These 6 Albums Are Getting Me Through 2025 // New Music (VIDEO)

Thanks for stopping by for the latest episode of The Dark Stuff. As always, I very much appreciate it. It's pretty much the exact middle of the year, so it seemed appropriate to offer up some of my favorite new releases to discuss. So far, 2025 has been a great year for new music, and it wasn't easy to narrow down this list to just six.

NEW Peter Criss Album? (KISS) / Nada Surf LIVE / One More RSD Score! (VIDEO)

Welcome to the newest edition of "This Year's Week -- my wrap-up video of everything happening in the world of The Dark Stuff. 

This episode begins with a review of a recent concert from Nada Surf. I've seen this legendary indie band many times over the years, and I have loved it every time! Their set was a mix of songs from the newest album, Moon Mirror, along with a healthy dose of Nada Surf's many classics like "Killian's Red" "Blonde On Blonde" and the 90s hit, "Popular." The show was opened by The Cle Elum.

Originally, I was going to include a review of the Julien Baker & TORRES show at The Admiral. But the entire tour was canceled at the last minute due to health concerns with Julien. Therefore, no review. Sad emoji.

Happy to have a little bit of KISS news to share. Original drummer, Peter Criss, has just announced that he will be releasing a new "rock" record this year - in 2025. This will be his first new album in nearly 20 years. Is The Catman really back?? We'll find out soon enough.

I was able to get a copy of the only Record Store Day 2025 title that had eluded me, and I snagged some cheap CDs, as well.

 

RSD 2025 / Bob Dylan LIVE / NEW The Replacements & KISS / Rant About "No Phone" Shows + more (VIDEO)

Welcome to the newest edition of "This Year's Week" -- my wrap-up video of everything happening in the world of The Dark Stuff.

There's new music from KISS, The Replacements, and members of The Bangles to discuss, as well as some recent concerts from Bob Dylan and The Spirit of 1989 "hair metal" tour featuring Trixter, Enuff Z'Nuff, and Pretty Boy Floyd. This week gave us Record Store Day, and naturally, I had to partake.

I also have a rant about "no phone" shows and this month's playlist.

The Replacements Let it Be is 40!!! Paul Westerberg Tommy Stinson Chris Mars Bob Stinson (VIDEO)

Today is the 40th birthday of The Replacements legendary album "Let It Be." I've probably listened to this record a thousand times since I first picked it up as a sophomore in high school.

Initially, I picked it up solely for the cover of "Black Diamond" from Kiss. I was a metal head at the time, and Kiss was my absolute favorite. Any band that covered Kiss was going to be all right by me! But "Let it Be" is nothing like a Kiss record, and it took me some time to appreciate it. But once I did, I never looked back! The Replacements became my new obsession.

To be honest, they are still an obsession of mine. I can't believe this album is 40 years old!? Damn.

"Back in the Day" Concert Tales: KISS + White Lion Nov. 27, 1987 // Meeting Gene Simmons! (VIDEO)

In my newest installment of "Concert Tales," I take you back to a November 1987 show from KISS and White Lion. 

In 1987, I was 16 years old, and I could finally drive myself to concerts (no more begging for rides from Mom). I had learned, by then, that many of the bands that perform at the Omaha Civic Auditorium stay at the nearby Red Lion Inn hotel. November 27, 1987 was a Friday, and it was the day after Thanksgiving that year. Omaha was in the midst of a two day snowstorm, but I decided to drive down to the Red Lion on the off chance I might meet someone from KISS.

I had already met the band on the previous tour, but I was at the height of my fandom at this time, and I needed more! I spotted Gene Simmons dining alone in the hotel's restaurant, and I approached him. He invited me to sit with him, and I proceeded to do a spontaneous interview with the rock legend. 

Later that night, my friend and I hit the Civic Auditorium Arena to KISS and opening act, White Lion. For a variety of reasons, we were among the few, the proud, who went to this particular KISS concert. In the newspaper the next day, the attendance was reported as 2,592. The place was pretty empty. Regardless, KISS put on their usual, high energy show, and I loved it.

I hope you enjoy this trip down hair metal memory lane...

Goodbye Aerosmith /Bryan Adams & KISS / David Cross / 48 Hours NO Power! / LIVE: Shiner & Violenteer (VIDEO)

Thanks for checking out my latest video. In this episode of "This Year's Week," I begin with a run through of this month's Dark Stuff Playlist:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3TW5ladaEmIOZK9UtA8m8z?si=e513e255993a4e9e

Apple Music:  https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/dark-stuff-august-2024/pl.u-e98l6XDUXyoVD  

You need to be listening to these. Seriously.

Next up, I discuss the recent severe storms that hit Omaha. Nearly 230,00 lost power - including me - due to storm damage. As I'm writing this description, there are still nearly 30,000 in the dark and the sweltering heat. Personally, I only lost power for 48 hours. Even still, I had a bit of a meltdown on the second night. Since I've never had one in the past, I'm not sure whether or not I had a panic attack. But if that is what I experienced, I hope to never experience that again. It was terrifying.

I've been listening to Aerosmith since I was 10 years old, and I'm 53 now. They are such an important band, and one that has been a part of my life for pretty much all of it. This week, the band announced it was retiring from the road. Steven Tyler has not been able to recover from a recent vocal injury, and the band has cancelled all future touring. Getting old sucks. No one is immune.

I highly doubt that I've ever covered Bryan Adams on the channel before, but there is a first time for everything! Bryan "Summer of 69" Adams is releasing a new 7" single on his own label, Bad Records. The reason why this was interesting to me is that both songs are KISS covers. Well...sort of. The songs, "Rock and Roll Hell" and "War Machine," both appeared on KISS's 1982 album, Creatures of the Night. Both are co-writes between Gene Simmons and Bryan Adams (along with his writing partner, Jim Vallance), and they are among the heaviest songs KISS ever recorded. Is Bryan Adams really covering a song if he wrote it?

Comedian David Cross popped into Omaha to try out some new material ahead of an upcoming tour and the taping of a longform comedy special. It was wild seeing him in such a small space. He was supposed to perform again the next night, but he cancelled. Hmmm....

Caught a fantastic rock show the other night. Three terrific bands. The "post-hardcore/alternative rock band" (per Wikipedia, lol) SHINER (active primarily from 1992-2002) closed out a brief Midwest tour with a fiery set at Reverb Lounge. I never saw Shiner in their heyday; but have seen singer/guitarist Allen Epley in his next band The Life and Times and as a solo artist.

The two openers were both great. First up was Violenteer. This unique band featured two bass players and no guitarist. The band had a heavy sound that reminded me of Tough & Go Records in its glory days. You may recognize lead singer Steve Tulipana from his time in Season To Risk. Bassist Randy Cotton previously played in Ritual Device. Middle band Healer played an all too brief set in between.

Lastly, we check in with Neko and Blackie and see how they held up after the blackout.

Baseball Project LIVE (R.E.M./Dream Syndicate) /KISS in the Billions Club /Symphonic Cypress Hill? (VIDEO)

Hello, friends. In this installment of "This Year's Week" (I'm still working on that title), I begin with The Baseball Project. You haven't stumbled onto the wrong channel, folks. The Baseball Project is a band featuring some very famous members: Peter Buck and Mike Mills of R.E.M. In addition Buck & Mills, the band also features Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate), Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, Minus Five) and Linda Pitmon (Zuzu's Petals, Filthy Friends). The indie rock "supergroup" performed at The Waiting Room in Omaha.

It was such a trip seeing two members of R.E.M. playing inside this little club. I associate that band with massive stadium and arena shows. It was cool to see them just having fun with some friends.

There was a little bit of sad news in the world of The Replacements, as Paul Westerberg's mother, Mary, passed away. Additionally, Laurie Lindeen, former wife of Paul and mother of his son, John, died at roughly the same time. Lindeen is probably best known for being a member of the band Zuzu's Petals.

It's not all sad news in Replacements world. Chris Mars announced he is doing a limited vinyl run of his most recent record, The Average Album. Prior to this, it has only been available digitally. Get more info at Chris's website: https://www.chrismarspublishing.com/

After a quick update on "the girls" -- Neko and Blackie -- I have a sneak peek of a video I've been working on from a new series I mentioned a few videos back.

All this and more in just under 13 minutes. Hard to beat.

Dark Stuff: Roger Daltrey, KISS, Inhaler, Bikini Kill, Buffalo Tom, Laura Jane Grace & MORE (VIDEO)

Today's video is a bit of a wrap-up of all things Dark Stuff from the last week -- it's This Year's Week! I'll work on that...

We begin with a trip to Memorial Park in Omaha to see the legendary vocalist from The Who, Roger Daltrey. The free show was sponsored by the City of Omaha and featured post-show fireworks for Independence Day. Opening band, Inhaler, featured the son of U2 frontman, Bono. This meant that, in Omaha, we celebrate our independence with artists from UK and Ireland.

This week marks the anniversary of the original KISS lineup (Ace, Gene, Peter, Paul) reuniting for its first show. June 28, 1996 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit Rock City. I was there! And every year, I celebrate accordingly.

Hey, have you subscribed to my other channel, Rock N Roll Book Club, yet? You really should. On the next episode, we are discussing "Rebel Girl" by Kathleen Hanna. Been listening to a ton of Bikini Kill lately. Can't wait to talk about this book!

Picked up a couple of things on a recent trip to Homer's, but I'm still waiting for my copy of Buffalo Tom's newest, Jump Rope, to arrive.

I caught the pilot episode of Orphan Black: Echoes starring Krysten Ritter. I really liked the original Orphan Black with Tatiana Maslany. This new "version" of the story seems decent. But I'll probably give it a few more episodes before deciding if it's something I plan to discuss on the channel.

Lastly, I have brought back The Dark Stuff playlist! I wasn't sure that anyone cared, so I stopped doing them and deleted most of the old ones. Then I found out that people actually do listen to those. Okay, message received.

Ace Frehley (KISS) 10,000 Volts REVIEW

Today, I am reviewing the brand new album from former KISS lead guitarist, Ace Frehley. Longtime viewers of the channel know that KISS is my favorite band of all time. But don't confuse being a "fan" with being a "fanboy." There's a huge difference. I consider myself to be objective when it comes to Kiss and its former members. So, to those who are easily triggered by a different opinion than their own...don't say you weren't warned.

Rock & Roll Book Club Ep. 5 - Paul Stanley "Face The Music" (VIDEO)

The newest episode of Rock 'N' Roll Book Club has just been published! Please make sure to watch it. 

NOTE: All future episodes of this series will be published on its own channel called Rock N Roll Book Club: https://www.youtube.com/@rocknrollbookclub. Please go ahead and subscribe so you'll be ready for the next episode.

The Final KISS Show? My Review +Discussion About the "New Era" of KISS (Video)

This video is my honest reaction to the concert and to the announcement made at the show about the future of KISS. I went in with an open mind. I admit to being more than a little confused now that it's over.

To see the rest of my KISS related videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyHjhVnQ2P3xBHBpl0HYtjYIm4Q-0mh7Z&si=LYX8c8HhMiaOj7jJ

The End of the Road for KISS: Reflections From a 40+ Year Fan! (VIDEO)

Hello, friends. Welcome to the latest video. As many of you know, I have been a lifelong KISS fan. I saw my first show in February 1984 on the 'Lick It Up' tour. Since then, I have seen them dozens of times. In the mid 80s, as a junior high student, I created my own KISS fanzine called KISS Rocks the World. Because of that, I was able to meet the band a few times, and do phone interviews with a few former members. 

Flash forward to June 28, 1996, and I was there: at Tiger Stadium in Detroit Rock City to see opening night of the reunion tour with the original line-up. Gene. Paul. Ace. Peter. And me. In the 8th row. 

Well, as of the time I am posting this - November 25, 2023 - KISS is one week away from playing its final show ever. It is closing out its career with a sold out two-night stand at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

I wanted to make this video to share my thoughts on the end of KISS. As a 40+ year long fan, I am finding that the end is hitting me a little harder than I thought it would. Throughout the video, I have inserted photos and videos that I have taken going back to 1986. 

How are you feeling about the end of KISS?

Vinyl Pickups November 2023: DIE SPITZ, a KISS grail, Bangles, Ratboys, and more

Newest vinyl video features pickups from Die Spitz, Dope Folks Records, Bangles, Ratboys, Blue Öyster Cult, a "grail" from KISS, and more. 

KISS LIVE at CHI Health Center March 7, 2019 (PHOTO)

Gene Simmons and Tommy Thayer (KISS) at CHI Health, March 7, 2019

 

Back In The Day: Backstage Stories from the 80s and 90s (VIDEO)

In this week's video I am joined by Maria Buszek. In addition to being an old friend of mine, Maria is also a professor, an author, a record collector, and music fan. We discuss some of the bands we met back in the late 80s/early 90s and the (sometimes) extreme lengths we went to meet them. You'll love this video.

KISS In The 1980s (Part Two) (PODCAST)

  

Listen to the episode with full songs on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ujyuSYadnJbY77DXYpDtS?si=haH3XZV7Q1WtVHs3_vGTug

KISS In The 1980s (Part One) (PODCAST)

  

Listen to the episode with full songs on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7DHJFpkarPNzLpoqtPquiC?si=yit9AzucQ-6AUDY0HfXBdg

Ace Frehley To Appear On the Tonight Show August 12

Former KISS guitarist, Ace Frehley, will be sitting in with The Roots on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, August 12.

Ace's newest solo album, Space Invader, will be in stores August 19.

In the meantime, check out the Ace Frehley interview on the Dark Stuff Podcast:

Living Legends

Bun E. Carlos and Ace Frehley

The Dark Stuff Podcast 105: Ace Frehley (KISS)

The Dark Stuff Podcast #105 is a special one, folks. This episode features my interview with the legendary guitarist and founding member of KISS, Ace Frehley! Ace helped form KISS in 1973 and remained in the band until 1982, when he embarked on a solo career. In 1996, he re-joined KISS for a reunion tour, and remained in the band until 2002. Ace Frehley, along with the three other original members of KISS, were recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

I conducted this interview with Ace during the run-up to the release of his solo album, Anomaly, in 2009. This was his first solo release in 20 years, and the expectations were high. He and his band were about to begin an international tour in support of the album, and that tour began in Council Bluffs, IA, which is a mere 10 minutes from midtown Omaha. 

I have been a lifelong KISS fan, and this was, literally, a dream come true for me. I hope you enjoy the episode. This interview has never been aired anywhere. It is 100% exclusive to this podcast.

I want to point out that in the time since the interview, Ace has completed a new album. It is called Space Invader, and will be released on June 24, 2014. 

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