The Foo's Are Going Back To Basics, Now That's What I Like To Hear

A few months back right here on this blog I singled out the Foo Fighters as one of the bands that needed to do something significant with their next record or they might just fizzle into oblivion. Now it's not that I don't like the Foo's, because I really do, but every band at some point or another reaches a point where they are faced with a major impediment....themselves and need to find a way to conquer it. One way is to break up and go separate ways. Another would be to change things up or go back to their roots. And here we have the Foo's doing just that! I'm very excited to say that the band is in the studio or I should say in Dave's garage, recording a back to basics hard rock record. Also exciting is the fact that they have joined with original Foo's producer Butch Vig, with whom they worked with on their first album, to recreate the harder sound that maybe their most recent records have been missing. In one other momentous addition, Krist Noveselic, Nirvana's base player, will be guesting on one of the songs...cool indeed! Of course the Foo Fighters will always be overshadowed by the enormous success of Nirvana when in actuality the Foo's have really been more successful. However perception is a bitch. But this could be their moment of reckoning and hopefully Dave and the group take full advantage. Can't wait to hear the new stuff.

Jay-Z Drops His First Book 'Decoded' On November 16th

Is there any doubt that Jay-Z is the most intelligent man in the music industry? Ok maybe that's debatable but to listen to this man talk is to truly understand this is a person who knows exactly what he is saying at all times especially when it comes to Hip-Hop. Recently Jay announced that he will be releasing his first foray into the publishing industry with the book 'Decoded' which was co-written by Dream Hampton (ridiculous name). It's not an autobiography by any means but it is a look back at his life and Hip-Hop through the evolution of his lyrics. Interesting. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Jay-Z talks about the book and where his mind is right now. Below I have pulled a few quotes from it for you to check out...

In regards to lyrics:
"I believe that it's necessary. Especially for rap music, where the words are fast and for the most part there's not a consistent melody that people can sing along to. So a lot gets lost in translation. Because rap music is poetry, I thought it was important to describe it as such… Some [lyrics] become really profound when you see them in writing. Not "Big Pimpin." That's the exception. It was like, I can't believe I said that… What kind of animal would say this sort of thing?"
In talking about the Hip-Hop culture:
"For us, this is the music that saved a generation. So there's a big responsibility for those who it saved to make sure that thing is intact for the next generation… When you're under attack so much as a genre [as hip-hop is], you're forced to come together. But probably the last time we really came together on something was working for Obama, lending our voice and the people we had toward that campaign. Whether he does a great job or not is almost secondary to what it did for the dreams and the hopes of an entire race. Just based on that alone, it's a success, the biggest we've had. Period. To date. It's Martin Luther King's dream realized. Tangible. In the flesh. You can shake his hand."
 
What he would like to see come from Hip-Hop:
"We have to find our way back to true emotion. This is going to sound so sappy, but love is the only thing that stands the test of time. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was all about love. Andre 3000, The Love Below. Even NWA, at its core, that was about love for a neighborhood. We're chasing a lot of sounds now, but I'm not hearing anyone's real voice. The emotion of where you are in your life. The mortgage scandal. People losing their jobs. I want to hear about that."


Fairly profound I'd say. If you would like to read the whole article, click the link below.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304023804575566644176961542.html

Kings Of Leon's Come Around Sundown

Being a huge fan of Kings Of Leon that I am, I was waiting with great anticipation for this new record. Of course I was also a bit nervous about it being their first release since the massive success of their last record and wondered if that would affect the music. Some bands, or I should say record labels, want bands like Kings to duplicate the previous output, a tradition in the record business that goes all the way back to the 50's. Repeat. Re-use. Copy. Dull. Those are words that I would use to describe that tradition and just might be one of the reasons the industry has gone through so much turmoil in recent years. Well I am here to say that Kings Of Leon have not fallen into that trap and have released a fine follow-up that in no way tries to replicate their previous effort. Well let me not get ahead of myself, I'll explain. For fans of Kings like me, who have been with them since their first record, this album is a complete departure, but not in a bad way. It is certainly a continuation of their progression, which I believe is what great bands do, leading me to believe that they are here to stay. That said, back to the album. Come Around Sundown is a much more downbeat album for the Kings which was anticipated because of what the band had said in interviews prior to its release. Now I don't know if it's me or what but most of the stuff that I am listening to lately is of the same nature. Melancholy, slow, moody, whatever you want to call it, it's what I have been feeling musically these days. So I guess this album has come at the perfect time. It's always amazing to me how a band can capture the times, as they say, with a piece of work that speaks to a particular moment in time or to me for that matter. It is all about me afterall...just kidding. Seriously though, this album is worth the purchase whether you are a huge fan or not, so go get it!

T.I. Is The Perfect Example Of The Ultimate American Contradiction

Some people never learn. In the new age of Twitter and Facebook we are becoming more and more out of touch with reality, so much so that our TV's are filled with reality programs. This of course was predicted long ago by someone, I'm not sure who exactly, but they looked into the future of technology and said as we become more connected the more we will lose our grasp on the true reality. So this brings me to T.I., how exactly, I will tell you. You see modern society is so enthralled with celebrity, so much so that if you asked a teenager what they preferred to be, the CEO of a billion dollar company or a personal assistant to a celebrity more than 75% will choose the assistants job. We often look to the celebrities as role models and often times it comes back to bite us on the ass. Take our friend T.I. for example, this is not a bad guy in my estimation, just a guy who could use a little guidance. The other day T.I. assisted the police in talking down a man who was going to kill himself by jumping off a building. Afterwards T.I. was quoted as saying... "I believe that I have been put here for a purpose, and I believe that I have an ability to reach people that most people can't reach, that I can turn lives around that other people, they can't have the same affect. I think that God placed me here for that purpose." What a wonderful thing to say, unfortunately in this world of contradictions there is always a part two to the story. Unrelated to the jumper story, a few days later, T.I. was back in an Atlanta courtroom standing in front of a judge, an all too common occurance for him. You see about a month or so ago T.I. and his wife Tiny were pulled over in LA for making an illegal u-turn and when the cops inspected the car they found some drugs. This of course is a violation of his parole and the reason why he was back in the courtroom. Well suffice it to say the judge ordered T.I. back to jail to serve an additional 11 months behind bars in Atlanta. So what do you think he had to say about having to go back to jail? ... "I'm tired, I'm wore out. I don't have the age, the energy, or just the attitude to move forward and continuing in this cycle in this ongoing process of destruction and disparity in my life. I've got too many depending on me and counting on me." Jeez I actually feel sorry for the man. Listen T.I. stop saying it and just do it, what would be better for you and your family than for you to never have to stand in front of a judge ever again? Don't do it for your fans or for the money, do it for yourself dude...before it's too late.  

Gorillaz Damon Albarn Says Glee "Can't Use Our Songs"

Just a few days ago on this blog I wrote about the silly record of Glee songs that have appeared on the Hot 100 singles list and completely debunked their validity, but of course that was only my opinion. Well not so fast! Apparently Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame feels exactly the same way saying..."Those songs won't last as long as the Beatles by any stretch of the imagination, they will be forgotten in a few years time." He also went on to say that he will not allow the show to use any of his music because..."it's a very poor substitue for the real thing." He did clarify that the show has yet to ask him but he just wanted to make sure that they didn't. Sorry Glee I guess not everyone thinks you are a good thing afterall...

The Social Network And How A Films Score Can Define It

I love movies...plain and simple. I especially love the connection of music in film and how powerful the two can be when combined appropriately. Any filmmaker can just pick some popular songs and throw them into a movie or they can have someone else do it altogether. But a in truly great film a filmmaker will be thinking about the music thru the entire process. For instance Geroge Lucas, while writing the original Star Wars scripts(the old ones, not the new ones) listened to classical music and connected certain pieces with particular scenes leading to John Williams creating one of the most amazing musical scores in film history. The director of The Social Network, David Fincher, began his film career making music videos, so it's certainly no coincidence that all his films have tremendous music that accompanies them. So it came as no surprise that he would reunite with his former collaborator on Seven, Trent Reznor, to create the score for his new film. Immediately when I heard that this was happening I fully expected the vibe of the film to be intense, enourmous and even a bit creepy and that's exactly what it turned out to be. Of course being the wacko fan that I am I paid close attention to the score and how it related to each scene, even moreso than normal because of who made it. Sometimes in film it is better not to actually hear the score because often times when you do it's because it is the wrong choice. The two should act as one. It should be seamless but still effective. In The Social Network the score really ads to the enormity of the situations in the film, anything less than that would have significantly hurt the power of the story. Make sure you get out and see the film, it's really great.

"A Plastic Doll Generated By The Music Money Marketing Machine."

What a lovely photo op! Fame and fortune eh? Getting to the point...newcomer Alisa Apps (who is credited with saying the headline above), a so far unknown US born singer, has issued a 1 Million Dollar singing challenge to Lady Gaga so people can get the chance to, in her words..."choose between plastic or real." She proposes that they have a sing off at either Madison Square Garden or London's O2 Area, in which the winner would take away the 1 Million Dollar prize. Hmmm...let me think on this for a minute. A girl who has yet to release any music officially is thinking that a Million Dollars will persuade a multi-millionaire into having a singing contest...it won't. Exactly what would Gaga have to gain in a venture like this? Absolutely nothing. Now I am no fan of the meat-dress-wearing Gaga but she is no dummy and neither is the 'machine' who created her, they would never allow anything like this to happen. Sorry Alisa, your self promotion will only get you so far...oh yeah and one more thing, this report came from her own publicity team.

File This In The Completely Bullshit Record Department...

The BBC is reporting that 'Glee', the television show from FOX, now has more Hot 100 Singles (75) than the Beatles had (71) and I just can't stop thinking what a bunch of crap that is. Apparently that puts the show behind only Elvis (108) and James Brown (91)...just think about those names for a minute and consider that 'Glee' is just a TV show that sings other peoples songs. Now I am not condemning the show, it's not really their fault. In fact I applaud a show that brings attention to music, accept for the Britney episode, that just doesn't count. But it's the morons who put them up against the likes of The Beatles and Elvis that have to get a life. I mean really shouldn't a TV show be put in a different category? Especially one that only sings other peoples music? Seems really silly to me...no it pisses me off actually. Here's one quick stat about this apparent record keeping business...

The 75 songs that 'Glee' has put on the Hot 100 Singles Chart have spent a combined 105 weeks on the chart while the 71 Beatles tunes spent 617 weeks on the chart...some difference eh?

Happy Birthday John Lennon (10/09/40-12/08/80), We Miss You

A musician. A Beatle. Father and husband. An activist. A poet. Just a man, indeed. Today marks what would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday and one is left to wonder just what could have been. Unfortunately for us all, 30 years ago on December 8th, 1980, he was assasinated near Central Park by a gentleman who doesn't deserve to be named here or anywhere for that matter. It had been a time of quiet before the storm for John. His long battle with US Immigration had finally ended in 1976 and he took time away from music to stay at home and be with his family. He said he'd retired from music but who could believe that. By 1979 John felt the itch again for life in the studio and recorded the album 'Double Fantasy' rejuvinating a career that only needed a slight push. What was ahead? A Beatles reunion perhaps? On several occasions before his death John eluded to a reconciliation with Paul and regretted some of his missteps when the band parted ways. So who knows...it's a nice thought. I wish I didn't have to wonder.

 

When Artists Aren't Allowed To Be Artists

In 1999 after parting ways with his group A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip released his first solo record called Amplified or as some called it Puff-ified. One major hit single later, Vivrant Thing, a star was born. After supporting the record Tip jumped back into the studio in 2001 to record the follow-up which was to be called Kamaal The Abstract. Circling back to his rap roots, the album infused the usual jazz and hip-hop influences that had been the norm in his days with Tribe and it was certainly a departure from his previous effort. Arista, his record company at the time, thought it was just a bit too much of a depature and shelved the project due to a lack of commercial viability or so they said. So there it sat waiting to be heard. Actually several pre-release demo's had circulated to the press and even a few reviews popped out here and there...it got good reviews btw, so initial reaction was positive. But to no avail. So someone like me was left to sign a web petition demanding it's release and scouring the internet for a possible download (yup I got it). What a great record, I loved it's energy, it's rawness and it's complete departure from Amplified, of course the record company would hate it, it was real art! Not soon after that Arista dropped Q-Tip from it's roster of artists and he was left to fight them for control of his un-released works (actually there was a second album recorded as well but has yet to be released). Eventually by 2008 Tip was a free man releasing the amazing 'comeback' (don't call it a comeback) record The Renaissance further showcasing his abilities to make great music. Then a year later Kamaal The Abstract was finally released to the public on 9/15/09 to modest success. Of course we will never know what would have been if the music had been available when it was originally intended to, I'm just glad I have it.

This is the original album artwork

Bubblegum, The Clinic Album I Have Been Waiting For

For their 6th studio album Clinic have changed it up a bit with this weeks release of their record Bubblegum. Normally fast and frenetic, the band slows it down, a lot, churning out an absolutely amazing record without changing who they are. It's not like suddenly they turned into Travis (love them) or something. What it sounds like they did is just write the music the same way that they would normally and then just slow the pace. When I first heard it I thought wow this is still a Clinic record but it's like they decided not to stick the songs into a light socket. I will say that I had tired of them a bit simply because most of what they had already done was very similar, but thankfully this came along. I was introduced to Clinic by a co-worker back in 2002 and I immediately was addicted to their sound. They used weird old intruments with foreign sounds and were filled with a tremendous energy that was infectious. But there is only so much that one can handle. I would hope that all music fans feel the same way I do, wanting the bands that they love to grow without completely abandoning what made them so great from the start. I am not one to jump off the bandwagon too easily either and this band is the perfect example.

The Making Of Bruce Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge Of Town

I have never been a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, but through the years I have gained an appreciation of his music and his talents as a songwriter. Ever more prevalent today, with the incredible success of an act like Arcade Fire, Springsteen's influence appears everywhere. Last night HBO aired Promise: Darkness On The Edge Of Town, the documentary of the making of his incredible 3rd album, and man I couldn't take my eyes off of it. It was really engrossing. What stood out to me was how he worked and wrote and slaved for just the right sound, just the right words to express how he was feeling at that moment in his life. The film showcases his growth as an artist whereas on his previous effort, Born To Run, Bruce and the band recorded 9 songs, 8 of which made the record. But on Darkness, Bruce exploded writing nearly 70 songs, all scribbled throughout a tattered notebook that held songs that still have never been released. One surprise that came out of the show was one of the main songs Bruce had written for the record, which never even made it, turned out to be Patti Smiths one and only hit, Because The Night. You see Bruce new it was a hit, in fact he new it could have been an incredible love song, but he didn't feel he was capable at that time to write the appropriate lyrics. Sharing a producer with Patti, Bruce suggested that she take the song because he felt she could make it work....which she did becoming a smash hit. The documentary will be airing again on HBO throughout the rest of the month however if you can't catch it a special edition boxed set of the original album plus the dvd of the special will be coming out on November 16th retailing for around $90 bucks.

Ooops, He Did It Again...Lil' Wayne Caught With Music Contraband

Of course it sounds way worse than it really is. For the second time since Weezy joined the other inmates at Rikers Island here in NYC, he was caught with an un-authorized iPod player in his cell. So for the remaining 29 days of his stay there, he will be placed in solitary confinement...awww darn. Inmates at Rikers are only allowed to listen to AM/FM radio and for limited times during the day. Up above you will see his lovely mug  on his prison ID tag...what a keepsake! When Lil' Wayne was interviewed after being caught the first time in May, he said..."I can't live without my music. I need my music. It's all good. Players fuck up." Pure poetry...maybe there is some truth to him being the greatest rapper alive, oh wait a minute I think they meant the greatest rapper alive who is also in prison. 

A Campaign To End Weezer...Apparently I Am Not Alone In The Fight

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/10/there_is_a_grassroots_campaign.html

Click the link above to a story from New York Magazine that talks about a guy who has started a campaign to end Weezer. That's right. He wants to raise money to help bribe the members of the band to break up. In the link you will read his open letter to the jilted Weezer fanbase begging them for their help...read it...

Kings Of Leon Debut New Video For 'Radioactive'

Up until now I have purposely ignored the little snippets I have heard from KOL's upcomming album, basically because I want to be pleasantly surprised when I listen to the album after picking it up when it's released on October 19th. However this was just too hard to pass up. So here is the video for the song 'Radioactive' and gee whiz I sure do like it, but don't let my excitement persuade you. Watch and listen for yourself.

Is JT Becoming The Next Will Smith?

The question is will Justin leave his music career behind with the apparent success of his new role in 'The Social Network?' Obviously the allure of making movies, albeit financially successful ones, is a great attraction to Mr. Timberlake, so much so that he is very vague when it comes to talking about getting back in the studio. In my opinion he is way better at being a singer than being an actor. So far his roles really haven't created a feel for just what type of actor he can be, maybe he is really fantastic in 'The Social Network' like they say, but other than that there really isn't anything to go on. However when I speak to his musical abilities I am completely ignoring anything he did prior to becoming a solo artist (boyband name purposely omitted) because it's just not worth mentioning. His two solo works have shown real growth as an artist and I was looking forward to seeing where it would go next. Maybe he will still put out another album, who knows? Only time will tell...but it would be a shame if he didn't. 

Concert Billboards From Around NYC

Rolling Stone Calls Lil Wayne Best Rapper Alive...Wait Did Jay-Z Die?

In the new world of completely ridiculous statements, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone Magazine, in her review of Lil Wayne's new album, calls the southern wordsmith the greatest rapper alive. Now I had to think for a moment. Ok...Biggie, Tupac...wait a minute Jay-Z ain't dead...what the fuck did he or she just say? Clearly this person has no fucking (sorry but I'm pissed) idea what they are talking about and I am sure only did it to rile people up. Listen it's ok to not like Jay-Z and his rhymes. It's ok if you have never taken an interest in what he has done or even if you don't like the fact that he is from New York City. But seriously to make a comment like that just shows your stupidity by saying someone is the greatest when you have nothing to back it up. Lil Wayne is no icon, he's simply a guest artist who doesn't even write meaningful lyrics as opposed to Jay. Maybe his shit sounds cool. Maybe he sells a bunch of records and has lots of money. I can't believe I am even debating this, it's ludicrous (not the rapper/actor)! However I still think I need to add a few points to any moron who would ever consider this the truth...

Jay-Z has sold more than 50 Million albums worldwide
Lil Wayne has sold just about 7 Million

Jay-Z has won 10 Grammy's
Lil Wayne 1 Grammy

Now I fully understand that numbers don't tell the story, however they do say one thing...longevity. In order to be considered the greatest you have to have done it over a long period of time and simply stated Lil Wayne hasn't gotten there yet. Wait a minute...I think I am forgetting someone, some guy from Detroit who has sold over 80 Million records worldwide. Mr. Mathers I presume.

Bowie's Station To Station Limited Edition Box Set, Oh It's Not Available On iTunes

A friend of mine sent me a link to an article about the release of David Bowie's Limited Edition Box set of his amazing record Station To Station. Generally I stay away from box sets and limited editions because they are often high priced and filled with stuff I will only look at once. Most of the time I have already purchased the original cd (true in this case) and therefore have no desire to purchase music I already have. However this may be a special circumstance occasion.

I love David Bowie who I believe is one of the most underrated musicians of our time. Above is the original vinyl from 34 years ago plus the new box set.

Above is the picture of just what is inside the lovely box set which goes for $132.99 on Amazon and below is the list of exactly what you get:

* Original album

* Previously unreleased 'Live Nassau Coliseum '76' concert

* Station To Station - RCA CD Master

* 5-track Singles versions CD E.P. incl. previously unreleased version of Station To Station, and for first time on CD, Word On A Wing

* 3 x 12" heavyweight vinyl

* DVD with new 5.1 mix

* 24-page booklet, including: never before seen Steve Schapiro photo, Geoff MacCormack photos, Andrew Kent live Nassau photos & extensive memorabilia from the archives

* Cameron Crowe sleevenotes

* 6 panel folded poster

* Onstage folder

* Replica Backstage pass

* Replica Biog

* Replica Ticket

* Replica band line-up

* 3 press shots

* Replica Fan club folder

* Replica Fan Club Membership card

* Fan club certificate

* 2 small Collectors cards

* 2 photo prints

* Replica 4-page biography

* 2 badges

If that is a bit too pricey for you or you just won't know what to do with it all, there is a less expensive version that packs 3 cd's for only $27.99.  And just to hammer the point home, you won't be able to buy this on iTunes in all it's loveliness...you're going to have to actually reach out and touch something for a change, not just the buttons on your keyboard. Also one suggestion...instead of buying the box set, I would say put that money together and buy all of Bowie's albums. You'll have way more music to listen to and be way happier...you can thank me later.

Queens Of The Stone Age Guitarist Alain Johannes Solo Record Out 10/5

Be on the look out for Alain Johannes' solo debut 'Spark' due in record stores 10/5. After touring with fellow bandmate Josh Homme's band, Them Crooked Vultures, Alain went into the studio with a burst of musical passion, inspired by the death of his wife to cancer back in 2008. After four days of completely immersing himself in the studio he exited with what is now his first solo record. So far from what I have heard of it it's pretty amazing stuff and I will be running out to purchase it when it drops. Please click on the link below to the Spin Magazine article in which you can hear the albums first single, Return To You...very freakin cool.

http://www.spinmag.com/articles/qotsa-exclusive-alain-johannes-solo-debut