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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« December 2006 | | February 2007 »

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January 30, 2007

Reunited and it feels so good

Did you hear that the Police are reuniting for the Grammy awards on Feb. 11? That's good news for fans of the band, and raise your hand if you're tired of Sting trying to be a snooze-jazz Chaucer. *raises hand* Who knows if this will be a one-night stand or blossom into a full reunion tour with $250 seats and sponsored by a European car company. Stay tuned for more details ...

Posted by cmacias at 1:35 PM | Comments |

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January 29, 2007

Back to the grind

I’m back from a week’s vacation, and my kidneys are currently filtering a strong cup of coffee and two ibuprofen tablets. Last night was Slayer at the Memorial Auditorium and it pretty much ruled. I hadn’t headbanged that hard since, well, probably the last time I saw Slayer. And now I’ve got a slight case of whiplash plus a muffled feeling in my ears, but it was all worth it.

A Slayer gig is a kind of endurance contest. First of all, the night consists of lots of sweaty, shirtless guys with shaved heads bumping into you on the way to and from the mosh pit. And the music is an all-out assault, tunes like “Angel of Death” and “Die By the Sword,” with double-bass drum rhythms like the devil’s own heartbeat and death-crunch guitar riffs. The power from Kerry King’s guitar rig could probably kill any small animal that made the mistake of wandering onstage.

Slayer’s fan base is as intense as the music. The auditorium was fairly full, with lots of dudes (and a few dudettes) yelling, “Slayyyyyyeeer!” Old-school metal heads, young thrashers and anyone else that likes their music loud and t-shirts colored black were digging this concert. But Slayer shows also draw a distinct White Power crowd, like the guy who barrelled out of the mosh pit with the so-called “14 Words” tattooed on his back (“We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”) Also seen on the Memorial’s main floor were a few swastika and “88” tattoos (“88” is White Power-speak for “Heil Hitler”). Yow! Nevermind that Slayer features Tom Araya and Dave Lombardo, two guys with Latino bloodlines. But the Nazi imagery in “Angel of Death” and an official fan club called the Slaytanic Wehrmacht is to blame for this, shall we say, edgy crowd element.

But it was One World Under a Mosh during Slayer’s set. Slamdancers who fell in the pit were always helped up, and while there’s always a lot of pushing and shoving at a Slayer gig, I didn’t see any fights break out. My Partner in Heshing came through like a champ, braving two different mosh pits and battling his way to the front for the closing salvo of “Raining Blood,” “South of Heaven” and “Angel of Death.” He gets a might devil-horns salute for that: \m/ We also wondered if Slayer ate some pre-show grub at 33 Bistro or Mikuni or one of the other bougie joints near 15th and J. You figured that Slayer would prefer to feast on raw meat from the Mendes goat, but they’ve probably got a good per diem on this tour.

So now it’s back to the grind with some upcoming Grammy predictions and some other non-metal material. But my mind is still on the show last night. Something feels very right in the world when Slayer draws better at the Memorial than James Blunt.

\m/

Posted by cmacias at 12:34 PM | Comments |

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January 19, 2007

“Vacation, all I ever wanted/Vacation, had to get away”

BeatNonStop is taking a break from Jan. 22 – 26, but it’ll be on like Chaka Khan once I get back. Stay tuned for some cool stuff coming this way, including Grammy coverage from Los Angeles and a new feature that’ll showcase new songs from around Sacramento.

But now it’s time to finish up a story on the almighty Slayer that runs next Friday, and crank out another piece on a production coming to UC Davis called “The Grey Automobile.” It’s an avant-garde theatre piece that mixes a classic silent film from Mexico, narration in the Japanese benshi tradition and improvised piano music.

But right now I'm feeling bleary eyed and waiting for this caffeine to kick in. I went to the Gloria Trevi gig last night at Tropicana, and it was good times, a real pachanga. The one known as “Mexico’s Madonna” sang her best-known hits (“Pelo Suelto,” “Papa Sin Catsup,” “Todos Me Miran”), shed a few tears when the crowd cheered for her, and even got snippy when a cocktail waitress came to the stage with an honorary tequila shot. Trevi said that she was trying to share some emotions, not just celebrate with tequila. But now it’s back to the grind … thanks for dropping by, and I’ll catch you on the flipside.

Posted by cmacias at 11:10 AM | Comments |

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January 18, 2007

American I-dull

I just didn't know what I was going to do with myself on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. It's simply been separation anxiety from those big red Coke cups, Ford Focus commercials and all those renditions of "Summertime." So I'd sit there all alone on the couch with remote in hand for the last seven months, lonely and waiting for any semblance of that theme that goes "whoa oh-oh oaaah." But praise prime time! "American Idol" is back after its seven-month hiatus.

OK, so I'm just being snarky like Simon Cowell. The truth is that watching these first couple "American Idol" episodes is like sitting through "Red Asphalt," or one of those other ugly flicks from drivers' education class. The early season of "American Idol" is all about the wrecks, the collapses in tone and delusions of grandeur from these would-be Kelly Clarksons and Ruben Studdards. So far it's been pretty awful, especially in the Seattle auditions. Sure, a few golden peanuts could be picked from this pile of contestants. There's the sister-brother team that's on their way to Hollywood after (mostly) wooing the judges. An early plotline is already developing: Will brother stab sister in the back because of competition? Is the stage set for the first ever "American Idol" sibling champions, to be followed by a tour that's like a Donny and Marie extravaganza for the iPod generation? Tune in next week!

By the way, anyone heard from Sylvia Chibility lately? Doesn't the name ring a bell? She was an "American Idol" semi-finalist back on Season 2 and lived in Sacramento. I wonder what she's thinking of the recent compeition, and maybe we'll find out soon. But now it's time to break for a Ford commercial.

Whoa oh-oh oaaah

Posted by cmacias at 10:43 AM | Comments |

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January 17, 2007

Attn: Mixtape DJs

Careful with making those mixtapes because the piracy police may be watching you. DJ Drama, the Atlanta-based mix master known for his “Gangsta Grillz” series, was arrested Tuesday night on piracy charges. A SWAT team was even involved in seizing the contents of DJ Drama’s studio, including 50,000 CDs meant for the mixtape market and computers. One of DJ Drama’s partners, Don Cannon, was also arrested. Check the full report here.

Will DJ Drama’s legal drama have a chilling effect on the mixtape circuit? Underground mixtapes are a key way that rappers develop and maintain street buzz, even if the tracks weren’t cleared by the DJs through proper channels. But to get a sense of who’s really hot in hip-hop, just check the mixtape bodegas in places like Canal Street in New York City. Listeners love them because the mixes are a kind of underground radio, and you usually get to hear the freshest tracks before corporate hip-hop stations put them in rotation. But it’s a whole new game now, and the piracy police are in full enforcement mode. Stay tuned …

Posted by cmacias at 2:02 PM | Comments |

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January 16, 2007

R.I.P. Michael Brecker and Alice Coltrane

For those of you in cubicle-land, hope you’re feeling rested after this three-day weekend. But if you’re a jazz fan, you’re likely still singing the blues with the losses of two notable jazz artists.

Michael Brecker died on Saturday at the age of 57. Brecker was a supreme saxophonist who straddled the worlds of jazz and rock like few artists. You can hear Brecker soaring away on Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” album, and on albums with Frank Zappa, Ringo Starr, James Taylor, Aerosmith and even Donny Osmond. With brother Randy on trumpet, the two led the Brecker Brothers’ forays into funky jazz back in the 1970s. Brecker also played sideman with a who’s-who of modern jazz artists, including Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Horace Silver. But Brecker wasn’t just some king of the hired guns. To get a good taste of Brecker’s flexibility and free-flowing solo style, check out Pat Metheny’s “80/81” album. It features Brecker along with the late Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Together, they improv their way through folksy idioms, free jazz and straight-ahead notes. Think of it as heady jazz with a vibe that’s straight out of the heartland. Brecker's recent bout with myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood disorder, was known widely in jazz circles and he went public to find a stem cell donor. Brecker will very much be missed.

In other jazz obit news, Alice Coltrane died on Friday at the age of 69. She was the wife of the late John Coltrane and a noted pianist in her own right. Alice Coltrane was known for her Eastern sensibilities, spiritual journeys set to music and harmonic complexity. Coltrane replaced the great McCoy Tyner in her husband’s quartet, just as the band was pushing its music into a kind of interstellar overdrive with furious improvisations and boundary-defying arrangements. For an example of Alice Coltrane’s playing, check out the John Coltrane Quintet’s “Live in Japan,” and its infamous version of “My Favorite Things” that jams on and on for nearly an hour. Up in heaven, they're all probably jamming on this now - with Brecker taking some solos of his own.

Posted by cmacias at 12:23 PM | Comments |

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January 12, 2007

King of Da Burbz

What the world needs now is another white rapper, right? So check the new VH1 reality series called “Ego Trip’s The (White) Rapper Show.” Witness the hijinx and dubious rhyme flows from 10 (white) rappers who are vying for a $100,000 prize. MC Serch from 3rd Bass (holler if you remember “The Gas Face” and“Pop Goes the Weasel”) is hosting the show, and is putting them all to the test with hip-hop trivia, rhyme battles and what not.

On a local note, one of the rappers why’s vying for the prize booty is John “King of Da Burbz” Brown from Davis (but now living in Brooklyn). My guess is that Brown is going to get booted (perhaps with a pair of Timberlands) pretty soon because of the non-stop shilling of his rap crew and special gift of annoying everyine on the show. You can peep his MySpace page here.

So is the King of Da Burbz the great white hope, or does he deserve the gas face? Stay tuned ... Word to your mutha.

Posted by cmacias at 12:40 PM | Comments |

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January 11, 2007

Stop, Grammy time

The Grammy Awards are coming on Feb. 11, and preparations are underway. Windy acceptance speeches are being written by would-be winners, divas are getting fitted for their Grammy night couture ... and the first round of presenters and performers are officially on board. Samuel "Snakes on a Plane" Jackson, Terence "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" Howard, and the one-named pop stars known as Pink and Rihanna will be among those saying "and the Grammy goes to ..." from the presenters' podium.

49th Grammy Awards performers include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyonce, Dixie Chicks and Gnarls Barkley. I'd also bet $5 that there will be some kind of tribute to James Brown, and a speech by the president of the Recording Industry Association of America that will leave viewers scrambling for the remote control. BTW, it will officially be the best Grammy awards ever if heavy metal nominees Slayer get to perform.

Posted by cmacias at 11:48 AM | Comments |

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January 10, 2007

Anyone want to buy an amphitheater?

And in this latest bit of Sleep Train Amphitheatre news, the Bee is reporting today that the venue is up for sale. It’s all part of a strategy by Live Nation, the company formerly known as Clear Channel which owns and operates the amphitheater, to sell venues in some of its smaller markets. According to Pollstar, the trade publication which tracks the concert industry, the Sleep Train Amphitheatre reported a combined attendance of 120,274 in 2006, ranking the venue No. 51 out of the Top 100 amphitheaters in North America.

The ampitheater has hosted shows ranging from the Who to Britney Spears and Snoop Dogg since opening six years ago. But locals have long griped about having to drive to the boondocks of Yuba County – a 45-minute trek from downtown Sacramento – to see concerts there, and the parking mess that follows many of the bigger shows. It’ll be interesting to see how this sale shapes up, but in the meantime the show goes on with scheduled appearances by Gwen Stefani (June 18) and Brad Paisley (May 19).

Posted by cmacias at 12:24 PM | Comments |

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January 9, 2007

Zzzz ... huh!?

Sorry about that. The late-afternoon crash is kicking in, so let's talk about the Sleep Train Amphitheatre's upcoming season. As my friend and colleague Rachel Leibrock reports in today's Coming Distractions, Gwen Stefani will perform at the good 'ol Sleep Train Amphitheatre on June 18 and tickets go on sale Feb. 10.

And you country fans, here's something to perk you up: Brad Paisley will headline this amphitheater near Marysville on May 19. No word yet on ticket prices, so stay tuned, ya hear?

In non-sleepy news, here's a belated David Bowie birthday mix. The man himself turned 60 yesterday, and BeatNonStop had a post in honor of "The Man Who Sold the World." But let's just say that we had some technical problems yesterday and we were floating in a cyberspace abyss like Major Tom.

Anyway, here's the honorary "Bowie Turns 60" mix. Play in this order:

“Golden Years”
“Memory of a Free Festival”
“The Man Who Sold the World”
“Space Oddity”
“Hang on to Yourself”
“Let’s Dance”
“Fame”
“Moonage Daydream”
“Life on Mars”
“Ashes to Ashes”
“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”
“Rebel Rebel”
“Young Americans”
“God Knows I’m Good”
“Rock and Roll Suicide”

Posted by cmacias at 4:46 PM | Comments |

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January 4, 2007

The results are in ...

Sales of digital music are stronger than ever, while overall album sales continue to slump. So sayeth the year-end report from Nielsen Soundscan, the music tracking service that keeps tabs on this kind of stuff.

Total album sales were 588.2 million, down from 618.9 million in 2005 (a 4.9% drop). But check out these numbers on digital music sales: more than 581 million songs were downloaded (legally, that is), which is up from 352.7 million downloads in 2005 (a 65% increase); Digital album sales were up a whopping 101% (32.6 million, up from 16.2 million in 2005).

2006 was also a Texas-sized year for country music. Rascal Flatts was the top selling artist of 2006, logging more than 4.9 million in album sales. The No. 2 spot went to the Man in Black – Johnny Cash, that is – who sold more than 4.8 million albums. Rascal Flatts had the No. 2 selling album of 2006 (3.4 million copies of “Me and My Gang”) but were denied the top spot by that pesky “High School Musical Soundtrack” (3.7 million).

Other interesting factoids include the spike in sales for classical music, which was up 22.5% over 2005. Rap music sales fell by 20%, and that snoozy “new age” genre saw a 22% drop from 2005. And the top selling ringtone of 2006 was “Smack That” by Akon. Excellent …

So here you go, the Top 10 selling artists and albums of 2006:

ALBUMS

1. “High School Musical” soundtrack (3,719,071)
2. “Me and My Gang,” Rascal Flatts (3,479,994)
3. “Some Hearts,” Carrie Underwood (3,015,950)
4. “All the Right Reasons,” Nickelback (2,688,166)
5. “Futuresex/Lovesounds,” Justin Timberlake (2,377,127)
6. “Back to Bedlam,” James Blunt (2,137,142)
7. “B’day,” Beyonce (2,010,311)
8. “Hannah Montana” soundtrack (1,987,681)
9. “Taking the Long Way,” Dixie Chicks (1,856,284)
10. “Extreme Behavior,” Hinder (1,817,350)

ARTISTS

1. Rascal Flatts (4,970,640)
2. Johnny Cash (4,826,320)
3. Nickelback (3,160,025)
4. Carrie Underwood (3,016,123)
5. Beatles (2,812,720)
6. Tim McGraw (2,657,675)
7. Andrea Bocelli (2,524,681)
8. Mary J. Blige (2,485,897)
9. Keith Urban (2,442,577)
10. Justin Timberlake (2,437,763)

Posted by cmacias at 1:00 PM | Comments |

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January 3, 2007

Memories, light the corner of my mind

Yes, it seems like this blog has focused either on James Brown or Tower Records lately, but hey, no need to trip. One reader wants to keep those thoughts of Tower Records going and has started a Tower Records Memories blog and could use some contributions. Check it out and post your recollections, photos and whatnot.

p.s. Now playing: "New Day Rising," Husker Du

Posted by cmacias at 4:07 PM | Comments |

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January 2, 2007

What's up, 2007

Happy new year to you all. And for those of you who are back to work, I hope that third cup of coffee is getting your bearings back after this holiday weekend of champagne toasts and maybe the wearing of a lampshade or two.

Speaking of this weekend, did anybody out there catch James Brown’s funeral on Saturday via CNN? I don’t know about you, but that’s the only funeral footage that I’d actually want to buy on DVD. $34.99 on QVC? Sign me up! What a sight that was, with the Godfather of Soul lying in state while his present and former band members played on a stage above him and aimed their funky sounds all the way to heaven. Hearing “I Know You Got Soul” with Bootsy Collins on bass and Bobby Byrd on lead vocals was pure euphoria, the perfect eulogy for Soul Brother No. 1. Whew!

So did everyone get on the good foot for New Year’s Eve? It sounded like a classic rockin’ time was had over in Old Sacramento with Rogue and the Frank Hannon Band. And yes they played “Free Bird,” and I’m sure a few lighters were held high in salute. Here’s a report from one partygoer:

“It was an awesome New Year's Eve party at Waterfront Park in Old Sacramento …The guys in Rogue engaged in their own brand of rock and roll as well as a few covers from Led Zeppelin and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Rogue also invited Frank Hannon for a couple of songs including the Rare Earth cover of ‘I Just Want to Celebrate.’

The Frank Hannon band took the stage and rocked us into the new year with classics such as “Frankenstein” by Edgar Winter and “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers, as well as some original material. Frank displayed his respect for yesterday’s artists by striking each note the way it was intended and never once overlooking a bar.

Frank Hannon invited the guys from Rogue to end the show with a monumental rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Freebird.’ If you love rock and roll then you left that show knowing you just saw one of the greatest rock shows of the year.

Thank you guys, you did Sacramento proud!”

Charles Pasillas
Sacramento

Posted by cmacias at 1:54 PM | Comments |

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