Mega Ramp mania has been so successful in the US now that a Mini Mega Ramp has arrived on the scene at various events. Check out this video courtesy of our friends at Megaramps.com featuring PLG, Bob Burnquist, Omar Hassan, Tony Hawk and many more.
Fourstar has a Day in the Life of Mr Eric Koston up right now.
Click his basketball steez for the sweets.
Outcry Collective‘s debut album ‘a r t I c l e s‘ is out next week and they’ve uploaded a video of what they got into in the studio as a sneak preview. Check it out below.
The amazing Manchester Orchestra have teamed up with MySpace to provide a free download of a recent session they did.
Just head on over to www.myspace.com/transmissions to check it out and you can also watch video footage of the session and the band in conversation.
The Silent Years have had a lot of love in the US and now they’ve set their sights on UK shores. Take a look at the intriguing video to ‘Climb On My Back‘ below. The single is out 10th August.
Also, check out their MySpace for a free download of the whole of their first self-titled album! Forthcoming album ‘The Globe‘ will be released in the UK later this year.
If you didn’t know the story; by the time the Stupids spluttered to a halt 20 years ago, only drummer/vocalist Tommy was an original member. Bar a brief return on drums with BYO outfit That’s It! he would successfully reposition himself behind a turntable, under the guise of Klute. The Stupids were a footnote on the golden years of Eighties UK Hardcore. Great memories (check), few excellent records (check) and that was it.
Or it was…? Last year Boss Tuneage released a comprehensive and finely packed retrospective of the Stupids entire back catalogue… and, next thing, Tommy has gotten the band back together, played a few gigs, and hit Southern Studios in early 2009 to lay down this brand new album. Fast work…
After repeated solid spins of this 16 song disc I’m liking what I’m hearing; sure, there is that warm feeling (if you will) of familiarity, with Tom’s distinct hollered vocals and machine-gun skin bashing, Marty’s razor sharp riffage, and a buncha funny/sarcastic songs that poke fun at new age bongo-bums, asshole music shop employees, middle age punks (pot, kettle.. ahhah??!!), Jesus freaks, etc… you know, the really serious shit in life that drags you down! End to end the material is upfront and fresh, super melodic and mighty powerful, certainly doesn’t stink of a blatant attempt to just rehash past glories. The musicianship is top notch, but that’s what always made these guys stick out in the first place… the quality of the songs.
I don’t buy in to every damn band that comes out of mothballs to try and recapture old times, but, whether the kids choose to like this or not, trust me – this LP is first rate. Still got the tuneage (dudes).
Pete Craven
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster put their new video live this week.
The Alabama band, who recently released their new album III, were featured as this week’s “Breaking Artist” on Rolling Stone’s website and the exclusive of their video can be seen by clicking here.
Watch out for an interview with the band hitting Crossfire soon!
And if you need more of a fix, check out a track from their album II below!
Lou Barlow has released a free mp3.
The Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr. man will be releasing his new album Goodbye Unknown in October and you can check out Gravitate by grabbing it from the widget below.
Check Lou out playing at SXSW this year:
Kevin Devine
ICA, London
21st July 2009
Kevin Devine is brilliant. He’s one of those acts that when you finally see live you wonder how you never realized this brilliance earlier. Devine’s acoustic offerings are translated impeccably in tonight’s setting and you could literally hear a pin drop as a rapt audience become involved in his heartfelt, sometimes political, always emotional and melodious songsmithery.
Manchester Orchestra‘s Andy Hull appears in dim but angelic lighting to one side of Devine in the middle of selected songs as he effortlessly adds his vocals to blend with Devine’s in a way that sounds so natural it’s almost as if he’s not there. Vocal excellence becomes par for the course tonight as Devine pulls away from the microphone as his voice becomes more intense to really create an intimate effect. The crowd may as well be round a campfire as stories are told and songs rolled out with a friendly and familiar manner.
Opening with some sort of ode to 50 Cent conveyed with ever-marvellous musicianship and following on with the quietness that has so far been the theme of the evening, Manchester Orchestra have the crowd chuckling from the outset yet there is a feeling of anticipation which is rewarded as the full force of this act to be reckoned with kicks in. Songs from the new record ‘Mean Everything To Nothing’ such as ‘Shake It Out’ and ‘The River’ shake through the venue with waves of intensity, the crowd relishing those softly softly moments every bit as much as the all-consuming loudness generated by supplementary drumming and full-on guitar assaults.
The ultimate catchiness of ‘I’ve Got Friends’ is likely to whirl around inside everybody’s brains for days to come after the band pick out the delicate opening riff with purpose and feeling every nuance as one unit. There really isn’t anything to fault with the sound at the venue this evening being super clear and emphasizing exactly how accomplished these guys are as songwriters and as musicians. Emo? Yes – after all, that term really only stands for emotional and that they are. But Manchester Orchestra are so much more than that and it’s always a joy to see a band take such care and pride in what they do yet be so humble and understated at the same time with riveting effect.
Winey G.
Reports are appearing online that Brooklyn’s MGMT will be featuring on the new Jigga album.
The Blueprint 3, due out on September 11, and Jay-Z hasn’t confirmed or denied the duo’s involvement but has said that Rihanna will guest on the record and said:
“The time gave me a chance to step back, touch it, step back, touch it, rework it,” he explained. “Then I had to keep motivating myself because of the current state of music. My album is a single album, but it’s part of a collective – the collectiveness of hip-hop.”
Meantime, let’s have that moment of silence of Auto-tune…