The Kids Wanna Rock

"Turned on the radio
Sounded like a disco
Musta turned the dial for a couple of miles
But I couldn't find no rock n' roll

This computerized crap ain't gettin' me off
Everywhere I go - the kids wanna rock" - Bryan Adams

First off, just wanted to remind everyone that the band folk and I will be playing some new jams and some old faves at Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn this coming Monday night (8/2, 8p) as we celebrate (somewhat belatedly) the release of my newest long player, "Queens English". If you're free, please join us as we make a racket in the back room then retire to Pete's awesome garden for a mid-summer night's libation under the stars. Details below -

Mark Bacino
Mon. August 2, 2010 - 8pm
Pete's Candy Store
709 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718.302.3770
www.petescandystore.com
*Free Admission*

Lastly, in quick literary transition from live to Memorex - It struck me this week, in a wave of randomness, just how much I rely upon YouTube vids these days while investigating new musical finds. After, say, reading about a new band or artist, I find myself, almost reflexively, hitting my YouTube browser tab long before heading to iTunes, MySpace, etc. Usually I find your standard issue, MTV-era, bells and whistles video or a DIY Flip Cam vid but sometimes I land on a fan made clip, as I'm sure you have, consisting of nothing more than a tune from the band in question along with a static picture lasting the entire duration of the song. You would think given the obvious nature of YouTube as a visual platform this would be a detriment to the video's popularity but often I find these "static" vids to have thousands of plays. Go figure - The fascinating nexus of YouTube as Web 2.0 jukebox and modern man's uncanny ability to bend technology toward never intended uses coupled with his timeless need to simply get his groove on.

It's with all these lofty concepts in mind that I thought it might be fun to post some music from my new album in simple, YouTube neo-jukebox form -

www.youtube.com/user/MBacino

I suppose no matter the medium, the kids still wanna rock.

A wise Canuck that Mr. Adams, no?

XO,
-mb

www.markbacino.com

Cobwebs...

One of my all time faves, Prince, recently declared that the "Internet's completely over" in a UK Daily Mirror piece. Of course he's totally wrong and of course the statement is probably just a way for the purple one to generate heat around his new album release (which The Daily Mirror just happens to be distributing free with it's paper) but I have to admit, all technological naivete/publicity stunts aside, in a roundabout way I kind of get what Prince might be saying.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no luddite; having logged onto the interwebs myself for the first time back in '94 and surrounding myself daily with a bevy of computers, audio equipment and iPhones. Certainly the net is one of the greatest tools ever invented (thanks Al Gore) and we've yet to even scratch the surface, but like every piece of technology that has a profound affect on mankind, it, of course, has it's benefits and it's drawbacks. I guess what I'm trying to say is the web, at least for me, is sometimes like my Uncle Milt; love 'em, great fun, knows a heck of a lot about stuff but at times is just a tad removed from reality and, well, a bit much.

This weekend past, my wife and I accompanied my young son to one of his schoolmate's birthday parties. Although we knew the birthday boy's parents a bit, we were suddenly thrust into a totally foreign social-circle, spending the afternoon getting to know a bunch of flesh and blood strangers face to face. After the initial handshake awkwardness passed I found myself having the kind of fun Facebook could never hope to provide.

Maybe Prince is still a genius after all.

(For a laugh, click here to visit an archive of my first website created circa 1997 and inspired by the ridiculous promo picture of me above).

www.markbacino.com