Meet Leaded Fuel

Want some sleazy Glam? Look no further than Sweden's Leaded Fuel (cute name, eh?).

The Stockholm-based band wear Glam roots on their collective sleeves: they are proud of their work and cite Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Guns n' Roses, RATT, Alice Cooper and more as influences. I can hear each of these legendary Glam acts in Leaded Fuel's debut album Inhale and Get Pale.

So just who are Leaded Fuel? Well, naturally each member has a cute stage name: Liz Lascivious (vocals), John Priest (guitar), Dallas Chrome (guitar), Andy Jones (bass) and Iron Kongo (drums).

I've got to interrupt this introduction and review for a second. Iron Kongo?!? Seriously? How much pot do you have to smoke to think up Iron Kongo as a stage name? Crazy stuff right there. I like to think I'm on the creative side, but I'd never in a million years rename myself Iron Kongo. I digress.

So, Inhale and Get Pale has some good tracks.  Here's the entire list:

Leaded Fuel
Dirty Bitch Boogie
Southern Belle
Max Rear Traction
231 Miles
Hostage Situation
Yeah! You Bother Me
Side Effects
Rip It Up
The Way We Are

I really like "Yeah! You Bother Me"  and "Rip It Up." The latter really sounds like early Faster Pussycat. In fact, Liz Lascivious sort of has a Taime Downe quality about his voice. I think you'll agree all good sleaze comes with a little whine. I swear, this is just reason 9,876 that I need to holiday in Sweden. Me, some good Glam, Ikea and lingonberry jam. Good times.

You can buy Leaded Fuel's album here. Preview tracks at the band's official Myspace. Read an interview with Iron Kongo over at the Heavy Metal Time Machine.

Photo credit: Leaded Fuel official Myspace.  

How Much is Too Much?

Do you ever have "cheap" days? Ladies, I don't mean when you wear a micro mini and some plastic red pumps (and yes, I own both)... I mean, "cheap" as in financially aware.

My mom always called it "frugal."

Anyway, I helped my parents with a garage sale yesterday and it had me feeling cheap - and annoyed. We'll skip the annoyed part and go straight to the wallet.

I've been saying for awhile now that the price of everything is ridiculous. I mean, it cost me $40 to fill my eight gallon gas tank Thursday! It's now five bucks for a bowl of soup at the restaurant down the street and we all know the price of home heating and cooling is downright heinous.

I've never really paid much attention to gas prices before. I don't drive much - and when we go out of town, my husband sits behind the wheel. Yes, the gas money is out of the same account but I just never paid attention to how much we were literally burning... until now. When I filled up the tank in my tiny purple Kia, I had an epiphany: In many cases, it now costs more to actually drive to a concert than buy a ticket. Sure, my seats for Cruefest are more than the gas to get to Cincinnati, but when you consider how much it's going to cost to transport my crew to George Michael in Philadelphia...it's about a wash.

Even with gas prices the way they are, I still do and go where I want. I go out to eat, go shopping, take bass lessons and get my hair dyed every month. Of course, as the price of gas continues to rise...so does the cost of every other luxury I enjoy.

During the annual garage sale, I was subjected to the same negotiations as every year: people asking if I'd take a dollar for something marked ten. People want more for their money and are willing to try to make pennies stretch wherever possible.

At some point, the high cost of life is going to completely destroy the music industry. Literally, at some point we'll all ask "how much is too much?"

When will we start balking at $300 concert tickets and everything associated like $50 shirts, $20 parking and $9 beer?

The economic situation in America is getting a little grim, and this has me amazed that bands still try to tour the club circuit. Don't get me wrong, I love club shows. The crowds are small and therefore the chances of talking to the band members is very great. Still, I always wonder if the bands are actually making any money during these small gigs. If an L.A. based band gets in their van and drives all the way to Dayton, Ohio to play a show...you have to admire their determination. Even playing a lot of clubs between L.A. and Dayton is still no guarantee of a comfortable living.

So, I ask you..."how much is too much?" At what point do you shut your wallet and say "no more" to music-related luxuries like CDs, concert tickets and band merchandise?

 

Summer vs. Winter

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer. I always think there are "summer" bands and "winter" bands. This might be ridiculous since most acts tour in the summer, but it's more a vibe I get from music rather than a live show.

I've always considered Cinderella a "winter" band. Maybe it's because of Long Cold Winter - or maybe it's because the band's videos always seemed to have somewhat dark imagery.

On the other hand, I've always felt Poison a true summer band. Many people - including myself - equate parties with summer. Poison is the ultimate party band. If you need a good time, just dial up Bret, Rikki, Bobby and C.C.

Another band I've always considered a "winter" act is White Lion. Again, maybe it's the black and white imagery often used in White Lion videos, but it seems to me Mane Attraction sounds better when I'm locked up inside during a snow storm.

Like Poison, I consider Def Leppard a summer band. While bands like Cinderella and White Lion used black and white film and severe images for videos, Def Leppard pretty much always kept their themes light - or at least in full color. Even the video for "Love Bites" alternated between black background and full color. Plus, the Leps always have a big laser show and that to me is the epitome of summer.

Here's Cinderella "Heartbreak Station"

Rikki is Innocent!

From Blabbermouth, via Myspace:

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett was exonerated of a felony rape charge filed in Mississippi stemming from a September 23, 2007 incident in which a Neshoba County, Mississippi woman claimed that Rockett had forcibly raped her. Rockett was not in Mississippi during September 2007. The Neshoba County District Attorney refused to prosecute the case after determining that Rockett was not the person who committed the alleged rape. The charges carry a potential life sentence. Rockett said, "I want to sincerely thank my lawyers Barry Tarlow and Mi Kim for their commitment to my case and their terrific legal work that exonerated me of any wrongdoing.

Hooray! There is justice in this world after all. No matter what your opinion of Poison or Glam, no one should endure what happened to Rikki. Of course this case brings up the old argument of the haves and have nots: those with money can get out of prison, but the poor rot to death in jail cells. Surely, Rikki's lawyers are better than most - it seems the Poison drummer is using the experience for good and helping innocent people jailed for crimes they did not commit. Says Rikki "I also look forward to helping other people who have been falsely accused of committing heinous crimes. My lawyers, Barry Tarlow and Mi Kim, are helping me seek out organizations like Centurion Ministries to help if I can. This wonderful organization works to free innocent people in prison who have done serious time for crimes they did not commit." Good for him I say!

This calls for "Unskinny Bop!"

National Geographic Goes to 11...

You might remember Christopher Guest from Spinal Tap. Now, the National Geographic Channel has an all new documentary on the history of Stonehenge. Nigel Tufnel...er, Christopher Guest as Nigel hosts the promos for the documentary. The documentary is called Stonehenge Decoded and is based on the history of the giant monument. The entire piece airs June 1.

For a faux band, I always thought Spinal Tap were pretty good. Of course their songs are funny, but some of them are no more ridiculous than tunes that were "serious" hits.

I won't lie: I'd love if Spinal Tap played Rocklahoma. Here's the band performing "Stonehenge." One of my favorite parts from This Is Spinal Tap.

Here's the promo for the documentary I mentioned above.

I am so watching this in June. Me, some popcorn and a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Thank goodness for simple pleasures.

Alice Cooper and Keri Kelli Videos

I've been playing phone tag with guitarist Keri Kelli for literally the past 24 hours. We've talked back and fourth and started an interview, stopped an interview, got interrupted...alas. At some point, we'll get it together!

As you probably know, Keri plays guitar for Alice Cooper. He's also played with Slash's Snakepit, Big Bang Babies, Saints of the Underground...and many more.

While we (all!) wait for the interview, let's watch Alice Cooper and Keri Kelli videos! Woo hoo!

Here's Alice Cooper: "Love's A Loaded Gun"

Here's Alice Cooper: "Bed of Nails"

Here's Keri Kelli, Slash and Alice Cooper at Musicares. This is a partial clip.

I've never seen Alice live, but I think that would be great fun. Do you have any good Alice Cooper concert stories?

Do a Friend a Favor

Please take a few moments of your day and vote for some of my friends. The band James Brown Car Alarm is in a contest to play a stage at Lollapalooza 2008. The contest is called "Last Band Standing." You can vote here.

No, James Brown Car Alarm are NOT Glam - but they are good kids, and we should help them achieve their dream. Round one voting ends June 22.