I’ve seen Tesla live a couple times, and while they used to be a band I liked and enjoyed, since their 2004 album “Into the Now” they’ve grown to become one of my favorite bands. 

What I like about Tesla is that they’re just a rock band. They just make good music. There’s no trend to follow, there’s no real concern of press or image or whatever. They just make music. I also have a great deal of respect for how their now run their business: embracing the Internet; using techniques and strategies to connect with fans; and doing so much of things themselves and showing you can be successful at this. As example, check out their latest video for their new single “Fallin’ Apart”. The band posted this video to their YouTube channel, they allow embedding (many of your big record companies won’t do this for whatever reason… I guess they don’t like free press). Of the video they write:

“Fallin’ Apart” which we wrote, directed and produced ourselves! This is the first time that we took one of our ideas for a concept video and found actors, locations, props, and put it all together making a concept music video. Our friend Ken Nicholson who has helped us produce videos in the past found an amazing camera crew, and we found Daniel Espinoza and Scheilah Magnolias to play the roles. The 1956 Ford Tbird was found by Robbie Furiosi at one of his friend’s auto shops called Check Engine Automotive, and he and Larry drove the car down in the freezing cold for 2 days..thanks guys!

They did a great job with it. Check it out:

What really strikes me about Tesla is their songwriting, especially how positive so much of their music is. Check out this article from Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles. Guitarist Frank Hannon breaks down each song on their new album “Forever More” and you’ll see how many songs have positive and uplifting messages. Nothing is cheesy or preachy either. And this goes back to songs like “Caught In A Dream” and “What You Give”, which I find to have a truly beautiful message.

It’s hard for me to pick out a single Tesla song that I like. So many good songs, so many strike a chord. But off their new album, there’s a song called “Just In Case” which really does hit home with me. Here are the lyrics:

Outside the sky is blue;
Always try to do my part
But now it’s raining in my heart.
There’s just so much I can do.
It’s really got a hold of me,
It’s why I feel so incomplete.
If life’s a broken band,
Only I would understand,
I’ll be more than glad to join right in.
If only I could pray,
I know what I would say:
“To whom it may concern”

Just in case I don’t make it to Heaven,
I’d like to personally thank you for givin’
Somethin’ so beautiful
Makes life worth livin’, yeah.
Thank you just in case I….

I’m trying once again,
But everytime I try to talk to You
It’s like I never seem to get through.
I never had the strength to ever put my faith in You.
Maybe I should just realize
I don’t deserve you in my life.
They say it’s in Your hands,
That everything’s just like You planned.
It’s good enough for them, so why not me?
If only I could pray,
I know what I would say…
(I’d say) “Dear God, I’m talking to ya”

Just in case I don’t make it to Heaven,
I’d like to personally thank you for givin’
Somethin’ so beautiful
Makes life worth livin’, yeah.
Thank you just in case I….

Soon enough the time will come.
The hour’s getting late,
The sun is settin’ fast and
You’ll be standing by the gate.
I’m sure You’re gonna say to me,
“Somewhere, couldn’t you just relate?”
I’ll say, “To tell You the truth, You know I already do
In so many other ways.”

Just in case I don’t make it to Heaven,
I’d like to personally thank you for givin’
Somethin’ so beautiful
Makes life worth livin’, yeah.
Thank you just in case I….
Just in case I don’t make it to Heaven,
I’d like to personally thank you for givin’
Somethin’ so beautiful
Makes life worth livin’, yeah.
Thank you just in case I….
I don’t make it

Good stuff. Tesla is certainly a band that, in my book, ranks pretty high.

I was working in college radio as the Metal Director. I had cultivated a good relationship with Rita, the radio rep for Big Chief Records. So she tells me all about this band they’ve signed called “dead horse”. Who? Ok, I check it out. The album is “Peaceful Death and Pretty Flowers”. And I tell you, there’s nothing else like it. Not since, not ever again. dead horse are unique in the musical world, and no one comes close to all that their music is and was. It’s hard to describe, you just have to listen. It’s the most eclectic mash-up, yet it works. It’s not trying hard and failing, it’s just a natural thing born in many ways from Texas roots and thus succeeding.

Thing is, at the time I was living in Virginia and I had no idea about the Texas connection (dead horse is from Houston). When I moved to Texas, I still had my dead horse t-shirt. I wear it out every now and again, and no shirt I have garners such interest as that shirt. All sorts of conversations get struck up when I wear the shirt. At concerts, other people start shouting dead horse lyrics towards me and we all bond over our shared interest. It’s a shame they never gained a larger following and success, but on the same token it wouldn’t be the same if they had.

Little Caesar was one of those great bands that didn’t have the chance to realize their potential because the musical landscape changed: along came Nirvana, the scene shifted from L.A. to Seattle. So call this a little fan appreciation.

Little Caesar was, at their heart, just a rock and roll band. They weren’t just based in the blues, they were based in soul. This was evident in their cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools”, their cover of The Temptation’s “I Wish It Would Rain”, and their own original songs like “In Your Arms”, “Cajun Panther”, “Stand Up”, “Ain’t Got It”, “So Damn Tired”, “Tell Me That You Love Me”. Ron Young’s voice was the key to this. Powerful, dynamic, a gravel-laiden belting or a quiet soulful whisper; Ron’s voice was expressive and was the body and soul of the band.  

Another trait of the band was storytelling. “Ballad of Johnny”, “Pray For Me”, “Hard Times” all tell their own stories. Of course we can’t forget the double entendre of “Drive It Home” and “Slow Ride”. And sometimes they just went with straight-ahead rockers like “Rock-N-Roll State Of Mind”, “Down-N-Dirty”, “You’re Mine”, and “Rum And Coke” reminding you what rock and roll is all about.

They had the sound, they had the songs, and they had the look. They had cultivated a biker image that was genuine rock and roll: long hair, tattoos, leather, denim. Ron Young fronted the band well and had the right look. 

The band plays the occasional gig now and again, and if the YouTube recordings are any indication, they’re sounding good.  Here’s a video of their hit “Chain Of Fools”. I don’t think this was their best song, but it was their most popular and showcases the band well.

Mötley Crüe was the epitome of rock/metal in the 80’s. They had the music, they had MTV, but most of all they had the lifestyle: sex, drugs, rock-and-roll, wine, women, and song.  I’d swear you heard more about The Crüe’s off-stage exploits than their on-stage: Vince’s car wreck, Tommy Lee’s string of Hollywood wives, Nikki’s drug use, and Mick… well Mick was the recluse. Every album told a different story because of whatever their latest exploits were. You loved this band not just because of their music, but because of all they did in the name of rock. It was pure rebellion and disgusted off your parents… what more could you ask for.

I know my first exposure was during the Shout at the Devil album, but not sure if it was first via MTV or via a class party. I know I was in elementary school and I think it was an end of the year class party. Teacher said you could bring your favorite music albums to play during the party. I remember seeing it… some kid brought it, an LP (you kids go ask your parents what that is), big as day, of an all black album with nothing but an upside-down pentagram on it. How awesome could you get? 🙂 And so it went. I’ve gotten to see them live a few times and they know how to put on a show.

YouTube won’t let me embed the music video to Wild Side (one of my favorites), so instead here they are performing it live back in ’87:

As an added bonus, a recent side-project of bassist and chief songwriter is Sixx: A.M.. Their first single is “Life is Beautiful”, written about Nikki’s past heroin addiction. I really like this song.

The details are fuzzy, but the image in my memory is clear. I’m a young kid up way past my bedtime. Watching TV. Music videos. This video comes on and the music is loud and fast. There’s this ugly dude singing upwards into a microphone. Something about an iron fist. I didn’t know what to make of it, I didn’t know who it was, but it left an impact on me.

I liked it.

It was some years before I knew that was Motörhead. Without question, one of the icons of rock. While the music may be fast, hard, and loud, at the heart it’s just a lot of blues and soul both musically and lyrically. It’s not some “technical virtuoso heavy metal”; when the band hits the stage Lemmy says “We are Motörhead, and we play rock and roll!”. And rock and roll they do, with everything louder than everyone else.

I don’t know why, but Sunday and Metal seem to be going together these days. So I might as well throw my horns up and into the ring.

Corrosion of Conformity is one of my favorite bands. For music, lyrics, and overall attitude and outlook, few stand up with COC. Their Deliverance album is only surpassed by In The Arms Of God, which I think is one of the best albums ever (one of my desert island discs, and tops in my iTunes rotation) — Pepper’s scream at the end of the song “In the Arms of God” always gives me goosebumps. Always. The song is that powerful.

Songs like: Vote With a Bullet, Albatross, Clean My Wounds, Señor Limpio, Wiseblood, Drowning In a Daydream, The Door,  Diablo Blvd., Who’s Got the Fire, 13 Angels, Paranoid Opioid, Rise River Rise, The Backslider, In the Arms of God, and so many more. 

While I’m down with Down, I hope Pepper doesn’t forget COC.

“Vote With a Bullet” from COC’s Blind album. At the time COC had a different (new) lineup. Pepper was actually a “backup” guy back then, but had this as a one-off on the Blind album. Call it the start of a great era in the history of COC.

As they wrote in the liner notes of their Live album, “to all the free thinkers and beer drinkers… this one is for you.”