Wednesday, January 28, 2009

FINALLY....


And finally, Carcass agrees to melt faces in the Chicagoland area. Can't...wait.

MP3 Randomization: 1-28-2009

WAYNE:

Tool "Crawl Away"
Sam Cooke "Cupid"
Blacklisted "Canonized"
Sleep "Jerusalem (Pt. 2)"
Napalm Death "Work to Rule"
Cult of Luna "And With Her Came the Birds"

MYCHE

Richard Thompson "Should I Betray"
Y&T "Love Don't Come Easy"
Tom Waits "Train Song"
Judas Priest "Electric Eye"
Drive-by Truckers "Plastic Flowers On The Highway"
W.A.S.P. "Shadow Man"

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Amazing Cover Artwork Update



Well......John Baizley and Paul Romano have been busy. New Kylesa and Mastodon artwork.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Speaking of Maiden....

Sorry "Watchmen", THIS is the spring's baddest-ass movie!


Hook of a new Presidency

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Inauguration Randomization: 1-20-2009

WAYNE

Jesu "Weightless & Horizontal"
Sepultura "Clenched Fist"
Tomahawk "God Hates a Coward"
Melvins "Creepy Smell"
Foo Fighters "Hell"
Fleet Foxes "Your Protector"

(Guess my iPod was for McCain hahahaaa...at least until the end there)

MYCHE

Cream "Dance The Night Away"
Faster Pussycat "Cathouse"
The Kinks "Johnny Thunder"
My Dying Bride "The Deepest Of All Hearts"
Nevermore "Ambivalent"
Black Sabbath "The Thrill Of It All"

MARK

Counting Crows "hangin around'"
STRAPPING YOUG LAD "Track 8"
Blake Babies "Grateful"
Prince "WORK THAT FAT" Let me guess, you like it like that, you like it like that..
Y & T "STILL FALLING!!"
Joe Jackson "Is she really going out with him?"

What a kick ass random!!!

New President!

Yay! New President! Let's fucking DO THIS!!!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

MP3 Randomization: 01-14-09

MYCHE

Thin Lizzy "Don't Believe A Word"
Queensryche "An Intentional Confrontation"
Cynic "King Of Those Who Know"
Queensryche "Innuendo"
Little Feat "Snakes On Everything"
Meshuggah "Perpetual Black Second"


WAYNE
Iron Maiden "Iron Maiden" (Soundhouse Tapes version)
Pig Destroyer "Alexandria"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Mansion on the Hill"
Nine Inch Nails "The Line Begins to Blur"
Kyuss "Into the Void" (Black Sabbath cover)
Tool "The Grudge"

MARK

Indigo Girls "Watershed"
Devin Townsend Band "Ocean Machines"
Cinderella "Winds of Change"
Queensryche "Screaming in Digital"
Queensryche "Spreading the disease"
Geoff Tate "Off the TV"

Hook of the Day - Devin Townsend Band "Regulator"

Deny the riff, I dare you...

Friday, January 09, 2009

Great News of the Day - Shrinebuilder enters the studio!

Looks like Shrinebuilder is FINALLY getting off the ground. The supergroup to end all supergroups (Wino + Scott Kelly of Neurosis + Al Cisneros of Om and Sleep + Dale Crover of The Melvins) is going into the studio today with Big Business guitarist Toshi Kasai producing.

Keep yer eye on Kelly's blog for updates as they get the album recorded.

FINALLY!

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Hooks Reader's Year-end Wrap-ups! Post Them Here!

Below you will find the year-end wrap-ups from the Hooks Gang, but we want to here from you! Post on as few or as many categories as you see that we've commented on (or create your own!). It would be criminal if we were the last word on this!

Wayne's 2008 Wrap-up

Top Albums

1. Torche "Meanderthal"
2. Nachtmystium "Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1"
3. Opeth "Watershed"
4. Made Out of Babies "The Ruiner"
5. U.S. Christmas "Eat the Low Dogs"
6. Harvey Milk "Life...The Best Game in Town"

Top Live Shows

1. Fests (DoomFest + Lollapalooza + Metal Masters + the non Disturbed/Dragonforce part of Mayhem Fest + the non-Dream Theatre parts of Progressive Nation)
2. Iron Maiden @ Allstate Arena
3. High on Fire in DeKalb, IL
4. Melvins/Big Business @ Reggie's
5. Boris/Torche/Nachtmystium @ Empty Bottle
6. My Morning Jacket @ Chicago Theatre

Top Songs

1. Torche "Healer"
2. Meshuggah "Bleed"
3. Big Business "The Drift"
4. Nachtmystium "Ghosts of Grace"
5. Melvins "Billy Fish"
6. Metallica "All Nightmare Long"

Top Album Covers

1. Torche "Meanderthal"
2. Samothrace "Life's Trade"
3. Origin "Antithesis"
4. Deadbird "Twilight Ritual"
5. The Gates of Slumber "Conqueror"
6. A Storm of Light "And We Wept the Black Ocean Within"

Disappointments of 2008

1. Guns N Roses "Chinese Democracy"
2. Judas Priest's "Nostradamus"
3. Juan Montoya leaving Torche
4. Not making it out to some of the big out-of-town shows I wanted to see (Neurosis/Mastodon in Brooklyn, ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas in the UK, Wacken Open Air, Dudefest, Bonnaroo)
5. Exodus marring an otherwise great set at the Pearl Room with a bunch of macho bullshit posturing
6. the cancellation of Enslaved's 2009 spring tour

Highest Hopes for 2009

1. Mastodon's "Crack the Skye"
2. The rumored Faith No More reunion
3. The next Baroness album
4. Lamb of God's "Wrath"
5. New ISIS
6. Amazing live shows (2008 raised the bar!)

Mark's 2008 Wrap-up

Top Albums

1. Opeth “Watershed”
2. Amon Amarth “Twilight Of The Thunder God”
3. Erykah Badu “New Amerykah”
4. Meshuggah “ObZen”
5. Death Cab For Cutie “Narrow Stairs”
6. SlipKnot “All Hope Is Gone”

Honorable Mentions: Ben Folds “Way To Normal”, Torche “Meanderthal”, Weezer “Red Album”, Idina Menzel “I Stand”

Top Live Shows


1. Van Halen @ Allstate Arena
2. MAIDEN!!!! WORLD SLAVERY TOUR!!! @ Allstate Arena
3. Y&T @ Chicago City Limits
4. Swervedriver @ Metro
5. Amon Amarth @ House Of Blues
6. Jerry Seinfeld @ Chicago Theatre

Top Songs


1. Ben Folds "Cologne"
2. Weezer "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived"
3. Harvey Milk "Motown"
4. Erykah Badu "Soldier"
5. Idina Menzel "Brave"
6. Madonna and Kanye West "The Beat Goes On"

HMs: Alphabeat "Fascination", Clutch "Electric Worry"

Top Album Covers


1. Meshuggah “ObZen
2. Erykah Badu “New Amerykah

Disappointments of 2008


1. Kanye West "808s and Heartbreak"
2. In Flames "A Sense of Purpose"
3. SlipKnot touring with Trivium and Coheed and Cambria
4. Janet Jackson "Discipline" Except for the song "Feedback"
5. Judas Priest "Nostradamus"
6. Exodus Live at the Pearl Room

Top Pre-2008 Music Discovered in 2008

1. SCORPIONS!!! “Humanity Hour 1.” Like you wouldn’t believe.....
2. Parliament "Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome"
3. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
4. Dinosaur Jr.
5. TOOL
6. Rihanna “Please Don't Stop the Music”....

Highest Hopes for 2009

1. New Y & T!!
2. New MASTODON!!
3. New QUEENSRYCHE!!
4. New Prince!!
5. New Devin?!?! Maybe?!
6. New Built to Spill please....

Myche's 2008 Wrap-up

Top Albums

I always have to figure out just what was a 2008 release when I’m doing this. There will also undoubtedly be 2008 releases that I won’t discover until 2009 that will be worthy of this list.

1. Fish "13th Star" – A totally biased pick, and one that I would never recommend to anyone, most likely. But no doubt the 2008 release that I played the most…
2. Opeth “Watershed” – The only common choice on all of our lists, making it the Hooks Album of the Year, I would say. These guys just seem to get better and better.
3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds “Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!” – Late entry to this list since my mp3 tag listed it as a 2007 release in error. Glad I got it right.
4. Testament “The Formation Of Damnation” – Just raw and kick-ass METAL.
5. Al Green “Lay It Down” – Probably his best album in 30 years.
6. Warrel Dane “Praises To The New Machine” – I’m surprised by this one myself. I didn’t really listen to it until recently, but loved it. It doesn’t break new ground, but reminded me how much I like Dane’s vocals and Nevermore in general. Only album on list that I didn’t see the artist live during the year, by the way.

Top Live Shows

1. Fish @ Shank Hall in Milwaukee – Easy choice: this was my previous #1 artist I wanted to see that I hadn’t yet, I delayed my honeymoon for the show, it is in my Top 10 shows of all time, and I saw him the next night at the Park West which was a seated show and not nearly as amazing as the Milwaukee show. Plus, I got to meet him before the show. Yes, it was a good day…
2. David Byrne @ Civic Opera House – I’m not even a huge Talking Heads/Byrne fan, but this show blew me away. Very original and captivating.
3. Derek Trucks Band @ Vic Theatre – I had seen him a week before with the Allman Brothers and was still not saturated by his playing. Susan Tedeschi joining for about four songs was a great bonus.
4. Y&T @ Chicago City Limits – I would have never guessed that I could get blown away like I did on my 9th time seeing a band (which tied Queensryche with the band I’ve seen the most times).
5. Doom Fest @ Double Door – So slow and heavy that my heart almost came to a complete stop. Very well-done Fest: Kongh, Somathrace and Beyond Oblivion were my highlights.
6. Bang Camaro @ Double Door – I’m not sure I’ve ever had more FUN at a show in my life. My cheeks hurt from smiling for about a week…

HMs: So many great shows this year - Hideout Block Party, Allman Brothers @ Charter One, Nick Lowe @ The Green Mill, Nick Cave @ Riviera, Ray Davies @ Chicago Theatre, The Holmes Brothers @ Buddy Guy’s, Scorpions/Alice Cooper @ Fort McCoy, WI, Melvins/Big Business @ Double Door, Van Halen @ Allstate Arena, Iron Maiden @ Allstate Arena, Trouble @ Nite Caps (possibly the last time I see them with Eric Wagner singing?)

Top Songs

I’m really bad at focusing on singles as opposed to whole albums, so here’s a list of a few songs that I thought rocked:

1. Bang Camaro "Push Push (Lady Lightning"
2. Bang Camaro “Pleasure (Pleasure)"
3. Whitesnake “Lay Down Your Love"
4. Al Green “Lay It Down”
5. David Byrne & Brian Eno “My Big Nurse"
6. Zimmer’s Hole – Take your pick: “We Rule The Fucking Land”, “Anonymous Esophagus”, or “Hair Doesn’t Grow On Steel”

Top Album Covers

I’m even worse at paying attention to albums covers these days. Here’s a few I liked:

1. Cynic "Traced In Air"
2. Testament “The Formation Of Damnation"
3. Amon Amarth “Twilight Of The Thunder Gods
4. Whitesnake "Good To Be Bad

Disappointments of 2008


1. Eric Wagner leaving Trouble
2. Every show I saw at The Pearl Room in Mokena. I like the venue, but three disappointing shows. Coincidence?
3. Judas Priest "Nostradamus" – Such a lack of quality control on this one. I must hold all members responsible. What are the repercussions from my standpoint? If you ask me to opine on Maiden vs. Priest, my decision just became very easy…
4. Sly Stone cancelling his show at the Vic. Why was I surprised?

Highest Hopes for 2009

1. New albums that are supposed to come out: Y&T (!!!), Queensryche, Heaven & Hell, Derek Trucks Band
2. New albums that I hope come out: anything Devin Townsend-related
3. Concerts scheduled: Messhugah/Cynic
4. Concert hopefuls: Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, David Shankle Group
5. Quality Chicago music festivals, just like 2008: American Music Festival @ Fitzgerald’s, Hideout Block Party, Doom Fest

Top Pre-2008 Music Discovered in 2008

This category flows for me, so it was hard to limit it to six…

1. Whitesnake “Come An’ Get It” – I would guess that I played this album more than about anyone in the world, besides maybe David Coverdale.
2. The Holmes Brothers
3. Gov’t Mule
4. The last two Scorpions releases
5. Merle Haggard
6. Willie Nelson “Who’ll Buy My Memories: The IRS Tapes” – I’ve had this two-disc set for at least ten years without really sinking my teeth into it. I always thought it was a sell-out to get money to pay his IRS debts, but it is fantastic. I love when I this happens with a CD I bought so long ago and forgot about.
7. Ravi Shankar
8. Two songs in particular off the debut Thin Lizzy album that are usually part of Tin Lynott’s set: “Look What The Wind Blew In” and “Things Ain’t Working Out Down At the Farm”

Top DVDs

I think only #1 was a 2008 release, so I guess that’s my best of 2008. The others were just ones I finally saw in 2008 that are noteworthy.

1. Lou Reed “Berlin”
2. Love “Forever Changes Concert”
3. Neil Young “Heart Of Gold”
4. Reggae Deep Roots Documentary Vol. 1-3

Top Music-related Books Read

1. Black Sabbath: Doom Let Loose, An Illustrated History – Martin Popoff
2. Willie Nelson: An Epic Life – Joe Nick Patoski
3. Funk – Rickey Vincent
4. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life And Times Of Warren Zevon – Crystal Zevon

Friday, January 02, 2009

Hook of the Day - Lamb of God "Contractor"

by Wayne

I think Myche and Mark are probably busy right now with their broken Zunes and their 2008 Wrap-ups....perfect opportunity to sneak in the new Lamb of God track as a HotD.

Awesome.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

First Hook of the Year - ISIS "20 Minutes/40 Years"

Hey all,

We'll have our Best of 2008 wrap up soon...in the meantime, here's a new song that ISIS debuted on their recent European tour. It'll be on their new album, out sometime this year.

Here's "20 Minutes/40 Years"