Daily Finds: News, videos, and the what-have you

Here are today's videos and updates

1. Grand Duchy- "Silver Boys"
-I did not know Black Francis was into electro-pop. It's definitiely no Surfer Rosa but it ain't bad.



2. Die Antwoord- "I Fink U Freeky" (Explicit)
-I'm still trying to understand their music, but how they present themselves is still what gets me. Reminds me of mid-90's British house music on crack, meth and speed at the same time.




3. Father John Misty- "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"
-Since drummer J. Tillman left Fleet Foxes this past month, it's apparently clear that he had plans on the back burner to keep him busy. His new side project reminisces to heavy 60's reverb, lyrics of Hollywood depression, and a new video that captures the mood perfectly. Thanks to Aubrey Plaza from 'Parks and Recreation', the video is far from quirky humor, but a display of drunken rage and regret.



4. The Darkness- "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us"
-No explanation here. The Darkness are closest thing we have to Queen and Thin Lizzy in this day and age.




5. Don Cornelius R.I.P
- Peace, Love and Soul. A true legend in bringing a new type of variety show to the masses of America. Apparently, according to an interview in 2006, there was a movie in the works about the origin of the show that Cornelius himself was producing.

Top 10 Arctic Monkeys' B-Sides

When a band puts out a consistent pattern of EPs and singles, most of their B-sides and outtakes are going to overshadow the lead single. The best example are the Arctic Monkeys. With only four albums into their career, they have released over ten EPs with B-sides that surpass their main singles and are crowd favorites now. With every album they have released, three or four singles are put out, and on those singles are three or more B-sides. So much material is recorded for their albums that they have enough songs leftover to release another album, and it's a formula for the record industry that is slowly withering away. Most bands will just release a single with one B-side and try to hunt the rest down through other downloading sites. Arctic Monkeys keep all their B-sides easily accessible to find; however, if you're a vinyl junkie, finding the right format is the challenge. Here are my top ten favorites.


10. Miles Kane and The Death Ramps-"Little Illusion Machine" ("The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" E.P.)




9. "The Bakery" (Fluorescent Adolescent E.P.)



8."Plastic Tramp" (Fluorescent Adolescent E.P.)



7. "Temptation Greets you Like A Naughty Friend" (Brainstorm E.P.)



6."Put Your Dukes Up John" ("Leave Before The Lights Come On" E.P)



5. "7" ("When The Sun Goes Down" E.P.)



4. "No Buses" ("Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" E.P.)




3. "Don't Forget Whose Legs You're On" ("My Propeller" E.P.)



2."Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" ("Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" E.P.)



1."Baby, I'm Yours" ("Leave Before The Lights Come On" E.P)

My Favorite Albums of 2011!

What a year! Riots! Occupy! Pepper Spray! Herman Cain’s pseudo porn commercial ad! Crazy year for a lot…but it had some great music along the way to riot in the streets to! Now some of you might disagree on what I have here for my top ten because 1.) I didn’t hear much of Bon Iver’s now Grammy nominated album and 2.) I still think dub step is overproduced robot sex moans but, mainstream and independent music had some great offerings this year. Although some of the bands listed here are new to my collection, certain bands that I truly admired came out with sophomore slumps this year (I’m looking at you Cut Off Your Hands and The Rifles!). I like when a band changes up their craft to experiment or try new styles of genres, but when you do a one-eighty to which you are unrecognizable, then you lost me. Well, better luck on the next album. And honestly, I bet the new Black Keys’ El Camino is great, but I haven’t heard all the other tracks yet and didn’t buy it.
There’s honestly no winner for being “number one.” All albums have a special atmosphere in what they delivered in style and genre, and what story they had behind the production. So grab a beer (or pre-mixed whiskey infused eggnog), a Glade holiday candle, and some headphones and say goodbye to 2011 with bang!

The Joy Formidable- The Big Roar

-This Welsh three-piece blew my mind when I saw them perform at Harlow’s here in Sacramento. With pixie-eyed Ritzy Bryan on guitar and vocals, she took the stage along with bass and drums (and an armada of guitar effects by her feet) by playing songs such as “Cradle”, “I Don’t Want To See You Like This”, and “The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade” and kicked the audience’s teeth in. Reminiscing back to Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies guitar work and indie pop sensibility, they managed to combine a beautiful, yet triumphant, debut album of different musical landscapes.






Wilco-The Whole Love

-Tweedy and Co. come out swinging again on their new label and still prove they aren’t going away. “I Might” and “Capitol City” are markers that show the band’s collective diversity from their previous albums.







Foo Fighters-Wasting Light
-I like it when a band enters a studio and lays the question out, “What do we have to prove anymore?” The Foos return with a solid album of white-knuckled adrenaline shots such as ‘White Limo” and reunions “I Should Have Known” which features ex-Nirvana bass player Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl playing together for the first time since Nirvana.






Fleet Foxes-Helplessness Blues
-Besides giving birth to the grunge movement, Seattle has one hell of a setting for giving the best folk album this year. Beautiful harmonies that ring the influences of Crosby, Stills, and Nash and Simon and Garfunkel are what contributed Fleet to create the most illuminating album of their career. Songs to check are “Lorelai”, “Battery Kinzie” and “The Shrine/An Argument”.







Sharks-The Joys of Living 2008-2010
-Once again, as I raved up a few posts ago, the torch from The Clash has been handed to these guys. Although this album is just a collection of previous E.P.s, it’s a solid flow of middle-class punk and has the consistent flow of sounding like an album. “Bury Your Youth” and “Three Houses” are what lit the fire for these guys to run harder and faster.






Fucked Up-David Comes To Life
- Pete Townsend of The Who first created the term “rock operas” for his concept albums Tommy and Quadrophenia. Rock+ Story=Rock Opera. Now Fucked Up took that idea and added hardcore punk to the equation. Balls to the wall! The only downfall of this album was that the band decided to call it quits after only a few months of the album being released. No particular songs to pick—the entirety is what makes the album epic. Now, not ever seeing them play this live, that’s fucked up.




My Morning Jacket-Circuital
-Every time a new MMJ album comes out, I get in a certain space in my head to relax and embrace everything from all different directions. Circuital is a step-up from 2008’s Evil Urges and shows the diversity from their earlier albums. Some of the best highlights of the album are “The Day Is Coming” and “You Wanna Freak Out”. These dudes will always abide.




Sister Crayon- Bellow
-Throwing in some local love, Sister Crayon came out with their first release on Manimal records. If you ever get the chance to see them, go without hesitation. Terra Lopez’s haunted and soulful pipes draw the crowd’s attention to the stage while having an ensemble of ambient electronica flow through the crowd. Key tracks: “(In) Reverse”, “Souls Of Gold”, and “Thief Boxer Asleep”.




Miles Kane- Colour of The Trap
-More under the radar in America than the U.K. for sure. The other half of The Last Shadow Puppets, former lead for The Rascals, and now on his own, Miles Kane delivered one of the most solid rock albums. Although it reminisces the 1960’s British Invasion era, other hints of solo-Lennon and Link Wray play an important part of this record. “Rearrange” and “Take The Night Away From Me” are what drives this album to being a solid, solo debut.




Arctic Monkeys-Suck It And See
-Back again from Humbug, the Monkeys jump back in with dirty swagger on their new album. Alex Turner throws around a variety of songs on this album that echo back to their debut and the influences they love now. Key tracks: “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” and “Reckless Serenade”




Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds- S/T

-The comeback of the year. You leave your brother and band, and decide not to sweat the small stuff. Back in the studio, Noel jumped back in to write some of the best songs of his career. Beady Eye has some catching up to do. Key tracks: “The Death of You and Me” and “If I Had A Gun”.

The Better Brother: Post-Oasis and Noel

When Oasis broke up in 2009, I was curious to see what the Gallagher brothers would deliver next. Knowing that Liam and Noel have disputes on and off stage, there is no issue that they, especially Noel, have produced some of the greatest rock anthems of modern rock. Pub anthems and rally cries for human emotion were large issues in their songs, but when the magic ended with their demise, who knew what would follow afterwards? Liam and the rest of Oasis formed Beady Eye and Noel, was just, you know, Noel. But that break-up did not stop the fall out between the two brothers. Though constant bickering and trash talk has been exchanged in interviews by, mostly, Liam and Noel, people figured this would go on for the rest of their careers; however, sometimes you have to see what kind of hidden motives are behind a truly great band. As of a few weeks ago, Liam made comments in Rolling Stone about how one day he would like to reunite Oasis for the 20th anniversary of the band’s monumental album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?

Bouncing back from the break-up, Noel went into a studio and had some alone time. That time turned into Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The interesting part about this material is that all the songs were Oasis material at some point. Songs such as “The Good Rebel” and “If I Had A Gun” remind the listener that this is still classic Oasis acoustic strumming with Noel’s lyrics of optimism and hope. Then, following those were songs that you would never expect. Some of the key tracks that definitely stand out are “If I Had A Gun…”and, my personal favorite, “The Death of You And Me.” At certain points of the album, there is a familiar resemblance of Paul Weller’s soulful vocals that mediate through Noel (i.e. “A.k.a. Broken Arrow”). This is how you know an album is very creative with how you change up in certain songs; either from soul vocals, country acoustics or New Orleans jazz ensembles, Noel jumps to what is in his mind and executes it perfectly. You can tell there’s no rush for not being in an arena any time soon. It’s not an Oasis album, but I’m satisfied with how high these birds are flying.



If they can get back together, and that’s a big “IF “, what would follow afterwards? Another album for the sake of being reunited? I can see it happening one day, but those two have to have a long talk before they step on the stage with each other again. 2008’s Dig Out Your Soul was the band’s last effort and was surprisingly deep and emotional on all different aspects. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of whenever Noel steps in the spotlight. The other brother with the guitar has always been the true force of Oasis with all their hits and where the band was headed. Not every album they made between Glory and Dig were the greatest albums, but they did have enough memorable songs in between to keep their momentum going for almost a decade. As Beady Eye made their debut album with Liam still fronting the stage, Noel said “Fuck it” and quietly walked away. This is the reason I’ve always admired this brother. He still carries the true, creative attitude that helped him with 1994’s Definitely Maybe, and why his new solo album is the highlight of the fall season of 2011.

INTERVIEW: Drummer Scott Abels (Hepcat, The Aggrolites, Lars and The Bastards)

Scott Abels is a drummer of a different nature. From cool and collect rim-shots to rib-trembling snare hits, he translates the elements of the earth into each musical project in which he has played on. Born in Fresno, California, Scott has played with some of the biggest names of the ska/reggae scene (i.e. Hepcat, Aggrolites) in the Los Angeles region and has contributed to other notable acts such as: Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards, Cypress Hill and remixes for Depeche Mode. Emerging with Los Angeles’ Hepcat, Scott began to accumulate a style that became recognizable on every album that he played on with or without Hepcat. Plus, when he’s not backing others, you can find him in his personal studio recording solo material under the name “Blood Orange Recordings”. Either from reggae/ska or to punk rock, a musician’s style can be altered through a specific type of recording or a push from some friends. I had a chance to chat with Scott about how he approaches recording, new projects and his current studio work with reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and Rancid’s Tim Armstrong.


Underneath The Waves: So how's the recording going with Jimmy and Tim?
Scott Abels: For the most part I think the rhythm section is done. We were suppose to go in one more time, but Tim's busy with Rancid now, so it's up in the air. I think Jimmy's coming back to do more vocals.

Good. How did this project come around to you?

I've worked with Tim in many different capacities for over a decade. In Hepcat, opening for Rancid, drumteching for Rancid, playing in Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. Tim actually asked me to join that project. I've also done many sessions as a drummer for him. So that's how that goes. But it was Jay Bonner, who I played with in the Aggrolites, that got me in there. Love playing with that guy.

Yeah, like I said before, hearing the second Aggrolites album made me become a dedicated fan for what they stood for; however, the drums are what stood out for me. The way they were recorded were what was significant for me. There is a certain style of drumming that stands out when you hear your albums, what do you differently that most drummers don’t?

One thing that has creeped into my approach on the drums is playing for the music and the music only. I write a lot of music now playing all instruments, so over the years my drumming has evolved into a lot less thinking as drummer, where I play stuff a drummer might like but wouldn’t do anything for the music as a whole and sometimes detract from it. I here a lot of drummers out there that are stunning drummers, but musically deficient. I also pay a lot of attention using the right drums for the right situation. I've spent my last 10 years in my own studio getting all the old classic drum sounds. From fat 70's sounding concert toms to the classic sound of a vintage Leedy kit with all calfskin heads. It's just what I do. The last thing is, groove and feel are the key. I'm a feel drummer, plain and simple.

As far as that Aggrolites album you keep referring to, Brian's[Dixon, Aggrolites’ Rythym guitar player] drum sound consisted of really one vintage RCA 44 ribbon mic out in front of the drums. He triggered a subsonic harmonizer with a kick mic. The subsonic harmonizer drops the low end down an octave. So if you really listen to the kick, you'll hear this real sub sound to it. But that sound of the drums were pretty much one bad-ass mic.



That's amazing with how technical one mic can get. It has such a great retro sound and I think it fully captures the Trojan Records spirit. It definitely shows. It sounds like you were doing that with Blood Orange recordings and your solo page from Myspace. Do you ever plan to release or tour any of that material with studios musicians or just keep it on the side?

It's funny you bring up Blood Orange. I'm having a webpage made right now and I'm going to start posting a whole bunch of music on this site. I have so much new material that makes that old stuff look amateurish. I had a short piece of music used in a movie years ago where I did everything. When I got that check and didn’t have to share it with anybody, it really changed my way of thinking. I never really had a solo project mentality about it, I just started writing and recording and it just snowballed. I definitely want people to hear it and enjoy it. That is why we do it. Music makes people happy.

That's great! I like the simplicity of just less technicalities with recording. See, I'm not a recording tech, but from what I hear on a lot of albums that they are currently is too over the top with how clean the sound is. Which goes right into the next question. Do you prefer digital or analog recording?

A lot of outboard gear and mixing consoles are fat warm analog tube/solid state boxes of goodness, but which ultimately get digitized at some point. Yes, I prefer the sound of tape. Hands down to digital, but the convenience of the computer is a hard argument when you record the way I do. I'm one person so digital is the way to go. Now if I'm recording a band, especially anything Jamaican oriented. I would go to tape.

You've played on a lot of reggae and ska albums, but it's awesome that you went from punk to hip-hop (Cypress Hill) and then Depeche Mode remixes. What attracted you to change it up?

I'm a lover of all music, therefore I always strive to be as diverse a player as I can be. It's not really that I go from one style to another, it's basically as simple as I get a phone call to do something and I say sure I can do that. Sometimes it's people other than myself who have faith I can do something. Case in point, Tim Armstrong asked me to play in this punk band (Lars Fredericksen and The Bastards) My response to him was I had never played punk rock before, his response to that was I know you can do it. So I did it. It just makes you a stronger player and it's all relative. I've used some of those punk tendencies let's say in the Aggrolites and vice versa. Before I ever played with Hepcat/Aggrolites, I had played a lot of funk, studied jazz for 3 years in Santa Cruz, had a gig in China, toured with an alt rock band. I subbed for a soul band just last night, learned 15 tunes in an hour and went and kicked the door down.






That's a great mentality. A lot of musicians sometimes don't want to break their box and perfect only one style. I think that sometimes gives musicians a bad rep on what they can or can't do. But I like how your friends challenge you to try something different with a new project. Being around the ska/reggae scene for quite some time, how would you describe the current state of bands coming out now?

Well, I don't live in Los Angeles anymore, so I don't have intimate knowledge of what's really going on, but what I can surmise through friends and Facebook it seems there are more bands than ever. The scene feels vibrant and alive. One thing that really shook me up last year was seeing the Specials at the Nokia. Everyone who was anybody was there: Hepcats, Fishbones, No Doubters-they were all there. I commented that this show alone will inject some new found energy into at least the LA scene and I think it did, but I'm only speculating.


Through all the different projects you have been involved with, which one has meant the most to you?

Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have been able to answer that 6 months ago, but without a doubt the Jimmy Cliff/Tim Armstrong project. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Playing with my favorite reggae bass player Big Jay Bonner and one of my favorite organ players Dan “The Man” Boer. New found musical prodigy, Baby Kevin. You throw in the mix one of the greatest talents out there Tim Armstrong. The icing on this cake being the legendary Jimmy Cliff. I have never heard anyone’s voice come through studio monitors like his did, it was mystical. I can't leave out the studio Sunset Sound and they're personnel. All in all, best of times...much respect to everyone who was involved, I was very fortunate in deed to have been selected.



I'm glad to see Jay playing again- great talent. Well, I'm definitely looking forward to hearing when more material will be released, but as for right now with "Guns of Brixton", it certainly doesn't let down. Any projects at the moment besides Blood Orange? New bands?

I believe I read the whole Jimmy Cliff thing will be released in November. I have a little trio with a buddy on bass Jon Crossen (who played bass with me on an Aggrolites European tour) and this blues guy who's in his 60's from Chi-town named Bobby Joe Neeley. We have this early 70's greasy soul funk thing which is starting to spread it's wings. He sang on a blue-beat tune that I wrote and recorded called “Bring it on Back”, it's a goodie. Other than that I'm really focusing on releasing this website and bringing my music to the masses. Spread the word.


Thanks again Scott for contributing to this blog. I will keep more updates coming when the new Jimmy Cliff project is released!


***UPDATE*** The "Guns Of Brixton" single by Jimmy Cliff can now be purchased on iTunes!

Personal Freedom Through SHARKS

Sometimes I let nostalgia get the best of me. With my constant search for new groups coming out from all over the world, I find that going back to the first genre I was heavily into, Punk, I'll come across a group that will take me to ground zero and fuel me with teenage adrenaline. As I can recall, anything put out by Epitaph and Hellcat Records was gospel to me. The Punk-O-Rama and Give 'Em The Boot annual compilations were the calling cardS for me to get into harder,uniquely different forms of Punk. As my taste evolved, I would occasionally dive back into Punk but rarely would find anything worth talking about amongst friends. However, through different labels on the rise from all over the country, I started researching. Last month, I was looking through the independent record label Rise Records' roster. Most of the bands they signed to their label consist of screamo, hardcore and other types of groups that blend into each other. As far as I was concerned, there wasn't anything new to be excited about. Then I came across a group's band shot from England that I knew was different then anything else on the label: Fred Perry shirts, slicked back haircuts, and determination written all over each member's face. I present to you...SHARKS.


A few years back, Punk had been broadening it's style and fusing into different forms of music: Folk, Old School Rock 'N Roll, and even Soul-If it sounds good, ignore the scene police. Groups like The Gaslight Anthem and Lucero have been around for some time now with their own take on Punk and have been embraced with open arms by fans. Whats interesting about SHARKS though, is how they blend soul, reggae, and rock n' roll elements into one song. Songs such as "The Joys of Living" and "Bury Your Youth" call upon middle-class youth and the baggage that they carry (i.e. life's frustrations). Punk is mainly thought of as a politically oriented genre, SHARKS, however, breaks down this barrier and focuses on the self and their surroundings. As one of their t-shirts proclaims "Fuck God, Believe In Yourself", the band promotes self-appreciation and determination through your own ethos without the help of a supernatural being, but its about how you must do the right thing in order to have your personal happiness fulfilled.

For their U.S. debut, a collection of 7"s were compiled, The Joys Of Living 2008-2010 ,is hands-down one of the best punk albums to have come out in the past few years-Other contenders are Fucked Up's David Comes To Life and The Gaslight Anthem's The 59' Sound. The compilation of 14 songs are a throwback to the days of early Clash and Jam albums, but with the intensity of growing up and coming of age to what your surroundings can do to you. Having heartfelt lyrics about the salvation of music, destruction of one's self, and becoming the person you want to be, this is the kind of band that will continue to carry the work The Clash once set out to do. Having your own personal salvation with a band's help is the ultimate armor in your battle to survive life. This is what punk gave me the first time I ever heard it.







As the band gears up to head out on Alternative Press' Tour this fall, I anticipate they will return into the studio and record an album. I was too young to appreciate The Clash and the message they were promoting, but now I feel like I can begin with SHARKS. I'll still dive back into Punk when the right time calls for it; a crappy shift, the luck of finding a proper job, or when you feel plain down- I'll have a song to yell along with when I'm driving home. At the end of the day, that's all that matters is knowing a song will understand your position in life and back you up.

Bands You Need To Know- Vol:1

When a band comes into your life that is unknown to others, you savor the discovery. You get excited and want to tell as many people as you can about how this one band is ten times better than what is on the radio. However, the major labels will think about that same thing when signing a band and try to make them as big as whatever is rotating on the radio. After some time, the band is promoting the album and touring their asses off, they receive news from the label that they are being dropped due to poor record sales or lack of interest. What's next? The scenario continues. The band will keep touring; release albums under a new label(most likely an independent one); break up; or, stay home and work there. All the bands I am featuring for this blog are all from England (The Strays have members from Greece and the U.S.) and have released the best albums that have come out for the past five years since the Brit pop movement in the mid-90s. These are five of the groups that came out during that time who I believe are underrated and deserve to get their due in the bigger light. Each one of these bands share a sound that is distinctive, but, yet, add their own unique twist to it.



1.The View


2.The Coral



3.The Dead 60s



4.The Strays



5.The Courteeners




If you are interested in finding all these bands in their physical formats, go to and support your local record store!