Too Drunk...

Yesterday during my lunch break, I hit the local Walmart specifically to pick up the new AC/DC album. Like always, I ended up walking away with more than I came for... 5 new discs including Buckcherry's latest release "Black Butterfly"

Yes, I know music is available online but there's something about forcing myself to listen to an entire album that enables me to feel like I'm broadening my musical horizons.

Buckcherry, where do I start... They sound like my kind of band, they look and act, well... like something else. Josh Todd is in serious need of a better stylist, a little less eyeliner, and perhaps if he laid off the drugs, you wouldn't be able to see his ribs poking though those horrid threads. The whole emo thing is a little difficult for me to accept... visually.

I truly thought Buckcherry was destined to be a one hit wonder with "Crazy Bitch" as their one psuedo hit. However, a record rep sent me a video postcard of "Too Drunk.." just prior to the release of thier lastest album. I had a listen and much to my surprise it was as catchy as it was raunchy. It's pretty raunchy! I found myself listening to it 4-5 times that day (in a row...shh!)

Then back in August, I attended Crue-Fest ... that's me in the pic!

Motley Crue... all my naughty rock n' roll fantasies include Tommy Lee...

Ahem... Back to Buckcherry, they opened for Motley Crue, and after seeing them live I was again significantly impressed, which is what lead to the Black Butterfly disc purchase. Again, I have to admit, it exceeds every expectation. "Too Drunk..." is as raunchy as they get and the rest of the tracks are comparably catchy. With Buckcherry, you don't expect much, but then then go and wow you! Maybe there's something to their imaging afterall... Check it out:



PS - If you are reading this on my facebook page, the embedded videos don't transfer through, so if you're curious enough: http://billierock.blogspot.com

Grateful for Whatever Breaks the Silence...

At last my dry spell is over!!! Sunday night Jim Cuddy played a corporate date in Saskatoon, and, lucky me, I was in attendance. It had been waaay too long!

I'm seriously going to have to find a solution to the lack of live music in this small town I now call home, but that's a rant for another day.

I've seen Jim Cuddy on stage a total of 4 times in his career. The first time, was coincidently my first live show ever. He performed along with the rest of Blue Rodeo at the Salmon Valley Music Festival. I was 16 years old. I'd like to say that seeing them live was an incredible first experience and I've been a big fan ever since, but I was 16 and they were Blue Rodeo... nuff said.

In fact, the only reason I've seen Jim Cuddy perform as many times as I have has more to do with it being part of my past life in radio than it does choice. He puts on a great live show, it's only about 1000 times better than on record ... but honestly I'd never pay for a ticket.

I'm not going to lie, it's hard to tell one Jim Cuddy song from the next but if you look a little deeper (and who really wants to) his songwriting is artistic and deep without being too abstract.

Pull Me Through, is new and probably the best record of Jim's solo career. It's about losing your life partner after years and years together. It's emotional. It's brilliant!

Outside I hear voices
Underneath the moon
And I'm grateful for whatever breaks
The silence in this room
Time won't let me go
And every night I know

That you could pull me through
You could always pull me through
Even when I'm lying here
Drowning in my blues
You take the sting out of the rain
And bring the sun back up again
Darling you could always pull me through

Like most Jim Cuddy stuff, the recorded version doesn't hold a candle to the live performance, but I must share anyway...

Life changes = Blog changes

I haven't posted here in quite some time and I apologize for that. I've moved from Vancouver to a small town in Northern BC, called Dawson Creek.

The music scene is not quite the same. That said, I still want to continue this blog. I still aim to post at least once a week and the majority of posts will still be music related. I just won't be able to catch a live show once a week.

Here's to a new chapter...