Monday, October 12, 2009

Umm, Who the Hell is This?


The Today show has this concert series where lame performers come out to send adorning fans into a tizzy while working through some lame hit. Today's performer was Jason Bieber, which I misheard as "Jason Beaver." I had never heard of this tween idol, but there he was, dressed in a jaunty scarf, just waiting to go out to the screams of thirteen-year-old girls who were probably feeling those first longings for the showerhead.

Bieber, who was apparently discovered on YouTube (another one), sung "One Time" while dancing and trying to look kinda tough. He may have been lip synching, too, as the song the show played back after he left the stage sounded exactly like what he had just sung.

Bieber, who wants to remember where he's from (Canada, of course), then sang "Lonely Girl." Again with the showerhead hopes. This song actually sounded like he was singing, and to "black" it up, there was some DJ scratching.

Cut to a startling number of girls in braces holding up one finger and singing along. Girls are pulled from the crowd and put on stools on the stage as props. He makes his way around them, wrapping his arm around their shoulders. They express their love for him. He puts his head against one of them, and you can feel the jealousy coming off the crowd in waves.

This young lad, who tries to appear tough, but sensitive, is about as threatening as a CBS sitcom. That's why the young girls love him, as do their parents. Yeah, he's got some weird "urban" moves, but he doesn't look like a rapist, unlike Rob Zombie or Bono.

One of the girls on the stage keeps trying to talk to him. I think she's saying, "I love you. I'm your number one fan." Bieber doesn't miss a beat. He's new, but he's still a pro ... a YouTube pro. One silly girl with stylish hair won't throw him off his game, even though I bet she goes home feeling lonely even if she has a boyfriend.

I'll admit that I don't keep an eye on many teen sensations. I'm no Lou Pearlman-like pedophile. And when Bieber takes the stage for a third time, sitting on one of those stools and strumming an acoustic guitar (I hate when guys play an acoustic guitar -- nothing good comes of it), I still can't see his cheap appeal.

He's young. I suppose you could consider him cute. His songs are syrup-lite, and for a 15 year-old he seems to be mature (and still not threatening). So I could see why the girls like him. But why did this guy get CD? What made him stand out over every other performer who sounds like this (and there are thousands)? What makes this guy "the one"?

I can only think that it is lack of standards. If it looks good and sounds semi-decent, we can market it, pump it out there and make him a teen sensation so that we can put out a debut CD that sells, get our money and wait for the next "big thing." Bieber, like so many before him is product. He moves units. He is nothing more than a shill, and he doesn't know it. Hell, the young female fans probably have a better grasp on his future than he does.

I think three years from now nobody will remember this guy. I know it's been five minutes since I last heard his "angelic" voice and I can't remember a single lyric.

Jason Beaver who?

Thursday, October 8, 2009

You Down With ICP?


You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a band by its fans. Nowhere is this more true than with the Insane Clown Posse. I don't listen to the band, have heard very few songs, and don't really care to. What I've heard sucks for all the reasons you would imagine. Regardless, I've found that the majority of the act's fans fall into two camps.

The first camp is the fifteen-year-old males and the males who never matured past fifteen. These are guys who paint their faces, drink Faygo (because they are told to by the band) and who love songs like "I Stuck Her With My Wang." "I Stuck Her With My Wang" is a classic on par with Lennon's "Imagine," though as you can imagine the message isn't quite the same.

"I stuck her with my wang
She hit me in the balls
I grabbed her by her neck
And I bounced her off the walls
She said it was an accident and then apologized
But I still took my elbow and blackened both her eyes"

Men who have never matured past 15 find this stuff hilarious. No wonder they love ICP so much! The band appeals to the stunted male's most primal urges. Wang stickin' and eye blackenin'. It don't get much better than that if you are 15, don't know what you want to do with your life, and have no real prospects. Which brings us to the other camp.

The other camp is thirtysomething men. They have grown up ... kinda. They either live with their girlfriend (who is inevitably kind of hideous), who is the bread winner; or they live with their mothers, who always seem to be disabled (usually due to obesity). If these men have a job (big "if" as they need a job where they can wear their ICP shirts like a true jugaloo who is busy sticking his wang in "nasty motherfuckin noodle-stank booty-wack bitches"), it is usually not of the professional variety. Professional line chef or something, maybe, but it is doubtful an ICP fan will be performing your skin grafts.

It doesn't take a fucking genius to see this band's a joke. Always being in the shadow of fellow Detroit musician Eminem will eventually have some adverse affect upon your "art." What stuns me is that anyone takes them seriously (and ICP fans take the band very seriously). How can you not get the joke? In what universe would this be serious?

It's nice that the band wants to appeal to moronic, directionless males with mommy issues, but that really limits its audience. It should also be targeting fourteen-year-olds whose sole sexually experience was seeing porn on the net and guys who live in their cars. So much potential wasted. Hey, maybe Vanilla Ice can spare a few fans.

Friday, October 2, 2009

New Music From Voodoo Rhythm Records!

From the Beat-Man's hand ...

Hi

brand new on voodoo rhythm records :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

THE KING IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER ... HE TRANSPORTS THE ONE MAN BANDS INTO ANOTHER DIMENSION .. THE STRANGLERS MEETS ROCKSTEADY SKINHEADS MEETS RAW GARAGE PUNK MEETS VIRGIN PRUNES MEETS FRENCH YEYE BEAT …OR IN SIMPLY ONE WORD: KING AUTOMATIC !!!!!!-------------------------------------
BAND: KING AUTOMATIC

ALBUM TITLE: in the blue corner
Original Release Year : oct 2. 2009
Formate : LP/CD



DIRECT Order : http://www.voodoorhythm.com/VR1256.htm

WHOLESALE: http://www.voodoorhythm.com/distribution.htm

SIDE: http://www.kingautomatic.com/

MY SPACE: http://www.myspace.com/lekingautomatic

HI RES PICTURE 2009 http://www.voodoorhythm.info/IMAGES/PICTURE-KING-AUTOMATIC-2009.jpg

HI RES PICTURE : http://www.voodoorhythm.com/Images/PICTURE-KING-AUTOMATIC.jpg

CURRENT RELEASE: http://www.voodoorhythm.com/VR1257.htm

MP3 : in the blue corner

VIDEO CLIP : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-YDtG1ESt8







TRACK LIST



1. KING TAKES QUEEN
2. IN THE BLUE CORNER
3. STAIRCASE SERENADE
4. LE REDRESSEUR DE TORTS
5. MOODSWINGS
6. FAKE SKINHEADS IN LOVE
7. THINGS ARE WHAT THEY ARE BUT NEVER WHAT THEY SEEM

8. LET'S HAVE A PARTY
9. VAGUE INFORMATION
10. THERE IS NO TRUTH IN THE NIGHT
11. THERE GOES GEORGE
12. DOCTOR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE
13. MIGHTY SWORD OF TRUTH
14. BLACK MAGIC



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



KING AUTOMATIC

RECORD RELEASE TOUR:



Oct 1 2009 Subteranea Festival OVIEDO (E)

Oct 2 2009 Uhagon Kulturgunea MARKINA (E)

Oct 3 2009 La Pequena Betty MADRID (E)

Oct 4 2009 Tornado Rock’n’Roll Club GRANADA (E)

Oct 8 2009 Bafo de Baco LOULE (P)

Oct 9 2009 Cabaret Maxime LISBOA (P)

Oct 10 2009 Armazen do Cha PORTO (P)

Oct 16 2009 TBA w/The Monsters FREIBURG (D)

Oct 22 2009 ISC BERN (CH)

Oct 23 2009 TBA ZURICH (CH)

Oct 24 2009 TBA KALRSHRUE (D)

Oct 29 2009 Tap Tab SCHAFFHAUSEN (CH)

Oct 30 2009 Veka GLARUS (CH)

Oct 31 2009 Between w/Urban Jr, Night of one Sadist BREGENZ (A)

Nov 6 2009 Tinnitus Festival LYON (F)

Nov 7 2009 La Machine à Coudre MARSEILLE (F)

Nov 10 2009 TBA ANNECY (F)

Dec 5 2009 Sauna Club WOLFSBURG (D)

Dec 16 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 17 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 18 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 19 2009 Groove POTENZA PICENA (Macerata) (I)

Dec 20 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 21 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 22 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 23 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 24 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 25 2009 TBA (I)

Dec 26 2009 Kofmehl SOLOTHURN (CH)

---------------------------------------------------

ENGLISH

THE FUTURE OF ROCK ‘N ‘ ROLL? King Automatic’s In The Blue Corner

As we are now nearing the 2nd decade of the 21st century, it is time to ask an essential question: Where lies the future of Rock 'n' Roll?

Will we recycle old ideas ad infinitum - 3 chords boom chica boom, mimick the past and kneel and pray at the alter of Jerry Lee Lewis, The Ramones and the Cramps or will we introduce new musical concepts into Rock ‘n’ Roll, embrace the future and venture into unsafe yet exciting waters?

Will we limit ourselves by sticking to the musical traditions of the Western hemisphere only or will we seek inspiration across the four corners of our globe and make truly trans-global Rock ‘n‘ Roll? It is time to expand the horizon and to seek out new territories - it is time to evolve and if that evolutionary process takes the shape of King Automatic...well that's all the better. This Gentleman finds inspiration in Jamaican Rocksteady, Rhythm ‘n’Blues, Bebop,Tthe Stranglers, The Doors, Virgin Prunes, David Bowie, Tom Waits, and the tribal drumming of West Africa to mention only a few of the ingredients of a truly exotic musical cocktail. In addition to the musical diversity to be found in his music, King Automatic has also freed Rock ‘n’ Roll from the lyrical cliché of: “I picked up my baby in a ’59 De Ville, we tore through the city seeking cheap thrills”. There is actually real songwriting at play here which adds a welcomed layer to the music we all like to drink, dance and make babies to.

Starting out in the mid-1990’s as the drummer of the legendary French Punk band Thundercrack, King Automatic took a radical turn at the beginning of the new Millenium and introduced a new dimension to the stagnant sound of one-mand bands. He began to sample and loop organ, guitar, harp and percussion sounds live on stage to create a truly sonic soundscape – close your eyes and you will swear you are listening to an orchestra.

With his new album “In The Blue Corner” now appearing on Voodoo Rhythm Records, he has taken his vision to the next level and has created an even more diverse record than his previous two - he has once and for all left behind the shackles and confinements of traditional Rock ‘n’ Roll and his journey has led him to exciting places - mesadames & messieurs join King Automatic on his unique odyssee and explore the Rock ‘n’ Roll of the world!

DEUTSCH

DIE ZUKUNFT DES ROCK 'N ' ROLL? King Automatic's In The Blue Corner

Nun da wir uns der zweiten Dekade des 21. Jahrhunderts nähern, ist es an der Zeit sich eine essentielle Frage zu stellen: Wie sieht die Zukunft des Rock 'n' Roll aus? Werden wir alten Ideen ad infinitum recyceln -- 3 Akkorde Boom Chica Boom, weiterhin der Vergangenheit huldigen und am Altar Jerry Lee Lewis', der Ramones' und der Cramps' beten oder werden wir neue musikalische Konzepte in den Rock 'n' Roll einführen, die Zukunft annehmen und uns in unsichere aber aufregende Gewässer vorwagen?//

Werden wir uns selber limitieren in dem wir uns weiterhin nur an den musikalischen Traditionen der westlichen Hemisphäre orientieren oder werden wir unsere Inspiration quer über den Erdball verstreut suchen und wahrlich trans-globalen Rock 'n' Roll kreieren.

Es ist an der Zeit unseren Horizont zu erweitern und neue Territorien zu begehen -- es ist Zeit sich weiterzuentwickeln und wenn diese Entwicklung die Gestalt King Automatics annimt....dann umso besser. King Automatics Inspirationsquellen liegen im Jamaikanischen Rocksteady, dem R&B, sowie dem BeBeop und dem Polyrhythmus westafrikanischer Trommler, den Stranglers, Doors, Virgin Prunes David Bowie, Tom Waits etc um nur einige Zutaten seines wahrhaftig exotischen musikalischen Cocktails zu nennen. Seine musikalische Reise begann Mitter der 90er Jahre als Drummer der legendären französischen Punk Band Thundercrack.

Zu Beginn des neuen Milleniums unternahm King Automatic jedoch eine radikale Wende und führte eine neue Dimension in den stagnierenden Sound der One-Man Bands ein: Er begann Orgel, Gitarre, Harmonika und Percussion Live zu sampeln und loopen und kreierte so den Eindruck eines ganzen Orchesters. Mit seinem neuen, auf Voodoo Rhythm erschienenen Album "In The Blue Corner" legt er die musikalische Messlatte nun noch einmal höher. Entstanden ist ein noch diversifizierteres Album als seine beiden Vorgänger und man kann konstatieren dass er sich nun endgültige von den Fesseln und Einschränkungen des traditionellen Rock 'n' Rolls gelöst hat.

Mesdames et Messiuers begleiten Sie King Automatic auf seiner einzigartigen Odyssee und erkunden sie die Welt des trans-globalen Rock 'n' Roll.

FRENCH

LE FUTUR DU ROCK ‘N ‘ ROLL ? ~ “In The Blue Corner” par King Automatic ~

Alors que l'on s’approche gentiment de la deuxième décennie du 21ème siècle, il est temps de poser la question essentielle :Quel est le futur du Rock 'n' Roll ?

Est-ce que nous allons continuer longtemps à recycler les vieilles recettes jusqu’à ce que mort s’ensuive -3 accords, boum tchak boum– à singer le passé et à s’agenouiller pour prier devant l’autel de Jerry Lee Lewis, des Ramones ou des Cramps ?Ou allons-nous plutôt aller de l'avant et introduire de nouveaux concepts dans le Rock ‘n Roll ?Allons-nous exclusivement nous borner à suivre les traditions musicales de l’Hémisphère Occidental ?Ou allons-nous fouiner et décloisonner la chose, trouver notre inspiration aux 4 coins du globe, jouer un Rock ‘n‘ Roll réellement transmondialiste ?Il est temps de repousser loin nos horizons et de défricher de nouvelles terres, il est temps d'arrêter les conneries et de jeter les mouchoirs morveux de nostalgie... et si ce processus d’évolution prend la forme de King Automatic, bon sang c'est tant mieux.

Ce Gentleman puise son inspiration dans le Rocksteady jamaïcain le plus enfumé, le Rhythm‘n’Blues pas net, le Bebop de Mingus et les percussions tribales d’Afrique occidentale pour ne citer là que quelques sources.En plus de cette diversité musicale, King Automatic libère le Rock ‘n’ Roll des clichés lyriques et éculés du genre : “I picked up my baby in a ’59 De Ville, we tore through the city seeking cheap thrills”. Pas de niaiseries de ce genre, non Monsieur.Ici, un authentique travail de songwriter est à l'oeuvre, ciselé comme au bon vieux temps du trafic de diamants bruts, diamants que l'on voyait ensuite sertis sur les bagues des jolies dames.Ceci ajoute un intérêt supplémentaire et plus que bienvenu à cette musique sur laquelle nous aimons tous boire, danser et faire des bébés.Après avoir officié en tant que batteur dans le groupe garage français Thundercrack au milieu des années 90's, King Automatic repart seul et prend un virage radical au début du nouveau millénaire en injectant une nouvelle dimension dans son répertoire. One man band atypique, il reste inclassable dans cette discipline.

Sur scène, il sample claviers, guitare, harmo, maracas, il chante, cogne tambours et caisse claire en assignant de frénétiques coups de cymbales à ses riffs de guitares, créant ainsi un paysage sonique inouï – en fermant les yeux tu jurerais entendre un big band primitif au grand complet, mon pote. Avec son nouvel album “In The Blue Corner” paru sur Voodoo Rhythm Records, encore plus éclectique que ses deux précédents, il a une fois pour toutes largué les amarres, pris la mer définitivement libéré des entraves et des contraintes Rock ‘n’ Rollesques traditionnelles et son voyage l’a amené dans des contrées étranges et exotiques... Mesdames & messieurs, venez rejoindre King Automatic dans son unique odyssée et explorer le Rock ‘n’ Roll du monde entier !



Voodoo Rhythm Records

Wankdorffeldstrasse 92

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Switzerland



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