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THE INDIE ROCK BLOG
The Indie Rock Blog is a collection of Sugartune Artist News and entries from our friends at the Rock and Roll Report. If sweet, sugartunes are stirring in your soul, keep your soul stirred with a subscription to our news feed. 
There is an excellent article over at Salon about the documentary “The Brian Epstein Story” directed by Anthony Wall called The Underground Beatle (you will have to watch an ad before you read the article but it’s worth it) which you should check out, even if you’re not a Beatles fan. I have never seen it but I definitely will be keeping my eye out for it.
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Sorry for the lack of posts over the last 2 days but things have been quite hectic and I am currently in mourning over the Montreal Canadiens’ loss to the Tampa Bay Lightening in 4 straight but while I get things straightened up and organized for next week and beyond you should check out the excellent band Sweet Apple Pie from France. If you love melodic pop rock then this is your band. Their new CD is available from Not Lame or you can buy it from The Rock and Roll Report by clicking on their album listed on the left. Great stuff! Until next week. Have a great weekend everybody!
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For some very cool attitude-laced hip shaking primitive rock and roll that evokes all the best of the ’60s garage ethic check out Detroit band the Gore Gore Girls. I cannot believe that Chrissie Hynde once said that women can’t rock! Listening to the Gore Gore Girls you’ll realize what a load of crap that statement was!
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I have recently been listening to a bunch of things that could be loosley termed “classic rock” in a kind of trip down memory lane. It amazes me that (1) I still like this stuff and (2) A lot of these bands are still around and kicking. What got me listening to this stuff again was a visit to Classic Rock Revisited, an extremely well put together website that had me just itching to get out my trusty air guitar and rock out. So I did and it felt great! Keep mixing up your rock and roll I constantly preach. Don’t become a “one genre snob.” Everything has it’s place in the rock and roll ecosystem, right?
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Well, believe it or not there is another book coming on the Beatles and this one looks like it wll be a doozy. It will be written by Beatles uber-author Mark Lewisohn and it will comprise 3 volumes that he anticipates will take 12 years to complete! It is being billed as the ultimate history of the Beatles and with Lewisohn behind the keyboard you can bet that he won’t settle for anything less. Their legacy will be in good hands.
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If you love the Sixties (or what percieve the Sixties to have been) then you will probably want to pick up a copy of Super Sixties Magazine with what look like a lot of interesting muic features. It does appear to be kind of cool. Fab!
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Well another day, another list. Straight from the horse’s mouth here is Mojo Magazine’s Top 100 Epic Rock Tracks:
“Heroic, uplifting and over-the-top, these tracks
shamelessly embody all three of these admirable
values. The rules for inclusion are simple: one
entry per band and the notion that the track in
question exemplifies musical adventuring as its
boldest and, in some cases, most foolish.
As Freddie would say, Magnifico-o-o-o!”
01 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
02 Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
03 The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
04 Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
05 The Doors - The End
06 Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights
07 The Beatles - A Day In The Life
08 Elvis Presley - An American Trilogy
09 Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell
10 Richard Harris - MacArthur Park
11 The Beach Boys - Heroes and villains
12 Don McClean - American Pie
13 Ike and Tina Turner - River Deep, Mountain High
14 Derek and the Dominos - Layla (Pts 1 & II)
15 Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
16 David Bowie - Space Oddity
17 U2 - Bullet - The Blue Sky
18 ELP - Fanfare For The Common Man
19 John Leyton - Johnny Remember Me
20 Kraftwerk - Autobahn
21 Procul Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
22 Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
23 King Crimson - The Court Of The Crimson King
24 Radiohead - Paranoid Android
25 Bruce Springsteen - Jungleland
26 The Shangri-Las - Past, Present And Future
27 The Walker Brothers - The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore
28 Yes - The Gates Of Delirium
29 Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
30 Prince - Purple Rain
31 Wings - Live And Let Die
32 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
33 Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life
34 The Velvet Underground - Sister Ray
35 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome
36 Can - Mother Sky
37 Oasis - Champagne Supernova
38 Thin Lizzy - Roisin Dubh (Black Rose) Rock Legend
39 The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)
40 Joy Division - Decades
41 Rush - Xanadu
42 Genesis - Supper’s Ready
43 The Who - Baba O’Reilly
44 Eric Carmen - All By Myself
45 Klaatu - Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Caft
46 Deep Purple - Child In Time
47 Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi’s Dead
48 Freddie Mercury And Montserrat Caballe - Barcelona
49 Alice Cooper - Halo Of Files
50 Blue Oyster Cult - Don’t Fear The Reaper
51 Guns N’Roses - November Rain
52 The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
53 Lou Reed - Street Hassle
54 Ultravox - Vienna
55 The Nice - The Cry Of Eugene
56 Pulp - Common People
57 the Electric Prunes - Holy Are You
58 Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The Carny
59 Primal Scream - Higher Than The Sun
60 Scott Walker - Such A Small Love
61 Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin)
62 Fairport Convention - Tam Lin
63 The Eagles - Journey Of The Sorcerer
64 Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck Of Edmund Fitzgerald
65 Rainbow - Stargazer
66 Leonard Cohen - Memories
67 The LA’s - The Looking Glass
68 Supertramp - Fool’s Overture
69 The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git
70 Sonic Youth - Tunic (Song For Karen)
71 The Stone Roes - Breaking Into Heaven
72 Roy Harper - The Lord’s Prayer
74 McAlmont & Butler - Yes
75 Greateful Dead - Dark Star
76 Klaus Schulze - Friedrich Nietzsche
77 David McWilliams - The Days Of Pearly Spencer
78 Julian Cope - Safesurfer
79 Buffalo Springfield - Broken Arrow
80 Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-De-Vida
81 Alex Harvey - Isobel Goudie
82 Flowered Up - Weekender
83 David Gates - Suite: Clouds, Rain
84 Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
85 The Bevis Frond - Tangerine Infringement Break
86 Spiritualized - Don’t Just Do Something
87 ELO - Eldorado Overture
88 Spock’s Beard - The Healing Colors Of Sound
89 Iron Maiden- Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
90 Patti Smith - Land
91 Kiss - Odyssey
92 Aphrodite’s Child - The Four Horsemen
93 Metallica - One
94 Dexy’s Midnight Runners - This Is What She’s Like
95 John Miles - Music
96 British Sea Power - Lately
97 Bob Dylan - Hurricane
98 Billy Joel - Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
99 Diamond Head - Am I Evil
100 Damien Rice - Eskimo
This is a tough one to digest so I’m going to give myself a few days. Some I agree with, some I don’t even know so read it and tell me what you think. I know for one that I would never have a list with Billy Joel on it but hey, that’s just me.
Later.
Well I am hopefully going to take advantage of the pre-sale today for Rush’s 30th Anniversary tour date in Montreal August 21st. I know you might be thinking that the same guy who loves watching garage bands at the local dive is going to see Rush, a prog rock dinosaur of dubious musical merit but trust me it’s not all that strange. I have always been a big fan of Rush and just because I love one type of rock and roll doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the odd bombastic “big rock show.” Rush know how to put on one hell of a sound and light spectacle and that is not a “bad thing” if the bottom line is always the music. I make no excuses for any rock and roll that I choose to listen to and I won’t start know. Rush are just one band of many in my internal iPod that makes listening to rock and roll so interesting. I mean, I’m not going to see Poison but then again, when I’m in the mood, I don’t mind them either! All part of the fun, fun, fun!
UPDATE! The first time I saw Rush was when I was in high school and it was the Moving Pictures tour (with Max Webster opening, a dream lineup for me at the time). I slept outside the old Montreal Forum the night before tickets went on sale and ironicaly enough, the tickets I just bought through the American Express pre-sale are in almost the same location (but at the new Bell Centre). Weird.
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There is a report that HBO has commissioned a movie about the infamous Redlands drug bust of 1967. I want to play the Canadian drug dealer who mysteriously disappears when the shit hits the fan. I think the reality of the situation was far more mundane than what it appeared to be at the time. Drugged out rockers staggering around on the beach and in the fields before retiring to an ancient British cottage for Moroccan food while listening to records. Nothing more and nothing less. I mean George Harrison left out of boredom!
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In the “weird news” department, Johnny Rotten/Lydon wants Justin Timberlake to play him in a Sex Pistols biopic! I don’t even know where to begin on this one but Mr. Lydon certainly knows how to maximize his time in the spotlight that’s for sure.
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Finally, almost a year after it was released in Canada, the mighty Sloan will finally have their “latest” CD Action Pact released on May 11th in the U.S. Go and get it ASAP. It was worth the wait.
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Jet are back in the studio working on a new album. Should be interesting if the “sophomore jinx” will hit or not. Great band.
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Here are some of the cool details on Fastlane Records tribute to the New York Dolls. Tribute records are a mixed bag and can be inspiring or insipid. This one looks like it can be really good. Fastlane are also coming out with a Cheap Trick tribute called “Tricked Out” which looks interesting so sign up for their newsletter for all the details.
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This week’s Radio Spotlight is on “Music from the Underground” broadcast every Saturday Night from 10:00 – Midnight on KAOS Community Radio out of Olympia, Washington USA. Spinning a multitude of funky rock and roll tracks from yesterday and today, “Music from the Underground” is a great way to get your rock and roll kicks on a Saturday Night without leaving the house. Good stuff.
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Well it appears that there is a Ramones documentary out there that is being prevented from being released due to all sorts of tangled financial complications according to Rock, Rock, Rock ‘n’ Roll Standoff (Registration required, etc.). One of the problems is that it portrays the Ramones as dysfunctional according to people who have seen “End of the Century.” Oh really? It amazes me that this comes as some sort of a shock. Find me a rock and roll band that isn’t in a way dysfunctional and I’ll eat my words. It’s the nature of the beast. What you do within that dysfunctional unit is what makes things interesting. Gabba Gabba Hey!
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If you are interested in a wild, psychedelic cinematic trip and happen to be in the San Diego Area, you just might be interested in checking out a showing of that ‘60s classic Captain Milkshake. “Love can happen when you’re free” indeed. Fun stuff.
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I have always been fascinated by surfing culture. Being from Canada, the idea of hanging out on a tropical beach, surfing all day and listening to rock and roll at some beach-side bar wearing funky surfing clothes held a certain inspiration and directly inspired me to get involved in the closest thing a cold Canadian hundreds of miles from the ocean could do, I got into skateboarding. As cool as that was, it was never quite as cool or exotic despite the fact that I would blare surf music from a portable cassette player while riding my homemade ramp made out of used plywood and painted to resemble a giant wave. Well if you were ever searching for a good source of surf rock to dream to look no further than Surf Rock, an excellent site for all things surf. There is some really excellent rock and roll out there amongst the wave riding set and Surf Rock is a great place to start. And believe it or not, there is a companion site called Surfer Joe that deals with surf music in Italy! Too cool. Grab your boards and check them both out. Guaranteed that there is something you will find that you’ll like.
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“Punk Rock from the Pink Motel” they call themselves but all I know is that Smog Veil Records puts out some great rock and roll. Go to the MP3 section of their site for some great downloads by bands like The Rubber City Rebels, The New Christs and a bunch of other cool bands. Another great label brought to you by music fans who care.
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This is just too much. It is the belief of many, myself included, that rock and roll is a form of music that is inclusive. It takes whatever influences it finds and incorporates them into fine rock and roll and it discriminates against no one. Good rock and roll is as social a form of music that you will find and it goes out of its way at encouraging you to get off your chair and shake your ass more often than not and this of course is a good thing. Ironically, the United States Marines are using rock and roll for a completely different end. They are blaring “Shoot to Thrill” by AC/DC, an absolutely great song coupled with Arabic insults in an attempt to “break the enemy.” Unbelievable. If you really want to break your enemy whether it be your nosy neighbor or some scheming warlord, try 24 hours of Barry Manilow. That I guarantee will bring the results you desire!
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If you love Big Star, or would like to then head over to Pop Culture Press for a great article titled Big Star the Real Story: Inside the Bell/Chilton Songbook. A comprehensive article on a band that those in the know hail as one of the greatest rock and roll bands ever while many, many more barely even knew they existed. Essential rock and roll reading.
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I jus noticed that you can listen to the whole Brian Jonestown Massacre collection via streaming MP3 here. Get those broadband connections humming!
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Flak Magazine has a pretty interesting review of the website Bizarre Records that you might want to check out. If you liked my post on the ten worst album covers you will love this site. Bizarre indeed. I’m going to check out some of this stuff over the weekend. Warped but cool. Have a great weekend everybody!
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Do you like The Ramones? Would you like to be a Ramone? Hey, who wouldn’t. Go to the Ramones Name Generator and get your Ramones name now. I am (un-originally) “Mark Ramone.”
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They have been described as “Motorhead meets the Beach Boys” and if that doesn’t get you interested then I don’t know what will. Very cool punk rock and roll from this Australian trio, The Hard Ons have a great new record out that you can buy through The Rock and Roll Report by clicking on the link to your left. Very cool stuff to assault your rock and roll ears. Check ‘em out and turn it up!
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If you check the archives of this site you will know that my opinion of Rolling Stone magazine is not too high but every once in awhile they put together something interesting and their The Immortals: The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Times is pretty interesting. Having musicians writing about musicians that inspire them is a great idea and some highlights for me are Little Steven’s piece on the Rolling Stones, Little Richard on Little Richard (!), and The Ramones by Lenny Kaye. The only one I was surprised at was they had Joe Perry write about Chuck Berry. I suppose Keith Richards was busy. Anyhow, this article is something that I can finally recommend that you read by the formerly great, then kind of OK, now pretty much crap Rolling Stone.
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Creature
Moonshine Orchestra
The Snitches