My heart seriously just sunk a few moments ago when I learned that Adam Yauch, also known as MCA of the Beastie Boys, passed away today after a 5-year battle with cancer. He was 47.
When I heard he was not attending the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony a few weeks back, I knew something was up, but I figured he was just getting treatment again.
At the ceremony, Ad- Rock (Adam Horovitz) and Mike D. (Michael Diamond) read a letter from Yauch in response to being inducted to the Rock Hall:
“I’d like to dedicate this to my brothers Adam and Mike. They walked the globe with me. It’s also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band. This induction is as much ours as it is yours.”
I think “touched” is an understatement. The Beastie Boys are one of the most important bands of my lifetime. Love them or hate them, the B-Boys changed music in a good good way and Yauch had a big part in that.
Yauch at the 2007 Virgin Mobile Festival
Currently the website / blog for the Beastie Boys is down, so I am waiting to see what the rest of the band has to say about this unfortunate loss. (UPDATE – The site is now up and there is an amazing piece about Yauch on it. Head over to the Beastie Boys site if you would like to check it out.)
All I know is that when I found out, I was sad – really sad. Maybe some people do not care, but I do…
I have been a fan of the Beastie Boys since I picked up Licensed To Ill in a Gold Circle store in 1986. I remember hearing them once on MTv when it was a cable channel that actually played music videos all the time. My Mom caved in and bought it for me. The way I looked at music changed the moment I ripped off that cellophane wrapper.
I grew up with them and wanted to be like them as a youth. My Paul’s Boutique cassette was played so much that it disintegrated. I have caught them a handful of times including when they headlined at Bonnaroo in 2009.
I was lucky enough to have met Yauch, and the rest of the B-Boys, in 2007 at the Virgin Mobile Music Festival in Baltimore. I interviewed the band for about 7 minutes and laughed more than anything. They were cool guys and I remember specifically Yauch just laughing hard while Ad-Rock stood ever so close to me while I rifled off some questions to them. It was a memory I will never forget, and now plan on cherishing for the rest of my life.
Yauch was always the bad ass of the group. He was an inspiration, an icon, a legend. He will be missed.
It really sucks that people need to resort to robbing other people. It’s trashy, mindless, and just pathetic if you ask me. I am not trying to tell people out there how to live your life, but stealing from someone, especially from a hard working someone is just shitty.
Yesterday, Philly punk rockers The Menzingers fell victim to some douche who decided it would be best to smash out their vehicle’s windows and steal a few things while the band was hanging with fans at an after-party. Normally this would not be something I would even make a big deal about, but the boys are overseas in Manchester currently and in those bags were their tour money and more importantly, their passports.
Greg from The Menzingers posted what happened on their Tumblr account this morning. At first I glanced over it and thought their clothing and electronics were lifted, but once I read it over some more, I realized that they really do need some help. Maybe their label will be of some assistance, but I am pretty sure these guys are freaking out and need all the help they can get. Hopefully someone will just step forward and give them back their passports.
Here is what Greg had to say:
Ok so here’s what happened…
We played a sold out show at The Moho last night in Manchester which ended up being the absolute best show of tour. Seriously! Stage dives, singalongs, shots of mystery liquors.. It was one for the books. An after-party started to form at a bar down the street. In the great moods we were in we decided to partake and spent the night singing and dancing to The Cure and Springsteen with The Souls, Red City Radio, Leagues Apart, and tons of friends.
Dave March (our driver/front of house/lifemate/best friend), Eric (bass player/ good looking one) and I decided to only have a beer and then hit the road. Tom and Joe were going to take a cab back to the house. Ok cool. Everything’s going great. We walk around the block To the van and I hear Dave give a quiet “oh fuck”. The driver side window was smashed out and 3 personal bags were stolen. Unfortunately my bag was stolen with all of our tour money inside it. To top it off, we brought around $2000 in US cash with us in case of an emergency. So let’s see €5000 Euros, an iPad, 3 iPods, 3 passports, 2 pairs of raybans (I know, I know they’re super expensive but they make you look pretty cool), my personal tour journals from the last year and a half which included all of my “On the Impossible Past” lyrics and all of my god damn memories, a digital camera, prescriptions, blah blah blah.This sucks. It really fucking sucks because it’s not your fault and so many, in fact an absurd amount of you want to help out. It’s pretty surreal and heartwarming to know we’re not alone in this situation. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Cant tell you how much it means.
The absolutely wonderful folks at Banquet Records have set up a donation drive for us. They really are the best. If you live in the UK and care to help you can donate there. I hear they’re matching donations which is just too nice. Too nice. http://www.banquetrecords.com/MenzingersAppeal
While we’re extremely apprehensive about this we’re going to open up our paypal account if you care to donate. We don’t expect much and we feel extremely uncomfortable putting our hats out like this but here’s our paypal account if you care to help: MenzingersSkrilla@gmail.com Tom made the account name up years ago. Sounds about right.
We’ll find a way to make it up to you by way of acoustic demos, new songs, free shows. Whatever. Thanks for the help. Love you all.
-Greg
Kudos to Banquet Records for being so awesome to them. I know this is a reach of help for the fans in the UK, but it is open to everyone all over the world.
If you fancy yourself a fan and want to help out, you know what to do.
Luckily Jaded Punk Hulk, as found on Twitter, as already pitched in to help:
I admit, I have not been too good to this site. You see, school is wrapping up for the semester so that means tons of writing, reading, writing and studying. It sucks.
I thought I would take a moment out of my busy day and talk about two bands that I have been getting into a lot lately.
This Brookyn-based-originally-from-Iran punk act surprised me the other day when I listened to them. They are more of an up-beat dance-y punk rock act and carry no gimmick at all. This is no rap-punk or whatever the hell these kids are making these days, this is a nod to 70s/80s punk acts that, dare I say, has some major musical Clash-like qualities (even some Joy Division as well). The band will be dropping a new EP titled Upper Class Complexity on May 10th.
There there is this little band called Joyce Manor. Holy shit this band rules. Some of you may know this already…
Their new album Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired dropped the other day on Asian Man Records. This sophomore release is about the best 13 minutes I have heard this year. The songs may be short, but are poignant, consistent, and beg to be listened to over and over. I can not tell you how excited I am about this release. Why the hell did I wait until the 2nd half of this post to tell you???
Do yourself a favor and pick it up if you like the punk rock. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. Sometimes a little bit of something does in fact go a long way.
Check out “Violent Inside” off of their new release and then go and buy it.
If you fancy yourself a fan of Tim & Eric, you should check out this track by track post David Liebe Hart did of Joyce Manor’s Of All Things I WIll Soon Grow Tired. It’s kind of hilarious even though I do not get Tim & Eric at all. Maybe I need to do drugs or something. Still, check it out. Well worth the read.
I am sure it’s pretty safe to say that Luerco is a band name that many have you have at least heard of. Maybe you are a huge fan of them already, or perhaps you have been meaning to check them out. For all I know, you have no idea who I am talking about.
My point is, if you are reading this, you now are aware of a band who calls themselves Lucero and I hope by the time you finish reading this mess of works you check them out if you have not done so already.
The boys in Lucero, for those of you who do not know, hail from Memphis, TN, and have been mixing their punk rock roots with their Southern style creating some entertaining country and indie folk rock music since the late 90s. Recently the band dropped their ninth release in their career titled Women & Work.
The honky-tonk “On My Way Downtown” started the album right with the pure intention of getting the girl to come out and have some drinks. “I know the last time we drank I was a little less than behaved” was sung by Ben Nichols and rubbed off as an honest apology. The horn-heavy title track “Women and Work” followed with a let’s-drink-this-bad-day-away-feeling. I loved the repeating lyrics: “Come on kid, let’s drink ’em down. Kid don’t let it get ya down.”
“Juniper” was one of my favorite songs on the album. It was just a fun upbeat Southern country / rock track perfect for getting weird to. The combination of horns and twang was perfect. I could only imagine the appearance (Read: “A dark-eyed beauty and a dangerous thing”) of the woman this song surrounded.
I found myself enjoying “Who You Waiting On?” mainly with the story told. It was a simple jam but the lyrics provided a clear image of a guy trying his luck at picking up a lone lady during last call.
The sorrowful “I Can’t Stand To Leave You” captured perfectly that which is called heart break. I felt the pain in that song and would be lying if I said I never felt that way once in my life.
“When I Was Young” reminded me that age may only be a number, but memories will last a lifetime. “Go Easy” ended the album with a gospel vibe especially when the female backing vocals kicked in. “Go – go easy. And we’ll find our way” repeated throughout the track and eventually put the album to rest. It was a nice switch, but something I was not expecting at all.
Overall, the album was a great listen, but there were two changes I noticed. First, I found myself missing the punk rock vibe. I did not feel it like I have in previous Lucero albums. It was almost like they decided to set it on the shelf this round. Secondly, Nicolis’ voice was not nearly as raspy. There is just something about his scratchy singing voice I have always been a fan of. On Women & Work, his voice is a tad smoother, almost as if he was dropping lozenges while singing.
I will say that this album grew on me tremendously after my initial listen. At first I was scratching my head on if I liked it, but after a couple of times through, I was hooked. I loved how personal the album was throughout and how I related with the lyrics. It’s catchy and it’s something that punk rockers and country lovers can all enjoy equally.Women & Work is one of those kinds albums I’d have my parents listen to and I know they would not give me shit for it, but rather, ask for more.
For 20 years now, The Real McKenzies have been taking Celtic music and adding their own punk rock style to it making for some intense and fun music. The band, who is part of the Fat Wreck Chords family, has toured the world multiple times in their career and prides themselves on making each night a night to remember regardless of how much you had to drink.
Full of punk rock influence, the band contains members of previous acts such as Good Riddance, Rich Kids on LSD, and even DOA. They take pride in performing traditional Scottish songs as well as write plenty of their own Celtic-heavy punk rock songs that revolve around everything from getting wasted to tough times. The band is also known to cover other songs from artists including Hendrix and even Turbonegro, but on their own terms of course.
Sure The Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly may have taken Celtic punk rock to mainstream levels, but The Real McKenzies have been around just as long and are equally as talented. If you have not heard of this amazing Scottish influenced band, what the hell are you waiting for? Check them out today. You might just like what you hear.
I was lucky enough to chat it up with Paul McKenzie of The Real McKenizes the other day. Read on to hear about their new album Westwinds as well as the time they did an advertisement for a Canadian beer company and even how it feels to be in a 20 year old band..
BHP – First off, Westwinds is incredible! This might be my favorite album by you guys to date. What did you guys do differently while recording this album?
PMc – We recorded in a wee town in southern Alberta with no distraction with a great piper called Goed Taylor who is no longer in the band because he couldn´t take the rigorous lifestyle of being on the road for long periods of time.
Fair enough. So sid you get help from anyone while putting these tracks together?
Yes, Steve Loree was a great guy to work with.
This album seemed to be full of songs sailors might sing back in the day while on a journey, definitely more traditional sounding in my opinion. What are you referring to with the album title Westwinds?
We come from western Canada and these are the winds that blow around the world, just like us.
Can you give me a little history about how a bunch of Canadian guys decided to write Scottish punk rock jams? I know there is deep Scot history in Vancouver, but what made you guys decided to mix punk with Scottish music?
Having had grown up with lots of Celtic influence, and being a teenager in the late 70s, I guess the outcome of the Real McKenzies was just meant to be.
And you have been around for almost 20 years correct? How does that feel?
I suppose it should make me feel a bit old…but it doesn´t. I am still kicking the hell out of the world and please remember that time really does fly when you´re having a blast.
Amen. Did getting picked up by Fat Wreck Chords help with getting noticed?
Yes. Fat Wreck and all the boys and girls who help represent the company have helped us immensely in our campaign for world domination.
They are indeed some good people. You guys have shared the stage with everyone from Rancid to Shane MacGowan. How awesome is that?
It is and always will be an honor and a pleasure to share the stage with our peers.
Do people tend to automatically associate you with Irish punk rock bands like Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys when they hear you? Seems to me that every time someone plays Celtic music, it’s automatically labeled Irish.
There have been a considerable amount of confusion in terms of this and that but the bottom line is that we are all great bands helping to keep Celtic music alive for new generations and the generations to come. We love having the opportunity to be part of a great bunch of bands who like to play Celtic music.
Great answer there. So you guys promoted Kokanee Beer in the 90s. What exactly did you do and where can I find this beer?
We scared the production crew away and ended up practically doing the commercial with one cameraman and one producer.It is pretty funny. The beer is still available in Canada
Speaking of beer, Westwinds seemed to omit songs about getting hammered. Well, “My Luck Is So Bad” made me want to throw back a few, but still… Did you guys decided to take a break from the drinking songs and focus on something different?
We took a wee break just to catch our breath,but as soon as this hangover has run it´s course ,we shall be right back writing drinking songs for piss tanks like us.
I actually could hear a lot of Scottish pub style songs in this album. It was turned down a notch on some levels at times and really enjoyable to listen to. Who’s idea was it to almost go a cappella on some tracks of the the album?
Well, it´s a funny story and I am glad you asked. We were all ready to do the songs when suddenly , the rental agency with whom we rented our gear came crashing into the studio waggling their fingers at us and repossessed all the gear because we spent all the money on whisky and beer.So there we were with the tape running lots of beer and whisky but no instruments…we had to think of somethingquick so…we just started drinkin´and singing and partying and that is the god honest truth. What does a capella mean anyways ?
I think it is Latin for moose or something. Wrapping things up, I loved the pipe solo towards the end of the album. Was that something to build up the final end of the album?
We Real McKenzies have always incorporated at least one pipe track on every album. I suppose it has become a sort of tradition with us.
Well, it is amazing to listen to. I have yet to see you guys play a live show. What am I missing out on?
Beer, blood , sweat, spit, love , hate, and 2 hours of dynamic gut wrenching rock and roll with a bagpipe.
Nice. So what would you tell someone who has never heard of you before?
Go buy a kilt and some jackboots ,put them on and come to the rock show to have the time of your life.
I believe that. Do you have any last words before I wrap this up?
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all who wish to attend our Scots rock and roll extravaganza.I guarantee you will not be dissatisfied,if not with the visual spectacle or the quality rock,but we feature some of the most accomplished bagpipers the world has to offer, but don´t take my word for it,come and decide for yourselves. See you at the rock show.
The Real McKenzies’ new album, Westwinds, recently dropped on March 27th on Fat Wreck Chords. I will have a review of it shortly and I was completely sincere when I told McKenzie that I thought it was their best album to date. Check out a track below from the upcoming album:
My heart seriously just sunk a few moments ago when I learned that Adam Yauch, also known as MCA of the Beastie Boys, passed away today after a 5-year battle with cancer. He was 47.
