Why Are We So Stupid?

More evidence that people shouldn't have any rights at all (From the Philadelphia Inquirer):

With gas prices low, SUVs roar back

By Maria Panaritis

Inquirer Staff Writer

So long, cute little economy car. Welcome back, big truck, buddy ol' pal.

Americans who fled to small vehicles during $4-a-gallon gas are rushing back into the arms of sport-utility vehicles and light trucks, reversing a trend in which economy cars soared in popularity while consumers ditched brawny gas hounds.

"Americans don't want to drive little cars," said Sophia Koropeckyj, a senior economist and auto-markets analyst with Moody's Economy.com in West Chester. "They really prefer larger vehicles, and gas prices have receded more than half since the summer. That's the only conclusion there is."

Here's a quick note to everyone buying SUV's... Gas prices will go up again. Actually, I have a few notes. Gas prices will go up again, SUV's still use MORE gas which makes them MORE expensive, you're probably not going to take your vehicle "off-roading." JUST BUY A FUCKING ACCORD.

Headbanging

From ABC News in Australia:

In a study published in the British Medical Journal this week, two University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers concluded that head-banging to a typical heavy metal tempo could cause mild traumatic brain injury or concussion, and neck injury, particularly as the tempo of the music and angle of movement increased.

"Clearly it's a serious issue," says Associate Professor Andrew McIntosh, co-author and professor of biomechanics at UNSW.

"If you observe people after concerts they clearly look dazed, confused and incoherent, so something must be going on and we wanted to look into it."

Well, now I guess we all know why Jason Newstead is such an idiot. No word on why he's such an asshole though.

Axl Speaks

It's been reprinted 100 times, but here it is again.

Axl, who won't really do interviews (or hasn't), posted this on a GNR message board.

An interesting read, mostly because of the emoticons and the fact that he basically refutes a lot of things Slash wrote in his book.

Enjoy:

Ok then!! The questions aren’t here but the answers as it moves along I think point pretty clearly to what was asked in pretty much order or close of the 7 pages. If I didn't answer it was either already answered, off topic or I mistakenly overlooked the question, my apologies for the inconvenience. It’s not as light hearted as some of the other sessions but that’s the subject matter. Whew!!

So let’s start here… the whole Axl wouldn’t go on stage yada yada… is complete and utter crap.

Never happened, all made up, fallacy and fantasy. Not one single solitary thread of truth to it. Had that been the case I would’ve have been cremated years ago legally, could’ve cleaned me out for the name and damages. It's called under duress with extenuating circumstances. In fact the time that was mentioned the attorneys were all in Europe with us dealing with Adler depositions.

Couldn't talk sooner as it could have jeopardized whatever nonsense was going on.

When Guns renegotiated our contract with Geffen I had the bit about the name added in as protection for myself as I had come up with the name and then originally started the band with it. It had more to do with management than the band as our then manager was always tryin’ to convince someone they should fire me. As I had stopped speaking with him he sensed his days were numbered and was bending any ear he could along with attempting to sell our renegotiation out for a personal payday from Geffen.

It was added to the contract and everyone signed off on it. It wasn’t hidden in fine print etc as you had to initial the section verifying you had acknowledged it.

Now at that time I didn’t know or think about brand names or corporate value etc. All I knew is that I came in with the name and from day one everyone had agreed to it being mine should we break up and now it was in writing.

I still didn’t grasp any other issues until long after I’d left and formed a new partnership which was only an effort to salvage Guns not steal it.

In my opinion the reality of the shift and the public embarrassment and ridicule by others (which included a lot of not so on the level business types he was associating with at the time) for not contesting the rights to the brand name, were more than Slash could openly face. Also we aren’t lawyers or formally business educated so it was just a matter of all of us being naïve and doing what we thought was right at the time. Slash was imo being on the up and up in agreeing I had the rights and I wasn’t trying to be some snake in the grass pulling a fast one. The others could’ve cared less.

But when the reality of the breakup hit and the strategy to have me crawl back was put into play Slash had to save face and get business team and public support. Painting me as the one who held a crowd hostage forcing the others to sign over the name worked out pretty well in that regard. I’m the bad guy and Duff, the fans and most importantly himself were the victims. Oh and they had actually made the sacrifice for the crowd, the people, the fans at the show. But again…. IT NEVER HAPPENED.

Media and others ignorantly, wrongly and falsely harped on about it at mine and the fans expense for years and Slash has hoped to use all that to continually sue and have some sort of legal nonsense going on behind the scenes in an effort to reverse things. He wouldn’t have been able to get the support and action on the part of his various team members over the years to do so if the truth were out there especially when the statute of limitations had run out years ago.

Why keep the name? I’m literally the last man standing. Not bragging, not proud. It’s been a fucking nightmare but I didn’t leave Guns and I didn’t drive others out. With Slash it’s been nothing more than pure strategy and saving face while manipulating the public like he used to me. I earned the right to protect my efforts and to be able to take advantage of our contract I’d worked hard for where Slash’s exact words were that he didn’t care. I get that some like a different version or lineup the same way some like a specific team line up or a particular year of a specific car but because you and I are getting played I’m supposed to throw the baby out with the bath water?

I didn’t make a solo record. A solo record would be completely different than this and probably much more instrumental. I made a Guns record with the right people who were the only people who really wanted to help me try, were qualified and capable while enduring the public abuse for years . The songs were chosen by everyone involved. I didn’t want to do This I love in anyway shape or form and Robin and Caram insisted gaining Tommy’s and the others support. There’s been a lot of pressure to go with using my name (all external) but that never felt right to me for this band and the parameters in regard to this music have lots more to do with the mindset of Guns than something else. The instrumental I wrote for End of Days that’s more a solo effort at least presently.

As far as a new name…this is who I am not whatever else someone else thinks of. I don’t see myself as solely Guns but I do see myself as the only one from the past making the effort to take it forward whether anyone approves or not and giving beyond what many would or fight for to do so. The name helped the music more than you could ever know and I’m not talking in regards to studios or budgets I mean it as in being pushed by something and having to get the music to a place where I can find my peace regardless of what anyone says. And that wasn’t fully achieved until the last round of mastering and swapping out a version of a track at the pressing plant that had gotten inadvertently changed at the last minute.

Also the name was what the industry wanted as well and the burden of keeping it was something to endure in order to make the record. After the monies invested by old Geffen (that were decisions made that have worked out for me but I'm on record as having opposed) dropping the name became suicide.

The cost of legal battles has been astronomical but I felt the deal made with Universal was fair for where it is and most things balanced out for both sides.

David Bowie likes Floyd with Barret, many with Waters and those without. And there are those who like all the different lineups. Imo what makes our situation a bit more unique at least in how it’s played out is the ugliness of what really took place. If I’d done what was said then I’d say fuck me too. I also realize this is just one issue in something with upteen however many more so conclusions can’t be formulated off this little bit alone by most which is more than understandable.

That said because someone leaves the shop I started in which I still legally have the rights to the name I started it with… makes up a bunch of nonsense to win public and legal support in an effort to get whatever it is they want at mine and the public’s expense… I don’t feel any reason whatsoever I should have to throw what I’ve not only worked for but fought and suffered for away because some hurt, angry, betrayed, misguided and lied to people with a lynch mob mentality, joined by others who could care less (especially in the media), enjoying the controversy and hate, choose one over the other regardless of what’s right because they want what they want. And you can still prefer then as opposed to now and no one’s arguing your right to do so.

In regard to nuGuns, I get that sometimes it helps to be able to clarify. Personally I call this Guns and the Illusions or previous lineups old Guns.

We can play what we want as far as I’m aware.

It wasn’t so much that it was a good course or that if looking back I could do something differently it’s that for better or worse it was the only course and had I not done this Slash would have succeeded in destroying me publicly much more than he, others or myself have so far and I would have gone bankrupt.

I don’t know where I’d be but there’s clearly no happy ending there and with everything else that had gone on in every other area of my life the devastation isn’t something I feel I would have overcome at least to any real degree publicly. Hopefully I would’ve been able to pick myself up enough to get a job or sing somewhere else but I doubt anything that significant.

The sharing thing is interesting but even with all this time the complications of the red tape and trying to get something out fall on my world to sort and not theirs. They are amazingly supportive and do their best to keep me in up spirits and focused which I had less and less of in Guns way before Sweet Child caught on. If that were to change then that may be something to look at. I hope for us to grow more together as we continue so who knows.

If I hadn’t secured the rights I don’t know where I’d be and I’d probably call what would then be the current lineup “Those mother fuckers!!”

The name is something I take great pride in as I feel anyone who’s been a part of it should, the same as other bands or teams etc. The burden when it is such is a nightmare but not as much or as hopeless as I’d imagine without it could have been.

On the what’s the difference… I think I get what you’re asking… I feel it depends on how and in what ways either the formers members are using the association and what the true circumstances regarding why they moved on from both the band and the name that would or could affect the decision to continue on with the name by in this case this lineup and or myself.

As for selling more records it’d be nice to be in a position to possibly do so at some point but that’s never been my base reasoning. I would think it fits into not feeling I shouldn’t be forced to throw away possible opportunities in a hostile attempted takeover. I believe I should fight for Guns in a patriotic sense or sense of loyalty or honor. Not just my vision or direction for Guns as those things can evolve and you can make forward moving positive compromises by what others bring to the table but I mean more as in what principles I feel were important to Guns in regard to an overall commitment to the music.

It helped us get here but most of that was with Universal and the positives of that wore off years ago until recently and after the initial run it’ll be about the music and us. Then it’s about touring and there’s not a question the name’s helped at most everywhere but not so much the states. With that it comes down to the strength or quality of the performance. Having the name kicks your ass every night as it’s not some side project or something u can fuck off in. You don’t deliver u get your ass handed to u. So it makes us work much harder than I feel we would outside of it and it hasn’t been too ugly yet.

I didn’t see lineup changes etc back then I saw it more as a crash and burn, goin’ down with the ship. On one hand I knew the band was over before we started touring Illusions but you have hope… but I saw it more like the Titanic sinking than moving on or surviving. And in reality I went the distance with each and every one in Guns to where they felt for whatever reasons they either couldn’t or wouldn’t give what Guns required.

And I’m not talking change of styles or sounds etc. A lot of people bought that crap and me having gone in other directions seems to many to have verified that. Then you have the mind twisting equally as true horseshit in Slash’s book but I have the rehearsal tapes. There’s nothing but Slash based blues rock and he stopped it to both go solo and try to completely take over Guns. I read all this if Axl would’ve put words and melodies on it could’ve… That was denied and I didn’t walk till several months after having 3 to 4 hour phone conversations nearly every day with Slash trying to reach a compromise. I was specifically told no lyrics, no melodies, no changes to anything and to sing what I was told or fuck off.

As to what would possibly make me change the name would be some form of evolving that I don’t feel we’ve reached yet and not in any way consciously trying to at this time. It’s really hard to say. I’d have to feel it was right for me and those involved and whatever we’re doing at that time.

Never thought about that , with the RRHOF. The whole “mature enough” bit was cute. Not to offend anyone but personally I don’t have an interest and other than inducting Elton don’t quite get what it is exactly and who decides what. It seems to mean more to some than others and more so amongst fans. It’s nice to get recognition and have some form of acceptance but in regards to joining others the price is too high and just not worth it. It’s a ways away and seems a bit presumptuous to be contemplating being inducted now.

About following particular styles yes I do feel there are parameters with Guns as opposed to not being or in Guns. Chinese is imo an evolution not necessarily how each from the past would but how the music and intent could and did. Guns did not have specific lifelong criteria to follow and many of the influences on Appetite were abandoned by the others long before me. In fact Slash hated a good portion of those on Appetite and wasn’t all that into the involvement or association but knew it worked at the time and realized it was the cusp of a wave that was growing. It’s a trip for me to witness as so many of the people he performs with etc he hated then, them, their bands and their music where the others or I were the fans.

I like touring with these guys a lot more than the old band. The beginning was fun but it started going bad our first gig opening for the Cult in Halifax between Slash and I. That’s when the ok I put up with all Axl’s and Izzy’s crap now I’m gonna be the man trip started with him runnin’ right out front on the ego ramp for the whole show. It was pretty funny.

No one ever talked about or suggested using another name. The guys are really respectful in regard to the old band and I’m not sure if they’ve said a paragraph apiece in all the years towards or about the old band whether I’m talking about whatever or not. But from being with me for so long they know a lot of it’s shit so they get bummed at the endless interviews and nonsense. Personally I’m so proud of them I wouldn’t know how to express it. I can’t see me handing something like this as they have with so much class and maturity especially being shit on publicly to such a degree. “Hey join my band, bring an umbrella!!”

If I were to leave Guns I could consider giving, selling, shelving or opening a GNR Burger chain with the name!! Ha!! j/k. I’m not so different than the alumni in that there’s generally something going on that makes things suck and when that reaches overflow I want out too but if you didn’t when it’s ugly I think that’d be less normal.

If I went solo which I haven’t I wouldn’t call it Guns.

The name does come from mine and Traci’s as the original inspiration but was something I played with not Traci and Guns was Guns before Traci joined. It was Guns Before I knocked on Izzy’s window. Earlier I had gotten Tracii to use the name Guns (as he had mentioned a girl had called him Mr. Guns sometime) so he’d stop calling his band Persian Rose. So I guess we have the girl to thank.

The other’s having a sense of entitlement to the name isn’t completely off but has more to do with how Slash dealt with things and his particular strategy and I say strategy because that’s what it’s been. But since I managed to hold out that didn’t play out so well for him in regard to the name.

It’s a band name more than a brand name. As Tommy said regarding our struggles to make this happen “We’re not lettin’ what took so much blood and heart get turned to shit and dust.” And I guess you could apply that to current former or whatever.

Slash never had ANY arguments for keeping the name until long after and again I feel that had a lot to do with seedy biz types and him feeling he had to save face.

Keeping the band name alive was very important. Not out of ego and I don’t know exactly why in the sense of putting into words but I think it has something to do with the global effect it has and how Guns surviving in some way is sometimes inspiring to others around the world and in that there’s a sense of obligation.

I don’t regret keeping the name though I wish more were supportive or at least not as aggressively opposed.

The details are that my attorney shit when I made the move. He was very against it fearing long litigation but even then no one talked about brand names or individual interests in a brand name. I look back and have no idea why. Not my people, not his people, no one.
No one pressured me, everyone was afraid and no one including myself wanted to break up Guns or the relationship. And Bubbles and I talk all the time!

We can “chat” about the contract and the reasoning another time

The battles were during the breakup. Our people and my individual legal basically forced me to go thru the motions with everything I had to make things work for over 2 years in the sense that if they felt I wasn’t making every effort 110% and with all the sincerity and all above board I wouldn’t have their support which I wanted, couldn’t afford to lose or risk losing. Which led to the trial period where Slash played the key bits of Fall to Pieces but once I showed some interest that was over.

I get the part about reckless but it was more about strategy and underestimating how long I would stick with it.

As far as people knowing me, this is a statement that in light of others decisions that I chose to pursue as Guns N’ Roses and what some may feel is a different this or that may seem as if the arguments or disagreements are about the band or the style of music such as blues or influences on earlier Guns has some relevance but imo points more to deeper base elements I wanted to put forth for people in general.

Such as a more positive intent and instead of as self destructive more of healing. There’s all kinds of things to help you die or be more negative. I wanted to try and make as powerful a hard rock album as we could while incorporating beauty and an openness to other forms both traditional and more recent without going religious etc. I didn’t attempt to make a party record or dance record both elements consciously in Appetite. I wasn’t trying to purposefully appeal to the heartland or middle America in those ways (not that I was trying to avoid them or have an issue). But for example Sweet Child wasn’t in any way trying to write a “hit” mainstream song it was trying to write the best Guns N’ Roses Lynard Skynard influenced song we could as tribute and recognition in the tradition of Tuesdays Gone With the Wind or Simple Man etc and at a time when nothing could have seemed more unpopular.

One man forced me to work with others. One man forced me to work with others to survive. And I can’t say what would have happened on different terms. I say yes because it was agreed from day one. U have to realize we were on the street. It wasn’t the first band. Whoever thought of the name kept the name unless he gave it up or moved on. Everyone was always having a new version of whatever their band name was. I wouldn’t have thought of using LA Gunns or any of Slash’s band names. We all knew that we could break up the next week. You had to have that stuff somewhat sorted between each other going in. It was a deal that we made. The issue becomes the value or perceived value now and the fans attachment and or acceptance. Really weren’t things we consciously considered even during the breakup.

I don’t exactly know what Guns N’ Roses is but I know it’s my job in the sense of an obligation and I’m good with that.
The name and rights have nothing to do with the breakup. That’s all a created façade a decoy and a smoke screen. Now had what Slash said actually transpired then I’d say of course but in reality, No.

Going into Guns there wasn’t a #2. At that time I was going to make it in a band that started as Guns N’ Roses and could evolve but that was the starting point and it was all the way or bust. I knew what I wanted when I knocked on Izzy’s window. I also knew I wanted Slash but we still had differences and Izzy wasn’t down with it.

I wasn’t legally obligated but we probably would have gotten dropped and I would have been driven into bankruptcy.

I think it varies and happy Christmas to u and everyone.

I don’t think about the dangerous bit or status or identification. I’ve always thought of the symbolism since thinking of the 2 words together. And in that I absolutely feel this is a Guns N’ Roses record.

It’s an issue that gets brought up a lot especially in the media at all levels and it gets really ugly. It’s ugly right now with dj’s across the country who feel their sticking up for something that they bought into unaware. So I wanted to start going at it a bit.

Most critics have higher opinions of theirs than is merited. I haven’t read much from outside sources in the media regarding my world that know much of anything let alone what would be in my best interest other than looking at events in hindsight and playing armchair music mogul. Which most times means nothing and though could seem logical is usually just as far off base as anything else they’ve said.

The heart and commitment these guys play the material with is much more than the others were prepared to give pursuing their own interests for a very long time. The music changed after Slash and I parted so the direction was where I took Guns not where I had intended or tried to go previously. It had a lot to do with not finding or knowing a more blues based player that I found inspiring and I was really knocked down and beat up. Slash, Duff and Matt’s decisions had as much to do with kicking a guy when he’s down or abandoning ship at the time as anything else. Other things were going on with music as well, we were basically dead at Geffen. I liked other things as well so I wanted to explore, be legitimate and survive. I wasn’t doing what was written so often about chasing fads etc. Jesus, I wouldn’t have agreed for Zakk to come down if any of Slash’s or the media’s nonsense were real. And that could’ve worked on some level but like Guns it would’ve been up to those two and their relationship. They talk nice but it wasn’t pretty… but it was pretty awesome!!

No plans not to be Guns for the future.

Solo efforts… Much more experimental and instrumental.

It doesn’t bother me unless it’s being done at my expense and or to keep him associated as in Guitar Hero. Him being Guitar Hero’s fine but not when Activison in using Jungle, having Yahoo use Sweet Child unauthorized, claims no involvement with Slash, his or anyone’s image or VR or anyone or anyone’s music in either camp in promotion or commercials etc. I wasn’t broadsided. I read about it as it moved along but Activision continually denied it right up to the release. That’s some low life chicanery on all their parts.

Yes Slash was in Guns and on Jungle (and the whole I came to him for his riff is as much crap as him saying he brought Locomotive and Coma in as complete songs) and he has rights to perform it but not to be represented in this context in association with Guns. And since they weren’t granted the license it’ll take some sorting.

Universal has Guns under contract but I own the name.

I don’t have problems with whoever doing the songs but film or video gets into sync rights and I don’t have an interest in anyone new, old or whatever trying to sell themselves as GNR under another name that way.

It’s my understanding the lawyers were scammed like the everyone else so for them to continually try and find a way to reverse things is normal and would seem appropriate but again it NEVER Happened.

Thanks everyone. Hope to get back soon. I’ll take a look at that list. As long as we don’t get to personal or offensive I’m good with things. Thanks for all the questions, my apologies for not answering specifically to each, this was just a bit easier for this subject. Hope no one took wanting to stay on topic to personal. Thanks again to everyone who participated. Thanks to everyone for the great comments and appreciation. Happy Holidays.

Axl-

YES!

You won't see me for months. I'm finally going to get better than my little sister at this game.

Another Day, Another Story About Billy Corgan Being Stupid

So perhaps you've read recent stories about the Smashing Pumpkins 20th Anniversary Tour.

Most people would expect a 20th Anniversary Tour would be a celebration of the 20 years of the band's existance by playing the greatest songs of those 20 years. Like, imagine you bought a 20th Anniversary Video for a band. You would expect the history of the band on the video, not new things on the video.

Billy Corgan, genius that he pretends to be, suggests that people should have thought otherwise, and he seems to be offended that they didn't.

So now, Billy has talked more about the tour and the lousy 2007 album Zeitgeist that the tour supported.

About making albums in general:

"We're done with that. There is no point. People don't even listen to it all. They put it on their iPod, they drag over the two singles and skip over the rest"

Not entirely true Billy. It is accurate that people's attention spans are shorter, and are more apt to listen to singles. However, if there is a genre of music that lends itself to albums more than any other, it's rock. People care and listen to Metallica's entire album. People will care and listen to U2's new album. People seem to care and listen to Radiohead's new album.

If your band was as good and important as you still feel they are, you'd be able to make an album people listen to. The problem is that Zeitgeist wasn't good. People don't like listening to songs they don't like. If you write a bunch of good songs, people will listen to them. It's not that people don't like albums, they don't like YOUR album.

"We will crack the egg like we did in '92, without doing something embarrassing like working with Timbaland."

Wow, Billy takes a shot at Chris Cornell. First, I think the Cornell record is pretty awesome. Second, I can't imagine working with the most successful producer in music now is thought of as "embarassing." Maybe Corgan should try something so embarassing. Cornell has kept himself relevent, one way or another, for the last 20 years. Not so much with the Smashing Pumpkins.

"I can write songs."

Anyone can write songs. You used to write GOOD songs.

On why they broke up in 2000:

"The real story was Iha was driving me out of my mind. He was so negative. The guy literally drove me insane. "

I can attest to James Iha being a pretty miserable guy. That being said, Corgan calling Iha negative is like Wilt Chamberlain calling Shaq a bad free-throw shooter.

"Show me any band that lasts for any tenure, they don't have the original members. This world doesn't care about that. They just want to hear the songs."

Well, then play the songs. Dipshit.

"Let me be blunt. When Bruce Springsteen puts out a new album, I pay attention. Same with Neil Young. Because they're major artists who have something to say. I consider us in that category. When we do something it should be taken seriously, even when we're off. If we're marginalized by the culture, we're not going to play dead and say thank you for our B-plus status. I poured my blood into my songs. I've had a bad marriage and seven bad girlfriends in a row. I make sacrifices to do my work. That's not victim talk; that's nobody's fault; that's a choice I made for me."

You are not in the same category as Bruce Springsteen. This is like Dan Quayle comparing himself to John F. Kennedy. Take your B+ status, at this point, you probably deserve D+ status.

Really. Fucking. Funny.

These are three of the funniest things I've seen in a long time:







Fucking brilliant.

Lars... WHAT?

I love Metallica.

I like Lars.

I thought he was RIGHT during the Napster thing.

Still, I'd have trouble sticking up for him after this (courtesty of Blabbermouth):

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich gave up cocaine awhile ago, but he does miss something about it, according to ChicagoTribune.com.

"The bonding," he tells Blender magazine. "Two guys in a bathroom stall — it feels like the most important place in the whole world in that moment. I've actually gone into bathroom stalls with friends since I quit, just so I still have a little bit of that bonding."

No fucking way. You have not gone into bathroom stalls with friends to bond with them. Bullshit. I'm calling bullshit on that. That's horseshit. If it isn't horseshit, he needs to discover football or video games or something.

There is the possibility he was kidding. If he was kidding, my deepest apologies.

Big News From Thursday

Courtesy Of theprp.com:

Thursday have posted a teaser for their upcoming album "Common Existence" online here. The album is slated to arrive in stores on February 17th through Epitaph.

I heard the original title of the album was "Why Are We Still A Band? Nobody Cares Anymore," but Hed Pe already took that name.

A Second Blog?

The rumors are true.

I have a second blog dedicated to my noon feature here at WYSP, "8 From The 80's."

It can be found HERE:

http://8fromthe80s.blogspot.com/

Having Trouble Finding A Christmas Present?

Maybe for the wife?

For the girlfriend?

For Mom?

Clearly, Planned Parenthood has the answer:



You know the feeling when you open up a card and there's a check or a gift certificate inside. The first thought is "where is it to, " and the second thought is "how much is it for?"

"Thanks so much! I can't believe it! A 3 abortion gift card!"

Nothing says "you're irresponsible" or "you're a whore" like a Planned Parenthood gift card.

Third Eye Blind... Bad

At one point, I enjoyed Third Eye Blind's music.

I liked the debut album, and I liked Blue.

In fact, I still like both albums.

However, somewhere in between those albums and now, Third Eye Blind became unlistenable. I'll admit, I didn't listen to the last record, and I've only heard one song from the new record, but it actually made me angry. Take a listen to "Non-Dairy Creamer." Yes, it's really called that.



Aside from the lyrics, which are mostly blatant and political, or blatant and silly, depending on your perspective (maybe both), there's something that's so incredibly unlikeable about his voice. It's the same voice from back in the day, with the same inflection (incidentally, don't ever make the mistake of seeing them live), but somehow it's like nails on a chalkboard to me now.

Also, he used to sleep with Charlize Theron, which infuriates me on several levels.

Vince Neil On GNR

I found this Vince Neil quote (courtesy of MTV News) particularly funny...

"The thing about GUNS N' ROSES is, it's not really GUNS N' ROSES. If Slash and Duff were still in it, I'd be a little more excited. Hopefully, it's a good album. I hope it's worth it, because they spent a lot of money and a lot of time on it. I like to record in two weeks, so I never second-guess myself."

Now, if I remember correctly, Vince Neil is in Motley Crue. If I remember correctly, Vince Neil is the singer of Motley Crue. But if I remember correctly, there was a Motley Crue album with a guy singing who is not Vince Neil (his name was John Corabi).

I also remember Motley Crue recording and touring with a drummer who is not Tommy Lee. In fact, I remember Motley Crue having two other drummers who are not Tommy Lee (their names were Randy Castillo and Samantha Maloney).

I like Vince Neil. I like Motley Crue. It just seems like those in glass houses...

Chinese Democracy - The Actual Review

So I'm three listens in, and it's time for the review.

You know the story. The last, real, full length Guns N' Roses album came out in 1992, so on some level, Chinese Democracy has been 16 years in the making.

There are plenty of people who will say that this band is NOT Guns N' Roses, and this is an Axl Rose solo album. I don't really care what it's called. For what it's worth, the largest part of Guns N' Roses is Axl Rose. I don't think it matters to me whether the the album is named after GNR or Axl. I'd want to hear it exactly the same. It's more fun that it's called Guns N' Roses.

So with great anticipation, I've listened to the record 3 times since I got it on Wednesday.

Something's missing.

I don't think that something is Slash. I don't think it's Izzy. I don't think it's Duff. I mean, it's missing those things, but I don't think by and large, that's the reason for what's missing.

It's just missing feeling. It's sterile. There are good songs. Well written, impeccably performed songs. There's nothing really "wrong" with any of the songs. There are some really good songs, a couple of average songs, and on the whole, it's a really solid album.

"Street Of Dreams," used to be called "The Blues," in all of its leaked versions. It's a grand, heartfelt, mid-tempo power ballad. There's no reason why this song shouldn't live on like "Don't Cry" did. Except that it's missing whatever that thing "Don't Cry" had. I don't buy it. It doesn't make me care. "Estranged" and "November Rain" were overblown and gaudy, they were overproduced, but they somehow, beyond all of that, felt sincere. They felt like he believed in them. They weren't just well written songs.

I like "Better," and I've liked it since I heard it what, almost 2 years ago. It seems to have 2 minutes of waste at the end of it, but it's a good song. There's something that keeps it from being great though. It doesn't have the chorus of "Sweet Child O' Mine," and it doesn't really have the feeling either. Again, it's a good song, and I'll listen to it a lot, but it doesn't really connect for me.

"Chinese Democracy," and "Scraped" are ass kickers. They sound good loud. They do not however, kick ass like "Welcome To The Jungle," "Garden Of Eden," or "Get In The Ring." Good songs, I just don't know what he's mad at. I have troulbe believing he's actually mad at anything.

"Catcher In The Rye," "IRS" and "There Was A Time," all good songs. All good songs that I like listening to, that don't make me feel anything.

Even without the comparisons of the past, I feel like the thought would be the same. I feel like the comparisons are just a good way to express the point.

I think it's a worthwhile buy, and I'd like to see the songs live. It's an album that has been slaved over for years, played on by tens of artists, and re-written and re-produced countless number of times. So technically, it sounds flawless. I guess that's the point. Rock N' Roll isn't supposed to be flawless.

Billy Corgan Has Lost His Mind

I don't know if you've seen this:



Or if you've seen this:



But they are both examples of the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan losing his mind.

Billy decided to "reunite" Smashing Pumpkins a couple of years ago, make a record and tour. Now the reason I said "reunite" the Smashing Pumpkins, is because it's not a reunion at all. It's just Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin. Now, that doesn't even particularly bother me. Smashing Pumpkins always was, and always will be be Billy Corgan.

So the Pumpkins are currently on a 20th Anniversary tour. In celebration of this Anniversary, it seems as if the Pumpkins have decided to launch an assault on their fans. First, they've decided to play a bunch of songs that nobody cares about. Instead of celebrating what made the band great in the first place, he's decided to play long versions of sub-par new songs, and cover songs done in all kazoo. He's then decided to charge a lot of money for tickets to these shows. Somehow, Billy is surprised that fans are disappointed with the show.

The confusion Billy has is based in his refusal to accept the fact that even his most loyal, most current fans, don't care about his new material. The reason for that is probably two-fold. First of all, no matter how good the new material is, a 30 year old guy who grew up on Gish and Siamese Dream is never going to care MORE about the new stuff than that stuff. The second part though is that the new material isn't very good. Metallica fans seem to have no problem hearing the new songs, when they're good. AC/DC played 4 or 5 new songs the other night when I saw them, and I didn't hear one fan boo.

Billy mentions in the first video that he doesn't know what the fans want. Seems like a simple answer to me. They want the Smashing Pumpkins to play the Smashing Pumpkins songs they like. Fans aren't that hard to figure out.

There's nothing worse than an artist that thinks he knows what his fans want better than the actual fans do. Billy has become that artist. He not only is unable to figure out what the audience wants, but when they tell him, he becomes belligerent and obnoxious.

Also, why does he wear a fucking dress?

Chinese Democracy - A Review

As I said yesterday, this might be the last release ever that I get this excited for.

The kind of release where I refuse to listen to the leaked version. The kind of release where I want the actual CD, with the actual booklet, and the actual artwork handy while I listen to it.

I distinctly remember buying the GNR Lies cassette at the Granite Run Mall, and rushing home to listen to it. I remember looking at the liner notes as I listened. Though I enjoy the technology of having music being instant and portable, there's certainly a part of me that misses that process.

So I guess that's what I was trying to recapture yesterday. I can't imagine another release that would create the anticipation (from me at least) that Chinese Democracy did. A band that if they had stayed together, almost certainly would have been more important to me than Metallica.

So I decided even though the album leaked on Tuesday, I would not listen to it. I would wait for my CD copy, which arrived yesterday. I even tried to forget the fact that of the 14 songs on the record, I've heard versions of 8 of the songs already due to previous leaks. I put that aside. I put it all aside, and sat down on my couch, with the booklet, to listen.

Unfortunately, that's where this review stops. I don't really know what to write, because I don't entirely know what I think. I guess there are times where I can listen to an album once and know what I think of it. To be truthful though, I've always been amazed at album reviews that come at one full listen, if that. Some of my favorite albums, I haven't liked until I've had for months.

So, I don't know what I think. I know there are songs I liked. I know there are songs I didn't love. I know, or I think I know that I like the album. But I'm not sure. Plus, I have the new Killers and David Cook albums to listen to as well.

I'll give the album more listens over the weekend, and be back with a real review on Monday. I know you'll be on the edge of your seat.

What A Disaster

Clearly, last night's World Series game was a disaster.

I don't really believe it was anyone's fault, but a disaster none the less. Blaming this on anyone, would literally be blaming them for the rain. I don't know that I'd like to give anyone that power. We can blame it ON the rain, much like Milli Vanilli did, but I don't know that I'd like to blame the rain ON anyone.

In retrospect, perhaps things could have been handled differently.

If there was a meeting with Bud Selig and the teams before the game discussing the possibility of dismissing rules in order to play a full game, I think that probably should have been public before the game. I think it was the right decision, no one wants a World Series game to end after a 5 inning game, but I think probably people could have known that possibility existed.

Maybe they could have shut things down an inning early. If the weather is too messy for the infield fly rule to exist, perhaps it's too messy to play the World Series. Just a thought.

In any case, it is what it is, and what happened, happened, and we'll finish it up Wednesday it looks like.

That's not how we see it here in Philly though. I love this city, and I love the people, I do. The passion is truly unmatched. Anywhere. In no place do people live or die with their teams like they do in Philadelphia. The problem, is that it comes at the cost of perspective and reality.

The thought that the announcers and the officials are always against us is funny. I've got no problem with that. In no way, in any case, is it true, ever. Regardless, it's a fun thing to think. In addition, everyone here is SO convinced of it, that there's no convincing anyone otherwise anyway. The same people who are so convinced that the umps are against us, apparently missed the strike zone that Scott Kazmir had to pitch to last night. I guess they missed that call where Jimmy Rollins was clearly tagged out in a rundown but ruled safe. Maybe the umpires are bad, but they are surely not biased. They're a bunch of fat, old guys. Anyone who thinks they're the most qualified to officiate a professional sport is out of their minds anyway.

Back to today... I expected to wake up to a dissapointed city. A city hoping to celebrate last night was left with nothing. Just to wait another couple of days. I was hoping though, that we could just wake up dissapointed and not angry.

Boy, was I wrong.

"We got screwed." "Bud Selig is a moron." This is what I wake up to.

Again, sure it was messy. But did I miss something? Did we have to play in the rain while Tampa played in the sun?

From Philly.COM:

"Major League Baseball is all about [sportscaster] Joe Buck and the ratings - they don't want to see Philadelphia win a championship," said Michael Hughes of Holland, Bucks County, in a comment that seemed to capture the sour and even conspiratorial mood at the rain-drenched ballpark.

Um, what? Why doesn't MLB want Philadelphia to win a championship? To what end? We're a bigger market than Tampa. We buy more tickets than Tampa. We have more money to spend than Tampa. If this was about money, they'd be favoring Philly. I have ZERO idea where the Joe Buck part comes in. Maybe that's the big twist of the World Series. Maybe the fix it so Joe Buck wins.

Also from Philly.COM:

""The fact that Major League Baseball, with all the weather reports and all the technology, went ahead with this game just points to money and greed," said Jeff Sherry of Havertown, who came with his son Danny. "Just another chance to suck the money out of the fans.""

Ok, well first of all, I don't know that they did this because of "money and greed." They still play the same number of games. They're not secretly adding games. Maybe they made a mistake, but I don't think it was a calculated decision based on greed. Also, they won't be selling more tickets, and you can park with the same stub that you parked with, so additionally, they will not be "sucking any money out of the fans."

In addition, I don't know if you've noticed, Jeff, but the weather reports and technology fail us on a pretty regular basis. Whatever Doppler 85,000 that the local TV stations use are generally wrong about 86% of the time. I'm not going to blame MLB for the fact that we can not now, nor have we ever, been able to accurately predict the weather.

Be bummed, sure. Be dissapointed, sure. Just leave the notion that people are trying to keep victory from the city out of your head.

Let's save our energy for the parade.

Chinese Democracy

So I've heard this song before.

If you're a Guns N' Roses fan, and you have the internet, you've heard this song before.

And I don't mean "I've heard this song before," in some clever "I've heard it all before" way or in a "oh, we've heard this story before" way. I mean, I've actually heard Chinese Democracy before.

I guess that's what happens when you mix the internet with 15 years of waiting for an album, things get out there.

The official first single from the long, long, long, LONG awaited Chinese Democracy album was released to radio and the world today at 5am. I'm here, at WYSP, to download the song and give it to Frank Lario so he can play it at 8am.

I'm sitting in a production studio, about to listen to the final mix of the song for the first time. Since we have a "no repeat" policy here at 94 WYSP, I won't be able to play it during my show, so this is going to be the big first listen for me.

I may sound old here, but this is something the internet ruined for me. The internet ruined it for me by allowing me to hear an unfinished version of the song months ago. Unfinished versions of some of the songs on the album, years ago. And even though I knew it couldn't possibly help my experience when I actually got the real album for the first time, curiousity almost always got the better of me, and I listened.

Guns N' Roses, had they not broken up, would have been the most important band to me in my lifetime. They did break up though, and in retrospect, never had enough material to really become that band. So Metallica became that band. Back in the day though, there were NO albums I listened to more than Appetite For Destruction and the Use Your Illusions. I even listened to LIES a lot. No bullshit.

For today, and for this week, I'm going to suspend the "it's not really Guns N' Roses" talk. It's been done. No, this is not the same band that recorded Appetite For Destruction. That's for sure. But it wasn't the same Metallica that recorded Death Magnetic that recorded The Black Album that recorded Master Of Puppets. I guess this is more members than just the bass player, and I guess it's different, but this is still more of GNR to me than Velvet Revolver ever was or will be.

Sure, Izzy wrote a lot of songs.

Slash played the guitar as only Slash can.

But by and large, Guns N' Roses was always Axl Rose. I'll still take Axl and a bunch of weirdos playing the songs right than Slash, Duff and ANYONE singing. Would I prefer Slash, Duff and Axl, sure. They're all too rich to make that happen right now though. So this is the best of what we got.

With that, I'm going to listen to "Chinese Democracy" and write as I do it.

Here goes:

Stars off ominously with sound effects.
People talking in the background. Perhaps they're Chinese.
More intro... People talking. More ominous music.
UH OH. BIG DRUM HITS. There's guitar.
There's the riff. It's a big, bad riff. I've heard it before, but it definitely sounds bigger and better.
Chills, for real. Fuck, I'm really excited. What a dork I am.
I hate that Axl has put this effect on his voice on a lot of the new stuff. You're not Cher, Axl.
Dude, this is a BAD ASS TUNE.
"All I got is precious time," is quite an Axl line.
This is not an industrial bullshit tune like "Oh My God" was. Even though I liked "Oh My God." No bullshit.
It's not a bad solo, not at all. It doesn't sound like Axl, and it's a little digitized sounding, but not a bad solo.
The song's got a pretty nice tone to it as well.
"It don't really matter..." is very Axl as well.
Hahaha! Ends with a giant explosion. Maybe that's China being blown up. Who knows.

There it is. It's badass. It's a good tune. It's not the best GNR tune ever, but it didn't have to be. Not for me.

You're going to hear a lot of "we waited 15 years for THIS?" Those people are right, and they're wrong. They're right because sure, there's no way this can lead up to the build of 15 years. It's a song. I don't know a song that could have. I don't know that I'd want something that would instantly grab me like that, because I don't know how long that'd last. It's right because it's been an ridiculous delay. I will resist calling it unecessary, because clearly, on some level it was. I kind of respect Axl's craziness and his obvious dedication to the art of it. This is clearly not about money. He will have lost a lot of money by waiting this long. Because he's not as relevant as he once was. Because the industry isn't what it once was. He never was in this record for the money though. He didn't wait this long to make more money, he waited this long to get it right, at least in his head.

"We waited 15 years for THIS" is wrong because we were the only ones counting down the time to a deadline that was never set. Axl never said "you're going to have to wait 15 years for the next record."

Did he? Well it doesn't matter what I, or you think. On some level, to him, it probably just matters what he thinks. He's an ego-maniac and a headcase for sure. But he's a rock star, and he's supposed to be.

Let's hope he sticks around for a bit. We could use his attitude. Concerts have been starting WAY too early.

8 From The 80's - Day 2

1. George Thorogood - Bad To The Bone

2. Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne - If I Close My Eyes Forever

3. Van Halen - Everybody Wants Some

4. Warrant - Heaven

5. Scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane

6. Motley Crue - Wild Side

7. Tesla - Signs

8. Guns N' Roses - Mr Brownstone

8 From The 80's - Day 1

Today was the first day for "8 From The 80's," which will happen every day at noon.

Anything worth listening to was recorded in the 80's. You know that.

Here's day 1:

1 - Skid Row - 18 and Life
2 - Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills
3 - Rush - Limelight
4 - Metallica - Master Of Puppets
5 - AC/DC - Back In Black
6 - Cinderella - Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
7 - Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle (Live)
8 - Def Leppard - Love Bites

Thorogood Thursdays

Welcome Home Part 2

Only Philly fans would find a way to blame Donovan McNabb for last night's loss.

GIVE THE GUY A FUCKIN' BREAK.

Donovan McNabb doesn't call the plays (4th and 1). He doesn't like Kyle Fucking Orton throw three touchdown passes. He doesn't drop fucking punts. He doesn't let the Bears get that 1st down on that last drive.

Let's repeat, THIS WAS NOT DONOVAN MCNABB'S FAULT.

What It Means To Be From Philly

I'm home.

Physically, I've been back in Philly for almost a year now (WOW, that went fast). It wasn't till this morning did I really feel like a) I'm back in Philly and b) I'm really from Philly.

I didn't get up and go see the Liberty Bell.

I didn't awaken and immediately go get a cheesesteak.

I didn't get up at 4 and visit the site of the first congress or Ben Franklin's grave.

I did however, I wake up pissed off. I woke up pissed off because of a football game. Boy, did it feel good.

I watched the game at home last night on my couch, as my girlfriend sat next to me on her laptop, not really paying attention to the game. She's not from here, she's allowed to not pay attention, at least for now. Everything was pretty quiet and peaceful until Donovan threw that touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson and I scream. "FUCK YEAH." She jumped. The cat ran away.

"You scared me," she said.

"It was a great throw," I replied.

She probably hasn't seen me like that. I haven't really been like that. I had forgotten that professional sports, which should probably be a great release and entertaining, is actually just another thing to drain the life out of me.

I woke up pissed off. That we couldn't get in on 4th and 1. That the Bears got that first down on their last drive that pretty much sealed the deal. Annoyed that now we're 2-2 in the best division in football and have an uphill climb.

I woke up irritated and dissapointed. I woke up a Philadelphian again.

It's good to be back, even if it feels like shit.

Myspace Music

Wow! A place where I can stream music for free!

You've got to be kidding! That's never been done before?

And this time I get to use the clunky, graphic heavy, ad-ridden Myspace platform. AWESOME!

The italics indicate sarcasm.

Doesn't Last FM already do this?

I can only imagine how many high powered meetings with idiot record execs went on, trying to come up with a deal to create a site that no one will ever use, and if they do, will be done with within 12 months.

Want to do something creative? Want to do something new? Give music away. Use ads on your site, fund it that way, but give it away. It's the only step that's left to be taken. Giving people a place to stream music has been done, and is almost in the past.

And while you're ad it, fix your fucking blog tool.

Reunion

There's a rumor floating around the internet (so it must be true), regarding the possibility that limpbizkit (which is the way they wrote it for the last record) will be reforming. The story had the reformation happening without Wes Borland. Instead, playing guitar will be Terry Balsamo, who was in the band before Borland, and later played in Cold and Evanescence.

I was going to write how Borland, though part of the greatest incarnation of Bizkit, is not necessary for the band to write a great record. That the best thing he ever did for his legend was leave the band. He became the one with all the cred.

I was going to write that although Borland was important, we all know Durst is the one thing that makes limpbizkit move.

I was going to write that you should maybe revisit "Results May Vary," which was their record without Borland. I was going to write that it was a really good Bizkit record, though different from the previous ones. That the album was underrated.

I was going to write that even though I'll get teased for caring about the limpbizkit reunion, that we all have selective memory. That I guess I'm the only one that remember them being the biggest rock band in the world for a few years. I guess I bought all million copies of their records the first week they came out.

I was going to write that the world, that the rock world, needs a band like limpbizkit again. Silly and juvenile, maybe, but a band that could capture the attention of the rock world and make us all love a rock star again.

I was going to write th at limpbizkit had the attitude of the rock bands of the 80's that we all loved. Of Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses. I was going to write what a good thing that'd be in the age of rock bands who are still so taken with the grunge movement that I feel like I'm still listening to Nirvana cover bands. I was going to write that if they got their unwashed hair out of their faces, maybe they'd get recognized on the street.

I was going to write that though grunge music was great, there were fewer than 10 bands who really did it right. That's there's a reason for that. That the music was only good when it was honest and full of meaning, and most people don't have that as part of their soul. Which is why the copies fall so flat. Which is why they feel so empty. It doesn't seem that there's any reason why they feel the way they feel. Nirvana and Pearl Jam did a better job of explaining why they were angsty. It was believable. A lot of these current grunge sounding bands write great songs, but there's no feeling.

I'd rather have stupid, harmless fun, than have mopey, angsty songs without any real, mopey or angsty feeling.

I was going to write that I believed Fred Durst when he wrote Break Stuff. I believed him when he wrote Countferfeit and Stuck. I even believed him when he wrote Boiler. It was dumb, but it was harmless, and it seemed real to me.

I was going to write all of that, but then I figured I'd get made fun of for saying that I'd welcome a limpbizkit reunion. Because it's much better form to pretend to rave about the latest Radiohead record. Better form, just not all that honest.

The Worst Thing About The Internet

I feel old when I say this, but it's true.

I remember what it was like before the internet. It's true. I know there are a lot of people in that same boat, but as the boat gets full, the number of people NOT on the boat becomes larger.

Every day that passes, another person will be born who will have no idea what it was like before the internet. What it was like before cell phones. What it was like without HDTV. I mean, dude, it was a long time ago, but I remember not using cable. True story.

A few years ago, when trying to organize a "meet and greet" with a band at a concert. The band was late. The winners were late. Everyone was late. Thankfully, we all had cell phones and could relay our lateness to one another. A few days later, I was talking about the experience with the record rep who was at the other end of many of the phone calls. She's one of my favorites, and has been in the business for a long time.

I said to her, "man, what did we do without cell phones when we used to do this stuff."

She said to me, "I guess we were just all on time."

Imagine that.

Regardless, I do think that the positives and the advantages of the internet in particular far outweigh the negatives. I like being able to buy and download a song immediately when I feel like hearing it. I like how quickly news travels. I like watching pictures of a hamster making a dramatic face thousands of times.

Isn't this blog titled "the worst thing about the internet?" Yes. It is. I'm getting there.

So I remember, before the internet, reading record reviews in Rolling Stone magazine. Reading record reviews in Rip or Circus or Hit Parader. Actually, I'm not sure those last 3 had them. I definitely read them in Rolling Stone and Spin though. I remember most of the time reading them and shaking my head.

"What the fuck does this guy know about _______?"

The answer I guess, was no more or no less than I did. Sometimes I agreed, sometimes I didn't, but the review was rarely helpful. Most reviewers were faceless writers, whose opinion meant very little to me.

True story, the only album I've ever bought because of a review was "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" by Wilco. I went out and bought it after I read about it Rolling Stone. What a horrible album. If I wasn't so lazy I would have returned it.

An aside and another true story. The only album I ever DID return was "Grave Dancers Union" by Soul Asylum. I hated it. I returned it and got a Queensryche album. I guess in retrospect, the Soul Asylum record was a good record. Boy did I hate it though. I took it back to The Wall.

"I want to return this."

"Why?"

"It sucks."

"Everyone I know likes it."

"Well, I think it sucks."

Finally, I get to the point. The point is now, because of the internet, there are THOUSANDS more reviews from people who I don't care about. Thousands more people sharing their ill-informed, self-important view of what songs and albums are good and what aren't.

WAIT JUST A MINUTE SPIKE.

Yes?

DON'T YOU DO THAT?

Absolutely. It's not the first or the last time I'll do something that I think is acceptable for me to do, but unacceptable for others. The double standard is not something I invented, nor is it something that you've never participated in, so leave me alone. I'm sure the blogs and reviews infuriate and annoy most people.

The problem is that radio DJ's (amongst others) can garner an audience to read what they think on the internet. Most of us have horrible opinions and even worse taste. And now, the internet is flooded with them. Opinions. Regular people who can paint themselves as experts on the internet.

Not just reviews of albums either. About EVERYTHING. Reviews of TV shows and movies and their walk in the park. I used to make fun of 15 year old goth girls blogging about the sandwich they ate and why no one likes them. All of the sudden, we're all that fucking goth girl.

There has been a interesting (I guess) internet discussion about the sound quality of the new Metallica record. People comparing levels and if it's clipping and 256k and 320k and WAV and mp3 files. Regular, every day people. I found it interesting. I forwarded it to a friend of mine, who is a big Metallica fan.

He made a good point. He said, "all of these idiots who listen to 128k mp3's all day long are complaining? How do they know the difference. Everyone should just stop pretending to be some kind of audiophile and shut the fuck up." He's right.

Everyone should practice a little more "shut the fuck up" and maybe clean the internet up a little bit. Maybe everyone shouldn't blog every time they have a good meal or think their boyfriend's cute or decide to review an album, or a song, or a movie, or a TV Show. Maybe everyone should take some time to shut the fuck up.

Except I guess, for me.

The New Killers

Dude. It's awesome.

Viva La Killers.



** Update ** The Youtube link no longer works. Thank goodness for Island/Def Jam stopping the streaming of the song. It's going to eat right into sales. There's no way people can find the song for free if it's not on Youtube. I mean, people will listen to a shitty 56k stream on Youtube over and over instead of buying it. I'm sure you can just download it for free on any number of blogs or file sharing services. Or just type "Human" and "Killers" into the Youtube search engine.

Better Than The Black Album?

Trevor from Unearth (new album out October 14th), thinks that Death Magnetic is better than the Black Album.

I think Trevor is wrong.

Trevor has more cred than me though. It's not even close.

Listen to the whole interview here:

http://94wysp.com/episode_download.php?contentType=36&contentId=2690655

I Hate Pittsburgh

Some random thoughts, because I'm a little too tired to string together a long, coherent blog.

-- There's a bathroom at the Eagles stadium, a men's room, with no urinals. Only stalls. GROSS. Bro, guys do not know how to deal with it. I dare you to go into ONE of those stalls by halftime and not have it overfilled with #1 and #2. And on the floor. The only positive is that you don't have to be next to some drunk dude while you release your fluids. Nothing worse than urination anxiety bro.

-- Pittsburgh Steelers fans are the worst. Not because they behave that poorly, which I guess they don't. I was just annoyed at how many of them there were at the game yesterday, and how proudly they wore their colors. I was expecting more fights at the Linc yesterday, and was moderately dissapointed there weren't. Just moderately. I just know at the Vet, there would have been more fights. Did I just say I wanted more fights? I mean, "it was good no one got hurt."

-- I have a new found respect for George Thorogood and Billy Squier. Those guys penned nothing but GOOD TUNES. Everybody funny, now you funny too.

-- We had the dudes from Unearth on Rockers on Friday night. Great dudes. Every time. Trevor said he thought Death Magnetic was better than the Black Album. We tested Trevor for drugs afterward. I'm also invtestigating his relationship with Heavy Hitter's Jason Rudolph.

-- I am on NO SLEEP.

The Videos From The 80's

Enjoy.

http://94wysp.com/pages/2949941.php

Your suggests are mandatory/welcome.

The Men's Room

Just a couple of notes about the men's room.

First, if you're in there, and some dude comes in, washes his hands and leaves, washing his hands wasn't his intention. Men do not go all the way to the men's room just to wash their hands. He came in to drop a doodie, and he didn't want to go into the stall in front of you. Though men are generally shameless, they find it difficult to enter stalls in front of other men. He will wait for you to leave the men's room, and then return to drop his bomb. Guaranteed.

Second, if you're in there, and a dude comes in and uses the urinal and then washes his hands, 9 times out of 10, he's washing his hands for your benefit. He does not normally wash his hands after he urinates. In fact, he's annoyed that he has to because you're in there. Of course, if he doesn't, you'll spread the rumor that he's a filthy animal that doesn't wash his hands after going to the bathroom, even though you do too.

Finally, I am THIS close to moving the blog to something other than Myspace. If I get one more fucking "unexpected error" and lose a blog, or have to click "post blog" 87 times before it posts, or I lose one to one of their unexpected errors, I'm going to lose my mind. Whatever is left of my mind, I will lose it. Perhaps Tom should spend less time designing annoying ads for movies I'll never see or bands I'll never listen to on the front page, and make the blog fucking work.

This is a 32 year old man, complaining about the error messages on my Myspace blog. Good lord.

Write. Better. Songs.

I've said for years now that rappers are the new rock stars.

It began around 95/96 with Puff Daddy. It began with rap, just as it became uncool to be a rock star in rock. Though I loved Nirvana, the explosion of that band and of grunge as a style, thoroughly destroyed any cool that existed in being your typical, David Lee Roth style rock star. No longer was the notion of excess a cool one.

So rappers took off where rock stars left off. I remember seeing the Puff Daddy and The Family World Tour in 97ish both in Buffalo and Philadelphia. I remember watching it, and the only thing it reminded me of was seeing Poison when I was much younger. The explosions. The outfit changes. The adoring crowd.

To this day, rappers are still the only rock stars that exist. Kanye West is more of a rock star in the classic sense of the word than anyone actually making rock music. The rock community villifies anyone that revels in their fame, whereas the hip-hop community, and the people who listen to the music seem to reward it. When I was a kid, I'm sure Poison and Warrant and Def Leppard would have been on every other second of the VMA's, whereas now most of what I see are Kanye and a bunch of other rappers who I can't identify only because I just don't listen to the music.

*Note, I mean the VMA's last year, when I had MTV. I don't this year, and didn't see this year's. Judging by the fact that I heard Britney was on it again, and it was horrible, I can't imagine it was much different.

So, what's the point?

We're getting there.

Lil Wayne is also a rock star. Lil Wayne is really famous and sells a lot of records and has really popular songs. So popular in fact that Jonathan Davis of Korn, and the band Framing Hanley have both COVERED Lil Wayne songs. Songs that are less than a year old. Songs that have not only not achieved classic status (like "Wicked" by Ice Cube had when Korn decided to cover it), but aren't even done being popular the first time yet.

Check out Jonathan's here:

And check out Framing Hanley's here (note that although this is a live version, they recorded a studio version):

I don't have a problem with anyone having any fun by covering a song at a show. Even something as potentially silly as a Lil Wayne song. Hell, when Umbrella was popular, there wasn't a band that DIDN'T cover it. I've heard live versions of both Ted Leo and Butch Walker covering Kelly Clarkson as well. No harm done.

I think going into the studio and trying to garner attention by covering a song that's currently popular is a mistake. I think it shows weakness. Not because they're covering a rap song. Not because the rap song is Lil Wayne (though the silliness of the songs adds to it, at least in my opinion), but because it seems as if the only way that these bands feel they can garner any kind of mainstream exposure is by singing someone else's song.

Rock music apologists will cry that because rap is the only thing that's popular anymore (wrong), that this is one of the only ways to get attention.

Rock music apologists will cry that rock radio "doesn't take chances on new records," and that's why they have to do any and everything to get attention.

Bullshit. Write better songs and people will pay attention. Stop complaining about rap, stop complaining about radio. Write better songs, record them, then get on the road and play them for people.

Newsflash: Hinder got on the radio and took over the country for a minute with a song that wasn't a rap song cover. They also didn't cover a rap song first. Now, I hate that fucking song, but it happened. Saving Abel got a song on rock radio, and now Top 40 radio without covering a rap song. They're (once) nameless, currently faceless bands that made their way onto the radio and into people's (disgusting) hearts just by writing good songs.

Framing Hanley is a good band whose worst nightmare is this cover becoming popular. As Chuck Palahniuk would write:

See Also: Alien Ant Farm

See Also: Orgy

See Also: The Ataris

Because no matter how good they are, this will be their claim to fame. They'll be the little girl that fell down the well when she was a baby. No matter what she does from that point on, she'll be famous for being the headline of some story that one day, will just be a headline without a story.

Alien Ant Farm, you know, the band that covered Smooth Criminal.

I guess there's a chance that they're fine with that being their one and only headline. I guess there's a possibility that they feel it's better to have a goofy headline than none at all. That if they retire being the band who covered Lil Wayne, it's better than being the band no one ever knew. I accept that, though I doubt it's how they feel.

Note to Framing Hanley: Go write a huge fucking hit. As Chuck would say:

See Also: Hinder

See Also: Saving Abel

See Also: Nickelback

Jonathan Davis, you sir, are making a fool out of yourself. You sir, think it's funny that Jonathan Davis is covering Lil Wayne. You sir, are becoming a caricature of yourself, and the only people laughing, are laughing at you. Go reivent yourself and write a killer song. Go reinvent yourself as something other than Lil Wayne. Korn used to be my favorite band, now I just wish you'd go away. If possible, this is more embarassing than the Fieldy solo album.

Note to us, the rock consuming public: The minute we start letting our rock bands be rock stars again, is the day we'll see their faces on TV again. The day we want them to be larger than life again, is the day they will be. Rock songs are still rock songs, the only things that have changed are how the people act who are singing them, and how we treat them. 20 years ago, Fred Durst would have been celebrated as the picture of rock n' roll excess, just like Motley Crue. Today, we hate him.

The minute we start WANTING them to be the biggest thing in the world again, is the day they will be. We can't complain that rappers are the only ones who are famous when they're the only ones who really try.