To quote a very good friend of mine from Indiana, who happens to be white: “Buenos tacos everyone.” Welcome to Modern Gems, a new column on finding those new, undiscovered nuggets for us old timers. Here’s a little background on your guide, so to speak. My first concert was Humble Pie at the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles. Yes, Peter Frampton was the guitar player. I saw him at a Day On The Green show in Oakland a few years later. Frampton headlined and Fleetwood Mac was on the bill. Opener Gary Wright performed “Dream Weaver.” I also went to the California Jam in 1974, witnessed Rick Wakeman with the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra performing Journey To The Center Of The Earth at the Hollywood Bowl, and caught Led Zeppelin on their final 1977 tour ofAmerica.
I am basically a rock and roll kind of person. I still remember when I was just a lad, sitting in my mother’s bedroom where she would be playing records by Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding. Mom introduced me to dances like the swim and the frug. She knew Sly from the Family Stone. I remember going horseback riding with the members of Moby Grape and watching the Righteous Brothers on the 60s television sitcom, Please Don’t Eat The Daisies with Bobby Hatfield and some of his band members in the room.
I like all kinds of music, especially new music. One of my recent favorites is by a group called Peeping Tom. If you remember Faith No More, you’ll like Peeping Tom because they both share the same lead singer, Mike Patton. To quote the band’s web page, “Years in the making, PEEPING TOM, noise rock renaissance man Mike Patton’s most accessible work since his days in Faith No More, is finally a reality. The 11-track opus, featuring a lengthy and incongruous cast of guest performers.” Everything from the erotic pull-open CD cover to the music itself is innovative. Peeping Tom will give your subwoofer a good work out. I was lucky enough to see them in concert with Gnarls Barkley, who I also dig. The two of them together made for a great show before a predominantly young crowd at the Orange County Fair Grounds in the Summer of ‘06.
On New Years Eve, I was lying around the house watching a little TV. Scanning the menu on DIRECTV, I came upon a music video countdown. So I turned it on and watched this video by Adam Joseph. Not exactly rock and roll, it reminded me of Jamiroquai. Joseph’s web site says he “is a rare find in the world of music today. Not only does he write, produce, engineer, arrange, and play on all of his recordings, but he also managed to release and distribute his first album independently through his self-owned record label, JAH Records (established in 2003). Adam has performed alongside major artists such as Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Cee-Lo from Gnarles Barkley, Dianne Reeves, Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, and Martha Wash.” I was impressed — Joseph’s music is catchy, laid back, and easy to listen to.
As I watched more videos, I realized this countdown, after a few commercials, was on Logo, a channel targeted for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community. Not that it matters but you might be wondering which channels are showing countdowns like these nowadays. It seems like every channel has one except MTV.
That’s all I have for this round. Look for another Modern Gem in the future. When that may be is anyone’s guess, but I’ll be keeping my ear out for new music that might appeal to fans of vintage rock. After all, we have to keep supporting new and upcoming artists, instead of American Idols, if we want to keep it alive. I’m just doing my part and discovering new music at the same time.
~ John Minichiello
