Here in LA it's "The Eagle," who arhythmically dances to anything - acompanied by live birds! He used to carry this large bird cage with him, which he would set down to dance and if anyone approached it he'd get hostile. Think he's a little crazy. Now he usually just has a couple birds on his shoulder. Recently a band member asked what one bird's name was. He said,by MrFab
Man, how could I forget John & Yoko's stuff, like "Walking on Thin Ice" -CLASSIC. John's guitar work is demented on that one. And Hawkwind dropped the prog/metal thing for one album - "Quark Strangeness and Charm." The title track is a wonderful 3-minute bit of Devo-ish nerd pop.by MrFab
Yeah, I was just looking at an ad for a club near Los Angeles that's like the Home of The Has-Beens: coming up in future months are the likes of Foreigner, Air Supply, Doobie Bros (which line-up?), Dave Mason, The Tubes, comedian Sinbad, and on one big night, Romeo Void, Dramarama, and The English Beat! So surreal, like I picked up a 25-year-old paper by mistake.by MrFab
Oh yeah, Linda Ronstadt's Elvis Costello cover ("Alison" I think?). In what has to be one of the all-time great rock'n'roll put-downs, Costello called it "a waste of vinyl."by MrFab
I'd say an artistic progression heavily influenced by punk. Robert Fripp's League of Gentlemen, which provided the template for the new Crimson, played stripped down, very energetic 3 minute guitar rock songs (David Byrne even guested!). Quite a contrast to the prior sprawling prog epics. Not to mention the fashion makeover, to short hair and sharp suits. And the Fripp-produced second Gby MrFab
It's the 80s. Time to lose the denim and facial hair, get synthesizers, and try and stay on top: Yes "Owner of a Lonely Heart" Neil Young "Trans" ("We R In Control" RULES) Peter Gabriel and, to a lesser extent, Phil Collins Grace Jones Robert Palmer A friend of mine had the Village People's New Romantic album "Renaissance" and a Shaun Cby MrFab
Welcome. Your name reminds me of the late great Los Angeles DJ Deirdre O'Donahue, who introduced me to so much amazing music (including some of those bands on your list.)by MrFab
"Bass player CAPTAIN SENSIBLE reveals the hidden punk fact in a new documentary, PUNK: ATTITUDE...Chrissie was in an early incarnation of The Damned, which she wanted to call MIKE HUNT'S HONOURABLE DISCHARGE - a charming name." - contactmusic.comby MrFab
LA bands who had to change their name for legal reasons: REO Speedealer The Greatful Dead Kennedys Blob Dylan Pink Floyd The Barber (Pink Floyd The Barber changed their name to Double Naught Spy Car - good surf band, think they're still around)by MrFab
They Might Be Giants have already done the themes to "Courage the Cowardly Dog" (good one) and "Malcolm in the Middle." So not surprising. And M. Mothersbaugh's soundtrack company Mutato Musica has been doing kid's soundtrack's (mainly Nickleodeon) for years. His old Devo pals often collaborate with him. Anyway, using music to sell things SUCKS. A song that oncby MrFab
I can't believe I forgot: Talking Heads "Remain in Light"by MrFab
Good tip re: public libraries. Look up these albums on the NYC library website - it should tell you which library is stocking them. Then, run all over the city from library to library checking 'em out. You can record them, which would save you a lot of money. (Not that I would ever recommend doing such a thing to our beloved record companies!) More must-haves: rock: "Nuggets" (vby MrFab
Hippest college station in the world: KXLU.comby MrFab
Yeah, but Chicago swiped it from The Beatles/George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Anyway, from wikipedia: "When Nevermind was released, members of the band Killing Joke noticed a strong similarity between the main riff of "Come As You Are" and the riff of their own single, "Eighties". The band, however, did not file a copyright infringement lby MrFab
The last decade of David Bowie.by MrFab
I think I keep going back to The Minutemen and PiL's "Metal Box" because they were so brilliant, yet so singular - too weird/unique to be influential. And, in the case of the Minutemen, it would require technical skills beyond the pale of most self-taught punk types..by MrFab
The entire Sting review.by MrFab
I used to think Jim Green's original review of the Gary Wilson album "You Think You Really Know Me" was the funniest thing ever.by MrFab
LCD Soundsystem!!!!!!!by MrFab
Funny, I just got a copy used (in great shape) for like 3 or 4 bucks at Amoeba in Hollywood only about a month ago or so. So there are copies floating around. Check your used shops. The album sounds years ahead of it's time - resembling more the sincere, personal (DON'T say "emo"!) alt-'80s sounds of, say, the Rplacements, or their Santa Cruz homies Camper Van Beethoven tby MrFab
I'd like to know. Despite the TP review, the 1st album has plenty of classic Sue Tissue material - they could have been LA's answer to the Talking Heads.by MrFab
Hey, sickos, looking for new music? I've started a web-log, updated almost daily, called "Music For Maniacs" (http://musicformaniacs.blogspot.com/): Sick music. For sick people. Home-recordings, internet art-terrorists, and utterly unique sounds will be reviewed here, with links provided for your downloading/listening pleasure ... You want to check some of this stuff out, Ira, buby MrFab
Radiohead are the new Pink Floyd. Yep, they really are that boring. But at least stoners have something new to play, so they don't have to drag out "Dark Side of the Moon" for the umteenth million time!by MrFab
Sounds like the Plasmatics. Don't know what song tho.by MrFab
Hey Ira, you wrote about They Might Be giants fans: "the band has attracted far too many other kinds of idiots to make attending shows a completely enjoyable experience." I haven't seen a full-fledged Giants show (just an in-store acoustic thing years ago) but I'd like to. Now you've got me worried. Are they like "Rocky Horror" fans, w/ costumes, props, actinby MrFab
Song #3 sounds like it could be "Baby Judy" by the Hawaiian Pups. An edited version is available on a comp. #4 is "Mother Is" by Ki Di Me, a 7" from 1981 (got the record right in front of me - it's on Read Records). out of print, available from collectors sites. There's a copy on eBaby right now for 10 bucks.by MrFab