The Money Shot - 10.7.05

Today's news on Musical Justice artists...

Iceland's Sigur Ros Moves at Own Speed
The Money Shot: "They sound like they're from another planet," says Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. "It turns out it was Iceland."

Fans Get a Taste of Apple in L.A.
The Money Shot: Apple told AP Television that this was only the second time she'd ever done a concert in a music store. "I have no idea why I'm doing it, she admitted. "I know what my part of the job is: I'm supposed to write songs and sing them ... There's other people that know what they're doing and they say to do it and so I'm doing it."

Elvis Costello Tries Hand at Opera
The Money Shot: Costello said he was inspired by Andersen's way of expression, adding that "many translations of (Andersen's) works miss the really good elements, the macabre, the weird and the social critique." Many of Andersen's fairy tales are rather gruesome. In "The Little Mermaid," one of his best known stories, the mermaid becomes mute after a witch cuts off her tongue in exchange for legs to replace her fish tail.

Exene's American Art
The Money Shot: "I love our culture. I love the pieces, the most mundane stuff about our culture, and I think you can make the best art out of an ordinary item that is usually thrown away or people don't care about," said Cervenka, a dedicated thrift store-ista.

Gorillaz remain a mystery
The Money Shot: "You get cab drivers in London who say 'you haven't done anything for years Damon'" he laughed, "and I say 'Well I'm Number One, actually'. But you know, that's a minor detail."

Reunion Nearly Complete, Pixies Look Ahead
The Money Shot: "I think there are some band members extremely keen to start making a record and there are others who are more cautious because they don't want to mess with the legacy," Black says. "They may be afraid that if we make a mediocre record that it will still come out, because the money has been spent. That's fair enough."

And in general music-related news...

Legal Downloads And Frustrated Music Buyers On The Rise
The Money Shot: In one of the strangest moves in this legal vs. illegal downloading battle, Sony BMG have, instead of just getting rid of their anti-piracy program, decided to tell their consumers how to get around their copy protection. Consumers who complain about not being able to get their music onto their iPod are directed to a special site that explains how to beat the system.

Music That Sucks - 10.4.05

A new weekly feature... here are the new releases that I think the world could have really done without. Some clearly suck (does the world need a new Journey CD?), others are artists that have overstepping reasonable boundaries (think Elvis Costello and chamber music), some are sad attempts to recapture former glory (Sinead O'Connor on a reggae CD anyone?) and then there are those that defy categorization (a guitar TRIBUTE to Howie Day??)

With that said, here is the first installment of Music That Sucks... These are all real new releases hitting the stores today.

• Journey - Generations (Washed-up 80's band? New CD? Can a wireless communications sponsorship be far behind?)
• Cledus T. Judd Presents Boogity, Boogity - A Tribute to the Comedic Genius of Ray Stevens (So Cledus T. Judd came up with the idea to pay tribute to Ray Stevens? Clearly Ray Stevens is not the only genius here...)
• Sinead O'Connor - Throw Down Your Arms (Sinead does reggae with Marley covers... because of course, when I think of Jammin', I think of Sinead...)
• George Thorogood 30th Anniversary Tour: Live (Bad. To. The. Bone.)
• Various Artists - Guitar Tribute to Howie Day (Uh... guess they are almost completely out of people to pay tribute to... not that Howie's bad, but he's only made TWO CDs!)
• Various Artists - A Tribute to Gorillaz (Call this one a hunch, but somehow I don't think it's gonna "Feel Good"...)
• Various Artists - Corporate Love Breakdown: The Bluegrass Tribute to Radiohead (Because when I think pickin' and grinnin', I think Thom Yorke...)

In Stores on 10/4

The weekly update on new releases from artists we've played on Musical Justice. I'd give this week an "A-" with critically acclaimed releases from Fiona & Franz, the stateside release of Mercury Prize nominees The Magic Numbers and a sure-to-be-controversial release from now-pop-diva Liz Phair!

Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
James Blunt - Back to Bedlam
Mark Eitzel - Candy Ass
Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better...with
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike
Jimmy Eat World - Stay on My Side Tonight EP
Lucy Kaplansky - The Tide
The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers
O.A.R. - Stories of a Stranger
Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle

Have a nice day, eh?

Sometimes I'm speechless. Sometimes there are no words. Sometimes you're holding on for dear life. And sometimes you're just 'livin' on a prayer'...

Radiohead's Dead Air

Ok. Not that Radiohead needs my promotional help but I just found their new blog, Dead Air Space, and it's pretty cool. There are recent posts from Thom, Jonny and Colin and you can see some of their thoughts about the new CD that they're currently working on. Thom's pretty much what you'd expect talking about the music, but then there's this interesting post about an invitation he's received to meet with Tony Blair...

friends of the earth have asked me whether i would meet Tony Blair at downing street to discuss what our government is not doing about climate change..i dont know if this will ever happen for certain.... it is rattling around in the back of my mind and concerns me a lot. i have no intention of being used by spider spin doctors to make it look like we make progress when it is just words. id love to know what you think but i cant ask.youd say oh ther e he goes again interfering and meddling in politics why doesnt he get on with the music and shut up.perhaps because i feel like a hypocrit if dont do anything, and equally feel like a hypocrit if i try getting involved.nobody wants to know. none of u s do, me included id love to forget about it like your average Times reader. wed all like it to go away. turn to to the rising sea and say come back later im busy right now.Blair has been uttering nonsense lately about kyoto and such, real la la stuff... looks like th eamerican right have finally eaten his mind... blah blah why on earth would i meet this man? o r perhaps that is exactly why i should. but i dont have powers of persuasion, i just have temper and an acid tongue.trust me i find this as dull as you do... politics is poison.. what do yout think i should do?