Bent
Black & White People
Push
If You're Gone
Rest Stop
3 AM
Monday, October 21, 2013
Matchbox 20 at VH1 Storytellers
MB20 performed at VH1 Storytellers in 2001 and the performance was recorded for a live DVD of stripped down versions of all their songs, and featuring stories and other stuff in a very intimate setting. It's quality material and you can experience how good and talented this band really is.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Real Music of the Week (42)
Amy MacDonald - Mr Rock & Roll
Magnum - Days Of No Trust
The Alternate Routes - All That I See
Paul McCartney - New
Talisman - I'll Be Waiting
Ryan Adams - So Alive
Saturday, October 5, 2013
20 best KISS songs you didn't know about...
1. Hide Your Heart - Some of the strongest lyrics in the KISS catalogue. A great song, and even a moderate hit in the early 90's. Deserves to be more famous. It has been covered multiple times, which would suggest it's a good song.
2. Magic Touch - A great Paul Stanley-penned obscure classic that comes out on the occasional acoustic set. A really strong tune. Look out for the superb falsetto part toward the end of the song.
3. A Million To One - A very good power ballad with very powerful lyrics and great singing. It truly deserves to be more famous. These top three songs was all performed during Paul Stanley's solo club tour in 2006 where they were performed the way they should be, perfect - so look it up!
4. Nowhere To Run - could be Paul Stanley's best vocal performances ever caught on a KISS album. Packed with power and emotion.
5. Thrills In The Night - a very underrated song that even Paul Stanley is said to hate. Oh, but he's wrong is all I can say. Great verses and a huge chorus and superb vocals. I love this song!
6. Mr Speed - a very fun song with a great riff and sexually loaded lyrics. A loved fan favorite!
7. Let Me Know - one of few songs from the self-titled debut album that didn't survive in the setlists over the years. A shame, because it's truly an early career gem!
8. Every Time I Look At You - an overlooked ballad that has all the qualities to be a hit song, which it should have been. Awesome stuff.
9. Rock And Roll Hell - a Gene Simmons-sung heavy song from the early 80's. Co-written by the Bryan Adams, sadly it has never been played live.
10. The Oath - from the hated album The Elder comes this gem. This is pre-heavymetal. Replace the falsetto singing with a growler and you'll have yourself a modern day metal song.
11. Exciter - first song of the band's unmasked period really sets the tone with this energetic hard rocker. Great guitar playing and strong vocals. One of the best from 80's KISS.
12. Silver Spoon - one of few self-portraying KISS songs about Paul Stanley's upbringing in New York is quality material with a strong set of lyrics.
13. I'll Fight Hell To Hold You - a vocal circus number, with a Paul Stanley at the top of his vocal game. During this period Paul was probably second only to Freddie Mercury himself.
14. Dreamin' - the most recent song on the list, from 1998's Psycho Circus. A very good song that is just impossible to dislike. Top notch vocals!
15. Dirty Livin' - a Peter Criss-penned and sung song about the frustration he experienced in the band at this time. Peter has a very raspy and cool voice that fits perfectly.
16. I Walk Alone - the only song Bruce Kulick ever got to sing. Great innovative guitar work, lyrics about self-empowerment and going your own way in life. From the obscure album Carnival Of Souls.
17. Naked City - a forgotten song by Gene Simmons that actually has good lyrics. Through covers of this song I have just recently discovered its greatness. (Listen to the cover by Jorn)
18. Thou Shalt Not - a song about telling idiot authorities to f*ck of. How about that? It's the most demon-like KISS song written during the non-makeup era.
19. Tomorrow - the version that ended up on the album Unmasked is very pop-oriented. The demo version that circulates is harder and better, but it's still a great little fun song.
20. Turn On The Night - a huuuge chorus on this keyboard-enhanced song. Great vocals that is sure to widen your smile and improve your mood! The perfect song to end this list with.
2. Magic Touch - A great Paul Stanley-penned obscure classic that comes out on the occasional acoustic set. A really strong tune. Look out for the superb falsetto part toward the end of the song.
3. A Million To One - A very good power ballad with very powerful lyrics and great singing. It truly deserves to be more famous. These top three songs was all performed during Paul Stanley's solo club tour in 2006 where they were performed the way they should be, perfect - so look it up!
4. Nowhere To Run - could be Paul Stanley's best vocal performances ever caught on a KISS album. Packed with power and emotion.
5. Thrills In The Night - a very underrated song that even Paul Stanley is said to hate. Oh, but he's wrong is all I can say. Great verses and a huge chorus and superb vocals. I love this song!
6. Mr Speed - a very fun song with a great riff and sexually loaded lyrics. A loved fan favorite!
7. Let Me Know - one of few songs from the self-titled debut album that didn't survive in the setlists over the years. A shame, because it's truly an early career gem!
8. Every Time I Look At You - an overlooked ballad that has all the qualities to be a hit song, which it should have been. Awesome stuff.
9. Rock And Roll Hell - a Gene Simmons-sung heavy song from the early 80's. Co-written by the Bryan Adams, sadly it has never been played live.
10. The Oath - from the hated album The Elder comes this gem. This is pre-heavymetal. Replace the falsetto singing with a growler and you'll have yourself a modern day metal song.
11. Exciter - first song of the band's unmasked period really sets the tone with this energetic hard rocker. Great guitar playing and strong vocals. One of the best from 80's KISS.
12. Silver Spoon - one of few self-portraying KISS songs about Paul Stanley's upbringing in New York is quality material with a strong set of lyrics.
13. I'll Fight Hell To Hold You - a vocal circus number, with a Paul Stanley at the top of his vocal game. During this period Paul was probably second only to Freddie Mercury himself.
14. Dreamin' - the most recent song on the list, from 1998's Psycho Circus. A very good song that is just impossible to dislike. Top notch vocals!
15. Dirty Livin' - a Peter Criss-penned and sung song about the frustration he experienced in the band at this time. Peter has a very raspy and cool voice that fits perfectly.
16. I Walk Alone - the only song Bruce Kulick ever got to sing. Great innovative guitar work, lyrics about self-empowerment and going your own way in life. From the obscure album Carnival Of Souls.
17. Naked City - a forgotten song by Gene Simmons that actually has good lyrics. Through covers of this song I have just recently discovered its greatness. (Listen to the cover by Jorn)
18. Thou Shalt Not - a song about telling idiot authorities to f*ck of. How about that? It's the most demon-like KISS song written during the non-makeup era.
19. Tomorrow - the version that ended up on the album Unmasked is very pop-oriented. The demo version that circulates is harder and better, but it's still a great little fun song.
20. Turn On The Night - a huuuge chorus on this keyboard-enhanced song. Great vocals that is sure to widen your smile and improve your mood! The perfect song to end this list with.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Within Temptation - Paradise (What About Us?)
Within Temptation released their single Paradise (What About Us?) from the forthcoming album Elements. The song features Tarja Turunen (famous from Nightwish) accompanying the lead singer Sharon den Adel in vocal duties.
The song is surprisingly heavy, more so than WT's previous album, the Unforgiving. If the first single sets the tone for the rest of the album, it's going to be a great, heavy album!
Here's the music video. It seems to be set in a post-apocalyptic world…
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
God Gave Rock & Roll To You
Now, I don't believe in God. But I do believe in KISS and rock n' roll. So here's a beautiful video of the song God Gave Rock & Roll To You, along with footage celebrating the bands' career up to this point.
Worth noting is that this clip is Eric Carr's final appearance with KISS before he died of tumors in his heart and lungs. I know that Eric Carr was going through chemo-therapy when this was shot and is wearing a wig. He was very weak at this point but he soldiered on to give his fans some more rock 'n roll. He didn't lose his spirit, even though he lost his life to cancer. Rock on and R.I.P. Eric Carr!
From Revenge (1991)
#fuckcancer
Friday, September 13, 2013
Friday Night Oldies
Thank God it's Friday!!
Here's a bunch of really old-school songs to get the mood going for tonights adventures!
Here's a bunch of really old-school songs to get the mood going for tonights adventures!
The Hollies - I'm Alive
Sam & Dave - Hold On, I'm Coming
Mitch Ryder - Devil With A Blue Dress On
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lookin' Out My Back Door
Bob Seger - Old Time Rock N' Roll
The Marcels - Blue Moon
The Temptations - Ain't Too Proud To Beg
The Ronettes - Be My Baby
Thursday, September 12, 2013
KISS - the bastard child of the recording industry
Reporter: KISS has always been the bastard child of the recording industry — able to sell out arenas and produce hit records on the strength of a sound and a look (black-and-white face paint, tongues fully extended as often as possible), but far from the sort of acclaim that its contemporaries enjoyed.
- - - - -
Paul Stanley: Our audience is young and vibrant; we retain our previous following; we are three generations into it. Unlike other bands that are very demographically specific, who they appeal to and who their fans are, we’re the antithesis of that.
- - - - -
Paul Stanley: Music critics are, for the most part, bitter people who are intent at dragging people down for being successful at what they want to do, which is probably music.
- - - - -
Reporter: What do you make of the contemporary music scene?
Gene Simmons: The only star in the past 20 years is Lady Gaga. Everyone else is a pop singer. Name 100 iconic, legendary stars from 1958 to 1983. There are so many. Now do the same from 1983 to today — you can’t name one.
- - - - -
Reporter: Given your yen for extending your tongue, what do you make of the sexualized critique of Miley Cyrus?
Gene Simmons: She’s being treated unfairly — Madonna, Rihanna and the single-named girls with the A’s in their names — uh, Shakira — if they can do the same stuff, why isn’t anyone picking on them? Justice for all. If the rest of the girls can kiss each other, why can’t she do what she wants?
- - - - -
Paul Stanley: Our audience is young and vibrant; we retain our previous following; we are three generations into it. Unlike other bands that are very demographically specific, who they appeal to and who their fans are, we’re the antithesis of that.
- - - - -
Paul Stanley: Music critics are, for the most part, bitter people who are intent at dragging people down for being successful at what they want to do, which is probably music.
- - - - -
Reporter: What do you make of the contemporary music scene?
Gene Simmons: The only star in the past 20 years is Lady Gaga. Everyone else is a pop singer. Name 100 iconic, legendary stars from 1958 to 1983. There are so many. Now do the same from 1983 to today — you can’t name one.
- - - - -
Reporter: Given your yen for extending your tongue, what do you make of the sexualized critique of Miley Cyrus?
Gene Simmons: She’s being treated unfairly — Madonna, Rihanna and the single-named girls with the A’s in their names — uh, Shakira — if they can do the same stuff, why isn’t anyone picking on them? Justice for all. If the rest of the girls can kiss each other, why can’t she do what she wants?
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