Station Break: Jam On Revenge

Posted by: dgoldring on Nov 07 2008 - 16 views

 

Back when I was in about 5th or 6th grade, and up through probably eight grade, the big craze (and I mean huge) was breakdancing.  Everyone loved it, cool kids and otherwise.  And all of you 30-somethings out there, don’t try to deny it.  I know many of you probably have the same reaction I do when you see a cardboard mat.  And the answer is, no, if you are at all like me, then you never could do a headspin, and would probably risk serious injury if you tried it now.

Anyway, the point of this post is to remember one of my favorite breakdancing bands, Newcleus…particularly their signature song, Jam On Revenge.  With lyrics which can be reminiscent of, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” by The Charlie Daniels Band, Newcleus famously sang:

(Say Superman had came to town to see who he could rock)
(He blew away every crew he faced until he reached our block)
(His speakers were three stories high, with woofers made of steel)
(And when we brought our set outside, he said “Hah, be for real!”)
He said, I’m faster than a speedin’ bullet when I’m on the set
I don’t need no fan to cool my amps, I just use my super breath
I could fly three times around the world without missin’ a beat
I socialize with X-ray eyes, and the ladies think it’s sweet
(And then he turned his power on and the ground began to move)
(And all the buildings for miles around were swayin’ to the groove)
(And just when he had pulled the crowd and swore he’d won the fight)
We rocked his butt with a 12 inch cut called “Disco Kryptonite”

 

Can I get a “Wiki-Wiki?” 

You can check out Jam On Revenge, and all of Newcleus’ classic hip-hop and electro-rock hits on their website.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Station Break: Big Rock Candy Mountain

Posted by: Heather on Oct 24 2008 - 35 views

Harry McClintock.  Who you ask?  Harry McClintock was a folk/country singer who was the first person to record Big Rock Candy Mountain.  He originally recorded it back in 1928.  Most people would recognize it from the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”.  I know what you are thinking, “Gee, thanks for the Jeopardy trivia, but what does this have to do with anything?”  Well, Big Rock Candy Mountain happens to be one of my favorite songs on my 4GB Zune!!!  Its easily top 5.  To go with this statement, I also have to say that I’m not a fan of folk or country music.  So, why do I love this song?  The song has an excellent story talking about a hobo’s utopia.  When work is getting you down, and you just want to escape, I think of Big Rock Candy Mountain.  I can honestly say I listen to it 5 or 6 times in a row all the time.  Its got a very catchy tune that sticks in your head, and its easy to sing along to.  No matter what mood I am in, I can listen to this song.  Everyone should have this on their mp3 player.  Here is a sample of some of my favorite lyrics:

“There’s a lake of stew
And of whiskey too
You can paddle all around it
In a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains”

Who doesn’t want to paddle around in a lake of whiskey and of stew.  Plus, earlier in the song, he mentions “the lemonade springs”, which is perfect for mixing with the whiskey.  What’s the weather like at the Big Rock Candy Mountain?  I am so glad you asked.

 ”And the sun shines every day…

Oh I’m bound to go
Where there ain’t no snow
Where the rain don’t fall
The winds don’t blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.”

I bet your also wondering what kind of jobs they have at Big Rock Candy Mountain?  Well, that is the best part!!!

“There ain’t no short-handled shovels,
No axes, saws nor picks,
I’m bound to stay
Where you sleep all day,
Where they hung the jerk
That invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.”

 Who wouldn’t want to live in Big Rock Candy Mountain?  So, if anyone finds its exact location, please contact me.  In the meantime, check out the song.

Complete lyrics to Big Rock Candy Mountain

Purchase Big Rock Candy Mountain by Harry McClintock (aka Haywire Mac) from Amazon for $0.99

 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

StationBreak: Aaron Neville

Posted by: Peter Murphy on Oct 17 2008 - 27 views

I am still finding out what my new toy can do, and have been quite surprised by the sound quality of the onboard speakers. So I decided to load up a few different styles of music to have a bit of a better trial. While I was digging around in my music library on my old laptop I came across a version of “Oh Happy Day” by Aaron Neville. When you see a photo of this guy you would think, bit of a hulk of a man, but he has a voice like velvet. Almost hypnotic in the vocal gymnastics he can perform. Gospel music has always been a favourite of mine,  and this song is just so  uplifting, it’s been going around in my head all day, and I find myself smiling. Need I say more, well I just hit up iTunes and sprung for the whole album. Well worth a listen, and powering me through my happy day.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Station Break: Love and Rockets “So Alive”

Posted by: dgoldring on Oct 10 2008 - 18 views

 

I suspect if I took a poll of our readers, most of you would have what I call, “a bad mood song.”  This is a song you listen to when everything has you down.  It just takes you away from your problems.  For me, that song is “So Alive” by Love and Rockets.

This is something of a bizarre pick me up song.  Love and Rockets are mostly a punk-style alternative rock band, and their stuff is not usually particularly uplifting.  But there it is.  When I really listen to the words, they just take me out of my head.   It has such an effect on me that I try to avoid it on my iPod unless I really need a release.  Then, I dial it in, close my eyes and listen:

Don’t know what color your eyes are, baby
But your hair is long and brown
Your legs are strong, and you’re so, so long
And you don’t come from this town
My head is full of magic, baby
And I can share this with you
I feel I’m on top again, baby
That’s got everything to do with you

Just reading those lyrics makes me smile and instantly puts me in a much better frame of mind.  Check it out at Amazon.com or on itunes.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

StationBreak: Rilo Kiley

Posted by: Ragart on Sep 26 2008 - 13 views

I freaking love Rilo Kiley. I’ve seen them twice now in concert and I’d do so about fifty more times. I own all their albums on CD and I’ve gone to a lot of pains to find their LP mp3’s that I just can’t find in Toronto. As much as I love the band, you’d think they had been some kind of lifelong love affair. But really, I just discovered them a little over a year ago.

I was studying in Berlin at the time (gah, didn’t I use this story last time?!), trying to learning to speaking the Germanics. It was a lunch break between class (oh god, I loved our one-and-a-half hour lunch breaks!!!!) and we were all headed to the U-Bahn to take us to the cafeteria for munch time. I was pretty low on new music, so a friend of mine just plopped her headphones on me and pressed the play button on her iPod. The song was “Portions for Foxes” and the sound took me away, instantly.  It can often take me quite a while to really fall in love with new music, but Rilo Kiley just set itself right into my bloodstream.

One thing I think is really fantastic about the band is their flexibility as musicians and their very playful lyrics. They really have a very wide emotional range in their songs, and it’s always a treat to just listen in to the particular story Jenny Lewis (lead singer) is trying to tell you. One song, the Execution of all things, seems to be about Armageddon, and I’d gladly welcome the real thing if it sounded that good. And sometimes when I feel a bit too lazy or too tired to write a post for JAMM, Jenny Lewis shouts to me through my Shure earphones:

But it’s a sin when success complains,
and your writers block- it don’t mean shit.
Just throw it against the wall and see what sticks.
Gotta write a hit.
I think this is it.
It’s a hit.

Technorati Tags: Rilo Kiley,alternative/rock,stationbreak

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

StationBreak: Apocalyptica

Posted by: Brandon Steili on Sep 19 2008 - 14 views

A long time ago, in a land not so far away I was a huge fan of Metallica. And by huge I mean I purchased pretty much every one of their albums even though I spent most of my time listening to the likes of 2Pac, DJ Quik, and everyone in N.W.A. So as you can see I’ve had a wide range of musical tastes pretty much since day one. Heck even now I’m just as happy listening to Brooks and Dunn as I am Five Finger Death Punch. So, given my stance on listening to pretty much anything and everything and my having been a huge fan of Metallica it only stands to reason that one of my most listened to albums lately is by Apocalyptica, a band who originally got its start playing Metallica cover tunes.

So who is Apocalyptica? Think Metallica and you’re pretty much on the right track. Sure in most songs on Worlds Collide you’re going to be hard pressed to find any lyrics let alone the constant growl by James Hetfield, what you will find is hard hitting rock that will likely make the 1980’s head banging headache you got from “… And Justice for All” start to come back to you. However, one thing you won’t find is a guitar. Yup - not one guitar - which when I first heard them on my local rock station playing “I’m Not Jesus” made me think the DJ was a big fat liar. I mean how do you get up onstage at concerts like Ozzfest and not have a guitar?

Well, Apocalyptica is proof that you don’t need heavy guitars to put out some seriously heavy rock music … as matter of fact they do it with the Cello. Yes … that Cello, the one you typically find in an orchestra. So, wether you’re into classical music or rock - take a few minutes out of your day and check out Apocalyptica.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!