Friday, August 29, 2003

Okay, so-- The MTV Video Music Awards were last night. I don't think it ever quite recovered from the opening act-- though the sheer amount of Video Chicks on stage duirng both 50 Cent/Snoop Dogg's and Beyonce's sets were pretty impressive. Metallica's closing medly was pretty lame-- mostly 'cause it was too short before they kicked into their own song.

But here's the real highlights:






All I can say is that I was thankful I got my TiVo installed in time for this event.

This blog won't be updated again until Tuesday. Have a good holiday weekend!
posted by Randy on 11:28 AM | permanent link to this entry

Thursday, August 28, 2003

I gotta send a quick shout-out to my darling wife, who is out there in the heat with the freakxxx at Burning Man. I miss her very much but hoipe she is having a wonderful time-- even if we didn't have enough time to print out this Burning Man Bingo Card before she left.

See You In September

I'll be alone each and every night
While you're away, don't forget to write

Bye-bye, so long, farewell
Bye-bye, so long

See you in September
See you when the summer's through

Here we are (bye, baby, goodbye)
Saying goodbye at the station (bye, baby, goodbye)
Summer vacation (bye, baby bye, baby)
Is taking you away (bye, baby, goodbye)
Have a good time but remember
There is danger in the summer moon above

Will I see you in September
Or lose you to a summer love?

(counting the days 'til I'll be with you)
(counting the hours and the minutes, too)

Bye, baby, goodbye
Bye, baby, goodbye
Bye, baby, goodbye (bye-bye, so long, farewell)
Bye, baby, goodbye (bye-bye, so long)

Have a good time but remember
There is danger in the summer moon above
Will I see you in September
Or lose you to a summer love?

(I'll be alone each and every night)
(While you're away, don't forget to write)
See you (bye-bye, so long, farewell)
In September (bye-bye, so long, farewell)

I'm hopin' I'll
See you (bye-bye, so long, farewell)
In September (bye-bye, so long, farewell)
Well, maybe I'll
See you (bye-bye, so long, farewell)
In September (bye-bye, so long, farewell)

• Online Music Broadcasters Sue RIAA
  The Webcaster Alliance sued The R.I.A.A. alleging major record labels have unlawfully inflated webcasting royalty rates to keep independent operators out of the market. By all rights they should win, but it will be a tough battle.
  
  
• RIAA Discloses Some Methods of Tracking
  Speaking of the R.I.A.A., they tipped their hand a bit in the Jane Doe vs. R.I.A.A. case.
  She claims that all her MP3s were legal copies from her own CDs, but the R.I.A.A. says their analysis of her tracks shows that many of 'em were downloaded from Napster back in the day. The R.I.A.A. looks at ID3 tags to identify songs and also uses MD5 to make a fingerprint of the file. Oh, and we have a name for Jane Doe now-- sort of. nycfashiongirl is her nom-de-Kazaa.
  
  
• RAC Planning Benefit With Eagles, Chicks
  The Eagles and Dixie Chicks will perform at a benefit concert for the Recording Artists Coalition (RAC) on Oct. 12 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. Other artists may be added to the bill later.
  
  
• Grammy Voting Can Be Had for a Song -- Actually Six (L.A. Times free registration required, but it is totally worth it, especially for this story.)
  We all know The Grammy's are a joke, right? We'll here's another log to add to that fire-- the academy requires that voters on technical or creative credit on six commercially released songs so the major record labels have taken to getting their staffs to record Christmas choral albums so they can stack the decks in their favor. Seriously. Check out the Miracle on West 25th Street EP, a six song Christmas CD by The Zomba Choir-- Zomba being the major league indie that' shome to R.Kelly and Britney Spears, among others.
  
  
• Slayer Ready "Apocalypse"
  Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudddddddde!!! Fucking Slayer Boxed Set!!! All Hail Satan!!!
  The Soundtrack to the Apocalypse will be unleashed on Nov. 11 and will feature live songs, stuff from sound racks and things like that. 4 CDs!! Dude!
  
  
• Barenaked Ladies Prep 'Everything' For Fall
  Everything to Everyone, a new album from Barenaked Ladies is due to hit stores on Oct. 21. The Blue Man Group make an apperance playing PVC pipes on "Shopping." No pre-order link yet, sorry. Need more info about what's happening with the album? Then check out the BNLBlog, the offical Barenaked Ladies Blog.
  
  Which naturally raises the question-- is there an unofficial Barenaked Ladies Blog? The very thought of it possibly existing makes me to scared to find of if it does or doesn't.
  

posted by Randy on 11:21 AM | permanent link to this entry

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

• The Strokes Make 'Room' For New Album
  Room On Fire, the new album from The Strokes, will hit store shelves on Oct. 21. The first single will be "12:51"-- peep the above link for a full tracklisting. If you trust MTV's Gideon Yago, he says here that it's pretty good. No pre-order link yet, sorry.
  
  
• Beck Gets Loud
  Beck is headed into the studio to work on his next album, which he promises will be full of guitars doing that crazy rock and roll thing. Dan The Automator is scheduled to work on the project a bit and Beck sez he's trying to finally pin down the one and only Timbaland to do something as well.
  
  
• Why are some writers so afraid of Justin Timberlake?
  If you're a rock critic geek like me, this is a great piece that looks at the reasons why some of us are none to pleased with Justin Timberlake. Not me-- I thought 'N Sync's Celebrity was the boy band genre going out at the top of it's game and what I've heard of JT's solo album is a logical (and pretty good) extension of that work.
  
  
• Family group gets tough lesson from label, music industry
  The Clark Family Experience, who had a minor country hit in 2001 with "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch" have finally extracted themselves from Curb Records-- only after having to file bankruptcy after the label jerked them here and there. The ultimate sad part of this story-- The Clarks are ready for further punishment as they search for another deal.
  
  
• Rare Croce Cuts Collected On CD, DVD
  You don't pull on Superman's cape and you don't forget that on Oct. 14 a CD of Jim Croce rarities and a live DVD will hit store shelves. Home Recordings: Americana will feature Croce's demo covers of classic folk songs like "In The Jailhouse Now," and "Six Days On The Road" while the "Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live" DVD will feature a collection of Croce's television appearances bridged by commentary from folks like Randy Newman and Kenny Loggins. No pre-order links yet, sorry.
  
  
• Set Yor TiVos: "Music Wars" on TechTV-- Sat, Sept. 12 @ 8 p.m. EST
  "Music Wars" will feature interviews with former RIAA Chairwoman Hilary Rosen, Rep. Mary Bono, Tommy Lee, Charlie Daniels, Michelle Branch, Liz Phair, Phish, and The Dead. It will be followed by 'Music Wars: Open Mike' featuring Maverick Records' Jeremy Welt, Public Enemy 's Chuck D, and many more who will answer live audience and call-in questions. Peep the above linked press release for more details.
  
  
• Free and Legal Sigur Ros MP3 Downloads
  If that's your kind of thing, then have at it. (found via donewaiting.com
  
  
• American Idol 3: The Banned Song List
  No more "Fallin'." No more "I Will Always Love You." No more "At Last." And yet, "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going" lives on, despite the fact that A) it's a really over done song in these kinds of competitions and B) Frenchie sung the bejesus out of it last year, making anyone attempting it now just inviting instant comparison.
  
  
• Rage Against The Machine's Final Concerts Hitting CD, DVD In November
  Both the CD and DVD of Live at the Olympic Auditorium, are due in stores on November 18. Of course, this is way to early for a pre-order link, sorry.
  
  
• Madonna Falls Into the Gap
  Interesting piece from Slate about why that new Madonna/Missy adisn't all that it could've been, yet a new Swiffer ad featuring a re-written (and performed by the band) version of Devo's "Whip It" is pretty good.
  
  And now, I offer without comment -- Mini KISS: the world's first all dward KISS lip-syncing act.
  
  Also-- a quick shout out: If you've got DirecTV, be sure to peep RefusedTV on Fuel, which is channel 612. It is a great mix of punk, alternative, indie and hip-hop videos that you'll only see on the MTV networks if you wait around for hell to freeze over. Peaches, The International Noise Conspiracy, Fannypack, NOFX, The Streets, The Postal Service, The Libertines, The Get Up Kids, Cee Lo and so on and so forth. A really good mix of stuff. My TiVo grabbed it for me-- it knows me pretty well after less than a week of ownership!
  

posted by Randy on 12:26 PM | permanent link to this entry

Tuesday, August 26, 2003

This Week's New Releases Of Note:

• The Wind- Waren Zevon (probably the last album from this great signer/songwriter before he dies. Features appearances by Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, and Dwight Yoakam.)
  
• Love & Life (Bonus Dvd) [LIMITED EDITION]- Mary J. Blige
  
• Wooden Leather- Nappy Roots
  
• Exile On Blues Street- Various Artists (Blues artists like Tommy Castro, Joe Louis Walker and Otis Taylor-- among others-- cover The Rolling Stones' Exile On Mainstreet.)
  
• Stronger Than Time- Lee Greenwood (surprise, surprise-- it includes a new version of "God Bless The U.S.A."
  
• Visions of Ghandi- Jedi Mind Tricks (w/ appearances by Canibus, Kool G. Rapand Ras Kass, among others.)
  
• Music Magic Myth (w/ Bonus CD) - Last Emperor (He's been kicking round the rap scene since the mid 90s, but this is his forst full length album)
  
• Anchors Aweigh- Bouncing Souls
  

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

• Take Them on on Your Own- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
  
• Live at Sin-E [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED w/ BONUS DVD]- Jeff Buckley
  
• Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (CD & Dvd Audio) - The Flaming Lips (re-issues with more tracks and a new DVD)
  
• Other Side Of Daybreak- Beth Orton (an odds n' sods collection of b-sides, remixes and covers)
  
• Chain Gang of Love- The Raveonettes
  
• Amateur Night in the Big Top - Shaun William Ryder (Solo project from the lead singer of The Happy Mondays)
  
• Bleed- Speedealer (the band formerly known as REO Speedealer)
  

posted by Randy on 11:56 AM | permanent link to this entry

Monday, August 25, 2003

...and, I'm back. I had a lot going on Friday and couldn't do the blogging thing. One of the things I was up to was getting my DirecTV/TiVo set up.. Believe the hype-- it is the shiznit and off the hizzle fo' shizzle.

• ISP User Resists Record Industry Subpoena
  Go, Jane Doe, go!
  
  
• Wesley Willis Dies at Age 40
  He died of complications from chronic myelogenous leukemia on Thursday. Rock on, Heaven! If you find yourself saying "Wesley who?" you had better educate yourself. Here are a gaggle of his lyrics, as well. R.I.P. and thanks for the memories from all of us here at The Rocktober.com Blog.
  
  
• Country tunesmith Floyd Tillman dies
  A really great songwriter-- "Slipping Around" wasn't the first coutnry song about cheating, but it was the first one to have a major chart impact. R.I.P and thanks for the memories from all of us here at The Rocktober.com Blog. Those of you not hip to country music from the 30s, 40s and 50s can get an education right here.
  
  
  
• Bobby Brown Nabbed While Dining With Wife
  Remember when they nabbed ODB at McDonald's? And now this. Aspiring celebrities,please take note: when you are onthe lam from the law, it is probably best to order in or at least get take out.
  
  
• Rapper Mystikal Wins Copyright Case
  The makers of Cajun In Your Pocket alleged that some of the lyrics to Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass" came from their copyrighted invention, but the judge agreed with the rapper that the sayings (We gon pass a good time, yeah, cher," and "You gotta suck da head on dem der crawfish" — are not original and therefore are not protected under copyright laws.
  
  
• Page Hamilton Straps On A New Helmet Lineup For LP, Tour
  For good or for ill-- without Helmet, there would be no Nu Metal sound. I always liked 'em and am glad to see Hamilton back into the swing of things.
  
  
• Peep The Track Listing For The Sesame Street Three CD Set.
  I'm tempted to pick it up if only for "Pinball Number Count." (You know "1-2-3-45-6-7-8910-11-12 do do do do do do do bad a bump bump") Amazon still doesn't have a pre-order link, though.
  

posted by Randy on 1:45 PM | permanent link to this entry