Orange County Music Blog

Oh man. If you're not tired of the MJ news deluge yet, get ready. Too far, people. Too. Far. (However, that music? Thumbs up.) But if you're looking for a really good time, just check out some of the comments left on that YouTube vid.

A comment left by YouTube user AmericanMatthew asks, "How can it be that MJ walks as a ghost when his brain was removed of his cranium? Without a brain it is impossible to walk as a Ghost around. Or what do you think about?"

What? Could it be? A metal band finally lands a residency at Detroit Bar? Yes.

Tonight offers a refreshing taste of chugging guitar riffs, throat shredding howls and maybe even a blast beat or two courtesy of Costa Mesa's own Pistolero.

Sure, listening to a hip new indie band is something most of us have come accustomed to on Monday nights as we trail in to Detroit for a beer and a song. But this month offers something in the way of an antidote to your Stella-chugging apathy. If anything, watching a good metal band forces you to do everything like you mean it: head bang like you mean it, drink like you mean it, mosh like you mean it, etc. (actually skip the moshing part, Detroit really isn't the venue for that).

The band's residency also features a weekly performance by Sederra a seasoned Fullerton five piece. Mostly comprised of ex-members of Longfellow, a once popular OC emo outfit (broke up in 2002), the band's sound is a notable departure from the old days, opting for a more punk/straight ahead feel to their jams.

In any event, this month ought to be a welcome flavor change for Detroit's local residency line up. After all, a little bit of metal always does the body good.

Weezer just announced a merch deal with Snuggie. Yes, Snuggie, that thing on tv that you (and I) laugh at until you actually try one and realize it's the best invention ever.

 

The contraption is called a Wuggie, and is basically a regular Snuggie with a Weezer logo. I'd be shittin' all over this if I didn't own a Snuggie. Seriously folks, I don't get paid to tell you this so you know I'm speaking the truth when I say that Snuggies freakin' rule.

 

One thing Snuggies don't mention in their ads (but should) is how much the robe/blanket hybrid makes people feel like a Jedi. I ain't lying when I say I am Obi-Wanfucking Kanobi when I rock my blue Snuggie with the hood on. Sometimes I sit on my couch and when my girlfriend passes by, I wave my hand and say, "you aren't too tired for intercourse tonight."

 

The soon-to-be issued Wuggies should go perfect for that Sept. 17 date Weezer has at the Irvine Enorma-Dome with Blink-182.  

Just got the monthly calendar for DiPiazza's and found two pretty funny band names that I think are worth passing along.

 

The first is the Jimi Homeless Experience. No, it's not cool to make fun of the less fortunate (unless we're talking Celtics fans), but it's a silly play on words that I find amusing. The band performs June 5.

 

The next name is He's Not Gay! I was going to go on and on about how much I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when they came up with that doozy of a moniker. Granted, I've been in some bands with terrible names (the Young Youth? What were we thinking?), but one glance at their myspace page gives me what I assume is the answer. You see, He's Not Gay! is comprised of three girls and a guy. I'm no brainiac, but I'm guessing the members are trying to tell the world that the lone male is not gay. Which is great for him cuz he can get all the chicks (note to self: start band with lots of female members). But I could be wrong. The group plays June 13. 

The recently reunited New Kids on the Block are coming to Irvine. The question is, are you ready?

The group plays July 10 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater and tickets go on sale Saturday, which means interested parties should probably start lining up asap.

Now, I could go on and take all sorts of cheap shots at NKOTB. But I won't. I'd like to think I'm above that, even though I'm sure I could come up with a good one.

But I sure as hell would like to know who in 2009 is going to this and how in the fuck the New Kids on the Block are popular enough to headline a venue the size of the VWA.

Tickets are on sale now for a show April 11 at the House of Blues. Headlining the bill is a group called Tragedy. What's interesting about this is the venue says the show is a heavy metal tribute to the Bee Gees.

I don't know where to begin. For once in my life, I am at a loss for words. Never before have I thought that the disco-friendly Bee Gees would ever get a heavy metal makeover, but maybe Obama's right: change is on the way.

Please click their MySpace page for what is definitely the most unique version of "Stayin' Alive" I've ever heard.

Wait...I'm no longer at a loss for words. Since this is a mix of disco and metal, what drugs do I bring? Weed? Coke? Cheap booze? And how should I dress? Dirty long hair or clean flowing long hair? Jean jacket or vest? Do I bring my bros and try to pick up wasted hesher chicks or bring my bros and pick up wasted disco chicks? Dancing shoes or shit-kickers?

Oh, that's right. Neither. I can't stand the Bee Gees or metal (or tribute bands), so I probably won't be there.But you should go and tell me all about it.

The Internets are abuzz with the rumors of a potential reunion of Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, also known as the two living members of Sublime. The fact that Wilson and Gaugh performed in the Long Beach Dub Allstars and a slew of bands pre-Sublime makes this a tad less exciting as say, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl playing together, it's still news because it sounds like they might be gearing up for a Sublime reunion/tribute/whatever that lasts more than one show.

According to Gaugh's myspace page, his latest group, Del Mar, is playing with "VERY VERY special guests performing. Trust us, you will kick yourself in the ass with spiked steel-toe boots if you miss this show." Now, as some of you may or may not know, I don't just spout off random tidbits of information and post them online. Sometimes I do actual reporting and just yesterday I called a very reliable source who confirmed the duo is playing. Everything sounds very up in the air at this point, but if Wilson and Gaugh continue, I'll have more to say at a later date.

For those looking to travel to Nevada (and time-travel back to the '90s), the venue is called Cantina Los Tres Hombres. According to the homepage, the bill for Feb. 28 is Del Mar and "S*blime."

 

The Lost Art

Since the release of his second album "Escape From Lala Land" on July 25, Technicalli artist The Lost Art has been making hip hop heads world wide wake up and take notice of his skills behind the mic. Boasting roots from the golden age of hip hop, Art has a knack for meshing together consciousness and cockiness in a style that is hard to ignore once you give it a chance. Working with local heavy weights like The Visionaries and LD and Ariano has definitely given him the proper skills of a seasoned fire-breathing MC.

01 Who's in the band and who does what?

LD and DJ Stimulus handle the production and of course I handle the vocals. We actually do have alot of live instrumentation with LD on keys and Lobsta (LD's brother) handles the bass lines.

02 What motivated you to start the rapping?

Poetry, writing in general. Watching alot of Def Poets on t.v. and seeing MC's reciting poetry from paper and then learning that these people were also makng tracks and then seeing that I can relate it to the music.

03 Who are your biggest influences and why?

Atmosphere is definitely a big one, Sugar Hill Gand, Rakim, The Roots ,Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Alkoholiks, Exhibit Hieroglyphics...I could go on for days. On a separate level, I'm also a classic rock fan. I love Jack Johnson, The hite Stripes, Eric Clapton, The Beatles Cream. The world is so much bigger than hip hop and what I want to do is put in my CD for people and they don't say "that's dope hip hop", I want them to be like "that's good music". That's what I aspire to because I want everybody to be able to enjoy it.

04 What's the best thing that's happened to your band? What's the worst
thing that's happened to your band?

Just getting to travel and get closer to the people I'm working with. You find out a lot about yourself when you're in close quarters with people you're working with. You learn alot about people, I'm mean even silly shit like who has gas or who's feet smell...just different stuff.

I've also been a big fan of the visionaries for a long time and LMNO is like one of my favorite MC's... and going from listening to him and following him, to get to work with him was a really big thing for me.

05 There are millions of bands and solo artists creating music now. Why
should people listen to you?

Because I'm crazy. Because I bring something the next person didn't, or maybe they did but I just present it a different way. You might like my voice, or a song that I have. I just urge people to take a listen, just one listen is all I ask. Download it for free and just listen. You might like it.

OC Weekly freelancer Ben Westhoff has a blog post detailing what could possibly be the worst press release ever—and it's for Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, only one of the most anticipated albums of 2008. Check out Ben's dissection of the press release's awfulness and then look for his review of Tha Carter III in the Weekly on stands/online June 19.

Here's the video for "Lollipop," of which you're probably already sick, but it has a weirdly alien aura and is pretty downcast for a major-label single filled with sexual innuendo.