Passing Strange

REFRESHING is the word that keeps coming to mind when I think of Passing Strange, the new Broadway musical I saw this week. This production was originally developed at The Public Theater. It's a collaboration of Stew: the Narrator, book, lyrics and co-composer, Heidi Rodewald: co-composer, bass, vocals and Annie Dorsen: director. I had heard about this play during it's inception as Bill Bragin, who at the time was Joe's Pub's beating heart, was also involved. Because of his persistence in getting the word out, I bought tickets. Passing Strange is a powerhouse of a performance. The four piece band act as a guardian surrounding the actors on stage. I use the term actors loosely as their performance goes way beyond just acting. They dance, sing, gyrate, jump, pontificate-it's all there. It was the Broadway debut for Rebecca Naomi Jones. She's amazing. Also outstanding were Daniel Breaker as the young Stew and De'Adre Aziza. The music is so finely integrated with the show that you don't realize the musicians have been playing for about 90% of the time.

Stew discovered the phrase "Passing Strange" while reading a comic book version of Othello. It has come to mean stranger than strange. Strange can be good. Great show, great energy, refreshing !

Record Store Day a Success?

Looking at the week ending 4/20 Soundscan, I was realizing that it included Saturday's Records Store Day sales. The number of physical music purchased was up slightly from last week, but continues to take a dive from the abysmal numbers of last year. Overall albums were up 1.9% (+ 141K units) vs. last week and down 8.1% (- 659K units) vs. week 16 of 2007.

Digital albums were up 1.6% (+ 19K units) vs. last week and up 33.9% (+ 306K units) vs. week 16 of 2007. Not sure that digital units being up 34% from this week last year is reason to open the champagne, as last years numbers were not exactly overwhelming. It does show there is some willingness to still purchase digital albums. Digital tracks on the other hand, were down 3.6% (- 731K units) vs. last week and up 30.4% (+ 4.5MM units) vs. week 16 of 2007.

Mariah Carey came in with impressive numbers: 464,000 units sold. 10 years ago, first week sales probably would have translated to an easy platinum record. The surprise has to be the Juno Soundtrack. Still holding it's own at #12 with close to 12,000 units sold. Rounding out the #19 and #20 spots on the album charts are American Idol loser and winner, Daughtry and Jordan Sparks. Daughtry is closing in on 4 million records sold. WOW!

WNEW Where Rock Lives Again

This weekend I found an old T-shirt that had the WNEW-FM logo on the front and on the back, David Johansen live at the Bottom Line. Two great (New York) music institutions of the 70's, 80's and 90's: WNEW and the Bottom Line. WNEW has been revived on HD radio as well on online. Norm Winer, the longstanding Chicago radio guru is the "ringleader" of this revival.

For those of you who grew up listening to WNEW and having it be a big part of your life, you'll have fun navigating the site. Right now there's Led Zeppelin interviewed by Scott "Things from England, English Things" Muni. The DJs were knowledgeable, had the inside track and were there to let you in on it. I felt like part of a community. I even participated in a few bike-a-thons in Central Park they sponsored. It's nice that I can still listen to Dennis Elsas, Pete Fornatale and Vin Scelsa on WFUV and Meg Griffin on Sirius (as well as Vin there too). You never know if you're recollections are accurate, but in my mind, I recall a few defining moments: Pete Fornatale playing the entire Pet Sounds album one Easter, Scott Muni announcing that Elivs Presley had just died, filming in Super 8 a portion of the Central Park Beach Boys shows with Brian Wilson. There were countless times I relied on WNEW to find out anything about music, whether it be upcoming shows going on sale, a new release date, why Randy Meisner left the Eagles.... It was a big part of my life and my love for music. It's nice to have an old friend back.

Records Store Day April 19th

Tomorrow is Records Store Day. Hundreds of independently owned music stores across the country will celebrate “Record Store Day.” Please visit a record store and buy something.

To quote Paul McCartney
There’s nothing as glamorous to me as a record store. When I recently played Amoeba in LA, I realised what fantastic memories such a collection of music brings back when you see it all in one place. This is why I’m more than happy to support Record Store Day and I hope that these kinds of stores will be there for us all for many years to come. Cheers!

The End of Music As We Know It?

3 events have occurred in past few weeks that make me think it might be the end of music as we know it.

1. Bob Dylan wins a Pulitzer Prize
2. Keith Richards appears in a Louis Vuitton Ad
3. Led Zeppelin: The Ride is unveiled at the new Hard Rock amusement park in South Carolina.

This is a roller coaster and it's movements are choreographed to Whole Lotta Love. It takes some clicks to find the rides, but photos of it are there in all it's glory. There is mention that it begins as you enter a huge silver starship that takes you right into the cover of the first Led Zeppelin record. I couldn't read any further.

To ape REM: Is this the end of the world as we know it? It might be a prophesy. Their latest record debuted @ No. 2 with sales of 115,000 copies of its ''Accelerate''.

Another Reality Show-Another Teen Idol

Don't know how much more the American public can take of the reality show barrage. Just read about casting for MTV's latest bid: Teen Dream from the executive producers of America's Next Top Model. They are looking for the next female superstar, if the market hasn't already been exhausted. Not only do they want the daughters, but they want the mothers too. I think Howard Stern hit the nail on the head when he said people love American Idol not to hear people sing, but for the humiliation factor. What could be more humiliating than a teen girl being followed by camera with her stage mom omnipresent? If you fit the bill and want to be the next Teen Dream (what an archaic title-Is it 1955?) or have your daughter wear the crown, details are below.

Producers are seeking talented young women and their mothers who are looking forward to showing off their daughter's talents. Open casting calls where mothers and daughters must appear together will happen in Los Angeles on April 18-19; Orlando on April 25-26; Miami on April 27; and New York on May 3-4. For complete information regarding these casting calls and what is required to bring, send an email to teendreamcasting@gmail.com.

Artie update

According to the blog Siriusbuzz.com Artie did make it to Amesterdam on the same flight as Teddy.

In case you were not aware, there is now a great show on Stern 101 Friday mornings. Jay Thomas has become the defacto Friday morning host, and will now carry a regular show on the Stern network. In his first show as a permanent Friday host, Jay Thomas had the good fortune of being able to deliver some additional news regarding the Artie Lange saga that unfolded yesterday.

Artie is indeed in Amsterdam. The news was confirmed with a live call from Jason Kaplan of the Strern Show as he sat at an Amsterdam cafe. Kaplan confirmed that both Artie Lange and Teddy made the trip. Kaplan has not yet seen Artie but has placed a couple of phone calls to him.

Robin Quivers, a Stern how staple, called into the live segment of Jay Thomas’ show and offered additional insight, and is in fact on the air as I write this piece. Shuli, also a member of the Stern Show staff, and frequent participant with Jay Thomas added a bit more information on Artie. In a text message, it was confirmed that Artie was on the same plane with Teddy. At one tense moment as Teddy boarded the plane, he had to pass by Artie who was seated in First Class. The pair exchanged glances. Teddy says that he and Artie have not spoken, and Teddy stated that he is making it a point to avoid Artie during the trip.

So, we have some news on Artie, and the news that the Friday morning dilemma for Stern fans has been solved. Jay Thomas is a wonderful talent who hosts a regular afternoon drive show on Sirius Stars 102. His regular afternoon show will continue, and now he will entertain listeners on Friday mornings. With the addition of Jay Thomas on Fridays, and Vinnie Politan having a regular morning show, the morning drive situation at Sirius is far better today than it was a month ago.

Kudos to Sirius for addressing the morning drive issues in the programming line-up, and we all hope that the Artie situation comes to a reasonable conclusion that addresses Arties issues, maintains the show people love, and lets fans get back to great radio.

Artie Leaves Stern Show - No replays

We've all heard Artie threaten to leave the show before. Yesterday a fight with his assistant escalated into a brawl. Artie closed with I love you, but I'm out of here. Those Sirius fans wanted to catch the replay couldn't. Sirius always replays that days show for the duration of the day: not so yesterday. We heard a show from 4/7. Stern is not live on Fridays and they are on vacation next week. By the time they get back, it will be not be fresh in anyone's mind. A lot of fans speculating that the incident was scripted, mostly because of when it occurred-right before a break. Jason Reitman, the director of Juno had the unfortunate timing of being the guest to come on right after this. He even offered to come back another time. Everyone seemed shaken. In fact it took Robin screaming at the top of her lungs to get the fight to break and she's in another room. I was going to direct you to YouTube to listen, but the clips have just been pulled.
Something's happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear.....

Live Nation Scooping It Up

According to the NY Times, Live Nation is now signing Jay-Z for a $150 million dollar deal. He was president of the record label he was on. He now signs with a tour promoter. JayZ is not know as a road warrior.

The deal includes financing for his own entertainment venture, in addition to recordings and tours for the next decade. The pact, expected to be finalized this week, is the most expansive deal yet from Live Nation, which has angled to compete directly with the industry’s established music labels in a scrum over the rights to distribute recordings, sell concert tickets, market merchandise and control other aspects of artists’ careers.

As it's been stated, it appears Live Nation is just bulking up the assets to sell it again. Nothing like regifting. As Bob Lefsetz said, who do you want to be in with Michael Jordan or the hottest young basketball player. He also points out that when David Geffen started his own label he signed Elton John, John Lennon and Donna Summer. Not until he signed a new act, Guns N Roses, did he start printing money. Three veterans now signed to 10 year deals with Live Nation. Jay-Z wil be 49/50 years old when the deal expires. Madonna will be 60/61 and U2 will be close to Madonna. I'm not throwing stones as I could have gone to school with Bono. I just know that touring is not for the faint of heart. The older you get, the less important it is prove yourself or take on the road. We'll see if Live Nation gets the big payday. We'll see if it's worth the money to these acts.

South Pacific @ Lincoln Center

I don't know how you can go wrong with the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Last night's performance of South Pacific at Lincoln Center was a completely enjoyable evening. The play hasn't been revived on Broadway since it's debut in 1949, when it ran for 5 years. Kelli O'Hara was sensational as Ensign Nellie Forbush. She brought a nice sensitivity to the character without making her sappy. Her voice is outstanding. I also saw her in The Light in the Piazza (written by Richard Rodgers grandson). Matthew Morrison, who was also in Piazza, portrayed the conflicted Lt Cable. Matthew seems to be popping up in everything from TV-As The World Turns to movies-Music and Lyrics to theater. He and Kelli team up on the song My Girl Back Home. The song was originally written for the play, but was cut as Mary Martin did not want to duet with Ezio Pinza, the original Emile. She was afraid he would overpower her. It's a beautiful addition to the play. Last but not least, Brazilian opera singer Paulo Szot, Emile, has credits stacked high in the opera world. How does one get a voice like that? Some Enhantent Evening took on a new poignantcy. There are a few YouTube postings on him.

The play is set in the South Pacific during WWll. Old prejudices dies hard. War is surrounding them. Love is in the air. Even with lyrics like "I'm as corny as Kansas in August, I'm as normal as blueberry pie", the songs are not dated. Later on in I'm In Love With a Wonderful Guy, the lyrics bring it to a place anyone can relate to "And you will note there's a lump in my throat, When I speak of that wonderful guy!" The show opens tonight. Go see it and be prepared to be humming the songs in your head for days.

Trivia: James Michener who wrote the book the play is based on won the Pulitzer Prize. This was his first book and was written at age 40.

Apple to sell tracks for 15 cents a piece

As reported in today's Lefsetz letter:

And starting April 15th, all Universal tracks at the iTunes Store will
be fifteen cents. Steve (Jobs) wanted the price to be lower, rumor has it as
low as nine cents, but he couldn't convince Marty Bandier and the rest
of the publishers to lower their share, so fifteen cents it is.

Keep reading his post today.... but remember it's 4/1!!!

U2 latest to sign on with Live Nation

U2 is one of the rare acts today that doesn't need the music industry to survive. They might not sell as many records as they used to (no one does), but they can sell out any tour they put on sale. They must sell lots of merchandise. In other words, they do not lack for financial resources. An article in the WSJ yesterday laid out the terms of what Live Nation will be handling for U2. The monetary compensation was not announced.

Live Nation will not have a stake in the band's recorded music or publishing. They will be promoter of record for tours for the next 10 years, handle merchandise and the band's website. For the same portion of her deal, apparently Madonna was paid $70 million by Live Nation. As WSJ points out, this deal keeps the status quo. Live Nation or it's predecessors have produced and promoted every U2 tours since 1997, a subsidiary, already manages their website and deals with their merch.

I scratch my head as to why U2 made this deal. Is it a monetary windfall? Does that even matter to them? The ability to control your own destiny, the ability to go where you want, when you want seems to be synonymous with U2. After the debacle of their fan club members, who paid a minimum of $40, not being able to buy choice seats for their tour, you think they would want to rethink the whole thing, not make a 10 year deal. Do they want want to be beholden to a behemoth?

Live Nation is acquiring at break neck speed. They own merch companies, website/fan club administers, recording contracts (Madonna)-but no label, as well as being promoters. They are starting an in-house Ticketmaster type service. Is Live Nation becoming an otopus with a few too many arms? Are they spreading themselves too thin? Are they the future of the music business?

The Beach Boys-more legal dealings settled

Having been a Beach Boys fan since Wouldn't It Be Nice, I've kept up on their history. The number of lawsuits this band has been in, most of them between the band members, could fill up a nice coffee table size book. It looks like another one, over name infringement has been settled according to Hits Magazine. I'd be surprised if Brian would give up his successful solo touring career to join forces again with Love and Jardine. I believe he was quoted as saying the Beach Boys died with the death of Carl.

BEACH BOYS REUNITED? A settlement over the disputed rights to the Beach Boys' name has made possible a long-awaited reunion among the three surviving members, Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine. The agreement, reached last week in L.A. Superior Court, puts to rest years of litigation that grew out of Jardine’s use of the band’s name, “Beach Boys Family & Friends,” until a federal judge ruled in 2000 he was engaging in trademark infringement. That decision affirmed Love’s claim as the sole licensee of the name under a deal he negotiated with Brother Records in 1998, a ruling upheld by a U.S. appeals court in 2003, again siding against Jardine in the case brought by Love, Wilson and the estate of his late brother, Carl. Love and the Carl Wilson estate sued Jardine again in 2004 seeking $2.2 million in legal fees. It was that case, set for trial next month, which was settled last week

Hillary and Madonna? Obama and Pitt? Family ties

As seen in NewYorker.com

When did genealogy become the silliest science? This week, researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society climbed up into the family trees of the leading contenders for President, and what they found was surprising—and risible. Hillary Clinton, whose mother is of French-Canadian extraction, is distantly related to such luminaries as Angelina Jolie (ninth cousin, twice removed), Madonna, Celine Dion, and Alanis Morissette. Obama, through his white Kansan mother, is related to six U.S. Presidents, including George W. Bush, and Brad Pitt (ninth cousin). McCain’s origins are less well known, but he is a sixth cousin of First Lady Laura Bush. Below is a classic skit about family trees from 1965, starring Julie Andrews and Gene Kelly, either of whom may well be related to the candidates.—Ben Greenman

Smashing Pumpkins Sue Virgin Records

From today's NY Times. There doesn't seem to be more info on the story. Traditionally (depending on your contract) the use of a track from a record album (master use) would require the artist as well as the writer of the song (sync use) to approve any promotional uses.

The Smashing Pumpkins filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Virgin Records, accusing the company of using the band’s name and music in promotional deals that injured its credibility with fans, The Associated Press reported. In Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, the members contended that Virgin’s use of the band in a promotion with Amazon.com and PepsiCo threatens their “artistic integrity.” The Pumpkins lawsuit argues that Virgin, which released the band’s music for 17 years, had no contractual right to use it in campaigns to sell other products. The band asked to be compensated with Virgin’s profits from the promotion, and also requested an injunction to bar use of its name and music. Virgin did not immediately respond to a call for comment.

Joseph Arthur curator

You have to love this:
From the NY Times

The Man, the Museum, the (Self-Created) Legend
Joseph Arthur is not just a singer-songwriter in the Nick Drake/Leonard Cohen/romantic-depressive mode. He’s also the proprietor of a gallery dedicated to himself. The Museum of Modern Arthur, in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn , features his artwork and promotes his philosophy: “MOMAR can, and will, party.” On Friday night he makes good on it, at a show and party celebrating his new EP and the three more that he plans to release this year.

SXSW in Photos

Brandi Shearer and Quincy Coleman perform at a party at SXSW. Unfortunately by the time Kate Walsh came on, night fell and it was too dark to take photos. Her set was lovely.

SXSW Time Again

So tomorrow I'm off to SXSW. Brandi Shearer along with future touring mates, Kate Walsh and Qunicy Coleman will playing the Cosmic America Music Party on 3/13. The ladies will be touring across the country this May/June. Other artists I plan to check out are Andy Davis, Liam Finn and Jim Boggia.

Wired: The Economics of Zero

Wired Magazine's editor Chris Anderson (the author of the Long Tail) has a sneak preview of his new book Free on Wired.com. He's examining the theory of free being the new economic paradigm. The music business plays well into his thinking, starting with free downloading of music. It's great food for thought.

Apple Record Retailer

iTunes climbed into second place among music retailers in 2007, behind only Wal-Mart according to the latest NDP Group research. Apple has sold over 4 billion songs to date.

Could this Warner Bros Records rumor be true?

Celeb blogger Perez Hilton is talks with Warner Bros. Records to become a music talent agent for the label, according to The New York Times. -Cynopsis: DIGITAL

I'd like to think I could pass that info off, but there is probably some substance to it. Shouldn't Warner Bros be looking in clubs, talking to music publishers, listening to music to find talent? It's out there. I can't imagine it's on a gossip blog. It's hard for me to hear this having worked with so many great people that are part of or have been part of the label. This place was all about putting out records that you had to pay attention to.

Rosanne Cash on John Stewart

When I worked with Rosanne Cash she co-wrote with John Stewart, the result was Dance with the Tiger. I loved that he was the guy that wrote Daydream Believer. Always a huge Monkees fan, it impressed me immensely. He also wrote her hit Runaway Train. Rosanne fostered a lifelong friendship with John.

I just read the heartfelt piece Rosanne posted on her website as a tribute to him. He died last month . This piece was so beautifully written and self humiliating on her part that it was worth sharing with you. He was another unsung, yet highly influential part of music history. Click here to read.

Grammy Comment

I saw this comment on the Lefsetz Letter and I hope Julie doesn't mind that I'm posting it here. She summed up the telecast so well.......

From: Julie Ann May
Subject: Grammys Golden-Grey

What a great 50-years-ago show! If it had aired in Black & White it
really would have connected with its audience - then again maybe not all
of them back here in the east who were probably asleep by 10...

URBAN RENEWAL

Seeing Keith Urban last night at the Garden was a jolt to the system. It reminded me that rock is not dead; that there are still arena-filling musicians who are in it for the music and are appreciative for their audience, their band and crew. He could have played it safe, but didn’t and that’s what made it great performance.

He opened with Once In A Lifetime, which happens to be my favorite of his. That of course made me think ok, is it over for me? It actually signaled to tighten the seat belt, I’m in for a ride. He came out like gangbusters and never let up. He had sweat pouring down his face by song two.

Phil Spector has his wall of sound, Keith has a wall of guitars, 4 + him to be exact. The configurations were numerous. His band traded off on guitar (acoustic and electric), banjo, mandolin, bass and keyboards. Keith, unlike most artists afraid to let their band outshine them, embraced their talent and let them have as much fun as him. Yes, everyone on that stage was having a blast, which infected the audience.

Midway through the set, the band went to the base of the runway that dissected the floor of the Garden and did an acoustic set which was anchored with You’ll Think of Me. Musicians in the round, showing off their stuff in a more intimate way always struck me as country music getting it right. This part of the show came as close to bringing a little bit of Nashville to NYC and bringing the audience closer to the band. Speaking of bringing the audience closer, at one point, Keith made his way from the stage into the audience about 10 seats to my left. With a roadie holding the mic stand above his head, Keith played and sang being devoured by the fans.

A colossal HD screen behind the band was a bit unnerving. It was a little like King Kong devouring the city. The band was just TOO big. HD made it seem even more real. Note: See my iPhone photos above to get an idea of what it was like.

The most endearing touch of the night was his appreciation of not only the fans (he stayed after his band left stage to low five the crowd, hitting every corner of the venue to show his thanks), but his crew also. He gave them a big shout out while the HD screen was filled with a photo of them. No one has any idea what goes into putting on a show like that, unless you’ve actually done it. Those people are usually the unsung heroes, but not last night. Whoever was handling microphone duty deserves a big applause. They were popping up all over the stage and its many arms.

Strong guitar solos, sing-a-longs and just plain rock and roll made last night a music renewal.

With Keith’s show being so strong, it still leaves me scratching my head the Carrie Underwood was the chosen opener. It was like two different shows: The Vegas Review and the Arena Rock Show. Carrie has a nice voice, looks great (please take off those 5” heels so you can move and enjoy yourself), but lacks the soul to make her performance more than the safe show it was. She has not left American Idol behind her.

There were two stagings that unfortunately are embedded in my head for their inconceivability. One she is wearing what looks like a blue wedding dress gone awry with a very long train. (see bad photo above) Perched on two round tiers, she looked the blueberry bride on a wedding cake. I can only guess that with so much fabric surrounding her, she was immobile. She stayed that way for two songs. After she changed into a more appropriate jeans and tank top, she was atop the circles again. This time the lights lay low, so low she was only visible to about the first 10 rows. Attached to the lights were very big white sheets, which were affixed to the waist of her jeans. The only way to describe this is it looked like she had huge rolls of toilet paper rising from the air, as the lights lifted and they were attached to her pants! These elements were so distracting that I couldn’t even tell you what she was singing about. The sound was not the best. She closed with the very likable hit, Before He Cheats, which reminds me of Aerosmith. Recipe for Carrie: Be yourself. Wear Jeans. Take it down a notch. Have fun. Watch a Keith Urban show. Take notes.

Who Is The Grammy Audience?

Who do the producers of the Grammys think their audience is? Last night’s performance started off like a Lawrence Welk revue. If you don’t know who he is, this mash up clip from his TV show sums up last night’s Grammys. Lawrence meets the Velvet Underground.

These Grammys could have stood out as a way for the industry to shine, try and bring back music lovers, its former glory, celebrate 50 years of the awards and show that they are not out of touch. No time like the present, right? They missed the mark. I barely watched anything after the first hour, but my perception is it looked like a second rate high school production. How to lose the kids in 30 minutes: Love b/w Across the Universe. Tell them to go online and choose the best violinist to play with the violin orchestra backing the Foo Fighters. Hype Alicia Keys 29 performances during the show.

The most enjoyable moment for me was when Kid Rock sang with Keely Smith who was the first recipient of a Grammy. It was entertaining. She can still sing and exudes cool. Kid Rock was charming and held his own.

I believe John Mayer to be talented. I also believe Sheryl Crow is talented. I’m convinced both will go to the opening of an envelope if asked. What was that mess with Alicia Keys & Mayer? Amy Winehouse, who along with Feist were the minority of young musicians this special was sorely lacking.

Yes indeed, they missed the mark.

From Bob Lefsetz:
If you think this awards show is important, then you must have a
financial interest. It's everything wrong with the music business. It's
something for everybody, whereas we used to specialize in the exact thing
the individual needed right now. Play to the front row, not the upper
deck. Play to those who care. Ubiquity is history, niche is king.
Everybody knows this but NARAS, which probably doesn't even know that you
can use Google to search hard drives, not to steal music, but to get
what you need, to keep you alive. Whereas this show will put you to
sleep.

Parades, Super Fat Tuesday

There is a lot going on in NY today. For those who want to feast before the beginning of Lent, there is much reason to celebrate: It's Fat Tuesday! The Giants are the Super Bowl Champs! People are coming out in droves to vote!

The Giants were hailed as the kings of NY in a parade downtown. I've been to two of these parades. Unfortunately I didn't make it today, but Fred did. Check out his blog, Otillus, which pays photographic homage to the NY Nitty Gritty.

In 1986 Lucia and I ventured downtown to pay tribute to the lovable 1986 Mets. They were lovable to those of us who were fans. As we now know, most of the team almost didn't make it. Partying way too hard the night before will do that. These Giants had a day of rest. We were so far back, that what I remember is Mookie must be passing by as we heard the low howl of MOOOOOOOKKKKKKKK. We also were able to glimpse the top of Darryl Strawberry's head.

In 1998, Danny Clinch took Luscious Jackson downtown for a photo shoot among the parade goers and police. All I have on file from that day is the subway shot, which will have to suffice. They did take a subway to get down there.

Lots of paper, lots of face painting, lots of cheering. Did you vote yet?

Free Music from The NY Daily News

It started with Prince giving away his album in England with the Sunday paper, now the NY Daily News will be giving away free downloads in conjunction with EMI. It's almost impossible to find info on the Daily New's website, but it's being reported that anyone who buys a Sunday paper on Super Bowl Sunday or Grammy Sunday, will receive a code good for 3 free downloads. Not sure why the paper isn't announcing it all over their website.

ANDY DAVIS

If Mitchell Froom endorses someone, I pay attention. This summer he played me Andy Davis, who he just finished producing. He said this guy has it all musicially and he's super organized. Not to generalized, but organized is not a term generally associated with musicians. On first hearing his music, early Todd Rundgren (We Gotta Get You A Woman-Something/Anything period) and Elton John came to mind. I think the piano had something to do with my immediate association, but he tells stories, much like both of the above mentioned. Listen to Let the Woman I Love.

Andy played the Living Room last Friday so I decided to head over there. It was just him, his guitar or piano. Now I can say I also endorse Andy Davis, not that he's running for anything. His show was about the music. His love for music emanates from him. Not taking himself too seriously, he used miscues to his advantage- a charming touch. He knows how to work an audience. His unassuming way of involving the crowd as an additional musician is such a simple but effective additive to the show. Whether clapping hands or signing along to Mariah Carey, the audience was part of this show.

Andy is a Baton Rogue native who now makes Nashville his home. Nashville could be where he developed his storytelling chops. He said when he was studying music he came across Irving Berlin who composed most of his music on the black keys of the piano, which inspired the song Black Keys. Note: In a 1962 interview, Berlin said, "The black keys are right there, under your fingers. The key of C is for people who study music." Irving couldn't read or write music, neither can John Hiatt and I'd be hard pressed to find better songwriters.
Brown Eyes closed his set. It's a perfect pop song. The stuff I love.
"She had brown eyes, I know she's about my height....
I don't even know her, but I know I have to see her again:"
How many people can relate to meeting someone, being smitten, this person leaves the bar, you may never see him/her again, but you're obsessed?

Believable Doubt began as a love song, but took a sinister turn. Andy's vocals suck you in and make you believe.

The album can only be purchased at Barnes & Noble now, but it's worth walking the 3 blocks in NYC to purchase (there is a Barnes & Noble within three blocks of everyone-I have 2 within 5 blocks of my home). It's impeccably produced by Mitchell Froom. Listen to songs from the album on Andy's website, other tracks can be heard at myspace. If he comes to your town, go see him and be entertained: think Elton John without the costumes. There wasn't enough ceiling clearance for him to jump on a piano, but in the back of my head there was always a thought that he could do it and get right back to serenading without missing a beat.

Soundtracks Making a Comeback

Soundscan for the week ending January 20th:

#2 Juno soundtrack -only being bested by Alicia Keys. Why does the Velvet Underground show up everywhere?
#13 Alvin & the Chipmunks soundtrack - holding steady for a second week at this position. It actually ranked as high at #7 a few weeks ago. It's an album of sped up vocals.
#18 High School Music soundtrack - this has surpassed the 3 million sold mark. This brings me to kids TV. While in FL with my niece, she had the TV tuned to Nick and Disney. No matter what the show, someone was breaking out in song. It could be a video or a band performance. I can only compare this programming to Dream Girls meets MTV.

The music business never ceases to surprise.

EMI: Hands On

A lot is being written about Guy Hands who engineered the buying of EMI. He made a mistake in letting Tony Wadsworth go. With that exception, much of what he is saying and being chastised for is basically true. I read the article in today's WSJ. Most of the press involving EMI include a big photo of the Rolling Stones and claim that the band no longer wants to be at EMI and they are doing a one-off soundtrack for Universal. If Guy is smart and wants to turn around a company that has been in financial disarray for many many years now, signing the Stones would not make sense. I'm assuming the Stones would require large sums of money upfront. The Stones no longer sell enough record to warrant a large advance. EMI would never recoup. I don't think that having the Stones on the label will entice younger, prominent acts to sign with the label. I did read that the Stones have the rights to all their music post 1970. That is a carrot, but still not enough for a failing company to invest in.

In a meeting with band managers Hands sited Terra Firma's (his company) successful track record in his stewardship of UK movie theater chain Odeon Cinemas. "The cinema business isn't the movie business - it's the popcorn business." This did not sit well with the managers, but let's face the state of things: I'm sure theater chains make way more money on popcorn than they do on selling tickets. What other avenue is there for record companies to make money beside the selling of music? The music business doesn't have a "popcorn".

When Jack Welch took over NBC/Universal, the first thing he did was let go of the music arm. One look at the books and he knew the old model from 50 years ago wouldn't work and it would take too long to change things. I don't know how long it will take Guy Hands to re-engineer EMI and turn it into a profit center, or if he ever will, but I will enjoy following his travails.

Tom Stoppard's Rock 'N' Roll

There are things I've taken for granted which have been part of my birthright: the freedom to listen to whatever music I want. whenever I want and see it performed live. Tom Stoppard's engrossing play Rock 'N' Roll drives home the theory or reality depending on how you look at it, that culture cannot thrive in a communist/dictatorship society. The play is set in a span from 1968 (we are being clobbered over the head with references to the summer of love), when Czechoslovakia had a few months of uncensored creativity under the leadership of Alexander Dubcek to 1990 when the Rolling Stone performed in Prague.

The play revolves around a student, Jan, who leaves Cambridge, England where is he studying with a Marxist professor, to return to his hometown of Prague, even though the Czech government has asked him to stay in England. As an avid music lover, he discovers the band the Plastic People of the Universe and believes they will be the shining light to bring artistic freedom back to the people of Prague.

Milan Hlavsa, who died in 2001, formed the Plastic People of the Universe in September 1968 when he was 19. The fact that the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia had occurred in August was not immediately relevant: ‘We just loved rock’n’roll and wanted to be famous…rock’n’roll wasn’t just music to us, it was kind o ife itself.’ The band was not interested in bringing down communism, only in nding a free space for itsel nside the communist society. But of course there was no such space, and the story that Rock’n’Roll is telling is that, in the logic of communism, what the band wasn’t interested in and what the band wanted could not in the end be separated. The Plastics were among a small number of musicians and artists who wouldn’t compromise at all, so the space for POLITICS, ROCK’N’ROLL AND LIFE ITSELF their music and for ‘life itself’ became harder and harder to nd until it was eradicated. -Tom Stoppard

The clever use of graphics and music help to bridge the segments of this 3 hour play. There is more than one reference to Syd Barrett, the troubled founder of Pink Floyd. Was Stoppard a friend of his? Syd hailed from Cambridge. Pink Floyd's first album was titled The Piper At the Gates of Dawn, which is a reference to Pan and Wind in The Willows. All of this ties into the play. By 1968, he was no longer a member of Floyd. As Jan says, can you imagine getting kicked out of Pink Floyd for taking too many drugs? A key moment for me came when Jan finds his record collection has been destroyed and the only remaining album is the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, which a friend had borrowed and returned. Pet Sounds is the greatest album ever recorded in my humble opinion. Music interwoven throughout the play includes, The Velvet Underground, Sid, Pink, The Plastic People of the Universe (read their history), The Cure, The Beach Boys and the play ends with the Rolling Stones performance in Prague. Having been to the wonderful city of Prague, this lesson in a period of it's life was fascinating.

Another Industy Legend Leaving Label

TONY WADSWORTH STEPS DOWN FROM EMI GROUP
EMI Press Release: EMI Group announces that Tony Wadsworth is stepping down from his post as Chairman and CEO of EMI Music UK & Ireland.

I only had a few dealings with Tony when I managed Luscious Jackson, but he was always respectful, available and shared his love of music. He was one of the last great music people to hold a prominent post at a major label. Let's hope he finds a better way to share his legacy and continue to bring good music to the masses.

Just when you think the RIAA couldn't go any further....

Can this really be true? I want to believe it's a misprint.

The Recording Industry of America has drawn a new line in the sand for digital music users claiming that the act of ripping a purchased CD onto a PC is illegal, according to lawsuit covered in The Washington Post. The RIAA is seeking legal fees from an Arizona man who simply transferred a collection of 2,000 CDs onto his computer.

Picks of the Year

It's that time of year when all the top 10 lists start surfacing. I'm going to mention a few standouts for me.
-I'd have to start with a record and artist I work with, Brandi Shearer's Close To Dark. Haunting melodies and a powerhouse of a voice, make this a top pick.
-I cannot get Girls In Their Summer Clothes out of my mind. Could it be that this Springsteen song from Magic reminds of the Who's Kids Are Alright? It's a great melody. I love hearing it on the radio.
-Bright Eyes' Four Winds is another song I love hearing on the radio.
-This Big Town-ok here is something that is not out there yet, but when it is, people will be listening. It's the brainchild of Michael LaMorte (mini-king, Fictura). The amazing melodies will bring you back to the best of the early Eagles. Michael has a way of making what you hear sound new, but familiar ala Fountains of Wayne.
-The Coast of Utopia trilogy by Tom Stoppard. Who would have thought that three plays based on 6 friends, writers and thinkers from 1840's Russia would be engaging. It was engrossing. Can't wait to see Rock 'n' Roll next month.
-Juno An enjoyable movie with great touches and a not so predictable ending. Nice use of the Mott The Hoople classic, All The Young Dudes. Check out the cutouts of a young Glen Campbell and Bill Clinton on Juno's friend's bedroom wall.
-Speaking of Ian Hunter, his show at The Williamsburg Music Hall affirmed my belief in Rock Music. He stuck to classics: the above mentioned Dudes, Angeline, Roll Away the Stone, I Wish I Was Your Mother, Cleveland Rocks,..... Even though we didn't hear much from his new record, Shrunken Heads, it's a great collection of music and worth checking out.
-Nick Lowe at Housing Works. Just him, his guitar and his wit. Will never tire of it.
-Seems like every book I read this year, came out last year, standouts were The Thirteenth Tale, Never Let Me Go and Team of Rivals. I'm reading Slash's autobiography which came out this year, but so far it isn't as entertaining as I thought it would be. It could be a Lifetime After Dark movie: Kid from broken home goes astray, finds music, girls and drugs and the rest is history.
Happy New Year!

Sharing Our Passion

Amoeba Records is putting it's money where the mouth is. I will disclose that I work for them. What other label is so confident of their music that they're will to give it away? Sharing our passion is the Amoeba Records motto. That's exactly what's happening. Starting today at amoeba.com there will be two songs every two week to download free from Amoeba's first two releases: Brandi Shearer and Gram Parsons. We think you'll like what you hear so much that you'll want to buy both records. We kick it off with Brandi's live version of Gram's song Hickory Wind and The Burrito Brothers performance of Close Up The Honky Tonks. Every other Monday visit amoeba.com for another piece of the Amoeba passion: great music. Special Christmas bonus track: Brandi's bittersweet rendition of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. The song originally written for Judy Garland to sing in the movie Meet Me In St Louis. Happy Listening!

Collecting Christmas Music

Collecting Christmas music has become a hobby. I think my most treasured piece is a 45 of I Want Eddie Fisher For Christmas. With lyrics like "I want him here rehearsing, to sing to me in person" how could you go wrong? Betty Johnson recorded it and from what I read, it actually reached # 22 in late 1954. I guess you can't underestimate the power of Eddie. My friend Rosemary gave me the single right after I finished reading his autobiography. That guy lived.

In putting together a compilation of "rock" Christmas music for a friend's party, it really hit me that they way to create a gift that keeps on giving is to write a Christmas song. It doesn't even have to be a mega song, like White Christmas. Christmas Waltz is a song that I kept seeing on CD after CD, Sinatra did it, Barry Manilow did it, The Carpenters did it, Rosemary Clooney did it. I thought it was strange that I never heard it before, so I gave one a listen and realized I had heard it many times and never knew the name of it. It was written by the famous songwriting duo of Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne.

When I was an intern at MTV, the staff used to gather with a musician and do a special Christmas video. The year I was there it was Billy Squire and the song was Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You. Lots of swaying and a complete atmosphere of fun summed up the feeling of those first few years MTV was on the air. All the VJs, including Martha Quinn were having a great time doing this. The woman behind Billy in the Santa suit was my boss, Gale Sparrow. I'd like to think that party atmosphere hasn't left the business. Amid more layoffs at SonyBMG, it seems like it's just a matter of time before the next MTV happens. I will once again try and post the video from YouTube, but it wasn't cooperating yesterday.

Alas, the Christmas compilation will be without I Want Eddie Fisher. I haven't been able to find a digital version of it......

Junk Mail Courtesy of Dennice Brown

The Christmas season makes the mail carriers jobs that much heavier. It seems we are inundated with catalogs and junk mail. How many credit cards can a person apply for? Dennice decided to save every piece of junk mail from November and here are her results. Does it hit home?

Ever wonder how much junk mail you get in a month? Well, crazy Dennice does. I've saved every catalog and piece of junk mail for the month of November. That is only 30 days. Here is what I got. And if you want to know what it looks like, just open my photo (the stack is 12" high - I've added my coffee cup to the photo so you can get the feel of the height of the stack). 113 pieces of junk mail - and here is the break down 11 from Citibank 9 from Capital one 9 from Bank of America 8 from Chase 6 from United 5 from Am Ex 65 other including: 3 return address labels for DR and I; 1 fancy notepad saying Rizzo Family; and 9 blank holiday cards for my own use compliments of the Humane Society and Alley Cat Allies 94 Catalogs - including 7 from Bloomingdale's 4 from ESPN 4 from Red Envelope 4 from Paul Fredrick 4 from Hammacher Schlemmer 3 from Frontgate 3 from Lillian Vernon 3 from Pottery barn 3 Charles Tyrwitt (who?) 2 from Johnston & Murphy 2 from Crate & Barrel (surprised only 2, seems like I get one every day) 2 Fredrick's of Hollywood (might just order from there) 2 from 2008 Calendar Collection 2 from Jos A. Bank 2 from All Posters 2 from NFL 2 from Torneau 2 from Exposures 2 from Harry & David 2 from Sharper Image 2 from Eddie Bauer 2 from Coldwater Creek 2 from WineCountry Gift Basket 2 from Vermont County Store 41 other Now I have to to go and get calling to get off the lists so I am not responsible for killing any more trees. Happy Holidays and Go Green.

Running Down a Dream

Runnin' Down a Dream, the documentary about Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers covers almost every aspect of their career (somehow they skipped over the soundtrack to She's The One-ignoring a favorite, Walls). This is a must see for anyone who:
1. Is in a Band
2. Is in or wants to be in the music business
3. Needs to see a solid example of sticking to your ideals.

The one scene I keep coming back to, takes place in the studio where Tom is producing Roger McGuinn's record. The A&R guy insists that Roger should record what Tom believes to be an inferior song. He nicely says this song is not good and over the course of the next few minutes points out that Roger is rock royalty and how could he ask him to record something lame. The A&R guys suggests writing new lyrics. All of this prompts Tom to ask if the guy is getting a percentage of the song. Tom knows and loves music and doesn't believe in compromise. He comes off as being a hard a**, but fair. We need more musicians willing to go the distance to fight for quality and stay true to their roots. Kudos to TP & his Heartbreakers.

Only 5 Songs In The World

I am listening to Sirius and Meg Griffin is playing Rock Your Baby by George McCrae which sounds just like When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman by Dr Hook. I've heard both of those songs a hundred times and never realized how close they sound until today. Now I had to search YouTube for Sylvia's Mother. One of the most melodramatic songs of the rock era. "and the operator says....." Things I did not know about Dr Hook and you probably don't either
1. They are from Union City, NJ
2. Band member Ray Sawyer's eye patch was legit and not a prop. He was in a car accident in 1967, the year before the band was formed.

John Hiatt once told me that there are only about 5 songs in the world and everything else is derived. He then referred to his song Slow Turning which he said had the same chords as ROCK in the USA, That's What I Like About You and the list went on......

30 Rock, The New Mary Tyler Moore

Look at the comparisons:
Mary Richards/Liz Lemon: Both in their 30's, single and had their share of bad boyfriends. Both have caring relationships with their boss and will go as boss' date to an event if asked. Producers with deadlines working on live TV.

Lou Grant/Jack Donaghy: Gruffy exterior, imposing figures, always want the the best for their Mary/Liz. Heart is definitely in the right place.

Sue Ann Nives/Phyllis Lindstrom: Jenna Maroney, Cerie. They say hilarious things, without meaning to.

Ted Baxter/Tracy Jordan: Both are the star of their show. I think it's safe to say they are both kooky.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show is a classic. All the characters were played so well, episodes were well written and expertly crafted. 30 Rock is headed there. Last week's episode in which Jack takes Tracy to the NBC psychiatrist, may rate as one of the funniest on TV. Tracy enters the room by asking the doctor, "Who's crazier, me or Ann Curry?" Jack portrays his version of Tracy's father (as Fred Sanford) which appalls the doctor, but gets to Tracy. Watch the episode on line if you missed it. You'll want to replay it so you don't miss anything. Writing and acting at it's best. Episode: Rosemary's Baby.

Labels Vs Apple

"Warner Music Group may follow Universal's lead and switch to a month-to-month contract with Apple when its current deal expires at year-end, according to The Washington Post. Warner is reportedly in talks with Sony and Universal to launch a subscription music service of its own that would compete directly with iTunes. The potential loss of another major record label, following Apple's highly publicized break-up with NBC Universal, could bode poorly for future iPod sales."

Why do the major label get it so wrong? They didn't embrace the future when digital was on the horizon. They couldn't come up with a unified system of selling music on line, so Napster just gave it away. Apple had that solution, people are comfortable with it and now they want to shun the only money they are making from digital. It becoming clearer as to why Madonna took her act to Live Nation. Major labels: look at the big picture, get beyond your short sightedness. iPods are not going away.

Songs about food

These could inspire amazing tunes. Two wonderful edibles that once I have them, I want more: the freshly made Apple Cider donuts from the Milk Pail in Water Mill and the Red Velvet Cupcakes at Two Little Red Hens on 2nd Avenue & 86th St. Another great food must have inspired this song: More Songs about Chocolate and Girls by the Undertones.

The Milk Pail is owned by members of the Halsey family who are basically settlers of the Hamptons. They first saw the donut machine at a fruit trade show 1973. They purchased it and began making their famous apple cider donuts. They add apple cider to help keep them moist and to give them a unique flavor. It's best to get them warm. The minute you enter the stand and smell those wonderful donuts baking, you must have two. Song to note: Little Green Apples (OC Smith). Note of surprise: It won a Grammy in 1968 for song of the year. The same year that Chain of Fools, Dock of the Bay, Hey Jude and Born To Be Wild all made the charts.

I've tried many red velvet cupcakes and nobody has come close to those made by Two Little Red Hens. They are rich, so 1/2 of one is incredibly satisfying. They are also lovely to look at. Beautiful red cake with a rich white frosting. It says there is a hint of cocoa in them. Maybe that's what sets them apart. Brandi Shearer is shown indulging in one (photo courtesy of Gabriel Trujillo). Song to Note: Of course one of the sappiest songs that has nothing to do with food comes to mind, Blue Velvet by Bobby Vinton. There are songs about cupcakes or have cupcake in the title but none that are worth mentioning. Other dessert offerings: Cookie Puss an homage to Tom Carvel by the Beastie Boys and Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie by Jay and the Techniques.

What a menu: Vegetables by the Beach Boys, with help from Paul McCartney. Mashed Potato by Dee Dee Sharp and Hot Burrito #1, the Flying Burrito Brothers, which leads me to plug the latest offering from Amoeba Records on 11/6. A never before heard live recording of Gram and the band from 1969.

It's Blog Action Day

There's a movement to have all blogs unite on a single issue. The inaugural issue is the environment. Al Gore has been in the news non-stop since winning his shared Nobel Peace Prize. Al Gore is the face of saving the environment these days. I met Mr Gore in Nashville at an Earth Day celebration. At the time I was working with Rosanne Cash who was performing. This was my first trip to Nashville and as I was advised, you may not know a lot of people involved in the event or otherwise, but they will know you. It scared me how accurate that was. Nashville is like Cheers-everyone knows your name. Al was the senator from Tennessee at the time and was promoting saving the earth. The initiatives then were recycle, ride your bike, etc. This was about 17 years ago and if we were doing what he suggested then, he wouldn't be winning a Nobel Prize for his work. As posted here weeks ago, it could be as simple as recycling CDs. In New York City, the recycling is not as extensive as it should be. We can only recycle plastic that is in the shape of a bottle, but we can recycle copy paper and envelops, which I'm sure a lot of New Yorkers don't know. I heard on NPR last week that water is the new oil, meaning our water resources are drying up. Don't leave the faucet running, take quicker showers. We're doing our part by putting off washing our car which is in much need of a washing. The rain doesn't clean it. To quote Sonny Bono "It's the little things, that mean a lot".....

The Mets didn't deserve to win, but the fans didn't deserve to lose.

In the blink of an eye, the season was done. The Mets were 7 games up with 17 games to play. The Mets didn't deserve to win, but the fans didn't deserve to lose. We take it the hardest. We have so much invested: mentally, physically and monetarily. This is the first year in as long as I can remember, that I did not attend a game at Shea. It was not a conscience decision. It just didn’t happen. The Mets have an awful home record-so another level of disappointment for the fans. I didn’t hear Tom Glavin’s interview after the show, but according to the Howard Stern show, he was nonchalant and brushed the loss/season off. Even Artie Lange, the biggest Met hater, said he felt sorry for Met fans after hearing his interview. Glavin who pitched a career low .1 of an inning and gave up 7 runs. He was only able to get one out. A brilliant career. A lousy finish. To be down 7-0 before a Met picked up a bat, basically sealed the team’s fate for the year. Well it will be a very long winter for us Met fans. There will be unsettled anger for months to come. Blame can go around, but ultimately the collapse was a team effort.

Brandi Shearer Live From NY

This is late, in fact a month late, but it made me realize how a great performance stays with you long after the show is over. I still get chills when I think about seeing The Clash at The Palladium, Brian Dennehey in Death of A Salesman and my first concert: The Beach Boys at Nassau Coliseum. Brandi Shearer’s three week residency at The Living Room, culminated in one of those moments. Each show built on a growing power. By the last show in late August, the audience was inhaling every note. Brandi herself seemed a bit surprised that everyone was LISTENING (meaning not talking through the set, which seems to be status quo). The closing number Yes, Yes, Yes brought the show full circle. People have commented that her live show reminds them of Janis Joplin without the screaming. Brandi is not afraid to take a song by the horns and blast it back at you. Heaven is a borderline creepy song, that stays in your being for days. It’s a call for redemption, take me back I’m good now-She means it! Punctuating lines like “I Want To Go To Heaven Like Other Little Girls” and “I want you back,
I always did. And I’m such a good girl now”, Brandi has you guessing about what could she have done to cause such pleading….

Her band of seasoned New York-based musicians added to the excitement, kept the pace going and had fun.

Jim Campilongo of the Little Willies booked ended the shows with his guitar while Steve Elliot picked up middle relief.
Richard Hammond on both upright and electric Bass
Robin Macatangay on acoustic Guitar
Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors on Drums

The icing on the last night of performances was Brandi sharing her recent obsession with the audience: cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery. She told the audience how much she loves NY, even the subway shutdown due to a storm, 95 degree weather one day and 65 the next. For three weeks, New York City was Brandi’s town.

Download Brandi's Lullabies for limited time, free at amoeba.com

Release Week - Brandi Shearer

Releasing an album is not just having a musician record a record, then the label makes sure it gets into the stores. There is a whole thing that goes on and one day when I can spend more time on it, I'd like to get into that whole thing. This week Brandi Shearer's record Close To Dark came out. It's the initial release from Amoeba Records, the West Coast record retail people. It's a record we're beyond excited about. Brandi's In Store @ Amoeba Hollywood, 9/1 at 2pm PST will be streamed live on Amoeba.com. Check out a great performer!

LA Weekly: Brandi Shearer at Amoeba Music

Feeling burned by the near-pathological show-canceling of soul-belter Amy Winehouse? Then the singer you should get to know well is Brandi Shearer. Not only can Shearer stand up for lengths of time without wobbling, she has a heaven-sent, heart-shuddering vocal style that, like ol’ Wino, makes her sound worldly and seasoned well beyond her young years. Shearer’s just-out record, Close to Dark, was produced by Larry Klein (producer and ex-husband of Joni Mitchell, but you knew that) and will definitely appeal to fans of sultry ballads, with an emphasis on swooning melodies. When she delivers the line “My eyes flew open in the middle of the night” over and over, there’s even a ferocity that hints that Brandi Shearer may just be a tad crazy — just as we Winehouse fans like our singers. Starts at 2 p.m. Also at Tangier, 9 p.m. (Libby Molyneaux)

Saving the Planet 1 CD at a Time

It took me awhile to get around to going to GreenDisk's website. They recycle anything techno. One of the best features is the small package under 20 lbs, which they'll recycle for $6.95 and you can print the label and choose the delivery service from their site. There are additional way to recycle bigger items like computers. For $6.95 you can send them CDs, your own mouse, cell phones, etc. Seems like a good idea to me. I have a bunch of CD that are worth nothing and need to be trashed, but why put more hazardous waste into our landfills and our drinking water. For less than a movie, you can do you part.

It's Still Ok To Like Nick Lowe

I still have my purple It’s Ok To Like Nick Lowe button. I first heard about Nick Lowe in the magazine Trouser Press. He was releasing his first record here and I remember him saying I started playing the bass because a monkey can do it and it’s a great way to get girls. I immediately went out and bought Pure Pop For Now People. This started my never-ending musical loyalty to Nick. He performed at the Housing Works Bookshop last Friday. Just he and his guitar and there is nothing better than Nick and his guitar.

He played a few from his recent album, At My Age. Hope For Us All was beautiful. I Trained Her To Love Me is an interesting Nick twist. In this story All Women Are Liars and he is going to train this person to love him, so he can break her heart and get back at all the women who broke his heart. Speaking of heart, the highlight of the evening was his rendition of Heart the song first performed by one of his many bands, Rockpile. It’s one of the all time greats and it can be played fast, moderately or slow. This evening he opted for slow making it touching and poignant. It gave me chills. I worked with Nick during his Little Village phase and there none funnier, more gentlemanly or talented. At My Age is an apt title for someone who just gets finer and finer with age like a great Bordeaux.

Listen to his interview on Fresh Air from 7/24. You can pull it up as a podcast.

Dumbing down to the Tween Market

Created bands/singers are nothing new and they completely have their place in our culture. I can make an argument that without them, kids may not develop a love of music. My love for The Monkees exists to this day. I have much respect for Mike Nesmith's songwriting. They made great records that hold up better than most Madonna records do. How could you fail with people like Carole King writing your material?

Today's Wall St Journal has a article on The Jonas Brothers and the Disney machine behind them. Columbia took a shot with one brother, who was a budding Christian pop artist, found out he had two more brothers that were musical and they put a record out as a trio. It was described as Green Day light. They sold about 62,000 copies, which isn't so dreadful in this day when you figure their biggest champion, the label head, had exited before the release and it wasn't promoted. When Columbia released them from their contract, Disney stepped in. On Disney's label they now have access to the Tween marketing machine behind High School Musical and Hannah Montana.

Here's where the story goes south and why the music industry is in the toilet. They're painting an awful image of their consumers.

Jill Casagrande, the senior vice president and general manager of Radio Disney, says the Jonas Brothers are a rare act that bridges the preteen gender gap. "Boys identify with them," Ms. Casagrande says. "And girls love them because they're cute.

That last line struck me. It says to me that Radio Disney's perception of what girls listen to or make decisions on is guided by superficial things such as looks. Music is such an important part of most kids lives. Why is a woman of this caliber portraying her audience as a bunch of dim wits?

The following reinforces how far records labels will take themselves out of music to sell a record:
"Today one of our main challenges is making music available to the consumer who isn't just looking for music," says Hollywood general manager Abbey Konowitch. The Baby Bottle Pop displays, he says, give exposure to "the candy buyer as well as music buyer."

The Jonas Brothers website is directed to Hollywood Records site. The first thing you see is an ad to pre-order their new record.

Consistently putting out quality records should be a label's first priority. Thank God for indie labels like Amoeba Records, the newly formed label from the West Coast record retailer. Look for quality releases, Brandi Shearer and The Gram Parsons Archive Vol 1 from the label in the next two months.

Live Earth, Not Exactly Live

I was probably not being very “earth conscience” by leaving the TV on for most of 7/7’s Live Earth Concert. I was interested to see the coverage and left Bravo on (didn’t have Sundance or Universal HD where I was). Unless you watched online, the tv coverage was not live. In fact, I saw Shakira’s Hip Don’t Lie at least three times. Once was more than enough. There was a highlight for me and that was Alicia Keys. I guess I haven’t paid much attention to her, but she is a real performer/entertainer.

Other performances of note:
Melissa Etheridge going on way too long and turning what started out as a help the earth sermon into a political rant-this not helping Al Gore’s mantra of this not being a partisan issue.

Jon Bon Jovi saying that he was going to play the National Anthem, which turned out to be Wanted Dead Or Alive. I remember the president using that rhetoric when referring to the capture of Osama (apparently he’s still alive). I guess he is no longer humble Jon.

Kids and Parents Sharing Playlists

I was leaving the gym, crossing the street when a boy about 8 years old had one ear bud in, holding his iPod and turned to his Dad and said "Do you have The Jackson 5 on your playlist?" The father replied, "I do." Are kids now sharing playlists with their parents or is it the other way around? To what extent are parents influencing what their kids listen to?

According to a recent article in the Wall St Journal, parents have no problem shelling out hundreds/thousands of dollars so their kids can learn how to play Stairway to Heaven on the guitar, in a band with their peers. We've all seen the movie School of Rock which was inspired by the Paul Green School of Rock. His schools teach kids to play an instrument and put them in a band setting with other kids. This article profiled a child who is a classically trained flutist. He talked about going to sleep listening to orchestral pieces and his love for classical music. His father "encouraged him" to go to rock school, where it seemed he was less than thrilled to be performing a Jethro Tull song with his new found band members. The School of Rock All Stars open shows for Ween and Bad Brains. A few not so happy concertgoers remarked that they shouldn't have to sit through these kids to hear the band they paid for.

When I was younger my parents record collection consisted of Bossa Nova compilations, Herb Alpert (he’s on my playlist), Lawrence Welk's Elephant Walk (I still love it to this day) and a Danny Kaye record who's cover scared the daylights out of me. I grew up in a neighborhood where the kids were older and that was an influence on my listening. When I was 3, I asked for and got Meet The Beatles for Christmas. That was it. Music became a passion. I played music all the time in our house and my mother really got into knowing the bands I loved and shared my passion. She knew about Debbie Harry before most of my friends did and my parents lent me their Buick Wildcat so I wouldn't miss the Beach Boys at the Nassau Coliseum. I guess what I'm getting at here, is I found rock music through friends and my thirst to hear everything.

Even though I don't like to admit it, I am of the age where I could be the parent of a teenager. I hope I wouldn’t shove my music down anyone’s throat, but I have to admit that living in my home it would be hard not to hear Pet Sounds, London Calling, Kiko, Bring the Family or Kings Record Shop a few hundred times. My friend has a 9 year-old daughter; they share Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats and sing it together in the car. The daughter has borrowed her mom’s Bon Jovi and Toby Keith CD’s and they’re in her iPod. She solely listens to Gwen Stefani and isn’t yet ready for the Eagles. She does scream turn it off when Bobby Vinton’s Blue Velvet comes on the radio (I must concur).

While researching a project I’m working on, I spoke with a lot of high schoolers. I asked them what they were listening to and I got the same responses over and over: AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, etc. maybe a System of a Down thrown in. I didn’t ask if they were turned on to these acts because of their parent’s collection or found it on their own.

I guess the bigger picture here is that
a. Good music has staying power
b. Kids are not afraid to talk music with their parents
c. What is wrong with the music that is out there now, that kids just don’t mention it? Is it not appealing to them? Is it because radio is so consolidated, they can’t hear new music?
Is it just easier to pull out Mom and Dad’s Highway To Hell and rock the house?

McCartney Mania At Amoeba Music in LA

I don't think anyone but the people who work at Amoeba Music could know what it is like to assemble an in-store performance for Paul McCartney, which is happening Wednesday night. The security issue alone must be daunting. Word is that people began lining up outside the store last night, which is a full 48 hours before showtime. Wristbands will be given out starting at 12:30pm tomorrow. What are those first 150 people to line up like? I'm sure many flew in from other parts of the country. The store will close at 4pm for Sir Paul's sound check and when the doors open, Amoeba will be ready. Recently about 900 people attended a Patti Smith in-store. On August 28th, Amoeba launches their record label, with the release of Brandi Shearer's exquisite Close to Dark. If you haven't been to Amoeba while in LA, you're missing out on a wonderful music experience. Go there and you'll see why music is so important in our lives.

Passionate About Food, Music, etc

It seems like passionate talk about food is surrounding me these days. The Lefsetz Letter, which usually is about music, has been dedicated this past week to music industry people’s entries on pizza. It all started with Bob mentioning Pepe’s Pizzeria which just opened a second branch in Fairfield. Pepe’s clam pizza is one the culinary joys in life. It ranks up there with some of the best meals I’ve ever had dining out, which include Nobu, Danube, Gramercy Tavern, etc. Someone on Lefsetz commented that if people were this passionate about music these days, there might not be a slump in the business. On Tuesday Keith and I went to the 92nd St Y to see a panel on NY Dining: Is It Better Than Ever? Gael Greene, the long time food critic from New York Magazine and Arthur Schwartz who was the Daily News critic for many years were on the panel. The reason for my attendance was the chef Jacques Pepin. He is a class act. The way he spoke about his passion for being a cook, he used that term, and the excitement about food especially in NY made me want to go home, pull out the arborio and start a risotto. The risotto would have to wait as The Shield was coming on the minute we got home from the event.

Apparently there is a rise in enrollment in culinary schools, probably fueled by the Food Network. Apparently tuition is running $30,000 to $40,000 and when students get out they are either making $9 an hour or working under some of the best chefs for nothing. Jacques said you have to love cooking in order to withstand the drudgery of moving up the ranks. He said pay your dues for three years, learn everything you can and you will be successful. Chefs are not what you see on the Food Network. He lovingly described an egg yoke, bread and caviar dish he had at Jean Georges as well as the best Lobster Rolls at the Clam Castle in CT (back to CT again). It just reinforces that there must be passion in life, whether it be your job, your hobbies, your family or friends. Without it, it just ain’t no fun. As Kinky Friedman said “Find What You Love and Let It Kill You."

Things I learned about the NY food industry: 40% of a restaurant's budget used to go to food, now it's about 25-28%, 40% or more is now real estate. There are some restaurants in the Meat Packing district that are pulling in $70,000 a night. Between rent and design, restaurants can now run up a bill of $15 million before one meal has been served. The first 6 months of a restaurant usually have a menu with far more items on it. The crazier combinations are there for reviewers or for a wow factor and these fall off the menu as the average customer won't order them. Other items that prove to be less than popular also leave the menu. Most young diners today do not frequent the same spot, but like to try different places each time.

Four Winds

I look forward to hearing Four Winds by Bright Eyes on Sirius. It reminds me of a British band from the 80's called Tenpole Tudor. There is a little bit of sea chantey feel, which just adds to the appeal for me. Tenpole dressed in Medieval garb for their album covers or were posed with a castle in the background. Ironically, I just realized that their second album, which I believe contained one of my all time favorites, Throwing My Baby Out With The Bathwater, was titled Let The Four Winds Blow. Stay with the Bright Eyes video which you can watch from their myspace site. It starts off with Conor & Co playing before a deadpan, misplaced crowd. I can't image these county fair attendees lining up to see Bright Eyes.