The Extra-Medium Sized Review: The Throttles

 

How do I write an objective review of a band I personally know?  Easy, I'm extra critical.  I literally put this CD in my player and thought to myself, "I've heard all of their stuff before, there's no way I can be impressed."  I was wrong.  

Now let's clarify a couple things before we get into it.  The Throttles haven't been around for that long, but I've known the individual members through other bands they have been in.  Both Greg Burgess (guitar/lead vocals) and Jack Hanlon (stand up bass/vocals) were in The Amazing (Royal) Crowns together.  Matt McLaren (drums) has played with Jack in numerous bands throughout the years.  All three fit extremely well together, unlike OJ's gloves.

This familiarity really comes across in their playing.  The recording is very tight, all three members are pulling their weight.  There are no weak links here instrumentally.  If there is a weakness, it would be the vocals.  Greg Burgess is a fantastic guitarist.  He plays original leads, with interesting solos, but doesn't over play.  He does plenty to make each song exciting, but doesn't step on any one's toes.  That being said, I'm sure he'd be the first person to admit he's not a lead vocalist in the traditional sense.  Somehow it all works.  I try to imagine other people singing and it wouldn't work.  The rhythm section is rock solid, but they aren't just holding the back-beat so Burgess can solo, they bring plenty of accents, runs and fills to each song.  I believe Hanlon and McLaren have been playing together in some form for about 25 years.  You don't have to know music to hear it.

Now onto the big question; What do they sound like?  You can't pin them down to one sound and that's what makes them so much fun.  You really don't know what's coming next.  You get some revved up rock songs like, "All Gone Bad," "You're My Little Honey Bee" and "Cut Loose and Go."  Then you get an almost sea shanty, sing along in "Sailing Off," some Spanish/Latin influenced songs, that are very danceable in, "La Bella Carmelita" and "I Don't Wanna Die."  A couple really exciting instrumentals, where the band really shows off their chops.  But wait, there's more...Their version of a love song, a nice early 60's style song, with a great sounding organ, and a country ditty.  Whew!  That's a lot of music.  There's really something here for every one's taste and mood.  

In closing, if you like good original music, this is for you.  It's a little bit country, a lotta bit rock n roll, with surprises throughout.  It's what a really good record should be.  Memorable.

Check out The Throttles here.

Purchase the album here and here...you know you want to.

I have had some great responses for CD Reviews/Interview requests.  Keep them coming, if I can help you or your band out with exposure and publicity for your music, I absolutely will.  Contact me.

The Razzies...And The Nominees Are...

With the Academy Award (Oscar) Nominations being due today.  I thought we should explore, the alternative. 

If you've never heard of the Razzies, they are the opposite of the Academy Awards.  They recognize the worst in movies of that given year.  The dubious award is officially called the Golden Raspberry.  I like them, because they don't take movies too seriously.  They basically call BS when Hollywood tries to pass off inferior films.  They call it what it is, crap. 

I love some of the nominations this year.  Not the movie itself, but the fact that they were nominated.  Twilight: Eclipse led in the nominations.  Someone wrote on a message board/forum, "Why did this get nominated, it made so much money?"  Just because, they sold a lot of tickets, doesn't mean it's good.  Teenagers have a lot of money to spend...so all that, plus the dreamy British 30 yr old, playing a teenager and the other dude, who wishes he was Teen Wolf, does not make for a good movie.  Kristen Stewart still looks like she's 12.

Tied for most nominations with Twilight was The Last Airbender.  I didn't see it, I have no idea what it's about, but I remember the commercials.  It's like they have been burned into my brain and won't leave.  Here's the thing, Twilight grossed a ton of cash and Airbender bombed worse than Xanadu or Battlefield Earth, if that is possible.  What do they have in common?  They both suck, although one franchise has managed to brain wash it's audience and the other potential franchise, failed.  Simple.

Here is the nomination website for the awards, which grows in popularity year by year.  Sandra Bullock actually showed up last year to claim her worst leading actress award, but they don't really have awards to be given out.  They should.  That award show would be worth watching.  It would be the one time where actors/actresses/directors wouldn't take themselves so seriously.  It would probably be like a less talented Independent Spirit Awards. 

10 Questions With...Tin Horn Prayer's Andy Thomas

Andy Thomas of Tin Horn Prayer

As everyone who regularly comes to this blog knows, I'm music obsessed.  I've had the opportunity to know some great bands and musicians over the years, but also be a fan.  When I like something, I want to tell people about it.  So, what better use of this platform than spread the news of good music.  As I review albums, I hope to get the chance to do an interview as well.  I've always enjoyed reading about the members of bands and learning about members.  So this is my attempt.

Derek Johnson:  Start at the beginning...it's boring but, it's where everything starts unless you're Quentin Tarantino.  How/When did you start playing drums/guitar?  Did you take lessons early on?  What or Who made you want to start?  A basic, early overview of your musical roots.

Andy Thomas:  I started playing drums when I was around eleven.  It was around the time that everyone was being forced to play an instrument.  Most people got stuck with flute or clarinet or something like that, but I wanted something cooler.  I had to “try out” to be a drummer by patting my head and rubbing my stomach and vice versa to see if I had the right dexterity – luckily for me, I did.

As far as guitar, I can’t really tell when I started. I was in my first band when I was about 13 and everyone used to leave their gear at my house. When they would leave I would pick the guitar up and play for while. I’ve never been formally taught at guitar, but just being around them I learned to play. I probably should take a lesson one of these days. I’m still not very good!

Who were your early influences and who are they now?  Basically, any particular drummers and now, singer/songwriters/guitarists...etc.  Godzilla, Barney...Anyone like that.

As far as overall musicians, I’ve always like Dave Grohl because of the whole drummer to guitarist/singer transition.  Plus, he just seems like a cool guy I could listen to music and drink Coors Light with.  Keith Moon from the Who was always one of my favorite drummers, but I don’t claim to be anywhere near as good as he is.  As far as songwriters go now, I really like Frank Turner, Joe Pug, Justin Townes Earle,  Chris from Fake Problems, Tim Barry…I have a huge list!

How did Only Thunder come about?  How was your time in the band?  When did you guys know it was over?

Only Thunder started with a bunch of friends finally deciding to play music together.  We never really had an agenda or style other than playing music that we really liked.  I had a great experience in that band and wish it would’ve lasted longer. 

What's the Denver scene like?

There are tons of great bands from here.  But it seems like the majority of bands who “make it” out of Denver, are total garbage and a poor depiction of the group of musicians I hang out with.  I don’t think any city has one distinct “scene.”  Denver is made up of many different ones.  Since Denver is a smaller city, people from different places always seem to assume I know every musician in town.  When I was on tour with Ghost Buffalo, I can’t count the number of times I was asked if I knew the guys in the Fray.  Those guys are great musicians, and I’m sure they’re nice people, but they were so far removed from my “scene” when they were here, that I never even bumped into them.  I love the diversity of music in this town, but I don’t feel a particular kinship to most of the bands.  If I was asked to put myself into any scene it’d be the “old guys who drink too much scene.”  I’m ok with that.

How did Tin Horn Prayer get together?  Are they a full-time band?  I know other members were/are in other bands?  Will the focus ever be just on THP?

Mike and his friend Dan Beachy wrote some of the songs while Mike was still in The Blackout Pact.  He recorded some demos that he brought back to Denver that I just fell in love with.  I think he talked to people for awhile about setting up a whole band around it.  I think at first I was supposed to play drums.  When we finally got everyone together, it was just Mike, Eric, myself and this other dude all sitting down playing acoustic guitars – there wasn’t a lot of dynamics to it.  We started adding a lot more instruments and now we’re a full on rock band, but we still play some of those great songs that Dan and Mike wrote when they first got together.

As far as being a full time band I think we absolutely are.  Tin Horn is certainly my main focus and, even though I would love to play drums for another band, this is still my main priority.  Mike is actually the only member who plays in another band right now, The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill.  Other than that, we’re all very focused on this band.

Will THP ever "get in the van" and tour?  Speaking of touring, what current (local or otherwise) bands would you want to tour with?  Regardless of the years of existence, put together a dream day long festival featuring Tin Horn Prayer and what other bands from history??? ( 5 or 6 bands, THP can headline if you want, just do the set lineup for the day)

We hope to tour a bunch this year.  We have a west coast tour planned in February and again, hope to travel wherever anyone will have us after that. 

Right now, I would love to tour with; Lucero, Gaslight Anthem, Justin Townes Earle, Titus Andronicus, Two Cow Garage, Fake Problems or Trampled by Turtles.  We would also love another shot at the Revival Tour with Chuck Ragan.  Our first show ever was with Chuck and we all respect the shit outta that guy.  Anyone associated with any of those bands listening?!  Give us a chance!

I can’t speak for the other guys but a great festival for us would feature all of those bands I just mentioned and maybe some classics like Tom Waits, Townes Van Zandt or the Replacements.  I bet that would make for a good time.  (I'd pay to see that show, definitely)

What is your favorite venue to play with a band and solo?

Three Kings in Denver has always been good to us.  Other awesome places in Denver are the Hi-Dive, The Summit and the Larimer Lounge.  One of the coolest places I’ve ever played outside of Colorado is The Triple Rock Social Club in MN.  I hope we can make it there soon!

Speaking of solo performances, talk about your solo album and if you plan on writing another one, someday?

I still write songs as a solo artist and still perform from time to time but I don’t have any plans for another album anytime soon.  I do have a plan to post a bunch of bathroom demos on bandcamp pretty soon, but another full length in a studio just seems like too much of a daunting process to me and I don’t know if I’ll ever be totally satisfied with anything I record as a solo artist.

Talk about the program you helped create with Illegal Pete's.  When I was on tour, this would have been huge for us, especially after seeing their menu.  Any other projects in the works?

It’s called the Starving Artists Program and we basically give away free food for any touring band that promises to give us a little promotion on Twitter and Facebook.  So far the response has been overwhelming and I think it’s created a music friendly image of Illegal Pete’s which is what we set out for in the first place.  Because of the program, we’ve managed to bring in some big acts to perform in our restaurant; like Frank Turner, Ben Nichols and Lenny Lashley.  We’re constantly coming up with new ideas and are super excited to see what else we can do to help out musicians of all kinds.

What are your 5 All-Time Favorite Bands?
  
Damn, good question. I know I’m gonna go back and regret what I said on this list, but here goes. These are in no particular order:

Frank Turner

The Replacements

Slayer

Lawrence Arms

Against Me!

I know that was more than 10 questions, but you get more than you bargained for, due to the fact that I can't count.  I'd like to thank Andy Thomas of Tin Horn Prayer for being my first interview victim.  Hopefully, there will be more to come.

Please checkout Tin Horn Prayer here and here.


For any other bands/artists out there that are interested in being reviewed and interviewed, please contact me.  Thanks.

Nine By Design 19

Alright folks, we've come to the end of yet another week.  I'd like to take a minute and welcome the new readers I've gained recently.  I thank you, it makes doing a blog much easier when you know someone is actually reading the nonsense you write.  If you're a first time visitor or long time listener, but first time caller...click on the follow button on either Blogger or Networked Blogs (to follow on Facebook).  My psyche could use the boost.

This week's list will focus on music videos.  But, wait, you've already done a Nine By Design on Music Videos and I did, here.  The difference is, those were GOOD videos, these will be bad, horrible, disgusting videos.  Sometimes you get the double bonus of bad song and video...okay, I'll be honest, Most of the time you get the double bonus.  It's not really about the artist or the song, it's "how in the world were these the best pitches for the video?"  Warning: Watch At Your Own Risk!

Bad Music Videos:

"Popcorn Love" by New Edition is a perfect example of "I know we don't have a lot of money, but I'm going to try every effect I can get my hands on."  Is it me or do boy bands do police lineups on purpose?  It's almost like a yearbook, where you have; Most likely to have a successful solo career and Most likely to commit a crime.  "That one there officer, that Bobby Brown, he did it."  "Are you sure?"  "Yes, sir, he did his prerogative all over, my every little step and he was very cruel!"  I should be shot for that last line or applauded, the jury's still out on this one. 

"Screaming In The Night" by Krokus is a band from Switzerland, need I say more?  There's a part in this video where the singer looks totally confused.  I say join the club.  Nobody, knows what's going on in this video.  It's actually a decent song, but the video ruins it for me with it's ridiculousness (not sure if that's a word).  Believe it or not, this band is still going strong in Switzerland, after 35 years.  Then again, A-Ha didn't officially retire until 2010 in Norway.

"Freight Train" by Nitro has always made me laugh.  It's so over the top.  How many metal cliches can we get into one video?  We have a singer that can break wine glasses with his voice.  Which is actually true.  Jim Gillette, who is married to Lita Ford, has been known to shatter glass.  One of his vocal students showed how to do it on an episode of Mythbusters.  We have a guitar player that not only plays a double neck guitar, but a quad neck guitar.  That's not the funny part, he plays so fast that even other shred guitarists go, "Really?"

"Everything Your Heart Desires" by Hall & Oates is a tough video to watch for a couple of reasons.  It was pretty much the end of their grip on the charts.  You can tell this by their hair.  So, this song is not very strong.  I actually like a lot of their stuff, but it's the earlier stuff, mostly.  The way this was filmed messes with my eyes.  I'm not sure if my eyes actually focus the entire video.  They tell me their going on strike and refuse to work if I watch this video again. 

We haven't even gotten started yet.  All this is an appetizer or appetite suppressant.  Get ready for the good stuff.

"Rock Me Tonite" by Billy Squier is the standard to which all bad videos are held to.  It pains me to write that, because I really like Squier.  He's the most sampled man in music.  There would be no rap without his song, "The Big Beat"  (Click on the down arrow where it says, "Was sampled").  See how I'm trying to get you away from this horrible, career killing video of his.  He's dancing, wearing torn t-shirts and writhing all over the floor...for what reason?  Remember, video is the great equalizer.  The whole band is just...ugh. 

"Strokin'" by Clarence Carter is almost indescribable.  The song is easily one of a kind, thankfully.  Carter is blind, so he never had to see the video.  I think that explains a lot actually.  It didn't matter what was in it to him.  The thing that really gets me is, this is a video from the 90's.  You'd think it would be better.  I know, consider the song.  Touche.

"Pump Up The Jam" by Technotronic is not a music video that should be watched if you are prone to seizures.  It's not a bad song, by any means.  It tells you what it's trying to do, which is pumping up the jam.  I think it successfully does that.  I get happy when this video comes on VH-1.  I love the dude dancing in the background, he just makes me laugh.  The singer seems to be hot, but you can't really tell, because the camera doesn't focus on her long enough.  Maybe she's a Monet, like Cher said in Clueless.  

"Lets' Go All The Way" by Sly Fox really has it all.  Great dancing, lyrics, effects and singing.  Okay, you can call BS...it's allowed.  It's a song that took me over an hour to remember, because I couldn't not include it.  It's also a song that will be stuck in my head for the foreseeable future.  It's catchy, that may be the only thing it is, but it's catchy like the flu. 

I've been asked before if the aforementioned, "Rock Me Tonite" is the worst video ever.  It's close, but I have found a successor.

"I Want To Love You Tender" by Danny and Armi is beyond words.  Let's hear it for the Finnish to make me speechless.  They do a "Soul Train Line," there's a toaster that's supposed to be a boom box, I think.  This video is from the late 70's and it really takes the cake, the ice cream, the plates and the silverware.  Someone described it as if, "ABBA took a bunch of mushrooms."  Which is a pretty good description in my book.

Yes, there are many bad, horrible videos out there that will haunt you for the rest of your life, but I try to be a little different with my choices and show you ones you might not have seen before.  I bid you all adieu for this week.  Cheers, Happy Weekend!  Hopefully, for those of us in New England, the snow will stop sooner than later.

Who Is The Better Team, The Beatles or the Pittsburgh Pirates?

Reprint of a 2009 blog

How would you determine this? In sports, especially baseball there are statistics. You could say the entire sport is based on math and statistics. What are the odds that Chone Figgins will steal second base? What is Bengie Molina's caught stealing percentage? Baseball loves stats. The sport was made for the math wiz. New stats are being invented almost yearly. Old statistic categories are becoming less important (Batting Avg. and Wins). While others become more important (On Base Percentage and Earned Run Avg.). Baseball is pretty black and white. Based on statistics, you can figure out who the good teams are and who the bad teams are. There are some gray areas, but not many. There are differing opinions....I think Albert Pujols is a better hitter than Alex Rodriguez. I could make that argument and not be wrong. I could also make the opposite argument just as easily and also, not be wrong. The statistics support both arguments. I'm not saying something ridiculous like, Mario Mendoza is a better hitter than Ty Cobb. There's nothing that could support that statement except mental illness.

So where does the immense world of music fall into this? I really don't know. I think about it often. How does one determine what band or performer is better than another? There are no statistics that really mean anything in music. Record Sales, in my opinion, just mean you appeal to the least common denominator. Luck, I believe has a lot to do with success. How else do explain a lot of the one hit wonders? The moon, the stars and the sun, all line up correctly. The timing of the release of the song, hit enough people just right, for it to explode. Shooting stars burn out quickly. It has nothing to do with quality or talent or any other factor you can think of, really. "Disco Duck" was a #1 hit. How do you explain luck? How about Influence? The Beatles and Beach Boys were incredibly influential. I agree, they are fantastic bands on many different levels. Are Creed and Nickelback influential? Of course they are...most bands wish not to sound like them. That's an influence. All four bands are successful on some level. Good or bad is determined by personal preference. For every Simon & Garfunkel there is an Air Supply. Now, I could easily reverse that statement and not be wrong. For someone out there believes Air Supply to be better than Simon & Garfunkel...they wouldn't be wrong. That is the great and frustrating thing about music. There is no real way to measure it.

There was many a time I'd get wrapped up in an intense discussion/argument/if you don't take my side I'll kick your ass; about best guitarist, drummer, bassist...glockenspielist. You throw Hendrix at me and I say he was sloppy. I throw Paul Gilbert at you and you say he plays with no feeling. And on and on and on...Who's correct? Both, neither...depends who take a better punch? Just like the old saying, "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has on." Some people, no scratch that...depending on the subject...most people...think their opinion is the correct one. I've been one of "those people" too many times to count. Comes down to personal preference again. I like X, but you like Y.

So I don't know if there will ever be a way to determine the best anything in music. Who is the better team Beatles or Pirates? I'm not sure if any of the Pirates can play an instrument, but if both were playing baseball...I'd put my money of the Beatles. Even in 2009.

As an aside, if you are a fan of the Pirates, Royals or any other small market team. Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Yet, a couple million people go to their games every year...expecting these teams to win, when they already know the owners don't care about you. Just your money. Hit the owners where it hurts.


Editor's Note: Reprint of a 2009 blog.  I'm tired, still getting over a migraine and what I had planned on writing...sucked.  At least, I'm honest.

Through The Eyes Of Babes

During the birthday party yesterday, my niece, Brains, came over and sat on my lap.  She looks at me and says, "We don't have school tomorrow."  I said to her, "Do you know why?"  She answers, "Yes, it's a holiday."  I then say, "Correct, do you know why it's a holiday?"  She then pauses and starts thinking.  I say to her, "It's Martin Luther King, Jr Day.  Do you know why it's an important day?"  She then responds, "Yes, he helped make sure the black people were equal to everyone else."  I was a little surprised that she knew it.  I was also pretty proud and impressed, like she was my own kid.  I told her, "that she was correct and did an excellent job."  She said she learned it on Friday at school and remembered it.  I told her, "She should always remember it."  She smiled and said, "I will."  Then went off to play with the kids.  She's six, but still made me very happy that she was so aware and not just happy that there was no school.

Pray For Our Heathen Souls

I'm not religious, at least, not on purpose.  There is occasion when I pray, because I don't know what else to do with myself.  Kind of like a last second shot in a basketball game.  Trying to at least send it into overtime, if not win the game.  But like most things in life, well my life at least, I'll throw up a shot that will be a brick or rim out.  Let's face it folks, I'm 5'6" on my best days and played basketball like I wrestled.  Basically, I'm not letting you by me, so I'm taking you down.  I held the record in my church basketball league for fouling out faster than anyone ever had.  I'm not sure if this is a real record.  Who keeps track of records for a 6th grade church league?  I committed 6 fouls in less than three minutes of playing time.  That's about one foul every 25 seconds.  Thank you very much, I knew you'd be impressed.

Let's get back to the point at hand.  Which is...oh right...The Terror Twins are having their 4th birthday party today.  Thankfully, the kids don't have 8,000 friends quite yet.  Viper and Brains will be there, but they'll be plotting a way to get out of there quickly.  It's not the Twins fault per se.  That blame goes to the "Mom," but she's more like a babysitter.  Just doing enough so the kids don't kill one another, not really parenting.  That's a whole series of blogs by itself and I just don't have the energy to get into it.  In fact, my wife won't get out of bed, because she's trying to get as much rest as she possibly can, before dealing with her.  It's past noon as I write this.  She's gotten nearly 12 hours of sleep.

We only have to survive a couple of hours, because the "Babysitter" scheduled the birthday on the day of a Patriots playoff game.  Everyone has already told her that they are leaving, so they can go watch it.  As a friend of mine said, "Why doesn't she just change the time to 1-4, instead of 2-5?"  The answer is, multiple choice.  She doesn't care about sports, so didn't think about it.  2-5, fits in better with her schedule than 1-4, so screw everyone else.  I'm sure there are a couple of others that don't make sense either, but I'm already getting tired.

So who really suffers?  The Twins, correct.  They will act up and misbehave, because there will be family to pay attention to them, since the "Babysitter" doesn't, unless you count yelling.  I truly believe that the kids are good kids, in spite of their situation.  They will be on total emotional overload, because there will be presents, cake and family members.  It's a wicked Catch-22 for them.  They'll get too happy and excited and get yelled at and reprimanded and/or punished.  Act anti-social or shy and get the same, because "I've gone to the trouble of having this party for you and you don't appreciate it."  The latter, might be a little too harsh to put on the "Babysitter," but I wouldn't put it past her.  Not much surprises me in this world of ours, unless we're talking about her actions.