Sid Luscious and The Pants

Our demographic and gigs

2011-12-23T07:22:00.000-08:00

One of the downsides to being an aging pop star is that generally, your fans get old, too.

Being me, I take advantage of all the best technologies, stay the hell out of the sun, and eat right. so I still look pretty good.

But then I look out at the audience, and realize these are my people...

Anyhow, this is a good example of what some of our gigs are like:

Make sure you press the "snowflake" button.

PS that's not The Pants in the background. I believe it is Built To Spill or maybe The Arcade Fire.

Behind the Times?

2011-11-11T10:05:00.001-08:00

I did, in fact, model for this cartoon. Thanks, Drew!

http://www.marriedtothesea.com/archives/2011/Nov/

Funny because it's true, part 11

2011-11-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Wonderella knows what's what.

The Truth About Music Videos

2011-10-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

From this great new book "I Want My MTV":

STEWART COPELAND, The Police: I grew to understand that videos were mainly about getting our singer's face out there. Because it was so pretty. That's the way it goes. Drummers learn that lesson pretty early in life. Guitarists never quite learn that lesson. Drummers and bass players, we're over it.

So true, so true.

Anyhow, this book is highly recommended. You'll note a shocking lack of stories about Yours Truly within - the product of the continuing industry omerta about Sid Luscious and The Pants, and what they did to us!

Coldplay nails it, creates a perfect pop album

2011-10-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Man, this new Coldplay record is great. I wish I'd made it.

This review explains it all!

"...tugs the heartstrings like it's dragging a sofa upstairs..."

Read this review and understand what I (and hopefully the rest of The Pants) aspire to every minute of every day!

Show TODAY at Thee Parkside, San Francisco

2011-08-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Come see us!

Saturday, August 13 · 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Thee Parkside
1600 17th Street
San Francisco, CA

All Pop Stars Are Fake

2011-06-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

It turns out that one of Japan's newest pop stars is a fake.

The lovely and talented Eguchi Aimi of AKB48 does not exist. She's a virtual star, and one cleverly created as a composite of all of her bandmates. This sort of bums me out because I was working on a social media project which was going to have us Tweet virtual dates in real-time while simultaneously working on a special album collab project. But now the secret is out, and the project is off.

Of course she's Japanese. I've written before about Bandroids and Japan's cutting-edge technologies in this area. It would appear the Japanese, like me, realized that robots are too 20th century, and that going computer-generated/virtual makes a lot more sense:
"no hardware". Hardware is complex, messy, and unreliable. Just like the humans you're trying to replace.

Software, on the other hand, is cheap, malleable, and just gets better and better. The pros have been using software instead of recording machines for 20 years. The last 10 years have seen software versions of instruments swallow hardware instruments like a python devouring a gazelle. Listen to most of the records in the top 10 right now: The vocals are edited, tuned, and overdubbed. The drums aren't real drums, or if they were at some point, they've been edited and snapped into a grid, and all "imperfect" hits replaced with better ones. The synths are software. Any old acoustic instruments you hear are almost certainly samples. If you hear electric guitar or bass, assuming it's "real", it's being run through a software amp simulator and not a hardware amp. And so on.

Before you guys go all country/blues/authentic on me and start complaining there's something wrong with this, remember that all pop stars are fake. All of them.

It was ever thus, but let's start with the current round of meatbag pop tarts (there are of course a few exceptional exeptions). They have fake names, "perform" other people's songs, often by lip-syncing to heavily processed backing tracks sung by other pros, while dancing routines a pro choreographer created or stole from someone else, while dressed in clothes someone else picked out and/or designed for them. You can put in Ke$ha's name here, or Katy Perry, or really any pop singer from the 1950s on.

How is this different than a cartoon? Or look at Gorillaz, who are literally cartoons!

Paula Abdul was sued many years ago. Allegedly she didn't really sing the tracks on her breakthrough album, and failed to give the woman who sang the "guide tracks" credit and cash. I have it on good authority that not only was this true, but that Abdul's people wiped the evidence from the masters during the trial.

None of that makes "Straight Up" any less awesome, or any of the hits under these pop brands any less fun, artistic, or great.

I mean, there's no guy named "Coke". The Keebler Elves aren't real. And Willard Scott aside, there has never been a real Ronald McDonald. Those are artificial entities created to sell product. Just like pop stars. And just as advertising evolves beyond using unreliable, fallible humans to sell their ideals, music is catching up as well.

Most of your country stars are about as "authentic" as Country Time Lemonade. Shania Twain is Canadian, and her then-husband producer was also responsible for such authentic records as Def Leppard's "Hysteria", The Cars' "Heartbeat City", and much of Bryan Adams' oeuvre. Most country stars sing hits written by the pro songwriter community, which counted the late great Scotsman Stuart Adamson (of new wave geniuses Big Country) and Diane Warren, a Jewish woman from Van Nuys (who wrote mega hits for Leann Rimes and Trisha Yearwood) amongst their ranks.

Sammy Hagar says he's only been to a few great parties in his life and has been mining those memories for lyrics and attitude ever since.

Ziggy Stardust didn't exist. There's no Sergeant Pepper and no Lonely Hearts Club Band. Mick Jagger wasn't a street-fighting man, he was a business student at the London School of Economics. The Beach Boys weren't surfers, they were from the suburbs.

You can go as far back as you want (Shakespeare's female characters were all Dudes Looking Like Ladies), but you get the point.

Look, it's about perfection and selling illusion (and that's all entertainment is - illusion). The audience doesn't want to see human beings up there (no matter what they say), they want Greek gods and embodiments of ideals.

That's what the audience has been conditioned to expect over the years. It started the minute we put someone on a stage, and as technology has evolved, the illusion has evolved, too. The internet is very nearly the apex, since it's nothing but doctored digital data about everything. Everything is permitted, nothing is real.

It's just like the perfectly airbrushed and completely unrealistic models used in every magazine and in every photograph. Eguchi Aimi is airbrushing taken to its logical conclusion - she's all airbrush.

Here's her band in action. Like it or not, here come tha future:

Here's the "Making of Eguchi Aimi":

Japan, I tip my hat to you. Well played. I can't wait to work with and listen to her children.

I'm just pissed I didn't think of this first. But probably not as pissed as Florian of Kraftwerk!

Louis C.K. on being famous and older

2011-06-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

In this surprisingly good Pitchfork interview, Louis C. K. says:

Pitchfork: Right now seems like a particularly up moment in your career. Is there any security in that?

C.K.: Oh, Christ, no. It's still show business and based on people going, "I like that guy," which can evaporate on a global level in an instant. Through all the years of ups and downs, I've picked up a lot of skills and learned ways to take care of myself. I do feel more security now, but it's because the recent downs have not been as bad; when I fall from where I am now, I won't fall as far. I'll be OK.

That is about as succinct an explanation of show biz and success that I can think of. The most well-adjusted show biz folks are the ones who are able to back off a bit and think about "doing what they want" rather than "everyone needs to like me".

Sometimes that means you take a smaller paycheck, sometimes it means a change in your risk level.

The Pants haven't played a lot this year, but we make each show special.

See you soon!

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

2011-06-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

If someone had made a picture of me during the years most people are in college, it would have probably looked like this (that's me on the right):

Courtesy Jeph Jacques of the sublime Questionable Content

Bill Withers: Music Industry Casualty

2011-06-12T23:15:00.000-07:00

I watched this documentary "Still Bill" over the weekend, all about Bill Withers. Who is Bill Withers, you say?

Bill wrote some of the finest songs ever, including "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", and "Lean On Me". His other big hits include "Grandma's Hands", "Just The Two Of Us", and "Who Is He (And What Is He To You?)". Any one of those gets you into The Master Songwriters' Club for life. Nailing that many gets you a chair with your name on it.

And Bill did all that without knowing, in his words "an F sharp from 9th Street". He also had a hardscrabble upbringing in a coal town in West Virginia. Apparently he stuttered badly until his late 20s.

But when you hear him sing, that voice...that is a timbre that you are just born with. Sid may have a nice voice, but Bill Withers has a beautiful instrument. His phrasing is masterful, instinctual, and just perfect.

His melodic ear is brilliant - his melodies can be melancholy, wistful, and slightly dangerous. His songs are both instantly familiar and yet surprising.

Despite all that, Bill is sort of a forgotten figure in the music business these days, and that's sort of how he wants it. Maybe. He made his last album of new material in 1985, a year after our own debut was recorded.

He says he's been writing this whole time, but not finishing anything. Working in his own studio a little. Scribbling tons of fragments here and there, all the time. But mostly he says he's been goofing off, being a little lazy, enjoying his comforts. Raising his kids.

This happens sometimes. The Muse is fickle, and the fire you have as a young person, desperate to prove yourself, can get stifled, dimmed, or put out by even a modest amount of financial success or emotional validation.

Put another way, many of my L.A. friends have all kinds of intimacy issues. They all wanted or needed to be on stage having hundreds of people professing their love because they couldn't find a single person offstage who would do that. And once a few of them found that bliss in their personal lives, their artistic life was done.

That don't mean you gotta suffer to create, though. Success in the biz comes through work. That means you pick up your axe and you write, you get out there in front of people and play. Because that is what you do, what you love, and because you need to pay your entourage. You have people depending on you.

One of my music teachers told me never to get a day job. He said "Don't do it. You'll end up with a good job, and you'll get a nice stereo and a nice house and a nice car and then pretty soon you'll get used to all of it and you won't want to give it up. And then you won't be able to focus on your music anymore."

I've seen that take down some folks too. I guess some people stop being hungry after they eat, you know?

I'm not sure if he just lost the spark. I know Bill really didn't like the biz part of the music business. He liked the singing OK, but the rest of it - the record company guys, the recording, the touring - not so much. He was lucky in that he got big enough that he could pick and choose, and had a good enough head on his shoulders to appreciate what he had.

Sometimes that machine just beats your desire out of you, and sometimes even moreso when you're successful. Once you've had a few Bill Withers-size hits, you don't need to take shit from nobody. You don't feel like making a record, you don't have to. And you sure don't have to listen to people who haven't (and never will) have Bill Withers-size hits tell you what to do and how to do it.

But maybe he just didn't want to cheapen his legacy. He's also a perfectionist about his writing, and says he just hasn't been that inspired. He doesn't want to repeat himself either. This, I can respect.

The downside to being a pro entertainer (as opposed to an artiste) is that you have to ship new product constantly. Many of the pros I know see their fanbase like a crop - they tend to them, water and feed them each year, and then harvest some cash by putting out something new. Doesn't matter whether it's "good" or "interesting" or "creative". It's something for the fans to buy. It's breakfast cereal, not timeless art or frozen architecture or whatever great music is.

I mean, hell, I've written a few good songs and part of me wants to just throw my hand up like George Costanza and leave the room. What if my next song isn't as good as "Lifestyle Magazine Lifestyle"? What if my next 30 aren't? I sure don't want to make a record so bad it makes people think less of my good records.

So comfort, hassle, quality control...maybe some combination of those things is why Bill's shop has been closed for so long.

Bill is over 70 now, but you'd barely know it from watching him and listening to him. Tons of energy, sharp as a razor. I aspire to his level of calm, cool, and self-assuredness. I wanna be like him when I grow up.

In the last few years apparently he's gotten interested in working again. Maybe he's realizing he doesn't have too many days left. Maybe he's bored. Anyhow, I hope he does something he's proud of. I can't wait to hear what he does next!

Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine"

Bill Withers "Use Me"

Also Sasha Frere-Jones wrote a nice article.

Martin Rushent, 1948-2011

2011-06-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Martin Rushent died over the weekend.

Martin had a knack for taking "outside" music - electronic or punk - and making it not just fit on radio, but making it a smash hit without losing what made it unique.

Rushy engineered for some of the 70s biggest and best acts: T. Rex and Fleetwood Mac are the first ones that come to mind.

You know him best for his groundbreaking work with The Human League: he produced "Dare", their breakthrough album featuring "Don't You Want Me". He also worked with many other important bands of the 80s, including The Stranglers, XTC, and The Go-Gos.

I knew Martin best for the great job he did with Buzzcocks. He produced their legendary and perfect albums, including the essential "Singles Going Steady", the masterful "Love Bites", and the arty "A Different Kind of Tension". When I first heard these, they were all I listened to for about 3 months.

But the record that really blew me away was Pete Shelley's "Homosapien", which fused electronics to strummy acoustic guitar, rock beats to dance beats, and was able to be poppy like Buzzcocks but sounding unlike anything else.

This sound, this idea...that was all Martin. And that was the record that caught the ear of the Human League. Because they knew Pete Shelley couldn't play synth, and Martin couldn't play synth...so what was doing all that? It was a sequencer! And yet it was clearly a pop song and radio-friendly, not like the proto-industrial dirges they'd been writing. And The Human League started wondering what they could do with Martin...

"Don't You Want Me" was a big deal because it had tons of keyboards and a drum machine (all electronic, in fact), but it wasn't some novelty record. It was electronic music but not cartoony space robot music. It was a perfect pop song like any other that just happened to be synthesizer-based.

What few people did know about Martin was that he suffered crippling depression coinciding with (and possibly caused by) some issues with the bands he produced. In his words:

"I ended up a virtually bankrupt single dad with three kids, and had to sell my home and studio to pay off my bills…I didn't know what clinical depression was, but that's what I had. I could barely make a cup of tea and for a year I drifted like a soul lost."

This was a man who felt things. He understood the record business thoroughly. I desperately wanted him to produce The Pants' first album, and we were in discussions about having mix a track on our new record when he passed.

For better or for worse, there is a direct line from Martin's work to today's shiny pop music, including enabling technology to take over without anyone caring or batting an eye. Green Day owes their career to him, as do their totally denatured copycats Blink-182, Sum 41, and just about any other bunch of kids with colored, pointy hair and buzzsaw guitars, or a bunch of blinking lights.

I miss him already. I hope wherever he is, they have a kettle on and fresh tape on the reels.

Allison Moyet on the curse of the hit

2011-05-04T08:01:00.001-07:00

The wise and mighty Allison Moyet said this:

"...hits really can be the bane of your life. People don't see that songs are like a diary of where you were at when you were 22, and then you're 23 and think something different and at 24 something different again. It's like you are forever tied to your hits and that's a fucking pain in the arse, because what is appropriate for you musically then isn't appropriate later on."

She's totally right. It's also tough trying to top yourself. Think back to when you were in your late teens and early 20s. Think about how perfect you were, how confident, how energetic, how young...hard to best that 20 years later.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't try, or that you can't do something different.

And now, of course, one of her hits!

Simple Songs and Success

2011-05-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Anu has been writing a lot these days. Good for him. He even name-dropped me in a post trying to drum up some linkbait or SEO or something. No worries. I don't mind - I do this all the time (Justin Bieber naked with lesbians!)

Anyhow. There was that quote from Beethoven. Know what I think? Beethoven is a dope. Making 'a little extra money' is the whole point! Keep It Simple, Sell!

Anu mentioned "simple songs". Yeah, this is the way to roll. When I sit down to write, I'm thinking about a lot. "Emotion recollected in tranquility", for sure, except that I figure if you amp up the situation you get something even more powerful.

But more than that, I'm thinking about how to write something that will sell. BIG. Short list of things it's gotta include:

"Don't bore us, get to the chorus" Does it hit the chorus in the first 30 seconds? (It used to be 60 seconds, but the iPod generation has lopped that down. Many hits now START with the chorus)
"If you want that bling, you gotta make it ring" Does it have a hook that works as a ringtone? That means a simple monophonic melody that a synth can reproduce or that will play back well over a tiny phone speaker
You have to have a danceable beat. Every top 10 song ever has.

There really is a formula, and there really are manuals. I've read 'em all (and given away some of my best ideas to friends who've written them).

There's no percentage in writing complicated songs. You're not Cole Porter, and even if you were, people would rather sing "Night and Day" because it's old and associated with a bunch of other things (and maybe even out of copyright).

Writing simple means you have more time for important things, like interviews, promo, touring, and writing hits for other people. Don't slave over it, kids. Bang out your ideas and move on.

James Brown had a "one idea, one song" rule. If he (or more likely, someone in his band) came up with a different idea, that was a different song. End of story. James Brown had a lot of hits. You do the math.

When I was a kid in the 80s, I wrote real simple tunes because I didn't know any better. I was just happy to slap any verse against any chorus and call it done. Then I spent a long time in the wilderness of bridges and vamps and key changes and d-sections and codas and reprises before I came back to the truth: You need a great chorus, and one other part to make people miss the chorus enough to want to hear it again. MAYBE you put in one more bit if you must.

I like Beethoven as much as the next guy, but when I'm listening to the 1812 overture, I'm thinking "why can't we have the cannon part NOW?" (And how come nobody has sampled that yet?)

New Pants record is coming. I'm working on it. Gotta finish a few more songs. The trick isn't writing them...the trick is the chopping them down to the leanest meanest, essential bits, so they're all hook and no fat.

See you soon, Pantfans!

Bob Geldof: Why Can't It Change?

2011-02-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

Everybody knows Sid isn't interested in "political" music. Nobody can dance to it and it won't get you laid. Or rich.

Sid has mad respect for Bob Geldof. His old band, The Boomtown Rats, made some great records. He'll probably be remembered more for Live Aid and Band Aid and the antics of his daughter "Peaches", and also for naming his daughter "Peaches".

But he's a righteous dude with a nice sense of humor and the right priorities. His new album is called "How To Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell". I can certainly appreciate that - it's what I do!

Read this interview.

Photos from Great American Music Hall

2010-12-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Rusty & Merin of Soma.FM took some great photos of Sid Luscious and The Pants performing at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on December 1, 2010 as part of the Silicon Valley Rocks Charity event!

See the whole set here.

Sid Luscious plays Great American Music Hall for Silicon Valley Rocks Charity

2010-11-22T20:23:00.000-08:00

You know, for kids!

First: Go buy tickets. If you tell 'em you're our friend, you get $5 off by clicking here: http://svrocks2010.eventbrite.com/?discount=sidluscious5off

But that shouldn't matter, because it's for a good cause: music education.

Second, Silicon Valley Rocks is a benefit for Music in Schools Today:
http://www.mustcreate.org/

They only ask special people to play. Like everything else in the music business, it's all about who you know. Of course, they have a bunch of tech folks playing in these bands. Then they realized that hey, you know, you might want some "experts" on the bill.

So our agent gets the call, and we're showing up as ringers for this one. Looking forward to it.

We'll also be sporting a new drummer for this gig. Dante's taking a little break, and in his place is the extremely capable Captain Leasure.

We'll be throwing down a short-but-sweet set as a way of saying thanks, and we'll be back with a new album and more shows in 2011.

PS new songs posted soon.

Sid Luscious Interviewed by Silicon Valley Rocks

2010-11-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

As part of the run-up to our big show at Great American Music Hall, we've been interviewed by Silicon Valley Rocks!

These modern interviews are much easier than the old-fashioned kind. Back in the 20th century, the press actually sent someone to you - a reporter, and often a photographer. These folks would follow you around for some period of time - sometimes it was just a lunch, but sometimes it was a week or more of being shadowed. Of course eventually you forget you've got someone taking notes about everything you're doing and you slip up. You're human. Next thing you know, your manager is figuring out a way to bribe the press team to keep them quiet about your Doritos "problem" or arranging for a "mugging" where their equipment can be stolen.

Now, you get questions e-mailed ahead of time. You send back draft answers and you knock 'em back and forth until everyone is happy. Maybe less "exciting" for the readers, but here in the music business, we value certainty!

2010-09-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

We have some footage from our last show at the Portola Festival:

More coming soon...

GIG: Portola Festival, Sunday, September 26, 2010

2010-09-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

We're playing the fantastic Portola Festival on Sunday, September 26, 2010.

Come see us!

The Music Business in One Photo

2010-09-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

A picture is 1,000 words. Image courtesy of Gizmodo.

Breaking training with Sid Luscious

2010-09-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

As you no doubt have heard, Sid Luscious and The Pants have a show coming up. Since I'm no spring chicken, I've had to start training to get back into fighting/singing/performing shape.

When The Pants first got back together, I was shocked at how physically demanding performing had become. I'd finish practice sweating and winded, barely able to make it through our sets (and that was before we added the dance routines). It seemed so much easier when we were 15.

Now I know better, and I prepare physically and mentally. Doing so this time around has brought up all sorts of memories and thoughts for me.

The record business has always thrived on young, thin, good-looking kids to populate magazines, TV, movies, and stages. According to Hollywood, being fat is worse than not being able to sing, play instruments, dance, or write songs. If you're looking to be a star, you are seriously better off working on your abs than on your act.

So of course, I had to stay in shape, then and now.

I was born in the 60s, and started training regularly in the early 1980s. Things were different then, back in the 20th Century: The post-Pumping Iron era. Jane Fonda's workout videos. Olivia Newton-John singing "Physical" (a #1 hit). Aerobics were new. Leotards for everyone!

Some of the conventional training wisdom of the day:

Carbs are good, fat is bad. Eat carbs, avoid all fat!
Steroids are perfectly OK
Serious bulk for dudes. Lift heavy weights!
Otherwise, run your ass off (in every sense) with Jim Fixx. Maybe using HeavyHands or ankle weights.
Leg warmers are acceptable for everyone. Headbands, too.
Train until it hurts. Then train more.
If all that fails, just stop eating (also known as the 1,000 calorie-per-day Scarsdale diet), or try the fake Mayo "egg" diet, or drugs.

It was, to say the least, a lot of bad ideas. Couple that with a renewed desire to train kids hard - a product of new tennis prodigies like Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini, the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, and movies like "The Karate Kid" and Rockys I, II, and III, Flashdance, Fame, and of course, the wonder that is Perfect and what do you get?

In my case, you get a supposed "ex-drill sergeant" having you drink raw eggs at 6 am on a Sunday before running you around the reservoir in a rubber suit until you either throw up or collapse.

You get to be 16 years old waking up at 5 am sore, running a few miles to the gym so you can do your morning workout, then going to school or the studio until the day is over, then going back to the gym for the evening workout, then trying to do homework before you fell asleep exhausted to start the whole thing over again.

And they try to get you to like it, to be grateful, to have a positive mental attitude. "It's for your own good", right?

Kids are weird, though. They can't really understand how messed up it all is, and they can still take some pride in accomplishments, whether it's winning a trophy, a smile from a demanding parent or coach, or setting a new personal best. At the time, it didn't seem all that unusual, just...difficult.

Kids' bodies just can't take that kind of punishment for long, and things break or wear out. I managed to escape with a permanently broken bone in my foot, some vertebral degradation, a wacky metabolism, and a little demon constantly whispering in my ear about how I look.

Many of my friends fared worse, ending up with temporary or permanent eating disorders (if they were lucky) and temporary or permanent drug problems (if they weren't). Some had wrecked knees at 16. Some had shredded rotator cuffs at 18. Regardless, we all got spat out of the machine with damaged bodies and body images.

Though I have to say we were damn good looking. All of us. I'd kill to look that good today. Plastic surgery, while an option for some, is just not going to cut it for El Sid.

The 90s were a rough time. I was both the thinnest I've ever been and the fattest I've ever been. Bad eating habits all around. A compulsion to exercise and little enjoyment about any of it. My fondest memories are of playing basketball with my friend Ian on weekends. My worst memories are consecutive weeks of hearing the alarm go off at 5 am and rolling out of bed so tired I literally could not see straight until I was halfway to the gym.

Now it's the 21st century. I find myself on the treadmill again, acutely feeling the impact of every step. After all these years of beating up my body, it's finally learned to beat back. I see myself in the mirror, and the little demon whispers in my ear and starts pointing out all the flaws.

Nobody said it would be easy. It never was, and never is. The effort is what separates the pros from the amateurs. But this time around, I'm going to appreciate and enjoy every bit of it - the hard parts and the painful parts as much as the joyous parts.

Older, wiser, still good-looking. What more could you want from your rock stars?

A brief trip to Musician's Hell

2010-08-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday. Time was I'd wake up after noon, roll down to King's Road Café or some other amazing L.A. breakfast joint, have my people bring me a bowl of coffee and some carbs, and read Rolling Stone. Maybe I'd go program a synth or play guitar later. Relax and enjoy the day. But that was a long time ago.

Today, I have to get microphone stands for our rehearsal room. No more fancy catered rehearsals with roadies to get all the rented gear set up. Our current set of mic stands has seen better days. I'm one of the only Pants that has both a valid credit card and is allowed into most music retail establishments.

I drive down to Guitar Center. This is akin to Orpheus descending into Hades. No musician I know enjoys going to Guitar Center. During the best of times, it has an ambiance that makes Best Buy feel like Tiffany's. And there's a vibe worse than a used-car dealership: You know you're getting ripped off, you're just not sure how. Then there's the "help". As in no help.

I've posted other videos before, but this one succinctly captures the essence of what I'm trying to convey as few others could:

Now imagine spending 30-60 minutes there.

I end up parking several blocks away. San Francisco. Love it. As I stroll uphill, I pass several tour buses. Apparently some artist must be playing a nearby venue.

As I walk, I pass by a long line of pasty, black-clad teens. OK. Must be some sort of doom/goth/metal/industrial outfit. The kind with long hair, distortion, and Cookie Monster vocals. Piercings and dyed hair. Fat dudes standing next to waifish girls with incredible racks. Bulky dudes with "Security" windbreakers stand on the corners and help the guys with the laminated passes find the side entrance.

I sigh. The good old days. I remember being the kids waiting in line. And I remember being the guys on the bus, too.

Into Guitar Center I go. I figure I'll go check out the state of the art in synthesizers. They're kept in the back room. Where apparently a single light bulb is working. Recession, I guess. In this black pit, there are no fewer than 3 keyboards with chattering, cheap-sounding drum loops spinning out of sync. I turn them off.

There isn't much to see. There are a few really nice boards set up, and a plethora of cheap synths that feel like toys but are priced under $500. Naturally, they're all missing knobs and still have the packing plastic stuck on top of their buttons. It's just depressing. I bust out some Erik Satie on the Nord Stage Piano.

Time to go, I have to get to the gym, and this place smells like old socks and flop sweat.

The mic stands are up in the front, by the guitar pedals. Guitar Center carries 3 different mic stands, priced at $39, $49, and $59 each. The difference? Well, it's hard to tell, because they're all in boxes. Ask the help? They don't know. But I do.

Pro tip: Cheap mic stands aren't worth it. Pay the extra $10 or $20 and get something that will last. The cheap mic stands will strip their screws and leave you with a floppy boom that no amount of Viagra or duct tape will fix. And don't over-tighten them.

I load up with 3 mic stands and flop them on the counter. Which is when the longhair behind the counter asks if he can help me. "Yeah, you can ring these up for me." We move to the other register on the other side of the store. Why? I don't know.

I am subjected to the "receipt check" and allowed to leave the store. Now I have to carry these mic stands back to the car. I pass the kids standing in line for the metal show, pass the tour buses all in a row. My arms are tired.

I miss the days when I didn't have to deal with this stuff. When I had people. Walking by the kids and the buses, I just feel old. Another weekend musician dropping cash on the boring stuff: Mic stands. Guitar strings. Cables. A strap.

It's like that sometimes. The road isn't easy, but it's the one I'm on.

The Pants Reboot, and a Dream

2010-07-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Reboot
Last night the nearly-complete 2010 model of Sid Luscious and The Pants rehearsed for the first time.

Getting a band back together and playing for the first time is always a little nerve-racking. It's like meeting an old lover.

Will they be so fat they're nearly unrecognizable?
Will they be shockingly ageless?
Hotter than ever?

Appropriately, The Pants are like putting on your favorite pair of old jeans.

Dante's got a new drum kit. Pony's got hair again (and I think it's his, this time). Foxx Trott is holding down the low end. Naturally, there's a new keyboard player. We sounded surprisingly good, and by the time our big festival gig comes up, we'll be in fighting trim.

The Dream
I slept well last night. I had a dream.

I was in a house. It had recently been renovated. New bathrooms, with beautiful, soft white towels with teal stripes. New carpet that felt like beach sand beneath my feet. New paint on the walls. A few pieces of elegant, minimal furniture in the rooms - coming or going? Either someone had recently moved out or was about to move in, or both.

Oddly enough, balled-up newspapers and magazines were stuffed in all the air vents.

I heard voices as I wandered through. Out the windows I could see trees gently waving in a Spring breeze.

I found people in the living room, waiting for me. Some dead friends and relatives, drinking wine and chatting. My parents, together, and happy - before my near-success and the money and everything else drove them apart.

I was suffused with a tremendous and rare sense of peace and well-being. And as the alarm sounded reveille and the dream began to fade, I finally realized where I was:

Home. Home.

So many people have come and gone
Their faces fade as the years go by
Yet I still recall as I wander on
As clear as the sun in the summer sky...

The Monroes: A Story of The Music Biz

2010-07-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

It's no secret the music biz has always been a "a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs." With a negative side, too.

Case Study: The Monroes.
These guys got together. Typical So-Cal dudes who loved playing music. They found a guy with an amazing voice. Name of Jesus Ortiz. Some folks will tell you he renamed himself "Tony Monroe" because all the guys in the band were adopting "Monroe" names as an anagrammatic play on "The Ramones". But part of it is A&R guys wouldn't sign a rock band with a guy with a Hispanic name fronting it.

They write some songs. They play out. They start to generate interest. They sign with a label based in Japan: Alfa Records. They go into the studio and record a fantastic EP, which features a song called "What Do All The People Know?"

"What Do All The People Know?" is a masterpiece of pop songwriting. The melody is strong, the harmonies are pretty. It's catchy. It's everything you want in a song, and it sounds exactly like the 80s.

So this track starts getting tons of local airplay. The kind where you can feel the wave building and you know it's going to break and fling you to the next level in your career. I've felt that wave tug at my heels more than a few times in my life, but never with the force The Monroes must have felt. Probably because I have yet to write a song as good as "What Do All The People Know?"

"You know I told you once tonight that you could always speak your mind
You work so hard to say what's right
I watch you do it all the time"

That's how the song starts, those ambiguous and surprising words sung in a tone melancholy, pleading, and accusing...over a rather peppy synth intro. The song builds from there, piling hook upon hook.

Could you be the girl I really love?
All the people tell me so
But what do all the people know?

That's the chorus, and I love that twist, that question. So surprising. It's full of wonder, but spiced with suspicion. We've all been there, in a new love's first early rush. Your friends all say "you are perfect for each other". They're all trying to push you together. But what do they know? Especially since they only see a small bit of the relationship. And then when you think you understand the narrator and the song, the bridge hits:

Do you think I'm blind to what you do?
Do you think I really care for you?
Or is it just another game
That you and I pretend to play
Do you think we both should let it show?
Do you think we both should let it go?
Or is it just another game
That you and I pretend to play

Just brilliant. I feel it captures that wary circling and feinting of two loves so well. Plus the song has handclaps.

So they're starting to plan tours - they've opened for the big acts of the day: Toto, Rick Springfield, and Greg Kihn. They're starting to think about a video. They're on the Mike Douglas Show (the Oprah of its day).

And then the bottom falls out of their world: Their Japanese label withdraws from the US market. While they're on tour. Their record is at #56 on the top 100. But now they have no money, no tour...they don't even have records to sell.

After a depressing year of regrouping, they manage to get signed to Columbia, but their spirits are sort of broken. Columbia won't release any of their music, and the band can't get out of the deal. They're stuck. They can't write any songs, their audience has vanished. The wave recedes, and the band slowly disintegrates.

They break up and go their separate ways, and the world never gets to see what else they would have done. MTV would have probably crushed these guys anyhow. By the time they were ready to blow up, video was king. These guys were amazing musicians, but they certainly weren't going to compete with Duran Duran, or even A Flock of Seagulls in the image department.

Here they are. The video is from their appearance on the Mike Douglas Show, but it's been edited to fit the recording of the song.

Monroes, I salute you. You guys were amazing. You deserved better!

Welcome Back, Adam Ant!

2010-04-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Music blog The Quietus has a nice interview up with Adam Ant - You'll recall I wrote at length about him. Well worth a read!

It's good to have him back.

When you get a number one
The only way is down
And if you have a sticky patch
They start looking, start looking around
In the night when things go bump
Think of me think
Here comes the grump, here comes the grump
Doctors said "Adam, sex kills"
So come inside and die

- "Here Comes The Grump", Adam Ant

Chilly B is Gone

2010-02-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

Just found out that Bob Crafton, a.k.a. "Chilly B", died. He was one of the founders of Newcleus, known for their great songs "Jam On It" and "Space Is The Place".

I remember hearing "Jam On It" on DC radio when I was a kid. Blew my mind. So funky, so futuristic. I made my own DJ scratch dubs of the track. Wanted to get a synthesizer. Wanted to rap.

Check it out. Hear the icy cold synths and beats brush up against the warmth and joy of the vocals. Electro and rap. So far ahead of its time. Envisioning a future of hope, rather than glorifying hopelessness, guns, and drugs.

Look at that video - that's the joy of music, people. I've been looking for a band, a platform, and a vibe like that for most of my life.

Chilly B is featured at about 1:45. Dig that classic rap cadence and voice. Old school, obviously raised on Kurtis Blow. As Greg Kihn said, "they don't write 'em like that anymore". As Shakespeare said "he was a man, take him for all in all. We shall not look upon his like again."

Newcleus-Jam On It

Whatever happened to T What?!

2009-12-12T08:06:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was downtown, looking for some replacement parts for one of my precision Italian sports cars. Someone comes up to me, and I know the drill - I'm expecting to be asked for an autograph. I figure I can acknowledge that I'm me. I'm all set. And then they say

"What's T What!? doing these days?"

Oh. Sure, T What!?. Stunt guitarist for The Pants. I mentioned that he had been doing some traveling and working on a solo project. But I haven't heard from him in a while, so back at the Pantmansion, I got on the go-phone and tracked him down.

The short answer:

Music for the Holidaze

2009-12-09T08:39:00.001-08:00

Hey Kids. Sid here. It's "The Holidays". Nearly.

I don't know what you think of when you think of Christmas, but here's what I think of: Disappointment. Tension. Yeah, I have a few memories of opening some toy I wanted, but those are fading just like the photographs of the days my parents probably can't find anymore.

I do remember my aunt and uncle gave me some of my first music - "Tattoo You" by the Rolling Stones. "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac.

Christmas, 1983. The band is still in the studio, working on "Life, Style..." On Christmas Day. Hoping to finish so we can go home for dinner. I'm in the vocal booth, having just finished the lyrics and vocals for "Last Song", which was also the last song we were working on.

The album was ready for mixing, and we already had a rough up. The phone rings. It's the label guy. We were being dropped. The album was never going to come out. He was claiming we cost too much money and weren't going to recoup. There were other reasons, too, but I'm not going into them here.

Over a year of hard work, and our whole teenage lives, gone. The band leaves the control room to go smoke or drink or cry or whatever. They don't notice me still in the vocal booth, in the dark. I slip out the back, my Schott leather jacket barely keeping the chill off. I walk nearly a mile before I can hail a cab and just tell him to drive...and I disappear for a long, long time.

There are other Christmases I could write about with similar stories, but instead, I'll focus on the positive.

In July of 1983 back when The Pants were still The Next Big Thing, we were asked to participate in some network Christmas special. I think Carl Sagan was hosting or involved or something. I remember Ewoks or Muppets or Gremlins or Goonies. It's all a little vague. The band couldn't make it, but the agent insisted that I did. So I turned up and did a nice little rendition of "Winter Wonderland".

Of course, after the band was dropped, they cut the segment from the special and it never aired (if anyone ever finds a YouTube video, please let me know!). But I managed to dig up a copy. We were going to put it on a flexi and send it out to the fan club.

Hope you like it, and Merry Holidays.

Dancing With The Stars

2009-10-28T07:19:00.001-07:00

So my manager calls me yesterday. Yes, I was surprised, too. I thought he was dead, or at least playing dead. But it was really him. Of course...bad news.

He tells me it turns out they "made a mistake" on my taxes. Supposedly I owe Uncle Sam...well, let's just say it's a lot. But he's got it figured out. He's got me booked on "Dancing With The Stars". Cash plus promo. "Really?" I say, that's actually great!

"Well...it's not exactly 'Dancing With The Stars', but it's close" he says. "Oh, that other one, 'So You Think You Can Dance?'" He pauses and says "...not exactly."

This continues for a bit. Long story short, it's filmed "overseas" and it's "on the Internet". Whatever. The important thing is I end up making money (and surprise, so does my agent).

Now I have to learn what the kids are calling dancing these days. So I got this video:

Yeah. Good news is this ain't exactly learning the Virginia Reel (though I can do that, too. Thank you, elementary school!) Also I think I now have all the song titles for my next solo album!

Humans and Bands

2009-10-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Jay Reatard fired his whole band. As you can see, Jay's a class act.

Been there, though. Sometimes you gotta give 'em the boot. They have a job to do, they're supposed to do it. In Jay's case, they're not "contributing". Jay writes the music. The band is named after him - it's his group.

It's not easy managing a band. It's somewhere between running a volunteer organization and being married to multiple partners. A tricky balance, requiring a wide personnel/personal skill set.

Many bands like to talk about how they're "democracies" where everyone writes and contributes to the music, vision, etc. It's true some bands do work this way, but very few. Or at least very few successful bands.

Look, Picasso didn't have a bunch of other people coming in to doodle on "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon". Shakespeare and Stephen King didn't have some of their teenage school friends dropping by to scribble a few lines or tell them they didn't think the second verse "worked". Frank Lloyd Wright didn't bring in some "session architects" to add some parts to the Johnson Wax building.

Heard of "the auteur theory"? It applies to bands, too. I've met a lot of band members and musicians in my day. Hell, I've been a lot of band members and musicians in my day. Mostly they want to stand in the back and play. And sleep with the significant others of the rest of the band members. Sure, they're all egomaniacs, but not all of them crave the spotlight enough to do the work.

But they're still people. Messy, fucked up people. So here's the inevitable solution.

To be honest, this isn't exactly new. When The Pants were touring through Germany, Florian from Kraftwerk got a little tore up on schnapps and gin and started talking about how he was going to replace his whole band with what he called "Bandroids".

Typically, he was overreaching and way beyond what the technology could deliver - he talked about creating an entire label of Bandroid acts, eventually evolving things to what he called "maschine für maschine" - music by and for machines. Then he started talking about robot bicycles. I left him with T What?! and went back to the bar. That's all I remember.

Anyhow. Bandroids replacing humans - it's closer than we think!

Peter Hook Faked Ian Curtis' Autograph. Piker!

2009-10-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

So Hooky admits that, maybe, you know, a couple of times he might have faked Ian Curtis' autograph.

Yeah, so what. To tell you the truth, I've faked Hooky's signature. Also Simon LeBon's, Mike Score's, Cy Curnin's, Jonathan Brandis', and once, when I was real messed up, Kevin Bacon's.

Every time, I managed to snag something between a fin and a Benjamin. Here's how it goes down: It's pretty much always night time. I'm out at a restaurant or club, keeping a low profile. Some giggly woman comes up and says "excuse me, are you Peter Hook?".

I smile, affect a terrible English accent, and reply "of course, luv." They start gushing about how much they love New Order and inevitably a request for an autograph follows, with a shakily extended piece of paper.

I look to one side as I'm pulling the Sharpie I always carry out of my pocket and say "sure, 20 bucks". More or less, depending on how I'm feeling.

Now before you all get up in arms, every successful singer I know does this. When you're almost famous, you get recognized all the time - just as somebody else. In the mid 90's L.A., I couldn't leave the house without getting "recognized" as actor Jonathan Brandis. Of course, the more you deny it, the more they're sure you're him.

The best part about this is that everybody wins. I get some cash and/or free drinks. The fan gets a special experience and a good story. And Hooky gets taken down a peg, because inevitably said fan will tell everyone he charged them for an autograph!

Anyhow, in today's music business, the conventional wisdom is "the music is now free, so sell what can't be copied". You know what can't be copied? Special moments. A connection between an artist and a fan. And also my faked version of Simon LeBon's signature.

Some of my more-broke musician friends think this is appalling. They think it should be about the music or something. They say musicians are supposed to produce music, not meet-and-greets, dinner dates, web chats, and (possibly faked) signatures. Then they try to sell me a t-shirt.

But sports fans have no problem standing in line for hours for an autograph factory like A-Rod at a "sports convention", and that's after buying tickets to games for hundreds of dollars. The secondary market for memorabilia is blowing up. Why can't I get in on this?

Music's being downloaded for free, like it or not. I gotta get paid somehow, like all my friends who play guitar. While I was "missing", I know people were passing around fake Sid Luscious merch, bootlegs, and so forth. Not to mention all the 80s band who ripped off my sound and look. I think of this as karmic (and actual) payback. What's a pop star to do?

And let me tell you, some of these people that come up to you and ask for autographs, these "fans" - they're creepy as hell. No musician will admit it in print, but most of them are terrified when people come up and start freaking out about how much they love you and how great they think your music is.

What's going through our heads is "Mark David Chapman". What we're not saying is "that song you think is so special? I wrote that in about 15 minutes because we needed 4 more minutes of material on the album."

And don't for a minute think that the "signature" on these things looks like how we actually sign our names. We aren't letting you fake up checks and credit card applications - I made that mistake once. Ok, twice.

Look, I've met lots of famous musicians. Most of them were boring. Or jerks. Yeah, a few were real nice (Eddie Van Halen tops this list). But I never once deluded myself into thinking they'd remember me, and that on the off chance we met again they'd say "hey, how are you, Sid?" Ed gave me a guitar and an amplifier once, but I still bet he couldn't pick me out of a police line-up (actually, I'm banking on that!)

Never confuse the art with the artist. The best thing you can do is simply say "thanks for the music" and walk on. That's all we want. If you want a "connection", buy a CD. Go see a show. Or just make up a story for your friends.

Bassist Audition Tape [Updated]

2009-08-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

Man, y'all do NOT understand the trouble involved with being a (former) rock star. I'm still dealing with line-up changes and people either leaving for other projects or, more likely, a bunch of wannabes trying to hop on my shiny silver coattails for a quick ride to the B-List.

Case in point: Somehow word got out that I might be looking for a new bass player. Don't ask me how. The end result? My inbox is now full of videos like this:

In the old days, I'd just get a cassette with a headshot or a polaroid, and the odd bit of glitter, weed, or broken glass (for "cred"). Now I gotta look at this while I'm trying to wake up?

I should have been an investment banker!

UPDATE: My friend Adam Tober (who is fluent in Japanese) just told me the title of this song translates as "Drink Milk! Do Not Drink Milk!" and at the end is some sort of disclaimer about drinking milk. Go figure.

Pantemonium! in progress: Older Woman

2009-06-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

This track has a heavy Michael Jackson influence. Thought I would tip my shiny hat to the one-gloved master. I hope he's far from pressure and Post-It notes now.

I wanted to try to write something with a little more soul while simultaneously paying tribute to some of our hardest-core fans. Make no mistake - I love the older women. Look at Farrah Fawcett. Smokin' until the end. There are too many to name.

Still on track to have the new album finished before summer's over. Dante's going to paint up a nice cover.

Tell us what you think.

Older Woman (mix 09) MP3

Michael Jackson - Exit, Stage Right

2009-06-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

The dissection and autopsy of Michael Jackson’s life and career will be duly carried out by sources more dispassionate and morbid than me, so I’ll try to be brief.

Dude was weird, no question. But nice, friendly, polite. At least to outsiders. That may seem like a funny thing to talk about, but you’d be surprised at how many famous people (especially the young ones) are complete jerks.

As for the weird, you’d be weird, too, if you had the upbringing he did. I experienced my own bit of precocious youth pressure back in the days of The Short Pants, trying to balance “academic excellence” with “making hit records” and chasing girls. But it was nothing compared to what he went through. The awful family situation. Worse was the early success and life in the spotlight.

I keep thinking about this Rolling Stone article I read back in the late 80s before “Bad” came out. The writer had followed Jackson around and had noticed a Post-It note in his bathroom that just had “100” written on it. (Jackson was way into the motivational Post-It notes).

He asked what that meant, and Jackson replied “I am going to sell 100 million copies of ‘Bad’ – that’s what it means.”

At that time, Thriller had sold about 40 million, making it (for a long time) by far the biggest-selling album ever. It had cameo appearances by Eddie Van Halen, Paul McCartney, and Vincent Price. It was promoted with a fantastic live performance broadcast on TV and backed up by a series of groundbreaking videos. And it hit at a time when the record industry badly needed a modern, catchy, optimistic record with broad appeal.

Thriller would go on to sell 100 million copies.

In short, it wasn’t just a once-in-a-lifetime event, it was a once-in-an-industry event. And Michael Jackson was convinced his next record (ominously named “Bad”) was going to do 2.5 times the business.

Kid stars have it the worst – they grow up knowing nothing but the spotlight. They’re forced to grow up in front of everyone, fumbling for new identities as teens, young adults, and finally, mature adults. I don’t know that Michael ever acknowledged he was getting older. The pressure he placed on himself was enormous.

He didn’t just want to be the best singer and dancer, or write big hits (and unlike many pop stars who take publishing/writing credit in exchange for recording, Michael did write many of his hits - he wrote the main riff for “Beat It”, among other things). He wanted to transform himself and went far to do it. I’m sure the physical, mental and emotional pain he kept himself in was not pleasant.

The kids. Nobody but Michael knows for sure what went on. But when you get to be that rich and that famous, and you’ve been that way your whole life, you can’t trust anyone over 13. Every time you allow yourself to meet someone new, you’re asking “Are they interested in me, the person, or my fame? Or my money? Or something else? Is this a trap?” Hanging out with kids too young to understand his life was the closest he could get to real human interaction. I’m sure he knew it was sort of messed up, too. Think about what that knowledge must have done to him as well.

I hope he is finally free of his demons and those goddamn Post-It notes. If nothing else, he’s at least free of the spotlight.

When I think of Michael Jackson, I think of a summer dance in 1982. His voice echoing off the walls of a Duke University gymnasium, as I danced into the night. I've never been sweatier, funkier, or more lost in the music.

Every night I step up to the microphone and The Pants fire into another song, I am chasing that one moment.
Billie Jean
Wanna Be Startin' Something
Shake Your Body Down To The Ground
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Leave Me Alone

Pantemonium continues: Love Makes You Real

2009-06-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

This week's track-in-progress is "Love Makes You Real".

Close-to-final mix here.

I really like this one. Not just because the chicks go nuts for it, either. Makes me feel sorta lump-in-the-throat when I sing it sometimes. Lots hidden away in such a tiny little song.

Comments?

I was made a hollow man
My head all stuffed with fluff
I thought that was enough
Gears and machinery and fear inside of me
I thought that's all there was to be
I never felt a thing
I never had to sing
I never laughed or cried
I never wondered why

I wonder where you are now
You showed me how to laugh to cry to feel alive
You showed me
Love makes you real

Have you ever felt like you forgot something important
but you can't remember what?
Have you ever had a broken heart?
The kind where it cuts so deep you don't want it to stop?

Sometimes it hurts
It feels like you might burst
But once you're real, you can't go back
Once you're real, it lasts

I want you
I need you now
You showed me how to laugh
to cry
to feel alive
Love makes you real

The Best Song I've Ever Written

2009-06-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Pantemonium! is coming. Work is proceeding slowly, but it is proceeding. Drummer Dante is headed back in for more hand surgery today (we're all wishing him luck) and T What!? is still in China touring with acrobats or whatever his solo project entails.

Me? I've been in the studio mixing.

I'd like to present what I believe is The Best Song I've Ever Written. It's called Summer's Promise. This is the current rough mix. I wrote this song back in 2005. It's based on a true story, as are many of my songs.

The lyrics may be a little corny, but I love the feeling. The melody, the keyboard line, the guitar parts - I don't know how it turned out so good, but I'll take it.

Let me know what you think. Snare drum is too loud or something. But it's very close to done.

It was June and July, it was her and me
It was meant to be
When the heat of the day became the heat of the night
We held each other tight
And we danced
All summer long
And we sang
All summer long

But vacations end and it was time to go
Returning home
On my own
All that year I carried the mark of Summer's promise
On my heart
I would wait for Summer to come
Counting days
Until they all were gone

But Summer's promise never meant to last
She gave her heart and then she took it back
People change and the world spins so fast
Summer's promise never meant to last

Next June arrived
And so did I
With a flower and a smile for her
But the look on her face told me everything had changed
We never talked about it
But there was no doubt

And to this day, I have a scar
Where her promise broke
and cut my heart
and I cried
All summer long

Summer's promise never meant to last
She gave her heart and then she took it back
Feelings change and shatter like glass
Summer's promise never meant to last

ZZ Top - Grandfathers of Electronica and Electroclash

2009-03-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

ZZ Top are criminally underrated. Seriously.

The 3 Texans have had careers longer than most musicians have lives - they started playing together in 1869. They've been savvy enough to get way rich without selling out - they turned down $1 million each from Gillette to shave their beards. They've been doing exactly what they want longer than anyone can remember and people love them for it.

Everyone knows they're cool. But they don't get the respect they deserve, especially these days. Yeah, yeah, they're in the Rock n'Roll Hall of Fame. Don't hold that against them - it doesn't count for anything, and the kids today haven't managed to pick up on how awesome they are. They're too busy listening to Journey and Duran Duran.

ZZ Top never cared what anyone else thought and still doesn't. They played their blues-roots rock for something like 100 years. They wrote great, slightly dirty songs like "I'm Bad...I'm Nationwide", "Tush", and "La Grange".

And then they started getting weird.

They made an album called "Eliminator". Maybe they were bored after making several dozen solid blues-rock records, each with super-solid singles. Perhaps they were savvy enough to understand what tastes were changing to in the 1980s. I like to think it was instinctual rather than calculated.

For "Eliminator", drummer Frank Beard played to a click track and synced and mixed his live drums with a Linn Drum. They took their buzzing distorted guitars and mixed buzzing sawtooth synthesizers in, chugging sequences augmenting the chugging guitars and bass. It's a breathtaking combo, which sounds both raw and polished, timeless and modern.

"Eliminator" sold over 10 million copies, becoming one of the first albums to be certified "Diamond" by the RIAA. Also one of the last, because since the music business threw itself out a window and genres splintered into a million shards, nobody buys records like that anymore.

A big portion of the album's success came from the fantastic videos they made to go along with it. "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs" were the quintessential MTV videos. The band appeared, driving the car on the cover of the album. There were (by 80s standards) high production values, short stories of the band turning ordinary losers into cool people, and of course, hot chicks.

ZZ Top - New Music - More Music Videos

These videos, for all intents and purposes, were the 80s. You wanted to be one of the people in the video. Or grew up looking to find people like the ones in the video to sleep with. The videos supported rather than upstaged or ignored the music. They kept similar cast and stories so the videos all felt part of a piece.

They managed to parlay their success into a song on the hottest movie series of the 80s - the Back To The Future trilogy. And they followed up "Eliminator" with an even more synthesized album, "Afterburner".

Not as charming as the previous record, "Afterburner" sort of sounded like the band on autopilot. But that was also perfect for the 80s zeitgeist. It had more of everything, and some big hits as well. "Rough Boy" is particularly nice, with a clear influence from Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" video, and an icy take on a pop blues ballad.

ZZ Top - New Music - More Music Videos

So what's so special about ZZ Top? Well, since their big breakthrough on "Eliminator", countless other rock bands have tried to combine drum machines, synthesizers, and guitars. The bands who have tried to duplicate ZZ Top's brilliant sound include:

Def Leppard. Their albums with "Mutt" Lange actually surpassed ZZ Top's in technological achievement and sales, but without any of the quirky fun.
Jesus Jones. They don't know it, but they owe a debt to ZZ Top
Nine Inch Nails. Trent acts like he's the first guy to think a drum machine and a distorted guitar would go great together, or that a clever video would help sell a record. Sorry, man. ZZ Top FTW.

I could go on, but I don't need to shame anyone else. They know who they are. Stealing from the greats without paying respect. But not Sid. I love ZZ Top. I owe them.

I ran into Billy Gibbons at a party I crashed in the Hollywood hills in 1991. He did not look well, but I suspect he had probably crashed the party, too. I wanted to tell him how much I liked his music, but he was just so cool and there...I couldn't bring myself to get close enough to say anything.

If I could have said anything, I would have said "I want to ride in the car. I want the hot chicks in the animal prints to do unspeakable things with me. I want to be transformed by the power of rock into the cooler version of me I know is in there. I want to drive down a dusty road to a brick loft with neon and Nagel prints on the walls and an old refrigerator full of beer. And thanks for the music."

Alas, it was not to be. Should I be fortunate enough to be graced with the opportunity again, I will not fail. I will tell him that I, too, am bad...and nationwide.

ZZ Top still around, they're still playing. I suspect they'll be rocking in another hundred years. Rick Rubin is producing their new album. Despite Rick's continuing self-cartoonification, I look forward to hearing what ZZ Top sounds like in AC/DC drag.

Until then, check out this short playlist for an example of their unmitigated awesomeness.

Sharp Dressed Man
I Need You Tonight
Rough Boy
I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
Tush
Tube Snake Boogie
La Grange

Anu releases "Overcast"

2009-02-27T08:34:00.001-08:00

My close friend Anu has released a new album called "Overcast". It's sorta dark and depressing modern rock.

He asked me what I thought of it and I said "Dude, it sounds like music to not get laid to. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just sayin' the people probably won't like it much".

Anyhow, apparently you can download it from http://www.chillproductions.com/anu/RPM2009/Overcast.zip.

Schon & Hammer - "No More Lies"

2009-02-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Fans, friends, females - My biggest showbiz apologies for not blogging more. And for not playing, writing, and recording more.

Dante the drummer is all but completely recovered. However, guitar "player" T What!? has gone to China for 6 months to study guzheng with the masters. It is likely we will do at least one show while he's gone. And the band is still working on the new album.

What I'll be doing (and why you need to at least RSS feed this site!):

Writing about our influences once a week (like the Julian Cope and Adam Ant articles)
Posting more tracks, including in-progress demos
Booking a few shows

In the meantime, please enjoy this video. Featuring Neal "Journey" Schon and Jan "Miami Vice" Hammer. It couldn't be anymore 80s (nor the song more derivative of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"). I also appreciate Jan's look. He's like "Yeah, I look like the camera operator. So what? Watch me play this keytar!"

I find it hilarious that 20+ years later, all of today's indie musicians out there decided that, of these 2 guys, the look that said "ROCK" and "GET CHICKS" to them was Jan Hammer's!

Special thanks to Solid Gold JP Lester for sending this my way.

Drummers

2008-12-29T15:22:00.001-08:00

Dante Negroponte, our drummer, is nearly fully recovered from his motorcycle accident. He has retained one of the finest personal injury attorneys in San Francisco, and will be pounding the skins in no time (he'll also be playing drums, too. Har har.)

Of course, I couldn't let the hot engine of my career idle or cool while Mr. Glasshands went through physical therapy or whatever you do when you break your hands. I did what they taught me to do in Hollywood: I sent him flowers, a fruit basket, and a note that said "Your job is waiting for you".

And then I started auditioning replacement drummers.

My first choice was Jens Hanneman - cat can play everything - but apparently he's already "committed" for 2009. We did have a good jam session, though. Jens totally dominated. Amazing stuff. Jens made a DVD a few years back, which was how I heard of him:

This young lady was my second choice:

She was quiet and polite (I don't think she said a word during the audition - her "uncle"/manager did all the talking). Can play to a click no problem. Moved her own gear, which was refreshing. Also apparently available for cheap.

3rd choice was a guy named "Gregg". He tried out for Luxxury a few years ago and blew us all away. Apparently he's now fronting a band called "G.R.E.G.G.", which is going to blow everyone away real soon.

Anyhow, Dante's on the mend, so I guess this was all for naught.

The tortured genius of Adam Ant

2008-12-02T21:43:00.000-08:00

My friend and bandmate Rich "Foxx" Trott says he enjoys when I write about my musical influences, so here's some more in that vein...

The only thing worse than "not making it" as a star is "making it for a little while".

I've never met Adam Ant (a.k.a. Stuart Goddard) but I feel like I know him well. Yeah, he ripped us off a bit (hint: the song was originally called "Pantmusic"), but then again, who didn't rip us off?

To be fair, I stole from him, too - in obvious ways (What's my band called?) and less obvious ways.

Adam Ant not only worked with Malcom McLaren (better known for a less-talented, less-successful one-off band called The Sex Pistols), Adam got screwed over by him in truly spectacular fashion! McLaren helped shape Adam's pop star vision...and then more or less stole The Ants from Adam and refashioned them into Bow Wow Wow, replacing Adam with teenager Annabella Lwin (there are stories to be told here soon, too). Like the Pants, Adam was forced to rush to get an album out with "his sound" before Bow Wow Wow released theirs. Bow Wow Wow is primarily known today for covers - both their retread of "I Want Candy" and the (at the time) under age Lwin posing nude on the sleeve. (This is not to knock Bow Wow Wow - they are awesome, too)

The Devil take your stereo and your record collection

Ant was so punk he decided he wanted to make both pop music and money, not just smash everything - at the time, that was seriously radical. He wrote clever, hooky songs, teamed up with a fantastic guitar player (the underrated Marco Pirroni), and developed one of the most distinctive visual styles of the 80s (or any decade), right down to typography. Like Billy Idol, he often played (uncredited) bass guitar on his albums, and is much smarter musically and in other ways than his cartoonish image would have one believe. (However, unlike Billy Idol, one of my ex-girlfriends did not date Adam Ant.)

Trent Reznor says the backwards "N" in the Nine Inch Nails logo was inspired by Adam Ant's backwards "D" and NIN covered "You're So Physical" on their breakthrough "Broken" album.

Close personal friend Roxy Epoxy covered "Beat My Guest", and her vocal stylings and the music of her band, The Epoxies, owes a clear debt to Adam Ant as well.

As a kid in the 80s, Adam Ant was unlike any other singer, celebrity, or person I knew. He wasn't as polished, smooth, or awesome as Duran Duran...but he was oddly scary/threatening, raw, sensual, and human, receding hairline and all.

My first real girlfriend was head-over-heels for him, and thought he was sexy as hell (she also broke my heart, so her judgment is somewhat questionable). I saw his videos and wondered what he was thinking. Was he serious? How could he be in that get-up? But he couldn't possibly be joking because he seemed like he meant it...His songs were funny, sexy, and sometimes creepy.

Eventually I realized that part of what made Adam Ant's whole thing work was what actors strive for - that sense of "commitment" to the role, to the part, to the song, to the look. Adam Ant is fearless when he sings. He throws himself into his music completely, and that abandon is what makes it and him powerful.

We went on "Top of the Pops" for 3 minutes - "Dog Eat Dog", that was it - and the next day 200,000 people went out and bought the record. That 3.5 minutes took 3.5 years to prepare for...

He sent copies of his records to a teacher who had been supportive of his artistic tendencies. And he was "the most written-about celebrity [in the UK] in 1981 except for Princess Diana". He had a slew of hit singles before flaming out in 1989 with an album produced by one of Prince's understudies. Took up acting, got some b-movie and TV roles. Did commercials for Honda scooters with Grace Jones. Carefully, obsessively managing and plotting his career.

The whole time he was grappling with serious mental illness: depression.

Did I tell you I didn't cry?
Well I lied

The music lifestyle is demanding and fatiguing in every way. You work so hard to "live up to your potential" and to "make it". And then what? Even if (to quote Mr. Ant and others) there's always room at the top, you're always just renting that room. You will be evicted.

Once that happens...well, there's nothing worse than watching something you've worked so hard for - your fame, fortune, fans - slip away from you. To go from playing rooms packed with screaming girls to being harassed and called a "has-been" everywhere you go...it's tough to take.

Adam Ant went through all that and more. Dated Heather Graham! Yet he still came back and put out "Wonderful" in 1995. It's not a crazy, wild record - it's a grown-up album about dealing with all this stuff. I was skeptical then and am still not crazy about it, but the stellar "Won't Take That Talk" opens the album, and I still get a thrill and a smile on my face when Marco busts out that Jazz Chorus-fueled guitar part on "Wonderful".

At some point Stuart/Adam wrote an autobiography - why am I only finding out about it now?

Here's the first part of a great, long-overdue documentary "The Madness of Prince Charming" on YouTube. The whole thing has some surprising moments, both funny and extremely dark:

Mr. Goddard, I raise my hotel bourbon to you. You helped make me who I am today. You can steal from me any time, and I hope to someday shake your hand and thank you for your words of wisdom, and your music.

Ridicule is nothing to be scared of
Don't you ever
Don't you ever stop being dandy
Showing us you're handsome
Don't you ever
Don't you ever lower yourself
Forgetting all your standards

Adam Ant Sampler:
Car Trouble
Beat My Guest
You're So Physical
Stand and Deliver
Prince Charming
Desperate But Not Serious
Wonderful

On Instruments

2008-12-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

Music software crank and blogger Chris Randall wrote a typically thoughtful post on what makes something a good instrument. He should know - his company makes really good effects plug-ins, many of which I own and use.

My take? "Pro" isn't what you use. It's how you use it.

The notion of "inspiration" is too subjective for me to consider, though. For me, it's easy to be briefly inspired on any new instrument, from the sheer novelty of the sound or interface. I've come up with many a part or song by noodling around on someone else's gear.

And what inspires you today may be what you're sick of tomorrow.

Good instruments make it easy to get at sufficient depth to encourage creativity without either losing you in details, menus, and parameters or restricting your choices.

Sadly, I no longer have any of the gear dating back to the Pants' early days in the suburban garages of our youth. However, I do have a few pieces of gear I've been using since the late 80s and many I've been using for nearly 10 years.

The good stuff is limited just enough, and frequently references old, tried, tested designs - the Nord Lead 2 we use live is basically a digital Prophet-5 with more voices (sadly, it doesn't do much better than the original for a display).

Back in ye olde dayes (a.k.a. the 80s) the Pants threw down big cash (at the time) for a Yamaha DX-7. It was considered one of the "Seven Deadly Synths" one had to have for a complete studio/record/band/whatever. It remains one of the best-selling synths of all time. New Order used it for their famous bass line on "Bizarre Love Triangle". I think Howard Jones used one for "What Is Love?" And its electric piano sounds were inescapable for the whole of the 80s.
I hated it.

We only ended up using it on a few tracks on "Life, Style". It was hard to program, combining a brand-new synthesis methodology (frequency modulation, a.k.a. FM) with one of the worst user interfaces ever to grace a popular keyboard. At the time, we (like almost everyone else) were unable to move much beyond the presets.

Parenthetically, it also schooled me on the dangers of beverages in the studio - I spilled a bottle of diet Pepsi Free into the key portion a week before a major gig. Ended up costing several hundred dollars to fix and I had to borrow a Korg Poly-800 to cover for it. Ouch.

A few years ago I traded a hot pink Ibanez Steve Vai Jem 777 for a DX-7IIFD, largely because I was interested in exploring alternate tunings, which the IIFD did (and was one of the only keyboards to do so). By then, I had learned enough to understand FM - but the interface still got in the way.

And no matter what, the DX series always felt like work. I never once sat down and said "ooh, this makes me want to write a song!"

The first synth I ever had was a Casio CZ-101 which my parents bought me for Christmas. I loved that thing and could program it 9 ways to Sunday. My brother sold it a few years ago after I asked him to take care of it for me (I guess I should have been more specific about what I meant by "take care of it for me!").
I still have horrible ancient recordings of that thing - seems like I couldn't touch it without starting to write something. Ironically, it was only slightly easier to program than the DX, and far more limited. And definitely not considered "pro".

But given a choice between the two today, I'd grab that CZ-101.

Julian H. Cope

2008-11-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

During our little hiatus, I've been spending some time listening to music and catching up with friends. I've recently (re-)discovered Julian Cope, who is more of a genius than I ever could have possibly realized.

Genius? Hell, the man is a prophet.

The liner notes to his 1991 masterpiece "Peggy Suicide" explain the songs while explaining nothing. Of his nearly-a-background-to-a-Levis-advertisement (already anticipating the commonplace song licensing of today) "East Easy Rider", he writes:

Seems to me that the wheel's gonna kill us. You spend your life being sold on the idea of freedom and the open road, 2-lane flat-top, the driving movie, the open-topped sports car, the motorbike as phallic metaphor, the whole schmeer. Then we find out that pollution's going to kill us all...if we don't move...our children are going to take a look at the world that we've left them and they're going to kill us in our sleep.

Way ahead of his time. And the song sounds great. And it's groovy. And catchy.

Cope can write fantastic pop songs with the best of them, even in the middle of bad production (either excessive or too minimal - see "Charlotte Anne" and "Out of My Mind on Dope and Speed") He can also rock and blow your mind like Iggy Pop or Captain Beefheart or you name it.

He's also a distinguished scholar who speaks Russian and isn't just passionate about music, he's also learned.

It turns out he has a blog where he reviews records. Here's a bit from a review of a 12-minute long Alice Cooper bootleg, arguing that Alice Cooper is better than Captain Beefheart:

...at least the Coop’s first two LPs sounded like the Beatles in a liquidiser – Lick My Decals Off sounded like fucking Henry Cow jamming late period Pere Ubu! Mercy!
It’s just that Alice Cooper became a Hollywood golf no-mark while Captain Beefheart became a holier-than-thou sepia print by Anton Corbijn. Alice may have become arena dross, but Beefheart opted out of music altogether. And, in my book, choosing the art gallery scene over the arena rock scene is a far bigger crime against humanity. But then, my love of music is such that, for me, even T’Pau, Living in a Box, and the Jools Holland Big Band together doing reggae versions of the Macarena comes closer to approaching the divine that the passive drywank snorathons of meaninglessness spewed-up by the I’ve-got-my-personal- neuroses-and-I’m-not-afraid-to-use-them brigade of Tate modern masters.

That's not just heresy to the elite rock crowd, it's a spot-on critique of much modern art.

And here he is on Van Halen:

The great thing about this ATOMIC PUNKS LP was always the way the rhythm guitar dropped out when the solos came in, leaving the mogadon bass of Michael Anthony as sole supporter of the song’s chord sequence, thereby rendering Edward Van Halen’s shards-of-shattering-Red Arrows-windscreen guitar aerobatics less Olympian and more Lokian. To be fair, much of the first studio LP did just this and gained hugely from the Cast Adrift element of chaos that it brung to the party. But as an antidote to the parts that got rhythm guitar support (and the second LP certainly fell a major victim), this ATOMIC PUNKS bootleg really reveals what a freeform racket they could brew up. Man, those amazingly confident harmony vocals sound even greater when you’ve lost all sense of their context.

His reviews have footnotes, people. Footnotes! Why isn't he reviewing every record ever written? This is a man you can have a beverage and a conversation with!

He's totally nuts, too. But what would you expect? He stopped making records people actually liked around 1997, and immediately started making interesting music thereafter.

Julian, I salute you and I look forward to our inevitable collaboration!

Photos from Dolores Park Movie Night

2008-09-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

Some great photos from our most recent gig at Dolores Park Movie Night. All by Adam Aufedencamp. This first one captures everything about our band in a single image!

Changes and Updates

2008-09-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that our old site is gone, and is now redirecting here. That's so I can more easily update the site and keep it current.

If any of you are interested in building us a newer, hipper site, let me know...

Live From Daryl's House

2008-08-25T09:09:00.001-07:00

Make no mistake - Hall & Oates were tha bizness.

As a kid, I could not get their songs out of my head even though I knew they weren't "cool".

One of the (few) benefits of being an old new wave musician is not having to worry about being cool.

Daryl Hall now has his own webcast, which I believe makes him more cool, hip, and au courant than yours truly. It's called Live From Daryl's House and it is amazing.

Musicians come over to Daryl's house, hang out, drink wine, play some songs, chat. It's more or less what I wish I was doing with all of my friends all of the time. You can tell everyone is having a blast, and the performances are fantastic. And it's not super-slick.

This episode's guest is Chromeo, who I've been digging since their first record came out back in 2005. Someone get Daryl Hall on basic cable!

Some tracks in case you have no idea what I'm talking about:
Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
This is, for me, the quintessential Hall & Oates track. Synths, a drum machine that actually grooves, and a cool vibe. I can hear the launching point for hundreds of other pop hits in here, including Timex Social Club's Rumors.

Hall & Oates - Maneater
Another genius track which features a great sax + delay solo - a great example of how technology can enhance a musical idea.

Hall & Oates - Method of Modern Love
While "Big Bam Boom" is mostly considered to be the last (and least) of the Golden Age albums of H&O, I include this song here to show how they kept up with pop production and also note their extremely solid songwriting chops. Anyone who can spell out a phrase that long and make it a hook is a true master. "M-E-T-H-O-D O-F L-O-V-E", indeed!

Chromeo - 100%
The closing track on Chromeo's latest album, "Fancy Footwork", this song proves these guys aren't kidding around and can write a track that is both groovy and touching.

Chromeo - Needy Girl
This was the song that hooked me into Chromeo as well as inviting comparisons to Hall & Oates in the first place.

Drummer update

2008-08-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Dante is out of surgery with casts on both hands. He is also sporting some high-tech titanium plating inside his right wrist. He is expected to make a full recovery in a few weeks' time.

Thank you all for your support!

Drummer in Motorcycle Accident

2008-08-21T21:47:00.001-07:00

Fans, I am very sad to tell you all that Dante Negroponte, drummer for Sid Luscious and The Pants, was in a serious motorcycle accident Tuesday night.

He broke several bones in his left hand and also broke his right wrist. He is scheduled for wrist surgery tomorrow.

We are grateful that aside from these broken bones, he only suffered bruises and cuts (a fat lip and a badly banged up foot) and is otherwise healthy.

The doctors have indicated they expect him to make a full recovery and retain full use of his hands.

Our thoughts are with him and his family.

Sid Plays Dolores Park Movie Night on 8/14

2008-08-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

OK Kids, we're rocking Dolores Park Movie Night on August 14, 2008.

Show starts at 7 pm.

Following us, the kids at Dolores Park Movie Night will be screening Jaws 3D. Naturally, they'll be handing out free 3D glasses!

Our show this time is notable for a number of reasons.

One is that we'll be featuring a special guest bass player, so come check him out!

The other is the Return of The Obligatory Cover! Hear us reclaim a song stolen from us years ago!

Farflung Takes You Into Space

2008-05-08T08:10:00.001-07:00

Every now and then we like to get people hyped on other bands, especially ones that didn't rip us off.

Farflung is one of those bands - they deliver a beyond psychedelic space rock typhoon.

This is their latest video for the song "Endless Drifting Wreck", from their new album, "A Wound In Eternity".

Chemical enhancement is optional.

Next Show: 3/28/2008 @ Beale St. Bar & Grill

2008-03-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heels of our fantastic exhibition at the DeYoung Museum comes this: Sid Luscious and The Pants bring the maximum New Wave with the mighty Palace Family Steak House and mystery guests Rocket Culture at Beale Street Bar & Grill at 133 Beale St. between Mission and Howard.

For a few more details, read the flyer (courtesy of Just Visiting) you see here.

Bring your friends.

This is going to be fun!

Free MP3s available!

2008-03-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed the site's template has changed - PantCo has requested we put AdWords on the site, which required we upgrade some things which blew up our template. We'll be cleaning this up over the next few days.

Also, look over there to the left - as part of our ongoing attempts to prevent ourselves from earning any money, we've added some links to free MP3s and have included the new Yahoo Media Player to let you play them all right here. You can also download them and keep them forever.

First up, two new songs and one old one:
"Drives" - Been working on this one for a while. This isn't mastered but is probably the final mix.
"Older Woman" - Maybe six months old, written after listening to a lot of soul music and some pre-insanity Michael Jackson.

Finally, digging through the old tape library we came across the rare, much-bootlegged 12 inch "night version" of "Lifestyle Magazine Lifestyle".

Oh, and "Life, Style" can now be purchased as MP3s through the Rhapsody PC client!

Enjoy!

The DeYoung was AWESOME

2008-02-23T00:07:00.000-08:00

A special thank you to Ed Ivey and the staff of the DeYoung Museum for allowing us to perform there as part of the Gilbert & George opening. I believe we can now officially say that the work of Sid Luscious and The Pants has been shown at the DeYoung Museum of Art!

Duran frickin' Duran can't say that. Those thieving hairdressers can't say that. Adam "I wish I were you guys" Ant can't say it.

It was magical. According to people that didn't even know us, we sounded great! Thank you to everyone who came out to see us play. Truly one of our career highlights!

Did anyone get any photos? Anyone???

Next Gig: Friday, February 22, 2008: The DeYoung Museum

2008-01-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

The next Sid Luscious and The Pants show is booked!

We will be playing the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Details are available - it's a tribute to famous British performance artists Gilbert & George. We've loved these guys back when we were more famous than they were.

Their work from the early 70s was an incredibly powerful influence on T What!?'s guitar playing, particularly "Smashed" and "Gordon's Makes Us Drunk".

Friday, February 22, 2008
Admission is free (for our show).
Doors are at 6, we start very promptly at 7 (really, 7. We'll be done by 8. Do not be late!)
DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park (directions)
San Francisco, CA

DJ Laird will be spinning before and after.
And the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will be doing whatever it is they do.

Bring your friends. And their friends. And so on. How often do you get Maximum New Wave in a museum? We figure at least 15 minutes before they shut us down!

New Year's Resolution: More Maximum New Wave!

2008-01-01T23:00:00.000-08:00

Fans! We have soooo totally not forgotten you! After our amazing warehouse party last year...let's just say we had to sleep in for the next few days. We also got new Pants - easy on the ears and eyes.

We're pale, caffeinated, a little buzzed, and ready to bring the Maximum New Wave in 2008!

Here's the deal: We've almost got our new album "Pantemonium" finished. Good things take time.

We're going to play this year, but not a whole lot - 6-8 shows tops. But those shows will be really good, worth your while, and at interesting and surprising venues. That's just how we roll.

Stay tuned, thanks for listening, and bring your friends to dance.

We're on the MySpace and we want to be your friend so bad it's sort of creepy and uncomfortable.. Also add us to your RSS feed reader or bookmarks. We'll have MP3s and stuff up soon.

Some photos from El Rincon show

2007-07-09T06:22:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of Ms. Wendy Murray. More coming soon!

El Rincon Rocked!

2007-07-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last night at the El Rincon was fantastic! It's hard to pick just one top moment, but the highlights include:

5 bands, including an all-too-brief set by my new favorite SF band The HiWatters - they put the "SF" in "surf".
The look on the faces of the 25 or so folks who came for some sort of dinner party only to find the added "bonus" of a free rock show
T What's disappearing acoustic guitar
Some dude showing off his iPhone. Of course.
All the cute girls who showed up - some were even there to see us play!
Tyler and Wendy!

Thanks again to Psychokitty for hosting. Special thanks to "Foxx" Trott for covering guitar at this show. We'll get some photos up shortly.

Watch this space for our next big gig!

Upcoming Show: El Rincon, July 3, 2007

2007-06-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Kids, we'll be rocking El Rincon on July 3!

Come on down:
2700 16th St, San Francisco
Doors probably 8-ish
I think we go on at 10.

Watch this space!

Our song "Baby Space" in "Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade"

2007-06-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

Fans, I'm very excited to share this news...our hit single "Baby Space" is being used in a great new movie trailer!

The movie is called Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade. It's a sort of "where are they now?"-type documentary about the videogame champions of the 1980s. As kids who were huge stars in the 80s, we can certainly relate!

Check out the trailer, which is now up, and look for updates on: http://www.chasingghoststhemovie.com

Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade will make its Los Angeles Premiere at the LA Film Festival in their Summer Previews program this Sunday at 6:40 PM PST.

You can read about it here.

Please pass the word and post links anywhere you can, or Digg it on digg.com here:

http://digg.com/movies/Chasing_Ghosts_80s_arcade_documentary_movie_trailer

We'll keep you posted about any further movie developments...

Achewood loves us, and we love them

2007-04-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

My friend Chris Onstad doesn't need any additional promotion for his amazing comic Achewood now that Time Magazine and Salon have started noticing him.

But Chris was an early and vocal supporter of the Pants re-uniting, and was kind enough to provide a nice drawing of Roast Beef as Sid.

Anyhow, if any of you have not yet discovered Achewood, do so!

El Rio = Great Show!

2007-04-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

Oh man, what a great show! The Pants really tore it up.

Despite getting off to a late start due to a sluggish opening band, The Pants took the stage with authority and once again proved why it was worth waiting 20 years. Special thanks to Foxx Trott for nailing the keyboard parts.

Also a shout-out to Sweet Crude Bill & The Lighthouse Nautical Society - they danced for our entire set (which is strongly encouraged) and then followed up with a marathon set of their own. Well played, people!

I'd also like to thank all the hardcore fans for showing up (Captain Leasure even put in an appearance!) I'd list you all here, but the whole "stalker" thing can be a problem. Feel free to let me know if you want a more personalized shout-out. Seeing you all at every show makes lifting all that gear in the cold at 2 am more tolerable.

Finally, thank you to Sean and the Dolores Park Movie Night crew for hosting the event. See you guys in the park!

Show @ El Rio - 4/4/2007!

2007-04-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

So it's still short notice, but we have yet another gig and a variation on our line-up. Details:

Dolores Park Movie Night Viewers' Choice Party
El Rio
3158 Mission St. (just South of Cesar Chavez)

7pm Door
8pm Valerie Orth Band
9pm Sid Luscious and The Pants
10pm Sweet Crude Bill & The Lighthouse Nautical Society

$5-$20 sliding scale, all are welcome.

This is the Dolores Park Movie Night Viewers' Choice Party - in other words, this is where you get to pick which movies are shown during the upcoming season.

You can also meet fellow Dolores Park Movie Night-goers and participate in fabulous raffles!
3 bands, 2 djs and food provided!

How can you pass this up? You can't!

Pony is back from Thailand. However our mysterious and sexy new keyboard player has had to flee to Mexico for tax reasons. While that's being sorted out, Mr. Foxx Trott will be tickling the plastics for this show.

Shut Down by The Cops

2007-03-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

Man, this hasn't happened since we were called The Short Pants...

We got about 3.5 songs into our set last night at Kimo's. The Tender Few had done a great job of warming up the crowd. The Ovulators did an amazing job of quietly rocking, and featured a super-hot hula-hooper complete with laser-powered hula hoop.

And then we started. And got stopped.

The cops came and shut down the club because we were "too loud". Apparently this isn't the first time. Uh, it's a rock club. It's supposed to be loud. But we weren't even loud. We've played louder unplugged gigs. Oh well. There's always next week...

Thanks to all the great fans who came out (especially the trio of hot girls from Chicago!).

Show at KIMO's: 3/28/2007!

2007-03-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

Friends and Fans!

On March 28, 2007, Sid Luscious and The Pants 2.0 returns with a vengeance!

2 new members
1 guest star
1 missing person

We will be bringing the MAXIMUM NEW WAVE . You will bring your bad selves.

You can also experience headlining hotties The Ovulators and SF local favorites The Tender Few.

$5. Doors at 9.
Kimo's
1351 Polk at Pine Street
San Francisco

We are the last band on the bill. Be there!

K ThX BYE!

Xanadu? XanaDID!

2006-08-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Well kids, we are blowin' up.

First the San Francisco Chronicle:

He was primed to be the biggest star of the new wave era before he disappeared almost 25 years ago. Sid Luscious was certainly one of the most influential: Billy Idol, Blondie and A Flock of Seagulls are just some of the acts that paid homage to him or blatantly ripped him off. Well, that's the story, anyway. There may be some other explanation why, for instance, a Luscious composition titled "Police Cars'' sounds like a pastiche of songs by the Police and the Cars. Explore the mystery yourself when Sid Luscious and the Pants return to play two shows this week.

It sorta sounds like they don't believe us. Oh well.

Then the photos.

Thanks to all who came out and saw the spectacular return. We have another amazing show today! See you there! Details:

San Francisco Bike Coalition Party
Bikes, Bands, DJ, Raffle
DJ Superchill (AKA Chuck Gonzalez)
New Wave rockers 'Sid Luscious and the Pants' (www.SidLuscious.com)
Indie superstars 'Send For Help' (www.myspace.com/sendforhelp)
All proceeds go to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
www.SFBike.org
Sliding scale $5 - 10
On the patio, door at 3pm
Date: Saturday, August 12, 2006

Now we're on iTunes!

2006-05-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

Our totally awesome debut album "Life, Style..." is now available in the iTunes Music Store!

So go buy some downloads!

Waxing Rhapsodic

2006-05-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

Alriiight! Our recently re-issued album Life, Style... is now available in the Rhapsody Music Service!

Even people who aren't subscribers can now play it using the free version at Rhapsody.com - send your friends to http://play.rhapsody.com/sidlusciousandthepants/lifestyle to share the MAXIMUM NEW WAVE!

Demo MP3s from the next record!

2006-04-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

By request, here are some demos of songs we're working on:

The album is tentatively titled "Pantemonium!"

Please feel free to share these MP3s with your friends. And buy our CD!

Trailer on YouTube!

2006-04-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hey fans! The first trailer for the documentary is up on YouTube!

Go check it out, and nominate us to be featured!

CDBaby and Wes Oishi

2006-04-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

First, THANK YOU WES OISHI!

This guy continues to buy our CD like it's going out of style! He may be re-selling them at higher prices, or forging our signatures or something...maybe he just really likes it. Don't stop!

Also a BIG THANK YOU to Scott French, who wrote this review of "Life, Style...":

I am pretty knowledgeable about 80s synth pop and wondered why I had never heard of these guys. Had this CD been released in 1984, it would have generated at least one Top 40 hit (probably two or three). Songs like Baby Space, People Talk and Push The Button really move. This is as good as anything Naked Eyes, Thompson Twins, Soft Cell, etc. was producing at the time.

Aw Man!

2006-04-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a short list of what's happened this year:

Had an awesome gig scheduled at The Rickshaw. Cancelled.

Made a bunch of phone calls to local booking agents. Not called back. RUDE!

Wrote a new song called "Girlfriend Does". It's awesome.

Wrote a new song called "Automatic". It's like The Cars playing "Cars" by Gary Numan. In other words, it is awesome.

Wrote a new song called "Love Makes You Real". This one is going to get us back on television. Mark my words. Also the chicks will dig it.

Wrote a new song called "Drives". It's about what makes us go.

Our website got shut down because my drunk accountant didn't pay the bills. Apparently the Internet is a big cash scam. It sort of works like this:

You pay money to get a web site.
Your web site gets turned off because your drunk accountant forgets to pay the bill.
You try to pay money again, but you can't because your account is now cancelled.
You try to explain that it's your site, but they keep trying to contact the cancelled account.
They tell you to bid on your own name's website. You get to pay for this privilege.
You wait. If no one else pays more money, you can have your name back.
Then you pay more money.
Rinse. Repeat.

Tried to buy some gear from Guitar Center. They do not like to actually sell things there, making the process as difficult as possible. On the other hand, if you are 15 years old and dress like a skeleton/zombie, yes, they will take down that Gibson Les Paul with the Voodoo finish and let you plug it into that $2000 amp, because yeah, you probably DO have the cash on you to pay for it, and besides, it's GUITARMAGEDDON!!!

Bah. I'm going back to my Japanese connection who has a line on Mosrites and vintage Japanese synths.

T What? showed up at rehearsal with a new Telecaster. Not sure where he got it. Afraid to ask.

Anyhow, big things in the works. Video shoot this coming weekend, and another gig set up after that.

We'll keep you posted. Also let you know when our website is back. And if you know of anyone who wants to make it not terrible looking, let us know!

CDs at CDBaby

2006-01-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

Our CD is now available at CDBaby. Only $10. It's also a part of their $5 club - if you buy 2 other CDs from the club, they're all only $5 each...so go shop around and get a few!

"Life, Style..." will also be available soon at iTunes (for purchase) and Rhapsody (for subscription).

Enjoy, and as soon as Nemo gets back from his sabbatical, we'll be bringing the MAXIMUM NEW WAVE in 2006.

We love Death Angel, too

2005-12-25T08:19:00.000-08:00

Not many people know this, but several of the Pants spent some of the "mystery years" in metal bands, and the whole band has been known to sneak out to shows by Tentatively Called Poop.

If you like Bay Area metal, you cannot go wrong with the legendary Death Angel - and apparently, they dig us, too.

Time to put up some demos

2005-11-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

Well, we've got a few new songs - "Police Cars", "Valerie N.", and "Summer's Promise".

I think I'm going to put up links to the demo versions so everyone can check them out and comment.

Also working on some other secret stuff and learning to use some of these "modern" synthesizers.

Photos from the Show

2005-10-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to Mark J for his amazing photos.

I also made a major mistake and forgot to credit him and his PhotoBooth (tm) technology for the small modern photos of us inside the back cover of the CD!

Naked Eyes and CDs

2005-10-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

To everyone who showed up - We hope you had as much fun as we did. To those that didn't, here's what you missed:

This past Sunday saw the earth-shattering release of "Life, Style..." after 20 years.

Special thanks to the Red Devil Lounge for having us, and Naked Eyes for sharing the stage.

Our Next Gig and a New Song!

2005-09-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, aside from the October 15 gig at El Rio, we have some other exciting news to share!

We are tentatively confirmed for an October 23 gig with NAKED EYES.

Seriously. Naked Friggin' Eyes. Details coming soon.

We will be debuting our new song "Summer's Promise".

See you soon!

You can't stop The Pants!

2005-09-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is typical for the music business. Last week, at the last minute, our Cherry Bar gig was cancelled. Nobody's fault. It just happens. But The Pants cannot be stopped.

We found a different venue - the San Francisco Motorcycle Club. And we rocked our devoted fans. We even played them a new song - "Police Cars". Like all of our non-club venues, we were concerned about the sound. And unjustly so - it sounded great. A small, intimate show for about 50-60 people.

We raised several hundred dollars for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Thank you, fans.

CHERRY BAR, September 3rd (Saturday Night)

2005-08-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Fans and Friends!
Due your spectacular turnout last month and our stunning performance, we have been invited back to the Cherry Bar as the main feature! Get out your calendars:

Saturday, September 3rd, 10:00 pm
Sid Luscious & The Pants
The Cherry Bar!
917 Folsom St. (5th & Folsom)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 974-1585

We will be debuting another new song: "Police Cars". It is our plan to play a new song at every single show from now on, given our smashing success last month rolling out "Valerie N".

You bring your friends, we'll bring the MAXIMUM NEW WAVE! See you Saturday!

We like bicycles almost as much as Kraftwerk does

2005-08-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

We have our next gig:

October 15, 2005, 4:00 pm
Benefit for San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
El Rio (www.elriosf.com)
3158 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA

Featuring:
Sid Luscious & the Pants
On the patio, $7-$10

We are playing with some other great bands. Details to follow. But you should definitely be there - El Rio has a great backyard!

Cherry Bar Rocked!

2005-08-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

Once again The Pants proved to me why it was worth returning to the stage. Our recent gig at Cherry Bar was great. For a stealth/surprise show, we had tremendous turn-out. So much so that the club wants us to come back and headline (watch this space for news about that!).

Iran Narges took some great photos of us in action. Check them out at Kodak/Ofoto.

We debuted a new song - "Valerie N". I'm on a bit of a songwriting tear and am just trying to get them all demo-ed up as fast as possible. Already have another new one the band is rehearsing for our next show!

Next Show: August 4th, Cherry Bar

2005-07-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Sid Luscious and The Pants are playing San Francisco!

August 4th
Cherry Bar
917 Folsom St, San Francisco, 94107 - (415) 974-1585
Doors open at 8:30

We are playing as the special guests of Silence Is Safety. At present, it is unclear when we are actually going to take the stage - the smart money is on either 9 pm or 11 pm.

You will be there, because you need MAXIMUM NEW WAVE!

Valerie N.

2005-07-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am going to teach the band a new song called "Valerie N." It is about someone I knew a long time ago. Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent. This is a strong contender as the lead-off single from our next album, which should be done before the end of the year.

In other news, "Life, Style" is in final stages of production. We should have copies in our hot little hands soon.

Radio Achewood!

2005-06-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

Unbelievably, two of the tracks from the forthcoming re-release of our 1984 album "Life, Style" are in rotation over at Radio Achewood!

Achewood is one of the reasons everyone needs the Internet. I read it daily. Because you're hip and cool (you're reading this!), I'm sure you do, too. If not, go!

We are grateful to the talented Mr. Onstad for his attention. He has made me smile almost every day since I discovered his little world. I am very happy that our 20-year old songs entertain him.

The next album!

2005-06-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

Now that The Pants are back together and regularly rehearsing, our thoughts turn to new material. You heard it here first - we are working on a new album!

I already have about 6 songs in various stages of completion. More details coming soon, but we aren't just digging up the old songs - we're writing new ones!

The Morning After

2005-06-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

I just want to thank all our fans for coming down to the Red Devil Last night. Thanks also to Notorious and the Red Devil Lounge for giving us the opportunity.

There were in excess of 100 people at the club when we started and I have no idea how many more by the time we finished. The Pants played great.

Photos and more up soon, and watch this space for info about our next gig!

I can't play bass

2005-05-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Most of the Pants keep a low profile these days. Most of them have jobs, and most of them aren't very exciting.

The Pants are a large band - we have 6 people in the band, not including our various handlers, techs, roadies, managers, etc. As a result, frequently we are short one member. Sometimes we can get by, sometimes not. Nemo was out of town over the weekend and that meant I had to pick up the bass duties.

I have never been much of a bass player to begin with. On top of that, these songs were written a long time ago and I didn't even write many of the bass parts. Long story short: My fingers hurt today.

That said, I did a half-decent job of playing bass and singing at the same time. Maybe it's time for a Sid solo album...

A typical rehearsal

2005-04-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

Just finished a typical rehearsal with The Pants. Some choice moments:

The intense sound vibrations from our maximum new wave caused a beverage to upend itself into Nemo's bass rig. This was an emergency.
The mighty low-end issuing from Max Rhino's synthesizer overheated the coils of our PA speakers, filling the room with the lovely smell of burning wires. Not an emergency, no flames visible.
T What? spent a majority of the rehearsal perched on his guitar amp, preparing for a giant "rock jump".
Practice actually started about 30 minutes after we had planned on starting
Discussion of possible Berlin gig
Candy and booze

And of course, we alternated between brilliance and near-chaos, like a limousine fishtailing down an icy road.

I love these guys. It's good to be back.

Blog back up and running

2005-04-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

After many disasters, the blog is back up and on-line! I will be fillin' in some of the goings-on over the next few days. If I can figure out how to do it, maybe the other guys will post some tidbits, too.