Michael Alago is a true inspiration and amazing individual. His story on how he grew up in the New York City underground music scene to becoming one of the most influential and ground breaking people in the music industry was captured in the documentary "Who The F**k Is That Guy". Michael talks about some of his all time favorite songs in this weeks edition of "Five For Friday" but first watch the trailer for the film which is currently streaming on Netflix.
Alice Cooper "Hello Horray"
June 3, 1973 was my first concert ever. I was 13 years old and it was the last night of the Billion Dollar Babies tour for the Alice Cooper band at Madison Square Garden. This opening number and the whole theatricality of it all altered the course of my entire life.
Lou Reed "Rock 'N' Roll Animal"
In 1974 I got my hands on a copy of Lou Reed "Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal" which is probably one of the more awesome live recordings ever. Never mind that listening to the intro of the song "Sweet Jane" totally blew my mind. Steve Hunter was the guitarist that played the solo on that tune and was a force to be reckoned with. I think I played that song the entire year.
Todd Rundgren "Hello it’s Me"
I heard this tune on the radio in the 70s and hearing his voice for the first time blew me away. There was a yearning quality
in it that made me want to hear more of that voice and his music so I purchased the double album "Something/ Anything". The album artwork had a gate fold sleeve and I studied every aspect of it over and over. The songs, personnel, production
I wanted to absorb everything about this recording. Remember Todd is God.
Blue Öyster Cult "Don't Fear The Reaper"
At first listen this could’ve been sung by the Beach Boys but of course it was way too dark. I was completely taken by the song the moment I heard it because it didn’t sound like anything else that was being played on Classic Rock radio. There was this grand and emotional sweep to the entire production. The rich harmonies were just so beautiful that i immediately went to my local record shop in Brooklyn and purchased the album "Agents of Fortune". I was now hooked on Blue Öyster Cult.
Aretha Franklin "Respect"
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. In my youth I listened to a lot of Dan Ingram on 77 WABC radio. This might’ve been the first time I heard Aretha and it was the voice of God,the voice of an angel singing like no other. R-E-S-P-E-C-T and sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me! Produced by Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin engineered by Tom Dowd. Man oh man it don’t get no better than this. EVER!
Soundtracking a potentially impending man-made end of the world scenario and the despair and revolt of our time through a doomgaze/punk aesthetic; an ‘Astral Tide’ could be defined as a massive flow of energy soaring through space. The opening line of the new record “Freezing you out in this ice age, colder still on every page” and the following five brutally dark, ethereal songs confirm the tide this group are channelling is desperately bleak and apocalyptic, and it’s heading straight for us.
Vocalist/Bassist Matthew Potter shares some of his favorite videos in this weeks edition of "Five For Friday" but first enjoy the E.P.'s first single "Cold Dark" which is available today from all major digital music outlets or as a "name your price" download at www.astraltide.bandcamp.com
David Bowie - "Where Are We Now"
I moved to Berlin just after this was dropped so it reminds me of then, it was an earworm I seemed to carry around the city with me for a long while. I still can't hear the words "Potsdamer Platz" or "KaDeWe" without the lines playing through my head.
Cardiacs - "To Go Off And Things"
Simply the mother of all music videos.
Deep Fried Divas - "Couldn't Give a Shit"
The solo project of Michael from Droem/And Yet It Moves, the video includes footage of our studio building and the surroundings.
NOFX - "Stickin' in My Eye"
NOFX were my favourite band for many years growing up and Fat Mike helped to inspire me to pick up the bass and sing.
Mr. Tai von Sternenstaub - "1000 Rote Rosen"
Another friend Taishi from Cozmik Onion Express 2.91414/Fat White Family having a go at making a German Schlager tune, with fantastic results.
James Gerard has been writing and recording with various bands and projects in the Northeastern Ohio area for the better part of fifteen years. His sophomore release, 'You Begin Where I End' is a confidently expansive second chapter for the Ohio-based singer/songwriter. Over the course of the album’s ten tracks, James expands his brand of moody, lyrically driven Indie-Folk, embracing a variety of textures and tones. For this week’s edition of “Five for Friday”, James shares his thoughts on some of his favorite songs but first enjoy his song "You Begin Where I End".
Ben Howard - End Of The Affair
While Howard had been on my peripheral for quite some time, I had initially dismissed him as just another run-of-the-mill singer-songwriter; that is until I heard this song. The first single from his second album I Forget Where We Were, “End Of The Affair” is the perfect representation of everything Howard does. The song begins with his somber, effects-laden acoustic, slowly building upon his perfectly understated Bon Iver by-way-of Nick Drake croon until about halfway through when the whole thing explodes into a frenzy of feedback and cymbals, culminating with a reverb-drenched Howard screaming through his guitar pick-up "What the hell, love?”
Miles Davis - Right Off
The first side of Miles’ Tribute To Jack Johnson, the twenty-six minute “Right Off” features a young John McLaughlin absolutely decimating the proceedings along with Davis and the rest of his band, a 'who's who' of the day's best session players. By this point in time (1971) Miles was no longer content to merely flirt with blending disparate genres; the man was defiantly all in. While history remembers In A Silent Way and the unparalleled Bitches Brew as his hallmark electric albums, for my money ‘Jack Johnson is where Miles and his band were the most dialed in to their sound. This song, in particular, is Miles at his most brazen, literally crafting the foundation for an entire genre (fusion) over the course of this recording.
Matthew Good - Non Populus
My favorite song from what is probably my all-time favorite album. Matthew Good is something of a Canadian institution, and over the years he has gracefully transformed from a 90’s alt-rock-hero-from-yesteryear into a currently relevant and prolific solo-artist. And nowhere has he pushed the envelope of his sound more than on the criminally under-appreciated Lights Of Endangered Species. ‘Lights is a heavily orchestrated mash-up of jazz, folk, and rock, and “Non Populus” perfectly sums up the entire mood of the record. Built around a droning motif that slowly builds over the course of the song’s eight plus minute running time, the largely instrumental “Non Populus” is the sound of an unbridled artist working free of concession to anyone but himself.
Poe - Spanish Doll
Remember her? Don’t feel bad if you don’t, as her career was merely a brief flash of brilliance from which she inexplicably walked away. Another 90’s alt-rock ‘one hit wonder’ who seemed destined at one point to mirror the creative path of a certain Polly Jean Harvey, Poe released her masterpiece House Of Leaves (somewhat a spiritual companion to the cult horror novel by the same name written by her brother, Mark Z. Danielewski) and then promptly retreated into anonymity. House Of Leaves is brilliant. When you are done reading this, you should immediately go and listen to it. And this song, ripe with self-effacing sincerity, contains one of my favorite vocal performances ever.
R.E.M. - The Sweetness Follows
In some ways, Michael Stipe was almost the quintessential anti-frontman. While my fifteen-year-old self knew that without a shadow of a doubt that I was never going to be the next DLR, there was a small piece of me that dared to dream that I might someday have a shot at being the next Michael Stipe. I know it’s probably blasphemy at this point, but for all the charm of the IRS years, I feel like Automatic For The People is where the band was at its artistic peak. This song, a droning, contemplative dirge, is essentially the heart of the record. From the feedback-induced guitar solo to the complete lack of percussion, the song achieves an undeniably potent tone with its pairing of Stipe’s rich, contemplative vocal and one of the band’s most sparse arrangements.
New York City based Pilot To Gunner have been making their own brand of melodic post punk since 1998 releasing three incredible albums along the way. I recently had the pleasure of seeing them live for first time in several years and they are as energetic and powerful as ever. The band will be recording a new album soon, with producer J Robbins behind the board. vocalist/guitarist Scott Padden shares some of his favorite songs in this weeks edition of "Five For Friday" but first enjoy PTG's "All The Lights" from their 2012 album "Guilty Guilty".
“SAVORY” -- JAWBOX
So when I was in school, I would sell CDs to the record stores for money to buy beer and records. I was looking through the 7inches at Tones Basement in Burlington, VT, and I saw a Jawbox/Edsel split. No idea why, but I bought it. I really don’t remember. Oh wait. It might’ve been a joint Dischord release? “Savory” is no longer even in my top 20 Jawbox songs, but that’s like saying that you took a non-mind-blowing bite of the mind-blowingest cake ever baked. So that split got me into both Jawbox and Edsel, because I was playing bass at time and the bass playing in both of those bands was just so, so, so good.
When Marty joined the band, we handed him Jawbox’s “Sweetheart” and Edsel’s “Speed Hypnosis” records and told him to learn those songs and let them be his guide. He, at the time, would often get a beer at this bar on 5th, and this dude Jeff would usually be there after work as well. So after we gave Marty the CDs, he told Jeff about it. Turns out, and Marty had no idea, Jeff was the bass player in Edsel.
And then of course we’ve had the incredible fortune of working with J, and I could write pages about that, about becoming friends with him and Janet, them being on our records, and HOLY SHIT I ALMOST FORGOT – the other day his son Cal told him PTG is his favorite band. I don’t care about anything else. That kid, and all the benefit shows in his name that took place all over the world, is living proof that the best aspects of the punk rock ideal are real.
“FAT LIP” – ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT
Drive Like Jehu would’ve been too easy here. When I worked at Warner Music, we’d trade CDs with people at other labels and “Scream Dracula Scream” was sitting in a pile in the fax room. Yeah, fine, fax room. I’m old as shit. Whatever. I knew that someone from DLJ was in RFTC but I also knew of RFTC vaguely, that they had a horn section and wore matching suits, and I was like, oh, they’re a joke band, a novelty band, ok, which is fine and I’m sure it’s fun and all, but that’s not for me. But then I was super bored one day and listened to “Fat Lip,” because I figured that it was probably the jokey-est song on there and I could be done with these guys once and for all. That is not what happened. I flipped out. It’s all I listened to for weeks. I grabbed Patrick and Kurt and the effect upon them was equally immediate. We saw Rocket every single time they played NYC after that. Patrick and I flew to San Diego for their “farewell” Halloween show in I think 2006? Rocket are all-time mushroom-cloud-layers who changed how we approach live shows. I demand that the crowd “give it up for the band” every time we play. Except it’s annoying when I do it.
“WALK THIS WAY” – RUN-D.M.C. / AEROSMITH
Ugh, this is so embarrassing. But make fun all you want, I was a white kid in suburban Massachusetts, so I didn’t have any clue as to what was happening in NYC regarding Hip Hop at the time. I mean, I’m not embarrassed about loving RUN-D.M.C. or even loving quite a few Aerosmith songs, but not a huge street cred selection here. That said, Raising Hell was awesome and I went and ordered their first tape through the Strawberries at the end of the Kmart Plaza the next day. I hate when white dudes in rock bands call out Hip Hop artists as influences, which, to be clear, I’m not doing, because that would be an insult to RUN-D.M.C., I’m just saying that this song introduced me to Hip Hop. And, OK, while MCs like these dudes and Rakim and Nas and Guru and the De La guys didn’t directly influence me as far as writing lyrics goes, they did make me think, “I can’t half-ass this.” I could’ve lied and said KRS-One or Kool Herc or whatever, you know. But I didn’t.
“RAISE” – SWERVEDRIVER
I know I’m breaking the rules here by naming an album and not a song. I don’t even know what to say about this. About the impact this band has had upon me. Freshman year, I was friends with Patrick and Kurt but wasn’t playing music yet. They were playing together in the Arts Center at night. This record didn’t kill me at first, even though they insisted that I keep giving it another shot. Kurt said he’d give me 20 bucks if I learned all the bass parts. I bought a bass for 75 bucks and I think I used some of my book money to buy an amp, and in the process of learning the songs, I realized what this record was. I can’t claim to not have gone through a “Teenage Bass Syndrome” period, but this I think abbreviated it. Kurt never gave me the 20 dollars.
“PANAMA” – VAN HALEN
Here’s why: before I knew about bands that rocked the loud/quiet dynamic, I knew I liked big choruses, which, come on, like it or not, Van Halen knocked out of the park in their sleep. So they launched their choruses into orbit, always, but I always felt like the choruses should be louder. So when I would borrow records and dub them, I would bump the “recording volume” on my parents’ system for the choruses, so that they would be way louder than the verses. This chorus especially drove me crazy because it was this huge, awesome rollercoaster bouncey-castle party that just sat in this same valley that the verses sat in. You know? I turned it into that mountaintop Jesus statue in Rio. Or wherever. You’re welcome, Edward.
