Band Of The Week: Dust Moth

The Pacific Northwest is fast becoming a haven for music again. There is a scene brewing up there that is emitting very creative and worth while music. One of those bands is Dust Moth. Combining the influences of hard rock, and shoe gaze, they have created something that is part Deftones (the more ambient White Pony material) and early Smashing Pumpkins. Their 2014 EP Dragon Mouth is six songs of hypnotic energy and leaves you wanting more. Take a listen and you’ll hear what I mean.

https://www.facebook.com/dustmothband

By: Brian Lacy

Cover Thursday: Stone Sour (Metallica)- Creeping Death

Creeping Death is my favorite Metallica song. It was also the first Metallica song I learned to play on guitar so I tend to hold it in very high regard. Recently Stone Sour released an EP of Covers and one of the songs they did was Creeping Death. It’s actually quite good and worth sharing with you all.

Stone Sour (Metallica)- Creeping Death:

Lists: Best Live Albums

Live albums can be a great thing to listen to at home especially if you have a great stereo system or the albums are on vinyl. So I thought why not make a list of the best live albums. Keep in mind these are in no particular order.

1. Nine Inch Nails- And All That Could Have Been
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival- In Concert
3. Kiss- Alive
4. Kiss- Alive II
5. Metallica- Live Shit: Binge and Purge
6. Metallica- S & M
7. Alice In Chains- Unplugged
8. Nirvana- Unplugged
9, Nirvana- From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishikah
10. Neurosis- Live At Roadburn 2007
11. The Doors- Live At Hollywood Bowl
12. Black Flag- Live 84
13. Snot- Alive
14. Machine Head- Hellalive
15. Led Zeppelin- How The West Was Won
16. Led Zeppelin- The Song Remains The Same
17. Portishead- Roseland Ballroom
18. Mad Season- Live At The Moore
19. Slayer- Decade Of Aggression
20. Thin Lizzy- Live and Dangerous
21. Neil Young- Young Mans Fancy
22. Neil Young- Time Fades Away
23. Johnny Cash- Live at Folsom Prison
24. Cream- Wheels Of Fire
25. The Band- The Last Waltz
26. The Velvet Underground- Live At Max’s
27. MC5- Kick Out The Jams
28. Rage Against The Machine- Live At The Grand Olympic
29. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band- 1975-85
30. The Clash- From Here To Eternity
31. The Doors- Absolutely Live
32. Rolling Stones- Get Your Ya- Ya’s Out
33. Bob Dylan- Hard Rain
34. Radiohead- I Might Be Wrong
35. David Bowie- Bowie Live
36. Woodstock- 1969 Live
37. Bon Jovi- One Wild Night
38. Down- Diary Of A Mad Band
39. Foo Fighters- Skin and Bones
40. Incubus- Live at Red Rocks
41. Mastodon- Live at Aragon
42. Pantera- Official Live 101 Proof
43. Pearl Jam- Live At Orpheum
44. Queens Of The Stone Age- Over The Woods…
45. Slipknot- Live 9.0

Album Rank: Slipknot

I recently read Corey Taylor’s book about the supernatural he has experienced and it put me on a kick of listening to Slipknot. So with that in mind I thought I’d rank all of Slipknot’s albums from not their best to their best.

All Hope Is Gone:

.5 The Gray Chapter:

Slipknot:

Iowa:

Volume 3- The Subliminal Verses:

Live Review: Laura Jane Grace at Masonic Lodge

I’ll admit I’m a little late to the party, but wow, I’m still in awe over how powerful and inspiring this show was. Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! played an acoustic show along with Atom Willard, at the very hypnotic and mystic Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary and I’m still speechless. The sheer honesty alone is enough to draw your attention to her. Add the performance of songs from the Against Me catalog and you can see and hear how raw and real that band is. Her story is beyond captivating. Laura’s stories about dealing with Against Me signing to a major label, addiction to cocaine and alcohol, shopping at Sears, where she knew she wouldn’t be seen, and legal battles with an ex-manager seamlessly bounced from funny to poignant. Between the spoken-word moments, there were spot-on acoustic performances of songs from throughout Against Me!’s existence, and an appropriate cover of The Replacements’ “Androgynous.”

There really is something to be said for being who you really are and being able to embrace it. Laura Jane Grace is a beacon of hope to so many people out there that feel lost and abandoned.

By: Brian Lacy

Band Of The Week: Hidden Cabins

There are certain voices that resonate well within multiple genres. One of my favorite things to hear a singer that is in a heavy rock band and hear them stripped down and let them show how good of a vocalist they really are. I did a band of the week piece a while back on a band called Damn This Desert Air, and their singer Craig Cirinelli has always stayed in my head. Craig has another project called Hidden Cabins. The duo consists of Craig Cirinelli (vocals/percussion) and Brian Hofgesang (guitars/effects/vocals). This two piece collective is genre expanding, melodic, and really soothing. The group has released a  plentiful collection of songs over the last couple years and continue to put out quality songs at a steady pace. With Memorial Day this weekend, Hidden Cabins is the perfect soundtrack for late night BBQ’s, fire pits, and just relaxing.

Hidden Cabins:

http://www.hiddencabins.net/

https://www.facebook.com/hiddencabins

By: Brian Lacy

Cover Thursday: Coal Chamber (Peter Gabriel)- Shock The Monkey

Since Coal Chamber released their first album in over 13 years this week, I find it only fitting that this weeks cover song comes from them. In 1999 when the band released their second album Chamber Music, “Shock The Monkey” was released as a single and helped propel the band more into the mainstream.

Coal Chamber- Shock The Monkey:

Peter Gabriel- Shock The Monkey:

Great Comedy Albums: Mitch Hedberg- Strategic Grill Locations

One of my all time favorite comedians is Mitch Hedberg. His unique style of comedy resonated with my humor so well it. It’s such a shame that he succumbed to his addictions in 2005. Mitch did leave quite a wonderful legacy of jokes and his style has influenced countless comedians over the years. His first comedy album is one of my favorites, and I listen to it constantly. Strategic Grill Locations was recorded at The Laff Stop Comedy Club in Houston, Texas on September 7, 1999. The album was originally self-published by Hedberg and sold through his website and at shows.  When time came to release his second album, Mitch All Together (another great comedy album), the Comedy Central label also re-released Strategic Grill Locations. This album contains 21 tracks of great jokes, stories and one-liners. During the show Mitch was also accompanied by musician Chuck Savage on a giant standup bass, making Mitch’s delivery all that much more fun and captivating. So take the time today to enjoy some comedy!!!

Mitch Hedberg- Strategic Grill Locations:

Album Review: Faith No More- Sol Invictus

Most of the time when a band announces their return after a very long hiatus, it is usually met with great excitement. At the same time there is always hope that the reunion brings new music from the band. Sometimes it works out for the best and other times it fails miserably like it did with the latest Soundgarden album King Animal. One of the most anticipated albums of 2015 has been the new album from Faith No More. At first when they released their first singles “Motherfucker” and “Superhero” those songs weren’t anything special. If anything they seemed like just fun songs they came up with and released them to just wet the appetite of their fans. I can honestly say that the album itself is quite good. It could be taken as the logical followup to their 1997 swan song Album Of The Year. The band themselves have not lost a step at all during the 18 year gap between albums. If anything, Faith No More seems reinvigorated and ready to take back what should have been theirs to begin with. Songs like “Cone Of Shame, (my personal favorite on the album)” “Sunny Side Up,” “Black Friday,” and “Matador” are all outstanding tracks. Even the first two songs the released fit in the scheme of the album better than they do on their own.

I wouldn’t say this is a perfect album, but it does hit the mark. One of the best things about the Sol Invictus is that it leaves you wanting more. Faith No More really delivered the goods on this one.

Scale of 1-10: 8

Faith No More-Sol Invictus:

By: Brian Lacy

Tribute: Ian Curtis of Joy Division

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Ian Curtis of Joy Division’s passing. During his very brief career, he left a lasting effect on the music landscape and influenced countless bands and artists over the years. So in tribute to Ian, here are my favorite covers of Joy Division songs and the albums themselves.

Nine Inch Nails- Dead Souls:

Bush- In A Lonely Place:

The Killers- Shadowplay: This also the best thing this band has ever and will ever do.

Neurosis- Day Of The Lords:

The Cure- Love Will Tear Us Apart:

Unknown Pleasures:

Closer: