Best Movie This Year, new music by The Killers, Eddie Vedder with Tom Petty, Savatage

"ABOUT TODAY (Theme To "Warrior")      THE NATIONAL

Tom Hardy is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.   His last four films are Inception (epic), This Means War (I thought it was fun, a guy's chick flick), Warrior, and Dark Knight Rises (he's Bane).     WARRIOR was actually released in the fall of 2011 but I didn't see it until just recently.   It's got a incredible 8.3 rating on IMDB and 83% on Rotten Tomatoes.   Great scores, but I think they are too low!!!   It's my favorite movie I've seen this year.  Taking a page from Stallone's Rocky movies, an underdog gets a shot at the title.    But that doesn't do the film justice.   Nick Nolte should have won an Oscar for his portrayal of the ex-alcoholic father.   Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Morrison are brilliant as Tommy's brother and sister in law.   But the true star is Tom Hardy and his commitment to the lead character, an ex-Marine who competes in a Winner Take All UFC tournament.  I'm not a big fan of mixed martial arts training but I was mesmerized by the action in the ring.  Scene after scene takes your breath away, from the confrontation between son and long lost father, the brothers meeting the night before the tournament, the brutally realistic fight scenes, the high school students rooting for their teacher.    You'll be enthralled and cheering the whole movie!    100% recommended.   Here's the theme song and a special short version with movie dialogue included.

"RUNAWAYS"      THE KILLERS (UPDATED OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Finally new music by The Killers!   "Runaways" is the lead single from a new CD called Battle Born due out this fall.   Four years since the last CD but they're back with a vengeance.  A true rock anthem with swirling guitar riffs, unrelenting drum beats, Brandon Boyd's scream-it-out chorus, and lyrics that remind me of a lost Springsteen track.   ""We're all just runaways, I knew it when I met you,  I'm not gonna let you runaway, I knew it when I held you I wasn't letting go".  I really liked Entertainment Weekly's description of the song as 'a Jack & Diane story of exuberant young love'.  If the rest of the CD is as powerful as this track, it may rival the sales of "Hot Fuss", The Killers breakthrough masterpiece.  

DAILY MUSIC TRIVIA:  What Dire Straits song did The Killers cover on their Sawdust CD?  

"THE WAITING"    EDDIE VEDDER and TOM PETTY

"Oh baby don't it feel like heaven tonight, don't if feel like something from a dream"  -  Could those lyrics be anymore apropos then on this incredible night.   I'm so jealous for the Amsterdam audience this June 24th.   During Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers show, Eddie Vedder comes out and performs "The Waiting" with the band at the Heineken Music Hall.  There wasn't even a need for a big introduction, Eddie shows up in his traditional flannel shirt, Tom has a drink from his beer, and they jam out to the 80's Petty classic.   After Eddie sings the first bridge, Tom (on lead guitar) changes up the first guitar solo and then joins Eddie on vocals.    The video's quality is really good for a concert bootleg video.

"BELIEVE"    SAVATAGE

Growing up in the Tampa area in the late 80/90's, you had to know Savatage.   I once saw them at ML Chasers, a rock club on US 19 in Clearwater.  Their CD, Gutter Ballet, was an MTV Headbanger's Ball favorite in 1989.   The Oliva brothers actually started their metal band at an Astro Skate in Tarpon Springs, FL not far from where I live!   Savatage's theatrical themes,rock operas, and their refusal to play anything radio-friendly, set a line in the sand, you loved them or hated them.  "Believe" starts off exceedingly slow but give it a minute or two and the intensity of Oliva's voice mixed with the heavy guitar riff is pure metal bliss.   As you know, the uncommercial Savatage ironically became the massively successful, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who sell out arenas every Christmas season. 

 

Pearl Jam Covers A 60's Nugget: Pearl Jam, Talisman, and Disturbed

"SOLDIER OF LOVE"   PEARL JAM

Pearl Jam has a fan club tradition of releasing Christmas singles to their fans.   In 1998, they sent out a double-sided single of two covers from the 1960's.  "Last Kiss" and "Soldier Of Love" both maintain the innocence of the love-power generation yet manage to feel like classic Vedder with lyrics like "Lay down your arms and surrender to me" and "use your arms to hold me, I don't want to fight anymore".  Eddie was scheduled to perform in Clearwater, FL but had to reschedule the tour due to a back injury.   Dec 2012 is the make up date.

"FROZEN" (Madonna cover)  TALISMAN

From Madonna's Ray of Light CD, "Frozen" gets a reinterpretation by Jeff Scott Soto and Talisman.   Jeff is a hired-gun vocalist who has led Talisman, Yngwie Malmsteem's band, Steve Augeri's replacement in Journey, Axel Rudy Pell's Band, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and voice of Steel Dragon in the movie Rock Star.   This cover of Madonna pumps up the rock edge but still feels faithful to the original.

"REMNANTS"    DISTURBED

From the fifth CD, Asylum, by Disturbed comes this instrumental jam.   Following Indestructible, Disturbed wanted a darker sounding record.    The CD opens with "Remnants" and it's usually connected to the title track "Asylum".   Here the song is cut in pieces as it was included on the soundtrack of the video game "Rock Band".

 

Hard Rock Monday: Pearl Jam, Testament, and To Die For

"OFF HE GOES" (Toronto)   PEARL JAM

One of the most influential bands of the last 25 years.   From their attack against Ticketmaster, refusing to sellout and make MTV videos, encouraging bootlegging their amazing live shows, and challenging the status quo with each new CD, Eddie Vedder, Stone Goddard, and the rest of Pearl Jam set the bar high.   Originally named Mookie Blaylock (after the NBA point guard), then stints with Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam set records with their debut, Ten.   "Off He Goes" is from No Yield, recording in New Orleans, Eddie said it's based on himself being a "shit friend", classic Vedder!

"MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE"  TESTAMENT

Like Metallica, Testament came out of California in the early 80's and established the thrash metal genre.   They hit it big after touring with Anthrax and MTV's Headbanger's Ball put "Practice What You Preach" on heavy rotation.   This song is from their comeback CD in 2008.   Incidentally, lead guitarist, Alex Skolnick is an original band member and also plays in Trans-Siberian Orchestra, most famous for their popular instrumental metal Christmas concerts.

"I JUST DIED IN YOUR ARMS"   TO DIE FOR

Norway, Sweden, and Finland are keeping alive the speed metal spirit.   Gothic rock, death metal, power chords, and that 80's hair band vibe all remain popular at festivals all over the Scandinavian area.   To Die For is a band from Finland who do a great cover of the 80's Crowded House classic.   Love that line, "I should have walked away..."