JIM HARPER'S BOOK REVIEW: DETROIT: AN AMERICAN AUTOPSY BY CHARLIE LEDUFF

 

If you were born here, and remember when Detroit was alive. If you just moved here and are curious how it got this way.If you're from somewhere else and want to understand..I highly recommend Charlie LeDuff's "Detroit an American autopsy".

The hipsters who think "everything's great! The city's comin' back!", won't like it, but if they read it, I think they'll learn a lot. Best book I've read in a long time.

The ending gave me chills and I wept. It will stay with you for days after you finish. If you can't afford to buy it, borrow it. But I strongly recommend it. Charlie is a very talented writer and this book does NOT exploit Detroit's misery. It explains it and puts a human face on it. And like it or not, it's truth. JIM HARPER

CLICK THE BOOK

Back in his broken hometown, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charlie LeDuff searches the ruins of Detroit for clues to his family’s troubled past. Having led us on the way up, Detroit now seems to be leading us on the way down. Once the richest city in America, Detroit is now the nation’s poorest.

Once the vanguard of America’s machine age—mass-production, blue-collar jobs, and automobiles—Detroit is now America’s capital for unemployment, illiteracy, dropouts, and foreclosures. With the steel-eyed reportage that has become his trademark, and the righteous indignation only a native son possesses, LeDuff sets out to uncover what destroyed his city. READ MORE

REDD: RISING STAR DETROIT PUB MAY 31

REDD - (Jeremy Stewart) - Will be headlining the RocknRoll Hair Show this Saturday May 31 to benefit KNOW/RESOLVE.

REDD is from Detroit and we are excited to see his show along with a song he recorded recently with Rocquel Wallace...Both of these performers really bring the heat...Tickets are moving fast so grab your tix HERE

REDD - (Jeremy Stewart) - Born Jan 27 1992 Jeremy Stewart began playing drums for his elementary band in 5th grade. It was not long after that he began to start recording himself rhyming over beats he found on the Internet. By 13 years of age his catalog of early material included collaborations with rappers LilMor (Anthony Morales) and Quicksta (Kenny Quick).

2009 saw the forming of what would soon be Suburban Syndicate featuring REDD, LilMor and Quicksta. Suburban Syndicate's first release WiFi love sold out all 500 hard copies within 2 weeks time. The band signed a production deal while all 3 members were still in high school and went on to garner successes both in Detroit and in Nashville.

 
Releasing 2 mixtapes and the album 82316 a Rap/Rock fusion that grabbed attention both on the Internet and also lead to Suburban Syndicate playing the 2012 Rockstar uproar tour. The band suffered from issues with the musical genre change and member commitments and in early 2013 went on a hiatus. Although all three original members still work together it is no longer under the banner of "Suburban Syndicate".

Now working as a solo artist and making waves. REDD just dropped his first solo release Rising Star. With his videos receiving multiple awards online on sites such as Beat100.

REDD VIDEOS

REDD was also recently received the coveted Ultimate Musician Award on Beat100. Catch REDD on all his social media sites and for show/tour updates at any of the following links.

REDD OFFICIAL WEBSITE
FACEBOOK:ReddOfficial
REVERBNATION:reddofficialmusic
BEAT100.COM REDDMusic/
SOUNDCLOUD: i_be_redd
YOUTUBE:REDDofficialmusic
TWITTER@redd_music
INSTAGRAM/i_be_redd

MIDNIGHT RIDER ALLSTAR TRIBUTE TO THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND

 

Leon Russell, Steve Morse & Pat Travers Lead A Stellar Cast Of Music Superstars On This Tribute To The Legendary Allman Brothers Band!

Also features Commander Cody, Molly Hatchet, The Oak Ridge Boys, Artimus Pyle Band, Reese Wynans (Double Trouble), Tinsley Ellis, Robben Ford & more!

Los Angeles, CA - One of music’s biggest and most influential juggernauts gets the respect and admiration they so richly deserve on this brand new tribute album available May 27th from Cleopatra Records! Featuring an eclectic group of rock, country, and blues legends, Midnight Rider - A Tribute To The Allman Brothers Band offers energetic new covers of the classic hits “Midnight Rider,” “Ramblin’ Man,” and “Whipping Post” as well as one of the most famous instrumental songs in all of rock music “Jessica,” alongside many more Southern fried favorites!

“The Allman Brothers were a central part of my roots,” proclaims guitarist Steve Morse, who shreds his way through a smoldering version of “Whipping Post” on the album. “Living in Georgia much of my life, they were the local legends that everybody loved. They had the swing, the inventive double guitar parts, the ability to jam just long enough to keep the audience, and that golden voice of Greg’s! When my instrumental rock band, the Dixie Dregs, played, we often played ‘Jessica,’ which automatically makes any audience start moving and smiling. I’ve been lucky enough to sit in with many of the members at various times, and we have shared a lot of common ground. I’m still a fan!”

Duane Allen, lead vocalist for country legends The Oak Ridge Boys, declares, “‘Ramblin’ Man’ is the national anthem of Southern Rock & Roll, so it is a huge honor to be asked to be a part of this tribute.” Allen’s sentiments are echoed by several other participants including blues guitarist Eric Gales who considered it a “great honor” and Tinsley Ellis who also speaks enthusiastically of the group as “one of a handful of musical acts, along with Ray Charles and Willie Nelson, that are considered to be a genre unto themselves. It is a great honor to be among the other stellar acts paying tribute to such a legendary and influential American band.”

Speaking for a next generation of blues rock artists, Eli Cook offers both high praise and a word of advice: “The Allman Brothers’ story of talent, hard work, and blind devotion to creating an honest and unique sound is one that every artist should study and imitate. Just as they cut their teeth on Taj Mahal, Cream, Elmore James, and all the great early R&B artists, today’s players are wise to woodshed with the Eat A Peach and Live At The Fillmore albums.” Or just pick up a copy of Midnight Rider - A Tribute To The Allman Brothers Band and let these boys show you how it’s done!

1. Midnight Rider - Pat Travers
2. Ramblin’ Man - Oak Ridge Boys, Tinsley Ellis & Kevin McKendree
3. Melissa - Molly Hatchet
4. Blue Sky - Artimus Pyle Band
5. Whipping Post - Jimmy Hall & Steve Morse
6. Jessica - Roy Rogers, John Wesley & Jim Eshelman
7. One Way Out - Robben Ford & Martin Gerschwitz
8. Soulshine - Debbie Davies & Melvin Seals
9. Statesboro Blues - Eli Cook
10. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed - Eric Gales
11. Southbound - Commander Cody & Sonny Landreth
12. I’m No Angel (Greg Allman solo) - Leon Russell, Reese Wynans & Ronnie Earl

To pre-order the CD at Amazon,

JACK WHITE AT THE FOX AND MASONIC

FENDER LUCITE DRAWS ATTENTION

NM, with clear plastic strap, tweed-covered OHC, custom-ordered by Garry Beers of INXS, made in Fender Custom shop by John Page and Michael Stevens, serial number P003 (001 was a Strat, 002 was a prototype body for this instrument), used in "Suicide Blonde" video and promo photos for X album, a one-of-a-kind instrument, with letter from Beers. in Nashville Show

Found this very cool photo of a custom Lucite Fender P bass and shared it on Facebook...a lot of people commented and shared the photo above.....here is some of the buzz....

Stan B. Mikelsavage Sweet but I bet it weighs a ton.

Damian Moss I've never seen one with a plexiglass neck!!!!

Brian Tourville That's Instant Collectible as it's a Fender ..

Michael Segler Damian, me either.. have seen the plexiglas body, but not w/the neck.

Retro Kimmer I had no idea how much these solid plastic guitars weigh....I went to pick up Deniz Tek's Dan Armstrong and almost fell over with the beast.....

Damian Moss They are heavy kim..... also what concerns me is plexiglass is porous. ...over time I'd worry about yellowing....not to mention the fact about resonance. .looks awesome no doubt. ..but I'd have to know more

Benjamin Borden I would be very surprised if it stayed in tune for long ,,the Dan Armstrong Ampegs with the plexi glass body were terrible

Michael Segler I would have to agree w/Damian.. I can't imagine the acrylic is much of a good 'sound body'... that's the reason they only use certain types of wood for the guitar body construction.

Retro Kimmer but...it looks so cool!

Michael Segler yea, like those see through, engine models they used to sell in the back of the comic books;^)

John Entwistle Fender Lucite P-Bass

CINETOPIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL GUIDE JUNE 4-8 2014

The Cinetopia International Film Festival is honored to welcome groundbreaking auteur Spike Lee for a special 25th anniversary screening of his film Do the Right Thing at the Michigan Theater on Friday, June 6. This invite-only event is made possible by a generous Michigan Theater …

IRON BUTTERFLY: LIVE AT THE GALAXY 1967

 

Recently was asked to review an upcoming release by Iron Butterfly, “Live At The Galaxy 1967”. I jumped at the opportunity to review one of my favorite bands of all time.

This album has been dug out of the vaults some place not yet known and was most likely done from a late ’60s sound board/mixer or even a table top reel-to-reel recorder. With that said, the quality reflects that recording procedure and the time frame. The actual recording date was November 9, 1967. Although this show has been around a number of years as a full blown bootleg this is its first release as a true recording with all the pomp and circumstance it really deserves.

The set list this particular night included:

Real Fright

Possession

Filled With Fear

Fields of Sun

It’s Up To You

Gloomy Day To Remember

Evil Temptation

So-Lo

Gentle As It May Seem

Lonely Boy

Iron Butterfly Theme

You Can’t Win

The album is dirty, grimy and heavy…everything we have come to expect and love about Iron Butterfly. It has that high quality bootleg feel, but don’t let that fool you. It feels live and truly gives you the aural experience of a late ‘60s club concert! You can almost smell the reefer wafting through the air and clink of glasses and bottles in between songs. Don’t expect the quality of your favorite boy band’s new release though or you’ll be absolutely disappointed.

This set encompasses 6 songs from their 1st album, “Heavy” which hadn’t been released yet. You can hear the future being born in these 6 songs. “Iron Butterfly Theme” is here in still an unpolished state but still very recognizable and moving. Many of the songs will cause you to listen to them several times to understand how much more work went into them to bring them to the final form we saw upon release of the “Heavy” album.

Even more amazing is the fact 3 songs found here weren’t released until their 3rd album, “Ball”, which went to #3 position on the USA music charts in 1969. That’s a full 2 years after they recorded them in this performance. You may have to listen close to recognize them but the development will stun you.

There are also 3, still unreleased songs, in this set list. They are “It’s Up To You”, Gloomy Day To Remember” and “Evil Temptation”. One has to wonder why they didn’t spend more time to polish and complete them at some point. I will go out on a limb and speculate that maybe the large amount of band member changes did not let that happen. That is unfortunate for Iron Butterfly fans around the world.

With all this said this is not an album for your typical radio listener or non-rock fan. What this album is though is a historical account of one of rock’s most famous and favorite bands. If you are a Iron Butterfly collector, music history aficionado or just someone who is interested in the growth of your favorite Iron Butterfly tune than this is a MUST HAVE ALBUM for you. I found it to be a great listen and will add it to my music collection when the vinyl version is released on June 10, 2014. The CD version is being released on May 27, 2014 for those of you who can’t wait for the vinyl. All I can say is…we miss you Iron Butterfly!

“Electric Mike” Langford