By Eric Lochridge
A Seattle Little League team has named itself after quirk-rockers They Might Be Giants, and rather than file a lawsuit, the band has decided to sponsor the team and 10 others.
The team went so far as to model its uniforms after the cover of the band’s most recent album “No!”
Hmm … my son is playing baseball. Sounds like it’s time to put in a call to Pearl Jam. Or Dave Matthews Band. Or U2. Or …
Paste has the story here.
By Eric Lochridge
The first inductions into the South Dakota Music Association’s hall of fame are this weekend.
On Sunday, Gary Miller and the Vaqueros of Spearfish will be among the inaugural inductees. Others honored at the event in downtown Sioux Falls will be Gene Carroll and the Shades of Sisseton, Sherwin Linton of Watertown, Myron Lee and the Caddies from Sioux Falls, the Jadesmen of Sioux Falls, the Byrnes Brothers Band of Pierre and the Mystics from Aberdeen.
Now that the state has its own rock hall of fame, it needs filling.
Who’s on your list for the second round of inductions?
By Seth A. McConnell
According to the facebook event page for this show they are billing it as the Loudest Show in Rapid City History!
I don’t see Jucifer on the bill so I’m going to have to argue that title but its a fairly solid lineup if you like your music heavy.
Woman is the Earth (CD RELEASE)
Apocalipstick (Last show)
Empires
Superczar (Featuring Luke from Michael J. Parkinsons and Flag For A Modern Society, for those of you who wanna throw on your way back when hats)
Corundum
$5
7pm
The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA)
1981 Centre St. Rapid City, SD.
By Seth A. McConnell
Its Tuesday! And its a pretty bad week for new releases. I’ve been getting my fill in the last 24 hours as I try and dig through the mountain of whats new and this week is loaded down with a bunch of garbage. Online editor Todd Williams and I were talking about it earlier today and we came to the conclussion its just that time of year where artists are holding off for a big summer release… hopefully.
This week I’ve taken the time to only check out a few albums again.
1. Aiden- Knives. I have a soft spot for these guys… I’ve known them for a number of years, great guys… fun live show… horrible music. This album is no exception to that last statement. The only thing this album has going for it is its actually better than their last album. They strayed away from the complete HIM rip off and are pretty much going for a straight rock sound. Musically its a fairly solid rock album but the vocals and lyrics are what kills it. Its the same drivel and garbage “goth” tinged pop punk bands have been riding on for years, talk of cutting, blood and death. Its nothing new and they have definately done nothing to expand themselves or this “genre” musically. The topper on this album is the hidden acoustic track with a symphony of screams as a backing track. We get it Aiden. Your dark. Your scary. Your apparently a group of socially repressed 15 year old girls who hate your parents and think that no one gets you. Hot Topic thanks you for helping keep them in business.
Recommendation: SKIP
2. Jeremy Enigk- OK Bear. This is the third solo album from the former Sunny Day Real Estate frontman. To be honest with you I’m not really familular with Enigk’s solo work but I found this album to be a gem in a week of bad releases. This would be a gem in a week of great releases as well. Its a fairly mellow rock album, that reminds me of Radiohead in parts. Well written. Beautfully captured. Just an all around pleasant listen. The opening bars captured my attention and held it through out the album. I have yet to find a weak track, its definately an album you’ll be hitting repeat on and letting it play in the background.
Reccomendation: Buy immediately.
Like I said its been a slow week. I took the time to check out a few of the other albums being released this week over at spinner and really haven’t found anything beyond the Enigk cd good enough or like Aiden bad enough to actually write about. Everything is just about run of the mill, not bad but really not great. It really should be no big surprise about the quality of releases this week as Green Day is set to release their follow up to American Idiot on Friday and who trully wants to release an album the same week as a juggernaut like that? Its smart marketing.
Whats floating through your speakers this week?
-S
By Seth A. McConnell
Rarely does a concert announcement slip past me (I usually get a heads up from a promoter as the details are being finalized or a few days before its announced.) so I was surprised to see an ad for the Stimulate This Tour! Featuring Staind with opening acts Shinedown, Chevelle and Halestorm on July 28th at the Civic Center in Friday’s paper. I had heard no buzz about this at all and didn’t even see an announcement on our homepage until late Saturday afternoon. This tour is being billed as “Rocks Ultimate Stimulus Package (there are a million jokes there but this is a family website so I’ll let you think of those on your own). Real Rock- Real Deal. 4 bands for under $40.” Its nice to see that major tours are finally realizing they need to bring the prices of their tickets back to something that is affordable. The price of tickets for concerts has been inflating every year while the quality of music continued and still continues to deteriorate. In my opinion $40 is still too much for this show. I would pay maybe $20 and that is being generous. Three of these bands are well past their peak and Halestorm is a perennial opening act. I’m not saying these bands are bad, well maybe I am, although I enjoy Chevelle’s 2002 album Wonder What’s Next. Don’t ask why but I do, its got some jams. I just see these bands as being one step above touring the fair circuit at this point. Playing their “oldies” jams for an older yet appreciative crowd, reminiscing about the good old days when life was simple and it was just about having a few beers and hating your dad. All of these bands pretty much have all their original members thus keeping them off that coveted fair circuit. That is what makes the fair circuit great, yes Don’t Stop Believin’ is best with Steve Perry on vocals but after a few adult beverages Arnel Pineda will do. Soon enough my friends, soon enough we will be able to say “Yeah (fill in the blank) is good but Staind was so much better with Aaron Lewis.” In researching this blog I discovered Staind put out an album last year to apparently NO fan fare, this should realy be called the Fair Circuit or Bust tour. Now if they really wanna blow minds they should drop the price of a t-shirt to $15… now that’s economical!
For those interested in rocking economically. (And yes that sounds both nerdy and dirty so don’t forget those pocket protectors)
Who: Staind with opening acts Shinedown, Chevelle and Halestorm
When: Tuesday July 28th, 2009 7:00 pm
Tickets are $39.50 for the floor and $35 for the balcony.
Tickets go on sale this Saturday May 16th at 10 pm.
-S