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Download This! – Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers / Paleface

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I was sent an email from Thirty Tigers / Ramseur Records over the weekend about a couple of artists who both have albums dropping on 4/28.

If you have never heard of either of the record labels, know this…  Ramseur Records once were the former home of The Avett Brothers and Thirty Tigers were the ones who introduced Those Darlins to me.  You might have heard me talking about Those Darlins before (perhaps HERE, or HERE), it is quite possible…

First up is Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers:

She’s 22 and has a voice that reminds me of Bjork at times, minus the weird of course and full of southern soul.  She has a singing style I could listen to all day.  Having never heard anything by her before I am intrigued now to hear more.

Here is a short bio:

With their debut full-length, Songs in the Night, Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers deliver a shudderingly beautiful unique batch of songs in a style that’s been described as “meshing freak folk with a deep-seated, dust-bowl soul.” The 22-year-old Shawnee, OK native’s haunting voice, well-chosen words and emotional depth ring true in a way that sets her apart from most artists of her generation. Picking up where her critically acclaimed 2008 Ramseur Records EP, The Confiscation, leaves off, we find Crain presenting each song with an unfeigned fervor as her voice rises and falls over the panorama painted by the Midnight Shivers and their roots-infused, fertile arrangements.

-DOWNLOAD THIS! – Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers – “Songs In The Night”

-Check out Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers’ MySpace page for more tunes.

-Here’s a video of her that might just very well move you:


Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers: “The Dam Song” @ Ramseur Records HQ from Ramseur Records on Vimeo.

The next artist is Paleface:

It’s been over ten years since this anti-folk artist has released any material mostly thanks to a personal battle that Paleface finally overcame.  His previous material is folk fun goodness and after hearing just a handful of songs I am intrigued to hear his new album.

Here’s another short bio:

More than a decade since his last major label release and collapse from alcohol abuse, Paleface, a founding member of NYC’s Anti-folk movement, is back with The Show Is On The Road (Ramseur Records). The album is an intimate, 11-song diary that transcends genres with its ingenuous lyrics and deceptively unassuming style – just Paleface on acoustic guitar and harmonica and his girlfriend Monica “Mo” Samalot on drums and backing vocals, along with the occasional piano overdub. Paleface is the sort of artist who brings you into his world. His voice is sweetly ravaged and effortlessly expressive, as intimate as a friend whispering in your ear. The album is a farewell love letter to his longtime home, New York City, and an embrace of his new life in the South.

-DOWNLOAD THIS! – Paleface – “The Show Is On The Road”

-Check out Paleface’s MySpace page for more tunes.

-Here’s a fun little video of an older song I found:


PALEFACE – Little By Little

So what do you think?

Funny, Good Reads

F My Life.

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Well not me personally.  Not today at least.

I found a great website to kill time on.  Basically the site, F My Life, contains true short stories from random people like you and me with outcomes that make them say FML (F#ck My Life) at the end. 

You know the kind of story I speak of, the kind that ends with you taking your hand and smacking your forehead with it.  Bum luck.  Misundersood.  I can not believe that just happened.

They are stories you might relate to or will laugh at and I am sure some of the stories are fake but still it is entertainment.  Some of the entries can rub off a bit depressing but for us demented folk, we laugh at it all.

Here are a couple of recent entries from this morning:

Today, I was working as a swim instructor for kids. Teaching them not to be afraid of the water, I put my face in the water and blew bubbles. I asked them to try it. All of them did, except for one. I went right to him and blew bubbles again. He then said to me, “but I just peed in that water.” FML

Today, I took the bus to work and a sweet old lady got on after me and sat next to me. Halfway to work, she fell asleep and her head was on my shoulder. Trying to be nice, I gently tried to wake her up before my stop came. She wasn’t sleeping. I let a dead woman lie on me for 30 minutes. FML

I have found myself checking for updates when I can becuase some of these are so entertaining.  When you think you are having a bad day, there is someone else out there who is having it worse and was bold enough to post their situation.

For all you Twitter users out there you can follow FMyLife and receive Tweets with the latest FML stories: http://twitter.com/fxxxmylife

iPhone users there is a FML application out there too that is free.  That is how I found out about this crazy site.

Bad Times, Cleveland, Eye Opener, Good Times, Live Shows, Metal, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Rock, The Dumb

CKY Sneak Peek / True Story

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This to me is exciting news…

Roadrunner Records and CKY (Camp Kill Yourself) are bringing their fans an early sneak peek of their new album, Carver City, with a FREE mp3 download of “Hellions On Parade” starting on 4/15. The digital single goes up for sale on 4/21 but you can  hear it first at ckyalliance.com and roadrunnrerrecords.com!  Just visit the page and supply your email address and you will get the download in return…

I’ve have been a longtime fan of CKY and I have Bam Margera‘s CKY skate videos to thank for that.  Back in 2000 a kid I worked with at Borders found out I liked skateboarding and made me a VHS tape that had Landspeed : CKY & CKY2K on it.  I remember taking that tape home and watching it twice.  Once for the shock factor and hilarity and the second time to find out more about some of the music that was chosen for the soundtrack.

One band in particular on the videos was CKY.  For those of you who may not know, CKY is a band that Bam Margera’s older brother Jess drums for.  The band caught my ear in a good way and before I knew it I was doing everything I could to find their CD.

It’s been 4 years since the band last released new material so needless to say I am really looking forward to their new material.

While I am on the subject I might as well tell you all a little story about stupid ol’ me…

I think it was October 2002, in fact I am pretty sure it was then.  CKY came to Cleveland and I was overexcited to finally see them live.  They played Peabody‘s in Cleveland with Atreyu and other bands on a week night and I made sure I bought 2 tickets seeing how I missed them the previous time they played at Blossom Music Center opening for some band that does not come to mind.  For all I know they played Cleveland even before then but I missed it…  The point being, I finally got to see this band that I quickly became a huge fan of.

It turned out that CKY brought along their friends Ryan Dunn and Rake Yohn from Jackass fame and being the generous guy I was I bought them drinks.  A lot of drinks.  I also drank a lot and I mean A LOT.  Drinking with people on shows I adore is fun.  Forgetting how much I actually drank before I left was not fun; more on that in a second.

I befriended former CKY touring bassist Vernon Zaborowski that night who kindly introduced me to the band before their show (more on him at the very end of this blog).  We chatted and drank and drank some more.  I felt like I was a rock star that night…woo.

Let me stop here.  I am pretty sure the following clip is an exact portrayal of how I was…

I’ve learned that when you drink a lot you do not act how you think you do…  For all I know I could have been annoying the hell out of the band.  I know drunk people annoy me these days and I don’t even drink anymore!  Point being, I am pretty sure I was making an ass of myself that night.

Throughout the night I hung around the bar with Ryan Dunn, Rake Yohn, and the lead singer of Atreyu even, who by the way was really nice as well.  I don’t even think I left the bar stool while CKY played.  I was too busy talking and sharing drinks with Ryan Dunn and Rake Yohn.  I watched the band from afar and kept to my debauchery.

I do remember CKY owning the night.  They sounded amazing live and had more energy on stage than I had seen in any band for years.  The fans, or CKY Alliance, were full forced as well surrounding the stage and singing along with fists in the air.  It was indeed a rock show that night.

After the impressive show my friend and I were invited upstairs to hang with CKY some more.  One of the members, I think it was Chad Ginsburg, later asked me if I was ok to drive home when we were saying goodbye.  I thought I was, my friend who went with me thought I was too…

I should have listened to Chad Ginsburg because apparently I was not.

That night I got my first, only, and last DUI.  I honestly thought I was ok to drive or else I never would have gotten behind the wheel.  I was not too far from home when I was pulled over.  When I got out of the car I suddenly felt real drunk.  Being the honest guy I am, I admitted drinking and when I felt myself stumbling I just gave up and was arrested.

I regret my poor decision in life and paid my fines, did my time, and moved on with life being a little smarter with how I do things.

A couple years later CKY returned to Peabody’s and the band remembered me.  Chad Ginsburg asked me if I ever made it home that night.  When I told him no he, rightfully so, laughed and took me back to tell the rest of the band.  We had a good laugh at my expense.

True story.  I am an idiot, got hammered with CKY, and got a DUI as a result.  Let this be a lesson to you kids.  If you want to get hammered with a band, go ahead, but make sure you have a sober friend who will drive your drunk ass home.  It is a lot cheaper.

Speaking of cheap.  How about free videos?

I was wondering what ever happened to Vern and found out he is currently in a band called Eastern Conference Champions.  Check them out on their MySpace page.

Download This!, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review

Strung Out – Prototypes and Painkillers – CD Review

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Californian punkers Strung Out have recently released a b-side and rarities CD full of material that spans their 18-year career as a hardworking, independent punk rock band. The CD, titled Prototypes and Painkillers, is full of songs that are unreleased, not found on studio albums, or were previously out of print, making for a nice find for any Strung Out fan. This is actually the band’s second compilation; the first was titled The Skinny Years… Before We Got Fat.

Released by Fat Wreck Chords, the new CD, according to drummer Jordan Burns, is “for the fans.” The cardboard foldout includes short descriptions of each song, and the band shares when they recorded each song and what album, if any, it was left off of. The band also mentions that “over the last 18 years or so” they “recorded over 120 songs, many of which never saw a proper release.” I guess it is safe to say this is now the proper release that these amazing songs belong on; now true fans of Strung Out need not search endlessly on the internet for these gems.

The songs are in no chronological order. “Don’t Look Back” starts off the CD. The song was a limited edition 2001 recording that was included in the first 10,000 copies of An American Paradox, the band’s fourth release. The song is sick, in a good way, with trademark Strung Out technical guitar work.

The original recording of “Novacain” sounds to me better than the version found on the Fat Wreck Chords comp Live Fat, Die Young. Catchy as hell, it is a good track many fans may not have heard before. The song was actually supposed to be on the band’s 2000 EP The Element of Sonic Defiance but was instead contributed to Fat Wreck Chords, as they had asked for an exclusive track for their compilation.

The cover of the Descendants’ “I’m Not A Loser” is a great rendition. I had had no doubts that Strung Out could not hammer this classic punk song out. Previously only available on iTunes, “Novella” was a track that I feel should not have been left off the band’s recent release Blackhawks Over Los Angeles. The song is a little heavier and a whole lot catchier than some other tracks on the CD. The band mentions in the notes that it was a tough call keeping the track off the CD.

“This is definitely the most popular song we’ve never had on an album” they say in the notes for “Lost Motel.” The studio version may never had made it onto An American Paradox but it was released on the members only Fat Club 7”. Having only the live version on the Live In a Dive CD, I can see why so many fans request it at the band’s shows. Without a doubt this track is one of my favorites on the entire CD.

Speaking of favorites, the cover of “Bark At The Moon”, an Ozzy Osbourne classic, blew me away. Strung Out adds their own style and nails the song that appeared on the Punk Goes Metal compilation. I always tell people how I have heard a lot of bad covers, but this in no way will ever fall into that category. If there is one track on this CD you need to listen to first, here it is.

You can tell how long ago “Sinner Or Coward” was recorded from the moment you start listening to it. A bit of trivia about this song is that Rob Ramos played all the original instruments, including drums. Jim Cherry, one-time bassist for Strung Out, also contributed a guitar solo.

Another track that was recorded for a Fat Wreck Chords compilation, “Your Worst Mistake,” appeared on Uncontrollable Fatulance. Full of great guitar licks and solos, this is a killer track, with Jason Cruz singing his heart out. The bonus track “More Than Words,” originally on Blackhawks Over Los Angeles, sounds a lot more punk-poppy than the other tracks. It caught my ear in a good way and has endless singalong possibilities.

Strung Out says in their notes on “Wrong Side Of The Tracks” that Josh Freese (The Vandals, NIN, A Perfect Circle) charged the band a 12-pack of beer to fill in for an injured Jordan Burns on drums. The song was recorded for a Fearless Records 7” and the band had no time to waste, hence they had asked Freese for help. The drumming on this track is a lot more technical throughout, and the notes mention that Freese was actually stumped while trying to learning the opening drum beat. Just by listening to it I can understand why.

The acoustic version of “Velvet Alley” that was re-recorded for Punk Goes Acoustic is another track I really got into. I have heard this version as well as the original found on An American Paradox, and while both versions are amazing, the acoustic take stands out more.

Closing the disc is a demo from 1992, a few of which are included. The first song entirely written by guitarist Jake Kiley, “Forever Is Today” is a track full of young punk rock ambition and sounds. This track was, according to the band, never re-recorded or released until now. As a Strung Out fan, I found it very satisfying to hear this track and see how far this band has come along.

The band, having wanted to create this rarities CD for quite some time, is actually in the process of recording its eighth studio album, following their 2007 release Blackhawks Over Los Angeles. Full of material I had forgotten about or simply not had the opportunity to hear until now, I have no complaints about this CD and think it is the perfect collection. Prototypes and Painkillers should tide over any fan, old or new, until the next studio album. It is filled with exceptional covers, alternative takes on prior hit tracks, and of course the material that never made it to a CD until now.

-Check out Strung Out on their MySpace page

-DOWNLOAD THIS! – Strung Out “Wrong Side of the Tracks”

-Strung Out is on tour.  Click HERE for tour dates and more information!

-Here is a fun little overdub of my favorite track off the entire CD:

Good Times, Music, Random

My Complaints About The Rock Hall Induction Ceremony On FUSE

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Thanks to my DVR I finally have found some time to sit down and see what the people at home got to view last week on FUSE during the Rock Hall Induction Ceremony.  In case you forgot or had no idea I was one of the lucky in attendance last week and wrote a little blog about it.  You can read that HERE if you feel so inclined to do so.

I realize the FUSE broadcasting was supposed to be live but the ceremony started 1 hour prior to the showing so obviously there would be some editing to make it appropriate for TV.  Still I had a couple complaints…mostly over overlapping.

Little Anthony and the Imperials should have had both songs they performed live shown on FUSE and not edited with their acceptance speeches intertwined.  Honestly their performance was one of the best of that evening…

Same thing with Bobby Womack…  I guess this is how they do the ceremonies.  I admit this is the first time I ever sat through a Rock Hall Induction Ceremony on TV so I am not sure how previous ones were.

I am glad they showed Eminem’s entire speech.

Jeff Beck’s middle finger of course was blurred.

I got a better look at Tal Wikenfeld owning the bass during the Jeff Beck / Jimmy Page performance.  She is without a doubt…amazing.

I did get a kick out of the backstage footage of Jeff Beck and Tal Wikenfeld playing her bass at the same time.  I guess that was a bonus of seeing this ceremony from the comfort of your home…

Wow, the DJ Fontana / Bill Black sideman induction got butchered.

Wanda Jackson’s induction was nicely mixed with Rosanne Cash’s speech and video footage.  Did I just give a compliment?  Yes, I did.  I also was not aware how short Wanda Jackson was when I saw her last week…  Tiny woman.  Tiny woman also did not have her performance shown on national TV…  There’s my complaint.

Metallica.  It was clear that FUSE was/is pro-Metallica seeing how they broadcast as much Metallica during the week leading up the the induction so it was no surprise more of their footage shown from the induction than other inductees.  Flea’s speech was great to hear again, even if it was edited…  By the way, Jason Newsted’s wife/girlfriend is HOT…haha.

Dumb move having Metallica’s acceptance speeches overlapping their live performance of “Master Of Puppets” though I am glad the some parts of each member’s speeches were included.  They did NOT show Cliff Burton’s father speak and that to me should have been shown.

I’ll say it again too…  How cool would it be for Jason Newsted to join Metallica again???

One of the all-star finales (performance of “Jail House Rock”) was not even shown!  What gives?  They really should have shown that.  Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Rosanne Cash, DJ Fontana, Bobby Womack, and others really put on a fun little number.

I was nice to see a re-cap of sorts thanks to the FUSE broadcast of the Rock Hall Induction Ceremony.  I do feel that the people at home were really robbed of some memorable moments during the evening granted they did not have to pay anything more than a cable bill to see it, but still…

Again it was awesome to be a part and still can not believe I was a part of it.

By the way, have you seen what Matt at Addicted To Vinyl had to say about the event?  It is an exceptional read and I will be eternally jealous of him…