GOOD STUFF! 12/29/2008

http://www.thegoodshows.com has been updated, there are some more terrific shows coming up. and these are the ones i am planning on attending.

DECEMBER 31ST

NEW YEARS SHOW!:

w/french quarter (with a full band), tradewinds (reunion!) and hell kite

@BOO BERRY FORT

1441 BONARDEN LN. TEMPE, AZ

$5 / 8:00PM

JANUARY 3RD

DJENTRIFICATION:

b-boy/b-girl battle

@WAY COOL HAIR SALON

16TH ST. AND MCDOWELL, AZ

FREE! / 6:00PM

JANUARY 5TH

THE SLACKERS:

w/evil fudd and the montrery

@CLUB CONGRESS

311 E. CONGRESS ST. TUCSON, AZ

$12 / 6:30PM

JANUARY 6TH

GAY BEAST:

w/soft shoulder, syrup, magic johnson and ingrown

@BOO BERRY FORT

1441 BONARDEN LN. TEMPE, AZ

$5 / 8:00PM

JANUARY 12TH

FATHERS DAY:

w/emporer x, james fella and porches

@THE TRIBE

2238 N. 24TH ST. PHOENIX, AZ

FREE! / 8:00PM

JANUARY 16TH

POLKA DOT DOT DOT:

w/james fella, bone eater and the dry river yacht club

@THE TRUNKSPACE

1506 GRAND AVE. PHOENIX, AZ

$6 / 9:00PM

JANUARY 23RD

FOOT OX TOUR KICKOFF:

w/bri and other bands

@THE TRUNKSPACE

1506 GRAND AVE. PHOENIX, AZ

$6 / 8:00PM

FEBRUARY 3RD

FUCKED UP:

w/hour of the wolf, andrew jackson jihad, george moshington, fathers day and pigeon religion

@THE PHIX

1113 NW. GRAND AVE. PHOENIX, AZ

$6 / 8:00PM

FEBRUARY 28TH

LIAMS BIRTHDAY SHOW:

w/jjcnv and other bands

@THE TRUNKSPACE

1506 GRAND AVE. PHOENIX, AZ

$6 / 8:00PM

MARCH 23RD

THE MAE SHI:

w/pre, soft shoulder and pigeon religion

@THE TRUNKSPACE

1506 GRAND AVE. PHOENIX, AZ

$6 / 8:00PM

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today i found this interview with me on the red carpet at the AFI film festival.

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AND HERE ARE SOME MORE CD REVIEWS

SHEARING PINX "ULTRA SNAKE" CD
Out of the big box of albums i got from friend James Fella, i got a a handful of stuff from the Shearing Pinx. I am only going to Review this album because i enjoyed it the most out of everything i have heard from them. The album is very fierce and high energy and that's what i love to see live right now. I haven't seen them live yet but i imagine they would be a ton of fun and i would go completely bonkers over them.


SPRINGFIELD U. "SELF TITLED" CDR
This album was given to me by the amazing "Best Fwends". (which the drummer for "springfield u" is in) It's a pop/punk band that writes and plays songs about simpsons stuff. It's a really great concept, band...everything I am really into it and i imagine more people would be if they made more stuff, or played shows. But they don't anymore. My understanding is that there last show was sometime in 2006... bummer. Anyway, the album is great but short and only 4/10 of the tracks are actual songs, the rest are homer simpson impersinations. Oh well, its only $3 at www.signguyrecords.com


BADICAL TURBO RADNESS "TO THE RESCUE" CD
This is one of the worst "Ska" CD's my ears have ever heard. But it is still worth so much to me because of the novelty of it all. You see BTR! was a 5 piece ska band from 96-98 which sang songs about girls, surfing and a bunch of nonsense. And members of this band went on to form/become Bobby Birdman / Golden Shoulders / The Bass Player For AFI. All of which take themselves very seriously now as artists and human beings and so it just makes me gitty inside when they all have this "dark cloud of embarassment" hanging over them. If i was in a band that was like Badical Turbo Radness i would not be embarassed (wait a minute... i was.) Anyway, i got this years ago from my friend who bought it from Zia records for $5 listened to it once or twice and didnt want it anymore. It's really silly and fun but totally stupid, but if you are into that sort of thing i suggest picking it up if you find it, or just ask me for a copy.

GOOD STUFF! 12/28/2008

I am going to finally fill you in on some of these cd's i have been listening to / re-discovering lately.


LE SCRAWL "EAGER TO PLEASE" CD
This CD was given to me by my friend Emily after she tried to sell it to some record stores in phoenix. She probably said something like "eh, this sucks but you might like it" i vaguely remember listening to it at that time and thinking "it's interesting i guess" and putting it on the shelf. Well, i finally gave it a real listen and "evaluation" and looked into the band a little more and have found they are pretty awesome and my virgin to-anything-other-than-ska-and-punk ears probably couldn't handle or understand it when i first listened to it. The album is pretty good and really interesting. After the first few songs you understand what is going on and can be bored with it easily but this doesn't dis-credit the band or what they are doing i don't think. Imagine if a really great grindcore / metal band had ska and jazz breakdowns instead of guitar solos...etc. and that is pretty much leScrawl. after checking out there labels website and reading more about them it interests me in there other albums and there earlier stuff they made when they were called "scrawl". It also looks like this band is still around...maybe? and they released a new album last year. So... maybe i will get to see them someday.


RANDY NEWMAN "HARPS AND ANGELS" CD
A few years ago my friends Steph and JRC introduced me to this wonderful man named Randy Newman. While i was in Portland from 2006-2008 i stumbled upon his album "Sail Away" at a thrift store for $1. Since i heard that wonderful album i have been hooked and i have been blown away at the way this man writes, composes and produces music. He is one of the reasons i have written REAL songs over the past year or so. This album "Harps and Angels" is a masterpiece, in my opinion. Lyrically it is the rantings of an old man that has seen and been through a lot in this world. And although at first listen it makes you laugh to think about that. This album is not meant to be funny or "gimmick-ey". After listening to songs like "Potholes" and "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" you realize he just wants to get some stuff off of his chest. It is such a beautiful album and can still be compared to "Sail Away" or "Good Old Boys" but is still in a league of it's own. And for 4-5 days i could not stop listening to it, because it is SO GOOD! I have decided after listening to it so many times that at the end of my "career" i want to make music like the music on this wonderful album. here is a video he made for "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country"




BINGES "RETURN OF WHATEVER" CDR
This is band i have never heard of before, and one of the many albums my friend James Fella gave to me as a "welcome home, here is all the cool stuff you missed out on" gift. I don't think anything i could say about this band or this album could do it justice. so i will just say that if you like mellow-er, free jazz-ey, experimental, noise...type stuff. you should check them out. they recently went on a tour with my friend Tent City and another great band of the same sub-genre genre Racoo-ooo-oon. I am sad i missed it.


DOGME 95 "ARCADIAN HYMNS" CD
I played a show with this guy back in 2006 at the trunkspace. i didn't know anything about him, i was told he did electronica/type music and had a performance art side of it. So anyway, Hi My Name Is Ryan played with this guy and a few other people (he was on tour with another great artist named "alexis") and hardly anyone was there and this guy still did an amazing job. He gave me this CD and i never listened to it (well i probably did once or twice but its been almost 3 years since i last heard it at least). When i finally gave this album a chance i was blown away by how awesome it was. There is 3 sides to it. 1) the acoustic side 2) the electronic/dance side and 3) the more experimental/tribal/artsy side. And guess what ITS ALL GOOD! So i highly suggest checking him out and seeing him if he comes through town. Because he's got it all.


ARCHBISHOP JASON POLLAND "PRESENTS THE DOLL TWINS" CD
Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE Archbishop Jason Polland, i love his work on all his other albums and i especially love his work in the Nourishment. But... his last two albums have scared the crap out of me. This one especially for some reason, and i still can't put my finger on it. But this album is very creepy in a very real sort of way. Perhaps when he is not singing about food, bathrooms or satanic worship its just too hard for me to understand or "get". But this is a concept album about two cute little girls who want to have fun and for some reason it creeps me out. you can download it for free here, so you judge for yourself.


RAY REEVES "THE WAIT IS OVER" CDR
Raye Reeves i believe, has done an excellent job of making everyone he meets think he is a badass. That is because he is. If you listen to this mind melting tour into the mind of a psycho you will realize that he is a badass through and through. Not an ounce of poser in this guy. The CD comes with lyrics scribbled in pen for 4/17 tracks, hate mail from someone, a picture of Ray Reeves as a child and a short letter asking people to help him out financially. Now i want to do my part to help the Ray Reeves and encourage you to go to his shows, buy his music and watch his videos.

GOOD STUFF! 12/21/2008

IGGY TURNED ONE YEARS OLD TODAY!
His party was a lot of fun and his compilation CD is amazing! Hopefully some day Emily (Mom) and Liam (Dad) will allow me to put it online for free download because there is a limited 35 copies in existence. Although i am pretty sure they are going to re-release it with some new additions that have been received by more friends/family! You can still hear/download one of my contributions to the CD at http://www.myspace.com/himynameisryan3 its called "Things Everyone Needs To Hear" and it is my favorite song i have ever recorded with any project...ever. And it was all inspired by my god-baby.
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December has been a slow month for music and fun and creative things... but what little has happened has been pretty awesome. I have been steadily working on my art show in January @the Trunk Space. This show will feature a ton of absurdity from me and a ton of brilliance from Corey Busboom (of the Coitus). My pieces will include silkscreens of Wayne Micheal Reich's Face, an 80 pound ball of solid ties, Polaroid Collage work and possibly more... it all depends on how inspired and motivated i become. I will post a postcard for the show as soon as i get it.
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I missed the No Bunny / Okmoniks show in Tempe, AZ this week and i am still pretty bummed about it. I haven't been bummed about missing a show like this since i was 14-15 years old it was very hard for me to deal with. But i didnt know anyone in Phoenix that was going or wanted to go and i did not have a car available to me to drive myself. Either way i hear it was a great success! tons of people showed up and a new local Oi! band played called 4Q which features a super old friend of mine from one of my earliest experiments with music called "Georges Bush" (which later became "Jehova's Fitness" which later became "the Accidentals"). Anyway, i am sad i missed them, but i am happy No Bunny had a great show with lots of people. Last time he played phoenix, no one knew who he was or gave a damn. He played with Fathers Day and another great band called "Bad Waste" (who i am unable to find anything from them online, but if i could, i would share it with you because they were super great too!) i think a total of 6 people payed to see the show and here are some pictures of no bunny's set.


and here is a picture from his show that i missed

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On Friday i went to a show @the Trunk Space and saw French Quarter, Adrian Orange, Alas Alak Alaska, Fancie and James Fella. I don't have a lot to say about the show aside from how amazing French Quarter played (his best set that i have seen in my opinion) and how amazing / tense James Fella played. I still have a bunch of mixed feelings on the touring acts though and that bothers me. So instead of writing about these feelings and putting my foot in my mouth i am going to talk about the first time i saw Adrian Orange (back when he toured under the name "Thanksgiving").

It was August, 2004. My best friend Emily booked a show for all these different bands that no one had heard of (like she and i usually do) and we had no idea how amazing of a show and of an impact the bands and the show would have on everyone. The lineup was
-The Children of Hell
-My Little Red Toe
-Thanksgiving (aka Adrian Orange)
-Y.A.C.H.T.
-Foot Village (w/special guests "Dreamhouse")
-Friends Forever

Probably less than 30 people paid to get in. And the Phix Gallery is a pretty big place. But you know what? That show was on of the best shows i have ever been to in my whole life because of a couple of things. 1. All the bands kicked ass and played with all there heart and soul. 2. everyone in attendance was there to have a great time and didnt care about anything other than fun that night.

That night when i saw Thanksgiving it was awesome and very magical. The second time i saw Thanksgiving it was alright too, it was different (because every tour is different for him) but it was still good and inspiring... And every time i have seen him perform since has not even compared and that makes me sad. But i guess that's the whole point and the whole thing he is going for, no two tour are the same, every album is a completely new piece of art unlike anything else... and i can appreciate that. But i still can't help but feel bummed when i see him now.

YACHT wrote about this show on his website soon after it happened, you should read it here.
and he posted an amazing video which is now available on youtube.


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And finally, like i stated in an earlier entry... i have been listening to music lately that i have had for a while but just haven't made time to listen to it yet. (and there is a lot) and at some point i think i will review some of it. (only the good stuff though.) so hopefully i feel motivated / inspired to do that as well.

GOOD STUFF! 12/14/2008

This week i am mostly writing about recent shows i have attended. But before i go into "review mode" i am going to say... This week i recorded a really fun song that i am super excited about for my god baby's birthday compilation, and i just put it up on myspace for people to listen to. Its called "things everyone needs to hear." I recorded it at my friend robby's house with andrew and tristan and i think it came out really great. Please listen to it and tell me what you think. And speaking of the iggy comp'... it is turning out to be awesome. I believe emily and liam are only waiting for 1-2 more songs, but the 13 that are already on there are so amazing!

SHOW REVIEWS:
CLEW OF THESEUS w/sikhara, james fella and adam mokan @The Trunkspace - This was an all around good noise show. Some of it was dissapointing though, Adam Mokan performed for the first time in over a year or something and he made some intresting sounds but usually it is really intense and he freaks out at some point. At this show the sound just built for 10 minutes and stopped. James Fella did a great job, it was slow moving at first but eventually became very hipnotic and almost spiritual. There was a point in his set where his equipment completly shut off and he told me he was upset with that happening but i think it made it all more intresting because you could feel his stress and anxiety. Sikhara reminded me of a more artsy/tribal version of 8 Bit Porno. Sound/musically wise it was very intense and in your face and had plenty of changes in it all. But it was also very ritualistic in a not that intresting sort of way... i dont know, i still have mixed feelings about there performance. But musically it was super great! Clew of Thesis finished off the night with the greatest/most intresting set i have seen him perform. There was fog, insense, candles, a large teepee looking thing with bones attached to it, amazing lights and amazing sounds. I was very impressed and blown away by his performance, mostly because i could tell he put so much time and effort into it.

7 MINUTES UNDER THE MISTLETOE @Space 55 Theater - I didn't stay for the whole thing but i will explain my thoughts and feelings of the events i did witness. First performer was Tom Tuerff, who is hilarious and is pretty popular (and rightfully so) among the weirdo/bizarro "scene" (for lack of better terminology) he did two great songs about christmas that made me laugh, the only one that stands out though was about how christmas sucks in arizona. Lauren Henschen did this really great/funny monologue about the economy and her life in general. There was a funny skit performed about kids opening christmas gifts and having fun with there toys and it being really "fucked up" it was really funny. Sex vs. Christmas was pretty funny too this time. (there is a cute couple that does this regular "bit" called Sex vs. ____ which is a constant battle to see what is actually better than Sex) This time it was different though, because rather than having the beautiful Elizabeth Peterson represent "Sex" they had the beautiful Steve Wilcox represent "Sex" and he did a terrific job! It was all very funny and brilliantly improvised. Some of the jokes (or rather stunts) in the "Sex vs. christmas" skit were pretty expected but still appreciated. I also saw someone perform the "12 days of a political christmas" (or something like that) he wrote a song to the music of "The 12 days of christmas" but every day was something different about how crappy it was to under the Bush administration and it was very very clever. The Naked Magician also performed. He is this very cool older gentlemen who performs magic in the nude, some people love it, some people hate it and i simply love things that are like that. My performance was both cute and very asshole and i don't really want to write about it.

THE QUEST @The Trunkspace - "The Quest" (in case you don't already know) is my newest project i have with andrew jemsek. It is a sort of loungey, layed back, greatest hits compilation of songs we wrote/have performed/really like. Andrew plays guitar and i play drums and we both sing. This was our second performance and it was pretty sloppy and i blame it mostly on myself and the fact that i could barely hear Andrew and we didn't have a set list with us (although we did make one). the songs we performed were (in no particular order)
-I KISSED A BOY (fancy pants)
-LIARS! (hi my name is ryan)
-DRESSING UP IS ONE THING (the real me)
-DRESS FOR SUCCESS (hi my name is ryan)
-KISS ME SON OF GOD (they might be giants)
-WAITRESS TIED UP (the nourishment)
-FUCK WHITE PEOPLE (andrew jackson jihad)
-SLEAZY (fathers day)
-I HATE MY KIDS (fathers day / haunted cologne)
-DID I USE THE WORD DIVORCE? (fathers day)
-I KNOW WHAT YOU DID (the real me)
-SUCK A CHEETAHS DICK (wesley willis)
-WILD THING (the troggs)
-DRUMMER IN MY CHEST (uggamugga)
-HARD ROCK STAR (uggamugga)
-POOP SONGS #1 + #2 (night wolf)
-BRODIE JAM (night wolf)
and thats all i can recall right now, but i think there was more.

THE AQUABATS @The Marquee Theater - The Aquabats played a terrific set. The best i have seen them in years! and here are a few reasons why. 1. They played a bunch of songs they haven't played in years. (Story of Nothing, Magic Chicken, Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates, CD Repo Man) 2. There stage banters was pretty hilarious and mostly because they thought they were so funny. I love it when more "professional" and "developed" bands do stuff like this because it makes me feel not as stupid when i do it. 3. I was super pumped and hyped on cookies and hot chocolate and went completely nuts for most of there set. 4. THEY THREW FOOD AT THE CROWD! HOORAY! i haven't seen them do that since 2001 but they use to do it all the time and it was always so much fun and a huge influence on me and my performances in the future and... sigh.... it was all so beautiful! After the show i got to hang out with them backstage which was also a delight because they are all really nice genuine people and i like that i am at a point in my life where i feel comfortable being around/talking to my favorite band of all time. PLUS the bat commander gave me his sweaty/smelly rashgaurd that he wore that night at the show. AND! he gave me a new prosthetic mustache and spirit gum! HOORAY FOR FREE GIFTS!

GOOD STUFF! 12/09/2008

I just got some of the greatest news in my life!... Fathers Day will (most likely) be playing in New Orleans @The Spellcaster Lodge w/Quintron and Miss Pussycat AND CALVIN JOHNSON! in May! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! i will definitely let you know more about that as it all comes closer to a reality.
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Today i went to tempe to put up some fliers for upcoming shows and such with my friend Tristan and i realized i have this horrible habit to impulsively buy things if they are a good deal or really great or...whatever. if i have money and i see something cool i buy it (even though a lot of times. like today) i really shouldn't and really can't afford to. But either way, we stopped by some cool places in Tempe and i got some nice things and i want to share them with you so that way you can support these business as well.

1. A delicious cup of hot chocolate from Coffee Cartel. i had never been to Coffee Cartel but i hear they have cool shows there sometimes and they were super nice people so i bought a big cup of hot chocolate and i wasn't let down at all. Super delicious! Super friendly! Worth stopping by again! Hooray!

2. "Punk Rock and Trailer Parks" graphic novel by Derf. This was a major impulse buy but i dont mind. Just by glancing through it i think its pretty awesome and worth the $15 i spent on it. Besides i picked this up from Ash Ave. Comics, which is my favorite Comic book store of all time and i haven't been there in forever! Let alone purchase something! I think the last thing i bought from there was James Kochalka's "Fantastic Butterflies" back in early 2006.

3. 2 Madness LP's ("7" and "Absolutely") and Slow Gherkin "Shed Some Skin" on Vinyl. Each album was less than $5. And i got them all from the greatest record store left in Arizona (no offense to Revolver Records or Stinkweeds. or even Tracks N' Wax) East Side Records. The thing that i love about record stores like eastside and others is that after spending a couple minutes in there you know exactly what the employees are into and what you are sure to find! Eastside is the only place in Arizona where i have found anything from Tiny Tim, The Mummies, Soda Pop Fuck You, The Space Tourists and more... And the Fact that i found these 3 great ska albums on LP all for less than $5 a piece is remarkable. If i would've spent a whole day there who knows what i would have ended up with.
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Fathers Day is doing a split with treasure mammal at the end of January. The theme or "concept" of the album is going to be "sheriff Joe Arpaio" Treasure Mammal side is going to be anti-arpaio and Fathers Day side is going to be pro-arpaio. And we are all very excited. To learn more about Arpaio go here and here and here
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i updated http://www. thegoodshows. com recently and there is a lot of good stuff coming up. i will probably be attending the following. shows in green means i am performing

DECEMBER 10TH
SIKHARA:
w/clew of thesis, adam mokan and james fella
@THE TRUNKSPACE
1506 GRAND AVE.
PHOENIX, AZ
$5 / 7:00PM

DECEMBER 11TH
(not listed on thegoodshows.com)
MUSTARD PLUG:
w/another band? maybe?
@THE CLUBHOUSE
TEMPE, AZ
$6 / 7:00PM / 18+

DECEMBER 12TH
TRUNKSPACE BENEFIT:
w/swell chemistry, visantos, haunted cologne, plague party, strawman and
phatima unclear.
@THE TRUNKSPACE
1506 GRAND AVE.
PHOENIX, AZ
$7-$10 / 8:30PM

AND

7 MINUTES UNDER THE MISTLETOE:
w/10+ artists all performing for 7 minutes.
@SPACE 55 THEATER
PHOENIX, AZ
$5 / 9:00PM

DECEMBER 13TH
UGGAMUGGA TOUR KICKOFF:
w/the quest!!!! and a bunch of other bands.
@THE TRUNKSPACE
1506 NW GRAND AVE. PHOENIX, AZ
$5 / 8:00PM

AND!

(not listed on thegoodshows)
THE AQUABATS:
w/dj lance rock, suburban legends and some other bands
@THE MARQUEE THEATER
TEMPE, AZ
$20 / 7:00PM

DECEMBER 17TH
NO BUNNY:
w/the okmoniks and other bands
@THE MANOR
832 S. MAPLE ST.
TEMPE, AZ
FREE! / 8:00PM

DECEMBER 18TH
DAN DEACON:
w/other bands
@SCOTTSDALE WATERFRONT
7380 E. SECOND STREET SCOTTSDALE, AZ
FREE! / 7:00PM

AND!

FRENCH QUARTER:
w/alas alak alaska, fancie and other bands
@THE TRUNKSPACE
1506 GRAND AVE.
PHOENIX, AZ
$6 / 8:00PM

DECEMBER 27TH
HOORAY FOR THE LIGHTRAIL SHOW!:
w/uggamugga, iji, french quarter and stellaluna
@THE TRUNKSPACE
1506 GRAND AVE.
PHOENIX, AZ
FREE! / 7:00PM

FEBRUARY 4TH
FUCKED UP:
w/mika miko, andrew jackson jihad, george moshington and other bands
@THE PHIX
1113 NW. GRAND AVE.
PHOENIX, AZ
$6 / 8:00PM

FEBRUARY 5TH
SKA IS DEAD TOUR:
w/the toasters, the vodoo glow skulls, deals gone bad and buck-0-nine
@THE MARQUEE THEATER
TEMPE, AZ
?? / 7:00PM

and there is more good shows as well. but hey... january looks like a pretty dry month, anyone know of some sweet shows happening that month that aren't already listed on www.thegoodshows.com? let me know.
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OH! and don't forget to go to this show!

(here is the press kit for this show. if you aren't planning on going already maybe by reading this it will change your mind)

"For Immediate Release
THEGOODSHOWS presents
VALUE FEST

Dec 26th, 7PM at

The Trunk Space
6 Bands, $1.00

WHO: THE GOOD SHOWS longtime promoters of cutting edge music out west
WHAT: 6 Killer PHX Bands, for one measly buck! Taste your town for 100 pennies.
WHERE: The Trunk Space, 1506 NW Grand Ave, 602-256-6006 (www.thetrunkspace.com)
WHEN: Friday December 26th (Day After Christmas). Doors at 7PM
WHY: Stimulate your mind, heart, and the economy!

Additional Info:
http://www.thegoodshows.com
Contact Ryan Avery:
majestic.ryan@gmail.com

Says Ryan Avery, "As we all know the economy is in bad shape and we use this as an excuse to buy cheap things and not go out as much because we chose to let it bring us down. Some say it is the reason why show attendance hasn't been as great lately for most live performance venues. Whatever the case may be, we shouldn't let the lousy economy stop us from having fun and stop us from supporting amazing local businesses. Value Fest is the answer to the many excuses people have for not going out and having a good time anymore."
THE BANDS ARE:

Fathers Day – Thrash / Punk / Hardcore:

It's all about dad's.
www.myspace.com/fathersday / www.thegoodshows.com/info-fathersday.html

JJCNV – Weirdo / Punk / Rock:

Local rock band recently featured on the cover of The New Times.
www.jjcnv.com / www.myspace.com/jjcnv

Skinwalkers – Alternative / Weirdo / Butthole Surfers:

This band is changing Phoenix.
www.myspace.com/skinwalkersmusic

Children of Hell – Punk / Disco / Sex:
This will be there reunion show. They haven't played since August, 2006.
www.myspace.com/childrenofhell
Earth, Wind and Stranger – Noise / Electronic / Inspirational:

Treasure Mammal's newest creation.
www.myspace.com/treasuremammal

BOLT! – Spastic / Noise / Punk:

Just like the new Pixar film!
www.myspace.com/boltofficial / boltofficial.tripod.com

The Good Shows hears the trunk space is in okay shape right now--but things at the moment aren't looking up. Shows that usually bring 100 or so people are bringing half of that. They've been doing this for 5 years now and haven't had turnouts like this since the early days of the space. So with that being said, The Good Shows feel that we should try and stop the problem before it gets worse, for our favorite place in the world. Six bands will be playing loud, fun, energetic music for $1, bring extra money if you can to donate to the space or to buy band merchandise. The show starts at 7:00pm"

GOOD STUFF! 12/04/2008

on the aquabats message board there is a thread about peoples top 3 favorite ska albums. it is fun to see what people have come up with and of course there are jerks and idiots that will say "The Aquabats 'Charge!'" but all message boards have people that will post things like that to be funny. anyway... i went through my music collection and i came up with these and i chose way more than 3 because it is just too hard to narrow it down to just 3. not to mention all the differant varietys of ska music out there.

traditional ska:
The Adjusters "before the revolution"
Hepcat "right on time"
The Slackers "wasted days"

ska/punk with organs:
The Chinkees "peace through music"
The Gadjits "wish we never met"
Slow Gherkin "roman holiday"

90's ska/punk:
Impossibles "anthology"
Skankin Pickle "sing along with..."
The Hippos "forget the world"

skacore:
Voodoo Glow Skulls "who is, this is?"
Mighty Mighty Bosstones "skacore the devil and more"
Mu330 "chumps on parade"

albums i feel bad for leaving out because they are so good:
Madness "one step beyond"
Chris Murray "raw"
Dan Potthast "eyeballs"
Kingpins "plan of action"

if you are familiar with the genre you will probably notice i haven't included anything too "classic" or "standard" (excluding madness "one step beyond") and it isnt because most "standard" ska albums arent good... its because i simply like these better and listen to it all more. and if that upsets you... i totally understand. Because i am a snob about music just as much as you.

i attended Grand Ave. Live this evening. Which is a live talk show that happens every first thursday of each month at the trunk space. It features local artists and weirdos, funny sketches, surprise guests and usually a musical guest each night JUST LIKE A REAL LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW YOU WOULD SEE ON TELEVISION! It was also originally hosted and created by me and was then called "grand ave. tonight!" but appearently when that became too confusing for the audience to understand so now it is "grand ave. live!" and is hosted by a way better and talented man by the name of Kevin Patterson! and tonight i saw my first "episode" since i have returned to phoenix and i LOVED IT! Kevin does such a wonderful job, everything has good timing, nothing drags on, nothing is too awkward, he has amazing charisma.... jeez! i am so jealeous! but i am also so happy for him because it is so awesome. When i hosted G.A.T. it was just this really weird and awkward giant performance art piece (pretty much) that i tricked people into coming to (which is true, on more than one occasion i tricked people into coming) But now its magnificent. And very (for lack of a better term) "legit" in my opinion. Anyway... its good and if you havent seen it, or think the whole idea is lame...you need to go and see it because it is soooooooo good! and you will not be dissapointed!

The Night Wolf show on teusday went alright... better than expected anyway. We played some songs and made lots of jokes about poop and then did a 2-3 minute long "commercial jam" that was very much like They Might Be Giants "fingertips" and it turned out alright for never practicing it. Then we watched the first episode of Skelton Warriors until everyone left. Aunt Dracula didnt play because by the time they reached the space everyone was gone. Earth, Wind and Stranger didnt play because he thought for some reason it was tonight instead. And Pools opened the show and did a really great job. So over all not a total failure in my opinion. There are sadly no pictures or videos from the show but i found some live Night Wolf Videos from our comeback show in september.


This is the begining of our set. We sealed off the doors and created a "danger room" so no one could leave.


And here is the end of our set. Where we played the Bambi Jam and had the ground turn to lava. which didnt really play out as well as we had hoped so we went into jerk mode and started daring people to stay.

and since i'm posting videos from youtube.com why not include this video from when Hi My Name Is Ryan performed "Fath Flourescent" at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood, CA

GOOD STUFF! 12/01/2008 PART 2!

First off, there are two great shows coming up this month. The first in the flyer above you. My band Night Wolf will be performing with a band i am not that into but i hear they are pretty fun live called Aunt Dracula who is on tour from Pennsylvania. As well as Pools which is a "90's Rock" style of band (think 3rd eye blind and semisonic) and Earth, Wind and Stranger (aka Treasure Mammal) who will be performing some new jamz that night too.


The second one is "VALUE FEST!" which is the one shown just above this text. The show is only $1 and i garuntee all the bands are good and fun and crazy and amazing! i have already talked up a few of them in this blog! because i love all of them sooo much! and one of the most exciteing things to happen at this show (if not THE most exciting) is THE CHILDREN OF HELL ARE PLAYING! and they havent played a show since my farewell show August 16th, 2006! and they are soo good! here are some pictures from old live shows!


They are one of those bands that is just so amazing, but hardly ever does anything. They have recorded a hand full of songs and non of the recordings are that great (or released) [EXCEPT: "D is for Destiny" which will be available soon i hear.] They have been around since July, 2004 but have only played roughly 10 shows. So it's totally a special treat to see these guys if/when you can.

Also, i thought i would share with you my own little "reviews" of 3 albums i listened to today.

Andrew Jackson Jihad "people who can eat people, are the luckiest people in the world".
This is not my favorite AJJ album but i will say that i think it is a brilliant and beautiful album and i would really love if there was a band that sounded like this all the time and toured and put on music regularly. You see, this album may be andrew jackson jihad songs performed by andrew jackson jihad but, there is a TON of extra instrumentation. Normally with the Jihad there is only acoustic guitar and upright bass. This album includes not only that but accordian, pianolin, cello, singing saw, manolin, violin, slide guitar, electric guitar, gloskenspiel, trumpet, drums and banjo. Which makes for a beautifuly orchestrated piece of music but not what Andrew Jackson Jihad sounds like.
FAVORITE TRACK(S): 02 Brave As a Noun, 05 No More Tears, 08 A Song Dedicated to The Memory of Stormy The Rabbit and 11 People (which is one of the most positive songs i have ever heard)


Night Wounds "Allergic To Heat"
I have seen Night Wounds 2+ times at least and i must say they are a lot of fun to see live. The first time i saw them i picked up a little 3 song demo thing, that was pretty good and able to hold me over till i saw them again and i picked up there 7" from them. When i got this full length from James Fella the other day this is one of the albums i was most excited about because i was hopeing to get some new excitement and positive feelings about them. But sadly i felt this album did not deliver what i had hoped for. All the recordings are pretty raw and live. Which are both fine and i dont mind most of the time but i wasnt wanting or expecting that, so in the end i felt dissapointed. Which bums me out because i love this band. So i think i am going to have to listen to it again a few months from now and give it another shot.
FAVORITE TRACK(S): 03 Nineteen and 04 Ex Best Friend


Mooey Moobau "All Murmer of our Mothers' Waters"
This album is the latest project Joe Tepperman (The Nourishment and GST Mugwump) has been involved with. He gave me a copy of this at a Fathers Day show in LA in early November. I finally got around to listening to it. (although i am still unsure why i put it off for so long because Joe is one of my heroes) I listened to it in the car while i was on a delivery for my job. The music and sounds created on this album are so intresting and mind numbing and fantastic (in the literal sense of fantasy and wonder) that it was difficult to concentrate on driving and i almost ended up in a car wreck. Thats all i really have to say about this, so let it be a word of caution: DO NOT listen to this album while driveing or operating heavy machinery, or you might die.
FAVORITE TRACK(S): 02 Trap Door and 07 The Dead Plant on my Desk

GOOD STUFF! 12/01/2008

So, Corey Busboom is pretty much the coolest guy ever. I could actually write an entire chapter in a book about the coolest people to ever exist, about him. But i wont. I could also write an entire "blog" entry about him... but i wont. But i will share with you some of the sweet videos he took from last nights show!


This is literally the last minute of fathers day's set last night. Sadly not many of our fans were able to see it because we went on first and we usually go on later than 8:30pm. This includes the amazing Corey Busboom, which is why we only have the last one minute from our set. The song we are playing is the new "oncore song" its called "do the dad" and thankfully a lot of people got into it and so it turned out to be a success!


This is the Coal Mine Canaries they played the show last night too. When i would tell people about the show i never mentioned the Coal Mine Canaries because 1. i had never heard them. 2. they feature 4 guys from bands i never really liked (although i know they are all very talented musicians and i can appreciate that) and so i sorta figured it was going to be horrible. But i was dead wrong in my assumptions and i was very impressed with what they did and super excited to see them again soon (hopefully it wasn't just some lame "stunt" they threw together for treasure mammal's show.)


Andrew Jackson Jihad did a really great set. And this is a 7:30 video from that set. It was the first time i have seen them since June, 2006.

It was a very eclectic lineup. Sadly i haven't found any footage from Treasure Mammal's set, or anything from Soft Shoulder and Fertile Crescent. But either way they all did amazing and i hope that if you don't know anything about these artists you check them out.

So... non-show related good stuff is, James Fella gave me a big box of cool stuff i have missed out on while i was on my mission. Which is one of the coolest things ever! And i am so excited about a lot of it and i want to listen to it all at the same time, but i dont have enough record players and CD players to do that. So anyway... here is the list:

CD:
-BINGES "return to whatever"
-GLOXHID CHRISTMIX 2007 "winter solstice"
-HELL-KITE "5 song demo EP?"
-JAMES FELLA "post/coast"
-JAMES FELLA "salvaged tape"
-NIGHT WOUNDS "allergic to heat"
-RACCOO-OO-OON "behold secret kingdom"
-SHEARING PINX "poison hands"
-SHEARING PINX "ultra snake"
-SIKED PSYCH "notnotfun compilation"
-Z'S "buck"

12":
-FOOT VILLAGES "friendship nation"
-FRENCH QUARTER "self titled"
-LITTLE WOMEN "teeth"
-TENT CITY "drought"

7":
-ABEVIGODA / MIKAELA'S FIEND "split"
-BABY GECKO / SOFT SHOULDER "split"
-FEMME COVERT / BLACK CAT #13 "split"
-GEORGE MOSHINGTON "attack"
-SABOTEURS
-SHEARING PINX "haruspex"
-SOFT SHOULDER "2 song 'hit single'"
-WARBLER / BROMP TREB "split"
-Z'S "arms"

thank you james fella. for being an amazing human being.