The Second Coming of Janis

Alabama Shakes

Boys and Girls

ATO, 2012

produced by Andrija Tokic

Brittany Howard - vocals, guitar, piano

Zac Cockrell - bass, guitar

Heath Fogg - guitar

Steve Johnson - drums

singles: 

• Hold On
• I ain't the Same
• Hang Loose

This is probably the best record of 2012 that no one talks about. There is so much nostalgia concerning the music period between 1965 and 1975. Everyone loves the Beatles, and the Stones, and Led Zeppelin, and Hendrix.  I feel there isn't quite as much fanfare for a new contemporary band that plays in similar styles while keeping their sound fresh and distinct. This makes no sense.

Alabama Shakes debuted in 2012 with their hit song Hold On. They are from Alabama, but I won't hold that against them. Their soul/blues/rock fusion sound is a throwback to the era when Hendrix and James Brown were kings, and it seemed that every big rock band was influenced by the blues. They totally deserve more coverage than they receive, and certainly more recognition than just an award for album packaging (ridiculous).  

There is a renewed push for women's rights and healthy body image, and it surprises me that Brittany Howard, fronting Alabama Shakes, hasn't become beloved of feminists everywhere. Her voice is amazing, and she doesn't necessarily fit into the pop/diva ideal.  But who cares, she's awesome.  

The similarities between Howard and hippie icon Janis Joplin have been made before. However, I feel this comparison may not be the best, and might actually be a little insulting. Joplin was a great talent, but she borrowed her style from singers like Etta James, Big Mama Thornton (also from Alabama), and Bessie Smith. I'm not going to discuss race here, but you can arrive at your own conclusions. If we are going to compare Brittany Howard to Janis Joplin, it would only be fair to also include these other women first.

As Surrealistic as a Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

Surrealistic Pillow

RCA Victor, 1967

produced by Rick Jarrard

Marty Balin - vocals, guitar

Grace Slick - vocals, piano, organ

Paul Kantner - rhythm guitar, vocals

Jorma Kaukonen - lead guitar, vocals

Jack Cassidy - bass, rhythm guitar

Spencer Dryden - drums

Jerry Garcia - guitar

singles - 

• Somebody to Love/ She has Funny Cars
• White Rabbit/ Plastic Fantastic Lover

In 1967, The Jefferson Airplane replaced their original drummer and female singer with Spencer Dryden and the iconic Grace Slick. Grace Slick had been part of her first husband's group the Great Society. When she joined the Airplane, she brought two songs from her former group, both would become hit singles for her new band.

Jerry Garcia, of the Grateful Dead, is known to have been involved heavily on this record, although his actual involvement is debated by band members and producers. Depending on who you ask, Garcia's participation varies from absolutely nothing, to playing on several tracks, producing most of the album, and even rewriting a few songs. He is credited on the record as "spiritual advisor", and it's been said he named the album too, by stating the record was "as surrealistic as a pillow".

The Rolling Stone listed Surrealistic Pillow #146 out of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

I Don't Fly Around Your Fire Anymore

I think it's sort of odd that we tend to think of Butterflies as being beautiful and lucky, but moths, which are from the same order as butterflies, are seen as dirty pests.  I don't really get it, as both have a variety of species which can both be harmful and helpful, and plenty that look pretty darn cool.

The other day I found this fella, hanging out, I nearly sat on him, actually, but managed to save him from getting crushed.  This is a moth from the subfamily Catocalinae.  As far as I can tell, it is either the Sweetheart Underwing (Catocala Amatrix), the Penitent Underwing (Catocala Piatrix), or the Dark Red Underwing (Catocala Ultronia).  It is difficult for me to tell, they have similar coloring, and my pictures aren't clear enough to make any sort of intricate distinction.  

The EP: singles edition

I've posted a few times about the EP (extended play) format.  Part one is here, and here is part two.  So, I guess this is part three, the vinyl edition.

Swirl

Strangelands/Poppel Grave

Dirt records, 1995

Ben Aylward - Guitar, vocals

Nicola Schultz - Bass, vocals

David Lord - Drums

From Australia, this band broke up aparently forever in 2002.  You can place them in the shoegazer category with Ride, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, and Mazy Star.  This is more of a single than an EP, complete with a B-side like traditional singles.  The packaging, however, is more common for an EP.  Although the music is pretty good, I bought it for other reasons.  It's packaged in brown cardboard, with a few record label stickers, and a weird-ass art print.  Also... blue swirled vinyl!  

#259/500

US Bombs

Tora! Tora! Tora!/ Yer Country

TKO, 2001

Duane Peters - Vocals

Kerry Martinez - Guitar

Wade Walston - Bass

Chip Hanna - Drums

The US Bombs is one of the best oi punk/street punk bands with a political bent, much like Anti-flag.  In true Punk fashion, this EP comes with the president with a Hitler mustach, on a cut-and-paste DIY style cover.  The song is about Nationalism as an excuse for violent revenge, which was a big deal following September 11, 2001.   Tora! Tora! Tora! is paired up with Yer Country as a B-side.  

1 of 500 pressings

Minor Threat

the first demo tape

Dischord, 2003

produced by Skip Groff

Ian McKaye - Vocals

Lyle Preslar - Guitar

Brian Baker - Bass

Jeff Nelson - Drums

So, this is a release of previously unreleased stuff recorded in 1981.  All of these tracks appear on other albums and releases like In My Eyes, Minor Threat, and Out of Step.  However, these are the demo versions of the songs, so, that's something.  Also, you get pictures of a young Henry Rollins rocking out and wearing a dress.

Things I Don't Understand: Hockey Edition

It used to be called the least of the four major American sports. Now with the advent and continued growth of Major League Soccer, hockey is now the second to last popular of the five major American sports. Congratulations!

Based on my posts about the Boston Celtics, I think it's safe to say I'm a Boston sports fan, for the most part. I like the Bruins too. But, my question today is not about the Bs or the Hub of Hockey. It's about one of the Canadian teams.

Ottawa received an expansion team in 1990, and was allowed to use the name The Senators when they began league play in 1992. Now... before we go further, it is important to understand that I used the word "allowed" for a reason, as the NHL owned the rights to the Senators name. There was an Ottawa Senators that was founded in 1883 and played until 1935 when they were purchased and folded by the NHL.

All of this information is easily looked up on Wikipedia. So, it really isn't a mystery, or a surprise. What I don't understand is why the league and the team don't claim any continuation between franchises. The original Senators won 11 Stanley Cups with 34 hall-of-famers. The titles alone would tie them for third most Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.

I do understand that a new franchise may not want to ally themselves undeservedly with legendary winning squads. But then, why choose the exact same mascot, with the exact same colors? If the team truly wanted a clean slate, they could have named themselves anything else and used any other color scheme. But they chose the Senators, probably to throw back to the great Ottawa hockey club of the past. Why then, would they not decide to go all the way and claim the entire legacy and history?

The other reason I can think of for this bizarre decision, would be ownership and licensing issues. There is a long history of teams moving cities and changing nicknames in all the five major sports.  For example, the Tennessee Titans are actually the Houston Oilers, and reserve the rights to the older team's colors and logos. The Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, and Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals are some other examples.

However, the Ottawa Senators don't suffer from that issue. The Ottawa Senators moved to St Louis for one season, but then were bought by the league and closed. The team didn't go any where else. There isn't another city/franchise/ownership that can claim the Senator's heritage. There doesn't seem to be a legal issue that would bar the team from claiming continuity, or team history. Even if there were more complicated relocation issues, the NFL and NBA have done stranger things with franchsise continuity recently with the Cleveland Browns and the Charlotte Hornets.

I couldn't find an answer to my question anywhere on the internet. Not on Wikipedia. Not on the Senators or NHL websites. Not on fan sites either. If anyone knows the answer, please share.