BeatNonStop A Weblog by Chris Macias Bee pop music critic Music geek (n. myü-zik 'gEk) 1: A person who proudly wore KISS commemorative pajamas in third grade. 2: A person who owns multiple copies of the same album, still buys vinyl and has a room dedicated to 2,000 or so CDs and records. 3. A person who wrote a five-part series about traveling with a local band in their stinky van - and loved every minute of it. 4: Chris Macias, the Bee's pop music critic, serving Sacramento's music scene since 1999.

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« October 2006 | | December 2006 »

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November 30, 2006

Ho Ho Ho

‘Tis the season for an onslaught of holiday CDs. And the latest X-Mas disc that’s come across my desk is “Kids Rap Radio Holiday,” featuring the heartwarming holiday classics “Ghetto Santa” and “Dana Dane is Coming to Town.” The tiny voices on the CD sound like they’re around 7 years old, and the press release says the CD is part of a series that allows “young hip-hop fans to be positively influenced by alternate, kid friendly lyrics of songs by today’s rap stars.” There’s also a plug for “Kid’s Rap Radio, Volume 1 & 2,” featuring wholesome and appropriate kiddie versions of, uhm, “Shorty Wanna Ride,” “Touch It” and “Laffy Taffy.” Santa, don’t forget the gift of Daisy Duke shorts!

In hip-hop news that’s for grown folks, the Distillery (2107 L St.) is hosting a benefit show and toy drive show tonight featuring P Chill and Trunk of Funk, Another Rap Group and Confused Clarity. The cover charge is $5 and please bring an unwrapped toy for the needy kids out there. Don’t know if the“Kid’s Rap Radio Holiday” CD will count toward the toy drive.

Posted by cmacias at 4:35 PM | Comments |

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November 28, 2006

... And You Will Know Us by the Change of Venue

This just in: ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead will now be performing at The Library (7042 Folsom Blvd.) instead of Empire on Dec. 4. And yes, tickets for the Empire gig will be honored at the Library. Speaking of ... Trail of Dead, I got off the phone just a bit ago with Conrad Keely, the band's frontman and figurehead. Besides guitar shredders like Joe Satriani or Steve Vai, Conrad's the rare rock guy who can speak intelligently about music theory and art history. Check out the interview in Sunday's Ticket section.

In other show news, NOFX is coming to Empire on Jan. 25. Tickets go on sale Dec. 9 through Tickets.com and at the Beat (916-446-4402). BeatNonStop caught NOFX's set this summer at Warped Tour and they pretty much ruled. Expect a Sacto-styled homecoming cheer for guitarist El Jefe, who some locals may remember from the local band Crystal Sphere. BTW, NOFX tickets are $20.

Posted by cmacias at 4:26 PM | Comments |

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November 24, 2006

Leftovers

Ah, it’s the day after Thanksgiving – a.k.a. the start of the holiday rat race. Reminds me of a certain song by The Specials. But anyway, BeatNonStop feels happy to be at the office, with the iPod set to the Smiths and away from shoppers scurrying around the malls and scrambling for parking spaces. Whew …

This holiday week’s been good so far. Apart from the Michael Bolton CD spinning during dinner, Thanksgiving with the folks was complete with tryptophan euphoria and an Andes sized mountain of Cool Whip on the pumpkin pie. But musically speaking, Wednesday pretty much rocked. I snuck over to Sac State to see Los Abandoned perform a noon-time show (cool set, but too many chairs in the room), and later that night was the Jackpot/An Angle/Ghosts of California extravaganza at Old Ironsides. I especially dug An Angle’s new sound, which is leaning more toward 1970s buttrock these days, and Kris Anaya (Mr. An Angle himself) told me a new album will be out early next year. It was also good to run into some old friends and familiar faces, including Scott McChane of Ghosts of California, and a friend who I hadn’t spent much time with in a while and apparently likes … And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead as much as I do. (BTW, the new … Trail of Dead album is one of the year’s best CDs, IMHO).

Now it’s time to get the shopping list in gear and plan for the weekend. There’s a benefit show at the Distillery on Saturday night, and it sounds like a good one. The gig is headlined by local hip-hoppers Addict Merchants and Compadre, and proceeds go to the Central American Service Project. DJs will also be in the mix, including Fooders of the Twelves Wax crew, Solecrates and Todd Boogie. The show costs $5, and I can’t seem to find a show time, but get there after 10 p.m. and you should be good to go.

Posted by cmacias at 3:26 PM | Comments |

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November 21, 2006

Coachella or bust

Start putting your vacation time in now because the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (or just "Coachella" for short) is expanding to a three-day event in 2007. Acts have yet to be announced but the dates are April 27 - 29, and the location is the same as every year: the Empire Polo Field in Indio, Ca. Also new for 2007 is a country version of Coachella that will go down on May 5 - 6 on those same grounds. The line-up includes Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Kenny Chesney, Emmylou Harris and others. Yee haw! But BeatNonStop is still holding out hope for a Smiths reunion for the alt-rock version of Coachella. And if that doesn't happen, I will mope like Morrissey on "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore."

Posted by cmacias at 3:14 PM | Comments |

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November 20, 2006

Argue amongst yourselves

Time magazine recently posted its list of Top 100 albums, a.k.a. the All-Time 100.Who made the cut? Well, no surprise, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Nirvana. Who got the shaft? Pink Floyd and Elvis Costello are two who were denied a spot. Check it out.

Posted by cmacias at 3:36 PM | Comments |

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November 16, 2006

Lemme see those horns!

If your soul is thirsting for some speed-metal, get this: Slayer is coming to the Memorial Auditorium on Jan. 28. BeatNonStop still swears by "Reign in Blood" when it's time to get that heart pounding with the speed of a double-bass drum fill.

In non-Slaytanic metal news, the Bee is reporting that FYE stores will take over two local Tower locations. Has anyone out there been to an FYE? The story says that there's an FYE in Arden Fair, but I've never been there. Guess it's my natural aversion to mall record stores. But I checked out shop.fye.com to see how deep their stock goes, and so far, so good. I searched for CDs by Husker Du, Keith Jarrett, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Brotha Lynch Hung and got results every time. We'll see how this all shapes up.

Posted by cmacias at 3:28 PM | Comments |

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November 15, 2006

Kiss-stolgia

Picture a bedroom in suburban Sacramento around 1978 or so. A TV set is tuned to “Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park,” and a poster on the bedroom door shows Kiss in its Bicentennial pose (fife, drum, face paint). Two neighborhood kids are jumping on a bed and playing air-guitar with tennis rackets. One pretends to be Ace Frehley, leaning back as far as possible and grimacing, and the other struts like an 8-year-old Paul Stanley and has yet to understand that “Take Me” is not really about a rocket ship.

That’s the memory that came screaming back when I was watching the “Kissology” DVD set. The review will run on Sunday, and let’s just say that if you were ever a Kiss fan, it’s nostalgia that tastes of stage blood and “Cold Gin.” I’ve basically been geeking out on these DVDs. For this kid, Kiss was the next step after the circus. They wore make-up like evil clowns (though I wouldn’t know about the New York Dolls influence until way later), and played loud music that was so much cooler than the cotton-candy tunes at Ringling Bros.

I’d forgotten how comically macho Kiss songs tended to be (“You need my lovin’ baby oh so bad, you’re not the only one I ever had”), but a lot of the songs hold up well for me. Guess I’m still a sucker for a buttrock riff and some harmony vocals. I could pretty much care less about the current version of the band, especially after its bloated “farewell” tour. But to pop in “Kissology” is to go back to a time of drawing Kiss’ logo on bookcovers and rocking out to “Strutter.” Tennis racket not included.

Posted by cmacias at 1:43 PM | Comments |

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November 13, 2006

Sacto. Spin

The new issue of Spin magazine just crossed my desk, and look at this, Sunday night's "Reggae Bashment" party at the Blue Lamp got a write-up. You can find the item in the "Spin Out" section, the mag's guide to nightlife around the country. So here's a big "Jah love" to DJ Wokstar and the Sunday night crew at the Blue Lamp for getting some national buzz.

In other Spin news, the new issue also has a Q&A interview with Ron Artest and a review of his latest album (2 1/2 stars says Spin, "Hey it's nowhere near as bad as 'Shaq Diesel.'")

Posted by cmacias at 3:06 PM | Comments |

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November 8, 2006

The Celine-ization of Britney Spears?

Proponents of Measures Q and R must be singing the blues after yesterday’s smackdown at the voting booth. But over at the Palms in Las Vegas, a coalition would like to get a deal going with the newly single (perhaps ready to mingle) Britney Spears. Here’s a snippet from a story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Palms owner George Maloof, who has developed a close relationship with Spears, made his intentions clear on Tuesday.

"There will always be a standing offer for her to play at the Palms, particularly in our new venue," he said. The 2,500-seat showroom will be completed in the spring.

No deal has been discussed with Spears or her representatives, Maloof said.

Back here in Sac, some of us are wondering what K-Fed’s next move may be. Given that he was a back-up dancer for Justin Timberlake and Spears, how about making him a Royal Court Dancer? He could use the gig.

Posted by cmacias at 2:54 PM | Comments |

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November 7, 2006

A boy named Goo

Confession time: I imported the Goo Goo Dolls to my iPod last night. But let’s first backtrack a bit. My CD collection at home is hopelessly disorganized, and I’m searching and searching for Disc 2 from Echo & the Bunnymen’s box set. (Yeah, I know it should be in the box itself, but like I said, my CDs are hopelessly unorganized). It’s still not popping up anywhere, and then I come across Goo Goo Dolls’ “Hold Me Up.” So here’s the disclaimer: This isn’t the Top 40, all-that’s-wack-about-adult-contemporary Goo Goo Dolls, the bland, I mean "band" behind “Isis” and “Name.” “Hold Me Up” is the Goo Goo Dolls when they recorded for Metal Blade Records (home to King Diamond, Cannibal Corpse, etc.) and sounded more like the Replacements than they probably should have. I was good for those early Goo Goo Dolls, and figured "what the hey” and decided to burn some tracks from “Hold Me Up” to ye ole iPod. Then I started looking for my copy of Goo Goo Dolls’ “Jed.” There’s a track on there called “Road to Salinas” which is reminding me of a couple things right now (one of them being a connection from South Sac’s gangsta rap scene to a certain studio in Salinas). I never did find “Jed,” and decided to add the Replacements' “Let it Be” to the iPod instead. And then there was the iPod quandary: do you burn the whole album or just select tracks? At first I was going to skip a few songs, but for some reason it just didn’t seem right. “Androgynous” was never my favorite cut, but the flow just felt weird for “Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out” to go straight into “Black Diamond.”

So now everything’s updated on the iPod, and I’ve been listening to a lot of Replacements and old-school Goo Goo Dolls today. And when I spin my iPod scroll wheel, the “G” folders look like this: Gang Starr, Genesis (Peter Gabriel-era, not that Phil Collins stuff), Glenn Branca, GnR (Guns N’ Roses), Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day. Works for me.

Posted by cmacias at 2:36 PM | Comments |

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November 6, 2006

Who's got Game?

KBMB (FM 103.5 "The Bomb") is the radio station with Game, as in the Compton-based rapper known as The Game. That's him on the left, flanked by KBMB music director Short-E, during a visit to KBMB's studio on Saturday. The Game is coming back to Sacramento in a couple of days for KBMB's "West Coast Wednesday," and you can hang with the voice behind "Let's Ride" if you're one of those lucky 103rd callers to KBMB. Listen to the station for more info.

In other hip-hop news, my friend and colleague Rachel Leibrock has some scoop about a cool show in tomorrow's "Coming Distractions" column. All I can say is, "Yeah boyeeeee!"

Posted by cmacias at 2:56 PM | Comments |

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November 2, 2006

On second thought ...

Something's looking a little not right in that last post about the "Rock the Bells" hip-hop tour that's listed as coming to Empire on Dec. 15. Unless Empire is double-booking shows, that's the same night that Peaches, the electroclash queen, is slated to perform. Dunno how well Peaches' androngynous and in-your-face show would go over with fans of Redman and Raekwon, so something's probably going to give. We'll keep you posted.

Posted by cmacias at 3:58 PM | Comments |

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November 1, 2006

It's a rap

I love hip-hop, but I'm not digging Ron Artest's new rap CD. It might be better than Chris Webber's "2 Much Drama" CD, but that's not saying much.

On a happier hip-hop note, the "Rock the Bells" tour is coming to Empire on Dec. 15. No, LL Cool J won't be there to declare, "There's no delayin' what I'm sayin' as I'm rockin' you well, rock the bells!" But the tour features Redman (who must be on leave from hocking Right Guard), Raekwon, Keith Murray and Supernatural. DJ Kool will be spinning between acts. Let me clear my throat!

Posted by cmacias at 3:47 PM | Comments |

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