Ruefrex's Capital Letters is a perfect example of entertaining, yet political, punk rock.
The chorus lines says; "'Cause they're keeping the airwaves open for capital letters." One of two things crosses my mind when I hear those lyrics. First is how we respect people with "capital letters" behind their name even when they haven't earned it. Second is how the information we receive is determined by capital letters like NBC, CBS and ABC and of course the proper names and institutions, in which we place blind faith. By the way, the diet industry, pharmaceutical industry and fashion industry are "Capital Letters".
Agree? Disagree? Post your comments below.
Buy Ruefrex on iTunesRinkrat is the former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.
Currently, Rinkrat manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
What do the Grease soundtrack, Galvanize by the Chemical Brothers and the Empire Strikes Back soundtrack have in common? They're all mixed together to produce a dance party mix called Full Party Ben Kenobi 2007. If you're a savvy downloader, I'd suggest you crank up iTunes and zip this baby in.
The mash-up begins with Chemical Brother's Galvanize (my theme song) and music from the Empire Strikes Back blended together into a powerful mix.
Ingredients in the remaining tracks include Beastie Boys, Queen, Gorillaz, Public Enemy, Deep Purple, Rolling Stones, Madonna, Steve Miller, Rod Stewart (Do You Think I'm Sexy?), Tegan and Sarah and other classic party favorites woven together with strategic samples from the Star Wars, Rocky and Grease soundtrack's. Pump up the volume and feel the force.
Download the mp3 >>>>
DOWNLOADING INSTRUCTIONS
On a PC, right-click on the link above and select "Save Link As..." then select an appropriate place to save the mp3 file, click OK, and you'll have it. Drag and drop into your favorite music playing software.
On a Mac, either hold Control and click or click and hold, until the menu pops up. Select "save" or "download to disk," and again, select a convenient location for the file. Then you can plot it right in iTunes and everything should be hunky-dory.
All links in post go to iTunes.
You've seen him "sing" in Priceline commercials but did you know William Shatner had an entire album? This week's "song" You'll Have Time is off of the Has Been album, arranged by Ben Folds.
The first few times I heard this song I laughed hysterically. I still have a hard time keeping a straight face during the part where Shatner rattles off a list of dead people while background singers cheerfully spell it out: "y-o-u-'-r-e g-o-n-n-a d-i-e". That's right, you're gonna die and like Shatner says, "... it's gonna happen because it's happened to a lot of people I know, My mother, my father, my loves, The president, the kings and the pope". Later he assures us, "By the time you hear this I may well be dead".
Of course you, like my mother, might think I have a morbid sense of humor for posting a song like this on my blog and admitting that I find it hilarious. But, when it boils right down to it, there's no difference between reminding others to "Live life like you're gonna die, Because you're gonna" or telling them to "Seize the day". It's really just a matter of semantics and sense of humor.
When Rinkrat first proposed this as a song of the week, we both wondered if William Shatner was the suing type. Luckily, someone else was brave enough to use the song "with no permission whatsoever" and make a nice little pictorial to enhance the experience, including illustrative pictures of Joey Ramone and the Pope. So I can just kick back, relax and post the code here with no worries and you can click play and enjoy. Or, you can get offended. The choice is yours. It still won't change the fact that you're gonna die :)
Buy William Shatner on iTunesRinkrat is the former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records in Long Beach. He currently manages a hockey fan message board at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
Neneh Cherry's Buffalo Stance is a dance tune with a great beat. It mixes new wave and hip hop musical elements with powerful words and effective delivery. Watching the video will really enhance your overall experience. Here are some sample lyrics to contemplate: "No money man can win my love, it's sweetness that I'm thinking of" and "looking good is a state of mind".
Rinkrat points out a couple of nuances of the song: the distinct New Order influence and the singer's choice to emphasize the term "Knowotimean"? He said that by using that term she earned street credibility because it was common slang in England at the time this song was recorded.
I can't help but notice the Buffalo Girls sample that repeats itself continuously throughout the song. The producer of this track utilized an broad cross-section of some of the coolest elements of 80's "new wave" music. Specific origins and timelines elude me but clearly Michael Jackson, Boy George, and Salt N' Peppa come to mind when I hear this tune.
Because I cannot identify all the pieces of this song, I'm drawn to listen to it over and over again until I figure it all out. In my opinion, the choice to intergrate samples from numerous genres weaves a story of unity that is missing in much of the popular music today.
Another interesting tidbit: Neneh Cherry's grandfather is Don Cherry (AKA Donald Eugene Cherry), a jazz musician born in 1938 and raised in Los Angeles. Cherry died from hepatitis.
Click play, turn up the speakers and enjoy. I recommend that you listen to this song a minumum of 3 times so you can catch some of the subtleties that make this a great tune. One of the things I love about Hip Hop is how it weaves several layers of one story into a 3-5 minute song. True Hip Hop artists take you on a journey and that's what this song does if you pay very close attention and understand the connections.
Listen...or, watch the video:
Buy Neneh Cherry on iTunesRinkrat is the former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records in Long Beach. He currently manages a hockey fan message board at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
There has been a change of guards in the music department at Get Gal VanIZed. The weekly song is now sent by Michael Zampelli/AKA Rinkrat, former owner of Zed Records. Zed was a Long Beach, CA mecca of punk and alternative music that kept Southern California music enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music for more than 30 years.
I want music with a theme. It has to be empowering, positive and pro-woman to be on Get Gal VanIZed. Rinkrat delivers all that and more. He makes a smooth transition from the Hip Hop selections of the past four weeks into a reggae/ska sound that reminds me of Jamaica and Island Records and Goldenvoice shows at the Olympic Auditorium in the 80's.
Rinkrat's debut track selection is titled A Liberated Woman. It's by Ranking Ann off the Slice of English Toast LP. Click play, turn up your speakers and give it a good listen.
Buy A Liberated Woman on iTunes
Ruefrex's Capital Letters is a perfect example of entertaining, yet political, punk rock.
The chorus lines says; "'Cause they're keeping the airwaves open for capital letters." One of two things crosses my mind when I hear those lyrics. First is how we respect people with "capital letters" behind their name even when they haven't earned it. Second is how the information we receive is determined by capital letters like NBC, CBS and ABC and of course the proper names and institutions, in which we place blind faith. By the way, the diet industry, pharmaceutical industry and fashion industry are "Capital Letters".
Agree? Disagree? Post your comments below.
Buy Ruefrex on iTunes
Rinkrat is the former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.
Currently, Rinkrat manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned. 
