The bands Five Good Reasons and Silent Opposition who are currently on tour are desperately seeking a place to play in the San Francisco Bay area on March 3, 2005 (this Thursday). If you know of any kind of venue that would like to put up the bands for a gig (be it club, record store, house whatever) let Elizabeth Benavidez at Artsy Noise in Seattle know ASAP. Her number is (253) 226-8134. If not, at least check out the bands’ MP3s at their My Space pages and enjoy!
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For some reason, the first time I heard "Good Morning, West Gordon" by One Star Hotel (available through Not Lame) I thought of "Billy Breathes" era Phish. To fans of One Star Hotel that might seem to be a strange comparison but it was Steve Yutzy-Burkey’s wonderfully evocative vocals that got me to thinking about both bands. The more I listened though, the more I thought of Wilco and it is this sort of eclectic Americana that the Philadelphia based band does so well. While the album has a fine mix of indie pop gems and slower, contemplative numbers the album’s big payoff for me was listening to the track "Good Morning, West Gordon" late one night on the headphones. As the wash of sound and vocals enveloped me I was transported to that wonderful space where the music just picks you up and transports you to another place. It doesn’t happen often but this album pulled it off with style. That makes this record is a keeper in my books. Later.

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Heap are a great, loud melodic rock and roll band from Brooklyn spearheaded by Tim Heap and their sophomore record "On the Cheap" has been blaring from my home stereo to my car stereo for the last week. Absolutely top notch rock and roll from a band that pumps out such killer cuts as "Backsliding", "The Sober Life" and the always memorable "Puerto Rican Girl." To give you a taste check out the full-length MP3 of "Women" live at Arlene’s Grocery on December 10th, 2004 and a bunch of samples from their new CD on their Sounds page. Further samples can be found at their label Rave-on Records. This is great stuff and highly recommended. I like the description of the band on CD Baby "They play and sing about what they know best - friends, girlfriends and girls that will never be girlfriends." Check ‘em out.
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With their particular brand of punk-fueled rock and roll mayhem, the Gaza Strippers initially reminded me of the MC5, especially when listening to the live cuts off of "From the Desk of Dr. Freepill…" Unfortunately it appears that Rick Sims and his cohorts are no longer around in this form but if you are looking for some great rock and roll kicks and a killer cover of Queen’s "Sheer Heart Attack" then check out "From the Desk of Dr. Freepill…" which is available from Nicotine Records. Good stuff.
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This week is a bit of an experiment. I have fallen behind in writing about a lot of great bands and the records that they pump out over the last few months so in an attempt to rectify the situation somewhat I will be dedicating this week to nothing but bands. Whether they be CDs that bands and labels have sent me (thank you very much and keep ‘em coming!) or MP3s that I have found or been e-mailed, this week will be a bit of a departure as I will try to focus only on bands and their music. One thing I do want you to keep in mind is that my reviewing philosophy is that I only review what I like or what I feel is "significant" for whatever reason. I don’t have the time or inclinination to write reviews of music I don’t like so with that in mind, let’s get the first edition of Band Week going. This will most probably be a regular feature so hold on to your hats and open up your ears!
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Everybody is pretty much familiar with the infamous "evils horns" hand signal so popular amongst heavy metal fans but accoring to this article from Blabbermouth (which is in fact a reprint from a piece in Ear Candy magazine) it was not Ronnie James Dio or Genne Simmons that invented this method of expression but none other than John Lennon himself. Is there nothing that those Beatles didn’t do first? Have a great weekend everybody!
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I wrote about the Tapco music sampler in the past but thought I would reprint their press release anouncing the release of Volume 1 in case you may be considering trying to be on the next volume.

(PRESS RELEASE)

Celebrating long, sometimes frustrating, hours of garage rehearsals, dive bar gigs, basement music production and creative penny-pinching tactics for used gear, TAPCO recently released Volume One of the TAPCO Music Sampler CD featuring some of today’s best independent musical artists from around the world.

"It all started with a two-month contest that ended November 30, 2004. We requested demo submissions from un-signed artists of all music genres and offered them the opportunity to promote their music on the first TAPCO Music Sampler CD, as well as the TAPCO website," stated Ray Tantzen, TAPCO Product Manager. "We received literally hundreds of submissions. The 14 winner earned a place on the CD as well as a pair of TAPCO S.5 Studio Monitors."

Tantzen continues, "The music styles range from hip-hop and rock, to dance and smoother melodies. This was so successful, we’re looking forward to volume 2 later this year."

In addition to receiving free TAPCO gear and placement on the CD, the lucky 14 artists are currently featured on the TAPCO website. Their winning submissions can be downloaded from www.tapcogear.com .

"Contests like this really put the focus back on the artists and the creative abilities that truly make each band unique. We are proud to sponsor such an important competition and hope to continue to continue to reach to the independent music community in more creative in the future," concluded Tantzen.

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(PRESS RELEASE) Sonicbids, the leading online platform enabling musicians to connect with music promoters, was recently selected by the Virgin College Mega Tour to be the exclusive submission platform for bands entering to win a spot on the tour’s daytime "Emerging Artists" stage. The 2005 VCMT, featuring national acts Cake, Gomez, and Robbers on High Street, will visit 20 college campuses this spring. As the exclusive submission partner, bands can submit their music online using their Sonicbids (www.sonicbids.com) Electronic Press Kit (EPK). The tour is scheduled to begin April 5th in Austin, TX and run through May.

"Sonicbids is about giving independent artists access to the hottest events and opportunities in the industry," says Panos Panay, Founder and CEO of Sonicbids. "The Virgin College Mega Tour is one of those events, and we are confident that this process will identify talent that matches the objective and will contribute to the success of the tour."

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I was just reading a press release introducing a new piece of software called the MP3beamer which company founder Michael Robertson describes as a digital music recorder or DMR. Essentially the MP3beamer is a footlocker for your MP3 files. You load it up with music that you have on CDs (the software will automatically rip the CDs to 192 kpbs MP3 files), music you purchased form an online store like Robertson’s own MP3 Tunes or eMusic and MP3s that you might have downloaded off the ‘net from all those band and record label sites that you read about on The Rock and Roll Report. Once the the MP3 files are loaded you use MP3beamer to access your music from virtually any device you own with speakers or a headphone jack. It is really an audio server that consolidates all your MP3 files and makes them available to things like your iPod, home stereo, cell phone etc. but there are a few caveats. First off is that you have to run the Linux-based Linspire software on a PC to be able to use MP3beamer as it is Linux based. Another caveat is that you cannot use it with DRM protected music files so all those tunes that you bought from iTunes, Napster MSN Music and Rhapsody will not work with the MP3beamer. It only works with non-DRM protected music files. Another caveat is that it currently does not work with iTunes on a Mac but inexplicably does work with iTunes on a Windows XP machine. Support for the iTunes version of the Mac is apparently forthcoming but for someone who professes to want to make make your music available on virtually any device the absence of support for the Mac version of iTunes from the get go is a bit puzzling. The MP3beamer website has all kinds of screen shots and videos that you can check out for more information but the product for the most part looks interesting. If most of your music is either on CD or MP3 you might want to consider the MP3beamer. At the very least you will be using a rock solid operating system for your general computer needs and that is probably the best part about the whole deal.
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I had never heard of the Sasquatch! Festival of Washington before but they have announced their festival line-up for the Memorial Day weekend and it sounds pretty interesting. The Pixies, Keane, Modest Mouse, Wilco, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party and a bunch of other bands will be rocking out and they have camping too! Sounds like a pretty cool time.
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In the early ’80s I had a bunch of buddies that were really into all the cutting edge metal bands of the time. It was through them that I was introduced to groups like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Tygers of Pan Tang, Riot, Saxon and Iron Maiden. I rememeber listening to "Phantom of the Opera" "Sanctuary" and "Charlotte the Harlot" on the first Iron Maiden album and thinking that it was just the coolest thing around and now word comes down that the uocoming Iron Maiden tour will feature their four first albums as the theme of the tour. A great idea to be sure as these albums, especially the first two are amazing. I wonder if they will get Paul Di’anno to sing of couple of numbers?
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If you’re looking for what seems to be a pretty cool "battle of the bands" type competition with the main prize being a ton of cool musical equipment and services from Peavey, Tama, Pure Volume, Pro Mark and more then check out the Zippo Hot Tour, a multi-city competition where the bands are judged both online and onstage. Unsigned rock bands from ten U.S. cities have until April 14, 2005, 11:59:59 PM EST to register online for the contest. The cities involved are Austin, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Raleigh, Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Orlando, Pittsburgh and Memphis. Check out the website for details and good luck!
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INDIE NEWS BEAT
February 22, 2005 Edition
* Grayson Wray Releases "Tales Of Mystery And Loneliness"
* Alicia Keys: The Diary of Alicia Keys On DVD
* CatDesigners Get Luvvied Up
* Garage Radio Offers Streaming Audio For The Masses
* The Future Of Music Is In The Force Of Gaz Reynolds
* Music Gorilla Artist Gets Signed!
* DiscoverRadio Showcases New Artists With Custom Radio Station
* Sowatt Showcases In My Life At Canadian Music Week
* Hit Song Science Picks Aslyn
* Revolutionary SMS Password Access To Desktop Concerts

Grayson Wray Releases "Tales Of Mystery And Loneliness"

Grayson Wray is releasing his third album Febuary 10, 2005. It’s called "Tales Of Mystery And Loneliness " His previous two albums have been played all over the world on college, internet and satilite radio the last two years. Grayson was in the top ten on numerous major college stations like WRAS, Georgia State University. He was voted artist of the week on internet station Wizard Radio, artist of the month on internet station Radio X, and artist of the day on GarageBand.com. Grayson is currently putting a live band together with plans of touring soon.

This was said about his last album "Picassos’ Dream". Grayson Wray, serving up his second CD (last year’s ‘Road To Paradise’ was very well received) has almost single-handedly delivered one of the most impressive CD’s I’ve heard in a long time.

He’s taken a lot of familiar sounds and styles and truly morphed them into a sound that is uniquely his own. While influences can definitely be heard - from the Beatle-esque harmonies and layering of different instruments to the 60’s guitar sounds - they are never stale regurgitations of licks we already know.

Instead, Grayson has done what a true artist should do - boldly go where no one has gone before!

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CatDesigners Get Luvvied Up

CatDesigners had two tracks from their album, Strange Little Creature, selected to be featured in a play, "Starving Necrophilia," at the Pleasance Theatre in May.

The writer and director of the play, Lisa Cagnacci, approached CatDesigners to ask if they had any music suitable to feature at the beginning and the end of the play. Nick Troop read the script while Lisa took copies of both albums and both hit upon "Good Thoughts" and "Strange Gods" .

"I felt ‘Good Thoughts’ was the most appropriate in terms of matching what I sensed was the mood of the play," said Nick. "albeit that I had only read the script and not actually seen the play. I suggested ‘Strange Gods’ for the end of the play because some of the words at the end of the script are actually echoed in the song. It was uncanny … and more than a little spooky."

"The last line from the play is ‘The gods are falling like rain. They know how’ while the last line from the song is ‘Strange gods on my side. Sky high and falling.’ Almost too good to be true."

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Alicia Keys: The Diary of Alicia Keys On DVD

Eagle Rock Entertainment brings an unprecedented look into the everyday life of one of today’s hottest, most admired and talented musical sensations, Alicia Keys. You’ve seen her on stage and you’ve heard her on the radio; now get a rare up-close and personal look at the young woman behind that powerhouse voice.

As a singer, songwriter and pianist, Alicia Keys has raised the bar for female musicians and has been embraced by audiences of all ages. Fans now get inside the head of Alicia Keys and an exclusive look at this superstar with the DVD release of Alicia Keys: The Diary Of Alicia Keys. Containing footage that cannot be seen on any other Alicia Keys project, the DVD goes behind the scenes to capture the true Ms. Keys and her team craft her most recent album, The Diary of Alicia Keys.

Alicia Keys took the modern R&B world to a whole new level the minute she broke onto the music scene and has since earned the title of "musical superstar." Capturing loads of behind the scenes footage, the cameras take viewers onto the tour bus, the stage and even to video and photo shoots, offering a glimpse at the daily life of Alicia Keys. The Diary Of Alicia Keys captures the true personality of Alicia, not usually seen on stage. From Spain to Arizona to Africa, The Diary Of Alicia Keys is a raw and real look at this critically acclaimed, multiple Grammy award winning, platinum selling international superstar.

Join Alicia and her crew onto the set of the "Girlfriend" video shoot and DIARY photo shoots. Get an up close and personal look at the different sides of Alicia, watch hilarious footage of fights on tour, rough crowds and clowning around between she and her team. Offering a backstage pass to all things Alicia, The Diary Of Alicia Keys is a must-have for any fan.

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Garage Radio Offers Streaming Audio For The Masses

With more artists utilizing the Internet for exposure than ever before, the most common question among them seems to be, "What’s the best way to present my music from my web site?" Garage Radio, in cooperation with K-Amp, has answered with the K-Amp Player.

The K-AMP Player is a web-based service and solutions provider that enables website owners and administrators to audiocast their own web-based audio player using K-AMP’s web-enabled media management solution. K-AMP succeeds in delivering a reliable on-demand experience, eliminating the need for media players while providing users with better player controls without buffering and without downloading MP3s to a user’s hard drive.

"We saw the value in this product immediately," said John Foxworthy, Chief Editor and Co-Founder of Garage Radio, "I’ve been approached many times as to an easy way for artists to stream music from their own sites without compromising quality or just giving it away - this is the solution we’ve been looking for."

Garage Radio currently uses the K-Amp Player to spotlight the Top 10 tracks on their play list and many bands, including Zakk Wylde and Damageplan, have already found great value in the service.

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The Future Of Music Is In The Force Of Gaz Reynolds

Gaz Reynolds has teamed up with some of the latest & greatest producers (including the legendary Future Force), to bring you his new single ‘I Don’t Care/Where Will You Go?’ which is scheduled for release in late March.

Gaz said; ‘Its been great having Future Force on board for this project. They have an incredible track record of hits behind them including remixes for; Ian Van Dahl, Pink (God Is A DJ), Attomic Kitten & many more!’

This great package also includes remixes by Karma Farm, Panik Brothers, SleazeSisters & ‘New Kid On The Block’ Nathan Bennett.

The single ‘I Don’t Care’ was selected as one of RRadio Network’s Top 10 Pop songs & has been picked up by DJs around the world. The single has already hit the No.1 Dance Spot in the UK & Europe & is now impacting US radio stations on CHR Formats.

Gaz Reynolds has already clocked up an impressive track record of HITS including; ‘DEEP’, ‘In This House’, ‘On Holy Ground’ & the massively successful ‘Electric Kama Sutra’ which was recently voted by Euro Dance Hits as one of the best Euro NRG Club Trax of 2004.

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Music Gorilla Artist Gets Signed!

Music Gorilla, a new and fast-growing resource in the online repertoire of both independent musicians and label scouts, is helping break down the invisible yet substantial barrier between labels and emerging artists.

Music Gorilla congratulates their Artist Member Bridgett Huffhines who was recently signed to a two year songwriting deal with Lamon Records. The label found Bridgett at MusicGorilla.com. Lamon Records is just one of the labels that works with Music Gorilla to find new artists. Some of their other artist members are in discussions with reps at Sony Records and Hollywood Records, those artists were also heard by the reps of these labels at Music Gorilla.

Built specifically for the needs of the A&R community, label reps sign written commitments to screen artists from the Music Gorilla community. The system works because reps only get the genres that they have expressed interest in, therefore, they don’t have to go through music that they are not signing at the time.

Music Gorilla’s unique service benefits all parties involved. Each artist gets to post their state-of-the-art "online resume," thereby gaining crucial exposure to label insiders, and the labels get tipped off to talented artists. The user-friendly, ad-free environment is also a significant draw for the label reps and bands alike.

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DiscoverRadio Online Indie Radio Showcases New Artists With Custom Radio Station

Indie rock music fans have found a new way to discover up-and-coming artists. discoverRadio, part of the Globaldust network, allows listeners to set their preferences and listen to music tailored to their tastes.

"The station is ’smart’ in that respect," says John Patrick, developer. discoverRadio lets users set their genre preferences before tuning in. Listeners can choose to listen song-by-song or let the player choose for them. The 20-year-old founder receives hundreds of indie rock song pitches per week and approves only quality music.

discoverRadio plays music of all genres, ranging from Alternative Rock to World Music. The station continues its rapid growth, with thousands of listeners per week. "We’re turning into an indie rock Launch.com," says Patrick.

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Sowatt Showcases In My Life At Canadian Music Week

Quebec City band SOWATT brings its personal brand of power pop/rock with radio friendly melodies, solid lyrics and high energy level to Toronto’s Canadian Music Week.

Who: SOWATT
What: CMW Break Thru Series presented by ACCESS / Randy River
When: Thursday, March 3rd, 2005, 1am
Where: Club 279, Toronto, Ontario
Why: To catch these rising stars at the beginning of an incredible year

SOWATT’s debut English album In My Life produced by Canadian producer Tino Izzo has not been officially released; however, the song "Just For A Day" and the video for "Move On" are creating quite a buzz. The band has acquired a solid fan base playing over 200 live shows and acquiring opening slots in 2004 for Simple Plan and David Usher.

The band plans to tour extensively in 2005 and is working on securing a Canadian release for a new version of In My Life with new mixes and additional songs. There is enormous reaction on websites world-wide and solid interest in the band from a few prominent labels so 2005 looks to be the year the band breaks.

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Hit Song Science Picks Aslyn
The technology that predicted the success of Norah Jones and Maroon 5 says Aslyn has what it takes to be the next big pop star

Polyphonic HMI predicted the success of Norah Jones’ debut album, Come Away With Me, well before it won 8 Grammys in 2003. Soon afterwards the global microscope was directed at this firm’s curious technology called Hit Song Science (HSS for short), focusing the music industry’s as well as the media’s attention on their ability to predict the likelihood of market success for songs well in advance of the music’s release.

Since announcing the existence of HSS, Polyphonic has begun working for many of the major labels within each of the major music companies and a variety of independents. HSS technology predicted the success of all of Maroon 5’s hits from their Songs About Jane album and predicted the success of their current hit, Sunday Morning a year and two months before other hit prediction services, although the company wasn’t permitted to say so publicly at the time due to a confidentiality agreement with the label group. BMG later granted Polyphonic permission to speak about it.

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Revolutionary SMS Password Access To Desktop Concerts

My Virtual Business eXchange has chosen m-commerce giant, txtNation to deliver their revolutionary new service broadcasting live concerts for viewers to watch from the comfort of their browser window. The concerts are password protected using SMS billing through mENABLE, a service owned and developed by txtNation.

The next concert will be broadcast on the 18th February live from the Cockpit, Leeds, featuring the critically acclaimed The Go! Team. The concert will also be available to streamed after the event at http://MyVBX.com.

The concert is the third to be broadcast by MyVBX, who have a full programme for 2005, bringing a number of top acts to the web. Further details will be announced on MyVBX.com for more details.

"MyVBX is determined to ensure that the fans receive the optimum concert experience online, and our investment in infrastructure, and the mobile payment solution provided by mENABLE certainly reflects this", said Forbes Hamilton, Managing Director of MyVBX.

Click for more info:

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission

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I am trying out a new weekly feature on The Rock and Roll Report called the "Indie News Beat" from the excellent music news site Music Dish. Except for today it would be posted every Tuesday. My only concern is that it is not strictly Rock and Roll but it often features some excellent indie-related stuff so that’s the main reason I have added it to the mix. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
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A while back I wrote about the pending release of an anthology of Roky Ericson’s stuff by Shout! Factory called "I Have Always Been Here Before: The Roky Erickson Anthology." Well it will be in the stores March 1st, 2005 and to get you in the mood I have a few song samples that you can listen to in either Quicktime or Windows Media formats:

"She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own)" - 13th Floor Elevators
Windows Media
Quicktime

"Bermuda" - Roky Erickson
Windows Media
Quicktime

"If You Have Ghosts" - Roky Erickson & The Aliens
Windows Media
Quicktime

Here is the full tracklisting:

TRACK LIST

Disc One:

1. We Sell Soul – The Spades
2. You’re Gonna Miss Me – 13th Floor Elevators
3. Reverberation (Doubt) – 13th Floor Elevators
4. Tried To Hide – 13th Floor Elevators
5. Fire Engine – 13th Floor Elevators
6. She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own) – 13th Floor Elevators
7. Slip Inside This House – 13th Floor Elevators
8. Splash 1 – 13th Floor Elevators
9. Dust – 13th Floor Elevators
10. I Had To Tell You – 13th Floor Elevators
11. POSTures (Leave Your Body Behind) – 13th Floor Elevators
12. Earthquake – 13th Floor Elevators
13. Right Track Now – Roky Erickson & Clementine Hall
14. Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog) – Roky Erickson & Bleib Alien
15. Starry Eyes – Roky Erickson & Bleib Alien
16. Bermuda – Roky Erickson
17. The Interpreter – Roky Erickson
18. Mine Mine Mind – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
19. I Have Always Been Here Before – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
20. Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
21. I Think Of Demons – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
22. Don’t Shake Me Lucifer – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
23. White Faces – Roky Erickson & The Aliens

Disc Two:

1. it’s a Cold Night For Alligators – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
2. Creature With The Atom Brain – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
3. Stand For The Fire Demon – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
4. Bloody Hammer – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
5. The Wind And More – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
6. If You Have Ghosts – Roky Erickson & The Aliens
7. Song To Abe Lincoln (Live) – Roky Erickson & Bleib Alien
8. Anthem (i pROMISE) – Roky Erickson
9. Warning (Social/Political Injustices) (Live) – Roky Erickson
10. The Beast – Roky Erickson & Evil Hook Wildlife E.T.
11. You Don’t Love Me Yet – Roky Erickson
12. Clear Night For Love – Roky Erickson
13. Don’t Slander Me – Roky Erickson
14. Nothing In Return – Roky Erickson
15. Burn In The Flames – Roky Erickson
16. When You Get Delighted – Roky Erickson
17. True Love Casts Out All Evil – Roky Erickson
18. For You (I’d Do Anything) – Roky Erickson
19. Please Judge – Roky Erickson
20. We Are Never Talking – Roky Erickson
21. I’M GONNA FREE HER – Roky Erickson

Always one of my favourite rock and roll eccentrics, Roky has put out some amazing rock and roll and this anthology has certainly been on my list as a "must have." If you have never heard of or listened to Roky Ericson’s work in the past then you are in for a treat as the psychedelic rock and roll visions of Roky Ericson are the stuff of demented rock and roll dreams. I look forward in anticipation to March 1st!
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Bring ‘em on in looks like a pretty cool "Sixties club" featuring ’60’s soul, garage, psych, freakbeat and ska from around the world. On top of that their site has some great MP3s that you can download and the playlists from their past "happenings" are avaliable there as well.Their next event is this Friday, February 25th, 2005 at Lounge 88, 14 Clinton Street in Toronto, Canada. No cover charge and the joint starts jumpin’ at 10:00 PM. Sounds like a cool time.
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Last week I mentioned the the best British albums of all time according to a BBC report. Well the list was compiled by Kerrang magazine as voted on by their readers and I have the full list for your reading and debating pleasure so here it is:

1. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
2. Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast
3. Sex Pistols - Nevermind The Bullocks
4. Led Zeppelin - IV
5. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
6. Muse - Absolution
7. The Clash - London Calling
8. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
9. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
10. Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
11. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
12. Judas Priest - British Steel
13. Def Leppard - Hysteria
14. Black Sabbath - Volume 4
15. The Darkness - Permission To Land
16. Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz
17. The Wildhearts - Earth vs The Wildhearts
18. Lostprophets - Start Something
19. Queen - A Night At The Opera
20. Muse - Origin Of Symmetry
21. Ash - Free All Angels
22. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
23. Stereophonics - Performance And Cocktails
24. Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
25. Feeder - Echo Park
26. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
27. Cradle of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast
28. Iron Maiden - Brave New World
29. The Clash - The Clash
30. Funeral For A Friend - Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation
31. Therapy? - Troublegum
32. Feeder - Comfort In Sound
33. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman
34. Deep Purple - Machine Head
35. The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette
36. Def Leppard - Pyromania
37. Hundred Reasons - Ideas Above Our Station
38. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
39. The Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land
40. Muse- Showbiz
41. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
42. Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terroists
43. Ash - 1977
44. Iron Maiden - Killers
45. Pitchshifter - www.pitchshifter.com
46. Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengence
47. Idlewild - Hope Is Important
48. Biffy Clyro - Infinity Land
49. Reef - Glow
50. Napalm Death - Scum
51. Lost Prophets - The Fake Sound Of Progress
52. Saxon - Wheels of steel
53. The Cult - Electric
54. Skunk Anansie - Paranoid and Sunburnt
55. Bush - Sixteen Stone
56. Deep Purple - In Rock
57. A - Hi-Fi Serious
58. Hell Is For Heroes - The Neon Handshake
59. Whitesnake - 1987
60. Terrorvision - How To Make Friends And Influence People
61. Free - Fire And Water
62. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
63. Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality
64. Judas Priest - Stained Class
65. Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
66. Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
67. Killing Joke - Killing Joke
68. Venom - Black Metal
69. Iron Monkey - Iron Monkey
70. The Wildhearts - PHUQ
71. Motorhead - Overkill
72. Queen - Queen II
73. Feeder - Yesterday Went Too Soon
74. Rainbow - Rising
75. Sisters Of Mercy - Floodland
76. Therapy - Nurse
77. Biffy Clyro - Blackened Sky
78. Godflesh - Streetcleaner
79. Earthtone9 - Arc’tan’gent
80. Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
81. Stereophonics - Word Gets Around
82. 3 Colours Red - Pure
83. Cathedral - The Etheral Mirror
84. Thunder - Backstreet Symphony
85. Raging Speedhorn - Raging Speedhorn
86. Paradise Lost - Draconion Times
87. Feeder - Polythene
88. Stiff Little Fingers - Inflamable Material
89. A - A Vs The Monkey Kong
90. Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing
91. The Ruts - The Crack
92. Fudge Tunnel - Hate Songs In E Minor
93. Baby Chaos - Love Your Self Abuse
94. Carcass - Symphony Of Sickness
95. Gang Of Four - Entertainment
96. Orange Goblin - Tiem Travelling Blues
97. The Exploited - Troops Of Tomorrow
98. Cradle Of Filth - Dusk And Her Embrace
99. Anathema - A Fine Day To Exit
100. Therapy? - Infernal Love

Where in the hell are the Beatles and the Rolling Stones? Geez how about Oasis or the Jam? Don’t get me started….
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The Asian Tsunami was a disaster of epic proportions and the response to the needs of the people in the countries affected has been overwhelmingly positive. There have been and continue to be numerous fundraising events put on for the victims of this tradgedy and one that caught my eye is the "Of Hands And Hearts: Music For The Tsunami Disaster Fund" double CD compilation that will be released March 22nd, 2005 by Norwalk Distributors. This CD compilation features a lot of great bands pumping out a ton of great music with a lot of it unreleased and is a bargain at the suggested price of $13.98. Even more importantly, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this CD go to the humanitarian organization CARE so in essence there really is no reason why you wouldn’t want to buy it. It should be available at your finer indie rock stores and at most online stores including the wonderful Not Lame Records. For more information on each of the bands and links to their websites check out the "Of Hearts and Minds" website at Norwalk Distributors. Great music raising money for a needy cause is something that The Rock and Roll Report and I am sure you will always support. Mark March 15th, 2005 on your calender and pick this CD up. I know that I will. The full track listing is:

DISC ONE:

1. PAUL COLLINS’ BEAT-“All Over The World”
2. THE TALK-“Good Songs”
3. DRAMARAMA-“Try Five Times”
4. EDDIE SPAGHETTI-“Sleepy Vampire”
5. DILLON FENCE-“I’ll Learn”
6. THE RED ELVISES-“Ticket To Japan”
7. GANGGAJANG-“Anodyne Dream”
8. THE DOTTED LINE-“She Is Light”
9. bang SUGAR bang-“Major Label Interest”
10. THE LAST-“I Know” (demo)
11. THE DONKEYS-“No Way”
12. NINE BELOW ZER0-“Go Girl”
13. THE RUBINOOS-“In The Worst Way”
14. ANNABELLA LWIN-“Sacred Ground”
15. DOG TRUMPET-“Once Too Often”
16. BARRY HOLDSHIP-“Stuck In Time”
17. JEREMY-“If I Could”
18. RAY MASON BAND-“I Own The Ending”
19. THE SUNBEAMS-“Star Trek”
20. THE LOLAS-“Silver Dollar Sunday”
21. ROSETTA STONE-“Drive On”
22. MIDWAY-“Connection”
23. THE FIXX-“Fatal Shore” (live)
24. JOANNA HOGG & NICK BEGGS-“Who Will Hold You?”

DISC TWO

1. SUPERSUCKERS-“Bubblegum And Beer”
2. THE WAKING HOURS-“Someday Soon”
3. GUITAR GANGSTERS-“Another Day In Pleasantville”
4. SUBURBAN LEGENDS-“Blingity Bling”
5. R. STEVIE MOORE with DAVE GREGORY-“Dates”
6. ADRIAN BELEW-“Survival In The Wild”
7. CHROMOSOME TEA-“Spring 1913”
8. JEFFREY FOSKETT-“It’s My Fault”
9. WANG CHUNG-“Akasha”
10. EASTERLY-“If You Knew” (TW Walsh Remix)
11. WORMSTEW-“Lady Luck”
12. KEVIN GILBERT & THUD-“When You Give Your Love To Me” (live)
13. KYLE VINCENT-“You Will Dance Again”
14. JOHN WICKS -“Rising Stars”
15. UNDERWATER CITY PEOPLE-“Here We Go Again”
16. THE TWINKLES-“We’re The Kids”
17. WONDERBOY-“Moron Man”
18. THE VIRGINIA SISTERS-“That’s Just Wrong”
19. JOE ‘KING’ CARRASCO-“Cu Ru Cu Pa”
20. THE LETTER OPENERS-“A Normal Town”
21. EUGENE EDWARDS-“It Doesn’t Get Better Than This”
22. THE RANDIES-“Peanut Butter”
23. BMX BANDITS-“The End Of Time”
24. MICHAEL CARPENTER-“Thinking About You”
25. BOBBY WHITLOCK & KIM CARMEL-“Beautiful”

(Updated to include the new release date of 03/22/05)
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Since The Rock and Roll Report is not my full-time job (although sometimes it feels like I spend enough time on it!) things tend to accumulate in my e-mail inbox, things that I plan to write about, sites to check out and most of all bands to listen to. I currently have a ton of bands in my "Bands to check out" folder of my inbox that is just getting ridiculously full so in order for me to thin out the pile and get some rock and roll kicks I am inaugurating the first ever "Band Week" which will be a feature from time to time where I will take one week to concentrate on nothing but bands and solo musicians. This doesn’t mean that I won’t write about bands during my "regular" weeks, far from it. All it means is that during these weeks the music news, features, ruminations and resources that I write about will be set aside so I can feature nothing but music that I haven’t had a chance to listen to. Hopefully we will all get a nice rock and roll rush that will stick with us for awhile. So get ready! The first Band Week will debut February 28th, 2005.
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According to Hunter S. Thompson Wanted Remains Fired From Cannon- Friends Plan Private, Public Ceremonies there will be a private commemoration for family and friends on March 5th with a public event likely in April. Apparently Hunter wanted his ashes fired out of a cannon  as he often joked that he was "cannon fodder." Only Hunter could have come up with this plan!
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I have always maintained that rock and roll is a global phenomena and you have to go no further than Russian band Llanfair P.G. to prove this point. A primitive and wild psychedelic punk band, Llanfair P.G. just go to show that rock and roll is a universal language. Check out their full length MP3 downloads at Download.com. I just think this is so cool and their tunes are great to boot!
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Another week goes by and yet another historical recording studio closes its’ doors. This week the victim is Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Yes, the very place where Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and the Stones all recorded seminal pieces of rock and roll history is closing down because of declining business, another victim of the easy availability of high quality home recording equipment. While I don’t regret having tools like Garageband available, it is still a shame when a place like Muscle Shoals has to shut down. If only those walls could talk.
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Here is another example of a very cool music festival that you might not hear too much about. The Dewey Beach Popfest is an annual event held in Dewey Beach, Delaware (USA) that features an amazing array of great rock and roll. This year’s event takes place April 29th-30th, 2005 and is sure to be another smash. They are currently putting together this year’s talent line-up but judging from both 2003 and 2004 this year will be another amazing rock and roll adventure. I’ll keep you updated on the final line-up as soon as it becomes available but believe it or not, Delaware might just be the place to party at the end of April this year!
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Radio X calls itself "independent radio" for a reason. According to the people behind the station:

Our slogan means just what it says. Radio X is independent in the fact that we play artists and bands that aren’t affiliated with the major labels. Radio X is independent in thought, format, and idea. Radio X is privately owned and operated and not under control of the mammoth recording industry.

Radio X is a great example of just one of the resources available to indie rock musicians that welcome their contributions with open arms and airplay. Great radio devoid of the formulaic corporate crudd found elsewhere, Radio X is just great radio. I have only been listening for a couple of days but like what I hear. More indie rock choice is music to my ears. Check it out today.
UPDATE! Just recieved an e-mail from Charles at Radio X to tell me that their streams have stopped while they relocate the station. They hope to be up and running within a month so check back then, althought the website will remain up. D’oh!
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Hunter S. Thompson is dead. He died from a self-inflicted gun shot wound at his legendary Owl Farm compound in Woody Creek, Colorado yesterday and I am bracing myself for all the pseudo-analysis and psycho-babble that we are sure to hear from hacks with half his skill in the days to come. I remember like it was yesterday the first time that I discovered Thompson. I was at a bookstore in Montreal sometime in the late ’70s with a mission to buy a guitar tab book for my hated guitar lessons. Instead I stumbled across "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and proceeded to spend the next hour propped up against the store bookshelves reading the first 50 pages or so of this novel that was so….different from anything else I had ever read. I bought it naturally, the guitar tab book quickly forgotten and from that moment on I became an unabashed fan. I purchased as much as I could find and even this past weekend before I heard of his death I was randomly reading from "The Great Shark Hunt" with as much enjoyment as usual, not realizing what depths of despair the author must have found himself in at that very moment. In the days to come, much will be written about Hunter’s "gonzo" lifestyle, about the booze, drugs, guns and fast convertibles. It’s a shame that stories of his lifestyle will sidetrack people from appreciating the real legacy of Hunter S. Thompson. Hunter S. Thompson was responsible for some of the finest literature in the second half of the twentieth century and it is imperative that this legacy, rather than his drugs of choice become his true epitaph. Hunter was the first author that wrote in a way that was not only entertaining but was brutally incitefull, sometimes to a fault and with a depth and passion that could only come from someone with The Gift. Not only that, to me Hunter made literature "cool" something that not even my best English teacher could manage. It was through reading Hunter that I discovered F. Scott Fitzgerald, Joseph Conrad, Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemmingway, George Plimpton and many more authors who were as far away from the gonzo style as you could possibly imagine and yet, because of Hunter’s enthusiasm for these writers his passion made me want to read them, a gift that has enriched my life ten-fold. Much like another of my favourite degenrates Keith Richards, the man who introduced me to the wonders of Muddy Waters and Chess Records, Hunter had an eloquent way of encouraging readers to investigate the classics of literature through the use of a well-placed quote or a brief passage in one of his pieces describing for example a scene from "The Great Gatsby" with a passion that betrayed his true intelligence. Through Hunter I have learned and enjoyed the written word perhaps more than through any other person and to that I give him thanks. Sure I tried to emulate him to a modest degree. I had my fair share of attempts at getting to meet him, hastily scribbled fan letters sent to the Woody Creek Tavern and a completely unsuccessful attempt at a "Hunter breakfast" where I discovered that despite his example, Wild Turkey and grapefruit do not mix. But reading Thompson encouraged me to write. Not for publication or for any kind of career but just to write for the joy and art of writing. Hunter S. Thomspson showed me and to those of us who admired him the power of the written word. If you are not so much a fan of his "Gonzo" writing read his pieces for the National Observer or Scanlans from the early to mid-sixties and you will read the work of an incredibly talented observational writer. The man could paint a picture with words that was of such power and eloquence that you sometimes just shook your head in awe at his masterfull wordplay.

As I write this I sit here with mixed emotions. I am angry that a man so talented felt that he had gotten to a point where he had to kill himself, something I don’t think that I will ever truly understand but I also sit here with an incredible sense of thanks for the joy that he has brought to my world and the inspiration that he has infused me with, something that has strangely redoubled even as I type these words now. In the last couple of years I think that Hunter was unfairly slagged by both his fans and enemies as having nothing new to say and of suggesting that he should just put up or shut up. I have always held the thought that he has given enough of his talent to more than reward those of us who read his works and that perhaps we were unfair in pressuring him to do more when maybe he would have much preferred to retire his Gonzo persona and relax to enjoy the fruits of his success with the odd "Hey Rube!" thrown in for good measure. At the very least, he will no longer have to put up with the slings and arrows and will perhaps finally be at peace with himself and his legacy. To his family I express my most sincere condolences. Hunter S. Thompson was a legend in his own time. He was perhaps the first "rock star" author and journalist but most of all, he was just damn good at what he did. I will miss your screed but I will forever treasure your words. Thank you Doc for everything you have given us. You will not be forgotten.
UPDATE! The Guardian has a nice piece on Hunter’s career, legacy and reactions to his death. In addition, Salon has a retrospective of articles on Hunter called Remembering Hunter S. Thompson that you should check out. Finally (for now) This is London has an obituary that would do the Doc proud in Hunter S. Thompson takes his final trip. The NME has an obituary that briefly mentions Hunter’s love of music:

A passionate music fan, Thompson drew early inspiration from his hero Bob Dylan, the author had co-written several songs including ‘You’re A Whole Different Person When You’re Scared’ with his friend, the late Warren Zevon, while an audio sample of him reading his scathing Richard Nixon obituary appeared on Paul Oakenfold’s album ’Bunkka’.

However he retained a healthy disrespect for the music industry, famously calling it “a cruel and shallow trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men lie like dogs. There is also a negative side”.

That reminds me of a video I have somewhere in my house of Hunter meeting up with Keith Richards. Kind of anti-climactic when you see it but it still is a lot of fun to watch.

Hunter S. Thompson Dies (Rolling Stone)

Thompson said not one to die in hospital  (Kansas City Star)

Hunter S. Thompson: 1937-2005 (San Francisco Chronicle)

Thompson played by his own rules to the end

New Journalism’s Dark Prince (Los Angeles Times)

Ripples spread far from writer’s work (Rocky Mountain News)

Hunter S. Thompson- Lost Gonzo (Blog Critics)

Remembering Hunter S. Thompson: Gatling guns, loose hogs and editing by David McCumber (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Largehearted Boy has a link to two Bittorrent files of recordings of Hunter’s lectures, one from Boulder in 1977 and one from Washington and Lee University in 1991.

Stanton: Like Icarus, Hunter Thompson flew a little too high (Tucson Citzen)

Hunter S. Thompson: Shutting The Door, Painting The Windows Black, By Kurt Loder (MTV)

Prose laureate of the Age of Paranoia- Thompson was stalked by doom but his writing was beacon of truth (MSNBC)

Fear, Loathing, and Great Reporting (Editor & Publisher)

‘Gonzo’ behavior made him an icon, but check Thompson’s writing (SF Gate.com)

"We’ve Gone from Bad to Worse to Rotten" Hunter S. Thompson and Gonzo By Alexander Cockburn (Counterpunch)

Spokesman: Thompson likely planned suicide far in advance (ABC News)

According to Hunter S. Thompson Wanted Remains Fired From Cannon- Friends Plan Private, Public Ceremonies there will be a private commemoration for family and friends on March 5th with a public event likely in April. Apparently Hunter wants his ashes fired out of a cannon as he often joked that he was "cannon fodder." Only Hunter could have come up with this plan!

Timing of Thompson’s suicide surprises son - Juan Thompson says father just decided it was time to go (MSNBC)

Thompson ’shot himself on phone’ (BBC News)

Quotable Thompson

Believer (a great retrospective commentary on Thompson by Lousi Menand in The New Yorker)

Son’s shotgun tribute- HST’s final word: Counselor (Rocky Mountain News)

Thompson’s family memorializes writer in private gathering (Rocky Mountain News)

I will update the site with details about funeral arrangements and memorials, etc. but until then I think I will lay low a little bit and read some of Hunter’s writing and return to my regular posting schedule on Wednesday or Thursday. I welcome any and all contributions if you have thoughts to share on Hunter’s passing.
UPDATE 2! I will be continuously updating this post as new news becomes available although the post itself will remain fixed on this date for the forseeable future.
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