Happy Monday! Here’s a present, Buddyhead readers: The Verve just posted a new “non-album” track on their website called “Mover.” Click here to download it from them, or skip that horse shit and download it from us below. Either way, you win.
I wasn’t too impressed with the slightly dorky, sample-heavy single they thew out on the internet last week, “Love Is Noise”. But I can’t complain because I’m glad to have them back together. Plus, since I’m the one who actually got the band back together via “The Secret” I’m taking full responsibility for this one. So here is your new guitar-based Verve track “Mover,” which might not blow minds, but destroys that other single. At least we know Richard still “can’t sleep at night.” (Yo dude, it might be the cocaine.) Thankfully, he isn’t gotten arrested for trying to work with the children while he’s way too high lately…
Buddyhead needs a little help from our friends….. that means you talented people!
As I mentioned a little while ago, we once again have something of a staff here at Buddyhead. Some of them are old school names you might remember from the classic days, like Nate Cavalieri, and some are fresh and exciting new ones, like Meathead and Sonny from GSL. We’re going to start putting together monthly, bi-monthly or whenever-the-fuck we-feel-like-it “issues” of Buddyhead, kinda like we used to do back in the day. Yes, we’re building a time machine. In addition to a bunch of features and interviews, we’re gonna give you, the way-back readers of Ye Olde Head, what you’ve been asking for: Gossip. (Cue soaking of panties and popping of nerd boners.)
Since love is a two way street, here’s where you come in: We’re recruiting foot soldiers in the multi-media empire of tomorrow. Particularly, we’re seeking the following.
– People who shoot, edit or produce video
– Web designers
– Accounting and record label managers (Fred’s heading back to France)
– Rock journalists with good taste
– Someone to sells internet ads
– People who can make fine baked goods, who want to promote events, who do odd jobs (like groom the hair around Aaron’s weenie) and who love music, art, film, cool shit and like to write about it.
If you read the above and think “Shit, they’re talking about ME!” send an email to nate@buddyhead.com, and copy travis@buddyhead.com and meathead@buddyhead.com. Explain why you wanna work for Budyhead for free, what you think you can offer and some samples of your work. We don’t even have money to pay ourselves at this point, so if you’re looking for a paycheck, look elsewhere. Hopefully this comes off the right way: the vibe we’re going for is PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) and we want to be very up front and make sure all possible helpers know about our financial situation: its a kinda scrappy now, but we’re sure to lighting cigars with burning C-notes in the days to come.
Ok…. now I gotta go fill out insurance forms. Party time.
The past week could be summed up with three quotes: “When it rains it pours”, “shit floats” and “Axl Rose has no sense of humor and sent us a cease and desist!”
Fockin’ hell has it been hot! I checked the weather channel at one point last week and it said that it was about 250 degrees here in Los Angeles. Which is really ideal when you drive an old car (like I do) that doesn’t have AC or power steering (it’s a 73 and they invented power steering/windows in 74). To make things even worse some idiot-lady (who was looking at her cell phone and picking her nose) plowed into the back of my car going about 40 miles per hour while I was at a dead stop. Fun times! And this was only three days after I’d gotten it back from the mechanic’s shop where it had been for three months. I must have done something bad… cuz that’s some fucked up car karma. But things could be worse, at least it still drives and at least I didn’t get hurt. Anyways, now that I’ve broken the ice with all this weather and car talk, let’s snuggle up and talk about how two of my favorite British bands have new records on the way! FUCK YEAH!
First off… on August 18th (in the UK), or August 19th (if you’re teeth aren’t crooked and you live in North America), The Verve are releasing their fourth album cleverly titled “Fourth”. It’s their first record in 9 years and it’ll be out on their own imprint “On Our Own” (which happens to be one of my favorite songs by them). Check out the first single “Love Is Noise…
And here’s the tracklisting. If any of you little record stealers out there find it out there on the interweb, email me them shits…
The Verve - “‘Forth” Tracklisting:
1. Sit and Wonder
2. Love Is Noise
3. Rather Be
4. Judas
5. Numbness
6. I See Houses
7. Noise Epic
8. Valium Skies
9. Columbo
10. Appalachian Springs
The Verve Tour Dates:
06.27 Cornwall, England - The Eden Project
06.29 Glastonbury, England - Glastonbury Festival
07.04 Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
07.05 Bobital, France - Bobital Festival
07.11 Balado, Scotland - T in the Park
07.16 Livorno, Italy - Italia Wave Festival
07.18 Barcelona, Spain - Summercase Festival
07.19 Madrid, Spain - Summercase Festival
08.09 Tokyo, Japan - Summer Sonic Festival
08.10 Osaka, Japan - Summer Sonic Festival
08.16 Weston Park, England - V Festival
08.17 Chelmsford, England - V Festival
Metallica high on cocaine talking about Oasis and Blur
Secondly (and way more importantly), on October 7th, I will be running to the record store (if there are any by then) to pick up my copy of the seventh studio album by the greatest current rock band in the world…. OASIS! They’re sticking with the four word title just like the last record and calling this one “Dig Out Your Soul”. The first single, “The Shock of the Lightning,” will be released one week earlier on September 29, 2008.
Noel had this to say… “I wanted to write music that had a groove; not songs that followed that traditional pattern of verse, chorus and middle eight. I wanted a sound that was more hypnotic; more driving. Songs that would draw you in, in a different way. Songs that you would maybe have to connect to - to feel.”
Oasis tour dates (with special guest Ryan Adams)
8/26/08: Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater
8/27/08: Vancouver, BC - GM Place
8/29/08: Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
8/30/08: Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
9/1/08: Winnipeg, MB - MTS Center
9/4/08: Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
9/5/08: Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
9/7/08: Virgin Festival Toronto, ON
9/9/08: London, Ontario - John LaBatt Centre
While on the subject of Oasis and how rad they are… check out this video of Noel Gallagher going through “Definitely Maybe” track by track and explaining each song. In the process he clears up “Digsy’s Diner”…. which is actually “Digsy’s Diner”. Fuckin’ typos man.
Speaking of brit pop… This documentary is worth the hour of your life needed to watch the entire thing…
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 1
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 2
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 3
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 4
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 5
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 6
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 7
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 8
7 Ages Of Rock : British Indie Part 9
George Carlin died last week. RIP. Why couldn’t you have taken Carrot Top God? Fuck man!
Bill Hicks is still dead and still one of the most underrated comedians ever.
Somebody sent me six (new?) AA Bondy tracks and linked me to a video of him playing a song called “O The Vampire” on Indie 103FM. Here are two of the songs I was sent, the second one being a Bruce Springsteen cover. Dig it.
Tune into Indie 103FM (or listen here online) sometime around 9am today, because I’ll be on “The Morning Show with Joe Escalante” talking about cool shit like Buddyhead, Jubilee and whatever else Joe wants to rap about. I’m bringing Mike from Jubilee / Queens of the Stone Age with me because it’s so early I need a sidekick in case I’m so tired I can’t remember how to talk. I’ve heard Joe’s show a few times and it’s pretty funny… my favorite part is David Lynch doing the weather with “The Cabin” by Josh Freese in the background.
Update: Someone recorded part of the show we were on and here it is as an mp3, enjoy. Thanks to Joe Escalante, Mark Shovel and everyone at Indie 103FM for all their support.
Jerry Casale (Devo and Jihad Jerry) on “The Morning Show” (03.07.07)
Speaking of Devo and (their drummer, and everyone else’s too) Mr. Josh “I Don’t Know How To Call Travis Back” Freese… check out his latest youtube creation. Someone please give this man a multi-million dollar budget and let him make a full length feature film. If David Lynch gets to, Josh should too. Anyhoo… we now give you…. Josh Freese Presents: “We Are Devo And We Are Shell Boy”
Later tonight I’m DJing what sounds like it’s gonna be a really cool party down south. The soiree is celebrating the launch of Vestal’s newest collection and is being held @ the Vestal HQ (730 West 17th Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627). Some band that I’ve never heard, called Dark Meat is playing. I’m told they are a 17 piece psychedelic rock “collective”… I tried listening to them on their myspace page but it kept freezing my computer cuz they have so much shit on there, but they did have this photo on there so even if they totally suck balls it looks to be a fun party anyways. Plus I’m bringing Casper Adams and he said that if the party starts to drag and the beach bunnies aren’t into us he’ll whip his dick out and put in the cake. But I have faith that’ll it’ll be a zinger cuz Derek from Vestal told me that doors are at 8pm, it’s all ages, there will be “free absinthe bars and shit”, a preview of the 2008 Fall/Holiday Vestal line and many special guests (which I’m guessing is going to be Oasis)…. plus I’m DJing. Show up if you’re in neighborhood.
Vestal Music Minute Interview: Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes
Arthur Magazine, one of the only music publications in the modern world that actually doesn’t suck and matters, needs a cool $20,000 or “it will die”. So if you’re a rich guy with bad karma, here’s your chance to straighten that shit out. If you’ve got that kinda coin laying around, sent it over to these hippies so they can keep writing about cool music and art. Good luck dudes! Love, Buddyhead.
Here’s what they posted on their site explaining their situation:
06/26/2008 Arthur Magazine needs $20,000 by July 1 or it will die.
Posted by arthur magazine staffOne year ago I ran up my credit cards and borrowed money from friends and family in order to buy out my ex-partner in Arthur. Since then I have maxed out my personal and business credit cards to service that debt and to start up publication of Arthur again. We have worked very hard with very little resources: some of us could afford to work pro bono, others could afford to work at well below market, still others couldn’t afford to work for Arthur but did it anyway.Still, we have bills to pay, and debt to service. Starting up again costs money. And my credit cards are now maxed out.
On the heels of lower than expected ad sales (although they are trending up), increased production and distribution costs (higher quality printing and paper, higher fuel costs, increased printrun), and an “under-performing non-magazine product” (the Living Theatre dvd, for which we’ve sold less than 25% of the printrun since launch, received zero reviews or notices, etc), spiraling debt service payments (now $2k a month) on startup costs, and most importantly ZERO NEW BACKERS… we’ve finally reached the point where
WE HAVE NO MORE MONEY.
If we don’t obtain at least $20k in the next six days, ARTHUR is done. Our long-term prospects are good, if we are fortunate enough to make it through this rough patch.
Please help. No donation is too small.
Our preferred method of payment is Paypal. It is a free service to buyers, and enables you to pay directly By VISA, MASTERCARD, AMEX, DISCOVER or from your checking account or debit card. You can also convert foreign currency to U.S. dollars. Signing up only takes a few minutes.
Please use PayPal to make a donation to editor at arthurmag dot com
Thank you.
Jay Babcock
Arthur Magazine
Link: http://www.arthurmag.com/magpie/?p=2932
I’m sure if you could spread the word somehow on your blog or whatever, you could REALLY help to get them to pull through, and hence why I’m emailing you about it.
UPDATE: I’m reposting this article/interview for a few reasons. First off I wanted to let you all know that “Pacific Ocean Blue is now out and in stores! So, go buy yourself a copy. It’s a ledgendary record, the “new” songs are killer and the packaging is nothing short of amazing. I also wanted you all to check out this really cool EPK the label put together… hopefully they’ll end up doing a full length feature documentary after this. It’s a great story that needs to be told… plus I’ll direct it! Let’s do this!
Now that the record is out and in store, I re-posted the two tracks I originally wanted you guys to hear. Check out “River Song” and “Under The Moonlight” down below. Oh, and check out the “numbers” this baby has already done… pretty surprising and impressive I think. Congrats go out to everyone involved in this…. Gregg Jakobson, John Hanlon, Jim Guercio, Taylor Hawkins, everyone at Sony/BMG/Legacy and the man himself…. Dennis Wilson. RIP.
# 4 ROCK RELEASE ON AMAZON.COM DAY OF RELEASE
# 8 DEBUT ON BILLBOARD’S CATALOG CHART
# 2 BEST SELLER AT AMEOBA RECORDS IN LOS ANGELES
# 16 DEBUT ON THE UK ALBUM CHART
I’ve got some good news music fans, check this…
On June 17, 2008 Dennis Wilson’s critically acclaimed solo opus, “Pacific Ocean Blue”, will be re-released, expanded and titled “Legacy Edition”! Yes, that was a collective “FINALLY!” you just heard from fans worldwide. Lemme explain a bit, not only have 20 new tracks been added to it but this album has been out of print for almost 20 years now! It’s now considered a “lost classic” to pretty much everyone who’s heard it. My favorite music magazine, Mojo, champions it every chance they can. Example: they listed it as one of “The 67 lost albums you must own!”. You can pre-order the new 2xCD for $23 bucks from Amazon by clicking here. I dare you to buy this amazing record RIGHT NOW. As Rollins might say… “DO IT!”
Released (only a month after I was born) back in August 1977, “Pacific Ocean Blue” made Dennis Wilson (who was known in some circles as the “troubled alcoholic drummer”) the first Beach Boy to release a solo record. Think that hurt a few egos?
Not only was Dennis first but he proved he could make really good records on his own as well. To me, “Pacific Ocean Blue” sounds way more like California than “Pet Sounds” or any other Beach Boy’s record does. It was produced by Dennis and his close friend & writing partner Gregg Jakobson. They co-wrote songs for The Beach Boys in the past including “Forever” (which is on every best of I’ve ever seen), “Baby Blue”, “Celebrate the News” and “San Miguel”. “Pacific Ocean Blue” shot up the U.S. charts and “peaked” at #96 (and was on them charts for 12 weeks). It went on to sell almost 300,000 copies (which out sold all those whack disco records The Beach Boys were putting out at the time) and then it went out of print for about 20 years. I’ve seen the cd on ebay for as much as $250…
Gregg Jakobson and the album’s original engineer, John Hanlon, went back into the studio this past year, brought up all the old tracks and finished what Dennis left unfinished. They are the reason this new re-issue comes with 20 previously unreleased tracks including some that were supposed to be Dennis’s follow up album which he was working on when he died. Here’s what the press release says you’re gonna get when you buy it:
The first disc is the original album newly remastered by Vic Anesini from the 1st generation master tapes, which for whatever reason were not used for the ‘91 CD, and 4 bonus tracks listed below. Disc Two, Bambu (The Caribou Sessions), is a roundup of various tracks that Dennis recorded during his term as a solo artist for Jim Guercio’s Caribou Records. Bambu was to be the follow up album to Pacific Ocean Blue but was never completed. One point I want to make about the unreleased recordings is that we’re not saying this is what Dennis intended to be the finished Bambu album but a compilation of the best tracks he recorded during the POB/Bambu/Caribou period. The truth of the matter is that Dennis recorded constantly during this period and tracks that have been labeled as Bambu tracks over the years were started before and during Pacific Ocean Blue sessions. Who knows for sure what would have ended up on the final album but we do have the roadmap for where he was going. We’ll save all of the details for the liner notes but the bottom line is if you’re a fan you won’t be disappointed. If you’re not familiar with anything I’m yapping about then prepare to become a fan of a great lost classic album by a grossly underrated artist that hopefully will be rediscovered by a whole new audience. Or to put it bluntly as my dear departed friend Nick Venet once said to me, “You either get it…or you’re an asshole”
All of the reviews I’ve seen so far have been really positive (somewhere in the ballpark 4.5 to 5 stars out of 5), but a couple reviews have been questioning why the unfinished demo of “Holy Man” has been finished with the addition of a vocal by Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters drummer. Like this review here from Uncut for example. First, let me admit that when I first heard Taylor finished a Dennis song, it didn’t sound like a very good idea. Man I was wrong (which is a pretty rare thing mind you). After hearing both the version of “Holy Man” on disc 2 and the “London Version” (which will come out as a a single separately and features Brian May & Roger Taylor of Queen singing the chorus, doing back ups, Rog lays down some sick percussion and Brian rips a “face-melting” guitar solo as well) all I can say is that Dennis would be proud of how everyone came together and finished his song in a very tasteful and Dennis-like fashion.
I was curious how they finished a 30 year old Dennis Wilson song without Dennis here? And from reading all the reviews of I could tell allot of other people were also wondering about this “Holy Man” story. So to set the record straight I asked my friend Gregg Jakobson what he had to say on the subject. Here’s what he told me…
“For all of you who are wondering about this Taylor Hawkins vocal on Holy Man…
Here’s the thing. When we first started - Dennis was so inspired. He had met his first Holy Man, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He couldn’t believe there really was such a person.
The tracks for Holy Man came easy and they were great. (inspired event) We tried and tried on the lyrics. Other people tried. They all ended in the waste basket. It was very frustrating but Dennis always said, “Gregg, don’t worry about it. It’ll happen.” And it did - but -many years later, all at the same time. Maharishi died. (He was the inspiration). Taylor was in town, a fan of Dennis’s. He’s also a family friend and interestingly enough has the same gravely, whisky, smokers voice as Den. They sound very much alike. We were in the studio mixing the Holy Man track, Taylor comes down to the studio, we hammer out a lyric, Taylor sings it. Perfect! It was meant to be. Destiny.
For Dennis, this is what music is all about. He would have been so honored that all these talented people came together to finish one of his pieces.
For Dennis, it was always about brotherhood! The brotherhood of music.”
-Gregg Jakobson
Baba Jake
I also hit up my other friend Taylor Hawkins (who is a bearded surfing drummer just like Dennis) and asked him a few things about Dennis Wilson, Holy Man and Queen. Here’s what he told me:
“I first heard Dennis’ album from Greg Jakobsen who was the father of my girlfriend at the time. The thing that struck me the most was the rawness of it and how it reminded me of John Lennon’s - “Plastic Ono Band”. I was also struck by the childlikeness of the delivery. There was no sort of airs and graces to the lyrics; they were simple and universal, and I believed them. It’s a record that when I listen to it I believe what he is saying. It grew to become one of my favorite albums of all time. Dennis is somewhat of an icon to me, because he was the only real surfer in the Beach Boys and he kind of represents the real California Beach Bum Rock and Roll vibe. It amazes me that throughout the mid to late 70s, Dennis’ music really was the only vital music being made by anyone in the band.
As far as me playing or singing on this song it really came out of me and Greg just staying in touch and they just wanted to finish the track. There is no other connection than that. I wasn’t trying to sound like or mimic Dennis, I just wanted to do him and his legacy a bit of justice.
And as for the members of Queen getting involved, I have been stalking them for years and seeing as the Beach Boys were a big harmony group, I figured why not ask Brian and Roger if they would want to lend their beautiful harmonies, which I sometimes felt were Beach Boys inspired to this loving tribute.”
-Taylor Hawkins
A documentary clip about Dennis…
In case you aren’t familiar… Dennis Wilson was (and still is) to most people, THE Beach Boy. Sure Brian was the genius and the heart and soul of the band as far as songwriting went, but he spent all of his time couped up and tripping out with his feet in a sandbox. Dennis was the one all the guys wanted to be, he was the rebellious one who didn’t really give a fuck, tended to bend and at times break the rules, the one all the girl’s swooned over, the one who drank the most, the one who drove the fastest cars and he was the only Beach Boy who actually surfed! In short, he was the cool one and I highly recommend you buy this newly available album I’ve been in love with for years now.
Al Jardine on Dennis
And I’ll now leave you with a few Dennis quotes:
“All I need is a big surfboard and a piano.”
“They say I live a fast life. Maybe I just like a fast life. I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. It won’t last forever, either. But the memories will.”
” I don’t know why everybody doesn’t live at the beach, on the ocean. It makes no sense to me, hanging around the dirty, ugly-as-shit city. That’s why I always loved and was proud to be a Beach Boy; I always loved the image. On the beach, you can live in bliss.”
“Pacific Ocean Blue” Legacy Edition Tracklisting:
Disc: 1
1. River Song
2. What’s Wrong
3. Moonshine
4. Friday Night
5. Dreamer
6. Thoughts Of You
7. Time
8. You And I
9. Pacific Ocean Blues
10. Farewell My Friend
11. Rainbows
12. End Of The Show
13. Tug Of Love (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
14. Only With You (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
15. Holy Man (Instrumental) (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
16. Mexico(Previously Unreleased bonus track)
Disc: 2
1. Under The Moonlight (Previously Unreleased)
2. It’s Not Too Late (Previously Unreleased)
3. School Girl (Previously Unreleased)
4. Love Remember Me (Previously Unreleased)
5. Love Surrounds Me (Previously Unreleased)
6. Wild Situation (Previously Unreleased)
7. Common (Previously Unreleased)
8. Are You Real (Previously Unreleased)
9. He’s A Bum (Previously Unreleased)
10. Cocktails(Previously Unreleased)
11. I Love You(Previously Unreleased)
12. Constant Companion(Previously Unreleased)
13. Time For Bed(Previously Unreleased)
14. Album Tag Song(Previously Unreleased)
15. All Alone
16. Piano Variations On Thoughts Of You (Previously Unreleased)
17. Holy Man (Taylor Hawkins Version Previously Unreleased bonus track)
Also check out Dennis in “Two Lane Blacktop”. A 60’s film that’s up there with “Easy Rider” and “Vanishing Point”.
“Two Lane Blacktop” trailer
Update: Read what Aquarium Drunkard had to say about the Dennis Reissue by clicking here. I love that website. Although I recommending not listening to the Bootlegs they have up if you’ve never heard “Pacific Ocean Blue” or aren’t a die hard Dennis fan… which is 99% of you reading this… even Gregg who produced the album says they’re un-listenable.
Sorry I’ve been a tad AWOL from this site… but I’m just a human, a victim of the insane. And I’ve just been super busy dealing lots of really positive stuff over in Buddyhead / Jubilee-Land. But that’s a whole other post I’ll throw up soon…. (Photo of me taken by Troy Boy)
UPDATED: THURSDAY NIGHT = I AM DJING @ BAR CHLOE (SANTA MONICA)
Tonight June 26th 2008, and every Thursday, I will be DJing @ Bar Chloe with my friend Ian Rogers (Topspin/FISTFULAYEN) from 8PM till Midnight. We’ll be playing our favorite rock n’ roll, blues, soul, R&B and whatever else fits the mood. Songs that makes us (and hopefully you) happy. Ian wrote about it here on his blog.
By the way…. everything on their menu is amazing. I highly recommend the artichoke and the burger. Check the menu with prices - http://www.barchloe.com/
Bar Chloe
1449 2nd St (between Broadway and Santa Monica)
Santa Monica, CA
90401-2301 map
So, here ya go, the “Rebel Hiss” video… Our first venture into the whole “music video” realm. This is basically just a retrospective glimpse into what our first tour… And first shows… That we ever did were like. The gigs from which Travis captured most of the footage took place in January across the UK. The rest of the footage was supplied by some of you courteous folks out there. We thank you kindly for that. We’d also like to thank Brian Giberson for putting this whole mess together, and going beyond just polishing a turd, but spray-painting it gold.
Or click here to watch it on Vimeo, it’s actually looks allot better over there.
What else is new? Well, in a week or two, our 2nd single, “In With The Out Crowd” will be available in a digital format… That is of course if you’ve already signed up for our yearly subscription here: Jubilee.LA . The single will be available to those who haven’t signed up for this service a little later than those who have, and in cd and 7-inch vinyl formats even a smidge after that. Actually, if ya sign up for the subscription before we release the single, you’ll still be able to get in on the action earlier than everybody else.
And what exactly does this collection of 4 tracks hold in store for you? Well… Not only does it contain the title track / A-side, “In With The Out Crowd” (which happens to be the very first tune Mike and Aaron wrote together for Jubilee), but just like the last single, it will also include three, yes THREE exclusive B-sides on the cd version that WILL NOT be on the full-length album. Not to mention yet another exclusive B-side on the 7-inch version that also won’t be on the album, or the cd single… And won’t even be available digitally.
Now… Just as it will be on the album, and just as it was on our first single, “Rebel Hiss”… We have again tried to keep it interesting not only for ourselves, but for you as well, by collaborating with some more drummer friends of ours on “In With The Out Crowd”. Loren Humphrey, and “Troy Boy” Petrey, have both again slapped down the heavy boom on a couple of tunes.
One of these is called “Pioneers Get Shot With Arrows”. “Troy Boy” tracked the drums for it at Shabbey Road last summer in a live take with only Mike on bass accompanying him. As was “the norm” at the time, Aaron then took the session of the song out with him on tour with Nine Inch Nails, to try and figure out a melody and lyrics for the jam. After the Lowlands Festival on the Euro tour, Aaron (and Travis who was along for the ride), were informed that the upcoming drive through Holland, and onto the Leeds Festival, was a very bumpy, and uncomfortable ride, across tiny, winding roads. This prompted all the other members of Nails to opt-out of a seemingly miserable experience, and fly to England instead. Aaron and Travis though, gleefully seized the opportunity at running wild on an empty bus, and at some point in the journey, they both realized that somebody had “spiked the punch bowl” in something they ate (remember, they were in HOLLAND). With Mighty Malcolm the bus driver helming the wheel, everything quickly escalated into some sort of “Magical Mystery Tour” experience. Armed with a microphone, a delay pedal, and his Pro Tools M-Box, Aaron… Oddly… Felt compelled to scream his guts out all over the song, which he quickly found out was more than just a weeeee bit out of his vocal range. Oh well. He proceeded anyway, with different delay settings across multiple tracks… Including a bunch of him squealing “WHAT A SHAME!” in falsetto, with one arm holding the microphone, and the other onto a handle on a drawer above him, so he could keep his balance as he flew from side to side of the careening bus. Aaron, having headphones on, probably not only didn’t realize that he sounded completely loco a-capella, but that Travis was staring at him the entire time, wondering if his buddy had lost his mind. Travis quickly realized he’d lost his too, when after Aaron had finished he said, “Dude, You are on PLANET OUTER SPACE!” Fear and Loathing in Lowlands indeed.
Nick Jago from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club pounded the skins on a Kaleidoscope cover for the single as well, while about 30 random people were crammed into the studio, and some girl with red hair, red lipstick, red shoes, red… EVERYTHING, sat indian style in front of the drum kit while Nick tracked the song. The verdict is still not in on which of these last two nights mentioned was more looney tunes.
Robi Gonzalez AKA Gobby Ronz, also delivered the smack down quite nicely on a Who cover which will appear on the 7-inch version of the single. Coincidentally, this song was tracked on Valentine’s Day, the same day that back in 1970, The Who recorded their greatest album ever, “Live At Leeds”. OOOOOOOOOOH!
The last track we put together for the single, is a tune called “I Don’t Have An Excuse, I Just Need A Little Help”. The inspiration for this song came from one of our many treks through the heart of Hollywood, up Highland Avenue, and out to our studio, Shabbey Road. On one of these journeys through Hollyweird, Aaron and Travis spotted a homeless man while they were stuck in traffic, holding up a cardboard sign, which held the aforementioned song title scrawled upon it. Travis captured the moment with his camera, and the picture is included inside the single’s layout.
A similar event, also captured by Travis along the same path, and which also appears in the layout, involved another homeless man holding up a sign, offering a tour of “Frown Town”, which inspired the lyrics for the song “In With The Out Crowd”… A song which held the working title of “Frown Town” for quite some time. Loren “Ted” Humphrey played drums on this song.
Anywhoo… Back to “I Don’t Have An Excuse, I Just Need A Little Help”. This song started as a collaboration between Aaron and Trent Reznor somewhere back there on one of those seemingly endless Nails tours. Trent supplied the programmed drum beat, over which Jubilee did our thang. Then, Julian Gross from Liars dropped down some seriously unique, and bitchin’ live drums. After that, Mike and Aaron then tracked their vocals. (Actually, Mike recorded his vocals on an M-Box… IN HOLLAND of all places, while on the road with Queens. Hmmmmm… That’s some Twilight Zone business right there. Oh, and by “on the road with Queens”, I don’t mean… Y’know… That he was traveling with… Y’know… What Josh said on stage.) After that, we had a friend outside the band contribute some additional singing alongside Mike and Aaron… Something we’ve never done in Jubilee before. I dunno, maybe we did it cos this dude’s voice tucked in with ours, actually made it sound like there was some actual SINGING involved. Ha. Cos in about 15 minutes, this dude had finished two falsetto takes, a “full voice” take, and even a harmony take, all in PERFECT PITCH, which made us feel like the losers on “Star Search” who get like, half a star, while the returning champ gets all four. So yeah, Maynard James Keenan, the returning champ, swiftly made us all feel like returning chumps. Thanks, dick.
And there ya have it. It’s only gonna get more interesting from here. We have an album headed your way sooner than later, that we’re pretty proud of. ‘Til then, stay outta the heat.
- Jubilee
“When you’re born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you’re born in America, you get a front row seat.”
R.I.P. GEORGE CARLIN
The remix came out so good that Meathead threw together this kickass music video here for it. I smell a TRL smash hit kids! This one is gonna top the charts! FUCK YEAH!
Here are the lyrics:
Buddyhead rock right, axl know
Fifteen years in the fields of blow
Hair so tight, white boy corn rows
True rock shit, Real rock n roll (Oh)
Slash stay drunk at house of blues
Slash stay drunk, toss back some brews
Duff play bass don’t give a damn
Duff still mad at Scott Weiland
Buddyhead remix, emo know
Tight pants silverlake homos
Still hate Durst and that’s a fact
Travis snucked in and rocked ya hat
Welcome to the jungle, Axl rose
Paradise city going up your nose
Indiana boys now malibu
N word drop for a chosen few
Slash half black shoulda whooped yo ass
Slash ain’t know, he was in the flask
We love yall true rock n dope
Rock star lives under microscopes
The cool part (aside from the fact that their software is gonna flip the music world on its head) is it has something to do with us. Jubilee was the first band to use it @ www.jubilee.LA. Somehow it always comes back to us, huh?
For those of you who don’t know what Topspin is… read the site, but basically it allows artists and musicians to sell their own music, video and photos on their own site with a digital subscription as well. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Attention any douchebags at actually still have jobs at major labels… start looking for new gigs now!
They also happen to be on cover of the new issue of Billboard. That’s Shamal on the left, one of my oldest and best friends Ian C. Rogers on the skateboard and Peter Gotcher (he invented a small program called PRO TOOLS you might have heard of) on the right
Finally I’m excited about something again. Congrats guys…. can’t wait to see what the future holds. If you happen to be coming to the Topspin party in Venice tonight I’m DJing from 8:45 to 10:15. In the meantime I’m heading to Malibu to go surfing. Shaka.
Love,
Travis
PS. Sorry for the lack of updates here but I just finally moved into a room (couch surfing tour of 2008 is finally over) and have been adjusting to sleeping in a nice big bed. Thanks Danny, I love ya. We’re also busy putting a few things together that I think you will all be excited about… one being a “relaunch” of this old time machine of a website. If you think you have something to offer us in the way of writing, web design, video editing, shit shoveling or whatever. Please send our new “Editor In Chief” Nate Cavalieri an email at nate@buddyhead.com with what you have to offer us and why you wanna work for free. Cuz we ain’t got any money to pay nobody. It’s called doing it for the love dudes. Anyways…. this ramble is way too long, check out Topspin.
Hi, I’m Meathead. Have you checked out the latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine? Why? Well, anyway, you probably noticed Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow posing on the cover this month, trying really hard to look like a genius. Seriously, look at him. Hate to break it to you, Chris, but wearing a stupid-looking jacket that you got from Michael Jackson’s yard sale and looking thoughtfully into the distance doesn’t change the fact that you’re the singer for fucking Coldplay. Quit kidding yourself.
Don’t tell that to Rolling Stone, though. Interviewer Brian Hiatt keeps his lips firmly attached to Chris Martin’s genitals for so long that you’d think they were conjoined twins. The cover alone is bad enough: Before I edited it using the magic of Adobe™ Photoshop®, it seriously read “Coldplay’s Chris Martin: Confessions of an Anxious Rock God.” What? Christ Almighty, just how far down has the bar been lowered that motherfucking Chris Martin, whose music can frequently be heard playing over the speakers at Bed Bath & Beyond, is considered a rock god? Correct me if I’m wrong, but in order to even qualify as a rock god, don’t you have to actually rock first? I’m pretty sure Kenny Loggins is further up the list than Chris Martin. I can’t say with any real authority how many times the devil horns have been thrown at a Coldplay concert, but I’m going to make an educated guess here and put it at around zero.
No, but Rolling Stone says he’s a rock god, so that’s what counts. They’re always right. Well, I mean, there was that time Rolling Stone called Robert Plant “as foppish as Rod Stewart, but nowhere near so exciting,” but that was a long time ago. This time, they’re obviously right on the money. Seriously, look at that jacket!
I remember back when “Yellow” was a big hit for some reason, and Coldplay was essentially the Dollar Store Radiohead. If you sucked everything that was remotely unique or sonically interesting out of Radiohead (sorry for that inadvertently unpleasant mental image), the dry, withered husk that’s left would have strongly resembled Coldplay. It’s bland, middle-of-the-road non-rock for 39-year-olds to listen to while driving to work in their Audis, right before they hit their mid-life crisis and relapse into Van Halen and Quiet Riot. Granted, Coldplay does seem oddly fitting as background music for when I’m shopping for a new toaster. I’ll give them that much. Here’s the unfortunate video for “Yellow”. The first person who can point out anything that rocks about it wins a free dinner for two at Long John Silver’s, courtesy of Aaron North.
I figured the “Yellow” hype would die down soon enough, and they’d be relegated to appearing on “Buzz Ballads Vol. 58″ when it’s released on February 21, 2012. Maybe they’d be like Primitive Radio Gods, who had that one song back in the 90’s that was popular for about 45 seconds and then they got dropped by their label and had to get jobs at Coldstone Creamery, and now whenever you ask anyone about them, you’re given a look of confusion and mild annoyance in return. I wish, more than anything, that I could get the same reaction when I mention Coldplay to random strangers on the street. I guess there’s still a chance that will happen in my lifetime, but it’s not going to be this month, unfortunately. Thanks, Rolling Stone!
No, instead of drifting into the mists of obscurity as they should, Coldplay decided to put out some more stupid albums, and go on Jay Leno and do whatever other exceedingly lame things people like Chris Martin do to pay their mortgages. We got to watch in horror as Coldplay evolved from Dollar Store Radiohead into Dollar Store U2. Now we get the same blander-than-bland songs about nothing in particular, but we get some bullshit Jesus posturing as a fun bonus! Check out their brand new video for “Violet Hill”!
Wow, what a use of three minutes and 41 seconds! Now that the utter worthlessness of Coldplay has been established, let’s take a look at this interview. The title is “The Jesus of Uncool”. So that’s the second time in this issue that Chris Martin has been compared to the savior of mankind. Gee, Brian, could you maybe try to be just a little less objective in your journalism? I mean, why even bother interviewing him? Why not just write up a four-page dissertation on how delicious Chris Martin’s ass tastes?
Rolling Stone: X&Y got some mixed reviews, but the harshest was from the New York Times, which called Coldplay the most insufferable band of the decade. How did you handle that?
Chris Martin: It was a big deal. It’s the first real attack on your band, and from a publication we all respect. I agreed with a lot of the points. It was like, “Yeah, I do sometimes go for the obvious, and I do sometimes fall back on old tricks.” So, in a way, it was liberating to see that someone else realized that also. And there is something glamorous to me in taking a bit of a beating and keeping on going. When you do something that some people don’t like quite so much, then you are free again. Your whole canvas is open. You don’t have to fall back on piano, we don’t have to fall back on falsetto, you don’t have to fall back on every song being a yearning love song.
“Those jerks at the New York Times were totally mean to you, Chris! How did you get through that awfully dark time?” Chris Martin tries to act like it was a learning experience, but it’s clear he didn’t learn anything at all from it. If he had, he’d be working at Coldstone Creamery along with the Primitive Radio Gods. I mean, when he’s not impregnating his wife and naming his children after fruit.
The last half of the interview involves Chris expressing his immeasurably invaluable opinions on American politics. As if we need yet another reason to dislike Bill “We’ll Do It Live” O’Reilly, now we know he’s responsible for providing “inspiration” for the aforementioned “Violet Hill” and its Jesus-posturing. And it sure is a relief to know Chris is rooting for Obama. Barry’s definitely going to win now that he has the highly coveted Coldplay endorsement! I mean, we might as well just skip the election altogether at this point.
I don’t know, maybe I’m being too hard on the guy. I mean, he might be a nice guy in person, and he might be fun to play Mortal Kombat II with after a few shots of Jäger. Maybe. But can you blame me for being just slightly irritated when Rolling Stone, which would have us believe it is the be-all-end-all of music magazines, compares the man responsible for some of the most painfully uninteresting music of the 21st century to Jesus Christ? I mean, I’m not exactly a card-carrying member of the Christ Club, but I’d like to think that if Jesus were alive today, and in a band, he wouldn’t be putting out shit like Parachutes. Just a thought.
In closing, I’d like to offer this word of advice to Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone: From now on, please keep your Chris Martin-cornholing fantasies to yourself. He’s not God; he’s not Jesus; hell, he’s not even Jeff Tweedy. He doesn’t deserve to be on the cover of anything, even your magazine. I know it’s getting harder and harder to find musicians with talent to write about, but there are still some out there. Please try harder. Thanks!
Hi, I’m Meathead. Have you checked out the latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine? Why? Well, anyway, you probably noticed Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow posing on the cover this month, trying really hard to look like a genius. Seriously, look at him. Hate to break it to you, Chris, but wearing a stupid-looking jacket that you got from Michael Jackson’s yard sale and looking thoughtfully into the distance doesn’t change the fact that you’re the singer for fucking Coldplay. Quit kidding yourself.
No, instead of drifting into the mists of obscurity as they should, Coldplay decided to put out some more stupid albums, and go on Jay Leno and do whatever other exceedingly lame things people like Chris Martin do to pay their mortgages. We got to watch in horror as Coldplay evolved from Dollar Store Radiohead into Dollar Store U2. Now we get the same blander-than-bland songs about nothing in particular, but we get some bullshit Jesus posturing as a fun bonus! Check out their brand new video for “Violet Hill”!