Holiday fun!

I had loads of things to do these holidays - buy a new car, check, sweep stairs, check, buy some other unnecessary shit, check, have a suitably disastrous new years eve involving taking people to A&E following juvenile pranks, check. But one thing remains - its time for a physical challenge kids.

Learn the Beat It dance and break that shit out on the first day back in the office.

Christmas greetings

Xmas with Sufjan Stevens... (who you will know from that song in Little Miss Sunshine)

What it sounds like when doves cry

Yesterday I made reference to Kevin Smith's Prince story. He told the story as part of his campus Q and A tour he did a couple of years ago. So anyway, its one of the funniest anecdotes that I've ever heard and leaves you in no doubt as to Prince's sanity. Luckily someone has posted in four parts - so here it is - a great watch if you're bored at work!

The penguin

Ok so I admit, I have been to see This Is It twice. I wouldn't say I loved it - but I think it did offer some interesting insights and totally worth seeing if you are a fan.

He kind of reminded me of Kevin Smith's descriptions of his interactions with Prince - just detached from any kind of reality, but pretty fucking talented all the same. Like how Prince's PA said he had spent the last 10 years in Prince-world, I think Michael had spent the last thirty years on Planet Michael.

Some of it like the uber-naff Earth Song was a bit of a drag, but you couldn't help but get into it when he broke out Smooth Criminal, Billie Jean and my favourite - Beat It. Is it just me, or would it be totally badass to break out the Beat It dance in the office? Go to the 3:50 mark on this video clip if you embarrassingly don't know the dance I'm referring to.

Of course with a nutbar there were some funny bits - like when he talked about loving the trees and what not, but the best WTF moment had to be the penguin flap thing during the painful, Human Nature which has turned into a bit of a youtube phenomenon. (see below) I think the Captain Crunch jacket only adds to it.

Mama-se mama-sa ma-makusa, indeed

Kingmaker

Family Cactus now even have a music video - friend'o blackbird singing, Adam is of course on vox and lead

Cactus Day Monday

See what happens when you intern with me?

The Family Cactus was on Radio NZ's Music 101 yesterday - clip below, and on Monday the 13th their album Come Howling is out... on Sony Music no less, and will be on iTunes.

Download it bitches.

A Ryan Adams treat

Was over at the Cardinal Cave earlier (which kind of isn't really a cave or blog anymore) and I discovered that Ryan has done new versions of a couple of tracks from Cardinalogy - Fix it and Magick. You can listen below - they're quite different and little more funky, but they definitely grow on you.

Prickly downloads

Big ups to Adam's band, The Family Cactus, who have finally released their first single - Kingmaker.



You can listen to Kingmaker and two other tracks including my favourite, In Transit, on their MySpace site or download Kingmaker at iTunes - go on spend the $1.79!

Otherwise the Family Cactus are playing Mighty Mighty on 3 July.

Positively Musical

Big news today that Acca Dacca are coming back for the first time in ages to play Auckland and Wellington in January - yus!

It will be ACDC's first NZ concert in 14 years - I really can't wait!

I loved this bit of the Stuff article, talking about the new vocalist -

"Tragedy struck the group in February 1980 when lead singer Bon Scott died but like true rockers the group continued making music. Scott was replaced by Brian Johnson, who helped complete their album Back in Black which featured singles Hells Bells and You Shook Me All Night Long and has sold more than 22 million copies in the US alone."

By the time of the Auckland concert - Bon Scott will have been dead for 30 years FFS.

In other news - Wilco have a new album on the way which is all very exciting. I was a big fan of Sky Blue Sky and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and and to whet your appetite they have released a free download track on their site here. It's a cover of Woody Guthrie's The Jolly Banker - it's not actually on the new album but hey its free and awesome.

Sing when you're winning

Yesterday I spent the day down in Christchurch for work and last night I went out with my South Island colleagues for dinner and... karaoke. It's fair to say I'm quite the karaoke fan lol.

While I was initially outraged at the lack of Midnight Oil's Beds are Burning and ACDC's You Shook Me All Night Long I still pulled out a few stunners.

I kicked off with my hardcore Axel Rose impression with Sweet Child O Mine and followed that up with Oasis' Supersonic, Pearl Jam's Better Man, The Cranberries' Zombie, Radiohead's Creep, The Killers' Mr Brightside and The Knack's My Sharona.

Then it was time for the big guns - as always, I broke out a mean version of Elvis' Suspicious Minds then Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit before hitting the high notes with The Bee Gees' Night Fever.

I then closed out the evening by kicking ass with one of my colleagues with Rage Against the Machine's classic - Killing in the Name. Yeah there were a few dropped jaws when we got to the "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me" part ROFL. The video below kind of replicates just how it went from my perspective. That's how we roll.

Reprazent

So we're having a work team-building planning day/bollocks whatsit next week and we've been given a list of things they want us to do in advance.

We have to come up with three factoids about ourselves - one of which has to be untrue and people have to work out which is made up - hilarity ensues. I'm thinking of throwing in either pedo, general sex offender or amateur abortionist - you know, just to liven it up a bit.

We also have to take the album that we think best represents us. Naturally, I'm taking this far too seriously - working through all the options and thinking about the ramifications of any choice. Do you go for one of the top 5? or a classic album? Wacky? Offensive? Inappropriate?? Political? It's a tightrope!

The top 5 is currently (alphabetically by artist) - The White album, Nevermind, Definitely Maybe and OK Computer (the fifth spot is currently vacant). But like Voltron, the four permanent members of the top 5 can't really work alone - that could be perceived as picking 'a' favourite album... who knows what could happen if that were to occur??

But going classic is risky - is it something like The Doors self titled album? ACDC's Back in Black? REM? Or should I go 'worthy' with Marvin Gaye's What's Going On or Sgt Peppers? Maybe all cool and alternative with some Sufjan Stevens, Sonic Youth or Flaming Lips? Mysterious and moody with some Ryan Adams or Johnny Cash - the man comes around? Zany with Tenacious D? Just plain odd with John and Yoko's Two Virgins? Would people get the irony if I took some Phil Collins or NWA??

Argh who knows?? I have a week or so to work it out. Ideas appreciated.

That's Genius

Well week one of the 8 week 10,000 step challenge is done and my total was 108,416 which, given our 12 person team totalled 970,000, I think is pretty damn good.

But anyway, I thought I would give the genius feature on iTunes a whirl to fill my little iPod Shuffle (yes it was totally necessary to buy one... and some cool Nike headphones) and I have to say its pretty cool. To test it I used Tender by Blur and it pulled together a list including the Doves, Ocean Colour Scene, Ash, Flaming Lips, Wilco, Badly Drawn Boy, The Smiths, Bowie, Oasis, Sonic Youth and a few things I hadnt listened to for ages - like the Stone Roses - so all in all its pretty cool and made for a half decent gym soundtrack.

So since my favourite Stone Roses track is stuck in my head and also the cause of a bit of a gym faux pas (as I started singing along (albeit quietly) while doing Lat Pulldowns), here is This is the One.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals at the Opera House

Well Ryan Adams and the Cardinals hit Wellington this week and rocked out at the Opera House last night.

Over at the Cardinal Cave Blog you can see pics of the band hanging out in "Chillington" and there is video below of Ryan at the Waitangi Park skate bowl. By his own (somewhat melodramatic) account this is Adams' last tour due to his hearing and subsequent balance issues, so I was totally amped for the gig. (Although the infamous blog post has disappeared so maybe this isnt the end?)

They opened with an awesome version of Let it Ride and played some great tracks including Cold Roses, Fix It, Mockingbird Sing and Born into a Light. Adams was also in fine form with some crazy ass banter like having a discussion with gutarist Neal Casal on why he doesnt agree with Come Pick Me Up anymore, but plays it because everyone loves it, and talking about how awesome Laser Tag at the place down Courtenay Place - "That's your funhouse dot net!" A friend of mine was also lucky enough to meet him after the show, and by all accounts he's a really easy going cool guy - "clearly kicking the speedball-a-day habit is treating him well."

On the downside, he didn't play any of the tracks I was dying to hear - there was no La Cienega, Magnolia Mountain, Sweet Illusion, The End, If I'm a Stranger, Cherry Lane, 29 or Blue Sky Blues. I could have also done without Magick, but hey he did play Wonderwall - which I'm sure on some level was a nod to me and their version of Easy Plateau was much better than the album version. As you can probably imagine from the set list below, for me the highlights were definitely Let it Ride and Cold Roses.

Full set list:
Let it Ride, Two, I See Monsters, When the Stars Go Blue, Crossed Out Name, Cold Roses, Grand Island, Fix It, Everybody Knows, Come Pick Me Up, Wonderwall, Oh My Sweet Carolina, Freeway to the Canyon, Oh My God Whatever Etc, Rescue Blues, Mockingbird Sing, Born Into A Light, Easy Plateau, Encore: Goodnight Rose, Magick.

Also I should make mention of the really really odd opening act - it was two young Maori dudes singing what was basically a kiwiana mega mix - Pokarekareana. Tutira mai nga iwi, and so on. It kind of felt like the Cardinals had found them busking down Courtenay Place and invited them to play... very weird.


"...so fast" RA-SK8 Wellington from Wilson Wolf on Vimeo.

Back in Black... Ice

The last couple of days of been listening to AD/DC's new album Black Ice on the way to work. To be blunt you could call it a standard paint-by-numbers Acca Dacca effort - the tracks could just about be off any album featuring the new vocalist, Brian Johnson. I do like how he is forever known as the 'new' vocalist - it has been 29 years since Bon Scott died and they made Back in Black with Johnson!

But hey, Black Ice and the Acca Dacca formula kinda works - so why change? Maybe too many bands try to 'evolve'? Angus still pulls out amazing new riffs and AC/DC know what they do kicks ass - so why mess with it?

Mind you, I did have a laugh at how the formula has reached over into the track names - four tracks feature the word 'rock' - Rock N Roll Train, She Likes Rock N Roll, Rock N Roll Dream and Rocking All the Way. Apparently it rocks.

Check out the track below - Skies on Fire, you'll get the idea.

Cactus in the Gardens

It is big time actually. Following in the footsteps of the likes of the Uke orchestra, Holly Smith, Little Bushman etc etc, Adam and Sam's band - The Family Cactus played the Botanic Gardens tonight as part of the Summer City series. They have stepped up a notch since I last saw them at Mighty Mighty a month or two back - he's clearly been working on his Thom Yorke wail too! lol

Anyway it was a pretty cool gig and check me out - below is a short video I took - apologies for quality etc etc

Cardinalogy

I picked up Cardinalogy over the weekend, Ryan Adams' follow up to last year's Easy Tiger. This time around the tracks a little snappier with most clocking in around the 2-3 minute mark, but unfortunately they have carried over that easy or dare I say it - 'nice' feel of Easy Tiger.

There are some high points though - I've found myself singing Go Easy and Fix It at work and he almost goes a little Ben Harper and the Blind Boys with track 6 - Let Us Down Easy.

it's a good solid album along the Gold and Easy Tiger lines, but like those albums, it never reaches the heights and innovation of the Cold Roses/Jacksonville City Nights/29 era.

Below is Ryan and the Cardinal's performing my favourite track - Fix It on Letterman.

Going Gig Crazy

Well Feb and March are now shaping up as exciting months with a stack of international acts actually coming to New Zealand!

We have the Top Gear Live Show in Auckland - with the full cast of Jeremy Clarkson, Hampster, Captain slow, and the Stig as well as an array of super cars and football-playing-Suzuki-swifts. On top of that The Who are playing the North Shore with Counting Crows, Neil Young and the Arctics are headlining the Big Day Out and just announced yesterday - Ryan Adams is coming to Wellington... EEEEEEEEE!

Here he is performing Magnolia Mountain from Cold Roses in Sydney a few years back


Rounding out the beginning of 2009, rumour has it that the Ringleader of the Tormentors himself, Morrissey is heading down our way... again EEEEEEEE!


Which reminds me of a funny conversation I had about Morrissey a year or so back - I was asked "is he still alive??" I was like no he's still touring to which they said "Oh well he's all shit then - moans on about it, but never actually tops himself." LOL classic.

Yes you can can

I checked out Young at Heart tonight, the inspiring story of a choir made up of 80-somethings who sing rock songs. Not only was it absolutely hilarious to see oldies singing tracks by Bowie, The Clash, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, the Bee Gees, James Brown etc, but it was actually at time incredibly moving.

The doco followed the groups preparations for their new show - Alive and Well. Naturally given their age there are losses along the way and Fred's Johnny Cash-esque performance of Coldplay's Fix You that he dedicated to Bob and Joe, stole the show for me. Mind you Forever Young at the Prison was fantastic as was their video of the Ramones, I Want to Be Sedated and Bowie's Golden Years.

Young at Heart is the sort of film that is impossible to watch without smiling and I definitely recommend checking it out. It came out last year and was part of the film festival earlier this year - so it should be easy enough to find. Trailer below.

Cactussing the night away

Last night ended up being quite a big one.

I checked out the Family Cactus at Mighty Mighty with all the cool kids. It was their first Wellington gig in about six months, having spent a shit load of time pulling together a debut album!

It was a great night - they sound a whole lot like the Phoenix Foundation but with country (Cardinals) influences and our Adam sounded a whole lot like the vocalist from the Strokes.

So keep your eyes open for their debut album.

1000 Greatest Rock Songs

Daft radio station The Rock recently compiled a list of the 1000 greatest rock songs according to their fans. Hilariously they included easy listening acts like fucking Phil Collins and U2 as well as lame uber-stoner band Sublime and one hit wonders like Skid Row.

But I guess when you are doing a 1000 song list, you're really just going through albums listing absolutely anything that catches your eye.

But anyway here is their top 20 - no prizes for guessing who got number 1.

20 FOO FIGHTERS - Best of You
19 METALLICA - Fade to Black
18 PINK FLOYD - Another Brick in the Wall
17 PEARL JAM - Black
16 AC/DC - Thunderstruck
15 METALLICA - Nothing Else Matters
14 PEARL JAM - Better Man
13 GUNS N ROSES - Sweet Child O' Mine
12 PINK FLOYD - Comfortably Numb
11 SHIHAD - Home Again

10 LED ZEPPLIN - Stairway to Heaven
9 FOO FIGHTERS - Everlong
8 QUEEN - Bohemian Rhapsody
7 NIRVANA - Smells Like Teen Spirit
6 RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE - Killing in the Name of
5 FOO FIGHTERS - All My Life
4 GUNS N ROSES - November Rain
3 AC / DC - Back In Black
2 METALLICA - ONE
1 METALLICA - ENTER SANDMAN

First of all I'm not convinced Foo Fighters should make the top 100 let alone have anything in the top 10. Shihad shouldnt be that high either - who are they kidding? Actually if you drop those three out and spread the Metallica out a bit its not a bad list by moving the next ones up - its ridiculous that Pink Floyd and The Who don't feature.

So here is my top 10

10. The Who - Baba O'Reilly
9. AC/DC - Back in Black
8. Led Zepplin - Stairway to Heaven
7. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
6. David Bowie - Under Pressure
5. Metallica - Enter Sandman
4. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
3. Neil Young - Hey Hey My My
2. Guns N Roses - Sweet Child O Mine
1. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit