tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-175849132011-11-24T15:16:29.104-05:00Music News, Reviews, and Live Music Video for the Aging Rocker Setmzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.comBlogger1661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-54578193617910114172011-03-28T08:00:00.055-04:002011-04-12T12:11:29.046-04:00

Hello darlings, Well first off let me say that over the 5 (!) years I have been writing this wee and sporadic blog I have been so pleasantly surprised that anyone other than blood relations, boyfriends, and persons in an inebriated state (though that may be the majority of you) have taken the time to enjoy my ramblings.  When I look at my stat counter keywords I am amazed that people quite

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-32309375821541234372011-02-21T01:54:00.002-05:002011-02-21T02:03:46.816-05:00

Just back from catching Mitch Easter of Let's Active at Johnny D's in Somerville.  A top show and the kind of thing that reminds one why experience trumps youth any day of the week.  The band was so tight, the energy was so there, it was truly a hypnotic evening.   Was fortunate enough the interview the living legend for upcoming issue of my fancy new magazine - Rocker (are you on our Twitter

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-63674775008229008912011-02-07T11:25:00.000-05:002011-02-07T11:25:56.904-05:00

Hello dear readers.  Believe it or not, this very blog will soon transform into an EVEN FANCIER magazine with EVEN MORE CONTENT.  I know you are excited.  I know I am. We do need some help though in understanding some stuff about how to make the website able to reach most of you darling aging rockers, so that said, would you please click below to take our poll?  3 questions long and a world of

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-11951099527762819672011-01-25T11:26:00.006-05:002011-01-27T16:45:45.942-05:00

Have you ever been to a party where everybody knows each other really well, but you don't know anybody except the friend who invited you?   Have you ever spent the night at said party sitting in the corner, nursing your plastic cup of Trader Joe's bargain bin wine, while being regaled with stories full of inside jokes about people you don't know, which everyone in the room laughs

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-50032764674197174832011-01-06T13:09:00.000-05:002011-01-06T13:09:08.280-05:00

Courtesy of Digital Music News and my friend Tristram who put me on to this - enjoy list of top grossing tours of 2010.  What's the most interesting thing to note?  Bands that appeal to older people made the most cashola.  Sorry Justin Bieber, you only make it to #11! Check out the top 8 grossers - see anything this gang have in common?:Bon Jovi  (age 48)Roger Waters (age 67)Dave Matthews (age 43

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-43681229404214061122011-01-04T11:40:00.001-05:002011-01-04T11:40:43.385-05:00

Happy New Year!  I just stumbled across these amazing videos of some of my favorite Boston bands of the late 70's and early 80's and had to post them as a group.  Each reminds me of something that excites me about music from the past. First up is The Atlantics - a band who were a local sensation in the early 80's, but whose lone LP - Big City Rock - I don't think really captured the excitement

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-34288605371001654672010-10-27T11:03:00.001-04:002010-10-27T11:03:48.234-04:00

What can one say about Boston music promotion legend Billy Ruane?  More than 20 years ago Ruane was the visionary to approach Cambridge's Middle East Restaurant and assure them he could fill their back room - currently stuffed with bellydancers - with admission paying, hard drinking rockers instead.  It is hard to imagine now, a Boston music scene sans the rise of this surprising independent

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-88053083093106969072010-10-13T15:53:00.001-04:002010-10-13T15:54:31.138-04:00

Are Men Without Hats getting a royalty? Ok, to be fair, it does appear to be a cover version.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-51118123515060634222010-10-04T14:13:00.002-04:002010-10-04T14:14:28.465-04:00

The Gossip's Beth Ditto was enlisted as a model for Jean-Paul Gaultier's latest collection.  Clocking in at a size 28 she's hardly the normal runway fare, but check out how she rocks it big girl style with some snaps from Mr. Paparazzi here.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-44571223028733272962010-09-22T15:39:00.003-04:002010-09-22T15:42:37.109-04:00

Complete story at The Onion

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-24023212998617620412010-09-21T10:44:00.004-04:002010-09-22T15:44:31.652-04:00

Note to young rockers, if you can write a hit about something as ubiquitous as a car, it is going to keep you in eyeliner for a long long time.   Witness below one godfather of electronic music, Gary Numan in a pair of unpredictable ads, one for Diehard batteries, the other a Scottish public service announcement.   Perhaps my favorite part of these ads is Numan's unapologetically dour facade,

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-45993734232904020592010-09-15T11:27:00.004-04:002010-09-15T11:32:27.678-04:00

Made it out last week to see former Green Magnet School guitarist Chris Pearson's newest gig, playing with local trip-rockers Magic Shoppe at my new favorite venue The Rosebud Diner in Somerville.  Why is this my new favorite venue?  Where to start?  First off you can sit down.  Ah, my old bones!  Second, you can order a pizza from your nice waitress and eat it while you watch the bands.  Third,

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-27779804519713606602010-08-23T15:34:00.001-04:002010-08-23T15:34:45.340-04:00

I attended a party this weekend where the whole evening ended up with my aging rocker friends cuddling up to a giant Mac to watch videos from YouTube. One, a dedicated Fall fan, brought the following to my attention: a video of Mark E. Smith from The Fall reading football scores on BBC TV.  This just proves anything that Mark E. Smith says sounds amazing, and like a Fall song.   

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-69281620668342161872010-07-08T17:02:00.000-04:002010-07-08T17:02:17.857-04:00

If anything, my tangle with Lady Gaga left me thinking a lot about the film Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains. Should any of you not seen this cult classic from the 80's, it is no surprise, and yet I must demand you see it now! Diane Lane stars in one of her first screen roles as Corrine Burns, a bored teen living in a nowhere town with no prospects.  Inspired upon seeing her first punk

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-78133566689201240362010-07-06T16:33:00.000-04:002010-07-08T17:03:00.899-04:00

Oh Lady Gaga, after seeing you play at the Garden last Friday, I want a Bad Romance with you!   Talk about a crazy show, by the end Gaga had:1 - Played piano upside down while laying on the piano hood2 - Wore a dress that moved on its own while she stood still3 - Danced with trannies4 - Gave away $20,000 to a local homeless LGBT charity, courtesy of her sponsor, Virgin Mobile5 - Wore a bustier

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-68547546748550468102010-06-22T09:59:00.006-04:002010-06-22T16:49:33.173-04:00

Found video of Neko's freakout: I just wanted to note, this only shows PART of the freakout.  It went on much longer than this, and cuts off just before Case makes comments about the CD lob showing "hatred" - and that in America, that's the way things are.   Still seems amazing some boy with a fetish didn't feign responsibility just to get a whoopin' from Case.   

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-23916377117979144952010-06-21T11:01:00.012-04:002010-06-22T16:54:20.496-04:00

Full of tequila is the right way to see The New Pornographers, so that's the way my companions and I did it. Loaded up on margaritas from the shockingly decent-yet-not-overpriced La Verdad next door, it was surprising to arrive at The House of Blues an hour after the doors opened and yet no band had started. A sharp contrast to the last time I was here - to see Motorhead, The Reverend Horton

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-83819652816932650192010-06-18T16:01:00.008-04:002010-06-18T16:40:20.344-04:00

What a pleasant surprise to find Devo visiting Comedy Central's Colbert Report, promoting their new album "Something for Everybody". Watch the seminal new wavers them explain to Colbert how they've been "proven right" about De-evolution.The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cDevowww.colbertnation.comThe Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cDevo - Freshwww.colbertnation.comDevo singer

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-24811646576073567822010-06-14T10:55:00.003-04:002010-06-14T11:11:00.817-04:00

What is better than a parody of the BP Oil Spill disasater? It is one featuring Nat Freedberg of The Upper Crust / Titanics / Satanics / Flies.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-21710038764614228352010-05-21T13:43:00.008-04:002010-05-21T15:44:05.557-04:00

It was at some point during "Autonomy" that I realized the last time I saw The Buzzcocks was about 15 years ago at a venue in New York, where I saw the last of the shoegazers - Adorable - opening up for the punk legends.That same night, I somehow ended up scoring an invite to an after party held in a very New York loft where one could mingle with both of the bands in question. I was with my

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-38219167739502090522010-05-12T13:15:00.005-04:002010-05-12T13:57:46.323-04:00

This friend "Ken" is obviously trying to get regularly mentioned here, evidenced by his forward of this unwatchable video promoting Sioux City set to Starship's "We Built This City on Rock and Roll."Don't feel bad if you can't watch the entire video, really, who could? It is well established that the members of Starship are doomed to spend the afterlife in a special corner of hell just for

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-7268547831852162212010-05-07T15:37:00.006-04:002010-05-07T16:20:22.154-04:00

So today I was emailing with a friend who is really, really into marching bands. Yes, these people do exist. Originally, I felt compelled to send him this hot news article from the Miami New Times stating that Frederica Wilson is Proud of Banning "Simulated Sexual Intercourse" in Marching Bands. Now, color me naïve, I was unaware that simulated intercourse was prevalent in marching bands. But

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-5808824611298456792010-04-30T11:54:00.009-04:002010-04-30T13:54:38.045-04:00

Problem: I would like to get up close and personal with Johnny Cash, but he's dead. Solution: Buy wax Johnny Cash statue at the Hollywood Wax Museum's sale this weekend, engage in pathetic fantasy life with wax Johnny Cash in the privacy of your own home.Same solution available for The Beatles, Cyndi Lauper, Hank Williams Sr., and my pick, Frank Sinatra. Too scared to have a wax figure in your

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-45268997385369543582010-04-27T16:18:00.008-04:002010-04-29T15:16:08.782-04:00

Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to get a peek at "Lemmy" the new documentary about Lemmy Kilmister the singer / icon for heavy metal legends Motorhead, courtesy of the fabulous Boston Independent Film Festival.Packed with interviews from a wide array of music celebrities (Joan Jett, Henry Rollins, Dee Snyder, Metallica, Mick Jones, Ozzy, and assorted members of Hawkwind and The Rockin'

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-49292430270931985802010-04-22T11:13:00.007-04:002010-04-23T14:26:55.823-04:00

Was so pleased to hear a brief interview over the weekend on NPR's news quiz game "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" with Sir Mix A Lot. The reason he was on? To speak about the cover of his fine, booty-positive song "Baby Got Back" by Washington Mutual Bank executives, "Baby Got Bank".Listen to the audio here, and hear the answer to the question "Sir Mix A Lot, are you worried, as a hip hop artist,

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-3820473693745441232010-04-13T16:03:00.007-04:002010-04-14T14:54:01.132-04:00

Stumbled upon a post over at The Angry Black Woman that made me think - where are the black girl rockers? It is embarrassing that my list is awfully short: Joan Armatrading, Pauline Black of The Selecter and Poly Styrene of X Ray Spex (1/2 Somali). I was hoping I to include Deborah Iyall from Romeo Void (Native American), and Annabella Lwin from Bow Wow Wow (half-Burmese) alas!I'll be putting

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-22358020327940383922010-04-09T14:46:00.006-04:002010-04-09T15:40:26.503-04:00

I love me some kittens with a whip, so how much did I enjoy this short film by Lady Gaga to accompany her single "Telephone"? Gaga and Beyonce wearing fabulous clothes. Gaga and Beyonce a dyke couple out to destroy. Please, take me with you Gaga and Beyonce! And while you're at it, Gaga, can I borrow your effin' gigantic hat?Watching "Telephone" however, does bring to mind the Guy Ritchie

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-5517239475077193542010-04-08T14:58:00.006-04:002010-04-22T11:31:43.136-04:00

Sad to hear this news, read the NYTimes Obit here and the Daily Mail here. Both give different reports of his death and a different details about his life.Apparently had Mesothelioma, the cancer that comes from asbestos exposure. Terrible way to die. I mean, "Buffalo Gals" was no masterpiece, but hardly deserving of such torture.But seriously, he was a genius, and an inspiration for rock promo

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-4818672281156023832010-04-07T13:21:00.008-04:002010-06-07T15:35:48.187-04:00

I buy a lot of books that end up not delivering on their promise. For instance, "Bye Bye Baby" by Caroline Sullivan charts a woman's lifelong obsession with The Bay City Rollers, but after the 40th running into the band in a hotel it kind of got boring. The same goes for "I Was a Teenage Dominatrix", where author Shawna Kenney spends most of the book assuring us she's really a good girl, really

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-46772382024409519702010-04-05T15:13:00.006-04:002010-04-07T13:55:34.222-04:00

So since returning from the Europe I have a new media crush, comedian Alex Zane. I discovered him doing his crueller than cruel spelling game on Balls of Steel, but when I got to his My Space page I was pleased to see he posted a video of himself interviewing tiresome Canadian kewl girl wannabe Avril Lavigne. Watching her dumbstruck confusion at Zane's offbeat questions is worth sitting through

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-14879450520603847102010-04-02T16:05:00.005-04:002010-04-02T16:20:13.867-04:00

Excellent reporting from CultureMob here on the impending PiL tour, which being old and rocking I feel compelled to attend, even though I don't recall being particularly impressed when I went to the Pistols reunion about 12 yrs ago, even though I got backstage. Cannot recall how or why this happened, only that Steve Jones was rather grumpy but Glen Matlock a dear. Mr. Lydon would not come out

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-75323900057500489822010-03-31T15:10:00.009-04:002010-04-07T13:56:34.253-04:00

Rock never takes a holiday, or is it that even holidays in my mind must rock? So how convenient was it that while in London last week one of my very favorite bands of all time, The Dentists elected to reform for a pair of shows? Flying in from the US I felt I'd made quite the effort (only other Yank in attendance appeared to be fellow Dental fanatic the delightful Mr. Bob Wall), but probably

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-82490994255965747802010-03-02T10:40:00.004-05:002010-03-03T17:09:23.039-05:00

Check out this clip of a film by French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, birds going about their daily business, and inadvertently rocking out.This clip reminds me of my other favorite bird-band, Hatebeak - a death metal band which just happens to have a parrot lead singer. I think this pretty much cements the bond between birds and the rock. Other animals are really going to have to start

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-65837589409983936682010-02-22T11:02:00.006-05:002010-02-22T11:05:43.584-05:00

I don't understand how this man makes these noises with his mouth, I just want more

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-10734287857083474002010-02-08T10:58:00.002-05:002010-02-08T11:10:30.634-05:00

The mod target cymbals on the drum kit played by Zak Starkey, Ringo's son. Also, that Zak Starkey looks like a lost drummer for Spinal Tap. Some friends complained that Roger Daltrey looked old, hardly able to stomp around the stage, but hey, the guy is nearly 65, he's lucky he made it through the show at all. It was absurd to hear them going on about Teenage Wastelands, that is for sure.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-58730413830529282342010-01-13T11:04:00.016-05:002010-01-13T12:53:12.898-05:00

Last night on my local PBS station ran an indie documentary I'd meant to see a few years back "Young At Heart". The subject is a chorus of Northampton MA senior citizens who perform contemporary songs. OK, sounds kind of boring, doesn't it?But what if the songs these octogenarians are performing included hits by The Ramones, David Bowie, and Sonic Youth?Oh yes, now you see my point.The film

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-47660351966729570592009-12-30T13:18:00.005-05:002009-12-30T14:08:59.484-05:00

Yesterday I got the news bright and early that China had executed Englishman Akmal Shaikh for smuggling heroin into the country. Well that sounds pretty clear cut doesn't it? The English government promptly sounded protests insisting the man was mentally ill and not to be blamed for his actions. What proof do the English have of Shaikh's insanity? Exhibit one: "Come Little Rabbit" (click to

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-65855002942765760122009-12-16T10:35:00.007-05:002010-04-23T14:34:15.901-04:00

Oh I hate Christmas Songs, and now I have a friend in hating them, Ministry's Al Jourgensen. But while my dislike of them has prompted me to remember to wear an IPod during all holiday shopping rather than run the risk of leaving a store singing Patti LaBelle all day, Jourgensen's dislike has somehow resulted in him releasing a Christmas song (which sounds remarkably like "Space Age Love Song"

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-42223860320562797322009-11-23T11:29:00.001-05:002009-11-23T11:31:36.502-05:00

Does listening to Heavy Metal really hurt your IQ?

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-11122896169910109152009-11-03T10:09:00.001-05:002009-11-03T10:12:04.824-05:00

Weezer's new album, with a Weezer branded Snuggie, all for $30. This is effing brilliant.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-67186864757431682632009-08-13T12:19:00.004-04:002010-04-23T14:35:06.721-04:00

Here is a link to an amazing story my sister sent me about Joan Baez confronting some protesters outside her show in Idaho "Last night, four Vietnam veterans protested Joan's concert in Idaho Falls with signs reading: "JOAN BAEZ - SOLDIERS DON'T KILL BABIES, LIBERALS DO" and "JOAN BAEZ GAVE COMFORT & AID TO OUR ENEMY IN VIETNAM & ENCOURAGED THEM TO KILL AMERICANS!" Joan was informed that the men

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-71958463676278007212009-05-27T11:06:00.009-04:002009-05-27T12:28:50.425-04:00

So what is this? The 8th time I've seen X? I just remember the first time was in the 80's on the tour with Tony Gilkyson, I was so sad then that I'd missed the Billy Zoom heyday. I think there were 2 shows with Gilkyson, 2 with Dave Alvin, and the last 4 with Zoom. Oh Billy Zoom there is no comparison to you. Your bizarre frozen smile, your stock still stance while you kick total ass on

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-42933496759306377192009-05-20T11:26:00.000-04:002009-05-27T11:28:09.430-04:00

Indian Version of Thriller, somehow even scarier than Michael Jackson in real life.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-895933911428746062009-04-29T15:07:00.007-04:002009-04-29T15:28:41.024-04:00

Its been far too long since I posted a video of a show I went to, and The Woggles, are worth every letter I type.Possibly the greatest garage band in this nation, The Woggles sell it like nobody sells it, with matching outfits, stage choreography and a proclivity for getting off the stage and booty shaking along with the fans in the audience. A few weeks ago they played another sparkling set as

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-74671578559656568872009-04-23T16:12:00.006-04:002009-04-23T16:29:16.375-04:00

I had been dismayed that so few young people bother to write songs anymore about annoying topics, but then The Indelicates came to my rescue with The Recession Song. With the very Art Brut sound of this single and members of Art Brut playing on it to boot, how can I not love this fine tune?And while we're speaking about Art Brut, their new record drops this week. Lead parable "Alcoholics

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-23121137374962210282009-04-22T14:17:00.002-04:002009-04-22T14:19:26.281-04:00

Check my blog dated January 5 2009. I guessed Taya would win Rock of Love Tour Bus Edition back at week one. I am da bomb!

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-14245517642479087002009-04-18T14:21:00.007-04:002009-04-22T14:40:17.578-04:00

I am sure many have already seen this, but if you haven't it's certainly worth viewing all the way through. Billy Bob Thornton being interviewed on a Canadian show about his band, and becoming increasingly el-strange-o as the interview continues. It should come as no surprise that after this the band canceled their Canadian tour, I would guess because, well, who can get along with those

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-80739305804390165622009-03-13T12:54:00.011-04:002009-03-13T16:21:49.446-04:00

Two odd little new wave bits have come my way this week.First off, via my friend Phil, who subscribes to the Antpeople Twitter, a link to a man writing about how listening to Adam and the Ants' "Kings of the Wild Frontier" brought him to a deeper understanding of himself and his Christian faith. No, I didn't make this up. Considering that Ant himself has grown up to be a deeply troubled

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-11643576055374169932009-02-05T10:59:00.005-05:002009-02-05T11:11:30.552-05:00

People! I can hardly express how sad I am to write about the death of Lux Interior, founding member of The Cramps. You can read Pitchfork's obit here.It was just a few years ago that I was able to catch the Cramps at the Roxy here in Boston, I'd never gotten to see them in their heyday, but from the show that night it was evident they were in no way past their prime. Interior strode on stage

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-80758846808446522782009-01-28T10:43:00.008-05:002009-01-28T11:51:57.032-05:00

A recent conversation with a friend about 'just how dangerous it is to post music to your blog' led me to a bit of surfing which turned up a raft of really interesting reporting done by CNet in December of 2008.As some may recall, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has in the past gone after individuals for whopping sums for downloading or uploading to songs to share sites such

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-88089807007984183032009-01-23T16:17:00.007-05:002009-01-23T16:47:47.726-05:00

I recently find myself laying in bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about one of my favorite shows from the past - Banzai! Banzai! is sort of a parody of a "Japanese TV Show" which actually came from the UK in the early 2000's. The format is a betting show, where viewers are supposed to wager on the outcome of an array of peculiar events set up by Banzai staff. The show had a brief run

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-34207612578841409152009-01-15T11:17:00.005-05:002009-01-22T16:05:04.787-05:00

A common problem seems to have struck my friend Kelly (and Phil, and others)..."I was watching tv this week, when a movie commercial came on and I'm sitting there going 'Wait, why are people screaming? What's with the stuff being thrown at you' etc before the wheels in my head started to turn and I realized that "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" is not in fact a concert film of the band My Bloody

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-90514933558541068172009-01-05T12:53:00.007-05:002009-01-22T16:08:32.485-05:00

I hate to admit that for some reason I find Bret Michaels' Rock of Love intoxicating.I mean, if I were to treat the show like something on The Discovery Channel - I'd say its certainly interesting to see how big modern science can inflate a woman's breasts, while at the same time it's intriguing to note that even the greatest minds of our time apparently find themselves unable to do anything to

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-33359734868139580982009-01-02T11:20:00.005-05:002009-01-22T16:09:29.627-05:00

Talk about a great story on NPR this AM about how Cognac sales once were flagging but ever since Busta Rhymes sang "Pass The Courvoisier" in 2001, African Americans have flocked to the elite french brandy.No longer is cognac considered an old man beverage, and now, thanks to Rhymes and Snoop Dogg - who's song "For the Good Times" about the a young hip cognac called Landy (commissioned by the

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-241523074700595042008-12-16T10:03:00.006-05:002009-01-22T16:12:01.696-05:00

Of course it's sad to hear of the passing of Oliver Postgate, the creative force behind English children's show Clangers. The unbearably adorable program from the late 60's followed the adventures of tiny sewn mice sort of fellows who live on a faraway planet and whose voices are played by a slide-whistle. Ah, my kingdom for a kinder gentler time in children's television programming.Although

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-67268371977358293842008-12-04T10:39:00.007-05:002009-01-22T16:13:59.600-05:00

This is just an oddity I found on You Tube. John Lydon being sued by tour drummer Robert Williams over a broken tour agreement on Judge Judy. Williams is best known as the drummer for Captain Beefheart, but possibly not known for his sad bowl-cut in this video clip. More details on the decade old suit are here. As to the question of who sues over being fired off a tour when you don't get on

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-27959776936113948802008-12-03T15:06:00.009-05:002009-01-22T16:15:40.685-05:00

What sad news this morning that the incredibly strange-voiced 60's folk singer Odetta has passed, just a month shy of her 78th birthday.It seems like only yesterday I'd enjoyed her haunting, soulful voice on The 6th's "Wasp's Nests" CD singing "Waltzing Me All the Way Home" (click to hear). One of my favorite references to Odetta is, from the film Hairspray by John Waters.Hair hopper Ricki Lake

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-64925373446055042052008-12-02T16:25:00.014-05:002009-01-22T16:16:30.229-05:00

It's hard for some of us to remember that Sweden wasn't always a place full of alluring pop albums. It wasn't always as cool as The Hives, Komeda, Jens Lekman, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Lykke Li,... It wasn't even as cool as noted in the lyrics below to the song "Sweden" by The Divine Comedy."I would like to live in SwedenWhen my work is done Where the snow lies crisp and even 'Neath the

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-83848875829527515922008-11-25T16:28:00.004-05:002009-01-22T16:17:36.782-05:00

In case you aren't watching at the right daypart, here's the newest ad from Ozzy Osbourne.Is there a moment when as this legendary rocker capitalizes on "I'm just an unintelligible old coot" that he thinks "Maybe this isn't a good idea?"Upside - his hair looks great.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-81715864601303275802008-11-25T16:21:00.003-05:002009-01-22T16:18:29.153-05:00

This quote from Pulp's frontman comes courtesy of The Guardian and my dear friend Brian:He had been about to hit 40 when he considered walking away from music before. "I just thought, 'You're too old to be in a band.'" Does he think that he's too old now he's 45? "Yeah, but who cares? I am too old. I have resigned myself to the humiliation that goes with it now."I laugh."I have!" he protests. "I

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-36184621612106545822008-11-18T00:00:00.002-05:002009-01-22T16:19:59.820-05:00

An atmospheric piece about Prince has hit the current New Yorker which is entirely worth reading if not just to read the description of him as "a small fifty-year-old man in yoga pants wearing platform flip-flops" and talking about how as a Jehovah's Witness he goes door to door spreading the good word. Years ago I remember seeing an MTV 'where are they now' special where Vanity of Vanity 6

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-49547273303722437682008-11-17T11:31:00.004-05:002009-01-22T16:20:34.981-05:00

The Onion in Milwaukee did a nice piece on one of my favorite 20+ year old indie labels, The Bus Stop Label - read it here.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-46513549965517791672008-11-12T15:24:00.005-05:002009-01-22T16:22:45.905-05:00

Now here's something pleasing. Enjoy Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips describing how they made their promo for NBC (also features the B-52's) and gives us a tour of his souped up double neck guitar - one guitar and one guitar hero.

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-21032364056671642762008-11-07T14:43:00.005-05:002008-11-07T16:23:56.547-05:00

Oh Yma! How sad am I to know that after 86 years on this planet you decided to take off to the afterlife and I never got to see you live and in person even once! Boo hoo!For those of you who have no idea who Yma Sumac is, I could probably not tell you in greater detail than our friends at the NY Times Obit department, so I'll leave it to them. What I will say is to hear the incredibly strange

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-11258147398922207732008-11-05T15:27:00.007-05:002008-11-07T16:24:39.954-05:00

I awoke this morning to a new kind of America, one where there is new hope at last for all of our collective futures.I awoke this morning to a new kind of President. One whose marketing has been so slick, he's the only presidential candidate I can ever recall not only having a logo for his name (what is he, Prince?), but also who has released a celebratory compilation album upon election. "Yes

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-34866898402702767282008-11-03T12:14:00.003-05:002008-11-07T16:25:23.046-05:00

Will someone please please please sample the Aliens saying "Radio" into a song?

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-30498546653859537512008-10-31T12:42:00.003-04:002008-11-07T16:26:02.263-05:00

Wow, just when you thought things couldn't get more pathetic, Joe the Plumber has signed on with "The Press Office" handlers for Eddie Money and Grand Funk Railroad to manage his career.And since we hear so very much about Eddie Money and Grand Funk all the time, I am sure that This plumber fellow is doing the right thing. Upside, this move means more people will be aware Grand Funk and Eddie

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-32966471842008464752008-10-20T12:48:00.001-04:002008-11-07T16:26:32.975-05:00

Often past their prime rockers release 'comeback' records, and we think "So what? What's in it for me?"Usually, there is no answer except either a moment of nostalgia for days gone by or alternately a moment to make fun of the artists in question. But on November 23rd, when Guns n' Roses offer up their newest, there will be a big incentive in the form of FREE DR. PEPPER.I was going to make a Dr

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-88529933547230129042008-10-10T12:32:00.003-04:002009-01-22T16:21:22.810-05:00

Video from Madonna's current tour. With that giant gay fanbase who else would she vote for?

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-15438428815290159892008-10-08T11:56:00.002-04:002009-01-22T16:23:33.980-05:00

How nice to see this bit of trivia from the good people at the Smoking Gun.When looking at the catering requirements of Metallica's tour rider it's hard to miss that the phrase "BACON VERY IMPORTANT THAT BACON BE AVAILABLE AT EVERY MEAL AND DURING THE DAY" is right at the top of the band's directives. Sure they may ask for lots of fresh fruit and premium teas (aw, boys after my own heart), but

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-91784181337503046302008-10-07T09:50:00.005-04:002009-01-22T16:25:12.706-05:00

Thank you to JoEllen for heads up about this video, ladies and gentlemen, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain playing Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit.Bonus:The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra (featuring Bret from Flight of the Conchords) singing a credible "Hey Ya"Those new Zealanders, really know how to rock!

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-61215668869815832592008-10-06T10:31:00.003-04:002008-12-04T10:29:04.772-05:00

It's not often enough that I'm given an opportunity to spend a weeknight on the high seas with legendary garage rockers, but that's just how two Wednesdays ago ended up, as I found myself on a free harbor cruise sponsored by the good folks at Pabst Blue Ribbon. The beer was free, the bands were free, the three hour tour was free, what's not to like?Arriving at the dock (?!) at around 7 to ensure

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-41594872227545266942008-10-03T16:46:00.004-04:002009-01-22T16:27:02.575-05:00

I had a dream last night I was going to invite the Undertones to my birthday party. I knew them because they were neighbors of a friend of mine, but not having their email I was going to just print out a note and stuff it under their door. I'd also like to note in the dream The Undertones were all still about 19, and all lived in an apartment in Boston together. Yep.In other dreamy yet real

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-6202427752992391932008-10-02T10:32:00.005-04:002008-10-02T10:37:59.223-04:00

In the pantheon of surprising ads, this one certainly shocked me.Former Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Lydon for Country Life Butter:Says Lydon of the ad, in an interview at The Guardian ""I've never done anything like this before and never thought I would, but this Country Life ad was made for me and I couldn't resist the opportunity." Is this the ultimate rock and roll swindle? All I know is I

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-71639947051113761472008-09-30T16:08:00.006-04:002008-10-02T17:40:32.335-04:00

I am waiting for Amy to meet me at the Paradise with my ticket to see Robert Pollard's new band Boston Spaceships play with Boston legends Big Dipper. I am late, and thus as I am listening to the chords of "She's Fetching" through the nightclub door, I'm assuming Amy and my ticket are both already inside. I plead with the limp 20 year old hipster girl at the door to let me in, but she shrugs in

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-29756504125307984942008-08-01T12:27:00.001-04:002009-01-23T12:37:04.618-05:00

Being an expansive and unpredictable kind of guy, I guess it shouldn't have surprised me that Motor City Madman/bowhunting enthusiast/NRA lover/conservative radio personality/beef jerky entrepreneur/oh yeah AND rock legend Ted Nugent has launched his own Google search engine. "Search with Ted Nugent" fortunately does not demand searchers Wango Tango with the Nuge to get results, but you do earn

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-55310598973452550982008-07-28T11:57:00.003-04:002008-10-02T17:26:01.312-04:00

I don't know if you remember DEVO back in the day. I certainly recall as a youth watching their film, I believe titled "We're all DEVO" on MTV and finding it unnerving. Was it the messages about de-evoloution that were a bit too on the money or was it just my aversion to men in a rubber masks? Regardless, tonight, surely 20+ years after my first exposure to DEVO, I find them older, creakier,

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-84575089594987581772008-06-30T12:34:00.011-04:002009-01-23T12:38:08.132-05:00

In 'How To Make Your Unique Style Pay Off 30 Years Later News', Devo is currently suing McDonalds over their latest happy meal toy. Founding member Gerald Casale states the obvious about the wee plastic man currently found nestled twixt the buns of hungry youngsters "This New Wave Nigel doll that they've created is just a complete Devo rip-off and the red hat is exactly the red hat that I

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-40853433602635111072008-06-27T08:59:00.008-04:002009-01-23T12:45:47.184-05:00

I love Amy Winehouse.There are a bunch of reasons this is true. One is her music has a unique point of view, which in this 'modern music' world is (sadly) pretty uncommon.Other reasons include her fabulous fashion sense, that crazy big bouffant, and a life that is full of back to back scandals.This week it was revealed that while cooling his heels in Pentonville Prison her husband, Blake

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-23304300501824655552008-06-23T14:15:00.008-04:002009-01-23T12:44:30.420-05:00

Press release:_______________FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 23, 2008 - JULIANA HATFIELD "GROWS UP" IN NEW BOOK;ACCLAIMED SINGER/SONGWRITER'S PROVOCATIVE MEMOIR "WHEN I GROW UP" PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 29TH Juliana Hatfield has unveiled details of her upcoming memoir, entitled "When I Grow Up", slated to be published by John Wiley & Sons on September 29th.___________

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-59787118373538330722008-06-19T15:15:00.010-04:002009-01-23T12:41:33.366-05:00

I know that I am supposed to want to rock out all the time, but you know, sometimes I'm OLD and TIRED, so these shows on weeknights get to me. Still, I HAD to go see Sloan. I missed them once and that just didn't seem right. The band tonight are OBSCENELY LOUD. SO LOUD I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY ARE SO LOUD. I am wearing earplugs and when I take them out it's SO LOUD I CAN HARDLY STAND IT. Why

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-78490590864519844122008-06-13T13:13:00.006-04:002009-01-23T12:40:46.635-05:00

Well I certainly remembered The Cannanes from back in the day, so I was surprised to see that they'd come all the way from Australia to play at The Midway Cafe, a venue just steps from my home that holds about 30 people maximum on any given night. And indeed the maximum was pretty much reached as folks piled in on a Wednesday night to see the delightfully twee pop. Apologizing before many songs

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-34382802009409524332008-06-09T11:02:00.003-04:002009-01-23T12:51:24.069-05:00

It's just by luck that my holiday overseas coincided with one of the coolest retro concert ideas I'd heard about it a long time, namely that the godfathers of American quirk, Sparks, were when I was in town, playing each of their 21 albums over a 21 night span at the Carling Academy in Islington. What luck since here in Boston, Sparks could maybe fill a room of 200 for one night (or alternately

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-3495457834097180592008-06-04T14:43:00.005-04:002009-01-23T12:46:22.276-05:00

Oh hurrah, apparently there is a new Sloan album 'Parallel Play' to coincide with their tour, hitting my town in just two weeks! New tracks sounds far more directed than Never Hear The End of it Want to hear it? Click here and you'll link to the nice folks at Yep Roc who are streaming it for free, ahhhhh...

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-78662436135642736232008-06-03T11:44:00.008-04:002009-01-23T12:47:01.882-05:00

So, did anyone else catch the incredibly nervous Fred Schneider from the B-52's last night on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart?He was reading passages aloud from former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's new book 'What Happened'. Apparently Stewart felt the memoir could use some 'punching up' and that's where a awkwardly book-gripping Schneider came in, hollering in his signature vocal

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-81392594669196331522008-05-30T15:05:00.003-04:002008-05-30T15:13:27.098-04:00

It just occurred to me how much people like writing songs about ladies.Off the top of my head:Lady - Kenny RogersLady - StyxLady - Lionel RichieLay Lady Lay - Bob DylanThe Lady Is A Tramp - Sinatra etc.Ladies Night - Kool and the GangLadies First - Queen LatifahHey Ladies - Beastie BoysI can hardly type fast enough to catalog all of the Ladies I'm thinking about. Yet oddly, does anybody use the

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-83504388926793340402008-05-19T16:44:00.002-04:002008-05-30T13:53:13.527-04:00

It's fun to have a fantasy life, but sometimes things can go to far. For instance the fantasy that Brighton's Great Escape Festival is "Europe's answer to South by Southwest" is a somewhat insane assertion at least. And when insanity is involved, someone is going to get hurt - in this case festival attendees. Unlike the noted 'alternative to alternative music industry festivals' that takes

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-80216581813781491912008-05-09T14:00:00.005-04:002009-01-23T12:53:00.573-05:00

Plus side - Fujiya & Miyagi have sold another song into slavery, this time stateside, for Miller Lite. Since I always endorse situations where musicians get paid for making music, and additionally endorse ones where i don't have to listen to horrible jingles, I declare this a win-win situation.Minus side - What is far from a win-win however is the newest ad for AT&T's Go Phone starring Meatloaf

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-73973510802517556262008-05-03T13:28:00.001-04:002008-10-02T11:44:01.910-04:00

The last time I saw Big Dipper was at the Channel. I don't remember who they were playing with or what year it was, but I do remember diminutive singer Bill Goffrier belting out a cover of Madonna's "You're An Angel", a move which at the time both perplexed and delighted me. Tonight I'll feel the same when the band (now reunited from the 4 corners of the country to support the release of

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-21917908877049978692008-04-29T14:16:00.002-04:002008-12-12T22:28:04.883-05:00

Heard about the Nerdcore revolution? Well of course you have, I mean, we're *on* the internet right now, aren't we? And since we are, I'm sure that you are well aware that right now there are rappers out there who are in song form addressing your concerns: internet porn addiction, picking up chicks at Star Wars conventions, the rules of play for Magic The Gathering, etc. etc. If not, you

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-12944889088478129072008-04-22T11:23:00.012-04:002008-04-22T14:54:52.424-04:00

Among my small yet terribly, terribly influential group of aging rocker friends the pick to click Friday night was definitely Muck and the Mires' EP release show at the Middle East Upstairs. The evening saw the celebrated local garage rockers bashing out tracks now available on 10" vinyl (talk about retro!) courtesy of England's Dirty Water Records, and in general proving to the assembled throng

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-69192895826227520082008-04-13T13:51:00.001-04:002009-01-23T12:48:22.588-05:00

I hate to hassle an old dog, but toddling off to see Scarce at the Plough and Stars over the weekend was kind of a downer. I'd been psyched to hear that the band had reunited in one form or another and were playing out now. I certainly played my copy of Deadsexy to death 10 years ago and had been saddened when frontman Chick Graning had to stop playing due to a brain hemmorage suffered around

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-60377671725719977822008-04-05T14:49:00.001-04:002009-01-23T12:38:52.600-05:00

I know I'm being repetitive, but saw Swedish crooner Jens Lekman again this past weekend at The Paradise and again he was totally amazing. His band this time had been scaled back by a few women, and they weren't wearing smocks this time, but they'd been joined by a cellist and Lekman's vocals were stronger than ever. Many people sing, but few have the vocal complexity of Lekman, whose voice is

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-31572829960197461792008-04-04T14:08:00.006-04:002009-01-23T12:43:47.989-05:00

Was lucky enough to get out last night to the Middle East to catch the book party for 1) The paperback release of The Heebie Jeebies at CBGB's A Secret History of Jewish Punk and2) Awake! A Reader for the SleeplessThe former of which was written by and the latter edited by local author Steven Lee Beeber.The good folks from Pabst Blue Ribbon kept us in free beers (the smell of my grandfather, now

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-69836373636735041062008-02-04T15:40:00.001-05:002008-12-12T22:28:05.237-05:00

Don't get me wrong, I love "American Girl" as much as the next gal, but the thing that stood out to me the most about Tom Petty's appearance at the SuperBowl (or as I like to call it - The Superb Owl) was his insistence on keeping the same crappy haircut for more than 30 years. When Petty was young and it was the mid-70's I guess his flat blonde feathered hair wasn't so bad. But why keep it for

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-62124587943883434902008-01-11T16:29:00.000-05:002008-12-12T22:28:05.384-05:00

Listening to The Bay City Rollers' "Yesterday's Hero" this morning I thought about how band cheers are simply not used enough in songs. The tune commences with an ostensibly live crowd hollering "WE WANT ROLLERS, WE WANT ROLLERS" and baby, they don't mean to set their fabulous 70's hair. The only other use I can think of off the top of my head is Sloan's "If It Feels Good Do It" which again

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-60662551116239428682007-12-28T11:55:00.000-05:002007-12-28T12:10:08.969-05:00

I was on the train a few weeks ago. There is a towheaded kid in a stroller, maybe 4 and a plump 40-ish Caucasian mother. The kid has his hands over his ears, pushing earbud type headphones deep into his ear canal. The Mother says "Don't you want to stop listening to your IPod?" Kid: "No!" Mother holds up a hardcover picture book "Well," she says in that very 2nd grade teacher way, "I want to

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-58664165975721178912007-12-27T17:11:00.000-05:002008-12-12T22:28:05.761-05:00

Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan could not be hotter. She's cool, she's sexy, if only she was really a man who I could make out with. Alas. Otherwise the film is masturbatory, self-involved, perplexing. For those of us who know nothing about Dylan you'll want to know more, for those who know something about Dylan you'll spend the movie going "That's not right!" I once had a fight with a guy

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-22101852571306665932007-11-26T16:01:00.000-05:002007-11-26T22:41:37.645-05:00

Fare thee well Kevin DuBrow, former lead singer of Quiet Riot I must say I'll miss seeing you on all those VH1/MTV reunion shows telling me from beneath a giant and very obvious wig, how Quiet Riot is so going to make a big comeback.On the bright side, at least with you dead, nobody can set fire to a nightclub with pyrotechnics and accidentally kill a bunch of people who thought it would be

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17584913.post-15817189468262415472007-11-24T23:08:00.000-05:002007-11-26T22:16:48.162-05:00

A little bit more on that Thanksgiving Day Parade from my girl Kelly. Apparently there was a horrifying thing I missed involving one of my least favorite ex-local musicians... "The Care Bears float was a moment of supreme "HA HA HA! Look what you've stooped to!" as the musical guest on the float - singing a song about caring and sharing - was Kay Hanley."Wow, just watching that clip really

mzamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01567983947115068081noreply@blogger.com5