Monday, June 25, 2012

Podcast Episode 0006

Hello everyone and welcome back to The Rum And Drum Music Podcast.  This week marks episode 6 and we're going to touch on some songs that have been around for 25 years or more.  We're also talking a bit about re-mastering and what that means to us, the average consumer.


Starting things off is Joan Jett with the title track from her remastered solo debut album 'Bad Reputation'.

www.JoanJett.com


Next is The Who from the self-titled remastered album, Who Are You'.  (Yes, the Who, not to be confused with the what, the where, or the why.) 
www.TheWho.com


From the Hot Rocks 1964-1971 compilation album, here's the Rolling Stones trying to get a little 'Sympathy For The Devil'.
www.RollingStones.com


The first song on the Rand D to not actually have any D.  Here's Janis Joplin from the 18 Essential Hits album with the song 'Mercedes Benz'.
www.JanisJoplin.net


Stealers Wheel didn't have an official webpage, but the wikipedia file was a veritble treasure trove of information.  Here's their title track from the remastered release 'Stuck In The Middle With You' .
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stealers_Wheel


The Animals was another band who didn't have an official site.  From the Best Of The Animals cd, here's 'House Of The Rising Sun'.
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Animals


The Grateful Dead are probable most noted for their legions of loyal fans wearing army uniforms of swirling multicolored patterns, but the 1987 album 'In The Dark' took a sober attempt at mainstream audiences and achieved the most commercial success of their careers.  Here's 'Throwing Stones'.
www.Dead.net


From one legend to the next here on the R and D.  Next up is Led Zepplin's 'Led Zepplin III remastered' album that takes us out to the 'Gallows Pole'.
  www.LedZepplin.com


And the final call of episode 6 is an Australian singer/songwriter Lenka.  Her song 'Everything At Once' from her album 'Two'.
www.LenkaMusic.com


As always, everything you hear on the Rum And Drum Music Podcast is available through online retailers like http://www.itunes.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/.

The RandD podcast is available here under the podcast page, on http://www.itunes.com/, and on www.Stitcher.com.  You can contact us by leaving a messege below or by email at RumAndDrumMusic@Gmail.com

Rock On,
J


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Sunday, June 17, 2012

Podcast Episode 0005

Hello everyone and welcome back to The Rum And Drum Music Podcast.  This is a special week here at the R and D for two reasons:  First because Episode 5 is a day early this week to make sure it broadcasts on the 40th anniversary of Fathers Day and second is because we're now available for download at www.Stitcher.com and on www.iTunes.com.  All you have to do is type 'Rum And Drum Music Podcast' into the search bar of either site!

There has always been music in our house.  Always.  Silence was something other people did.  Mealtimes, while doing housework, playing mechanic in the garage, and especially while cooking.  Music was a part of us.

Now that I'm all grown up (cough), I've taken that concept further by dedicating a healthy amount of time each week to discovering new music and revisiting songs that I've already grown to love.  Music of all kinds moves me, and if you're reading this or have subscribed to this blog, it moves you too.

Now this Father's Day I wanted to do something I have never been able to do before, and that was dedicate a podcast episode to my Dad.  It's through him and his musical tastes that I'm the music-lover that I am today and that this show even exists.  So lets take it from the top maestro:


First up is Billy Strange performing the James Bond theme from the 1964 album 'Walk,Don't Run'
.
www.BillyStrangeMusic.ning.com



Credence Clearwater Revival's 'Green River' comes up next.
www.Creedence-Online.net



From the debut album of The Eagles, here's Witchy Woman'.
www.EaglesBand.com



Folk singer Gordon Lightfoot teaches history class in his song 'Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald' from the album 'Summertime Dream'.
www.Myspace.com/GordonLightfootOfficial



"Make it louder!"  Here's Jan Hammer's theme to the T.V. show Miami Vice.
www.JanHammer.com



Next up is the title track from the Boss' seventh studio album 'Born In The USA'.
www.BruceSpringsteen.net



The hit Kenny Loggins song 'Danger Zone' is from the movie soundtrack to 'Top Gun'.
www.KennyLoggins.com



'Ol Blue Eyes...here's 'Fly Me To The Moon' from the album 'ItMight As Well Be Swing'.
www.Sinatra.com



Willie Nelson's 'On The Road Again' was originally part of a movie soundtrack, but lucky for us its also on his '16 Biggest Hits' collection as well.

www.WillieNelson.com



Jimmy Buffet has been synonymous with kicking back and having a few since as long as I can remember.  Here's 'Margaritaville' from his album 'Boats, Beaches, and Ballads'.
www.Margaritaville.com



The Looking Glass song 'Brandy, You're A Fine Girl' was picked up as part of a 'One Hit Wonders' album, and unfortunately there wasn't a website to link to them.
(No Website Available.)



Booker-T and the MG's could possibly be the solitary musical band that I remember growing up that I never heard anywhere else. Here's 'Time Is Tight' from their album 'Best Of Booker-T And The MG's'.
www.BookerT.com




As always, everything you hear on the Rum And Drum Music Podcast is available through online retailers like www.iTunes.com and www.Amazon.com.  Feel free to write us here at the R and D ( RumAndDrumMusic@gmail.com ) with any comments or questions you might have.

Happy Father's Day,
Rock On,
J
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Monday, June 11, 2012

Podcast Episode 0004

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Rum And Drum Music Podcast.  In episode 4 we're exploring the music hybrid of rock and blues.

The true origins of this musical genre may never be known, but it's solidification happened in the 1960's and 70's.  And unlike some musical fads that seemed to pop up and fade (ie grunge and ska), the fusion of blues and rock never did.

The first track by Wolfgang Parker is a fantastic introduction to the style and feel of this podcast.  It hits on almost every aspect I look for in rock-blues.  It's a little crazy, has an easy groove and makes me want to sing along.  The song is called 'The Mice, The Demons, And Piggies' from the album 'Room Ninteen'.




Three Bad Jakes brings us 'Harry and Betty' from the album 'Pictures and Memories'.




Joanne Shaw Taylor is a talent to watch from England.  Her age defying sound and guitar style are tremendous.  Her track 'Going Home' is from her debut album 'White Sugar'.



I'm dedicating this song to several ladies I know, and the lyrics describe a little bit of each of them.  Lee Rocker knows what I mean.  'Crazy When She Drinks' is from the album 'Black Cat Bone'.

The Hillbilly Hellcats are a southern-sounding mix of rock-blues.  The track is called 'Tom Gray's Dream' from their album 'Rev It Up With Taz'.


T-Bone Burnett came to my attention quite by accident.  The ablum was gifted to me, and it sat on my shelf for nearly a year before I listened to it.  Once I did, it sat for another year before I actually added it to my ipod playlist.  Its been there ever since.  From the album 'Tooth Of Crime', here is the first track 'Anything I say Can And Will Be Used Against You'.


Maggie Pierce, And E.J. are an unsigned Philadelphia music act who has color-coded eight albums to thier credit.  Their track 'Jaded' is off of their 'Gold' album.


The band Black Cat Bone wasn't easy to link to.  The search results for the title returned no less than a dozen different bands and numerous albums and song titles that all seemed to share the moniker.  Here's 'Bye Bye Baby' from the album 'What A Way To Make A Living'.


The passing of Amy Winehouse in July of 2011 certainly didn't hurt her album sales.  In the U.K. her album 'Back To Black' became the country's best selling recording selling more than 3.26 million copies.  The last shot today is 'Rehab'.


www.AmyWinehouse.com


As always, everything you hear on the Rum And Drum Music Podcast is available through online retailers like www.iTunes.com and www.Amazon.com.  Feel free to write us here at the R and D with any comments or questions you might have.

Rock on,
J \m/

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Monday, June 4, 2012

Podcast Episode 0003

Welcome back to The Rum And Drum Music Podcast:  In Episode 3 we're going to delve a bit into what may be uncharted territory for some of you.


Music is as widespread and varied as the people who create it.  There are influences around the globe that conspire through their creativity to transform a genre into something that has never existed before.  Some of my favorite artists are those who defy convention and branch out onto their own, for better or worse.


We'll start things off with a pair of brothers from Jamaica, Queens NYC.  Damien and Tourie Escobar are Juilliard educated violinists who blend classical, hip-hop, jazz, and R+B influences together on their album 'Struggle From The Subway To The Charts'.


(No Website Available)


From NYC we skip over to Finland where Apocalyptica was created by four cello players who play what has been dubbed 'Symphonic Metal'.  The track '2010' lends the talents of heavy metal drummer Dave Lombardo to an awesome selection from the album '&th Symphony Deluxe'.  


http://www.apocalyptica.com/

From Texas we have Cowboy Troy whose country-western blend with hip-hop has crafted a self-proclaimed style he calls 'Hick-Hop'.  The track 'I Play Chicken With A Train' is on the album 'Black In The Saddle'. 


http://www.cowboytroy.com/

The Yoshida Brothers, Ryoichiro and Kenichi, play the shamisen guitars in the Tsugaru-jamisen style.  Backed with a pop-rock band, the song 'Rising' from their 'Best of Yoshida Brothers' delivers a classic feel mixed with a modern rock anthem.

 


Sepultura started in 1984 in Minas Gerais, Brazil.   Originally a hardcore deth metal band, their lyrics shifted toward a more social-activist theme beginning with the album 'Chaos A.D.' and even more so on the album this track was taken from, 'Roots'.  'Ratamahatta' is easily one of the most tribal forms of metal music that exists today.


WWW.Sepultura.Com

The Vitamin String Quartet has released more than fifty albums making the Los Angelos based musicians some of the most prolific I've ever heard of.  Their genres are widespread and cover nearly every notable performer in the modern age.  The album 'The Evil You Dread: The String Quartet Tribute To Slayer' showcases only a fraction of their immense talents.


WWW.VitaminRecords.Com


Trans-Siberian Orchestra is known widely for its Christmas-themed music and concert performances.  With more than eight million records sold its no doubt that they are a world phenomenon.  What most people don't know is that they also have two non-Christmas studio releases.  'Beethoven's Last Night' was released in 2000, and in 2009, 'Night Castle'.  These albums blend rock, symphony, blues, and jazz in ways unimagined before Paul O'Neal created TSO in 1993.  The Instrumental track 'Requiem: the 5th' is a prime example of classic-meets-metal .



I first heard of Gogol Bordello shortly before the first Podcast was created and was blown away by their eccentricity, style, and energy.  After hearing the heavily european influence I was surprised yet again by learning that their origins were from the Lower East Side of Manhattan NYC in 1999.  Going back through their work has also revealed a trove of hidden gems.  'American Wedding' from the album 'Super Taranta' is a perfect example of their gypsy-punk sound.


WWW.GogolBordello.Com

Sonny John Moore, also known as Skrillex, released his first album in 2010 and at the 54th Grammy Awards he took home three honors:  Best Dance/Electronica Album, Best Dance Recording, and Best Remixed Recording (Non-Classical).  The Song 'Rock And Roll (Will Take You To The Mountain)' from the album 'Scary Montsters And Nice Sprites' is an awesome dance mix with an explosion of electronic energy.


WWW.Skrillex.Com


As always, everything presented on the Blog and Podcast is available through online retailers like http://www.amazon.com/ and through http://www.itunes.com/.  If there's something you'd like to hear or have any questions or comments feel free to leave soem feedback or email us here at RumAndDrumMusic@Gmail.Com

Rock On,
J  \m/ 
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Monday, May 28, 2012

Podcast Episode 0002

Welcome back to The Rum And Drum Music Podcast.  In Episode 2 we're going to discuss one of the staples of a music act:  The Cover Song.

Covers are a mixed bag.  For classic acts who've disbanded or in the case of those from eras long gone, a cover song or even a tribute band is an awesome way to keep the music of that act alive and fresh in people's minds.  By copying the exact sound and spirit of a bygone act, its almost like they never realy left in the first place.

But we're not going to be covering that here in Episode 2.  No sir, we're going to touch upon a selection of artists who have taken a song, and then reforged it with a life of its own.  The result is that the focus becomes less about the artist performing it than the song itself and how it was adapted to the performer's will. 

My philosophy on these kinds of reinventions has always been that if you are going to cover thge song: own it.  Make it your own.  Don't try ti impress me with your ability to sound like the opriginal, because if I wanted that, I'd just go listen to the source.

So here we go, four songs, eight artists, and a final shot from a legend.

First up is Frankenstien originally performed by the Edgar Winter Group and released on the album 'They Only Come Out At Night'.  The single went on to sell over a million copies in 1973.




In 1991 the thrash metal band Overkill released a cover of 'Frankenstien' on their album, 'Horrorscope'.




Roadhouse Blues was originally released as a single from the album 'Morrison Hotel' in 1970 from The Doors.  It quickly became an intergral part of the group's setlist in the following years.




The cover is performed by the industrial techno-metal band Ministry.  The album 'The Last Sucker' took what was an easy-riding blues song and turned it inside-out.  It delivered a massive dose of nitrous to what would otherwise be a Driving Ms Daisy kind of song.




When I researched Rusty Cage, I was taken aback a bit.  I knew that Johnny Cash and the band Soundgarden had both released their own versions of the song , but I didn't know that Soundgarden originally wrote it.  Released in 1991 on the album Badmotorfinger, Soundgarden's third single from the record became an instant hit.




And then in 1996 Johnny Cash released his version on his album, Unchained, which won a Grammy award for best country album.  Cash's version strips back the distortion and glam of the original song and reveals that Soundgarden's original song was still an epic tune without hiding it under a slew of clever sound production tricks.



Metallica has made itself a household name by churning out more than a dozen top-selling albums, including a fair anount of cover songs themselves.  But Master Of Puppets from the 1986 album of the same name has generated an untold number of followers and admirerers.  In 26 years, the song is still heavy, technically inspiring, and relevant.




The project band Hellsau from Bern, Switzerland only released one album as far as I can tell, but before that happened, they appeared on a Metallica Tribute album called The Blackest Metallica.  Their cover of Master Of Puppets is nothing short of supernatural.


(No Website Available.)

The final call in episode 2 goes out to Johnny cash again.  the track God's Gonna Cut You Down came to my attention in the trailer for the movie remake of True Grit.  I heard it playing in the background and it sent me off on a blitz websearch that brought me to the posthumously released video that's a veritable who's who of celebrity lip synching the tune.  The sound is easily one of Cash's best, and even these many years later it still makes me want to raise a glass to the man in black.


WWW.JohnnyCash.Com


And as always, everything you'll see and hear on The RnD Podcast is available on iTunes (http://www.itunes.com/) and through online retailers like Amazon.com  (http://www.amazon.com/). 

Rock on,

J  \m/
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Monday, May 21, 2012

Podcast Episode 0001



The Rum And Drum Music Podcast is proud to bring to you a selection of talented artists who bring the energy needed to reawaken a dormant interest in the Rock'n Roll spirit.

Thanks for joining us.  To start off our inaugural episode, I wanted to give a nod to the classic styles of Rock and Roll that created the rock and metal landscapes we see today.  The super-polished feel of recording productions so common these days is toned back down, leaving a heavy emphasis on a band's style.  They favor emotion and message over exactitude and a blitzkrieg of punishing riffs.
   
However, you won't find any softcore, limp-wristed fret-monkeys here today.  On the contrary, these artists have paid their dues and the proof will be measured by the ringing left in your ears.

First up is the Australian band Spiderbait who steps to the mic with a groovy riff backed by an addictive hook with the track 'Four On The Floor'.  Next is Stone Axe, followed by Clutch, Black Country Communion, Chickenfoot, Monster Magnet...

And speaking of dues, nobody has paid more to the rock machine than the legend himself, Alice Cooper, who dishes out a heavy dose of in-your-face intensity on the track 'Vengence Is Mine'.

That said, I don't want anyone to get the idea we're living in the past here.  Rock and Roll is not dead!
 
I'd like to take a moment to point out that Stone Axe was where the theme for this episode was created.  Once I heard their music, the rest of the talent pool for the first episode just fell into line. 

The band formed in 2007 and they have an unbelievably classic sound i.e. Foghat, AC/DC, Free, and Thin Lizzy.  I could hear traces of Hendrix, Zeppelin, and KISS throughout their album and it was damn hard to choose a single track to showcase their talents. 

I also need to give a hearty shout-out to Pat Krane from the Independent Music Podcast for bringing Stone Axe to my attention.  You can find his show here:  http://www.impcast.com/


And the last call today is from Gogol Bordello.  I triple-dog-dare you to figure out what category they settle into because I sure as hell couldn't.  The 9-man band is a European punk sensation who has more energy in their little fingers than an insomniac 7-year-old on a case of RedBull and Snickers bars.

So sit back and turn up the dials until the speakers start to hum because its about to get loud!

And as always, everything you'll see and hear on The RnD Podcast is available on iTunes (http://www.itunes.com/) and through online retailers like Amazon.com  (http://www.amazon.com/).  So Come support the bands, buy their music, and dust off your finger horns by putting them as high into the air as you can!  \m/

Rock on,

J



First up is the Australian trio Spiderbait with the song 'Four On The Floor' from their album Greatest Hits.
www.Spiderbait.com.Au



Next is the Washington-born quartet Stone Axe and the track 'Chasing Dragons' from Stone Axe II (Deluxe Edition).
www.StoneAxeBand.com


Clutch comes in third with 'Let A Poor Man Be' from Strange Cousins From The West.
www.Pro-Rock.com



Black Country Communion brings us 'One Last Soul' from their self-title album.
www.BCCommunion.com


Chickenfoot stomps out 'Big Foot' from Chickenfoot III.



Gov't Mule crawls in 'Any Open Window' from By A Thread.
www.Mule.net



Monster Magnet gives a healthy 'Slap In The Face' from 4-Way Diablo



Alice Cooper has a dish best served cold in 'Vengence Is Mine' from Along Came A Spider.

And our parting shot is delivered by Gogol Bordello who want us to 'Start Wearing Purple' from the album Gypsy Punks.






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