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Tony Levin has released a CD “Soup”. Show your support for artists by purchasing direct whenever possible.
Just who is Tony Levin you ask? Let me tell you. Actually, let’s start with a few quotes from other musicians…
“Tony Levin is one of the best bass players in the world, if not THE best” – Peter Gabriel
“…that’s lovely [...]
Bauhaus remains one of my favorite bands of all time. As a young guitarist in the 70s I was a fan of Led Zeppelin and KISS. I liked dark, big music (and I still do). In the early 80s I also became enamored of new wave and the “new romantic” music that was coming out of [...]
Back in high school (1977) I was enamored of anything that was loud and scary. Bonus points if it freaked out my parents (sorry mom…). I had already discovered KISS, Stravinsky, and Led Zeppelin. Then one night I was at a party and someone put on Never Mind The Bollocks by the Sex Pistols, and I [...]
I have always gravitated toward interesting musicians who deliver a compelling, well-crafted groove. One of my favorite musicians is Tony Levin, and he always seems to be at the center of music I’m listening to. It’s largely due to Tony’s playing that I bought a Chapman Stick. My first attempts at transcribing bass parts were a result [...]
I sometimes lament the sorry state of rock. It seems to me that I grew up surrounded by great rock from bands like KISS, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, The Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Rush, and so on. What I love about rock is the energy and the role of thunderous guitar and aggressive bass. At some point [...]
Last week during a team lunch expedition I lobbied my co-workers to make a quick side trip to a CD store in West Seattle. They were kind enough to agree, and I picked up two discs that I had been wanting. One was the latest Tool release (review forthcoming), and the other was a double CD [...]
 During my junior year of high school (1980), I heard the Dead Kennedys debut album “Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables” at a rocking party. I had heard other punk bands and was a fan of Black Flag, the Clash, the Misfits, the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, but something about the DKs particularly resonated with me. The music was energetic and full of attitude, with a helping of snarling satire courtesy of Jello Biafra’s lyrics. It was the first point in my young adult life that I recognized the editorial voice present in rebellious music, which led me to explore some of the historical politically-charged recordings of Woody Guthrie. At the time in my life when I was on the cusp of adulthood, the status quo seemed boring and artificial. The DKs deftly skewered America’s middle class conservatism, and smarmy lyrics aside, it acted as a great soundtrack for my final summer as a high school student.
Continue reading Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
 Jah Wobble (real name John Wardle) is a bassist whose music origins are intertwined with longtime friend Jonny Rotten of the Sex Pistols. In 1980, Sid Vicious lent him a bass, and two months later Jah Wobble landed a gig with his pal Johnny Rotten (now John Lydon) in the newly formed band Public Image Limited (PiL). After three years he moved on to pursue solo projects which have have been all over the musical style map. Given the punk sensibilities of his youth, it’s interesting that he developed a world-fusion style of playing that draws heavily on reggae and dub.
While there are several noteworthy CDs in his catalog, my favorite of his releases is “Take Me To God”, infused with multiple world music styles. The high point of the CD is “The Sun Does Rise”, featuring Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries). Every so often you hear a song that makes your heart soar. This one does it for me every time.
Continue reading Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart : Take Me To God
 Bill Laswell is a prolific, multi-talented musician and producer. I always find his projects fascinating, and many of his CDs are brilliant multi-ethnic style collisions. One of his recurring projects is called Material. This particular recording features Laswell along with musical luminaries Nicky Skopelitis, Wayne Shorter, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Shankar, Sly Dunbar, Jonas Hellborg, Zakir Hussain, and Trilok Gurtu. I’m especially drawn to the track “Mantra”.You’ll also find a spoken-word contribution from William S. Burroughs, excerpted from his longer work Words of Advice for Young People. Burroughs is something of an acquired taste for most people, although I had found some of his writing to interesting.
Continue reading Material: Hallucination Engine
 One of my favorite bassists is Mick Karn, formerly of the band Japan. He is a complete musical stylist, and his playing is unmistakably unique. This musical project is a collaboration with vocalist Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) and Paul Vincent Lawford (credited with “rhythm construction”).
The music on this CD has a spellbinding atmosphere. It’s nonspecific in terms of cultural style with elements of goth, Arabic/Greek/Turkish music, and alt-pop. The overall effect is beautiful and dreamlike. I am a big Bauhaus fan, and also a big Mick Karn fan. This is my favorite CD. There are arguably better releases from the artists involved, but this collaboration captures the musical essence of two brilliant artists emerging from their former bands to embark on solo careers.
Continue reading Dalis Car
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Band Calendar The following are all public events. These shows are in bars except as noted.
Dudley Manlove Quartet
1 Uppers
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