My best to his friends and family. It sounds like he was great guy who clearly who will be missed greatly. 

so sad...sympathy to his family & friends.x

I'll miss him.  He was a really nice guy.

so sorry to hear. i just ordered an import copy of their latest from Dirty Water this week too.

such a good band. now in peace...

Gutted. His music will live on, though.

Very sad...He was still so very young. My thoughts go out to his family and friends at this terrible time.

I was reading the sleeve notes on the Gibson Bros.' "Memphis Sol Today!" record (which features Jeffrey Evans and Jon Spencer) and I noticed they printed "Support Free Speech: boycott Norton Records!"

Does anyone know the story behind that and if the "beef" still continues to this day?

In the book "We Never Learn", the author briefly mentions the beef, but doesn't explain it (that I am aware of). 

P.S. Despite the Elastica / Wire controversy , when I first heard "Connection" by Elastica , on the radio , I thought it was "Message To Charlie " by Lithium Xmas.
 
John Battles said:

 I LIKE(D) "London Calling" for reasons that are radically different than "The Clash" . I still give it a spin once in a while , but the first (US and UK) HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE .

They carried that energy over into the second album , to an extent , but lose the plot somewher. Still some good songs , there. Later , "Sandinista " is where , to me , their self - indulgence emerges in full force. Does'nt mean there are'nt some good songs , though.....I dunno.

A friend told me The Clash were The Beatles of Punk. That they started with this ruff'n'raw thing , and , eventually came up with "London Calling" , which he called their "Sgt. Pepper", moving into "Sandinista!" , which he called their White Album. Interesting theory. I guess "Combat Rock " would be more of a "Let it Be" , if anything ,than an "Abbey Road". I guess , too , it makes no difference.

Bottom Line : Were they uneven? Yes. Did they still make some great music ? Of course.

But , bands that were considered "Punk" , But , made it? Hmmmmmmmm. I admit , I like Elastica , just the first album , still play it once in a great while. I liked The Jesus and Mary when they just had those now - unattainable singles in The UK. I DID'NT THINK THEY HAD A HOPE IN HELL OF MAKING IT IN THE USA. But , I also did'nt think Dwight Yoakum would make it , because he was TOO Country. But , you could say bands like that were merely Punk reaction. I don't think Punk "Came back " until the 90's , when CBGB's started doing a booming business , and The Dictators , Real Kids , DMZ, Jayne County and the like were back at it.....iN THE UK , HUGE FESTIVALS LIKE "Holidays in The Sun " gathered up nearly every English Punk band still living and eager to play......There was even a BIG festival , recently , to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee - co - billed as "The Last Jubilee".

I knock a lot of the 80's stuff,  sure , but there was always good music , if you were willing to go find it , and we did , without the internet , without MP3s.

If people still ENJOY Punk Rock , then , you could argue it's not dead. The more I heard Pop Punk , the more I wanted to retreat into the vastly underrated Dickies , and The Rezillos/Revillos , Vibrators , Buzzcocks , Boys, Lurkers , even The Cichlids ,  bands with pop hooks that did'nt sound like 10 year olds wetting their pants , ok?

 I LIKE(D) "London Calling" for reasons that are radically different than "The Clash" . I still give it a spin once in a while , but the first (US and UK) HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE .

They carried that energy over into the second album , to an extent , but lose the plot somewher. Still some good songs , there. Later , "Sandinista " is where , to me , their self - indulgence emerges in full force. Does'nt mean there are'nt some good songs , though.....I dunno.

A friend told me The Clash were The Beatles of Punk. That they started with this ruff'n'raw thing , and , eventually came up with "London Calling" , which he called their "Sgt. Pepper", moving into "Sandinista!" , which he called their White Album. Interesting theory. I guess "Combat Rock " would be more of a "Let it Be" , if anything ,than an "Abbey Road". I guess , too , it makes no difference.

Bottom Line : Were they uneven? Yes. Did they still make some great music ? Of course.

But , bands that were considered "Punk" , But , made it? Hmmmmmmmm. I admit , I like Elastica , just the first album , still play it once in a great while. I liked The Jesus and Mary when they just had those now - unattainable singles in The UK. I DID'NT THINK THEY HAD A HOPE IN HELL OF MAKING IT IN THE USA. But , I also did'nt think Dwight Yoakum would make it , because he was TOO Country. But , you could say bands like that were merely Punk reaction. I don't think Punk "Came back " until the 90's , when CBGB's started doing a booming business , and The Dictators , Real Kids , DMZ, Jayne County and the like were back at it.....iN THE UK , HUGE FESTIVALS LIKE "Holidays in The Sun " gathered up nearly every English Punk band still living and eager to play......There was even a BIG festival , recently , to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee - co - billed as "The Last Jubilee".

I knock a lot of the 80's stuff,  sure , but there was always good music , if you were willing to go find it , and we did , without the internet , without MP3s.

If people still ENJOY Punk Rock , then , you could argue it's not dead. The more I heard Pop Punk , the more I wanted to retreat into the vastly underrated Dickies , and The Rezillos/Revillos , Vibrators , Buzzcocks , Boys, Lurkers , even The Cichlids ,  bands with pop hooks that did'nt sound like 10 year olds wetting their pants , ok?

Titles elude me , sorry , but last years "Product " from Pierced Arrows , Lemmy's Head Cat , Michael Monroe , Alarm Clocks , The Dyes , Sonics , Jerry Lee Lewis , Chris Ligon and The Problems , Figures of Light , and others. I'm guesstimating on the dates.

Hi, you should check my video of the best albums of 2011:

I did hear they were very good , but , that  the usual chaos ensued between Michael and Andy. I heard , at one gig in Finland , they started screaming at each other, in Finnish , on stage , and Andy marched off , not to return, and the other Guitarist had to hold the show. I saw Andy , twice , playing guitar with Iggy. He really gave Iggy that spark. He'd let loose with some wild fretwork , and Iggy would try to match him , dancing. I have the two Hanoi Rocks CD , AND AN EP , from the revamped lineup. They're not bad and they're not great.

But , yeah , that Dolls/ Poison / Crue abomination , I urged people not to go , and it did'nt take much doing. It's too bad The Dolls lost Steve and Sam , because I thought they added a LOT , but, they add even more to Michael's band. I'd seen Michael in...'90 , I think , and last years' show was so much better , it's not even funny. The previous show was good , drunk , bumbling Slash cameo and all , but , there's no comparison. Monroe is on top of his game , which is really good to see.
 
The Fnords said:

I've seen Hanoi Rocks, both way back when and more recently. I also happened to be in Finland in 2001 when Mike Monroe and Andy McCoy played at a festival to test the water as to the reception Hanoi would receive (didn't go - I was motor racing instead). My friends translated the (glowing) reviews for me!

D.

THULL ,  Thank you. I wonder who did this clever retooling of,was it "If I Stay Too Long" pic sleeve? It was'nt used to promote the gig , originally . I did one flyer and Steve Krakow from Galactic Zoodissier (New issue out . BIFF , BANG , POW ! Buy this monster , NOW !) did another. You can see mine on my profile , plus , some pics from that two - night mind melter. Actually , I need to put some more up there......

Here's a direct link:

http://www.mediafire.com/?dfkr47swshqw39u

"Well , yeeeeaahh. I hung quite a bit down at Sun Studios. Sam Phillips would'nt even let me record there. I said , well , Sam , I mean , Mr. Phillips , who are you leasing all these great Blues records by Howlin' Wolf and Pat Hare and Ike Turner to , anyway ? He told me about these two Polish immigrants in Chicago , had a little label , up there. I thought Polish cats in Chicago only made Polka records , man !  But , me an' Keef , he's from Memphis , too , y'know , we had to get our arses up to Chicago , and THAT's when Keef found out , right , about Chuck Berry. Fuck me , man , he aped Chuck so good , he  got to be his fuckin' bandleader in that movie , right? But , Chuck did'nt wanna sound like Chuck no more , and , you know , we did'nt wanna sound like The Stones no more , neither , but we got past that with "A Bigger Bang" , which I think only sold about a half a mil. Were'nt Don Was' fault , man , it's a great record. Maybe , next one , we can do at Sun Studio. I mean , what ? Sam Phillips is gonna turn us away?         Mick Jagger .

I should've guessed that JB, obvious really. Memphis, Micks home town??

John Battles said:

Thank you , M.G.    -     A "SLAB" OR "FULL SLAB" IS A FULL ORDER OF PORK OR BEEF RIBS.    A Half - slab , half of the same.....

I'm surprised they have'nt mentioned that on that program. If they REALLY wanted to see "Man vs. Food" , they should have see me tear away at a full slab at Rendezvous Barbecue in Memphis (Where , just by chance , The Stones have been known to get their 'cue on.).
 
Mark George Harrison said:

You never fail to put a smile on my face JB! What is a 'full slab?' never heard of that before, and Ive watched a lot of 'man versus food!'

John Battles said:

 No , it's true. Mick is from The Deep South . He led the big migration to England that was later followed by The Walker Bros. , Jimi Hendrix , Suzi Quatro and Sparks. He had to take a course in Assimilation , though when he attended The London College of Economics. IN OTHER WORDS , WHEREAS AN ENGLISH PERSON MIGHT SAY "BANGERS AND MASH , PLEASE" , MICK WOULD HAVE SAID , "A FULL SLAB , WITH LOUISIANA HOT SAUCE , CORNBREAD , AND WHAT SIDES HAVE YOU GOT?".

 "TEA , milk and sugar , with lemon , if you will".        "Sweet tea , ma'am"

 " I SAY , I DON'T ARF FANCY HER !"    "Gaaahhh damn ! She's hot as July Jam".

" I quite like Muddy Waters on Chess Records , me. It'd be an HONOUR  to share the same stage with him , one day....AHHHHH. As if that'll ever happen." 

"Muddy Waters? I filled his car up with Regular , once. Purdy good guy to shoot the shit with.".

 Mark George Harrison said:

Are you trying to imply Micks not from the deep south JB? The ever changing Jagger voice has always amused me, from well spoken middle class young man to naughty cockney to cringe inducing faux American accent. Still, when you've got his money!

John Battles said:

Mark George ,    WHA' , Y'MEAN , SOUTH OF LONDON?

I've been too busy to just look it up , but , for eons (That's aoens in Yankeese.)

 I thought Jagger was saying " I'm gonna hit and run rape her in anger"
(In "Midnight Rambler" ) , which , I thought , even for him , was misogynistic as Hell , though , obviously , not coming from the First Person P.O.V. , but from a role played in the song.     But , then , it occured to me , he was probably saying "Rapier" , as he's reading off a list of weapons ( " Knife - sharpened tipee - toe , shoot 'em dead....cloak and dagger....stick my knife right down your throat".).

I also thought an audience member was saying "CODS , HAM !!! CODS , HAM !!!" , BUT , Rock'n'Roll fucks upyour ears.

Mark George Harrison said:

Sorry JB, I did wonder at you getting something wrong!

A lot of Jaggers lyrics are hard to decipher due to his 'southern drawl!'

John Battles said:

THAT'S WHAT i WAS SAYING  , THAT THE CORRECT WORD WAS RAPIER , THE WAY I ORIGINALLY HEARD IT , THOUGH , WAS RAZOR.   FROM "HONKY TONK WOMEN ON , IT'S CORRECT LYRIC , FIRST.           ANYONE WANT TO TACKLE "MIDNIGHT RAMBLER , AND STAY FASHIONABLE , WHILE WE'RE AT IT?
 
Mark George Harrison said:

Whiskey in the jar is rapier JB, not razor. 

John Battles said:

"Hot and Nasty" , Black Oak Arkansas - "They call me hot and nasty , they call me Mr. Pansy.".       Actual lyric - "They call me Mr. Fancy".

Johnny Thunders (And Walter Lure's Heroes) "Too Much Junkie Business"

"Your the coolest thing in town , with your face flat on the ground. Friends went through your pockets as the coffee went down...."

"...AS THE COFFIN WENT DOWN".

( I thought they were saying "Coffee" in reference the suposedly surefire way to revive an OD victim by pouring hot coffee down their throat , which , reportedly , is how original Dolls Drummer, Billy Murcia , died. ).

 

"Honky Tonk Women" , YOU KNOW WHO. "I laid a Divorcee in New York City..."

                                 "I LATER DID THE SAME IN NEW YORK CITY....". 

 

"Whiskey In The Jar" (Trad.) - Dubliners , Thin Lizzy.

" I first produced me pistol , and then produced my rapier." 

"And then produced my razor.''.

 

David Bowie - "Hang on To Yourself" -     "And we move around like tigers on vaseline"

                "If you like f*gg*ts and vaseline".  I'm sorry , that IS what it sounded like until I saw the actual lyrics.

 

"All The Madmen "- "My libido split on me , give me some good old lobotomy."

                           "And The Beatles split on me...." (Very topical for 1971.)

"Ziggy Stardust" - "He could lick 'em by smiling....." . Do I have to say it?

                           "The kids were just crass"     "The kids were just crap.".

 

"Suffragette City"  "AW , DOOGIE , DON'T CRASH HERE"  

                           "There's usually dope 'round here....".

 "Width of a Circle"    'To which he laughed insane "Kahlil Gibran".

                           "To which he laughed and said "God's will , children."

 

Romeo Void (I forget the song.)    "Get THAT JERK OFF YOUR MIND" (Do I have to say it?).

 

...IT'S TOO BAD , BECAUSE THERE WAS A TIME THAT WAS'NT TRUE. FOR ALL THE LIMP POP MUSIC OF THE 50'S AND 60'S (STILL BETTER THAN THE LIMP POP DREK OF THE 80'S AND BEYOND.) , THERE WAS STILL SOME CUTTING EDGE STUFF IN THE TOP 100 FOR YEARS. NOW , WE'RE JUST TOLD WHAT IS "CUTTING EDGE". I'M NOT TALKING JOHN CAGE OR STOCKHAUSEN , BUT , LITTLE RICHARD , LINK WRAY , JERRY LEE LEWIS , THE TRASHMEN , AND EVEN ELVIS , WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED NOW , BUT , THAT WAS HEAVY SHIT .  THEN , OF COURSE , YOU HAD ALL THE GREAT MID-60'S "NUGGETS" ERA HITS , AND EARLY HARD ROCK , BEFORE IT GOT SOFT. EVEN THE LEGENDARY STARDUST COWBOY GOT INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE CHARTS IN 1968 , WHILE BLUE CHEER MADE IT TO THE TOP. BUT  , EVERY ERA HAD IT'S DULL ,LAME POP MUSIC , AS WE ALL KNOW.

Ok, this is cool - especially if you're a science nerd like me.

A joint study from the Spanish National Research Council, The Center for Research Mathematics, and 2 Spanish Universities has been studying almost half a million pop songs from 1955-2010.  They analyzed the songs on the basis of pitch (harmonic transitions, chord structure, melodic range, tonal arrangements), timbre (sound texture, tone quality, instrument diversity, performance expression) and the intrinsic loudness of the recording (that is, the volume level applied during production, not the volume controlled by the listener).

What they found was a logarithmic and power law-driven decline in the diversity of all pitch and timbre parameters, accompanied by a simultaneous increase in the applied volume of pop recordings.  The lead investigator told Reuters: "We found evidence of a progressive homogenization of the musical discourse. In particular, we obtained numerical indicators that the diversity of transitions between note combinations - roughly speaking chords plus melodies - has consistently diminished in the last 50 years."  From their final discussion:

"Much of the gathered evidence points towards an important degree of conventionalism, in the sense of blockage or no-evolution, in the creation and production of contemporary western popular music. Thus, from a global perspective, popular music would have no clear trends and show no considerable changes in more than fifty years."

Damn!  It's a nice validation to what many of us have known all along: all of the interesting stuff comes from outside of the mainstream.  

The Reuters short version: http://ow.ly/czhf6

The full journal article, with all the data (caution: copious nerd-speak): http://ow.ly/cziCM

I have a crappy Silvertone Rockit 21 guitar with practice amp, an MXR M-173 classic fuzz pedal and a Boss FVR '63 Fender reverb fuzz pedal. I know my guitar is cheap, but I can get a cool sounding garage tone going and the pedals add a bit of bang to things. I plan on getting a larger amplifier before too long.

The Maggots are good but not 100% sure they are from Sweden...can't go wrong with The Nomads though.

Playlist 07/28/12

I'll be on the air and web playing garage, punk and psychedelic tunes from 1:00-3:00PM EST on Saturday July 28. Listen on 89.7 WITR-FM in Rochester, NY and streaming live at http://witr.rit.edu

Hi, you should check my video of the best albums of 2011 and you'll find some great bands:

Thee Vicars! Guitarist died today R.I.P

Anybody have this? Looks amazing! Worth picking up???

http://www.dukeupress.edu/Catalog/ViewProduct.php?productid=20245

Description
For nearly twenty years, the much-beloved music magazine Roctober has featured work by some of the best underground cartoonists, exhaustive examinations of made-up genres such as “robot rock,” and an ongoing exploration of everything Sammy Davis Jr. ever sang, said, or did. But the heart of the magazine has always been the lengthy conversations with overlooked or forgotten artists. Flying Saucers Rock ’n’ Roll gathers the most compelling of these interviews. Eccentric, important artists—including the rockabilly icon Billy Lee Riley, the jazz musician and activist Oscar Brown Jr., the “Outlaw Country” singer David Allan Coe, and the pioneer rock ’n’ roll group the Treniers—give the most in-depth interviews of their lengthy careers. Obscure musicians, such as the Armenian-language novelty artist Guy Chookoorian and the frustrated interstellar glam act Zolar X, reveal fascinating lives lived at rock’s margins. Roctober’s legendarily dedicated writers convey telling anecdotes in the fervent, captivating prose that has long been appreciated by music enthusiasts. Along with the entertaining interviews, Flying Saucers Rock ’n’ Roll features more than sixty images from the pages of Roctober and ten illustrations created for the book by the underground rock ’n’ roll artist King Merinuk.

Contributors
Steve Albini
Ben Austen
Jake Austen
John Battles
Bosco
Ken Burke
Mike Maltese
King Merinuk
Ken Mottet
Jonathan Poletti
James Porter
"Colonel" Dan Sorenson
Jacqueline Stewart

About The Author(s)
Jake Austen is an independent music writer and the editor of Roctober magazine. He is the author of TV-a-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol, the editor of A Friendly Game of Poker: 52 Takes on the Neighborhood Game, and a founder and co-host of the cult-favorite dance show Chic-a-Go-Go, which airs on Chicago Access Network Television (CAN-TV).