A couple days ago, I received the February 2010 issue of Alternative Press magazine in my mailbox. I had been getting a subscription to this magazine since early 2007. I always loved the magazine because it was about the music that I loved, Rock, and always had interesting articles and featured some interesting bands and polls and stuff. It wasn’t till the January 2009 issue when you could tell that Alternative Press is cutting their budget.
Now the magazines are half the size and super thin compared to just 3 years ago. I lost respect for the writers who interview bands and review albums mainly because they always feature the same mainstream bands like All Time Low and Paramore, and Forever The Sickest Kids, to name a few. This magazine has never had many advertisements apart from the ads from bands’ newest cd hitting stores. This current issue has one ad that is not like the other. the pop act Kesha who is made popular by her song “Tik Tok”, you probably heard it. She doesnt exactly blend into the pages of Alternative Press, which is mainly a rock scene magazine.
This current issue leads me to believe that Alternative Press could careless what the FANS like in music today and only report on acts they think are or will be good. ie: bands that could be the next Fall Out Boy, Green Day, or Blink 182 and initially leaving the music fan struggling to tell the difference between bands like All Time Low and Forever The Sickest Kids.
This is why I am starting this blog, to share with the internet music fans music that made me say “HOLY SHIT, THIS BAND IS AMAZING!” something that I haven’t said in a long time about a band since I discovered a little Nashville, Tennessee band by the name of The Pink Spiders (www.myspace.com/thepinkspiders) back in Spring 2006. Up until I discovered TPS, I was struggling to find a style of music and a band that wouldn’t let me down with less then average follow up albums.
I remember my first time seeing The Pink Spiders live, It was at Warped Tour 2006 and it was my first real rock concert since 2004 when I saw Good Charlotte and Sum 41(two of the few bands that disappointed me later on w/ horrible follow up albums). The Spiders was one of the few bands I was actually super excited to see at Warped Tour and after that day, The Pink Spiders would have changed my view of music forever…not to mention turn me onto so many other amazing bands that I adore to this day(and will share with you).
When I saw The Pink Spiders’ set at Warped Tour, I only knew of their hit song, “Little Razorblade” at the time but I stayed optimistic and gave their other songs a chance and absolutely LOVED them after their set was over. There wasn’t as many people watching their set as with Aiden, or Motion City Soundtrack, for example but I didn’t care, it was fun!
That wasn’t the last I saw of the Southern Spiders at that Warped Tour, my next expierence with them would fully turn me into a hardcore fan of all things Pink Spiders. I was walking with some friends past the band tents when one of my friends spots the bright pink and black striped pants of one, Matt Friction(vocals) sitting with the other two members of the band and a huge line of people waiting to meet and photo op with the band. My friend goes, “hey isn’t that the guy from the band you like?!” I get wide eyed at the shock that they actually were badass enough to do a photo op/meet and greet. So I stand in the long line and wait my turn, a little nervious to actually meet them(chalk it up to my shy tendencies of meeting people, let alone rockstars for the first time).
Earlier I signed up for their mailing list so I had a Free demo CD and poster, so i can get signed. I remember when it was my turn, my friends came back from whatever booth they were checking out while I waited in line and we all went up to the band to mingle and get our posters signed and get a picture. We got a picture, i remember being slightly bummed that my friend got to get to pose next to the “guy with the pink and black pants” who i later learned was Matt Friction. lol
After that day, I would forever love The Pink Spiders and two days after that Warped Tour (on 8/1/06) The Pink Spider’s first studio album, “Teenage Graffiti” hit stores and it was on this day that I went out to Hot Topic and bought the album so fast I didnt even stop to look at the price, i was that excited.
When I got home, i turned it on and by the end of the last song I was utterly astounded by how amazing the whole CD was. It was the first album I have ever bought where I literally loved EVERY SINGLE SONG. It was almost unbelievable that a musical act could pull off such an amazing album when so many major label acts would have the first 6 songs be awesome but the rest of the CD is horrible and boring.
I would later attend another show they played two months later when they opened for Good Charlotte, which was ironic because it was not too long after Good Charlotte’s horrible fourth album, i believe, that I would forever hate what they have become when they developed their hollywood egos of “fuck the music, we want the money!” Ironic because had Good Charlotte not disappointed me, I may have not been so open to underground music ie. The Pink Spiders.
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I would later have attended a total of 3 Pink Spiders shows, and develop more of a friendship with the band until summer of 2009 that was the first headlining show of the Pink Spiders career,when Jon Decious and Bob Ferrari would leave the band because of interband dramas.
Matt Friction would continue The Pink Spiders with his friends, Nathan Hansen, Nick Slack, and later Josh Watson, where I would see the NEW Pink Spiders 3 more times and end it with the greatest Pink Spiders concert I’ve ever been to, that happened last March at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago where another absolute favorite band of mine that I came across the same year as I did TPS, a New York band by the name of The Crash Moderns(www.myspace.com/thecrashmoderns).
It was at this show that I would get a shout out and song dedication from Matt Friction on stage. He dedicated their song, “Chicago Overcoat” to me.
I urge every single one of you to pick up any or all Pink Spiders albums. They are all GENIUS!
Listed in order:
“The Pink Spiders Are Taking Over” EP (2003) -this is a rare find that you would have to search for on Limewire or one of those music sharing websites, but if you do find it, it’s a gem of an album. I can’t quite describe it but early and harder rock type Pink Spiders. “Katie Kutthroat” is my favorite because of Matt Friction letting out his inner screamo singer.
Hot Pink (2004) this is easier to find in stores or online, I think it was produced on a indie label before their sign to Geffen records, while half the songs on this album can be found on Teenage Graffiti, all the songs on here are raw and the entire album has the feel of listening to it on vinyl, right down to the scratching sound that a needle has on a record. Check out, “Talk Hard”, I absolutely love the part; “Operator, this is urgent, seems I’ve used too much detergent/My Apartment’s filled with bubbles to the ceiling”
Teenage Graffiti (2006) The first full length, produced by The Car’s frontman, Ric Ocasek! Every song on this album ROCKS. Matt Friction’s vocals is that of a true rock and roll god, perfect voice for rock and roll. I have so many favorite song on this CD but check out “Hey Jane” or “Adalae”, they are slow songs but not like any old slow song, they are slow songs that still have some beat to them, slow songs that WON’T put you to sleep like, say, Hey There Delilha, haha. Also, a few songs on here, like “Soft Smoke”, “Modern Swinger”, “Hollywood Fix” and “Little Razorblade” are also featured on the Hot Pink album but these songs have a more cleaner sound to it.
Sweat It Out (2008) The final Pink Spiders record, released AFTER Jon and Bob left the band, this gem was almost never released but thanks to the amazing Matt Friction for keeping The Pink Spiders alive long enough to put out this album and do some touring support for it, we have it to enjoy, and personally I love this album the best. The band’s sound goes back to “The Pink Spiders are Taking Over” days of a more raw rock and roll sound. Check out “Trust No One” and “Stranglehold” these two songs are the most powerful songs on the album with a truely siiick guitar solo in Trust No One that will blow you away! These two songs, I believe is what considered Matt to finally end The Pink Spiders saga and move to the reincarnation of “Matt Friction and the Cheap Shots” that is more about the straight up, raw REAL rock and roll sound with none of that overproduced shit!
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To get the skinny on the good, the bad and the ugly during the days of the Pink Spiders, check out the band’s Wikepedia page. It will explain everything you would need to know.
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After the Pink Spiders Hiatus, Matt Friction later went on to start a side project: “Matt Friction and the Cheap Shots” which is basically, The Pink Spiders reincarnated but with a more raw and real Rock & Roll sound that is AWESOME: www.myspace.com/mattfrictionandthecheapshots
***There is currently a Cheap Shots album released via the bandcamp page at: http://mfcs.bandcamp.com/
It’s important to start off this Music scouting blog to talk about the influence The Pink Spiders had on me because They are the band that started it all. They are the first band that made me get that feeling of “HOLY SHIT THIS BAND IS AMAZING.” A band that isn’t a bunch of sell outs trying to get their share of the record label money, the first band I’ve truely loved, the first band I will forever love, even though they are technically no more. The band that gave me an ear for straight up amazing and real rock and roll. Ahh, I could go on and on about how Important The Pink Spiders are to the rock scene, my ears, your ears but i think this blog is long enough already.
