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.
Yeah, amazing though it may seem - sometimes Bill O'Reilly really is as much a "straight shooter" as he pretends to be an actually dares to Defy the Lunatic Base of the Republican Party - therefore he really should get credit for it.
Birth Announcements in Newspaper in 1961? Check. Statements by Head of Hawaii Health Department? Check. Meanwhile Lou Dobbs is trying to start a fight with Rachel Maddow because he says "He's a Birther..." Dobbs says "She Lies, I believe Obama is an American - But I still want to see the documentation"
What the Frack do you call that then? Birth-Lite!?
Tomorrow Dobbs is supposed to be appearing on O'Reilly - that should be like a visit to Opposite World.
Moke is an English Band (yet again, from the Brits) featuring lead vocalist John Hogg - and frankly they ROCKED THA HOUSE! Releasing Four Albums since 1998 and eventually touring America with King's X.
Slide Live at the Hollywood House of Blues (opening for King's X)
This is how their first album "Superdrag" was reviewed on AllMusic.com
Moke's 1998 debut album is hyper-eclectic, mixing a strong love for Led Zeppelin (à la compatriots Reef) with hints of rap-rock, blues, reggae, and of course classic rock. Superdrag often sounds like a Perry Ferrell take on Rage Against the Machine. Standout tracks include "Down" and "Wheel in Motion." The British press heralded Moke as one of Britain's most promising guitar groups and NME labeled them "Blues Against the Machine." Moke is also supposedly a hit with Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown. Produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers) and engineered by Nick Terry (Primal Scream), Superdrag was recorded with authentic equipment from the '50s and '60s and the vibe is noticeable. A strong debut.
With the barrage of U.K. bands that have assaulted U.S. shores ever since Oasis hit big, you'd think the world would need another Brit-pop band like it needs another hole in the ozone. But this London-based quartet not only has the hype that most such bands seem to be surrounded by, it also has songwriting chops to back it up. The raucous opening cut, "My Degeneration," rides a balls-to-the-wall 4/4 rhythm tailor-made for arenas, then adds infectious singalong vocals and the type of rawk guitar solo you thought nobody played anymore; at just under three minutes, it's a perfect summer anthem. "Liar" is almost as infectious, with an ambient funk groove that devolves into a grinding guitar riff Rick Rubin would love. The songs do tend to get a bit same-y at times, and some of the tunes are a bit uneven in spots, but there are more than enough solid hooks here to make Moke one of Britain's better recent exports.
You'd think with reviews like that these guys would have actually made an impression on people - apparently not. I wonder what the issue could have been? How much more than Fracking Badass did they need to be?
Fishbone is an important band. A very important band. During the mid-808's they help pioneer the sound of modern ska along with The Untouchables and England's Madness to forge a sound that has resonated through dozens of other groups from 311 to No Doubt to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sublime and the Long Beach Dub All-Stars. You name it Fishbone did it first, and about half the time they did it better.
Besides some occasion R&B and funk - they even did more than a little Metal too= and they did it good.
Swim & Servitude.
Fishbone are also masters of Funk with songs like "Fight The Youth" and Curtis Mayfield's "Freddies Dead". Then you have a gorgeous songs like Black Flowers.
Certainly a long way from their firs Ska Hit "Party At Ground Zero". in 1985 - but the point is if you can do it - why not do it? Fishbone flies directly in the face of the theory of music promotion that says you need to just stick to one type of music and build an audience solely around that and only that sound. Fishbone don't play dat.
The only member of Fishbone I really ever got to know was their original guitarist Kendall Jones at a couple Black Rock Coalition events including a party t the park that sits between LAX and the Beach. He nabbed a couple Guiness my wife had brought specifically to save, so when I later ran into him at the side of the stage during the Gathering of the Tribes Tour which also included King's X and Primus, and he promised to pay us back (with another couple beers) sometime in the future.
That never happened as Kendell left the group not that much later and put a signficant dent in the quality of their writing with his departure. In recent years they've picked up former Sound Barrier guitarist Spacey T (who also did a stint with Mother's Finest during the 90's, and who has since been replaced by Rocky George of Suicidal Tendencies), and have managed to soldier on despite all hardships and despite anything the labels have to say about how they should sound and how they should be playing.
I've seen how crowds respond to this band, big ones like at Tribes and Lollapalooza and it's like a Thermo-Nuclear BOMB going off. (This is why they wrote "Swim", cuz that's what their shows were like) People would lose their entire minds and MOSH like there's no today, no tomorrow and no yesterday. It's was amazing.
But still these guys remain the most influencial almost unknown group in musical history - except maybe for King's X.
The first issue is that the 9-11 caller does not ever say "Two Black Men", in fact only in response to the dispatchers question does she say "One looked kinda Hispanic". She also admits that she sees a set of suitcases outside and that she doesn't know whether they actually live there or not.
When I arrived at 17 Ware street I radioed ECC and asked that they have the caller meet me at the front door to this residence. SNIP . As I reached the door, a female voice called out to me. I turned and looked in the direction of the voice and observed a white female, later identified as Lucia Whalen. Whalen, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of the residence, held a wireless telephone in her hand and told me that it was she who called. She went on to tell me that the observed what appeared to be two black males with backpacks on the porch of 17 Ware street.
Attorney Wendy Murphy, who represents Whalen, also categorically rejected part of the police report that said Whalen talked with Sgt. James Crowley, the arresting officer, at the scene.
"Let me be clear: She never had a conversation with Sgt. Crowley at the scene," Murphy told CNN by phone. "And she never said to any police officer or to anybody 'two black men.' She never used the word 'black.' Period."
She added, "I'm not sure what the police explanation will be. Frankly, I don't care. Her only goal is to make it clear she never described them as black. She never saw their race. ... All she reported was behavior, not skin color."
So that's one "Lie/Mistake" made by Sgt Crowley. Whalen never spoke to him, never said anything about "Backpacks" (actually it was Suitcases which she mentioned to the dispatcher) and never said anything about "Black Men". She was also technically wrong about the "Hispanic", because Gates driver actually *is* black.
Another is the "Yelling" issue. According to Gates, he was just returning from China where he contracted Bronchitis, and as a result - He Couldn't Yell".
The police report says I was engaged in loud and tumultuous behavior. That’s a joke. Because I have a severe bronchial infection which I contracted in China and for which I was treated and have a doctor’s report from the Peninsula hotel in Beijing. So I couldn’t have yelled. I can’t yell even today, I’m not fully cured.
From Gates view "Uncooperative" means he first refused to come out of the house - which he had every right to do.
I’m saying ‘You need to send someone to fix my lock.’ All of a sudden, there was a policeman on my porch. And I thought, ‘This is strange.’ So I went over to the front porch still holding the phone, and I said ‘Officer, can I help you?’ And he said, ‘Would you step outside onto the porch.’ And the way he said it, I knew he wasn’t canvassing for the police benevolent association. All the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, and I realized that I was in danger. And I said to him no, out of instinct. I said, ‘No, I will not.’
My lawyers later told me that that was a good move and had I walked out onto the porch he could have arrested me for breaking and entering.
in his Police Report Crowley states:
As I stood in plain view of this man, later identified as Gates, I asked if he would come out onto the porch and speak with me? He replied "No, I Wil Not." He demanded to know who I was, I responded "Sgt Crowley of the Cambridge Police" and that I was investigating a report of a "Break-in in progress". He responded with "Why, because I'm a Black Man in America?"
On this they agree, then comes the "Yelling"...
I asked Mr. Gates if there was anyone else in the residence. While Yelling, he told me it was none of my business and accused me of being a racist police officer. While i was led to believe that Gates was lawfully in the residence I was quite surprised and confused by the behavior he exhibited toward me.
I think Gates was quite surprised to have Cop questioning him in his own house.
Eventually Gates provides his ID, after requesting Crowley's ID and not receiving it. Identify established Crowley begins to leave.
As I began to walk through the Foyer of the front door, I could hear Gates demanding my name. I again told Gates that I would speak with him outside. My reason for wanting to leave the residence was that Gates was Yelling very Loud and the acoustics of the kitchens and foyer were making it difficult for me to transmit pertinent information to ECC or other responding units.
Ok, as we can hear when Crowley is speaking on the radio - this would appear to be Lie Number two - and his including this "detail" in the report seems more like an after-the-fact justification for luring Gates outide where a ton of officers (requested by Crowley) were waiting outside.
The thing that really betrays Crowley's Attitude is his statement as his commences the arrest.
I warned Gates that he was becoming disorderly. Gates ignored my warning and continued to yell, which drew the attention of the officers and the citizens, who appeared surprised and alarmed at Gates outburst. For the second time I warned Gates to calm down while I withdrew my department issued handcuffs from their case. Gates again ignored my warning and continued to yell at me, it was at this time that I informed Gates that he was under arrest. Gates initially resisted my attempts to handcuff him, yelling that he was "disabled" and would fall without his cane. After the cuffs were properly applied Gates complained that they were too tight
"Disabled"? What at sensitive guy.
Gates version of this sequence is this:
It looked like an ocean of police had gathered on my front porch. There were probably half a dozen police officers at this point. The mistake I made was I stepped onto the front porch and asked one of his colleagues for his name and badge number. And when I did, the same officer said, ‘Thank you for accommodating our request. You are under arrest.’ And he handcuffed me right there. It was outrageous. My hands were behind my back I said, ‘I’m handicapped. I walk with a cane. I can’t walk to the squad car like this.’ There was a huddle among the officers; there was a black man among them. They removed the cuffs from the back and put them around the front.
According to Gate there were No Warnings, Crowley did not depart the residence walk down the steps and then only walk back up the steps after Gates refused multiple requests to "Calm Down" because he was now "disturbing the peace" (and coincidentally embarrassing Crowley in front of his fellow officers and the public).
That's Lie Number Three.
Also Gates does use a Cane to walk, this is visible in the film footage and was confirmed by Mellisa Harris-Lacewell in her article about Gates in The Nation. Yes, he really is "Disabled" - you officious prick. This portion of the report is clearly intended to paint Gates as a chronic "complainer" and "exaggerator".
The last point is that in the Police Report both Sgt Crowley and Officer Figueroa - who attempts to "corroborate" Crowley's claims - the one truly offensives statement made by Gates was "THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO BLACK MEN IN AMERICA" which Figueroa repeats twice in his portion of the report within a single paragraph.
‘What is your name, and what is your badge number?’ and he refused to respond. I asked him three times, and he refused to respond. And then I said, ‘You’re not responding because I’m a black man, and you’re a white officer.’ That’s what I said. He didn’t say anything.
...(Gates is then Arrested)
A crowd had gathered, and as they were handcuffing me and walking me out to the car, I said, ‘Is this how you treat a black man in America?’
From Gates perspective it wasn't an accusation prior to his arrest, it was a question after the fact. The way that both Crowley and Figueroa attempt to distort this statement into a justification for the arrest itself is more than a little distasteful.
It may be that actual racism wasn't involved in this incident, but it's also clear that the catalyst for this was Crowley's Attitude and Tone of Voice which is initially what set Gates on edge by his own admission. Gates may have over-reacted, but he apparently wasn't as "Tumultuous" as Crowley claims he was, merely annoying. Yes, Crowley he did initially give Gates his name (or maybe e didn't since we only have his word on that), but he repeatedly refused to provide his ID and actually Prove he was a Genuine COP to Gates while invading his home. He then places multiple lies on his police report, so it seems to me Gates probably read his tone of voice and the subtext of his intent correctly.
If the Officers Union really wanted a "Trial of Fact" considering both Gates and Crowley agree that the crucial portion of the exchange occurred before both the police and the public, including Lucia Whalen, I think they would seriously regret if any of this had actually came before a judge.
Urban Legend has it that this was the group that directly inspired Rage Agaisnt the Machine - I've never been able to confirm that, but when you listen to songs like this as opposed to their mellow MTV Hit (A Deeper Shade of Soul), it suddenly starts to make sense why someone might say such a thing about the Netherlands Urban Dance Squad
Proper Grounds was straight-up Gangsta RAP METAL long before it become a played out. These guys were the first group and first record released by Madonna's own Maverick Label, in fact the first time I saw them was on some late night talk show where Madonna personally introduced them. They were WILD and scary. Like a Mash-up between a pile of Crips and Insane Clown Posse.
Unfortunately for them 1993 was a bad year to be doing Rap Metal since that's when the entire "Cop Killer" flap blew up - and it wasn't until groups like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park could add a little Milk and Cream into the Coffee that it became "Safe" again. Also Maverick records found they could make a lot more money following the Seattle trend with bands like Candlebox, until that gravy train crashed and burned too.
I actually did a gig with these guys in Hollywood once for a Hendrix Anniversary Show, where I sang "Spanish Castle Magic" with a cover band. At the time I was putting together my own group with Oscar Jordan but we didn't yet have a bass player and the entire thing fell apart before long. It was at that gig that I realized that Proper Grounds drummer was also someone I knew - it was Jon brooks from Ach Nein. He's even in the Video, I can tell because of the way he dances while he plays drums.
Every once in a while you have an artist pull a rabbit out of their hat, and that's exactly what British Ex-Patriate American Artist Terence Trent D'arby did with the song "Vibrator" from his Second Album. Known predominantly for his Funky James Brown inspired hit "Wishing Well" and the sultry smooth "Sign your name" - this song was not exactly what most people thought was on the menu.
Here he is again in 1995 performing the Marc Bolan song "Children of the Revolution".
Today's Electric Purgatory group, is really a solo artist - singer Dionne Farris - whose career tribulations show almost exactly how FRACKED UP the music industry is. In the early 90's she was a vocalist with the group Arrested Development who scored a pair of hits including "Tennessee" (where you can hear Dionne singing "Can you Help Me - Can you Help me Understand Your Plan?")
After a coupe. tours and an MTV Unplugged performance and album, Dionne went solo and released the album "Wild Seed, Wild Flower" in 1995. Most of it, like Lauren Hill who followed Dionne out of her own Hip-Hop group the Fuguees is R&B laced with 90's Neo-Soul.
But not all of it, there are also songs like this one - Passion.
Funny thing about the Guitar Work on this song, I actually happen to know this Guitarist. He's L.A. Black Rock Coalition member Tory Ruffin, who actually had his own Jazz/Metal/Hip-Hop group at the time called Civil Rite who were nearly signed to Death Row Records by Dr. Dre. I didn't even know Tory was on this song, or in this video until I heard it and recognized his playing. You've all probably seen Tory but didn't realize it - he was the Guitarists of "Sexual Chocolate" in Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America" and his Day Job has been as the touring guitar player with Morris Day and The Time so if you saw the end of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" - you saw Tory.
Anyway, beside this song "Wild Seed" had another rock song - "I Know", which actually became a Number #1 Hit!
If you watch the Official Video for this song (which doesn't allow embedding) you'll notice someone else familiar - the guitarist shown here is David Ryan Harris of Atlanta's Follow For Now who I profiled last week.
Ok, so now we've got a Number #1 Hit, a track on a popular Soundtrack "Breathless" and naturally the Record Label has to start some Beef. Columbia refused to allow Dionne to release and record ANY MORE ROCK SONGS - they just wanted her to stick to Soul and R&B, period. Just like Tory and David had gone from fronting some fairly hard rocking bands (Civil Rite, Follow For Now) to being backup sidemen in pretty much straight R&B and Pop (With The Time and with John Mayer respectively) the Stepin Fetchit-izing of black musicians goes on and on. Dionne's label insisted she stay within the "Black Music Box" that made it easy and comfortable for them to market her (although she'd already hit #1 by LEAVING that box?)
Even for those people who think the only color that matters in music is "Green' - Does that make ANY Damn sense?
The dispute caused her to leave the label - and Music - for the next ten years.
She has just now resurfaced with her own label and music released as part of a series of short films in a project called "Remember My Name. Vol 1" - the Latest Release of which on her Youtube Channel is titled "Baggage"
For latest updates on Dionne you can check her Myspace Page http://www.Myspace.com/DionneFarris. She obviously took one (a decade) for the team.
