Word of the Day

chary • \CHAIR-ee\ • adjective

1 a : discreetly cautious: as* b : hesitant and vigilant about dangers and risksc : slow to grant, accept, or expend
Example Sentence:
"And in causes both small and large, controversial and less so, he was never chary about voicing his convictions." (Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, April 7, 2010)
Did you know?
It was sorrow that bred the caution of "chary." In Middle English "chary" meant "sorrowful," a sense that harks back to the word's Old English ancestor "caru" (an early form of "care," and another term that originally meant "sorrow" or "grief"). In a sense switch that demonstrates that love can be both bitter and sweet, "chary" later came to mean "dear" or "cherished." That's how 16th century English dramatist George Peele used it: "the chariest and the choicest queen, That ever did delight my royal eyes." Both sorrow and affection have largely faded from "chary," however, and in Modern English the word is most often used as a synonym of either "careful" or "sparing."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence

Today In Alternative Music History: June 28, 1997

The Verve get slammed. Their hit “Bittersweet Symphony” sampled an orchestral version of the Rolling Stones hit, “The Last Time” created by Andrew Oldham, the Stones’ original producer. As a result, all the song’s royalties go to the Stones’ publishing company, ABKCO, and Oldham comes after the Verve for money as well.

Things You Never Knew About Blondie

The band name Blondie came from the catcalls Harry used to receive from men in passing cars.

The band’s first record deal came in early 1976 with Private Stock Records. Their first single, ‘X-Offender’, was released that June, with their self-titled debut album out that December.

Blondie’s first commercial success came in Australia in 1977, when a music television program ‘Countdown’ accidentally played the band’s video for ‘In the Flesh’, which was the B-side of the single ‘X-Offender’. The band have cited this as the initial source for their success.

Phrase of The Day

Adventure is just bad planning.

Roald Amundsen (1872 - 1928)

Word Of The Day

circadian • \ser-KAY-dee-un\ • adjective

: being, having, characterized by, or occurring in approximately 24-hour periods or cycles (as of biological activity or function)
Example Sentence:
"Teenagers, like everyone else, need bright lights in the morning … to synchronize their inner, circadian rhythms with nature's cycles of day and night." (Thomas H. Maugh II, Chicago Tribune, Feb. 17, 2010)
Did you know?
Just over fifty years ago, no one talked about "circadian rhythms" -- because "circadian" hadn't even been coined yet. In 1959, a scientist formed the word from the Latin words "circa" ("about") and "dies" ("day"), and it caught on quickly. "Circadian" appeared in periodicals throughout the sixties, and appeared in a Merriam-Webster dictionary before the decade was up. Most often, it's seen and heard in the term "circadian rhythm," which refers to the inherent cycle of about 24 hours that appears to control various biological processes, such as sleep, wakefulness, and digestive activity. If you want to impress your friends, you can also use the term "circadian dysrhythmia," a fancy synonym of "jet lag."

Things You Never Knew About Blondie

BLONDIE deserves so much respect for their contribution to music, no other band in any genre has been so creative, ground breaking and witty. This entry will focus on things you probably didn't know about the group and their leader Debbie Harry.

Debbie Harry's real name at birth was actually Angela Trimble. She was adopted at the age of three months, by Catherine and Richard Harry, gift shop owners in New Jersey.

Before she joined Blondie, Debbie Harry worked as a secretary at BBC Radio’s NYC office, a waitress, a dancer and a Playboy Bunny.

Debbie Harry’s first band was folk rock group The Wind In The Willows. She later joined a girl-group trio, The Stilettos, in the early ‘70s. It was there she met Chris Stein (the band’s backup guitarist), who would later join Blondie and become her boyfriend.

In 1974, Stein and Harry gathered a few more band members and formed Angel and the Snake. The name changed to Blondie in late 1975.

Born On This Day: Margo Timmins, June 27, 1961

The lead singer for the Cowboy Junkies has a birthday today. Margo was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Born On This Day: Leigh Nash, June 27, 1976

The lead singer of Sixpence None the Richer celebrates a birthday today. Leigh Bingham Nash was born in New Braunfels, Texas.

The Discreet Charm of Morrissey

"I really do expect the highest critical praise for the album. I think it's a complete signal post in the history of popular music."

The Most Significant Indie Records

The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire (Thermidor, 1981)

Featuring the undisciplined feral howl of Nick Cave and teh glass-shared historionics of guitarist Rowland S. Howard, the Birthday Party took lurching rhythms and frenetic abandon to new peaks of mania. The chaos encompassed here sounds not like a conscious affection but a natural result of the fact the participants were on a self destructive collision course. They were young and wanted to burn out.

SUNDAY'S TOP 5: JUNE 27, 2010

WHEW! WOKE UP LATE THIS MORNING, AND WITH THE KEN STRINGFELLOW INTERVIEW STILL IN MY HEAD (FANTASTIC, I HAVE TO SAY) I ROLLED OUT OF BED AND WENT INTO MY COLLECTION TO PICK MY FIVE CDS THAT I WILL LISTEN TO TODAY. TOUGH CHOICE THIS MORNING. BUT HERE GOES...

1. THE EYES - THE ARRIVAL OF THE EYES

2. CAST - ALL CHANGE

3. RICHARD HAWLEY - FALSE LIGHTS FROM THE LAND (EP)

4. LUNIK - SMALL LIGHTS IN THE DARK

5. KEN STRINGFELLOW - TOUCHED

Incredible Night: Ken Stringfellow on El Vagon Alternativo!!!

What a special night yesterday was. Ken Stringfellow (http://www.kenstringfellow.com/) stopped by to the Metro Stereo radio station(www.lametro.com.ec) to be interviewed! Ken walked in at about 10pm(Ecuadorian time) and gazed at the posters inside the room, shook my hand and with a smile on his face, proceeded to sit down and start our interview. He praised that my radio show was conducted in a manner that college radio stations are done. Ken brought along some music to share with my listeners. World exclusives were new material from his band The Disciplines (http://www.thedisciplines.com/) and his other band the Posies (http://theposies.net/). We talked about the different things he has been doing in the year since I last interviewed him. Other music he shared was a band he worked with in Argentina who were the Super Ratones (http://www.superatones.com/). He actually sang in Spanish in one of their tracks which was heard last night. Ken talked about his favorite discs he was hearing right now and one that jumped out was Serge Gainsbourg's Le Historie de Melody Nelson. We talked about the importance of this album and the influences that it had on modern music today. Ken also talked about his association with local Quito band Can Can (http://can-can.org/) The last two weeks Ken has been producing Can Can's new album. they have been working as he sadi, "From sun up to sun up." This partnership came about last year when Ken was touring South America last year and he made contact with local band Mama Vudu (http://www.mamavudu.com) to play Disicplines songs with local bands across South America. From there he met Can Can and the partnership began. Two members of Can Can were at teh radio station also. Daniel Pascuel and Denisse Santos. They expressed the experience Ken has and they were grateful to have him in the studio these last two weeks.

Though Stringfellow did bring in his guitar to do a solo acoustic set, it was not to be. The interview which was to last 30 minutes went to a full hour and he needed to head back to the studio (http://www.laincreiblesociedad.com/esociedad.com/ with Can Can to finish up some things before he left this morning (6:40 am to be exact) to Miami. We wrapped up and I immensely thanked him for stopping by the station to do this interview with me and for my listeners to hear what a great person he is. I hope that Ken returns to Quito and we get another chance to interview him and quite possibly hear him perform (he mentioned that his plan is to bring either The Disciplines or The Posies to Quito).

What a class act you are Ken Stringfellow!!!

Ken Stringfellow Live On El Vagon Alternativo!!!

Make sure you tune in tomorrow night on my show, El Vagon Alternativo, because Ken Stringfellow will be my guest!!! Ken will be taking a short break from producing local band Can Can's album to stop by and visit. We'll be hearing new music from the Posies as well as his other band The Disciplines and maybe, just maybe, I'll get him to do an acoutic song live on my show. Don't miss it, tomorrow night (Saturday) 8pm till midnight( Ecuadorian time) www.lametro.com.ec Check your listing to see what time my show comes on in your town or country.

I was at the recording studio where Ken was (Daniel Pasquel's Studio, la Increible Sociedad, http://www.laincreiblesociedad.com/ guitartist for Can Can) and I managed to get a photo with Ken.

Ken Stringfellow in Quito!!!!

Ken Stringfellow, member of The Posies, who has worked with numerous bands like R.E.M. Big Star, The Minus 5 and a host of others, is in Quito, Ecuador at the moment. Ken arrived in Quito last week and the reason is because he is producing the new album for local band Can Can. Ken and the band have been in the studio from sun up to sun down working with 15 tracks that will be on the new album. He has been able to get around the city and has truly enjoyed the sights as well as the Ecuadorian culture. This is Ken's second visit to Quito. He was here last year in March and I got a chance to interview him for my radio show.Ken leaves Quito on Sunday.

Today In Alternative Music History: June 25, 2009

Sky Saxon (born Robert Marsh), leader of the ‘60’s Garage-Rock group the Seeds, dies in Austin TX. The Seeds are best known for their proto-Punk "Pushin’ Too Hard."

Born On This Day: Curt Smith, June 24, 1961

The singer/songwriter and bassist for Tears For Fears has a birthday today. Curt was born in Bath, England.

Born On This Day: Andy McCluskey, June 24, 1959

The lead singer and bass player for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) cebrates his birthday today. George Andrew McCluskey was born in Heswall, Wirral, England.

Word Of The Day

chatelaine • \SHAT-uh-layn\ • noun

1 a : the wife of a castellan : the mistress of a château* b : the mistress of a household or of a large establishment
2 : a clasp or hook for a watch, purse, or bunch of keys
Example Sentence:
"Leah sets aside her artistic career to become the perfect Swiss wife, mother and chatelaine of a massive estate." (Publisher’s Weekly, September 22, 2008)
Did you know?
The original chatelaine's domain was a castle or fort, and the chatelaine's duties were many. To complete them, she certainly needed keys. In the 18th century, the word "chatelaine" (borrowed from the French "châtelaine") took on an additional meaning in English that alluded to this: the word came to be used for a decorative clasp or hook from which chains holding a watch, purse, keys, etc. were suspended. These popular accessories evoked the bunch of keys the original chatelaine had worn of necessity.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Phrase of The Day

He who praises you for what you lack wishes to take from you what you have.

Don Juan Manuel (1282 - 1349)

The Discreet Charm of Morrissey

"I think pop music is basically finished."

The Most Significant Indie Records

Big Star - #1 Record (Ardent, 1972)

This album was quirkier than the Raspberries and more aggressive than Badfinger, Big Star aspired to Beatlesque pop at a time when everyone else seemed to be getting heavy, slick or progressive. Cris Bell and Alex Chilton were both adept tunesmiths and harmonists and their pop sensibilities combined to make the band's debut a seminal classic. Big Star's albums never made any commercial impact upon their original issue,though they became a luminous cult item., influencing a couple of generations of jangly pop bands.

Born On This Day: Steve Shelley, June 23, 1962

The drummer for Sonic Youth celebrates a birthday today. Steven Jay Shelley was born in Midland, Michigan.

Word Of The Day

abdicate • \AB-dih-kayt\ • verb

*1 : to cast off : discard
2 : to relinquish (as sovereign power) formally
3 : to renounce a throne, high office, dignity, or function
Example Sentence:
The school board has been accused of abdicating its responsibilities by failing to provide sufficient oversight of the city's schools.
Did you know?
Give it up. English includes many words for the process of throwing in the towel, especially for relinquishing a job or elected office. "Abdicate," a derivative of the prefix "ab-" (meaning "from," "away," or "off") and the Latin verb "dicare" (meaning to "proclaim"), has been used primarily for those who give up sovereign power or who evade a very serious responsibility (such as parental responsibility). "Renounce" is often used as a synonym of "abdicate," but it adds to that term the suggestion that an individual is giving up something as a sacrifice to achieve a far greater end. "Resign" is another option when you are describing a more matter-of-fact departure from a job, office, or trust.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Born On This Day: Garry Gary Beers, June 22, 1957

The bass player for INXS has a birthday today. Gary William Beers was born in Sydney, Australia.

Born On This Day: Mike Edwards, June 22, 1964

The lead singer for Jesus Jones celebrates a birthday. Michael James Edwards was born in London, England.

The Most Significant Indie Records

The Godz - Contact High (ESP, 1966)

In the days before the mainstream music industry discovered the commercial viability of progressive hippie rock, New York's ESP label had a virtual lock on high musical weirdness, mainly because nobody else was interested. critic Lester Bangs championed the Godz early on, stating that whenever he got sucked into an arguement over what was the worst album of all time, he would win because he had heard it. "It" is this album, the aural equivalent of an Ed Wood movie. The Godz didn't care about tempo. They didn't care abut tuning. They simply didn't care. And why should they? It sounds like they're having a good time. Punk rockers the world over look to this primitive masterpiece.

Local Band: Guayaquil, Ecuador: Teleacidos

I was surfing through the myspace webpage and I came across this band from Guayaquil. They are called Teleacidos. This band formed in November of 2009. The age range of this band is of 19 years of age. To get to the sound they wanted, the band members locked themselves in a basement for a week and rehearsed. Before debuting live the band uploaded two songs on their webpage so people can have an idea what they were going to listen to. They played for the first time at the club Vayu.

At this moment they are recording their debut album and plan to relase a video for their song "Luna."

Check these guys out!!!

Band Members:

Santiago Arguello - Bass
Andrés Cajas - Guitar

Jose Eduardo Villagomez - Vocals

Carlos Emanuel - Drums

Juan Enderica - Guitar

For more info check out their webpage at

http://www.myspace.com/teleacidos

Buena Comida Alemana en las afueras de Quito: Mucki's

Este acogedor restaurante alemán, ubicado en las afueras de Quito, Ecuador, es ideal para disfrutar en familia las deliciosas especialidades bábaras.

En la cocina, "Frau" Mucki Lehman, vigila la preparación de las especialidades de la casa, creadas en base a los mas atrevidos y casi indescriptibles sabores de la comida alemana, la que sirve luego en platos coquetamente decorados por ella.
Mucki's bautizado así en honor a su propietaria, se convirtió en uno de los mejores restaurantes del país, de manera que no tardo en aparecer en varios libros de turismo sudamericanos, estadounidenses y europeos, como uno de los mas recomendados para visitar si esta de paso en Ecuador.
Hoy Thomas y Heide Contag, herederos de los secretos del negocio, son quienes comparten con sus comensales las tradicionales recetas.
Hay el Saurbraten (lomo de falda al vino) y el Wienerschnitzel (la milanesa en versión germana), pero hoy nos inclinaremos por el Eisbein, el mar y la tierra y el conejo al vino.


Contactos:


El Tingo, Quito, Ecuador

Telf.: 02 2 861 789

Cel. : 09 9 720 211

E-mail: info@muckis.com

The Most Significant Indie Records

The Fugs - The Fugs (ESP, 1966)

By the mid sixties, the spirit of the Beat movement had made its way into rock & roll. Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues - whose promotional film clip featured Beat godhead Allen Ginsberg- borrowed from the rambling, rough hewn beatnik spirit of Ginsberg and Kerouac. the Fugs were a cruder version of this. Led by Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg, the Fugs churned out raw, unexpurgated, relentlessly satirical meditation on sex, politics,and the Lower East Side. The musicianship is raw presaging punk by over a decade, but the performance is what really matters here.

Despite their uncompromising politics and copious use of four letter words, the Fugs eventually signed to a mainstream label, Reprise.

This is one album that you must have in your collection!

News From Outside the Bubble

Global Cola: 10 Pepsi-Cola Flavors That Are Really "Way Out There." (Truly Bizzare).


8. Pepsi Azuki – Japan


What’s an azuki, and why would anyone want to use it to flavor Pepsi? To answer the first part of the question, azuki is a small maroon bean used to add a sweetish taste to traditional Japanese snacks and desserts. As for the second part… lord only knows! Those who were fortunate (or unfortunate, as the case may be) to try Pepsi Azuki reported that it tasted neither like Pepsi nor azuki… maybe because “azuki” was conspicuously missing from the listed ingredients. And maybe it’s just as well.

Pepsi Azuki was introduced to the Japanese market in late October of 2009, and as it was always intended to be a limited release, it’s difficult to judge whether it was a success or a failure. Pepsi Azuki has not been re-released, so perhaps we can assume the latter.

Word Of The Day

macerate • \MASS-uh-rayt\ • verb

1 : to cause to waste away by or as if by excessive fasting
*2 : to cause to become soft or separated into constituent elements by or as if by steeping in fluid; broadly : steep, soak
3 : to soften and wear away especially as a result of being wetted or steeped
Example Sentence:
"Absinthe is made by macerating herbs and spices, including anise and fennel, with the grand wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) that gives the drink its name." (Julia Reed, Newsweek, April 12, 2010)
Did you know?
"Macerate" is derived from the Latin verb "macerare," meaning "to soften" or "to steep." That meaning was borrowed into English in 1563. However, the first English use of "macerate" refers to the wasting away of flesh especially by fasting. That use manifested itself in 1547. A few other manifestations sprouted thereafter from the word's figurative branch (e.g., Laurence Sterne (1713-1768) once wrote of "a city so macerated with expectation"); however, those extensions wilted in time. Today, the "steeping" and "soaking" senses of "macerate" saturate culinary articles (as in "macerating fruit in liquor") as well as other writings (scientific ones, for instance: "the food is macerated in the gizzard" or "the wood is macerated in the solution").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Cosas Curiosas De La Vida

1. Los repelentes de mosquitos realmente no repelen, sino que te ocultan. El spray bloquea los sensores de los mosquitos con lo que no saben donde estás.

2. Las tres marcas más valiosas de la Tierra son Marlboro, Coca-Cola, y Budweiser, en ese orden.

3. El cerebro humano está mucho más activo cuando duerme que cuando ve la televisión.

Phrase of The Day

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.

Arthur Rubinstein (1886 - 1982)

Born On This Day: Brandon Flowers, June 21, 1981

The lead singer of The Killers celebrates a birthday today. Brandon was born in Henderson, Nevada.

Alt-Rocker Quotes

"You know that thing Andy Warhol said about everybody being famous for fifteen minutes? Well, I had twenty minutes, which was probably more than my fair share anyway."

- Ian Dury

Wrestle Quotes

".....And just uh know this, if you ever try an come here to mess with me, I'm gonna open a can of the ass whip, so big that.....I'm gonna spray it all over your big fat head, AND THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINES!...."

- Santino Marella

Top 5 Father's Day Alternative Rock Songs

Songs about dads come in many different forms. Depending on the relationship between the artist and his father, some tunes are emotional and affectionate, while others are bitter and cathartic. But there are also songs that use the father-son dynamic to examine larger issues, such as mortality or war. No matter the sentiment, these 5 tracks touch the heart while articulating the complicated bond between a father and a son.

1. "Alive"- Pearl Jam

The song that is arguably Pearl Jam’s most famous is also one of the most complicated father-son tracks in rock history. In “Alive,” the main character discovers that his dad really isn’t his dad – he finds this out from his mom, who is starting to have sexual feelings for him because he looks so much like his old man. Thus begins a battle between anger, confusion and disgust within the main character as he tries to sort out questions of self-identity while mourning a dead father he didn’t know he had.

2. "Daddy's Gone" - Glasvegas

A sad, angry tale sung from the perspective of an abandoned son to his distant father, “Daddy’s Gone” certainly isn’t a cheery Father’s Day tale. Glasvegas frontman James Allan seems to be talking to a ghost, remembering happy childhood moments that quickly gave way to feelings of betrayal when his dad left him behind. His only hope for revenge is to swear that he’ll grow up to be a better person than his old man ever was.

3. "Had A Dad" - Jane's Addiction

This is a furiously rocking song about a father who’s abandoned his family. (“Had a dad/Big and strong/Turned around/Found my daddy gone,” Perry Farrell sings in the opening verse.) Interesting Tidbit: Eric Avery, the band’s bassist, was inspired to write the lyrics after learning that the man he thought was his dad wasn’t his biological father.

4. "Rooster" - Alice In Chains

This Alice in Chains antiwar song came from a personal place – guitarist Jerry Cantrell wrote it for his father who served in Vietnam. Sung by Layne Staley, “Rooster” is a first-person account of a soldier’s experience as he wanders the jungle trying to stay alive, wondering about his wife and child at home. Though a love letter of sorts to his dad, Cantrell’s song also confronts the difficulty of serving faithfully in a war that you don’t believe in.

5. "On And On And On" - Wilco

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy wrote this song for his father after the death of Tweedy’s mom. Rather than being a song about his relationship with his dad, this Sky Blue Sky track tries to offer comfort to his grieving father, suggesting that the pain will eventually subside and that the three of them will always be together, even if death separates them.

LUSH Remembered, Respected and Loved

Here is a cover story on Lush from NME. This was printed on October 20, 1990. Enjoy. Click on the pics to read the story.

WHAT IS IN A NAME: ALT-ROCKER STAGE NAMES (AND THE REAL ONES)

Siouxsie Sioux (Susan Dallion)

Naming Names: How Bands Got Their Names: Pere Ubu

This Ohio band got their name after the title character of Alfred Jarry's play Ubu Roi.