Written by Smokey McTrees | 29 January 2010

Wow, 2009 sure was a shitty year for celebrity deaths.  So many of our celebrity heroes kicked the bucket it felt like the Mayan calendar may have been misinterpreted to read all celebs must die by 2012.  It seemed like at least 5 of 'em died per day!  Surprisingly it wasn't always the most obvious choice.  I mean all of us expected Mike Jackson to get caught again givin' Jesus Juice to some unsuspecting pre-teen boy but I think we were all shocked when he took one Percocet too many and seized up his ticker.  Since 2010 is upon us, let's have some fun with this gruesome concept and start our own Dead Pool!  Kids!  Here's a game that can be enjoyed by both alienated Goth Kids and Gangsta Muthafuckas in its universal appeal.  We here at the AC and McTrees site think it would be fun to start a rock star death pool.   Yeah, we don't get any points for originality, but we certainly have chutzpah.  Choose your order from the choices below, and leave them in the comments section.  And because we at Armchair Culture and Smokey McTrees ain't as cheap as our friends think we are we will award the top five such awesome prizes as free copies of Smokey's new CD "Dirtbag Vampire" and Armchair Culture/ Love WIthout Nagel T-Shirts!!!!  Awarded upon death, natch!  So get on your sick, twisted thinking caps and get to it!  You have until April Fool's Day to submit entries and then we'll move on to movie/tv star edition.

Gregg Allman
Wow this fuckers done a lot of drugs...he's truly the barely living embodiment to that Southern-Rocker, hard-livin' mentality!  Plus he put his penis in Cher enough times that he sired a weird, shitty drummer-singer son.  He's been at Death's door a couple of times, and Lord knows his fucking band's cursed...unfortunately it seems like motorcycles kill off these fuckers more then heroin addiction, so Gregg might still be a long-shot...

"Dude!  That's the guy who sells fake Rolexes in the Applebee's parking lot!"

Santana
This is a tricky choice, as Santana was near the top of this list twenty years ago because he had Hogdkin's disease and has also admittedly done a lot of drugs.  Thing is, he saw visions of the Virgin Mary and has been OK ever since..  And I don't think his Madonna-visions were just some random acid flashback because we all know Hispanics see Ave Maria all the time.  Hey, they tell you you're not supposed to drink the water in Mexico...

Pete Doherty

""A bit of a racket foisting me twee ass in your gobs, ennit?"

This loser is unbelievable.  He's like Syd Barrett without the cool or talent.  How people wo see Pete on the street just don't randomly come up to this guy and punch him in the face is a true testament of the British "Stiff Upper-Lip" mentality.  HAve you ever listened to the Libertines?  Ugh, it's like art-punk or something.

Amy Winehouse
Wow.  Pete's former scumbag partner-in-crime strikes folks as a bit more tragic.  As she slowly ruins herself at levels Britney would be remiss to ignore, I cannot help but feel bad for her.  I mean, she's hideous.  Even crazy Britney had fuckable potential.  But since Wino has lost 100+ pounds she is more unattractive then ever.  So you gotta feel a little bit for this wacko.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IN7yJWi21E]

Scott Weiland
Yeah, Scott, when Slash and Duff McKagan kick you out of a band for getting wasted too much, you might just have a wee bit of a problem.

Courtney Love
Unlikeable, crazy, and pretty much ungrateful.  These are descriptions for the many folks who disparage the talented Ms. Love's career and personal life.  Courtney is such a fine role-model for women everywhere that it would be a shame if she were to pass this year.  Hang in there, kitty.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oh7hO2xJq8]

Bobby Brown
At least this guy admits he pretty much sucks.  I mean he was the ugliest dude in New Edition and made "prerogative" a household word for a while.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2RGeShhKcs]

Whitney Houston
Yeah, about that comeback...her voice, sinuses, and uterus are all shot to shit.  She can't sing anymore, and she still acts mad erratic if reports from backstage promoters arer to be believed.  And if you can't trust promoters, who can you trust?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3F5SU929vI]

DMX
Wow, DMX is kind of scary.  Crackheads are usually more funny then scary, but this guy smokes crack then tortures his dogs, speeds around in parking garages and carjacks folks by telling them he's FBI.  Yeah, DMX is the kind of fun crazy folks like to read about but don't necessarily want to invite over for chicken and waffles.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4KLb-OHlsg]

Written by Melissa Berlin | 06 October 2009

I am going to be so in the dog house if my girlfriend reads this...however, it's a good thing we have a comfortable couch!

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to meet someone somewhere and having your girlfriend give you "directions" (at least in my case and I'm sure that most of you can relate). If I even admit that I need directions, the last thing I want to hear is her telling me what nail salons or home supply stores are the landmarks of where I'm going - clearly I do not know where those places are!!! Even worse than that, is if she isn't alone and I have to listen to her talk everything through with her friends in the background - did it skip her mind that I'm actually driving in a car and don't have time to listen to her bicker with her friends or answer her call waiting?! OK, sorry...enough ranting...

Whether or not I'm making my point clear, Psychostick can relay the message in a much better fashion. Not sure if too many of you are familiar with this "humorcore" band, but if you haven't heard their song "Girl Directions" you must immediately stop what you're doing and listen to it. While it's very short, only about a minute and a half in all it's glory, the song is hilarious! "Girl Directions" takes you through a guy getting directions in the most frustrating and obnoxious way possible (at least my girlfriend isn't this bad) and ultimately unlashing his anger into the phone! Psychostick has become known over the years for writing hard rock/borderline metal music about inanimate objects and other everyday events. You may be familiar with their song "Beer!!!"

Now I ask you, isn't the annoying GPS voice better than having to go through anything resembling this?!

http://www.psychostick.com

Written by Speakerbox | 31 July 2009

Hotel Carolina, the two-day singer-songwriter event of the year will be held at the Windjammer in Isle of Palms, South Carolina from September 25th through 26th.

The festival will kick off Friday night with performances by Sara Kelley, Keaton Simons, Andrew Hoover, Josh Hoge, Curtis Peoples and Ernie Halter.

The concert will continue Saturday afternoon with an All-Star Jam Session featuring all of the Hotel Carolina performers as well as special guests JT Spangler, Chardy McEwan (of Pat McGee Band) and Roy Jay. Hotel Carolina will end Saturday night with performances by Matt Duke, Jay Nash, Sara Haze, Gareth Asher, Tony Lucca, Benjy Davis Project and Tyrone Wells.

For more information on Hotel Carolina and Tickets, visit: welcometothehotelcarolina.com

Written by xcoffeexcorex | 15 June 2009

Benjy Davis Project, a pop/rock band from Baton Rouge, delivers good old fashioned rock 'n' roll on their recent cd, "Dust." This well rounded southern-tinged rock album strikes me as having something for every rock fan. I say southern-tinged, because make no mistake, this band wears their roots on their sleeves. The occasional fiddle, banjo, and Hammond B3 pop up here and there in songs, but without the baggage of being a country band. Cliches aside, "Dust" is as american as apple pie, or better Bruce Springsteen.

Benjy is a storyteller with experiences to share, and a talented backing band to help him tell it. The single, "I Love You" is as catchy as any radio ready Jason Mraz song, telling the story of the ins and outs of just how much it hurts to be in love sometimes. "Same Damn Book" adds to that theme, exploring the relationships that just aren't working, in spite of how much effort you're putting into it. Who can't relate to that? "Sweet Southern Moon" has campfire-summer-jam written all over it: faint banjo, stories of good times, and a chorus I couldn't stop listening to. "The Rain" shares the woes of living in an imperfect world where you can't control everything going on around you, but proving that all it takes is a good beat and a guitar to power through.

My favorite track by far is "When I Go Home." It's easily lost in the second half of the CD, but it's a road-trip friendly jam about never quite feeling settled. Maybe that's why these guys are so big with the college crowd. "Dust" is all about feelin' good and being happy with what you got. There's beauty in simplicity. This is americana at it's best. I'll pass on the boot-up-your-ass country.

Note: These guys look like they're always on tour. They're worth catching when they come to town.

Official Website / MySpace
Buy The Album

Written by xCoffeexCorex | 20 May 2009

Welcome to Blockvile, population: the lead singer of Sister Hazel, Ken Block. You'll recognize the voice, and it feels like home (but without the fighting).

I know what you're thinking. "If this is anything like Margartaville, I'm not up for the hangover." Not to worry, there is much more introspection and less escapism here. Ken Block's solo effort "drift" (intentionally lower-case) is a feel-good stroll through stories of day-to-day struggles and challenges everyone can relate to.

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