This blog is about anything related to music, right? At Christmas we came down from the mountain to visit the folks in Tidewater, VA. This arcade and mini golf joint in town has become a regular vacation stop. Mars picked a good song for this round of Guitar Hero, Satch’s “Surfing with the Alien.” Is this also on our home version?

I got to see Joe Satriani on this tour. Note the ticket stub and dig the album art. Back to hard rocking Mars, I wish you could have seen the couple minutes right before I started recording. This is subdued in comparison.

My old pal and fellow Fool Jonathan Mudd has a new album! Here are the details straight from J-Mudd himself…

The music is now available through my brand-spanking-new website at http://www.muddmusic.com, where you can sample tracks, download MP3s and (best of all!) purchase the full-length CD.

Truth Lies contains 11 new songs I wrote over the last few years. Please give it a listen—I think you’ll find big melodies, big guitars, big beats…a few bright ideas…and maybe even a couple of happy accidents.

I had the great fortune to play with some incredible musicians on this album, including old friends like Greg Miller and Andrew Luthringer, who laid down monster bass grooves, and new friends like Jaime O’Connell, who beat the hell out of the drums, and Mark Williams, who contributed stinging slide guitar (and one funky cowbell).

The material was recorded in four different locations on two coasts, and then melded and mixed by Mark Williams at his great-sounding new Maryland studio, Sucker Punch Recording Co.

Check it out—and if you like what you hear, please tell a friend! Again, the web address is http://www.muddmusic.com.

Finally, for all you concert-going dudes and dudettes, I want to let you know that I’ve assembled a great band to get out there and play these songs live. Check my website for more information—we plan to hit the stage in the next few months.

Mad Tea Party - Zombie Boogie vinyl 7 inch

Went to a great show with my son last weekend: Mad Tea Party and Southern Culture on the Skids at the Grey Eagle in Asheville. More pics, videos and yapping after the jump. Check it out.

So here’s the full story. My son Mars desperately wanted me to take him to see Switchfoot at the Orange Peel. I think they’re OK, but wasn’t excited about going. When I realized Southern Culture on the Skids was the same night at the Grey Eagle I suggested to him that this was the show he ought to see. Somehow he discovered rockabilly on his own and has recently been obsessed with Reverend Horton Heat. Now, we have a very large music collection and a fair portion of it is this type of music, but again he found the roots by himself.

The rock gods were on my side last Friday. Switchfoot sold out. We drove down there, just in case, and after one look at the mostly teenage masses bulging out in both directions from the Peel I told him there was no way we were trying to get in. To be honest, I would’ve been happy to go home and watch TV. Thankfully, Mars got my lazy ass off the couch.

I have seen SCOTS several times, but literally decades ago, late ’80s, mostly in Norfolk, VA at the tiny dive called The Corner. I have always enjoyed their music and live shows, but I was surprised that they’re even better now! They’ve had a lot practice over the years. But the real surprise was Mad Tea Party. I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. I am a massive fan of this type of garage rock, garage pop, or whatever it should be called. Fuzztones, Sonics, Tell Tale Hearts, etc. I love this stuff.

This show was a really good time. People of all ages were there, we had a great time, and didn’t get hit by any flying fried chicken (SCOTS). Best of all it was 100% angst-free.

Being a vinyl freak I had to have this hand printed seven inch EP that was for sale at the show. My thirteen year old son had to have it autographed by drummer/guitarist/singer Jason Krekel. Mar plays guitar and drums, but not at the same time. Be sure to check out the videos below.

My son got Jason Krekel's autograph.

Mars decided to buy their latest album on CD, Found a Reason.

Mad Tea Party - Found a Reason

See them in action. This is my new favorite song, “Every Way” by our new favorite band, Mad Tea Party. Note the use of guitar head as drumstick.

Next up is “You Spooked Me.”

And headliners Southern Culture on the Skids were also fantastic. Oh man, this makes me I wish I could really play guitar. New song, don’t know the name.

“House of Bamboo” and a new song I think is called “Mojo Box.”

That is all.

We interrupt Tracy’s regularly scheduled broadcast of Beastie Boys and KISS to bring you something for the ladies — the single ladies, to be more precise. I really dig this cover of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” even though I’m not the biggest fan of the original. The singer Nataly has a great voice and Jack is amusingly manic. The part that really does it for me is that it’s got a very nice DIY feel. They characterize their productions as VideoSongs because their are no hidden sounds. They show you every sound that makes it into the mix whether it’s a splash cymbal, a kiddie xylophone, or a puppet on a bass drum. Speaking of which, the puppet gets some good screen time on this cover of “September” originally done by Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Never was a cloudy day.

KISS Streams Their Concert LIVE on Ustream

Just got this from my friends at Ustream. Check it out.

The rock band KISS will be doing a live webcast of their concert from
the Staples Center in Los Angeles at 9p PST on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
This is the first-ever live web concert for KISS, one of rock’s most
iconic bands, as they celebrate the release of their new, three-song
Guitar Hero® track pack. Ustream anticipates this will be a major
concert event that could set new viewership records.

Users can watch and interact by visiting the official KISS Facebook
page at facebook.com/KISS or on Ustream at
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kiss-live to connect with other KISS
fans. KISS chose Ustream (www.ustream.tv), the leading live video
platform on the web, because of its powerful platform and scalability
in reaching a global audience of unlimited size.