Category: Artists (Page 243 of 262)

What a very odd thing to say.

In doing a search to confirm that the Subways are indeed on Sire Records, I did a search to find the Sire Records website. Yes, I figured it was SireRecords.com, but I searched, anyway…but, while the first listing was indeed for SireRecords.com, the tag line beneath it read, “With a history dating back to the New York punk scene of the ’70s, the label continues to release unrelenting rock by bands like The Distillers, Hot Hot Heat, The Futureheads, Mandy Moore, and The Von Bondies.”

Um…I’m as big a fan of Coverage as the next guy, but even *I* wouldn’t use the words “unrelenting rock” and “Mandy Moore” in the same sentence.

Geto Boys: “Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta”

I recommended my #1 rap song of all time a few days ago, so why don’t we talk about #2?

It wasn’t released by the Geto Boys until 1992 on their first “best of” compilation, Uncut Dope: Geto Boys’ Best, but it appeared on my limited rap radar in 1999 during my first viewing of the Mike Judge comedy, “Office Space.” The song is used brilliantly during the movie – I’m not sure I can describe it any better than this cat, so I’ll just quote him:

Against Geto Boys’ rap declaration “Damn, it Feels Good to be a Gangsta,” (Ron Livingston’s character, Peter) commits acts of small and liberating vandalism in the office, while management and serf alike are struck dumb by his unprecedented behavior. Eventually, his sense of entitlement becomes hubristic; he dares too much and risks a terrible end.

The song features a phat groove (that’s right – with a “ph”), a simple yet effective beat, and some graphic lyrics. The best verse comes at the end when one of the Boys raps from the point of view of the then-President Bush.

Listen to a song clip here.

I have seen the band that will be the death of rock & roll…

…and that band is Stereo Fuse.

Our publicist drops me an email and asks me to find a home for this CD he received by a band called Stereo Fuse. So I hit their MySpace page, and took a look at the bands that they have opened for (and will continue to open for, if there is any sense of right and wrong in the universe): Dishwalla, Creed, Default, Nine Days, Uncle Kracker, Evanescence, Sister Hazel and Lifehouse. That’s pretty much the Lollapalooza show that’s waiting for me in hell, right there.

And yet, somehow, Stereo Fuse are even worse. There is not an original thought, note, vocal, arrangement, anything about this band. Even their name sucks ass, and they all look ridiculous, with one guy with a soul patch, the other with the backwards baseball cap and the moustache-less beard, and the long-haired hippie. Of course, their MySpace page is crawling with hot chicks. Hot chicks with bad, bad taste.

The music industry can blame downloading all they want for what’s causing the sharp drop in sales, but the truth is, it’s bands like this that are killing them, because they make people not care about music anymore. Someone, please, clone Seymour Stein and Chris Blackwell, until there are enough copies of both of them to run every label. Otherwise, prepare for some label troglodyte to tell an up and coming band, “Well, if you really want to be stars, you’d try to sound more like Stereo Fuse.” Heaven help us.

Kid ain’t gonna rock the porn

Well damn it all. Looks like Kid is gonna legally block sales of his sexcapades in da house with Scott Stapp and some desperate groupies. No word on whether Jebus is gonna block it as well, but if he doesn’t, then that means…Kid Rock will still be seen in shitty porn! Awwwww yeahhhh. It’s good to be the king! You gotta wonder if those two washed between slurps, especially when Stapp points out at one point that the oral sex he’s receiving is his “thrid time today.” Ick.

Jurassic 5: “Quality Control”

For me to like a rap song, it has to have some considerable crossover potential. It needs a solid beat, a good groove and meaningful lyrics. “Quality Control” is my all-time favorite rap song, and even though I don’t really dance, this one gets me moving every time.

You can find it on their album, aptly named Quality Control.

Listen to a song clip here.

I’m a rock guy, but I wouldn’t mind hearing more rap like this – anyone have a suggestion?

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