Friday, July 19, 2002

DJ MC Hesher Tour Dates:
TONIGHT!!!!---Friday, July 19 @ Brainwash Cafe & Laundromat (1122 Folsom in San Francisco) 9 - 1 a.m.
Saturday, July 27 @ 66 Balmy Gallery in San Francisco for El Rey's Mind Roastingly Supreme Art Party 7 - 10 p.m.

That's all for today. Work to do and all that. Plus, I gotta get in The Zone for my Dj gig tonight, which all my Bay Area peep are coming to, right??
posted by Randy on 11:48 AM | permanent link to this entry

Thursday, July 18, 2002

DJ MC Hesher Tour Dates:
Friday, July 19 @ Brainwash Cafe & Laundromat (1122 Folsom in San Francisco) 9 - 1 a.m.
Saturday, July 27 @ 66 Balmy Gallery in San Francisco for El Rey's Mind Roastingly Supreme Art Party 7 - 10 p.m.

• Six Feet Under' Buries Emmy Competition
  Wooo-hoo! 23 nominations! Go, 6FU, go!
  
  
• Rapper Slick Rick Facing Deportation
  Well, it seems that The Ruler should have been shipped back to England after serving his attempted murder sentence 11 years ago. Thanks to renewed immigration enforcement due to 09/11-terrorism issues, Slick Rick has been in the immigration clink for a month. The rapper was arrested by immigration officials last month in Miami while performing aboard a cruise ship that toured in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Immigration officials charged that he had re-entered the United States illegally after leaving the country to perform in the Tom Joyner Foundation's Fantastic Voyage 2002. He has been a legal resident all these years, but never became a citizen.
  
  
• Kansas City Man Suing R. Kelly
  The hits just keep on coming for R. Kelly. Allegedly, a San Francisco private detective employed by Kelly negotiated a contract with with Charles Freeman to pay him $100,000 and up to $40,000 in expenses if he recovered the stolen performance tape. Freeman did just that, but alleges he was paid just $65,000.
  
  
• Motown to Release Lost Songs
  How cool is this-- Motown is clearing out its vaults, releasing 40 lost tracks recorded in the 1960s. Nearly all were recorded in "The Snakepit," a basement studio at Hitsville U.S.A. Twenty of the tracks are songs that were only ever heard by their creators. A Cellarful of Motown will be released in the U.S. on July 30 and will include tracks by The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and The Pips, The Marvelettes, the Isley Brothers and Martha and the Vandellas.
  
  
• Buckcherry Breaks Up
  See ya'! The timing was never right for a Guns 'n Roses revival, at least not yet.
  
  
• P. Diddy To Oversee 'Making The Band II'
  Remember the other day when I said I wasn't sure if I would be watching whatever reality show P. Diddy and MTV came up with. I take it all back. Now, I am sure. I won't be watching.
  
  
• Jackson Family Defends Michael, Chides Ricky Martin
  Why, oh, why does everything involving Michael Jackson sprial out of control into a twisted symphony of weirdness? His family has released a statement that defends Michael in his efforts to fight Sony Music (which we all know is generally good, but his accusing Sony Music of under-promoting Invincible is suspect) yet attacks Michael for sticking with his "handlers" instead of his family. Let's see, with his handlers, he's had Michael Jackson's career. Like Jermaine Jackson's career is something he'd want to emulate. The statement also attacks Ricky Martin and Russell Simmons for defending Sony Music honcho Tommy Mattola and threatens Robin Williams with a libel suit.
  
  
• Guns N' Roses Trade Paul Huge For Psychedelic Furs' Guitarist
  Paul Huge, a childhood buddy of Axl Rose and the man who replaced Izzy Stradlin in Guns N' Roses-- thus creating a rift with the rest of the band-- is now out of Guns N' Roses. He's being replaced by former Psychadelic Furs/Love Spit Love guitarist Richard Fortus. The remainder of the current GNR line up: Dizzy Reed , guitarists Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails) and Buckethead, bassist Tommy Stinson (the Replacements), drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia (Primus), and second keyboard player Chris Pitman (the Replicants).
  
  
• Rocking the Lake: Konocti Harbor Comes of Age as Music Venue
  Nice profile of the Bay Area venue once owned by a corrupt union that has cilmbed it's way up from a classic rock graveyard to a major venue in the area. As it is is three hours from SF, they don't get a lot of hipster acts, but bands that play in the sticks or to North Bay suburbanites do well there.
  
  
• HARMONY HOUSE: Chain of music stores singing the blues
  Okay, this one is for all my fellow Detroit-area peeps. Even though I've been a long time gone from the Detroit area (big ups to Birmingham! Is Bloomfield Hills in the hizzouze?!?), I'm very sad to learn that Harmony House is going out of business. I agree with what a lot of these people say about it-- a lot of my musical memories we bought at Harmony House-- concert tickets, fave albums, local bands' CDs and so on. Thet were a dying breed-- a local chain that kept a basically indie feel as they got bigger. They always had a good selection-- careful to include lots of back catalog stuff and imports. Anyways, R.I.P. Harmony House.
  

posted by Randy on 10:44 AM | permanent link to this entry

Wednesday, July 17, 2002

DJ MC Hesher Tour Dates:
Friday, July 19 @ Brainwash Cafe & Laundromat 9 - Midnight
Saturday, July 27 @ 66 Balmy for El Rey's Mind Roastingly Supreme Art Party 7 - 10 p.m.

• Radio Stations Appeal Internet Royalty Decision
  In a motion filed late Monday, a group of radio stations said a federal court in Philadelphia and the U.S. Copyright Office had misinterpreted the law when they said that radio stations had to pay musicians and recording companies when they "stream" their songs over the Internet. The Copyright Office established a rate of 0.07 cents per listener per song in June, which means that Internet-only "Webcasters" and broadcast giants like Clear Channel Communications Inc. would be on the hook for 70 cents for each song played to an audience of 1,000 listeners. As much as I hate Clear Channel, this rate is just wrong, wrong, wrong because it will limit consumer choice due to the fact that it will put smaller broadcasters out of business.
  
  
• Concert Simulcasting Next Big Thing at the Movies
  So, Korn broadcast a concert to a bunch of movie theatres and the even was basically a success and now plans are afoot to do the same with Staind and Limp Bizkit (all represented by the same management company, The Firm). I'm not interested in those artists particularly but if, say, Prince did an exclusive concert that was somehow special (special guests, all acoustic-- I don't know, something besides a usual concert), I might plunk down the 10 bucks to go see it in a movie theatre. As long as it was a quality theatre with good sound. Some ancinet one with crappy speakers-- no way.
  
  
• Aaliyah Pilot Had Drugs in System
  The pilot was coked up. the plane was too heavy. It all sucks. R.I.P. Aaliyah, Rocktober.com misses you!
  
  
• Hitmaking Producer in Financial Bind
  Teddy Riley-- the man behind the "New Jack Swing" sound and producer of acts like Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, 'N Sync, Janet Jackson, Blackstreet, Guy and Wrecks-N-Effect-- filed for protection from creditors in bankruptcy court. He's got some hefty tax bills he can't pay. Kids, please take note. if you achieve some success in the music biz, the big ass house is not always adviseable. Keep it humble, yo.
  
  
• Styles To Serve Eight Months In Jail
  Rapper Styles, one-third of The L.O.X., is set to begin serving an eight-month sentence in November for allegedly stabbing a man in his backside. Money, power and respect may be the key to life, but keeping outta the click is kinda important, too. Keep ya' head up, Styles.
  
  
• Jaz-O Says Jay-Z Is A Fraud And Memphis Bleek Is A Nobody
  Wack Dis Fued Alert! Jaz-O was once Jay-Z's mentor. He produced "Ain't No Nigga." The two have been exchanging disses on mix tapes for a while now. The genesis of the beef: Jaz-O asked Jay-Z to be in a video and Jay-Z said no. That's where the war of words started from. *Sigh* Remember when dis wars were about things that were actually relevant? It's enough to make me wanna get Kool Moe Dee out of the deep freeze to tell him that LL Cool J is still jocking his style.
  
  
• Ex-Kittie Guitarist Scratches Back, Talks Of Plans For Assault
  As Paul Harvey says: And now, the rest of the story:Fallon Bowman, former guitarist for Nu Metal chix Kittie, says she parted wayss with the band becuase she was getting more into industrial music and the other gals were still into metal. She's got a new project she's working on called Amphibious Assault-- you can check out the latest sounds and info from her at the Amphibious Assault Website. Her new music, indeed, in more industrial than anything Kittie ever did.
  
  
• Lawmakers Addicted to the Quick Fix
  A good piece in Salon about the stupidity of the "RAVE Act" ("Reducing America's Vulnerability to Ecstasy"), written by Greg Harrison, the director of "Groove". Please, read about the bill and get in contact with your representatives to let them know your opinion. If you oppose the bill, I'd suggest framing it in a language they understand: business. Namely, this bill puts legitimate business at legal risk due to he actions of their patrons. It will put peopl eout of work and drive users of illegal drugs further underground and not to rehab. Ranting about the failed U.S. Drug war probably won't get their attention.
  
  
• The Stuff They Didn't Tell You On Journey's Behind The Music
  Nice interview with Herbie Herbert, Journey's founder and longtime manager. Here's the short version: he hates Steve Perry and he's pretty bitter. Still, pretty juicy behind-the-scenes stuff, if you're into that kind of thing.
  

posted by Randy on 12:36 PM | permanent link to this entry

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

DJ MC Hesher Tour Dates:
Friday, July 19 @ Brainwash Cafe & Laundromat 9 - Midnight
Saturday, July 27 @ 66 Balmy for El Rey's Mind Roastingly Supreme Art Party 7 - 10 p.m.

• VH1 Considers Minnelli Reality Show
  I could go either way on this one. On one hand, I've always considered Liza Minelli an off-balance attention hog and am not really interested on how she behaves behind closed doors. On the other hand, I'm interested in seeing just how gay her husband is around the house. Does he make goo-goo eyes at the pool boy? Does he obsess over Judy Garland (Liza's mom) like a stereotypical gay man? Ratings wise, though, do enough people care about Liza to tune in? I'm not so sure. Ozzy Osbourne has always had some stoner cache'. Liza's appeal, methin ks, is a bit more limited than that. The above story also says that MTV is about to launch an P. Diddy reality series. That just sounds boring-- he's got no freak-show appeal. Am I supposed to be excited to watch him "executive produce" albums, design clothes and cash checks? Ho-hum.
  
  
• How Ozzy Lost His Cool
  Nice piece in Salon about how "The Osbournes" has ruined Ozzy's cool by both exposing him to a larger, mainstream audience (though putting "Crazy Train" in a car commercial probably helped, too) and cleansing how fucked up his life actually is.
  
  
• Craig Mack Officially Signs With Bad Boy
  More P. Diddy news! Craig Mack started off with Bad Boy but then left the label after a finacial dispute and landed with notorious record indusry shady-dealers Scotti Bros. Records. Now he's back where he belongs. Welcome Home Craig Mack! I'm about due for some new flava in my hear-- I hoipe you can bring the noise!
  
  
• P. Diddy In Director's Chair For Foxy Brown's Ill Na Na 2
  This is the last bit of P. Diddy news for today, I promise. He was not able to wrestle Foxy Brown away from Def Jam, but he will be one of the executive producers on her next album Ill Na Na 2: The Fever.
  
  
• Lauryn Hill Ignores Hits, Focuses On New Material In Hollywood Bowl Show
  Oh boy. This does not bode well for when I see her as a part of the Smokin' Grooves tour on Thurs. night. Maybe she'll shape it up by then. I'll let y'all know.
  
  
• News From The Rolling Stone Beat:
  Jann Wenner to critics: "We're still relevant!" Critic to Jann Wenner: "No, you're not."
  

posted by Randy on 11:46 AM | permanent link to this entry

Monday, July 15, 2002

DJ MC Hesher Tour Dates:
Friday, July 19 @ Brainwash Cafe & Laundromat 9 - Midnight
Saturday, July 27 @ 66 Balmy for El Rey's Mind Roastingly Supreme Art Party

First, A Question: Okay, so this weekend I was in Reno, Nevada. On the drive home, it occurred to me that there is something wrong with the Johnny Cash classic "Folsom Prison Blues." He says he "...shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die," right? Then why is he in Folsom, a California prison? What's up with that? While the song admittedly doesn't specifically say the Reno shooting is why he is in Folsom Prison, it certainly is inferred. Am I the first one to notice this?

• Rock Manager: The Video Game
  Screw those video games featuring the likes of Journey and Aerosmith -- there's now a game that shows us where the real action is-- behind the scenes. Rock Manager puts you in complete control of a rock band. Your task is simple; make them stars! Bribe the local radio station to get more airplay for your band, or buy up all your records to create increased demand. Use any means necessary to make the band climb the charts - anything goes in this strung-out world of swindle, lies and rock n' roll. Who said video games couldn't be realistic?
  
  
• Clear Channel Not Hot on Music Promotion System
  Mark Mays, son of company founder Lowry Mays, talked about the prospects for his company and his showdown with the major record labels and legislators over media consolidation and the notorious indie promotion system. A very interesting read, though his completely lying about indie promoters not having any effect on Clear Channel's playlists.
  
  
• Judge Rejects Beach Boys Lawsuit
  Al Jardine, the band's lead guitarist, sued fellow Beach Boys members Brian Wilson and Mike Love, claiming he'd been frozen out of the surf rock group. He also alleges he was excluded last year from a series of concerts. This was Jardine's seccond attempt at this suit, as it a version of it was thrown out of court last April. This story doesn't mention the suit from last year where the Beach Boys sued to have Jardine stop touring under some kind of "Beach Boys" family moniker that included the Wilson parts of Wilson-Phillips. With all this bad blood flying, it is hard for me to understand why Jardine wants back in the band. Money talks, I guess.
  
  
• Pricey Pop Concerts Keep More Music Fans at Home
  A survey of the North American concert industry by trade publication Pollstar showed the top 50 acts sold a combined 10.6 million tickets in the first half of the year, down about three percent from the year-ago period (10.9 million tickets) and off 18 percent from 2000 (12.9 million tickets).
  
  
• New Spin on Collapse of Jackson's Charity Project
  The Jacko Undoing continues! Turns out thar his own handlers requested Sony Music not release the all-star single "What More Can I Give?" becuase executive producer F. Marc Schaffel directed and produced dozens of gay porn videos and runs a few gay porn websites. Also problematic, McDonald's was supposed to sell the single but withdrew when family groups complained and customer research showed that the child molestation charges against Jacko would hurt their business. read the whole story. It's really interesting.
  
  
• Microsoft to Launch Ticket Service
  If you're anything like me, you read this headline and said "Great! Someome with some bucks and some pull is gonna challenge Ticketmaster!" Then you read the story and see that Microsoft will actually be working with Ticketmaster. And then you got very sad.
  

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