The Summer Season May Be Over, But Things Are Lookin' Red Hot!

Wow! A first in quite some time, (about 6 months I think), the 2nd blog entry to hit cyberspace in less than a week! Also, we seem to be doing an about face here from a few days ago. Things seem to be picking up in the rock & alternative music world. Maybe it was the full moon... maybe it was the weather. Don't know, but hey... don't care!

First off, lots of new stuff seems to either be on the horizon or bursting at the seems. The first tidbit that seems to be a substantial buzz on the airwaves as well as on-line, is the wedding of Eddie Vedder. Now, here's the fun part... ask a bunch of people who are really into alternative music or even just Pearl Jam, and ask them, "Who did he marry?" About half the people don't know! By the way, her name is Jill McCormick.

More new stuff - Soundgarden is back! Their new release (oops, almost said album... soo 80's of me) is called "Telephantasm". Five (5) tracks have already been released on iTunes. We will be adding some of the new stuff to the station this weekend.

Is it me or are we sorta in a "retro" gear, here? All these big time artists and people from the 90's making a big splash again? Don't get me wrong... I'm not complaining. But along with the Soundgarden release, Alice in Chains had a big night with opening act The Deftones at NYC's Madison Square Garden. One question loomed large before Friday’s concert:
- How would new singer William Duvall measure up to Layne Staley, the band’s original front man, who died in 2002?
On Black Gives Way to Blue, the album Alice in Chains released last year with Duvall (ending a fourteen-year hiatus for the group), the new guy sounds remarkably like Staley. In concert, the similarity became almost eerie: The band kicked off its set by nailing the first three tracks from 1992’s Dirt (“Them Bones,” “Dam That River” and “Rain When I Die”), with Duvall recreating Staley’s vocal lines with the same studiousness of guitarist Jerry Cantrell, who delivered his solos note-for-note. In that sense, Alice in Chains have changed: The show felt more like a recital than an exorcism, as it would have with Staley. All in all, from what I've seen & read, things went and are going well.

Another shot of retro-ism... last one, I promise (well, maybe not). I was reading in the latest issue of Rolling Stone an article that highlighted the top 25 record stores in America. Much to my delight, Newbury Comics out of Boston Massachusetts made the list... in fact, it was in the top 10! Not only was it a nice surprise, but also filled my head with TONS of great memories of one of my old college stomping grounds. It's also nice to know that these stores, although few & far between, are still thriving.

Finally, here's a concert bill made in heaven or hell depending on your viewpoint. Read the band list & try to wrap your mind around the fact these bands played on the same day and weekend in southern California. More than 25 acts, including headliners Eminem, KISS, Blink-182, and Bush, playing their first gig in eight years, put in high-octane sets at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA, for KROQ's second annual Epicenter Festival. Wonders never cease...

That's about it for now. 'Til next time, keep listening...
Peace out,
Dave