Butch Walker Is Free, Praise Jesus!! :P

From Butch Walker's MySpace blog:

"Speaking of 'records', let's talk about that for a bit.

I feel a little silly and ol' school by calling them that, but I am a romantic, and need that sense of comfort. That said, I am always up for doing something new and different. I don't think I will release (my next solo record, Sycamore Meadows) as an actual CD. Those are kinda becoming the new cassettes anyways.

I guess I get tired of working so hard to really make a great collection of songs, then putting them all onto one record, dealing with artwork, yada yada... All for them to never find their way into ¾ of the stores in the world (I saw them in plenty of stores, Butch, gathering dust. Ed.) What the fuck is that all about?

Wouldn't it be easier on you, me and your brains if I just made the songs available to buy on my website?

Maybe even follow the genius of Radiohead and give folks some monetary options for acquiring the songs? I like it.. I never made a damn dime off of some record company putting it out (I guess advances don't count? Ed.). They are the ones who made sure to fuck it up anyways, so I would rather just cut them out - wow... Who woulda thought it would come to saying this? Praise!!! From now on, I deal with you personally, cool? This will be fun. And easy (spoken with all of the overconfidence of someone who has never done it. Ed.). Just like my 11th grade cheerleader girlfriend. Oops... That's one's gonna come back to get me."

And from an article circulating this week:

"Viva la freedom from cubicle music!" Walker declares in an official announcement going out tomorrow. "The record business is f---ed, but not for bands. It's the most exciting, positive time for music, as rock and roll and indie pop have gone completely back underground. And to see artists be able to release albums whenever they want, for whatever they want, and not have to fear sending in their cover art, only to have the art department airbrush off the singer's mustache (in fear of not selling to a certain demographic or f---ing statistic) is wonderful. Essentially, everything they have or haven't done in the past, I will purposely do the opposite... And probably make my first paycheck (Still trying to float the "I've never seen a dime" bit? Work, it, Holmes. Ed.)."



Having dug Butch's work with Marvelous 3, let me first sat that Marvelous 3's "Ready Sex Go" was a nice record. Seriously, I've played the CD for buddies who are into that type of stuff, but have never heard of the band, and, by the time we're half way through the first tune ("Little Head"), they've expressed complete amazement at how great the record is, why the fuck they've never heard of it, and, dude, can they borrow it. Without exception.

When the band broke up and Butch released his first solo album, I was really, really psyched to hear the results. My hunch about M3 was that they were much like Material Issue (actually, I've long known that the M3 guys were fans of the Ish, but I digress) in that it was basically Butch's show and they were the dedicated foot soldiers that accompanied him into battle, so to speak. At some point, realizing he was writing the tunes, producing the records, being the front man, he figured, "Fuck, I can go into battle by myself."

The bummer was that the best track on "Left of Self-Centered" was the parody "Rock Vocal Power", with "My Way" being the only real standout song. The rest of the material, while over-ambitiously performed and produced, was not really as chock-full of "holy fuck!" moments as I'd hoped.



Being that, at that point, Butch was one of those guys whose albums I would buy sight-unseen, I picked up "Letters", his first record under a new pact with Epic. It was so obvious that Butch thought "Mixtape" was the song that would put him over the top. While Epic never quite flexed any muscle to do so, Butch did everything he could to make sure that song was the emphasis track on the album. The only problem was that it wasn't really that great a song. At best, it was one of those songs that would have been a third single off the Verve Pipe record that had "The Freshman" on it, or whatever. In truth, the best song he had in his possession at the time, "Last Plane Out", didn't even make the album (unless you count the Japanese version). Instead, it was included on his "Heartwork" EP, which was only sold through the Sony online store and at live shows and, sigh, also had not one, but two goddamned versions of "Mixtape" on it.

While "Letters" did seem to have a couple nice moments on it - mainly "Uncomfortably Numb" and "Best Thing You Never Had" - the rest of the album alternated between half-baked toss-offs ("Race Cars And Goth Rock") and overly emotive attempts to tug at the tear ducts ("Joan" - about a girl prone to abusive relationships, and "Thank You Note", about a friend of his who died of cancer). In addition, "Lights Out" was a derivative slice of glam that went right by my ears, but was obviously the basis for Butch's foray into the "glam slam" that was "The Rise And Fall Of Butch Walker & The Lets Go Out Tonites".

By "glam slam", of course, I mean "one of the worst records of 2006". I guess it should come as no surprise to anyone that an album with song titles such as "Oooh...Aaaah", "Paid To Get Excited", "Song Without A Chorus", and "Too Famous To Get Fully Dressed" was either recorded live at The Standard, or just a really, really bad attempt to make light of, well, having more money and acclaim than you deserve or know what to do with.

You just knew Butch thought it was the shit, though, pulling in Avril to star in the video for "Bethamphetamine", but even her star power couldn't erase the fact that the song was a complete and total dud.

The guy's writing "hits" for the likes of Avril, Pink and Bowling For Soup (!) and that's the song he decides to put the money on? Double-you-tee-eff.

After spinning the CD a few times, it dawned on me that Butch had become high on his own fumes.



Meanwhile, he began displaying equally poor choices in outside projects, teaming up with fellow tat-hound Tommy Lee to write the theme for "Tommy Lee Goes To College" and then involving himself in "Rock Star: Supernova". While he plays down his part in that trainwreck, the truth is he co-wrote ten of the album's eleven steaming piles.

At the time, I actually thought to myself that he must be living in L.A. these days because his every move was starting to resemble that of someone trying to maintain "the lifestyle", renting some house out in Malibu, the whole nine yards. I shit you not.

Hearing Butch complain about never seeing a dime from the sale of his albums doesn't negate the fact that he obviously cashed the advance checks. Thus, his sudden celebration of independence rings a tad hollow to me. This is a guy who, perhaps more than anyone, has benefited from the complete ineptitude of the major label system and has milked it for all it is worth.

My hunch is that Butch's decision to take his solo career underground wasn't completely his own idea (in other words, he didn't jump, he was pushed...or about to be) and he'll no doubt balance his newfound independence by taking on any and all major label projects that come his way in order to maintain the lifestyle to which he has become accustomed.

Dude could certainly use a producer, though.

Butch Walker - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover, live)

Petty At SB XLII

With the first half score resembling a pitchers duel more than a battle between two high-powered offenses, the arrival of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at halftime brought a welcome break to the millions who sat glued to their TV's.

With past years bringing wardrobe malfunction and phallic gestures, it was quite a departure to see a band that not only performed live, but did so free from outrageous spectacle. Truth be told, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have never had to rely on schtick and, honestly, they're one of the few remaining bands these days confident enough in their own abilities to do so.

Petty, of course, is a national treasure, but Mike Campbell is the unsung hero of this great band and his fretwork during this all-too-brief four-song set was a lesson in serving the song, but, at the same time, placing a very identifiable stamp on songs that are as vibrant as the day they were written.

Of course, if I wasn't already plenty excited about the band's summer tour, the band's stellar Super Bowl performance merely added fuel on the fire. Goodbye tax return. :)

American Girl
I Won't Back Down
Free Fallin'
Running Down A Dream

The Year In Rock: 1978

Although released in late 1977, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack would be impossible to ignore for much of 1978, with the Bee Gees’ “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive”, as well as Yvonne Elliman’s “If I Can’t Have You”, all reaching #1. At several points during the first half of ‘78, the soundtrack album was selling over 1 million units a week


On the country music side, Kenny Rogers released his career-defining album, “The Gambler, which has gone on to sell over 35 million copies.


Cheap Trick release their third album, “Heaven Tonight”, which, while only managing a #48 chart showing, is notable for containing the studio version of “Surrender” (itself peaking at #62) and becoming the first album for the band to be certified Gold.

Van Halen release their self-titled debut album and, in a matter of weeks, reshape the way a generation of guitarists approach their instrument. Tracks like “Running With The Devil”, “Jamie’s Cryin’”, and “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love” received heavy AOR radio airplay, but the band’s cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”, would actually break the Top 40, peaking at #36. The album has sold approximately fifteen million copies to date.


Boston band The Cars release their self-titled debut album. “Just What I Needed” and “My Best Friend’s Girl” become Top 40 hits for the band, propelling the album into the Top 20. The album has sold almost ten million copies in the US to date. [Check out this cool live version of "Good Times Roll".]

Journey release their fourth studio album, “Infinity”. It is most notable for being new singer Steve perry’s recorded debut with the group and for becoming their first commercially-successful release. While neither of the three singles (“Anytime’, “Lights”, and “Wheel in The Sky”) would dent the Top 40, AOR radio play and solid touring would take the album to a peak position of #21.


Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers release their second album, “You’re Gonna Get It”, and enjoy their first taste of Top 40 success. Despite no obvious hit single – although it did include stand-out tracks “I Need To Know” and “Listen To Her Heart” – the album peaks at #23 on the Top 200 Albums chart.


Queen release their seventh album, “Jazz”, featuring such notable anthems as “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Bicycle Race”. The double A-side single that contains both songs reaches #24 in the US.

Check out Popdose for the full rundown of "The Year In Rock: 1978".

Petty was cool and all, but...

Just in case anyone needed a reminder of how great - transcendent even - a mere halftime performance at a sporting event could be, I point you in the direction of U2's 2002 performance , which came mere months after the 9/11 tragedy.

Anyone who watched the band's performance of "MLK" as a huge backdrop began displaying names of the victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attack, or the hypnotic rendition of "Where The Streets Have No Name" that culminated with Bono revealing an American flag sewn into the lining of his jacket without a lump in their throat is either dead or lacking in something intrinsically human. I still find it funny that it took an Irish band to touch millions with such an honest patriotic American gesture.

U2 - MLK/Where The Streets Have No Name

Shadowplay

Joy Division - Shadowplay


The Killers - Shadowplay

Okay, I admit to liking the Killers' version of "Shadowplay", In fact, it led me to seek out the original version again after several years and, on first re-listen, I almost thought the Killers' version surpassed it. Then I remembered why I liked Joy Division in the first place.

After all, these were kids who came together like so many other post-punk bands circa '78, learning their instruments only after they'd formed the band, but, in doing so, there was a reckless innocence to it all. Peter Hook's rabid bass line, while a bit archaic, already hints at the phenomenal sound he'd make famous in New Order. Ian Curtis' vocals, even then, hinted at a depth of darkness and loss. Guitarist Bernard Sumner's playing, while the very essence of minimal, makes every scrape of the strings count. All in all, a splendid performance.

So, which version do you prefer?

Genesis - Five Live!

When Genesis reunited this year for a worldwide tour, little had any idea how successful the tour would be. I lucked in to complimentary tickets - otherwise, I doubt I would have been compelled to attend - and found their performance to be, in a word, flawless. While the band spent a pretty penny adorning the stage with many state-of-the-art visual elements, none could hide the fact that the band are far from visually stunning. Still, I walked away with a new appreciation of the band... and that of their audience, which was unusually high in women, attractive ones at that.

My seats weren't in the nosebleed section, but being situated so high up did have its advantages. I, and others whose heads could be seen riveted to a location other than the stage, came to welcome the band's desire to flex their musical muscle by diving into their lesser-known prog-era material - songs like "Los Endos", for example - because it would invariably bring with it a long, wonderful barrage of attractive women walking up the aisles towards the concession stands and/or restrooms.

When the band would return to their well-known hits, the women would hurry down the aisles, treating the thousands of men in attendance to yet another view.


We men are art lovers...so sue us. :P

Anyhoo, here are five live cuts from the '07 tour:

Invisible Touch
Land Of Confusion
Mama
Turn It On Again
Tonight Tonight

Platinum Blonde/Standing In The Dark

In 1983, bands like Duran Duran and The Police were at the height of their popularity. Formed initially as a Police cover band, Canada's Platinum Blonde enjoyed gigantic success emulating both bands on their debut effort, "Standing In The Dark".

Songs like "Not In Love", "Standing in The Dark", "Doesn't Really Matter" and "Sad Sad Rain" were hits in Canada and the band was enjoying success that rivaled Beatlemania.




The trio of Mark Holmes (bass/vocals), Sergio Galli (guitar), and Chris Steffler (drums) certainly had the looks and the hooks to warrant success beyond the Great White North, but, even at the height of their success, they remained virtual unknowns in the US and beyond.

If only they'd been British.

"Standing In The Dark" remains my favorite Platinum Blonde album, as they quickly succumbed to pressure to attain success outside Canada and, thus, added a fourth member, Kenny Maclean. While I am a huge fan of Maclean's work with yet another completely unheralded Canadian band, The Deserters, I never felt that his presence did much at all to improve upon the sound the trio attained on their debut.

Sadly, while many of their best tracks have been recently re-issued in Canada, either as part of 1999's "Seven-Year Itch" greatest hits collection or 2006's largely-unnecessary "Collections" compilation, the band's stellar debut album remains out-of-print, resulting in demand that sees used copies fetch upwards of $100 on eBay.

If you've never heard the band, but are into early Police, or Duran Duran, I urge you to check out the tracks below. If you're a fan of the band, but are unwilling to shell out a C-Note to acquire this album on CD, these tracks - ripped staright from scratchy vinyl for your listening pleasure - should hold you over until someone at Sony/BMG Canada wakes up and re-issues this lost gem of an album.


Doesn't Really Matter
Standing In The Dark
Sad Sad Rain
Take it From Me
Cast A Shadow
Leaders In Danger
Not In Love
Video Disease
All Fall Down
Cinderella Story