Öl auf Spezialpapier 50cm x 44cm

Nevertheless, texasdarlin censored my comments.  When I asked why she would do that, this was her response:

"texasdarlin // July 31, 2008 at 10:53 am

(Read more About the Ramones) (Read the Ramones Birthday Bash Part 1) - Finally, in one of the most elegant, poised moments of the night, Mary Weiss performed the classic “Out in the Streets”. Weiss’s voice echoed off the walls and filled the venue, the crowd singing along. Trash and Vaudeville’s Jimmy Webb danced in the balcony, and a soft glow rose from the cell phones thrust in the air. Few songs have had more of an impact - “Down in the Streets” is the punk rock “My Way”, having been covered by everyone from Debbie Harry to the New York Dolls. Without the Shangri-La’s, the Ramones might never have existed, and Joey wouldn’t have written his own version of “Leader of the Pack” with “7-11” (“Oncoming car ran out of control, it crushed my baby and it crushed my soul.”) Not until Mickey took the stage was Joey’s presence more felt.

Leigh continued this Birthday bash tradition shortly after his brother passed away from lymphoma in April 2001. Joey’s family had a huge celebration planned for his 49th birthday, and decided to go ahead with the plan on May 19. It’s gone on every year since then, moving from clubs like Coney Island High and The Continental to the grandiose Fillmore at Irving Plaza. It’s a fitting destination given Joey’s love for the legendary San Francisco venue. When directing the Ramones in “Rock n’ Roll High School”, Alan Arkush even shows up in a scene wearing a Fillmore East t-shirt.

Taking the stage with close friends of the Ramones family, Mickey performed a heartfelt version of “I Want You Around” with even more affection than the original. This is how we loved seeing Joey - soft spoken, sensitive, and gentle. Mickey’s version was just the same, and a perfect tribute to his brother. A dedication was also made to Joey and Mickey’s mother, Charlotte Lescher. Charlotte encouraged both of her boys in their careers and never stopped championing their achievements. Along with Mickey, she helped organize each Birthday Bash after Joey’s passing. Charlotte passed away in January 2007 at the age of 80.

Every classic was there: “Something to Believe In” (performed with Ramones producer and former Plasmatic Jean Beauvoir), “Cretin Hop”, and “Rock n’ Roll High School”. But it was “What a Wonderful World” that has undoubtedly become the Birthday Bash theme song. Mickey reached into the crowd, grabbing hands in the audience and kneeling to sing to them while saluting his brother: “And I say to myself, thank you, Joey!”

On what would otherwise be a somber day, the Birthday Bash brought everyone together for one reason. Having taken such a loss and transforming it into a night of celebration is just what Joey’s family wanted. It’s been seven years without him, but it’s been seven years of friends and family celebrating a truly extraordinary life. There was a spirit in the house that night, as there will be next year and every year after. Happy birthday, Joey.

(Read the Ramones Birthday Bash Part 1)

(Read more About the Ramones)

==============
If You're After The Ramones Band Merchandise

The largest range of The Ramones band merch
available. Everything from metal band merch,
Band Patches to Bands T-Shirts.

Visit: http://www.planet13.com.au/
==============

Aunque los tres miembros originales de la formación ya hayan fallecido (Joey, Dee Dee y Johnny) sús temas siguen muy presentes entre nosotros.

Según cuentan las noticias de la época, Joey (muerto a causa de un linfoma en Abril de 2001) escuchando In A Little While de U2.

Hey ho let'go

The Ramones
Hollywood Palladium
June 2, 1989

This was a big night for me. It was a new beginning, bringing an end to duct tape and cameras stuck on my back as I entered a concert. This was the night that I had my first official/legit photo pass to shoot a huge, legendary band. I knew that night that I would never have to smuggle my camera into a show again.

I had received a number of photo passes previous to The Ramones, but none of those bands had the history or status that came with The Ramones. The closest I had come was Jane’s Addiction, but even that pass was not meant for me (that story coming soon). This was The Ramones, the band that arguably created the Punk Rock Movement. Saying that I was excited to shoot this show is a huge understatement.

I cherished every moment in that barricade that night at the Palladium. I felt like I was floating as I snapped away - it was completely euphoric. Marky had recently rejoined and the band was on fire again. Joey was going through a heavy Metallica stage at the time, he told me how he couldn’t stop listening to In Justice For All.

This night was also a turning point for me because I befriended the band backstage after the show. To my surprise, they asked me to shoot them again the following night at their show in Long Beach.

This is the first photo I shot that night. Look at Joey – he is focused and driven. And if you look closely, he is wearing a Metallica Justice shirt – killer!

Photographed with my formerly smuggled Canon AE1 Program and a cheap, no name 70mm-210mm f5.6 lens. Shot on Kodak Ektachrome film.

]]> http://bandmerchandise.wordpress.com/?p=56 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:54:44 +0000 bandmerchandise http://bandmerchandise.wordpress.com/?p=56 The Ramones - I wanna be Sedated

(Read more About the Ramones) (Read the Ramones Birthday Bash Part 2) - Another sold-out crowd celebrated what would have been Joey Ramone’s 57th birthday, as the annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash continued for its eighth year at New York’s Irving Plaza. Ramones fans from all over the world, as well as those from Joey’s native Queens, packed the venue and sang along with video of classic performances like “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Rockaway Beach”. It was just a warm-up for an evening that still promised Mary Weiss - Joey’s idol and original member of the Shangri-La’s - a Dictators reunion, and an touching set from Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh.

New York punks Charm School gave the night a kick start with their short, blistering set. Their cover of “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do” had the entire crowd chanting along, throwing their fists up to the “Wait! Now!” chorus in unity. L.E.S Stitches, another favorite on the scene, brought no frills - their straightforward 1970s-style punk recalls the Ramones during their “Rocket to Russia” period. Local H launched into yet another Ramones cover as singer Scott Lucas comically introduced “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do”: “Charm School beat us to it but we’re gonna do it our way!”

Glam rockers Semi-Precious Weapons got a huge response, with lead singer Justin Tranter channeling Ziggy Stardust with his platform boots and a chubby fur coat. Tranter prowled the stage, both cheetah and Iggy-like, snarling and spitting at the crowd while striking pose after gorgeous pose. SPW’s single, “Magnetic Baby”, was a blast, and with a chorus of “it’s not my fault that I look better in her party dress!”, the guys definitely played the part. Another set of Ramones covers came from Joey’s close friends, The Independents. Joey managed the band in New York, and was constantly promoting them through his “Joey Ramone Presents” concerts in the city.

As part of Television, guitarist Richard Lloyd was responsible for ushering in a cerebral blend of art and punk rock. Television were one of the first bands to play CBGBs, and pre-dated most recognized punk bands by a couple of years. Having shared bills with Patti Smith, and coming up at the time of Suicide, Television influenced the Talking Heads, Blondie, and Dee Dee Ramone, who recalled seeing Tom Verlaine sing “Venus de Milo” to a sparse crowd when CBGBs first opened. The crowd was much, much larger but the sense of intimacy translated with Lloyd’s new band, Smufty Dogs.

Fans were also treated to footage of Joey giving interviews and rare live performances. Lines formed in the halls for merchandise and raffles, and to sign a huge poster of Joey, courtesy of Hurley, which is debuting its Joey Ramone surf collection this summer. A rotating cutout of Joey, in board shorts holding a surfboard, circled close by.

After much anticipation, former MTV VJ and the evening’s MC, Matt Pinfield introduced Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom, whose set concluded with a rapturous version of “Search and Destroy”. This was the reunion everyone had waited for: JP Thunderbolt, Ross The Boss, Andy Shernoff (quite possibly the tallest punk rocker next to Joey himself), and original loudmouth front man Handsome Dick Manitoba. This lineup brought the Dictators together with the trashy class of their 1975 debut, “Dictators Go Girl Crazy”. With its fast cars, cold beer, and hot girls glory, and a specific photo of the guys in black leather jackets at a White Castle, that album sparked the fires in John Holmstrom and Legs McNeil, who started PUNK magazine shortly thereafter.

(Read the Ramones Birthday Bash Part 2)

(Read more About the Ramones)

==============
If You're After The Ramones Band Merchandise

The largest range of The Ramones band merch
available. Everything from metal band merch,
Band Patches to Bands T-Shirts.

Visit: http://www.planet13.com.au/
==============

(Read more About the Ramones) -- If you're going to go through the trouble of staging a late-career renaissance, you might as well bring one of your musical idols along for the ride.

At least, that's the tack taken by Canadian punk-rock stalwarts Teenage Head, whose most recent album finds them paired with genre icon Marky Ramone, longtime drummer for The Ramones.

The Heads -- guitarist Gord Lewis and bassist Steve Mahon, anyway -- first encountered Ramone in 2003, after being recruited to accompany the drummer on a spoken-word date in Hamilton, Ont.

Lewis admits he was slightly nervous about asking, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to float the idea of a future collaboration.

"In the back of my mind, even long before that, had always been the thought that I'd like to work with this man," says Lewis, 51, from his home in Hamilton. "I'd met him briefly before, our paths had crossed the dozen or so times we'd opened for the Ramones, but this was the first time I was able to sit in a room and chat with him. I knew I was going to do it, and I knew we only had two days together. So within 48 hours I had to present him with an idea -- which is what I did."

Ramone took some convincing, but eventually agreed to re-record a handful of old Teenage Head tracks with the band, who haven't had a new album since 1996's Head Disorder. The first two songs were cut in Toronto, and the sessions went so well that Ramone returned to Hamilton a month later to record 10 more.

Oh, and for the second instalment, he brought a friend -- producer Daniel Rey, who worked extensively with The Ramones over the years.

"I was like, 'This is perfect, because he's the other guy I really wanted to work with,' " Lewis says of Rey. "I knew he was entrenched with the band, and I said, 'Here's a guy who really gets it, who knows how to produce this kind of music.' "

But while the project sounds like a match made in heaven, there was a hurdle to clear: Hard-living Head frontman Frankie Venom.

"Frankie leads a very different life from most of us -- he's got a lot of ups and downs, so it's a bit unpredictable," Lewis says of Venom, who'll turn 52 when the band plays at the Royal Albert this Monday. "Daniel just said, 'Don't worry -- I've worked with Johnny Thunders and I've worked with Dee Dee Ramone. I know how to work with these people and still get the best out of them.' "

Those abilities might help explain why Lewis prefers the new recordings -- released last month as Teenage Head With Marky Ramone -- over the originals, most of which first came out following the band's inception in the mid-'70s.

"I don't know why that is, because I really like the originals and I really appreciate what we did as kids," he says. "What it told me was these were classic songs, and just because I liked these better, it wasn't that one was superior. It was that we really cared about these songs when we were writing them."

Not surprisingly, the new/old songs have sparked a resurgence of interest. The band is back on the road -- with drummer Jack Peddler -- and Lewis is considering a new CD. He's also hoping to tour outside Canada for the first time.

"It's kind of unusual," he says with a laugh. "I don't know what was going on in the industry when we were younger -- why we never went to Europe then. But that would have been a label thing, and those guys are all long gone. We're still here, though, so it's a very fresh feeling. Very fresh and very exciting."

==============
If You're After The Ramones Band Merchandise

The largest range of The Ramones band merch
available. Everything from metal band merch,
Band Patches to Bands T-Shirts.

Visit: http://www.planet13.com.au/
==============

It's the Fourth of July.  And if you're not out exploding fireworks or debating if Hancock looks any good (it doesn't, don't fool yourself) then we're glad you're spending it here with us.  So, without any further ado and in honor of our liberation from the British, we give you the top 11 fake British accents in rock.  Please note, Madonna will not be on here.

11. Julian Casablancas, The Strokes - "Is This It" sounded like the culminating sound of four generations worth of rock and one thing that Mr. Casablancas was shrewd enough not to overlook was the importance of the fake British accent.  However, he really made it his own by avoiding the cliche cockney-inflected voice and going for a more affected, spoiled-boarding-school-brat-on-holiday voice.  Oh, wait, that wasn't an act?

10. Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo - If de-evolution required that we start talking like squeaky, English robots (C3PO anyone?) then Mark Mothersbaugh deserves credit for turning that concept into musical gold.

9. Brandon Flowers, The Killers - He's a self-professed New Order/Joy Division fanatic and his angst in this video almost reaches French levels.  You can almost taste how badly he wishes he was born and raised in Manchester instead of Las Vegas.  He'll always have that fake accent though to keep him warm at night.

8. Adam Cox, The Exploding Hearts - Although little known, this band packed a wallop in the faux British accent department.  The video on these guys is shoddy at best so we thought we'd give you a song to sample instead.  We can only imagine how huge these guys would be if tragedy hadn't struck.  Such great songs.
Exploding Hearts - Busy Signals

7. Billy Joe Armstrong, Green Day - Green Day?  More like Greenwich Meantime Day!!! <hi fiving friends in room>  Billy Joe Armstrong's fake accent is so thick that it sounds like his mouth is stuffed with spotted dick.

6. Steve Bays, Hot Hot Heat - We actually don't know a whole lot about this band except that they're Canadian.  But one thing we can all agree on is that front man Steve Bays channels Elvis Costello through his sinuses every time he gets behind the mic.

5. Andre 3000, Outkast - I think this video tells you all you need to know.

4. Jay Reatard - Although still an up and comer, this Memphis new waver can hang a fake British accent with the best of the legends on our list.  The only thing keeping him from jumping to number one is the fact that he's so young.  He's like the LeBron James of fake British accents: destined for greatness, he's almost at the top of the mountain, but not quite there yet.  Don't worry Jay, maybe when we re-do this list in ten years you'll be number one.

3. Jack White, The White Stripes, The Raconteurs - If you ask him, he'll probably insist that he's more a world-weary-90-year-old-black bluesman from the Mississippi delta than English dandy.  This doesn't change the fact that he sings about frou frou British topics like the hardest buttons to button and prominently featured bag pipes on Icky Thump.  The verdict from our white wigged judges?  Anglophile!

Top two after the jump:

2. Billy Fucking Squier - I always figured he was a poor man's Robert Plant.  I mean, this guy's accent is so impenetrable and downright powerful that it came as a complete shock to find out that he was actually American.  Doesn't that really tell you all you need to know about the strength of his singing accent?

1. Joey Ramone, The Ramones - There can only be one king.  In his unabashed love for British-invasion-inspired rock he dropped his Queens accent and picked up a hybrid cockney/street urchin type of thing.  The only way his mouth could have gotten more British is if Germany started bombing it.  For that, Joey, we dub thee into the knighthood of greatest fake British accents.

Honorable mentions go to Britt Daniel of Spoon, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, Craig Pfunder of VHS Or Beta Donald Cumming of The Virgins and Toby Keith.

Ramones - 1974

1. Blitzkrieg Bop
2. Beat On the Brat 
3. Judy Is a Punk
4. I Wanna Be your Boyfriend
5. Chain Saw
6. Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
7. I Don't Wanna Go Down To the Basement
8. Loudmouth
9. Havana Affair
10. Listen To My Heart
11. 53rd & 3rd
12. Let's Dance
13. I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You
14. Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World

Download: http://rapidshare.com/files/129240260/RAMONES.rar.html

------------------

 Rocket to Russia - 1977

1. Cretin Hop (Tommy Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone)– 1:55
2. Rockaway Beach (Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:06
3. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Joey Ramone) – 2:49
4. Locket Love (Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:11
5. I Don't Care (Joey Ramone) – 1:39
6. Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (Joey Ramone) – 2:50
7. We're a Happy Family – 2:30
8. Teenage Lobotomy – 2:01
9. Do You Wanna Dance? (Bobby Freemann) – 1:55
10. I Wanna Be Well (Joey Ramone) – 2:28
11. I Can't Give You Anything (Dee Dee Ramone) – 2:01
12. Ramona – 2:38
13. Surfin' Bird (Carl White / Alfred Frazier / John Harris / Turner Wilson) – 2:37
14. Why Is It Always This Way? – 2:22

Download: http://rapidshare.com/files/126416558/Rocket_to_Russia.rar.html

 --------------------

RAMONES - "MORE UNRELEASED TRACKS"

1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mr.BURNS - Song from the Simpsons episode.
2. 1969 - Stooges cover recorded for the 'We Will Fall' CD. Joey on vocals, Daniel Reu on guitar & Jerry Only on bass.
3. I AM SEEING UFOs - Dee Dee solo single. Joey on vocals, Dee Dee on guitar & Marky on drums.
4. BOOMERANG
5. BLANK GENERATION - Tracks 4 & 5 bonus tracks from Japanese pressing of Marky Ramone and The Intruders CD.
6. CHOP SUEY - One of the hardest Ramones songs to find. From the Get Crazy soundtrack. Background vocals by Flo and Eddie - aka The Turtles.
7. THE WONDERFUL WIDOW OF EIGHTEEN SPRINGS - Written by John Cage, from the John Cage tribute CD.
8. I WANNA BE SEDATED - Record on the Bottom Line, NYC 7.11.91 with Andy Shernoff on guitar. Taken from the compilation 'In Their Own Words Vol 1.'
9. GILLIGAN - Written by MMR Columnist and Ramones fan George Tabb. Performed by Furious George. Joey as special guest. From the "Gets A Record" CD. 
10. MERRY CHRISTMAS - Extended version. British b-side of the 'I Wanna Live' 12" single released for Christmas 1987.
11. NOTHING CAN CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME - Original version performed by The Seclussions with Joey on vocals. From their 1983 LP 'Isolation for Creation'.
12. RARE MEDLEY - From MTV Awards 1996. Ramones tunes mixed with The Lion King & Pulp Fiction soundtracks + others.
13. SONIC REDUCER - Joey singing live with Pearl Jam on Dead Boys cover. Recorded 1995.
14. I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN
15. BRING IT HOME TO ME  - (Sam Cooke)
16. GLAD ALL OVER - (Dave Clarke Five) Tracks 14-16 Joey unplugged at the West Bank Cafe, NYC - 30 March 1987.
17. TITLE UNKNOWN - unreleased track
18. BABY SAY YOU BEG
19. 7-11 - Rare Track
20. I WASN'T LOOKING FOR LOVE - Tracks 17-20 Rare demos and outakes from the Pleasant Dreams albums. August 1980. From Johnny's DAT.
21. YOU'RE NOT FOOLING
22. WORKING IT OVER
23. CHASING THE NIGHT - Ritchie on vocals.
24. HUMAN KIND - Ritchie on vocals. Tracks 21-24 demos and outakes from the Too Tough To Die album.

Download: http://rapidshare.com/files/130245549/More_Unreleased_Tracks.rar.html

From looking at pretty boy band's such as InSync, Backstreet Boys, or all those cute-as-a-button emo boys nowadays you would think there is some correlation between a pretty face and crappy music. There are those bands who follow this rule such as Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights, Taking Back Sunday who look great as posters on a twelve year old girls wall, but make music about as interesting as a twelve year old girl's wall. There are bands are musical legends such as the Ramones and Radiohead who's music is soo amazing you forget that Joey Ramone looks like a creepy rejected character from The Nightmare Before Christmas and that Thom Yorke has a permanent rodent-like face and has skin that has never seen natural sunlight, ever. There are bands that suck out loud and aslo have faces that are so hideous, so horrifying, i often wake up in a cold sweat terrified by the thought of Nickleback frontman, Chad Kroeger, and his horrible mangled face.

I often wonder how both Nateline Portman and Chad Kroeger can both be considered part of the same species, it truly is mind boggling.

(i mean seriously they are both from the same freaking species. You never see two panda's and say," Wow that panda's amazingly hot and that other panda is so ugly he should go home and kill himself." Its not right i tell ya!!!)

Now without being too bias towards the forms of music I give you my personal candidates for the worst looking bands in history.

The Ramones- I stated before my opinion of Joey Ramone's hideous mug, but none of the other Ramones are exactly fashion models. I do give them props for wearing their hair over most of their faces, they knew their strengths. They knew that they could only play three chords so they played really fast and they also knew they looked like gargoyles so they kept the hair long and in their eyes.

Nickleback- Ok, I know the other members of Nickleback are fairly average looking, but you did see that picture I put up of Chad and the fact that their music is the equivilent to having your eardrums violently prison raped definitely makes them a canidate.

My personal winner(or loser) is definitely the 80's hair metal band Grim Reaper.

They are certainly not as well known as the other bands i mentioned, but when i saw their video on VH1 Classics for their smash hit "See You in Hell My Friend" I knew i had seen something human DNA should not be allowed to do. The band is British (big surprise) and gets ugly points for having horrible music and awful 80's hair. Especially look at mister mullet in his white fringe vest and you'll understand why they are my number one ugly band. For further proof watch this video.

Please let me know any of your potential candidates for Ugliest Rock Band

(Read more About the Ramones) -- Ramones T-shirts have outsold Ramones albums 10 to 1

CBGB, the birthplace of American punk, arguably reached its peak in terms of awareness after selling T-shirts bearing its logo. What are we to make of this?

If you ask someone, "Do you care about symbols of things?," it sounds very frivolous. But clearly the Ramones label has become instant shorthand for a tribal membership or a worldview of indie rebellion. Planet 13 is a good example. They sell Official Ramones Band Merchandise, T-shirts and other official band merch for famous bands. The Ramones have developed this cachet, the symbol alone, that you could align yourself with without listening to the music. I don't know that you see a lot of people wearing a Ramones or CBGB T-shirt who have no idea what it is. They have some idea what it is. Whether their idea is connected to reality, like in the case of CBGB, is probably debatable. But they understand the message that it's sending, whether it be to other people or themselves. Your audience for a lot of this stuff is yourself.

The Ramones Farewell Concert

On March 16, 1996, the Ramones played a farewell concert to 45,000 fans in Buenos Aires in what had been initially planned as the final show of their storied 20-year career. The River Plate Stadium Monumental, home to one of South America’s most famous soccer clubs, had filled to the brim, while none other than Iggy Pop played as the opening act before the Ramones took the stage. The band returned to the States on the Lollapolooza bill, playing their last show in Los Angeles on August 6, 1996. Nonetheless, they had built such a fiercely dedicated fan base down south to become, as branded by a major Buenos Aires daily paper, The Argentine Punk Band, “La Banda Punk Argentina”.

How, and why, did this foursome from Queens forge such a lasting relationship with a city a continent away from the New York City streets and the famously decayed bathrooms of their beloved CBGB’s? An unusual sort of chemistry and mutual appreciation developed over the course of 8 visits to Argentina in 9 years that accumulated 27 of the Ramones’ 2263 lifetime concerts. In 1987, prior to the first trip down, Joey Ramone responded to a local journalist that he had no idea what to expect from his upcoming visit to Argentina. Years later, he would hardly be able to leave the hotel in downtown Buenos Aires for the mobs of fans clambering outside. Argentina had become “Ramonesland”, and their fans, “Los Ramoneros,” could be frequently spotted roaming the streets of Buenos Aires.

The Ramones brought their downtown-New York punk to Buenos Aires for the first time on February 3, 1987, filling the Obras Sanitarias Stadium to its 4,000 capacity. The concert was successful enough to lead to a three-night stand in the same venue in 1991, expanded further to 5 nights in 1992 and 1993. The venue size continued to grow along with the band’s following. In 1994 alone, the Ramones headlined the larger Velez Sarsfield stadium, played a pair of more shows at Obras, and made separate visit a few months later to tour through the interior provinces of Argentina. In October of 1995, the Ramones bumped up the number to 6 sold-out nights in Obras, before returning in ’96 for their last international show.

The farewell show itself would not signify be the end of the Ramones’ South American connection. Dee Dee Ramone met his wife, Barbara Zampini, in Argentina in 1997. More recently, Rockaway Records, an Argentine label, released the first worldwide tribute album to the Ramones, with artists from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, USA, Spain, Italy, France, England, Ireland, Japan, Belgium and Germany contributing.

This continued romance with the Argentine public doesn’t seem to stem from an immediately apparent source. Those with the largest following in Argentina have typically been mainstream mega-groups from the UK such as U2, the Rolling Stones, Queen, and, curiously, Oasis. Surely, Buenos Aires is the Latin American city that most considers itself European and cosmopolitan, traced to its infancy as a contraband port that would later experience an explosion of European (primarily Italian) immigration. Consistently in and out of economic crises in the last 30 years, Argentine music fans seeking release from their daily reality could perhaps identify with the stripped down rock played by four average guys sporting uniform leather jackets and jeans. Regardless, what is certain is that La Banda Punk Argentina (from New York) carved out a niche in Buenos Aires, creating a new urban subculture and reaching a benchmark as the American band that has most visited Argentina.

Thirsty features the 2008 Joey Ramone Birthday Bash

Another sold-out crowd celebrated what would have been Joey Ramone’s 57th birthday, as the annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash continued for its eighth year at New York’s Irving Plaza. Ramones fans from all over the world, as well as those from Joey’s native Queens, packed the venue and sang along with video of classic performances like “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Rockaway Beach”. It was just a warm-up for an evening that still promised Mary Weiss - Joey’s idol and original member of the Shangri-La’s - a Dictators reunion, and an touching set from Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh.

New York punks Charm School gave the night a kick start with their short, blistering set. Their cover of “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do” had the entire crowd chanting along, throwing their fists up to the “Wait! Now!” chorus in unity. L.E.S Stitches, another favorite on the scene, brought no frills - their straightforward 1970s-style punk recalls the Ramones during their “Rocket to Russia” period. Local H launched into yet another Ramones cover as singer Scott Lucas comically introduced “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do”: “Charm School beat us to it but we’re gonna do it our way!”

Glam rockers Semi-Precious Weapons got a huge response, with lead singer Justin Tranter channeling Ziggy Stardust with his platform boots and a chubby fur coat. Tranter prowled the stage, both cheetah and Iggy-like, snarling and spitting at the crowd while striking pose after gorgeous pose. SPW’s single, “Magnetic Baby”, was a blast, and with a chorus of “it’s not my fault that I look better in her party dress!”, the guys definitely played the part. Another set of Ramones covers came from Joey’s close friends, The Independents. Joey managed the band in New York, and was constantly promoting them through his “Joey Ramone Presents” concerts in the city.

As part of Television, guitarist Richard Lloyd was responsible for ushering in a cerebral blend of art and punk rock. Television were one of the first bands to play CBGBs, and pre-dated most recognized punk bands by a couple of years. Having shared bills with Patti Smith, and coming up at the time of Suicide, Television influenced the Talking Heads, Blondie, and Dee Dee Ramone, who recalled seeing Tom Verlaine sing “Venus de Milo” to a sparse crowd when CBGBs first opened. The crowd was much, much larger but the sense of intimacy translated with Lloyd’s new band, Smufty Dogs.

Fans were also treated to footage of Joey giving interviews and rare live performances. Lines formed in the halls for merchandise and raffles, and to sign a huge poster of Joey, courtesy of Hurley, which is debuting its Joey Ramone surf collection this summer. A rotating cutout of Joey, in board shorts holding a surfboard, circled close by.

After much anticipation, former MTV VJ and the evening’s MC, Matt Pinfield introduced Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom, whose set concluded with a rapturous version of “Search and Destroy”. This was the reunion everyone had waited for: JP Thunderbolt, Ross The Boss, Andy Shernoff (quite possibly the tallest punk rocker next to Joey himself), and original loudmouth front man Handsome Dick Manitoba. This lineup brought the Dictators together with the trashy class of their 1975 debut, “Dictators Go Girl Crazy”. With its fast cars, cold beer, and hot girls glory, and a specific photo of the guys in black leather jackets at a White Castle, that album sparked the fires in John Holmstrom and Legs McNeil, who started PUNK magazine shortly thereafter.

Finally, in one of the most elegant, poised moments of the night, Mary Weiss performed the classic “Out in the Streets”. Weiss’s voice echoed off the walls and filled the venue, the crowd singing along. Trash and Vaudeville’s Jimmy Webb danced in the balcony, and a soft glow rose from the cell phones thrust in the air. Few songs have had more of an impact - “Down in the Streets” is the punk rock “My Way”, having been covered by everyone from Debbie Harry to the New York Dolls. Without the Shangri-La’s, the Ramones might never have existed, and Joey wouldn’t have written his own version of “Leader of the Pack” with “7-11” (“Oncoming car ran out of control, it crushed my baby and it crushed my soul.”) Not until Mickey took the stage was Joey’s presence more felt.

Leigh continued this Birthday bash tradition shortly after his brother passed away from lymphoma in April 2001. Joey’s family had a huge celebration planned for his 49th birthday, and decided to go ahead with the plan on May 19. It’s gone on every year since then, moving from clubs like Coney Island High and The Continental to the grandiose Fillmore at Irving Plaza. It’s a fitting destination given Joey’s love for the legendary San Francisco venue. When directing the Ramones in “Rock n’ Roll High School”, Alan Arkush even shows up in a scene wearing a Fillmore East t-shirt.

Taking the stage with close friends of the Ramones family, Mickey performed a heartfelt version of “I Want You Around” with even more affection than the original. This is how we loved seeing Joey - soft spoken, sensitive, and gentle. Mickey’s version was just the same, and a perfect tribute to his brother. A dedication was also made to Joey and Mickey’s mother, Charlotte Lescher. Charlotte encouraged both of her boys in their careers and never stopped championing their achievements. Along with Mickey, she helped organize each Birthday Bash after Joey’s passing. Charlotte passed away in January 2007 at the age of 80.

Every classic was there: “Something to Believe In” (performed with Ramones producer and former Plasmatic Jean Beauvoir), “Cretin Hop”, and “Rock n’ Roll High School”. But it was “What a Wonderful World” that has undoubtedly become the Birthday Bash theme song. Mickey reached into the crowd, grabbing hands in the audience and kneeling to sing to them while saluting his brother: “And I say to myself, thank you, Joey!”

On what would otherwise be a somber day, the Birthday Bash brought everyone together for one reason. Having taken such a loss and transforming it into a night of celebration is just what Joey’s family wanted. It’s been seven years without him, but it’s been seven years of friends and family celebrating a truly extraordinary life. There was a spirit in the house that night, as there will be next year and every year after. Happy birthday, Joey.

(Read more About the Ramones)

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Esse é o histórico primeiro disco da lendária banda dos Ramones. O CD com o mesmo nome da banda foi o ponta-pé inicial do movimento Punk, que dominou o cenários do Rock mundial nos anos seguintes. Joey Ramone nos vocais, Johnny Ramone na guitarra, Dee Dee Ramone no baixo e Tommy Ramone nas baquetas com 6 mil e 400 dólares em uma semana foi gravado o LP lançado em 1976 pela gravadora independente Sire. O álbum tem 14 faixas e 29 minutos de duração em seu total, com composições de no máximo 3 acordes e letras assumidamente burras num ritmo rápido e contagiante e pouquíssima técnica se tornou um dos maiores discos da historia do rock.

01 – Blitzkrieg Bop

02 – Beat On the Brat

03 – Judy Is a Punk

04 – I Wanna Be your Boyfriend

05 – Chain Saw

06 – Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue

07 – I Don’t Wanna Go Down To the Basement

08 - Loudmouth

09 – Havana Affair

10 – Listen To My Heart

11 – 53rd & 3rd

12 – Let’s Dance

13 – I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You

14 – Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World

Para ver a biografia da banda no site da Whiplash clique aqui

Para ver a critica do LP clique aqui.

O disco não foi recebido muito bem pela crítica e o público dos Estados Unidos, que estavam acostumados com discos bem produzidos acompanhados de músicas e letras elaboradas. O estilo de som com integrantes que pareciam cartoons com calças rasgadas, roupas folgadas e todos largados foram demais pra eles. Mas na Europa a história foi outra, a Inglaterra adorou esse estilo que trouxe o movimento “Faça você mesmo”, com músicas simples e atitude rebelde e abraçou a banda, que influenciou as maiores bandas Punks inglesas como Sex Pistols e The Clash.

Para visualizar as letras e outros materiais clique aqui.

Born Douglas Colvin, Dee Dee Ramone will always be remembered for his "1-2-3-4" count-ins on so many great songs by the Ramones, the punk rock band he co-founded.

CNN reported on June 7, 2002: Dee Dee Ramone, bassist and one of the founding members of the seminal punk band the Ramones, was found dead in his Hollywood home, the Los Angeles coroner's office said Thursday. He was 49. Ramone's death apparently was the result of an accidental drug overdose, said Katie Elliot, spokeswoman for Ramone's manager. Drug paraphernalia, including a syringe, reportedly were found in the kitchen of the home. Elliot said it is not known what kind of drug was involved. The Associated Press reported the bassist was found dead Wednesday night by his wife, Barbara. The coroner's office did not say what drug was suspected of causing Ramone's death,  AP reported. An autopsy was performed Thursday, but conclusions about the cause of death were deferred pending toxicological tests, spokesman David Campbell told the AP. Those results could take several weeks. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. Dee Dee Ramone was one of three surviving original members of the pioneering punk band; lead singer Joey Ramone, born Jeffrey Hyman, died in April 2001 of lymphoma. The other original members are Tommy Erdelyi, who took the name Tommy Ramone and was also the group's manager; and John Cummings, who took the name Johnny Ramone. Tommy Ramone was eventually replaced by Mark Bee (Marky Ramone), who was in turn replaced by Richard Beau (Richie Ramone). Dee Dee Ramone left the band in 1989 and was replaced by Christopher John Ward, aka C.J. Ramone. Founded in Queens in 1974, the Ramones soon took up residency at New York club CBGB, playing dozens of shows before they were signed. The group is credited with bringing a wider audience to the New York downtown music scene of the late 1970s, which, inspired by bands such as the New York Dolls and the Stooges, grew to include bands including Blondie, the Patti Smith Group, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Television and Talking Heads. The band's music was described as "pure rock and roll" from its first, self-titled release in 1976. The Ramones' songs, which were often played at breakneck speeds and seldom lasted longer than three minutes, included "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Blitzkrieg Bop," and "Rock 'n Roll High School." The group was extremely influential. A 1976 tour of Great Britain helped bring about the punk/New Wave explosion in that country in the late '70s. Several notable producers, including Phil Spector, Todd Rundgren, and Graham Gouldman, tried their hands at recording the group, with mixed results. After leaving the band, Dee Dee Ramone briefly became a rapper, then was involved with an ill-fated punk supergroup including the Dolls' Johnny Thunders and the Dead Boys' Stiv Bators. In recent years, he formed a Ramones cover band and became a painter. He also wrote an autobiography, "Lobotomy: Surviving the Ramones." The Ramones played its last show in 1996, after which members parted ways.

fancy meeting you here Joey

Dusty, is that you?   

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How were people cool before sunglasses?

It's a mystery.

If there were no sunglasses, would .... 

- the Terminator, the Men in Black, Neo in the Matrix, the Blues Brothers, or the Macho Man Randy Savage be cool?

Would Corey "Sunglasses at Night" Hart have had a music career?

Would "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" Timbuc 3 be a no-hit wonder?

I think Joey Ramone would still be cool. You couldn't see his sunglasses under his hair most of the time anyway.

Elton John's cool level would be serious lower, but he'd still be cool.

Elvis .......... shades or no shades ............ would still be the coolest!

note: are there sunglass monocles?

double note: cute dog photo added because some people like that stuff. I'm nice like that.

triple note: In the early 1900s, the use of sunglasses started to become more widespread, especially among the pioneering stars of silent movies. It is commonly believed that this was to avoid recognition by fans, but the real reason was they often had perennially sore eyes from the powerful lights that were needed due to the extremely slow speed film stocks used. Inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses were introduced to America by Sam Foster in 1929.

 http://humor-blogs.com/

If you’re in the NYC, you definitely should go to this event. Celebrating the life of the late great, Joey Ramone and what would have been his 57th birthday. Going off Monday, May 19th at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, reliving the days when punk was at its rawest form. Fans will be treated to a special reunion appearance from Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom featuring Handsome Dick Manitoba, Andy Shernoff, Ross the Boss & JP Thunderbolt. This year’s headliners are Mary Weiss (the Shangri-La's) and Richard Lloyd (Television) and the SmuftyDogs. An event not to miss, with a slew of special guests and appearances, you’d think your were chillin back in 75 at the infamous CBGB’s. But, realizing that the bathroom at the Fillmore ain’t as nasty, you’d come back to reality. For more info on the event click here.

Anyhow, I guess I wonder if Joey was ever lonely on his birthday. I'm nearly always lonely on this day, even if I'm not alone. If others are around, the distance between them and me is palpable within my mind.

I'm not sure where this feeling comes from, and maybe I need another 5 years of cognitive behavioral therapy to figure that out. For now, I'll continue to have an intense love/hate relationship with May 19th.

April 20 - May 20 Taurus
Celebrate the birth of Joey Ramone, who would have been 57 on Monday May 19. Joey was taken from us far too soon, and we loved him dearly. If you're in Gotham City, head on over to Irving Plaza Monday night and shimmy-shimmy-koko-bop in Joey's honor at the annual Joey Ramone Birthday Show. This year the performers include Mary Weiss (swoon; former lead singer of the Shangri La's), Richard Lloyd, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, Jesse Malin, and Cheetah Chrome. The bash starts at 7pm.

May 21 - June 20 Gemini
And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell. You know you love me. xoxo, Gossip Girl. Monday night May 19 when you're at the Joey Ramone Birthday Show, make sure to set your DVR to catch the season finale of the most delicious teenage soap opera ever conceived, Gossip Girl. Talk about reliving the adolescence that most of us never had. And if you don't understand why you should care, read the fantastic piece in New York Magazine about the show. Hurry up and get on this train before it leaves the station. (Don't expect to see the GG characters on the train though, they're in a limo drinking chocolatinis.)

June 21 - July 22 Cancer
Something's missing, and has been for a long time. You know it, I know it, and the world knows it. You need the accessory of champions - the HiFi Bag. Mover & Shaker Jill Sternheimer has been creating these groovy bags for years and you need one. Trust me on this. The bags are made from actual record covers and are suitable for both sexes to carry around the weight of the world, in style. Jill also makes HiFi Pocketbooks and Surrealistic HiFi Pillows.

July 23 - August 22 Leo
Download of the Week, since it is Spring (finally), is Joan Armatrading's exquisite masterpiece Love and Affection from her 1976 self-titled album. Her voice is rich and deep like hot chocolate or mahogany. Oh Lord, just crank this one up and close your eyes and sway. Sing it sing it sing it sing it (once more with feeling).

August 23 - September 22 Virgo
You need Sangria. It's been obvious for some time. If you're in New York City, I have just the place for you. Cafe Andalucia, located in the shadow of Port Authority on 9th Ave. between 39th and 40th Streets. Honestly, the best - THE BEST skirt steak I've ever had in this burg can be found here. Have it with a side salad (to die for), or indulge in the many succulent tapas on the menu. Then there's the paella. And the Irish coffee. This tiny hole in the wall is something out of a Jack Kerouac novel, from a New York whose time has mostly ended. Tell Guillermo (the owner and chef) that Holly sent you.

September 23 - October 22 Libra
NASCAR. It was a foreign language to me until I read (with great relish and fascination) One Helluva Ride: How NASCAR Swept the Nation by Washington Post sports writer Liz Clarke. Clarke has been covering this beat for over 15 years and knows it inside and out. This book reads like a novel, the way all the best nonfiction should. It's the American Dream come to life. From the sport’s beginning with dirt tracks in the deep south where souped up cars raced far away from the prying eyes of local law enforcement and drivers tinkered on their own sedans to compete, to the latter days of multi-million dollar speedways and primetime racing on television, to the sea change as NASCAR’s original sponsor (cigarette maker RJ Reynolds) stepped aside to make way for more family-friendly advertising and an even wider audience on the world stage. Talk about drama! Talk about pathos! It's all here, and makes for a great read.

October 23 - November 21 Scorpio
Explore the spooky beautiful photography of O. Winston Link, best known for his photos of American steam locomotives in the late 50's. In addition to these images he also made sound recordings of the trains and released these on a series of six records called Sounds of Steam Railroading. The O. Winston Link Museum opened in 2004 in Roanoke, Virginia, in the original passenger station of the N&W Railway which was the focus of most of his rail photos. Check out Hotshot Freight Eastbound, a classic shot of lovers cuddling at a drive-in in 1956. They're sitting together in a Buick made back when cars were really works of art and built like tanks. In the background a steam train is hurtling by, its plume clearly visible. You'll know you've seen this photo before - if only in your dreams.

November 22 - December 21 Sagittarius
We lost Frank Sinatra - a Sagittarius if ever there was one - on May 14, 1998. Crank up some Frank and reflect on this man, this icon. In their work all great artists help transcend the solitude of individuals; they relieve the ache of loneliness; they supply a partial response to the urging of writer E. M. Forster: "Only connect." In their ultimate triumph over the banality of death, such artists continue to matter. So will Frank Sinatra, wrote Pete Hamill in his book Why Sinatra Matters.

December 22 - January 19 Capricorn
There are alot of great reasons to go to Iceland, not the least of which is the Icelandic Phallological Museum, which boasts 261 penises from 90 animal species (no humans yet though). The museum is located in the fishing village of Husavik, about 298 miles northeast of Reykjavik. Other great reasons to make the trip to this starkly beautiful country include: The Blue Lagoon, and skyr.

January 20 - February 18 Aquarius
Henry David Thoreau famously said, "It often happens that a man is more humanely related to a cat or dog than to any human being." These times are hard, people losing their jobs left and right, and the populations in animal shelters are skyrocketing due to the fact that feeding an animal becomes less important once you don't know if you can even feed yourself. Therefore consider getting a new best friend who will love you unconditionally, if you can afford to do so. It's critical right now. And please adopt an older animal - they are much harder to place in homes and much more likely to be euthanized for this reason.

February 19 - March 20 Pisces
This weekend take a vacation to Paris in the 1920's and 30's with Violette Leduc's seductive memoir La Batarde. Paris emerged from the earth and I went out to meet it. The zinc, the zinc counters of midday...Lovers in the streets, lovers on the benches, lovers in front of the store windows. They were making love with arms wound around each other's waist. Their temples kissed even when their mouths didn't meet....My first summer in Paris, the Paris heat. Fall into this book gracefully like it was a down pillow, and enjoy it thoroughly.

Música:

What a Wonderful World

Letra:

Composição: Louis Armstrong

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I say to myself
What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
Bright sunny days, dark sacred nights
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow are so pretty in the skies
Are also on the faces of people walking by
I see friends shaking hands saying
How do you do?
They´re really saying
I love you

I see babies cry, I watch them grow
They´ll learn much more than I´ll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world

And I say to myself
What a wonderful world

Vídeo:

But for a select segment of the population, April 15 is the day of a far more significant loss: the day that Joey Ramone left this gravity well for a much, much better gig in 2001. Don't believe me? Here's his obit in the New York Fuckin' Times. (Now, one might say that the Grey Lady and Joey Ramone occupy polar opposites of some kind of scale and, if you're talking about early CBGB Joey Ramone, one would be right)

I was wandering around YouTube, looking for a good Joey Ramone song, when I found one that sounded like he wrote it just for me. If you know anything about my life, you'll understand. This is Stop Thinking About It, off his only (and posthumous) solo album, Don't Worry About Me, courtesy of Cverlaine.

BTW, thanks for WFMU's Joe Belock for giving me the headsup on this.

At 6'-8" Joey Ramone towered, both literally and figuratively over the punk rock world as the leader of the Ramones. His early life was a perfect example of that cliche of the awkward kid who feels he doesn't fit in and needs the escape that only rock 'n' roll can offer. He found refuge in records by the Beatles, the Who and Phil Spector's "wall of sound." In 1974, he co-founded the Ramones, whom many consider to be the the first real punk band. Beneath Joey's vocal barrage and the band's assault of bass, drums and guitar lay some of the most beautiful melodies rock music has ever heard. And they told more in two minutes than many bands can say across an entire CD. The Ramones were the blue print. When describing his awesome Underground Garage channel on Sirius Satellite, Little Steven Van Zandt described the programming as "groups that inspired the Ramones, groups inspired by the Ramones, and the Ramones."

The '80s found the band struggling to survive in spite of internal substance abuse problems, and an audience that was defecting to more mainstream guitar rock. They took one last shot at crossing over with the 1995 release of Adios Amigos which in effect launched their farewell tour. The Ramones went out on top as a result of their inclusion on the 1996 Lollapalooza Festival Tour where they floored a new generation of fans that were likely not even born during the band's heyday. In his final years, Joey suffered from Lymphoma, which took his life on April 15, 2001 at the age of 49.

There is no better version of this song. Ever. Period. The world lost a hell of a guy in Joey Ramone and the planet is just a little bit less cool without him. Today is the anniversary of his death so put on some of ye old punk rock music and rock out a little in the man's honor.

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