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.

BACK TO THE BEATNONSTOP HOME PAGE

« April 2007 | | June 2007 »

---

May 31, 2007

The Goldrush keeps going ...

I've had my share of fun assignments – writing and hobnobbing at the Grammys, hanging out with the Deftones in New York City – but one of my favorite stories was a series about the local band Forever Goldrush. This was back in 2001, when I joined the band for 10 days on the road. So I loaded up my laptop and a duffel bag full of clothes and was a passenger in their stinky Ford van (a.k.a. “The White Buffalo”). We left midtown Sacramento on an overcast morning in March, headed to Flagstaff, then Tucson and the end of the road was the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. That 10-day trip was full of some seriously fun times, even when we got locked out of the White Buffalo on a chilly evening in Las Cruces, N.M. The guys in Forever Goldrush were really cool, and boy, could they play.

Like most bands, it just wasn’t meant to last. Guitarist Josh Lacey and drummer Nate Gonzalez left Forever Goldrush a few months after we got back from Austin. The band continued on with a different line-up – and Josh eventually came back – but Forever Goldrush was pretty much done by 2002. The band played a few gigs after that, but everyone went their separate ways. Singer Damon Wyckoff moved back to his native Amador County to raise a family, Mason and Josh play in a band called The Regulars, though Josh now lives in North Carolina. Last I heard about Nate was that he was working in a tattoo shop down in Hollywood.

But I got word from Mason and Josh that Forever Goldrush is going to throw a reunion show on Aug. 18 at Old Ironsides. It’s actually going to be a CD release party for a Forever Goldrush album that’s been sitting in the vaults all this time. This will be more of a one-off reunion than a “we’re getting the band back together!” kind of show, but it’ll be good to see all the guys again. And it’ll be even better that we won’t be living off a few hours of sleep and a steady diet of beef jerky and Gatorade.

Posted by cmacias at 12:08 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 30, 2007

More Tesla info.

So I've been getting calls and e-mails - and one guy even asked me at the Killers concert last night - about what time Tesla's show starts Thursday night. Looks like this info. didn't run in the online version of my Tesla interview that ran Sunday, but here's the deal - and with newly updated info, natch:

- Cesar Chavez Plaza (10th and J streets) will open at 5 p.m.
- Bullets and Romance, the opening band, perform at 5:45.
- Tesla will go on around 7 p.m. and play for an hour, maximum. Most of the songs will come from the band's new album of cover tunes, "Real to Reel," but expect a few time-honored Tesla classics as well.

So there you go ... and check www.sacbee.com on Friday for some multi-media footage from the show. Rock on ... \m/

Posted by cmacias at 12:35 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 29, 2007

The original "Delta Dawn"

Well, it looks like the wayward whales - a.k.a. Delta and Dawn - are going to make it to sea. Now I don't know about you, but whenever I hear about Delta and Dawn the lyrics from the song "Delta Dawn" start swimming in my head ("Delta Dawn, what's the flower you have on ...").

"Delta Dawn" is a country tune made popular in the early 1970s by Tanya Tucker and Helen Reddy, and though it has nothing to do with sea creatures or 40-ton mammals, the song seems oh-so special right now. The YouTube video above shows a 13-year-old Tanya Tucker performing "Delta Dawn," and given the celebratory spirit 'round these parts, we'll overlook that goatlike vibrato when she belts, "from days gone byyyy." Check it out ...

Posted by cmacias at 11:58 AM | Comments |

---

---

May 25, 2007

Let the "Rain" come

Maybe there's something in the water in the Grass Valley/Nevada City area. Musicians from those parts have been representing big time on "Sunday Single," and this week continues the trend. So meet D'arcana, a prog-rock band from Nevada City and check out their song, "Rain." Here's a little more on D'arcana and their music.

D'ARCANA
Song: "Rain"
Style: Melodic, progressive rock with soothing overtones and plenty of guitar solos.
Influences: Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, the Who.
Story behind the song: "There's a group of women in Nevada City called the' Women in Black,'" says Jay Tausig, the singer and guitarist for D'arcana. "They're anti-war protestors but they don't do anything but stand around and dress in black. I saw them standing on the bridge over Highway 49 and it struck me as a silent, but very profound statement about the loss of people that we love. The song sort of happened that night. I was thinking about these women, silently expressing their grief and sorrow."

To hear "Rain" click on the button below:

On the Web: www.darcana.com or www.myspace.com/darcana

Posted by cmacias at 9:03 AM | Comments |

---

---

May 24, 2007

Not mad, just bored

So the new "American Idol" has been crowned and – big surprise! – Jordin Sparks is the Queen Bee of Season 6. But I’m sure you knew this already. As for me, I'm glad that this latest "American Idol" juggernaut is in the books … well, at least until the "American Idols Live" concert extravaganza comes to Arco Arena on July 25.

In yesterday’s Bee, my pal and colleague Rick Kushman wrote a column about the validity of “American Idol”-mania, and says that us haters need to start “letting go of the anger.” Well, I wouldn’t say that “American Idol” makes me so mad that a vein pops out of my forehead or anything. To me, “American Idol” is simply played out, more formulaic and boring than anything. Recent ratings for “American Idol” show that others may be feeling this way, too.

It’s not that I’ve been down on “American Idol” since Day 1. I was pretty much hooked on the first season, and, yes, I even phoned in some votes because, you know, it would’ve been soooo lame if that goofy Justin Guarini beat Kelly Clarkson. I was also a regular viewer for the second season, but after that, I’ve just tuned in less and less. By this latest season, I was barely viewing in bits and pieces. The reason is that “American Idol” has become too predictable: the feigned fights between the judges, the ever-present red Coke cups, the embarrassing Ford Focus commercials. And Lord help me if I have to hear one more power ballad again …

“American Idol” still remains hugely popular, but mass appeal doesn’t mean something is inherently good. Think of it this way: Milli Vanilli and Vanilla Ice sold millions of records, but does that mean they were great by any standards? And hey, how about that Hootie and the Blowfish. As for “American Idol,” its legacy will be that it produced a handful of superstars – some “American Idol” winners are even struggling with their careers - and more also-rans to fill People magazine’s “Where Are they Now?” features for the next few decades. By the way, anyone heard from Justin Guarini lately?

Posted by cmacias at 12:12 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 22, 2007

A Legendary night

Are you feeling iffy about splurging for tickets to John Legend concert tonight at the Memorial Auditorium? Well fear not, those who live for freebies and "American Idol" addicts who will certainly be glued to the TV tonight.

Just got word that John Legend will be hosting a "meet and greet" at downtown's Hard Rock Cafe starting at 10 tonight. That time sounds a little early to me, but it's definitely best to be on the safe side and get there early. Legend will sign autographs and meet fans, and, who knows, with enough prodding maybe he could be convinced to do a solo version of "Ordinary People." For more information: (916) 441-5591.

Posted by cmacias at 3:33 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 21, 2007

Just wondering ...

Did anyone make it to the surprise Mark Curry show at Old Ironsides last night? I'm wondering how it went, so feel free to leave a comment or send an e-mail to cmacias@sacbee.com.

Posted by cmacias at 4:18 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 18, 2007

Boogie nights

This week's "Sunday Single" is a club banger called "2Nights My Night" by Adam Aldama, the R&B singer known as Sizzle. The beat is an interplolation of a Snoop Dogg track, but the singing is all Sizzle. You can read more about him and the song in this Sunday's Ticket+. For now, here's a taste of Sizzle and his song.

Adam Aldama (a.k.a. Sizzle)
Song: "2Nights My Night"
Influences: Baby Bash, South Park Mexican, his grandmother. ("She was like my mom," says Aldama. "She liked music a lot and put me in the church choir.")
Quote: "I want to be real with people. I'm not a hard-core gangster rapper. I'm more of a saucy cat, a little player dude, like, 'Hey girl, what's up?' I just make music that relates to me. I'm a good person to be around. I'm not a negative person."

Click on the button below to hear "2Nights My Night":

Posted by cmacias at 8:26 AM | Comments |

---

---

May 17, 2007

Cuban Sol

Here’s one of the more intriguing hip-hop shows to come to Sacramento in some time. “Las Mujeres de Hip Hop Cuban” goes down on Friday night at Sol Collective (2010 Del Paso Blvd.), and in case you can’t translate the name of the show, this gig will feature some of the funkiest and freshest female rappers from Cuba. The hip-hop scene in Cuba is especially interesting because it provides a rare outlet for youth culture in a country that asks its citizens to toe the party line. And even though the price of a single record in Cuba costs about a single month’s salary, the country has spawned an active hip-hop scene with rappers and producers. Cuba’s rap scene was explored in a documentary called, “Inventos: Hip Hop Cubano,” but Friday’s show is a rare chance to experience Cuba’s hip-hop in a way that’s all the way live. The show starts at 8 p.m. and check www.solcollective.com for more information.

Posted by cmacias at 3:08 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 15, 2007

Make it an "American Hardcore" night

The soundtrack to “American Hardcore” has pulled me through quite a few deadlines over the last six months or so. It’s a documentary about the hardcore punk scene circa 1980 – 1986, and its righteous soundtrack features classic tracks by Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Middle Class and about two dozen others. I’m telling ya, a blast of “I Remember” by MDC is perfect to get that adrenaline pumping. But I hadn’t seen the movie until last night, and checked it out after a trip to Blockbuster.

The opening segments of “American Hardcore” are fairly basic (Ronald Reagan = bad; teen angst = good) and could’ve dug a little deeper about why there was such a need for guitar speed in the hardcore punk scene. The film definitely gets better as it unfolds, and focuses tight on the major scenes of the time, especially Los Angeles and Boston. Members from most of the major hardcore bands are represented (Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat/Teen Idles, H.R. of Bad Brains, Jack Grisham of TSOL, Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn of Black Flag, etc. etc.). Much of the live footage is a blast, with bodies and band members slamming around, and the clips of SS Decontrol and Die Kreuzen simply slayed.

The documentary doesn’t give much space for San Francisco’s scene, except for brief bits on Flipper and the Mabuhay Gardens (a.k.a. “the Fab Mab”), which was a home base for Northern California’s hardcore faithful. Too bad the Dead Kennedys were pretty much looked over in the film.

“American Hardcore” does feature a couple of Sacramento connections. Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds, who continues to record and run midtown’s True Love Coffeehouse, gets a snippet of interview time and waxes about hardcore’s early days. (He’s the guy pictured above). And one montage of classic fliers shows a handbill from a D.O.A./Circle Jerks show at the Crest Theatre (Sacto. punk legends Tales of Terror were also on that bill).

So “American Hardcore” was pretty good overall, but nothing earth shattering as far as music movies go. For now, I’m still swearing by 1981’s “The Decline of Western Civilization” as the most punker-than-thou documentary.

Posted by cmacias at 6:05 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 14, 2007

R.I.P. Groovie Ghoulies

The Groovie Ghoulies, one of Sacramento's great punk exports, have apparently called it a day. The band's music was like a nonstop sugar rush of pop-punk, fueled by bowls of Count Chocula cereal and joyous amounts of Ramones-styled riffage. The Groovie Ghoulies debuted in the mid-1980s and released an EP or full-length album in just about every year of its existence. Take that, slackers. The Groovie Ghoulies were also a venerable touring machine and a huge supporter of Sacramento's music scene, and darnit, they are very much going to be missed.

The picture above shows the Ghoulies in happier days and with its final line-up (from left to right: Roach, Kepi and Scampi). Here's the Ghoulies' good-bye message:

Dear Ghoulie Family,

It is with deep regret and sorrow that we must inform you that we have parted ways as a band for personal reasons.

We thank you for your tireless love and support over the years and encourage you to continue to support the bands we have played with in Sacramento and beyond.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to respond to any messages sent to our MySpace account. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.

Again, we are deeply grateful for all the love you have shown us.

Love,
the Ghoulies

Posted by cmacias at 2:46 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 11, 2007

Trip on this

Enjae is the nom de music for Natalie Barry, the singer and songwriter for this round of “Sunday Single.” Her song is called “Who Am I,” and it’s a dreamy bit of trip-hop in the vein of Portishead and Morcheeba. Dig on those fluid basslines and Enjae’s torchy vocals. Here's a little more about Enjae and the song:

ENJAE
Song: “Who Am I”
Style: Trip-hop, torch music with an electronic touch
Her influences: “This is going to sound weird, but Geddy Lee. I was a big Rush fan for a long time and liked to sing his high vocals. Ann Wilson (of Heart), Nina Simone and Grace Jones are also big influences.”
Story behind the song: “The song comes from a point in my life when I felt like I was being pulled in a dozen different directions. Am I identified as a musician, a mother, a poet, a wife? Which hat do I wear? So the song is about being inside my mind.”

Click the button to hear "Who Am I":

On the Web: www.myspace.com/enjae

Posted by cmacias at 8:02 AM | Comments |

---

---

May 10, 2007

I hear dead people

The fine folks at Twelves Wax are taking over Harlow’s tonight (2708 J St.) with a “Musical Tribute to the Fallen Soldiers.” DJs Epik, Fooders and Rock Bottom will be spinning tracks from artists who have passed on, so it’ll be a funky sort of memorial for musicians who died from a variety of reasons:

By accident (Aaliyah, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes)
By violence (Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Mac Dre)
By illness (Luther Vandross, Eazy-E)
By ham sandwich (Mama Cass Elliot)

Ok, so the DJs probably won’t spin any Mamas & the Papas (and the ham sandwich thing is an urban legend, anyway), but you’ll probably never had such a good time being surrounded by music from dead people. The cover is just $2, and the channeling of the spirits starts at 10 p.m.

Posted by cmacias at 2:23 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 9, 2007

In the mix

Speaking of records, I was just checking out the upcoming calendar at The Park and holy Technics 1200s! They’ve got some great DJs coming through, including A-Trak on May 24. This Canadian mixmaster is best known now as Kanye West's DJ, but for those of us who’ve been tracking the turntablism scene, we remember A-Trak when he was but a young wunderkind on the “wheels of steel.” Back in the late-1990s, A-Trak was something like the Doogie Howser of scratching. He was a world DJ champion at the tender age of 15, and was invited to join the mother-of-all scratch DJ crews, the Invisbl Skratch Pikz. I remember seeing A-Trak in San Francisco around 1997 or so in a little spot called Cat’s Alley. The place was swamped with turntablism fans and DJs alike trying to get a look at this kid sensation. And yeah, A-Trak lived up to the hype with these ridiculous scratch patterns that made everyone think, “Zhigga whaaat?!” So here’s A-Trak all these years later, all grown up and DJing for Kanye “we want pre-nup!” West. Be sure to chickitty check it out when A-Trak comes to The Park.

But even A-Trak bows down to the almighty Grandmaster Flash, who’s coming to The Park on June 7. Grandmaster Flash pioneered so many of the mixing and scratching tricks that are now standard to DJing. Grandmaster Flash didn’t invent scratching – that credit goes to Grand Wizzard Theodore – but Grandmaster Flash was integral in bringing that zhigga zhigga sound to the mainstream. Grandmaster Flash (with the Furious Five) is also behind some of hip-hop’s most classic tracks - “The Message” and “White Lines” – and it was righteous that Flash and his crew were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame this year. And yes, Grandmaster Flash can still rock a party like few others.

Other DJs on deck at The Park (15th and L streets) include Donald Glaude on May 17 (saw him at Coachella a few years back and he rocked it), the legend of Chicago house music known as DJ Sneak on May 24 (always dug his remix of “Five Fathoms” by Everything But the Girl) and mister mash-up himself, DJ AM, on June 21.

Posted by cmacias at 1:41 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 7, 2007

As the 'tables turn

Yes, I still love vinyl records. And ditto, I still swear by my Technics 1200 turntables. So I was curious to see how the new incarnation of Records (1618 Broadway) was shaping up since the move from its K St. haunts. The outside was a bit of a construction zone when I popped in a few days ago, and had to wait for some woodworking to be finished before I walked in.

At first it felt a little disorienting to step in this former Tower Video outlet on Broadway and not see shelves full of DVDs. But I was greeted by an original pressing of the “Beat Street” soundtrack in a bin of recent arrivals near the front door. Ah yes, let the record shopping commence.

This new incarnation of Records is much smaller than its K St. digs, which once boasted more than 3,500 square feet of floor space and another 3,550 square feet of dusty vinyl heaven in the basement. Owner Kevin Hartman guesstimated that a half-million records were housed there, and had to be boxed up for the move. Ugh!

Many of those records were sent to an offsite storage space, but the good stuff was cherry-picked for Records’ new home. Boxes of vinyl albums were still being opened and filling up the racks. And there was plenty of good digging to be had, especially with the ridiculous amount of 45 singles stored under the album bins. I could’ve spent all afternoon there – always the sign of a good record store – but nabbed an armload of albums and knew this would be the first of many trips to Records. I just know a 45 single of “Girls It Ain’t Easy” by Honey Comb has got to be there somewhere, right?

Here’s some of what I scored:

- “Walking in L.A.,” Missing Persons (45 single)
- “Hot For Teacher/Panama,” Van Halen (one of the great 45 singles for '80s hard rock)
- “Right Thurr,” Chingy (12 single; on the Disturbing Tha Peace label)
- “Down to Earth,” Monie Love (full album, but bought it for “Monie in the Middle”)
- “No Vaseline,” Ice Cube (green vinyl; released in conjunction with the movie “Beef”)
- “Bossy,” Kelis (12 single)
“Here I Go Again,” Whitesnake (45 single; essential for any hair-metal themed party)
- "Upstairs at Eric's," Yaz (full album; used to have this but loaned it out and never got it back. You know how it goes ...)

Posted by cmacias at 4:09 PM | Comments |

---

---

May 4, 2007

Don't let the smooth taste fool you

"Sunday Single" takes a second straight trip to Nevada City's music scene. But this time we feature the smooth R&B vocal sounds of "Without Your Love" by Lorraine Gervais. The tune also features Roger Smith, keyboardist for Tower of Power and smooth jazz star from Sacramento.

LORRAINE GERVAIS
Song: "Without Your Love"
Style: Smooth jazz, “quiet storm” R&B
Her influences: "Everyone from Sarah Vaughan to Chaka Khan; Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin."
Story behind the song: "It was written about a girlfriend of mine who was leaving a relationship. I'd experienced the same thing, that you leave someone, get your act together and keep going."
See her: May 25th at Piatti’s Summer Jazz Series (571 Pavilions Ln.)
On the Web: www.lorrainegervais.com

To hear the song, click on the button below:

Posted by cmacias at 10:21 AM | Comments |

---

---

May 1, 2007

Mystery of the purple chongo: Solved

N2Deep’s “Back to the Hotel” is one hip-hop track from the early 1990s that always gets me hyped when it gets spun in the club. It’s a classic piece of NorCal rap with a saxophone sample that drips with ominous cool (and also used in “Rump Shaker” by Wreckx-N-Effect), plus some lyrics about getting a little wild on a Friday night. N2Deep hailed from Vallejo, and the song put “V-Town” on the map before E-40, Mac Dre and Mac Mall blew up nationally. What is it about the home of Marine World that leads to so much hip-hop flavor?

Anyway, there’s a line in “Back to the Hotel” that always mystified me: “In the back, sippin’ purple chongos.” So I figured the “purple chongo” was some kind of drink, but what goes into this elixir? Now, Vallejo artists are known for supplying hip-hop with a bunch of its slang, so act like you know when you say “it’s all good” or “fo’ sheezy.” Like E-40 declared in “Tell Me When To Go,” he comes from “the soil where them rappers be gettin’ their lingo from.” But I still wanted the recipe and/or definition of a purple chongo.

I finally got the answer when I interviewed Baby Bash yesterday. Though the Latino rap sensation mostly lives in Houston now, Baby Bash was raised in Vallejo and paid his musical dues in a group called Latino Velvet, featuring James “Jay Tee” Trujillo of N2Deep. So who better to ask, “what the heck is a purple chongo?”

“It’s vodka and grape Kool-Aid,” says Baby Bash. “You know how it is in Vallejo. We come up with all kinds of words.”

So there it is, a perfect party drink for the summer that’ll turn your tongue purple. I’ll whip up a batch – and hope that a drunken Kool-Aid man doesn’t come crashing through the wall – for an upcoming party. Speaking of fiestas, Baby Bash performs on Sunday at KSFM’s Cinco de Mayo concert at Discovery Park. You can read more about him in Friday’s Ticket section, but the show is already sold out. Stay home and sip on some purple chongos instead.

Posted by cmacias at 3:54 PM | Comments |

---