Kiss Me Goodbye demo

  Kiss Me Goodbye by KevinSFlee

Ok so I've been writing and recording with the Macbook given to me by Daniel @ Sargasso Music. It's an old tune reworked - pls comment and let me know what you think.

The new "Archie" Movie

Archie gets the update that it so desperately needs.

a rant retracted... for now.

ok - a few days ago I had a rant about glam rockers Black Veil Brides. I was put out by what i saw as another pretty boy band from LA that was plopped together to sell mediocre rock music to angry pre-pubescent kids who hate their parents and their school and all the people who don't want to be their friends. Perhaps it disturbed me that in the past i have dated girls that were not as pretty as Andy Six, perhaps I was channelling some kind of failed rock star angst at a group that is doing better than any band I've ever played in, perhaps, well - it could be any number of things...

Anyways. I stumbled upon an interview with Andy where he talks about the bands success and their general work ethic and I can to realise something... I actually agreed with him on a lot of the points and liked his outlook and work ethic. The dudes, although pretty and definitely not making music i would listen to, are actually doing some honest work with a relatively good intention.

It's not shocking, it's not breaking borders but what it is doing is providing a bridge for younger listeners to find new and more dynamic music. Hell - when I was 11 I thought Bon Jovi was the shit - look how wrong I was but if it wasn't for them and their saccarine sweet pop rock I would have never found GnR, then Metallica then GWAR.

So Andy Six and Black Veil Brides - I apologise. For now.

New Snoop Dogg is almost due.

Now I know hip hop and rap isn’t a lot of your favorite music but i have a soft spot for this dude.

Snoop Dogg’s 11th studio album, Doggumentary is set for international release on 28 March 2011 by Doggstyle/EMI.

In true Snoop fashion, he’s promoting it through the Get Wet Tour, taking it’s name from a track given to England’s Prince William as a bachelor party gift.

The album has a killer line up of artists performing on it, including funk all-star Bootsy Collins, country marijuana tokin' legend Willie Nelson, Gorillaz, R. Kelly, Kanye West and more.

No doubt he's going to come out and show all the other puppies how high he can pee (or is that how high is his pee?) and slap those fat rhythms on the dance floor booties.

Say what you like but he is a walking, smoking legend.

The new X-Men Anime

yes - it's in Japanese... but who cares?

Ramblin' J Bones album out soon!!!

For those that know me, you'll know I was a Bloody Agent for a few years. I just missed the recording of Watching and Waiting (which he finished just before I joined) and I moved to London just before he went into studio to record the new one.

I love J's songwriting and he's probably one of the smartest lyricists that i have had the pleasure of working with. If you havn't seen them live - MAKE IT SO!!!nand then when the album is released - go get yourself a copy and buy your family copies for birthdays and christmas' - they'll love you for it.

Can't wait to hear it in it's entirety.

The Urban Voodoo Machine's Orphan's Lament

More musicians in make up. This time I will not complain (or whine).

something is missing in Rock n Roll for me.

I was never really a huge fan of Bowie, WASP or any band that wore vaguely effeminate makeup but apparently these days i seem to be standing alone.  Black Veil Brides has been dubbed "the next big thing" by a lot of the rock media.

It seems to be filled with more rock cliches than friday night at The Doors or am i just so out of the target genre that i've become blind to rock's true purpose? Rebellion. That doesn't mean wearing girls clothes or taking the piss out of Christians. This is all old news. Even my beloved GWAR is slowly becoming a parody of itself.

Ag Huey Lewis said so well about 30 years ago - I want a new drug, one that won't make me sick.

Markus Stockhausen duo

Find me on Twitter...

ok - so i'm making the effort not only to blog more this year but to actually use my twitter account a little more...

Here is the link -  LINK

THE GREEN EYE OF THE LITTLE YELLOW GOD

THE GREEN EYE OF THE LITTLE YELLOW GOD
by
J. Milton Hayes

There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the north of Khatmandu,
There's a little marble cross below the town;
There's a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew,
And the Yellow God forever gazes down.

He was known as "Mad Carew" by the subs at Khatmandu,
He was hotter than they felt inclined to tell;
But for all his foolish pranks, he was worshipped in the ranks,
And the Colonel's daughter smiled on him as well.

He had loved her all along, with a passion of the strong,
The fact that she loved him was plain to all.
She was nearly twenty-one and arrangements had begun
To celebrate her birthday with a ball.

He wrote to ask what present she would like from Mad Carew;
They met next day as he dismissed a squad;
And jestingly she told him then that nothing else would do
But the green eye of the little Yellow God.

On the night before the dance, Mad Carew seemed in a trance,
And they chaffed him as they puffed at their cigars:
But for once he failed to smile, and he sat alone awhile,
Then went out into the night beneath the stars.

He returned before the dawn, with his shirt and tunic torn,
And a gash across his temple dripping red;
He was patched up right away, and he slept through all the day,
And the Colonel's daughter watched beside his bed.

He woke at last and asked if they could send his tunic through;
She brought it, and he thanked her with a nod;
He bade her search the pocket saying "That's from Mad Carew,"
And she found the little green eye of the god.

She upbraided poor Carew in the way that women do,
Though both her eyes were strangely hot and wet;
But she wouldn't take the stone and Mad Carew was left alone
With the jewel that he'd chanced his life to get.

When the ball was at its height, on that still and tropic night,
She thought of him and hurried to his room;
As she crossed the barrack square she could hear the dreamy air
Of a waltz tune softly stealing thro' the gloom.

His door was open wide, with silver moonlight shining through;
The place was wet and slipp'ry where she trod;
An ugly knife lay buried in the heart of Mad Carew,
'Twas the "Vengeance of the Little Yellow God."

There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the north of Khatmandu,
There's a little marble cross below the town;
There's a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew,
And the Yellow God forever gazes down.

Karen Carpenter - Badass Drummer

More commonly associated with eating disorders, suicide and an awesome singing voice, the late person I expected to discover was a virtuoso drummer was Karen Carpenter.

I don't like it

Now i realise that in the modern era of multi platformed entertainment and the fact that i live in the art and culture navel of the world i shouldn’t get excited about sport. But I am.

The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup is here and that means one thing in my life ... SLOTH. It’s not that i was even the biggest cricket player in school or that I even keeps tabs on the personalities outside this tournament but WCC gives me a valid excuse for mooching in front of the telly and being a couch jock.

I have no intention of keeping tabs or writing about it either except for this short entry as i lay in bed watching Sri Lanka pound a brave Canada into submission. Love it or hate it, it’s here.... and I love it.

Gig Review Rob Zombie - Brixton Academy 16/02/11

Opening act Revoker are kinda funny. They are a hodge podgy of rock n roll cliches and seem to be more interested in getting the crowd "up" than actually staying in time with the drummer (who i would like to add was pretty damn tight). Between the power stances, Les Pauls and well practiced hair flicks the music seems to fade.

Skindred in comparison where almost faultless. From what i had heard i was not expecting much of them but frontman Benji Webb delivered  noteworthy performance in front of a highly receptive audience. They're defiantly worth of headlining their own big shows and even without the trappings of a fancy light show or a single poof from a smoke machine, they manage to deliver an awesome performance.

It's been 11 years since El Beasto graced the shores of England for a performance so naturally the expectations were running high. The band alone was enough to drool over with Slipknot's Joey Jordinson on drums and ex-Manson axe man John 5 bringing the sonic splendour. New addition, bassist Piggy, was unknown to me at the time but definatly left an impression.

I'm well aware of RZ's love of the Alice Cooper show and the rumours of the pryo and monsters that have been shipped here have been spreading for weeks but nothing, oh no nothing, could have prepared me for the heart racing ecstasy that consumed me during the opening number - Jesus Frankenstein.

Flashing lights, fire, beach balls, dancing robots, bubbles, flashing screens, sexy imagery  were all pulled out of the magician's hat. It was such a tour da force of alternative entertainment that it even left El Super Beasto a little short of breath… They delivered all the classics and some more. From Dragula to Pussy Liqueur to the awesome Thunderkiss '65 they were all there - i couldn't think of anything they missed.

Rob Zombie is a showman. A snake oil salesman second to none. His show was a celebration of everything that he stands for. B Grade horror done with A Grade budget. I salute you Sir - it was AWESOME!!!

Classic Album Review :: Slayer - Reign in Blood

If ever there was an album to do very fast very violent things to it has to be Reign in Blood. It's 28 minutes of pure thrash metal, not slowing down for a second to catch it's fire breath. Guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King's tore de force rides out like a bezerker Paginini. Kudos must also got to producer Rick Rubin who - one again - delivers a masterpiece.

From classics like "Angel of Death" to "Reigning Blood" you can't deny this is one of the most powerful albums made to date. It scores a 666.

Home made Coca Cola anyone?

Experts have been puzzling over Coca-Cola’s closely guarded blend of flavors for years. But the folks at This American Life have stumbled upon a 1979 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article that revealed the soft drink’s original, 1886 recipe.

The formula goes something like this: coca extract, citric acid, lime juice, vanilla, caramel, caffeine, sugar, water — and “7x.” Which sounds scary, but don’t worry: it’s not rocket fuel or baby spit. It’s actually a fairly tame concoction featuring many items you may keep in your home spice cabinet: orange oil, alcohol, nutmeg oil, lemon oil, coriander, neroli, and cinnamon.

Now, let the homemade Coke copies begin.

Honey bee honey bee - where fore art thee?

ok - just a thought:

1/3 of global farm output depends on animal pollination - mostly honey bees. These foods are the providers of 35% of out minerals, vitamins and and the other stuff that you need to survive.

The thing is - the bees are dying or being killed.

Just check the news reports for these natural phenomena. It could be a virus, a parasite or some kind of pesticide but the ultimate outcome is that the population of bees is falling at an alarming rate.

There may just be a food revolution around the corner… just saying.

It's FRIDAY!!!

How to suck on guitar, my 12 step program...

By Herman Le Roux of JUGGERNAUGHT!!!

1. Crank the distortion, if you ever see a gain knob turn it up all the way!!

2. Multi-effects processors are sweet dude!! Don't waste your money buying expensive stomp units, get yourself a multi-effects unit like the Boss GT-10, they really sound like the real thing, fuck yea, the effects are really awesome as well man!!

3. Effects rule! Reverb? Up to 10 please, phaser? yep, its the coolest sound in the world!! Wah? Every single note you play needs to be wah'd. Bass needs to be turned up all the way!!

4. You only ever need to know the minor pentatonic scale, it's the only scale in existence, don't ever try to add notes or move it to get the modal thing, just play the scale up and down as fast as you can and all the 16 year old kids would think you are a guitar god. 

5. PLAY FAST! Speed is everything!! Youre playing a ballad? No prob, shred it!! You don't have to worry about timing or getting the songs tight or nothing, just think "what would Herman Lee do?" Sweep picking and tapping is awesome as well man!!

6. Practice is for geeky loser types.

7. Music theory cramps your personal style. Knowing music theory won't help you at all, in fact you have your own personal style and knowing theory will just make you sound like everyone else. It doesn't give you any new options or anything, in fact, it gives you limitations.

8. Amplifiers have nothing to do with your tone, you could literally just plug your guitar into your pc and guitar rig will sort it out for you. If you need to play live, get yourself one of those line 6 jobbies with all the sweet effects built in, those things sound phat yo!!

9. Be superior, you are the best guitarist in the world, don't let anyone tell you otherwise! If anyone offers advice, take it as an insult, who are they to talk to you anyways? Didn't they just see you sweep the hell out of hotel california?

10. Brand is everything, if it doesn't say Gibson on it, it sounds shit and you are poor.

11. Remember, it is not about playing for the song, it's about being louder than everyone else in the band, to impress the chicks. While youre at it, get the band as loud as possible, then get your level above the rest.

12. Your guitar is tuned just fine, if not, tune it on stage, by ear and take a long time to do it, let everyone hear you tune but never really get it right. As they say, it's close enough.

If you follow these steps I am confindent that you will become a sucky guitarist in no time!!

The Wisdom of Jack Nicholson

On aging gracefully:
“I’m definitely still wild at heart. But I’ve struck bio-gravity. I can’t hit on women in public any more. I didn’t decide this; it just doesn’t feel right at my age.”

On men’s priorities:
“If men are honest, everything they do and everywhere they go is for a chance to see women.”

On being treated like Hollywood royalty:
“I hate it. I don’t want to be treated like the Medusa or the Lincoln Memorial. People have an idea of me which is not the reality. On set I’m an actor like every other actor. Most times, for every part I play, I can think of other actors who would be better.”

On partying smart:
“I always looked after myself. I’ve woken up in trees, I’ve woken up almost hanging off cliffs, but I’ve always known how to sort myself out.

Keith [Richards] would stay up seven nights in a row. I stayed up late, but I slept in late, too. I always believed in taking care of myself. There was always a discipline within my partying structure.”

On plastic surgery:
“I haven’t had surgery. I don’t want to be judgemental, but some of the things you see these days in Hollywood are a bit horrifying. I mean, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I don’t want to scare people.”

On wrinkles:
“I’m not worried about wrinkles, in myself or in women. I find them interesting.”

On legalizing pot:
“I don’t tend to say this publicly, but we can see it’s a curative thing. The narcotics industry is also enormous. It funds terrorism and — this is a huge problem in America — fuels the foreign gangs. More than 85 per cent of men incarcerated in America are on drug-related offences. It costs $40,000 a year for every prisoner. If they were really serious about the economy there would be a sensible discussion about legalisation.”

On materialism:
“I’m totally solid with the ‘truth is beauty/beauty is truth’ idea. But if I’m around it too long I start to feel trapped in this material world. I think I mustn’t get owned by my possessions, I mustn’t fall prey to materialism. Sometimes I think, ‘Hell, I’m going to burn them all.’”

On learning the truth about love:
“I’ve been in love in my life, but it always starts with obsession that lasts exactly 18 months and then it changes. If I’d known and been prepared for that, I may have been able to orchestrate the whole relationship thing better.”

On mortality:
“One of the toughest parts of ageing is losing your friends. At first it starts quietly, then pretty soon it’s every month, and you can’t help but think, ‘When is that bell going to go off for me?’ And on top of that you feel this constant loss. At this time of life, you feel just a sword’s point from death. It’s frightening — who wants to face God and the clear white light? I know I definitely don’t. Yet.”

William Shatner's new album feat. Zakk Wylde

Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde is set to appear on William Shatner's forthcoming album.

Wylde is contributing guitar parts to Shatner's cover of Black Sabbath's 1970 classic Iron Man, which will be included on the Star Trek legend's follow-up to 2004's Has Been.

William Shatner's new album Seeking Major Tom will be released later this year. Check out footage of Shatner and Wylde in the studio working on the track.

Mark Mulligan on the Digital Music Impasse

If you missed Mark Mulligan’s blog on why digital music isn’t working and what we can do about it read a summary here or watch his Midem presentation below. Some key points include:

* consumer demand has already outpaced product evolution, again

* experience has replaced content as king, and is the product

* future music products need to be social, participative, accessible, relevant and connected (SPARC)

* music products must harness disruption quickly enough to prevent another massive chunk of the marketplace disappearing for good

a little metal...