More Obscure Artist Spotlight

I know I've gone over blues-rock guitarist Brian Kahanek, but after a great deal of research on last.fm (read:I looked at similar artists to SRV, and BK), I think I have found a trifecta, a holy trinity, of blues-rock guitarists of our generation, excluding Johnny Mayer, because of aforementioned reasons. The two additions are Joe Bonamassa, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

First we shall get into the boy from Louisiana, Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Just as Albert King was Stevie Ray Vaughan's idol, as you could hear constant "Mr. Blues" licks being laid down by Stevie, you hear constant signature SRV licks being laid down by Kenny. This kid even got SRV's tone, which, to say the least, eludes most players (Protip: guitar tone isn't the amp and effects, it's in your fingers, SRV would sound like SRV even on my 15 watt practice amp). As customary, YouTube serves as the medium to which you'll be able to see this prodigy go to work. Now, if this kid can break off from sounding like SRV, and start to find his own sound, then children, we're going to have something to behold.

Here he is jamming with Double Trouble. Just an FYI, the official name of Stevie Ray Vaughan, was Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. So yes, these two guys, Chris Layton on drums, and Tommy Shannon on bass, played with Stevie. I'd say Kenny holds up well, with these two blues greats.



Finally, Joe Bonamassa, who has his own signature blues sound of his own. While he does reach into the SRV bag of tricks sometimes, it's expected, because since Robert Johnson (the original blues guitarist), everyone just takes from the guy before them. Joe is a bit more like Brian Kahanek, except he throws in some neat slide guitar. I would say Joe is a combination of SRV, BB King, and Eric Johnson.



Finally, I found this awesome live set of Brian Kahanek, self described, "it's ugly, it's nasty, and it's wonderful." This man can play.

Forget Al Gore

Let's talk about Naomi Wolf.

While I'm sure you all have seen, or heard of Al Gore's controversial documentary "An Inconvenient Truth", what Naomi Wolf has to say, is far more intriguing, and alarming, than the earth's temperature rising. If you are an avid Colbert Report watcher, like myself, then you have probably seen her as a guest, advocating her new book "The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot." Although the title is a bit unwieldy, the premise of the book is simple, America is going through a fascist shift, and here is why.

Without going to much in depth of the book, you can just watch this presentation given by Naomi just last October.



Stephen Colbert does joke about being super-conservative, a certain idea he threw across in his "The Word" section of his show began to pike my interest. Basically, he advocated the government, stretch it's boundaries of what is legal, so the people who are practicing legal activities, are now doing illegal acts. So, in an extreme case, free speech, no longer becomes free, harmful words against the government once protected by 1st amendment rights, are now viewed as terrorist, and become illegal. Another thing that has recently come under the limelight is the "Dont Taze Me Bro!" video on YouTube. Of course a majority of people might just shrug it off, with a chuckle, that some unfortunate college kid was tazed. Funny, maybe? Scary? Yes. While the kid was detained, the reasons for, are alarming. Watching the video, once the kid started to ask about Skull and Bones, thats when the police stepped in. This is a blatant restriction on first amendment rights.

I'm usually not one to give into conspiracy theories,as Loose Change is, pardon my French, a load of bullshit. Honestly, I'll let my good friend Maddox explain this one here. However, Naomi's argument, bases it upon fact, and precedence, a little more concrete than compressed video clips, and declassified government documents(why would the government declassify documents they didn't want the public to know? If you have read George Orwell's 1984, sometimes what the government spits out isn't always the truth). Her argument goes point by point, essentially "Here is what happened in this fascist shift, and here it is again happening in our government." If there is one book you must read, or at least see one YouTube video, check out what Naomi has to say.

As a final thought to this, I'll leave you with a quote from Ben Franklin.

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

If you've been living under a rock for the past 20 years.

I know you have all probally heard of Jimi Hendrix, but I'm sure Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Billy Gibbons may have stuck a "huhwha?" with you. So, in effort to spread the knowledge about the aural righteousness that is blues music, I'll introduce you to the best videos on YouTube of Stevie and Billy.

Stevie's playing is all about emotion. John Mayer (who I'll be talking about later on), once said of Stevie's playing,

"Given a certain time of day, certain part of the set, certain culminating energy that happens in the room, you can play with that same intensity, but you can only do it for about 20 seconds, and then your entire arm cramps up."

Even Eric Clapton, who most refer to as, "Guitar God", and rightfully so, said of Stevie,

"I remember being fascinated by the fact that he never, ever seemed to be lost in anyway. I mean, it wasn't ever that he took a breather or paused to think where he was going next. It just flowed out of him."

So, here is Stevie, expanding on Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing."


While thats not Billy's type of groove, here the Reverend Billy G. just shows the basic's of blues guitar.


Now, I'm sure you ask, "But Steve, what about John Mayer?" Sure, I admit he is a good player, having seen him in concert myself, but it's his attitude that keeps him off my list. Besides being extremely arrogant (Watch any interview with him, and he'll boast about his playing), he is also a bit of a sell out. The man obviously has the chops to make a great blues guitarist, even Eric Clapton thinks so, but does he release blues albums? No. While I admit Continuum was a nice change of pace from pop-acoustic-written-for-teenage-girls music, after hearing his new hit, I'm sorely disappointed. It it yet again a return to his shitty roots. John had the chance to become the great blues player of our age, bring blues back to the masses, like Stevie did (6 Grammys he won), but is blowing it on just releasing boring pop tracks.

Something for you ear-hole.

For years, I've been listening to the trifecta of electric guitar: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, and Billy Gibbons (of ZZ Top fame). However, I've finally found someone to make it a foursome. Sure, Eddie Van Halen's rhythms are killer, or Yngwie Malmsteen can sweep pick arpeggios faster than anyone else, but if you look at the trifecta, I'm more of blues guy. This is where Brian Kahanek wins it. Although his play style isn't as aggresive as Stevie's, progressive as Jimi's, or as shit-kicking as Billy's, it's still full of expression, and emotion.

I'm going to go ahead and endorse his , surprisingly, only album, Real Life. Brian goes from slow ballad in "Last Mile", to cranking it to 11 in "Sold Your Soul" and I'm sure if you have played Guitar Hero II, you've heard his single, "Gemini".

Anyway, to get a taste of what Brian is like, check him out jamming in the studio.

I would like to introduce...

...the two best websites on the internet.

First up, is the aptly titled "The Best Page in the Universe"
If there was a single man who made me the bitter sarcastic person I am, it's Maddox. Hate has never been so funny.



Second, yet equally as awesome in it's own way, is Tucker Max. This man made anal intercourse, subsequent anal discharge, and vomit, hilarious.

But as the wise LeVar Burton, of Reading Rainbow fame, once said, "But...you don't have to take my word for it," go ahead and check them out.

The blog cherry has been broken.

After a few years of hearing all this blog nonsense, hearing how it's the new media format for news, and everything to do with nothing, I figure I'll join in on the fun. Some people have a theme for their blogs, a purpose. Some use them to post stupid things found off YouTube. Some even thing people care enough about their lives, that they use their blog as a diary.

Mine is going to be a mix of all three, so therefore, its a blog about nothing.