Rock of Ages - so wrong, so cheesy, yet so fun. Don't forget your lighter.

Constantine Maroulis wants to rock

Photo: Joan Marcus

American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis describes his participation in the Tony Award nominated show Rock of Ages as a “blessing”.  He added feeling blessed that so many artists allowed the use of their hit songs.  He also said it was an amazing journey and best if people really like Journey since there are a few hit songs from that band among many easily identifiable hits.

The show has solid post-modern and self-reflexive tendencies.  It’s touched by the spirit of Spinal Tap, and LA’s own parody metal cover bands - Steel Panther, and Chelsea Girls - making it irrepressibly funny.  The songs and action in the musical run like a string of music videos or one of those ridiculously cheesy fun 1980s rock films like the Ramones' Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.

Music sales jumped for Super Bowl 2011 artists, including Black Eyed Peas

For those wondering "Where Is The Love?" for the Black Eyed Peas, it's been found.  You may have hated them and thought their performance was "awful", as some people stated.  Others stated the Super Bowl half-time show was "cool".  Some people hated it because they forgot Black Eyed Peas are a rap/hip-hop group with a backing vocalist (Fergie.)  It would have been great to see them dance the way they used to.  Some might remember "Head Bobs."  Many people thought the show was so cool that they bought more music from those artists who performed.

Gamechangers Janelle Monae, B.o.B., Estelle, and Lupe Fiasco talk about music

You might know their music, but do you know what else they have to say? None of these artists are typical in their genre. B.o.B. plays guitar, keyboards, and sings in addition to being a rapper. Janelle Monae proudly declares that she is an authentic artist. Lupe Fiasco talked about how "Kick Push" went against the grain of what the record companies told him to create and his song garnered a Grammy nomination.

All of these artists deserve kudos for chasing their dreams and finding the kind of people to help them make it happen. I enjoy seeing how supportive they are of each other as artists rather than some of the cat fighting that often goes on. Please enjoy videos of the discussion and some music. Keep Musicking until your dreams come true. Keep Musicking even if they don't.

Switchfoot at Roxy Theatre, 11/11/09, review and photos

This is a reprint of a review from Switchfoot's intimate performance at the Roxy in Hollywood.  It seems like the right time to give them a little more love since they just won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album.  I have their very first album, "Learning to Breathe."

 
Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, photos by Sean Arenas

Jon Foreman seemed to magically appear standing on a table in the middle of the Roxy singing a wordless refrain while the band played from the stage.  The front man smiled benevolently, encouraging audience participation until they sang without him.

A simple yet confident opening speech swirled into "Needle and Haystack Life."

"Hello Hollywood, Hello Hurricane.  We're Switchfoot."

From the audience response, one would never guess that the song is a non-single from a new album.   The lyrics exhort the audience, "Don't let go, don't give up hope.  All is forgiven.  You're breathing in the highs and lows.  We call it living."  After "Needle and Haystack Life," Foreman asked if it would be OK that they decided to play the new album from start to finish in track order.  The audience cheered their approval.

Muse wins Grammy for Best Rock Album. It's about time.

Muse. Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Muse won the Grammy for Best Rock Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards.  They were nominated for three Grammy Awards.  Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals went to The Black Keys for the song "Tighten Up" from the album Brothers.  The Grammy for Rock Song went to Neil Young for "Angry Noise" from his album Le Noise.

The recognition is bittersweet for many longterm Muse fans who feel that The Resistance is not Muse's strongest album.  While there are better guitar riffs on other Muse albums, and more memorable vocal melodies on others, this is the album which has sold the best.

The lead single, "Uprising", was criticized.  Though it was their most popular single, it's not the best melody Bellamy every wrote.  However, it's given many fans a sing-along anthem.

Crappy Valentines Day 2011 Mixtape: 14 funromantic songs

How'd the Devil get my #?

Here it comes again.  Single Awareness Day!   The good news is that Valentines Day is an invented holiday, therefore you need not give it any credence.  Much like Christmas, the celebration has veered from the true meaning – a religious holiday celebrating the life of a saint who was martyred.

If you are single this Valentines Day (or nearly every Valentines Day), or hate Valentines Day, you aren’t as alone as alone as you think.   Funromantic  is a portmanteau of the words fun and unromantic.  In that spirit, here are 14 funromantic songs from recent artists to get you through the day from some favorite recent artists, many of whom have been or will be at Coachella.

I personally met Kate Nash this week and told her that I put her song on the list.  She loved it.

The White Stripes called it quits today

Jack and Meg White decided to end their 10-plus-year stint as The White Stripes.  They have decided to end it on their own terms and the time they determined.  It's rather classier than bands who so often try to keep going and exhaust and/or exhasperate their dwindling following.

The White Stripes developed a certain mystique by declaring they were brother and sister when they were, in fact, married.  Then they were divorced.  And then it was weird but cool that they were still making music together. It was weird and cool that they made purposely lo-fi recordings in an increasingly hi-tech world showcasing a retro style which mixed country, punk, and blues as was often done in the 1980s.  Along the way of their career, they included a ballet composition and an orchestrally oriented album.

Coachella 2011 is SOLD OUT!!!!

The inevitable occurred faster than anyone imagined.  Coachella 2011 is sold out just 7 days after the official lineup was announced.  It's a record for the Southland music festival.

A Star is Born – again, with Beyonce and Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood seems to have a thing for music.  As a director, he’s become known for scoring  several the films he directed Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby and Changeling to name a few.    He also directed while starring in Play Misty For Me in 1971.  Warner Bros. slated him as director for the latest remake.

Menomena is still going to do this according to Danny Seim

Danny Seim has a way with words.  He’s the one who often writes publicity pieces and tour blogs of Menomena’s (mis)adventures.  Perhaps his funniest submission deals with the cassettes of Christian music he was allowed to listen to when he was a kid.

Josh Groban Illuminations album review

Josh Groban’s Illuminations is a very special album.  Closer, Noel, and Awake indeed had some great songs, but this one is far more personal of an effort for the golden-voiced Groban since he wrote or co-wrote most of the songs with rock producer Rick Rubin at the helm.

In addition to Groban playing the role of songwriter, the album was recorded with Groban in the same room as the orchestra, the old fashioned way, with retro equipment and microphones from the Mancini era.

Violent Femmes’ Brian Ritchie plus Midnight Oil equals surf rock

The Break is:
a.  Brian Ritchie’s band with members of Midnight Oil with an album called Church of the Open Sky.
b.  When a wave crests and falls particularly a place where the surfing is really great.  See also surf break, point break, beach break, reef break, shore break, big wave break, etc. 
c.  Both a. and b.

If you listen to KROQ, you’ve heard the Violent Femmes on and off singing “Blister In The Sun,” “Add It Up,” or “Gone Daddy Gone.”  It’s still hard to believe the Violent Femmes broke up after nearly making the 30 year mark of being a band.  You may have also heard the Australian band Midnight Oil during your growing up years in LA (or elsewhere).

Ra Ra Riot on Jimmy Kimmel 1/19/11, plus news

Ra Ra Riot gave Barsuk Records something to smile about with their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.  The Ra Ras consist of the usual suspects plus a cellist and a violinist.  Their lead singer, Wes Miles, has one of the most beautiful voices on the indie scene. They occupied the indoor stage with force and charm while singing "Too Dramatic" and "Boy."

Coachella 2011 OFFICIAL lineup announced Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon, Kanye West

Well, the rumor poster had some truths on there, but now we get the for real list.

Just a few notes from my personal wishlist as LA Rock Examiner... CeeLo Green is officially there. Neon Trees is back for a second Coachella. Barsuk Records represents with Menomena (without Brent Knopf), and Phantogram both playing Sunday.

We're gonna DANCE in the desert with Animal Collective, Big Audio Dynamite, and Cults.

And dreams really do come true. Mariachi El Bronx will be there on Saturday. Sadly, sometimes dreams don't come true--Duran Duran is confirmed for Sunday. I hope they're up against The National because that's who I'll go see--brought to us by Goldenvoice.

Mumford & Sons got people flocking to the Jimmy Kimmel stage in droves and no doubt people will also flock to the desert to see them.

Que syrah, syrah sister! The band Train started a wine club

They can say all they want that they aren’t making money off of it, but Train started a wine club. Patrick Monahan has even intimated that there might be Train wine in the future because their most dedicated fans obsess about every detail of Train’s existence. Apparently their foodie fans want to know what vintage the men of Train drink so they can drink it too.

Fandom derailed: Why former fans turn their backs on Train

There’s something about the way a song hits you. Many pop songs are memorable for their hooks—a melodic and rhythmic gesture which gets stuck in your head. However, Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” is a song which many former fans would like to forget; but, they just can’t. The song is everywhere.

The Bachelor's rock 'n' roll date with Ashley S.

Finally, a date the LA Rock Examiner approves of. Tonight's episode of The Bachelor featured Brad Womack taking Ashley S. to Capitol Records for a recording session on 1/17/11.

U2 in honor of MLK, Martin Luther King

"Pride (In The Name Of Love)" is an old favorite song which deserves play today on Martin Luther King Day. The song comes from their career-expanding 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire. The album was produced by Brian Eno who encouraged a more atmospheric and ambient sound, a major change in direction for the band. Their previous three records had been produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album also featured an elegy to Martin Luther King, called "MLK."

Miley Cyrus: Hannah Montana Forever is, like, so over

Not that she actually said that, but it seems like something that she would. The super-successful Hannah Montana franchise just ended last night 1/16/10. Let’s get real. Miley Cyrus has slowly bitten the Disney hand that feeds and gnawed it down to a stump. She went from the innocent and fun young girl on Hannah Montana to the behavior that’s been reported in the tabloids. Unfortunately, it looks fairly accurate.

Ted Nugent warns to be prepared for evil

Nugent wrote an editorial about the recent violence in Arizona and other heart-rending acts of violence. Yes, it's that Ted Nugent, the rock 'n' roller. He believes that being prepared is of the essence (ie having weapons ourselves) so that we are ready when people commit heinous acts. What is it exactly that makes a man want to kill his fellow man?

Muse news: Matt Bellamy and Kate Hudson are pregnant

Life has been good for Matt Bellamy, particularly here in So Cal. Muse won an American Music Award and has 3 Grammy nominations.  He found a new love interest Kate Hudson, and now has a baby on the way.

Bellamy met Kate Hudson for the second time at Coachella 2010. The first time they met in Australia about five years ago, nothing came of it because they were both in relationships. But they have been seen together often and spoken of each other fondly since then. Things moved quickly. He met Hudson's mom, Goldie Hawn, just a few months into the relationship. And now they are expecting after nine months.

Muse fans have mixed feelings.

State To State band EP review

It's refreshing to hear some good, straight up rock with just a touch of alternative flavorings. 7th and perhaps even some 9th chords give some interest and dissonance. Their music seems to be influenced by U2 and early Muse. Andrew Orvis decorates each song with riffs aplenty, often waxing a bit atmospheric (a la Edge) and then arpeggiating chords (a la Bellamy.) And while there might be reminiscences of other sounds, their sound doesn't copy anyone.

Michael Jackson's doctor is charged with what?

Confused by what the legal terms mean? Conrad Murray faces being charged with involuntary manslaughter. Some people want to know why it isn't murder. There are fine distinctions between the definitions for voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, and murder. For those who want to know what that means, here is a definition from dictionary.law.com:

MENOMENA bids farewell to keyboard player, multi-instrumentalist, Brent Knopf

It's not like we didn't see it coming. It was obvious to the point of painfulness. The question was "when" not "if" Brent Knopf would leave. Interviews published back in the days of 2007's Friend and Foe already revealed cracks. They dicussed their strife freely, but still managed to look like they were having fun. They laughed their way through interviews. But that was around 2007.

Flash forward to 2010 and the cracks were bigger, the burden was heavier. They almost didn't finish Mines. They hired a manager, Ami Spishock of Zeitgeist Artist Management, to help smooth things out. They never did think about how they would play their songs live while composing them. Certainly this led to a few more fights as they tried to pare down the loops and layers of song and actually play them...together..in the same room...after all the other disagreements. They brought in a fourth person for touring purposes, Joe Haegge from 31 Knots and Tu Fawning.

Coachella 2011 lineup rumors: Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Daft Punk to headline?

If you want to wax rhapsodic over the possibilities, please check out www.CoachellaLeaks.com. The most recent lineup poster looks like it might be legit as it features some rather oddball groups.

Personally, if I were imagining Coachella 2011, I would definitely want Cee Lo Green, Menomena and Mariachi El Bronx there. OMD is also rumored. Those are indicator bands of possibily a legit leak. Beastie Boys look like they might add to the fun. Duran Duran high on the list for Saturday? What is the world coming to?

Several solid "minor" bands are scheduled to appear according this leak as well. Klaxons and the Local Natives are on. But some seem to have too small of a following still to make a Coachella debut, Cults is one of those bands.

Well, Coachellites, we shall see. The truth will be revealed any day now.

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