#8 Salad Days

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I don't have much to say this time so I'm just going to keep it short, sweet, and to the point:

Jesus was black. Deal with it!

Have a good one.

#7 Lova Budy Budy, Hate Breed Whoa-oh!

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I like The Misfits, but I don't think real lyrics have ever done detriment to a musician's career either. As far as Danzig is concerned... That's something he might want to think about next time he's belting out Whoa Whoa's.

Anyway, you may have noticed that Sam changed his hair style for this strip. This change in style is the result of a weekend bender composed almost entirely of PBR and Jimmy Eats World and Alkaline Trio. All that beer and reflective music made him feel a little ashamed of the fact that his hair advertised the ownership of Sum 41's entire catalog as part of his personal music collection, and so he decided to change his hair to a style that reflected the fact that he had requested "Fatally Yours" off of Good Morning for him and his date at the High School prom. Yeah basically he wanted to look more Emo; partly becuase looking like a jerk is in, but more so becuase the swoopy hair due is easier and more fun to draw then the spiky tapper hawk he had before. I think the new due fits his personality better as well so its probably here to stay.

I other news, I took a short trip to Door County this weekend to do a little camping and get some fresh air. While I was driving around I channel surfed in the hopes of finding some good driving music. I came across 4 country and 2 Christian rock stations and was beginning to ponder what the stats where for incident of murder/suicides in the area when I stumble upon some sanity in 106.9 The Lodge. It's not quite The Zone, but when your out in the middle of no where with nothing to listen to but the voices in your own head it, will most likely keep you from ax-murdering your family and dumping their bodies in the quarry. The station has quite the variety of music and maintains a consistent "chill" vibe regardless of what's playing. I was able to listen to it the whole time I was up there with out having the urge to switch stations to avoid 3 minutes of something horrible like Puddle Of Mudd or Shinedown (a almost constant problem that I have with The Zone). Between getting to hear "Supernatural, Superserious" by REM followed by the new Sharl Crow single (Motivated I think its called. IDK, its about rich kids and how very much of a bunch of whiny little bitches they are), in addition to their Mandatory Marley segments each day, I found the entire listening experience very enjoyable and satisfying. If you can stand music that doesn't beat you to death with double bass kicks or lacks enough distortion to chock an ox, then I'd give the station a listen, I think you might enjoy the change of pace they offer from your average radio fair.

#6 Glen Gives Music a Fail

Another week down. Everything up on time. I think I'm getting pretty good at this.

Today's comic is an angry look at the very rehashed sound so much modern musicians seems to call their own. Now don't get me wrong, I love groups like The Klaxons and The Hold Steady, but so much of what they do sounds played out. Like its all been done before as the old Barenaked Ladies song said. A lot of today's musicians have a pretty good idea of the sound they want to convey and have a good understanding of what the sounds and music they enjoy consist of, but for all their talent and knowhow they don't allow themselves to be inspired by others work, but rather allow others work to sort of be their own. The Hold Steady in particular sounds like some one put all the better elements of 80's rock and synth, put them in a blender, blended them, drank the results, and then threw up. Like most good parties, you know its really on when somebody tosses their cookies, but at the same time you realize that if things don't start winding down somebodies going to get hurt. The Hold Steady, and bands like them, are the regurgitated sign of triumph to the Indie rock scene that its finally hit its stride, but more importantly, that the parties just about over and things are going to start getting ugly quick. It will be a dark day indeed when Indie rock becomes as played out and sterilized as Emo or Punk have become. As sad as it is though, that day doesn't seem far off. I'd start packing your flashlights now... maybe bring some glowsticks along too... I hear House is back. (The music not the show. Although I'm sure there'll be a new season of that too.)

Awsomecar Funmaker- E Is for Everyone

Artist: Awesome Car Funmaker

Album: E is for Everyone

Label: Self- Release 2008

Madison’s Awesome Car Funmaker has developed a very different and distinct sound that separates them from just about every other group currently residing in Wisconsin. Their new album, E is for Everyone, is an accomplished release which should put the group smack dab in the middle of every rock magazines’ top “50 Artists to Watch” list. Combining elements of indie rock; such as whimsical, high pitched vocal hooks, poppy guitar riff and keyboard combo driven tunes, and an insatiable appetite for obscure subject matter, with the grandeur of crowd pleasing arena rock and a the tenacious urgency of punk rock, Awesome Car has all the makings of a major contender in the indie rock scene. They are very much an awe inspiring poster children of this generations’ delightful obsession with weirdness and balls to the wall rock and roll. Designations they wear with pride.

E is for Everyone is a funny mix of musical elements that could easily excite a crowd of fans to form a professionally choreographed stage production as it could incite a raging mosh. There is really a sense of epic storytelling and rock opera, theatrical greatness to their music that makes the realization that the band is singing about picking pickles out of the garbage, birthday cakes, and Adderal all the more intriguing and amusing.

Stand out tracks include the keyboard and drum driven ballad “Don’t Try”, the poppy and winding “Sloppy Girl”, and the jazzy depiction of Costa Rica’s national history on (what else) “Costa Rica”. The band keeps things fresh and coming fast through out the course of the full album, making it clear that they are more then capable of living up to the title of “Awesome”, to which they rightfully boast as part of their name.

Awesome Car’s style and uniqueness are good for earning scene points and praise from snooty music critics *cough, cough*, but unfortunately does little to appeal to a wider audience out side of the indie market. Your average listener will most likely recognize the band for their talent and style, but regrettably tune them out in favor of something blander. While not exactly for everyone, E is for the listener with a real appreciation of original music, who is more then a little willing to take a walk on the wild side.

Score: 7 out of 10

Check them out at: http://www.myspace.com/awesomecarfunmaker

#5 NoMetallicaNopeNone!

In case you haven't gathered yet, St. Anger isn't one of my top albums.

#4 I'm Still Stoked

I try not to use the whole "This Band Is Ruining Everthing!" argument if I can help it becuase when you really think about it... its pretty lame. This is true for a number of reasons; most poignant among them: 1. If a band cultivates a certain sound, and that sound is copied by other bands, people obviously like it and they connect with it on some level. I can identify with this position because god knows no one else on the planet listens to Johnny Society or The Black and White Years. (EVEN THOUGH THE LOT OF YOU SHOULD!) Being a fan of obscure music I try not to hold it against other people for enjoying music I don't personally get. 2. At least they're doing something, which is more then I can say for my musically untrained ass. Me becoming a recognized musician is about at likely as Al Franken banging Ella Fitzgerald. I have two words for you... stubby fingers. I always have some reserved respect for anyone who is halfway decent at their instrument, which to sell millions of albums like a lot of these guys do, you'd have to be doing something right, and that points to some skill or talent in my book.

The one band that I will pull the TBIRE! card on though is Blink 182. Pop-punk took a series dive in the 90's and Blink 182 seemed to be at the center of this fall from grace. They played a part in portraying pop punk as a artistic medium only slightly more sophisticated then fart jokes or midgets kick themselves in the head. As a fan of pop punk, I find my self incapable of forgiving them. They really did ruin everything, and not just for pop punk, but for punk in general. Its seems like it would really take something special to cheapen what was already at bargain bin prices by the time they came around, but they some how pulled it off. Good for them... and by "good" I mean DIE!

As stoked as I was when they announced they're indefinite hiatus all three of them have managed to suck even more separately then they ever did together. Tom DeLonge has gone on to form the absolutely horrible Angels and Airwaves (which I would deem the musical equivalent to having an aluminum drill point burrow through my thigh), Mark Hoppus is now in +44, a slightly more tolerable version of his previous band (proving himself, once and for all, to be a one trick phony), and Travis Barker has deluted what ever respect I once had for him by adding some truly predictable percussion to +44's set as well as being part of "The Great Phone In Mascaraed" that was the Transplants' second album (Being a big fan of their debut, their second effort was a huge disappointment).
I know these guys have a lot of fans, and that's just fine for those who like their style of music, but for me they'll always be enemy #1. Admittedly they where always more of a nuisance then they ever were destructive, but with that said, if they were a mosquito they'd be about the size of a german-shepard and sound like an apache when they flew over head.

#3 Mark Arm Raises Your Kids

Here is today's comic. Mark Arm is one of the few artists that's still doing the whole grunge thingy most of us thought was passé back in the mid-90's. I say most of us becuase I still have a little spot in my heart for grunge no matter how many death metal bands try to ruin the genera for me. Altogether, I think Mark arm is one of the more consistent artists out there, and I really appreciate his efforts. He's been playing the same style of music for close to 3 decades and he's still bringing it as hard and fast as when he was 19. Man's pretty much a machine as far a punk rockers go.

As for the comic, the references here are admittedly a little obscure. So if you don't quite get it I've provided a visual aid to help clear the fog a bit. Please enjoy, its one of my favorites!



Final Note: There is a show at Mugshots tonight in De Pere ft ex- members of both the Suicide Machines and The Fags in the form of Hifi Handgrenades. I've posted the flyer bellow. Its really going to be a wicked show! Have a good Weekend!!!