1.                Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go by Soft Cell
Usually talks about the first time someone wants to leave a relationship.  “I want to get away, I want to runaway.”

2.                Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash
Cool song by a cool band.  Asks the obvious question.

3.                Lawyers, Guns, and Money by Warren Zevon
How should we settle disputes?  I submit the law allows for the peaceful settlement of disputes.  Contact one of the lawyers at Galvin, Dominguez, Hindera, & Schwab LLP and schedule an appointment to see if we can help with your dispute.

4.                Know Your Rights by The Clash
Again, this is so important if you are served with any type of lawsuit.  Contact your lawyer.

5.                What’s Love Got to do With It by Tina Turner
Supposedly a song about her relationship with the late Ike Turner reportedly involving domestic violence, abuse, infidelity, and cruelty.  The important thing to take from this is that love has nothing to do with a family law case.  It’s about division of assets and/or how to care for the children.

6.                No Surrender by Bruce Springsteen
From the time the case begins to the end just remember this line “no retreat, no surrender.”

7.                We Can Work it Out by The Beatles
The ultimate mediation song.

8.                Burning Down the House by the Talking Heads
How most people feel after a property settlement.

9.                Sweet Child of Mine by Sheryl Crow and Guns n Roses
Remember to never get the children in the middle.  They are our sweet children. Our beautiful boys and our beautiful girls. Sheryl talks about a boy and G n R about a girl.

10.            I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
Disco era song that has become the anthem persons involved in failed relationships everywhere.  The neat thing is most people do survive.

Other Good Songs About the Law

1.                Breaking the Law by Judas Priest
For criminal law.  Another cool band.  Saw them way back when at the Sam Houston Colisseum in Houston.

2.                America by Neil Diamond
The best song for immigration law…except for maybe The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.   Never been a huge Neil fan but you got to admit, he is the leader of planet chest hair.

3.                Mack the Knife by various artists including Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, and Frank Sinatra
Again, criminal law.  Talks about the knifing portrayed in the Three Penny Opera.

4.                Our Lawyer had Us Change the Name of This Song so We Wouldn’t Get Sued by The Fallout Boys
A song involving music copyright.  Not that it actually does, but you got to admit, it’s a cool title.

5.                I Fought the Law by The Clash
Yes, another song by The Clash.  I’m trying not to be biased even though I wore out the grooves to London Calling and Combat Rock.  Later, I played the cassettes so much the tape was paper thin where every third word was missing.  Lost the CDs in a divorce.  Now I have the songs from ITunes.  Seems I was destined to be a lawyer…and sample all music technology.

1. A song with an impressive intro: Stronger- Kanye West.

Who doesn't love some good Kanye West? Especially with a nice collaberation between him and Daft Punk? This makes for a lovely intro.
 
2. A song with a literary allusion: Peter Pan- Patrick Wolf

Patrick Wolf and Peter Pan, what a combination. Peter Pan was a book before the Disney Movie, but I'm sure you all knew that. So, this is my literary allusion. Patrick Wolf's music fits the part, I believe, with the violins and the beautiful melodies he manages to produce.

(I couldn't find this one, so, good luck with that. Sorry!)

3. A song released 20+ years ago: Guns of Brixton- The Clash

There were so many options for this one, but this song came on my iTunes when I was talking to Paul about it. Who doesn't love a little bit of The Clash? I know I do. The song was released in 1979.
 
4. A rap song that fits within the realm of hipsterness: Good Friday- Why?

Yoni Wolf once again produces a great song that manages to fit perfectly in this category. This song is a perfect blend of rap and hipsterism, sweet music to my ears. This song has racked up the plays on my iPod and my computer, so give it a listen.
 
5. A song by the first band you saw in concert: Take Me Home Please- Reggie and the Full Effect

I'm not going to comment. I could have gone the more embarrassing route and picked a My Chemical Romance song, but I have some pride. I was young and, surprisingly, it was a decent concert.
 
6. A song that mentions or alludes (clearly) to a historical figure: Cape Canaveral - Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

Don't get me started on Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band again. I would have used this for #14, but I ended up using the Mystic Band and Bright Eyes by the time I got there. In this song, Socrates is mentioned and a Greek philospher, though in a different way, still counted. 
 
7. A song employing a foreign language either in part or whole: Qué Onda Guero -Beck

When we decided on this track, I thought this would be difficult. But then I remembered good old Beck. So, Beck was chosen for this track. 
 
8. A song that describes your hometown: Devil Town- Daniel Johnston

What a perfect song to describe my hometown. This song  just fits everything that is my hometown. It was covered by Bright Eyes and is featured on his album, Noise Floor Rarities. Daniel Johnston's original is wonderful, but the cover is almost just as good. I recommend both.
 
9. A song that mentions fruit: Lime Tree- Bright Eyes

I surprisingly had many, many options for this one. I was going to use "Peach Plum Pear," a cover by Final Fantasy, but I decided on this one. There was also another Bright Eyes song, "Bowl of Oranges." Fruit is clearly mentioned in the title.
 
10. The most heart wrenchingly sad song you know: Trouble (Cover) - Elliott Smith

There were so many options for this one, and I think I had to change it at least five times. This one won it though. Elliott Smith's cover of the Cat Stevens song is brilliant and heart-wrenching, but you can't help but listen to it. It brings tears to my eyes every time.

11. A song containing alliteration: On the Bus Mall- The Decemberists

The alliteration varies in this song, switching between verses. I read the lyrics and found the examples and the pattern seems to be two or three words with the same letter. Makes for lovely alliteration, if I do say myself.

(I only could find covers and since I didn't feel like listening to them all, you can find it. Plus, a cover is hardly ever as good as the original.)

12. An unlikely cover: Hurt- Johnny Cash ( Originally a Nine Inch Nails song)

Nine Inch Nail's song, "Hurt" is a great song to begin with. Then, Johnny Cash comes and makes it incredible. He took the song and changed it, for the better. It is beautiful and full of emotion and one of the best songs, ever.

13. A song that name drops another artist: Grace Kelly- Mika

Another song that gave me some trouble, but then I thought back and this song popped out. Freddy Mercury is name dropped and this is a fun little tune that gets stuck in your head.

14. A song by the band you most swoon over: Music When the Lights Go Out- The Libertines
 
Conor Oberst would be in this place if I didn't use him already. However, The Libertines are a close second, as the whole band is lovely. So, Pete Doherty may be a heroin addict and doesn't hang out with the best people, and maybe Carl Barat was a bit hypocritical when he kicked Pete out of the band as he was on coke, but lets face it: they are some of the most attractive men in the world. They both earned a place on the Top 5 in my book. You may argue, but this is my opinion. They're hot, and their music is great, even in the spin-off bands, Dirty Pretty Things and Babyshambles. 

15. A song about endings: Casimir Pulaski Day- Sufjan Stevens

Another song that almost made it into the saddest song category, but I decided it was fitting to be here as well. This song is beautiful and sad, pretty and meaningful. A classic example of Sufjan Stevens, and if you haven't heard this song, you better listen.

So, there it is! My response. Man, that was fun. Sorry that the videos are iffy, but most of the songs are there! Have a ball, folks.

There are times when one can become afraid and every aspect of survival becomes fuzzy.  It can stifle, stop one dead in their tracks.  At these times, a lot of unecessary self reflection takes place, which can be fine to a point.  However, there is a point where this becomes detrimental. 

There are two outcomes that can come of this; one, you could shrivel up and continue on this merry way or the other route can offer the light.  At some stage, there is no further you can go, but in the total opposite direction and for this, some greater being provides a catalyst.  It is up to the individual to claim it with both hands, welcome it like a guest of great importance into your home.  There is no repentance, only the incredible desire to etch new stars in the sky.

According to an article on the Web site of the UK music magazine UNCUT, a live recording of The Clash's performance at New York's Shea Stadium on October 13, 1982 will be released in October. The Clash, who were on tour supporting their Combat Rock album, were one of the support acts for The Who at that concert. The Clash's original drummer, Terry Chimes, was playing with them as Topper Headon was dealing with serious legal problems in the UK and was not available to tour.

I was at that Shea Stadium concert, and I remember how powerful The Clash's performance was that night. Although I had gone to the show to see The Who, I was very impressed with The Clash and had to admit that they blew The Who off the stage. (It was pretty obvious to all in attendance that Pete Townshend didn't want to be there.)

And the recording is a nice artifact from Shea Stadium, since Shea will close its doors forever at the end of the current baseball season. (Shea's baseball tenant, the New York Mets, will be moving to the new Citi Field next season and Shea will be demolished to make room for parking spaces for the new ballpark.) Billy Joel played the last concerts to be held in Shea Stadium earlier this year.

On the subject of the Shea Stadium concert, The Clash's Joe Strummer once said:

"We played Shea Stadium with The Who and it was fun to play Career Opportunities in a place like that, when six years earlier we’d written it in Camden Town."

Paul Simonon, The Clash's bassist, recalled:

"During the Shea Stadium gig and other dates of that tour, Pete Townshend would come into our dressing room and we’d have a game of football. At Shea he said come back to our dressing room, so we did and there was (Roger) Daltrey and all these miserable gits sitting around who wouldn’t talk to us. So Pete (Townshend) came back to our dressing room with us."

The tracklist of The Clash's Shea Stadium album will be:

Kosmo Vinyl Introduction
London Calling
Police On My Back
Guns Of Brixton
Tommy Gun
The Magnificent Seven
Armagideon Time
The Magnificent Seven (return)
Rock The Casbah
Train In vain
Career Opportunities
Spanish Bombs
Clampdown
English Civil War
Should I Stay Or Should I Go
I Fought The Law

To read the full article on the UNCUT Web site, go to http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/uncut/news/11948.

To watch the video of The Clash's performance of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" from October 13, 1982 at Shea Stadium, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trolcS3V7dY. (Embedding was disabled by request. Sorry about that.)

To watch the video of The Clash performing "Career Opportunities" at the same Shea Stadium show, click below:

(mp3 courtesy of amfmpm.org.)

Nobody's Fault

First of all, a little about my Guitar Hero ability, to get some perspective on how easy the game is. I'm stuck on the last tier of Guitar Hero III (Raining Blood, Number of the Beast, One, Cliffs of Dover) on Hard, and just started Expert and so far can play through the first few tiers without much difficulty. Picking up Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, I decided to start out on Hard and hope that I wouldn't get stuck. I think I got through without failing a song once, though a few restarts were necessary. I've started playing on Expert and haven't gotten too far, but it's more a result of a lack of free time than genuine difficulty. The vast majority of the songs aren't too challenging (I got 100% on Dream On on Hard on my first try, and that's the second last encore), and so far moving up from Hard to Expert hasn't proved too difficult (the video above is on Expert, and I can only find one or two parts that differ at all from Hard, though I haven't actually played that far yet).

As for the song list, it's half Aerosmith, half other bands. Obviously, you're only even going to consider buying this game if you like Aerosmith. I only have their O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits greatest hits album and I've heard Rocks, and that was enough for me to enjoy the track list, arguably more than Guitar Hero III's track list. But that's mostly a personal call. For me, I found that I liked most of the Aerosmith songs, and the game only got dull during the other songs like "Dream Police" or "All The Young Dudes", which aren't similar to Aerosmith by any stretch of the imagination and scream "POWER BALLAD!!!!" a little too loudly for me. Only four songs are covers and another four Aerosmith songs are re-recordings (by Aerosmith, don't worry), including "Dream On" and "Mama Kin", the latter of which has the "smoking tea" line edited down to "smokin'", which kinda throws off the song musically, because it's obvious there's another word there.

Like Guitar Hero III, the animated story parts are incredibly lame, but are fortunately only at the beginning and end. Instead, there are brief interviews with the band in between tiers where they talk about the part of the band's history the game loosely covers (it ignores the druggy stuff and break-up, but that's understandable), though these are only worth seeing once.

Unfortunately, the band from Guitar Hero III makes a return as well, and are just as hideous as they were last time. There's also a second guitarist added to make the band match five people like Aerosmith, and she's just as ugly and jerky as the other characters, even if she does garner some diversity points. Another complaint is that buying guitars in the game seems kind of spotty, since I've bought a few that it won't let me use.

It's worth noting that, unlike GH III, there is no co-op career mode, which is lame. And some of the motion-cap is a little creepy, since it varies from Joe Perry's mouth barely moving like he overdosed on botox to Steven Tyler's mouth moving so loosely it looks like his lower jaw is in danger of falling off.

Also, the game has both the original and Run-DMC versions of "Walk This Way":

Walk This Way

As far as the Wii version goes, I'm sure Wii owners will be happy to hear that they didn't get shafted this time. The game is in stereo, there are a ton of special guitars I suspect weren't in Wii's GH III, and a few other additions, like extra animations for star power that I think were left out for the Wii version of GH III.

I'm not sure it's the same for all versions, but the Wii version, graphically, looks rushed and pretty bad. There have been times where the crowd or band would be heavily pixilated, making the background look worse than N64 quality.

By far the biggest complaint against the game would have to be the price, especially for the Wii version. Paying $50 for the game is kind a stretch by itself, but a $100 game/guitar controller set is not only more expense than Guitar Hero III, even when it was new, but still too expensive, especially when you consider that the controller in the Wii version isn't even wireless and doesn't really have any excuse to cost as much as the PS3 and 360 versions.

Overall, it's a pretty fun game, as long as you like Aerosmith, but it's also worth waiting for the price to come down.

Henry James at The Rose, Kingston

Portrait of a Lady - the Kingston ROSE theatre 26 August - 6 September
Post performance talk: Tuesday 2 September

Audio described performance: 6 September 2.30pm. Touch tour at 1pm.

Suitable for all ages.

Matinee(s) Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday 2.30pm

Evening(s) 7.30pm

Adapted by Nicki Frei
Directed by Peter Hall
Presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions & The Peter Hall Company

Nicola Frei's stage adaptation of Henry James' novel, directed by Peter Hall, opens The Peter Hall Company residency at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.

The cast includes Catherine McCormack (The Land Girls, All My Sons), Niamh Cusack (Heartbeat, A&E), Finbar Lynch (Proof, Not About Nightingales), Jean Marsh (Upstairs Downstairs, Boeing Boeing), Oliver Chris (Green Wing, The Office), Anthony Howell (Foyle's War) and Christopher Ravenscroft (The Ruth Rendell Mysteries).

"Catherine McCormack is unquestionably fine" The Times

Set in London, Rome and Florence, The Portrait of a Lady tells the story of Isabel Archer, a beautiful, young American heiress, who travels to Europe on a voyage of self-discovery.
Links:

http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/
2.

London Hip-Hop, Funk 'n Soul at Ascot

The Common Moral Cause Fri Aug 29 2008 8:00P The Jagz Club & Restaurant, Ascot

The Common Moral Cause are an exciting ten piece outfit who combine an eclectic mix of urban jazz, funk, hip-hop, R'n'B and soul to create a fluid funk flava that they can call their own.

Their unique sound and engaging live performances has already seen them play numerous sell out gigs across the country and make appearances at the London Astoria, Oxford's Zodiac and the Jazz Café.

Their debut EP Causality (the principle that there is a cause to everything that happens) has just been released, with their follow up CD Big Sound set for release at the end of the summer.

TCMC are on the regular playlist for Maidenhead's Green Apple 88.4FM, and have appeared on BBC radio Manchester. To date they have had a few limited TV appearances with Odis making it through to the quarter finals of ITV's X Factor and keen fans will have spotted the Mole spitting his rhymes with style on Channel Four's Faking it.

The Show:

Friday, 29th August
Show will start at 8.00
Ticket cost: £6.00
Entrance for the night is £6. Doors open at 7.30pm for dining and 8.30pm for drinking. 2 courses for £22, 3 courses for £26.

The Links:

http://www.myspace.com/thecommonmoralcause

http://www.jagz.co.uk/

Station Hill, Ascot

Also look out for TCMC at the Iver Carnival
Iver High St, Iver, Bucks, London and South East
Cost : FREE September, 13 2008
---------------------------------------

Also at JAGZ Station Hill, Ascot this week:

Fallen Heroes

Fabulous and highly entertaining six piece band that always create a really groovy atmosphere with their eclectic mix of New Orleans R&B and funky Street Beat.

Upcoming show:

Saturday, 30th August
Show will start at 8.00
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

http://www.myspace.com/fallenheroesinfo


3.

Shepperton 'Hometown Heroes' play The Hob, Staines

Photo- Mindy Coe

Loaded Dice at The Hob, Staines Sunday August 31 8:00P £3 on door

Best UK Live Unsigned Band

The Loaded Dice were formed 4 years ago and early success saw the band reaching the live televised UK final of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Their catchy riffs and strong vocals led to an invitation to perform for 4 successive years in The National Rock and Pop Festival at the NEC Birmingham. Competing in the National Youth Battle of the Bands (which they came a close second in 2005.) Recently the band won the National live and Unsigned South Coast Idol competition, beating over 10 000 acts and winning the title of “Best UK live and unsigned band.”

Currently the boys are involved with Future Music Management developing the band. They clearly love playing together especially on stage and are always ready to entertain and perform to their best. They have taken their music further a field, twice touring Spain to take part in music concerts.

Loaded Dice are:

Lui Matthews -vocals
Anthony Wilkinson - Guitar & backing vocals
Ian Lennon - Bass
Steven Wilkinson - Drums & backing vocals

http://www.myspace.com/theloadeddice

If you miss 'em they will be back at The Hob on Sept 14th (but catch 'em quick because these boys are gonna be BIG!!!)

Photo by:

http://www.myspace.com/mindycoephotography

4.

Rock, rock, rock (and Ska) at The Hob Staines

The Stilts at The Hob Staines, Sunday August 31st 8:00P (with Loaded Dice)

The Stilts play balls-out rock and roll with lashings of punk and ska thrown in. Citing influences ranging from The Clash and The Who through to Cage the Elephant and The Paddingtons, the band’s sound is the result of a sonic collision between the garage band revolution of the sixties and the current wave of alternative indie. Not confined to any one style, The Stilts create music that rocks and deliver it with the punk energy it deserves.

Formed in North-West London in 2006 The Stilts have made practising an obsession and obsession an art form, creating an impressive range of their own material. Over the last year and a half they have worked their way through quiet Monday night gigs to packed weekenders in top venues, delighting promoters and picking up fans on the way.

The Stilts now have a reputation for jumping sets packed with raw energy, which has enabled them to build a dedicated following on the London gig circuits. Having been tipped for prime slots on a host of mainstream radio shows, they expect to be heard on the air in the near future.

The band continues to raise expectations, incorporating innovative sounds from their current influences and regularly introducing new tracks to their sets, keeping fans hooked and converting non-believers.

Mr Fred - sings and strums

Here - licks and shreds

J - thumps and rumbles

Trigger - hits things

The links:
http://www.myspace.com/thestilts

Lots of Fun !!


5.

Classic Rock from The Blue Fuses, Staines

The Blue Fuses Aug 28 2008 8:00P The Staines RIVERSIDE Club Laleham Road

Blue Fuses is a great Surrey-based rock covers band, doing mostly 70's - 80's stuff - from AC/DC to ZZ Top via a number of bands with colours in their names, particularly Black, Pink and Purple. You will love them... lots of audience interaction and some nice set-pieces. They went down very well the last time they played STAINES.

Check our review of last years Blue Fuses gig here

http://www.myspace.com/douglip

if you miss the Blue Fuses in Staines this week you can catch them at:

October, 25 2008 at The Cardinal Wolsey
Hampton Court Rd, Hampton, London and South East KT8
Cost : £2

Get Your Tickets for Beck Theatre, Hayes

The Beck Theatre
Grange Road
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 2UE

-Visit AdPontes-Staines Regularly for Staines Arts-

Awards applaud monsters of metal

Heavy rock heavyweights Metallica and Rage Against the Machine have been hailed as heroes at Kerrang! magazine's annual awards ceremony in London.

Metallica received the metal magazine's inspiration award, while Rage Against the Machine entered its Hall of Fame.

US band 30 Seconds To Mars, fronted by actor Jared Leto, were the only act to win more than once, picking up best single and best international band.

Welsh rockers Bullet For My Valentine were named best British band.

The ceremony, one of the most boisterous in the music calendar, hosts the hottest names in heavy rock - from outrageous thrash metal monsters to mainstream stars.

Metallica were given the biggest ovation of the night when they collected their award.

"We are very, very appreciative of all the love we feel around us," singer James Hetfield told the crowd.

"Heavy metal is resurging, coming alive again. Thank you for supporting that."

'Classic albums'

Metallica collected their award to a raucous standing ovation

The band had been name-checked as inspirations by some of the earlier winners, including 30 Seconds To Mars and Slipknot.

Metallica have been going for 27 years and have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Kerrang! editor Paul Brannigan credited them with having "changed the face of heavy metal forever".

"Every musician in this room is influenced by this band and their classic albums," he said.

Metallica are headlining the Reading and Leeds Festivals this weekend alongside Rage Against the Machine, which also got a rapturous reception at the ceremony.

"Thank you so much," singer Zack De La Rocha said, before reeling off a list of names that included The Clash, Public Enemy, Bob Dylan and "anyone who went out in the streets and showed Tony Blair the door".

30 Seconds To Mars refrained from mentioning their former record label EMI in their speeches after the company sued the band for $30m (£16m).

Accepting the best single prize for From Yesterday, Leto described the award as "an unbelievable gift".

Masked metal titans Slipknot, meanwhile, were given the Kerrang! Icon honor.

That was accepted by three band members - all in trademark horror outfits - with drummer Joey Jordison absent after breaking his ankle.

The injury has forced the band to cancel their appearances at Reading and Leeds. "We showed up for the booze - I didn't even know we were nominated," they said.

Mr Brannigan had welcomed the bands as "ladies, gentlemen and mythical beasts", and the event has a reputation for drunken behavior.

Sadistic housewife

Rage Against The Machine won the Hall of Fame award

And he predicted that they would turn into "dribbling, brain-dead morons" after a night of alcohol.

Other winners included Def Leppard, who sent a video message after being named classic songwriters.

Avenged Sevenfold picked up best album, while Machine Head were named best live act.

Slaves To Gravity won the best British newcomer trophy, with the international equivalent going to rising stars Black Tide.

The winners of best video were New York progressive-rockers Coheed & Cambria, for the track Feathers - a vision of American suburbia shot in black and white and featuring a sadistic housewife.

The night was hosted by Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, with eight of the 13 winners voted for by Kerrang! readers. ]]> http://freakshowbusiness.wordpress.com/?p=1544 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:59:52 +0000 freakshowbusiness http://freakshowbusiness.wordpress.com/?p=1544 À venda por 9 euros cada um na Vertigo Store:

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“There’s a million reasons why the hippies failed,” Joe Strummer would lament. A comment that would pretty much some up the feelings of England’s disenfranchised youth in the early days of punk.

Despite popular belief the punk movement did not begin in England with the Sex Pistols but in the USA with an ‘New Wave’ of underground groups like MC5, Iggy and the Stooges and a bit later New York bands like the New York Dolls, Dictators and the Ramones. Collectively these groups had become known as “Punk Rockers”. Punk literally means scum but is used in American slag to means a waster.

Back in London these group’s records would find there way on to the turntables of a hand full of teenagers who had rejected the static and bland music scene of the mid-seventies. Thus becoming a sort of sound track to a pop culture rebellion.

A group of such teenagers inspired by the American “New Wave” scene formed ‘London SS’. This band did live long enough to even play a live concert let alone get anything down on vinyl. But from its ashes two members would become the founding members of the punk movement’s most successful and arguably most influential group.

Around the same time four other young Londoners also inspired by the “New Wave” would form there own group under the guidance (or rather misguidance) of megalomaniac manager Malcolm McLaren. The group featured a shy London Irish teenager named John Lydon (later known as Johnny Rotten) who go on to called themselves the Sex Pistols.

It was the Sex Pistols short bursts of glorious 3-minute trashy guitars; bizarre clothing style and provocative stage act would provide the vital spark that ignited the punk movement.

Ex- London SS members Paul Simonon and Mick Jones went along to see this new group who where supporting the 101ers, London’s rising stars of the pub rock circuit. The 101er’s then lead singer Woody Mellor would later remark “Three seconds in to their [Sex Pistols] set I knew we [101ers] were yesterdays papers.”

Woody become increasing disillusioned with pub rock and his seemly obsolete group the 101ers. Not surprising then that Woody left his group after Paul and Mick approached him to sing in their new group. Woody would change his name to Joe Strummer and together with Simonon and Jones they became The Clash.

For all the Sex Pistol’s anti-monarchy sentiments and talk of “Anarchy in the UK”, they saw “No Future”. The Clash on the other hand were less pessimistic. In film maker Don Letts’s documentary on the group ‘West way to the World’, Strummer explained The Clash “were groping at a socialist future.”

It would seem Strummer was deeply influenced by the so-called ‘New Left’, George Orwell, the Neo-Marxists like the Frankfort School and the Student rebellion of 1968. “It was a great time to come of age” said Strummer “Paris, Vietnam, Governor Square*, it was all happening”.

Simonon had also a socialist background. His father had served in the British army in Kenya. On his return from Kenya shocked by the horrors of British imperialism he joined the Communist Party of Great Britain (known as the Communist Party of Britain today) and Paul would deliver Party leaflets around the working class council estates and tower blocks of London.

In early interview with ‘The Clash’ Simonon flippantly remarked that he “didn’t even know who the prime-minister was” would never the less remain a leftist influence along side Strummer within the Clash. Simonon travelled to the Soviet Union with his then girlfriend Caroline Coon albeit returning somewhat disappointed that he had not found the workers paradise he had come to expect.

In 1977 the Clash had been playing together for almost a year. The group went on a nation wide tour of Britain with Sex Pistols, The Damned and Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers.

That year also saw their new self-titled LP was released. At time the album perhaps over shadowed by the Pistols controversial “Never Mind The Bollox” LP. However The Clash debut was arguably a far superior work featuring a thoughtful lyrical style and a blend of pop influences ranging from Reggae to Rockabilly all delivered with an authentic punk snarl.

Their debut single “White Riot” was misinterpreted as a kind of racist battle cry. The song was in truth about the Notting Hill Carnival Riots in which London’s black community fought off police in riot gear. Strummer and Simonon who had just gone to join in the Carnival somehow got caught up in the riot. Impressed with what they saw as the Black community having their say they penned the song with Jones later that day.

Following year saw the release of the bands second LP ‘Give ‘Em Enough Rope’. This was to be the group’s first release in the US. The Album thematically continued its Leftist leanings but more cautious than the first. The Sleeve of “The English Civil War” first single released off the album featured a still from the 1950’s ‘Animal Farm’ cartoon. This was one of many subtle nods to Strummer’s literary hero George Orwell.

But it was the “London Calling” double album release just a year later that would forever be hailed as a masterpiece by music critics and album collectors alike. ‘Roller Stone’ declared it album of the 80’s. Although Strummer pointed out to the magazine that the album was actually released in ’79.

Having become the only Punk group to crack America, The Clash released their forth album this time a triple LP which they called “Sandinista!” in tribute to the socialist government ruling Nicaragua at the time (And recently been returned to power). This was not their best work but features some outstanding tracks and excellent Dub reggae production by Jamaican legend Mickey Dread.

The Clash would release two more albums before the finally called quits in 1986. The first these albums was “Combat Rock” which featured the singles “Should I Say Or Should I Go” and “Rock the Casbah” which remain pop classics of the era. It also features “Know Your Rights” a sort of punk rock anti-authority anthem.

Their final album “Cut the Crap” was released and was lambasted by the music press. In the absence of the guitarist Mick Jones and drummer Topper Headon both of whom had been kick out for drug abuse, the group lost its way. The only remaining original members of band Strummer and Simonon later disowned the album.

In the aftermath of the break-up the Clash’s influence is immense. Although American group MC5 pre-date the Clash in mixing punk and socialist ideas it is the Clash who remain the mother of all political punk groups there after. Every one from the Redskins, Manic Street Preachers, Specials, Billy Bragg, Attila the Stockbroker, Angelic Upstarts, Public Enemy and countless other groups site the Clash as a major political and musical influence.

Strummer remained involved in political causes right up until the end of his life. He played benefit gigs in aid of striking Fire fighters and a number of organisations such as Rock against Racism, Anti-Nazi League and a London based Anarchist group “Class War”.

The Clash were not a political party, they were after all a rock n’ roll band. The band had always been accused to being left wing posers. Other simply disliked the band either for being left wing or for being political in general. Some detractors point to Strummers middle class family background. In his defence he had been a manual labour worker for a number of years before the Clash at started and the rest of the band had all come from working family grounds. The political message was confused at times and the CYM would be at odds with much of it. The Clash were a great band who turned at lot of people on to socialist politics for that we can only be grateful. Cheers lads we owe you one!

*Governor Square is the street where the American Embassy in London is located where an infamous anti-Vietnam war riot took place in 1968.

Varsity Theater | March 30, 2008

10. Neil Young - After the Gold Rush - I feel like this is kind of a given, its a classic album by a well-respected rock musician. My first exposure to this album was a Radiohead cover of the title track, which blew me away. Can't think of anything amazing about it right now, but its well put-together and well-written, which says a lot. Neil Young plays some highly emotional and intelligent music.

09. 28 Days Later OST - John Murphy's score for this film is utterly amazing, not only does it capture the fear and isolation of the movie itself, but the tense moments displayed. Everything about this score matches the film, from the minimalism to the haunting melodies that creep in throughout. Honestly I could do without the other songs tacked on - as cool as Brian Eno's "An Ending (Ascent)" and Grandaddy's "AM 180." They're not bad songs, but to me they interrupt the melancholy flow and sense of disparity - although they work wonderfully within the film itself.

08. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation - Wasn't ever a big Sonic Youth fan, but I'd certainly heard of them because they've made quite the impact upon the music scene. Listening to Daydream Nation for the first time I was struck by the teenage angst of it all - and not in the cliche way either. It captures a moment in time; where everything is kind of confusing and doesn't make sense. Experimentation is the requirement, and the noise-rock of the album reflects this quite well. My least favorite track has to be "Providence" however; it seems more like a skit than a song. The bonus disc featuring a live concert is good, although I wish the audio quality was just a tad better - it doesn't sound like it was mixed properly.

07. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time - Seattle is well-known for its music scene. Band of Horses follows in that assessment and delivers a wonderful album. Its got a very classic "indie" sound, but at the same time features hints of alt-country twang. There's a great consistency about the whole thing, and the songs are well-written not only musically but lyrically as well. Sometimes an album just works, and it proves itself time and time again. I always find myself listening to this album when I'm in the mood for something relaxing and beautiful. Then again its also quite upbeat as well; always a nice mix.

06. Minor Threat - First Demo Tape - Minor Threat's entire discography can fit onto a CD; which says a lot about their song-length, and how short their career was. In the punk world Minor Threat changed how everything sounded by playing harder, faster and stronger. Fellow hardcore rockers Bad Brains also share their fast-paced-yet-intricate guitar-work - Bad Brains clearly the more articulate - but both have a ferocity about them. This demo tape shows a band barely out of high school completely decimating everything. Each song is a kick-in-the-face. Its hard and fast; just like it should be. When I hear this demo I can't help but imagine myself crammed into a basement recording studio watching some friends play - and knowing that something special is going on.

(5-1 after the cut). 05. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere - Pop music isn't anything to scoff at, but there's certainly a distinction between good and bad pop music. Gnarls Barkley, the brain-child of Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse bleeds out amazingly catchy pop-music songs. Lyrically they can be dark and foreboding, talking about suicide and death. The glimmering surface of the music hides a tongue-in-cheek sort of attitude. It seems like both these men really love music in all its forms, and it shows on their album. Rarely have I heard an album that's so perfectly created, featuring a good tracklisting, great sounds and well-written lyrics. I avoided this for some time, but I certainly kicked myself for taking so long. The wait was worth it though.

04. Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool - Jazz is one of America's unique music forms. It joins the ranks of blues and hip-hop; a musical trend/idea that's criss-crossed the world and become a staple of nightlife everywhere. Davis is certainly a pioneer within the realm of Jazz music, and its easy to see why. His melodies are straight-forward yet complex, begging a closer listen. At the moment nothing spectacular stands out in terms of tracklisting, but its an amazing album. The flow of it is seamless; something I imagine Davis and his producers were thinking about. Its a chill album, perfect for those times when you just want to sit back and relax; good enough to groove a bit too as well. Certainly worth a listen.

03. Battles - Mirrored - Categorizing this album is a living hell. Its impossible to peg it down in any one genre or form. Instead the album weaves its way through classic rock riffs, electronic noises, song collages, heavy and calculated drumming and steady bass. It feels like going on some sort of strange journey, and its almost like video-game music. At least in the sense that its quirky, and you immediately get a picture in your head going, attached to emotions and feelings. Mirrored kicks itself off with "Race: In", slowly building to a nice crescendo, and matching that with closer "Race: Out." I don't think I fully understand the album, I don't think anyone really can, but its an amazingly unique album. Different from anything that I've heard before, or since for that matter, but clearly a piece of musical genius.

02. The Clash - London Calling - Another utter classic. The late 1970s punk scene was ablaze with acts who paved the way for those who came after. The Clash were no different, blending together a wide range of musical sounds and political insight. London Calling captures not only the world of 1970s London, but also the angst of working-class people who weren't sure what to do. Strummer and company sing about an uncertain future, and about a government that throws its delinquents into military service to beat some sense into them. By writing about a wide range of experiences London Calling connects with many generations. Times have changed, but in some respects we're still dealing with the issues to which Strummer sings about; and The Clash continue to inspire rebellion and uprising - not only musically, but in real issues as well.

01. Cloud Cult - Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus - This album is correctly placed, and I have no issues with it being at #1. Happy Hippo is an album of diverse sounds. Much like Battles' Mirrored it can be hard to peg the album down to one single genre or sound. Frontman Craig Minowa shows himself to be a wonderfully introspective singer-songwriter; using the death of his 2-year-old son to challenge his music. Even though there's a sad undertone to the album it still manages to bring a smile to my face. Maybe its because the songs can be quasi-humoristic, but at the same time heartfelt. Here's an example of authentic song-writing, and willingness to experiment with traditional format. Happy Hippo is a perfect album in almost all regards. While I wish there weren't so many interludes - which bleed into proceeding tracks - they're not noticeable when listening. Considering that Cloud Cult is a truly independent band it feels great buying their albums, because you know that its actually supporting them - and they're getting the money. In a world full of corporate scandal and screw-overs Cloud Cult stands tall, because they've worked around the system. So please, on behalf of the band, buy the albums if you like them - support good independent music.

Hello my name is...

Vashtie.

"Hello Starling"; Josh Ritter

This album not only reiterated my love for beautifully written lyrics that can be mistaken for nineteenth century romantic poetry, but also it reminded me "to stop and smell the roses." Catchy refrains and chord changes have each song flow into each other, like it's one exciting 43:09 song, and not a compilation of just eleven. Best songs: "Kathleen", "Snow is Gone". For fans of: Townes Van Zandt, early Bruce Springsteen, Robert Pinsky (U.S. Poet Laureate 1997-2000).

"London Calling"; The Clash

I first listened to this when I was eight years old, in the backseat of my dad's car on the way to a dance class. It fired me up, and by the time I made it to the studio, my teacher was so impressed with my energy and the flow of my movements, that he encouraged my dad to play it all the time. I still listen to the CD before competitions, although I skip through less "energizing" ones, like "Gun's of Brixton" and "Lost in the Supermarket". Best songs: "London Calling" and "Train in Vain". For fans of: The Ramones, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith.

"Plans"; Death Cab for Cutie

Okay okay, it's Death Cab for Cutie, the designated trendy, "indie", soccer-mom approved band. But honestly, this album helped me through so much.  My awkward phase lasted much longer than most, and my self-esteem and gawkiness made me extremely self-conscience. These anthems allowed me to feel close to Benjamin Gibbard, I sang for the same things he sang, and I would identify with his need for opposite-sex acceptance and the want to make someone else feel needed. Best songs: "Crooked Teeth", "I Will Follow You into the Dark". For fans of: The Shins, Feist, Spoon.

"Vampire Weekend" by Vampire Weekend

So maybe I like this album for superficial reasons, but so what? This foursome inspired me to splurge for those oxford heels, to indulge in that beautifully-bound Spanish-to-English dictionary, and to wear the pencil skirt hanging in the back of my closet. But really, these pop!py, upbeat, and fun tunes just make you want to groove, and then when you finally break out your I'm-Not-Drunk-I-Just-Dance-Like-It dance moves, you'll understand the hipster hype. Best songs: "A-Punk", "Walcott". For fans of: Coldwar Kids, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, Arctic Monkeys.

"Time Without Consequence"; Alexi Murdoch

This CD is the first CD he (who we'll talk about at a later date) ever let me borrow, which just means I'll keep it and won't give it back until you remind me. This album has had some element in our time together; we listen to it while in my car on the way to a show/party/ice cream runs, we share ear buds whenever it comes onto his iPod while on the train home from the city, and we crank up the volume to "Love You More" whenever it's on the local NPR station. It started out as a common interest and eventually led to a beautiful relationship (shout out to my boy!). Best songs: "All My Days", "Song for You". For fans of: Fionn Regan, Ray LaMontagne, Rachael Yamagata.

If you're into the Beatles now, try checking out The Velvet Underground.  The styles aren't all that similar but just as the Beatles are the ground work for most "popular" guitar based music, VU really set the pace for the more avant garde sect, listening to their music will lead you towards other artists that you maybe wouldn't have discovered if you just listened to Sgt. Pepper for the next four years. 

A lot of people think The Clash, The Ramones and The Sex Pistols are the pinnacles of punk rock, but there is so, so much more out there to discover.  If you like the stuff from across the pond check out Wire, the Buzzcocks and Gang of Four.  For the American side there's always The Minutemen, Husker Du, Black Flag and of course Fugazi, never, ever underestimate the power that is Fugazi. 

If you're really into Wilco but wish they were just a little more raw and experimental then you should really check out Califone.  All of their records are really fantastic but a good starting point is their newest album Roots and Crowns.   A great bonus included in checking out Califone is tracing the band back to where it started as Red Red Meat and going through their back catalogue, not mention fellow RRM splinter group Sin Ropas, a band criminally  overlooked by sites like Pitchfork. 

As much as I hate to admit it people do seem to really like the Dave Matthews Band.  You may be one of them, I hope you're not, but if you are and you're looking for something a little different, check out Built to Spill, they're jammy but they aren't too loose and they don't really write anything that could be considered a love song.  You can't really sway to them either, which, for me, is a plus.

Watered down Weezer seems to be bubbling up again (kind of like it did when I first went to college, weird) just leave those records at home.  Seriously.  Go pick up some Pavement albums, get your hands on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and if you want to go back further you'll find the Pixies and if you're really feeling into those two go try some Guided by Voices.  Those three bands should give you a really solid base to build off of if you're looking to get into indie music that isn't Death Cab For Cutie or Vampire Weekend. 

Of course kids these days are hipper than when I took off for school so you all already know about Animal Collective and Arcade Fire.  Well how about going the other way to see where those bands cull their sounds from?  People will tell you Animal Collective is the most original band in the world but don't listen to that, they're good, I love their music, but you'll find a lot of what they're doing in the older Mercury Rev records like Boces and Yerself Is Steam, not to mention that Deserter's Songs is amazing.  You can hear a lot of what the Arcade Fire is doing percussion/rhythm wise in the Talking Heads first two records, and from the Heads you can get into Eno and from Eno you'll find yourself listening to some ambient stuff, just be careful, don't overload yourself.

Everyone likes Radiohead right?  Well, check out Spiritualized and then tell me that Ok Computer is better than Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. 

This could go on for a while so I'm going to end with a few quick hits:

Forget Vampire Weekend and listen to The Unicorn's "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?"
Ditch the Sunset Rubdown and check out Frog Eyes
Forget the last two Modest Mouse record and check out the first three.
The Same with The Flaming Lips except check out their entire 90's oeuvre.

Remember this list is mostly just for fun, there's obviously no way I can know what you're going to like or dislike, but if you're really interested in music and want to find new things hopefully some of these suggestions will be helpful.  Oh, and if you're reading this right now with a sneer and muttering to yourself about how you already know about all of these bands then its time to move on to This Heat, Silver Apples, Pere Ubu, Spacemen 3 and The Red Krayola, god speed.

Last Night – The Strokes

Death or Glory – The Clash

Loser – Beck

BYOB – System of A Down

One Day As A Lion – One Day As A Lion

The Step and A Walk – The Duke Spirit

L.E.S. Artists – Santogold

Sad Sad City – Ghostland Observatory

Diary of Jane – Breaking Benjamin

Disarm – The Smashing Pumpkins

Blitzkrieg Bop – The Ramones

Over, Under, Sideways, Down – The Yardbirds