It’s quite simple; The Wildhearts are one of the best British rock bands of the last 20 years, and there’s definitely an argument to be made that Ginger is (and has been for a long time) one of the most important figures in modern British rock music.

A prolific songwriter and musician, he’s always bubbling away somewhere writing your new favourite riff, recording his latest project or playing a show that’s just as likely to be a secret acoustic set as a loud in your face national tour. 

People like Ginger were born to do these things. They do what they do because natural talent compells them, not because a careers officer interviewed him at age 15 and suggested he learn a few chords.

What Ginger does is play guitar, write songs, drink liquor, take a lot of drugs, go on wacky retreats to find inspiration (or disappear altogether) and enjoy life.

Good work if you can get it.

Somewhere amongst all that he finds time to get onstage with the band and blows audience’s heads clean off with a confidence and ability rarely seen. Fortunately there’s a wealth of world class material to back up the swagger.

When putting together a setlist you’d think after 20 years it’d be an easy decision for them; please the crowd with well known hits and pepper the set with standout tracks from new album ‘Chutzpah!’.

And maybe beacause that’s what we thought they’d do, that’s what they didn’t do. The set was divided into two distinct halves; first half was a complete run through of the new album, second half the more usual crowd pleasing greatest hits.

It was a format I personally thought worked very well and not something I’ve seen since A Perfect Circle first toured their debut ‘Mer De Noms’ (although in that instance it was more due to the limiting factor of only having one album’s worth of material to draw from!).

‘Chutzpah!’ is the Wildhearts latest album and my first journey into being a Wildhearts fan proper. I’ve seen them live once before (which was also awesome) but I’ve only really been aware of their more well known songs such as ‘I Wanna Go Where The People Go’, ‘TV Tan’ and the lesser known solo Ginger song ‘Motorvate’.

I’ve also read about Ginger’s well publicised battles with band members and substances over the years, but this is the first album I’ve bought into and actively listened to on release.

So I guess you could call me a ‘Wildhearts-aware’ prior to the gig. After the gig I was definitely a ‘Wildhearts fan’.

Viewed as an introduction to the new album, the first half of their set it made me want to go and listen to it all over again. If this was the first time I’d heard the tunes I’d have been straight off to the merch stand to pick up a copy. 

Coming onstage they were greeted like returning heroes and promptly ripped into ‘The Jackson Whites’ (ideal to start a storming set and album with). If the new album was anything longer than the 35 or so minutes it is then this run through would’ve been a bit too much. While undoubtedly fun, the relative unfamiliarity of the new material had the crowd’s attention and appreciation but garnered a reserved response for the most part.

This attitude was mirrored by the band with Ginger telling us they’d do the album and then things would get a bit more informal and boozy in the second half. I guess this is because they can play the old songs with their eyes closed whereas new material needs more concentration (and a more sober head).

When the band came back onstage for the second half it was clear the crowd and the band had been saving their energy for this part of the gig. Given I’m writing this whole thing about two months after actually going to the gig I can’t remember the setlist here but ‘TV Tan’ was noticable by it’s absence.

Also, due to being in the middle of the sweaty insanity right up front for the entire second half I can only really review the second half by how I felt being consumed by it.

Suffice to say it was one of the best gigs I’ve been to for sheer enjoyment.

After a few beverages Ginger has relaxed into his jovial, wisecracking self and explains to us that his guitar “appears to have been drinking”. I’m not well enough acqainted with Wildhearts history to know why Kerrang described Rock City as their “spiritual home” but there’s a genuine love for the band and it’s not unrequited.

Whereas most frontmen will tell whatever city they happen to be in that they love them and how they’re a much better crowd than last night or the nearest rival town (Papa Roach, I’m looking at you), there’s something very sincere about Ginger saying exactly this to the audience. Maybe it’s because he’s been doing it for so long and he’s gotten the standard patter of revving up an audience down cold, but I really believed him. They all look so happy to be up there still able to perform and provide entertainment for what they rightly recognise as a room full of loyal fans.

There’s some young ‘uns yes, but mercifully few of the silly fringed, badly tattooed and undernourished adolescent emo’s. They’re clearly saving up their pocket money for the Papa Roach gig in a couple of weeks. I went to that gig and the audiences couldn’t have been much more different. I’ll stick with my greasy northerner band. They can keep their shiny professional horror punk (whatever the FUCK that means) rock stars.

The Wildhearts have always had a genuine knack for combining killer riffs and choruses with a keen appreciation of pop sensibility and hooks. This combination makes for a fantastically positive atmosphere and being in the same room as them means you’ll have a smile on your face, even if you’ve never seen or heard them before. They’re one of those bands that have crossed over into simply being ‘a great band’ instead of having to quantify it with the word ‘rock’.

As far as I’m concerned, The Foo Fighters are damn lucky to have gotten to where they are in the music world. It could’ve easily been The Wildhearts, it should’ve been The Wildhearts. Only thing is that I don’t think Ginger would want that kind of exposure.

Fine, if you like the Foo’s that’s up to you, but people who aren’t into rock claim to be into it simply because they like ‘Monkey Wrench’ or ‘Learn To Fly’ (or whatever the lastest Radio 1 friendly formulaic three minute ditty is fresh off the never ending Grohl conveyer belt).

The Wildhearts are ours, not Radio 1’s, not the so called ‘music fans’ who think the music world begins & ends with Glastonbury and certainly not those pesky emo children I mentioned earlier.

No, The Wildhearts are ours. And I’ll be buying a ticket to see them whenever I’m in the same place as they’re playing.

And, just as I thought the evening couldn’t get any better, it did. In fact, it got awesome.

Although to write about exactly WHY it got awesome would break my self imposed rule about not writing about things that are too personal. Still, two months on, at least Anne -Marie agrees our unofficial first date was an awesome night full of silly dancing, glam music and late night car-conversation.

So, in the tradition of giving a gig some kind of star rating, taking into account how awesome the gig was and then how awesome the after-gig club night was I’d have to go…

5 FUCKING STARS!

Back on track…

I posted last week’s breakdown a week late. Hopefully, I’m back on my schedule now.

This Sunday was a bittersweet morning. There were a lot of frustrations leading up to the service, but once we got started, we had a GREAT morning! Abel was back with us for a week. He has been serving in Afghanistan for the past 11 months and was home on leave for a couple of weeks. We went from having a 3 Piece band last week to having a 6 Piece Band this week!

Here was our setlist…

Lifeline (Papa Roach)

Revolutionary Love (David Crowder Band)

Send Me Out (Fee)

Mighty To Save (Hillsong)

–Mark’s Message–

Stronger (Hillsong)

Alive and Running (Kristian Stanfill)

So, that was ours…what was yours?

Josh

this post is part of the “Sunday Setlist” blog carnival over at FredMcKinnon.com. Go check it out!

This is my first post on downloads – these are going to be songs that you need to add to your collection immediately. Not all of them are new – some of the are forgotten classics. My goal is to broaden your horizons in music and help you to engulf yourself in sound from today all the way back to 1950. Get ready for a cultural experience and get ready to enjoy some great jams. I will be doing this everyday so I hope you keep checking back for some “daily downloads”. Five a day will help you play so do what I say and follow my way. Belong are some songs that will blow you away.

John Mayer – Who Says: “Who says I can’t get stoned” are the first words in the song. John Mayer has come a long way since “Your body is a Wonderland” and he continues to grow as an artist. This is such a great jam about being who you want to be and the more I listen to his new music the more I’m impressed. His next CD, “Battle Studies” is set to be released on November 17th. I wouldn’t be shocked if this turns out to be his best work yet.

Killing Joke – The Death & Resurrection Show: Who knows where this song came from. I don’t like most of the stuff that Killing Joke has produced but this song is a huge exception. Dave Grohl plays drums on this battle anthem and it is well worth your time. I can’t really say you should go out and download a lot by Killing Joke, but I recommend the album this song was released on, Killing Joke (2003).

Black Eyed Peas & Papa Roach – Anxiety: Another group that I’m not a huge fan of [of course Will-I-AM is one of the best producers out there] and Will-I-Am does shine here. The song was released on “Elephunk” which i think can be avoided but no collection should be missing this song.

Tom Waits – Get Behind The Mule: Ok, this is a little bit weirder than  what most of you will really connect with but Tom Waits has such an original sound that I feel everyone should have some of his music on their computer. A little bluesy, a little rough and a little raw. It’s one of my favorite songs by him and so, naturally, I feel you should check it out.

Micheal Buble – Cry Me A River: A little unexpected I know. Buble has continued to prove he has one of the best voices in the industry and the “New Age Sinatra” dazzles on this cover. While I agree that it would be nice to hear some original material I really enjoyed his version of this song. It sounds a lot like a James Bond theme song.

I’ve been defending country music from its detractors for several years now. While there are somewhat fewer critics than there were before (some of these hipsters can get their appropriating fingers into anything), and people have come to expect this position from me more since I adopted my cowboy garb, I think it’s safe to say that most young people growing up in a metropolitan setting like to turn their noses up at it. (One exception is for people who listen to mostly pop of a variety of genres including pop country, with their Carrie Underwood nestled right there between Beyonce and John Mayer.) Let me go on record as to why I appreciate this music:

1. Its clear critical place in American musical history, namely as an important antecedent to rock and roll.
2. The way them country guitar cats can cut! Whoo-whee!
3. A lovely balance of sounds that strike me as very organic.
4. The SONGWRITING.

Of course, this last bit is what I’m going to hone in on. This I’ll say even in defense of pop country: they have a clear standard for what a song is supposed to consist of and accomplish, and the bar is set high. As someone who grew up in and then out of late ’90s/early 2000s ‘alternative rock’, I remember my disillusionment peaked when I heard, in 2002, this awful offering by Trapt called “Headstrong“, which must be quoted in its entirety to make my point:

Circling your, circling your, circling your head
Contemplating everything you ever said
Now I see the truth I got a doubt
A different motive in your eyes
And now I’m out, see you later

I see your fantasy
You want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah
Well, now that’s over

I see your motives inside
Decisions to hide

Back off, I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we’re headstrong

Back off, I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

I can’t give everything away
I won’t give everything away

Conclusions manifest, your first impression’s
Got to be your very best
I see you’re full of shit and that’s alright
That’s how you play, I guess you get through
Every night, well, now that’s over

I see your fantasy
You want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah
Well, now that’s over

I see your motives inside
Decisions to hide

Back off, I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we’re headstrong

Back off, I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

Where you belong?
(I can’t give everything away)
This is not where you belong
(I won’t give everything away)

I know, I know all about, I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about, I know, I know all about
Your motives inside and your decision to hide

Back off, I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we’re headstrong

Back off, I’ll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

Where you belong?
This is not were you belong
(I can’t give everything away)
This is not were you belong
(I won’t give everything away)
This is not were you belong

(UPDATE: I’ve been told by a discerning reader that quoting this song in full is quite a dull read. That’s kind of the point though.)

Thinking back, I think I was listening to an acoustic version of the song on the radio, the purpose of which is ostensibly to call greater attention to the dismal (both in tone and execution) lyrics. This new focus, combined with the tireless repetition of the title lyric, led me to exclaim aloud (to myself, in the car), “Jesus Christ, what the fuck are you even talking about? Do you even know?”

It’s really a dreadful state of affairs. There have been atrocious songwriters for ages, of course, serving up insipid cliche after insipid cliche, but emo-nu-metal is unique in that the songwriters really truly cannot say what their songs are about, save a general feeling of alienation and despair. (Note: Certain drug-inspired ballads of the ’60s and ’70s may seem to be on the same level here, but a) they are clearly about drugs and nothing more b) they either make sense high or are designed to fuck your mind; either way, they succeed as compositions.) I’m also reminded of Papa Roach’s breakout smash “Last Resort”, wherein the speaker relates, “Don’t give a fuck if I cut my arm bleeding” and “If I took my life tonight, chances are that I might”; he then elaborates, “Mutilation out of sight. And I’m contemplating suicide.” Even in the spectrum of angst, this is a severely limited palette of sentiments.

It’s unnecessary to continue ripping these types of songs, but I offer it simply as a counterpoint to a modern country song: “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” by Joe Nichols.

Before I even continue to the lyrics, notice: see how you already know what this song’s about?

She said, “I’m going out with my girlfriends”
Margaritas at the Holiday Inn
Lord have mercy, my only thought
Was Tequila makes her clothes fall off

I told her put an extra layer on
I know what happens when she drinks Patron
Her closet’s missing half the things she’s bought
Tequila makes her clothes fall off

Chorus:

She’ll start with kickin’ out of her shoes
Lose an earring in her drink
Leave her jacket in the bathroom stall
Drop a contact down the sink
Them pantyhose ain’t gonna last too long
If the DJ puts Bon Jovi on
She might come home in a table cloth
Tequila makes her clothes fall off

She can handle any champagne brunch
A bridal shower with Bacardi punch
Jello shooters full of Smirnoff
But Tequila makes her clothes fall off

Chorus

She don’t mean nothing – she’s just havin’ fun
Tomorrow she’ll say, “Oh, what have I done?”
Her friends will joke about the stuff she lost
Tequila makes her clothes fall off

Like a third-grader who already gets exactly why the hamburger outline makes sense and has a well-developed main idea, supporting details and conclusion (who can guess what this songwriter’s day job is?), there’s just a huge sense of relief I feel when I hear a song and I can comfortably state, “Whoever wrote that song knew what they wanted to say.”

Let’s look at one more: “Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)” by Rodney Atkins.

The Declaration of Independence
Think I could tell you that first sentence
But then I’m lost

I can’t begin to count the theories
I’ve had pounded in my head
That I forgot

I don’t remember all that Spanish
Or the Gettysburg address
But there is one speech from high school
I’ll never forget

Chorus:

Come on in boy sit on down
And tell me about yourself
So you like my daughter do you now?
Yeah we think she’s something else
She’s her daddy’s girl
Her momma’s world
She deserves respect
That’s what she’ll get
Ain’t it son?
Hey y’all run along and have some fun
I’ll see you when you get back
Bet I’ll be up all night
Still cleanin’ this gun

Well now that I’m a father
I’m scared to death one day my daughter
Is gonna find
That teenage boy I used to be
That seems to have just one thing on his mind

She’s growin’ up so fast
It won’t be long before
I’ll have to put the fear of god into
Some kid at the door

Chorus

Now it’s all for show
Ain’t nobody gonna get hurt
It’s just a daddy thing
And hey, believe me, man it works

Chorus

Son, now y’all buckle up and have her back by te- let’s say about nine…thirty.
Drive safe.

That’s the best I can do before the stroke of midnight. Curse the restrictions of this blogging challenge! But seriously, come on. You know you love country.

Here’s some work for uni which I’m to hand in tomorrow morning. The assignment was 8 x 50 word reviews, 4 of which recommendations, 4 of which to avoid.

Four Genres… Four Victors… Four Losers

ROCK VICTORS -

BUCKCHERRY

BLACK BUTTERFLY

All the debaucheries attached to the classic image of rock music seethe forth from Black Butterfly. Churning together the crude insolence of Josh Todd’s lyrics with the nonsense free, blues inspired, ballsy underpinning guitar riffs make for a refreshing, yet hastily sped, throw back to The Black Crowes and the mighty Led Zeppelin.

ROCK LOSERS –

PAPA ROACH

METAMORPHOSIS

As the title may suggest the Roach have dropped rap/nu-metal to pursue a standard rock format. A record ringing with the strive of reinvention whilst failing to muster any creative one-upmanship on the thousands of other meticulously dull rock acts. ’Change or Die’ and ‘I Almost Told You That I Loved You’ show a minute bout of latent ability, still a bout nonetheless.

PUNK VICTORS -

GALLOWS

GREY BRITAIN

Gallows envelope the abysmal undercurrent mood of a broken society by screaming in your face and hammering on distorted guitar chords. Formidable and menacing in its nature, the record is captivating lyrically and perverse instrumentally. Who said punk had gone soft?

PUNK LOSERS -

THE KING BLUES

SAVE THE WORLD, GET THE GIRL

Trying to deliver an evocative political message wrapped in bouncy, effervescent poppy ska songs is like posting anthrax in a get well soon card. ‘What If Punk Never Happened’, a spoken word poem, (thankfully) brings the album to a close after failing to convey much, if any, message at all. What if the King Blues never happened? Who cares?

FOLK VICTORS -

MUMFORD & SONS

SIGH NO MORE

Vocal harmonies laced with acoustic revelries make for a wholehearted listen. Mumford’s vocals sooth and ease the otherwise melancholic vibe and message in lead single Little Lion Man; “Weep little lion man, you’ll never be what is in your heart”. A little uplift in the album wouldn’t have gone amiss but the premise of the return of good ol’ English folk music stands firm.

FOLK LOSERS -

SAM ISAAC

BEARS

With about as much weight and substance as that found in a low-fat rice cake, this indie/folk album professes to be little more than yet another bland cliché. The vocals accented inflections are nauseatingly forced, while the electronica usage in ‘Sticker, Star and Tape’, amongst other songs, deflect any possible affiliation with a possible message. “I went out to try and make a history of being brave” sings Isaac in the aforementioned single. And brave he was for releasing such a shoddy record.

POP VICTORS -

DANANANANAYKROYD

HEY EVERYONE!

Hey Everyone! isn’t just pop… it’s ‘FIGHT POP’. Finally an album title where one is forced to permit the use of an exclamation mark. Growling, tenacious vocals with bursts of charming melody make for a wildly extravagant musical escapade. Warning: not your average ‘pop’ dross.

POP LOSERS -

MIKA

THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH

Another ostentatious record of pretentious grating pop music is plaguing the world’s airwaves. Opening track ‘We Are Golden’ is a High School Musical’esque cesspit of overly cheesy hooks and criminally constructed lyrics. This sits atop an album full of all the drivel, poppycock and faux-sensationalist crap seemingly intent on degrading the quality of the music industry. 

To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of papa roach. I just can’t stop listening to this one song of theirs. Blood Brothers. God I love that one. Enjoy!

By the way, this was on the soundtrack for one of the tony hawks games, if you couldn’t tell by the pic in the vid. I think it was one for PS1.

Sözler harika..

Recently, I’ve been going through some of my old favorites via youtube, and I’ve found quite a few things that might surprise you.

Thanks for the Memories- Fall out Boy

Mother May I- EatmewhileImhot

Youth of the Nation- P.O.D.

Oh, yeah, I was one of /those/ people, a long time ago.  What’s wrong with this music?  Nothing, I guess, I mean, hell, I still listen to it sometimes.  I find it a lot less tasteful than I did then, though.

But we’ve all fallen on hard times before, and gotten into some less-than-admirable things.  Y’know, drugs, sex addiction, listening to bad music.  I mean, I know a /lot/ of songs by Papa Roach, Linkin Park, and Nickelback.  No, I’m not proud, either.  Yes, I’m a little ashamed, too.

Even more disgusting.  I still think Linkin Park and Papa Roach are good.

Oh yes, you did hear me right.

No, it’s okay, you can leave if you really want to.

I would, if I were you.  xDD

Check out Dan Hase’s photos of Papa Roach’s recent show at Newcastle’s Academy via the link below.

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Papa Roach
Album: Metamorphosis
Låt:  Hollywood Whore

Betyg: AAAA
Med sina 5 helsköna album rankar jag Papa Roach högt! Visst har det blivit lite mjukare men det funkar än…

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WEBB: www.paparoach.com
MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/paparoach

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Coming back to the UK for the third time this year, rock megastars Papa Roach make the trip up to Newcastle. They bring with them somewhat strange supports, in Madina Lake and Heavens Basement, but tonight is most definitely sold out, and with new record Metamorphosis keeping their album sales firmly in the 7-digit region – they must be doing something right.

Solely flying the flag for the UK tonight is Heavens Basement. Taking a more gutterish, ballsy rock ‘n’ roll approach than the other bands on show tonight, they quickly whip up a massive storm with opener Tear Your Heart Out. Moshpits erupt for songs that shouldn’t even be moshable, and the quartet sound sharp, loud, and above all – entertaining.

Frontman Richie’s faux-American accent is somewhat grinding, considering he’s not American at all, but it can be overlooked for such an impressive performance. Closer Executioners Day sounds especially well played, and major kudos goes to the band for a great display; a brilliant feat considering they only begun playing together last year. A very satisfying opener.

Many would argue that Chicago pop-punks Madina Lake aren’t the right choice as a band to support Papa Roach, but they certainly blow those accusations out of the window tonight. It seems just as many are eager to see the 4-piece as tonight’s headliners, and tracks like the phenomenal House Of Cards and favourite Here I Stand prove necessary to tonight’s fun.

Barefooted frontman Nathan Leone gives the crowd their fair share of participation, urging everyone to step forward so he can give out high fives along the front row. New tracks like Let’s Get Out Of Here and the brilliantly played Welcome To Oblivion garter massive feedback from a crowd loving every second; sweat upon sweat seeps from the energy of the pits, and the sing-a-longs are incredible. The band on record is one thing, but live they utterly slay, and their music oozes a really heavy undertone, riffs even a metal outfit would look upon with pride.

They seem to disguise themselves as nothing more than pop-punk, but beneath it, there’s a real rock band coming out to play – Madina Lake seem to know how to tangle with the big boys, and they’ve proved it tonight with a sterling set and a classic performance.

Papa Roach have just sold out this show today. They should of sold it out months ago, this is a band that used to be world beaters, get in the mainstream charts, play arenas. Nonetheless, two-thousand fans have packed in tonight to bear witness to how a rock show is supposed to be played. Intro Days Of War is greeted with a mighty cheer as frontman Jacoby Shaddix steps out onto the stage and launches his band into a brilliant Change Or Die.

From then on in, the room positively explodes. Bodies fly everywhere, all in the name of a good time. The set is heavy with material from new album Metamorphosis, and ultimately the more rock ‘n’ roll direction the band have taken these days. The nu-metal comes back into favour with a fantastic rendition of Dead Cell, rapped to perfection and sounding near to a soundtrack for a street brawl, it’s got so much intensity. Tracks like a near-anthemic To Be Loved and Getting Away With Murder sound great – the band are so tight as a unit, new drummer Tony Palermo fits in perfectly, even impressing with a drum solo midway through State Of Emergency.

Shaddix’s vocals are picture perfect – clear, loud, and with that cocky swagger that can only come from someone like himself, he conducts the crowd like a dictatorship; they’re under his little finger. The set is marred slightly by the inclusion of a lot of slower, more mellow tunes (although the mid-set rendition of Scars is possibly the best song of the night with some beautiful vocal work), killing the rhythm of the set somewhat.

That said, a final goodbye of old favourite Between Angels And Insects sharply warms the crowd back up to boiling point, and an encore of a brilliant wall of death seperating the whole Academy floor in two during Into The Light coupled with “the” Papa Roach song, Last Resort, which sends utter chaos to the masses in the form of a nu-metal anthem, certainly cements that Papa Roach are here to stay for good, and that they’re most certainly one of the sharpest, tightest and overall best in the business today.

- George Cannings.

The MARAZENE Machine

www.Youtube.com/user/marazenemachine
Facebook search: MARAZENE Machine
www.Twitter.com/MarazeneMachine
www.Myspace.com/Marazene
www.VampireFreaks.com/MarazeneMachine
www.Last.FM/music/Marazene

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It’s not often I wish my youth away – however, I am insanely, intensely jealous of the generation of troubled youths that grew up just before me at around the turn of the 90s, and had the likes of Nirvana for company. They had the cream of the angsty teenage crop. Even the generation that followed them were reasonably lucky – Britpop aside, they had Rage Against The Machine, who were all-encompassing in their desire to rage against any and all conventions, to the delight of their impressionable audiences. When I were a lad – said Ivor, looking over his large-print newspaper and emptying his pipe into the fire – all we had were the likes of Slipknot, POD, Funeral For A Friend, Creed and – of course – Papa Roach. We didn’t even have any high-profile deaths to unite us all in morose futility. Overall, our generation fucking sucked.

Then - Papa Roach in 2000

But still, you go to war with what you’ve got, and my peer group at the time were left to pick one of the bands du jour. I went with Papa Roach. After all, they were mostly harmless, and at least pretended to be on the same page as the impossibly insolent little shits they claimed to “speak for” (from the comfort of their solid gold Lotuses and mansions in Beverley Hills). I could have done worse.

I’m not sure what compelled me to go and see Papa Roach live. Perhaps it was a misplaced sense of nostalgia – perhaps it was a Wellsian attempt to visit my past self and warn him of the inherent dangers of listening to such rubbish. Whatever the reason, I made a few calls, and before I knew it, my name had been added to the pestlist for their recent show at Academy 1. Now, I missed the support act, for a number of reasons. The primary reason being my all-encompassing fear of turning up prior to the doors opening and being seen in public with the sort of people who would queue to see Papa Roach.

I walked into the Academy – one of the better venues of its size in the country – to find I had entered some sort of time machine, and had been transported back to 2002. It warmed my heart to see so many youngsters who will no doubt cringe, as I have cringed, when they’re handing over their passport in five years’ time (once they’ve taken out the lip ring, ditched the eyeliner, cut the hair and altogether abandoned this silly nonsense) only to have customs officials in Germany make serious enquiries as to the gender of the person in the picture. But for now, I’m sure they feel like they are misunderstood and unique, so who am I to bash them. The frightful mundanity of the world is yet to fully envelope them, and it would be remiss of me to knock them for it (I refer exclusively to the younger members of the audience with this good-natured metaphorical ruffling of the hair – some people were old enough to both know better and father children who would, by now, be old enough to know better).

Now - Papa Roach in 2009, looking like a right bunch of tarts

Well, Papa Roach graced the stage, and frankly, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wasn’t as familiar with the new material as I was with the material I had practically memorised as a youth, but Papa Roach have not strayed from their roots in the interim. A few tattoos have been picked up since the Last Resort video, as well as what appears to be the work of a professional stylist, but they cannot be accused of phoning it in. Almost a year ago, I had the misfortune of seeing Alkaline Trio, a band who clearly should just pack it in before they stop caring completely. Papa Roach have clearly been touring long enough to know how to whip a suggestible audience into a frenzy, and seemed to enjoy themselves as they did it. They may not be the most credible act in the world, and there is something a bit silly about them, but they’re great entertainers and I would heartily recommend their act to anyone who has ever had more than a passing interest in them, if only for the inherent nostalgia value.

Basically, Papa Roach know what they’re doing – they’ve been around a surprisingly long time. Infest was released a smidge under ten years ago. The scowling little shits in the Last Resort video are all adults now, and a good handful of them – unless they really did cut their lives into pieces – have almost certainly gotten proper jobs and houses and families since (unless they’ve all been living in hiding due to constant calls of “aren’t you that guy from the Last Resort video who scowled a lot”). Like a lot of people, I first heard Papa Roach in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (the modern equivalent of overhearing an exciting new band in a record shop). The youngest of the people who attended last night’s show would have had a hard time racking up a respectable score in aforementioned game, as they would have still been in nappies when it was released. This said, Papa Roach have aged very well. Their music will probably always appeal to a certain kind of group, and is imbued with a certain timelessness that makes it appealing to a certain type of person at a certain age. It’s aggressive, embittered, and is served up in a wholly acceptable pop-punk package. I can get behind that.

All I wish is that their fanbase wasn’t made up of quite so many startlingly young people. It’s enough to make a man feel twice his age. Or worse, twice the age of the pre-pubescent proto-punks that went cascading over the barrier last night like an unstoppable waterfall of baggy black clothing and greasy hair.

Ivor Marlow

Below you’ll find the list of everything that I want to get out of my house as soon as possible. You can Find the rules about how I am trying to do that here.

I know this is just a list, so over the next days (or weeks), I’ll try to go into further detail and provide you with mp3s and youtube links of the artist. That way, you might get to know some new stuff you like and have the album immediately there for you. You just need something that I want to trade with. Woohoo, this is fun!

REGULAR CDs

• Isobell Campbell – Milkwhite Sheets
• Pokett – Crumble
• Portrait Of David – These Days are Hard To Ignore
• Anni rossi – Afton
• Nicolas Bernier – Jacques Poulin-Denis – Sur Fond Blanc
• Mario Massullo & Andrea Gabriele – Les Couleurs Ne Meuvent Pas
• Sarandon – Kill Twee Pop!
• Rose Kemp – Unholy Majesty
• John Callaghan – It Might Never Happen
• Holopaw -Quit or Fight
• The Innocence Mission – Befriended
• Nina Kinert – Pets & Friends
• Jasmina Maschina – The Demolition Series
• Audiotransparent – (Minicd)
• Sparklehorse – Good Morning Spider
• An Pierlé – Mud Stories
• David Gray – White Ladder
• Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold As Love
• Calla – Strenght in Numbers
• Badly Drawn Boy -About A Boy
• Badly Drawn Boy – Have You Fed The Fish
• Whiskeytown – Pneumonia
• Nona Mez – Cast In Concrete
• Boy Omega – I Name You Isolation
• Thomas Truax – Full Moon over WowTown
• Tracker – Blankets OST
• Swell – For All The Beautiful People
• For Stars – We Are All Beautiful People
• Papa Roach – Infest
• Love Wollberg – Restless Farewell
• Chris Brokaw – I was Born, but .. OST
• Lawn – Silver
• Panther – 14KT God
• Dan Bern – Fifty Eggs
• Lowgold – Welcome To Winners
• Stearica – Oltre
• The Meices – Tastes Like chicken
• The Mendoza Line – Fortune
• Shipping News – Three-four
• Now It’s Overhead – Fall Back Open
• Son, Ambulance – Key
• Tobin Sprout – Live at The Horseshoe Tavern
• Blind Melon – Soup
• Dan Bern – Fleeting Days
• Loud Lucy – Breathe
• Silver Jews – Tanglewood Numbers
• The River Curls Around Town – More Than A Break
• Thalia Zedek – Trust not Those In Whom Without Some Touch Of Madness
• Six Organs of Admittance – Shelter From The Ash
• Tortoise – It’s all Around You
• Von Spar – A. Xaxapoya
• Radar Bros – The fallen Leaf pages
• Retribution Gospel Choir – S/T
• Savoy Grand – People And what They Want

A picture of Santa with a List, just so you can have a break.

PROMOTIONAL CDs

(remark: they mostly don’t have a jewel case, but are in this flat cardboard box thing. Some of them are cd-r)

- Wheat – Everyday I Said a Prayer For Kathy & Made A One Inch Square
- Katamine – Stories go First
- Holy Ghost Revival – Twilight Exit
- Cache – Monochrome
- Dirty Three – Cinder
- The Decemberists – Oh Valencia (Singletje, one song)
- Son Ambulance – Someone Else’s Deja Vu (back cover slightly damaged)
- Hubbub – Four Songs
- Soccer Committee & Machinefabriek – Drawn (Cd-r)
- Annelies Monseré – Somewhere Someone (Cd-r)
- Annelies Monseré & Jessica Bailiff – (No title, 4 songs)
- Essie Jain – We Made This Ourselves
- Essie Jain – The Inbetween
- People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz – Rhapsody In Glue (Cd-r)
- Greg Weeks – The Hive
- Wildbirds & Peacedrums – Heartcore
- Ida – Lovers prayers

I have been planning to use this blog a bit for my own benefit (and a lot for yours). How? I have cleaned out my cd-collection and came up with quite a lot of albums that need to get out of my house as soon as possible. I also have a box of cds that i still need to listen, to see if they have to get out of here. So the list is growing as we speak. (Just decided to get rid of ‘Tanglewood Numbers’ by Silver Jews e.g)

I am however not interested in your money, for various reasons. I get a lot of these cds for free because I write reviews. It’s not fair gaining money, just because i think a cd sucks. Next to that, I know i’d use the money just to buy new cd’s (or books), so.. why would i do that? Giving away for free, leaving me with a lot of delivery costs, is not really my favourite solution.

AN INSIDE OUT SOCK’s BIG TRADE MACHINE!!

So i came up with An Inside Out Sock’s Big Trade Machine. I’m gonna trade my cds like I trade my unwanted books. but because there are no good cd-swaps sites on an international level, I’ll have to organize it myself.

I’m gonna make it interesting for you, my reader.  Cause you can trade your stuff through my site as well. I’m not really sure how I am gonna manage to do that, but i’ll figure it out. First see how the response is off course.

Okay, here are the rules

1. In my list (see my next post on the blog), you’ll see a difference between regular Cd’s and Promo copies. I’ll trade 2 regular cd’s against 1 cd or book that I desire. So how will that work?  You say “I’d like to have “Tanglewood Numbers” by Silver Jews and “Infest” By Papa Roach”. You’ll give me a list of things that you are willing to get rid of. If there’s a cd or a book on that list that I like, I say: “allright, send me that one. And I’ll send you those two you want.” It’s as simple as that.
2. If you have 3 promotional cd’s, that’s worth 1 cd or Book. So, you take three promotional cd’s from me, you’ll give me one item in return.
3. if you want a combination of promotional cd’s & regular things? 1 regular cd + 2 promos = 1 item in return. 1 promo + 2 regular cds = 1 item in return.
4. damn, this is complicated
5. I have also a box of Gonzo’s Mind The Gap ‘Compilation’-cd’s. You get four if you give me one thing in return. great experimental stuff most of the time. I’m not really eager to type all tracklists, so I’ll send four random ones
6. Most cds are in mint condition.
7. if you have items that you want to get rid of yourself, you can send me the list, and I’ll just add them to my list. If someone’s interested in your stuff, i’ll give you eachother’s contact information. Of some sort.

Well, if I’m forgetting something, I’ll notice soon enough I guess.

Edit: if you want to trade something, leave a comment or mail me at tOMBLExxxxweed at telexxxnet dot be (without the dots, capitals and x’s. You’ll figure it out)

Now, my next post: The List

The concept of trading summarized in a Google Image Image.

Song:  Liveline Artist:  Papa Roach (click to watch on You Tube for the video)

I’ve told you that I just seem to hear pieces of songs lately.  Certain songs have really been sticking in my head.  I can remember where I was when I heard them and odd stuff like that.

I remember following behind the ambulance headed to the ER in the middle of the night and this song coming on.  I remember just thinking… “we need our lifeline.”  “Come on lifeline.”

Ironically, this was the same song that was playing on my first day back to work as I pulled into the parking lot.

Yep… even though John is gone, I’m still, “looking for a lifeline.”

Day 18 – Are You Ready to Rock?: So, I’ve just got back from one of the gigs of the year at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, and I was lucky enough to meet all of the bands involved and get some cool portraits of them.  The show was headlined by the stars of today’s picture – Papa Roach – who were really friendly and welcoming people and a pleasure to do a portrait session with as they are one of my all-time favourites.  Then there was support from Madina Lake who were possible the nicest and most genuine guys I’ve ever met in a band, and also British lot Heaven’s Basement.  I was covering the gig for my new live music section on the Daily Dust, so keep checking there for the review and interviews from tonight’s show.

Chantal Claret, lead singer of pop-punk band Morningwood, was able to answer a few questions recently as she and fellow band member Pedro Yanowitz prepare for their tour with Papa Roach and Jet this Fall. I also got a sneak preview of their new album, Diamonds and Studs, due to be released on October 27. It is a great album and definitely worth the wait! Claret, who is known for her wild on-stage antics, (she frequently encourages members of the band’s audience to jump on stage and strip) is very excited for the release of the new album. It brings in a new, broader sound into the mix, and is getting pre-release buzz from various outlets, including VH1, which has selected Morningwood as their band you outta know for the month of October. Read the short interview after the jump.

I’ve listened to your new album, Diamonds and Studs, and I’m really impressed– it’s quite awesome! What was the writing process for the album? How long did it take you to complete it? Were there any specific influences from other bands/musicians that helped you and Pedro along with the album?

“Thanks! I am so happy you like it! The writing process for the record was intense, some bands have their whole lives to write their first record, we had our whole lives to write our second one.  We wrote about 2 and a half records worth of songs, before finally picking these lucky 13 to be on the masters.  Since Pedro and I live on opposite sides of the country we had to force ourselves to write and record at least one song every time we were together for a day or two, so it was very focused.

We were definitely more inspired by our vast musical influences this time more than on the last record. The last record seems more straight ahead where as this one is very eclectic, which I absolutely love, we have so many tastes and opinions and personalities between the two of us, Diamonds & Studs begins to scratch the surface of a few of them.”

Morningwood was chosen as VH1’s you oughta know band for the month of October, which is a great honor. How did you react when you found out?

“I was very happy when I found out, but to be honest, at this point I am a little wary when I get good news, because so much of it ends up falling through, so until it is airing on TV, I try not to get too excited, that way I don’t get disappointed.”

How does it feel to be opening up for Papa Roach and Jet? Are you nervous at all?

“I am not really nervous at all, more interested to see how their fans will react to us and also excited to go back out on tour and shake my shit.”

You are known to ask/tell fans to strip during Morningwood’s live set, many of times while you are playing the song “Take Off Your Clothes”. Are you ever surprised at the amount of fans who easily give in to your request?

“At this point I am not really surprised. There are a lot of exhibitionists in the world, and a lot of them come to our shows. I love it.”

If you had to pick one band as your favorite band to tour with, who would it be and why?

“We would tour with Beyonce, because she is absolutely amazing and I just want to see her perform.”

What’s playing on your iPod/mp3 player?

“I just uploaded our record onto my iPod Shuffle, I love listening to it at the gym, and I also got a song called “Little Star” by Push Kings, that were this awesome band that I loved in the 90’s and I have been looking for that song for years. I was dancing around my house in my jammies today cuz I was sick, and lip syncing to my husband [Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence].”

Within the past year, Morningwood has had two songs featured in a very popular movie and TV show. How does it feel to hear “New York Girls” in the Sex and The City Movie and “Best Of Me” in VH1’s Daisy Of Love?

“I love hearing our songs in movies and on TV. It always takes me a minute to realize it is us, the first 10 seconds is always me thinking “I know this song, why do I know this song?” and then the next reaction is “OH, THAT’S ME SINGING!!”.  But I consider it all a great honor and super fun!”