Welcome to the October Edition of What’s the Guru Listening To? I get asked this question a lot. What
am I currently enjoying and what would I recommend? And since time is severely
limited these days, it gets harder and harder to post a full review of the
outstanding music that I am discovering (or re-discovering). Therefore, every
month I will fill you in on the latest song, album, and/or band that I am
obsessed with.
Here's what The Guru is listening to this month:
Pearl Jam – Let’s
Play Two
Pearl Jam has released the soundtrack to their new film, Let’s Play Two. The film is a
documentary that captures moments from Pearl Jam’s 2016 concerts at Wrigley
Field on August 20th and 22nd. It also explores the
Chicago Cubs historic run to winning the 2016 World Series. While the
documentary film won’t be available on home video until November 17th,
the soundtrack is out now and I have been consuming it this October. The album
opens with an amazing “Low Light” and features some of the best moments of the
two-night stand. Eddie Vedder’s tribute to the Cubs, “All The Way” is captured
as well as the band’s stupendous cover of “I’ve Got A Feeling.” Other
highlights include “Black,” “Inside Job,” and one of the best versions of “Crazy
Mary” that I’ve ever listened to. It is just grand!
L.A. Guns – The
Missing Peace
The great 80s hair metal band L.A. Guns are back with a
brand-new album, The Missing Peace.
What makes this album significant is that it is the first studio album in 15
years to feature guitarist Traci Guns and singer Phil Lewis. Patience is a
virtue and it paid off in a big way with the release of this record. The Missing Peace is an incredible album
that hits the hair metal sweet spot just right. The hard rocking “The Devil
Made Me Do It” compares to any song that L.A. Guns have ever released, and may
be the best song the band ever recorded. The ballad “Christine” is a joy to
listen to and reminiscent of magnificent ballads from days gone by. All told, The Missing Peace is a spectacular work
of art and I am hoping that L.A. Guns will be at M3 next year to perform songs
from this release.
Cold War Kids –
Bitter Poem
This exceptional song came out in 2013 and over this past
month I must have listened to it 100 times or more. “Bitter Poem” is a
hauntingly beautiful song filled with real, raw emotion. The music is intense
and the lyrics are masterful. “Bitter Poem” is deep and poignant and brilliant.
I’m still not sure what the song is exactly about even after all this time and
all these listens, but I think that makes the song stronger. It certainly makes
me carefully listen and examine the lyrics.
Grouplove
This sensational band is going to be the opening act at
the Imagine Dragons concert I am going to see in Newark, New Jersey, so I’ve been
brushing up on their songs and their albums. I’ve been a fan of the band since
I first heard their debut record, Never
Trust a Happy Song. Their music is decidedly different from most of what I
listen to which is just one of the reasons that I enjoy them so much. And since
I’ve never seen Grouplove or Imagine Dragons in concert, this is a night of
live music that I am really looking forward to. I’m hopeful to hear “Lovely Cup,”
“Colours,” and “Ways To Go.” I’m certain that they will play one of those
songs, but with a little luck maybe I will get to hear all three of them live.
That would get the night off to a grand start!
Rock's newest supergroup, Devil
City Angels, announced today that their debut album is now available for
pre-order through PledgeMusic, the world's leading direct-to-fan platform.
Although the album is not set to arrive until early 2015, Devil City Angels has
already been building buzz with the song "All My People" which
has been running on ESPN Monday Night Football. Formed in June of
2014, the phenomenal band promises energetic performances of their
multi-platinum hits blended with new, original material. Consisting of Poison
drummer Rikki Rocket, LA Guns' guitarist Tracii Guns, Cinderella's bassist Eric
Brittingham and Cheap Thrills' Brandon Gibbs on guitar and vocals, Devil City
Angels are impacting the rock world with their musical talent.
With multiple packages available to choose from,
fans will be given the opportunity to receive exclusive updates, content and
items via PledgeMusic. Pledgers can receive experiences and merch items such as
a signed Rikki Rockett drum head, signed Rikki Rockett drumsticks, a 30-minute
Skype music lesson with the band, personalized and handwritten lyric sheets,
signed Tracii Guns signature guitar, and a custom drum set. Pledge now
at: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/devilcityangels
This is one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2015
for The Rock And Roll Guru. A band consisting of members from three of my
favorite 80s metal bands? How can I not be super excited!
For the third year in a row, the M3 Music Festival was held at the Post Merriweather Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Building on the growing success of this festival, the promoters decided to expand to two days this year. Day one, dubbed the official “Kix-Off” party was held on Friday, May 13th. The bands on the bill included local act Black Mambooza, followed by Jetboy, L.A. Guns, Warrant, and the Friday night headliners, Kix. A better M3 kick-off lineup is hard to imagine.
While I missed seeing Black Mambooza’s set due to settling in, checking the merchandise stand, getting a beer, etc., I was in my seat promptly before 7:00 PM. Jetboy had a new lead singer and I was anxious to see their performance. I thought they stole the show at last year’s M3 and reports were that the band was tighter than ever with new lead singer DK Revelle at the mic.
Jetboy stormed the stage and M3 officially kicked off. Knowing they only had 30 minutes to wow the crowd, Jetboy started their performance in high energy fashion. They came to rock and that’s exactly what they did. The music was intense and the band sounded incredible.
DK Revelle’s vocal style is much different from that of his predecessor, Mickey Finn. DK’s gravelly, growling vocals fit in perfectly with Jetboy’s sleaze rock style and added an element to the band that was previously absent. The time Jetboy spent together during a tour of Europe has helped to solidify the group and resulted in a powerhouse performance.
Two new songs were performed and both of them could be the best Jetboy songs yet. Both “Strip Down” and “Little Miss Sin Eater” are geared toward Revelle’s vocal ability. The end result was exceptional. Hopefully someone will be able to get these guys into the studio to record a new album. It would definitely be good for the world of rock and roll.
By the end of their set, most of the crowd had forgotten about Mickey Finn and were focused solely on this new incarnation of the band. DK Revelle had won the crowd over and the two new songs left everyone yearning for more. Jetboy had packed an entire headlining performance into a tight, 30-minute set. I hope to see them back for next year’s M3 with a longer time slot.
Phil Lewis’ version of L.A. Guns was on stage next and their performance was as brilliant as last year’s. While delays in changing the stage cut their performance time down, L.A. Guns still worked as hard as they could to deliver a rock solid performance.
Phil Lewis looked and sounded great, as did the rest of the band. While I questioned Phil’s wardrobe, I was pleased that he could still sing well. The band gave blistering performances of such classic L.A. Guns songs as “Electric Gypsy,” “Sex Action,” and “Never Enough.” The songs sounded as great as they did when they were first released. Although a lot of years have transpired since L.A. Guns first hit the scene, Father Time has not slowed the band down one beat.
Not be their own choice, L.A. Guns closed their set with one of the most beautiful power ballads ever written. “The Ballad Of Jayne,” the band’s best known song, finished their set in style. While L.A. Guns wanted to close out with a rocker, time constraints failed to allow it. The fans were happy though, as was evident by the sing along that “The Ballad Of Jayne” inspired.
Warrant headlined the second stage at last year’s M3, and they performed so well that it was only natural they be invited back to give a performance on the main stage. With a new album ready to be unleashed on the world, Warrant and new singer Robert Mason were ready to show the Maryland crowd how incredible they are in concert.
Robert Mason looked fantastic. Dressed in a black leather vest, it was quite clear that he has dedicated himself to staying in shape. Cut, trim, and practically fat free, Mason is an inspiration to us all. At the age of 46, the man looks like he is 26. And he gave a performance that would leave most 26 year olds breathless.
Overall, Warrant looked and sounded exceptional. Classic hits like “Sure Feels Good To Me,” “Heaven,” and “Down Boys,” were performed alongside new cuts from the forthcoming Rockaholic. As their performance went on, I don’t think many fans missed Jani Lane. Robert Mason is a master front man and he worked his hardest to win the crowd over. In that attempt, he was a major success. With Robert Mason at the helm the future of Warrant is pretty stable and secure.
The new songs, “Sex Ain’t Love,” and “Life Is A Song,” were so good that I wanted to own the new album immediately. Alas, due to the Every Album Challenge, I will not be able to, but based on the 2 songs I heard, if you are not constrained by an Every Album Challenge, you need to pick up a copy of Rockaholic.
Warrant closed their set with the expected “Cherry Pie,” which is still as fun today as it was when it was first released. By the end of their stage time, fans were screaming for more. And while Warrant were unable to perform an encore, fans will be sure to check their tour schedule to learn when they will be able to see this band again.
M3 night one was set to end with a hometown, headlining performance by one of the greatest live acts known to music. This would be my third time witnessing live Kix and I was more excited than ever. I knew the band was going to produce nothing but a power packed performance that would be remembered for a long time.
As expected, Kix launched onto the stage with evident passion. “No Ring Around Rose” got the performance started and Steve Whiteman’s power packed lead singer style took over for the rest of the evening. Whiteman is a ball of energy that doesn’t stop for the entire set. The rest of the band follows his lead, but all eyes are on Steve.
Whiteman’s charisma and charm are part of what make him such a great lead singer. When not singing his ass off or running around like a madman, he was telling jokes or utilizing props. It was like going to a Vegas comedy show, only better, because it was rock and roll. The fans reacted to Whiteman’s charm and the entire evening was one of mutual love and respect. A brilliant entertainer in his own right, he certainly could hold any other job in the entertainment business should he ever decide to.
During the set, Steve joked how he was shocked that Kix was asked to headline night one of M3. He thought the promoters were crazy. Then he looked around at the audience. “Damn,” he stated. “I didn’t think this many people gave a shit about Kix!” Ahhh, but we do, Steve. Kix is still amazing in concert and the more your band brings it live, the more we are going want to see them live.
Between sparkling microphones, buckets of water that turned into confetti, umbrellas, and balloons, Kix had all the usual props and were not afraid to use them. Whiteman continued his whirling and twirling all around the stage and the band gave a blistering performance that had the crowd on their feet.
Whiteman still looks and sounds great, as does the rest of the band. It’s amazing that even after all of these years (Kix started in 1981) they are able to bring the force in concert. While Steve is surprised that so many people care about Kix, I’m not. Kix is that great live and they are a band that must be seen in concert to be believed.
Classic hits like “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “Girl Money,” and “Cold Blood” were all performed to perfection. It was during the encore that the band gave us some big surprises. The first surprise came in the band’s performance of “Kix Are For Kids,” from their self titled debut album. It was a real treat to hear this classic song, which I’ve never heard the band perform live.
The next surprise came in the form of a roll out mini stage that the band settled on for an acoustic performance. Then they jumped into “For Shame” and I was flabbergasted. “For Shame” is an incredible acoustic diddy and a song that I forgot about, to be honest. Hearing it live was such a treat that I stood up and applauded when the band had finished (most of the fans did the same).
“Midnight Dynamite” followed, to which the crowd went wild. Always a great song live, Steve Whiteman took it to the next level along with the rest of his bandmates. Walking the stage with a sparkling microphone at his disposal, Steve was having a great time rousing the crowd. Whiteman has always been one of the greatest front men in rock history. He is certainly in the same league as Bruce Dickinson and Blackie Lawless as exceptional band leaders.
The final number of the night was another fantastic rendition of “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” that the band always closes with and always has fun playing. At the end of the song, the balloons dropped from the ceiling and more balloons were dragged onto the stage in large plastic bags. Normally, Whiteman would leap onto the bags and watch the balloons release underneath him, being pushed to the fans in the first or second row. On this night he made the leaping motion and the crowd roared. Then Whiteman shook his head. He hunched over, put one hand on his back and with his other hand made a motion that he was walking with a cane. Then he stuck his index finger in the air to make as if he had a brilliant idea. Whiteman dashed to the side of the stage and came back with a supersized, yellow and red, plastic sledgehammer. He smashed that against the bag and freed the balloons from their plastic imprisonment.
Once again, Kix showed to the world how exceptional they are. With another brilliant performance, this time as night one headliners, the band was mind blowing. Always a fun time and worth the money, it was great to see Kix headline the first night of this year’s M3 festival. Hopefully they will be back next year to headline the whole damned thing.
This weekend is one of my favorite weekends here at the Vie household. It’s spring cleaning weekend. Once a year, we go through the entire house and clean everything from top to bottom. We go around getting rid of the winter grime, throw out junk we haven’t touched in a year, and basically make the house shine.
While it’s my favorite weekend, it is the least favorite weekend of Mrs. Vie and our daughter. Both of them give me the same look when I profess my excitement for spring cleaning weekend as they do when I tell them I am going to see Iron Maiden. It’s not quite an eye roll, but it is certainly a look that says “we just don’t get you sometimes.” Well, too each their own.
To their credit, both girls pitch in and help, albeit very begrudgingly. Regardless of their attitude, I am excited for this weekend. I even plan on starting a room tonight so I have one room conquered before the “official” spring cleaning begins tomorrow.
Here’s what rocked this week:
Rockitt Rant Gets It Right Over at Hard Rock Hideout, Rob Rockitt has blessed us with another wonderful Rockitt Rant. This time, he’s ranting about Poison needing to give us some new music. I couldn’t agree more!
Record Store Day Is Coming In what is now considered an annual tradition, Record Store Day 2011 is coming up fast. This year it is scheduled to take place on April 16, 2011. This year finds another slew of releases that will only be available at these independent retailers. Most of them will only be available for a limited time. You can get the full list by clicking the link above. Be sure to visit your nearest local independent store on April 16th.
Quiet Riot Hitting The Road With Warrant And L.A. Guns I’m not sure what to make of this. First, only Australian dates have been announced (so far). Second, should Quiet Riot really be touring? Perhaps it’s best to remember Kevin DuBrow by retiring the band. Last, it’s Warrant without Jani Lane and Phil Lewis’ version of L.A. Guns. If this show comes to the states, how much would you pay to see it? I’d give $10, but not much more than that.
Rolling Stone Magazine's Spring Music Preview Over at Rolling Stone, they have been kind enough to share their spring music preview, to help us gear up for all the great music that is about to be released. It comes complete with the ability to listen to a song from certain albums. While there are some albums that I am really looking forward to, the one I want most of all is Pop Evil’s War of Angels. Last check, it was still delayed with no new release date.
For more news, reviews, updates, complaints, and tour announcements, you should follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/ryovie
Here is some live video footage of this past Saturday’s M3 Festival.
First up is Kix – Cold Blood. Note the shape that Steve Whiteman is and keep in mind that he must be in his 50s. He’s an inspiration.
LA Guns (W/ Phil Lewis) – The Ballad of Jayne. Hearing this live on Saturday totally brought me back to high school.
Nelson with Mark Slaughter playing guitar. The sound quality is great. The film is a little shaky. Nelson looked great, sounded great, and I made the right decision leaving Vince Neil’s set to see them.
And finally, here’s The Scorpions performing Sting In The Tail.
