Off The Row

BOWLING GREEN INVASION - Thank you Cage the Elephant

2009-07-17T15:11:00.001-07:00

Just got back from this event:
Cage the Elephant Presents: BOWLING GREEN INVASION
with:
Sleeper Agent
The Merlins
Downtown Handshake
Japanese School Girls
Canago
The Karmadons
Natty Bumpoe w/ DJ WICK-IT
Lee Harvey

Mc'D by Big Fella, and Dirty D

DJ Sets by Cage the Elephant and Autovaughn

Having moved to Nashville from Los Angeles about two years ago, I NEVER thought in my life I would be even talking about some town called Bowling Green, in a state called Kentucky that once when I traveled to New Orleans someone said to me "you want to see some COUNTRY people? Go to Kentucky!" But since living here in this time, I have grown to love this little town and all the people in it, they're some of my dearest friends, and moreover, the incredible MUSIC community from there. Unlike Nashville, (and I can say this since I've been here for a while now so chill out) there are some effing rock bands with some real balls... that blow you out of the water when you listen and watch them perform. We're just lucky to be an hour from the there. Bands and artists from Bowling Green seem to not give a F with a capital F about how they sound or how they mold....they're not trying to sound country, singer/songwriter, indie, hip, folky or anything.. they're just rocking and f*cking shit up with their music. Below are a few... and stand by, because I'm not letting this town go... it's too good!

Some interesting facts about Bowling Green, KY

Bowling Green is the fourth-most populous city in the US State of Kentucky after Louisville, Lexington, and Owensboro. The population was 55,097 in 2008. Bowling Green was founded in 1798 after Robert and George Moore donated an additional 30 acres to the Warren County trustees. General Motors has an assembly plant in BG in which all Chevrolet Corvettes have been constructed since 1981 and Cadillac XLRs are being built there until production ends in the spring of 2009. Other significant businesses in Bowing Green include Fruit of the Loom, Houchen's Industries, Holley Performance Products and Camping World. In addition to all all of the other media, the town has been used in music videos, movies and television shows throughout the years. In Halloween and The Fog mention of locations and streets are very apparent to residents of Bowling Green. Director John Carpenter grew up in Bowling Green and has placed many references to the city within his motion pictures. There was a spoof of Halloween titled Hauntedween that was filmed on location in Bowling Green. BG also has one of the largest college radio towers in the country.

Exhibit A: CAAAAAAAAAGGGEEEE THEEE EEELLLLLLEPHANNNNNT!!!!

©nicoletaher SXSW Showcase @ the Thirsty Nickel, 2009

Need I say more?! Well I don't have to say more now, but shit the minute I arrived in Nashville (August '07) I was ranting and raving about them. I had the pleasure of watching this EARLY promo video:

also throwing this one in here for bonus points:

Needless to say I was instantly in LOVE with this band. I started telling everyone I knew about them, I even called Steve Aoki begging him to do a remix, I sent songs to everyone, getting everyone in LA and beyond as in love with them as I was. SXSW of '08 I was running around to everyone "you have to see this band!". I wanted to see them live. I had to. I'll never forget the first time I saw them play the Mercy Lounge in Nashville in August that year. SO much pure raw energy I hadn't seen since I saw Nirvana live, oh wait, I've never seen Nirvana, but since they're my favorite of all time I felt the closest to seeing them that night. (This past SXSW in 2009 I remember being at Stubb's for the SPIN party... my friend Jim Merlis who used to be ahem, cough cough, Nirvana's publicist and I were talking about new bands, I literally metaphorically tied his neck with a noose requiring him to see their show at Antone's that night, also Joe Levy (who used to be Editor in Chief of Rolling Stone Magazine) overheard us talking, I was like "guys, this is the most raw thing you will ever see and experience of today, please come to this show." Of course after the show, they're mouths were as wide opened as I expected them to be... they were smiling big and so was I) Flash forward one year and half, January of this year when "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked" started hitting KROQ, they are in the middle of blowing up (Billboard Hot Mainstream Tracks, peak @#11!! What what?? and Active Rock Charts #13!!?) and they have since become good friends, like my brothers, Matt in particular, that crazy sob is one of my best friends, turns out he and I have that same red Kurt Cobain Journal book. So, I don't really need to say much about the band these days, you've all either seen them or heard about them and heard how fucking incredible their live show is. If you're sleeping under a rock and you haven't, then google them (my google alerts will not stop). Plus they're incredible great guys. They're honestly gen-u-wine good 'ole country boys. Pure hearts. Crazy as shit but good as gold. Family guys. They love their ladies. Suckers for a good ole time with friends. Whenever they're back home, it's as if they've been gone forever. I haven't seen any band with this much pure passion and energy EVER. There's nothing more that I need in life, but some good old passion, which tends to be missing in most artists and the people working in music these days......
Just in case you haven't seen the video for Ain't No Rest For the Wicked on MTV, On Demand here it is for ya:

By the way they're on the cover of a mini issue Alternative Press Magazine!Wahoo!

sssshhhh psss they're recording they're new album in Nashville this week... I got a peek at a few of the songs... wait till you hear them!!!

Exhibit B: Morning Teleportation first time I saw them was New Years Eve last year... Tich of Cage (Daniel Tichenor) made sure I went in to see them.. sure as shit, they were innnncredible. Indy pop psychedelic, with great dance beats without being a dance/electro band at all. They've got that kind of epic sound that you would find in a band, say like Muse. Epic sounding songs, that carry out like a good novel or film, with a beginning, middle, crescendo and end, without sticking to verse, chorus verse structure. The songs pull you in and hold on to you, you want to go wherever the songs are going. Plus the lead singer, Tiger reminsd me of Aaron Bruno of Under the Influence of Giants, which makes me really happy. Since playing around the BG they immediately got the opportunity to move to Portland where they are now working with the Modest Mouse guys who are producing their album. Holy crap!

Check out this badass video:

Sleeper Agent good friends of Cage (Brad Shultz of CTE is helping push these guys)....in fact they got started on the same stage that CTE got started on- Tidball's in Bowling Green. They're a great rock band with also a ton of energy....Justin is one of those front men, kinda like Matt Shultz, that you never know what to expect with him, he might be somewhere in his head staring off into space, running around the stage, jumping into the audience. Their sound reminds me of Cage the Elephant in that they have very tight rhythms and scorching leads mixed with Modest Mouse and a tinge of old Offspring vocals. Band members, Tony Smith - guitar/vocals, Michael Dean - bass/vocals, Mike O'Brien - drums, and Justin Wilson are all badass mofos....they can't stand still when they play, they're moving, jumping, doing aerials, climbing on top of shit, and will have you moving too. It's always a SHOW with these guys. You want your dollar's worth at a live show? Go see Sleeper Agent. They are in the process of recording their debut album as we speak by Malcolm Springer
(Mike's Pawn Shop, Full Devil Jacket, Fear Factory, Matchbox Twenty, etc). Woohoo!

download: Whore And A Heartbreaker - from the EP Bigger Than A Baby's Arm

Also: Downtown Handshake including members of Sleeper Agent.... another band with tons of energy and delivers an amazing live show. I really like this band. Beautiful and dirty at the same time. Beautiful catchy melodies with grimey (*note typo on "grimy" ode to my favorite record shop in Nashville, TN) guitar riffs and leads and nasty/pretty vocals... just as most all my favorite bowling green bands are....Downtown Handshake is a band you can hear every member's contribution.. listen close, there's a lot going on in each song, the group singing together gives you a feel as if they're a punk band -but they're far from it. Think Spoon with balls and dirty hair that rip through your ears in sub-subterranean melody.

They are currently recording their debut EP in East Nashville for a Fall, 2009 release. They will have a few digital singles available in August, and will be playing some shows locally until the release date which will be followed by a small regional tour in the fall.

Download: "Hourglass" by Downtown Handshake

Stay tuned....more from LA-Nicole -turned Nashvegas reporting on this part of the world - soon

Helllll YAYAYAYAYAYAYA

Smells Like Teen Spirit - posting a piece I wrote in a college writing course (UCSB, 2002)

2009-07-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

Taher 1

November 19, 2002

TRAGEDY: April 8, 1994. A shotgun blast to the head claims leader of Nirvana. He was seen as voice of a generation adrift. Kurt Cobain, who with his band Nirvana shaped modern rock music from the restless alienation of today’s youth was found dead in his Seattle home, he was 27. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain was uneasy with success. But this reluctant hero spoke to his generation with the impact of Bob Dylan and John Lennon. -Los Angeles Times- COVER

“ I've tried everything within my power to appreciate it, and I do, God believe me, I do, but it's not enough. I appreciate the fact that I, and we, have affected, and entertained a lot of people. I must be one of the narcissists who only appreciate things when they're alone. I'm too sensitive, I need to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasm…But I still can't get out the frustration, the guilt, and the sympathy I have for everybody. There is good in all of us, and I simply love people too much. So much that it makes me feel too fucking sad… I have a daughter who reminds me to much of what I use to be, full of love and joy, every person she meets because everyone is good and will do her no harm, and that terrifies me to the point to where I can barely function. I can’t stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable self-destructive, death rocker I become. I have it good, very good, and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven, I've become hateful towards all humans in general. Only because it seems so easy for people to get along and have empathy, EMPATHY. Only because I love and feel for people too much I guess. Thank you from the pit of my burning nauseas stomach for your letters and concern during the last years. I'm too much of a neurotic moody person and I don't have the passion anymore, so remember, it's better to burnout, than fade away

-An excerpt from the suicide letter of Kurt Cobain, errors of spelling and syntax might appear (Wenner)

Introduction:

Since his death April 5^th, 1994, many prestigious sources from Rolling Stone magazine and Newsweek to various academic journals have glorified Kurt Cobain as legendary as John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Elvis and others. Some may argue that to call Nirvana one of the best bands of all time is ludicrous. “Where is the long history of solid tunes? Is anyone else disgusted of how much hype Nirvana still gets?” (www.rollingstone.com). Mainstream America that heightened with the invention of MTV in the 1980’s did not demand creative music but only good-looking people. Nirvana as a band would not have been so successful if not fronted by such a troubled and emotional man as Kurt Cobain. His lyrics expressed such significant themes of alienation, depression, mistrust, anger, confusion and others that spoke directly to a generation that began being labeled “X” by the same mainstream America that isolated it from its society.

This paper will examine Generation X, the reasons for their position, why they needed a spokesperson and how Kurt Cobain represented a similar position. Social Values in America will by examined as well as how Generation X was the first generation with post-modernistic values. Music will be examined as rhetoric, its language having strong persuasive effects on the audience. The lyrics of Cobain’s music will be analyzed to explain how they “spoke” to the generation, and finally it will discuss how grunge music was created and the success and impact of Nirvana into the mainstream.

Background Information: Generation X: “Teenage angst”

Generation X is considered those born between 1961 and 1981, labeled X” in Coupland’s 1991 novel. Indicated by Ritchie, those born between 1961 and 1981 that were 18-34 years of age in 1995, comprised for 30% of the population (19). The oldest group of Generation X came of age during the early years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the youngest during the final days of George Bush, and the initial stages of the Clinton Administration. According to Craig and Bennett, people in Generation X were not very active politically, they have the highest scores of political apathy by -20 in 1994, and in 1992 only three-fifths claimed to have voted (27). College students rated themselves in a survey as “apathetic, bored, and self-centered by 67%” (Pecora and Mazarella 8). Some of the events that occurred during this generation’s era, the American hostages in Iran were released, Americans killed in battle during Vietnam were inscribed in the memorial, and the middle to late 1980s there was an introduction to the AIDS virus (www.about.com). According to this website, the national debt in 1980 was $914 billion and in 1986 it reached $2 trillion. In the early 1990s, the Gulf war began when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and in 1993 America experienced the war in Somalia, Africa and as a result, images of starving children were produced on television. The three significant issues during this time were, healthcare, social security, and gun control, where violence and sex scandals dominated the media (www.about.com).

In 1980, per 10,000 women, there were 226 divorces, in 1985 there were 217, and in 1987, there were 208, twice more than the divorce rate of the Baby Boomers, and in 1990, 53.9% of people ages 20-29 were single and never married, (Ritchie 44). Two out of every three lived in a single parent household, and the new households contained grandparents, half-siblings, roommates, stepchildren, lovers housekeepers, and so on. In a 1993 survey, when asked, “What constitutes a family?” 46% agreed with a gay or lesbian couple with children is considered a family, 70% agreed with a single mother and a child, and only 71% agreed with two or more people who love and take care of each other (Ritchie 43).

Success of Nirvana: “On A Plain”

It is important to discuss the success of Nirvana because a band would not have made such an impact without these following successes. Prior to continuing this section, a few terms must be defined. Sources of data are Billboard and RIAA, “Gold” = 500,000 units sold & “Platinum”= 1,000,000 units sold whereas “Multi-Platinum” = 2 Million units sold or more

Nirvana was undoubtedly the biggest band of 1992. On September 24, 1991 Nevermind was released, and less than one month later on October 12, it became certified gold. Less than two months following its release on November 23 “Smells Like Teen Spirit” reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and on November 27, Nevermind became certified platinum. The most astonishing fact, on January 11, 1992, Nevermind hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, which kicked Michael Jackson’s Dangerous off the No. 1 spot. Smells hit the top 10 and by April 1, 1992 became platinum; it is rare that a song alone reaches platinum. The same month, Nirvana appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. In September of 1993 Rolling Stone presented "The 100 Top Music Videos" including "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at No. 2 and "In Bloom" at No. 39. Much later in December of 1999, Spin magazine named Nevermind as No. 1 in "The 90 Greatest Albums of the 90s.” MTV’s “100 Greatest Videos” included Smells Like Teen Spirit at No. 3. In November of 2000, Rolling Stone and MTV’s “100 Greatest Pop Songs” featured "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at No. 3. January of 2001, VH1’s “100 Greatest Albums” featured Nevermind at No. 2. Then in May of the same year, VH1’s “100 Greatest Videos” included Smells Like Teen Spirit at No. 4. To date Nevermind has reached Multi-Platinum status selling over ten million copies.

Social Values- “Serve the Servants”

American core social values are held dear to the country’s foundation, they serve to unify those who possess similar, and divide those who oppose them. The core of American values is based on personal achievement, which has generally remained consistent over the course of the history of the country. Values could be defined as group of attitudes and beliefs, which are internalized through peer pressure, and are used normatively to achieve group cohesiveness and identification. Social Values mark the boundaries for decisions, opinions, and behaviors (Johl 2001). UCSB Religious Studies Professor Thomas A. Carlson introduced six basic groups of American Values, Puritan-Pioneer, which emphasizes hard work, selflessness, duty and morality, Enlightenment, where democracy and freedom existed in an ordered world, Progressive- progress and change will bring improvement, Transcendental, revolve around humanitarian acts and the love of all people, often associated with the Hippies of the 60s and Baby Boomers, personal success emphasize personal achievement and success it stresses materialism, and Collectivist who are similar to socialists or communists, tend to be more evident in subcultures. These values are Modernistic, which have foundations in science, reason, and progress toward individual freedom.

Generation X, A Social Movement- “Whatever, Nevermind”

Following the birth of Generation X, there was a shift from modernistic values to postmodern; postmodernism can be considered a breaking away and loathing from the modern with a tendency to have attitudes of cynicism toward core American values. The supposed American Dream, a strong a strongly held value, which provides optimism for most people, claims that by hard work and perseverance, one can bring successes to one’s self. The progressive value is tied to the concept of the American Dream, where progress is seen as a way to improve the quality of life for Americans. Being children of divorce, Generation Xers postponed marriage fearing failed relationships. A comic, illustrates a woman saying, “Don’t worry mother, if the marriage doesn’t work out, we can always get divorced” (Coupland ii). Craig and Bennett argue that those in Generation X “appear to be taking longer to grow-up, they are marrying later, taking longer to leave the parental nest, often to avoid paying rent from meager salaries in service industry jobs, and returning home when confronted with a life crisis such as divorce” (25). They commonly lack a vision of optimism and hope in succeeding; they view life as a place to fail and experience disappointments.

Experiencing national debt and faulty governmental leaders such as Reagan, these people generally held a mistrust of institutions such as universities and the government or any system that relies on government. People of Generation X represented an indifference to public affairs, withdrawal from participation, and general lack of awareness of things political (Craig and Bennett 39). Rather than focusing their attention and energy to political things, they focus on apathetic attitudes and self-loathing distress.

A Generation Without Representation-“Here We Are Now Entertain Us,”

Generation X needed an identification and association and voice to represent them. Unlike the Baby Boom generation of the 1960s, who “fought the injustices they encountered and presumed that protest would bring successes toward their lives, Generation X accepted the injustices and developed a cynical attitude toward life” (Shevory 33). They saw disillusionment in political and public affairs and in optimism through protest. Instead of being hopeful, Generation X skeptically believed America to be promising. They worked on individual problems and the only thing trusted is the self. This generation began with a change of values and ideologies. They disdained dominant American values such as democracy, equality, and the work ethic.

Generation X strongly believed in the sanctity of pop culture and mass-produced images with the dominance of entertainment values. However, the mass-produced images and pop culture was dominated by what came of the introduction of MTV, Music Television. MTV brought young people for the first time, visual representations of music, which demanded attractive people to the television. The two dominant genres of music were Dance Pop and “Hair” Metal. Some of the popular artists were Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cindi Lauper, Bon Jovi, Poison, and other such artists who satisfied people’s visual needs. The late 1980s also presented for the first time, the problem of the music business deciding what is considered “popular” or “pop culture.” Generation Xers, who became disillusioned with core American values, did not have any music to represent them, their feelings, their motivations, their goals, and their physical qualities.

Kurt Cobain, “Even In His Youth”

The personal history of Kurt Cobain is simply analogous to those in Generation X; where divorce and depression were new concepts that dominated their lives. Kurt was raised in a neighborhood, which had obtained the derogatory nickname “felony flats” being a lower class neighborhood of Washington, (Cross 12). His father divorced his mother when he was nine years old and at twelve years old his father petitioned for custody of him, which caused Cobain to migrate between, parents, grandparents and other relatives. Cobain moved into his father, Don’s trailer with Don’s parents. Cross describes Kurt’s parents’ divorce, “an emotional holocaust, no other single event in his life had more of an effect on the shaping of his personality” (18). Recorded in Heavier Than Heaven (2001), Cobain’s Aunt Mari believed “he internalized the divorce, “he thought it was his fault, and he shouldered much of the blame” (19). In 1977, his father remarried to someone who had two kids, they had a child together, who all competed for attention. Cobain’s mother remarried, to a man who abused her and eventually broke her arm (Cross 20). Just as those in Generation X who lost faith in authority, Kurt Cobain shared this vision of his personal figures of authority, “His parents had been his gods when he was younger, now they were fallen idols, false gods, and not to be trusted” (Cross 27).

Kurt Cobain experienced suicide for the first time, which began to become a theme throughout his life. Suicide further expressed the pessimism that life would bring. His great grandfather, James, committed suicide by stabbing himself when he was eleven years old, then at thirteen; his uncle 66-year-old Burle Cobain committed suicide, with a gun. Cross discusses the possible suicide of Cobain’s other uncle, “while Ernest death was not officially ruled suicide, he had been warned he would die if he continued drinking” (32). As Kurt and other friends were walking to school, during his eighth grade year, they discovered as schoolmate, who hanged himself outside their elementary school. For Cobain, as well as others, suicide was a solution to their problems.

Music As Rhetoric- “I’ll start this off, without any words.”

Music represents society’s values, reflecting and shaping thoughts and ideologies of specific eras. It can also be viewed as a form of mass communication, sending messages, thoughts and ideals to the public. American postmodern values dominated at the same time pop culture and music become important roles in people’s lives and society. It is my contention that music serves as a form of persuasion through rhetorical functions. Adults in highly developed societies use music as background, from a distance, where as for young people, music is central to their lives and it serves as a basic form of communication.

Lindemann asserts that rhetoric uses language, either spoken or written to induce cooperation in an audience (36). She claims that rhetoric does not simply refer to persuasion; its dissertation affects an audience, which informs, moves, delights, and teaches. Music teaches values, and reflects the values of those creating the music. Young people learn socialization by learning the values of others their age, for example in alternative music; the audience shares the values with the performer because they are usually of the same age. Music influences the listener in modifying judgments about philosophical, religious, and aesthetic values. Messages sent through music are more diverse and intense and appeal to all types of people rather than precisely being scholarly messages. It can occasionally be associated with rebellion; different styles are sometimes used to divide and separate generations.

“Not all verbal or written communication aims to create an effect in an audience, the brief exchanges between people engaged in formal conversation…when we use language in more formal ways with the premeditated intention of changing attitudes or behaviors of explaining a subject matter, of expressing the self.” (Lindemann 36-37)

She is referring to the persuasive nature of rhetoric, having powerful effects on people. These effects are not necessarily aimed through the language of conversation, but rather when the language has the goal of stronger effects, such as changing of attitudes, behaviors, explaining a subject matter, or of a self-expression. Communication is simply the sending of a message from one source to another through a certain transmission. Rhetoric includes this but adds another dimension of changing attitudes; in this case music is an expression of the self, not necessarily with the intention of changing attitudes and behaviors, but music takes on this intention unconsciously. The effect music has on its audience, especially a younger audience where the performers are of similar ages, is more of an influential and unifying effect.

Kurt Cobain Language-Lyrics Analyzed- “What the hell am I trying to say?”

Duane Fish describes Kurt Cobain’s lyrics as not meant to be an expression of the angst of a generation; rather, they represent Kurt Cobain’s personal anxieties. The expression is not a general confusion; instead it is an expression of Cobain’s frustration with his own situation. “If his lyrics resonated with others, it was simply because they had similar feelings not because he was trying to speak for anyone himself” (99).

            Unlike the previous generations, Generation X experienced new feelings of angst, dread, anxiety and anguish.  Kurt Cobain’s lyrics represented the similar thoughts of confusion, self-questioning, self-concern and confusion.  From the song On a Plain, he questions himself as a person of logical thoughts, “Somewhere I have heard this before. In a dream, my memory’s stored. What the hell am I trying to say?” It represents the idea that the world contains people without direction, such as the song Radio Friendly Unit Shifter, “What is wrong with me? What is what I need? What do I think I think?”  Questioning both the world around him as well as his own thoughts are clearly stated in Stay Away where every line is followed by “I don’t know why.”  Cobain questions the reasons he has certain notions, which is followed by the chorus, where he screams, “Stay Away,” which further represents his lack of concern to his alienated vision of the world.  Apathetic attitudes are present in Breed, “I don’t care, I’m afraid, get away…”

Experiencing numerous conflicts throughout the world and national debt, feelings of fear became a common theme in the lives of Generation X. This fear brought anger, where Cobain expresses this self-loathing anxiety, “just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re after you,” (From Territorial Pissings). As the previous generations used protest to deal with their fear, for Generation X, sadness is comforting, because it is slightly more uplifting than being purely fearful, “I miss the comfort of being sad, (From Francis Farmer…). Themes of depression became more popular than themes of optimism for people of Generation X, from the song Dumb; Cobain expresses the dark side of depression where he has come to accept this sadness as contrary to most values of optimism for Americans. “I'm not like them, but I can pretend, the sun is gone, but I have a light, the day is done, but I'm having fun I think I'm dumb or maybe just happy… My heart is broke, but I have some glue…”

Here, Cobain has accepted his depression as a part of his life and sarcastically articulates how he feels he should be dealing with it. By saying “I’m not like them,” he acknowledges the fact that there is a general outlook of optimism that American media has created. Although Cobain is miserable, “My heart is broke,” he has accepted it and learns to deal with his sadness possibly with drugs or suicide, the next significant theme present in his life, as well as those in his generation. Some other examples of accepting his state of sadness come from All Apologies; “I wish I was like you, easily amused…everything is my fault…I’ll take all the blame,” and On A Plain; “The finest day that I ever had Was when I learned to cry on command”

            As American media sends more messages of providing optimism for people, depression in young people of Generation X and Kurt Cobain grew drastically. From the song Pennyroyal Tea, he creates an analogy of abortion in a drink that kills everything inside him, “Sit and drink Pennyroyal Tea, distil the life that’s inside of me.” Depression had become something dominating and needed to have a solution.  Unfortunately common to Cobain’s life as well as others of his generation, suicide became the only possible solution when drugs were not sufficient, in the chorus of Milk It; he informs the audience “Look on the bright side is suicide”

            During the 1980’s, with the introduction of MTV and where materialism and consumerism became apparent, there seemed to only be room for good-looking people in this country, people of Generation X did not see themselves as those on television.  They experienced a significant lack of self-esteem, “I am my own parasite. I don’t need a host to live, we feed off of each other,” (From Milk It).  A Kurt Cobain and young people felt isolated from those mediated on television, in the song Lithium, acknowledges his difference and shares his feelings with others;

            “I'm so happy 'cause today I've found my friends they're in my head. I'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are you we've broken our mirrors, I'm so lonely but that's okay, I shaved my head, And I'm not sad And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard, but I'm not sure”

Lacking faith in authority a mistrust of any system owned by government, Kurt Cobain presented protest songs, which bring up rejection of the ideal institutions and moral guidelines that are a part of American established culture. Cultural institutions, parents, and the media are blamed for the sense of anxiety felt by young people, (Fish 90). Big Cheese is a rejection of the work place; School is a rejection of the school system, Lounge Act is a rejection of American ideals, “Truth, covered in security, I can’t let you smother me, don't, tell me what I wanna hear, afraid of never knowing fear.”

            Finally, the most significant rejection results from the source of Cobain’s distress, the divorce of his parents.  In Serve the Servants he attacks parents and their ideals for the problems of the young. “Teenage angst has paid off well Now I'm bored and old As my bones grew they did hurt They hurt really bad I tried hard to have a father But instead I had a dad” Divorce, for Cobain and others in his generation who blamed themselves for it, resulted in the feeling of betrayal and abandonment: “The lady whom I feel maternal love for Cannot look me in the eyes.”  From the song You Know You’re Right, Cobain expresses his feeling of neglect;

         “I will never bother you I will never promise to I will never follow

         you…never speak a word again I will crawl away for good I will move away from here You won't be afraid of fear No thought was put into this I always knew it would come to this Things have never been so swell I have never felt this well Pain! You know you're right.”

            Having only been released to the public a few months prior to this paper, one could not be certain to the meaning of this song, however being the last song he wrote prior to his suicide, it could be analyzed that this feeling of betrayal, abandonment, and neglect has traveled from his parents to his own wife.  It seems to foreshadow his suicide with “I will never bother you, I will crawl away for good.” Feeling unloved by his parents, Cobain, as anyone would, looked for love in his wife and his family.  Feeling abandoned emotionally from one’s spouse is the ultimate pain, which Cobain screams numerous times, and the only solution for this betrayal is for a permanent departure.

            Finally, the significance of their alienated image was another characteristic very common to those of Generation X, which was the reason for the impact of the Grunge movement.  On his identity and the feeling threatened to change his image, Floyd the Barber, “Bell on the door ring, come on in Floyd observes my hairy chin, Barney ties me to the chair, I can't see, I'm really scared” chorus, “I was shaved…I was shaved…” as well as in Come As You Are, “Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be, come dowsed in mud, soaked in bleach As I want you to be,” where the image, it is safe to say, the “Grunge” image was accepted by Cobain, and with the immensely mediated vision of the band-mates, many young people of Generation X found a band they were able to associate with.

            Smells Like Teen Spirit was the acclimation of a new generation; the song ushered a new era and defined it as well.  This momentous song was from the first single and first music video released off of Nirvana’s second album.  Four facets of the song contributed to its vast impact; 1) The lyrics 2) The music video, the image presented in the video 3) The sound, and lastly, in correspondence with the thesis of paper, 4) The exact time the song was presented.  The title of the song Smells Like Teen Spirit itself is a timeless capture of Generation X.

            It contained lyrics of alienation and despair “Here we are now, entertain us, I feel stupid and contagious…” correspond to Kurt Cobain’s sight of lack of representation of his generation.  Although unwillingly, he spoke to others in his generation, Cobain clearly says repeatedly, “Here we are now.” An endless amount of young people identified with this “we” and felt they were able to release their feelings of alienation, and “Entertain us” sarcastically points at the dissatisfaction in the world they were living in.   The Music video visualized a band performing the song wearing dirty, grungy flannel and ripped jeans as well as the audience- young adolescents with long, unclean hair, banging their heads to this very loud, obnoxious music, wearing the same outfit as the band members.  Pointing at the title “Teen Spirit,” cheerleaders are represented in the video looking very unglamorous and unattractive; with ugly faces and hairy armpits.  The video ridicules the stereotypical culture experienced through high school where young people experienced cliques and peer pressure of being accepted by the “popular” groups.

The sound, although it was the antithesis of pop, such as Michael Jackson and Madonna, it was harsh and innovative, absolutely nothing sounded like it before its release.  Kurt Cobain himself describes the sound himself; “I was looking for something a lot heavier, yet melodic at the same time…something different from heavy metal, a different attitude,”(Shevory).   The time Smells Like Teen Spirit was released was immeasurable, it represented the American Youth of Generation X who were more concerned with individual problems, as opposed to societal problems, and Kurt Cobain's lyrics were expressions of personal anxieties from his own situation, and physical images in which every young American identified with.

                                 Grunge: A Movement, “Come As You Are,”

Kurt Cobain/Nirvana created a new genre of music: grunge, and the grunge movement was a significant movement between 1991 and 1994. Those who were natives to Seattle were astounded upon discovering the movement of grunge into the market world, on the day Cobain was born, the Aberdeen Daily World announced the news of American victory at Quang Ngai City as well as JCPenny ads featuring a sale of $2.48 flannel shirts (Cross 12).

Grunge fashion became the next big trend following the success of Nevermind. Upscale Madison Avenue Fashion stores were imitating the flannel thrift store shirts and ripped jeans worn by Nirvana. From Armani to Isani, clothes that were at least $300 with Grunge fashion appeals were featured. In 1993, Vanity Fair magazine discovered “unlikely grunge wearers” by Joan Rivers and Mademoiselle announced “grunge fragrance,” and a “Grunge diet” (Shevory 31). The grunge look was meant for people who could not afford upper class clothes and did not want to ‘dress up,’ however the ‘down and dirty style’ somehow hit the mainstream. Words associated with “grunge” usually have negative connotations, such as grime, filth, and dirt. It is ironic that such a lifestyle and image that rooted in a lower class lack of concern for appearance made such an impact in mainstream fashion.

Refutation: “Stay Away”

Although those 61.5% who regard Cobain and Nirvana to be a voice for their lives identify with the messages in the music as “relevant and sympathetic as their concerns,” a study by Pecora and Mazarella 30.8% claim no one voice can speak for the whole, and 28.1% say the negativity in Cobain’s lyrics is a reason he does not speak for them personally or for their generation (13). However when one is conducting a research study, it is important to look at the subject used. In this case well-educated and intelligent people are used for the study that are very ambitious and motivated, the study failed to recognize the portion of young people who were not enrolled in a University that might disagree.

Conclusion

“The purpose of his music does not appear to use a mass mediated form to reach a wide audience with a message of protest. The songs are better described as the voice of Cobain, a voice appropriated by Generation X and the grunge subculture” (Fish 91). Kurt Cobain was the spokesperson for Generation X, however not willingly. He was not directly speaking to anyone; he was only expressing his own angst, which traveled into the ears of many young people. Although Cobain thought he was “not like them,” (Dumb), his personal anxieties were shared by millions of people in his generation, little did he realize he was speaking for an entire generation.

Further research should investigate similar concerns as Cobain, who could not understand how his own personal anguish could be mainstreamed or commercialized. It would be interesting to investigate in whether such a powerful artist would have such an impact on another generation, or if it is possible in the future for another generation such a X to exist with similar attitudes and beliefs.

Hell Ya! Presents TOMORROW NIGHT @ the Viper Room!! w/ Venus Infers, The Matches & More!!!

2009-03-24T17:15:00.001-07:00

Back from SXSW and can't get enough live music? Don't stop there and come out to the HELL YA! NIGHT TOMORROW at The Viper Room!!!

Tomorrow, Wednesday March 25th

The Viper Room
8852 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
8:00 pm

with:

Menew

The Matches

Oona

Venus Infers

Last American Buffalo

& Hell Ya! Deejays spinning in between sets!!!

$10 / 21+
Click here for tickets

For guest lists inquiries, email: Hell Ya Night @ gmail dot com

For information on booking your band at a Hell Ya! Presents club night, email us here.

Hell Ya!!!

Dukes of DaVille sighting here in Nashvegas!!!!!

2008-12-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

Last night made my week!!!! I walked into SESAC's annual Christmas Party this one at Lime in mid-town when who do I see at the bar, James of Dukes of DaVille!!!!! What a surprise! There he was among all the long-haired, tight jeans & boots wearing country songwriters... waiting to order a drink. It instantly put a big smile on my face!!! Then I look over and see Ric!! I was with them the rest of the night of course! Talked them up and introduced them to everyone I could find!!!

They've been so busy lately, they've had an AMAZING review in Ozone Magazine, Capitol Records put out a video called "On the Road To Glory" and they're album MILLENNIUM MUSIC comes out next spring!!! More recently their mix tape CD WE ARE MUSIC drops in January '09!!

Here's all the great happenings:
*Ozone Magazine Review

(To see it larger, click here)

*"On the Road To Glory" Video by Capitol Records:

*Dukes of DaVille's debut LP entitled "MILLENNIUM MUSIC" will be in stores in the Spring of '09 - MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!
*Their OFFICIAL mixtape entitled "WE ARE MUSIC" 3D (Digital Download Disc) will be available in January 2009, here is a track:
Dukes of DaVille featuring SunN.Y- "Swagger Like Us- remix"

DUKES MUZIK prequel mixtape myspace page

Click here to see Heather Peggs' post on the ADIDAS Commercial with "Beggin'"

KROQ Locals Only Presents...HELL YA! TONIGHT @ THE VIPER ROOM!!!!

2008-11-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

KROQ LOCALS ONLY Presents:

HELL YA! @ the Viper Room TONIGHT, November 13th, 2008

w/ The Airlines, Faded Paper Figures, Lunar Fiction, The Frail, Dizzy Balloon, & of course Hell Ya! Deejays spinning all night!!!

KAT @ KROQ has been giving away tix & playing bands from the lineup which is super exciting..... incase you missed KROQ LOCALS ONLY this past week, here's a taste of what you can expect to hear tomorrow:

THE AIRLINES - 'S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y.' (mp3 link via yousendit)

FADED PAPER FIGURES - 'Metropolis' (mp3 link via yousendit)

So yeah, those tunes don't suck . . . so neither should you! COME ON DOWN TO THE VIPER ROOM and see our favorite new bands before everyone else does!!!

xoxo!
Nicole / HPeggs

p.s. make sure and come say hi to us in the DJ booth . . . and please, no tequila shots. I've had my fill thx. ;)

Hell Ya & KROQ Locals Only Next Thurs Oct. 9th @ the Viper Room

2008-10-02T23:20:00.001-07:00

Next Thursday Oct. 9th Night Hell Ya! and KROQ presents: Venus Infers, The Growlers, Dynamite Walls, and Picture Atlantic at the Viper Room.

This will be delicious night of music. Venus Infers have been heard on KROQ, MTV2 "On the Rise," MTV ProjectZ, two songs on TankFarm's Clothing Compilation, and heard frequently on MTV shows. I love this band, if you love Kings of Leon, this will be your new favorite band. The Growlers are yummy psychedelic Doors-esqe awesomeness. Dave Segal of the OC Weekly says "The Growlers play party music that's shot through with an undertone of melancholy. It's as if their sepia-tinted rock songs come equipped with both the drunken cheeriness and the nauseating hangover." Dynamite Walls is also on MTV2 On the Rise and recently opened up for Dahni Harrison’s band Thenewno2 at the Key Club. Picture Atlantic opened for Coldplay in San Fran recently.

Of course Hell Ya! Deejays will be spinning fresh indie in between sets.

KROQ is giving away tickets this Sunday, 10/5, so listen up!

thenewno2

2008-10-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I caught thenewno2 (The New # 2) for their last show at the Key Club series in West Hollywood. It was a packed house full of everything from Beatles fanatics waiting the very front even during the openers Dynamite Walls, to hippies to hipsters, to people who had never been to the Key Club before, confused walking over to the vip section asking "may we sit there?". The hippies were priceless, long grey hair, beards, tye die t-shits. I loved seeing them at the show. Even Matt Sorum was in the audience.

Dahni Harrison is George's twin, and by twin I mean son. He looks JUST like him it's eerie. It was a psychadelic meets singer/songwriter show. The music is all over the place and I loved it. Weird keyboard effects, weird shit on the projection screen, with mellow lighting. Musically I love it, it's out there and strange and I wouldn't expect more from the son of a Beatle. Songmanship-wise, I was a little confused, I'm gonna be honest here. The songs were about broken hearts, love, relationships, girls, etc. The two didn't seem to match. But who cares? It's George Harrison's son on stage who looks just like him! If you squint you might actually see George! My favorite song and moment of the night was the song "Yomp" it's got a great retro sounding riff and he sings over the melody. This song also somewhat sounds like it could be a Beatles song.

Ten out of Tenn: the reason why Nashville's community is stronger than the name

2008-09-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Although I saw some amazing bands over the three day period for Next Big Nashville like Dukes of Daville, The Champion and His Burning Flame, Roman Candle, and Brenn, the highlight for me was the Ten Out of Tenn show Saturday night at the Cannery Ballroom.
This is what makes Nashville, Tennessee an amazing place to see some of the best music in the world. It is why I refer to it as "the songwriting capital." Some of the best songwriters in the world live in this little town and and due to it's super casual nature, you will often times see many of them on one stage together, popping in to sing a song, be in the audience supporting each other and be asked to come up on stage. No other city in the world has such a strong community as Nashville. Los Angeles, the city I come from is a great city for music, but everyone is so concerned with getting deals, they sometimes lose sight on what they are really there for, the MUSIC!! Who cares how it will make you look, how you will sound, just be a part of the team and play music. Every night of the week I go out, I always see something that gives me chills, whether it's an amazing song about the songwriter's son that was killed in an accident ("What Hurts the Most" performed by Rascal Flatts written by Jeffrey Steele), or Mark Slaughter singing "Fly to the Angels" acoustically with Big Kenny of Big and Rich on harmonies, Jack White surprising audiences with special shows, bands like Autovaughn playing to their hometown crowd, to artists like Ricky Young pouring their heart and soul into their songs. This town is a community. Everyone supports each other. When one band is playing a big show, every other band, even those signed to major recording/publishing deals- American Bang, Autovaughn, Paper Route, Jeremy Lister, etc, will show up to support. These artists and writers usually co-write together also, which contributes to the community aspect.

One of the best results of this is TEN OUT OF TENN

The members are: Griffin House, Andy Davis, Katie Herzig, Jeremy Lister, Tyler James, Trent Dabbs, Landon Pigg, Matthew Perryman Jones, Kevin "K.S" Rhoads, Erin McCarley, and Butterfly Boucher

These are the voices of Nashville. Sure there are the huge writers like Jeffrey Steele, Craig Wiseman, who have written some of the biggest country hits in the world. But these faces are the ones that matter to me. They are the ones bringing Nashville to the 21st Century. Making this city matter to the rest of the world, not just those who are country fans. But fans of music. For people who love to seek out the newest and best music. People who go to festivals, concerts, shows, South By Southwest, CMJ. These artists may not become huge "stars" but you can always guarantee one thing: you will always here the best SONGS with this group and from Nashville. Sometimes the songs are sad, sometimes they're happy. But they will always be songs from the heart. Every artists in Ten out of Tenn is having great success. You may have already heard of a few Jeremy Lister, I'm sure, and Katie Herzig has has songs all over TV. The fact that they have been on tour together is brilliant. It's a team effort! Here are a few tracks:

Griffin House - "The Guy That Says Goodbye"
Katie Herzig - "Hologram"

Not only was the show amazing, but they way they left the stage gave me chills. They walked off and into the audience with instruments in hand singing Bob Dylan with unplugged guitars in the middle of everyone. Like a drum circle. And got everyone in the packed house singing along while they walked off. It was amazing. I thought to myself "this is what makes Nashville so badass....this right here!"

I texted my friend Heather Peggs who was by the mixing console setting up to spin some fresh tracks with a Hell Ya! set before the afterparty and set of the Features and she agreed "this is amazing," she said in return. Chills I'm telling you, chills.....

Oh hell, here are a few more :)

Matthew Perryman Jones - "Don't Fall In Love"
Erin McCarley - "Go On"

Enjoy!!

Next BIG Nashville Music Fest & Conference 2008 begins

2008-09-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Next BIG Nashville Music Festival & Conference 2008 has officially commenced. I'm stoked. I've been waiting one year- since I moved here since I went to NBN last year for this. One year to see GREAT local indie bands, like-minded people (non music row people) who are into film, left of center music, etc, and to hopefully see some friends from LA. This year, however thus year there are TONS of people from LA, NY and beyond coming in and I'll be seeing good friends and hooking up with some industry pals.

There are sooooo many great shows I'm looking forward to....and I'm so proud to have been here a year and can say "I live here and I know about the newly growing scene" and spread the love to friends visiting.

Today I'm hitting up the panels on management....

2008-05-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

I better see you at the Exit/In tonight to see my favorite local indie artist RICKY YOUNG for his CD release party tonight.

Ricky Young CD Release

For those who are going to avoid Tin Pan South..

2008-04-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

...April is a good month for indie in Nashville

Tin Pan South has officially started, which means, a continuation of CRS, and more drunk Nashivlle people carrying themselves to songwriter venues throughout town. Yes, another excuse for Nashville people to DRINK themselves silly and watch people play country songs.

If you would rather not be out during TPS, fear not, here are some shows to hit up:
4/4 Next Big Nashville Presents Megan McCormick, Erin McCarley, Kate York, and Butterfly Boucher, 12th & Porter, 7pm
4/4 Kate Voegele with the Whitest Light and Kelley James, Rocketown, 6:30 $12.00
**4/5 GRAND OLE PARTY with The Loft, Mellow DOwn Easy, Javelinas, Bullet Called Life, The Rutledge, 9pm $12.00
**4/8 TOKYO POLICE CLUB with Eagle Seagull, Exit/In, 9pm $14.00
4/10 Tyler James, Peter Bradley and Eric Wilson 12th & Porter 9pm
4/13 Matt White with Brad Passons, Exit/In 8pm $12.00. I had the pleasure of being in the studio with Matt when he was recording his album. He's poppy but fun.
4/18 The New Pornographers Mercy Lounge, 9pm $25.00
4/30 Jay Reatard with Cheaptime, High on Life, and the Curse of the Drinking Glass, Mercy Lounge 9pm
(**OTR Music picks)

Remix Album you MUST have

2008-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

RELEASE BY STEVE AOKI YOU SHOULD OWN

PILLOWFACE AND HIS AIRPLANE CHRONIKLES

Steve Aoki has done it again this time a full length release of his remixes and the remixes of his friends... I love Steve Aoki, as a person, I love everything he does and everything he represents (not to mention we went to the same college, University of CA, Santa Barbara). I admire him so much, he is so passionate about everything he does and works VERY hard at it. He's literally in 5 states or more in one week, I never knew half the things he does were humanly possible. (see my blog on him here).

I randomly went to the music section at Target and I was as happy as a small child going into Toys 'R Us seeing their favorite toy when I saw this I remember seeing it when it was released in December and knew as soon as I saw a hard copy I would have to grab it. I ran to my car (literally, I actually ran to my car) and popped this in there and had a few minutes to scan through each song while on my way to The End for a show, and haven't stopped listening to it since. It is jam packed with all my favorite electronic artists, as well as some indie rock favs, and even Franz Ferdinand, all remixed by the best of the best. Everyone from Justice, to Bloc Party, to Klaxons to Peaches are on there featuring remixes by MSTRKRFT (one of my favorites), Soulwax, Erol Alkan, and Steve himself (Weird Science).

*Track listings below
There are of course the Justice gems on there that you would have already heard had you listened to the tracks on their album. The MSTRKRFT remix of D.A.N.C.E has made circulation in the digital world already, but nonetheless it's my favorite way to listen to this track. There is also the Durrdurrrrr Re-Edit remix of Waters of Nazareth is by Erol Alkan with Pase Rock's Guest Drop. And then there's Steve Aoki's Weird Science remix of HELICOPTER (Bloc Party) which features Peaches responding to Kele's "running on" "some things will never be different" with things like "you want it, you want it all," "go further further." I LOOOOOVE this remix so much I could listen to it over and over and over and over. What a great song to begin with and this is a whole new song. Two amazing ways to listen to Helicopter. I'm still thinking about Kele spinning at the Bloc Party after party after their show here in town back in summer. I also love Peaches "Boys Wanna Be Here" which is already a great tune but has the greatness of Steve Aoki behind this remix. "Boys wanna (boys wanna).........girls wanna (girls wanna).......boys wanna, girls wanna...." DO YOU WANT TO is instrumental and its intro is a blend with the song with a very familiar song we all know. The verse transitions into Eron Alkan's Glam Racket Remix with bits of the melody tied in between. BRING IT ON remix with Todd Fink guest drop is sooooooo f'in cool, this is a fun one. LA Riots remix of Low Life by Scanners is my favorite. I am of course biased because DJ Dan of LA Riots is a friend of mine and I generally love all of their remixes, but I think this one is really appealing. It sounds like a totally different song. Low Life is a great indie tune and it has been transformed into electronic dance gold. I got to see LA Riots at SXSW. (they spun at the Vice Party opening for MSTRKRFT Saturday, March 15 302 E. 6th St. 11:00 p.m.). Their myspace has free downloads.

Long story long: if you are a fan of electronic remixes you don't want to let this one pass you by. Buy it on iTunes here. $9.99 album only (believe me it's worth it)

Buy it on Amazon here. $14.99

Track Listings:

1. REFUSED New Noise
2. JUSTICE Waters Of Nazereth (Erol Alkan's Durrr Durrr Durrrrrr Re-Edit) w/ Pase Rock's Guest Drop
3. DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? We Are Rockstars w/ Spank Rock & Amanda Blank's Guest Drop
4. SERVICES Element Of Danger (MSTRKRFT Remix) w/ Har Mar Superstar's Guest Drop
5. GOOSE Bring it On w/ Todd Fink's Guest Drop
6. LARRY TEE & PRINCESS SUPERSTAR Licky (Work it Out) [Herve Goes Low Remix] w/ Santogold’s Guest Drop
7. GREEN VELVET Shake and Pop w/ Kid Sister's Guest Drop
8. KLAXONS Gravity's Rainbo (Soulwax Remix)
9. MYSTERY JETS The Boy Who Ran Away (Riton Re-Dub)
10. PEACHES Boys Wanna Be Her (Weird Science Remix)
11. DATAROCK Fa-Fa-Fa w/ Steve Bays' Guest Drop
12. YELLE Je Veux Te Voir
13. FRANZ FERDINAND Do You Want To (Erol Alkan's Glam Racket Remix)
14. KIM Wet 'N Wild w/ Mickey Avalon's Guest Drop
15. BLOC PARTY Helicopter (Weird Science Remix feat. Peaches)
16. JUSTICE D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix)
17. SCANNeRS Low Life (L.A. Riots' Remix) w/ Uffie's Guest Drop

2008-03-28T13:40:00.001-07:00

Great event on Thursday

2008-03-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

Join the Nashville community for this great event Thursday night for Pico Vs. Island Trees, Tommy and the Whale, Cassino, Ricky Young, and the Features. Most importantly come out to support the cause of this event; to raise money for a young victim of cancer and by doing so bringing awareness to the community with support from American Cancer Society. There is a minimum donation of $10.00 which is a small cost to see some of the best bands in town and help a young local fight her disease.

Imagine being 23 years old and hearing the words: "You've got squamous-cell cancer".
Carolyn Benedict had the world at her fingertips when she was struck with the news. In 2007, She had a canker sore in her mouth that didn't seem to go away and immediately went to get it checked out. The mass in her mouth turned out to be squamous-cell carcinoma. Strange for a girl who was healthy and happy as a clam and never smoked a day in her life. She underwent major surgery on her mouth and on her neck, where the doctors removed her lymph nodes as a precautionary measure. The surgery was a success and they believed they removed all of the cancer cells. The world is at her fingertips once again.The current problem lies in her financial situation. At the time of her diagnosis, Carolyn was working as a coffee barista at Fido and did not have health insurance. Because of this, she's been stuck with an exorbitant amount of medical debt, and you can only imagine what kind of burden this is on a young girl just starting her adult life....
for more please visit the myspace page

With the help of a strong community of caring individuals in the music industry here in Nashville, F**K Cancer Benefit Concert came to fruition.

The purpose of the F**K Cancer Benefit is to raise money for Carolyn's Medical Fund and entertain you with some of Nashville's finest talents. There will be a silent auction full of goodies for people to bid on, t-shirts, posters, information about cancer provided by the American Cancer Society. A Reverend at Brentwood United Methodist, Carolyn's childhood church, set up a fund for her. People can make additional tax-deductible donations (in addition to the $10 minimun for the show) to the BUMC Ministerial Discretionary Fund WITHOUT Carolyn's name on the check so she won't be taxed for it. The church will send the money straight to Vanderbilt to cover her medical bills.

F**K Cancer Benefit
with performances by: Pico Vs. Island Trees, Tommy and the Whale, Cassino, Ricky Young, and the Features.
Thursday, March 27th
Mercy Lounge
100 Cannery Row,
Nashville, TN 37203
18+
9pm, minimum donation of $10

A message from the organizers of the Benefit:
"Seriously ya'll, together we can F**K Cancer."

Shows this week

2008-03-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

*3/27 F**k Cancer Benefit with The Features, Tommy & the Whale, Ricky Young, Cassino, Pico vs Island, Mercy Lounge 9pm, $10 min donation
*3/28 Disappointed By Candy, Rutledge 8pm
*3/28 KS Rhoads, Erin McCarley 12th and Porter 8pm
*3/28 Luna Halo, Mercy Lounge, 8pm
*3/29 AutoVaughn, Brenn, The Lonely Hearts, The Effects, Mercy Lounge 8pm

Move to the Music tomorrow at the Exit/In

2008-03-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

.....with American Bang, The Jane Shermans and Cougar Fight

American Bang just got back from kicking everyone's ass in Austin for SXSW '08. They played NINE times and haven't stopped since. High school friends from Nashville, TN, American Bang (formerly Bang Bang Bang) is in your face, balls off the wall (they literally jump all over the place), rock 'n F-in roll. With AC/DC riffs and Paul Stanley meets Chris Robinson vocals, Jaren Johnston is guaranteed to give you weils and yells to his songs, and Ben Brown will blow your mind with Angus Young style riffs and blistering solos. This band will remind you of all the rock n roll bands you love and make you feel like you're right here in 2008.

Their October release EP Move to the Music (Warner Bros.) is available now and currently doing some major damage.

Playing with American Bang is The Jane Shermans who will be celebrating their new release.

American Bang
The Jane Shermans
Cougar Fight
Exit/In
9pm, $8

Buy tickets here

SXSW '08

2008-03-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Oh Austin, it's always so sad to leave you at the close of SXSW.

SXSW 2008 has officially come to a close and I'm without a voice and barely alive but smiling BIG.

Great bands, great parties and great company. Since I left LA in summer for Music City, USA, I haven't seen any of my friends and old co-workers from LA. Maaaaaan I missed my people.

Friday was my best day. One of my favorite annual events is the BMI Accoustic Brunch at the Four Seasons. Almost at delirious from the few nights before, but yet just getting started, you trek over to the Four Seasons for great acoustic performances (this year was Brooke Waggoner, Eldar, Kaki King, James Yuill, Rachel Goodrich, Cecil Batista, Pricilla Ahh, Laura Marling, Jacol Jeffries) for a full breakfast, fresh juice, and bottomless mimosas and bloody marys! Need I say More? Plus nearly everyone goes to this so it's a great way to get with everyone at one place (when it's usually impossible to hook up with people). When we had a good mimosa buzz going and saw a few great performances, we walked out to Stubbs for the annual SPIN day party for more free drinks and great performances. We stayed for most of the party to see The Whigs, The Raveonettes and Vampire Weekend.

I had the treat of seeing a bunch of friends from my Geffen days at the Suretone Party where one of my favorite indie bands The Black Angels played along with Meriwether, Eastern Conference Champions and Shwayze. I also caught the Deadly Syndrome at the Dim Mak party and popped into the ASCAP Rock Showcase. There was a Perry Farrell sighting at Bank of America and a long conversation about our hometown and all the annoying yuppies that have chosen to reside there with Hermosa Beach punk rocker/American Punk Hardcore founder Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks) at the Little Radio showase at Red Eyed Fly. Pretty awesome to talk about my hometown in Austin with him. Of course as a founder of the hardcore scene in the south bay he had a lot to say about how much our little beach town that could has drastically changed with acquiring people from all over the country and turning it into an upscale conservative beach community. Yuck. The Alternative Press party is always a good place to get good swag (skateboard deck, Vans wallet, headphones, I needed a new deck so this was perfect), and see some tattooed, peirced punk rockers. I got to chat with my good friend Mike of MXPX and met some people from the South Bay punk scene.

I also made sure to be in attendance at one of my favorite bands from my current neck of the woods: Cage the Elephant. I knew when I looked out into the crowd that there were people who had never experienced their show and were about to witness something beyond what they would expect in the least bit, which is exactly the point, you never know what to expect at a Cage the Elephant show. Halfway through their first song Soil to The Sun the band realized Matt's vocal mic cable was out and rather than making a fuss about it, he said "fuck it" and kept singing. He proceeded to walk through the crowd over to the bar, it begins. He climbs the bar and up the balcony, facing the crowd and holding on from behind. He mouths "will you catch me" to those below and jumps and starts crowd surfing. Now imagine that this place is smaller than The End with about 10 feet between the end of the stage and the bar. Whenever Matt starts to feel his music run through his veins he is unstoppable and purely AMAZING. He even stepped outside to sing for the people outside looking in who seemed to love it. You always leave satisfied at a Cage the Elephant show.

Another party I enjoyed was the Chop Shop Records party sponsored by Atlantic Records. Since I had spent some time at Universal Music Publishing Group in the Film/TV Department, this was a reunion party for me. Got hooked up with my old colleagues and boss from UMPG and back in touch with some great music supervisors (including the amazing one who founded Chop Shop). I stayed for The Republic Tigers and Yael Naim and waited for everyone to cheer at the sound of the song from the current Apple Air campaign, had a few beverages before leaving for the Filter Magazine Cedar St. Courtyard to see Sea Wolf and Levi's Fort Fader House to see Birdmonster. By the end of the night I even got to hang with Rolling Stone Editor Joe Levy who is now the Editor-in Chief for Blender Magazine. My week ended at the Vice Party where my friend DJ Dan of LA Riots opening for MSTRKRFT which was grrrreat.

Most interesting performance was from electro-dub Santogold based out of Brooklyn, NY. They played at the Levi's Fort FADER Magazine house (click here for a photo gallery from the Fader house) around 6 pm on Saturday. There were three girls up front, one singing, one on each side of her dancings, with one white guy in the back line spinning. The two girls on each side of Santagold's Santi White alternated between standing completely still like soldiers (see video below) to breaking into little dances to the alternating beats of the DJ. Santi White was wearing purple velvet pants with a multicolored and purple top, short hair and big sunglasses. The Two girls up front were wearing sailor style outfits with berets and collared shirt suits. There was everything from reggae, dub, new wave, hip hop, jamaican and electronic incorporated into their performance. Electronic spinning with hip/hop beats mixed in. This was the most unique and entertaining show of the whole week. The Fader House was over capacity at this point and I had to get in especially since my friend DJ Dan of LA RIOTS was spinning in between sets so I walked over to exit area and the dude let me in.

Santogold - Video for "L.E.S. Artistes"

mp3 - Creator
mp3 - Shuv It feat. Spankrock

From myspace-
Santogold is a survivor of a half-century worth of living along musical evolution’s most cutting edges. The only live act that can boast of having out-aged Barbara Bush, having outlived Mr. Miyagi and out-styled Liberace, Santogold is here with future flavor. Already receiving weighty club rotation and airplay in urban Afghanistan and downtown Beirut, Santogold is the first act of the century to boast a post-war following on the International Space Station Mir. Following a live performance broadcast from three thousand miles off the Cape of Good Hope last June, inmates at Leavenworth Penitentiary received Santogold with a celebratory confetti parade. Just another first for the modern super group that knows no bound. Composed of absolutely no members, Santogold is also the first musical outfit capable of claiming the planet’s broiling collective consciousness as their front woman. Longtime collaborator, singer and songwriter Santi White says of her work with Santogold, “We began trying to write pop songs to sell, which made us depressed, so we started writing songs for ourselves instead.” The results of that self-centered conceit is the songwriting work heard for the first time on the full length Santogold album, as yet untitled, to be released in 2007 on the Lizard King label. As unmastered tracks leaked over the internet this past November, the request lines of radio stations from Miami to Hanoi began freezing with a flood of calls from listeners eager to hear the new Santogold sound over their frequencies. From his radio show in the United Arab Emirates capital city of Abu Dhabi, Michael Jackson (the King of Pop) played what Santogold snippets he had been able to pirate from a bootleg MySpace page dedicated to the group. Days later, BBC Radio One reported that the unreleased Santogold debut was heard blasting from the iPod shuffle of Libyan ruler Moammar Qaddafi as he entered an international summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. Recognizing the urgent need to address the uproarious buzz, Santogold released the following statement through their label reps at Lizard King: “The response to our unmastered songs has been both premature and phenomenal! We were happy to hear that the children of Darfur have found hope in our melodic interpretation of life on the battlefield of love! We’re hoping that each and every 20-something from downtown San Francisco to central Mumbai will also learn something from our work! And to the people dropping no-knock fire on old ladies in Atlanta: shame on you! Santogold ain’t with that shit!” The trajectory of such early successes leading to newfound political clout is nothing new for Santogold, whose debut album, though half a century in the making, is sure to rock glass pipes from the Lincoln Memorial to Buckingham palace. The flavor of the gold is guaranteed: Santogold!

Most of the bands I saw at SXSW '08
The Deadly Syndrome
The Wombats
Color Revolt
Birdmonster
Franki Chan
Steve Aoki
Spindrift
Working For A Nuclear Free City
Gliss
The Black Angels
Meriwether
Eastern Conference Champions
Swayze
Grand Ole Party
Brooke Waggoner
Nada Surf
Vampire Weekend
The Raveonettes
The Whigs
American Bang
Cage the Elephant
Castledoor
Republic Tigers
Yael Naim
Sia
Santagold
Sea Wolf
Spankrock
LA Riots
Liam And Me
Action! Action!
Mstrkrft
DJ Z Trip
The Little Ones
Henry Clay People

Until next year.....

Hope I can make all this tonight

2008-03-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

1:00 The Republic Tigers FILTER Cedar St. Courtyard 208 W. 4th ** (below)
2:00 The Black keys La Zona Rosa 612 W. 4th
2:30 Low vs. Diamond Filter Cedar St. Courtyard 208 W. 4th St.
3:00 Grand Ole Party Levi's the Fort FADER HOUSE*** (below) 204 E. 4th St.
The Ravonettes Little Radio Red Eyed Fly 715 Red River
3:15 The Duke Spirit Filter Mag Cedar St. Courtyard 208 W 4th
Meiko Viper Room Orchid 405 E. 7th
3:30 Color Revolt Paste/Stereogum Volume 612 E. 6th Free gift bags
4:00 Be Your Own Pet Filter Mag Cedar St. Courtyard 208 W 4th /
Hello Stranger, Girl in a Coma HUNNYPOT MoMo's 618 W. 6th
4:00-7:00 Alternative Press party Congress Ave
4:15 Birdmonster Levi's the Fort FADER HOUSE
4:30 Franki Chan iheartcomix BEAUTY BAR 617 E. 7th
& 4 more electronic djs after
4:30- 6:30 Orchard's Happy Hour Driskill Hotel 604 Brazos St.
5:00 Spindrift little Radio RedEyed Fly 715 Red River
5:30 The Black Angels little Radio RedEyed Fly 715 Red River
7:00-9pm Ben Harper, American Bang, & special Guests Stubbs (might not be right at 7 find out)
7:30 Greg Laswell The Parish HOTEL CAFE in Austin 214 B E. 6th
8:00 Kate Havenvik The Parish HOTEL CAFE
Eleni Mandell The Ale House 310 E. 6th alley
9:45 Working for a Nuclear Free City iheartcomix Beauty Bar backyard 617 E. 7th
10:00 Rocco Deluca The Parish HOTEL CAFE in Austin 214 B E. 6th
Man Man Cedar St Courtyard 208 W. 4th
11:00 Meiko The Parish HOTEL CAFE in Austin 214 B E. 6th
My Morning Jacket Austin Music Hall 208 Nueces St.
11:30 Flyleaf (Songs pub) La Zona Rosa 612 W. 4th
11:40 The Presidents of the USA Cedar Door 201 Brazos
12:00 Serj Tankian La Zona Rosa 612 W. 4th
Perry Farrell Punaga 409 Colorado St.
1:00 Darker My Love BD Riley's 204 E. 6th
The Octopus Project Emo's Main 603 Red River
The Wombats Maggie Mae's Roof 323 E. 6th
NOFX Red 7 611 E. 7th
Gliss Spiro's 615 Red River
Halifax Spiro's Amphitheater 611 Red River

Where I'll be in Austin

2008-03-10T07:14:00.001-07:00

SXSW '08 here I come baby........

Wednesday
Little Radio
The Fader
Viper Room
Pure Volume
Aussie Hoe Down Under
Party at the Moon

Thursday
Bay Area Takeover
British Music Expo
Filter Mag Showdown
Great Tailgate
NME
The Fader
Under the Radar
Paste/Stereogum
Hunnypot
Viper
PureVolume
Alternative Press
iheartcomix
Sink or Swim
Little Radio

Friday
BMI Acoustic Brunch
Filter
Next BIG Nashville
Australian BBQ
Viper
Paste/Stereogum
Little Radio
SPIN Mag
iheartcomix
PureVolume
Bug/Windswept
6 Degrees of TX
Blender House

Saturday
Viper
SF Showcase
Filter
SXSeattle
ChopShop/Atlantic
Feedback
Dim Mak

...and many more....

holla! (always makes me laugh to say that)

If you missed Ricky at the 5 Spot last week....

2008-03-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

....you can catch him in Austin at two SXSW showcases both on Thursday, March 14th

If you were there, you had the pleasure of hearing Ricky's beautiful songs, including; Sing me A Song, Acoustic Guitars, Suitcase Afternoon, Queen, Tom Petty's American Girl, and a few others. People screamed, people danced, people sang along, and everyone had a smile on their face. Ricky's show is guaranteed to make you happy. Even when he introduces himself as Jeremy Lister "thanks for coming out."

If you missed the show, catch Ricky in Austin:

Friday, 3/14
Official SXSW Next BIG Nashville Day Party
12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
@ The Tap Room at Six Lounge (114 W. 4th St.) and also the

Friday, 3/14
Red Gorilla Music Festival
6pm
@ Nuno's Upstairs (422 E 6th St)

Later this month back in HonkyTonkville:
March 27,
F**k Cancer Benefit Concert
with The Features, Tommy and the Whale and more,
8pm
Mercy Lounge

2008-03-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

Brooke Waggoner @ 3rd & Lindsley
TONIGHT
w/
Jeremy Fisher
Chrisopher Denny
10:00 pm

Brooke Waggoner

2008-03-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

If I could choose the soundtrack for my life….it would definitely be Brooke Waggoner’s music. It’s brilliant, charming, melodic, beautiful, sweetly unassuming in moments and epic in others. It satisfies that longing in your soul for something ‘nostalgic’ and ‘other’ while being completely fresh & new. Discovering Brooke’s music is like finding carefully wrapped 8mm reels of film in your attic…and as you begin watching it for the first time you realize it’s of your parents when they were young & in love—there’s something so special and significant and magical about it. To listen to Brooke's music or find out how you can seize her latest EP Fresh Pair of Eyes, go to http://www.brookewaggonermusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/brookewaggoner .

And then there’s her live shows…I am proud to say that I’ve been ‘in’ on the Brooke Waggoner secret back since 1 year ago when she started playing shows here in Nashville…I've caught everything from her simple 3 piece band to a modest crowd show at the Basement to her sold out CD release show at 3rd & Lindsley (complete with a full string section--whoa!) to one of her latest shows at Mercy Lounge where we literally missed her set because the line was so long to get in! Each and every single show is incredible—it takes the unique sounds from her record and brings it to a whole other level.

If you have not yet discovered & experienced the treasure that is Brooke’s music ….then do yourself a favor and do whatever it takes (run, hitchhike, scooter, MTA….or considering our freak snowy weather this weekend….snow shoe, cross-country ski) to go to her show at 3rd & Lindsley tomorrow (Saturday, March 8th) at 9pm with Jeremy Fisher & Christopher Denny. I promise you will not be disappointed…in fact you’ll wanna thank me…you can send all thank you notes & gifts to me by contacting the lovely peeps who run this site. –Miss Kat

Virgin Blogger

2008-03-07T19:18:00.003-08:00

I'm a virgin blogger.

I'm just gonna put that out there.

I'm not gonna pretend to be experienced in the ways of blogging--this is my first time.

I've got friends though who are...........quality bloggers that is........don't get the wrong idea.......they're not blogging whores. I don't read their blogs everyday (who's got that kind of time?!), but when I do, their brilliance, profundity, and humor blow me away and honestly, they make me say, "This is freakin insane! I can't believe I get to be friends with this person! "

Which leads me to a little secret I'm gonna let you in on: I don't know how it happened (I know it's nothing I did to deserve it), but I somehow get to meet & know some of the most brilliant, witty, inspiring, and amazing people currently on the planet. I know you're thinking, 'Yeah right, not possible, everybody says that!" but I'm tellin' you, if you spend a week with me, you will run into these people and you'll believe it. They are the most ridiculously talented, creative, generous, funny, deep, compassionate, and wonderful people you will ever meet.

(I would go on and on, but they're really humble too, so I know this'll embarrass them that I'm even saying stuff like this in reference to them but who cares...this is a public service announcement...people need to know the truth.).

In any case, don't be jealous. All this can be yours too--I don't keep them all to myself. I'll freely share them with you. They can be your friends too (well, I guess they'll need to decide that for themselves, but knowing them, they're pretty open & warm-hearted, so you've got a really good chance...

So anyway, enough of my ramblings--let's reveal who a few of these people are so you can start reading their awesome blogs & figuring out your social strategy on how to become their friends too!They are....drum roll please.......in random order:

Allie Dearest http://alliedearest.blogspot.com

Cameron Conant http://www.cameronconant.blogspot.com/

Joseph Paul Padgett http://josephpaulpadgett.blogspot.com/

Isaac Marion http://www.burningbuilding.com/

Pam Stone http://tdbpamstonejustsaying.blogspot.com/

You can thank me later. :)

Love,

Miss Kat

Steve Aoki

2008-03-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

STEVE AOKI: The King of the Hipsters. there is NO one like him

What doesn't he do? Where HASN'T he dominated? What deejay does not want to be him? What hipster kid does not want to be him?

Okay maybe I'm speaking of him as if he is one of the greatest of our time - I AM!!! He IS one of the GREATEST of our time. We have never had anyone like him! There have been The Beatles movements, the 60's Summer of Love Movements, Nirvana and the Grunge movement, and the hip hop movements in the 90s. Everything since has been copy of something from our past -which doesn't devalue any of it, or make it less cool, it's just not innovative. No one has been an innovator of all sorts since the 90s quite like Steve Aoki has been. Yes, he is still pretty underground and not mainstream at all so the whole world doesn't not know about him. But those who don't use MTV for their source of music do follow him. Those who read indie magazines, streaming radio stations, listen to indie music, or follow underground fashion. Steve Aoki has brought what so many people probably thought they could bring but haven't been able to do so in such a way as he has.

By starting off deejaying at his University's quaint party neighborhood in Santa Barbara, and now deejaying around the world, literally, he has created an EMPIRE. From remixes, to his record label, to bringing and breaking artists from around the world to the United States, to his T-Shirt and hoodie designs, to his own headphones and shoes, Steve Aoki has created a BRAND.

With Dim Mak Records, he has made Bloc Party successful around the world, imported and developed artists such as MSTRKRFT, Klaxons, and and signed the best indie bands around today: The Deadly Syndrome, Scanners, Whitey, Mystery Jets, Oh No! Oh My!, Datarock, The Icarus Line, Foreign Born, The Willowz and more.

Steve has taken club promotion and Deejayig to another level. By remaining completely loyal to his independent and underground roots, his club nights have become the hottest spots in Hollywood and Tokyo. He somehow manages to be all over Los Angeles running Dim Mak, to club nights, to New York, to London, Tokyo, Germany, Atlanta, Austin, Paris, Canada all within a matter of weeks. This man does not sleep, he is constantly working. His wheels are always turning. Also an artist, his logo designs have turned into designing T-Shirts, tank tops, hoodies, and even shoes. His products are not cheap, but GUARANTEE once you see them you will want them. Steve Aoki has brought back the nostalgic art direction for clothing. All his designs are 100% pure from the heart. He doesn't follow a model, trends, or even keep within the lines, the shirts are the most unique you will ever find. They may represent anything from an album cover from a Dim Mak artist, to a totally random creature, to a tic tac toe sketch. There is no rhyme nor reason to his art. THAT is why he is amazing. Not many people have been able to be 100% true to their heart without following ANY rules and developed an empire, and here's the best part WHILE remaining totally independent.

Steve Aoki is the true hipster. Whatever he does, wears, says, listens to, or spins, everyone around him will follow in his lead. People who are new to the hipster world think it's cool to be snotty, elitest, and a dick. Growing up in LA I can say what IS cool is to be totally true and honest to everything you do. If it's music, listen to what you like not what others tell you to like, if it's clothes, where what you like. Steve is one of those people that you see everywhere and think "he's so awesome, he's probably a dick." Totally on the contrary, he's one of the coolest, nicest, yet passionate guys I know who does what he does.

Some other amazing things from Wikipedia:
*Under the moniker Weird Science, he has remixed everyone from Lenny Kravitz, Bloc Party, Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke, S.P.A., Duran Duran to Timbaland, & Peaches.
*Aoki and friend Greger, the owner of WESC, came up with the idea together to do the "Aoki headphones." Each season Aoki plans to design new headphones for WESC.
*Aoki also is endorsed by KR3W Apparel and Supra Footwear, where he develops and designs an entire range of clothing and shoes for both companies under his name. For more information go to kr3wapparel.com and suprans.com
*Aoki also is a co-owner in a Korean BBQ restaurant called Shin alongside Danny Masterson, Julian Casablancas from the Strokes, Mark Ronson, Laura Prepon, Jerry Butler, Chris Masterson among others.
*Aoki co-owns a management company called Deckstar with Adam Goldstein otherwise known as DJ AM along with their managers and manager mogul Paul Rosenberg who also manages Eminem and Shady Records. Underneath the Deckstar Management division, Dim Mak management has been formed to manage some of the label's artists and other djs.
*Aoki was featured in the video game NBA 2K8 as a special celebrity player, even though he admits to be horrible at basketball. He is featured again in NBA 2K9 with The Cool Kids, Quest Love, among others.

Download:
Bloc Party's Helicopter (Weird Science Remix feat. Peaches) - from Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles==============>

Buy hard copy here
Buy it here Digitally
Stream in iMEEM free

LINKS:
Steve Aoki Official Site
Steve Aoki myspace
Weird Science myspace
Dim Mak
Dim Mak myspace
Dim Mak Official Collection:

Come on out to the 5 Spot

2008-03-04T19:49:00.001-08:00

Come out tonight to see one of my favorite local artists Ricky Young. Horse in the Sea will play first and Kyle Andrews is headlining.

Tonight will be a special treat; all artists will be playing brand new music from their upcoming and recent releases. Ricky and Kyle from their upcoming albums and Horse in the Sea from their recent debut release.

Ricky Young has been busy working on his album and playing sold out shows all over Nashville, most recently Mercy Lounge, Exit/In, and 5 Spot. His new full length album Learn to Steal is in the final stages of production and will be available in April. I've been listening to the roughs, they're yummmmmmmmy. Join mailing list to keep up to date with his new release.

Make sure you catch him in Austin for SXSW '08, he's playing two great shows next week including the official SXSW Next BIG Nashville Day Party which is 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm @ The Tap Room at Six Lounge (114 W. 4th St.) and also the Red Gorilla Music Festival 6pm @ Nuno's Upstairs (422 E 6th St)

Ricky's an East Nashville guy. Tonight at the 5 Spot will be a great show to catch him at.

Kyle Andrews' release of Find Love, Let Go has made impact on KCRW's Top Tune on Februrary 28, 2008. Kyle also has written a song on the new For The Kids III compilation which also features Moby and Barenaked Ladies, the track is called The Wheels On the Bus. Not only has he been working on his own music and finishing up his next release, but as an artist on Bad Man Records, he is has been working with other artists as well. New album by Horse in the Sea (who play first tonight) I Order the Sun to Shine On Everyone is actually produced by Kyle himself.

Tonight's show starts at 9pm. Hope to see you there.

Horse in the Sea
Ricky Young
Kyle Andrews

The 5 Spot
1006 Forrest Ave,
Nashville, TN 37206-2736

Tonight's show is brought to you

by our friends Movement Nashville

Upcoming shows worth your time

2008-03-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

"Everyone is a tool and they all want V.I.P, you can't fit 2,000 people in V.I.P"
Thanks D.

Mar 6 Kyle Andrews, Ricky Young, Heypenny, Horse in the Sea, 8pm 5 Spot East Nashville
Mar 8 Brooke Waggoner 8pm, 3rd & Lindsley
Mar 8 Katie Herzig and Andy Davis, 8pm Exit/In Get tickets here
Mar 10 THE LONELY HEARTS VS HARRISON HUDSON SHOWDOWN 8pm, The Basement
Mar 22 American Bang with the Jane Shermans, 8pm Exit/In
Mar 27 F**K CANCER BENEFIT with The Features, Ricky Young, Tommy & The Whale and more ===========>

Mar 29 AutoVaughn, Brenn, The Lonely Hearts, The Effects 8pm, Mercy Lounge
May 6 Katie Herzig CD Release Show with Jeremy Lister and others, 8pm The Rutledge

3 Genres / 3 Shows / 1 night / 1 City

2008-03-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

Although some may think nashville should be called country music, usa, it is rightfully called music city, usa. Like LA, NY, Chicago, Austin, and all it's competetors , there is always live music all over the damn city. With the exception of electronic and good reggae, - you can catch most every genre every night. After I left the office, I head over to Music Publisher's writer's Night. A Writer's Night always means songwriters in the round, taking turns playing their songs they hope to get "cut" which is in deed in the Country world. A "Cut" from a major artist. We saw 4 writers, each play 2 songs, one which has been "cut" by George Strait, who in this world is VERY highly esteemed. See Nashville Music Guide here

After talking to a few people, I went over to the Sommet Group to see Linkin Park. I'm not generally a Linkin Park fan at the least bit - don't have a single album, don't plan to, not interested at all by them, saw Chester at the House of Blues once and he was struggling to sing. BUT I recognize the genre they created and I get why people like them. That being said though, since I'm obsessed with music and wouldn't want to do anything else for an hour, I saw then in concert. Show was pretty good actually, and I enjoyed seeing them live. Stage was very basic and I appreciate that. Chester hada LOT of energy. After one hour, I drove to East Nashville to see The Jane Shermans, our friends Brenn, and also Mona who was recently showcased by Rick Rubin in LA.

I love Brenn. Their show was full or pop driven beats, apathetic beautiful vocals, blistering guitar leads, and thick rhythm section. Their sound reminded me of Muse-like riffs which full of fuzzy guitar goodness, a loud, noisey and great sing along chorus, high tone guitar melodies and unexpecting guitar solos.

All this and I was in bed by 1:15 AM.

2008-02-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

Go see Mona tonight at the 5 Spot, great opening bands, Brenn and the Jane Shermans.

Paper Route at The Basement last night

2008-02-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

Paper Route had an amazing show at the Basement last night, some thought it was a private showcase, some thought it wasn't, this is perhaps because there were a lot of label interest at this show. I personally bumped into one of the best A&R guys in the business, and a good friend, (@RCA Records) who flew in from LA for the show. Knowing him and the decisions he makes, he would not fly in if he did not love the band, and knowing his taste in music, well, any band he signs I immediately become a fan.

Listen to music here: http://www.purevolume.com/paperroute

Confused LA people get a dose of an alternate universe, Nashville

2008-02-09T02:20:00.000-08:00

"This is the nicest show I've ever been to. I just heard say someone say "excuse me."

Last night LA came face to face with country's greatest. Dierks Bentley hosted a private show at the Knitting Factory to celebrate his 4 grammy nominations.

The show started at 11:00PM . Dierks performed for close to 45 minutes. Showing LA what it's like to be a true artist. Dierks had announced that he had some surprises for the night but I could guarantee that no one in the room could have guessed what was about to happen.

As Dierks told the crowd that he had invited some of his friends, Miranda Lambert made her way to the stage. The crowd was in awe, completely shocked and excited. Miranda sang 2 songs with Dierks and then left the stage. Right as she made her way off the of the stage Dierks began to tell a story about how he had tried to get a hold of Brad Paisley to ask him to come perform with him tonight but that "Brad was too big of a star now." As he finished his sentence Brad Paisley made his way to the stage to perform a few songs with Dierks. The crowd went crazy, not really knowing what was going on and how it was possible to get such amazing performers on one of the smallest stages in Los Angeles.

After Brad left the stage anticipation grew stronger, everyone knew that the night had just begun and there were certainly more surprises in store. The biggest surprise of the night was Matt McCreedy of Pearl Jam to the stage. The crowd just went nuts. Everyone looked at each other and just mouthed the words "seriously." It felt like we were in some alternate universe. Under normal circumstances this would have never happened. Meaning, you could not get Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert in a 400 person capacity room in Nashville, TN. It's just not possible. Fans would take over the venue and the fire marshall would have to close the show down because people would have heard about it and demanded to get into the show.

Anyways, the show was not over. 2 big surprises made their way to the stage. The first being Haley and Josh from Paramore. Dierks knew them because they live in the same city, Franklin and he invited them to sing some Johnny Cash with him. Her bright red hair and powerful vocals caught everyone's attention.

The last surprise of the night was the legendary Dwight Yokon. A few of my friends saw him walking around earlier in the night. Never would they have thought that he was actually going to get on stage and perform with Dierks.

"What a night.." is what everyone said as they left the Knitting Factory that night. A rare night in Hollywood and definitely a night that no one will ever forget.

THIS WEEK

2008-02-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

MON, FEB 4TH
*Kevin Devine w/The Jealous Girlfriends, Rcktwn, 8 pm
*8 off 8th feat. November, Erik Hamilton, Sam Stone, Shadows of Light, Caesar Brown, Gunslinger, Mellow Down Easy & Inglewood, Mercy Lounge, Free
*Grey Market w/The Golden Gears & The Koo, The Rutledge, $5
TUE, FEB 5TH
*Matt King, Grimey's In-Store, 6 pm
*Tyler Hilton with Sean McConnell, , Lori Mckenna & Barry Dean, In the Row, Bluebird Cafe, 6 pm, Free
*Mando Saenz CD Release show, The Basement, 6 pm, Free
*New Faces Nite w/ Brett Rosenberg, Don Pedigo, Derek Hulquist, Molly Irene, Andrew Johnson, Adam Burrows, The Basement, 7 pm, Free
*Dax Riggs w/The Attack, Exit/In, 9 pm, $10-$12.
*Swagger w/The Clantons & The Wrecking Bal, The End, 9 pm
WED, FEB 6TH
*Circean w/Julietta & Talking Like Red Solo, The End, 9pm, $5
*Fiery Furnaces, Exit/In, 9pm, $14.
THU, FEB 7TH
*Nashville Noir Label Showcase feat. The Janissary, The Running & Beta Macks, The Rutledge, 8pm, $8
*Mechanical Birds w/Patrick Sweany & the Cheeksters, The Basement, 9 pm, $7.
*Hammertorch w/Wildcard Family Revival, The End, 9 pm, $5
FRI, FEB 8TH
*Dan Baird & Homemade Sin w/The Sways, Exit/In, 9pm, $15 (Neil Young)
*Mike Farris w/The Mike Younger Band, Mercy Lounge, 9pm, $10
*The Lonely Hearts w/Redwhiteblue & Courtney Jay, The End, 9pm, $6.
Harrison Hudson w/Disappointed by Candy** & Carswell, The Rutledge, 9pm, $5-$8.
SAT, FEB 9TH
Parachute Musical w/Daria Farmer, Born Empty & Eureka Gold, Exit/In, 9pm $5
*Days of the New w/Saving Abel, Mercy Lounge, 9pm, $15.

Superbowl Ads

2008-02-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

BEST SUPERBOWL ADS OF 2008

Overall, I thought the commercials in general were just OK. However as usual, there were some really BIG ones with celebrities, but the others were just average I thought. Here are my favorites, if you have another favorite or think these ones suck, tell me!
Audi/Godfather- I loved this one because it captures one of the most significant scenes of motion picture history in one of the best films ever, also one of my favorites. Can't help but think "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse":

Diet Pepsi Max- Best part, Chris Kattan at the end of the commercial:

Bridgestone - wildlife is always fun:

Budweiser/Rocky- another great film reference:

Pepsi Stuff/Justin- it's always fun to see a pop star get thrown around and poked at, Justin gets his ass kicked!

E-Trade/ Baby Talking

E-Trade/Baby Talking Part 2
#2

Will Farrell/Bud Light- Probably my favorite, who doesn't love to see Will Farrell be funny:

*I also found these outtakes from the same commercial

If you missed Superbowl 42, here are the last few incredible moments:

Manning escapes sack, and passes to Tyree

...and of course, the last 50 seconds, Eli Manning's pass to Plaxico Burress for the winning Touchdown!

Space Capone CD Release Party

2008-01-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

SPACE CAPONE CD Release Party and Show will be at the Mercy Lounge this Friday, Feburary, 1st at 9:00 pm. Admission is $10 but you get a free CD. Sounds like a deal!

Band of Horses, Exit/In Nashville

2008-01-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

BAND OF HORSES graced Nashville with an amazing performance last night at the Exit/In. A packed sold-out show, there wasn't an inch to move around and rock out, but everyone was thrilled to be there. Nashville indie kids belted out the words of the songs and their arms wailed in the air in total bliss. People were shouting out different song titles, which is a further reason to appreciate that Band of Horses has incredible songs. They are amazing songwriters and everyone has a favorite. When a band plays for ninety minutes and there is not one moment that is not breathtaking, I'll say it was a well spent ninety minutes.

Is There A Ghost: mp3

The show opened with Tyler Ramsey, the magnificent folk guitarist of Band of Horses who delivered songs from his recent release A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea including "These Days", and "Night Time." The men of Band of Horses; Ben Bridwell Rob Hampton Creighton Barrett Ryan Monroe Tyler Ramsey and Bill Reynolds were mysteriously covered by their thick beards, hiding away their faces. Their show was full of the unique blend of seventies folk and their usual massive echoing Seattle guitar sound, Ben's eerie vocals harmonized by keyboardist Ryan Monroe and a beautiful delivery of their expressive lyrics. Although my favorite song of the night was Ben singing "The world is a wonderful place" (from Ode to LRC), my favorite moment of the night was the second to last encore song "The Great Specific" Ben smacked a tambourine with a drum stick to the explosive sing along verses and choruses. With the exception of occasional feedback from the mic which seems to be inevitable at the Exit/In, the show was incredible. You should have been there.

See their performance on David Letterman:

Cage the Elephant and American Bang ROCK Bowling Green, KY

2008-01-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

(C) AMI BARWELL

From Bowling Green, Kentucky, local favorite rockers CAGE THE ELEPHANT rocked the shit out of the mom 'n pop hangout, Bread & Bagel. One look at this place and your first thoughts would not be "there is going to be a killer rock show tonight." A friend said to me "we got beer on the way because we didn't think there would be any there, since it's an all ages show." Not only was he wrong about that, but people who came to the venue for the first time had no idea what to expect from the show. Locals know this is a regular spot for CAGE THE ELEPHANT, but this time they had a special treat, one of Nashville's own rockers AMERICAN BANG shared the same stage opening for them.