Do It To Julia. I Love When I Find Great Music By Chance.

So, you all remember when I said I would probably only post once for the rest of August? Yeah, I lied. And there’s a reason, I swear!

While I was on vacation, I was walking around the park in Oak Bluff at around 9:30. There’s some really gorgeous houses in that area and I really had nothing better to do but look at them. And on a porch, there was this big gathering of people and a boy playing guitar. Being the music connoisseur that I am, I stopped to listen.

The guy was BRILLIANT. Original music, great voice. Top notch. Just awesome Indie rock. Mellow, meaningful. Great. And also really drunk, which sort of explains the cover version of Dylan’s All Along the Watch Tower I was treated to.

Anyway, when it was about time for me to get home for the night, I walked up and asked him his name. The answer I got was “Hmm? Oh, my name’s Ryan.”
I stared blankly. First name wasn’t gonna help me out all that much.

“Oh! My name’s Ryan, the band’s name is Do It To Julia. You can find us on the web and stuff.”

“Thank Ryan. Have a good night everybody.” I smiled, waved, and got back in my car.

I know what you’re thinking. I was thinking it too. “Do It To Julia? What the fuck?”

And then I figured it out. It’s a reference to 1984. The brilliant novel by George Orwell? Well, if you haven’t read it, pick it up. (I’m a literary nerd as well as a music one.)

So basically this entire post is just me telling a vacation story and then telling you to check out this rad band I found walking around in Martha’s Vineyard. Their myspace is www.myspace.com/WeAreDoItToJulia

Enjoy kiddos.

Here’s the Outlook on the Rest of August…

It’s not looking so good, as far as posting.

I worked all last week (hence the ‘no new post’ status of the blog.) and then next week I’m on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. And then the day after that, I’m going up to Toronto to visit some people and see the Toronto stop on that traveling horror show, Projekt Revolution. (Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m going with some good friends and we’re going to sunbath on the lawn, drink, smoke, and listen to the music like it’s a giant boom box. You can’t really go wrong with that.) And then when I get home from THAT extravaganza, I have a major horse show. So, it looks like the only post I have for the rest of August is a review/therapy session about Projekt. Sorry kids!

Hanoi Rocks. Yes. That’s it. It is it’s Own Pun.

So, kids, it’s been a while. Sorry. Sometimes I get busy with having a job and friends and a life.

Anyway. I figure it’s about time I did another weird band from Finland post, so where we are.

Quick Background

Hanoi Rocks is a glam rock band from Helsinki, Finland formed in 1979. The original line up consisted of five members

Michael Monroe, vocals and saxophone

Nasty Suicide, guitar

Stefan Piesnack, guitar

Nedo, bass

Peki Sirola, drums

(We have discussed my penchant for stage names.)

Shortly thereafter, Piesnack was replaced by Andy McCoy, Sirola by Gyp Casino, and Nedo by Sam Yaffa. After moving to different cities including Stockholm and London, Casino was replaced by Razzle. In 1985 the band broke up following the death of their drummer but in 2002 was reformed by McCoy and Monroe. The current line up looks like this:

Michael Monroe, lead vocals

Andy McCoy, guitar and backing vocals

Conny Bloom, guitar

Andy “A.C.” Christell, bass

Lacu, drums.

Hanoi Rocks released seven full length albums between 1979 and 1985, and another two between 2002 and now, with a third album upcoming.

Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981)

Oriental Beat (1982)

Self Destruction Blues (1982)

Back to Mystery City (1983)

All Those Wasted Years, live (1984)

Two Steps from the Move (1984)

Rock & Roll Divorce, live (1985)

And, more recently

Twelve Shots on the Rocks (2002)

Another Hostile Take Over (2005)

Street Poetry, expected sometime this year.

(I didn’t do best ofs this time. I’m a little short on time today.)

I love Hanoi Rocks

Reasons:

1.   1. Um, hello, look at how much shit they lasted through.

2.   2. Even without much mainstream commercial success, they’ve been around for nearly thirty years. (Admittedly, in many different forms, with rotating band members.)

3.   3. They paved the way for bigger bands from Finland including artists such as HIM and The 69 Eyes.

4.   4. Hanoi Rocks has been a huge influence on a lot of major bands and it’s unfortunate that they haven’t been able to experience the same kind of success.

      5. Occasionally sleazy, occasionally cheesy, always awesome.

6.   6. They look glam rock. They sound like a real rock band.

7.   7. I adore Monroe’s ridiculously teased blonde hair. I have mad respect for that hairdo.

8.   8. Let’s face it. They changed the course of rock music history, even if you don’t know who the fuck they are.

9.   9. Gotta love a band that actually manages to have original lyrics. It gets tougher and tougher as more and more shit gets poured into what is quickly becoming the cesspool of ‘rock music.’ (Thanks Nickelback, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, The Killers, etc, etc.)

    10. It’s unfortunate that a band that’s been around as long as they have and done as much as they have doesn’t have the kind of success that they deserve. On the other hand, I’m not complaining about the fact that I don’t have to deal with a ton of douche bag Hanoi Rocks ‘fans.’

Here’s where the bitching starts

For Hanoi Rocks, I would put up with those fans. Honestly. They deserve more recognition from the music world than the dedicated cult following they have. Cult followings are awesome but everyone should know (and love) this band, if only for the changes and influence they brought to music.

Stupid European tour that doesn’t have any dates in the US, let alone on the East coast. I’m moving to Europe as soon as possible.

The older albums are mildly harder to find, although since they were rereleased on CD that makes life easier. Hanoi Rocks is a band that I refuse to download, though I’m sure that I could.

Razzle. December 8, 1984. Respect, love, and remembrance for a fantastic musician.

This isn’t bitching, I think it’s awesome. To promote Another Hostile Takeover, the boys started a concert in the middle of rush hour in Helsinki, bringing traffic to a screeching halt. You don’t fucking do better than that. Hanoi Rocks owns you. And buy a fucking album, for fucks sake. They need to stop being a rock and roll secret.