Sadly, it has been confirmed that Ron Asheton of legendary rock’n’roll band The Stooges was found dead in his Ann Arbor, Michigan home this morning. While no official cause of death has been determined yet, reports claim that the eldest of the Asheton brothers is suspected to have died from a heart attack several days ago. Police discovered the guitarist’s body after having been contacted by his personal assistant, who had not been able to reach Asheton for several days.

Together with Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton and Dave Alexander, Ron Asheton formed The Stooges in 1967, releasing three albums between 1969 and 1973, all of which appeared among Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums of all time. Asheton also ranked #29 of the magazine’s greatest guitarists of all time. Having influenced the likes of The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, AC/DC and many more, The Stooges were widely thought of as the forefathers of punk rock.

After the band’s break-up in 1974, Asheton continued playing music in bands such as The New Order (not to be confused with the post-Joy Division formation), Destroy All Monsters, and New Race. The Stooges reformed in 2003, including both Ashetons, and released their fourth album four years later.

SuicideGirls interviewed Ron Asheton in 2007, read it here.

Moby stopped by SG Radio HQ to record an interview with SG Radio host Sam Doumit. The pair talked about their shared love of Ian MacKaye and his band Minor Threat, Moby's old Connecticut neighbors (the Bush family), growing up in New York and becoming a punk rocker and straight edge boy, his birthday being on September 11th and being there on the day the Twin Towers fell, deejaying, drinking, partying, raves, music, making music, the industry today, MobyGratis.com (free Moby music for filmmakers), politics, this election, his show with Shepard Fairey and De La Soul at the inauguration of Barack Obama, and being a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function.

The interview will air on Indie 103.1 on Sunday, January 4th at midnight. You can listen to SG Radio live from anywhere in the world by going to Indie1031.com and clicking on the Listen Live button.

After the SG Radio interview was done, Moby took the opportunity to set the record straight about the wild and wicked orgy rumors in this exclusive video message for the SG Newswire.


You can catch Moby DJing live at Giant Maximus in Los Angeles tonight.

As Tamara Palmer recently pointed out, there were many criminally overlooked albums in 2008. TV on the Radio's Dear Science wasn't one of them. Earning the top spot on lists released by Spin, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, MTV, Entertainment Weekly, and Pitchfork, the band also dominated the cultural landscape with frenetic appearances on Leno and Letterman. Despite many naysayers' past claims that they "don't get" TV on the Radio, the band seems to have outgrown the stigma brought by membership in the explosively trendy, hater-baiting Williamsburg scene of the early 2000s that included other such unfairly maligned bands as Liars and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I've never really understood this; I mean, sure founder member/producer Dave Sitek's production can be chilly, but it's always balanced by passionate vocals from Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone, as well as those oft-neglected rock and roll standbys: bass, guitar, and drums. Digging deeper, the lyrics thrill the brain's most basic linguistic receptors with delectable word-sounds while simultaneously giving more thoughtful brain-parts something substantive to chew on.

This has all been true since their full-length debut, Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes (2004). So why are they just getting their accolades now? You've probably read a lot about how the band has changed. As prefaced by Return to Cookie Mountain (2006), Dear Science moves towards a more pop sound while retaining all that makes the band unique. Much like SuicideGirls redefines beauty with hot naked weirdos, TVOTR has presented pop music in a more nuanced, but equally pleasing package. Many fine writers have described these changes in detail. What interests me more at this point is how we ourselves have changed. A generation of young impressionables have grown up along with this band, whether or not they were active fans.

In terms of understanding how great music grows together with a generation, this was one of my first experiences with the phenomenon. It started in 2002 with Ok Calculator, a TVOTR demo not very many people heard. Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes, which hit the streets two years later, got the music world buzzing, but TVOTR didn't break through to the mainstream until their major label debut in 2006, and in the two years since, have grown near and dear to pretty much every rock nerd and young urbanite. "Wolf Like Me," their first widely successful single (it was in a videogame and featured on Dennis Leary's Rescue Me TV show), still makes bars full of awkward twenty-somethings do the Snoopy dance each time it plays. It's virtually inescapable, but unlike most pop hits, does not make you want to claw your eardrums out upon the hundredth listen. It also makes people reflect back on 2006, which, although it wasn't that long ago, already seems like a much different time in the world. Where were you the first time you saw it performed? Many Americans were watching Letterman:



I was at Brooklyn's McCarren Pool on a grey summer day, having my heart ripped out by my college boyfriend for the third and final time. Through the rain and the tears, I heard some fucking good music.

Unlike the one-trick emos of my youth, this band reflected the animalistic heft of my emotions without turning it into silly melodrama. On stage were five fully-grown men, reasonably dressed, making music as pathos-laden as it was well-crafted. Of course, I didn't think in those terms at the time; I was too busy seeking shelter and trying to stop my unsightly sobs from ruining my face and scaring everyone around me. But looking back, it was kind of a special moment: I realized you can grow up (and out of a certain ne'er-do-well) without losing the stuff that makes you recognizable to yourself. This seems pretty obvious, but I don't think I really "got it" until then.

I don't know if anyone else got downsized out of someone's life that day, but I'm guessing at least a few of you have listened to TVOTR in the aftermath of a dumping, and know what I'm talking about. Two years later, our word-of-mouth networks and love for the band have solidified, and when Dear Science came along, we were listening.

Then there is the fact that Dear Science says a lot of what Americans, not just young Americans, but all of us, are feeling right now better than we could articulate it for ourselves. It's almost as if TVOTR vocalists Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe had a mental checklist of our current hopes and fears when they were writing the lyrics. Ambivalence about technology? Frustration with modern liberalism? Tentative hope for the future despite all signs pointing to just how fucked we are? Check, check, and check. Like any American with a brain and a pulse, these guys are thinking a lot about these issues, obsessively researching them on the internet ("When [Kyp] was writing his songs for the album, I think he was Googling a lot of things," Tunde told The Brooklyn Rail) and dreaming fitfully of the Apocalypse. And like any good rock band, they've made an album about what they're currently feeling, which is, not by accident, what a lot of us are feeling: uncomfortable malaise brought on by the suspicion that generations worth of "progress" has brought us no closer to peace and understanding than we were back in the Stone Age.

Source

Or, as Tunde says in the soulfully critical rager "DLZ":

At the same time, the single "Golden Age," which claims, "There's a golden age comin' round," indulges our most optimistic impulses. We are a nation tired -- fucking exhausted -- of believing we're doomed by factors beyond our control. A lot of otherwise smart, skeptical people are uncharacteristically giddy about the election of Barack Obama because really, what do we have to lose? We could continue down the same crappy path, or we could take a chance on someone who has promised to get shit done in ways that do not involve killing, torturing, or otherwise denying human beings their basic rights (and he'll be even cooler when he stands up for gay people). Although he doesn't go as far as Tunde in comdenming liberal complacency, he has at least payed lip service to the idea.

And that's another itch this album scratches: it goes where Barack Obama can't. The good thing about being an artist, and not a politician, is that you can explore sentiments like "God damn America!" without fear of career-ending reprisals. In fact, it's an artist's job to do that. We are right to be cynical, and, at the same time, we're right to be hopeful. Dear Science expresses our many shades of honest ambivalence the way no serious politician could. It doesn't just dominate the music landscape of 2008; it is 2008. Top it all off with a heartening song about awesome sex in which no one gets exploited and the female orgasm is celebrated with jingle bells and a full marching band, and there you have it: our collective subconscious in convenient mp3 form. And that's something not even the old fusties at Rolling Stone can deny.

This is the time of year when, if you're reading about music, you'll notice that content tends to be clogged up with Top 10 lists. And we don't know about you, but we're definitely sick of reading about Vampire Weekend, Lil Wayne and Portishead over and over, as interesting as those artists continue to be. So while we're technically participating in the convention of making a year-end list, we wanted to flip it a little and present our Top 10 Criminally Ignored Albums of 2008, many by talented artists who have toiled for years under the radar.


1. The BellRays: Hard, Sweet and Sticky (Anodyne)

Hailing from the Inland Empire area of Southern California, self-proclaimed "rock 'n soul band" the BellRays released their eighth album this year and still managed to avoid the spotlight they so deserve. With her big hair and even bigger pipes, front woman Lisa Kekaula is reminiscent of a young Tina Turner. The video for the single "Infection" is not at all what one would expect from this band's edgy sound: A whimsical and provocative red bear makes friends on the streets of San Francisco, which shows that this band also has an undeniable sense of humor.





2. The Sea and Cake: Car Alarm (Thrill Jockey)

Also on their eighth album is Chicago's The Sea and Cake, but the supremely chilled music on Car Alarm was almost too laid-back to make a big mainstream statement this year. The joy evident in the jangly guitar pop of "On a Letter" or the jaunty drum machine jamboree of "CMS Sequence" probably means that this band, an indie supergroup of sorts that counts members who also play in Tortoise and Gastr del Sol, doesn't give too much of a hoot about that. These visuals for "Weekend" make us long for carefree summers.





3. Kinky: Barracuda (Nettwerk)

Originally from Monterrey, Mexico but now living in Los Angeles, the Kinky quintet provides saucy, bilingual rock danceables with its tongue firmly in someone else's cheek. The band wrote the theme song for the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team, but it got slightly overshadowed because it happened at the same time that David Beckham joined the team. Barracuda features production by Money Mark, the one-man band who has most notably worked with the Beastie Boys, Chico Sonido, a crate-digging DJ also from Mexico. Sonido produced Kinky's single "Hasta Quermanos," a song that has a clever dance video to match.





4. Bauhaus: Go Away White (Bauhaus Music)

Legendary goth rockers Bauhaus came back for a hot minute in 2008 with the sizzling album Go Away White, but it certainly did not receive the red carpet treatment it should have after the band's 25 year studio album hiatus. Even though they recorded this song called "Too Much 21st Century," Bauhaus does not sound stuck in the past.





5. Mugison: Mugiboogie (Ipecac)

Those who adore the individuality of Björk but haven't explored the other gems of that country's music scene should definitely check out Mugison. After developing a quiet reputation as an electronic producer, his new album "Mugiboogie" reveals a fondness for live and acoustic instruments. Here the band perform "Jesus is a Good Name to Moan." Click HERE if you're interested in the reasoning behind the bizarre title of the track.





6. Emiliana Torrini: Me and Armini (Rough Trade)

Yep, there really is something special in the beautiful waters of Iceland, because we also have that country to thank for Emiliana Torrini, who released her sixth studio album Me and Armini this year. She's gotten accolades for work with downtempo electronic groups GusGus and Thievery Corporation and has even written songs for international pop queen Kylie Minogue, but her solo work is full of cute songs like "Jungle Drum," a buoyant delight that references "Ebony and Ivory" and "Dancing in the Street" over an addictive beat.





7. Meat Beat Manifesto: Autoimmune (Metropolis)

Acts as diverse as the Chemical Brothers, Prodigy and Nine Inch Nails owe Meat Beat Manifesto a debt of gratitude. MBM (and its creator Jack Dangers) has a 21-year history that includes a lead architectural role in drawing the blueprints of various micro-strains of electronic music, from industrial and techno to drum & bass and dubstep. Here's a snippet of the band's recent performance in San Francisco, a show that kept my normally sedentary ass moving for the whole time. This clip is worth watching not only to hear "Children of the Earth" from MBM's 10th album Autoimmune, but to see how extraordinary the visuals in the live presentation are, an intricately weaved pastiche of obscure films, television shows and random optical illusions all sequenced to the beat.





8. Tech N9ne: Killer (Strange Music)

Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne parodies Michael Jackson's Thriller on the cover of his 11th independent album Killer by mimicking Jackson's reclined pose while clad in a white straightjacket. This crazy good double album eschews rap's clichés of booty and bling in order to look at these and other concepts from a different angle. "Black Boy" features guest stars Ice Cube, Brother J (of the East Coast rap group X-Clan) and newcomer Krizz Kaliko talks about racial misconceptions and struggles; Cube even takes a not-so subtle dig at Jackson in there, too.





9. Del The Funkee Homosapien: 11th Hour (Definitive Jux)

Also in the realm of hip-hop is Del The Funkee Homosapien. The Oakland-born and seemingly alien bred rapper offers thoughts and beats that are definitely another world from his superstar cousin Ice Cube, who first became famous with his gangster rap. Del created one of the most famous logos in hip-hop with his three-eyed design for his Hieroglyphics collective, and provided the rhymes for Gorillaz' classic track "Clint Eastwood" Ñ both might be his most well-known achievements. After a long absence, his solo album 11th Hour did not receive the attention that it warrants, but that's not due to lack of Del "Workin It."





10. Styrofoam: A Thousand Words (Nettwerk)

Belgian producer Arne Van Petegem made one of the year's most tender-hearted albums about love this year, a work that hearkens back to the sweet electro-pop of early '80s acts like Yaz. Even though it's such a digital album, Van Petegem and his live band no problem making it sound warm and human in person, as Styrofoam does in this Turin performance of the title track, "A Thousand Words."






Tamara Palmer is SuicideGirls' Sound Advice/New Music Editor. During a decade and a half of DJing and writing about music professionally, she has found particular pleasure in championing new artists and sounds. Her work has appeared in outlets such as the Associated Press, Wired, and SF Weekly. She is a former editor of URB and the author of the book, Country Fried Soul: Adventures in Dirty South Hip-Hop.

With the economy crumbling, layoffs skyrocketing, the Virgin Mary showing up in people’s MRI’s, and scientists discovering fucked up squids with elbows, the last thing you probably want to think about is holiday preparation. If you’re anything like me, you are poor and don’t like a lot of people, and wouldn’t mind if Christmas were altogether cancelled. However, like it or not, it remains tentatively scheduled for the 25th of December, and whether you plan to wait it out in your dank, windowless apartment eating Chinese delivery or stretch your deflated 2008 dollars to cover everyone on your gift list, music will probably improve the experience. Each of the following items (both of the news and material variety) should put a twinkle in someone’s eye, from hardcore rock nerds to cheery tree-trimmers. I, for one, am gifting the humans I care for with meticulously crafted mix CDs, because you can’t buy taste.

Colbert Sings!

As if his Nixmas Tree* wasn’t impressive enough, the king of deadpan satire has released A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All just in time for Nixmukkah. The record features contributions from Feist, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, John Legend, and even Colbert’s faux-nemesis, Jon Stewart. Colbert himself delivers lines like:

Part of the proceeds will go to hunger-relief organization Feeding America.



Also notable is Colbert's “Operation Humble Kanye,” in which he took the “sunglasses display mannequin” down a notch by convincing everyone to buy his Christmas album at the same time on the same day, pushing it temporarily two spots above West’s 808s & Heartbreak on the itunes sales chart.

Colbert started up the beef last week, dissing the self-described “voice of this generation, this decade,” with all the catty wit of a Pitchfork critic. “You’re not the voice of this generation,” quoth Colbert. “With all that auto-tuning, you’re not even the voice on your own album!” After Kanye tweeted huffily in response, he turned it up a notch, retorting, “Why buy Kanye's album? You can basically hear it for free. Just put a tin can to your ear and lean against a Pac-Man machine.”

It's funny cause it's true. Colbert has invited West on his show to settle the score, but he has yet to accept. Here’s hoping this turns into an epic on-air rap battle. Do it, Kanye, or you’re an even bigger pussy than everyone already thinks you are.


Score! 20 Years of Merge Records

Founded in 1989 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Merge Records has put out albums by such indie icons as Superchunk, Neutral Milk Hotel, and the Arcade Fire. On this, their 20th anniversary, they’ve put together a year-long subscription boxed set package, which includes 14 compilation CDs of Merge bands curated by cool people like Amy Poehler and David Byrne, a compilation of remixes, an album of covers by artists like Bright Eyes, Les Savy Fav, and the Dirty Projectors, a giant cover art book, a comedy CD, and more. I’m not usually one to plug products, but Score! is the ultimate object of desire for anyone even remotely interested in independent music this holiday season. I’m probably going to spend many shameful hours finding and downloading everything in it, unless, of course, someone happens to buy it for me (Hint, hint, Mom!). If you can’t afford it but still want to know what Merge is all about, I suggest checking out some of their artists. Here, I’ll help you!

The Arcade Fire--"Black Mirror"

Here's a video interpretation of Neutral Milk Hotel's "The King of Carrot Flowers" that brings me endless, childlike joy:




Of Montreal-O-Rama

For fans of flamboyant, literary, emo-disco-folk, Of Montreal have just the thing. Their new album Skeletal Lamping features a kaleidoscopic exploration of frontman/androgynous heartthrob Kevin Barnes’ alter ego Georgie Fruit, a middle-aged African American transsexual soul singer. With many psychedelic twists and turns, it’s less poppy than Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, but equally brilliant. Adding extra incentive to order or buy the album are the various forms in which it’s being released. Basically, you pay for a digital download plus the physical item of your choice, a creative solution to the previously discussed problem of what to do when everyone's downloading music for free. Besides your standard issue vinyl, options include t-shirts, wall decals, tote bags, and a kick ass paper lantern. Or, for $90, you can get them all. They also have a forthcoming EP of remixes by Jon Brion now available for pre-order.

Barnes and the gang are currently on tour, so check the website to see when their naked sword-fighting stage antics are coming your way. They also contributed a cover of M.I.A.’s “Jimmy” to a charity compilation that also includes Garbage, Radiohead, and Bloc Party, so you can rock out and help kids with cancer at the same time.

Of Montreal — "Id Engager"



Brody's Back!

“Can we make a girl pit? Let’s get some fucking vaginas up in here.” These words made 17-year-old Hunter fall forever in love with Aussie singer/guitarist Brody Dalle as they echoed through the cold, smoky hole that was New London, CT's El 'n'Gee Club (R.I.P.). With a raspy yell, fast picking, and sing-along punk anthems, Dalle led the Distillers to underrated greatness. Now she’s back with a project called Spinerette, which goes the way of her husband Josh Homme’s latest project in that it’s a slicker, more L.A. rock sound than we’re used to hearing from her. Will this disappoint some old school fans? Probably, but I don't care. New music from Brody is the only Christmas present I need.

Fun With Sufjan

Latepass me if you like, but Sufjan Stevens made a holiday album in 2006, and it's still good. It’s mellow enough for grandma, while providing a break from the aural terrorism usually associated with the season. To remind us to buy their music, Asthmatic Kitty Records has made a neat little Christmas website full of diverting activities, my favorite of which is a program that lets you make your very own Sufjan-elf to send to someone as a holiday card. You can’t remove his elf suit (I tried), but beard fetishists will be happy to find that nice white Santa face-fur is one of the options (you know who you are). The site makes no concessions to diversity, but everyone knows that Kwaanza and Hanukkah are made up holidays anyway (j/k j/k pls don’t kick me out of the j00 elite).

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

Speaking of made up, check out this mockumentary about a fictitious all-girl punk band. Starring a young Diane Lane and an even younger Laura Dern (ages 15 and 13, respectively), the little-seen 1981 film features appearances by members of the Clash and the Sex Pistols, and has acquired enough of a cult following over the years to finally get released on DVD. It’s hardly the most amazing piece of cinema ever made, but nonetheless worth a viewing for its timely snapshot of the punk/new wave scene, its rousing songs, and Lane’s gutsy performance in one of her first starring roles.

Trailer



....And now, because I'm twelve years old, your moment of Zen:



Note
Nixmas Tree*

Source

Nine years since the festival's beginning, ATP returns for what seems the most eclectic edition to date. In September Hunter gave you a review of ATP NY, three months later it's time for another report but from across the globe.

Curated by Melvins and Mike Patton (whoever's idea that was deserves a pat on the back), the three-day rock resort at Butlin's holiday camp would be nothing less than what Thurston Moore once described as "the ultimate mixtape." Ranging from experimental to country to hip-hop, this was well worth making a roadtrip from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Minehead, UK (wherever the fuck that may be). And with nearly fifty bands playing over the weekend I was sure there would be no sleep for the wicked!

After checking in (visitors as well as artists stay at on-site apartments, hello afterparties!), I headed to the Centre stage to catch the last few songs of Melvins 1983. With a line-up featuring Buzz (a.k.a. King Buzzo), Dale, and the band's original drummer Mike Dillard, the band played songs that have been around longer than I have. I was more fascinated by Buzzo's hair than anything else (it's not unlike a permanent electric gray cloud, and it's all kinds of awesome), but from what I saw and heard the set was good, too.

Big Business sounded colossal as ever. While initially a two-piece, the guitarist for Harvey Milk joined the wall of sound for the second half of their show. (Toshi Kasai who was added to the the band's official line-up earlier this year was nowhere to be found.) Following the stoner sludge, Detroit rockers The Dirtbombs were a sight to see with twice the drums and bass than your average garage band. Frontman Mick Collins' voice oozes soul and is responsible for the lion's share of this band's charm.

On the stage next-door Torche was all stoner and doom, hypnotizing the crowd with their epic riffs. I really dig them, so this caused me to miss most of The Locust's set, but the San Diego quartet decked out in their usual insect costumes still gave me shivers. After over a decade of experimental noise, several line-up changes and side-projects, I am surprised yet stoked they are still doing what they're doing.

As much as I like heavy metal disco, I flee the Irish pub after seeing my friends getting shit-faced on Guinness and playing air guitar to Slayer for some well-deserved rest. The next day is going to be a good one.

Before leaving the apartment on Saturday to check out some music, I watched the 70s horror classic The Omen, as well as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which gave me the creeps for the rest of the day. I'm into the fact that even the television programming was part of the festival, and can just envision Buzzo sitting in a control room picking out his favorite movies and random video clips. Unfortunately I missed out on country singer and guitarist Junior Brown who I later heard was one of the highlights of the entire festival. I head over to the Red stage to see Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, and although I really want to like them, I can't get into Lydia Lunch's moody and atonal no-wave. Some of my friends are head over heels for it though, so I guess it's a matter of taste.

After an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet (I fail at four slices, by the way) it's time for stand-up comedian Neil Hamburger. This absurd character's jokes are so terrible they're good. Easy targets such as Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and his own audience all get flamed by the bespectacled anti-hero, and even SuicideGirls won't escape his anti-humor. With something along the lines of: "What do a bowling ball and a SuicideGirl in the gutter have in common? You have to clean out all three holes." Hamburger hits a little close to home, but I can hardly take offence.

Fifteen minutes later human beatbox extraordinaire Rahzel, formerly of The Roots, owns the stage like it ain't nobody's business. With nothing more than a voice and a mic Rahzel flawlessly mimicks The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army, Snoop Dogg's Drop It Like It's Hot, and Wu-Tang Clan's Ain't Nuthin' to Fuck With. It's fascinating how when you close your eyes you can barely tell the vocal percussionist apart from a live band. I'm impressed.

As for the last band of the night, Soulsavers (with Mark Lanegan) provide a beautiful atmospheric set laced with electronica and Johnny Cash-esque vocals. I am very happy with the discovery of this UK band and by the time they are done it's three o' clock in the morning. An hour or so later I find myself at a party at Mastodon's apartment with members of The Locust and some girls who don't look amused having their party crashed. Time for bed I say, and shortly after my departure the rest of the party gets thrown out so I can't say you missed much.

On day three the first band that can keep my attention is the Butthole Surfers (sometimes just referred to as the Buttholes) from Austin, TX. This band has been around forever (1981 is forever in my book) and acquired somewhat of a cult status in the past few decades, which I totally get after an hour of punk rock psychedelia.

Next up is Mike Patton's brainchild Fantomas, performing The Director's Cut which is truly beautiful and haunting. The band's take on soundtrack theme songs from movies like Rosemary's Baby and Twin Peaks are nothing short of genius. But that's no surprise with a line-up consisting of Patton, Buzzo, Dave Lombardo and Trevor Dunn, is it? Meanwhile in the Red room ambient hip-hop crew Dalek (MC Dalek and producer Oktopus) are busting out their intelligent rhymes and hypnotic verses, but I don't stay long because Mastodon are ripping the Centre stage to shreds and this I need to see. With guitarist Bill Kelliher missing (he was hospitalized about a month ago due to an unidentified illness) but replaced with Buzzo and two (!) extra drummers (Coady Willis and Dale, both from Melvins), the Mastodon/Melvins formation fucking killed it. I am not even a huge fan of the so-called "new wave of American heavy metal" (that is a real term) but this was definitely one of the highlights of this year's ATP.

Before the highly anticipated Melvins set I managed to catch the first couple of songs of The Black Heart Procession. The violin, keys, and singing saw (!) added to singer Pall Jenkins' melancholy voice and moody melodies are exceptionally beautiful. Although I would have loved to stay, I could not be at ATP and miss out on Melvins so I join the masses for a great half hour of sludge / grunge / rock. Buzzo's appearance may be reminiscent of a wizard in his black cloak and cloudy hair, but his guitarplaying skills are extraordinary. Backed by double drums and Jared Warren's (Big Business) basslines, Melvins are in excellent shape.

The Damned is another band I'm looking forward to see in the flesh, but the 70s UK punks can't seem to convince me that they haven't passed their prime say, thirty years ago? (Circa Smash It Up, before their goth phase). Their "fuck the system" speech doesn't work in their favor either. Luckily Kool Keith and Kutmasta Kurt have a better idea. With a blinged-out scarf (?) draped around his head and shoulders, the eccentric MC that goes by many names (Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, Black Elvis, Spankmaster and Mr. Nogatco, respectively) keeps it real, flowing rhymes to the beats of his masked counterpart behind the turntables. For the last band of the night (and this weekend, sadly), North Carolina hardcore band Double Negative proves to be an excellent choice. Loud, fast, and pissed off (I think they like Black Flag), frontman KC is raging in the crowd more than on stage.

Around four in the morning Tomorrow's Parties suddenly seem to be tonight's, but thankfully the next edition of ATP (The Fans Strike Back) is already taking form with names such as The Jesus Lizard, Devo and Sleep. I daresay the party isn't over yet.

Over this last weekend, through personal experience, conversations out in L.A. at the Remix Hotel and at Swingers restaurant with my friend Ken Lopez, and input from some of my students regarding the Taylor Swift marketing campaign, I realized there's a whole new area opening up. After spending years trying to perfect songwriting, studio and production techniques to plant hooks (it is a seven hour lesson in itself) in people's brain to get 'em to buy music, I've found a whole new way of doing it. With Rock Band or Guitar Hero a song becomes deeply embedded as gamers play along because the brain is open and fully engaged in the ego driven task of beating the computer. The hooks in the music seem to bury themselves twice as deep, twice as effectively, and, after a few sessions on an Xbox, it is now twice as impossible for me to stop singing "Hungry like the Wolf." (Is that possible?)

The financial impact of a song succeeding on Guitar Hero for instance, is already well documented. A band in the UK jumped from 55,000 to over 624,000 units (I was reading about them in The Economist). However, the long-term impact of deeply embedded hooks is yet to be felt.

In the future, perhaps the bands that do the most business live won't be those you heard on the radio during your first illicit backseat kiss. Nor will they be playing the songs selected by you and your friends after a discerning, broad, sometimes heated discussion of the their merits, techniques, and studio production of one artist over another. Perhaps our arenas and stadiums with be filled by an assemblage of the bands who perform the songs that the largest percentage of people found challenging on their Xbox (but not so difficult as to seem impossible — at least during the first half).

And will the feelings you get as these bands come out on stage be true joy, or just an echo, a memory marker from the day you beat the song — the day it became a meaningless, discarded talisman of something you used to find fascinating and frustrating. Will the chords and riffs they play evoke real life memories or a distant goal achieved &mdash something whose completion would mark accomplishment? Ultimately, will our once favored Guitar Hero and Rock Band songs simply be placed on a memory shelf in an "ego bin," like a notch on the butt of Wii rifle or the yellow belt from karate hanging in the closet?

Are we set for new genres and divisions, the ultra elite, maybe more dexterous in hand and quick with a non-color blind eye who will naturally gravitate to see the bands perform, to continue to out-wit them in some kind of bizarre Dungeons and Dragons mutated arm wrestling contest? Do we want to laugh and discard a Tool song triumphantly as we rise up the skill levels on to King Crimson and perhaps Zappa?

Where is this all going? And, more importantly where artists' bank accounts are concerned, what are these bands going to sell at their merch booth in the future? Books containing technique tips and game cheats? DVD lessons? HeadOn for joint pain to soothe arthritic fingers? And never mind an autograph or a meet and greet with the band, I want Yngwie Malmsteen's guitar tech for the afternoon. The only constant thing, it seems, is change.



What else is going on in my world? Well, the newest Pigface album is going to be available on 8 track cartridge soon. I'm mixing amazing music from China and finishing up the sequel to my Tour:Smart book. You can help with my "market research" by filling out a survey HERE. I want to know: What is the ONE THING you wish you could tell a band, a singer, a radio station, etc.? We'll pick some of our favorite responses to include in Band:Smart and we'll send you a free Tour:Smart e-Book if your survey is chosen.

Peace, love and happy holidays to all

Martin Atkins
Chicago Illannoys



Martin Atkins has drummed with PiL, Killing Joke, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and The Damage Manual, among others. As owner of the now 20-year old Invisible Records, he has worked with artists such as Thrill Kill Kult, Einsturzende Neubauten, Chemlab, Chris Connelly, Sheep On Drugs, Murder Inc, and Psychic TV. Martin teaches a course on Business of Touring at Columbia College in Chicago, IL, and has written a survival guide for touring bands, Tour Smart: And Break The Band, which features contributions from Henry Rollins, Cynthia Plastercaster, The Enigma, the Suicide Girls, Zim Zum (formerly of Marilyn Manson), Kevin Lyman, and various other managers, journalists, venues, agents, sponsors, radio personalities and the like.

This is the first installment of Sound Advice. As your mixstress, I hope to build a space where you may discover new (or maybe just new to you) sounds from across a wide sonic spectrum.


Late of the Pier

I recently met Late of the Pier, a quartet from the small Northern English town of Castle Donington, on their first trip to New York, where they were greeted with their hotel block cordoned off by police in riot gear and helicopters hovering overhead. Sadly the crowd control precautions were not for the band, but instead intended to preserve a crime scene. And while the band is used to rousing receptions back at home, where their debut album Fantasy Black Channel was released last summer, this was still a bit of a shocking start.

"A very American welcome," says keyboardist Jack Paradise. "Thank you, America!"

American music lovers will get a chance to more properly greet Late of the Pier when they release Fantasy Black Channel domestically in the U.S. via the Astralwerks label in early 2009, but you can check out their videos on YouTube in the meantime. The band classifies themselves cheekily as "Latin/glam/thrash" on their MySpace page, but are really a smart synthesis of rock and electronics. Their wild imagination has garnered a notable underage following, and they've played at several under-18 clubs to court this über enthusiastic demographic.

"The way we do things is with a sort of childlike wonder and energy, so kids can definitely relate," says bassist Francis Dudley Dance. "They wear their hearts on their sleeves a lot more and they're a lot more instinctive crowd and they're a lot more open minded in a lot of ways."

"And they're no way cynical, either," adds lead singer Samuel Dust. "They really go for things that are exciting and are not afraid to stand out. They really embrace that."

So do we. Check out "Heartbeat" to see what we mean:




Kristeen Young

St. Louis native (and now New York resident) Kristeen Young has built up a loyal and growing following largely due to her arresting live performances. With drummer "Baby" Jeff White, she's known as the conveniently named kristeenyoung, a band with five independently released albums under their belt and one on the way. A collaboration on that forthcoming release is with Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump, which should provide exposure to a whole new group of potential listeners.

She has toured extensively with Morrissey (and released singles on his Attack label) and made many fans out of his followers, but she ultimately parted ways with the British crooner last year after making a sexually suggestive remark about him on stage in response to a heckler that was poorly received by Moz. Someone outspoken enough to make that charming man blush certainly has our attention.

Perhaps the miserable one should get over himself and realize "Life's Not Short" to hold grudges:




Janelle Monae

Like Young, Janelle Monae also originally hails from the Midwest - in her case, Kansas City, KS - but has come to be associated with the envelope-pushing sounds of her adopted Atlanta home. This honorary ATL-ien is like a sister to OutKast, appearing on their Idlewild soundtrack and working extensively with that group's Big Boi. She was signed to his Purple Ribbon label and he executive produced her Metropolis: The Chase Suite, a concept EP dedicated to Fritz Lang's 1927 expressionist silent film Metropolis. That project was co-released by her own independent label Wondaland Arts Society in a unique partnership with Diddy's Bad Boy empire, and will be followed up by Part 2 and Part 3 in the new year.

"Although it didn't have any words, it really spoke out to me," Monae says of Metropolis. "It reminded me that there's a constant struggle between the haves and the have-nots, between the oppressors and the oppressed. I was raised in Kansas City and there are still members of my family there that are kind of like the walking dead. I thought it would be great to elaborate on that story a little more, to make it my own and to use a parallel that I thought of when I watched the film. I'm a huge science fiction head; I love Octavia Butler and Isaac Asimov and films like Blade Runner and of course The Matrix. It's a very compelling story, I feel like it could be very life changing if you allow it to, as it is for me."

A young lady making art inspired by obscure silent films would be enough in itself, but Monae is a study in beautiful extremes, as she demonstrates in her live shows, where she's been known to stage dive and crowd surf some impressively lengthy audience waves.

"You know you have great supporters if they always are there to hold you and uplift you," she exclaims.

It's been "Many Moons" since we've seen such an original musical and visual talent combined:




Tamara Palmer is SuicideGirls' New Music Editor. During a decade and a half of DJing and writing about music professionally, she has found particular pleasure in championing new artists and sounds. Her work has appeared in outlets such as the Associated Press, Wired, and SF Weekly. She is a former editor of URB and the author of the book, Country Fried Soul: Adventures in Dirty South Hip-Hop.

Music moves fast. In the time I've spent recovering from All Tomorrow's Parties, countless tours, albums, and hijinx have gone down against a distracting backdrop of financial meltdowns, wildfires, and the election of a guy named Barack Obama (perhaps you've heard of him?). It's impossible for one short post to catch everything, but as part of my new duties here at the ever-evolving Newswire, I'm going to give you my monthly picks of the most exciting things happening in rock (and I use this term loosely). "But Hunter, what about the gonzo journalism you sacrifice body, soul, and basic human decency to deliver us?" Not to worry. The Weird Turn Pro as you know and cherish it will reappear in the next few weeks. I may be expanding my coverage of music news, but the kooky stuff is here to stay. Now let's get down to business.


Punk's Not Dead

Still riding high on last spring's Nouns, Los Angeles noise/art/pop punks No Age are touring the U.S. and Canada before heading to the land down under for heaping doses of punk rock and Vegemite. With feedback squalls and quiet/noisy interludes, they may not sound exactly like the punk bands you're used to, but their innovations help the genre stay alive and artistically relevant in the post-CBGB era. And unlike many young artsy bands, they carry the banner of political engagement. I found it especially endearing when guitarist Randy Randall got into a tussle with a staffer on the Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson over his Obama t-shirt, which he was asked to remove. The resourceful rocker obscured the candidate's name but wrote "Free Health Care" on his shirt, which got the point across well enough. They also pitched in and wrote a statement for the underground DIY site Noise For Obama:

They may not be the most articulate folks ever to speak about politics, but they get the point across in a way fans can connect with. They're not afraid to talk about veganism and animal rights, either, a subject near and dear to my heart. Thank you, No Age, for showing you can take the sneering, postmodern "whatever shrug" out of noise rock and still be cool.

Here they are performing "Boy Void" live in Philly. I like this video because it shows how hard Dean Spunt hits his drums:



And here is the official video for "Eraser," in which the boys frolic through a backyard party. Feel free to pause and rewind the part where Randy is getting hosed off:



They released "Teen Creeps," a relatively poppy single, in October, so don't be surprised if a video for that pops up soon.


The Boss and The Boy Genius

Accompanying No Age on tour are New Jersey's Titus Andronicus. One of my favorite bands as of late, they sound like a cross between Conor Oberst's now-defunct punk project Desaparecidos and fellow Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen, which means you can enjoy them with your dad. With lines lifted from Shakespeare and Camus alongside peppy, anthemic repetitions of nihilisms like, "Your life is over!" they may actually get you excited that everything's falling the fuck apart.

Here's the video for "Titus Andronicus," a single off their debut album The Airing of Grievances, to be re-released in January of 2009 in remastered form by XL Recordings.



Psych-Pop Returns

Enigmatic Deerhunter/Atlas Sound frontman Bradford Cox has had quite a year. From angry blog posts, to Converse ads, to piggy back rides on half-naked Bollywood soul singers, he has done some stuff. To top it all off, the band finally released the much-anticipated (and much-leaked) Microcastle, which incorporates enough pop sounds to make it their most widely appealing album yet while keeping enough weird psychedelia to satisfy fans. They're now performing with new guitarist/former cheerleader Whitney Petty for lucky people all over Europe.

Here's a video someone made of single "Agoraphobia" which features some rousing interpretive dance culled from a Pedro Almodovar film:



And here's a dreamy unofficial video for the album's dreamy title song, made by friend and former band member Adam Bruneau:




Post-Post-Punk?

If you can get past the whole "crystal is the new bear/wolf/deer" nonsense, you will find Crystal Stilts play excellent stripped down post punk that's more than a little reminiscent of great bands of the 80s like Joy Division and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Not to be pigeonholed, they also incorporate elements of garage, psych, and straight up jangly pop, and singer Brad Hargett slouches through each song with the depressed charm of Ian Curtis at his darkest. They've recently been joined by ex-Vivian Girl Frankie Rose on drums, and are currently touring North America in support of their debut full-length Alight of Night.

"Departure":



"Shattered Shine":




M.I.A. ≠ Missing In Action

Despite her recent announcement that she's taking a short break to gestate a baby, my number one girl crush is busier than ever. Following the appearance of "Paper Planes" on the soundtrack (and in the trailer) for Apatow-helmed stinker Pineapple Express (fun fact: she almost bailed because the producers of the film "which is all about weed" tried to censor her references to weed), the mainstream hip hop world has finally noticed her. She's being remixed like crazy, and has contributed some tracks to the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire, a Danny Boyle directed bilingual action romp through the slums of Mumbai that melds cultures freely, a natural fit for the genre-straddling star. She's also released a cover of Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole," currently best known as the theme song for HBO's amazing show The Wire, featuring Blaqstarr. As with all good covers, she really makes it her own, even changing the meaning from the drug-laden opening sequence of the show to � well, you decide. Here's what she wrote on her myspace page about the video, which supposedly cost $10 to make:

"Way Down in the Hole"



Thank fuck indeed.

Architecture in Helsinki

As someone who tends to listen to depressing music, I like an aural pick-me-up once in a while. Purveyors of cheesy, fun, 70s and 80s-style dance grooves, these Aussies are hard at work on their fourth LP and have just released a single, "That Beep," which you can listen to in its entirety or watch in video form over at ThatBeep.com.

They're touring Australia right now, so if you're all moshed out from seeing No Age, stop by for some restorative booty shaking.


Cheer Up, Emo Kid

Isn't it weird how the late nineties were already ten years ago? It's enough to make a girl feel old. Jimmy Eat World's Clarity formed the soundtrack to countless nights spent cruising the empty playgrounds and 7-11's of my stupid suburban town, falling in love with and subsequently crying about boys, and getting as high as possible in order to forget that life is pain (and other existential revelations sparked when my parents took my car away). To celebrate its tenth (tenth!) anniversary, the band will be playing the album in its entirety at ten select U.S. dates.

In other emo news, The Get Up Kids are reuniting to play a single gig in their native Kansas City to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Something to Write Home About. Dust off your chucks (or if you're like me, chances are you're still wearing them), drink a few Redbulls, envision your worst heartbreak, and get ready to jump up and down while crying your fucking eyes out. If I somehow manage to make it to this show, I think I might actually die.

Play me out, boys.

Jimmy Eat World-"Your New Aesthetic":



The Get Up Kids-"Action and Action"

Break out the Tripp pants and chain wallets, Chigaco heavyweights Disturbed have scheduled a fourth outing for their Music As A Weapon package. This time around the band will be bringing along Massachusettes' own Killswitch Engage (who had a suprise hit last year with a cover of Dio's "Holy Diver") and Five Finger Death Punch (who have spent the better part of two years playing just about every festival you can think of).

Although it had been known for months that Disturbed was planning to revive their Music As A Weapon touring umbrella, this past week Killswitch Engage's management company confirmed that the band was commited to the package.

Earlier today Philadelphia radio station WMMR confirmed this, and revealed the addition of Five Finger Death Punch to the lineup. It is unclear whether more acts will be added but the tour will kick off in March 2009.

Disturbed hit the road to support last year's Indestructable release, which was their third album to debut at number 1 on the Billboard charts. The band previously headlined the Music As A Weapon package in 2001, 2003, and 2006 (with music and film of the 2003 tour being released on CD and DVD). Past incarnations of the tour have featured such acts as Stone Sour, Taproot, Drowning Pool, Nonpoint, Chevelle, Adema, Unloco, Systematic, Steromud, and Flyleaf.

It's been a while since my last Tour Smart post, so, welcome back me! I actually didn't feel like I had left.

What's happened since we last spoke?

Well, I've been back to China and had another baby boy -- bringing the total up to 4! (Boys -- not trips to China.) Let me stress the importance of that number and prevent anyone from changing it, just like on a major record label contract, by writing it thusly: XXXFOURCHILDRENALLBOYSXXX. I'm also teaching much more at Columbia College here in Chicago, and am having an F-ing blast!

I hope that you are also doing well amid this horrible economic downturn. We'll all be re-defining the meaning of essential vs. luxury items over the coming months. It'll be interesting to see where music is on that list. Since life is likely to be even tighter on the road for gigging bands, I thought it was high time I hit the SG Newswire with a few pearls of wisdom on how to keep food in your mouth -- and more importantly beer in your glass -- as you gig your way to glory.

Do this today to make more money on the road tomorrow:

1. Start a donation bucket -- or, if you are feeling less ambitious -- a donation jar. Place a large label on a big bucket saying something that is honest. Sheep on Drugs said, "Alcohol fund -- please give generously!" It made them about $20 a night. I put this anecdote in my book as an example of being able to learn something from anyone, thinking outside the box, and being honest.

A band just wrote to me and said that this tip was the difference between eating most nights....or not. They described this as one of the factors that enabled them to complete their first ten day tour. It's also a great illustration of what my shit is about. It's NOT about making more money -- money on its own is meaningless. It's about surviving and sustaining because NONE of the other things affecting your career can kick in if you give up, implode, or explode.

The honesty component of the donation jar is just as important as the jar itself. This is the same philosophy that gets the homeless guy who directly asks for money to support his drug habit a little bit more than the guy who's asking for "food." People respond to honesty. It's the time between smile and laugh that opens pocketbook (not that there's anything in anyone's pocketbook anymore, but...).

2. Look at upcoming events as your granddad would -- be skeptical. Take off your rose colored, positive vibe glasses. Take care of the one crazily obvious thing that you have forgotten! Don't be afraid to say, "This won't work, this will be a catastrophe." By jumping into your granddad's persona, you can alert yourself to possible real dangers. But make sure to exit your granddad's body before you shave -- he probably only used a razor with one blade (can you imagine that!) instead of the nine blade skateboard motherfuckers we're using now! How on earth did they ever manage it?

3. Check the facts. Take the time to check on anything verifiable and objective. There are so many things up for grabs -- the fickle nature of people, the economy, the weather -- you should do your best to examine and quantify anything that isn't. For example, are you "hoping" that the opening two bands are really going to pull a crowd? Instead of hoping, check the facts. How many people are on their Myspace? (Note: divide by 4 at least!) When was the last time they played? Last week is a problem and so is next week �¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ especially if these are free shows �¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ be careful! Just because something is crazy and doesn't make sense doesn't mean it isn't going to happen. In fact �¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ think the opposite.

4. Take care of all that you can before you leave: Vehicle maintenance, oil changes, spare tires, blown out tires, peanut butter and cheese crackers, a triple A card, and whatever else you can think of -- you know, the boy scout badge stuff. Nothing is obvious, take NOTHING for granted. Watch Apollo 13; you know, the space mission that ended with the crew creating oxygen masks out of cardboard boxes and belly button lint. Think of yourself as the crew of Apollo 13. (Except don't shit in your pants unless you are wearing NASA approved adult diapers or sleeping in your girlfriend's bed. It's not very nice -- but you'll laugh about it for years to come.)

Leave comments with ideas to share and any questions you have. I'm out on the road, up on the web and doing my thing -- see you at a guitar center near you sssssssoooooooooooon

Currently reading: Bruce Lee
Current watching: Dexter and our newborn baby Cole Vincent
Currently listening to: 24 hours and Snapline from CHINA!

Upcoming Events:
Tour:Smart DIY Summit - Band Survival in the New Economy
Learn how to make $7,500 more in the next six months!
Saturday, November 8, 2008 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Invisible Records Offices: 3319 S. Lituanica Ave., Chicago, IL
$50 registration (includes 50% coupon off of mastering at Mattress Factory Studios). For more info go to:
TourSmart.wordpress.com/events/ or InvisibleRecords.com.

P L R
MA

Martin Atkins has drummed with PiL, Killing Joke, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and The Damage Manual, among others. As owner of the now 20-year old Invisible Records, he has worked with artists such as Thrill Kill Kult, Einsturzende Neubauten, Chemlab, Chris Connelly, Sheep On Drugs, Murder Inc, and Psychic TV. Martin teaches a course on Business of Touring at Columbia College in Chicago, IL, and has written a survival guide for touring bands, Tour Smart: And Break The Band, which features contributions from Henry Rollins, Cynthia Plastercaster, The Enigma, the Suicide Girls, Zim Zum (formerly of Marilyn Manson), Kevin Lyman, and various other managers, journalists, venues, agents, sponsors, radio personalities and the like.

William Control (a.k.a. wiL Francis from Aiden) has dropped a special Halloween treat for fans on his website. Click HERE to view the twisted and gorgeous gothic splendor that is the video to his first solo single, "Beautiful Loser."

And, in case you missed it, click HERE for SG's exclusive interview with the sexy man in Control.

Instead of blowing a pile of cash on a music video the usual way, DJ, producer, musician, and left field thinker Moby decided to offer a $10,000 cash carrot to aspiring and upcoming filmmakers. He launched a competition for the video for his new single, the disco-electro-pop "Ooh Yeah" (from the album Last Night), in June via his Moby Gratis site (which offers free music for independent and non-profit filmmakers). The winning entry selected by Moby, which was directed by Matteo Bernardini, was recently unveiled. On his website, Moby warns viewers, "if you're watching at work your boss might think it's porn" -- which is reason enough to give it a watch.

An outspoken political, environmental and animal rights activist, the video shows the lighter side of Moby, who spends much of his energy campaigning against serious shit, and blogging to promote his enlightened agenda, and the Democratic cause.

Shortly after Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination, in one of his entries Moby said, despite the tawdriness of the nomination process, that "Obama has run one of the best presidential campaigns in memory." I dropped Moby an email to find out why he thought that. He responded by saying:

I followed up by asking Moby if, given the confines of our current system, he thought Obama could really enact the level of change we need. He said:

And, knowing the bald one lived next to the Bush compound in Connecticut in the mid-80s, I asked Moby if the Bush family made better neighbors than leaders. He told me: