Music

What do the Pussycat Dolls and the Barenaked Ladies have in common? (Aside from being almost completely repetitive.) According to the BNL blog, turns out that the PCD’s appeared as the dancers in BNL’s “One Week” video…

Who would’a thunk it?

If you are a fan of classic live music, you owe it to yourself to check out the Concert Vault site, which bills itself as “the world’s greatest collection of vintage concert recordings.”

As I type this, I am listening to a streaming audio feed of Bruce Springsteen’s concert at the Winterland in San Francisco on December 15, 1978. And there are literally hundreds of other live shows available on the site ranging from .38 Special to Neil Young, with more recordings added every week. How cool is that?!?

Where does it all come from? In 2003, the Wolfgang’s Vault vintage music and memorabilia site acquired master recordings from the archives of Bill Graham Presents. Bill Graham launched the rock and roll concert industry in the mid-1960s. From then until his sudden death in a 1991 helicopter crash, he promoted more than 35,000 concerts worldwide at venues including the Fillmore West and Winterland in San Francisco and the legendary Fillmore East in New York City. Graham’s first venue, the ground-breaking Fillmore Auditorium, was home to many of rock’s greatest performers; Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Otis Redding and Jefferson Airplane.

Graham recorded thousands of these live performances and stored the tapes in the basement of the BGP headquarters. No one is quite sure what he intended to do with these recordings, but now they (and additional collections as well) are available for our listening pleasure. Free!

Now if you will excuse me, I want to listen to a couple more songs before I head off to bed. BRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCE!!!!!!!!!

Been listening to the new Barenaked Ladies album (are they still called albums?) Barenaked Ladies Are Me.

So far I think I’ve picked out at least three songs that I like a lot and that probably have commercial potential.

However, my favorite song so far is a cute one called “Bank Job” that tells the story of a failed bank robbery attempt. I’m not sure how much commercial success it will enjoy, but I’m sure it’s destined to be one of those cult hits that BNL fans love so much.

So, with very little further ado…

Bank Job
Barenaked Ladies
(Page, Robertson) – 4:27

It was an upset in two minutes flat
We were back on the freeway, foot to the mat
I can’t understand it; we had it down pat
It’s very upsetting, could we leave it at that?

We all had positions; we each had a role
We’d over-rehearsed it; we had full control
They can’t teach you acting, it’s there in your soul
It’s the same with a bank job, and each thing we stole

So I don’t need attitude
Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
Wait by the phone

I was the driver; you ran the show
You had the last word, the go or no go
I knew every laneway in Ontario
But it’s not what you’re sure of, it’s what you don’t know

It should have been filled with the usual ones
Throwing their cash into mutual funds
We all had our ski masks and sawed-off shotguns
But how do you plan for a bank full of nuns?

Well, I guess we panicked – we all have taboos
And they were like zebras; they had us confused
We should be in condos with oceanfront views
Instead we’re most-wanted on the six o’clock news

So I don’t need attitude
Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
And wait by the phone

Inside the police car you tried to explain
your crisis of conscience; the voice in your brain
And now that the whole thing has gone down the drain
I think we all know who should shoulder the blame

Cause you made a choice there, almost sublime
I’m all for compassion, just not on my dime
You looked like an amateur, and that’s the real crime
So I’ll take a walk now, and you do the time

And I don’t need attitude
Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
There’s no need to phone

We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
Leave me alone

If only that were true. [sigh]

Actually, I’m referring to my favorite band, the Barenaked Ladies, and “Easy” the first release off their new album Barenaked Ladies are Me. The video is a little unusual because it’s animated in a vaguely “what if Monty Python had CGI technology available to them?” kind-of way, but I love the song.

Enjoy!

Relax, it’s not what you think…

Last night, I went to see Marty Casey and the Lovehammers play at Blueberry Hill, a “St. Louis Landmark”. The Duck Room in the basement of Blueberry Hill was a great place to watch Marty and the band perform. The room is named in honor of Chuck Berry, who performs his signature duck-walk there regularly. I think he might also sing and play a little guitar too.

And perform they did! In addition to Lovehammers tunes like “Hold On“, “The Tunnel“, and the soon-to-be-classic “Trees“, they also played amazing covers of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and “Paint It Black” from the Rolling Stones. Overall, they were on-stage for at least an hour-and-a-half and were called back for three encores. It was a terrific show for a great price (15 bucks).

For those of you in the shallow end of the pop culture pool (i.e. those of you with real lives), Marty Casey was the runner-up from last season’s Rock Star: INXS on CBS. Personally, I was pleased that he didn’t win the INXS gig outright because I think he’s much better with the Lovehammers. They haven’t hit the bigtime yet, but I can’t help but think it’s just a matter of time.

I’m going to go see them again in just a few weeks when they play at the Canopy Club in Urbana over by my alma mater, U of I. Tickets are available for purchase here. Hope to see y’all there!

I am honored and privileged to be able to present the exclusive world premier of the new music video “Dance All Night” (WMV 8MB) from the Damwell Betters. Formed in 2005, the Damwell Betters feature original songs and talented musicians that put on a great live show.

This video is presented courtesy of the wonderful people at Epix 1 Productions. Thanks Rhaine! And thanks to my friend Jenn for forwarding this link on to me.

MySpace was recently declared the #1 single most visiting Website, according to top Internet tracker Hitwise. It has recently gotten a reputation (deservedly so) of being primarily a virtual hang-out for the teeny-boppers and their friends. But another thing that MySpace does well is allow musicians and bands to build pages that feature their latest music.

Anyway, I was browsing the Barenaked Ladies MySpace page earlier and a link or two later happened upon a band (actually I think it’s one guy) called Secondhand Serenade. If you like acoustic rock with slightly whiney, but good, harmonizing, then you’ll like this music. Reminds me a little of Dashboard Confessional.

Highly recommended. Let me know what you think…

Two excellent bands have upcoming shows in the Springfield area…

Back in college, I used to practically be a groupie of Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets from Champaign, Illinois. They put on a terrific show featuring hits from the 50’s and 60’s, and they are going to be in Springfield this Saturday, June 24th at Buster’s Sports Bar and Grill up by the State Fairgrounds from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

And on August 5th, the BoDeans will be back in the area at the Decatur Celebration. The BoDeans are probably most famous for “Closer To Free”, which was used as the theme song for the TV show Party of Five.

I don’t think I’ll be able to go see Captain Rat this weekend, but I’m definitely making plans to go see the BoDeans. Hope to see you there!

Anyone that knows me well knows that I’ve been a huge fan of the Barenaked Ladies for years (long before they hit it big with “One Week”). The new BNL album entitled “Barenaked Ladies Are Me” is scheduled to be released September 12th in the USA! The first single “Easy” is due out at the end of June.

In fact, BNL is making the raw audio tracks from “Easy” available in the hope that fans will “remix, re-create, re-edit, re-configure, and realize what you will with these parts in coming up with your own versions.” BNL will pre-release four more songs in this manner over the rest of the summer. Then the band will vote on the re-mixes and the winning five will comprise an EP with all proceeds donated to charity.

I love Barenaked Ladies! And the band is pretty cool too.