I’ve been keeping an eye out for this clip on YouTube for some time. Get it now, before David Thomas finds out!
I love the way the guitarist faces the drummer. I’ve always wanted to write a song that would require me to do that.
Sep 262007
Mr. Moderator
Sep 252007
Townsman Saturnismine briefly interrupted his baseball dreams to ask the following of us:
RTHers, I have been in the clubs, where the few in attendance gawk amazed at half-hearted post-rock pedal hopping. I have been to the record stores, where artfully designed cover art and requisite Look continue to scam the impressionable to empty their pockets. I have been to the Nether-regions of hipster cyberspace, where the soul-less look to their shoes with woeful, soul-less gazes.
And on this clear, cloudless day, I implore you: the world of rock needs US to put down all our worldly, reverent talk of jazz, Beatle covers, and “true German stereo,” regardless of the merits of such talk. It is a time to strip away all ponderings and embrace simplicity. It is a time to TAKE UP CHILDISH THINGS.
First, I want to know if what you’re about to watch is even possible in 2007.
Feel better? I thought you might. I also want to know what songs clean YOUR cobwebs by getting back to what matters most. These songs must be hard hitting, fun, dumb, maybe even RAUNCHY – and profound in their simplicity: no esoteric cobweb cleanings, please. I want viscera. Townsman HVB, I especially
hope to connect with you on this one.
Sep 252007
Townspeople,
Rock Town Hall heeds your call! If it’s The Sensational Alex Harvey Band you want, it’s The Sensational Alex Harvey Band you shall get! What more can I say but take what has been given to you! Rock down low in your greasepaint, brothers and sisters! Without further ado, Rock Town Hall presents a fistful of THE…SENSATIONAL…ALEX…HARVEY…BAND!
“Midnight Moses”
“Framed”
“Swampsnake”
“Next”
“Faith Healer (Live)”
Sep 242007
Townspeople,
I SUMMON you to carry the day! I’m sure you’ll agree with me that what we most need around here is that shocking, bold statement on the state of rock, an overlooked gem, an overrated classic, a new release, etc that blows our minds. This is more than an All-Star Jam; this is your Rock Town Hall. Seize the day!
Beside, Mr. Mod’s hip deep in responsibilities today. Thanks.
Sep 222007
So Glam Rock seems to be the brief musical era Townspeople most suspect offers previously uncovered gems to even rock know-it-alls like ourselves. Can anyone among us point in the direction of cool Glam Rock that goes beyond the 3 or 4 artists we likely know?
Autumn Carousel, “Rock ‘n Roll Clown (Ritchie Keith demo)”
Sep 202007
Good Charlotte
Townsman dbuskirk, the man who turned Joe Strummer onto the Ethiopian DJ scene, recently was spotted behind the velvet ropes of Rock Town Hall’s inner sanctum, heard touting the wonders of this cover of The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down”, by Charlotte Dada. “This is the greatest Beatles cover ever!” proclaimed dbusirk to Links Linkerson and a few other visually impaired thought leaders in rock.
According to dbuskirk, one of the Hall’s finest tastemakers, Dada was a vocalist from Ghana in the early ’70s. This track is from a comp he’s never been able to find called, Money No Be Sand. As dbuskirk puts it, “It’s pretty jaw-droppingly gorgeous. What RTHer couldn’t throw themselves behind this version, with it’s junkyard band opening and gospelly vocal?”
Can you resist this, Townspeople?
Sep 202007
Many years have passed since we first gained the ability to “file share” and otherwise download .mp3s without the permission of artists and record labels. Some of us may recall a day when we found this practice “immoral” or, at least, “objectionable.” I’m sure most of us with these memories next remember our first rationalizations for the unauthorized downloads we began making.
“I only download stuff that’s out of print.”
Slap Happy, “Who’s Gonna Help Me Now?”
“I only download major label stuff.”
The Rolling Stones, “Empty Heart”
“When I really like something I’ve downloaded I make sure to go out and buy the CD.”
Sound familiar?
Driving home last night I heard an upcoming preview for a segment on this evening’s NPR’s Marketplace show about illegal downloads. A person interviewed in the preview clip said something to the effect of, “Would you ever say it’s all right to walk into a record store and steal a CD?”
I thought about this for at least a half a second: I would never say that’s all right. However, with each new unauthorized download I occasionally make (and I make plenty more authorized ones, if you need one more rationalization), I do not equate illegal downloads with theft. In fact, this evening I began wondering if downloading was akin to – I haven’t quite put my finger on it – something like sightseeing, after you’ve already paid your way on vacation. Are these .mp3s floating around out there the information highway’s form of natural wonders, cool roadside diners, license plates from distant states?
I’m also curious: is there anyone left who refuses to download unauthorized tracks on what I’m sure is solid moral ground? All these blogs any of us may visit – is there one Townsperson among us who resists the urge to click on an .mp3?
I look forward to your thoughts on this matter.
