You've seen the cover. Now listen to Pearl Jam's self-titled album at AOL music. Go here to stream.

The band's first release for J Records will be in stores this Tuesday.

Posted by Glenn at 1:12 PM | Link
|Music|

The Ramones released their debut, self-titled album on April 23rd, 1976...30 years ago today. Few albums have such meaning three decades after their release. And three decades later the legacy of the Ramones can still be seen.

This Wednesday, "Too Tough To Die: A Tribute To Johnny Ramone" will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival (and will screen throughout the festival). It's a documentary about a 2004 tribute concert to Johnny Ramones -- just two days before he passed away -- that had performances by Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Henry Rollins and many others. Watch the movie trailer here.

May 25th is the date for Joey Ramones' 55th Birthday Bash concert at Irving Plaza in New York. Richie Ramone, who was the band's drummer from '83 to '87, was been confirmed to make an appearance. The concert, now in its sixth year, is a benefit for the Lymphoma Research Foundation and is organized by Joey's mother, Charlotte Lesher, and his brother, Mickey Leigh.

Posted by Glenn at 1:39 PM | Link
|Music|

Though you wouldn't know it with all the coverage and adulation the Dixie Chicks have got after their public criticism of President Bush, the country trio may have lost some fans. (Though they may have gained some, too. Time will tell if the fans gained are the kind who buy albums and attend concerts.)

The Pensacola News-Journal's Mark O'Brien warns of a chilled reception in that area when the Chicks' next album comes out.

"(Pensacolians) tuned out the Chicks, turned off by their politics and style. Program directors at local stations predict few requests for their music when the Texas trio issue Taking the Long Way in May. That's fine with me, especially because fans still can purchase music the radio doesn't play.

The Chicks exercised their constitutional right to free speech, and fans exercised their constitutional right to stop listening to what was one of country music's brightest, hottest acts."

O'Brien's advice is the same as Aerosmith's two decades ago: Let the music do the talking. It sounds like good advice. Most music fans don't mix politics and music.

Posted by Glenn at 11:20 AM | Link
|Music||Politics|

Following the footsteps of Rod Stewart and Barry Manilow, Michael Bolton will release an album of oldies covers (subscription required) through -- no, not J Records -- Passion Music/Concord Records. The album will be called Bolton Swings Sinatra so that means it will be a collection of Frank Sinatra songs.

Stewart's series of American standards and Manilows recent oldies collection have all been chart toppers. Their success left entry into this market inevitable. And Concord, with its relationship with Starbucks' Hear Music, seems like the perfect place to sell this music.

"What's next?" begs Hits, "Benny Mardones croons Dean Martin?"

Posted by Glenn at 2:24 PM | Link
|Music||Universal Music Group|

Sufjan Stevens is hipper than hip. He's on top of the world. Sometimes Coolfer wonders what would possibly cause him to lose stature.

Praise from Mandy Moore could do the trick. From her iTunes celebrity playlist, for which she selected his song "Chicago":

"I was really taken with this song the first time I heard it. It's really big and sweeping. His whole record has such a unique feel to it. I think it has an almost musical-theatre aspect to it...which is amazing. Very hip

Yeah, that'll work wonders for his cred.

Posted by Glenn at 1:30 PM | Link
|Music|

Members of the media -- and the blogosphere -- can lose their skepticism at the wrong moments. A few days ago Pitchfork admitted that it had been part of a prank and retracted its story that singer-songwriters Sufjan Stevens and Rosie Thomas were going to have a child together. Days before an amateur video taken a Death Cab For Cutie concert started making the Internet rounds...and surprisingly a lot of people bought into it.

For its part, Pitchfork claims it followed procedure and checked the story for accuracy. "We fell for it-- hell," admitted news editor Amy Phillips, "our information came directly from the source (Rosie), was corroborated by a close friend (Denison), and even Sufjan's publicist was being slippery about it." Hey, when it's a conspiracy even a by-the-book news editor can be duped. What can you do?

Then there's the case of the amateur video (watch at YouTube) taken by a fan at a Death Cab For Cutie concert during which a fan calls out for the song "Talking Like Turnstiles" and is so overjoyed when the band starts playing it that he hops on stage. The Tripwire went haywire at the fan and calls him a "big stupid douche." At Stereogum's post only a few called it staged and noticed how well the fan knew the backstage area where he was taken by security.

Frank Chromewaves thinks it "seems just a little too staged to be real" and points to a Philadelphia Daily News article that talks about the band's upcoming DVD, Directions. It includes a bonus track that's a live performance "captured in looney, slapstick fashion by a camera-phone-toting Lance Bangs," says the article.

How should people have known the YouTube clip was staged? Didn't anybody notice the name of the YouTube member who uploaded the video, John10104? That's a zip code for midtown Manhattan, home to many record label offices. As it so happens, that's the zip code for the Atlantic Records offices at 1290 Avenue of the Americas in New York, NY. Those paying attention will know that Death Cab is signed to Atlantic Records. Ahem.

Posted by Glenn at 2:57 PM | Link
|Internet||Marketing||Music||Weblogs||YouTube|

A while back URB magazine started thinning its dance coverage and brought in more hip hop. Then more rock. Now LA joy divisioners She Wants Revenge is on the cover.

But it makes perfect sense...the band is filed under electronic as far as Soundscan is concerned and has been appearing high on the weekly dance chart (not a whole lot of competition). Then again, so is the Mariah Carey remix album, and so is Gorillaz.

Previously on Coolfer:

• How Far Has Dance Music Fallen?
• Studio Distribution Closes Its Doors

Posted by Glenn at 12:40 PM | Link
|Music|

The powers that be at AOL Music and RollingStone.com recently made their lists of artists to watch. AOL Music christined its latest Breakers, a group of up-and-coming artists includes Brit chart-topper Corinne Bailey Rae (pictured left), Cartel, Lost Trailers, Mat Kearney, Young Leek and Wolfmother. AOL can be a huge part of breaking new artists, as big as anything else on the Internet. So naturally labels love it. AOL's blessing is like the Midas touch for a developing artist.

Rolling Stone's list of ten artists to watch. It's a list heavy on pop (Daniel Powter, Matt White) and rock (new-to-the-majors TV on the Radio, Rock Kills Kid, Wolfmother, The Whigs, The Boy Least Likely To). The lone hip hop artists is Papoose, who Rolling Stone calls "New York's hottest hip hop MC." Just last week a hip hop insider told Coolfer Papoose isn't all that great, then added, "I mean, what the hell is a papoose?"

For a good inside peek at Papoose, check out this interview at All Hip Hop. He could be the real deal. Who else but a NYC hip hop star be part of a scene at SOB's?

What do these lists have in common? Both have Interscope hard rock band Wolfmother (pictured right), and both are almost exclusively major label artists. Only Boy Least Likely To, Bonde do Rolo (signed to Mad Decent), The Whigs and Papoose are not signed to a major -- though a major-label deal for Papoose is sure to be signed this year.

Posted by Glenn at 10:57 AM | Link
|Music|

Dare to dream: Yesterday The Minneapolis City Page's Jim Walsh posted a picture of the three surviving original members of the Replacements -- Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars -- and wrote that it was taken while they were in a studio to record a track with super drummer Josh Freese (who has toured as Westerberg's drummer in the past) for the upcoming Replacements box set. That box set does not yet have a firm street date. There is a scheduled date for Bastards of Young: The Best of Replacements, that's coming out on Rhino on May 23rd.

Coolfer's question: Why two drummers? Are they covering Pavement songs, or is Mars playing either guitar or bass?

More Replacements: Troubled Girl Films will show a trailer of its Replacements movie, "Color Me Impressed," at this year's Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco. You can download the trailer here (WM, 4.2 MB).

Update: Billboard.com confirms that the Replacements were in the studio recording a new song for the upcoming box set, Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best of the Replacements, due June 13th on Rhino. The two songs are titled "Message to the Boys" and "Pool & Dive." Freese played drums and Mars, who is going strictly with his art these days, sang backup.

Posted by Glenn at 11:01 AM | Link
|Music|

Delayer. That's a new (to me) word I read about yesterday. It means the same thing as downsize, but downsize is so five hours ago.

Spin magazine went through a delayering yesterday. Gawker called it a "shedding." Two more editors were let go, which adds to the list of editors that have already been asked to box up their belongings.

More importantly, it has a review of the new, must-be-coming-one-of-these-days-if-Chuck-Klosterman-is-reviewing-it Guns N' Roses album. "Chinese Democracy is not the greatest rock album ever made." he wrote. "Oh, it’s certainly awesome, but I don’t think it’s '15 years awesome.'"

Awesome or not, there will be a demand for the album. People want Axl. GNR's greatest hits comp is now north of two million units and still selling.

Posted by Glenn at 11:46 AM | Link
|Music|

• Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics will be released in June by RCA. Five of the songs were produced by Gangstarr's DJ Premier and are steeped in jazz and blues. (Billboard.com)
• Kings of Leon, who are due to break out huge, are back in the studio this week to record their third album. (NME.com)
• Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend are in the studio but not working on any timetable. "It will come out when it is ready." The band will tour Europe this summer, and Daltry is involved with a biopic on Keith Moon. (Billboard.com)
• 50 Cent, who was told to delay his album last summer by Eminem, says he'll have a new album out in July. (Hip Hop Galaxy)
• Audioslave's Revolations is due out in June. (Album Vote)
• The Capitol Albums, Vol. 2, a four-CD box set that collects the first four U.S. version Beatles albums, will be released on April 11th. The four albums in the set will be Rubber Soul, Help!, The Early Beatles and Beatles IV. (LA Times)
• Pastor Troy will release Stay True on April 18th via 845 Entertainment. Here's an MP3 download of the song "Police Can't Break It Up."
• DJ Shadow's next album may be out this summer. His website has audio and video streams for the new song "3 Freaks" featuring Keak da Sneak and Turf Talk. (Billboard.com)
• Keane's The Iron Sea, the follow up to Hopes and Fears, will be out June 12th. (Album Vote)
• Celly Cel's Slaps, Straps and Basebat Hats is due out April 4th. (Top40 Charts)
• Kylie Minogue is reportedly working on a new album. (Yahoo Music UK)
• Macy Gray's upcoming album, Big, will have guests Justin Timberlake, Will.I.Am of Black Eyed Peas, Natalie Cole, Outkast, White Leaf and Sleepy Brown. (FMBQ)
• Deicide is working on an album that's due to be released on Earace on June 6th. (Blabbermouth)

Posted by Glenn at 10:11 AM | Link
|Music|

Dance music is really sucking wind these days. Case in point: The Killers will headline this year's Ultra Music Festival in Miami. Other rock acts on the bill: Hot Hot Heat, Hard-Fi and The Prodigy (OK, the Prodigy are between rock and dance).

Rock and roll just doesn't want much to do with dance music. As Danceblogga pointed out, this year's three-day Lollapalooza bill is almost completely dance-free: Only Thievery Corporation will be flying the dance music flag in Chicago.

Posted by Glenn at 3:24 PM | Link
|Music|

(On the left is the pre-release, secretive album cover. On the left is the final artwork as seen at Amazon.com. Let's keep that one under wraps, shall we?)

There's some discussion -- or derision, rather -- over at Stereogum concerning the cover of the upcoming Pearl Jam album on J Records. Some say worst album cover ever. On the bright side, it's perfect for a Chevys or Chipotle cross-branding promotion.

Posted by Glenn at 11:10 AM | Link
|Music||Sony BMG|

After all those government dollars spent trying to breaking British music in the States is was obvious they'd be watching how their newly crowned kings, the Arctic Monkeys, are being embraced over here.

As the BBC reported yesterday, they ain't. "US reluctant to heed Monkeys hype" goes the headline. The article collects all the bad things said about the band from these articles:

• Oakland Tribune: "THAT'S IT? ... None of the tunes were memorable and the hooks weren't strong enough to catch a goldfish. The performance was sloppy in spots and there were some technical difficulties. I'd like to believe that it was an off-night for the band, but I have no evidence to support that hypothesis."
• Variety: They "have a long way to go. ... But with so many quick to compare the Arctic Monkeys to the Stones, Kinks, Who and other classic British bands, it's worth remembering that one thing that set those bands apart from the Pretty Things, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel and nameless other acts who arrived in the States on a wave of press hype was that they were as brilliant onstage as in the studio."
• The Hollywood Reporter: The show was "not the messianic exercise it was impossibly built up to be" - but still "felt like the real thing."
• The Miami Herald on the band's SNL performances: "The teen rockers revealed a lack of seasoning."

(In all fairness, the Monkey's SNL performance wasn't as ridiculed as that by emo stars Fall Out Boy, which has sold over two million albums in this country.)

Back at home, The Telegraph sees it differently. "America goes ape for the Monkeys," announces the headline. Down in the article it calls the band's 55-minute set "pretty much the one they've perfected over the past few months."

If the live act has perfected, the band is truly in trouble. Coolfer caught the Monkey's first NYC show and thought it was great, but also felt they have a long, long way to go and do have the potential to get there.

Posted by Glenn at 3:13 PM | Link
|Indies||Music|

It's been a few years since a boy band made much of a dent on the US charts or got a rise out of the country's pop culture meter. No matter. The female fans described in this Guardian article on British singer-songwriter James Blunt have all the, well, fanaticism of of young teen girl in 1988 with New Kids of the Block Posters on their bedroom walls.

The difference is that these women are older. They're professionals. And they just Tivo'd Blunt on Oprah. That single daytime TV appearance did what MySpace can't seem to do: Push an album up the album chart in a single, qauntifiable leap. Back to Bedlam rose 142% to #2 from #9 last week. Wow!

To see the Cult of Blunt in action, read some posts at his site's message board. Does he smoke? (Some say yes, some say no.) Some people thinks he drinks a lot. And some fans think he's fit and looks better without his beard.

Posted by Glenn at 9:34 AM | Link
|Music||Warner Music Group|

A fitting continuation to Coolfer's posts about the Arctic Monkeys? Only if you're getting tired of the band and the coverage. Watch the video for "Monkeys" that, well, talks about being sick of hearing about the Arctic Monkeys.

Posted by Glenn at 12:10 PM | Link
|Music|

• Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way will be released on May 23rd. Taking part in the recording were Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell (Heartbreakers), Pete Yorn and Gary Lourdis (Jayhawks). (PR Newswire)

• Sonic Youth's next album to be released on June 13th. (RollingStone.com)

• International superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold will release his next album, A Lively Mind, via Maverick Records on April 11th. Guests will include Pharrell Williams, Grandmaster Flash and actress Brittany Murphy. (Billboard)

• The upcoming album by Brazilian-born artist Cibelle will be released by Crammed Discs in April. It will feature guest appearances by Seu Jorge, Devendra Banhart and Mike Lindsay (Tunng).

• Frank Black will release Fastman/Raiderman, a double CD, on June 20th. (Punknews.org)

• For its eighth studio album, Primal Scream is going back to the raw, blues rock sound that marked what most would consider to be the low point of its career. The yet-to-be-named album is due out June 5th. (NME.com)

• Tool will release 10,000 Days on May 2nd through Volcano. (Billboard.com)

• Linkin Park reveals some details about its next album on its website. The band will work with Rick Rubin on the album and has "about 40-50" ideas its working on right now. (Blabbermouth)

• Grandaddy's next V2 album, Just Like the Fambly Cat, will be released on May 9th.

Posted by Glenn at 1:58 PM | Link
|Music|

It's not often the Wall Street Journel covers independent music, so when it does Coolfer takes notice. Yesterday the WSJ had an article titled "London's Calling But U.S. Fans Aren't Picking Up." (No hyperlink, Coolfer subscribes to the paper edition.) Even though the British government has been taking steps to help its artists break in the United States, sales are only a fraction of their potential -- if potential is measured by UK success and incessant hype that comes from the bands' homeland.

The focal point of the Ethan Smith's article is the Arctic Monkeys, whose debut album sold 10% in the States what it sold in its first week of release at home. (To further put that into perspective, the U.S. has a population nearly five times that of the U.K.)

Why the difficulty winning over us Yanks? Smith has some thoughts.

"Arctic Monkeys faces a problem that has dogged a string of promosing rock bands in recent years--especially those from England. One after another, British acts awash in homeland success like Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and the Darkness have hit American shores riding a global wave of hype, thanks largely to the Internet. But in most cases, the rabid critical enthusiasm in the States is followed by indifference from radio programmers, modest sales and a slow fade from view--in time to make way for the next Next Big Thing from across the pond."

The modest success to date of the Arctic Monkeys in America says two things to Coolfer. One, labels need to strike while the iron is hot. Buzz, especially when gained through the Internet, is often fleeting. The longer the wait for an official release, the lower sales will be. (Conversely, rushing an album's release presents its own set of problems, so the trick is to find and/or manipulate that sweet spot where public excitement overlaps with label readiness.) Smith points to this problem and says some fans may have downloaded the tracks while waiting for the domestic release. Coolfer believes it's more an issue of withering attention spans -- the band's songs were downloaded in the UK before the album was released, so the downloading argument doesn't hold water.

Continue reading "Getting Arctic Monkeyed To Death" »

Posted by Glenn at 5:33 PM | Link
|Indies||Music||Music Industry|

As an ammendment to Coolfer's mention yesterday of the argument between KRS-One and journalist Adisa Banjoko, let me point you to a post at ProHipHop that links to more audio clips of the heated roundtable discussion. It wasn't just an argument between KRS-One and Banjoko, it was a heated exchange between KRS-One and seemingly everyone in the room over hip hop's culture, history, future and leadership. His comments show he doesn't respect hip hop leaders and thinkers who don't come from the street, and he goes to great lengths to talk about his resume and talk down at those in the room who weren't "there from day one."

• Clip 1 ("If 50 Cent and G-Unit was here, and they said "I am hip hop," half of y'all wouldn't have a fucking thing to say to them because they'd put a gun to your back. Now you got somebody like KRS, who's been philosophizing about hip hop from day one -- I get this kind of disrespect?)
• Clip 2 ("You can't go to college and then say you're hip hop. That don't fly. ... You better be a b-boy, an emcee, a graffiti writer, a DJ or a beatboxer and you can call yourself hip hop. Other than that you're writing about hip hop. You ain't hip hop. You better master these elements before you start critiquing them. How you going to critique something you ain't even doing?")
• Clip 3 ("I am not an artist or a theorist. I am the living embodiment of what you're discussing. To put yourself on the level of someone who has perfected the culture is inaccurate and illogical and it's counterproductive to the movement. Now when I leave here I gotta go lead real people with real families, real economic issues, people going to jail.")

Also, read ProHipHop's previous post on the matter.

Posted by Glenn at 12:37 PM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer readers may have noticed a lack of Pete Doherty updates. It has been a while since Coolfer has mentioned anything about Doherty's drug abuse, jail stints or famous ex-girlfriend. There was one mention, a few weeks back, that Paris Hilton considers Doherty to be her greatest influence. (That was a rare Paris Hilton post.) Doherty's media coverage in this country is completely out of proportion with his success here (not much) and his influence on American music (next to none). Anglophile, NME-reading newspaper editors have been fooled into thinking Doherty has earned our attention.

Without purposely doing so, Coolfer has formed what could be called a Doherty Rule, which probably came to being as a result of a backlash against the constant media coverage given to America's version of Doherty, Courtney Love.

The Doherty Rule states that no artist should get more press mentions than he has written songs. The NY Times is especially smitten by Doherty.

The Doherty Rule states that the American media should not bother covering a troubled British rock star who is an unknown in America. For comparitive purposes, just know Paris Hilton should easily eclipse Doherty's American sales total.

Above all, the Doherty Rule states that an artist's' music is more important than his or her arrest record. Thanks, Courtney, for making that painfully obvious.

Coolfer will not post about Pete Doherty until he does something meaningful, cracks the Billboard Top 200 or dies, whichever comes first.

Posted by Glenn at 8:57 AM | Link
|Music|

The London Tube Map was recently reworked by The Guardian wtih names of legendary musical artists and bands in the place of each station.

It acts as a family tree to chart music history and also shows how different genres merge to create a band or style of music. In one spot, a line branches off from The Byrds and continues to REM, Husker Du and the final stop, Nirvana. Another line starts with Ray Charles and runs through a series of greats -- Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin -- before crossing two pop/rock lines at a Basement Jaxx stop. The Specials are at the intersection of reggae, pop and rock lines.

(Thanks to FoC Brady for the link.)

Posted by Glenn at 10:47 PM | Link
|Music|

Toronto's indie music collectives are the focus of a NY Times Magazine article by Alissa Quart titled, "Guided by (Many, Many) Voices." For followers of Broken Social Scene, the article's focal point, the lengthy piece is a must-read. But there are other aspects of the piece that will be of interest to those in the music industry, and even to those who appreciate a communal, anti-corporate approach to business. Labels such as Constellation and Arts & Crafts are shown as ideal-minded businesses that reject the trappings and ethics of major labels. Says Arts & Crafts' Jeffrey Remedios, who had worked at a major prior to founding the label, "I named it Arts & Crafts as I was trying to show that we mixed art and commerce, and that commerce was going to hold up its end of the promise. I had witnessed the machine. I wanted to rebel well." Author Michael Barclay calls it a distinctively Canadian approach. "It's textbook Canadian identity politics — the expression of individual will through community."

Though much of the article is about the economics of communal music-making, what's missing from the article was any mention of the government support Canadian artists and labels receive. How has Broken Social Scene's "art-nerd vows" for its communal model been subsidized and made possible by the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Record (FACTOR)? Money for touring, videos, marketing and recording are often provided by FACTOR. Quart missed the opportunity to ask how -- if at all -- grant money helps shape the socialist business model and attitudes that were the focal point of the article. Coolfer's best, completely non-judgemental guess: It's easier to be anti-corporate when you're on the dole. (For example, many of the bands in the article -- such as Feist, Broken Social Scene, Metric and Stars -- received international tour grants in September of 2005.) Perhaps American politicians would feel differently about how they support music if they saw the success of Toronto's vibrant, creative music scene?

(Image of Broken Social Scene by Simon Law, via Flickr)

Posted by Glenn at 9:18 PM | Link
|Indies||Music|

A few weeks ago Coolfer ran across an animated clip set to the music of Fall Out Boy's "Sugar We're Going Down"...and then I ran across two more that set the unintelligable lyrics to stick-figure animation. Looks like the emo generation is just as confused about its latest anthem as a previous generation was about the lyrics in "Louie Louie," and it's fun to see them guess.

Here are three videos for the song. I like the top one the best.

Posted by Glenn at 2:02 PM | Link
|Music|

Test Icicles, a bratty trio from London that come to the public through Domino Recordings, will break up after five upcoming UK shows. Their debut full-length, For Screening Purposes Only, was just released domestically on January 24th.

A statement in the Pitchfork article doesn't explicitly say the band is over. Rather it gives a non-committal statement of indefinite hiatus that recalls how Pavement called it quits. "There are currently no plans to make another album or tour beyond this," it concludes. (Given the band's obtuse sense of humor, Coolfer wouldn't be surprised if this is all a prank.)

Some of the headlines of news reports read like the band wrote them: "Test Icicles Goes Balls Up" (CMJ), "Nuts! Test Icicles Disband" (Spin), "Test Icicles Have Meltdown" (MP3.com).

Let's eulogize the band by watching videos for the songs "Catch It," "Dancing on Pegs," and "Circle Square Triangle." And/or stream the new album at Rhapsody.

Posted by Glenn at 8:22 PM | Link
|Indies||Music|

Music gossip hound Roger Friedman reports that the former manager for The Killers is suing the band for a nice chunk of change -- $16 million -- for breach of contract. Braden Merrick, who was a rep for Warner Bros (which passed on the band) claimed he found the band playing in a Las Vegas club, polished them, signed the band to a deal and got them signed to Island/Def Jam.

Friedman thinks Merrick stands a good chance in court.

"Back in October 2004, Flowers—-the group’s leader—-told pollstar.org, an industry website—'Braden was a rep for Warner Bros. and he was just looking for bands. Las Vegas was in his territory, so he was checking out LVlocalmusicscene.com,' Flowers said. 'He wanted to sign us to Warner Bros. initially. He got us some showcases, and they didn't want us. He stayed with us and ended up being our manager until we got a record deal, and he's still here.'"

Posted by Glenn at 8:47 AM | Link
|Music|

Paris Hilton says Pete Doherty is her greatest influence. Be warned, the press leading up to her upcoming album is going to be frequent and ferocious. But as with many things in pop music, America will criticise, chatise and bemoan while being completely unable to look away. We're a bunch of rubberneckers, which explains why highbrow music snobs watch "American Idol." Pop criticism, ostensibly. That same love for pop criticism will keep Paris Hilton's music in headlines. Bloggers will eat it up, from the gossip blogs to the pop culture blogs to the music blogs.

And with that out of the way, here's some more info on the album (which doesn't have a public release date yet but May and June have been mentioned in the press). In The Observer Blog at The Guardian, Caspar Llewellyn Smith insists "there really are a couple of decent tunes" on the album, which is always possible when one "has been able to hire some of the biggest guns in the business." Sounds like Paris could replace Kelly Clarkson as the hipster's guilty pleasure of choice.

Those big guns include super-producer Scott Storch (pictured above, who said "the stuff is surprising" and "totally amazing"), ex-Go Go Jane Wiedlin (who said Paris "takes direction well and has no attitude whatsoever") and Le Tigre.

Posted by Glenn at 1:01 PM | Link
|Music|

For a band with a lead singer that makes women swoon, maybe it's just coincidence that everything's coming into allignment on Valentine's Day. Elefant's The Black Magic Show (via Kemado/Hollywood) was released at iTunes today (well ahead of the CD's release date of April 18th...let's see if it gets the ball rolling), Pitchfork gave it a 3.7 (out of ten) today and this evening the four-piece band starts a tour with BRMC. That Pitchfork review sure dissed the album (and made a good argument) though the albums' target audience -- the kind of mainstream listeners Hollywood sold a million or so Fastball albums to -- has probably never heard of Pitchfork. Coolfer is intersted in seeing how Kemado's stab at bigger success works out. It's always a crapshoot, even with a ladies' man in the band.

And, as Coolfer has pointed out before, Kemado/Hollywood are giving away MP3s of album tracks ahead of the release date. Here's "Lolita" (MP3). The Black Magic Show website -- yes, an entire website for an album -- has a media player with audio and video streams.

Posted by Glenn at 8:59 PM | Link
|Music|

Two signs that The Fugees' return is imminent: A free performance in Los Angeles and posters on 6th Avenue in Manhattan (pictured). The advertising is for Verizon's new VCast mobile music store, which is streaming clips of the concert as well as past Fugees concerts. The first single, "Take It Easy" (iTunes link) is already available at online stores, but subsequent singles will be available only at VCast.

A Fugees concert in LA -- at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine -- kicked of Grammy week. From all reports it was a great show, though, as Rolling Stone noted, they were a bit rusty. MTV.com on which Lauren Hill showed up: "The Hill onstage last night was definitely L. Boogie: The Lauryn who, years ago, was not only one of music's most captivating singers but also one its most dynamic lyricists, standing right behind the likes of Jay-Z and Nas as one of the best MCs of the then-new millennium."

The group has reportedly been working on an album for months and at one point it had a 12/27/05 tentative release date.

Posted by Glenn at 8:39 AM | Link
|Music|

A music article in the most unlikely of places is always a pleasant surprise, so reading "That's Good Enough for Me: Cookie Monsters of death-metal music" in the Wall Street Journal (of all places) was like a vacation from normal music writing. If published by a metal magazine, the article wouldn't have had the same journalistic curiosity.

Jim Fusilli wrote about Cookie Monster singing in death metal music, the style of growling that characterizes a particularly morbid and punishing music. The nonprofit behind Sesame Street claims not to know of the term, and original Cookie Monster voice Frank Oz said he's never heard of it. Fusilli captured the essense of the vocal style in this paragraph:

"The term is considered derogatory by some metal fans, but it's an apt description. Issued like machine-gun fire, death-metal vocals are low, guttural and aggressive, with no subtlety, no melody and very little modulation. But unlike the garbled sound emanating from the lovable and occasionally frenetic Cookie Monster, death-metal vocals seem to come from a dark spot in a troubled soul, as if they were the narrator's voice on a tour of Dante's seventh circle of hell."

Monte Conner of Roadrunner Records had good advice on how to attain the Cookie Monster style. "It's got to be really, really guttural. It should sound like they're gargling glass." But Angela Gussow of Arch Enemy (pictured) insists the sound originates in the abdomen. "If you use the right abdomen muscles, you get a lot of power."

A few years ago Will York wrote a piece about Cookie Monster vocals for the SF Bay Guardian. He explains the genres that use the style of singing (only death metal and grindcore) and that the type of growl is a good indication of the subgenre. As for why so many bands use the style he wrote, "For most, it's a mixture of several factors: habit, time-honored tradition, unoriginality, and necessity, in varying degrees."

Posted by Glenn at 9:22 AM | Link
|Music||Music Criticism/Writing|

A popular term among bloggers is jump the shark, which refers to an overreaching attempt for popularity. Coolfer rarely -- if ever -- uses the term, but it's the thing that comes to mind when reading about and hearing tracks from the new album by Brazilian music great Sergio Mendes.

With his new album, Timeless, has Sergio jumped the shark? Only time and consumers will tell, because anything short of incredible success will mark this project as a failure. Sales and a connection with younger generations is obviously the point here. The casting of the album's guests is from a page out of Carlos Santana's "How To Get Back In the Top 10" playbook: guests include Justin Timberlake, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, John Legend, Will.I.Am (who was the album's producer) and Q-Tip.

Will it succeed? One reason it could very well succeed is its label, Concord Records/Starbucks Hear Music, the same label that put Ray Charles back atop the charts, Timeless is going to greatly benefit from sales in Starbucks stores just as Charles did. (Read this MSN Money article about Starbucks and Charles' Genius Loves Company.)

And because he's serious about courting youth, Sergio has a MySpace page and a February 8th listening party at APT, one of Manhattan's more hip music clubs.

Posted by Glenn at 9:06 AM | Link
|Music|

• Rhapsody subscribers, here's a playlist with 36 tracks from 18 of last Tuesday's new releases (including His Name is Alive, Il Divo, UB40, Tha Alkaholics, Audio Bullys, Cat Power, Fivespeed, Saint Etienne, Rosanne Cash, P.O.D., Yellowcard, Film School and Robert Pollard).

• The Rambler Blog has a long (long, long) list of music-related deaths in 2005. Well known names are on the list (Lou Rawls, Link Wray, Robert Moog) but more relatively known ones such composer Robert Wright, Chet Helms (Janis Joplin' promoter), and Afgani pop star Nasrat Parsa.

• The NY Times' Deborah Sontag writes about Korean pop star Rain, who has two upcoming shows at Madison Square Garden. Rain says he would like to see an Asian pop star make it in America, so he's practicing his English, studying the culture and preparing an English-language album.

• MP3.com has an interview with David Pakman, CEO of online music store eMusic. It's a good, revealing discussion of eMusic's place in the online market. Pakman is very optimistic on the company's future. "We want to be at millions of subscribers and we want to sell more independent music in the world than anyone else," he said. "And I think we're very close to that." Later, he commented on eMusic's lack of DRM. "We'll continue to be no-DRM, not for philosophical reasons but only for practical, compatibility reasons. And if that whole practical, compatibility thing got sorted out, if you could sell DRM-protected music that was interoperable everywhere and that wasn't sort of penalizing customers for buying music digitally, we would do that."

Posted by Glenn at 3:03 PM | Link
|Music||Online Stores/Services|

Soul legend Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack yesterday. There have been a lot of obituaries and articles to commemorate the singer. Geoff Boucher's obit for the LA Times is a good overview of the man, musically and otherwise. So is Jeff Leeds' piece for the NY Times.

People are commemorating Pickett by buying his music. At Amazon.com Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits shot to #39 from #2,266 in one day. The soundtrack to "The Commitments," which helped introduce Pickett's music to a new generation, climbed to #651 from #2,245.

More information can be found at AllMusic's biography and discography, and at his Wikipedia entry.

Posted by Glenn at 8:59 AM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer noticed something about the top selling albums at Amazon.com the other day. Many titles have a relation to the big or small screeen. Looks like older music buyers tend to attain familiarity with music through television and movies. Here are the titles from a recent Amazon.com top 25 that have a connection to television or the big screen.

1. Brokeback Mountain: Soundtrack
3. Il Divo: Ancora. The band is signed to Simon Cowell's Syco, and it appeared on "Oprah" before the release of its self-titled debut last year. TV appearancs, not radio, has been the instrument for its success.
6. Johnny Cash: At Folsom Prison. Johnny Cash titles are enjoying a good run because of the movie I Walk The Line.
8. Walk the Line: Soundtrack
11. Memoirs of a Geisha: Soundtrack
14. Kelly Clarkson: Breakaway. Made famous by the television show "American Idol"
16. Carry Underwood: Some Hearts. Another "American Idol" connection
17. Johnny Cash: The Essential Johnny Cash. The movie connection.
18. Celtic Women: Celtic Women. The group's popularity comes in a big part from exposure at PBS.
20. Michael Buble: It's Time (Reprise) PBS has showed his "Caught In The Act."
23. Wicked: Broadway Cast Recording (Decca) Since this is a Broadway musical and not a movie it almost doesn't belong on the list. Since people watch it while seated I'll include it.
24. Jamie Foxx: Unpredicable. He's been on both the big screen and the small screen.

When Starbucks got into music retail a big reason was because its older customers don't always have good resources to discover new music (something about jobs, families, busy lives, etc). This list doesn't confirm that people will buy whatever you put in front of them, but it does show that some older consumers become familiar with new music through other forms of entertainment -- television and radio. The huge audiences for these mediums obviously have an impact that more fragmented print and Internet sources radio can't match.

Posted by Glenn at 4:29 PM | Link
|Music|

• Saint Etienne's Tales From Turnpike House finally gets a Stateside release (with bonus tracks) on January 24th, via Savoy Jazz. Click here for an e-card with audio streams and tour dates.

• AOL Music has a free download of Nightmare Of You's "Why Am I Always Right?" (MP3). You'll have to enter your birthday and zip code, but it's pretty painless.

• The Isley Brothers page at the Def Jam website has an audio stream (in WMA or RA) of the new song "I Just Came Here To Chill" (in the "latest audio/video" section at the bottom left). The duo's upcoming album, Baby Makin' Music, will be out on March 7th.

Posted by Glenn at 9:19 AM | Link
|Downloads||Music|

As a follow-up to last week's post on the blog buzz on two new bands, Coolfer is checking in on We Are Scientists and Morningwood. With the trend tool at search engine Ice Rocket it's easy to see how many mentions bands are getting in the blogosphere (unless the band has a name that's impossible to search).

Leaving Nickelback out this time, let's look at the two bands again. Morningwood's buzz is at the same level it was a week ago on street date, but We Are Scientists started to spike a few days ago. Why the increase? Looks like some people wrote about recent live shows. We Are Scientists have had 1,463 posts in the last month, an average of 47.19 per day. Morningwood is right around the level of last week's album release day. It has 522 posts in the last month, or 16.84 per day.

(Another reason We Are Scientists have so many more posts even though the bands' albums came out on the same day: The band's UK head start definitely helps. Coolfer has spotted some UK blog posts in the search results.)

Morningwood is as polarizing a band as Coolfer has seen in a while. The conversation at industry message board The Velvet Rope is representative of the banter. Lots of love, lots of hate. But I suppose that's good. When was the last successful band that didn't have its share of haters? For insight into what's behind public opinion on the band, check out this interview with Morningwood singer Chantel Claret at Decent Content.

Posted by Glenn at 8:36 AM | Link
|Music||Weblogs|

It's been said before, but RollingStone.com has an article that quotes Axl Rose himself on the likelihood that the super-delayed album Chinese Democracy will see the light of day in 2006. While at an early morning party in Hollywood's Forever Cemetary, Rose told Steve Baltin that "people will hear music this year." He added:

"I'm trying to do something different. Some of the arrangements are kind of like Queen. Some people are going to say, 'It doesn't sound like Axl Rose, it doesn't sound like Guns n' Roses.' But you'll like at least a few songs on there."

Never short of ambition, Rose said he's working on 32 tracks and 26 are already done.

Chinese Democracy is often called the most anticipated album in rock history, but an album can't be called that every single year. The delays, secrecy and costs involved with the album are the stuff of legend. The NY Times' Jeff Leeds wrote an article on the long lost album titled The Most Expensive Album Never Made. In the March 2005 article he claimed production costs had totalled $13 million, and he argued that the more the industry rely on "proven stars like Rose, the less it can control them."

Posted by Glenn at 8:16 AM | Link
|Music|

From all that Coolfer has read about tonight's premiere of the show "Love Monkey" on CBS, it sounds like the show's creators are attempting to put all kinds of lighthearted touches on an unforgiving side of the music business. The show revolves around record label guy Tom Farrel (pictured in requisite CBGB shirt from Urban Outfitters), the world of A&R and Farrel's label, True Vinyl Records (yes, there is a website made to look like that of an actual record label). Coolfer wonders if people in the industry will tune in. Would people who work in a hot dog factory and know the ugly truth about how hot dogs are made tune in to watch a fictional, lighthearted comedy set in a hot dog factory? (Full disclosure: Coolfer is running an advertisement for the show via BlogAds.)

The Boston Herald's Matthew Gilbert saw the similarities between "Love Monkey" and Nick Hornsby's "High Fidelity," and his favorable review of how the show uses music "not just as decoration but also as one of its characters' means of expression." The review by New York Magazine's Adam Sternbergh claimed it was "obvious" and "squirms and bawls like the bastard love child of Candace Bushnell and Nick Hornby." Ouch. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle recaps the show with a focus on the singer-songwriter character played by musician Teddy Geiger.

The Times' Alessandra Stanley reviewed the show from a non-musical perspective, and she wasn't very complimentary. She ripped the main character, his friends, the show's premise and the idea that a woman would actually enjoy the music of Bob Dylan.

KCRW's Nic Harcourt is the show's music supervisor. The LA Times wrote about his involvement with "Love Monkey." He suggests music for the show and finds new bands -- such as Aimee Mann, She Wants Revenge, Robbers on High Street and unsigned singer-songwriter Eugene -- to perform on the show.

Watch a trailer here (large .mov file).

Posted by Glenn at 8:22 AM | Link
|Music||Television|

• Metal is gaining in popularity, finding new fans and converting the unbelievers. (OK, that was a bit too heavy on the metal lingo, wasn't it?) Now that metal is finding its way into hip stores and trendy indie labels, listeners need to investigate some predecessors and roots. Stylus' metal primer lands just in time for people to rediscover classics like Slayer's Reign in Blood and Immortal's Pure Holocaust. (Stylus)

• Sticking with metal, this piece at Metal Maniacs is incredible. Hip hop beefs have nothing on what Moritician's Will Rahmer had to say to the folks at Blabbermouth. Go to the story, I won't bother reprinting any portions here. Let's just say it covers evading the police, a Polish prison and a few threats of violence. (Metal Maniacs)

• David Mays and Ray Scott were able to escape keep The Source's new board of directors from ousting the duo. (NY Post, via Hip Hop Music)

• At this very moment, Amazon.com's top selling CD is Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall (Live) and iTunes' top album is The Strokes' First Impressions of Earth. The Monk/Coltrane album isn't even in iTunes' top 100, while The Strokes' album is #14 at Amazon.com. Is there a greater point? Probably not, but I would have expected both albums to appear on both charts.

Posted by Glenn at 4:57 PM | Link
|Music|

Right around street date, Coolfer noticed a bit of online buzz surrounding the debut albums by Morningwood and We Are Scientists. There aren't many new releases coming out this time of year, so I figured I'd use the trend function at search engine Ice Rocket to see how often the bands were popping up in the blogosphere.

At first I was fairly impressed. Here were two relatively unknown bands getting some blog mentions only days after their albums hit stores. Morningwood has had 362 mentions over the last month -- 11.68 posts per day . We Are Scientists has fared even better with 1,190 and 38.39. Adjust for the slow-blogging holiday season and the numbers indicate a potential for one of both to become what is often called a "blogger favorite." They're off to a decent start in terms of underground buzz.

Then I added Nickelback into the search. Though not a band that would ever grab the title of "blogger favorite," Nickelback has been mentioned 12,689 times in the last month. (This says nothing of the total readership or character of each band mention, of course.)

Posted by Glenn at 8:52 AM | Link
|Music||Weblogs|

For the last post of the year Coolfer would like to talk about the odds and ends. A few albums (Rogue Wave, Cut Copy) and worth a mention, as is the year's most underheard album (Ringside).

First, some albums that were not on my top nine of 2005 but deserve a mention. One is the last great album I heard this year, Rogue Wave's Descended Like Vultures. Also worth a mention is Cut Copy's Bright Like Neon Love. And though I don't include compilations with my lists of favorite albums I need to mention Golden Afrique Volume 1, a tremendous collection of West African pop that's well worth the high price tag.

Biggest Disappointment: Big Star's In Space. Sometimes people are disappointed by an album because it didn't live up to the pre-release hype. It's a different story when a band doesn't live up to the proven potential of its members. In Space is a sloppy bunch of half-thoughts and shouldn't-haves.

This Album Could Have/Should Have Been Huge: Ringside. The album with the most popular appeal that went nowhere in 2005 was Ringside's debut on Flawless/Geffen. The duo's credentials are enough to sink its prospects. Singer Scott Thomas is a well known clothing designer and programmer Balthazar Getty (of that Getty family) is an actor. But get past the names and zip codes and you'll be surprised. Thomas' tortured, troubled persona and Getty's beats make Ringside far more than a Los Angeles vanity project, and the entire album is as dark and ingenious as any other pop album of the year. All Coolfer heard of this band was the use of their song "Struggle" in a Pontiac commercial. What a shame.

Favorite music blogs: Danceblogga, Tuning Fork, Chromewaves.

Favorite music news blog: Digital Music News.

Favorite music writer: Jeff Leeds of the New York Times. Music critics are a penny a dozen. Good music writers, who understand the business and dare to investigate a story, are a rare breed. Without Leeds a lot of important stories would be exactly what they tend to be when Leeds doesn't break the story: Press releases with bylines.

Posted by Glenn at 9:19 PM | Link
|Music||Music Criticism/Writing||Music Industry|

How did Bell Orchestra sell out New York's Tonic recently? Blogs, of course. FoC Alec Hanley Bemis wrote a piece for the LA Weekly on "a clear shift from the era of airwaves to the era of iPods."

"The digital landscape has been laid; the critical apparatus necessary to govern its borders is settling into place. It’s a hierarchy of Web zines, MP3 blogs, podcasts, and message boards with peculiar names like Music for Robots, Coolfer, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and Tracks Up the Tree. An artist can make or break a career via a thousand different sites that are insignificant on their own, but together quite powerful."

Alec continues to mark the beginning of the end of the music superstar by telling us larger-than-life acts are goners (Editor's note: Green Day has sold over four million copies of American Idiot in the U.S. alone, and labels' next stranglehold on pop culture will be through monied deals in product endorsement), pointing to the closure of rock stations (that were never going to play either the Arcade Fire nor its side project in the first place), and all but naming iTunes as Edgar Bronfman's much needed Northern Star (which is the only of the three I'd buy).

On the upside, he's dead on with his argument that the decentralization of music promotion means a thousand blogs can do the job of a payrolled publicist -- but at no cost and at a speed that's like a Santa Ana-fueled fire tearing through Southern California. The Arcade Fire played an impromptu 2am gig at Union Square the night before the Tonic Show. Just for fun. A blogger happened across the unlikely busking, and come morning a blog post was being hyperlinked and emailed across the Internet. Out came the Bell Orchestra connections, and by set time the show was Lower Manhattan's hot ticket of the evening.

Related:

Isn't it ironic that Alec's article on blog power will be read in a city that has a surprisingly low per-capita rate of music blogs? For whatever reason, Los Angeles is behind the curve. I can't explain it, and locals I've asked can't explain it.

Posted by Glenn at 9:18 AM | Link | Comment (8)
|Music||Weblogs|

Posted at the 311 website is this recap of an altercation between members of the band and former Creed singer Scott Stapp:

"On November 24th (Thanksgiving), 311 had the day off in Baltimore, Maryland. Chad Sexton, SA Martinez & P-Nut were relaxing in a hotel lounge with their wives and friends watching a basketball game on television. Scott Stapp entered the bar. He appeared intoxicated. He drank a shot at the bar and then threw his shot glass, smashing it on the bar. He was acting belligerent and got into an argument with patrons sitting at the bar. He then sat down next to SA and his wife. He made a disrespectful and crude remark to SA's wife. Chad and SA asked him to step away. He then sucker-punched Chad. Scott was looking for a fight - and that's what he got. A fight ensued. Soon the police arrived and everyone was restrained and questioned; and Scott was ultimately asked to leave the hotel."

Posted by Glenn at 8:47 AM | Link
|Music|

For the second time this year, System of a Down debuts at the top of the album chart. Hypnotize sold more than 320,000 copies in its first week. That was short of the 453,000 units Mesmerize sold in its first week in stores in May of this year. How good is that for fans? Rather than get a "special edition" a few months after the original came out, System fans get an entirely new album -- and American/Columbia gets another hit record. This is also a notable number one because so few mainstream artists these days infuse politics into their music. One exception could be made for Green Day, but the title of the band's new live CD/DVD, Bullet In A Bible, is misleading. The title may be seen as a reference to conservative Christianity and politics, but as seen in the DVD it comes specifically from the band's trip to a war museum at which a guide says the museum has a bible with a bullet lodged in it -- "a bullet in a bible."

The second and third albums, Kenny Chesney's The Road and the Radio and Now 20, increased 58% and 70% from the previous week, respectively. That's Black Friday at work. Last week's top album, Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor, dropped to fourth.

Here's a number that shouldn't be surprising: Enya's Amarantine debuted at number seven with 178,000 in sales. Not only is this a perfect album for the Christmas season but it's sure to be a strong seller for many months. There just isn't too much competition in the superstar new age/Celtic solo female market. Amarantine is Borders' top album, is fourth at Virgin and third at Tower .

Other debuts of note: Juelz Santana's What the Game's Been Missing sold 141,000, Chamillionaire's The Sound of Revenge sold 130,000, Reba McEntire's Reba: #1s came in at number 12 and Scott Stapp's self-titled debut entered at number 19.

One thing that isn't yet being reported is the sales of Wal-Mart's Garth Brooks box set. Coolfer would love to know how that's doing.

Posted by Glenn at 8:46 AM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer was stricken by the similarities between the new Wendy's "Rock Your Burger" commercial and the video for LCD Soundsystem's "Daft Punk is Playing at My House." It looks like the Wendy's commercial borrowed the idea of stop animation from "Daft Punk." Both immitate a LED peakmeter. One uses people in different colored skin suits, the other uses burgers.

The song in the Wendy's commercial is "Satisfaction" by Benny Benassi. The video (watch Quicktime) is a classic.

Posted by Glenn at 9:29 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

What are the motives for covering a song? Coolfer liked the theory of the Village Voice's Nick Catucci: To honor the original, to recontextualize it or because the original isn't good enough.

So why did The White Stripes cover Tegan and Sara's "Walking With A Ghost"? Catucci guesses the cover comes from a desire to "lay claim to the song, as if, played primitively, it proves Tegan and Sara were somehow honoring Jack White." Seeing as how Tegan and Sara is among the most unmentionable rock bands of the decade, Coolfer could be sold on the idea that they chose to cover the song because it isn't very good in the first place.

There are a few other obvious reasons to cover songs. One is for money, as some cities' music scene can't support much else than cover bands. Another is for cred, which would explain all the Velvet Underground and Joy Division covers.

Pretty much unrelated:

• The Covers Project is building a database of cover songs to create cover chains ("a set of songs in which each recording is a cover of a recording by the artist who covered the preceding song").
• Wikipedia has an entry on cover songs as well as a guess on the origin of the term.
• The entry at Reference.com has a few ideas about the origin of the term, plus a lot of history.
• Metallica World has a list of the songs Metallica has covered...and there's a lot of them.

Posted by Glenn at 8:27 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Musician Chris Whitley passed away Sunday night. Yesterday there were some reports that he was fighting terminal lung cancer but those came after he had already died. At the message board on his website, Whitley's daughter Trixie and brother Daniel posted messages about his passing. From his daughter:

My father took his last breath last night the 20th of November. I would like to make it clear that the people he needed and loved the most were with him while and when he left in peace.

And from his brother:

"I hope you all will morn my brothers death but more important celebrate his life as Chris was all about life and living... I started the celebration by cranking up Dirt Floor in his honor...crying still. Chris Whitley's legacy will no doubt transcend all time."

Extras:

• Read Whitley's biography at AllMusic.com
• His website currently has three free downloads: "Fire Road" (MP3), "Soft Dangerous Shores" (OGG) and "As Day Is Long" (MP3).
• Whitley's last record, Soft Dangerous Shores, was released on Messenger Records.

Posted by Glenn at 8:46 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Album art often an afterthough these days, just a few pixels of color coding for one's iPod, so Coolfer was pleasantly suprised by the album art to The Darkness' One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back. The dimensions imply a gatefold LP -- or maybe, and less spectacularly, both sides of an open CD sleeve. The album will be released November 29th. The single, "One Way Ticket," is available now.

Related: The Darkness singer Justin Hawkins paid £350 on eBay for an advance copy of this very album. He said he did it to prevent it from being leaked before its release. Bands win either way, don't they? If the album is leaked articles are written about it. If albums are bought on eBay to prevent a leak articles are written about it.

(Image via Soundbites)

Posted by Glenn at 4:05 PM | Link
|Music|

FoC Information Leafblower had a concise and brilliant observation yesterday. "Is Terrell Owens the Pete Doherty of the NFL or is Pete Doherty the Terrell Owens of the music industry? Either way, both get way more press than they deserve."

And with that I offer a link to the latest -- in a very, very, longwinded series -- Guardian article on Pete Doherty. Strike that -- this is a full fledged interview. The article's title is "Wasted." Journalists wouldn't have it any other way, would they? This part in particular caught my eye:

"Even when we are not talking about drugs, the underlying subject seems to be drugs. His only real subject."

Well duh. How many words are written about Pete Doherty's music? His musical ability may still be recognized and admired, but Doherty is close to entering Courtney Love territory, that dangerous low point in one's career in which the media enables and gleefully covers your slide into the abyss.

After the jump, a screen shot that tracks The Guardian's Pete Doherty Death Watch over the last two years.

Continue reading "The Pete Doherty Death Watch Continues" »

Posted by Glenn at 12:11 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music||Music Criticism/Writing|

The 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will be announced by next month, and in anticipation the Cleveland Plain Dealer has conducted its sixth annual reader poll. By a landslide Lynryd Skynyrd was voted as the most deserving band (it has been nominated seven times but has yet to be inducted).

Others atop the reders' picks were Black Sabbath, John Mellencamp, Cat Stevens, Miles Davis and the Sex Pistols.

The list of 2006 nominations include Stevens, Black Sabbath, Mellencamp, Davis, Sex Pistols, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the Patti Smith Group, Joe Tex, J. Geils Band, the Paul Butterfield Band, Dave Clark Five and the Sir Douglas Quintet.

Many bands are waiting for their first nomination, like Van Halen, Def Leppard, Yes, Genesis, Deep Purple, Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Rush, ELO and Alice Cooper.

The Rock Hall website has information on the induction process.

"Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artist’s contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.

The Foundation’s nominating committee, composed of rock and roll historians, selects nominees each year in the Performer category. Ballots are then sent to an international voting body of about 1,000 rock experts. Those performers who receive the highest number of votes, and more than 50 percent of the vote, are inducted. The Foundation generally inducts five to seven performers each year."

Non-performers (DJs, producers), early influencers and side men can also receive nominations.

Posted by Glenn at 9:21 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

If it's going to end up on P2P networks in another eight days, and everybody knows it and expects it, why not leak the new Madonna album and get an article headline while you're at it? Fox's Roger Friedman reported yesterday that Madonna's upcoming Confessions on a Dancefloor, supposedly a high security album, had somehow been leaked to P2P. ("Copies aren't even available at the record company's offices yet," he wrote.) Gee...I wonder how that happened.

No, I'm not buying the theory that bands, managers and labels don't leak albums themselves. Heck, MTV's online album preview section is called The Leak. Leaking is everywhere. The whole event not only gets Madonna's music heard by millions but gets her more media ink. Not that Madge ever had a problem getting column inches, but every little helps.

Also of note from the article is a potential licensing battle. The song "Sorry" has a sample from The Jackson's "Can You Feel It." According to Friedman, a rep for co-writer Jackie Jackson said "no one's asked for a sample license so far."

Posted by Glenn at 9:00 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Music, argues Forbes writer Ann Rafalko in "Tastemakers: Musicians," is stronger than ever even though earnings forecasts have been disrupted by the millions of songs that are available for little to no money. So much music is available, but, she asks, "what makes an album a 'must buy'?"

Tastemakers. They're the ones fans follow. They have clout. When they talk, people listen. Forbes picked a group of musicians it calls tastemakers by interviewing industry experts, polling readers and gauging album sales. "n addition to downloading their music off the Net, their fans still purchase their albums--as well as pay to see them perform live and, in the case of venerable stars like Bob Dylan, buy their books and watch films about them."

(In music the term is usually applied not to musicians but to the people who refer others to musicians, the record store owners, the writers and club-goers who follows trends and are early adopters. They are viewed as gatekeepers because of the influence they have on the shopping habits of music fans.)

Among Forbes' list of tastemakers are Missy Elliot (4,471 press mentions), Eminem, Herbie Hancock ($3.4 million in sales on his last album), Jay-Z (10,376 press mentions), Yo Yo Ma (16 Grammy Awards), Wynton Marsalis (first jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize), The Neptunes ($15.5 million in sales on last album), U2 ($405 million in sales on last album) and the White Striples (3,299 press mentions).

Posted by Glenn at 4:07 PM | Link
|Music|

Pitchfork's Adam Moerder reviewed Harvery Danger's Little By Little and nowhere in the four paragraphs and 440 words was there a mention that the album is given away free at the band's website. (To be fair, I should note the first two paragraphs gave the band's background.)

He closes by saying, "Little by Little (save two or three tracks) reads like a carbon dating test, displaying the band's decaying sound gradually assimilating with its exhausted surroundings."

Coolfer gave it a listen and thought it was a pretty good album, but anyway, the moral of the story is this: Giving away music -- especially an entire album -- gets a little buzz, gets the attention of Boing Boing and may get a few blog links here and there, but it's still not the cornerstone of a good business plan. It helps people cherry pick those two or three good tracks, though, and it elicits a lot of "Free stuff! Free stuff!" cheers all across the Internet.

(Photo by Ryan Schierling)

Posted by Glenn at 3:20 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music||P2P|

Almost 124,000 people from 147 countries voted in DJ Mag's Top 100 Poll of 2005, and the results aren't surprising. Trance DJs dominated. The big news is that Paul Van Dyk (left) overtook Tiesto for the #1 spot on the list. The top ten's new entrant -- which was a re-entry -- was Carl Cox at #9.

Minimal DJs did well (Richie Hawtin jumped to #12 and Ricardo Villalobos was at #47). House DJs held steady and mainstream DJs slipped -- Fatboy Slim is at #63 (he was at #51 last year) and Paul Oakenfold is at #11 (he was at #9 last year).

The Top Ten:

1. Paul Van Dyk
2. Tiesto
3. Armin Van Buuren
4. Sasha
5. Ferry Corsten
6. John Digweed
7. Hernan Catteneo
8. Deep Dish
9. ATB
10. Carl Cox

Click here for a list of 11-100.

Posted by Glenn at 9:00 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

The blogosphere has reacted positively to the news that Merge Records' The Clientele is giving away a coupon for a free album download with each purchase of the vinyl LP. Information Leafblower called it the "best idea ever," and tis from a post at Digital Music News:

"While vinyl remains a niche overall, a recent quarterly sales report by the BPI pointed to an 80 percent increase in 7-inch vinyl (to 800,000 units), and sales in the US of LPs topped 1.2 million last year. Not a cash cow, but not as dead as some think."

(Note: Digital Music News looks to be going of the RIAA's year-ending report for 2004, which lists shipments, not sales.)

Coolfer has repeated this kind of statistic quite a few times over the last two years. Not only is the CD not dead but the LP isn't even close to dying. In fact vinyl sales are surging. Vinyl estimates are probably a bit low since some flies under the radar. (A lot of vinyl is promotional only, which accounts for many more units out there.) The market for white label 12" singles alone is still considerable.

Of course, vinyl is a niche market for more serious music collectors. Niche markets, though, are best served by the Internet. Expect vinyl sales to increase in the next few years as new markets are created and more bands try
out fresh marketing ideas like The Clientele has done. But, I think vinyl will level off and soon drop as more DJs convert to MP3.

Posted by Glenn at 4:38 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

Rapper Cam'ron was shot in a botched carjacking attempt in Washington D.C. A man approached the New Yorker and motioned for him to get out of his Lamborghini. When Cam'ron (Cameron Giles) refused and tried to speed away, the gunman fired several shots. One of the bullets entered and exited both of his arms.

A post at SOHH.com quoted his manager as saying that he's in good condition and that "he even asked the nurse for her phone number when he woke up." AllHipHop.com's article went a little deeper and reminded that Cam'ron was arrested in Harlem in July for driving the expensive sports car with a suspended license.

His album Killa Season is scheduled for a February release.

Posted by Glenn at 8:26 AM | Link
|Music|

The Madonna media stampede is upon us and already the first album review has hit the Internet. In her review "New album is Madge-ic," Victoria Newton of The Sun calls herself "the first journo IN THE WORLD to have heard her new album," calls the upcoming album, Confessions on a Dancefloor, "an absolute belter" and added, "I'm confident the album will be hailed a masterpiece on its November 14 release." (November 15th in the States.) Of course this has all the critical weight of an adverb-laced movie review from Larry King since Ms. Newton writes a low-brow gossip column for a tabloid newspaper (with such recent topics as Adele Silva's breasts and Robbie Williams' "pot shot" at Oasis' Liam Gallagher) but a review is a review. Comments like, "This is Kraftwerk inspired and features computer generated, vocoder style vocals," won't win over any Greil Marcus fans, that's for sure.

"Hung Up," the lead-off track, is streaming at Madonna's website. Check it out and decide for yourself. (There's a music player at the top of the screen. Click through the tracks until you find it.) Coolfer gave it two listens and thinks it's an immediately lovable dance track. The fabulous production by Stuart Price and the sample of Abba's "Gimme Gimme Gimme" makes even a mediocre-quality stream sound good.

The album is available for pre-order at iTunes in both regular and continuous mix versions.

Posted by Glenn at 9:02 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music||Music Criticism/Writing|

Market research company TNS found that the average Brit spends £21,000 ($37,121) on music during his/her lifetime. A music enthusiast (whatever that is) spends just over £44,000 ($77,778) in a lifetime. That all-encompassing figure includes things like pre-recorded music, concerts, nightclubs, musicals and magazines.

More tidbits, from the BBC.com article on the study:

• Average amount spent on CDs, concerts and magazines is £425 ($751) per year.
• Seven out of ten people go to a musical event every year.
• About half of those questioned claimed they spent nothing but the number ended up being about £250 ($442) a year.
• The average person owns £891-worth ($1,575) of music-playing equipment.

Here's some rough math for a typical music enthusiast: One show a week in New York costs, on average, about $14 per week, which is just a rough estimate that balances out the cheap shows with the incredibly expensive ones (drinks not included, and that's the real killer). Subscription to eMusic is $15 a month. A few new albums a month go for about $50, and throw in $15 for used CDs found on eBay and at sidewalk sales. Who reads magazines any longer who doesn't get them free at clubs? Fine...let's throw in a $15 annual subscription to some music rag. Let's add $300 for an iPod and another $100 for accessories.

Already that's $2,103. Ouch. That doesn't include the computer and broadband access that fuels the music addiction (and downloads heaps of music), nor does it include taxi fares for those late night trips home after a show, or the round-trip ticket to SXSW or Coachella.

To quote Spinal Tap, that's too much f**king perspective.

Posted by Glenn at 9:35 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music||Research|

All in all a pretty uneventful week. Well, other than some new Apple products that have everybody thinking new business models and positing about the dismantling of record labels as we know them. The video iPod was greeted with the typical "oohing" and "aahing" that comes with nearly every new product launch (other than the ROKR). So much so, actually, that Slate's Jack Shafer was compelled to write "The Apple Polishers" about the media's crush on Steve Jobs...kind of a tech version of the self reflection in Kelefa Sanneh's "The Rap Against Rockism" article for the NY Times.

There was no Jason Flom announcement. The former head of Atlantic Records, who is called things like "last music guy in the music business" and "the last rock guy left at Warner Music," is expected to breathe new life into his new home.

Sony BMG's Andrew Lack had his fair share of media coverage. First he made the news for telling analysts and investors that variable pricing is a good thing -- though it seems some left out his later comments that left no question that Sony BMG does not believe increasing prices would be wise with digital revenue around 5% of its total. Then more recently Lack made news after the NY Times' Jeff Leeds revealed Bertelsmann isn't happy with the Lackster and wanted to drop him after his contract comes up in six months. Later reports had Lack in Europe lobbying on his own behalf.

Today came a report in German magazine Der Spiegel ("citing no sources") that Betelsmann wants Lack out because of the $114 million contract he gave to Bruce Springsteen (who is, by the way, on Sony's Columbia Records). It was -- and is still -- a controversial move. Many worry The Boss just doesn't have the sales in him to warrant such a contract. In light of Korn's new profit-sharing deal some have wondered if such a deal would be good for a guy like Springstreen who can still bring in crowds for concerts but can't get a blockbuster album.

Earlier in the week Coolfer compared the front pages of four online music stores...good grades for iTunes, not so good grades for Napster.

Also, check Coolfer's review of the week's album chart. Nickelback tore up the competition.

Posted by Glenn at 9:24 PM | Link
|Music|

• A librarian at the Palmer Theological Seminary in Wynnewood, PA, happened across "one of the most important musicological finds in years" while cleaning out an archival closet: a working manuscript of Beethoven's "Grosse Fugue" written in his own hand. It will go on display today only, then Sotheby's in London will auction it on December 1st.

• What's going on in the music blogosphere? Stereogum has a roundup to save the rest of us the time of checking the blogroll. Today's features: Another Sufjan Stevens link, a nod to Music For Robots and a few Mason Proper MP3s.

• Big Star biography reviewed. Sounds like it's better than the band's recent album.

• In Today's RollingStone.com "In Brief" column (the blog post with no hyperlinks or paragraph returns) there's news about Jessica Simpson's new album. Originally scheduled for a November release, it's been pushed to early spring.

• Creem interviews The Secret Machines.

• The Strokes' new video for "Juicebox" will be "controversial" says singer Julian Casablancas, recounted here at FMBQ which quotes an MTV.com article. "There might be full-frontal nudity. MTV will not play this video because's it's so controversial, (but) it will be groundbreaking." Who knows? MTV just might play it such a statement is taken as a dare. It viewed The Prodigy's "Smach My Bitch Up" afterhours when it was released to great controversy. I remember Kurt Loder giving the video a self-serving, over-dramatic introduction as if MTV owed it to the country to play the thing.

Posted by Glenn at 4:10 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

• Sonic Youth's last album for Geffen will be called Sonic Life says Entertainmentwise (quoting Belgian magazine De Morgen), and it will be "very song oriented." The article also says the rumor that Jim O'Rourke may not play on the next album, mentioned here the other day, is "unsubstantiated." Really?

• Newcity Chicago talks to Assassins, "the latest, greatest and most local manifestation of when synthesizers and electronic beats married into the rock family." The band was signed to Arista after only five gigs only to get caught up LA Reid's departure and the label's fold into RCA. After a nine-month legal battle the band got the rights to its music and it now approaching a deal with a small label in the UK. Listen to four songs at the band's MySpace.com page. Slick, melodic electro pop with a bit of Ladytron detachment, art school trapppings and Duran Duran flair. Worth keeping an eye on.

• Boy George could face 15 years in jail (those maximum penalties rarely pan out though) if convicted of drug possession. Unless you missed George's unflattering photos all over the New York tabloid media and blogs since the weekend, here's the humorous story: George called NYC police on Friday and reported that he was burgled, but Police noticed a baker's dozen plastic bags of cocaine and dragged him to jail. His lawyer, naturally, swears up and down he doesn't know how the coccaine got into his apartment.

• When did The Flaming Lips turn into mystical, new age types? Quotes from a Billboard.com piece about the band's upcoming album (due out February or March) include:

- "It ends up being a self-empowering thing -- almost like an MC5 thing, but it's not talking about external things. It's talking about the power within you."
- "Within the song, hopefully this is an empowering mysticism and not something silly from the Dark Ages."
- "One version was me sort of acting like a deranged priest, talking about the idea of time travel being something we're all able to do in our own minds."

Look for the band at a Star Trek convention near you.

• The Bush White House has many entertainers worried about freedom of expression, but as this five-year-old post at SOHH (via a sort of "this day in hip hop history" sidebar) shows there are always lawmakers eager to suppress what they consider to be dangerous elements in the media. Five years ago two New Jersey Senators, Gerald Cardinale and Diane Allen, proposed a bill that would have made it illegal "to sell any phonographic record, tape or CD that contains lyrics which describe, advocate, or encourage the following without parental warning: suicide, incest, bestiality, sadomasochism, rape or involuntary sexual penetration, murder, morbid violence, ethnic, racial or religious intimidation, the use of illegal drugs or the excessive or illegal use of alcohol." That would have eliminated from New Jersey stores, well, almost everything short of Contemporary Christian and instrumental albums.

Posted by Glenn at 11:53 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

• Though it doesn't come right out and say something like "he quit the band," this article on Sonic Youth at LA City Beat says of newest band member: "Guitarist Jim O’Rourke, who joined the band as its fifth member in 1999, is here too, but won’t be on the next SY album, set to begin recording next spring. He’s moving on."

• Nirvana's 1991 classic Nevermind has joined 150 other recordings named to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

• The least anticipated invasion of all time? RollingStone.com on the Dead 60's invasion of American.

Posted by Glenn at 9:22 PM | Link
|Music|

Jeffrey Lee Puckett of the Courier-Journel (Louisville) profiles one of the country's rising rock bands, My Morning Jacket.

The SF Chronicle talks to Michael Penn about his new album, Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947.

"I write these songs about broken people, about being a broken person," he says. "While I wrote, I thought about my father, who fought in World War II. And whether I could put my life back together after being in a horrific war. And about the early days of Hollywood, where the main cash crop is artifice."

And about the label he co-founded with wife Aimee Mann and manager Michael Hausman:

Amy had just gotten out of her major-label contract and we started talking about creating a musicians' collective since there is power in number. We're hoping it will become an artist-run mutual support system. Songwriters don't have a union, so this could really help them -- and the music industry in general."

Coolfer hasn't referenced a blog in Sunday Reading until now, but an entry at Bubblegum Machine, a favorite MP3 blog, calls for a full quotation. It's for the song "Helpless" by Sainte Marie.

"A version of the Neil Young song with Ry Cooder guitar and epic production from husband Jack Nitzsche. Lovely stuff.

Buffy Sainte Marie frequently appeared in Sesame Street in the 1970s, co-starring with roller-skating muppet Big Bird, an androgynous muppet with the kind of passive-zealous demeanor not seeen since the September recruitment visit from the Campus Crusade for Christ."

Posted by Glenn at 7:00 PM | Link
|Music|

• The Source was thinking about turning a new leaf, reports SOHH.com, by doing a positive article on G-Unit. "Things didn't work out" and it morphed into a G-Unot piece instead. The G-Unit camp will be on the magazine's November cover -- against their wishes.

• "Echo Of The Past" at the SF Bay Guardian. OK, so not everybody is into the new Echo and the Bunnymen album. The Guardian's Kelly Stolz, on the other hand, calls it "their best record since Ocean Rain."

• Plenty of good previews/featured bands currently at MySpace.com. Current features include New York group Si*Se, DangerDoom (the album can be streamed all the way through no skipping) and The Go! Team (if you haven't already downloaded all the tracks from MP3 blogs in the last 12 months).

Posted by Glenn at 3:40 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

• Bob Mould will film tomorrow's gig at the 9:30 club in DC for a DVD release (Billboard.com article). Coolfer was at Bob's concert at Irving Plaza on Wednesday and was mightily impressed by the band, the setlist and the live versions of the new songs taken from his album Body of Song. The show was rich in songs from Sugar's Copper Blue, and he reached back into his Husker Du days as well ("Chartered Trips" and "Celebrated Summer" were mind blowing). The new material came off brilliantly, especially "Paralyzed" and "Underneath Days." The best part of the show? It wasn't a nostalia trip for an aging college rock crowd. The music was vital and relevant.

• Download a 60-minute MP3 of DJ Food's "Raiding the 20th Century," a "newly expanded version" of the nearly two-year-old original attempt to "catalogue the history of cut up music." A track listing -- more like a list of ingredients, really -- came be found here. (Via The Morning News)

• Download the Brian Jonestown Massacre's Lollapalooza set from the band's music page. (It's a zip file.) Tracks are "Intro," "Whoever You Are," "Let Me Stand Next To Your Flower," "Nailing Honey To The Bee," "Hide and Seek," "When Jokers Attack," "Sailing" and "Swallowtail."

Posted by Glenn at 8:26 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

• The SF Bay Guardian covers the trials and tribulations of Linda Perry. Thought 4 Non Blondes is both loved and hated, most pop fans have enjoyed a Linda Perry song -- whether they know it or not.

• More from the bay area weeklies: "The 40-Year-Old Solo Artists." Bob Mould and Paul Weller both have new solo albums, and they're both "the most vital, most satisfying solo albums in years." This is a great article that puts in context albums like these versus the "cashing in" attitude of some of their peers. Mould will play at NYC's Irving Plaza tonight. Coolfer will be there. Of course the Husker Du and Sugar songs will be mind blowers, but the new songs are very anticipated.

• Many reviews of new releases at RollingStone.com: Franz Ferdinand, Fiona Apple, My Morning Jacket...

• "One Way Ticket," the new single by British hair rockers The Darkness, is now being streamed at the band's MySpace.com page. It has all the ingredients of the last album -- high-pitched screaming, wailing guitars, a steady AC/DC-like rhythm section -- plus a sitar. From the website:

"One Way Ticket To Hell� And Back� is a big f**k-off rock album about faith lost and restored, and about love lost and found. The Darkness really didn�t have any choice but to make a record this good. The stakes were too high and the sheer, superhuman feat of pulling it back from the edge (an effort that would most likely kill any lesser band stone-dead) has done nothing but steel their resolve and drive them to make what had to be - and is - the finest rock album of the past twenty years, their debut aside, of course."

Modesty just isn't in the band's blood, is it?

• What used to be called "a huge file" or "a single, continuous track that's 53 minutes long" is now conveniently called a podcast. With that in mind, check out The London Apartment's podcast of its 9/16/05 show at The Ambient Ping. Lots of "ethereal" "shoegazing" and "blissful" "laptronica" "soundscapes." In a nutshell, you kids who still search eBay to fill out your Darla's Bliss Out series collection will be into this. mum fans, too, should take notice.

• The Stranger has a short profile on one of the few popular rock acts who have laid out political statements this year, System of a Down.

Posted by Glenn at 9:00 AM | Link
|Music|

The rock band Harvey Danger, who you may remember for the wonderous one hit "Flagpole Sitta," has come up with a publicity stunt: The band is giving away its music. It's not revolutionary and sometimes the downloader get what he pays for, but the media tends to treat free as newsworthy. Never fails. All the band needs is a few journalists and a few bloggers to start talking and the ball is rolling.

Slashdot.org took to the story and took quotes from the band's website that give reasons for giving it away:

"'In preparing to self-release our new album, we thought long and hard about how best to use the internet. Given our unusual history, and a long-held sense that the practice now being demonized by the music biz as 'illegal' file sharing can be a friend to the independent musician, we have decided to embrace the indisputable fact of music in the 21st century, put our money where our mouth is, and make our record, Little By Little..., available for download via Bittorrent, and at our website."

Harvey Danger brings up an important point: file sharing is not always illegal. Some people trade songs issued under a Creative Commons license, which can grant certain permissions that would allow for legal sharing. Others may trade files that are in the public domain (though it's surely extremely rare). Some may trade travel photos or Word documents. The file sharing that is "demonized by the music biz" is that which trades copyrighted material owned by RIAA members. (The cease-and-desists letters and efforts to close some file sharing networks, though, ends up targeting all traffic on those networks -- whether or not its related to the RIAA.) To my knowledge (and if I'm wrong please let me know) nobody has been sued for allegedly trading non-RIAA songs.

Just take a look at the lawsuits. This page at the EFF website lists them by label. An article at Slyck tells of a pattern in the lawsuits (under the DMCA): "Ludacris, Michael Jackson, NAS, Busta Rhymes, Keith Sweat and Musiq were very common throughout the subpoenas." Check the list of songs. Busta Rhymes' "Pass the Courvoisier" had appeared on 12 lawsuits by the time the article was written in July of 2003.

Indie labels give away free MP3s of their music, and indepedent bands regularly post songs and sometimes entire albums on their websites. Free music can be an antidote to limited money, distribution and interest at retail. Like Harvey Danger says, giving it away can help the independent band.

But don't assume that what's good for the unknown indie is good for all artists. Giving away music isn't the favored marketing stretegy of most labels -- majors and indies -- so if a person wants that Phil Collins track it's a different story. The EFF offers advice on how not to get caught, or you can read an old Coolfer post on tips for downloaders.

Posted by Glenn at 9:01 AM | Link | Comment (4)
|Digital Music||Music|

• The Chicago Sun-Times asks what many people are wondering: How did Lil' Kim's new album, The Naked Truth, get The Source magazine's highest rating? It quotes the New York Daily News, "Does it have anything to do with the longstanding romantic relationship between Kim's manager, Hillary Weston, and Source founder and CEO Dave Mays?"

• My Morning Jacket has a new album, Z, in stores tomorrow. (It's been available for streaming at Rhapsody since last week.) Popmatters has an interview with the band. On working with producer John Leckie: "He didn't really change anything, he just kind of shepherded the whole process and made sure we were picking the right takes and capturing the sounds as best we could."

• Of Kate Bush's new album, The Guardian says "it's been worth the wait"

• Blues Eyes Meets Bed Stuy, a mixtape that fuses Notorious B.I.G. with Frank Sinatra, is "one of the city's hottest underground albums." The New York Daily News ran an article on the hot mixtape that was produced by FoC Jon Moskowitz. We bloggers have been on it. Coolfer gave it a B+ back in late August. A few weeks ago Information Leafblower raved and posted two tracks. Product Shop posted about it last week.

• The latest on the Pete Doherty Death Watch: He was detained in a drug sweep by British police. His band Babyshambles canceled last night's gig.

Posted by Glenn at 12:55 PM | Link
|Music|

Time Magazine has a Q&A with Mesissa Etheridge. About her sitcom that's in development for ABC:

"Basically, it's about what my life might have been like had I not left to find my fame and fortune, and stayed in Kansas and become a teacher and been gay and dealt with life there."

Blogcritics has a good post: "Sunday Morning Playlist: Haight Ashbury." On the list: Grateful Dead, Moby Grape, Santana, It's A Beautiful Day, Quicksilver Messenger Service and many others, and good, brief bios on each.

Newspapers around the country ran an AP article by Nekesa Mumbi Moody about Barbra Streisand. "Streisand's showcases anti-war sentiment" is about, well, the anti-war sentiment expressed in her new album. Kind of. It's a fluff piece, actually and seems like a waste of words given the gravity of the album's inspiration.

The New York Daily News' Jim Farber talks to Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos. Among other things, they talked about the band's '80s influences...which Kapranos doesn't hear.

"Kapranos says his group never heard records by the group they're most often associated with - Gang of Four - 'until we read about them in all our reviews. Then when we checked them out we thought, "What a great band. What a radical approach to playing."'"

Posted by Glenn at 6:16 PM | Link
|Music||Music Industry|

• The Beastie Boys to release a 15-track greatest hits comp on November 8th.

• Heard in a car commercial last night: Ringside's "Struggle." Sorry, I didn't notice which car. Coolfer places Ringside's self-titled Flawless/Geffen debut near the top of the list of 2005's unfortunately overlooked/undiscovered pop albums.

• And I thought the bloggers were in love with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. This is what helped the band quickly rise out of obscurity, right? A trend comparison at IceRocket.com shows almost six times as many posts in the last month about the band Switchfoot.

Posted by Glenn at 5:20 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

• The Guardian's Sam Wollaston says of No Direction Home, the Bob Dylan documentary, "it's wonderful, a remarkable knitting together of a lot of tangled strands into a thing of sense and beauty." Hard to argue.

• Pharrel Williams (Neptunes, N.E.R.D.) will release a solo album under the name Skate Board P. (Pause) Sales potential dropped 56% from the beginning of that sentence to its end.

• World Leader Pretend, a New Orleans band who released an album on Warner Bros. earlier this year, will perform on NBC News' Today Show as part of the "Make a Difference Today" hurricane relief program. On Thursday the 29th the band will perform at noon at Rockefeller Plaza. On Friday the 30th they'll have an 8:30am interview and performance on The Today Show. This is one helluva young band. Keep an eye on them.

• For whatever reason, the announcement of a track listing passes for news these days. So here you go, have fun: Madonna has finalized her track listing for her upcoming album Confessions on a Dancefloor.

• Mile Davis was a featured article at Wikipedia yesterday. It's a fine entry. Nice that Wiki broke it up into his various period (early life, bebop and the birth of the cool, first quintet and sextet, etc.).

Posted by Glenn at 8:16 PM | Link
|Music|

• The second edition of EAT, Robert Pollard's literary magazine, is now available from Rockathon Records.

• From Blabbermouth.net, Ted Nugent's new competition-based reality show will debut on OLN in November. Sounds like a survialist's "Survivor."

• The Philedelphia Daily News' Dan DeLuca says Gretchen Wilson's new album, All Jacked Up, "is overbearing in its relentless efforts to play to its target demographic." And you expected a Northeast newspaper to love it?

• Tons of info on upcoming Flaming Lips projects at an article at MTV.com. At War With the Mystics, allegedly a return to guitar-rock, has an estimated release date of early 2006...though there's always a chance it will join the band's Christmas On Mars movie in that release date-less black hole that exists somewhere near Oklahoma City. Yeah, it's been "coming soon" for quite a while. My "Where Is Christmas On Mars?" post from October of 2003 says it all.

• Rolling Stone Dot Come profiles the incredibly rawkin' Immortal Lee County Killers. The Nashville-via Alabama trio's third album was released a few weeks ago by Tee Pee Records.

• The Gauntlet interviews Napalm Death. The band's new record is "their most brutalizing slab of grinding madness since the band’s early output on Earache Records." You read it right: brutalizing slab of grinding madness. Yowza!

• Biggie Smalls and Bob Marley "duet" on a single that's out today at AOL Music, reports Billboard.com. The song is taken from the upcoming album "The Notorious B.I.G. Duets: The Final Chapter," out November 29th on Bad Boy.

Posted by Glenn at 8:57 AM | Link
|Music|

Ever notice that at any point in time there's a vocal mob that declares music to be worse than it was in the past. There's no more long term artist development! Today's music sucks! They don't make music like they used to! Labels these days just don't care about putting out good music like they did in the past.

The feeling that the quality of music is on a downward slope is extremely pervasive. These days it's often used in the context of P2P. The poor quality of music, goes the reasoning, has pushed people to P2P networks. When the price of an album is the issue, many argue that albums today have only two or three good songs, and $18 (or whatever) is too much to spend on a few songs.

It's enough to make you think the past was filled with nothing but classic full length albums, excellent from the first song to the last. But nostalgic remembrences have a tendency to selectively omit the crap. Case in point: This list of the top albums of the week of September 22nd, 1990.

Coolfer happened to run across this chart and, well, it looks like if music sucks today then it can't be any worse than it was back then. Or was MC Hammer better than we remember? Am I to believe people were buying Wilson Phillips' debut because it was brimming with quality songs? Poison's Flesh and Blood was at #7, Michael Bolton's Soul Provider #8 and New Kids on the Block's Step By Step was at #12.

No, they don't make 'em like they used to. (Thank goodness.)

Posted by Glenn at 4:31 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music||Music Industry|

• Hits' Rumor Mill quiety dropped something I wasn't aware of: The upcoming Jurassic 5 album will have a duet with Dave Matthews. In the blogging world I believe the tired ol' phrase is "jumped the shark." It has never been more fitting. Congrats on losing those last two strands of street cred, J5, and good luck playing catch up with the Black Eyed Peas.

• Strokes! Strokes! Strokes! Strokes! Oh...wait. For a second I thought it was 2003 and every music blogger had to excitedly post about every bit of news about The Strokes. Two years is a long time in blog years. I wonder if Billboard.com's piece about the Strokes' upcoming album will even make a blip at Technorati.

• Oh no! Another reggaeton article in the mainstream media. This one is by the Associated Press. Nothing like being behind the curve.

• Hey, Suede fans. The Stranger thinks you'll like Seattle band The Purrs.

• A cold, hard fact in a Village Voice article that hopefully nobody is foolish enough to take offense to (although its very publication intimates somebody was trying to use race to stir things up): "There're more white people than black people in this country, and people will get into artists or their projects based on their familiarity."

Posted by Glenn at 9:23 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

• AP music writer Jake Coyle wrote "Indie Bands Move Closer to the Mainstream" to coincide with indie-heavy CMJ, I assume, but it's a year too late. CMJ founder Bobby Haber believes the entire indie music scene "has come to the fore" and calls "it" a "watershed moment" (though I'm honestly not sure what "it" is).

• The Guardian talks to Andre 3000 of OutKast: " Five feet 10 inches of lithe-hipped, goatee-bearded, afro-haired cool."

• The NY Times' Joe Caramanica looks at art-metal, "a curious scene populated by a new generation of metal acolytes onstage and younger fans often unfamiliar with metal's headbanger heritage." There's a quote from a co-owner of San Francisco's Aquarius Records, which is fitting since the small, influential store has long been a champion of bands such as Sunn O))), Mastodon and Pelican.

Posted by Glenn at 9:17 AM | Link
|Music|

CMJ is over. While the Sparks cans are being recycled and the country's college radio station managers are heading back home, let's take a look at the coverage on the four-day music frenzy.

So whose stock rose and who failed to impress?

The NY Times' Jon Pareles highlighted Apollo Sunshine, Tom Vek, Xbxrx and others. He praised New Buffalo for her use of samples in her solo set at the Hiro Ballroom (though he didn't mention that the samples were on pre-recorded music that she played on an instrument that found its way into more than one CMJ set: an iPod).

Stereogum declared that We Are Scientists "kick ass," Halopaw's set "failed to impress," loved the Giraffe's show at the Pussycat Lounge, claimed The Morning After Girls "showed promise," proclaimed Clap Your Hands Say Yeah lived up to the hype and admitted Devendra Banhart's band "actually rocked."

Tom Breihan said Lady Sovereign "owned the stage at Webster Hall."

In Spin's day two recap, they championed the bland Hockey Night and named The Vacation's gig at Ace of Clubs as the "show of the night" and found a workable euphemism for Foreign Born's boring show.

Daily Refill said Two Gallants was the best show she saw this year.

Brooklyn Vegan didn't use very many adjectives to describe the shows he saw, but did use the word awesome three times to describe The Gossip's set at the Knitting Factory.

Coolfer didn't see many shows this year but I did catch a few that are worth noting. Test Icicles (pictured above) had a good crowd in Scenic's air conditioned little dungeon. Before the show an employee of Domino Records (the band's label) told me he'd give me $1,000 if I didn't as much crack a smile during the show. Safe bet. The Icicle's spazz rock had me chuckling throughout and the Slayer-meets-meets-Bloc Party songs showed the band is happily off in a world of its own.

Another standout was the Silversun Pickups' brief set at the Filter space on Saturday. I expected, after hearing a few MP3s, a lighter shade of indie rock. Instead I heard a loud and often blistering rock band with a well honed pop craft and the ability to improvise. Central Village was there and enjoyed the gig, and my friend Erik said that was the best of the many shows he had seen the perform.

Finally, I must mention Aloe Blacc's performance at Nublu in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Blacc (pictured above), a member of Emanon, will soon be part of the Stones Throw family (I ran into Peanut Butter Wolf earlier in the evening outside of the Canal Room) and I'm willing to bet his debut album will be a stunner.

Posted by Glenn at 8:27 AM | Link | Comment (6)
|Music||New York City|

• RollingStone.com offers "10 Artists To Watch." The Go! Team. The Magic Numbers. Saigon. Giant Drag. Matt Pond PA. James Blunt. SiA (of Six Feet Under fame). A few others. Looks like being a hyped British band (or an Aussie living in London in the case of SiA) is the best way to get on these kinds of lists. Kinda old news for avid blog readers, though. Would have been nice to see RollingStone.com step out and present a more hot indie artists rather that trot out a few artists new to major labels.

• Contrast in specialties: The Source gave Little Brother's The Minstrel Show 4.5 out of 5.0. Pitchfork gave it 6.0 out of 10.0 (which can be reduced to 3.5 out of 5.0). If Pitchfork seriously needs help realizing Little Brother's value to hip hop discourse, it should read this opinion piece at HipHopDX that attacks the every day mistrel shows in American hip hop.

• Caral Barat (ex-Libertines) has recruited former Cooper Temple Clause bass player Didz Hammond for his latest, unnamed band. (Source: Yahoo Music UK)

• Sticking with the UK, Blabbermouth has info on the upcoming Darkness album. One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back will be released November 28th.

Posted by Glenn at 9:12 AM | Link | Comment (6)
|Music|

CMJ is, as I often say, nothing but 50% more bands and 100% more people. New York has an oversupply of live music in an average week, but for four days once a year hundreds of bands descend upon the city's clubs and transform that oversupply into a glut. They'll play a showcase or two or three in hopes of being one of the very few to come out of the event with that magical, almost indescribable attachment to their careers: The CMJ Buzz.

CMJ isn't necessarily about who's good, it's about who's hot. Who will be create this year's buzz? Coolfer has a few thoughts on some of this year's contenders for The CMJ Buzz, and almost all of them happen to be both hot and good.

One artist who's coming into CMJ with a truckload of momentum is Lady Sovereign, the UK grime sensation. She's been in the news recently here in the States. Pitchfork picked up on the story about Jay-Z wanting to sign her to Def Jam in the U.S. Her debut New York show was tainted by food poisoning but the weakened rapper still thrilled the capacity crowd at the Knitting Factory. This time Lady Sov will be in the middle of a bill at the dreaded Webster Hall. Chances are good she'll be the main draw of the evening.

Neo-hippie Devendra Banhart (pictured) has a new album coming next month and it easily lives up to the mythical aura that surrounds this San Francisco singer-songwriter. He's been through New York a number of times and has been an underground favorite for some time. Why might he capture some CMJ buzz? Cripple Crow, his new album, is sure to be considered by many as among the best of the year (Pitchfork gave it a 8.4 yesterday) and it looks like all the previous press, word of mouth and new record label (XL) could combine to send him into a higher orbit over Planet Music Hipster.

Voxtrot has been to town but has been getting a bit of blogger buzz and may be able to grab some curious listeners this week. Tom Vek could make a good showing. Spinto Band is another that is on the tip of a lot of tongues, so watch out for them. One last one: Smoosh. It's fun to say and these two young girls make fun music, and they just might rise above the din this week.

Posted by Glenn at 3:56 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music||Music Industry||New York City|

• Kanye West found out football fans in Boston don't value off-the-teleprompter remarks during a NBC benefit telecast nearly as much as the country's television and pop critics treasure celebrity do. The boo birds came out during an NFL season kick off event in Boston last night. The Boston Globe reported the "boos were thunderous and lasted for much of his number."

• Today Billboard reported on two New York bands who were major label flops. The Mooney Suzuki, two years ago a majorly buzzed about band, went nowhere with Columbia, became a casualty of the Sony BMG merger (though to be honest weren't exactly lighting it up prior to the merger) and has signed with V2. Another Columbia disaster, Northern State, has split with Columbia. The hip hop trio's album sold a puny 7,100, or about 10,000 fewer than some teenage emo bands sell through regional touring and using a little elbow grease at MySpace.com.

• Neko Case has finished her fifth solo album reports Straight.com. A pubicist for Mint Records, her Canadian label, said the album, set for a February release, is titled Fox Confessor Bring The Flood. Guests on the album include Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico, Dallas and Travis Good from the Sadies, Howe Gelb from Giant Sand and Garth Hudson from The Band. Case is known in most parts as the fiery female singer in The New Pornographers.

• Voxtrot is a band that is making a few waves in the Blogosphere, and it might come out of the upcoming CMJ Music Marathon with a higher profile. This might help: Its Raised By Wolves EP was added to CD Baby yesterday. Check the quote from Central Village. Nice.

• On somewhat of a side note, Coolfer caught the last minute or so of Weezer performing "Beverly Hills" on Letterman last night. Rivers Cuomo looks like he's aged ten years in the last two or three. Yikes!

Posted by Glenn at 5:05 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

It looks like Pitchfork-bashing could very well be the next Olympic exhibition sport. The latest example is Yeti Don't Dance's post "Pitchfork Consistency." Jerry from Yeti made a chart that captured the average score given by various Pitchfork reviewers and the total number of reviews written by each.

Why bother? Jerry was "inspired by the consistency of Jason Crock's low reviews." (Others, such as Tuning Fork, find much to target in the average Pitchfork album review.) The chart doesn't show a mean rating or each writer's standard deviation, two statistical measures that would shed more light on consistency (or lack of), but it's an impressive chart nonetheless.

Click to see the entire chart...

Continue reading "Pitchfork Tracked" »

Posted by Glenn at 4:52 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Photo taken at Times Square in Manhattan. Click to see a close-up of the (one can safely assume) expensive billboard with album title in seven-point type that's hidden to the side of a stuffed bear.

It is, I suppose, a nice break from the usual solo artist album cover format, a.k.a. the "Phil Collins Close Up."

Continue reading "There's An Album Title Here Somewhere" »

Posted by Glenn at 4:45 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music||Music Industry|

Though it's not in stores until next Tuesday, Bloc Party's Silent Alarm Remixed is for sale at iTunes, Rhapsody, MSN Music and possibly other online stores that I didn't bother to check.

Rejoice, pop fans. Ashlee Simpon's single "Boyfriend" is now at iTunes, MSN Music and others.

Rhapsody has an exclusive a live version of the Bob Dylan song "Boots of Spanish Leather." It's not on the new No Direction soundtrack. I wish I could find out if this song will eventually be available at other stores. Bob's website is of no help.

Rhapsody has added Sonny Rollins' Without a Song (The 9/11 Concert). I haven't even given it a cursory listen yet but what few parts I heard sound pretty good.

New singles at the usual online stores are "Why Go?" by Faithless (iTunes link) and "Our House" by Phantom Planet (iTunes link), a cover of the Crosby, Stills & Nash classic, not the Madness song.

New at eMusic are Greg Dulli's Amber Headlights (One Little Indian), Joan Baez's Bowery Songs (Koch), Sloan's Navy Blues (Koch) and One Chord To Another (Koch) and Llasa's superb The Living Road (Nettwerk).

eMusic has a page dedicated to the Ethiopiques series on Buda Musique. This is some of the best music available on eMusic. Every volume is at least great and some are incredible.

One podcast worth checking out at iTunes is KEXP's live performance of Boom Bap Project.

Posted by Glenn at 9:22 AM | Link
|Music|

• Reggae's New Old Sound, Led by a Marley. (NY Times) Kelefa Sanneh's article is a whirlwind account of reggae's last few years, and he calls the new album by Damien Marley "an important moment for the genre." Excellent article.

• Bad news, rave kids (if there are any of you left in 2005). Ecstasy may not be the benign drug that many in the dance music crowd have claimed it is. A scientist's study indicates ecstasy users are more prone to disease.

• Sigur Ros will preview its new album Takk at MySpace.com starting September 9th, four days before the album is released.

• Other than a new Apple gadget, nothing gets the hipsters more riled up than news that the Arcade Fire are planning its next album. "Hopefully it will be out within a year but it’s hard to say," bassist Tim Kingsbury told NME. No, I don't think the band's fans can wait that long. Maybe Jon Brion can leak some tracks before they're completed, just to hold over the fans?

Posted by Glenn at 9:16 AM | Link
|Music|

Antony and the Johnsons were surprise winners of the Mercury Prize, the award that goes to the best British album. The surprise wasn't related to the album, I Am Bird, but rather to the citizenship of lead singer Antony Hegarty. It seems he was born in Chichester, England, and thus was eligible for a nomination. Hegarty's family relocated to California when he was 12. He moved to New York City when he was 20, roughly 14 years ago. The band is based in New York City and Antony is, as the Kaiser Chiefs' Nick Hodgson pointed out, "an American, really."

My pick, Kaiser Chiefs, didn't take the prize. Guess they'll have to work extra hard from here on out. The Mercury Prize is usually given to a debut album -- Brits are even more youth-obsessed than Americans -- but this year it was not to be. Was it the NY Times Sunday Magazine's big ol' honkin' Antony article that swayed voters? That article has gotta have the highest words/sales ratio in the history of any musician covered by the Sunday Magazine. (4,696 words according to Microsoft Word's handy dandy word count tool.)

This page has a list of all previous nominees and the winners.

Posted by Glenn at 3:00 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

• Micheal Jackson has written a song for the victims of Hurricane Katrina (Billboard.com article). Looks like it's going to be a crowded recording studio. Jackson is going to invite other artists to help him record "From the Bottom of My Heart." Prince has already recorded two songs, "SST," that will be a Hurricane benefit. He has also released a cover of the Mavis Staples song "U Will Be Moved" to benefit disaster relief. Both are available at his NPG Music Club.

• View a Quicktime trailer of the Guided By Voices DVD, Electrifying Conclusion (out November 15th on Plexifilm).

• Shoegazer fans, download "Whatever Season," "New Moon" and "Between The Lines" by Sambassadeur. The Swedish band will release its debut album on hip British label AC30 and also hip Swedish label Labrador. The breezy vocals are there, not so much the standard rolling waves of feedback that usually gets the shoegazer tag. Kinda reminds Coolfer of The Primitives' slower songs.

• Boston's Weekly Dig interviews rapper Kool Keith. KK is in his own world, isn't he?

• Elton John talks about future projects. (Advocate.com)

Posted by Glenn at 2:38 PM | Link
|Music|

How many articles has Coolfer seen that trumpeted the arrival of reggaeton? Don't know. Lost count. Here's another, compliments of Reuters writer Leila Cobo. "Music biz catching reggaeton fever" proclaims the title. Inside Cobo writes that "labels across the board are vying to sign and develop new talent."

Jose Behar, president/CEO of Univision Music Group, told Cobo, "We had lost the tropical consumer." Classic. Judging from the thousands upon thousands of pirated CDs being sold along Eastern Parkway during Monday's West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn, Coolfer isn't sure you've won all those tropical consumers back just yet.

Yeah, reggaeton is here. Even Wikipedia has a lengthy entry on the genre. That won't keep another reporter from writing another "Reggaeton has arrived!" article. I'd put the over/under at roughly four days.

Posted by Glenn at 2:18 PM | Link
|Music|

Though feared missing since last week, Alex Chilton (Big Star, The Box Tops) "is alive and well." Jon Sparks reported at The Commercial Appeal that friend and musician Ron Easley received a call from Chilton early Monday morning. Chilton was evacuated by helicopter from his home on Sunday and was at a hotel in an unspecified city.

Posted by Glenn at 11:42 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

More sad music-related news in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Musician Alex Chilton (Big Star, Box Tops) is listed on a missing persons page at the Times-Picayune website. An article at the LA Times (published Friday and seen here at the Chicago Tribune) by Times music writer Robert Hillburn says according to a Rykodisc spokeswoman Chilton stayed at his home in New Orleans during the storm and has not been heard from since.

Posted by Glenn at 8:14 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Blues artist R.L. Burnside died in Memphis yesterday at the age of 78. Burnside gained notoriety outside of Mississippi when he appeared in the 1993 documenatary "Deep Blues" and later recorded with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in 1996. He went on to record albums throughout the '90s and through 2004's A Bothered Mind. His 1998 album Come On In fused the blues with electronica and found mild success.

FoC Ben Sisario has a typically excellent obituary at the NY Times.

The Fat Possum Records website has an address to where donations can be sent. It says all proceeds will be directly to Burnside's widow, Alice Mae.

Posted by Glenn at 8:49 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

It's about &#! time Fiona Apple went on the record. RollingStone.com has a short article with some quotes from Apple about her recording sessions with producer Jon Brion, her feelings about the results and the subsequent sessions with producer Mike Elizondo. Don't get too excited, it's not the revealing tell-all that will shed much needed light on the "Free Fiona" debacle.

Of the Jon Brion-produced tracks (that were eventually leaked) she said, "'...I didn't have enough time to live with the songs before recording them, so I really didn't know what I wanted.'"

One blurb seeks to clear up most of the confusion and controvery over the last 10 months or so: "Apple's label, Sony, never shelved the record."

Never. Shelved. Hmmm. Somebody better tell the fanatics at FreeFiona.com. They're convinced their little publicity stunt is what prompted Sony to schedule the album for release.

Posted by Glenn at 8:20 AM | Link
|Music|

• These Kids Today: A Bit Pop, a Bit Punk. (NY Times) "Squeeky clean" punk bands meet bubble gum pop stars.

• The Fauquier Times-Democrat profiles vinyl collectors. (Via Largehearted Boy)

• The Bravery vs. M.I.A.: "An Honest M.I.A." (Via PolloxNiner)

• Producer Scott Storch told MTV.com he and Paris Hilton have created "amazing" music. "We've got different-style records — from serious, heartfelt rock songs to club-oriented, sing-along, hot records. It's balanced." What happened to those Le Tigre sessions, Paris? Did both parties decide their release would kill whatever cred the band is clinging to?

Posted by Glenn at 9:08 AM | Link
|Music|

Apple's dominance in digital music means consumers are often presented with a choice. They can buy a copy-protected CD and not have the ability to upload the tracks to their iPod, or they can buy the tracks at an online digital store. SunnComm copy protection, which Sony BMG employs on its CDs, is not compatible with FairPlay, Apple's digital rights management system. The discs contain Red Book tracks for CD players and Windows Media for copying to a computer.

Kinkysweet Recordings, a dance music label born from the ashes of Moonshine Music, wants to let consumers know its music is DRM-free and will function normally with iPods. (DRM-free means it's a normal CD that can be ripped to MP3 files.) Kinkysweet has gone through the trouble and expense of stickering some of its CDs with a sticker that reads, "iPod FRIENDLY" and underneath that "This audio CD is compatible with all portable media players." The CD pictured is Frequent Flyer: Mile High Club. (My apologies for the blurry photo.)

An employee at the store told me the sticker has been a good selling point. Not a surprise, especially considering shoppers who want to by Frequent Flyer: Mile High Club don't have the iTunes option since the album is not for sale there.

Extra credit:

• Copy Monopoly. (Pollstar) An article on SunnComm's technology in this tour trade magazine.
• Copyright Crackdown. (PC World) A similar article with a different tone.

Posted by Glenn at 9:00 AM | Link
|Digital Music||Music||Music Industry|

• Piggy D'Amour of pioneering metal band Voivod died on Saturday at the age of 45.

• Wikipedia's feature article of the day yesterday was this lengthy entry on Iron Maiden.

• Sticking with the English but getting quite a bit older, here's a profile on Mick Jagger at The Guardian. One thing in this article jumped out at me, and it's something that Lessig's crowd should note: The Stones "were outraged to learn that Germany's Christian Democrat leader, Angela Merkel, had appropriated their Seventies hit 'Angie' for her election campaign rallies." This isn't a fair use issue -- Merkel's camp insists it got permission from the German music distribution rights agency to use the song -- but it foreshadows a day in which fair use could be used in many ways the authors and rights owners would hate. Can you think of any artists who would like to hear their songs played at a David Duke rally? Me neither.

• New at eMusic is an album that's exactly the kind of thing you want when you've got a set number of songs to download each month. Faust's 1971 self-titled album comes it at over 44 minutes of incredible krautrock -- and it's only three tracks. After I downloaded those I got 46 minute of John Cage and David Tudor -- two tracks.

• Great feuds in music. (Blogcritics)

• Dylan looks back with PBS documentary, CDs, books. (Reuters)

• N.Y. Hands Garfunkel Another Pot Charge. (Billboard.com) Joint in the ashtray. I'm surprised Billboard didn't take this opportunity to throw us a pun. The Boston Globe couldn't pass up the opportunity. "Another Work Of Art" says its headline. E! Online's pun was better: "Troubled Waters For Garfunkel." The Arizona Republic had a funny headline: "Garfunkel suffers Woodstock flashback."

Posted by Glenn at 9:36 AM | Link
|Music|

• RollingStone.com's five-star review of Kanye West's Late Registation, in stores today, calls it "an undeniable triumph, packed front to back, so expansive it makes the debut sound like a rough draft."

• The NY Times' Jon Pareles writes about two Bob Dylan companion pieces in "The Contrarian of a Generation, Revisited." Both are titled "No Direction Home." One is the Martin Scorsese documentary that will air on PBS on September 26th and 27th. The other is the Columbia/Legacy soundtrack that is in stores today. He writes, "Neither the album nor the documentary significantly revises Mr. Dylan's history."

• Download the first One Little Indian Records podcast.

• Billboard.com revealed some details on the DVD of Guided By Voices' final concert last New Year's Eve in Chicago. The 60-plus song set will be released on November 15th by Brooklyn-based Plexifilm. (Billboard.com reports the DVD has not yet been named. The news page at singer Bob Pollard's website says the name will be "The Electrifying Conclusion.") Though the band folded, its old website -- which has gone unchanged for some time -- still has its MP3 page with dozens of free downloads. Bob Pollard's website is more up to date and briefs readers on his many post-GBV projects. It has a decent MP3 page as well.

• Danceblogga has the nominees for the annual House Music Awards.

• Check out Indie Don't Dance, a music/MP3 hybrid blog that's a good place to find new music. (Via Seeking Irony)

Posted by Glenn at 9:06 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

David Carr of the NY Times' profiled Pitchfork yesterday in "Garage Rock Meets Garage Critics." He pinpointed a few of the reasons the site is so successful. "Pitchfork is home to the kind of full-on rant-think piece-takedown that was once the specialty of long-and-strong journalism legends like Greil Marcus and Lester Bangs," he wrote, later adding that it has a style of writing much like that of alternative weeklies "but it is ambitious and passionately prosecuted."

Xeni Jardin, co-editor of Boing Boing, points to a "new credibility" on the Internet. "At this moment in our cultural history, a lot of the better content on the Web is seen as unmediated and more honest," she said. Pitchfork has oodles of credibility, that's for sure. One gets the feeling it can't be sold. (In indie rock language that means it can be snooty.) How coincidental that on the same page in the Times's business section was an article about Liz Hurley on the cover of Shape magazine that carried the sentence, "Magazines, of course, often blur the line between advertising and editorial content." And therein lies the cred problem.

Posted by Glenn at 8:35 AM | Link
|Digital Music||Music|

And why is he currently Amazon.com's #2 music seller? And why is an album that came out on July 27th, 2004 suddently rising the chart? (The Amazon.com chart that is. He's not even on the current Billboard Top 100.)

Coolfer did some research on this artist who has flown under the radar. A Griffin House's bio says he "has taken the lessons he's learned from such industry legends as Woody Guthrie and Bruce Springsteen." The Springsteen quality is evident on the first notes of his album Lost & Found.

Imagine Jack Johnson if he ditched the surfboard and took "On the Road" with him on a hitchiking journey across the Midwest (his birthplace), stopping for a few months to work in a mill near Nashville (his current home) and ending up in Asbury Park, New Jersey. More workingman than Johnson but not so gruff that pop fans are scared off.

Griffin's website has three free MP3s downloads: "Tell Me A Lie," "Liberty Line" and "The Way I Was Made."

Posted by Glenn at 8:30 AM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

With news of Warner Music Group's launch of a digital-only "e-label" -- an logical step called by most either too late or too little -- some old complaints have once agained reared their heads. The album, to some an anachronistic symbol of a failing business model, is taking heat.

A typically negative view of the album format can be found at Peter Paphides' "analysis" at the Times Online. "Ten years ago, when New Order released their dodgy Republic album, fans were held to ransom: to get its three or four decent tracks, they would have had to endure six or seven of pure filler."

Here's where I disagree. That was a good album, and New Order was proud enough of those tracks to put them on the album. That's a band that doesn't rush to release an album. But it's not just that band, and the debate over the album format shouldn't center only around an assumption of label and band greed.

The album is still a defining artistic statement and the de facto measure of an artist's career. Any musician worth his/her salt has put out a good album. Not a good single. Not a good MP3 download. A good album. Do I expect future artists to think so little of themselves that they aim to release singles or three-song EPs? Not at all. The album format is still what matters. Egos will demand albums. Fortunes are made on albums. Better than the single or EP, the album portrays all a band's strengths, moods, conflicts and thoughts. If a band is one-dimensional and shallow then by all means let's relegate it to a career of one-offs. If a band is genuinely good it shouldn't stop at an EP, it needs to offer more to listeners.

Granted, there are plenty of bad albums, and there are many more that are merely mediocre. In the old days -- pre-digital era -- consumers were strong-armed into buying the entire album. But as Lou Reed sang, "These are different times." People can choose not to pay and find just about anything on P2P networks (if they want to roll the RIAA dice) or they can buy a la carte at online stores. In fact, in a time when buyers can preview online (band websites, MTV.com, VH1.com, MySpace.com) and often at retailers (listening post, new digital kiosks) there's no excuse for buying bad albums because there shouldn't be any surprise.

But buyer beware: Buying three or four tracks may encourage the mediocre to keep recording. Here's my theory on the sub-album model of the e-label: The downside of the digital revolution is that it will eventually provide a business model that will support mediocre artists who don't have the goods to make a good album. You see, good bands make good albums while mediocre bands make three good songs and a ringtone. Buying albums will foster long term artist development and more worthwhile music. The three-song-and-a-ringtone model encourages labels to seek a quick return on a flavor of the month. It won't weed out the weaker artists, and it will ruin the process of natural evolution that previously ended the careers all but the stronger artists.

That's my theory. It may hold water, it may not. Regardless, I'll stick with albums, thank you.

Posted by Glenn at 4:31 PM | Link | Comment (8)
|Music|

• Musically the band may not have changed much, but just the fact that Time has an article called "Major Label, Minor Key" is a sign of Death Cab For Cutie's big league status. (Time doesn't spend too much time on indie labels.) When you get outside the usual circle of music scribes you get descriptions like "go-to band for a particular kind of postadolescent melancholy." And here I've been busy with semantics while debating the band's indie rock status.

• Franz Ferdinand Plan To Release Exclusive New Singles. (Stereoboard.com) The band likes the idea of releasing "something on its own as a single."

• AOL Music Ramps Up Album Pre-Releases, Grabs Stones Content. (Digital Music News) This week will see album previews by the Stones, Brooks & Dunn, Kanye West, Death Cab For Cutie and Bob Dylan. This is great exposure for these artists. Also of note is AOL's page of free MP3s.

• Ladytron: Rise Of The Machines. (The Independent) "Anyone familiar with the glacial electronic surfaces of the first two Ladytron albums will be surprised at how physical, how dirty, how rock the new album often sounds." Simon Price, author of Everything, a great book on the Manic Street Preachers, has a fine article here.

• Coolfer has ignored the Osbourne/Iron Maiden Heavy Metal Beef until now. Billboard.com's article about Sharon Osbournes' admittal/press release is one for the ages. Of the involvement she had with cutting Iron Maiden's sound during the band's performances she wrote, "Was Dickinson so naive to think that I was going to let him get away with talking sh*t about my family night after night? I don't think he realizes who he's dealing with."

Posted by Glenn at 9:23 AM | Link
|Music|

Hip hop lived up to its reputation early Sunday morning when Suge Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records, was shot in the leg at a party thrown for Kanye West in Miami. Knight was in good condition after having surgery to remove the bullet and repair a fracture bone.

The Miami Herld reported late last night that there had been no arrests. A police spokesman said the investigation was being hampered by witnesses' "unwillingless to talk." NBC10 reported this morning that police had received "more information from the bartender than from the people who were with Knight." What a surprise, eh?

The headline of AP music writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody's article was "MTV Pulls Off Awards Despite Drama." Neither rain nor hurricane nor night club shooting can prevent the MTV Music Video Awards from making its appointed rounds. Such dedicated professionals.

Posted by Glenn at 9:10 AM | Link | Comment (8)
|Music|

Not that you can listen to it, but this column must mention that iTunes is carrying the VOID (Video Overview in Deceleration), the new video compilation by The Flaming Lips. The 18-track set collects the band's videos from its stay at Warner Bros. Recors -- which pretty much covers all their best albums save their last one for Restless Records. Oddly, Rhapsody has an audio version of this DVD compilation. Since Warner Bros. hasn't issued a greatest hits of the band this will do just fine.

Just added to iTunes is Badfinger's Airwaves. The 1979 album is out on Wounded Bird and for whatever reason this Rhino Records version just popped on iTunes. No mention of it at the Rhino website, and no trace of it on other online stores. Oh well. Enough investigation. For power pop lovers who want to branch out beyond those albums typically heralded as part of the genre's must-have canon.

It's hard to believe any online music store's hip hop catalog could be without classics like The Notorious B.I.G.'s Born Again and Life After Death. They were both just added to iTunes.

One podcast that caught my attention was the live in-studio at KEXP by Amusement Parks On Fire. The young band is a favorite of morning host John Richards, who can be heard praising the band as he introduces the band at the beginning of the podcast. Its songs blend a bit of emo with a love for sounds of the past (upbeat shoegazer and Dinosaur Jr's love of feedback and distortion). Check out the KEXP podcast page for four more in-studio podcasts.

Another podcast worth checking out is the inaugrial One Little Indian Records podcast. For kicks, check out Seth and Jessica's Worst Music You've Ever Heard podcasts. They two play only music created by themselves, their friends or amateur bands.

At Rhapsody, a blast from the alternative rock past: Dumptruck's 1985 album Positively Dumptruck. All Music's bio says the Massachusetts band was "among the favorites of U.S. college radio in the mid '80s."

Herbie Hancock's new album Possibilities is exclusively at Rhapsody. It's a star-studded affair that finds the music legend paired with such pop stars as John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Annie Lenox, Sting, Trey Anastasio and Paul Simon. The album comes out next Tuesday.

Posted by Glenn at 10:07 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

• The New Republic editor Michael Crowley on the difficulty of being a "rock snob" in the P2P-and-iPod era. (Via The Morning News)

"Snobbery subsists on exclusivity. And the ownership of a huge and eclectic music collection has become ordinary. Thanks to the iPod, and digital music generally, anyone can milk various friends, acquaintances, and the Internet to quickly build a glorious 10,000-song collection. Adding insult to injury, this process often comes directly at the Rock Snob's expense."

That's when the true rock snob goes back to vinyl, Michael.

• Kanye West Meets the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds via the productions skills of Lushlife. (Via Stereogum)

• Present at the Creation of a Memorably Loud, Thrashing Sound. (NY Times) A review of Tim Irwin's documentary "We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen."

• Smog grows more positive, not smug. (San Jose Mercury News)

• 50 Cent Hijacked By Car Dealer. (The Smoking Gun)

• More Family Troubles For Eminem. (The Smoking Gun) The Smoking Gun is on fire! More legal gossip!

Posted by Glenn at 9:25 AM | Link
|Music|

• Sweet Baby James. (Saint Louis Post-Dispatch) The standard music business model doesn't apply to him says James Taylor. "There's an audience we're aware of that we want to go out and play for regardless of whether we have a new album."

• mtvU.com is all over the new Death Cab For Cutie album. You can stream the new album Plans in its entirity and view of live performance of "Your Heart is Empty Room."

• Reggaeton's Big Star Hits the Big Time. (NY Times) Here's the umpteenth article about Daddy Yankee and/or reggaeton in the last month or two. Like those before it, Jon Pareles' article on one of reggaeton's biggest stars focuses on the genre's surge in popularity. It's a tired angle at this point. Everybody knows reggaeton has arrived. Even the USA Today had an article about it. But Pareles points to one interesting part of the story: Daddy Yankee's U.S. arena tour will be reggaeton's first.

• A great set at the Mercury Lounge last night by The Most Serene Republic, one of Arts & Crafts' new bands. Pictures at Coolfer's Flickr page.

• Rap Music Blamed for 'Syzurrp' Addiction in Houston. (SOHH) Prescription cough syrup with codeine is being called "a major drug problem."

• The Barsuk Records website has an MP3 of Nada Surf's "Do It Again" from the band's upcoming album (out September 13th).

• Hip-Hop Artist Madlib, Man of Many Names. (NPR) MSN Music Filter writer/blogger Oliver Wang covers Madlib on NPR.

Posted by Glenn at 8:51 AM | Link
|Music|

A good follow-up to my weekend thoughts on an article on politics and pop music at The Guardian came from the LA Times' Geoff Boucher. In "The Iraq war, set to new music" he highlights three examples of pop stars injecting politics into the music. One was mentioned in my previous post, Green Day's "Wake Me When September Ends." The song itself doesn't hing at a political statement but the video is a Hollywood-style epic that frames the Iraq war in terms of a young couple's personal relationship. Some may see it as anti-war, other won't.

The boldest anti-war statement being made today? It's from Barbra Streisand. The video (pictured) to her song "Stranger In A Strange Land" (from her upcoming album, a collaboration with Barry Gibb) is currently being streamed at Amazon.com. Here's a sample of the lyrics: "You may be someone else's sweetheart/Fighting someone else's war/And if you suffer for the millions/Then it's what you're fighting for."

Just like The Guardian article said, the most political pop music being made is being made by women.

Posted by Glenn at 9:43 AM | Link
|Music||Politics|

• With Late Registration hitting stores next Tuesday (or well before that around New York City) Kanye West is reaching media saturation. MTV.com piles more Kanye on a fatigued public.

• Jamie Foxx, Vibe cover story.

• Soundway Recordings, a fabulous English label with a mission to "to release underground tropical dance music with a funky flavour," sent out an email yesterday with info on its upcoming 7" by The Blue Rhythm Combo. It included links to song samples. I know most people don't like downloads unless it's the full song, but this is better than nothing. So give a listen to "Get Down" and "BRC's Groove" and hopefully they'll show up on a future Soundways compilation.

• Speaking of emails, there were some good nuggets in Sigur Ros's email that was sent yesterday. The band's launched a download site that links to its song that are available at iTunes Europe and iTunes U.S. and Canada. There were also a few words about the band's involvement in the Icelandic film, "Screaming Masterpiece." Smekkleysa, the band's record label in Iceland, is selling the soundtrack. Sigur Ros has three songs on the soundtrack, including "the final chapter of their unreleased orchestral piece Odin's Raven Magic." Other artists on the soundtrack include Bjork, Mum, Slowblow, The Sugarcubes and Johann Johannsson.

Posted by Glenn at 9:31 AM | Link
|Music|

• Just when I thought everybody who could possibly have a page at MySpace.com had a page at MySpace.com...now the Kronos Quartet has one as well. Too cool! It's currently streaming four tracks from the new Nonesuch album the quartet did with Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle, You've Stolen My Heart: Songs from R.D. Burman's Bollywood.

• Keys Blends Old With New On 'Unplugged'. (Billboard.com) Two albums and she's already milkin' it.

• Record company's private detective tracks down missing jazz singer. (Independent) Madeleine Peyroux had gone missing but it turns out she was in New York with her manager.

• For all two of you who care, Billboard.com has a blurb on Eric Matthews' prompt follow-up to his recent album on Empyrean Records. The double-album will arrive January 24th.

Posted by Glenn at 9:18 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

I hear ya, Rolling Stone Dot Com. Sometimes it's hard to get too excited about music these days. Unless labels end the year on a hot streak I don't expect the chore of constructing my year-ending Top Ten list to be very easy.

Posted by Glenn at 12:26 PM | Link
|Music|

• Bob Moog (pictured), creator of the Moog synthesizer, died yesterday at the age of 71. Read a message from Mike Adams, Moog Music president, and this Bob Moog biography.

• The Source's Editor-In-Chief Resigns. (AllHipHop.com) I'm a bit late on this one. Joshua Ratcliffe resigned as Editor-In-Chief over a difference in opinion about Little Brother's album The Minstrel Show. Ratcliffe wanted to give the album a four-and-a-half mic review. Chief Brand Executive Raymond Scott and CEO Dave Mays wanted four mics.

• Today's "Previewing the Week Ahead" post has ten MP3 downloads from albums being released tomorrow. There are more links, too, to MySpace.com pages (with album streams) and e-cards that let you preview albums.

• Q&A: Oasis' Noel Gallagher. (Billboard) "Not being negative toward Liam, he's just not Chris Martin, he's not Bono, he's not Michael Stipe. He's Liam. For all intents and purposes, Americans don't get Liams. I think we're musically as strong as those three bands put together, but as characters we're different." Noel is in fine form. This interview is definitely worth your time.

• Smoothing the Changes (LA City Beat) Danceblogga Dennis Romero on NYC duo Astro&Glyde: "The next generation of progressive is here."

• Courtney Love 'expecting Steve Coogan's baby'. (The Guardian) Yeah, that's what I said. Who's Steve Coogan?

Posted by Glenn at 8:21 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Pop music's political voice is carried predominatly by women artists argues The Guardian's Lynsey Hanley in "Rap On The Knuckles," a feature about Ms. Dynamite's new album that looks at the broader issue of protest in song.

"Because it is women in music, most notably, those working in hip hop and R&B, who are making the most of their chances to be heard by writing and recording songs with explicitly political lyrics. Ms Dynamite's new album includes songs about domestic violence, gun crime, low aspiration, war and poverty, while Sri Lankan-British artist M.I.A, among the favourites to win this year's Mercury, has sold more than 100,000 copies of her class- and culture-conscious debut Arular, itself named after songwriter Maya Arulpragasam's Tamil activist father."

Are female artists more apt to inject politics into their lyrics? Or is it that listeners are more welcoming of politics in music if it comes from a female? Perhaps there's a difference between the U.K. and America. I'd like to think we're accepting of politics in music but looking at the charts I may be wrong.

Every time I think of a popular American artist -- male or female -- who would generally be considered politically active, I wonder how often those politics make it into song. Bruce Springsteen? Not really. P. Diddy and the rest of the "Rock the Vote" opportunists? Nope. Staind, who have the current #1 album? No. Black Eyed Peas? Not a chance. Eminem? Very, very little. The Killers? Only if eyeliner becomes a campain issue. The most politically charged statement in Green Day's American Idiot comes from its title. Audioslave? Some vaguely political lyrics even though it's a very politically aware and active band.

System of a Down? Yes. Finally I thought of one. Country artists, now there's your politics. Not always popular within the musical elite, but pop country artists are much more likely to be political than other pop stars.

In "The Rap on Kanye" Newsweek's Lorraine Ali finds Kanye West still hasn't found modesty. Of his upcoming album, Late Registration, West told Ali, "I'd like to add that I think this is the best-produced record—ever." Ali herself calls it "the most dynamic and original album of the fall—maybe even the year." It was co-produced by Jon Brion, producer of the leaked version of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine.

Posted by Glenn at 11:52 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Remember the tiff between Nike and Dischord Records over a shoe ad that stole/paid tribute to the band Minor Threat? This from a recent Dischord Records email:

"We'd like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the many people who have written us to express their support and outrage over Nike's misappropriation of the Minor Threat Imagery for their skateboarding demo. We would also like to acknowledge the people at Nike skateboarding for their apology and prompt removal of all offending posters and web-ads. The members of Minor Threat continue to work on a creative resolution to this matter and will have more to say when an agreement is finalized."

Coolfer was with Jason Kottke on this one. In his post "Theft or Homage" he wrote:

"Isn't punk all about taking without permission? Or does that not apply when you don't like the folks doing the taking? Lighten up, Dischord."

Dischord hasn't lightened up, and Nike apologized like a cheating husband caught red-handed.

As if this story wasn't interesting enough, there's another angle thanks to a recent article at the Washington City Paper. Dischord doesn't approve of a multi-national paying homage to Minor Threat yet Ian MacKaye -- who was in Minor Threat and is a co-founder and co-owner of Dischord -- didn't mind when a Los Angeles-based porn director named himself Eon McKai. "It's strange, but nothing to lose sleep over," he says. "I figured it was just somebody trying to be funny."

Did Coolfer miss a memo? Does straight edge philosophy now embrace casual sex?

NSFW: The Eon McKai website

Posted by Glenn at 4:02 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

• Franz Ferdinand is previewing its new single, "Do You Want To," at its MySpace.com page. Guess what? It sounds like Franz Ferdinand -- which means it sounds better than 99% of the wave of soundalike bands that followed its debut album's success. The full album will be on Franz's MySpace page on September 27th. (The album comes out October 4th.) Coolfer is told the band will be on the cover of the next Urb Magazine.

• Hunt For Missing Singer. (Daily Record) Universal Classics bosses and her management have not been able to contact jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux for nearly a week.

• Why Ibiza is dancing to a different tune. (The Telegraph, via Danceblogga) Live bands in Ibiza A DJ playing un-mixed Jimi Hendrix in an Ibiza nightclub? It's true. Said Andy McKay, co-founder of Manumission, "We have to accept that there is a side of Ibiza that's a little bit stale. It does need reinvigoration. I know that if Ibiza is to retain the ridiculous level of success that it's currently got, it has to embrace live music."

• Kano: A one-man grime wave. (The Independent) "I'm about keeping the music true to its roots but taking it as far as it can go, wherever that may be." The East London rapper was in NYC last weekend. Pics at The Fader, via Catchdubs.

• Live: Josh Wink + Stacey Pullen. (Pitchfork) Nick Sylvester with a great recap of the PS1 Warmup in Queens, NYC.

• Hello! Suprise! A guide to Swedish pop music. (Via Largehearted Boy)

• Swervedriver.com's download page has 55 live downloads. Entire albums are represented, but in live form rather than studio recordings. (Via Ice Magazine)

• For some, misogyny's spelled r-a-p. (Knight Ridder) "It's becoming harder for women of the hip-hop generation to defend the culture when the mainstream is latching on to the ho-stomping, booty-shaking elements of hip-hop."

Posted by Glenn at 8:32 AM | Link
|Music|

Online music store eMusic has passed the 100,000 subscriber mark according to a press release. Impressive. Said David Packman, new president and CEO, "eMusic has proven that there is a meaningful market segment of customers seeking music beyond the commercial mainstream."

Full disclosure: Coolfer subscribes to eMusic. I'm in for the 40 songs-for-$10 plan. I get files in the MP3 format, so no DRM complaints. The only beef -- and I have this beef with just about every online music store/service -- is that the world music selection is sub-standard. There are quite a few decent world labels on the roster but the quality and breadth lags behind other genres. (Part of the problem: Much of the best music from other countries isn't even released domestically.)

eMusic has constantly improved and is a getting to be a fantastic store. One hundred thousand subscribers can't be wrong.

Posted by Glenn at 8:08 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Digital Music||Music||Music Industry|

Canada-based indie rock label Arts & Crafts has its own online download site, Gallery AC. Currently it has a live acoustic show from Broken Social Scene available for download for $1.50 per song. Or you can save two pennies and buy all six songs for $8.98. It was recorded in Paris in June of 2004, and according to the website it has "an Apostle of Hustle jam to an Amy Millan ditty, a new Jason Collett tune to dare-we-say revered BSS classics.

It also has a free download of a new Broken Social Scene song, "7/4 (Shoreline)," from the band's upcoming, self-titled album.

Thus far iTunes has a digital exclusive on the The Killer's Hot Fuss Deluxe Edition. Other than the slightly different cover, this new version has three new songs in addition to the original 11: "Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll" (which appeared on the import version of Hot Fuss), "The Ballad of Michael Valentine" (from the "Somebody Told Me" single) and "Under The Gun" (and from the "Somebody Told Me" single).

DM Records, based in South Florida, just released Reggaeton Remix by Lil' Jon & The East Side Boyz. The songs are remixes of tracks found on Lil' Jon's Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album that was released in 2001 by DM.

The Delays, who charmed Brit pop lovers with their debut album Faded Seaside Glamour, have a live album that was just added to iTunes. The 11-track album KCRW Presents: Morning Becomes Eclectic Live includes a seven-minute interview with the band. The mix is a bit heavy on the vocals but the sound quality is more than adequate for the more serious fans. Newbies should stick with the studio album.

Tommy Lee, drummer for Motley Crue and now the star of a reality television series, has an exclusive interview on Rhapsody. Listeners get to hear Tommy talk about his favorite drummer (Jon Bonham), what band he hates (The Darkness), if he's smoked crack (yes he has) and what he spends his money on (gadgets for his recording studio).

More exclusives at Rhapsody: the debut album by The Godfathers, Birth, School, Work, Death: The Best of the Godfathers (released in 1996); the new "Paralyzed" (Loudbomb Club Mix) by Bob Mould

Posted by Glenn at 9:33 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

• The Village Voice dedicated a full page to The Willowz. Joe Levy has his finger on the pulse of a band that's not easy to pin down. "Their songs are as much shapes as tunes, short but not easily summarized. This is not the sound of a style or a time. It's more the sound of a place: the sprawl of suburban Los Angeles, where they grew up." The Willowz: Highly recommended by Joe Levy and Coolfer. Check the Coolfer picks of the band's most recent New York show.

• Man rocks to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the South Street Seaport. (Quicktime, via The Morning News) Video of the year.

• Stream the a new stellastarr* song single "The Driver" in RA lo or RA hi.

• The SF Weekly has the (allegedly) first ever "Ask A Music Blogger" Q&A session to make it to print. Best album of the year thus far? We're told it's The Hold Steady's Separation Sunday. Song of the Year? Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl." Surprises this year? Lack of Stateside support for many U.K. aritsts. (Note: Most mentioned do not have U.S. releases to support. That explains that.) Yep, sounds like a music blogger! We're all alike, aren't we?

• The Rebirth Of Cool. (The Jewish Week) Irving Fields' 1959 album "Bagels & Bongos" will be re-released next week by Reboot Stereophonic, "a new label dedicated to resurrecting the forgotten classics of Jewish music."

• Hell's Angels. (Pitch Weekly) Flee the Seen took home three awards at the Pitch Music Awards in Kansas City: Best Female Vocalist, Best Punk and Best New Act. The female-fronted band has opened for Alkaline Trio, Weezer, Cake, Death By Stereo and many others. It's got one album out but no agent, no major deal in the works and not much press. Oh, and like Sufjan Stevens, Flee the Seen is a Christian band, though "it's not the right-wing overzealousness that can alienate as many fans as it attracts.

• Band name battle would be comical, if it wasn't serious. (Queensland News) What a pun. It seems Archie Comics Publications has sued The Veronicas and Warner Music Group.

Posted by Glenn at 9:22 AM | Link
|Music|

• John Loder, founder of Southern Records, died at the age of 59.

• Exhausted Eminem Cancels European Tour. (Billboard.com) The 12-date tour was to include D12, 50 Cent and G-Unit. A statement by Interscope said he is "currently being treated for exhaustion, complicated by other medical issues."

• Newport Salutes Jazz Drummer Roy Haynes. (Newsday)

• At DanFogelberg.com is a note from Dan about his recovery from advanced prostrate cancer. "It has certainly been the most trying experience of our lives and yet has proven to be one of the most illuminating as well."

• "Is rap tomorrow's jazz?" (LA Times) An op-ed piece about race relations and music by Thaddeus Russell, a professor of history and American studies at Barnard College.

• In a Q&A with readers the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal's Gemma Tarlach mentions three bands that she thinks can make it on a national level: Cincere, Call Me Lightning and Black Elephant.

Posted by Glenn at 9:19 AM | Link
|Music|

Tuning Fork, the blog devoted to critiquing the album reviews at Pitchfork.com, harped on writer Brian Howe last week for allegedly borrowing ideas for the review of the self-titled album by Chicago band Sybris. Tuning Fork compared bands referenced in the band's bio to the bands mentioned in Howe's review. There was, it seems, some correlation. One name in particular ruffled the T'Fork's feathers.

"I could go on but I think the above is a very nice example that YES bands do sound like other bands but does a writer have to use the same exact point of reference? Edie Brickell? Listening to Sybris a million other one of a kind voices come to mind but I have to be honest, E.B. was not on the top of my list. In fact it would have never even crossed my mind had it not been placed in my head via the label site."

What's the big deal? Well, just like most people assume the music they hear on the radio is not bankrolled by a label, some of us like to know that writers aren't getting lazy or are knowledgeable enough about music to write a review without an assist from a publicist. Time after time Coolfer has seen ideas and names in reviews that obviously came straight from the desk of a publicist. It's an easy trick. If you're a publicist and you want to get a certain band name-dropped in an album review, just mention that band in the one-sheet or band bio. There's no doubt somebody will use it even if that band bears no resemblence to the one being reviewed. Angry Somoans meets Enya? Sounds crazy, but if it's in a bio it'll make it to print somewhere.

Posted by Glenn at 9:15 AM | Link | Comment (6)
|Digital Music||Music|

The controversy surrounding Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine will be back as Epic has penciled in an October 4th release date for the long delayed album. The NY Times' Jeff Leeds reports today on the reworked version of the album that was leaked on the Internet. It will have nine re-recorded versions, two unchanged versions and one new song, "Parting Gift."

Now that fans have grown accustomed to the older versions, there's sure to be some people who will not like the new versions as much. But record execs insist Fiona never considered the leaked songs to be the final versions. Mike Elizondo, who produced the songs, said, "I think from right out of the gate, this is the collection of songs she wanted for her record."

That's a far cry from the Sony-bashing statements in the press when the album was leaked. Back then Epic Records was said to be holding back Fiona. Now the story given is that Fiona herself held back the songs.

Via the Free Fiona forum Coolfer found a blog post from a person who claimed to have worked on the set of the video for the song "Parting Gift." (Picture above.) Leeds' article said Epic will "take a laid-back and low-cost approach to marketing the album, relying partly on word-of-mouth to build an audience." Looks like they'll rely partly on the standard heavy video rotation -- because that's what sells records.

Posted by Glenn at 9:20 AM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

Airports and hotels around the country are buzzing after the USA Today primer on the latest music craze to sweep the nation, reggaeton. Steve Jones puts finger on pulse for those of us who reside in upper-middle-class gated communities.

"A Spanish-language fusion of dancehall reggae, hip-hop, salsa, cumbia, merengue and other Caribbean flavors, reggaeton (pronounced reggae-TONE) percolated for years in the streets and clubs of Puerto Rico before making its way to the continental USA. Its infectious, driving rhythms and the sexy bump-and-grind dancing that it inspires made it a favorite in clubs, particularly in such cities as New York and Miami."

My apologies to you in Des Moine who are reading about reggaeton for the first time, but Coolfer assumed people were more clued in. Maybe not, judging from the number of wide-eyed articles being written about this type of music that was a force in mainstream music last year -- if not two years ago -- and has ruled the underground for years.

Posted by Glenn at 9:30 AM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

As if year-end lists weren't bad enough, now people are making "best of" lists at the mid-year point. What a bunch of music geeks. (Ahem.) Coolfer has given you my best of the year thus far. Information Leafblower did as well. There are more.

Amazon.com's music editors have their own list, the Best of the Year So Far. M.I.A.'s Arular (called by one FoC "a hip hoop album that's okay for indie rock hipsters to like") tops their list.

eMusic's editors have a list. Much like its rock catalog, the list is heavy on the indie rock that has been deemed hip this year: Spoon's Gimme Fiction, Thievery Corporation's Cosmic Game, The Hold Steady's Separation Sunday, etc. And one surprise: Tony Bennet's Tony Bennett Sings The Rodgers And Hart Songbook. eMusic is limited to picking those albums released by labels it sells. It should be retitled "Top Albums of 2005... So Far...That We Have Rights To Sell."

And over at I Love Music there's a thread about the best albums of the year so far. I see a few M.I.A.s, a few Roots Manuvas, some Patrick Wolf, some nods to Gang Gang Dance, a bunch of Stephen Malkmus, quite a few Sleater-Kinneys and quite a few indie cred-seeking mentions of albums that aren't even out yet.

Posted by Glenn at 1:22 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Some bands are just different. Take The High Strung, a rock trio from Detriot-via-Brooklyn-via-Detroit. They once left their tour van in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio -- with a note and the keys in the ignition.

The band's latest venture is a summer-long tour of libraries throughout the state of Michigan. "This American Life" from WBEZ public radio in Chicago caught up to the band and talked about their impending tour of the nation's bookhalls: 34 in total, one every other day from June through August.

Listen to the show in Real Audio and forward to about the 7:30 mark. It's extremely funny and -- though it may not be too cool to say this -- downright cute.

Extra credit:

Download three MP3s from the band's website, all from the sessions resulting in the band's upcoming album, Moxie Bravo (to be released on Future Farmer):

• The High Strung: "A Real Meal Ticket"
• The High Strung: "Seems It's One Thing"
• The High Strung: "N Over C"

Posted by Glenn at 9:45 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music||New York City|

Keeping it in the Midwest, V2 Records signed Cincinatti's The Greenhornes and released the Brendan Benson-produced East Grand Blues EP last week. The band is on tour with The White Stripes through September. Jack White and Benson are buds and are both from Detroit. It's the V2-White-Midwest connection. Let the other labels worry about the two coasts, right?

Before they were more of your garden variety -- though very good -- garage rock band who put out a solid album on Telstar in 2002. With the help of Benson, The Greenhornes de-garage-ified by infusing Sell Out-era The Who, The Doors ("Shelter of Your Arms" bears some resemblence to "Riders On The Storm") and The Byrds' freeflowing, guitar-strumming easiness. Basically this is the perfect soundtrack to browsing eBay for out-of-print vinyl or reading Mojo Magazine on the subway.

Posted by Glenn at 9:40 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

As soon as this year's nominees for the Mercury Prize -- the annual award given to the best British album -- bloggers and some journalists began the oddsmaking. The Kaiser Chiefs are seen by many to be a favorite. M.I.A. could be in the running but as one writer pointed out her album's frequent mentions to terrorism could hurt her chances in now terrorism-jittery England.

Coolfer's pick? The Kaiser Chiefs, who went to 5/2 from 11/4 in less than a week. (See previous odds after the jump.) Not only is it a band that has risen to the lead of the post-Franz pack, but it's a debut album. If the Mercury voters like one thing it's a debut album. Out of 13 Mercury Prizes, ten have gone to debut albums. There's some movement on The Hard-Fi as well -- 12/1 from 16/1 -- but they're still well behind The Kaiser Chiefs.

Continue reading "More Fun With The Print Screen Button: Mercury Prize Odds" »

Posted by Glenn at 8:56 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Cuban musician Ibrahim Ferrer, who recently rose to worldwide prominence as a member of Buena Vista Social Club, died on Saturday in Havana at the age of 78. The cause was reportedly multiple organ failure. He was taken to the hospital on Wednesday upon his return from a European tour.

Those who have seen the Buena Vista Club documentary will remember Ferrer's supple voice and irresistable charm and especially the manner he came into the project. It was such an unlikely and warming story of a man's unexpected rebirth that was fostered by Cooder's deep respect for Ferrer and the others. From the Buena Vista bio at Nonesuch Records: "When a country-style sonero of the old school was required for the World Circuit sessions, Ibrahím was literally plucked off the streets of Havana where he was taking his daily walk."

The Chicago Sun-Times has an outstanding article on Ferrer that pulls from a past interview with the paper. And there's this from an article at the Independent:

"A legend of the Cuban music scene in the 1950s and 1960s, Ferrer fell into obscurity and poverty. He was shining shoes when the American guitarist Ry Cooder found him. Ferrer said: 'An angel came and picked me up. He said, "Chico, come and do this record".'"

Ferrer was a link to an almost forgotten past. Said Cooder, "It's the last chance in the world to work with such a voice." The Buena Vista Social Club was a rare phenomenon in music, one that brought Cuban music to the ears of those who normally wouldn't listen to son or bolero. A successful brand was created and many solo projects were spun off. Ferrer's death follows the passing of Buena Vista pianist Ruben Gonzalez in December of 2003 and guitarist Compay Segundo in September of the same year, both of whom enjoyed successful solo careers in the wake of Buena Vista's popularity. Eliades Ochoa and Omara Portuondo have also had successful careers with many solo albums to their names.

Posted by Glenn at 10:06 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

After reissues of the band's first two albums, Pavement fans may be wondering what else is remains in the vaults now that the band has been over for six years. There's more -- though its not from the band's vaults. On September 27th, Brown Brothers Recordings will release Gold Sounds, an album of jazz version of Pavement songs.

"We think the album, aside from the hipness factor of Pavement and Mssrs. Carter, Chestnut, Jackson and Veal, is as good an album as some of the all-time instrumental greats. Think Coltrane's My Favorite Things or The Allman Brothers Band Live at the Fillmore."

Lest you think this is a joke, go to the Brown Brothers website are listen to the stream of "Stereo," the first song on Gold Sounds.

Franklin Bruno's late June article, "Copycats
The cover album makes a comeback," at Slate mentioned Gold Sounds and says without Steve Malkmus' lyrics what's left is "harmony, structure, and—though this was not one of Pavement's strengths—melody."

(Thanks to Andrew for the link)

Extra credit:

• Pavement MP3s from the Matador website: "All My Friends," "Here" (Peel Session Summer 1992), "Greenlander" and "Spit On A Stranger."

Posted by Glenn at 9:20 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

After a brief Internet-lead explosion of awareness, the movement to pursuade Sony to release Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine has slowed to a crawl. The bandwagon picked up some popular support -- short attention span bloggers, tech writers fancy to bash a major label, mainstream media writers who love a good controversy, an uninformed SF Chronicle columnist -- but is now back to a hardcore group of fans. The FreeFiona.com website doesn't look to have been updated since roughly January.

Where is the album? What's Fiona doing now?

Coolfer spent some time poking around the message board at FreeFiona.com. This post in particular gives some interesting information of the situation surrounding the unreleased album. Taken from a post at Aimee Mann's message board, this post says producer Jon Brion asked Fiona to record a new album with him as a kind of therapy after the end of his six-year relationship. Jon and Fiona paid for the recordings and Fiona "did the album under the knowledge that it may or may not be something the label would release." The post adds that Fiona has the option to buy out her contract and release the album elsewhere but had not chosen to do so. Other posters are skeptical about these claims.

There's some potentially conflicting information about Fiona's post-Extraordinar Machine studio work. One poster referenced this interview with Mike Elizondo in the January 2005 issue of Bass Player Magazine. "I’m producing Fiona Apple's next album, which we just started," he said. But a recent Entertainment Weekly, says a post at FionaApple.org, claims Fiona is "starting a second third album with producer Brian Kehew (Moog Cookbook)."

Much more about Fiona, her unreleased album, its implications about the music industry and what people expect out of a proper album...after the click.

Continue reading "The Free Fiona Movement Slows To A Crawl" »

Posted by Glenn at 8:49 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Nothing like a straight up rock 'n' roll show -- with a dollop of pop thrown in -- to help one recover from the indie rock blahs. Coolfer caught LA quartet Tsar at the formerly dreaded Mercury Lounge last night and it was hands down the best show of the four I've seen. (Two of them have been confirmed by singer Jeff Whalen -- a Gaucho no less -- as among the worst in the band's history. Lucky me.) In short, Tsar was fantastic, energetic, and by the end drenched in sweat. The set was tight, rarely broken for anything more than a quick guitar tuning. The debut album is a power pop gem. Tsar now has more of a sneer. The pop is still there but rock is more prominant.

New Yorkers are lucky. You'll have a chance to see them on August 11th when they hit Rothko with another Coolfer fave, Bona Roba.

Tsar released its second album, Bands-Girls-Money, on TVT just a few weeks ago. Last night's set was dominated by the new album but unlike their last show at Pianos we got a few songs from their incredible 2000 self-titled debut (released and blown by Hollywood Records), "Calling All Destroyers" and "I Don't Wanna Break Up."

Village Voice music editor Chuck Eddy, who had previously raved about Tsar's 7" single released a while back on Birdman, called Bands-Girls-Money "what may well be ’05’s most consistently catchy hard pop-rock album" in his concert preview on Wednesday. He ain't crappin' you negative.

Check Coolfer's Tsar pictures at Flickr.

Posted by Glenn at 9:40 AM | Link | Comment (5)
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Here is Coolfer's latest group of overused album review words.

• Pastoral. "Charmingly simple and serene; idyllic." Most often used in describing singer-songwriters and bands with a light, folky touch. Also popular in describing laidback electronic music such as Boards of Canada's Music Has The Right To Children. Why mellow ambient music has so much in common with rolling green pastures is beyond me. It just does. Pastoral is about to join the Hall of Fame with the likes of eschew and soundscape.

• Languid. "Showing little or no spirit or animation; listless." This definition is probably better for the context of most album reviews: "Lacking vigor or force; slow." Just about anything slow -- and that covers a large swath of indie rock -- gets the languid tag.

• Furtive. "Expressive of hidden motives or purposes; shifty." Synonyms that I hope a few critics will use: artful, calculating, cautious, circumspect, clandestine, cloaked, conspiratorial, covert, crafty, creep, cunning, disguised, elusive, evasive, foxy, guileful, hidden, hush-hush, insidious, masked, scheming, secret, shifty, skulking, slinking, sly, sneaking, sneaky, stealthy, sub-rosa, surreptitious, tricky, under wraps, under-the-table, undercover, underhand, underhanded, wily.

Posted by Glenn at 3:43 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

• Nepo: Demos.

Nepo mailed me a five-song CD of demos. No idea when I got it. Recently found it in my “to listen to” pile. The CD is in a slim jewel case with a homemade color sleeve. Kinda freaky looking, frankly. It looks budget – but it sounds very impressive. White funk meets indie rock. There's an amazing pop sensibility here, and a knack for a memorable hook, a percolating beat and a lyrical flair.

So I emailed the address on the CD sleeve to find out more. Here's the skinny: Nepo is a four-piece Brooklyn band that used to be called The O. Said the email response, "we ate, we shat, we listened to the Beatles, got assimilated by the Borg, and wrote music." You remember Self, who had a few albums out in the mid- to late-'90s? Nepo reminds me of Self. The band calls is "electrochestral weed pop." Good description.

Nepo is playing at the Lion's Den in the Village on Friday, July 29th. Set time is 8:45. There's a very good chance Coolfer will be there. Here's a download of a dizzying song.

Nepo: "The Humans"

• Aberdeen City: The Freezing Atlantic (Dovecote)

This Boston band travels in some pretty trafficked waters. Melody and dissonance. Blue lyrics woven into uplifting choruses. Lots of mid-'90s Radiohead on the iPod but everything comes out like the band shared a practice space with Elefant. Nothing new here, but music isn't all about pure innovation is it? It's nice to find a band that does what it does well.

Aberdeen City plays the Mercury Lounge on Monday the 25th. Here's an MP3 from the band's website:

Aberdeen City: "God is Going to Get Sick of Me"

Posted by Glenn at 9:17 AM | Link | Comment (2)
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"Typically, indie artists place a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, often releasing albums on their own independent record labels and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, and airplay on independent or college radio stations for promotion." -- excerpt from Wikipedia's entry on indie rock

What? No mention of rainbows and smiling unicorns? It's a nice picture full of integrity and ideals, but it's just not reality. It's not indie rock in the year 2005. Bands today sign away the rights and ownership of their master recordings to indie labels just as if they were a major label. Indie labels buy ads in the Village Voice and sometimes advertise -- at great expense -- in the Best Buy weekend circular. They hire consultants to get their indie bands on NPR and college radio. If they're lucky a station like KCRW or KEXP will play it and help them sell some records. Indie labels pay for Internet ad campaigns as well as tour support. And, yes, they're very concerned about making money.

And sometimes an indie band signs with a major...and becomes what? A major indie band?

Death Cab for Cutie, still referred to in most quarters as "indie rock," have an album coming out soon on Atlantic records. Wikipedia calls Death Cab an "indie rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington." They formed as an indie but are they still indie? The band is signed to Atlantic. That's the home of Led Zeppelin's catalog. Non-indie rawkers The Darkness are also on Atlantic. So is Staind, Jason Mraz and Matchbox Twenty.

Is it time for Wikipedia to change how it defines indie rock, or is it time for indie rock to go the way of Xerox and Hoover and become just another generic term? The days of zines and word-of-mouth are long, long over, folks. Indie is a business. And sometimes indie is major. (But major is never, ever indie.) Nowadays what sets apart indie is an opposition to mainstream corporate values and practices and how overt one is about making money. Majors answer to shareholders while indies answer to nobody -- or something like that.

Majors are majors because they have money. Money talks. It gets things done. It gets your foot in the door. In financial terms indie labels are relatively broke and majors are moneyed. Money is the main difference. Let's can indie rock and re-title it broke rock. Sounds funny at first, but I could get used to it.

Posted by Glenn at 9:36 AM | Link | Comment (16)
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Nothing like a good long list of statistics about music habits, eh? Coolfer loves it. In "The OMM Poll" The Guardian details its study done by ICM that sought to find out what Britain is listening to. It interviewed a random sample of 1,083 adults over the age of 16. The British Phonographic Institute already claims that the British are, per capita, the most avid music consumers in the world. ICM found out more, particularly how much habits change over age groups and compared the differences between the sexes. So is the RIAA going to commission a study for the U.S. or do we have to sponge off of the Brits' research?

The Overall: "While music holds a defining role in the lives of a majority of Britons aged 16-24 (52 per cent), the significance of music recedes rapidly as we enter our late twenties."

Age Differences: "Twenty-six per cent of those aged 16-24 like hip hop/rap the most while 22% prefer dance. However, the passing of time seems to erode the appeal of both these genres." Eight percent of Britons say the MP3 is the format of choice -- but that number rises to 22% for the 16-24 year old consumer.

His and Hers: "Men are more likely to amass huge, unwieldy collections and dream up elaborate cataloguing systems but they are not significantly more likely to describe themselves as passionate about music." "While women are just as likely as men to be passionate about music, men are more likely to amass large collections."

New Pastime: "Did you know that one in four Britons has attended a karaoke night within the last two years?"

Time: The average listener spends 11.5 per week listening to music. (Editor: Amazingly low. Knowing that, how many really need an iPod with over 5 GB storage?)

Live Music: 28% see live music 2-3 times a year, 17% see live music once every 2-3 months and 17% do once a month. A whopping 23% see live music less than once a year. "However, the ascendancy of gigs could soon be challenged by the growing popularity of karaoke nights."

Size of Music Collection: Average = 247 albums (all formats). 76% of all albums are of the CD format. 78% say the CD is their favorite format.

Thriller: Almost one in three Britons owns Michael Jackson's Thriller. His "popularity cuts across age and gender boundaries and transcends any sense of musical elitism or snobbery."

So to sum it up, men worry about the CD collections, interest in dance music fades with age and being younger means you're more likely to prefer MP3s over CDs. Trend of the future: Karaoke. Let's see if Clear Channel starts buying up karaoke bars in a self-defense mechanism.

Posted by Glenn at 9:21 AM | Link
|Music|

For those in the New York area there are two main events (Siren Festival, Femi Kuti/Brazilian Girls at Summerstage) and a video shoot this weekend. Here's the weather forecast.

Tomorrow is the free Siren Festival at Coney Island, the annual music concert organized by the Village Voice. As usual the event is heavily weighted on underground and up-and-coming rock bands -- many of them local.

This year's line-up is a good one. Here's Coolfer's day planner:

• Nine Black Alps at the Stillwell Stage at 1:30pm. Their new EP is OK. The full length is available as a pricey import and leaves a better impression of this NME-hyped band. My gut says the live show is better than the recordings. Stream "Attraction" from live radio session (WM hi, RA hi)
• Ambulance Ltd at the Main Stage at 2:00pm. If there's any young, local band that has the songwriting and talent to take over Yo La Tengo's crown for perrennial indie rock excellence it's this band. Another 15 years under the belt would naturally help.
• Diamond Nights at the Stillwell Stage at 4:30pm. This local band's Kemado debut, Once We Were Diamonds, recalls the best strains of '70s bell-bottomed rock and synthed-out '80s fun. Judging from the comments at a recent Stereogum post, the kids are hot to see this band. Download "Destination Diamonds."
• Dungen at the Main Stage at 5:00pm. I heard good things from a friend who saw them in San Francisco last week. Hope those technical difficulties are gone by now.
• Brendan Benson at the Main Stage at 6:00pm. The reigning King of Minor Key Power Pop. Stream "Spit It Out" (WM hi or lo)
• Spoon at the Main Stage at 7:30pm. If I'm still standing I'll stick around for indie demigods Spoon. Coolfer was never the biggest fan and could practically get kicked out of the bloggosphere for not proclaiming my undying love for the band, but I'm sure it will be the money I paid to see them. Download "I Turn My Camera On."

If you don't feel like trekking down to Coney Island you can join Jessie Diamond and The Thousand for a video shoot at Trash Bar in Williamsburg. The '80s revival starts goes from 1pm to 4pm and "copious amounts of free beer" will be provided.

On Sunday there's a great show at Central Park's Summerstage. New York's Brazilian Girls will open for Femi Kuti at a concert to celebrate Giant Step's 15th anniversary. Not to be missed. Show starts at 3pm.

Posted by Glenn at 3:22 PM | Link | Comment (6)
|Music|

The new Sufjan Stevens album calls to mind Vice President Dan Quayle's spelling controversy in the '80s. Potato vs. potatoe. I'll ask the same thing Danny Boy asked...so does it have an E or what?!

For the last week or so I've wondered why there are two spellings of the new Sufjan Stevens album, Illinoise. Or maybe it's Illinois. The album cover spells it one way, with an E. Many others spell it another way.

The label that's putting out the album, Asthmatic Kitty, drops the E. Illinois. The label should be the final say on a matter. They should know, right? They set the standards, they say how albums are spelled and how to pronounce the names of their artists. (The pronunciation variations of Sufjan would have to be a completely different post. There's one for every man, woman and child in the country. Luckily the Asthmatic Kitty site answers this one for us at the info page.)

Retailers are split. Other Music spells it just as the album cover spells it: Illinoise. With an E. Insound drops the E. Amazon spells the domestic with an E and the import without an E. Barnes And Noble drops the E as well. iTunes omits the E.

The press is just as split as the rest of the country. Pitchfork dropped the E in its review. The New York Times' review spelled it with an E. The Guardian's review had an E as well. So did Filter's review.

And in the ultimate popularity contest, Google Fight results for "sufjan illinois" and "sufjan illinoise" put the 'No E' version ahead 152,000 to 40,400.

Posted by Glenn at 9:01 AM | Link | Comment (7)
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A few months ago I was in a store talking to a friend who worked in the music department. A customer came to the register so I walked over to the bins to keep myself busy until he was free. He called for me and motioned for me to come over to him. He stood next to a woman probably around 60 years old. "You may be able to help us out," he told me. The woman looked at me and asked in a slightly timid voice, "What's grime?"

It was then I knew that grime had officially arrived.

With Lady Sovereign's debut New York City gig coming next week, and with this style of music on the cusp of semipopularity in the States, Coolfer thinks it's a good time to revisit the history and state of grime before journalists in more mainstream outlets start writing about it and flubbing the details.

What is grime? Wikipedia's grime entry says it is "roots in both hip hop and electronic music and is characterised by rapid and rhythmic rhyming over sparse break beats, futuristic bleeps and guttural bass growls" and adds that it is also known as "sublow, 8bar or eskibeat." Rephlex calls it sublow and dubstep.

World Wide Words, a website about "international English from a British point of view," called grime "a black British dance genre which is emerging from the London club scene and raves via pirate radio and bootleg vinyl discs."

In July of last year the Independent defined grime as "the new underground dance genre descended from UK garage" and noted that Shystie was the first grime star to sign to a major label.

British hip hop was rarely considered hip hop and is usually bannished to the electronic sections of record stores and album charts. Grime isn't an attempt to emulate American hip hop -- which is why it sounds so interesting and fresh. It's a style of music unique to Britain, said The Guardian. "Combining the ear-crashing instrumentation of garage with the crime-riddled rhymes of rap, the sound creeping cautiously from the bowels of the underground is refreshingly and uniquely British."

Helpful links:

• Chantelle Fiddy's World of Grime
• Stylus on grime in September of 2004: "10 grime tracks that you should own."
• Pitchfork posted a grime primer in March of 2005.
• The BBC on grime.
• Sasha Frere-Jones on grime for the New Yorker, with mentions of Dizzee Rascal and Lady Sovereign.
• Boom Selection has a lot of grime MP3s

Posted by Glenn at 7:41 AM | Link
|Music|

• The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan (V2)
• Brazilian Girls: Brazilian Girls (Verve Forecast)
• Kings of Leon: Aha Shake Heartbreak (RCA)
• Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice)
• Bona Roba: Reach In And Get Her (Self-Released)

Without a doubt the first half of 2005 is one of the least impressive in recent memory. My favorite albums are usually released on small labels. Not so this year. My five favorite albums of the first half of the year are on larger labels than in a typical year, and those titles that didn't make this list were more heavily weighted toward the majors that usual. What does this say about the state of independent music?

Recall my post about the next wave of rock in which I bemoaned indie rock's spiral into self-perpetuating blandness. I get the feeling sounding "indie" is more important that writing and recording good, interesting songs. It could be a defense mechanism engaged to separate the underground from the mainstream -- though these days, with the help of the Internet and movie sountracks, the underground has never been more mainstream.

The same can be said for all types of indie music. Rare is a six-month period in which I don't run across an electronic album or two that I really love. Not this year. Are bands and labels are stuck in a rut? Are they too often being outshined by larger labels? It's no surprise that two of my most-listened-to albums of the year are straight up rock records -- Kings of Leon and Bona Roba -- have nothing to do with indie rock.

Compilations and reiusses won't make my list (only new albums) but I'd like to mention Various: Golden Afrique Vol. 1 on Network. It's a great two-CD collection of African pop from the early '70s to the mid-'80s.

Posted by Glenn at 12:03 PM | Link | Comment (9)
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Since the dawn of time, musicians long to be athletes and athletes dream of being musicians. With over 30,000 albums released in the U.S. every year, and only a few thousand professional athletes in the big four sports, the easier of the two is to be a wealthy athlete and record and release an album (although Master P did go against the odds and play some semi-pro basketball and tried out for the Denver Nuggets).

The lastest in a long line of mostly embarassing albums by professional athletes is the predictably punny Covering the Bases by Boston Red Sox pitcher Carlos Arroyo. It will be released on July 12th via Arroyo's own label and the help of Asylum Records (which is distributed by WEA). The album's roster includes Mike Inez (Alice in Chains) and was produced by Loren Harriet, who also produced the smooth jazz album by Yankees slugger Bernie Williams. (That album actually sold pretty well and got good reviews.)

Covering the Bases may not be another 2 Much Drama (hoops player Chris Webber's album) or boxer Oscar De La Hoya's self-titled flop. And it's already doing better than Kobe Bryant's and Allen Iverson's albums -- those never even say the light of day. In sports lingo, it could have some upside. Covering the Bases is currently has a #165 sales rank at Amazon.com. Either there's a legitimate demand for this album or the Red Sox are following Prince's lead and bundling CDs with ticket purchases.

Posted by Glenn at 9:45 AM | Link | Comment (8)
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Mid-2005 sees three albums by veteran musicians who first rose to fame with roaring guitars. Now they embrace electronic textures -- some are knee-deep in electonica, one peppers his latest music with it. It's only slightly ironic that these accomplished musicians have pursued electronic textures as the guitar -- in all of rock's manifestations, especially heavy metal -- is in the midst of a genuine comeback. They've been there and done that. The computer is the next frontier and a most personal of instruments. It's perfect for the seasoned musician with new interests. But does it work?

More after the money click...

Continue reading "Rock Veterans Go Electronic. Does It Work?" »

Posted by Glenn at 10:13 AM | Link | Comment (4)
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Bakari Kitwana, who has a new book out titled Why White Kids Love Hip Hop, got this week's Village Voice cover story, "The Cotton Club" (a reference to the white crowds watching black musicians).

"And whereas a decade ago artists consistently banged out social commentary with mass appeal, today the closest equivalents are Kanye West, Common, and the Roots, whose stance on wax focuses more on aesthetics than resistance -- closer to A Tribe Called Quest, say, than to Public Enemy. PE's more direct lyrical descendants have been ghettoized in the underground, with high-end sales in the 25,000-to-50,000 range over months or years, rather than weeks."

Posted by Glenn at 7:46 AM | Link | Comment (1)
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Ying Yang Twins have an album coming next week. The snipes are up in New York. Is the country -- or New York -- ready for more Atlanta? Check the Ying Yang Twins at MySpace. Stream new music there...or find it most anywhere in New York City. Stores love to break street date, and after all one in three CDs is pirated.

Posted by Glenn at 11:00 AM | Link
|Music|

Hip hop magazine XXL's July issue is dubbed "The Jail Issue" for its many articles on jailed rappers. Though some show little remorse in the few paragraphs they were given, the issue is far from the kind of glorification that is often levelled at hip hop for its perceived glorification of incarcerated rappers. The piece "Straight Path" from the online edition has the writings of guys like C-Murder and Pimp C -- the print version is much fuller and gives a better more cautionary tale.

That's 50 Cent and Tony Yayo on the cover. (On the back cover Yayo's handcuffs have been cut by 50's bolt cutters.) Yayo was released from prison last year and his G-Unit album will be out shortly. Peter Rubin wrote "What I Gotta Do," an article about Yayo.

Extra credit:

• "Jail Is No Sale For Rap Artists" at RapNews.Net. "With the exception of arguably rap's greatest artist — Tupac Shakur — most rappers who have done significant time have been unable to sustain their careers or revive them after being released."
• "The Hip-Hop Generation" By Rev. Al Sharpton. "(Rappers) spew hedonism, misogyny, and self-hate. They glorify the prison culture, the pimp culture, and drug culture. ... Not only is this message immoral, but it is also flawed. It's a lie."

Posted by Glenn at 11:30 AM | Link
|Music|

Missy Elliot's The Cookbook, out July 5th, can be preordered now at iTunes. The bonus is that a pre-order comes with a music video for the song "Lose Control." Well, if you really care about videos then it's a bonus. Sure beats the digital booklet that comes with the Bo Bice single. Woo hoo.

iTunes has a single recorded by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, recorded as a benefit for the Free Aung San Suu Kyi 60th Birthday Campaign. The single "Unplayed Piano" is available exclusively at iTunes. All artists' royalties from the sales of this record will go to supporting the US Campaign for Burma.

eMusic has more indie rock. It has added the latest album, Face the Truth, by former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus. Also now part of the eMusic indie music library are Belle and Sebastian's Push Barman To Open Old Wounds and A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC.

Posted by Glenn at 9:30 AM | Link | Comment (10)
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When a singer compares an upcoming album to a fruit fans can be assured that good things are in store. Right? The Strokes' Julian Casablancas told Rolling Stone Dot Com the band's upcoming album, due out in February, is "like a seedless watermelon -- I like it."

Among the tidbits given about the as-yet-untitled album's 14 songs is the "starkly beautiful" song "Ask Me Anything." The song came to Casablancas in a dream and has only vocals and Mellotron.

Although there was a little snickering about the melon metaphor at the band website message board thread about the article, most fans seem excited.

Other rock mentions of fruit:

• Led Zeppelin's song "Tangerine"
• The Flaming Lips: A mention of a tangerine in "She Don't Use Jelly" and the song "Kim's Got A Watermelon Gun."
• Moby Grape and Black Grape.
• Banarama
• Apples in Stereo, XTC's Apple Venus Volume 1 and Apple Venus and Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2.
• The Orange Peels, Oranger, XTC's Oranges & Lemons.

Posted by Glenn at 12:35 PM | Link | Comment (8)
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In an unintended effort to further devalue digital music, MSN Music has bumped up the ad dollars on its "Buy One Get Five Free" campaign to lure customers to its rather boring but completely functional music store. MSN is positioning itself as an alternative to iTunes in hopes of cashing in on the not-yet-material anti-Apple faction. This picture is of an ad on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. Coolfer has noticed quite a few of them.

WebProNews mentioned the marketing campaign last week. The article says wall ads, billboards, subway ads and bus stop ads will be part of the campaign in larger urban centers.

In related news, The Bravery's self-titled is holding steady at about 10k a week. Hipster backlash rocked the band upon the release of their album, and the press looks -- rightly so -- far more concerned with critiquing the merits of Coldplay than pushing the Bravery's promotional bandwagon any further.

What next? Here comes MSN Music to the rescue. That'll help. A little. Maybe. OK, it's not going to make any difference. Does anyone actually buy music from MSN yet?

Posted by Glenn at 1:40 PM | Link | Comment (3)
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Poor ol' Bob Geldof has been getting a lot of grief over the Live 8 concerts he is organizing to raise awareness for Africa's plight. Though he set out to do good work, there have been complaints at every turn. Critics wasted little time pointing out how much white skin is on the line-ups. The Independent wrote of the controversy and says anarchist groups that have protested at previous G8 conferences and "are planning similar disruptions in Scotland and plan to hijack Geldof's 'long march to freedom' on 6 July and the Make Poverty History rally on 2 July."

Then Geldof got a heap of heat for inviting the Pope. Not that the National Secular Society is a force to be reckoned with. It must be pretty easy to get Yahoo! UK & Ireland to bite on a scoop.

Even Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) spoke out against the "Anglo-Saxon" Live 8 concerts. "Is this the most effective way to help Africa?" he asked. Albarn, who traveled to Mali and released an excellent album, Mali Music, that resulted from the trip, believes Africans should be invited to the party. "It's insensitive and it also perpetuates this idea that Africa is separated in some way." Coolfer agrees with Albarn. Africa should be the guest of honor at these concerts. Invite whatever names will sell the tickets, but don't miss the opportunity to introduce Westeners to African music.

The NY Times' Kelefah Sanneh wrote about the G8 shows in the context of the bands that use big beneifts for personal gain perform at these types of events and how they can use it to either solidify their megagstar status or use it as a career springboard. The big shows, he says, gain status from the big names on the bill, and the bands on the bill gain in status from being on the bill. "For a group like Coldplay, which is not-so-secretly campaigning to succeed (that is, replace) U2 as the world's leading purveyor of stadium-friendly earnestness, a slot on the London stage can help advance two causes at once." Until Chris Martin tours Africa with a Secretary of the Treasury, Bono's band has the edge.

Who would Coolfer ask to join the concerts? Read on...

Continue reading "Geldof: The Good Samaritan Takes A Beating" »

Posted by Glenn at 1:34 PM | Link | Comment (1)
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• Tori Amos recorded a special live Exclusive Sessions for iTunes that is now available. It has four songs: "Sleeps With Butterflies," "The Power of Orange Knickers," "Seaside" and "Crazy."

• Backstreet Boys fan? Just curious? Guilty pleasure? iTunes has a Never Gone album sampler and it's free of charge. Judging from the clips it sounds like the Boys' songwriting team has been more than a little absorbed in the slower songs of Hoobastank.

• About a year and a half ago I saw a band from Iceland in a small club at Southpaw in Brooklyn. Tenderfoot (pictured) played stripped down, beautiful music like Sigor Ros infused with a folk mindset. The band looks to have changed its name to Without Gravity for Stateside purposes -- as far as I can tell -- and its One Little Indian debut, Tenderfoot, is now available at iTunes as a special pre-release exclusive. (At the band's website it says Tenderfoot's album is titled Without Gravity.) Highly recommended for fans of Radiohead's softer songs, (a less acrobatic) Jeff Buckley and Sigur Ros.

• Rhapsody has added Anniemal by Norweigian pop singer Annie. If you've read a music blog in the last four months, you know the name. The Gorillaz have a Rhapsody radio station. First click got me their song "El Manana." Second song was Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir." Third song was Primal Scream's blistering "Accelerator." The fourth song made me laugh: Blur's "Song 2." Still, it's better than most bands' radio stations.

• eMusic has added the new album by Scottish power pop favorites Teenage Fanclub. Man-Made is the band's first album for Merge and Coolfer will definitely use my $10-for-40 songs subscription to get it.

• Bleep.com recently added Ghetto Pop Life by DM & Jemini. The DM stands for Danger Mouse, the now-famous DJ/producer who made his name with the controversy surrounding his bootleg remix, The Gray Album. Ghetto Pop Life was released before the hoolpa.

Posted by Glenn at 5:06 PM | Link | Comment (1)
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Here we go. Tomorrow is a big day. Coldplay's X&Y has enjoyed the kind of set-up reserved for only those rock bands that are among the world's most popular. Critics and reporters of all walks have kept the band in the news by writing of its Amazon UK preorder record, the band's spat with EMI and more than a few mentions of a certain celebrity wife.

Coldplay is a shoe-in to be the week's biggest seller and top debut, but there are quite a few titles that would normally debut at #1 in any other week. It brings up an important question: Will consumers spend more on music or will each title be in competition for a fixed number of entertainment dollars? Coolfer imagines that a few of these titles will be so big that they'll generate a great deal of foot traffic and other new releases will benefit. There aren't very many titles that have that kind of impact, but albums by Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas and The White Stripes should mobilize music buyers and have a positive trickle down effect.

Here are some of tomorrow's new releases:

• Coldplay: X&Y (Capitol)
• Black Eyed Peas: Monkey Business (A&M/Interscope)
• White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan (V2)
• Boyz N Da Hood: Boyz N Da Hood (Atlantic)
• Shakira: Fijacion Oral 1 (Epic)
• Dream Theater: Octavarium (Atlantic)
• Kelly Osbourne: Sleeping in the Nothing (Sanctuary)
• Antony & the Johnsons: Hope There's Someone EP (Secretly Canadian)
• Avenged Sevenfold: City of Evil (Warner Bros.)
• Black Mountain: Druganaut EP (Secretly Canadian)
• Terence Blanchard: Flow (Blue Note)
• Sarah Blasko: The Overture and the Underscore (Low Altitude)
• Paul Anka: Rock Swings (Verve)
• Blue Highway: Marbletown (Rounder)
• Bullet Train to Vegas: We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are (Nitro)
• C-Murder: The Truest S$#! I Ever Said (Koch)
• Beth Nielsen Chapman: Look (Compass)
• The Aquabats: Charge!! (Nitro)
• Motion City Soundtrack: Commit This to Memory (Epitaph)
• Seal: Live in Paris (Warner Bros.)
• Courtney Jaye: Traveling Light (Island)
• Death By Stereo: Death for Life (Epitaph)
• Clumsy Lovers: Smart Kid (Nettwerk)
• Danny Cohen: We're All Gunna Die (Epitaph)
• Tinsley Ellis: Live! Highwayman (Alligator)
• Finch: Say Hello to Sunshine (Geffen)
• Billy Gibson Band: The Billy Gibson Band (Inside Sounds)
• Turin Brakes: JackInABox (Astralwerks)
• Gomez: Out West (ATO)
• Teenage Fanclub: Man-Made (Merge)
• Goon Moon: I Got a Brand New Egg Layin' Machine (Touch and Go)
• Corey Harris: Daily Bread (Rounder)
• Missy Higgins: The Sound of White (Reprise)
• Various: Punk-O-Rama 10 (Epitaph)
• Kraftwerk: Minimum Maximum (Astralwerks)
• Ute Lemper: Blood & Feathers - Live at Cafe Carlyle (Koch)
• The Mae Shi: Heartbeeps EP (5 Rue Christine)
• John Scofield: That's What I Say (Verve)
• Graham Parker: Songs of No Consequence (Bloodshot)
• Phosphorescent: Aw Come Aw Wry (Misra)
• The Planet The: You Absorb My Vision (Kill Rock Stars)
• Xavier: Rudd Solace (Universal)
• Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus: Soundtrack (V2)
• Say Hi to Your Mom: Ferocious Mopes (Euphobia)
• Lee Ritenour: OverTime (Peak)
• Slow Dazzle: The View from the Floor (Misra)
• The Spinto Band: Nice and Nicely Done (Bar/None)
• Ringo Starr: Choose Love (Koch)
• Various: Beatles ReGrooved (Koch)
• Buckwheat Zydeco: Jackpot! (Tomorrow)
• Various: Telluride Bluegrass Festival: Thirty Years (Rounder)
• Robert F. Williams: Self Defense, Self Respect and Self Determination (Alternative Tentacles)

Posted by Glenn at 11:03 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Just a week and a few days after Coolfer posted about the next wave of rock and made mention of NYC's The Fame, the New York Press put the band on the cover and dedicated 2,496 words to the unsigned band in the article "Keep The Money, We'll Take The Fame."

J.R. Taylor dissed the current wave of NYC bands while lauding The Fame's embrace of Midwest rock and roll. While Taylor too quickly dismisses the good bands rather than the legions of bands riding their coattails, the point is well taken.

"Their Get on the Beat EP is a masterful parody/homage of those heady Midwest rock days, perfectly duplicating the look of major-label product that wanted to be modern yet not too punky for the Bloomington scene. ... That would be in contrast to the usual embarrassments: the Strokes, the Bravery (again), Interpol and all of the other dopey poseurs who haven't figured out that it's only okay to be derivative if you're also an improvement."

This article comes just as Gothamist announced the line-up of its next Movable Hype show at the Knitting Factory on Monday, June 20th. The Fame will join a few other bands and DJ Nick Catchdubs.

On a related note, another band mentioned in the same Coolfer post, Diamond Nights, was championed by Alec Hanley Bemis in an LA Weekly piece titled "The Psychic Hipster's Pop 10." "Diamond Nights combine cheesy keys, cock-rock guitar and 'emotional' falsetto vox -- and the results don’t suck!"

(Art from the NY Press by Danny Hellman)

Posted by Glenn at 1:40 PM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

The Killers are planning a 25-minute "movie" based on a murder story, reports Billboard Dot Com. Said drummer Ronnie Vanucci, "We want to make a movie -- not so much a music video -- based on three songs to be played on MTV." It will be the band's "Thriller," he said.

The three songs in the movie will be "Midnight Show," "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" and the unreleased "Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf." Perhaps this 25-minute epic video will launch Hot Fuss into another stratosphere just as "Thriller" did for the album Thriller. Or maybe not. With MTV showing about three videos a day, this has the feel of a straight-to-DVD video. Coolfer smells a re-release of Hot Fuss coming. A DualDisc? A bonus DVD?

The band is oddly stuck on the murder theme lately. The song "Where Is She?" about a murdered Scottish teenager sparked controvery in Scotland and around the U.K. Singer Brandon Flowers issued a statement to the Sunday Herald and said "I came across kind of badly ... I'd hate to cause offense or further hurt because of it." And thus there's another murder-inspired project for the band. Naturally.

Posted by Glenn at 3:42 PM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

Predicting a hit song has always required a lot of guesswork and a little luck. Will the song stike a chord with radio listeners? Will it fit with current tastes and trends? A HealthDay article talks to researchers who analyzed almost 50 years of #1 singles and found that in bad times people want meaningful, comforting music and in good times listeners aren't as interested in deeper issues.

"In their current study, Pettijohn and student co-researcher Donald Sacco also found that in hard times Americans appear drawn to vocalists or groups with physical characteristics linked to maturity — features such as strong chins and smaller eyes. In relatively good times, however, wide-eyed pop stars such as Mariah Carey or Beyonce Knowles rule."

That helps explain the fluke popularity of "Macarena" in the boom times of 1996. (Never has political and ecomonic stability in the world been so undesirable. If there's another song like that on the way, I vote for worldwide chaos and anxiety.)

So will see industry executives and A&R reps combing future economic and political indicators for a glimpse into the country's coming mood? Combine those forecasts with Hit Song Science, a way of testing a song's hit potential using the mathematical characteristics of the music, and you've got market domination.

Next study: Searching for a link between consumer confidence and "American Idol" voting. Please, somebody do this study.

Posted by Glenn at 12:40 PM | Link
|Music|

Rock and country will get a boost tonight. You can't wait, can you?

Posted by Glenn at 1:31 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

After I had pretty much finished writing this post a friend told me about the "Rebel With a 401(k)" article that ran Thursday in the NY Post. It focused on some comments by the head of a local record label and a recent article by the Columbia Spectator. In it, FoC and Vice Recordings GM Adam Shore bemoaned the current "indie-yuppie establishment" and asserted that much of today's popular indie music -- he singled out The Postal Service, the Arcade Fire and the Shins -- is "comfy music." (Then it recapped the "You Might Be An Indie-Yuppie" contest at Stereogum.

The timing couldn't have been better. The other night I saw Built to Spill. Now, I can't argue with the legend of BTS. They're a great band. But...it didn't do it for me. It had been five or so years since I had last seen them. What happened during that span? Was it a different band or was I a different person? I had the same feeling the last time I saw Death Cab For Cutie, after a span of five or so years had passed since I last saw them. Just like with Built to Spill, it did absolutely nothing for me.

The best I can sum it up is this: Indie rock has become too self-aware, too predictable, too safe, too self-perpetuating. As its popularity has risen its sound has become a mirror of a mirror of itself, the result of the indie scene's exclusionary, cliquish mentality. At that BTS show, it was as if rock had been stripped of its energy, sexuality and stagemanship. To my ears and eyes, the extreme highs and lows of rock music had been clipped -- I was seeing and hearing a narrow channel in the middle of rock's spectrum.

Over the last few weeks, I've had the feeling that rock is back. Not rock in the white trash chic of Vice magazine or ironic trucket hat flirtations with middle class rock culture. (Drinking Pabst from a can doesn't mean you're into rock.) No, I mean rock as opposed to indie rock. There's a crop of bands that have skipped Joy Division Mach II, probably find The Strokes to be too staid and never picked up on Nick Drake when Volkswagen made him famous.

This next wave is bringing back such diverse and until now relatively untapped sounds as Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak, Rick Springfield's Working Class Dog, Pat Benatar's Crimes of Passion, Damn The Torpedos-era Tom Petty and even old Iron Maiden -- in addition to the usual rock standards like the Stones the Stooges.

Labels are edging -- one could even say hedging -- toward this kind of rock as well. Razor & Tie (yes, the label that has a bursting bank account thanks to the Kidz Bop series) has signed two NYC rawk bands, Danko Jones and The Giraffes. Matador signed neo-metal band Early Man. Kemado released an EP by Diamond Nights. TVT signed LA glam rawkers Tsar. Majors will follow suit. No doubt. Kings of Leon have been doing well with their modernization of classic rock. I think majors will go back to their "core values" in this year and the next (as soon as they get tired of trying to find the next Killers). If Kings of Leon become huge, you can bet majors will bring up the ranks similar bands.

So who will represent this new wave? Hard to say who -- if anybody -- will emerge from the underground, but here are a few bands that have caught my attention for one reason or another.

• Diamond Nights (pictured) just released an EP on Kemado Records. I haven't heard the EP but I'm told for every Thin Lizzy moment they have a Loverboy moment. The song I downloaded and have played quite a few times, "Destination Diamonds," is one of the band's Thin Lizzy moments.

• Last week I finally got around to seeing The Fame. This four-piece is a shot of early '80s album rock radio. Rick Springfield was one of the first that came to mind. They did a nice cover of Devo's "Girl U Want" that kept the punchy riff but threw a nice pop spin on the song.

• Bona Roba is a band that I've heard great things about but haven't mananged to see yet. Four guys from the Bronx who like to rawk. The songs on their website are impressive. I'd like to hear more. Friends tell me they're great.

• Tsar will have an album out on TVT next month. You may have seen them playing "Band-Girls-Money" on a Nestle Crunch commercial. They're not in an '80s or classic rock vein like some others I've mentioned, but they're certainly a band that stands apart from any of the current trends in rock music.

• A friend told me about Jessie Diamond last week. A few years ago I couldn't have imagined much attention being paid to a spandex-clad siren who sings like Pat Benatar. In May of 2005 it's not such a stretch.

Playlist:

• Diamond Nights: "Destination Diamonds"
• The Fame: "Lost In You"
• Bona Roba: "The Slip" and "Cunningham Park"
• Jessie Diamond: "American Hero"
• Danko Jones: "I Want You"
• The Giraffes: "Having Fun"

Posted by Glenn at 1:29 PM | Link | Comment (15)
|Music||New York City|

Might be a tad too early to call it a comeback, but having a single at #5 on iTunes a full month before the album streets isn't too shabby. The Backstreet Boys are -- for better or worse -- back. Never Gone (Jive) will hit on June 14th.

In their time off the Boys (their songwriters, rather) have listened to a lot of Coldplay. "Incomplete" borrows heavily from the the Brit pop mainstay's catalog -- at least in the beginning of the song. After the bombastic drums and guitars kick in, the song enters the unfortunate realm of the mid-'90s power ballad.

Check the Chart Watch section of the group's website. At time of writing (which wasn't today) "Incomplete" is at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100, #17 on the Billboard Hot Digital Tracks chart and #1 at AOL's Most Played list.

Update: Rolling Stone Dot Com calls it a "comeback."

More on the Backstreet Boys:

• MTV News on the band's new album: "Besides first single "Incomplete," the boy band is including songs written and produced by Max Martin, Billy Mann, Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik and John Shanks."
• American Idol covers boost sales, says Chart Attack. "Even The Backstreet Boys are enjoying similar success. Sales of their single, 'Incomplete,' increased when Anthony Federov sang it on the show."

Posted by Glenn at 11:02 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Yesterday I heard a cover of Badfinger's "No Matter What" and didn't have any idea who it was. It surely wasn't Jellyfish, who used to play the song live. (A version is on the band's box set on Not Lame Records.) It sounded big, very polished and very well done. It's a staight-up cover, no tricks.

Who's covering this classic power pop song? I asked a friend and his answer blew me away: Def Leppard. The band released Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection on Tuesday and "No Matter What" is one of the two new songs -- the other is a Def Leppard original.

Give it a listen at Rhapsody or iTunes. (I'd have a Yahoo Music link if the service was being more cooperative this morning.)

Posted by Glenn at 9:59 AM | Link
|Music|

Coldplay has never received much praise for being the most original band on the planet. They take what others have already done and tweak it slightly. (They've built a good mouse trap, just not a new mouse trap) In a similar fashion, Coldplay's Chris Martin wasn't very original when he lashed out at EMI, the band's home. Linkin Park, ever the foreward-thinking band, had already made headlines by ripping Warner Music Group's financial moves. He didn't exactly echo Linkin Park's criticisms. He took what came before him and tweaked it slightly.

Said Martin of the system of shareholders and public coporate ownership, "I think shareholders are the great evil of this modern world." (Martin didn't say explicitly which shareholders were the evil ones. Does he mean the millions of Americans who invest in corporate stocks through pension plans, 401(k) plans and Roth IRAs, or is he referring to all the other evil shareholders?)

"It's very strange for us that we spent 18 months in the studio just trying to make songs that make us feel a certain way and then suddenly become part of this corporate machine," he said of the delayed upcoming album, X&Y. Coolfer assumes he took some blame within EMI for its lowered profits last quarter. Album delays by Coldplay and Gorillaz meant two sure-hit albums would land on the next quarter's income statement. Investors slapped EMI's hand accordingly.

More...

Continue reading "Coldplay Hops on Anti-Corporate Bandwagon" »

Posted by Glenn at 8:43 AM | Link | Comment (6)
|Music|

If I were Warner Music Group BMOC Edgar Bronfman and I had a band like World Leader Pretend waiting in the wings, I just might tell Linkin Park to shove it, too. (He's got Metallica as well -- the other world's biggest rock band.)

Coolfer saw the New Orleans band at the not-so-dreaded Mercury Lounge last night. Interest had been piqued by early demos and a promising four-song EP and I expected a good show. And I got a very, very good show. Singer Keith Ferguson, pretty much the focal point of the band, performs with a wunderkind's ease that combines talent and honesty in a way New York audiences don't get to see very often.

And their songs...such a rare, effortless flair for memorable songwriting. Their ability to match a simple piano riff with a incisive lyrical hook is too much of a rarity these days.

Keep reading...

Continue reading "Bronfman Has A Ringer" »

Posted by Glenn at 2:08 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

I pass a Starbucks nearly every day. A deli on 6th Ave -- a high-turnover location in recent years -- had just gone out of business and a Starbucks quietly arrived seeminly overnight. Out of curiosity -- I don't drink coffee and probably wouldn't drink Starbucks if I did drink coffee -- I turned into the Starbucks yesterday to see what CDs is was selling.

Three. Three CDs. That's it. One was Antigone Rising. One was Dave Matthews Band's new CD. The other slips my mind.

Starbucks doesn't stock many CDs. It's very picky. No matter what, there are thousands of titles that it cannot and will not place near the register. There isn't enough room, and they're not a music retailer with rows of bins to hold a few thousand pieces of product.

So when I read articles like "Starbucks' refusal to sell Springsteen leaves a bad taste" at My San Antonio, I wonder why any journalist thinks Starbucks has an obligation to carry any one CD. Robert Seltzer is one who is particularly disturbed by Starbuck's decision to not carry Springsteen's new CD. (Subscription required, so I'll quote liberally.)

"When businesses start restricting the products they offer because of inappropriate content, the floodgates open, with the potential for broad interpretations of what is inappropriate — interpretations based on culture, ideology or religion. The ramifications are chilling. But there is another reason to be disturbed by the Starbucks decision. Springsteen is not some smarmy pornographer, leering over every lyric. He is an artist, a man of almost ironclad integrity. And the song, while graphic and uncompromising, carries a message that even the most conservative red-stater would embrace — the sex, far from being an exhilarating rush toward ecstasy, is sad and hollow, an empty experience for someone familiar with real love."

Seltzer confuses the issue. With a retailers like Wal-Mart he has a better (but still failed) argument. With Starbucks he's just plain off. It's not only a content issue. It's much more a space issue. If a store has room to stock only three titles, what company would opt to choose one that is potentially offending to its customers? There's nothing "chilling" about a company with limited square feet that controls its inventory in a way that protects its carefully calculated image and store environment. It's no different that a newspaper in San Antonio deciding which news it will and will not print. It has only so many pages. Something's going to get left out.

Companies have a right to "ban" works of art, he wrote. (Poor choice of words. A company's refusal to carry a product does not necessarily constitute a ban.) "The issue is whether they are right to exercise the right." The answer is yes. A company has the right to excercise the right -- especially if that company carries only three CDs at a time.

Posted by Glenn at 6:48 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

Coolfer has been pushing Feist since I got my hands on an advance of the Canadian release. Not once, unlike this Barnes & Noble blurb, did I mention Astrud Gilberto or Norah Jones. And there's a good reason for it: The album has too little in common Astrud Gilberto or Norah Jones. All three are women, and Astrud and Norah have more in common with Feist than they do with Wendy O. Williams, but that's about it.

By the way, I'm not cringing because I don't like the two. I love Astrud and I'm definitely down with Norah. The cringe comes from the pedestrian dot-com music editorial. This is what happens when a musician isn't so easy to peg, and I suppose selling Feist to a B&N crowd necessitates a certain mainstream lexicon. Maybe Feist's record label bio mentions those two. It's possible -- I haven't seen it. (Best way to get certain artists name-dropped in reviews: Mention them in the bio. Many writers aren't nearly as original as they'd like you to believe.)

More on Feist today at Information Leafblower.

Posted by Glenn at 3:04 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

Everybody's talking about the Rolling Stones' brief set outside NYC's Lincoln Center that coincided with their press conference. What was most interesting was how it was covered and how writers chose to describe 61-year-old singer Mick Jagger. Not looking or acting like a man nearing a lifetime Denny's discount is something worth noting.

Rolling Stone noted Jagger's "surprisingly pumped-up biceps." The NY Times focused on Jagger's "still rail-thin stomach." Reuters called Jagger "wiry." The Associated Press could only muster a tame "sixtysomething" for its adjective. Yawn.

True to its typical businesslike fashion, Billboard devoted much of its article to such unglamorous aspects of the tour such as the line-up and past tours' ticket sales. So sexy.

Also, Gothamist on the live show.

Posted by Glenn at 11:12 AM | Link
|Music|

MySpace is the new...uh, not Friendster, not MP3.com, not GarageBand. It's outdoing any other means bands previously had to connect and interact with fans.

Weezer is on the bandwagon. Starting today, their new album Make Believe (Geffen, out next Tuesday) can be streamed from the band's MySpace page. You can listen until May 10th.

Posted by Glenn at 9:10 AM | Link
|Music|

When Coolfer started a few years ago, it was every New York City music blog's duty to fill a quota for The Strokes. If you didn't blog about The Strokes, you weren't hip to the scene. It was The Strokes here and The Strokes there and The Strokes everywhere. Then came Interpol. Then came Franz Ferdinand. Then came the Killers. The Strokes, in blog years, are practically senior citizens.

I haven't exactly filled my Strokes quota lately, and to do so I'd like to use this article at the Guardian, "Like Father, Like Son." Alexis Petridis interviewed Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr and his father, noted songwriter Albert Hammond, Sr. The son is helping his father promote a new record, and it makes for good reading. A sample:

"The two of them make an intriguing study in contrasts. You suspect it has less to do with a difference in personality than the way the music industry and media have changed in the past 30 years. Hammond Sr is charming in a very old-school showbiz way, and clearly enjoys spinning a yarn. 'They used to call me the Number One Kid in the 60s,' he reminisces. 'I used to walk into George Martin's office, throw my latest demo on his desk and go, "This is the next number one."' He is also not above the occasional paternal indiscretion: his biography mentions that prior to discovering rock music, his son was a champion roller skater. 'It's weird it hasn't come out sooner,' groans Hammond Jr. 'The weird thing is, I used to skate in front of, like, 5,000 people and I was never nervous, but the first time I got on stage, there were four people there and I vomited.'"

Posted by Glenn at 1:38 PM | Link
|Music|

The Eels' new album, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (pictured), brings to life the debate about the length of an album. The Foo Fighters may encourage the same debate when they release the two-CD, 20-song In Your Honor in June.

What's too long? What's just enough? At what point does the album get bogged down? Does is matter?

At 33 songs, Theme is an album that is hard to digest for anyone not in the ranks of the unemployed. The thing is, there are a lot of great, moving songs on the album. It might not be a tremendous album, but most of it's very good. Noel Murray's review in The Onion says "maybe only 15 or 20 of these tracks are true keepers" but also says the brief instrumentals and duds "work as a buffer between powerful songs."

The Guardian captured the debate. The Sunday Telegraph's review said 33 songs was too many and that "too many songs plod along in the same croaky-voiced, dreary way." The Mirror's Gavin Martin, on the other hand, proclaimed it to be "Everett's masterpiece." Customer reviews at Amazon.com have been mostly favorable, with most skewing toward a five-star rating. Pitchfork's Rob Mitchum had good things to say about the album, though he did eventually say it "would've been better as a single album" and gave it a 6.5.

Continue reading "Acceptable Album Length" »

Posted by Glenn at 1:08 PM | Link | Comment (12)
|Music|

When was the last time an album review written by Rolling Stone's David Fricke wasn't at least four stars? Bruce Springstreen gets the star treatment in this review of Devils & Dust. I should point out that I haven't heard the album, but sometimes a Rolling Stone review of a big huge star's album is a little hard to believe given some reviews they've had in the past.
Mick Jagger's Goddess In The Doorway got a five-star review. Needless to say, that album hasn't gone down in the history books as a classic -- if it's in the history books at all. Frankly, I don't think it's even as good as some of Keith Richards' solo albums. Jann Wenner wrote the review. "In terms of consistency, craftsmanship and musical experimentation, Goddess in the Doorway surpasses all his solo work and any Rolling Stones album since Some Girls," he gushed. Right. I guess that's why it's all but forgotten a few years after its release.

The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels got five stars, too. (The online review gives it four stars, but I remember reading a review in the print version in 1989 and I honestly think it was five stars.) The Stones' Exile on Main Street got five stars as well, to put things in perspective.

Is Devils & Dust a four-and-a-half-star album compared to the latest boy band's album, or compared to the others in the Springsteen catalog? To the fan, it will be listened to and judged against not other releases of 2005 but against other Springsteen albums. That's the kind of grading curve a legend should get.

Posted by Glenn at 12:18 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Why does The Bravery attract so much critism? Maybe it can be best explained by this still photo from the making of their next video for the song "Fearless" (compliments of PollixNiner's recent Bravery update). Just look at that pose. It reeks of arrogance and narcicism. Of course, those are qualities that do two things: piss off people and sell records.

Lately it seems like I'm one of the few in New York who will still publicly admit to liking The Bravery and their debut album. Yes, you heard what I said. I like the band. I've liked them since I first saw them last June. (Which was before The Killers' album had even been release, for you copycat theorists.) I think they have some great songs.

OK, so sometimes I could do without the fake sexually ambiguous remarks to NME (young bands take note: the Manics did the same thing in the early '90s and people ate it up with a spoon, so it's a proven hype-builder), and Sam Skabbacott's tortured artist poses are a bit dramatic for me at times, but I think they're a solid live band.

Continue reading "Oh, The Backlash / Public Proclomation" »

Posted by Glenn at 1:36 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Word of 2005 thus far: chanteuse. Maybe one of these Sunday's we'll read about the rise of chanteuse in William Safire's "On Langauge" column. Kalefah Sanneh used the word three times in his article about the new crop of European (or Europe-based) female musicians, "From Dreary to Enchanting, the Sounds of Evolving European Singers."

A few weeks back, Gawker noticed the chanteuse trend as well when it tracked the Karen Ann hype factor, which itself linked to a Village Voice article titled "The French Are Coming." It used the word chanteuse only once (and used the word chantoozies in a photo caption).

Check out Sanneh's article. It covers Paris-based Canadian Leslie Feist (loved by the bloggers, especially your's truly) and London-based Italo-Icelandic Emiliana Torrini. (Living in your hometown isn't a good way to attract attention this year.) Also mentioned are two French singers, Coralie Clement (pictured) and Keren Ann (who is French-Israeli -- gotta have that hyphen in 2005), as well as French retrofitters Nouvelle Vague.

Posted by Glenn at 1:23 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Coldplay's new single, "Speed of Sound," is available at all the usual online music stores.

The verdict: Good, and they obviously don't want to change their winning formula. From the first notes (which sounds quite a bit like the intro to "Clocks"), it was obvious that Coldplay wasn't going to experiment with the sound that has made them famous. The cascading notes played on a piano? Check. The rhythm section building to dramatic crescendos? Check. Chris Martin's expressive voice and everyman, inspirational lyrics? Check. A bridge and chorus in which Martin's notes are raised an octave and cymbals crash? Check.

Everything is in place. Congratulations to the band, EMI and EMI's skittish investors.

Posted by Glenn at 2:15 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Give a blogger SoundScan access and you'll get a fact checker with a voice and a pulpit. Tuning Fork recently admonished Pithcfork for blowing an estimate of Basement Jaxx's U.S. sales figures in a review of the band's singles collection. Actually, it was part album review and part a diss of the Jaxx's former label, Astralwerks.

Pitchfork on Astralwerks and the Basement Jaxx:

"To date, no Basement Jaxx album has sold 40k in the states."

Tuning Fork on Pitchfork:

"I am also not sure where Jess Harvell got his sales numbers from but here are some real soundscan #s, certainly not the less then 40k amount given in his review.

Kish Kash - 69,201 / Remedy - 165,814 / Rooty - 176,185"

After those fact checking failures were revealed, in came a member of Radio 4 in the comments section to support Astralwerks and dismiss the review's "How much coke did Radio 4 need?" crack. Read on:

Continue reading "The Fork Gets Checked" »

Posted by Glenn at 10:02 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Annie's recent NYC gig at the Tribeca Grand Hotel has been knocked by many -- those with blogs, at least -- in attendence who pressed the flesh to watch the astronomically hyped Norwegian singer. Not all, mind you, but many. Even a few without blogs bashed the free performance, though I'm not going to quote them here. Coolfer wasn't interested in spending a Thursday night watching such a show, but from what others have written it looks like the difference between the hype and the reality has Annie in quite a deficit. Read on...

• Melody Nelson: "Though adorable, the girl had no stage presence and seemed nervous the whole time she was in front of the adoring crowd at the Tribeca Grand."
• Central Village: "It was dull. She's cute, and some of her songs are catchy, (2 to be exact...Heartbeat and The Greatest Hit), but I was bored. After a song and a half, I left to go sit in the lobby and listen from afar."
• Brooklyn Vegan: "Unlike Central Village, and like Fluxblog (whose site is bugging out right now, so no link), I enjoyed the free Annie show."
• One Louder: "Early on though, they just didn't have it - they were not tight, not particularly confident, and the sound was off. Annie's vocals were low in the mix, and the band seemed to just plod along."

(Photo by Brooklyn Vegan. Stupid pun title by Glenn.)

Posted by Glenn at 3:15 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Record labels continue to find new ways to let fans hear music without actually giving away the whole enchilada. Next up: Premiering singles as ringtones before the entire song can be heard on the radio or purchased. CNET's John Borland is on the case with details of Coldplay's upcoming single, "Speed of Sound," and the band's eagerness to find an "original way to promote the band's new album."

And why shouldn't they? Sheep -- er, I mean consumers will pay upwards of $3 each for a 30-second ringtone, while at the same time they raise their noses at paying a dollar for a song on an online music store. There's money in them there ringtone hills, and everybody -- labels, artists, ringtone-only labels, cellular companies -- are now game for a lil' prospectin'.

The ringtone is available now at the Cingular website and costs $2.49 plus "a charge for the kilobytes used to deliver the content to the phone at the Wireless Internet Express rate on your plan."

If you were one of those people who foretold the end of the world when CDs replaced vinyl, it's probably about time to make a new picket sign and find a freeway offramp to position yourself at. When exclusives are going to the ringtone crowd, you know what end of the stick the real music lovers are getting.

Posted by Glenn at 12:05 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Terrestrial radio is having a tough slog these days. Lately, radio stations in some major markets have taken to emulating the random format of the iPod Shuffle. An article at BusinessWeekOnline looks into the latest trend in radio programming.

"The rules guiding a Jack-formatted station are simple: Unlike a typical radio station, which regularly plays 300 or 400 hits of a particular genre, programmers on Jack stations select 700 to 1,000 songs of completely different genres. Then, they sequence them to create what radio programmers call 'train wrecks' -- Billy Idol will follow Bob Marley, Elvis after Guns N' Roses, and so on. And Jack stations often (but not always) use a smart-alecky recorded voice, rather than a live DJ, to make short quips between songs."

And writer Burt Helm's opinion of this format after listening to 93.1 FM Jack-FM in Los Angeles? "Jack-FM beats most normal radio stations."

(Link from Danceblogga)

Extra credit:

• Infectious Greed blog on Jack-FM and the iPod-ification of Radio.
• LA Daily News on LA's Jack-FM. "'With devices like the iPod, people are seeing alternative ways of enjoying music that terrestrial radio isn't supplying.'"
• The Lowell Sun on Jack stations in Dallas and other major markets: "The ratings at the Dallas station doubled after the switch, and other outlets are taking note. There are now Jack-formatted stations, which rely less on human disc jockeys and more on computer shuffle programs, in Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago."

Posted by Glenn at 5:55 PM | Link | Comment (16)
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One thing for bands to watch out for in the playlist era: Creating a playlist that's better than your own songs.

Coolfer was ready to scoff and guffaw at Three Doors Down's iTunes playlist, but it's hard to argue with the classics they rounded up. It stars off with The Cult's "Love Removal Machine," goes into Lynyrd Skynyrd's "That Smell," Charlie Daniel's "Long Haired Country Boy," and continues on with a mix of metal (Def Leppard's "Photograph" and roots rock (Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road").

There really isn't any need to have three of the 13 songs by Skynyrd (one being the ubiquitous "Freebird") but throwing in Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever" almost makes up for it.

Posted by Glenn at 2:41 PM | Link
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Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Squeak E. Clean (a.k.a. producer Sam Spiegel, a.k.a. brother of Spike Jonze) did some studio work together. One result is the song "Hello Tomorrow" and it's being used in a Spike Jonze-directed Adidas commercial watch commercial here.)

The song showed up on iTunes yesterday as well. It's a departure from the Yeah Yeah Yeah's abrasive style, a gentle song that recalls the hazy textures of Lee Hazlewood. (Listen to MP3 of the edited, commercial-length version of the song.)

The last post on Mr. Clean's website says, "Right this minute Sam is working on a record with Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahson a side project the details of which are very secretive in nature." His website also makes mention of his duo with DJ Zegon called NASA, which will put out a single featuring "Fatlip, Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and one of the final recordings of Ol’ Dirty Bastard before his untimely passing in late 2004."

Posted by Glenn at 1:54 PM | Link | Comment (1)
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Lately we've had some skeletons being dragged out of closets. The Bravery's Sam Endicott has been pummelled on the Internet for once being in a ska band called Skabba The Hut, as well as a borish new wave band called El Conquistador. The Nuthouse blog was kind enough to post tracks by Skabba ("Fat Guy On My Head") and El Conquistador ("Sucker In The End"). Enjoy!

Last night, Coolfer read a Boston Globe article on the Kaiser Chiefs and learned that the band used to be called Parva (pictured) and sounded, to quote drummer Nick Hodgson, "heavier then, but there were parts that sounded a bit like Radiohead and parts that sounded like the Strokes."

This required some research, since I'm not so into B-level English bands enough to be familiar with Parva. A Google search brought me to the website of Mantra Recordings, the home of Parva.

Watch the video for the song "Hessles" (Read Audio) and the video for "Heavy" (Read Audio) and decide for yourself if they were right to change their sound.

I must have missed this March 24th article at The Telegraph that mentioned the transformation. "We don't have time for indie thinking any more," singer Ricky Wilson said.

So you changed your sound to sell more records, did you? Well, we can see right through that kind of thinking, can't we Brandon Flowers?

Posted by Glenn at 11:20 AM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

With one-quarter of the year past us, Coolfer would like to recognize the albums that I've enjoyed the most this year. I'm listing three of them. (Take a year-ending top ten list, divide by four, and round up.) As with my year-ending Top 10 lists, these titles aren't necessarily the best, just the ones that I've enjoyed the most and have got the most playing time.

• Kings of Leon: Aha Shake Heartbreak (RCA) A sophomore surprise. A stunning follow-up to an able but merely promising debut album.
• Brazilian Girls: Brazilian Girls (Verve Forecast) Sexy. Fun. Fresh. It's a joy to listen to this album time after time.
• Bloc Party: Silent Alarm (Vice) Some bands have the same formula, but they don't have the songs.

Another favorite is The Books' Lost and Safe (Tomlab). And a special nod to The National's excellent album, Alligator (Beggars Bangquet), which is in stores today.

Rhapsody subscribers, click here for a nine-song sampler of the albums by Kings of Leon, Brazilian Girls and Bloc Party.

Posted by Glenn at 2:15 PM | Link | Comment (6)
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When Coolfer saw the the Smashing Pumpkins were currently Rhapsody's top artist, I had to wonder if the earth had slipped through a worm hole and came out in the early '90s.

What's going on? The Pumpkins' entire catalog was made available in the digital domain on April 5th. Now available exclusively at online music stores is Rarities and B-Sides, a 114-track collection of non-album tracks, rarities, live songs and other odds and ends. (It's 99 songs at MSN Music. The Rhapsody version has additional live songs.)

Still, my first thought was that Billy Corgan had just passed away and I somehow didn't get the memo. No, it's just the legions of Billy Corgan fans clamoring for his music.

The Rarities collection is a nice reminder that the '90s were more than Nirvana and nu-metal. It's a bit much to digest all at once, but the songs are there for the taking, and that's the point. (Nice to see a band using the far-reaching scope of online music stores to distribute more than just proper studio albums.) The Peel Sessions version of "Siva," by the way, is absolutely smoking.

Posted by Glenn at 11:30 AM | Link | Comment (2)
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Mariah Carey, not long ago as addle-minded as Courtney Love and dejected by EMI (with a nice $28 million parting gift in hand), has a new album coming out on Island Records tomorrow. The Emancipation of Mimi, it's called. Most in the industry are hoping it's better than Glitter, Carey's equivalent to Jennifer Lopez' Gigli. With sales down 8% this year, retail could use a boost. The NY Times ran a review of the album today, saying Mariah "plays it safe" but applauds her for "using fewer tricks and sounding more believable" than the R&B mannerisms of the "American Idol" crew. And yes, she does partake in some "bling-bling brand-name dropping." A girl's gotta make a living.

• Garbage: Bleed Like Me (Geffen)
• Mariah Carey: The Emancipation of Mimi (Island)
• Mindless Self Indulgence: You'll Rebel to Anything (Metropolis)
• Mudvayne: Lost and Found (Sony)
• Martha Wainwright: Martha Wainwright (Zoe)
• Millencolin: Kingwood (Epitaph)
• Slipknot: Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses (Roadrunner)
• Various: Queer as Folk - Club Babylon (Tommy Boy
• American Hi-Fi: Hearts on Parade (Warner Bros.)
• Diplomats of Solid Sound: Destination...Get Down! (Touch and Go)
• Victor Wooten: Soul Circus (Vanguard)
• Adult: D.U.M.E. EP (Thrill Jockey)
• L.A. Guns: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection (Polydor)
• Isis: Oceanic: Remixes/Reinterpretations (Hydra Head)
• Architecture in Helsinki: In Case We Die (Bar/None)
• Marcus Miller: Silver Rain (Koch)
• The National: Alligator (Beggars Banquet)
• Willie Nelson: Songs for Tsunami Relief: Austin to South Asia (Lost Highway)
• Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl)
• The Old Haunts: Fallow Field (Kill Rock Stars)
• The Rosebuds: Unwind EP (Merge)
• Starflyer 59: Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice (Tooth & Nail)
• The Zincs: Dimmer (Thrill Jockey)
• No Address: Time Doesn't Notice (Atlantic)

Posted by Glenn at 8:56 AM | Link
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I'm usually down with most things Pitchfork has to say, but I can't even count the number of times I disagreed with Pitchfork's review of Phoenix's Live! 30 Days Ago. First, there were curious/debatable mentions of Queen and Styx...but not one of an obvious reference point like Steely Dan. Second, I don't know one person other than this writer who thinks the studio versions of their songs are better than the live versions. This is a great live band. After seeing them live or hearing this record, the studio versions seem second-rate. Third, the album wasn't thrown together just for "promote the band before their big U.S. tour." It came out in Europe last year, before their first U.S. tour, and was released in the States before their current and second U.S. tour. Alphabetical is still the album the band is promoting, not this one. Lastly, the 6.5 rating is criminal, in my opinion.

More Pitchfork criticism at Tuning Fork, which points out that the 'Fork once lauded Prefuse 73 for reinterpreting hip hop, but now blames his "unneveness" on his "attempts at hip hop production." Sounds as uneven as a cheating boyfriend.

Posted by Glenn at 3:08 PM | Link | Comment (5)
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From the "Where Are They Now?" files comes this Billboard.com piece on two mid-'90s heavyweights who recently signed with Vanguard Records: Hootie and the Blowfish and Blues Traveler. Hootie has its own label and will use Vanguard's label and distribution services, while Blues Traveler is signed directly to Vanguard.

Vanguard is an independent label with a roster that includes Deana Carter, Patty Larkin, John Hiatt and Campter Van Beethoven. (No, Sanctuary hasn't cornered the market on the 30-and-over crowd.) Gone are the days when a typical major label has the confidence in bands that are a decade past mega-selling albums. These guys can still have a good career with fewer sales and some touring, and since majors aren't in the game of sub-gold record sales, this is a good opportunity for an indie to fill the void. And then there's the whole artistic control issue that always comes up when a band goes from a major to an indie.

The last we saw of Hootie frontman Darius Rucker, he was dressed as a toy store cowboy and singing a jingle for Burger King's Tenderscrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch commercial. 1.21 Gigawatts summed it up pretty well: "To see a musician fall to these depths is astounding." (Tongue may have very well been in cheek, but it was lost on me. That commercial was just plain sad.)

Good grief. Is this the future of music? It brings up the question: Would you rather pay less for music and see an artist embarass himself on TV, or would you rather support music by paying higher costs? The lure of free (P2P) and cheap (Napter To Go) music is great, but I hope it doesn't bring with it the need to turn to cartoonish corporate advertising gigs to subsidize one's career. Personally, I'd pay good money out of my own pocket to not see an artist pimping fast food. Maybe somebody can set up a "Save Hootie" micropayment/Paypal account?

Posted by Glenn at 1:17 PM | Link | Comment (4)
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I was expecting some kind of Pitchfork April Fool's Day hipster-insider joke, but this is was the closest I could find. Thing is, it is a good live album.

Posted by Glenn at 1:45 PM | Link
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The Bravery, which was released on Tuesday, is currently at #35 on Amazon.com's sales chart. So far the critics are split between enjoyment and loathing, and I doubt there will be any fence-sitters with this band.

Hits is predicting a 30,000-unit first week for The Bravery, which, it points out, is 4,000 better than The Killers did in their first week. Beanie Sigel and Beck are both on pace to sell 150,000.

• The Bravery: The Bravery - three stars at RollingStone.com. Props to Rob Sheffield for ending the piece with a nod to a Coolfer favorite: "But the peak is 'Swollen Summer,' which combines the best of early Love and Rockets with late Flesh for Lulu." Coolfer made the Flesh for Lulu reference the first time I posted about the band.

• The Bravery: The Bravery - D+ at Stylus. "Endicott rarely shys away from his patented croon that reminds one of Robert Smith or Julian Casablancas at times. Commercially and aesthetically, all of the above is a big plus. Unfortunately, it doesn't change the fact that this record is completely forgettable."

• Beck: Guero - four stars at RollingStone.com. "Suggested ad slogan: The slack is back!"

• Louis XIV: The Best Little Secrets Are Kept - three stars at RollingStone.com. "Funny and rocking, Louis XIV should keep you satisfied until Charlemagne and Charles de Gaulle record their debuts." What?

• Hot Hot Heat: Elevator - three and a half stars at RollingStone.com. "Elevator, Hot Hot Heat's third album, contains some of the finest pure pop-rock songs of the year so far."

• Out Hud: Never Let Us Speak of It Again - 8.0 at Pitchfork. "...a fresh-sounding record that doesn't feel too obviously indebted to anything that's come before it, much less like anything Out Hud have made before."

• Out Hud: Never Let Us Speak of It Again - A- at Stylus. "Let me be the first to welcome the death of disco-punk if it gives us LCD Soundsystem and, more importantly, Let Us Never Speak of it Again."

• Stereophonics: Language, Sex, Violence, Other? - 4.5 at Pitchfork. "It's Britain's cancerous version of Creed, Guns N' Roses, and Stone Temple Pilots rolled into one, though unfortunately lacking those bands' self-destructive tendencies."

Posted by Glenn at 11:08 AM | Link | Comment (1)
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Favorite snippet from this brutal (as in brutally harsh and brutal to read) review of Louis XIV's new album at Pitchfork:

"We're thinking maybe kids won't know about the bands we sound like so they won't be annoyed at how shamelessly we ripped them. It's like, as long as the songs are good, right? They get what they want--rock music that sounds like what they're told the best rock music is supposed to sound like, and I get what I want-- pussysex with sweet virgins right in their dickholes. That's the shit I'm on, man. Man."

Coolfer has a feeling Pitchfork is saving a sub-1.0 rating for the next in its "Kill All False Idols" series of reviews, The Bravery.

Posted by Glenn at 12:11 PM | Link | Comment (6)
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Beware, Conor. This could be your future.

Favorite line of the review: "A vengeful, hype-smiting deity has already rained down the toughest punches: rejection both by the majors and ex-girlfriend Claire Danes, best days past at 26, bottom billing in quasi-supergroup the Bens."

A comeback by the age of 30 would be so heartwarming, wouldn't it?

Posted by Glenn at 9:02 AM | Link | Comment (3)
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Bling costs money. McDonald's has money. Rappers need bling. McDonald's needs to sell food. So what do they do?

Says the Daily News, McDonald's is willing to pay up to $5 each time a song airs that mentions the fast food franchise. More fast food.

It's not just McDonald's. Maven Stratagies got Seagram's gin mentioned in five songs last year. An article in Advertising Age (found at the website of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhoo) claims that Maven paid to have Seagram's gin mentioned in songs by Kanye West, Twista, the Franchise Boys and Petey Pablo.

Check this passage from the article:

"Brands including Bentley, Porsche, Gucci, Gulfstream and Dom Perignon have all been mentioned by rap stars Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg. Last year, Kanye West mentioned 19 brands, including Lexus, Versace, Cartier, Mercedes and Cadillac in four singles, according to American Brandstand, which tracks the number of brands music acts mention in their songs."

Nineteen times, Kanye? What a whore.

Posted by Glenn at 1:03 PM | Link | Comment (2)
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On left: Akuma No Uta by Japanese noise trio Boris, out April 19th on Southern Lord.

On right: Nick Drake's Bryter Layter.

Posted by Glenn at 10:47 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Coolfer isn't sure why MTV News has put so much effort into covering the latest teen mass murder, especially since there's not a hint of Marilyn Manson or Judas Priest to be found in the motives.

Maybe they're concerned for the MTV contituency. Maybe this is their version of a public service announcement. It's troubling, though, that there's an article with the subtitle, "Experts list the signs to look for before notifying authorities." (Sounds a bit too much like Ashcroft's post-9/11 "National Neighborhood Watch Program.") Those signs include "a recurring loss of temper, frequent physical fighting, vandalism or property damage, use of drugs or alcohol, an increase in risk-taking behavior, animal abuse, and weapons possession."

Hell, MTV, you've just indicted half of all rappers you show on your channel -- not to mention any rock or metal musician worth half his bad boy image, and pretty much any half-troubled teenager in America.

Posted by Glenn at 2:30 PM | Link
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6.0 too many. Approximately.

Posted by Glenn at 10:49 AM | Link | Comment (6)
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He's friendly with the Creative Commons camp, and MSN likes him, but sometimes I forget that DJ Spooky is still alive.

Interesting...his playlist starts with a track by well known gay basher Elephant Man, followed by a song by the politically progressive Saul Williams. Something for everybody.

(Update: Just after posting this, I saw a feature on DJ Spooky at Billboard.com. He has a project with Slayer's Dave Lombardo, Drums of Death, that will be out April 26th on Thirsty Ear. Chuck D and Vernon Reid do cameos, and Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto) co-produced it. So...it's an experimental album by guys who used to sell a lot more records?)

Posted by Glenn at 12:58 PM | Link
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Geez, Rolling Stone, is it really that bad?

Coolfer had to laugh at the first sentence of Joe Levy's Village Voice review of Moby's new album, Hotel:

"Well, first off, it's not bad, but before we get to that, full disclosure: I know the guy pretty well."

Posted by Glenn at 11:23 AM | Link | Comment (2)
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From a Times Online article about the havoc Coldplay can play with EMI's income statement:

"Coldplay remain one of the few British rock bands to enjoy mainstream success in America, selling ten million copies of A Rush of Blood and winning two Grammys. This was in spite of Martin’s vocal opposition to the Iraq War and his support of the presidential candidate John Kerry."

Yeah, in spite of those two things. Right. Is that really what are British friends think of this country? I can't think of anybody in music off the top of my head -- other than Kid Rock and Ted Nugent -- who would publicly support both the Iraq invasion and President Bush.

Anyway, the fact that albums by Coldplay and Gorillaz are showing up after the end of EMI's fiscal year prompted the company to lower its profit forecast. Whatever. I think we're all in agreement that the public shouldn't encourage corporate short-term vision, so it's not a big deal. The revenue will hit the next year's books.

(Link via Product Shop, who found it on a Coldplay site, whose fuzzy math I'm still trying to figure out.)

Posted by Glenn at 5:51 PM | Link | Comment (4)
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Two deaths of note in the news today.

Molly Hatchett's Danny Joe Brown died last Thursday at the age of 53. The lead singer ended his music career after having a stroke in 1998.

Also, Lyn Collins, a member of the James Brown Revue, died Sunday at the age of 56. It was her song "Think (About It)" that was sampled by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock for their 1988 hit "It Takes Two." Read her bio at AllMusic.com.

Posted by Glenn at 1:03 PM | Link | Comment (3)
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I'm way behind on mentioning some of the fine bands that have mailed me their music, so my apologies to all those who have been kind enough to snail mail their press kits.

Here's a run-down of some recent deliveries:

• One Star Hotel. The band sent me a copy of their great CD, Good Morning, West Gordon, a 12-song collection of roots and Americana in the blue and confessional spirit of Faithless Street-era Whiskeytown. Highly recommended.
• Man In Gray. NYC band who I somehow have not managed to see play live yet. Their CD, No Day/No Night, has six songs that range from straight-ahead Superchunking to gut-pummelling riot-grrling. Download "Brakelights."
• Unsacred Hearts. The seven-song, self-titled CD has some sharp claws. It's a great rock album in the spirit of old NYC. Download "Plug Me In."
• Sisko. The CD Resident L.E.S. Vol. 1 is producer Sisko's remix CD. Disco Pusher is the electronic album he made with poet and writer DG. Both are very good; Coolfer is partial to Resident L.E.S. Vol. 1.

Posted by Glenn at 11:25 AM | Link | Comment (3)
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• Kasabian: Kasabian (RCA). Northside in Gillespie's clothing. C
• The Books: Lost and Safe (Tomlab). Possible favorite of 2005. A-
• The Kills: No Wow (Rough Trade). Nice PJ Harvery shrine. C+
• New Order: "Krafty" single (Warner Music Group). Another great toe-tapper. B+
• Brazilian Girls: Brazilian Girls (Verve Forecast). Better than the hype. B+
• 22-20s: 22-20s (Astralwerks). Cream Jr. Good. Promising. B-
• Jack Johnson: In Between Dreams (Universal). Your new guilty pleasure. B

Posted by Glenn at 9:23 PM | Link | Comment (1)
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A band played in NYC recently, I know a few people who saw them. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, I was told, put on a great show. They're a great band. They have a great band name.

Today I visited the band's website and downloaded the song "When You Go Out" and heard something I didn't expect: Sameness. For some reason I thought this band would be different. They're not. They sound like everybody else.

And it's not like they're bad at what they're doing. They sound like they're very good at their chosen craft, if one song can give any indication. But...they share their chosen craft with a lot of other bands.

The blame for the dashed expectations is squarely on my shoulders. When I heard they were a great band, for some reason I assumed Chosen Darkness would offer a break from the endlessly long string of bands that fall under the expansive post-Gang of Four/disco-rock umbrella. You know the sound. Loping, funky bass lines. A 1982 drum beat (alternating high hat and snare drum). Guitars that mix a bit of post-punk dissonance with just enough acessibility. An emotionally detached singer/former art school student who knows the first four Cure albums by heart but doesn't conspicuously copy Robert Smith.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. Not at all. It's just that it's all starting to sound the same. It's becoming a bit too comfortable, too predictable. Too clique-ish.

Continue reading "Same Same But Different" »

Posted by Glenn at 9:56 PM | Link | Comment (4)
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If you can make it through the curious introduction, Kelefah Sanneh's examination of 50 Cent's The Massacre makes for decent reading.

No, it's not an album review. It's more like ethnography dissertation than an assessment of the album. Reviews actually say if the album is any good or not. (An adjective would help. Good? Bad? Better? Worse?) Well, it's an album review in one sense: He used the word disparate. "Like the best politicians, 50 Cent has a knack for uniting disparate, even seemingly incompatible, notions into an appealing package," he wrote. Can't be an album review without the word disparate, can it? (Check Coolfer's post on critical cliches.)

Anyway, I thought it was a nice take on an album that hasn't been getting much praise. Some of the more enlightening reviews of the album can be found at the always frank Amazon.com customer review section. The 34 reviews average out right now to three out of five stars. (It was at two-and-a-half stars yesterday, I believe.) Quite a few picked up a bootleg copy of the CD and had reviews on the site before street date.

Here are some of my favorite comments:

• "This entire week you can go to MTV.com and preview the ENTIRE cd on 'the Leak'. I implore you to do so. This cd is weak AT BEST!"
• "Its not worth buying. this is exactly why people bootleg cds."
• "I am a 63 year old white man. I'll say that right off the bat ... This CD is fantastic."
• "Wow.......if you actually think 50 cent is a good rapper, then I feel sorry for you. His lyrics sucks, his voice is annoying, and the beats are WAY overproduced."
• "I'm sure this will sell millions of CDs but that still doesn't make it good. I'm sure radio will play it into the ground while other, more talented artists are ignored. What a shame."
• "Luckily this album was bootleg because I woulda been pretty upset if I had spent $15 on this."
• "im glad i didnt pay for this, cuz this is by far the weakest cd from 50 cent."

Posted by Glenn at 2:30 PM | Link
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One article in the Village Voice makes for good publicity. Two simultaneous articles means the there's enough buzz on the street to merit a higher word count. Three? It's a mark reached by very few musicians, and it takes a combination of music aptitude, political importance and pop culture fascination to get three articles in the same issue. (Courtney Love scored the hat trick not long ago, but nobody else comes to mind.)

M.I.A. has three pieces--all written by Robert Christgau--in yesterday's Village Voice. In the print version, the three articles took up an entire page.

One, titled "Burning Bright," questions her political image that has been a matter of much debate, implying that its been mishandled and misinterpreted by the press. (C'mon, her image has been handcrafted with meticulous care. Don't underestimate the powers of the press agent and the manager. Even if it's a bullshit image, it's sparked enough debate to get three articles in the Village Voice. Job well done, don't you think?) He calls into question just how much she actually supports the Tamil Tigers, a revolutionary group in her native Sri Lanka of which her father was a member.

Another is a review of her album, Arular, which will be released by Interscope (as reported yesterday by Billboard.com). Christgau was serenaded by the mild references to violence, and says "not for a moment does the violence seem vindictive, sadistic, or pleasurable." Maybe so, but M.I.A. is capitalizing on--and encouraging--the public's view of her a revolutionary figure, whether or not it's contrived.

The third, "M.I.A. in Her Own Words," is a series of quotations that, I assume, were presented to present M.I.A. as some kind of political commentator, and to use her own words to support Christgau's research into her political nature. "If I represent anything, it's what it's like to be a civilian caught up in a war," reads on quote.

"M.I.A. has no consistent political program and it's foolish to expect one of her," he wrote. OK, I'm down with that. I can accept that she's doing nothing more than reflecting upon her life as a refugee from a war-torn country. I know she's an art student, not a Tiger. So let's stop talking politics and enjoy her music--and cover her career is if she were an art student, not a political figure.

Posted by Glenn at 8:58 AM | Link
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Chicago Sun-Times music critic Jim DeRogatis has officially declared that "the Age of the 'Hoes has ended." Replacing standard hoes such as Britney, Christina and Jessica are the new breed of "self-empowered young divas": Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff and Lindsday Lohan.

"The new teen queens aren't more laudable than the old ones because they're more 'authentic,' playing their own instruments and helping the hired teams to write their own songs. That argument was laughable, even before Ashlee's much-publicized lip-syncing meltdown on 'Saturday Night Live.' And while their music is slightly more organic than the sounds that dominated the charts a few years back, we're still talking about lowest-common-denominator bubble gum pop. The new stuff is just a little more chewier."

See ya, hoes.

Posted by Glenn at 10:43 PM | Link | Comment (3)
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Former Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg (who is a good enough solo artist to not require that kind of introduction) will have a solo retrospective released on Rhino Records this spring, says Billboard.com.

Westerberg was on LA radio station Indie 103FM and said he and former Replacements bass player Tommy Stinson had recorded a song together that for the Cameron Crowe film, "Elizabethtown." (Listen to MP3 files of that interview, parts one, two and three.)

An anthology is a great way to appreciate his spotty solo career. 14 Songs, Mono and Stereo definitely float my boat, but there were a few too-sober and mediocre albums that made me weep for the ol' drinkin' days.

Posted by Glenn at 9:10 AM | Link | Comment (1)
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How to tell when grime (hip hop, whatever we're going to call it) is going mainstream in the UK: Lady Sovereign (pictured) has been asked to design new Coca Cola bottles that will be mostly sold for charity. (I lost the link. Honest, I read this online but now can't find the article.)

I've gotta say, the new wave a British grime/hip hop/whatever is finally starting to get my attention. Between Dizzee's albums, the new M.I.A. stuff and what I've heard of Lady Sovereign, there's a nice collection of talent, and they aren't looking up to American hip hop as much as challenging it. Bravo.

That Lady Sovereign, man, that little girl must make Sony so sorry they ever handed Northern State a pen. She's signed to Universal/Island, says this article at The Guardian from a few days ago. Pitchfork did some pants-wetting over her single "Random" last week ("This is Sov's best single to date, and one of the best tracks I've heard in 2005," a bold statement six weeks into the year, yeah) and with good reason. The song is great.

Check the Village Voice's review of M.I.A.'s Arular. I like how Simon Reynolds put into perspective her background ("She's got no more real connection with the favela funksters than Prince Harry") and her political resume ("her music vaguely evokes third-world-versus-first- world struggle, but the actual independence movement M.I.A.'s dad was involved in (Tamil Tigers versus the Sinhalese majority government of Sri Lanka) doesn't fit that model").

Posted by Glenn at 1:13 PM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer is going to mention some names that rarely get blogged. They're old. They've never been on an MTV reality show. Our parents saw them play live back in the day. They haven't dated a supermodel is years.

It's about time they're blogged, no?

Inductees to the Songwriters Hall of Fame were announced yesterday. John Fogerty, Stever Cropper, Isaac Hayes and Davis Porter, Richard and Robert Sherman, and Bill Withers will be inducted in a June ceremony in NYC.

Rhapsody subscribers, I've made a short playlist of the inductees (couldn't find any songs from the Sherman brothers' soundtracks, though):

• "Born On The Bayou" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Down On The Corner" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Centerfield" - John Fogerty
• "Knock On Wood" - Steve Cropper, Albert King, and Pop Staples
• "In The Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett (written by Hayes & Porter)
• "B-A-B-Y" - Carla Thomas & Friends (written by Hayes & Porter)
• "Theme From "Shaft"" - Isaac Hayes
• "Ain't No Sunshine" - Bill Withers
• "Lean On Me" - Bill Withers

Posted by Glenn at 11:27 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

There's nothing like an article that contradicts itself. In an article about the changes in the music industry (only changes related to the Internet and technology, really, since there's no mention of mergers, consolidations, Elliot Spitzer investigations or other impactful events of late) the Seattle Weekly makes itself the latest publication to prematurely hyperbolize about the death of the CD.

The very next section vinyl's popularity and the cockroach-like existence of the cassette. "Cassette tapes, after all, are still mass-produced," wrote Laura Cassidy.

So which is it, Seattle Weekly? You can't have it both ways, because if the CD is dead, then the vinyl record must have died long ago.

Well, what do you expect from an article with a header that reads, "Starbucks is taking over the record industry"?

Posted by Glenn at 11:48 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Carl Barat, the productive half of the singing/songwriting duo behind The Libertines, has signed a deal with Vertigo, reports NME. An album is expected to arrive by the end of the year, and Barat will be "under the A&R eye" of Britain's version of Clive Davis, the hit-making, publicity-hounding Alan McGee.

From the press release at the Libertines' website:

"Barat - who co-founded The Libertines with Pete Doherty – is currently writing material for his debut solo album, provisionally scheduled for release at the end of this year. He is also forming a band that will include members of The Libertines, whose future has been put on hold while Barât focuses on his solo work."

To hear what the other half, Pete Doherty, is up to, check out this MP3 page at the site of Babyshambles, his new band.

Posted by Glenn at 9:27 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Thanks to a reader for pointing out this blurb from Page Six earlier in the week:

"CBS has green-lit the pilot for 'Love Monkey,' a one-hour comic drama based on the novel by former Post reporter Kyle Smith that's a guy version of 'Sex and the City.' ... The big change from the book is that the protagonist no longer works for a tabloid. 'Senior execs at CBS weren't sure journalists pass the likeability test,' said a source. 'It's now about an A&R man at a record label.'"

A label A&R guy more likeable that a journalist? I didn't know the press was in such dire straights.

Posted by Glenn at 1:04 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Danceblogga has a few comments about the new Daft Punk record, Human After All, and he was taken aback by the precautions taken with the advance copy.

"In a first for me, my copy of Daft Punk's forthcoming Human After All album (due March 25) came watermarked, named, numbered and stapled to a full-page warning letter: 'Unfortunately, we have discovered that sensitive pre-release copies of some of our recordings were uploaded onto peer-to-peer (P2P) Internet file-sharing services that unlawfully trade in unauthorized distribution of our recordings ... These CDs are supplied on the condition that they not be sold, altered, transferred or copied in any way ...'"

Sad but true. Labels have been sending out copy-protected advance CDs for quite some time, and some, like EMI labels, take it pretty seriously. (CDs are named and numbered, and watermarked to help track down the source if the file is found on the Internet.) Not all journalists are the types to rip and share--but odds are there are a few out there. There's gotta be a few. Labels have, after all, caught some writers selling advances on eBay.

And the album? "I was a little disappointed," he wrote.

Posted by Glenn at 12:48 PM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

Posted by Glenn at 11:12 AM | Link
|Music|

We all know bloggers pay a bit too much time to teen singer Ashlee Simpson, but what is the previously respectable Chicago Sun-Times doing covering her upcoming tour and quoting, you know, her quotes?

"Ashlee Simpson is amped about her upcoming tour -- but doesn't want to talk about her embarrassing 'Saturday Night Live' or Orange Bowl appearances. ... 'It's really stripped down,' she said about her first solo tour, which comes to the Rosemont Theatre on March 6. 'There's no pyro(technics) or anything like that. The stage has a mud kind of feel, you know, black and white.'"

What worthwhile article got bumped to make room for this Pulitzer-in-waiting?

Posted by Glenn at 5:14 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Last night I saw Kanye West being interviewed by Charlie Rose on PBS. 'Why is Kanye talking with a high-falutin television personality who usually interviews journalists and high level politicians?' I thought.

At the same time, I was reading my roommates new Entertainment Weekly and stopped on the magazine's predictions for the upcoming Grammy Awards.

(Light bulb)

Aha. Kanye is on the campaign trail, obviously. Being a mainstay on MTV and BET isn't going to help him reach the average Grammy voter, is it?

Kanye is very smart. He knows how to find those gray-haired voters. And though he's probably the cockiest person ever interviewed on Rose's show, it was a pretty nice interview.

Posted by Glenn at 7:58 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

Pete Doherty, former Libertines drug buddy and current Babyshambles curiosity, is in jail and will enter rehab once again. Naturally, this has all the makings for fine blogger fodder: talented-but-underachieving musician, drugs, celebrity girlfriend, drugs, the occasional night in the slammer, drugs, fisticuffs, drugs...you get the picture.

Let's see what people are saying:

• Londonist. "You might have noticed Londonist has been silent on the Pete Doherty news this week, mainly because we find it all a bit tedious. Something about the Doherty Circus we didn't find tedious, however, was the Newsnight interview broadcast at the back end of last year. In fact, it was probably one of the saddest things Londonist saw on the box, as it is obvious the man is talented yet seemingly unable to stop destroying that talent."
• Central Village: "Everyone that has ever met Kate Moss is telling her to leave you. Not to mention you have a very public heroin smoking habit and a somewhat more private crack smoking habit. Now you're in jail. Again. It's only Thursday, Peter! Please slow down."
• International Bicycle Thief. "Am I the only person in England that doesn't think Pete Doherty is anything more than a talentless drugged-up wanker with no more right to fill the pages of our national media than the tramp up the road that plays harmonica and drinks special brew ... the tramp can hold a tune, doesn't get violent all the time and has at least some vestige of musical ability."
• No Rock and Roll Fun. "So, how's Pete Doherty getting on with cleaning up his act to impress Kate Moss? He's been arrested on suspicion of theft and assault."
• Al's Axcellent Ancyclopedia. "Ffs. Nobhead/genius Pete Doherty is arrested yet again over an alleged assault. God sake man stop fighting and start playing some gigs."
• Bitter Defeat. "The management would like to expess its deep concern for the health and sanity of head Babyshamble Pete Doherty. First that space-twat Kate Moss dumps him via text message and now he's busted for burglary and blackmail after allegedly attacking a documentary filmmaker. Luckily, the poor lad's out on bail ... Can't someone save the daft bastard??"
• The Corsair. "Supermodels. Japanese ceremonial swords. Opiates. Champagne. It's all so fucking Lower East Side, circa 1989, don't you think? Er, or so we're told. (Averted gaze.) Not ... that we'd know about any of that scene. (Nervous laughter.)"

And that rehab attempt in London, well that's a surprise. Coolfer would have thought that after one stab at it in Thailand he'd try Laos or Burma, the other two countries in opium's Golden Triangle. Might as well go to the source, right?

Well, good luck with it, Pete, I'm sure we'll be hearing of you again soon.

Posted by Glenn at 5:17 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Coolfer jumped for joy when I read at Billboard.com that Eric Matthews is going to have a new album on March 8th on Empyrean Records. As if that weren't enough, Empyrean is going to reissue the 1994 album by Cardinal, a duo comprised of Matthews and Richard Davies.

Matthews is somewhat of a recluse, an exceedingly talented artist who rarely shows his face to the public (he never met a tour he liked). His two solo albums, It's Heavy in Here and Lateness of the Hour, both released on Sub Pop, are incredible collections of sublime orchestral pop songs. Had those albums been released in the age of blogs, Pitchfork, Internet radio and a Nick Drake song in a VW commercial, it could have been a brilliant career (to borrow from Belle and Sebastian) or at the very least his albums would be justly looked at today as vital albums in studies of post-Drake chamber pop.

Lately, Matthews has been a studio musician, working on albums by the Dandy Warhols, Brookville and Tahiti 80.

Extra credit:

• For Rhapsody subscribers, an Eric Matthews sampler
• Eric Matthews' website
• Lateness of the Hour, a fanpage
• AllMusic.com's Eric Matthews bio

Posted by Glenn at 2:42 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

This year, there's a new category for the Grammy Awards: Best Electronic/Dance Album. The list of 2005 nominees has shades of 1988, the first year heavy metal was a Grammy category ... and old-timers Jethro Tull, on crutches and down to one cancer-ridden (Aqua)lung, beat out Metallica for the prize. Honestly, outside of Basement Jaxx, does anybody here really merit a nomination?

And your 2005 Grammy nominees are:

• Kish Kash: Basement Jaxx
• Legion Of Boom: The Crystal Method
• Creamfields: Paul Oakenfold
• Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned: The Prodigy
• Reflections: Paul Van Dyk

Basement Jaxx is the best of the five, by a country mile. If there's to be a Jethro Tull moment, my money is on the only Yanks in the bunch, The Crystal Method.

Posted by Glenn at 10:43 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Who knew The Village Voice's Robert Christgau was such a blog reader? After today's collection of album reviews, which is headed by A-minues reviews of super-saturated artists Joanna Newsom and The Arcade Fire, I think it's obvious.

What's next? A five-star review of Ted Leo's Shake the Sheets by The Los Angeles Times' Robert Hillburn?

Christgau gets some grief sometimes, but Coolfer can be counted as a reader and an admirer. I don't agree with his comments on Green Day's American Idiot (a C-plus grade, carts out a ridiculous comparison to The Who that screams generational gap) but I don't mind overlooking that he put in his two cents on Joanna Newsom and The Arcade Fire well after everybody but Scientific American and Orthandontists Monthly have already showered praise on them.

Posted by Glenn at 8:55 PM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

Another musician has become ensnared in U.S. visa rules. DJ/producer Laurent Garnier has cancelled three U.S. tour dates because of problems with renewing visa. He wasn't denied entry, though. He cancelled the dates because he refused to comply with the demands of his local U.S. Embasy.

In his own words:

"I am very sorry to have to cancel my forthcoming U.S. tour due to what I consider to be completely unreasonable demands by the U.S. Embassy in France in order to renew my work visa.

In order to obtain this new visa, the rules have once again changed since November 2004 and I would now have to not only fill out an exceedingly probing application form, but also be interviewed by a member of the Embassy staff, and provide proof of ownership of my house, details of my bank account, my mobile phone records, personal information on all my family members and more. I consider these demands to be a complete violation of my privacy and my civil liberties and I refuse to comply.

I am horrified by these new regulations and feel really sad that this is what some call freedom and democracy.

It has now become almost impossible for an artist to come and perform in the United States. And until this new proceedure changes I will unfortunately refuse to comply with this nonsense.

Thank you for your understanding.

Laurent Garnier"

Just last week, the Village Voice covered the many visa denials of such beloved Cuban musicians Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portuondo, Los Van Van and Chucho Valdez. Writer Larry Blumenfeld called it a "Cuban music crisis--a development that has more to do with the Cold War than the War on Terror." Nice pun, Larry.

At the website of the U.S. Embassy in Paris, there's a list of steps to apply for a visa. Documentation needed includes "documents to support the application detailing employment, reason for travel, and financial status." Part of the process that involves being "interviewed by a consular officer who will evaluate your application and determine if you qualify for a visa."

Posted by Glenn at 11:06 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

You know the old saying, that there's no such thing as bad press? That may be true, but there's another that warns it's possible to get too much of a good thing.

Such is the case with blogging. Malcolm Gladwell would be wise to add a chapter to future editions of his book "The Tipping Point" to examine how bloggers latch on to certain bands and ride them into the ground. In this case, Coolfer is talking about how bloggers fervently, religiously post about certain bands and musicians. And keep posting. And keep posting. And other bloggers follow suit--maybe to keep up, maybe as a show of hipness, maybe to be part of the clique--and then the diversity has been sucked right out of the blogosphere.

Worst of all, the list shows our short attention spans. Remember Interpol and The Strokes? No longer flavor of the months, the bands have been demoted to the "what have you done for me lately?" scrapheap. Or maybe it's just that the two aren't favorites of "The O.C."'s music director.

10. Death Cab For Cutie. This is understandable. It's a popular band. It's a band favored by people in that young, college-educated demographic that has given birth to so many blogs. People are passionate about this band. Yes, it's all very understandable, but it's still an over-blogged band.

9. Morrissey. Good ol' Moz. Every uttered word was dutifully reported by the British press, and sometimes by the Yanks, which was then enthusiastically passed along by bloggers. The hype was unbearable well before his album was released. Upon its debut, only professional music critics declared that its place in history belongs snugly secure smack dab in the middle of the Morrissey bell curve. Bloggers, either blinded by fanaticism or afraid of going back on their pre-release buzz or genuinely in love with the thing, announced it as the comeback they had all longed for. Let's be honest...was it really worth all that fuss? A #9 rank might seem high for such criticism, but even a bad Morrissey album is better than most bands' better albums. Thus, I'll recognize that it wasn't all overkill.

8. Ashlee Simpson. Like Coolfer used to say about Courtney Love, just ignore her and she'll go away. (And look how well it's worked. Love's antics are tired and nobody's paying much attention any longer.) So she had a backing track on Saturday Night Live? So her sister is an airhead? Must she be such a topic of conversation?

7. U2. They had a CDR of their new songs stolen. They came out with a branded iPod. They played a free show in Brooklyn next to the East River. U2 has been a constant blog topic. A breather would be nice, but with their virtual box set coming out soon on iTunes, the band is going to claim more bandwidth. Good thing they're relatively old, otherwise we'd probably hear a lot more about them.

6. Joanna Newsom. It started with a few blogger fans. Then Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie spoke of his love for her music, and all hell broke loose. Now the Joanna Newsom bandwagon is one of the most crowded on the Internet. There's also an equally vocal faction that think her voice sounds like a train speeding through a curve at Union Station. Combine the two and you've got a very heavily blogged woman.

5. The Killers. The band's buzz started with bloggers, but as soon as the band hit the Top 40 they seemed to have lost a bit of their appeal. As I've mentioned before, playing a 45-minute set merits no positive buzz, so maybe it's no coincidence that the blog hype died down as soon as most people could reflect on their tepid live show. Live by the blog, die by the blog.

4. Danger Mouse. In terms of music, Danger Mouse was way overblogged. Had the guy never stole the Beatles' music, had he gone the DJ Shadow route and created incredible music with samples from relatively unknown songs, Danger Mouse would deserve the hype. Taking (without permission) the music of the world's most beloved rock band and adding a cappella tracks by one of the most popular rappers of our time isn't an impressive feat. It would have been hard to make music people didn't like. The David-vs-Goliath battle that ensued turned him into a cause celebre, and for this he justly received a good deal of publicity. But it will be short-lived, for Lawrence Lessig isn't in the music PR business. What does 2005 have in store for Danger Mouse? The same thing 1997 had in store for OMC and 1993 had in store for Right Said Fred.

3. Franz Ferdinand. This is a tough one, because I believe Franz Ferdinand deserves every bit of blog hype they've received, even if the hype has pretty overwhelming. Their debut album gave rock music a shot in the arm. It sounds good after dozens of listens, and it'll sound just as good in 20 years. There's a difference between living up to the hype and not exactly meriting the hype (see above, see below), but in terms of volume this is definitely an over-blogged band--and Coolfer is as much to blame as anyone.

2. Ted Leo. Coolfer really likes Ted Leo, but it's impossible for a guy to live up to this much hype. If I didn't already know his music, had I not already seen him play live, I probably would have shied away from giving him a listen out of Not even LeBron James has this much to live up to. The constant blogging probably would be more appropriate if his latest album was one of the year's best. No, it's not even the best of his career. Better production made it a more polished album, but the songs don't knock the ball out of the park. It's a stand-up double, maybe an error-assisted triple.

1. The Arcade Fire. If I knew anything about programming I'd hotwire my web browser to erase the words "The Arcade Fire" until about mid-year. This is a band that has captured the hearts of not only bloggers but the NY Times and all who have seen them perform live. People have been whipped up into a religious fervor, and for my tastes they're being a far too evangelical about the band. I want to read about The Arcade Fire one more time about as much as the average Manhattanite wants to be approached by a Bible-toting Ralph Reed. Enough already. Give it six months. In due time the chatter will die down, just as it did with Interpol, and the Strokes before them. The "best album of the year" accolades will have passed, people will have moved on to hyping another fresh face and we can enjoy their music hype-free.

Posted by Glenn at 9:48 AM | Link | Comment (28)
|Music|

OK, one last word about year-ending top ten lists. Coolfer was rather fascinated by the collection of Rolling Stone critics' "best of" lists. What was so fascinating?

• Rolling Stone critics listen to the same music as bloggers. It's the same titles over and over. Franz Ferdinand. Modest Mouse. The Go! Team. Devendra Banhart. Blonde Redhead. The Killers. Joanna Newsome. TV on the Radio. A.C. Newman. Ray LaMontagne. Elliot Smith.
• I saw the first includion of The Mooney Suzuki's Alive & Amplified, this on Lily Moayeri's top ten list. For an album that got good reviews upon its release, it certainly has been flying under the radar since. If the band blows up in 2005 (which is highly unlikely, unless they can convince people they're not a garage rock band but just a good ol' fashioned rock band) I wouldn't be surprised to see the album on some "best of 2005" lists.
• I always wondered if people really liked some albums I considered to be overhyped. They do. The Zutons' Who Killed....The Zutons? The Hives' Tyrannosaurus Hives. Jay-Z and Linkin Park's Collision Course. Razorlight' Up All Night. Those would all make Coolfer's list of most disappointing albums of the year. OK, the Hives' record wasn't that disappointing. But I listened once and never went back to it.
• They're showing their age. You're not exactly fresh out of college if you're listing albums by Paul Weller, Patti Smith, Sam Phillips, Los Lobos or Dirty Dozen Brass Band. It's not a bad thing, either. Some critics need to help balance out the incessant Killers love fest.
• Danger Mouse's The Grey Album showed up on two lists, and just like almost every other critic's list I've seen it on, it's the only hip hop album on the list. There's little doubt in my mind that the rock community has embraced the album much more than the hip hop community. It's an indication that rock fans need hip hop to be safe and familiar. The Beatles samples provide all the necessary reference points (read: familiarity) for the non-hip hopper to get his/her feet wet. The political/legal implications/ramifications of the album are also reasons The Grey Album was so well regarded in 2004. They don't make the songs any better, but they offer a critic an easy way to show an opposition to "the man" and "the power" and big ol' greedy EMI.

Posted by Glenn at 6:37 PM | Link | Comment (13)
|Music|

Today Coolfer feels like continuing the story of Wal-Mart, Evanescence and the word fuck. I posted about the whole fiasco the other day.

Thanks to the reader who sent a link to the a site that contains the lyrics to the song in question, "Thoughtless," from the album Anywhere But Home. It's worth bringing up because I haven't seen the context of the usage mentioned in just one of the many articles written about the lawsuit. (Has any journalist actually listened to the song? Coolfer hasn't heard it since Rhapsody doesn't have Evanescence in its catalog yet. But I did listen to the original version of the song by Korn.)

The word fuck makes two appearences in the song, both in the same line.

"Why are you trying to make fun of me?/You think it's funny?/What the fuck you think it's doing to me?/You take your turn lashing out at me."

There it is, the word fuck. (A few lines later, the word ass is used, though that word doesn't offend like it used to.) Wind-Up Records did not declare this album to be explicit, so it looks like it didn't feel the use of the word fuck, in this context, merits a parental advisory logo. Coolfer isn't offended and doesn't feel the word deserves a lawsuit, but I'm not a parent of a young child and I'm not the one with a policy of carrying only sanitized albums in my stores.

If just the use of the word fuck doesn't merit a parental advisory logo, and labels don't have specific, objective guidelines as to what constitutes offesive material, it's left to the subjective interpretations of the record label (and possibly its distributor).

Since no two people are offended in the same way by a specific word, what good does the parental advisory logo do? If the use of the logo is anything but consistent, its intended function--to alert a parent to the content of the album--will be compromised.

Posted by Glenn at 6:42 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

While name-dropping Paul Westerberg earns you far fewer cool points than throwing a reference to Let It Be-era Replacements into a conversation, the former 'Mats frontman still makes good music and puts on a great live show. And yes, he peppers those shows with 'Mats sing-a-long favorites like "Skyway" and "Can't Hardly Wait."

Billboard.com has some details on his upcoming swing through the West Coast with his backing band, His Only Friends. And Paul wants to find a new word for touring:

"'I've gotta find a new word for 'tour.' Will I tour? I don't know. Will I appear? Yes. I will be appearing places. Whether its television or big shows or little shows, I don't quite know yet.'"

Extra credit:

• Download Westerberg's "As Far As I Know" MP3 from the Vagrant Records website.
• A Replacements scrapbook at the Twin/Tone website.
• LA Times music critic Robert Hillburn, who is on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee, says of the Replacements, "They'll never get to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame because they didn't sell enough records, but creatively they deserve to be there."

(One note: Billboard.com says the San Francisco show is at the Great American Music Hall, while the Vagrant website lists Slim's as the venue.)

Posted by Glenn at 3:56 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Blogger Byron Crawford is urging people to sign his petition to get Kanye removed from all Grammy ballots. There's even a press release at mi2n. Kanye is nominated for "Album of the Year," "Song of the Year," "Best Rap Solo Performance" and seven others.

Here's an excerpt:

"Two categories in which he was nominated were Song of the Year and Best Rap Song for 'Jesus Walks,' a song he bought from an Indianapolis-based MC named Rhymefest and re-recorded. While it is true that Rhymefest was given a songwriting credit and nominated for two awards along with West, we do not feel that it is appropriate for The Recording Academy to reward this kind of behavior, especially in light of statements he has made with regard to his capabilities as an artist and the fact that he rarely acknowledges the fact that he buys a lot of 'his' music from other artists."

So the issue here is not that Kanye has bought songs from songwriters. This happens all the time in the music world and a few hundred times a day in Nashville, no doubt. The issue at hand is that Kanye, according to Crawford, bought the song "Jesus Walks" from Chicago MC Rhymefest and tried to pass it off as a collaboration.

The question at hand is whether or not Kanye actually deserves songwriting credit, which would impact the category of his nomination. The notes in College Dropout say Kanye officially splits songwriting credits with C. Smith (Rhymefest). According to Grammy rules, the "Song of the Year" award is given to the songwriter, while the "Record of the Year" is given to the artist and producer, engineer and mixer.

If "Jesus Walks" was indeed ghostwritten, then technically Kanye should not receive songwriting credit and should not have received the "Song of the Year" nomination. Technically. Correct? (Any entertainment lawyers reading this, please feel free to pitch in.) The thing about ghostwriting, often called music's "dirty little secret," is that the real writer is hidden while the purchaser takes full credit. In this case, Kanye is taking only partial credit. And ghostwriting is so common, would the Academy be likely to go by the book with its rules and nomination process?

More on ghostwriting:

• Here a definition of a ghostwriter from Film Music Magazine: "A person who composes music for another composer but is not credited on the cue sheet or in the final product in any way. In a ghostwriting situation, the person hiring the ghostwriter takes credit for writing the music and the ghostwriter is usually not allowed to reveal to anyone that he/she wrote the music or worked on the project in any way."
• The blog Move The Crowd on ghostwriting and hip hop.
• Ghostwriting is commonplace in the literary world, as evidence by the title of this how-to book: Write A Book Without Lifting A Finger.

Posted by Glenn at 12:39 PM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

Thank goodness there's at least one blogger, Danceblogga, who does a good job of covering the goings on in dance music. Danceblogga links to a few sites that have covered something he mentioned a few times last week: the breakup of Spundae, the weekly party started in San Francisco. Newcity Chicago says Godskitchen, which purchased Spundae Worldwide last year, is taking over all but two cities and changing the name to Godskitchen, which calls it "more or less a name change."

LA.com's blog also covers the Spundae-to-Godskitchen switch.

Spundae San Francisco will keep its name, and it will start a new Spundae LA from scratch. In LA, the event will be moved back to Circus Disco, its original home, from the Henry Fonda Music Box Theater.

Posted by Glenn at 12:22 PM | Link
|Music|

Fiona Apple recorded an album that Sony thinks isn't commercial enough to release. Last week Rolling Stone was the latest to cover the building controversy.

There's a Free Fiona website that is campaigning for the release of the album spurned by Sony, Extraordinary Machine. Freedom is such a serious business these days that the Free Fiona folks even have an e-store and are charging upwards of $20 for T-shirts.

Those of you in NYC are in luck. According to the Free Fiona message board, there will be a "Free Fiona" protest in front of the Sony headquarters on Madison Ave on January 28th.

The founder of the Free Fiona website gave away some of the juicy details, and all Coolfer can say is: Get the SWAT team ready, because this is gonna get nuts!

"We are going to set things up so that we are ready to go before lunchtime on the day of the protest.

What we're gonna do:
-Pass out flyers about the campaign
-Pass out buttons that say the website
-Pass out little cartons of apple juice (pending)

The people involved in the protest will have shirts for the campaign and signs (basically oversized versions of the poster) that we will hold while we spread the word in front of the building.

We are also notifying the press and hope to get on the NYC news.

I am getting a hotel suite (pending) where we can have a campaign headquarters to work on emails, watch the news, and eat, and take breaks while we're all in NYC.

The campaign may last all weekend; it depends on how long it takes Sony to announce a release date once we start protesting."

Better bring a book and some comfortable shoes, Dave. Good luck.

Posted by Glenn at 1:11 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

The Pixies rocked the Hammerstein last night. Coolfer had heard various things about shows along this long 2004 tour. Some weren't impressed. Maybe they saw an off night. Maybe they expected the Red Sea to part.

I loved it.

My ears hurt.

Want an official bootleg of the show? $25 at CD Baby.

(Photo taken in DC by Information Leafblower)

Posted by Glenn at 12:19 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

The NY Times' Kelefa Sanneh covered a relatively unknown band from Philly today. Sanneh calls Dr. Dog "obscure" and calls its music an "extraordinary catalog of off-kilter ballads and light-headed riff-rock."

The band played two sets in one night in NYC recently. Sanneh is such a fan he attended both.

Coolfer gave it a listen. And? Pretty good stuff. Fans of the Elephant 6 collective will dig the group's lo-fi, sometimes skewed take on time-tested, classic pop/rock.

Here are the MP3s available from the band's website:

• "ABCs"
• "Adeline"
• "Easy Beat"
• "Wake Up"

Posted by Glenn at 1:56 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Yesterday I listed Coolfer's favorite albums of 2004. Here is part of the short list that didn't make the top ten. Great albums, all of them.

• Air: Talkie Walkie (Astralwerks)
• The Futureheads: The Futureheads (Sire)
• Jimmy Edgar: Bounce Make Model (Warp)
• Beta Band: Heroes to Zeros (Astralwerks)
• Modest Mouse: Good News For People Who Love Bad News (Columbia)
• Issa Bagayoga: Tassoumakan (Six Degrees)
• Worm Is Green: Automagic (Arena Rock)
• Vinicius Cantuaria: Horse & Fish (Bar None)
• Luomo: Present Lover (Kinetic)
• Unbunny: Snow Tires (Parasol)
• Akufen: Fabric 17 (Fabric)
• Phoenix: Live...30 Days Ago (EMI France)

Posted by Glenn at 1:49 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Here are Coolfer's favorite albums of the year. I can't say whether or not they're the best, just that they're the ones I listened to most often, or the ones that left the biggest impression. If you're a frequent reader this list won't surprise you, and it's not a terribly unique list. My tastes show there's much overlap in the blogosphere.

Since the rankings would change according to mood and outside air temperature, I've listed them alphabetically. No winners, no losers.

Blonde Redhead: Misery Is A Butterfly (4AD, March 23rd) This is my favorite of the band's albums, which is really saying something. Nice to hear a group of such moving, epic songs as the three chord movement proliferated in 2004.

David Byrne: Grown Backwards (Nonesuch, March 16th) Quite an elegant album. Coolfer loves David Byrne and enjoyed his previous album, Look Into The Eyeball, but likes this one even better. Like all good albums, this is best enjoyed from start to finish. (Long live the album format!)

The Delays: Faded Seaside Glamour (Rough Trade, May 18th) To my ears, Brit pop hasn't sounded this good in years. It's almost as if there are a few weak spots on the album, but they're really just great songs looking way up at incredible ones.

Feist: Let It Die (Arts & Crafts Canada, September 6th) Sublime and beautifully crafted songs from Ms. Leslie Feist, a member of the Broken Social Scene collective and thus far its best off-shoot. That it was recorded in France helped give this sultry post-folk record a worldly character that is quite different from the typical North American record. And at the root of it all are great original songs and some interesting interpretations of others' songs.

Fennesz: Venice (Touch, March 22nd) The textures on Venice, the latest ablum by experimental electronic artist Christian Fennesz, grabbed my attention like few albums this year. It's a beautiful suite of ambient music. David Sylvian lends vocals to the song "Transit." When given the time, a listen to Venice from start to finish is really the only way to enjoy it.

Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand (Domino, April 20th) On most days, this would rank as my favorite of the year. Yeah, I know it means I have the same tastes as a few hundred thousand 12-year-olds around the world. So what? It's a stinker-free album that gave rock and roll a much-deserved kick in the striped trousers.

The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Memphis Industries, September 27th) Like an indie-rock Avalanches, The Go! Team are fun and upbeat and put smiles on faces. This is an instantly lovable album, and although it has an uneven spot or two, the highlights more than make up for it. If this were 1984, my cassette would be worn out by now.

Jaojoby: Malagasy (Discorama, August 10th) One of the few albums that made my jaw drop when I first heard it. Malagasy is a powerful statement by Madagascar musician Jaojoby Eusebe, one of the founders of the salegy style of music, and his band. Infectious and often intense.

Lali Puna: Faking the Books (Morr Music, April 20th) Morr Music had a great year, and the latest by indie post rock band Lali Puna was its finest. Not floored at first, I listened more in the following months and came to love this record. Maybe I was taking this band for granted because they're consistantly so good.

Sonic Youth: Sonic Nurse (Geffen, June 8th) I can get over that Sonic Youth has mellowed with time. But until Sonic Nurse, there had been a dozen or so years of misdirections, half-thoughts, amost-theres and could-have-beens. From start to finish, this album is entrancing, and "Unmade Bed" is one of my favorite songs of the year.

Posted by Glenn at 11:26 AM | Link | Comment (7)
|Music|

LA Times writer Scott Timberg takes a good look at the crazy world of LA record store clerks. Some are smug, some are eccentric and some are area legends. They're all a vital part of the record store experience.

"It's why some clerks evoke such fondness, even loyalty to the point that fans follow their favorites from place to place the way others might pursue a hairstylist or bartender."

Record store clerks' obsession over music means most love to turn people on to new music. Elvin Estela of Fingerprints in Long Beach says the same 20 CDs always sell, but thinks there are ten times that number that are equally as good. "I think the Pretty Things should be mentioned in the same breath as the Who."

And then you've got the record store clerk attitude, an elitist scorn that was perfectly captured in the movie "Hi Fidelity." The attitude is part of the territory. One music critic wonders if stores purposely hire the nastiest clerks they can find, "as a badge of cool," wrote Timberg.

Maybe the most valuable aspect of the cranky record store clerk has to do with the larger shifts in music retail. As big box stores gobble up market share, the out-of-the-mainstream store and its clerks provide a valuable service to the music they sell and love. Said Karen Pearson of Amoeba:

"The record store joke is that we're total geeks, but we're not the comic book store. We can still function. But there's a particular type of character, the ones who don't stay in the lines, who I think is disappearing from indie stores in general, whether record stores or bookstores, because retail is becoming so homogenized as the big boxes take over. A lot of my job is to guard against that."

Posted by Glenn at 1:13 PM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

Ice Magazine's Daily Dish today has a bit on the upcoming solo album from James singer Tim Booth. Bone will be out on January 25th, no word yet on a U.S. tour.

"While similar in many ways to the sound of his former group, Bone (on Koch Records) finds Booth sprinkling his tunes with a more dance-oriented sound, informed with subtle electronic flourishes. These come courtesy of the vocalist's main collaborators, producer/multi-instrumentalist Lee Muddy Baker and songwriter Kevin 'KK' Kerrigan, who helped put the record together in spontaneous bedroom studio sessions that Booth happily terms 'a complete accident.'

Hardcore fans may notice the album's lone previously released track, albeit in different form. 'Fall in Love' originally appeared as 'Fall in Love with Me' on Booth's 1996 joint effort with composer Angelo Badalamenti (best known for his Twin Peaks soundtrack work), titled Booth and the Bad Angel. Calling it "one of the best songs I've ever written," Booth includes a significantly altered new recording of the tune on Bone."

Extra credit:

• Tim Booth site
• Official James site

Posted by Glenn at 3:17 PM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

Mr. Bungle, one of the more unique and experimental rock bands to gain a strong following, and perhaps the finest rock band to ever come out of Eureka, California, are officially over, reports Rolling Stone.

Quotes from singer Mike Patton:

"I'm at a point now where I crave healthy musical environments, where there is a genuine exchange of ideas without repressed envy or resentment, and where people in the band want to be there regardless of what public accolades may come their way. Unfortunately, Mr. Bungle was not one of those places."

"We could have probably squeezed out a couple more records but the collective personality of this group became so dysfunctional. This band was poisoned by one person's petty jealousy and insecurity, and it led us to a slow, unnatural death. And I'm at peace with that, because I know I tried all I could."

Patton, formerly the singer for Bay Area metal hybridists Faith No More, is the co-founder of Ipecac Recordings and releases through the label his albums with Fantomas and Tomahawk. He has an album with turntablist collective the X-Ecutioners coming on February 5th, and he just released a collaboration with Kaada on Ipecac, the full-length album Romances.

Posted by Glenn at 12:31 PM | Link
|Music|

In what has to be one of the horrific concert incidents in recent years--other than the inferno at a Great White concert in Rhode Island nearly two years ago--a man jumped on stage during a Damageplan concert in Columbus, Ohio, and shot and killed guitarist Darrel Abbot and drummer Vinnie Paul, as well as two audience members. (Earlier I saw at www.pantera.com that Vinnie was killed as well. Now it's not clear whether or not he was killed.)

Abbot is best known as Dimebag Darryl, the guitarist for the legendary metal band Pantera. Paul was also an original member of Pantera.

The gunman, indentied by a police spokeswoman as Nathan Gale, was shot and killed by a police officer. The shootings took place at Alrosa Villa.

Witnesses said the shooter looked like he had a beef with Abbott as he shot he four times at close range.

Posted by Glenn at 10:24 AM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

One will be a worldwide tour of large venues in front of millions of adoring fans. The other will be in small venues in front of five digits or so.

Motley Crue's original lineup will reunite for a three-continent tour that will start and finish in the U.S. Coolfer can say this about the Crue: they rock. The only bad things about a Crue show are the canned lines between songs and the typical Crue concertgoer. Oh, and anything post-Theater of Pain tends to disappoint, too.

There is also news for the indie rock crowd. Slint (pictured), who have become more beloved since they broke up, will reunite for a tour, says Billboard.com. The band will regroup for the latest U.K. version of All Tomrrow's Parties festival and will turn out 15 live dates in the U.S.

Extra credit:

• Slint biography
• Slint's Spiderland ranks at #12 in Pitchfork's cred-desperate list of the top 100 albums of the '90s.
• The official Motley Crue website
• Tommy Lee's official photo album

Posted by Glenn at 12:31 AM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

Billy Idol has been about as cool as Dennis Rodman in recent years, which is to say not at all. But thanks to VH1 Classics and the summer state fair tour circuit, every '80s megastar can mount a comeback.

Hits' Rumor Mill announced today that Idol has an album coming on Sanctuary, the label with the oldest roster this side of Sony Classical. Devil's Playground will be out on March 25th. The first single, "Scream," will hit radio in late January. A tour is planned for March.

Coolfer shudders to think what route the album will take. Will it be a sad replica of the snearing glory years? Or will it show a new side to Idol? All I know is that he could stand a few patrons to help him record and market the record, a la Jack White and Loretta Lynn.

Extra credit Idol:

• Article at RollingStone.com on Idol's return, bad pun and all.
• Billy Idol's Cyberspot, with MIDI files.
• Pictures of Idol live in Australia, October 2002.

Posted by Glenn at 4:08 PM | Link
|Music|

Just as Kyle from More Cowbell told Coolfer this morning, Billboard.com reports that Pearl Jam's upcoming album will be released through BMG. The source is the Pearl Jam website, which said the album will be released on the "BMG label." BMG label, huh? Which one? Cowbell did one better, saying his personal access to the music industry grapevine has revealed that J Records is a leading candidate. Thanks, Kyle.

Also, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder recorded three songs with a high school choir in Port Elizabeth, South Africa to help raise funds for a program called Molo Care. The Seattle Times reported on it in September. The recording of "Betterman" will be included on the annual fan club single.

Posted by Glenn at 12:42 PM | Link
|Music|

Shaq beat him to it, but rapper Nas has bashed baskteball player Kobe Bryant on a track on his new album, Street's Disciple--and it's got people talking.

Here's a choice sample:

"You can't do better than that? / The hotel clerk who adjusts the bathroom mat / You beat the rap, jiggaboo, fake n---a you / you turn around then you sh-- on Shaq."

Nas also rips O.J., Taye Diggs and Tiger Woods in the song, but saved the Toby from "Roots" reference for Bryant.

P.S. Nas, your website is terrible. Feel free to write a few lines about the webmaster at Sony Urban Music.

Posted by Glenn at 11:03 AM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer ran across the new John Mellencamp CD yesterday, and it sure did remind me of the artwork for Folker, the latest album by Paul Westerberg.

The similarity is nothing compared to the relationship between The Replacement's Pleased to Meet Me and its inspiration, Elvis' G.I. Blues.

Posted by Glenn at 11:00 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

• Fennesz: "The Future Will Be Different" from the Venice sessions. Ambient laptop.
• Underworld: "MmmSkyJam" from the band's vast MP3 archive.
• Communique: "Pefect Weapon" from the album Poison Arrows. Sounds like a band from Las Vegas we all know, no?
• Dalek: "Classical Homocide" from a 2000 single on Matador. A bit more straight-up hip hop than what they're doing these days.

Posted by Glenn at 2:15 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

You can all stop compiling your "best of the year" lists, because it's been done to perfection. The new issue of Blender has the year's 50 best, according to the Blender music scribes. (Numbers 50 through 25 are listed on the web page, the others are in the print version.)

Actually, that was typed with a healthy dose of sarcasm. It's a curious list. Just the fact that Courtney Love's disaster came in at #25 should be enough to raise eyebrows. And a nod to DJ Danger Mouse comes off as a sad attempt for cred.

As for their #1 album, by Kanye West, I'm indifferent. Personally I haven't bought into the chipmunk sampling, but whatever.

Posted by Glenn at 10:48 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

In case you don't get enough of Bill Walton's commentary during NBA games, you'll soon be able to hear him host a weekly radio show on the SIRIUS satellite network. "One More Saturday Night with Bill Walton" will allow bill to play his favorite artists. Judging from his comments over the years, those artists should be the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, and any other Dead-related group.

The press release is classic Walton. Check this out:

"'The nicest thing anybody ever said about me was that I helped my teammates play better,' he has said. 'And that's what the Grateful Dead was all about. They were just like a great basketball team ... a group of outstanding individuals realizing that the strength of the team was the strength of the individual.'"

"The Grateful Dead and basketball have always been interchangeable components in my life, and One More Saturday Night with Bill
Walton is an extension of my passions. I have been blessed to have attended more than 650 Dead shows, forever inspired by the band's speed, creativity, timing, positioning and fluidity. The opportunity to hang weekly with music fans and play my favorite anthems while sharing my personal journey on SIRIUS is a dream come true. Let's rock, baby!'"

First the Howard Stern coup, now this. SIRIUS, you're...on a roll?

Posted by Glenn at 4:34 PM | Link
|Music|

Fans of the French pop band Phoenix have two reasons to celebrate. They've finally started their first-ever U.S. tour (which stops in NYC tonight and tomorrow).

Plus, iTunes and Rhapsody now has Phoenix Live...30 Days Ago. (iTunes does not yet have the album.) The ten-track ablum won't be released on CD for a few months and will be available only online until then. Give it a listen. Those who think they're just a studio band will be pleasantly surprised.

Rhapsody users can click here for the album.

Posted by Glenn at 1:53 PM | Link
|Music|

'I always thought we'd be as big as Radiohead' -- Steve Mason of the Beta Band.

The Beta Band are on their final tour and, according to a fascinating article at the Guardian, are £1.2 million in debt to their record label. Their's is a story of missed opportunities, the fickleness of consumers and the blunt realities of the music business. After years of lackluster sales in the face of critical accolades, after failing to get radio play, and after releasing the most acclaimed album of the band's career, the eccentric rock band decided to call it quits.

"Franz Ferdinand and Snow Patrol were catapulted by Radio 1 airplay; by contrast, says Mason, the wider public 'never even got the chance to give us the thumbs-down'. The Betas' mainstream appearances were limited to John Cusack's Beta-obsessed character in High Fidelity and tunes being used alongside telly's Trinny and Susannah. Perhaps it didn't help that, in early interviews, the Betas could be uncommunicative."

Heroes to Zeroes, the band's latest, was released earlier this year to enthusiastic reviews. When an announcement of the band's impending break-up came instead of a U.S. tour, the album lost stream and it seems it will go forgotten when critics and fans share their favorites of 2004. Perhaps this is one of those bands that will be best appreciated in years to come, as is often the case with bands that don't exactly fit in with their contemporaries. As years pass, perhaps critics will ponder their body of work and future bands declare their admiration, reigniting interest in a band that deserves to be much more than a rock and roll footnote.

Posted by Glenn at 12:57 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

OK, just one more comment on U2 and I'll go on a much-needed U2 hiatus (that will hopefully run concurrently with an Eminem hiatus).

Not that the cover for their album Pop was a thing of beauty, but Coolfer isn't smitten with the new U2 album cover. This is not the opinion of a graphic artist or a rock historian, but just an honest assessment. It's gross. It looks like a grainy digital picture of four rather bored fellows, surrounded by a color combo that's the visual partner to fingers scraping a chalkboard. That red-and-black motif is something else alright.

A few words about the color red from Color Wheel Pro's Color Meaning page:

"Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love."

War. Danger. Passion. OK, those are good U2 topics. But wait, there's another explanation:

"Use it as an accent color to stimulate people to make quick decisions; it is a perfect color for 'Buy Now' or 'Click Here' buttons on Internet banners and websites."

Those marketing genuises! Of course! And what about the color black?

"Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery."

Death and evil go pretty well with war and danger. Makes sense. And the red/black combo?

"Combined with red or orange--other very powerful colors--black gives a very aggressive color scheme."

Aggressive...and ugly. Is this what album packaging has come to in the digital age? Have bands and labels given up on making an artistic statement with the album cover? Coolfer hopes not, because when there's an ugly album cover there are ugly websites and ugly promotional graphics, too.

Posted by Glenn at 11:29 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Nobody likes MP3 clips, but Wire's collection is worth a look. In tandem with a piece in the print version of the magazine called "In Praise of the Riff," Wire's website has a host of praise-worthy riffs such as the sneering, two-chord riff in The Fall's "Slates, Slags, Etc" and the pioneering electro-clash of Cybotron's "Alleys of Your Mind."

Total Guitar magazine once had a poll of the best riffs of all time. The winner? Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine." Ha.

Guitar Magazine had a poll in 1995 to find the 50 heaviest riffs of all time. It's in chronological order, unfortunately, but looking at the final group Coolfer would have to guess that the heaviest of them all would have to be Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" or Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."

Posted by Glenn at 12:03 AM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Indiana Pacer basketball player Ron Artest was suspended for two games because he told his coach he needed to take time off to promote his rap album. Not long after, he was given the rest of the year off for inciting a riot at a game in Detroit.

Wondering about his record label? It's called Truwarier Records. Its first release, a new album by R&B trio Allure, got a write-up in the USA Today--which gave it two-and-a-half stars out of four.

Go to the audio page and click on listen to Artest's song "We Party." In Coolfer's expert opinion, it ranks above raps by Walt Williams and Allen Iverson, but doesn't match up to Shaq's songs. (Nothing is wrose than Kobe's rapping.) What can be said of the production? It's not good.

If you want to buy Artest's album when it's available, you'll have to purchase it at the label's website. To all MP3 bloggers: Somebody please post a track or two.

Posted by Glenn at 12:21 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

The last Coolfer saw of The Bravery they had just recently signed to Island Records, were opening for VHS or Beta at the Knitting Factory and were said to be on their way to London to woo the Brits. Makes sense. Do what the Strokes did--and the Backstreet Boys, as a matter of fact--and build a European fanbase before returning victoriously to the States. A friend of Coolfer described the sound of The Bravery's "Fearless" as "The Strokes covering Duran Duran." Bingo!

NME is currently showing a video for The Bravery song "Unconditional." Watch in Real Audio at low bandwidth, medium bandwidth or high bandwidth. (It can also be viewed at the band's website.)

The November 13th issue of the magazine has an interview with "thrusting, pouting New York-based group." Very nice, lads.

The band's recently remodeled website has a music player that streams three songs but has none of the MP3s that were up for such a long time on the band's old site. They're playing the Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, December 9th (opening for Moving Units). Be there.

Posted by Glenn at 2:38 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Thanks to the Internet, we're living in the era of the lists. Amazon.com has Listmania, its collection of shoppers' lists. VH1 builds shows around lists (i.e. best use of Aquanet by a hair metal band between 1985 and 1988). Bloggers live for makings lists. Next month half of all people in the Western world--and a few in Japan and South Korea, no doubt--will stop whatever they're doing to carefully and tediously construct their "Best Albums of 2004" lists. (Oddly, the speedy editors at Amazon.com already have their best of the year list finished.)

List mania just isn't slowing down. Proving that you're only as good as your last list, Rolling Stone is coming out with a list of the top 500 rock songs of all time.

Their top song? Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone." It beat out the Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Fifteen years ago the magazine's list had the two in reverse positions.

The entire list will come out tomorrow in a special issue. Print version? How old media!

Posted by Glenn at 7:07 PM | Link
|Music|

Video games are proving to be a popular cross-marketing vehicle for bands and their labels. Stubbs the Zombie has one of the more interesting collections of music that will be released only on this soundtrack, says Gamespot. Young bands cover old classics. Death Cab for Cutie does "Earth Angel," Cake covers "Strangers in the Night," The Raveonettes do "My Boyfriend's Back" and Oranger tackles "Mr. Sandman." You can check the soundtrack page at the Stubbs the Zombie site for the entire tracklisting.

Posted by Glenn at 11:55 AM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer's Wednesday routine is to go through both the Village Voice and The Onion and check out the music reviews. This week, the Voice's Chuck Eddy highlights a dozen reissues and compilations of older material, and it's a downloader's dream. Check out the links to MP3s and band websites.

At The Onion, Josh Modell gives favorable reviews to both Dogs Die in Hot Cars and The Futureheads, noting that both have "strikingly bad names" and that "there's lots of rear-view neck-craning going on, though it rarely causes serious strain." Nathan Rabin wasn't overly smitten by the new album by Handsome Boy Modeling School ("White People has something for everyone, as well as something guaranteed to irritate or turn off everyone").

Posted by Glenn at 3:22 PM | Link
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The Chemcial Brothers' website has some new info today on their album that'll hit the States on January 25th. This is one electronic album that might buck the trend in the U.S. and actually make an impact--or at least have sales that have somewhat resemble electronic's glory days a few years back.

The first single, as has already been reported, will be "Galvanize" featuring Q-Tip. That guy was a fresh guest back in '90 when "Groove Is In The Heart" came out, but whatever.

More guests than a Jay-Z record: Tim Burgess (The Charlatans), Anwar Superstar (brother of Mos Def), Kele Okereke (singer in the super-hott Bloc Party) and The Magic Numbers (recently signed to Heavenly Records).

Posted by Glenn at 3:46 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Congrats to NYC's TV on the Radio for winning the Shortlist Prize yesterday.

The award is given to performers whose latest album has sold fewer than 500,000 units at the time of the nomination.

The band is currently on tour with The Faint and will open for The Pixies at NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom on December 11th.

Posted by Glenn at 10:56 AM | Link
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Oops. You mean there was a celebrity-studded music awards show on the tube last night? And Coolfer missed it? That's par for this particular course. Awards shows, though they help sell some albums, are the pits. Any time Jimmy Kimmel hosts an awards show, you can pretty much assume taking home the award won't be the feather in any winner's cap.

Here's how it went down at last night's American Music Awards: Usher Usher Usher.

Nice of Kanye West to claim he was robbed of the best new artist award, which went to country singer Gretchen Wilson. "I was the best new artist this year, so get that other bull out of here," he whined.

Other winners:

- OutKast for favorite band, duo or group - pop or rock
- Alicia Keys for favorite female artist - soul/R&B
- Toby Keith for favorite male artist - country
- Reba McEntire for favorite female artist - country
- Jay-Z for favorite male artist - rap/hip hop
- nobody for favorite female aritst - rap/hip hop...because it's not even a category!
- Lincoln Park for favorite artist - alternative music
- Marc Anthony for favorite artist - Latin music
- Bon Jovi for artist of merit

Posted by Glenn at 12:53 PM | Link | Comment (3)
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Who shall we thank? The DFA? Radio 4? !!!? Franz Ferdinand? The Rapture? The entire Williamsburg section of Brooklyn?

Hipsters, Gang of Four is going to reunite, reports Billboard.com. Pat yourselves on the back. You've done good. And I thought a Big Star reunion was impressive. This is right up there. If you can start idolizing Husker Du now that'd be swell, and we might get a reuinion before long.

Here are the five concerts that have been reported thus far:

Jan. 23: Manchester, England (Academy)
Jan. 24: Leeds, England (Leeds University)
Jan. 25: Bristol, England (Academy)
Jan. 27: Birmingham, England (Academy)
Jan. 28: London (Shepherd's Bush Empire)

Gang of Four resources:

- Bio at All Music
- Trouser Press profile
- The website of Andy Gill, the band's guitarist
- Gang of Four MP3 downloads from Andy Gill's website
- Gang of Four at eBay

Posted by Glenn at 5:09 PM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer wasn't there, but word on the street is that The Arcade Fire show last night was rather fine. (Good to see, though, that at least one other blogger was at the Menomena show at Sin-e.)

It was a sold-out show. How badly did New Yorkers want tickets? Enough to offer $65 per ticket. Let's go to Craigs List:

- Arcade Fire-will buy last minute, no time to haggle. "Will buy last minute if someone's friends fall through. It must be 2 but I will pay 100."
- I NEED ARCADE FIRE TIX. "please!! email me about $$"
- Arcade Fire --Will pay $100 for one ticket. "Looking for one ticket to the show tonight at Bowery. Will pay $100 and meet you at the show before. Email me back if you're selling. Thanks."
- arcade fire tickets wanted- 2 tickets - $120.
- Will pay $130 for two Arcade Fire Tickets - $130. "I will pay $130 for two Arcade Fire tickets, and will travel to pick up those tickets. Please email me if you are selling."

Scott Stereogum pointed out that David Byrne was there, and he also said he's overposted on this particular band. Sounds good, Scott. Coolfer is going on an Arcade Fire hiatus.

Posted by Glenn at 1:19 PM | Link
|Music|

Dick Clark, "America's oldest living teenager," has forced Sweden's The Soundtrack of Our Lives to change their name in the U.S., says Rolling Stone. Clark owns the trademark to the phrase "Dick Clark presents the soundtrack of your life." At least, he used to. It seems the U.S. Patent Office claims Clark's patent expired in 2002. Universal is going ahead with the name change anyway.

The new band name? Get ready for this piece of garbage: The Soundtrack of Our Lives (T.S.O.O.L.).

Now Universal may have to deal with the SoCal punk band TSOL. On second thought, they couldn't bring a scary enough cease and desist letter.

Coolfer has a few ideas. How about the standard "UK" suffix? The Soundtrack of Our Lives U.K.? (Yeah, I know they're from Sweden.) Or the "Band of" prefix (used by The Bees)? A Band of The Soundtrack of Our Lives. Could be worse, no?

Said guitarist Mattias Barjed:

"We were really upset at first, but we have gotten used to it and now we are OK with the situation. I've seen footage (of American Bandstand) now. They might have shown it on Swedish television, but I wasn't born back then, so I don't really know."

What a mess. Where's Creative Commons when you need them? Then again, not even some free pub and a new name is going to help them sell records in the States. Boy did that last album tank!

Posted by Glenn at 12:23 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

Finally, a good rock 'n' roll beef! Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age went all Jack White on Dwarves singer Blag Dahlia at the LA club Dragonfly. Some eyewitnesses said Homme started it by pouring a beer over Dahlia's head. Jesse Hughes, who is Homme's bandmate in the Eages of Death Metal, said Homme threw a punch after getting pushed. Details details.

Regardless of which account is more accurate, there's no denying the beef goes back to the Dwarves' song "Massacre," which bags on QOTSA: "This one goes out to Queens of the Trust Fund/You slept on my floor/And now I'm sleeping through your motherfucking album."

It's not exactly Death Row/Bad Boy, or Blur/Oasis, but it's something. People are being too damn nice lately. The rock world could use a good beef now and again. (Read at RollingStone.com)

Posted by Glenn at 12:06 PM | Link
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NME reports The Who plan to release an album next year, that it is not a concept album and that Pete Townshend is currently working on his autobiography. (Would that be the mysterious book that required that he check out child porn websites in order to conduct research?)

A message from Townshend, posted yesterday, can be found at his website:

"WHO2 will not be a concept album. That is, in itself, a concept for me. Roger and I meet in mid December to play what we have written. If we move ahead from there, we may have a CD ready to release in the spring. My working-title for the project - 'Who2' - is only partly tongue-in-cheek. If the recording works out we will tour with the usual band in the first half of 2005."

Later he addressed his arrest for kiddie porn:

"This is the book I spoke about that was in preparation when I was arrested in early 2003. This small book is about the impact and danger of child-porn on the internet: essays about and interviews with casualties of abuse or survivors like myself. I have shelved it. I can't venture publicly into this area again."

Posted by Glenn at 12:44 PM | Link
|Music|

There must be at least three Coolfer readers who care about the results from last night's Country Music Association Awards. What? There are only two of you? Drats. What's that? No, not quite. I, too, failed to tune in.

Kenny Chesney, that other balding country musician who always wears a hat, won awards for entertainer of the year and album of the year. Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" won both single and song of the year.

Rednecked, belt-buckled Gretchen Wilson escaped with an award for best emerging artist, which is pretty much a make believe category that says, "Yeah, you're almost there, keep it up."

Check the coverage at Billboard.com, CMT.com and the Country Music Association.

Posted by Glenn at 1:23 PM | Link
|Music|

How often does an unsigned band get on a major network's late night talk show? Coolfer's not sure if anybody actually keeps such statistics, but it's got to be an infrequent occurance. On top of that, how many unsigned bands play a late night talk show in front of a flashing sign with the band's name spelled out in gaudy lightbulbs? Fewer still.

Last night it was with much joy that Coolfer watched Tsar perform on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. The band is currently shopping around for a label and plays LA on a regular basis. Last night they cranked out the song "Band-Girls-Money" and it pretty much rocked.

Their selt-titled debut was released by Hollywood Records in 2000--and quickly went nowhere despite incredible songs and an admirable touring schedule. Maybe the country wasn't ready for their SoCal glam-cum-power pop. Maybe Hollywood dropped the ball while they were busy turning Fastball into worldwide superstars. Whatever. Coolfer is just glad they're still around.

Stream some Tsar using Real Audio:

- "Startime"
- "Band-Girls-Money"

Posted by Glenn at 10:41 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

This from Friday's daily email from KEXP DJ John Richards, an APB from the manager of McLusky:

"This is Craig the manager of the aforementioned bunch of guitar wreckers. Just to give you a heads up, and also to see if you can muster any help, mclusky have had ALL of their gear stolen (while in Phoenix) along with the trailer it was in. Due to various errors, oversights and the evil nature of insurance companies, it turns out none of this gear is insured. So we not only have no gear but are about $20,000 in hock to the hire company, Gibson and Marshall. Given that the band have about 50 cents between them this is an issue.

Let me know if you hear anything...."

Posted by Glenn at 5:43 PM | Link
|Music|

Shumway here. Back before you even thought to miss me. This time the reason is an outfit called the Rainstick Orchestra, with their should-be-mystic-but-instead-its-just-silly titled album, Floating Glass Key in the Sky. Definitely not the healthiest horse in the Ninja Tune stable. Presumably meant as an asset to be held on the chilled side of the label's ledger, RSO sounds more like a fifty year old mother's idea of what downtempo music is, rather than what it could be.

It's interesting to note that this music was no doubt made with the aim of soothing the listener, since I came out on the other end of this experience with some serious hypertension. More to the point, I felt like I was locked overnight inside of a new age card/stationary shop where you can buy aloe plants and dry ice machines as well as a Happy Solstice Day card for your loved one. This is what they would play in such a store where they feel like stepping a little outside of the Kitaro box.

I'm happy to report that I've since escaped, and that whatever emotional scars I've recieved from the experience will no doubt heal overtime.

Until next time.

Posted by at 3:47 PM | Link
|Music|

P. Diddy's "Vote or Die" campaign tirelessly worked to get out the youth vote in this week's election. Should we be surprised that a few of the rappers involved in the campaign would apparently choose death over voting?

Over at SOHH, they've got a post that takes from a New York Daily News article from a few days ago (yeah, Coolfer is late on this one) that says 50 Cent and Ludacris, both particpants in P. Diddy's quest to get the hip hop generation to visit the polls last Tuesday, didn't vote in the election. Better yet, neither was even registered, according to the article. (Nor was another publicity freeloader, Paris Hilton.)

A Citizen Change official left it to the celebrities' managers to make sure they were registered. (Yes, well, that was your first mistake, obviously.) Ludacris' publicist said the rapper "said he absolutely mailed his absentee ballot last week in Fulton County, Georgia," while 50 Cent's eligibility to vote may be an issue because he is a convicted felon.

You know, there are advertising regulations concerned with celebrities who endorse products. It would be nice to have similar regulations for celebrities who "advertise" voting but don't actually "use the product."

Posted by Glenn at 11:42 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Posted at the band's website the other day:

"We're still working on the following records for release in 2005:

Deluxe Edition of the 'Goo' album, a 2CD/4LP set featuring the original LP remastered, 8 track demos, and outtakes, plus a 24 page booklet packed with photos and essays.

Reissue of the eponymous 'Sonic Youth' EP with never-before-heard bonus tracks.

SYR 6 (or 7)."

Posted by Glenn at 1:18 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

People around here are bummed over the election. Concerts are underattended. In general there's a lot of moping around.

Nothing helps (or perpetuates) mourning like music, right?

You Rhapsody subscribers can listen to this playlist titled "No Joy in Mudville" complied by the folks at Rhapsody Rock School.

Posted by Glenn at 1:35 PM | Link
|Music|

First Avenue, in case you hadn't heard, has closed. The Minneapolis club filed for bankrupcy on Tuesday and its employees were let go.

The legendary club opened in 1970 and was the home to many local bands as well as touring bands. Said Paul Westerberg of the Replacements, "They were the guys who supported bands like mine when we still sucked." It was the host of all the concert shots in the movie "Purple Rain."

Here's a farewell email sent out by the departing staff, which is also posted on the website:

"The departing staff wish to thank all of the staff members from the last 30+ years for their hard work, tears, and souls.

We'd also like to thank everyone that came down to support the club,
the bands, and the employees. Without you, there would have been no First Avenue!"

Read a history of the club and some quotes that tell the club's story.

Here's the article on the bankrupcy and closure at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Posted by Glenn at 12:08 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Monday is usually a pretty slow news day as far as music and the music industry go. Thank goodness we've got a good feud to liven things up a bit.

Yes, the Jay-Z/R. Kelly tiff is sure to dominate headlines for the coming days, if not weeks.

Billboard.com posted an article on Sunday afternoon, reporting that lawyers for Kelly are filing a criminal complaint against a member of Jay-Z's entourage (for an alleged pepper spray incident) and "considering other legal action."

SOHH's article says the promoter "expelled" Kelly from the remaining Madison Square Garden shows, and special guests such as Busta Rhymes and Mary J. Blige took the stage for the second Garden show.

The NY Times points out that all this comes as the two have an album, Unfinished Business, that is going to debut at the top of the album chart on Wednesday. "It makes it seem like you can act any old way and still have a No. 1 album," Jay-Z said. The Times article says P. Diddy said in an email, "I thought it was real wack of R. Kelly to leave Jay-Z out there like that in his hometown."

The conspiracy theorist in me can't help but think this whole episode--like so many in music--was orchestrated to sell more records. Yeah, I know. Unlikely. Even if not, well, it's going to sell more records.

Posted by Glenn at 11:23 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Brian Fair, singer for metalcore band Shadows Fall (that's him in the middle, with the Celtics shirt), was recently diagnosed with both strep and laryngitis. Did the cancel any shows?

"I have never cancelled a show due to poor health and don't plan on it now. The support of our fans means the world to us and I would never do anything to let them down. Besides, if Curt Shilling can lead the Red Sox to a World Series victory with a sewn up ankle then I can tough it out and bring the metal."

The Red Sox: Inspiring great metal bands since October 2004.

Posted by Glenn at 4:52 PM | Link | Comment (6)
|Music|

Adam Levine is the singer for the band Maroon 5. Unfortunately for the Adam Levine listed in the Los Angeles phone book, a lot of people call him looking for Adam Levine the singer.

The Other Adam has made a website that explains his same-name problems, www.imnotthatadamlevinegoddamnit.org. "There are many Adam Levines in Los Angeles, from whence Maroon5's lame music eminates," he wrote, "but I am the only one who is listed, so you can guess the rest."

The Other Adam went DeRogatis and made MP3 files out of some of the stupid calls he has received since Maroon 5 broke.

Levine's predicament reminds Coolfer of Initech programmer Michael Bolton in the movie Office Space. When told there's nothing wrong with his name, he shot back, "There was nothing wrong with it... until I was about 12 years old and that no-talent ass clown became famous and started winning Grammys."

Posted by Glenn at 10:22 AM | Link | Comment (5)
|Music|

John Peel, the legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ, died of a heart attack while on holiday in Peru. He was 65.

BBC.com's article catalogued the groundbreaking work Peel had done over the years. He champtioned Welsh language music, said Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals. James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers called him a "portal to a whole new world." He was one of the first DJ's to give exposure to punk, reggae and hip hop before they broke into the mainstream.

More:

- A John Peel biography
- A website that details the John Peel sessions since 1992
- A website filled with MP3s from John Peel sessions, including tracks by The Shins, Guided by Voices, Autechre, Pet Shop Boys and J Mascis.

Posted by Glenn at 10:16 AM | Link
|Music|

Titles released tomorrow include:

- Leonard Cohen: Dear Heather (Sony)
- Depeche Mode: Remixes 81-04 (Warner Bros)
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus (Anti)
- UNKLE: Never, Never, Land (Global Underground)
- Simple Plan: Still Not Getting Any (Lava)
- Michael Mcdonald: Motown Two (Motown)
- Luna: Rendezvous (Jetset)
- Various Artists: Music From the O.C.: Mix 2
- The Futureheads: The Futureheads (Sire)
- Hall & Oates: Our Kind Of Soul (U-Watch)
- Blake Shelton: Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill (Warner Bros)
- Razorlight: Up All Night (Universal)
- YOURCODENAMEIS:MILO: All Roads to Fault (Beggars Banquet)

Shows in NYC this week:

- Brian Jonestown Massacre at the Mercury Lounge, Monday and Tuesday
- Gomez at Irving Plaza, Monday and Tuesday
- Blonde Redhead at Irving Plaza, Wedneday and Thursday
- ARE Weapons at Lit, Thursday
- The Walkmen at Webster Hall, Friday
- Le Tigre at Irving Plaza, Sunday
- Baby/The Twenty-Twos at Pianos, Sunday

Posted by Glenn at 6:52 PM | Link
|Music|

Lenny Kravitz is getting too many mentions in Coolfer. Way too many. But when you've got an album tanking, multiple cancelled tour dates, a corny ad campaign with a "Sex in the City" star and a tidal wave of an overflowing toilet in your $13 million Manhattan penthouse, it's difficult to go without notice.

The folks at The Smoking Gun have the New York State Supreme Court lawsuit filed Wednesday by his downstairs neighbor. The result: "catostrophic water damage" to the tune of $333,849.77 that his neighbor wants repaid due to Kravitz's "negligence and carelessness."

Gawker was quickly on the case, wondering if the "various" materials mentioned in the lawsuit was just a euphemism for "syringes and latex." And because it's a real estate-related issue, Curbed blogged it as well.

In other Lenny news, he'll be on the American Music Awards on November 14th and Jay Leno the 15th.

Bonus resources:

- A list of NYC plumbers
- Home Depot's plumbling supplies

Posted by Glenn at 6:09 PM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer got a tip that Paul Westerberg did an interview with sports radio talk host Jim Rome on Tuesday. Westerberg was, of course, the frontman for The Replacements. Rome, who often talks about The Replacements, calls them "my favorite band ever."

Man Without Ties, a Replacements website, had a blurb about the interview and, luckily for those of us who didn't hear it, a link to an MP3 of the interview.

Among the tidbits in the interview:

- Westerberg reveals that his mother once dated baseball legend Ted Williams.
- Pleased to Meet Me is Westerberg's favorite Replacements album.
- Why didn't the Replacements ever get back together? "Eight cold feet," said Westerberg.
- He plans on doing three shows in Minneapolis and hitting some towns he missed last time he toured.
- Westerberg is a Timberwolves fan, but his wife follows the team more closely.

Let's wait and see how Folker sold that week. Hopefully Rome gave sales a good kick in the pants. He actually spelled it out a few times for his listeners. F-O-L-K-E-R.

Posted by Glenn at 1:58 PM | Link
|Music|

Pop songsmith Joe Pernice, leader of the Pernice Brothers, has recorded a song titled "Moonshot Manny (Pega Luna)" and is making it available as a free download--with a small hitch. After making a donation to Boston's First Night, a non-profit that produces an annual New Year's Eve celebration, you will be taken to the download page. The band asks that you give at least $1. Not a bad deal, if you ask me. The song will be available for a limited time. After that, you'll have to go to the usual places to find it: Kazaa, eDonkey, Morpheus, MP3 blogs, etc.

Here's a sample of the song's lyrics:

"And the green wall's rising
Like a killer in the sun
If he doesn't judge carom
Than he's knocking in a run
Every guy wants to be him
And the ladies go crazy:
Manny, hit me home with a moonshot, baby!
Moonshot, baby."

Posted by Glenn at 3:23 AM | Link
|Music|

Tonight in NYC, Wired Magazine will host a benefit show at Town Hall. On the bill are David Byrne and Gilberto Gil. It's reportedly sold out, but the event will be webcast. Tickets are a slight $40, $55 and $75. Ask at the door whether or not it qualifies as a tax-deductable charitable contribution.

The show will benefit Creative Commons, a non-profit group that works on alternatives to existing copyright laws. At the website, they say: "We use private rights to create public goods: creative works set free for certain uses. Like the free software and open-source movements, our ends are cooperative and community-minded, but our means are voluntary and libertarian." They like to use the phrase "some rights reserved," as opposed to the "all rights reserved" usually associated with copyright.

Other links:

- The Creative Commons weblog
- Choose a Creative Commons license
- Website of Lawrence Lessig, a Creative Commons board member
- SF Chronicle on Lessig and Creative Commons

Posted by Glenn at 1:10 PM | Link
|Music|

The ten finalists for the 2004 Shortlist Prize were announced, reports Billboard. (Shortlist Prize voters are musicians and others in the music industry who nominate albums that have shipped fewer than 500,000 copies. Franz Ferdinand has scanned that many, so shipments by this date are way past the mark.) The ten finalists:

- Air: Talkie Walkie (Astralwerks)
- Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner (XL/Matador)
- Franz Ferdinand: self-titled (Domino/Epic)
- Ghostface Killah: The Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam)
- The Killers: Hot Fuss (Island)
- Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
- Nellie McKay: Get Away From Me (Columbia)
- The Streets: A Grand Don't Come for Free (Vice)
- TV On The Radio: Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes (Tough & Go)
- Wilco: A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch)

Prediction time. Since the UK has the Mercury Prize, the Shortlist voters may be more apt to recognize a homegrown record. Hard to say. I'd be surprised if Franz won this since they won the Mercury Prize. Voters won't double-up on them. Wilco may have lost a little momentum since everybody was on their jock after Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It won't be a hip hop album--especially since there's only one in the entire group.

The Killers will get the young hipster vote, but they lack the respected integrity that winners tend to have. Air has "Surfing on a Rocket" in a car ad but doesn't stand a chance. A TV on the Radio win would be great, but they're too new on the scene to get this much respect. I'd have to say Loretta Lynn will win it. She'll get the "respect the old veteran's comeback album" vote.

Posted by Glenn at 10:06 PM | Link | Comment (6)
|Music|

Taken from an email sent by longtime Ramones friend Arturo Vega:

"Our dear friend Johnny has died, May he rest in peace. Johnny past away this afternoon at 3:03 pm. In his home in Los Angeles California.We are immensely saddened by this terrible loss. Johnny contributed in many ways to the success and greatness of the Ramones, but it was his strength and guidance, which made everybody else's work come to an effective completion, that made him the group's center of gravity providing the balance and stability that kept the band, it's support crew and the entire Ramones organization together and in rocking shape. Johnny’s strength came from his character, rich in decency and honesty, his sense of fairness, and his strategy always pointed towards the benefit of the Ramones and their fans as an inseparable unit.

In this moment of tragedy and darkness let us find solace and a cure to our pain in the knowledge that Johnny accomplished to the limit his life’s aspirations and in the process he made ours seem possible."

Posted by Glenn at 9:05 AM | Link
|Music|

Prince bundled his Musicology CD with concert tickets. Now Wilco has plans to bundle a CD of unreleased songs with "The Wilco Book." (Read the Billboard.com article.) Published by Picture Box, Inc., the 160-page book has the kind of content that will please mainly the more hardcore fan who wants to add more stuff to his/her living space: previously unseen images (oooooooh...yes, I'm rolling my eyes), essays from band members (I guess that could be interesting), paintings and "other assorted visual images."

The CD has 12 previously unreleased songs that are from the A Ghost is Born sessions: "Pure Bug Beauty," "This Is New," "Diamond Claw," "This Is New (The Explanation)," "What Good Am I," "Here Comes Everybody," "Hummingbird" (Soma version), and "The High Heat," "Doubt," "Barnyard Pimp," "Rottnest" and "Hamami." In Coolfer's opinion the unreleased material is the main prize. The book is just a big carrying case for the CD.

Coolfer is a little late on this one. Sacks & Co had a press release back in mid-July. So timely, huh?

Release date is November 15th. (Imagine that...just in time for Christmas.) You can preorder the book from the band's website. Or you can save over $9 and buy from Amazon.com.

Posted by Glenn at 11:52 AM | Link
|Music|

As predicted by Coolfer, Franz Ferdinand won the Mercury Prize, reports NME.com. The Mercury Prize is given to the outstanding UK album.

I'm not surprised. A great new album made by four attractive and well-tailored young men is going to take the Mercury Prize in this and any other year. No way the Streets was going to win; it wasn't his debut album. Mercury voters love debut albums. Ten out of the 13 Mercury Prizes have gone to debut albums. And though the Zutons, who are freshmen as well, charged down the home stretch and made British bookies really nervous, 2004 has very simply been "The Year of the Ferd."

Singer Alex Kapronos, according to NME, said the band was "chuffed and very honoured." OK, I admit it. I looked up chuffed at the online English to American Dictionary. It says, "Someone who describes themselves as being chuffed is generally happy with life." Perhaps they'll go out tonight to celebrate and get pissed?

Coolfer was happy to see elder statesment Robert Wyatt nominated, though it was nothing more than a tip of the hat because he was a gigantic longshot. Also nice to see the Basement Jaxx nominated in such a rock-heavy year.

The Ferd will soon begin another US tour. They're playing NYC's Roseland on Thursday and will DJ at Rothko later that night.

Posted by Glenn at 6:48 PM | Link
|Music|

FoC Steven sent Coolfer this email that went out to all the bands that took part in Little Steven's International Garage Rock Festival a few weeks ago at NYC's Randall's Island. Many, many thanks, Steven. There are some classic lines here.

I love where encourages band to get a "look" and where he politely tells the White Stripes that garage rock will probably never improve upon the blueprint laid down by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Little Steven looked at this concert as a part of a battle. He described it as a "war we are waging against the exclusive domination of hard rock, hip hop, contemporary pop, and rootless, soul-less, mindless, lifeless, hopeless, joyless mediocrity in general." So I guess Little Steven wouldn't want to borrow my Mouse on Mars CDs, huh? What about that Matthew Dear EP? No? Oh. No guitar, no interest from L.S.

Check it out:

Dearest Bands,

Time is ridiculously tight so we need everybody to keep their sets
under ten minutes. We would like everybody to limit their sets to
three songs. If that's only six or seven minutes, that's even better
for us as far as keeping on schedule. At around nine and a half
minutes the turntable stage will start to turn even if you're still
playing.

Continue reading "And Now, An Email From Little Steven" »

Posted by Glenn at 11:19 PM | Link
|Music|

Compliments of Marginal Revolution, who got this from the Spanish version of the Miami Herald (thus no hyperlink), which got the data from Agenda Inc., a San Francisco marketing firm, some info on the products and brands found in chart-topping rap songs.

1: Looking at the Billboard Top 20 for rap music, 59 brands have been mentioned 645 times in songs so far this year.

2: Very high end and very low end brands are the most popular mentions.

3: The top brand so far this year in rap songs is Hennessey, a kind of cognac. Cadillac comes in second.

4: Mercedes, a previous favorite, now has fallen behind Cadillac, Rolls-Royce, and Jaguar.

5: Autos, fashion, and beverages provide the brands most likely to be mentioned in rap songs.

6: Cristal, an extremely expensive champaigne, may be losing appeal because it is now so closely identified with hip-hop.

7: Polariod, in contrast, has benefited greatly from rap music. The product has been hurt by digital photography, but Outkast sang "Shake it like a Polaroid picture" in its hit "Hey Ya."

Posted by Glenn at 2:16 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

If this is a publicity stunt, it's among the best I've seen in a long while.

As you may know by now, Coolfer loves the High Strung. Great band. Well, the band got a newer yellow school bus to carry them back and forth across the country, so at 3am on a recent morning, they left their old, beat up, graffiti-covered yellow school bus on the steps (and nearly in front of the entrance) of Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With this bus they left a plaque that read:

"This is a 1988 Chevy G30 used by The High Strung. Although the odometer reads 8,621 miles, it is actually 318,621 miles. The spray painting was done by various people all over the country but never by any one in the van. The van contains countless notes, photos and song ideas inspired by those met along the way."

High Strunger Josh Malerman left a note to the Hall that explained why they left the van.

"Dear Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, We believe rock and roll can make man heroic, make man Superman, can make giants out of the audience and artists alike...The High Strung's donation to you is a wild multicolored beast of a vehicle that despite its age and demands placed upon it, carried us to 500 shows across America without asking us to cancel one. Oh yeah, and don't you worry about any potential towing costs, the keys are in the ignition."

Posted by Glenn at 11:16 AM | Link
|Music|

First, here's a song for you lovers of sing-along guitar pop: "What's Your New Thing?" by Walking Concert (aka Walter Schreifels of Rival Schools, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today and Quicksand fame). It's the catchiest thing this side of a Ted Leo song. The album, Run To Be Born, is out on September 7th on Some Records.

Also, Coolfer and Jen Daily Refill saw The Five O'Clock Heroes at the Delancey Bar the other night. Sarah Ultragrrrl was there, too, and before the band went on she gave me the lowdown. "They sound like the Jam," she said. "And they're really cute."

Yes and yes. Some Jam references in their bouncy songs, but probably more XTC, and more than a shade of Squeeze. Really good songs. They've got a good beat and they're easy to dance to.

You can download some music as the band's website. So do it already.

If you're in NYC and in town tonight, you have a few solid entertainment options. Either way you can't lose. If I wasn't currently in California I'd be at one or both of them.

The Bravery are playing the Mercury Lounge, which I'm no longer calling "the dreaded Mercury Lounge" because I've had about five straight nights there that haven't sucked. An FoC described the Bravery's song "Fearless" as sounding like the Strokes covering Duran Duran. Spot on.

Also tonight is the High Strung at the Delancey. These local boys are a great, fun live band and better every time I see them. Road warriors they are. Think pop meets garage meets British Invasion meets Buddy Holly meets CCR. Also on the bill are the High Dials.

Posted by Glenn at 11:33 AM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

In this election year, protest music is back in vogue. Not even during the conservative Reagan/Thatcher years were there so many albums making political statements, a trend that actually began with the 9/11 attacks. The war in Vietnam was probably the last time so many artists were so vocal.

While some albums are all new material, some compilations are dominated by previously released songs and leftovers from recording sessions. Not everybody is going to be able to say much, or be able to record a new tracks for an album, but they want to support a cause. As an Onion review of points out, "It's hard to imagine protesters taking to the streets outside the Republican National Convention and blaring Future Soundtrack For America's exclusive remix of Blink-182's 'I Miss You.'" Others, such as Steve Earle's latest, are overtly political.

Here are some of the more recent ones:

Steve Earle: The Revolution Starts Now. One of America's finest musicians is also one of its most outspoken.

Antibalas: Who Is This America. Coolfer has to wonder how political an album can be when there are no lyrics. Can song titles and album art convey much of a message? I suppose one has to read the CD sleeve's liner notes to get the message.

Rock Against Bush Volume 1 and Volume 2. Fat Wreck Chords was early to the anti-Bush CD release party. Volume 2 was released a few weeks ago and debuted high on the album chart. Personally, I think Fat Wreck needs to come out with a Rock Against Nader series to help combat the Corvair-hating spoiler.

Radio 4: Stealing of a Nation. Some of the tamest political statements this side of a US flag pin on a newscaster's lapel.

Various: Future Soundtrack for America. Jimmy Eat World covers GBV's "Game of Pricks." OK Go covers a Zombies song. A live Flaming Lips song. A "MoveOn" mix of REM's "Final Straw." Some political statements, a lot of neutral rock and roll.

Various: Who's America? Dance label System Recordings and hip hop label Definitive Jux teamed up for a benefit CD. The RDJ2 track, "Get Off My Spaceship Bitch," is on his latest album, but there is a number of new tracks/remixes here by Mr. Lif, Junior Sanchez, Dieselboy & Koas and Hangar 18.

Posted by Glenn at 12:02 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Heard on Rhapsody recently:

The Mooney Suzuki: Alive & Amplified. The Matrix did well.

Crosby/Nash: s/t. Pretty good. Too long.

The Orb: Bicycles & Tricycles. Pretty good, but uneven.

Posted by Glenn at 2:13 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

All you pop/rock-loving New Yorkers may want to stop by Hi-Fi this Wednesday for a release party for Maplewood. Their debut album comes out on September 7th via Tee Pee Records. It's a great pop rock album (get ready for some serious name-dropping), a laid back affair that brings to mind CS&N, Big Star and at times the Sweetheart of the Rodeo, California country era of the Bryds.

Hi-Fi is a good hang on Wednesdays. They play new and not-yet-released music, and Brooklyn pints are two bucks for a two-hour stretch (I foget exactly what the start time is).

"Darlene" sounds like mid-'80s REM, a pop-slanted Jayhawks and a more folky Posies song. Very nice stuff. Download and enjoy.

Also, they've got an album release show at the dreaded Mercury Lounge on September 8th with the Wrens, Nada Surf and the Comas.

Posted by Glenn at 6:51 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Two or three of you might care about this: Soundway Records is going to soon release Ghana Soundz Volume 2. Coolfer loved the first volume, which is a top-to-bottom great collection of rare funk and Afropop from 1970s Ghana, and so I'm thrilled about the sequel. Amazon.com lists a street date of October 5th. I wouldn't bet on this one being punctual, though.

Also out on October 5th via Soundway is Afro Baby: The Evolution of the Afro-Sound in Nigeria 1970-79.

More reading: A review of Ghana Soundz at BBC.com and one at Mr Lucky. Even Picthfork reviewed it, and gave it an 8.8.

Posted by Glenn at 11:45 AM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer hit The National's listening party at Hi-Fi last night and had a few drinks with the fine folks of the Brassland label. The band's new EP, Cherry Tree, is fantastic and has been getting great reviews.

If you're in NYC, stop by Other Music at 7pm this Sunday to see the National's in-store performance. (Cherry Tree is currently #26 on the Other Music best sellers chart.)

Here's the MP3 link for "Wasp Nest" from Cherry Tree.

Posted by Glenn at 2:35 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Assuming the stadium is completed on time, the summer Olympics in Athens is going to include a moment of history quite unrelated to sports: DJ Tiesto will be the first DJ to perform in an Olympic games opening ceremony. Of all the Olmpic firsts and Olympics records, this one is the lamest.

Tiesto will spin for 90 minutes during the parade of athletes. Word is that new tracks created specially for the games. Can't you imagine it? As the small squad from Cameroon walks onto the track, some Euro-trance anthem is going to be pumping from the PA system. Should fit really well. No word yet on where the DJ booth will be, or if broadcasters will go back and forth between the parade of athletes and close-ups of Tiesto flipping through his vinyl and cueing up records.

Anyhoo, this all goes down on Friday the 13th. Coolfer has got to wonder if Tiesto is superstitious at all. Will it affect his performance? Frankly, I'm surprised the Olympic organizers are starting this trainwreck of a summer games on a Friday the 13th. But, I suppose they can blame the calendar when it all goes to heck in a handbasket.

Posted by Glenn at 3:29 PM | Link | Comment (2)
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Over the weekend, Coolfer listened to these albums on Rhapsody:

The X-Ecutioners: Revolutions. Music for video games.

A.C. Newman: The Slow Wonder. Electric Version Part II.

Unity: The Offical Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album. Diverse. Slick. Really boring.

Citizen Cope: "Bullet and a Target." Did Moby produce this?

k.d. Lang: Hymns Of The 49th Parallel. Canadian covers. Oh boy...

The Letter Kills: The Bridge. Isn't emo dead yet?!?!

Midtown: Forget What You Know. Please, somebody kill emo!

Number One Fan: Compromises. Emo? You guessed it.

Waxwings: Let's Make Our Descent. Skronky classic rock fun.

Posted by Glenn at 12:34 AM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer doesn't follow Travis so much lately, so I'm not surprised I was a bit late to the story of how the band backed up singer-songwriter Susie Hug (formerly of the Katydids) on her new album A Is For Album--which was produced by Travis frontman Fran Healy. The four-track demos moved Healy so much that he funded the studio time and the band squeezed the recording time into their busy schedules.

I ran across this album on this article at Sky News. Hug, a Japenese-American, moved to Britain and is trying to find a record label to pick up the album. No need to wait, though. You can buy it at CDBaby, and you can preview songs at the Susie Hug website. The songs are also available at iTunes.

Says Healy: "Her stuff makes me cry. She's the real thing. She's always done this, and she's just kept doing it, writing and writing and writing. It was a total privilege to work with her."

Posted by Glenn at 4:41 PM | Link
|Music|

In the "Right Save, Click" section of the middle column is an MP3 link to "Search for the Bees" by Inouk. Coolfer saw them play at the dreaded Mercury Lounge the other night and was mightily impressed. I heard a lot of California psyche in their music, stuff like Spirit and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Aaron from Say Hey, the band's label, told me they really love Moby Grape. So those are great places to start out. What's great about them is their music isn't easily defined. Some think they're a jam band, but I think they're more like !!! in that they're a band that jams (yes, there's a big difference). If they merely copied their influences I would have walked out of the club, but Inouk have a unique vision that updates and retools classic rock and roll themes. Their album, No Danger, will come out on August 24th. It's excellent, but Coolfer thinks they're best experienced on stage.

More MP3 downloads:

- "Elected"
- "No Danger"

Posted by Glenn at 1:40 PM | Link | Comment (2)
|Music|

Last night I streamed a slew of albums on Rhapsody. So I thought I'd combine all this listening with an idea I got from Jen Daily Refill while drinking pints at Lolita earlier in the evening: four-word album reviews. Let's be honest, four words are all that's needed.

(It should be noted that I couldn't listen to all of these albums all the way through. Some skimming was involved.)

- Tommy Stinson: Village Gorilla Head. Surprising. Slick. Very good.

- Badly Drawn Boy: One Plus One Is One. Should've been an EP.

- Ashlee Simpson: Autobiography. You've gotta be kidding.

- Sahara Hotnights: Kiss & Tell. Last one was better.

- Junior Jack: Trust It. Solid ablum. Bad cover.

- The Shore: The Shore. Pretty good. Verve, Jr.

Posted by Glenn at 12:54 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Coolfer sees that KEXP's John Richards is spinning a track by Dogs Die In Hot Cars. An album on V2, huh?

Anyway, this band has been called "original" and all the rest (probably "brilliant") by the British press. I'm not sure how many have noted that they're completely ripping off XTC. It's pretty blatant. But hey, I can think of worse bands to rip off.

The band's website has a few tracks. Listen for yourself. Since today is "Old School Thursday" I'm not including any hyperlinks, so you'll have to Google it yourself.

Posted by Glenn at 3:40 PM | Link | Comment (4)
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Coolfer thinks Franz Ferdinand will win this year's Mercury Prize. Looks like a lot of people think The Streets will take the award.

Care to make it interesting? I can't place a bet with everybody who emails me, but get to me early and with a good idea for the wager, and I'll think about it.

Posted by Glenn at 3:36 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

MOC Donna (that's Mother of Coolfer) still sends her son newspaper clippings. Though she's very Internet saavy, I guess some things will never change.

Yesterday I got a clipping of a Sacramento Bee article on Dan Sobus and his Tone Vendor record store that recently opened in Suckramento. Dan was living in Jacksonville, FLA, as a civil engineer. He was also in a band called Brittle Stars. On the band's farewell tour of the West Coast, Sobus and his girlfriend were so taken by Sacramento that they packed up and moved there when the tour was over.

Now Dan works a few hours a week with an engineering firm and also runs Tone Vendor. "Things are going pretty well," he told writer Bob Sylva. "I think we fill a niche. You have Tower and The Beat. They carry some of the stuff we do. But I think we have a wider selection, a deeper catalog."

Good luck, Dan. Suckramento needs a music store to step up and knock one out of the park.

Posted by Glenn at 1:13 PM | Link
|Music|

Remember when Michael Stipe was a guest on just about every album released between 1990 and 1996? He befriended all the current and upcoming starts. Hanging out with Stipe became something like a trophy to hang on a wall, a symbol of status and rank in music and pop culture.

Since Stipe, nobody has taken over as omnipresent American music whore. Not until Jack White, that is. White will guest on Beck's upcoming album, it's been reported. And that's it. There's nothing else to report. White and Beck, Beck and White.

The White Touch recently had all kinds of demographics and psychographics all of a sudden swearing by Loretta Lynn. Just the fact that the band Whirlwind Heat is on a Jack White imprint has alternative rock scribes fawning over a band they normally wouldn't have given the time of day.

Few people in music today are as influential as Jack White. If you can get him to guest on your album, or even wear you band's T-shirt, you're gonna sell a lot of records and retire earlier than the average dentist.

Posted by Glenn at 1:00 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Shatner is back. A new album, and possibly a TV appearance at his old stomping grounds.

The NY Post's Michael Starr says William Shatner could make an appearance on UPN's "Star Trek: Enterprise" this season. The show's creator, Rick Berman, said they're "still discussing it with Bill." The quote was instantly beamed over to BringBackKirk.com's news page and the Trekkies held out hope.

A TV appearance would generate a lot of buzz, which would certainly help out Shatner's upcoming studio album that will be released on Shout! Factory Records on October 5th.

The album's title is Has Been and was produced and co-written by Ben Folds. There are a few covers, one of which is Pulp's classic "Common People" on which TJ Hooker gets a little help from Joe Jackson. Author Nick Hornby gets a songwriting credit as well, for the song "Trying" (which features Aimee Mann). Another guest: Henry Rollins, believe it or not.

Says Ben Folds in the press release: "If I thought that there were heaps of artists who were willing to be as honest, vulnerable, creative and as trusting with their producer as William Shatner has been with me, I�d just be a producer."

OK, folks, give a listen to a 2:21 clip of this surreal version of "Common People."

"Common People" WMA
"Common People" Quicktime

Posted by Glenn at 7:35 PM | Link | Comment (2)
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In honor of the fact that I think Sonic Nurse is Sonic Youth's best album in over a decade, and because Sunday the 25th is Thurston Moore's 46th birthday, here's a bunch of Sonic Youth stuff to chew on.

- A recent article in the Salt Lake Weekly. "We�ve never really considered what we do rock & roll. It�s just this Sonic Youth thing...You wouldn�t ask B.B. King why he was still playing music at 70; he�s still making great music."
- Sonic Youth was one of the many bands who were to take part in the recently cancelled Livid Festival.
- A Spin review by Mikael Wood gave Sonic Nurse a B grade. "There's plenty to admire in a mid-tempo rocker like 'Stones' or an endless groove like the one in 'New Hampshire,' but little to get excited about." I'd suggest sitting down, letting your heart beat slow to a good resting pace, and then trying the album again. Sounds to me like Mikael wants "Death Valley '69 Part 2"--but it's a different band these days.
- The MP3 page at the band's website has a great collection of singles and B-sides. Unfortunately, all the links are currently dead.
- Fortunately, the MP3 links at Saucerlike, a Sonic Youth fansite, are alive and kicking. Check out the Fall covers from an '88 Peel Session.
- Sonic Youth lyrics.
- I'm glad the band released that brief series of EPs. I like Slaapkamers Met Slagroom.
- Did you know the voice on the answering machine on the song "Providence" is Mike Watt's? Sonic Youth were so ahead of the hip hop answering machine interlude craze.
- Flashback: Lollapalooza 1995.

Posted by Glenn at 10:03 AM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Ashlee Simpson, sister of Jessica, is going to be a surprise #1 on next week's album chart, says Hits Magazine. Initial projections had her selling around 100,000, but Hits says her debut, Autobiography (current Amazon.com sales rank: 2), will do "well over 300,000." Stock problems could very well limit her from getting much more, and could jeopardize second week sales. Coolfer enjoyed reading one Amazon.com customer's review: "Ashlee sounds like a third rate contestant on American Idol." Ouch! Maybe so, but William Hung has got nothing on Ashlee's sales.

There's another surprise looming for next week's chart--but it's not a good surprise. The Hives' Tyrannosaurus Hives (current Amazon.com sales rank: 23) was expected to drop 100,000 or so. Hits adjusted that number to 30,000 after early reports suggested sluggish sales. Coolfer is somewhat surprised considering the $13.98 suggested list price, which would put it around the $10 mark when sale priced by major chains. Let's see how Interscope can work this record over the long haul.

Posted by Glenn at 4:39 PM | Link
|Music|

Coolfer recently sang the praises of The Delays after seeing them at the dreaded Mercury Lounge here in NYC. Information Leafblower did the same after he saw them in DC.

The Delays will perform live on KEXP on Saturday the 24th at 1:00pm Pacific. Yeah, Saturday isn't the best. Listening from work would be much better. But maybe you're one of those poor souls who works on Saturdays, right? Regardless, tune in a check them out. I think you'll enjoy it.

They play the Croc in Seattle later that night, then hit the Bottom of the Hill in SF on the 26th and the Troubadour in LA on the 28th. If you live within 60 miles of either of those cities and fancy yourself a fan of Brit pop, you really should see them play.

Also on the KEXP In-Studio calendar: Sufjan Stevens at 9:00am Pacific on the 28th, and M83 at 9:00am Pacific on Monday, September 20th.

Posted by Glenn at 2:17 PM | Link
|Music|

Franz Ferdinand are the favorites to win this year's Mercury Prize, which is the prize for the best in British and Irish music. Bookmakers William Hill have Franz at 3-to-1 odds to win.

A Franz Ferdinand nomination was a no-brainer. Not only is their debut album one of the year's best and most popular, it's their debut album. If the Mercury Prize has shown us anything over the years, it's that the British and Irish vote for youth. Nine out of 12 Mercury Prizes have gone to newcomers, as I've talked about before.

Other nominees include first-timers Keane (pictured), first-timer Joss Stone, first-timers the Zutons, first-timer Amy Winehouse, and veterans such as Snow Patrol, Basement Jaxx, Belle & Sebastian, Robert Wyatt and Jamelia and Ty.

Posted by Glenn at 11:29 AM | Link | Comment (4)
|Music|

FOC and Ramones fan Bruce is keeping Coolfer in the loop concerning some hot Ramones news.

First off, there's a spat between Joey Ramone's family and Joey's producer and collaborator, Daneil Rey. Rey isn't handing over tapes of 16 demos recorded by Joey Ramone before his death. Mickey Leigh, Joey's brother, is demanding the tapes be returned to his family and told the NY Post that they were being "held hostage" by the producer. Rey says he wants to reach "some kind of settlement."

Reported to be among the songs on the tapes is a song called "Party Line," which was supposed to be a duet with Debbie Harry and produced by Phil Specter.

Johnny Ramone, recently hospitalized but now back on his feet, is shopping his memoirs to New York publishers. He's writing the book with Washington Times reporter Steve Miller. Johnny was always the most pragmatic and frank of the Ramones, so this should be a very interesting read.

There's also word of a Ramones DVD called Ramones Raw. It will live footage from 1980, Hi-8 footage shot by drummer Marky Ramone (who is named as the executive producer) over the band's final eight years, TV appearances, celebrity guest appearances, backstage footage and home videos. The DVD was directed by longtime Misfits collaborator John Cafiero. According to Marky's comments at Ramones.com, the DVD will be released on September 14th. I just stumbled across this nugget via Google: Trio will air Ramones Raw this Sunday the 18th at 9pm.

Finally, End of the Century, the Ramones documentary by filmmakers Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields will finally be released this fall. The first showing will be on August 20th at the Angelika Film Center in New York City. It will be in 22 cities by mid-October.

By the way, yesterday was Marky Ramone's 48th birthday. Happy birthday, Marky!

Posted by Glenn at 2:36 PM | Link
|Music|

Lloyd Banks' The Hunger For More took a huge drop in its second week but thanks to weak sales across the boards it stays at the top of the album chart this week. Sales dropped an incredible 62%, to 163,000 from 433,000. Usher's Confessions came in at #2 with 131,000 and change. Gretchen Wilson is at #3, Jadakiss remains at #4 and Avril Lavigne rose six spots to #5.

Guns N' Roses' greatest hits comp jumped 41%...was it the effect of the GNR "Behind the Music" that VH1 has been airing recently?

The only debut worth noting is Angie Stone's Stone Love, which debuted at #14 with just under 53,000 in sales.

How weak were sales last week? Down 7% from the previous week--but up 10% over the same week last year.

Check the coverage at Billboard.com and Hits.

Posted by Glenn at 12:12 PM | Link | Comment (1)
|Music|

Since Mozzer hasn't been in the news too much lately, I thought I'd give everybody a brief update. First, he has no U.S. tour since Lollapalooza was canceled. Second, his album sales have slowed considerably. You Are The Quarry (Amazon.com sales rank: 334) made a decent splash in its first week, selling 19,000 and change. It took an additional five weeks to double that first week number; the album now sits at 38,000 and change and is dropping a quarter to a third every week. Not only that, but the waves of press and adulation have greatly sibsided. Does Mozzer have legs, or is he fading for good?

Posted by Glenn at 5:49 PM | Link | Comment (3)
|Music|

God bless, Rhapsody. Have I mentioned this week how much I love RealRhapsody? Not for a week? OK, so lately I've been too busy to listen very much, and Real gets my ten bucks a month whether or not I stream nothing or I stream 24/7. But last night I did a bit of streaming.

The Delay's Faded Seaside Glamour demanded another listen since they're all the buzz in England. I hadn't spent very much time with it but after an attentive listen I've gotta say I like it. The Delays haven't reinvented the wheel but how many original ideas are left in Brit pop? (Or in rock 'n' roll, for that matter?) They've created a nice wheel, added a few interesting elements (steel drums on one song, how cool, and melodies layered as thick as the Mamas and the Papas) and have a good knack for songcraft. There's a good chance I'll go see them play the Mercury Lounge on Thursday. Man, I hate the Merc, though.