CJAM Pledge Drive 2011

Hey listeners and friends,

It is time again for CJAM FM’s annual pledge drive. This years theme is Stayin’ Alive!

As a volunteer programmer for CJAM FM, community radio plays an important role in my life. Every week I donate my time and energy to contribute to our city and culture via Radio, and today I'm reaching out to you for your support. As Windsor-Detroit's not-for-profit campus-based community radio station we rely on the generosity of our listeners for our very existence. This year's modest goal is $30,000 and we need the support from every friend and family in the CJAM social network.

We are not-for-profit, volunteer-driven, grassroots alternative media, unlike anything else on the FM dial. The station relies on contributions from listeners, and without the support of folks like you, we wouldn't be able to bring important news/spoken word/ cultural/ music programming not offered by mainstream radio to the area.

This year's pledge drive runs from November 4-11, but you don't have to wait for my show to make your pledge. I know times are tight right now for everyone, but if you feel compelled could you please make a donation this year? Even small amounts help out CJAM. You can pledge online securely using paypal or credit card at http://www.cjam.ca/, or during the pledge drive by calling 519-971-3630, or for you Detroiters: 313-963-6112 extension 3630. If you do pledge, make sure that you specify which CJAM program you are pledging to in this case it would be REVOLUTION ROCK. We've got some really nice incentives this year as well, which you can check out on our website.

Thank you so much!

PS: On my next program, I will be having a special pledge drive program. There will be a unique theme to the show as well as some special CJAM guests in the studio. It will air Tuesday November 8th at 10:30 AM to Noon.

Dave
Revolution Rock

The Distressed Status of Rock Songs

When we are saying "rock music" we now have numerous genres. There's slow rock, heavy metal, alternative and even those outdated Elvis Presley tunes are considered in the past to be rock tunes. In early 90's, we have seen and amazing growth of diverse rock bands that has added a new sub- culture in the rock genre like grunge and alternative bands like Nirvana, Green day.

Linkin park has also been grouped in the alternative rock scene although they use an innovative approach of mixing hip-hop / rap sound on their music, their approach has truly added to the popularity this form of music. But lately, the tables are generally turning in the rock music genre.

With the popularity of Justin Beiber among many teens, the state and potential of metal songs is apparently getting dark as it is pressed back even further down the underground scene and hard core metal lovers are becoming concerned. They have now created a movement designed to save the metal and rock lifestyle from being exterminated in what they call "whimp music".

From YouTube feedback to iPhone apps, these folks are established not to let the rock culture die. Even the famous game Guitar Hero has an ulterior objective and that's to help keep the love for heavy metal and rock guitar riffs in the eyes and ears of today's children. There are several iPhone applications, some are free of charge some asks for charitable contributions where you can get zero cost rock and metal songs and can even enable you to get a free ticket to a live concert.

Overly used iPhones in live shows have been a problem though, since they now allow cams in concerts, expect that insurance for iPhone to play a crucial factor as well. iPhone insurance will protect the costly phone from theft and unintended damages and iPhone insurance UK has been mainly famous to be the most complete there is in the market today when it is already allowed to bring cameras in concerts.

Now, insurance or no insurance, we can be sure more people will require part on this efforts to revive the music genre, lest Marilyn Manson is true in his song - Rock Is Dead. But I question it. The state of rock and metal rock is diminishing but with each one of these efforts being done, it'll create an impact and will impact Justin Beiber's whimpy world, one way of another. - iphone38a47x2a

The Best Hits of 90s Alternative Rock

The 1990s were an incredible decade of music. The decade ushered in a new era of music in which bubble gum pop was no longer the preferred genre of the masses. Opting for an alternative sound, so many alternative rock acts emerged during the course of this decade. With roots in Seattle, many of the best bands came out of Seattle. I'm going to list my 5 favorite alternative rock bands from the 1990s. While you may or may not agree, these are simply my opinions and I hope you enjoy them.

5. Soundgarden. Chris Cornell and crew threw together a span of great albums, and I love the sound this band had, no pun intended.

4. Weezer. This was more of the fun brand of alternative rock, and it was absolutely great. Buddy Holly and Say It Ain't So still remain two of my favorite songs of all-time.

3. Nirvana. The quintessential alternative rock band, it's a shame that their time ended in the earlier part of the decade after Kurt Cobain's suicide. I have a feeling they'd still be producing great music today if not for that.

2. Sublime. I loved this band, and it's a shame that they weren't discovered on the mainstream scene until after singer Bradley Nowell's tragic death. He was a legend and he didn't even know it.

1. Pearl Jam. I love everything about Pearl Jam, and this band of hard working rock stars is still one of the best out there today. Listen to their new CD and you'll see for yourself.

Paramore Albums - Riot! Alternative Rock Music

Paramore is said to have risen fast in the music charts. Having been formed just in 2004 and with three best selling Paramore albums to their names, they have literally stormed the world and grabbed everyone's attention with their music. They are now at the forefront of alternative rock. And while the band is still relatively young, there is indeed more to expect from them.

Paramore was formed in 2004 in Tennessee in the United States. Their band members include: Hayley Williams at the vocals, Taylor York with the rhythm guitar, Josh Farro as the lead guitarist, Jeremy Davis at base, and Zac Farro at the drums. They have now released three albums, each reaching great success.

The Paramore History

Josh and Zac Farro are brothers and back in 2002 while they were studying in a private school they met Hayley Williams who was then only 13 years old. At that age Hayley was already serious with her music as she was also taking vocal lessons during her free time.

The two brothers were then playing in a different band while Hayley and Jeremy Davis were part of a funk band called The Factory. When they finally decided to form their own band, some of the members were a bit apprehensive as to having a girl as their vocalist. However, Hayley had proven her own right to be a member of the band because of her songwriting skills as well as her own singing voice, putting her own marks into the kind of Paramore music that will soon evolve.

As to the band's name, Paramore, it is said to have been the maiden name of the mother of one of their former band member. They liked the sound of it and especially when they learned that it is related to the word "paramour" which means "secret lover". The band then decided to retain the name.

The 3 Paramore Albums

The first album that showcased the Paramore music was the album All We Know Is Falling which was released on July 24, 2005. It reached No. 8 om the UK Rock Chart and No. 30 on the Billboard's Heatseekers Chat.

Before the release of the album, Jeremy Davis decided to leave the band. He was able to play in some of the songs and was also part of some of the music videos shot for the album. However, he soon realized that he made a mistake and he returned after the album's release.

The second of the Paramore albums is the Riot! which was released on June 12, 2007. A year later it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album released four hit singles: "Misery Business", "Hallelujah", "Crushcrushcrush" and "That's What You Get".

Their latest album is Brand New Eyes which was released September 29, 2009 and is Paramore's most successful album in terms of sales. On January 19, 2010 the RIAA already certified it as a gold record album.

There is more to the current successes of Paramore. With their own brand of music which is said to be a mixture of emo and pop punk, it is great alternative music nonetheless. And with their continuous writing of their own hit songs, Paramore fans the world over have so much more to expect from them.

Alternative Rock - November 1, 2011

Published by America's Music Charts.

Active Rock - November 1, 2011

Published by America's Music Charts.

The Misfits Static Age & Show # 376

Following the release of the “Cough/Cool” single by The Misfits in August of 1977, The Misfits would head into a studio to record a full length that would be titled Static Age, but it would not released in its entirety until 1997. The road to the recording and release of Static Age is one that like The Misfits in their early stages from 1977-1983, had many changes. The Misfits began in January of 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey. They were formed by lead vocalist and song writer Glen Danzig who named the band after the final film to feature actress Marilyn Monroe, one written by American Playwright Arthur Miller titled The Misfits. Initially Danzig also played electric piano and sang along with Jimmy Battle on guitar, Diane DiPiazza on bass and Manny Martinez on drums to complete the first line up of the group. Not long after practicing together, DiPiazza and Battle left the group. Jerry Caiafa was recommended by drummer Manny Martinez due to the fact that he received a new bass for Christmas of that year. The new line up featuring Caiafa on bass, practiced for a couple of months as a three piece minus a guitarist. Their first single “Cough/Cool” backed with “She” was released in the summer of 1977 on Danzig’s own Blank Records label and featured no guitar, instead hammering synth-like electric piano. When the single was initially released bassist Jerry Caiafa’s name was spelled incorrectly, he suggested that in the future his name would be spelled “Jerry only, Jerry” which led the stage name Jerry Only, which he would soon adopt for the rest of his musical career. The single displayed the band in their embryonic stages, sounding almost like a New Wave band, but the imagery that was provided by Danzig and later identified as Horror Punk can still be heard in the singles A side “Cough/Cool”.

Not soon after the release of their first single, The Misfits added Franche Coma (real name Frank LiCata) as the bands guitarist. With a guitarist now in the group, Danzig dropped the electric piano and focused on vocals while at the same time launching the band into a more Punk Rock sounding direction. Soon Mr. Jim Catania replaced Martinez on drums and The Misfits found themselves in a very unique position. Mercury Records wanted to use the name Blank Records for one of their subsidiary divisions, so they offered Danzig thirty hours of studio recording time in exchange for the name Blank Records, he accepted. In January of 1978, The Misfits entered C.I. Recordings in New York City with producer Dave Archelis and recorded seventeen tracks, fourteen of which were mixed with Archelis. Due to time restraints the band recorded the songs live in the studio, only doing a few takes of each song and minimal overdubs. The proposed fourteen track album was to be titled Static Age, but the band were unable to find a record label that was interested in releasing the album. The band then opted to release four tracks on the Bullet EP in June of 1978 (“Bullet”, “We Are 138”, “Attitude” and “Hollywood Babylon”). These songs were released on Danzig’s new label titled Plan 9 Records. The remainder of the material from these sessions were not released for some time, the band would release a remixed version of “Last Caress” on the Beware EP in 1980 and “Teenagers From Mars” was re-recorded and used on the 1979 “Horror Business” single. “The Horror Business” single also featured a design that would become that bands infamous skull logo. The logo was based off of a poster designed for the 1946 Horror film The Crimson Ghost, it has been used on band releases ever since. It should also be noted that the Beware EP also contained the songs “Horror Business” and “Teenagers From Mars”.

The Misfits would go through another set of line up changes, but Glen Danzig and Jerry Only would remain constant members in the group in their early days of The Misfits. The band leaped more in the horror themed direction lyrically and visually. On stage they changed their appearance to suit their new brand of Punk that would be brandished as Horror Punk. Lyrically the songs subject matter would be drawn from films of the Horror genre, but more specifically the B-Horror movie genre. The band slowly built up a following releasing more singles and EPs, in 1982 they released the full length album Walk Among Us, which is often regarded as one of the greatest Punk albums of all time. The Misfits began to take their music to more extremes musically going into a more Hardcore Punk direction. It was also around this time that Danzig grew tnsatisfied with the band, he began working on a new project and after the release of one more album, Earth A.D./Wolf’s Blood in 1983 which displayed the band in a more Hardcore and Heavy Metal/Rock sense, the band was pretty much over. Following a show on October 29th in Detroit, the band went their separate ways. In 1985, nine of the tracks from the Static Age sessions were released on the Legacy of Brutality compilation album. The nine tracks from these sessions that were put on the Legacy album featured overdubbed bass and guitar parts by Glen Danzig himself, which were done following the bands break up in 1983. In 1995, several more tracks from these sessions were released on the Collection II album including the then unreleased “Return of the Fly”. In 1996, The Misfits Box Set was released. This set is notable for its large collection of early Misfits studio material (minus the album Walk Among Us) and outtakes, but also for being the first place in which fans could acquire the fourteen track Static Age album as it was originally intended. In February of 1997, a single disc version of the Static Age album was released featuring additional tracks that the band had recorded during the albums sessions back in 1978, but were never mixed.

Static Age embodies everything that The Misfits stood for, it displays all of the elements which made up The Misfits. The album addresses issues and subject matter in an intelligent defiant way, not unlike classic albums by bands such as The Ramones, The Clash and Buzzcocks. Static Age gurgles with an intense ferocity that has caused many fans of the band to choose this as their favourite release by the band, despite the fact that it was released over a decade too late. Songs such as ‘Static Age”, “TV Casualty”, :Attitude”, “Some Kinda Hate”, “Angelfuck”, “She”, “Hybrid Moments” and the Rockabilly groove of “Hollywood Babylon” all add to the albums aura. Along with the musicianship, the vocals are howled out by Glen Danzig like some kind of Elvis/Jim Morrison hybrid. Static Age is simply, some would argue The Misfits at their best.

Since the release of The Misfits first single and the recording of the bands first album, their status has grown to enormous proportions. During their break up in the 80s the bands cult like status grew so large that copies of the bands material would constantly go out of print. The band who drew their name from a film and took much of their inspiration from B-Horror films built up a new genre of music, creating a large fan base not unlike the large B-Horror movie fan bases that exist now. The road to the release of Static Age in its entirety as it was originally intended took eighteen years. Like the movie, The Misfits band initially received mixed reviews, but are now highly regarded among Punk music fans. Currently The Misfits continue to play and release albums, Jerry Only is the only remaining member in the group from The Misfits early period of 1977-1983. Although the group remains popular, The Misfits have not reunited with Glen Danzig. Danzig has had successful post-Misfits careers in his bands Samhain and Danzig, which musically reflect a heavier Rock/Metal direction.

This Week's Play List:

1. Deja Voodoo - Monsters In My Garage Got Married
2. Miesha & The Spanks - Night Danger
3. The Sphinxs - Time Above Me
4. The Okmoniks - I'm On My Own
5. The 5.6.7.8's - Harlem Nocturne
6. The Frogmen - Underwater
7. The Specials - Too Hot
8. Arkells - On Paper
9. Promises - Valerie
10. Chandells - One Track Mind
11. Rocket From The Tombs - I Sell Soul
12. Brazilian Money - John Wayne
13. Rah Rah - Ghosts
14. Beastie Boys - 14th St. Break
15. Talking Heads - I Feel It In My Heart
16. Pearl Jam - Ole
17. Ramones - Do You Wanna Dance?
18. The Nils - Freedom
19. Joe Strummer - Don't Tango With Django
20. Girls - Alex
21. Destroy All Monsters - Nobody Knows
22. The Fays - Self-Centretown
23. The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck
24. The Misfits - Cough/Cool
25. The Misfits - Teenagers From Mars
26. The Misfits - Hybrid Moments
27. The Misfits - Static Age

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for November 1. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.