The Supremes are one of the many influential Motown acts to come out of the Motor City

City Sounds goes to the Motor City this week to listen to some of it’s native sounds.

Detroit is known mainly for it’s automobile industry, but a close second would be Motown.  As the birthplace of Motown Records, Detroit provided the world with one of the most important musical genres of all time. An influence to almost every other musical genre following it’s dominance, Motown and it’s notoriety still stand as the ideal for popular music.

Artists like Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder topped the charts with hit after hit after hit, and it set a new standard for pop.  Motown reigned supreme (some pun intended) through the ’60s and into part of the ’80s. Even though the hits have dwindled in quantity, the quality of music is still heard around the world.

Motown put Detroit on the map, but it wasn’t the only source of great music.  Detroit also had it’s moments during the garage rock revival in the early 2000s with bands like The White Stripes, The Von Bondies and Electric Six.  It also presented the world with arguably one of the most influential rappers of all time, Eminem.

There’s plenty of great music from Detroit that will all be covered on Monday, November 23, from 11pm-1am on WERW. Tune in and listen up!

– Kyle Kuchta

My review of the show by The Cribs on Thursday, November 12th at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom is now online on the main Powerline A.D. site. The Cribs are touring in support of their latest album, Ignore The Ignorant. The album is the first with the band’s new recruit, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.

The Von Bondies were also on the bill. Both bands put on great performances.

I Love You. I Hate You.

Five years in between records generally considered rock n’ roll suicide, unless you’re in the Rolling Stones or something where you can wait like ten years (or more) in between releases and then sell out stadiums around the world charging a hundred and fifty bucks a ticket.

For The Von Bondies, who released “Love and Hate and Then There’s You,” back in February of 2009, the five years in between their last release, Pawn Shoppe Heart, which brought them to the main stream with the garage-punk masterpiece “C’mon, C’mon”, may have seemed to many like a one-hit wonder in retrospective. Just another coming and going of a promising band who flamed out after the garage rock rival hit its peak back in 2004.

Lead singer Jason Stollsteimer was in danger of becoming more famous for his much publicized fight with Jack White, the one time producer and supporter of The Von Bondies, than for a follow-up record. 

Fortunately, Stollsteimer seems to have spent his time wisely. Instead of the snipping back and forth in the press with White, (well, at least not too much), he focused on writing some great songs.

Love and Hate and Then There’s You may not have the big hit single like “C’mon, C’mon,” that’s going to get stuck in your head for the next five years, but there are a number of standouts. Call it what you may, punk, garage, revival etc. the bottom line is that Love and Hate and Then There’s You simply rocks.

The lead track, “This is Perfect Crime,” comes as close as you can get to “C’mon, C’mon” and will have you singing along in no time as Stollsteimer bellows.

We are the spark we are the great
We keep our cities loud and far
We keep their hands into the streets
We are the underground.

“Shut Your Mouth,” “Pale Bride, “21^st birthday and “Earthquake” keep the momentum high throughout the record. Its’ good stuff and it’s about time. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait five years for another follow-up.

AFG Must Rock!
Check out: www.TheSwaggerSticks.com

THE VON BONDIES MYSPACE

Two album reviews from Q, June 2009.

I used to assistant teach a graduate seminar in video production, during which an associate professor, a technical instructor and myself would spend an entire academic year helping a group of anthropologists and cinema studies geeks produce a series of short documentaries.  Over the course of eight months or so, we’d come close to discussing nearly every frame that our students would end up including in their final cuts.  On innumerable occasions we would pull out our hair trying to explain to our students why some of their scenes were pointless, or why some of their cuts were disorienting, or why some of their B-roll was totally inappropriate.  They tended to ignore us and take our sage advice in equal measure, arbitrarily.

The experience has contributed enormously to the critical apparatus I tend, semi-consciously, to bring to bear on the hours and hours and hours of television I consume on a weekly basis.  I mention all this to explain why I even noticed the succession of images I’ve included below.  They come from the credit sequence of Denis Leary’s 9/11sploitation vanity vehicle, Rescue me, and they have baffled me since I let my curiosity get the better of me and started watching the show.  (They flash onscreen at around 0:39 in the youtube link above.)

Who...

... the fuck...

... is this guy?!

It’s a shame that the genius editor who put this credit sequence together was never my student, because I would not have hesitated to humiliate him or her in front of the rest of the class for this nonsense.  Where to begin?  With the Von Bondies, obviously.  I’ve regurgitated elsewhere the Wikipedia wisdom that Denis Leary’s son was responsible for this particularly egregious editorial decision.  “Hey, son, I’ve co-created a show in which I lionize the working class ethos of the FDNY.  There will be lots of slow-motion montages of me running into fires, as well as plenty of opportunities for me to take off my shirt and show off the fact that FX paid for me to get a personal trainer.  We’ll even have a talented make-up artist who will be able to disguise, for the most part, the pucker lines I’ve accumulated around my lips from smoking for so many years.  Can you think of a song that would adequately prepare viewers for such an awesome weekly experience?”  Sure, Dad.  It goes like this:

“On another day, c’mon, c’mon / With these ropes tied tight can we do no wrong? / Now we grieve ’cause now it’s gone / Things were good when we were young / Was it safe to say? C’mon, c’mon / Was it right to leave? C’mon, c’mon / Will I ever learn?  C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon.”

See, the “ropes tied tight” are like a metaphor for objective social-economic relations.  Your character is, like, stuck in his working classness.  And the grief, well, 9/11, obviously.  And the repetition of “c’mon” is like society, y’know, telling you to stay in line.  It’s perfect.

I’m particularly insulted that the VBs’ (more like VDs’) Jason Stollsteimer felt authorized, however vicariously, to make the claim that “things were good when we were young.”  Really, dude?  With the hindsight of your late twenties you’re prepared to make such an assertion?  If I ever get the chance, I will punch him myself, first for writing such an obnoxious, whiny song, and second for being such a twat in general.

It’s important to bear the content of this song in mind, because it inflects how we’re going to read the images of that anonymous dude who appears near the end of the credit sequence.  It also bears mentioning that, aside from Leary’s (looking appropriately stoic, maybe even reflective), his is the only face we ever see in the credits — other human figures are either faceless passers-by (a staple of any imaginary of New York) or firefighters at work, with their broad, working men’s backs to us.

So, who the hell is this guy?  And why is he grieving, aside from the very Husserlian recognition that “now it’s gone?”  Is his house on fire?  Or maybe he just has a bad headache?  Is he an alcoholic, too?  Does he have a hangover?  Why is he just sitting there by himself outside of such a pretty brownstone?  Does he live there?  Is he casing the joint?  Is he a pyromaniac?  Is he going to set a fire?  Is he struggling with his internal demons?  Is he suffering from “agita?”

These questions have nagged at me through every single episode of all five seasons of Rescue me. Too bad that’s not even remotely the only reason why the show is so mediocre.  FAIL.

– J.C. Freñán

Dúné har netop udgivet deres andet album Enter Metropolis. Albummets første single Victim of the City udkom tilbage i juni, og er allerede blevet spillet en hel del i radioen. http://www.dunesite.com/

 Kiss Kiss Kiss er endnu et bevis på den talentmasse, der findes i Århus. Bandet har floreret på den danske musikscene i et stykke tid og varmet op for flere danske bands og enkelte udlandske bands som bl.a. sidste år, da The Von Bondies gæstede Lille Vega. Kiss Kiss Kiss har nu fået en pladekontrakt og første single “Broken Hearts” udkom tilbage i juni og fik kort tid efter æren af at være Ugens Uundgåelige på P3. http://www.myspace.com/kisskisskissdk

The Raveonettes er også på vej med et nyt album. Deres første single fra albummet “Last Dance” blev med perfekt timing præsenteret til årets Beatday festival kun 2 dage førend den udkom. Albummet “In and Oot of Control” kommer til oktober, men bandet lægger ud med at turnere rundt i USA og det vides ikke, hvornår de tager turen forbi Danmark. http://www.myspace.com/theraveonettes

I liked the Von Bondies…I knew a lot of people who didn’t…but c’mon…an asian drummer…surrounded by two hot chicks? I had to get into that too. But I don’t blame Jack White for decking Jason in the face…I would too by just looking at him.

Btw Bondies…when you do come back…use your original name…The Baby Killers…so much better…

Trash, rock de garagem, alternativo e ousado ao ponto de trocar tapas com o cultuado Jack White dos The White Stripes formam a medida certa do grupo vindo de Detroit, Michigan, The Von Bondies. Eles estão aí desde 2ooo e até hoje continuam a tocar o seu som característico e impróprio para algumas pessoas e já estão em seu quarto disco de estúdio e não menos pitoresco chamado Love, Hate and Then There’s You. Os Von Bondies chamavam-se primordialmente de The Baby Killers, mas eles mesmos concordaram de que não era um nome muito atraente e de fácil divulgação no cenário em que queriam atuar, logo trocaram para The Von Bondies – uma rápida alusão aos Von Trapps e James Bond.

Eles são famosos por que uma de suas músicas foi parar no famoso seriado de televisão americano Rescue Me. A banda estourou devido a essa inesperada divulgação, fora suas próprias polêmicas casuais e aqui trago para download o mais recente álbum Love, Hate and Then There’s You para download Download

1 – This is our Perfect Crime

I’m a bit of a veteran mixtaper and part-time DJ, but somewhat an amateur on Garageband. So to hone my skills, I’ve made an actual mixed-mix for you all. Some summer electro classics with a sprinkling of indie/rock. Download, dance along and – hopefully – enjoy! xoxo

Eclectro Electro
Kid Meets Cougar – It’s All In Your Head
Florence + The Machine – Drumming
The Von Bondies – Only To Haunt You
Passion Pit – The Reeling
3Oh!3 – Don’t Trust Me (Nat 3-D Mini-mix)
Metronomy – Heartbreaker (Kris Menace Remix)
Metric – Help, I’m Alive (Twelves Remix)
Lykke Li – Little Bit
Chad VanGaalen – TMNT Mask
Kid Loco – Confessions (Parov Stelar Remix)
The XX – Heart Skipped A Beat

Edited & mixed with love by Nat 3-D, August 2009.
Download 2unedin’s Eclectro Electro mix from Mediafire (m4a, 57.11 mb)
Copy & paste: http://www.mediafire.com/?djnwnixjhmn

Here is the link to http://www.posterbomb.com for all of your Lowbrow art , books , rock posters , concert posters , pinstriping art , art prints & More!

Thanks for stopping in.
What you are going to see on this site is what has taken us years to culminate. As avid collectors of low brow, kustom kulture art and music, we thought, through the years, how difficult it has been trying find the things we need to scratch our proverbial itch. Enter, Poster Bomb. You will find this site to be very eclectic. All of the art is original, much of it limited release. Due to the nature of what we will offer you, the inventory will change frequently, and once it is sold, we will usually be unable to provide that particular piece again.
The art we offer is from artists that practice in many mediums; some are tattoo artists, some woodworkers, some metallurgists, and many cross those boundaries and defy categorizing. We have poured our heart and soul into trying to make this the newest in new, a place with a rotating inventory that will keep you on the edge of sensory overload. While we all here at Poster Bomb have put a piece of ourselves into the development, or birth, of our brainchild, we owe it all to the inspiration we have received from these artists. As hard as it has been to collect, it will be harder to part with what has taken years to acquire. Lastly, we owe our future successes to you, the individual, the tattoo artist, his client, the hot rodder, the bike builder, the musician, the person voraciously searching for what seemingly can never be found….until now. Enjoy browsing, and come back often. Welcome to POSTER BOMB!

Check out some of this awesome stuff from http://www.PosterBomb.com

NEW POSTER PRINTS ADDED FROM SCOTT FISK

(4) new limited edition poster prints from Hot Rod illustrator Scott Fisk. All poster prints are signed, numbered, and printed on 80# poster size stock, perfect for framing or you can hang em in the garage next to your ride. Check out more of Scott’s Hot Rod Art at www.car-tooner.com.

I highly recommend you do yourself a favor and buy a discounted weekend pass while they’re cheap. Pre-Sale ends tomorrow and you wouldn’t wanna miss out on Franz Ferdinand and Cold War Kids. And if your real lucky you’ll hear Datarock’s cover of To The Rescue from the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. See ya there

The Think Tank administration has taken a beating in the court of public opinion in recent months for non-response to outcry for further policy reports. What is our response? Give the people what they want.

Whiskey Frank Rating = 1.5-ish
Thank You Sunset Strip

I’ve always said drinking on the holidays (ie, St. Patrick’s Day, Fourth of July, New Years) is for amateurs. Try a Tuesday. Or a Monday. That’s where it really goes down. That theory holds true in Hollywood, where the ballers come out and play when the rest of the world is working, sleeping, watching CSI Whatever or trudging away on the eliptical.

Heading to The Rainbow Room on Monday night, I glanced to my left and saw Ben Stein eating dinner. It was an omen. Once inside the second home of Lemme to meet Socionic frontman Meiny, the Rainbow didn’t disappoint. Not only was favorite waitress Luana working, but the Fear Factory guitarist was chilling inside, too. After a couple of pre-show drinks, we exited rainbow, only to see Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains chilling in the patio section with two Euro-looking-model types.

At The Viper Room, The Von Bondies did their thing. They delivered as I expected. I’m in love with the new album Love Hate And Then Theres You. I bumped into bass player Leeann (literally) afterwards and we chatted for a few. We also spotted actress Mischa Barton taking in the show, but it was pretty dark. Still, other than the $6 bottles of beer, the Viper is my favorite venue in LA right now.

A typical Monday night on the Sunset Strip.

The Link sat down with Jason Stollsteimer of The Von Bondies to find out what their about and how it’s possible that they’re so incredibly cool.

How did the Von Bondies come to be? You guys used to be the Baby Killers?

I listened to Minor Threat, Weezer, Sloan, random music. I wasn’t a huge music kid, I played sports when I was a kid; I was talked into that by certain members of my family. I played a lot of sports; I was never interested in music.

In 1998 I went to a concert were there were bands I had never heard of. My roommate at the time dragged me to the show and it was packed, 800 people, in Pontiac, an hour north of Detroit. The bands playing were the The Cramps and Guitar Wolf. I was watching this band from Japan that basically didn’t speak any English. During the show, the lead guitar player handed his guitar to some random person in the crowd and said “hit it!” and this guy hit the strings and it sounded just like the band, meaning, I could do that! If that guy can’t play guitar and the guitars are so loud that it doesn’t matter what you play, I could do that!

It looked like so much fun! That night I went back to my apartment and proceeded to get drunk with five of my friends and we started the Baby Killers that day. I had never played guitar, the drummer had never drummed, the singer had never sung, and I had never played bass. We were playing in the basement just making crap noise because none of us knew what we were doing.

Then, one by one each person went upstairs to get a drink but then didn’t come back down. In the end I was by myself which is ironic because I’m the only one left in the band. So I went upstairs and the lights were all off and when I turned them on I saw everyone was having non-sex sex, they were all making out in a big group. That was the first Baby Killers practise. That was the most rock ‘n’ roll thing and it started off that way. Three of those people weren’t in the band the next week.

It was one of those things where being in a band seemed cool until they realized they had to work and actually practise.

Yeah. They were the ones that were more into music than me but I was the only one that lasted. We changed our name to the Von Bondies when our drummer Don joined.

We started playing our first shows at house parties in a room that fit 50 people, but we would fit 100 in the room of this house I had in college.

We were pure energy with no talent. It was great. Now we have a little bit of talent and lots of energy still. We’re very self-deprecating. It’s very mid-west, that’s how it is where we live; everyone picks on themselves.

What were your inspirations then? If you weren’t into music, you’re inspiration must have grown from somewhere, from some musician eventually…

No, I normally buy a cd every four or five years. I never buy music. I listen to talk radio consistently.

There are certain bands that I’ve seen live that inspire me but cd’s not at all. I still don’t own a Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, Stooges, or MC5 record and those are the five things that people relate to rock’n’ roll. It’s not because I don’t like it. The rest of the band listens to music religiously. When I hear it on the radio, I’ll sing a long, but I’m not a huge music fan which is strange because of what I do.

I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher but somehow I ended up here. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but not for the same reasons your average musician does. Some people want fame, some people want to get laid, some people like partying and being the center of attention.  I kind of got talked into doing this and then I liked it for totally different reasons.

What is it about what you do that you love then?

I like traveling and talking to people after the show. I like talking to the audiences which most shows I go to, nobody does that. Touring bands plays their songs and then says one cool line and that’s the show; they play the cd. There just getting through the night because they have 300 other nights to do. It’s a rip-off. I feel ripped-off if there is no connection between the band I’m watching and me in the audience. That might be the only show I go to that month. If I’m having a good show I talk to the audience for like 15 minutes over the course of an hour.

Any musical collaboration you’d be interested in making happen sometime soon?

I don’t think doing something with me would be good for anybody else. I don’t think I work in the normal way a song writer might work because I don’t have any background in music. Even in this band I end up playing all the bass and guitar parts on all the records, sometimes even the backing vocals. I don’t really collaborate that well. I didn’t know that I was supposed to; I didn’t know that’s how it worked. I had never done my homework on how you’re supposed to run a band. This was from day one, now looking back over the course of ten years, a solo project with my friends.

On the new record we don’t list anybody. I’m not even listed as a band member. Either you like the cd or you don’t. It doesn’t matter if Dave Grohl’s on drums (which he’s not); it’s about whether or not you like the music. So if you liked us because of the guest, that’s weird, because they weren’t involved musically.

Are you guys writing while on the road or just touring and having fun?

If I wasn’t doing sound checks, I would be up there by myself writing songs, just little riffs at a time.

I write better when I’m on tour, I don’t write at home at all. If you said, you have one day in the studio and you have to write ten songs, I would be able to do ten songs and one would be really good. I’m really good at being put on the spot. If you said you have six months to put out an album, that’s bad, don’t give me time.

“C’mon C’mon” was written in a day: it was written in less than five minutes, recorded, and edited. Same with the new record; “Pale Bride” took like five minutes to write. The songs that take the least amount of time are everyone’s favourites.

I have six new songs that are basically done.

My other band, Jason and the Hounds Below, is putting out a record this fall so I’ll tour on that for a little bit. It’s more like Roy Orbison meets Velvet Underground.  It’s more crooner-esque, it’s not rock. I get to sing huge vibratos, my more natural voice. That’s what I grew up listening to, like Otis Redding.

What’s the tour been like so far?

Canada is hilarious. We had never been to Edmonton, Winnipeg, or Calgary and they were amazing.

In Edmonton, the venue was way over sold out. Everyone was dancing. I hadn’t had that much fun in like two or three years. Vancouver has a lot to live up to!

Uh oh!

No, no…Vancouver is normally really good but it is a Monday after all. Bands usually try to have Mondays off because they’re the least well attended. Tonight should be fun. We played at Richards last time.

Yeah I like Richards. I like smaller venues. They’re more personal, better crowd, you see familiar faces.

We’re noticing that our friends who used to do the 2000 seaters are now doing 500 seaters. All those bands are playing smaller venues because people aren’t going to shows, at all.

It’s good that you like small venues because the bigger venues aren’t going to be selling.

I try not to go to big stadium shows; festivals are different. There was a time when we were doing 2000 seaters in Europe and that was a low point for me personally on stage because it didn’t matter how sold out every show was, I couldn’t see anybody. There was forty feet between me and the first person in the audience.

After this tour do you have a bit of a break before heading onto your other bands tour? Any other future plans?

We’re doing Virgin Festival in Toronto. We’re doing a bunch of festivals after this tour and until October and then we’ll have two weeks off and that’s when I’ll record my other band.

I know that we’re going to try and get on Lollapalooza, Coachella, and some others.

This will be our six month straight touring. The reason why I did this big Canadian tour is because every tour could be our last. I’m having fun but who knows. Plus, we had a five year break between albums and we had no idea if anyone would remember us, especially in cities we’d never been to. It’s been reassuring!

Well thanks for the chat. I had a great time and I look forward to seeing the show tonight! I’ll be up at the front taking as many photos as I can during the first three song limit!

Oh yeah! We want photographers to take photos after the first three songs. We want to be sweaty. We hate it when the label only allows the first three songs. No one needs a photo pass. We feel lucky to have out photo taken. Flashes are fine, everything is fine. It takes us three songs to warm up. I don’t want us looking like Hollywood crap. The last song is the best to photograph because that’s when we’re jumping around! You want photos of the chaos!

Wow amazing! Thanks so much. See you later!

Enjoy the show!

@bmbx.org

01 Beck – Youthless
02 Nirvana – Smells Like (DJs On Strike Remix)
03 Flobots – Handlebars (Original + DJ Shadow Remix)
04 Rhymefest feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Build Me Up
05 Radiohead & Panzah Zandahz – J5 Iron Lung Mushy Thing Beat
06 Infommercial Break #1
Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes
Black Kids – Partie Traumatic
Jay-Z feat. Santogold – Brooklyn (We Go Hard)
Handsome Boy Modeling School feat. Jack Johnson – Breakdown
The Gaslight Anthem – The 59 Sound
07 Be Your Own Pet – The Kelly Affair
08 Outkast vs. Kanye – Touch The Bar-B (A-Track’s Sunglasses Is A Must Blend)
09 ACDC – Back In Black (Magic Mike Remix)
10 Figment – Rippin These Beats Apart
11 Quannum (Lyrics Born & The Poets Of Rhythm) – I Changed My Mind
12 Infommercial Break #2
Priestess – Lay Down
Chromeo – You’re So Gangsta
Ghostland Observatory – Candy Rider
Death In Vegas feat. Liam Gallagher – Scorpio Rising
Beastie Boys – The Scenario
13 Cut Chemist feat. Hymnal – What’s The Altitude
14 Rjd2 – Schoolyard Scrimage (Full Mix)
15 Geto Boys – Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta
16 Jurassic 5 – Concrete Schoolyard (Full Length Kazoo Mix)
17 Simon & Garfunkel – The Only Living Boy In New York
18 Infommercial Break #3
Kenny Rogers & The First Edition – Just Dropped In (To See What Condition…)
Linkin Park – No Roads Left
Everlast – Folsom Prison Blues
Foo Fighters – Band On The Run
19 The Offspring – You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid
20 Carolina Liar – I’m Not Over
21 Sam Cooke – Another Saturday Night
22 DJ Shadow – Six Days (Soulwax Remix)
23 Galactic with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux – Second & Dryades
24 Infommercial Break #4
Ludo – Love Me Dead
Marty Casey & Lovehammers – Trees
Hot Chip – Out At The Pictures
The Cool Kids – 88
Jumbling Towers – Pure Jew
25 The Von Bondies – Cmon Cmon
26 DJ Yoda – Annie Mac Mini Mix 05-19-05
27 Jungle Brothers – Because I Got It Like That (Ultimatum Mix) (AK Edit)
28 Rockabye Baby – Here Comes The Sun

THE VON BONDIES
King Tut’s, Glasgow, April 26 * * * *

If the critics general indifference to The Von Bondies latest album Love, Hate And Then There’s You is anything to go by, then it’s hardly been a sparkling return after five years spent in the indie-rock wilderness. However on stage is where it really matters and tonight the Motor City residents showed it’s too early to write them off just yet.
There had been talk of a diva-like strop before Jason Stollsteimer and his fellow Bondies took to the stage. The combination of a four-band bill and a need for the headliners to get to Manchester overnight meant their set was restricted to thirty-five minutes. Not much time at all when you consider they’ve just released their third studio album.
On the plus side it meant opening salvos Broken Man, Shut Your Mouth and single Pale Bride had an added urgency – each three minute garage-punk pop blast more potent than the last. There was a bit of a lull when Stollsteimer decided to ramble on but one female punter’s plaintive shout of “shut up and play” jolted them back to life. By the end of explosive final number It Came From Japan, and with no chance of an encore, the only disappointment being expressed by the patchy crowd concerned the length and not the quality of what was a criminally short set.

Schnupfen und Halsschmerzen am 1. Mai, also ab ins PENG zu “Krawehl” und ein Rezept ausstellen lassen.

Dafür gibt’s jede Menge Sonne als Medizin… naja… und ein wenig musikalische Unterstützung vorweg: