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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Exene, John, Billy, D.J. and Jerry (Video)

Nobody ever believes me when I tell them X were on the Jerry Lewis Telethon in 1982. Sadly, their introduction by Casey Kasem isn't on this clip, but...finally, vindication is mine!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

You Need Some Grip Weeds (Video)

And so, here's The Grip Weeds. You're welcome.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Stone Roses Bloom Again

My initial reaction (sadly, a knee-jerk one) to the announcement of the Stone Roses reunion was kinda negative. But then again, Ian Brown's been making good music lately.  Perhaps this one's worth giving a shot.

According to FMQB's article, Liam Gallagher's giddy. So there's that, then.

Monday, October 03, 2011

Stirring Cold Ashes

I wasn't sure what the best title for this column should be. The Rusty Show, the Old Codger Show, the Terribly Pathetic Show, the I Feel Sorry For Anyone Watching This Show. All kinda work.

Yes, I am referring to the VH1 Classic presentation call That Metal Show. From time to time as I flip through the channels I'll come across this sad show and wonder why is this on the air. It's painful to watch.

It seems to be the complete antithesis of anything Metal related. Each episode features members of a long lost and forgotten "metal or hard rock" band sitting down and chatting with Eddie Trunk, the regular host of the show. In fact, it's a talk show about the glory days of metal.

With the sound off you might mistake the show for a men's erectile disfunction support group meeting, or perhaps a rehab talk show. That might be more interesting. For anyone who is a metal fan, or a hard rock nostalgic, I can't imagine this show is anything more that a complete downer. It would be one thing if each week featured one of those old bands actually putting on a show, at least it might be kinda cool in some way. But is mostly just a 40-50-60 year old's tea party. Poor Eddie, he's so genuinely affectionate for his old Rock days, but it's just so pathetic. Come on man, let it go and move forward.

What's interesting is the complete lack of honesty that comes across when discussing the glorious metal scene. The hard rock world so fondly adored was a drug soaked, death stained,violent, sexist, and homophobic world. It would be more authentic if it celebrated all of that, warts and all, then to gloss it over with PG rated filtering. the metal scene was far more than just the music, in fact the music was the least of it. But I guess so many of the old metallers can't really embrace their pasts without looking like complete adolescent ignorant asses, which is exactly what made them metal stars in the first place. That's a tough spot to get out of. I laughed so hard when Rob Halford came out of the closet. How funny that the one lead singer in metal who didn't wear makeup and dress like a girl was gay. All of a sudden it wasn't too cool to gay bash when your idol was queer. Oops.

Rock music was never meant to be so geriatric. Some music can span a few decades, even generations, but the whole hard rock/metal thing is just so 70/80's adolescent it can't. Good thing for most of those guys, they kinda matured a bit, and aren't who they were 20-30 years ago. But you can't effectively celebrate the crimes without glorifying the criminals so to speak. But by rejecting your culture the music that produced it or celebrated it or was a product of it doesn't wear well.
 
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Welcome to Altrok.com, also available at AltrokRadio.com and AltrockRadio.com. Here's where the remaining listeners of several fine radio stations have retreated, regrouped, and built a replacement strong enough to stand on its own. It builds on the independent legacy of New Jersey's FM106.3, New York's WPIX and WLIR, Oklahoma's 105.3 The Spy, the pre-buyout mindset of KROQ, WBCN and WHFS and of every other alternative station that was destroyed at a moment's notice - not because they weren't making money, but because there was bigger money to be found elsewhere.
 
We've stood by as truly independent alternative rock radio died. Sure, something called "alternative" took its place, but we know for sure that anything that "tests well" with soccer moms just ain't alternative. (Even if some of us happen to be soccer moms.) So we've taken matters into our own hands.
 
This really is independent alternative rock radio, visible here at Altrok.com and audible at our web radio station. It has the classic music that fired our passions back in the day - or that we maybe only heard about from our elders - but it's mostly made of the new music that does precisely the same for us now. We're paying attention to scenes all over the world, watching the energy build, and waiting to see what it creates. Wherever it happens, we'll make sure you can hear about it here. We've been slowly building all this since 2001, and now that you've noticed us, we're glad you're here.
 
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