The lady responsible for turning my run-on and fragmented sentences into a cohesive enough thought to be placed on the internets for y’all to read, Marci Richter, is gonna be doing a recurring piece on ninebullets with regards to this years Lollapalooza line-up. Today we’re featuring the first 4 parts.

Enjoy

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PART 1: The Intro:

The Raconteurs are making me going to Lollapalooza. No, I don’t know Brendan, Patrick, or either of the Jack’s. Rather, I was just bummed when I found out that they aren’t going to be coming to Florida on this tour, so I started looking at good places to go see them. I saw that they’d be at Lollapalooza, and then I saw that a ton of other artists I love will be there, too, like Bloc Party, Girl Talk, Radiohead, Santogold, and The Black Keys to name just a few. I also have family and friends in the area that I can stay with, so the trip planning started.

I’ve been to festivals before where I wasn’t familiar with all the bands, and then later I hear something from one of them and realize I probably missed a great set. I decided that I’d try and avoid that happening again and have planned to try to listen to every artist that will be there beforehand. After listening to the music on their websites or their MySpace sites, I have weeded out 34 artists that I have no interest in seeing and am still left with 73 that are possibilities. This festival is over the course of just 3 days (August 1-3), so since I’m sure some performances I’m interested in will conflict with each other, I’ve decided to rate my interest in seeing them, to make it easier to schedule my weekend once the schedule is released.

I have definitely discovered some great music (and some mediocre music) this way, so I figured I’d share what I found, along with my ratings in case anyone wants to try and change my mind about whether this is a set I should see or skip.

Lollapalooza Website

PART 2: The Black Keys:

Yeah, I know they’re not new to many of you, and you probably already know that they’re brilliant, but I have to make sure that you specifically understand that the song “Lies”, off of the album Attack and Release, is black silk, hair pulling, and a warm drunk in musical form.

That is all.

The Black Keys on MySpace

PART 3: Dr. Dog

Dr. Dog is one of the biggest surprises of my little project so far. I honestly thought this was going to be a hip hop act. I guess my subconscious paired Dr. Dre with Snoop Dog, and since Kanye West and Kid Sister are on the lineup, I figured this was another act along those lines.

I was so very wrong. We All Belong is the fourth album from this band out of Philly, and I can’t believe I missed them before now. According to the wikipedia article about them, they’ve toured with both The Raconteurs and The Black Keys. Funny enough, it also says I’m apparently not the only one confused by their name, which makes me feel a bit better about my subconscious.

The album is soulful, bluesy, lighthearted and fun, with earnest vocals and beautiful harmonies. There is definitely a 60’s rock influence which fits just right with the blues feel. I can’t wait to check out their prior releases and will definitely be awaiting their planned 2008 release. Dr. Dog gets 8 out of 10 ponchos on my festival must-see scale.

Dr. Dog - The Way The Lazy Do
Dr. Dog - Keep a Friend

Dr Dog on Myspace

PART 4: Does It Offend You, Yeah?:

Did it bore me? Yeah. Seriously. Obvious I know, but it’s what I kept thinking as I listened to You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into. I mean, with a band name that comes across that pretentious, you’d better put some mustard on it, and I was not feeling the mustard.

This is the debut album from the Reading, England electro-punk band, and I suppose the beats are catchy enough, but there is also the tendency to run a decent thing into the ground in many of the songs. I got an overall generic feel from the album and with the exception of a couple tracks that sounded a bit more original and standout, there was nothing I hadn’t pretty much heard another Nu Rave act do already.

Overall, these guys get 5 ponchos on my scale. I won’t run to catch the set, but I’ll listen if they’re on stage near the portapotties while I’m in line.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Let’s Make Out
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Epic Last Song

Does It Offend You, Yeah? on MySpace

Today’s piece comes from ninebullets.net staffer (i said staff): Marci Richter

Dari is a great bartender. A hot bartender. A great, hot bartender. So, when I saw a myspace bulletin from a friend saying that Dari’s band was going to be playing Czar, the club she bartends at, I knew I had to check it out. She had never mentioned being in a band before, so I figured this was a new project and had almost no expectations, aside from seeing a hot chick in a band, when I saw Someday Souvenir. Well, it turns out Dari is a hot chick, a great bartender, and…even with a cold…also has a mean set of pipes, Add to that the fact that the other band members playing that night, Chris on lead guitar and Stephanie on rhythm guitar, are also rather talented, and it’s an understatement to say I was pleasantly surprised and it wasn’t long before I found myself bobbing my head along with the rest of the fans, most of whom knew every word. The show they were in was all acoustic, and onstage Dari mentioned this was their first time playing a live acoustic set, but it sounded very natural for them. Their myspace page actually lists five band members total (a third guitarist and a drummer), so if they sound like this unplugged and down a couple members, I definitely need to see them all together and plugged in.

The second band that performed at the show was another local group, GreyMarket. Again, due to the format of the night, there was no drummer on stage, which in this case meant that it was Cave (lead vocals, guitar) performing, as Mike (drums and backing vocals) chilled in a red velvet chair in front of the stage. I’d already seen them perform one other time and knew that I really liked their music, but I was very impressed with how well their songs came across in the acoustic format and it was nice to be able to catch them in this intimate, stripped-down show. The two of them put out textured alt rock that definitely sounds more lush than you’d expect from two members. Because I had heard their demo and seen them live, I was curious how they would do the acoustic thing, but it was great. Cave has great vocal range and sang and played his guitar with earnest emotion that has the crowd fixated.

Headlining the show was Chris Otepka of The Heligoats/Troubled Hubble. Hailing from Illinois, The Heligoats is his solo project, while he is also an active member of Troubled Hubble. He came across to me as much a comedian as he did a musician, so when I read in Splendid that, “(d)uring a SXSW showcase two years ago, Otepka broke his ankle jumping off a balcony and passed-out mid-set.” I was not at all surprised. Alternately wincing and grinning, Chris moved out of the center stage spotlight maybe 1 or 2 songs into the set, to the right and into the blue light. He stood and played in that corner of the stage the whole set, wiping the sweat from his forehead and joking between songs. His vocals were complex and rambling, but with a clear destination, and it about wore me out just listening to them. The energy that was behind everything he did was infectious and it made me hope more people were paying attention than it seemed. As the place warmed up and the drinks (and all of us) got more drunk, I noticed people chatting amongst themselves more and less attention focused on the stage, which was a bit of a shame, because he was putting on a hell of a show up there. Keeping in mind that this was an acoustic set and likely not his normal live show, I checked out the stuff on his myspace and was amazed at how different it sounded. I heard more of a Modest Mouse/Dismemberment Plan influence and even more energy, the possibility of which scared me a little for what Troubled Hubble must be like at a normal live show.

All in all, I thought this was a damned cool idea for a show and I’d love to see Czar do another one some time.

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Things here in Colorado are coming to a close. I ended up having to spend some time in the ER yesterday while the wife got a couple of staples in her head. She is fine and plans on riding today but we did go and rent helmets last night. Today’s guest blog comes from Lucero message board member slash message board comp curator JacksonDavis and is probably gonna rub a person or two the wrong way. See y’all next week.
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Greetings! With Autopsy IV on vacation I felt the urge step up and contribute something for my favorite blog on the net. It has been said that putting something down on “paper” can be tremendous therapy when trying to let something go…the following stream of consciousness is my effort to do just that.

Uncle Tupelo was the brilliant and groundbreaking trio hailing from Belleville, Illinois whose run began approximately in 1987 and ended in 1994. 4 Albums of unadulterated punk-country at it’s finest which was driven mainly by the genius of Jay Farrar and an assist from a young Jeff Tweedy. Many of you know Jeff Tweedy as the front man behind Wilco, and while he has earned every ounce of success with his post-Tupelo project, I for one find Wilco fans to be nothing but a bunch of avant-hipsters ( i.e. pussies). In the spirit of full disclosure I’m happy to admit that I haven’t listened to anything since WIlco’s AM was released shortly after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. Spare me your misguided effort to change my opinion..I’m sure Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is also a fine album, but the urban-scenester following Tweedy has enjoyed with Wilco makes me want to projectile vomit all over my keyboard. In a story that surfaced during an interview recently Mr. Tweedy admitted that the proverbial straw that broke the back of Uncle Tupelo was probably due to the fact that he was making advances on his bandmate’s girlfriend. (Jay Farrar has since married this lovely lady and they have two children.) While it would be pure hypocrisy of me to admonish stealing someone’s girlfriend, I would like to go on record that any man who “throws shit” on another guy just to get a girl is a complete fucking pussy. Tweedy disclosed during the interview that he was guilty of such a junior-varsity move, and while it didn’t work on the future Mrs. Farrar he did offer Jay a damn fine reason he no longer wished to share the stage with a fucktard of the highest order. I like to apply the Transitive Property when it comes to Jeff Tweedy and Wilco…If you are a Wilco fan then you love Tweedy, and if Jeff Tweedy is a complete fucking pussy for talking shit about his buddy to steal his girl, then all Wilco fans are complete fucking pussies. It’s simple math folks.

The following tracks are just a slice of the brilliance that was Uncle Tupelo. The first two are demo recordings while Farrar was still a teenager..which still blows me away that he can have such hard-earned wisdom and yet still so young. The final two are covers of Hank Williams and Bob Dylan. Please enjoy the music and wish AIV a speedy return to reclaim his blog.

Regards,
JacksonDavis

Before I Break - 1989 Not Forever Just For Now (demo)
I Got Drunk - 1987 Colorblind & Rhymelss (demo)
Weary Blues From Waiting - Live at Cicero’s
Maggie’s Farm - Live at Cicero’s

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Today’s guest blog comes from my sister in-law; Kasey. Both
of these bands are gonna be playing at the Deep Blues
Festival. I can not wait to see them. My room
reservations are made.
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Black Diamond Heavies and Left Lane Cruiser Show �
Washington , DC

Last week, at the recommendation/insistence of
NineBullets.net, I hauled my cookies out to a little
bar near Capitol Hill called The Red and The Black to
see Left Lane Cruiser and the Black Diamond Heavies.
I have to say that on a freezing cold Tuesday night I
wondered at one point why the hell I was hanging out
at a joint on H Street at 9:00. Let’s just say that
fleeting thought was erased as soon as I heard those
boys rip open one hellva show. I can’t even come up
with a comparison because both LLC and BDH give one of
the finest live shows I have ever seen. These are the
bands that make you remember why you go to live shows
at all.

LLC kicked my ass with with Big Momma, That Ass,
Skinny Woman, and a vicious cover of Muddy Waters’
Rollin’ & Tumblin’. As for BDH, I can’t remember the
last time I saw a band throw so much soul and sweat
into a performance. As my friend said, “That guy
sounds possessed and I love it!” Eardrums were
sacrificed over Shake My Tail, Smooth It Out, and No
One Knows What You’re Talkin’ About. But the absolute
highlight was Poor Brown Sugar. Perfect, perfect,
perfect.

Everyone describes great live shows as foot stomping,
which generally annoys me. But in this case there was
honest-to-god foot stomping by virtually the entire
crowd. Further evidence for my theory that anyone who
can sit still while LLC or BDH are playing has no
soul. So if LLC or BDH ever play in a town near you,
go see them…immediately.

Left Lane Cruiser - That Ass (live)
Left Lane Cruiser - Big Mamma

Black Diamond Heavies - Poor Brown Sugar
Black Diamond Heavies - White Bitch

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Here in Colorado things are great…there was about 8-12″ of powder on the hill. If my bed wasn’t trying to kill me at night things would be great. Today’s guest blog comes from Brad Kelley.
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Don�t get me wrong, I�ve listened to a fair amount of bluegrass in my time, but if you would have predicted that I would spend a great deal of time listening to contemporary bluegrass in the past year, I would have given you the look I am now reserving for anyone who predicts that I might be casting a vote for Mike Huckabee this coming November. Oh sure, I�ll go back every once in awhile and pull out a copy of the original Bill Monroe or Flatt and Scruggs recordings, but contemporary bluegrass just holds out nothing�new. If you make bluegrass new (and call it, of course, �new grass�), you get stuff like Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, or Jerry Douglas, and that stuff leaves me cold; that stuff stands to music as an advanced chemistry textbook stands to Faulkner–technically brilliant but not something you want to read again and again. And if you don�t make it new, well, why not just go and listen to the old recordings? That�s the Bluegrass Paradox.(Live bluegrass, I should add, is a different thing entirely. Go see it whenever you can; there are a huge number of incredibly talented bands out there, and the level of musicianship these days is quite high.)

So when my buddy Eddie said, about a year ago, �hey listen to this,� and put on a song by the contemporary bluegrass band the Earl Brothers, I planned to sit quietly until he got to something more to my liking. (Eddie always gets there; after all, he turned me on to DBT.) I was, from the first notes, just stunned by what I was hearing, and after now coming to know the whole Earl Brothers catalouge�a mere two albums–quite well over the last year, I�m still as blown away as I was then. They solve the Bluegrass Paradox, and I still don�t know how. There�s not a lick on here that is new in any way, and though they do mostly originals, having original material is typically NOT sufficient for solving the paradox. Still, it�s somehow different. I�ll let you decide for yourself how they manage it.

Don�t know much about them, and I�ll leave most of that for you to find out (though I just read in doing some research that one of the two songwriters in the group, who is also the high tenor, has left the band). They reside in California and don�t play typical bluegrass gigs, preferring to play rock clubs instead. Or so I�ve heard. What I do know is that the connection between bluegrass and Jesus, historically, is a strong one, but if you look to bluegrass gospel songs to get your Jesus fix, pick up any other bluegrass album and you�ll be fine. Just don�t try to get it with these guys. I don�t know what their personal beliefs are, but somehow a religious reference would be as out of place here as most bluegrass bands would be in rock clubs. These guys sing about, as their first (2004) album specifies in its title, Whiskey, Women and Death, and continue pretty much on those same themes in their second (2006) release, Troubles to Blame.

I kept thinking that cuts from the Earl Brothers would start showing up on music blogs and here at ninebullets without me, but it didn�t happen. So when Autopsy IV gave me this opportunity to do a guest post, I couldn�t think of anyone else who so epitomizes the themes and sensibilities of ninebullets as do the Earl Brothers. Thanks, Autopsy IV!

The Earl Brothers - Been Sittin’ Here Drinkin’
The Earl Brothers - Bender
The Earl Brothers - Hard Times and Heartbreaks

The Earl Brothers’ Official Site, The Earl Brothers on myspace, Buy The Earl Brothers music

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Well, here is the first of the guest blogs I’ll be posting this week while I relax here in chilly Colorado. Today’s guest blog comes from a ninebullets.net reader; Adam Fenwick. Enjoy.
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Ever heard a band that you just felt like you couldn�t put in just one music genre? How about five? That�s what comes to mind when I hear anything from Tater, a southern rock bluegrass honky-tonk country rockabilly head-banging group out of Shelby, NC. The bands 2007 live album Where The Metal Meets The Grass is a perfect example of what bluegrass can turn into when given the chance to grow outside of the box.

The band consists of several men with past musical success. Lead singer and guitar player Luke Edwards use to be the lead singer for progressive rock band �Animal Bag� whom released several albums on Mercury Records in the late 80�s and early 90�s, even nabbing a nomination for a Billboard Music Award. Roger Padgett, lead guitar player, is a former member of the groups Medicine Man, along with Tater�s drummer Kelly Hull, and Acoustic Syndicate. Bassist Phil Simmons rounds out this ragtag group of musicians who stretch every boundary thrown in front of them.

Of the 13 tracks on the album all but two are written by members of the band, the only tracks not written by the band being covers of the songs �John Hardy� and �Shady Grove.� The rest of the songs, on the other hand, have a distinctly heavy metal feel while still keeping that country/bluegrass sensibility. Songs like �20lb Test Of Love� and �Anatomy� not only impress with their lyrics but with the musicianship of the band as well.

While not exactly singed to a big label (they call Little King Records their home) the band is well on the verge of stepping into the limelight and hitting it big. All they need is that little push and they might just get there.

Tater - Anatomy
Tater - 20lbs. Test of Love
Tater - He’s Everywhere

Tater’s Official Site, Tater on myspace, Little King Records Official Site, The Acoustic Syndicate

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This guest blog is written by my friend Travis Morgan. He runs the record label NCC Records and is also in the band Black Meat. It was originally intended to be part of last weeks series of guest blogs but due to the scope of the article it was decided that he would finish it over the weekend and I’d post it on Monday. However, once I saw the depth of the article I decided to hold it till today so that it could sit on top for an entire weekend.

Enjoy.
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Guest Blog: Viva Knoxvegas:

Knoxville Tennessee has been referred to as �Austin without the hype” by alternative-music critic Ann Powers. It is the home to a variety of bands and musicians such as Flatt & Scruggs, Chet Atkins, Brian Bell (guitarist of weezer), and Superdrag.

Knoxville is the birthplace of cinematic manic Quentin Tarantino, and the final stop on the lost highway for honky tonk legend Hank Williams.

But beyond all of this, beyond all the blinding bright orange that�s draped across every other block of the city and all its residents, and just beyond the worlds fair park and its 340 ft. tall sunsphere, lies a new, well hidden, sour mash fueled batch of cultural significance and talent that only a town like Knoxville could create.

From bands like Divorce, Fistful of Crows, Dirty Knees, The Cheat, and Sadville, providing a spearhead of interesting blends of post punk, indie rock, psychedelic rock sleaze, and crushing metal that almost create an audio blueprint and soundtrack to the new foundation of counter culture that�s being built in the city.

To experimentalists like Wooden Wand, (aka James Jackson Toth), who is currently signed to Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth�s label Ecstatic Peace, fusing various styles of 60�s and 70�s psychedelic and folk, at times you can be reminded of Angels of Light or even Leonard Cohen, but WW never fails to put his own fingerprint on the sounds; and Double Muslims an act that blends elements of free form jazz with avant soundscapes and dashes of noise, and are already creating waves world wide in these respective scenes, seemingly out of nowhere.

Combined with artist co-ops; and businesses like Host Clothing, The Pilot Light, Wisk Hutzel records, and Laboratory Standard Recordings,

Knoxville is a breeding ground for a very infectious diy music and art outbreak.

I had the opportunity to speak with,

Mitchel Garza � Hometown Slackers Make Good / Divorce

Maggie Brannon � Dirty Knees / Divorce

Craig Kandel � Host

Read these interviews to find out more about them and what they do, as well as how they see the city of Knoxville and its music scene.

I�ve also included these mp3�s of interest:

big bad oven - luvin rubbin oven

divorce - black beard
divorce - self-medicated
divorce - sour cream

double muslims - errors
double muslims - twicebutonce

goddamn city - you in the front you are the devil

wooden wand - blood
wooden wand - future dream
wooden wand - invisible children

Hopefully, you�ll find this community and its projects as special as I have.

Travis Morgan

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I am really excited about today’s guest blog entry. It comes from my
friend and professional writer John Allman. Hope y’all enjoy it.

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UNKLE
WAR STORIES
(SURRENDER ALL)
FILE UNDER: Ambient electronica that rocks.

When was the last time you remember hearing a great song by The Cult?

It would likely be 1989 when, ?Sonic Temple, was released. Ian Astbury was *it* at the moment. His voice, propelled by Billy Duffy’?s guitar, commanded college playlists.

How odd then to hear not one, but two, stand-out Cult songs on a 2007 album not released by the band.

You can thank Unkle, the British trip-hop act, whose superior new album `War Stories’� spotlights not only Astbury but a handful of British and American vocalists that deserve to be heard.

Unkle, formed in the mid-1990s by James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy, has gone through many incarnations since its inception, but the music hasn’?t suffered.

In fact, on the new `War Stories’,� the band’?s third full release, Unkle blends electronica and AOR rock to near perfection.

The irony shouldn’?t be lost. This is, after all, one of the first bands signed to Mo’ ?Wax, the seminal U.K. label that helped put “?trip-hop”� in our lexicon. This is the band that once included DJ Shadow in its ranks and who routinely collaborates with 3D, aka Robert Del Naja, of Massive Attack.

Though Lavelle and Goldsworthy parted ways in 1995, Lavelle has continued by recruiting an ever-changing lineup of superior vocalists and musicians.

Nowhere is this more evident than `?War Stories’,� which boasts contributions by Astbury, 3D, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, British garage rock heroes The Duke Spirit, Los Angeles-based Autolux and guitarists Jeordie White, aka Twiggy Ramirez from the Spooky Kids, and David Catching, one-half of Homme’?s side project Eagles of Death Metal.

It’?s an A-list affair that does not disappoint. If anything, the album’?s solid arc is wholly refreshing in today’?s radio-ready-single market. There really isn’?t a throw-away track here.

The theme of the album, appropriately, is conflict. From physical fighting to spiritual combat to the betrayal many feel by their elected leaders, `?War Stories’� effectively conveys a time of upheaval and self-reflection.

One of the strongest tracks is ?Burn My Shadow, which features stellar vocal work by Astbury. It’?s a haunting song reminiscent of the Cult’?s 1985 release, Love.

The must-see video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsMGNwYDdg] adds a more literal interpretation of self-destruction or suicide.

But the lyrics hint at something deeper; “I burn my tomorrows/and I stand inside today/at the edge of the future/and my dreams all fade away”,? and given the album’?s title, they may convey the fading support and declining influence that both England and the United States have experienced because of the Iraq war.

Restless, the lone contribution by Homme, is a better song than anything off Queens of the Stone Age’?s current release, Era Vulgaris.

The Duke Spirit rev-up on ?May Day, which will make you long for more of vocalist Liela Moss’?s smokey rasp.

Another standout track ?Persons & Machinery, featuring Autolux is also one of the most pointed on the album. The lyrics could be referring to either U.S. President George Bush or Britain’?s former Prime Minister Tony Blair:

?We’re all getting so tired of you
The things you say
The things you do

Oh please just follow your great plan though
We’ve all had it
We’ve had it
We’ve had it with you.

Despite its political influences, this is the perfect after-hours chill album. It’?s never too aggressive, and would compliment a gathering either as a listening showcase or as a background soundtrack for good conversation and lots of libation.

Unkle - Burn My Shadow (feat. Ian Astbury)
Unkle - Restless (feat. Josh Homme)
Unkle - May Day (feat. The Duke Spirit)

For those seeking more Unkle, here are some great sites to explore:

Band and album info: http://unkle-war-stories.info/

Lyrics: http://www.alwaysontherun.net/unkle.htm

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Today’s guest blog comes from one of my fellow Lucero message board cohorts, Christopher Klibowitz. Remember how I said we are an awesome group of people on that message board? Well, this guy is the exception…….I’m kidding…He is the perfect example of the awesomeness over there…Anyhow, hope y’all enjoy it.

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I’ve been accused of a lot of things in my life, and being a music snob ranks on the top of that list. What can I say? Music is important to me, it’s part of the way I was raised. Shit, I’m named after the bassist from Yes, for Christ sake.

Growing up, my father instilled me with a couple things. First, how to treat a woman, and second, an appreciation for music. Alternatively, my mother taught me to know Milwaukee like the back of my hand, and also how to treat a lady. Needless to say, my parents are awesome people.

Music falls into 4 categories; Shite, good, great, and the best ever. So before you call me a snob, hear this; everyone has different lists for the 4 categories. EVERYONE. I respect that and all joking aside I take it seriously that I respect this. What makes a band fall into a category for everyone is different, and changes over time. People’s lists also rarely stay the same. Your favorite band from years ago might be shite now, and you might be late to the party and no longer think something is shite, but rather, the best ever. Shit happens. I ain’t gonna judge you.

So that being said, I don’t agree with Barry (Music Snob reference #1: the film High Fidelity) that it’s criminal not to own Blonde On Blonde, but if I’m telling you that it’s criminal that you don’t, then I’m basing it on your lists, or what I know of them. Every mix I’ve ever made for someone was either to learn their lists, or based on their lists.

Anyways, I’ll be simple here and bestow upon you a Top 5 list. A Top 5 what, you might ask? No idea, really. This is something I’d started writing months ago, long before life ran me over in the best ways, and thought it’d be perfect for this. So make it the Top 5 Band I Want to Write a Blog About.

1. Lucero

Hear/See them here

Lucero is a band that seems to find everyone exactly when they need Lucero to find them. Why? Because it’s pretty simple. Ben Nichols is a lyrical genius, that’s why. Ok, maybe that’s a little over the top, but their lyrics tell it like it is,. Yeah, getting dumped sucks. And drinking helps. Driving past her house, we’ve all done it. Everything he writes, guys can related to, somehow. Maybe not every song, but that one song man. And girls, shit, I think they just like to think he’s that fucking broken up over them. They can relate too, that maybe they wish their past loves were like that too.

Really, Lucero girls and Lucero boys are perfect for each other. All the girls want Ben, and all the guys ARE Ben.

And even if you can’t relate to the lyrics, which I find it hard to believe is true for anyone, then the music kicks ten kinds of ass, so there’s no excuse. You can say you don’t like them, but your time is a comin’.

2. Decibully.

“Tables Turn” MP3

There’s something inherently Milwaukee about bands from Milwaukee. I’ve listened to them across the world, and they never sound so good as they do driving down Fond du Lac Avenue. On the never ending list of Milwaukee bands, which would take too long to list and inevitably contain bands that share so many band members with each other it’s like a sick family tree, Decibully ranks the top to me.

The first time I saw them, was with a friend who was having a rough time of life. We went down to the Cactus on the pretense of their typical (mem. of Promise Ring/Camden) disclaimer to attract more people by throwing in extra names you may have heard of, because on whole, their calendar may as well be in a different language most months. When we saw all 9 or whatever of them on that little stage, back when they had a female backup singer for those keeping track, and they played like they feel it in every bone, as one entity instead of 9 different people, it simply made everything else seem small that night and while my friend’s problem didn’t magically disappear, he was too awestruck to care for an hour and a half, and sometimes that’s all you can ask for. Well, that and 3 pitchers of Riverwest Stein.

3. The Beatles

There’s no picture or songs/videos because I’m afraid of Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. If you need to hear them, ask your dad to borrow some.

You either love the Beatles or you love the Rolling Stones. Bullshit. Don’t even get me started. Besides, I like the Faces (Music Snob reference #2: Rod Stewart’s band that launched him to super stardom and eventually easy listening heaven) better than the Stones. There, I said it..

In the grand scheme of things, the only problem I see with the Beatles is that they didn’t beat Peter Gabriel to the name “Genesis” because to rock and roll, that’s the best name for them. Gabriel then could have used “The Band I’ll Turn Over to Phil Collins To Ruin In A Catchy 80’s Kind Of Way”.

The Beatles just paved the way. They are the influence for everything since, even if it was just “we want to not be the Beatles”.

4. The Hold Steady

“The Swish” MP3

Either you can get over the way Craig Finn “sings” or you can’t. You really wish you could. If you ever went to high school at least. He summed it up best when I saw them in Buffalo, NY:

“Our new album follows roughly the same formula as the first two; these guys play some kick ass rock n’ roll while I talk bullshit over the top.”

They are just good. The talk about the stupid things no one ever cares to talk about, and seriously NO ONE is more into playing live than they are. They wave their hands and sing along and bounce about like they are in the crowd. Go see them right now, if you never have.

On a sidenote; Great music, and bands, lead you to more. One of my other favorite bands of late, were a local opener for said Buffalo show. Handsome Jack just dropped a new album and it’s incredible. Obviously a group of kids who’s parents drowned in heavy doses of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy as children.

5. Skull Time (the band formerly known as Wolfbite.)

“Rest Easy” MP3

I’d like to preface that these guys knocked AC fucking DC off my list. AC/DC is still the greatest rock and roll band of all time, but these guys represent everything rock n’ roll needs right now. Enough said. Don’t listen to them if you like your face, because it’ll be rocked off. Born as a new project from old bands, these guys opened for messes of people and now get to headline the very same diveholes around town, inevitably on the same night as a Decibully show. Can we get some more volume on the monitors down here? If that’s not reason enough to check them out, then check out the lead singer’s answer to MKE when asked the strangest experience he’d ever had bartending:

“I was growing a moustache on a dare and wanted to do the Paul McCartney look. A guy sitting at the end of the bar for a while was getting belligerent. Finally, I had to tell him to leave because it was closing time. He snatched up his tip money and shouted, ‘F— you, you Paul McCartney-looking motherf—–!’ which was great, because that was exactly what I was going for.”

There you go. Hope that’s a couple bands you know and a couple you don’t, and what some dude on the internet has to say about them all. Until next time.

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Today’s guest blog comes from a friend of mine. Almost a year ago he also did a guest blog on Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter.

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Long been written off by many. PRONG is back with yet another album. Power Of The Damager ! Somehow Tommy, inbetween his stint with Danzig and Ministry, has found time to write another album. I admire Tommy for sticking it out and trying to keep it alive. He has always been in my top 5 “guitarist that will crush your face” list.

Hell most of you slept on the last album Scorpio Rising, and that album had alot of good tunes on it. I would imagine alot of folks will miss out on the new album also. There just no promotion behind it that Ive seen. I just happen to come across it while looking for shit to download. So let this be a download lesson kiddies. Sometimes it is a good thing.

Now for the songs. Much like the last album there are only a hand-full of what I would consider quality tunes. The rest are kinda just filler to me. And for you old school fans of Prong, gone are any elements of the industrial feel some of the older stuff had. The opener Looking for them gets the ball rolling. Tommy sounds a little angrier than usual and the guitars are still “in your face”. Pure Ether reminds me of some older Prong. Mainly due to Tommys vocal approach. By the time you get to The Banishment you start to remember why you were a Prong fan to begin with. Cant stop the bleeding pretty much is my favorite song on the album. I could see this one being played on the radio.
All in all I dont thing the run of the mill fan will be disappointed. Its just as good as anything else thats been released this year. Im going to include some Scorpio Rising tracks as well for those of you who slept through 2006.

From the new album Power of the Damager:

Cant Stop The Bleeding
Looking for them
The Banishment

From the album Scorpio Rising:

All Knowing Force
Reactive Mind