It’s OK if you like these bands. I just don’t. I’m not going to offer any explanation. I’m not saying that they’re not immensely talented or incredibly rich or famous. With some of these bands, I’m no doubt in the minority. Some of them are punching bags for haters everywhere. I’m sure I like some bands that others may find absolutely terrible. It’s fine if you’re a fan of the bands listed below. I’m just not. These are my opinions.
The Clarks
Nickelback
U2
Godsmack
Disturbed
Coldplay
Rusted Root
Phish
The Dave Matthews Band
Rascal Flatts
Jimmy Buffett
Bono
I’m sure I’m missing some. I’m sure I’ve angered some people. I just had to get it out there. What bands do you find annoying? What songs make you cringe every time you hear a single note?
Appetite for Destruction generally tops my “all time favorites” album lists. I go back to it time and time again, & get lost in between Slash & Izzy’s guitars spiraling around each other.
Of course, when the autobiographies started coming out, I had to read them. I got Slash‘s book, then Duff’s then Steven’s. Slash was a rock n’ roll hero to me when I was in Jr. High & high school, but out of the three books… I think Duff comes off the best and most entertaining. The writing is very fluid. I found it easy to imagine Duff in the early days. The stories are blunt & sincere, and he ties it all back to where it has led him & where he is now in life. Duff seems like a great guy to hang out with.
It's So Easy: and Other Lies
Slash’s book is an easy read, but it jumps around quite a bit. His recollection of events is really questionable. It doesn’t necessarily feel like Slash is remembering things correctly, or even the one telling the story. I might have to give it a re-read after finishing the other two books.
Steven’s book, like Steven, is a mess. I can’t help but feel pity for the guy, mostly because he professes to not have a “poor me” attitude, but every single action the guy takes screams “oh poor me”. This guy just can’t get it right, but he still seems like a likeable guy.
It comes across in all of them that they had fun times in the early days, with a vibe that can never be repeated. Sadly, all these guys seem to have a habit of burning bridges… yet posses a decent history of patching things up. I mean, Slash & Duff have never really stopped working together. Duff has been on-stage with Axl’s band recently. They both patched it up with Weiland recently. Duff, Slash, & Izzy have jammed with Adler’s Appetite.
My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, and Drugs, and Guns N' Roses
One thing is clear from all of these books… Axl is an absolute wild man, and these guys love & fear him. I really hope Axl & Izzy churn out books someday. Maybe somehow all of the events can get plotted out & reconstructed correctly.
I’d love to check out some of the other GN’R biographies (like Reckless Road), but if the guys in the band can’t even get it right… then what hope does an outsider have?
I’ve obviously been in a maze mood lately. I found some old AiXeLsyD & Gasoline Dion themed mazes. At the request of a friend, I also made some AiXeLsyD & Gasoline Dion music available for download.
I’m going to have to make up an Ernie and the Berts maze! At any rate, print these out, and try to solve them while jamming to my extinct musical projects, and send me a photo or scan of the completed maze!
The downloads are zip files. If you don’t know how to unzip files, learn. Also, check out my other mazes if you liked these ones.
You’ve no doubt heard that Black Sabbath just announced that they were going to record an album of new material & tour with the original lineup…
You’ve probably also heard the news about Tony Iommi being recently diagnosed with lymphoma. The band told us not long ago via their website that you could send get well wishes to Tony via email at getwelltony@black-sabbath.com.
I did that.
From: me@myemail.addre.ss To: “getwelltony@black-sabbath.com” <getwelltony@black-sabbath.com> Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 Subject: – ✠ \m/ ✠ –
Dear Mr. Iommi,
I’m sure you have a grasp of your influence in the musical world, and on guitar players everywhere. We look to you for not only inspiration as far as the most devastating guitar riffs on the planet, but also as a musician who’s resolve soldiered his band triumphantly through many decades. I have read countless stories of your humility & friendliness. I have several members of my family & great friends who have triumphed over the odds with various forms of cancer. I have no doubt that the prayers, thoughts, and general good vibes of millions of fans, friends, family, and your brothers from Black Sabbath will only serve to strengthen your own personal iron will to defeat this disease and come out a stronger man.
Your music helped me learn to play the guitar, and whenever any people get together to jam for the first time, inevitably someone starts playing a Sabbath song, then another, then another… I owe you a great many good times, sir. I will pray for your health, pray for strength for your family & friends, & pray for guidance to the medical team entrusted with your care so that you may continue to have many more good times yourself.
Sincerely,
-Eric
.seitilibasid gninrael fo nuf ekam ot ynnuf ton yllaer s’tI
This is the auto reply:
From: Tony Iommi To: me@myemail.addre.ss Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 Subject: Thanks for the Get Well Email! Re: – ✠ \m/ ✠ –
A short automated note to let you know that your email for Tony Iommi has been received.
Due to the overwheming crush of outpouring for Tony since his announcement on Jan 9th, please note that your email cannot be individually replied to.
It will however be read, and both Tony, and those who represent him are grateful for your prayers and thoughts at this time.
This is awesome. That’s all. Not sure if this is the original source, seems to be everywhere. You may have seen it already. At any rate, I dig it, and I was compelled to share. You can find some of these at a higher resolution, but I haven’t found all of the close-ups. If you have more, please share!
I’m expecting two killer albums from two incredible bands this year. What do these bands have in common? Well, almost nothing I guess. (It’s 11 whole steps at BandToBand.com!) They’re both punk bands, but they really sound nothing alike. They are, however, in my all-time top favorites.
My wife tells me all the time that every band that I talk about is my favorite. But that’s how I am, I guess. If I like a band, I really like a band. I try to acquire all of their music. I get into side projects & related bands. I sometimes even look for live stuff & bootlegs. Snuff & Ann Beretta are bands that have that hold over me.
I got into both of these bands right around the time I started playing in my first real band, AiXeLsyD. I was really into buying punk compilations some time after 1995… and whenever ’98 or ’99 rolled around and AiXeLsyD was writing and playing shows, I was absorbing everything and these bands just lit me up.
I’m incredibly pumped for this, or anything that Duncan Redmonds puts out.
Ann Beretta
With Ann Beretta, I can pin it all down to one song. I heard “Bottlecaps” on Fueled by Ramen‘s Year of the Rat comp, and that was it. These cats are incredible. Hearing their songs is like being dropped right into the middle of a story, situation, or town that you know every inch of despite having never been there. I’ve seen them more than once in the ‘Burgh, and have even road-tripped to Cleveland to see them. I helped make buttons for them, and they crashed at my buddy (& fellow AiXelsyD bandmate) Andy’s place after a show one time at the Rex. The music is not unlike Rancid… without so much ska & snarl, but with honest Willie Nelson-like storytelling. These guys wear RVA on their sleeve, and certainly make their hometown proud. Their cover of All‘s “Long Distance” is incredible. (The original is of course flawless in its own right.)“Love’s Easy Tears” is one of the catchiest songs ever, and I love the chaotic ending. “Russ’Song” always gets me going, too. Inquisition, Sixer and Foundation are worth checking out too.
The major update on this front comes from the driving force behind Ann Beretta and Foundation, Rob Huddleston…. via Twitter:
Heh. Alex seems like a cool cat. I’ve read countless guitar magazine articles that he’s written, and saw him perform once with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Damn, he’s good.
You read about the Backallie Music Rock Music Awards before, and Ernie has been nominated for best “oh shit moment”! Thank you all for your help, we hope to see you at the awards show. We won’t be performing, but many other awesome local bands will be!
Check out their flyer…
Backallie Music 2nd Annual Rock Music Awards!
Buy your tickets now! We’ll see you there! Wish Ernie luck & hit up the Backallie Music Facebook Page and show your support for all of the nominated bands!
