Mark Alan is an L.A. based musician who is getting ready to release is second record by his band Alphanaut entitled, “Little Sun.” This post however, is not so much a review of the band or of the record, but rather a post regarding the concept of this album and the accompanying video.

It’s no secret that I am a little over the top when it comes to my love for dogs, so when I received an email from a publicist about this new record that was written as a remembrance and memoriam to Alan’s dog Dingo who died of doggy lymphoma, it was pretty much a done deal.

Each song on the album is a chapter in the story of Dingo’s life, with many of them told from Dingo’s perspective.  The lead single “Back to the Stars,” is an  animated video in which we join Dingo as he dons a space helmet and leaves Earth to explore space, visiting other doggy friends is space (also wearing their space helmets), ultimately transcending into another universe.

Clearly I never met Dingo, but the video conveys the deep love that Mark must have felt for his canine friend; there is a bittersweet sadness to the song, but I imagine that the process of writing the album was cathartic. I can think of no better way to say goodbye to someone you love. See you in the stars.

The “Back to the Stars” video was directed by Tonda Ros of Dogubomb Productions

We’ve lost another one of the greats. I am not referring to Dick Clark who died this last Wednesday, but rather the late Levon Helm, drummer and singer for The Band.

I have always hated that desert island question where you’re asked what 10 records you’d bring to your island, mostly because I would need at least 100, and probably more. This is my pat answer when asked to proceed with this asinine task, however I also invariably include the caveat that while I would never be able to effectively narrow it down to ten records, I do know that two of them would be the first two records by The Band. Those two records – Music from Big Pink and the self-titled The Band–are in my estimation among the finest and most timeless releases of the last 50 years. When they were released, I was just a small kid, but they lived on my mom’s turntable and became part of my consciousness at a molecular level. They still are. Unfortunately subsequent records by The Band were never up to the same caliber as those first two releases, though Stage Fright did still have some good moments.

Fast-forward to La Conner, WA. I am twelve years old, profoundly unhappy in life, flirting with inappropriate behavior involving shoplifting and general rebellion against the unfairness of the world. My father is at the peak of his (then) alcoholism and I am watching his relationship with girlfriend-partner Ivory spin vitriolically out of control. This was the backdrop to the official beginning of my record collection. One of the women in our semi-communal household – Marion— had the room next to mine and she had a record player and would play records, my only emotional solace during these chaotic times. And The Band was the record that got the majority of play, some sort of touchstone to a younger time (like four or five years previous) that I believed were happier days. Illusions are great things. At some point, she gave me her copy of the record. I was elated. Even though I had nothing to play it on, I kept the record with me until I finally did. I no longer have a working turntable, but I am still in posession of that particular piece of vinyl.

When my son was born at home on March 20, 1989, I had the first record picked out to play upon his entry into the world. He had heard loads of music in-utero (extra loud to ensure that the sound made it through all that tissue and amniotic fluid), but I considered that first record to be a critical decision. I chose Music from Big Pink.

I never got to see The Band live. By the time I was old enough to start seeing concerts on my own, they were well passed the days that I consider their prime, but more than any other band that began in the late ’60s, The Band was always the band that wished I could go back in time and see “back in the day.” In 1986, when I heard the tragic news of Richard Manuel‘s suicide in Florida after a gig, I was completely distraught. His voice, more than any other in the band, was the most bone-chilling and sorrowful. His plaintiff wails on “I Shall be Released,” “Tears of Rage,” “Lonesome Susie,” and “In a Station” can still give me shivers.

Several years ago, I picked up a copy of “This Wheel’s on Fire,” the Band autobiography written by Levon. A fantastic read, the book gives an unabashed account of many years on and off the road, and even for those who do not consider themselves fans, it’s an essential rock and roll autobiography. Levon Helm’s rural southern charm and easy manner permeate the pages. As much as it is a history of the band, it could –to varying degrees –be the history of any band who had spend over two decades on the road together.

A couple of years back Levon Helm announced a date at the Greek here in L.A. I jumped on those tickets as I knew this was likely the closest I’d ever come to seeing The Band and likely the last opportunity I’d ever have to see him for that matter. I had tried to contact his management to secure an interview for RocknRollDating, but his cancer had already been diagnosed, and he was doing very few interviews with sites that offered limited exposure. The show was great. Levon was incredibly vibrant and full of life. Knowing that he was battling cancer and could still put so much out made me think that it was perhaps the music that kept him going for as long as he did.

Thanks for leaving me with such meaningful musical memories. The lives you and The Band touched are innumerable.  You are missed, but the music will be here forever.

By now, most of you know that I am one of those awful Radiohead fanatics, one of those snotty indie pricks who believe wholeheartedly, that they are perhaps the most innovative band in the world today. While I was sadly not able to get any tickets to either weekend of Coachella this year (or Santa Barbara or San Francisco or Seattle), I was rather delighted to discover that much of this years Coachella was being streamed live, but more importantly that the entirety of the Radionhead set is (now) available as an on-demand video on YouTube. Here it is.

The entire setlist is also included. Enjoy.

File under the discovery of cool and interesting cinematic obsucrities well worth passing along to others for their discovery and delight.

Marika Rökk was an Egypt-born Austrian-German singer, dancer and actress of Hungarian descent who became famous in German films most notably in Nazi Germany during World War II. She first gained prominance in Paris in the 1920s starring as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge with the “Hoffmann Girls.” In 1934 she moved to Germany where she became one of the most famous movie stars in Germany working for Universum Film AG (UFA). Her film career spanned from 1930 through to 1962, however she appeared in two subsequent films, one  in 1973 (Der letzte Walzer) and her final appearance in 1988 (Schloß Königswald ). Marika Rökk died in 2004 at the age of 90.

This clip is from the 1958 German musical film, Buhne Frei Fur Marika. In “Mir ist so langweilig,” Marika is an alien girl who steals a spaceship and heads for earth where she dances with snakes, elephants and African natives. Just another boring day in the life of a German alien girl. The sets and art direction are fantastic.

Very cool…I am delighted to be able to share this with you, a stream of TKOL RMX 1234567 a new as of yet-to-be-released remix record from Radiohead taking songs from The Kings of Limbs. Thanks to the fine folks @ Soundcloud for making this litte treat available for the masses!

This last weekend the world was hit with the sad news of the death of Amy Winehouse, the remarkably talented chanteuse whose relatively short history as a shining musical artist was regretfully overshadowed by her frequent and well-publicized binges with alcoholic and drugs. The outcry was largely unanimous for those of us who knew her music, one of deep sorrow, but more so for many of the onlookers and fans, they/we were also not surprised. That is the real tragedy: that we were waiting, and that we assumed that it was simply a just matter of time. Sadly, last week we saw what we presumed we were waiting for.

Familiar story, great talent, sad loss, a broken record, another one for the books

…and another one for the stupid “27 Club.”

Amy Winehouse was an unexpected talent. I can still remember the first time I heard Back to Black, I was taken by the freshness of Winehouse’s smokey soulful voice backed by the Dap Kings, the  perfect R&B/soul anchor. The whole thing sounding like a lost classic disc from the 50s, the 60s. It was hard to pinpoint it exactly, but it hearkened some ephemeral nostalgia while remaining fresh and distinct. That was four years ago. Amy would have been just turned 23 years old when that record was released. It was hard to imagine somebody so young releasing such an undeniable masterpiece (she won 5 Grammy for Back to Black), but here it was; her gift was undeniable and the record conveyed a level of experience seemingly beyond her years. The press however made damned sure that we were always aware of her addictions and her struggles, and that unfortunately seemed to overshadow her music in the long term. Russell Brand put it perfectly in mentioned that the press was “more interested in tragedy than talent, so the ink began to defect from praising her gift to chronicling her downfall.”

I was surprised by the handful of derisive or insensitive (or perhaps just ignorant and unaware?) comments I saw on the web suggesting that she brought it on herself and that she did not have to drink or do drugs…but then again I suppose I really shouldn’t have been. If addiction was simply as easy as just flipping a switch, there would be little need for 12 step programs, support groups or rehab centers. But the simple fact is that it is not. Addiction completely overrides the logic and reason of the normal brain. It’s a bitch; a demon; a disease, something that we are either biochemically predisposed to or not. It has a selfish life of its own, greedily driving everything of meaning out.

But I am still always surprised. A person suffering from addiction needs understanding, compassion and support. Addicts are dealing with an illness. Duff McKagen described addiction as “a lonely and terrifying place to be” in his posthumous piece on Amy Winehouse. I’ve witness it firsthand as a kid when my own mother became addicted to heroin.I further watched the debilitating effects of alcoholism with my father during the seven years that I lived with him. He thankfully managed to get sober. Amy Winehouse did not. I feel like I’ve witnessed this story too many times, and every time I feel the same sense of frustration, because I always think that maybe “now they’ve finally learned,” but that’s not how it works.

Now that Amy Winehouse is gone, the public has once again re-discovered her remarkable talent. Her sales have once again skyrocketed with Back to Black hitting the Billboard Top 10 and reaching the #1 spot on iTunes. Now she will perhaps be remembered for talent and not for the alcoholism that brought her down. Now perhaps we can remember that addiction is an illness. It’s never a choice.

Back To Black

Thanks to the good folks @ Topspin, you can now listen in it’s entirety, the new Radiohead record, The Kings of Limbs

It’s been a ridiculous long time since I last made any posts to this here blog, and while I can blame it on the fact that my desktop computer took a big ol’ dump, I can just as equally attribute it to the fact that I’ve been in a bit of a creative slump and have simultaneously been rather busy at work as well. Excuses and explanations aside, it’s important that I force the creative juices to flow even when I’m not feelin’ it.

This last April, I made the pilgrimage to Coachella for the first time in three years, because for the first time in three years I felt that Goldenvoice finally pulled together an impressive enough lineup to warrant their greedy move from a two day festival to the three-day endurance trial that the festival has now become. I am happy to report, that it was – for the most part – completely worth it. I had a fantastic time.

The first day, was intended to start for me with Baroness, one of the few metal bands on the bill, and Yeasayer who I saw a few years back (three times) at SxSW, and who pretty much floored me with their live show. And while I have not been as impressed with what I’ve heard from their newest record, the memory of seeing them in Austin was enough to get me pumped to see them at Coachella with their intriguing combination of jammy hippy rock, prog, and electronic dance. Sadly, Goldenvoice was so terribly disorganized that we ended up waiting in line for close to two and a half hours just to get in, and not because of the sheer amount of people trying to get in, but because somehow they thought it logical to have a total of 6 people between two gates to funnel the entire sold out crowd of 75,000 people through the gates… I can only assume this decision to be so understaffed was again one motivated by their bottom line.

We finally made it through the gates; everybody was righteously pissed at this point, and by now the only thought was to have some sustenance followed by some much needed alcohol, since without it we might seriously have to punch somebody in the face just to blow off some steam. I was however not too upset with the proposition of starting off my festival with a set from The Specials, one my the bands that still stand as one of those watershed music moments when their 1979 self-titled debut was largely the soundtrack of my life.

I saw the “Special Beat” once a long time ago, but that was little more that a cover band comprised of original band members playing faithful renditions of old songs. I never got to see The Specials proper, and even while this show was being touted as a reunion, Jerry Dammers’ absence was missed by those of us who remember him as The Specials’ driving force when The Specials blew us all off our collective seats. Regardless, the band was an utter delight. More than just playing faithful renditions old old worn-out songs, the Specials gave it all they had, breathing new life into a solid set, playing pretty much everything from that pivotal record with energy and joy.

Gil Scott-Heron was next on my list and was the perfect music to slide from day into dusk. His set was a flashback of an entirely different kind. His soul-jazz-poetry swirl was smooth and bluesy, picked straight out of 1970’s Chicago and dropped in the middle of the desert for a deeply satisfying set of music that I certainly never got to see as a kid.

Them Crooked Vultures were one of the bands that I was the most excited to see. The modern-day supergroup, they hit the stage very much at home in front of the throngs of loyal devotees. And why not? They’ve all played in front of tens of thousands of adoring fans in their various other bands, but something about this being the desert, they seems that much more at home. The set started with Homme greeting the crowd with a “I’m from the desert. I’m Joshua,” leading into a ferocious set delivered with a confidence that showed a seasoned group, ready to play the arena of your choice…tomorrow. The more structured songs were where the band shone the brightest. When the band attempted to hearken back to Zeppelin with extended jams on some of their riffier songs, the band seemed a little disjointed. TCV is ultimately a Josh Homme project first and foremost, and while I totally “get” what he’s trying to do, his music is not ultimately rooted in the blues.

LCD Soundsystem once again killed. Last time I saw them @ Coachella, they were in one of the tents, but this year, they were one of the headliners on the main stage and were without a doubt one of the great shows of the night. There is noting particularly remarkable about their songs from a compositional standpoint, but there are few bands that will plaster an ear to ear smile on my face more effectively than LCD. It’s near impossible not to move during their energetic set, and seemingly pointless to want to see anything more after they’ve left you an ecstatic limp rag after they’ve finished.

Regardless, there was no way that I was going to miss a set from the legendary P.I.L. Prepared for the worst, I was delightfully surprised. Lydon was relegated to one of the smaller stages, and sadly his set was among the most poorly attended of the night, likely due to the massive turnout for the slick spectacle that was Jay-Z. In spite of the ragged turnout of oldsters who remember the early P.I.L records with great relish, Lydon was in top form, back with his snarly, snotty, snarky countenance. They played a handful of their expected “hits,” but for me the real treat was that they chose to play a number of classics from their first two records including “Annalisa,” “Religion,” and “Albatross.”

Purely by accident, I ended my night watching the last half of Fever Ray‘s set. Worn and spent from a long day in the hot sun and a surprising amount of walking, I was heading home, P.I.L.’s whining squall fading in the background. I was in drawn by a darkly haunting hypnotic throb. As I got sucked further in, I became utterly transfixed and not just by the music–which was fascinating and entrancing–but by the set and the visuals which were seemingly taking place inside of a witches coven. I was spellbound by the entire effect and made a point of getting her record upon my return to L.A. I could not have imagined a more satisfying way to say goodnight.

The first time I saw the caterwauling ex-Jesus Lizard frontman David Yow, was when the inimitable Scratch Acid came to The Central back in 80…what? 84? 85? Their self-titled 8-song debut masterpiece had been released, and pretty much seemed to be the only record that anybody was listening to at the time. The Seattle music scene was enamored beyond words, so when Scratch Acid finally hit town, it was utter mayhem. utter. blissful. mayhem.

That was the only time I ever got to see SA, but I did manage to catch Jesus Lizard on a number of occasions, most recently at the Henry Fonda Theater here in Los Angeles this last October (15th, 2009). They delivered the goods more than I ever would have imagined, but I’m not going to review that show here because I already promised my friend Cara that I’d write about it for her Ritual Room blog, and I am a man of my word.

Below is a 12-minute mini-documentary about David, entitled I’d Rather Be Anywhere Else which was shot by the Swiss band Ventura this January and posted by the good folks at The Drone. The piece kicks off with Yow commenting on how he’d like the Jesus Lizard to be remembered: “we were a band that never really got anywhere, meant a lot to a few people who don’t know much about anything”. I’m guessing that your fans and readers may beg to differ (we can disagree over a few drinks if he’ll ever let me interview him for RocknRollDating). Yow further talks about getting an agent and becoming an actor, avoiding mirrors, his relationship with his father and doing a public access cooking show with Steve Albini. That‘s something that I’d like to see!

Once you get the video started, hit pause to let the stream buffer a bit as it seems to choke a lot. After you’ve finished, make sure to check out the “Bonus” video of The Jesus Lizard performing “Seasick”.

For those of you who know me well, you know that Tool and King Crimson are among my very favorite bands…as in ever. I’ve seen both bands several times and would barely hesitate to see either again when given the opportunity. Imagine then my excitement – in 2001, while I was still living in Seattle – when it was announced that King Crimson were going to be supporting Tool for the west coast portion of their Lateralus tour. I bought my tickets immediately. At about the same time, I was laid off along with 192 other people from Real Networks, the company where I had worked for the previous two and a half years. The economy was in about as bad of shape as it is now, and many of us were finding it impossible to land any paying jobs, but I bought my ticket anyway.

The night of the show I ended up selling the tickets, as I was feeling particularly panicky about my financial situation, so I never got to see that particular pair-up. Looking back, I still regret that decision. Yesterday however, I became aware of the rumor that Adam Jones (creative mastermind and guitarist for Tool) and Robert Fripp (King Crimson founder and creative mastermind in his own right) may resume collaboration on a record that they apparently started 5-6 years ago. Tool’s last record, 10,000 Days came out in 2006. They have always been a slow working band, but between Maynard’s current project, Puscifer, and the possibility of this collaboration finally coming to fruition, one has to wonder if Tool has another album somewhere in their future. Either way, the thought of Fripp and Jones releasing a collaborative work is one that I would happily shell out for.