1. Midwest Music Explosion
2. Madonna
3. The Darkness
4. Sevendust
5. Flyleaf
6. Five Iron Frenzy
7. Calico System
8. F (as in Frank)
9.Sputterdoll
10. Low Twelve
Interviews with: Psycotron, Nerve Damage
and She’s the Car
Here is the year in review…so far. I know there are plenty of new releases to
check out, but I wanted to bring these efforts back to your attention. 2006 has
been very good to us this year as far as new music goes, so why not celebrate it
a little.
A full fledged ‘new’ issue awaits you in weeks to come, but until then lets
take a look back and also take a glance at some new releases as well.
As an added note I have a great announcement to make. (insert drum roll here)
Col. Lump has been found! I was hiking through the woods of Northern Montana
last week and found him. He had been abducted by elk and was being trained to
become a mean berry hunter. Luckily, I had my tranquilizer gun with me and was
able to shoot him in his… neck, and drag him back to my camp. The next morning
we scrambled back into civilization and caught a flight back home. Now we are
fortunate enough to partake in the wit and charm that only Lump can bring to the
table. Welcome back Col. Lump sir, we sure did miss you!
David Gilmour has released his first solo effort
in over 18 years and I think this is his best. I do
have to say that I haven’t spent a lot of time
listening to his work outside of Pink Floyd, but in
my opinion he is one of the best guitarists in the
history of music. When it comes to placing a guitar
solo in a piece of music, Gilmour is almost
unmatched. He truly has a talent for letting his
music speak for him and engages listeners with
various moods and settings.
Mudhoney is back and they have returned as good
if not better than their finest hour. “Under A
Billion Suns”, makes album number nine for this
Seattle band who has seen the ups and downs of an
exploding local music scene. They ventured into the
major music scene for a spell, but now they have
returned to Sub Pop and have brought an impressive
disc with them. “Where is the Future”, “A Brief
Celebration of Indifference”, “Let’s Drop In”, and
“On The Move” rank in as some of the best Mudhoney
songs ever. In fact, this disc could be the best one
the band has released since their debut, “Mudhoney”
or their collection of singles and b-sides, “Super
Fuzz Big Muff” If you are into thick and dirty
guitars and rock music how it is meant to be then
get this CD now.
Payable on Death have taken a while to figure out
what they want to do before releasing Testify,
and the result seems like a well thought out
process. After the groups original guitarist Marcos
left, the remaining members enlisted ex-Living
Sacrifice guitarist, Jason Truby and ventured on.
The result was a lackluster effort in comparisons to
the bands previous Atlantic releases. While their
self titled release Payable on Death contains
some great songs and the charisma of the group as a
whole, it seemed to be missing something to
listeners and record buyers worldwide. I can’t
really put my finger on what was the overlooked
ingredient, but the guys from P.O.D. have found it
and wisely inserted it in Testify.
Hank III
Straight to Hell (Parental Advisory)
2006 Bruc Records
While I am not a big fan of Country music or
Country music artists, I have always had an
admiration and respect for the grandson of
Old-Country icon Hank Williams. I didn’t care a lot
for Jr., but Hank Williams III has what it takes
when it comes to pleasing crowds and music lovers.
Straight to Hell, is chocked full of solid
tracks penned by this underappreciated musical
great. From beginning to end Hank III grabs you and
convincingly encourages you take notice to what real
country music should be and not what Nashville has
been selling you in Garth Brooks or Shania Twain
CDs.
Kudos to Hank III for sticking his foot in the
rear of the Nashville scene, and hopefully the
buying public will start doing the same. Get this CD
and burn your Toby Keith collection NOW!
The Sounds
Dying to Say This to You
2006 Scratchie/ New Line Records
This CD is full of all those catchy things that
you probably won’t admit that you like. I for one am
not a big fan of the new ‘New Wave’ movement, but
The Sounds have gotten my attention. The vocals are
what set this group far above the rest of the new
style synth-pop bands out today. With amazing and
memorable harmonies painting a beautiful picture
over the catchy and poppy music, Dying to Say
This to You will get your attention and keep it.
This album truly kicks! It’s like mixing The
Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The White Stripes into
one big burrito and serving it up with some rock
salad. You probably have heard the combination of
the group by now… if not I’ll leave it to you to
find out. “Steady As She Goes”, is the first single
and a very memorable song. Other songs worth noting
include, “Blue Veins”, “Yellow Sun” and the title
track. I have doubts that this group would continue
to release albums, but I hope that they do. Check it
out, it’s well worth the listen. Now let’s just hope
that corporate radio doesn’t run this group into the
ground!
From first glance, Matisyahu, looks like
something you might skip over in the record store.
From first listen, Matisyahu, is an artist whose
songs will get stuck in your head. The title track,
“Youth” has been getting tons of airplay on radio
and the tour is playing to sold out shows at
practically every stop. So, chances are, you’ve
already heard about or heard this CD. Matisyahu’s
lyrics are more on a spiritual level while his music
is straight-up reggae.
Wolfmother has some serious rock going on. You
could jokingly call them Black Zeppelin or something
like that. These guys have a sound straight out of
the 70’s and it is undoubtedly working for them.
This whole effort is packed full of astounding
songs. Check them out if you are into 70’s music
like James Gang, Black Sabbath, or Led Zeppelin...
AFI is back after jumping into
Americas living rooms with their
Interscope debut Sing The Sorrow
and they are proving that they are one
of the better bands breaking out today.
Full of the energy that older fans
remember and sullied with the charisma
that embedded them into the hearts and
souls of the youth of today.
Zao
The
Fear Is What Keeps Us Here
2006
Ferret Records
Like it or not ZAO is one of the most
influential bands in the world of newer
hard metal bands. These guys are on top
of their game again and should gain more
fans and respect with the world of heavy
music lovers. Having world renowned
producer Steve Albini has helped in a
huge way.
So this is what fans of Faith No More
and Mr. Bungle have been waiting years
for huh? Well, sorry kids, it wasn’t
worth the wait. If you are a fan on Mike
Patton and his style you will like it,
but if you are looking for something
that will stay in your stereo for days
at a time then keep looking. I say just
reform Mr. Bungle and conquer the world.
A Lot Like You Were
A Treatise On the New Neil
By Col. Lump
Is “good protest song” an oxymoron? This is a
question visited by my fellow flakey musician friends
when discussing the qualities of grizzled old fossil
Neil Young’s new anti-war release After The Garden.
I must confess that I haven’t actually heard
After The Garden. I am a part-time Neil Young fan, I
listen to Tonight’s The Night , Zuma, and
Ragged Glory on a consistent time schedule.
Certain selections of his work with Buffalo Springfield
like “Mr. Soul” are unappreciated 3-minute masterpieces.
The reasons I like Neil Young are that he continues
to change his music in a Sisyphusian quest to evolve,
and at his best he is brutally honest. There is no one
quintessential Neil Young album.
Honesty is the most important factor to consider when
debating the merits of a protest song. What is it about
the issue that has the artist pissed off? Is the issue
unpopular not only to the artist’s audience, but also
among a majority segment of the public? Is the artist
speaking from personal experience?
The late 60’s peace and screw generation is revered
for their vocal opposition to the Vietnam War. Some old
hippy farts have even argued that their music
single-handedly stopped the war. What is almost never
mentioned in these discussions is the fact that by the
time so called protest anthems like “I’d Love To Change
The World” and Young’s own “Ohio” were released, the
Vietnam War was on the wane and the “Hippy Movement” was
deeply engrained into the popular conscious. These songs
were commercially successful and resulted in a financial
windfall that ushered in the “Arena Rock” era when the
former political activist pop stars could snort coke off
strippers through $100 bills right next to The Man.
Fast forward to 2006. Modern rock albums like Green
Day’s American Idiot have placed the Bush
Administration and the Iraq War in an unfavorable light.
But the message fell on the deaf ears of greasy faced
pre-pubescent girls who just wanted to marry Billy Joe
Armstrong.
Teen idol status was never Grandpa Neil’s forte. Poor
guy resembles that life-sized Neanderthal Man poster
hanging in Ms. Miller’s 6th grade biology
classroom. The airwaves are not filled with modern
popular music bequeathing unpopular politics. It’s still
a better investment to write a song about your
girlfriend’s fine ass.
So why would Neil Young write a new bunch of protest
songs?
Simply because that’s what is on his mind right now.
All those talking head pundits on both sides of the
issue are going to be sorely disappointed a couple of
months from now when Young rolls out some new numbers on
a totally different subject like the advantages of
flossing versus waterpics.
Still, the original question presented remains
unanswered. Is there such a thing as a good protest
song?
Yes. And the man and his music will be subject of my
next overblown, windy manifesto. His name is James
McMurtry.
Col. Lump is a lazy fart knocker. When able, he plays
drums for the sometimes political, always noisy
Richard’s Nixon. Alas, they spent all their website
money on beer and bass strings.
To be considered for The Underground Spotlight
send an email and contact info to
theaudionut@nutzworld.net
The Underground Spotlight will make a triumphant return in the next issue.
Until then I have something to say about Reality TV…
I want to know what you think about Rock N Roll as Reality TV. For the person
with the best comment or reply on the message board there is a pretty cool prize
package that will be sent your way. Just click here --à
You might be one of those people who just love reality TV. I myself am not
one of those people. I do however on occasion find myself engrossed in some
life-like situation that is being portrayed by real people who are dealing with
alleged real circumstances. I guess it is only human nature to wonder what is
going on in someone else’s lives. That is why reality shows are so popular I
think. They deal with the human condition to some extent and we are of course,
naturally intrigued.
I remember watching American Idol with a friend of mine during it’s inaugural
season. He was practically in love with Kelly Clarkson, so you can imagine how
ecstatic he was when she ‘won’ American Idol. Luckily for me that was the end of
the hoopla and I haven’t had to watch a single show since then.
Last year, I found myself watching INXS/Rock Star from time to time. I was
interested in the concept of all these singers vying for a shot to be the singer
for a world famous band who was eagerly looking for a bounce back shot at
success. I got bored with the show and would only watch every so often. By the
end of the season I had missed the last few episodes.
Now we look at this year. I have found myself watching this VH1 show called
Super Group. It has Ted Nugent, Sebastian Bach (ex-singer of Skid Row), Scott
Ian (guitarist for Anthrax), Evan Seinfeld (bass and vocals from the now defunct
Biohazard) and last, but not least Jason Bonham (son of legendary and late Led
Zeppelin drummer John Bonham).
At first glance I could already see what VH1 was hoping to accomplish… get
all these “rock stars” together, disguise it as an attempt to create some
magnificent rock band, and just watch egos eat people alive. For the most part
that hasn’t been the case, unless of course we count the antics of Bach and his
‘character’ for the show.
Now with the season almost over I have once again found myself losing
interest and don’t know if I’m going to be able to finish what I’ve started. And
to top that off, Rock Star/Supernova is about to begin where people are
attempting to become the singer for Tommy Lee’s new band (drummer from Motley
Crue). Lee has recruited Jason Newstead (ex-bassist for Metallica) and Gilby
Clarke (one time member of Guns N Roses). I just have a feeling that I might
watch a show or three of this series and then call it quits too.
I guess what I want to say… or better yet, want to know is what do you think
about these Rock N Reality shows as I like to call them. I for one am not sure
what I even think of them. Tell us what you think
Q. Who are you and what do you
do in the band?
A. Todd Morrison - Drums & Vocals
Dave guitars and vox
Jimmy St.Yves; bass and vocals
Q. How did you decide on the name Grindscape?
A.TM- I think just the ring of raw brutality... Dave?
DP we had a list of about 50 and a friend just threw it out, and it fit
better than the rest so we stuck with it, put your own meaning to it.
JS yeah what Todd said.
Q. When you guys write songs, do you come up with some riffs and then pen lyrics
to them or do one of you come in with some words and then write a song around
the lyrics?
A.TM- Mostly music 1st.
JS yeah what Todd said.
Q. You guys just came back from a short little tour. How did that go and are
there any plans for more shows and tours in the immediate future?
A. TM- It was amazing! & Yes, we're going to the East Coast for a couple of
weeks in July.
DP yeah regular life sucks, I wanna go back out.
JS It’s gonna be lovely
Q. If you could be anyone in world history who would you be? Why?
A.TM- Just me, I have a wonderful son &... I can scream and do a blast-beat at
the same time. What more could a guy want?
DP Tesla he had a huge brain.
JS Ron Jeremy cause he has a huge............! and mine is little.
Q. What are you guys listening to these days?
A. TM- Elucidarius, Death, Mr. Bungle, Downpression, Jethro Tull.
DP Classic Rock like zeppelin and Floyd mostly.
JS a lot of Dog Fashion Disco and Classic rock as well.
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Grindscape?
A. TM- We accept tips and free drinks! Buy our stuff were destitute!!
Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
A. Me llamo Chris, y toco la guitarra.
Q. How did the name All Grown Up come about?
A. Sean came up with it when AGU was a new side project, an offshoot of our
current ska band, called The Insecurities. It fit well during that whole new emo
era, and it was/is a pretty cool name, except that now we really are all grown
up at ages 22-23...so that kinda sux. haha! Anyways, we toyed around with the
idea of taking on a new name a few times but we always end up agreeing that its
too late to change it. Besides, its something catchy that you don't forget.
Q. What are some of your goals for the band in 2006 and beyond?
A. Although every band always says it and its trite as all hell, we really do
have a ton of new material that far surpasses anything you've heard from us yet.
We've been playing these jams live and refining them as we go along. The
question is if we should stop at an EP or go balls-out and record a whole
full-length....and which people we want to work with....decisions decisions. We
took our time and finished college and did things right over the last 5 years
and now its finally our time to show the world what we have to offer as a truly
timeless band...tour opportunities are around the corner and a quality release
will be out by year-end...those are our goals. We want label support so we can
make this our lives and have people around the world enjoy our music too, not
just Long Islanders.
Q. Who would you say is one of your biggest influences both musically and
non-musical?
A. Counterfit. They broke up but everyone should go check them out, because they
brought something very different to the table that will hopefully have a ripple
effect in many mathy-rock bands to come...even though they ended way before
their time and never really got the credit they deserved. Do yourself a favor
and scope their stuff and new music projects at
http://www.myspace.com/Counterfit
AGU still bumps this CD on the reg. It never really seems to get old, but
instead ages like a fine wine.
Q. If you could be anyone in world history who would you be? Why?
A. Probably Tom from myspace, because he has the most friends in the whole wide
world!!! And he's in everyone's top 8...omg, what I would give!!!! Ok seriously,
sh*t...this is a hard one...ahhh, I would be me. There. Sorry to be a cop-out, I
know everyone usually has good deep answers for these kinda questions, but I'm
just an unoriginal bastard.
Q. What are you listening to these days?
A. Emery, Chiodos, The Receiving End of Sirens, The Sleeping and Taking Back
Sunday (both our boys from Long Island), Saosin, and two promising new releases
from up-and-coming LI bands and close friends Double Header and The Gun Stays.
Kubiac is another LI band to keep your eye out for...they have a sh*tload of
talent and should be turning heads soon enough. Sorry for the shameless plugs,
but we're always lookin out for our bros. ;)
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about AGU?
A. We play aggressive indie rock with an edge. We love late nights, our friends
and fams, loud music, and life. We're honest, up for anything, and want you to
listen to our music. Please come to a live show and marvel at our singer's
height (7-feet-tall), our bass player Kevin's dance moves, and our drummer Rob's
muscles if we're playing near you. :) We have a lot to offer that you wont
forget. Thanx for stopping by and we hope you enjoyed the read. You can stay in
touch and find out about the latest news and shows at
http://www.myspace.com/allgrownup
or
http://www.purevolume.com/allgrownup
NOTE: Check out the review for the All Grown Up CD in
Featured Website:
http://www.myspace.com/theaudionut
yes it is a shameless plug for my silly little myspace page… I mean everyone is
doing it right? Anyway, if you are a myspacer, feel free to add me or shoot me a
message. You can find out about my online radio shows and also keep up to date
with what is going on with The Audio Nut.
Parental Advisory Note:
Artists and/or their record companies place Parental
Advisory and Explicit Lyrics stickers on the recordings.
I will note it next to the title of the recording when
it is posted on the recording or album artwork its self.
Some of the recordings received by The Audio Nut are not
in the original packaging and therefore may not include
the Parental Advisory warning next to the title. Please
take this into consideration when purchasing a disc that
has been reviewed on this page.
Disclaimer:
The opinions stated above are that of J Sohn and The
Audio Nut. They are not the opinions of NutzWorld,
EntertainmentNutz or any of the above listed
bands/artists; their record labels or associates unless
other wise noted. J Sohn, The Audio Nut, NutzWorld and
EntertainmentNutz are not responsible in any way for the
actions or business practices of the above listed
bands/artists etc.
