U.S. Rock and Roll History – Free Video Archives

Today I had the opportunity to sit in on a History of Rock class taught by Jim Simmons at Long Beach City College. It was a lot of fun and I learned a few things. For example, I didn't know that the Monkees were a 100% fabricated band. They were chosen during open casting call and judge's decisions were based more on acting skills and appearance than musical talent. This fabricated band was the brainchild of Don Kirshner. Once the Monkees fizzled out, Don Kirshner went on to produce a show called Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. I went on-line to see if I could find any video and I came across a site called Historic Films.com. I didn't find Don Kirshner's Rock Concert specifically but I did watch news footage of Einsten, John F. Kennedy's inauguration, 70's rock and anti-war/pro-peace rallies. It was a pretty fun way to spend a 1/2 hour and I'm hoping I can get a hold of some of those videos and post them here. In the meantime, here's a Monkees video I found on YouTube: Apple iTunes Buy the Monkees on iTunes. Some of you younger folks may have heard this song for the first time in the movie Shrek performed by Smash Mouth. Apple iTunes Buy Shrek on iTunes. In the 80's there was a whole mod thing going on and at that time the Monkees had a resurgence. I went to see them at the Pacific Amphitheater. I got my ticket signed by Rodney Bingenheimer (AKA Rodney on the ROQ) from KROQ it was pretty cool. Apple iTunes

Song of the Week – 2-3-09 – Nightlife by Soft Pack

I wasn't able to find a direct download link or YouTube video for Nightlife by Soft Pack so you'll have to go to Soft Pack's MySpace page to listen to the song of the week. The Soft Pack was formerly known as The Muslims. This YouTube video will give you a feel for what they're like: . . Soft Pack is playing at the Echo on February 4 and 13th. . . Apple iTunes The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, 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, Zampelli 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.

Darth Vadar and Sandy Olsson from Grease – What Do They Have in Common?

Darth Vadar - Empire Strikes BackWhat 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. Grease SoundtrackThe 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. itunes logo 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.

the automatic music explosion

Max - Drummer from The Automatic Music ExplosionThis face demonstrates the excitement and carefree spirit of the automatic music explosion. I was working the guest list at last night's Derby Doll bout so I met the drummer, Max earlier in the night. He and his wife were so kind and patient. Eventually, I suited him and his entire band/guest list with purple arm bands so they could use the "staff" bathroom behind the stage. These guys travel in a pack and even have their own dancers who danced in the front of the group and later passed out buttons, stickers and tiny fliers listing upcoming gigs. Their flier also says: "We want to play at your high school." I would highly recommend that you hire this band if you need someone for a high school event. They are high energy and seem to pull on the best aspects of rock and roll from the 70's to current. I think this is a band parents and kids alike can enjoy. In fact, I just realized, they have a Ramones feel. Look at how many parents and kids love The Ramones equally today. But there is something about seeing bands like this when they are young, fresh and full of vinegar that is unparalleled. I saw The Ramones in the 80's and 90's which is quite different from what you'd see if they were all alive and together today. the automatic music explosion at the Doll Factory in Los AngelesGreat as they are, these pictures can't even begin to convey the excitement this musical group extracted from the crowd. The audience for this band was by far the largest, most energetic and enthusiastic I've ever seen at an LA Derby Doll bout. The group commanded attention and the intesity eminating from the stage captivated the audience. The singer, Jodie thrusted large, poster-sized signs above her head and engaged the crowd in activities such as bobbing ballons to each other overhead and screaming the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the words, "fight, fight, fight" at the top of our lungs. The show ended with the singer smashing her tamborine on the concrete floor. Anita Kill leaned over and yelled in my ear, "at least its cheaper than destroying a guitar." "Yeah", I screamed back. I was dancing the entire time. Laura Palm-her, who is evidently a friend of the band (and who I owe a kiss and a hug for hooking them up) was dancing on her skates with the singer. Several other Tough Cookies joined in the festivities. Now as far as pinning this group into a genre or category, I am struggling. Here are some of the things that stood out for me: Overall style and enthusiasm: Bay City Rollers, Mega City Four, White Stripes Lead guitar player's mannerisms and tight jeans: I was feelin' Robert Plant in Song Remains the Same.  Maybe some Rod Stewart or Iggy Pop as well Drummer's style: Iggy Pop, Paul Weller, The English Beat Singers passion and style: Sonic Youth, maybe Belinda Carlisle (from Go-Go's days), a little Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's action Bass player (Jeff): I guess I'm having difficulty with narrowing this one down. It seems like the bass was in the background. Matt (Vox/Guitar): I'm feelin' a little Patrick Mata meets Marilyn Manson (great energy this guy has) Last time I was this excited during a live music show: Ugly Duckling, Naked Raygun. In other words, the automatic music explosion are unique. Here are some of their song titles: Law of Attraction Roller Derby A Girl Like U You can listen to all of them at their MySpace page. Photos used in this blog are Get Gal VanIZed exclusives courtesy of rinkrat. To see more photos of this band and the Los Angeles Derby Dolls, visit rinkrat's flickr page or the exclusive photo gallery at letsgokings.com.