Way back when A Perfect Circle released their covers album eMOTIVE, there was an edition that also included an additional disc entitled aMOTION. This disc was all remixed version of their songs. There has always been one that has stood out to me over the years and that is the Tilling My Grave mix of “Weak and Powerless.” This version was remixed by Danny Lohner (former Nine Inch Nails memeber and for a time was a part of A Perfect Circle during the Thirteenth Step era) and it was also featured on the soundtrack for the first Underworld movie. Anyways, this version always seemed to have more “balls” to it and that gave it a much “heavier” vibe. Another interesting note is that this version features work by Wes Borland and Josh Eustis.
A Perfect Circle- Weak and Powerless (Tilling My Grave: Renholder Mix):
A Perfect Circle- Weak and Powerless (Album Version):
I’ve written about Spirit in the Room many times before and it’s because they are awesome and deserve your attention. This group is the brainchild of vocalist and multi instrumentalist Dennis R. Sanders and to put it bluntly, they are fan-fucking-tastic. Spirit in the Room has been described as “If Nick Cave, Lemmy, Elvis, Harry Dean Stanton and Iggy, had a child in a church gone mad.” I’d say that’s pretty spot on. Throw in a bit of The Doors, Black Sabbath and some very out there experimental bands and you have the recipe for what makes Spirit in the Room so damn good. Their live shows are volatile and full of piss and vinegar that will leave you talking about the band for days, even weeks to come. Today, February 8th, Spirit in the Room has released Volume 1 of their EP series. The three tracks on Volume 1, set a tone and leave you wanting a whole hell of a lot more. There is an energy about the new music from Dennis that truly feels inspired and makes a statement as to what this band is capable of. I personally can’t wait for the other parts to come out. It’s one of my most anticipated albums er EP’s of the year. Do yourselves a favor and take a listen to Spirit in the Room and let the music take you places you haven’t been. You won’t be sorry.
Ever since I made my Ultimate Set List for Depeche Mode, I’ve been in that frame of mind. Which got me thinking about all the Depeche Mode covers out there. One of the ones I remembered being interesting and not bad was Rammstein’s cover of “Stripped.” There is some interesting history about this cover as well. Released as a single in 1998, this cover also appears on their album Sehnsucht, the one that has “Du Hast.” It was also the bands first song sung entirely in English. Their version cuts the line “Let me see you stripped down to the bone” to “Let me see you stripped”, which was due to singer Till Lindermann’s difficulty singing the “down to the bone” line. Though that part was restored in a remix done by former Nine Inch Nails member Charlie Clouser. Rammstein are supposed to release a new album in 2019 and tour it so, hopefully when they do, they decide to do this live.
Last night I was watching an old episode of Family Guy and in the one I was watching they did a parody of the Fiona Apple video for “Criminal.” So of course, that would lead me to this. Back in September of 1997, the video for the single “Criminal” by Fiona Apple was released. Her debut album Tidal, had already been out for a bit and singles like “Shadowboxer” and “Sleep To Dream” had been out as well. The album itself was met with critical and audience acclaim but it wasn’t really until the release of the video for “Criminal” that solidified the impact Fiona Apple would have. The video was directed by the extrodinary Mark Romanek (Nine Inch Nails, Johnny Cash, Jay Z, etc). Romanek and cinematographer Harris Savides created a video that was sensual and dangerous yet uncomfortable at the same time. Either way, the song by Fiona Apple and the video by Mark Romanek are truly gems and deserve to be recognized as that.
The other day I woke up with the Audioslave song “Moth” in my head. That song is from their highly underrated third album, Revelations. If you haven’t ever delved into that one, I suggest you do, it’s incredible! While on my little Audioslave kick, I remembered that there are a few songs that were “B-Sides” and I thought I’d share those with you. So here we go!
Audioslave- Give (from their debut):
Audioslave- Super Stupid (Funkadelic Cover from Out Of Exile):
Turn To Gold (Quick Story: Audioslave was originally called “Civilian.” After they got together and starting recording, a sound technician leaked this song on the internet):
Depeche Mode is one of my favorite bands. Through the years, I’ve really come to admire the honest approach they take when they create albums. They’ve always stuck to their guns as to what they wanted to do and it’s paid off. All these years later and they are still putting out great music. This Ultimate Set List was a little difficult to make due to Depeche Mode having so many great songs but, I think I made one hell of a great set list.
Guideline 1: What line up of the band would it be
Guideline 2: Where would you want to see the show
Guideline 3: maximum 25 songs (In order of how the set should go)
Lineup: Dave Gahan, Martine Gore, Andy Fletcher, Alan Wilder
Venue: Santa Barbara Bowl
Set List:
01) Wrong
02) Everything Counts
03) Barrel Of A Gun
04) Stripped
05) Behind The Wheel
06) Come Back
07) Precious
08) I Feel You
09) Clean
10) Black Celebration
11) Soothe My Soul
12) A Pain That I’m Used To
13) Halo
14) Walking In My Shoes
15) Condemnation
16) It’s No Good
17) The Dead Of Night
18) In Your Room
19) Policy Of Truth
20) No More (This Is The Last Time)
Encore:
21) Dream On
22) Never Let Me Down Again
23) Enjoy The Silence
NEW TOPIC!!!!! This new topic is all about alternate versions of songs you know. I’ll be showcasing different remixes, demos, and live versions of songs.
Let’s start off with a really fun one. Back in 2005 Nine Inch Nails released the album With Teeth. As always with Nine Inch Nails releases, there comes remix versions of songs. On the Every Day is Exactly The Same remix EP, there is a version of the song “Only” remixed by the one and only EL-P, and it’s fantastic. EL-P’s mix, gives it a bit more atmosphere and it makes the song a bit more haunting. Enjoy!
There are many guitarists out there that have such a signature sound that, when you hear it you know just who is playing. Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter is one of those guitarists. His style is undeniable and it works across many different bands and their material. So, with that in mind, here are a few of the jams Stephen has lent his playing to over the years.
Will Haven- El Sol (from Muerte):
Chimaira- Rizzo (from Pass Out Of Existence):
Linkin Park- By Myslf (from Reanimation):
Non-Phixion- The CIA Is Trying To Kill Me (from The Future Is Now):
The band I’m presenting to you this week is going to rock your world. They are heavy, aggressive, progressive and absolutely badass. I’d like to introduce you all to your new favorite band, Moon Tooth. Straight up, these guys are awesome. The four members of Moon Tooth, John Carbone (vocals), Nick Lee (guitars), Vincent Romanelli (bass) and Ray Marte (drums) are not only are they masters of their instruments and rip and shred but, their ability to write great songs makes them truly standout. They remind me a bit of Mastodon meets The Dillinger Escape Plan with a ton of melody and 70’s prog. Their 2016 debut album, Chromaparagon is pretty damn great from start to finish. I could use many adjectives to describe how good it is but, you should just listen and you’ll understand why Moon Tooth is great. Now in 2019, Moon Tooth is gearing up to unleash a new album entitled Crux (out March 29th). The first single released, “Trust” is the logical next step for the band and it crushes. The band worked with Lamb of God’s Mark Morton and producer Machine (Lamb Of God, Every Time I Die, King Crimson, etc) on Crux. Speaking on the new album singer John Carbone said “This album is about not giving up. It’s about the furious hope that brings fighters back to their feet again and again. Having answered the call to adventure, having grappled with what will surely be only the first set of trials, having sacrificed and lost so much, ‘Crux’ finds the band at a tipping point. There is nothing left but for the old life to die and the new, true life to begin.” A description like that shows that Moon Tooth are creating lasting music and albums with depth and true artistic expression. Personally, I’m stoked on Moon Tooth and can’t wait for this album and them to tour.
Moon Tooth- Trust:
Moon Tooth- Chromaparagon:
Tour Dates with Mark Morton and Light The Torch:
3/13 — Richmond, VA — Broadberry
3/14 — Philadelphia, PA — Underground Arts
3/15 — Toronto, ON — Lees Palace
3/16 — Montreal, QC — Astral
3/18 — Boston, MA — Brighton Music Hall
3/19 — New York, NY — Gramercy Theater
3/21 — Chicago, IL — Bottom Lounge
3/23 — Colorado Springs, CO — Black Sheep
3/25 — Los Angeles, CA — Roxy
3/26 — Phoenix, AZ — Club Red
I have a bunch of new topics coming up shortly and this is one that will definitely be fun. Over the years I’ve really noticed something about bands naming albums after certain songs. Those songs in particular always seem to sum up the album as a whole in a way. One band that I noticed that has a real knack for this is Alice In Chains. The title track songs from their albums always had something more to them. So with that in mind, lets take a listen to these gems.
Alice In Chains- Dirt (from Dirt):
Alice In Chains- Black Gives Way To Blue (from Black Gives Way To Blue):
Alice In Chains- The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (from The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here):
