Looking For The Rest Of Me

R&B singer Rihanna latest single samples Soft Cell's version of "Tainted Love" which is something I dismissed when I first saw it at ArjanWrites a week ago, but I'm having a change of heart. Having heard it a on the radio a couple of times since then I think Arjan might be right about the song becoming a hit, and if that happens would be the US breakthrough of the Richard X/Girls On Top style mash-up. To oversimplify, the Richard X formula is to take an early 80's backing track and throw some 90's R&B vocals over it creating an unlikely but effective combination that has led to hits for pop groups Sugababes and Liberty X in the UK. Time will tell how well the song does, but it's interesting to hear a 2000's r&b song done by a singer from Barbados that samples a 80's UK new wave hit that was a remake of a 60's northern soul song originally recorded by a native Texan.

Listen for yourself here.

This Is Only A Test

I'm make a test run at making a podcast. Feel free to ignore this link or check out the rss feed if you are curious.

Doughy White Guys

Eric O of Null Device recently posted an amusing list of do's/don'ts for the synthpop set. A few highlights:

No naming your band after classic synthpop songs or lyrics. Obscure ones, however, are acceptable. So if you're a Kraftwerk fan, naming your band "Pocket Calculator" is right out, but "Der Telefon Anruf" is fine. If you're a dM fan, only "Ice Machine" is left.

It's okay to wear something other than black in your stage shows. Since many electronic-music artists are doughy white guys, things like tight pants and fishnet shirts should probably be avoided.

If you do "darker" stuff, please, please for the love of god stop singing about replicants. Even Bill Leeb has given up on that.

If anyone asks, the reason you've adopted the sound of the 80's is because of postmodern irony. Do NOT admit to actually liking it. The same is true for vintage gear. You bought the Moog because of the inherently unstable tuning and the hilariously dated graphic design, not because you like the sound. If you own a 303, it's because it's overused and kitschy and you want to be ahead of the curve for the inevitable acid revival.

Go to GoodWill and buy a bunch of toys that make goofy noises and maybe a cheap old casio keyboard. Leave them scattered about your studio, and keep a soldering iron handy. You never have to actually do anything with them, but it will give you immense cred when the photographers from FutureMusic stop by.

Mindphaser

Industrial legend Bill Leeb, the man behind Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Noise Unit and a few other projects, is selling a fair amount of his vintage equipment on ebay. No word yet on his motivation to move on, but there are only two days left to bid...

Made For Love

Goldfrapp's "Supernature" is two weeks away from finally getting that long promised US release and the peace offerings are coming. The band will be touring shortly and the domestic version of the album will have a bonus dvd that appears to have some content. Better yet, "Ooh La La" is this weeks free download on itunes. Click here to download one of my favorite songs of 2005.

Monolithic Super Bands

PopMatters recently made their predictions about the generational shifting of musical canon and today's SF Chronicle compiled a causal list of twenty "new classic" albums that classic rock fans may have missed:

While music scribes and the Bay Area faithful continue to preach the golden-era gospel of monolithic super bands from the '60s, the alternative music congregation believes Kraftwerk, Talking Heads and Joy Division to be more influential than the Beatles, the Stones and the Dead. These alt-rockers know their music has been underappreciated, while all of the references to the Stones printed in The Chronicle over the past 40 years probably exceed the number of times the word "God" is used in the Bible...

Rhythm Is The Key

Try tapping the rhythm of a melody and The Song Tapper identifies the song...usually. Warning: somewhat addictive.

(Via Slothblog)

Feel The Pressure

It's been out elsewhere forever now, but Mylo's album just received a domestic release a week ago. I've contemplated doing a full review, but I found Pitchfork expressed my sentiments better:

Mylo's tracks read a bit like a cross section of the genre's history. All the happiest tricks of each era-- disco groove, synth-pop melodies, house rush, downtempo foot-tapping, French filter sweeps, cut-rate Daft Punk, choppy edits-- sharing space. And yet this is anything but one of those big, bursting pastiche albums, packed with ideas and flailing everywhere at once. No, these tracks go in straight, simple lines, and they rarely take their eyes off whichever hooks grab you fastest. Don't count on the dance cognoscenti to approve of them: If anything, this is house music as Saturday-morning cartoon-- all bold lines inked in bright, primary colors.

Essentially I'm impressed by the quality of the tracks, but a bit disappointed that this album that brings little to the table in the way of new ideas has been the buzzed about electronica album of the past couple of years. Of course maybe I shouldn't worry so much:

This is to dance what Art Brut is to rock: cheeky, charming, too straightforward to worry about style, ramming through the fundamentals as if pure enthusiasm is the most important part of making music.

Arms Up Just Dance

Sometimes things slip away from me and I need a reminder. I recently got one of those in the form a nice thank you email from electropop duo Dangerous Muse. They are one of the first signings to Warner Bros new imprint Cordless Recordings which deals in online exclusive releases from new acts. Here is an excerpt from my review at synthpop.net that should give you an idea of what they are about:

“The Rejection” typifies the duo’s approach. The low key synths and underplayed vocals find the band in musical waters that lie between a less nervous Junior Boys and a modernized Fortran 5. A distinct rhythmic pulse push the song along a series of smart chord changes while the stream of conscious lyrics take us on a journey through a gentle dance floor rejection.

: While I think they suffer from a name that is unfortunately similar to Danger Mouse, they arew band that are rock solid and full of potential. Hear for yourself at their myspace page.

Score

The last year might have been the most release heavy period for New Order ever. They put out "Waiting For Sirens Call", a few singles, web exclusive remixes, a dvd video collection, and a new singles collection. Now the word is that the side-project Other Two will be scoring the Brit crime drama Cracker:

...drummer Stephen Morris and his wife, keyboard and guitar player Gillian, are writing the soundtrack for the Manchester-set series.

"I was a fan when Cracker was last on TV so it's great to be doing the music for the new series," Stephen says.

"The writer Jimmy McGovern asked us to do it. It also means we'll be two of the first people to see it."

: No word on how this will effect progress on New Order's 2006 album but it's New Order so it's not like they do much in the way of announcing plans in advance.

Breakin

The latest download.com newsletter linked to an "audio installation" called Can I Get An Amen? that explains the history of the amen break and goes on:

...to bring into scrutiny the techno-utopian notion that 'information wants to be free'- it questions its effectiveness as a democratizing agent. This as well as other issues are foregrounded through a history of the Amen Break and its peculiar relationship to current copyright law.

Vanishing Point

Apparently the tide has changed for Primal Scream:

The new songs - 'Country Girl', 'Cars', 'Nitty Gritty', 'Suicide Sally', 'Bomb Drops' and 'Hole In My Heart' - confirmed rumours that the band have foregone their recent, electronically-influenced sound for a return to the straightforward rock 'n' roll of their 'Give Out But Don't Give Up' era.

: Primal Scream as an electronic rock act are amazing. After their last rock record, which the official amazon.com review calls a "Rolling Stones-meets-Black Crowes monstrosity", they slowly got back into electronics with the trip hop beats of "Trainspotting" and the criminally ignored single "Kowalski" before they delivering their millennial masterpiece "Exterminator". No one else touches them when they experiment with electronics. However, the band's straight rock just doesn't cut it. Hopefully they will come to their senses soon enough and switch on a machine or two the next time they're near a studio.

I Will Follow

PopMatters recently placed odds on which bands will be topping "best band ever" lists as the Boomer generation, um, dies off. Not that PopMatters is sad about it because since they consider the whole "best ever" list phenomena a cultural reminder of which generation is still in charge. After all we've all seen these...:

...many navel-gazing pat-on-the-back love letters that baby boomers send to themselves to remind themselves that everything was better when they were young: the relationships, the culture, and most certainly the music.

: I think they've got the odds just about right since earlier this week I flipped between three radio stations playing songs by this candidate for best band ever all at the same time. Maybe music on this scale is really all about the marketing.

No Spin Zone

Dead Or Alive frontman Pete Burns recently "lashed out" over this week's UK re-release of his band's biggest hit as it capitalizes on his recent appearance on "Celebrity Big Brother":

Fans and newspapers campaigned for the track's re-release today (January 30). However, when told of the decision Burns attacked the plans.

"I'm sick of that song," the singer told Channel 4 presenter Davina McCall after leaving the 'Big Brother' house. "It's like still wearing school uniform when you're 50."

The single has already been re-released once, when it reached number 23 in 2003, though this time it is expected to climb higher.

: I suspect the "story" I just quoted is a driven by some quotes taken out of context, but if Burns is really upset this would be a first for him. Not only was there the 2003 re-release, but "You Spin Me Round(Like A Record)" has a 1999 version, a 1996 mix and an official Dannii Minogue mash-up.

----UPDATE----
"You Spin Me Round" charted at #5 on the UK singles chart on the week of this re-release.

The Last One Standing

Some highlights from an interview with Ladytron I recently found.

On signing to a major label:

When we were with Telstar, they knew we wanted to make an amazing album but they wanted us to make something that was very like Light and Magic and do another ‘Seventeen’, like Nineteen or something, because that type of music had become popular and they wanted more radio friendly tracks. But we were totally against that, we wanted to create our own sound and didn’t want to be forced into anything.

...being mistaken as an Eastern European band:

...it’s as silly as us being called a scouse band, Reuben and I live there but it’s funny to think of Mira and Helen being called scousers. Exit was an amazing festival, one of the best gigs this year along with Benicassim. It was in Serbia, and we had no idea what to expect. We were on between Slayer and Fatboy Slim, they thought we were perfect to bridge the gap for some reason. We played to 40,000 people and the crowd were so up for it. It was brilliant.

...defining success:

I always thought it was a blessing that although everyone seems to know ‘Seventeen’ it wasn’t a huge radio hit and so it hasn’t stopped us developing... The last gig we did in 2003 was in Liverpool with this little band called Franz Ferdinand, who no one had ever heard of, supporting us. We thought we’d give them a chance! It was like ‘Oh well done lads, you’re quite good, we think you’ll make it.’ Little did we know!

Take The Side Streets Home

Saint Etienne finally saw their most recent album released State-side this past week and what an amazing return. While I've kept tabs on the band over the years I have found myself less enthusiastic about their more recent outings, and I am pleasantly surprised to see this one buck the trend. On paper "Tales From The Turnpike House" should be the band's most bloated work given that it is a concept album with songs written from the point of view from various residents of a low income London apartment building and they dared to fully go "rock" on a track or two. However, this is the band's most consistent and accessible album since "Tiger Bay". Listen for yourself at the band's page on their new label's site where you can stream the whole album.

Listening To The Game

I saw an ad in today's Chronicle for a live orchestral performance of video game music. Here's the info from their site:

Video Games Live will feature the best music and video clips from the most popular games from the beginning of video gaming to the present. Games include:

Mario™, Zelda®, Halo®, Metal Gear Solid®, Warcraft®, Myst®, Final Fantasy®, God of War™, Kingdom Hearts, Castlevania®, Medal of Honor™, Sonic™, Tron, Tomb Raider®, Advent Rising, Headhunter, Beyond Good & Evil™, Splinter Cell®, Ghost Recon™, Rainbow Six®, EverQuest® II and a special retro Classic Arcade Medley featuring over 20+ games from Pong® to Donkey Kong® including such classics as Dragon's Lair, Tetris, Frogger, Gauntlet, Space Invaders & Outrun!

It will be a stellar event, which includes performances of the music, video and specially designed laser and light sequences showcasing over 50 different games in a wide variety of styles. Also included of course, is a special segment focusing on retro arcade classics!

This touring event will include a retrospective segment from the beginning of the video game era up to the present, several segments with game footage on three giant video screens, handheld cameras showing orchestra, and character close-ups. There will also be an interactive segment where selected audience members will actually play a game live onstage while the orchestra plays the music.

Ceremony

Peter Hook on New Order's first Grammy nomination:

``As Bernard says, I'd go to the opening of an envelope,'' Hook joked. ``So, if the record company pays for me (to attend), the answer is yes. That'd be pretty weird. I always love these ceremonies. They're so overblown. They really go to town on the bloody production and everything. That's always quite entertaining.

``Steve Morris has an interesting look on it, though. He says it's like a prize that you get because of the fact you've been through hell and you're still alive. He says they just wheel out all these old musicians and give them prizes. I think that because New Order and Joy Division did something different, people maybe took a while to understand the sort of impact we made, because we didn't do it normally.''

: Did I mention this for a track that Hooky cited as his least favorite on "Waiting For The Siren's Call"?

Changes

Ben Rubenstein's most recent column at PopMatters explores the recontextualization of music in everything from hip hop to car commercials:

Our initial reaction to a certain song is the one to stick the most; many critics will tell you that some of the greatest albums take a few listens to really take in, but it's that first involuntary response that is likely to keep you coming back. We all hold onto our favorite songs as though they were our own, and want to believe they hold the same importance for everyone. The likelihood of this is compromised when the songs we love exist in other forms — it is possible for others to view them in very different ways...Maybe this is the beauty of music: it can be experienced and loved in multiple formats; it can be recycled to inspire new generations and demographics.

: I tend to view sampling as a postmodern referencing point that points to an artist's influence. However, I’m occasionally reminded that not everyone is looking in that same context. A younger guy I work with is a huge Tupac fan and had “Changes” playing one day when I complained that I could never actually listen to the song, which expresses “the social stresses of the black race in America” because of all I ever hear is the cheese of Bruce Hornsby’s soft rock staple “The Way It Is “. This has never been a problem for my coworker, who first heard of Hornsby's version when he thought he heard Tupac playing at the dentist office.

Vote Or Die

You can vote for your favorite tracks, djs, producers and more in the first round of the International Dance Music Awards. The winners will be announced at the Winter Music Conference in Miami later this year.

In The Pink

This week's Pink Section in the SF Chronicle was a mirror to my recent blogging interests. They noted Channel 1049's demise about 3/4 of the way through Ben Fong-Torres Radio Waves column, gave Party Ben's "American Edit" mash-up album a rave review and had a puff piece on Live 105 music director and former Subsonic host Aaron Axelsen. The interview played up the importance of Axelson's club Popscene, which is a Bay Area institution, and the importance of Live 105's Sunday night new music show which he hosts. Axelsen has been around the station for years and is the glue that has kept the station somewhat consistent with it's heritage of playing interesting new music that doesn't always jive with the mainstream. As you might expect from a music director who has lasted over a decade in the position he is pragmatic and the station doesn't always reflect his own taste:

...he dismisses rumors to the contrary as the groundless charges of message-board-frequenting music snobs who complain that the Bay Area's oldest alternative station has become anything but alternative.

"For every person that accuses the station of being too mainstream, there's someone else who wants to know why we aren't playing more Linkin Park," he jokes. "My job isn't to cater to this group or that group. My job is to understand our listeners' taste and to give them what they want."

: I think it's telling that on Live 105's pre-Soundcheck Sunday night new music show he played Creed before anyone had heard of them, took some on air calls bashing the band that he agreed with saying that they were a warmed over Pearl Jam lite that weren't a "good fit" for the station's sophisticated audience before adding them to the station's playlist the next week. I realize he's fighting for good music within the system, and I respect that he does can which is one of the reasons I've stuck by the station for so many years. It's Axelsen's okay-to-loose-some-battles-to-win-over-the-long-term attitude is why I think he has been quiet over Subsonic's recent cancellation.

Timeless

Drum 'n' bass might have joined the ranks of dead genres, but I just discovered an interview done earlier this week with Goldie who is in the UK promoting a film he wrote and directed. Here's a bit of The Independent's article:

"I got told a great quote which I wish I heard ten years ago: 'If you walk with a half glass of water nobody can knock anything out of it'. Well, I filled that glass to the brim and tried to walk through a very busy place with it."

David Bowie, a long-time friend, helped Goldie emerge from creative exile. " Bowie said, 'If you make a pile of crap tomorrow, the one thing you have to understand is that you've made Timeless and nobody can take that away from you. So do what you do, carry on and reinvent yourself.'

: That last bit of advice sounds just like Bowie. Maybe this film career might work out for Goldie, while he starred with Bowie in B.U.S.T.E.D. one of the worst crime movies I've ever had the pleasure of turning off, I think he has a great screen presence. It's a shame he was completely under used as a Bond villain a few years ago. This film that he is promoting also signals his return to music. Apparently Goldie wrote a song for each character and is shopping the disc around to different labels.

Stella's Cry

Sad news about one of the first stars of trance. Details from Trust The DJ:

Marc Spoon died suddenly in his Berlin apartment this week, after reportedly suffering a heart attack. MTV Germany said police broke into his flat after friends tried and failed to contact him. He was 39 years old.

The legendary German DJ, whose real name was Markus Loeffel, achieved massive commercial and critical success in the early 90s, remixing acts including Quincy Jones, the Pet Shop Boys and Dr Alban before producing the definitive remix of Age Of Love that became one of the first trance superhits of the era. He also became a bona fide pop star in 1993 when he teamed up with classical musician Jam el Mar to form Jam & Spoon, scoring massive worldwide hits with Stella and Find Me, featuring the vocals of former Shamen singer Plavka.

: It would take the rest of the decade for trance to break in the US, but Jam & Spoon's "Stella" is a timeless track that helped define the genre in the early 90s. I played that track as a college radio dj some five years after it was released and still got a couple of calls asking about the track with one caller going on and on about how he really liked this "new" sound that was so much deeper and soulful than other trance out at the time. That caller was on to something.

More Subsonic Fallout

Even more bad news on the Subsonic front. Before finding the item I post previously I sent out an email to the show's host Disco Shawn asking about the show. He responded that the show was cancelled over the holiday hiatus (sneaky move) and that the station had fired him for talking to the press about the cancellation. Considering all the noise Live 105 has been making about wanting "activist" listeners it is interesting that they don't want people to know about what the station is canceling and is then willing to fire people over it. Perhaps this is what led to the station's new totalitarian slogan "The Only Alternative".

Subsonic Ends!?!

I turned on the radio tonight and something is missing! Apparently the long running Subsonic is cancelled. Not that you can find that out easily given that no one is picking up the phones at the station and the only official indication that it happened is that there is no longer a "Subsonic" link on live 105's website. Here's an explanation from The SJ Merc's radio writer Brad Kava:

Another change: LIVE 105, KITS-FM, this week killed off its Saturday night Subsonic show, the electronic showcase that has been on for 10 years.

"The same reason that the electronica section of Virgin Records has shrunk since 2000," said Sean Demery, Live 105 program director. "I thought this would be the new direction for alternative, but it's not happening."

"Our goal for 2006 is to present a more unified station."

Demery added that he's sad about the death of Channel 104.9, because it means less alternative music out there.

"No one is dancing a jig here. It's a big loss to the community," he said of his competitor.

"They weren't the big competitor. It's a competition for mindshare. We are competing with the internet, cell phones, TV. It's all a battle for mindshare."

: I now take back all those nice things I said about Sean Demery. If his defense for cutting a late night specialty show is that they "are competing with the internet, cell phones, TV" one would think that you might emulate the specific focus that those mediums (well if you count digital cable and on-demand tv) bring. Maybe with a long running specialty show.

That Much Is True

The Human League are apparently touring the UK at the moment, and while I missed their relatively recent US visit a few years ago I heard great things from those who made it out. I thought it might have been overexcited hardcore fans, but Fake DIY seem to agree with them:

The Human League's Synth City Tour could be perceived as a cynical cash in with nostalgic fans, but gratefully there is no such worry here. From the band's sudden arrival, to the close of splendid opener 'Tell Me When', it's clear that not only do the band look and sound great, they're working hard for all the applause...

Pioneering synth survivors, they produce a stirring and fun filled gig in which they show that they are as relevant and enticing today as they were in the past. Crowd favourites and sing a long classics like 'Love Action' and 'Together In Electric Dreams' thrill, and it feels like almost an event in itself to be present when perennial disco favourite 'Don’t You Want Me' is played live.

So Sorry, I Said

From PetShopBoys.co.uk:

We can confirm that Pet Shop Boys have remixed Madonna's next single, "Sorry", which will be released in February. At the moment we do not know whether "Sorry (PSB Maxi-Mix)" will be commercially released or only made available on promo copies to club DJs.

Chris and Neil remixed the track in December and Neil added some vocals to it.

: You would think that Madonna's "Jump" with it's quoting elements of "West End Girls" would be a more obvious choice for a PSB remix.

Down To The Underground

The long anticipated second album that Massive Attack was supposed to release in 2003 has a release date- February 2007. Details from nme.com:

Massive Attack's fifth album will be called 'Weather Underground'.

The Bristol band have completed 7 tracks for the album with long term collaborator Neil Davidge producing.

The band have been splitting their time between Bristol and New York where they have been collaborating with TV On The Radio. A release date is set for February 2007.

: At least they know how to plan in advance. Maybe if Portishead put this kind of pressure on themselves they would be more productive. Of course it's not that MA don't have other things on the way...:

Preceding this, the band are set to release 'Collected', a double CD best of on March 27.

The double CD will be preceded by a single 'Live With Me' featuring Terry Callier, set to be released on March 13.

The first CD will feature songs chosen by the band including singles 'Unfinished Sympathy' and 'Protection' while the second CD will feature rare and reworked tracks as well as a DVD of all their promo videos.

Channel 1049 Closes Down

Clear Channel's local alternative station just flipped formats to a Spanish language station at the start of the New Year. Originally started in the late 90's playing 80's Alternative, the station evolved over the years into a station in direct competition with the Bay Area's longstanding Modern Rocker Live 105. On the whole the station lacked the personality of Live 105, particularly since Sean Demery took over from the hack PD who attempted to ruin Live 105 a few years back, but had some nice features like the daily "What The Hell Was That?" and their Saturday night line-up. Oddly enough I just ran into a year old article on the day I discovered the format change that seems oddly prophetic:

Aaron Axelsen, the music director for Live 105, 105.3 FM, doesn't believe that battle is over, though the week I spoke to him, a major alternative station in Washington, D.C., switched its format to ranchero. "It's an interesting crossroads for radio – more competition with satellite radio and iPods and MP3s and 21st-century mediums that have empowered people to create their own musical
mix – but radio listenership has maintained even though we've been hit by all
these new-school mediums, so we have to work extra hard to come up with creative
programming."

: It's also worth noting that the 104.9 frequency hosted a Spanish language station as far back as I can remember before the late 90's flip, and if I remember correctly it went by the name Radio Romantica and ended up just moving down the dial a bit. The new station's name: La Romantica.

Top 40 Tracks Of 2005

Tis the season for counting down and year-end-lists and here I bring you my 40 tracks added to my now defunct internet radio station in 2005:

1. Goldfrapp- Ooh La La
2. LCD Soundsystem- Disco Infiltrator
3. Soulwax- NY Excuse
4. M.I.A.- Galang
5. New Order- Guilt Is A Useless Emotion
6. Timo Maas- First Day
7. Daft Punk- Technologic
8. Ladytron- Destroy Everything You Touch
9. Moby- Where You End
10. Out Hud- How Long
11. Depeche Mode- Precious
12. Vitalic- My Friend Dario
13. Missy Elliot- Lose Control
14. The Lovemakers- Dance
15. Tiga- Louder Than A Bomb
16. Annie- Heartbeat
17. Fischerspooner- Never Win
18. Bloc Party- Banquet (Phones Disco Edit)
19. Gorillaz- Feel Good Inc
20. Kelly Osbourne- One Word
21. Röyksopp- Only This Moment
22. Juliet- Ride The Pain
23. VHS Or Beta- Night On Fire
24. The Juan MacLean- Tito’s Way
25. Chemical Brothers f/Tim Burgess- The Boxer
26. !!!- Take Ecstasy With Me
27. Gwen Stefani f/Andre 3000- Long Way To Go
28. Brazilian Girls- Lazy Lover
29. Freezepop- Smoke Machine
30. LCD Soundsystem- Tribulations
31. Audio Bullys- Shot You Down
32. Riton- Candy
33. Kylie Minogue- I Believe In You
34. The Egg- Wall
35. Beck- Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes)
36. Erasure- Breathe
37. New Order- Jetstream (Richard X Remix)
38. Maxx Klaxon- Internationale 2000
39. Saint Etienne- Fascination
40. Afrika Bambaataa f/Gary Numan- Metal

Video Rundown

I have been meaning to post a few links to music videos of note and since this is merely a blog I offer these with a few thoughts:

White Stripes- The Denial Twist

Michel Gondry is a mad genius! An utterly twisted circular take on the day in a life video approach done in a single long take with a variety of bizarre lenses. Band guest on Conan, leave studio, ride in car, enter house, turn on tv, have reception problems, somber Conan comes through a magic door to fix tv and they chat about being in a video. Then the camera pans back across the set to prove how they did it. An imaginative music video for the thinking man.


Korn- Twisted Transistor

Could I care less about Korn? Yes. However this documentary-style video puts the music firmly in the backseat as this the-band-is not-the-band set up is explored with Snoop Dogg, Lil Jon, Xzibit and David Banner standing in for the regular members of the band. Of course this might be further evidence that Snoop will show up anywhere there are cameras (car commercial with a former-ceo, why not?), but director Dave Meyers tones down his glossy style and shows it’s about transistance.


Alanis Morissette- Crazy

What’s this? A glorious returns to her teen disco diva past? The rare video that really accentuates the best features of the artist. In this case, it’s Alanis’ presence and her sitting in the back of the car plays that up nicely. Of course there is the whole playing-guitars-in-the-video-when-there-are-no-guitars-in-that-part-of-the-song thing, but it doesn’t matter. Even stars like Alanis have to make sure they always "rock" even when the music says it is all about the groove.


The Killers- All These Things That I’ve Done

Director/photographer Anton Corbijn does another one of his “humorous” videos shot in his signature black & white. More evidence of Brandon Flower’s modern synthpop roots and DM fandom (see the “It No Good” video for something else in this vein), but far more watchable video than the overplayed far-too-many-pointless-edits-to-be-watched-by-the-sane “Mr Brightside” video. Besides, it’s got a great homage to the opening of “Sunset Blvd” at the beginning.


We Are Scientists- Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt

Get the feeling they’ve watched the “Sabatogue” video a few times? Admitly the opening setup had me fooled since they did an intriguing live version of song on Letterman last week which left me with the impression they could pull off a straight performance video and not bore me to death (that’s saying a lot).

The Sound Of The Atom Splitting

It's release is four months away and suddenly information is leaking out about "Fundamental". PetShopBoys.co.uk just released this running order for the album:

1. God willing
2. Minimal
3. The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
4. I'm with Stupid
5. Psychological
6. I made my excuses and left
7. Integral
8. Numb
9. Luna Park
10. Casanova in Hell
11. Twentieth Century
12. Indefinite leave to remain

: and they had previously announced "Minimal" as the lead single. ArjanWrites has a link to a minute-long instrumental that claims to be from a white label of "Psychological". The sound quality leaves plenty to be desired and I'm not sure it's authentic, but we'll know for sure in a few months.

----Update---
PopJustice got their hands on a promo copy and have a detailed album breakdown on their site.

Close To The Edit

At the center of the latest mash-up contoversy is a local-to-me producer. Party Ben works in the production department at a local radio station and hosts a weekly mash-up mix in addition to producing a number of amazing mash-ups over the years including Oasis vs Green Day, Beyonce vs Alphaville, U2 vs Lyrics Born, Tegan & Sara vs Mylo and Hot Hot Heat vs David Bowie. Here is a bit of from mtv's story about the cease-and-desist order given the "American Edit" site:

His name? Party Ben. And while it's not exactly the coolest or baddest nickname out there, it's the one on the lips of mash-up fans across the globe thanks to AmericanEdit.net, a site he started with another masher — an Australian DJ named Team 9 — that features a track-by-track reworking of Green Day's quadruple-platinum American Idiot album...

"Originally, the goal was to point out just how similar some of the songs on American Idiot are to other rock songs. And at some points it's laugh-out-loud funny, because we're showing people how Green Day just stole some riffs," Ben said via telephone. "But there are also some tracks we did that created entirely new songs, and they're amazing. So we decided to put the entire mashed-up album online, and on November 18 we did. Unfortunately, we were e-mailed a cease-and-desist order on November 28, at which point we shut down."

: There was just a "Grey Tuesday" for the album with a dozens of sites hosting the tracks, but I missed it. Still it's good to see that Party Ben getting more attention.

Vegans In Space

Now that commercial space flight is almost a reality sci-fi fan Moby is taking an interest:

The star looks set to make history after booking a seat on via Richard Branson's 'Virgin Galactic' space flight.

After paying out $207,000 for the privilege, Moby has set the date of his outer space flight for sometime in 2010.

: Maybe he'll take the space suit from the "We Are All Made Of Stars" video.

Feel Good Inc.

Gorillaz got a fair amount of attention a few months ago by assembling all their guest stars for a series of live gigs in Manchester. It was obviously a bit out of the way for a few people and here is what PlayLouder had to say at the time:

Tonight Gorillaz not only proved themselves capable of staging a thrilling live show, but they did so in such a spectacular fashion that you soon forgot about any weaknesses or inconsistencies in the material and simply found yourself caught up in a breathless carnival of animation, guest appearances and leftfield-gospel-hip-hop-dub-pop-rock. Quite stunning.

: Thanks to the wonders of the internet you can stream the gig, or at least the backing video they used along with the performance, by way of aol. Hopefully they will release the rumored dvd of the gig and we'll be able to see all the performers and won't miss out on moments like:

...a riotous 'DARE' sees Shaun Ryder out of time, out of mind and looking worryingly like he's reading his lyrics from a monitor. All four of them. In terms of overall surrealness, however, nothing beats the sight of Ike Turner walking onstage in a sequined jacket, playing 60 seconds of piano in the middle of 'Every Planet We Reach Is Dead' and then walking off again

Who's Your Grammy

This year's Grammy nominations are out and here's what the mainstream media forgot to mention:

Best Dance Recording
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.)

Galvanize
The Chemical Brothers Featuring Q-Tip
The Chemical Brothers, producers; The Chemical Brothers & Steve Dub, mixers
Track from: Push The Button
[Astralwerks]


Say Hello
Deep Dish
Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia & Sharam Tayebi, producers; Deep Dish & Matt Nordstrom,
mixers
[Yoshitoshi]


Wonderful Night
Fatboy Slim & Lateef
Fatboy Slim, producer; Simon Thornton, mixer
Track from: Palookaville
[Astralwerks]


Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
LCD Soundsystem
The DFA, producers; The DFA & Andy Wallace, mixers
Track from: LCD Soundsystem
[DFA Records/Capitol Records]


I Believe In You
Kylie Minogue
Babydaddy & Jake Shears, producers; Jeremy Wheatly, mixer
Track from: Ultimate Kylie
[Capitol Records]


Guilt Is A Useless Emotion
New Order
New Order & Stuart Price, producers; New Order & Stuart Price, mixers
Track from: Waiting For The Sirens' Call
[Warner Bros. Records]





Best Electronic/Dance Album
(For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.)

Push The Button
The Chemical Brothers
[Astralwerks]


Human After All
Daft Punk
[Virgin Records]


Palookaville
Fatboy Slim
[Astralwerks]


Minimum-Maximum
Kraftwerk
[Astralwerks]


LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
[DFA Records/Capitol Records]


Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
(A Remixer's Award. (Artists names appear in parenthesis for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.)

Fever (Adam Freeland Remix)
Adam Freeland, remixer (Sarah Vaughan)
Track from: Verve Remixed 3 (Various Artists)
[Verve]


Flashdance (Guetta & Garraud F*** Me I'm Famous Remix)
Joachim Garraud & David Guetta, remixers (Deep Dish)
Track from: George Is On
[Thrive Records/Deep Dish Recordings]


Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix)
Jacques Lu Cont, remixer (The Killers)
[Island Records]


Superfly (Louie Vega EOL Mix)
Louie Vega, remixer (Curtis Mayfield)
Track from: Mayfield: Remixed The Curtis Mayfield Collection
[Rhino Records]


What Is Hip? (T.O.P.R.M.X.)
Meat Beat Manifesto, remixers (Tower Of Power)
Track from: What Is Hip? Remix Project Volume One (Various Artists)
[Warner Bros.]

: It amuses me that Stuart Price was nominated under his own name as producer of the "best dance recording" for his work with New Order and as Jacques Lu Cont in the remix category. Maybe they don't know it's an alias...

I Keep It Real

Digital download and streaming service Rhapsody just announced a new version of their service that works on the web browsers instead of their standard program. Here's some info from cnet's article:

RealNetworks executives hope the new version, in conjunction with a previous offer allowing people to listen to 25 songs for free, will make it easier for Web surfers to understand what a subscription music service is all about.

"Prior to downloading the software, people don't know what the experience is," said Dan Sheehan, the company's senior vice president of consumer services. "It's like the TiVo problem. Until you experience it, you don't get it."

: Amazingly the web based version of Rhapsody is so much better than the previous take on things. I went through a trial subscription last year and while it was alright with only a slight sound quality issue while streaming I had a horrible experience trying to unsubscribe. Despite my hesitation, I tried out this new version tonight and it’s easy to use and surprisingly unobtrusive. Will it change my itunes habit? Time will tell.

I've Got The Poison

Morcheeba is one of those acts who truly had it all together in the late 90s. Their debut album flirted with trip hop fans suggesting the dark electronic grooves of the Bristol sound, but during the promotion of their follow-up their revealed it was something of a disguise because it was the only way they could get signed as an electronic group interested in songwriting. Their masterpiece “Big Calm” found the group operating at a level that few bands reach; their music rooted in the tradition of great British songwriting wrapped in contemporary packaging that incorporated electronic soundscapes, light funky guitars and legit hip hop beats that went down easy. Unfortunately the band lost their way, as Pitchfork point out, having now lost almost all their charm:

After a string of increasingly flawed LPs, the enticing siren Edwards bolted, leaving the schlubby Godfrey brothers in the dust with their mediocre backing music. So how do Paul and Ross replace one of the sexiest voices of the past 10 years? They throw in former Noonday Underground singer Daisy Martey; an Angela Lansbury replacing a Marilyn Monroe.

: Now it couldn’t be that bad, could it? Click here to download their latest single and judge for yourself.

No Respect

New Order just can't get a break in the US this week. Vh1 broadcast the recent UK Music Hall Of Fame ceremony that inducted the band over the weekend and again throughout the week. What did they cut out? Only a tribute to John Peel and New Order. While the lack of Peel is regrettable it is understandable that a tribute to a late BBC deejay might not translate across the Atlantic, but to completely ignore New Order? Totally inexcusable. The only indication that the band was even at the ceremony was Peter Hook in the background of a reaction shot of someone else. The two hours of the ceremony that vh1 broadcast included two performances from Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath, an extended medley from Eurythmics, an “all star” tribute to Jimi Hendrix, and confusingly for the UK Music Hall Of Fame Canadian Alanis Morissette performing a tribute to American Bob Dylan. What the hell happened? My guess is a bizarre commitment to cross promotional efforts on behalf of mtv-networks’ no-longer-in-production “The Osbournes” and a heavy case of Boomer-ism. As Tony Blair’s appearance in the band’s introduction indicates, the Eurythmics peaked about the last time the baby boomer generation paid any attention to new music and while they were a decent singles band they have been quick to follow the winds of stylistic change to whatever friendly MOR-paths they take. Just in case we didn’t notice the generational bias of vh1’s special, we were treated to Woody Harrelson, who was 9 when the 60’s ended, presenting an award to the absent Dylan refer to him as the voice of the 60's and we later learned from a grey-haired retired rocker that when he first heard some underplayed song he felt that The Who were really talking about their generation. Fantastic. Actually, there were some good parts to the ceremony namely the brief “thank you”’s from what’s left of The Who and the emphasis on the multi-media aspects of Pink Floyd. But to completely ignore New Order (who were inducted as Joy Division/New Order) who continue to influence everyone from Interpol/Editors/She Wants Revenge to the entire electronic genre (see George Acosta’s recent “Blue Monday” cover as an example of how wide a net they cast) and give two songs to Ozzy?
Thanks to the wonders of the internet I was able to track down the band’s induction. Some of the usual suspects were interviewed in the introduction video piece namely Bobby Gillespie, Moby and Billy Corgan (wearing the same fishing hat that he wore when touring as a member of the band during the few Area: One dates back in 2001) once given time for an acceptance speech Bernard gave props to the guys fatter than him in the audience, namely Shaun Ryder and Arthur Baker, then took a swipe at the Slash’s guitar solo during the Hendrix tribute. Priceless.
Then there is New Order's latest single and the best electronic track on their new album "Guilt Is A Useless Emotion" had it's digital-only release today. Didn't notice it on itunes? In a week that essentially recycled last week’s “new releases” in the dance and electronic sections of the online store there is no mention the new remixes on the service unless you search specifically for the band.

Try A Little Harder

I recently discovered a small web-zine gogoray.net that has some interesting commentary from columnist Lee Wang. Ever notice that musical elitists are always so damned miserable about music? Here is some of his explanation:

...many other music listeners go through a similar travails – I’m sure – enough so that if they don’t “get” an artist, then they’ll doubt their own self-worth as a music geek. Instead, they’ll continue to torture themselves first for not being smart/cool/whatever enough to “get” Captain Beefheart or something similarly obtuse and then by continuing to listen to it in hopes of reaching that ever-elusive “Ah ha!” moment. Sometimes it’s worth it, but more often the amount of time invested in chasing “difficult” bands and albums far outweighs the miniscule amount of pleasure gained.

: I'm not the only one who occasionally reaches outside of my musical comfort zone and learns to appreciate something new, but there is something sadistic about listening to music that does nothing personally for you. Not to be too simplistic about it, but if it sounds horrible it probably is horrible. The musical elitist attitude that there is certain music that is inherently more intelligent than others fails to acknowledge that musical taste is ultimately subjective. Why else would the musical elite shift over time over stylistic issues (lo-fi vs hi-fi) and how could music that was initially critically dismissed become canonized years later after the fact? There is so much to be said for trusting your own instincts.

Rang Dang Diggedy Dang Di-Dang

Peter Hook recently opened up with some info about his current all bass side project Freebass and their need to find the right vocalist:

"I think the problem is that the three of us have such a pedigree of vocalist, that if we come out with someone that's not good we'll obviously be slated! You've got Ian Brown, bloody Bobby Gillespie, Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner) and Morrissey. Those are big shoes to fill, especially collectively," he said.

Hooky described Freebass' sound as "(sounding)like New Order with a bit of the Stone Rose and a bit of Smiths and some Northern Soul."

"Mani does the low part, Andy Rourke in the middle and I do the high bit. But it works out quite well," he said.

Disco Potential

Great news from petshopboys.co.uk:

Pet Shop Boys have just completed their new album in a West London studio.

The album has been produced by Trevor Horn and features 10 new Tennant/Lowe songs, a short introduction (also written by Tennant/Lowe) and "Numb", a song by Diane Warren, originally recorded for the "PopArt" compilation in 2003.

Neil and Chris started writing songs for the album in January and commenced recording with Trevor Horn in May. Chris Lowe commented: "We've really enjoyed making this album with Trevor and his team and are very happy indeed with the finished result." Neil Tennant added: "We think it's a great Pet Shop Boys album and also a great Trevor Horn record."

The album is expected to be released worldwide in April 2006.

What's That Sound?

The most recent Voltage finds Maximus laying out a thoughtful well-reasoned argument in favor of the electronic music aesthetic that simply must be read. I would go a step further and argue that the acoustic and “organic” music’s claim of better representing human experience as false. Maybe that argument held more water in days of family farming, but consider how life is spent today surrounded by technology. Computers, electronics and machines surround us and to listen to music that does not acknowledge that simply does not address a great portion of how we live out lives.

The Black Sea Experience

Just saw Depeche Mode last night and things have changed a bit since I last saw them during "The Singles Tour" in the late 90's. The biggest difference is that Martin Gore has picked up some showmanship. Maybe it was the solo tour, or the tension with Dave, but he's much more rock 'n' roll than before with "dramatic" rock god guitar moves (ala Metallica) and worked the crowd a little while singing. Then there is Martin's dancing around the stage in a style that suggested a mix of tribal ceremony and raver. Quite a change from the last time I saw the group perform when he seemed impossibly shy.
Dave Gahan once again showed that he is consummate showman of the synthpop-era and worked with the crowd amazingly even if ran around the stage and flung the mic stand just a little less than before. He only failed to really get the crowd into the amount of frenzy that he wanted on two occasions not convincing the crowd to sing ever word of "Suffer Well", which I believe the only song of the night he wrote, even if the song deserved it more than most of the new material and getting no one to sing along to show's closer "Goodnight Lovers." Again this wasn't his fault. That song appears at the end of "Exciter" and so pretty much every sensible listener has shut off the disc long before that song ever plays.
Then there was Fletch. He is still Fletch, but he's toned down the clapping quite a bit, maybe the internet age brought it to his attention that it's not quite the fan favorite that he thought. He also spent lots of time apparently verifying sounds one ear to the headphones dj-style and occasionally seemed to play parts that could be identified.
The new material was something of a mixed bag. It seems that arrangements have been mixed from the album, and Ben Hillier's touch was sorely missed. While "A Pain That I'm Used To" was far stronger than I expected, it was outnumbered by the train wrecks. "Precious" was a complete mess live with the acid baseline out of place within the context of the rest of the set and losing the delicate nature of the song to the clangy arena acoustics. I'm not a big fan of "Damaged People" on the album, but it was so much worse live. I suspect Martin thinks of it as an anthem of sorts for DM fans with the "we're damaged people drawn together" line but it's way too long for the uninteresting musical content surrounding it and lyrics go on to talk about forgetting about being about being cold and crying while you are old and dying and it's just embarrassing in front of people. Maybe it's just me though, because there was a group of women singing along very loudly ever word of the song right behind me.
The gems from the band's back catalogue were clearly the highlights and any real reason for shelling out unreasonable amounts of money to see DM at this point. Whoever is did the programming this time around had really excellent instincts in direction. The "Violator"-era hits changed almost nothing sound-wise (unlike the unfortunate '93 tour that rocked-out "Enjoy The Silence" long before Linkin Park got their hands on it), but let the instrumental parts breathe enough to keep the crowd ecstatic. Then they managed to rejuvenate older staples like "Everything Counts" and "A Question Of Time" going further into dance territory than Mode would on their own driving the songs a with modern electro sound.
Overall it was interesting experience because the band has clearly grown over the years and the crowd made it apparent that I had as well. While I did see some familiar faces among the assembled throng like Alison who was the HR director at the college station I deejayed at and local synthpop royalty Claudio, it was very apparent I'm not the massive Depeche fan I was in high school. I didn't have to sing at the top of my lungs every word of every song. "Goodnight Lovers" only sounded vaguely familiar and I found myself wondering why they were playing a b-side as a final encore. Maybe I’ve become less devoted, but as the 90’s wore on the band just lost the energy and spirit that energized their earlier work. I’m glad to see that they’ve regained some of that back, but as Martin L. Gore sang on his “Counterfeit” EP you’ve got to move on sometimes. Maybe I have.

Kicking It Old School

Having just joined the UK Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, NO have tried a different gig.

This afternoon Manchester legends New Order took up that invitation and played a surprise gig for the school's pupils and the media. Bernard Sumner, the band's guitarist and singer, visited the school earlier this year and was so impressed he reportedly told Ms Triska he'd do whatever they wanted to help...
"Some of the staff have been playing New Order in the classrooms since eight o'clock this morning. It's the 30-something staff that are going mad about it. Some of the pupils say that their dads were going mad when they heard."

Semantics Won't Do

Here's a great forum post that brings to light my trouble with electronic music fans trying to sub-categorize everything:

Us here that are 30 to 40 that grew up with Progressive Dance, Razormaids, and Industrial Dance in the late 80's and early 90's would never consider bands like Depeche Mode, Celebrate The Nun, Moskwa T.V., Pet Shop Boys, Red Flag, Information Society, Erasure, Cause & Effect, Dead or Alive, When In Rome, Exotic Birds, Anything Box, T42, Cetu Javu, Tribantura, Psyche, or Peter Schilling to be Synthpop.

It was progressive dance and nothing more except electronic dance music. We'd never heard the term Synthpop back then though...

: Yet another pointless argument over genre definitions! The post went on to say that this fellow had never heard the term "synthpop" before 1994 so obviously it wasn't around until then. Maybe it just wasn't being used in Texas. Besides after all this complaining about what is what, synthpop is just an umbrella term for electronic pop. Why would you be arguing at length over it's definition in 2005?

The Rejection

One of the inital signings to Warner Music Group's cd free download only label Cordless Recordings is electropop group Dangerous Muse. Their ep is interesting, full of low key synthpop that suggests they are sort of a less glitchy Junior Boys. For all the talk from Warners about promoting them I found this description:

We met in New York. We write electronic music. We're supposed to enter a bio that's 50 characters long.

Talking About Liberation

A producer who remixed The Shamen and Pet Shop Boys during the mid-90's is at the center of a lawsuit with Kanye West:

A deejay who was sued earlier this year by Kanye West to keep him from distributing some of West's unreleased songs has filed a countersuit against the rapper.

Eric "E-Smoove" Miller disputes West's contention that the two didn't have a contract. In Miller's lawsuit, he argues that West worked for and with Miller in the mid-1990s on recordings of 10 songs, including "Ho!!!" and "Stop Frontin'."

Attorneys for the Grammy-winning West claim Miller offered the songs to distributors using a fake contract with West's fake signature.

Miller's countersuit, filed Oct. 28, claims Miller co-authored the recordings and that West agreed Miller's company would own them.

All This Running Around

Depeche Mode just announced the tracklisting of their next single "A Pain That I'm Used To" and in the process united a number of my current obsessions:

01. A Pain That I’m Used To (Jacques Lu Cont Remix) [7:51]
02. A Pain That I’m Used To (Jacques Lu Cont Dub) [8:00]
03. A Pain That I’m Used To (Goldfrapp Remix) [4:39]
04. A Pain That I’m Used To (Bitstream Spansule Mix) [7:22]
05. A Pain That I’m Used To (Telex Remix) [3:28]

: I think the song is horrible choice as a single because it works within the context of the album by setting a tone but the track doesn’t really go anywhere. As a standalone track it’s doomed to flop when it comes to radio and with anyone outside the hardcore DM fans. Still, they’ve pulled together an amazing set of remixers, including the ubiquitous Stuart Price in his Jacques Lu Cont persona, who might take the song in interesting directions (although his LRD album and "Playing The Angel" feature songs called "Damaged People" so that might have been a better song to take on) and apparently following the precedent set by “Precious” are not including an album version or radio edit of the song on a standard format of the single. It might find some takers.

All Night Operator

Goldfrapp's latest single "Number 1" ranks a respectable 9th on the UK's single chart this past week, but the real surprise is how much fuss Alison has stirred up with some straight talk when asked about Madonna:

"She's always got her eye on what everyone's doing and she's always nabbing people, the latest DJ or whatever, to get them to put their thing on her thing, you know."

The singer continued her outburst by suggesting that Madonna lacks creativity. "I think it's quite clever, but I don't know if that's creative," she said.

: Nothing controversial there to my ears; just a highlight to the different approaches to music.

Goldfrapp just teased the US with the "Number 1" EP which is something of a digest of their last two UK singles and announced a one-off live date in NYC. However, Mute has once again pushed back the US release of "Supernature" even further until March 2006. The rest of the world had the album in August! Why a record company would treat fans of a band with a cult following like this in this day and age of instant on demand internet access to music is beyond me.
Stranger yet is the report of one amazon.com customer that claims Mute is blocking all orders of "Supernature" as an import. It is odd that the album is not listed on the number one consumer site on the web unless you visit the co.uk version of the site. Maybe there is something to it...

More Than Enough

This week's Skrufff email caught my eye with this item about DJ Magazine's Top 100 Poll:

Elsewhere in the poll, No-More-Mr-Nice-Guy Brian BT Transeau took exception to the magazine's seemingly innocuous generic questions and got even angrier when quizzed about the rise of digital DJ tool Ableton.

"I have had the piss taken out of me for four years for using a laptop," BT ranted, "and now I have the honour of my superstar DJ friends calling me for tech support- constantly."

: I saw BT deejay a few years back, and I hope the guy wasn't using a laptop then. The track selection was good, if a bit heavy on long remixes of BT's own stuff, but he train-wrecked on every other transition. You don't you that you would find that from an artist who complains about poor sequencer timing and the need to manually edit each note every time he gets an interview that allows him to get technical.

Down With Price

Stuart Price is everywhere these days. Seriously. Earlier this week I was at the dentist office and found his picture in People Magazine (actually working the equipment at Madonna's recent dj gig).

Here's a link to Popjustice's energetic interview with Price, which also breaks the news that a new LRD album is in the works:

I do, yes. I mean, who can not love the Pet Shop Boys? That's the thing. They were the first ever pop act I ever listened to. All of Chris Lowe's parts… When I very first sat there with 'My First Keyboard' I was trying to work out how they did it, how they made those rhythms, how they got those sounds. I love the 'Disco' album with all the 12" mixes and I suppose it's not surprising fifteen years later that when it all pops up on the record I think 'oh, this sounds like the Pet Shop Boys.' I'm not going to try and disguise that, they're a big influence.

Say Something

I had visited Funky Mofo a couple of times before I ran into an appallingly bad review of the new Tiga single earlier this week that essentially copied the info from the website adding less insight to the quality of the material than a typical amazon.com review. Curious if this was typical for the site, I browsed through their review section and found their lengthy take on Luxxury's "Drunk" EP that equally fatally flawed. The review went on (and on) addressing claims of the band's press packet, a trend for the site apparently, and in large part attempted to debunk four words of synthpop.net's review, most likely quoted in the press release, of the same material. The reviewer then went on to claim that "dance music has always puzzled me," that the style must require drugs to understand and that EP's are always a waste of money. Clearly they had the wrong reviewer for the job, but a look at their forum shows a statement announcing "the Funky Mofo team have experienced quite a few personal attacks, especially concerning our reviewers" so maybe it's not just this guy.
However, all this might be moot at this point because as of today the website has removed their review section. The site's front page now has a statement about the site not doing well enough financially to continue and reminds us that a "webzine isn't necessarily a 'fanzine', a webzine can be just like a normally printed magazine - it can be successful and it is possible to make a living from it." As reasonable adult I understand economics issues and completely support those who choose not to loose their own money instead of "supporting the scene" or some or other nonsense like the recent argument I read dismissing people who choose to get day jobs instead of loosing money, homes and marriages to pursue their musical dreams full time. I certainly wouldn’t be the type to add insult to injury so I wish the site the best of luck (and it’s worth pointing out I don’t believe that the offending reviews were authored by the site’s founder).

Best Band Breakup Ever!

To borrow a phrase from Iron Maiden (by way of Maxx Klaxxon) if you're going to die, die with your boots on. Brit rockers Alfie just announced thier breakup in a blaze of bitter glory taking parting shots at Crazy Frog and announcing they had more talent in a single note of their songs than "ten thousand James Blunt albums." They topped off their final rant with this sentiment:

It's hard to keep faith that "everything'll be alright", (which has been my mantra from day one), when it feels, ultimately, like no-one's listening

Protection

During the promotion of "100th Window" Massive Attack announced that they would be releasing back-to-back albums within the year. That was back in 2003 and the collective's sole standing founding member Robert 3-D Del Naja is finally realizing his plans:

"Been a fertile year. Lots of new recordings and talented people been in and out of our studio which has become home now. I have been trying out new and old techniques and have come up with a new gothic soul direction.

"We have recorded vocals on about 5 tracks and have vocals to put down on at least 15 before Xmas, which is drawing horrifically close."

: In his defense he was sidetracked a bit. About a month after "100th Window" was released 3-D was charged (and later completely cleared) regarding child pornography in some strange sting that charged Pete Townshend too (also later cleared). Massive Attack recently resurfaced with the "Danny The Dog"/"Unleashed" (depending on which country you live in) soundtrack last year, but it's good to see them get down to business. The album is expected to feature some familar vocalists like Horace Andy and Liz Frazer, but I wonder how 3-D can call "gothic soul" a new direction for his music? That sounds exactly like his brand of trip hop to me.

Punk To Funk

David Byrne is writing a musical about Imelda Marcos with Fatboy Slim:

'Here Lies Love' will examine Mrs Marcos' passion for music and nightclubs. It's set to premiere in March 2006, reports the BBC.

Billed as "a timeless story with more contemporary resonances than are comfortable", it will take its bow at Australia's Adelaide Festival...

"She loved the nightlife in all parts of the world, and in New York at Studio 54, so much so that she installed a disco in her NYC townhouse," an Adelaide Festival spokesman said.

"It was a non-stop party, featuring politicians, arms dealers, financiers, artists, musicians and the international jet set."

'Here Lies Love' was the brainchild of Byrne, who has written the music with Fatboy Slim. The show will be directed by Marianne Weems, artistic director of New York ensemble The Builders' Association, as "a multimedia extravaganza".

: Byrne has been taking plenty of interest in electronic music in recent years doing vocals on "Lazy" for Xpress and writing lyrics for the recent Fischerspooner album. These moves away from the world beat sound that dominated his musical direction in the 90s couldn't come at better a time considering Byrne and Talking Heads inflence on rock-turned-dance acts like LCD Soundsystem and The Juan MacLean.

Warsaw Returns

New Order just did an all Joy Division set at the John Peel Day concert that included the first song the band wrote together. The gig is to be rebroadcast later today on Radio 1 which means it will most likely be available in their archive for the next week starting tomorrow. NewOrderOnline reports this as the setlist:

1) Transmission.
2) She's Lost Control
3) Shadowplay
4) Love Will Tear Us Apart
5) Atmosphere
6) Warsaw

: Bizzarely they were introduced by Fergeal Sharkey!

Macrovision

Now that it's a week before the release of "Playing The Angel" Depeche Mode reviews are starting to appear everywhere and you can even stream the album in a couple of places so the hype continues. I've given the album a few good listens and it's a solid album that has grown on me with each listen. If "Precious" wasn't indication enough, I can safely say at this point that the surefire alt-pop sense of "Violator" when even b-sides like "Sea Of Sin" & "Dangerous" sounded like hits is something the band will never regain. The album is more of a return to the mid-80's flirting with industrial and all things goth sound that they had down.
The most shocking thing I've found in the album's reviews is the fond memories critics seem to have of "Exciter." Arjan Writes refers to that album as "critically-acclaimed" and PlayLouder use "much-underrated" to describe the album I've rarely seen defended by even the most hardcore Depeche fans. I just don't get it. Ever since it's release in 2001 I've pulled "Exciter" out every six months or so to see if I missed something, but I still end up turning it off before the halfway point and despite the many second chances I've given it, it's still one of my least listen to albums that I've ever bought. There are two songs "Dream On" and "Freelove" that are fantastic, but the rest... It's not that I don't think that Mark Bell can't produce since Bjork's "Homogenic" is a fantastic album, but there is no passion and Gore admitted that he only wrote the record to appease his record company who hired a small production team to assist his writing process. The lifelessness of that album is just deadening and it's great to find that DM have found a new lease on life.

I See The Mothership Coming

I stumbled into an interesting documentary on PBS about George Clinton and the Parliament/Funkadelic empire he created that dug a bit deeper than the average VH1 special. The doc's site gives a little background and an idea of their angle:

Ultimately, Clinton morphed his core band members into multiple groups on multiple record labels, something no one had ever done. The band also created an alternate reality in which young P-Funk fans, especially African American males, could imagine themselves. George Clinton developed a mythology about “brothers” from another planet who came to liberate earth from the restrictions of Puritanical morality. It was a concept that allowed P-Funk’s fans to transcend the confines of their neighborhood and imagine themselves as citizens of a much larger universe.

: Highlights include the props given to Bernie Worrell and his pioneering use of synths for the baseline of "Flash Light", admitting that part of Clinton's continuing influence was his business sense, and interviewing Ice Cube about gangsta rap while he sits in an office. Here's a link to postage stamp-sized clip of the Mothership landing.

You Got To Help Me Out

The Killers just let it slip that they will be working on their new album with Flood and Alan Moulder. You can take this as a sign that Brandon Flowers is following his roots in modern synthpop and working with former Depeche Mode producers or that the rest of the band was excited to work with people who have hit records all over their resumes (Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nail, U2, etc...). The band's drummer offers some thoughts that suggest they don't plan to fade into the night:

"We want to take our time with this one, make sure everything's right, we've earned the right to do that with this album, " he explained adding, "We can't wait to get back into the garage, hammer out ideas for songs, go out for dinners together, work on the new album."

The Clarke Connection

The synthpop.net review of Andy Bell's "Crazy" single suggests something of a competition between former Vince Clarke collaborators, specifically talking about the timing with new Depeche Mode album, and I think it might be on to something. While I think Clarke is busy doing a one-off single with Larry Tee or something to that effect (my memory is a bit fuzzy at the moment) there are a shocking number of releases from Clarke collaborators arriving within a couple months of each other. Chances are you may have heard of the Andy Bell and Depeche Mode albums out this month, but September also saw new material from Martyn Ware, who has done a couple of experimental albums with Vince, in the form of Heaven 17's "Before/After." Yazoo/Yaz collaborator Alison Moyet's "Voice" album just arrived in the US last month and she's got a new live DVD out in the UK and that covers everyone Clarke has done albums with. What's next? New material from Paul Quinn and Feargal Sharkey?

It's There

Damon Album has revealed the secret to breaking through in the US:

"We wouldn't be as successful as we are in America if we weren't a cartoon band," he declared. "You can't be white and from London and produce hip hop - it's illegal actually, in America."

This One Time At Band Camp

In quite possibly the coolest high school band footage ever recorded, a percussion group out of Minnetonka High School in Minneapolis has done live versions "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" and "Changeling" originally found on DJ Shadow's influential sample driven "Entroducing" album. It's fantastically professional and remarkably close to the originals. A good write-up that I found by way of the download.com newsletter explains all the details at Music Thing.

The End Of Sampling?

I ran across this op-ed piece on winamp (not my usual source for news) and given it's subject matter I now offer a sample:

On Tuesday, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati turned the playing field for digital sampling completely upside-down. The court ruled quite simply that any and all samples used must paid for, even if they sound completely different from their original. Previously, if a digital sample wasn't identifiable from it's original it was perfectly legal.
The court stated that the recent federal laws aimed at stopping piracy of recordings applied directly to digital sampling also, slapping any and all artists who use samples in their works in the face with the very laws some of them fought for.

With the new rules and current state of the industry (greed), many speculate that if this ruling existed before many classic hip-hop albums such as Paul's Boutique from the Beastie Boys would quite simply be too difficult to get proper licensing for to release.

: I think the article is a bit dramatic, not to mention less than hard news with the whole "current state of the industry (greed)" line but I've been frustrated by only finding one other article on this ruling. Not being a lawyer I tend to believe this isn't the final word on the subject, but I hope it isn't since much of the last decades innovations in music haved used sampling to at least some degree. Why take that tool away from artists?

Grab All They Can

The itunes Depeche Mode ticket pre-sale was this past weekend and from a few fans online I detect an air of dissatisfaction:

I droped $86 per ticket and I got crapy seats.

...Ticketmaster screwed me on my first try
At 10:00AM I logged on to the site and purchased 2 tickets for any price and best available. Well I got lower level and on the side of the stage so I purchased them cause I thought ok maybe that's the best I could do. So then for kicks I did it again just to see what would happen and 2 tix for the main floor appeared and I was like what the F is this and bought those as well so I basically have 4 tickets and only need 2. Thats $340 for 4 tickets

Still not everyone is unhappy:

Our local alternative radio station had pre-sale tix go out two days after iTunes. And they weren't nearly as good. And when regular tix went on sale today, they were about as good as the radio pre-sale. iTunes had the best seats!!!

81-82-83-84

Despite my occasional need to dust off "New Gold Dream" from time to time (Rhino's "Just Can't Get Enough" New Wave compilation series is a great investment) I've never been interested in hearing anything from Simple Minds that I didn't hear on the radio frequently. Things don't look to be changing anytime soon with their new album that seems to have stalled on liftoff with critics according to the couple of less than enthusiastic reviews I've read. I was horribly amused with take on the found at review compilation site Musicfolio:

"'You love The Killers! You love Bloc Party!' shriek the marketing men, 'Now hear the band that started it all - Simple Minds.' To be fair, that's not too far off the mark and doesn't require a massive leap of imagination. Trouble is, despite their protestations to the contrary, the 2005 incarnation of Simple Minds doesn't stand up particularly well to the band in its mid-1908s pomp.

: Damn, I love typos. Like much of what is posted on musicfolio the review isn't exclusive to the site and appears to be transcribed from a local paper in England so one assumes there was a slip up along the way. Maybe I'm just older than I remember...

Since I'm taking pot shots at bands here's a review I stumbled into:

If fans of the Killers are awaiting a B-sides compilation, they need only pick up the debut from a less-threatening gang of nu-wave rockers: NYC's the Bravery. Not just for the similar, goth-inflected atmospheres, but also because the best Bravery song would make a so-so Killers bonus track

: I'm beginning to suspect that ArjanWrites isn't the only person with a Killers obsession.

Words Left Unspoken

At the risk of turning this into a single subject blog, I think it's worth noting that the video for Depeche Mode's "Precious" has been released through legitimate channels. The unfinished version of the video was part of the original leak of the song a couple of months ago, and was intriguing to see an unfinished project with storyboards and unfinished special effects shots edited together that left it looking like the "Take On Me" video. The finished version is better than the standard Mute done on the cheap computer animation promo that the rough cut had the potential to end up and it'a worth a look despite the shot of guitar when I can't hear any guitar in the song if only to see that Martin still rocks the black nail polish.
This is coming late given that "Precious" has been out for a while, but here is a post of mine to a forum that failed to generate any response. Since the initial leak, I've heard raves about the song and most of it revolves around the band returning to synthpop and all sorts of takes on it(the most memorable comment, "lyrically, the song is basically a re-write of the DHL terms and conditions of service"). With much of the press around the new album centering around the songwriting clash between Dave & Martin I've come around to the idea that the current direction owes more to Andy. I've never really thought he had a role in the band apart from clapping his hands at concerts, but if you compare the sound of "Precious" with the Client albums that he released on his label I don't think there is too much of a difference especially when you listen to where Dave & Martin were sonically on their solo albums.
Beyond that I find it interesting that they are moving away from the tradition of releasing the “non-DM sounding” single first on this album. “Precious” really does scream Depeche Mode but going back “Personal Jesus,” “I Feel You” and “Barrel Of A Gun” were all the most “rock” tracks on their albums and even “Dream On” marked a different sound than the band is typically associated with. Usually it is the second single like “It’s No Good” and “I Feel Loved” that fans take as the DM sound and I find it interesting that they broke with that tradition.

Grabbing Hands

These days it's strange to remember that one of Depeche Mode's earliest staples, which became the name of Martin Gore's publishing company, was a song condemning greed in the music business. Over the past few years there have been high priced cd singles box-sets, an album ("Exciter") written because of pressure from the record company and a confused remix album that required shelling out extra for the "limited edition" if one was interested in more than a couple of current remixes and even more for import singles and online exclusives to complete that collection of new remixes. Now the latest from DepecheMode.com:

Los Angeles, CA - September 12, 2005 - Depeche Mode has teamed with Ticketmaster for the first-ever digital download, concert ticket pre-sale, scheduled to begin tomorrow on the iTunes Music Store.

Beginning Tues., Sept. 13 through Mon., Sept. 26, Depeche Mode fans who visit iTunes Music Store in the US and pre-order the band's new album will receive a password for the chance to purchase up to four tickets from ticketmaster.com for select dates on the band's 2005 North American tour. The pre-sale offers Depeche Mode fans the chance to access priority concert seating before tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Sept. 24. Fans who pre-order Playing the Angel from iTunes will receive the album via digital download when it is released on Oct. 18 on Sire / Reprise Records.

Additional information about Depeche Mode's digital download concert ticket pre-sale is available on the band's official Web site at depechemode.com, at ticketmaster.com, and at the iTunes Music Store at itunes.com. Ticketmaster's Internet pre-sales for Depeche Mode begin Sept. 20 at 10 AM (local) and pre-sale dates vary by market. Touring the Angel, Depeche Mode's first North American concert tour in four years kicks off Nov. 2 in Ft. Lauderdale at Office Depot Center. Depeche Mode's Playing the Angel album is scheduled for release on Oct. 18 in North America on Sire / Reprise Records.

"Depeche Mode always delivers for its fans," said Ticketmaster's David Goldberg. "Packaging event tickets with music makes sense and Depeche Mode's decision to do it digitally with iTunes is a great win for the band's fans."

: I don't know if you caught that, but the itunes pre-order goes live the day the album is out in stores. There is no incentive to buy the digital album (which I believe is marked up from the average $9.99 itunes album price) except for the promise of getting early tickets to live shows. DM do a great live show, but one would think if they were really interested in what really "delivers for its fans" they would do what many bands do in the internet age and offer pre-sales to people registered on their site or signed up for their mailing list. The sad thing is that I've seen some fans on forums who actually paid extra for a similar promotion a couple of tours ago who ended up only able to buy worse seats than what was available once tickets were on sale to the general public. Talk about "a great win for the band's fans."

Let's Push Things Forward

Now that we're at the halfway point of the decade Live 105 just did a countdown over the weekend of their most popular tracks of the decade so far, and even did a mini-countdown on their electronic music show. Here is that list (which excludes 2005, too hard to tally?):

10] Felix Da Housecat Silver Screen (Shower Scene) #3 record in 2002
09] Storm Time To Burn #5 record in 2000
08] LCD Soundsystem Yeah #3 record in 2004
07] Fischerspooner Emerge #1 record in 2002
06] Freeland We Want Your Soul #1 record in 2003
05] Basement Jaxx Where's Your Head At? #3 record in 2001
04] Kernkraft 400 Zombie Nation #4 record in 2000
03] The Streets Let's Push Things Forward #2 record in 2002
02] Darude Sandstorm #1 record in 2000
01] The Avalanches Frontier Psychologist #1 record in 2001

From Sierra Leone

My wife and I took our daughter up to "free day" at the aquarium in San Francisco so she could have her first look at exotic fish. Since we were just across the street from the Moscone Center I wasn't too surprised to see a small army of satellite trucks nearby. On my way back to the car the guy behind me was talking nonsense about how he created events with Kayne West in some attempt to impress whoever he was with. It wasn’t until later in the day that I saw on the new that Apple had announced their new cell phone ipod from that very spot and that they beamed Madonna in by satellite and that Kayne West did a live performance. Maybe I misjudged the guy behind me.
While Apple's phone seems somewhat in the primitive stages, it is the direction that I've thought mp3 players would go and it's here sooner than the five year time line I initially laid out a couple of years ago. Expect music playback to be a standard feature soon and that’s a great thing.

Broken Ear Record

I wish had been at the initial listening session for the Astralwerks team charged with marketing the new Black Dice album. On paper, you think you’ve got something exciting here. You’re licensing this from a hip label, DFA, with underground credibility as tastemakers that is beginning to bubble over into mainstream recognition. While you don’t have the rights to the label’s hottest act, LCD Soundsystem, you’ve still folks like PlayLouder drooling over everything the label touches, and The Juan Maclean album that was your last project wasn’t an easy record but it’s a quality release with a couple of potential singles that are sure to drill their way into listeners heads. Then you sit in a room and someone starts Black Dice’s “Broken Ear Record.“ It starts out a little inaccessible. Nothing wrong with that, it’s art and sometimes you’ve got to work a bit to reap the rewards. Besides, you’re only one track in. Time passes and a glance at the clock reveals you’ve been sitting here for half an hour and you start to get a little queasy because you still haven’t found an angle or a even a song that sounds as if it’s worthy of a second listen. You’re down to the last two tracks and the best must still to come. Is that the sound of bicycles mixed with honking geese? Then the album comes to a close with a track that is full of treated barking samples. A dog of an album? To say the least. In the words of PlayLouder, "You have to be in a very certain state of ear and mind to really appreciate Black Dice." How do you handle the situation? Play up the “hottest label on the planet” DFA connection, talk up the band’s live shows and try like hell to pretend they are innovative. It’s not an easy task, but I applaud the label for giving it a try.
Speaking of Astralwerks, why is it that I can’t just type in http://astralwerks.com to bring up their site? I’ve been visiting their site for years and it’s the only place on the internet that I still have to type a www before the address. The label also need to stop dragging their heels and release more of their material on itunes. They must have a absolute fear of downloads replacing cd sales, because almost nothing on the label gets an immediate digital release and when it does it’s often with qualifiers about which tracks you can download without buying the whole album. It’s frustrating to say the least and all the much more when I can’t find some physical releases locally when their out (admittedly that might have something to do with my local Tower records being flaky). Keep in mind I only hate because I love.

Making Me Sweat Now

This week's top 10 singles in the UK:

1. Gorillaz – ‘Dare’
2. Rihanna – ‘Pon De Replay’
3. Daniel Powter – ‘Bad Day’
4. Jessica Simpson – ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’
5. Oasis – ‘The Importance Of Being Idle’
6. Simon Webbe – ‘Lay Your Hands’
7. Black Eyed Peas – ‘Don’t Lie’
8. David Gray – ‘The One I Love’
9. Les Rythmes Digitales – ‘Jacques Your Body (Make ME Sweat)’
10. James Blunt – ‘You’re Beautiful’

: What is LRD’s “Jacques Your Body” doing as a top 10 single in 2005? The song was on Stuart Price’s pre-millennial “Darkdancer” album and a little research reveals that the song is being re-released because it has been featured in a “dancing robot tv ad” and has a new stunt-filled video. By my count this is the third time the song has been released as a single, most recently in 1999 when the song was “featured in the Sunny Delight new basketball ad.” Regardless I have a feeling this is the song’s highest charting which shows if you put quality product out there often enough you can sell some records. Not too bad for a song I started playing in my college radio days when it was first on the Wall Of Sound label's "Bustin Loose" compilation. Back in 1998.

Finally Down From That Hill

There is news of the welcome return of a voice that has been silent for far too long:

Singer Kate Bush will release her first album in 12 years in November - a double album entitled Aerial.

The 47-year-old performer's last album, The Red Shoes, reached number two in the UK album chart in 1993.

Her last public appearance was in 2001, when she received Q magazine's "classic songwriter" award in London.

: The new material is rumored to be in part inspired by Goldfrapp, but I don't know how much credence to give that since Bush is known for her self production and sounding exactly like herself. Of course it could be she is coming out of her musical seclusion to make the ten year wait between the last two Peter Gabriel albums seem short.