While Uncle Joe is best known as one of America's top Classic Rock historians, throughout his 38-year career he's always been acutely aware of current trends in the music industry. Indeed, Classic Rock itself was the finest new music of its day, composed and performed by artists at their creative peak. For a scholarly insight into today's trends, J.B. presents Rave's Raves.
Rave's Raves are composed by Bruce Ravid, a veteran of Capitol Record's A&R Department and in no way reflect the official viewpoint of Uncle Joe, his staff or management. They are written from Rave's industry viewpoint, originally for friends within the music business, but now shared with the world. New editions appear in April/May, August/September, and December with occasional updates in between. Enjoy!
October 2006
***RAVE'S RAVES #27.1***
RAVE'S FAVES (on the air since Raves #27)
Muse ("Starlight"), The Killers (various), Snow Patrol ("Chasing"), My Chemical Romance, Kasabian ("Empire, Shoot"), Hellogoodbye, Butch Walker, Panic! At The Disco ("Lying").
I feel Muse will have a huge radio song with "Starlight." I'm still getting used to the new The Killers direction but this album is an upgrade song for song. They have a tune called "Read My Mind" that should become one of their biggest. Snow Patrol are a band who write perfect ballads no matter how hard they want to rock. Kasabian released an album with more edge along with more of a nod to their psychedelic leanings. Hellogoodbye from Orange County have a nice clean synth pop track making it's away through the underground. Butch Walker has a hooky glam rock song getting play on Indie 103.1. My Chemical Romance and Panic! are two talented mainstream bands who will eventually shake the emo tag. Thanks to the latest Panic! single, here's my favorite title of the year: "Lying Is the Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off."
LIVE
The Gossip filled the Troubadour on a night when Wolfmother and the Scissor Sisters were in town. Singer Betty Ditto exuded as much soul as a white girl could have. Their drummer is fantastic, while the guitar player holds his own. Yeah Yeah Yeahs put on a fine show at the Palladium. Miss Karen O. continued to show that she is one of the best front people in rock, while guitar player Nick Zinner is a star in his own right. Opening act The Blood Brothers were bloody awful. Kasabian played at the Henry Fonda. Whether they are on stage or in the press, there's not a lot of fluff but they perform their songs really well. They were proceeded by Mew with a nice set of well-played music that could have been a bit more compelling. Iron Maiden continued to match their high standards before a sold-out (16,000) and wildly enthusiastic Verizon Wireless Amphitheater crowd. How many long-time bands can hold a crowd by beginning a show by playing their entire new album? Their upcoming European dates will be even bigger. My buddy Doctor Doug is a longtime friend. We've been to many shows together and he has long harangued me about a mention in this column. Doug insisted on taking me to the Roger Waters' show at the Hollywood Bowl even though I was ambivalent about going. It was "Dark Side of the Moon" under a full moon. Between the setting, the dazzling production values, and some of the most important music ever made, it was an amazing night. KLOS' Uncle Joe Benson told me that every bit of feedback was nothing short of spectacular.
MORE ON SHINY TOY GUNS
Here's an update on the Shiny Toy Guns story in Raves #27: The band explained to me that they had agreed to the Indie 103.1 show months before it happened. They were aware of KROQ's threat to drop their song, which was #1 requested at the time. There was no way the band would go back on their word, no matter the price. They took the bullet because it was all about integrity. How refreshing! The good news is that their "le disko" has finally cracked the national airplay charts. It's been harder for them without KROQ, but let's hope these good guys win in the end.
80'S COLLEAGUES
The Knack's Doug Fieger continues to improve and he's actually exceeding doctors' expectations. Doug's well enough for the band to play a New York show on November 21 at the Nokia Theatre. They'll also play New Year's Eve in Orange County, and I'm guessing there will be loads of emotion at both gigs. Thomas Dolby has announced tour dates with BT. BT is a fan of his and this will be a great pairing. Thomas will perform solo while BT plays with a couple of others. For encores, the two will jam together. Duran Duran announced that original guitar player Andy Taylor is no longer in the band due to an insurmountable gulf. For whatever reason, Andy was also the odd man out back in the Eighties. Also, see the Iron Maiden review above in the "Live" secion.
...and...
I had a great time co-hosting the Parklife Britrock show on WSUM last month with the talented Matt Hunziker, and I was back on the air solo Friday October 27th subbing for Randy B. who does a fine show... Can you believe the year's almost over? It feels like New Year's 2006 was two months ago! I'll be back in late December with my 2007 Top Five. Until then...
RAVE ON!!!
August 2006
***RAVE'S RAVES #27***
RAVE'S FAVES (on the air)
Muse, Peaches (various), Mellowdrone, The Strokes ("Once"), The Killers, Shiny Toy Guns, Sonic Youth, New York Dolls (various), Joan Jett (various), Buckcherry, Keane, The Walkmen ("Louisiana").
Muse have returned with another superior effort. While "Black Holes and Revelations" doesn't quite have the magic of "Absolution," the guys have become more musically complex at a time when most bands are simplifying. Peaches' "The Girls Wanna Be Her" should be a hit and her "Do Ya" is in a Gap commercial. L.A.'s fine Mellowdrone CD almost escaped without any attention, but the placement of "Oh My" in a Nissan advert is breathing new life into that project. The Killers' tune doesn't quite rank with "Somebody" or "Brightside" in my book, but it's strong and I'm really anxious to hear the rest of the album. Going for a new image and sound on a sophomore effort is a major risk and I wish them well. I wasn't excited to learn the New York Dolls had a new album coming out, but what a nice surprise! "Louisiana" is a beautiful change of pace for The Walkmen. Jet's new single gets an honorable mention, but it may foretell a loss of their unique character. Other honorables go to Razorlight and The Teddy Bears. What I've heard of the new Primal Scream album sounds promising. Next month's Kasabian full length sounds at least as good as their debut, which was a highlight of 2005. Their hit "Empire" single is only available in the U.S. as a download as of this posting, and I'm also excited about new U.K. bands The Fratellis and The Automatic. Check out these two bands on my next "Go Deep" show in September when I have a segment that "goes deeper" into the U.K.
LIVE
The Grates from Australia have a late August album release and played an early July gig at L.A.'s Spaceland. Singer Patience Hodgson exuded such charisma and exuberance, and she probably jumps more than any lead singer I've ever seen. She is ably backed by only a guitar and drums. This quirky pop band is quite compelling but the U.S. market doesn't seem to be very amenable to this kind of group at the moment. LA's Shiny Toy Guns headlined an Indie 103.1 free show at the Hammer Museum. The turnout of 3,000 was the largest and loudest of any during this weekly series in July. "Le Disko" is their local radio hit that has spawned amazing popularity with the high school set. At times, the crowd reaction was near frenzied for this band that plays well and looks good. Shiny Toy Guns has the potential to be the next L.A. indie band to break on a worldwide basis with their dance-rock. Opening was the U.K. band People 'N Planes. Their live show didn't cut it. Local band Silversun Pickups headlined a sold-out Troubadour gig, following a short national trek in support of their latest release. They do everything well and are one of the more interesting domestic indie bands. Fans love this group, but I'm not sure there's anything that will distinguish them enough to garner significant success. Every Move A Picture may have evolved and improved more over a 20-month period than any band I've ever seen. Late in '04, they were a decent sounding retro band and I've caught them twice since. Their Spaceland set was much edgier and darker than before. While the synths remain, this is currently much more of a guitar driven outfit. Singer Brent Messenger is emerging as a real front man. He says that their new songs will continue this trend for them.
RADIO POLITICS
Music fans have had an opportunity to read plenty about the payola situation in radio, but they don't get to hear about some of the other shenanigans. Let's take Shiny Toy Guns for example. Their free concert caused KROQ to drop the song despite the fact that it was getting Top 5 requests. KROQ's ratings are higher than anyone else's by many multiples, but they refuse to let anybody do anything for another station. Who suffers? The listeners. Chris Carter's outstanding and long-running Breakfast With the Beatles show on Free-FM is about to be pre-empted by infomercial dollars despite strong ratings. Negotiations are under way with another station. Meanwhile, L.A.'s country KZLA abandoned their format in favor of a dance/pop mix. It's interesting that programmers in large markets are finding that it's harder to score with formats geared to whites. Studies indicate they are more likely than minorities to purchase iPods and satellite radio.
80'S COLLEAGUES
People are saying great things about Iron Maiden's latest CD, which will see an early September release. Tickets are selling for their Fall U.S. tour. Producer Danger Mouse is a rare guy who's recently been able to add some life to those predictable alternative radio playlists with Gorillaz and Gnarls Barkley. Who do you think he grew up listening to? Iron Maiden. Duran Duran's next album should drop in early 2007. They will become the first major group to join the online game Second Life as digital representations of themselves to perform live concerts and make media appearances in conjunction with their favorite causes. Bob Seger has been on the Capitol Records roster since the early Seventies. During my 10 years at the label, Bob was one of my favorite artists and people. I spent lots of time with him on the road, and 50+ concerts did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for his live shows. Here's a story that will convey the kind of person that he is: A few years ago, a close friend asked me to meet up because he had a girl problem. We went to a Westwood bar and were downing pizza, pitchers and shots. As I emerged with a huge Styrofoam cup of coffee, Bob and I spotted each other and he immediately yelled, "Bruce, you're drunk!" He continued, "Wait right here. I'm going to walk my friend to her car and then I'll come back and get you. I'll hang out with you until you're able to drive." We spent the next few hours catching up while driving around West Los Angeles until I was sober enough to drive home. I wouldn't have driven anyway, but Bob made sure of it. That's the kind of guy he is. Many fingers are crossed that Bob's comeback album will be a winner.
DEVASTATING KNACK NEWS
What a way for a band to be back in the news. The Knack world has been shaken by two shocks within a month. Original drummer Bruce Gary very recently died of lymphoma. His "My Sharona" intro is one of the most memorable ever. Bruce said that when visiting people, he didn't need a doorbell since people would know it was him when he'd knock out those 8 counts. He was a phenomenal talent and a sweet guy who played with dozens of musical heavies. As John Kelly wrote in the Washington Post and the L.A. Times, "If... Bruce Gary is knocking on heaven's door, I think I know the beat he's rapping out. In fact, I can hear it right now." Also, singer Doug Fieger underwent highly-publicized surgical procedures to remove two brain tumors. His attitude is amazing and inspiring. He's been surrounded by the love of his many friends and fans. Doug's recovery is progressing extremely well and our optimistic energies are with him.
...and...
My "Go Deep" webcast has been playing unfamiliar tunes from CD's that are garnering at least some publicity. Listener response has been super, as the shows help them make decisions on purchases of music and concert tickets. The Elbow and Sparks albums, among others, have been loved by "Go Deep listeners." Too bad they weren't more successful. I'd love to hear from you, so please send any input to me at my RavesRaves.com address. I'll be back to you in late October. Until then, have fun and...