The Days of Lore

Black Friday: Ace is back and he feels the need to tell you so … again

Friday, July 3rd, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

Back in 1987 Ace Frehley exclaimed “Ace is back and he told you so” in the song “Rock Soldiers” from his post-KISS debut Frehley’s Comet. Now he’s not-so-subtly telling fans again in the new promo video for his forthcoming record Anomoly, which finally has a release date set for Sept. 15.

The promo clip is about as cutting edge as his Web site. That’s OK. You see, Ace is from outer space … maybe he’s been flung through so many wormholes that he actually ended up in the year 1995. I do like the clip’s accurate depiction of the typical KISS/former-KISS-member fan as a dumpy, mulleted schlub who’s been counting the days for this momentous event. It is, after all, the Space Ace’s first solo outing in some 20 years.

Who woulda thought it would actually happen? Who cares? Well, about 5,000 dudes who look like the guy in the video. And maybe me. Couldn’t be worse than the new KISS album being recorded by Gene, Paul and those two dopes pretending to be Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.

Tags: Ace Frehley, Anomaly, Frehley's Comet, KISS

Catching up with The Runaways

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

I love The Runaways and, like most men, have a tremendous, life-long crush on Joan Jett. But I’m a little skeptical of the new Runaways movie currently in the works. I mean bringing four beautiful, young women together and trying to make a quick buck off the whole thing … well, it just makes me sick. Kristen Stewart will play Jett, while director Floria Sigismondi attempts to play the role of Kim Fowley. Let’s just enjoy the real thing together right here, and please note that Japanese rock fans are the best.

Tags: Floria Sigismondi, Joan Jett, Kim Fowley, The Runaways, The Runaways movie

In the name of rock

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

I love rock ‘n’ roll names—the Sex Pistols had Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious, the Cramps had Lux Interior, Madness—Suggs. There was Flea, Slash, Zakk Wylde. Personally I’d go with something really cool like Marck Rock or maybe Marky Malarkey.

Then you have a name like Spiral Stairs … not necessarily cool, but when you’re in Pavement not being cool is what actually makes you cool. Since Pavement, Scott Kannberg—aka Spiral Stairs—has been making music with Preston School of Industry. His new album The Real Feel will be his first under the moniker Spiral Stairs. The first single—a fun, jangly number called “Maltese Terrier”—is out now, and the new record will be released on Matador Oct. 20, which, incidentally, will be the date Marky Malarkey releases his debut album called … Marky Malarkey.

Actually, don’t believe anything I say. But feel free to enjoy Spiral Stairs and to post your favorite rock names in the comments section.

“Maltese Terrier” - Spiral Stairs

Tags: Matador, Pavement, Preston School of Industry, rock names, Scott Kannberg, Spiral Stairs

Black Friday Read Between the Lines Contest winner

Friday, June 26th, 2009 | musiX | 1 Comment

Congratulations to Mike Sargent—aka DJ Ratrace—of Arcata, Calif. He’s the winner of the Black Friday Read Between the Lines Contest. For those of you playing at home, click the band name below to see the logo it belongs to. Enjoy … umm … or be disgusted.

Ridiculously unreadable band logo No. 1: Korgonthurus

Ridiculously unreadable band logo No. 2: Explosive Diarrhea

Ridiculously unreadable band logo No. 3: Utarm

Ridiculously unreadable band logo No. 4: Nokturnal Mortum

Ridiculously unreadable band logo No. 5: Biological Monstrosity

Oh yeah, you can listen to DJ Ratrace and Jakob Sweden spin rare, obscure, bizarro, weirdo music on their radio show Los Ensemble Economique every other Tuesday from 10 p.m. to midnight at www.khsu.org. If you ask nicely maybe they’ll play some Explosive Diarrhea.

Tags: Biological Monstrosity, Black Friday, Black Friday Read Between the Lines Contest, Exxplosive Diarrhea, Korgonthurus, Nokturnal Mortum, Utarm

RIP, MJ

Thursday, June 25th, 2009 | musiX | 2 Comments

Sad. The entire thing is sad. Hell, I got sad every time I heard one of Michael Jackson’s songs and thought about how talented he was and how far he had fallen. Sad.

Michael Jackson: Aug. 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009.

Here’s how I’ll remember the King of Pop.

“Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” - Michael Jackson (Off The Wall)

Tags: Michael Jackson

Black Friday Read Between the Lines Contest: Ridiculously unreadable band logo No. 5

Thursday, June 25th, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

Here ’tis—the final band logo in the Black Friday Read Between the Lines Contest.

Again, here’s how it works: Decipher the five gnarly, nasty metal band logos. The person who gets the most correct out of five will receive a classic metal album from the Black Friday Vault. You can view No.’s 1 through 4 by scrolling down.

Shoot your answers to mark@thedaysoflore.com. Deadline is midnight (PDT), Thursday, June 25, and the winner will be announced this coming Black Friday.

Ridiculously unreadable band logo No. 5: This four-piece growls in French … so it sounds kinda sexy.

Tags: Black Friday, Black Friday Read Between the Lines Contest, metal band logos

Get close to Far from far away

Thursday, June 25th, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

We’re just a little more than halfway through 2009, and things are already surpassing 2008 … no, albums still aren’t selling (unless you’re Green Day), but I am excited about some of this year’s current/upcoming releases.

The short list: The Strange Boys, Beastie Boys, All Smiles, Viva Voce, Screaming Females, Jay Reatard, Dirty Projectors, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Slayer, Wilco, Reigning Sound …. And there’s one that myself and a handful of other weirdos are eagerly anticipating—the new album from proto-emo band Far. Wait a second … maybe you’re the weirdo, weirdo! Are you the weirdo? OK, so I’m the weirdo.

Of course, much of this stems from good ol’ nostalgia. Upon its release in 1998 Far’s Water & Solutions didn’t leave my side for an entire year. I recently dusted it off, and it still holds up—the songs, and the production/guidance of D. Sardy that pushed the members to try different things while giving the record its big, booming sound.

After a decade apart, the members of Far made amends in late 2008, which led to some dates (I saw them here in Portland it was great) and ultimately to the band recording a new record, due out sometime this summer on Vagrant Records. The band is currently in the studio putting on the finishing touches, including vocals—by you, the kindly weirdo.

Vocalist Jonah Matranga recently posted a video on the band’s Web site where he screams the vocals to one of the new songs, “This Is What We Do.” The band is looking for people from all over to scream along to Matranga’s vocals, record themselves, and send the members a link to the audio/video via YouTube etc. The idea is to get hundreds or thousands of people on one track. As the ever-charming Matranga put’s it: “When the album comes out, the most far-reaching, diverse, punk-rock DIY choir EVER will be on it.” Cool idea.

The band is hoping to complete the track in the next couple of weeks. Get more details at Far’s Web site. And view the video for the scream-a-long here.

The band even encourages people to get friends and family in on the fun—so, you can tell grandma and grandpa that before church on Sunday they’re going to be screaming the lines “We! Will! Fight! Through!” into a digital recording device. On a side note, Sunny Day Real Estate is reforming for some dates. Suddenly I’m overcome with emotion.

Tags: 2009 releases, Far, This Is What We Do: Scream-a-long Project, Water & Solutions