Knights Of The Turntable

SIGNED CD #1: BUZZCOCKS

2012-02-08T07:00:00.003-05:00

(click images to enlarge)

by Tom Bejgrowicz

I have a lot of what (at least) I consider to be cool material from my days spent in the music business. One day perhaps I'll document them all and put them together in some sort of collection. In the meantime, however, I happened upon a few signed CD packages in storage and thought it would be fun to put them out there for the record. With that said…

In 1993, while working at Caroline Records, we released the 4th studio album by the legendary Buzzcocks. While they were in NYC playing the Limelight, Project Manager Nick Clift kindly invited me to join himself and the band for dinner before the show. We hit up Lox (Around The Clock) which was right around the corner from the former church venue.

As you can see below, I sat next to Steve Diggle and in his amazingly awesome fashion, Steve wore a "Steve Diggle" t-shirt the entire time in NYC. Classic.

(l-r: me, Steve Diggle, Nick Clift, Tony Barber, Pete Shelley, Philip Barker)

THE SNOWMAN VS. IRON MAIDEN

2012-01-25T07:00:00.004-05:00

("Walking in the Air", from The Snowman soundtrack)

("Walking On Glass", live from the Spectrum in Philadelphia, 1/13/87)

by Tom Bejgrowicz

Between Christmas & New Year's, I was working at home on a class for this spring's semester – struggling mightily to get in sync with it. I distracted myself far too many times one afternoon listening and (all-too-often) watching Iron Maiden live videos on YouTube. Follow me if you will…

Remembering the band officially filmed the show I was at in January 1987 on the Somewhere On Tour tour, I searched for "Iron Maiden Spectrum Philadelphia 1987" and went to town. This was the same show I interviewed Yngwie Malmsteen after his opening set. Thus, I missed the first half of Maiden but went running to my seat immediately thereafter to catch the rest of the show. I quickly realized that I still had my recorder and set forth to tape it for posterity. I'm glad I did because it gives me shivers to this day, still.

One of my favorite tracks is the first to appear on my tape; an instrumental jam between Dave & Adrian, and later accompanied by Nicko. I unknowingly titled it "Somewhere Jam" and loved it thoroughly. However, when searching through the setlist for the night on YouTube, I discovered one titled "Walking On Glass" and found it to be the "official" title of the instrumental they performed on this tour. I immediately Google'd the track and found a mention of it on a page about a song titled, "Walking in the Air." About the connection between the two, it said:

"The two guitarists of Iron Maiden, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, played an altered version during their tour to support Somewhere In Time, first half containing a solo duel between the two guitarists, the second half of which Murray played the vocal melody while Smith played supporting rhythm. This combination is known as 'Walking On Glass'"

Unbeknownst to me, "Walking in the Air" is a song written by Howard Blake for the 1982 animated film of Raymond Briggs' 1978 children's book The Snowman. I never saw the movie, had only heard of this movie once recently from students at school, and was blown away that I finally knew the story of this amazing melody.

Further, Jennifer came home from work and I shared with her the stories of my day, including this. We soon hopped onto YouTube to play the animated segment for "Walking in the Air" (above, top) and then the actual performance I've loved since 1987 (also above). We both soaked in the beautiful melody, amazing illustration (especially the whale under the water) and then – BAM! – she excitedly hopped up from the couch. She went over to our holiday tree, came back with a stuffed snowman she's had for years and was then residing under our tree. Low and behold, it was THE Raymond Briggs snowman from the animated movie! Crazy.

The moral of the story is that Iron Maiden is the band that keeps on giving. As a young teenager in the early 80s, they had me reading Samuel Taylor Coleridge, looking up Icarus, the Phantom of the Opera, Alexander the Great, and so much more – and they're still expanding my world 24 years later!

Up the Irons!

(Rich Davis, Yngwie, and myself, backstage at the Spectrum, 1/13/87)

UNSIGNED BAND ARCHIVES #1

2012-01-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

(the original hand-made cover art packaging, click to enlarge)

by Tom Bejgrowicz

BAND: AUTOMATIC HEAD DETONATOR
YEAR: 1996

As a Project Manager at Caroline Records, I was making my way into A&R and Special Projects by 1996 – even after Lyle Preslar was sadly unseated as GM of the label. With said change in management, I had some major adjusting to do and was in many ways on the outside looking in when it came to the creative staff brought on by the returning Keith Wood. Mind you, Keith never did me any wrong but I was for sure the odd-one-out in a room with Clay Sparks, David Levine, and Keith.

I mention all of this because a label's inner-workings can either allow you to cut effortlessly through the politics or dredge through them at a painfully slow fashion. In the case of bringing new music to Caroline, as opposed to working with catalog, I had a dreadful time getting through the system.

In 1995 and 1996, I was working closely with attorney Whitney Broussard as I worked my way through Glenn Danzig's consistently annoying and ill-fated inflammations. Whitney, an all around fantastic guy, gave me a copy of Automatic Head Detonator's What the Fuck Do You Know? CD. Self-released on Lo-Fi Records, the Los Angeles band described their music as "100% Cranium Crushing, Sampledelic, Garage Dub Techno Punk." Think White Zombie meeting up with The Jesus and Mary Chain in your neighbor's garage to jam.

(the band playing outside the Palladium on a truck bed, 1995)

And get this; In November 1995, the band set up on the back of a truck bed parked outside the Palladium in Hollywood and began playing a live, and very illegal, set as the crowd attending the Sonic Youth and Bikini Kill show came streaming out. Genius, really.

I was then supplied with a 4-song demo featuring "Monsters," "Devil's Advocate (Kill Whitey)," "Yeah, Yer Right," and the aptly-titled "Siren Song." This sealed the deal for me and I knew beyond any doubt that this band was destined to be huge. However, Keith & Co. didn't share my vision for the band. It's worth noting that we were in the midst of incredible success with Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim as well as the mid-90s indie-rock frenzy so hard rock was not on everyone's minds at Caroline.

With that said, the deal never got done and I remember hearing rumors that they were being signed to Red Ant Records in 1997, but that label folded before it ever really got moving. I received one more recording from Whitney in the 4-song Buffalo EP, which I loved as well. I did catch the band live within the very empty confines of The Garage in Los Angeles in or around 2000.

To this day, of all the bands I wanted to sign but didn't, Automatic Head Detonator is the band that had everything going for them to reach platinum and beyond. Given the right recording studio and producer, these songs were going to be absolutely gigantic. I could see it and I could taste it. But alas, it was not meant to be.

THE ALL-STAR JAM TO END ALL ALL-STAR JAMS!

2011-12-28T07:00:00.022-05:00

by Tom Bejgrowicz

It would be silly to bother trying to list all of the awesomeness that was the Metallica 30th Anniversary shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco earlier this month. Hell, even Glenn Danzig was smiling and sounding good! Albeit, with his girdle on.

From the opening jams by The Soul Rebels Brass Band all the way through to the Mercyful Fate medley, this official compilation footage is very much worth your time. For all of the grief that I've given this band over time, and up through the release of Lulu – they're freakin' Metallica and I've got lethal doses of respect for their putting this on for both themselves and the fans.

Do yourself a favor and take some time to watch all (or most) of this, then dig deep into your catalog of music and celebrate music being fun again. Wow.

HIGHLIGHTS: DAY 1

HIGHLIGHTS: DAY 2

HIGHLIGHTS: DAY 3

HIGHLIGHTS: DAY 4

Note: For fan-filmed, individual song performances not available in the official Metallica clips, visit Mathias Nielsen's page here. You'll find Biff Byford, Jerry Cantrell, Pepper Kennan, and many, many more.

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2011 (& MORE)!

2011-12-14T17:37:00.004-05:00

(Ghost, live at Webster Hall by Chris Shonting)

TOM B.
The Top 10 Albums of 2010:
• Adele, 21
• The Atlas Moth, An Ache For The Distance
• Book of Black Earth, The Cold Testament
• The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow
• Ghost, Opus Eponymous †††
• Graveyard, Hisingen Blues
• PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
• *Shels, Plains of the Purple Buffalo
• Thrice, Major/Minor
• Times of Grace, The Hymn Of A Broken Man

††† Album of the Year!

The 2011 Mix-Tape:
• Adele, "Rolling In The Deep"
• Anathema, "A Simple Mistake"
• The Atlas Moth, "Holes In The Desert"
• Book of Black Earth, "Road Dogs From Hell"
• The Civil Wars, "20 Years"
• Death Ray Vision, "Get Lost Or Get Dead"
• Fucked Up, "Ship Of Fools"
• Ghost, "Ritual"
• Graveyard, "The Siren"
• My Morning Jacket, "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)"
• PJ Harvey, "On Battleship Hill"
• The New Recruits, "What Have We Got To Lose"
• Radiohead, "Codex"
• Rival Schools, "Shot After Shot"
• *Shels, "Butterflies (On Luci's Way)"
• Thrice, "Blinded"
• Times of Grace, "Where The Spirit Leads Me"
• Chelsea Wolfe, "Friedrichshain"

Happy New Year, everyone!

LIVE REVIEW: TIMES OF GRACE

2011-03-09T07:00:00.005-05:00

TIMES OF GRACE: A Metal Odyssey in the Key of Awesome
02.24.11 – West Chester, PA @ The Note

Written and experienced first-hand by KOTT friend, Wade P.
(All photography © 2011 Tom Bejgrowicz. For more, go here.)

Let me start by saying I have had three dream occupations in my 36 year existence. Pitch for the Boston Red Sox (staff ace goes without saying…), own and operate a light’s out gastro-pub and finally, go on tour with a metal band as a grizzled, well-traveled roadie. Pitching is out (never had the stuff…). The success rate for owning a profitable pub is iffy at best. And my roots are too deep locally to go on tour for months at a clip… That being said, on a rainy February night in West Chester, PA I got to peer down the rabbit hole that is a full blown metal tour, courtesy of the gents in Times of Grace. Consider this one man’s account of the bad-assery (yeah, I made that word up…what of it??) that transpired that night.

On my way to The Note to see Jesse Leach and Adam Dutkiewicz’s newest project Times of Grace, I got a text from fellow music geek Chris B. that he and his fell0w-Knight brother, Tom were throwing back pints with the guys at local pub and I should meet up with them. Being a huge fan of not only Times of Grace but also Killswitch Engage, it was quite a sight walking into Iron Hill Brewery and seeing the guys at a table relaxing undisturbed. I mean C’MON…they play to thousands of rabid fans at festivals and packed clubs around the world and here they were dining amongst Joe and Leslie local folk and not a single person noticed them. The Flyers game on TV garnered more attention…and they couldn’t have been happier. Topics of conversation included, but were not limited to - better band: Misfits vs. Danzig (consensus Misfits); the possibility of a Red Sox / Phillies World Series; the band’s adventures while in a New Mexico bar watching the Super Bowl; and of course, the recording of the band’s amazing debut album The Hymn of a Broken Man.

Several rounds of beers and one damn good pizza later, the band realized they needed to get back to the venue and prep for the show. Three blocks and a drunken Misfits sing-along landed us in front of their tour bus. The night’s adventure could’ve easily ended right there. I could’ve headed inside and watched the band’s set and the night still would have been flat out amazing. Nope. Touring guitarist Joel Stroetzel graciously invited all of us on board for the remaining hour before their set. We sat around and blared the new Crowbar album (get it, it’s real good), shared stories about how badass Lemmy is and, most unexpectedly, prepped for the show by swilling whiskey and throwing a bit of Tom Waits on the i-pod. Believe me, a more genuine, down to earth group of guys would be hard to find. Soon enough their 10pm set time rolled around. Chris and I wished the band good luck and ventured into a sold out club while Tom hung with the band to photograph the festivities amongst the boys on stage.

You would’ve never guessed that the band’s tour was nearing its end…from the minute they hit the stage and crushed “Strength in Numbers,” the first single off the album, each member was locked in. Jesse’s voice was ridiculously good, growling through “Live in Love” and heartfelt during “Willing” (it’s blatantly evident that this kid owes everything he has in life to his love of music.) Adam and Joel proved why they are one of the best guitar duos in all of metal (technically proficient, yet crazed on stage). Hell, even touring bassist Daniel Struble and drummer Dan Gluszak killed it – and Times of Grace isn’t even their main gig. They could’ve easily melted into the background and become secondary but instead they formed an amazing rhythm section.

At least three or four times during the set Adam pointed to a group of kids down front and applauded the fact that they were singing along to every word. He even went so far as to exclaim “West Chester is the BEST Chester” which as far as I’m concerned needs to be added to the town-sanctioned motto immediately.

After playing nearly the entire album, the band ended their set with the anthemic track “Where the Spirit Leads Me” as the crowd roiled one last time. As the band left the stage they thanked an extremely appreciative audience (“ONE MORE SONG!! ONE MORE SONG!!”) and this 36 year old headed home…It was a school night after all…

Sitting at my desk the next day, bleary eyed and exhausted, I grinned to myself. For one night at least, I was that grizzled, well traveled roadie I always wanted to be. Times of Grace, I thank you.

Set list – The Note - West Chester 2/24/11

Strength in Numbers
Willing
Hope Remains
Fight for Life
Until the End of Days
In the Arms of Mercy
Live in Love
Worlds Apart
The End of Eternity
Hymn of a Broken Man
Where the Spirit Leads Me

INTERVIEW: DAVID LANFAIR

2011-03-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

("Mirror People" 7" feat. "David Lanfair" on the b-side – as signed for my brother
during a party at Gregg & I's apartment in 1989.)

by Tom b.

Dave Lanfair was a fellow art major at Kutztown University in the late-1980s. His name may or many not be familiar to the general public, of course, but for any die-hard Love and Rockets fans – Dave holds a unique place in that band's lore. And because of that status, he also quickly became the envy of our social group (a.k.a. "the art crowd"). Rightfully so, too. After all, how many people do you know who, while in college, tape recorded themselves asking their favorite band questions and ended up having that very tape become the vocal track for a hit single's b-side? Thus is the legend of Dave Lanfair…

Tom Bejgrowicz: In the days before the internet it was hard to reach an artist, let alone learn everything you wanted to about them. I suppose that's what brought you to the point of recording, as you put it on the tape itself, "a one-way conversation" with the band.
David Lanfair: That’s a good observation. But I suspect what led me to record a tape comprised of interview questions and send it to Love and Rockets was what I’ll label “ambitious naïveté.” Or what Kramer from Seinfeld would call “cockeyed optimism.” I was cockeyed. I was optimistic (like Billy Mumphrey). And, by that, I mean during my college years when something popped into my head as an idea, I didn’t reject it through negative self-talk or filters that said: “That’s a stupid idea. That’s a waste of time. Why bother?” Well, to be more accurate, I DID have those thoughts––I just ignored them with the Love and Rockets endeavor. Henry Ford summed this process up elegantly; a famous quote attributed to him goes, “I’m looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.” When you don’t know what can’t be done, it opens up more possibilities because your thinking isn’t boxed-in and your willingness to try something left-of-center doesn’t get choked off. The interesting thing is this: I probably could have (and should have) answered most of those questions myself that I had asked Love and Rockets. All that was required was a little journalistic due diligence. After all, back then I wrote for music magazines like New Route, Soma, and Campus Voice. But intuition told me to do it the way that I did it. There was no way in hell that I would have expected an outcome where they made a record, using my interview tape, and named it after me. In a way, you’ve got to genuflect at the alter of creativity––Love and Rockets’ creativity––on that one! That’s the serendipitous coolness of creativity, though. That an impetus for a creative act can be small, innocuous, trivial, mundane (sometimes)––like me sending a cassette to a band––but it can lead to something interesting . . . maybe even extraordinary. For example, classical music scholar Robert Greenberg suggests that the finale of Beethoven’s masterpiece––Symphony no. 2 in D Major, movement 4––was composed to capture or mimic the rhythms and sounds of Beethoven’s gastro-intestinal sickness. It’s fascinating how something so banal can lead to something rich. Conversely, sometimes the most brilliant thought processes––like those utilized by some conceptual artists––can yield lackluster works of art.

TB: You received a phone call at your apartment from Daniel Ash, as I recall. Talk about surreal, right? How did that conversation roll out and could you believe what was happening?
DL: It was 12:31 a.m. on a Thursday night. I was slouching on the living room floor of Beth Jones in a diorama of broken pretzels, Vogue magazines, lint, and mismatched throw pillows. She’d invited me over to watch David Letterman. (My TV was permanently tuned to the 24-hour snow channel.) The band had just finished the theme song for the second time; it was part of their shtick to repeat the theme song on Dave’s cue. And, I have to admit, it was very funny! (I don’t know why.) Letterman was about to launch into his monologue when Beth’s phone rang. I heard her in the kitchen: “Dave . . . Dave who?” Handing me the phone she said, “It’s for you.” Quizzically, sheepishly even, I said, “Hello?” I mean––who the hell knew I was at Beth’s? I didn’t remember telling anyone where I was going that night. It reminded me of a joke I used to pull with my friend Bill. We would be in random places––at a frat party in Lehigh University; outside the Kutztown dorms playing hacky sack; inside a stall at Renningers farmer’s market––and something one of us said would cause the other to mime the action of answering a telephone. Then with an over-the-top, ham-and-cheese (heavy on the cheese) expression, one of us would say into our invisible phone, “MOM!… How’d you get this number?” I can’t remember why that was funny either. But we’d laugh our asses off with that ongoing gag––it never failed. I think we were laughing at the idea of how moms have clairvoyant power that’s more effective than any KGB/CIA-tracking device. Moms can track your ass down, push your buttons, and reduce you to the ridiculous no matter how old or important you are! So, that was almost how surprised I felt hearing this English-accented fellow say: “Ello, right. I don’t know what time it is, right, but . . . ah . . . we got your tape and your letter, and we were wondering if we could use your voice in our next song.” Two things went through my mind: 1) I’m missing Letterman; 2) How did this person know that I sent a tape and letter to Love and Rockets since the only person I told was my roommate, Kyle? I quickly reached the conclusion that it couldn’t be a practical joke and had to be someone from the band. Later, I found out it had been Daniel Ash (I think). He called me a few weeks after that first phone call to tell me that they had already recorded the song and that they intended to use it as the B-side for their “Mirror People” single. Daniel said they were going to call the song “David Lanfair” after me and that I was on the guest list for their entire Earth, Sun, Moon tour. A group of us from Kutztown went to see them in Pittsburgh, and after the show I hung out with the band. Great blokes!

TB: Listening to your questions and your passion about what drives artists like Daniel, David, Kevin, and Peter reminds me just how much we'd all sit around talking about music during those years at Kutztown. There truly wasn't any escaping the connection between our love for art and music, was there?
DL: Your question brings to mind (counterintuitive as it may seem) this marketing expert, a doyen, named Jay Abraham, who’s consulted with over 10,000 different businesses across multiple industries to help them solve their business problems. You can imagine that anyone who has problem-solved on that level has developed a pretty significant cache of wisdom around what works and what doesn’t work in tackling personal and professional issues. One of the problems Jay smacks into when he consults with people and companies is what he calls “the hardening of the attitudes,” which is just as deadly as “the hardening of the arteries.” I like that idea: “the hardening of the attitudes.” It says a lot! It’s probably the shadow-line between youth and death. Having been a DJ (I had a radio show with Kyle Williamson on WRKU.), a fan of music, a music writer, a musician, and a writer for major entertainment/music corporations like Sony Music, MTV, MTV Networks, Columbia, and Epic records––I’ve experienced music from the perspectives of the fan (one who loves music), the critic (one who tries to interpret music), the musician (one who tries to make music), the consumer (one who buys music), and the distributor (one who sells music). Some of these roles have left me musically inured and jaded––like biting into a Boston cream donut and crunching into sand. So, I think it’s important to protect that initial love we have for music and art from the numbing effects of negative worldly experience or “the man” or our own “hardening of the attitudes.” When I was a fan I was excited by music. It gave me energy. I can recall putting on the Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, and when Black Francis’ throttled voice sang (nay: implored), “I’ve got a broken face,” I became an explosion of movement (urgent as any Francis Bacon painting) pogo-jumping around a shitty Kutztown apartment (a few doors down from Joey’s Salon) that smelled like warm orange Jell-O (my roommate Kyle made it as tea) and Sal’s stale pizza; a rented space that looked like a half-assed, jerry-built art project from a lazy art student hopped up on NoDoz; a place of wrong angles, a nifty sarcophagus for two that had a gapping, 2-foot-wide hole in the ceiling (Carrie Donald: “You guys should really do something about that!”), which started off as a curious crack and cried whenever it rained; a nest that nestled a phantasmagoria of us: Kyle’s little plastic army men glued to the wall, and his broken umbrellas nailed to the ceiling, and art projects in various stages of autopsy, and a small bird fetus I put in the freezer, and the anachronistic click-clop of an Amish horse-and-buggy outside, and the vision of television without cable inside, and the books from Günter Grass on top of a 7-foot-by-5-foot, handmade pillow that rested like a sad whale in our living room, and always that curious rhythmic hsssssss of the record needle reaching the end of its destination but still sending us off to sleep. So, yes, there was no escaping the love of art and music! But we were handsome prisoners.

 TB: One of my favorite moments during the track is when you acknowledge that; "I'm sorry, all these questions have been about Bauhaus, I know you're Love and Rockets now!" Being able to move forward from their past is something all legendary bands like Bauhaus have to face. 
DL: Ahhhh: evolution: the challenge: can we grow?

TB: To think about how it all went down, I've always thought of this as a surreal moment – even from my perspective, let alone your own. You turned your love of their music into a part of their discography and history, after all. It's a pretty fantastic situation that unfolded, to say the least.
DL: Yes, I think the whole affair showed that Love and Rockets had a sense of humor about music and creativity. (By the way, they also put the song on Sorted! The Best of Love and Rockets.) It’s a curious piece of my history now. What’s interesting––and not to get New Agey (I love the paralipsis that occurs when people say, “Not to ___” but then they end up saying or doing what they claimed they wouldn’t.) . . . not to get woo woo, but I feel that I must have some kind of strange psychic connection with Love and Rockets, especially David J, because I’ve run into him several times on the streets of New York over the years. And it’s always been random.

Well… It’s been real. It’s been surreal. It’s been unreal. And thanks for giving me the opportunity to contribute to your blog. You know, I suppose I could have taken a page out of the Love and Rockets’ playbook, and instead of answering your questions, I could have called you up and asked to use your questions in a novel, then named it after you––but that idea would have been derivative, plus it would have required you to wait a couple of years! On second thought, maybe it should be a play. Have you seen the insipid sludge that makes it to The Great White Way these days? (I’m going on record as saying that when the film remake of Top Gun surfaces, our creative well has run dry.) But a play… Hmmm. Maybe we could even convince Love and Rockets to do the score. Hey, if Green Day can blow up on Broadway, there’s no reason why “Ying and Yang (The Flowerpot Man)” can’t!

Notes: Many thanks to Dave for taking the time after all these years to answer these questions. Currently Dave is a freelance copywriter at MTV Networks and you can find some of his other business ventures here and here.

(Tom, Dave and friends, Kutztown, Dec. 1989)

REVIEW: "THE KING OF LIMBS"

2011-02-19T17:02:00.020-05:00

Artist: Radiohead
Album: The King of Limbs
Label: TBD Records
(Digital) Release Date: February 19th, 2011

Rating: 5.5/10 (downgraded from initial rating of 7/10)

It seems that Radiohead have found a comfort zone in 2007's game-changing, In Rainbows. Not since Kid A and Amnesiac have the band sounded so similar on subsequent releases. That's not an entirely accurate assessment, of course, since the latter were recorded during the same period and simply released separately. With that said, however, this is exactly what makes The King of Limbs all the more intriguing of a release, at least on paper.

It's worth noting that when one uses the term "comfort zone" while discussing Radiohead, it's used quite loosely. The King of Limbs is not a retread and it is anything but safe. On the contrary, it is dark, brooding, often-emotive, and – a la In Rainbows – filled with many heart-felt moments despite its cold, electronic landscapes. Highlights include "Little By Little," "Lotus Flower," and "Codex" with low-lights coming in the form of a couple non-engaging bookend tracks that open and close the album.

As a whole, despite its challenging nature, too much of the album is focused on rhythm and repetition and not enough on melody and dark passages. Because of this, the resulting experience is not nearly as engaging as I've come to expect from Radiohead. And I, like you, have come to expect a lot…

1989: THE YEAR IN MUSIC

2011-02-09T07:00:00.011-05:00

* Tom b., March 1989, Johnson Hall, Kutztown – sporting Chris B.'s G.B.H. tee
with Fish-era Marillion, Roger Waters, and R.E.M. decking the dorm walls.

by Tom b.

Of the modern era, 1989 is without question one of my favorite years in music. It was the final year in an incredible decade of music, one that brought so much excitement to the table from every corner of the globe. College rock was still god-like, thrash metal was taking over, post-hardcore was launching, and industrial was reaching new commercial heights.

On a personal level, I was in my second and third carefree years at Kutztown University, living and partying with 2 future Knights of the Turntable, and loving life beyond belief. Music was king and there's simply no way for me to separate the memories of those years from the artists, albums, and songs themselves. With great times, great music, and a lifetime of good feelings to follow – 1989 is hard to beat.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

MY 1989 IN MUSIC:
• NEW ORDER, Technique (Jan.)
Spotlight track – "Guilty Partner"

• THE FLAMING LIPS, Telepathic Surgery (Jan.)
Spotlight track – "U.F.O. Story"

• THE SIDEWINDERS, Witchdoctor (Feb.)
Spotlight track – "Witchdoctor"

• PIXIES, Doolittle (April)
Spotlight track – "Gouge Away"

• CRO-MAGS, Best Wishes (April)
Spotlight track – "Crush the Demoniac"

• THE CURE, Disintegration (May)
Spotlight track – "Fascination Street"

• FUGAZI, Margin Walker (June)
Spotlight track – "Margin Walker"

• STONE ROSES, Stone Roses (July)
Spotlight track – "I Wanna Be Adored"

• THE THE, Mind Bomb (July)
Spotlight track – "Armageddon Days (Are Here Again)"

• BAD BRAINS, Quickness (Sept.)
Spotlight track – "Soul Craft"

• SOUNDGARDEN, Louder Than Love (Sept.)
Spotlight track – "Big Dumb Sex"

• THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, Automatic (Sept.)
Spotlight track – "Coast to Coast"

• NINE INCH NAILS, Pretty Hate Machine (Oct.)
Spotlight track – "Sin"

• MINISTRY, The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste (Nov.)
Spotlight track – "So What"

• BAD RELIGION, No Control (Nov.)
Spotlight track – "I Want to Conquer the World"

• SKINNY PUPPY, Rabies (Nov.)
Spotlight track – "Tin Omen"

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

So… What albums, if any, made 1989 special to you?

* Gregg R., Feb. 1989, Johnson Hall, Kutztown – reading Rolling Stone amongst
art supplies and the judging eyes of Peter Gabriel and Love and Rockets.

NEW ARTIST: THE CIVIL WARS

2011-02-07T12:27:00.018-05:00

by Tom b.

When cruising through iTunes yesterday, I saw an album cover I thought was minimal, well-composed, and had a good, earthy feeling to it (see below). I never heard of The Civil Wars, mind you, and it appeared this was their debut album. I clicked on it, hit "Preview All" and was intrigued enough to buy it right then and there. Done deal, right? Wrong.

Next thing you know, I'm on YouTube watching a video for the title track reading comments like "Just saw this on CMT…", that they were featured on Gray's Anatomy, and that Taylor Swift saw them in Nashville, bought a shirt at the show, and declared; "I think this is my favorite duet. It's exquisite." Oh boy, I say…

And then, get this, I open my iTunes again today and see that The Civil Wars Barton Hollow album is #1! What the hell's going on here? One minute I stumble upon them, having never heard of them, and the next I find out they're not only #1 on iTunes but that they've been the score to McDreamy & McSteamy while being lauded by CMT and Taylor Swift?!?! The record's really good, damnit. Is there something wrong with me? (laughs)

P.S. Mumford & Sons Sigh No More is #2 and Black Eyed Peas take up 4 of the remaining Top 10 albums thanks to their horrific half-time "performance" during the Super Bowl yesterday.

THE B-SIDES MONEY (APPARENTLY) CAN'T BUY

2011-01-26T13:17:00.028-05:00

By Tom b.

Even if this digital age, record labels can't seem to muster enough energy and creativity to compile b-side collections for us to spend our hard-earned, waxing-nostalgic money on. Perhaps that comes from hiring suck-up, corporate idiots who are too psyched on the new Katy Perry single selling 250K downloads in its first week to care.

Thankfully, classic gems like Sisters of Mercy's "Blood Money," The Hellacopters' "Red Lights," Marillion's "Tux On," and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' "Blue Bird" (to name just a few) have found the light of day as bonus tracks on expanded editions or in b-side box sets. However, many great tracks, including the ones listed below are not available anywhere in the U.S. Legally, that is. Many of these artists, including The Cult, Peter Murphy, and Therapy? have enough b-sides to create a full-fledged release of their own.

And while I have nearly all of the following songs in my iTunes from buying singles, import CDs, etc. – until a record label makes them all legally available, I'll be on the hunt for Peter Murphy's, Ozzy's, and Pink Floyd's tracks on torrent sites. It's not like anyone's losing any money over tracks they don't care enough to put together for the light of day, right? Right.

Anyone else with a classic b-side that just can't seem to found?

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

• The Cult "Conquistador"
(from the "Love Removal Machine" single, 1987)

• Peter Murphy "A Strange Kind of Love (Version Two)"
(from the "The Line Between the Devil's Teeth" single, 1989)

• Ozzy Osbourne "You Said It All"
(from the "Mr. Crowley" live EP, 1980)

• Ozzy Osbourne "You Looking At Me Looking At You" (orig. version)
(from the "Crazy Train" single, 1980)

• Pink Floyd "The Hero's Return Pt. 2"
(from the "Not Now John" single, 1983)

• Quicksand "Shovel"
(from the "Thorn In My Side" single, 1995)

• Therapy? "Our Love Must Die"
(from the "Loose" single, 1995)

• Therapy? "Suing God"
(from the "Church Of Noise" single, 1998)

2011: THE ANTICIPATION IS KILLING US…

2011-01-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

JBiebz's dying to know if he made the Knight's lists…

TOM B.:
Albums…
TIMES OF GRACE, The Hymn of a Broken Man –
Written largely while Adam d. was laid up following back surgery in 2007, this reunion between Adam and original KsE singer Jesse Leach has been ready for release for well over a year now. Enough is enough, it's time to hear this bad boy.

RIVAL SCHOOLS, Pedals –
Will it still feel the same as it did nearly a decade ago? We'll see. At any rate, I look forward to hearing Walter's voice over top some rocking guitar once again. Walking Concert was great, of course, but this is an altogether different beast.

FLEET FOXES, TBD –
I'm a little worried after reading this quote from Robin Peckford talking about their debut album: "There was a lot of 'too upbeat.' I guess people think we're already kind of a mellow band, so maybe the next album will be pretty boring to most people." Um, yeah, you're one step heavier than a choir of monks and it's songs like "Mykonos," "He Doesn't Know Why," and "Your Protector" that push me through. Fingers crossed.

THRICE, TBD –
A truly underrated U.S. band, to say the least, and simply the best to come from the "screamo" scene of the early 2000s – a scene which they left behind many, many years ago now. Their last effort, Beggars, was easily one of my favorites from them. So mature, so emotive, and so tightly played and arranged.

PEOPLE IN PLANES, TBD –
Please tell me I haven't waited since 2008 to get an EP in my lap in 2011. Please tell me it's a lead-in EP to their 3rd full-length album. People In Planes are one of those bands that when I listen to them, I struggle endlessly to figure out why they're not utterly huge on a worldwide scale. A brilliant and powerful band, for sure.

Live (the only dates I know of just yet)…
Times of Grace – 2/24 @ The Note, West Chester
Accept – 4/14 @ The Trocadero, Philadelphia

P.S. Please, please, please let me get what I want. Hopefully 2010 will see new albums from any or all of the following (and more): Alice In Chains, Bat For Lashes, Neko Case, Doves, God Forbid, Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, Mastodon, My Morning Jacket, Portishead, Radiohead, and Therapy?.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

CHRIS B.
I'm psyched for new albums from British Sea Power (January), My Morning Jacket, The Joy Formidable, Social Distortion, Death Cab For Cutie, Fleet Foxes, Wilco, Mountain Goats, The Dears, and Skeletonwitch.

In the live setting, like my brother, I can't wait to see ACCEPT in April. I would love to see Heavy Trash and British Sea Power again as well as The Joy Formidable for the first time.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

JOE P.
The album that I am anticipating the most is, R.E.M., Collapse Into Now. I don't know what else is coming out in 2011 and I just love not knowing.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

GREGG R.
The following artists are all slated to have albums out in the first half of 2011. Looking forward to hearing all of them: British Sea Power, Decemberists, Iron and Wine, Dave Lowery (of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven), The Dears, Drive by Truckers, Buffalo Tom, Rival Schools, and The Joy Formidable.

The only tour that I am super-psyched about at this point is the Church, continuing their 30th anniversary celebration, playing Untitled 23, Priest=Aura, and Starfish in their entireties.

Here's to a great musical year!!

THE TOP ALBUMS OF 2010 (& MORE)!

2010-12-20T11:04:00.018-05:00

TOM B.
The Top 10 Albums of 2010:
01. The National, High Violet
02. Accept, Blood of the Nations
03. Nachtmystium, Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II
04. Dead Weather, Sea of Cowards
05. Killing Joke, Absolute Dissent
06. Interpol, Interpol
07. Massive Attack, Heglioland
08. Broken Bells, Broken Bells
09. Fran Healy, Wreckorder
10. OFF!, The First Four EPs

The 2010 Mix Tape (in alphabetical order):
• Accept "Teutonic Terror"
• Band of Horses "Compliments"
• Broken Bells "The High Road"
• The Dead Weather "The Difference Between Us"
• Frightened Rabbit "The Wrestle"
• Fran Healy "Sing Me To Sleep"
• Interpol "Lights"
• Killing Joke "The Raven King"
• Massive Attack "Pray For Rain"
• Nachtmystium "Nightfall"
• The National "Anyone"s Ghost"
• OFF! "Jeffrey Lee Pierce"

Note: Download any or all of my 2010 Mix Tape on iTunes, here.

Best Lyric of the Year:
"You'd never believe the shitty thoughts I think."
– The National "Conversation 16"

Worst Lyric of the Year:
"Now if Bartles & Jaymes didn't need no first names…"
– Band of Horses "Neighbor"

CHRIS B.
The Top 10 Albums Of 2010:
• The Joy Formidable, A Balloon Called Moaning
• The National, High Violet
• Nachmystium, Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II
• Band Of Horses, Infinite Arms
• Shout Out Louds, Work
• Accept, Blood Of The Nations
• Killing Joke, Absolute Dissent
• Fran Healy, Wreckorder
• Pernice Bros., Goodbye, Killer
• Ted Leo, The Brutalist Bricks

RYAN D.
The Top 15 Albums Of 2010:
01. Demon Hunter, The World is a Thorn
02. Fireball Ministry, Fireball Ministry
03. Agalloch, Marrow of the Spirit
04. Nevermore, The Obsidian Conspiracy
05. Fear Factory, Mechanize
06. Beach House, Teen Dream
07. School Of Seven Bells, Disconnect from Desire
08. Dawnbringer, Nucleus
09. Courtyard Hounds, Courtyard Hounds
10. Living Sacrifice, The Infinite Order
11. Nachtmystium, Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II
12. Kylesa, Spiral Shadow
13. Jakob Dylan, Women and Country
14. Black Mountain, Wilderness Heart
15. Apostle of Solitude, Last Sunrise

The 2010 Mix Tape (in alphabetical order):
• Agalloch "Ghosts of the Midwinter Fire"
• Apostle Of Solitude "Last Sunrise"
• Beach House "Zebra"
• Black Mountain "Old Fangs"
• Bleeding Through "Breathing in the Wrath"
• Courtyard Hounds "Fairy Tale"
• Dawnbringer "So Much for Sleep"
• Demon Hunter "Just Breathe"
• Demon Hunter "Blood in the Tears"
• Fear Factory "Fear Campaign"
• Fireball Ministry "Butcher, Faker, Policy Maker"
• HIM "In Venere Veritas"
• Living Sacrifice "Rules of Engagement"
• Mad Sin "Cursed"
• Massive Attack "Pray for Rain"
• Nachtmystium "No Funeral"
• Nevermore "Moonrise..."
• O.Children "Dead Disco Dancer"
• School Of Seven Bells "I L U"
• War Of Ages "Collapse"
• Your Demise "Miles Away"

Best Reissue: Morrissey, Bona Drag
Best Box Set: The Big 4 - Live in Sofia
Best Live Album: Megadeth, Rust in Peace: Live

JOE P.
The Top 10 Albums Of 2010:
01. Beach House, Teen Dream
02. The National, High Violet
03. Broken Bells, Broken Bells
04. Killing Joke, Absolute Dissent
05. Foals, Total Life Forever
06. Efterklang, Magic Chairs
07. Interpol, Interpol
08. Wild Nothing, Gemini
09. Zola Jesus, Stridulum
10. Grinderman, Grinderman 2

Just missed it by a hair: Film School, OMD, & Procedure Club

GREGG R.
My Top Ten Albums Of 2010:
• The National, High Violet
• Frightened Rabbit, The Winter of Mixed Drinks
• Josh Ritter, So Runs the World Away
• Lloyd Cole, Broken Record
• Shout Out Louds, Work
• Versus, On the Ones and Threes
• Superchunk, Majesty Shredding
• Teenage Fanclub, Shadows
• The Posies, Blood/Candy
• James, The Morning After the Night Before

Top Ten Songs from 2010:
• Beck and Bat for Lashes "Let's Get Lost"
• Damien Jurado "Kansas City"
• She and Him "Thieves"
• Ted Leo and the Pharmacists "Even Heroes Have to Die"
• Teenage Fanclub "When I Still Have Thee"
• Fistful of Mercy "Father"s Son"
• Lloyd Cole "If I Were a Song"
• Drive-By Truckers "Birthday Boy"
• Band of Horses "Laredo"
• Josh Ritter "The Curse"

Some Good Reads From 2010:
• The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers by Thomas Mullen
• The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
• The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin
• So Cold the River by Michael Koryta
• The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larrsen
• The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald
• Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for Love and a Cooler Haircut by Rob Sheffield
• Horns by Joe Hill
• Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett
• The Lost Cyclist by David Herlihy

MERRY ANTI-CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

Expanding on their very successful comic, this video's a whole lot of amazing!

"All documented, all true." – Glenn Danzig

TALES FROM THE PLASTIC HALLWAY: #02

2010-12-06T07:00:00.007-05:00

Random bytes from the music industry based on actual events.
All names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty).

Experienced first-hand by Ryan D.

I, represent a band who just completed their first tour of Europe. We asked for zero in label support in order to make this happen. All we asked our label and their distributor to do was get us some CDs to sell at the shows. We did eventually get some CDs to sell... But it was, shall we say, a "process." Enjoy:

Q: "Hey, indie record label, can we have some CDs to sell at our European shows?"
A: ...

Q: "Hey, record label, can we have some CDs to sell?"
A: Huh? Oh, sorry. Well, since we've never been able to successfully license your records overseas, and since we have no label setup over there, you'll have to get them from [major label who distributes us]."

Q: No problem. How do we place an order? What are payment terms? Shipping costs?
A: Oh, right, sorry. You want to contact John Lennon at Major Label. He's your man. Copy me on the emails and we'll get this done.

Q: Hey, John. My band is going to Europe. Here are the dates, venues and addresses. Here are the titles and quantities that we need. How do we go about this? Just need some CDs to sell.
A: Hey there. Actually you want to talk to Yoko Ono here at Major Label.

Q: Hi, Yoko. I need to order some CDs for my band's European Tour.
A: Oh, hello! Let me put you with Linda McCartney here at Major Label so she can take care of you.

Q: Hi Linda. I need to get some CDs to put in my band's hands to sell in Europe.
A: Oh, well, I'm afraid we can't really do that for you, because you need to talk directly to our European distributor, German CD Place. Marco Falcon in Germany is your man. Here's his info.

Q: Hey Marco. I'm emailing you (with everyone I've talked to thus far on Cc) to coordinate delivery of some CDs for my band to sell while on tour in Europe.
A: ...

Q: Hey Marco, man, this tour is getting close. We really just need some CDs. Can you help?
A: ...

Q: Hey, our label A&R man, none of these Major Label people are getting this done. Like, at all. What can I do here?
A: Wow, I'm sorry man. Hey, you know what, call this girl at Major Label, Susan Smith. She's at the distribution hub in ___ instead of ____. She can maybe bypass all of this for you. I'm sorry!

Q: Hi, Susan. I need to order the following titles and quantities for this band to sell on their European tour. Can you help me?
A: Well, I'd love to, but you need to order those directly from German CD Place, in Germany.

Q: HEY, MARCO, I REALLY NEED A REPLY FROM YOU OR SOMEONE ON THIS EMAIL CHAIN.
A: Hey, whoa, whoa there buddy, calm down. This is the first email I've seen from you. If you want CDs, no problem, I'm your man. However, I see that your tour starts in less than 2 weeks. I don't have all of these titles or quantities in stock. I'll get you as many of these as I can. But shipping is going to be $750, because I'm going to have to expedite all of this as it's so late in the game.

Q: Marco, I really don't think the band should be charged $750 for shipping simply because you ignored several emails... And this was after I had to find out how to order these like looking for a needle in a haystack. We just need these CDs. Can you please just get this done?
A: Look man, I don't appreciate your tone. I have talked to our IT guys here and they all assure me that I never received your email. So please don't blame this on me. I'll get you your CDs, but I'm telling you, I can't get all of them in time. And the ones I can will cost you a premium in shipping.

Q: Marco, you are REPLYING NOW TO THE ORIGINAL CHAIN, so clearly, you received it. Don't you see when you scroll down that you were copied on all of these?
A: I don't want to argue about this. I tell you what. We'll split the $750 with you guys.

Q: SIGH... OK, well, please get us as many of these as you can. We need enough CDs to carry us from Germany through the last show in the UK.
A: Wait, you guys are playing shows in the UK? We aren't authorized to give you CDs for sale in the UK, just the mainland. We can get you product for the mainland dates, at least as much as we have, but you'll have to search elsewhere for the UK.

Q: Hey, everyone at Major Label, how do we get CDs in the UK?
A: Hey, Ryan, this is Linda, can you get on a conference call with some of us today?

Q: Hey, nice talking to all of you on this call... How do we get CDs in the UK?
A: Well, you know, German CD Place can't ship you CDs from Germany to UK because of customs. But we have an idea... Why don't you have the band take some product to the US in their luggage.

Q: Let me get this straight... You don't want to break the rules, but we should?
A: Well, if you don't want to do that, I guess you could contact our UK distributor, UK CD Place.

Q: Hi, Ringo Starr at UK CD Place, I need to order some CDs for the UK portion of the band's UK tour so they can sell them at their shows in the UK and give you money for for them.
A: Sigh... Wow... Well, your shows are pretty soon man, they are in like two weeks. But I guess I can ship you some stuff. What address do you want them to go to?

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." – Hunter S. Thompson

JESUS DIDN'T SEE THIS COMIN'…

2010-11-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Holy shit, this fills the KOTT with cheer! Happy Holidays, peasants…

Note: Thanks to Andy Cruz of House Industries for the link.

MUSIC IN RETROSPECT: THE ALARM "CHANGE"

2010-11-22T07:00:00.012-05:00

(click images to enlarge)

Music in Retrospect:
THE ALARM Change (I.R.S., 1989)

by Tom b.

Over twenty years have passed since I last bought an album from one of the most underrated bands from the 1980's; The Alarm. That album was 1989's, Change. Based on my memory, I recalled it being banal and lethargic. In retrospect, I was actually both spot-on and utterly, completely wrong.

This dichotomy is due to an imbalanced track list. On one hand, you have the ill-fated pop, folk rock tracks like "Sold Me Down The River," "Devolution Workin' Man Blues," and "Love Don't Come Easy." On the other, you have some of the best songs the band ever wrote and performed in "Change II," "No Frontiers," "Where A Town Once Stood," "Black Sun," and "A New South Wales."

With hindsight being 20/20, I can essentially pin my lack of interest in this album on two things: 1. my inability as a 20 year old American to match the maturity of the Welsh band's vision and, 2. the fact that two of the three songs chosen as singles qualify as my self-described "ill-fated pop, folk rock tracks."

While #1 is self-explanatory, #2 could use some elaboration: There's no worse record label marketing mistake then picking singles that alienate a fan's core base – especially with the pre-album single release. It's not as if we Alarm fans were a finicky bunch, mind you, we had evolved with the band from their early, youthful days of "Marching On" to the highly mature Eye Of The Hurricane album. However, with an aptly-named album that's going to challenge the fans as a whole, you need to bridge that gap both gently and precisely. With that said, "Sold Me Down The River" and "Love Don't Come Easy" were simply too much for me. Instead, had I.R.S. selected "Black Sun," "Change II," and "A New South Wales" (in that order) as the album's singles, I firmly believe that perceptions could have been changed greatly – and likely sales as well.

Interestingly enough, after all these years, of all things The Alarm – I reach for this studio album most of all. Naturally, however, I listen to the abbreviated 9 track version that both rivals and arguably surpasses all of their other efforts. I'm moved by this music and the pure, unbridled emotional power it wields to this day.

On that note, many thanks to Mike Peters & Eddie MacDonald for the songs and I apologize to each of you respectively for not having been capable to embrace them like I should have back in 1989. Much respect.

TRACK LIST:
01. "Sold Me Down The River" - 5:25
02. "The Rock" - 4:39
03. "Devolution Workin' Man Blues" - 4:11
04. "Love Don't Come Easy" - 4:08
05. "Hardland" - 4:09
06. "Change II" - 2:52
07. "No Frontiers" - 3:53
08. "Scarlet" - 4:17
09. "Where A Town Once Stood" - 3:48
10. "Black Sun" - 4:30 *
11. "Prison Without Prison Bars" - 3:48
12. "How The Mighty Fall" - 4:19 *
03. "Rivers To Cross" - 3:42
14. "A New South Wales" - 4:46

Red: Ill-fated pop, folk rock tracks
Black: Pure, unbridled emotional power tracks

LIVE REVIEW: ROGER WATERS

2010-11-13T21:00:00.012-05:00

(click to enlarge [during the "Comfortably Numb" guitar solo])

ROGER WATERS: Live!
11.09.10 – Philadelphia, PA @ the Wells Fargo Center

Written and experienced first-hand by Tom b.

Let's get one thing straight, The Wall is not my favorite Pink Floyd album. In fact, I'd say it's behind Wish You Were Here, Animals, and Dark Side of the Moon at the very least. It's highs are amazingly powerful but it's anything but perfect – which isn't surprising for a concept album, especially a double one at that. So when Roger announced that he was touring The Wall, despite my love of the original '80-'81 tour's production, I was guarded against the idea. Plus, I've seen Roger and his band 4 times dating back to 1987 and I'd love to hear him record a new album and tour on that instead. It's obvious, however, that I'm in the minority with that idea and after several The Wall tour-related emails found their way into my in-box, including an offer to go to the show with my friend Rob, I did a 180º spin and excitedly embraced the concept of the show.

Rob hooked us up with incredible seats in a super box, fortified with our own section's bathrooms, bar and waitress. Um… yeah, that was kind of awesome. This was Roger's 2nd night of 3 at the Wells Fargo Center (I, like Roger, wished it was The Spectrum) and a mere drop in the bucket of their 100+ shows booked for this tour. We caught up on life, ate some food, opened a tab at the bar and got pretty-well psyched for the pending show. And then the lights dimmed…

To say that it was the greatest concert production I've ever seen… to say that the wall's construct was used to utter perfection throughout the night… to say that I outright cried on several occasions during the set.… to say that I broadly smiled dozens of times… and to say that the event delivered utterly poignant, scathing and disturbing political commentary would never fully enlighten you as to how incredible an event this was. A literal assault on the senses – visually, emotionally and sonically, I was beyond impressed with the thoughtfulness that went into every nuance and every detail. Nothing was overlooked. No stone left unturned.

Despite my feelings of imperfection for the album itself, not one single song's performance disappointed. Quite the contrary, I reveled in the barbershop quartet brilliance of "The Show Must Go On", the blatant headbanging of "Waiting for the Worms" and have honestly woke up the last 2 mornings singing "The Trial", of all things. Was I wrong about these songs all along? Was it a perfect storm that evening that shed them in a different light? I suppose it could be both and, either way, I'm left with greater respect for the album than I've ever had. A mere 31 years after its release mind you! (laughs)

And while it could never match the experience of being there, you simply need to take the time and view some of the footage online from this tour. I've gone ahead and compiled nearly the entire show in HD (to view in HD, click on "360p" and select "720p" instead), as shot and posted by "1yestor" on You Tube. You should watch it all, of course, but…

If you only take the time to watch a couple of the videos, make sure one of them is #08, for "Vera" and "Bring the Boys Back Home" alone. This is powerful stuff. Material that raises the hair on your arms, puts tears in your eyes and makes you want to scream at the top of your lungs in agreement when Roger sings "Does anyone else in here feel the way I do?" When will the war against war begin, my fellow Knights? Thanks for listening, and thank you Roger Waters.

VIDEO LINKS:
01. "The Thin Ice" + "Another Brick in the Wall Part 1"
02. "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" +
"Another Brick in the Wall Part 2"
03. "Mother"
04. "Goodbye Blue Sky" + "Empty Spaces" +
"What Shall We Do Now?"
05. "Young Lust"
06. "One of My Turns"
07. "Another Brick in the Wall Part 3" + "The Last Few Bricks" (instrumental) + "Goodbye Cruel World"
08. "Nobody Home" + "Vera" + "Bring the Boys Back Home"
09. "Comfortably Numb"
10. "The Show Must Go On" + "In the Flesh"
11. "Run Like Hell"
12. "Waiting for the Worms" + "Stop" + "The Trial"
13. "Outside the Wall"

(click to enlarge [during "Outside the Wall" at the end of the show])

THE NATIONAL: MEETING PEOPLE IS EASY…

2010-10-29T07:00:00.004-04:00

The National are a band in their prime and since most of the Knights christen these fine lads with our admiration, I thought I'd post up this cool video shot and edited by Tom Berninger, brother of Matt (vocals).

LIVE REVIEW: JAMES… IS NOT A PERSON.

2010-10-21T14:01:00.007-04:00

JAMES: Live!
09.24.10 – Philadelphia, PA @ the Trocadero

Written and experienced first-hand by Gregg R.

The article title above was the band James' slogan back in the eighties, when they first began. In fact, I still have the button bearing that slogan that I used to wear on my backpack in high school/college days. Yes, I've been following this band for quite some time, and yet for some reason, I never took the opportunity to see them live. That is, until recently. James just finished a short U.S. tour to support their new double album The Morning After the Night Before (originally released earlier in the year in the U.K. as two eps).

The band have not really had anything close to a hit since the mid-90s, when "Born of Frustration", and later, "Laid" had minor success on the charts. In fact, they have pretty much flown under the radar in the U.S. since the late 90s. Several of their albums were only obtainable as imports since then, and they even broke up for a short time. Thank goodness that breakup didnt last long though, as some of their best work has been their most recent (and also because I FINALLY got to see them live!).

I didn't know what to expect as far as fans go, but was thrilled to see the Trocadero packed to the gills that night. The crowd was mostly older, and it was obvious that most fans were of the die-hard variety. As the lights went down, we heard the opening strumming chords of "Sit Down" – yet the stage remained dark. It wasn't until a spotlight shined on the back of the theater that we saw Tim Booth and guitarist Larry Gott entering the back doors and slowly singing and making their way through the audience. The song continued, along with the full band, as they came onstage, and I knew from the get-go we were in for something special. The entire audience, including the balcony, were on their feet and remained on their feet for most of the show. I honestly can't remember seeing and feeling this much energy at a show in years. Booth's manic dancing and flailing seemed to suck the audience in as the night went on until it felt almost surreal.

The first half of the show featured a number of tracks from the new album. I had been listening to the new stuff pretty heavily in the weeks prior to the show, so it was nice to hear some of it live. Things really kicked in during the latter half, though, as they played "Laid", "Stutter', "Ring the Bells", "Say Something" and more of their "hits". I especially enjoyed 'Tomorrow', with it's strobe lighting and confetti falling from the balcony of the Troc. The intensity never let up, and as the band encored with "Born of Frustration" and finally "Sometimes", the audience remained on their feet, repeating the chorus over and over again til the house lights came on.

I rarely leave a show not feeling like I got my money's worth, but this was one of a handful of the many shows Ive been to where I left feeling like I just witnessed something magical. Definitely one of the best concerts Ive ever seen. I won't miss them again.

THE HOUSE THAT DIO BUILT…

2010-10-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

(click image to link)

… is now for sale. You too can live within the elegant walls that Ronnie James Dio occupied for most of his life. The home is a legend to those of us in the metal community, to say the least – and now you can see why. There's a beautiful, extensive photo gallery of the home's exterior and interior available, for now, online HERE.

From the online realtor listing:

Full of grace and old world charm. This 5 bedroom 5 bath 5,000+/- sq ft English mansion was built with custom original pieces taken from all over Europe creating a magnificent masterpiece of architecture and style. Slide across the 200 year old wood floors from France. Invite your friends to have a drink at the pub bar taken from the Kings Arms in Chiqwell Essex. Englas c. 1820, or simply enjoy the view through the many custom stained antique windows located throughout the house imported from the 18th and 19th centuries. Spacious cook's kitchen includes bold butcher block island and all Viking and Meile products including Sub Zero fridge and cappuccino machine. Master bedroom designed with antique cathedral windows imported from England c. 1790 includes hand-painted Griffin wall paper as seen in Greystone Manor. 2 walk-in closets. Hardwood floors and master bath. Downstairs level includes a custom built music studio. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac in one of the best neighborhoods in Encino. This home provides everything an entertainer could want.

5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms

Offered at: $3,333,000

RANT & RAVE: CHRIS B.

2010-09-27T07:00:00.008-04:00

(click image to enlarge)

SOULED OUT!

Unite concertgoers! I, Sir Sgt. Rock, am recruiting all decent citizens to rise up and put an end to peasants who piss us off!

PEASANT #1 – "Loudmouth"
We want to enjoy the show. We want to listen to the songs. YOU want to bullshit with your unfortunate friends? Then stay home and sit around for 3 hours at your kitchen table! For the artists singing & playing their hearts out and for the millions of us who feed off of it, have some respect and shut the hell up!

PEASANT #2 = "Total Eclipse"
The whole wide world is made up of humans of all shapes and sizes. So why is it that you, Mr. "I Don't Care About Anyone But Myself Super Tall Guy" have to end up RIGHT IN FRONT of us at every goddamn show?! Don't you know that you are giving everyone over 6' a bad wrap? How about turning your head and taking note of the women, and maybe even children, behind you? They were probably there first anyway, scumbag. Ahhh, there you go, a simple shuffle to the side cures all :) (top, left)

PEASANT #3 – "Cellhole"
It's 2010 A.D. right? A widely known fact is that calling your friends during a concert & holding the phone up means… they can't hear shit!!! Want to take a snap shot? No problem. Please snap, put your sight-disrupting arm down and be done with it. Oh, you're with the PRESS? Excuuuuuuse me. Then get the fuck into the Press section! Same goes for you videographers. We love YouTube just as much as you do so hold that cellular device way up high with pride. Just do it along the side wall or the last row. OK Spielberg?

PEASANT #4 – "Antsndapants"
Holy Chalice, there's nothing like a good slamfest in the pit! Yeah, the pit, you know, it's found just off-stage, front 'n' center. You want in? You know where to go. You want to soak in the show unharmed while standing on two feet? Take up refuge as close or as far away as possible and you SHOULD be good. But no! Seems there's a wimpo who just can't bear to take the plunge into the pit so... let's just start pushing people around in the safe zone!

Sadly, there is another #4 freak that must be dealt with. The spaced-out attendee who can't help but stand up and groove in front of the kind masses who are properly sitting at a performance, let's say, by Robyn Hitchcock or Ben Folds. You have the authorization to simply draw your sword and fatally impale. Official authorization forms penned on our castle's stationary may be picked up during normal business hours.

PEASANT #5 – "The Requester"
Ever hear of a Setlist? It's a common piece of parchment with a menu of songs to be performed. You see, the band sorts this out beforehand. You do like this band, right? Well, they've decided to share these certain compositions with you today. Oh, you, Mr. or Ms. Knowwhatsbest want them to play "your song" instead?

[dream sequence]
"Play Blah Blah Blah!" "Blah Blah Blah!!" Hold on. Stop. Stop! Oi, Keith, The Requester doesn't want to hear 'Gimme Shelter.' Oh, alright Mick, what does he want us to play? "Play Blah Blah Blah!!!" Oh, OK, right then boyz… (re-tuning)… (roadie puts white out on said setlist)… (Charlie lights up another cigarette)… 1, 2, 3, 4!
[end sequence]

Pardon me?? You're anticipating me going completely hostile at the infamous "Free Bird," aren't you? You see, tea awaits but I will tell you that we located the guilty gent who started all that shite. We ordered him to dig a massive cavity in the meadow, flogged him mercilessly in public w/a Catherine Wheel (top, right) and then we catapulted his ass, along with every other ignoramus who ever loudly yelled out such rubbish into the hungry grave.

Feel better now?

REVIEW: ACCEPT "BLOOD OF THE NATIONS"

2010-09-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

Artist: Accept
Album: Blood of the Nations
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release Date: September 14, 2010

Rating: 9.5/10

There are so many reasons I've fallen in love with Accept's Blood of the Nations album; some tangible and some that I can only feel inside. For starters, this album sounds like metal albums should. Does anyone else remember when metal albums sounded, and looked, like something other than an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink assault on the senses? I do, and certainly both Accept and producer Andy Sneap do too. As a major fan of Accept, I'm certain that the band looked to Andy to ensure their classic sound while also bringing their music to a new, relevant place in 2010. Andy's influence on this album simply cannot be understated but, of course, the band must be able to bring the goods. And did they ever.

Still intact are all the elements that made Accept better than your favorite metal band: the gang backing vocals… outstanding musicianship… blazing guitar solos… energetic performances… uptempo, down-tempo and mid-tempo tracks abound… tight, emotion-building arrangements and melodies… and a raw grit and grime that somehow, despite itself, shines brightly in the end. And let's not overlook a few things that, while featured on this album, are lacking in metal and hard rock in the 21st century: 2-part choruses, bridges and bass. For Accept, like many of their legendary brethren who rose from the masses in the late-1970s, it's not enough just to write a 1-part chorus, track it once, paste it in the song 3-4 more times and call it a day. It's not enough to run a track through the verse / chorus / verse / chorus / solo / chorus and done arrangement. The challenge is to craft an album that builds you up just to let you down, and then back up again. It's an integral part of what is called "peaks and valleys" and never has a certifiably classic book, movie or song – in any genre – ever been written without it being fully intact and operational.

With all of this said, can this be considered a true Accept album without Udo singing? Without question, it can. Just like Alice In Chains' Black Gives Way To Blue is already a proud moment in that band's career, so is Blood of the Nations for Accept. The proof, as it's said, is in the pudding and it's this one simple fact that seals the deal for this record; it makes me feel like I'm 14 years old again. Not in a cheap nostalgic fashion, mind you, but in a way that reminds me why this world is nothing without music. Album's like Blood of the Nations make mundane hours exceptional. They make long, late-night highway drives an outright thrill ride you never want to end. They put a shit-eating grin on your face as you walk around town with your headphones on. They remind me why I committed so much of my life to spreading the word of rock and metal and why, at the age of 15, I proudly proclaimed to Mark, manager of Stan's Record Bar where my brother and I spent our childhood talking and buying music, that "I will always love heavy metal."

THE SUMMER HIATUS IS OVER!!!

2010-08-30T18:27:00.004-04:00

"Don't call it a comeback, Knights been here for years…"

Our fellow music lovers,
Look for a new, open-forum format for the Knights of the Turntable as we Knights return after the 2010 summer spent in hibernation. Previously, I had secured the burdens of the site squarely on my shoulders but from hereon out the Knights will be offering up their own individual rants, lists, videos, commentary, album/single reviews and concert reviews at their peak inspirational freshness. Out of our ovens and injected directly into your minds… er, so to speak.

Seize the chalice,
Tom b.

COVER THIS…!

2010-06-01T07:00:00.004-04:00

Our 15 Favorite Covers of All–Time
(Note: Except for the ones we forgot about!)

TOM B.
• The Animals "House Of The Rising Sun" (Traditional)
• Blondie "Hangin' On The Telephone" (The Nerves)
• Neko Case "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" (Sparks)
• Disposable Heroes Of Hypocrisy "California Über Alles" (DK)
• The Jimi Hendrix Experience "All Along The Watchtower" (Dylan)
• Joan Jett & The Blackhearts "I Love Rock 'N Roll" (The Arrows)
• Judas Priest "The Green Manalishi" (Fleetwood Mac)
• Blind Boys Of Alabama "Amazing Grace" (Traditional)
• Metallica "So What" (Anti–Nowhere League)
• Moby "Sailin' On" (Bad Brains)
• Therapy? "Isolation" (Joy Division)
• Sand Rubies "Interstate" (Neil Young)
• The Sisters Of Mercy "Gimme Shelter" (Rolling Stones)
• Tool "No Quarter" (Led Zeppelin)
• Van Halen "You Really Got Me" (The Kinks)

CHRIS B.
• Johnny Cash "The Wreck Of The Old 97" (Henry Whitter)
• Elvis Presley "Hound Dog" (Big Mama Thornton)
• Jimi Hendrix "Like A Rolling Stone" (Bob Dylan)
• Social Distortion "Ring Of Fire" (Johnny Cash)
• Accident "Borstal Breakout" (Sham 69)
• NoFx "Last Caress" (The Misfits)
• Cock Sparrer "We Love You" (Rolling Stones)
• Slapshot "Big Mouth Strikes Again" (The Smiths)
• The Clash "I Fought The Law" (The Bobby Fuller Four)
• The Jam "David Watts" (The Kinks)
• Aretha Franklin "Respect" (Otis Redding)
• Judas Priest "Diamonds And Rust" (Joan Baez)
• The Specials "Monkee Man" (The Maytals)
• Dinosaur Jr. "Just Like Heaven" by (The Cure)
• Moby "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" (Mission Of Burma)

RYAN D.
• "Hazy Shade of Winter" by THE BANGLES (Simon & Garfunkel)
• "My War" by BLEEDING THROUGH (Black Flag)
• "Hurt" by JOHNNY CASH (Nine Inch Nails)
• "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" by FLOTSAM &JETSAM (Elton John)
• "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" by NOEL GALLAGHER (The Smiths)
• "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by MEGADETH (Nancy Sinatra)
• "Only Happy When It Rains" by METALLICA (Garbage)
• "Tuesday's Gone" by METALLICA (Lynyrd Skynrd)
• "Dead Souls" by NINE INCH NAILS (Joy Division)
• "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by NOUVELLE VAGUE (Joy Division)
• "Renegades of Funk" by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (Afrika Bambaataa)
• "White Rabbit" by SANCTUARY (Jefferson Airplane)
• "Dissident Aggressor" by SLAYER (Judas Priest)
• "Planets Collide" by THROWDOWN (Crowbar)
• "The Loop" by TIGER ARMY (Morrissey)

JOE P.
01. Gary Jules "Mad World" (Tears For Fears)
02. Placebo "Running Up That Hill" (Kate Bush)
03. Morrissey "That's Entertainment" (The Jam)
04. Sinead O'Connor"All Apologies" (Nirvana)
05. This Mortal Coil "Song To The Siren" (Tim Buckley)
06. Sonic Youth "Superstar" (The Carpenters)
07. Siouxsie And The Banshees"Dear Prudence" (The Beatles)
08. Rob Dickinson "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want This Time" (The Smiths)
09. Moby "Sailin' On" (Bad Brains)
10. The Sisters Of Mercy "Gimme Shelter" (Rolling Stones)
11. This Mortal Coil "Another Day" (Roy Harper)
12. Pixies "Head On" (The Jesus And Mary Chain)
13. Love Spit Love "How Soon Is Now" (The Smiths)
14. Lush "Fallin' In Love" (Beach Boys)
15. Bauhaus "Ziggy Stardust" (David Bowie)

GREGG R.
• Pretenders "Stop Your Sobbing" (The Kinks)
• Elvis Costello "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" (Nick Lowe)
• The Clash "I Fought the Law" (The Bobby Fuller Four)
• Sinead O'Connor "Nothing Compares 2 U" (Prince)
• "Gary Jules "Mad World" (Tears For Fears)
• Therapy? "Diane" (Husker Du)
• Red House Painters "All Mixed Up" (The Cars)
• Devo "Head Like a Hole" (Nine Inch Nails)
• Lloyd Cole "Chelsea Hotel" (Leonard Cohen)
• Hindu Love Gods "Raspberry Beret" (Prince)
• Neko Case "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" (Sparks)
• Pixies "Head On" (The Jesus And Mary Chain)
• Catherine Wheel "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" (Mission of Burma)
• The Jimi Hendrix Experience "All Along The Watchtower" (Bob Dylan)
• Jeff Buckley "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen)

JASON U.
• J. Geils Band "First I Look At The Purse" (The Contours)
• Rolling Stones "Going To A Go–Go" (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)
• The Sundays "Wild Horses" (Rolling Stones)
• Ike & Tina Turner "Proud Mary" (Credence Clearwater Revival)
• Hanoi Rocks "Up Around The Bend" (Credence Clearwater Revival)
• Demolition 23 "Endangered Species" (U.K. Subs)
• Guns N' Roses "Nice Boys" (Rose Tattoo)
• Joan Jett & The Blackhearts "I Love Rock 'N Roll" (The Arrows)
• The Ramones "Time Has Come Today" (The Chambers Brothers)
• Cheap Trick "California Man" (The Move)
• Aerosmith "Come Together" (The Beatles)
• Type O Negative "Cinnamon Girl" (Neil Young)
• Quiet Riot "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" (Slade)
• Flotsam & Jetsam "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (Elton John)
• Marilyn Manson "Tainted Love" (Gloria Jones)

WHILST IN THE LIBRARY…

2010-05-24T07:00:00.002-04:00

"Welcome to my book collection… There's lots of great werewolf stories in here. They're all documented. All true. There's one in particular that's great where this guy's accused of being a werewolf and he comes out of a clearing, shaking a baby in his mouth. It's pretty cool. It's the kind of stuff I like to read…" – Glenn Danzig

RANT & RAVE: GREGG R.

2010-05-17T07:00:00.003-04:00

WORDS AND MUSIC (PT. 1)

Being that I'm the librarian of this group, I thought it only seemed fitting that I write about books--in particular, books about music I originally went through my home library pulling music books and found that my list was WAY too long. I then decided to split them into fiction and non-fiction, which made for two much more manageable lists. With that said, the following is a list of fiction books that I really enjoyed and that, in some way or other, have to do with music. I've included a short blurb/synopsis of each. The next time my rant and rave rolls around, I'll write about some non-fiction music books I enjoy.

LONG WAY BACK by Brendan Halpin (2008): This is the story of Francis Kelly, die-hard Ramones fan and devout Catholic. Francis suffers the ultimate shock when his loving wife dies suddenly from a brain aneurysm. Fran's story is told by his sister Clare, who among other things, is also a huge punk rock fan. She helps Francis down the long road to recovery (which includes turning his back on his faith, as well as his learning bass guitar and joining a gay punk band), while dealing with her own marriage and family life. Although sad at times, this book is quite uplifting in the end. Highly recommended!

GLIMPSES by Lewis Shiner (1993): This book is, I guess, what you'd call a "rock n' roll time travel" story. Ray Chackleford is an electronics repairman whose father recently passed away and whose marriage is falling apart. In coping with both, he starts to hear (and manages to put on tape) recordings of some of the well-known unfinished rock albums of the 1960s. He eventually travels back in time, on different occasions, and meets Brian Wilson, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, all of whom lived troubled lives and, as a result, never finished what was to be their 'masterpiece'. I know, it sounds kinda far-fetched, but believe me, it's a fun read and an interesting trip back to the 60s.

HOW SOON IS NEVER? by Marc Spitz (2003): (A must-read for Smiths fans!) Joe Green discovers the Smiths as a teenager in the 80s and his life is forever changed. The Smiths break up, and Joe is heartbroken. Jump ahead some fifteen years later--Joe works as a rock journalist and gets the idea to reunite the band. Can he bring his favorite band back together? Can he re-live the glory of his youth? Will he win the heart of the woman he loves? Read it and see...

THE WISHBONES by Tom Perrotta (1997): In Tom Perrotta's first novel, main character Dave Raymond is a thirty-something still living in his parents' basement. He lives out his dreams of rock stardom playing in a wedding band (The Wishbones) on the weekends. Shaken up by the death of a fellow musician, Dave finally proposes to his longtime girlfiend, only to meet Gretchen, a sexy bohemian bridesmaid in one of the weddings his band is playing. His thoughts and doubts about his marriage and his future make for a sometimes hilarious story about refusing to grow up.

JULIET, NAKED by Nick Hornby (2009): Hornby's most recent book is about Tucker Crowe, a washed-up singer-songwriter, Duncan, an obsessed fan (A.K.A.: any of the members of KOTT), and Annie, his long-time girlfriend, who ends up between them. What ensues is an often humorous story about love, music, loneliness and living up to adulthood. Also, Hornby's insightful look at muscians and the fans who obsess over them is dead-on. Good stuff.

MEAT IS MURDER by Joe Pernice (2003): This quick read, written by singer Joe Pernice, is part of the 33 1/3 music book series. While most of the books in the series are critiques of authors' favorite albums, Pernice incorporates 'Meat is Murder' into a fictional story. The story takes place over a few months in the life of an unnamed teenager living in Boston in 1985. A classic teen-angst story which is a must-read for both Smiths fans, and for anyone who has ever connected with someone through music.

TOO MUCH TOO LATE by Marc Spitz (2006): Garage band 'the Jane Ashers" putt about for three years in the mid-90s, before they have one big hit. One member quits to be a dad and the band is history. Thirteen years later, the band reunites to find their one hit is suddenly huge again, thanks to a well-trafficked music blog. Next thing they know they're a bunch of middle-aged rockers, treading down the same path and staring down the same demons that broke them up in the first place. Reads like a humorous episode of 'Behind the Music.'

And last, but not least…

HIGH FIDELITY by Nick Hornby (1995): Do I even need to summarize this book? This whole blog is pretty much based on what Rob and his record store "employees' do all day long. Not only one of my favorite music books, but one of my favorite books of all time.
In the end, I probably havent done these books justice, trying to summarize them in a few sentences each. I highly recommend each and every one of them and hope that someone who reads this will maybe check them out. I'd love to hear any other suggestions. I'm always up for a good read.

Read on and Rock on!

ALL-TIME FAVORITE RECORD PRODUCERS

2010-05-01T07:00:00.010-04:00

TOM B.

MARTIN BIRCH:
From Deep Purple's Machine Head to every classic Iron Maiden album, the Dio-era Black Sabbath records, BOC's Fire of Unknown Origin and Rainbow's Rising – Birch's production IS classic hard rock and metal. (retired)

NIGEL GODRICH:
Anyone who can both beautifully translate and capture the immeasurable musical vision of Radiohead is worthy of selection here. Toss in the classic Travis albums, Air and The Divine Comedy and any resistance is futile. (active)

MARTIN HANNETT:
Through his work with Joy Division, Martin created one of the greatest studio sounds of this generation. He went on to produce two Magazine albums, New Order, the first Stone Roses album (unreleased) and Happy Mondays. (deceased)

RUDY VAN GELDER:
Although credited as an engineer, nobody had a greater impact on the sound of jazz. Van Gelder recorded nearly every session for Blue Note from 1953 to 1967, including Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. (retired)

DIETER DIERKS:
In addition to his work both with and in Tangerine Dream, Dierks was the Scorpions' producer ('74-'88), and later became Accept's. He recorded some of the best metal albums of said era that sound as amazing today as they did upon release. (retired)

CHRIS B.
01. George Martin
02. Martin Birch
03. Sam Phillips
04. Harry Vanda/George Young
05. Sly & Robbie
06. Holland-Dozier-Holland
07. Nigel Godrich
08. Stephen Street
09. Elvis Costello
10. Mick Ronson

Defying and denying practically every list requirement for this month's post (sans the fact that these people are, in fact, music producers), my big bro turned in this list. (laughs) – Ed.

RYAN D.
I must respectfully decline from participation in this KOTT assignment (something we Knights like to call "Pulling an Upright" [this post, for example. – Ed.]). There are obviously producers whose work I admire – Rick Rubin with Johnny Cash, the Dixie Chicks, Neil Diamond, Danzig and Slayer, for example – but I'm not well versed enough in the world of producers to rightly offer any sort of educated commentary when it comes to "best" or even "favorites." My concern is that I would be "faking the funk," something I work hard to avoid. Now, I realize that a lack of an informed opinion rarely prevents someone from pontificating about music related topics. And of course I know who many producers are (Mutt Lange, Phil Spector, Bob Rock, T. Bone Burnett – see, I can name them) and I understand what's unique about many of their contributions. But to put together a list of my "favorites?" I'd be posing. And if we learned anything from the last few decades (most hair metal, most nu-metal, most metalcore), it's that poseurs suck.

JOE P.
1. JOHN FRYER:
Mr. Fryer is #1 on my list for the simple fact that he produced the greatest albums 4AD ever released. Clan Of Xymox, Cocteau Twins, The Wolfgang Press, Nine Inch Nails, Breathless, and This Mortal Coil. (active)

2. STEPHEN STREET:
Mr. street made it to #2 because of his work with The Smiths, and Morissey's greatest solo work, Viva Hate. The Smiths, The Psychedelic Furs, Blur, Morrissey, and The Cranberries. (active)

3. CHRIS KIMSEY:
Mr. Kimsey is #3 on my list because (in my humble opinion) he produced the greatest album of all time, Night Time by Killing Joke. Killing Joke, Marillion, The Psychedelic Furs, INXS, The Cult, and The Rolling Stones. (active)

4. MARK "FLOOD" ELLIS:
Flood knocked off Gil Norton for #4 because it's my list and not yours. Ask me tomorrow and Mr. Norton might be #4 (for The Pixies and Catherine Wheel alone) and besides I guarantee you that Mr. Norton is on Greg's list anyway. Sigur Ros, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, The Charlatans, The Editors, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Nitzer Ebb. (active)

5. STEVE LILLYWHITE:
Mr. Lillywhite… is simply a master. He should be on everyone's list. The Chameleons, Peter Gabriel, The Psychedelic Furs, U2, and Siouxsie And The Banshees. (active)

GREGG R.
JOHN LECKIE:
British music producer who produced a number of my favorite albums including: The Stone Roses first album, Trash Can Sinatras Cake, Radiohead The Bends, The Posies Dear 23, My Morning Jacket Z, The Lucy Show Mania, Robyn Hitchcock Respect, House of Freaks Tantilla, and Let's Active Every Dog Has His Day. (active)

STEVE LILLYWHITE:
British producer who has produced a TON of artists since the late 70s. Some of my favorites: Peter Gabriel III (melt), Big Country Steeltown, Crossing, Psychedelic Furs Talk Talk Talk, U2 Boy, October, War, XTC Drums and Wires, Black Sea, Simple Minds Sparkle in the Rain, Morrissey Maladjusted, Vauxhall & I, The La's self-titled, etc. (active)

GIL NORTON:
British producer who has produced for a slew of bands. On my radar mostly for producing: the Pixies Doolittle, Trompe le Monde and Bossanova, Catherine Wheel Chrome, Happy Days, Maximo Park Our Earthly Pleasures, Ed Harcourt Here Be Monsters, Belly Star, etc. (active)

NICK LAUNAY:
English producer and engineer. Has produced albums by: Nick Cave Nocturama, Dig Lazarus Dig, Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheum, Midnight Oil 10, 9. 8.....1, Red Sails in the Sunset, Earth and Sun and Moon, The Posies Amazing Disgrace, INXS The Swing, The Church Seance, Maximo Park Quicken the Heart, Semisonic Feeling Strangely Fine, etc. (active)

DON FLEMING:
American musician and seminal producer for such bands as: Teenage Fanclub Bandwagonesque, The Posies Frosting on the Beater, Screaming Trees Sweet Oblivion, Pete Yorn Musicforthemorningafter, Sonic Youth Goo, etc. (active)

TAKIN' CARE OF THE MUSIC BIZ!

2010-04-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

"Look at all these little kids, takin' care of the music biz.
Don't their business take good care of me?"
– Van Halen, "I'm the One"

RANT & RAVE: JOE P.

2010-04-14T07:00:00.004-04:00

Note: Click any image to enlarge.

I am so glad that this is my month to author Rant & Rave. Coming up with my Top Ten Album Art list reminded me of something that has bugged me for decades. Something that has always rubbed me the wrong way, something that I’ve always thought was just plain fucked up. And now I finally have my chance to tell the world all about it.

The year; 1986. We find a young man submerged in the twin passions of music and art. Bands like Rush, Iron Maiden, Marillion and Judas Priest filled his senses while pencil and paper nourished his creativity. At the tender age of 16, this young lad was inspired to create a Rush album cover; three spheres, drawn in pencil. The three spheres represented the band’s three members: Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson. Each sphere casting a shadow at a particular angle to the lower right, almost as if spray painted. The boy was careful in his design. Rather than simply present the spheres in tri-part symmetry, he chose to arrange the spheres in a triangular pattern with the lowest angle at a lesser degree than its counterparts. The young man labored over this project for nearly a year until he finally felt it ready to present to Rush. So he packaged the copy of his artwork and sent it off to the official Rush fan club; the Rush Backstage Club in Las Vegas, NV, of which he was a member.

(Original pencil drawing)

Sadly, the boy never heard anything. No form-letter "thank you," no photocopied band picture, no nothing. Silence. No acknowledgment at all. That is, until 1987. Our fine young man happened to come across a limited edition, import single of Rush’s "Time Stand Still" from the forthcoming Hold Your Fire album. He was immediately struck by the cover art, only to open it up to expose the three members by each of the spheres. The three spheres were arranged in a sort of triangular pattern with the right sphere hovering at a lower angle, at a lesser degree than its counterparts. A familiar concept – all around, for sure. “Curious,” he thought. “Coincidence,” he decided (at first).

("Time Stand Still" single)

Weeks later, our boy waltzed into Stan’s Record Bar, the local Lancaster record shop. Filled with anticipation and wondering whether Hold Your Fire had arrived, he eagerly searched the racks. And there he found it. He had previously wondered if the "Time Stand Still" single art was indeed the album art as well. It was. The boy was stunned. This more he had lived with this, the more he believed the design was no longer a coincidence; it was his. The same design he’d proudly sent to the Rush Backstage Club.

(Hold Your Fire album art)

He vainly scoured the cover and interior looking for his name as designer of the album cover. He found nothing. Many prior albums and singles clearly indicated “artwork and cover design by Hugh Syme.” Oddly, Hold Your Fire merely stated “art direction by Hugh Syme.” “What the fuck?,” he thought.

Our young man contacted the Official Rush Fan Club and asked what became of items submitted by fans to the club. “We send them to the band,” was the answer. What that meant exactly was anyone's guess, of course. The boy’s father contacted attorneys, resolute in the family’s belief that it was indeed the young man’s artwork that appeared on the cover of Hold Your Fire. Sadly, there was no legal recourse. Our teenage artist had not copyrighted his work before he sent it off in the mail and who could prove anyone directly involved actually saw the artwork in the first place. Lesson learned. The hard way.

(Original drawing, overlaid with Rush's spheres)

When I talk to that young boy, now a 40 year old man, he is not bitter, not sad, not clinging to a bygone shot at fame and glory. In fact, he has gone on to design scores of album covers (as a professional graphic artist, he no longer only draws in pencil and sends his ideas off to fan clubs). “In my heart I know I designed it,” he says.

He’s a humble guy. He doesn’t tell his story to the world at large. But he told it to me and it pissed me off. The injustice of it all crawled under my skin when we met in college and it hasn’t left. When the subject comes up, as it infrequently does, I am always left feeling ticked off at whoever stole the idea for a really cool album cover from a bright eyed, eager young kid.

(Rush's "Prime Mover" single art also utilizing triangular pattern)

Did the band know? Did an assistant pass off the idea as his or her own? Does it matter? I just think to myself, regardless of why it all happened the way it did; that kid deserved to be acknowledged. His name should have been in the album credits. If not the cover art credit, maybe a pair of concert tickets. A t-shirt. Something. Someone could have thrown that kid a bone.

So why am I writing this here? Why am I ranting and raving about something that didn’t happen to me? Because that young boy – that teenage fan – deserves the props he never got from Rush. And what better venue to do that than here at KOTT? Especially when that guy is our very own creator and the mastermind behind KOTT; Tom Bejgrowicz.

NEW MUSIC IN MAY & JUNE!

2010-04-07T07:00:00.005-04:00

(click image to enlarge)

Does the spring of 2010 get much better than this? It's possible, I suppose, but hard to imagine…

THE NATIONAL High Violet (5/11)
• To hear "Bloodbuzz Ohio" from the new album, go here.

THE DEAD WEATHER Sea of Cowards (5/11)
• Check out a trailer for the new single and album here.

BAND OF HORSES Infinite Arms (5/18)
• To view their new video for "Compliments," visit their website.

NACHTMYSTIUM Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II (6/8)
• Simply one of the coolest, heaviest bands alive today.

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM American Slang (6/15)
• To hear the title track from the album, visit their MySpace page.

Otherwise, watch for new albums from FLEET FOXES, PORTISHEAD, RADIOHEAD, (the ridiculously underrated) PEOPLE IN PLANES and more in 2010.

Anything else, my friends?

MY 10 FAVORITE ALBUM COVERS

2010-04-01T07:00:00.010-04:00

TOM B.

01. Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast
02. Danzig Danzig
03. Joy Division Unknown Pleasures
04. Pink Floyd Animals
05. Minor Threat Out of Step
06. The Beatles White Album
07. Kiss Destroyer
08. Accept Balls to the Wall
09. New Order Power, Corruption & Lies
10. Emerson, Lake & Palmer Brain Salad Surgery

Notes: These album covers all made an impact on me over the years. Whether that be via social commentary (Minor Threat, Pink Floyd), artistic innovation (ELP, The Beatles) or shear, powerful minimalism (Danzig, Joy Division). Impacting imagery worthy of framing or simply sketching in your school notebook; I love 'em all.

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CHRIS B.

01. Iron Maiden Killers
02. Fountains Of Wayne Fountains Of Wayne
03. The Clash London Calling
04. Judas Priest British Steel
05. David Bowie Aladdin Sane
06. Herb Albert's Tijuana Brass Whipped Cream & Other Delights
07. The Smiths Meat Is Murder
08. Johnny Cash Live At San Quentin
09. Doves Lost Souls
10. The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Notes: The first Iron Maiden album's artwork was so dead-on perfect, or so I thought until "Killers" was released. Eddie and the design work surrounding Iron Maiden's history might be one of the best career and financial decisions in the world of business! I didn't even know who FoW was when this came out but I bought it simply based on the cover. Come on, it could have easily been my younger brother or anyone else who grew up in the age of Underoos. [FYI: I never owned any Underoos. – Ed.]

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RYAN D.

01. Depeche Mode Violator
02. Judas Priest British Steel
03. Danzig Danzig
04. Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
05. Pulp This is Hardcore
06. Black Flag Damaged
07. Scorpions Blackout
08. Johnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes Around
09. Black Rebel Motorcyle Club Howl
10. John Coltrane A Love Supreme

Notes: I can tell you what gets me off, especially after assembling this list and determining that I have a "type" when it comes to album artwork just as I do when it comes to women. Album artwork comes down to bold, stark, simple, iconic, powerful, forceful, evocative. Saying more with less.

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JOE P.

01. Cocteau Twins The Pink Opaque

02. Talk Talk The Party's Over

03. Catherine Wheel Adam & Eve

04. Dead Can Dance Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun

05. Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel

06. The Velvet Underground Velvet Underground

07. Modern English After The Snow

08. The Call Reconciled

09. Clan Of Xymox Clan Of Xymox

10. Lonely Is An Eyesore Lonely Is An Eyesore

Notes:
Baby sitting in a travel bag, (2D) $9.96

Nude models in boxes, (2D) $9.96

Manipulation of a polaroid picture to create a melting face, (2D) $9.96

A banana, (2D) $9.96

A statue in a cemetery, (2D) $9.96

Album artwork by: 23 Envelope, James Marsh, Andy Warhol, Storm Thurgerson and The Call… Priceless.

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GREGG R.

01. Red House Painters Red House Painters
02. Dead Can Dance Into the Labrynth
03. Catherine Wheel Adam and Eve
04. Peter Gabriel III
05. Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
06. For Against Echelons
07. Depeche Mode A Broken Frame
08. The Damned Phantasmagoria
09. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions 1984-1989
10. XTC Drums and Wires

Notes: The one thing I miss more than any other when it comes to music going from LP to mp3s over the years, is album artwork. I remember sitting and looking at album covers, liner notes, lyrics, etc..for hours on end. These are some of my faves. Not much of a common thread through these ten, other than the Storm Thurgerson designs (Gabriel, Catherine Wheel, Floyd).

REGRETS: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

2010-03-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Jason U. for sending me this link. The video speaks for itself, music lovers. We all have a few regrets in our past that we simply can't shake (and some we still listen to today). What's yours?

RANT & RAVE: RYAN D.

2010-03-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

"With his inaugural "Rant & Rave," the heavy metal lovin', hardcore scene grown, old ska and rocksteady groovin' and English pop worshiping Knight would like to rave about... The Roots."

SURPRISE!

Hey, I've got old KRS-One in my collection. I've been known to follow the feuds between N.W.A. and each member as they left ("No Vaseline" is a classic; I've even read Jerry Heller's dubious autobiography), I reported on the various theories surrounding Tupac and Biggie's death's for MTV, I've interviewed Snoop Dogg, Ja Rule, I'm a fan of "high-brow" rappers like Mos Def and Common, even The Streets... OK, I'll stop trying to claim any hip-hop "cred." I've got less rap cred than that Canadian dude named Snow who had a hit rapping in Jamaican patois once upon a time.

So what's my point? Philly's finest – The Roots – are tearing it up on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon each and every weeknight and if you're not watching, you're a damn fool. "Captain" Kirk, their guitarist, is a certified shredder. Black Thought can sing soul, R&B and rock almost as well as he raps. And of course, band leader Amir "?uestlove" Thompson makes demolishing the drums look, well, easy, when he plays. The guy is so steeped in so many genres, I don't know if there's another person alive that eats and breathes music as much as Thompson. Astounding.

Let me bring you up to speed on Jimmy Fallon's show, which you likely haven't heard much about as it's been eclipsed by the Conan / Leno drama. His monologues are still pretty stiff, but Jimmy Fallon is hands-down the most relaxed, engaging and flat-out best interviewer on late night (he's the only one who actually seems to give a crap about what the other person has to say; let's face it, Letterman and Conan are great comedians but way too self-absorbed to conduct a good interview) and he comes up with interesting and funny things for the talent to do with him.

Moreover, the musical performers have been out of control killer, especially by late night standards: Jawbox, Sunny Day Real Estate, Shadows Fall, Ke$ha (I'm a fan... Shh), Julian Casablancas, Ringo Starr. Oftentimes, these folks are backed by all of or some combination of The Roots.

Yep, the Roots, the subject of my rave (no ranting this time - another surprise, no doubt!). The best thing about The Roots on Late Night, hands down, is their continually inspired and often hilarious choices for walk-on music. Some examples: Wu-Tang's "C.R.E.A.M." for Donald Trump. Boston's "Amanda" for Amanda Peet. Das Efx's "Micchecka" for Michael Stipe (seriously, that's awesome!). The theme from TV's "Frasier" for... Brendan Fraser. Check out more HERE.

What's particularly inspired about this move is that it's a personality barometer of sorts for the celebrities as they come out. Plenty of them "get" the song right away and are visibly enthusiastic about it. Others acknowledge The Roots but don't seem to make the connection with their personalized intro music. And others still flat-out either don't notice or simply ignore it!

It reminds me of back when Lemmy was kind enough to record my voicemail greeting: "Hello, you've reached Ryan's shiny cell phone. He can't answer it now because he's in the bath with an alligator. So, leave a message if you'd like, and if not, FUCK OFF." People's reactions to this voicemail greeting (Lemmy never identifies himself) fell into three distinct categories:

1. "DUDE! LEMMY!! HOLY CRAP! NICE!"

2. "Dude, how did you get Ozzy on your phone? Killer!"

3. "I tried calling you but I have the wrong number. I got some foreign dude's voicemail."

I mentioned this phenomenon to ?uestlove when I talked to The Roots before this year's annual pre-Grammy Roots jam for MTV. They are very aware of it, of course, but continue to come up with inspired choices nevertheless. When I brought up their absolutely fantastic (and family friendly) appearance on "Yo Gabba Gabba!", ?uest told me how many great "MILFs" he's met as a result. Ha!

The Roots, to summarize, shred. You've got to DVR this show and just watch them jam as they come in and out of commercial (often with some kind of cool guest sitting in with them), as they rock these clever walk-on songs, as they back different musicians of multiple genres... Do it!

Next time, I'm sure I'll talk about James Hetfield or Liam Gallagher or something...

THE TOP 25 ALBUMS OF THE 2000s

2010-03-01T07:00:00.030-05:00

TOM B.

01. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
ALIVE, OR JUST BREATHING (2002)

In terms of raw musical power and lyrical brilliance, this ground-breaking record hasn't lost one ounce of its potency since its release in 2002. I'll never forget the first time I listened to the original Adam d. mixes of this album, both believing and knowing that I was hearing the future of metal.

(the remaining list, in alphabetical order):
A.F.I. Sing the Sorrow (2003)
Alice in Chains Black Gives Way To Blue (2009)
Boysetsfire Tomorrow Come Today (2003)
Cadaveryne Fathering the Apocalypse (2007)
Neko Case Middle Cyclone (2009)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (2004)
Coldplay Parachutes (2000)
Doves Lost Souls (2000)
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes (2008)
Fugazi The Argument (2001)
The Hellacopters By the Grace of God (2002)
Idlewild The Remote Part (2002)
Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
Massive Attack 100th Window (2003)
Mastodon Crack the Skye (2009)
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (2005)
My Morning Jacket Z (2005)
The National Boxer (2007)
People In Planes Beyond the Horizon (2008)
Radiohead In Rainbows (2007)
Shadows Fall The War Within (2004)
Sparta Wiretap Scars (2002)
Thrice The Artist in the Ambulance (2003)
Travis The Invisible Band (2001)

5 HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Bad Religion The Process of Belief (2002)
Editors The Back Room (2005)
Himsa Courting Tragedy and Disaster (2003)
Metallica Death Magnetic (2008)
Vaux There Must Be Some Way to Stop Them (2003)

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CHRIS B.

01. DOVES
LOST SOULS (2000)

“Lost Souls” gave me hope for what was to come in a new decade of music. I can listen to Manchester UK’s Doves whether I’m painting the bathroom or driving with the windows down and the volume up. A stirring combination of sounds that moved me in a new way and that, readers, is hard to find.

02. Idlewild The Remote Part (2002)
03. Interpol Antics (2004)
04. Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
05. My Morning Jacket Evil Urges (2008)
06. Band of Horses Cease To Begin (2007)
07. The Shins Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
08. The Exploding Hearts Guitar Romantic (2003)
09. Pernice Brothers Yours, Mine & Ours (2003)
10. Band of Horses Everything All The Time (2006)
11. British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music? (2008)
12. Youth Group Skeleton Jar (2004)
13. A.F.I. Sing The Sorrow (2003)
14. The Dears Gang Of Losers (2006)
15. The Alarm Under Attack (2006)
16. The National Boxer (2007)
17. Therapy? One Cure Fits All (2006)
18. The Arcade Fire Funeral (2004)
19. Turbonegro Scandinavian Leather (2003)
20. Ambulance Ltd. Ambulance Ltd. (2004)
21. Social Distortion Sex, Love And Rock 'n' Roll (2004)
22. Fountains Of Wayne Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)
23. Heavy Trash Heavy Trash (2005)
24. The Darkness Permission To Land (2003)
25. Coldplay Parachutes (2000)

5 HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Lucero 1372 Overton Park (2009)
Travis The Boy With No Name (2007)
The Strokes Is this It (2001)
Supersuckers Motherfuckers Be Trippin’ (2003)
Death Cab For Cutie Transatlanticism (2003)

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RYAN D.

01. MUSE
ABSOLUTION (2003)

Deeply layered, grandiose and ambitious, Muse’s masterpiece is the very definition of a "cinematic record.” It's rich with life's complexities – triumph, longing and yes, absolution. Muse has been accused of being derivative, but, really, Coldplay steals from Radiohead as well (and U2) and yet is somehow better than either!

02. Coldplay Parachutes (2000)
03. Morrissey You are the Quarry (2004)
04. AFI Sing the Sorrow (2003)
05. The Faint Danse Macabre (2001)
06. Iron Maiden Brave New World (2000)
07. Deftones White Pony (2000)
08. A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms (2000)
09. Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
10. Idlewild 100 Broken Windows (2000)
11. Glassjaw Worship & Tribute (2002)
12. Morrissey Years of Refusal (2009)
13. Oasis Heathen Chemistry (2002)
14. Badly Drawn Boy The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000)
15. Robbie Williams Escapology (2002)
16. Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
17. Metallica Death Magnetic (2008)
18. The Killers Hot Fuss (2004)
19. Machine Head Through the Ashes of Empires (2003)
20. Doves The Last Broadcast (2002)
21. Richard Ashcroft Alone with Everybody (2000)
22. Alice In Chains Black Gives Way to Blue (2009)
23. Mastodon Blood Mountain (2006)
24. Cave In Jupiter (2000)
25. The Faint Wet from Birth (2004)

5 HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Megadeth Endgame (2009)
Agalloch Ashes Against the Grain (2006)
Paloalto Paloalto (2000)
Torche Meanderthal (2008)
Baroness The Red Album (2007)

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JOE P.

01. INTERPOL
TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS (2002)

Once in a while a band (Nirvana, Stone Roses) will release an album that will spawn a wave of "copy cat" bands. I think in 2003 Interpol accomplished that with Turn On The Bright Lights. This record is a complete and total masterpiece. You know that it's a great album if your favorite song will change periodically.

02. Camera Obscura Let's Get Out Of This Country (2006)
03. The National Boxer (2007)
04. Band Of Horses Everything All The Time (2006)
05. Say Hi Oohs And Aahs (2009)
06. Echo & The Bunnymen Siberia (2005)
07. Editors The Black Room (2005)
08. Sigur Ros Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (2008)
09. Rob Dickinson Fresh Wine For The Horses (2005)
10. Bloc Party Intimacy (2008)
11. Rogue Wave Asleep At Heaven's Gate (2007)
12. Calla Strength In Numbers (2007)
13. Blonde Redhead 23 (2007)
14. The Arcade Fire Funeral (2004)
15. The Chameleons Why Call It Anything? (2001)
16. Fight Bite Fight Bite (2008)
17. Gary Numan Hybrid (2003)
18. Idlewild 100 Broken Windows (2000)
19. Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago (2007)
20. Ambulance LTD Ambulance LTD (2004)
21. Doves The Last Broadcast (2002)
22. Julian Plenti Julian Plenti Is....Skyscraper (2009)
23. Placebo Meds (2006)
24. Drummer Feel Good Together (2009)
25. For Against Coalesced (2003)

5 HONORABLE MENTIONS:
26. Talk Less, Say More Go Lucky (2008)
27. Film School Film School (2005)
28. We Were Promised Jetpacks These Four Walls (2009)
29. Dears Gang Of Losers (2006)
30. Unkle War Stories (2007)

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GREGG R.

01. FOR AGAINST
COALESCED (2002)

Nebraska's For Against have been flying under the radar since the early to mid 80s, consistently turning out stellar album after stellar album. Coalesced is not only my favorite For Against album, but also my favorite album of the past decade. After literally hundreds of repeated listens since it came out in 2002, this album still sounds as fresh as ever, and never fails to amaze me.

02. James Hey Ma (2008)
03. The National Boxer (2007)
04. Josh Ritter The Animal Years (2006)
05. The Doves The Last Broadcast (2002)
06. Guided by Voices Isolation Drills (2001)
07. Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid (2008)
08. Idlewild 100 Broken Windows (2001)
09. Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
10. Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
11. Rob Dickinson Fresh Wine For the Horses (2005)
12. The Dears Gang of Losers (2006)
13. Death Cab for Cutie Transatlanticism (2003)
14. Arcade Fire Funeral (2004)
15. Electric Soft Parade Holes in the Wall (2002)
16. Camera Obscura Let's Get Out of This Country (2006)
17. Band of Horses Everything All the Time (2006)
18. Nada Surf Let Go (2003)
19. Ash Free All Angels (2002)
20. Pernice Brothers Yours, Mine and Ours (2003)
21. Lloyd Cole Music in a Foreign Language (2003)
22. Sun Kil Moon Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003)
23. Spoon Kill the Moonlight (2002)
24. Visqueen King Me (2003)
25. We Were Promised Jetpacks These Four Walls (2009)

5 HONORABLE MENTIONS:
26. Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
27. Fields Everything Last Winter (2007)
28. Ambulance Ltd. Ambulance Ltd. (2004)
29. Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (2006)
30. Editors The Back Room (2006)

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JASON U.

01. WHITE STRIPES
ELEPHANT (2003)

The White Stripes created a veritable masterpiece with Elephant. Classic and timeless, it is simultaneously delicate, heavy, beautiful, sad, joyous and angry. It rocks, rolls, sways, and grooves. It is raw and it is real. Running the gamut of emotions and sounds while remaining cohesive as an album, Elephant is the total package.

(the remaining list, in chronological order)
Coldplay Parachutes (2000)
Deftones White Pony (2000)
Lamb Of God New American Gospel (2000)
Disembodied Heretic (2000)
Marc Ford It’s About Time (2001)
Gary Jules Trading Snakeoil For Wolftickets (2001)
Backyard Babies Making Enemies Is Good (2001)
Jurassic 5 Power In Numbers (2002)
Killswitch Engage Alive Or Just Breathing (2002)
Hellacopters By The Grace Of God (2002)
The Donnas Spend The Night (2002)
Jet Get Born (2003)
The Darkness Permission To Land (2003)
Jack Johnson On And On (2003)
Himsa Courting Tragedy And Disaster (2003)
Ray LaMontagne Trouble (2004)
Green Day American Idiot (2004)
Beck Guero (2005)
The Blessings Bare Bones (2006)
Priestess Hello Master (2006)
The Casanovas All Night Long (2006)
Towers Of London Blood Sweat And Towers (2006)
Throwdown Venom & Tears (2007)
Dirty Sweet Of Monarchs And Beggars (2007)

5 HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Turbonegro Scandinavian Leather (2003)
Beastie Boys To The 5 Boroughs (2004)
Chris Robinson & The New Earth Mud
This Magnificent Distance (2005)
Supagroup Rules (2005)
Ignite Our Darkest Days (2006)

HAVE WE GOT A VIDEO? #01

2010-02-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

While written by Glenn Danzig for Johnny Cash and released on Cash's American Recordings album (1994), "Thirteen" was later recorded and released by Danzig in 1999. This live version by Johnny Cash from 1994 is undeniably both haunting and brilliant.

Note: The Danzig version of the song was licensed by Todd Phillips & Co. and used to near-perfection to score the opening credits of his blockbuster comedy, "The Hangover."

RANT & RAVE: CHRIS B.

2010-02-14T11:46:00.005-05:00

(click image to enlarge)

A THANK YOU.

Fellow Knights (and Ye of Good Taste),
Mom used to say "don't play ball in the house" and she always told us to say "thank you" when we received something. Music has given us a lifelong companion. A partner in many of life's experiences. People can let you down but music never does. Well, unless it's Air Supply.

My first "Rant & Rave" is a tribute to relevant factors that enlightened my musical journey up until last night. Thank you…

Dad, for playing a wide variety of records for us!
Mom & Dad for buying us our own record player!
For allowance money so I could buy my first record at Harmony Hut!
Godmother Aunt Roberta, for introducing us to The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and 70's Elton John!
Mom & Dad, for letting us listen to whatever we wanted to!
Ken Kubala, for pulling me aside and saying; "Chris, if you like Motorhead and rockabilly you will love the Sex Pistols too!
Mark, for buying Stan's Record Bar in Lancaster, PA and introducing us to the whole new world of imported singles!
For the songs that inspired this tribute: "What Have We Got," "Let Them Know," "Where Are They Now," "Spirit Of '76" and "Rubber Ring"
For the "Sgt. Rock" comic book (where I came up with my radio moniker), WIXQ 91.7 Millersville University and now the Knights Of The Turntable for giving me a vehicle to share my love of music.
To all the bands, musicians, concerts, songs, CDs, records and friends that have crossed my path and made my life a better one!

TALES FROM THE PLASTIC HALLWAY: #01

2010-02-05T07:00:00.003-05:00

Random bytes from the music industry based on actual events.
All names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty).

Artist Manager: I need to send you a copy of the new album. I only have one physical copy left and I'm going to have the label send you yours.

Industry Contact: Oh, GREAT. I have to wait for the LABEL to send it to me? Ugh. We all know how hard those label jerk-offs work. I won't wait by the mailbox. ;)

[three weeks later]

Artist Manager: My contact hasn't gotten his copy yet. Did it go out?

Label Rep: I sent it to him last week. [grabs a copy from his pile of promos, inserts into a Jiffy, prepares to send it via Media Mail] Let me get online and track it right now. [signs onto Facebook to post photos of him and his friends taken at Jumbo's Clown Room last night]

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." – Hunter S. Thompson

GREATEST HITS: THE SMITHS

2010-02-01T07:00:00.004-05:00

Project Notes for KOTT: "Imagine yourself as the Project Manager at Sire Records put in charge of creating a "Best Of" for this legendary band. Naturally, Morrissey & Marr want nothing to do with this record label, money grubbing scheme – so it's all up to you for track selections! Please note that it's a single disc collection that features a maximum of 16 tracks in the sequence. B-sides, single versions, album versions, etc. are all okay to run with."

TOM B.
01. This Charming Man
02. Hand In Glove
03. How Soon Is Now?
04. Oscillate Wildly
05. The Headmaster Ritual
06. Barbarism Begins At Home
07. The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty)
08. I Know It's Over
09. Bigmouth Strikes Again
10. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
11. Shoplifters Of The World Unite
12. Half A Person
13. Sweet And Tender Hooligan
14. Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
15. Paint A Vulgar Picture
16. I Won't Share You

Notes: All tracks appear in chronological order, of course. One needs to hear a band's growth as the collection plays on. I also wanted to make sure that Marr & O'Rourke, in particular, were represented here and that the compilation didn't turn into a Morrissey love-fest, as conversations about The Smiths typically do.

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CHRIS B.
01. Reel Around The Fountain (album version)
02. Still Ill (album version)
03. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
04. The Headmaster Ritual
05. Well I Wonder
06. Nowhere Fast
07. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
08. Rubber Ring
09. Sweet And Tender Hooligan
10. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
11. Big Mouth Strikes Again
12. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
13. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
14. Panic
15. Death Of A Disco Dancer
16. Girlfriend In A Coma

Notes: August 25, 1984: In the hotel room of the not-so-celibate tour manager for the Scorpions I heard my first Smiths songs. A cassette of the s/t first album played as we chatted, yes, just chatted, while waiting for the post-concert party to start. At the time I was much more into the other cassette he had, The Alarm's "Declaration." That's the beauty of The Smiths though, the sound & lyrics haunted me until I picked it up at Sam Goody. The love affair continues today and I'm not alone. All 4 Smiths albums were ranked in Rolling Stone's Top 500 albums of all-time and a legion of fans are united by one theme - passion. My list is in a chronological order of sorts as I wanted to give an equal shake to their amazing 5 year career. From "It's time the tale were told..." to "Let me whisper my last goodbyes..." give a listen to cherished songs that made a difference.

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RYAN D.
01. Panic
02. Bigmouth Strikes Again
03. Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
04. Sweet and Tender Hooligan
05. Meat Is Murder
06. This Charming Man
07. Is it Really So Strange?
08. How Soon is Now?
09. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
10. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
11. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

Notes: Anybody who knows me will undoubtedly gasp with shock and surprise at the brevity of my track listing – we did, in fact, allot ourselves up to 16 tracks. My thought was to create something more akin to an actual "album" than a large collection. I envisioned a close friend telling me they had somehow never really heard The Smiths and asking me to make them a "comp," versus the more-bang-for-your-buck collections more prevalent of late. And here's another shocker: I enjoy Morrissey solo more than The Smiths. But that, I suppose, is a post for another time!

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JOE P.

"The songs that made you cry and the songs that saved your life"

1. The Queen Is Dead

2. Paint A Vulgar Picture

3. Shakespeare's Sister

4. Asleep

5. What She Said

6. Girl Afraid

7. Meat Is Murder

8. How Soon Is Now

9. Miserable Lie

10. Cemetry Gates

11. Shoplifters Of The World Unite And Take Over

12. A Rush And A push And The Land Is Ours

13. Rubber Ring

14. Sweet And Tender Hooligan

15. Hand In Glove

16. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

Notes: Please, Please, Please not one more Smiths compilation! I don't want to bore people with opinions from yet another pretentious Smiths fan, so I won't. That being said, my entire college career was based on The Smiths (maybe that's why I never got laid). Morrissey made it seem cool to be miserable and lonely. My greatest hits does come with an extra track and a tacky badge.

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GREGG R.
1. Reissue
2. Repackage
3. Repackage
4. Re-evaluate
5. the songs
6. Double-pack
7. with a
8. photograph
9. Extra track
10. (and a tacky badge)

Note: Look up 'The Smiths' discography and you'll find no less than five "best of" compilations already ("Sound of the Smiths", "Very Best of the Smiths", "Singles", "Best of the Smiths Volume 1", "Best of the Smiths Volume 2"). Basically you could throw together any 15 Smiths songs and you'd have a great compilation, as there are few, if any, bad songs in their entire catalog. So for my list, I'm reminded of these lyrics from "Paint a Vulgar Picture", as I think the Smiths "greatest hits" thing has been beaten to death.

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JASON U.
The Smiths were never of any interest to me growing up. They were barely even on my radar. As a teenager, all I knew about The Smiths was that the one gay kid in my high school (he wasn't openly gay, of course... but, we all knew) often wore a Smiths t-shirt. As did one of the two goth chicks. I think she played me "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" in the cafeteria one day on her Walkman. I didn't care for it. I was a teenage metalhead. I was way too wrapped up in the Crüe and Metallica to care about how sensitive Morrisey's lyrics were. I just didn't get it. I guess not much has changed. Because I couldn't name a single Smith's song other than the one I already have.

RANT & RAVE: TOM B.

2010-01-14T22:00:00.001-05:00

My First Album (1977):
THE STEVE MILLER BAND
Book of Dreams

Ah, 1977, the year the Bowery unleashed Marquee Moon, 77 and Rocket To Russia upon the world, I was using my allowance money to purchase my first full-length album; The Steve Miller Band's Book of Dreams.

Fueled by my fever for such massive AOR hits as "Jet Airliner" and "Jungle Love," I recall discovering the deep tracks that LPs offered and 45s didn't. I spent as much time wearing out the grooves of such non-singles as "Swingtown," "Winter Time," "True Fine Love" & "The Stake" as I did those mega-hits.

It's worth noting that the album version of "Jet Airliner" featured the original "funky shit going down in the city" lyric in all of its glory, as opposed to the 45s ultra-lame-to-this-day "funky kicks" edited lyric. I loved every four-letter-word, dirty second of it. After all, swearing – especially to an 8 year old – is some bad-ass, mother-fucking cool.

Looking at the track listing now, "Jet Airliner" was written by Paul Pena, "Jungle Love" by some guys named Turner & Douglass, and "The Stake" by Dave Denny. Was I really a fan of Steve Miller's anyway? Well, those behind-the-scenes details didn't stop me and my Dad from setting up the tape recorder in front of the speakers to record my singing over the original track just so I could have my own vocal version of the song on tape. Oh how wonderfully terrible those tapes must have sounded on playback! Dad was a saint, as always.

So really, Book of Dreams did the trick, didn't it? It both got me excited about music and it showed me that albums were the real deal; that great songs lurked beyond the mighty cast shadows of platinum/groupie-inducing singles. Speaking of…

It was about this time that I heard this incredible song on the radio, ran to the rotary-dial phone, called the DJ and asked him; "What song are you playing right now?" "It's 'Kashmir' by Led Zeppelin, kid," he said. "Great, thanks."

And with that, it was off to the music-loving/buying races for me!

How about YOU?

THE TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2009

2009-12-13T15:00:00.002-05:00

TOM B.
(in alphabetical order):
Alice In Chains, Black Gives Way To Blue
Bat For Lashes, Two Suns
Neko Case, Middle Cyclone
The Dead Weather, Horehound
Doves, Kingdom Of Rust
Heaven & Hell, The Devil You Know
He Is Legend, It Hates You
Killswitch Engage, Killswitch Engage
Mastodon, Crack The Skye
Thrice, Beggars

THE 2009 MIX-TAPE:
Alice In Chains "Check My Brain"
Bat For Lashes "Glass"
Neko Case "Prison Girls"
The Dead Weather "Treat Me Like Your Mother"
Doves "Winter Hill"
Dredg "I Don't Know"
God Forbid "The New Clear"
Heaven & Hell "Double The Pain"
He Is Legend "Don't Touch That Dial"
Killswitch Engage "I Would Do Anything"
Lamb of God "Choke Sermon"
Mastodon "The Czar: Usurper/Escape/Martyr/Spiral"
Marissa Nadler "Ghosts & Lovers"
Shadows Fall "King of Nothing"
Therapy? "Crooked Timber"
Thrice "Doublespeak"
Eerie Von "Please Don't Wake Me"

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CHRIS B.
(in no particular order):
Lucero, 1372 Overton Park
Doves, Kingdom Of Rust
Morrissey, Years Of Refusal
The Bomb, Speed Is Everything
Sea Wolf, White Water, White Bloom
Heavy Trash, Midnight Soul Serenade
Dinosaur Jr., Farm
Aggrolites, IV
The Horrors, Primary Colors
The Damned, So Who's Paranoid?

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RYAN D.

01. Morrissey, Years of Refusal

02. White Lies, To Lose My Life

03. Alice In Chains, Black Gives Way to Blue

04. Mastodon, Crack the Skye

05. The Gates Of Slumber, Hymns of Blood and Thunder

06. Bat For Lashes, Two Suns

07. Oh, Sleeper, Son of the Morning

08. Megadeth, Endgame

09. Doves, Kingdom of Rust

10. My Dying Bride, For Lies I Sire

THE 2009 MIX TAPE:

Side A:

Morrissey, "I'm OK By Myself"

White Lies, "To Lose My Life"

Alice In Chains, "Last of My Kind"

Bat For Lashes, "Traveling Woman"

Doves, "Ship of Fools"

Muse, "Undisclosed Desires"

The Avett Brothers, "January Wedding"

Depeche Mode, "Wrong"

The Aggrolites, "Firecracker"

Counting Crows, "Los Angeles"

Side B:

Mastodon, "Divinations"

The Gates Of Slumber, "The Bringer of War"

Oh, Sleeper, "The Finisher"

Megadeth, "Headcrusher"

My Dying Bride, "Bring Me Victory"

Candlemass, "Hammer of Doom"

Coalesce, "Wild Ox Moan"

Baroness, "The Sweetest Curse"

Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster, "Oh Lonely Grave"

Throwdown, "Widowed"

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JOE P.
10. The XX, XX
09. Atlas Sound, Logos
08. Fever Ray, Fever Ray
07. Camera Obscura, My Maudlin Career
06. A Place To Bury Strangers, Exploding Head
05. Big Pink, A Brief History Of Love
04. We Were Promised Jet Packs, These Four Walls
03. Julian Plenti, Skyscraper
02. Drummer, Feel Good Together
01. SAY HI, OOHS & AAHS

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GREGG R.
(in no particular order):
Metric, Fantasies
Morrissey, Years of Refusal
We Were Promised Jetpacks, These Four Walls
Twilight Sad, Forget the Night Ahead
The Big Pink, A Brief History of Love
Say Hi, Oohs and Ahhs
Neko Case, Middle Cyclone
Julian Plenti, ...is Skyscraper
The Damned, So, Who's Paranoid?
Sea Wolf, White Water, White Bloom
Drummer, Feel Good Together

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JASON U.
(in no particular order):
Black Crowes, Before The Frost... Until The Freeze
Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
The Answer, Everyday Demons
Ooh La La, Free At Last
The Binges, The Binges
Bible Of The Devil, Freedom Metal
The Hope Conspiracy, True Nihilist
Wolfmother, Cosmic Egg
Alice In Chains, Black Gives Way To Blue
Throwdown, Deathless