The Ramones "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)"

Wishing a very Merry Christmas to all of the Modern Neon Sound readers.  Peace on Earth!

Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

The Royal Guardsmen "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron"

It doesn't really matter how tacky the stage design may be or how dreadful the goose-stepping dancing is because this song will always kick ass.  I love it as much today as when I was a little kid.  I'm not sure how Snoopy got himself mixed up in this whole World War I fighter pilot mess...but good thing he did!  I guess we have Charles Schulz and his Peanuts comic strip to thank for that.  The song went to number 2 on the Billboard Top 100 during the week of December 31, 1966.  Read more and watch the video after the jump.

"Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace" Review

I know it's a bit of a break with the norm for this blog, but I had to share this rather extensive, and absolutely hilarious review of "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace" by RedLetterMedia with you.  If 70 minutes seems a bit long for a movie review I would ask that you give it at least ten minutes and you'll see how quickly you get to the end.  I obviously enjoyed the entire review.  I remember having such high expectations for Episode 1, and then being so disappointed with this film that I never even bothered with Episodes 2 & 3.  I guess I'm not alone.

Electric Boogaloos on Soul Train

So you think you can dance?  That was definitely not the question in 1980 when the Electric Boogaloos appeared on Soul Train.  One look at these guys and you already knew the answer.  I love their list of "specialties" during the interview portion especially "creepin'."  I don't remember that dance style ever being referred to as "creepin'," however I wasn't really found out on the dance floor too often.



By the way, for those interested in learning these moves directly from the masters you may purchase your How To DVDs from their Merchandise Page.  Bring it back to the dance floor!

Thanks to RS for the blog tip...the blip.

The Dave Days Show "MIA - Paper Planes Cover"

Philadelphia pop-punker, Dave Days, performs a great acoustic version of MIA's "Paper Planes."  I also like his original tune "Get Out Of My Head Miley.  You can hear it on his MySpace page.

Insane Clown Posse "Tilt-A-Whirl"

The Dark Carnival has come to town...hide the children!  Insane Clown Posse shows us what lives below the Ferris Wheel and beyond the Fun House and it turns out it's beautiful!

Peace to all the Juggalos!

Beyonce (feat. Lady Gaga) "Video Phone"

I really need to upgrade my cell phone...

Beyonce - Video Phone (Official Music Video)

Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions

It is an undeniable fact...

Jonathan Richman "The Laura Palmer Tape"

What a great internet find for Jonathan Richman fans!  The Laura Palmer Tape (no relation to the Twin Peaks character) is a love letter that Jonathan sang into a home recording device back in 1974.  He talks directly to Laura throughout the session:  He mentions having trouble with balancing his microphone, and my personal favorite is when he breaks a string, "Broke a string, pardon me, Laura."  Then he proceeds to tell her he has to stop recording for a minute and repair the string otherwise "it's gonna sound terrible."   This is love-struck Jonathan at his very best.  I almost feel a little bit guilty peeking into this obvious private moment - after a few songs, and smiles, I get over my guilt rather quickly!  Download the album and enjoy...after the jump.

Ben Folds "Bitches Ain't Shit"

Anyone who reads Modern Neon Sound will know that I'm a real sucker for a cheeseball white guy version of a hardcore rap tune.  Read my entry for Boyz-N-The-Hood.  So, imagine how thrilled I was to find this amazing video by Ben Folds for his cover of Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit!" The visuals in this video are really great.  Keep an eye out for a cameo by The Beatles!  Watch the video (adults only - at least lyrically) after the jump.

Vampire Weekend "A-Punk"

The power of colorful sweaters is often misunderstood in the crafting of a pop hit!  Vampire Weekend understands this fashion element all too well.


Get it from:

Doro Pesch "Breaking the Law"

I don't know what I love more:  cheesy rock covers, a huge orchestra playing behind a bunch of electric guitars or hot, rockin' German chicks clad in leather and metal studs in full command of a stadium full of rabid fans.  Well Doro Pesch's cover of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" seems to fulfill all of my desires.  After yesterday's "Hey Joe" entry it only seems appropriate to continue to break the law.  Watch Doro kick out the jams after the jump.

Hey Joe

One thing that's clear is that it's never been such a great thing to be Joe's "old lady."  Watch a nice collection of "Hey Joe" covers after the jump.

Public Service Announcement

...from LeRoy "Horsemouth" Wallace.

Rockers on Blu-ray

Peter Tosh Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1979

Travel back in time thirty years to Montreux, Switzerland and watch a great concert by Peter Tosh. The concert was performed in The Casino which is mostly known for having been burnt down eight  years earlier and memorialized in the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water." Read more and watch the full concert after the jump.

The Subsonics "Frankenstein"

Here's a band I never heard of until I stumbled upon them on YouTube.  It's my humble opinion that The Subsonics should be as big as The White Stripes - and not just because they also have a girl drummer.  They hail out of Athens, Georgia and appear to have been around ten or fifteen years.  What's wrong with the music industry when a band like this isn't heard on the radio everyday?!?  Read more and watch a great video after the jump.

Lady Gaga "Speechless"

Looking like something between an angel and a superhero, Lady Gaga bangs out a great live performance of "Speechless" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  Thank god for YouTube because the only time I've ever actually tuned into The Ellen Show was when a friend of mine from work was sitting in the audience.


Lady Gaga on Amazon

More Lady Gaga Here.

Public Enemy "Fight The Power"

I don't recall ever seeing the long version of this Public Enemy video, but was happy to have found it on YouTube.  This version of the "Fight the Power" video might just be my favorite thing that Spike Lee ever directed.  I love the anger, the humor and the overall New York City energy that he captured in the streets of Brooklyn.   I also love that Tawana Brawley makes a cameo appearance.  Mostly, I love the lyrics:  Read more and watch the video after the jump.

Sinead O'Connor "War"

Back in 1992, Sinead O'Connor appeared on Saturday Night Live and performed an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War."  She substituted lyrics regarding rascism with lyrics about sexual abuse of children, and because she was protesting the abuse of children by members of the Roman Catholic church she concluded by ripping up a photograph of Pope John Paul II and commanded her audience to "fight the real enemy."  As you can imagine, this was not well received by the viewing public.  Read more and watch the video after the jump.

Zager and Evans "In The Year 2525"

Zager and Evans are truly the Nostradamus of rock and roll.

"Now it's been 10,000 years...man has cried a billion tears...for what he never knew...now man's reign is through, but through eternal night...the twinkling of starlight...so very far away...maybe it's only yesterday."

In The Year 2525 on Amazon


According to Wikipedia this song was deemed inappropriate for airplay after the attacks of 9/11 by Clear Channel radio stations.

The Rattles "The Witch"

Alright, so I might be a little late for Halloween, but I cannot seem to get this song out of my head this weekend.  The Rattles were a rock group from Germany, and "The Witch" was their biggest hit, and only hit outside their own country.  They performed alongside The Beatles and other stars of the day, including The Searchers, at The Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany.  Read more and watch the video after the jump.

Jonathan Richman "Everyday Clothes"

She had a black dress that I remember still
But in her ordinary clothes the girl was dressed to kill
I loved her
I loved her
At first sight I suppose
and I think I loved her more in just them plain old everyday clothes.


Thanks to champipple for the clip!

Portland's X-Ray Cafe Documentary

I found this really nice documentary on Portland's X-Ray Cafe on YouTube.  I never visited the X-Ray Cafe, but this film reminded me of everything I loved about growing up in Portland.  Portland was a city that didn't wait around for things to happen.  Kids instictively knew what they wanted and knew how to create their own scene.  Read more and watch the film after the jump.

Pete Seeger on Canadian Television

This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender...

Nice little CBC clip from 1963 of Pete Seeger touching on how music is perceived and understood throughout the world, the quality of singing voices and how he came to write "Where Have All the Flowers Gone."

The photo of Pete Seeger's banjo was taken by Annie Leibovitz and is part of her American Music collection.

Rock Lyrics: What a Gas!

It was funny back then...


and it's still funny today...

Widened Blog for Larger Videos

This morning, thanks to an online lesson from Blogger Sentral, I learned how to widen my blogging main area.  After doing so I went back and optimized many of my videos to a larger size.  I hope this new blog size (only 50 pixels larger) works fine on your monitor.

Leandra - Calling Spirits With Her Piano

I happily stumbled upon Leandra's cover version of Radiohead's "Creep,"and several clicks later found myself a fan.  Leandra is an incredibly talented musician hailing from Belarus.  She is classically trained and appears to have a very diverse interest in many styles of music.  She also perfoms as Ophelia Dax in the metal band Jesus on Extasy.  Read more after the jump.

"Lopez Tonight" Starts Next Week

George Lopez' new talk show "Lopez Tonight" premiere's next Monday night (11/09/09) at 11pm on TBS.  I'll give it a shot...maybe it will take a George Lopez to bring something new to late night tv.  What do you think?  Can George change late night like Obama requests?  The end of this promo is worth sticking around for.


George Lopez on Amazon

La Coka Nostra "Cousin of Death"

Hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra consists of Everlast, Danny Boy, Lethal, Slain and Ill Bill. Here's their eerie video for "Cousin of Death."


La Coka Nostra on Amazon

Jamie T. "If You've Got the Money"

I was on a walk, my iPhone was on Shuffle, and here comes a song that at first I thought was Arctic Monkeys, but something wasn't quite right.  It seemed a bit too laid back, not as punky and slightly more danceable.  I pulled the phone from my pocket and read "Jamie T."  I thought to myself "do I really have so much music on this thing that I don't even recognize a musician's name?"  Well, the answer to that was "yes," however, I won't be forgetting this track any time soon.  Read more and watch the video after the jump.

GWAR's "Gor-Gor"

Happy Halloween!

Peter Tosh's "Rastafari Is"

I was lucky enough to get to see Peter Tosh in concert three times.  All three performances were in Portland, OR, a great town for reggae.  Back in the days of festival seating my friends and I once waited in line about 15 hours to ensure that we would make the front row.  Peter Tosh looked to be about eight feet tall from the foot of the stage.  He put on the most amazing performances.  Read more after the jump.

Tommy Aldridge's Bare Handed Drum Solo

I remember watching this Ozzy concert on MTV back in 1984 and was floored when the drummer ended his amazing drum solo with yet another drum solo...played with his bare hands.  Tommy Aldridge is a machine with a beating heart in this clip.  Wikipedia says he was a double bass drum pioneer - gotta love that!  Watch the clip after the jump.

If You Don't Got Mojo Nixon Then Your Store Can Use Some Fixin'

I just discovered that you can get most of Mojo Nixon's albums for FREE - This promotion is now over and it looks like most of these albums are now priced at $5.99 from Amazon.com! Still a great deal! Find out more after the jump.

The Breakdown: In Praise of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" Music Video

Twenty-three years after Madonna releases "Papa Don't Preach" comes Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" - Two great songs, and two memorable music videos.  Of course, for Lady Gaga, the musical comparisons to Madonna don't just stop at a song with "Papa..." in the title.  Lady Gaga was born the year "Papa Don't Preach" was released.  Her parents are of Italian decent.  Both singers lived and performed in Lower Manhattan.  They both have strong burlesque/perfomance art influences, they put on big shows, love outrageous costumes, and have strong musical visions.  Read more after the jump.

175 Years of Guitar Magic

"I pulled into Nazereth, I was feelin' about half past dead;
I just need some place where I can lay my head."
"The Weight" by Robbie Robertson/The Band

Take a tour of the C.F. Martin & Company Guitar Factory.  I love how they jump from putting guitars together with clothespins and masking tape to a polishing robot!  No tour would be complete without a stop at the gift shop.  Check out the seven string Roger McGuin Signature Model around the 5:20 mark.  Alright, the video reeks of local, public access production values, but it still looks like a really fun tour.

"Be Legit"...But Don't Quote Eazy, He Ain't Said Shit

Hey, yo man, ya remember that shit Eazy did awhile back motherfucker said wasn't gonna work?"

"That was crazy shit."

"Yeah, the stupid shit, man.  Hey, yo Eazy, hey man, why don't ya come off the piano for a minute and bust this crazy shit?"

Well, Eazy-E did come off of the piano and busted out some crazy shit, but then a strange thing happened some white people decided they needed to bust out his same crazy shit as well. Read more after the jump.

K-Solo "Your Mom's In My Business"

I think it's time for K-Solo to find a new girlfriend!


K-Solo on Amazon

Murder in the Funk Degree

There is no denying how funk fabulous The Ohio Players "Love Rollercoaster" (1975) is, but the real reason it is so memorable to me is because of the great story that goes along with the song...a story of murder most bizarre! Read more after the jump!

Musical Dementia Documentaries

If you dare...dive into two wonderful musical minds that took a departure from reality.  I would like to recommend two amazing doumentaries about two influential performers.  "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" about Daniel Johnston and "You're Gonna Miss Me" profiling the great Roky Erickson from 13th Floor Elevators.  Both men are creative multi-instrumentalists who have written many songs.  Read more after the jump.

Full Force "Love is for Suckers"

Sometime in the late 1980's, in New  York City, I worked as an Electrician on this absolutely dreadful video for Full Force.  "Love is for Suckers" is a video with a whole lot of acting going on.  It's pretty obvious that a video like this could not be made in this day and age...and I say Bravo for that!  Go ahead sucker, take a look after the jump.

Mindless Self Indulgence "Mark David Chapman"

Thankfully there are still some kids who know how to wrap up a call for nonconformity in a pretty little angry box and spit it into the world.  Mindless Self Indulgence is a New York band that has been around since 1997, and twelve years later, I happily "discover" them thanks to greatest tool to ever broaden my musical awareness...the internet and YouTube in particular. Read more after the jump.

GS Boyz "Booty Dew"

I definitely need help!  I stumbled upon this song on YouTube a couple of days ago and now for the life of me, and my sanity, I cannot get it out of my head.  Proceed with caution after the jump.

Toddler Dream Machines

A friend of mine in Oakland told me that the latest street craze in his town is custom low-rider tricycles that have massive sound systems built into them. He tells me that when he stops at a red light they come out into the middle of the street, do a bunch of circles blasting music the whole time and then split. While my friend seems slightly annoyed I can't think of a better way to spend my thirty seconds at the light. Some of these toddler dream machines are real works of art. See what I mean after the jump.

Jonathan Richman "Abdul and Cleopatra"

As a history lesson I'm guessing this story might not really receive a passing grade, however, as a love song it's as good as they come.  Although Jonathan claims to have been miserable when he wrote the song, his guitar playing and his dancing will surely lift anyone out of the doldrums.  Watch "Abdul and Cleopatra" after the jump.

The Searchers "What'd I Say"

Drummer/vocalist, Chris Curtis (b. 1941, d. 2005), leads skiffle greats The Searchers and a dance hall full of screaming girls in this great Ray Charles cover. Watch "What'd I Say" after the jump.

Care Bears On Fire "Everybody Else"

Is it wrong that my eleven year old daughter and I like the same music?  Watch Care Bears on Fire's "Everybody Else" after the jump.

Lee "Scratch" Perry in the Studio

Great documentary clip of Lee "Scratch" Perry behind the mixing board in his Kingston, Jamaica studio, The Black Ark.  It's amazing when you think about all the great names that he recorded in that crowded little studio:  Early Bob Marley, The Upsetters, The Heptones, Max Romeo, Junior Murvin and even The Clash.

Junior Murvin and Lee Perry 1970's
Uploaded by LostPirate77. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Lee "Scratch" Perry's Ultimate Collection Arkology

Fiji 1994

Fifteen years ago today we were married. We honeymooned in Fiji. This photo was taken on Toberua Island.

"Ball of Fire vs. Blimp"

"Ball of Fire vs. Blimp", originally uploaded by Stitcher.

144,000 160,000 acres have burned in the "Station Fire". This is the largest fire in LA County history. 78 residences have burned and two firemen died when their vehicle fell off a mountain road. The sheriff's office is declaring the fire an act of arson and now a homicide investigation has been opened.

I took this photo of the setting sun on the evening of September 3, 2009, from my balcony, through the smoke filled air as a blimp passed by.