Posts Tagged ‘ace’

That is Ridiculous…ly bad! The Second Encounter!

Posted: June 27, 2012 by acelancin in Band Spotlight, List, Ridiculous
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Oh goodness. I am going to step on some toes today… I’ll be honest, I am almost afraid to do this one, but I must. Too many people think this person is talented and fantastic and awesome and beautiful. I disagree with all points. What use is what I think? Why should my opinion matter? Like my bio says: I attended Musician’s Institute. I spent almost two years surrounded by amazing musicians. I got to sit in practice rooms with some of the best singers I have ever heard. I sat in on vocal classes during my free time to get a sense of what was and is a good singer. I have played with men and women that could sing the pants off of any, ANY!, pop/rock/rap singer on the radio. I live and breathe music. I KNOW MUSIC! It might be all I know, but I know it…

So… Now that that is out-of-the-way…

That is Ridiculously Bad!

Lady Gaga

If I wanted to watch a cheap, trashy, far less talented version of Madonna… wait, who am I kidding, I wouldn’t even listen to Madonna, so why would I subject myself to something worse?

If I pumped myself full of that much auto-tune, I too could sound half decent. But I can’t sing, and neither can Gaga. You know what Lady Gaga is in the music world? A rogue back-up singer. She can carry a tune, but can’t SING.

We’re talking about a girl who quit music school because she thought she was better than the other people there.. A girl who says things like, “I just wanted to do it alone, so it was me and my piano.” SOURCE! [1] Is this sound reason for dropping out of music school? no.  That just sounds like a whiny little girl who didn’t get along with her music instructors.

Now my opinion of her beauty is, let’s face it, my opinion. so let’s just leave it at I don’t find her pretty.

NOW! The one thing I will give this tiny little freak, is her music videos are astounding. Visually. They are very VERY well done. So kudos on the visuals Lady Gaga. But lay off the “singing”.

Okay! That is all I will say about that.

-Ace (soon to be murdered by a raging Gaga fan) Lancin- RIP

That is Ridiculous. Rhan Saith

Posted: June 21, 2012 by acelancin in Band Spotlight, List, Ridiculous
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

I might be a little biased in the type of musician’s I choose to write about, but I don’t care. Which means, today, another bass player. Sorta. This guy was more than a bass player. One of the best players to have ever lived, A fantastic big band leader, an amazing composer, a noteworthy producer, and A psycho.

Jaco Pastorius

Jaco

Jaco Pastorius

This edition of That is Ridiculous has been somewhat difficult for me to get out. I started writing this on Tuesday June 19th and it is now Thursday June 21st and I still don’t have it done. The reason this is so hard, Jaco! Jaco was an inspiration to just about every bass player out there.   “I think I succeeded in finding my own sound, but I think it’s obvious that Jaco is a big influence when you hear me play (at least sometimes).” -Marcus Miller-

Jaco’s playing style grabbed everyone’s attention right out of the gate. His first Album, Jaco Pastorius (1976) got him two Grammy Award Nominations. (When the Grammy’s still meant something.) And Jaco was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988. He was one of only four bassists get the honor, and the ONLY electric bassist to get the award.

Jaco has played with Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, Trio of Doom, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Word of Mouth, Al Di Meola, Ian Hunter, Biréli Lagrène, Mike Stern, Flora Purim, and Airto Moreira.

Sadly, in 1982 Jaco was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His behavior and antics kept getting stranger and more erratic. There are rumors of him stripping naked on stage and coloring his face with magic marker…

September 11th, 1987 Jaco sneaked on stage at a Santana Concert, he was thrown out of the concert. He then went to the Midnight Bottle Club, where he and the bouncer Luc Havan got into a fight. Jaco was put into the hospital where he slipped into a coma. And on September 21st, 1987 Jaco Pastorius died of a brain hemorrhage. Luc Havan plead guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 22 months in jail, he served four of those months and was released on good behavior.

I know these articles are usually short. But I had to say more! IT’S JACO! All I can say, go listen to all the Jaco you can. Read what he had to say. Learn from him. He was such a great bass player it would be a shame to not learn from him.

Jerry Jemmott: “Any advice for musicians, young and old?”
Jaco: “Just to keep your minds open, keep an open head about music…
I grew up in Florida where there is no real musical prejudice,
there was all sorts of music, everyone was playing everything
from Cuban music to symphonic music…keep listening…
keep your ears open…”

-Ace Lancin-

That Is Ridiculous. Del Seks

Posted: June 13, 2012 by acelancin in Band Spotlight
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
2

I seem to be really bad at keeping a schedule…

Every time most men hear the sound of a banjo they think about Deliverance. And then they cringe.

When I think of banjo I think about the Prelude to Bach’s Violin Partitia #3. I think about Crazy fusion jazz/bluegrass. In short I think about Bela Fleck.

This dude really is ridiculous!

Notice how he plays that whole thing without reading the music. He’s got that mess in his HEAD!

I have been listening to Bela for years. Named a cat after him. His band Bela Fleck and The Flecktones is one of the best. Victor Wooten Trumps the low end for little ol’ Bela.

 

 

I recommend anyone interested in music should go out and check out anything they can by Bela Fleck, his music will open your mind to new musical possibilities.

Ace Lancin

 

p.s. You all wanna know something else ridiculous!? Prometheus! Go see it. It was extremely ridiculous. I need to see it again…

That is Ridiculous. Tertiary Phase!

Posted: May 22, 2012 by acelancin in Ridiculous
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0
Les Claypool!

The man with the bass.

When I was attending Musician’s Institute I took a class that dumbfounded me. Who would make an entire class devoted to one man? What man, bass player at that, would be worthy of his own ninety minute class? Well! Les Claypool of course!

When people are asked to name some great bass players usually only a handful pop into peoples minds; Flea, Patitucci, Collins, and (of course) Claypool. But out of all of these bass players Claypool stands in a class all by himself. He redefined solo bass playing. He made bass cool and made Primus suck. (For those of you that don’t know, “Primus Sucks” was what the band Primus would get their crowds to chant at shows.)

Anyways. You aren’t here to read my rant on how awesome Les Claypool is. So let’s get to some music!

Look at that man play that wicked six string bass… Freak! Oh yeah… And Buckethead often comes out and plays with Mr. Claypool… What a small world…

This next video I am going to share is Les playing an instrument called a Whamola. One string, a pick-up, a pulley system, and a drum stick! It’s a dirty, gritty, gravely sound. Lovely. Oh, yes, Les is the monkey playing the stick…

AAAAAAnd there he goes off stage…

Hope you enjoyed this madness…. I think it is safe to say that Les Claypool is Ridiculous!

-Ace Lancin-

 

That is Ridiculous! Part Deux

Posted: May 15, 2012 by acelancin in Ridiculous
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Vital Tech Tones

What is ridiculous about Vital Tech Tones? All three members! VTT is aFusion Jazz “supergroup”.  Steve Smith drummer for Vital Information, Tribal Tech guitarist Scott Henderson, and Bela Fleck and the FleckTones bass ex-freakin-traordinare Victor Wooten comprise the line-up for this freakishly ridiculous band.

Let’s hear a track from their second album VTT2.

Now that is just Wooten introducing the band. THAT’S JUST ONE GUY!

I’ll be honest. Their second album is my favorite, but they are both amazing albums.

But honestly these articles aren’t here to give you a bio on the band. They are here to let you hear a sample of the RIDICULOUS musicianship and hopefully get you to go out and buy their album.

Ok, The meat of the burger fusion fest!

That is Catch Me If You Can off of their first album VTT.

I’ll be honest, VTT is an acquired taste. This whole fusion jazz genre is an acquired taste. BUT I LOVE THESE GUYS!

SEE YA’LL LATER!

-Ace Lancin-

A List of Ten.

Posted: January 5, 2012 by acelancin in List
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

What did you expect?

Hello everyone! This here be my list of the top ten albums of 2011! They are in no particular order, and They aren’t all metal, go figure.

Enjoy folks!           AND SUPPORT ALL THESE ARTISTS BY BUYING THEIR ALBUMS!

Decemberists, ‘The King is Dead’

Foo Fighters, ‘Wasting Light’

Flogging Molly, ‘Speed of Darkness’

Cold, ‘Superfiction’

Mastodon, ‘The Hunter’

Anthrax, ‘Worship Music’

Staind, ‘Staind’

Alice Cooper, ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’

Red, ‘Until We Have Faces’

Chevelle, ‘Hats Off to The Bull’

Some Christmas METAL!

Posted: December 21, 2011 by acelancin in List
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Yeah… There’s Christmas metal…

I’ll just make a list! Not necessarily the top three, but three I am being thoroughly entertained by at this time!

This one actually snuck up on me. Trying to find a version of O Come all Ye Faithful to play for worship at church… Needless to say… We sound the version we will play… THIS ONE! TWISTED SISTER!

Good ol’ Psychostick! They know how to make a man laugh, and punch Santa in the junk…

I know, Weezer isn’t metal. I don’t care. They are Weezer!

To be honest with you all… I am not a big fan of Christmas music. It does not appeal.

I’m just a freak…

ACE

Alice Cooper & Fair To Midland!

Posted: September 24, 2011 by acelancin in Album Review
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

For a long while now I’ve been a little jaded with what has been coming out in Rock. It seems like there are only two maybe three good albums every year. AND usually those aren’t rock albums… BUT!!!! This year has been pretty good! Alter Bridge, Foo Fighters, Staind, Bush, Dream Theater, Primus, and Anthrax are just a handful of the good rock albums this year.

blah blah blah I’m not focusing on those though!

Fair To Midland – Arrows and Anchors

Arrowa and Anchors Cover

This band. THIS BAND! Is just swell. Fair to midland is this groovy progressive metal band from Texas. kinda like Boy Hits Car… but not! They have this way of doing these really heavy riffs and crazy screaming vocals with some awesomely melodic interludes and vocals.

And with their new album Arrows and Anchors they have not disappointed. Once again we run into a fantastic album produced, recorded, and mixed by Joe Barresi. This guy just annihilates albums. In the best possible way. The album explodes with a melodic number and then drops hard into track two, Whiskey & Ritalin, and woo!!! It’s crazy from then on out!

The first single on this album is Musical Chairs

And that’s just a taste of the heavy on this album. But a good taste.

I would say, go buy this album. In fact! GO BUY THIS ALBUM! Don’t just download it or rip it from a friend. Buy it.

and…

Alice Cooper – Welcome 2 My Nightmare

Welcome 2 My Nightmare Cover:-O GASP! Who would have thought that Alice Cooper would have the gall to do a follow-up to his most revered album Welcome to My Nightmare. But ya know what? He did. And it is possibly the best album out this year. Welcome 2 My Nightmare is, dare I say, a masterpiece. A perfect follow-up to Welcome to My Nightmare.

This is where I would put a song… But I can’t figure out how to put a song in here without using YouTube. and the song isn’t on YouTube yet.

Opening track I Am Made Of You kicks off with the piano part from the Welcome to My Nightmare song Steven. Alice actually uses autotune… Which I usually hate, but it works in this song. And Alice Cooper can do whatever he wants. I don’t want to ruin anything that happens in this album, but it is a ride through trains, disco’s, loneliness, meetings, and a really bad date.

There are many throwbacks to the original Nightmare culminating with The Underture which is a montage of tracks from Nightmare and Nightmare 2.

And this chick who apparently sings in public a lot, Kesha (or as I see it is actually spelled Ke$ha), sings on the track What Baby Wants.  Honestly at first I thought it was Milla Jovovich singing. THEY SOUND ALIKE!

Anyways, this album is a fun and kinda creepy ride. It is totally worth the money. GO BUY IT! Yes buy it.

THAT IS ALL!!!

                      -ACE-

p.s. on a personal note, I deleted my Facebook today…. IT WAS SO LIBERATING!

Press in the Clutch and let out the gas. (Part 1)

Posted: September 8, 2011 by acelancin in Band Spotlight
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Today I feel like talking about a band that has been important to me since junior high. I have a special place in my heart, and music collection, for this band. They are one of th reasons I play music. And I take a whole lot of my playing style from their bass player.They have so much soul, and so much groove, and so much ROCK that I think anyone could like this band.

Straight from Germantown, Maryland…

Clutch

Oh, Clutch. Blasting my ears away with Country fried manly beard metal for over 20 years. Well, not my ears for 20 years, but the worlds ears. Formed in 1990 by Dan Mains on bass and Jean Paul Gaster on drums these two soon found Tim Sult to play guitar for them and a singer for the band. This singer couldn’t make it to a show and Neil Fallon got up and sang. And there it was, Clutch was born… Sort of, they went through a ton of band names and accidentally got stuck with The name Clutch.

Album Cover Transnational Speedway League

In 1993 they released their first full length album:

Transnational Speedway League

This is a really heavy album. Somewhat gritty, and muddy. and to my knowledge their only album with a parental advisory. Go figure.

It’s got  some pretty nice tracks on it…

But…

Clutch album cover

It is Clutch’s second album. Their self-titled album that put them on the map. This is also the first album I heard by Clutch. Released in 1995 it was right at the end of the grunge era and the beginning of the boy band age. And somehow this band released an album so heavy and so strange and still got recognition.

It was the song Spacegrass that hooked me.

The band was labeled stoner rock and considered a staple of the scene in the 90′s.

In 1998 Clutched released The Elephant Riders. A really good album with some fantastic southern fried tracks. I have a lot of albums to cover. So, I’m just going to say everyone should check out the songs The Soapmakers and Wishbone. Great Tracks. (And Wishbone will make you hungry)

Pure Rock Fury, released in 2001

PURE ROCK FURY!

gave clutch their first hit single, Careful With That Mic. But the real magic on this album are the songs Immortal and Drink To The Dead.

Immortal is a cover/revision of the Leslie West song Baby I’m Down. A very loose cover.

It’s just a fantastic song. It’ll make you feel like punching someone in the face.

And Drink To The Dead is a great balladesque pub song. Have a drink and remember those you have lost and listen to this appropriate song.

Alright! We are about half-way through Clutch’s Discography. I am going to call it a night right here and continue later. So watch out for

PRESS IN THE CLUTCH AND LET OUT THE GAS! (PART 2)

ACE LANCIN

Who Likes Metal? WE DO! WE DO!

Posted: August 30, 2011 by acelancin in Band Spotlight
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

I could go on and on about tons of metal bands. I could talk about Slayer, Meshuggah, Metallica, Lamb of God, Staind, Machinehead, heck I could go on forever… But there is one band, in my humble opinion, that needs to be talked about in particular. That Band…

TOOL

Maynard James Keenan – Vocals

Justin Chancellor – Bass

Danny Carey – Drums

Adam Jones – Guitar

and former bass player Paul D’amour

No one that has listened to these men play their instruments can deny the talent, the artistic quality, the raw emotion that goes into every single riff, word, note, and beat. And then there is the pure fan frustration that they only put out an album about every 5 years.

Okay. I really I shouldn’t be writing about them, there is too much, there aren’t enough words to describe the, well, yes I’ll say it, genius behind the madness that is Tool.

And, as if their music wasn’t enough, the videos for their music are astounding. All but two of their videos are stop motion animation. The band only appears in only one video, (except they kind of appear as ghosts in the video for Sober. Stinkfist is perhaps one of the most visually interesting videos I have ever seen.

Tool won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 1998 (Aenema), for Best Metal Performance in 2002 (Schism), and for Best Recording Package in 2007 (10,000 Days). Now I don’t usually give much credence to any award shows but hey, they are my favorite band and sometimes those reward shows get things right.

Most importantly, their live shows are spectacular. The songs sound better in a live atmosphere with the people and the lights and the roaring and raging emotion. For Tool, their stage performance is all about the music and visuals. It is not about the band. I have only seen Tool twice, and both shows were completely different. One was a no frills, no light show, just fast, heavy and intense. The second was all the trimmings: Lights, video, crazy witty banter, some slower moments (musically, not boring). I have seen a lot of bands and a lot of shows, some very amazing bands like The Dave Matthews Band (see, I like more than metal) who easily blew away every band I had seen up until that point. But Tool, live, is a whole other ball game…

Now I will say, Tool is not a family friendly band. Their lyrics, subject matter and expletives are sometimes shocking. Maynard does not hold back, when he has something to say he will say it, no qualms about it. Their videos will occasionally contain nudity and their live show might too, so use some discretion.

So thank you, Maynard, Justin, Danny, Adam, and Paul for giving me music that has enhanced my life, that has pushed me to be the musician I am today. I am waiting patiently for the next album.