Artist Re-Creates CBGB's Infamous Bathroom

I believe at some point back in the 90's I spent a very short moment inside of the original CBGB's bathroom and don't really recall it being a place I ever wanted to go back and see. Well as luck would have it, New York artist Justin Lowe has re-created the lovely bathroom for all of us to re-visit. Showing until September 5th at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT, the bathroom will certainly bring back some memories of the now defunct CBGB's. If seeing a disgusting, feces laden bathroom is your kind of nostalgia (mind you it is not the real bathroom) please head up to Hartford and let me know how it looks.

New And Noteworthy 07/20/10: Arcade Fire Release A Single And It's Awesome

Arcade Fire have just released a single from their upcoming album, The Suburbs due 8/3, called Ready To Start and it is now available on iTunes. The track sounds amazing and I am even more excited for the album, if that is possible. Yes I know, I talk a lot about Arcade Fire but you know what? Tough.

Menomena have just released their new album called Mines, another one that I have been looking forward to. I discovered these guys from Portland after their last album Friend And Foe back in 2007 and am sure to listen to the whole record real soon.

King Of The Beach is the highly anticipated second album from Wavves. This San Diego band is part of the retro Beach Boys-esque sound coming from a lot of other bands these days and it's all good. See also Woods, Atlas Sound, Best Coast, Real Estate and even Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear...

The first full-length record from these boys from Brooklyn, The Drums fit right in to the New York music scene and with the bands that came before them (Interpol, The Bravery for ex.). Everything that I have heard so far I really like and will have to pick up the album sooner than later. Why? Just because. 

The Days Of Re-Discovering An Old Album Are Slowly Dwindling

The other night I was looking at videos on YouTube (the only place you can really see videos anymore), when I came across a song that I had not heard in awhile. It was a Nine Inch Nails Song called Burn and it is one of my all time favorites. Immediately I ran to the room where I keep all of my cd's (collecting dust of course) and began to search for all the NIN that I had. To make a long story short the song Burn was on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack, a film by Oliver Stone about a pair of serial killers starring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis (if you haven't seen it, it's certainly worth one watch, but not more than that), and also happened to be a cd that I owned. However after spending a good twenty minutes it was nowhere to be found. Disappointed that it had seemingly been misplaced I turned my attention to a disc that I had ignored for sometime. Stuck in between Pearl Jam's first album Ten and Public Enemy's Fear Of A Black Planet was a Super Furry Animals cd called Phantom Power, an album from the early 2000's that I consider to be their best. I pulled it out and immediately opened it up and popped it into my laptop for a listen. What memories. At some point a few years back I had upgraded my iPod from the original model to a much beefier 60 gig because I just needed it. The SFA album had been previously on my older iPod but in the transition I had not transferred it over to my new one. I thought new technology was supposed to make things easier? Anyway after listening to the album back and forth to work today I realized just how much I missed these songs and that if I didn't own the cd I may have never come across this record ever again. I just think it is too darn easy to skim your music collection on your computer without any emotional connection. When I pulled out that cd I remembered exactly when and where I bought it. When and where I used to listen to it as well as the guy who I used to work with that introduced me to Super Furry Animals back in 2002. Now I am not saying that these feelings aren't possible anymore if we all completely move to the more convenient digital format, I am just saying that the emotions associated with our music are being altered forever and we have all lost something in the transition. That sucks.

Perry Farrell Says Lady Gaga Is The Main Attraction At Lollapalooza...Wait What Did He Say?!?

Perry Farrell has lost it...not that he had much to lose in the first place. But for him to come out and say that Lady Gaga is the main attraction at Lollapalooza is just ludicrous (not the rapper)! She shouldn't be within a hundred miles of anything or anyone associated with the concert that was started back in 1991. Here's the lineup card...Green Day, The Strokes, the reunited Soundgardan and Lady Gaga, how does that sound? It sounds like a psychotic episode to me rife with prescription meds. Even more disturbing was Farrell's reasoning in which he said..."Her presentation is so overwhelming that some may overlook the music." Hmmm, interesting thought because I have never seen her perform and I currently overlook her music. He went on to complicate matters by saying..."Her music is on the cutting edge." And "...in the crosshairs of where every musician is aiming these days." Oh really? I wonder if Thom Yorke, MIA, Trent Reznor or Wayne Coyne are aiming for what Gaga is doing these days, it's pretty obvious to me that they are...right? I have thought about it now and know exactly what Perry Farrell was trying to say and it goes a little something like this..."Listen we have to make money at Lollapalooza, who cares about the damn music, let's promote Lady Gaga so we will make more money, money, money, money and more money. Her music is really shitty but people like seeing all of her ridiculous outfits, I mean Madonna already did all this, it's nothing new." Now that at least is honest and it makes perfect sense even though it's complete garbage (not the band).

Music News 7/16: Vampire Weekend Get Sued For Album Cover Photo, Rage: First Show In LA In 10 Years

Hey look that's me on that album cover...wait a minute, I never said they could do that! Apparently that's exactly what happened when Kirsten Kennis saw this photo of herself, taken in 1983, being promoted as the new album cover for the Vampire Weekend album Contra. She was so unhappy that she decided to bring suit against the band and the photographer in the amount of 2 million dollars. She claims that no one asked her if it was ok and says that someone forged her signature on paperwork...for shame! Insiders say that what really bugged her about it was that it reminded her of how shitty she is looking these days....what 27 years can do to the body eh?

 

As already heard here on this blog Arcade Fire will be releasing their new album, The Suburbs, on August 3rd in America, and boy am I excited. Well to make matters worse AF has decided to offer the new album with 8 different covers to choose from which are pictured above. Of course for all you music downloaders this doesnt really matter, but to those of us who actually grew up buying records this is way cooler. However I am not going to be buying 8 copies, that's just stupid.

Rage Against The Machine have announced that they will be performing in LA for the first time in 10 years to protest the new Arizona immigration laws. The band, which broke up in 2000, reunited to play various shows starting in 2007, but have yet to decide on whether they will record new material together. That would be very cool.

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In less inspiring news, Weezer have announced (Or should I say Rivers Cuomo has announced) that they will be releasing a new album in September on their new label, whatever that may be. Rivers has been quoted as saying the album is going to have a 'More raw rock sound on the record.' Oh boy, I am tingling with anticipation...someone wake me when it's over.

Albums Of Interest For The Week Of 7/12-7/18

Crowded House: Inriguer. Very excited to have a new album from CH after all these years and after one of the original members, Paul Hester, died not too long ago. So far I love what I am hearing but of course that's exactly what I was expecting.

MIA: MAYA. Not a huge fan but it's clear that this girl has some talent whether be her music or in her promotion of her music. She knows how to keep people thinking about her and that's half the battle.

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse: Dark Night Of The Soul. DM is everywhere and always worth a listen no matter who he is teaming up with.

Some other music of interest not mentioned above: Bush, New Politics, Maximum Balloon fet. Little Dragon, Fanfarlo, School of Seven Bells and The Young Veins.

New Outkast Album Coming Soon???

With the recent release of his solo album, Big Boi was asked if we could expect an Outkast release in the near future and here's what he had to say...

"I can't say nothing about that, 'Dre will tell me off, but I got a whole batch of collard greens. Mum's the word cos when you talk about it then people gonna be anticipating it and then they tend to start getting mad at you if you don't deliver. You gotta just spring it on 'em." He went on to say. "I just love the music, man. That funk that make you frown your face up. As long as you're excited about making music and you can still find the need to create that funk Frankenstein, you will be successful and they will come to your party."

Outkast is the most succesful rap duo in the history of music, if you can believe that, putting them ahead of anyone from LA or NYC. I really love these guys and look forward to new music whenever they decide to do it, besides it would really make me frown my face up as Big Boi would say.

David Gilmour And Roger Waters Of Pink Floyd Reunite

It's always cool to see these guys together, actually it's the first time in five years that David Gilmour and Roger Waters have gotten together to play Pink Floyd music. Officially Roger Waters has not been a part of Pink Floyd since 1985 so this was especially well uh special. Most recently Waters had asked Gilmour to

be a part of his tour which celebrates the 30th anniversary of The Wall, but unfortunately Gilmour said no thanks. Bad feelings have seemingly always surrounded these two would be front-men, both having strong opinions about just who is the lead singer of the band. Of course Waters was one of the original members who started the band in 1962, Gilmour joined in 1968 and was part of some of their most successful days. Anyway the two joined together for the Hoping Foundation benefit in Oxfordshire which raised money for young Palestinian refugees. The duo helped raise 350,000 pound which I will not convert into dollars, just know thats a lot of money. The 30th Anniversary of The Wall tour has been one of the few stand out successes in a summer of very slow ticket sales overall.

Daft Punk New Music: The Soundtrack For Tron:Legacy

To put it mildly...me loves me some Daft Punk, they are cool. So when I heard that they were making the music for the soundtrack for the movie Tron:Legacy (sequel to Tron 1982) I got very excited. Isn't it perfect? Two French dudes who go around looking like robots making music for a film about computers and cyberspace? Yeah...perfect. However there has apparently been a misunderstanding of exactly when this music will be available for us, the commonfolk. Amazon is claiming that it will be released on November 23rd, 3 weeks before the film will be released in theaters. A rep for the duo has said that there has been no date set but I am sure it will be out around then anyway. Daft Punk are reportedly set to play some of the music at San Diego's Comic Con later this month when there will be more discussion about the film. Not only am I looking forward to the music but also the film as well, should be very exciting!

Black Keys Comment On LeBron James Departure From Ohio Rings Hollow

I have to admit I haven't been working on my two blogs over the past week too much because I was fully entrenched in the LeBron James sweepstakes. Yes I hoped he was going to come to NY and play for the Knicks because you know who wouldn't? Well apparently he didn't. Instead he chose to leave Cleveland, which is 40 minutes from Akron his hometown, and move down to Miami to play for the Heat. At first I was a little burnt about it because I am selfish and wanted him to come here, but the more I think about it I am changing my mind on one part of it. I still think he would have had the best chance to really stake his claim as one of the best basketball players and blah, blah, blah...this is a music blog, so why am I writing about this? Well I just read a piece in the Wall Street Journal that was written by Patrick Carney of the band Black Keys, who also happen to be from Akron, Ohio. In the article, in which he writes in a creepy 3rd person, he sort of compares himself to LeBron which first off is ridiculous. He states that Akron was a hard place to grow up and that eventually he had to move to NYC to further his career. Hmmm...that actually sounds similar to LeBron. What's troubling to me is he goes on to say that the difference between the band and LeBron is that the band will always be a band from Akron and will always go back and play shows and that LeBron leaving will only make the Ferrari dealerships in Miami salivate. This is where he loses me. Won't LeBron always be from Akron? Won't he always consider it home too? He will come to Cleveland to play games there...so I don't see his point. It's ok for the Black Keys to leave Akron to better themselves but it's not ok for LeBron? I don't recall Kobe Bryant being from Los Angeles...he's from Philly. Kareem Abdul Jabbar played High School ball in Manhattan, went to college at UCLA, was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and then ended his career with the Lakers. Does that mean he forgets where he was from? Of course the way in which LeBron went about leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers is highly questionable, the live television spectacle has made matters worse for him and his image has taken a huge blow. In todays society it's all too easy to criticize someone else for what they do or don't do. Whether it be on Twitter, blogging or just commenting online, we have all become a bunch of hypocrites who should think a bit more before judging.

Linkin Park: New Album In September, But I'm Not A Fan

A music genre that never should have been. I for one do not really care that these guys are coming out with another album, nor do I care that Limp Bizkit has also recently reunited. Every decade in music prior to the 2000's had a significant moment that defined the times in the industry. The 50's had Elvis and Doo Wop. The 60's had Motown and the British Invasion. The 70's had Punk and Disco. The 80's were Pop and the Music Video. The 90's were Rap and Grunge. The 2000's??? Suffice it to say Rap/Rock killed the momentum. Maybe it was the decade of trashy/boy band/souless/no imagination/computer generated/throwaway/not memorable/American Idol/manufactured/crap. Perhaps...I think that's about right. The problem with all of this music is that it is just not sustainable except for a few songs here or there, especially in the rap/rock genre. It has to have been the most blown out of proportion style of music ever, even RUSH was influenced by it's bullshit at one point. Now having a rapper guest on a rock song is not a bad thing but supports a theory of mine that an entire group dedicated to this is way too much of a good thing. One of my favorite bands that blends this better than any other, and were around before all the fakers, is 311. They have seamlessly blended rock/rap and raggae for years without ever trapping themselves into a dying sound. It remains to be seen whether Linkin Park will endure other than just for their diehard fans, and maybe they will, I just won't be along for the ride. As for Limp Bizkit, signs of their demise are already taking shape. After reuniting the band announced a US summer tour in small venues that would help support their soon to be released new album. Unfortunately the band had to cancel the tour because, as they say, they felt that they should wait and play in larger venues which is what they were used to. In actuality the tour was cancelled due to poor ticket sales...they couldn't even sell out a small show what do you think would happen at a large stadium? Some music defines a generation. Some defines a decade. Even some music represents a particular year in music or even just a summer. The Rap/Rock genre however will never be a part of that type of distinction.

Arcade Fire: "We Can't Pretend That No One Knows Us Anymore."

Ya think? After completely selling out one show for August 4th at the historic Madison Square Garden in NYC, Arcade Fire added another date, August 5th, which consequently also has sold out. No longer a small artsy act out of their native Montreal, Arcade Fire seem ready to take the reigns as one of the biggest bands in the world, as unlikely as that may seem. Their new album, The Suburbs, drops August 3rd to incredible anticipation of which I am completely guilty of. I expect great things because that's all these guys have done on their first two records. When asked recently about the sound of the new album, Win Butler the bands lead singer reported...'It's a mix of The Depeche Mode and Neil Young. That's a weird combo, if it doesn't sound weird than maybe it will be a success." I predict it will sound freaking amazing...count on it.

Strokes Announce 4th Album Expected In March

As previously reported here The Strokes are currently working on their next album with the hopes of it being released this year, possibly in September. Well that ain't happening. It is now slated to be released in March of 2011 due to the fact that they are so damn busy with touring plus I think they really want to get it right. Oh well...we'll just have to wait a little longer I guess.

Supergrass Have Broken Up? When Did This Happen?

Oh man this really sucks! I guess back on April 12th the band announced that they had broken up due to musical differences and were going their separate ways. No fair! I am so totally bummed about this, they are one of my favorite bands. Supergrass has been around since 1994 and I became a fan of this Bristish group shortly thereafter. Some good news I guess is that two of the founding members, Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey (the two in the middle, above pic) have teamed up with producer Nigel Godrich (most notably known for his work with Radiohead) to form the band the HotRats. I will have to check the new music, hopefully it's good. Damn.

Kanye's New Single 'Power' Has Interesting Artwork

I really like it. It makes you wonder if that is supposed to be Kanye's head lying there. You be the judge.

The Stills Make An Announcement On Their Website

One of my favorite bands, The Stills (who are from Montreal, great bands come from Canada and I'm not a Canadian), have made a little announcement on their website in regards to the bands lineup. Apparently their original guitarist, Gregory Parquet, has rejoined the band and they are working on new material for their next album which is due in 2011. Julien Blias who played drums for the band on their last effort, Oceans Will Rise, has left the band and Dave Hamelin has moved back behind the drumkit where he was prior. The Stills are touring this summer in support of Kings of Leon and will be debuting some of their new tunes. Very exciting! For me at least.

David Fincher Facebooks Reznor To Score Movie

I have always liked David Fincher's movies. Seven, Fight Club, The Game, Panic Room and even Zodiac (I still haven't seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). So I was excited to hear that Mr. Fincher used Facebook to ask Trent Reznor to score his new film, The Social Network (out October 1), which chronicles the rise of...Facebook and it's creator. The two have paired up before for the soundtrack for Seven, the ultra creepy movie with Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey. I recall watching that movie on 34th street, on the east side, way back in the mid-nineties with my buddy Eddie. The opening credits are extremely unsettling with Nine Inch Nails playing in the background, a perfect match. At first when I heard Fincher was making this movie I thought, wow that doesn't sound interesting at all, but in recently seeing the teaser trailer plus this news, my hopes of it being a great film have dramatically increased.

When Buying Too Much Music Is Harmful To Your Health

Well it's not actually harmful to your health but it will certainly affect your attention span. I've got issues and it's all musics fault. There is just too damn much for me to listen too and then when I think I have heard it all then comes a whole bunch of bands I've never heard. And on, and on. When I was a kid buying an album was a big deal, going to the record store, flipping through the vinyl, walking out with a large paper bag. It meant something and it didn't happen everyday or every week for that matter. I would sit and listen to the new records for hours, days in fact until I memorized every second of it, including the record jacket. Obviously times change and even tastes. The advent of cd's in their smaller presentation but better sound quality. Buying more than one disc on each visit as well as buying more music overall. And then came the dreaded too much music to listen to problem. That's when you go to the store and buy 5 or 6 cd's and can't remember what you actually bought and one day when you are flipping through your jewel cases you pull out a cd that you have never even listend to. I love new music. I am constantly on the lookout for an artist or group that will blow my socks off that I can obsess over for like a day or two because I will soon be on to something else. Is that a problem? I am not sure but I am certainly less connected to the music in general. However I truly believe it really makes me appreciate the really great stuff. The one thing you don't want to do in any circumstance is limit yourself...there are so many great choices. I mean who wants to listen to the same music for the rest of their lives? My Mother listens to the same music she listened to when she was in high school because as she says....'It reminds me of happier times.' Umm...it's sad to think that high school could have been the happiest time in someones life, there is just so much life to live after that time. I am also not a guy who is going to go to a show to watch Radiohead when I am like 60, of course that would also mean that those guys were still playing music, but I still wouldn't. I laugh at the people who still get juiced at going to see the geriatric Rolling Stones in concert...make sure to bring your canes! Now there is nothing wrong with anyone continuing to make music when they get older, that's not what I am saying. Now I have gone completely off topic. There really has to be a balance somewhere between having too much or too little music to listen to. I guess it's ok to buy a lot of music (which gives me cause to buy as much as possible), while understanding that not all of it will be memorable with only a select few requiring a replay. It's those select few that make music so worthwhile. For me it's the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead (to name a few) for example, that I will always come back to. I don't think I could ever be happy only listening to those groups exclusively, I would get completely tired of them and I don't want to. But it's the plethora of choices that keeps it all sounding good. Scanning through my iPod, which feels like forever, trying to decide what to listen to, making sure it's something different everday until I just gotta listen to OK Computer again. Or Abbey Road or Nevermind or The Wall.