Jackdaw4 Videos - "King For A Day" and "Happy"

Jackdaw4 have a couple of videos from their debut album "Gramophone Logic" that we've been playing for the past couple of years. It's available from Not Lame, Kool Kat and on iTunes. So while we wait for the band to complete their second album which is any day now here are some clips from the group that gave us "This Is Your Life" to play for our Maui radio audience.

"King For A Day"




"Happy"




Click here for Jackdaw4's official website

Memorial Day

The Time Machine's Mike Mantel shares his feelings on this Memorial Day weekend.


I would like everyone to be careful not to turn Memorial Day into another Veterans Day. I can see this slowly happening as each year passes. I am a veteran and it seems I get more attention on Memorial Day than I do on Veterans Day. That truly saddens me.


Memorial Day is for those who gave all. We need to keep it that way, otherwise their sacrifice will be in vain.



Posted by Mike Mantel

Blog Me Baby.

Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata procastinates from her packing of boxes for a move and stops by with the latest...


I'm overdue for a new blog, but I wanted to wait for something interesting and encouraging and funny to tell and I got nuthin... So, I'll start with musings on the life of a rockstar...

Hahaha! I don't know anything about it. %&#$...so not a rockstar. However, I did have a killer photoshoot last night with a possum that crawled to the top of my steps and sat on my porch all night. Eventually, I broke down and fed him some cat food (which he loved). I'm assuming, the squirrel (buddy) said I would lend him a hand so I fully expect some sort of wood animal to return tonight. P.S. – don't feed wild animals – it's dangerous and probably bad and all that.

I'm sitting in a mess of boxes as well, preparing for a move. Do I really need to haul my Fantasy Island dvds to my new place or can I leave them behind? These are silly things I've been thinking about coupled with my dream of Brad Pitt last night where we sat at a dining room table and I fed our kid some chocolate. Much better than the dream where I was trapped with him in a beer cooler trying to get out so I could give my phone number to George Clooney waiting for me at a dinner table. What the hell you say? Well, trust me – I'm saying the same thing to myself. Luring a young audience of teenage girls into my realm as I post silly truths like that only to find them dismayed in the future at new songs like "don't %&#$ me in front of me" etc. Really parents, please be aware that I love to be thought of as a role model – I'm gonna be true to meself – but sometimes that includes a whole picture of myself as an over 21 (wink wink) gal that lives in the woods, feeds dangerous animals and well...go from there at your discretion.

What else...Oh yes! The record. Ok. So I'm a liar...Well, not really – we were on a schedule / schedule people we are on a schedule! And I was certain and assured and defiant that this record would see the light of day by spring. Well, it's spring and you don't have a record in your hands so I can just go @#!& myself and all that. If my last name were apple I'd have you sending some fruit by now.

Take heart, it is coming. And it will be worth the wait (shameless, I know). The industry is a mess I say and I've been doing trapeze moves to make this happen amidst personnel change, strategic games, late trains and all that. Hang with me till fall and you will have record in your hand or else I'll be off a bridge and you can have a great story to tell your friends about that profanity loving drunk crazy wild animal lady/Clooney-Pitt stalker that finally lost it and ohhh didn't you see it coming...

I WILL say we are planning some residencies and select shows so we can get some of these newbies out there live – as well as redesigning my official website (www.rachaelyamagata.com) to give you all behind scenes goodies as well as updated news/photos/blogs etc. Right now there is something temporary posted. I'm not running this one, so it's sure to become a source of accurate information posted in a timely manner...I will be doing fan interaction through it though, cuz obviously my skills of answering messages here are falling behind...for those of you who posted in 2005 – I'm sorry I still haven't gotten back to you.

And we are premiering these new little "teaser" things showing just how foggy that studio was and including clips of songs to say "the record really does exist and here's a piece".

I would muse about spring at this moment, but I already did that in a past blog (why does everyone break up in the spring etc…), but I will say I'm still all about reason for everything and everything in due time. Call all good things to you and the power of positive thinking / the teacher will appear when the student is ready etc etc…You never know what kind of prince (or possum) may arrive at your door.

Xoxoxoxo
r


Posted by Rachael Yamagata







Rachael's music has had a home on our playlists and in our hearts since her debut release. Be sure to pick up a copy of her first album, "Happenstance" and keep an eye peeled out for Rachael's upcoming release that she is crossing her fingers for this fall. You can get a sampling of what she's been up to lately at her website www.rachaelyamagata.com

Why LA Band, Ultraviolet, should be blasting out of your speakers

The World Famous Amber sat down with Ultraviolet in Pittsburgh.

In a backroom off of stage left, Sarah Hudson takes a breath. The hardcore redheaded beauty just rocked her show in front of a whole new group of screaming teenagers — and they loved it.

Sarah is the lead singer and, along with keyboard player Sami Diament, co-founded a new musical group called Ultraviolet, and they are making big plans. Merging together with other west coast bands, they have created a musical movement called "Electro Riot" and they want you to know about it. Poised and professional, Sami, guitarist Brad Ackley and drummer Ryan Brown sat down with me to discuss the ambitions we can expect from this rising band and their musical revolution.


Let’s start our conversation with Electro Riot. What is it, exactly?

Sami: Electro Riot is a community of artists in California. It’s kind of our way of providing a place for kids to just come and hang out and hear good music. It consists of several different bands and we've all sort of joined forces so we can promote each others' music because all of the acts are from different parts of California.

Who came up with this idea and how did it get implemented?

Sarah: We started it with another band called A Kiss Could Be Deadly and we just basically wanted to promote the sound of electro-rock, which is what we like.

Sami: Since all of the acts involved are from different cities, with “Electro Riot,” we can give our fans a unique show that they can’t get anywhere else.


Photo Below: Sarah Hudson at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh, PA





I’m a huge fan of yours and I love the sound of your craft. What can the fans like me expect from the Electro Riot bands in the near future?

Sami: We just finished the “Electro Riot Mixtape” and it’s for sale now and we’re working on promoting that. It features music from all the Electro Riot bands and each group has one or two songs on it. We’re pretty excited about it and it seems to be getting a warm reception from those who have heard it.


Who are the other groups credited on the album?

Sarah: Um… Jeffree Star, A Kiss Could Be Deadly, I Hate Kate, The Breakup, Metroid, and Taxi Doll.


I noticed online that there is something called “Electro Riot Radio” out of New York. Is that the same Electro Riot that we are discussing here now?

Sami: YES! There’s a DJ with a radio show in New York who heard the Electro Riot music and liked the sound. His name is Joey Fashion and he actually changed his show for this because he was so impressed. It airs every Friday on WPUB.org.


Photo Below: Brad Ackley on guitar.





The sound of Electro Riot is very different and Ultraviolets’ contribution to the uniqueness of it certainly stands out. Where does your inspiration come from?

Sami: It comes from a bunch of different stuff. I grew up in a time where we didn’t just listen to one kind of music—you had Hip-Hop, Alternative, Rock, Techno, Classic Rock… and now with iPods, all your music wrapped up into one. That’s what we’re trying to do. Mix it up


Photo Below: Sami





Sarah, I’ve been following your career since you released "Naked Truth" in 2004 and what you’re doing now is very different from what you were doing back then. Was your relocation from New York to Los Angeles the biggest factor of your new creative direction or is there more to it?

Sarah: Well…I had a bad experience with my record label back then. No artistic freedom. And later on, I met Sami and we just started writing together and this is what we discovered. The relocation definitely played a part in it, but also the ability to write and record what I want also has a lot to do with it, too.


I was thrilled to hear you perform [your unreleased track] “Brainwashed” tonight. Do you plan on releasing that anytime soon?

Sarah: Yeah. We’re going to put that on the next EP that we’ll be releasing in a few months, along with some other songs you may have already heard, but haven’t been officially released.

So you plan to do another EP next? What about a full-length album?

Sarah: Oh, definitely! We may even have that out by the end of the year!


Oh, yeah? Will you attach any extras to it, maybe a DVD of videos?

Sami: Yeah, we certainly want to include a DVD of videos. In fact, we’re working on some videos right now.

Brad: We currently have announcements out where we want our fans to send in clips of themselves lip-syncing to [our new song] “Gimme My Electro” and we’re going to put those clips into the video we’re creating for the track. The lyrics say “get into it” so that’s what we want our fans to do—get into it. That makes it fun for everyone. Why not?


Photo Below: Pretty in pink ruffles: Sarah brings electro rock to a whole new crowd.





I’m thoroughly impressed by all the projects you currently have going on! I heard that you also have done some production work for Jeffree Star, as well as your own material. Would you like to continue producing other artists or do you just plan to concentrate on your own projects and ambitions?

Sami: We produced [Jeffree’s track] “Eyelash Curlers and Butcher Knives (What’s the Difference?)” and it was a blast. We plan to remix and produce oursleves and other artists and tracks. Those are our own ambitions.



Posted by The World Famous Amber. Photos and text may not be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. 2007




Check out their official website www.ultravioletsound.com.

Visit their profile on MySpace Music to hear some of the new songs at www.myspace.com/ultravioletsound.

Aloha Oe Don Ho...

As the world celebrated Cinco De Mayo,just before sunset in Hawaii, islanders and visitors celebrated the life of Don Ho.

This afternoon and evening was a celebration that Hawaii hasn't seen in years and may never see again. The love and affection for Don has always been strong here but emotions were running high as we said goodbye to an icon of the late twentieth century. For someone who hasn't grown up in Hawaii, it may be hard to comprehend how many of us in our travels are always asked if we knew Don Ho. Was he our next door neighbor? Did he really spend his time as an entertainer talking with with his audience members after a show and take a photograph with anyone who asked? Could anyone that famous be filled so much Aloha. He was simply a man who loved his family and loved performing. He never intended to be an entertainer. A musician's life wasn't his life goal as a young man but destiny intervened and the rest is musical and cultural history.







His music has been a part of our lives and without a doubt...have become island classics. The late Kui Lee's greatest legacy as a songwriter met worldwide success due to Don. It may have been timing due to sixties turmoil or a fluke that "Tiny Bubbles" grabbed the world's attention. Whatever the case may happen to be, the songs that Don Ho and The Ali'is released in the mid to late sixties were taken to heart. "Ain't No Big Thing", "Days Of My Youth", "Suck 'Em Up", "Lahainaluna", "One Paddle, Two Paddle", "The Simple Folk" and "I'll Remember You" were just a handful of songs that spoke to audiences worldwide.

The seventies brought staying power to Don as an entertainer. NBC's television special "Hawaii-Ho" was a certified hit back for the 1969-1970 tv season. The Singer sponsored show had the chairman of the board Frank Sinatra as their first superstar headliner. The second episode was Elvis Presley. The third was Barbara Striesand. The fourth episode was Don who had no special guest stars to fill the hour. It was Hawaii that filled the hour. Members of The Time Machine got to witness the making of a television program right here in Lahaina at the corner of Lahainaluna Road and Front Street. Firecrackers were set off in the old supermarket across from Lahaina TV for a segment of the show. It was a great way to kick off the decade. 1970 was off and running.

We would come home after school in the mid seventies to watch Don join the daily daytime talkshow hosts with his own show to compete with; Mike Douglas, Dinah Shore and Merv Griffin. We were proud to have someone from Hawaii have his own show.

The counter-culture merged with the mainstream to yield Don's regional hit "Who Is The Lolo Who Stole My Pakalolo?" that radio DJs obviously had a ball playing to radio audiences and singles were hard to keep in stock. Just when we thought that Don couldn't become more famous than he already was, Dr. Demento began to play Don's hilarious record, making him one of the few entertainers loved by the masses and also a cult musical hero. No easy feat.

The eighties brought us "Papa's Lament" which to this day still touches people who hear it for the very first time. Don was so much more than just being the "Dean Martin of Hawaii". A former Air Force pilot who became an international superstar was a man truly filled with Aloha for everyone around him. His career can be easily be found anywhere. It's the lives he touched that means the most to us.

Below photographs: Don's wife Haumea Ho, scattered his ashes wrapped in Hawaiian 'ti' leaves, from an outrigger canoe off Waikiki Beach.








Below photograph: Don's daughter, Hoku Ho, waved to friends during her Dad's memorial.



Below photograph: Haumea covered her face as a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle flies over the memorial service in honor of the former pilot.




Below photograph: Thousands gathered on Waikiki Beach to pay tribute to Hawaii's Ambassador of Aloha




Below Photograph: Hoku and her family joined the thousands on the beach to blow bubbles in the air during final moments of the ceremony.




Many of Hawaii's most beloved performers and recording artists joined the celebration of Don's life this evening from The Brothers Cazimero to Melveen Leed to Willie K. The family members were the strongest tonight for all of us with Kaimana, Kea and Hoku all singing their hearts out. Hoku closed the ceremony with her touching and heartfelt version of "I'll Remember You". The Time Machine sends out our love to the entire family. We will miss him too.






1976 Fourth Of July Television Special



The Pro Bowl



"The Brady Bunch"



Kamasami Kong and Don



Don and Willie prepare for their duet on "Night Life"



Don and Duke





Judy B.



May 6, 2007 8:02 PM

Thank you sooo much, Michael. Aw, this was so nice. Don was such a wonderful part of Hawaii. I'm so glad they gave him such a terrific send-off. Thanks for this.

- Judy B.




Gina



May 7, 2007 12:15 PM

Are you kidding about Don Ho on Front Street? I was there...there were tons of kids there at that intersection. I was up right next to him...he held my hand...I told my sister Penny we were getting married...and she could keep Tom Jones all to herself...1970s...wow...thanks for the memories...

Gina




Mark Hershberger



May 7, 2007 3:27 PM

I grew up in the 60's and was a fan of Don Ho and "Tiny Bubbles". That was a song I used to sing around the house when I was little! I was hoping to one day get to Hawaii and see Mr. Ho in person.....too late now.....but great memories!

- Mark Hershberger, Pop Detective Records




Luna Girl

May 10, 2007 11:08 AM

Hey Michael,

I grew up thinking that Don Ho was my father. My mother used to refer to him as if he were. I guess like all other women of her generation, it must have been their dream. Now that I know he isn't my father, life goes on. More importantly his music lives on, in all our hearts.

As a resident of the mainland, he is probably the one "thing" that everyone knows about Hawaii and I am very proud to have had him as part of my life via his music.

My heart goes out to his family.

I hope you know that I am kidding about him being my father (I know better). I'm sure Don Ho was to my mother as Donny Osmond was to me...................

Luna Girl

Modest Mouse in NYC

If Frank Zappa is a guy thing, Modest Mouse seems to be a girl thing. And by a girl thing, I mean a dystopian-white-girl-destined-for-Connecticut-but-sowing-her-drunken-crazy-granola-”Girl Power!” thing. And yes, I know Connecticut is for f*%@ing, but that’s only 10% of the population. The rest spend their time making planters out of popsicle sticks and recycling their L.L. Bean catalogs.

I have never seen so many women completely lose their $#*@ over a band. I felt surrounded by a pack of screaming banshees doing a modified Elaine dance, fists clenched, arms and legs wildly flailing, bottom-lip appropriately tucked under, shaking like they were being electrocuted as they inadvertently beat up those around them with their flapping limbs. Modest Mouse was good, but they weren’t THAT good. And Isaac Brock is cute, but not THAT cute. Perhaps there was something in the $8 beer.

But I digress. The music is the important thing here. I was completely underwhelmed with both opening acts, Man Man and Love As Laughter. In both cases, the vocals were akin to indie cookie monster and perhaps they wrote their songs to sound discordant, but if your music makes people put their hands over their ears, perhaps it is time to start thinking about a new career.

However, it was worth enduring the amateur hour because Modest Mouse was superb. They had some technical problems with extremely feedback-y mikes, but that aside, the sound was really tight and you can see Johnny Marr’s influence in all their music-new and old. They played their hits and then some-”Float On”, “The Ocean Breathes Salty” and “Dashboard” were great to hear, but “Doin’ The Cockroach”, “Education”, and “Tiny Cities Made of Ash” was some of the best live music I have ever heard. The two drummers really pounded out a driving rhythm that makes you want to dance, or at least march somewhere.

Even with the possessed Lillith-flailing and the squeaky mikes, I’d definitely see them again. I’d also see a show at the United Palace Theater again. Although we had to trek all the way to the other end of Manhattan (from Tribeca to 176th & Fort Washington Ave on the A-train), the theater was beautiful and it is a great small venue (~3,000 seats) to see a band.

Requisite bad camera-phone picture…




Posted by Sugarbabe


The Time Machine



May 1, 2007 at 9:24 PM

So glad to have you back! Your writing style is always colorful and full of life!



Sugarbabe can be found musing about music at her MOG site http://mog.com/sugarbaby.