Reinventing ''Wheels''
I'm far from a certified Gleek. The show has predictable storylines and the characters are dumber than rocks. Seriously, one is illiterate and another was convinced that he managed to get his girlfriend pregnant even though they were both virgins. Yet somehow it is enjoyable. After all, who can resist a mohawked bad boy serenading you with a Neil Diamond tune?
So, when I heard that the upcoming episode would be titled Wheels, I thought it would feature the new (and excellent) Foo Fighters single, also titled "Wheels." But alas, there was no Foo, and frankly, the songs were not up to par with the usual choices. After last episode featured the brilliant RunDMC cut "Bust a Move" and the oh so sweet "Sweet Caroline" (really, who doesn't love Puck?), there was a distinct lack of foot-tap-inducing music.
Instead, Wheels was loaded with character development: Sue (the exceptional Jane Lynch) was given a soul. Artie+Tina was almost on, only to be ripped away with the revelation that Tina's stutter is fake. Kurt and his father got closer. The Puck-Quinn-Finn-Rachel love rhombus became more stretched out of shape as Finn finally understood something. Well, almost.
Despite the less than stellar tunes, Wheels was pretty satisfying for a semi-Gleek such as myself. And yes, I'm still listening to Mark Salling's rendition of "Sweet Caroline."
So, when I heard that the upcoming episode would be titled Wheels, I thought it would feature the new (and excellent) Foo Fighters single, also titled "Wheels." But alas, there was no Foo, and frankly, the songs were not up to par with the usual choices. After last episode featured the brilliant RunDMC cut "Bust a Move" and the oh so sweet "Sweet Caroline" (really, who doesn't love Puck?), there was a distinct lack of foot-tap-inducing music.
Instead, Wheels was loaded with character development: Sue (the exceptional Jane Lynch) was given a soul. Artie+Tina was almost on, only to be ripped away with the revelation that Tina's stutter is fake. Kurt and his father got closer. The Puck-Quinn-Finn-Rachel love rhombus became more stretched out of shape as Finn finally understood something. Well, almost.
Despite the less than stellar tunes, Wheels was pretty satisfying for a semi-Gleek such as myself. And yes, I'm still listening to Mark Salling's rendition of "Sweet Caroline."
The First Vultures Album
In the beginning of August, I brought you the news about a new supergroup called Them Crooked Vultures which is made up of Guitarist Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Drummer Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) and Bassist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin - JPJ also plays Keys & Mandolin) with all three sharing vocal duties - although I believe Homme is technically the "lead" vocalist. Well, I promised updates and so here we are.
The band played for a public audience the first time in Chicago on August 9 and then embarked on a tour through Europe before playing shows across the U.S. this past October. Unsurprisingly, given the fame of all three members, ticket prices for these shows were sky-high. However, now everyone will finally have a chance to hear the band. They've confirmed November 17 as the release date for their self-produced, eponymous debut album.
Press Release & Album info
Pre-order the Album.
The band is also planning on continuing their tour with a return trip back to Europe as well as a flight over to the land down under later this winter. However, it appears they are done touring the U.S. - at least for now.
As always, WVBR will update you with the next significant updates.
The band played for a public audience the first time in Chicago on August 9 and then embarked on a tour through Europe before playing shows across the U.S. this past October. Unsurprisingly, given the fame of all three members, ticket prices for these shows were sky-high. However, now everyone will finally have a chance to hear the band. They've confirmed November 17 as the release date for their self-produced, eponymous debut album.
Press Release & Album info
Pre-order the Album.
The band is also planning on continuing their tour with a return trip back to Europe as well as a flight over to the land down under later this winter. However, it appears they are done touring the U.S. - at least for now.
As always, WVBR will update you with the next significant updates.
Saturday Night Static - 9/26 Playlist
Chevelle - Vitamin R
Sick Puppies - All The Same
Garbage - Bad Boyfriend
Good Charlotte - Little Things
The Dollyrots - New College
Lola Ray - Automatic Girl
Bloodhound Gang - Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss
Morningwood - Nth Degree
Mindless Self Indulgence - On It
Mindless Self Indulgence - Due
Innerpartysystem - Die Tonight, Live Forever
Sneaker Pimps - The Fuel
Nine Inch Nails - Kinda I Want To
The Faint - Call Call
The Crystal Method - Murder
Rammstein - Engel
Coheed & Cambria - Delerium Trigger
Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One
Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - We Are Rockstars
Kidneythieves - Zerospace
Snake River Conspiracy - Oh Well
Godhead - The Reckoning
Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
Adema - The Way You Like It
Korn - Falling Away From Me
Rob Zombie - Feel So Numb
Zeromancer - Send Me An Angel
Celldweller - Stay With Me (Unlikely)
Orgy - Ashamed
Sick Puppies - All The Same
Garbage - Bad Boyfriend
Good Charlotte - Little Things
The Dollyrots - New College
Lola Ray - Automatic Girl
Bloodhound Gang - Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss
Morningwood - Nth Degree
Mindless Self Indulgence - On It
Mindless Self Indulgence - Due
Innerpartysystem - Die Tonight, Live Forever
Sneaker Pimps - The Fuel
Nine Inch Nails - Kinda I Want To
The Faint - Call Call
The Crystal Method - Murder
Rammstein - Engel
Coheed & Cambria - Delerium Trigger
Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One
Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - We Are Rockstars
Kidneythieves - Zerospace
Snake River Conspiracy - Oh Well
Godhead - The Reckoning
Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
Adema - The Way You Like It
Korn - Falling Away From Me
Rob Zombie - Feel So Numb
Zeromancer - Send Me An Angel
Celldweller - Stay With Me (Unlikely)
Orgy - Ashamed
STILL Riding High Amongst The Waves
In 1991, Eddie Vedder was riding his surf board on the Grunge wave as Pearl Jam let the world hear angst with the release of Ten. Fast forward eighteen years and the once shy and mysterious musician with the long definition-grungy looking hair is no longer singing songs about serial killers, violence in school and divorce or highly political songs directed mostly at a particular American president from Texas but songs with happier tones with more positive lyrics. They sound less like Soundgarden and more like Springsteen. Vedder and the other equally talented members of Pearl Jam are probably currently in a Seattle loft celebrating the release of their ninth studio album, Backspacer, which came out earlier this week.
Don't get me wrong, the boys can still rock as evident by the album's first single The Fixer - a song that I'm sure you've heard. It's the #2 most played song on WVBR this past week to conveniently match its spot at #2 on the Billboard Rock chart. I think it's their best single in seven years. But as the public's first peak of the album, it gave a clear view that Pearl Jam has changed - and I think for the better.
It's called maturity. You can't be mad at everything forever. It'll kill you (look at Kurt Cobain, may he R.I.P.). Believe it or not, these guys are getting old. They range in age from 43 to 47, with Vedder right in the middle at a ripe 45. There's a reason why he now goes by "Ed" and not "Eddie". He's not the 25 year old surfer who fell into the Seattle music scene that was full of angst. He got it out but still wants the world to hear what he's got to say. Ever since Ed went solo and recorded the soundtrack for Into the Wild, you can tell he's so much more positive.
Take the lyrics from a pair of songs from the new album.
1) "Just Breathe"
Oh I'm a lucky man
To count on both hands
The ones I love
Some folks just have one
Yeah others they got none
2) "Amongst The Waves"
Riding high amongst the waves
I can feel Like I
Have a soul that has been saved
I can feel like I
Put away my early grave
If those lyrics don't scream "I'm not angry anymore" - I don't know what does. But that's what happens when you get older. The same thing happened to Chris Cornell, albeit more gradually, from the transitions from Soundgarden to Audioslave to his solo work. Why so suddenly, then, did Vedder become happy. Easily explainable. Pearl Jam's last few albums have been very political and included adamant anthems that were blatant shots at former president, George W. Bush. But since their last album, we got a new president in Barack Obama. And Vedder admits that has impacted him, saying "I've tried, over the years, to be hopeful in the lyrics, and I think that's going to be easier now."
However, it is their strong stance against Bush and numerous social issues that has some fans worried about the obvious changes. One has to look no further than but to try to buy the album (if you still buy CDs) to see what would appear to be fairly hypocritical. The band cut a deal with Target so that they'd be the exclusive seller of the physical CD amongst big-name stores. Yet just years ago, they refused to allow Ticketmaster to sell tickets to their shows out of protest of monopolization of venues. I don't think they still do this. Ask yourself if this is maturing or forgetting what you're about?
Still, what's really important is the music itself, not a band's actions. And you can clearly hear what Pearl Jam is now all about - go get their new CD and enjoy the new positivity of one of the greatest bands from the last two decades.
Don't get me wrong, the boys can still rock as evident by the album's first single The Fixer - a song that I'm sure you've heard. It's the #2 most played song on WVBR this past week to conveniently match its spot at #2 on the Billboard Rock chart. I think it's their best single in seven years. But as the public's first peak of the album, it gave a clear view that Pearl Jam has changed - and I think for the better.
It's called maturity. You can't be mad at everything forever. It'll kill you (look at Kurt Cobain, may he R.I.P.). Believe it or not, these guys are getting old. They range in age from 43 to 47, with Vedder right in the middle at a ripe 45. There's a reason why he now goes by "Ed" and not "Eddie". He's not the 25 year old surfer who fell into the Seattle music scene that was full of angst. He got it out but still wants the world to hear what he's got to say. Ever since Ed went solo and recorded the soundtrack for Into the Wild, you can tell he's so much more positive.
Take the lyrics from a pair of songs from the new album.
1) "Just Breathe"
Oh I'm a lucky man
To count on both hands
The ones I love
Some folks just have one
Yeah others they got none
2) "Amongst The Waves"
Riding high amongst the waves
I can feel Like I
Have a soul that has been saved
I can feel like I
Put away my early grave
If those lyrics don't scream "I'm not angry anymore" - I don't know what does. But that's what happens when you get older. The same thing happened to Chris Cornell, albeit more gradually, from the transitions from Soundgarden to Audioslave to his solo work. Why so suddenly, then, did Vedder become happy. Easily explainable. Pearl Jam's last few albums have been very political and included adamant anthems that were blatant shots at former president, George W. Bush. But since their last album, we got a new president in Barack Obama. And Vedder admits that has impacted him, saying "I've tried, over the years, to be hopeful in the lyrics, and I think that's going to be easier now."
However, it is their strong stance against Bush and numerous social issues that has some fans worried about the obvious changes. One has to look no further than but to try to buy the album (if you still buy CDs) to see what would appear to be fairly hypocritical. The band cut a deal with Target so that they'd be the exclusive seller of the physical CD amongst big-name stores. Yet just years ago, they refused to allow Ticketmaster to sell tickets to their shows out of protest of monopolization of venues. I don't think they still do this. Ask yourself if this is maturing or forgetting what you're about?
Still, what's really important is the music itself, not a band's actions. And you can clearly hear what Pearl Jam is now all about - go get their new CD and enjoy the new positivity of one of the greatest bands from the last two decades.
WVBR DJ BLOG ARCHIVE
~Reinventing Wheels (Thu 11/12)
~The First Vultures Album (Wed 10/21) 1 Comment
~Saturday Night Static - 9/26 Playlist (Sat 9/26)
~STILL Riding High Amongst The Waves (Thu 9/24)
~Saturday 8-10 Playlist (Sat 9/19)
~9 Ways to Celebrate 9/9/09 (Wed 9/9) 1 Comment
~Album Review: Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine (Tue 8/25)
~Has Emo been dead long enough for us to give a reasoned... (Thu 8/20) 1 Comment
~Busking Made Good (Wed 8/19)
~Creed, Miraculously, Tops Themselves (Wed 8/12) 1 Comment
~No Scavenging Necessary For These Rockers (Mon 8/3) 1 Comment
~Payback For The Haters (Sat 8/1)
~The Imaginary World of Ryan McGuire (Thu 7/30) 2 Comments
~Beastie Boys "MCA" Now Fighting For Something Else (Mon 7/20)
~Cloud Cult Beats Up Superman Outside Local Record Store (Thu 7/16) 1 Comment
~Mascara Can Be Manly (Mon 7/13)
~Come On, Skinny Love, Just Last the Year (Tue 6/30)
~The Bonnaroo Chronicles (Sun 6/21) 1 Comment
~Updates From La Mancha (Thu 6/18)
~40 Bands, 96 Hours, 900 Miles and 90,000 Music Fans (Tue 6/9)
~And How Can I Get There, Too? (Sat 5/30)
~FINALLLYYYY! (Thu 5/28) 1 Comment
~The Grooviest 24 Hours You'll Ever Hear (Thu 5/14)
~Life in Technicolor ii Video (Tue 5/12) 1 Comment
~Who is Wolfgang Amadeus? (Tue 5/12)
~New Music Mondays, Vol. 21 (Wed 5/6)
~Squatch and Babygirl's Sexy List (Mon 5/4)
~Squatch and Babygirl's Salute To... (Mon 5/4)
~Squatch and Babygirl's WOW (Mon 5/4)
~Pussycat Dolls or PCD if you're hip like that (Sun 5/3) 1 Comment
~The First Vultures Album (Wed 10/21) 1 Comment
~Saturday Night Static - 9/26 Playlist (Sat 9/26)
~STILL Riding High Amongst The Waves (Thu 9/24)
~Saturday 8-10 Playlist (Sat 9/19)
~9 Ways to Celebrate 9/9/09 (Wed 9/9) 1 Comment
~Album Review: Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine (Tue 8/25)
~Has Emo been dead long enough for us to give a reasoned... (Thu 8/20) 1 Comment
~Busking Made Good (Wed 8/19)
~Creed, Miraculously, Tops Themselves (Wed 8/12) 1 Comment
~No Scavenging Necessary For These Rockers (Mon 8/3) 1 Comment
~Payback For The Haters (Sat 8/1)
~The Imaginary World of Ryan McGuire (Thu 7/30) 2 Comments
~Beastie Boys "MCA" Now Fighting For Something Else (Mon 7/20)
~Cloud Cult Beats Up Superman Outside Local Record Store (Thu 7/16) 1 Comment
~Mascara Can Be Manly (Mon 7/13)
~Come On, Skinny Love, Just Last the Year (Tue 6/30)
~The Bonnaroo Chronicles (Sun 6/21) 1 Comment
~Updates From La Mancha (Thu 6/18)
~40 Bands, 96 Hours, 900 Miles and 90,000 Music Fans (Tue 6/9)
~And How Can I Get There, Too? (Sat 5/30)
~FINALLLYYYY! (Thu 5/28) 1 Comment
~The Grooviest 24 Hours You'll Ever Hear (Thu 5/14)
~Life in Technicolor ii Video (Tue 5/12) 1 Comment
~Who is Wolfgang Amadeus? (Tue 5/12)
~New Music Mondays, Vol. 21 (Wed 5/6)
~Squatch and Babygirl's Sexy List (Mon 5/4)
~Squatch and Babygirl's Salute To... (Mon 5/4)
~Squatch and Babygirl's WOW (Mon 5/4)
~Pussycat Dolls or PCD if you're hip like that (Sun 5/3) 1 Comment
