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Friday, June 26, 2009

Saturday Night: The R/SYN Summer Closedown Party

If you haven't noticed, there's been a very good Alternative night (classic and brand-new) happening in New Brunswick at the Corner Tavern every Saturday night.

Well, folks are leaving New Brunswick for sunnier climes as the summer rolls in, and the plan is for R/SYN to shut down for the summer and return in September (a week before the All-Eras Melody Bar Reunion, in fact.) So it's a last hurrah for New Brunswick this Saturday, featuring DJs Drew and IronMike spinning the classiest of the classic and the sparkliest of the new.

Get there at 9pm. Have a few drinks. Be ready to hit the floor when the tunes start pumping out. Stay 'til the bitter end, and close out the season in style.

And save up a little energy - when September comes, you're gonna need it.

The R/SYN Summer Closedown
with Drew and IronMike
Saturday, June 27, 2009
at The Corner Tavern
Corner of Easton & Somerset
New Brunswick, NJ

Doors 9pm, music starts at 10.

Be ready.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Into The Ears of Babes

A few weeks ago my son's grammar school had an end of the year picnic that we all attended. There was lots of food, and games for the kids, and since it was held at the school, the kids had the run of the playground. They had a water balloon toss, a hula hoop contest and it was a generally fun event for the whole community. One of my sons friends dad said, it was a Mayberry moment. Good clean family fun. Oh yes,and they also had a DJ playing top 40 music.

The previous year they had had a local band play. The band wasn't very notable and I'm not sure anyone really noticed they were there.

Now the DJ for this event was a local professional DJ, who makes his living spinning tunes for corporate events, holiday parties and private bashes. For this party he was playing mostly top 40 type stuff, just about what you'd hear on the radio.

Does anyone listen to what top 40 radio plays? If rated like movies are, top 40 radio would garner a PG-13 label and sometimes an R. Most of the songs contain lyrics with not so subtle references to sex, drug use or sex during drug use.

As someone who is aware of current music and who listens to top 40 radio I know who the artists are and I know what they are saying and referring to. And this is what made the event so remarkable.

Here we were at this triple G rated family event focusing on kids aged 10 years old and below, eating ice cream and playing tag in the school yard, and in the back ground was Britney Spears declaring that we were all begging to If-You-Seek-Amy. Then we heard how we couldn't read Lady GaGa's poker face, and what she was going to surprise us with. At that point I wasn't sure whether the party was really a cover for a subliminal sex ed class for preteens.

If you aren't aware of the controversy surrounding the Britney Spears tune, she has cleverly found a way to say something naughty without actually saying it. If you say the lyrics quickly, sure enough they begin to morph into "begging to F-U-C-K-me." Now I find the whole thing pretty funny, and I have to give Britney credit for being so darn subversive. I love stuff like that. I've read news reports of horrified parents hearing there young children singing along going la-la-la-la-F-U-C-K-me. Now that's funny. As long as it's not my kid.

Now some may say the DJ must have played the edited version where she says "seen Amy" vs. "Seek Amy". No, he played the naughty version. I heard it clearly and she repeats it many times during the song. Lady GaGa's lyrics were far more explicit and direct that Britney's, and I couldn't believe the DJ had the balls to play it at a school party. More than likely it hadn't even occurred to him that some of these songs were wholly inappropriate.

As funny and as entertaining songs like that may be for grownups,they are not the kind of tunes that should be played at a kids party.

Most amazing of all was the fact that absolutely no one appeared to react to any of it. Not one word. Not one angry glance at the DJ. I started laughing from shock as soon as I heard the lyrics, but I when I looked around no one else seemed to be aware of what was going on. If I had been the principal of the school, who happenend to be there at the time, I would have not so quietly ripped the DJ a new one.

Can all of these parents and school staff be so completely unaware of the music that our kids are being routinely exposed to? This ain't pay-per-view porn, it's on almost every station on the dial! It really makes me worry about what all these kids are being exposed to at home and if the parents have any clue at all. It would explain a lot about the state of things I guess.

I was so tempted to try to get the DJ to play something really racy, but I figured he'd not want to go that far. It would have been fun to see just how far we could have pushed it before anyone actually noticed.

I finally asked him to play Green Day. He didn't have the new CD yet, so he played Basket Case. In a moment of remarkable irony, he came up to me after it had played and said that the song had the lyrics "sex" and "whore" and that I should have warned him about that. I kid you not. At least they didn't refer to my disco stick.

Parents, wake up. Pay attention to what your kids are listening to and watching on the tube and on the computer. Someday they'll be old enough and mature enough to handle the adult nature of the sounds and images the media bombards us with everyday. Let them remain sweet and innocent as long as possible.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Altrok Radio Music Update #233

Firstly, the important stuff:

Altrok Radio is at http://www.altrokradio.com

Please remember to tune in whenever you can - every hour you listen turns into more visibility for the station; we show up higher in search listings, and such like that. And if you'd like to help us keep the stream running, check out the advertisers if they appeal to you; your interest actually helps fund us.

And in the interest of keeping you interested...well, you *do* know about our daily retro feature, right? No? Well...

ALTROK'S DAILY RETRO

WEEKDAYS, 11:30a-1:30p EASTERN

Now then, we've got songs to let you know about.

This week, our Grinders (the stuff we play heavily) include music from:

- Fischerspooner
- Handsome Furs
- Peaches
- The Enemy UK
- The Joy Formidable
- Dogs Die In Hot Cars

Plus we've got newly-added music:

- The Answering Machine, - Obviously Cold
- Jarvis Cocker, - Further Complications
- Cut Off Your Hands - Happy As Can Be
- Florence & The Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
- Frightened Rabbit - Fast Blood
- Future Of The Left - Arming Eritrea
- Kasabian - Fire
- The Limousines, - Very Busy People
- Placebo - For What It's Worth
- The Radio Dept., - David
- The Rakes, - That's The Reason
- Sad Day For Puppets - Little Light
- The Twilight Sad, - Reflection Of The Television
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Our Featured Classics:

- The Clash, - I Fought The Law
- Dramarama - Anything, Anything (I'll Give You)
- LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum
- Lene Lovich, - New Toy
- Peter Murphy, - All Night Long
- Primal Scream - Movin' On Up
- The Smiths, - William, It Was Really Nothing
- Squeeze - Hourglass
- The The - Heartland
- Wire - Ambitious


And don't forget the R/SYN Underground night, every Saturday at the Corner Tavern in New Brunswick, where Drew and IronMike keep you dancing with the most advanced playlist this side of the Atlantic (and where, occasionally, yours truly might show up and spin a coupla tracks...ya never know.)

- Sean Carolan
Altrok Radio
On your computer now at http://www.altrokradio.com
On the radio Fridays at 10pm, at 90.5 The Night

Monday, June 22, 2009

"Night Flight": Born Again?

Possibly...

Stuart S. Shapiro, original producer of the USA Network series "Night Flight" (which is partly responsible for warping an entire generation of America's youth, myself giddily included) will be screening a best-of compilation, "Night Flight: Born Again" at the 92YTribeca on July 1 (which, of all days, just happens to be my birthday.)

Click here for all the details.

Mr. Shapiro will be conducting a question and answer session at the screening as well. He's been hinting at future plans...

Friday, June 19, 2009

Ultravox At Live Aid: "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes"

Ultravox, in their New Wave incarnation (their John Foxx period straddled the divide between Glam and New Wave) were inevitably, almost as a compulsory part of the genre they were in, a bit pretentious. I, being a fan, appreciated all that pretense.

But there's something about a hot, sunny day that knocks down the pretense a bit, and if you've got nothing besides pretense, it's gonna show. This clip from just such a hot, sunny day proves Ultravox had more - a lot more - than pretense going for them.

I still remember the observation from folks that were curious about Live Aid and tuned in for the grandeur of it, without necessarily knowing or caring about the bands that were playing, citing Midge Ure for showing some incredible vocal chops onstage that day. They made a few fans that day, though not enough to crack the US charts in any significant way.

Still, it's a glorious performance I stumbled across today as I continued a methodical (though necessarily occasional) digitizing of my Betamax tapes...and no, this isn't my upload; mine's a lot noisier and a lot less stereo. I figured you deserved better.

Another Melody Reunion, For All Eras

Hello all,

It’s that time of year again for the

ALL YEARS, ALL AGES, NEW BRUNSWICK

MELODY BAR REUNION

Saturday, September 12, 2009 @ 8pm -2am or so.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

This year it will be at the CORNER TAVERN not the COURT. We decided that it would be nice to have a place as big, but not too big. Like the size of the MELODY, It’s called “COZY”. The owners and staff have been really nice to us and this is where we spin on Saturday nights.

The DJ’s all have spun @ The MELODY

Sean Carolan

Dj Rusty

Dj TM5

Dj Iron Mike

Dj Drew {me}

There will be some jugs around the bar for donations to a worthy cause to be named later, so please donate till it hurts.

We will have some great lighting, great audio, great music and great memories….maybe a special guest or 2. ..

Thank you and hope to see you soon

ANDREW J RUIZ (DJ DREW)

Time to dispel a myth or two about the bar, there have not been any Frat boys or obnoxious like people since we have been spinning {OVER 1 year}.

CORNER TAVERN

111-113 SOMERSET AVE [CORNER OF EASTON]

NEW BRUNSWICK ,NJ,

732-247-7677

On Facebook [ Melo Drama] look for a pic of the Melody

http://www.myspace.com/nbmelodybarreunion pictures from all past reunions on this page

http://www.myspace.com/readysteadygo2 pictures from our gigs on this page


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Apology Rejected

David Letterman should never have apologized for the jokes he told on his show the other night. To be sure, they were a bit crude and rude, but so have many of the jokes he's told over the years. He's gone after many people for a laugh and he's always gotten those laughs.

The reaction of governor Palin to the jokes was excessive, and only served to draw more attention to what Letterman said. I can understand why she wouldn't like what he said, but by overreacting, and claiming Letterman said things he never did, she ended up making herself look ridiculous. Her best response to Letterman's tasteless gag about her daughter Bristol would have been to completely ignore it.

Anyone aware of Sara Palin's family history clearly understands from where those jokes originated from, regardless of whether they should have been told or not. For a late night show and late night audience, they were appropriate, and in the end, were simply jokes. They meant nothing at all.

Shortly after telling his jokes at Palin's expense, Letterman started to get some heat about them from the press and the Palin crew. Realizing that maybe he had gone a bit too far, especially having targeted Sara Palin's daughter, he mentioned his regret on his show a few nights later. In my mind this was a reasonable response, coming from a guy who clearly means no ill will to anyone, especially teen girls. That should have been the end of it. People who are in the public eye will invariably stick their foot in their mouths during their careers. People whose job it is to talk and be witty will sometimes say something stupid. We all do it, but everything we say isn't recorded and broadcast to the world. If it were, we'd all sound like asses sometimes.

Instead Palin chose to play the role of victim (how unrepublican), and then went on to claim that Letterman had somehow endorsed the rape or sexual assault of underage teen girls. At that point, her comments had become far more offensive than anything Letterman had said. For someone to come to the conclusion that Dave was endorsing anything of the sort is not only delusional, but frankly scary. That kind of "logic" is not what we need anymore of.

And at that point, Letterman should have really let her have it. He should of stood on stage and said how he'll tell any joke he wants about anyone, and if the network doesn't like it, they can do something about it. But no freaking way he'll bow to a thin skinned liar like Palin.

Free speech comes with responsibility for what you say. Dave owned up to going too far and he certainly meant no harm. Do you think Palin will ever apologize to Dave for lying about what he said?

So, on behalf of David Letterman I hereby withdraw his apology to the Palin's, and demand one from her.

I'm not holding my breath.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

The Death of Criticism ?

What is the point of criticism? What is the value of criticism if it doesn't make us angry, or more usefully, make us, the consumer of things to be criticized look foolish or stupid. Everything that humans set out to do is flawed, whether as a whole or individual effort, and therefore criticism is absolutely vital to the larger process of continual improvement. We cannot achieve perfection, but we can always get a little closer. Without criticism, we don't move closer and things don't get better. Just look around the world and see the difference between societies that don't have free expression and those that do.

In free societies, we understand the value of a free press to call out politicians for their failings, misstatements, screw ups and sometimes lies. The targets of criticism rarely like it, and the impact of criticism can't change things that have already passed. The payoff of criticism is it's corrective effect on future actions and events. Sometimes dramatic, but more often subtle, intelligent well crafted and well argued criticism makes a huge impact. It changes things. Tomorrow.

Criticism is also very useful in regards to consumer products, whether they be cars, food, music or lets say movies. Lots of movies are made and released to the public every year. We can't see them all, so most people rely on the critical opinions of film critics to guide us as to what's worth the money and the time to see. If movies cost only a buck, we wouldn't care too much. But since they cost ten bucks a pop, it matters.

The nature of the artistic endeavors means by definition, that a solid percentage of the body of work of a given artistic genre won't be very good. But only by trying and by taking risks does some of the effort yield works of art, true value that most, or at least a reasonable majority of the target audience can agree upon. As a whole, this rarely fails. But sometimes it does, and spectacularly.

I remember so clearly an evening way back in 1977 that could not be more demonstrative of this point. The first Star Wars movie had just been released. The film critic for what I believe was the NYC WNEW local TV new affiliate (channel 5 for those old enough to remember) completely panned the movie. I think he gave it a three out of ten. I took his word for it and never thought I'd ever go see it. Of course we know how that story worked out. The original Star Wars is a classic, and for whatever legitimate weaknesses it MIGHT have, it's still nothing less than a nine, and that's likely a disservice. The TV news critic was completely wrong, but as it turned out the VAST majority of knowledgeable and experienced and talented critics got it right, and the world kept turning.

Now I'm sure some people don't like Star Wars, or don't get it. That's cool, people are entitled to their opinions, blah, blah, blah. But certain things, certain events, certain moments simply transcend an opinion. Some things are great, and are important, and are incredible despite the fact some don't like it. There's no contradiction there folks. Over time facts and data can and do trump simple opinion, without invalidating individual points of view. Star Wars is great, it was important and is despite someones opinion. One is free to argue about whether the earth is flat or round, but it's round regardless.

Last night I went to see the latest Star Trek movie. Having heard about the plot and the concept, I was intrigued. I loved the original Star Trek series, and yes, it was one of the most important television shows ever made. This movie, unlike the string of Star Trek movies released from the late seventies on, was supposed to occur before the time of the TV series. It was supposed to show us how Kirk and company all got together and why they were who they were. Ok.

The number of film critics, many well established, well known and well regarded who thought this was a good movie was remarkable. With a line up of supporters like that, I was fairly sure I'd like it too. Generally speaking, my experience has been that if Ebert likes it, so will I.

And so I went, eager to see a new chapter of a story I've known and loved for over thirty years.

I have rarely been so disappointed in a movie. I will not go great lengths describing in detail what was wrong with this film, but I will say the problems were comprehensive, and I will say that I cannot imagine how any fan of the original series, however desperate they may be to see Star Trek as a story line continue, could possibly be satisfied with this movie. I have rarely wanted to walk out on a movie more than I did this one. I got far more value out of paying twelve bucks for a popcorn and a gallon of soda than I did paying for the movie.

What I find the most distressing and depressing is how so many critics could have gotten this so wrong, especially since they should know better and that so many of the basic components of a good movie, regardless of what kind of movie it is, were utterly absent in this two hour disgrace. And especially since the previous Star Trek movies had certainly been graded as hit or miss quite accurately over the years. Perhaps it's a case of movie payola for the critics. Tragically, because so many of us were duped into seeing this movie, you can be absolutely sure they'll make another one. Hopefully the critics will get it right the next time and we won't have to be duped by a third.

Sometimes even the majority gets it wrong, which I guess kinda sums up this soon to be passed decade pretty well.

A Farewell To Analog TV

Being a longstanding broadcasting geek, I found the digital switchover that finally occurred yesterday fascinating. While many (probably most) of America's TV stations saw the loss of their analog signal as little more than a bullet item on the day's schedule, a number of them took the opportunity to take time to commemorate the event. It was, after all, the end of an era that, for some stations, started as long ago as 1932.

Some took the opportunity to cover the switchover as breaking news; Here's WABC-DT, leading up to the switchover and then continuing its digital broadcast afterward:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snI_ucrVnL8

Some took the opportunity to reflect on their storied history; here's Dallas' WFAA with a short runthrough of sixty years of broadcasting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYgmSAmvG8Y

WFTV in Orlando took a similar approach: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OK3qDWxAjQ

Sometimes it ended not with a bang, but with a whimper: KYES in Anchorage had an incredibly laid-back closedown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMFw-ZBeFNE

And, finally, the oldest station to sign off, KYW-TV in Philadelphia, whose blink-and-you-missed-it farewell would have been ignominious, if not for its use of the test pattern used by the station when it first started, 77 years ago:

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Stiffy's Guide to Summer '09 TV

Summer is almost here. And there's nothing better to do after a long hot day in the sun than sit on your butt and watch the tube. So what should you be watching?

Generally speaking, there ain't much on the networks. Most of the innovative/shocking/interesting stuff is on cable. First and foremost we have Rescue Me, which airs every Tuesday night on the FX channel. Here we have a top quality drama-comedy about a bunch of dysfunctional NYC firefighters and their screwed up lives. This product of Dennis Leary is just about the best drama on TV. It's gritty, honest, and very funny. Plus it's loaded with the appropriate amount of foul language and realistic not-so-pc talk you'd expect from bunch of guys in a frat house environment. There's also plenty of R rated sexual content that we all really prefer to watch, especially after the kids are asleep.

The actors portray the characters like real people, which is why the show is so good. I'm glad I'm not related to any of them mind you, but it makes for a good show. Did I mention it's also just about the funniest show on TV? You will laugh your butt right off the couch several times an episode. Dennis Leary is a genius.

Another favorite show is Operation Repo which airs on Mondays and a few other times during the week on Trutv.com. Supposedly the show is a reenactment of actual repossessions, but you'd be hard pressed to convince me it isn't actual repo footage. It's a show based on a family run repo business, and follows their misadventures throughout the LA area, taking back cars and trucks from deadbeats behind on their payments. Each encounter with the debtors follows the same script, but each has it's own hysterical twist. First the repo team finds the vehicle and starts hooking it up to the tow truck. Next, the confused and very pissed off owners demand to know what's going on. Then there's a few minutes of screaming and pushing and shoving (and sometimes wrestling, fighting or macing), followed by the car being towed away with the distraught owners chasing the truck and cursing and screaming some more. It is very funny. You have to see the episode where they repossessed a hearse...

TLC has a great line up of shows some of which we are all familiar with. Personally, I like to watch a bit of Say Yes To The Dress, if only to appease my lovely wife, who can't bear to watch another show about aircraft carriers on the military channel. It's all about the drama at a large bridal gown shop somewhere in the city. During a typical episode, several brides-to-be try on a number of gowns in hopes of finding the dream dress. As guys you might naively think it's an easy process, but I assure you it isn't. It's very entertaining to watch the women try on dozens of dresses, all the while being bombarded with opinions from friends, families, fiances and aggressive sales people, and after finding the perfect dress, find out it's 25 thousand dollars. Time to elope!

Finally, classic episodes of Spongebob Squarepants are perfect for when the kids are staying up late on the weekends. Actually, you can catch Spongebob at almost any hour of the day, as it has become so popular with grown ups. I emphasize classic episodes, because as anyone who has watched the show for the last several years knows, the new episodes from roughly 2006 to now are absolutely horrible.

The original show was edgy and hip, with a level of humor that appealed to adults. There were lots of subtle pop culture references no kid under the age of 20 would get, and the scripts were funny and somewhat subversive. The show was never only intended for kids, just like the Simpsons are and the Flintstones were back in the day.

Right after the movie came out, things went downhill in a hurry. The sharp witted scripts and edgy dialogue has been dumbed down or removed all together. The original writers and directors left, taking the heart and soul of the show with them. Worst of all, the voice of Spongebob, done by Tom Kinney, has changed from a rather raspy mid octave male voice to a high, tinny and altogether unbearably annoying to listen to whine. Tom, whatever you've done to change your voice, please change it back.

I can watch any number of the original episodes and laugh at them over and over again. Even my kids aged 9 and 6 get how lousy the new ones are. The show has become a very bad imitation of the original version. It's time to end it before any more damage is done to the franchise.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Altrok Radio Music Update #232

Firstly, the important stuff:

Altrok Radio is at http://www.altrokradio.com

Please remember to tune in whenever you can - every hour you listen turns into more visibility for the station; we show up higher in search listings, and such like that. And if you'd like to help us keep the stream running, check out the advertisers if they appeal to you; your interest actually helps fund us.

And in the interest of keeping you interested...well, you *do* know about our daily retro feature, right? No? Well...

ALTROK'S DAILY RETRO

WEEKDAYS, 11:30a-1:30p EASTERN

Now then, we've got songs to let you know about.

This week, our Grinders (the stuff we play heavily) include music from:

- The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
- Lowline
- The Big Pink
- The Maccabees
- Brazilian Girls
- Art Brut

Plus we've got newly-added music:

- Jarvis Cocker - Angela
- Deastro - Vermillion Plaza
- Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - Bonkers
- Elizabeth And The Catapult - Taller Children
- Foreign Cinema - Arbitrary Map Mode
- Handsome Furs - Radio Kaliningrad
- The Horrors - Mirror's Image
- The Joy Formidable - Whirring
- Micachu & The Shapes - Lips
- The Royal Chains - Ink
- The Sounds - Dorchester Hotel
- VesuviaSonic - Head-On Collision
- Andy White - You Walked Back Into My Heart

Our Newly-Added Classics:

- APB - Shoot You Down
- The Church - It's No Reason
- The Cure - Grinding Halt
- Thomas Dolby - One Of Our Submarines (Salz Hardfloor Mix)
- The Jam - (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave
- Joy Division - Transmission
- Ministry - All Day
- Sparks - Tips For Teens
- Split Enz - Shark Attack
- XTC - The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead


And don't forget the R/SYN Underground night, every Saturday at the Corner Tavern in New Brunswick, where Drew and IronMike keep you dancing with the most advanced playlist this side of the Atlantic (and where, occasionally, yours truly might show up and spin a coupla tracks...ya never know.)

- Sean Carolan
Altrok Radio
On your computer now at http://www.altrokradio.com
On the radio Fridays at 10pm, at 90.5 The Night

Monday, June 01, 2009

The Greatest Album Ever? Maybe...

Last time in this column I proclaimed Green Day the Greatest American Band Ever. I was right of course, but even I didn't know how right I was. Since that time I have purchased and listened to the entire new album, 21st Century Breakdown.

This may be The Greatest Album Ever. Maybe. The power, the sadness, the honesty, and the anger expressed in the songs on this album has greatly affected me in a way that only a few albums have done over many years. It's that good.

Chills down my spine. Hair standing on my arms. And yes, tears. And that's just the first track. Game over.

This is not an album to skip through to your favorite track, you'll miss so much of the heart and soul of this CD. Yes, there are a few standout singles that will blow you away, but to ignore the other 15 tracks is to do a great disservice to Green Day, and if you truly love and admire what they've done in the past, you will honor them by BUYING THE WHOLE ALBUM AND LISTENING ALL THE WAY THROUGH. Honor the artist.

It's OK if you don't fully get it the first time through. I didn't, but the second time through I was transformed.

Green Day has produced a masterpiece. Plain and simple. Every track works, every track fits and every track MEANS SOMETHING. There is no filler. Don't you dare skip ahead.

In this day and age of iTunes and pure singles, few bands even bother thinking about the album format, as a whole piece of art whose sum is far greater than the individual tracks. Most bands simply don't have the talent to do that. That's OK, we love singles, but to be able to produce an album like this, to be willing to create something of this magnitude is to be in a class of artist so beyond the ordinary. With this level of integrity and craftsmanship, Billy Joe and company should be running the U.S. auto industry. We'd all be driving Chevy's, I assure you.

Green Day is an established band. They don't need to try to make a whole album. Just a few singles would be good enough. But they produced this.

21st Century Breakdown reminds us of why we listen to music. Why great music, inspiring music, thrilling music matters to our lives. It makes us feel so wonderfully human.

It is a tragedy that most of this album will never be heard on the radio. And the fact that it can't legally be played in it's entirety is unfortunate.

But you can buy it. And you can listen to it all the way through. Do not buy the singles from iTunes. Spend a few more dollars and get the whole album. Better yet, get the physical recording complete with the artwork from amazon.com.

There isn't much more I can say. This CD, created by America's Greatest Band Ever, born from the pain and anger of witnessing a great nation squander it's wealth,it's reputation and it's future in just a few years, makes that decline almost worth it.

At least we'll have this CD to listen to when the lights go out.
 
Please Look At Our Advertisers (Or The Website Gets It)
Congratulations, you've found the hidden text.
 
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.
 
Of course, it's only here because you want it to be here, and it can only stay if you help it along - especially by checking out our advertisers (they support us) and by listening (the more that listen, the more visible we are.) Please use the "feedback" link above to let us know whether it works for you, and what you want it to be as the future unfolds. (And if you need help hearing it, let us know that, too.)