The relationship between me and Josh Agle (aka Shag) began somewhere around the turn of the last century. I had always be an avid appreciator of the arts and had always loved Tiki Bars. So when his artwork stared at me one day from a glossy art magazine, I was hooked. I immediately sent off what little money I had to a gent hanging out and promoting Shag's wares in Australia. A few weeks later by tube, I received Three Musicians and the "creme dela creme" (of the times) Departure Idlewild, Stopover Borneo, Arrival Ape City. Still, I was hungry for more. I devoured any sort of publication I could with an inkling of Shag. Early on, I realized that his original artwork was way beyond my meager budget. However I thought I should look for odd & unusual work from this artist I so much admired.
Upon reading those publications there was some mention by one of the interviews that he used to do some contract work for Foundation Skateboards when the company was first starting out. I thought to myself, more research is needed. Back then art wasn't done as "art" but more of as a graphic for the skater. Artist making skate decks for the only intense purpose of Art was not really heard of in the mid-nineties like it is today. These decks were ridden (with no protection) and completely destroyed. I thought how great it would be to find a deck that Shag had done the graphics on.
I quickly found the website, Art of Skateboarding and started to review all the hundreds of decks made by the Foundation Company. Then I stumbled upon some Josh Beagle and Brad Staba boards. Bingo! All reminiscent of Shag's early work. They were marked as "artist unknown" I thought to myself, "this is a good thing". Then began the hunt....A hunt that last for more than 4 years. Then one day there it appeared on eBay. It simply was entitled "Vintage Foundation Skate Deck" that was still in the shrinkwrap. I bought it and enjoyed it for many years displayed on my wall.
But with every beginning there is an end. With a marriage and several children now ruling the roost, the board came off the wall about 6 months ago. I figured that I would hang it down the road, but then I started to really think about giving it a new beginning to someone else and passing along the board to a new home of a Shag fan. And now it lays in the hands of eBay waiting for a new home. To be continued....
This is the one that started it all for me. My first true love of an electrical instrument. It began one day about 14 years ago when I walked into The Starving Musician in Santa Clara. I saw wall after wall of these Fender guitars. Besides the paint job they all looked the same to me. The only difference that my novice eye could see in them was the price tag. They seemed to range from $200 to $2000. Why? I gauged that it was probably something to do with quality but I really wanted to find out what goes into making a good guitar. Especially a classic.
Some easy definitions were where they were manufactured. Overseas seemed to be cheaper. Vintage american instruments got to an outrageous amount of money for an instrument. More importantly as I searched deeper and deeper into peoples passion for stratocasters, I realized that there was this romantic love for this instrument. Be it maybe the musical life cut short of Buddy Holly or seeing Clapton gravitate to them in mid-career, people loved them. Then I started picking them up and understanding why they loved them. They are like a fine wine or a fine woman. They just feel right. Leo Fender hit it out of the park when he designed his second solid body guitar in 1954. The stratocaster has become as American as Baseball and Apple Pie. And I wanted one.
Many trips to Starving Musican came that year back in 2001. Their inventory always kept changing and they keep the shelves stocked with a good cross-section of instruments. Then it happened. The '82 stratocaster caught my eye. The first thing I noticed about it as I grabbed to take it off the rack was how heavy it was. It was a solid piece of machinery. It appeared aged, but not worn. I placed it on my knee and strummed a chord. Everything just felt right. It was the most solid piece of musical equipment I had ever felt. Still being a novice I knew little about this guitar besides that it just felt right. So after giving it an initial test run through an amp, I finished up my lunch break and went back to work. Not before noting the first couple of digits in the serial number on the headstock. E207....
Back at the desk I searched the internet for how to read Fender Serial Numbers. The first two digits were the decade and the specific year it was made. That would translate this one to 1982. But what caught my eye beyond the serial dating was an article. Somewhere out there on the internets, a fellow lover of the "smith strat" (as it became to be known) wrote about guitars made during the time that Dan Smith was hired as marketing manager for Fender. The Fender Musical Company wanted to attract players back to their instruments. They wanted the draw and allure that they had before Leo sold the Company to CBS in early 1965. Dan Smith had the idea to not cut corners and to use the same materials and quality control that had gotten away from Fender by the big corporate purchase. CBS was all about mass production and cutting costs. They started building quality instruments again in this magical year of 1982. They also had a revolutionary idea that year and a great marketing ploy to actually be able to charge more...they started the Vintage Series. They built reissue '57 Strats and reissue '62 Strats. Two key years in Stratocaster design. They were able to phase out the high cost of the typical american series strat and get more money for it by saying it was a vintage reissue. Brilliant. But for one key year they built all instruments of quality. Then the divisions began. They shipped off product to japan for the low-end entry level guitars, continued making the mid-level "american series" along with the new high end "Vintage Reissue" series.
So out of sheer luck and the lack of lore that now bestows the '82 Smith Strats, I was able to pick up my baby for the cost (at the time) of a brand new American Series. I thought it was quite a bargain back then. She taught me how to play the electric guitar. She taught me how to explores tones. She was my Number 1 for a good 10 years. I had many a good guitar. And utilized many a different guitar onstage as well as record. However, no guitar has been on more recordings or been played live more than my '82 Strat. Her frets are wearing a little thin and her paint job is a little more chipped than when I got her, but she is still a beauty in my eyes.
They are still out there. If you can find an '82 Strat in good condition for the price of a new Strat, my recommendation is at least plug her in and see how she sounds. My bets are that you wont be disappointed.
It had always been on the list. Through the years I had heard many a good thing about the city of Austin. Texas has never attracted me. But their capital city has. Solely due to the fact that so many friends who love music have told me about their adventures to Austin. Mine was about to happen.
A good friend (who happens to be a die hard music fan) is getting married. When asked where he would want to have his bachelor party there were only two choices; Nashville & Austin. He chose Austin. Fifteen middle-aged men piled into a flop house right on 6th and Brushy for a long weekend of booze, music and good times. I felt like I had shed twenty years of life.
Rolling into town on a Thursday afternoon we got situated and staked out a game plan for the night. One crew went boozing. I was really torn, not because I wanted to go boozing, I was already boozed up enough. A " new favorite" band was playing at the Parish on 6th. I had seen Diarrhea Planet earlier this year back home in San Jose when the opened for Jeff the Brotherhood. Both great bands. But something drew me closer to DP. Maybe it was the way they crammed so many goddamn guitars on the stage with out it sounding lame. Either way, I attempted to talk some guys into going to the Parish with me. The another contingent, led by Adam spoke up about having a friend playing over at the Broken Spoke. Some old Honky Tonk on the edge of town. I knew DP would be back and I was up for something new. I decided to head with those guys for some country music, Texas style.
I was not disappointed one bit. The bar was an outstanding piece of history where good times are still flowing readily. A true place for couples to intermingle and dance the night away to a real live band. Maybe it is me, but that shit just isn't happening like it used to. It was a thing of true beauty to see. Not mention the band, Jesse Dayton. This guy has a regular standing Thursday night gig at the Broken Spoke. Seeing them perform I knew why. They were a tight band that I would've of loved to have seen more of. The next morning in the local ad-rag I read an article about the development surrounding the place and its life is being threatened for stucco-bomb condos and strip mall shit. Let's hope it never happens because it is really damn hard to replicate 50 years of history. Enjoy it while you still can.
Friday night bOoze fest on dirty 6th. Lots of bull riding and dj's. Let's move on to Saturday.
Saturday morning started out at the Hula Hut, but quickly made its way to a South Congress joint called Guero's. Outside in the 100 degree heat we sat under misters, drinking many 'o Tecate listening to some sizzling blue by seasoned pros. These guys did not miss a beat. The old adage rings true, to play anywhere in Austin on a weekend, you've gotta be good. Paul Orta and The Kingpins ripped through some blues standards as well as some unfamiliar tunes.
A portion of the crew peeled off to participate in some true bachelor party activities, while three of us meandered under the hot sun until we found another bar. The Continental Club is an old supper club with a wonderful history. They don't serve supper anymore, just booze and live music practically every day of the week. Cornell Hurd was up on stage with his big band doing his thing that he has done for 40 plus years. We sat in the back and dranks some beers soaking up the atmosphere. With a mid-day buzz rolling we curbed our hunger and headed back to the crash pad for some rest.
That night a crew wanted to go back down to 6th street for some hard partying. I had different plans. I saw that this band, The Hex Dispensers, were playing that night less than a half a block from where I was staying. Checking them out online I realized that it was my calling to go see this band perform. How well I know myself.
When I showed up, the second band was setting up. Crooked Bangs set their minimal gear up and then set the stage on fire. Watch out for this band. Damn, I would see them again in a heartbeat. Snappy drummer, heavy bass and noisy guitar...what more could I ask for? They sounded like a cross between early Kings of Leon and the Melvins. All but better. A young band. Once the bass player gets an Ampex SVT with an 8x10 cab and the guitarist get a vintage Marshall or fender and keeps rocking that jazzmaster the tones will only sweeten up!
I was satisfied. Then the Hex Dispenser came out. Hotter than hot. They sounded awesome with no bass and intertwining vocals. I didn't realize it with my preview but they were very reminiscent of my own band with two guitars, no bass and a woman drummer with screaming backing vocals. See for yourself.
What a way to end a trip to Austin. I hope that any and all bands come to the West Coast. I will be there!
Videos of The Hex Dispensers, Crooked Bangs and the ever gracious Jesse Dayton:
A few years back I had heard the tales of Record Store Day. I have always been behind Record Stores. It started for me in High School. I can pinpoint it even further to Mr. Cauter's Music Appreciation Class, deep in the cement bowels of California High School. As a teen, I had heard rumors that this was the coolest class in town, especially for music lovers. James Cauter would take young minds through the History of Music with a large dose of Beatles due to his "Beatle Friday" segment. The highpoint would be the field trip into Berkeley to go record shopping. Cauter's objective was to expose the valley kids in suburban San Ramon to something a little deeper within the confines of the musical acquisition library, mom & pop record stores, specializing in obscure albums and cheap used records. A used record? I had never heard of this concept. At Wherehouse Records or the two mall mainstays, Rainbow Records and Musicland, you could get anything beyond the Eagles and Rick Springfield. A brand spanking new dimension for a young impressionable mind.
That trip introduced me to record stores like Rasputins, Tower Records & Leopolds along with Blondie's Pizza and Aardvarks Odd Ark. We started taking monthly trips out to Berkeley and Walnut Creek. Trying to find obsure, new wave and metal albums with all our buddies. I didn't own a car so it came down to bumming a ride with any friend who was willing to take an adventure or taking the Bus to Walnut Creek and hopping on BART and out to Berkeley. What wonderful adventures exploring new cities and new music all at the same time. I remember when we had heard about this record store called "Asta's Records" over on the other side of town off college avenue in Oakland. There we discovered their pile of weekly brought in imports from Europe. We were stoked!
The twelve inch album has always held a place close to my heart. Ever since my parents upgraded their stereo system and gave me the old 60s stereo console I was hooked (besides the radio it only played records). My brother was a new adapter, heavy into tapes and when CDs came along, he was the first one I knew of with a CD player. He toted the quality of sound and the infinite life of a CD. I poo poo'd the price and the minimal detail of information only found on an object of 12 inches. I kept buying records. I had a nice collection. That collection was halted in the 90s when corporations were not pressing LPs and the necessity of being in college, poor, and light in my travels drove me into the CD market. There I got lost.
As time went on and technology grew more powerful I found myself like many americans of today, downloading MP3s and listening, discovering and gobbling up music all digitally. The waves of sound kept coming faster and faster in my soul. Last year I realized that I may be still listening to a lot of music, but I wasn't really "listening". It was all just background noise in my life. I needed to slow down my own process and really listen and enjoy music. I dusted off my old record collection and started listening again. I started buying records. I would go out to my record player in the studio and just listen to a side of an album. Really listen. It has helped me slow down in this fast pace world and focus on just a few thoughts. Music. And what attracted me to it in the first place. I don't ever want to lose that. I want to hold onto that concept and more importantly pass it along to my children. Which brings us to current day.
A few weeks ago my sister passed along all our old childhood disney story book records. My daughter and I have been listening to them quite a bit. She loves the concept of the record and the needle and the stories that are told. I love passing along heritage. So when Record Store Day popped into my consciousness again yesterday I decided to make a date out of it with her. We sourjourned to a packed Streetlight Records on Bascom in San Jose, where she picked up her own first long playing record; Chip & Dale sing and tell stories with Donal Duck. Afterwards we went to 7Eleven and got some Slurpees. She was stoked and I was reminiscent of my own childhood trips to record stores with my own father. A tradition has begun. We will faithfully follow the tradition of supporting small, independent record stores on this one day of the year. And maybe take a trip or two back during other days too.
I wanted to compile a list of my favorite videos from 2012. In these times we and utterly and completely overloaded with data and information. That is why, for my own memories sake, I wanted to compile a list of watching history of Youtube for 2012. Here it is:
St. Vincent- I dig a pony
Eric from The Pinks introduced me to St. Vincent through this video. Oh boy, he hit it out of the park with this selection. I have searched and searched other videos online of St. Vincent, but in my opinion nothing compares to this gripping rendition of a Beatles classic. The tones generated from her Harmony Bobcat guitar along with the watery effects processor on her other mic during the chorus makes this tune her own. Then there is her guitar playing....shit, I wish I had the touch she has. A simple and amazing cover tune.
Nilsson with Keith moon
Nilsson schmillson was a staple in the record rotation growing up as a kid. I knew I always liked the guy but it wasn't until I became a musician that I really appreciated the talent behind this guy. Like many tortured souls, he was his own worst enemy. He sure did give the world something to remember him by. This tune is one of my favorite rhythmic tribal chants. Then I came across this rare footage of him jamming with Keith Moon. Boy, I wonder what was in their system while making this video. Probably a lot illegal contraband and I will place money on it that it was probably shot somewhere between the hours of 3 and 5 am.
Pujol - Reverse Vampire
So, Pujol...yes, he is one of my favorite finds of the year. Such a talented young musician. I wrote about his new album earlier this year. It is a really great piece of work. However, in this acoustic version of the song on the record, Reverse Vasmpire, really highlights this singer songwriters talent. All in a sterile office environment. The young Bob Dylan really comes through in this video. The question I have to ask myself is, "who is Ben Todd?"
Bo Diddley - Live 1973
When I watch this video, it inspires me. Bo is in the top of his show man game, just working the crowd like a man on a mission. When he goes up for the pants splitting leg apart jump it also informs me of who inspired David Lee Roth. We all can benefit from the joy of live music. Especially Bo's audience, just lapping up what the man is giving. A thing of beauty.
The Shock of the New (series) - Robert Hughes
I found out about this series through a Time obituary. The author of the book and the series, , passed away in 2012. The piece in Time intrigued me. It spoke of a compre.hensive history of modern art in the 20th century so compelling that the BBC wanted to turn it into an educational series. Class starts now....
Bill Withers - Use Me 1972
This song is a mastery of live production. It truly demonstrates the genius of a Bill Withers song. The instrument inteplay is amazing and sounds like nothing before it and nothing after it. It is just a wonderful live performance. I also might plug watching his documentary "Still Bill" here. I caught it this winter and it's a very uplifting story.
36 seconds of my past
This is a video I took last year on a walk i did with my buddy, Joe Izzo and my daughter. Joe passed away in January of this year. We new he was dying but it always sucks when you lose somebody who has been such an inspiration in your life among many others. He was dying in this video, still check out the positivity in his voice. A funny lovable character Joe was...and one person who actually got me writing. I love watching this video. I am sure half the view count is mine.
Nirvana - Practicing and the Novoselic house circa '88
Just watch this video. Pure genius at such a young age. This video puts your there.
The Gories "There by the Grace of God" Homemade Music Video
This is soul. I don't know what else to say besides thanking the person who captured this video. Plus it is a Kid Creole and the Coconuts song. How cool is that?
Geraldine Fibbers - Dragon Lady
I sought out this band after seeing Nels Cline earlier in the year. He put me on a major movational surge toward good sounding guitar. He was in this band, but not at the time of this video. I believe that this is an earlier video. Carla's voice is so beautifully haunting...then guitar. Huge hook at the chorus. How can a sucker for a huge hook not love this video?
I stumbled upon this artist completely by accident. I had been meaning to buy something from Jack White's Third Man Records for quite some time now. Finally I had a little extra cash come my way and I picked up the new Jack White, a single of his from the movie "It Might Get Loud" and I wanted to pick up a live record from the Live at Third Man series. I randomly picked Pujol. What an awesome experience hearing this 6 song live EP that they put out. I immediately started to research this young artist who was kicking some live ass and taking names. I noted that he had just released a new full length album. I went to my local record store to pick up a copy. I could not find it. I went to the other local record store and thank the lord all mighty they had one copy of United States of Being.
Upon first listen my impression was that the live tracks had more intensity. Way more intensity. But I began to look deeper into the tunes. Pujol is a poet. There is no other word to describe what ink flows out of his pen. The compilation of these songs are ones that come from the heart. The word play is witty and the furthest thing from boring. Songs today tend to be trite and redundant and just plain boring. This description runs the gamut from emo love songs to hardcore punk rock to danceceterra rap music. The same old thing that is pumped through our systems; hashed and rehashed up like an old sack of potatoes. The closest thing that one may get to something that is real would be some of the modern folk artists (like Conor Oberst, et al..) or a an underground veteran for the last 25 yrs, like Jeff Tweedy. Still, I like to rock. Bright Eyes or Mumford and Sons don't rock. Wilco may rock 20% of the time. This new album by Pujol plain and simply rocks. It has a certain energy within it that makes me want to go out and see this band live. I love that. Now let's get down to dissecting a little bit of this album. It is not all perfect but a worthy acquisition.
DIY2K- starts off the album. It is an anthem. It will get your toes tapping and your hands clapping. It makes you want to sing a long. But read along to the album with the lyrics because this songs lets you know what you are about to be in store for. Mission From God- This song is where Pujol really rips apart his ribcage and shows you the soul buried deep inside. It is just a brilliant number that has a toe tapping energy that makes me want to smile. And isn't that what music and art is all about? Expression. Providence- I did not particularly care for this song on the first listen (which happened to be a live solo acoustic version I found on youtube). But after several listens to the produced version on the album I see it comes to sit in the third position out of the gate. It is really radio friendly. A lot of this album (and especially his live recorded performances) has a raw garage rock, punk attitude feel about them. This can get airplay on mainline stations and probably could appeal to a more mainstream audience. It is growing on me. Keeper of Atlantis- Ah, an ode to Dad. That is how this song comes screaming out of the gates at me. A beautifully written nod to the lessons and stories handed down to one generation to the next. And either you can relate to it or hate it. Either way it is true emotion. Made of Money- Irony. Not my favorite track on the album, but catchy enough. Endless Mike- Oh shit! Now we are getting deep into the good stuff. This song kicks ass. The funny thing is that it totally threw me for a loop on the first listen. See, it is the first cut on the live EP I purchased from Thirdman. In other words, the live version was my full and uninvited introduction into Pujol. It blew my mind. I'd buy that record all over again for that track alone. -This one is slowed down, more melodically driven and well produced that only adds to the emotion of the song. As Endless Mike led off the heart of the line next up comes probably my favorite song on the album, Reverse Vampire. Such a great chanting tune with remarkable musicianship put on by all musicians. But the what makes this catchy little tune particulary good is the poetry that has been turned into lyrics. It starts off:
When I look around
And what I see is not the best
But it's good enough for me
right here right now
I guess
It's sort of boring
I got a million ways
To occupy my mind
And waste my time
Then the toms come in strong and the second verse starts and it is just plain brilliant. The production of the song has a great building effect. So good! The bridge is just the right length and the simplisty make it very approachable by most music fans. I cannot say enough positive things about this tune on United States of Being....until you hear the acoustic version of just Daniel and his beat up six string playing this to a handful of fans in an office environment (see below). One thing comes to mind; I think Bob Dylan would approve. Niceness-This song did not strike a chord with my right away. Probably due to the fact that it is sandwiched in between two of my favorites on the album. I gave it several listens in a row to really get a good sense of what it is all about. First off, it is an ode to positivity. A chant. An anthemn to keeping a smile on your face. I like the birds a tweetin' at the beginning however, the stuttered drum entrance into music is not pleasing to the song. Don't know why. Maybe it just doesn't agree with me. This song is probably insanely awesome live due to the powerful nature of the chant associated with strong drums and power chords. Black Rabbit-This would be considered the "single" on the album. It was the first studio produced number that I heard due to my youtube search and this official music video came up (great video! Is it directed by the Stewart Copeland? See below). This song like so many others on this album just has a wonderful rhythmic pulse to it. The beginning stabs and opening howl get you going in the right direction, then pure garage pop genius follows. I can easily listen to this song over and over and over again. It should be a pre-requisite for all struggling artist on how to right a good song. Each And Every Day- Tonally this song begins and Dinosaur Jr. come to mind. A little "Feel the Pain" but the pain only lasts moments as the vocals kick in and a newborn man with a highness for life begins to go on a mantra about life. It is a good tune however I see why it is buried in the back of the album. Pujol is still a young artist and coming out of the gates with such strong numbers beforehand it is really tough to top it. This is a filler. A filler that gets bonus points for the solid clap tracks strategically placed in the tune. Dark Knight in Shining Armor- Did the kid like DC Comics way back when. Again another album filler. Not too bad but it was smart of them to make this and the song before it short. Psychic Pain- Not much to say about the last song on the album. More of a ballad. I always like big strong endings on Albums, but for marketing purposes this is probably a smart choice. One of the best parts of this song is the nice Tenessian draw you can hear while Pujol pronounce "pain". It's cute, but I always like to end on a high note. Speaking about that, not too sure of the minute dribble at the end. An album that comes out of the gates soooo strong deserves more.
Either way, Please come west. I am 100% positive that the live Pujol show will be worth the price of admission and merit this artist a long and successful career.
Black Rabbit Official Music Video directed by Steward Copeland
Reverse Vampire Acoustic Version----> Who is Ben Todd?????
The United States of being is Daniel Pujol's decree to the listening
world. At this time in his life and maybe for all of enternity, it is
what he believes in...so much he had the instructions tattooed onto his
rib cage and proudly posted it as the album cover for all the world to
see.
I am a man who loves women. It's true, I do. And, to a guitar player, there could be no better site than that of woman who can rock like nobodies business. Looking past of my decree; The Pack A.D. concert last Friday night was a demonstration about the passion to not give a shit, go up on stage and play your brains out. And that is exactly what The Pack A.D. did to a meager crowd at the hipster "no-name on the door" Rickshaw Stop. They didn't even headline the show, a fellow Canadian band, Elliot Brood took the headlining honors. Brood was good, but damn, it must be hard going onstage after a dynamite infused set that the ladies, Becky and Maya, tore through. They are living proof that if you practice real hard, you'll look like you know what you are doing. They keep it real simple (unlike the opener Mwahaha who need to learn how to use their pedals before hitting the stage) and go for the classic formula of over-driven blues inspired rock and roll. But it is the attitude that really sets them far apart from any other young band I have seen in some time. It is like they have taken Mike Damone's 3rd rule in his "Five Point Plan" and they have mastered it. I am really pleased to have seen them in such a venue, because I believe the next time it will be across town at The Fillmore. And I will gladly shell out triple the cash and enjoy every minute of it.
Technical notes:
I figured that since I was able to get so close I might as well spew out Becky's rig setup as best as my memory can serve me. She played at LTD carved top guitar with two humbuckers. She played two amps, 1) '68 bassman amp through a newer Fender 2x12 Cabinet and a Marshall JCM900 through a Mesa 4x12 Cabinet. She was masterful at switching between the two amps for effect. As pedals go I believe she used a Boss SD-1 Overdrive and a Crybaby wah. She also played a bolt-on hollowbody neck Aria guitar tuned open for one slide song. I wish there was another one!
Top photo courtesy of Bagelradio and bottom two courtesy of Pat.
Upon reading those publications there was some mention by one of the interviews that he used to do some contract work for Foundation Skateboards when the company was first starting out. I thought to myself, more research is needed. Back then art wasn't done as "art" but more of as a graphic for the skater. Artist making skate decks for the only intense purpose of Art was not really heard of in the mid-nineties like it is today. These decks were ridden (with no protection) and completely destroyed. I thought how great it would be to find a deck that Shag had done the graphics on.
