According to a report by Reuters, the results of a survey taken by Jacobs Media found that "if you are male and a Led Zeppelin fan, chances are you may be leaning toward voting Republican in the U.S. presidential election." Certainly curious inbox fodder for those about to rock, but a close look finds that summary to be a bit misleading, and the fine print analysis to be downright alarming.
by Chris Ryan
As you can see from the album art for her newest full-length, New Amerykah, Erykah Badu has a lot of things on her mind. And as you can see from her fabulous video for "Honey," what's on her mind is music. So we decided to check out how she made this Amerykhan quilt and, more specifically, the diverse fabric of sounds woven through it.
by Piotr Orlov
Behold, a requiem for the music producer! In 2008, when pretty much any Tom, Dick or Harriet with a Pro Tools set-up and some decent microphones could finagle a “produced by” credit onto the meta-data file of a digital release, let’s take a moment to pay homage to a pair of gentlemen who worked a little harder in creating great music. It wasn’t just different skill sets or historical perspectives that separated Teo Macero and Joe Gibbs from the multitudes of today’s whippersnappers. Macero, who passed away after a long illness on February 19 at the age of 82, and Gibbs, who died of a sudden heart attack on February 21 at the age of 65, also possessed visions (sonic, aesthetic, hell, even commercial) they could share with their collaborators and guide them to a new place. Rare gifts in the age of press-and-record.
(Real-life political musicians)
After so much feverish lead-up -- IM squabbles concerning the details of John McCain's heroism, will.i.am duets with Obama circulating YouTube, and "I don't usually send emails like this" messages from otherwise politically indifferent friends -- it was two relatively trivial events of Super Tuesday that left an odd taste on Back-to-Usual Wednesday. Don't laugh: the release of Jack Johnson's Static Through the Silence and Sheryl Crow's Detours.
Hip-hop’s lord of braggadocio stays true to the maxim “We gon’ do everything that
Kan like” in his attempt to become Kanye West, the brand -- i.e. blog about the miscellaneous things he covets, co-author a book and launch a search engine.
Our friends at Idolator seem to take issue with Arcade Fire's new online video for "Black Mirror," but we happen to think the b&w mini-opus -- which lets users remix the song in real time -- is a damn fine piece of entertainment. The video, directed by Oliver Groulx and Tracy Maurice, owes more than a small debt to the work of Canadian auteur Guy Madden, whose Saddest Music in the World should be required viewing for anyone who knows the difference between "kind of pretentious" and fricken awesome.
With a bit of keyboard coordination, you can pare the whole song down to Win Butler's voice and the propulsive drum beat, then send in the strings right at the moment when that dude's gigantic head starts rising out of the ocean. Curious? Get remixing.
Further Watching:
Arcade Fire's Interactive "Black Mirror" video
The Onion's A.V. Club points us to the most recent case of musical censorship in the Magic Kingdom. U.K. punk sensation Gallows was set to take the stage at Disneyland's House of Blues -- before the Mouse determined vocalist Frank Carter's lyrics were a bit too darkly inappropriate for the family-friendly venue. Previously, management had scuttled a scheduled set by Machine Head for much the same reason. Gallows themselves are taking the decision lightly. "I think Mickey Mouse got jealous that Minnie Mouse had Gallows posters on her wall," the band said. "I recommend Mickey shows Minnie some more attention, you know, take her out and make her feel special. Cartoon mice need love too."
While foul-mouthed British punks might be barred, Disneyland is on the record for welcoming young goths in all their pasty, black-pleathered, Manic-Panic'ed glory.
(PHOTO: Lydia Russo)
You’d be forgiven for thinking that a man who dresses in all white, moonlights as an inspirational speaker, and belts out the anthem “Party Party Party” is just having a laugh. But don’t get it twisted—Andrew W.K. is pretty damn serious, whether he’s collaborating in the studio with Lee “Scratch” Perry or drumming for noise-rock wet dream, To Live and Shave in L.A. Two recent New York solo piano performances add a further, refined layer to the artist previously responsible for lines like “We kill, we stab, we rob, we steal/party till you puke.”
by Chris Ryan
Travis Barker did not invent the remix. Diddy did that (according to him, at least).
But Travis Barker did re-invent himself using the remix. See what I did there!?
by Chris Ryan
Elisabeth Hasselbeck prefers their early stuff, Whoopi and Joy are partial to Jeffrey Lewis, Barbra would take Judy Collins every day of the week and twice on Sundays, and Sherri thinks the world is flat. But that's not stopping the Moldy Peaches from making a never-thought-you'd-see-the-day appearance on ABC's chatty Thunderdome known as "The View." The Peaches, made up of Adam Green and Kimya Dawson, are riding a newfound wave of interest sparked by the success of the Juno soundtrack (which they contribute to significantly). Somewhere Rosie O'Donnell is weeping over an out-of-tune acoustic guitar.
History happens on Monday, January 21, at 11 a.m. EST on ABC.
by Chris Ryan
The literate, piano-laden indie pop of Kate Nash might not seem the likeliest fodder for a thumping electro-remix. But who are we kidding? It's 2008! We live in an open source world and everything (music, video, lunch!) is ripe for the remixing. Rhapsody is the only place you'll find the Tape Deck remix of Nash's first ever single, "Caroline's a Victim." The Brit remix crew (who've also worked with Love Is All and Mystery Jets) gives the original a menacing beat and a cut-and-paste stagger, turning Nash's personable voice into a weapon of dance-floor destruction.
by Chris Ryan
LCD Soundsystem's sophomore effort, Sound of Silver, has won the second annual Idolator.com Critics Poll, besting M.I.A.'s Kala in the albums race. And in a turn of events about as surprising as the sun coming up this moring, Rihanna's "Umbrella" was named single of the year.
Juno is currently America's favorite feel-good, teen pregnancy flick written by an ex-stripper. The best-selling soundtrack draws heavily from the back catalog of anti-folk sensation Kimya Dawson, formerly one half of the Moldy Peaches. Rob Harvilla at the Village Voice weighs in on a recent Dawson solo set in Brooklyn, comparing the singer-songwriter's post-buzz fame to that generated by another, equally musical romantic comedy.
by Chris Ryan
I thought Soulja Boy's performance of "Crank Dat Soulja Boy" with Natalie Portman was going to be that particular song's highwater mark. I was wrong. According to CNN, "Crank Dat" is the most popular digital song of all-time, making his duet rendition of the track on TRL but a footnote.
by Chris Ryan
The shockwaves of the performance-enhancing drugs earthquake are now being felt in the of entertainment. According to Sunday's Albany Times Union, the Albany District Attorney's office investigating the illegal trafficking of steroids and human growth hormone, has found evidence that artists including Mary J. Blige, Timbaland, Wyclef and 50 Cent had allegedly received performance enhancing drugs from pharmaceutical companies of dubious origin.
by Chris Ryan
You gotta tip your Stetson to Snoop Dogg. He aims high (no pun intended). In a recent interview with MTVNews, The Doggfather—in a truly inspiring act of wishing upon a star/putting the cart before the horse—gave a tease of what we can expect from his upcoming album Ego Trippin' (someone woke up on the ironic side of the bed, no?).
VH1 points us to a few choice moments of Paula Abdul zaniness and passes on a hearsay report about the ex-pop starlet's nervous breakdown in an airport, days before the seventh season of American Idol debuts on January 15th. Meanwhile, campy misanthrope (and willing shoulder-to-cry-on for beleaguered Britney Spears) Simon Cowell spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the smash-hit show, which has launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Clay Aiken, among others.
Music criticism is not often thought of as one of the world’s most dangerous jobs; but according to The Guardian, it can get you shoved, chain-whipped, and otherwise brutalized by irate bands and the fans that love them. Steve Wells describes his own run-ins with testy artists, like potentially 'roid-raging Henry Rollins, as well as adamant U2 and Morrissey aficionados. He then gives a rundown of the selfless critics of yore who were willing to risk life and limb to speak their minds, including Nick Kent (assaulted by Sid Vicious and Jah Wobble) and Philippe Manoeuvre (“gaffa-taped” to the Eiffel Tower by The Stranglers).
“Writing anything even vaguely critical about certain bands,” Wells surmises, “is like firing a rocket launcher into a rainforest canopy packed with psychotic howler monkeys.”
Further Reading:
Musical Hack Attacks (Guardian)
AllHipHop.com points us to the news that Pierre Sarkozy, son of French president Nicolas Sarkozy, is a seasoned hip-hop producer. Dubbing himself “DJ Mosey,” the young Sarkozy belongs to a clique known as Da Crime Chantilly, and has allegedly been recording tracks for both French (Poison) and American (David Banner) artists without divulging his true identity.
Punk House (Abrams Image); Photo: Abby Banks
Tomorrow is the Iowa Caucus, the first pivotal event of the 2008 Election season and an opportunity to welcome you to Presidential election coverage, Rhapsody-style. There is always a lot going on during years when the White House is at stake, but this year promises to be especially unique, what with the thrill of knowing that a woman, an African-American or a Mormon has a realistic chance to end up in Washington, D.C.'s seat of power for the first time in history. Beyond the details of personality and policy, this election year promises to be a remarkably musical one. And that's where we come in -- covering the intersection where the worlds of electoral politics and music meet.
When Damon Albarn guest hosted an episode of the BBC’s "Today" radio show, the media seized on his comments about how celebrity culture (including "X Factor," the U.K.'s equivalent of "American Idol") needs to be eradicated. But hidden within Albarn’s episode, available here, is far more interesting material—including this examination of Iraqi refugee musicians living in Damascus, Syria. The segment is a fascinating look at some of the lesser known consequences of the war.
Rolling Stone points us to news that Wu-Tang Clan promises to play a city in which 1,500 fans "demand" their appearance, via the social networking and music site Eventful.com. At press time, New York City leads the pack with 205 demands for Wu-Tang -- but Copenhagen comes in a healthy third (135) and Sofia, Bulgaria fourth (128). Perusing the rest of Eventful's demand database can provide a rather unique, and somewhat confusing, snapshot of global taste.
New York magazine reflects on brand new National Guard spots that conscript 3 Doors Down into a music video-style promotion, screening in theaters before I Am Legend. The flashy footage of "Citizen Soldier" traces a questionable lineage between the Revolutionary War and our ongoing adventure in Iraq. ""Evil is evil, so we're behind our guys and whatever they have to do," singer Brad Arnold said, back in 2003. "People just need to realize that the U.S. is the daddy of the world and all the time daddy can't be the good guy." Love them or hate them for it, 3 Doors Down isn't the first band to rock out in favor of our military machine.
by Chris Ryan
Ian Svenonius is, in the words of Wu-Tang Financial, diversifying his bonds. The former singer for such polemical post-punk groups as the Nation of Ulysses and The Make-Up, has recently embarked on a new career as ... James Lipton.
Here's the Associated Press headline I saw about Ike Turner's passing: Rock, blues and soul pioneer, and the abusive ex-husband of Tina Turner, was 76.
Ouch. Imagine having that on your tombstone.
I don't think the world is going to go into mourning that Ike Turner has passed on. It's probably not going to make anybody popular to remember Ike Turner with fondness. But let's do it anyway.
UPDATE: Madonna has thrown her American Pie behind Hillary Clinton for President. Does that carry as much cultural cache as Oprah's plugging for Barack? Only time will tell.
Jeff Tweedy, of alt-country favorites Wilco, recently announced that he'll be playing a benefit show for Barack Obama, alongside Cool Kids and Jill Sobule (sadly, no Soulja Boy). Tweedy isn't the first musician to get behind the junior senator from Illinois: the band Extra Golden, comprised of members from Washington, D.C. and Kenya, went so far as to write him this song as a thank you for his assistance in facilitating their visa process.
Support from a prominent musician can do wonders to cool up a candidate -- so who's playing for who this election season?
by Chris Ryan
I've had a week to marinate on this year's Grammy nominations, and while I may not know the difference between Record of the Year and Song of the Year, this is still America and this is still the Internet, so I am going to scream my observations from the digital rooftops just the same. What a country.
by Chris Ryan
Martin Scorsese is one of film history's great directors. But he is also one of film's great historians—possessing a near encyclopedic knowledge of the art form's masters and masterworks. And now he has combined both of those talents into one, directing Key to Reserva; ostensibly a wine commercial, but in actuality, an homage to Alfred Hitchcock, and to Hitchcock's frequent soundtrack composer, the great Bernard Herrmann.
After weeks of feverish anticipation, insane ticket prices and desperate fans pleading to attend, Led Zeppelin finally played their reunion gig yesterday at the O2 Stadium in London. If, unlike some lucky people, you didn't get to attend and tailgate in one of these fancy Zepmobiles -- check out the bootleg footage of "Kashmir" above. Read what the critics had to say, then look back at a few of our own Led Zep Bluffer's Guides.
Further Reading:
Led Zeppelin Reunion (The Daily Telegraph)
"Led Zeppelin Finds Its Old Power" (New York Times)
Video Zeppelin (PLAY)
Review: Led Zeppelin @ Grande Ballroom, January 1969 (PLAY)
The Guardian’s blog looks back on the 25th anniversary of the Commodore 64 computer, reflecting on the influence computer-enabled music had on acts like Human League, Man Parrish and more. In honor of the 64’s birthday, take a listen to Output64 and Input64, two complementary compilations of Commodore-inspired music.
Andrew Loog Oldham delivers a fascinating requiem for the musical Svengali—dictatorial managers who molded the artists they represented. Oldham himself helped mastermind the Rolling Stones ("I told them who they were," he writes, "and, sure enough, they became it.") His focus is on the late Ahmet Ertegun, the Turkish-born founder of Atlantic Records who died in December of 2006. (Monday’s Led Zeppelin reunion gig is a tribute to Ertegun, as well as a fundraiser for the Ahmet Ertugen Education Fund—check out these last-minute rumors about which other stars might be joining Zep onstage).
In 1994, the highly successful Rough Guide travel series struck up a partnership with Phil Stanton and Sandra Aláyon-Stanton, the husband-wife team who founded World Music Network, and began putting out the Rough Guide music collection, a dizzying, dazzling series of audio excursions through the musics of the world. Since then, World Music Network has gone on to release more than 150 Rough Guides. The Rough Guide music compilations embrace the same adventurous spirit and insider knowledge that have made their travel books so successful for the last twenty-odd years. You can be certain you're going to get an informed introduction to the music of a particular region or genre or artist, plus a few wild cards: albums dedicated to internationally beloved stars (like Cameroon's Manu Dibango and Bollywood's Asha Bhosle) and familiar genres (like salsa and calypso), as well as to themes (Brazilian hip-hop, Latin funk), and tunes that push at the paradigms of "World Music."
In a story that proves Web 2.0 might save us after all, legendary rock band Journey has found their new singer -- on YouTube. The band has gone through several replacements following the departure of fan favorite Steve Perry in 1987. Based on live performance clips they found on the online video service, Journey has chosen musician Arnel Pineda to fill the slot -- watch how he channels Perry above, on "Open Arms."
In the age of MTV, brevity is often seen as a virtue. With quick cuts and three-minute pop songs, it's easy to forget the power of an old-fashioned epic. Rolling Stone has put together a rundown of their favorite songs over seven minutes long -- but don't worry, it's not all prog-rock fantasies and extended guitar solos.
Ex-Sleater Kinney member Carrie Brownstein took some time off from her burgeoning comedy career and penned a piece for Slate about Rock Band, the new multi-player game from the creators of Guitar Hero.
This comes as no surprise to many ladies, but the New York Times has reported on a study that finds men with deeper voices have a “reproductive edge.” (In other news, a study on longevity and little ones finds that men who have lots of kids are more likely to become centenarians.) Basically, women like manly men. Said manly men are perceived as virile, healthier mates with more desirable genes. Manly men (when free of variables like birth control and arranged marriage) may be inclined to spawn more. In even more shocking news, women like manly musicians, with whom they often yearn to procreate. Or, maybe, manly musicians have inherently triumphant spermatozoa. Either way, proof of the study's theory is manifest in this batch of Darwinian daddies – baby-making baritones and basses who’ve had the love game on lock.
by Chris Ryan
A stunning collection of hip-hop talent is convening at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom this Thursday to honor the late Run-D.M.C. DJ, Jam Master Jay, who was murdered in Queens, New York, five years ago. The gig is part of the inaugural J.A.M. Awards, which pays tribute to people involved in social justice, the arts and music efforts in Jay's old NYC stomping grounds and beyond.
by Chris Ryan
Embrace are a veteran Brit band who sprung up in the twilight of Brit-Pop (1998ish), offering a kinder, gentler version of Oasis (they're even fronted by brothers!) for folks that needed that sort of thing. Over the course of 5 albums they've produced a fairly steady stream of minor hits, while in the States they're largely a used bin staple. However, in the wondrous world of Youtube montages, they are bigger than the Beatles.*
*:not really
by Chris Ryan
With his past efforts A Gangster and a Gentleman and Time is Money still beloved by hardcore hip-hop fans who fawn over tough talk backed by gritty beats; and with his upcoming Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) garnering pre-release hosannas, Styles P has firmly established himself as a solo artist to reckon with. But for many fans, he will always be known as one-third of The Lox (the Yonkers, NY group also known as D-Block that once ran with the Notorious B.I.G. and Puffy in the Bad Boy glory days, as well as the Swizz Beats/DMX-led clique, Ruff Ryders). And many fans want to know when they're going to hear some new Lox tracks.
For the film adaptation of Gabriel "Gabo" García Márquez’ Love in the Time of Cholera, a tale of an unrequited love that spans 51 years, Shakira contributes three songs to the soundtrack. There's also a score composed by City of God maestro Antonio Pinto. "Pienso En Ti," on which Shaki wails and whimpers like an Andean flute, was originally released on her breakthrough album Pies Decalzos. The new tracks, "La Despedida," a folkloric corta vena that feels like the sonic manifestation of Gabo's trademark magical realism, and is featured in the film's trailer, and "Hay Amores," a sultry bolero, were written when she was studying at UCLA last summer. (Shakira premiered the songs during a live performance in Las Vegas during the Latin Grammys weekend, at a benefit for her charity, Fundación Pies Descalzos.)
File under: Completely obvious yet somewhat surprising. MTV News is reporting that Ghostface Killah will make a cameo appearance in next year's hotly anticipated Iron Man film.
by Piotr Orlov
No, it is not a joke. It is an idea sprung from the fertile mind of Bill Drummond, a conceptual artist once known as one-half of acid-house art-terrorists the KLF, and previously famed as a music-making (Big in Japan)/-managing (Echo & the Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes) Scotsman with a Zelig-like penchant for having his fingers in an absurd number of historically-influential musical pies. Done with burning money earned recording dance-floor ditties, and with making recordings by fake rock bands, Drummond seemed to have run out of ways of jabbing the stick in the wheel of the pop machine. Until figuring that he just wants to turn it off ... if even for a day. Not just the machine, but its hum -- and all like-minded hums -- which just happen to be very important elements in keeping large amounts of people in the world sane. His reasoning is based on modern-world patterns of musical consumption, devaluation and decontextualization, and they’re well worth exploring – whether or not you choose to press play tomorrow. Enjoy the silence!
Further Reading:
Read the No Music Day manifesto in The Observer
Check out the growing number of participants at the No Music Day website
Listen to an interview with Drummond on London’s Resonance FM
Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko enjoyed a slow burn to cult-classic status, so plenty of people were curious as to how he’d follow up his surprise hit. Five years later, he assembled a three-hour-plus film that was roundly jeered at Cannes. The trimmed-down version, Southland Tales, just arrived in theaters—and it’s the season’s best post-apocalyptic vision about the Iraq war, militant Marxists, floating ice cream trucks and porn stars-turned-pop stars yet. Oh, and it stars Justin Timberlake and The Rock.
By Tim Quirk
There’s little I enjoy more than talking about music. Well, maybe drinking and talking about music. What could be better than that? How about drinking and talking about music in Rio De Janeiro? And what if the people you’re talking and sharing caipirinhas with, as you gaze down at Copacabana Beach while the giant statue of Cristo Redentor gazes down at you, are a group of gifted musicians from six continents?
Back when Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez were in At The Drive-In, they seemed happy with freaking out on stage and screaming about one-armed scissors. But ever since they moved onto the red planet pastures of Mars Volta, they traded the emo-agitprop for a highly refined, rather geeky sound and vision that would send Coheed and Cambria running for their D&D guide books and Rush records. Come January ’08, Omar and Cedric will kick their dedication to the finer points of prog-rock nerd-dom into high gear.
The Associated Press reports on the Hollywood Prayer Network, a coalition of concerned souls who have the best interests of troubled musicians and celebrities at heart. Of course, deadbeat mom Britney Spears, with her recent litany of fumbling tragedies, heads their list, but a few lesser known artists could use some old-fashioned divine intervention--though some pop stars might be beyond help at this point. Continue reading to find out who deserves to be touched by an angel.
MTV News reported that Alice in Chains are putting together a new album for ’08, which is something of a feat considering the fatal drug overdose of lead singer Layne Staley in 2002. They’re conscripting William DuVall of sludge-rockers Comes With the Fall—a man who once managed to rhyme “traumatized” with “look in my eyes”—on vocal duties. With Van Halen welcoming David Lee Roth back to the fold, the world seems agaggle with new/old singer-fronted bands refusing to quit. In honor of such relentless determination to struggle onwards, we thought we'd look back at some notable groups that soldiered bravely on despite the death and/or retirement of their mouthpiece.
Fans of Tea Leaf Green, who have taken the jam-band festival circuit by storm, are used to bassist Ben C. dropping thick, booty-shaking bombs night in and night out. Today he dropped a little something different, announcing his departure from the band after a decade of fueling its grooves. No hard feelings; he just wants to pursue other passions. The band will now look to JFJO bassist Reed Mathis for its bottom. Ben C. gave this rock 'n' roll band some funkiness and a little hip-hop flavor. A fatigued fan could always look to him on stage, find the groove, and dance the night away. His kindness and generous, friendly attitude toward fans will be missed. We wish him luck and are excited to see Reed on stage.
Further Reading:
Ben C. announces departure from Tea Leaf Green
Casey Lowdermilk's interview with Ben C. for Rex Foundation
Hip-hop impresario Irv Gotti sat down for an exclusive chat with Complex magazine's website this week. In the interview, Gotti opens up about whipping 50 Cent’s behind (his claim), how sampling the Beatles and opera got the new Ja Rule album pushed back (his bad), and offers one of the most inventive, explicit metaphors about the Internet’s effect on the music biz we’ve ever read (his perogative). Extra points for the Clintonesque “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” feint when quizzed about his lurid past with Ashanti.
Bienvenido! Mabuhay! Hos geldiniz! Welcome to the very first edition of Sound Treks, Rhapsody’s new globally minded weekly blog post. Your hosts for this little endeavor are Rhapsody’s World editors and biggest fans: Judy Cantor-Navas, Sarah Bardeen, et moi, Rachel Devitt. Every week, one of us will take you on a little aural vacation through the world of music, playing tour guide to Rhapsody’s cavernous global music holdings. If you think you don’t like world music, this is the blog post for you: Sound Treks is all about exploring the sites and sounds of the world of music, from the “world music” you think you know (including didjeridoos and drum circles) to Brazilian baile funk, Chinese indie rock, Balkan brass and Senegalese hip-hop -- and finding a bit of home even in the most distant “exotic” genre. That said, if you’re already a world music “traveler,” this is also the blog for you: Sound Treks is about expanding paradigms, not throwing them out with the bong water.
I'm at an afterparty in Las Vegas, where a second-rate reggaetón star is giving a dreadful performance before a room that's three-quarters empty. The woman next to me is draped over some guy in a suit who's half her height, and her microscopic red dress appears -- God forgive me if I'm slandering -- to be bursting at the seams with gluteus maximus implants. It's 2 a.m., I'm tired, and this is the culminating experience of my trip to the 2007 Latin Grammys.
by Chris Ryan
We've been dazed and confused for so long, it's true -- but all that's about to change. Led Zeppelin's back catalog is finally available on Rhapsody, and we couldn't be happier. Forget "Celebration Day," we're having Led Zeppelin Week here on on Play: Five days of posts chock-full of everything you need to know about one of the greatest bands of all time.
Popular music subsists in a barely coherent, drug-addled haze, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. We already learned that hip-hop causes good kids to take their clothes off. Now a scientific survey of 279 Billboard chart-toppers confirmed that a solid one-third of all hit songs reference drugs or alcohol, with a mere four singles advocating abstaining from self-abuse. Eighty percent of rap, 37 percent of country, 20 percent of R&B/hip-hop and 14 percent of rock tracks dropped some mention of spliffs, dope, booze, crack, smack or assorted evils.
Researcher Brian Primack now plans to test whether there is a “relationship between lyrical content and behavior”—no word as to where one can sign up for that particular study, however.
Meanwhile, a multi-genre selection that would make Nancy Reagan proud.
FURTHER READING:
Billboard charts totally high, according to Reuters and doctors
by Chris Ryan
My Bloody Valentine reunion rumors are sort of the underground rock version of Elvis sightings. They're so rampant it's hard to get too worked up about them. However, this morning, The Daily Swarm is reporting that this time the rumors might be true. According to the site, MBV's Kevin Shields is promising a new album by the end of the year, with a possible appearance at next year's Coachella Festival also in the cards. Surely, this will be tremolo-drenched music to the hearing-impaired (MBV was notoriously loud, see) ears of Valentine fans everywhere.
FURTHER READING:
The Daily Swarm on My Bloody Valentine's Reunion Plans
Did you see the 41st Annual CMA Awards? Wow, my head is totally buzzing right now from watching it! Okay, truthfully my head is buzzing from drinking so much strong coffee that it feels like I'm gonna have a brain hemorrhage. Personally, I think it was way more exciting than the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, but of course being a country music fan, I'm somewhat biased. Enough about me, let's dish!
To fans of classic country music, the past two weeks have been pretty hard. We lost Porter Wagoner on October 28, and on November 6, Western swing legend Hank Thompson passed away. He lived to be 82 before succumbing to lung cancer. Thompson was a Waco, Texas, native who studied electrical engineering at four different universities (a knowledge that helped him pioneer improved stage sound and light shows). He was the first known country star to mix honky tonk's unapologetic themes of fast loving and hard drinking with Western swing's orchestration of steel guitar, twin fiddles, piano, bass, drums and his trademark baritone. Although Thompson later flirted with slivers of the Bakersfield sound, he didn't really stray from his formula too much over his career. Here is a playlist we put together to honor the man and his music.
FURTHER READING:
CMT's coverage of Hank Thompson's career and passing
mtvU is the college-only offshoot of MTV, and each year they reward the artists that the kids are clamoring for with the Woodie Awards. Don’t expect any drugged-out Britney performances here — there might even be a few nominees that you haven’t heard of before, especially if you're no longer an undergrad.
by Chris Ryan
Del the Funky Homosapien is a solo artist, but he rarely goes it alone. The veteran Oakland MC started his rap career behind the scenes in his cousin Ice Cube's group Da Lench Mob. While he released solo platters such as I Wish My Brother George Was Here and No Need for Alarm (lauded and loved for their offbeat humor), he continued to keep it communal, recording with his seminal Hieroglyphics crew and, most recently, with the cartoon pop-art supergroup Gorillaz.
Operating under the maxim, "You can't have too many friends," Del has signed up with yet another team. He's releasing his fifth solo album, The 11th Hour, through El-P's indie-rap imprint, Def Jux, in February.
A recent Fact Magazine post drew our attention to the, umm, fact that electronic experimentalist The Soft Pink Truth (a.k.a. Drew Daniel of Matmos) has, in his own words, “undergone a sea change into something rich and strange.” The new project, Soft Pink Tube, will interact with Web 2.0 in ways never dreamed of by Al Gore back when he invented the Internet. To get an idea of what this madness will sound like, download “Party Pills." The song’s genesis? “Every sound was gathered by typing the word party in as a search term on YouTube and sampling and sequencing and manipulating the results.” The result is as hilarious as it is creepy. Finally, all this technology has a purpose!
Once again, hip-hop is being accused of inciting a carnal frenzy in your kid’s Rocawear jeans. The New York Times Health section reports on a three-year study researching the relationship between hip-hop’s lascivious lyrics and bumpin’ and grindin’ on the dance floor, amongst other places. The findings cite variables like peer pressure and booze (and um, raging teenage hormones?), and hip-hop as a phenomenon that (maybe) parents just don’t understand. But one thing’s for sure, while Ja Rule’s flow may lure you into a dirty, horizontal mambo, there’s scientific evidence that Nick Lachey’s crooning just can’t seal the deal.
FURTHER READING:
NY Times on Teenagers, Sex and Hip-Hop
Wired magazine gets rebellious with a guide to free music on the web, and Rhapsody's proud to be part of it. We're all about pioneering new ways to discover digital music — without driving anyone bankrupt. That’s why we’re patting ourselves on the back at our inclusion as the first "Good” option for getting your music fix in the 21st century.
Further reading:
Wired's guide to free music online
by Chris Ryan
The Red Sox did a victory lap of Boston today, celebrating their second World Series victory in four years. And if it's a party and it's in Boston, then more likely than not it involves the pub-punk sounds of the Dropkick Murphys.
The Dropkick Murphys -- Beantown's house band of sorts -- supplied the unofficial soundtrack to the Sox's playoff run. Their Celtic-punk rendition of the Woody Guthrie poem "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" (prominently featured in Martin Scorsese's The Departed) became the theme song of incredibly intense hometown-bred closer Jonathan Papelbon; inspiring him to shut down opposing offenses and, upon winning the World Series, do things like this:
You can dance if you want to. You can leave your friends behind. 'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance, well, they're no friends of mine. Congratulations, Red Sox. What curse?
By Angela Bruno
It’s always Halloween for freak-folk sister act CocoRosie, but at a private performance to close out Bianca Casidy’s art show -- Lil Girl Slim “Cosmic Willingness” Pipe Dreams a Revelation and the Death of Mad Vicky Lopez -- at SoHo art space Deitch Projects last week, it’s safe to say they brought their A+ game. The oft-mustached Bianca channeled what could best be described as a futuro-Rastafarian tin man (or Smurf, perhaps), while Sierra Rose invoked Rainbow Brite-noir, with a Puritan streak. The entire stage was dressed in industrial fishing nets and cobweb, Blaxploitation-erotica and strobe lights.
(Photo: Molly Emmons)
By Tim Quirk
OK, so Chris Brown jumping from table to table was the
musical high point of this year’s VMAs. I wasn’t in the Pearl Theater itself, but friends who were
insist that watching Chris and co. fly through the air was actually more
impressive in the room than it looked on TV – even cooler, apparently the
production lady who talked to everyone during commercials was saying stuff
like, “All drinks off the tables!” and “Don’t stand up, or you will be
decapitated!” just before Chris Brown blew everybody’s mind and washed the sad aftertaste
of Britney thrusting her hips while surrounded by good dancers out of the
nation’s collective, gaped mouth.
But my own personal high point came courtesy of Kid Rock. I have no idea if what he said was merely bleeped, or edited out of the broadcast entirely, but it was one of those priceless moments of honesty bursting through posturing that pop music specializes in.
By Tim Quirk
That’s what a bunch of friends and random strangers have been asking me lately. So I figured I should explain.
By Tim Quirk
I'm beyond depressed. In just a couple of days,
Internet Radio will change, dramatically, for the worse.
...don't believe what I saw. Sting, John Mayer and Kanye West on the same stage! What the hell is going on! Oh, that's right -- it's the All-Star Game! No, wait. Check that, it's Live Earth! Man, Al Gore is such a bad ass he could fight Ghost Rider, the Transformers, Spider Man and Harry Potter all at once and still have time to save the world. So it's no wonder all these artists got together to rock with Al and spread the word about global warming at the same time. Were these performances any good? 
OF COURSE NOT! Roger Waters at least had the decency to perform "Brick In the Wall," however Madonna was intent on doing some new number about changing the world -- look, Madge, you don't have to sing about changing the world to change it. Sing "Lucky Stars," get people dancing, we'll change the world after we're done shaking it. But let's not criticize -- this is a good cause And Al Gore is sweet! Look, there I am shaking hands with him!
By Tim Quirk
You never really know what music will sound good when you’re
traveling (who’d have predicted, for instance, that the drug-gobbling,
desert-dwelling Meat Puppets would sound so right driving through a blizzard in Maine?).
So I’ve had fun learning what works and what doesn’t on my
trusty Sansa as I stroll around 
make a great soundtrack for
viewing Socialist Realism sculptures like this one outside the tomb where you
can go gawk at the pickled corpse of Chairman Mao.
But airier stuff works well, too. Mercury Rev’s addled musings might sound like they’re all written at night, in a field, beneath a gazillion stars, but “Tonight it Shows” works just as well in the middle of a smoggy day when you’re waiting with 300 other citizens to cross one of the crazy dangerous eight lane roads that ring the city in concentric rectangles.
By Tim Quirk
For reasons that elude me, I am in Salzburg. It's where Julie Andrews danced around in the hills singing about the Sound of Music, but if you mention that to locals, they claim never to have seen the movie (most of them, anyway; if you find one who admits to having seen the thing, he will make a point of telling you that the hill on the left the pretend Von Trapps climbed to escape the Nazis actually leads straight into Germany, which is a lot like stuck up San Franciscans moaning that Dustin Hoffman is actually driving west, not east, at the end of The Graduate).
I totally never post to this thing. It's been months. In a year where blogs got huge, plateaued, then jumped the shark (sorry, heARTattacker.com, or whatever the new cooly high stuff is), I've been a bad, bad blogger. But since we're nearing resolution time, and also with an eye toward diluting Dedina's wildly entertaining stories about dogs and cats and music, here's, like, something I think. Woohoo!
This Karen Dalton business, In My Own Time -- oh my lord! It recently got re-issued, and hence plugged into Rhapsody. Oh, it's so sad and beautiful and interesting. Dalton rubbed elbows with Roberto Zimmerman in that '60s Greenwhich Village folk music scene none of us were cool enough or old enough to set our peepers to first hand, but homegirl didn't cut a lot of music -- merely two album's worth, in fact, and when those eventually came out in '69 and '71, folks were dancing to a different drum circle. So Dalton was all but forgotten. But not by...Joanna Newsom! Whose courage to sing like the 900-year-old cosmic soul-vixen she is is gleaned just right about directly from Dalton, and Newsom will tell you this. So check out this re-issue of her 1971 gem. If it doesn't make you cry then your heart is made of cold, hard rock.
By Tim Quirk
What a week! At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader, this year's CMJ was the best one ever. OK, maybe not, but it was the best one that I've ever attended, although the tone of my trip was set somewhat stressfully -- when I arrived at SFO my flight was delayed four hours. But the airport’s museum was coincidently showing an awesome music themed exhibit entitled, "The History of Audio: The Engineering of Sound."
So I checked it out. There were triumphantly geeky displays of vintage recording devices that would have fogged up the glasses of Steve Albini and the guys from Tape Op magazine. In loving contrast to the invention of high fidelity, I took these lo-fi pictures on my janky, dated Motorola phone:
Day One:
After finally touching down at JFK and checking in to the historical Hotel Chelsea (yes, I am a total sucker for rock and roll cliches), I picked up my CMJ badge, scarfed down a Katz's pastrami sandwich
by Mike McGuirk
My name is Mike McGuirk, I am a freelance writer for Rhapsody. I used to run the rock/pop section but last year I went part time and moved out of the US. With very little in the way of a plan I ended up in Southeast Asia. Bangkok, Thailand specifically. Initially, I intended to make Thailand the first stop before moving on to Vietnam where, with a ragtag gang of mercenaries like myself, I would free P.O.W.s, jam out to Hendrix during a firefight in the jungle, jump out of a Huey with nothing but an M-16 and a sheet of acid, wear a headband, etc. Anyway, I got hung up in Bangkok and have yet to make it out of the country. Life is kind of easy here. It's like a giant Red Light district where cigarettes cost a dollar and every girl is an awesome pool shot. Also there are amazing cover bands. And I love cover bands.
Subscribe to a feed for “Dispatches” Subscribe to this blog's feed
Portions of album content provided by All Music Guide © 2011 All Media Guide, LLC ® 1999-2011 Rhapsody International Inc.
