Timeless Concert Series – full orchestra collborations with the top composers and turntablists

It has been said that Los Angeles is a cultural wasteland. True the denizens here make trash like Rock Of Love Tour Bus and other crap, but I prefer to focus on the gems that pop up on my radar every once in a while…including the event series TIMELESS. If you like hip hop, Brazilian music, folk, jazz…hell if you like MUSIC, you should go. I’ve left you lucky devils some details below…

TIMELESS
Timeless,” a four-part concert series honoring the arrangers/composers that have influenced hip-hop since the 1970s. Beginning Sunday, Feb. 1, with a performance by Ethiopian Composer Mulatu Astatke and culminating on Sunday, April 5 with a performance by legendary composer David Axelrod, each Timeless concert features full orchestra collaborations honoring a featured arranger/composer framed with sets by turntablists from around the globe.

The “Timeless” concert series, which will be held at the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex in Los Angeles, is a unique homage to arrangers and composers as the antecedents of today’s beat makers. The series features a tribute to revered hip-hop artist J Dilla by chamber musicians Carlos Nino and Migel Ferguson on Feb. 22; Brazilian folk-jazz artist Arthur Verocai with sets by Madlib and DJ Nuts on March 15; and Axelrod, whose heavily-sampled solo albums have never before been performed live, on Apr. 5. Each international artist will do their all-time hits, plus an exclusive new piece. The DJ/producer opening each concert will build their set around the legacy and era of the highlighted composer.

Known as the “father of Ethio-jazz,” Astatke, who also provided the music to indie film hit Broken Flowers, will be joined by openers Cut Chemist, Quantic and Egon in the kick-off concert. In addition to being a recognized solo DJ, Cut Chemist is a member of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli. Tracks by Quantic, the English musician who now lives Cali, Columbia, have been regularly featured in songs by other eclectic DJs such as Richard Dorfmeister and Gilles Peterson. Egon is the general manager of Stones Throw Records.

Timeless is curated by production company Mochilla, which has previously developed campaigns for other tastemaker brands like Adidas, Dickies and Vans.

“Today’s hip-hop music revolves around beat-makers and producers, who often take their cues and samples from compositions of different generations and countries,” said Brian Cross (aka B+) of Mochilla. “Timeless brings these worlds together in Los Angeles – home to the world’s greatest musicians and session artists. Only here can we bring together such a diversity of music in this grand scale.”

Timeless Concert Series Dates and Ticket Information

The schedule for Timeless concerts at The Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex at the California State University, Los Angeles campus, is as follows:

Sunday, February 1st, 2009 – Mulatu Astatke with a 15-piece orchestra. Opening DJ sets by Cut Chemist, Quantic and Egon.
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 – Miguel Atwood-Ferguson with a 39-piece orchestra with Special SURPRISE Guests. Opening DJ sets by House Shoes.
Sunday, March 15th, 2009 – Arthur Verocai with a 30 piece orchestra. Opening DJ sets by MADLIB and DJ Nuts (Brasil).
Sunday, April 5, 2009 – David Axelrod with a 26-piece orchestra. Dj set by J.Rocc. Special Guests TBA.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the Luckman Box Office with general admission starting at $22.50. Performances are open to all ages.

Thriller – The Musical. Really?

This just in from FMQB:

‘Michael Jackson‘s iconic “Thriller” video is set to become a full-fledged musical theater production. The show will recreate the tale of the 1983 video. “This musical will be the exclusive Michael Jackson authorized version of ‘Thriller’ and Jackson will participate in every aspect of the creative process,” said the Nederland Organization, which has acquired the rights to the musical, according to Reuters. Thriller The Musical will include songs from Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller as well as its 1979 predecessor, Off the Wall.’

Maybe now laptop Djs will stop dropping Thriller in the middle of their set like they are the kings of irony. No American Apparel sweat hog twits would be caught dead dancing to Broadway show tunes…

[Ali On The Air spinning vinyl, bitches]

The Raveonettes – Warm and Fuzzy (Sounding) in Los Angeles

Steeped in cool fuzz, the Raveonettes have modernized the fifties sound of the Raveonettes, in the same manner that David Lynch takes those nifty fifties family values and transplants them into the insidious, dark, seedy underbelly of the modern city.

The city of Los Angeles seemed to want to welcome the Danish duo on Saturday, and match their music with cool, cloudy, shoegaze weather. The show was at near capacity, bringing out a lot of lovesick lads who pressed up against the lip of the stage to hang on Sharin Foo’s every lilting syllable.

Dreamy, surf swells of feedback from Sune Rose Wagner’s strumming, echoed against the walls of the Fonda, with ‘Love In A Trashcan’ being a stand out. Many of the newer songs off their current LP, like ‘Lust’ are trance like ballads filled with twangy yearning. Punchy versions of ‘Attack Of The Ghost Rider’ and ‘Twilight’ picked up the pace a little bit, with a chugging beat that hearkened to their California cousins, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The final song of the evening was the stand out ‘Aly Walk With Me’, an electronic, Brill Building styled, slow jam which has strains of good old Garbage.

But this was a pared down show. To round out the duo’s sound, the Raveonettes employed Pity Party Julie Heisenflei on drums and picked up a femme fatale on back up guitar to round out the ‘Leader Of the Pack’ type gang. However the show was quick, straightforward, and pared down, with little banter between songs. All in all, the set seemed disappointingly short. Including the encore, it was over in a little under an hour…the time it takes to get crunked on a shot of absinthe, dream of Gauloises and girl gangs, and then sober up for the ride home.

Cinderella With Sticks – A New Drum Off Champion Is Crowned

Los Angeles was grooving to the beat of many different drummers Saturday. The Guitar Center Drum Off Championships brought out hundreds of young hopefuls, six finalists and a slew of celebrity judges.

The Henry Fonda was filled with all ages eager to hit the skins, including some barely old enough to read…

Luckily there were free drum kits set up all over the lobby for anyone wishing to take their metered aggression out in a musical manner.

I played drums briefly when I was twelve. Somehow, I was put behind the kit in music class and then graduated to stage band as a chick drummer. Of course, that lasted only a few weeks until my natural inclination to be a front woman emerged and I became the singer. But I always loved playing drums. I begged my parents for a kit and lessons, but was denied due to the fact that our piano sat collecting dust in the corner of the living room.

So I found myself both a bit envious and also amazed at the young kids at the event whose parents wholly encouraged them to make a lot of noise. Celebrity judge and guest performer, Thomas Pridgen, was a winner of this very competition when he was only nine years old. So the bar had been set.

The amount of drum talent in the hall was a bit like a who’s who. The winner being jugged by a panel of today’s most iconic and influential drummers, including Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Kenny Aronoff, The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold), Danny Carey (Tool), and Trevor Lawrence Jr. (Snoop Dogg/ Dr. Dre), Drew Hester (Foo Fighters/Joe Walsh), Atom Willard (Angels & Airwaves), Alan White (Yes), and Frank Zummo (Street Drum Corps).

Also hanging up on the roof before the show were Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Cora Coleman-Dunham (Prince; Drum-Off ’02 Champ), John Tempesta (The Cult), Ray Luzier (Korn), Shannon Leto (30 Seconds to Mars), Jason Sutter (Chris Cornell), Eric Moore (Bobby Brown, Sly and The Family Stone, Suicidal Tendencies; Drum-Off ’03 Champ) and Dale Stewart (Seether).

TC and I stood on the roof contemplating the mass amount of men in sorts in the brisk January air. We wondered why out loud, was it a fashion faux pas that had never been corrected? Phil Jauguiri, Evans Drum A&R stepped in to remind us that shorts are chosen for ventilation. Ah. I guess Tommy Lee never bothered with ventilation – leather shorts wouldn’t have worked for the ladies.

I felt it was my duty to get in that mix and ask a pertinent drumming question…what is the best drummer joke you’ve ever heard? Chad gave this gem:

“Q. What’s the differene between a drummer and a pizza?

A. A pizza can feed a family of four.”

Kenny Aronoff thought that there are no good drummer jokes:

“They all suck”, he exclaimed. But he did recall hearing one about drummers who drool.

SDC veteran and incorrigible flirt Bobby Alt had this joke with a similar theme:

“Q. What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend?

A. Homeless.”

I chime in that I was once that girlfriend. Bobby admits he has most definitely been that boyfriend in the past and then suggests that perhaps we should join forces and shack up…because I need another wayward boarder? However,  as Bobby points out, it wouldn’t be for long because there’s always a tour looming. Hmm, perhaps this arrangement could work out.

Just to be sure, I ask him what his favorite song to air drum to and he crows that it’d be the epic ‘In The Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins. Hell, I’ve been known to pull over to the side of the road to air drum for that song.  Sounds like a match! I’m clearing out a drawer for you, Bobby.

Rock star coach TC Conroy and drummer extraordinaire Bobby Alt

The show kicked off with a performance by Jason Bittner an then a special dual performance by Thomas Pridgen on one side of the stage and Thomas Lang on the other. The cacophony of relay drumming was outstanding.

Thomas Pridgen

Thomas Lang

Emcee for the evening Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction) kept things light and airy between the rather long set ups that stalled an already tense evening.

Stephen Perkins

At long last, the finalists got to take the stage. Juan Carlos Mendoza (E. Brunsick, NJ), Jerome Flood II (Lawrenceville, GA), Anthony Burns (Saginaw, MI), Ramon Sampson (Memphis, TN), Sherman Arnold (Englewood CO) and local boy Timm Newton (La Mesa, CA) wowed the crowd with their  skills, some concentrating with laser like precision, and others hamming it up with stick tricks and taking a drink during a fill.

The talent on stage would make a decision near impossible. The consensus in the photographer pit was that Ramon had skills plus an undeniable charm. The judges deliberated during a performance by Papa Roah, and when they came to a decision,  the mastery of Jerome Flood II’s performance would bring him the champion title and $25,000 prize.

Jerome Flood II

The 22 year old from Atlanta was overjoyed, if not a little bit overwhelmed by the new found fame and cameras snapping around him.

Jerome got his start at church -  his father sings in the church choir, and Jerome grew up watching the performances. His parents bought him a drum set at the age of 2 (ahem, Mom and Dad!) and he was well on his way. When I asked who he was influenced by, he deferred to name a specific artist or genre, saying that he emulated the church drummers he grew up watching. Though he did say he’s been listening to a lot of Yellow Jacket and Jazz.

If asked to put together a super group, Jerome’s face lights up – he would choose Usher’s guitarist and his cousin Curtis on bass and his friend Tracy on keys. Keeping it in the family…how cute is that?

Drum Off champion Jerome Flood II

And how will Jerome spend his next few days as Tinseltown’s newest Cinderella? Auditioning for a Christian rock band, an appearance on Carson Daly,  and finding a place to live – now an attainable goal since going from near penniless to $25,000 richer (Jerome doesn’t seem like the cliche freeloading drummer that starred in  Bobby’s joke).

Oh, and he might go shopping for some new clothes. A man after my own heart.

This Just In – Indie 103.1 Goes Dark

As a lot of you know, I was on air at Indie 103.1 FM. I created the Gig Guide and was the behind the scenes mastermind of a lot of the local acts programming…that is until I left under dire circumstances. More about this  will be in my upcoming book.

I read this post on their website this morning:

BYE BYE

Thanks to everyone who made Indie 103.1 possible. We love you all.

More information to follow but word has it that they will become internet only.

While it is a sad day for Los Angeles indie rock, it is justice for Dicky Barrett, myself and many others who were duped, or abused by the people that worked there. I always believed in the spirit behind a great Los Angeles radio station, but the reality of what really went on there, and their not so secret, but denied, ties with Clear Channel, would curl your toes.

I feel for the hard working, undiscovered, and up and coming bands out there who are heartbroken, and for the listeners who would rather hear the Indie playlist than listen to KROQ or 98.7. Fear not. Something better will come along for all of you. And remember that you have the power to continue the spirit of good music in Los Angeles. I have made it my sole mission since leaving. If the music is good, it will rise to the top. Believe it.

As the industry changes, old models become obsolete but newer models will appear and I URGE everyone to embrace them. Blogs, websites, podcasts and internet programming are only the tip of the iceberg. I will be involved in a seminar and workshops about this very subject soon and will post details in a later blog.

So don’t look at this as a death, but a birth of something better…and hopefully with better people at the helm.

The power of good music is stronger than it’s medium.

Stimulus Package – Larry Flynt Asks Congress For Porn Industry Bail Out

I had to repost this article from CNN.com…Larry Flynt is a satirist on par with Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde and Stephen Colbert. Kudos, Larry!

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Another major American industry is asking for assistance as the global financial crisis continues: Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis said Wednesday they will request that Congress allocate $5 billion for a bailout of the adult entertainment industry.

“The take here is that everyone and their mother want to be bailed out from the banks to the big three,” said Owen Moogan, spokesman for Larry Flynt. “The porn industry has been hurt by the downturn like everyone else and they are going to ask for the $5 billion. Is it the most serious thing in the world? Is it going to make the lives of Americans better if it happens? It is not for them to determine.”

Francis said in a statement that “the US government should actively support the adult industry’s survival and growth, just as it feels the need to support any other industry cherished by the American people.”

“We should be delivering [the request] by the end of today to our congressmen and [Secretary of the Treasury Henry] Paulson asking for this $5 billion dollar bailout,” he told CNN Wednesday.

Flynt and Francis concede the industry itself is in no financial danger — DVD sales have slipped over the past year, but Web traffic has continued to grow.

But the industry leaders said the issue is a nation in need. “People are too depressed to be sexually active,” Flynt said in the statement. “This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex.”

“With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind. It’s time for congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America. The only way they can do this is by supporting the adult industry and doing it quickly.”

So far, there has been no congressional reaction to the request.

Guitar Center Drum Off With Members of Tool, Foo Fighters, Jane’s Addiction, No Doubt & More – Plus, Mars Volta Contest!!!

Hollywood Hosts Guitar Center’s Drum-Off Grand Finals Competition This Saturday at 7pm.

I will be front and center to provide you lucky devils with the sights and sounds AND I have a fantastic prize to give away – a signed drum head, autographed by Mars Volta! Details below…

Among the panel of top judges of the Guitar Center Drum Off Grand Finals are: Adrian Young (No Doubt), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Kenny Aronoff, The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold) and Danny Carey (Tool).

After months of local and regional competitions held at each of Guitar Center’s 214 stores across the country, the top six undiscovered drummers in the nation have been selected from a field of nearly 5,000 competitors. The six finalists will go head to head on Saturday, January 10th, 2009 at Guitar Center’s Drum-Off Grand finals in Los Angeles for a prize package worth over $45,000, as they perform in front of a capacity crowd at the historic Music Box at Fonda Theater.

Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction) will host the evening. Guitar Center will also feature performances from drumming greats Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall), an exclusive collaboration by Thomas Pridgen (Mars Volta) and Thomas Lang and a headlining performance by Papa Roach. Street Drum Corps Presents BANG! will perform their signature high-energy, street drumming sets outside the venue to kick off the night.

The Six Finalists are:

Juan Carlos Mendoza (E. Brunswick, NJ)

Jerome Flood III (Lawrenceville, GA)

Anthony Burns (Saginaw, MI)

Ramon Sampson (Memphis, TN)

Sherman Arnold (Englewood, CO)

Tim Newton (La Mesa, CA)

For 20 years Guitar Center’s annual Drum-Off has been recognized by the music community as one of the most important platforms for unsigned talent, and a springboard to stardom for many seriously talented young drummers. Prior Drum-Off champs who have gone on to become successful pro drummers include Cora “CC” Dunham (Prince; Drum-Off ’02 Champ), Eric Moore (Bobby Brown, Sly and The Family Stone, Infectious Grooves, Suicidal Tendencies; Drum-Off ‘03 Champ), Tony Royster Jr. (Jay Z; Drum-Off ’95 Champ) and Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta), who became Guitar Center’s Drum-Off champion in 1993 when he was just 9 years old!

This is an all-ages show.

Tickets are $15 at www.TicketWeb.com

Guitar Center’s Drum-Off finals
Saturday, January 10th – 7pm
The Music Box @ Fonda
6126 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, Ca 90028.

One lucky reader of my blog will win a drum head, courtesy of Guitar Center and autographed by Mars Volta drummer, Thomas Pridgen!

Just leave a comment at http://www.Aliontheair.wordpress.com below this blog, on who your favorite drummer is and why. The best response will take home the booty.

RIP Ron Asheton – Founding member of The Stooges

Iggy and the Stooges remain one of my all time favorites and count as one of the sounds that blew my mind apart and sealed the deal that I would forever be indebted to rocknroll. I’m very sad to report on Ron’s passing…

The Stooges

Ron Asheton, guitarist and founding member of the Stooges, was reportedly found dead at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan this morning. He was 60. Official cause of death has not yet been announced but initial indications suggest Asheton had a heart attack. Police entered Asheton’s home and discovered his body on a couch after his personal assistant was unable to reach the rocker for days. Detective Bill Stanford told Michigan Live it appeared Asheton passed away several days ago.

As the guitarist for the Stooges, Asheton crafted some of rock’s most memorable riffs, including “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “No Fun” and “TV Eye.” Guitarist Asheton, along with his brother Scott, Iggy Pop and original bassist Dave Alexander formed the Stooges in Detroit in 1967. The original lineup released two albums, The Stooges and Fun House, before Ron Asheton shifted over to bass guitar for 1973’s Raw Power.

After the Stooges initially split, Asheton went on to play with the New Order (not the U.K. one), Destroy All Monsters, New Race and the Wylde Ratttz, a supergroup featuring Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Mudhoney’s Mark Arm, Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis and Mike Watt, who would eventually become Asheton’s bandmate when the Stooges reunited in 2003. For the band’s comeback album, 2007’s The Weirdness, Asheton was once again in his rightful place onstage as the Stooges’ guitarist as Watt picked up bass duties. Last year the Stooges played as Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; this year, the band was nominated for their own induction.