That's What I Get

Trent Reznor celebrated his 40th birthday yesterday by making the news suing his manager. If it shakes out that Reznor did actually figure out that he was low on funds just a short while ago it would explain all those rumors about "With Teeth" being recorded in a matter of just a few months (as opposed to the usual years and years). As for his birthday, Reznor shares it with quite an assortment of really talented people like Jordan Knight, Enya, Bob Saget and that kid who played the ten-year old genius who skipped six grades to be in high school with his teenage siblings on "The Smart Guy" but who wasn't quite smart enough to not be on UPN. Where is it that Reznor finds all that angst...

Those Amazing Electro Osbournes

The booker on "Jimmel Kimmel Live" is a mad genius. Last Friday they had Ozzie Osbourne and Fozzie Bear on the same show that saw Erasure as the musical guest. Sharon Osbourne seemed to be enjoying herself chair dancing to Erasure and Ozzie bravely attempted to hold onto his metal cred while Fozzie and his manager Rizzo The Rat got their Muppet groove on between the couple. What can I say? It was a moment that was totally unique.
Kelly Osbourne has her new electropop album due out shortly and the good folks at the Mtv Europe site are streaming it for the next week. I'm still making my way through a first listen, but I'm astonished by how similar some of the tracks on "Sleeping In The Nothing" are to The Bravery. Maybe it's the same lead synth sound but "Redlight" and "Edge Of Your Atmosphere" left me double checking to make sure I opened the right file. All in all, Kelly's album isn’t nearly as bad as it should be. It's good to have enough money to hire Linda Perry.

Crapage

Somehow I ended up on an industrial specialty store's mailing list (I don't know how since I've never bought anything from them or gave them my email address) and in their latest update which had info about a new Front 242 dvd they described as the product as the "LIVE DVD fromone of the continuing frontrunners of electronic music!" Having heard Front 242's recent material I can safely say it's not running in front of anything.
Now consider this quote from a review at industrial mag Regen:

Though, the problem is that those who know better just can’t get the trailblazing bands of the ‘80s out of our minds and can’t stand the extreme overflow of clones in today’s scene.

: While the review is a slam at the modern synthpop scene (with some decent points about the scene's mentality), tell me this doesn't completely apply to the offspring of industrial. The superiority complex of rivetheads confounds me.

Times Change

I was reading an article about a NIN's new album debuting at the top spot on the US charts and in the process learned a bit more about the downsizing of American Bizkit fans:

Limp Bizkit, one of the few artists ever to achieve a million-copy sales week, was an afterthought on the Billboard 200 with its new seven-song EP, The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1). The seven-song disc, which admittedly got little or no label promotion, sold 37,000 copies at number 24 bow. Just two years ago, the group sold 325,000 first-week copies of Results May Vary, which was considered a relative disappointment at the time.

: Oddly enough I did have a request for the Limp boys during my college radio electronica show before they opened the floodgates to rap-metal mania, but it was from some girl who called all the station's guy djs, regardless of what genre they played, so it's not like she was actually listening to the music. Let's hope we're out of that cycle of music for a good long while...

Techno Cow Bell

Arron of the modern synthpop group Eight To Infinity recently bought a slightly used 808 drum machine only to randomly discover that it originally belonged to 808 State. Apparently the seller of the boom box told him that it had been left at his house "by some guy called gerald," which turns out to be A Guy Called Gerald who was an early member of 808 State. Here it is today and with Graham Massey recording with it in the late 80's.

Maybe I've Forgotten

Apparently years of drug abuse haven't been kind to Bernard Sumner's memory. Here are some pictures of his autocue lyric prompter taken by some members of NewOrderOnline at recent gigs.


Just a note, but it's likely that one of the pictures has been photoshopped a bit to play with autocue’s content.

Getting Smaller

When Barcode is on point they express what I haven't been able to put into words. Take a look at some of their recent review of VNV Nation's new album:

Emerging like a rat from the infestation of Industrial music, VNV calculated that to be different from their forever-unevolving contemporaries, they would have to do something distinctive. Hence the creation of their “Futurepop” sound, whereupon industrial aggro is watered down into repetitive melodies and a House beats.

: "Forever-unevolving" is exactly why I didn't look back (too much) when I left my interest in the industrial/ebm scene to the past a little over 10 years ago. What I loved about the music is that it had a vision that was different even apart from the "dark" and "scary" nature of the genre. Industrial was music that was going somewhere; this was a genre that was progressing. In the past decade it's gone almost nowhere. Now groups like VNV and Covenant have tried to add elements from trance and drum 'n' bass to the mix, but it is reliance on the genre's cannon that have left it stagnant for far too long. Of course the blame could be placed on the relative silence and stumbling of the genre's mainstream stars like NIN, Ministry and KMFDM, but the blind leading the blind into repetitive mediocrity should shoulder the weight of the burden.
Speaking of NIN, Trent's got a new record out. I once was a massive fan, but my taste and my perception of "The Fragile"'s quality (all I read were raving reviews, even if it seems to be critically disowned this time around) have tempered my enthusiasm to near nothing. It was something of a shock to me that the new single "The Hand That Feeds" is strong enough to rekindle some of that passion. Having listened to "With Teeth" I'm afraid that I won't be returning to the NIN-fold too soon. There are a few tracks that have spark, but tracks like "You Know Who You Are?" are warmed over echoes of previous efforts without the passion. If the pre-release rumors of this being the final NIN album that might not be such a bad thing. Maybe Trent needs a new avenue to grow his music.

Kelly-Mania Lives

Famed baseball cap wearing Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys just chatted with the folks of Skrufff newsletter about their new "Back To Mine" compilation and in the process proved that Dave of synthpopmusic.com isn't the only one spreading the gospel of Kelly Osbourne's electro makeover.

Chris Lowe:"...The best thing though is when you’ve just bought a record that you can’t wait to play, then DJing is so much fun….Do you like the Kelly Osbourne record?”

Skrufff: I’ve not heard it.


Chris Lowe: “I really like it. The verse is Visage – Fade To Grey, but then it goes into a really catchy chorus which is unexpected. It’s really good.”

Podcasting On The Radio?

I'm always interested in radio, and this is unique. From sfgate:

Next month, Infinity will convert an underperforming station in San Francisco to a format that will play only "podcasts," or amateur recordings distributed via the Internet to listeners' iPods and other digital music players.
Infinity, which is part of the Viacom Inc. media conglomerate that also owns CBS and MTV, announced Wednesday that it would convert its KYCY-AM station in San Francisco to the new format on May 16...
Joel Hollander, the CEO of Infinity, said the station, which would be promoted under the name KYOURADIO, would run material submitted by listeners but screened to make sure it conforms with federal broadcasting standards for decency.
Hollander described the format change as something of an "experiment," but he said the company had not decided how long it would try it before deciding whether to keep it. He said the station won't charge or pay for the podcasts contributed by listeners.

: It is worth mentioning that the article also talks about how the stations current format doesn't even register an Arbitron rating.

Downloading Gangs

I'm not sure if I find it more troubling that this new law was passed as rider on the user's rights oriented Family Entertainment and Copyright Act or that I had heard nothing about it until I saw something in the UK press. Here's the gist from cnet:

The law had drawn some controversy because it broadly says that anyone who has even one copy of an unreleased film, software program or music file in a shared folder could be subjected to prison terms and fines of up to three years. Penalties would apply regardless of whether that file was downloaded or not.
...The law's stiff penalties apply to "audiovisual" works, music and software that are "being prepared for commercial distribution." It's not clear how that would apply to fans who redistribute video files of TV shows aired in other countries first, or movies like Shaolin Soccer and Japanese anime flicks that can take years to arrive in the U.S. market.

: I don't know why anyone would ever think that lawmakers are just out to help business when there are violent crimes with smaller penalties. I found the most puzzling quote justifying the bill in the nme article:

Dan Glickman, president of the MPAA said: “There is evidence that criminal gangs use this kind of theft to support and expand their criminal enterprises.”

: So this is really about helping curb the gang problem. It all makes sense now...

Around The World

I was browsing through sites last night and checked in Pop Producer's blog and found an item I wrote for synthpop.net updating Pet Shop Boys news. It was just very odd to find something I wrote in California about a British band on a Swedish site show up in a blog from Argentina. It's a small world, and it must be an even smaller scene.

The End Of Everything

A week ago I was going to write something about the Electronode Radio Station going off the air, but my personal life has been a bit busy and now that I'm getting the chance to get back on the internet it seems that Electronode has completely shut down. From what I understand the site's owner Jeff hasn't been active on the forum much since he took over the site a year ago and apparently has been disinterested in "synthpop." Given that Jeff has reportedly paying $50 a month to keep the forum running, I completely understand why he might want to shut it down, but it appears that process was accelerated by an argument with Kevin of Pop Star Who Kills. Regardless of the site's demise I respect Jeff for fronting the site and genuinely trying to rebuild some sense of community that has largely splintered since the days of the Electrogarden, and I'm sure he will find success with whatever direction he takes.

A Personal Note

While I usually keep this blog impersonal or at least limited to my life on the internet I can't help but mention that my first child Ally was born earlier this week. Fortunately mother and child are in great shape and my daughter is even more beautiful and amazing than I could have imagined. I've never been happier.

Hush That Fuss

If last year's presidential debates where any indication, there is a popular belief that there are many unnecessary lawsuits out there, but the estate of Rosa Parks suing Outkast has got to be near the top of the list of amazing wastes of our legal system. If you missed it, here is the story from nme:

OUTKAST have settled a lawsuit with civil rights activist ROSA PARKS.

Parks, who helped trigger the civil rights movement in the 1950s and the rap duo have come to an agreement over the use of her name on the group's 1998 'Aquemini' album.

Under the settlement, OutKast and co-defendants Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Arista Records LLC and LaFace Records will help to develop educational programs to "enlighten today's youth about the significant role Rosa Parks played in making America a better place for all races," according to a written statement.
...Parks unsuccessfuly sued the band in 1999 for defamation and trademark infringement because they did not ask permission to use her name, but the band were protected under the First Amendment.

Now I know the song and fortunately the nme article does point out one major point that her lawyers may have missed.

The OutKast song ‘Rosa Parks’ does not mention her by name, but its chorus runs “a-ha, hush that fuss, everybody move to the back of the bus.”

Doesn't it seem the two attempts at litigating the song seem have done far more damage to the revered name of Rosa Parks than one inoffensive Outkast song? The sad thing is I'm left with impression that lawyers duped the elderly Mrs. Parks, who apparently now suffers from dementia, into the claim in an attempt to get some cash for themselves.

Dooku

I admit it. I'm getting a little excited about the new Star Wars movie because it actually looks like a Star Wars movie. For a laugh, you might like the response posts in this imdb thread which proves to be a great exploration of the humorless nature of the hardcore fans.

Would You Like To Come Inside?

A few random thoughts today. It looks like Si's well written review of the new Cosmicity singles collection has over seventy hits since it went live yesterday. Since I have yet to see anyone link to it I assume this says something about an artist who has built a fan base by releasing quality material consistently.
This past Wednesday was a big music night for my musical tastes with Moby, Bloc Party and The Bravery all hitting the late shows. Interestingly, Moby has been on a media blitz this week, appearing on Craig Ferguson, MSNBS and PBS, but it was only on Conan that he played live. Quite honestly, his performance wasn't that terribly exciting, but he did have a different live set-up than I've seen him use in the past. I'll see if that holds up when I see him live next month. What was interesting was the difference in watching Bloc Party and The Bravery play a few minutes apart. Their material isn't too far apart, but their stage presence is world's apart with The Bravery looking like posers stepping out of a tiny club into a spotlight they aren't ready for, while Bloc Party's performance was understated but fueled by a confidence that the music would carry them through. Perhaps it's a bit rash to make a call like this based on one night of late night tv performance but I think we'll still be interested in Bloc Party five years from now, while The Bravery will have faded into a distant memory.
The Electronically Yours internet station is now essentially off the air having just changed status so is now for live 365 preferred members only. I can only assume that Orac hasn't had the time or interest in updating the station so he let his subscription run out, which is too bad because it was a great, even if not frequently updated, station that tied newer electropop in with classic tracks. Of course the real shame is that Orac hasn't updated his online column in over a year because he offered a truly insightful and intelligent look at electropop. Hopefully, his schedule will clear up and he'll get back to it soon because his view is missed.

Disco Infiltrator

I mentioned that I recently picked up the debut album from LCD Soundsystem, and as I expected it grew on me. What has surprised me is the backlash in the mostly positive reviews the album has received from folks who usually support electronic music with vocals. In particular I've read reviews in sideline and sickamongthepure which both claimed that it was over hyped and for people who don't understand electro (or something else to that effect). I disagree, but what I found most interesting in those reviews is that they spent as much time attacking the band's fans as the music itself leaving me feeling that they didn’t properly address the music because they didn't agree with the influences the band is sourcing for it's music. Why? It is different than most of the ebm/synthpop that sustained "the style" throughout the nineties before electroclash made vocals and electronic alright together again while bringing people back from the "techno" and indie crowds. This conservative rejection of influences from "other" on music is annoyingly consistent from reviewers in the microscene zines and all the more strange because of the claims of frustration from one of the writers from one of these about how "the scene" could be so much bigger if it made a few changes. The changes are here. Can you accept them or is this the attitude that is holding “the scene” back?

Stream Away

You might be interested in the new Fischerspooner album. Vh1 has been streaming "Odyssey" this week and it seems to me that the boys are trying desperately to get some substance going with their new material to counter the claims that they are pure style. Do they succeed? Mostly. The album is definitely worth a listen.
Need more? A new Gorillaz video is always worth a look because they've got some amazing visuals.

Other People's Songs

Moby is doing a bit of promotion in my area today with a book signing at a Barnes & Noble a couple of miles away from where I live. I won't be going because I'll be at work (the joys of a strange rotating work schedule), but I did catch him on the radio where he chatted and picked out songs. Nothing too surprising was revealed, his partner does most of the work at Teany, his home studio looks like the bridge on Star Trek and "Spiders" was inspired by Bowie, but it was nice to hear him. One of the songs he chose to play on the program was Massive Attack's "Teardrop" which I remember Garbage picking to play during a radio interview back when the song was new. Great song then and it sounds even better today.

Did I Say I Liked It?

This week has brought a virtual flood of interesting music. Not only did I buy the impressive new Moby album and got the chance to pick up the LCD Soundsystem album and I discovered that the new New Order album is being streamed (for a limited time only) at a couple of places on the internet.
Is New Order's "Waiting For The Sirens' Call" the horrible disappointment the folks on the forum at NewOrderOnline say it is, or a strong return to forum as I've heard elsewhere? Well, it all depends on which New Order you're into because the album finds the band pretty much dropping any serious attempt at being "edgy" and creating a few pop songs along the way. The big problem with the album is that it takes a couple of listens to get into, but fortunately once you're past the initial shock it's a really solid album that I've been listening to it pretty much nonstop. I can't wait to hear it on a proper cd with decent sound quality because I'm sure it will be all the much better.
As for the albums I bought, I love the new Moby album even if I haven't been in the mood for the bonus "ambient" disc. It's really fantastic how he's developed as a songwriter and the new wave/modern rock setting of the album isn't something I expected from him but it sounds great. At this point I've only had a chance to listen to the LCD Soundsystem album (which got a strong seal of approval from the record store clerk) once, and it seems to be the sort of album that will take a few listens to grow on me as a whole, but for the moment the singles and "Tribulations" really stand out.
In my travels across the internet, I stopped resisting and recently joined myspace (for a second time) so you can click here to find me there. Also my review of Everything But The Girls new remix album went live on synthpop.net recently and you can see what a review of a bad album from an artist I respect looks like.