The other punk band.
The Damned: Don’t You Wish We Were Dead With its premiere at SXSW, complete with a gig by the band, The Damned: Don’t You Wish We Were Dead served up a bit of punk history. Ask people to name two early British Punk bands and …
Month: March 2015
A Les Paul with a very old soul
Gibson Les Paul Warhorse As far as electric guitars go, the Gibson Les Paul is an elder statesman. But it’s certainly not lute old. So artist James A. Willis’ reimagining of the 20th century six-string with an 1812 Revolutionary War vibe is pretty interesting. The …
Six degrees of separation in the key of G
The Charted Connections of Rock!
The Chart offers a look at some of the most famous and surprising rock ‘n’ roll collaborations. If you thought Rod Stewart was a bit of a whore with the ladies wait till you see what he was up to with Jeff Beck and Ray Davies while the Faces were waiting for a reunion. And we don’t know where to start with Dave Grohl. Them Crooked Vultures, Queens of the Stone Age, Scream, the man just can’t say no. Basically, The Charted Connections of Rock! shows how most of today’s rock royalty are nothing but a bunch of groupies jumping from band to band.
Oh sure you can call it creative exploration and expression, but the whoring angle is much more fun. Truth be told the chart is an impressive compilation of 127 artists on a 39″ x 39″, album-sleeve shaped chart. A classic rock fan’s wet dream of who did what with who wearing what instrument. You can pick it up for $60 at popchartlab.com
Spoiler alert, Jack White is a show off.
The Ramones Converse myth
Ramones (Product) Red Converse All Star Hi-Tops Spring means new kicks. New Converse means I may not play in a garage band, but I want that vibe. This is largely attributed to the Ramones. Truth be told, there’s probably been more models of Ramones Converse …
Lightweight Tele. Phat Tone.
Vintage Modified ’72 Tele Thinline The Squier Vintage Modified ’72 Tele Thinline is based on the reimagined Telecaster Fender released in, you guess it, 1972. If you’re a fan of Spoon, you’ll recognize the tone of the Telecaster Thinline. Jon Britt Daniel has been playing …
Almost rock ‘n’ roll
Hanging Rock Lithograph
The Rolling Stones have release a deluxe set of last year’s Austrailian-New Zealand 14 on Fire Tour lithographs. A custom print was created for each stop of the tour with some cities getting two pieces. We featured the Bondi Beach poster from the Sydney stop a while back. The lithographs were sold in limited numbers at each gig. Now the box set contains every stop on the tour including the canceled show at Hanging Rock.
After waiting 7 months, as the tour was postponed due to the suicide of Mick Jagger’s girlfriend L’Wren Scott, the good peeps of Hanging Rock saw their show cancelled due to a Jagger throat infection.
So Hanging Rock is a poster for a concert that never was. Until now it hasn’t been available to the public. Because, like, to set up a merch counter at a venue of a cancelled show would have been in bad taste. Even the shrewd Sir Mick wouldn’t have approved. To add to the mystique, the Hanging Rock piece is printed with glow in the dark ink. (the Stones are a sixties band after all.) Continue reading Almost rock ‘n’ roll
Where the Who target logo comes from (and other things Mods know that you don’t).
Mod: From Bebop to Britpop, Britain’s Biggest Youth Movement Have you ever wonder why The Who target logo appears on art work, posters and clothing with no mention of the band? Neither of have we, because that would be a silly question. But if you …
Without cloths, you’re naked.
Joe Strummer Foundation Without People, You’re Nothing T A while back we reported that Strummerville, the foundation created in the wake of Joe’s passing, was being rebaptised The Joe Strummer Foundation. Aside from no longer reminding us of a Justin Timberlake SNL skit, ‘Bring it …
The Hip’s hockey cred.
Tragically Hip Fully Completely Hockey Jersey
Not many Canadian rock ‘n’ roll bands are as true north strong and free as The Tragically Hip. These guys bleed beaver blood. So naturally they know that a good time to release their limited edition Fully Completely Hockey Jersey is right before the NHL gets set for its extended encore. The play offs start April 15.
Scan the Hips’ catalogue and you’ll find a number of tunes addressing the Canadian experience. Songs like Wheat Kings and Bobcaygeon. But it’s tunes like Fifty Mission Cap, about Toronto Maple Leaf defenceman Bill Barilko that have galvanized them with hockey fans. Like playing on an outdoor rink, catching the Hip live is a prime Canadian experience. Not to mention Courage is a kick ass tune to play between whistles when the home team is down in the third. If you’re still not convinced know this, Gordon Downie’s godfather is former Boston Bruins GM, coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Harry Sinden. The Hip know hockey. Continue reading The Hip’s hockey cred.
Not your average ESP
ESP 40th Anniversary Custom Stream G The ESP 40th Anniversary Exhibition Limited Series is now available through ESP dealers. The one-of-a-kind models were on display at NAMM ’15 and are rarer than a cat fart. On the ESP site you’ll find 20 custom originals. If …
Jack White digs deep for Record Store Day.
Elvis Presley’s 1st recording Jack White has dug deep into the rock ‘n’ roll record crate for Record Store Day. Earlier in the year, Jack quietly bought the first ever recording by Elvis Presley for $300,000. Recorded in Memphis back in 1953, it cost Elvis $4 …
When U2 went POP
U2 Pop Mart Gig Poster by Rex Ray
Being Saint Patrick’s Day we thought we’d be totally unoriginal and feature a U2 gig poster. But don’t let our Guinness soak imaginations influence your appreciation of the piece. Produced for U2’s Pop Mart Tour back in ’97, this is a sweet piece by artist Rex Ray.
Pop Mart was U2 at their most excessive. The band was one of the biggest in the world and playing it up. It was an inside joke that not everybody got. The band appeared out of a giant Lemon, Bono was trotting out his MacPhisto persona and the multi-media onslaught established on the Zoo TV Tour was turned up to 11.
Rex Ray was a San Francisco based artist who has created hundreds of gig posters for artists including The Rolling Stones, Radiohead and Kanye West. A master of layering together media from different sources, Ray was the perfect casting to bring the sensory overload of POP Mart to paper. Extra points for a kick ass bill including Oasis. Continue reading When U2 went POP
Baby got (3-piece) back.
Martin D-35 Brazilian 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Martin is celebrating the b-day of one of its most successful models with the D-35 Brazilian 50th Anniversary Limited Edition. Over the years the D-35’s warm bass tones has provided accompaniment for folk singers and rockers alike including …
The Strat that Hendrix built. And Clapton. And Ronnie Wood.
American Vintage ‘70s Hardtail Stratocaster Throughout the year, Fender will be releasing 10 limited edition guitars. First of the 10 for ’15 is the American Vintage ‘70s Hardtail Stratocaster. In the 70s the Stratocaster took off into the rock ‘n’ roll…stratosphere. The guitar’s popularity was …
A few last words.
Autographed Bob Marley and the Wailers Uprising Album
This is signed copy of Bob Marley’s final release during his lifetime is also one of the last pieces of memorabilia created by the reggae icon.
Robert Nesta Marley would have been 70 this year. Sadly he passed away at the age of 36 of cancer. In 1980, the reggae icon put himself under the care of controversial German Doctor Joseph Issels. The alternative cancer therapy regime brought Marley to Bavaria, Germany. The owner of the house Marley rented while undergoing treatments requested an autograph for her children. Bob signed two record covers, the above Uprising and Kaya. Continue reading A few last words.