Nuts' Five Sock Rocking Musical Experiences of '08

5. Finding a Compilation of Billie Holiday and Lester Young in the $2 dollar bin at Streetlights.

4. Having an intense juke box face off with this killer heavy set middle-aged black lady and her boyfriend at my local watering hole, and having it end in a dance flurry to Bill Wither’s “Harlem” while a super hot chick danced on the bar, and the place was so hopin that the bartender walked around with a bottle of Jameson and poured free shots all around the bar.

3. Going to see a friend’s band play an AA sponsored party at a dive bar where they only served Rockstars, no alcohol, totally new experience/crowd/degree of awesomeness.

2. Last Friday’s start of Jazz in the park on Santana Row, my favorite event here in San Jose besides the Indy Race cars.

1. Getting two bottles of Gentleman Jack from my nightclub alcohol distributor in exchange for the dance mix I had made for the bar/dance floor atmosphere.

Five Standout Singles…

1. “Move On Up” Lettuce feat Dwele.
My number one band that I must see live in an outdoor setting before the summer is over.

2. “Everyday is Sunday” The Slackers
Always will remind me of summer 2008.

3. “The Step and Walk” The Duke Spirit
The first two songs of their new album Neptune has been crucial to my latest pre party, get stoked routine.

4. “Falling” Gaelle

Not a 2008 original, but a golden discovery in an R&B/Soul obsession that I experienced for a few weeks in 08’.

5. “My Problems” Jinnrail
There are a few answers to questions that have always eluded me such as, why do farts in the shower smell way worse than regular farts? Why are there no traditional Indian or Chinese breakfast foods? Did a whole continent miss out on the most important meal of the day? And the last is why do I love songs about drugs and doin it so much? I guess I will never know.

The Slackers @ Stateside

I have to admit, I attended this concert solely on the recommendation of Nightrain, and the only thing I knew about The Slackers was what I read in Nuts' album review and the few songs they have on their MySpace. I was more than pleasantly surprised. The first opener was a forgettable reggae band that sauntered through what seemed like an hour of reggae standards. The songs were probably all originals, but they sounded like your average college reggae band, in it just to say they are in a band. I never caught their name, but they said they were from L.A. After that, Chicago's Deals Gone Bad played an awesome set, with their lead singer producing a soulful sound you would not expect from his bearded, tattooed exterior. Great vocal harmonies with the sax player, and just an all together great performance by the band had everyone in the audience dancing, which was their intent according to the charismatic frontman. Next up, The Slackers took the stage in all their New York skankin glory. The guitarist was sporting the classic black suit, thin black tie and cropped fedora, lookin like he could have modeled for the Op. Ivy logo, and the rest of the band all had unique styles that you'd expect from veteran hipsters. They rocked the house, some highlights included "Every Day Is sunday" and a cool cover of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive". After playin their set, the crowd disappointed with their inability to produce an encore clap, prompting the sax player to come to the stage and ask "You want to hear some more music, or what?" This got a rise from the crowd, and they came out and rocked for another half hour or so. All in all this was an awesome show, well worth the $14 I would normally never shell out to see a band that I hadn't previously listened to, and I can confidently reccomend you check out The Slackers and/or Deals Gone Bad live if you ever get the chance. On a side note, this night began with the random appearance of a couple "robots" with a boom box strapped to the back of one that was tuned to a radio station that somehow kept tuning in and out from reggae music to mexican music. Interesting to say the least.

The Slackers - Self Medication (2008)

Some things in life you really love. But somehow it seems they get lost amongst the daily chore shuffle, the laundry list of "needs to get done". Then, from out of nowhere, these forgotten treasures find their way back into our lives and are 100 times sweeter. Example. Ordering a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich from my favorite pizza joint as a change of pace, only to rediscover how perfect a good sandwich can be. White Russians also come to mind. After I get one, I'm always asking myself "Man, how come I never get these more?" which is followed by the two strangers next to me at the bar saying in unison, "I'll have one of those too." The Slackers are one of those bands that I always play as a change of pace and end up asking myself "Why don't I play these guys more often?", and then get asked by ten people "Who is this?" and "Can I get a copy of this?"

The Slackers are a Ska band with a bit more reggae than punk feel. Vic Ruggiero is the main singer/songwriter, but this band seems to be always trying new things, and is almost like a jam band for very talented musicians. This new album is no exception, lots of guest musicians with a very creative individual sound, mixing reggae, rock, jazz, and soul. A couple tracks are a little too out there, and I subsequently skip them, but overall a very solid record from a very jazzy band.

"Every Day is Sunday" is an awesome jam which I cannot wait to play at my next BBQ. "Leave Me" and "Don't You Want A Man" will also be instant summer time classics. An example of the experimental side would be their "Estranged" track. It sounds like a carnival ride on shrooms, fun and delightful but in a disturbing sort of way.