The cure for Cowell

Eddie June 1, 2006 0 Comment

If you’re feeling a bit queasy after watching American Idol bastardize the music industry, perhaps a dose of real, acoustic jamming might do the trick. Davis’ Mad Cow String Band has made great strides since its inception in 2003. Its sound, an amalgam of bluegrass and high-energy folk, may not cater to the masses, but at least it’s not being covered by Taylor Hicks. A listen to the band’s Live at the Delta of Venus LP will conjure memories of hayrides and old Westerns, and induce an indulgence in some sippin’ whiskey. The Mad Cow String Band plays Old Ironsides, located at 1901 10th Street, on Friday at 9 p.m. with the Devastates and the Devil Makes Three (who’ve been tearing up the Bay Area and Santa Cruz circuit for quite some time). The cover is $10. Say hello to Art Rodriguez, Old Ironsides’ longest-running bartender, for me.
(SN&R)

The metal-est metal in metaldom

Eddie May 25, 2006 0 Comment

If you’re a fan of late-’80s Bay Area thrash metal and Canadian legends Sacrifice, I implore you to run (not walk) to your local record store and pick up Sadus’ new album Out For Blood, recently released on the relatively obscure Mascot Records label after the band’s ridiculously long hiatus. Sadus (vocalist/guitarist Darren Travis, bassist Steve DiGiorgio, and drummer Jon Allen) have delivered perhaps the greatest metal album in the last 10 years. It’s laden with enough vitriol, violence and insane riffs to send any local metal band back to the drawing board. Attendance at Friday’s show at the Boardwalk, 9426 Greenback Lane, is mandatory. Sadus plays with Obituary, Dead to Fall, With Passion and Cyanide Era at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $22 at the door. All ages are welcome. Check out www.myspace.com/sadus for mp3s.

(SN&R)

Cash, in spirit

Eddie May 18, 2006 0 Comment

The Johnny Cash frenzy has never ceased. Even before his unfortunate passing, J.C. was perhaps the most name-dropped country star to date. Punkers and rockers, young and old, all rallied behind the Man in Black, and for good reason. Unlike his compatriots, Cash could weave a tale that made one feel involved in the moment rather than merely a listener. Of course, having Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix star in a big-screen biography didn’t hurt album sales either. Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, the brainchild of Mark Stuart and his band of traveling gypsies, still revere the great one and churn out original songs that capture the essence of his legacy. The Sons are touring in support of a recently released live DVD that features 21 songs, three of which have never been released. If you’re a fan of real, unabashed country, check out the band’s upcoming show this Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Palms Playhouse, 13 Main Street in Winters. Who cares if it’s a school night?
(SN&R)

Buy this for a dollar

Eddie May 11, 2006 0 Comment

In an effort to make off nights a little more appealing, the Blue Lamp is hosting irregular $1 Monday nights. The cover just barely pays for the touring band and house expenses (sound and security) at full capacity, and local bands play gratis. This week’s show features a stellar lineup that includes Sonic Love Affair; the Biters (featuring Jackpot’s Rusty Miller); the Dweebz; and Detroit’s Demolition Doll Rods, who are touring in support of their new Swami Records release, There Is a Difference. If you enjoy the White Stripes’ Sympathy for the Record Industry-era material, the Stooges or Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, odds are you already own one of the Demolition Doll Rods’ releases. If not, their latest should whet your appetite for filthy, down and dirty rock ’n’ roll. Steal four quarters from your piggy bank for admission this Monday at 7:30 p.m. and don’t forget your beer money. The Blue Lamp can be found at 1400 Alhambra Boulevard and at www.bluelamp.com.

(SN&R)

Fire in the Library

Eddie May 4, 2006 0 Comment

High On Fire amassed a loyal legion of “Fireheads” the old fashioned way: touring. If you caught the band’s show at the original Capitol Garage, you might have witnessed guitarist Matt Pike and company tearing through an old Celtic Frost number, “The Usurper,” with great effect. Its show on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Library will be supported by Louisiana’s blaspheming bad boys Goatwhore, along with Watch Them Die and local phenomenon Times Of Desperation. Admission is $15 for all ages at the Library, located at 7042 Folsom Boulevard. Fans of vintage guitar tones, guttural calls from the grave, and punishing, devastating heavy metal should make their way over to the old Cattle Club stomping grounds. Visit www.abstractpresents.com for more information.
(SN&R)

Pop at bargain prices

Eddie April 27, 2006 0 Comment

Why do people like hearing their favorite songs played by anyone but the original artists? Perhaps we can blame the skyrocketing concert-ticket prices of artists like the Rolling Stones, Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney. After all, who wants to spend triple-digit sums for arena seating? Bay Area cover band Pop Rocks regularly plays the nightclubs in these parts. With a set list that includes Whitesnake’s “Still of the Night,” Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone,” Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” and the Time’s “Jungle Love,” these bad boys deliver on all fronts. Whether dressed in police uniforms or cheesy plaid suits, they’re sure to bombard you with an overwhelming sense of belonging (and stupidity). Admission to Friday’s 9:30 p.m. show at the Powerhouse Pub, located at 614 Sutter Street in Folsom, is a mere $10. I have a request for the band: Please play the Scorpions’ “Rock You Like A Hurricane.”
(SN&R)

Spazz on stage

Eddie April 20, 2006 0 Comment

Though there’s a plethora of events scheduled on weekends, it’s difficult to find live music during the off nights. Unless you’re a fan of DJ dancing or open-mic affairs, the choices are limited. Thank goodness for the KDVS Tuesday-night showcases at the G Street Pub, located at 228 G Street in Davis. Most of the featured national and local acts are more than a little left-of-center, and perhaps that’s the allure. This week’s show starts Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. and features Who’s Your Favorite Son God (WYFSG), a noise/spazz trio from Pollock Pines. Fans of Hella’s first demo, the Advantage (which shares a member with WYFSG) and anything from Scenery Audio Archive will appreciate the tracks found at www.myspace.com/whosyourfavoritesongod. If “Beelzebubble” doesn’t incite spasms of unknown origin or, at the very least, a second listen, perhaps you’d best keep to the club’s weekend calendar. These noise merchants stray from the normal verse-chorus-verse structure with great effect. Also on the bill is Brooklyn’s Parts and Labor. Visit www.kdvs.org for info.

(SN&R)

Long live Will Haven

Eddie April 13, 2006 0 Comment

Will Haven is back. After a lengthy hiatus, the five boys completed a successful U.K. tour with sludge kings Crowbar, in addition to playing a special reunion show at The Boardwalk last November. For the uninitiated, this hardcore/metal/noise combo cut its teeth doing shows in the Sacramento Valley and Southern California. Even though the band has played as direct support for the Deftones and donned the cover of British magazine Kerrang!, it has never received the accolades it so deserves in the United States. The band remains without a proper record deal in the States, but its hard-to-find catalog on Revelation Records is worth seeking out. The band doesn’t play too often, so Friday’s show at The Boardwalk likely will draw fans from Los Angeles and Chico. The return of vocalist Grady Avenell is worth the $12 price of admission alone. Will Haven plays with Eightfourseven, Death Valley High, Red With Envy and One Dying Secret at 8:30 p.m. All ages are welcome at The Boardwalk, located at 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale. Visit www.boardwalkrocks.com for more information.
(SN&R)

Music inspired by murder

Eddie April 6, 2006 0 Comment

Finland metal merchants Children Of Bodom, named after the now-infamous murders at Lake Bodom, are finally coming to Sacramento. Make no mistake; the hype is warranted. Fueled by the best elements of power, speed and death metal, this fearsome quintet’s latest album, Are You Dead Yet?, has already caught fire on these shores. If 2000’s Follow The Reaper or 1999’s Hatebreeder aren’t in your collection, perhaps a brief sojourn down to 3522 Stockton Boulevard is in order. The Colonial Theatre may be a little off the radar, but it has become the home for hard-rock shows too large for The Boardwalk. Also on Friday’s bill are God Forbid and Through the Eyes of the Dead. The show begins at 8 p.m., and tickets are $20 for all ages. Headbangers unite; it’s gonna be a long night. Visit www.cobhc.com for more information.
(SN&R)

Won’t knock it off

Eddie March 30, 2006 0 Comment

Whether or not you’re a fan of the raucous bunch of hoodlums known as the Knockoffs, you have to give vocalist Tom Hutchinson props for keeping the moniker alive for (gasp!) 13 years. Since 1993, the band has been a revolving door for some of our greatest local musicians. Kevin Seconds (7Seconds), Wendy Powell (the Skirts), Dean Seavers (the Decibels and the X-Teens), Bobby Jordan (Mr. T Experience and Red Star Memorial)—no other local band has featured such a cornucopia of musical talent. The current incarnation features Danny Secretion and Mickie Rat from the Secretions, along with Bear Williams on drums and backing vocals. If songs like “No Time” or “Everybody Knows” don’t incite a few random acts of stupidity, you must not be listening. Also on the bill are local legends the Helper Monkeys, direct descendents of the sadly defunct Panda Bear Greens. The bands play Old Ironsides, located at 1901 10th Street, on Thursday, March 30, with San Diego’s all-girl punk band the Glossines. The show starts at 9 p.m., and the cover charge is $7. Alas, it’s 21 and over.
(SN&R)