Writing on a rented computer.

As I sit here in the public library writing on a rented computer I am reminded as to why I bought a G5 and hooked up to the internet. One reason is that it was so much easier because I had all day or week to come up with something now it is 106 minutes and counting. The public in public library can also be annoying there are some young children right now who don't understand or respect the sancticty of a library and are making it difficult for me to keep my big mouth shut.

Anyway, to the music scene I don't have alot of written material prepared but I will distill what I have been hearing hear and there.

On a 105.7 the Point an "alternative station" in St. Louis Mo, that used to be cool until they were bought by the clear channel conglomerate about ten years ago. The Point reported that Brittney Spears was seen with Peter Criss who if you all remember had a deplorable show a year or so ago where he made things disappear. Too bad he cannot do the same for the former Ms. Federline. Criss has been seen with Heather Locklear and other better looking women in Hollywood. Maybe he will catch a really bad form of VD and be blinded by it or meanwhile Kevin Federline is looking like parent of the year compared to his former misses.

I was in a major retail establishment that sells books and music recently and tried in vain to listen to the new Smashing Pumpkins Cd, Zeitgeist the cd stations were all broken except one and when I did listen to it I was of course disappointed.
Sounds like Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin with some studio musicians playing the rest of the songs and trying to go back to 1994. A bit of advice to Billy Corgan, either reform the band or just forget it completely. I'm certain that he has enough cash to keep him in razors to contiually shave his receding hairline.

The Violent Femmes who had the one trick song "Blister in the Sun" and rode that tune for a good fifteen years have decided to sue each other. It was announced today that the bass player is suing the lead singer over royalties owed to him from their first disc. Their one hit was used recently in a Wendy's commercial and alot of fans were repulsed by the use of it. I myself used to enjoy the Violent Femmes but eventually realized they only knew three chords and there are musicians who are more talented then the dimbulbs who make up the Violent Femmes.

Finally, the Warped Tour took place in St. Louis this week, it was August and if you know anything about this part of the country it gets really HOT and HUMID.People went to this travelling music/ fashion show and sweated it out over an entire day. Some of the bands complained about the heat and humidity one band I think was from Denver complained that it was 185 degrees outside when it fact it was a cool 104. If they can't stand the heat from other areas of the country then why do they tour?
I'm sure that if they suffer from the heat and have to seek medical treatment the amount of money paid too them will certainly be worth the work. Try working in the hot sun without health insurance and for low wages sometime if they don't like performing.

Enough said

Until next time????

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Currently on a summer hiatus.

Hello to anyone who happens to stumble onto this blog. I haven't abandoned it completely, I currently don't have internet access and the library only gives one so much time. I haven't had a chance to peruse the music scene since my quick exit from my apartment for three years.However, be certain that my blog will return and I think that I will write it a bit differently than previous editions.

Soundtrack of Generation X, Reunions, Recording, Problems, Guitars

Soundtrack of Generation X

The soundtrack for a movie about the grunge band Nirvana titled "Kurt Cobain: About A Son" has been determined. The movie will be released sometime at the end of this year. Bands that will be included in the soundtrack are Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Melvins,, The Butthole Surfers, Mudhoney, Leadbelly, and Bad Brains all are bands that influenced Nirvana. The film also features a rare interview with Kurt Cobain.
Death Cab for Cutie lead singer Ben Gibbard has put together an original score for the film with Steven FIsk titled "Overture." Below is a list of the proposed soundtrack.

Steve Fisk & Benjamin Gibbard - "Overture"
Half Japanese - "Put Some Sugar On It"
"Never Intended" (interview clip)
The Vaseline's - "Son Of A Gun"
Arlo Guthrie - "Motorcycle Song"
Scratch Acid - "Owner's Lament"
The Melvins - "Eye Flys"
Mudhoney - "Touch Me I'm Sick""
Punk Rock" (interview clip)
"Car Radio" (interview clip)
Bad Brains - "Banned In D.C.
"Iggy Pop - "The Passenger"
Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Up Around The Bend"
Lead Belly - "The Bourgeois Blues"
Butthole Surfers - "Graveyard"
R.E.M. - "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1"
"Hardcore Was Dead" (interview clip)
David Bowie - "The Man Who Sold The World"
"The Limelight" (interview clip)
Ben Gibbard - "Indian Summer"
Mark Lanegan - "Museum"

Who is imitating.......

The english cover band UB40 is suing Paris Hilton for allegedly using their 1990 hit "Kingston Town" in her single "Stars are Blind." The song written by UB40 reached number four and Paris's single reached number five last year. Paris won't be sued directly because she was recently dropped from her label (this is the least of her problems now) .
The band plans to use musicologists and information from the internet to prove the similarities of the single. UB40 are famous for their covers of famous and not so famous songs their biggest hit was a cover of Neil Diamond's 1968 hit "Red Red Wine" which was #1 on the Billboard Charts in the US in 1988. I would like to know how a cover band can sue someone for stealing from them if Paris's record label didn't get permission from the band . If it is an original composition then they have a case if not then they don't.

Marilyn Manson he claims that the band My Chemical Romance are ripping him off. He recently stated "I'm embarrassed to be me because these people are doing a really pitiful, sad, shallow version of what I've done." The critique comes just as Marilyn and MCR are to share a stage at Britain's Download Festival in Donnington Park. MCR will perform on Friday and Manson will perform on Saturday.
Manson's claim that My Chemical Romance are ripping him off are ridiculous because he has been ripping off Bowie, Alice Cooper and others who came before him. Sales of his work hasn't been stellar since his Cd "Jesus Christ Superstar" which was despised by those in the religious right for his mocking of Christ and the Bible. It was also cited as an influence on the students who committed the Columbine High School shootings a few years ago. This controversy fueled his celebrity and he hasn't had much success since. We all know that controversy sells and when your no longer controversial then you don't sell as much of whatever it may be.

Reunions

The britpop band Blur are planning a return to the music scene. The original plan was to enter the studio this summer but other projects amongst the original band members has delayed the start until November. The lineup will feature Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, and Dave Rowntree all original members of the band. Damon Albarn took time off from the band to form "Gorillaz" in 1999 and went on to release three discs with the cartoon inspired band. Alex James also took time out to write and do a column for the english music magazine "Q". Graham Coxon left in 2003 during the recording of "Think Tank" because he simply didn't like the direction the band was going and went on to have a somewhat successful solo career. Dave Rowntree bought a farm in the english countryside and emulated fellow drummer Bill Berry of REM who became a farmer after leaving the band.


The B-52's are finishing up work on their new disc in their hometown of Athens, Georgia fifteen years after the release of "Good Stuff' in 1992. They took some time off after the success of the "Cosmic Thing" and "Good Stuff" tours that ran from 1989-1992. They admitted after the consecutive tours they were a little burned out and had some in and outs taking awhile for things to fall into place. There are eleven tracks on the new disc and just like previous B-52's material will contain alot of danceable pop. Post-production of the album is expected soon and they plan to release it sometime next year. They do need a label to release it on and they are looking for one. They also plan a tour of the US and Europe this summer and a full concert schedule when the disc is released.


Victoria Beckham once known as Posh Spice says a Spice Girls reunion will "definitely" happen in the coming months. She said this while presenting an award at the Glamor Awards ceremony in the United Kingdom last week. "We'll see what turns out, between you and me I definitely hope this will happen." A plan for the girls to play six huge gigs at the end of this year in London, Tokyo, Las Vegas and accompanied by a greatest hits compilation. Melanie C has come out against the idea but I believe that the amount of money to be made off of reunion tours will override her reluctance given her recent lack of solo success.

Crowded House played a packed private lunch hour show in Los Angeles on Thursday at the 200 capacity Hotel Cafe. The New Zealand based band reunited early this year and plan to release a disc in July titled "Time on Earth." The performance was a warm up for their upcoming tour and at times the set seemed like they were in someone's living room jam session. The band members joked about recent hangovers and the sound of horns honking during the afternoon gridlock traffic during their set at the small club. They played eight songs which included four of their new tracks from "Time on Earth" and the well loved classics of "Private Universe," "Fall At Your Feet,"Locked Out," and "Don't Dream It's Over." Lead singer Neil Finn thanked the lunchtime crowd for attending their performance and said "if anyone is going to get in trouble for being away from work, we'll write notes for you...saying F@%K You" and added a laugh.

Rage Against The Machine launched a mysterious countdown clocks on their website recently. The site give no information on what they are for however, some fans claim to have cracked the meaning. If users set the internal clocks on their computers forward to the deadline it reveals the sites meaning. The website is registered to Live Nation Worldwide Inc. who own the Alpine Music Theatre in East Troy Wi where the band will be playing a show. The second countdown ends on Aug 24th if the same procedure is followed it will reveal where the bands next show is to be performed.

Tales of Merchandising

Wilco has issued a statement on their website defending the licensing of songs from "Sky Blue Sky" for the advertising of Volkswagen. Fans of the band have been critical of this decision however the band states on the site that they did this to get their music out, they were paid for it, and many members of the band drive VW's. This isn't the first time Wilco has licensed their work several songs have been licensed for commercials and films world wide. Recently a song was featured in a spot for Telefonica Mobile in Spain and Jeff Tweedy will also play the voice of god in an upcoming episode of Comedy Centrals cartoon "Lil Bush"
The decline of radio airplay and the surge of downloading a band's work for just one song has played a factor not only with Wilco but other bands on ways to promote their work through t.v. commercials and other alternative methods.

A pair of sneakers that are to be issued by New Balance are inspired by the band Joy Division. The shoes will feature artwork from the bands 1979 album "Unknown Pleasures." Distinctive ripples will appear on the sole and the tongue and have an embossed "Fact 10" as a nod to the band's label Factory Records.
Joy Division will also be the subject of a film titled "Control" and directed by Anton Corbijin a dutch artist who is known for his work photographing the band and directing the video "Atmosphere" for the band shortly after the death of lead singer Ian Curtis. Corbijin has also worked with the band U2, "Joshua Tree" Depeche Mode "Violator", and most recently the artwork for The Killer's on the disc "Sam's Town"

In the Studio

U2 are working with Brian Eno again they are writing a new album in Morocco as a follow up to their 2004 disc "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." They have been joined by Eno and Daniel Lanois both have produced their most important and popular recordings. An online posting by Bono explained how the sessions were going, " We have no plans for the music yet we're just going to make it until we can't put it out" drummer Larry Mullen Jr said this was the first time that the band has worked with the two producers in a song writing capacity and have found it to be different and liberating.

No Doubt are planning on working on a new disc and will begin in a studio next month. It will be their first disc in six years, three members of the band Tony Kanal, Adrian Young, and Tom Dumont are going to lay down some tracks while waiting for their lead singer to finish up her solo tour which ends this fall. The band has been together since 1987 and decided to take a break from being band in 2004. Tony Kanal has said that the break has been pretty long and they are ready to work together again.

Legal Matters

The Phil Spector trial continues in Los Angeles. On Tuesday the jurors were shown the bloody revolver found at the feet of actress Lana Clarkson on the night of Feb 3, 2003. A bureau that was next to Clarkson's body slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector's mansion contained a snub nosed Colt Cobra revolver with dried blood on the handle and barrel it is unregistered but believed to be owned by Spector.
Prosecutor Pat Dixon had detective Mark Liilenfield show the revolver to the jury and then went on to show photographs of a purse hanging from Clarkson's right shoulder her right hand rested on the purse this led them to believe that her death wasn't a suicide but a homicide.
The prosecution maintains that Spector killed Clarkson and they reinforced their claim of his fondness for guns with photographs of a small arsenal containing two fully loaded blue steel revolvers, an unloaded 12 gauge pump shotgun and several rounds of ammunition and that the incident as a romantic evening gone awry. When police arrived on the night in question the mansion was dark and there were lit candles, a bottle of tequila and brandy in the living room coffee table and Spector's briefcase and a foil packet of Viagra that contained two empty slots.
The defense attorney Bradley Brunon maintained during cross examination of the detective that the crime scene was contaminated and asked Lillenfeld whether he was aware that a rape test performed on Clarkson later came back as negative. He replied "No" and Brunon asked if the detective had any evidence that Spector took the Viagra again he replied" No, I don't." The defense resumed their line of questioning of the crime scene asking if there had been alot of touching of the revolver in question Lillenfeld answered that there wasn't. If convicted Spector will spend fifteen years in prision for murdering Clarkson he is currently sixty seven and seems to have had his share of mental problems in the past.


R Kelly's recent disc "Double Up" landed at # 1 on June 5th and the disc sold 386,000 copies according to Soundscan. This coincided with the fifth anniversary of Kelly's indictment on child pornography charges on June 5, 2002. A trial date has yet to be determined and Kelly has remained free even though he was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography by a grand jury in Cook County. The charges stem from a sex tape that has been circulated on the internet featuring a man who looks like Kelly having sex with a teenage girl. Whether he will ever stand trial for the charges wasn't known at this time.

Problems

Lilly Allen says that touring has turned her into an alcoholic The 22 year old pop singer who is the daughter of english actor/comedian Keith Allen and film producer Allison Owen debuted her disc "Alright Stil" with the single "Smile" which hasn't received alot of airplay in the USA but reached number 1 in the UK in July of 2006.
She has had a difficult few months feuding with other artists such as Lady Soverign who called her a "chav" (an english derogatory term for a fake or fashion slave) and feuding with Cheryl Tweedy from rival pop girl group Girls Aloud and she has also had to cancel dates in the United States due to lack of interest and her current problem.
Allen said "The constant touring promotes an unhealthy lifestyle and that she needs to get into the studio to work the follow up to her debut disc "Alright." She explains that" I'm an alcoholic now. It's not good and that's why I want to get back to the studio. I've actually pulled myself aside and said it will kill me if I keep it up. I've got to stop abusing myself because as far as I'm concerned every loon hates me now." She is scheduled to play the Glastonbury festival later this month. Sounds like she may not make it if she cannot overcome her problem of booze and feuding with other artists.

Perhaps, Ms. Allen should join Richie Sambora who recently checked into Wednesday for an undisclosed problem and asked that the public respect him and his family's privacy. It isn't known if his entering rehab will interfere with the release of the Bon Jovi disc titled "Lost Highway" that debuts on June 19th. The band are scheduled to appear on the "Today" show on that date and later play a concert in London on June 24th. A more extensive tour is planned for 2008.

In Closing

I've decided to close this column in a public service announcement form. You should try to take the time to learn a musical instrument during your lifetime.
I played the trombone as a child and became pretty good at it but of course I gave it up as I got older. I have always been interested in music and have known some musicians in the past but never picked up another instrument until recently.
A guitar owned by a friend of mine was sitting around collecting dust and not being played it is a Hohner (pictured) it was manufactured in the 1960's and Hohner is more known for their making of harmonicas.
It is a bit out of tune but it is a beautiful instrument and I've been trying to and have learned some chords rather quickly. It has provided me with quite a few hours of enjoyment and is very theraputic. Whether I'm trying to learn a new chord or just strumming it all of my troubles seem secondary. Even if your not musically inclined I challenge you to pick up an instrument that you always wished to play and learn how to play it. It might be difficult at first but nothing worth doing is easy.
You won't be sorry I assure you.
Thanks
Until next week

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

A Reunion and a Rebuttal, and a Possible breakup

A Reunion

The Police kicked off their reunion tour on May 28th at General Motors Place in Vancouver British Columbia before a sold out crowd of 20,000 people. This in response to a band that hasn't publicly played together in over twenty years. The show was opened by Fiction Plane a group led by Sting's son Joe Sumner.
The Police opened their show with "Message in a bottle" many fans in the audience stood up and sang along while some were feeling the nostalgia of the moment others weren't even born when the song was released.
Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland followed up with a six minute rendition of "Synchronicity" a track from their 1982 album by the same name.
The Police have scheduled a tour of 21 gigs in the US that include stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas,Seattle, New Orleans, and New York. Their stops in Canada include Montreal, Edmonton, and Toronto. They will also perform in South America, Europe, and finish up in Australia in early 2008. The Police are hoping to rival the Rolling Stones and U2 tours of late and join other bands that have had reunion tours such as The Eagles, Genesis, and the yet to reform Van Halen.

A Rebuttal

An unexpected critic of the show offered up his opinion of the first show. It was Stewart Copeland The Police's drummer said "the concert was unbelievably lame and the singer jumps like a petulant pansy" and the drummer is making "complete hash, and who knows what the guitarist is doing" said Copeland . The show started off rough for Copeland who tripped while walking on stage unintentionally striking a gong on his drum set. He didn't hear Sumners opening riff to "Message in a Bottle" and Sting didn't hear Copeland's drum intro. "We are half a bar out of sync with each other and Andy is in Idaho" said the drummer. They quickly recovered even though Sting got his footwork wrong as he leapt into the air to signal the end a shamble of the song "Synchronicity II." After the concert no fists flew backstage the three members of the band fell into each others arms laughing hysterically a different result from their heyday when fists flew.
Should the Police stay together for the tour they are scheduled to play and record a performance for MTV's "Unplugged" series. The series debuted in 1989 four years after the break up of the Police and Sting recorded a session as a solo artist in 1991. They will perform acoustically on July 13th at a yet to be named Miami Florida venue.

Music Notes

Prince will perform at the Macy's department store in Minneapolis on July 7th to celebrate the day his new fragrance 3121 debuts. The performance is expected to draw 1,400 fans and includes a ticket to a private show on the eighth floor of the building and one ticket to his performance that evening at the Target Center.
The cost of the package is $250 plus service fees and went on sale on Friday at Macy's in Minneapolis. Further details are posted on the purple one's website.

Johnny Borrell the front man of the english band Razorlight has recorded a solar powered song for the charity Friends of Earth. The track "Funeral Blues" that features the lead singer and a violinist highlights the solutions for climate change. The song was recorded at the Premises in Hoxton, London which is powered by 18 solar panels. The track is available on Britain's Radio 1 station and will be available for free download over the next two weeks.

The new disc by the White Stripes has been leaked by a Chicago radio station DJ Electra at Q101 and Jack White is really angry about it. The station played the disc in its entirety and was obviously instantly bootlegged placed on internet file sharing sites. Jack White called the radio station from Spain and scolded the dj and asked if she was sorry for what she had done. She wrote on her blog that someone had given a copy of the entire disc and they were excited about playing it. The whole experience was an hour long love fest for the White Stripes, and that Jack shouldn't be angry because it is believed to be a terrific disc.


Andrew Lloyd Webber wants to work with Eminem on a possible future collaboration. The composer admits that he doesn't know the rapper too well. But he has often spoken about his appreciation of the rap superstar and has even met with him, he says that Eminem is "very intelligent." Webber has written such hits as Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.


There had been speculation that Gerard Way lead singer of My Chemical Romance had married because a ring appeared on his left hand recently. He said it was only a friendship ring but announced his engagement on June 1 during an interview on MTV 2.

George Michael has donated the piano that John Lennon used to compose "Imagine" to Virginia Tech University. A spokesman for Michael said that "Georges's deepest wish is to imagine a world with peace and without violence." Virginia Tech University is where a gunman killed 33 students in April. In other related George Michael news the singer cancelled a concert in Prague because of an accident involving two of the trucks that carried special sections of the stage. A large part of the stage podium remained trapped under a truck and it wasn't possible to replace it. No further details of the accident were given and it isn't known when the concert will be rescheduled.

Further Rehab

Bo Diddley was released from Creighton University Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska he returned to his Gainesville, Fl home by private jet. He was transported to Shands Rehab Hospital to begin further speech and occupational therapy. He will spend two weeks at the facility and will continue his therapy as an outpatient. Get well wishes from fans around the world poured in as well as messages from Chuck Berry, Elvis Costello and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

Brittney Spears has posted an open letter on her website to her fans detailing her descent into madness back in February. She said that she had " truly hit rock bottom," and that she wasn't suffering from depression or alcohol but she was running around like a bad kid with ADD. She also stated that she "had a manager from a long time ago come in and try to direct me and my life after I got my divorce," referring to her on-off again manager Larry Rudolph. She went on to further state that she was overwhelmed and in shock from the divorce and admits that she was just "lost." She said that her life is both "crazy and surreal" and she is "truly blessed " thanks to her children and finished the letter saying " I just hope this letter made some of you think a little bit more of me and where I'm coming from."
At one time she was a somewhat bankable pop sta. However, her novelty quickly wore off and her music never really changed with the scene. Her first marriage of 55 hours to Jason A. Alexander and her second marriage to Kevin Federline a backup dancer who she had two children with. Then her descent into alcohol and late night parties and subsequent rehab proved that she is a former pop star looking for attention.

Legal Blotter

Five weeks into the Phil Spector trial the jury continues to hear the physical evidence of the night that Lana Clarkson died. The coroner Dr. Louis Pena testified that the barrel of the gun may have been forced into Lana Clarkson's mouth bruising her tongue before she was fatally shot. He stated that the bruise was "very unique and is consistent with blunt-force trauma." He also testified that there are bruises on Clarkson's right arm and wrist.
Clarkson had been experiencing chronic headaches had been prescribed two drugs that are generally taken for depression. He called her death a homicide and described her as a hopeful person with no history of depression or suicide attempts according to his research. Pena cited evidence that she hadn't been putting her affairs in order as some people do before a suicide. "She died with a purse on her shoulder in a strangers home, which isn't typical of someone taking their own life." Jurors were then shown graphic photos of the crime scene and the damage done to Clarkson's face, and inside of her mouth. One juror looked away and Clarkson's mother and sister were obviously not present for this part of the prosecution. The defense maintains that on Feb 3, 2003 Clarkson took her own life and Spector had nothing to do with it.


Rapper Young Jeezy( Jay Jenkins) was arrested at an Atlanta Ga strip club on Thursday. Jeezy was there with his sister and her friends when an altercation occurred around 3 am. Off duty police officers working security at the club called for backup from the county police and they responded. The officers reported that there wasn't any physical confrontation it was all verbal and confrontational because some of the group didn't want to leave. Jeezy was later booked on a disorderly conduct charge at the DeKalb county jail and released.

A possible breakup?

According to Liv Tyler her father Steven Tyler lead singer of the band Aerosmith is considering leaving. His reason is that the other members don't seem to appreciate him. However, it hasn't been confirmed that Tyler is actually leaving the band. He recently recovered from throat surgery to correct a popped blood vessel. He and his wife clothing designer Teresa Tyler of 18 years divorced in January of 2006 citing personal problems as the reason for the divorce.

My Corner

I'd like to end this entry on a happy and somewhat nostalgic tone. The Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came out exactly forty years ago on June 1, 1967 Although, I wasn't alive when the original came out it has always been a favorite of mine. The record confused alot of people because of its psychedelic content and was considered high technology because it was stereophonic. It set a pattern for bands of the future to emulate and learn from and influenced not only pop music but all forms. If you have the opportunity I strongly advise you to listen to the original record from the beginning to the end and imagine what it must have sounded like for the first time in 1967.

Until next week

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Spice Girls Reunion ? Method Man Arrested, Paula falls straight down.

Reunions?

The reunion of the Spice Girls may not take place after all it was reported that they would get together for a concert with a venue to be yet announced around Christmas and be paid $2 million each. Melanie Chislholm formerly known as Sporty Spice has been rumored to oppose the idea because she wants to concentrate on her solo career. Mel C has four discs her most recently titled "This Time" and released a cover of the "Bow Wow Wow" song " I want candy" last month and is only available in the United KIngdom. Melanie C's solo career has been similar to such forgettable artists such as Robyn, Geri Halliwell (formerly Ginger Spice), and Natalie Imburlia ("Torn"). Early reviews indicate that she shows some promise on the new disc overall it is lacks substantial effort. Rejoining the group for only a short time might give her solo career a boost.

Portishead are planning to reunite and will play their first live show since 1997 at All Tomorrow's Parties a festival which celebrates music, art, and media. The event will take place in Minehead, England from Dec 7-9, 2007 and the group will curate " A Nightmare Before Christmas" display.
The band says that they have chosen different artists to work with and are looking forward too it. In February of this year the band made a surprise appearance at Mr. Wolf's a noodle in Bristol, England where they played an acoustic set previewing new material. The band was founded by Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley , classified as a "trip-hop" band where they use live jazz samples in order to maintain a lo-fi sound. The group are from Bristol and debuted in 1994 with "Dummy" and the single "Sour Times" they followed up with their second disc "Portishead" and the single "All Mine". They collaborated in 1999 with Tom Jones on his disc "Reload."


Simon and Garfunkel were recently honored by the Library of Congress and received the Gershwin Award which is given to outstanding American musical talents in the popular song genre. A concert was performed Wednesday with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, Lady Black Mamzabo also performed with Simon their first collaborations since 1999. SImon said of Garfunkel " My dear friend and partner in arguments." before starting with their 1970 studio album " Bridge Over Troubled Water," and "Celia." James Taylor also made an appearance during the concert and sang "Still Crazy After All These Years," another hit by the pair of honorees. Stevie Wonder closed out the show with Simon the gospel group The Dixie Hummingbirds did a version of "Loves Me Like a Rock." The concert will be broadcast on PBS television starting
June 27th.

Music Notes

Lily Allen is going to do a duet with Deborah Harry of Blondie did a version of "Heart of Glass" on the Today Show on May 25th and Harry's group Blondie did "Call Me" and three of their own songs. Deborah Harry is to release a solo album on August 7th titled "Necessary Evil," if you'd like to hear an advanced track from the disc it is streaming on myspace.com/debbieharry.


American Idol's days maybe numbered the 30.7 million people who watched Jordin Sparks in this years season finale was a sharp drop from the 36.4 million who saw Taylor Hicks in last years finale. The factors that are contributing to the decline are a lackluster group of contestants and a general disinterest of viewers and the law's of TV gravity.


Amy Winehouse who's top ten single "Rehab" won best contemporary song Thursday at Britain's Ivor Novello Song writing Awards presented at the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
The awards are named after Ivor Novello who composed the popular songs "Keep the Home Fires Burning,"and "We'll Gather Lilacs." WInehouse thanked the crowd and said " I didn't even have time to get drunk-I've only been here 15 minutes." said Winehouse who is known for her high speed personality and has a reputation for smoking and drinking. She recently married boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami,Florida. She said it was sudden "but that's the way I am," and "I've married the best man in the world."

A new advertising campaign for the shoe company Doc Martens has been halted. The print ads depicted deceased rock legends Kurt Cobain, Joe Strummer, Joey Ramone, and Sid Vicious wearing the Airwair line while sitting on a cloud wearing all white except the black boots.
The tag line in the corner reads "Dr. Martens Forever." The image of Kurt Cobain without the approval oby Cobain's widow Courtney Love. Her publicists filed to put a stop to the depiction of her late husband and Dr. Marten's not wanting to face a public relations embarrassment put an stop to the ads and apologized. "Dr. Martens is very sorry for any offense that has been caused but the public images showing dead rock star icons wearing Dr. Marten boots" according to a company press release. The advertising agency that created the images wanted to communicate to the consumer that Dr. Martens were made to last and the images were legally purchased from Corbis a worldwide stock photo company.


Noel Gallagher of Oasis has made up with the Scissor Sisters and lead singer Ana Matronic. He reportedly called the band's music "music for squares."
During a backstage meeting at the Brit Awards Matronic said " We share the same security company, so when I heard they were hanging around backstage I marched straight up to Noel and pinched him on the cheek. and gave him a big hug. If someone says something bad about the Scissor Sisters I don't engage them in an argument but try to kill them with kindness and make them love me." Noel referred to Matronic as a "top bird" to a mutual friend and he was very nice as was Liam. Maybe the Gallagher brothers have finally softened up after all these years or else they have been misquoted as they had been in the past.


Ozzy Osbourne was awarded the first star in Birmingham, England's new walk of fame on Broad street outside of the city's National Indoor Arena where he is to perform on July 6th. He previously received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2002. He commented that having a star in his hometown made him happy " I have a star in Hollywood on their Walk of Fame but having a star in my hometown means so much more to me. A personal thank you goes out to Lord Mayor Randal Brew." Future stars are to be given to actors,comedians, and musicians who come from Birmingham and the public are asked to get involved and vote for the stars they'd like to see honored.

An Iggy Pop inspired children's garden has won a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower show. The Lust for Life Garden features an arc of water that moves rhythmically to the beat of "Lust for Life" the song that he is best known for. Iggy said " It's awesome the Lust For Life Garden won a silver medal. It's great to know my music reaches so many people and inspires, I'm honored the Children Society's garden is inspired by my music and I wholeheartedly support the work they do-they rock." According to the the London Daily Mirror the garden will later be dismantled and rebuilt within one of the the charities project for disadvantaged children.

Legal Woes

Method Man(b. Clifford Smith) of the Wu-Tang Clan was arrested last week in Brooklyn, NY after a police officer noticed the registration of his 2005 Lincoln Navigator had expired. The officer also claims to smell marijuana smoke coming from the vehicle once it was stopped. Upon further investigation the officer found two blunts and other drug paraphernalia. The New York Post reported that Method had 28 grams of the drug in his possession before being taken into custody. He was charged with unlawful and criminal possession and driving uninspected vehicle.

Injured list

Paula Abdul fell while trying to avoid stepping on one of her Chihuahuas breaking her nose and fracturing her toe. She was slightly bruised but wasn't hospitalized for her injuries and the dog was unharmed. She was able to make it to Wednesday's American Idol Finale. Abdul has suffered a variety of unusual injuries, in 2004 she contracted a fungal infection while getting a manicure at a salon and had to have her right thumbnail removed. In 2005 she revealed that she suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRP) that causes chronic pain, and in April 2006 she filed a police report claiming she suffered back injuries and a concussion when she was thrown into a wall at a club by a fellow partygoer.

Bo Diddley who suffered a stroke on May 19th during a performance in Council Bluffs, Iowa is out of intensive care Monday and walking around at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha Nebraska. He is awaiting his lead doctor's permission to go back to his home in Gainesville, Florida whether he will be transferred by medivac or private jet remains to be determined. The stroke affected the left side of Diddley's brain and he has trouble with speaking and recognizing words but is slowly improving and has little or no physical limitations. He has had a history of diabetes and hypertension factors that contributed to the stroke.

That is all I can write for this week I still have alot more to report but will save it for next week until then

GETOUTOFMYHEAD !

Pumpkins,Crows, and Linkin's Park.

The Smashing Pumpkins Reunion

A series of summer concert series are slated for the Smashing Pumpkins. They will perform at a club called The Orange Peel in Asheville NC, from June 23-July 5 and then perform at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco CA, from July 22-Aug 1, 2007. Fans attending the shows will be allowed to use video and audio recorders at both venues according to the bands website . The performance at the Asheville venue will be the biggest event in the clubs history and for the city of Asheville. The Smashing Pumpkins last extended stay was a four shows in their hometown of Chicago before the release of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness," in 1994. Original members Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin are the only members who are slated to perform at the venues other original members James Iha and D'Arcy Wretzky have yet to be included in the reunion plans.
It would seem that in order to have a "reunion" of a band Corgan would have to put aside his much publicized ego and work with all original members. Some recent reunions of bands that have been somewhat successful are Son Volt, The Pixies, and the english band Cream who apparently called it quits over a woman. If the members of these bands can find some common ground one would think that Corgan and company could too.

It's a boy

Sheryl Crow announced this week that she has adopted a two-week old baby boy and he has been named Wyatt Crow after her father. She mentioned last year on CNN that she would love a child whether it was her own or came from someone else.
This is the first child for Crow who is currently single but had a much publicized engagement with Lance Armstrong that ended in February 2006. It was often rumored that she and the cyclist were contemplating having children together and that she was visiting fertility clinics because she couldn't have children but denied reports of her ever doing so. Crow admitted that she formed a close bond with Armstrong's son and twin daughters during the courtship. After the relationship ended she announced that she had been diagnosed for breast cancer which she eventually beat.
The recent big name adoptions by Angelina Jolile, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell have led some to believe that they do it because of their celebrity. However, they have apparently realized that there are children in the world who need parents.

On the mend ?

Bo Diddley suffered a stroke last Sunday after becoming disorientated during a concert for the Katrina Hurricane Victims in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was admitted to the intensive care unit at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, The stroke on his left side and left him with impaired speech at first . However, his condition was somewhat improved the next day and doctors think that he will be able to perform again after going through physical therapy. He has had a history of hypertension and diabetes.
Bo Diddley was born Elias Bates in McComb Mississippi on Dec. 30, 1928 He learned to play the guitar, violin and was inspired to play music and perform after seeing John Lee Hooker. He adopted the stage name Bo DIddley and began performing rhumba like beats similar to the hambone style that some street performers used in the south. His first album was released in 1958 on the Chicago based Chess Label a successful jazz label during the 50's and 60's. His first public appearance was on the Ed Sullivan Show where he was the first black performer featured on that program. He has influenced and performed variety of artists throughout the years ranging from The Clash, The Yardbirds, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Grateful Dead, U2.

Rapper's Delights

The rapper 50 Cent says he doesn't intend to clean up his lyrics in spite of the recent publicity over rap lyrics containing the "N-word", "Ho", and "B*tch". Def Jam's founder Russell Simmons call for an end to these words used by rappers throughout the industry and the second word was a reason for the cancellation of the Don Imus show by CBS radio.
Fiddy said "Music is a mirror, and hip-hop is a reflection of the environment that we grew up in. It's the harsh realities that end up in the music. If I ask you to paint a picture of the American flag and not use the color red your going to have a difficult time." 50 Cents first disc "Get Rich or Die Trying" was a story of how he had survived growing up poor, dealing drugs, and the ever present theme of him being shot ten times and surviving.

Snoop Doggy Dog is said to be bored with hip-hop and would like to change his career by working with other artists outside of the genre. He has said " I got beats for everybody man, I got beats for Celine Dion, Sade. Rap shit is easy whoever I call , I can get just because I'm Snoop Dogg. " I want to be more creative with artists who will be here in 20 years from now.

A hip-hop artist known for working outside his genre is Kayne West who is finishing up his third disc titled "Graduation" to be released in September. It will feature collaborations with Chris Martin of Coldplay on the songs "Graduation" and "Can't tell me nothing."

Lauryn Hill has announced that she will be playing two special shows in the US this summer. She will play on June 27th and 29th the first in Oakland and the second in Pala, California. She and Conor Oberst (Brighteyes) are said to be working together on her new disc. One of the tracks titled "Khulami Phase " is said to be the title of the disc.

Nate "Danja" Hills has collaborated with Britney Spears on her new disc and he says it was all about having fun and not worrying about her recent personal life. He has said that the new disc is fun and there isn't anything wrong about feeling good about being and celebrating womanhood.

Ten Million sold and we still have none

Paul McCartney's new disc "Memory Almost Full" is estimated to be heard by more than 6 million people around the world. This will be the first release on the Concord Music Group label which is owned by the Starbucks Corporation . The worldwide listening party will be on June 5th the date of the discs release and will be previewing it in more than 10,000 stores and in 29 countries.

Buy It !

A former friend of Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson has been trying to halt an auction of his personal items at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino that is to take place on May 30-31.
At least 1,000 items valued at $50 million are to be auctioned. Jackson filed a temporary injunction and sought punitive damages against Universal Express Inc. a luggage handling company based in Boca Raton, Fl which received 20.000 items as part of a bankruptcy settlement with the Jackson Family in 2002. The items that contested were written items such as personal correspondence, the lyrics to the 1970 ht "ABC" by the Jackson 5 and artwork
On Friday a hearing to extend the injunction was to take place but Jackson didn't show up. Apparently, Jackson and Universal reached an out of court agreement. The auction will take place but won't include potentially embarrassing items the CEO of Universal said that if Jackson presses further legal action then the embarrassing items would be added to the auction regardless of their content.

They just keep on Rolling

Mick Jagger is rumored to be engaged to his current girlfriend fashion designer L'Wren Scott. She was recently seen wearing an expensive engagement ring.

Keith Richards guitarist for The Rolling Stones is reported to be writing his autobiography. He may receive at least $5 million for the story of his life and is meeting with publishers over the next few months in New York City.

Linkin's Park

Linkin Park's new disc "Minutes to Midnight" which was released on May 15th may be somewhat of a surprise for longtime fans. The one thing people will notice is that there's not alot of nu-metal feel but what we do is very Linkin Park." Chester Bennigton lead singer of the band said that "Minutes to Midnight" doesn't sound like LInkin Park's previous work the songs are more melodic and has more content than their previous discs.
The rapper/musician Mike Shindoa who writes most of the lyrics for the group sings on one track and has said that people assume that the lyrics are political but they aren't. "We're not a political band. And I see some of the stuff that you're referring to ... as more social. I tend to be drawn towards people, the interaction with people and how emotional events make you feel, and because we're all older, I think that we are more aware of those things." "We've taken alot of risks on this record because of the stylistic changes that we've made. Linkin Park's first two discs 2000's "Hybrid Theory" sold 10 million copies and 2003's "Meteora" sold 4 million all in the first week of sale.

Reformations, Bannings, Courtney Love's garage sale,

Reformations

The Spice Girls are considering reuniting and have been offered $2 million each to play a show this Christmas. Melanie B, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckaham, met to discuss the plan last Wednesday evening. They were at the Cirprani Restaurant to celebrate David Beckham's thirty second birthday who is the husband of Victoria Beckham. The only holdout was Mel C who was against a reunion but is considering it after meeting up with the other girls later in the week.
The strangle hold that they seemed to have on the music scene in 1997 puzzled alot of people maybe it was because the grunge revolution died a few years earlier and britpop was at its peak and fans were looking for something new and fresh.Their influence spawned copycat groups like "All Saints","Girls Aloud", and the current incarnation "The Pussycat Dolls" all follow the same formula of five beautiful girls who sing about love, life, and girl power. I don't see a reason for the "Spice Girls" to reunite other than it will be a financial windfall for them as their solo careers have been less than successful.

A group who shared the charts with the Spice Girls ten years ago was Blur. Their "Blur" contained the hit "Song 2" an homage to the grunge sound of American bands They will reunite in the studio this summer with founding member Graham Coxon and Alex James. It will be the band's first disc since 2003's "Think Tank" a disc where Coxon quit during those sessions to begin a somewhat successful solo career. Although, there were alot of hard feelings when Coxon quit but apparently they are all back on speaking terms. Coxon said " If things don't go well in the studio they're all quite happy to walk away, safe in the knowledge they gave it their best shot." Alex James is quoted as saying " We're all going to head into the studio together this summer, Graham's coming too. We're going to see if we've still got it ."

Crowded House are to reform and release an album their first since 1996's " Farewell to the World." They called it quits after the release of that album and did their final performance on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney Australia on Nov. 26, 1996 where the proceeds went to the Sydney Children's Hospital.
The album will be called "Time on Earth" and be available on July 10th . They are to perform their first set of shows at the The Live Earth Festival in Australia which will feature the reformed band minus longtime drummer Paul Hester who committed suicide due to his struggle with depression in November of 2005. Hester's replacement is Matt Sheroud who has played drums for Beck.

The Police are set to play their first show in twenty five years in Vancouver B.C. They will play a fan only show on May 27th where members of the fan club can use tickets purchased online. They will then play a public show for ticket holders on May 28th. They have reunited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the bands formation and will tour North America and Canada this summer.

Banned From Walter Reed

Joan Baez the folk singer and anti-war activist has been banned from performing for recovering soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. Although she had permission to do so as far back as March.
No reason as to why she wasn't allowed to perform for the soldiers other than "she didn't fit in here" Baez's replied " I have always been an advocate for nonviolence and I have stood as firmly against the Iraq war as I did the Vietnam war 40 years ago, I realize now that I might have contributed to a better welcome home for those soldiers fresh from Vietnam. Maybe that's why I didn't hesitate to accept the invitation to sing for those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan."
A spokesman for the Army Steve Sanderson sent an email to Rolling Stone. Com stated " These additional requirements were not in the agreement/contract and would have required modification." John Mellencamp said " They didn't give me a reason why she couldn't come. We asked and they sad, "She can't come here period." Whatever the reason or reasons this author believes that in light of the recent deplorable conditions discovered at Walter Reed they should be looking for an opportunity for positive publicity instead of fostering the negative.

Courtney's Garage Sale

Courtney Love the widow of Kurt Cobain has announced that she will sell several items belonging to the former lead singer who committed suicide on April 5,1994. She plans to have an auction and give the proceeds to charity and has said " I am going to let my daughter have a sweater, a guitar, and the lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and the rest well just sell." "My daughter doesn't need to inherit a giant bag of flannel shirts" and " I still wear his (Kurt's) pajamas to bed how am I ever going to form another relationship in my lifetime wearing his pajamas." Love sold her share of the rights to the Nirvana catalog in March of 2006 and plans to release an album titled "Nobody's Daughter" a date has yet to be determined for the release.

Prince to play several shows in London

Prince will play 21 shows in London starting in August at the O2 arena. The ticket price will be £31.21($61.21 ) a reference to his last album 3121. Those who buy tickets for the performance will receive a yet untitled studio album from the purple one. Prince said " The last time I was here not alot of people saw me so we are trying to make it affordable." He has a large fanbase in the UK and is doing an extended stay in London similar to the shows he recently did in Las Vegas.

Tori "Lloyd Webber" Amos ?

Tori Amos the piano humping princess is writing a musical and will debut in New York's West End and Broadway. "I think I am writing a musical, I'm gushing but under lock and key" she said. " I'm trying to be Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. I'm trying to be both of them. I'm busy , this is such a big project-a double record 23 songs and teh extras."
She recently released her new album American Doll Posse where she uses different personas on the disc to tell a story so a musical shouldn't be hard for her.

Bad news for Phil Spector

The ongoing trial of Phil Spector who is suspected of killing Lana Clarkson in his Beverly Hills home on February 3, 2003. Spectors and his defense have claimed for the past four years that she killed herself. However, this week four women who knew Spector testified against him further incriminating his fondness for guns and his threat to women. The first Melissa Grosvenor testifed that during their relationship , he walked up, held a gun to my face between my eyes and said "If you try to leave I'm going to kill you." she claims this happened in New York in 1991 when she was a waitress and found him a charming and quick witteed they dated for a year and a half. Grosvenor acknowledged she has been convicted of embezzlement in Georgia and later lied on an employment application when she asked about her criminal history.

Stephanie Jennings testified that she and Spector developed a long distance relationship in 1994. Jennings a music industry photographer testified that he threatened her with a gun and held her hostage.
She described being at a party where Spector became extremely drunk and obnoxious. She returned to her hotel room without him and slept until a knock by a bodyguard who said that Spector wanted her in his room. When she refused he showed up drunk and during an argument he slapped and pushed her causing her to fall on the toilet and she grabbed Spector who fell into the bathtub. He left after the confortation and returned with a gun and placing a chair in front of the door and said "I wasn't going anywhere." Cross examination of Jennings revelead that she had dated Spector off and on until 2004 so she apparently wasn't afraid of him as it would seem.
If Spector's history with guns, violence, and women are true and he is guilty of killing Lana Clarkson the 67 year old former producer is facing 15 years in prison.

The Killers hold off on their third album

The Killers are saying that their third disc will be awhile. In an interview with Billboard guitarist Dave Keuning said that they won't start recording until mid 2008. They have started rehearsing new ideas for the third disc.
The Killers released their first disc "Hot Fuss' in 2004 and followed up wit "Sam's Town" in 2006.

My Chemical Romance and Muse in death threat scandal

My Chemical Romance and the british band Muse are canceling tour dates after members of their crew became violently ill after a gig in Virgina on April 29th. They apparently contracted salmonella from the Green Leaf Cafe in Williamsburg Va. The owner of the resturaunt claims he has been receiving death threats from fans who blame him for the incident. The poisionings are being investigated by Virgina health officials.

Wilco releases new album

The Chicago based band Wilco will release their new disc on May 15, 2007 titled "Sky Blue Sky." I have personally heard some of the tracks and it sounds like they are going back to a more basic sound which is different than their two previous discs 2000's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and 2004's " A Ghost is born." They changed peoples perception of what Jeff Tweedy a former member of Uncle Tupelo who were known for their "alt.country " sound could do with his talent. I'm certain it will be a good one so download or buy it tomorrow.
Thanks


On a personal note; our pet cat named "Lilith" passed away. She was a stray that we found she had lived with me and my brother for seven years and then stayed with my brother when he bought a house in 2002. Lilith was at least ten years old if not older her "pet" name was "Boo Cat " because she looked like the pictures of cats we used to see on bulletin boards in school during Halloween. She was all black and very affectionate and never complained .
So I have to say may you be able to frolic in the sunshine forever and may there always be a plentiful supply of Fancy Feast wherever you are. You were a wonderful friend and won't be forgotten.

Until next week GETOUTOFMYHEAD!