd have his actual video's playing on the screen, such as his Men In Black 3 track, but he still performed his part live, not giving over to the lip syncing. It was done so well, that you would have actually thought those artists were there. In addition, for the most part he didn't use his videos, but rather had different effects, lighting, and visuals playing instead. Confetti flew all over. And the biggest pop I could give is for his use of actual musicians. It wasn't just the dance beats that comprise so much of his work. Instead, he had a different feel altogether. A guitarist, percussionists, keyboardists, and even a sax were put to use creating a better sound than you'll find on his albums. They even riffed a few riffs paying tribute to the likes of GNR, Ozzy, Survivor, and the Beastie Boys. A pleasant surprise indeed. Two thumbs up, and a standing ovation. 

A blurred shot of Pitbull. My phone just couldn't keep up with the lighting changes and flashes.

With the lights, lasers, glitz and glam, the venue was wrong. Overall it should have been an indoor venue. Even after dark, the lights were just absorbed and lost by our desert. Had it been at an indoor venue, it really would have added that extra something to the experience. But overall the headliners did well and made me feel like I got my money's worth. Good job guys.

Cowabunga: Turtle Love

The first day of a new month, so lets start it right with a new entry.

Everyone has an inner child. Many just don't hear it, or are afraid to let it out. I'm not either of those type's. I'm the time that likes to let out my inner juvenile delinquent from time to time. And no, this is not one of those times I'll be letting loose with a fart joke. At least, not yet.

So my youngest and I went shopping the other day. We were on a mission to get my oldest boys birthday gift. Easy enough, mission was accomplished. However I've been needing a new wallet for a while though. My old one was not only falling apart, but what counts for "real" leather these days was starting to peel away. It got ugly. Almost to the point of busting out some duck tape. I should have taken a pic. Yes, I've done that in the past too.

So during out little adventure to the mall, (Oy, I hate that place) I decided to kill two birds with one stone. A while back a certain store had a wallet that caught my eye. And my inner juvenile delinquent has been telling me to get it ever since. And why not? We're only talking about one of my all time favorites here. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Granted, it's the cartoonish version from the 90's, but none the less it's the about the best you'll find these days.

I have to take the chain off for work, but it gets put right back on when I'm off work.

Cowabunga dude. It takes me all the way back to the early days. We're talking Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The blood, the gore, the insanely stupid puns. And don't forget, originally in black and white, and before they had individual coloring. I've been a fan, that long. Out in my garage, I still have my original poster from the first movie, sitting in a frame.

I'd wear this, just for the looks.

It still saddens me that they've been toned down. But I understand they're looking for the kids, not the adults, to market too. But then again, in my younger years I was such a big fan that even their Coming Out of Their Shells Tour was on my list. I'm not sure if I still have the VHS, but I know I still have the cassette in my tape collection. I can actually hear Pizza Power running in my head as I write this.

Most have forgotten, or just didn't know about this venture.

Then as an adult, it's good to let out your inner child sometimes. Especially when it means quality time with the family. My inner child took my family to see the last TMNT movie, and will still sit down and watch the cartoons with my kids. While it's not the same, it's not totally messed up either. They've done a decent job of keeping to the roots, but making some adjustments to keep the attention of the new generation of fans.

This isn't my actual poster, but it is the one I have.

Now we have a new movie on the horizon. At first it was claimed that the turtles would be aliens, but Michael Bay has come out at least twice that I'm aware of and said that it's not true, and the ooze would still be the cause of their current state. Personally I think Bay is the last person that should be involved in such an endeavor, but that's just my opinion. The fact that he's cast Megan Fox as April is a huge mistake, but I know he has his crush on her. So sad. Bay you better not destroy the turtles. If you smell what the Burtman is cooking. (Yes, that was a Rock inspired fart joke.)

Grand Theft 80's

Holy crap kids! I was treated to a horror tonight. It was yet another piece of evidence to add to why I can't stand a lot of modern music. Originality didn't just go out the window here. It committed seppuku.

So I'm on my way home, channel surfing the radio and for a brief moment I get a blast from the 1980's so I stop and listen. That's when things went south. And by south, I mean screaming down the Hades Highway. I'm talking about Pitbull's Feel This Moment featuring Christina Aguilera. A-ha should be on the phone lawyering up right now, screaming that Pitbull give back their only hit or pony up a huge settlement. Normally I could care less for this guy, he's neither here nor there. But this one song got to me.

Hey Pitbull, the 80's called and want its song back! Yes, I heard the lyrics. Brilliant and genius are two of the things you called yourself. Afraid not pal. You're far from the first to take part of a song. I'll stay to your brand and remind you of the Vanilla Ice/ Queen issue. I hope you're old enough to grasp what I'm getting at. But I'll give you kudos for realizing that people do like some retro in their tunes.

Then their Christina Aguilera. Holy crap, you are no Whitney Houston or Celine Dion. Just in this one "song" I heard your voice crack more than once. Thank the producers for that screw up. I swear her voice is more and more like a dog with razor wire being run over its nuts.

This is a far scream from even a minute acknowledgement. If you really want to honor someone with a tribute, take note from how others have done it in the past. Or even currently. In the past few years we've seen Disturbed put their spin on Land of Confusion of course done by the wonderful Genesis. Then you have Five Finger Death Punch doing Bad Company which of course was made famous by Bad Company.

Now I know what you're saying, that's all rock. So I'll refer you to the awesome Harry Connick Jr doing his own spin of Danny Boy in the movie Memphis Belle. I'll tell you now, if I ever hear someone takes a dump on the likes of the Rat Pack, Mills Brothers, Andrew Sisters, etc you'll see a rant that would make Dennis Leary blush.

Another rant about music.

Back to the music kids. It amazes me how today's pop culture will feed until the point of purging on the media mainstream. Kids today will know everything you can find on the likes of Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, etc, but don't go beyond that. The music underground has essentially become independents that haven't broken through into the mainstream yet, or are members that refuse to sign with major labels for fear of corporate media forcing them to sellout their gimmick for something else.

What brings me to this? Easy, recently I've tried talking to some people about their music and have gotten an overwhelming similar response every time. "Oh you wouldn't like it," or "Oh, it's new so you wouldn't know it." As those who truly know me, know I listen to a bit of everything, so I'm well versed in different areas of music. Hell, it's hard not to be when you grew up with your dad jamming in the living room at 3 in the morning on a school night, like it was no big thing.

One main area is with people who "think" they know what the rave scene, and tech is all about. I love the assumption that I don't know anything because of my age. One college kid made that assumption clear just a few days ago when I asked about a song. The first thing that came to mind was, "I was listening to Orbital, The Shamen, Praga Kahn, KLF, and a plethora of others when you were just being conceived!" No really, this is someone that was literally just being born when Traci Lords was cutting her first music album, and they think I don't understand. So I name off a few groups, and they are clueless as to who I'm speaking about.

Today's raver's are increasingly only familiar with what's in the mainstream. Part of it I blame on the DJ's, and part on the fact that kids are not encouraged to look beyond the MTV hype of today. And it's in all areas of music. You mention Black Flag, and immediately Henry Rollins is the association. You mention Metallica and  Cliff Burton is an unknown. AC/DC and Bon Scott who? Belinda Carlisle is in Purgatory apparently because nobody under 30 has a clue who she or the Go-Go's are. And Bananarama is confused for a name game played in pre-school and early grade school.

It's sad and funny all at the same time. It's a testament to an earlier rant that what passes for music today is a joke, and a bad one at that. We really need a new surge in music badassery that gets people interested in it, and the bands again.

So for those about to rock, I salute you.

New Blog, Music, and Kudos

Hello kiddies, Crypt Keeper Burt is in!

Here's my first blog on Blogger. It only makes sense to start anew here since I use a lot of Google products. Sadly Opera isn't what it once was. So hello, hi, welcome, how you doin, nice to meet you, etc, etc, etc.

For my first blog here I'm going to tip my toe into the realm of something everyone loves, and nobody hates, MUSIC. No, that wasn't your dog howling, it was my weak attempt at singing. Yeah, I just sang MUSIC.

So I listen to a bit of this and that. I won't say I listen to everything, because lets face it, there's some music that people's individual tastes just don't cater to. One of the many forms I like is in nufolk. And one of the very few people that has really impressed me quickly is +LIZZY SPIT. This Aussie has staying power. Her sound reminds me of Suzanne Vega (Tom's Diner style) mixed with Aimee Mann (solo career) and the lungs of Stevie Nicks. The woman crawls through your eats, and pulls at emotions that leave you fulfilled when you get off the roller coaster she takes you through. And if that wasn't enough, she reaches out to her fans and actually interacts in way, that so few artists actually do today. She exercises a very personal touch that you only find with independent artist today such as Curt Yagi.

Up until recently there have only been three groups in the past decade that have really gotten to me. Psycothermia (formerly Canobliss), Curt Yagi & the People Standing Behind Me, and now I can happily insert some girl power in the form of Lizzy Spit. You're awesome Lizzy, keep up the great work.

So that's it for now kiddies. Go listen to +LIZZY SPIT pick some strings and hypnotize you with her voice.