Song of the Day

**11/4/09

Pearl Jam - Army Reserve

--------------What glorious and strange wonders befell me in my music world today! The tone of this post is going to be rather bipolar, and you'll definitely understand with the information I have to share.

First of all - got my Brand New ticket! They'll be coming through Charlotte this coming Monday with Thrice and Crime in Stereo. Too bad I'm poor and can't see them with Glassjaw in New York. But still - I'm definitely not embarassed to geek out about this show.

Second of all - and here's the bad news - due to a family circumstance beyond their control, Dashboard Confessional have cancelled the remainder of their fall tour. I'm sadder than a hipster who spilled java on their Moleskine (oh, wait...that was me).

I was given a list of bands to look through, and if I have to hear another jam or ambient electronica band, I'm pretty confident I'll turn into a robot. Therefore, I turned to a group that takes me back to, well, the first PJ album I ever bought, their self-titled 2006 album with the Avacado against a deep blue background.

"Army Reserve" was never hyped like the not-so-fantastic anti-establishment "World Wide Suicide," but it's got a haunting attitude towards what is service and sacrifice. Vedder's unmistakable straining voice against spooky guitars...the "Jeremy" effect that I'm looking for today.

Song of the Day

**11/3/09
Four Year Strong - Heroes Are Remembered, But Legends Never Die
--------------- You might think that for my blog, I slouch over Billboard charts and scour Myspace pages for hours out of the day in search for the perfect tune. Well, it is actually not always that noble of a quest. I was sitting around my favorite home away from home coffee place and heard a couple of punk bro-ish dudes name drop Four Year Strong, and I jumped onto their website to check them out.

Four Year Strong explains it all, they didn't have to do much explaining to have me hooked onto their magnetically attractive pop punk/hardcore music. "Heroes..." stuck out to me as the perfect song for kids who are too tough for The Maine but aren't too hardcore dig a decent head-shaking beat.

Fun fact! Four Year Strong receives a lot of cred in the punk and hardcore scene for re-popularizing synthesizer laden tracks with their 2004 demo release. "Heroes Are Remembered, But Legends Never Die" is from Four Year Strong 2007 album Rise or Die Trying.

Song of the Day

**11/2/09

Fatal Bazooka feat. Yelle - Parle a ma main

----------------What's better than bratty girl power techno? Bratty girl power techno in French!I'll be up front on this one, this probably isn't a post for the male followers of this blog, unless you're into cross dressing disturbingly feminine dudes who can rock a pair of heels better than half the mademoiselles who don them. Fatal Bazooka is a parodic rap group from France, much like Monsieur Samberg and The Lonely Island from the states. Yelle's Euro-Benetar spunk and uninhibited lyrics are tart and sweet, the French "Hollaback Girl," but almost *gasp!* better! Featured in the hilarious five-minute video is a breakdown of the European dance craze, tecktonik, a 2009 version of an A.D.D. robot. Get "Parle a ma main" (translated "Talk to the Hand") from Fatal Bazooka's album, T'as Vu?

Song of the Day

**11/1/09

Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love

-------------I am endlessly intrigued by the dynamics of pop music, who really writes the music, how much is altered, and basically, how much producers are trying to fool you. It's not necessarily a negative thing, but I can see why many believe that all pop music sounds the same. Brit pop singer Cheryl Cole is a multi-threat in the entertainment biz, and her October release 3 Words gave listeners "Fight For This Love," the techno tank that turns a dance floor into a battlefield for love.

It is a perfectly lively and earnest pop song, but every time I listen to it, I can't help but think Mary J. Blige would bring this song that level. The "Fight" writers Wayne Wilkins and Steve Kipner should have passed this one on to Blige, who could pack more soul into this than any other diva behind a mic. Sure Cole's got the pipes and the Maxim Hot 100 status to make her perfectly attractive to her audience, but her presence in "Fight For This Love" fits like a hand in a sock.

Wink at the Devil - Bubonik Funk Flirts with Fire

Just because mom gave away your catholic school uniforms and the shards of high school have been dusted off your shoulders doesn't mean your band has to be thrown in the box labeled "High School Memories" along with them. If that were the case, half of the bands you have on your ipod wouldn't exist. It's risky, life-consuming, and difficult, but Bubonik Funk holds their swagger through it all, and are ready to flirt with the future in their latest EP, Wink at the Devil.

For their follow-up to their 2008 release, OTB, Bubonik Funk took their old school funk to a realm of reflection, evident especially in "The Feeling Is" followed by "Love." The EP was produced alongside Dustin Hofsess. Singer Dylan Ellett's material ecompassses a figurative and curiously creative atmosphere where signs of personal growth leak through "Hybrid," sort of a love-themed, Lennon-tinged "Day in the Life."

Guitarist Stefan Kallander keeps a surprisingly quiet strength throughout Wink, every so often bursting out articulate, glass clear licks on "Position of Power" and effortlessly melting faces on "Hybrid" and "Wrath of Brad."

One thing I am happy to hear from Bubonik Funk is control. Bubonik Funk's earlier work had perfectly entertaining breakdowns of grainy and messy solos, but the fresh and refined sound from Kallander's strat on Wink brings a new depth to BFunk's vibe. Drummer Daniel Allison and bassist Nick McOwen stay cool and calm throughout Wink, going forth with subtle bravado and simplicity throughout the EP.

Now I can't make everyone appreciate the type of music that Bubonik Funk writes, as the guys seem to be a bit transgenerational from what we often hear today. Thank goodness for those who still appreciate the energy that funk music brings to the table, making listeners tap toes and get that feeling, whatever it may be.

Wink at the Devil will be available this December, and if you're in Charlotte tonight, head down to Neighborhood Theatre where Bubonik Funk will be performing with SOULIVE.


Key Tracks: Wrath of Brad, Jungle, Position of Power, Hybrid


http://myspace.com/bubonikfunk

Yo Mama So Phat...

Tonight, I'll be working a show for Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band and Major Magick CD release party. Yo Mama's is from Asheville, NC, and have a substantial lineup of shows in North Carolina coming up this month. Major Magick is releasing their new album tonight and have shows in Tennessee and NC to back it up.

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow, and maybe...pictures?! Until then, Moby and Stevie Ray Vaughn have been circling my head today, and it may be worth your while to check out some stuff. Have fun with random music tonight!

http://www.myspace.com/yomamasbigfatbootyband

http://www.myspace.com/majormagick

Song of the Day

**10/28/09
The Damnwells - Bastard of Midnight
-------------Sometimes the hardest thing to do is confess: clear the innermost secrets out of your locked chest where your heart thumps endlessly, and sometimes restlessly. "Bastard of Midnight" isn't an easy admission, yet it's relieving to hear. Take it from the one throwing her fingers at the keyboard - fessing up is only one letter away from messing up. For those of us not strong enough to admit how we feel, The Damnwells are a damn good tag-team. Get "Bastard of Midnight" from The Damnwells One Last Century.

http://www.myspace.com/thedamnwells

...The version I have in my library is simply acoustic guitar and Alex Dezen. When it's the writer and his instrument, the song instantly becomes intimate. It's an inescapable connection, like you're sitting on the couch where he wrote the song. I apologize from the bottom of my heart that I can't find the album this version is on, but if you can find it, please let me know.

Song of the Day

**10/27/09

Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart

---------------Third time's a charm - an expression that wills people to be patient, continue searching or keep flared tempers at bay for at least another try. Such was the case as I perused the U.K. charts this morning, when I found a bitter taste in my mouth from the first couple of pop morsels tasted. Taio Cruz's dance club ode of honesty "Break Your Heart" was the sweet surprise of the charts. You may not have heard of U.K. R&B singer-songwriter Taio Cruz, but when you hear "Break Your Heart," you'll agree that his music is the missing child of pop radio who just wants to hang out with siblings like Akon, Ne-Yo, and Sean Kingston. Get "Break Your Heart" from Taio Cruz sophomore album, Rockstarr.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOg_IHwXWsk

Song of the Day

**10/25/09

Pretty Lights - Finally Moving Remix

-------------Complexity can be a beautiful thing, especially when that complexity requires one to stop what they are doing and pay full attention to it. That amounted to my first time listening to Pretty Lights, a Fort Collins, Colorado electronica/hip-hop group that compose songs as detailed and meticulous as a classical symphony.

Derek Vincent Smith and Corey Eberhard throw their cutting edge party beats and Daft-Punk style songs into a whirlwind of robotic harmony. Electronica hardly ever ceases to impress me, and Pretty Lights couldn't make digital music more, well, pretty! "Finally Moving (Remix)" from the 2008 album Filling Up the City Skies.

Pause! Want some free Pretty Lights? You can download their latest album, Passing By Behind Your Eyes for free on their website:

http://www.prettylightsmusic.com/

http://www.myspace.com/prettylights

Seven Tracks for Tailgating

Well zim-zam hot damn it's time for some football! Yes, dear readers, in case you've been living underneath your Skullcandys since August, Americans are well into the throes and throws of the season. Break out your favorite, cheap beer, brats and that weird beanbag toss game!

The food, friends, and refreshments are all well and good, but the music you blast from your post has a pivotal effect on your tailgating experience. The songs must be bad ass while not mom-drops-the-potato-salad offensive. Dad and uncle Bob want to hear some heartland rock n' roll tracks from their own glory days tossin' the pigskin. Friends want to feel cool enough at your tailgate, period.

Seems like a ton of pressure, but not to worry. Here are seven songs to get your tailgate mix started - consider it the first bag of Lays chips or the first chugs to kick off Miller Time (but if you're like the robust warrior in the above photo, I'd keep the consumption to a few sips).


1. Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky
---You want the big man upstairs to have your team's back. The guitar riff screams "Amuuurrica!," and it's from Remember the Titans, a personal favorite among sports movies.

2. The Hives - Tick, Tick, Boom
----Enough Brit-rock energy to keep you amped up for the game. There are plenty of "YEEEAAAHHHSS" to get your voice warmed up for booing refs and cheering for touchdowns.

3. Missy Elliott - Jump On It (Remix)
----Take a Sir Mix-a-Lot classic and throw in Missy Elliott - you can't go wrong. Play this one when the relatives are in line for the Porta Potty's so they won't have to pretend to other parents that they know you.

4. The Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right
----Um, hello? The Beastie Boys are every Dude-Man-Bro's favorite white punk hip-hoppers. And the chorus speaks for itself in intimidating "don't mess with me man, I'm CRAZY!" lyrics.

5. Rock and Roll Part 1 - Gary Glitter
----I know, you've never heard of this song in your life. But you have - to put it simply, it's the one that goes "da-da-daaaa-da HEY! da da da..." repeat. People get up and clap for this one as if a string was pulled on their backs. Who knew a band with the word "Glitter" in it could write something so commanding and disgustingly simple?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH5zsYZbANE

6. Guns n' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
----Rock and roll and football are as harmonius as ketchup and mustard. While GNR is a little more 80's hair metal, there is no way you won't hear this before, during or after the game.

7. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
-----This song wonderfully pollutes every halftime, seventh-inning stretch, and tailgate. It's one of those come-together-y kind of songs, so everyone at your tailgate will feel a sappy, sentimental bond right before you walk through the gates.