Friday, August 08, 2003

• Alicia Keys Locks In Nas, Rakim For New Album
  The currently untitled album wlll hit stores on Nov. 18. I don't know-- there weren't any rappers on Songs In A Minor and it did just fine. I worry about this-- but it is hard to go wrong with Nas and Rakim.
  
  
• Lips Take On "Yoshimi" Again
  On Spet. 2, The Flaming Lips will release a new version of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots that will include two tracks previously unreleased in the U.S. and a DVD featuring videos, "making-of" videos, a trailer for The Flaming Lips' upcoming movie "Christmas On Mars" and animated representations of the songs "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part I" and "Fight Test." You can pre-order the expanded version of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by clicking here.
  
  
• Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton to Duet Again
  "Undercover" was written by Dolly Parton and will appear on Kenny Rogers' Back To The Well-- which is now delayed until they can put the song on it and press up a gazillion copies. The song will be released as a single in about a month. You can pre-order Back To The Well by clicking here-- it should be out in late Sept.
  

posted by Randy on 12:34 PM | permanent link to this entry

Thursday, August 07, 2003

• String Cheese Incident Takes Ticketmaster to Court
  The ticketing agent used by String Cheese Incident says that TicketMaster has urged venues not to supply them with tickets for exclusiv e sale, so they are taking them to court. Here's hoping the stinky jam band hippies can take it to the hoop.
  
  
• JACK WHITE - 'MY FINGER WAS JUST DESTROYED'
  Jack White of The White Stripes talks about his condition following his recent car accident. He will have screws in his finger for the rest of his life.
  
  
• The Golden Age of Hip-Hop Is Now
  It's an interesting thought piece, but in my opinion it's way off-base. There's just no way that the catalog of the bling-bling era can touch the material released between Run-D.M.C.'s first album in 1984 and Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle in 1994. That is hip-hop's "Golden Era," without a doubt. You might catch me saying that the past five years or so has been a Golden Era for hip-hop from the Dirty South, but over-all I'm gonna go with thinking that hip-hop is currently in a slump.
  
  
• Changing China leaves guqin behind
  Interesting piece about how Western influences are chainging traditional music in China.
  
  
• Composer Henry Mancini to Be on New Stamp
  And you know he earned it-- "Moon River," "Baby Elephant Walk" "The Pink Panther," "Peter Gunn" and so much more. Pick yerself up some Mancini by clicking here.
  
  Lil Kim Holds Off On Hollyhood, Will Be An "American Dreams"
  The rapper will play R&B singer Shirley Ellis, who sang the 1965 hit "The Name Game." It will likely be the most dressed you will ever see Lil' Kim, so perhaps it is worth tuning in just for that. If there is any justice in the world, she'd be lip synching Ellis' risque' "The Nitty Gritty," but I'm guessing we'll get "The Name Game."
  

posted by Randy on 1:29 PM | permanent link to this entry

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

• Sepultura To Cover U2
  Sepultura's next album, Roorback, will feature a cover of U2's "Bullet The Blue Sky." A limited editon of the album will feature a bonus disc of more covers, including Jane's Addiction ("Mountain Song"), Public Enemy ("Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos") and Massive Attack ("Angel"). Pre-order the limited edition of Sepultura's Roorback by clicking here.
  
  
• Missy Elliott Says She Would Never Disrespect Madonna
  Missy Elliott was apparently freaking out in her limosine before the filming of her Gap commercial with The Material Girl, but Madonna hooked her up with a spiritual advisor and it all worked out okay.
  
  
• Lynyrd Skynyrd Cancels Tour Due to Health
  The Lynyrd Skynyrd/Sammy Hagar tour has been called off becuase Skynyrd lead guitarist Gary Rossington suffered a mild seizure-- a few weeks after his open heart surgery. Really, how was he to know that doing a U.S. tour probably wasn't the best thing to do followowing open heart surgery? it's not like tthey put that in the phamphlet or anything.
  
  
• Mothers Who Rock
  Liz Phair, Kelly Willis, Linda Thompson and Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney talk with Salon about the ups, downs, in and outs of trying to rock out with a wee one demanding your attention.
  
  
• The Story Behind "Chubb Rock Please Pay Paul His $2200 You Owe Him"
  It's funny and sad at the same time, and well worth reading.
  
  
• Media giant Vivendi pours energies into NBC offer
  Thus creating another media super giant. *Sigh*. I had hoped that maybe someone in the process might realize the value in breaking Vivendi apart so that the arms can move quicker and stay on top without moving at a dinosaur's pace, but something tells me that a merger with NBC isn't going to do that.
  
  
• Youngsters Sing Along While Grown-Ups Stay Sane (N.Y. Times free registration required)
  Interesting article about former rockers now focusing their careers on making music for children. The piece misses They Might Be Giants' No! , but I guess that's because it focuses on lesser known artists like Dan Zanes of The Del Fuegos; Gunnar Madsen of The Bobs.
  

posted by Randy on 12:20 PM | permanent link to this entry

Tuesday, August 05, 2003

This Week's Releases Of Note

• D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat- Junior Senior
  
• Emotional Technology- BT
  
• Jeff- Jeff Beck
  
• Truth Be Told- Blues Traveler
  
• Quebec- Ween
  
• Doll Revolution- The Bangles
  
• On The Radio- BMX Bandits
  
• Get The Picture- Smash Mouth
  

Next Week's Releases Of Note (Get Your Pre-Order On)

• Mutant Mindframe- Big Gipp (from Goodie Mob)
  
• Funkiest Man Alive: Stax Funk Sessions 1967-1975- Rufus Thomas
  
• A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar [Limited Edition CD/DVD Package] - Dashboard Confessional
  
• Songs for Dustmites- Steve Burns (you know, from Blue's Clues, though this time not so much for the kids.)
  
• Shit I Never Dropped- MC Lyte
  
• Triggernometry- Onyx
  
• Cypress/Afoot [Re-issue with 2 bonus tracks]- Let's Active
  
• Total Entertainment- Pansy Division
  
• Head- Pigface
  
• Badmeaningood- Scratch Perverts (It's a mix CD featuring their mixing and scratching, not a buncha original compisitions)
  
• BBC Radio 1967-1971- The Soft Machine
  
• Forged Perscriptions- Spacemen 3
  

And Now, The News:

• Investigators Say Deaths Linked to Suge
  Though this time they think he's the target instead of the responsible party. Lots of his associates have been killed recently, so it seems he is at the center of the target. Maybe he's safer in the clink for 10 months following a parole violation conviction.
  
  
• Pras "Resigns" From Fugees, Prepares Second Solo LP
  I post this item just in case you were still holding out for a reunion of The Fugees. Of course, this just means the "we really need the cash" reunion in about 10 years will be even that more dramatic.
  
  
• R.I.P Sister Mary Ignatius Davies
  Who? She was the head of music instruction at the Alpha School for Wayward Boys in Kingston, Jamaica and therefore was hugely influencial in the development of Jamaican music-- teaching several members of The Skatalites, Yellowman and countless other Jamaican artists not only how to play and read music but how to work with a band. She died in February but I am just hearing about it today.
  
  
• Last Original Member of Oak Ridge Boys Dies
  R.I.P. to Marshall Lon "Deacon" Freeman, who left The Oak Ridge Boys in 1949 because the travel kept him away from his family. Jeeum crow, that brand has been around for a long time-- and none of the dearly departed's stuff is currently in print.
  
  
• Ebersol to learn ‘So Vain’ secret
  Veteran tv exec Dick Ebersol will learn who is the subject of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" after paying $50,000 at a charity auction for the privledge. The popular suspects are Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger (who actually sings back-up on the song) and James Taylor. Ebersol says we won't divulge who it is once he learns it.
  
  
• Sarai Looks to Prove White Girls Can Rap
  Holy smokes-- a well, written and thoroughly researched piece about the plight of the white female rapper from the Associated Press. I'm gobsmacked. The headline concentrates on new jack Sarai, but doesn't forget about Tairrie B., Northern State, Princess Superstar, Luscious Jackson and the one white chick in Fannypack. The only thing missing is Madonna 's recent attempt to rap-- but that is probably best forgotten.
  
  
• Orton Walks On The 'Other Side'
  On Sept. 2, singer/songwriter Beth Orton will release a colelction of b-sides/covers/remixes titled The Otherside of Daybreak, which is now available for pre-order by clicking on the title of the album.
  
  
• 'I gotta get out of here or I'm going to die'
  Note to self: When the guy in front of me at the Journey/Styx/Reo Speedwagon concert says it's okay to touch "his women," do not even pretend to touch them-- that way lies madness, or at least a stabbing.
  
  
• Sheila E. Unites Prince Bands
  Peep the line-up for this chairty concert coming to L.A. in December: Shelia E.; Prince & The Revolution members Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Matt Fink and Bobby Z and The Family members Eric Leeds, Susannah Melvoin, Jerome Benton (a.k.a. Morris Day's manservant) and Paul Peterson. Hosted by Carmen Electra.
  
  
• Nirvana Bassist To Rock No More
  "I quit," he writes in a post on the Eyes Adrift's Web site. "I can't deal. I can't read the magazines, listen to the radio or watch music television without feeling like I've just come in from outer space. I just don't get it and I probably never did." Poor guy is upset that he only sold 20,000 copies of the Eyes Adrift album and they haven't been getting the live support they wanted. I feel for the guy, but it is really hard for me to get worked up about only selling 20,000 albums.
  

posted by Randy on 11:03 AM | permanent link to this entry

Monday, August 04, 2003

Ugh..I'll be back tomorrow, I swear. I just turned in my official work that I have been dwelling on this past week. Tomorrow there will be a huge-ass post to make up for all that I have missed.
posted by Randy on 2:42 PM | permanent link to this entry