What If...One Album Edition

During the week of Christmas, it seems like the world slows way down. Everyone - musicians included - goes on holiday and ceases work. To that end, there doesn't seem to be much music news right now. That's ok - we'll make our own! To that end, let's do a fun "What if" post. Today, let's speculate how our fave bands would be regarded if they were only allowed to issue one album each.

Consider that for a minute: a recording industry where bands are only allowed to release one album.

I wonder what one album Motley would have released? Too Fast for Love, or Shout at the Devil? What if it was Theatre of Pain? If that was the case, would we care as much? If Def Leppard had never released Hysteria and had only put out, say,  On Through the Night, would we still love them? What if Michael Jackson had never launched a solo career? It's all a little nutty to consider.

The great thing about the arts - music, writing, painting - is that the artist can create as much (or as little) as she wants. So what if the output...was on the little side?

Think about Guns n' Roses. There's not much output by the "classic" lineup. Many say that has hurt the band's legacy. Other fans say it doesn't matter. I still think we're too close time-wise to Appetite for Destruction to really assess the GnR legacy on popular music as a whole.

I think you have to take a collective discography into account to judge a band on their impact to culture. Of course, limiting to one album each changes all that. Then again, I suppose there are bands that have only done one amazing work and have made an impact - I just can't think of any Glam acts off the top of my head.

What say you?

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Let's Talk About The Throbs!

Talk about a cool sleaze band! The Throbs are very much New York Dolls meets Hanoi Rocks. The Throbs are from New York too, which always amps up the cool factor just a little. After all, Midwesterners are the heart and soul of America, but New Yorkers know how to party! The band's Wikipedia entry lists how all the members are affiliated with other Glam acts, including Sebastian Bach, L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat.

A lot of sites talk about The Throbs in past tense, but the band still has a very active Myspace page, so I think they are still rocking and willing to play gigs. I've never seen The Throbs live, but I bet it's great fun! The band released The Language of Thieves and Vagabonds (Geffen) in 1991. The album received a rerelease in 2007. I wished I owned a copy of the original pressing. Maybe someday.

Here's "Come Down Sister."

Blue Christmas and More...Bon Jovi Style

Many Americans are seeing a lot of white this weekend. A blizzard is hitting the eastern part of the nation and Ohio is on the back-end of it and I am glad - you New Yorkers can keep your two feet of snow! I despise snow and cold weather and winter in general. My goal is to someday live in Hawaii where the temperature is always consistent and warm. I know a lot of people are excited about the wintry weather because Christmas is this week. With that, a very cute Jon Bon Jovi singing "Blue Christmas" is making my Sunday.

And just a couple years ago, Bon Jovi did some holiday songs in concert, too.

My Bon Jovi concert tickets came in the mail just a day ago and as you can tell, I'm excited. Come on July! Come on festival season! Come on balmy weather!

Slipknot - 'Snuff' Short Film

Slipknot premiered their short film for Snuff yesterday. Yours truly wrote some pithy comments for the debut. In case you didn't see this clip, I implore you to watch it now. You don't need to be a Slipknot fan to appreciate the artistry of the clip. Peace.

Not So Glam, Oh So Good: Armada

Ok - so this is a Glam site where we give mad love to bands like Motley, GnR, Buckcherry and the rest. Still, I love listening to music of all genres - and I get really excited when a good new band hits the scene, Glam or otherwise. Enter the Los Angeles-based band Armada. I like their sound and since the band is giving away a free song, I thought I'd pass along. The band is good, mellow indie rock - but not stuffy, trust me! For what it's worth, check out the song "Blue and Green" on the band's Facebook. Here's the info:

The Los Angeles based independent rock band, ARMADA, released a video last week featuring time-lapse still photography of the band members creating their own spray-paint backdrop for a photo shoot - the backdrop just happens to be on the photographer's living room wall.  The video features one hour condensed into three minutes.  The soundtrack to the video is the new song, "Beautiful Heat," which the band has now made available for free download on the site http://www.theArmadaStore.com.

 
Both of these releases come in anticipation of the release of the band's new EP, "Shake the Chill," slated for digital release on January 5, 2010.  A truly D.I.Y. project this completely independent EP was produced in less than three weeks at the Den Recorders studio in Pasadena, CA.

Armada reemerges from their studio hibernation with two shows in their native California - the first in San Francisco on December 19th at the Hotel Utah Saloon, and a benefit concert for the APLA on January 9th at the Joint in Los Angeles. Details for both events can be found at http://www.facebook.com/ArmadaForPresident.

For A Good Cause: Check Out this Bon Jovi Auction Item

It seems like most celebrities of the music ilk or otherwise like to help when charities call. To that end, I was just alerted to a cool Bon Jovi charity item that I felt I just had to share! Check it out: an autographed guitar pickguard. I wouldn't mind having it myself, but it's a little pricey. The good news is that all the money goes to City of Hope, which benefits cancer research and education. [Click the link for a  picture and to zoom in on the autographs - you need to go to eBay to view the item. Auction ends December 21].

Top 5 Rock Videos of 2009

I decided to make it a list-filled week here at Bring Back Glam! Music videos just aren't as important as they were in the 80s. Bands don't need MTV for publicity anymore thanks to the Internet but video clips are still great marketing tools. With that, my picks for the best rock videos of 2009:

05. Papa Roach - "Lifeline"
04. Green Day - "21 Guns"
03. Halestorm - "I Get Off"
02. Shinedown - "Second Chance"
01. Slipknot - "Sulfur"

Agree? Disagree? What are your favorite rock videos from 2009?