My favorite tune from the Crimea's last one...
Monday, April 30, 2007
Cheap Thrills: The Crimea - Secrets Of The Witching Hour
The Crimea are giving away their new CD, Secrets Of The Witching Hour. The Guardian writes up the offer here "Album giveaway could ignite music revolution"
Go here for the free, legal download...
"We've always strived to get the music out to as many people as possible," said the Crimea's drummer, Owen Hopkin, who has taken on many of the group's organisational and administrative duties. "We want to harness the power of the internet. If it's on there for free we'll reach more people than the orthodox route of selling the record."
Go here for the free, legal download...
The Money Shot: 4.30.07
Today's headlines...
Rock 'n' roll never forgets (Chicago Sun-Times)
The Money Shot: (Lester) Bangs is quoted more often than any other rock critic -- just do a quick Google search -- and not only by other writers, but by readers who evoke him in their e-mail signatures, carry his quotations in their wallets or reprint his words in fanzines and on Web sites.
Green Day to release new single (NME)
MS: Green Day have surprised fans by confirming they will release a new single tomorrow (May 1). The punk trio will make their John Lennon cover 'Working Class Hero' available as a download as part of a charity campaign to help people suffering in the Darfur region of Africa.
Love Plans To Sell Cobain's Belongings (Billboard)
MS: "My daughter doesn't need to inherit a giant... bag full of flannel... shirts," says Love, former frontwoman of rock act Hole. "A sweater, a guitar and the lyrics to `(Smells Like) Teen Spirit' -- that's what my daughter gets. And the rest of it we'll just... sell."
Shortlist Music Prize Finalists Announced (Billboard)
MS: The Shortlist Music Prize has listed its 10 finalists for its 2007 award. Those who made the cut from a total of 61 nominations are the Band of Horses, Beirut, Bonnie Prince Billy, Cat Power, Girl Talk, Hot Chip, Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor, Spank Rock and Tom Waits.
Open Letter To Lester Bangs (Popmatters)
MS: It’s a horrendous situation, Bangs, but blame it on the publishing industry first. You seen a copy of Rolling Stone lately? Goddamn thing is a bunch of snotty fashion ads and mealy-mouthed hyperbole feeding off the bleached bones of the ‘60s. As soon as Wenner installed the turnstile in his closet, the rag became, well, a rag. But the regular parade of Top Ten and Greatest lists is really quite stellar, in a woefully out-of-touch way. At least Creem died with a shred of decency and pride, then was resuscitated into a downscaled labor of love. And let’s not forget The Village Voice, the hallmark of leftist loquaciousness and the pulse of Noo Yawk’s music underworld. It’s currently being run into a shallow grave by a of consortium pencil pushers devoid of common sense and business acumen. If distributing every weekly edition for F-R-E-E wasn’t the height of fiscal desperation betwixt and between masochistic tendencies, then sacking Bob Christgau was the zenith of idiocy. No notice, no thanks, no nothing … Just opened the door and sent him on his way, along with every cobwebbed remnant of respectability. Don’t worry about Christgau though, last I heard, he’s got a lecturing gig over at some institute of higher leaning and learning.
The Jesus and Mary Chain team up with Scarlett Johansson (NME)
MS: "This is fucking unreal," frontman Jim Reid told the massive crowd. "Are you having fun?" he asked. When the crowd responded positively he quipped, "Well let's see what we can do about that!"
Rock 'n' roll never forgets (Chicago Sun-Times)
The Money Shot: (Lester) Bangs is quoted more often than any other rock critic -- just do a quick Google search -- and not only by other writers, but by readers who evoke him in their e-mail signatures, carry his quotations in their wallets or reprint his words in fanzines and on Web sites.
Green Day to release new single (NME)
MS: Green Day have surprised fans by confirming they will release a new single tomorrow (May 1). The punk trio will make their John Lennon cover 'Working Class Hero' available as a download as part of a charity campaign to help people suffering in the Darfur region of Africa.
Love Plans To Sell Cobain's Belongings (Billboard)
MS: "My daughter doesn't need to inherit a giant... bag full of flannel... shirts," says Love, former frontwoman of rock act Hole. "A sweater, a guitar and the lyrics to `(Smells Like) Teen Spirit' -- that's what my daughter gets. And the rest of it we'll just... sell."
Shortlist Music Prize Finalists Announced (Billboard)
MS: The Shortlist Music Prize has listed its 10 finalists for its 2007 award. Those who made the cut from a total of 61 nominations are the Band of Horses, Beirut, Bonnie Prince Billy, Cat Power, Girl Talk, Hot Chip, Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor, Spank Rock and Tom Waits.
Open Letter To Lester Bangs (Popmatters)
MS: It’s a horrendous situation, Bangs, but blame it on the publishing industry first. You seen a copy of Rolling Stone lately? Goddamn thing is a bunch of snotty fashion ads and mealy-mouthed hyperbole feeding off the bleached bones of the ‘60s. As soon as Wenner installed the turnstile in his closet, the rag became, well, a rag. But the regular parade of Top Ten and Greatest lists is really quite stellar, in a woefully out-of-touch way. At least Creem died with a shred of decency and pride, then was resuscitated into a downscaled labor of love. And let’s not forget The Village Voice, the hallmark of leftist loquaciousness and the pulse of Noo Yawk’s music underworld. It’s currently being run into a shallow grave by a of consortium pencil pushers devoid of common sense and business acumen. If distributing every weekly edition for F-R-E-E wasn’t the height of fiscal desperation betwixt and between masochistic tendencies, then sacking Bob Christgau was the zenith of idiocy. No notice, no thanks, no nothing … Just opened the door and sent him on his way, along with every cobwebbed remnant of respectability. Don’t worry about Christgau though, last I heard, he’s got a lecturing gig over at some institute of higher leaning and learning.
The Jesus and Mary Chain team up with Scarlett Johansson (NME)
MS: "This is fucking unreal," frontman Jim Reid told the massive crowd. "Are you having fun?" he asked. When the crowd responded positively he quipped, "Well let's see what we can do about that!"
Most Wanted: 4.27.07
Musical Justice's weekly airplay chart for the week ending 4/27:
Rank Title - Artist (Label) Audience Spins
1. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John (Almost Gold) 612 22
2. Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine (Back Porch) 605 21
3. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire (Merge) 595 22
4. In View - The Tragically Hip (UMG) 584 19
5. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird) 576 22
6. Flathead - The Fratellis (Interscope) 578 20
7. North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 556 21
8. Turn On Me - The Shins (Sub Pop) 417 11
9. On Call - Kings Of Leon (RCA) 339 12
10. You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse (Universal Republic) 327 10
11. Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis (Fallout) 307 11
12. Ash Wednesday - Elvis Perkins (XL) 302 10
13. Big Wheel - Tori Amos (Epic) 300 11
14. Grace Kelly - Mika (Casablanca) 300 11
15. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio (Interscope) 297 10
16. I Still Remember - Bloc Party (Vice) 277 11
17. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty) 272 10
18. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique) 267 9
19. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns (UMRG) 260 11
20. Missed The Boat - Modest Mouse (Epic) 246 10
Rank Title - Artist (Label) Audience Spins
1. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John (Almost Gold) 612 22
2. Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine (Back Porch) 605 21
3. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire (Merge) 595 22
4. In View - The Tragically Hip (UMG) 584 19
5. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird) 576 22
6. Flathead - The Fratellis (Interscope) 578 20
7. North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 556 21
8. Turn On Me - The Shins (Sub Pop) 417 11
9. On Call - Kings Of Leon (RCA) 339 12
10. You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse (Universal Republic) 327 10
11. Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis (Fallout) 307 11
12. Ash Wednesday - Elvis Perkins (XL) 302 10
13. Big Wheel - Tori Amos (Epic) 300 11
14. Grace Kelly - Mika (Casablanca) 300 11
15. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio (Interscope) 297 10
16. I Still Remember - Bloc Party (Vice) 277 11
17. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty) 272 10
18. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique) 267 9
19. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns (UMRG) 260 11
20. Missed The Boat - Modest Mouse (Epic) 246 10
TiVo Alert
This week's late night musical highlights...
- Monday - Dinosaur Jr. (Letterman), Kaiser Chiefs (Leno), The Noisettes (Late Late Show), Arctic Monkeys (Conan), Silversun Pickups (Carson Daly), Silversun Pickups (Kimmel)
- Tuesday - Modest Mouse (Letterman), Patti Smith (Leno), Chris Isaak (Conan), Kaiser Chiefs (Kimmel)
- Wednesday - Ben Kweller (Letterman), Fountains of Wayne (Late Late Show), Teddybears (Carson Daly), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Kimmel)
- Thursday - Tori Amos (Letterman)
- Friday - Tom Waits (Conan)
Friday, April 27, 2007
The Money Shot: 4.27.07
Today's headlines...
Equality For Internet Radio Proposed To Congress (CMJ)
The Money Shot: Jay Inslee, a democrat from Washington, introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act to Congress yesterday, which SaveNetRadio (a coalition that was formed in response to the Copyright Royalty Board's ruling to increase rates online) has publicly applauded. As previously reported, May 15 the CRB will put into effect a rate that would most likely cause many internet radio stations to shut down. The internet radio community responded by creating SaveNetRadio and has asked Congress to reduce the rates. Inslee's proposal marks a prominent step in the coalition's favor.
Arctic Monkeys head for more chart glory (Reuters)
The Money Shot: Whatever you say it is, their second album's not a flop.
British indie rockers the Arctic Monkeys are heading for number one in the charts when the rankings are revealed on Sunday with their second album, "Favorite Worst Nightmare." The young band from Sheffield is expected to sell between 225,000 and 250,000 copies in the first week alone of the critically acclaimed followup to last year's "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not."
Judge Rules Media Downloads Not Subject to Public Performance Royalty (Digital Media Wire)
MS: A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that digital music and media downloads are not "public performances," and therefore should not be subject to a public performance license and additional royalty payment.
Indie adoration: Life is good for The Shins (The Paramus Post)
MS: "It seems like there's always going to be people working hard to make a living off music," he said. "But I like that the right people are making money. Sub Pop is having a banner year, while Capitol Records is struggling. I think it's kind of cool. Not that I have anything against Capitol, but I always like an underdog story."
Equality For Internet Radio Proposed To Congress (CMJ)
The Money Shot: Jay Inslee, a democrat from Washington, introduced the Internet Radio Equality Act to Congress yesterday, which SaveNetRadio (a coalition that was formed in response to the Copyright Royalty Board's ruling to increase rates online) has publicly applauded. As previously reported, May 15 the CRB will put into effect a rate that would most likely cause many internet radio stations to shut down. The internet radio community responded by creating SaveNetRadio and has asked Congress to reduce the rates. Inslee's proposal marks a prominent step in the coalition's favor.
Arctic Monkeys head for more chart glory (Reuters)
The Money Shot: Whatever you say it is, their second album's not a flop.
British indie rockers the Arctic Monkeys are heading for number one in the charts when the rankings are revealed on Sunday with their second album, "Favorite Worst Nightmare." The young band from Sheffield is expected to sell between 225,000 and 250,000 copies in the first week alone of the critically acclaimed followup to last year's "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not."
Judge Rules Media Downloads Not Subject to Public Performance Royalty (Digital Media Wire)
MS: A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that digital music and media downloads are not "public performances," and therefore should not be subject to a public performance license and additional royalty payment.
Indie adoration: Life is good for The Shins (The Paramus Post)
MS: "It seems like there's always going to be people working hard to make a living off music," he said. "But I like that the right people are making money. Sub Pop is having a banner year, while Capitol Records is struggling. I think it's kind of cool. Not that I have anything against Capitol, but I always like an underdog story."
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Money Shot: 4.26.07
Today's headlines...
Interview: Bjork (Stylus)
The Money Shot: Of course has music always been a main unifier, above and beyond nationalities and politics . But also I find it kinda funny thinking of everyone at Times Square, for example, as a tribe—all that evolving, civilizing, and we’re still just one of the animal species. But it’s all pretty relevant anyway. I have seen my records in the “world” section because I’m from Iceland. “World music,” what is that? Everything except the US and Britain?
Interpol Shares Its 'Love' On Third Album (Billboard)
MS: Interpol doesn't stray far from the formula that helped its first two Matador albums sell more than 1 million copies combined on the new "Our Love To Admire," due July 10 via Capitol. First single "The Heinrich Maneuver" is a peppy kiss-off to an ex-love now residing on the opposite coast and hits radio May 7; the band has been playing it of late during its just-concluded Canadian tour.
Clap your hands, make some 'Thunder' (Stltoday.com)
MS: Q: There are so many places on the Internet for listeners to give their own minireviews of your work. Ever take a look?
A: I haven't seen too many of those. I've seen a few "real" critics' reviews — and then realized why I never read reviews in the first place (laughs). Not to alienate anyone, but they were often extraordinarily misguided. Have you seen (the Bob Dylan documentary) "Don't Look Back"? There's a scene where Dylan is in the back of the car and he says, "I'm glad I'm not me." That's the way I feel when I see some of the reviews.
Stereophonics to give fans early album preview (NME)
MS: The trio will unleash new single 'Bank Holiday Monday' as a taster to their sixth studio LP on May 28. The track, which will get its first airplay on Chris Moyles' show on Radio 1 next Tuesday (May 1), is the band's first from 'Pull The Pin', due out in the autumn.
Arctic Monkeys new songs dominate UK singles chart (NME)
MS: According to the midweek chart, the band are not only at Number Five with officially released single 'Brianstorm' but the entirety of their second album 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' has entered the singles chart;s top 150.
The band are at Number 47 with 'Fluorescent Adolescent', at Number 57 with '505', Number 63 with 'Teddy Picker', Number 64 with 'Balaclava', Number 67 with 'D Is For Dangerous', Number 70 with 'Old Yellow Bricks', Number 71 with 'This House Is A Circus', Number 72 with 'Do Me A Favour', Number 74 with 'Only Ones Who Know', Number 77 with 'The Bad Thing', Number 78 with 'Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend' and Number 114 with 'If You Were There, Beware'.
Interview: Bjork (Stylus)
The Money Shot: Of course has music always been a main unifier, above and beyond nationalities and politics . But also I find it kinda funny thinking of everyone at Times Square, for example, as a tribe—all that evolving, civilizing, and we’re still just one of the animal species. But it’s all pretty relevant anyway. I have seen my records in the “world” section because I’m from Iceland. “World music,” what is that? Everything except the US and Britain?
Interpol Shares Its 'Love' On Third Album (Billboard)
MS: Interpol doesn't stray far from the formula that helped its first two Matador albums sell more than 1 million copies combined on the new "Our Love To Admire," due July 10 via Capitol. First single "The Heinrich Maneuver" is a peppy kiss-off to an ex-love now residing on the opposite coast and hits radio May 7; the band has been playing it of late during its just-concluded Canadian tour.
Clap your hands, make some 'Thunder' (Stltoday.com)
MS: Q: There are so many places on the Internet for listeners to give their own minireviews of your work. Ever take a look?
A: I haven't seen too many of those. I've seen a few "real" critics' reviews — and then realized why I never read reviews in the first place (laughs). Not to alienate anyone, but they were often extraordinarily misguided. Have you seen (the Bob Dylan documentary) "Don't Look Back"? There's a scene where Dylan is in the back of the car and he says, "I'm glad I'm not me." That's the way I feel when I see some of the reviews.
Stereophonics to give fans early album preview (NME)
MS: The trio will unleash new single 'Bank Holiday Monday' as a taster to their sixth studio LP on May 28. The track, which will get its first airplay on Chris Moyles' show on Radio 1 next Tuesday (May 1), is the band's first from 'Pull The Pin', due out in the autumn.
Arctic Monkeys new songs dominate UK singles chart (NME)
MS: According to the midweek chart, the band are not only at Number Five with officially released single 'Brianstorm' but the entirety of their second album 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' has entered the singles chart;s top 150.
The band are at Number 47 with 'Fluorescent Adolescent', at Number 57 with '505', Number 63 with 'Teddy Picker', Number 64 with 'Balaclava', Number 67 with 'D Is For Dangerous', Number 70 with 'Old Yellow Bricks', Number 71 with 'This House Is A Circus', Number 72 with 'Do Me A Favour', Number 74 with 'Only Ones Who Know', Number 77 with 'The Bad Thing', Number 78 with 'Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend' and Number 114 with 'If You Were There, Beware'.
On The Road Again
Tour dates from...
The White Stripes
Peter Bjorn & John
The White Stripes
Burnaby, BC Deer Lake Park (June 24)
Whitehorse, YU Yukon Arts Centre (25)
Yellowknife, NT Shortly Brown Multiplex Arena (26)
Iqaluit, NU Arctic Winter Games Arena (27)
Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome (29)
Saskatoon, SK TCU Place (July 1)
Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre (2)
Thunder Bay, ON Community Auditorium (3)
Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre (5)
Montreal, QC Bell Centre (6)
London, ON John Labatt Centre (7)
Ottawa, ON Bluesfest (8)
Moncton, NB Coliseum Arena (10)
Charlottetown, PE Civic Centre (11)
Halifax, NS Cunard Centre (13)
Glace Bay, NS Savoy Theatre (14)
St John's NF Mile One Centre (16)
Portland, ME Cumberland Civic Centre (22)
Boston, MA Agganis Arena (23)
New York, NY Madison Square Garden (24)
Wallingford, CT Chevrolet Theatre (25)
Wilmington, DE Grand Opera House (27)
Fairfax, VA Patriot Centre (28)
North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues (29)
Birmingham, AL Sloss Furnaces (30)
Southaven, MS Snowden Grove Park Amphitheatre (31)
Peter Bjorn & John
April 2007
28 - Indio, CA - Coachella
30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club (w/ Au Revoir Simone)
May 2007
1, 2 - New York, NY - Webster Hall (w/ Au Revoir Simone)
3 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of the Living Arts (w/ Au Revoir Simone)
4 - Boston, MA - Paradise (w/ Au Revoir Simone)
5 - Montreal, Quebec - National Theatre (w/ Au Revoir Simone)
6 - Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix
7 - Columbus, OH - Wexner Center (w/ Au Revoir Simone)
8 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle (two shows) (w/ Au Revoir Simone)
9 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue (w/ Au Revoir Simone)
11 - Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Ballroom
12 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
13 - Seattle, WA - Neumos (two shows)
14 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
15, 16 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Money Shot: 4.25.07
Today's headlines...
Arcade Flameout? Blog-World Darlings Hit Sophomore Slump In Bigger Than The Sound (MTV.com)
The Money Shot: Of course, no one seemed to notice this in the heady days of 2004-2005, when both the Arcade Fire and Bloc Party — plus acts like the Arctic Monkeys and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah — rode waves of "blog buzz" into the mainstream. Back then, the quick-to-pick foibles of the hype machine were lauded as revolutionary, and authors of blogs from here to Helsinki were being touted as tastemakers. Composing breathless odes to undiscovered bands became less of a hobby and more of an honest-to-goodness job (you could get paid for sitting around in your underwear and writing about the Hong Kong!) — a job that thousands were interested in landing. And shouting the loudest was the easiest way to be heard through the crowds.
Mouse on Marr: Yank rockers give Modest welcome to Brit guitar star (Boston Herald)
MS: "Johnny added a lot to the band and I’m not taking that away from him," said Brock. "But Johnny gets a lot of credit for the guitar parts that Eric and I play and it’s frustrating. I understand why he gets the credit, because he’s f------ great, but I’m not in danger of getting credit for parts that he wrote. It’s kind of been assumed that all the guitar on the record is Johnny. I guess that’s OK. We know what we did."
40 Songs That Changed The World (Rolling Stone)
MS: 24. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
The Detroit Cobras: Hangover, Beethoven (Harp)
MS: Though still resurrecting and sexing up classic rock and R&B tunes with gusto comparable to a pubescent Rat Fink in a whorehouse, compared to Baby the Cobras are a little quieter, almost restrained. Nagy agrees and disagrees. “I don’t think we were trying to show restraint. As time goes on and we get it together—you’re gonna get better, a little more sophisticated. Well, let’s say grown-up. ‘Sophisticated’ doesn’t make any sense with us or our music.”
Arcade Flameout? Blog-World Darlings Hit Sophomore Slump In Bigger Than The Sound (MTV.com)
The Money Shot: Of course, no one seemed to notice this in the heady days of 2004-2005, when both the Arcade Fire and Bloc Party — plus acts like the Arctic Monkeys and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah — rode waves of "blog buzz" into the mainstream. Back then, the quick-to-pick foibles of the hype machine were lauded as revolutionary, and authors of blogs from here to Helsinki were being touted as tastemakers. Composing breathless odes to undiscovered bands became less of a hobby and more of an honest-to-goodness job (you could get paid for sitting around in your underwear and writing about the Hong Kong!) — a job that thousands were interested in landing. And shouting the loudest was the easiest way to be heard through the crowds.
Mouse on Marr: Yank rockers give Modest welcome to Brit guitar star (Boston Herald)
MS: "Johnny added a lot to the band and I’m not taking that away from him," said Brock. "But Johnny gets a lot of credit for the guitar parts that Eric and I play and it’s frustrating. I understand why he gets the credit, because he’s f------ great, but I’m not in danger of getting credit for parts that he wrote. It’s kind of been assumed that all the guitar on the record is Johnny. I guess that’s OK. We know what we did."
40 Songs That Changed The World (Rolling Stone)
MS: 24. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
The Detroit Cobras: Hangover, Beethoven (Harp)
MS: Though still resurrecting and sexing up classic rock and R&B tunes with gusto comparable to a pubescent Rat Fink in a whorehouse, compared to Baby the Cobras are a little quieter, almost restrained. Nagy agrees and disagrees. “I don’t think we were trying to show restraint. As time goes on and we get it together—you’re gonna get better, a little more sophisticated. Well, let’s say grown-up. ‘Sophisticated’ doesn’t make any sense with us or our music.”
MJTV: Steve Earle--I Feel Alright
An eleven minute promotional video from the 1996 CD "I Feel Alright" featuring the title track. Steve Earle is a bad mother...
MJTV: Husker Du - Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely
The seminal 80's indie band with a classic archive video track. Did you know that Husker Du is Danish for "Do You Remember?"
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
MJTV: Chris Cornell - Billie Jean (live)
Yeah... this is a MJ cover. Cornell can sing, no doubt, but I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about this one.
The Money Shot: 4.24.07
Today's headlines...
Radiohead give update on new album (NME)
The Money Shot: "Radiohead starts up again having finally caught up on some sleep next week. I have a cd of what we;'ve been up to...and you haven't.Yet. (sorry) I must listen to it, after taking an ear break that always makes me nervous.Hope you're well."
Raconteurs In The Thick Of Recording New Album (Billboard)
MS: White, who once again is serving as the producer for the Raconteurs, cautions that the band may not have a completed product in place by the time it wraps its scheduled three-week recording session. "We don't know if were going to finish but we wanted to get everything down before we got busy," White says. "We have a lot bigger ideas about certain things, so we will see how far we get."
BRMC delivers hard-rocking Baby (Stuff.co.nz)
MS: "After six months of always pulling back, you just want to slam your fist through a wall," according to Black Rebel Motorcyle Club's Robert Levon Been.
A Detroit friend in the music business (freep.com)
MS: Miller and Warshaw launched Bloodshot in 1994 to provide a home to Chicago's overlooked alt-country musicians. But Miller flinches at the idea that Bloodshot was ever stylistically constricted: "I kind of forget -- I go through life assuming that everyone else does not have a problem listening to the breadth of stuff I do. I just don't compartmentalize music like that. ... The Gores and the Cobras are a little more overtly rock, I guess, a little more un-country, but I've never looked at us as a country label."
Henry Rollins Answers Your Questions About Politics (avclub.com)
MS: What does Sean Penn know about the military? I don't know. Do you ask the same question of Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Ann Coulter as well? They fly in corporate jets all the time. Talk about fancy! Those guys are not only fancy, they are fancy-schmancy. When did any of these people become experts on stem-cell research? I only ask because they seem to know more than the doctors they bring on their shows. I have always admired a well-rounded person, I must say. Rosie O'Donnell got a fact wrong? Probably listening to Rush Limbaugh too much, and some rubbed off. I hope you call him out on his errors as well as you no doubt got back to Rosie, unless you know that you are pulling what she said out of context and think no one will call you on it.
World Exclusive - White Stripes To Make Their Return with NME (NME)
MS: However, beforehand the pair will release the track 'Rag And Bone' on a special seven-inch vinyl that will come exclusively for free with the issue of NME out on June 6. The track will be pressed onto red vinyl, while the flipside will feature a etching designed exclusively by Jack White and will come in special gatefold packaging featuring more artwork by the band.
Radiohead give update on new album (NME)
The Money Shot: "Radiohead starts up again having finally caught up on some sleep next week. I have a cd of what we;'ve been up to...and you haven't.Yet. (sorry) I must listen to it, after taking an ear break that always makes me nervous.Hope you're well."
Raconteurs In The Thick Of Recording New Album (Billboard)
MS: White, who once again is serving as the producer for the Raconteurs, cautions that the band may not have a completed product in place by the time it wraps its scheduled three-week recording session. "We don't know if were going to finish but we wanted to get everything down before we got busy," White says. "We have a lot bigger ideas about certain things, so we will see how far we get."
BRMC delivers hard-rocking Baby (Stuff.co.nz)
MS: "After six months of always pulling back, you just want to slam your fist through a wall," according to Black Rebel Motorcyle Club's Robert Levon Been.
A Detroit friend in the music business (freep.com)
MS: Miller and Warshaw launched Bloodshot in 1994 to provide a home to Chicago's overlooked alt-country musicians. But Miller flinches at the idea that Bloodshot was ever stylistically constricted: "I kind of forget -- I go through life assuming that everyone else does not have a problem listening to the breadth of stuff I do. I just don't compartmentalize music like that. ... The Gores and the Cobras are a little more overtly rock, I guess, a little more un-country, but I've never looked at us as a country label."
Henry Rollins Answers Your Questions About Politics (avclub.com)
MS: What does Sean Penn know about the military? I don't know. Do you ask the same question of Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Ann Coulter as well? They fly in corporate jets all the time. Talk about fancy! Those guys are not only fancy, they are fancy-schmancy. When did any of these people become experts on stem-cell research? I only ask because they seem to know more than the doctors they bring on their shows. I have always admired a well-rounded person, I must say. Rosie O'Donnell got a fact wrong? Probably listening to Rush Limbaugh too much, and some rubbed off. I hope you call him out on his errors as well as you no doubt got back to Rosie, unless you know that you are pulling what she said out of context and think no one will call you on it.
World Exclusive - White Stripes To Make Their Return with NME (NME)
MS: However, beforehand the pair will release the track 'Rag And Bone' on a special seven-inch vinyl that will come exclusively for free with the issue of NME out on June 6. The track will be pressed onto red vinyl, while the flipside will feature a etching designed exclusively by Jack White and will come in special gatefold packaging featuring more artwork by the band.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Most Wanted: 4.20.07
Musical Justice's Top 20 Airplay Chart for 4.20.07
Rank Title - Artist (Label) Audience Spins
1. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird) 625 23
2. North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 619 22
3. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John (Almost Gold) 597 21
4. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire (Merge) 589 21
5. Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine (Back Porch) 576 20
6. In View - The Tragically Hip (UMG) 541 24
7. Flathead - The Fratellis (Interscope) 495 20
8. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty) 339 11
9. You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse (Universal Republic) 333 9
10. Grace Kelly - Mika (Casablanca) 329 11
11. I Still Remember - Bloc Party (Vice) 309 11
12. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns (UMRG) 285 12
13. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique) 286 10
14. Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis (Fallout) 286 10
15. Turn On Me - The Shins (Sub Pop) 278 11
16. Ash Wednesday - Elvis Perkins (XL) 275 13
17. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio (Interscope) 250 11
18. On Call - Kings Of Leon (RCA) 251 10
19. Big Wheel - Tori Amos (Epic) 247 10
20. 23 - Blonde Redhead (4AD) 232 6
Rank Title - Artist (Label) Audience Spins
1. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird) 625 23
2. North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 619 22
3. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John (Almost Gold) 597 21
4. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire (Merge) 589 21
5. Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine (Back Porch) 576 20
6. In View - The Tragically Hip (UMG) 541 24
7. Flathead - The Fratellis (Interscope) 495 20
8. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty) 339 11
9. You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse (Universal Republic) 333 9
10. Grace Kelly - Mika (Casablanca) 329 11
11. I Still Remember - Bloc Party (Vice) 309 11
12. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns (UMRG) 285 12
13. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique) 286 10
14. Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis (Fallout) 286 10
15. Turn On Me - The Shins (Sub Pop) 278 11
16. Ash Wednesday - Elvis Perkins (XL) 275 13
17. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio (Interscope) 250 11
18. On Call - Kings Of Leon (RCA) 251 10
19. Big Wheel - Tori Amos (Epic) 247 10
20. 23 - Blonde Redhead (4AD) 232 6
TiVo Alert
This week's musical highlights on late night TV... a good list this week!
Monday - Joss Stone (Leno), The Black Keys (Conan), The Thermals (Carson Daly)
Tuesday - Corrinne Bailey Rae (Letterman), Amy Winehouse (Leno), The Stooges (Jimmy Kimmel)
Wednesday - The Fratellis (Letterman), Blue October (Conan)
Thursday - Brandi Carlile (Conan), Arctic Monkeys (Jimmy Kimmel)
Friday - Jarvis Cocker (Letterman), Kings of Leon (Leno)
Monday - Joss Stone (Leno), The Black Keys (Conan), The Thermals (Carson Daly)
Tuesday - Corrinne Bailey Rae (Letterman), Amy Winehouse (Leno), The Stooges (Jimmy Kimmel)
Wednesday - The Fratellis (Letterman), Blue October (Conan)
Thursday - Brandi Carlile (Conan), Arctic Monkeys (Jimmy Kimmel)
Friday - Jarvis Cocker (Letterman), Kings of Leon (Leno)
A Cool Milestone...
Amid all the negative internet radio news due to the royalty issues (which will definitely change the availability of Musical Justice if allowed to stand) I did have a cool moment over the weekend. Using the combination of a new Sprint Mobile Broadband (EVDO Rev A) card, my laptop and a car audio adapter out of the laptop's earphone jack, I was able to listen to Musical Justice in my car for 30-40 minutes.
It's long been the dream to be able to hear my station while I'm taking a road trip and it won't be long until this is all available in a much easier to use form factor... if they don't kill the business first.
With a second wind from this little breakthrough, I'm gonna try to resume my daily blogging. Note of trivia... the first song to come blaring out of my car's speakers was "That's Me Trying" by William Shatner with Ben Folds and Aimee Mann. You definitely won't hear that one on regular terrestrial radio!
It's long been the dream to be able to hear my station while I'm taking a road trip and it won't be long until this is all available in a much easier to use form factor... if they don't kill the business first.
With a second wind from this little breakthrough, I'm gonna try to resume my daily blogging. Note of trivia... the first song to come blaring out of my car's speakers was "That's Me Trying" by William Shatner with Ben Folds and Aimee Mann. You definitely won't hear that one on regular terrestrial radio!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
"There is no industry"
If you've been wondering why it's been silent around here this week, here's why.
Even if Live365 survives, I'm still trying to figure out if Musical Justice is going to be able the stay on the air. Even if the answer is yes, it's very likely that I'm going to need to severely restrict the number of listeners, which kinda defeats the purpose of a radio station that's trying to spread the good word on all the great music that's out there...
Here's Information Week's take...
Amen.
N. Mark Lam, the CEO of Live365 Inc., a privately held company that aggregates audio streams from thousands of radio stations and other small webcasters, said that under the new royalty rules, "there is no industry."
Even if Live365 survives, I'm still trying to figure out if Musical Justice is going to be able the stay on the air. Even if the answer is yes, it's very likely that I'm going to need to severely restrict the number of listeners, which kinda defeats the purpose of a radio station that's trying to spread the good word on all the great music that's out there...
Here's Information Week's take...
The Copyright Royalty Board has quickly and completely affirmed its own decision on performance royalties, set in accordance with recording-industry wishes, that will be assessed against Internet music-streaming and radio-station sites. Because the rates, which were more than a year overdue, were much higher than the Internet radio industry expected, and retroactive for 2006, one possible result is that many small Internet radio operators will cease operations immediately and wait to see if Congress or the courts will provide relief.
The board in March adopted the recommendations of the recording industry, and the action created a storm of protest from broadcasters and the many small businesses that had been created to serve niche markets via the Web. The rate-setting decision more than doubled the rates for 2006, and mandates further major increases in 2007 and 2008.
The board invited requests for a rehearing, and then speedily ignored them, deciding yesterday that it had been right all along.
Exactly why the recording industry wants to radically restrict Internet radio eludes me. I wrote just earlier this week, in a review of music-discovery Web sites, that these services are just beginning to offer the music industry a real alternative to the declining broadcast radio business in terms of exposing listeners to the record companies' products. It looks like the music industry remains unable to overcome its inability to understand and deal effectively with technology.
Amen.
Friday, April 13, 2007
On The Road Again
Tour dates from...
Cat Power
Silversun Pickups
Cat Power
04-25 Glasgow, Scotland - The Ferry
04-26 Glasgow, Scotland - The Ferry
04-29 Somerset, England - Butlins Minehead (All Tomorrow's Parties)
05-01 London, England - Forum
05-02 Brussels, Belgium - Royal Circus
05-03 Eindhoven, Netherlands - Effenaar
05-04 Heidelberg, Germany - Karlstorbanhof
05-05 Luzern, Switzerland - Boa
05-06 Milan, Italy - Magazzini
05-07 Bologna, Italy - Estragon
05-08 Rome, Italy - Piper
05-09 Madrid, Spain - Joy Eslava
05-10 Dublin, Ireland - Tripod
07-07 Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Pool *
07-08 Boston, MA - Avalon Ballroom
07-09 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
07-10 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix
07-13 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
07-14 Chicago, IL - Union Park (Pitchfork Music Festival) #
* with Built to Spill
# with Clipse, Iron and Wine, Girl Talk, Grizzly Bear, Battles, Professor Murder
Silversun Pickups
April 2007
12 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
13 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's
14 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
16 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
21 - San Diego, CA - 4th and B
27 - Indio, CA - Coachella Music Festival
May 2007
4 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse
5 - Tucson, AZ - KFMA Day @ Pima County Fairgrounds
8 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall
9 - Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
10 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
12 - Washington, DC - DC 101's Chili Cook Off @ Center City Lot
13 - Towson, MD - Recher Theatre
14 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Theatre
15 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
June 2007
6 - Boston, MA - WFNX Radio Show
29 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
The Money Shot: 4.13.07
Today's headlines...
The Kaiser Chiefs Are On A Roll (Popmatters)
The Money Shot: Wilson says he’s unconcerned about the band’s status as underdogs here. “I don’t want to spend two years playing to 20 people in Delaware to make it in America,” he says. “We care too much about our sanity.”
Interview: Rhett Miller of the Old 97's (Houstonist)
MS: Last year, the band released a “Best of” collection. Does that mean the end of the Old 97’s?
"Hay-ell no."
Nine Inch Nails' Bureau Of Morality (Stereogum)
MS: Those getting their hands on copies of Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero have noticed a PMRC-styled sticker from the "Bureau Of Morality" saying:
Ryan Adams Cancels Stonehenge Gig (NME)
MS: "We are very sorry that Ryan Adams will not be able to perform at Stonehenge, but the demand for tickets was both unprecedented and unforeseen, and we have to put public safety first," explained Stonehenge director Peter Carson.
Rouse Finds Inspiration In Spain (On Milwaukee)
MS: I suppose moving to Spain has had an affect on everything I do. Environment is very important to songwriters. I can't tell you exactly how living in another country has affected my music because I'm probably to close to it. However, I can say that I'm enjoying my life a lot.
The Kaiser Chiefs Are On A Roll (Popmatters)
The Money Shot: Wilson says he’s unconcerned about the band’s status as underdogs here. “I don’t want to spend two years playing to 20 people in Delaware to make it in America,” he says. “We care too much about our sanity.”
Interview: Rhett Miller of the Old 97's (Houstonist)
MS: Last year, the band released a “Best of” collection. Does that mean the end of the Old 97’s?
"Hay-ell no."
Nine Inch Nails' Bureau Of Morality (Stereogum)
MS: Those getting their hands on copies of Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero have noticed a PMRC-styled sticker from the "Bureau Of Morality" saying:
Consuming or spreading this material may be considered subversive by the United States Bureau of Morality. If you or someone you know has engaged in subversive acts or thoughts, call 1-866-445-6580. BE A PATRIOT- BE AN INFORMER!
Ryan Adams Cancels Stonehenge Gig (NME)
MS: "We are very sorry that Ryan Adams will not be able to perform at Stonehenge, but the demand for tickets was both unprecedented and unforeseen, and we have to put public safety first," explained Stonehenge director Peter Carson.
Rouse Finds Inspiration In Spain (On Milwaukee)
MS: I suppose moving to Spain has had an affect on everything I do. Environment is very important to songwriters. I can't tell you exactly how living in another country has affected my music because I'm probably to close to it. However, I can say that I'm enjoying my life a lot.
MJTV: The Shins - Australia
Goofy fun with the latest video from "Wincing the Night Away". Wonder where I can get me one of those orange jumpsuits...
See more MJTV video
Listen to Musical Justice
See more MJTV video
Listen to Musical Justice
MJTV: Feist - 1 2 3 4
Great new video from her release, The Reminder. Shot in a single take, I have to wonder how many times they ran through it to capture this take...
MJTV: R.E.M. - E-Bow the Letter (with Thom Yorke)
How cool to see Stipe and Yorke together in this footage from the Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1998...
MJTV: The Libertines - Tell The King/Don't Look Back Into The Sun
The Libertines' Carl Barat and Pete Doherty reunite for an acoustic performance...
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
On The Road Again
Tour dates for...
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Rufus Wainwright
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
04-11 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Night Club *
04-12 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground *
04-13 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis *
04-14 Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus *
04-15 Buffalo, NY - The Town Ballroom *
04-17 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom *
04-18 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
04-19 Athens, GA - 40 Watt *
04-20 Jacksonville, FL - Freebird *
04-21 Orlando, FL - The Club at Firestone *
04-22 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution *
04-24 New Orleans, LA - Republic *
04-26 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live *
04-27 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre *
04-28 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ *
04-30 Kansas City, MO - VooDoo Lounge
05-01 Columbia, MO - The Blue Note
05-02 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
05-03 Indianapolis, IN - Vogue Theater
05-21 Melbourne, Australia - Hi Fi Bar
05-22 Melbourne, Australia - Hi Fi Bar
05-23 Sidney, Australia - Enmore
05-24 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
05-25 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
07-04 Lisbon, Portugal - Superbock Super Rock
07-06 Cluses, France - Festival Musique En Stock
07-07 Evereux, France - Festival L Rock Dan Tous Ses Etats
07-08 Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik
07-10 Dusseldorf, Germany - Zakk
07-11 Copenhagen, Denmark - Copenhagen Jazz Festival
07-13 Dour, Belgium - Dour Festival
07-14 Southwold, England - Latitude Festival
07-15 Glasgow, Scotland - Indian Summer Festival
07-17 Munich, Germany - Muffahalle
07-18 Florence, Italy - Arrezo Wave Festival
07-20 Carhaix, France - Carhaix Festival Les Vieilles Charrues
07-21 Angoulême, France - Angoulême Festival Garden Nef Party
07-22 Benicássim, Spain - Benicássim Festival
07-25 Nyon, Switzerland - Paleo Festival
07-29 Mt. Fuji, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival
09-02 Stradbally, Ireland - Electric Picnic
* with Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Rufus Wainwright
04-22 Seattle, WA - The Triple Door *
04-23 Seattle, WA - The Triple Door *
04-25 San Francisco, CA - The Palace of Fine Arts *
04-27 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field (Coachella)
04-28 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
05-01 Los Angeles, California - El Rey Theatre
05-22 Paris, France - La Trianon
05-24 Portsmouth, England - Postmouth Guildhall
05-25 Bristol, England - Bristol Colston Hall
05-27 London, England - Old Vic Theatre
05-28 London, England - Old Vic Theatre
05-29 London, England - Old Vic Theatre
05-31 London, England - Old Vic Theatre
06-01 London, England - Old Vic Theatre
06-05 New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
06-06 New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
06-07 New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
06-08 New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
06-11 Toronto, Canada - Danforth Music Hall !
06-12 Toronto, Canada - Danforth Music Hall !
06-14 Montreal, Quebec - Place Des Arts !
06-16 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavillion #
06-17 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavillion #
06-22 Glastonbury, England - Glastonbury Festival
07-07 Naas, Scotland - T in the Park Festival
07-08 Kildare, Ireland - Oxegen Music Festival
07-10 Cornwall, England - The Eden Project
08-25 Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival
09-23 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl (Judy Garland concert)
* with Teddy Thompson
! with Andrew Rodriguez
# with Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, Erasure, Margaret Cho
The Money Shot: 4.11.07
Today's headlines...
Scotland's music is taking on the world (Reuters)
The Money Shot: In the past 12 months alone, Paolo Nutini, the Fratellis and the View have all stormed the U.K. charts, while Snow Patrol -- which relocated to Glasgow from its native Northern Ireland -- scored 2006's best-selling U.K. album with "Eyes Open," racking up more than 1.5 million sales, according to the BPI, a U.K. music label trade group.
Bloc Party criticise Pete Doherty (NME)
MS: "Someone like Pete Doherty - his drug-taking and refusal to adhere to a traditional lifestyle - makes people thing that his art is somehow more relevant because he's a fuck-up. It's easier to be a misfit or a dropout than it is to be a genius and actually create something."
Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band Ready for New Album? (NME)
MS: Now band guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt has told Spinner a new album could be on its way. "We gotta make a record, which could happen soon," he said. "I don't have any reason to say this other than my own instinct but I just get a vibe it's going to be sooner than later.
Conor Oberst finally emulates the greats by mixing brilliance with bloated bumbling (Village Voice)
MS: More than mere license to loft the mini-fridge through the hotel window or indulge a coke-high hankering for rock 'n' roll oboe, it's a distinction rarely bestowed on the argyle sweater set. Even if it doesn't give credence to the chorus who crowed about Conor being The New Dylan all those years, the big risks, big rewards, and occasional disasters within Cassadaga make it the real deal.
Vox Pop: Please Do Not Remain Seated (Popmatters)
MS: At all three of these concerts, many of the audience members were in their 40s and 50s. Are we to surmise that the majority of middle-aged people simply can not stand for any length of time? I’d like to believe (I need to believe, as I’m a boomlet myself) that boomers are not yet so decrepit that standing for, let’s say, 20 minutes at a time is an extreme sport.
M.I.A. Reveals New Album Name, Release Date (Pitchfork)
MS: Rolling Stone reports that M.I.A.'s hotly anticipated second album will be called Kala and will be in stores June 26 via Interscope.
Hear New Radiohead Material Online!! (Gigwise)
MS: “This is what happens when you spend too long listening to the same thing over and over again until you just cant tell anymore and you have to do something else instead."
Scotland's music is taking on the world (Reuters)
The Money Shot: In the past 12 months alone, Paolo Nutini, the Fratellis and the View have all stormed the U.K. charts, while Snow Patrol -- which relocated to Glasgow from its native Northern Ireland -- scored 2006's best-selling U.K. album with "Eyes Open," racking up more than 1.5 million sales, according to the BPI, a U.K. music label trade group.
Bloc Party criticise Pete Doherty (NME)
MS: "Someone like Pete Doherty - his drug-taking and refusal to adhere to a traditional lifestyle - makes people thing that his art is somehow more relevant because he's a fuck-up. It's easier to be a misfit or a dropout than it is to be a genius and actually create something."
Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band Ready for New Album? (NME)
MS: Now band guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt has told Spinner a new album could be on its way. "We gotta make a record, which could happen soon," he said. "I don't have any reason to say this other than my own instinct but I just get a vibe it's going to be sooner than later.
Conor Oberst finally emulates the greats by mixing brilliance with bloated bumbling (Village Voice)
MS: More than mere license to loft the mini-fridge through the hotel window or indulge a coke-high hankering for rock 'n' roll oboe, it's a distinction rarely bestowed on the argyle sweater set. Even if it doesn't give credence to the chorus who crowed about Conor being The New Dylan all those years, the big risks, big rewards, and occasional disasters within Cassadaga make it the real deal.
Vox Pop: Please Do Not Remain Seated (Popmatters)
MS: At all three of these concerts, many of the audience members were in their 40s and 50s. Are we to surmise that the majority of middle-aged people simply can not stand for any length of time? I’d like to believe (I need to believe, as I’m a boomlet myself) that boomers are not yet so decrepit that standing for, let’s say, 20 minutes at a time is an extreme sport.
M.I.A. Reveals New Album Name, Release Date (Pitchfork)
MS: Rolling Stone reports that M.I.A.'s hotly anticipated second album will be called Kala and will be in stores June 26 via Interscope.
Hear New Radiohead Material Online!! (Gigwise)
MS: “This is what happens when you spend too long listening to the same thing over and over again until you just cant tell anymore and you have to do something else instead."
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
MJTV; The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations
Official video for the latest single from Craig Finn and gang. Such great lyrics. Springsteen meets Cheap Trick.
MJTV: Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On
Live from an A&E performance featuring the other-worldly voice of Ms. Neko Case...
The Money Shot: 4.10.07
Today's headlings...
The White Stripes reveal album release date (NME)
'Icky Thump' - the follow up to 2005's 'Get Behind Me Satan' - is slated to be released on June 18 in the UK and Europe via XL Recordings, and June 19 in North America, South East Asia and Japan via Warner Brothers Records.
Albert Hammond Jr.: Stroking the Muse (Harp)
MS: It was more simple than that: I’ve been writing since I started playing music and recording, and I felt like I had these songs… I decided to leave the safety of my house and see what kind of sound I could get out of my recording studio. I met this guy who I liked who produced the record [Greg Lattimer], and we just did a song and it sounded great. It was fun, and the next time I had a break from the Strokes, I just went and did another two songs and that was fun, too. We kind of found a really cool vibe between us in the songs. And songs just seemed to be coming out, new and exciting songs; and before I knew it, I had a record.
Rock legends played 'truth music' (CNN)
MS: On March 31, Sly Stone played a live show at the Flamingo Las Vegas. Stone played for more than 30 minutes and then, according to comedian George Wallace, who booked and presented the musician, "went down the center aisle and thanked everybody."
He beat the odds, too: Vegas bookmakers were offering 45-1 that Stone, who has missed dozens of concerts over his career, would be a no-show yet again.
REM warn fans over Dublin shows (NME)
MS: R.E.M. have warned fans not to buy tickets for their upcoming Dublin shows from unofficial sources after tickets for the dates went missing in transit between Ireland and the UK. The disappearance of the tickets for the Olympia Theatre residency is now the subject of a police investigation, reports RTE News.
Lily Allen enraged over satirical track (NME)
Posting a comment on the 'LDN Is A Victim'Myspace page, Lily Allen fumed: "So what if we're middle class? Just cause your mum was too lazy to get her fat ass off the sofa and make some cash. I shouldn't be able to make tunes yeah? (Which is more than you're doing by the way)."
Neko Case brings a gorgeous voice and underwhelming songs to Madison (The Daily Page)
MS: I guarantee no one who was at Neko Case's sold out Barrymore show on Monday night will agree with me, but I thought it was sort of boring. All sorts of superlatives were being spouted as people made their way to the door after her 90-minute set. "Amazing." "Fantastic." "I think I died." It left me wondering what it was I didn't get.
The White Stripes reveal album release date (NME)
'Icky Thump' - the follow up to 2005's 'Get Behind Me Satan' - is slated to be released on June 18 in the UK and Europe via XL Recordings, and June 19 in North America, South East Asia and Japan via Warner Brothers Records.
Albert Hammond Jr.: Stroking the Muse (Harp)
MS: It was more simple than that: I’ve been writing since I started playing music and recording, and I felt like I had these songs… I decided to leave the safety of my house and see what kind of sound I could get out of my recording studio. I met this guy who I liked who produced the record [Greg Lattimer], and we just did a song and it sounded great. It was fun, and the next time I had a break from the Strokes, I just went and did another two songs and that was fun, too. We kind of found a really cool vibe between us in the songs. And songs just seemed to be coming out, new and exciting songs; and before I knew it, I had a record.
Rock legends played 'truth music' (CNN)
MS: On March 31, Sly Stone played a live show at the Flamingo Las Vegas. Stone played for more than 30 minutes and then, according to comedian George Wallace, who booked and presented the musician, "went down the center aisle and thanked everybody."
He beat the odds, too: Vegas bookmakers were offering 45-1 that Stone, who has missed dozens of concerts over his career, would be a no-show yet again.
REM warn fans over Dublin shows (NME)
MS: R.E.M. have warned fans not to buy tickets for their upcoming Dublin shows from unofficial sources after tickets for the dates went missing in transit between Ireland and the UK. The disappearance of the tickets for the Olympia Theatre residency is now the subject of a police investigation, reports RTE News.
Lily Allen enraged over satirical track (NME)
Posting a comment on the 'LDN Is A Victim'Myspace page, Lily Allen fumed: "So what if we're middle class? Just cause your mum was too lazy to get her fat ass off the sofa and make some cash. I shouldn't be able to make tunes yeah? (Which is more than you're doing by the way)."
Neko Case brings a gorgeous voice and underwhelming songs to Madison (The Daily Page)
MS: I guarantee no one who was at Neko Case's sold out Barrymore show on Monday night will agree with me, but I thought it was sort of boring. All sorts of superlatives were being spouted as people made their way to the door after her 90-minute set. "Amazing." "Fantastic." "I think I died." It left me wondering what it was I didn't get.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Most Wanted: 4.6.07
Musical Justice's weekly top 20 airplay chart for the week ending 4/6/07:
Rank Title - Artist (Label) Audience Spins
1. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John (Almost Gold) 670 22
2. Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine (Back Porch) 661 23
3. After The Gold Rush - Thom Yorke (The Bridge School) 649 23
4. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird) 649 23
5. North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 638 22
6. In View - The Tragically Hip (UMG) 636 22
7. Keep The Car Running - Arcade Fire (Merge) 624 21
8. Flathead - The Fratellis (Interscope) 587 19
9. Grace Kelly - Mika (Casablanca) 456 17
10. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns (UMRG) 416 12
11. Missed The Boat - Modest Mouse (Epic) 388 10
12. Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids (Downtown) 376 10
13. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio (Interscope) 362 13
14. Some Loud Thunder - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Self-Released) 340 12
15. #9 Dream - R.E.M. (Warner Bros.) 341 10
16. Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis (Fallout) 332 12
17. On Call - Kings Of Leon (RCA) 328 11
18. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty) 312 12
19. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique) 314 10
20. Phantom Limb - The Shins (Sub Pop) 228 11
Rank Title - Artist (Label) Audience Spins
1. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John (Almost Gold) 670 22
2. Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine (Back Porch) 661 23
3. After The Gold Rush - Thom Yorke (The Bridge School) 649 23
4. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird) 649 23
5. North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 638 22
6. In View - The Tragically Hip (UMG) 636 22
7. Keep The Car Running - Arcade Fire (Merge) 624 21
8. Flathead - The Fratellis (Interscope) 587 19
9. Grace Kelly - Mika (Casablanca) 456 17
10. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns (UMRG) 416 12
11. Missed The Boat - Modest Mouse (Epic) 388 10
12. Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids (Downtown) 376 10
13. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio (Interscope) 362 13
14. Some Loud Thunder - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Self-Released) 340 12
15. #9 Dream - R.E.M. (Warner Bros.) 341 10
16. Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis (Fallout) 332 12
17. On Call - Kings Of Leon (RCA) 328 11
18. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty) 312 12
19. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique) 314 10
20. Phantom Limb - The Shins (Sub Pop) 228 11
TiVo Alert
The week's late night musical highlights...
Monday - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Tuesday - Andrew Byrd (Letterman), Patty Griffin (Leno), Cold War Kids (Conan)
Wednesday - LCD Soundsystem (Letterman)
Thursday - K-OS (Late Late Show), Of Montreal (Conan)
Friday - The Shins (Leno), Cold War Kids (Late Late Show), Joseph Arthur (Conan)
Monday - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Tuesday - Andrew Byrd (Letterman), Patty Griffin (Leno), Cold War Kids (Conan)
Wednesday - LCD Soundsystem (Letterman)
Thursday - K-OS (Late Late Show), Of Montreal (Conan)
Friday - The Shins (Leno), Cold War Kids (Late Late Show), Joseph Arthur (Conan)
The Money Shot: 4.9.07
Today's headlines...
Music business suffers a long, cold winter (Reuters)
The Money Shot: "We are seeing a customer dislocation," says Mike Dreese, CEO of Newbury Comics, a 27-store chain based in New England. "A lot of people are confused about where they shop, and it's changing their habits ... it takes a while for people to find new stores."
Important Announcement (Drivebytruckers.com)
MS: It's with a wide range of emotions and feelings that I'm announcing that we have parted ways with Jason. The split, which I consider extremely amicable is the result of a period of personal and artistic growth from all sides which has left us with differing dreams and goals.
Jason joined our band, mid-tour, in the fall of 2001, shortly after the release of our 4th album (Southern Rock Opera). His impact on the band was immediate and profound, bringing an awe-inspiring combination of vocal range, guitar dexterity, and amazing songwriting and leading us into an era of creativity that has resulted in three albums that I will be proud of for as long as I live.
Now That's What I Call Awesome (Entertainment Weekly)
MS: Instead of pop hits by the likes of Xtina, Rihanna, and Hinder, however, this as-yet-untitled series will feature songs from artists such as Bloc Party, the Shins, Bright Eyes, Air, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, M. Ward, Ted Leo, Cat Power, Silversun Pickups, and the indie-in-spirit-if-not-in-label Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Sonic Youth.
''These bands' records sell really well to a particular audience,'' says Adam Shore, the publicist for Vice Records, which aims to release the first volume this July (they're already the American home to high-profile acts Bloc Party, the Streets, and Charlotte Gainsbourg). ''But even though these artists are getting all this media exposure, they're not necessarily crossing over to a very casual record buyer.'' The plan of action? ''We're partnering with MTV2, and the focus is going to be Walmarts, big box stores, red states, and TV advertising — to really go beyond.... We don't really expect indie-rock stores to support this record. It's for the casual fan.''
Icon, Me? (Scotsman)
MS: "I never wanted to be a rock'n'roll singer. I wanted to be an artist or a poet - that's what I studied, what I knew, and even now it's hard for me to say I'm a singer. I'm intermittently good as a singer, but I know I'm a good performer. Not a musician. So my self-esteem does not rely on my participation in rock'n'roll. I'm proud to have a connection with the evolution of rock'n'roll, but when I think of myself it's as a worker and writer and mother."
Farewell To Obscurity (Scotsman)
MS: Many bands affect a self-conscious air; others regard any level of success as a sell-out. But in the case of Camera Obscura, the reticence was real. Once, the prospect of walking on stage caused Campbell to break into a cold sweat. Now they've been on the road so much that touring has become a way of life. "We're rock'n'roll soldiers," she jokes. Briefly back in Glasgow, she doesn't know what to do with herself. "So I've starting baking jam tarts. I'm trying to become a domestic goddess.
Jay Farrar enjoying the journey (Chicago Sun-Times)
MS: Farrar, a man of few words, doesn't enjoy rehashing those stormy days, but he will admit to a moment of indecision after Uncle Tupelo's breakup.
"I didn't immediately know I wanted to start another band," Farrar said, pausing. "I think I even considered leaving music, but it only took a couple of months to fully realize I couldn't do anything else."
Majors dive, indies thrive: Two sides to CD sales story (Boston Herald)
MS: “When Tower Records went under, it took a lot of indie labels with it,” Dreese said, “but just like the independent record stores that are left, the indies left tend to be stronger and smarter. It’s a Darwinian thing. These small labels are owner-operated and can make quick, smart decisions where Universal has to go into the board room. Sometimes it’s better to be a speed boat than the battleship.”
Music business suffers a long, cold winter (Reuters)
The Money Shot: "We are seeing a customer dislocation," says Mike Dreese, CEO of Newbury Comics, a 27-store chain based in New England. "A lot of people are confused about where they shop, and it's changing their habits ... it takes a while for people to find new stores."
Important Announcement (Drivebytruckers.com)
MS: It's with a wide range of emotions and feelings that I'm announcing that we have parted ways with Jason. The split, which I consider extremely amicable is the result of a period of personal and artistic growth from all sides which has left us with differing dreams and goals.
Jason joined our band, mid-tour, in the fall of 2001, shortly after the release of our 4th album (Southern Rock Opera). His impact on the band was immediate and profound, bringing an awe-inspiring combination of vocal range, guitar dexterity, and amazing songwriting and leading us into an era of creativity that has resulted in three albums that I will be proud of for as long as I live.
Now That's What I Call Awesome (Entertainment Weekly)
MS: Instead of pop hits by the likes of Xtina, Rihanna, and Hinder, however, this as-yet-untitled series will feature songs from artists such as Bloc Party, the Shins, Bright Eyes, Air, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, M. Ward, Ted Leo, Cat Power, Silversun Pickups, and the indie-in-spirit-if-not-in-label Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Sonic Youth.
''These bands' records sell really well to a particular audience,'' says Adam Shore, the publicist for Vice Records, which aims to release the first volume this July (they're already the American home to high-profile acts Bloc Party, the Streets, and Charlotte Gainsbourg). ''But even though these artists are getting all this media exposure, they're not necessarily crossing over to a very casual record buyer.'' The plan of action? ''We're partnering with MTV2, and the focus is going to be Walmarts, big box stores, red states, and TV advertising — to really go beyond.... We don't really expect indie-rock stores to support this record. It's for the casual fan.''
Icon, Me? (Scotsman)
MS: "I never wanted to be a rock'n'roll singer. I wanted to be an artist or a poet - that's what I studied, what I knew, and even now it's hard for me to say I'm a singer. I'm intermittently good as a singer, but I know I'm a good performer. Not a musician. So my self-esteem does not rely on my participation in rock'n'roll. I'm proud to have a connection with the evolution of rock'n'roll, but when I think of myself it's as a worker and writer and mother."
Farewell To Obscurity (Scotsman)
MS: Many bands affect a self-conscious air; others regard any level of success as a sell-out. But in the case of Camera Obscura, the reticence was real. Once, the prospect of walking on stage caused Campbell to break into a cold sweat. Now they've been on the road so much that touring has become a way of life. "We're rock'n'roll soldiers," she jokes. Briefly back in Glasgow, she doesn't know what to do with herself. "So I've starting baking jam tarts. I'm trying to become a domestic goddess.
Jay Farrar enjoying the journey (Chicago Sun-Times)
MS: Farrar, a man of few words, doesn't enjoy rehashing those stormy days, but he will admit to a moment of indecision after Uncle Tupelo's breakup.
"I didn't immediately know I wanted to start another band," Farrar said, pausing. "I think I even considered leaving music, but it only took a couple of months to fully realize I couldn't do anything else."
Majors dive, indies thrive: Two sides to CD sales story (Boston Herald)
MS: “When Tower Records went under, it took a lot of indie labels with it,” Dreese said, “but just like the independent record stores that are left, the indies left tend to be stronger and smarter. It’s a Darwinian thing. These small labels are owner-operated and can make quick, smart decisions where Universal has to go into the board room. Sometimes it’s better to be a speed boat than the battleship.”
Friday, April 06, 2007
MJTV: Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm
First single from the Monkeys' upcoming "Favourite Worst Nightmare".
On The Road Again
Tour dates from...
Social D
Kaiser Chiefs
Chris Cornell
Art Brut
Joseph Arthur
Social D
April 2007
12 - Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theater
13 - Fresno, CA - Rainbow Ballroom
14 - Chico, CA - Senator Theater
16-17 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
18 - Victoria, British Columbia - Victoria Curling Club
20-21 - Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall
22, 24 - Edmonton, Alberta - Edmonton Entertainment Complex
25 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - The Odeon
27-28 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theatre
29 - Fargo, ND - The Venue at Playmaker's
May 2007
1 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
2 - Des Moines, IA - Val Air Ballroom
4 - Memphis, TN - Beale Street Music Festival
5 - Sauget, IL - Pop's
6 - Kansas City, MO - The Beaumont
8 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
9 - Flagstaff, AZ - Pine Mountain Amphitheatre
10 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
Kaiser Chiefs
Philadelphia PA at Electric Factory (April 6)
Washington DC at 9:30 Club (7)
Boston MA at Avalon Ballroom (9)
New York NY at Roseland Ballroom (12)
Montreal QUE at Spectrum (17)
Toronto ONT at Kool Haus (18)
Chicago IL at Vic Theatre (20)
Minneapolic, MN at Trocaderos (21)
Vancouver BC at Commodore Ballroom (24)
Seattle WA at Showbox Theatre (25)
Portland OR at Crystal Ballroom
San Francisco CA at Warfield
Chris Cornell
04/06 - Las Vegas, NV - Grand Prix
04/08 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
04/11 -Chicago, IL - Metro
04/14 - Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
04/16 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
04/19 - Boston, MA - Avalon Ballroom
04/22 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of The Living Arts
04/24 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
04/27 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
04/29 - Austin, TX - Stubb's
05/02 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon
Art Brut
04-17 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
04-18 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B
04-19 Toronto, Ontario - The Mod Club
04-20 Chicago, IL - Subterranean
04-21 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
04-23 Cardiff, Wales - University *
04-24 Leeds, England - University *
04-25 Nottingham, England - Rock City *
04-26 Manchester, England - Ritz *
04-27 Liverpool, England - Academy *
04-30 Bristol, England - Academy *
05-01 Southampton, England - Guildhall *
05-02 Norwich, England - UEA *
05-03 Birmingham, England - Academy *
05-05 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands *
05-06 Aberdeen, Scotland - Music Hall *
05-07 Sunderland, England - Manor Quay *
05-08 Northumbria, England - Stage 1 *
05-11 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire *
06-13 London, England - Kentish Town Forum
06-14 Birmingham, England - Academy 2
06-15 Manchester, England - Academy 3
06-16 Glasgow, Scotland - Oran Mor
06-18 Leeds, England - Cockpit
* with Maxïmo Park
Joseph Arthur
04/15 - Montreal @ La Tulipe
04/17 – Philadelphia @ Theatre of Living Arts
04/18 – Cambridge @ Middle East
04/19 – Brooklyn @ Southpaw
04/20 – Hoboken @ Maxwell's
04/21 – Baltimore @ Sonar Club Stage
04/22 – Cleveland @ Beachland Ballroom
04/23 - Millvale (Pittsburgh) @ Mr. Small's Theatre
04/24 – Cincinnati @ 20th Century Theatre
04/25 – Chicago @ Double Door
04/26 – Madison @ High Noon Saloon
04/27 – Minneapolis @ Varsity Theater
04/29 – Denver @ Larimer Lounge
05/02 – Seattle @ Neumo's
05/03 – Vancouver @ Plaza Club
05/04 – Portland @ Doug Fir Lounge
05/06 - San Francisco @ Bottom Of The Hill
05/08 - Los Angeles @ Roxy Theatre
05/09 - Los Angeles @ Roxy Theatre
05/11 – Dallas @ Cambridge Room/HOB
05/12 – Austin @ The Parish
05/13 – Houston @ The Engine Room
05/14 - New Orleans @ One Eyed Jacks
05/16 – Birmingham @ Zydeco
05/17 – Atlanta @ Smith's Olde Bar
05/18 – Athens @ 40 Watt Club
05/19 – Nashville @ Exit/In
05/20 – Akron @ Lime Spider
05/21 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
05/23 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
05/25 – Toronto @ Mod Club
The Money Shot: 4.6.07
Today's headlines...
Tori Amos Forms Anti-Bush Posse By Mutating Into Greek Goddesses (VH1.com)
The Money Shot: "The way to really combat the right wing is to not be subservient to them on any level, particularly when it comes to ideology," she continued. "Therefore, you better offer up another ideology that can combat theirs, and as a preacher's daughter, I understand their ideology inside and out. Frankly, they've all hijacked Jesus and his message. I'm sorry, but 'Love thy neighbor as yourself' is nowhere to be found, especially in our current regime, who, in the name of God, is sending our young men and women to die over there [in the Middle East]."
Do Great Live Bands Need an Album to Tour? (Live Music Blog)
MS: While we here at LMB appreciate any mainstream attention to "touring bands," this 'no album' angle really jumped out at me. Why is it such a big deal that Pearl Jam -- a long-time 'road warrior' live band -- is touring without releasing an album? Why has this "norm" completely perpetuated the mainstream music industry? Can't Pearl Jam just tour because they're a great live band?
It Is Certain (Omaha Weekly Reader)
MS: (Conor) Oberst said there are some political themes woven into the songs on Cassadaga, “But nothing as overt as ‘[When the] President Talks to God,’” he said. “That’s not a song as much as a commercial. I don’t really premeditate what I write about. It just comes out. I’m not going to go out of my way to write about something that doesn’t come naturally, and I won’t shy away from it, either, if another song comes along. After I wrote that song and played it on television, a lot of people rallied around it and wanted me to keep doing it.”
English Lit Majors Need To Rock, Too (TBO.com)
MS: The music isn't the only thing grandiose - there's Meloy's use of language, with obscure words and references peppering his songs. "I think a lot of them are words that, if you read them in a book or short story, you would understand them in context," Meloy says. "I think they stand out a little bit in a pop song. They're cool sounding words and that's the point of writing lyrics," Meloy says," "using language in a heightened, abstracted way to convey emotion or a thought."
Meet the Sondre of music (Boston Herald)
MS: “It’s such a drag when artists become so aware of what they have succeeded in doing, that the rest of their career they spend just reproducing that sound,” said Lerche (pronounced LER-keh) from a tour stop in New Orleans.
“As an artist you have to demand more of yourself sometimes than what your audience does. It would be so stupid if I came out already sounding like my own tribute band. That wouldn’t be very charming at all. It would be embarrassing.”
Original sin (Guardian)
MS: Here's a way to infuriate people by getting them to attempt the impossible: ask them, as BBC6 recently did, to choose the worst cover version of all time. Why is it impossible? There are too many candidates. Listeners eventually voted for Madonna's version of American Pie, but it could have been any one of dozens: Duran Duran's startling attempt at Public Enemy's 911 is a Joke, Gareth Gates' rendition of Suspicious Minds, or the enervated Sugababes/Girls Aloud collaboration for Comic Relief, Walk this Way, which reached No 1 last month. All provoke one question: what were they thinking?
LiveDaily Interview: Robyn Hitchcock (LiveDaily)
MS: "[Peter is] very proud of his success, but he also enjoys traveling around in a little van playing clubs. Bill and Scott, likewise. You got to make a living. You don't have to make five livings. You just do as much as you can. We do whatever gigs. If we were 30 years younger, we might all be sleeping on top of each other in a van driving 200 miles after gigs. We like a certain element of comfort. So we don't necessarily do all the s---ty things we would have done when we were very young. We just play, really. It doesn't sound very exciting, but it is."
Oasis, The Killers to record new version of 'Sgt Pepper' (Yahoo! Music)
MS: The original album was released on June 1, 1967, and to mark the event the big names will all be covering tracks from the record for a BBC2 special to be aired in the U.K. on June 2. Razorlight, James Morrison, the Fratellis, and Travis are among the other acts taking part.
Bruce Springsteen makes surprise appearance in New York (NME.com)
MS: A string of acts performed Springsteen covers throughout the evening, including Badly Drawn Boy, The Hold Steady and Steve Earle, all of whom played to benefit of the Music For Youth programme - an initiative supporting music education for underprivileged children in New York. While on stage, the New Jersey rocker made light of the nostalgic nature of the show, saying "The good news is... I'm not dead yet."
Tori Amos Forms Anti-Bush Posse By Mutating Into Greek Goddesses (VH1.com)
The Money Shot: "The way to really combat the right wing is to not be subservient to them on any level, particularly when it comes to ideology," she continued. "Therefore, you better offer up another ideology that can combat theirs, and as a preacher's daughter, I understand their ideology inside and out. Frankly, they've all hijacked Jesus and his message. I'm sorry, but 'Love thy neighbor as yourself' is nowhere to be found, especially in our current regime, who, in the name of God, is sending our young men and women to die over there [in the Middle East]."
Do Great Live Bands Need an Album to Tour? (Live Music Blog)
MS: While we here at LMB appreciate any mainstream attention to "touring bands," this 'no album' angle really jumped out at me. Why is it such a big deal that Pearl Jam -- a long-time 'road warrior' live band -- is touring without releasing an album? Why has this "norm" completely perpetuated the mainstream music industry? Can't Pearl Jam just tour because they're a great live band?
It Is Certain (Omaha Weekly Reader)
MS: (Conor) Oberst said there are some political themes woven into the songs on Cassadaga, “But nothing as overt as ‘[When the] President Talks to God,’” he said. “That’s not a song as much as a commercial. I don’t really premeditate what I write about. It just comes out. I’m not going to go out of my way to write about something that doesn’t come naturally, and I won’t shy away from it, either, if another song comes along. After I wrote that song and played it on television, a lot of people rallied around it and wanted me to keep doing it.”
English Lit Majors Need To Rock, Too (TBO.com)
MS: The music isn't the only thing grandiose - there's Meloy's use of language, with obscure words and references peppering his songs. "I think a lot of them are words that, if you read them in a book or short story, you would understand them in context," Meloy says. "I think they stand out a little bit in a pop song. They're cool sounding words and that's the point of writing lyrics," Meloy says," "using language in a heightened, abstracted way to convey emotion or a thought."
Meet the Sondre of music (Boston Herald)
MS: “It’s such a drag when artists become so aware of what they have succeeded in doing, that the rest of their career they spend just reproducing that sound,” said Lerche (pronounced LER-keh) from a tour stop in New Orleans.
“As an artist you have to demand more of yourself sometimes than what your audience does. It would be so stupid if I came out already sounding like my own tribute band. That wouldn’t be very charming at all. It would be embarrassing.”
Original sin (Guardian)
MS: Here's a way to infuriate people by getting them to attempt the impossible: ask them, as BBC6 recently did, to choose the worst cover version of all time. Why is it impossible? There are too many candidates. Listeners eventually voted for Madonna's version of American Pie, but it could have been any one of dozens: Duran Duran's startling attempt at Public Enemy's 911 is a Joke, Gareth Gates' rendition of Suspicious Minds, or the enervated Sugababes/Girls Aloud collaboration for Comic Relief, Walk this Way, which reached No 1 last month. All provoke one question: what were they thinking?
LiveDaily Interview: Robyn Hitchcock (LiveDaily)
MS: "[Peter is] very proud of his success, but he also enjoys traveling around in a little van playing clubs. Bill and Scott, likewise. You got to make a living. You don't have to make five livings. You just do as much as you can. We do whatever gigs. If we were 30 years younger, we might all be sleeping on top of each other in a van driving 200 miles after gigs. We like a certain element of comfort. So we don't necessarily do all the s---ty things we would have done when we were very young. We just play, really. It doesn't sound very exciting, but it is."
Oasis, The Killers to record new version of 'Sgt Pepper' (Yahoo! Music)
MS: The original album was released on June 1, 1967, and to mark the event the big names will all be covering tracks from the record for a BBC2 special to be aired in the U.K. on June 2. Razorlight, James Morrison, the Fratellis, and Travis are among the other acts taking part.
Bruce Springsteen makes surprise appearance in New York (NME.com)
MS: A string of acts performed Springsteen covers throughout the evening, including Badly Drawn Boy, The Hold Steady and Steve Earle, all of whom played to benefit of the Music For Youth programme - an initiative supporting music education for underprivileged children in New York. While on stage, the New Jersey rocker made light of the nostalgic nature of the show, saying "The good news is... I'm not dead yet."
MJTV: Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
An MJ Redux classic and my fav Pixies song... in some ways, Frank Black never looked better :)
Thursday, April 05, 2007
MJTV: Paul Westerberg - Jumpin' Jack Flash
The 'Mats meet the Stones. I saw Westerberg do a solo show a couple years back and with his sunglasses and a smoke hangin' off the corner of his lips while he played Can't Hardly Wait, it was one of the coolest and most rock 'n' roll moments of my life...
On The Road Again
Tour dates from...
Blonde Redhead
The Police
Blonde Redhead
04-05 Reykjavik, Iceland - Nasa
04-07 Isafjordur, Iceland - Aldrei for Eg Sudur Festival
04-10 New York, NY - Apple Store Soho
04-13 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick #
04-14 Chicago, IL - Metro #
04-15 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue #
04-19 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom #
04-20 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom #
04-21 Seattle, WA - The Showbox *
04-23 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's *
04-24 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's *
04-25 Pomona, CA - Glasshouse *
04-27 San Diego, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
04-28 Indio, CA - Coachella Music Festival
05-01 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room *
05-02 Austin, TX - Stubb's *
05-04 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
05-05 Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle *
05-06 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
05-08 New York, NY - Webster Hall
05-09 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
05-11 Toronto, Ontario - The Opera House
05-12 Montreal, Quebec - Club Soda
05-24 Manchester, England - Academy 3
05-26 Glasgow, Scotland - Oran Mor
05-27 Nottingham, England - Dot to Dot Festival
05-29 Bristol, England - Thekla
05-30 London, England - Koko
06-01 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival
06-02 Montpelier, France - Rockstore
06-03 Toulouse, France - Bikini
06-05 Nantes, France - Olympic
06-06 Paris, France - Elysee Montmarte
06-07 Nancy, France - L'Autre Canal
06-09 Dudingen, Switzerland - Kilbi Festival
06-18 Rome, Italy - Villa Ada
06-19 Florence, Italy - Marea Festival
06-20 Milan, Italy - Rolling Stone
06-21 Turin, Italy - Festival Ritmica
06-23 Heidelberg, Germany - Karlstorbahnhof
06-24 Munich, Germany - Feierwerk
06-25 Berlin, Germany - Postbanhof
06-26 Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Terrace
06-28 Cologne, Germany - Gebauede 9
06-29 Groningen, Holland - Vera
06-30 Werchter, Belgium - Werchter Festival
07-02 Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg (Old Room)
07-03 Istanbul, Turkey - Istanbul Jazz Festival
07-05 Tel Aviv, Israel - Hanger 11
07-06 Tel Aviv, Israel - Barbi Club
* with Annuals
# with Midnight Movies
The Police
Vancouver GM Place (May 28,30)
Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium (June 2)
Seattle Key Arena (June 6,7)
Denver Pepsi Center (9,10)
Oakland McAfee Coliseum (13)
Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena (15)
Manchester Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival (16)
Phoenix US Airways Arena (18)
Los Angeles Staples Center (20,21)
Los Angeles Dodger Stadium (23)
Dallas American Airlines Center (26,27)
Houston Toyota Center (29)
New Orleans Arena (30)
St. Louis Scottrade Center (July 2)
St Paul Xcel Energy Center (3)
Chicago Wrigley Field (5,6)
Miami Gardens Dolphin Stadium (10)
Tampa St Pete Times Forum (11)
Louisville Churchill Downs (14)
Cleveland Quicken Loans Arena (16)
Detroit Palace Of Auburn Hills (17)
Philadelphia Citizens Bank Park (19)
Hersheypark Stadium (20)
Toronto Air Canada Centre (22,23)
Montreal Bell Centre (25,26)
Boston Fenway Park (28,29)
East Hartford Rentschler Field (31)
New York Madison Square Garden (August 1,3)
Baltimore Pimlico Race Course (4)
East Rutherford Giants Stadium (5)
Stockholm Globe Arena (29,30)
Aarhus Vestereng (September 1)
Birmingham NIA (4,5)
London Twickenham Stadium (8,9)
Hamburg AOL Arena (11)
Amsterdam Arena (13,14)
Prague Sazka (16)
Vienna Stadhalle (19)
Munich Olympiastadion (22)
Barcelona Olympic Stadium (27)
Paris Stade de France (29)
Antwerp Sportpaleis (October 8,9)
Mannheim SAP Arena (October 10)
Dusseldorf LTU Arena (13)
Manchester MEN Arena (15,16)
Cardiff Millennium Stadium (19)
The Money Shot: 4.5.07 (part 2)
More of today's headlines...
With No Album On Horizon, Pearl Jam Touring For Fun (Billboard)
The Money Shot: "People still want to see us and we're having fun doing it," McCready says. "The last year-and-a-half run was a long one for us. We're all getting a little bit older and having families. But these seemed like good opportunities, so we're going to take them." With a laugh he adds, "That being said, we're probably not going to go out for another year-and-a-half tour for the rest of our lives."
Arctic Monkeys Lay Into Lily Allen Producer (NME)
The Money Shot: "I hate all those 'Pop Idol' singers. And let me tell you what I can't stand - that fucking R&B cover version of 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before'."
The band also criticised the state of hip-hop, and declared it officially dead. Guitarist Jamie Cook told The Sun: "Even music I don't usually listen to, like hip-hop, is obviously bad at the moment. There is no real hip-hop anymore.
Thermals make music from a dark place (SignOnSanDiego.com)
MS: “As a punk band, it's natural to write political songs,” said the singer-guitarist. “I was trying to write about what's controlling politics right now, what's pushing things in these directions and why are we focusing on these kinds of laws. Things like anti-abortion or anti-gay rights. It's because of religion, or Christianity specifically. It's kind of ridiculous when we're supposed to separate church and state in this country.”
Kaiser Chiefs snub Princess Diana concert (NME)
MS: The band also accused a host of the bands set to appear at the gig, which will mark the 10th anniversary of Diana's death, of using the event to sell more records. "It's fine if you're doing something like Live8, which is raising awareness or events that raise awareness over green issues. That's all right," said singer Ricky Wilson. "But a lot of them are doing it to sell more records."
The Police Hint At New Album (NME)
MS: The Police's guitarist Andy Summers has hinted that the band may get to work on a new album after their forthcoming world tour. The star, who attended a book signing and Q&A session for his memoirs 'One Train Later' in London yesterday (April 4), said the reformed three-piece would consider making a new album after their world tour. He added: "If we do well with these concerts we may well make a sixth album. I can't see why not."
Apple Stokes a Digital Music Standards War (Business Week)
MS: If more labels follow EMI's lead, and the other online music stores of the world are offered the same conditions on DRM-free music as Apple, Microsoft will have completely failed to corner the digital-music market, and by this time next year, there will be talk of it pulling the plug on its WMA-based efforts entirely. Or it will be forced by market forces to follow Apple's lead entirely rather than, as it has with the Zune and Zune Marketplace, copy it poorly. Think of it: Microsoft labeling its second Zune player as "compatible with iTunes."
With No Album On Horizon, Pearl Jam Touring For Fun (Billboard)
The Money Shot: "People still want to see us and we're having fun doing it," McCready says. "The last year-and-a-half run was a long one for us. We're all getting a little bit older and having families. But these seemed like good opportunities, so we're going to take them." With a laugh he adds, "That being said, we're probably not going to go out for another year-and-a-half tour for the rest of our lives."
Arctic Monkeys Lay Into Lily Allen Producer (NME)
The Money Shot: "I hate all those 'Pop Idol' singers. And let me tell you what I can't stand - that fucking R&B cover version of 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before'."
The band also criticised the state of hip-hop, and declared it officially dead. Guitarist Jamie Cook told The Sun: "Even music I don't usually listen to, like hip-hop, is obviously bad at the moment. There is no real hip-hop anymore.
Thermals make music from a dark place (SignOnSanDiego.com)
MS: “As a punk band, it's natural to write political songs,” said the singer-guitarist. “I was trying to write about what's controlling politics right now, what's pushing things in these directions and why are we focusing on these kinds of laws. Things like anti-abortion or anti-gay rights. It's because of religion, or Christianity specifically. It's kind of ridiculous when we're supposed to separate church and state in this country.”
Kaiser Chiefs snub Princess Diana concert (NME)
MS: The band also accused a host of the bands set to appear at the gig, which will mark the 10th anniversary of Diana's death, of using the event to sell more records. "It's fine if you're doing something like Live8, which is raising awareness or events that raise awareness over green issues. That's all right," said singer Ricky Wilson. "But a lot of them are doing it to sell more records."
The Police Hint At New Album (NME)
MS: The Police's guitarist Andy Summers has hinted that the band may get to work on a new album after their forthcoming world tour. The star, who attended a book signing and Q&A session for his memoirs 'One Train Later' in London yesterday (April 4), said the reformed three-piece would consider making a new album after their world tour. He added: "If we do well with these concerts we may well make a sixth album. I can't see why not."
Apple Stokes a Digital Music Standards War (Business Week)
MS: If more labels follow EMI's lead, and the other online music stores of the world are offered the same conditions on DRM-free music as Apple, Microsoft will have completely failed to corner the digital-music market, and by this time next year, there will be talk of it pulling the plug on its WMA-based efforts entirely. Or it will be forced by market forces to follow Apple's lead entirely rather than, as it has with the Zune and Zune Marketplace, copy it poorly. Think of it: Microsoft labeling its second Zune player as "compatible with iTunes."
MJTV: Ryan Adams - To Be Young
Live video from Austin City Limits in 2004... I was there for this one.
MJTV: Brand New - Jesus Christ
Acoustic version from the "Monty Love Christmas Spectacular" in December '06...
On The Road Again
Tour dates from...
Wilco
They Might Be Giants
Wilco
June 13: Davenport, Iowa (Adler Theatre)
June 15: Indianapolis (Murat Theatre)
June 17: Manchester, Tenn. (Bonnaroo)
June 19: Atlanta (Chastain Park)
June 20: Charlotte, N.C. (Ovens Auditorium)
June 22: Red Bank, N.J. (Count Basie Theatre)
June 24: Northampton, Mass. (the Pines)
June 25: New York (Hammerstein Ballroom)
June 28: Boston (Bank of America Pavilion)
June 29: Shelburne, Vt. (Shelburne Museum)
June 30: Toronto (Massey Hall)
They Might Be Giants
May 3: Newmarket, N.H. (Stone Church)
May 4: Burlington, Vt. (Higher Ground)
May 5: Northampton, Mass. (Iron Horse)
May 8: Charlottesville, Va. (Starr Hill)
May 9: Pittsburgh, Pa. (Mr. Small's)
May 11: Asbury Park, N.J. (Stone Pony)
May 16: New York (Joe's Pub)
May 18: Las Vegas (Orleans Theatre)
May 19: San Diego (Belly Up Tavern)
Cheap Thrills: Grant-Lee Phillips - Soft Asylum
Another free legal download from Grant-Lee Phillips' new CD, Strangelet...
Grant-Lee Phillips - Soft Asylum (courtesy of grantleephillips.com)
Grant-Lee Phillips - Soft Asylum (courtesy of grantleephillips.com)
Cheap Thrills: The Hold Steady - Take Me Out To The Ball Game
A free legal download of the Hold Steady's take on the baseball classic...
The Hold Steady - Take Me Out To The Ball Game (courtesy of Stereogum.com)
The Hold Steady - Take Me Out To The Ball Game (courtesy of Stereogum.com)
Cheap Thrills: Dead Heart Bloom - Chelsea Diaries
Here's a free legal download of the latest CD from Dead Heart Bloom, called Chelsea Diaries (courtesy of deadheartbloom.com)
Dead Heart Bloom - Chelsea Diaries.zip (43 MB)
Dead Heart Bloom - Chelsea Diaries.zip (43 MB)
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
The Money Shot: 4.5.07
Today's headlines...
Carl Newman Reveals New Pornographers LP Details (Pitchfork)
The Money Shot: I thought if there was any weakness of Mass Romantic that it was a bit too "push 'go' and then continue for 40 minutes on maximum." So I think ever since then, we've been trying to pull back. So many of the records I love just have everything in them, you know? Take the White Album. Even though people don't think it's the best Beatles record, I always loved it because it was so disparate sounding. And I think I've always wanted to make records like that. And so maybe it's no coincidence that we have four singers in the band; it's always a subliminal nod to the Beatles.
Son Volt's Jay Farrar searches for an escape (Metromix)
MS: Do you ever feel confined by technology?
You mean become a slave to it? Maybe with regard to e-mail, yeah. Not so much with texting but email can actually get to the point where it's overwhelming. If you get, like, 30 or so in a day that's where I'm ready to go to that island and do the Son Volt reality show.
The Shins, Wu-Tang, Crowded House Set For Bumbershoot (Billboard)
MS: The Shins, the Wu-Tang Clan, Panic! At The Disco, the reformed Crowded House and Lupe Fiasco lead the initial lineup for the 2007 installment of Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival. The event will be held Sept. 1-3 throughout the Seattle Center. Steve Earle, Devotchka, Devendra Banhart, Roky Erickson, Allison Moorer and Magnolia Electric Company are also on the bill.
World Reacts To Keith Richards 'snorting dad' story (NME)
MS: The story's impact clearly took The Rolling Stones camp by surprise, with Richards manager Jane Rose trying to play down the story, claiming it was "said in jest", while his UK spokesman not only struggled with the story but today's date suggesting: "It was an off-the-cuff remark... file under April Fool's joke".
Carl Newman Reveals New Pornographers LP Details (Pitchfork)
The Money Shot: I thought if there was any weakness of Mass Romantic that it was a bit too "push 'go' and then continue for 40 minutes on maximum." So I think ever since then, we've been trying to pull back. So many of the records I love just have everything in them, you know? Take the White Album. Even though people don't think it's the best Beatles record, I always loved it because it was so disparate sounding. And I think I've always wanted to make records like that. And so maybe it's no coincidence that we have four singers in the band; it's always a subliminal nod to the Beatles.
Son Volt's Jay Farrar searches for an escape (Metromix)
MS: Do you ever feel confined by technology?
You mean become a slave to it? Maybe with regard to e-mail, yeah. Not so much with texting but email can actually get to the point where it's overwhelming. If you get, like, 30 or so in a day that's where I'm ready to go to that island and do the Son Volt reality show.
The Shins, Wu-Tang, Crowded House Set For Bumbershoot (Billboard)
MS: The Shins, the Wu-Tang Clan, Panic! At The Disco, the reformed Crowded House and Lupe Fiasco lead the initial lineup for the 2007 installment of Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival. The event will be held Sept. 1-3 throughout the Seattle Center. Steve Earle, Devotchka, Devendra Banhart, Roky Erickson, Allison Moorer and Magnolia Electric Company are also on the bill.
World Reacts To Keith Richards 'snorting dad' story (NME)
MS: The story's impact clearly took The Rolling Stones camp by surprise, with Richards manager Jane Rose trying to play down the story, claiming it was "said in jest", while his UK spokesman not only struggled with the story but today's date suggesting: "It was an off-the-cuff remark... file under April Fool's joke".
On The Road Again
Tour dates from...
Youth Group
Fujiya and Miyagi
Youth Group
04/05 - Portland, ME - Space Gallery
04/06 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Club
04/07 - Providence, RI - Century Lounge
04/09 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
04/10 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
04/11 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
04/13 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
04/14 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
04/15 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
04/17 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
Fujiya and Miyagi
04/30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
05/01 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
05/02 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
05/03 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater Of Living Arts
05/04 - Boston, MA - Paradise
05/05 - Montreal, QUE - Theatre National
05/06 - Toronto, ONT - Phoenix Concert Theatre
05/07 - Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
05/08 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
05/09 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
05/12 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore
05/13 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
05/14 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir
05/15 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's
05/16 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's
The Money Shot: 4.4.07
Today's headlines...
Springsteen set to release live Seeger Sessions DVD/CD (Livedaily.com)
The Money Shot: The set "charts the development of a band from an informal gathering in Bruce's living room to an onstage powerhouse," said Springsteen's longtime manager, Jon Landau, in a press release.
"It also documents the growth in Bruce's vision of American music; it includes folk music, blues, Dixieland, country, swing, gospel, rock, down to and including his own writing. It's all performed with Bruce's classic energy and focus. I think it's some of the finest music he's ever made."
Rolling Stone’s List of the 25 Best Rock Rumors Ever (Rolling Stone)
MS: 1. Paul McCartney is or has ever been dead.
2. Stevie Nicks’ assistant had to blow coke up Stevie’s ass due to Nicks’ destroyed nasal passages.
3. Mama Cass died after choking on a ham sandwich.
4. Angie Bowie caught her husband in bed with Mick Jagger.
5. Mark David Chapman was an assassin programmed by the CIA.
Rivals tune in as EMI digital experiment starts (Reuters)
MS: "This is something that all the labels are having to consider ... because of the state of the overall market. But EMI has been hit harder than anyone else. It doesn't have the benefit of a big parent company and it doesn't have a strong footprint in the U.S.. It has to be innovative. It wants to be ahead of the curve."
Warner Music Group has said it sees no logic to dropping DRM but is still testing without it while Vivendi's Universal Music has said it, too, is testing.
Hold Steady Pinch-Hitting For Twins As Baseball Season Opens (MTV News)
MS: "He thought it would be cool for us to record 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game,' " Finn explained. "He was like, 'I'm gonna be playing your record, so it'd be cool if you guys could do this.' It was all unofficial, but we decided we should do it.
"I mean, the Hold Steady, we're all sort of sports guys," he continued. "We're more likely to be drinking beer and eating wings and watching baseball rather than collecting some obscure 7-inch."
Secrets behind Bright Eyes' 'magic' new artwork revealed (Yahoo!)
MS: "The original concept as Conor Oberst and I discussed it was to use a 3D stereogram, a 'magic eye' illusion, for the artwork, so if you stared at it the right way, images of pyramids would appear in 3D," he said. "The problem with this was that, especially with CD packaging, the stereogram would have to be very small. Also, there are some people who are not able to view magic eye images--myself included--and they would be losing out."
An Open Letter To Robert Smith (Filter)
MS: It's one thing to sing on other people's songs, and it's another for shitty bands to cover The Cure, but when you yourself sing on said shitty cover it gives that version a stamp of legitimacy that it simply does not deserve.
Now comes word that you may collaborate with Ashlee Simpson on her next album. Robert, have you no shame? Are you now just trying to ruin your legacy? I know it's hard to turn down people when they shower you with praise, but please, for once could you just say no?
Death Cab, R.E.M., Ted Leo, Wrens Rock for Net Neutrality (Pitchfork)
MS: Mr. Leo, taking the role of eloquent elder spokesman, chimed in that "the ability for a musician in my position to actually reach people is entirely wrapped up in the concept of a network...in the past, of course, it was infinitely more difficult to do this...what we've seen-- in really the last five years but even in the last decade-- has been an incredible flowering of independent music's ability to reach the people who are not just willing but interested to hear it." Leo pointed to the increased difficulty this kind of artist-centric networking would face were the telecom companies successful in their aims.
Springsteen set to release live Seeger Sessions DVD/CD (Livedaily.com)
The Money Shot: The set "charts the development of a band from an informal gathering in Bruce's living room to an onstage powerhouse," said Springsteen's longtime manager, Jon Landau, in a press release.
"It also documents the growth in Bruce's vision of American music; it includes folk music, blues, Dixieland, country, swing, gospel, rock, down to and including his own writing. It's all performed with Bruce's classic energy and focus. I think it's some of the finest music he's ever made."
Rolling Stone’s List of the 25 Best Rock Rumors Ever (Rolling Stone)
MS: 1. Paul McCartney is or has ever been dead.
2. Stevie Nicks’ assistant had to blow coke up Stevie’s ass due to Nicks’ destroyed nasal passages.
3. Mama Cass died after choking on a ham sandwich.
4. Angie Bowie caught her husband in bed with Mick Jagger.
5. Mark David Chapman was an assassin programmed by the CIA.
Rivals tune in as EMI digital experiment starts (Reuters)
MS: "This is something that all the labels are having to consider ... because of the state of the overall market. But EMI has been hit harder than anyone else. It doesn't have the benefit of a big parent company and it doesn't have a strong footprint in the U.S.. It has to be innovative. It wants to be ahead of the curve."
Warner Music Group has said it sees no logic to dropping DRM but is still testing without it while Vivendi's Universal Music has said it, too, is testing.
Hold Steady Pinch-Hitting For Twins As Baseball Season Opens (MTV News)
MS: "He thought it would be cool for us to record 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game,' " Finn explained. "He was like, 'I'm gonna be playing your record, so it'd be cool if you guys could do this.' It was all unofficial, but we decided we should do it.
"I mean, the Hold Steady, we're all sort of sports guys," he continued. "We're more likely to be drinking beer and eating wings and watching baseball rather than collecting some obscure 7-inch."
Secrets behind Bright Eyes' 'magic' new artwork revealed (Yahoo!)
MS: "The original concept as Conor Oberst and I discussed it was to use a 3D stereogram, a 'magic eye' illusion, for the artwork, so if you stared at it the right way, images of pyramids would appear in 3D," he said. "The problem with this was that, especially with CD packaging, the stereogram would have to be very small. Also, there are some people who are not able to view magic eye images--myself included--and they would be losing out."
An Open Letter To Robert Smith (Filter)
MS: It's one thing to sing on other people's songs, and it's another for shitty bands to cover The Cure, but when you yourself sing on said shitty cover it gives that version a stamp of legitimacy that it simply does not deserve.
Now comes word that you may collaborate with Ashlee Simpson on her next album. Robert, have you no shame? Are you now just trying to ruin your legacy? I know it's hard to turn down people when they shower you with praise, but please, for once could you just say no?
Death Cab, R.E.M., Ted Leo, Wrens Rock for Net Neutrality (Pitchfork)
MS: Mr. Leo, taking the role of eloquent elder spokesman, chimed in that "the ability for a musician in my position to actually reach people is entirely wrapped up in the concept of a network...in the past, of course, it was infinitely more difficult to do this...what we've seen-- in really the last five years but even in the last decade-- has been an incredible flowering of independent music's ability to reach the people who are not just willing but interested to hear it." Leo pointed to the increased difficulty this kind of artist-centric networking would face were the telecom companies successful in their aims.
Monday, April 02, 2007
MJTV: Modest Mouse - Ocean Breathes Salty
Trippy video for the song that IMHO was the best track on their last CD, Good News For People Who Love Bad News.
MJTV: LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum
First video from the new LCD Soundsystem CD, Sound of Silver.
MJTV: The Apples in Stereo - Energy
Video for the first single from the Apples' New Magnetic Energy... "Energy"... Damn catchy stuff!
The Money Shot: 4.2.07
Today headlines...
EMI unlocks anti-piracy software on music (Reuters)
The Money Shot: Jobs argued that there appeared to be no benefit for the record companies in selling more than 90 percent of their music without DRM on compact discs, while selling the remaining small percentage of music online encumbered with DRM. "Selling digital music DRM-free is the right step forward for the music industry," Jobs said on Monday. "We expect to offer more than half of the songs on iTunes in DRM-free versions by the end of the year.
Digital Freedom Campaign to organize students against RIAA abuse (ARS Technica)
MS: If there are two sides to every story, the Digital Freedom Campaign hopes to balance the RIAA's message on copyright by educating students about alternative views on copyright and fair use, while teaching them how they can fight back against the RIAA.
The DFC was founded last fall by a number of groups, including the CEA, EFF, Public Knowledge, and the American Library Association. Designed in no small part to counteract the MPAA and RIAA's propaganda on technology and the media, Digital Freedom's mission is to educate consumers about technology and copyright law, including fair use. To that end, Digital Freedom has announced a new initiative, called Digital Freedom University.
Online Odyssey Stoking Interest in New NIN Album (Billboard)
MS: Excited fans then began swapping and sharing these music files online. Another Web posting alleged that all this activity resulted in entertainment blog Idolator and other sites receiving e-mail from the Recording Industry Association of America, demanding that they remove the MP3s from their sites. An RIAA representative confirms this, a move that boggles the minds of many. "These f*cking idiots are going after a campaign that the label signed off on," the source says.
Flea and John Frusciante Slam MySpace Imposters, Mickey Avalon Haters (Stereogum)
MS: Anyone who tries to make others feel bad, in an attempt to feel good themselves, will never feel true happiness as long as they do so. Not to mention, in the case of a great man such as Mickey Avalon, you only make him stronger, because he has actual self-belief, something which cannot be faked. And you who booed gave him the chance to demonstrate that he has that admirable quality. By the way, the Chili Peppers got booed opening for people in the early days, as have many of the all-time greats. Standing up to that shit is part of getting stronger when someone knows they are good, and it is just taking the world longer to catch on. In this sense I thank you for booing because you have served as a steppingstone for a strong performer to get even stronger.
R.E.M. To Unveil New Songs At Dublin Shows (Billboard)
MS: R.E.M. will unveil material intended for its 14th studio album during a five-night run of live dates in Dublin this summer. The shows, set for June 30, July 1 and July 3-5 at the Olympia Theatre, will mark the first time in a decade that the band has played new songs live before they appeared on an album.
EMI unlocks anti-piracy software on music (Reuters)
The Money Shot: Jobs argued that there appeared to be no benefit for the record companies in selling more than 90 percent of their music without DRM on compact discs, while selling the remaining small percentage of music online encumbered with DRM. "Selling digital music DRM-free is the right step forward for the music industry," Jobs said on Monday. "We expect to offer more than half of the songs on iTunes in DRM-free versions by the end of the year.
Digital Freedom Campaign to organize students against RIAA abuse (ARS Technica)
MS: If there are two sides to every story, the Digital Freedom Campaign hopes to balance the RIAA's message on copyright by educating students about alternative views on copyright and fair use, while teaching them how they can fight back against the RIAA.
The DFC was founded last fall by a number of groups, including the CEA, EFF, Public Knowledge, and the American Library Association. Designed in no small part to counteract the MPAA and RIAA's propaganda on technology and the media, Digital Freedom's mission is to educate consumers about technology and copyright law, including fair use. To that end, Digital Freedom has announced a new initiative, called Digital Freedom University.
Online Odyssey Stoking Interest in New NIN Album (Billboard)
MS: Excited fans then began swapping and sharing these music files online. Another Web posting alleged that all this activity resulted in entertainment blog Idolator and other sites receiving e-mail from the Recording Industry Association of America, demanding that they remove the MP3s from their sites. An RIAA representative confirms this, a move that boggles the minds of many. "These f*cking idiots are going after a campaign that the label signed off on," the source says.
Flea and John Frusciante Slam MySpace Imposters, Mickey Avalon Haters (Stereogum)
MS: Anyone who tries to make others feel bad, in an attempt to feel good themselves, will never feel true happiness as long as they do so. Not to mention, in the case of a great man such as Mickey Avalon, you only make him stronger, because he has actual self-belief, something which cannot be faked. And you who booed gave him the chance to demonstrate that he has that admirable quality. By the way, the Chili Peppers got booed opening for people in the early days, as have many of the all-time greats. Standing up to that shit is part of getting stronger when someone knows they are good, and it is just taking the world longer to catch on. In this sense I thank you for booing because you have served as a steppingstone for a strong performer to get even stronger.
R.E.M. To Unveil New Songs At Dublin Shows (Billboard)
MS: R.E.M. will unveil material intended for its 14th studio album during a five-night run of live dates in Dublin this summer. The shows, set for June 30, July 1 and July 3-5 at the Olympia Theatre, will mark the first time in a decade that the band has played new songs live before they appeared on an album.
Most Wanted: 3.30.07
The Musical Justice Top 20 Airplay Chart for the week ending 3.30.07:
Rank Title - Artist (Label ) Audience Spins
1 . Keep The Car Running -Arcade Fire (Merge) 706 23
2 . Flathead - The Fratellis (Interscope) 685 21
3 . Grace Kelly - Mika (Casablanca) 652 20
4 . In View - The Tragically Hip (UMG) 598 17
5 . Dashboard - Modest Mouse (Epic) 569 18
6 . Young Folks -Peter Bjorn & John (Almost Gold ) 563 21
7 . Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird) 567 17
8 . After The Gold Rush - Thom Yorke (The Bridge School) 548 21
9 . Phantom Limb - The Shins (Sub Pop) 541 18
10. Some Loud Thunder - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Self-Released) 518 16
11. On Call - Kings Of Leon (RCA) 509 19
12. Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine (Back Porch) 511 15
13. Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids (Downtown) 475 19
14 . North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 434 13
15. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique) 402 14
16. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty) 351 11
17. Brianstorm - Arctic Monkeys (Domino) 347 13
18. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns (UMRG) 339 12
19. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio (Interscope) 333 12
20. Girl In The War - Josh Ritter (V2) 327 6
Rank Title - Artist (Label ) Audience Spins
1 . Keep The Car Running -Arcade Fire (Merge) 706 23
2 . Flathead - The Fratellis (Interscope) 685 21
3 . Grace Kelly - Mika (Casablanca) 652 20
4 . In View - The Tragically Hip (UMG) 598 17
5 . Dashboard - Modest Mouse (Epic) 569 18
6 . Young Folks -Peter Bjorn & John (Almost Gold ) 563 21
7 . Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (Dangerbird) 567 17
8 . After The Gold Rush - Thom Yorke (The Bridge School) 548 21
9 . Phantom Limb - The Shins (Sub Pop) 541 18
10. Some Loud Thunder - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Self-Released) 518 16
11. On Call - Kings Of Leon (RCA) 509 19
12. Last Night On Earth Again - Over The Rhine (Back Porch) 511 15
13. Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids (Downtown) 475 19
14 . North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem (Capitol) 434 13
15. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique) 402 14
16. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty) 351 11
17. Brianstorm - Arctic Monkeys (Domino) 347 13
18. Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns (UMRG) 339 12
19. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio (Interscope) 333 12
20. Girl In The War - Josh Ritter (V2) 327 6
TiVo Alert
This week's late night musical highlights...
Monday - Brand New (Letterman), The Noisettes (Late Late Show), Regina Spektor (Carson Daly)
Tuesday - Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Wednesday - Joss Stone (Letterman), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Conan)
Thursday - Kaiser Chiefs (Conan)
Friday - Aqualung (Letterman), Albert Hammond Jr. (Conan), Bloc Party (Carson Daly)
Monday - Brand New (Letterman), The Noisettes (Late Late Show), Regina Spektor (Carson Daly)
Tuesday - Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Wednesday - Joss Stone (Letterman), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Conan)
Thursday - Kaiser Chiefs (Conan)
Friday - Aqualung (Letterman), Albert Hammond Jr. (Conan), Bloc Party (Carson Daly)
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