I wish radio were in a better Rut.

I've been all over the commercial rock radio lately because it has creeped back into my life through no choice of my own. If you changed exactly nothing about it, sent it back to 1997 in a time machine and played it for anybody, they wouldn't know the difference.

Anyway, they play the same bands every day. In some cases they're playing a band every two or three hours, and in most cases it's the same four or five songs every day. This is where a band like Middle Class Rut comes in.

They're not changing the game much, but they're not the same stuff that's been on radio for years. It's perfect for who I expect the genious's at Clear Channel (Hello, 93Rock, can you hear me?) think listens to the station. That's based on the fact that they take no risks and play stuff that any hard rock fan can deal with, Creed notwithstanding.

You can hear the influence of Jane's Addiction pretty clearly, and they namecheck Fugazi, Refused, Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine - so they've got good taste without a doubt too.

They're a solid modern rock two-piece that sound like they've got five guys head-banging in unison to well-arranged power chords. The sort of band that once got picked up by the big local radio station and largely shunned by the alternative college station that loved all five of the above-named bands but would probably only admit to liking two of them, three at the most. I mention the college station part because though they were shunned publicly, this record would be in every one of those DJs cars.

I don't know what NME meant when they called this band "Exhilarating, like running naked through a bee storm." That doesn't sound exhilarating at all. This band, however, would sound good with a pitcher at a smallish club where they'd be really loud. That would be exhilarating. I would want to be sitting at a table drinking that beer though. Can you tell I used to be a critic? Is that a dick thing to say?

I hope all this adds up to a good review, because I would kill to hear these guys on the radio. This is a good, relatively straight-forward loud rock band that has been paying attention to what worked in the 90s. If I had an mp3 of "Tied Up," New Low," or "All Walks of Life" I'd probably link at least one of them here but I'm sure you're clicking hand can find the link a few words from here.

They're also touring with Social Distortion, which is hopefully still worth something. Dates are on their MySpace.

Firestarter, meet the Bunny People.

New video from The Prodigy out today. It's for "Take me to The Hospital," the third single off their return to form Invaders Must Die.

If you skipped the album, and I'd understand if you were weary, this track is oooold-school style, like, Experience era. Mmmm, you know what I'm talking about now, huh. And the video, aside from them looking old(er), is a combination of "Poison" and "Firestarter." Which is to say, they're in a dark, wet-looking underground location (it's actually an old mental hospital - how fitting!) and running circles around the camera while screaming crazy slogans over slamming beats.



Remember when they were a revelation now, don't you?

There's an EP with remixes on it. It's out October 20. Here's the tracklist:

Take Me To The Hospital (Subfocus Remix)
Take Me To The Hospital (Josh Homme and Liam H's Wreckage Mix)
Take Me To The Hospital (Rusko Remix)
Take Me To The Hospital (Adam and Horx Remix)
Take Me To The Hospital (Losers Middlesex A&E Remix)
Take Me To The Hospital (Re-Pump Instrumental)
Take Me To The Hospital (Re-Pump Radio Edit)
Take Me To The Hospital (Re-Pump)

By the way, those bunny people are gonna give me nightmares for weeks.

Nothing shameful about the Meat Puppets.

The video for the Meat Puppets' latest single, "Rotten Shame," was unveiled to me last night, on my couch, in a press release.



If you haven't heard their latest album, Sewn Together, you're missing out. If you've never heard the Meat Puppets then it's time to catch up. Quickly.

Oh, and they're on tour.

Great name. Greater band.

I think the newly discovered band that most has me excited for the week is Bipolar Bear. Of course, I got depressed a few minutes later. But it didn't last long...

Alright, bad bipolar joke out of the way, this is some scuzzy punk rock shit and hot damn am I in love. From the first note, this is when I go "yeah! I should quit my job and bang on pots and pans for money!" Then I come to my senses and realize I am nowhere near as good as these guys.

I was gonna save a few words for the mix-zip-tape tomorrow but have been downloading stuff and this just has me all fired up and ready to go. (I was watching the Obama interview series earlier too. What, you think punk rock don't mix with politics?)

Be aware - this is messy punk. There are no melodies. There are vocals, but I have no idea what they're saying. Bipolar Bear makes me hold my ears in awe and I want to shake uncontrollably to whatever it is they're playing. With 30 seconds left in "Calypso Vacation" I started punching holes in the wall, in rhythm with my nodding head and tapping toe.

You may scoff at me or think I'm being ironic for declaring such support for Bipolar Bear. That's fine, but if you ever loved Pussy Galore or Bikini Kill, you know where I'm coming from on this one.

Their latest album, Harlem Pripyat, is out now on Mexican Summer.

Bipolar Bear on MySpace
Bipolar Bear on Hype Machine

Beasties get Nasty with remaster.

The Beastie Boys complete their remaster series next Tuesday with the official rerelease of Hello Nasty, the late 90s masterpiece that cemented the Beasties as a cultural center.

They were, of course, at the height of their powers, and not just because of a fantastic new record with a new sound. The band was also flying high with its Grand Royal imprint, finding deep, different artists from Buffalo Daughter to bringing Alec Empire and his Digital Hardcore Recordings stateside.

This week would have marked the release of the Beastie's latest pile of awesome, Hot Sauce Committee p. 1, but the album was pushed back as a result of Adam Yauch's cancer diagnosis. While the man gets healthy, the band wants us to keep it moving...

From the email to fans yesterday:

Hello citizens of the world and beyond.

Once again all may rejoice and celebrate the deluxe and multi- faceted re-release of Hello Nasty.

Please check this link for details on the plethora of previously unreleased material (seriously though - practically an entire record of unheard cuts):

http://hellonasty.beastieboys.com

The patch that comes with the deluxe vinyl version will make your grand ma's knitting circle jealous and on and on.

- El Bando

Practically an entire record of unheard cuts?!? This is either gonna be really good or really bad.

Check out the new Hello Nasty site (link above) for buying options - which are the same as they were for Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head, and Ill Communication - including option to download the mp3 action NOW.

Pancakes and new music? It must be Tuesday.

Since I've been listening to a bit of the corporate rock radio in South Florida because the CD player in my car refuses to work (only "a bit" because I've also rediscovered NPR, WKPX and sports talk radio), I almost put together a Two for Tuesday gimmick this week. Then I realized there's no reason to act like those slovenly fools when I can do way better than that.

Kind of a different group of tracks this week, what with the folk and the poppy punk. There's enough noise and feedback to more than make up for it though.

Feller Abides v3

Monsters of Folk - "Man Named Truth"

MOF is Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), M Ward (um, Google him - he's everywhere) and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes member), but the album is a little less predictable than I thought it would be. I was going to include one of the more upbeat songs on the album - the Big Bopper meets the Beach Boys meets, well, the members of this supergroup "Whole Lotta Losin'" - but I couldn't shake "Man Named Truth." Like a lot of the album, "Man Named Truth" has more of a country feel to it, and I dig how bitter Oberst sounds. This is one of those times I understand why he has been exalted as the new Dylan. (Listen to the entire album at the MOF MySpace profile)

Beck - "There She Goes Again"

Beck has become an Internet phenomenon, recording an acoustic rethink of his Danger Mouse-produced album Modern Guilt, offering DJ sets, and then a complete rerecording of the Velvet Underground's essential and ridiculously influential The Velvet Underground & Nico. Ok, so maybe he was a big star before hitting the 'net - the fact is, he's putting his stamp on shit. Hard.

Last Days of Summer - "Moving On"

I'm a sucker for the crunch of pop punk, and Last Days Of Summer is doing it well. They're learning from the bands they worship - which ones shouldn't be much of a mystery if you listen close enough - but putting together something altogether their own. By the three-minute mark you should be standing up and pounding on the walls of your cubicle or whatever you spend your day chained to. Full disclosure: The drummer is my brother-in-law. If they sucked I wouldn't put them on here though. This time next summer, LDOS is gonna be huge. Trust me on this.

Muse - "Uprising"

In my anti-anti-Kanye rant posted yesterday I forgot to include Muse as one of the best performances on the VMAs. Chances are more viewers forgot, or ignored, the band played anyway - which is sad. Muse deserves a lot more attention for their hard-charging, somewhat electro rock. This is one of those bands that commercial rock radio ought to play a few times a day instead of a ninth song from the Chili Peppers or anything from Metallica's horrific St. Anger. Good luck not screaming "Call Me" a few times during the song. (That'll make sense once you hear it.)

Times New Viking - "Hustler, Psycho, Son"

Times New Viking continues to write great rock and roll songs, and then bathe them in layers and layers of feedback. As much as I like the noise, this is a band that should be playing over the PA in malls and grocery stores based solely on the quality of song (and the recent propensity for public airing of indie gold). With the wall of sound as barrier, maybe staying in the underground is what they want - and we certainly don't mind it. Check out this song, and the rest of the new TMV album, which is streaming at their Matador Records profile.

Non-Prophets - "Damage"

Though the Non-Prophets' album Hope is over six years old, this track sounds as good now as I'm sure it then, when I heard it and moved on. Sad and shameful as that act was, Sage Francis's rhymes hold up well over Joe Beats', um, beats. Grab the whole album if you made the same mistake I did.

Massive Attack - "Splitting The Atom (ft. 3D, Daddy G and Horace Andy)"

The last Massive Attack album, 100th Window, was boring. It sounded like Massive Attack trying to make a Massive Attack album. It must have been tough to follow up one of the best albums of the 90s in Mezzanine, but that last thing was a huge letdown. This, the first single off the forthcoming "LP5," gives great hope for the future. In the meantime, the Splitting The Atom EP is out in October, before the full album lands early next year. We've heard this before though - if you've not heard the drama of "LP5," check it.

Enough with Kanye already.

Finally, we get not only a great VMA show but one that's worth talking about - for both good and bad. I don't know how long it's been, I didn't cringe today when I discussed MTV's annual circus.

I'm sick of hearing about Kanye though. Look, he was a douche. And he was a douche to a genuinely decent person, who also happens to be an 18-year-old girl. Beyonce has class, and made up for Kanye's drunken tribute/tirade. I'm sure that Taylor is over it now too.

In light of this, let's remember two great performances that helped to make the show worth watching at least one more time.

Lady GaGa brought production and shock value back to the show. She definitely won some new fans last night, myself included. (Yes, that damn ad annoys the piss out of me but the video is high quality and I refuse to watch garbage.)



And then Green Day tore the roof off. It's a shame Billie Joe didn't push Pete Wentz off the stage at the end too. (This video isn't as high quality. Kinda wishing for that ad at the bottom now, huh?)



Russell Brand, once again, was hilarious and hugely offensive. The Michael Jackson tribute was good - Madonna gave one of the more heartfelt speeches about him I've heard since his death, and then Janet Jackson lip synced her parts of "Scream." Pink sang while performing Trapeze. And Beyonce and Jay-Z did their thing, well, as always.

It's like MTV feels guilty that they're giving up the Times Square studio because it marks the end of their over-the-top era. Maybe this year's VMAs were a sign the network is about to start putting some effort into it again. I hope so because the last few years have been among the worst they've had.

Maybe all they really need is to throw a good party and let people get wasted on live TV again. Aside from Kanye last night, it's never failed to work!