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Tag: Mikey Hersh

  • SonicClash 2008 Top Tens: Aboard the Rock ‘n Roll Train

    Over the next week, the team here at SonicClash will be posting lists of their favorites from this year. First up to bat is our rock ‘n roll renaissance man, Mikey Hersh. Take it away, Mikey.

    Keep in mind that this Top 10 list is not about the greatest tunes in terms of musical integrity.  These are the ten songs of 2008 that brought a smile to my face. These ten songs have great melodies, great guitar riffs, or a great dance beat. My list probably isn’t going to match up to all of the critics, but I determined my list on what songs really made an impact on me regardless of whether it’s cool or not to admit.  I have no shame in including songs from the Pussycat Dolls and New Kids On The Block on my list. Remember to understand my warped tastes in music, and don’t take me all that seriously on this list. Music is very subjective, and just because a song has three chords or is formulaic doesn’t mean it isn’t quality.

    1) Rock & Roll Train:AC/DC-  AC/DC not only put out a killer album after making me wait eight years, but they also contributed another song that will be a classic in the same vein as Highway To Hell and Back In Black.  Rock & Roll Train was AC/DC’s first ever song to be nominated for a Grammy, and has been
    kicking ass on the modern rock charts.  The song even peaked at #47 on the dance charts.

    2) Never Walk Away:Journey–  Journey also returned in full fashion going back to the sound that made them famous, even if Steve Perry is no longer in the picture.  Never Walk Away, the first track on the album, is a killer tune that sounds like Be Good To Yourself from the Raised On Radio album.  A song so good, that I got chills upon listening to it for the first time.

    3) Use Me:Hinder–  I thought Hinder would be a here today, gone tomorrow band.  Their first album was okay, and that Lips Of An Angel song was definitely not as great as it was hyped up to be.  Use Me, the first single from Hinder’s sophomore album sounds just like an 80’s hard rock song.  It has a great opening guitar riff, and a fun chorus.

    4) Summertime:New Kids On The Block– This is the first song on my list that I’m sure to get shit for.  I don’t care, this song has a great dance beat, and was the perfect comeback tune for a group who I wanted to die quickly back in 1988.  It’s a song that defined the summer, and a song I wish I would have heard more of at the clubs.  The New Kids surprised many, and especially me with a catchy pop song that works.

    5)  My Apocalypse:Metallica–  I was very impressed with Metallica’s new album, and the fact that they decided to go back to their old sound.  My Apocalypse was not officially released as a single, but was one of the tracks you could download before the album was released.  The song is a full-out kick-ass song, and a song that works well when you are having a bad day and want to take your aggression out.

    6) I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go):Sarah Brightman & Paul
    Stanley    –  Not a well-known hit, but anytime Paul Stanley from KISS goes outside the box, I’m going to take notice.  On this track, he collaborates with Broadway star Sarah Brightman for a fun little pop song.  It’s always fun to hear Paul try to sing songs that are outside the rock and roll style we are used to from him.

    7) Troublemaker:Weezer–  I truly believe this should have been the first single, although as the second single of the Red Album, it’s been a huge hit on the modern rock charts.  Rivers Cuomo is the king of writing these 3 minute rock songs with that noticeable melody.  The lyrics are fun, and this might just be my new theme song.

    8) When I Grow Up:Pussycat Dolls–  I’m getting to get heat for this one also!  I thought nothing would best Don’t Cha, but I was wrong.  When I Grow Up has a fun dance beat, and the “When I Grow Up, I want to have boobies” line in the song is the lyric of the year.  Ha ha ha ha ha!

    9) Rise Above This:Seether–  It might be formulaic, but still good. Seether knows how to write songs that get ingrained in your head.  My eyes light up whenever I wake up to WDHA in the morning and hear this song as I try to wake up.

    10) Hot N Cold:Katy Perry–  I know I’ll also get shit for this one, but I prefer Katy Perry’s second single.  I Kissed A Girl got old really quick, but Hot N Cold is a fun song that brings back memories of rollerskating back in the 80’s for some reason.

  • Out There!- “It’s Christmas (All Over The World)” by Sheena Easton

    Guess who’s back, back again!  Mikey’s back, tell your friends.  I apologize for being gone for two weeks, but I’m now back to spread some joy and expose you all to some more obscure gems that shouldn’t be ignored.

    Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s now that time again; the time when every time you turn on the radio and all you hear is Christmas music.  Even though I’m a Jew, I have a soft spot in my heart for a good Christmas melody, but I can’t tolerate listening to the same 25 songs over and over again.  You know the ones (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Bruce Springsteen, Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses, Last Christmas by Wham! , and Jingle Bell Rock by The Singing Dogs just to name a few).  There is one particular pop song about Christmas that you will never hear, even though it’s sung by a relevant musician and the song has a terrific melody.  This tune I’m about to unleash on you is the key song from the infamous Santa Claus: The Movie (a movie of which I am honest in revealing that I’ve never seen nor have the desire to).  It’s Christmas (All Over The World) sung by Sheena Easton.  The producers probably figured that if Sheena Easton could score with a hit song from a movie in 1983 (For Your Eyes Only), why not try and get her to contribute another movie classic.  Anybody out there know this great song?

    I have to give credit to my pal Jim for bringing this song to my attention about three years ago.  I had never seen the Santa Claus movie as a kid because my mom preached to me about not being excited about anything relating to Christmas.  I didn’t know about this song until my buddy gave it to me because he was shocked I didn’t have it in my collection.  Upon listening to it over and over again, I began to love it!  It’s a 5 star song, and is my personal #1 Christmas tune.  The song was never released as a single, although that shouldn’t mean that we can’t hear it in the same rotation as the plethora of other Christmas tunes.  It really irritates me that radio stations are too shallow and can’t think outside the box to expose us to different Christmas songs.  Perhaps if Rihanna covered this song, we’d be able to enjoy the great melody while stuck in traffic on a snowy December morning?  As for adding it to your collection, it’s tough but doable!  The 1985 soundtrack has been out of print for years, and it’s a not a song you can find on a Christmas compilation album.  People, we have been given a gift, and that gift is Peer To Peer!!!  You shouldn’t have a problem downloading on a P2P network!

    What’s great about the song is that it is totally 80s-sounding, but has a powerful chorus that could cause many Jews and Muslims to want to convert and celebrate Christmas  Come to think of it, I’m going to listen to the song right now and prepare myself for another winter filled with commercialism, Christmas  pop culture countdown shows, and tons of Santa Claus sightings in malls.


  • Out There! “Our Time Is Now (Looking Good)” by James Rolleston

    For this week’s article, I’m really going in a totally different direction.  I’m devoting my energy to my favorite obscure cheesy 70’s movie anthem, “Our Time Is Now”.  I’m sure you’ve seen The Bad News Bears, but have you ever seen the sequels?  The third movie entitled The Bad News Bears Go To Japan may be one of the top 5 worst movies of all time and is totally unwatchable.  But I will admit that I really love the second movie, The Bad News Bears: Breaking Training.  It’s total cheese, but I never get tired of watching it for all it’s campiness.  William Devane shines as Kelly Leak’s estranged dad who vows to coach the Bears in their big game at the Houson Astrodome.  The movie includes many classic scenes such as the crowd vowing to let the kids play, Kelly Leak getting so upset at his dad that the only thing he can do is run for five minutes, Scott Baio’s brother as Carmine the stereotypical Brooklyn kid who thinks he’s a real man and distributes porn to the team, and Tanner Boyle running away from the umpires at the Astrodome.  You probably have to have seen the movie to know what I’m referring to, but just memorable cinematic moments of my childhood.  But the one key ingredient that makes the movie so great is the theme song that is played throughout the movie.  It’s a song that may be cheesy and generic, but for some reason it’s also a bit inspirational.  “Life is looking good for you and me!”

    The song was written by Craig Safan (music only; I wonder if he is related to Marc Safan who sang “Win In The End from Teen Wolf”, hmmm!) and Norman Gimbel (lyrics) of TV songwriting fame.  The vocals were contributed by James Rolleston.  I wonder if Mister Rolleston wakes up every day knowing he sang such a gem!  I would give anything to meet him today and hear an acoustic version of the tune played for an audience of me and my brother.  The song combines funk and disco, but sounds like something you would never hear on Top 40 Radio.  It has a great piano melody, and featues the ominpresent 70’s funk sound that reminds me of Charlie Brown’s teacher.  You’ve probably figured out that this song was never released as a single and was never nominated for an Academy Award.  Also, finding the song is near impossible. Other than on a P2P server or ripping the audio from youtube, you aren’t going to find this song anywhere.  If the soundtrack actually was released, it was only available on vinyl or 8-track; both of which went out of print pretty quickly.  I couldn’t find out much about James Rolleston other than he was a session musician who played on Pure Prairie League’s second album which featured Amie.  Does anybody else out there have some facts about this guy?

    I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a fan of the song.  Look, the song isn’t a bona fide classic in terms of musical integrity, but it’s fun.  And isn’t that what music should be about, fun?  I have a soft spot in my heart for this great song, and it evokes memories when I was a young fella watching the movie and enjoying this song over the end credits.  Check it out below, if anything it will give you a good laugh!