Mr. Really Bad Dancer

One famous adage says, "Dance like no one is looking".

Please don't. People ARE looking. And it's because of the way you dance.

False Alarm

In the eighties, The Alarm tried sooo hard to be U2 but could never quite measure up. Where Bono could be overblown as well as profound, Mike Peters just came across as bombastic.

Now the mimicry continues. Only this time it is The Clash they are imitating on their latest release, "Guerilla Tactics". "Three Sevens Clash" has a fast punk tempo and hard edged guitar with lead singer Mike Peters doing his best Joe Strummer imitation. "Alarm Calling" is so close to "London Calling", not only in name but in beat and guitar riff, it borders on bad parody. "Right Now" is the album's obligatory stab at reggae.

All in all, this sounds less like a group collaboration and more like Mike Peters' own vanity release. The lack of depth in the song writing being compensated for by over-the-top pleading to "join the fight", is signature Alarm. The catchy hooks of past Alarm songs are few here.

The Man Who Refused To Die

Billy Idol keeps on keeping on. Idol, who admittedly has already, "used up his nine lives" is not only a survivor, he is thriving. He has overcome a serious motorcycle accident, drug excesses and a near career ending style change. Billy has finally come back from the brink to reclaim his mantle as Punk's snarlingest front man.

2005's "Devil's Playground" was arguably his best album ever. And he has seemingly been on tour non-stop since. While the majority of Billy's 80s contemporaries have long ago been thrown on the junk heap of pop culture, he continues to create new music. "New Future Weapon" and "John Wayne" are featured on a new greatest hits package, "Idolize Yourself - Best of Billy Idol".

Below is a live performance of "John Wayne" from a recent Jimmy Kimmel show:

Cover Songs- Tributes To The Classics

FLUNK gets an "A+"!

A good cover pays homage to a great song and the band that originally made it a hit. It is a tribute and a show of appreciation. It demonstrates that a classic song can stand the test of time.

To be successful, the artist covering the song has to put their own spin on it and not simply recreate a note for note replica just to boost their own image or pad music sales. When they can successfully change the instrumentation or arrangement, giving the song new life and meaning, it transcends its former limits!

Examples:

"Blue Monday"- Flunk
http://www.myspace.com/flunktheband

"Somebody Got Murdered"- Matthew Ryan
http://www.last.fm/music/Matthew+Ryan/_/Somebody+Got+Murdered

"Stop Me"- Mark Ronson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4kBr5WWiBM

"Rebel Yell"- Mr. Badwrench
http://www.last.fm/music/Mr.+Badwrench/_/Rebel+Yell

"Enjoy the Silence"- Lacuna Coil

Absolutely 100% FREE Music!

You say you want to download high quality music quickly and easily. You want cool music from both established, well known artists and cutting edge newcomers. Oh... and you don't want to pay a DIME for it?

Well why didn't you say so?

Lots of free music is available online with no strings attached. And not the kind that the RIAA will be taking you to court over!

Many legitimate sites offer promotional downloads just to get you to check out their webspace. It sure beats looking over your shoulder while you connect to some dubious peer to peer sharing network, hoping to find a good song at the risk of infecting your computer with a hard-drive-eating worm.

The Apple Music Store offers a free download, usually from an up and coming artist, once each week. Past offerings have included music from Cut Copy, Duffy, The Last Goodnight and Amy Winehouse. Check each Tuesday for the newest releases.

If you don't already have iTunes you can download it here for free:

APPLE iTunes


iLike is a social networking site that focuses on music and music lovers. iLike.com offers many free downloads. They range from established pop superstars like Cyndi Lauper to newcomers like She Wants Revenge. Here's a few FREE faves (click on the name to get your free download):

Astrid Williamson

Gabby Glaser

Cyndi Lauper

The Jan Watkins Band

Bridges And Powerlines

Al Marconi

She Wants Revenge


Amazon.com has now jumped on the mp3 downloading bandwagon with both feet. Poking around a bit in their mp3 store reveals lots of free stuff. Check out and download these without paying a cent for them while you can (click on the name to get your free download):

John Doe

The Raveonettes

Whitsundays

OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark)

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings

Ted Nugent

Dolly Parton

Nina Person

Finest Dearest

Michael McDonald

Brian Setzer


Good hunting!

Free downloads are subject to change and may only be available for a limited time. All downloads listed here should be both Mac and PC compatible.