Category Archives: News Like Item

Aug 03 2012
Leave a comment
News Like Item, Ramblings

The Defending Axl Rose 100th Post Spectacular!

This is my 100th post here at DEFENDING AXL ROSE. I’ve been vaguely aware that the 100th post was looming on the horizon, and as such I’ve been trying to figure out what to do to commemorate this (small) milestone. In the end, I decided to go back to the very beginning. Not to December of 2011 when I saw an interview with Axl Rose on VH1 Classics (the impetus for this blog), but rather ALL the way back.

It’s embarrassing, but my earliest memories of music are of The Thompson Twins. My mother was a Thompson Twins fan and in the early 1980’s that was what was playing in our house. “King For A Day” and “Don’t Mess With Dr. Dream” were the soundtrack to my early, brain-forming years. I guess that explains why I am so hopelessly, utterly fucked-up. Luckily, it wasn’t all bad 80’s synth music in my house, I was also exposed to The Beatles very early in life. I have many fond memories of jumping on couches with my little sister listening to REVOLVER. That more than makes up for having the Thompson Twins forced upon me.

Right after I saw WAYNE’S WORLD (with it’s awesome “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene) I went to the mall and bought my very first music-purchase: a cassette copy of CLASSIC QUEEN. I still have the cassette:

From there it was a steady decline into to the seedy world of CD’s, vinyl records, turn tables, MP3 players, foreign music magazines, and did I mention CD’s? I own a modest 500+, but only because my wife has made me feel a bit self-conscious about my collection. There was a time (pre-Spotify to be sure) where I’d buy six or seven CD’s a week. Some of my favorite memories involve record stores. I’ll still never forget the time I went to the Virgin Record store in Nashville, it was like a dream come true…to this day I’m convinced they had every single album I wanted/would ever want (even stuff that hadn’t been recorded yet!). I know I’m supposed to hate big-chain stores, and I do, but that Virgin Record store was my idea of heaven. That’s all gone now, which is probably just as well. If heaven existed on Earth, what would mankind strive for?

Speaking of striving and working, I have pledged to continue to work on DEFENDING AXL ROSE until the end of 2012. I can’t say what will happen after that, but if people remain interested (and there’s still awesome music to write about) I’ll keep going. I want to thank everyone who’s ever commented on one of my posts, it really does mean a lot. Since starting this blog I’ve discovered a really cool online community of music nerds that have made me feel super-welcomed. So big thanks to them as well. I’ve added a Blog-Roll to the side-bar, anyone reading this should go visit all of those websites (they’re all awesome).

I guess that’s it for now. One hundred down.

Rock On.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Jul 28 2012
2 Comments
News Like Item, Ramblings

“You’re A Whole Different Person When You’re Scared”

Let me start off by explaining two things: firstly, this post is not my long-gestating epic on Warren Zevon.  Warren is my all-time favorite songwriter and I keep meaning to write a long, rambly essay about why he’s so awesome but I’ve had trouble finding the words.  So this is not that post.  Secondly, this post is not “about” the Colorado shootings that took place recently at a midnight showing of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.  That unfortunate event was the impetus for this post, but I don’t want to cheapen that tragic event by talking about it on DEFENDING AXL ROSE (which is just a shitty music blog).

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother listening to, obsessing over, and writing about music.  God knows it doesn’t make me any money.  But the older I get, the more I feel this terrible compulsion to disappear into music, where I’m able to float off into another place.  In college I was trained to not just read books, but write about them when I finished them.  I guess that explains why I feel the urge to write about albums after I’m done listening to them: I’ve been brainwashed by the educational system.  So in a nutshell, this blog is just an itch I have to scratch, and even though it feels like a waste of time, I indulge myself.

But every so often, something will happen that will really make me question all of it.  Usually this is a terrible, tragic event.  In the face of death, mass death of many innocent people, I can’t help but wonder “what the fuck am I doing with my life?”  What does it mean? Is there a point to any of this obsessive listening, or am I just wasting my time? Does art, specifically music, offer anything other than a fleeting, masturbatory escape from brutal reality?

I’ve been asking myself these (and other) questions all week.

Whenever a violent tragedy occurs, I’m always baffled by all the macho assholes who immediately step forward to let everyone know what “they would have done” had they been there.  I really can’t stand people who do this, but I was never able to articulate what it was exactly that was wrong with their braggadocious bravado.  Then a few days ago it hit me.  I was talking with my wife about recent events and the subject came up about thick-necked jerks who think they’d have stopped 9/11 had they just been on those planes…and then BANG! I instantly remembered Warren Zevon’s song “You’re A Whole Different Person When You’re Scared.”

“You’re A Whole Different Person When You’re Scared.”

That title is ridiculous, isn’t it? But it sums up everything nicely so it gets a pass in my book.  The thesis of the song, co-written by famed-gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, is that we’re not ourselves when we’re truly, deeply afraid.  The song is both groovy and goofy (because that’s how Zevon rolled) but at it’s core, “You’re A Whole Different Person When You’re Scared” is 100% true.  I’ve only been terrified one or two times in my life, and I can tell you–when you’re scared you don’t act like yourself.  You don’t act like yourself because human beings are animals, and when animals get scared, survival instincts kick-in.  It’s easy to say that in the face of extreme danger you’d “step up” and be a hero…but the the reality is something else entirely.  Can any of us really say, with anything approximating certainty, that we know what we’d do in the face of death? I don’t think so.

I’d been struggling to find the words, to sum up my position on the whole matter, when Zevon’s song suddenly sprang to mind.  That a song helped resolve my feelings about a very serious matter shouldn’t be a surprise to me, but it was.  Once I got to thinking about it, I realized that a life surrounded by art is more than just pretty things and cute sayings.  It’s more than just a good beat and fun time.  Music, good music, is more than just superficial beauty, it can enlighten us, and put into words what we know but cannot say.  I’m no mental-slouch, but I was having a hard time coming up with the exact reason for why I was so pissed at these tough-guy jerkoff’s–but Hunter S. Thompson and Warren Zevon knew what I was trying to say and gave me “You’re A Whole Different Person When You’re Scared.”

This whole experience has done nothing but affirm to me that I’m not wasting my time, there is something to be gained by enjoying music and the world of art.  Rock ‘n roll ain’t noise pollution, to me it makes good, good sense.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Jul 21 2012
1 Comment
News Like Item, Ramblings

Shocking: New No Doubt Song Only Kinda Sux

Veteran 90’s pop-rockers No Doubt unleashed their first new single single “Settle Down.”  The band has a new album coming out (their first since 2001’s ROCKSTEADY). If that shocks you (like it did me) it means that you are getting very, very old. I won’t pretend to be the world’s biggest fan of No Doubt, but I won’t deny that some of their music is pretty good.  While no one can deny that TRAGIC KINGDOM is a seminal ’90s record, the band (in my opinion) devolved into what essentially became Gwen Stefani’s solo career (her actual solo career no doubt contributed to the “2001? What the hell?” moment I had upon looking up when No Doubt actually last put out an album).

Clocking in at over six minutes, “Settle Down” is bland and kinda boring as a lead-single from a band we haven’t heard from in over a decade.  It’s got a funk, Caribbean-feel to it (which is interesting) but it’s a little too light.  Me, I would have gone with a heavier-sounding song, that way we could tell the difference between this song and Stefani’s solo work. Because quite frankly, “Settle Down” sounds like it could be on either the last No Doubt record or the last Stefani solo-record.

Not that that’s a bad thing, per say…I just think a the band should have done something risker right out of the gate.   Anyway, if “Settle Down” is any indication, we have a paint-by-numbers “we all want to get paid again” album waiting for us when PUSH AND SHOVE comes out in September. Am I totally off-base? Give the song a listen and tell me what you think?

 

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
May 25 2012
Leave a comment
CHINESE DEMOCRACY, News Like Item

Axl Rose Depicted As A Monster (Of Rock)

20120524-233344.jpg

Tagged , , , ,
May 19 2012
5 Comments
News Like Item

From the “Nobody-Could-Have-Seen-This-Coming-File”: VAH HALEN POSTPONE 31 SHOWS

Well imagine that, Van Halen are having a bit of turmoil!  Rolling Stone reported late this week that the classic rockers are “postponing” 31 shows. No one would say why, but a “source” close to the band said that “they hate each other” and that they can’t stop fighting.  Apparently they can’t even stop fighting to count all that money.  The band is currently still performing, but band reps let everyone know that after their June 26th show in New Orleans, the band isn’t going to play anymore shows.  But will the fans who bought tickets get to see the band?  Or see their money back? No one is talking in either the Van Halen-camp or the Live Natio-camp (Live Nation being the evil Corporate overlords).

Quick! Someone explain to Van Halen how capitalism works: You have a product, we pay for it…then you give it to us.

I, for one, am full of regret that I missed Van Halen when they recently rolled through St. Louis (I was at another concert) because I only heard awesome things.  Still, are we really surprised that Van Halen aren’t getting along and might back out of a mega-comeback tour?  The band is a potent concoction of “we hate each other.”  Podcaster Adam Carolla likes to ask Rolling Stone writer David Wild about the untold millions dunder-headed rockers leave “on the table” just because they can’t sack-up and get along.  I have no idea how much money Van Halen stands to lose if they don’t play these 31 remaining shows, but I’m sure it’s a phenomenal amount.  The Rolling Stone article quotes a promoter as saying that the shows have been selling really well, so the notion that the band is pulling out of the concerts because they aren’t selling enough tickets isn’t the case.

Anyway, if you have tickets for any of the following shows, you might want to start making other plans:

July 7: Uncasville, Ct., Mohegan Sun Arena
July 9: Hampton, Va., Hampton Coliseum
July 11: Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
July 13: East Rutherford, N.J., Izod Center
July 15: Baltimore, Md., 1st Mariner Arena
July 17: Rochester N.Y., Blue Cross Arena
July 19: Detroit, Mich., Joe Louis Arena
July 21: London, Ontario, John Labatt Centre
July 24: Toledo, Ohio, Huntington Center
July 26: Grand Rapids, Mich., Van Andel Arena
July 28: Cleveland, Ohio, Quicken Loans Arena
July 31: Fort Wayne, Ind., Allen County Memorial Coliseum
August 2: Columbus, Ohio, Schottenstein Center
August 4: Knoxville, Tenn., Thompson-Boiling Arena
August 6: Memphis, Tenn., FedEx Forum
August 8: Birmingham, Ala., BJCC Arena
August 10: Greenville, S.C., BI-LO Center
August 12: Cincinnati, Ohio, US Bank Arena
August 21: Spokane, Wash., Spokane Arena
August 23: Portland, Ore., Rose Garden
August 25: Sacramento, Calif.,Power Balance Pavilion
August 28: Fresno, Calif., Save Mart Center
August 30: Reno, Nev., Reno Events Center
September 4: Salt Lake City, Utah — EnergySolutions Arena
September 8: Albuquerque, N.M., Tingley Coliseum
September 11: El Paso, Texas, Don Haskins Center
September 13: Austin, Texas, Frank Erwin Center
September 15: Oklahoma City, Okla., Chesapeake Energy Arena
September 17: Wichita, Kan. – Intrust Bank Arena (WFT, I’m from that part of the world and I’ve never heard of this venue)
September 21: Moline, Ill., Iwireless Center
September 25: Milwaukee, Wis., Bradley Center

* * * * * *

UPDATE: I forgot to bash Wolfgang Van Halen in this post, for that I truly apologize.  In order to correct this oversight, let me just say that this is most likely all Wolfgang’s fault.  The band postponed these shows because Wolfgang is fat. 

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
May 09 2012
7 Comments
News Like Item

MAD MEN’s $250,000 Beatles Sample

So this just ties into the post I did yesterday about Girl Talk’s 100%-sample-album FEED THE ANIMALS: The New York Times is reporting that the cable channel AMC paid $250,000 to air a portion of “Tomorrow Never Knows” on last Sunday’s episode of MAD MEN. It was a great moment, one that perfectly encapsulates how the times are changing and how those times are passing a certain character (no spoilers).  Though $250,000 sounds like a lot of money to most people (myself included) I actually think that it’s a pretty good deal for AMC considering The Beatles are one of the most protective bands when it comes to their catalogue.  You see, the show didn’t just air the song performed by another singer/band–the MAD MEN episode played the ACTUAL song performed by the actual BEATLES.  This is a pretty rare event, as noted by the Times article which states the song “Tomorrow Never Knows” has never been performed on television.

With all those royalties, The Beatles have it made in the shade…

It also turns out that this marks the first instance where The Beatles have allowed one of their songs to be featured on a television series (with the only exception being the ABC animated Beatles cartoon show that ran in the 1960’s, of course).  When I saw the episode on Sunday I was pretty excited that the song was used, being the huge Beatlemaniac that I am, but I didn’t stop and consider just how pricey such a cameo by the band might be.  I feel sorta bad for MAD MEN’s creator/writer Matthew Weiner, after all when doing a show set in the 1960’s it’s pretty much impossible to avoid the Fab Four.  It was only a matter of time before AMC had to pony up the big dough to feature the band.

I wonder how pissed Keith Richards/Mick Jagger are right now?

Tagged , , , , , ,
Apr 20 2012
Leave a comment
News Like Item

RIP Levon Helm

Levon Helm 1940-2012

Yesterday the world of rock ‘n roll lost one it’s greatest voices–Levon Helm.  Helm was the drummer and singer in a band called The Band.  Despite a rather innocuous name, The Band were anything but ordinary fusing rock, country, and the sounds of Motown  into something truly great (and very American).  Most people became aware of The Band when the legendary Bob Dylan started using them as his back-up band (when they were still called The Hawks).  They contributed a lot to Dylan’s late 60’s sound, and the group were featured on Dylan’s (in)famous “basement tapes.”

In 1968, The Band released a “solo” record called MUSIC FROM THE BIG PINK.  That album, named after the pink country house in which it was recorded, became an instant classic.  It featured, among others, the song that would most be identified with The Band–“The Weight.”

When he wasn’t playing in The Band, Levon recorded solo albums and worked with other artists, almost too many to name.  In 1989 he joined Ring Starr’s First “All Starr Band.” I’ve also read that he was the ‘Levon’ in the classic Elton John song of the same name.  He was mostly known for playing the drums, but was also a guitarist and also played bass, mandolin, and harmonica.

Levon died yesterday after battling cancer.  His rich, soulful voice will be greatly missed.

Tagged , , , , , ,
Apr 18 2012
Leave a comment
News Like Item

Roger McGuinn on NPR

So what did I hear today when I turned on NPR during my lunchbreak? Roger McGuinn of The Byrds talking about (among other things) Gram Parsons! McGuinn was on Talk of the Nation promoting his website and his efforts to preserve classic folk music.

National Prettyawesome Radio

You can listen to the segment here.

I recommend giving it a listen.  He tells an anecdote about having Parsons try-out for The Byrds by playing some jazz piano (!) and also has a pretty badass story about the difficulties of covering Dylan accurately.  It’s pretty amazing the stories these old warhorses have…check it out.

Tagged , , , , ,
Feb 05 2012
2 Comments
News Like Item

Super Bowl Music: 45 Years of Suck-a-tude

Today is a very special day, it’s SUPER BOWL SUNDAY.  We sure do love our football in this country, but if you’re like me and could care less about sports there’s not much of interest unless you like entertaining advertisements…and the spectacle that is the half-time show.

It wasn’t until Super Bowl 6,  way back in 1972, that popular music took center stage at the nation’s number one sporting event (it was Ella Fitzgerald, by the way, who was there as part of a salute to Louis Armstrong).  Prior to that game the halftime show was just a bunch of marching bands, which is probably what it should be.  Once the Super Bowl became a larger, more popular spectacle, the halftime shows got bigger and more commercial.Turns out the Walt Disney company used to produce a bunch of these half-time shows, which is why many of the early Super Bowls had Disney-lite themes (like “It’s a Small World”).  Which begs the question, did you realize that every half-time has a theme? 

This year’s theme is old whores. Just kidding, it’s actually W.E. which is a film that Madonna’s out promoting.  I guess that’s better than Snow White (?).  I find it ironic that getting Madonna is now the best way to “play it safe.”  Once upon a time, the Material Girl would have been a risky, polarizing choice–but these days? Not so much.  Fifteen years ago we might have all collectively prayed for another “wardrobe malfunction” but honestly, I have no desire to see Madonna aged, sinewy flesh.

Anyway, what I know about the Super Bowl halftime shows are this: the past few years have been awesome artists phoning-in some horrendous performances.  I’m not sure if it’s the hastily assembled stage/sound system or if these artists are literally not practicing/warming up….regardless, I feel like I haven’t seen a good halftime performance since Michael Jackson’s back in the mid-1990s.

The most disappointing for me were The Who in 2010 and The Rolling Stones in 2006.  Both were, and arguably still are, great bands–and they both delivered terrible, lackluster sets.  American sports and ancient British rock bands just shouldn’t mix, I guess. Check out The Who’s awesome-looking, but terrible-sounding halftime show, if you dare:

One of the worst parts of the Super Bowl halftime shows of the past few years is also the “special guests” the producers throw in.  These are usually rap/hip-hop stars that are designed to appeal to the younger demographic.  This has led to some shall we say…interesting musical parings.  Last year’s team-up of The Black Eyed Peas and Slash was probably the most horrendous thing I’ve ever witnessed. I think that if you want Madonna, get Madonna. Why have MIA, Cee Lo Green, LAMFO (whoever the fuck that is) and a bunch of other unrelated acts hop up on stage as well.

This is like Jesus and Hitler meeting. Why did this have to happen?

This year’s setlist promises to take halftime suck-a-tude to a whole new level.  The setlist was revealed and Madonna is apparently capping her performance off with a duet of “Like A Prayer” with Cee Lo Green. Gag me with a spoon, or more accurately: wake me when this whole nightmare is over. 

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
Feb 01 2012
Leave a comment
News Like Item

Brand-Spanking NEW Darkness Song!

So remember The “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” Darkness? They put out two albums and then went kaput due to drugs (?) and in-fighting.  Well they’re back.  They’re on tour and have a new album coming out.  Their new song is called “Nothings Gonna Stop Us” and it’s…a thing.  The last Darkness album ONE WAY TICKET TO HELL…AND BACK was a balls-out rock album that bordered the insane (hint: I loved it).  The band has always been that perfect mix of classic rock and classic rock parody…and even though it seemed like a longshot, I always kept a candle burning for them deep inside my little boy heart.

Nothings gonna stop me...from hating this song...

Well today I heard their new song and was…a bit underwhelmed.  Maybe I expect too much from people these days.  Maybe I’m a bitter old fuck who just needs to die. Or maybe this song’s highly irreverent/kitschy video is better than the song it’s promoting (and it ain’t that good).  I mean, what exactly is this song about? Something about hair and “not stopping”? Where are the killer hooks, super-high falsettos, and wailing guitar solos? I ask you, does this rock? No, no it does not.  Maybe the boys are coming down from a “sugar” high and the next song we hear from The Darkness will better. Right now, this ain’t doing it for me.

Am I crazy? Listen for yourself:

Tagged , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →