Electricity From An Acoustic Guitar: Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Pixies, Roy Jones Jr, Rockwell Cover

"DIABLO ROJO"                         RODRIGO y GABRIELA

Two Mexican guitarists, one male and one female, with such a passionate, daring musical style.   I first heard their music in an Antonio Banderas movie, then found out they covered the hallowed "Stairway to Heaven" and Metallica songs.   My curiousity was piqued for sure now.   LOVE Spanish guitar but their creative flair (she does percussion on the guitar!), fast riffs, mixed with soft flamenco guitar runs makes them one of my all-time favorite instrumental artists.   In this video, you can't watch the last 30 seconds and not be impressed.   Gabriela is as talented of a rhythm guitarist as I've ever seen.  She does amazing percussion on her guitar often while still playing the guitar!!

"HERE COMES YOUR MAN"                THE PIXIES

Kurt Cobain said "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was their attempt to honor the Pixies, his favorite band.    Thom Yorke of Radiohead calls the Pixies his most influential band.    I think dropping those two references on their resume, gives the Pixies some musical clout.   "Here Comes Your Man" is more poppy than their typical modern-rock style but it's the first tune by them that I loved so it's my choice on the blog!   The song  was sung in karaoke by Joseph Gordon Levitt in the movie, 500 Days of Summer, hence this video selection.

"SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME"                PRESENCE

Hard rockin' cover to the 80's R&B classic.   The original song is most famous for Michael Jackson's backing vocals on the hook.  Rockwell (Kenneth Gordy) was the son of Motown President, Barry Gordy.    When this song went to #1, it was his one moment in the spotlight & it's a guilty pleasure song for many.    Presence is a Florida band who covered this in 2006.   Like the original, life imitates art and this song gave Presence a few minutes of fame but they have since disbanded.

"YA'LL MUST HAVE FORGOT"        ROY JONES JR.

Most athletes who release music come across as silly.   Deion Sanders "Must Be The Money" comes to mind first.    Florida boxer, Roy Jones Jr, was the best pound-for-pound fighter of his generation.   He would often win fights unanimously when the other guy could barely lay a glove on him.    He released a couple of actually pretty decent rap CD's in the late 90's.    HBO would play this video by Roy before some of his fights.   Love the scene with his little boys wearing Roy's championship belts.  This song ALWAYS gets me pumped up!    Check out the lyrics:


You remember the left hook that James Toney got
Sucka move that I stole from a gamecock
Y'all musta forgot! ....
Will there be another Roy Jones? Probably not
Stopped Virgil Hill with a body shot
See y'all musta forgot! ....
I got disqualified in March of '97
After givin a whippin to Montell Griffin
Late hit - my title; they had to take it
Why? I guess that's the only way I could lose
Five months later; rematch, I needs my crown
First round, one punch and he sat down
Don't get me mad cuz I'm amped already
Took titles from fighters who was champs already
The heart and soul of boxing on HBO
What these other fighters take me fo? A joke?
Ah y'all musta forgot! ....
And they got the nerve to say I ain't fight nobody
I just make 'em look like nobody