Be the first to comment 
Great guitar tone, horrendous lyrics: Marc Ribot @ City Winery, NYC.
It always seems tacky to complain about a gift, so we’re hesitant to say anything unkind about the free concert by guitarist/composer Marc Ribot Tuesday evening at the City Winery.
Hesitant, but not completely averse.
On the plus side, Continue reading »
Musicians worldwide are paying tribute to legendary guitar inventor Les Paul who died yesterday at 94, according to an Associated Press report.
Paul, an accomplished guitarist himself, invented the solid body guitar while searching for a particular sound, and was revered amongst the rock icons that benefited from his tireless tinkering.
“He actually taught himself to play guitar in order to demonstrate his electronic theories,” said Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. “All of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent.” Kiss frontman Paul Stanley added: “The name Les Paul is iconic and is known by aspiring and virtuoso guitar players worldwide. That guitar is the cornerstone of a lot of great music that has been made in the last 50 years.”
According to the AP, Paul also developed technology that became hallmarks of rock and pop recordings, from multi-track recording that allowed for multiple layers of “overdubs” to guitar reverb and other sound effects.
MORE Les Paul: RIP Les Paul, Electric Guitar Innovator, 94
VIDEO: A Classic Performance by Les Paul and Mary Ford
A few famous players of Les Paul guitars: Continue reading »
Ofat MarineABOVE: A quick documentary introducing the legendary Les Paul.
When Elvis died, I wasn’t even the ghost of a thought in my mother’s head.
Kurt Cobain killed himself on my birthday, and I didn’t really care—it was an ugly end to a sad life, but it was his own stupid fault.
Today, Les Paul has died, and, for the first time, the death of a musician has really kinda broken my heart.
(Seeing Lux Interior go was sad, too…but this is worse, albeit equally expected.)
Right now, it’s too Continue reading »
Worst Duets: Metallica and Lou Reed, U2 and Fergie, and More | Music Vixen BlogABOVE: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt, AKA Zakk Wylde, with Ozzy Osbourne in the ’80s, talking about how Wylde became Ozzy’s guitarist-thanks to Howard Stern. Is Osbourne seeking to replace his guitarist of over two decades?
After the failure of Osbournes: Reloaded-Fox’s horribly misguided attempt to bring the colorful rockstar family back to TV as the hosts of a variety show-Ozzy Osbourne seems to be re-focusing on the thing that made him famous to begin with: music.
Classic Rock Magazine reports that Osbourne, who cancelled the latest edition of his popular Ozzfest summer concert in order to focus on writing a new album, is currently auditioning new guitarists for the project–unbeknownst to longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde. Rob Zombie guitarist Continue reading »
News of Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton’s death is still making waves among rock fans around the world, but music fans are in for more bad news today as belated reports are surfacing regarding the death of a Motown legend.
Robert Ward passed away December 25 at age 70, according to a report posted earlier today by Billboard. While the name may not immediately ring a bell, the music this guitarist helped create will be remembered for years to come.
A founding member of the Ohio Players, Ward was behind well-known songs such as “Fire” and “Love Rollercoaster,” the latter a funk hit that found renewed success thanks to a popular version recorded by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Ward’s colorful, vibrato-drenched guitar tone was an instantly recognizable part of most of the songs he played on. Continue reading »
Latonya adamsCadillac Records hits movie theaters nationwide today, and while we haven’t had a chance to see the movie yet, we know the Cadillac Records soundtrack download should be great! Or, at least, it could’ve been great…
Set in the 1950s, the movie Cadillac Records tells the story Leonard Chess, founder of the legendary Chess Records label that was home to artists such as Etta James, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry—just to name a few! With this many music legends all in one place, the music is sure to be out of this world.
Cadillac Records stars Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess and features Beyonce Knowles as Etta James, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, Cedric the Entertainer as blues legend Willie Dixon (see complete cast details here).
Unfortunately, the Cadillac Records movie soundtrack doesn’t feature the original versions of the songs by the real artists, it features the versions performed by the movie’s actors.
Ugh.
Beyonce is a fine singer, but we’d really rather hear the real Etta James sing “At Last”! Same goes for Mos Def’s attempt at singing Chuck Berry’s “No Particular Place to Go.”
We’re not really sure what Solange Knowles is doing on the Cadillac Records soundtrack downloads, but we’re pretty sure she’s only there because Beyonce produced the movie. Must be nice to have a celeb sister! Maybe Jessica Simpson will produce a movie for Ashlee,haha, oh wait, Jess’s movie career hasn’t exactly been golden (who actually watched Employee of the Month? Yeah, that’s what we thought…).
Do you like it when actors/musicians portray musicians in films? Or is it better to use recording of the real musicians instead of the actors?
We don’t want to judge this movie too much until we’ve actually seen it, but we have a feeling it would’ve been better if the actors didn’t sing. We’ll let you know what we think after we watch it!
To get you warmed up for the Cadillac Records, here’s a preview of some of the musicians portrayed in the movie—enjoy!
Free Cadillac Records Soundtrack downloads
Free Etta James downloads
Free Beyonce downloads
Free Chuck Berry downloads
Free Mos Def Downloads
Tracklisting for Cadillac Records movie soundtrack:
Disc One:
1. “I’m a Man” - Jeffrey Wright
2. “At Last” - Beyonce
3. “No Particular Place to Go” - Mos Def
4. “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” - Jeffrey Wright
5. “Once in a Lifetime” - Beyonce 6. “Let’s Take a Walk” - Raphael Saadiq
7. “6 O’Clock Blues” - Solange
8. “Nadine” - Mos Def
9. “The Sound” - Mary Mary
10. “Last Night” - Little Walter
11. “I’d Rather Go Blind” - Beyonce
12. “My Babe” - Columbus Short
13. “Bridging the Gap” - Nas featuring Olu Dara
Disc Two:
1. “Maybellene” - Mos Def
2. “Forty Days and Forty Nights” - Buddy Guy
3. “Trust in Me” - Beyonce
4. “Juke” - Kim Wilson
5. “Smokestack Lightnin’” - Eamonn Walker
6. “Promised Land” - Mos Def
7. “All I Could Do Was Cry” - Beyonce
8. “My Babe” - Elvis Presley
9. “I Can’t Be Satisfied” - Jeffrey Wright
10. “Come On” - Mos Def
11. “Country Blues” - Jeffrey Wright
12. “Evolution of a Man” - Q-Tip and Al Kapone
13. “Radio Station” - Terence Blanchard
Have you seen Cadillac Records? Is it worth checking out?
We want YOUR Cadillac Records movie reviews!
PLEASE leave a comment and tell us if you liked it or not!
While the world counts gold medals in China during in the controversial 2008 Olympics, we’d like to focus on something more important than lip-synching little girls and fake fireworks: video games.
For some reason, video games have typically been the domain of lonely boys.
Same goes for rock’n’roll, to some extent.
So, in honor of rockin’ ladies everywhere, we present today’s list of hot chicks that could beat you at Guitar Hero III. Enjoy.
7 Hot Girls Who Could Destroy You (at Guitar Hero III)
7. The Donnas—Take it Off video
Ok, we don’t actually know which of the Donnas play guitar (they’re all named Donna). But, we know that this rock’n’roll girl-gang would make playing video games seem a lot less lame.
6. Joan Jett—I Love Rock’n’Roll mp3
Ok, so Joan wasn’t exactly a guitar geek ripping through sweet solos, but a few well-played power chords can go a long way.
5. Lita Ford—Kiss Me Deadly mp3
While her fashion choices were embarrassing (skank-o leather bathing suit thingies), and her hair was huge (well, it was the ‘80s, after all), there’s no denying that Lita could shred (she dueted with Ozzy!).
4. Nancy Wilson/Heart—Barracuda mp3
One word: “Barracuda.” Yup.
3. Courtney Love/Hole—Violet mp3
She may not be the best of the female guitarists, but she is probably the craziest, and you should never, ever underestimate the power of crazy.
2. Kaki King—Playing with Pink Noise video
Probably the most technically gifted of our list, King made a name for herself with her complex playing style and intricate fingerwork. Personally, we don’t want to listen to it, but we’re pretty sure her coordination would translate well to the fake guitar of Guitar Hero.
1. Wanda Jackson—Fujiyama Mama video
There’s a good reason a young rockabilly guitarist/singer named Wanda Jackson was known as the female Elvis (she also dated him as a teen, but that another story). She’s 71 now, but she still owns you, punk. We think Lisa Marie should name her twins after Wanda.
Is there a rockin’ lady we forgot to put on our list?
Leave a comment and tell us about her!
And don’t forget to tell us what your best Guitar Hero score is!
PaintpopEarlier this week the music world lost one of the defining figures of rock’n’roll: Bo Diddley.
Beginning in the ‘50s and spanning a 50-year-career, this singer/guitarist introduced the world to his rhythmic beat and powerful vocals on classic tracks like “Who Do You Love,” “I’m a Man” and, of course, “Hey Bo Diddley.” His influence on rock is immeasurable, having inspired everyone from Buddy Holly to the Rolling Stones.
However, in the wake of Diddley’s passing, it’s tempting to wonder if any other guitarist has had the same influence? Also, is there a contemporary artist inspiring people to pick up the guitar the way he did?
I don’t think so.
In fact, it seems that more and more kids are passing up real guitars in favor of their videogame counterparts in games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero.
Is Guitar Hero ruining real music?
It’s probably too soon to tell. And while it is possible that playing this virtual guitar will inspire some gamers to pick up real instruments, it’s also possible that the result is merely going to be a new generation of uninspired cover bands dishing out lame renditions of songs they learned from the video game.
The game company has recently announced plans for editions of the game focused on specific bands such as Aerosmith and Metallica. Wonder if they’ll ever do a country version of the game?
What do you think?
Do games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero inspire people to start real bands?
Or do games make people to lazy to learn to play real instruments?
Leave a comment and tell us what you think!
Ok, we’ve let this go on for far too long—John Mayer must be stopped!
Seriously, could we ship this guy off to some remote Antarctic region where he will be cut-off from over-eager paparazzi and internet access for his own nonsensical blogging?
In recent months, the adult contemporary singer/guitarist (read: more boring than Matchbox 20) has become a media darling thanks to a string of romances with the likes of Jessica Simpson, Minka Kelly and, now, apparently, Jennifer Aniston.
That’s fine and dandy, but we prefer to know as little as possible about the author of “Your Body is a Wonderland” (aka one of the most annoying songs ever written. EVER).
Making matters worse, Mayer has taken up residence in the blog world, using his personal page as a forum to discuss such important topics as why ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson isn’t as dumb as everyone thinks she is (um, yeah right), and, most recently, his valiant attempt to fulfill his lifelong ambition of having perfectly feathered ‘80s hair a la Michael J. Fox circa Back to the Future. He even encouraged readers to submit poetry about his new retro hair-do.
We thought his music was bad, but it turns out this guy’s blander-than-bland personality may be even worse than his sickeningly sweet ballads (check out the “Daughters” video, if you dare).
Honestly, if the most noteworthy thing about your career is that you just got a silly haircut, maybe you’re doing something wrong? Regardless, this guy is all over TV and magazines, so somebody must be interested in him, we guess…But we’re tired of hearing about him!
So, in addition to making the guitar seem utterly lame, Mayer poised to ignite a trend almost as horrible Rob Thomas albums and faux hawks.
Incidentally, his latest gal pal, Jennifer Aniston, the former Mrs. Brad Pitt, was once renowned for her trendy hair-style, the Friends-era “Rachel” hair-do. She might be able to offer grooming advice, now let’s hope hooks up with someone to offer him musical guidance as well.
What Do You Think?
Is John Mayer cool, or a complete dork?
Leave a comment and tell us what you think.
Just when you thought sex-tape scandals were only for underage girls and creepy old men, along comes news of a sex tape—from beyond the grave!
AOL and the New York Times report that a video has surfaced allegedly showing guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, um, starring, alongside not one, but two ladies. The tape is set to be released by super-skanky adult film company, Vivid Video.
Seriously? Enough already. Last week it was a fake Marilyn Monroe sex tape, tomorrow it’ll probably be a phony Miley Cyrus sex tape scandal. When will this nonsense end?
First of all, Jimi Hendrix is a lot of things, but a “sex symbol” isn’t really one of them by most accounts. The guitarist rose to fame with his version of the “Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock (video) and songs like “Purple Haze”mp3 and “All Along the Watchtower,” but his color-clashing psychedelic wardrobe wasn’t exactly landing him on the cover of fashion magazines.
Second, who cares? Don’t people have anything better to do than watch grainy video of celebs in compromising situations? This is a bigger waste of time than watching “Dancing with the Stars”!!!
What Do You Think?
Do people really want to see celebrity videos like this? Or is it just media hype?
Leave a comment and tell us what you think.
