I don’t find many Dylan parodies particularly funny. Too easy, ya know? For me, Dylan-based high comedy was entirely contained to the recent No Direction, Period video, and that’s about it.
The best part of rock music is the incredible diversity, the oh-so-many different subgenres that fall within the category, from punk to emo to jam to pop. This week’s Grousing The Aisles features some incredible rock and/or roll bands from the past 30 years, each with its own unique style.
We’ll begin with some oldies, with punk rockers The Clash representing the ’70s and ’80s, and The Lemonheads bringing us the ’90s power pop. The other two entries are from seemingly always-on-the-road jammers RAQ and Outformation. When Bill Haley first sang Rock Around The Clock in 1954, I don’t think he realized how diverse the genre would become over the next five decades.
RAQ 02/08/07 DAUD (FLAC, MP3, STREAM):
It has been a few months since we’ve checked in on Burlington’s RAQ. The band has been out on an ambitious three-month tour that criss crosses the country, hitting 42 cities. Cleveland was the first city RAQ swept through, and unlike another Vermont quartet, this band sounded tight and heavily practiced.
The Grog Shop show featured here opens with the beginning of Carbohydrates Are The Enemy before segueing into Forget Me Not, a rockin’ little ditty that would surely have hit the top of the charts in the mid-1970s. Towards the end of the first set the band works its way back into the ending of Carbohydrates Are The Enemy — and I must say that the second segment of Carbs could be my favorite part of a RAQ song. Guitarist Chris Michetti lays down a fierce solo reminicent of Frank Zappa tearing through the middle of Inca Roads.
Other highlights from this hot RAQ show include the way the band weaves Bootch Magoo in and out of various songs throughout the second set and a ripping cover of ZZ Top’s I’m Bad I’m Nationwide. RAQ does a great job of presenting a bunch of different sounds throughout their show, always keeping it interesting.
My biggest issue with them is the lack of soundboard recordings. While I’m sure the taper (Jesse Scott) worked his ass off to pull a good tape whenever the music mellows out, all you can hear are people yapping away. Why don’t people shut the fuck up when a band is playing? Now that we’ve heard what the band sounds like at the beginning of the tour, we will check in with them in April to see what they sound like after a few months on the road. Until then…
Read on for the rest of this week’s edition of Grousing The Aisles…
It’s time to take a break from reading gossip about Britney and Anna Nicole (hell, and even Trey) to find out what’s going on in the music world. While we
With their studio debut Recollection, The Assembly of Dust have made their Workingman’s Dead. Like the classic 70’s country/western themed album, this ten song collection is also influenced of the multi-talented musicianship and country/rock themes of The Band and the jazz-chops of Steely Dan. Front-man and self-described “verbal storyteller” Reid Genauer effortlessly evokes a film before your eyes, with his narrative lyrics, endearing the words of Robert Hunter.
There doesn’t seem much to report from Trey’s day in court in Whitehall, New York today. But the former 70 Volt Parade lead singer did plead not guilty to the multiple charges against him stemming from his December 15th arrest.
Anastasio, facing three felony charges of illegally possessing prescription painkillers and driving while impaired and misdemeanor counts of possessing heroin and an anti-anxiety medication that had been prescribed to someone else, was released on bail and scheduled to return to Washington County Court on March 27.
So, the saga continues, and previous reports that Trey would cop a plea today turned out to be wholly inaccurate.
Appearing before Judge Kelly McKeighan and a crowd of media, Anastasio agreed to a pre-plea investigation that will help the court get to know him better “and help you resolve your case,” according to the judge.
Since the anniversary’s tomorrow, I highly recommend that the judge check out 2/28/03 to get to know the real Trey better.
Anastasio’s attorney, Steve Coffey, acknowledged after the hearing that his client has a drug problem and is seeking treatment. Coffey said Anastasio attended a 28-day treatment program in January and is attempting to overcome his addiction.
“He has a problem, he knows it and is working with it,” Coffey said.
Coffey also said Anastasio instructed him not to fight the charges.
“He told me ‘I’m here to face the consequences and work it out with the court and go on with my life,’” Coffey said.
Friend of HT, The Otrane, brings up a good point: Trey’s done everything he can since the arrest. First he thanks his arresting officer, then he completes a 28-day rehab, now this lawyer quote about facing the consequences. By the time this is over they’re going to be thanking him for getting arrested in Whitehall.
Anastasio’s plea leaves the door open for a deal to be worked out with the court. Hopefully that deal will be worked out soon for Big Red so he can get back to melting our faces, and perhaps put his drug problems behind him.
For several years following the turn of the millennium, Warren Haynes was playing everywhere, with everyone. Lately, though, the hardest-working seemingly homeless man in show business has been noticeably absent from the spotlight.
But according to Haynes’ website, the takes-all-comers guitarist is headed back to the Large Apple in support of his soon-to-be-released live album:
In celebration of the release of Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Concert Volume 2, Warren and many of the artists on both Volume 1 and 2 will be taking part in 2 very special events on Wednesday March 28th. At 5pm there will be a CD signing at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square followed by an All-Star Performance at Irving Plaza. A limited number of tickets to this show, along with a guaranteed place in line for the signing, will be given away FREE with purchase of The Benefit Concert Volume 2 at Virgin Union Square beginning at 9am on Tuesday, March 6th. A very limited number of tickets to the Irving Plaza show will be on-sale to the public on 3/9.
I couldn’t care less about getting his Herbie Hancock on a newly purchased disc, but if the Warren & Friends show of yore are any indication, this could be an epic night in the making. We’ll have more on the special guests as news rolls in…
Read on below for a full tracklisting of the forthcoming Benefit Concert CD
I think everyone from Brazil has a “Gilberto” in their name somewhere. But my favorite Gilberto right now is the country’s current Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil. Flash back 38 years,
Quick, what’s the first song you heard this morning? For me it was moe.’s Plane Crash from the Treymoe.deski Tsunami Benefit at Roseland Ballroom in February 2005. To this day
Reprising their aborted, controversial 1997 tour pairing, Rage Against The Machine and the Wu-Tang Clan will play three shows together this summer. The reunited acts will appear Aug. 11 and
Calamity works as an eccentric hodge-podge of quirky pop songs, avant-garde sounds, and out-of-nowhere, straight forward, shed rock.
