tonight @ juanitas!

The Ex-Gentelmen go on around 8:30…check ‘em out. This is an all ages show. Here’s the address for Juanitas: 

5930 York Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Tel. 323-254-4200

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Check out: The Swagger Sticks

Wow, what an incredible weekend of music! The Swagger Sticks did a show at Trip in Santa Monica on Saturday. Sitting in on Drums for The Sticks was the incredibly talented Jose Gonzalez and, on bass, my one-time guitar teacher (and Icky’s Ego bassist), Vreny Van Elslande. Vreny is a Berklee College of Music grad and I studied guitar with him in 2003-04. I never thought I would share the stage with a musician of this caliber…now If I could just figure out the difference between a major and a minor chord I’d really be one my way. Thank you Vreny and Jose – it was a priviledge sharing the stage with you muthas. Special thanks to Malcom, Nancy and Simon for coming to the show!

Also on the bill were some really kick ass metal bands, Sleeping With Angeles and A Typical Mess. These “east of the 110″ rockers know how to get it done. No shit. If they’re not playing Ozz Fest of Crue Fest one of these days I’d be surprised. It would be a shame to see all those riffs go the waste. I believe both bands will be sharing the bill at the Puka Bar in Long Beach on 1/23/10. 

On Sunday I was at The Cat Club to see Icky’s Ego. Their show has gotten as tight as a drum in the past month. They flowed smoothly through an eight or nine-song set in front of a full room. I’m constantly amazed by the quality of Dave and Celas’ vocals. One word: Wow. These “Worldwide Popstars” are moving up fast so make sure you catch one of their shows soon!

Playing their third show at The Cat Club was Everyone Needs A Dictator (E.N.A.D) featuring guitarist Alex Kane (and bassist Claire B) of Marky Ramone’s Blitzkreig, the current incarnation of The Ramones. The Ramones, incidentally, are one of my all-time favorite bands! They’re big in Japan (I swear) but they’re not playing free-from jazz just yet (whew). I had actually met Alex about a year ago at the ASCAP Expo here in Hollywood. We sat next to each other during a Jeff Lynne interview on the last day of the event. I spoke to him after the show but he has no recollection of meeting me. That bastard! I’m kidding. (No, seriously, he has no idea who I am). But I can say this: Alex is fuckin’ cool AND he’s from Chicago so there you have it.

At any rate, E.N.A.D melted the stage with a sonic boom of rhythmic assault worthy of the master himself, Johnny Ramone. Word on the street is that The Swagger Sticks will be camping out in Alex’s yard (and his buddy Happin’ Harry) until they let’s us open the next E.N.A.D. show. The same goes for Icky’s Ego. Rock n’ roll stalkers of the world unite!

By the way, here’s Marky Ramone’s Blitzkreig at Punk Spring 2009 in Japan with Alex Kane on guitar and Claire B. in front of 20,000 screaming fans. This will blow your mind:

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Ain’t nothin’ better than Iggy Pop live.

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The Sticks @ Trip!

I’ll have a different rhythm section backing me up since bassist Matt Morales is on the road doing comedy and drummer Simon Hancock had a prior committment.

I had a couple of rehearsals this week with Vreny Van Elslande (bassist for Icky’s Ego) and drummer Jose Gonzalez. Both are incredibly talented and after only two rehearsals we’re ready to tear down the walls!

Here’s the line up for tonight:
8:00 – Ed’s Garage
9:00 – Black Sequin Disaster
10:00 – The Swagger Sticks
11:00 – Sleeping with Angels
12:00 – Typical Mess

Get there early for the beer tasting. See you tonight!

 AFG Must Rock!
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Boo: Dracula Boots

I picked up the latest record from Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds after reading an LA Weekly article a few weeks back about the eclectic roster on In The Red Records. I also heard Mike Watt talking about him on the Watt From Pedro Radio Show…I didn’t know that “The Kid” aka Brian Tristan had at one point played guitar with The Cramps, Gun Club and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. Kewl.

Kid Congo Power’s ”Dracula Boots“ is a potpourri of dirty junkie riffs soaked in reverb and, like The Cramps, and it’s a trippy, gritty listening experience. It’s like watching a film noir flick on acid while sharing a bowl of popcorn with the creature from the black lagoon.

Kid Congo’s backstreet psychedelic boogie is just the antispectic needed to cure the music world’s Gaga-pop staff infections. I dig it. Here’s “Rare as the Yeti.”

Links
In The Red Records
Kid Congo Powers

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Happy Thanksgiving from The Swagger Sticks! 

What do you get when you cross 80s Hair Metal with Thanksgiving? There’s only one way to find out!

Listen to “I Wanna Rock (On Plymouth Rock)” on 
The Swagger Sticks MySpace page.

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I’m always on the look out for new music and I just came across this video from Memphis rocker Carey Haynes. The song is called “Better Than You.” This is good stuff. I’m going to review their debut EP in the next week or so. Have a look!

Links
www.myspace.com/CareyHaynesMusic
www.Finndoo.com

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Daniel Sullivan pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm against Noel Gallagher when Oasis was headlining at the Virgin Music Festival, on Toronto Island on Sept. 7, 2008.

Gallagher fractured three ribs and suffered a bruised ego after he was pushed to the ground and landed on a speaker.  Sullivan was apparently drunk off his ass and can’t remember the incident (yeah, right). No one tried to stop Sullivan from getting onstage until he was tackled by security after the incident.

The push comes at 1:30 in this video during the first verse of “Morning Glory.“  In a rare moment of solidarity with his brother, Liam Gallagher looked liked he tried to get a punch in and then followed security offstage to try and get in a few licks. Daniel Sullivan is officially the biggest dick in Canadian history.

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The King And I

I’m in Las Vegas for the weekend with some friends. This got us thinking about Elvis Presley. I mean how can you not think about Elvis when you’re in Vegas…having said that, here’s our top five from The King!

1. Suspicious Minds
2. Burning Love
3. Jailhouse Rock
4. A Little Less Talk
5. Viva Las Vegas!
*****

~AFG Must Rock!
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Sigh…

Sister Havana No Mas

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