Score. (Thanks to Matt @ AddictedToVinyl.Com

I got a phone call today.

Yes I did.

It was from Matt, you know the guy that runs www.addictedtovinyl.com.  He called me to tell me he got me something.  A ticket to:

Earlier in the week I suggested that he try and score tickets to the Rock Hall Induction Ceremony as I thought he was a Rock Hall member or might have had better connections than I do.  He said he would see what he could do and get back to me.

Well being that good friend that Matt is, he went this morning and waited in line at the Rock Hall and picked up a pair of tickets.  One for him…one for me.

I owe him a Dr. Pepper or something…

Chances are he’ll just put them on eBay to make a profit and not tell me until I am waiting at Public Hall for him to meet me there.  That is how he rolls, no… not really.  He is a good guy regardless of how much he pays me to be his friend.

A big THANK YOU to you Matt.  That was the best phone call I received all day.

The following was taken from RockHall.Com:
On April 4, 2009, the Induction Ceremony will take place in Cleveland for the first time since 1997. The 2009 Induction Ceremony will be broadcast live on Fuse TV.

The performer inductees are:
Jeff Beck
Little Anthony & the Imperials
Metallica
Run-D.M.C.
Bobby Womack

Early Influence Category Inductee:
Wanda Jackson

Sidemen Category Inductees:
Bill Black
DJ Fontana
Spooner Oldham

The 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performer inductees were chosen by the 600 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twenty-five years after their first recording is released.

In addition to being honored at the April ceremony, each inducted artist is commemorated at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland Ohio, which serves as a monument to rock and roll’s impact on our culture.  These inductees will be honored – along with previous year’s inductees and hundreds of other artists – with an exhibit and film that serve to tell the story of modern music. 


For the latest information on ticket packages, special announcements and other events, sign up for the Rock Hall e-newsletter!

Nobunny – Love Visions – CD Review

Nobunny
Nobunny

Chances are if you were to pick up a CD and see a Ramones looking cover with a guy wearing a bunny mask dressed like Joey Ramone, you would put it back down and continue with life.  In the case of solo act Nobunny, I almost did the very same thing.  In fact I have had the CD for a few weeks now and could not for the life of me force myself into playing it; that is until today.  Today was like any other day except I finally put Love Visions into my CD player and what I got out of it was a complete surprise.

What is Nobunny you ask?  Nobunny is a man of sorts, a jokester performer who is more of a modern day GG Allen. A gimmick act who sounds a lot like a mix between the Dead Milkmen and the Ramones, all while sporting  a bunny mask.  His live shows are for the less timid mostly because the masked Nobunny loses his pants during performances after drowning himself in booze and sings into a microphone that looks like a carrot.  The result of his actions, on top of his music, however have won over an elaborate array of fans.  This is Nobunny’s first CD release thanks to 1234 Go Records.

Not much is publicly known about the man behind the mask or the band that backs him up.  The only known fact about Nobunny is that he is from Tucson.  From there it is said that he was living in a trailer with no utilities and came to realize he wanted to be an Animal Elvis impersonator to help pay the bills.  Soon thereafter Nobunny was writing his own material and booked his first show in Chicago on Easter Sunday in 2001.  The set was in fact dedicated to Joey Ramone, who had actually died that day.

Nobunny has been known for his shenanigans while touring.  He once booked two shows on the same day, at the same time, and had a fill in for the show he did not perform.  Sometimes he doesn’t even show up to the venue at all leaving fans with a not so funny feeling.  Nobunny even mentioned receiving a gift while on stage at Cleveland’s Tower 2012, but you will have to read the interview to find out that gift.  You would not think that someone who acted like this would have fans, but the truth is a lot of folk like him and have paid outrageous amounts of money to acquire his Love Visions record on Ebay.

With knowing what Nobunny is all about I finally checked out Love Visions.  As soon as “Nobunny Starts” played I could not decide what I liked about it except that it was a direct rip off of a classic song from the past that I can not for the life of me grasp the title.  I only imagine Junior Senior while listening to it and realize it is only a gimmick.

The second “I Know I Know” started I realize I was hooked.  I am reminded of classic punk rock from the 70s like Iggy & The Stooges.  “Mess Me Up” started mixing that said 70’s punk with good, garage rock fun for a great sing along of sorts.  I loved the guitar and simple drums and the baritone “Bo bo bo bo” at the end. 

“I Am A Girlfriend” is a clear imitation of The Ramones and I loved it as well as the following “Tina Goes To Work”.  Perhaps one of the more memorable songs “Chuck Berry Holiday” had me thinking at times of the Rolling Stones in the earlier years.  The song was a continuing surprise to my ears as I moved through.  “Boneyard” was a track that stood out above the rest with a drum machine sounding beat backing up some easy going distorted guitars.  It almost sounds like a White Stripes b-side with a twist.

Ending the CD is the DIY sounding “Not That Good”.  I sure hope the song was not how he felt about his debut because I would have to disagree.  I enjoyed the simple punk rock entertainment throughout.  The CD is not solid by any means and the songs are short and sweet, possibly aiding in the appeal to the act. 

Having not heard of Nobunny before and reading a very short bio on him I was not expecting much of anything when I initially put the disc in.  I was guessing what I was about to hear was going to be either too artsy for a simple guy like me to understand or just downright ugly.  I was wrong.  I was dead wrong.

Indie rock, punk rock, and even a little garage rock, it’s all there in Love Visions.  Even if the guy wears a mask that is sure to scare the hell out of small children he should not be underestimated and will be heard.  His live performances are to be left determined as I have not had the opportunity to see Nobunny in the flesh yet but I did notice on his MySpace page that he will be playing at the SXSW this spring in Austin, TX. 

Catch him live if you dare as I have heard good and bad things about him.  The bad outweighs the good of course mostly because by the time Nobunny has finished he is hammered and pants-less which may not be appealing to all viewers.  The good thing is that regardless how he presents his act, solo or with a touring band, he is there to entertain, bunny mask and all.

Here are a couple of videos I found of Nobunny…  Try not to be too scared.

80’s Falshback Animation Style

When you feel like there is nothing left to do inside your house and the cold weather prevents you from doing anything outside the internet can be your best friend.  Now there is plenty for me to do inside, I just choose not to.  Instead I have been watching my favorite 80’s cartoons via YouTube.

I thought I would share some of my favorites with you all:

M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armoured Strike Kommand) is quite possibly my all time favorite cartoon from the 80’s. I do not think I missed an episode when I was a kid. I always dreamed of my first vehicle being a M.A.S.K. vehicle… Funny thing is, I still remember the opening lyrics but forgot how cheesy the music is. Got to love that 80’s music! I really wish they would put this cartoon on DVD already (I have only found bootlegs). I would buy it in a heartbeat for sure.

“In the near future, Doc Terror and his cyborg companion Hacker…” Hahaha, I never noticed that line before during the opening. Maybe there was much more to Centurions then my young mind could handle when I watched this show. It was on at like 6am on channel 61 right before the newly created Home Shopping Network began and I made sure woke up and quietly watched it so not to wake my folks up.

The Gobots… Transformers retarded cousins… This Hanna Barbara cartoon cracked me up with the voices and odd looking robots.  Do you think they will make a Gobot movie???  I hope not.

Visionaries… Not a huge fan of the cartoon but I loved the group herculean intro. Makes you feel super manly!

…umm… Not a favorite of mine at all… Love the intro song though! Also love the face that Pole Position was an arcade game and this cartoon was more Speed Racer….

Danger Mouse. The only reason I loved Nickelodeon.  Well that and You Can’t Do That On Television, Salute Your Shorts, and the Adventures of Pete & Pete…(some of which were more 90’s shows…)

Ghostbusters. It was ok, but not as entertaining as the next…

This version of Ghostbusters was way more entertaining and tripped out…  I could not get enough of this show.  It was whacked.

So there is my small list of some 80’s favorites.  I know I am missing a few but I can not for the life of me remember some of them.  I admit I watched a lot of cartoons when I was younger.  I left the obvious ones out like Ducktales, Tale Spin, TMNT and Transformers because I think that pretty much everyone remembers those cartoons.  I was trying to point out the obscure.

What are some of your favorites?

Bouncing Souls – “Gasoline” – Song Review

Bouncing Souls Celebrating 20 Years
Bouncing Souls Celebrating 20 Years

One of my favorite punk rock bands ever, the Bouncing Souls, recently have celebrated their 20th anniversary as a punk rock band. With such a high accomplishment in the music world the band thought they would celebrate their success by releasing material a little differently from the norm.  They announced that on the first of each month for the entire year they will release a single. This might very well be the longest album you will ever hear seeing how they have decided to discharge the songs month by month.

About 16 years ago the Bouncing Souls released an album called The Good, The Bad, & The Argyle on their very own Chunksaah Records. Their DIY attempt proved that the band could do it on their own without help from major record labels. In remembrance of their DIY effort years ago the band will be releasing a song a month for the entire year of 2009 exclusively on their website for a mere $0.99 a song.

They also announced that every four months the songs released for this specific project would be pressed onto a 7” vinyl and available for sale on their website. This is indeed a great idea, now all I need to do is remember to visit the Bouncing Soul’s website at the beginning of each month.

The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls

The first song released, called “Gasoline”, is punk rock satisfaction from start to finish. The Bouncing Souls prove with this single that even if 20 years have passed they still are capable of pushing out great tunes. Greg Attonito sings of being bored yet sheltered from reality and screaming for an explanation or maybe just a distraction.  After hearing this song I can not wait for the next installment.

The New Jersey punk rock band has always been a favorite of mine not just for their musical style but for also doing things themselves with limited help. They stayed away from the mainstream, chose to not be seen on corporately owned music television channels, and refused offers for assistance. Traveling in vans over big fancy tour buses may not be a luxury for anyone but feeling a sense of self accomplishment for 20 years sure is.

Check out the websites of the Bouncing Souls or their label Chunksaah Records to purchase “Gasoline” and be sure to remember to return to either site at the beginning of each month to grab their next single for the rest of the year.  Also check back here on good ol’ brokenheadphones.com as I will be reviewing each song every month!

I’d offer you a sample of the song or a link where you could hear the whole thing, but for $0.99 you might as well just buy the song and help support the band!

The Bouncing Souls will be touring this year in celebration of their 20 year accomplishment including first time shows in South America as well as finally making an appearance in Alaska.  Check out HERE for info on buying tickets (see below for tour dates).

One show to mention in particular that the band will be playing this spring is at the Harvest Of Hope Festival 2009 taking place the weekend of March 6-8.  I will have more about this great benefit festival in a later post as I am working on interviewing some of the acts that are performing, including the Bouncing Souls.  Stay tuned for that.

Bouncing Souls Tour Dates:

01.20.09 – Salt Lake City, Utah – Club Elevate at the Hotel
01.24.09 – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
02.06.09 – Mexico City, Mexico – La Capilla
02.07.09 – San Jose, Costa Rica – Latino Rock Cafe
02.08.09 – Panama City, Panama – Cancha De Futbal Femca Coca Cola
02.10.08 – Bogota, Colombia – Gotica
02.11.08 – Lima, Peru – Mao Bar
02.13.08 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Hangar 110
02.14.08 – Rosario, Argentina – Willie Dixon
03.07.09 – Elkton, FL – St. John’s County Fargrounds – Harvest of Hope Festival
03.10.09 – Louisville, KY – Skull Alley w/ Dillinger Four
03.11.09 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.12.09 – Balitomore, MD – The Ottobar w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.13.09 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.14.09 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.16.09 – Orlando, FL – The Social w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.17.09 – Orlando, FL – The Social w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.18.09 – St. Petersburg, FL – The State Theatre w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.20.09 – Austin, TX – Red 7 w/ Dillinger Four and AKAs
03.24.09 – Honolulu, HI – Anna Bannana’s
03.27.09 – Fairbanks, AK – Wood Center Ballroom
03.28.09 – Fairbanks, AK – Pub

Visual entertainment time:

You’re So Ugly

In celebration of the re-mastered, re-packaged, re-release of Atmosphere‘s God Loves Ugly, an email was sent my way…

With today’s release of the re-issue of the Atmosphere classic God Loves Ugly we thought we’d give you an opportunity to show off your own ugly mug at www.youresougly.com. Upload a picture or take one with your webcam and just like that you’ll have your very own God Loves Ugly cover. Share it with your friends, add it as your social networking profile picture or print it off and use it as a brand new cover for your repackaged, remastered and uglier than ever God Loves Ugly CD. Now get over to www.youresougly.com and start uglying up the place!

I admit it is a humorous concept idea giving fans a change to emulate their own face where Slug‘s originally is, but I just couldn’t do it.  I did find a few that were posted on the site that humored me though:

If you have not heard of Atmosphere I do want to let you know they are a surfacing one time independent underground hip hop duo.  If you are not into hip hop then you should just move on, but if you do like hip hop they are an act you should know about already.

I have adored Atmosphere since I first checked out God Loves Ugly when it debuted.  At the time I worked at an underpaying under appreciated record store and a copy was put in front of me by a co-worker.  He told me to take it home and listen to it.  I was hooked immediately and have loved every release by the duo since.

With there independent success Atmosphere had a high underground fan base.  It was almost a treat of sorts to know who they were and to be a fan as they were unknown in the mainstream.  That soon changed for them as they were just that good.

Many former fans fell off the bandwagon as the duo achieved stardom with their slick beats and intelligent lyrics.  Soon former fans were calling them sellouts and boycotting their future releases, I myself did not have a problem with their success and remained a fan.  I was even fortunate enough to catch them at the 2006 Bonnaroo.  I must say their set that day was a highlight of that hot, humid day.

They continue to be an impressive act to follow and show no signs of slowing down with their 2008 release When Life Gives You Lemons…You Paint That S@#t Gold.  Again, there were some folk calling them sellouts and saying how terrible the album was compared to their underground material, but to each their own.  I like the old and the new.

Now that God Loves Ugly has been reissued you have a chance to see what they used to sound like before the spotlights took aim.

Check out the following to pick up a copy for yourself:
Fifth Element Online
Buy God Lives Ugly @ Amazon.Com

Video anyone???