What Are You Listening To?

[Mighty AC]

Mastodon - White Walker

I don't mind Mastodon but I wouldn't call myself a fan. My neighbour saw their show a few weeks ago which prompted me to listen to them again. I just found out they made a brief appearance as wildlings on the Hard Home episode of GOT. I suspect they didn't require much in the way of make up or hair alteration.

[Mighty AC]

Everybody's comin' home for lunch these days
Last night there were skinheads on my lawn
Take the skinheads bowling
Take them bowling

Edited July 1, 2015 by Mighty AC

[kimmy]

Mastodon - White Walker

I don't mind Mastodon but I wouldn't call myself a fan. My neighbour saw their show a few weeks ago which prompted me to listen to them again. I just found out they made a brief appearance as wildlings on the Hard Home episode of GOT. I suspect they didn't require much in the way of make up or hair alteration.

I should have known. The Hardhome episode was basically just an extended episode of Metalocalypse.

-k

[kimmy]

Motorhead was mentioned over in the Glastonbury festival thread. BC Sapper mentioned seeing Hawkwind way back in the day. Wow! That's pretty cool!

For who aren't familiar with them (which I assume is basically just about everybody), Hawkwind was an English psychadelic band that started in the late 1960s. They were ... uh, pretty weird. They were fascinated with science fiction, and much of their material is inspired by the idea of a disturbing future where technology has displaced humans. They hooked up with a poet named Rob Calvert who wrote some songs and genuinely creepy spoken-word material for them. Later they got into fantasy, and worked with Elric author Michael Moorcock. Later on they got into native American spirituality. They were, legend has it, pretty much constantly stoned. They had some minor brushes with success, and a couple of near misses-- one of their songs "Urban Guerilla" was charting in England until it was yanked off the radio due to an IRA terror attack.

Hawkwind's most lasting contribution to the music industry is undoubtedly that they were Ian Kilmister's first major gig. Lemmy got fired from Hawkwind after he got busted at the Canadian border with a bunch of drugs. He started his own band, which became Motorhead, and the rest is history.

Lemmy's unmistakable bass and vocals and signature sound are evident in some of the early Hawkwind songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t94ka96sCzk

-k

[Mighty AC]

For who aren't familiar with them (which I assume is basically just about everybody), Hawkwind was an English psychadelic band that started in the late 1960s. They were ... uh, pretty weird. They were fascinated with science fiction, and much of their material is inspired by the idea of a disturbing future where technology has displaced humans. They hooked up with a poet named Rob Calvert who wrote some songs and genuinely creepy spoken-word material for them. Later they got into fantasy, and worked with Elric author Michael Moorcock. Later on they got into native American spirituality. They were, legend has it, pretty much constantly stoned. They had some minor brushes with success, and a couple of near misses-- one of their songs "Urban Guerilla" was charting in England until it was yanked off the radio due to an IRA terror attack.

Hawkwind's most lasting contribution to the music industry is undoubtedly that they were Ian Kilmister's first major gig. Lemmy got fired from Hawkwind after he got busted at the Canadian border with a bunch of drugs. He started his own band, which became Motorhead, and the rest is history.

Lemmy's unmistakable bass and vocals and signature sound are evident in some of the early Hawkwind songs:

A great bit of history, thanks. I don't think I've even heard of Hawkwind before. Lost Johnny, is totally Lemmy but some of their other stuff (Silver Machine, Masters of the Universe) reminds me of heavier, unpolished, unfocused, early Floyd.

In this interview about drug use Lemmy, discusses how he was kicked out of Hawkwind for taking the 'wrong kind of drugs.'

[kimmy]

People are talking about Rush in another thread, so I have been listening to Rush and trying to figure out why I don't like Rush more.

I remember one time when I was still a teenager, listening to the radio one night, someone phoned in and said "hey, can you play some Rush for me?"

The DJ said "sure! I can play any Rush song you want. Except Red Sector A. That's not getting on the radio. Not on my watch." He went on this rant about how they'd play Red Sector A over his dead body, that he'd quit if the station played Red Sector A, that he'd rather burn the station down than play Red Sector A. It was pretty amusing, he made it sound like it was worse than Ebola. I kind of like it...it has the same sort of gloomy feel that makes Subdivisions my 2nd favorite Rush song.

I also stumbled across this video last night... like a lot of Rush songs, I like the music but hate the vocals. The instrumental portion of the song reminds me of an Iron Maiden instrumental, in that it's very precise, controlled, measured, progresses with a definite plan... it's basically the exact opposite of Freebird and other jam-type instrumentals.

I was completely blown away by this video, though! I don't know if this was put together by the user who uploaded the video or if it was professionally done, but whatever it is, it's awesome. It fits the song perfectly. I've watched this several times... it's electrifying (badum-tsh!).

-k

[Mighty AC]

That Jacob's Ladder video is excellent! Thankfully the song is mostly instrumental.

[Mighty AC]

I really like this Pumpkins cover of Landslide:

[Michael Hardner]

Did anyone catch any of the last 3 Grateful Dead shows ? #faretheewell

[drummindiver]

People are talking about Rush in another thread, so I have been listening to Rush and trying to figure out why I don't like Rush more.

I remember one time when I was still a teenager, listening to the radio one night, someone phoned in and said "hey, can you play some Rush for me?"

The DJ said "sure! I can play any Rush song you want. Except Red Sector A. That's not getting on the radio. Not on my watch." He went on this rant about how they'd play Red Sector A over his dead body, that he'd quit if the station played Red Sector A, that he'd rather burn the station down than play Red Sector A. It was pretty amusing, he made it sound like it was worse than Ebola. I kind of like it...it has the same sort of gloomy feel that makes Subdivisions my 2nd favorite Rush song.

I also stumbled across this video last night... like a lot of Rush songs, I like the music but hate the vocals. The instrumental portion of the song reminds me of an Iron Maiden instrumental, in that it's very precise, controlled, measured, progresses with a definite plan... it's basically the exact opposite of Freebird and other jam-type instrumentals.

I was completely blown away by this video, though! I don't know if this was put together by the user who uploaded the video or if it was professionally done, but whatever it is, it's awesome. It fits the song perfectly. I've watched this several times... it's electrifying (badum-tsh!).

-k

A band I was in used to cover Jacob's Ladder ...incredible musicianship. The guitar playing on this is probably my favourite guitar on any song..by any band....

Another great song from this album is Natural Science.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwoTWBAbPCw

Edited July 9, 2015 by drummindiver

[drummindiver]

Someone mentioned they hated the lyrics from Rush due to that Ayn Rand crap..I'm paraphrasing. I loved their lyrics...intelligent and well thought out..not your usual boy/girl or teenage angst type offering.

Another band in that vein is Tool. Incredible musicianship and thought provoking lyrics.

An anti war song....

[kimmy]

If you're like me, you hadn't heard the name "Godsmack" for a while, or if you had, you probably assumed they must be working at the same 7-11 as Limp Shiznit these days. Their hit "Voodoo" came out when I was still living in Ottawa, so it must have been in the late 1990s. They had a couple of other hits around that time. And I hadn't heard much of them since.

Surprisingly, not only are Godsmack not working at a 7-11, but they're back on my radio with a song called "Something Different." The "phaser" guitar pedal gets quite a work-out here:

From the Wa-Bac machine:

-k

[kimmy]

That's pretty interesting about Lateralus and the Fibonacci stuff. There are some people who've rearranged the tracks on the record based on mathematical patterns, and re-recorded the tracks based on a 432Hz tuning, and all kinds of weird stuff. I am wondering if these guys are onto something, or just on something.

-k

[kimmy]

Another song that has been on my radio lately is "Ghosts" by Big Wreck.

I just watched this cool live performance. "Suhr" is apparently a guitar manufacturer. This performance of Ghosts starts off with a funky bass solo, and has several extended guitar solos as well. I quite like it.

Here is a guitarful performance of "Blown Wide Open" from the same concert.

-k

[PrimeNumber]

I'm listening to the best progressive metal band in the history of progressive metal.

[cybercoma]

Godsmack is like Nickelback if they rocked just a little bit harder.

[drummindiver]

Godsmack is like Nickelback if they rocked just a little bit harder.

lol

Too funny. I actually liked the first Godsmack album, but quickly grew bored.

I'm listening to the best progressive metal band in the history of progressive metal.

Sorry. I looked in the Guiness book of records, and it categorically stated Tool is, in fact the best progressive metal band.

Another song that has been on my radio lately is "Ghosts" by Big Wreck.

I just watched this cool live performance. "Suhr" is apparently a guitar manufacturer. This performance of Ghosts starts off with a funky bass solo, and has several extended guitar solos as well. I quite like it.

Here is a guitarful performance of "Blown Wide Open" from the same concert.

-k

Saw these guys for the third time two weeks ago. These are great versions of great songs.

Edited July 10, 2015 by drummindiver

[PrimeNumber]

Tool doesn't count, Tool is in another category of music known as Tool. Inhabited only by Tool.

[PrimeNumber]

BTBAM @ the Fidelitorium live

Not quite Tool. But something entirely different,

[Moonlight Graham]

This is a fantastic blues-rock song. Just heard it on a blues radio station. The singer can belt it, and some excellent electric blues solos throughout. Never heard of this group before.

[kimmy]

That's pretty cool, Moonlight! I particularly like the guitar.

I have been on a "southern rock" kick pretty much non-stop since I got my own guitar several years ago. One of the less well-known bands in the genre that I like is called Blackfoot.

Ricky Medlocke is the grandson of a blues man named Shorty Medlocke. Grandpa taught Ricky to play banjo when he was a toddler, and by the time he was 8 Ricky was playing drums for his grandpa's band. When he was 20, Ricky was playing drums for a different band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. He left Skynyrd after a couple of years to start his own band, Blackfoot, featuring himself as singer, front-man, and lead guitarist. Ricky and the other founding members of Blackfoot were all Native Americans, and Blackfoot might be the first (only?) all-native rock band to get on vinyl. They had a few modestly successful records in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but by then the southern rock genre was pretty much finished. They attempted to rebrand in hard rock and pop music but that didn't go very well. They continued to tour for several years after, but finally called it quits in the 1990s.

Ricky was considering getting a real job at that point, but in 1996 he was contacted by Gary Rossington, who asked him if he wanted to rejoin Lynyrd Skynyrd as a guitarist and songwriter. He did, and has been with the revived Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup ever since.

This is probably my favorite Blackfoot song, and hasn't been far from my headphones for several years.

This Blackfoot song features Grandpa Shorty on the harmonica:

-k

[Guest]

Not sure which one I like the most...

Edited July 19, 2015 by bcsapper

[Guest]

What the hell would I do without YouTube?

By the way, she says "winkers". You can tell because of what she does with her eye and because she eventually rhymes it with "drinkers".

That's just for any other Brits on.

[kimmy]

"Fire On The Mountain" is basically what's going on in my town right now.

It's also a song about life in a gold rush town. A few years ago I went on an amazing trip to Barkerville ghost town heritage site. I loved it, and this song always reminds me of that wonderful place.

-k

[GostHacked]

Pet Shop Boys - Electric , released 2013

Damn fine album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq5Xherv7DU