Pop Culture Reflection: Record Store Day

23 Apr

record

I fully support Record Store Day which was held this past Saturday on April 19th. I love this event not only because I collect vinyl but it also helps independent music stores.

According to the website www.recordstoreday.com, the event has been annual since 2007 and got started by record store owners and employees. The event is to celebrate the unique culture surrounding independent record stores throughout the U.S. as well as internationally.

What I like about the event is seeing the support of other vinyl fans uniting. I felt great walking into a record store and seeing it packed with people. It was like the good old days before iTunes and downloading music took over.

The part that I don’t like is having to miss out on the limited stock of the exclusive Record Store Day releases and then finding the prices inflated online.

This year had some decent special releases from artists like Ice T, Otis Redding and Bruce Springsteen. The full listing is available on the Record Store Day website but the release that I was hoping on buying was: R.E.M Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions, a 4-LP box set consisting of the band’s 1991 and 2001 unplugged sessions.

I knew my chances were slim to none to get a copy especially since Detroit has very few independent  stores left and only two locations participated in the Record Store Day event. Sure enough neither location that I checked had the record.

As a huge R.E.M fan, I still want to get my hands on the limited edition vinyl release so my next step was to check online. The listings on eBay and Amazon were ridiculous with prices ranging from $900 being the highest and $289 being the lowest!

The dam retail price for it is $90!  I get so frustrated with online sellers who do this and as much as I love R.E.M I’m not spending over $200 on limited edition vinyl.

The cd/digital release for R.E.M Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions will be available on May 20th as stated on the band’s website http://remhq.com. The website also stated that R.E.M is the only band to have performed the MTV Unplugged series twice.

I remember bits and pieces of watching the unplugged in 1991. I loved the cover they performed of One by U2. I also remember liking the acoustic version of It’s The End Of The World As We Know It. The 2001 performance mainly focused on the songs from their 1998 album Up and their 2001 album Reveal but the acoustic version of The One I love is awesome from that session.

Below is a link from Miserkocho You Tube channel showing a clip of R.E.M performing End Of The World As We Know It from their 1991 MTV Unplugged session.

 

http://youtu.be/cKH5LrxHcBM

 

 

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Gem of the Week: Foo Fighters “Big Me”

16 Apr

ff

Reflecting on the Foo Fighters clever music video for Big Me from their 1995 debut self titled album.

Their debut album was awesome and you can listen to it  from their official website www.foofighters.com.

I always liked Big Me not only because it’s a great song but the music video parodies Mentos candy mint ads. The video is funny and creatively done. For those that do not remember back in the 90s Mentos aired silly commercials that would depict someone in a bind who would then come up with an extraordinary solution after eating a mint.

Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl formed the Foo Fighters after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994.

I remember the first song released was This is a Call. I heard  it on the radio and I loved it. Then I saw the first debut video for I’ll Stick Around which resembled the surreal style seen in videos from 80s pop band Devo.

After all these years Grohl has proved he is a talented rock icon transitioning from a drummer to guitarist and frontman.

The Foo Fighters have made some great videos over the years like (1997) Everlong and (1999) Learn to Fly. A couple great albums that are my favorites include: (1997) The Color and the Shape and (2005) In Your Honor.

I hope Grohl has continued success with the Foo Fighters. Below is the link for Big Me shared from Foo Fighters VEVO You Tube channel.

 

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Pop Culture Reflection: Remembering Nirvana

9 Apr

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Michael Stipe of R.E.M will induct grunge icons Nirvana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10th.

Surviving Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic tweeted that he has been practicing and he tagged Nirvana in his tweet. This has raised curiosity with fans if Novoselic and drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl will perform Nirvana songs together.

An article by Troy L Smith from Clevland.com even held a poll of who should sing with Nirvana with likely choices as Stipe, Grohl or even Paul McCartney.

Personally, I would love to see Stipe perform since R.E.M is my favorite band and Cobain and Stipe were friends.

Nirvana has left their mark in music history, releasing the epic Nevermind album in 1991 and introducing the birth of grunge with Smells Like Teen Spirit.

My love for Nirvana’s grunge sound crept up on me slowly with Lithium being the first song I liked. But it wasn’t until the In Utero album came out in 1993 that I truly got into them. The unforgettable music video for Heart-Shaped Box came out on MTV and I loved the song.

Heart-Shaped Box was so over played that I heard it at least four times a day between the radio and MTV but I still couldn’t get enough of it.

My brother who already was a Nirvana fan before me had the albums Incesticide and Nevermind.

I borrowed and would listen to those two albums for hours on my headphones. I thought Nevermind was a masterpiece and songs like Drain You, Come As You Are and Lithium were gold. Incesticide has inspiring gems too with catchy tracks like Molly’s Lips, Son of a Gun and Sliver.

I loved when Nirvana went on MTV Unplugged. It feels like yesterday that I watched what was then a highly anticipated performance as it generated so much buzz on MTV.

The MTV Unplugged performance was awesome from the songs Cobain covered to special guests The Meat Puppets. It was a memorable with Pennyroyal Tea, Dumb and Lake of Fire being my favorite songs from the set.

At the time Nirvana was becoming one of my favorite bands when Cobain shockingly committed suicide in 1994.

I was in Canada on a spring break trip with my family on April 8, 1994. I kept seeing clips of Nirvana’s music videos on a news channel at the hotel but it was in french so I didn’t realize what happened until the next evening when I was back home.

For that whole week I watched the news coverage on T.V. stunned and saddened as I watched Cobain’s  memorial.

I hope tomorrow’s induction ceremony will have surprises with performances and with Stipe on board i’m sure everything will be tasteful.

To pay tribute I linked a clip from Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance from TheNirvanaConcerts You Tube channel.

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Gem of the Week: Biz Markie

2 Apr

biz

Hip-hop great Biz Markie is my gem of week for his natural story telling charm as a rapper. I choose to flash back to his hit, Just a Friend off his 1989 album The Biz Never Sleeps.

I was in 5th grade when the song came out and it brings back memories of classic hip-hop songs that were big during that time.

My favorite part of the song which is also the part that gets stuck in my head is his humorous crooning.

“You, you got what I need but you say he’s just a friend And you say he’s just a friend, oh baby You…”

According to his official site http://www.bizmarkie.com, he has never slowed down with his freestyle, beat boxin’ music projects,which is cool. He still DJs and he has even taken part in Nick Jr’s kids show Yo Gabba Gabba doing a beat box of the day.

He also paired with rock band Flaming Lips and pop artist Ke$ha for the song 2012 (You Must Be Upgraded) and though it was an offbeat collaboration, it still turned cool with a trippy pop sound.

Biz has this witty, quirky and good-natured style about him and I think that is the reason he has longevity and remains in a respectable light.

He has scheduled summer tour dates taking part in reunion hip-hop tours like the 7th Annual Roots Picnic coming up May 31st in Philadelphia.

Below is the link for Just a Friend on Vimeo from his official site.

http://vimeo.com/36390570

 

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Gem of the Week: Toto’s 1982 hit “Africa”

26 Mar

toto This week’s gem goes to progressive rockers Toto for their classic 1982 hit Africa from their album Toto IV.

I am seeing Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band play this summer and part of his line up this year includes Steve Lukather from Toto and I am looking forward to the show even more.

This means I might actually get to hear Africa live with Ringo Starr and for me it just can’t get any better than that.

I think the song is a timeless gem to listen to and Toto in general is a rockin’ band who are still out there touring.

According to Toto’s official site www.totoofficial.com, the band is currently on tour in Japan and has U.S. show dates scheduled for this summer.

Their website also stated some less known facts under the band history tab about how much the band members have collaborated on many albums and worked with many artists such as, Micheal Jackson. Basically,  the members started off as studio musicians working with big names like Steely Dan during the 70s before they decided to form their own band.

Their background as session musicians gives them the talent to adapt and play in any type of situation.

I have linked the music video for Africa from TotoVEVO’s You Tube channel below.

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Gem of the Week: Flipper

19 Mar

flip

Reflecting this week on Flipper, a early 80s hardcore punk band from California.

I love old school punk bands like Dead Kennedys and Black Flag but I remembered Flipper because I was a  Nirvana fan and I know Flipper was one of their biggest influences.

Krist Novoselic (former bass player of Nirvana) also played with Flipper for short while. According to their official site http://www.flipperrules.com the band asked Novoselic to join them and they went on tour with The Melvins in 2006.

Their website also showed that the band was still touring as of 2012 but that was the latest update posted.

I love the heavy old school trash punk sound and the song Ha Ha Ha from Flipper’s 1984 album Blow’n Chunks is a perfect example.

I couldn’t help but feature them as my Gem of the Week.

I found a link for Ha Ha Ha from Magnus Sellergren’s You Tube Channel, enjoy!

http://youtu.be/kJCKwqyR7KY

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Legends of Rock: Flogging Molly Green 17 Tour

12 Mar
fm

My tribute collage to the Green 17 Tour

This past Thursday I saw celtic punk band Flogging Molly perform on March 6th at The Fillmore Detroit for their final round to the Green 17 Tour.  The band has done the tour annually for the past ten years as a countdown to St. Patrick’s Day.

They are one of my favorite bands and I have always looked forward to their shows because as a fan there is this familiar vibe of loving this music and knowing what to expect from the live shows.

Throughout the decade I have attended five of the ten shows from the Green 17 Tours and every single time was so awesome it made my entire week better.

The band is fan focused writing songs about liberty and hardship with hits like Black Friday Rule (2000) and Float (2008) while musically they fuse the speed of punk rock with celtic irish music.

Front Man Dave King along with his wife and band mate Bridget Regan have a home in Detroit. I am sure this is why the annual Detroit show has been known for being a bit more over the top as they hit the stage loud and fast complete with an extended set list.

One of the first things King likes to say to fans  when he walks on stage is:

“How many of you have to work early tomorrow?…your calling in!”

The Green 17 show is usually set up the same way each year by starting off at 7:00 p.m. with a couple of opening acts and Flogging Molly will hit the stage around 9:30 p.m.  King is always a lot fun as he will interact with the crowd making jokes and telling stories as they bring the house down jammin’ until midnight!

This past show being the final one for the era of the Green 17 Tour was one of the best shows I have seen them put on throughout the years.

They poured through all of my favorites like: Drunken Lullabies, (No More) Paddy’s Lament, Tobacco Island, Life in a Tenement Square, Saints & Sinners and Float to name a few.

According to the bands official site Flogging Molly has ended their run with the SideOneDummy record label and formed their own called Borstal Beat. Their most recent release Speed of Darkness from 2011 was the debut recording at their own label.  A new album is also in the works for 2015.

I can reflect on the first Flogging Molly show I went to in 2005 at Royal Oak Music Theatre. They had released the album Within a Mile of Home (2004) and at that time I only owned one album by them which was Drunken Lullabies from 2002, an album now considered gold according to the band’s website.

Of course I loved them from that very first show and hearing Black Friday Rule for the first time as the encore was memorable for me. After that show I bought Within a Mile of Home and I also made sure I bought their debut album Swagger which had Black Friday Rule.

All of the other albums released over the decade from Drunken Lullabies, Within a Mile of Home, Float and their most recent Speed of Darkness are all great albums that carry individual gems; But there is something about Swagger that makes it my favorite one.

I think Swagger is perfection and I love every single song. I even scratched the first copy I had from playing the cd so much and had to buy it again!

During the show, King reflected on the last decade of the tour and thanked everyone who has been a part of it. For the encore he came out wearing a Detroit Red Wings jersey because he is a fan and to honor Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom.  Lidstrom had a retirement celebration that took place earlier in the day.

I love and appreciate Flogging Molly as a band and I am happy their audience has grown from the smaller venues like Royal Oak Music Theatre into consistently packing The Fillmore to rock out. Cheers to you Flogging Molly and I look forward to your next chapter.

I have included a link from the SideOneDummy records You Tube channel to watch Flogging Molly’s music video for Drunken Lullabies. (it’s the song that started it all for me)

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Gem of the Week: London Grammar

5 Mar

London

I love when I can listen to a band that sounds new and refreshing; London Grammar has that raw quality.

My best friend got me to check them out and according to the bands official Facebook page the trio is from London. The singer Hannah Reid has a mesmerizing and soothing quality to her voice.

I listened through their debut  studio album If You Wait on iTunes and I love the melodic vibe.

It really is a great album to check out and so far my favorite tracks are Sights and Hey Now

iTunes classifies their genre as alternative but I think experimental indie pop is a better description.

The offbeat quality of their sound and music videos remind me a bit of Bjork.

London Grammar’s most powerful impact is definitely Reid’s vocals.

I look forward to hearing more from this band and checking them out live when they come to town.

You can watch their videos and listen to their music from the bands official site.

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Pop Culture Reflection: Paying Tribute To ‘Ghostbusters’ Actor Harold Ramis

26 Feb
gbstcar

I took this photo of the Ghostbusters car at a museum exhibit in 2008

I was deeply saddened to hear that Ghostbusters actor and comedy writer Harold Ramis passed away on Monday.

According to article on Today.com he died from complications to auto-immune inflammatory vasculitis and he was only 69 years old.

I want to pay tribute to his brilliant work which includes hits like Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, Stripes and of course mega blockbuster Ghostbusters which also has one catchy theme.

I loved Ghostbusters as a kid even though some of the scenes use to scare me a little. Ramis playing his cool science guy character as Dr. Egon Spengler is his most notable role.

An article on People.com showed a photo of Twinkies being left by fans outside the Ghostbusters Firehouse in New York in memory of Ramis. I thought that was awesome. Below is a link from Ghostbusters.net You Tube channel of the famous scene.

My personal favorite film is Stripes. Ramis along with comedic actor Bill Murray were great on-screen together.

The film is a gem with its simple plot of two friends dissatisfied with their situations who decide to join the army. The comedic results of this plan along with all of the memorable lines make this a genius hit comedy.

Below is a link from Movieclips You Tube channel  of one of the many funny scenes from Stripes.

Ramis was definitely a man of talent who wrote great hit movies that I will always remember and appreciate.

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Pop Culture Reflection: The Tonight Show

19 Feb
fallon

My welcome poster to Fallon

I think Jimmy Fallon delivered a stellar debut in New York on Monday as Tonight Show host with his first guests Will Smith and U2.

His opening remark kicked things off in the right direction:

“I’m Jimmy Fallon and I’ll be your host … for now!”

The joke was a light-hearted reference to his predecessor Jay Leno leaving then coming back to host The Tonight Show after the clash between the network and Conan O’Brien four years ago.

I’ll miss Jay Leno but he had a good 22 year run on the show and I’m looking forward to Fallon taking the reigns.

I was a fan of Fallon’s comedy from his Saturday Night Live days and I especially like when he does his ‘Late Night Superlatives’.

Some of my favorite highlights was seeing celebrities like Rudy Guliani, Mike Tyson, Lady Gaga and many more walking up to drop money onto Fallon’s desk for losing the bet that he would become The Tonight Show host.

His evolution of hip-hop dancing with Smith was the best part for me because I remember actually doing those dances in middle school like The Running Man and Kid ‘N Play. My two favorites that had me laughing the most was The Stanky Legg and The Steal The Face Then Swallow It And Throw It Back Up. (I included the You Tube clip below because it’s too hilarious to miss)

Now, I have not listened to U2 since they released Zooropa in 1993 but I did think the live performance on top of the Rockefeller Center was cool and I also liked the acoustic performance of Ordinary Love.

I have always related to Fallon because he appreciates the same 90’s era sitcoms and alternative bands that I like, such as Pearl Jam and shows like Saved By The Bell.

I look forward to his future with The Tonight Show.

This is the link from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon You Tube channel for the hip-hop dancing clip.

http://youtu.be/ZTpn30Pms8I

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