The 10 Greatest Screamers in Rock

OK, first off - I'm not including bands that do nothing but scream. For one thing, I don't know that much about them and for another I don't think it's that powerful to just scream all the time. Chocolate cake is awesome until it's the only thing you're allowed to eat...then it gets old really fast.

Also, I don't claim that these are the only great screamers. These are just the best of the stuff that's on my iPod.

10. Bon Scott AC/DC Scott typically sounded like a barking dog when he sang (which would probably get him on this list anyway), but from time to time he'd really let loose like the way he sings the word "explode" at the end of "T.N.T.".

9. Joe Strummer The Clash A great gravelly voice at all times, Joe hit his screaming peak at the end of "Total Control" when he's just ad-libbing ("this is Joe speaking..."). Wild and genuine.

8. Paul McCartney The Beatles It's hard to believe that the baby-faced singer of "Michelle" could also belt out the wailing in "Helter Skelter", "Twist and Shout", and "Maybe I'm Amazed"...but wow.

7. Al Jourgensen Ministry Stigmata. 'Nuff said.

6. John Lydon PIL "Anarchy in the U.K.", "God Save the Queen"...textbook examples of screaming. But my favorite from the former Johnny Rotten is still "Public Image" from the PIL debut. Relentless guitar, relentless energy.

5. Prince Some people might be surprised to see the funk master on this list, but it's hard to find a wilder, more guttural primal scream than the ending of "Let's Go Crazy" when he yells Take Me Away. And the mind-blowing intensity at the end of "The Beautiful Ones".

4. Robert Plant Led Zeppelin One of the original greats. Sometimes he just belted it out from the get-go ("The Song Remains The Same") or performed that wonderful contrast between smooth crooning and screaming within the same song ("What Is And What Should Never Be", "I'm Gonna Crawl").

3. Janis Joplin If the only song she ever recorded was "Piece of My Heart", she would still be #3 on this list.

2. Jim Morrison The Doors Up until 1987, Morrison would have topped this list without equal (more on that in a second.) But no other singer in the history of rock has been so naturally smooth and Sinatra-esque, and then 5 seconds later release a deafening scream. And you didn't get the sense that he was showing off...Jim was just a raging storm with a cool veneer.

1. Black Francis Pixies There are no words to describe what Black Francis recorded on those first 5 Pixies albums. Wild, animalistic, primal, insane. He's been mimicked a million times since, but nothing can match the raw energy of "Tame", "Debaser", "Planet of Sound", etc. Stills gives me chills after all these years.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

L.A. Whiskey Society

I've added a link to the website of the L.A. Whiskey Society because they are a wonderful resource for whiskey enthusiasts, whether you live in Southern California or not. Their site offers extensive whiskey reviews and articles. Check em out!

LA Whiskey Society

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

WhiskyFest San Francisco

7th Annual WhiskyFest San Francisco Friday, September 27, 2013

San Francisco Marriott Marquis
Grand Tasting — 6:30 – 9:30 PM, VIP 5:30 PM
Seminars by Master Distillers and Blenders — 7:00 PM, 7:45 PM, 8:30 PM

Taste from a selection of 300 whiskies

WhiskyFest San Francisco will feature over 300 whiskies from around the world. This is your chance to taste from a selection of single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, Bourbon, Tennessee, Japanese, and Canadian whiskies, all assembled in one Grand Ballroom. High-end rum, cognac, vodka, beer and other spirits will be available as well.

Learn from the experts

The focus is on education, and many distillery representatives will be on hand at the pouring booths to explain how their whiskies are made. Seminars, featuring their own tastings, run throughout the evening. Meet distinguished members of the whisky community, and learn first-hand how their brands are made. Be sure to go to at least one FREE seminar at WhiskyFest. You’ll have the opportunity to taste samples that may not be available in the main ballroom.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

3 Reasons Why "Into Darkness" is the Best Star Trek Movie

First, some context: I am a middle-aged, lifelong Trekker. In 1970 I had a model Enterprise hanging from my bedroom ceiling. I have watched every iteration and variation of Star Trek since the get-go. I am not some kid who thinks life began in 2005.

And I absolutely loved Into Darkness.

Here is why:

Benedict Cumberbatch

One of the reasons people took Star Wars seriously from the start was the caliber of actors involved. Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, James Earl Jones...these were highly respected thespians who gave the movie credibility. You had to figure if these guys saw something in the script, there had to be some gravitas to the story. By way of contrast, what did the Star Trek movies have? Um...uh...the original casts? (Tom Hardy doesn't count because he was still a kid.) I love Ricardo Montalban, but he isn't exactly Marlon Brando. But featuring one of the greatest actors of our generation gives Into Darkness a classic vibe. Years from now his scenes will be viewed as legendary and reflect very well on the series. Same thing with Michael Fassbender as Magneto.

Spock In Love

One of my favorite episodes from the original series was "This Side of Paradise", which featured, among other things, Spock revealing and displaying his love for Leila. It really showed the constant struggle the Vulcan goes through to tamp down emotions that are always just below the surface. But some fans (see: codgers) are screaming, "Spock and Uhura can't be in love!!!" To me this makes no sense. Sarek, Spock's father, married a human woman. And he is 100% Vulcan. Why in the world would it be hard to believe that a half-Vulcan would give in to his emotions? I think it's great and the relationship adds entire levels of complexity and twists to the story that benefit all concerned.

Action

Up until the J.J. Abrams movies, the Star Trek films had a fatal flaw: they were boring. And I reiterate...I am a massive Trekker. Of the TV shows. The movies - not so much. Star Trek as a TV series has always been very cerebral. And that works in the framework of a TV show. For 22 episodes a year, stories can be slowly developed and allowed to mature organically. But a 2-hour movie? Forget it. Viewers need to be drawn in and stimulated early on to be come emotionally invested into the story. Into Darkness performed this task to perfection.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Whiskey of the Day: Laphroaig

Laphroaig

DESCRIPTION:

“There are 3 main ingredients for making Laphroaig – Barley, Water, and Yeast, but the secret ingredient is the People.”

Laphroaig (La-froyg) is the story of a community. An uncompromising, tough and determined group of people who work to ensure that this defining whisky has always remained true to its origins.

These origins can be found in Islay itself – its harsh climate and tough landscape have created a hardy people whose single-mindedness and honesty is as distinctive as Laphroaig.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The Whiskey of Star Wars

Whether taking a respite at a Mos Eisley cantina or rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi at a Coruscant nightclub, the characters in Star Wars are going to get thirsty.

And when they do, what will be their whiskey of choice?

This question, which has befuddled the masses for decades, we will attempt to answer below (feel free to offer your insights.)

Jek Tono Porkins Rebel Yell Not everyone can hold their Kentucky Bourbon, but the unfortunately named Mr. Porkins isn't one of them. "I can hold it...I can hold it", he was overheard saying in a monotone. Whether hunting sink crabs on Bestine IV or getting blowed up on Death Stars, Red Six enjoys this smooth sipping whiskey.

Queen Amidala Silver Jet Whisky Padmé first tasted this Indian whiskey completely by mistake. When needing to run to the Space Mall in her J-type 327 Nubian Royal Starship, she simply declared "bring me my silver jet!" and a glass of whiskey was delivered instead. Not wanting to be rude, she drank the beverage and was hooked.

Gamorrean Guard Pig's Nose The fringes of the Northern Dune Sea can see long, hot summer days, and guarding Hutt Castle is no picnic. But when a weary Gamorrean can unwind with a fine blended Scotch, even bounty hunters with thermal detonators are less stress-inducing.

Ben Kenobi Old Crow Also known as "That Old Fossil", Mr. Kenobi has seen a lot of hard years. Sipping his favorite Kentucky bourbon makes life at the southwestern edge of Tatooine's Dune Sea (and pesky Jawas) a little more tolerable. It also explains him not remembering "ever owning a droid".

C-3PO Pink Champagne Yes, pink champagne is not whiskey. But what else would C-3PO drink?

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Whiskey of the Day: Tyrconnell Single Malt

TYRCONNELL SINGLE MALT

DESCRIPTION:

A single malt Irish whiskey from the Cooley distillery, Tyrconnell is incredibly creamy and smooth.

Nose: Sweet and crisp with orchard fruits and a malty character
Palate: Full and sweet with barley malt and hot buttered granary toast with honey
Finish: Dry and grassy with a little spice

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Whiskey of the Day - Balcones Baby Blue

BALCONES BABY BLUE

DESCRIPTION:

Baby Blue is a unique corn whisky made from atole, a roasted blue corn meal. Baby Blue isn’t bourbon nor white lightning. It has the freshness and verve of traditional corn whisky but with a refined complexity. The result is a round nuttiness and roasty overtones with a smooth finish. Baby Blue was the first Texas whisky on the market since prohibition, and is the only craft-made whisky to have received a 5-star rating from F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal other than Balcones "1" Texas Single Malt.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Whiskey of the Day - The Glenlivet XXV

THE GLENLIVET XXV

Character: The intense and opulent one
Colour: Rich amber with ripe gold hues
Nose: Dark chocolate with scents of dried sultanas
Palate: Silky, sweet and caressing with cinnamon notes
Finish: Incredibly long, rich and balanced

Craft facts The XXV is a batch-produced whisky finished in individually selected ex-sherry butts.

The Oloroso-soaked oak imparts a nutty spiciness and enriches the flavour of the expression.

Each cask is individually monitored in the finishing process to ensure only the subtlest sherry tones are added to this intense, silky and elegant whisky.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whiskey enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.