Brian Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, links, Main Man Records, Music, MySpace, video, YouTube

Another appearance on a Main Man Records CD

Hair Apparent CD Cover
"Hair Apparent" CD Cover

A few weeks ago, my friend, singer-songwriter Christian Beach, recorded a bluegrass version of Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock” for an upcoming Main Man Records tribute to 80s hair metal. I contributed the accordion part and some backing vocals to the track.

Well, Main Man Records posted a blog on its MySpace site a few days ago to announce that “Hair Apparent” will be available for sale at www.mainmanrecords.com beginning September 2, 2008.

Here is the tracklisting, as posted in the Main Man Records MySpace blog:

1. Heavy Metal Love – LaBooze
Originally recorded by Helix
2. Cum On Feel The Noize – Bob “Derwood” Andrews
Originally recorded by Slade… and then again by Quiet Riot
3. Malibu Beach Nightmare – Mutant Monster Beach Party
Originally recorded by Hanoi Rocks
4. She’s Tight – Frankenstein 3000
Originally recorded by Cheap Trick
5. I Wanna Rock – Christian Beach
Originally recorded by Twisted Sister
6. Ballad of Jayne – Wynntown Marshals
Originally recorded by L.A. Guns
7. Chatterbox – K Roth
Originally recorded by The New York Dolls
8. Big Bottom – The Dennis Dunaway Project
Originally recorded by Spinal Tap
9. Babylon – Bad Biscuit
Originally recorded by Faster Pussycat
10. It’s So Easy – Pillow Theory
Originally recorded by Guns ‘N’ Roses
11. Another Piece of Meat – FourYearBeard
Originally recorded by The Scorpions
12. Shoot ‘Em Down – AB
Originally recorded by Twisted Sister
13. Public Enemy 1 – Mars Needs Women
Originally recorded by Motley Crue
14. 18 & Life – Johnny Dey
Originally recorded by Skid Row
15. Little Fighter – AB
Originally recorded by White Lion
16. Final Countdown – Killing Phantom
Originally recorded by Europe
17. After The Rain – Days Before Tomorrow
Originally recorded by Nelson
18. Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You – Frankenstein 3000
Originally recorded by Spinal Tap
19. Here I Go Again – Dan Maxwell & His Band
Originally recorded by Whitesnake
20. Wanted Dead Or Alive – Early Times
Originally recorded by Bon Jovi

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Christian for allowing me to be a small part of this project.

Just a reminder, Christian’s cover of David Bowie’s “Five Years,” on which I played organ, appears on “Hero: The Main Man Records Tribute to David Bowie,” which was released last Christmas Day. Look below for our live performance of that song, recorded at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ, on March 28, 2008.

Brian artist, Ben Folds, Keane, links, Music, review, video, YouTube

New music review: Ben Folds, Keane

Well, today marked my first listening to new songs by two of my favorite artists, Ben Folds and Keane.

Ben Folds announced via MySpace the debut of a video for “Hiroshima,” the first single off his upcoming CD, “Way to Normal” (Sept. 30, 2008). The half-assed, stop-motion video is quirky and funny…but the song? Well, I worship Ben Folds…think he’s a genius…I even met him very, very briefly in November 2005. But I’m just not feeling “Hiroshima.” It’s obviously a fleshed-out version of one of Ben’s improvisational pieces during one of his shows…and it will probably be fun to hear peformed live. I just don’t see myself playing it too many times on my iPod.

However, I guess I just expect a level of musicianship from Ben on recorded media…and “Hiroshima” doesn’t really meet that expectation for me. Hopefully, the rest of the new CD reaches higher.

But I still love your music, Ben…and you are still a genius.

Ben Folds – “Hiroshima” [Live at Bonnaroo 2008]

On the other hand, Keane’s single for “Spiralling” (although I prefer “Spiraling”) off the upcoming “Perfect Symmetry” CD (Oct. 13, 2008 ) is really entertaining and fun. It’s not groundbreaking and I don’t expect Keane to be. However, the boys managed to retain their sound while also infusing it with dance beats and funk bass that seem to be greatly influenced by (and perhaps featuring samples from) David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” Even though this really isn’t the style of music I am into these days, I always seem to find a few pop songs throughout the year that I really enjoy…and “Spiralling” is definitely one of them. I can’t wait to get it on my iPod and play it a few times very loudly with my windows down on a long drive.

I was disappointed with Keane’s previous CD, “Under the Iron Sea,” although “Bad Dream” from that disc is a freakin’ great song. I thought “Sea” was a step back from the brilliance of 2004’s “Hopes and Fears,” which spawned “Somewhere Only We Know,” “Everybody Changes,” and “Bedshaped.”

But “Spiralling” gives me great hope that Keane has taken many steps forward with “Perfect Symmetry.”

Keane – “Spiralling” [Radio Edit]

Brian artist, arts, Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, concert, links, Music, technology, Ustream.tv, video

Ustream.TV: Christian Beach live on “Sunday Jams” (7/13/2008)

Below is a Ustream.tv archive of a live “Sunday Jams” performance by Christian Beach on July 13, 2008. The backing band, which comes on for the fourth song, features Gorgo (mandolin, bass, backing vocals), John Pfeiffer (guitars, dobro), Michael Scotto (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and yours truly (organ, accordion, tambourine).

Set List:
1. Shadows (Christian Beach solo)
2. Cemetery Friends (Christian Beach solo)
3. Don’t Want to Be a Lonely Man (Christian Beach w/ Gorgo)
4. The Finest Day (Christian w/ full band)
5. Great Ideas (Christian w/ full band)
6. Poet of the Great Plains (Christian w/ full band)
7. Song for Matthew (Christian w/ full band)
8. Open Spaces (Christian w/ full band)

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “7/13/08 Christian Beach, broadbandbox…“, posted with vodpod

Brian basketball, Broncs, college, Jason Thompson, NBA, New Jersey, Rider, Rider University, Sacramento Kings, sports, video, YouTube

Congratulations, Jason Thompson…the 12th pick of the 2008 NBA Draft!


Sacramento Kings 2008 Draft Pick – Jason Thompson

Jason Thompson, a senior out of Rider University, was selected by the Sacramento Kings last night with the 12th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft. Projected to go later in the first round, Thompson’s stock rose to the point where he was taken as a lottery pick by the Kings.

Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ president of basketball operations, on selecting Thompson with the No. 12 pick…

We had considered a small at 12, but as the draft went on, we felt the best place to go was to go big. He was the number one pick at 12 for us if we were going to go big. He is a 20 (point) and 12 (rebound) guy and there was only one other guy like that, and that was (Michael) Beasley. He gives us another young forward that I think will compliment the rest of the people we have such as Spencer (Hawes).

When we first met him he was 6’2’’ in high school or maybe even junior high and was playing point guard. He said ‘but I have these big feet’ so when he got to college he was around 6’4” and then grew to 6’10”. Again, when you see him make plays he really runs well and is really comfortable when he makes plays with the ball. I think that some of that is because he got an early start playing a position that was more of a size for his body at that time.

It is such a gradual process as you work through all of the different players that work into all of the other information and reports you have on people. At some point you have to make a choice. I think we made a good one.

He is a more mature kid and his game is more developed. It is part of our process of trying to rebuild our front line, plus we have other areas we need to work on too, but we can’t do that with just one player, unless Magic Johnson just so happened to be there at number 12, but he wasn’t.

Kudos to the Kings for taking Jason at No. 12…and for their web site staff for putting the following splash page up just minutes after the team made the selection (click image to enlarge):

The Sacramento Kings selected Rider's Jason Thompson with the 12th pick of the 2008 NBA Draft.

Brian artist, Asbury Park, Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, links, Music, video, YouTube

YouTube: Christian Beach – “The Finest Day” (Live, 6/21/2008)


Christian Beach – The Finest Day

Above is video of Christian Beach performing “The Finest Day” at The Brickwall Annex in Asbury Park, NJ, on June 21, 2008. Accompanied — in the darkness — by Gorgo on mandolin, John Pfeiffer on dobro and Brian Kelley on accordion.

A couple of notes:

1) It was obviously very dark in the venue so I tried lightening up this video the best I could without turning it into a grainy mess.
2) The pause button was hit about 21 seconds into the song, but recording resumed a few seconds later…to fill the gap, I spliced in some of the studio version of the song.

Video shot by Alison Litecky, who also unplugged the jukebox that was blasting away during the night.

“The Finest Day” © 2008 C.J. Beach
http://www.myspace.com/christianbeach

Brian artist, Asbury Park, Brian Kelley, Christian Beach, Music, New Jersey, video, YouTube

YouTube: Christian Beach – “Way Back Home” (Live, 6/21/2008)


Christian Beach – “Way Back Home” [Live, 6/21/2008]

Here is dark and grainy, but decent sounding, video of Christian Beach performing “Way Back Home” at The Brickwall Annex in Asbury Park, NJ, on June 21, 2008…accompanied by Gorgo on mandolin, John Pfeiffer on “mouth percussion” and yours truly on accordion.

“Way Back Home” © 2007 C.J. Beach
http://www.myspace.com/christianbeach

Brian Iron Man, links, Marvel, movies, video, YouTube

“Iron Man” is almost here!

Iron Man movie posterWell, this week, “Iron Man,” the movie I have waited for most of my life, finally hits the big screen. Directed by Jon Favreau (“Zathura,” “Made”), “Iron Man” is based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name — and my favorite character in the Marvel Universe.

Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, the billionaire defense contractor/playboy/genius who initially creates the Iron Man armor to escape his captors in Afghanistan and then refines the suit in order to defeat those using his technology for evil. Jeff Bridges plays Stark Enterprises executive Obadiah Stane, who becomes the main rival to Stark/Iron Man when he builds his own armored creation and takes on the name of Iron Monger.

Gwyneth Paltrow portrays Virginia “Pepper” Potts, Stark’s assistant, and Terrence Howard is Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes (who will go on to become War Machine in future installments of the “Iron Man” saga).

I am so pumped for this movie. I was a big fan of the comic book as a kid (and even in later years), and the footage and early reviews I have seen are making me even more excited about it. I actually have tickets to one of the 8 p.m. shows on Thursday, May 1, so I will be seeing it a day before its official May 2 opening.

Also, I love the “Star Wars”-esque poster.

Anyway, here is one of the early reviews…

Brian Mike Doughty, Music, Texas, video, YouTube

Mike Doughty – “Fort Hood”

Above is a video Mike Doughty shot for the song “Fort Hood” from his latest CD, “Golden Delicious.”

The song, which borrows its chorus from the musical “Hair,” is named after the base in Texas that has suffered the most casualties during the war in Iraq. On his blog, Mike Doughty asked fans to post the video wherever they could…

Bex Schwartz directed this video for “Fort Hood.” We made it together, without the record company, because we wanted to get a message out there, about young people whose bodies and minds are still being damaged in Iraq.

Actually, by posting it here, and making it available on YouTube, and embeddable, we’re bumming the record company out. They liked it when we showed it to them, and wanted to coordinate a whole marketing and radio campaign about it. We were going to wait, and let them do their thing, but I watched the primary last night, and hearing Obama and Hillary snark at each other while this terrible nightmare is still going on, I realized I didn’t want to wait.

It’s up at AOL Spinner right now, and soon will be on Stereogum; we’d be humbled and grateful if you guys put it on your profiles; we’d like to get our message out. Thank you.

Thank you, Mike!