Music Video, You Say? The Grayces' "Just Another Thing"

    The Grayces are a Nashville 3-piece that are fighting for the life and love of Rock 'n' Roll. This is their latest video for the song "Just Another Thing." 

    The song itself is a fun and bouncy post-punk number with squeaky vocals from Iz Stone - so squeaky and bouncy you just want to poke, squeeze and tickle her, and then feed her bon-bons. Stone's voice kind of reminds me of Nikko from Velvet Underground, but - to be honest - better.

    On top of being the vocal vixen of the trio, Stone also holds down a sleazy and slinky guitar riff that keeps the song punk-rocking. Patrick Ward's bass line is punchy and to the point, and it has that "My Sharona" bounce to it. Pair Ward's driving bass with Gaelen Mitchells's fist-pumping drums and you have one solid song. 

    Midway through the tune, Stone pulls out a simple but effective guitar hook that's drizzled with what sounds like a backwards tape effect (maybe just a wah-pedal though?) while a fun little bridge sings "I'm on the tele/ Peeping through the P-hole." The end of the song finishes up with a great sing-a-long chant of "It's just a O-O-O/ Another thing/ It's just a O-O-O-O-O,o-O"

    The song clocks in at a few seconds shy of three minutes, so you don't need to concentrate on anything - just straight-forward, get-your-rocks-off rock 'n' roll. That being said, click on the video below and enjoy the music video!

Rock Camp benefit shows are so cool! Where were YOU last night? (Part 1)

   So April 8 was "Night of the Living Cover Band" at the 5 Spot and it was one of the best cover shows I've been to in a while. But what made it even better? It was a benefit show for YEAH's Tennessee Teens Rock'n'Roll Camp! Nothing like throwing down on a bad-ass benefit to help show kids the art of Rock-n-fucking-roll! A YEAH assemblage of some of their volunteer musicians made up the band Team Awesome who covered Blondie, A Secret Policemans Ball kicked out some Hall & Oates, Hanzelle torn it up on Outkast, and The Protomen paid some serious homage to Queen.
   More on the way about what YOU missed (if you were there, you know what THEY missed!). I just wanted to brag about a great moment in Nashville-indie-scene-Rock'n'Roll-history I was able to experience!

XOXOXO

Honey Bee

Exene here: Appropriately Insane or Insanely Appropriate?

     It was a quiet night at the Exit/ In on April Fool’s day, with an acoustic set from punk legendaries Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds) and Exene Cervenka (X). I'm a huge fan of all things Exene, but considering this was the last tour she’ll ever do and the poor crowd turnout, the show had something of a defeated feeling to it. Still, I’m happy I went to see her one last time.

     The venue was scarcely populated that Friday night, with no more that 20 people in there at its zenith - mainly while Kevin Seconds was playing. That's pretty meager, considering the last time Exene was in town playing at the Basement it was a full house. Could bad promoting be to blame here?
     Anyways, for the people that were there, it was a motley crowd of strange looking older folks who could easily pass as someone’s degenerate grandparent. There was the burnt-out hippie guy sitting Indian-style at the front of the stage. There was the old woman wearing a turquoise sweat suit and NOT her dentures. On top of that, there was the required sprinkling of 20-something-year-olds. It was a weird night.
     First on stage was Kevin Seconds.
     With a harmonica fitted around his neck and a sticker-covered acoustic guitar with "this machine trolls fascists" scrawled along the edge of the dreadnought strapped across his body, his music was high-energy, introspective, old-punk-rocker folk. And for 50 years old (He really looked no older than 40. Guess he can thank his “straightedge” lifestyle), it's pretty impressive that he's still trudging the tour route.
     Kevin Seconds' songs are tight, simple tunes with catchy lyrics like "my bed gives me back aches and bad dreams." The set was well-received by the small yet attentive crowd, with my only gripe – besides his majorly mismatched outfit of a wooly looking messenger cap, a plaid button-down and camouflage cargo pants - being that he did a lot of the "I wrote this song when" or "this song is about" prefacing. I guess when you're his age you're full of tender little anecdotes.
     After an earnest 30 to 45 minute set from Kevin, Exene took to the stage.
     The 55 year old woman, wearing an appropriately punk-chic blue dress, ratty zip-up “Batz Maru” sweat jacket and red lipstick, had a slightly disheveled look. It’s no secret that Exene has Multiple Sclerosis (she was diagnosed with is 16 years ago), but she keeps on at her passion anyways.
     Much like Kevin Second’s songs, Exene’s music is also as sort of punk infused folk. Her set was shaky. Her energy was diminished compared to her previous visit to Nashville early last year with her band California Mothership. She looked aged and tired. Her disease has brought her to announce that this would be her last tour. Ever. But despite her health-related wobbliness, Exene’s demure yet demanding stage presence endured, and she opened her set with a sassy number that sung “I left anyway and sold my wedding ring today.”
     Watching Exene up on the stage with her guitar, playing with her heart and sickness catching up to her, singing lyrics like “please just use me one more time,” made me think how cool it is that this little old lady is up there on stage enduring her final tour with one last show in Memphis before heading back home to sunny California.
     After singing “Love and Haight,” Exene took a moment to share some social commentary with the diminishing crowd. The message was unpolished and whether or not the crowd was receptive is still to be decided. But, it was gutsy.
     Exene finished of her set with a couple of half-remembered songs that was embarrassing to watch. However, her final grand finale song, “Surface of the Sun,” is a powerful and ethereal melody with opening lyrics “please write your name in fire on my forehead so I’ll remember.”
     I’m happy I went to the show. You’ve written your name in fire, Exene. Hopefully it will burn for a long time to come. Take care of yourself.

Exene, you're my Gyro!

    Exene Cervenka - frontwoman of the legendary 1970s LA band X - is playing at the Exit/ In tonight with Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds)! All you old punker farts and young cool-to-it hipster dweebs better be there, I know I will.
   Show starts at 9ish, and I don't know if there's any other bands (local or otherwise) opening. 
   18+, $10 or $12. C'mon, you can afford that. A memory is worth much more!