Art From Art

Art comes in many forms. Taking existing art (album covers) and creating new art (coffee table), is a specialty of BugHouse. They are an art and design company based in LA. I probably have enough lps to make 4 coffee tables.

Amanda Palmer Chats with Her Audience

Hypebot has a recap of an Amanda Palmer show at the State Theatre. She came out before the opening act to answer questions from the audience. The crowd was aware of the agenda before they came to the show. It's all about artists connecting with fans. The writer explains that he left the venue just before 1am and Amanda was still at the merch table chatting with them. Dedication + Talent = Great Satisfaction.

Carl Kasell retiring, but Wait, Wait...

Carl will still leave his voice on your answering machine if you answer two of the three questions right on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, but he won't be delivering your NPR news. The familiar voice will retire at the end of 2009 after 30 years with Morning Edition.

Free Music Websites Can No Longer Exist

I've been reading so much about the high fees major record labels are charging legitimate music licensing websites that play music for free. Wired has summed up the many stories I've been hearing in one article. Ad supported music sites can't keep up with the licensing payment. The piece sites MySpace Music, imeem, MOG (had to implement a $5 a month subscription fee), Spotify (which might not be able to launch here in the same fashion it did in the UK) and Google who are all losing or plan to lose money due to the fees owed the music companies. YouTube is the only licensed, free, on-demand music service that should break even. If these sites shut down, it would narrow the ever shortening playing field to an even more select group of places to hear music.

Mariah Carey Takes on the Major Record Labels

Mariah Carey on record labels: “Frickin’ idiots! Big, powerful music-industry executives made a giant mistake, and now we’re all paying the price. Frickin’ idiots!” Read the article in timesonline.

It also talks about her deal with Elle Magazine. You get the issue dedicated to her if you buy her new album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. She commandeers the issue. The article states She and her record company, Island Def Jam, part of Universal Music Group, sold the ads (in this issue) for up to $100,000 a page, making far more than the peppercorn Elle was paid to produce the magazine. “I can’t tell you how little money we made on this,” says Carol Smith, the chief brand officer of Elle, ruefully. She also covers Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is.

Jody Denberg, the Soul of Austin Radio

Since KGSR's beginning in 1990, Jody Denberg has literally been the voice of Austin. He's leaving the station after 19 years for a charge of the creative battery. He was always a supporter and fan of the musicians I worked with. He will leave a large hole in radio. His fans are numerous, which is apparent from the postings on Austin360.com.

2000 Year Old Man Reissued

Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks created the 2000 Year Old Man 60 years ago and Shout Factory! is reissuing it this month. The two spoke with the NY Times. It's a back and forth with two great friends who still have their comic edge.

Carole King & James Taylor to Tour

The only US date posted so far is the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on May 16th. Tickets go on sale for that show on Nov 23rd. It's a reunion commemorating their first show together in 1969 at the Troubadour. Carole King's website has the full press release.

Hypebot plays the game of casting the upcoming HBO movie based on Rolling Stone journalist Steve Knopper's "Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age".

The most amusing of the suggestions is Danny Boneduce to play Edgar Bronfman Jr.

Suing Bon Jovi and MLB: Titles Were Similar

Tech Dirt posted yet another ridiculous claim from a Red Sox fan who is suing Bon Jovi and MLB for stealing his idea. He wrote a song called "(Man I Really) Love this Team" in 2004 and claims he gave it to Red Sox officials. When Bon Jovi wrote and recorded "I Love This Town", which was used by MLB in 2007, he felt he has a claim to it. The songs apparently sound nothing alike and the district court threw out the case. He doesn't stop there, he has appealed and is asking for $400 BILLION. Someone is not grounded in any reality. Another waste of court time, lawyers and money, not to mention tons of frustration for MLB and Bon Jovi.

Add Some Music To Your Day

They did in Stockholm.

Sonny Gets His Share

Forgotten gems turn up when you're cleaning. I came across Bonograph: Sonny Gets His Share. This CD pays tribute to the musical genius of Sonny Bono. There are covers of songs he wrote by Flat Duo Jets, Scott McCaughey, The Skeletons, Peter Holsapple and Ben Vaughn. Perhaps the most haunting song Sonny wrote, gets a haunting treatment: You Better Sit Down Kids is performed by What Else featuring Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken of the Smithereens and the latter also of Dennis Diken and Bell Sounds. The pounding of drums accentuates the spoken lyrics. It's driving home the message: hey kids divorce isn't pretty. It's the facts. The narrator/father is blunt, to the point and not mincing words. By the end of the version you might think the father has gone mad. Taking a song and turning it upside down is probably one of the greatest compliments to a songwriter.

A father is telling his kids that he and their mother are divorcing, a taboo subject in 1967 and still a strange topic for a top 10 hit. Cher took it to #9. Her version is eerie as the lyrics weren't changed to reflect a female singer. She's singing lines like "Your mother is staying and I'm going away." The production is varied. There are musical interludes that sound reminiscent of "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" the Shangri-La's hit, which preceded this song by 3 years. The lines "Say your prayers before you go to bed/Make sure you get yourself to school on time" are sung with urgency and speed. The ending is a blizzard of music: A foreshadowing of the chaos in the family? The staging of Cher's performance on a 1960's TV show is creepy. Why the cuts to mannequins of children? The song begins about 1 minute into the video.


Sonny faced realities in his music. Laugh At Me, his only solo hit (brilliantly covered by Mott the Hoople), was a protest song. "What do they care, about the clothes I wear?/Why get their kicks from making fun." He was famous for his fur vests and if people didn't like it, tough.
"So I don't care
Let 'em laugh at me
If that's the fare
I have to pay to be free
then baby
Laugh at me, and I'll cry for you
and I'll pray for you."

No grudges held. Sonny was too good a songwriter for that.



The Boss Divulging All?

The NY Post seems to think so. The Post claims that Bruce Springsteen is quietly working on his autobiography and kept voluminous journals throughout his career.

Dane Cook

I knew nothing about Dane Cook, except that he was a comedian, until I heard him on Howard Stern this morning. Musicians trying to make a name for themselves could take a page from his book. When his career was stalled at age 27, he decided to post video of himself whether it be from a club gig or a unfinished joke on his website and MySpace page. He said he originally had 9 followers and he knew their names. He kept adding to that 9 and at the height of MySpace, he had 2.5 million followers. He's hosting a show at Madison Square Garden tonight and he's made several movies. If you keep at your craft and you're dedicated and consistent, it will happen.

He also talked about his half-brother who is in jail for allegedly stealing what Dane estimates to be $11 million from him while his brother served as his manager. The brother is awaiting trial. Dane's career continues to pick up steam.

You Gotta Love Guster

Guster has been engaging their fans for years. They are on tour performing their Lost and Gone Forever album in it's entirety. They're also giving away tickets via video clues on YouTube or Twitter. They are entertaining. Do they spend late nights on the bus coming up with creative ideas to get fans involved? You Gotta Love Guster!

Yo La Tengo Live On A Brooklyn Rooftop from Pitchfork

Mojo Nixon Gives Away 1 Million + Tracks

Mojo Nixon gave away his catalogue on Amazon for free. The results are astounding. According to this article in the Wall St Journal, there have been over one million downloads of his songs. He was hoping to get 10,000 download. Great story.

Sleepers

Sleepers haunted me for days when I saw it in its initial release. It's haunting me again since I saw it Thursday at the closing night of Fordham Law's Film Festival. Director Barry Levinson, the book's author Lorenzo Carcaterra and DA Charles Hynes discussed the movie with Fordham's Thane Rosenbaum.

The film is based on Lorenzo's book. It's his life story. He grew up in 1960's Hell's Kitchen which was Irish, Italian (he pointed out that he spoke Italian and didn't learn English until he started school) and Puerto Rican. He and many of his friends came from violent households. DA Hynes said that once you grow up with violence you never forget it. He experienced it in his house at age 5.

The boys were getting into trouble. There was the local priest, Fr. Bobby (played by Robert DeNiro) who had the same upbringing, but was trying to steer these kids in a better direction. Lorenzo and his 3 friends (he changed their names to protect their privacy-but still sees those still living for dinners) play a prank on the hot dog vendor and it turns ugly. They are sent to an upstate NY reform school where they encounter the out of control quartet of wardens led by Sean Nokes (Kevin Bacon as his creepiest). Sleepers is a story of revenge and the families that form from neighborhood ties.

Cartcaterra's story has been challenged as a work of non-fiction. The NY courts have said they have no record of the trial that occurs in his story. The priests that served at Sacred Heart say they never perjured themselves (as Fr Bobby does) and are unaware of the story. The school states Lorenzo only had 14 absent days from school, making it impossible for him to be away at a reform school for over 6 months. Lorenzo still stands by his story.

As crazy and as turbulent a childhood he had, he said he and his friends were well read, far more than kids today. The Count of Monte Cristo was one of his favorite books and plays a part in the movie. He credits Catholic school with rounding out his love for literature. The neighborhood was a family. Kids playing on the streets, all looking out for one another. The West 50's was never a wealthy area, but according to Lorenzo it fell apart with the proliferation of cocaine. I've heard other people mention the destruction cocaine has caused. Nancy Wilson of the band Heart felt the music business took a turn for the worst when everyone started using cocaine. Musicians used to be a collaborative community. Cocaine made it everyone for themselves.

Levinson talked about the greatness of Dustin Hoffman. He wrote an additional scene just so he could see Victorio Gassman (King Benny) and Hoffman interact. Hoffman steals the scene with an ad lib about a drug problem.

Diner, Levinson's directorial debut is one of my favorite movies. I know it inside and out. I can quote it ("I'll hit you so hard I'll kill your whole family", "Do you ever get the feeling that there's something going on that we don't know about?" "You know what word I'm not comfortable with? Nuance."). The ending of Sleepers is so close to the ending of Diner. A bunch of friends gather around a table and reminisce, laugh and enjoy each other's company. The slow motion of the gestures ("Gesture is a real word") is a defining part of both endings. The films turn out different, but they are both about a family of friends. Kevin Bacon and Ralph Tabakin ("Bonanza doesn't look right?") appear in both films.

Soupy Sales RIP

I remember watching the Soupy Sales Show. His cast of characters included White Fang and Pookie. He was famous for his polka dot bow tie and getting a pie in the face at least once an episode. He died last night at age 83. He was a nut, who probably like many other hosts of children's shows (Pee Wee Herman, Uncle Floyd to name two) were not really playing to kids, but actually creating entertainment for themselves. They laughed as their own jokes as much as we did. The nuances went over my head. Could it be long before someone covers Do The Mouse?



The dance starts about 3 minutes into the video.

Musebox Presents Litle Fish

CMJ is happening in NY and The Musebox (bands beware: they are marketing/PR/artist development central) showcased their latest project: Little Fish. They hail from England and are fronted by Juju. She's intense. She's been listening to Patti Smith. The single Darling Dear is a sparse, catchy song augmented by hand claps and a chorus of La La La's.

Emphasizing the intense, JuJu is indestructible in the video.




Nothing can keep her from singing and that certainly transpired in their performance yesterday. When she sings "Am I crazy" and gives you the eyes, hide the knives, she means business. Fire like this is sorely missed in music. Juju sweats, threatens and sings with ferocity. Her partner in Little Fish is the drummer, Nez. On the opening song of their set, his beat was reminiscent of Ballroom Blitz. I thought we might be in for an evening of Sweet (pun intended) sounds. Vocals kicked in and all bets were off. Making it a trio was a hired keyboard player for the evening. Once you see her, Juju won't let you forget her. I would say pay attention, but it's almost impossible not to.

Rock Band Beatles Sales

Rock Band sold about 583,000 units during its first month, including 254k for the Xbox 360 and 208k for the Nintendo Wii according to NPD Group.

Los Lobos Rock The White House

In Performance At The White House airs tonight on PBS (8pm on WNET in NY). It's a celebration of the Hispanic musical heritage. The performance took place earlier this week. Los Lobos took part and as Louie Perez from the band says on Twitter "The show at the White House was one for the books." Also appearing are Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, George Lopez, Thalia, Tito "El Bambino", Aventura and musical director Sheila E. Louie went on to say that "Prez Obama was way cool. We felt immediately comfortable . Big hugs from him and his wife." When I managed Los Lobos they performed twice during Clinton's presidency: at one of the first inaugural balls and at a fund raiser in Colorado.

Nick Lowe: A Most Charming, Witty Rocker

There are few musicians who craft lyrics the way Nick Lowe and John Hiatt do. They were band mates in Little Village and have played on each others records. Nick does a great cover of Hiatt's She Don't Love Nobody , a Hiatt. Although their style is different, their similarities were apparent in Nick's performance Wednesday night in New York. They're master storytellers, who tells it like it is.

Has She Got A Friend, elicited a few chuckles with its opening lines:

I'm so glad to hear about the true happiness you've found and how your retched life has been turned around I can try to achieve joy for your empty nights now at an end but what I really want to know is Has She Got A Friend?

Who else could make the word retched work so well in a song? Well maybe Hiatt who rhymed the word somnambulist in Ride Along (Sometimes that girl she'll slip you a kiss/ But she's just another somnambulist).

Lowe has an understated delivery which could be mistaken as mushy pop if you're not paying attention. He writes unforgettable melodies, but listen for the lyrics because there's always a point. He was amazed that people applauded his performance of I Trained Her To Love Me (I trained her to love me so I can go ahead and break her heart). It's a crazy rant from a serial heartbreaker, who knows he'll end up alone and miserable, but can't help himself.

Classic songs take on a new life with his stripped down arrangements including Heart, which goes from an upbeat Rock Around The Clock to a sentimental ode to love. Without Love, When I Write the Book, Cruel To Be Kind and What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding (which becomes increasingly relevant with each decade) are timeless gems.

At the urging of an audience member, he pulled off an impromptu version of Heart Of the City. Another yelled out Marie Provost, but alas he did not take him up on it. She was a winner who became the doggie's dinner, but not part of the music Wednesday night. Nick Lowe is a man for all musical seasons.

Nick played at the relatively new City Winery. You would think a place that names itself that would pride themselves on wine. Ten minutes after being seated and given menus and a wine list, no one came by to take our order. Turns out we were in "bar seats" although the bar was half a venue away. The bartender told me he was swamped and couldn't help me. When I asked if the other bartender could take our order, he shot back "what do you want?" He poured a 3 oz glass of riesling for $12 and emptied prosecco from two different bottles into one glass. Nuff said? Our seats were "obstructed view". They should rename these seats "no view". There are massive pillars just past the stage, making it impossible to see Nick. We had to move ourselves and stand through the set. If you plan on seeing a show there, make sure you have one of the six tables directly in front of the stage or you'll be craning all night. Great performance, subpar venue.

Top of the World

Great song, great band.

ABBIJANE: The Last Show

Last night family, friends, clients and admirers paid tribute to Abbijane at the National Arts Club. Her lasting legacy of timeless designs, beautiful fabrics and attention to quality were foremost in the showing of her last collection, which was completed before her untimely death earlier this year. The clothes were either black or dark gray which meant there was no having to state, as Abbi always did, that her designs "all come in black." Being the downtown girl that she was, it seemed necessary to have black as a basic option.

Abbijane left a mark on people she encountered whether she knew them for a short time or over decades. Penn Badgley (Dan Humphrey on Gossip Girl) had known Abbi for two years. He said that she became his surrogate Jewish mother. Lenny Kaye knew Abbi for decades and honored her by performing an acoustic, group participation of her beloved New York Dolls song Trash.

New York Dolls # Trash # live
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Keith Urban-Madison Square Garden

Keith Urban plays to the crowd, while in the crowd. Heard hints of Prince, Cheap Trick and The Who in the show last night. All phenomenal performers. Keith holds his own in their company.

He shakes up his arrangements, plays an incredible guitar, is very appreciative of his audience and his crew and looks like he's having the time of his life.

He closed the show by leaving his uber tight band to play while the camera followed his exit through the bowels of The Garden to 33rd St. He proceed to hail a cab, wave good night, shut the door and head west. The crew credits rolled. A surprise ending to a perfect night of music.

MoJo Nixon Goes Free

Never one to shy away from any topic, Mojo Nixon (real name Neill Kirby McMillan, Jr acording to Wikipedia) is taking the be free attitude to Amazon. For a limited time (approximately 3 weeks) his entire catalog is free. You can download the classics Debbie Gibson is Pregnant With My Two Headed Lovechild, She's Vibrator Dependent and Don Henley Must Die, with one of my favorite lyrics "Don Henley must die, Don't let him get back together with Glenn Frey." Somehow I remember the lyric being "No reunion with Glenn Frey." Same sentiment. This was obviously written before one of the many Eagles reunions. Nixon later praised Henley after he appeared on stage with Mojo to sing the song, "He has balls the size of church bells!"

As Mojo's website states, he is still alive, he has a weekly show on Sirius/XM's Outlaw channel daily from 4-8pm EST as well as his political show on channel 104, called Lyin' Cocksuckers, Thursday at 8pm. So, who the hell is Mojo Nixon anyway?
In case you've managed to stumble into this site without knowning who Mojo Nixon is, here are some Mojo Nixon basics:

Mojo is that ugly looking guy in the picture to the left
Mojo Nixon is no relation to dead former President of the United States Richard Nixon
Mojo writes and performs outrageously funny rock and roll songs. Try to imagine Bruce Springsteen without that broomstick up his butt. Think of Jonathan Richman raised in a Tennessee trailer park.

Monty Python Unedited on IFC

IFC announced it will air all episodes from the original Monty Python's Flying Circus starting this month as part of the network's "Python-a-thon" week through the end of 2010. IFC acquired all 45 episodes. IFC's "Python-a-thon" begins October 18-23 consisting of the original six-part documentary Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) each night at 9pm followed by a Python feature film at 10pm and capped off by an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus at 11:30pm. Additionally, IFC will air all thirteen episodes from season one unedited and uncut through the end of 2009 on Mondays at 730p and Fridays at 11p. Seasons two, three and four will begin airing on IFC next year. IFC's website has clips from the documentary such as the time John Cleese and Terry Gilliam got in a fight on the set of Holy Grail.

Authors Looking Like Indie Musicians

There's a Washington Post article about how authors who don't have the steam of a John Irving or a Toni Morrison are promoting their books. It's a DIY approach, much like musicians have been doing for years. Authors are making their own trailers, sending themselves on a a book tour, selling books from their car and sometimes self-publishing. Musicians and authors have become one person marketing/creative centers. The old adage If you want something done right, do it yourself, holds truer than ever.

A Passion for Carvel

Bob Lefsetz who usually waxes poetically about music, used his forum to talk about Carvel. The response from his readers was overwhelming. On his second round of posting comments, he had 34 postings. People love Carvel. It's tied to their childhood. If you lived in the Northeast you have to know Tom Carvel's Cookie Puss commercials. Why doesn't music elicit this kind of passion? I haven't seen this many posts since he talked about Pepe's Pizza in New Haven. When someone of greatness dies, people tell their stories. You don't hear many stories about artists who released a record this year. Is the market over saturated? Are people not paying attention? Is the music passionless?

The Lily Allen Saga continues

For those of you who don't get the Lefsetz Letter, he reprinted her reply to his recent postings on her Illegal File Sharing is Bad campaign. I'm assuming he posted it as she wrote it. Is she getting this much attention in the UK?

From: Lily Allen
Subject: Mp3's
Date: September 24, 2009 1:35:56 AM PDT
To: Bob Lefsetz

I think your piece today is a little unfair. I've never said that I side with the majors. And as you state, the website lilyallenmusic.co.uk is an EMI owned website, which I don't run. They own the copyrights of my songs, they can do what they like with them. You claim to have an in depth knowledge of the music industry, and if this is the case you've written a deliberately misleading article. I think that's a little irresponsible. I'd appreciate an apology. I'm not a hypocrite music , I pay for music that I want to listen to. I don't illegally download music and haven't done for about 7 years. Maybe your just trying to get a reaction and for me to publicise your website. That won't work. Besides It's unauthorised file sharing that I have a problem with, not record companies giving away music as a promotional tool. you're piece yesterday was mildly interesting, todays is insulting and I'll be consulting my lawyers on the matter.

My comment on all of this illegal file sharing: Who Cares? It's old news. I managed many bands who were able to sustain a very comfortable living by playing music. None of them ever saw a dime in record royalties from a major label, not even after selling 1.5 million units. Selling records and getting radio airplay were secondary thoughts for these acts. Making good music, keeping fans happy and keeping the live show and its highest level were the most important things. Selling records never put a cent in their pockets. Has Lily Allen received one royalty paycheck from Capitol Records? If not, why does this matter to her? Enjoy the label's marketing money and concentrate on putting out good music.

Lily Allen: FIle Sharing is Bad

This story has been heavily covered online, so much so that Lily might actually become a household name in the States, where so far she's had limited exposure as a musician. She has a blog (which as I am writing, has no posts on it. She says she's putting down site since there has been too much abuse.) where she has been pontificating that illegal file sharing is bad. Other musicians have weighed in on this, including Elton John, who seems to be conflicted on the issue. Isn't she a little late to the table? Hasn't this been going on for years? Other artists like Amanda Palmer, Trent Reznor, Radiohead, etc have been embracing file sharing, twitter, the Internet, etc and having great results.

Techdirt points out that she may be an offender herself, worthy of a fine or being arrested. She has mixtapes posted on her website which contain free downloads of music other than her own. Her response to Techdirt: I made those mixtapes 5 years ago, i didn't have a knowledge of the workings of the music industry back then... There was plenty of time to take them down.

Celebrity Playlist Podcasts

I usually check out the celebrity playlists on the weekly iTunes email. Today I finally discovered a celebrity playlist podcast. I listened to two and they are short and informative insights into a musicians head. This week Keith Urban shares 10 of his favorite songs. In all 10 choices, songwriting played a big part in the appeal of the song. He also cites lyrics. Lyricists are some of the most underrated professionals. Everyone knows Burt Bacharach, but how many people know he had a lyricist/writing partner name Hal David?

Keith on the songs:

God Only Knows-The Beach Boys "Shines as an original way to say I love you." He always loved the bands harmonies, but as he got older he really appreciated the songwriting.

Joelen-Dolly Parton Rhythmatically there is great stuff going on in this song. "The story is fabulous. It's a really hypnotic track."

Bohemian Rhapsody-Queen. "It continues to be mind blowing. A masterpiece."

Nothing Compares 2 U-Prince "He's a genius." Regarding his live show: "You see him and you're like that's what great is." The Song: It's haunting. It gets under my skin."

Jamey Johnson-The High Cost of Living "The Lyrics are not watered down." It reminds him of the rawness he heard in Waylon Jennings records.

Secret Garden-Bruce Springsteen "One of the last great romantics. He has a great way of describing a woman."


Tom Jones' list is more about the music he discovered early on in his career and how some of it developed into relationships with other musicians. Midnight Hour by Wilson Picket and Dance to the Music by Sly and the Family Stone are two songs he heard on his first trip to NY. He brought Dance to his producer as he loved the sound of that record. He and Stevie Wonder did a duet of Superstition on his TV. Dusty Springfield also performed with him on TV and he lists her classic Son of a Preacher Man.

Most of these podcasts are less than 15 minutes. There are snippets of the song choices interspersed in the interview. It's worth a few minutes each week to get a glimpse into what makes musicians tick.

Wino's Label

I can't take credit for that headline as The Sun beat me to it. Amy Winehouse started Lioness Records and her first release is her 13 year-old goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield. No mention if she's named after Ms Warwick. Bromfield has a voice that is more powerful than you would expect for a 13 year-old. The album which comes out October 12th, is filled with 60's covers such as Mama Said, Tell Him, Aint' No Mountain High Enough and according to The Sun, Amy's favorite, My Boy Lollipop. In the brief bits of songs on her preview video, Dionne plays these pop classics rather straight. No surprise arrangements here.

2 Boys From Philly

Todd Rundgren guests on the most recent installment of Live From Daryl's House. In between making sausage are moments of great music. Makes you want to hear a whole album from Daryl Hall and Todd. Being a fan of both of them and respecting them as great songwriters, I never realized how similar they are. Daryl talks about them growing up a few miles from each other and how they must have been listening to the same music. Their styles are so similar in phrasing, in writing and in reaching for the soul in their music. As T Bone Wolk says to Daryl, you could have written Can We Still Be Friends? They play off each other like they've been working together for years. It's actually been 37 years since Todd produced Hall & Oates War Babies. They perform only 6 songs. It should be more. Highlights: Wait For Me, Can We Still Be Friends? and a great version of AWB's You Got It. The band which includes Wolk and Zev Katz on bass is amazing.

Those Are People Who Died

My friend Rosemary called this the season of the corpse.

We just lost Jim Carroll, who died of a heart attack at age 60. Most famous for the song "People Who Died", he also was the author of the autobiographical "Basketball Diaries". Jim was a peer of Patti Smith and took the same career path as her. Both were poet/writers turned musicians.




Mr Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer, which he fought so hard to overcome. There is massive celebrity use of Twitter today, as they post their thoughts and condolences.

Trent Reznor, Ear Buds and a Compromised Listening Experience

Much continues to be written about Trent Reznor. When his contract expired with Interscope, he put out his own music and was hugely successful. He took the record companies to task for not embracing new technology. He continues to do so in this weeks New Yorker. The most telling quote comes at the end of the article. Trent notes, “Walk into a Best Buy and everyone’s obsessed with the highest possible resolution for their TVs. 1080p versus 1080i resolution, hundred-dollar HDMI video cables . . . yet everyone still walks around with those terrible quality white iPod ‘earbuds.”

Most digital music files lack the quality of vinyl or CD. Highs, lows and dynamics are lost. Musicians, producers and engineers painstakingly mull over every track to get just the right sound and yet it's not a part of the listening experience for many people. Sub par headphones and compressed files: Could this be why people are turning away from paying for music? Is the listening experience compromised?

Recording Industry, Japanese Gov't Work To Break Your Mobile Phone If You Listen To Unauthorized Music

This is a post on TechDirt. Could this really be happening in Japan? Has it gotten that far out of control?

from the how-nice-of-them dept
You would think that the entertainment industry might look back at its rather long history of failed attempts to stop technological innovation from interfering with their business models and realize the sheer futility of trying to stop people from doing what they want to do, and could have learned that embracing what technology allows is a better path. But... that never seems to happen. Apparently the recording industry is now so worried that unauthorized file sharing on mobile phones is the next big threat, that rather than working on ways to use that to their advantage, they've teamed up with the Japanese gov't (note: not Japanese consumer electronics makers) to develop a system to break mobile phones if users are caught listening to unauthorized music.

Think of it like an automated "three strikes" plan for your phone:
Details are scarce, but apparently the system would consist of a central database which contains information about music which is authorized to be downloaded. This system would be responsible for verifying that cellphone users weren't downloading illicit music. Those that do would be sent warning messages.

But of course, simple warnings aren't enough for the music industry. The report claims that the music capabilities of cellphones could be disabled for persistent infringers.
Once again, the entertainment industry would prefer to break any new innovation rather than learn to adapt.

Dennis Diken and Bell Sound: Pure Pop for Now People

I love the irony in the title of Dennis Diken with Bell Sound’s new album, Late Music. I’m assuming it’s twofold. There are songs that should be listened to at night, such as the lounge-like “Lost Bird”. On the flip side, this album has been nearing perfection for over 10 years. Dennis gave me a cassette (remember those?) that contained a few songs, which have made their way on to this album. A few years later another configuration made it into my hands, this time on CD. The project was called Sleeping Giant. I got chills the first time I heard “Standing In That Line” and I relived that same feeling listening to the final version of this great collection of songs.

Dennis, best known as the drummer for the Smithereens is a great historian of rock/pop music so it will surprise no one that musical references are worn on the sleeve. Listening to this album brought me back to songs that I hadn’t heard in awhile, which is the beauty of Late Music. They’re not reinventing the wheel, just rearranging the spokes and taking it for a ride. Put the top down and turn it up.

There are numerous reasons why “Standing In That Line” is a perfect pop song. It brings to mind the “lost” Beach Boys hit “The Little Girl I Once Knew”. Forgotten by most, maybe because of the simple lyrics, but it was a preview of where Brian Wilson was headed as a musician and producer. His next project was Pet Sounds. What makes “Little Girl” such an achievement are the expanding layers of vocals, breaks of silence, hooky chorus and interesting timings. There is a lot going on and it’s orchestrated so beautifully. The line ‘”She’s Not The Little Girl I Once Knew” is the red flag that things are changing for Brian and look out here comes the confessional Pet Sounds. Early on “Standing In That Line” proclaims, “I was found, but now I’m lost”. Sound familiar? Sound like a mantra for today? “Standing” comes out of the gate and grabs your attention with the opening guitar, which quickly leads into a swell of instruments carried by the pounding of drums. Dennis explained that this full blown-production was actually “cut on a four-track cassette.” In come the vocals (lead vocal Pete DiBella), which echo the power of Carl Wilson and the innocence of Brian Wilson. There are bridges and breaks and a short, but soaring guitar solo. This song is a gem.

“Long Lonely Ride” gives a sly nod to the other drumming Dennis (Wilson) by mentioning a Two-Lane Black Top (Wilson starred in a 1971 movie by that name with James Taylor). Noted lyrics: Eat My Dust, Chew My Leather. In the obscure reference department: There’s a musical piece in the song that immediately brought me back to the Boyce-Hart song “Where Angels Go Trouble Follows”. In the movie of the same name, there is a dance scene in the gym. The band is playing the song and when they get to the above referenced part of the song, the scoreboard flashes numbers showing the girls beating the boys.I warned you it was obscure. “Fall Into Your Arms” could have been a track on Dennis Wilson’s solo album, the recently reissued Pacific Ocean Blue. It has the same beautiful vulnerability.

Take the best of The Beau Brummels, The Standells, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the soundtrack to To Sir With Love (note the Mindbenders "Off and Running"), Peter and Gordon and you’ve got “I’ve Been Away”, “The Sun’s Gonna Shine In The Morning” and “Let Your Loved One Sleep”. All modern day classics. The album closes with the “Ain’t That Peculiar”-feeling, “Tell All The Fools”. Background vocal courtesy of The Honeys (Brian Wilson’s ex-wife and mother of 2/3 of Wilson Phillips, Marilyn Wilson_Rutherford, Marilyn’s sister Diane Rovell and Ginger Blake).

Late Music glows. Turn it up. Take it in. Enjoy the ride.

Dennis collaborated with Pete DiBella. and producer Dave Amels. Special guests include Andy Paley, The Honeys, Jason Falkner, and members of The Wondermints.

Dennis Diken with Bell Sound’s Late Music is available September 29th on Cryptovision Records.

Ellie Greenwich: The Songwriting Leader Of The Pack Dies

Ellie Greenwich stands out as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. She died yesterday in Manhattan at the age of 68. Along with songwriting partners Jeff Barry (her husband at one time) and sometime collaborator, Phil Spector, she penned a string of hits that is staggering. She was also a stellar arranger and producer. Like Carole King, I think these women were unsung when it came to what they brought to the table, not only as songwriters, but as arrangers and producers. Early in her career she recorded a few of her songs under the band name The Raindrops. I think her song legacy and what she meant to other musicians will stand as a tribute to what she gave to this world.

"She was the greatest melody writer of all time," Brian Wilson told The LA Times on Wednesday.

"Those songs are part of the fabric of forever," said songwriter Diane Warren

“Ellie Greenwich was one of the most important people in my career.” Neil Diamond

Songwriting Credits:
Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts
Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry
Da Doo Ron Ron
Then He Kissed Me
Hanky Panky
Leader of the Pack
Chapel Of Love
Be My Baby
River Deep Mountain High
Out In The Streets
All Grown Up
Baby I Love You
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Do Wah Diddy
Gee Baby Gee
Girls Can Tell
Don't Ever Leave Me
Heartbreaker
Hold On Baby
I Can Hear Music
I Wanna Love Him So Bad
Look Of Love
Maybe I Know
People Say
Take Me Home Tonight
The Sunshine After The Rain
Wait 'Till My Bobby Gets Home
Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love




Producer Credits:
Cherry, Cherry
Kentucky Woman
Solitary Man


Vocal Arranger
Chain of Fool
Girls Just Want To Have Fun (contributes background vocals also)
Evil Woman -yes the ELO song
Baby I'm Gonna Make You Mine
The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Background Vocals:
Dreaming
In the Flesh
Man Overboard
Atomic

This is just a partial list of her accomplishments. For full list, see her website.

Thanks for the wonderful melodies!

The Return of the Amazins

Saturday was a bright spot in a rather dim year at Citi Field. The 1969 Mets were back together to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their World Championship win. The pitching was so deep on that team. It was great to see Nolan Ryan reunite with his teammates after so many years. You gotta love Yogi!

The 1969 Mets were a big deal in my house growing up. They got me excited about baseball. Tommie Agee was my hero. I still have and use the world champion glasses my parents got from filling up the gas tank. Eight gallons purchased got you a beer mug. Photos from Citi field are courtesy of my brother Al Sartorius, a season ticket holder. The Mets are still a big deal in my family.

The Greatest Female Guitarists

Elle magazine is celebrating the 12 Greatest Female Guitarists. The recently release documentary It Might Get Loud focuses on the guitar work of Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. Obviously missing from this film is a female contributor, so Elle come in.
The list varies from Joan Jett, to ex-band mate Lita Ford to Nancy Wilson. New comers such as Orianthi are mentioned. She was slated to tour with Michael Jackson. I saw her perform with Carrie Underwood at Madison Square Garden and she stole the show from Carrie.

Being that I own a Gibson SG, it was interesting that so many of these women are shown performing with the SG. I've worked with a lot of women and most of them are very self depreciating when it comes to their guitar skills. They shouldn't be. They all add so much to music. Note: Rosanne Cash, Brandi Shearer, Gabby Glaser and Jill Cunniff.

Julie and Julia: A Movie About Parallel Lives

Julie and Julia is a touching and entertaining movie about parallel lives. One life inspired the other. Amy Adams is charming as the soon-to-be 30 year old Julie. She’s in a happy marriage, stuck in a run down apartment in Long Island City (it is 900 sq ft-as her husband reminds her why they are living there. If you’re a New Yorker, you know that is a detail not to be overlooked.). She’s in a dead end job listening to and trying to improve the lives of those affected by 9/11 and lamenting that she hasn’t used her writing skills to become a published writer. In a duel story, Julia Child, played so well by Meryl Streep (her facial expressions and nuances make the movie), is madly in love with her husband, has moved to Paris, which she fully embraces and is also searching for something to give her fulfillment in her life. They both come to the conclusion that food makes them happy. Julia loves eating it and Julie loves cooking it.

Meryl plays Julia as a bon vivant with just the right touch of sarcasm. She loves life, people and experiences, but is no saint. The scenes of Julia as the only female student at the Le Cordon Bleu will put a smile on your face. Julia became a trailblazer by following her heart and not letting stereotypes stand in her way. She was a very formidable woman at 6’ 2”, so I’m sure a lot couldn’t stand in her way and she probably dealt with her share of prejudices, not only as a woman (the woman who ran Le Cordon Bleu hated her), but as a very tall woman. Julie not only becomes a devout fan of Julia, she converses with her while she’s cooking and dresses as her for her 30th birthday party. Pearls are mandatory.

It’s not easy to depict parallel stories that never intersect on screen, but the pacing and layout of this movie are flawless. Never once did I look at my watch. (Before the movie started I did make note of the 30 minutes of previews and commercials we had to sit thorough before the movie began). It’s a great movie about finding something you like and letting it kill you (to paraphrase Kinky Friedman). There’s a mix of emotions played out over the course of the film: heartbreak, frustration, getting over yourself and sheer joy. It’s life as we know it. Julie Powell blogs about the following incident, so I’m not giving anything away, but there is a dose of reality that grounds the film. As much as I hated the part when Julie got the call that Julie Child is disinterested in her blog, it threw the movie deeper into the real world. Julia was never a shrinking violet, so why would she not be honest in her opinion of Julie’s blog? Of course you want Julie to meet Julia and have a great relationship with her, but how many of you have met your hero and been disappointed? How many of you have been pleasantly surprised? Sometimes the myth is greater than the reality. Whether Meryl’s portrayal of Julia is more myth than reality, it doesn’t matter. She’s thoroughly endearing.

Live Brandi Shearer Free on Amazon

As a pre-album release gift, Brandi Shearer has made available for a limited time on Amazon a free download of her EP Live At The Soiled Dove. The EP includes the always powerful I Want You Out from Close To Dark, To LA, which is no longer available on CD and When You Wake Up, which is on the new record (Love Don't Make You Juliet -out Sept 1).

RCRDLBL.com had this to say about When You Wake Up: "But sweet as she sounds (and looks), below the surface sheʼs kinda just cruising for a fight—check out the can't-stop-me vengefulness she sketches out over some Tom Waitsian clatter on this tune from her new Craig Street–produced album."

Road Tweets From the Heat

Los Lobos have been playing a lot of outdoor shows in very hot weather.
Check out Louie Perez tweets for the day. I wonder if this will make it's way into a song....


Roadrash- being on tour too long
2:00 PM Aug 15th from txt

Roadhash- backstage catering
2:02 PM Aug 15th from txt

Roadcash- the 6 bucks your wife gives you when you leave town
2:05 PM Aug 15th from txt

Roadstash- contraband stuck under the back plate on a gold top les paul
2:20 PM Aug 15th from txt

Roadlash- what happens to your neck when riding in a 15 passenger van
2:23 PM Aug 15th from txt

Roadbash- when its your turn to be the object of inane humor
2:41 PM Aug 15th from txt

Roadcrash- don't even think about it!
2:48 PM Aug 15th from txt

A Woodstock Memory From One Who Was There

It’s the 40th Anniversary of three days of peace and music and there have been numerous articles, TV pieces, etc to remind you. Being one to jump on the bandwagon, I spoke with my friend Laura Giantonio. Laura has worn many hats in the music business: DJ (in clubs such as the Fast Lane, Hitsville and The Ritz), photographer, band member (The Fabulous Perms) and as a travel agent working solely with musicians and production companies. She attended Woodstock. What strikes me the most about Laura’s recollection and that of others I’ve seen in documentaries is that no one talks about the music as being a front and center part of the experience.

Laura verbalized the feeling and vibe of being there. “It was a party. We all went away to have a party. I was a teenager going to a big festival with a bunch of friends. It was absolutely amazing. It was a love-fest. Everyone was very dirty. You were laying in mud. It was too good to be true. Everyone loved each other. Everyone was smoking pot. Everyone was in La La land. Everybody looked like they had a lobotomy. Everyone smiled at each other. Your parents weren’t around, you were surrounded by weirdos and having fun.”

it was all about a party. Advance tickets for all three days cost $18. Laura still has her ticket some where in her apartment. There is a reprint at Woodstock69.com of piece that appeared in 1994 in The Times Herald-Record. It’s a blow-by-blow account of how the festival finally got off the ground and then follows through the show to it’s financial aftermath.. This piece explains that the ticket booths were suppose to be delivered to the site, but never make it there due to the backup of traffic on the Thruway. The ticket takers showed up with nothing to do. The gate that was protecting the site finally gave way and the crowd poured in. Some tickets were actually refunded for those who were unable to gain access to the grounds. Not sure how they could verify that as everyone still had their physical tickets in tact, but the promoters refunded 4, 062 tickets.

As I’m sure was the case for most people under 18, Laura’s parents were skeptical about letting their only daughter travel upstate for a three day rock concert. “My father didn’t want me to go, but my mother said all the kids were going. Some kids in the neighborhood were 20, such as Ralph and my parents knew them and to them it was like having a chaperone there.” The TV reports probably made her parents second-guess their decision. “My mother was worried sick. They were showing the helicopters and masses of people on TV.”

Laura grew up in Riverdale. “There were about 20 people from the neighborhood that went. We took an old Voklswagen van that Ralph drove. Others drove too.”
She spent a lot of time at the festival with her friend Lynn Zorman. Laura was there on Friday afternoon before the music started, but wound up with the same fate as all other motorists. “We had to stop the car on the Thruway and walk several miles.” She said they had no idea what to expect. “We didn’t bring a tent. We didn’t bring much”. There were concessions but “you couldn't find anything.” No one really thought about eating. “We were all taking diet pills. We actually stole Larry’s mom’s ups. Nobody cared about food. I was hungry when I got home.”

“The thing I remember most is that there were no toilets. You’d have to pee in the woods, but there were no woods. It was problematic. I had to discard my pants after I peed in them. I rolled my pants up to dry them out by a makeshift campfire. Some guy tripping on the BROWN ACID (she laughs) came wandering over to us, laid down and plopped his head on my pants. He picked his head up briefly and said phewww. I had no idea when he was going leave. I was way too embarrassed to admit they were mine after that, so i left them there. I ended up wearing Ralph’s construction raincoat.”


The bad weather has been well documented and I think it played a big part in the memorializing of the event. “Everyone was very dirty. You were lying in mud. People were jumping off tires and into mud. I ran and slid into mud.”

There were no specific memories of the music. “I remember dancing. I could have been dancing to my own beat. I remember hearing the Who, probably Sha-Na-Na (They performed on Sunday, making it impossible as she left on Sunday morning).

“One of the guys had a car and was going back early so we went back early on Sunday morning. At that point we were soaking wet and covered with mud. Lynn had a blanket throw over her. It was a breeze driving back.. My mom was so happy when I came home early. She threw me in the shower. Lynn ran home to take a shower and let her mom know she was back.” The weekend continued. I had a big crush on Al Cooper. His album I Stand Alone was out then. I loved that song (the title track). .Lynn and I went to see Al Cooper in Central Park that night. I wore a skirt and heels to the show.”

“It was all about a party, having fun and listening to music. This would never happen again. Look at the last one. This was different. There was no racial tension. Everybody was one. It was really cool. Everyone loved each other. It was too good to be true.”

Les Paul

It seemed like Les Paul would live forever. He died today at the age of 94. In the mid-80's I was working at Modern Travel. We were travel coordinators for The Firm's US tour. Jimmy Page was in town with the band and Laura Giantonio and I were invited to see him sit in with Les Paul at Fat Tuesday's. Les had a Monday night residency at the club. I remember big smiles on both Les and Jimmy. It was like two kids jamming in their living room. When I got my first electric guitar I was pretty sure I wanted a Les Paul. They sounded so good. My guitar teacher convinced me to get the Gibson SG. I don't regret my choice as I think the Les Paul would have been too much of a guitar for me. The SG came out of retirement last year after being kept in pristine condition in it's case for too many years. I hadn't played since college. I remembered one chord. I took piano lessons from ages 5-7. I guess it's true when they say take up an instrument when you're really young, you'll never forget it. Les Paul was always young.

TechDirt challenged the artists whose files Joel Tenenbaum had shared over the Internet to comment on the case. Joel was sued by the RIAA, who won the first round. A Boston federal jury ordered Joel Tenenbaum to pay $675,000—$22,500 per song—to the major record labels for willfully infringing 30 songs by downloading and distributing them over the KaZaA.

The TechDirt challenge would have no legal ramifications, but it would be interesting. The comments that stood out the most were those that thought so little of the musicians and their work. The tones were dismissive. Some forget that without the musicians, there are no files to download and there are no record companies and there is no RIAA.

Among the songs Joel downloaded were Nirvana's Come As You Are and Nine Inch Nails' The Perfect Drug. I haven't been able to find comments from Trent.

iPhone Streaming Live Concerts

According to a post in Cynopsis Digital:

Apple and AT&T pulled off the first live streamed event on the iPhone on Friday - a live concert in from UK techno band Underworld at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, CA. (Click on the "live broadcasts" link to listen to an archived video of the event.) The concert, which AT&T more or less kept under its hat to avoid traffic problems, utilized Apple's new HTTP streaming protocol using adaptive bitrates technology to deliver a steady broadcast under varying network conditions, per NewTeeVee. Akamai and Inlet Technologies helped power the event.

John Hughes Music Quiz

John Hughes is being remembered for his intimate and accurate portrayal of teenagers in his films. He didn't pander to them, he put them in real life situations (ok, not sure if anyone has a Ferris Bueller day). His films are definitely time capsules of the 80's. John died of a heart attack this week while walking on the streets of NY. He retired from directing in 1991, but continued to write and produce (Flubber, Dennis the Menace, 101 Dalmatians, Reach the Rock).

John reshaped the idea of the movie soundtrack and music in movies. He made indie music an integral part of his films. His film Pretty In Pink was inspired by the Psychedelic Furs songs the same name. The Furs re-recorded the song for his film. The original is better.

Below are the titles of films that John either directed, wrote, produced or did all three. I bet you can name at least one song from each film and you probably sang it over and over again.

1. Sixteen Candles
2. The Breakfast Club
3. Weird Science
4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
5. Pretty In Pink
6. She's Having a Baby

1. The Sixteen Candles soundtrack was a who’s who of one hit 80’s wonder artists. They didn’t necessarily have a hit with the song on this soundtrack, but it probably opened a few ears. This soundtrack is all over the dial musically, but more than half the music was by relatively obscure artists.

Altered Images- Happy Birthday
Kajagoogoo- Sixteen Candles (remember them Too Shy?)
Paul Young – Love of the Common People
Spandau Ballet – True
Oingo Boingo –Wild Sex In the Working Class (They were massively popular in LA would wind up in other John Hughes Films. See #3. Danny Elfman from the band would become one of the leading film scorers in Hollywood)
Nick Heyward – Whistle Down the Wind (Nick fronted the band Haircut 100)
The Divinyls – Ring Me Up (Later on they had a big hit with I Touch Myself)
The Vapors – Turning Japanese
There was also music from David Bowie, Billy Idol, Darlene Love and the Thompson Twins to name a few.

2. Don’t You (Forget About Me), put Simple Minds on the map in the US. It may have been their greatest moment and their albatross as it’s probably all they are remembered for. My first introduction to them was probably the song Promised You A Miracle. Don’t You was written by Keith Forsey, who also produced the track. Rumor has it that Forsey originally offered the song to Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol. I would love to hear their takes on the song. They did have two other semi-hits in the States after that, Alive & Kicking and Sanctify Yourself. The only other known musicians from this soundtrack are Wang Chung. Oddly enough for a soundtrack with only one hit on it, it spent 104 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 and reach a chart position of 17.

3. Weird Science. The title track was performed by Oingo Boingo. See #1. Once again, this 1985 album featured the more obscure musicians of that time, although they would have hits other than on this soundtrack: Kim Wilde, OMD (Tesla Girls), The Del Fuegos, and General Public (Tenderness) to name a few. This album surprisingly did not chart.

4. There was no official soundtrack to Ferris Bueller,but once again, music was prominent. There was the return of General Public (Taking the Day Off) as well as an English Beat remix, The March of the Swivelheads (both bands shared members Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger). Also heard in the movie were Danke Schoen by Wayne Newton, The Dream Academy covering The Smiths Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want, Big Audio Dynamite and the Beatles Twist and Shout.

5. Pretty In Pink was the granddaddy of John Hughes soundtracks. It had the most charted songs including the Psychedelic Furs re-record of the title track, which was the inspiration for the movie. If You Leave by OMD went as high at #4 on the singles chart and Shell Shocked by New Order made the dance charts.

6. She’s Having A Baby had no hits, did chart at #92, but once again another configuration of the English Beat appears. It’s Dave Wakeling soloing on the title track. Another Smith’s song is covered, this time by Kristy MacColl. XTC and Gene Love Jezebel also contributed.

John Hughes films have a place in my heart and ears.

Mariah Carey and Def Jam Put Ads in Albums

Bob Lefsetz said he thought he was reading the Onion rather than Billboard. The headline reads:
The Monetization of Mimi: Mariah CD To Have Ads

The first deal, created for the Mariah Carey release Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel on Sept. 15, is a 34-page co-production with Elle magazine that includes lifestyle ads from Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le Métier de Beauté and the Bahamas Board of Tourism.

Is this grasping for income straws?