To start this off I’m going to set straight exactly what show we attended.  We drove to Plum Corner in Rochester for the one and only “Flathead Jacks” 10th annual Gathering of the Faithful New England Speed Meeting.   We have  attended this show for a few years now, every year guarantees cool cars and cold people since it’s in October in New England. 

 This show draws a lot of cars that don’t go to everyday cruise nights and local shows.  The type of cars that show up are old roundy rounds, midgets, vintage racers and of course the enthusiasts.  This pre- 1960 show draws mostly hot rods, though you will see some customs and muscle cars in the mix.  The Gathering is one of the only shows around where you can see a variety of cars from vintage slingshots, old race cars and hot rods in the same place. 

On the front row sat a black on black 1931 Ford Model A roadster which wore old salt flat numbers 37b. Under the louvered hood was a warmed over 1941 Flathead motor. The motor had been bored to 239 cubic inches with Edelbrock heads ported and polished to let the flatty breathe deeper. Bolted to the top of the motor is a Thickstun 2×2 manifold with two Holly 94’s (Ford of course) to complete the hopped up motor. This roadster is a real driver and has frequented the salt flats on the west coast numerous times in the last few years.

A few hours into the show everyone huddled around the stage with coffee in hand while a seminar was put on by Mac Van Pelt.  Mac is the author of the How-to manual ”The Ins and Outs of Early Ford Transmissions”.  Mac pulled apart and went through an early Ford transmission in great depth with lots of questions and answers interspersed enabling the studious crowd to absorb his knowledge. 

This was the ending show of my Massachusetts season and what a way to end the year.  I can’t wait for the spring!

Alright folks, the updates are gonna start to be a bit more regular now. Sorry for such big gaps in between actual happenings but I’m trying my best to get them out to you as quickly as I can. Anyways, below are some songs that are HUUUUGE for me right now. Check ‘em out.

↓Four Tet recently released a short EP-ish thing with two tracks, this, and “Our Bells” which is also pretty awesome though in an eerier way. “Love Cry” is gonna be huge in the electronic world. These are legends, friends. And I think with this, they’re baaaAAAck!

MP3: Four Tet – Love Cry

↓To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of Tiësto. Every time people go nuts for the guy, say he’s the number one DJ in the world and blah blah blah, I just quietly disagree. He really isn’t that great IMO, from all his albums to even his live shows. But his most recent release Kaleidoscope has taken a different turn in that he has a ridiculous amount of cameos…most of ‘em from the indie world. You guys probably remember the song with Tegan and Sara! Well, this one is killer. And I’m quiet impressed with the album. But he still remains pretty low on my DJ books.

MP3: Tiësto ft. Nelly Furtado – Who Wants To Be Alone

↓Just something that came up on my Mediamonkey one day…and I was like…oooooooh yeaaaaaaaaaaah!

MP3: Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight

↓Trey Songz, coming up BIG in the R’n'B world.

MP3: Trey Songz – Say Aah

↓This is a ridiculously misogynistic song. But it’s so catchy. Damn American rap! So bad yet so goood.

MP3: Three 6 Mafia – Lil’ Freak (Ugh Ugh Ugh)

↓BIGGEST SONG OF THE WEEK! BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP! BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!

MP3: Rick Ross – Baby By Me (Remix)

Its so damn cold in the house, I needed a feel-good song to warm me up…
It’s not working though…
so…cold…
-DbL

Retomando um post que escrevi alguns dias atrás, no qual falei sobre a importância de as pessoas compartilharem conhecimentos musicais, resolvi criar uma pequena lista com artistas que eu conheci porque algum amigo me indicou. Nem todos são desconhecidos, o critério não é esse. Sem delongas, vamos a ela:

Sister Hazel – indicada pelo Ivo, essa banda da Flórida está na ativa desde 1993. O estilo deles combina, rock, pop e folk, com certa influência do rock do sul dos EUA. As músicas deles que eu recomendo são Best I’ll Ever Be, Change Your Mind, Champagne High e All for You.

Switchfoot – essa quem me apresentou foi a Angélica. Vindos da California, o Switchfoot está para lançar seu sétimo álbum de estúdio, Hello Hurricane. Mas as melhores músicas são mesmo as que fizeram a banda estourar, com o CD The Beautiful Letdown, de 2003. Eu recomendo Adding to the Noise, Gone, Dare you to Move, This is your Life e Meant to Live.

Third Eye Blind – o Anderson me mostrou músicas deles em 2004, e não muito depois eles passaram a ser a banda que eu mais ouvia, o que durou todo o ano de 2005. Recentemente a banda lançou o álbum Ursa Major, que eu ainda não escutei, mas os três álbuns anteriores têm algumas canções sensacionais. O estilo da banda é rock alternativo. Poderia fazer várias recomendações, mas vou me conter. A mais legal de todas é Never Let You Go. Outras que merecem destaque são Jumper, Horror Show, Misfits, Slow Motion e Eye Conqueror, essa última da trilha sonora de Coração de Cavaleiro.

Tonic – esse presente veio da Dani, que hoje só pensa em seriados, hehehe. Depois do álbum Head on Straight, o Tonic entrou em um hiato, que finalmente se encerrou com o lançamento da uma coletânea, uma nova turnê, e a promessa de um álbum de inéditas para o ano que vem. Entre o que a banda tem para oferecer, destaco If You Could Only See, Mean to Me, Take me as I Am e Open up your Eyes.

Toploader – mais uma que está voltando dos mortos, o Toploader vem da Inglaterra. A banda estava inativa desde 2002, mas promete lançar material novo em 2010. Quem me mostrou essa foi a Marília. Talvez a menos famosa da lista, eles só fizeram sucesso mundial com a regravação de Dancing in the Moonlight, da banda King Harvest. O que não significa que seja tudo de bom que o quinteto fez. Descubram por si mesmos, e para isso eu recomendo Achilles Heel, Cloud 9 e Time of my Life.

Train – Essa aqui veio do papai, hehehe. A banda Train fez um sucesso brutal nos EUA, alçados ao estrelato pelo single Drops of Jupiter, que lhes valeu um Grammy. Eles fizeram a música tema do filme Homem-Aranha 2 (a canção Ordinary), tocaram Dream On no MTV Icon em homenagem ao Aerosmith, botaram três álbuns no top 10 dos EUA e lotaram shows por lá. E em 27 de outubro chega às lojas lá da terra do tio Sam o novo álbum, Save Me San Francisco. Não tema e mergulhe em Something More, Save the Day, Give Myself to You, Meet Virginia, My Private Nation e I’m About to Come Alive.

Yael Naïn – contribuição do Alexandre, essa cantora franco-israelita é uma das mais surpreendentes que conheci recentemente. Quase todo mundo a conhece pela canção New Soul, que foi usada em um anúncio publicitário, mas entre músicas cantadas em inglês, francês e hebraico, há um pouco para agradar cada gosto. Destaque para um cover bem diferente de Toxic, da Britney Spears (que só se reconhece pela letra) e para Mais tu t’en Vas, da trilha sonora da comédia musical Les Dix Commandements.

Fiz questão de citar quem foi que me apresentou cada um desses artistas como uma singele forma de reconhecimento. Gracias, amigos.

De todos os efeitos da internet, um dos que eu considero mais fantásticos é o que ocorre com a música. Hoje qualquer pessoa consegue escutar praticamente qualquer canção. Não se depende mais de rádios, MTV, ou mesmo da intenção das gravadoras de lançar um determinado álbum em um determinado país. Os mais velhos devem se lembrar das lojas que se dedicavam à venda de CDs importados, que os fãs compravam a preços bastante elevados. Hoje, bastam uns cliques do mouse, com custo mínimo (isso no caso das pessoas que pagam pelas canções), e voilá, você consegue a música que queria.
E com isso, uma gama de artistas que seriam absolutamente inacessíveis podem ter suas obras apreciadas ao redor do mundo. Muitos, por exemplo, podem se lembrar do seriado de TV Party of Five, e o rock que servia como tema de abertura. Bom, aquele trabalho é da banda BoDeans. Encontrar um CD deles no Brasil seria impensável, e ninguém saberia que eles têm algumas canções ótimas, como Naked, Still the Night ou Heart of a Miracle (esta também da trilha sonora oficial de Party of Five).
Um outro caso é o de todas as meninas que se esvairam em lágrimas assistindo ao filme Um Amor para Recordar. Elas provavelmente curtiram o embalo das canções Dancin’ in the Moonlight, da banda Toploader, Learning to Breathe, Dare you to Move, You e Only Hope, todas da banda Switchfoot. Aquelas que tiveram curiosidade, entretanto, descobriram que o Toploader oferece ainda Achilles Hell, Time of my Life, Cloud 9, e o Switchfoot tem pérolas do naipe de Gone ou Adding to the Noise.
Exemplos não faltam. E isso me leva ao outro ponto dessa coluna. Nunca as dicas e conselhos do público em geral tiveram a importância que têm hoje. Seja em fóruns, Twitter ou por blogs, qualquer um pode influenciar na divulgação de artistas. E isso é de uma importância tremenda, pois deixa de ser de controle absoluto de gravadoras e veículos de mídia o que vai ser divulgado. Assim sendo, é de suma importância que as pessoas compartilhem informações sobre esses artistas que não recebem prioridade e que não têm seu espaço e sucesso garantidos pelo dinheiro das empresas poderosas do ramo.
Moral da estória: troquem dicas com os conhecidos, tenham curiosidade, pesquisem artistas novos. Não fiquem presos ao mundinho das mais ouvidas da rádio ou das mais pedidas da MTV. Podem começar sugerindo algumas nos comentários aqui do blog, eu sou curioso e procuro mesmo. Té a próxima!

These are some of my favorite songs re-imagined  by  my favorite artists.  Some songs are done in completely new ways, like Brazilian Seu Jorge’s(aka Knockout Ned from City of God) acoustic cover of Bowie’s, “Starman.” Other songs are loving homages to the original, like Edmontonian Krystle Dos Santos‘ cover of Nina Simone’s, “Ain’t Got No.” I had no idea some songs even existed until contemporary artists covered them: Nirvana’s cover of Bowie’s “The Man who sold the world.”

Of course, how could a list of cover songs not include a cover of Cohen’s Hallelujah? Rufus Wainwright, K.D. Lang, and of course Jeff Buckley all do great versions, but, I decided to include a less popular Cohen song: “Famous Blue Raincoat,” as covered by Hayden.

Free mp3: Justin’s Favorite Cover Songs

1. Dancing in the moonlight – Toploader (King Harvest) 3:48

2. Whiskey in the Jar – Metallica (The Dubliners) 8:50

3. Move it on over – George Thorogood (Hank Williams) 13:07

4. I heard it through the Grapevine – Kaiser Chiefs (The Miracles, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye) 18:03

5. Girl, You’ll be a woman soon- Urge Overkill (Neil Diamond)21:00

6. The man who sold the world – Nirvana (David Bowie)24:33

7. Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies (Velvet Underground)27:60

8.Starman – Seu Jorge (David Bowie) 31:12

9.Ain’t got no( I got life) Krystle Dos Santos (Nina Simone) 33:18

10. Famous Blue Raincoat – Hayden (Leonard Cohen)41:00

Okay, so here’s my first run of recommendation reviews! Today’s songs are:

“When the Day Met the Night” – Panic at the Disco
“Daylight” – Matt and Kim
“Dancing in the Moonlight” – Toploader
“Gavin’s Song” – Marc Broussard
Anything Jack Johnson
“Roll If Ya Fall” – Barefoot Truth
“Bruises” – Chairlift
“Toxic” – Tristan Prettyman
“Boys with Girlfriends” – Meiko

“When the Day Met the Night” – Panic at the Disco

Honestly, the fact that this band is so trendy right now is a big deterrent to me. Even if they weren’t, they’re not quite my style. Still though, they have some decent stuff, but I wouldn’t group this song into that category.

Bottom line: lackluster & slow.

“Daylight” – Matt and Kim

This is such a soundtrack song, but hey, I’m not above that. I always say I like anything I can dance to in my car, and I think this song fits that bill pretty well.

Bottom line: good but not great.

“Dancing in the Moonlight” – Toploader

I have a huge smile on my face right now. ‘Nuff said.

Bottom line: classic.

“Gavin’s Song” – Marc Broussard

The lyrics to this song are lovely; the melody, kind of laggy. Apparently, bayou blues don’t really do it for me.

Bottom line: google the lyrics.

Jack Johnson

Everyone loves Jack Johnson. Seriously, I am pretty sure everyone I know is obsessed with him, which is of course a gross overstatement, so let me just tell you how I feel about him. I like him, I do. His voice is smooth and his guitar skills are compelling. He’s not a regular on my iPod, but he definitely deserves his place there.

Bottom line: “Flake,” “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing,” “Staple It Together,” “Gone Goin” (Black Eyed Peas with Jack)

“Roll If Ya Fall” – Barefoot Truth

I like the guitar in this song. The vocals are kind of vanilla, in my opinion. This song belongs more on the radio than it does on my iPod.

Bottom line: maybe they can do a song with Hanson.

“Bruises” – Chairlift

I remember discovering Chairlift…and I vaguely remember being disappointed. I have a whole album, but only two songs are rated. However, “Bruises” has kind of a Regina does electronic feel to it. I shall have to investigate this band further.

Bottom line: they have me interested.

“Toxic” – Tristan Prettyman

Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was going to be a Britney cover. It’s pretty sultry, though, I’ll give you that. Personally, though, I think no one can do Britney better than Britney.

Bottom line: I would like to hear something original.

“Boys with Girlfriends” – Meiko

Someone somewhere had me listen to this song before… nevertheless, it’s pretty good. Easy listening. Catchy. Lil bit of angsty. All good.

Bottom line: I wish I had her singing voice.

And we’re done! Congratulations for staying with me this long.

Until next time,
LisaM.

from here.

We choose the moon!

“No Sense” from Moon Pix.

“It’s a marvelous night for a moondance.”

“Dancing in the moonlight.”

“Walking on the moon.”

“…from the cold sunlight that’s reflected off the moon…”

“The moon gazed on my midnight Eggan, while, with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hiding-places.”

-Mary Shelley, Frankenstein.

“The Moon aged 9 days,” taken by Joseph Turner with the Great Melbourne Telescope on Sept. 1, 1873. via here and here.

No more talking about the moon after tomorrow, I promise. Tomorrow’s the big/not so big finish.

So here’s the deal: I recently asked all my facebook friends to suggest new music for me to listen to because I felt my musical pool was a little dry. These are the responses that I got:

“When the Day Met the Night” – Panic at the Disco
“Daylight” – Matt and Kim
“Dancing in the Moonlight” – Toploader
“Gavin’s Songs” – Marc Broussard
Anything Jack Johnson
“Roll If Ya Fall” – Barefoot Truth
“Bruises” – Chairlift
“Toxic” – Tristan Prettyman
“Boys with Girlfriends” – Meiko

Adele, Imogen Heap, Owl City

Eric Wilson, Emily Wells, Blind Pilot, Coconut Records

Jars of Clay, Brilliant Geographers, Steel Train, the song “Never Forget You” by Noisettes

Cansei de Ser Sexy, self titled album. Also Le Tigre, self titled album.

Mos Def, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, and Blackalicious

The Mars Volta and Gorillaz

Paramore

Bushwalla and Eric Hutchinson

Porcupine Tree. “Stupid Dream” or “Lightbulb Sun” are your albums for softer prog, “Fear of a Blank Planet,” “In Absentia,” and “Deadwing” for harder.

I think I will go down the list and post my responses here (as well as their walls), so all of us can expand our tastes. Stay tuned for updates.

-LisaM.

So a busy couple of weeks about to happen at Raygun HQ after the lack of anything happening last week due to swine flu and / or tonsilitus.

some good things have come out of that though which I’ll list now…

1. I’ve stopped smoking for 9 days. no patches or anything. just joy and excercise (and terrible bronchial illness)

2. Paul Steel’s “moon rock” album is out in the UK today. lots of nice reviews circulating.

3. The Xcerts “live at king tut’s” mini album is out next Monday 27th.

4. Stars and Sons have finished recording the debut album. They have a run of shows next week. 28th July at Hoxton Square Bar supporting White Rabbit. 29th July at Pure Groove to celebrate the launch of Alcopop’s! “Message in a Bottle” Compilation. 30th July at The Albert in Brighton. Its a Cable Club night which is always a pleasure.

5. The Xcerts have a bunch of shows too. The Wickerman Festival this Friday 24th, Truck on sunday 26th and then the Macbeth in Hoxton for a London show on the 30th July with the Paddingtons and Ruskins.

6. Paul Steel has some solo shows with Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson’s percussionist and all round top man). 26th July at the Hanbury Ballroom in Brighton, and 27th July at the Luminaire in Kilburn, London.

7. Had a couple of Toploader shows recently which were fun. We support Pussycat Dolls this Friday at Silverstone. Strange Life i lead.

This weekend was the annual ‘Free’ Godiva Festival in Coventry.

We had a brilliant time!! Friday night was 80’s night with The Blow Monkeys, Go West and Womack and Womack. Which isn’t my cup of tea, but still it’s free!!

Saturday night we went to see Toploader and the headliners were Idlewild. Oh did I say it was FREE!!!

We had a fab time, the weather was warm and the kids actually behaved.

Youngest enjoying Toploader!!

Quick blog as today we’re off to Rick Steinshire…er I mean Padstow for a break with the youngest whilst the two elder boys go and torture their Grandad for a week!!

Hurray!!!

Like the medley at the end of ‘Abbey Road’ or the jokes that roll by a few hours after something terrible has happened (natural disasters, terrorism, Jordan and Peter Andre splitting up) sometimes the best things come towards the end of a situation, but I really can’t see anything in this show being remotely surprising or pleasurable at any time. This is an especially salient point now that my initial reason for maintaining this blog has evaporated into the cold skies above. No longer is this an attempt to rekindle a dying flame, but instead ‘martinthecity’ will hopefully become a manifesto in how to live life properly, as opposed to being a snivelling wreck who sighs with disappointment every time they realise what they don’t have. Perhaps I never wanted it in the first place after all. It’s just boring innit?

Why are people so boring anyway? Especially music fans – the way they press a clammy CD into your hands, eager eyes expecting you to proclaim it as the second coming of Jesus. No thank you friends – music is just like any other form of entertainment – films, books, pornography, something that is to be enjoyed, and not over analysed too much. I say this, because Carrie is still with the jazz man, and jazz has to be one of the most excruciating genres of music ever. Carrie was struggling with the idea of sex and relationships here, pondering whether having great sex was more important than a great relationship. Considering she writes a sex column, I hope she knows which side her bread was buttered.

Miranda was enjoying butter in this episode, or more specifically buttered treats as she was substituting men and sex for cakes and pastries. She had given herself a ’sex strike’ which to me is like a one handed man banning themselves from clapping – it’s not going to make an awful lot of difference is it? Things got so bad for Miranda that she ate a piece of cake out of her bin that she had thrown in there after realising she was relying too much on the bakery goods. It was a deplorable and disgusting act, but considering it’s Miranda, I can’t really be too surprised can I?

Samantha was continuing her descent into the murky world of lesbianism with her Portuguese lover. I hate Portugal purely because it’s one of the few words I can’t spell without resorting to a dictionary first. I also hate the Portuguese for the sheer horror of having to watch Samantha and the ‘other one’ sharing strawberries over kisses. I can understand that in another situation, with other people that it would be rather romantic, but honestly it was like seeing mums try and dirty dance on the dance floor of a shit chain nightclub to ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’.

As it is, Samantha turned out to be a bit rubbish at the whole ‘pleasing a lesbian’ situation, and so she was gently taught how to please a woman by the Portugeezer, like a Yorkshire mother teaching their daughter how to suck cock for the first time. I was sent a text yesterday by an old friend saying that they had a dream about me where I had an affair with their mum. I can only implore that I would never do such a thing – my heart is with the Lord, and Lord Voldemort only. You know when you think you’ve made one joke too many? Yeah, me too.

“What came first”, Carrie thought, “the chicken or the sex?” Just when you think someone can’t display any more idiocy than they had already exhibited, someone asks a question like that. If we take it literally, of course the sex came first – because how else are the fucking chicken going to be born? And if we delve deeper, go into the metaphorical, explore beyond the realms of human nature and thought, then we can still answer it. The answer of course being, whatever you want it to be. That’s the beauty of life my friends – open questions, and cornflakes.

Carrie soon realises that whilst mind blowing orgasms and jazz LP’s might be a good thing, not being able to connect with someone is a bit of a waste of time. She finds out that the Jazz man has ‘ADD’, and so, being a typical woman with no nurturing or caring ability at all, she decides to get rid of him – but only after one last sensational sex session. Says it all about her and women in general doesn’t it? Always getting their own way in the end, with a little bit extra. I felt like Samantha did when her lesbian lover ejaculated right into her eye – a touch shocked, incredibly aroused, and rubbing my eye like it was nobodies business.

As Eminem sang in the chilling and powerful anthem ‘Without Me’, ‘Fuck that, cum on your lips, and some on your tits.’ Who could argue with such craftsmanship? Not I my friends, not I.

1.

Superb Hard Rock – Live inStaines This Week

Land of Cain

May 16 2009

Dog & Partridge

Staines

Land of Cain is a four piece rock/metal outfit from West London. Featuring superb guitar work, a pounding rhythm section, progressive strains and thought provoking lyrics the band are becoming
a force to be reckoned with in the UK hard rock scene.

The band started life as “One Bitter Pill” in 2004, with Grant Chambers and Aaron Waddingham in the original line-up, as well as Chris Jones (now of Voodoo Six).

With the departure of Chris in late 2007, Grant and Aaron decided to take the band in a darker and heavier direction, and with the additionof Spencer Dargue on Drums and Chris Jordan on Bass, the band began writing the new material which would later evolve into the songs for their first album
“Collapse the Control”.

The band began recording the album in early 2008 at The Lodge in
Northampton, and hope to be able to release it early in 2009.

Links:

www.myspace.com/landofcain

2. Saxy Lady – Jazz Live at Windsor

YolanDa Brown

May 16 2009

Firestation

Windsor

Think saxophones, and most of us will immediately start thinking
of jazz, specifically trad jazz. No bad thing, maybe, as there are few
instruments as stunning as the saxophone and few sounds as effortlessly
beautiful as jazz. YolanDa Brown is someone who has made the instrument
truly her own as a miraculously gifted saxophonist fluent in a whole
lot more than just one genre.

As her two EPs to date, July 2007’s ‘Finding My Voice’ and
August 2008’s  ‘A Step Closer’ attest to an artist who takes jazz and introduces it to all sorts: to soul, to R&B and gospel, to loping reggae and soaring Latin. She can take a sound at first emotionally raw and incontestably infectious, and make it sound like nothing else on earth. For the past three years she has performed with some of the world’s most respected artists. Selling out venues like London’s Jazz Café at the drop of a
hat and the recipient of a prestigious MOBO Award, YolanDa is in demand
and it is a great privilege that she will be appearing with her band
here at The Firestation for this very special concert.

Upcoming show:

YolanDa Brown Live In Concert

16.05.2009 20.00 h

The Auditorium – Firestation Arts Centre
Windsor

£10(GA) £9(Conc) £8(Mem)

Links:

www.myspace.com/missyolandabrown

http://www.firestationartscentre.com

3. Powerful Indie Rock Covers – Windsor

The Riots

May 16 2009

Old Ticket Hall

Windsor

THE RIOTS PLAY THEIR LAST GIG AT THE OLD TICKET HALL FOR 2009. We wish them the best in their musical career. The Riots are a
Berkshire based 4 piece band playing up to the minute indie rock covers
by popular names such as Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Arctic Monkeys and
Fratellis as well as a few standards by greats such as Oasis, The
Beatles and The Kinks.

Having built up a collection of toe tapping covers, the band started by
getting their first gig at The Old Ticket Hall in Windsor in 2007. They
have played many gigs since and are currently writing their own
material whilst learning up to the minute covers to keep your ears
smiling

+ DJ PLAYING 80’s &
90’s HITS

- BAR OPEN TILL 2AM

The
Old Ticket Hall Windsor & Eton Riverside Station

5/8/2009 8:00 PM at AXIS

Links:

www.myspace.com/wearetheriotsband

4. Classic Rock Hits – Live at  Hampton

Cry Wolf

May 16 2009

Royal Oak

Hampton

Classic Rock Hits

Tom
Farmer (vocals, bass) David Farmer (drums, vocals) Gary Farmer (vocals,
guitar) Pars Evrenos (guitar)… make up the formidable local orginal
material / covers band CRY WOLF.

Described by our ADPONTES reviewer, Neil_Mach,  as ” heavy, bluesy,
mature and very, very serious – thoroughly recommended”  we
give them a five star rating !

Links:

http://www.crywolfrocks.co.uk/

http://www.blackfootsue.com/

5. Local Favourite Rock Party band  -   Live in Staines

Foulplay

May 15 2009

Sticky Fungus

Staines

w/ Four Wheel Drive – Classic  Rock

Foulplay are one of our favourite bands here in STAINES band mixing old-time rock and roll and skiffle, through to classics from the glam-rock seventies, big numbers from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and even into modern indie rock territory

May 15, 2009 at 8pm to May 16, 2009 at 2am

Location: Sticky Fungus Music Venue

Street: Elmsleigh Road

City/Town: Staines

Doors open at 8pm. £5 entry. Over 18’s only (ID required)

Links:

www.myspace.com/foulplayuk

www.myspace.com/4wdtheband

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

AN INTERNATIONAL alopecia campaigner is appealing to Edinburgh sufferer Gail Porter to help them spearhead her new worldwide campaign to raise awareness of the condition.

Mary Marshall, from San Diego, California, is organising a worldwide National Bald Out – a day where women across the world are being urged to ditch the wigs and go out in public bald.

Mary suffers from alopecia areata and is hoping thousands of other sufferers will join her in celebrating their baldness on July 19, 2009.

Women’s groups in Scotland are being urged to organise their own event in an effort to promote public awareness and the acceptance of bald women – and she hopes Gail will help them.

Mary said: “I go out bald all the time, for me it’s the most comfortable, cool, and natural way to be. I’ve tried wigs but I just can’t wear them.

Liberating

“If you’re a woman with alopecia areata who is struggling with self image who doesn’t like wearing a scarf or a wig all the time, but who hasn’t yet taken the step of going out in public, the National Bald Out is for you.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve got no hair, bald spots or patches of hair – for one day please take it off.

“It’s incredibly liberating.

“Where ever you live, on Sunday July 19 come out of the wig closet. It might change your life and it might change the way people see bald women.

“It would be amazing if Ms Porter agreed to help out in any way she could.”

Telly presenter Porter, 38, famously developed alopecia in 2005 after her marriage to rock star Dan Hipgrave collapsed and she battled with stress, drug addiction and post-natal depression.

She refused to cover up and wear a wig in public, instead she bravely decided to maintain a public profile and raise awareness of the condition.

Top 100 sexiest women

The Scots beauty’s experiences with baldness were made into a BBC documentary, and she also bared her soul concerning her condition in her 2007 autobiography.

Porter shot to fame in 1999 when lad’s mag FHM beamed an enormous projection of her naked body onto the Houses of Parliament.

The stunt was organised to promote the magazine’s Top 100 Sexiest Women competition.

Friends and relatives of alopecia sufferers are also being urged to join in the fun by wearing National Bald Out t-shirts in support of the cause.

Gail couldn’t be contacted for comment yesterday.

For people who accidentally came to this site in hopes to find the lyrics or pictures or MV of Toploader’s Dancing In The Moonlight, well unfortunately you entered the WRONG site. And I’m very sorry for the inconvenience. *Lho? LMAO I’m turning into Amira… LHA LHO LHA LHO*

Yes, I love Toploader’s version better than Alyson Stoner. It doesn’t mean I don’t like Alyson Stoner though! I love her, but I just like Toploader’s version better. *smile smile*

It’s amazing, full stop! I love I love I love! The rhythm is VERY, I repeat, VERY addicting. Beware. It’s a really addictive drug. Use only a small dose per day. Wait, no, does that even make sense? *whistling Dancing In The Moonlight*

Yustin wants to tell me something. I just checked. Aw.

Aww.

Awww.

AH I MISS HER!!!

HER!!!

HER!!!

Oh, right. From Toploader to Yustin. You know, I think I should learn to stay on track. I wonder who can teach me.

1.

Rattling Good-Time Rock - Live in Staines

Albany
Down
Mar 19 2009
Hobgoblin
Staines

With THE DAQUIRIS

Albany Down can be counted on for pleasure and honest to goodness fun. Here is what ADPONTES had to say about this great band last time they came into town:

The sound of Albany Down is stripped-down-to-the-waist no nonsense rhythm and blues 70’s inspired Brit rock ( the feel of early ‘Free‘ or ‘John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers‘) but with a bit of jazz-funk to mix it up a little…very fine and accomplished performance…insistent guitar hooks, stripped down licks and rattling good-time rock…

Read the full Review here >>>

Link:

www.myspace.com/albanydownofficial

http://www.buckleuppromotions.com

2.

Authentic Jazz & Blues …  Live at Windsor

King Pleasure
and  The
Biscuit Boys
Mar 21 2009 8:00P
The Auditorium
Firestation Arts Centre
Windsor

“A shot of pure and authentic jazz and blues
from an era when swing was king” – Paul Jones, BBC Radio 2

Quite simply one of the most popular jazz & swing bands in the world, King Pleasure And TheBiscuit Boys have entertained countless thousands around the globe for years.

Rough, tough and always rocking, the legendary King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys’
off-the-wall stage show sometimes belies the fact that here is the finest,
most authentic Rhythm & Blues band ever.

http://www.myspace.com/kingpleasurethebiscuitboys

£12(GA) £10(Conc) £9(Mem)

http://www.firestationartscentre.com

3.

Exciting Grunge / Rock- Live in Staines

Kill The Baddies
Mar 22 2009
Hobgoblin
Staines

Kill The Baddies formed in 2006 to fight evil and corruption with the power of ROCK! Formerly “And A Thousand Elephants”,

KTB have a breadth of experience playing live shows all over London and the South-East of England whilst based in Surrey.

Kill The Baddies have just finished their 5 track CD, “Who Is This Girl?”. Last year Kill The Baddies were invited to play at Guilfest, which turned out to be an absolutely storming show. A video should be ready soon!! ..

With THE LIKES OF US

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/killthebaddiesmusic

http://www.buckleuppromotions.com

4.

Live Covers Party Band - Live Windsor

Grouper
Mar 20 2009
Old Ticket Hall
Windsor

GROUPER play songs from Coldplay Travis The Strokes Stereophonics Wheatus Van Morrisson Wild Cherry James Brown Eagle Eye Cherry Toploader Steelers Wheel Kinks Beatles Dandy Warhols Lenny Kravitz Chilli Peppers Reef… AND MANY,MANY MORE! FOR MORE! + DJ PLAYING 80’s & 90’s HITS – BAR OPEN TILL 2AM

03-20-2009 21:00
THE OLD TICKET HALL, WINDSOR, SL4
Cost: £3

Link:

http://www.grouperband.co.uk/

5.

Classic Soul Sounds -  Live at Ascot

Soul Disciples
Mar 21 2009
Jagz
Ascot

West London’s Soul Disciples came together late in 2005 with the express wish of bringing the classic soul sounds of the 60’s & 70’s to the dance floors of Britain.

Dismayed at the disservice these great tunes are being paid by many covers bands, we have resolved to make our interpretations as faithful to
the spirit of the originals as possible.

The soulful voice of Miss Clare “Bubbles” Moloney combined with the authentic soul sound of the SD band has to be witnessed to be believed.

The Soul Disciples constantly strive to instill their performances with the spirit and skill which made soul music of the 60’s & 70’s so exciting.

The SD’s have found themselves in the enviable position of having an 8-piece line-up which combines experience, virtuosity, personality & good looks …
All wrapped up with a shared love of Classic Motown, Atlantic, Stax & Northern Soul.

Saturday, 21st March
Show will start at 8.45
Ticket cost: £8.00
Doors open from 7.30pm. £26 for 2 courses and entrance (£30 for 3 courses). Entrance for the bands is £8 but is strictly

limited and on a first come first served basis. Entrance for dining or just the band INCLUDES free entrance to the nightclub

Links:

http://www.jagz.co.uk

-Visit AdPontes-Staines Regularly for Staines Arts-

Get a room. But if you read my blog, you’ll already know this.

And no, I don’t know why. It’s certainly not his girly tone. It must be some unconscious word association thing. . .

This evening, driving home, I turned on the radio; I usually avoid it  – unless the dreadful Spin 103.8 is playing their “10 hits in a row” and I don’t have to listen to their buttery, Celtic kitten accents – but The Knife just isn’t that relaxing after a hard day at the office (spent falling in love with the new Jaguar XFR and speculating about what kind of car a man at the office drives; he was offended at the insinuation that he might drive a Ford, but he said his own vehicle is “not dissimilar” to the new Focus “in terms of performance”. The mind boggles) and I was hoping for some Journey or, at the very least, a bit of Coldplay to soothe the elevator-lover in me.

But alas, no – my car radio, which has a mind of its own that is usually entirely lovable and quite often directs me toward the hidden gem of East Coast FM, where they play good music and tend not to talk so much (perhaps due to the Wexford accent. . . but I digress), decided to boycott FM104 and the newly-branded Dublin’s 98 (am I the only one irked by this?) which, although hardly radio gold, may at least have provided some relief from the cloying tones of Brian and Clare on whatever chart Spin 103.8 professed to be championing.

And so there I was, stuck between 2FM and a hard place. I chose 2FM, not because of my affinity with it or my strong political views about the restructuring of Rick O’Shea’s show, but because Rihanna’s Live Your Life was playing in the background, which I enjoy (less for the sentiment and more for that criminal, TI, whose boyish charm is not entirely objectionable). Then they turned to the phones. Oh, the phones! And, being as I was in the process of turning right with my wing mirror in the wrong position (every day when I return to my car it has moved, slightly, almost imperceptibly – or, at least until I need to turn right and realise that I can see nothing) I was unable to change the station. And it went, to quote the Reverend Run, a little somethin’ like this:

Martina just texted in to request a song and, can I just say, Martina, I salute you! She’s at home with the two little lads in bed and the big lad out at work and she’s doing the ironing with 2FM on the radio, and, for her, Kings of Leon!

Aside from the fact that I think texting and telephoning radio stations to tell them about your life and request that they play whatever little ditty is running through your head at that very moment is unpatriotic and downright cruel, what exactly, Ruth [Scott], were you saluting Martina for? Was it that she had the two “little lads” in bed? (Incidentally, Ruth’s tone suggested to me that I should know Martina intimately; was I missing something? Is this Martina a familiar person whose “little lads” I know well and whose ironing, I should know, badly needs doing?) Or were you saluting her because the “big lad” was out at work? If so, the questions increase: Are you saluting the fact that he works in the evenings and she doesn’t (but obviously lazes around ironing and doing similar menial tasks), or perhaps that she has the house to herself and has got rid of the big lad so that she can satisfy her yearning for talk radio and interaction with the Irish public via your medium?

Or, or, I ask you, were you saluting her for doing the ironing? Some people find it therapeutic, I hear, but I’ve never been a fan; still, fair enough, she was doing the ironing. There are those out there who think that ironing needs to be done (although, I’ll tell you now, 30 minutes on you and the creases just fall out, and for everything else, there’s a dry cleaner) and, I guess, the doing of said ironing is an achievement in itself.

Or – and here it gets a little wild – were you, Ruthie, saluting her for listening to 2FM while doing the ironing, having put the kids to bed and seen her “big man” out the door? Because, to be perfectly frank, I don’t think that listening to 2FM (unless you’re simultaneously making love to a horrendously attractive and intelligent person which would be a pretty mean feat, to maintain some level of désire at the same time) is a particularly salute-worthy thing.

Which handily brings me onto the next item on our radio list: Spin 103.8’s Lock-In where, if you text in (oh, joys!) you can vote for the – ahem, allow me to prepare myself for what my treacherous fingers are about to type – “get a room tune”. Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can have a part in selecting a song that people will listen to while driving or walking – or, evidently, ironing – and, when they hear your carefully selected “get a room tune” they will abandon their current activity and, eh, well - you know.

So. We can’t even call it talk radio any more. It’s music radio but it has a purpose. And while I was despising the very idea of a “get a room tune” I began to consider the implied meaning of this phenomenon. Are we to presume that there is one tune (every evening) that will incite the entire Irish nation – or at least, the ridiculous percentage of people who listen to the Lock-In – to jump into bed with whomever is nearest? And could one plan for such an event?

Oh, Spin 103.8 are about to play the “get a room tune” – quick, come into the bedroom and let’s light some candles!

I shan’t be listening this evening in an attempt to discover what this tune is – unfortunately I am at home with my parents and, to be honest, would just be too frightened at what might happen! – but I can’t help but wonder what characteristics a song has to possess in order to endow the listeners with an inexorable urge to copulate.

We could be hideously typical and say: perhaps a bit of Marvin Gaye, maybe some Lay Lady Lay, maybe even some Kings of Leon (although obviously not for Martina, whose “big man” was out and who was, in any case, preoccupied with ironing) – perhaps even some Lady GaGa (she does, after all, talk about wanting to “take a ride on your disco stick”). Maybe some Keane, for the gentle lovers among you; some Coldplay, because you don’t need to concentrate or some James Blunt if you’re eh, well, deaf. No?

We could laugh, maybe; Baby’s Got Back wouldn’t be a bad choice for that, or Ludacris’s Fantasy which is a bit, well, ludicrous. Bizarrely, my own choice would be Toploader’s Lie Down For a While – but I’m a bit obscure. I can’t, however, imagine that voting for that choice would get me anywhere. So it’s probably best that I don’t listen to the radio. Ever again.

Please, someone, send me some good CDs. Or DVDs with MP3s on them; despite my car’s schizophrenia, it can do an awful lot. And yes, Ruth, please do tell me why you were saluting Martina. I really, really want to know.

1.

A New Band Rises at Staines

Five Foot Something
Feb 19 2009
Hobgoblin
Staines

Of all the chances?  The Goddess of music works in strange and mysterious ways- Tis True, Tis True…our favourite STAINES local guitar/vox hero Ravi K (Succotash etc. etc) bumped into his new neighbour – Robert Hart- they had never met before. Robert was carrying his guitar and amp to his car.

Their conversation went along similar lines to this; Ravi “Do you play guitar?” Robert “Does the pope wear a silly hat and a bear defecate in the woods?” Ravi “Me too re: the hat (and guitar)- though I don’t poo under the trees”. And thus, Five Foot Something were born.

Robert hauled in friend Warren who is a mean bassist and later Jamie heard what was going on and wanted ‘in’ too….This is their inauguration – so we want a big turn out at The Hob (but they have been rehearsing like crazy) the sound is kinda mixed up but there are funky vibes, punky roots and elements of just about every musical style that washes over these local boys. But, be sure of this, the music will make you stand up and go crazy – this is no ‘covers band’ it is an original STAINES sound…

Robert Hart (Lead guitar, backing vox and ambience), Jamie Heath (drums), Ravi Kasinathan (Lead vox and rhythm guitar) and Warren Pegley (Bass)

Link:

www.myspace.com/5footsomething

If you manage to miss ‘em in  STAINES this week (PLEASE DON’T) then you could catch ‘em at:

Mar 28 2009      8:00P The Red Lion, Egham
————————————————

Five Foot Somehing will be supported by LOS + CHERRY BRAKEWELLS (more of that below)

2.

Sensational Trio with a 60’s & 70’s sound – Staines

The Cherry Brakewells
Feb 19 2009
Hobgoblin
Staines

You could say The Cherry Brakewells were born in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The girl rock trio from London would probably have been more at home in Memphis or Louisiana circa 1966 as their influences are based firmly in the late sixties and early seventies with bands like the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream and Led Zeppelin.

The Cherry’s were formed in 2002 originally called ‘Red’. After three years of playing the small gig circuit they decided to go their separate ways.

Shay set out for the USA, looking for a new direction, collaborating as a songwriter on various projects. The high point was Tina Tuner recording one of her songs for the album ‘24/7′.

Chi, meanwhile went back to her successful modelling career, strutting her stuff around the worlds most glamorous catwalks, in her time off playing drums with her Family’s band, like a noughties equivalent of the Partridge Family.

As for Monique, she took time out to follow her other passion running a vintage American clothes shop in Camden, while still jamming with a couple of local bands on the circuit.

A year passed since the band split and the girls began missing each others’ company, all sharing a sense of unfinished business to take care of. After many long distance calls they got together in London to re-form the band changing the name to Cherry Brakewells along the way. A chance meeting with a producer led to a recording contract with the girls going into the studios to cut their debut album “First Bite”.

www.myspace.com/cherrybrakewells

Also at:

Feb 20 2009      Belushi’s (Camden)     London
Mar 03 2009      South of the Border     London

3.

Classic Indie & Rock Covers – Windsor

Grouper
Feb 20 2009
Old Ticket Hall
Windsor

GROUPER are a professional and dynamic 4 piece contemporary and classic indie rock and pop band.Featuring an incredible line up of international touring musicians of the highest quality, the band playguitar based hits from Travis to U2, Blur to Snow Patrol, Coldplay to The Killers, The Beatlesto The Stones and many more legendary artists and groups.

GROUPER have fast become the first choice for those seeking fresh and entertaining music for their wedding reception, corporate event or party. The band have a wealth of experience, having entertained clients worldwide at a wide range of wedding venues and high profile corporate events for the last seven years.

GROUPER have worked for a number of high profile clients including Pearson Education, NSPCC, The British Army,Citigroup, OXO Tower Restaurant, Warwick University and have played at most of the major London hotels
as well as stately homes and castles across the UK. They have performed at Disneyland Paris, at a large privateparty in Portugal, a multi-national corporate event in Dubai and at the end of 2007 performed at Wembley Arena
for the historic NFL American football match.

THE OLD TICKET HALL, WINDSOR, SL4
Cost: £3
LIVE BAND + DJ PLAYING 80’s & 90’s HITS – BAR OPEN TILL 2AM

Link:

http://www.grouperband.co.uk/

4.

Stunning Jazz & Latin Singer – Live in Ascot

The Strange Deal
Feb 21 2009
Old Ticket Hall
Windsor

Playing mainly British rock, punk & indie covers from the 60s to date, The Strange Deal are a hard-working 4 piece who have been gigging regularly in the Reading/Wokingham area since April 08.

They aim to strike a balance between playing numbers that are familiar to most punters with some slightly lesser known tracks that we feel deserve an airing ! So if you enjoy the music of The Who, Paul Weller, Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs & many others, check out The ’Deal – go on, you know it makes sense. + DJ PLAYING 80’s & 90’s HITS – BAR OPEN TILL 2AM

Link:

www.myspace.com/thestrangedeal

5.

Exciting Local Alt Rock Band- in Staines

Demure
Feb 22 2009
Hobgoblin
Staines

“…Demure songs have a charm and a hummable charisma that speaks of anguish, truth, unity and vulnerability. These bitter-sweet melodies are given lush and sonically-ambitious backdrops by the crew and especially by Philip Price whose tones and strings are very memorable and are the sign and seal of a genuinely unique product…. Very reminiscent of Pearl Jam with grungy guitar, contrasting song dynamics, a pulsating and luminous lead meandering through the tune and anguished lyrical and vocal content leading to dramatic conclusions…. The band plays Alt Rock in the conventional sense but with overtures towards noise rock, especially in the way the percussion and the bass are given the freedom to spread out their wings and have dissonant aural adventures of their own, but framed within the main architecture each song. This reminded me of ‘Sonic Youth’ or ‘Butthole Surfers’…”

© Neil_Mach 2009

… check the ADPONTES-STAINES live review here>>>

Link:

http://www.myspace.com/demureuk

-Visit AdPontes-Staines Regularly for Staines Arts-

Thought I would throw this out there and see what people think.  I love the original but I do quite like this.

Is it just me or does Alyson Stoner look rather like Sara Bareilles (of Love Song fame)?

Alyson Stoner

1.

Duncan Mckenzie & Alec McCabe at Staines

Nov 13 2008      9:00P The Staines Riverside Club £3

Those that regularly read this column and support live music in Staines will be familiar with Duncan McKenzie the smooth acoustic and blues operator who has recently been gracing our Thameside venue with his superlative fretwork and polished repertoire of soft, yet invigorating, blues. He has worked, recently, with Mike Piggott and, ofcourse, Big Jim Sullivan. He is now back in town with Alec McCabe.

If you like your blues to be soft, luxurious and professional- this show is not to be missed.  We are very luicky to have these guys in town!

Alec McCabe is a guitar teacher (originally from Australia) who also works as a duo (with  Lizzy Templer) sometimes adding musicians to the mix to create Freepeace a standalone rock band.

http://www.myspace.com/duncanmckenzieuk

2.

Audio.Video.Disco – EP Launch Party- Staines

Nov 15 2008      8:00P  Audio. Video. Disco. EP Launch Party     Hob Staines

So it all started when Matt and Rich played lots of acoustic guitar for a long time and eventually they got a bit bored of the acoustic circuit and decided it was time for a change.

So in came the help of Adam Linton (bass) and Tom Smith (drums) into the band. Everything seemed to fall into place very quickly and new songs were written in a flash and we hit the ground running. All we needed was the band name….so after months of rubbish ideas and even worse ideas we settled on Audio.Video.Disco. meaning “I hear, I see, I learn” in latin and as rich described it, it was the coolest thing matt has ever come up with in his life!

They have played alongside established pop act Alphabeat, played headline shows at The Fighting Cocks, sold out in their hometown and had a storming set at The Clapham Grand, things are majorly looking up. The band are set to record with engineer / producer Phil English in September and are currently preparing for their biggest gig yet……a headline slot at the London Astoria 2. It’s gonna be mad, get a ticket, don’t be the only person to miss out……

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/audiovideodiscouk

3.

Blues and R&B at Shepperton

Nov 15 2008      9:00P  Barley Mow     Shepperton

A new entry into the UK blues and R&B circuit

Powerful and passionate vocals with rockin’ rhythm ‘n blues” is based in Guildford, Surrey playing venues in London and mainly the southern counties.

Featuring Debbie Giles (vocals) Phil Headsmith (lead guitar/vocals) Baz Payne (Bass/vocals) and Neil Turfitt (Drums). They have all individually logged years of experience as professional musicians and have developed their own blend of Rocking Rhythm & Blues with Phil Headsmith’s orginal songs.

Most recently in June 2008 they have launched their new album “Shake it Just a Little”, whilst in their live set feature numbers by Thin Lizzy, BB King, Al Green and Jimmie Vaughan, Georgia Satellites to name a few.. Debbie & Phil’s duets have become a focal point of this ‘live band and recently have been featured in “guest radio sessions” with Delta, County Sound 104fm and BBC Radio Swindon.

Formed in October 2006 the band caused a storm when they opened for Mike Pender’s Searchers in July ‘07 at Basingstoke Live Festival.

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/debbiegilesband

4.

Tight Pop/Rock at Staines

Nov 15 2008      8:00P at the Audio. Video. Disco. EP Launch Party     Staines

A Girl Called Kate

Mikool: Vocals/Guitars

Benzie: Vocals/Bass

Jake: Guitars

Megan: Synth/Vocals

Alex: Drums

If you like  The Subway, The Automatic, The Killers etc, You are gonna love this!

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/agckband

5.

The Folk Group of the Year- at Windsor

Nov 12 2008      7:00P Lau     Windsor Fire station Arts Centre

“BBC RADIO 2 FOLK GROUP OF THE YEAR 2008″

Lau is a formidable union of three of the finest and most innovative exponents of modern traditional music in Scotland today; Kris Drever (guitar and vocal), Martin Green (piano accordion) and Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle). Winners of “Best Group” at the BBC Folk Awards 2008 and with a year of dates around the globe ahead, look set to cause serious musical trouble worldwide.

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/laumusic

——————–