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WATCH OUT SAN FRANCISCO!

The Paybacks invaded! Here's a few shots from their show last Saturday at The Pound. photos: james hall

tomorrow on mcr
We'll have all the lowdown on the Ramrods show from Mr. Gary along with photographs from a great photographer who shot the Ramrods back in the 70's, S. Kay Young.

COME ON, NOW...
Show Feili some sweet monkey love, she's getting to be as desparate as a Warren trailor park divorcée!

BLOGGER PLEASE
Cruise over to Rob's Blog and you cast a vote for free stuff. Personally, I'm torn between the chance to have him come to my house and cook mac & cheese and Frob Themus - excerpts from his collaboration with Fred Thomas.

LONG BLACK SEDAN CALLS IT QUITS
MCR has learned that Long Black Sedan have disbanded. A message from the band says, "Thanks to everyone that has supported us and come to our shows over the last two years. Keep your eyes open for other projects involving Jeremy / Jack and Dylan."

Album Review: The Elevations (Self Titled)

My experience with The Elevations recently released CD seems to have left me with many dilemmas concerning the band and this release. I've caught the band live a few times, and I've always found The Elevations to be a fun, if fairly predictable live show. Sean Ike was always charismatic on stage, and live, his strong voice meshed well with Erika Herron's, even if Herron's stage presence usually seems more 'wallflower' than 'soul diva.' The songs are a lot of fun in concert, too, as the tight, clean pop guitar parts chime into walking basslines and active rhythms, while the horn section tends to give the songs a crisp edge.

Proof of this is given during the last track of The Elevations recent EP, a surprisingly clean live recording of "1st Class Love" that represents the band's live sound well (admittedly, it only hints at the energy given off by actually being in the room while the band plays). The problem, though, is that of the eight tracks here, only that live recording really seems to represent the band as well as an Elevations live show does.
All truths being told, some of the songs themselves are quite good. "1st Class Love" is a solid horn-drenched soul single if there ever was one, while "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" features a fantastic chorus, fronting a great bit where Ike and Herron's voices run together on a fine, "What you see is what you get," vocal. The laid-back, organ-drenched "Right Through You" is a great vehicle for Herron's more sultry vocal tones, and "Love's Gone" is a fabulous duet, as the walking bassline and 'urgent' guitar noodles during the chorus give the track a real funky undertone.

The problem, of course, isn't in the songs -- it's in the performance. Something about these recordings make it seem like the band is over-taming this studio performance a bit somehow. I understand that a lot of bands put on over-the-top performances that completely eliminate most concepts behind their recorded material, and that's all fine and dandy. Most of those bands still carry some of that energy through to the studio recordings, though. Repeated listens of The Elevations release just leaves these songs feeling flat somehow.

In all honesty, there's nothing really wrong with The Elevations release; while some tracks are unspectacular, everything on the disc is at least passable. It just seems that after having seen a few live gigs, the band really could've done so much more with these songs. While the disc should be enough to tide over fans of the band between live gigs, casual listeners might find themselves getting something a little different than what they're expecting. - Gary Blackwell

This weekend, various members of the MCR crew (i.e., Gary and Ryan) could very easily be spotted in various states of sobriety (i.e., not at all) at the way-cool 1970's Detroit punk photographic exhibit tonight at the Majestic Cafe, as well as at tomorrow night's Ramrods gig w/Cinecyde and The Go at the Stick. Rumor has it a sellout's inevitable, so anyone planning on checking out the show might wanna think about grabbing a ticket somewhere later today or getting to the venue early tomorrow night.

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In all honesty, I'm really not ashamed to be from Downriver. I've been a river rat since I was seven years old, and while sometimes I'm a bit mocking with my tone, I really sort of enjoy living in good ole' Taylor-Tucky.

Stories like this, however, really aren't helping me spread my positive images about Downriver. I mean, c'mon -- a meth lab in a motel room? What the hell is this - the Deep South?

SCREW NOVEMBER, VOTE RIGHT NOW!
And Scott Morgan has The Solution - that's his hip new straight-up soul band. Go over to MTV and cast a vote for it!

The man behind the Turtle graffiti that has appeared all around Detroit finally speaks out.

Pumpstock is taking place this weekend and features a great lineup. 4 bands play on both Friday and Saturday night and admission for each night is $10.

The week of The Ramrods continues with this Free Press profile.

The Elevations bring it old school and make us want to dance. Melody gives us the scoop on the band.

OUT IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

Uncle Grambo reccomends you check out Chris Handyside's new book on the White Stripes. Sounds like solid advice. I'm sure you won't mind catching a glimpse of those volleyball snapshots while you're there.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND STINKS
Yeah, they took another dump. It's not in the form of an album this time, but people are still suing them over it. link via the modern age

GRANDE NATIONALS vs. BEAR VS. SHARK
In our previous MP3 Faceoff, 89 of you preferred the Grande Nationals' song "Meet Me at the Hotel" and 48 chose Bang!Bang!'s "Problem". The Grande Nationals are continuing on in the MP3 Faceoff and now going up against Bear vs. Shark's "Buses/No Buses". Cast your votes!

BUZZ

ramrod buzz
Today's Metrotimes gives you the lowdown on the Ramrods. Ben Blackwell also reviews the Ramrods record, Gimme Some Action. Then they give you a great article on Cinecyde.

double trouble buzz
Vote For My Dad And Both Of Us Will Do Ya!

beef buzz
If Usher and Timberlake Were Drowning in a Lake, What F Stop on Your Camera Would You Use?

so much buzz.

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LAST MINUTE SHOW ALERT...

If you need some rock & roll to fill your Thursday evening, Outrageous Cherry will be playing the Lager House tomorrow night.

RAMRODS WEEK, CONT'D

This Saturday's Ramrods show will be accompanied by a photographic exhibition at the Majestic Cafe. Consisting of the work of four photographers: S. Kay Young, Katy Hait, Jerry Vile and Joe Sposita, it's an incredible collection of never before seen images that capture the essence of 1970's Detroit punk rock. MCR has set up an online gallery to give you a peak at what you will see. The exhibition opens Friday and runs through Sunday.

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Blanche, Slum Village, Patti Smith and the Jack White produced Loretta Lynn album have all been nominated for this years Shortlist Music Prize. The award celebrates acclaimed albums that have not sold more than 500,000 copies. The winner will be annouced in November in L.A.

IT'S RAMRODS WEEK!


The Ramrods have launched an official site, built by yours truly.
Cruise over to www.ramrodsdetroit.com and check it out. You'll
find downloadable MP3's from their upcoming new record on the Young
Soul Rebels label and a gallery of never before seen shots straight
out of the 1977 punk rock club, man. You can catch 'em live at the
Magic Stick this Saturday. Check MCR tomorrow for a gallery of more
never before seen photos from the era.

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CHA CHA!
Check out the hot new Detroit Cobras video featuring Meg White, Eddie Sight & the Sirens now available for download at NME.

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...IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR...

Back in 1977Despite the fact that the recent Bang!Bang! 7" release party at Alvin's cost me my eyesight for a week-and-a-half (thank you, Mr. Idiot Jumping Into Random Unsuspecting Audience Members), Big Matt, Publisher Ryan and myself all admittedly enjoyed the show. As an added bonus, the band was kind enough to donate a free copy of the 7" to everyone who paid to get in that night (a gesture not lost on the MCR crew, all of whom tend to spend what little spending money we have on cheap booze or greasy food).

MCR's collective hats simply must be tipped to the A-side here - regardless of how gruff or abrasive Dave Graw's vocals might seem, "1977" is still one of Detroit's best tracks this summer. The rhythm guitar riff is insanely infectious, and the song only gets better when the crunching rhythm chords chug in behind it. Repeated listens of the track do nothing but solidify it's position as a local hardcore rock anthem of sorts (a feat the band already seems to have accomplished once before with It's Choking Me's anti-Bush rant, "Problems"). The b-side is admittedly just a filler track (albeit a tightly performed one), though the band's choice to cover The Wipers' "Mystery" seems to say something positive about the band's influences.

I hate sounding like some fanboy, but "1977" easily ranks amongst the handful of tracks I'd define as 'must-listens' for 2004. Even without a B-side, this 7" is well worth the few greenbacks you'll plunk down for it. While you're at the record store, be sure to try to track down a copy of The Wipers' Is This Real?, a solid record that still to this day doesn't receive the accolades it deserves.

Album Review: Every Night - Saturday Looks Good to Me

Saturday Looks Good to MeIn all honesty, I have to admit that I went into the process of this write-up with a negative bit of pre-existing bias. Over the course of 2004, I've seen Saturday Looks Good to Me play out a few times, and I was admittedly less than impressed with them (though, in all honesty, that was due more in part to the crappy sound quality at the venues those nights, and not the band's performances). A few weeks ago, I had a chance to really sit down and listen to the band's last release, All Your Summer Songs, which got me a bit more excited about the concept of this album.

From the cutesy, sparse Motown-ish opener, "Since You Stole My Heart," to the string tinged acoustic lament of album closing, "When You Got to New York," Every Night proves itself to be a worthy companion to Saturday Looks Good to Me's previous material. The songs here are basically just an extension of the atmosphere and song writing style of All Your Summer Songs, with mastermind Fred Thomas painting a very 60's influenced musical landscape with fifteen or so of his closest friends helping him out along the way.

While Every Night is a solid album from start to finish, a few tracks stand out noticeably. "We Can't Work It Out" couples breathy vocals and a jangly electric guitar with a laid-back rhythm section that sounds like it came straight from some smoky jazz club; the result is downright pretty, especially when the strings come lulling in on the choruses. Thomas and company roll off quite the lazy pop song with "The Girl's Distracted," best described as two minutes of jangly pop bliss. Something about the song just seems magical (especially when the female vocals enter the mix), and the keyboard/string solo that punctuates the middle of the track adds a subtle touch of 'pretty' that sets the track apart from the rest of the album. The performances and production on "All Over Town" are very reminiscent of 50's/60's pop acts in all the right ways, though the opening to "Empty Room" admittedly sounds vaguely familiar ("Judy In Disguise," anyone?).

Surprisingly, though, it seems like the song that leaves the most lasting impression is "When the Party Ends," half of which is nothing more than Thomas singing over an acoustic guitar. The opening two minutes of the track are surprisingly solid (considering the fact that Thomas's material seems represented best when one of his rotating cache of frontwomen is singing), though things really get good when the rhythm changes up. Thomas starts off on a rhyming tirade of sorts, as the intensity in his delivery builds, the rhythm behind his voice bulks up - first with a jangly electric guitar, and then a succession of string instruments; the end result is one of the more impassioned songs Thomas has ever committed to this project.

As someone who's not a particularly huge fan of the whole Motown/60's pop revival scene, I've gotta admit that Every Night is a very impressive listen. Much like the rest of the Saturday Looks Good to Me catalog, Every Night is the best sort of headphone music there is. Thomas has once again proven that he's the master of the subtle nuance; from acoustic guitar pieces and keyboard parts to harps, accordions, glockenspiels, saxophones, trumpets, violins and cellos, every song on this release has musical flourishes tucked away in every nook and cranny of the mixes. The end result is one of the most satisfying, best fleshed out records thus far in 2004. Do your damnedest to hear this one on vinyl. - Gary Blackwell

GGG NEWS: BOSS GOES GORE & MORE
The Gore Gore Girls hang with Bruce Springsteen at Little Steven's Underground Garage Festival on August 14 (can we just say, BEST!). We're also told that the GGG's will be putting out a new EP on the Get Hip label titled 7 X 4 Gore. It's recorded by Ghetto Recorders' man at the soundboard Jim Diamond and the photography is by none other than the legend Ms. Leni Sinclair. A double header release party is scheduled at the Lager House on September 4 & 5, and then the Girls will head out on the road with the Cramps.

CREEMTIME
Check out the August Creem update... one of The D's best rock scribes, Brian Smith, takes a look at one of our NYC favs Jesse Malin. They also take a look at the superb Faces box set Five Guys Walk Into a Bar - which, incidently, is something you should add to your library unless you're as broke as we are. We're told that next month's Creem will have an interview with Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan. While you're there, make sure to read up on funkmaster Eddie Hazel.

AAAAAAiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

"NEW YORK CITY ROCKED LIKE A HURRICANE"
Johnny Loftus over at Glorious Noise provides us with a stellar recap of Little Steven's Underground Garage Festival.

CASH VOMIT & MORE
There's Nothin' To Do In Grand Rapids Anymore.

That's Because It's Close to Cleveland.

Question: But Is Projectile Vomiting a Viable Means of Communication?

SATURDAY AT ALVIN'S

PUNCH THE CLOCK! It's the weekend. Spend it wisely by heading to Alvin's tomorrow night and catch the Skeemin' Nogoods opening up for the legendary Almighty Lumberjacks. Guaranteed to not disappoint.

The Free Press takes a look at Even the Odd. The band will be playing a free show this Sunday at the Hard Rock.

News on The Hentchmen, SLGTM and the Motorcity Meltdown featuring Halloween.

Can the Boblo boat be restored? A study is going on to see if the SS Columbia is still useable.

"You think you deserve a raise, well you're fired". Melody talks with MAN Inc.MAN will be part of this year's Pumpstock festival taking place next weekend.

Tickets for the Vote for Change shows in Michigan go on-sale this Saturday.

Interesting fact of the day, Small's used to be a bank in '30.

Have fun with the Dream Cruise traffic this weekend!!

GARY GETTIN' OLD

The posse was trying to keep this one under wraps until Ryan could find a creative way to make a big announcement, but what the hell ... Say hello to MCR's new 'Wildlife Kingdom' correspondent.

GUITAR WARS

Auggie Hard Lessons and Eddie Sight face off on Ray Charles' "Sticks and Stones". This little brewhaha went down at the Lager House on the first leg of the Sights Double Header last weekend. photo: bruce pates

DOG, BEER, NAKED BOYS PLAYING BASKETBALL
Sorry, You'll Never Find the Real Dog - The MCR Staff Already Skinned It, Cooked It & Ate It!

Now Back To Beer & Rock n 'Roll. They Need a Picture of the Pootie Tang-O-Matics!

Wyoming Dumbfucks Play Hoops Nude - They Had Nothing Better to Do! Mr. Gary Doesn't Like the Visual!

DANCE WITH THE BAD KIDS.
yep, one of them is yours truly.

GREAT GONZOS!
Michelangelo might have gotten away with his liberal artistic expression back in the day, but the Gonzo Fine Art Studio ain't putting anything past the Roseville porno police.

SOMEWHAT UNRELATED:
MCR staffer 1: I like the Olympic volleyball players, they're real pretty.
MCR staffer 2: But this site is about Detroit music.
MCR staffer 1: I like the Olympic volleyball players, we should put a link to 199 photos of them.

COMPLETELY UNRELATED
Let's Fight!

Thank you for wasting your precious time here at motorcityrocks.

KICKIN' IN CORKTOWN
MCR is told that Corktown Tavern is now booking bands in the upstairs space. You'll find punk, rock, alt, garage, metal & experimental. It will be a 21+ crowd with a capacity of about 150. Interested bands can send an email to Joanna or Tracy. Or you can always drop off presskits & demos in person: 1716 Michigan Avenue, right next to the old Tiger Stadium. Note: that's the correct address, not the one we've currently got listed in the venues section.

BLANCHE & BRENDAN BENSON SIGN WITH V2
       
MCR has learned that both Blanche and Brendan Benson have inked record deals with V2 Records. Further details are still forthcoming on Blanche, but Benson will be releasing a new record on V2 early next year. thanks to datawhat for the heads up

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WE HAVE A WINNER!

Congratulations to Tim Indyk, of Detroit, Mich. who was randomly selected among the correct answers to win a hot motorcityrocks.com t-shirt. The question was "In 1866, what Detroit pharmacist introduced the world's first carbonated soft drink?" The correct answer is James Vernor. Thanks to everyone who played, we'll have another contest coming up shortly.

LIVE FROM RANDALL'S ISLAND,
IT'S, IGGY, BRUCE, GORE GORE GIRLS, LITTLE STEVEN, THE ROMANTICS, THE STROKES AND MANY MORE.

KID ROCK HITS THE BUSH

And no, it ain't Pamela's or Sheryl Crow's this time... we're afraid it's W Bush... but I guess that's just as cool. Welcome to this week's edition of "what the eff are you thinking?" When you're hanging with Russell Simmons, it ain't the time to go all Republican on his ass. Last month, following "P Diddy's 4th of July party, Simmons and the K-I-D were going to catch a flick. But when Kid found out it was Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11, he said he'd "rather go to the bar across the street." When the Hip Hop mogul exited the theatre, he found scrawled across his windshield, "Vote Bush. Bush Rocks." Appeared to be K.I.D.'s handwriting... damn, that's balsy, Kid. Aren't you the same guy that said musicians should stay out of politics? The Blogs for Bush crowd was pretty impressed and claimed Kid as W's spokesman. Of course, Kid Rock is going to have to seriously change his ways if Bush's FCC Mafioso gets ahold of lyrics like "Kid Rock motherfucker yo I ain’t no fag I fuck bitches dry I fuck em on the rag."

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time to stay up late again

NEWS BITS
NY Times Steps Into the Garage. You'll need to be a registered user for this, but it's free. Sign in and read about Iggy as well as the Gore Gore Girls.

We Think He Should Write a Historical Drama About Copping Junk in Detroit in the 1980s.

Jawbone On Mojo Mag Compilation. Check out the October Mojo Magazine and get a compilation disc that will include Jawbone's cover of Johnny Cash's "Get Rhythm." In other Jawbone news, Loose Music will be releasing a split 7" that features Jawbone and Mudhoney's Steve Turner (with vocals by Holly Golightly on the Turner side).

MOTOR CITY ROCKS & ROLLS
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Cruise over to Octane Photographic Studio (22750 Woodward in Ferndale) tomorrow night (Friday, August 13) for "Motor City Rocks and Rolls". It's an exhibition of what this city is founded on: rock n' roll and American made motor vehicles. Exhibitors include Leni Sinclair, Sue Rynski, Petra Arnold and Mark Arminski. The opening reception will be held tomorrow night, Friday, August 13 from 7 to 11pm. The exhibit will run through September 11. Live Dee-troit rock n' roll will be provided by Somebody's Muther, making their first Detroit appearance ("hey, ain't that Rick Ruiner up there?"). You can download their song "Haul Ass" here.

NEXT EXIT ON THE RIGHT...

I know that basically every Michigan resident that's spent enough time driving/riding along I-75 has probably made a joke about the Big Beaver Road exit, but apparently, there's a website, too.

WEAK. LAME. NOT COOL.

Man, it's just not good to be a member of The Kinks lately, is it?

This man takes music snobery to a new level. May I suggest watching the Hoobstank video which is quite funny.

The Metro Times has news on Little Steven's Underground Garage Festival,the release of Flashpap’r's latest and the MT gives MCR a little shout out on posting The Go's "Hey Ya", thanks guys!!

The schedule is out for this year's Arts, Beats and Eats Festival and will feature bands such as Back in Spades, Kingsnakes, Super Model -T, American Mars, Colic, Verve Pipe, Sponge and many more.

Happy 30th birthday to Thomas Video in Clawson.

the war on ourselves
U.S. Finally Finds Weapons of Mass Destruction.

"...NO, REALLY, BABY - I JUST WANNA CUDDLE TONIGHT..."
Who knew there were so many softies in New York?

get it now, dude!

MORE WIRES THAN YOU
       



Midwest Product plugs it in at the Magic Stick on Saturday.
photo: jacquie trost

MAN AT WORK: DANNY METHRIC

The Muggs rock the Lager House on Saturday. Need we say more?
photo: jacquie trost
       
The Nice Device opened the night.
photo: jacquie trost

R.I.P. RICK JAMES, PART 2
Hey Rick James historians, who knows the name of the 1960's Motown band that boasted both Rick James and Neil Young as members? Submit your answer on the comment board, winner gets a wink and a nod.

dammit.

no more Superfreak.

VIRUS CALLED "DETROIT" THREATENS U.S.
Where do we get a vaccine? Rush off with your young girls before they get addicted to Detroit rock & roll and you can't save their soul. Check out the third paragraph, where this racist MF'n congressional candidate from Tennessee vows to keep "less favored races" from reproducing to stop the "poverty genes" that could turn the whole nation into "one big Detroit." Hey, Jimmie, you racist fuck, wanna come to a block picnic in the Cass Corridor?

In vaguely related news, "OH NO, HIDE THE CHILDREN."

The second annual Marshall Fields Day of Music takes place this Saturday at The Max. The event will feature about 40 performances in 24 straight hours. The highlights are sure to include dj sets from Derrick May and Liz Copeland.

The Freep talks with Ghostly artist Matthew Dear. Check him out tomorrow at the Magic Stick along with labelmates, Midwest Product, Dabrye and SV4. In even more Ghostly news, Gary Graff talks with label head Sam Valenti.

The News gives up the lowdown on Shipwreck Union. Catch them on August 27th at this year's Pumpstock festival.Also expect a new record from the group sometime this fall.

"The Grizz" reviews Pardime's latest "11 Steps Down".


THIS NOVEMBER, CAST A VOTE FOR COOL.
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Really?? No. But Dubya does remind you that he will "never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people." He should write a song about it! via datawhat

ON TEEVEE
If you think you missed the Candy Band on the Today Show, fear not... we're told they've been moved to tomorrow morning. And if you did miss the Ruiners on Spike TV last week, you've got one more chance hear some Detroit punk and see that hearse a-burnin' - tonight at 11:30 on Spike TV.

IN PRINT
noneGhostly International is featured as the "Hot Label" in this month's Rolling Stone magazine. Flip back a few pages for a three star review of the MC5 dvd "Sonic Revolution." Speaking of stars, grab Maxim Blender and check out the four star review of the latest from Ghostly artist Matthew Dear. They also give three stars to Detroiters-turned-Brooklynites the Rogers Sisters.

SPEAKING OF VOTE FOR CHANGE...
Bruce Springsteen's got a well-focused election piece in the Opinion/Editorial section of today's New York Times. Click the link to check it out, but be forewarned that the site does require signing up for a password before it can be accessed.

Excerpt:

...Personally, for the last 25 years I have always stayed one step away from partisan politics. Instead, I have been partisan about a set of ideals: economic justice, civil rights, a humane foreign policy, freedom and a decent life for all of our citizens. This year, however, for many of us the stakes have risen too high to sit this election out.

Through my work, I've always tried to ask hard questions. Why is it that the
wealthiest nation in the world finds it so hard to keep its promise and faith
with its weakest citizens? Why do we continue to find it so difficult to see
beyond the veil of race? How do we conduct ourselves during difficult times
without killing the things we hold dear? Why does the fulfillment of our promise as a people always seem to be just within grasp yet forever out of reach?...

'Tis most definitely worth a read - check it out.

Album Review: Supernatural Disaster - The Kingsnakes

The KingsnakesSo, in all honesty, I didn’t know very much at all about The Kingsnakes before downing a few barley beverages and heading to The Magic Stick for the band’s CD release party a few months ago. I mean, there was the obvious stuff about The Kingsnakes being a straight-up no frills barroom rock band, and it was fairly common knowledge that Detroit guitar wrangler Danny Methric use to sling axe for the ‘Snakes … Outside of that, though, I’m afraid that I was fairly clueless (yeah, I know – what else is new, right?).

That night was my introduction to some good live rockin’, indeed. Falling somewhere amongst the guitar rock influence of bands like Bloodrock and AC/DC, The Kingsnakes chugged out riff after riff and solo after solo like it was something all five members of the band were just divined to do together. Of course, that night a copy of the band’s Supernatural Disaster CD was snatched up, and that fact eventually led me here, to the beginning of yet another journey as CD Reviewer Man.

Upon first listen, the commanding tone of the guitar solos in this collection of songs really sticks in the brain. Elliott Moses absolutely nails everything he attempts on the leads, and while not every song on the disc is an arena rock anthem, the disc as a whole is much stronger for his work.

As far as the songs go, most everything here fits under the ‘70’s rock fare’ department in some way. “Messin’” is a jangly southern rocker in the vein of Lynyrd Skynyrd, while the stop-and-go rhythms of “Pussyfoot” back rhythm guitars that would’ve sounded right at home within the Led Zeppelin catalogue. “The Wick” is a dirgy stomp with a killer riff and some slide guitar and harmonica flourishes. The album’s best rock number is the album-opening “Whore on a Dragon,” with its killer rhythm riff, multiple guitar solos, and weirdly sing-song, 70’s rock wail scat-style chorus courtesy of Thomas Mann. Pound for pound, though, the album’s best track is the slow-burning “Plastic Man,” which starts as a psychedelic lull before building up to a bluesy guitar solo wail.

Admittedly, the band does sound better in concert than on disc, as it seems that the live atmosphere gives the band’s sound an extra bit of oomph that seems to be missing from the production work here. Still, though, the fact remains that Supernatural Disaster is a fun little rock album with some impressive guitar heroics. - Gary Blackwell

People Get Ready a Change is Coming...

The Vote for Change tour is going to be hitting up Michigan on October 3rd. It is a week long tour in voting swing states which will feature artists such as Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Death Cab for Cutie and many more.

The Metro Times is reporting that Von Bondies bassist Carrie Smith has quit the band,developing...

The MT also looks at Ghostly artists Matthew Dear and Tad Mullinex.Ghostly is also featured in Rolling Stone's "Hot"issue which named the them the "hot label".

GUESS WHO'S BACK.....
Hey kids, after a couple day layoff, MCR is back with a vengance. We've cleaned up the site a bit which should make surfing around MCR much easier. You will find a few new sections such as a contest page where you can win mind blowing prizes, an mp3 faceoff, archives and most importantly there are a many new hot items in the MCR store that no one will buy. Hopefully everyone enjoys the new features and if not, too bad. Thanks again for your continued support of Motor City Rocks.com. San Dimas High football rules.

Album Review: Go for Glory - The Prime Ministers

The Prime MinistersThese cats The Prime Ministers have been around for quite some time, it seems, having taken on different shapes and sizes dating back to the late 90’s, when the band’s original core (then known as Sensitive Clown) was dropping catchy rock nuggets. The fast forward button brings the timeframe to the summer of 2004 for the release of The Prime Ministers’ Go for Glory CD.

The one thing I can’t seem to get out of my head is Todd Wicks’ voice. Throughout these 10 songs, Wicks rails out on the songs with a raspy voice that I couldn’t duplicate after a carton of cigarettes and a fifth of whiskey. Coming from him, though, it sounds strong and natural, and it actually gives the album as a whole a sense of unity.

The collection of songs that make up Go for Glory are understated, to say the least. There are no massive guitar flare-ups, no screaming piles of vocal tracks, and no train wreck rhythm section explosions. In place of those modern rock staples, The Prime Ministers offer up 10 well written, conservatively performed songs that carry weight in their musical modesty. The intensity that drives “T-Minus Whatever” doesn’t come via fancy production work or a m