Key West Road Trip Soundtrack: Simple Plan, Andrew W.K., Nickelback, Dick Dale

Today's theme is Rockin' Party Tunes.  Here's a soundtrack for cruising down the coast, summertime is here!   Summer vacation starts Friday at 2PM!!

"SUMMER PARADISE"    SIMPLE PLAN with Sean Paul

This video was first released in Australia and featured K'naan.   When it finally came to the U.S., we get a new version, a collaboration with reggae artist, Sean Paul.  Nothing but a beach party jam!  Their style here reminds you of Bruno Mars/Jason Mraz, laid-back Caribbean flow.  Released on their Get Your Heart On!  CD, the band went poppy and lost some hardcore fans, but you've got to love the beach vibe here.

"PARTY HARD"    ANDREW W.K.

Andrew W.K. is an enigma, mega-talented musician who can play multiple intruments, including an accomplished classical piano player, but Andrew chose to primarily record frat party anthems.  He's an ultra-intelligent motivational speaker but he's better known for his crazy antics on MTV.   "Party Hard" has been used for many internet clips and I can't hear it without thinking about hearing it over and over as the intro to the Madden 2003 video game.

"THIS AFTERNOON"   NICKELBACK

Speaking of crazy parties, Nickelback's video for "This Afternoon" is epic.  To impress his boys, a nerdy guy kidnaps Nickelback to perform at their frat party.   The guys go "you got Nickelback??.... alright, fine they'll do".   Gotta love a band that can make fun of themselves.    Hot bodies, beer kegs, and rock n' roll, what's not to like?    This was the 8th single released on their "Dark Horse" CD, 8 singles on one CD??   Wow!

"NITRO"   DICK DALE 

Dick Dale For President, a famous surfer T-shirt.   He's the King of Surf Guitar, legendary for his lightning quick strumming, Dick Dale  was a surfer who wanted to make his guitar sound like the waves he loved to ride.   He essentially invented garage surf rock.  "Miserlou" was used in Pulp Fiction, "Pipeline" was recorded with Stevie Ray Vaughn, I chose Nitro for the party video!    I also included a Ford commercial where a cop is seen chasing a vintage Mustang and then halfway, the cars slam to a stop.  A second cop gets out of the Mustang and they say, "ok, now it's your turn to chase me" and they switch cars :)

Drunk Driving Consequences: Pat Benatar, Simple Plan, Stone Sour

"FIRE AND ICE"                          PAT BENATAR

Classic 80's rock classic from NYC's Pat Benatar.    It's hard to picture her in this video and not think about Fast Times At Ridgemont High and all of the girls copying her look.   Pat Benatar was originally trained in opera and had to learn to sing rock music, so talented, such a great vocal range.    Early MTV, it was Pat Benatar and Joan Jett leading the way for female rockers.    I caught her and her husband, guitarist Neil Girardo, recently at St Pete's Ribfest and they have the best chemistry on stage, how inspiring to have such a successful marriage and be able to perform together.

"UNTITLED"                            SIMPLE PLAN

An amazing video that shows the real "impact" of drunk driving.   The video shows a drunk driver crashing into a teenage girl and it graphically shows that there are "more victims than people think, and many lives are changed forever", to quote Simple Plan's description.   Simple Plan is a pop-punk band with a lot of influence on young adults, I hope many get to see this video and appreciate the powerful message.

"HOME AGAIN"                       STONE SOUR

Stone Sour is the side band for Corey Taylor, lead singer of Slipknot.    Both bands are hard rock but Stone Sour doesn't use the gimmick of masks and has more accessible powerful rock riffs.   This is the last song on their 2010 CD Audio Secrecy.     Great lyrics here:


You might have changed but all I can see is how you're the same
Behind that face are beautiful things and terrible ways
Remember - I remember - we were everything and nothing together
But I can't stay... and I can't get away


Can anybody hear me? Can anybody live like this?