david bowie

"I was a Green Day fan; I liked Kerplunk, loved and still listen to Dookie, and enjoyed some of Insomniac, Nimrod, and American Idiot. But since Dookie..."
  mike

Singles: Green Day “21 Guns” Borrowed from David Bowie?

Published May 26th, 2009 by Karen

"21 Guns" from 21st Century Breakdown

Green Day

2009

MusicVixen Rating:

Recommended if you like:
the Clash, David Bowie, Garbage, Blink 182

Above: Green Day’s surprisingly glammy new song, “21 Guns.”
After the jump: The classic song we think Green Day swiped the melody from.

With rumors of the genre’s demise long fueled by accusations of selling out and growing up, “punk’s not dead” has been a rallying cry since punk’s earliest days.

While we don’t want to examine and debate the vital signs of this no longer vital genre, we are curious as to what the word punk means in an era when people spend more time playing Guitar Hero than garage rock.

Does punk exist anymore? Is it just a brand name, like Pepsi or Starbucks? Does it even matter anymore? Probably not…

Met with widespread acclaim, and localized disgust, Green Day’s new album 21st Century Breakdown, featuring the single “21 Guns,” is Continue reading »

Top Space Rock Songs

Published February 26th, 2008 by Karen

It sounds like a joke, but according to Yahoo News, today NASA announced plans to crash two spacecraft into the Moon. This destruction of multi-million dollar vehicles is intended to help discover whether there is water/ice on the surface.

Last week, the United States used a missile to shoot down a faltering satellite. Some people think it was just a show of force of our Star Wars military program. Others think it was a way of preventing spy satellite info from reaching other countries.

But maybe, it’s just a case of life imitating art…the art of Mr. Show, that is.

In one of the late, great comedy show’s finest moments, it aired a segment documenting America’s quest to blow up the moon. It’s funny. Watch David Cross, Bob Odenkirk and Sarah Silverman explain the hilarious truth, here.

So, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with music, right?
Easy! It reminded us of how many nifty songs there are about space. So, listen in and sing along as we count down our favorite songs about space.

Top Space Rock Songs

8. “How High the Moon”—Les Paul and Mary Ford
A song about the moon performed by Les Paul, an innovative guitarist and the namesake of pretty much the coolest guitar ever? Oh yeah.

7. “Rocket Man”—Elton John
Whether you want to admit it or not, odds are you’ve caught yourself singing along with this one, in the car or at karaoke.

6. “Astronomy Domine”—Pink Floyd
It’s difficult to pick just one song from this influential group, perhaps the keystone of the space-rock psychedelic movement. But we’re going with this one from the band’s 1967 debut album, Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Dark Side of the Moon seems too obvious.

5. “Fly Me to the Moon”—Frank Sinatra
It’s ok if you think Sinatra wasn’t a rocker. But he totally was. Liquor, booze, gambling and ties to the mob? What’s more rock’n’roll than that?

4. “Man in the Moon”—REM
Hey! Remember REM? Yeah. The band has stunk for about a decade, but it was ok for a while. This song was one of the great, bittersweet moments.

3. “Subterranean Homesick Alien”—Radiohead
While you may remember a previous article about Radiohead (Why Radiohead Sucks), they didn’t always suck. This Bob Dylan inspired track from OK Computer shows us why.

2. “Telstar”—Joe Meek/The Tornados
Released in 1962, this classic instrumental track is named after an early satellite.

1. “Space Oddity” (video)—David Bowie
“Take your protein pills and put your helmet on.”
Better advice was never given in a rock song. Well, at least not one about a doomed astronaut.

What’s your favorite space song from out of this world?
Leave a comment and let us know what’s on your list!