99channels

I am not a stranger to headbanging and have been known to turn parties into an impromptu mosh pit, to the surprise of the uninitiated.  After a while I figured out that such behavior didn't go down well with persons of the female persuasion so I learned to stay away from the dance floor.  Anyway, I digress. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been a favorite band of mine until the birth of the loudness wars' ugly baby called Californication.  Here's a favorite website of mine to check how distorted the audio on an album is: http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=red+hot+chili+peppers&album=californication In general I don't buy music anymore on CD if it scores badly on that site. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr_uHJPUlO8 BTW, headbanging originated at a Led Zeppelin concert in 1969 I learned recently.  

Sometimes I hear a voice in a song which makes me stop and wonder who that is.  One such moment was when I heard Gotye's "Somebody that I used to know".  About halfway through the song a the second voice comes in with a very clean line which over the verse becomes coarser and really texture paints a couple's argument during a break up.  So that caught my attention.  Turns out that beautiful voice belongs to Kimbra.  I didn't know her, but off course the internet allows you to quickly catch up.  At that time she had one album out called "Vows".  Today I give you two songs I keep coming back to when I want to listen to that lovely voice, the unique Kimbra timbre. Kimbra - Settle Down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHV04eSGzAA Kimbra - Plain Gold Ring (Live at Sing Sing Studios) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i1mr9amqeg

Sometimes you need an outlet for your anger, frustration and disappointment in humanity… for me, Nomeansno is just that.  My all time favorite band, for which I went on a pilgrimage to Victoria, Canada when they dissolved the band two years ago. Nomeansno started at the end of the 70s at the very end of the original punk movement as the brothers Wright playing music with just drums and a bass as lead guitar (Royal Blood did not invent this).  They are considered to be “Canadian post hardcore punk”. Many musicians today are a fan because they were known to be the tightest playing band ever playing music with crazy time shifts.  For a while they toured with two drummers, you know for the stereo effect.  I have seen them many times and got most of my hearing damage from those gigs.  They. Are. Loud. For reference, Metallica on TW in the 90s was not as loud as Nomeansno in the old 4AD...  Finally, the band is known for, at first sight, nonsensical lyrics.  Many of their songs contain a

How about a song which gets to me every time I hear it?  This week I've got one inspired by a trip around the US to experience the real heartland.  Listing to this on a desolate drive from South Bend, Indiana to Ann Arbor, Michigan and you understand this album and the US much better.  See pictures. Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr5c7hohEQ0