This little diddy features some of the dudes I have encountered on this journey called life... Some of these dudes I went to school with and some I have had the pleasure to have met or know. All are artists in their own right, creatin' music on their own terms. They are all outlaws if you will.
Steve Fontenot
Steve Fontenot - This dude I went to school with, he graduated one year before me. Steve is a stand up dude with a positive vibe and a gentle spirit. His music is simple, organic, real, and good. Steve is a laid back guy, a dude you can drink a beer with, and on occasions back in the day, that is exactly what I did with him. Check out some of his tunes...
A bit more colorful now, but this is Steve!
Westley Allen aka Big Vinny aka Westley Dotson
Westley Allen aka Big Vinny aka Westley Dotson of The Plainfield Butchers, Big Vinny and the Cattle Thieves and The Half Empties - Wes is a filthy garage punk rocker and a radio sensation for Erratic Radio!. One could say ol' Wes and I have a thing or two in common, the ability to baffle people with bullshit and subtly pursuade people to listen to tunes. Here's a tune from his latest group, The Plainfield Butchers...
John "Douche Bag" Fenney from No More Heroes - Let me set the record straight... John is a only a "Douche Bag" for not invitin' me to a Rancid show! No hard feelins' John! John was unfortunate to become acquainted with me through my family, as I have been dishin' him shit every since! He is a good dude, with a level head, a great sense of humor, and has professional schooling in the art of recording equipment in his back pocket. He pounds the skins in a punk band, No More Heroes from Arizona. I think his playin' style resembles the style of Animal from The Muppets, all over the place!!!
The real John Fenney minus the physician costume! Whata fuckin' poser!!!
No More Heroes are currently workin' on their new album. I for one, am lookin' forward to hearin' what these punkers produce! Check 'em out...
SAVAGEKAT and the LUV THUGZ
Savagekat and the Luv Thugz- Savagekat led by Mr. Savagekat himself, Shawn Maloy, create fun in the sun tunes similar to the music bySublime only with their own style, expression, and a baked in the sun lovin' Southern Colorado River vibe that can't be beat! Shawn has been tearin' up the desert near the Colorado River for years. I was fortunate enough to catch him in the earlier stages of his musical career in the a group he led called Splifrydm.
Savagekat rockin' a red bandana, flyin' V guitar, and a harmonica. Now that's multitaskin'!!!
JESSE DEL QUADRO
Jesse Del Quadro from Thee Swank Bastardsand 1/2 AST- I was in the same class with this guy. Now Jesse and his fellow band mates are in a class all by themselves! Thee Swank Bastards stole a page from Pulp Fiction's wardrobe, as they rock the stylish black suits and skinny black ties. Thee Swank Bastards are carryin' the tiki torch The Ventures mastered, that being the the art of surf music. Jesse plays a mean guitar! He and his band mates are currently tearin' up Sin City. Hang Ten Motherfuckers!!! Please check out their website (click on their name): Thee Swank Bastards to listen to their bitchin' surf music!
Jesse Del Quadro of Thee Swank Bastards hailing from Sin City.
That cool dude in disguise playin' the bass is Jesse from 1/2 Ast.
And know this... "Some class is better than no class at all" - Black Crowe '11
A little word of advice for all you facebookers...
If you don't want your shit borrowed, raped, and pillaged then don't post shit public on your page, dumb asses!!! learn it, love it, live it!!!
All other photographs are from each of the respective artist's facebook pages. One could say I stole them. I merely borrowed them, so fuckin' get over it would ya!!!
All music is from each of the respective artist's facebook pages, also borrowed.
So those who know me and know me all too well, may just say that I am a hoarder. To those who believe this, I say total fuckin' bullshit!!! I am eclectic! I have a fascination with all kinds of stuff. I'm not gonna lie, I like a variety of items rangin' from baseball cards to empty beer bottles to cigar boxes. I my friends, have spent the better part of my life accumulating a plethora of possessions, some near and dear to my heart and some with little or no meaning at all. My burnin' desire to collect and gather useless stuff is completely random. If somethin' catches my eye, I purchase it, pending approval and release of funds from my Chief Financial Advisor/Accountant/Trustee of the Bank Account.
Many women in committed relationships have elaborate sitting rooms, elegant formal and informal dining rooms, fully equipped kitchens, bountiful sewing rooms, craft rooms with enough ribbon to tie a bow around the planet, and libraries with every Daniel Steelbook ever written etc. All the fore mentioned rooms, are predominately decorated with a woman's touch. What should a man get as a consolation prize? And no, it's not a piece of ass! Every good man should be able to have a "Man Cave"!!!
Definition of a "Man Cave":
A Man Cave is a mutually agreed upon designated safe haven for those of the male gender to privately enjoy some of the finer things in life: relaxin', listenin' to music, and drinkin' good cold beer. It is a man's place to retreat to, unwind, collect his thoughts, and reflect upon the trials and tribulations of his everyday life.
Note: Definition taken from Black Crowe's Dictionary, currently out of print.
I have a "Man Cave" and I absolutely love it! It is the one place I have proudly decorated completely by myself. Hell, I may have stumbled upon a new career avenue to pursue, "Professional Man Cave Interior Designer Extraordinaire." Fuckin' genius!!! I am totally qualified!!!
A Man Cave is the crim de la crim of rooms for men! My Man Cave just happens to be a spacious multipurpose facility, serving as my garage, tool crib, and storage area. It is an office of sorts. Where do you think I conjure up these crazy ideas for blog posts? I think of a Man Cave as kind of like Custer's Last Stand, me being, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and my significant other being, the mighty Sioux Native American Warriors minus the bloody loss of Lt. Col. Custer and the men of the 7th Cavalry. A Man Cave is a man's last stronghold on what was once his glorious and esteemed bachelor pad and/or animal house.
The top ten things a good man cave should have:
1) A working refrigerator. Nothin' beats a cold beverage.
Here's a quote for ya with regards to drinkin' and minimizin' trips to the refrigerator...
"A beer in the back pocket is as good as a beer in the hand." - Black Crowe 10-16-11.
2) A working stereo. I prefer to have a cd player and ipod access for the maximum rock N roll experience.
3) Music. Lots of it! CDs and grip loads of tunes on the ipod. A variety of music is always good.
4) Chair(s). You need some kind of a seat(s) to gain the full relaxation effect. An old couch would be awesome, but lawn chairs will suffice. Seating allows you to relax, put a cold one in your hand, enjoy the freedom of your space, the fruits of your labor designin' and creatin' your pristine palace!
5) A dartboard. I prefer the electronic variety. These are especially great for when you have guests! Dartboards are also great to kill time while you are comin' up with an idea for the next addition(s) to your Man Cave.
6) Sports memorabilia. Support and show pride for your team(s)!
7) Miscellaneous shit hangin' and displayed on the walls. This stuff not only serves as decoration, but also provides good topics for conversation. Posters of naked women (if you are married, display at your own risk!), photographs, beer signs, sports memorabilia, antiques, concert posters etc. Small trinkets and odd ball items are good too. Shelves work well to better accentuate some of your more prized possessions.
9) A Television. This is the one item I do not have in my humble abode. I say 9 outta 10 ain't bad! Honestly, a TV is not required. For some, I can see it as a necessity, so to prevent those who need it from gettin' their panties in a wad, TV made the list.
8) Storage space. Do not be a fuckin' slob! Store your miscellaneous stuff where you can easily access it when needed. Note to self: Work on this, ZOINKS!!!
10) Cold alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages stocked in the refrigerator. Need I share with you what kind of beverages I prefer? I didn't think so!
Some ideas for your Man Cave: beer bottle collection, sports memorabilia, concert posters.
Miscellaneous stickers will transform a beat up refrigerator into a vibrant collage of memories.
I prefer stickers from various music artists I have seen perform live,
from shoe and clothing companies, and stickers from places I have been.
Dartboards are bitchin'! My suggestion is to mount your dartboard to a cork bulletin board to protect the wall from drunken stray flyin' darts.
"It's only rock 'n roll, but I like it, like it, yes, I do!" - Jagger/Richards
Beer signs make great additions to any Man Cave.
Parting thoughts...
The old saying, "One man's junk, is another man's treasure," is a true statement!!! The sky is the limit! Reach for the stars, spread your wings! Fly motherfucker! Fly!!! "To live is to fly" -Townes Van Zandt I apologize, I was feelin' inspirational for a moment. Good day.
Please let me start out by stating the truth, AM and FM radio suck!!! I can't stand to listen to the same shit over and over day after day on AM and FM radio stations! I am also too cheap to pay for satellite radio. Besides, why would I pay for satellite radio when there are far better alternatives.
My musical listenin' pleasures have progressed to the technological advancements of mp3 players, my ipod, internet radio, Pandora, and my personal favorites, daytrotter.com, free music downloads/streaming and hearya.com free music downloads/streaming. The ipod is the best invention since cold beer! You can quote me on that line too!
My absolute favorite music format, is the good ol' trusty LP format. A LP is a vinyl album for those of you too young to know what the hell vinyl is and for those of you too damned old and senile to remember! I also have a substantial collection of cds and they are listened to regularly as well. If not for anything else, cds make good coasters.
And to the dip shit out there who is thinkin', "What about tapes, eight tracks, and/or reel to reels?" From what I have been told, reel to reels have good sound. I would love to own a reel to reel and grip loads of music to go with it, but unfortunately, they are not as readily available as turntables and LPs are. Vinyl is the total package, rich textured sound and great album art to fully appreciate! If you don't appreciate the art that goes into the package of an album, well then you are missin' out! Cassette tapes and eight tracks are junk. Eight tracks are for mullet head speed freaks and I am not a mullet head speed freak.
True story boys and girls...
Some of the last cassette tapes I owned ended up somewhere on the center median of the Las Vegas Strip between the Venetian Hotel & Casino and the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino. My good buddy, whose name will remain anonymous, decided my cassettes were unplayable and therefore, expendable. He proceeded to throw them out the window like he was tossin' candy to kids standin' on the sidewalks watchin' a North Dakota Potato Bowl Parade.
So I got this crazy idea to share with the world some of the best albums I have heard released so far in 2011. Music brings peace to my mind, body, and soul. Music can do the same for you, if you let it.
This is an interactive blog people!!! You are only get what you put in to it. This means spend the time to click on the highlighted names, watch the videos, and listen to the tunes. You might learn a thing or two about a thing or two. I mean really listen!!! Focus, FOCUS!!!
Some of the best album releases of 2011 so far...
Artist (click on the artists' name to visit their official website) /Album Title/My Thoughts On The Album
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears are funky soul garage rock N roll. This album will blow your fuckin' socks off!!! Think James Brown and Wilson Pickett with a pinch of the rhythm & blues from the pages of The Rolling Stones' "Exile On Main Street," "Goats Head Soup," and/or "Some Girls" albums. Check out the sweeeet ass video to Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears' song, "Mustang Ranch" It's da bomb!!! ...
Lucinda Williams hit a fuckin' home run with this album! I absolutely love the track, "I Don't Know How You're Livin'." This lady has a great story tellin' voice, with a worn and weary sound. Imagine a female Ryan Bingham voice. I am not crazy about the following video, but I do like the song, "Copenhagen" from her lastest album. Check it out...
When I read a magazine article about these Southern California dudes workin' with Robbie Robertson, I had to check them out. Great discovery! If you don't know who Robbie Robertson is, he is only one of the greatest guitarists of all-fuckin'-time!!! He is famous for being a member of The Band, only one of the greatest bands of all-fuckin'-time!!! "Nothing Is Wrong" is their second release, following their 2009 debut album, "North Hills." This four piece band make music with beautiful harmonies and a real 70's throwback sound. Their music is nothin' like the shit of today's modern rock music. Their music really comes alive when played live! They put on a great show!!!
I could not find any audio only links, so here is the next best thing the song, "Million Dollar Bill" from their new album with no video, only a picture of the album cover ...
Farewell Milwaukee, not from Milwaukee. I'm not sure where their name originates from. Minnesota the land of 10,000 lakes, the home to several marginal college hockey teams, like the Minnesota Gophers, and great American music by Farewell Milwaukee. "When It Sinks In" is the title of these darlings from the great Upper Midwest's second album. This album is simply easy to listen to with good guitar licks and keys. Similar to some of Ryan Adams' music.
This album is akin to the late 60's and early 70's era music, when fuckin' music sounded pure and not over produced. These groovy songs folkish rock songs will take you on a musical journey. This album has an airy molecular vibe similar to some of the work of The Black Crowes, Pink Floyd, and I even hear a hint of a little Robin Trower. If you have ever heard the tune, "Bridge of Sighs" from Robin Trower, listen to the song, "Natural Rhapsody," then you should totally understand my comparison.
If you need to know anything about Texas musicians, it should be that they have a special uniqueness to them, Mr. Robert Earl Keen is no different. Keen is a singer/songwriter and his new album, "Ready For Confetti" is feel-good easy to listen to music. Key track for me is the upbeat country rocker, "Play A Train Song." I have no music sample for Keen, but I'm real keen on Keen.
To say Ryan Adams is a strange dude may be an understatement. He is a strange dude. I have heard at times, he can be an asshole, but ya know what? I really don't fuckin' care if he is or isn't an asshole! Mr. Adams is a great singer/songwriter and for him to share his writings if the form of songs is mighty tall of him. Adams' music and voice at times sound hauntingly familiar to Neil Young and Gram Parsons and that my friends is a goooooood thing! For his latest album, for whatever reason, Adams recorded without the great, great band The Cardinals. The first song, "Dirty Rain" is awesome and from there the awesomeness continues. Here's a stream of the album...
Another true story, I was drunk as fuck when I saw this dude rock a Social Distortion crowd with an acoustic guitar, harmonica, and his heart felt emotional country/folk/bluegrass music combined with the edginess and intensity of punk music. Being punk is less about the mohawk one rocks, the studded belts and chains one wears and more about one's state of mind. That being said, Mr. Ragan is punk as fuck! His music is amazin'! In my drunken stuper that night, I managed to buy his previous released album, "Gold Country" and I have been hooked on his music ever since!!! Mr. Ragan is also known for his contributions as a member of the punk group Hot Water Music, whom I know virtually nothin' about. Listen to a couple of the tunes...
Where do I start with commenting on these guys! The Deep Dark Woods are north of the border Canadian beauties!!! Their music is absolutely, positively beautiful! Eloquent keyboards and wonderful lyrics. I hear influences of Townes Van Zandt and The Band in these guys' music. Their new album is great from start to finish! Please note: THE ALBUM IS CURRENTLY ONLY RELEASED IN CANADA. October 18th, 2011 IS THE TENATIVE U.S. RELEASE DATE. BUY THEIR ALBUM!!!!!! It will be available through Itunes.
All the albums above are available on vinyl with the exception of Farewell Milwaukee's "When It Sinks In" and The Deep Dark Woods' "The Place I Left Behind," it is available through Itunes and in cd format. Ryan Adams' "Ashes & Fire" will be released on vinyl November 1, 2011.
If you are a music sponge like me, let me know what you are listenin' to. I'm all ears...
