It's time for the Andymanathon so fire up those phones, dial 614 221-1025 and request your favorite Colin Gawel or Watershed song!
Or text -- Request Still Love Xmas (or whatever song) to: 68683
so the number is : 68683 and the message has to start with: Request
Do it often.
(author's note: I wrote this blog back in late October, but with one thing & another, it didn't run until now. In light of the recent "Presidential" Election, I now believe the nominees inducted into the Rock Hall will be Tupac, Journey and Joan Baez.)
Longtime Pencilstorm readers are well aware of my problems with ther Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: from the Concept, to the Implementation, to the Selections for Induction; allow me to summarize…….
1) Unlike sports, rock & roll does not lend itself well to the Concept of halls of fame. Sports achievements are pretty much quantifiable: how many games won or lost, batting averages, yards gained, Super Bowl victories, three-pointers made in a single game, how many days or nights (or weeks) were played in soccer until a goal was scored, etc. Much of rock & roll is based on heartfelt ephemera: The Syndicate of Sound’s “Hey Little Girl” is – on the Ricki C. Planet – JUST as important to rock & roll as the entire Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. (And more exciting.)
2) Implementation: SOMEBODY shoulda thought ahead 30 years ago in 1986 when the Rock Hall started inducting performers that SOMEDAY the well was gonna run dry of TRULY DESERVING members of a HALL OF FAME regarding musicians and rock & roll acts; that somewhere the choices were gonna start to get sketchy. C’mon, let’s face facts: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (and even Led Zeppelin) are one thing, Kiss and Deep Purple are quite another, which leads us to…..
3) The Nomination/Induction Process: Why does there have to be 8 or 9 inductees EVERY YEAR? (Other than the fact that The Rock Hall WANTS/NEEDS to throw a Big Concert every year for some Big $’s, but that’s pretty much the story of EVERYTHING in rock & roll in the 21st century, so what else is new?) I was almost MORE comfortable with the nomination/induction process when the performers had to have been invited to Jann Wenner’s home for dinner at least once, and display their impeccable table manners to Mrs. Wenner before they could/would be considered. (Examples: David Crosby, Billy Joel, Sting.) All of which brings us to the latest pale, weak stew of nominees…….
The 2016 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominations
Tupac Shakur, Janet Jackson, Chic, Chaka Khan, Joe Tex: Pretty much every year I am accused of racism in rejecting all of the Black Nominees to the Rock Hall. And every year my defense is the same, there are MANY, MANY black performers who belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Chuck Berry (without whom rock & roll MAY NEVER HAVE EXISTED), Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, etc. If somebody – Berry Gordy Jr., for example – would like to establish a R&B/Rap Hall of Fame in Memphis (where the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT, by the way, but that’s another blog for a different time) or Detroit (the original Motown), I would happily see those performers inducted. I am sorry, but I was only a hippie for about 20 minutes back in 1969 and therefore do not subscribe to the kum-by-yah, politically-correct view that music is music: rock & roll is NOT r&b/rap and vice versa. I don’t see anybody clamoring to induct country acts like Garth Brooks or Eddie Rabbitt into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, let alone Buck Owens, Steve Earle or Lyle Lovett (all of whom might actually DESERVE it.) I view this as pandering, as reverse racism of the Highest Order. (And while we’re on the subject, where are the nominations for The Chambers Brothers or Living Colour: ACTUAL black rock & roll bands?)
Steppenwolf, The J. Geils Band: I saw both of these bands live in their rock & roll primes. My view, INDUCT THEM NOW. (And I sometimes wonder why nobody ever brings up the connections between The J. Geils Band and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. I firmly believe Peter Wolf, Magic Dick & Da Boston Boyz loomed mightily as an influence on the young Mr. Springsteen.)
The MC5, Bad Brains: C’mon, the INVENTORS of a rock & roll style/sub-genre (punk crossed with metal) The MC5 vie for induction the same year as a band that was – at best – a minor sidenote to that style almost 10 years later? Again, I must cite reverse racism. Otherwise, where are the nominations for Black Flag, Fear or The Circle Jerks? Further, if The MC5 had been from New York City or San Francisco (or – perhaps more accurately – if they hadn’t literally and/or figuratively pissed all over Jann Wenner’s Rolling Stone magazine and Bill Graham’s Fillmore Auditoriums back in the day) they would have been nominated & inducted back in 1994, their first year of eligibility. The Stooges were inducted into the Rock Hall in 2010 and The MC5 is still waiting in 2016, 13 YEARS after the first time they were nominated? Really, I just have to laugh.
The Cars: One of the ten best debut albums of all time, probably the best New Wave/skinny-tie power-pop band (along with Blondie) ever invented? Induct them now.
Joan Baez: ROCKIN’! Didn’t she used to date that nice Zimmerman boy from down the street in Hibbing, Minnesota about five DECADES before he won the Nobel Prize in Literature?
Kraftwerk, Journey: I’ll not be dignifying these nominations with comment. Again, WHY do 19 acts need to be nominated and 8 or 9 INDUCTED every year? The small pond of deserving Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees is getting shallower every year, gentlemen of the Rock Hall.
Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam: See above, yawn……
Yes, ELO, Depeche Mode: See above, all Hackmeisters of The Highest Order. Jeff Lynne was an infinitely better producer than he was songwriter or bandleader. Induct The Move first. And Yes – whether they meant to or not – spawned the likes of Styx and Kansas, which alone invalidates them gaining entrance to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. SOMEBODY needs to be held accountable for these atrocities in the name of rock & roll.
The Zombies: Really, The Zombies – who recorded a nifty little album called Odessey & Oracle, you mighta heard of it – await induction into the Rock Hall after The Hollies were inducted in 2010? That couldn’t have anything to do with Graham Nash being in Crosby, Stills & Nash and those Jann Wenner dinner parties I referred to above, could it? The British Invasion bands are CRIMINALLY overlooked while the likes of The Dells and Chicago gain induction. Gimme a break, induct The Zombies, NOW. – Ricki C. / October 23rd, 2016.
Show Preview & Album Review: N.P. Presley and The Ghost of Jesse Garon
Lexington, Kentucky is a hidden gem in the independent music landscape of the southern-Midwest. Once you've had your fill of UK Wildcat basketball, beautiful horses grazing in bluegrass pastures, and some of the tastiest bourbon in the state, you'll find a welcoming music scene rich in camaraderie, talent, spirit and diversity. It's hip without being hipster, it's small without being townie, and it's steeped in the kind of culture that smaller cities can't support and larger cities lose in the masses. Venues like The Green Lantern, Al's Bar, and the newest, beautiful addition - The Burl - support bands like Those Crosstown Rivals, Josh Nolan, Bryan Minks & The Kentucky Sons, Paper Bridges, and the great Justin Wells, among many others.
Not lost in the shuffle is N.P. Presley & The Ghost Of Jesse Garon. N.P. and his 7-piece band will make the three hour drive north to Columbus this Tuesday to open for The Goddamn Gallows (Yeah Detroit!) and Gallows Bound at The Shrunken Head.
N.P. (or Nate as I call him when he buys me drinks) is no stranger to rock and roll. His mom was cousin to none other than the King himself, Elvis, and toured with him in the 70s. Nate gets his snarl from Elvis, and some of his swagger too. Starting in the early '90s Nate led one of Lexington's greatest exports, the punk band Infected, through 20+ years of off-again-on-again touring and recording before forming The Ghost of Jesse Garon in 2014.
In 2016 the band released their first full-length Broken Fantasy and it's chock-full of Kentucky Rock and Roll, edgy alt-country, and rockabilly punk. N.P.'s growl leads the way through 10 tracks, with a backbeat that's just ahead of the guitars and baritone sax, and sweet, sweet harmonies by Heather Parrish adding a nice varnish to the beautifully rough under-surface. I think the band shines brightest on "Only Time Will Tell," a fully-realized pop-rock-soul number that channels The Hold Steady with the main riff but lays a gritty vocal hook and call & answer harmony on top of that. "Won't Slow Down" is another strong one: a pop-punk almost-anthem with a growling, breathy vocal on top of driving, chunky guitars. The opening track "Dream While You Still Can" is a dark, acoustic, Americana number that recalls the underappreciated Massachusetts band Angry Johnny And The Killbillies. "Road to Insanity" and "It's a Fact" are rockabilly tracks that evoke Elvis' swingin' hips days. The whole package is a bit of a goulash of a couple styles - but it's a cohesive set, not disjointed or unfocused. It's incredibly engaging with no filler and no lulls to open your attention to distractions. Fans of Social Distortion, X, The Replacements, Hank III, the Fat Wreck Chords bands, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Naked Raygun and more will all dig this release.
N.P. Presley and The Ghost Of Jesse Garon are playing Columbus on Tuesday, November 15th opening for Goddamn Gallows and Gallows Bound at The Shrunken Head, 251 W 5th Avenue. Doors are at 8pm. Get tickets here: https://nppresley.bandcamp.com/
N.P. Presley and The Ghost Of Jesse Garon:
http://www.nppresley.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nppresley
https://nppresley.bandcamp.com/
Thank you. Thank you very much.
By Pencilstorm contributor - Wal Ozello
We have a strict rule here among us Pencilstorm contributors - no politics. Even with the tumultuous Presidential election, I stopped myself from blogging about it. After Tuesday's results came in my facebook feed lit up and it's been crazy ever since. Both sides are still talking about what America needs.
You know what America needs now? Some good ol' rock n roll. So I made a mix tape for you America. Enjoy!
American Girl - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Liberty - Journey
Rockin' In The Free World - Neil Young
For Those About To Rock, We Salute You - AC/DC
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry
Paradise City - Guns N Roses
American Idiot - Green Day
Right Now - Van Halen
Rock In America - Night Ranger
The Rising - Bruce Springsteen
Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix
Feel free to add your own in the comment section below. It's time to rock.
Wal Ozello is a science fiction techno-thriller novelist and the author of Assignment 1989 , Revolution 1990, and Sacrifice 2086. He's a resident of Upper Arlington, Ohio and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.
HEY, PENCILSTORM READERS, a new documentary about The Stooges (NOT Iggy & the Stooges, I WILL NEVER refer to them as "Iggy & the Stooges" they were just THE STOOGES) by Jim Jarmusch is playing at the Gateway Film Center this week. I didn't get to go on Friday on accounta I was playin' roadie for The Whiles CD release party at Ace Of Cups (Columbus' finest venue for local rock & roll, and maybe just finest venue, period) and I've got a busy weekend comin' up, but you'd best believe I'm gonna be there THE MINUTE I get a minute.
So, I haven't actually SEEN the doc, but I think it's gotta be great, given Jarmusch's involvement and the fact that it's about The Stooges, for Chrissakes. I read on the Gateway website that Tuesdays are Super Tuesdays, with $5 admission and FREE POPCORN, so my best advice to you, dear readers, is to QUIT YOUR JOBS (or just tell your boss you're headin' out to vote) and go see Gimme Danger on Tuesday.
This is my fifth sentence: here's a trailer, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!
(editor's note: Some of the footage in this trailer - the scene of Iggy throwing peanut butter into the audience and standing/pointing on the hands of the crowd - was shot at the Cincinnati Pop Festival, which Ricki C. attended on June 13th, 1970, exactly one week after he graduated from high school. He's never been the same. For a more complete account of that show, check out The First Time I Saw The Stooges on Ricki's previous blog, Growing Old With Rock & Roll.
This Friday night, November 4th, 2016
Ace of Cups (Columbus, OH): The Whiles (CD Release), Ghost Shirt and Bicentennial Bear
The Pike Room (Pontiac, MI): Lydia Loveless, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Jeremy Porter & the Tucos.
The Whiles
Obviously anybody who reads Pencilstorm and/or is a fan of Watershed knows we go deep with The Whiles. Ricki C. has been a raving, slobbering fan since their first demos and still wrangles guitars for the Peppercorn brothers. I've had many a late night discussion pleading my case that Colors Of The Year is the best record to ever come out of Columbus. And I've been lucky enough to have Joe Peppercorn help out on both my solo records and the Watershed record Brick and Mortar. And to top it all off, original lead singer Zach Prout is now my son Owen's 7th grade English teacher.
Though the band has stayed active, this show is a release party for Mercury Ghost (Anyway Records) their first new record since Somber Honey in 2012. The word on the street is that it could be their best yet, so needless to say, Ricki and myself are over the moon with anticipation. The band also performs their annual Beatles Marathon every Holiday season (this year it's December 10th) so this may be the last straight show of originals from The Whiles for - ahem - a while, so try not to miss it. You'll be glad you did.
Lydia Loveless
Similar to The Whiles, Lydia Loveless' early records are so damn good they can overshadow her more recent work. And that's a shame, because although it doesn't reveal itself on the first listen, her latest record Real is her best to date and another big step forward for the talented Ms. Loveless. She and her kick-ass band have been touring since what seems like the last time the Indians won the World Series and in the process even became one of the few Columbus ensembles to perform on a national TV show. Click here to check it out.
Hot on her heels in the national sense, the pride of New Albany, Aaron Lee Tasjan has been making waves with his brand new release Silver Tears out on the very cool New West imprint. Aaron left Columbus for Brooklyn before settling into East Nashville where he has amassed a jaw-dropping resume as a side-player while simultaneously cranking out quality solo work. Don't take my word for it, check out his bio here. The title track off his latest record is a must listen and a must watch. Dig it here.
Speaking of cool labels, while browsing around for this article, I realized five of the last eight 12" records I have bought were released on Columbus' own Anyway Records. One of those bands, Ghost Shirt will be making a rare live appearance to support their pals in The Whiles. I flat wore out the grooves of their last release, After the Spark, and I recommend it highly to fans of power-pop that falls not far from the Nick Lowe tree.
Bicentennial Bear is led by Miranda Sound alum Billy Peake and his talent for combining clever lyrics & clever arrangements played at stupid volumes is truly awe-inspiring. If you have never heard the song "Black Quarterbacks," I truly pity you. Click here to remedy that situation.
OK, you got me, Jeremy Porter and the Tucos aren't from Columbus. They happen to be yet another kick-ass rock n roll band from Detroit. There is a local connection, however: Jeremy is longtime friends with Watershed producer Tim Patalan and - in fact - Jeremy added some musical parts to our last single Best Worst Night / Hey Lydia that was just released this summer. Like Lydia and Aaron, Jeremy is a touring machine who has built up quite a following around the Midwest and East Coast. Click here to check out some of the tunes. It's great stuff.
My best advice would be to try and attend one of these amazing bills in person, my next best advice would be to check them all out online and tell a friend.
Colin Gawel thinks it's weird when guys in bands are also music critics. It's like being a baseball player and a sports writer at the same time. But he wrote this, so I guess he is weird. He owns Colin's Coffee and founded Pencilstorm. His latest video is here.
