Author Archives: Steve Moyer

Must-See Movie

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My favorite rock doc is “It Might Get Loud” and, at the beginning of “Sound City” I thought it might be even better. It wasn’t, but it was still really, really good. I wish they would’ve focused more on the bands I like, rather than some I don’t like so much. However, I should feel lucky several of my very favorite bands are in it at all. And, if the whole movie was about those bands I like, no one would watch it, because no one likes the bands I like.

Later the movie gets into a lot of analog versus digital, which is interesting. If you want a compelling, digestible argument for analog, read the liner notes on The Hellacopters’ “Supershitty To The Max” (number three on my All-Time list). Yet another reason to buy it.

I rented “Sound City” via video on demand from my cable company, so it shouldn’t be very hard to find.

A Little Story Sure To Please Everyone

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Earlier this year Dave Grohl revealed that Elton John would join his band Queens of the Stone Age on a song when the rock album hit stores later this year. Frontman Josh Homme had a chance to explain how that collaboration came about during a recent interview.

The scene Homme describes sounds straight from a movie. The classic rocker was riding in his car listening to Them Crooked Vultures (another Grohl side project) when his assistant recommended he turn to Queens of the Stone Age. “The guy driving the car was an old roommate of mine,” Homme told London’s XFM radio. “So all of a sudden, I get a phone call at my house on a Sunday. I picked it up and he said, ‘Hello Josh, this is Elton.’ I thought someone was messing with me.”

Elton John cut through any potential nervousness by quickly saying, “The only thing missing from your band is an actual queen.”

For Peter K

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When I posted my top 20 Albums of All-Time, Peter was particularly affected by “More Specials.” And, bless his heart, later I found out he’s listening to the Queens “Rated R.” Thank you, Peter. Thank you. This is for you. Yes, The Specials version is much better, but I like this. Kind of like Metallica doing “Wire Out” by Supershit (which they should).

A Band That Should Be Much More Interesting Than They Are

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Have you guys heard of Ghost BC yet? I swear they’re gonna be a next big thing. Combining a singer with the best face paint ever and backup musicians with no names (just Nameless Ghoul number whatever) is pretty cool. Apologies to you older guys, but I still get caught up in my childhood KISS fixation with bands like this. Believe it or not, KISS was once scary and menacing (my younger brother, who is now an elementary school principal – way too much principaling in my background – was frightened by the first KISS album cover when I bought it way back in ’73) even though they’ve been family-friendly for as long as most anyone can remember. Believe me, I’m put off as you are, knowing now that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were only out to rape me of the little money I made as a 15-year-old back in the day.

Then there was The Misfits, the KISS of punk, whom I adored. Saw them at the legendary 4th Street Saloon in Bethlehem, PA back when they were small-time. The guitarist, Bobby Steele, chucked his guitar into my friend’s leg (and it hurt!). We – as a bunch of little under-age kids (under-age kids could get into bars back then) – “hung out” with them backstage in a cramped little room where they pretty much ignored us. Saw them later at Northampton County Community College with Reagan Youth (if you want to read a f’d up story, read about their singer Dave Insurgent/Rubinstein on Wiki).

Anyway, I wanted real bad to discover something new with Ghost BC. A friend of mine introduced me to them months ago and, now since they’re getting more attention, I checked them out again. But the music is just too damn poppy. I’m the last guy for death metal and cookie monster vocals, but the music should be more menacing than this.

Oh well, the new Queens album is out now and I can’t wait to DRIVE TO THE RECORD STORE AND BUY THE CD. More on that later.

What do you think?