Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Get Up On The Rooftop And Scream Out Loud!!!






Scream Loud!!! - The Fenton Story
2006
Shared by The Usual Suspects @ 320+
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The 60's Release of the year!!! -The Fenton Story - 61 Prime Slabs of Mid 60's Michigan/ Detroit Teen Punk by 32 Bands. The extremely limited vinyl Boxset contains 3 individual LP's each with their own sleeve + a very informative inserts contain story and liner notes. The 2CD version comes with an ultra extensive 44 page book ! This is the Reissue of the year 2006 !! One of the last lost treasures out of the wild mid sixties now available after 40 years. Many for the very first time. Beautifully re-mastered in gorgeous mono. The sounds presented herein were largely recorded by young people blessed with the innocence of youth, which made all things seem possible even as college, the draft, marriage, and the other responsibilities of the real world were bearing down upon them. Some 40 years later they still possess considerable charm, at the very least evoking the magical aura of the mid-1960s, and at their best standing as enduring musical statements!
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Trackliste:
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The Quest's - I'm Tempted

Tonto & The Renigades - Little Boy Blue

The Beaux Jens - She Was Mine

The JuJus - I'm Really Sorry

Chancellors - 5 Minus 3

The Saharas - They Play It Wild

The Jades - We Got Something Going

The Chentelles - Be My Queen

Headhunters - Times We Share

The Assortment - First I Look At The Purse

The 9th Street Market - You're Gone

The Blokes - All American Girl

The Sheffields - Nothing I Can Do

The Aardvarks - I Don't Believe

The Blues Company - She's Gone

The Soul Benders - Seven And Seven Is

Black Watch - Left Behind

The Penetraters - What Went Wrong

The Jades - Surface World

The Aardvarks - I'm Higher Than I'm Down

The Mussies - 12 O'Clock, July

The JuJus - You Tread Me Bad

The Tribe - Fickle Little Girl

The Plagues - Why Can't You Be True

Peter and The Prophets - Don't Need Your Lovin

Tonto & The Renigades - I Knew This Thing Would Happen

The Barons - Try A Love With Me

The Quest's - Shadows In The Night

Me and Dem Guys - Come On Little Sweetheart

Renegades V - Wine, Wine, Wine

The Plagues - I've Been Through It Before

The Mussies - Louie Go Home

The Fugitives - You Can't Blame That On Me

The Legends - I'll Come Again

The JuJus - Do You Understand Me

The Quest's - Psychic

The 9th Street Market - I'm A Baby

Peter and The Prophets - Johnny Of Dreams

The Pedestrians - It's Too Late

The Beaux Jens - Trouble Baby

Bed Of Roses - I Gotta Fight

The Aardvarks - That's Your Way

The Barons - Don't Come Back No More

The Jades - Confined Congragation

The Fugitives - I'll Hang Around

The Blokes - Slander's Child

Lyn and The Invaders - Boy Is Gone

Tonto and The Renegades - The Easy Way Out

The Jades - Please Come Back

The Pentagon's - Try And Find

The Plagues - (Clouds Send Down) Tears From My Eyes

Poor Boys Pride - The Place

Chancellors - Dear John

The Assortment - Bless Our Hippy Home

The Plagues - Through This World

The Aardvarks - I Don't Need You

The Blues Company - Experiment In Color

The JuJus - Hey Little Girl

Tonto and The Renegades - Anytime You Want Some Lovin'

The Quest's - Scream Loud

The Pedestrians - Think Twice
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Monday, June 29, 2009

More Haunting Sounds Of Phantom Guitars


An Outbreak Of Twangin' - Phantom Guitars Vol. 2
Shared by The Usual Suspects and ripped at 192
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For An Outbreak of Twangin', the follow-up to 2008's Phantom Guitars, The Bevis Frond's Nick Saloman has again assembled a couple dozen incredibly obscure and kitschy surf guitar gems. I am pleased to report that the influence of legendary paranoid reverb-monger/occultist/murderer Joe Meek looms large here.

Generally, the word "outbreak" is intimately intertwined with something negative (such as chlamydia), but this disc bucks that trend admirably. Most obviously, this is an extremely fun and consistently excellent album. Secondly, while most of the artists are British, there are many unexpected contributions from countries that are not traditionally associated with surf music (as well as a conspicuous absence of Americans). Finally, I have yet to be disappointed by any album that features bands dressed like vikings (the Saxons) or gladiators (Nero and The Gladiators).
The liner notes are quite entertaining and obviously required quite a bit of research on Salomon’s part. For example, several of the unknown and enigmatic bands included share names with other bands (The Boys, the Volcanos, The Rapiers, etc.), which must have been rather confusing. Also, some bands—such as Norway’s The Runestones and Ahab & The Wailers—still remain completely shrouded in mystery despite his best efforts. The fact that there is at least one man on earth tirelessly trying to unearth the history of Scandinavian surf bands makes me extremely happy. Incidentally, the band with the most bizarre story here are certainly Joe Meek protégés The Saxons, who later became The Tornadoes (because the actual Tornadoes broke up and Joe thought they were too popular to not replace). Also, their guitarist eventually wound up in an Israeli prog band.
It is hard to choose favorites, as Twangin’ is a fairly full-throttle beach blast from start to finish, but The Boys' “Polaris” is an exceedingly rocking gem in the traditional surf vein: deep, twanging guitars, twinkling piano, and a propulsive snare roll rhythm. Immediately afterwards, The Saints' “Husky Team” adheres to the same formula, but amplifies the intensity considerably with muscular stomping drums and occasional interludes of snare fills and party banter and hooting. I am always a big fan of tracks that feature sounds of people partying: I like to imagine that it means that the track was so infectious and amazing that the usually curmudgeonly engineer and bored session players had no choice but to erupt in spontaneous dancing and revelry. It would kill me to find out otherwise. Also of note, I believe "Husky Team" was recorded with Joe Meek (although Meek’s rabid passion for reverb and echo is everywhere on this album, whether he was involved or not).
“An Outbreak of Murder” by The Gordon Franks Orchestra is a bit of an aberration here, as it veers into noir-ish lounge music territory and is far more indebted to Martin Denny than The Ventures. However, several other tracks do diverge somewhat from surf into more rambunctious Duane Eddy territory (like the Ramblers' “Just for Chicks”) or betray a western or boogie-woogie influence.
Obviously, listening to 26 surf guitar instrumentals in one sitting invariably and rapidly starts to yield diminishing returns, but Saloman has done an amazing job with track selection. There are no weak or overexposed tracks on Outbreak at all; just fun, camp, and absurdity (the liner notes helpfully point out that this album is the next best thing having "a funfair in your own living room").

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Tracklist:
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1. Django - The Cliffhangers
2. Polaris - The Boys
3. Husky Team - The Saints
4. Neb's Tune - Ahab & The Wailers
5. Red Dragon, The - The Blackjacks
6. Black Eyes - The Hearts
7. Jezebel - Rob E.G.
8. Desperadoes, The - The Eagles
9. Workout - Alan Caddy
10. Outbreak Of Murder, An - The Gordon Franks Orchestra
11. Saxon Warcry - The Saxons
12. Clearway - Judd Proctor
13. Ghost Train - Bert Weedon
14. Paella - The Sunspots
15. Mandrake - Mandrake
16. Train To Moscow - Dietrich Pregl/Teddy Vento
17. Temptation - Richard Harding
18. Polaris - The Volcanos
19. Jaywalker - Peter Jay/The Jaywalkers
20. Desperado - Jim Gunner
21. Bush Fire - The Cannons
22. Les Champions - Colorado
23. Just For Chicks - The Ramblers
24. Phantom Stage, The - The Rapiers
25. Exodus - The Runestones
26. Boots - Nero & The Gladiators
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Sunday, June 28, 2009

Little Grass Shack - Ukulele Bartt and Bill Tapia

Bill Tapia is the worlds oldest living full-time ente rtainer at 101 years old. I just saw Bill Friday night, still sounding as great!
He is a National Treasure. He's getting ready to go on tour in Japan in a few weeks. This December, he will be celebrating his 102 nd birthday with a luau performance in Southern California.

Have a great week. Bill will.

I'm Haunted By These Phantom Guitars



Phantom Guitars

A Cool Collection of Twangin' Guitar Instrumentals From The UK 61-64

Served to you courtesy of AlZombie at a scary 320. Boo!

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One of England's first noteworthy rock group was the Shadows, and their polished instrumental style, with Hank Marvin's twanging Stratocaster leads way out in front, set a template that a great many U.K. bands would follow until the Beatles and the Rolling Stones upended everything in 1963. Nick Saloman of the Bevis Frond delivers another enjoyable look back at the history of U.K. pop with Phantom Guitars: A Cool Collection of Twangin' Instrumentals from the UK 1961-1964, which collects 25 rare selections from the days when Duane Eddy, Jorgen Ingmann, and Lonnie Mack were still forces to be reckoned with on the pop charts. If you're looking for startling originality, there's little to be had here, but if you dig ringing single-note leads with plenty of string bending and whammy-bar action, this disc is 56 minutes of aural manna from heaven. Dennis Newey's "Title Unknown" gets high marks for wit, familiar melodies get a workout on "Temptation" by Bobby Taylor and "Bizet as It Were" by the Players, "Circlorama" from the Champions salutes a little-remembered innovation in motion-picture technology, and the Violents and Group X both deserve to be cited for their remarkably cool names, even if their music didn't quite live up to the billing. As with the lion's share of releases from Saloman's Psychic Circle label, this set includes well-written liner notes that pass along what's known about the artists, and the mastering is good despite these rare recordings being sourced from vinyl discs. The instrumental rock scene was a vitally important part of the rise of homegrown British rock, and if this deals in obscurities rather than hits, Phantom Guitars documents how pervasive this sound once was, and how many great pickers were making the rounds in the early '60s. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

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Tracklist
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Stampede Falcons
Jack's Good The Krew Kats
Phantom Guitar Phantoms
Temptation Bobby Taylor

The Storm Hunters
Title Unknown Dennis Newey

No Room for Squares The Executives

Fury The Nu-Notes

Fly-by-Nite The Cougars

Circlorama The Champions

The Mexican Fentones

Am I Worth It? The Gimmicks

Red Leather Jacket Dunhill & Weiser

The Traitors Packabeats

Jungle Street The Planets

Mind Reader Johnny Howard Group

Big City Rhet Stoller

Bizet as It May The Players

Ghia The Violents

Crossbeat Group X

Cossack Barons

Trouble Shooter Bob Miller & The Millermen

Shakedown Rowena Vengers

Tovarich The Gladiators

The One Nighters The Royal Showband Waterford

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Friday, June 26, 2009

RIP Michael


Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Brake Out The Jiffy Pop!






It's time for a new segment on Trustar Vibrations. We will be bringing some great television shows from the past. So warm up the set, grab your Jiffy Pop, tip back the Barc-A-Lounger and get ready for some Tee Vee!
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First up what is almost unanamously know as one of the worst American TV shows in history, My Mother The Car. It does deserve to be seen. Hey, everything else is only going to get better!
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Wiki says:
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My Mother The Car is an American television situation comedy which aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965 and September 6, 1966. Thirty episodes were produced in all, produced by United Artists Television.
Critics and adult viewers generally panned the show, often savagely. In 2002, TV Guide proclaimed it to be the second-worst of all time, just behind The Jerry Springer Show. In 2009 the O'Reilly Factor voted it the worst TV show of all time, with Jerry Springer second.

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Synopsis:
The show follows the exploits of attorney David Crabtree (played by Jerry Van Dyke), who, while shopping at a used car lot for a station wagon to serve as a second family car, instead purchases a dilapidated 1928 "Porter" touring car. Crabtree heard the car call his name in a woman's voice which turned out to be that of his deceased mother, Gladys (voiced by Ann Sothern). The car, a valuable antique, is a reincarnation of his mother who talks (only to Crabtree, of course) through the car's radio. The dial light flashed in sequence with "Mother's" voice. In an effort to get his family to accept the old, tired car, Crabtree brings it to a custom body shop for a full restoration, which in turn brings it to the attention of a rather shifty car collector.
For the rest of the series, Crabtree is pursued by the avaricious Captain Manzini (Avery Schreiber), who is determined to acquire the valuable automobile from Crabtree. In a running gag characterizing his shifty nature, Manzini (who resembles a 1920s silent film villain) always mispronounces Crabtree's name when speaking to him. "Now, then, Crabapple..." "That's Crabtree." "Whatever."
Others in the cast included Maggie Pierce as wife Barbara and Cindy Eilbacher (the sister of Lisa Eilbacher) and Randy Whipple as the kids, Cindy and Randy.
My Mother the Car belonged to the genre of "wacky" TV sitcoms popular at the time that featured supernatural characters and cartoonish situations, such as Bewitched and My Favorite Martian, but it failed and for many years afterward was widely ridiculed as the quintessential "worst show of all time," though many competitors have vied for that title since then. It did not help that the highly respected Dick Van Dyke Show, starring Jerry's brother, was still on the air at the time on another network. It might also be argued that the show was somewhat ahead of its time (Knight Rider, a more-successful 1980s action program, also uses the talking car concept). Audience demographics was an emerging science in the mid-1960s. My Mother the Car was a hit with younger viewers, but no one at the time knew just how to exploit the youth market with a live-action sitcom.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A Good Laugh


This is something to think about when negative people are doing their best to rain on your parade. So remember this story the next time someone who knows nothing and cares less tries to make your life miserable.
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A woman was at her hairdresser's getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband.. She mentioned the trip to the hairdresser, who responded:
" Rome ? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty.. You're crazy to go to Rome . So, how are you getting there?"
"We're taking Continental," was the reply. "We got a great rate!"
"Continental?" exclaimed the hairdresser. " That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome ?"
"We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome's Tiber River called Teste."
"Don't go any further. I know that place. Everybody thin ks its gonna be something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump."
"We're going to go to see the Vatican and maybe get to see the Pope."
"That's rich," laughed the hairdresser. You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll look the size of an ant.
Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it."
A month later, the woman again came in for a hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome.
"It was wonderful," explained the woman, "not only were we on time in one of Continental's brand new planes, but it was overbooked, and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on me hand and foot.
And the hotel was great! They'd just finished a $5 million remodeling job, and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city. They, too, were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us their owner's suite at no extra charge!"
"Well," muttered the hairdresser, "that's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope."
"Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder, and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if I'd be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet me.
Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me."
"Oh, really! What'd he say ?"

He said: "Who fucked up your hair?"

It Ain't Braggin' MotherF@%*$ If You Back It Up!


Kid Rock
Cocky
2001

Ripped @ 320
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Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Great title. Pretty good album. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that Kid Rock decided to follow his Devil Without a Cause blueprint for its follow-up, since that was the record where he figured out how to mix "the hard rock/Southern rock with the hip-hop," creating a towering, powerful original blend of country-fried metal, heartland rock, knowing arena rock posturing, old-school rap, and classic American hard rock. It was what he planned to do from the outset, so why should he give it up now that he could finally do what he always wanted? Still, there's no denying that a sequel simply does not pack the punch and the surprise of the original, no matter how well it's constructed, and that's why it initially is easy to view Cocky as a bit of a disappointment, since it not only offers nothing new, it seems considerably tamer than its predecessor. How could it not? Not only does Kid have nothing to prove this time around -- he not only went platinum, he did it ten times-plus and then landed Sheryl Crow and Pam Anderson -- he no longer has his midget sidekick, Joe C., around to enhance the Midwestern carnival atmosphere of his entourage. That wild, white-trash Fellini-esque vibe is missed, as is the overwhelmingly great songwriting of Devil, but if not viewed as direct competition with its predecessor -- which is, after all, the great hard rock album of the late '90s, filled with great sounds and songwriting -- Cocky is a pretty good sequel. One that roots itself deeper in classic rock than in hip-hop and one that isn't as gonzo or as funny, but is still much, much funnier and looser than any of its competitors, while rocking much harder. If the songs aren't classics or if it tends to drift instead of staying focused like Devil, it still is better than anything else in Kid's catalog and anything else from his rap-metal competitors (he makes all of them sound like rank amateurs), and it has better riffs and earthier rhythms than any hard rock artist since 38 Special, while retaining a true Michigan flavor. That might not make it the equal of Devil Without a Cause, but unpretentious, blue-collar hard rock hasn't sounded this good in nearly 20 years, and that's reason enough to celebrate.
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1 Trucker Anthem
2 Forever
3 Lay It on Me
4 Cocky
5 What I Learned out on the Road
6 I'm Wrong, But You Ain't Right
7 Lonely Road of Faith
8 You Never Met a Motherf**ker Quite Like Me
9 Picture
10 I'm a Dog
11 Midnight Train to Memphis
12 Baby Come Home
13 Drunk in the Morning
14 WCSR
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Monday, June 22, 2009

Exciting News For Trustar


Just had this info passed on by Doug today. Maybe possibility of other shows more westward. Keeping my fingers crossed.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPRLog (Press Release) – May 22, 2009 – Musician Todd Rundgren will perform his entire "A Wizard, A True Star" album live for the first time ever on September 6th, 2009 at the Akron Civic Theatre in Akron, Ohio beginning at 8pm. The concert is being presented by RundgrenRadio.com. Ticket prices start at $50 and are available at http://www.awatslive.com/ and http://www.ticketmaster.com/. Additional information can be found at http://www.awatslive.com/. Todd will be performing with several musicians that have not been announced yet. Todd and his band will perform other songs from his vast catalog before embarking on the full album presentation. Over 75% of the tickets have already been sold for this theme concert and a sellout is expected by the end of May. Hundreds of fans from all over the USA will be visiting Akron to attend this "A Wizard, A True Star" gig. Some Todd Rundgren fans from 4 other countries - - - Japan, United Kingdom, Scotland, and Canada - - - will also be in attendance. "A Wizard, A True Star" was Todd’s follow up to his most commercially successful album, “Something /Anything?” which included popular hits like “I Saw The Light” and “Hello It’s Me”. Instead of going with a similar sound Todd Rundgren went in a completely different direction with his electrical psychedelic album "A Wizard, A True Star". Rundgren chose to abandon stardom and, with it, conventional pop music. He began a course through uncharted musical territory, becoming a pioneer not only in electronic music and prog rock, but in music video, computer software, and Internet music delivery as well. Although the album wasn’t a big hit with critics and didn’t reach near the sales as Todd’s previous album, it’s the clear cut favorite of Todd’s most avid fans and is considered a very influential album to thousands of musicians. Todd’s manager, Eric Gardner of Panacea Entertainment, said, “It was Todd’s 180 degree turn after 'Something/Anything?' much to the dismay of the record company and much to the dismay of radio. Back then they were hoping for a follow up of 'Something/Anything?' something in the same vein. 'A Wizard, A True Star' is actually a record that’s near and dear to Todd’s heart because it was so contrary”. "A Wizard, A True Star" was listed in the 2006 musical reference book, “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”.
In 2003, British music critic Barney Hoskyns wrote in MOJO magazine, "Rundgren’s 'A Wizard, A True Star' is simply the greatest album ever made”. Todd Rundgren has released over 30 albums either as a solo artist or with his bands Nazz, Utopia, and The New Cars while producing acclaimed, successful records for artists as diverse as Badfinger, Meat Loaf, Grand Funk Railroad, the New York Dolls, and XTC. Despite Todd's incredible accomplishments and influence on the music industry, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame committee - - - in Akron's neighboring town of Cleveland - - - has failed to induct him. Ironically, one of the reasons Ohio was chosen as the place to host this concert was because of the strong Todd fan base in Cleveland.
Thanks Doug
More news as it comes in.
Check the archives for some other Todd Rundgren albums for your listening pleasure.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Ol' Style Blues From This Gunslinger


Eric Sardinas
Treat Me Right
1999
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Just saw Eric again last night. Been following him for the last 10 years. Great stage presence and performance. He and his group Big Motor played for 3 hours, long enought to keep this old guy up past 1 a.m. Payin' the price today but it was well worth it.
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Biography by Char Ham
The term "blues-rock" brings with it a connotation of a blues artist "selling out" in order to make more money or a rock band blaring heavy riffs with a thinly veiled strain of blues. A worse offense is that many of these rock artists have little or no knowledge of the blues in its historical context or its mythological roots.
That is certainly not true in the case of Eric Sardinas. At six, his first love was Delta blues, as it "was the thrill of hearing one person playing the guitar and generating the energy of five - I loved the sheer strength and heart of a single player." Just as unusual was citing his first influences as Barbecue Bob, Charley Patton, and Bukka White, then Elmore James, Muddy Waters, and Big Bill Broonzy. He exclusively concentrates on slide guitar, employing his cherished Dobros, some that are customized to play by Edison's power. Sardinas listens to 78s, then couples these influences with modern sounds.
He moved around the country, landing in Los Angeles in 1990. Like the early blues folk, he played acoustic for a living on the street, then formed the Eric Sardinas Project (ESP) by hooking up with bassist Paul Loranger at a jam session. Loranger had the ideal sound that Sardinas wanted, a bassist who had exceptional playing ability on upright and electric and could work the upright in a blues-rock context. Two years later, drummer Scott Palacios joined them. It took ESP six years of experience of performing nearly 300 shows annually, playing from acoustic gigs in coffeehouses to sharing the bill with rock bands at Hollywood clubs. Musical-instrument companies sent them gigging at showcase concerts, which led the band to a gig as the opening act for a West Coast swing of a Johnny Winter's tour. Word got around, receiving the attention of Evidence Records. Blues discoverer Dick Shurman produced Sardinas' 1999 debut, Treat Me Right. In 2000, Sardinas released a three-song single spotlighting his burning take on J.B. Hutto's "Angel Face." Devil's Train, his second full-length album, followed in 2001 and featured more of Sardinas' trademark blues-rock.
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Tracklist:

Treat Me Right
Write Me A Few Lines
Murdering Blues
Cherry Bomb
My Baby's Got Something
Give Me Love
Rollin' and Tumblin'
Low Down Love
Get Along Rider
Goin' To The River
I Can't Be Satisfied
Sweetwater Blues
Down In The Bottom
Tired Of Tryin'
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http://rapidshare.com/files/246874791/Eric_Sardinas_-_Treat_Me_Right.rar

The Journey Continues

The Endless Summer II
Surf Flick
1994
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Enjoy your Father's Day
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The Endless Summer II is a 1994 film directed by Bruce Brown and is a sequel to his 1966 film The Endless Summer. In The Endless Summer II, surfers Pat O'Connell and Robert "Wingnut" Weaver retrace the steps of Mike Hynson and Robert August. It shows the growth and evolution of the surfing scene since the first film, which presented only classic longboard surfing. O'Connell rides a shortboard, which was developed in the time between the two movies, and there are scenes of windsurfing and bodyboarding. The film illustrates how far surfing had spread, with footage of surf sessions in France, South Africa, Costa Rica, Australia Bali, Java, and even Alaska.
In 2003, Dana Brown, Bruce's son, made what is seen as the "third movie", Step Into Liquid. It follows the evolution of surfing over the last 10-15 years from shortboarding to tow-in surfing.
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http://rapidshare.com/files/245366942/The_Endless_Summer_II.part1.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/245413198/The_Endless_Summer_II.part2.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/245445943/The_Endless_Summer_II.part3.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/245626090/The_Endless_Summer_II.part4.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/245630467/The_Endless_Summer_II.part5.rar

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

WARNING! Only For The Happy


Mogwai
Happy Songs For Happy People
2003

Served in a ridiculous 320
*
Review by Heather Phares
At first glance, the album title Happy Songs for Happy People seems almost as ironic as the name of their previous album, Rock Action. After listening to the album, however, it's apparent that its title isn't just meant as a joke. Though "happy" isn't necessarily the first word that springs to mind when describing the band's intricate, brooding style, it is a word and emotion that is both simple and profound, much like the direction Mogwai's music takes here. Happy Songs for Happy People takes the focus and restraint of Rock Action to greater lengths, but it never feels like a rehash of their previous work. The palette of sounds the band uses -- which includes rolling guitars and pianos, swelling strings, persuasive but un-showy drumming, and occasional forays into distortion and electronics -- is a relatively small one, but the band uses it wisely on tracks as diverse as the lovely, understated "Kids Will Be Skeletons" (arguably the "happiest" song on the album) and the gloriously dense finale, "Stop Coming to My House," which piles layers and layers of distorted drums, guitars, and synths atop each other. Mogwai also employs its usual quietly beautiful/explosively noisy dynamic formula expertly, particularly on the gorgeous "Killing All the Flies," which feels much longer (in a good way) than four and a half minutes.
Old-school Mogwai fans disappointed by the relative brevity of most of Happy Songs for Happy People's songs should be pleased by "Ratts of the Capital," which, over the course of eight minutes, nearly reaches the epic proportions of the Young Team/Come on Die Young era. Once again, though, it's not merely a return to their old sound: The track begins with darkly chiming guitars and xylophones and then builds to a crushing climax, but even its heaviest moments are leavened with beauty, and its nearly symmetrical rise and fall make it fit perfectly with the rest of the album. Fortunately, though, the new techniques Mogwai explores on this album are just as satisfying, if not more so, than the band's familiar ones: "Golden Porsche"'s richly mellow bass and pianos sound more akin to Americana than post-rock, while "I Know You Are But What Am I?"'s shuffling, piston-like rhythm and twinkling synths are both brooding and childlike. A strangely dreamy, reverent feel winds through the album, surfacing on the Spiritualized-esque "Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep" and "Moses? I Amn't," which has a buzzing synth bass so deep it makes your brain vibrate. In some ways, Happy Songs for Happy People is almost too consistent -- by the time its second half rolls around, it's easy to take its dense beauty for granted. The upside is that it's one of those rare albums where you're convinced that you've just heard the song that is going to be your favorite -- until you hear the next song, and then the song after that. With Happy Songs for Happy People, Mogwai gets to have it both ways -- it's ironic and sincere, concise and expansive, challenging and accessible, and it's one of the band's best albums, no two ways about it.

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Tracklisting:
1. Hunted by a Freak
2. Moses? I Amn't
3. Kids Will Be Skeletons
4. Killing All the Flies
5. Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep
6. Ratts of the Capital
7. Golden Porsche
8. I Know You Are But What Am I?
9. Stop Coming to My House
*

Nothin's Sweeter Than Candye




Candye Kane
White Trash Girl
2005
*
Biography by Stewart Mason
A former stripper and men's magazine model who also did the occasional X-rated video shoot back in the '80s, Candye Kane would be the blues version of the Andrea True Connection, but for one vitally important fact: this woman can really sing! An updated version of Bessie Smith with a wicked sense of humor and a gleefully omnisexual persona, Candye Kane and her backup band the Swingin' Armadillos aren't just a novelty act, but a sassy, smart, and always-entertaining mix of sex, showbiz, and swing.
Los Angeles-native Kane started her musical career with 1994's spotty Home Cookin', but really hit her stride with 1995's Knockout and, especially, 1997's excellent Diva la Grande. The short-lived swing revival led to a major-label deal for 1998's Swango, but that cocktail-influenced swing record didn't give her jump blues brassiness its due, and when Sire gave Kane her walking papers, she settled in the far more hospitable environs of Rounder, which released the much improved The Toughest Girl Alive in 2000. Three years later, Kane released Whole Lotta Love, an album made available via Germany's Ruf Records.

2005's White Trash Girl, produced by WC Handy Award nominee Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff, included collaborations with Gary Primich, Preston Hubbard and Riley Osborn.
*
Review by Hal Horowitz
Candye Kane has never shied away from her lusty, busty persona either on album or live, but that very honestly must have unfairly tainted her as an act needing a sexy visual hook to attract an audience. Certainly that's far from the truth, as all of her albums have proven Kane to be a strong, distinctive, and malleable song stylist, with a hurricane-styled approach to her rollicking R&B. Her seventh release doesn't push those established boundaries, but it's another terrific example of Kane's talents. Only five of these 14 songs are not written or co-penned by the singer, and all are potent examples of her wide range and excitement as a singer/bandleader. There is some Lou Ann Barton in her sassy delivery, especially when she sings a ballad such as "I Could Fall for You" or kicks into a snazzy bluesy shuffle as on the cool, rearranged version of the Lovin' Spoonful's classic "Daydream." As usual, she surrounds herself with top-notch musicians such as ex-Fabulous Thunderbirds/Roomful of Blues bassist Preston Hubbard, harmonica ace Gary Primich, and veteran producer Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff. Hence, the album's sound is tight, punchy, and rollicking. Kicking off with the title cut, featuring a riff that is little more than a reworking of John Lee Hooker's "Dimples," Kane and her band charge through the material with a visceral energy perfect for this upbeat bluesy material. Some of the lyrical juxtapositions are strange; the raunchy one-two punch of sexual domination described in "Mistress Carmen" and the self-explanatory "Masturbation Blues" segues into an album-closing gospel version of "Let There Be Peace on Earth," the latter sung only with acoustic piano accompaniment. But that just makes the album more fun. A bawdy cover of Bull Moose Jackson's "Big Fat Mamas Are Back in Style" fits with Kane's heavy-set, white-trash aesthetic and also roars out with enough jump-swing energy to get the party moving. The melodies are little more than standard blues and swing reworkings, but the execution is so consistently frisky, spirited, and entertaining that it's impossible not to be impressed by this lighthearted romp from one of the genre's most unfairly overlooked singers.

1 White Trash Girl
2 Estrogen Bomb
3 What Happened to the Girl
4 Daydream
5 Big Fat Mamas Are Back in Style
6 Queen of the Wrecking Ball
7 Misunderstood
8 I Wanna Do More
9 It Must Be Love
10 Work What You Got
11 I Could Fall for You
12 Mistress Carmen
13 Masturbation Blues
14 Let There Be Peace on Earth
*

The Light Of The Triffids


David McComb
Love Of Will
1994
*
Biography by Michael Sutton
The Triffids' late frontman David McComb had Nick Cave's deep, impassioned vocals and Leonard Cohen's poetic, insightful lyrics but neither quality rewarded him with commercial success. Born on February 17, 1962, in Perth, Australia, McComb was the son of a plastic surgeon and a geneticist. McComb started his first group, Dalsy, in high school. Dalsy would eventually become the Triffids. After graduating from high school, McComb attended Curtin University. In 1980, the Triffids' first single, "Stand Up," appeared. A year later, McComb moved to Sydney, Australia, with the Triffids, releasing their debut album, Treeless Plain. He recorded five more LPs with the Triffids, each acclaimed by critics but none of them launching the band into stardom, thus the Triffids broke up in 1989. McComb then joined the Blackeyed Susans while also trying to establish himself as a solo artist. He contributed a track to the Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan in 1991. In 1994, McComb released his solo debut, Love of Will. On a trip to New York, McComb became sick; he quickly returned to Australia and was subsequently placed on a waiting list for heart transplants. A donor was discovered in 1995, and McComb underwent a successful operation. On January 30, 1999, McComb was hospitalized after a car accident; he passed away on February 2, 1999, while trying to recuperate.
*
Tracklisting:
1 Clear Out My Mind
2 Setting You Free
3 Day Of My Ascension
4 Deep In A Dream
5 Nothing Good
6 The Lord Burns Every Clue
7 Lifelike
8 Lover Sister #1
9 Heard You Had A Bed
10 Inside Of Me
11 Leaning
12 I Want To Conquer You
13 Pack Up Your Troubles

*

A Little Bit Of Sympathy


Robin Trower
Robin Trower Live
1976
*
All Music Guide
An excellent recording of a superb 1975 stadium show in Sweden, Robin Trower's Live album is a perfect snapshot of the guitar hero in his prime. The record also gives ample evidence of why the Robin Trower Band was one of the most successful live guitar rock acts of the '70s, highlighting not only Trower's virtuoso Stratocaster licks, but the soulful vocals of bassist James Dewar and the polyrhythmic drumming of Bill Lordan. The song selection here is top-notch, the most obvious treat being the perennial Trower classic "Too Rolling Stoned," to which Lordon (who replaced Reg Isadore, drummer on the studio version of the song) contributes a somewhat funkier flavor. The same treatment is given to a blistering take on "Little Bit of Sympathy," which contains moments that recall the legendarily telepathic interplay between Jimi Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell. It's a mystery why James Dewar isn't generally recognized as one of the finest blue-eyed soul singers of the '70s, as he is easily as talented and convincing as Paul Rogers or Joe Cocker. Here, he's in excellent form and his vocals on the slow-burning "I Can't Wait Much Longer" are spine-tingling. Although none of the performances stray too far from the songs' studio versions, that fact is part of what makes this album interesting. Live shows the Robin Trower Band to be a quintessential no-frills blues-rock band, capable of kicking serious ass no matter what the setting. - Pemberton Roach, All Music Guide
*
1 Too Rolling Stoned
2 Daydream
3 Rock Me Baby
4 Lady Love
5 I Can't Wait Much Longer
6 Alethea
7 Little Bit of Sympathy
-
"We were playing for a radio broadcast, and we had no idea it was being recorded. We were loose and uninhibited, and we played one of our best shows. I’ll let you in on a secret about that version of ‘Rock Me, Baby.’ I took the guitar line from Earl Hooker’s slide playing on Muddy Waters’ ‘You Shook Me.’”
*

We All Came Out to Montreux




A Tribute To Smoke On The Water
2006

An All-Star Tribute to the Anthem of the World

*

1 Deep Purple
2 Bruce Springsteen & Jon Bon Jovi
3 Iron Maiden
4 Yngwie Malmsteen
5 Robert Mason & Russ Parrish
6 Joe Satriani, Steve Vai & John Petrucci
7 Black Sabbath
8 Jaco Pastorius, Bireli Lagrene, Serge Bringolf
9 Six Feet Under
10 Metallica
11 Senor Coconut
12 Master Jam Featuring Tommy
13 Brian May
14 Dusty Cowshit
15 Rainbow
16 Soulfly
17 Throne Of Chaos
18 Metallium

*

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Lookin' Down The Barrel




Down The Barrel
Surf Flick
2007

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The essence of surfing is an elusive ideal. Part sport, part state-of-mind; an avenue for self-expression, a metaphor for freedom; a ritual, a competitive event, a dangerous journey, a dance. Nature supplies the power, and with the proper balance of respect and resistance, we enjoy the ride. From the North Shore of Oahu, to the end of the road in Tahiti. From Australia to California, from Florida to France, the world's greatest surfers share their insights, and show us how - and why -- it's done. Their skill, and the thrill of the experience, are captured as never before in this documentary. What is the secret to surfing's global appeal? The answer is revealed by Florida's Kelly Slater, California's Rob Machado, Hawaii's Kalani Robb and Australia's Joel Parkinson, through their own voices, in DOWN THE BARREL. The sport of Surfing is displayed for what it is. WITHOUT SCRIPT. WITHOUT ANIMATION. WITHOUT HYPE.

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Wait For The Ricochet...



Deep Purple

Deep Purple In Rock 25th Anniversary Remaster

1995

Ripped at a wailing 320

*

Since this album first came out I have had every permutation to be had. Hell, I've had this album longer than my wife!

It's that good.

This is the 25th Anniversary Remaster edition that swells the original 7 tracks by some idle chat by the group and includes some versions for added body.

After satisfying all of their classical music kinks with keyboard player Jon Lord's overblown Concerto for Group and Orchestra, Deep Purple's soon to be classic Mark II version made its proper debut and established the sonic blueprint that would immortalize this lineup of the band on 1970's awesome In Rock. The cacophony of sound (spearheaded by Ritchie Blackmore's blistering guitar solo) introducing opener "Speed King" made it immediately obvious that the band was no longer fooling around, but the slightly less intense "Bloodsucker" did afford stunned listeners a chance to catch their breaths before the band launched into the album's epic, ten-minute tour de force, "Child in Time." In what still stands as arguably his single greatest performance, singer Ian Gillan led his bandmates on a series of hypnotizing crescendos, from the song's gentle beginning through to its ear-shattering climax and then back again for an even more intense encore that brought the original vinyl album's seismic first side to a close. Side two opened with the searing power chords of "Flight of the Rat" -- another example of the band's new take-no-prisoners hard rock stance, though at nearly eight minutes, it too found room for some extended soloing from Blackmore and Lord. Next, "Into the Fire" and "Living Wreck" proved more concise but equally appealing, and though closer "Hard Lovin' Man" finally saw the new-look Deep Purple waffling on a bit too long before descending into feedback, the die was cast for one of heavy metal's defining albums.

1 Speed King
2 Bloodsucker
3 Child in Time
4 Flight of the Rat
5 Into the Fire
6 Living Wreck
7 Hard Lovin' Man
8 Black Night [Original Single Version]
9 Studio Chat
10 Speed King
11 Studio Chat
12 Cry Free
13 Studio Chat
14 Jam Stew
15 Studio Chat
16 Flight of the Rat
17 Studio Chat
18 Speed King
19 Studio Chat
20 Black Night


*

http://rapidshare.com/files/212585316/Deep_Purple_In_Rock_25Th_Anniversary_Edition.rar

Galvanize - Chemical Brothers

What's Your Weapon Of Choice


FatBoy Slim
Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars
2000



Review by John Bush
The cover of Norman Cook's breakout Fatboy Slim album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby, was a good clue to the contents, picturing as it did thousands of LPs straining the racks in Cook's record room — undoubtedly just a small portion of his massive collection of sampling material. Inside, Cook unfolded a party record for the ages, long on fun (though understandably short on staying power), chock full of samples pillaged from all manner of obscure soul shouters and old-school rap crews, triggered and tweaked ad nauseam. With his third LP, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, Cook pulls away slightly from the notoriously fickle pop charts and crossover kids courted on his last record. Instead, he makes a conscious attempt to inject some real hedonism back into the world of dance — he is a DJ, after all — and sure enough, the cover matches those aims: it's a long shot on a beach (Ibiza or some other far-flung shore), with the sun shining out of someone's behind. The intro even pokes gentle fun at the loved-up R&B tradition with an extended sample from some bygone soul artist waxing overly poetic about his girlfriend. From there, Cook tears into an acid-techno rampage named "Star 69," a track that takes few prisoners and sounds closer to Plastikman than Propellerheads, though it does include the Fatboy Slim trademark — a rather blue vocal sample repeated continually for nigh on a minute (funnily enough, the track was entirely removed from the clean version of the album).
Despite the torrid pace set early on, there's still quite a bit of the used-bin scavenger left in Cook; the most patented big-beat anthems here, "Ya Mama" and "Mad Flava," include all the expected displays of crowd-moving hip-hop calls, unhinged beatbox funk, continual drum breakdowns, and plenty of rawk riffs. The first single "Sunset (Bird of Prey)" is another potential crossover move, featuring what is easily the album's most recognizable sample source — Jim Morrison from the Doors. Borrowing from Morrison's posthumous LP of poetry An American Prayer, the "collaboration" works better than could be expected, with Morrison's pseudo-mystical, surreal vocal — "Bird of prey, flying high/In the summer sky, gently passing by" — floating over some comparatively atmospheric breakbeat funk by the Fatboy.
Sniffy electronica purism aside though, Cook remains, if not the best overall producer in the dance world, certainly in its top rank, with an excellent ear for infectious hooks, tight beats, and irresistible grooves. On advice from friends the Chemical Brothers, Cook recruited collaborators for the first time — nu-soul diva Macy Gray, funk legend Bootsy Collins, fellow superstar DJ/producer Roger Sanchez — and the two tracks with Gray, "Love Life" and "Demons," are arguably the highlights of the entire album. In a similar fashion to David Holmes, Cook's ample production talents are served best with a vocalist lending focus, and "Love Life" is a seven-minute ride veering from dirty, warped funk to noise-heavy hip-hop breakdowns while Gray scats, growls, and purrs with clearly audible glee. After Bootsy's joint (the surprisingly bland "Weapon of Choice") and a hackneyed social-message track ("Drop the Hate"), Gray returns to save the album with another unbelievable performance on the half-resigned, half-hopeful gospel soul of "Demons." The closer, "Song for Shelter," is a masterful stroke of sun-splashed house recorded with help from Roger Sanchez and an ecstatic serenade to the dance music experience by Roland Clark (interpolated from his single "I Get Deep"). In all, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars is possibly Norman Cook's best possible statement after being — nearly simultaneously — picked up by a multitude of notoriously fickle pop consumers and thrown away by his previously rock-solid dance fan base. The hooks are unmissable and there's plenty of big-beat techno from a master of the form, but there's also a good amount of mature material that would undeniably appeal to many listeners in the dance world if they ever condescended to give it an objective listen.



1 Talking Bout My Baby
2 Star 69
3 Sunset (Bird of Prey)
4 Love Life
5 Ya Mama
6 Mad Flava
7 Retox
8 Weapon of Choice
9 Drop the Hate
10 Demons
11 Song for Shelter