Brush off those old Doc Martens, and pop on your favorite flannel shirt.  I’m taking you back to the early 1990’s, to a little place called Seattle, Washington. For those of you that are old enough to remember, please enjoy this trip down memory lane. For those that are not, here, check this out.  Feel the angst. THIS WEEKS Fierce and Nerdy Playlist!!! – It Came From the 90’s Enjoy the last great revolution that pure rock music has offered us, and may ever offer us. Relevant or not (more than likely not) – a lot of these bands are still making noise: Mudhoney was recently the first band to play a live show atop the famous Seattle Space Needle. Paul McCartney has been filling in for Kurt Cobain in recent random Nirvana reunion one-offs (I swear, if you use the word Sirvana in my presence, it will be the last word you ever speak.) The new Pearl Jam record is due out soon (check their new single here) and Alice In Chains put out a new full length cd earlier this year (their second without deceased frontman Layne Stayley.) Also, for all you Los Angelinos, Melvins will be playing at FYF this year. I will see you in the pit for that one! This is it for me, kids.  My time at Fierce and Nerdy has come to an end. Thanks for reading, thanks for listening. For updates on what I’m up to, and where you can find my future work, please visit www.tomstillwagon.com. Rock over London.  Rock on Chicago.  Peace. THIS WEEKS Fierce and Nerdy Playlist!!! – It Came From the...

Greetings nerds.  Tom here, with a special playlist delivery for you. New music from Beck, Jay Z, Lorde, Mavis Staples, and more. Tasty goodness for your ears.  Enjoy! THIS WEEKS Fierce and Nerdy Playlist!!! Rock over London.  Rock on Chicago. Image Credit:...

Greetings nerds. So, if you’re reading this, you have the Internet. And if you have the Internet, then you are aware that Kanye West has a new album out. It’s called Yeezus, and the majority of it does not suck. It is real angry and intense.  It is also exceedingly more thought out musically than most of the competition. Yeezus is Kanye’s love letter to himself.  It is also a big pile of hate mail for everyone around him.  Agents, his label, his contemporaries, ex-girlfriends and white people (especially white people) receive the beat-down on just about every track. Objectively speaking, Kanye West is pushing us forward musically and aesthetically. Unfortunately, he is forcing us backwards lyrically and culturally at the same time. You win some.  You lose some. Some people will love Yeezus.  Some will detest it. Everybody has an opinion, though, and here’s mine: It isn’t nearly as groundbreaking as 808’s and Heartbreaks was when it dropped. It isn’t as perfect and polished as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (probably Kanye’s strongest work to date). But, given the fact that I can forgive shitty lyrics in exchange for the sake of furthering the evolution of musical arrangements and ideas, I’m recommending it. Take it or leave it. (Also, check out FaN writer Joshua Mauldin’s commentary here.) ———————————————————————————————————————– Paul McCartney is way too cool for his age.  The man turned 71 this week, and to celebrate, he guest starred on a new single with EDM artist the Bloody Beetroots.  Let’s not forget he already fronted a reformed Nirvana this year, in addition to stealing the show as the headliner of Bonnaroo last weekend. Dayum!  That’s one cool ass grandpa. Thanks, Billy Shears. The original Paul McCartney would be proud, if he was still alive today. ———————————————————————————————————————– Beck released a new single, and it sounds more like Panda Bear than Beck. Fuck it.  Beck reinvents himself every time he releases material.  I love that. This sounds great, by the way.  Check it out. (It’s on this weeks playlist.) The last Beck album was only released as sheet music, so you had to have a reading musician in your house in order to actually hear it. This one plays through speakers, you lucky lazy dog, you. ———————————————————————————————————————– The original Public Image Ltd album First Issue was never officially released in the U.S., until now. Better late than never, I suppose…although 35 years is pretty fucking late. Let’s set the stage: The year is 1978.  Rock had become bloated and corporate. Disco had it’s teeth firmly planted in the culture.  New wave and hip hop were still underground at best. PiL is considered the first post-punk band, and is/was fronted by the Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten (now known as John Lydon). First Issue is cool arty stuff from a time long past. Not only can you finally purchase it, you can also stream it on Spotify. ———————————————————————————————————————– Other cool new releases this week include Quasimoto’s Yessir Whatever, the third album from the Madlib alter ego. The record is smooth and enjoyable.  Good for a kick back on the couch with a spliff and your favorite cocktail. ALSO – The 13th anniversary reissue of the Dandy Warhol’s 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia album dropped this week, considered by many to be one of the last great classic rock records of our time (me included). The new 2 disc set includes some B-Sides and some demos…typical stuff. Much cooler than those bonus features, however, is the Massive Attack Dub Remix of the song Godless from 13 Tales, also released this week. ALSO ALSO – Pink Floyd on Spotify?!?!?!? Pigs really do fly.  If you’re already a fan, have a peek at all the cool bonus features that were included on the expensive remaster collection (all included here.)  If you’re a newbie to the world of the Floyd, might I recommend a one-two punch...

Hello all. Before we get into the insanity, let us briefly discuss the concept of musical taste.  Taste is a slippery slope.  It is subjective in almost all cases.  When visualized, most people would perceive this subjection in the context of a straight line. At the far left end of the straight line dwells the worst music you’ve ever heard.  On the far right end, you find the best of the best of the best. I disagree with this visualization.  I’d rather perceive it in the form of a circle. In my model, the best of the best of the best sits directly next to the worst of the worst of the worst. Think of that straight line, and then bend it in a circle so that the far right side and the far left side meet at the top, at high noon. Eureka!  Taste. Allow me to present this list as evidence.  This shit right here is so bloody bad that it’s brilliant. Let’s call it the Cop Rock Theory.  Or the Hasslehoff Principle, whichever you prefer.    Okay, enough of your rambling, Stillwagon… Artistic intention be damned, here are some of my favorite “so bad it’s good” moments. Enjoy!   ——————————————————————————— Bill Cosby covers the Beatles I don’t know about you, but when I think of Bill Cosby, I think of the Beatles.  It just makes sense. Cosby and the Beatles.  The Beatles and the Cos.  These two are like cookies and milk; they’ve always belonged together. Wait…I’m sorry, did you say Bill Cosby?  Oh, no, my mistake.  I was thinking of someone else. But, hey!  Let’s hear it anyway… (presses play, hears track.) Oh lord, Bill, what have you done?  What have you done??? ——————————————————————————— Zlad: Electronik Supersonik Say nothing bad about Zlad.  I’m being serious here. This guy is a fucking artiste.  Sincerely. In some alternate universe, this band is the Beatles and the Stones combined. Trust me on this one. I’m pressing the play button in 5…4…3…1!   Oh shit, where did 2 go? It is irrelevant.  The concept of 2 is meaningless in Zlad’s world, and we must respect that. After all, we are merely pawns in this universe of Zlad. ——————————————————————————— Wesley Willis: Rock N Roll McDonalds Next to Daniel Johnston, Wesley Willis is the king of the fringe.  We may have started out laughing at him, but we quickly realized we were laughing with him.  Well, maybe we’re still laughing at him a little. I mean, have you heard this shit? Willis’ song I Wupped Batman’s Ass is equally classic. R.I.P., and thank you. ——————————————————————————— THE VD SONG And now for a quick public service announcement. Protect ya junk. ——————————————————————————— Venesa Talor: Who Do I Have To Blow? Speaking of VD…Venesa Talor starred in the 1996 direct to video sexploitation fest Femalien, and it’s sequel (somehow I managed to miss both.) The awesome music video that accompanies this song features random guest appearances from former President Bill Clinton! Ha!  Because, you know…Bill Clinton…blow job….haha! Brilliant.  It is the cherry on top of this perfect shit sundae. Shake what your doctor gave you, Venesa. ——————————————————————————— Muhammed Ali vs. Tooth Decay from a review by Frank Larosa: Start with Muhammad Ali spending 40 minutes discussing tooth decay. Add appearances by celebrity guest stars like Frank Sinatra and Richie Havens, a bunch of kids, and some truly wooden dialog straight out of a dental textbook. Throw in a song that doesn’t make any sense. And if that isn’t enough for you, top it off with narration by Howard Cosell. ——————————————————————————— The Space Lady – Major Tom The Space Lady: coming soon to a street corner near you (assuming you live in the same town as her). Peter Schilling must be rolling over in his grave. Wait, he’s still alive?  Oh, so, just his career died.  Gotcha. ——————————————————————————— Okay, in exchange for subjecting you to all of that,...

Music!  Movies! Music movies! Nerds, rejoice!  I’m pulling together both worlds! Here is a list of eight must-see music documentaries. Have you seen all eight?  Have you seen any of them? Are you hearing a cheesy announcer voice in your head as you read this? Good! Here we go: —————————————————————————————————————————– (1) Meeting People Is Easy OK Computer-era Radiohead struggle with their new critical acclaim in this 1998 film by Grant Gee.  Yorke and company tour the world, make really cool music videos, and talk about why they’re nothing like Pink Floyd, no matter what your stoner friends think. This is a fun and trippy film that mirrors the band’s rock period perfectly.  Thom Yorke is a total jerk to everyone he meets. His youthful attitude problem is funny to watch nowadays, since in 2013 he’s a silly cuddly old jester who gives advice to thirteen year old girls in his free time. Anywho.  Check it out. —————————————————————————————————————————– (2) Dig! Dreaming of rock stardom?  Thinking about starting a band?  Watch this movie first. Dig! presents viewers with an unflinching look at the life of two bands (The Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre) over the course of seven years. It is unparalleled in its realism, regardless of how real it actually is (I’ll save the validity argument for a different day.) We see the BJM and the Dandys rock empty (and packed) venues.  We watch them record in large professional studios and in the basement.  We watch them argue with their girlfriends.  We watch them argue with their bandmates.  We watch them take drugs. Then Anton kicks somebody in the face.  Then Sia plays a gig topless.  Someone desecrates a sitar.  Photo shoots.  Video shoots.  More drugs.  Then they argue. You know.  Like bands do. In the end, one group achieves relative success, and the other fades into credible obscurity.  The music is great and the story moves fast.  Strap in. —————————————————————————————————————————– (3) We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen Minutemen fans are shocked when you don’t know who the Minutemen are (end the ignorance – click here!) The art punk trio from San Pedro was anchored at the center of the SST punk movement of the eighties, alongside label mates Sonic Youth and Black Flag. Interviews with all sorts of amazing bands make this film worth the 90 minutes.  Thurston Moore…Henry Rollins…the guys from Saccharine Trust???  (end more ignorance! – click here!) The road trip conversations with Mike Watt are the real showstopper, though. Hop in the van, Watt’s going shopping. —————————————————————————————————————————– (4) Pearl Jam Twenty In their heyday, Pearl Jam and Nirvana had the same exact amount of “cool” credibility. Amazing what a little dying in your prime can do. Twenty years after the Doc Martin and flannel boom, Eddie Vedder and co. reminisce about the good old days, and question how they evolved into the grizzled old veterans of rock’s yesteryear. Also, they still sound really good live, and there is lots of concert footage here to sink your ears into.  Plus, Cameron Crowe directed the damn thing.  Turns out he’s still pretty good at that, too. Seattle. Hollywood. Kurt. Drugs. Lollapalooza. Ticketmaster.  Nothing is sacred. The soundtrack is great, and so are the interviews. —————————————————————————————————————————– (5) Anvil! The Story of Anvil The sad fact about Anvil is that, although they were intensely influential to the thrash and metal scenes of the early 80’s, they were left behind when the success train left the station. The film follows guitarist/vocalist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner, family men in their fifties trying to make sense of the path their lives have taken.  The years playing to empty bars for no pay, while watching bands like Anthrax and Metallica make  boatloads of money, is beginning to tire out the rockers and their families.  Anvil is ready to make one last push, and the movie takes us on...

Did the internet recently tell you about a long lost sixties collaboration between Neil Young and Rick James? Dude, me too! I was not familiar with the band they collaborated in, the Mynah Birds, so hearing the track was a real treat. Listening to it got me thinking, how does a collaboration of this magnitude maintain in obscurity for such a long time? I mean, Neil Young and Rick James! That’s pretty out there. Surely someone somewhere wanted to hear this. This got me thinking about how many other failed superstar collaborations there must be out there? Unreleased? Forgotten? How many times over the years have the greats teamed up, only to achieve disappointing results, complete failure even? Unreleased superstar collaborations? Tracks from pairings of your favorites lost to obscurity? Well, nerds, we’re dusting off the cobwebs. Check these out: 1. THE BEATLES, STEVIE WONDER & HARRY NILSSON: First off, most Beatles fans will tell you that John Lennon and Paul McCartney were never able to get along after the band broke up and that they never made music together again. This is only partially true. They never officially released music together again, but for a brief session in 1974, they certainly tried. What makes this collaboration worth mentioning is not that the two Beatles were together again so much as the band they put together to work with. John Lennon was to front the group, singing and playing guitar. Paul McCartney was scheduled to play the drums. The rest of the band consisted of Klaus Voorman on bass (longtime friend of Lennon, also responsible for the artwork for the Revolver album) Harry Nillson on vocals, and Stevie freaking Wonder on the keyboards. Yes, you read that right. For one brief shining moment in the seventies, there was a band that included (the important) half of the Beatles and Stevie Wonder. The sessions were a royal train wreck, and the project was scrapped. But thanks to the power of the great galactic interwebs, you can be a fly on the wall: How does a group this amazing on paper sound so awful in the studio? Cocaine, of course! 2. JIMI HENDRIX & JIM MORRISON: Onto our next debacle! In March of 1968, Jimi Hendrix played a concert at The Scene Club in NYC, to an invite-only audience full of friends and fellow artists. Hendrix recorded the show personally, with intent to capture some spontaneous improvised moments between his band and the artists in the crowd. Jim Morrison, a fan of Hendrix and the lead singer of the Doors (the original LA hipsters, next to Arthur Lee & Love) was one of the guests at the event. Hendrix invited Morrison to join the band onstage. Jim jumped up, approached the microphone, and proceeded to yell obscenities at the crowd. Don’t believe me? The recording has been highly bootlegged and can easily be found at your local hipster record store. Adding it to your collection is not necessarily recommended. You pays your money, you takes your chances. 3. DAVID BOWIE & MICK JAGGER: Speaking of train wrecks, this one was actually released successfully. Tragic. George Lucas has said that if he had the ability, he would roam the Earth with a hammer, destroying every known copy of his 1978 Star Wars Christmas Special. I don’t hate the Star Wars Christmas Special, but I’d like to smash Bowie/Jagger’s “Dancing in the Streets” out of existence. Special thanks to Mick’s dealer, a fellow called Red Jonny, for sponsoring the event. 4. KURT COBAIN & WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS: Next, let’s travel to 1993, when Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain had the opportunity to record with one of his heroes, author William S. Burroughs. The duo created a nine minute track titled “The ‘Priest’ They Called Him.” Cobain builds a wall of feedback on his guitar (often quoting the Christmas song “Silent Night”) while Burroughs...

So much cool 2013 music is out there to be heard people. We got new Iggy & the Stooges, new Strokes, new Kid Kudi, new Ra Ra Riot, and new Tomahawk. The soundtrack for The Great Gatsby appears to not suck, and allegedly, the Vampire Weekend record that just came out is quite good (although I’ve only heard a few tracks). While you patiently wait for the new Daft Punk album to drop tomorrow, here’s a list of ten solid albums you may have missed this year. Spotify can’t make all your decisions in life, you know. ATOMS FOR PEACE “AMOK” – Atoms For Peace – AMOK Thom Yorke and Flea are in a band together? Yeah, we got it. The real surprise here is that the record kicks ass. It plays way better than Yorke’s 2006 release The Eraser, which was the impetus for this project. The songs are much more cohesive and the performances are much tighter. The beats here are blippy, big and heavy and the bass playing locks in so beautifully that all EDM artists should take note of these old rockers. The crisp Nigel Godrich-produced sound makes it feel absolutely smashing on the ears. A real treat. Radiohead still puts out great records, but I’m much more interested in seeing what the future has in store for Atoms For Peace. I hope Yorke gives this new group time to evolve into a cohesive unit.   THE JOY FORMIDABLE “WOLF’S LAW” – The Joy Formidable – Wolf’s Law Head of BBC Radio 1 George Ergatoudis recently proclaimed that “guitar music is definitely on the way back.” If The Joy Formidable, Foals, and Palma Violets is what he’s talking about, then I’m all in. Welsh alt-rock trio The Joy Formidable have been popping around promoting their records for about six years now. The bulls-eye was hit with this new release, packed with tunes that twist and turn and go all kinds of places. Nineties rock styles are highlighted but never dominate the modern sound. Singer Ritzy Bryan can’t weigh ninety pounds, but she can smash a guitar as good as Townshend or Cobain any day. Where she has them beat is she does it with big a fat grin on her face. This record makes me smile every time I put it on. Isn’t that what it’s all about, at the end of the day? Recommended tracks include “Maw Maw Song,” “The Leopard And The Lung” and “Cholla.”   FOALS “HOLY FIRE” – Foals – Holy Fire Foals bring a fire to guitar rock that I’ve not heard in awhile. This album rules from top to bottom.  The rhythmic qualities separate it from its peers. Not only does it rock, but it grooves too. This is one dance-y guitar band. I have little to say about this, except that you should check it out. So check it out. I’ll wait here. Recommended tracks include “Inhaler,” “My Number” and “Late Night.”   PALMA VIOLETS “180” – Palma Violets – 180 The Palma Violets are a good, old-fashioned rock and roll band in a lot of ways. The sound of 180 evokes classic fifties and sixties records. Think modern kids channeling Velvet Underground, re-filtered backwards in time through Eddie Cochran. I understand that might take some imagination but fuck it, just listen. The creamy B3 organs and washed out fuzz guitars of yesteryear are a welcomed inclusion to the sound of 2013, and the old-school crooner vocals are full of win. The Palma Violets were critical darlings at this years SXSW and this album justifies the hype. The songs are stellar, the production is slick and the band sounds great. Top notch debut from these newbies. Recommended tracks include “Best of Friends,” “Step Up For The Cool Cats” and “Rattlesnake Highway.”   EELS “WONDERFUL, GLORIOUS” – Eels – Wonderful, Glorious (Deluxe Edition) I feel like I’ve waited a...

Today’s offering will be short on words, and long on media. Video day! Word. Remember back in school when you saw the teacher push that cart with the television into the room and you knew you weren’t going to have to read today and suddenly it was all good?  Yeah, it’s kind of like that. Let’s start with something new. Like, I’m pretty sure you haven’t heard this shit new. I’m pretty sure your hipster friends haven’t played him out already new. Martin Harley. British born, currently residing in Texas. Writes. Good. Songs. Catch him Saturday May 11th at the BottleRock Music Festival (Napa CA) or at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles on Wednesday May 22nd. Woodkid. How about Woodkid. Have you heard Woodkid? Because you should. You really should. He makes swell music videos, too. Then there’s this video from Fake Shark Real Zombie. I’m not sure anyone should hear it. Or maybe everyone should hear it. I don’t know. It’s simultaneously terrible and awesome and I don’t know what to think about it any more. But, you know, check it out, tell me what you think. Then there’s the kid from Troll 2. Oh yeah. The news: The Rolling Stones played a warm-up gig at the tiny Echoplex in Los Angeles last Saturday. 500 lucky attendees were able to see the band up close and personal, as well as rub elbows with some famous Stones fans (Johnny Depp, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and Bruce Willis were reportedly in attendance.) The 90 minute set apparently did not suck and fun was had by all. Kanye West returned to Twitter with two simple words on Thursday: “June Eighteen.” Sheeple-folk then proceeded to re-tweet it 10,000 times in 40 minutes. Let’s hope this is about new music and not the hairy Kardashian baby. Mountain Dew went after two of its rapper spokesmen this week. First, a commercial for the soda directed by Odd Future leader Tyler the Creator was pulled for its racist and violent content. Then Lil’ Wayne lost his deal endorsing Mountain Dew after they didn’t like the lyrics in one of his songs. The offensive song was not released by Wayne’s camp, rather it leaked on the internet. Rough, son. Chance the Rapper‘s new mixtape was released and lots of people like it and you can hear it HERE. # Napa Valley CA’s BottleRock Music Festival is this week, and the lineup is quite good. The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Jane’s Addiction, the Flaming Lips and a whole lot more. http://bottlerocknapavalley.com/ for details. Slayer guitarist and metal icon Jeff Hanneman has died. He was 49. Hanneman had not appeared with the band at recent concerts, as he was recovering from a spider bite that left him with a horrible flesh-eating bacteria known as necrotizing fasciitis. The doctors are claiming the cause of death to be liver failure. Also RIP to Chris Kelly of 90’s hip hop duo Kris Kross, who passed away at age 34 this week. This weeks playlist includes a soulful jam from Alice Russell, a cool spaced out instrumental from French art-rockers Air, a couple of tracks from the DangerMouse produced We Love Green album, and a new Iggy & the Stooges track. Also, Melvins cover Queen and the Hold Steady cover Springsteen. Peace. INTERNETS:   F&N 05/06/13 – your weekly Fierce and Nerdy music playlist SPOTIFY:  F&N 05/06/13 – your weekly Fierce and Nerdy music...

First off, let’s talk about the 14th annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which rocked Indio, California the past two weekends. The headliners for the 2013 lineup included the Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as a reunited Wu Tang Clan on Sunday, Sigur Ros, Phoenix (featuring R. Kelly) and New Order on Saturday. Headlining Friday was a one-two punch from England’s yesteryear, Blur and the Stone Roses. The Stone Roses closed the first weekend, and then the order of the two bands were flip-flopped the second weekend to allow Blur to close the main stage. Coachella organizer-in-chief Paul Tollett claims this was planned all along. Others say that very few concertgoers stuck around the first weekend to see the Stone Roses play after Blur performed. I can report that there were surprisingly low numbers attending both sets during weekend two. I guess the hipsters just didn’t care that much. My personal highlights this year included Tame Impala, Alt-J, Diiv, IO Echo, Dirtyphonics, and of course, the return of the Wu (four of six are included on this weeks playlist, found below.) Speaking of Wu Tang Clan…while waiting in the crowd for them to take the stage Sunday night, I noticed a group of young men nearby shouting slogans (“Wu Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to fuck wit!”) and throwing the “W” up in the air with their hands. I asked one of them how old he was; he told me he was 21. I noted to him that he was one year old when Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was released (the reunion shows are to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the album.) His response was simple: good music is timeless and ageless. A special thank you goes out to him, for reminding me why I attend this festival annually. Okay, without further ado, here’s this weeks music news: Singer Lauryn Hill was granted a temporary reprieve for federal tax evasion this week. Hill pleaded guilty to $1.8 million worth of tax evasion. She was expected to pay back $554,000 prior to her hearing, but failed to do so. The extension gave her two extra weeks to pay. Shortly after news of the extension hit the internet, and almost certainly a coincidence, Hill announced via Tumblr that she had signed a deal with Sony Music to record new material. The release will be her first studio album since 1998’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Read her totally humble and completely coincidental announcement here: http://mslaurynhill.tumblr.com/post/48885675853/it-has-been-reported-that-i-signed-a-new-record  The new Daft Punk single Get Lucky broke Spotify records for the most streams in a single day this week globally, passing the previous record holders (Macklemore’s Thrift Shop in the U.S. and Bastille’s Pompeii in the U.K.) The new single, the duo’s first in eight years, features Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. If you haven’t heard this yet, get to know it, because you’re going to hear it a lot this summer. It is included in my playlist of the week (the link can be found below.)  The new Daft Punk album, titled Random Access Memories, will be released on May 20th in the U.K., and on May 21st in the U.S. It will be their first on the Columbia Records imprint, and their first release since the 2010 Tron soundtrack.  Beyonce chose a new H&M campaign to unveil her new song Standing On The Sun to the world. The 90 second commercial features the singer on the beach, modeling the new line of H&M swimwear. Previously this year, Beyonce premiered the song Grown Woman in a Pepsi ad as well. Krusty the Clown would be proud. Word on the street is that the superstar’s album is far from completion, and the first single has not been chosen. No word on a release date. Snoop Dogg’s 12th album, and the first as Snoop Lion, is now available. Reincarnated finds Snoop trading in his...