web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Category: People

all-about-musicians-and-the-people-who-help-them-make-music

  • First Look: Maxwell’s “Pretty Wings”

    maxwekkWanna make any female R&B fan over the age of 30 wet herself?

    Maxwell’s back, y’all.

    After an eight (!) year absence, the R&B lothario has finally returned. His long-awaited “Black Summers’ Night” project finally has not only a July release date, but actual music attached to it. “Pretty Wings” took a couple of listens for me to appreciate, but I totally get it now. The whole woman-levitating-off-the-bed thing? That I don’t get so much. But it makes for good video. And having seen Maxwell in concert, I can attest to the fact that he has that kind of effect on the lay-deez.

    You can view the video here.

    If Max is back, can D’Angelo and Lauryn Hill be too far behind??

  • The Return of Creed: Did Anyone Ask for This??

    creed

    Lordy, who asked for the late Nineties to return so quickly? First, we got the news that a Limp Bizkit (or limpbizkit?) reunion was on the horizon. Now, we’ve been smacked with a doozy: Creed is getting back together for a summer tour. If you remember, Creed’s brand of post-grunge (with an extra religious twist!) made them one of the biggest selling bands of the late Nineties and early 00s. They split up acrimoniously a few years later, and lead singer Scott Stapp (who does the most constipated-sounding Eddie Vedder impression of anyone I’ve ever heard) recorded a solo album to lukewarm reception. The remaining members got a new lead singer, renamed themselves Alter Bridge, and released two albums, also to lukewarm reception. The most noteworthy thing that happened during that period was the unearthing of an X-rated video starring Stapp and Kid Rock. So much for being a semi-Christian band.

    Anyhow, someone somewhere feels like enough time has passed that there is still an audience for this band? Their music-which wasn’t espeecially good in the first place-hasn’t aged well, and now just sounds bombastic and cheesy. No way in hell I’d pay to go see them in concert. After all, who wants to sit through this again?

  • FORTY-FIVE REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE #33: Self-Dressed Man

    Social Distortion's "Cold Feelings" 45

    SOCIAL DISTORTION  “Cold Feelings”  b/w  “Bad Luck (Live Acoustic)”  (Epic Records #ES7- 4568, white-label promo, 1992)

    Since there’s a million people out there who know more about Social D than I do, I’ll keep this brief.  My first exposure to L.A. punk stalwart Mike Ness and his brilliant Johnny-Cash-meets-The-Clash alchemy was ’81’s “1945” from the 2nd installment of Posh Boy’s Rodney On The ROQ series, which my high school accomplice Beaker and I spun endlessly in his bedroom while trashing all the furniture.  Black Flag’s “Rise Above” was on that same record.  God, what days.

    Social Distortion promo 45

    Fast forward a decade later, and that whole L.A. punk scene seemed decimated, with the exception of the more hard-melodic-power-pop punks like Bad Religion and Green Day (who had yet to really pick up the torch and run with it, along with Rancid, who had not yet fully blossomed out from the ska-rooted Op Ivy).  It was at this time that Ness and his Social D cohorts hit the height of their powers with the hooky, muscular (and very successful in an MTV-sorta way that doesn’t happen anymore) Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell LP.  This still-unplayed tour promo 45 from ’92 showcases the album’s lead-off track, “Cold Feelings,” which I still think is Ness at his best.

    Play \”Cold Feelings\” by Social Distortion

    Side B features a live acoustic take on Somewhere…‘s classic 2nd track, “Bad Luck.”  It’s a great rendition, but let’s keep things fresh, shall we?  Check out this recent, hard-chugging electric live take with The Boss & his E-Streeters at the LASA.  It totally kills.

    Play \”Bad Luck\” live in L.A. with Mike & Bruce

    Well, both “1945” and 1981 are long behind us, yet there’s still no stoppin’ the D.  Keep up with all the hottest poop at socialdistortion.com.

    NEXT WEEK:  Two…Two…Two Garage-Rock Classics In One!