TableDrum iPhone App

I'd love a drum kit. But they're too expensive, too big, and sometimes too loud. I suppose I could get drum pads? Ah no, sure they're even more expensive. Wait, what's that? TableDrum? It's an app for the iPhone where you bang normal household things that you have on your table and it converts those sounds to the sounds of a drum kit. Now I just have to save up for an iPhone!

Top 5 Bass Playing Lead Singers

#1

Sting (The Police)

His mother christened him Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner but we call him Sting. He got the name "Sting" from a member of one of the many jazz bands he played with in his pre-Police days. One day Sting came to a rehearsal in a black and yellow striped top which led to him being called "Stinger" - which eventually became "Sting." He was a ditch digger, a bus conductor and an English teacher before being invited to join The Police by Stewart Copeland. He's been known to play a fretless bass on occasion but is also the proud owner of a 150 year old upright bass.

#2

Paul McCartney (The Beatles)

Easily the most famous bass player on the list, if not the world, Paul shared lead vocals in The Beatles with John Lennon. It's doubtful that any non-guitar players would have heard of Hofner if it wasn't for his signature use of their 500/1 violin bass which has since become known as a "Beatle Bass". 

#3

Gene Simmons (Kiss)

Kiss's music never was or never will be as famous as their image. Four fully grown men dressed in studded leather and platform shoes with their faces painted to varying degrees of campness (their copyrighted makeup designs include The Starchild and The Catman). So what could Gene Simmons do to counter-balance this effeminacy? He had fake blood pouring out of his mouth and played a bass guitar that was in the shape of a huge axe!

#4

Lemmy (Motorhead)

Facial warts? Mutton chops? Huge Nazi memorabilia collection? Apparently none of these things have stopped Lemmy from sleeping with over 2000 women. As far as I can tell, the trick seems to be playing your bass guitar at the loudest possible levels through your amps which you have named "No Remorse", "Killer" and "Murder One".

#5

Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy)

Have a listen to "Dancing In The Moonlight" below and try tell me that this man wasn't cool. This song completely encompasses everything that this list is about. When everything goes right, you can't get better than a bass-playing singer. In this song we hear one of the all time great opening basslines followed by absolutely perfect vocals. 

Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers - "The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie"

The Beatles started it, then U2, and now Red Hot Chili Peppers have done it. The video for the Chili Peppers new single was released today showing the band playing to the good people of Venice Beach, California from the top of a building overlooking the promenade and the ocean. "The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie" is the first single from their first album in four years, "I'm With You", which will be released on the 29th August.

The band are once again without guitarist John Frusciante who left the band in 2009. He's replaced by the band's touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer who was also a member of Frusciante's side project, Ataxia, along with Joe Lally of Fugazi. He does a decent enough job on this single but Frusciante's absence is noticeable by the fact that the drum and bass driven verses are the strongest part of the song.

It starts off like a vintage Chili Peppers tune with an extremely catchy bassline from Flea which is undoubtedly the hook in this song. Keidis then delivers his trademark choppy vocals and doesn't break from his signature style of bizarre and seemingly nonsensical lyrics. Chad Smith is as solid as ever on the drums and we even get to hear some cowbell throughout. On first hearing the chorus I thought it was pretty weak but it definitely does grow on you with each listen and I imagine it might become a bit of a sing-along crowd anthem at their stadium gigs.

All in all, it's great to hear the Chilis back again and I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the album in a few weeks.

Watch the official video Here

Michael Jackson Tribute Concert

"It is intended to be the biggest, and the best concert event in the world for many years to come." 

What's all this, a Live Aid for the 21st century? Not quite, but the above quote from Michael's mother Katherine might have you believe that we're in for something a bit special in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on the 8th October. Her announcement to organise a concert in celebration of her son Michael's life has caused a split in the Jackson clan with Jermaine and Randy against the whole idea, saying; 

“While we wholeheartedly support the spirit of a tribute that honours our brother, we find it impossible to support an event that is due to take place during the criminal trial surrounding Michael's death. As everyone knows, those proceedings commence September 20th, and this Michael Forever concert takes place in Cardiff, Wales, on 8 October. In light of this, we feel it is inappropriate to be involved with such an ill-timed event and its promoter, Global Live.”

It seems promising when you see some of the big names on the bill so far, Smokey Robinson, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green. But then things start going downhill. 

First there's a crowd of talent show contestants:  Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, JLS and Diversity. 

Next comes some of his relations: The Jackson Brothers (obviously not including Jermaine and Randy) and 3T (a band made up of three of Michael's nephews who had a couple of European hits in the mid 90's)

Pixie Lott and Craig David are in there too to make up the numbers, along with Alien Ant Farm, who I can only imagine got in there because they had a hit in 2001 with a cover of Smooth Criminal.

The line-up then received its most bizarre addition when it was announced that Kiss would also play at the concert. Bizarre because their bass player Gene Simmons had previously made these comments about Michael Jackson in an interview with Classic Rock Magazine:

"No matter what my fond memories and fond images of Michael were, with one allegation of paedophilia after another and another and another…Oh dear... The only sexual references ever made about Michael Jackson that were made by anyone, anywhere around the world, have always been made by kids, and specifically males usually 10 to 14 years of age; never females, that age or older, and never grown men."

Apparently, Kanye West has said he might add his name to the bill but Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Chris Brown have all turned down the opportunity to play. 

The concert is raising money for two charities, AIDS Project Los Angeles and The Prince's Trust. But a very odd ticketing structure seems to be putting many would-be buyers off. Seats start at £55 but if you want a seat near the front you must also make a donation to one of the charities. Your seat position will then be decided by how much you donated.

Hopefully this will live up to its billing as "the biggest, and the best concert event in the world for many years to come", if only out of respect to the memory of the King of Pop. Although something tells me that it might be promises of greatness but ultimately a massive anti-climax, just like the end of the great performer's life.

Supergroup #1 - The Traveling Wilburys

And so begins the "Johnny Bottles' Supergroup Of The Week" segment.

There's a few of my mum and dad's records that have always stuck in my head since early childhood. "Hey" by Julio Iglesias (Mum), "Brothers In Arm" by Dire Straits (Dad), "Now That's What I Call Music - The Christmas Album" (Both). But the one that I loved the most was Dad's cassette of  "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1" by The Traveling Wilburys. The first song on the album, "Handle With Care", became the band's biggest hit and was practically on repeat in our living room every Saturday afternoon. I loved it. Loved it to bits. I grew up with that song, that album and that band. It wasn't until we got the internet in my house (12 years after dad bought the album) until I decided to see who The Traveling Wilburys were. Jesus Christ, that's George Harrison! And Bob Dylan! And that fella who sings "Pretty Woman"! Here's what I found out that day....

George Harrison was releasing a single called "This Is Love" and needed a B-side. He co-wrote "This Is Love" with Jeff Lynne of The Electric Light Orchestra and the two of them decided to meet up with Roy Orbison for dinner to ask him if he'd like to help them record the new song. Roy agreed and the studio that they chose to record it in was Bob Dylan's home studio in Malibu. On the way to the studio however, George realised that he had left his guitar in his friend's house. That friend was Tom Petty. He went back for the guitar and ended up bringing it, along with Tom Petty, back to the studio. During the following sessions these five legends of modern music wrote "Handle With Care" as the B-side along with "You Got It" which became Roy Orbison's first hit in 24 years. "Handle With Care" was considered too good by the record company to be used as a B-side and the five enjoyed playing together so much that they decided to record a full album.

All five sang, all five wrote and all five produced. The resulting album was my dad's beloved "Traveling Wilburys - Vol.1". George and Jeff had been calling studio equipment (limiters, equalizers) "Wilburys." So first they named their fivesome "The Trembling Wilburys". Jeff suggested "Traveling" instead. Everyone agreed. Each of the members chose a pseudonym and pretended to be half-brothers and sons of a fictional Charles Truscott Wilbury, Sr.

• George Harrison - Nelson Wilbury

• Roy Orbison - Lefty Wilbury

• Bob Dylan - Lucky Wilbury

• Jeff Lynne - Otis Wilbury

• Tom Petty - Charlie T. Wilbury Jr.

The album sold over five million copies and went triple-platinum in America as well as winning a Grammy in 1989. On the 6th of December 1988 however, Roy Orbison died at the age of 52 of a heart attack and although the remaining members went on to record a second album, it never quite seemed the same without Roy. Unfortunately, we'll never get to see the Wilburys play live as George has also gone to join Roy in the big Green Room in the sky but as far as I know, Dad still has that album on cassette and it can still be heard drifting around my house on a Saturday afternoon.

Barbershop Illusion

This blog is about music, yeah? And music is made of sounds, yeah? So people interested in music should be interested in how sound works I'd say. Here is an auditory illusion that is absolutely amazing. It shows how your ears and brain work together to figure out where a sound is coming from.

Don't start listening to this until you have some headphones on or you'll regret it. Turn the volume up a bit too!

Sound Tracks Festival

I don't know a whole lot about the line up for this but as a daily user of the London Overground I can't wait for it. For those of you who have never been on one of these trains, don't expect it to be anything like the tube. Brand new wide carriages with no doors between them so you can look down the whole train and see it snaking around corners. Bands will be playing on the train as you move between the venues in Dalston, Shoreditch and New Cross. Should be something different if nothing else. Tickets are £12.50 or £8.50 for an early bird. Worth the money even just to see what happens the bands when the ticket inspectors get on mid-song.


Sound Tracks Festival

Music Reviews

If there's any bands out there, signed or unsigned, who want there music reviewed honestly by a real music lover then email me your link or send it to my Dropbox in the left-hand column. It can be anything from a demo to an EP to a full album. All genres are welcome too!

Top 5 Songs For The London Riots Of 2011

No.1 
"April 29, 1992" - Sublime

This is one from the point of view of the looters. It's got real police radio transmissions, they list off the shops they've done over, and they're even "screamin' 187 on a mother fuckin' cop". Hard to get that little "Let it burn.." bit out of your head once it's finished. Just a pity Bradley got the date wrong!

No.2 
"Rubber Bullets" - 10cc

There was alot of talk about whether rubber bullets and water cannons would be used in England for the first time. In this song 10cc sing about what really would have happened at the Jailhouse Rock.

No.3 
"Ghost Town" - The Specials

Written about the St. Paul's Riot in Bristol in 1980 but became a hit in '81 around the time of the Brixton Riots. Not a whole lot has changed in 30 years it would seem. It felt like a ghost town in most of London with all the shops closing early. Wouldn't have fancied driving around Hackney in a Vauxhall Cresta with six other lads this time though.

No.4 
"Violence" - Bocs Social

This Irish band have the mood captured perfectly in their homage to The Clash. 

No.5 
Almost everything they recorded - The Clash

And speaking of The Clash, these fellas would have made "Fireflies" a song to riot to if they got there before Owl City. Almost any song that they recorded seems made for kicking in a window of JD Sports. "White Riot", "London's Burning", "Police And Thieves", "Guns Of Brixton", "I Fought The Law" and, dare I say it, "Lost In The Supermarket"? Anyone have an urge to burn down a Greggs yet?

Highly Commended:

All these songs could have been on the list but were just too obvious......

"Anarchy In The UK" - The Sex Pistols

"I Predict A Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs

"Shoplifters Of The World Unite" - The Smiths

"There's A Riot Goin' On" - Sly And The Family Stone

"Teenage Riot" - Sonic Youth

"Youth Gone Wild" - Skid Row

“Fuck Tha Police” - NWA