Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

I know I’m always going on about metal bands and rock shows, etc. Truth is I’m a bit of a jazzer at heart and have been since I started playing music 26 years ago. I will now take this opportunity to say that if there are two jazz records that you should buy this year, it should be these two…

bug: The Gadfly

OK so Brian Hamada is the f’n man. I took some drum lessons from him as a kid and at the time I had no idea the genius I was experiencing. I’ll be the first to say that today, I couldn’t swing my way out of a wet paper bag. But this would be absolutely no reflection of his instruction. Everything I’ve ever heard the man play is superb and this record is no exception. Although the drumming alone is worth the price of admission, “The Gadfly” is jam packed full of dynamics, musicality, brilliant melodies and some of the best playing I’ve heard in quite some time.

Highlight tracks for me include “Dark Matter”, “Invernessence” and the title track. None of that old stuffy purist rubbish going on here, oh hell no. This is the good stuff people. Hear and buy it here. Watch here and here.

Benny Greb: Brass Band

I was late to the party and only discovered Benny Greb’s music (”Grebfruit”) early this year. When it comes to the hippest and tastiest grooves around, this guy is the master. You might be thinking… But what about *drummer name here* or *another drummer name here*? Afraid not. Come on, *drummer name* is reall..SHHH! Nope. Greb. Master.

“Brass Band” is made up of brass (tuba, trombone, trumpet) and drums, two of my favourite things in life. The recording sounds amazing and the songs get stuck in my head all the time. Not only is Benny Greb a world-class drummer, his songwriting is just as awesome. Check out a little medley of this CD over here.

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

Are you an iPhone user that has always been less than satisfied with the “mug me white” stock headphones? Well then Sennheiser’s MM50 iP phones are the perfect replacement.

They’ve got the inline microphone for making calls and the ever-so-important button that allows you to pause what you’re listening to and/or answer or hang up the phone. The 1/8″ end is very small and will fit into the headphone jack regardless of what case you use. Another plus (for me anyway) is that they’re designed in such a way that it’s just one cable that goes up to your left ear and then continues behind your neck to your right ear. I prefer this to the standard, left and right cables coming down to a “Y” on your chest.

These headphones also sound spectacular. They’re slightly “sweetened” in the low end but not at all in a overwhelming way. It makes casual music listening very enjoyable. If I want a completely honest and “flat” sound, I’ll put in my Shure monitors.

The street price for these babies is about $80. However, Alli and I bought ours from AudioMax in NY by way of Amazon for $37! Scroll down to the “New” section here.

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Warren Ellis‘ “Ignition City” concluded last month and I LOVED IT! I hope that it sold well because I would be thrilled to see more in the future. Check out a preview of the series here.

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Right. Katatonia has a new record out entitled “Night Is The New Day” and those following me on Twitter are probably tired of hearing me go on about it. Well it’s really good and I feel that it easily tops “The Great Cold Distance“ which is where I think they had finally come into their own sound. Check out “My Twin” here, one of the highlights from that album.

In my opinion, one of the major improvements this time around is the drumming. Daniel Liljekvist must have been practicing and gigging a lot between these last two recordings because his playing on this new album is really, really solid. There are a few drumming moments that give me chills. Brilliant stuff.

The feeling I get from “Night Is The New Day” is what I can best describe as a beautiful melancholiness with an underlying sense of hopefulness. It has been wonderfully executed in both performance and production. And the artwork and packaging is just stunning. You can hear samples here and see the video clip for the first single here.

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The new Winger album “Karma”, is ten tracks of pure, heavy rocking, riffy goodness. I love it.

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Living Colour played in DC on the 1st and we were there! Had a great time indeed. It was the “Afro-Punk” tour deal and there were other acts performing as well. Here’s my quick and dirty review…

First band was The Smyrk which were fantastic. I look forward to what happens with those guys. The next “act” up was “CX KiDTRONiK and KraK attacK” and they were fucking terrible. Preferred the house music actually. Living Colour finally came out and after Vernon Reid’s gear problems and fumblings, they kicked my arse. What a treat! Highlight for me was Doug Wimbish, who was totally inspiring as usual. It was a work night so we split before Saul Williams came out. Best part of the evening was the lovely company: My Alli, Mitzi, Marina & Sam, Kristen & Rob. Hope we can all catch another gig soon!

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

It has been a while since my original post regarding iPhone apps. I’ve got a few others now that are worth mentioning…

Setlist Metronome | $7.99 | http://apptism.com/

This is an incredibly useful application for gigging musicians. It’s important as a drummer to be able to count off a song in the right tempo. There have been numerous times over the years where I’ll be on stage, look at the setlist for the next tune and completely blank on how it goes. If I can’t remember how the song goes, I’m not going to count it off correctly. I’ve had nightmares about this! This app allows me to program in a setlist with each song having its own tempo and time signature. In between tunes I simply tap the the next (>>|) button and I’ve got a visual representation of the next song’s tempo.

Checkbook | $1.99 | http://checkbookiphoneapp.com/

I don’t think I’ve ever been as on top of my checking account as I am now with this app. If your bank is like ours and goes out of their way to sneak in fees when you’re not paying attention, this is the application for you. You’ve always got your phone with you so just take the 30 seconds to add purchases to your phone and you’re done. I find it incredibly helpful.

WinAdmin | $7.99 | http://iphonewinadmin.com/

Access your Windows machines from your phone via RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol)! Yeah, it actually works.

Lux DLX | $7.99 | http://sillysoft.net/

Risk for your phone. Unbelievably entertaining.

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

After a good two weeks of listening to the new Porcupine Tree album and going to see them twice, it’s definitely time to move on. Living Colour’s new recording, “The Chair in the Doorway”, has been sitting on my desk since release, waiting patiently for my attention. I’ve had it playing in the car to and from work all this week and I really, really like it. Two of the tracks I’d heard and enjoyed already; “Decadance” and “Bless Those (Little Annie’s Prayer)”, which were previously performed live. And the rest of it is wonderfully solid. If you are at all a Living Colour fan and have been reluctant to pick this one up, don’t be.

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

I don’t think I’ve watched a trailer for anything as many times as I have the below. Of all the big name, well known guitar heroes, my favourites have always been Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai. I enjoy Joe Satriani occasionally and got a lot out of his “Surfing With The Alien” album back when I was kid in the mid eighties. But anymore I get bored about halfway through any of his records, especially his later stuff. Seems like he’s playing it safe as he gets older. And as for Yngwie Malmsteen and his disciples, I get bored with all of it pretty much immediately.

Steve Vai’s music however, has always been extremely interesting, entertaining, and original. I think working with Frank Zappa as a kid pointed him in the right direction. His work may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely for me.

Judging by the (HD) trailer, I’m amazed at how well mixed and produced this new DVD/Blu-ray is. And with the addition of Bryan Beller on bass along with Ann Marie Calhoun and Alex DePue on violin, Steve is continuing to keep things fresh and again, interesting. 1990’s “Passion & Warfare” album was my first experience with Steve’s solo work and after all these years, I’m still eagerly on board.

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

The new Porcupine Tree album is being released on the 15th of September. I am loving this first single, letting it repeat in the car these last couple of days. I think Steven Wilson writes some of the most beautiful songs. If this track is any indication, I’m going enjoy the new album very much.

(Hear it and see the video here.)

Time Flies:

I was born in ‘67
The year of “Sgt. Pepper”
And “Are You Experienced”

Into a suburb or heaven
Yet it should’ve been forever
It all seemed to make so much sense

But after a while you realize time flies
And the best thing that you can do
Is take whatever comes to you
‘Cause time flies

She said luck is all you make it
You just reach out and take it
Now let’s dance a while

She said nothin’ ever happens
If you don’t make it happen
And if you can’t laugh then smile

But after a while you realize time flies
And the best thing that you can do
Is take whatever comes to you
‘Cause time flies
And laughing under summer showers
Is still the way I see you now

How does time break down?
With no marker, things slow down
A conference of the strange
And your family is deranged

I could tell you what I’m thinkin’
While we sit here drinkin’
But I’m not sure where to start

You see there’s something wrong here
I’m sorry if I’m not clear
Can you stop smoking your cigar?

But after a while you realize time flies
And the best thing that you can do
Is take whatever comes to you
‘Cause time flies
And the coat you wore to Alton Towers
Is still the way I see you now

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

A super quick note to let you guys know that I shut the forum down. With Twitter, FaceBook, etc., forums like the one I had are pointless now.

Thanks everyone.

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

Getting a lot out of Frank Zappa lately…

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I am gross and perverted
I’m obsessed ‘n deranged
I have existed for years
But very little has changed
I’m the tool of the Government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you

I may be vile and pernicious
But you can’t look away
I make you think I’m delicious
With the stuff that I say
I’m the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I’m the slime oozin’ out
From your TV set

You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we don’t need you
Don’t go for help . . . no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
It has been stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold

That’s right, folks . . .
Don’t touch that dial

Well, I am the slime from your video
Oozin’ along on your livin’ room floor

I am the slime from your video
Can’t stop the slime, people, lookit me go

I am the slime from your video
Oozin’ along on your livin’ room floor

I am the slime from your video
Can’t stop the slime, people, lookit me go

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Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

I’ve been listening to the new King’s X record “XV” more recently, eagerly awaiting their show in September with Porcupine Tree. The lyrics below are from the album’s opener. Even though I am a person who is far from religious, I like what this song has to say.

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And if you think that what you think is true,
if you found peace deep inside of you,
if your faith made a mountain move for you then,
don’t forget to pray for me, hear me now

pray for me, pray for me,
if you really do believe,
then don’t forget to pray for me,
hear me now
don’t forget to pray for me,
hear me now

—

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

It’s that time once again where I mention some of the albums that have been getting my attention lately. Some really great recordings have come out this year so far…

Gould, Brown & Black “Terraforming”
http://www.philgould.com/

Most of those who actually read this know that next to Rush and The Police, Level 42 is a band I’ve been following for very long time. Level 42’s original drummer Phil Gould, who is also an accomplished songwriter and producer, has released an incredible album with Rupert Brown and Neil Black.

“Terraforming” is one of those albums that makes me feel good no matter what I’m doing. It seems appropriate whether it be a rainy morning, a night out with friends or a walk downtown. If you like what you hear over at Phil’s myspace page, you’ll really dig this one. “Astral Vampires”, “Cremola Foam” and the title track are all brilliant cuts. Digital copies are up on iTunes, etc., but I recommend supporting Phil directly and picking up a limited (to 500) hard copy.

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Office of Strategic Influence “Blood”
http://www.osiband.com/

Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos’ “Office of Strategic Influence” is a project that I feel is truly unique. It’s a superb mixture of soundtrack like moods, electronic wizardry and smart, heavy guitars. Every recording released since and including the self-titled debut in 2003, has been extremely strong in my opinion. Kevin Moore’s voice is not necessarily a sound you’d expect to hear in a project like this, but it’s unbelievably perfect for it. And the drumming is nothing short of top quality…

The first two full length recordings had Mike Portnoy at the drums. I’ve always felt that Mike’s work with OSI is most definitely his best on any project I’ve heard. He’s reserved and “reined in” in such a way that perfectly suits the songs. It’s classic Portnoy only with a lot less of a paid-by-the-note approach. On “Blood” however, we have the incredible Gavin Harrison taking over the drum parts. His playing is absolutely inspiring throughout and feels very much at home in OSI. My only hope is that they choose to get Gavin for future recordings.

“Blood” includes an amazing track with Mikael Åkerfeldt entitled “Stockholm” where he sings the lead vocal and wrote the lyrics. As far as I’m concerned, all of the pieces on this album are the best they’ve done yet. Listen to samples at the official site (at the bottom).

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Magnetico “Songs About The World”
http://www.magneticomusic.com/

I found Magnetico via my fascination with the rhythm section in “The Big Pill”. Drummer Joey K. and bassist Corey McCormick have a special chemistry that you don’t hear too often and they’re both absolute monster players.

Through a few myspace messages back and forth with Joey K. (a super cool dude by the way), I found out about his and Corey’s work with Brazilian guitarist and vocalist Rafael Moreira. I immediately bought “Acid Guitar” which quickly ended up on my list of favourite recordings. He also mentioned Magnetico and to keep an eye out for the debut. Well this is it and it’s killer! Check out samples here.

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Amorphis “Skyforger”
http://www.amorphis.net/

I’ve only listened to this a few times so far but WOW! I’ve tried records by Finland’s Amorphis before and none of them grabbed me by the ears, so to speak, like this one has. It’s very dynamic and mature which is something I always welcome in metal. I need more time with this one but if you’re interested in Amorphis but didn’t know where to start, I’d try this one first. Check out “Sampo” here.

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Simple Minds “Grafitti Soul”
http://www.simpleminds.com/

Scotland’s Simple Minds is band I’ll always have a soft spot for. It started with “Don’t You Forget About Me” and I’ve been listening ever since. They’ve got about 17 studio albums and although I don’t like all of them, “Graffiti Soul” can be confidently added to the handful I love. If you’re a fan and liked 2005’s “Black & White 050505″, you’ll like this one too. Mel Gaynor’s drumming is as fantastic and on fire as ever. See the video for “Rockets” at the official site.

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

Ryan threw together a little graphic for Throwing Heads to use:

I think it’s fun and decided to put it up on our MySpace page until we’ve got some actual photos to use. We received the following message after putting it up:

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From:
MySpace Help

MySpace Safety & Security

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I still can’t believe it.

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

Purchasing an iPhone is a decision I’ll never regret. It’s a device that proves itself useful time and time again and no matter what anybody else says, there’s really nothing out there quite like it. I’d like to point out a few of the apps I use on a regular basis, some many times daily…

Ambiance | $2.99 | http://ambiance.coneybeare.net/

I’ve always had a hard time falling asleep in dead silence. Finding Ambiance was an incredible find for me and I use it every night. We’ve got a clock that has an audio input so I just patch in the iPhone and start one of the rain sounds. My favorite to sleep to is one of three;“Rain – Temperate Coniferous Forest”, “Rain – Porch”, or “Rain – Wind”. But there’s a huge library of sounds covering everything from thunder storms to server rooms and beyond. The app is very customizable, allowing you to mix sounds, set a time duration, set it to automatically fade in or out, etc.

Comiczeal | $2.99 | http://www.bitolithic.com/

If you’re a comic lover then look no further. This is it.

Gas Cubby | $4.99 | http://www.appcubby.com/

There are other apps out there that do a similar thing but I’ve found this one to be everything I need. Every time I fill up I make note of my odometer, price of gas and how much and the app does the rest. I can see what kind of mileage my Vue is getting and how much I’m spending. You can keep track of when you get your car serviced as well.

Twittelator Pro | $4.99 | http://www.stone.com/

Twitter is my absolute favorite of the popular social networking sites. I think the idea of “micro-blogging” is just brilliant. I get so much out of seeing only 140 characters of carefully selected words from friends and celebs. I’d take Twitter over Facebook, LiveJournal and (gulp) MySpace anyday. Twittelator Pro is hands down, the best of all the Twitter iPhone apps available so far. I know because I bought them all just to be sure. Seriously.

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

Mitzi, Alli and I went to Cosmic Comix today and brought home some fantastic stuff, a few of which I’d like to mention…

Star Trek: Countdown

All of my fellow Star Trek fans who are excited about the new film should drop everything and grab a copy of “Countdown”. Not only does it tie things up beautifully, is well written and wonderfully drawn, but I feel it’s mandatory reading for anyone planning on going to see the 11th movie next month.

Ignition City (1 of 5)

Freak Angels continues to be the best web comic ever and something I look forward to every week. Today I figured it was time to venture more into the world and work of Warren Ellis. Warren is definitely in my top 5 of people to follow on twitter (if you don’t have a twitter account, shame on you) and it was through one of his tweets recently that we found out about “Ignition City”. The only issue I have with this comic now that I’ve finished reading it, is that I have to wait until #2 comes out for more!

Anna Mercury (Volume 1: The Cutter)

This collection (of books 1-5) is another brilliant work from Ellis, with amazing artwork done by Facundo Percio. I don’t know how Warren comes up with this stuff but I love it! Check out the Avatar Press page to read up on how cool the Anna Mercury series really is. I surely hope there’s more coming out soon…

Originally published at Blog By James. Please leave any comments there.

I really like this band a lot and Eric Kalsbeek has such a great voice. For me, this video conveys the vibe I felt when I first heard “Awake” on the CD….

http://www.texturesband.com/

Originally published at Blog By James. You can comment here or there.

It has been quite some time since I posted my thoughts on recent listenings so I’ve got a few albums to talk about. I’ll start with this one…

I bought Benny Greb’s “The Language of Drumming” and was absolutely floored by the entire package. In one of the performances on the DVD, he plays a song called “Grebfruit” which is just brilliant. (The YouTube clip below is from the DVD) So I made my way to his site hoping there was a CD with that song and more like it. Sure enough, I found Benny’s first solo album from 2005, also entitled “Grebfruit”, and bought a copy straight away.

If you’ll notice in the video above, the music Benny is playing with was created entirely with vocals. In other words, with the exception of the guitar solo, everything you hear is just Benny’s drumming and singing. The “Grebfruit” album is mostly that as well, with a few musicians sitting in for guitar solos and other misc parts like Sousaphone, etc. This album is extremely musical, made up entirely of great songs and is far from the usual wankfest you’d expect from a drummer’s solo outing. If you like what you hear in the video, you’ll definitely like the record.

Originally published at Blog By James. Please leave any comments there.

A relatively recent video of Level 42 performing “Mr. Pink” from 1982’s “The Early Tapes”. And OMG it’s f’n fast!

Originally published at Blog By James. Please leave any comments there.

Me as of 8:45am this morning: 37, 5′9″, 220lbs

It had been a year since my last checkup and I went in pretty much knowing what the doctor was going to say to me. I didn’t get anywhere near the exercise I should have in the last year and I know that my diet isn’t the best either. In late 2006 I weighed 199 and around the same time in 2007 I was at 211. The trend is about 10lbs a year and to keep going on like this as I get older is not good. I started 2009 wanting to prove to myself that I can change and that habits can be broken, even at 37 years old. So far I’ve kicked the diet coke habit and I feel good about that. I just need to get back on the exercise horse and start watching calories.

The good news is that my hypertension is still under control and the Benicar/HCT that I’ve been taking is keeping my blood pressure at normal levels. The doctor prescribed another year’s worth at the same dosage and I am fine with that. What really burned me up is that the doctor said that in order to get my weight under control I needed to give up beer. He said alcohol intake wasn’t a problem for me but that high amounts of liquid calories can be bad. What I was expecting him to say was that I need to watch my calories and make sure most of them are healthy food calories. I figured he’d recommend that I get my ass on the treadmill. The man has no way of knowing how much beer I drink so why would he make such a blanket statement like that?

He brought up sodas and said that I shouldn’t drink them either. He didn’t even ask me if I drank sodas before saying that. I told him that at my worst I used to drink about 2 diet sodas a day give or take, but had been off of them for about 3 weeks now. I brought up aspartame and asked what he thought. He said confidently that aspartame is not a problem and that I should focus on keeping the calorie intake down. It’s like he’s got these canned things that he says to all overweight males and doesn’t really care about the patient.

I did considerable research on the internets today confirming that limited calorie intake and exercise is blatantly what I need. However, giving up my moderate beer enjoyment will do nothing but make me sad in the face.

Next year I’ll be making an appointment with a new doctor.

Originally published at Blog By James. Please leave any comments there.

Living Colour recently released a DVD of their gig in Paris in July 2007. If any of you are fans of the band, you should consider picking this one up. My copy arrived this week and I am really getting a lot out of it. The guys are absolutely on fire here. And I have to say that although all of the playing is truly brilliant, watching Doug Wimbish work is simply fascinating. Nobody plays bass and sounds like he does. Nobody.

Here’s a clip from the DVD:

Originally published at Blog By James. Please leave any comments there.

As I sit here and watch the live DVD Paramore shot in Chicago last August, I can’t help but reflect…

As I grew up, I remember saying that I never wanted to be that typical old guy saying things like “the music these kids listen to today is rubbish” or “music was better when I was a kid”. I wanted to always be an open minded, ready for anything, appreciate whatever came from the heart kind of guy. Although I’d like to think I am still that guy today, I find myself being a little judgmental at times toward the younger musicians and fans today which is just wrong.

I was that boy flipping on the radio as soon as the alarm went off every single morning before school. I loved all the pop songs of the 80’s. I didn’t care if it was original sounding or if the players were any good. Those songs take me back to a time of pain, of growing and most of all happiness and uncertainty about what was ahead. I believe that kids growing up in any decade all experience this. The music I grew up with is in no way better or worse than the pop tunes my parents grew up with or the music my children will listen to. Music helps define a young person’s identity and I think that kids need their music to both celebrate and get though whatever life throws at them.

Paramore is a group of five young and talented players that have been successful in the way that all musicians dream of, myself being absolutely no exception. They’ve gone platinum in the US and gold in the UK and Ireland. Their DVD may have mistakes and flat notes, but it’s real. All of the young people who bought the CD and sing along in the crowd no matter what?… that’s me.

If bands like Paramore is what the kids these days are listening to, I absolutely approve. There is hope after all.

Originally published at Blog By James. Please leave any comments there.

Finally found the time to start playing Tomb Raider: Underworld. I just got started and took the following screen cap. Absolutely. Fantastic.