Friday, September 12, 2003

Country legend Johnny Cash dead at 71
R.I.P, much respect due and thanks for the memories from all of us here at The Rocktober.com Blog. Between him and Warren Zevon, it'll be a hell of a weekend show in Rock n' Roll Heaven.

Show your love and get and education:
-Love, God, Murder [BOX SET]
-At Folsom Prison
-American Recordings
-Unchained
-American III: Solitary Man
-American IV: The Man Comes Around

And for the literary minded among you, Cash: The Autobiography




posted by Randy on 10:05 AM | permanent link to this entry

Thursday, September 11, 2003

• Hey, Timbaland Is On The Cover Of Wired!
  Like, whoa. Too bad there isn't an in depth interview with him in the issue. Instead, he's a part of a multi-artist profile package about "Super Producers" like The Neptunes, The Matrix, and Dan The Automator, among others. It's actually a pretty tame piece for Wired; lots of raving about technolgly in general, but no specific details about exactly what these producers have done with it, which is kind of disapointing. Still, big ups to Tim for getting some geek respect.
  
  
• Ted Nugent Gets Reality Show
  Coming Oct. 5 to VH-1-- "Surviving Nugent"; A reality/game show in which seven contestants (inculding a vegan, a city slicker and a gay man) try to survive a game of Ted Nugent's making. I'm assuming this includes lots of bow hunting, gun shooting and Tarzan-like swinging from vines. It sounds a bit like "I'm With Busey: The Game Show," which actually is a good idea as well.
  
  
• Court Frees Hank Williams' 'Lost Songs'
  Boy howdy! 150 previously unreleased Hank Williams Sr. recordings are now the legal possession of his heirs, who intend to release 'em of of these days. Unless, of course, the whole matter is appealed-- which seems likely. The recordings come from an old radio show but were given to an outside company by Williams' bassist.
  
  
• MIT Names Student As Alleged Infringer
  A really interesting story: an M.I.T. student got caught in the R.I.A.A. dragnet-- excpet he has evidence that he was out of the country when the alleged infringment occurred and doesn't own a computer in the U.S. The twists and turns are a little convoluted in this story, but it is well worth reading if you are at all worried about the R.I.A.A. being deputised as cops and jurors. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, seems to be waking up to this problem, but has planned no immediate action.
  
  
• Artists blast record companies over lawsuits against downloaders
  Not in any organized fashion. Yet. The above article is just a round up of a lot of artists' opinions.
  

posted by Randy on 11:00 AM | permanent link to this entry

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

• RIAA Is Target of Lawsuit Over 'Amnesty Program'
  Kudos to Eric Parke for taking the R.I.A.A. to court over their alleged amnesty program. His complaint, which you can read right here, charges the R.I.A.A. with fraudulant business practices since their amnesty program doesn't actually protect users from copywight lawsuits.
  
  If you're still unclear as to why you shouldn't sign up for the amnesty program, today Slate helps clear it up for you.
  
  
• RIAA keeps 12-year-old quiet with $2,000 bill
  Shame on the R.I.A.A. for making the mother of a 12-year-old girl pay $2,000 to settle their copyright infringment claim against her. Can you imagine how that $2,000 might have been better spent than to line the pockets of the record industry's lawyers? The starting of a college fund? Private tutoring? Music lessons? The R.I.A.A. makes me sick.
  
  
• Music industry doesn't know what else to do as it lashes out at file-sharing
  An interesting editorial on this whole mess; from USA Today, of all places.
  
  
• Legendary Pixies To Reunite For Tour, Album
  Now it is official. I have only one though-- "Please don't suck. Please don't suck. Please don't suck."
  
  
• Britney Goes Trance With Moby
  Details on the forthcoming Britney Spears album, which is due sometime in November. The articles says she worked with Moby, The Matrix and R. Kelly. I guess she's legal now, so R. Kelly could legally be in the room with her.
  
  
• Backhoe Crashes Into Garbage's Madison Recording Studio
  Butch Vig's Madison, Wis., studio sustained some damage this morning when a backhoe plowed into it. Noone was injured and the studio where Garbage is holed up recording their next album sustained no damage.
  
  
• Bleak Words in Favorite Songs of Dems
  At last night's Democratic Presedential Debates the candidates were asked their faveorite songs. The Washington Post was kind enough to point out the bleakest lyrics from each song, taking most of 'em out of context. One exception, Howard Dean's pick of Wyclef Jean 's "Jaspora." Apparently, their isn't anyone who speaks Creole on staff.
  

posted by Randy on 12:40 PM | permanent link to this entry

Tuesday, September 09, 2003

This Week's Releases of Note

• Zombie Birdhouse- Iggy Pop
  
• Heavier Things- John Mayer
  
• Seal- Seal
  
• Dance of Death- Iron Maiden
  
• "Rubberneckin" [CD-SINGLE]- Paul Oakenfold, Elvis Presley
  
• Mescalero- ZZ Top
  
• Breaking News- E-40
  
• Still Writing In My Diary: 2nd Entry- Petey Pablo
  
• Project Poetry (w/ Bonus DVD) - J.T. The Bigga Figga
  
• From the Crates to the Files: Lost Sessions- Lord Finesse
  
• Escape From Alcatraz- Rasco
  
• Yoko- Beulah
  
• Show Me Your Tears- Frank Black
  
• Trust- Elvis Costello (re-issue w/ more tracks)
  
• Get Happy!- Elvis Costello (re-issue w/ more tracks)
  
• Punch The Clock- Elvis Costello (re-issue w/ more tracks)
  
• Soulo - Nick Lachey (of 98 Degrees..you know, the de-virginizer of Jessica Simpson-- which, come to think of it, shoulda been the name of the album. Or perhaps, The Virgin Surgeon.)
  
• It Still Moves- My Morning Jacket
  

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

• Thirteenth Step- A Perfect Circle
  
• Deliverance- Bubba Sparxxx
  
• Reality - David Bowie (features a covers of Jonathan Richman's "Pablo Picasso" and the Ronnie Spector rarity "Try Some, Buy Some")
  
• Sympathy for the Devil Remixes [HYBRID SACD] [CD-SINGLE]- The Rolling Stones (the classic rock song remixed by The Neptunes, Fatboy Slim and Full Phatt )
  
• Worldwide Underground- Erykah Badu
  
• Grand Champ- DMX
  
• War All the Time- Thursday
  
• In Reverie- Saves the Day
  
• Identity Crisis- Shelby Lynne
  
• Cheers - Obie Trice
  
• Me & My Brother- Ying Yang Twins
  
• So Damn Happy- Aretha Franklin
  
• Before Everything & After- MXPX
  
• Last Day of Summer- Barely Pink (pretty decent power pop)
  

And Now, The News:

• We don't need your stinkin' amnesty!
  If you are at all thinking about taking the R.I.A.A. up on their amnesty for file-traders, please read the above linked Salon article for all the reasons why you really shouldn't.
  
  And speaking of the R.I.A.A.-- the folks who they are suing are beginning to come out of the woodwork-- almost all saying "It wasn't me" or "I didn't know irt was illegal" or claiming it will be hard for them to be in court because they probably will have to go to 6th grade that day. Here's the story in Boulder, Denver, Littleton, Colo., San Francisco, Detroit and Oakland.
  
  Please remember that in all of these suits and settlements that not one red cent is going to the artists who actually made the music. it is all going to the R.I.A.A. to further fight this battle.
  
  
• Simon And Garfunkel Unveil Reunion Plans
  Mid-October through mid-December. The show wil be a mixed acoustic and full band affair. Knowing the history of these two, it'll be a miracle if they're still speaking to each other by the end of the tour-- if they don't cancel the whole thing mid-way through due to old arguments resurfacing.
  

posted by Randy on 11:59 AM | permanent link to this entry

Monday, September 08, 2003

Only one post today:

Troubador of the twisted succumbs to lung cancer
R.I.P. and thanks for the memories to the one and only Warren Zevon.
posted by Randy on 12:23 PM | permanent link to this entry