Thursday, November 06, 2003

• Righteous Brother Hatfield Dies
  He was The Righteous Brother with the high voice-- "Unchained Melody" was all his, as was the high-pitched yelling in "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling." R,I.P. and much respect from all of us here at Rocktober.com
  
  
• Sony and Bertelsmann Announce Plans for Merging Music Units (N.Y. Times free registration required)
  *Sigh* 50/50 split, forming the second largest recording company in the world (after Universal). If this is approved by regualtors in the U.S. and Europe, look for bands to be dropped left and right. And it will still be too big to compete in the long run. AZt least that's how I see it. (Full disclosure-- I work for an engineering division of SONY and have very ocassional interaction with the music division.)
  
  
• Arrested Development Sues Fox Over Sitcom Title
  You'd think FOX would've learned its lesson after Living Colour sued them (and got a nice settlement) for naming a show "In Living Color." The above linked article notes that Arrested Development are still working on a new album, due early next year.
  
  
• Send Lawyers, Guns and Money (Salon subscription or day pass required.)
  for them moment, CD sales are up. The music industry likes to think this is because they've sued their file-trading customers straight. The above linked Salon article takes a cloer look with a cynical eye.
  
  
  
• WAL-MART TO OFFER ONLINE MUSIC SHOP
  I'm super curious as to how this will work out. Will it only sell stuff that it stocks in it's stores (i.e. no indies, no recording with parental warning labels)? Will it sell below cost to bring in customers? It's coming within the next month, says the above linked article. Also coming soon-- a download store from MTV
  
  
• Mobb Deep's Prodigy Faces Drug, Weapons Charges Following Pre-Show Arrest
  He was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, and unlawful possession of marijuana. He was with his posse in two customized vans parked on the side of a road , and they all got busted for possession and some on weapons charges. The fuzz had been paying close attention to the area around the place they were scheduled to play becuase of recent riots at the venue.
  
  
• Product Ads Raise Musicians' Profiles
  Remebed cred? Remember when selling out your music to advertisers was the last refuge of the scoundrel and the first refuge of the hack? Thos were the days, I tells ya'.
  
  
• Earlier Release Date Eyed for New Jay-Z Album
  Due to bootlegging fears, The Black Album will be hitting stores on Nov. 14th instead of the 28th.
  
  
• NPR Given Record Donation
  Recently deceased philanthropist Joan Kroc (wife of the founder of McDonalds) bequeathed National Public Radio about $200 million bucks. Good on them but I hope it doesn't go to their heads: "Today on All Things Considered: What really is the best rim for your Escalade? And the capital gaines tax-- could we have been wrong all along?"
  
  
• Just How Many Definitive Best-Of Albums Can An Artist Have?
  It's never enough, apparently.
  

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

• 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!)
  

• Kid Rock - Kid Rock (features Hank Williams Jr. on a tune called "Cadillac Pussy," as well as a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love.")
  
• Lost Dogs- Pearl Jam
  
• Try This [Limited Edition w/ Bonus DVD] - Pink
  
• Closer [LIMITED EDITION] Josh Groban
  
• Soulo - Nick Lachey
  
• The Essential Bruce Springsteen [LIMITED EDITION] - Bruce Springsteen (3 disc set-- 2 discs of hits, one of rarities.)
  
• Worship & Faith- Randy Travis
  
• Thank You- Stone Temple Pilots (Greatest Hits that includes one new track and the acoustic version of "Plush.")
  
• EP[ENHANCED] [LIMITED EDITION] - Matchbox Twenty (Live, with some acoustic stuff and concert footage)
  
• Another 700 Miles[EP] - 3 Doors Down (Live, with a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "That Smell")
  
• Here I Am: Ron Isley Sings Burt Bacharach- Ron Isley/Burt Bacharach
  

Monday, November 03, 2003

• Oldies Radio Stations Move Into the '70s
  I've linked to a similar story before, but this one says the trend is continuing: "oldies" radio is now considered 60s-70s rock and songs from the 50s can just go pound sand. Woe to the young'ns coming up who won't get to hear vintage doo-wop and the early days of rock unless they actively seek it out.
  
  
• Kid Rock, Brooks & Dunn in Cash Tribute
  They join quite the line-up: John Mellencamp, Dwight Yoakam, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Hank Williams Jr., Rodney Crowell, Marty Stuart, Jack Clement, Steve Earle, Larry Gatlin and Rosanne Cash. Nov. 10 at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The good news is that tix are free. The bad news is that they've already been distributed by lottery.
  
  
• Alien Ant Farm Guitarist Quits Band
  Though the story doesn't mention it, one can only assume it was becuase he finally realized that his band sucked.
  
  
• UMG To Acquire DreamWorks Records
  Dollars to donuts says that this means Self gets dropped, which would be a damn shame. If you like Beck when he gets funky and can appericate well written pop songs, you owe it to yourself to check him out. Start with Gizmodgery, which was made entirely with toy instruments.
  
  Oh yeah, it goes without saying that I do not approve of this furrter consolidation of the record industry.
  
  
• Filmmaker remembers the MC5 with specifics that will wow fans
  What the world need now...is The MC5......It's the only thing...that there's just to little of...
  Be on the look-out for "MC5: A True Testimonial," a documentary about the rock legends. Peep the above linked article for more info.