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10/30/10

PHOTOS: MOTORCITY SPECIAL 3 @ NORTHERN LIGHTS LOUNGE



Motorcity Special #3 was badass!

With 3 bands from The School of Rock opening the show and another 4 detroit acts to follow the Northern Lights Lounge was packed the whole night.

The High Strung destroyed with a very tight set and HAFLIFE followed with the brand of detroit tunes they are known for - fun ass bouncing shit

Troy Gregory and his crew with very special motorcity guests really wowed the crowd and the Meltdowns finalized the MCS3 with a bang.

Vinyl and vouchers were flying off the rack and we are ready for the next rendition of Motorcity Special #4 at Small's in Hamtramck on Sat Feb 12th 2010

Thanks for supporting dietroit music!!

www.MotorcitySpecial.com

10/28/10

Gary Numan @ Crofoot + Q&A by DC-in-Detroit

DC is a long-time contributor to the MCB. 
She can be reached at DC.in.Detroit [at] gmail.com


Gary Numan
The Pleasure Principle 30th Anniversary Tour
Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac, Michigan
25 October 2010

Monday night, Gary Numan (and his new army) hit the Crofoot stage to thrill the old-schoolers with a full performance of the genre-changing "The Pleasure Principle." I had spoken to at least four people for whom this was the very first album they ever bought, just like it was for me, but I still had a momentary concern that the crowd would be the type who were there for just one song. And yeah, they did come to life at the first keystroke for "Cars." But at 11 on the dot, the keyboards were whisked away, the band donned their guitars, we fast-forwarded 20 years, and the crowd went nuts.

As much as this was the show that the little girl me would have wanted to see, I'm glad I saw it now, when I could appreciate the progression in Numan's music. And really, just hearing him perform the original arrangement for "Metal" made me giddy like a kid, so that little girl was still there, too.

MCB was working to spend a few minutes with Numan on the tour, but that wasn't destined to be. As a consolation -- and a pretty awesome one -- he answered a handful of questions for me via email; questions that had been rattling around in my head for the longest time.





DC: Who is the audience for the 30th anniversary tour, compared to the first Pleasure Principle tour?

GN: It seems to be a fair number of people who were there the first time around, but surprisingly even more people that were too young to see it when it was first toured. People that weren't even born when the album was first released. That is the thing I find the most surprising about this tour, the album seems to have as much relevance to a new generation of people as it did to those that bought it in 1980. It's a very welcome surprise

How do U.S. audiences compare to your home countrymen or audiences worldwide?

I have always enjoyed the way American audiences react. To be perfectly honest, there is not a great deal of difference between the way U.S. and U.K. fans react, but if I had to choose, I would say that Americans are just that bit more outgoing and demonstrative. I'm more than happy to play in either country though as they are both great crowds to play to.

Who would you like to see coming out for this tour?

It's working out perfectly as it is. To be able to draw people across generations is quite a cool thing.

Has music always been the career you wanted, or did you have other career plans?

I either wanted to be an airline pilot, a rock star or a race car driver. The musical interest seemed the most logical to go for as funding a racing car career seemed very difficult and airline pilots didn't seem to have quite the excitement that rock stars have.

I know you're an avid pilot. Space tourism seems nearly on the horizon: Are you in? Would you go?

I would. Not too sure about the Virgin machine though. I just flew home in one of their 747s and it was a big bucket of rattling nuts and bolts. Seat was broken, TV didn't work. It was not a good advert for launching yourself into space.

The kids who grew up listening to your music are now running the ad agencies. I've heard A Flock of Seagulls, New Order, even Iggy Pop in television commercials, but not Gary Numan. Have you been approached? Would you be agreeable to your music being used in advertising?

Yes, definitely. I have actually been used quite a lot in commercials, though the most recent being the Die Hard battery commercial. I've been used in beer ads, car ads, film trailers, fashion ads, chocolate bars, pretty much everything at one time or another.

"Are 'Friends' Electric?" remains, to this day, a sort of personal theme song. From its origin as a personal tale of disappointment, as I understand, "Friends" became a phenomenon, having been covered now about a million times. Why do you think this song speaks so strongly to so many people and artists across genres and time?

In the U.K., it was the first ever #1 electronic single, so I think that has a lot to do with it as it introduced electronic music to the mass market. For a lot of musicians, it was the song that introduced them to electronic music, so I think for many of them it holds a fairly important place in the heart.

Much has been said about the "robotic" character of The Pleasure Principle, along with the themes of alienation and otherness. I have two close family members with Aspergers Syndrome, and from that perspective, I think I've always understood the confusion and sadness inherent in that type of isolation, which is a theme that lurks through many of your songs. Has your awareness of the condition affected your art in the intervening time?

Not the songwriting process. I don't think so anyway. Being aware of it is very helpful in finding little ways of dealing with it, being able to spot the signs and so back off. I think it's different for everyone that's got it though. In many respects, having Aspergers is actually quite useful when it comes to having a career in  music. Many Aspergers traits are definitely advantageous, the high degree of focus for example and the ability to detach yourself emotionally.

PHOTOS: Band of Horses I Fillmore Theater I 10.22.10 by LAWRENCEcreative

'Beard Rock' comes to Detroit!


Better late than never...

PHOTOS: BRING ME the HORIZON @ THE CROFOOT 13/10/2010


10/27/10

FREE TICKETS and TEE: Motion City Soundtrack with Say Anything - The Fillmore - Nov. 3


MCB has a pair of tickets to giveaway for this show, plus a Say Anything tee shirt!

Be the 1st emailer with a full name for guest listing

and describe something you would do in a car to get the tickets

good luck!!

motorcityblog@earthlink.net

Get more info here

PHOTOS: Social Distortion at The Fillmore by Shane Glenn



Social Distortion brought its California style American Punk to Detroit. Other items that SxDx brought include: a full house, greasers, the number 13, cowpunks, tattoo's of sailing ships, hot chicks with tattoos, drunken behavior, a full smoking section, and a really bitchin logo (who doesn't love a partying skeleton?). Thanks for the visit.

The Ded Dave Show - Halloween Night 2010 - Main Art Royal Oak


 

Sunday, October 31 · 9:00pm - 11:30pm

The Main Art Theater

118 North Main Street Royal Oak, MI 48067

 

SEE THE NEW EPISODE HERE BEFORE IT HITS THE WEB-WAVES!!

PLUS OTHER EPISODES AS WELL AS A Q&A WITH THE CREW!

Watch all the antics of what really happens in the Land of the Dead!

It can make you laugh, cry, feel strange, and may even make you throw up in your mouth a bit!

BUT we promise: You will have a good time!

Made with pride in Detroit: The real life land of the dead!

 

TICKETS ARE ONLY $5!

IF YOU COME DRESSED AS A CHARACTER OF THE SHOW, YOU GET IN FOR $3!

With Very Special Musical Guest THE MEATMEN

w/ a brand new song about the Ded Dave Show!

 
trailer

Conspiracy of Owls - Lager House Detroit - Tonight Wed 10/27

Jaill
Conspiracy of Owls
Destroy This Place
Wednesday, 10/27
Lager House Detroit
1254 Michigan Ave

It's not quite The Go, it's The CO, the Conspiracy of Owls have an album out right now that will blow your mind to the truest since of the term. The huge group comprised of Bobby Harlow, John Krautner, and Marc Fellis of The Go, Steve Nawara of Beehive Recording Company, Adam Cox of Octopus, Johnny Lzr of Human Eye, and Jake Culkowski of your dreams promises to make your ears happy.

Mt. Desolation - Pike Room Crofoot Pontiac - Fri 10/29

If you are heading to the Crofoot for this years Cheapy Creepy Halloween Part 2

make sure to make a stop upstairs for Mt Desolation

who will be in the Pike Room pushing their new self titled release

Mt. Desolation
Mt. Desolation (Cherry Tree)
Release Date: October 19, 2010

Mt. Desolation, the new alt-country side project of Keane's Tim-Rice Oxley and Kesse Quin, release their debut album, "Mt. Desolation on October 19, 2010 on Cherry Tree.

Those who have visited Dublin will know that sipping Guinness by a fire in a nice old pub while it's chucking it down outside is one of life's great pleasures. It's also, as you can probably imagine, the perfect setting for eagerly hatching wild ideas and schemes. And so on one such blustery and cold night in September two friends, Tim Rice-Oxley and Jesse Quin, decided (whilst in wildly animated conversation about music and probably also well on their way to needing a taxi home) that they would make a country album. As with so many ideas that come about on a belly full of Jameson's, in the cold light of day it did not seem like such a good plan. Two English men trying to sing like Hank Williams was definitely a recipe for disaster. The whole thing was forgotten about in the time it took to recover from the headache that morning. But the headache was to return.

Enlisting the help of friends from various other bands the newly formed group went into Eastcote studios in London at the snowy start of this year. With production wizard Emery Dobyns (Anthony &The Johnsons, Noah &The Whale, Patti Smith), patiently manning the controls, the idea was to record as much of the album as possible live. For the finishing touches, they experimented with whatever extra noises they felt like (cue dustbin lids, anvils, bullhorns and heavily distorted theremins) and a supporting cast of friends who would regularly stop by and add their ideas, whether invited or not.

Rebecca and the Amys - Dietroit's Band of Buds

10/26/10

Upcoming Art Opening:Joseph Bernard: BASEDONATRUESTORY! pt.2

Opening Friday, November 5, 6-8pm:
Joseph Bernard: BASEDONATRUESTORY! pt.2

New collage paintings, emblamatic contradictions of images, text, objects and paint by renowned painter, film maker and retired CCS faculty member Joseph Bernard.
(BASEDONATRUESTORY pt.1 on view through November 10 at The Art Gallery of The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. www.macombcenter.com/aboutus/artgallery)

In Alumni & Faculty Hall: "Transition: ANNICA CUPPETELLI, Crafts 2002"

Both exhibitions run through December 18.

These exhibitions are made possible, in part,
by The Friends of Center Galleries and Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

CENTER GALLERIES
Manoogian Visual Resource Center
301 Frederick Douglass (corner of Brush Street)
Detroit, MI 48202
T: 313.664.7800
W: www.collegeforcreativestudies.edu/center_galleries

FREE TICKETS & DOWNLOAD: Pretty Lights - Fillmore Detroit - 11/12

Email to enter to win a pair of tickets to check out
PRETTY LIGHTS
Download the EP FREE

Pretty Lights has never been one to disappoint- and he’s not about to start now. The enigmatic super-producer has stayed true to his promise of releasing three EP’s in 2010…and deliver, he has! Glowing In The Darkest Night, the third installment of his trilogy of 2010’s EPs, was made available this past Friday, October 22nd via his website, www.PrettyLightsMusic.com .

October 27 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
October 28 – Lyric Theatre – Oxford, MS
October 29 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
October 30 – Patriot’s Point – Charleston, SC
October 31 – MoogFest 2010 – Asheville, NC
November 2 – Bourbon Street Ballroom – Baltimore, MD
November 3 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
November 4 – The National – Richmond, VA
November 5 – House of Blues – Boston, MA – SOLD OUT
November 6 – Washington Avenue Armory – Albany, NY
November 7 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT – SOLD OUT
November 8 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT – SOLD OUT
November 10 – Madison Theatre – Covington, KY
November 11 – Boma – Columbus, OH
November 12 – Fillmore – Detroit, MI
November 13 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
November 14 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
November 15 – Sokol Auditorium – Omaha, NE
November 17 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
November 19 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA
November 20 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR
November 21 – Arcata Community Center – Arcata, CA
November 23 – Knitting Factory – Reno, NV
November 26 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
November 27 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
November 28 – House of Blues – San Diego, CA
November 30 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
December 1 – The Marquee – Tempe, AZ
December 2 – Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
December 3 – Telluride Conference Center – Telluride, CO – SOLD OUT
December 4 – Telluride Conference Center – Telluride, CO – SOLD OUT
December 5 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO – SOLD OUT
December 30 – The Congress Theater – Chicago, IL (w/ Major Lazer)
December 31 – The Congress Theater – Chicago, IL (w/ Holy Fuck)

UPCOMING: Live Rude Girls Comedy - Laff Tracks Novi - Nov 11th

 

 

If you've  heard that women aren't funny

you haven't heard Live Rude Girls.

Live Rude Girls, a group of female standup comics, bring their  all women standup comedy show to Laff Tracks Comedy Club in Novi Michigan on Thursday November 11. Laff Tracks is a new comedy club now open inside of Breaktime Billiards 30850 Beck Rd Novi MI. Reservations: 313-694-3236  Showtime is 8pm.  Tickets are $10/special price for ladies $7, celebrate deer season opening day and Veteran's day being entertained by funny women.

Live Rude Girls is a group dedicated to showcasing female standup comedy talent.  Starring in the November 11 show at Laff Tracks are host/emcee Germaine Gebhard, along with fellow comedians Sam White, Esther Nevarez, Merridith Ernst, Julie Lyons, Kate Brindle and Crystal P.

"In standup comedy, good looks may open doors like everywhere else, but it won't get you laughs.

You can be a supermodel or super sized, but are you funny?  

Standup comedy is the great equalizer, a true level playing field.",

says Germaine Gebhard, the show organizer. " Some people aren't aware that there's a thriving community of female standup comedy artists right here in metro Detroit. 

"Most comedy shows feature zero or one female comic,

Live Rude Girls  offers a variety of female comedy talent in one show."

 "I'm proud to bring Live Rude Girls to Laff Tracks" says club owner Bill Bushart, who also happens to be Metro Times Best Comic 2010.

"I've seen these women in separate shows many times but when they all get together it takes the energy to a whole new level. I love it and I think the audience will too."

Find out for yourself on Thursday November 11, 2010 at 8pm.  Doors open at 7:30pm and tickets are $10, special ladies price $7. 

 Laff Tracks is located inside Breaktime Billiards 30850 Beck Rd, Novi MI just south of Pontiac Trail for reservations please call  313-694-3236.

 

Laff Tracks Comedy Club

30850 Beck Rd

Novi MI 48377

734-674-0253

Ensemble Free Theater Norway - Hilberry Theatre - Tues 10/26

Ensemble Free Theater Norway performs in Detroit tonight!
Ensemble Free Theater Norway (Oslo) has been invited to Wayne State University to perform Appointment on Tuesday, 26 October 2010 at 7pm.
The performance will be on the Wayne State University campus,
and will be free and open to the public.
Ensemble Free Theater Norway creates an artistic international community that is independent, sustainable, and dynamic.

Through performance, collaboration, and international educational programs, EFTN aims to nurture new playwrights and theater-makers, especially within the Nordic region.

10/25/10

PHOTOS: Die Antwoord by Shane Glenn



Straight out of Cape Town, South Africa and in yo face, hip-hop tres Die Antwoord fookin bounced the raver brats right out of their cheap glow stick neck ware. MCB was entertained along with a full house at St Andys. Keep an eye on this group, they is goin places. Word to your mutha (or fatha) (or whatev), bioootch.

FREE TICKETS: Azure Ray - Magic Stick Detroit - 11/8

MCB has a few pair of tickets to offer up
email to win - motorcityblog@earthlink.net


when they come to the Magic Stick on 11/8/2010

The beguiling, talented and beautiful duo of Azure Ray are zigzagging across the country this fall playing a set of highly anticipated shows in support of their gorgeous release, Drawing Down the Moon, which dropped September 14 on Saddle Creek. The tour, which is the duos first major cross country outing in more than six years, kicked off in Orlando at The Social on October 10 and take Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink through major markets across the country before wrapping in Birmingham, AL on November 20 at Bottletree.


Lord Virgill - Mo Doggies Fenton - Sun Oct 31st


Local Rocker Scores Viral Internet Hit with New Song about Flint
Video for the new Lordd Virgil song " Flint , Michigan " even has fans in Japan

Online viewers as far away as Japan have contributed to the more than 10,000 hits that are turning the video from local rocker Lordd Virgil’s new song " Flint , Michigan " into a viral You Tube hit (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nAjAqaCnWw ).

The song, that is quickly resonating with locals as an anthem that speaks to the plight of Flint, combines a nostalgic sadness for what Flint has been, a quiet resignation to the state of Flint today and a fatalistic acceptance that, no matter what, frontman Lordd Virgil will someday die with pride in his hometown as his friends and family have done before him.

“The support from the fans has been almost overwhelming and it’s amazing to hear the responses when people leave comments about the video,” said frontman Lordd Virgil. “For some people, it makes them sad, for others it makes them want to do something about the plight of Flint and, for others, it just makes them want to have a coney dog.”

The inspiration for the song came to Lordd Virgil when he attended the funeral for his musical mentor and local legend Gary Buckner in 2008. As Virgil followed in the funeral procession, he watched as the hearse drove down a street littered with dozens of huge potholes and heaving pieces of broken pavement.

“Cracked up pavement, cracked up sidewalk,” the song would later begin.

Then, as Virgil continued to drive to the cemetery, he realized how sad it was that the dignity of a funeral procession, with a car that could have built in Flint no less, should be overshadowed by the decaying neighborhood in a haunted city that that felt like it too was dying.

“As I was walking back from the mausoleum after the ceremony, I realized that I knew more people under the ground than above the ground,” Virgil explained as he nostalgically recalled friends and family who sleep eternally under the sacred ground. “I walked by my aunts and uncles, friends from school and other musicians.”

The thought remained with Virgil as he recalled his deep-seeded roots in Flint . Seven generations of his family are buried here. His grandfather and two of his uncles were among the original sit-downers at Fisher Body #1 during the famous strike in 1936-1937. His parents, who both worked at the plant, would later meet there and were married in 1968. Virgil was born in Flint .

Then Virgil thought about the places he knew as a child and how he watched them decay over the years …places like The Capitol Theatre where once he watched movies during its heyday, the circus at the IMA Auditorium and the neighborhoods where he grew up.

And yet, no matter what, Virgil loves Flint .
Home is home.

The result was " Flint , Michigan ", a sort of artistic testament to the city that he loves. Virgil created a video for the song based on a collage of stark images. The video initially debuted with a whimper and all of the excitement of paint drying (And not even good paint), but as best as Virgil can determine, people started to share the link and repost the video. The plays multiplied and, before he knew it, the video was generating several hundred plays per day on some days. Although Virgil can’t determine where all of the plays originated, he verified from his You Tube statistics that plays were coming from as far away as Japan .

“When I play the song live, I explain that I’m very upset with people calling Flint the epicenter of the recession and the worst place in America to live,” Virgil explains. “Our city is hallowed ground and unless people are from Flint , people have no business kicking our town down unless they’re going to do something to fix it.”

This is not the first time that a Lordd Virgil video has gone viral. After his previous anti-drug video, "Dead Rock Stars", appeared on the front page of You Tube.com as a featured video, the video suddenly received thousands of hits and currently has nearly 28,000 plays.

But Lordd Virgil is more than an internet sensation and the band is no stranger to the music industry. Multi-platinum, award-winning producer John Hughes II (George Clinton, Parliament Funkadelic, David Sanborn) produced the band’s second album "Anno Domini".

Several Lord Virgil songs have became underground hits and the videos for “Tip of My Tongue” and “Inside” (Both from “Anno Domini”) garnered NME Shockwave Video Awards. “Tip of My Tongue” also generated airplay throughout Europe and became a top-ten hit in Milan , Italy .

The band is currently working on new material for their next album and will play "Flint, Michigan" and the rest of their hits on Sunday, October 31, at MoDoggies located at 715 Torrey Rd. in Fenton. Doors open at 8 pm.

For more information, visit www.LorddVirgil.com

The Boxing Lesson Strikes Again!

The Boxing Lesson offers us a taste of their past by sharing this gem with us!

"For fans of Lo-Fi recordings this will most def leave you with a warm feeling in yer tummy... "


FUR STATE - words by Paul Waclawsky

Fur State is a 4-track acoustic/electronic instrumental album that Jaylinn Davidson and I recorded in 2004. After all my music gear and possessions were tragically stolen from my Los Angeles apartment, I talked Jaylinn into moving to Austin to make a new album under the name, The Boxing Lesson. We quickly found ourselves in Austin, living on Enfield Rd., in an apartment with high ceilings but very few furnishings. We recorded this album with Jaylinn's mom's acoustic guitar, a couple of drum machines that kind of worked, a 4-track, a MS2000, a Roland sampler that used zip disks (gasp!), my cherished Mutron Bi-phase, and this heavy Crumar Trilogy we found at the pawn shop. Armed with what we could afford, we then set out to make this album and thought of little else.



We recorded 8 songs and called it "Fur State", one of Jaylinn's great many plays on words. My final performance mix to cassette master was dated 12/8/04. As capricious as we are, we then went about our lives and never released the tape. I miraculously got most of my gear back in the new year with the help of the LAPD, after finding my amp for sale on eBay (imagine that!). We found more synths, a drummer and we wrote lots and lots of songs. We made new friends and made new albums. We toured, played, listened, lost, worked, found, recorded, reinvented ourselves and recorded and reinvented ourselves again and yet somehow have come back full circle to this cassette tape recorded almost 6 years ago.



We found the master cassette sitting where we left it: in an old boombox at the back of a storage closet. We are ecstatic to finally send forth this little private creation of ours out into the big scary public world. This album has this "vibe" that excites and haunts us. It feels timeless to us, like we could have recorded it today or maybe even 6 years from now. We hope it affects you in the same dreamy way.

From our 4-track to your stereo...

Endless Possibilities,
Paul Waclawsky






"FUR STATE" is available on CASSETTE, CD and DIGITAL DOWNLOAD




Follow Navdo on Twitter at @Navdo & @NavdoDetroit

CALL FOR ART: Dirty Show 12

Detroit's favorite Valentine tradition is ready for your submissions.


Submission Deadline December 15

Check the website for full details.

Wild At Heart

Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog
He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University

Wild At Heart




Recently, the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame announced their nominees for the 2011 induction ceremony. The list provided me with three artists that should make the Hall in this class: Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond (one of the great songwriters) and Donovan. The rest of the list includes the Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi, Laura Nyro, the J Geils Band, Chic, Dr John, Tom Waits, Joe Tex, Donna Summer, LL Cool J, Darlene Love and Chuck Willis. Some of these artists will make it in and some won’t. After all, with only five artists per year getting in now, a lot of worthy groups are going to come along and take spots from these artists.

The Hall has been surrounded by controversy about those artists that get in. The Hall seems to favor US and major UK artists with a strong US following. In recent years, it tends to shy away from bands that don’t have a big following in the US. True or not, it is hard to imagine that the Hall prefers big names that can sell tickets over smaller, less known bands that might not attract as many people, after all, the Hall makes some nice dollars at those induction ceremonies.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was created April 20, 1983 to be dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music industry, particularly in the area of rock music. Notice is says “particularly” which means it is not just rock music though that is the main focus. So all you people crying about rappers and other genres getting in, the actually focus of the foundation to archive those who influence music in a large way no matter what style they play, be it classical or techno, which is why artists like LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys deserve the same chance as Alice Cooper to get in.

I am upset Detroit’s movers and shakers back then didn’t get into the running for the Hall. The choices were Memphis (home of Sun Studios and Stax Records), Cincinnati (home of King Records), New York City (obvious reasons) and Cleveland (where disc jockey Alan Freed is widely credited with promoting the new genre and the term of "rock and roll"). Cleveland lobbied hard and got it though it would make more sense in Detroit. After all, Detroit was the home of Motown and Fortune Records as well as being the home of techno. Detroit was important in the early jazz, blues and gospel scenes and later R&B, pre-punk, rock, hardcore and hip hop. Also, about 200 songs about Detroit by artists as diverse as Gomez, Gordon Lightfoot, David Bowie, Johnny Cash and Sammy Davis Jr Have been recorded. Being centrally located, it would have been a great tourist attraction for the area but I digress.

The reason I wrote this article is to highlight my top 15 choices if I was to make next year’s nomination list. I have detailed the top 10 and added a small blurbs to numbers 11-15. So basically, assuming that Cooper gets in (the only artist this year I would have put in my top 15), this should be the bands nominated for the 2012 ballot and eventually be the next three years inductees. Let me know what you think at doramu13@yahoo.com if you disagree or think I missed someone major.

My Top 10 nominees in no particular order

1) Kraftwerk: To me it is amazing that a band like Kraftwerk isn’t already in the Hall Of fame as there body of work is most impressive and one of the few bands were the statement, “they were ahead of there time”, really applies. Like Philip K Dick novels, there brand of electronic music, esp between 1974-81, really set the stage for the next 25 years. The music here has simple melodies coupled with their futuristic technology that laid the groundwork for house, techno, synthpop, trance, hip-hop and more. I think it is safe to say the only more influential band in the world than Kraftwerk was the Beatles. Even look at the performing robots on stage during a show and realize this band was unique in their live performances also. Bands that benefited from their work include New Order, Prodigy, Daft Punk, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Human League as well as artists as diverse as Afrika Baambaataa, Jay-Z and Franz Ferdinand. They also pioneered the development of new electronic equipment for their sound. Hütter and Schneider had commissioned a Bonn-based company to design and build the Synthanorma Sequenzer with Intervallomat, a 4x8 / 2x16 / 1x32 step-sequencer system with features which were not available from commercial products to help create the sounds found on their album ‘Trans-Europe Express’. The music sequencer controlled the band’s electronic sources creating the albums rhythmic sound. This is just one of many examples of this type of direct link to creating new products for the musical industry. If “influence” and “significance” are the main criteria for induction, no other band not in the Hall exhibits this more than Kraftwerk.

2) Cliff Richard & the Shadows: These two artists are linked forever like peanut butter and chocolate. Both good on their own but better together. Cliff Richard is to England what Elvis Presley is to the US. He has sold over 260 million records and dominated the early pre-Beatles UK charts with his song “Move It” which is in the running for the first authentic British rock n roll song. He holds the record (with Elvis) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s–2000s) as well as being the only singer to have had a number one single in the UK in five consecutive decades. He is the biggest selling singles artist of all time in the UK (more than the Beatles, Stones, etc). What hurts is his lack of similar success in the US, even more so that his longtime, and almost equally successful backing band, The Shadows. They are the first backing band to hit it big on their own, with 69 UK hit charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' plus 34 as 'Cliff Richard and The Shadows' (their one US hit had them in their original name of the Drifters). They started out as a skiffle band and later became known as an instrumental band. Their lead guitarist, Hank Marvin, had a clean sound with very distinctive echo and vibrato which gave off a dreamy effect which influenced many guitarists, including Pete Townshend, Mark Knopfler and John Fogerty and he is listed by Frank Zappa as an influence on the first Mothers of Invention album. I think both artists can make strong claims for the Hall, but together they should be a no-brainer. What hurts them is lack of US mainstream success which shouldn’t matter with their stature in the music scene.

3) Joan Baez: I just recently saw Joan here in Rochester for my first concert back in NY since my move as she is amazing live. Generally regarded as a folk singer, she has worked in other genres including rock, gospel and country and while a songwriter herself, she has become known for interpreting the works of other artists ranging from Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Stevie Wonder and the Band. She helped bring the songs of Bob Dylan (in the Hall Of Fame) to national prominence and in keeping true to the ideals of folk music a la Pete Seeger (also in the Hall), she has maintained a strong presence in the arena of political and social activism. Among the best known are her performance of "We Shall Overcome” at King's 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and standing in the fields alongside César Chávez and California's migrant farm workers as they fought for fair wages and safe working conditions. With Guthrie, Seeger and Dylan in the Hall, Baez seems to be an ideal choice for induction also.

4) Deep Purple: Forming one year before I was born, many people attribute this band as one of the forerunners of heavy metal and modern hard rock (along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath who are both in the Hall) though they also tip their hat to the blues, classical and progressive rock genres. They were for a time listed in Guinness as the loudest pop group and while the band has a few hits like the popular “Hush” and “Kentucky Woman”, it is the classic “Smoke On The Water” which I think cements their induction as one of the tunes that every beginning guitarist learns. It is tricky to play properly but getting it right means you are no longer an amateur.

5) Moody Blues: A little more love here for the English rock bands as the Moody Blues started out combining the Merseybeat with R&B which became more symphonic and psychedelic as the decade moved on and hit it’s peak with their first, and one of the earliest true concept albums, “Days Of Future Passed”. The album laid the ground work for the progressive rock era and put forth two hits, "Tuesday Afternoon" and one of the greatest rock songs ever, "Nights in White Satin". Their direction has spawned some beautifully crafted songs including “The Story In Your Eyes”, “The Voice” and “Your Wildest Dreams” proving their staying power and their worth to be inducted.

6) KISS: OK, I believe that Alice Cooper needs to get in first but how can one overlook the power of KISS Nation. They have taken the idea of marketing a band to unheard of heights (anyone want a KISS coffin?). Their gimmicky face paint and flamboyant stage outfits accompanied by a live show with fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics expanding on Cooper and took it even bigger. I still have my early KISS comic (with real blood of its members mixed in the ink) and I remember watching the old KISS movie on TV. The members are identifiable by their name as well as their trademarks (The Demon, Starchild, Spaceman and Catman). Few other bands have had the level of success of KISS whether it is albums sales or concert tours. They are the gold standard for rock n roll bands with classic iconic songs “Rock And Roll All Night”, “Shout It Out Loud” and “Detroit Rocks City” and also numerous mentions in pop culture. Even without the fact that they are one of the all-time biggest selling rock bands of all time, I can’t think of a pure rock band with a better resume that KISS for getting in the Hall.

7) Siouxsie & the Banshees: One of my favorite bands of all time and also a favorite of legendary British DJ John Peel. This band might be hard for some of the Hall judges to look at, but having formed in 1976 as part of the punk rock scene, the band went on a journey of musical experimentation, along with Bauhaus, which led to the creation of what we call gothic rock. They have so many catchy singles starting with “Hong Kong Garden” thru “Christine”, “The Killing Jar”, the awesome Beatles cover “Dear Prudence”, “Cities In Dust” and “Peek-A-Boo” that made them chart favorites in the UK and college radio mainstays here in the US. As hard as it was for female led bands to be taken seriously, Siouxsie was admired by many of the great bands that came after including being an influence on Morrissey, Tricky, Massive Attack, Jane’s Addiction, The Cure, Radiohead, U2 and LCD Soundsystem. Their music has also been intense, brooding and powerfully atmospheric and they deserve a place in Hall.

8) The Shangri-Las: This girl band from New York City lasted only a few years (1964-1966) and hit the chart with heartbreaking teen melodramas such as the popular "Leader of the Pack" and "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)". However, unlike their peers (The Bobettes, Supremes, Marvelettes) adopted a street-wise persona like the street gangs out of West Side Story. This attitude was picked up on the 70’s punk bands such as New York Dolls, Blondie, Aerosmith, Go-Go’s and Amy Winehouse. Of all the 60’s girl groups, it is the Shangri-La’s with the farthest reach into the girl power of today exhibited by everyone from Gwen Stefani to Pink.

9) Tommy James & the Shondells: One of the most fun and distinctive sounding groups of the 60’s rock era combining garage and psychedelic rock into a number of unique top 40 hits such as "Hanky Panky", "Crimson and Clover”, "I Think We're Alone Now", "Mony Mony", "Crystal Blue Persuasion" and "Sweet Cherry Wine" that have been hits for other artists also like Tiffany, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Billy Idol and Madonna. They broke up in 1970 after Tommy collapsed on stage but their music has remained as distinctive today as it was then.

10) Roxy Music: Formed in 1971 and led by the vocals of Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music attained popular and critical success in the UK, Europe and Australia during the 1970s and early 1980s. The band’s influence as an art rock mainstay paved the way for the more experimental, musically sophisticated element of glam rock and early English punk music. They also provided a model for many New Wave acts and the experimental electronic groups of the early 80’s through their visual style and glamour. Member Brian Eno also went on to produce some of the best rock albums of all time by artists including David Bowie, Devo, Talking Heads, U2 and Coldplay. They are also a great live band to see and I was lucky enough to see them at Pine Knob years ago.

Rounding out next 5 in alphabetical order:

11) Kingston Trio: launched the folk revival of the 50’s and 60’s and created a demand for a genre that was nonexistent before. They are one of the biggest selling groups of the era and while they probably didn’t inspire Dylan, they opened the way for him and other folk musicians of the 60’s as well as establishing what we know today as the concert circuit by playing tours across college campuses.

12) MC5: Out of the same scene which brought the Stooges, the band combined garage, blues and psychedelic rock to create a high energy style and sound which addressed the counterculture movement at its most volatile and threatening. Can you imagine the anger of the later punk movement (Sex Pistols, Bad Brains, Ramones) without MC5 leading the way.

13) Peter Gabriel: One of the leaders in the art rock, progressive and world music genres, Peter has had an interesting musical journey started as the frontman for Genesis (in the Hall) where he was known for his stage presence, bizarre costumes and story introductions. His solo career kept him at the forefront of technology as well as crafting some really beautiful and catchy songs like “Biko”, “Games Without Frontiers” and “Shock The Monkey”. His fourth album was one of the first one of the first commercial albums recorded entirely to digital tape and featured the early Fairlight CMI sampling computer. His love of world music has also made him the driving force behind the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) movement and the creator of the Real World Studios and record label to facilitate the creation and distribution of world music by artists including Yungchen Lhamo, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou N'dour.

14) Red Hot Chili Peppers: basically an alternative funk band that incorporates punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock into the mix. Their style is truly unique and for a band that seems so outside the musical establishment, they have managed a huge string of modern rock hits, Grammy’s and tons of album sales. They have managed to remain relevant after many of their contemporaries have fallen to the wayside.

15) Rush: Album sales aside, Rush doesn’t seem all that much, but they have one of the best drummers in rock with Neil Peart and have changed their style numerous times over the years from blues-inspired rock on their first album to later hard, progressive and synth rock. They have been cited as an influence by various musical artists, including Metallica, Primus, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Their lyrical content is very challenging for a rock band incorporating themes from classical poetry, fantasy literature and science fiction. They are also a great live band and despite needing a teleprompter to remember the lyrics, they still are one of the best rocking bands performing today.

I hope you enjoy my list which I think is 10 times better that the Hall’s this year and I hope that each of these bands make the trip to the Hall. Just missing this lists were the Cure, Smiths, Devo, Television, Specials, John Mayall and Richard Thompson.

Thinking of music, here are some suggestions for the week:

Thursday (10/28) Bob Dylan @ Hill Auditorium (Ann Arbor)

Friday (10/29) surf rockers Los Straightjackets @ the Ark, Vaselines @ Magic Stick, Creepy Halloween show (w/Silent Years, Silverghost, School Of Rock, Prussia and more) @ Crofoot, The Tubes @ Lexington Music Theatre

Saturday (10/30) Gwar w/Casualties @ Harpos, Verve Pipe @ the Ark

Sunday (10/31) Eisley @ Magic Stick, Insane Clown Posse @ The Fillmore

Have a great Halloween and see you next week.

10/24/10

UPCOMING: Steel Panther, 15 Dec

MCB covered this show when they were here this summer, and apparently Steel Panther had so much fun here, they've decided to come back.


Wednesday December 15
Doors at 8, 18+ only, $15 at the door


Terrible Things @ The Eagle Theater Tues 10/26/2010

All-star rock super group TERRIBLE THINGS featuring Fred Mascherino (Taking Back Sunday), Josh Eppard (Coheed & Cambria), and Andy Jackson (Hot Rod Circuit) will be performing in Pontiac on Tuesday October 26th at The Eagle Theater. Brian Weaver (Silvertide) is filling in on bass for this tour. Their full-length self-titled debut, which received a glowing 4.5 out of 5 stars from ALTERNATIVE PRESS MAGAZINE.
Doors are at 6:30pm


PHOTOS: SEVENDUST @ THE EMERALD THEATER 17/10/2010

How do you review something that should have been seen?
Sevendust put on an amazing show. They really love their fans. The fans really love them. Anytime, Lajon put the mic to the audience or he stopped singing, they didn't miss a lyric. The showmanship was stellar. The interplay between Vince(bass) and Morgan(drums) was so cool. I didn't notice until later in the show that they were throwing drumstick back and forth, during songs. At one point, Vince was on left side, caught a drumstick, Morgan nodded while playing, Vince threw the drumstick to Morgan, Morgan threw his into the audience. All without missing a beat. I was blown away.
Clint and John tore it up on the guitars. I hope the photos capture the intensity of the show. I will go see Sevendust anytime they come to town.


UPCOMING: Nitzer Ebb, 18 Nov.

Back in the day, That Total Age was my go-to soundtrack for prepping myself for an evening out. N-E is still touring, and looking pretty good, if you ask me. They're only doing 11 North American dates, and one of them is Detroit. Gotta love that.



November 3rd
San Diego
Brick by Brick

November 6th   
Santa Ana
Galaxy

November 9th    
Los Angeles
Echoplex

November 11th
San Francisco
Mezzanine

November 13th
Miami
Grand Central

November 16th
New York
Gramercy Theater

Nov 18 Magic Stick
Detroit, MI


November 20th
Chicago
Double Door

November 23rd
Dallas
Granada Theater

November 24th
San Antonio
White Rabbit

November 26th
Houston
Numbers

Nov 6 Galaxy Theatre
Santa Ana, CA

Nov 9 Echoplex
Los Angeles, CA

Nov 16 Gramercy Theatre
New York, NY

PHOTOS: Blanche at The Magic Bag by Shane Glenn



Detroit native's, Blanche, packed out The Magic Bag in Ferndale this Saturday. Looking great and playing as good as ever, Blanche gave the fans a Detroit alternative country show to remember.

10/23/10

PHOTOS: BOOKA SHADE at Saint Andrews 10/22 by RebeccaMich

Booka Shade is German duo Walter Merziger and
Arno Kammermeier, described as veterans of the Frankfurt electronic music scene.

The nearly 2-hour set flew by as Booka Shade carried us through a journey of heart-pounding drum beats and distorted guitar riffs. Not your typical throbbing techno, however, Booka Shade is more like an upbeat electro-rock show.




Mixing in songs from their latest 'More!' and classic fan favorites like Darko and In White Rooms, the mood of the evening was high energy the entire way through.

'More!’, is a complete, self-contained work that is expecting to be judged, not against the latest faddy dancefloor trends, but against the other classic albums. Like Bjork’s ‘Debut’; Hot Chip’s ‘The Warning’; or even Massive Attack’s ‘Blue Lines’, it is an album of modish electronics, strong emotions and rich melodies, which is both of, and transcends, the dancefloor.

Tonight Booka Shade is in Chicago, one of the last of 7 more stops on their North American Tour.