My friend Carlton has this new record out by his side project Shades of Scar. The album is called "The Hollow Season," and it is available via iTunes. I am so excited to be listening to it because I remember when "Zen Rivers" and a couple of these songs were just demos.
Carlton is insanely talented and I am so glad to hear him making music that he loves and believes in. If you like Skinny Puppy and the like... you will like this. Go to iTunes and download it.
A long time ago there was this band Deadsy. My friend Russ got me into them back in 2000 when he took me to one of their first public shows. Actually it was before that, we were going to the Orgy "Vapor Transmissions" signing and he told me about this band he found searching Orgy on Limewire or Napster or whatever thing that isn't around any more. We went to see Deadsy about 3 months later at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood. It was the only show I ever got to see where Craig "the Beast" Riker played because unlike a lot of the old school "Legions" I didn't live in Los Angeles.
You wouldn't think so, but this band ended up actually changing my life. Like on a very real level. During the eight years I ran around in their circles I met some people who are still my family, my heart to this day. I've met Legions from all over the country, either that have flown in for a show or just flown to California to meet friends from the band's message board.
There are stories.... They are epic. For instance I met my former roommate and my best friend Jennifer through this band. My closest neighbor here in Chico, the amazing Casey Bowden up in Redding? Met him through this band. Susan, my gorgeous girlfriend who I've spent many a lost weekend with? Definitely through the Deadsy experience.
At first it was about the music. Getting what we thought was this crazy amazing band some exposure. Then honestly it became about the people. The boys in the band (well most of them) were down to Earth and more than happy to hang out with their fans. The fans were all dedicated and maybe we were not the coolest kids on the block at home but we made our own little world. There was message board royalty. Seriously. There were the people you always wanted to meet when you went to shows, either because of their pictures or posts or how rad they were in the weekly Deadsy chats and later because of their Myspace pages or whatever...
A few days ago one of the former board members, Stillbirth was one of his more popular handles, started a group on Facebook called "Deadbook," and we've all been meeting up on there and talking and sharing pictures and stories from the old days and it's almost like no time has passed at all. For some of these people this is like their high school reunion. For me it's like a family reunion. I can absolutely say that these kids saved my sanity when I went through a really shitty break up back in 2007. I was running the West Coast street team when "Phantasmagore" came out and I had to watch the board, mail posters, go to shows, meet people and make phone calls. When I wasn't working at the radio station I was doing Deadsy shit. And it was the only way I didn't go absolutely crazy. Because even if I was sad or depressed about my situation, these kids wanted to talk to me on the phone or chat online. We shared each other's lives. I knew what was going on in each and every one of their lives and they knew mine, even people I've never met. We bonded over this band and then took each other in.
By the time the ride was over, it wasn't even about the amazing music anymore. It was about the amazing people, the great times, and the feeling that at least for awhile, we all had each other. Most of these people are still my friends. Even people that haven't listened to a Deadsy record in years, I still talk to them. Actually it's funny Carlton, one of the guys in the band plays with Berlin part time now, and I saw him back in SLO before I moved and I hadn't seen him for more than five minutes in probably four years and it was like no time at all had passed. He's one of the great ones. I am grateful I got to spend a little bit with him before I moved up here.
And I'm grateful to L for bringing this group online again. I missed the constant interaction and I'm glad that at least for a little while, we're all together again.
Commencement is one of my favorite albums and to be honest, this band brought a lot of people into my life and I wouldn't be the same for not knowing them (the band themselves and the people) so they deserve a place in this meme.
I think it was today, I was telling the story about one of the times I met Godsmack. I can't remember if it was today or yesterday or five minutes ago. I'm just in a constant state of exhaustion these days. What year is it again? Who are you people?
Oh right, Godsmack. Here's a picture of that.
This was in like 2000 I think.
A few years later they came to Santa Barbara and I met the rest of the band.
So there, my rock radio cred. Or something. It's Friday and I'm beyond exhausted.
I'm gonna get all emotional and real here, so try to follow me here... And forgive me for letting my "girlie" side show....
Less than a year ago I walked into a little building out by the airport in SLO for the first time to start a new job. I knew like two people there and it was truly "the first day of school" all over again. I was convinced everyone thought I was over/underdressed, asking stupid questions and laughing too loudly. It's okay to admit that by the way people, even as an adult, you will still feel like this, unless you have epic amounts of Prozac hidden somewhere. (See my jokes, they suck! Why do you people listen to my show?!)
But a load of time has passed and I woke up one day and realized that, whoa, I'm home. These people aren't just my friends, they're my family. I'm a very lucky girl, and I just wanted to put that down on virtual paper. Because the more you count your blessings, the happier and more rich you feel. Trust me.
I promise my next blog will be about going to bars, listening to music and sports. Or something.
Feb 2010 at the Grad with Hardnox. Super good times
Aside from the singer of this band once being very rude to a friend of mine, I enjoy the Street Dogs and their music. This is an especially good one for St Patrick's Day.
Here we are with 14 days left until St Patrick's Day. I really, really, really love the Dropkick Murphys, not just because they let me drink beer in their dressing room once, either. Because that's just awesome on top of awesome.
This is off their first record they released on their new label (i.e. not their first record ever, duh) called "The Meanest of Times"
14- The Dropkick Murphys- "The State Of Massachusetts"
My friend Carlton has this new record out by his side project Shades of Scar. The album is called "The Hollow Season," and it is available via iTunes. I am so excited to be listening to it because I remember when "Zen Rivers" and a couple of these songs were just demos. 
A long time ago there was this band Deadsy. My friend Russ got me into them back in 2000 when he took me to one of their first public shows. Actually it was before that, we were going to the Orgy "Vapor Transmissions" signing and he told me about this band he found searching Orgy on Limewire or Napster or whatever thing that isn't around any more. We went to see Deadsy about 3 months later at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood. It was the only show I ever got to see where Craig "the Beast" Riker played because unlike a lot of the old school "Legions" I didn't live in Los Angeles. 
There are stories.... They are epic. For instance I met my former roommate and my best friend Jennifer through this band. My closest neighbor here in Chico, the amazing Casey Bowden up in Redding? Met him through this band. Susan, my gorgeous girlfriend who I've spent many a lost weekend with? Definitely through the Deadsy experience.
