Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 7

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 7

Here is a cool little item – a copy of ‘Bandit 1’ in the discontinued HD-DVD format!

Almost like the “VHS vs Beta” wars from the early 80’s, we had the “Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD” a few years ago. I eventually did open this one and played it on a friend’s HD player way before the Blu-Ray for this movie came out and it looked great.

To see more photos of this item as well as others of my Bandit collection, check out my public Google drive folder by clicking here.

#smokeyandthebandit #burtreynolds #brift #hd-dvd

Life on Planet Earth - The debut of Duran Duran

Life on Planet Earth - The debut of Duran Duran

Ba Ba baa  Ba  Ba Ba Ba Baa….

To the uninitiated, these words represent nothing more than a simple, catchy vocal riff in an early 80’s pop song. But to the faithful, this ‘hook’ is a New Romantic rally cry of monumental importance as it signaled the arrival of Duran Duran to the world. The line is from the song Planet Earth, the first single that the band released on this very day - February 2 - in 1981. 35 years ago.

Released four months ahead of their debut album, Planet Earth was a resounding success in the U.K, Europe, Japan and Australia. In the U.S, the reaction was a bit muted as the 'New Romantic' movement which Duran Duran were a major part of in the U.K failed to catch fire as it had on their home turf but it little mattered; superstardom was only two years away.

What is remarkable is that all of the benchmarks of the Duran Duran sound were present right from this first single: the slightly disco-fied drum beat, the galloping, midrange heavy bass line, and guitars that were funky one moment and crunching the next. Topped off with keyboards that relied on texture more than technicalities and obtuse, cryptic lyrics and Planet Earth is a fully formed Duran Duran song. The band never really did naive, raw and earnest; they just sounded like Duran Duran.

Parting fact of the day - In the scope of the pop culture landscape, 1981 was a watershed year for the New Wave era. Not only was it the year that Duran Duran emerged, debut albums hit the shelves from the Stray Cats, Thompson Twins and Depeche Mode. Incredibly, the music from these bands is still finding new audiences, constantly growing in their influence. Duran Duran and Depeche Mode especially are active, creative entities who easily sell out arenas all over the world.

“Is there anybody out there trying to get through?”... Indeed there was Simon, indeed there was. Happy Duraniversary!

UK 12" single 
(UK 7" single pictured at top)

My David Bowie Story...

Waking up to the news today that David Bowie had just passed away brought a flood of emotions - moments from his massive, 50-year recorded history played through my head as well as something more personal. That time when I attended a birthday party with him.

In 2002 I was doing guitar repairs in Hell’s Kitchen and one of our clients was the lovely Gail Ann Dorsey - bassist and vocalist for Bowie’s band since 1995. It was always a treat when Gail came into the shop, I used to enjoy talking with her about music and the multitude of projects she was always involved in. One day she told us that her 40th birthday was around the corner and that we were invited to the soirée! I was honored and thrilled to be invited, maybe some of his legendary backing band would be there. I laughed to myself about David himself being there, but surely that would not happen. The question still swam through my mind over the next few weeks because after all, he did live downtown in the same neighborhood as the club…

On the night of the party I got myself together the best I could, because if there was ever a night to look cool, this was it. While my friend and owner of the shop, was taking a very NYC approach to the evening and planned to be fashionably late, something told me to be right on time that night.

The club was only a 2-3 block walk from my house but when I arrived at the correct block, I was unable to find the place! How can I possibly be lost in my own neighborhood? I was like one of those annoying tourists that I used to pass by as I cursed under my breath. Standing there incredulous, I saw four figures approaching. As they got closer, I happily realized the the figure leading was Gail herself. “Great, I will play it off that I just got here and saw her and was waiting to enter the club together!” As I greeted her she tells me that they are also looking for the club! Great, I fess up that I am clueless as to the location of this mystery club when she introduces me to her guests.

I meet the person standing next to Gail who I believe was drummer Sterling Campbell. My mind is fuzzy on that detail as it may have been someone else but I absolutely did talk to him later on at the party for sure. I was then introduced to a well-dressed woman named Coco, who I knew of instantly for if anyone has studied up on their Bowie history, than they surely know of his long-time personal assistant, Coco Schwab. I was very excited by this - a direct connection to Bowie! - but ended up completely gobsmacked when I turned to meet the previously unseen forth guest and found myself look straight at the impossibly dapper Mr. Bowie himself!

I've met a lot of my heroes, more than I could ever have imagined as a music-obsessed teen and I’ve always maintained that the musician I would be the most starstruck over would be David Bowie and I was right; I was staring at him like a fan-boy in the headlights. I actually got him to chuckle when we shook hands as I said, “No introductions needed here - I know your name and it's a pleasure to meet you!” Or something like that. I think. He did laugh though!

I’m still reeling in amazement as we all turn and start heading up the block looking for our elusive Soho haunt. We do eventually find the (unmarked) place and head downstairs into a very dark - yet totally NYC - club. For the few people that were in the club when we got there, just imagine their surprise when the door opens and in comes a small party with none other than the Thin White Duke in their charge! Of course, no one was more shocked and excited than I, trust me.

At this point, DB and Coco head to the back of the club where a private room was ready for them. Gail being such a gracious host would come chat with her guests and then make her way back to the VIP room in equal measure. After sometime - and I truly do not recall the exact amount of time - DB and Coco emerge from VIP, and walk out into the main part of the club clearly ready to make their exit. It was almost like one of those moments in the movies where the needle skips on the record player and the room is enveloped in silence - it was a magic moment; I literally felt the air get sucked out of the room.   

But for me, the best part was just about to happen. When David walked past me, he slowed, put his hand on my shoulder, leaned in and in that most distinctive voice intoned “Have a great night”. I don’t remember my reply but I guess it doesn’t matter; I have a David Bowie story.

Craig Dobbins - The View From Here, a PopJunkie album review

If there is power in understatement, than Craig Dobbins’ masterful The View From Here, is easily one of 2015’s most powerful instrumental albums. With nary a superfluous note to be found within its runtime, The View From Here is an unhurried, almost casual listen that relies more on melodies that sink in with every repeat playing rather then technical pyrotechnics designed to dazzle on first listen but diminish soon after.

The album manages to do what many all-instrumental affairs can not; take its listeners on a journey, the same way that the finest voice-led albums can. Starting with the charming Jojobean, the album builds over the course of its story. Many of the songs are comprised of solo nylon-string guitar but at various points, electric guitars, steel-string acoustic guitars, violin and other acoustic instruments provide a gentle bed of sound that helps propel the songs along their intended path.  

After years of teaching others the intricacies of finger-style guitar - Dobbins is acknowledged as an expert on the styles of Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed - Dobbins focused on his own muse and produced the finest album of his career and easily one of the best instrumental guitar albums of 2015.

The View From Here is also available in a highly recommended deluxe edition containing a book of photos and guitar transcriptions of every song on the album for those fleet-fingered pickers who want to tackle playing these tunes. No easy feat!

For more on Craig Dobbins, visit www.craigdobbins.com

Kung Fury - The Popjunkie Review

Kung Fury - The Popjunkie Review

If you make a movie which lampoons B-Movies, does that make your creation a C-Movie?

Can a Triceratops become a cop on the Miami police force?

Is it possible for an 80’s arcade game to come to life Transformer style and kill people?

Can Hitler show up in 1985 Miami steal someone's (very large) cell phone, call the police department and begin shooting at the receiver so that the bullets travel through the phone, killing the Police chief on the other end - as well as all of the remaining officers in the room?

If you find that you will not sleep tonight without knowing the answer to any of these questions, then you must not miss Kung Fury - the zaniest, most over-the-top 30 minutes you can hope to experience.

This short film tells the story of the titular hero, the cliched “burnt out cop”, who is called back into duty to stop Hitler from time traveling into 1985 to take over the world with his ancient and magical Kung Fu powers. How to stop him? By traveling back to 1945 by way of a computer hacker who can “hack time”.  

Kung Fury packs so many gags within its scant run-time, it's amazing that they were still able to tell their story! The first 90 seconds alone would take paragraphs to describe. Hell, the first 3 seconds had my attention when the production company's logo splashed across the screen! The name? Laser Unicorns, of course!

The movie must be seen to be believed but let's whet your whistle with some of the plot points that run rampant in Kung Fury: Thor, dinosaurs, time travel, Hitler as a Kung Fu master, hot cave girls and a hero that is created by being struck by lightning. And then bitten by a cobra.

Yeah, it's a must see. 

Popjunkie's Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 6

Popjunkie's Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 6

Who remembers the Laser Disc? Who know, size of a vinyl record but looked like a CD... that played movies!

Well, quite a few LD's were released for SATB, all with different artwork. Here is the first LD entry for the first film.

#SmokeyAndTheBandit

Miles Mosley - Upright Bass Brigade

Miles Mosley - Upright Bass Brigade

Miles Mosley is the perfect embodiment of the modern bass player – sonically adventurous, can adeptly play a wide array of musical styles and is well-versed in social media networking. With such trademarks, it is not surprising that while Miles plays the upright bass, his vision for the instrument – and the role of the bass in general – is a bit “forward-thinking”:

“I think all of us, as bass players, are in tune with the fundamentals of a lot of different kinds of music. There’s no reason for us not to be leaders, be sidemen, be composers… The music industry’s changed so you have to change with it. It’s not as easy to be a one trick pony. You used to be able to do that! You can still but I find more comfort in having different irons in the fire. It’s not about being a jack-of-all trades. It’s actually about having different facets of your career.”

Recently on tour with Natasha Agrama – daughter of bass legend, Stanley Clarke – Mosley came to the Aguilar Artist Loft to discuss his use of effects to create bold new soundscapes, the challenges of amplifying the upright bass and his love of the “Aguilar sound”.

To read the Q&A portion of the interview, click here.

Vintage Trouble's Rick Barrio Dill - Here Comes Trouble!

“It’s funny, they say that you have your whole life to write the first record and then 6 months to work on the second but for us, it was the opposite! I don’t think we stopped at all since that first gig which happened three weeks after we all got together and became a band!”

Vintage Trouble is one of my favorite bands out there today so I was happy to interview my friend, bassist Rick Barrio Dill, for the cover of Bass Musician Magazine.

Check out the interview - Here Come Trouble! - by clicking here. You can also follow this link: http://bit.ly/1KdoyO2 

#VintageTrouble #RickBarrioDill #BassMusicianMagazine

My Musical Diet

As I sit here on the R train grooving to The Human League's 1981 opus Dare, I can’t help but think how funny it is that lately I have been so deeply ensconced in the sounds of the New Wave era. Yet again. Coming from me, this is not an earth-shattering statement as those who know me, know of my undying love for the music of that synth-filled, frilly-shirt wearing New Romantic era. But even from an early age, my musical diet as it were, was unusually broad. I use the word "diet" when discussing my musical tastes because it perfectly sums up my point and, being Italian, everything could - and should - be equated with food.

Here it is: eating a balanced diet is much better for you than if you limited your food intake to just a few items all the time. No surprise there really. Kale is great for you but if leafy greens were ALL you consumed, aside from the fact that you would be shockingly regular, you probably would be left wanting a bit more. But that is how listening to music is for me. Sure, I love the music of David Bowie but my spiritual well-being would suffer if my entire music listening career consisted of nothing more than "The Thin White Duke". Although one could certainly do much worse!

This is the cyclical nature of my music listening experience. Because I have diverse tastes which range from the mainstream to content that is slightly more "fringeoid" (a word I love thanks to Frank Zappa), I tend to go on certain kicks every few months. I always reach back in time and discover an artist that I perhaps overlooked in the past but who somehow speaks loudly to me in the present. More recent "finds" for me have included the music of Donna Summer, Lionel Richie, Miles Davis' late 60's period, and Kiss. Yes, at 43 - I joined the Kiss Army!

But even with these new obsessions, I also tend to rediscover old favorites constantly. I have literally heard Duran Duran's 1981 debut album thousands of times but lately, it is as if I'm hearing it for the first time. Of course, there are also the times when Duran is the last band I want to hear because at that time, I might be wrapped up in the 'Countrypolitan' sounds of Kenny Rogers or Dolly Parton. Perhaps I'm lost in the brutality of Metallica, the epic funk of Prince and Rick James or the works of Puccini and Ravel. And then there was that time when I spent a year pretty much absorbing the entire catalogue of Jerry Reed. Time very well spent I might add. My soul still thanks me for that!

My point here? Simple. Like your Mother used to say, "eat everything on your plate". Or, "I don't care if you listened to some of your B.B. King, listen to all of it. Drink your Beethoven and don't forget your Black Sabbath or you won't get your Pink Floyd for desert"!

So, what are we listening to today?

Brent Rusinow (Allen Stone) - Soul to Solo

Listening to the elastic, soulful grooves of the Allen Stone band, it’s hard to believe that bassist Brent Rusinow began his musical journey in the somewhat more rigid world of classical music. But growing up with a guitar-collecting father in the house, the lure of the Rock n’ Roll world became too great and eventually young Brent was strumming along to Beatles records. “That led me down the path of playing guitar,” Rusinow says, “until I was caught up in the ‘two guitar and a drummer’ conundrum when I was about 13 years old. Luckily, my dad also had a bass laying around!”

Fast forward to today and Rusinow is now a seasoned member of Stone’s band; his bass solo spotlight being one of the many high points of the live show. Celebrating the release of the new album Radius, we recently caught up with Brent to discuss his formative years, his Aguilar rig and the value of learning songs, “from the bottom up”.

To read the Q&A portion of the interview, click here.

Nate Query - Beautiful World

Can you recall the last time, during a conversation about music, where you exclaimed “I love that video”? They still make music videos?

Well, here we are in 2015 and The Decemberists – the cerebral pop outfit from Portland, OR - have made one of the funniest, most clever music videos in years. Riffing upon late-70’s music programs from Europe and featuring Nick Offerman of the hit show Parks & Rec, the irony of this clip is the fact that Make You Better is one of the most poignant, touching songs on the band’s superb new album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World.

Shaping up to be one of the top albums of the year,What a Terrible World… features bassist Nate Query covering a wide variety of stylistic ground; from the fuzz-drenched chaos of A Beginner Song, to the propulsive pop stylings of Calvary Captain to the country-style groove of Anti-Summersong. And that does not include his melodic upright work!

We recently spoke to Query between legs of their current tour about the creative process behind the new album and his work with his prolific side project, Black Prairie, which features many of his fellow bandmates from The Decemberists.

To read the rest of my interview with Nate, click here.

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 5

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 5

Here is an odd piece from my collection – a T-shirt given to the crew of Bandit 2.

Is it an official item? I wondered the same thing but I got it cheap enough, so I bought it. It certainly is an old shirt, so maybe it is ‘official’. The shirt is actually really small – although it does not look like it in the pics.

To see more photos of this item as well as others of my Bandit collection, check out my public Google drive folder by clicking here.

‪#‎burtreynolds ‪#‎smokeyandthebandit #brift 

Wojtek Pilichowski - My Aguilar Artist Interview

Wojtek Pilichowski - My Aguilar Artist Interview

In today's age-obsessed musical climate, it is surprising for a new artist to emerge over the age of 22. And by 25, those artists are looked at as industry veterans! But occasionally, we are lucky enough to have a musician hit the circuit whose sound and style are already "fully-formed" through years of honing their craft. In the case of Polish bassist Wojtek Pilichowski, his rise to prominence in the bass-playing community comes after more than two decades of performing, recording, teaching and good, old-fashioned, "roll-up your sleeves and get dirty" practice.

Over the past two years, Wojtek's reputation has grown thanks to the multitude of viral video clips showcasing his formidable slap-style skills. Yet, despite his impressive instrumental chops, it is Pilichowski's musicality that began to win over an audience all over the world, culminating with him appearing at the Bass Player Live 2014 show in Los Angeles.

To date, Pilichowski has released eight solo albums, four live albums and three live DVD's! His most recent album is the stylistically diverse INTRO, which melds his astounding slap technique with both electronic and full-band arrangements. While there are plenty of moments chock full of Pilichowski's hyperkinetic playing, these are balanced out by songs where his bass takes a supporting seat to the song itself as on Take Control, Mniej Niz Zero and his down-tempo cover of the Depeche Mode classic,Enjoy the Silence.

Let's sit down with Wojtek to get the scoop on the INTRO album and how he developed that stunning slap technique! To read the rest of the article, click here.

#wojtekpilichowski #bass #amazingbassplayers #aguilar #aguilaramplification

My Depeche Mode Spotify playlist!

Check out Ephemera, my Depeche Mode Spotify playlist featuring non-album singles & B-sides!

Depeche Mode has a gaggle of tunes like this - many of which are fantastic - so I thought it would be handy to compile them into one, convenient playlist.

The link to the playlist can be found by clicking here 

#depechemode #newwave #spotify 

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 4

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 4

Here is a recent item from the great Greenlight Collectibles! This set includes the Trans Am from each of the first two films as well as a police car and for some bizarre reason, a green Jeep! I have no idea why the Jeep is in here but the set is very cool with unique packaging.

To see more photos of this item as well as others of my Bandit collection, check out my public Google drive folder by clicking here.

‪#‎burtreynolds ‪#‎smokeyandthebandit #brift #transam   

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 3

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 3

Here is an item that took some serious EBay watching to procure – the 1/87 scale Snowman truck from ERTL.

I know these can fetch over $100 now so glad I got mine when I did.

To see more photos of my Bandit collection check out my Google drive folder - here. I will be adding to this frequently, so check back often!

#smokeyandthebandit #burtreynolds #brift #vintagetoys

My Jerry Reed channel on Spotify!

Anyone who knows me knows of my deep love for the music of Mr. Jerry Reed. I also have a current addiction to Spotify, so I thought why not meld the two and create a channel dedicated to the Guitar Man himself and call it – “Pick it Son”!

I did not focus on hits or personal favorites here – as the title implies, this playlist is comprised solely of the amazing, mind-melting instrumentals that Jerry recorded. There are more out there but Spotify only has so much Reed recording available – Spotify, you better rectify!

So, click below to check out my playlist and follow it! I want to add more tracks as they (hopefully) become available. The URL for the channel is also available here.

#jerryreed #guitar #fingerpickers #amazingguitarsolos 

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 2

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 2

Here is something many of you may have – the 1/25 Trans Am model kit from Ertl. I had a few of these as a kid and was happy to find one on Ebay with the all of the parts, still sealed!
What is funny is that the model itself is the 1980 Turbo TA yet the box shows a ’79 on the front and a photo from the 1st film. Neither appears in the second film – which is clearly labeled on the box. Of course, the movie logo is not the classic ‘part 2’ logo so maybe this was released just before the film came out? 

To see more photos of my Bandit collection check out my Google drive folder - here. I will be adding to this frequently, so check back often!

‪#‎transam ‪#‎smokeyandthebandit ‪#‎burtreynolds #brift  

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 1

Popjunkie’s Smokey and the Bandit Collection: Part 1

I don't have a Trans Am but I do have a large collection of Bandit collectibles - most of it is vintage!

I used to think this song was just a title used in the movie but it was a real song on the soundtrack sung by Burt himself. The song was also released as a single - here is the 45 of "Let's do Something Cheap and Superficial"!
#smokeyandthebandit #burtreynolds #brift

To see more photos of my Bandit collection check out my Google drive folder - here. I will be adding to this frequently, so check back often!

Tully Kennedy - Aguilar Artist Interview

Tully Kennedy

Lessons Learned

It would be easy to focus solely on Tully Kennedy’s work with Country megastar Jason Aldean. In the course of the last decade, the group has scored numerous chart-topping singles, sold millions of albums and went from playing clubs to arenas and eventually, stadiums. Aldean’s latest album is Old Boots, New Dirt, another colossal hit which features plenty of Tully Kennedy’s unstoppable shuffles and melodic upper-register work.

But in the course of his career, Tully Kennedy has grown beyond a journeyman bassist and into a more complete musician. He immerses himself in a multitude of projects outside of the Aldean camp which call upon all of his skills as a songwriter, lyricist, producer and bassist.

We spoke to Tully recently in between legs of the band’s current tour and it was hardly surprising that he called as he was leaving the studio where he was finishing up one of the projects that he is involved in. So let’s check in with Tully Kennedy to find out how to keep busy in the increasingly crowded Nashville studio scene, his love for Aguilar gear and his current, more compact, touring rig.

To read the Q&A with Tully, click here.