David "FUZE" Fiuczynski - Everyone needs to know about this Guitar Virtuoso! - (music reviews)

We've heard it all before..."Man, you have to hear this guy on guitar...he rips!" or (in deep southern drunken drawl accent) "Eddie Van Halen is the best guitar player EVER!" BLAH BLAH BLAH...

But seriously folks, I have not run across many guitar players that have the musical depth and ability that "The Fuze" has. Have you ever heard someone do Oriental Reggae? Well then you have to get KIF. Any of you who are already fans know who I'm talking about. David Fiusczynski has played with many great musicians such as John Medeski, Rufus Cappadocia, Gene Lake, Fima Ephron, Jojo Mayer, just to name a few.

This sentance from The Fuze's website says it all:

"Fuze's recordings are an experimental mix of tradition with modern sounds and rhythms, a melange of funk-rock jazz, ambient textural improvisations, world-music elements, metal, reggae, house, dub, drum&bass and other new grooves topped with Fuze's unique writing, extraordinary soundscapes and passionate soloing."

Not much on YouTube w/ David Fiuczynski but here is a serious look at some great musicians, a great song, and a great solo by The Fuze. ENJOY!



Check out Kif

This is a great album w/ John Medeski Lunar Crush

The LUCKIEST musicians ever!

Ok. This is a continuation of the comments that were started in the Angels and Airwaves post. Let's start where we left off.

Here we go.

A list of the luckiest musicians ever!!

Great.

Well, we all know that number is the one and only...

1. Michael Anthony - he is the luckiest musician ever and may very well qualify for the luckiest human being ever...in the whole history of existence. And I don't think I'm exaggerating.

2. Krist Novoselic - The bass player from Nirvana. This guy sucks. Interesting that this list is beginning with bass players.

3. The bass player from Rush - an obvious no brainer. The lead singer should just learn how to play bass and then just play it. They would be much better off. Oh and the guitar player sucks too. So does the singer and the keyboard player. Drummer sucks too.

4. Duff - Guns 'N Roses bass player - and the bass player's list continues. His luck ended though when he was kicked out.

5. Linda McCartney - because she married a Beatle and got to play in big shows with Wings, skipping the "paying your dues as a musician" part and going straight to the source and then promptly fucking that source and bearing it's children. I kid the late LInda McCartney because I actually kind of like her. What did she ever do to me? Still, she was very lucky...until the cancer took her life.

6. Denny Laine - another Wings alumnus. He did nothing before, during, or after Wings. I think Paul McCartney lost a bet or something.

7. Sean Lennon - for being born John Lennon's son. Granted he did a pretty good rendition of the Beatle's song on that show but still....

8. Yoko Ono - these lucky people seem to come in groups here. She took a play straight out of the Linda McCartney playbook and boy did she milk that one. Again, like Linda, very lucky...until John Lennon was killed...and even then, perhaps even more so, very lucky.

9. Steve Nieve - he's actually a good musician but let's face it, if he hadn't met Elvis Costello, no one would know who he is. He surely wouldn't be playing the venues he's playing now.

10. Tina Weymouth - I like her bass playing, she definitely has her own, albeit simplistic style but still we have to go back to the increasingly unoriginal formula of lucky bass players.

11. Jerry Harrison and Chris Frantz - They would definitely be nothing without David Byrne, although I have to give Jerry Harrison a little more credit because he would have some sort of presence in the emerging new waving music movement anyway, because he's that type of guy. Still, he's lucky.

12. Kip Winger - He made his money and then got out. Very lucky. Who knows what he's doing now and who cares. Lucky fucker.

13. The Indian guy who plays bass for the Eagles. Very lucky fucker. Although he sang that song "I can't tell you why" so he gets a little cred, but still, come. He defintely goes into the Lucky Fucker category. And yet another bass player graces the list.

14. Johnny Guitar Watson - with album titles like "
A Real Mother For you" and "Beyond the call of funk", I guess he isn't lucky. That's all skill, baby. All skill. Still, I know who he is so he's lucky.

15. Blink-182 - I have to disagree with Mike here and say that they're very fucking lucky because they very much do suck.

16. The drummer from Smashmouth - Even he's scratching his head going "God, I was lucky for like nine months." But now, he's not very lucky. No, it's kind of sad actually.

Let us add to the list, gentlemen.

This is funny: Dave Barry's Worst Songs Other Hits

Ciara - Promise [HQ]

1st Single from New Album

[new link coming soon]

cover art credit to Sad!ddy at Britney Spears Forum

Audioslave - Revelations | Is it any good? (music review)

It seems that the days of "Rage Garden" are definitly starting to slip away as Audioslave starts to come into their own as a band. I wouldn't say they are completely there yet, but "Revelations" is a step in the right direction.

When I first put the album in and heard the mello Morello guitar line turn into a tight, driving riff that ripped through my car speakers like I'd just been hit by a Mac truck in the Best Buy parking lot, it made me jump as well as the hairs stand on the back of my neck. I was stoked. Ok, the song "Revelations" is a kick ass album opener.

I thought I was in for a dissapointment on the second tune "One and the Same" but Morello fails to dissapoint with an impressive 100-note-a-second solo (known as 100 n/sec in mathmatical terms). And Cornell can still belt it out like always. "Ok, song 2 = good".

I hear another Tom Morello signature riff opener on "Sound of a Gun" and turn up the car stereo to peak levels. Still Diggin' what I'm hearin'.

Then I get to song 4, "Until we Fall", and I get a sense of "Oh, NO... not another Audioslave ballad" but as the song progresses it saves itself with a build up to a crushing chorus. Not Bad.

My fears are growing that I'm going to be let down just as "Original Fire" comes on...and my heart sinks. Did I just enter a Baptist church with the congregation all clapping, swaying, and throwing their hands in the air? I think I did. Not a fan of song #5. Let's move on. Weird.

Hmmm, song #6 "Broken City" is better...a nice, slimy, gritty tune. Song #7, "Somedays" starts out with some good Cornell Choruses. Getting better!

Song #8 "Shape of things to come" staying about the same energy level...Song #9 "Jewel of the Summertime" has a nice funky, rock groove going - I like it. Still hanging on.

Let's close this album out. I can only stay in my car parked in my garage for so long until my neighbors start to bitch (having a newborn and all..screw it...keep the volume up). #10 "Wide Awake" is an slow raspy tune with big choruses. I'm still here.

#11 "Nothing left to Say but Goodbye" is another slower, raspy vocaled tune. Let's move on to the last track. I'm hungry.

#12 "Moth" OK, now we're talking. Morello, Cornell, and even Brad Wilk step it up to close out the album with some good energy, good big meaty riffs, and a...fade out!? a FADE OUT!? Were is the hidden track? You don't just fade out an album like this? BLAH! Brenden O'Brien (producer/mixer) should be shot for that.

So over all I like the album, but felt that I was left hanging...waiting for Cornell to belt out "BURNIN' THAT GASOLIIIIINE" The more I listen to it, the more I skip song #5 and find myself going back to the first 4 songs. It's definietly worth buying, but definitly worth skipping song #5.

Check out Audioslave's new album: Revelations

I Know This Is Unusual but...

Im asking a request from YOU. Ive been searching for Christina Aguilera's tracks "The Voice Within (Video/Radio Edit)" and "I Turn To You (Radio Edit with Music Intro)" and I cant find it anywhere. If you guys can help me out with this, ID really appreciate it! You can send a link to my email or post it in the comments of this post.

thanks guys

-matt :-)

UPDATE: WOW! thanks for all the amazing response everyone! ive gotten many links and i really appreciate it guys, thanks sooo much!! :-)

UPDATE 2: All the links are in the comments of this post. Thanks to everyone who posted one!

Kellie Pickler - Red High Heels (CD Rip)

not the radio rip,

192 kbps, 5.8 MB!

[new link coming soon]

Vonzell Solomon - My Struggle

American Idol Finalist 3rd Place, Season 4

Her 2004 Independent Release EXCLUSIVE AT NMN!

Only distributed through email request.

1. Gotta Have Faith

2. My Struggle

3. Do Yo Thang

4. B-a-b-y-v (interlude)

5. Dance 2nite

6. You Don't Impress Me

7. The One I Love

8. Bye-bye

Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass - (music review)

Review by yltwatcher

Download Mp3's of "Beanbag Chair" and "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind"

Well the new Yo La Tengo album came out yesterday, and I bought it that day. I must say it is quite good, but at 78 minutes long and with such a wide variety of styles, it will take awhile for me to really absorb it and decide what I think of it. Right now I am alternating between thinking it is the White Album of indie rock and thinking that I find it oddly distant even though it is more fun than any other YLT release (barring the WFMU thingie, "Yo La Tengo is Murduring the Classics"). There are some real stunners on this album, especially Georgia's "I feel Like Going Home", Jame's one contribution, "Black Flowers", and the Belle and Sebastian-like "Beanbag Chair" and "I Should have Known Better". The longer I listen to this album, the more I lean towards thinking it's a classic and I begin to think it is at least nearly as good as "I Can Feel the Heart Beating as One", if not more accomplished stylistically. I think part of my "distance" issue is with the production style and the way this album sounds on my car stereo. There are some frequency ranges that are nearly no-shows in my Jetta, and it makes it hard to be pulled in by albums with a certain sonic signature. The already midrange-centric, muddy production style (not in a bad way) is just not working well in my car. Need to break out the big-ass Sony studio monitor headphones this weekend (or steal the little M-Audio monitors I bought for the theater for the weekend). In short, this album is a grower.

If I felt safe enough to post a link to the attached song on your blog, Mike I would put it on the Yacht Rock section before I put it on the indie section, but instead, I am e-mailing you this low-res mp3 of the song I cannot get out of my head from the new album. YLT has never done anything quite like this one. Enjoy Mr. Tough. My 21-month old is singing along now (when she isn't saying Chadd's name with a dreamy look in her eyes).

You guys need to not only go see YLT at the Filmore, you need to go at least two of the three shows they are doing there. First, the opening act will likely be different each night, and there will be special guests they will bring up to play each time, mostly local artists of note. Second, with a 20 year discography and huge number of covers always played at their shows, the selections and vibe will be very different each night, so do yourself a favor and get to all of 'em if you can. And call me from the show if they play "Barnaby Hardly Working", "Blue Line Swinger" or "I Heard You Looking."


You MUST own this album! I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache - (music review)

I'm always taking suggestions from friends on albums to check out whether the music be Indie, Rock, Punk, Jazz, Country Polka Fusion (el_ticknor's fav), whatever type...So if someone where to say, "What kind of music is Killswitch Engage?" I guess I would say Killswitch Engage would fall into...uh...well...it's kind of hard to describe the genre...maybe...no, no, not that....um.....OH! I know.....BIG ASS HAIRY METAL!!! (With a heart)

"The End of Heartache" starts off with huge drums and a blood curdling screem that would make any severely disturbed mental patient shut up and take notice. Heartpounding double kick drums (think Vinny Paul formally of Pantera), tight, harmonized guitars (a la Maiden at times), big bottom bass, and a combination of growl vocals and (actually really good) singing, which I would enjoy a bit more of, but all in all, this album is a good lesson is dichotomy as the music is rough and tough, but the lyrics speak a pretty clear message of bettering one's self instead of the usual "DIE, KILL, SPIT, AND DIE AGAIN!" stuff.

For instance: ABANDON THE SAFETY OF MINDLESS FOLLOWING/ ABANDON WHAT HOLDS US CAPTIVE TO SUFFERING/ PIERCE THE BLINDERS/ BEHOLD THE PATH THAT LEADS BEFORE YOU/LET US FORSAKE ALL THE THINGS THAT LEAD US TO OUR DEMISE....AHHHHH DEATH , DEATH, DIE, YOU DIE, SPIT, SPIT AND DIE YOU BAD MAN, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIIIIIEEEEE!!!!! ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!!!!!!!!! (I added the last part, pretty good huh?)

Check out an Mp3: Rose of Sharyn

If you like Metal check this album out: The End of Heartache

The Raconteurs & Arctic Monkeys - Albums Reviewed by 'el ticknor'

The two records or CDs or collections of downloadable media that I've been listening to that are both relatively new and good are The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers and Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.

Jack White's side project made a damn good record. The pop single, Steady As She Goes, rocks with an uptight back beat and massive choruses. There's a pretty impressive Rush impersonation on Hands. But the stand out track for me is Blue Veins - a slow blues that just blows it down (and I'm no blues fan). The last verse is entirely backwards and the production is amazing.

Arctic Monkeys have thoughtful lyrics and hooky melodies. The singer/songwriter/guitar dude is the whole show. The rest of the band sound like 18 year old punks, which is a) not bad, and b) what they are, but any other young punk rhythm section would probably do. The lyrics are prescient ("there's only music so that there's new ring tones") and the tunes are crafty (When the Sun Goes Down opens with the singer and a guitar playing an almost 20s vaudvillian intro), and this makes the record.

Listen to enjoy.
(Written by el ticknor)

Check out Broken Boy Soldiers

Also, check out The Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Angels & Airwaves - "We don't need to Whisper" - Worst Album of the year? I'd say, YES. - (album review)

Man, oh man, oh man, did Tom DeLonge put together a good band with a really, really bad album. I think this is one of the very few albums I actually wanted to rush back to the store and strangle the cashier to give me my money back.

The problem is that I had such high hopes for this band (obviously being carried by Tom DeLonge's fame w/ Blink 182). I don't care what anyone says, Blink rocked and they made no apologies for being Greenday like punks, just having fun playing high energy music that appealed to a mass of teenagers. Blink's music was tight, had great guitar licks, and had probably one of the best rock drummers around today, Scott Raynor (who I now hate along with one of my old fav's Dave Navarro for going all "Reality show" on me - what a waste)

So that being said, what the hell was Tom DeLonge thinking!?? Wait, wait, I know...he was thinking "Man, I'm so huge with Blink that I think I'll start a new band..yeah! a band that I can control, yeah! and this new delay pedal makes me sound just like the Edge! Oh, oh, and I'll basically write one song, put a ton of reverb on all the instruments, Oh! and I'll use this new delay pedal on EVERY song which will make all of them sound EXACTLY the same. I'll also take the same lyrics and same droaning vocals and use them on every tune too! My fans will be bored to tears! It'll be SO Rad!

In short. This album sucks. Don't waste your money. Oh! And remember the list of musicians as being the luckiest people on the planet? Example: Michael Anthony of VH. Well, add the rest of the members of Angels & Airwaves because even though this album bites...they'll probably still make some money. Blah.

Instead of this crap check out some really old Blink: Dude Ranch

Slow Posts

Hey guys, sorry about the slow posts but school just started today and I went straight to work after, so i just got home and its 8:30 pm. Ill still be keeping you posted for new stuff.

-matt

Breezin (Yacht Rock) Light music that doesn't suck (sometimes)

By popoular demand this post has been added for those who find Non Top 40 Music on the lighter side enjoyable. We're talkin' Steely Dan, George Benson, Lounge, Light Listening...you know...music that makes you want to cork a nice bottle of wine, sit in a nice leather chair, and smoke...(pole?)

Now this album is the definition of Breezin'. How about a little George Benson for yo ass? A MUST have: Breezin'

CRIKIES! The Crocodile Hunter passes away - Turns out he was a music man of sorts

It's very sad to say that Steve Irwin, also known as the Crocodile Hunter, passed away today, not from a man eating crocodile, but from the "pussy cat" of the sea... a Stingray. Steve Irwin, had many talents beyond croc wrestling. Turns out, he's quite the music man and his vocal range and showmanship may surprise you. Sample some of the best of the Crocodile Hunter's song and dance routines here.

Yo, the Crocodile Hunter Raps!

Where Didja Get Those Shorts Music Video

The Ouch Opera

OK GO - Brilliant video spurs You Tube viral Marketing - But how's the music?

9 Million downloads of a $5 video shot in their back yard has landed OK GO a spot on the MTV Video Music Awards as well as a whirlwind of limo rides, big parties, bigger venues, more albums sold, a spot on Conan O'Brien & David Letterman, as well as a worldwide contest on You Tube where fans of the video for "A Million Ways" can submit their own version for a chance to do the funny little dance on stage with OK GO....live. The dance is great. Well Executed. And damn funny. Check it out.



But how's the music? If you like dance throw back bands (like many you hear coming out these days) then I'd have to say...the music is good! I could see myself getting a groove on to OK GO after many cocktails with a bunch of friends at a local bar. And I bet they are an undeniable magnet of unbelievable force that pulls many, many women to their shows. Good dancy beats, good up front bass, a little bit of nostalgia, and some good disco chords make OK GO a fun band with fun music and best listened to with a heavy buzz on.

Here's what I mean by people imitating the video and sending it in to You Tube in order to win the contest. Pretty Funny.

OK Go! vs. Lego

And now that the first video has them on a whirlwind tour of shows and interviews, the band has decided to put out another $5 video all done on treadmills. Damn funny, well done, and already millions of views! Here is OK GO and their video of "Here it goes again". Enjoy!



Check out the OK GO album: OK Go

Ever heard of Marillion? - (music review)

A friend just turned me on to Marillion, a UK band that has been around for ages, but I had never heard of them. I bought "Misplaced Childhood" and even though I'm only on my second listen I know that I'm going to love this band. Misplaced Childhood was made in 1985 and it sounds like it. Lot's of reverb, big production, lot's of synths...but it's an excellent album that is basically one long song and is seen as a concept album. It's actually a very sad album and it turns out, had great success in the UK. At first thought, if you were to mash Genesis (Peter Gabriel days) with Pink Floyd, and some 80's YES (think Drama) this is what would come out. I'm really looking forward to hearing some other albums. Their discography catalogue is HUGE. It looks like they have released about 5 albums a year since 1982! That's about 120 albums worth of music. If you are new to Marillion just send an email to freecd@marillion.com and they will send you an album FREE!
Make sure you have the information below in the email and make sure to mention this site!

Your free Crash Course CD request must contain your full name, postal address and birth date, plus the website, magazine, newspaper, or other media where you first heard of this free CD offer. Requests without the full information stated above will not receive the CD.

Check out the music of Marillion: Misplaced Childhood