Witness one of the best Xylaphone solos in rock n' roll history. The quality on this video isn't top notch, but I think seeing early 80's era Violent Femmes action is well worth a few blurry patches of video. I think it is worthy to note that the day I bought The Violent Femmes self-titled 1982 album was the day I became obsessed with punk and indie music. So you can thank the Femmes for this blog, because without them, I'd probably still be listening to just my classic rock heroes.I 'm so angry that couldn't go see the Femmes play First Avenue because I'm not quite 21 yet. God damn age limits. I don't need alcohol to get buzzed....just some of that great acoustic marachi bass action.

Sometimes in order to get the ball rolling, you need a mother's blessing. And that is just what writer/director Brian Jun received from Mary Guibert, mother of the late Jeff Buckley, when he proposed a biopic of her son. In fact, Guibert is taking her involvement to the next level; she will co-produce the film with Michelle Sy, who worked on last year's Best Picture Oscar nominee Finding Neverland.

"I can tell Jeff's fans with complete confidence that Brian is not the sort of fellow to sugar-coat or manipulate the facts," Buckley's mother said in a press release. "I know that he's a straight shooter. There's a depth of character to Brian, surprising in someone so young, and I have seen from his filmmaking that he has the courage and the skill to do this the way it should be done."

In January, Jun's film Steel City was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Cool moms eat that stuff up.

Here is a perfect performance of the song "Lipstick Vogue" by Elvis Costello and the Attractions at the 1979 Pinkpop festival. Back when Elvis really knew how to shake up a crowd and get their feet in a tantric rhythm. Not to say that Elvis has faded into obscurity today...far from it. Its just that he's taken the "Burt Bacharach" songwriting path. He uses more melodious strings than Moody Blues sometimes, and he's not afraid to get gospel singers in on the mix. This is all fine and dandy because his lyrics and songwriting ability are still top notch. The songs he makes now aren't things I'd wanna dance to at a rock club, you know what I mean?

So, to celebrate the days in the late 70's when Elvis' music was still being labelled as "punk", I bring you a very energetic and ELETRIC peformance by my man, Elvis Costello. Oh, and is it just me, or do those glasses just DO it for you ladies? I wanna lick em' and rip off that pink suit he's got on. Very classy of me, eh? Well, can you blame me?

Sleater-Kinney Disbands

Sleater-Kinney, probably my favorite 'RIOTGRRL" band after Bikini Kill has decided to disband. They issued the following statement:

"After eleven years as a band, Sleater-Kinney have decided to go on indefinite hiatus.

The upcoming summer shows will be our last. As of now, there are no plans for future tours or recordings. We feel lucky to have had the support of many wonderful people over the years. We want to thank everyone who has worked with us, written kind words about us, performed with us, and inspired us.

But mostly we want to extend our gratitude to our amazing fans. You have been a part of our story from the beginning. We could not have made our music without your enthusiasm, passion, and loyalty. It is you who have made the entire journey worthwhile."

If you want one more chance to see them live before they disband, here are the last of their tour dates. Better get a move on for those tickets, I'm sure they are selling out faster than Liz Phair....(um, that was a joke...if you didn't catch the sarcasm, Liz Phair has officially morphed into Britney Spears shite the last few years).

07-29 Louisville, KY - Mellwood Arts Center
07-31 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom
08-01 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
08-02 New York, NY - Webster Hall
08-04 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)

Now, just wait, I bet I'll listen to "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" on repeat for the next 2 days, whilst walking around like a zombie with a box of Kleenex saying "Oh the humanity." Why can't the crap bands get a clue and disband instead? Seriously, first my new favorite dance band, Clor, called it quite after one album (Welcome Music Lovers) and now Sleater Kinney?!

I Got a New Writing Gig

Aimee, one of the co-creators of Vintage Rock, was so gracious to point out a blog called Kwaya Na Kisser. I still don't really know what the title is all about, but the content is excellent. Pierre, the founder, is a very gracious man; he uploads tons of live sets and rare tracks by some fantastic artists: Built to Spill, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Linda Ronstandt, Deerhoof, Thin Lizzy, Bahaus etc...

Well, in his post celebrating 200 blogs, he invited two others to join. I of course jumped at the chance. I love writing here, don't get me wrong...but I don't really get any responses on the posts I work so hard to write and research. I'd like to get my musical posts more exposure and an audience that actually responds. I feel so lonely in this blog sometimes, even though I know there is a steady audience of readers who lurk in the corners and never introduce themselves.

So if you'd like to check out my other blogging location here is the link:

Kwaya Na Kisser

Also, check out my most recent post. Pierre is a nice man and lets me upload music files on ezarchive. You should download my Unrequited Love Mix.

Click here to check out my Unrequited Love Mix

Album Review: Horses

written by Kristy Parker

Being a passionate rock woman, I sometimes get sick of listening to rock with a solely male perspective. I want some estrogen mixed with my agression so I have something I really can identify with. No other sub-genre of rock is more dominated with testosterone than punk, which seems a bit ironic to me if I go back to the roots of the punk movement back in the mid to early 70's. There has been much debate over who put out the first true punk album. Arthur Lee of the seminal 60's band Love, is voted by the majority of music critics/historians to have released the first true song in the spirit of punk called "7&7" which has been covered by a barrage of bands from The Ramones to The Stooges.

But if one wants to discuss who put out the first truly full-fledge punk filled album, I have to give the credit to Ms. Patti Smith. Horses, which debuted in 1975, was filled with beat poetry inspired lyrics, frantic guitar, and John Cale's (former member of the Velvet Underground) over-the edge production values. What truly makes this album "punk" to me though is Patti's radical view-point and grating singing style. To contrast music with Greek mythology, if Stevie Nicks would be considered a siren with her sultry alluring vocals, than Patti Smith would have been considered Medusa...creating sounds repulsive yet compellingly beautiful in their stark ugliness. Pair that singing style with her nightmarish free-verse lyric style, and you get the blue-print for one of the most unique and seminal albums in punk music. Also, her subject matter must be noted as something quite reveloutionary at a time when women's lib was still in its infancy; in "Gloria" and "Redondo Beach" Patti Smith pushed the envelope by singing about loving and lusting after women from an androygenous view-point.

I still fondly remember the day I discovered Horses in my parents album collection.  Well, I had recently been digging through my mother's LP's and came across Horses. It took me awhile to figure out if Patti Smith was a man posing as a women or the other way around, because Patti was sporting the prochial uniform of a Catholic school boy. I was mesmerized by the cover...it kind of made me reeveluate my own definition of female beauty. There was something oddly freeing and wonderfully female about Patti not giving a fuck if she wears a skirt or a skinny tie. After staring at the cover for what seemed like hours, I decided I better put it on the turntable to see if that intensity in her eyes matched her music. I was surpised to hear "Gloria" open with album with beautiful piano chords in the spirit of early 60's R&B. "Gloria" was originally done by Van Morrison's first band, the Irish/English garage rock band, Them.  I realized Patti's genius when the song progressed and she kept the male lust in the lyrics. Patti remembered the true definition of "rock n' roll":

   """Rocking was a term first used by black gospel singers in the American South to mean something akin to spiritual rapture. By the 1940s, however, the term was used as a double entendre, ostensibly referring to dancing, but with the hidden subtextual meaning of sex."--(wikipedia.com).

She didn't have to be demure and sweet like the girl-groups of the 60's, or speak in double entendres about her urges.Patti knew that if women were ever going to gain true respect in the rock community, they would have to be as brash and open as the men if not more so. So when she wants to sing about sex, she does it openly like in the Gloria lyric:

   And then I hear this knockin on my door
Hear this knockin on my door
And I look up into the big tower clock
And say, oh my God heres midnight!
And my baby is walkin through the door
Leanin on my couch she whispers to me and I take the big plunge
And oh, she was so good and oh, she was so fine
And Im gonna tell the world that I just ah-ah made her mine

I could go on talking about this album for a lot longer, but I think you get my drift. Like most punk songs, I'd like to keep this short and to the point. So, if you are like most music historians you'll probably tell me I'm wrong and that MC5 was "punk" long before Patti Smith got up her nerve and put out Horses. But to me, what could be more rebellious than shedding thousands of years of female oppression with the albums opening line: "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine."

Curious to find out more about my life?

As many of you know, I've been running Vintage Rock since hmmm.....2002? Its been a damn long time for a blog to be running that's all I know. So obviously I have a strong passion and commitment to writing and music. But I also have so many more things I'm interested in that you readers never get to learn about because it wouldn't be appropriate for me to post them here. I do try to stick to music subjects because I've been repremanded for talking about my personal life here.

For those of you interested in learning about my life aside from music, check out my  new blog, 'The Misadventures of a Quirky Redhead.' As much as I love music and Vintage Rock, I'd like to have a place to write about other things I'm interested in as well. Such as my art, my favorite artists, pin-up art, boy drama, my philosophies, books I love, my poetry, and just my everyday randomness. So if you like my writing but would like to explore different facets of that, check out my new blog.

Here's the link...feel free to leave a comment and say hey:

The Misadventures of a Quirky Redhead

So. Polly Jean finally released a DVD. Not a video collection (*sigh*.. maybe someday...) but a live thing filmed at various locations during the Uh Huh Her tour. And in true PJ style, it's not your average live DVD, but more of a mish-mash of life on the road in general. Leading up to the release, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy that, but now I've watched it I've gotta say it all comes together very nicely.

Oh, and let's not forget the excellent track listing:
Meet Ze Monsta
Dress
Uh Huh Her
Taut
Down By The Water
It's You
Big Exit
Harder
The Darker Days Of Me & Him
A Perfect Day Elise
Victory
Catherine
Who The Fuck?
Evol
My Beautiful Leah
The Letter

But enough of my crap - check out the trailer...

There. Now that you're feeling totally rarked up and in the mood for PJ, go and buy the DVD.
Then sit back, turn it up, and piss off your neighbours :)

Stephen Lynch Stars in Wedding Singer: The Musical

by Kristy Parker

I really feel out of the loop. Usually I keep track of my favorite artists pretty well, but I had no idea that my favorite comedic singer, Stephen Lynch, is being nominated for a Tony Award! I knew he did a few gigs on Comedy Central, but I never expected that he would do musical theater. I was hoping for a new album to listen to, but now I'm super stoked for his new career move. Not only is his fantastic voice actually being put to good use, he stars as Robbie Hart from the fantastic Adam Sandler retro 80's flick, The Wedding Singer!!!! Apparently the show's song writers created a lot of original matieral for the musical too, so its not just the movie rehashed and spit out on Broadway. Here's a montage of the musical for you so everyone can see how excited I am...I hope to God they tour and come to Iowa or at least Minnesota so I can watch Stephen lyric sing, play guitar, dance 80's moves, and just be hysterically funny like he always is.