A long time ago there was a band called the Castawaves.
Also, Happy wedding Mike Mahoney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
New Honda Ruckus 125cc in the works.
Everyone knows I love the Honda Ruckus. It is the most original scooter out there - with rat / survival looks right out of the box. Problem is - the Ruckus is available in only 50cc (too slow) and 250cc (too expensive) displacements.
Fortunately, Honda has a 125cc Ruckus in the works, which would be the perfect displacement for the Ruckus. Here is a video of it.
http://www.honda.co.jp/HDTV/motorshow/Tokyo2005-NP6-S/index.html
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Rocket Punch set to release "BLOOD ON THE UKELELE"
Rocket Punch is releasing the new record, entitled "Blood on the Ukelele" on Yellow Mica Recordings. Rocket Punch is the solo project from Brad, formerly of Geneseo, New York's synth-pop heartthrobs The Pink Cammies. Yellow Mica Recordings is a Swedish record label that has formerly released 7"s and CDRs of The Capstan Shafts, Boyracer, and Javelins.
The record is truly great and has five songs Brad that have been in the works for the past year. If you are the type to constantly compare bands, I would have to tell you that it sounds like Saturday Looks Good to Me, The Capstan Shafts, Pinback, and The Pink Cammies. However, Brad would say it sounds like Jonathan Richman, Brian Wilson, Jeff Gilbert, The Capstan Shafts, Ariel Pink, Kevin Shields, and KK Slider. Furthermore, my opinion is one of these songs is the best song Brad has ever written, though I'll let you guess which one that might be.
Blood on the Ukelele:
1. Pink Cashmere
2. Better Lives
3. Small Volcanoes
4. Michael Don't go to private school
5. Kafka on the S.
The first two songs can be heard already at:
http://www.myspace.com/rocketpunch/
Also, I should include the address for Yellow Mica Recordings:
http://www.yellowmicarecordings.com/
Yellow Mica Recordings is run by a member of the group Javelins, and this is my favorite song of theirs:
Javelins - "I Was Raised as A Polar Bear."
The record is truly great and has five songs Brad that have been in the works for the past year. If you are the type to constantly compare bands, I would have to tell you that it sounds like Saturday Looks Good to Me, The Capstan Shafts, Pinback, and The Pink Cammies. However, Brad would say it sounds like Jonathan Richman, Brian Wilson, Jeff Gilbert, The Capstan Shafts, Ariel Pink, Kevin Shields, and KK Slider. Furthermore, my opinion is one of these songs is the best song Brad has ever written, though I'll let you guess which one that might be.
Blood on the Ukelele:
1. Pink Cashmere
2. Better Lives
3. Small Volcanoes
4. Michael Don't go to private school
5. Kafka on the S.
The first two songs can be heard already at:
http://www.myspace.com/rocketpunch/
Also, I should include the address for Yellow Mica Recordings:
http://www.yellowmicarecordings.com/
Yellow Mica Recordings is run by a member of the group Javelins, and this is my favorite song of theirs:
Javelins - "I Was Raised as A Polar Bear."
Thursday, June 15, 2006
New Kalpana track!
OMG! Geneseo/Rochester now Brooklyn, New York band Kalpana now have a new track! Although my reviews of "This Dead Horse" and "Hors de Combat" are long overdue, I'll just skip to it and go to their new song.
It's called "O Carcass! My Carcass!" It's live, and it has yelling. Chances are it will be on Kalpana's next record, which rumor has it will be one continuous piece of music from start to finish and will be called "How to talk to God (if you must)."
http://glassanimalindex.com/media/music/carcass.mp3
This track starts off slow-ish, like many Kalpana tracks do, but then speeds up a bit with double timed drums that are still slow. The electronics are really taking over the band too, and where the "Hors de Combat" songs had a metal influence, the ones on "This Dead Horse" have more of a glitch influence. At the half-way point the song breaks into a really emoish scream/breakout section. It must be Aaron singing on that part, I'll guess. Aaron kind of sounds like the dude from Sparta, if you like to think of singers in relation to each other.
At just over eight minutes, the song isn't short. But breaking it into two parts keeps it tight and actually cuts the fat. The screaming verse only goes for four times.
Listen and hear for yourself.
It's called "O Carcass! My Carcass!" It's live, and it has yelling. Chances are it will be on Kalpana's next record, which rumor has it will be one continuous piece of music from start to finish and will be called "How to talk to God (if you must)."
http://glassanimalindex.com/media/music/carcass.mp3
This track starts off slow-ish, like many Kalpana tracks do, but then speeds up a bit with double timed drums that are still slow. The electronics are really taking over the band too, and where the "Hors de Combat" songs had a metal influence, the ones on "This Dead Horse" have more of a glitch influence. At the half-way point the song breaks into a really emoish scream/breakout section. It must be Aaron singing on that part, I'll guess. Aaron kind of sounds like the dude from Sparta, if you like to think of singers in relation to each other.
At just over eight minutes, the song isn't short. But breaking it into two parts keeps it tight and actually cuts the fat. The screaming verse only goes for four times.
Listen and hear for yourself.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Rising Up / Rising Down
Dave aka Este aka the drummer from ROCKETS AND BLUELIGHTS is in a new hardcore band called Rising Up / Rising Down. He is wearing the same "GOOD RATS" T Shirt as seen in Rockets and Bluelights photos, so I know it's definitely him.
On their myspace page you may listen to three of their songs, but unfortunately not download them. The untitled one sounds the most like Rockets and Bluelights.
They refer to themselves as a "power trio," so they must be good! They also have a crappy geocities site like Rockets does, which does have this cool insect shirt logo, but no info on their recordings.
http://www.geocities.com/rurdweb/
Saturday, June 03, 2006
IRA RYAN
Today In front of my office I saw the coolest single speed bike. It was marked "IRA RYAN" and I didn't know anything about it. So, I looked it up later today and found Ira Ryan is a bike courier here in Portland. He just started making his own frames and now makes bikes himself. Anyway, I thought this bike was so sexy and so awesome. Here it is. I am going to get a single speed or fixed gear pretty soon. I love them so much. 
www.iraryancycles.com
www.iraryancycles.com
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Rockets and Bluelights
Rockets and Bluelights
Albany, New York's greatest band ever, Rockets and Bluelights now has a fan-run myspace page. It includes downloadable mp3s of "Now This Year" and a few other songs, although I've noticed "Forest Green and Autumn" is mislabeled. Anyway, it's fantastic:http://www.myspace.com/rocketscats
Also, their website is back up, including some semi-infamous pictures:
http://www.geocities.com/rocketscats
Rockets and Bluelights, you are not only still very explosive, you are my favorite band of all time.
Since the Geocities site for Rockets and Bluelights is so unstable, and for a long time wasn't online, I have copied all the text from them here for posterity. Most of it kind of doesn't make much sense but I like it anyway.
july 15th once again forgot about this. we have been taking it easy. we have also compiled the two 4 song ep's we did at dead air recordings (first as rockets and songs from the 10") onto one music w/ new packaging and things. we still have copies of 10" as well. if you would like some music please email bluelights_tour@hotmail.com (cd's are $4 and records are $7) ask about postage please. full length extended play cd with 10 new songs should be out by the fall on peterwalkee records. also, we will be doing a split with once and for all that will be released by mike and oneohfive records.
last winter we got to tour with western sky, from new hampshire. there arent good words for how wonderful they are, but you should find out for yourself. at the end of the tour our wheels, the hacker express, had a stroke which he never fully recovered from. since then we've been living in albany trying to save and get a new van. trying hard but we're still pretty broke so if you want any music or patches or buttons or posters or drawings you can send us postage and maybe a donation or something and we'll really appreciate it. if you're into that you can send an envelope to :
treehaus 643 Morris Street Albany, NY 12208
if you include your email address it'll make it easy for us to get in touch with you if we dont have something
also, we have a 10:" record that we have to sell for 8 dollars so we can get more... the inside looks like this
on our first tour, two summers ago, we played a show in providence at our friend chris' house, the sickle. tin can fest was happening that night, which we couldn't play, so we flyered ours as a free after show. along with western sky, one reason and struction played. one reason are from mississippi and they love life and rock so hard with so much heart, and later brought us to our first waterfall at sliding rock. we love them very much. struction are amazing too. they're music is something very new that people will someday really appreciate. we just played two shows with them at the knitting factory in new york and the crack house in plattsburgh.
MUSIC:
we have an mp3 at this of a song called a smashed piano
we hope to have most songs here and alot of video as well...
we've put out 3 ep's by ourselves that all have 4 songs each, the first one under the name friendship isterrible, we called it unlearning the differences between... we wrote it and recorded it in rajesh's family basement in beautiful columbia county, ny, it goes a rambling discontent, father tells his son how to matter, what they made you mean to me, and junked up on chemistry... then we changed it to rockets and bluelights close at hand and made another version of this with a different picture on the front and one more song on the beginning called henchmen, that song was then put on an albany compilation by lin at losing face but, after that we went to North Amherst, MA and we recorded we are giants, henchmen, whatthey made you mean, and now this year (because we can't wait)... 2 or 3 of them may or may not be on the first one as well... then we came home, then we went back to Massachusetts and recorded a smashed piano, andee, forrest green and autumn, we bleed this in the winter and a song called wintermission that we haven't let anyone have yet, we put them on a cd at first but then we went to Rochester, NY and met Adam who put the aforementioned songs on a 10" record for us, which is nice... now we are finishing nine or ten new songs to put on a cd that our friend Matto is going to help us with thanks.
the day dan went to russia.
My friend Dan, who is also the bassist for the Get Awesome Ninjas, is now in Russia and I am really excited about it. He is blogging a bit about it on his blog:
http://foreign-lawns.livejournal.com/
He also reports:
I gotta get you some pictures of the Ladas and Zhigulis over here. Lots of Benz and VW sightings too. A few scooters here and there, and some VINTAGE Russian motorcycles getting everyday use still.
I love Ladas - I used to see them in Costa Rica. I don't know what a Zhiguli is. What is it, Dan? I would love to see some of the motorcycles and scooters they are riding in Russia, and what the Russia style for 2 wheelers is. Dan, can we get a report? What is cool in Russia? Sorry, guys, but this is much more exciting than me talking about how much I love ORGASM DEMENTIA, even though they are great.
Dan you are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://foreign-lawns.livejournal.com/
He also reports:
I gotta get you some pictures of the Ladas and Zhigulis over here. Lots of Benz and VW sightings too. A few scooters here and there, and some VINTAGE Russian motorcycles getting everyday use still.
I love Ladas - I used to see them in Costa Rica. I don't know what a Zhiguli is. What is it, Dan? I would love to see some of the motorcycles and scooters they are riding in Russia, and what the Russia style for 2 wheelers is. Dan, can we get a report? What is cool in Russia? Sorry, guys, but this is much more exciting than me talking about how much I love ORGASM DEMENTIA, even though they are great.
Dan you are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, May 28, 2006
The Movie Every American Must Go See
The conservatives have said United 93 is the movie every American must go see. The liberals have said An Inconvenient Truth is the movie every American must go see.
I say "WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?" is the movie every American must go see.
link
I say "WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?" is the movie every American must go see.
link
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Volvo Update:
when I got the Volvo it had 161,xxx miles and now it has 170,000 miles. It needs an oil change, new windshield (cracked on route 26 somewhere I believe), a good interior cleaning, some summer tires, and a STEREO so I can listen to The Pine instead of 94.7fm!
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Yellow Mica Recordings
Yellow Mica Recordings is an indie pop label from Sweden that releases CD-Rs and 7"s. They have released records from such musical sunbeams as The Capstan Shafts and Boyracer. I mention them for no reason.
>link<
>link<
Sunday, April 09, 2006
The Pine
The Pine
Since I was involved in the music scene in Geneseo, NY, I was also interested in the music scene in Oswego, NY - home to another college of the State University of New York. Although the label located there, Alone Records, might only be loosely associated with the college, I like to imagine that it takes over Oswego and everyone there knows about the bands on Alone Records. Thus, I was browsing their website one night looking for bands to hear, and stumbled upon a track by the group The Pine.
Although I always say I love punk and hardcore, I only recently realized I only like about 1 percent of it. Probably less; but it's that small portion that I love intensely. But then I hear The Pine and I can not escape them. Their self titled record is the hardest record I have bought in the last year. They sound similar to a Rockets and Bluelights cover band composed of members of Still Life with Matthew Good on vocals. They are really heavy, but also very dynamic.
That, and they attempt to only release music on vinyl.
The first song I ever heard by The Pine was a track called "Growing Calm Together." It was taken from one of their newer albums. Here is a link to it. The Pine - "Growing Calm Together"
Then I heard their early stuff, taken from their first full length and first seven inch. Although some of the titles sound more like Linkin Park tracks, they are great and intense and I love them.
The Pine - early tracks
Links:
Alone Records, Oswego NY
http://www.staticpulse.com/pine/releases.html
http://www.heroine.org/index1.html
http://www.gridsector.com/owsla.html
Since I was involved in the music scene in Geneseo, NY, I was also interested in the music scene in Oswego, NY - home to another college of the State University of New York. Although the label located there, Alone Records, might only be loosely associated with the college, I like to imagine that it takes over Oswego and everyone there knows about the bands on Alone Records. Thus, I was browsing their website one night looking for bands to hear, and stumbled upon a track by the group The Pine.
Although I always say I love punk and hardcore, I only recently realized I only like about 1 percent of it. Probably less; but it's that small portion that I love intensely. But then I hear The Pine and I can not escape them. Their self titled record is the hardest record I have bought in the last year. They sound similar to a Rockets and Bluelights cover band composed of members of Still Life with Matthew Good on vocals. They are really heavy, but also very dynamic.
That, and they attempt to only release music on vinyl.
The first song I ever heard by The Pine was a track called "Growing Calm Together." It was taken from one of their newer albums. Here is a link to it. The Pine - "Growing Calm Together"
Then I heard their early stuff, taken from their first full length and first seven inch. Although some of the titles sound more like Linkin Park tracks, they are great and intense and I love them.
The Pine - early tracks
Links:
Alone Records, Oswego NY
http://www.staticpulse.com/pine/releases.html
http://www.heroine.org/index1.html
http://www.gridsector.com/owsla.html
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Notes on The Nineties at Noon
Lately i have been listening to a lot of 94.7 FM "Alternative Radio." I had just assumed that there would be a lot of great stuff on the radio here - incredible stuff on caliper with KEXP or WGSU or WFMU or KCRW - but no.
Instead, I have been enjoying a station that "gets you through your alternative weekday" and plays "the nineties at noon" (despite playing an overwhelming amount of nineties alternative music during all hours of the day).
Anyway, I have still been listening, and thinking about these songs and what they mean. I have listed them in a spectrum - from best to worst - to try to figure out some things about "alternative music." Some bands are listed with actual songs I heard on the air, while some are not.
To prevent this from becoming a cumbersome (lol!) essay, I've left this in the form of notes.
Good:
The dBs "Black and White" By far the best thing I've heard on this station.*
The Cure - anything other than "Friday I'm In Love"
Blur "Charmless Man" and anything other than "Song 2"
Nada Surf "Popular" and "Do It Again" (new one!)
Sublime - yeah love the 'blime
Cake "Frank Sinatra"- anything by them
Primitive Radio Gods "Standing outside a broken phone booth with money in my hand"
Daft Punk - are great! yay!
Hum "Stars" ok this song is great.
Dinosaur Jr. "Feel The Pain"- ok great awesome - Sebadoh too!
The Lemonheads - anything, even "Mrs. Robinson" is well-recieved by me.
The Strokes "12:51" ok this song's guitar used as a synth and great lyrics win me over, no probs
The Smashing Pumpkins - anything by them, even "Perfect" is great.
Weezer "Say it ain't so" (always great especially when DJ announces song as "Say It Isn't So" lol)
Matisyahu - "King without a crown" - this is some reggae dude or something that is a big change at any point and is listenable so I give it the thumbs up!
The Talking Heads, The Clash, Green Day, Radiohead (with an enthusiastic YES!)
Beastie Boys - still fun
The Ocean Blue
The White Stripes - because why not?!
The Verve "Lucky Man" - ok I bought this album back in the day. yeah orchestral britpop i'll take it.
Middle Ground:
Gorillaz "Dare" - I like this but the song doesn't really go anywhere and isn't dynamic enough. The Gorillaz are awesome, though, so I have high standards.
Poe "Angry Johnny"
She Wants Revenge - Who is this band? Sounds like a rip off of Interpol and Interpol is a rip off of Joy Division so i can't hate them for that. anyway i guess this is the middle ground because I don't care either way about this band, but still stomach it as something new.
Everclear "I Will Buy You A New Life"
Blink 182
Sponge "Wax Ecstatic" : woke up with this one in my head and I guess that means it doesn't suck REM "It's the End of the world as we know it (and i feel fine)" please play anything by REM besides this
Bad:
Pearl Jam - anything
Luscious Jackson "With my naked eye" (they played a jungle remix or was this the original. who cares this sux.)
Coldplay - anything except "Yellow" that song is ok.
Beck "Devil's Haircut" - sorry Beck you don't do it for me...
Weezer "Such a pity" (man this song blows even though it's new. It sounds autotuned, even, which is just sad for such a talented group. The lyrics are horrible and sound like they were translated back and forth between english and japanese a handful of times, literally. - see addendum)
Temple of The Dog - I am never hungry for that "i'm going hungry" song
Stone Temple Pilots
Blur "Song 2" aka Blur "Whoo hoo"
Dishwalla "Counting Blue Cars"
The Cure "Friday I'm In Love" played on a day other than Friday
U2 - Bono is cool but I just don't ever feel like listening to U2, sorry dudes.
The Police "Roxanne" not this one again, please
Nirvana
Foo Fighters
Queens of The Stone Age
Jane's Addiction "Jane Says"
Bush "Glycerine"
Soundgarden
Audioslave "Be Yourself"
* - this was heard on a late night sunday broadcast, not an alternative weekday.
--
Addendum:
Lyrics to "This Is Such A Pity" by Weezer
How is your heart, little darling?
I didn't mean to get so made
Let me just hold you closely
How did things get so bad?
I know how to pick on you
You push me over the edge
We cause so much agony
We can't seem to move ahead
This is such a pity
We should give all our love to each other
Not this hate that destroys us
This is such a pity(This is a pity)
What kind of future will we have?
Will we ever find peace?
Everybody thinks we're crazy
They're about to call the police
I don't want to be a chump
You think I'm a fascist pig
Right now everything is black
I don't think we'll ever give
This is such a pity
We should give all our love to each other
Not this hate that destroys us
This is such a pity(This is a pity)
This is such a pity
We should give all our love to each other
Not this hate that destroys us
This is such a pity(This is a pity)
This is such a pity
We should give
We should give our love(Destroys us)Our love...
Instead, I have been enjoying a station that "gets you through your alternative weekday" and plays "the nineties at noon" (despite playing an overwhelming amount of nineties alternative music during all hours of the day).
Anyway, I have still been listening, and thinking about these songs and what they mean. I have listed them in a spectrum - from best to worst - to try to figure out some things about "alternative music." Some bands are listed with actual songs I heard on the air, while some are not.
To prevent this from becoming a cumbersome (lol!) essay, I've left this in the form of notes.
Good:
The dBs "Black and White" By far the best thing I've heard on this station.*
The Cure - anything other than "Friday I'm In Love"
Blur "Charmless Man" and anything other than "Song 2"
Nada Surf "Popular" and "Do It Again" (new one!)
Sublime - yeah love the 'blime
Cake "Frank Sinatra"- anything by them
Primitive Radio Gods "Standing outside a broken phone booth with money in my hand"
Daft Punk - are great! yay!
Hum "Stars" ok this song is great.
Dinosaur Jr. "Feel The Pain"- ok great awesome - Sebadoh too!
The Lemonheads - anything, even "Mrs. Robinson" is well-recieved by me.
The Strokes "12:51" ok this song's guitar used as a synth and great lyrics win me over, no probs
The Smashing Pumpkins - anything by them, even "Perfect" is great.
Weezer "Say it ain't so" (always great especially when DJ announces song as "Say It Isn't So" lol)
Matisyahu - "King without a crown" - this is some reggae dude or something that is a big change at any point and is listenable so I give it the thumbs up!
The Talking Heads, The Clash, Green Day, Radiohead (with an enthusiastic YES!)
Beastie Boys - still fun
The Ocean Blue
The White Stripes - because why not?!
The Verve "Lucky Man" - ok I bought this album back in the day. yeah orchestral britpop i'll take it.
Middle Ground:
Gorillaz "Dare" - I like this but the song doesn't really go anywhere and isn't dynamic enough. The Gorillaz are awesome, though, so I have high standards.
Poe "Angry Johnny"
She Wants Revenge - Who is this band? Sounds like a rip off of Interpol and Interpol is a rip off of Joy Division so i can't hate them for that. anyway i guess this is the middle ground because I don't care either way about this band, but still stomach it as something new.
Everclear "I Will Buy You A New Life"
Blink 182
Sponge "Wax Ecstatic" : woke up with this one in my head and I guess that means it doesn't suck REM "It's the End of the world as we know it (and i feel fine)" please play anything by REM besides this
Bad:
Pearl Jam - anything
Luscious Jackson "With my naked eye" (they played a jungle remix or was this the original. who cares this sux.)
Coldplay - anything except "Yellow" that song is ok.
Beck "Devil's Haircut" - sorry Beck you don't do it for me...
Weezer "Such a pity" (man this song blows even though it's new. It sounds autotuned, even, which is just sad for such a talented group. The lyrics are horrible and sound like they were translated back and forth between english and japanese a handful of times, literally. - see addendum)
Temple of The Dog - I am never hungry for that "i'm going hungry" song
Stone Temple Pilots
Blur "Song 2" aka Blur "Whoo hoo"
Dishwalla "Counting Blue Cars"
The Cure "Friday I'm In Love" played on a day other than Friday
U2 - Bono is cool but I just don't ever feel like listening to U2, sorry dudes.
The Police "Roxanne" not this one again, please
Nirvana
Foo Fighters
Queens of The Stone Age
Jane's Addiction "Jane Says"
Bush "Glycerine"
Soundgarden
Audioslave "Be Yourself"
* - this was heard on a late night sunday broadcast, not an alternative weekday.
--
Addendum:
Lyrics to "This Is Such A Pity" by Weezer
How is your heart, little darling?
I didn't mean to get so made
Let me just hold you closely
How did things get so bad?
I know how to pick on you
You push me over the edge
We cause so much agony
We can't seem to move ahead
This is such a pity
We should give all our love to each other
Not this hate that destroys us
This is such a pity(This is a pity)
What kind of future will we have?
Will we ever find peace?
Everybody thinks we're crazy
They're about to call the police
I don't want to be a chump
You think I'm a fascist pig
Right now everything is black
I don't think we'll ever give
This is such a pity
We should give all our love to each other
Not this hate that destroys us
This is such a pity(This is a pity)
This is such a pity
We should give all our love to each other
Not this hate that destroys us
This is such a pity(This is a pity)
This is such a pity
We should give
We should give our love(Destroys us)Our love...
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Pictures
Kalpana / L-R: drew, blair, aaron, michael / march 2004
The GAN / L-R: dan, jeff, zach / march 2004
The Detachment Kit (NYC) / September 6, 2004
The Pink Cammies / L-R: russell, brad, jeff / feb 11, 2005
[I was checking up on WGSU, and it seems they have a gallery of pictures. Many of these pictures were taken at shows I organized or promoted at SUNY Geneseo, and surprisingly many were shots I had not seen. These four are some of the best ones there.]
[click on the pink cammies one - it gets bigger]
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