Hiphop producers have sampled the shit out of Steve Miller Band’s music. Go here [scroll about halfway down] and witness what’s likely just a fraction of the songs augmented by the choicest bits from Steve Miller—whom Miles Davis once dissed as a “no-playing motherfucker.”

But! Notice anything missing? Nobody’s used “Livin’ in the USA.” Huh.

The song’s first 60-some seconds are begging for somebody to spit fire over. Does hiphop move this fast anymore? Not so much, really, but it would be lovely if mugs (or even Muggs) upped the tempo once in a while. Anybody still remember those fantastic early Brand Nubian or Son of Bazerk records? Or Fu-Schnickens, even? Jeez, I hope so.

Anyway, this blues-rock segment from “Livin’ in the USA” of which I speak has aged very well. I bet it would sound amazing in a new rap context. Paradox!

I am shocked—shocked—that no enterprising producer has used this killer break from Edgar Winter Group’s “Free Ride” (off They Only Come Out at Night). An AOR smash from 1973, “Free Ride” contains an incredible 15-second breakdown (2:04-2:19) that features Randy Jo Hobbs’ stark, Holger Czukay-like bass line, dope, mechanically funky beats (go, Johnny Badanjek), and awesome rocket-booster whooshes, probably from Edgar’s ARP 2600. I can totally imagine Kool Keith rapping surrealistic over this. The rest of the song ain’t too shabby, either (clavinets are incapable of sounding bad).

Edgar Winter: Another albino primed to offer his contribution to hiphop.

Out of generosity and a selfish desire to hear certain awesome breakbeats used in tracks, I’m going to periodically spotlight sample fodder for producers to incorporate in their music. As far as I know, the breaks I’m recommending haven’t been used before—or if they have, they’ve been mutated so much as to be unrecognizable.

The first break I want to suggest is the one that opens "Feel Too Good” by the Move, a British psych-pop/glam-rock band of great distinction who are totally deserving of thorough investigation. You can find “Feel Too Good” on 1970’s Looking On or volume 2 of the Boogie Nights soundtrack (no, really). Lord have mercy, this is a FAT bump (maybe as fat as Billy Squier’s “Big Beat”), denuded of all accompaniment and ripe for the plucking. Somebody, please, go crazy with this.

Jim Anderson was spotted taking some gear out of the Crocodile, getting Jedd Clampett on some Croc items in the back of his truck. Now that there’s some bungee. Beverly Belltown Hillbilly Sound Engineer. Up from the ground came a bubblin renovated club. The Croc that is. Texas Tea:

The famous pole in the Croc will be removed. The unnamed source went on to unofficially say that some fairly extensive structural remodeling is being done to remove it, and that is why Jim needed to move his gear. Imagine it, pole free viewing in the Crocodile.

The Sound Booth Tiki God will return:

(Photos: Bruce Laible)

Not to add to the copy-and-paste incest of modern blogs, but here's a copy-and-paste piece of incest from a modern blog.

A few weeks ago, Philip Sherburne, grieving over the alleged and increasingly believed deadlock of 21st century dance music, sent out a call for fix-the-genre manifestos from DJs, producers, critics, and label-owners.

These were the best replies and they're worth repeating.

Pheek (Archipel)
DJs are not allowed to pose for their official press-kit picture with sunglasses.

DJs must smile at least once per representation.

Clubbers will have to stop complaining that DJs/laptop artists are boring to watch. It was never meant to be entertaining. DJs are there to put music on, so if you're more concerned about the show than the music itself, you're simply in the wrong place.

Derek Walmsley (The Wire)
Each DJ set must have at least one moment where it stops, goes to silence for a few seconds, and then starts afresh.

Professor Genius (Thisisnotanexit)
It's okay to play more than one minute of a record in a mix. It's even okay to play an entire song.

Simon Reynolds
Whenever, as a producer, you feel yourself flinching a bit from using an idea or a sound or an effect, hesitating on the grounds that it's maybe a wee bit cheesy, then I would say just to push right past that feeling and go for it. Do it twice over, even. There can never be enough monster riffs or cheap tricks in dance music; there can definitely be a surfeit of just-so subtleties.

Strategy (Community Library, Kranky)
It is not the label's role to give people what they want -- it is the label's role to provide what people did not know that they will soon be wanting.

Peter Van Hoesen (Time To Express, Lan Muzic)
Every DJ playing out should dance for at least one hour with the same crowd he/she has been DJing for.

Finn Johannsen (Macro Recordings)
Mixing is overrated; selection is not.

Seth Troxler (Esperana, Circus Company)
Be comfortable.

Be cool.

Keep 'em guessing.

Gamall Awad (Demon Days, Backspin Promotion)
NO TO MANIFESTOS.

Boredoms BoaDrum: 88 drummers on 8/8/08 playing for 88 minutes beginning at 8:08 PM. In LA it’s taking place at the La Brea Tar Pits behind the LA County Museum of Arts. In NY, it goes down in Brooklyn on the Williamsburg waterfront.

Today at 1PM a batch of tickets for the event will be available online. They are FREE.

There are 1000 tickets being released in stages. A total of 5000 will be released. Here is the link for the tickets.

They are also looking for volunteers. (See above link.)

True story. If you didn't get tickets for Saturday's installment of Sub Pop's 20th Anniversary Party, you're outta luck.

But there are still tickets available for Sunday's show as well as the comedy showcase at the Moore Friday night. But tickets to both, I'm told, are going fast--act quickly if you don't wanna be left out.

There's a 2-day Farm Pasture Shindig on Bainbridge Island this Saturday and Sunday - July 5th and 6th.

They need amps, a drum kit, and P.A. They will provide the BBQ, Beer, and etc.

John Foss writes:

Come to Braindamage Island. We are going to bring the gear over in as few vehicles as possible. A bus will pick-up walk on passengers at the Ferry Terminal in Winslow. Walk-on ferry fare is $8 bucks on the way over, and free on the way back, all the rest of the Mini-Woodstock is free-------Camping, etc.

This is going to be unbridled rock-n-roll in its natural state.

Massive Psychedelic Improvisational Rock and Roll.

Email John at ballardblarg (at) yahoo (dot) com to take part or be part.

Bainbridge also = Big Babied Grin.

When James Brown grunts and groans it makes you sexy. Really, JB was a predecessor to beat boxers. His ‘uh’ and ‘ah’ and ‘oow’s find themselves riveting the beat and the texture of the songs. When heard, you find yourself busting whatever move is on the tip of your move busting tongue, on the dance floor.

The first line Brown sings on the soundtrack album Black Caesar is, “I was born in New York City, on a Monday.” It’s the song “Down and Out in New York City” and it is the beginning to one of the greatest albums your ears will ever ingest.

As we sweat today in the beautiful heat of asphalt, grass, and sun, put on Black Caesar - your sweat will appreciate it. So will your move busting tongue.

Speaking of rock photography and David Belisle, Mr. Belisle also has some photos hanging in the show Accidents Will Happen at Belle & Wissell, Co. (6014 12th Ave S). Also featured: Jini Dellaccio, Charles Peterson, Curt Doughty, Lance Mercer, David Belisle, and Morgan Keuler. You no doubt recognize Curt and Morgan's names, their work is often being featured here on Line Out (Curt shot the Weezer show recently, and Morgan shot Matt & Kim at Neumo's).

Here's a little more info via press release:

Belle & Wissell is pleased to present "Accidents Will Happen: Stories from Rock Photography," an exhibition examining the evolution of music photography in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Organized by Belle & Wissell resident curators Gabe Kean and Marq Dean, together with EMP curator Jacob McMurray and photographer Curt Doughty, "Accidents Will Happen" explores the creative process of masters of the genre through video, photographs and digital media.

Among the participating artists in "Accidents Will Happen" is Jini Dellaccio. Her seminal work in the early 1960s with influential Northwest proto-punk pioneers the Sonics, Wailers, the Daily Flash and others set the bar for later generations of rock photographers. On display will be her stunning photos from the Sonics "Boom" album sessions. Currently 91 years old Dellacio has, until recently, remained a reclusive, unheralded genius. Also included in the exhibition are Charles Peterson, Curt Doughty and Lance Mercer, whose singular styles helped define and document Seattle's "grunge" era in the late 1980s and 90s. They will be joined by their younger contemporaries David Belisle and Morgan Keuler. An oral history video captures the artists' passion for our region's rich contributions to rock 'n' roll and provides a fascinating window into their approach to music photography, as well as their individual techniques.

The show runs through July 13; gallery hours are Friday and Saturday, 4-8 pm and Sunday, July 13, 10 am-5 pm.

Plants and Animals play a free show at Nectar tonight, but if you're not familiar with the band (and their exhausting in a good way new record Parc Avenue) you can get a taste before your drag your ass out to Fremont tonight--tune in to KEXP at noon for the band's on-air performance.

Harry Manfredini is the dude who composed the famous and chilling Friday the 13th movie score with the “Ch ch ch, ah ah ah.” Anyone who has been camping or been outside at night has performed their own version of “Ch ch ch, ah ah ah.” Listen – here. Manfredini doesn’t look that evil though.

Apparently there's been some misconception about the famous and chilling "Ch ch ch , ah ah ah." Manfredini has this to say (via fridaythe13thfilms.com):

There was one scene where there was a close-up of Jason’s mother’s mouth going, 'Kill her mommy,' and then all at once it switched to little Jason's voice saying, 'Kill her, mommy.' That's the thing that gave me the idea. Most people think I'm going, 'Chh, chh, chh,' but I'm saying the letter k and the letter m - 'ki' for 'kill' and 'ma' for 'mommy,' see? Then I used some various voice processing. That's actually me making that sound into a microphone.

I guess there is another Friday the 13th movie slated to come out next year. Sweet.

Alternate tunings are a great mystery to many guitarists. We typically learn to play by committing to sense memory the fingered shapes of various chords until our hands curl unconsciously into a repertoire of palsied claws capable of wringing pretty harmonic clusters from our instrument. Scales come next, and dexterity later still. The very idea of throwing every learned chord-shape out the window is a frightening one, akin to ditching our native language before adopting something new.

So as a prelude to the first (of one?) installment of "GTotW!" here are Tim Eriksen and Riley Baugus playing "Granite Mills."

Allow me to introduce you to C F C F F C -- the world's biggest power chord.

Continue reading "Guitar Tuning of the Week! - CFCFFC" »

And rinsing them back into regular breath, she who sees, she frees each of these, beggarly events, cleansing them of dust and other death. - June Jordan

The show is all-ages and free, of course. It's in a record store after all.

^{Mates of State at Sasquatch, photo by Sean Pecknold}

And starts today. Like in fifteen minutes.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center runs from today through Monday. 7000 musicians, dancers, visual artists, and venders for you to peruse, take in, and eat by.

Saturday at 7 PM in the Center House Theatre, there will be ghost stories. Ghost stories freak my shit out. No CGI. No special effects make-up for gore. Just a person telling a story, that freaks my shit out.

Sure Sasquatch has R.E.M., the Cure, Modest Mouse, and the Flaming Lips. But does it have:

You know what, Mr. Used Record Store Clerk?

You made me walk away from you today. You know what you did? You started looking around on your little computer for the price of a record. That was stupid, because now I know that you are the kind of clerk/record store that will always go out of your way to get the highest price for records in the least customer friendly way. And you did it right in front of me! SO. RUDE.

You didn't even look at the condition the record was in! (It was crappy, scratched and a little warped.)

The least you could do, the very least, is say, "Wow, that doesn't have a price on it, I can't sell it until the boss takes a look." Or, "Come back later today, I don't have time to price it now." Or, better yet, "$2."

But to make a guess, then surf the auction sites trying to find a price that matches your guess, is lame. That's what amateurs do. Go make an EBAY store if that's the kind of shit your going to pull.

I looked around, I didn't find anything interesting, but since you were nice I thought, I'll get this one 12". But no, you had to do that thing with your computer and make me not like you. Make me not want to spend any money with you. Make me not want to go back to West Seattle, kitty corner from Easy Street ever again.

(Sidenote: At Easy Street in West Seattle, I found a rare Kongas Anikana-O record for $8. On auction sites it goes for ten times that. But, will Easy Street ever sell an $80 Kongas record? No. So they were reasonable, since they probably bought it in a lot of hundreds of used records from somebody's old collection, and they made $8. Smart move Easy Street, you win a gold star for pricing and customer service today! And I love your Dixie Chicken Sandwich!)

The sun, the cool air, the song about crying in the deli aisle... it all works together fantastically.

If you don't have the record, at least enjoy this song:

The Blow - "Parentheses"

If something in the deli aisle makes you cry
you know I’ll put my arm around you
and I’ll walk you outside,
through the sliding doors,
why would I mind?

They're going to debut a new song called "While You Wait for the Others.”

Sometimes when you buy an old album at the used vinyl store, the vinyl itself can be in beautiful condition, but the cover comes plastered in ugly stickers that mar the beauty of the original artwork.

THIS IS A GOOD THING!

Because the cover is so botched by the stickers, you, in return, pay less for the album because it's not anywhere near mint condition.

Here's a step by step way to return your album to its original condition. I learned this while working a short stint at Jive Time last summer, thanks to David, RJ, Scotty and the crew, I'm passing it on to you.

Here are the tools you'll need:

Ronsonol Lighter Fluid
A Razor Blade
A Paper Towl

Continue reading "How To Clean An Old Album Cover" »

These Arms Are Snakes bassist Brian Cook wears earplugs. (Earlier earplug post – here.) Brian uses the cheapo foam ones and cuts them in half so they fit better and don’t block as much sound. He has also put Krazy Glue on them. Brian explains:

Do you use earplugs?
Brian: Yes, I use earplugs. I use ‘em till they turn black from earwax and build up lint from my pockets. It's surprising I haven't contracted some sort of awful ear infection.

I was playing a show in Tallahassee, FL and I accidentally shoved an earplug too far into my ear. I couldn't get it out so I enlisted a friend to put a dab of Krazy Glue on the end of a q-tip to fish it out. It was a pretty intense moment. I didn't realize Krazy Glue heats up as it dries. We managed to get it out, but it left a bunch of scabby glue on the inside of my ear for the next week.

Do you recommend the Krazy Glue Q-tip removal technique to others?

Lemmy lost. Jackie Hell took him out. She may have even slapped him around. Slapped him right on his divine archipelago of moles. Don’t call her Cinderella. (Round of 8 – here.) Jackie Hell is firing on all cylinders and looks tough to handle. And Slats is rolling, but does EYE roll underneath Slats? Barfly is humbled to be here.

8. Jackie Hell
5. Barfly - the Saturday Knights
3. EYE - Boredoms
2. Slats - Pain Cocktail

The tip off:

I spoke to Barfly about making it to the Final Four:

This has gotta be exciting. It’s all you’ve worked for isn’t it? The long hours, the practices after school, the power shakes. Right?
Barfly: First, thank you to Line Out. This is definitely a proud achievement for me but I'm trying to keep it in perspective. It's too early to be dancing in the end zone. There's a long road ahead and right now, I'm just trying to stay focused on going out there and delivering on a level that I can be proud of. Jackie Hell and Slats are such great competitors and are easily favored to win this thing, but I've been an underdog in every round thus far and anything can happen. Not since Mike Eruzione led his fellow Golden Gophers and a supporting cast of butchers, mechanics, and town drunks to that fabled Miracle on Ice Gold Medal in the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics have we seen the potential for such a Cinderella story. I want to add that I'm thrilled at the prospect of keeping the championship hardware on Capitol Hill. 75% of the competitors in this Final Four hail from our much maligned home and that's no small feat. Suck it, Interbay!

This picture taken in Shoreline, WA. Notice the Biker Friendly – Slayer combo:

The Biker Friendly sticker means the driver of that vehicle is aware and partial to motorcycles (and possibly a biker as well).

When the sticker is seen, bikers know there is another biker in that vehicle. The person on the motorcycle knows there is someone willing to give them room to pass or a place to tuck in after lane sharing.

Tips for driving “Biker Friendly” from the website:

- Look for riders.
- Don’t tailgate.
- Don’t cut off that motorcycle.
- Give riders extra room.
- Motorcycles are entitled to their own lane.
- Road rage can KILL a rider.

Road safety is important, but shouldn’t there be a Slayer Friendly network as well?

When this sticker is seen, that Slayer fan knows there is a safe place to sacrifice babies, drink blood, and discuss interest in the subject of Satanism.

Tips for being Slayer Friendly:

- Look for Slayer fans.
- Don’t judge them for their interest in death.
- Don’t cut them off. They will do experiments with your body like the "Angel of Death" Nazi physician, Josef Mengele.
- Tune your guitar and bass to Drop D.
- Give them some extra room. Songs at 250 beats per minute take space to play and enjoy.
- Kill, but be aware of road rage.

While walking to and from the nearby Safeway on Roosevelt and 75th (you know, the one that RIAA works at), I couldn't help but notice a band practicing in the auto shop just across the street on Roosevelt. When I think "band" and "auto shop," I think either ZZ Top covers or that 90210 spin-off TV series The Heights, but this group skewed younger and artier. From what I saw through the big window, either this was a two-piece with the guitarist working some loops on pedals, or a third guy was tinkering with synthesizers behind a stack of mufflers. Either way, from the outside, all I could hear was a basic 4/4 drumbeat and the sounds of an orca wailing over it. The girlfriend wanted me to run back over and interview 'em (she, the thoughtful one, even made me a sign that said "I'm With The Stranger, Can We Talk?"). I voted against such an interruption, assuming the chat would go like this:

"Why are you practicing here?"
"I work here [OR] This is my dad's/uncle's shop."
"Great."
"We're on MySpace."
"That's great."

Anyway, if you're that band, you should play in the auto shop on a daily basis. Makes the Fontina cheese run that much more interesting.

Because you'll find photos like these:

Photos credits from the top: Blush Photo, soggydan, billyohphoto.

If you've got $250, you can.

(Thanks to Bryce for the tip.)

Have you signed up yet?

It's open to all Seattle musicians--DJs, rappers, bands, solo artists.

If you already have a profile on the Bands Page, you just have to update it to be included. Click here for instructions on how to do that. If you don't update your page, your profile won't be deleted, but it won't be included in the print version of the guide either.

If you don't have a profile, it's really easy and free to make one--click here, it only takes a few minutes.

You get 25 words to use however you wish--you can describe your sound/talents, included whatever contact information you wish (if you want to leave your e-mail out of it to avoid spam, go ahead), or give us a poem. It's your call. Just be sure that you're in it. If you aren't, you don't exist.

For more information: www.thestranger.com/bandform.

Look, the Hives—if you have enough money to tote that giant neon sign all over the world, you have enough money to hang a curtain over it while your opening bands are playing.

It's just common courtesy.

Ever. It's not funny anymore. I don't think it ever was. Thank you.

Mates of State - "Goods"

The store will be open today from 10 am to 10 pm--everything is 30-50% off.

Then head to the Sunset, my friends, for the very first Sunday Bloody Sunset (it started at 4, but there's still plenty of music/comedy/alcohol to enjoy):

Featuring 2 SPECIAL MYSTERY HEADLINERS!, Thee Sgt Major 3, Jimmy Flame & The Sexxy Boys, The Brown Stripes, The White Strokes + film, comedy and variety, $3 BLOODY MARYS + Mimosas! $2 PBRs! Hosted by Johnny Skolfuk -$5

I think I'm gonna head over there in a few minutes myself... seeing as how it's a block away from me and all.

The store's last day is Monday, February 18th.

and trying to keep things mellow, don't play "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas.

That's just taking it too far.

Nada Surf are on Conan O'Brien tonight.

That is all.

There are always ways to expand musical appreciation.

I now bring you the Wikihow -

How to Appreciate Death Metal:

1) Learn about the history and characteristics of death metal. I bet that it’s more interesting and complex than you thought. Also, learn about all the stereotypes of death metal music and its fans and why they aren't true at all. They are not all lazy, Satan-worshipping, animal-sacrificing psychos. They are actually normal people with family, friends and complex off-stage personalities, with the exception of maybe Glen Benton (from Deicide).

2) Listen beyond the crunching guitars and harsh singing. Although the rough guitar sound and grating vocals permeate all of death metal, it can take a little getting used to, especially if your ears are accustomed to softer sounds. Believe it or not, it's more than just noise...There are melodies, patterns, and complexities to be appreciated if you listen attentively enough.

3) If you really don’t understand the harsh death grunts, don’t be afraid to look at them on a lyrics website. Two great lyrics websites are metal-archives.com and darklyrics.com. You might be surprised by the complexity and large vocabulary of some of the lyrics. And it's also worth noting that if you like music that rhymes on every line you might not like Death Metal that much because a lot of Death Metal musicians don't use this technique.

4) Realize that playing and singing death metal requires enormous practice and skill. Even bass players, who don't do the complex leads and melodies associated with death metal guitar, cite to have practiced one piece of music for at least a full year just for a mere audition.

5) Watch a live death metal performance. Even if it's on a TV screen, observe how the group members manipulate the instruments. If you've ever tried to play those instruments yourself, you'll probably be amazed with how skillfully they play. It takes practice, and dedication, which challenges the stereotype of metalheads being lazy and careless. You might also be surprised about how energetic some of the performers are.

You can walk and walk and walk in that weird part of town south of Safeco Field and north of Georgetown and never see anyone. It's all train tracks and shipping companies and marble distributors and "business parks." If you decide to make this walk--from Safeco Field to Georgetown--in the rain, well, you should know that it's a longer walk than you're expecting, and you should have the Murder City Devils (or something else loud and messy) queued up on your iPod. Your jeans are going to become soaked, see, but if you're listening to the Murder City Devils you won't care. Something about how loud and messy they are makes you happy to get a little messy yourself, and the lack of people in that part of town really contributes to a I'm-a-walking-zombie sort of daydream.

On the Airport Way bridge right before you get to Georgetown--that part of Airport Way that shoots up into the air over the train tracks--I looked both ways, confirmed no cars were coming, and took a long leak onto the train tracks. It looked cool. The Murder City Devils were screaming at me. I was hoping a train would come along, but no dice. That part of town is so dead.

If you want to listen to your iPod during takeoff or landing--and really, being able to take flight while listening to music is the miracle of our generation (except that you're not allowed to under major-airline rules)--well, it's simple: Put on your hoodie. Put your iPod within your hoodie, zip it up, tighten the strings around the hood, and voila: the flight attendants cannot see it. You are rocking out and no one knows it. Surely everyone else has already discovered this; surely I am late to the party.

The Fremont Sonic Boom is having a 20% off sale now through Sunday.