Wednesday, October 29, 2003

• James Brown's Collaborator Wants Pie Piece
  Yet another remarkably sad story of a musical genius (in this case James Brown collaborator Bobby Byrd) who is suing his old record label and long-time collaborater (and oldest friend) of monies he's been shafted out of. Interesting tid-bit from this story:
  
  "Yet the Byrds feel far from secure. They credit their current comfort to a sample of Byrd's song "U Don't Know," used by Jay-Z on 2001's multimillion-selling The Blueprint. They say Jay-Z generously paid Byrd 65 percent of the royalties for the song, allowing them to secure a mortgage for their home, which is worth about $250,000."
  
  
• Roth Drops Lawsuit Against Van Halen
  Apparently, it actually wasn't such a big deal after all that Van Halen signed a new royalty agreement with Warner Bros. and wasn't giving David Lee Roth any more scrilla. In other Van halen related news-- a DVD chronicling their early years is due for release on November 25th. No partcipation from band members, but loads of interviews with such important folks as Guitar Center employees, their 1978 tour soundman, a drum tech, club owners and bodyguards.
  
  
• Eastsidaz Claim Snoop Owes $1 Million
  Snoop Dogg-- how could you?!?! Tha Eastsidaz claim he never paid them royalties-- but Snoop claims they never sold enough to earn royalties. Read the whole strory, it is quite the document.
  
  
• Elliott Smith Memorial Concert Planned
  Set for the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. Featuring Beck, Bright Eyes, Beth Orton and others, all perfoming Smith's songs.
  
  
  
• Limp Bizkit And Korn Reunite, Get 'Back 2 Basics' With New Tour
  They'll be playing theatres (as opposed to arenas and stadiums) throughout the month of November, with the venue and ticket details to be announced by local radio stations.
  
  
• Cover Commentary: Second Looks At First Impressions
  Stylus Magazine looks at the vintage DJ comment cards from a variety of 80s "college rock" albums owned by Boston's WZBC, 90.3 FM. It's funny, 'cos it's true.
  
  
• Mary Lou Lord Opens A Thrift Store
  Total synchronicity-- just last week me n' the wife we wonderin' whatever happened to Mizz Lord. In addition to opening up the thrift store with her husband, she's also got an album due in February and opens up for her 4 year-old-daughter as a busker in Boston.
  
  
• R.E.M. to guest on 'Boston Public'
  "Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, currently promoting their greatest hits package, will drop by the show when teacher Marla (Loretta Devine) accidentally books the band for the school's holiday fundraiser." And people say "Boston Public" isn't believable. Why, I remmeber aging hipsters The Velvet Underground playing our school carnival when I was but knee high to a grasshopper. Besides, if Whitney Houston can play the "Boston Public" prom, why can't R.E.M. do a fundraiser?
  

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

• Room on Fire - The Strokes
  
• In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 (Special Edition) R.E.M.
  
• Other Side [w/ Bonus DVD] - Billy Ray Cyrus
  

• Afterglow - Sarah Mclachlan
  
• Shock'n Y'all [ENHANCED] - Toby Keith
  
• The Very Best of Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
  
• This Left Feels Right: Greatest Hits With a Twist- Bon Jovi
  
• Rock N Roll - Ryan Adams
  
• Love Is Hell, Part 1 [EP] Ryan Adams
  
• Hit - Peter Gabriel (Greatest Hits)
  
• Best of Guided by Voices: Human Amusement at Hourly Rates - Guided by Voices
  
• Hardcore UFOs Box Set: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere- Guided by Voices (5 discs of stuff! Live, demos, previously unreleased and whatnot.)
  
• Jaye P. Morgan- Jaye P. Morgan ( a reissue; also evidence that she indeed did have a career beyond being a regular on "The Gong Show.")
  
• Sixty Six to Timbuktu- Robert Plant (A collection of his greatest solo hits. According to this track listing , it's 35 songs. I could've cut that down to EP level: "Tall Cool One," "Sea of Love," "Big Log," "Good Rockin' At Midnight" "Ship of Fools" and I'll be charitible and grant him "Heaven Knows.")
  
• Payable on Death [W/Sony Playstation CD] - P.O.D.
  
• Skull Ring- Iggy Pop (a.k.a The Stooges reunion album-- okay, so they only reunite for a few songs, but it is a start.)
  
• Greatest Hits, Vol. 2- Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Criminally, this album does not contain "Makin' Tunderbirds." On the other hand, you do get "Katmandu" and "Tryin' to Live My Life Without You," so I suppose it all works out. But wait-- "Shakedown" is also on there-- I can't imagine there's anyone out there who's dying for that, but I guess the wonders of 80s nostalgia never cease.)
  
• Always Will Be - J-Live
  
• Blood in My Eye- Ja Rule
  
• Greatest Hits- Wyclef Jean
  
• Preacher's Son [w/ Bonus DVD of live performances] - Wyclef Jean
  
• Married to the Game- Too $hort (Beeeyyyotch!)
  

Monday, October 27, 2003

• Bar Mitzvah Disco
  A priceless photo collection of Bar Mitzvah entertainers and the people they entertain. Considering the neighborhood I grew up in, I don't know how I managed to avoid ever attending one. oh wait, now I remember: I was a total geek. That's why.
  
  
• Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry Page
  "Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry is a selection of more than 400 items from the Emile Berliner Papers and 108 Berliner sound recordings from the Library of Congress's Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. Berliner (1851-1929), an immigrant and a largely self-educated man, was responsible for the development of the microphone and the flat recording disc and gramophone player. Although the focus of this online collection is on the gramophone and its recordings, it includes much evidence of Berliner's other interests, such as information on his businesses, his crusades for the pasteurization of milk and other public-health issues, his philanthropy, his musical composition, and even his poetry. Spanning the years 1870 to 1956, the collection comprises correspondence, articles, lectures, speeches, scrapbooks, photographs, catalogs, clippings, experiment notes, and rare sound recordings."
  
  If you don't wanna slog through all of that, just jump right to the recordings section. Lo-fi as hell, but totally worth it.
  
  
• Fan Checks
  Perhaps you'd like Madonna's mug to watch over you as you pay your phone bill? Or perhaps give the interns at the cable company's mail room need a little scare from Rob Zombie? Fan Checks can hook you up.
  
  
• Stories About Ticket Stubs
  Everyone has a story about that ticketstub they're holding onto in their wallet/pure or tacket to a bulletin board somewhere. The above linked site just helps you broadcast to a wider audience.
  
  
• Check out the upcoming Technics CDJ Player!
  Whoa, momma! I'm happy with my Pioneer CDJ 1000s, though.
  
  
• The Archive of Swedish Band Photos, Most Likely From The 70s
  Don't go there looking for ABBA, either. Think more downscale. A must see.
  
  
• The Archive of New Wave Band Photos
  The hair, the make-up-- it's all here. Nearly 12,000 photos of 253 bands! Yowza. Althouygh there is a lot of punk rock cross-over, so caveat clickor.
  
  
• Gallery of Gibson Flying V's
  No comment needed, really. Devil's horns up!
  
  
• Official List Of Forgiven/Unforgiven Bands and Artists
  Has your faveorite artist been forgiven for selling out and/or jumping the shark? Consult this list to see what the conventional wisdom is!
  
  The Index of Songs About Nuclear War from the Eighties
  No sound clips, but nice summaries. Add your fave if it isn't there-- they're missing Nena's "99 Luft Balloons" and Sting's "Russians," and I'm sure many more.
  
  
• Rap Snacks
  Snack chips featruing illustrations of artists from No Limit Records, Cash Money Records and Pastor Troy and. . . Bell Biv Devoe (???) A little something for us 30-somethings, I suppose.