It was 20 Years Ago Today... Royal Crescent Mob

1991 Royal Crescent Mob
Originally uploaded by clare_and_ben

I was just listening to some old Royal Crescent Mob today. Spin the World, was released in 1989. I like a lot of the music from that era. The punk funk fusion of bands like 24-7 Spyz, Momma Stud, Red Hot Chilipeppers, and the RC Mob were banging it up, with funk bass, punk guitar and rap/rock lyrics. It was a nice time, and the music had a good natured feel to it.
The scene was throbbing with heavy bass and punk/metal guitar riffs.

Here are some of my faves from 20 years ago:
Royal Crescent Mob- Spin the World
24-7 Spyz- Gumbo Millenium
Fishbone- Bonin' in the Boneyard
Red Hot Chili Peppers- Blood Sugar Sex Magic

I thought it was THE FUTURE of music. I thought ALL music would sound like this. The real breakout bands from that era were Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More. They had a little staying power.
But tastes change. Good music lives on. I thought Momma Stud was going to be THE next big thing. I was wrong. Still sounds great however. Listen to some older cd's and expand your mind. See where we THOUGHT music was going at one time. You just may enjoy it!

Make Do and Mend: Good Band to Check Out!

Originally uploaded by Sacha Maxim

Whilst rummaging through material of new and up-and-coming bands to write about, I kept coming back to these guys. Make Do and Mend. They are set to release Bodies of Water in the next few days. Hailing from West Hartford CT, the new tunes will be available on vinyl or cd. Tour dates mostly on the east coast and west coast. Nothing in the middle 2/3 of the US for now. Their sound is classic and fresh at the same time, going down familiar roads but not getting stuck there. Tuneful, post-HC/punk and thoughtful lyrics. Check them out!

Big D and the Kids Table News: Ska is still (Not!) Dead

Big D and the Kids Table
Originally uploaded by DanCox_

Am I so uncool to still enjoy the skapunk sound even though it was last cool in the 90s? Regular readers of the Dissident Times will notice I still harbor affection for bands like Voodoo Glow Skulls, Bosstones, and Reel Big Fish.
Big D and the Kids Table are a great band to get you ska going. They are regulars on the Ska is Dead Tour and the Warped Tour. Right now they are finishing up some east coast dates and getting ready for the 2009 version of Warped Tour. I heard recent noise that they are due to release a new cd in the summer of 2009. Catch em on the Warped Tour if you get the chance.

Earth Day Every Day: Be Kind to Your Mother Earth!

Earth Day Every Day
Originally uploaded by MontanaRaven

Here we are at another earth day. I remember back in the 70s when the hippies got the whole thing started. Thank you hippies. If there is at least one day that environmnetal issues are mentioned, at least it is Earth Day. So go out and do something good for the planet. Recycle, plant a tree, bike to work or ANYTHING. As Jello Biafra says in a Dead Kennedys song "Its the only world we got, let's protect it while we can."

Dave Ernspiker- Big Rock Show guitarist dead at 39

Dave Ernspiker
Originally uploaded by John Adkins II

With great sadness I heard of the passing of Dave Ernspiker, guitarist of Louisville's Big Rock Show. Dave was a real life Dewey Finn, the character from School of Rock. He lived to rock. Playing out in the clubs 6 nights a week, and then doing church gigs on Sunday. The man was born to play guitar. He always had good advice for me on amps and stuff. A bear of a guy, who will leave a giant hole in the Louisville music scene. Rest in Peace, Dave. You are in Rock and Roll Heaven now.

Columbine, Ten Years On

Anti Gun Violence Campaign
Originally uploaded by adwriter

And nothing really has happened with gun control. We are "shocked" by the Virginia Tech massacre, but nothing changes. We are shocked when a man kills a minister in the pulpit in Illinois. We are shocked when Northern Illinois University becomes a battleground, but nothing changes. We are shocked when a man kills people in an East Tennessee church because he "hates liberals". We are shocked when a man (too many to count) kills his family and then turns the gun on himself. We are shocked when students are gunned down at Heath HS right here in Kentucky. We are saddened when.........................
But nothing changes. America loves its guns. America will suffer its high murder rates to keep those guns at all costs. I am not shocked by the Columbines. I am just wondering where the next one will hit. Like a tornado or earthquake. Angry people with easy access to guns is the formula for this carnage. Why are we surprised?

Coming Soon to a Town Near You. The Republican Party's Faux Tea Party

Tea Party Crate/Dan Streety
Originally uploaded by dstreety

So the public is reportedly feeling angry about the Stimulus plan. They fear Government spending is out of control. You ask yourself, "Is this a populist movement?" Look no further than the Karl Rove Republican party for the answer. Trying to stay out of sight behind the scenes, their fingerprints are all over this phony media event. Wednesday, we will have our phony tea "protest" here in Louisville. I hear Terry Meiners on the Republican- mouthpiece WHAS-AM talking to two "average citizens" about it. Amazing how this protest just sprung up and got media attention. Terry never talked to Iraq War protesters or gave them free PR. Stick to the comedy, Mr. Meiner. You are skilled at it. Let the Republican party pay for their advertisements on WHAS. It will be good for Clear Channel's revenue.

Mutabaruka: Reggae's Poet Laureate

Mutabaruka
Originally uploaded by hzphotography

Right now I am sitting at the computer and listening to some old tracks by Mutabaruka. Muta, for short, is a poet who rhymes over reggae and dub beats. His 1982 recording "Check It" was radical at the time it was recorded. Rap was in it's infancy, and the idea of speaking poetry and singing over the track seemed strange to many. When I hear his early stuff, it still sounds current, urgent as it did in the early 80's.
From his book of poetry, The Next Poems he states:
“My poems,” Mutabaruka has said, “are to show you the
problems that face us in the world and then motivate you to find solutions to these problems – I don’t think I could show people how to get out of their problems with poems, but at least I could motivate actions.”
His rhymes are creative, humorous, sad; they run the gamut of human emotions and deal with many different topics. If you really are looking for something different, thought-provoking and interesting, check him out. His website is: www.mutabaruka.com