Anyone who thinks they have all the Answers before they've even heard the Question - is Dangerously Deluded! Real Truth Requires Vigilance, Perseverance and Courage, regardless of Party and who wields Power. Left, Right, Center, Corporations, Government, Unions, Criminals or the Indifferent.
The Musicians Institute Fullride Contest Begins Today, allowing YOU to put in your vote on who may have a chance to be become the next Music Superstar! (Fans can Vote Once per Day until August 15th)
MI is one of the premier Music Schools in the nation and includes great musicians such as Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Jeff Buckley, Scott Travers of Judas Priest, John Frusciante and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul Gilbert of Mr. Big and Racer X, Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson) and Dave Kushner of Velvet Revolver..
To put your two scents in all to help grant the next MI Superstar with a $10,000 Fullride Scholar Ship all you have to do is Listen and VOTE for your favorite artist at http://fullride.mi.edu
Taken from the Hard n Heavy Video Collection, Live Performance and Uncensored Interview with Ice T and BodyCount approximately a year before the entire "Cop Killer" Controversy. Very informative.
Part 1 with KKK Bitch
Part 2 with There Goes the Neighborhood & Cop Killer
Here's a song you don't hear everyday - Cree Summer with her latest single "Savior Self"
Cree Summer is actually a pretty well known actress and voice-over artist. Years ago she starred on Bill Cosby's "A Different World" with Lisa Bonet as "Freddie" (The Wild-haired Hippy Chick) - and has done almost two hundred voice actor spots in animated shows from Rugrats to Ani-Maniacs, Batman Beyond and Clone Wars. So she's been around. But actually that isn't the half of it.
Revelation Sunshine
Before she released her solo record (which was produced by Lisa's ex-husband Lenny Kravitz) she had a group before that. That group was called Subject to Change.
Unfortunately before the album was even released, they were dropped by their label (a lot like the way Tom Morello's original band Lock Up was dropped) - so there are no videos other this one I found done by a fan using the Sims.
This isn't really a great example of the kind of songs STC did, since it only used half the band - but the intensity of the attitude and sentiment is clear. The album featured grooving hard rock songs, some with a jazz tinge, that address feminism, religion, peace and war in a very in your face manner - and oh by the way - IT ROCKED HARD!
But nearly a decade later when Lenny finally produced her solo album most of the hard rock edge was gone, in fact all of it was gone except for the one song "Curious White Boy".
Now this song bears a bit of explanation, even though the basic idea is pretty obvious ("Jungle Fever Gone Awry") it really wasn't originally one of Cree's own songs. It actually came from her Subject to Change bandmate - Tory Ruffin and his previous group Civil Rite. She redid the lyrics to fit herself, because the CR version was written from a male perspective and called "Butt Naked in a Field of Daiseys". Also the guitars were recorded a lot better - I still don't know why the HELL R&B bands can't get distorted guitars recorded right.. it's always sounds completely fucked up! I have to think it's just another part of the reflexive aversion to ROCK that seems to permeate Black Music and Black Radio.
Anyway Cree - just like Dionne Farris and Mother's Finest - started out Rocking Hard, but in order to get a record out that the industry would support had to pretty much cut that practically down to nothing. You could even see this trend with Tori's own career, he started out rocking like an MFer with Civil Rite, which was like Zeppelin meets Parliament meets Coltane, then softened just a little bit for Subject to Change, a bit more with Dionne for the song "Passion" (where he's featured in the video), but now he's doing almost entirely straight up R&B as the touring guitarist for Morris Day and The Time as well as his own side project - FreakJuice.
Bit by bit the scrape the Rock off of you, until there's nothing left.
Another example is David Ryan Harris who started out Rocking his BUTT OFF with Follow For Now, then moved to Pop Rock with his next band Brand New Immortals and what's he doing now? He's playing backup with - wait for it - John Maher. Yeah, like he *really* Rocks.. not.
Maybe someday Cree will get a chance to Rock again, but at this rate I'm not hopeful.
Update : I looks like Cree has continued to collaborate with Tory, on the Freakjuice song "Hidden" from their second CD "Like You". http://www.myspace.com/freakjuicmusic
Rage Against the Machine is the band that nearly ended All BANDS!
Killing in the Name
Signed to Geffen Records after their Second Show, the group was a phenomenon almost as soon as they were formed by former Lock Up Guitarist Tom Morello, vocalist Zach De La Rocha from Punk/Hardcore group Inside Out, Timmy C on bass and Brad Wllk from the grunge band Greta on drums the band took De La Rocha's fiery angst-ridden Public Enemy inspired Rap lyrics - the cultural isolation and anger of a young Chicano from East L.A. living amongst the vapid corporate Buffy's and Biff's crawling through Orange Co's Irvine -with the slashing Metallic Funk of Morello and a watertight rhythm section.
But it's not like they didn't face obstacles and bumps in the road, their first single "Killing in the Name" was banned by the BBC and their videos were initially banned by MTV for almost 2 years. But they eventually broke through.
"Know Your Enemy" - which essentially said everything in one song.
Equal parts Afrika Bambaataa and Urban Dance Squad, during the 90's Rage Against the Machine was like a Airborne antidote to the Weapons of Mass Delusion employed by the Corporate Fascists who attempt to manipulate the world from their glass and steel castles of power.
The one you can't say - is they didn't predict the 2000's perfectly, because they did.
Everything that Faux News is today, keeping the worker mases pacified while sucking them dry with Health Care and and Loan Schemes that trap them in a every tightening cycle of despair, dependence and anger - RATM documented and in their video for Guerilla Radio.
Or how about when they shut down the New York Stock Exchange for the Sleep Now in the Fire Video, looks pretty prophetic in the wake of the bailouts, eh?
Every Show by RATM - IS a Tax Tea Party.
Sadly the group disbanded in 2000, just when we probably needed a radical, but well informed and unflinching voice like theirs the most - but has now reformed and has begun playing festival shows like Coachella.
At one point in the Electric Purgatory Documentary, Angelo Moore of Fishbone speculates that RATM may have gotten as far as they have because "there's a white guy in the band". Well, technically there are two of them - Brad & Timmy - but if was referring to Zach he's wrong. Zach, as I said, is a Chicano and Damn Proud of it. What I think it probably more true, is that a lot of people frankly don't even realize that Tom Morello is BLACK, partly because his mom was White and his dad was African (like our current President) and after attending Princeton, he certainly doesn't sound Black - but he is. Tom was a member of the Black Rock Coalition right along with members of Fishbone in 1991. Even i didn't know it and I WAS THERE. So was he, and he's always been down with this cause and issue.
Many have argued that what needs to happen to help focus this issue, as I've tried to do over the last several weeks by pointing out the literally dozens of groups who've fought against and through the resistance of some people to the idea that non-White people CAN ROCK - (which sometimes comes most strongly from non-Whites themselves, or people who are just afraid to confront the resistance or don't wanna be bothered with it) that instead of having a set of summer festivals featuring some of these bands all drawn together in one place headlined by Prince or Lenny Kravitz - you need Rage Against the Machine in the house at the top of the bill, particularly since they're more likely to do festivals shows than the others are.
Just imagine a show with Sevendust, Killswitch Engage, Suffocation and God Forbid on one stage, while Robert Randolph, Kenna, Ben Harper and Relentless 7, Adrenaline Sky, Fishbone, Living Colour, Ra, King's X, 24-7 Zpyz are on another and new up and coming bands (which I'll eventually get to) like Year of the Dragon, Asphalt Messiah, Fear Nuttin Band, Blaxmyth, and TV21 are on a third all headlined by RATM! Who needs Ozzfest or Lottapoorlosers - that would be BAD-ASS.
I'm just saying...
And don't give me that "It's too racially biased crap" - it's really about having the freedom to make the music you wanna make no matter WHO you are. How many years did they have the "BLACK CHARTS" for just authentic "Black Artists" on "Black RADIO" in Billboard Magazine or Cashbox, but those stations wouldn't play ANY of these artists? They were functionally White Listed off the air. That's the way it was right into the late 80s (and frankly that's what it still means when it says "Dance/R&B/Hip Hop"), so don't pretend it isn't time for a little MUSICAL parity to that ongoing blockade, it's been a long time coming...
Glam Rock Artists were all marketed together and toured together, Grunge and Seattle Artists were all marketed together as a package - and that's what made them all as big as they got. It never made any damn sense to put King's X on tour with AC/DC or Scorpions, but that's what happened. It's always been true that strong bands like Nirvana made weaks bands they have a common bond (even if only geographical) like Mud Honey tolerable, that's what Hasn't happened in this case yet. All it would take is for someone - a promoter most likely - to put the pieces together and make it happen. This is exactly what the Black Rock Coalition was originally intended to create.
Until it does, most of these bands remain in Electric Purgatory.
Suffocation is a Death Metal band that's been releasing albums since 1991, including six so far - heavy, fast and uncompromising this is a group that takes no prisoners what so ever.
Aboination Reborn
Having so far avoided the curse of Electric Purgatory, at least so far, may have been luck but also the fact that the African-American members of the band (on drums and guitar) are not quite as noticeable until you take a closer look and the fact that in Death Metal, nobody really gives a shit what you look like.
It's like getting upset that the semi-truck that just ran you down - had a broken tail light.
Well known for his long history of pop, folk and acoustic songs with his group Innocent Criminals, it appears that Ben Harper has a brand new project - a Rock Band called Relentless 7 who manage to have a both a fresh and retro sound at the same time - IMO a bit like R.E.M. but with some balls.
Here's an Interview with the band by IListentoEverything.com
I have to hope the group well, but looking at the long history of a projects like this - even with Ben's existing notoriety - I have to expect it won't be long before the industry chase him right back onto the Pop Plantation. I might be wrong, the group might make it to their second CD - but if they didn't already have Ben long history behind them, I really don't think they'd be anywhere near where they are already, or would have an ice cube's chance in death valley of surviving.
1984 Xavion was an All Black Hard Rock band with a Glam Edge from Memphis Managed by Tommy Mattola (Hall & Oates, Sony Records, Ex-Husband to Maria Carey) Considering the other Glam Bands that got big in the 80's these guys are about average and would've done well playing gigs with Dan Reed Network, Mazarati or Sound Barrier but instead as you can see from this Performance Video (Embed Not Available) they were essentially being marketed as a dance/R&B band to shows like Soul Train! Epic Fail!
It's true they do have the Linn Drum sound that Prince used to use, plus the heavy use of keys and funky grooves - but these guys are clearly a Rock Band with Huey Lewis sounding break downs or early Bon Jovi-ish screams, and Rock Guitar Solos especially this song - Self Made Hell.
Poundhound is the solo project by dUg Pinnick of King's X, where he plays bass and vocals in the Supergroup, in this one he handles the guitar work. Whereas King's X has a variety of influences, this is pretty much All Dug (vocals, guitar, bass, production, with King's X Jerry Gaskill on drums in the studio) and tends to have far more of his openly funky sensibilities to the grooves.
Music -
Love -
Next In LIne - from the second Poundhound CD "Pineappleskunk"
So far Poundhound has released 2 full length CD's and put together a touring unit for live shows.
A Mid '70's Irish Rock featuring Phil Lynott on vocals and twin guitar work from Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham - Thin Lizzy remains a Legend among Rock Bands, influential to everyone from AC/DC to Bruce Springsteen and Metallica.
Jailbreak
Just to make the point yet again, being Black in Rock did make a difference as AllMusic.com points out.
Feeling "alone and isolated", isn't that what Sonia Sotomayor said about Princeton? Didn't Michelle Obame echo that statement? Yeah, I know exactly what they mean.
Consider how just saying this caused some people to Freak Out, it seems not that much has changed on that front in 30 years.
The likelihood that this band would have ever been noticed if they had been from America, with a Black Guy as lead singer, is somewhere between Slim and Nil IMO - fortunately for them they weren't and they did break through which is something that should be celebrated and respected.
The Boys are Back in Town.
Whiskey in a Jar - (No, Metallica didn't write this song!)
Eventually some of the greatest guitarist of the era found their way into and out of Thin Lizzy ranks including Gary Moore and John Sykes (Whitesnake), Lynott was the centerpiece of the band until the Punk Devolution of the early 80's. They were never able to reform with the original iineup as Lynott tragically died of his addiction to Heroine a few years later - but various members have kept the band alive and touring through the years - largely in remembrance of Phil.
Greg Howe is a world class Guitarist, after his initial solo instrumental album in 1988 on Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records (which also featured Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert) he formed a full-on Van Halen inspired Rock Band with his brother Al on lead vocals called Howe II.
High Gear Music Video
This is Howe II performing at the Guitar Institutute of Technology (GiT)
At little bit of Greg Howe Riffology from the same performance.
Howe II didn't last more than two albums, but Greg hasn't stopped recording. These days you can find Greg doing much more classical and jazz inflected music - but he still blazes.
A bit of a shame Rock music doesn't have room for people like Greg anymore.
Ok, the group Wicked Wisdom has a fairly well known personality as a member, but I'm not talking about it until after the first video, and people can first listen for themselves without any preconceptions or bias. I will say this though, this group is current unlike a lot of groups I've profile as part of this series, they just toured Ozzfest last year with the likes of Sevendust, Devil Driver, HellYeah and Goat Whore so if you do judge them - it's fair to consider that context.
Does this Band Fit on the Ozzfest stage? You bet they do.
Give up? I'll tell you it's not Keanu Reeves (even though they were in the Matrix Movies). It's not Russell Crowe. It's not Jared Leto. It's not Kevin Bacon and the Bacon Brothers. It's not Queen Latifah. It's not Beyonce. It's not "New York" or "Daisy"!!
Wanna 'nother shot?
Here.
Ok, the big mistery is that the lead singer of this group is Actress Jada Pinkett Smith - mother and wife of Rapper/Actor Will Smith. And yes, she has been taking a ton of crap for daring to not play do R&B or Rap like her Husband and for not singing like Jennifer Hudson or someone from American Idol and for whatever other bullshit people want to bring up for no damn good reason other than how she looks - but she still ROCKS, and that's what should count.
But shit ain't like that in the Electric Purgatory.
Before there was Rage Against the Machine or Audioslave, Tom Morello was guitarist with another band - that band was Lock Up!
Initially signed to a 3 album deal with Geffen Records in 1989, the band suffered under the accusation of being "Chili Peppers Wannabes" - as if a) That were true b) they Pepper were themselves all that original (not compared to Funkadelic) or c) There could only be ONE like The Highlander or something. At that point in the time the Peppers had just released their breakout cover of Stevie Wonder's "HIgher Ground", but were still two years away from their crossover smash "Under the Bridge", so having your own version of the Peppers might have been a great thing to have. It certainly worked out well for Incubus, who I once saw open for 24-7 Spyz when they were still an unabashed "Peppers Wannabe" band, but Geffen in their infinite stupidity decided to drop the band and break the contract because they didn't have an instant hit.
What Tom has said in subsequent interviews is that when they complained and pointed out that they had a multi-record deal the label told them "If You don't like it - you can SUE US with the money we know you don't have!"
-- Contracts in the music business are largely meaningless. Morello's pre-Rage band, Lock Up, released on album for Geffen Records in 1989 before being dropped. Morello said he went out of his way to ensure that the band's contract guaranteed that the act would be allowed to record at least two albums regardless of the results of the first. When Morello pointed this out after being cut, he said the label responded with this: " 'We know it's guaranteed but you don't have enough money to sue us.' That was my welcome to the music industry."
When RATM signed to Epic Records, Tom made sure there was a multi-million dollar penalty for early termination just to make sure he wouldn't go through the same thing he had with Lock Up again.
But here's the thing that entire "Peppers" noize, with Tom Morello on guitar and Brian Grillo on vocals Lock Up was frankly a lot BETTER than the Chili Peppers were particular on their first album (Anybody remember "Real Men Don't Kill Coyotes?") as can be seen when you look at their Official video for "Nothing New".
It's also pretty obvious from the song "Peacekeeper."
The upside of Geffen screwing over Lock Up is that it forced Tom to start a new band - and that group was RATM which as legend has it was inspired by Urban Dance Squad rewrote the book on angry political Rock - but it's still interesting the wonder what a second or even third Lock Up album might have sounded like.
At the time Tom was in Lock Up he was also a member of the Black Rock Coalition, like our current President Tom had an African Father and Anglo mother from middle America and had graduated from Princeton with a degree in Political Science. He wasn't very vocal at meetings probably because he was busy fighting with Geffen, but when I ran into him years later at a Dio show at the Hollywood House of Blues after he'd become a huge star - all we talked about was Lock Up.
Brian Grillo went on to form the Punk Band - Extra Fancy which was signed to Atlantic Records.
Long before Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park or Kid Rock there was yet another predominantly BLACK Rocking Rap band, besides Proper Grounds or Urban Dance Squad, coming out of Nashville Tennessee they were called - The Hard Corps! Their first CD "Def Before Dishonor" was released in 1991 by Interscope Records.
Live version of "Back In Black"
Essentially the Hard Corps was an all Black Rap Group, with an all White Rock Band Backing them up with 3-members of each. Put together and supported by the late Jam Master Jay of Run DMC this group was essentially a full-time version of what Anthrax and Public Enemy did *once* - and only *ONCE* - with their track "Bring the Noise" (Which came out the same year). The group went on to produce two more indie CD's "Hard Corps" and "Metal and Flesh".
I gotta say it, but what has happened with 24-7 SPyz is a Fucking Crime! I would be the first to agree that some of their albums over their almost 30 year career have been uneven, but man some of the high points are such pure unmitigated GOLD and it's hard to believe they couldn't possibly have scored at least one break through hit.
But then again, that's exactly what is it to live in Electric Purgatory.
In the early 90's their original singer was replaced by far more smooth and "mainstream" vocalist Jeff Broadnax and the group released two major label Cd's ("This is...24- Spyz" and "Strength in Numbers" which included the song "Crime Story". (This was from the Last show by that lineup in 1993 - the bit where the argue to let the stage-diving kid stay in the club is classic!)
Spyz on Beavis and Butthead w/Stuntman - Did I mention this Kicks Butt?
Spyz started out in 1986 in Brooklyn (Yes, BEFORE Living Colour) with their original lineup featuring P Fluid on vocals showing much more of a Fishbone/Bad Brains influence such as this cover of Kool and the Gang's "Jungle Boogie" from 1989.
After Broadnax left they recorded one more CD with Fluid "Temporarily Disconnected" but he eventually left the group again and for awhile became the vocalist for Bad Brains until they reunited with H.R., from that point on guitarist Jimi Hazel took over lead vocals. Although they've also gone through a number of different drummers they always retained both Jimi and bassist Rick Skatore.
Room #9 and Tick Tick Tick
Earth and Sky (Jimi Hazel on lead vocals)
As a power trio and released what may have been some of their best songs on the CD's "Heavy Metal Soul By the Pound". Here's one track from that CD.
Yeah x 3 (also Featuring dUg Pinnick of King's X)
As of now 24-7 has yet another new release called "Face the Day" and it's just plain mind-blowingly badass - but typically is going completely and totally ignored. The song "Soulsucker" just Fucking Floors me. Wanna know where Sevendust got half their shit? Open your Damn EARS people.
Besides putting together The Time, Dez Dickerson and the Modernaires, The Family (featuring his ex-girl friend), Vanity 6, Apollonia 6 and fostering the solo musical careers of both Sheila E. and Carmen Electra - during his prime heyday during the 80's Prince also helped put together, with a healthy dose of support from his own Bassist Brown Mark, a Glam-Funk-Rock band called Mazarati.
"Player's Ball"
Unfortunately the group only release one album and broke up not long afterward, even though they were on Prince's own Paisley Park label.
Pedal Steel/Guitar Virtuoso Robert Randolph has set some parts of the world on Fire with his band "The Family". Learning to play from watching others in his Pentacostal Church in Orange NJ outside Newark, Robert was eventually "discovered" in Florida and has so far released three records and toured with blues giants such as Eric Clapton.
Here's a song I probably only heard once - from the multi-racial group Maggie's Dream featuring former Menudu member Rob (Draco) Rosa on vocals. Trust me, it rocks a lot more than Ricky Martin.
First single - "Love and Fears" (1991)
A short documentary on the band.
"It's a Sin"
In the mid-90's former members of the band joined with Dan Reed to form the group Adrenaline Sky. Rob Rosa continues to release albums in English and Spanish as a solo artist with a sound still similar to Maggie's.
Discovered by ex-patriot American Terence Trent D'arby, Andrew Roachford became a huge star in his native England, but barely managed to make a dent on U.S. shores with his 1988 self-titled debut CD. (Other than it's first single reaching #25 of the U.S. Top 100 Singles Chart) But like a lot of other artists in Electric Purgatory, that didn't stop him for a second.
Ever since bulldozing his way onto the scene with unforgettable tracks like 'Cuddly Toy' and 'Family Man' in the late 80s, Andrew Roachford's maverick take on music has spread far and wide. As the first artist to sign a staggering seven-album deal with Columbia Records, it heralded the beginning of something big. "Getting signed and being a black British artist gave me a sense of pride" enthuses Andrew.
Andrew's R&B inflected Rock has gained a ton of followers in England over the last decade and he has managed to release all 7 of those albums.
What happens when you slam the Sex Pistols Head First into Bob Marley?
Bad Brains is what happens.
"Rise" from 1993.
Formed in 1979 by former jazz guitarist Dr Know along with vocalist H.R. (born Paul D. Hudson), bassist Darryl Aaron Jenifer, and drummer Earl Hudson put together a sound in Washington D.C. that nobody - and I do mean NOBODY had heard before. A sound that inspired groups as diverse as 24-7 Spyz, Living Colour, Fugazi and Janes Addiction.
"I Against I" released by SST in 1986
In the early 90's originally vocalist H.R. left the group and was replaced by Israel Joseph-I for their first major label release "Rise" but the change was too much for old fans, and not enough to attract new ones (although it remains one of my own favorite records) eventually HR returned for 1995's "God of Love" for Maverick Records , but sales still lagged and they were almost as quickly dropped.
Sailing on Live (1979)
Latest News from Allmusic.com
In 2006, Bad Brains reunited for a few shows at CBGB's, which quickly sold out. With a resurging interest in the band, in early 2007, Megaforce announced that they had signed them to their roster. Under Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's studio supervision, the original band went back to the studio for the first time in over a decade and recorded Build a Nation,
Yes, believe it or not besides the Glamish Metal Sound Barrier and the Jazz/Funk/Alt-Metal of Living Colour there was yet another predominantly-Black Rocking Band in the mid 80's... and that group was The Bus Boys!
Some may or may not remember, as is mentioned in this video, that the Bus Boys actually appeared in Eddie Murphys first film "48 Hours" as the house band during a Bar Scene. They also toured with Eddie on his second comedy album "Delirious". And they managed to land a spot on a Beer Comercial with their 50's style of Rock and Roll.
Promo Video
"Cleaning up the Town" - Video from Ghostbusters.
"American Workers" Live.
Brother Brian O'Neal (Piano/Vocals) and Kevin O'Neal (Bass) formed the center of the group with, Gus Louderman (vocals), Mike Jones (keyboards, vocals), Victor Johnson (guitar), and Steve Felix (drums). After 11 years touring and recording the "Novelty" of essentially being a "Retro" act wore off and the group eventually broke up. I knew Kevin in my time in the BRC as director of it's orchestra and you can see him being interviewed in various scenes from the "Black Rock Cafe" documentary. Brian went on for form a Hard Rock Sunset Strip Band called Black Bart which released one Indie Record "Bootleg Breakout". The one I knew best was Victor Johnson, who trust me was and is a seriously BADASS guitarist. He joined with Bernie K. and Dave Brown from Sound Barrier to create Total Eclipse which was real MUTHA FUCKA of a live band. Imagine Scorpions meet King's X, Led Zeppelin and Mother's Finest with a big lump of GROOVE.
TE was signed and did release one record before the label turned right around in the middle of their tour and dropped them. Victor eventually landed a new gig with Sammy Hagar and has been with the Waboritas pretty much ever since the mid 90's.
Judging by the Promo video I found above, it looks like Brian has reformed the group with all new members and is out touring again - good luck to him.
Essentially the Hard Corps was an all Black Rap Group, with an all White Rock Band Backing them up with 3-members of each. Put together and supported by the late Jam Master Jay of Run DMC this group was essentially a full-time version of what Anthrax and Public Enemy did *once* - and only *ONCE* - with their track "Bring the Noise" (Which came out the same year). The group went on to produce two more indie CD's "Hard Corps" and "Metal and Flesh".
TE was signed and did release one record before the label turned right around in the middle of their tour and dropped them. Victor eventually landed a new gig with Sammy Hagar and has been with the Waboritas pretty much ever since the mid 90's.