HRC’s Top Comfort Tunes

by hardrockchick [about 6 months, 2 days ago.]

Most of the music I listen to would not be deemed as comforting.

Sometimes life just gets to me. I get annoyed with everything, and that includes my usual music.

Like a warm blanket, these are the songs that I turn to when nothing else works. They’re like old friends that I don’t see very often, but when I do, we pick back up right where we left off. They’re one off songs from bands I generally don’t like but for some reason this particular song stuck. They’re sappy and hippie and usually not me…..but I love them.

The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

And you said, “This is the first day of my life.
I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you.
But, now I don’t care, I could go anywhere with you
And I’d probably be happy.”

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear

Crawl like ivy up my spine
Through my nerves and into my eyes
Cuts like anguish
Or recollections of better days gone by

Alone, with too much generosity
A theatre mask of hostility attracts
Assaults occur, infrequently
And those who come, to conquer?

Someone told me long ago
There’s a calm before the storm
I know it’s been coming for some time

And I’ve written pages upon pages
Trying to rid you from my bones
My bones
My bones

And if you don’t love me let me go

Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Into this house we’re born
Into this world we’re thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out alone
Riders on the storm

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
you had a busy day today

When I’m sad, she comes to me
With a thousand smiles, she gives to me free
Its alright she says its alright
Take anything you want from me, anything
Anything.

Thinking how it used to be,
Does she still remember times like these?
To think of us again?
And I do.

I know a place where I can go when I’m alone
Into your arms whoa into your arms I can go
I know a place that’s safe and warm from the crowd
Into your arms whoa into your arms I can go
And if I should fall
I know I won’t be alone
Be alone anymore

Nobody shall sleep!…
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know…
No!…No!…
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!…
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!

There’s a club, if you’d like to go
You could meet someone who really loves you
So you go, and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home
And you cry
And you want to die

When you say it’s gonna happen now,
Well, when exactly do you mean?
See I’ve already waited too long
And all my hope is gone

I jumped in the river and what did I see?
Black-eyed angels swam with me
A moon full of stars and astral cards
And All the figures I used to see
All my lovers were there with me
All my past and futures
And we all went to heaven in a little row boat
There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt

My friends are so depressed
I feel the question of your loneliness
Confide…’cause I’ll be on your side
You know I will, you know I will

I know I dreamed you a sin and a lie
I have my freedom, but I don’t have much time
Faith has been broken, tears must be cried
Let’s do some living after love dies
Wild horses couldn’t drag me away
Wild, wild horses, we’ll ride them some day

Into the great wide open
Under them skies of blue
Out in the great wide open
A rebel without a clue

And when I tried it
I could see you fall
And I decided
It’s not a trip at all

No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
But my dreams
They aren’t as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That’s never free

Genre(s): Lists

3561Comments (2)HRC%27s+Top+Comfort+Tunes2010-03-05+08%3A30%3A25hardrockchick

Top 5 It Starts the Same Songs

by hardrockchick [about 6 months, 24 days ago.]

These are some songs that come up on shuffle and I have to take a double take at the beginning….not that it’s a bad thing…..good things get recycled.

Nightclubbing & Closer

1,000,000 & Know Your Enemy

Lust For Life & Are You Gonna Be My Girl

My Sharona & The Beginning of the End

Mountain Song & Readymade

Genre(s): Lists

3465Comments (0)Top+5+It+Starts+the+Same+Songs2010-02-11+04%3A09%3A52hardrockchick

2009 In Review: Other Rockin’ Opinions

by hardrockchick [about 8 months, 5 days ago.]

OK, I think I’m done with my 2009 lists. It’s good to take a look back at the year, realize what was good (a lot), and what wasn’t (surprisingly little!). But these are just my opinion- so I wanted to include lists from my fellow music blogger and photographer friends. Sometimes there’s crossover, and sometimes there’s not. This just shows you how much an experience can vary from person to person at the same show, because several of the people below and I were at a lot of the same shows this year!

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Dan with Bay Area Metal Scene is a great source for who’s putting out the loudest albums in the Bay Area. Since I focus a lot of my attention on touring acts, I turn to Dan’s site to get the scoop on what’s happening in my neighborhood.

Top Bay Area Metal Shows of 2009:

Lamb of God / Children of Bodom / Suicidal Tendencies / Municipal Waste / God Forbid @ San Jose State
Opeth @ Grand Conjuration Ballroom Regency Center Spectacular Whatever This Place Is Called
Gojira @ Slim’s
Testament / Unearth / Lazarus A.D. @ The Fillmore
“Cannabis Corpse” @ El Rio. (click for his interview)

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By rough estimate, Umlaut and I were at about 30 of the same shows this year. You can often take our reviews and read them one after the other and it would seem like we were at two entirely different shows spare a few of the details! But there are times when we do agree, as you’ll see below.

Umlaut’s Top 10 Shows (out of 84) of 2009 (in chronological order)

Click for reviews.

Amebix – Great American Music Hall, S.F.

Metallica / Jeff Beck with Jimmy Page – Rock ‘N Roll Hall Of Fame Induction, Cleveland

Green Day – Hometown Sneak Shows and Tour

General Surgery / Ghoul – DNA Lounge, S.F.

Slayer – Mayhem Tour

Judas Priest / Whitesnake – California Mid-State Fair, Paso Robles

Motorhead Tour

Kylesa / Landmine Marathon – Chaser’s, Phoenix

Gallows – Warped Tour

Jello Biafra / Ludicra – Great American Music Hall, S.F.

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Photo Ray can be seen in almost every photo pit at the shows I go to, even when there’s not a photo pit per se and he has to deflect moshers with one arm while taking pictures with the other. He catches the moments that I can’t properly describe in my write ups.

Photo Ray’s Top 10 Shows of 2009 (in no particular order)

Click for photos.

Fucked Up / The Independent/ 2.08.09

Throbbing Gristle / The Regency Ballrom 4.23.09

Heaven And Hell / The Warfield / 8.10.09

Green Day / DNA Lounge 4/09/09

Amebix / Great American Music Hall / 1.25.09

Jello Biafra/Social Unrest/Ribzy / Annie Social Club / 5.09.09

Kylesa Fall Tour:
Kylesa/Landmine Marathon/Bison BC / Chasers /Scottsdale, Az. / 9.29.09
Kylesa/Saviours/Bison BC / DNA Lounge / 10.2.09

Motörhead / The Warfield / 10.5.09

Meshuggah / Slim’s / 2.9.09

Warped Tour / Shoreline Amphitheatre / 8.20.09

Honorable Mention:

Pink / HP Pavillion / 9.17.09 YES,PINK!!

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Alan, when not in the photo pit, can be seen working at several of the venues I often frequent- which means that he’s an excellent source of ‘insider’ info….I’ll often get an email from Alan after I post a review saying, “well that happened because _____”. Alan also has an extensive guitar pick collection- like REALLY extensive.

Alan’s Top 15 Shows of 2009

My Top 15 list is probably a little different than the usual.

I listen to METAL, but most bands that you would expect to see on my Top 10 shows of 2009 list are not. For example — In Flames, Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, The Black Dahlia Murder, Motorhead, God Forbid, Megadeth, All That Remains, 3 Inches of Blood, Avenged Sevenfold, Death Angel, Testament, Forbidden, Judas Priest, Lamb of God, Unearth, Killswitch Engage. I’ve seen them all countless times and it’s simply too difficult to choose one over the other.

Having attended 219 shows in 2009 in some manner (venue work, concert photography, or even just as a customer), I’ve seen a lot of music in a lot of different genres, ranging from metal, pop, rap, blues, jazz, rock, indie, acoustic guitar player singer songwriter types, etc, etc. So for my list, I take more into consideration the overall show, the production value of a show, and/or the specialness of a show over whether the musicianship of the guitar player who shreds on the solo of that one song is worthy of their band making the list. Finally, having seen so many concerts in 2009 (the good, the bad, the ugly), my all-time favorite determination of what makes a top show for me is seeing an arena-level band in a small venue… this almost automatically ensures a spot on my list!

15. Heaven and Hell
The Warfield, San Francisco, August 10, 2009

Black Sabbath (sans Ozzy) plays for 1,300 people! My past 3 times seeing Heaven and Hell have been at arenas or amphitheaters. Big band, small venue! Just what I like….

14. Puscifer
Fox Theater, Oakland, November 4, 2009

A “project” by Maynard James Keenan of Tool. I know absolutely nothing about Puscifer, I know only that Maynard is a very odd and interesting guy. Read show review here and here (both were completely different shows, but I did not see the Nov 5 show)

13. Kylie Minogue
Fox Theater, Oakland, September 30, 2009

Forgettable pop music with a huge arena-size stage production on a theater stage! She descended onto the stage from the stage rafters standing on a giant skull… she had more than a few floor-to-ceiling movable LED walls, coupled with 3 non-moving, hanging, LED screens… she even had lasers! Did I mention that she descended onto the stage standing on a giant skull… and all of this, supposedly actually singing! Read show review here.

12. Britney Spears
Oracle Arena, Oakland, April 22, 2009

Forgettable pop music meets Cirque du Soleil. This was all about the show —
acrobats, clowns, contortionists, magicians, and an amazing huge stage with 360-degree video screen that took 150 people hours to put together (or so I heard). Britney herself was the least interesting part as she seemed to make little effort to lip-sync along to her mediocre songs.

11. KISS
Oracle Arena, Oakland, November 22, 2009
Photos

KISS spare no expense on their show, but as amazing as it may be, anyone who has seen them before is not seeing anything new… this is the most predictable stage production on Earth!

10. Goran Bregovic and the Wedding & Funeral Orchestra
Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, 6/21/2009

Read show review here. Not knowing a thing about this music (and not being Yugoslavian), I found this show to really be as good as the reviewer writes in the linked review.

9. Metallica, Machine Head
HP Pavilion, San Jose, 12/12/2009
Photos

After already seeing the Death Magnetic tour for 3 times in 2008 (Cow Palace rehearsal, Fresno, Oakland), I can easily say that I am no longer a fan of their huge ‘in-the-round’ stage (otherwise this would probably be higher on this list). That being said… the music still sounded great (it is Metallica after all!), and the show production was still top-notch (lasers, pyro, flying coffins, fire), even if it was predictable. This show was also better than most of what I saw in 2009 and so there is no way I could leave it off of the list… I just am not a fan of their ‘in-the-round’ stage!

8. Gogol Bordello
Fox Theater, Oakland, 10/15/2009

Amazing energy every time I see this band! Read show review here.

7. Weezer
The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, 10/21/2009

Arena rock band in a 1,400 capacity venue… can’t really ever go wrong with that! I really only know Weezer from their songs from the radio, but they do put on a fun live show. This being the 2nd time seeing them live in a 37-day time frame, I kind of knew what to expect, but this show wasn’t entirely for me… I had forfeited going to see Alice Cooper on this same night… but for a very good reason. It was a special birthday that night and the birthday recipient had no idea we were going to Weezer, not until a full minute after walking into the front door of the venue… SURPRISE! (she would not have liked Alice Cooper anyway)

DISCLAIMER: Alice Cooper would easily have ranked higher than #7 on this list… had I went!

6. NOFX
Slim’s, San Francisco, 2/10/2009
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, 2/11/2009
The Fillmore, San Francisco, 2/13/2009
Slim’s, San Francisco, 2/15/2009
Pier 30/32, San Francisco, 6/27/2009
Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, 8/20/2009
Slim’s, San Francisco, 12/3/2009
Photos here, here, and here.

I saw NOFX a total of 7 times in 2009. While the individual members of NOFX are not great musicians and each show was generally the same — with the one exception of their 25th Anniversary show, where former members of NOFX played some songs from their era of the band — there is something extremely fun to watch about a band that (1) openly admits that they do copious amounts of drugs before hitting the stage, (2) says they are going to suck live, (3) jokes about Jews and Mexicans (Fat Mike is Jewish, El Hefe is Mexican), (4) tells dirty jokes to the 7-year-old kids in the crowd, and (5) openly berates their audience. I may not be singing the words of most of their songs (after 7 shows, I do actually know some of the words by now!), NOFX is definitely a fun time indeed!

5. GWAR
The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, 11/24/2009

How can you NOT enjoy a GWAR show?? They dress up like creatures from Antarctica (because, um, if you haven’t heard, this is where they are from), they behead Obama, they dismember Michael Jackson who is touching a disfigured baby inappropriately, and they cut open and disfigure other Inter-galactic creatures, all the while spraying down their yearning audience with a colorful array of fake blood and other similar liquids!

4. Green Day
HP Pavilion, San Jose, 8/18/2009
Photos

Please read #3 and #2 first, then come back… this was the “real” 21st Century Breakdown show: the stage production, the lights, the pyro… it was exactly what you would expect from an arena show, yet Green Day still made it spontaneous and fun by having audience members on stage, singing, playing guitar, jumping around, or even just for a quick stagedive off the catwalk.

3. Green Day
The Independent, San Francisco, 4/7/2009

2. Green Day
DNA Lounge, San Francisco, 4/9/2009

This band sells out arenas and stadiums worldwide… how cool is it to see them in two little venues that holds 600 people each?! They played their new album “21st Century Breakdown” in it’s entirety, followed by over an hour of their ‘hits’. A $20 membership to the Green Day fanclub was all it took to get in… seriously! Will you ever see Green Day in-your-face like this for only $20? Yeah right… when Green Day came back 5 months later on their arena tour, Ticketmaster’s service charge on their tickets was probably $20!

1. Metallica
Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, 9/11/2009
Photos

Big bands in little venues… well, they don’t get any bigger than this band! This was definitely the best show of 2009 for me, even if this ticket cost me $120. Metallica played a benefit show in their backyard (figuratively speaking) at a venue that seats 1,960 people. Yes, I said ‘seats’… not that anyone was actually using them! (no room for any mosh pits though). Each member of the band even drove their own car to the gig. When was the last time you saw all the members of Metallica drive their own car to their own show, park in the same parking lot as their fans, and walk past these same fans to get into the venue’s backstage door?!

You may have read from #9 about my dislike of their ‘in-the-round’ stage from their “real” Death Magnetic shows… well, this show was a stripped-down, bare-bones, end-stage show… no flying coffins, no fire, no pyro, just Metallica doing better than what they do best… and the greatest thing about it was that all 4 members of Metallica were facing the same way for the entire show (and not off on some distant part of their huge Death Magnetic stage)!

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Links to other noteworthy End of Year lists:

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Rafi and I occasionally end up at the same show- but generally he covers all things indie rock.

Tenacious Hand Stamp’s Top 10 Concerts of 2009

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Julia and Elise represent for us metal chicks over on the East Coast.

Julia’s Top 10 Lists
Elise’s Top 10 Lists

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The guys over at Metal Sucks dish out all the metal news in their own charming way.

MetalSuck’s Best Tours of 2009

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Metal Mark has news, reviews, and interviews for all metal that comes through the South.

Metal Mark’s Top 10 Albums of 2009

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Genre(s): Lists

3253Comments (1)2009-12-31+20%3A48%3A33hardrockchick

HRC’s Top 10 Standout Musicians of 2009 That Aren’t Household Names (Yet)

by hardrockchick [about 8 months, 6 days ago.]

I was able to see some amazing musicians this year: the fabulous front people: Trent Reznor, Maynard James Keenan, Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland, Perry Farrell, Satyr, Nergal, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Anton Newcombe, Karen O, and Alison Mosshart; the great guitar gods: Tom Morello, John 5, Jerry Cantrell, Kirk Hammett, Dave Navarro, Robin Finck, Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher, and Kerry King; the brilliant bassists: Troy Sanders, Mike Inez, Orion, JMJ, Piggy D, and Jeordie White (though he was playing guitar…); and the dynamic drummers: Frost, Thomas Haake, Inferno, Tommy Lee, Joey Jordison, and Tommy Clufetos. It’s mindboggling to think about the year in terms of musicians instead of shows- that’s a lot of talent!

I love leaving a show completely mesmerized by a musician. It’s usually the following formula that gets me:

(skill + energy + crowd connection + uniqueness + aesthetic) * X factor = Standout Musician

Here are the 10 performers that stood out to me this year that don’t get as much recognition as they deserve. Some I’ve been fans of for a couple years, others I’ve only recently discovered.

They’re all great- hence the alphabetical order. I’ve linked my show review(s) and interviews in some cases. Then I spent a LOT of time combing YouTube for the perfect live video to demonstrate their talent…some have more good footage out there than others….so enjoy!

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Oliver Ackermann: vocalist/guitarist for A Place to Bury Strangers
show review

Oliver’s voice tends to get lost in the sound during their live sets, but its so made up for in watching his guitar tricks. I’ve said it before: it’s like he’s wrestling with it and dancing with it all at the same time. The front row was entirely guys- and music geeks at that I’d presume- and everyone’s posture was turned towards Oliver, looking at his pedals and his work as if studying a demonstration in how to be a guitar god.

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Faris Badwan: vocalist for The Horrors
show review 1 2 3 4

Faris plays the role of the reluctant frontman; there’s something about his performance that gives you the vibe that he doesn’t want to be there, yet his performance is so genuine and charismatic that you’re left trying to figure him out.

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Cain Cressall: vocalist for The Amenta
show review

But it was the singer, a tall, cat-like growler that hooked me. Black-lipped and pale-eyed, he moved as if in slow-mo, growling and squealing with a kind of graceful fury that stole my heart. His demented eyes would seek out targets in the room, hypnotizing them with his stare. He actually reminded me of young Marilyn Manson. I took another step forward.

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Kristofer Dommin: vocalist/guitarist for Dommin
show review 1 2 3 4 | my interview

“I walked into DNA shortly after Dommin’s set had started. Girls are screeching. Roses are being strewn around the room. And this guy is up there, tendrils of hair in his face, singing really dark romantic stuff. It’s apparent he’s the industrial Elvis. The sound is Depeche Mode meets Type O Negative- but definitely in a realm of its own… How did I not already know of this band? I think Dommin and I will become good friends.”

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Jeff Friedl: drummer for Puscifer
Show review | My interview

I first became aware of Jeff Friedl when I went to see Puscifer early last month, and was particularly moved by his performance. It was after the show, when I was researching for my write up, that I realized he looked vaguely familiar because he’s also the drummer for ASHES dIVIDE. And then I discovered that he’s also done some work with Devo, who I saw a couple days after that Puscifer show… Turns out, not only is he a very talented drummer, but he’s also extremely hardworking, loyal, and diverse.

*very little video exists of Puscifer live…and those that do focus on MJK….

…so I’m supplementing with an Ashes vid:

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Michael Keene: guitarist for The Faceless
Show review

I was standing nearest to Michael ‘Machine’ Keene….good freakin’ gawd….can this guy play a guitar. I used to play the violin and was thus around orchestras a lot when I was younger, and watching him play reminded me of watching someone in a symphony. But yet it’s a metal band…kind of mindboggling. His hand would contort as it glided up and down the guitar. He pulled out every advanced style of playing I could think of- and I’ve seen some decent guitar work in my days. And on top of that he would even remember to throw a headbang in every once in a while.

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Joe Letz: drummer for Combichrist, Imperative Reaction
Show review 1 2 3

Most of my time was spent ogling the drummer- Joe Letz… He loses sticks more than any drummer I’ve seen- but new ones just magically appear in his hands. He’s very intense. But the best part was when my ears perked up when I heard him play the drum intro to NIN’s ‘You Know What You Are’….one of my absolute favorite NIN songs live that I hadn’t heard on the final tour….I died a little with excitement. Then I was like…did I just hear that?

He also keeps a really awesome blog for Combichrist

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Grace Perry: vocalist for Landmine Marathon
show review

…I have to admit, when I saw the front woman get up on stage, I was very skeptical. It’s not that she looks innocent- she just…doesn’t look like what she performs like. 30 seconds in, I almost cried. I know, that sounds weird. But, when I saw the look of rage craze on her face, I felt something deep within- a visceral memory of what I felt like doing when my first serious boyfriend cheated on me. The way she gets in her guitarist’s face, smears her hands across her face and tousles her hair, and shakes her head from side to side like an epileptic……it brought back memories. Strong, angry, hateful memories.

Yes, Grace has gotten some recognition as the Hottest Chick in Metal….but she’s more than that!

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Carl Restivo: guitarist for Street Sweeper Social Club
show review 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | my interview

Carl Restivo might think I’m stalking him. First, I saw him play in Satellite Party. Then, The Justice Tour. And then, I went to one or two or six NIN/JA(SSSC) shows. And then there’s Outside Lands this weekend….

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Ilan Rubin: drummer for Nine Inch Nails
Show Review 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | My interview

HRC: What would you say you are bringing to NIN as the new drummer?

IR: Perhaps I’ll bring a new excitement and slightly different playing style to the songs live. There’s a great combination of the robotic album qualities with an energetic live feel to accomplish.

HRC: Are you ready for the NIN fans? I’ve heard they are crazy…

IR: I’m ready. If they’re supportive, awesome. If not, I’ll continue to do what I do regardless.

Genre(s): Lists

3214Comments (1)2009-12-30+21%3A06%3A11hardrockchick

HRC’s Top 10 Bands to Watch in 2010

by hardrockchick [about 8 months, 13 days ago.]

These were the openers. The ones who I went to the show not knowing well, and left loving. The ones that had short little sets that made big impressions. These are the 10 bands to go see in 2010.

Click on the band’s name for my review of their show

10. Nihilist

Part of the neo-thrash movement, I was particularly fond of the guitarist and drummer for this band.

myspace

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9. Ufomammut

Italian psychedelic metal….amazing musicians and also great poster artists.

myspace

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8. Chthonic

Taiwanese black metal with a super hot bassist and a fantastic aesthetic.

myspace

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7. Toxic Holocaust

Neo-thrash meets black metal, this band already has a strong cult following but I expect they’ll get bigger next year.

myspace

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6. The Amenta

Australian black metal with a very wicked frontman…..this was one of the best surprise sets of the year for me.

myspace

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5. Iron Age

Also part of the neo-thrash movement, but with a southern spin as they are from Austin.

myspace

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4. Warbringer

Excellent neo-thrash band with great live energy that have been on tour non stop.

myspace

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3. Secrets of the Moon

German black metal band that put on a graceful performance and have great songs.

myspace

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2. Skeletonwitch

Amazing live band who, like Toxic Holocaust, skirt both thrash and black metal.

myspace

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1. Landmine Marathon

Also a thrash/death metal band…their performance will blow your mind and they are FEMALE FRONTED!

myspace

Genre(s): Lists

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HRC’s Top 5 Craziest Concert Moments of 2009

by hardrockchick [about 8 months, 14 days ago.]

It’s a questions I’m frequently asked:

“So, HRC….I bet you see some crazy stuff at all those wild shows you go to….what’s the craziest thing you saw?”

Well, here you go:

5. Bloody tambourine battle at NIN/JA Santa Barbara where my hair tried to intervene. LMAO at the comment.

4. Psyclon Nine set their drums on fire! I looked for the closest exit just in case….

3. Willie Nelson plays to a barrier lined with Hell’s Angels and someone throws a large sack of weed on stage.

2. Mortis of Marduk slam dunks a guy who ran onstage into the crowd.

1. The ballsy guitarist from Mystic Knights of the Cobra plays almost entirely naked for the whole set in a basement in a remote part of San Francisco on a random Tuesday night for about 10 people…me being one of the only girls. Oh, and the band that played after wears diapers and dildos.

Genre(s): Lists

3186Comments (0)2009-12-23+09%3A06%3A34hardrockchick

HRC’s Top 5 ‘Better Luck Next Year’ Shows

by hardrockchick [about 8 months, 14 days ago.]

So you’d think that after catching 115 shows that I’d seen it all, right? WRONG! Here are the shows that keep coming up as ones I should have been at:

5. Jesus Lizard @ The Fillmore

At the last minute I chose the comfort of A Place to Bury Strangers over this show….but I’ve heard so many good things about their shows.

4. Alice Cooper @ The Warfield

A work conflict prevented me from going….gotta make money to pay for the internet to write this stuff somehow!

3. Them Crooked Vultures @ The Fox Theater

You know, I haven’t been swept up in the TCV cult craze going on…but MAN they must be really good because people send me notes about them all the time…

2. Gojira @ Slim’s

I had to skip this show for NIN/JA Santa Barbara, which turned out to be one of my least favorite shows of the tour as I sustained NINjuries, so I still have yet to see this band.

1. DEPECHE MODE @ Shoreline Amphitheater

I was finally going to cross this one off my list, when the show was canceled the day before it was to take place….BUMMER.

Genre(s): Lists

3181Comments (0)2009-12-23+08%3A18%3A46hardrockchick

HardRockChick’s Top 20 Shows of 2009

by hardrockchick [about 8 months, 15 days ago.]

I started to think about this list last month. How will I be able to choose my top shows? What’s the criteria? I thought about many things: cultural importance, some sort of surprise, how much fun I had, who I was with, what I got as memorabilia, circumstances around the show….there’s a lot to think about. And when I was about to make myself dizzy trying to come up with multiple lists, I decided to scrap all the nonsense and just go with the shows that were the most memorable to me. These are the shows that I couldn’t get out of my head for days…sometimes weeks or months after. They touched my heart. I then vetted that list by going back and reading my reviews.

WOW. What a crazy year it has been for me. I’ve realized that not only am I writing this site to share my experiences and spread the word about bands I believe in, but I’m also essentially documenting my life. Because when I’m not at work or sleeping, there’s a pretty good chance I was at a show this past year.

How does one go to 115 shows a year? Well, first of all, it’s what I love to do-and I don’t do much else. Second, I have a good job that is supportive of my hobby. Third, I became single in May, and essentially, live music became my boyfriend. Forth, from about April on I’ve had the benefit of having my site at a point where bands and their PR firms will guestlist me for shows. And fifth, I’m crazy :-p

I know for a fact that several of these shows below were rather disliked by many, and for the NIN shows in particular, they might not be in the order you’d expect. But a concert experience has a bit of alchemy to it. Not only is the event affected by your expectations and familiarity with the music, but it depends on who you are with, where you stand, how you obtained your ticket, the people around you, your mood, what you ate, how much you had to drink…..These are the shows where the stars aligned for me.

I tried to keep it to 10….but I had to go with 20. I had 115 shows to pick from!!! And you’ll see it nicely aligns with my Top 10 albums list.

So here they are, with one sentence to explain why:

20: Psyclon Nine and Imperative Reaction @ DNA Lounge

I’d been wanting to see Psyclon Nine and Imperative Reaction for quite a while, and they didn’t disappoint with a really high energy performance of pure industrial music that I don’t get enough of live.

19: Fucked Up @ The Independent

It was one of my first shows of the year, and the memory of this special band hung in there throughout the rest of my shows.

18: Green Day @ DNA Lounge

Seeing a band of this stature play such a tiny venue was an amazing opportunity.

17: SHAT @ Retox Lounge

Yeah, I know……but these are the types of shows that become legendary later on, and I was there to see it with about 10 other people.

16: The Justice Tour @ Slim’s

A star studded, intimate, affordable event for a good cause hosted by one of my all time favorite guitarists, Tom Morello.

15: Nine Inch Nails @ Bowery Ballroom

I remember having more fun at this show than most of the other NIN shows I went to, but the most special thing about this one was the size of the venue (and it kicked the Echoplex show’s ass).

14: Combichrist @ DNA Lounge

Dressing up like a Zombie, destruction, an excellent drummer- that’s all you need to know.

13: Dead Weather @ Outside Lands

I went into it skeptical, but came out of it completely understanding what everyone was raving about.

12: Puscifer @ The Fox Theater Oakland

More than a show, I was finally able to see Puscifer after a couple failed attempts…and Maynard’s voice!

11: The Horrors @ The Independent

A very personally relevant show with a new band that I’m passionate about.

10: Mayhem Fest @ Shoreline

A hot summer metal fest with Behemoth….and Slayer and Manson from second row!

9: Satyricon @ Slim’s

Supported by excellent openers, I finally got to see Satyricon, and got a setlist, and got to meet Frost!

8: Rob Zombie @ San Jose Events Center

Meeting Rob Zombie and being front and center made this one of the most purely fun shows for me this year.

7: Nine Inch Nails @ The Wiltern

The final Nine Inch Nails show..maybe ever…..please don’t ream me for not making this #1…I’m being honest here…it wasn’t the best and most fun NIN show I saw this year.

6: Nine Inch Nails, The Horrors @ Webster Hall

The Downward Spiral in it’s entirety was amazing…..but it still wasn’t my favorite NIN show this year.

5: Nine Inch Nails, Street Sweeper Social Club: NIN/JA Chula Vista

My first experience with the all day wait and being front and center at the rail, to Reznor joining SSSC for ‘Kick Out the Jams’, to a phenomenal first of many of the year NIN set, to meeting Reznor in the airport the next morning….this was the show that started it all.

4: Nine Inch Nails @ Henry Fonda

My miracle show- from the teased PHM beginning to the excellent special guests, this show was perhaps the best of the final NIN shows for me.

3: Mastodon @ Great American Music Hall

The show that made me follow the band around for the rest of the year.

2: Alice in Chains @ The Fillmore

One blissful evening with Alice in Chains that was perfect in every sense of the word.

1: Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction: NIN/JA Las Vegas

You get the most out of what you put the most into- and as far as time spent goes, from the time I started waiting for this show, until the time I went to bed after it, was approximately 36 hours…it doesn’t quite come across in the review, but this was, personally, my most favorite show of the year….I just couldn’t put it into words.

Genre(s): Lists

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HardRockChick’s Top 10 Albums of 2009

by hardrockchick [about 8 months, 16 days ago.]

It was actually a pretty easy process to pick my top 10 albums for 2009. All I had to do was look at what was played the most on my last.fm and itunes, filter by year, do some balancing to account for differing release dates, and there you have it- behavioral based research! I had the top 7 pegged perfectly beforehand. I guess you could say that this list speaks to my somewhat eclectic tastes, for which I make no apologies!

10: Goatwhore’s Carving Out the Eyes of God

I missed Goatwhore three times this year….something that will be remedied with my first show of 2010 when I see them with Devildriver. Though I don’t have any real personal affinity for the album, it’s been a reliable source when I’m looking for something hard & fast.

9: Slayer’s World Painted Blood

Seeing Slayer three times this past year and having one more to look forward to in January makes me happy. I’m looking forward to hearing more of these new songs live. It’s a great album- I get in ‘Slayer’ moods and this album slots in nicely with the rest of their material.

8: SSSC’s Street Sweeper Social Club

SSSC’s debut album will always be a go-to record to get me amped up. Not only do the tracks mean to be a call to action politically, but seeing them open for Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction this past summer means that I am programmed to think of SSSC as the party starters. Besides being a huge Tom Morello fan, it’s been great to see local music man Boots Riley in action.

7: Puscifer’s C is For…

I’m a big Maynard fan, but I didn’t find myself going back to the first Puscifer release a lot. This EP has me wrapped around it’s little finger. It has two live recording of tracks from the first album, and I prefer the arrangement of them here better than the original. But it’s ‘Polar Bear’, ‘Potions’, and ‘The Humbling River’ that are the great songs that hooked me. And hearing them live after having so many problems getting to a Puscifer show was a great experience.

6. A Place to Bury Stranger’s Exploding Head

I’d been anxiously awaiting this album for a while, having been a huge fan of their debut. It didn’t disappoint. While I still prefer their first album to this one, it’s a solid, better produced sophomore effort for one of my favorite newer bands. And the tracks sound great live. I look forward to seeing them again in March.

5: Satyricon’s The Age of Nero

Satyricon’s brand of accessible black metal continued with this album, one that’s been in heavy rotation for me this year. Hook laden riffs and phenomenal drumming make me wonder why this album hasn’t made it on any other top ten lists I’ve seen. And finally seeing them live was a dream come true….I have a *tiny* crush on Satyr.

4: The Horror’s Primary Colours

Hmmm….where to begin? I totally dissed them when I first heard the album because it didn’t sound anything like their debut album Strange House. But I kept hearing about how good it was, so I buckled down and listened to it again, and fell in love…hard. I got to see them a lot this year, and it was all amazing.

3: Behemoth’s Evangelion

Demigod made me a fan, but Evangelion made me a fanatic. It’s just brutal, pure and complex. I got to see them three times this year, and will be seeing them twice in January. Very excited!

2: Alice in Chain’s Black Gives Way to Blue

AiC has always been one of ‘my’ bands. Everyone, including myself, was skeptical about this album, but it really overdelivered. At first, I complained about the lyrics to a couple songs, or how it sounds like Dirt and Jar of Flies had a schizo baby. But a few listens in, and I fell in love with AiC all over again. And seeing them live was simply incredible. I’m very excited to be seeing them three times in the new year. It’s just a shame I can’t listen to them in the car….

1: Mastodon’s Crack the Skye

It comes as no surprise to many that this is my number one album of the year. I saw it performed in it’s entirety six times this year, and if there was an opportunity to see it again tomorrow, I’d be there. I had always been a bit on the fence about Mastodon- loving a few songs but not being too excited about others. But the first time I sat down and listened to CTS back in March, by song two I was already blown away. Like Evangelion above, this album turned me into a fanatic. It’s helped me through a lot this year, and it will probably always hold a special place in my heart.

Head over to Bay Area Metal Scene to see the Top 5 Local Metal albums I helped select.

Genre(s): Lists,Thoughts on Albums,You should check out:

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