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Day of the (mostly) Dead- 10 Covers
2007-11-03 06:03:00
Covers of songs by the dead or songs covered by the dead, or almost:10. Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann. Originally written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen. Manfred Man achieved the ultimate in cover songs: they made it there own. No one knows Springsteen's version, nor should they. BTW, it's 'wrapped up like a DEUCE.' It also finally set them free from that God damned "Do Wah Ditty" bullshit.9. Wonderwall by Paul Anka Originally written by Noel Gallagher and recorded by Oasis. Paul Anka added horns and smoothness to a song that is rough around the edges and made it almost fun. Especially interesting as it's about love, what is and what can or should be but the inability to do anything. Check out the lyrics and you can see why this song has been covered by Foo Fighters, Cat Power, and Radiohead among others. Even the Beastie Boys are known for doing a live version. 8. Satisfaction by Devo. Originally written by Richards and Jagger and recorded by the Rol...
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DISCLAIMER
2007-10-31 22:15:00
The management of Squidmonk Music would like to take this opportunity to point out the views and comments by Dr. Jones do not reflect those of the management or shareholders. It is a well known fact that Oingo Boingo sucks. Thank you.
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It's Halloween And That Means...
2007-10-31 06:15:00
...Oingo Boingo.WTF, you say. Yeah that's right, before RFTC, there was Oingo (mutha fukin) Boingo bitchs. Here is a post in honor of the legendary annual Halloween concerts that Oingo would perform...Say what you will but Danny Elfman is a musical phenomenon. As is evident by his huge in the film industry.
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Scary Music
2007-10-30 17:52:00
Since it is Halloween time, I thought some scary music would be apropos. Yes, I just used apropos in a sentence, and I even spelled it right the first time. That's just how I roll. Anyway, we might as well start things off with the scariest band in the world - Deadbolt!Having seen Deadbolt too many times to remember, I have to say they are damn scary! I assume they are still playing, but I haven't seen them since Rocket from the Crypt's last show. But no matter what, this is some damn scary stuff right here:Vodoobilly Man - MP3Next we have The Horrors!I don't know a whole lot about these guys, just that they are like a mix of The Damned, Black Rebel Motorcyle Club, and The Misfits (the good Misfits, not the new Misfits). It doesn't matter though, because they are obviously very scary and wear a lot of black eye makeup.
More About: Music , Scary

Drive-By Truckers
2007-10-27 00:35:00
Thanks to Dr. Jones, I recently got to hear these guys and I gotta say I'm pissed off I've missed out on them for so damn long! I can't stop listening to them. I thought from the name they would be kinda cheesy, but they are definitely legit. If you like Steve Earle, Uncle Tupelo, Skynard (but in a good way), North Mississippi All-Stars, etc. you will dig these guys. Some of it flat out rocks, some is more laid back acoustic, and some is straight ahead country. But not a Toby Keith type crap country.Check 'em out:Putting People on the Moon - MP3
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The Bronx
2007-10-21 18:12:00
That Gallows band is awesome. Check out the Bronx if you haven't already.Shitty FutureWhite Guilt
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Great Lake Swimmers
2007-10-14 21:42:00
In my opinion, these guys are quite good. They are a 4-piece from Toronto, Canada. Don't let that dissuade you. I heard about these guys about a year ago from a co-worker. She gave me a cd of some of their songs and I lost it. I recently heard them again on Sirius and then legally purchased all of their Mp3s. They've been signed to Nettwerk. Haven't heard about Nettwerk in some time, but I remember they had Skinny Puppy and Guster. The new record from Great Lake Swimmers is entitled Ongiara. You might like if you're into Neil Young (ballads), My Morning Jacket, Iron and Wine.Great Lake Swimmers (song samples on MySpace)Not you're cup of tea? Check out a new punk band from England call Gallows. They are now on Epitaph, so you can check them out here.

Supersuckers
2007-10-10 03:22:00
I saw the Supersuckers for my fourth time last Tuesday and it was fuckin awesome!! Can't wait to see them again!

New song from Speedo!
2007-10-09 20:39:00
The guys over at Swami Records message board have uploaded a new demo from Speedo of Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Sultans, etc. fame. Check it out here. I've only given it one listen so far and it ain't half bad. A little repetitive near the end, but so was Glazed the first time I heard it.
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Ebony and Ivory - worst duet ever.
2007-10-09 00:49:00
According to a BBC Music poll, the worst duet of all time is Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder. I really can't argue with that at all. I mean it was a horrible song, however you have to at least give it credit for being the inspiration for one of the funnier SNL skits: The top 5 best duets?1. Foggy Dew – Sinéad O’Connor & The Chieftains2. Fairytale Of New York – Kirsty MacColl & The Pogues3. Under Pressure – Queen & David Bowie4. Where The Wild Roses Grow – Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue5. Walk This Way – Run DMC & AerosmithSee the full list of the top 40 HERE.

Old 97's
2007-10-05 18:10:00
The Old 97's are an "alt country" band originally based in Dallas. The group formed in 1993 and took their name from the Johnny Cash song "Wreck of the Old 97." They describe themselves as a rock band with influences as varied as the Kinks, the Beatles, the Pixies, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard. The band often performs country standards made famous by the latter two musicians, and has interspersed a number of these on their half-dozen albums over the last decade. The band originally feuded with Ryan Adams of fellow alt-country band Whiskeytown, but both are on good terms today.I first heard Time Bomb on the movie "Clay Pigeons" but quickly forgot about it until I heard the band on the now defunct Dickey Barrett morning show on Indie 103.1. Four Leaf Clover

I'm hooked on this song....
2007-10-04 18:56:00
...or maybe it's the chick. Either way I'm digging it. The Pinker Tones - Love Tape
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Bar Pink Elephant
2007-09-27 19:07:00
For fans of Rocket from the Crypt or Drive Like Jehu or The Sultans or any other of John "Speedo" Reis' projects, you may want to check out his bar Pink Elephant if you are in the San Diego area. Supposedly, according to our own Big O, he has a new band and they will be performing there sometime soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

The Peepshows
2007-09-25 04:09:00
I don't know if these guys are still around.....probably not but anyway, here is some videos of the Peep shows."Surrender My Love""Count Me Out"

Angry Johnny and the Killbillies - Self proclaimed America's Favorite Bloo
2007-09-22 17:47:00
Beer, bullets, bad luck and broken hearts. Angry Johnny and The Killbillies are Norman Rockwell's worst nightmare come to life. Take a trip to a town called Killville where nobody gets out alive and about the best you can hope for is a quick and painless demise. A lot's been written about this band in places like Billboard, Stereo Review, Entertainment Weekly and countless other rags. But these murder ballads and tales of woe weren't meant to be read about in a magazine, they were meant to be listened to full blast on a crappy sterio in a fast car, barreling down a dark and lonely highway heading to nowhere. So drink'em up, smoke'em if you got'em, laugh and punch that hammer down, say a little prayer, hang on and enjoy the ride. Song by song the body count continues to rise, and the broken hearts and busted dreams keep pilin' up on the ground as you press the accelerator down a little harder. That cracklin' Delco spits out an endless stream o...
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Modern Music Done Right!
2007-09-21 11:21:00
Rip Carson is from the San Diego area and is known as a Rockabilly Artist but he is so much more than that. You need to hear him do Portions for Foxes (its a cover of Rilo Kelly's) Rip Carson's VersionPortions for Foxes- Rilo KellyHe can take a modern "alternative song" back to its influence. Listen to the two versions and take it ALL IN! Rip Carson's been known to do Britney Spears' "Toxic" and " Sweet Home Alabama" in one set. Check him ou live if you can !
More About: Music , Modern , Done

The best Echo and the Bunnymen song of all time.
2007-09-18 23:14:00
I've got my iTunes on random and it has gone through a bit of an "alternative" stretch with songs by INXS, The Pixies, and The Smithereens in the last little bit. Anyway, on comes The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunny men and I made up my mind it is the best Echo song of all time. Bring on the Dancing Horses kicks ass, Do it Clean live is great, but just the intro to Killing Moon is too perfect in itself and the rest of the song just carries on from there. It was used in Donnie Darko (great soundtrack btw) and is one of the best overall songs from the 80s.
More About: Song , Time

Alabama 3 - M.O.R.
2007-09-12 18:46:00
The new album by Alabama 3 came out on Monday and I bought mine via iTunes for $9.99 - which was a helluva lot better than the $31.99 that Amazon was listing it for. I've only had a chance to listen to it a couple of times and so far it is pretty damn good. I can't put my finger on it but it seems more subdued than some of their other stuff - dare I say more "mature?" The songs vary from straight up dance numbers like Monday Don't Mean Anything to swamp boogie numbers like Amos Moses. You can listen to tracks from the album on their Myspace page. Give it a listen. Here are some remixes of a few of their other songs to check out in the meantime the first uses titles from Johnny Cash songs for lyrics and the second gives a list of old west outlaws:Hello, I'm Johnny Cash - MP3Wild Bunch - MP3

Hellacopters
2007-09-11 03:24:00
It was hard picking some videos from these guys as almost every song they have is good. They're probably one of my favorite bands ever. Loud, in-your-face Scandinavian rock n' roll."By The Grace Of God""Toys And Flavors"

Best Kung Fu fight scene ever?
2007-09-10 21:38:00
I know this is a music blog, but this clip is too damn good to pass up posting. Forget about Jackie Chan or Jet Li - it's all about The Crippled Masters! Its like Tod Browning's Freaks meets Enter the Dragon. It is so bad, it must be good!
More About: Fight , Scene , Kung Fu , Kung

Steady as a goat, we're flying over trout
2007-09-08 06:50:00
Arrrrghhhh! The debate be over. The best song ever featured on TV is from Mystery Science Theater 3000. It stinks.
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The worst music list ever.
2007-09-07 22:59:00
I already thought the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was an absolute joke, but now they come out with a list of the "Definitive 200" rock and roll albums "that every music lover should own" and prove not only that they're a joke - but they have real shitty taste in music. It is bad enough that artists such as Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, and even Neil Diamond are not in the Hall of Fame but Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, and Jackson Browne all are, but now to tell us that London Calling by The Clash is album #96 but Linkin "We Really Suck" Park's Hybrid Theory is #84 is just too much! Now I know these lists are all about just stirring up discussion, but at least with other lists there were at least shreds of credibility, this one is so god-awful it defies logic. Hell, the #7 album is Tapestry by Carole King! A top 200 album? Maybe - but #7? Not a chance in hell! Here are some other beauties:#21 SHANIA TWAIN – COME ON OVER (20 spots higher than Are You Experienced by Hendrix)#28 EM...
More About: Music , List

Reunions suck.
2007-09-05 00:04:00
I'm sick of bands reuniting and everybody making a huge deal out of it. The Pixies got back together and people were wetting themselves left and right. Ebay has tickets for The Police at Madison Square Garden starting around $300 and all the way up to $2000!!! As I posted earlier - The Pogues at the House of Blues is going to run you $100 a ticket. Rage Against the Machine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Smashing Pumpkins, Iron Balls' favorite Van Halen, and a ton of other bands have all gotten back together to enthrall us as only middle-aged (or older) rockers can. Now don't get me wrong, some of them are good bands, some of them aren't, but they also were in their prime YEARS ago and haven't put out anything worthwhile since the other Bush was president. If they had anything creative left, they wouldn't have broken up in the first place. Why the hell would people get so excited and pay so much money to see bands that have nothing new to offer and are obviously just cashing in on ...
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Gluecifer
2007-09-03 23:32:00
This is my first post, so chances of it working are very slim! These couple songs are from a Norwegian rock band called Gluecifer. They formed in Oslo in 1994 and broke up in 2005. They never really toured North America much so I obviously never saw them live. Oddly enough, they played their final show in North America opening up for RFTC in New York - three days before RFTC's final show in San Diego. Why I never saved money to go to either of these, I'll never know!This one's from a Norwegian movie soundtrack called "Izzat." It's probably one of their only songs I can't find on vinyl or cd."Desolate City""I Got A War"

Not on my iPod
2007-08-30 06:05:00
It was recently reported that AC/DC has finally made available its entire catalogue for downloadings. Still no one cares. Could be that they signed an exclusive deal with Verizon instead of iTunes. Or, it could be that they are only selling entire albums at $12 each; no singles will be sold. Or, it's the fact that AC/DC should never have recorded even one album in the first place as they are a one trick pony kind of band and their schtick was tired after the first 10 seconds of the first track. I'm shocked this was reported as news and I'm only bringing AC/DC up in this blog to point out what hasn't been said in any of the articles.Some other rock acts that will never be in my collection:1. Van Halen Sure Eddie can play a great guitar but there's a problem when the line up changes are more interesting than the music. Not that there's much to the music except some guitar riffs under vocals from a no talent, tin eared singer.2. Judas Priest If it weren't ...
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Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.
2007-08-29 19:29:00
Amy Winehouse's father-in-law calls on fans to stop buying Winehouse's records to pressure the couple to quit drugs.So you get famous by singing a song called "Rehab" in which the main chorus is "They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no..." only to have people suggest boycotting your records until you quit drugs? Oh, the life of a rock star. Anyway, as an alternative to supporting Amy's drug habits I suggest instead checking out The Detroit Cobras. Here's what LA Weekly has to say about them:"No offense to Amy Winehouse, but it was the Cobras‚ Rachel Nagy who first reinvented the 60s soul-pop diva as a boozy, punk-informed, smart-mouthed chanteuse in the late 90s." Falling James LA WeeklySo enjoy all the fun and soul of Winehouse without the guilt. Here's a couple of MP3s for you to check out:I Wanna HollerAs Long as I Have You
More About: Irony , Pretty , Ironic , Some

The Young Ones - better than Scrubs!
2007-08-27 22:21:00
Since Iron Balls brought up a TV show, I thought I'd do the same and go with the greatest TV show ever - The Young Ones. They had a ton of musical acts on the show, from Madness to the Damned, to Dexy's Midnight Runners - but I thought I'd share two of my favorites. Motorhead doing Ace of Spades. (This episode also has a young Hugh Laurie from House fame in a bit role.)And the classic "Dr. Marten Boots" by Radical Posture!And as an extra treat - here's Cliff Richards doing "The Young Ones":
More About: Scrubs

Top 5 reasons to watch Scrubs
2007-08-24 07:13:00
I get that this is a music blog and I'm recommending a TV show. But, this particular show uses music like no other on TV today or ever, as far as I know. The songs themselves are at times as important as the characters. They set the mood, provide comedic asides, give a sense of era and in almost every episode they wrap the multiple storylines together. If you haven't seen the show, I'd recommend you give it a shot. If anything, the music showcased may pique your aural pallete.Without further ado, the Top 5 reasons to watch Scrubs :1. The music featured runs the gamut and manages to stay out of the 'crap' genre. Artists that have had songs featured include Beck, The Barenaked Ladies, Marvin Gaye and the Finn Brothers. Others that have been showcased were James Brown, Toto, Joseph Arthur and Coldplay. For a complete listing of the songs on Scrubs, click here.2. No other TV show has or (unfortunately) ever will have The Polyphonic Spree as guests. There's not a whole lot...
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My favorite punk album of all time.
2007-08-23 19:16:00
Bad Religion - Suffer I first bought this album on cassette at MainPlace mall in Santa Ana probably around 1989. I wore that tape out. Over the years I've gotten bored of a lot of the old punk stuff I used to listen to, I guess I'm not as angry as I was as a teenager. That being said, Bad Religion has been the one band I always go back to when I'm in need of a fix. I am not a full-on die hard fan though - the last album I bought by them was probably Recipe for Hate (on vinyl no less). However, I am not one of those music/punk elitists who call Bad Religion sell-outs and all that crap. Bad Religion is one of those bands who paid their dues, and then some, and who can write a damn good song with intelligent lyrics to boot. To top it off, they sound great live - something a majority of punk bands can't say. So anyway, here's a live MP3 of one of my favorite Bad Religion songs - Give You Nothing.
More About: Punk , Time , Album , Favorite , Favor

Jay Munly
2007-08-22 19:45:00
If you want the textbook definition of American or Southern Gothic - it is Jay Munly. He is a part of the earlier mentioned Slim Cessna's Auto Club and the main figure in Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots. His songs range from dark and violent filled with religious imagery to somewhat funny with titles such as "Of Silas Fauntleroy's Willingness to Impress the Panel" to "Big Black Bull Comes Like A Caesar." One song I can't get enough of is Rufus Wainwright, I'm Coming After You - check out the MP3 - HEREAnother gem is Ragin' Cajun.