I gotta admit - today's title for the blog actually has me pumped! 2011 is not even a month old, and already we've had a bunch of things come down the pike and this past week was no exception. Everything from TV to emails - stuff seemed to come out of the woodwork about almost everything!
I received a very interesting email from a "new" listener of 360 Degrees of Alternative. They wrote saying that they found the station by accident, checked it out, and really liked what they heard - cool! They checked out our Facebook page & became a fan - really cool! From there, they clicked the link & visited our website. Now here is where I'm unsure if we took a detour or not. As they were reading my bio on the website, it "suddenly dawned on them how old I was"... ouch! The email went on to ask if I was experiencing some sort of a mid-life crises, because this listener did not know anybody in their late 40's who listened to ALL this type of music.
This isn't the first time I've been asked - no wait, told - I'm too old for this genre as well as this racket called rock 'n roll radio. Well, sorry to disappoint, but no crises here... just keeping the faith. The good news was, in the conclusion of the email, this listener said they would keep 360 Degrees as one of their favorites; "I like the station so much that I can overlook the fact of your age." Good - 'cause I may have to send my 55 year old friend who loves this stuff after you...
You read (or hear) the headlines - corporate buyouts, budget cutbacks, downsizing, and layoffs. The bummer about these things is that they take a toll on tribal knowledge. It seems this happens more so during tough times. Radio is not immune from this. In the commercial field, it only takes advertising revenues to fall or a decline in the ratings book for upper management to start screaming for changes. Unfortunately, it's usually the music along with the common worker that gets marked with a bulls eye.
There's an old saying - rock n' roll may not change the world, but it can change your life. I feel that this genre is one of the few that have the power to do that. The sad part is, music is a tradition - it should be passed on to generations. Artists do this on a regular basis. It's called influences. We should be doing the same. I've done it with my kids and I have friends who have done the same. I'm attempting to do the same with a world wide audience with 360 Degrees. That's why I offer four decades of music. You cannot appreciate the present unless you respect the past. This is one thing I'd like to leave the next generation, because sometimes it seems people just don't care...
Need further proof? Check out the video of the performance of 73 year old Wanda Jackson, who has been dubbed the Queen of Rockabilly, with Jack White on Letterman a few nights ago. Not only is rockabilly an influence on punk and alternative, but we also have this genre of music spanning the generations as well as being introduced to new ones. They smoke through Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' 1960s hit "Shakin' All Over." We feature the version done by The Syndicate of Sound. The performance was so hot, it nearly left Letterman speechless: "Oh my god! Holy crap! Whoa!" he said, before insisting they continue playing to close out the show. Check it out here!
I may jack a few people out of shape with this next one, but I have absolutely no sympathy for this guy. I'm talking about the creator of the TV show "Glee" Ryan Murphy. It seems that since this show is so hot, that it thinks it's exempt from some of the follies of Hollywood. Rumors have been circulating lately about the enormous egos this show has produced in such a short time and I feel some are starting to actually show themselves through the cracks in it's supposedly perfect porcelain face.
Kings of Leon have had offers out the ying-yang to appear on numerous successful TV shows. However, the band has turned every offer down. No big deal, right? Well, I guess Glee creator Ryan Murphy has a real problem with rejection. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was quoted as saying, "Fuck you Kings of Leon. They're a bunch of self-centered assholes." According to Murphy, he was very upset and feels KOL are missing the whole point of his show. He says it's about kids, heart, and music.
The band has responded to Murhy's harsh critisim. The main reason why KOL turned down the invitiation is because the band has never even seen the program. Drummer Caleb Foolowill also added the following Twitter post; "Dear Ryan Murphy - let it go. See a therapist, get a manicure, buy a new bra. Zip your lip and focus on something else besides teaching kids how to say fuck."
Like I said... 2011 is off and running! Check that - stampeding...
Until next time, keep listening.
Peace out,
Dave
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Remembering Don Kirshner, "Comeback" Seems To Be The New Buzzword, And More!
It's hard to believe that were more than halfway through January already, (which is a good thing if you live in the "snow belt" here in the US), but it seems the music news is coming at us fast & furious - even faster than the time seems to be flying by.
By now, my first topic can be considered "old news" in this digital world... even though the unfortunate event only happened 2 days ago. With the untimely passing of Don Kirshner, rock music has, bar none, lost a major figure and icon. While it's possible that anyone under the age of 25 may not have a clue as to who this man was, you should. If it wasn't for Kirshner, rock music would not be what it is today - period.
Without going into a historical diatribe on the man, (there's plenty of that to be found on the net), I considered Kirshner to be kind of a living irony. The guy couldn't sing or play an instrument if his life depended on it, but was so influential. How influential? Rumor has it that he persuaded The Rolling Stones to play on his show instead of on other TV networks, simply based on his reputation. Kirshner could only pay them $300 per man, while other network offers were around one million dollars. He also took chances. He aired bands on his late night TV show (which was 100% live) when other forms of media barely gave those bands passing glances. And this was an extreme rarity in the 70's. It's even rare today. You will be missed, Don.
Over the past few weeks, it seems "comeback" is the new buzzword for 2011. Artists from Amy Winehouse to Britney Spears have been using the term in regards to their music car
eer. Well, add three more names to that list. Archers of Loaf, Camper Van Beethoven, and Cracker.
- Archers of Loaf, the indie icon from North Carolina, performed their 1st live gig since 1998 at the Love Language show at Carrboro, N.C.'s Cat's Cradle last Saturday. Listed only as "special guests" on the program, word still got out & the place was packed to capacity. According to reviews, the performance was outstanding.
- Camper Van Beethoven & Cracker; I can cover both these bands in one shot. Why? Because David Lowery delivered a two-for-one at New York City's Highland Ballroom last Friday night. He led Camper Van Beethoven through the entirety of 1989's Key Lime Pie, took a break, and then returned to whip through 1993's Kerosene Hat with his later group, Cracker. I'm unsure if this is a first of sorts, but it was a win-win for the fans.
Some quick notes about albums that are out today;
- The Decemberists, The King Is Dead
- Social Distortion, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
After weeks of rumors, a formal announcement was made regarding some of the bands who will be playing the 2011 Coachella Festival, which will be held April 15-17 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. For a while, everyone from Neil Young to The Rolling Stones were rumored to be playing. When the dust settled, it seems Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, the Strokes, and Kanye West are set to headline the event. Other artists who will take the stage during the festival will be The Black Keys, The National, as well as Mumford & Sons. Tickets go on sale this Friday the 21st.
While we rarely tackle anything Broadway, I do know we have some fans of U2 as well as Spider Man. There's been much anticipation for the official opening, but U2's Spider-Man musical has been delayed for a fifth time and will now premiere on March 15, producers for the show announced yesterday. The delay will allow for "more time to fine-tune aspects of the show, including the new ending," according to the New York Times. Also, well known U2 producer Steve Lillywhite has been called in to work on the show's music. I guess the $65 million dollar price tag of the show (the most expensive in Broadway history) can't buy everything...
Dabbling into a bit of interesting history, it was this week back in 1982 when the band Gene Loves Jezebe
l played their 1st gig under their new name at the London Institute of Contemporary Art. The band consists of identical twins Jay & Mike Aston, Ian Hudson, and a drum machine. The ironic part of all this is how the band got the gig in the 1st place. Apparently, the bartender working for the ICA highly recommended the band and was also a fan. His name? Mike Aston.
Also, this week back in 1979, the Ramones came to Hollywood to start filming the Roger Corman film, "Rock n' Roll High School". One scene calls for the Ramones to drive up to the front door of the Mayor Theater in a big pink Cadillac with leopard upholstery and a New York license plate "Gabba Gabba Hey". Hollywood would never be the same...
Until next time, keep listening!
Peace out,
Dave
By now, my first topic can be considered "old news" in this digital world... even though the unfortunate event only happened 2 days ago. With the untimely passing of Don Kirshner, rock music has, bar none, lost a major figure and icon. While it's possible that anyone under the age of 25 may not have a clue as to who this man was, you should. If it wasn't for Kirshner, rock music would not be what it is today - period.
Without going into a historical diatribe on the man, (there's plenty of that to be found on the net), I considered Kirshner to be kind of a living irony. The guy couldn't sing or play an instrument if his life depended on it, but was so influential. How influential? Rumor has it that he persuaded The Rolling Stones to play on his show instead of on other TV networks, simply based on his reputation. Kirshner could only pay them $300 per man, while other network offers were around one million dollars. He also took chances. He aired bands on his late night TV show (which was 100% live) when other forms of media barely gave those bands passing glances. And this was an extreme rarity in the 70's. It's even rare today. You will be missed, Don.
Over the past few weeks, it seems "comeback" is the new buzzword for 2011. Artists from Amy Winehouse to Britney Spears have been using the term in regards to their music car
eer. Well, add three more names to that list. Archers of Loaf, Camper Van Beethoven, and Cracker.- Archers of Loaf, the indie icon from North Carolina, performed their 1st live gig since 1998 at the Love Language show at Carrboro, N.C.'s Cat's Cradle last Saturday. Listed only as "special guests" on the program, word still got out & the place was packed to capacity. According to reviews, the performance was outstanding.
- Camper Van Beethoven & Cracker; I can cover both these bands in one shot. Why? Because David Lowery delivered a two-for-one at New York City's Highland Ballroom last Friday night. He led Camper Van Beethoven through the entirety of 1989's Key Lime Pie, took a break, and then returned to whip through 1993's Kerosene Hat with his later group, Cracker. I'm unsure if this is a first of sorts, but it was a win-win for the fans.
Some quick notes about albums that are out today;
- The Decemberists, The King Is Dead
- Social Distortion, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
After weeks of rumors, a formal announcement was made regarding some of the bands who will be playing the 2011 Coachella Festival, which will be held April 15-17 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. For a while, everyone from Neil Young to The Rolling Stones were rumored to be playing. When the dust settled, it seems Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, the Strokes, and Kanye West are set to headline the event. Other artists who will take the stage during the festival will be The Black Keys, The National, as well as Mumford & Sons. Tickets go on sale this Friday the 21st.
While we rarely tackle anything Broadway, I do know we have some fans of U2 as well as Spider Man. There's been much anticipation for the official opening, but U2's Spider-Man musical has been delayed for a fifth time and will now premiere on March 15, producers for the show announced yesterday. The delay will allow for "more time to fine-tune aspects of the show, including the new ending," according to the New York Times. Also, well known U2 producer Steve Lillywhite has been called in to work on the show's music. I guess the $65 million dollar price tag of the show (the most expensive in Broadway history) can't buy everything...
Dabbling into a bit of interesting history, it was this week back in 1982 when the band Gene Loves Jezebe
l played their 1st gig under their new name at the London Institute of Contemporary Art. The band consists of identical twins Jay & Mike Aston, Ian Hudson, and a drum machine. The ironic part of all this is how the band got the gig in the 1st place. Apparently, the bartender working for the ICA highly recommended the band and was also a fan. His name? Mike Aston.Also, this week back in 1979, the Ramones came to Hollywood to start filming the Roger Corman film, "Rock n' Roll High School". One scene calls for the Ramones to drive up to the front door of the Mayor Theater in a big pink Cadillac with leopard upholstery and a New York license plate "Gabba Gabba Hey". Hollywood would never be the same...
Until next time, keep listening!
Peace out,
Dave
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
2011 - This Time In The Other Direction, Meet The Staff At 360 Degrees, Live Green Day, And More!
Welcome to 2011... again! In the last blog, I highlighted a few stories on how 2011, barely a week old, got off to an interesting start. We also looked back at 2010 for a bit. Moving forward, we'll look at more upcoming stuff and who knows what else.
The big buzz over the past few days has been about the live Green Day album that's coming out in March. This may be old news for some of you, but the band is releasing a 2 disc CD on March 15th called "Awesome as F**k". All material was recorded on their latest tour. No other details are available at this time, except Amazon.com states that a DVD will also be included with the bundle that contains footage of the band performing live. The trailer has been all over the net, so what the heck - let's throw our hat into the ring!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZcCJBr_Nh4
In some other "tag line" news bits, we look at some polar opposites;
- We mentioned a while back that Coldplay is working on a new album. There's still no release date yet, but they'll be working two producers - Brian Eno and Markus Dravs. Rating = Cool!
- After a two year hiatus, Britney Spears "couldn't wait" to leak her new single, "Don't Hold It Against Me" through iTunes over the weekend. As a good friend of mine said about the song, "Sometimes the jokes just write themselves". 'Nuff said. Rating = Not Cool!
Trent Reznor, the front-man for Nine Inch Nails, is doing another movie soundtrac
k. You may remember he did the music for David Fincher's movie The Social Network. Trent's latest project will be the score for the American film adaptation of Stieg Larsson's bestselling book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which is also being directed by Fincher and slated to hit theaters around Christmas 2011. According to Reznor, the upcoming soundtrack will be more performance oriented and less programmed.
Here's your chance to shape the future of rock n' roll! Converse in association with Rolling Stone magazine is hosting a contest called "Get Out Of The Garage". Kind of like an on-line "American Idol", you get to vote for one of the top 10 finalists. The winning band will be the opening act on the Get Out Of The Garage tour that kicks off in March down in Austin Texas for a 6 city tour including stops in NYC and LA. Click here to cast your vote.
Speaking of "shaping the future of rock n' roll", I was looking through some history that happened during this week:
- Back in 1977, The Clash sign a world-wide deal with CBS Records with an initial signing bonus worth over 100,000 pounds. Their are rumblings in the underground that The Clash, being the last bastion of the political left, have "sold out". The band plans to release their debut single in less than eight weeks.
- Back in 1978, The Sex Pistols implode in San Francisco, less than 3 months after the release of their debut record on Warner Brothers. The band, at this point, is an absolute train wreck. The bands man
ager, Malcolm McLaren, is trying to stop the chaos. After their performance at Winterland in the bay city, Johny Rotten says he is through with the Sex Pistols and takes off to San Jose. Bassist Sid Vicious is depressed, suicidal, and constantly wasted. He almost OD's on heroin 2 days after the show. No one in the band wants anything to do with him. Guitarist Steve Jones & drummer Paul Cook actually plan to go on with the tour without Vicious and Rotten. The final nail in the coffin, is after expenses are subtracted for the show (and everything else) from the bands money, they are left with only $67 to split between the four of them. A day later, Johnny Rotten is in New York & makes a statement to the The New York Post stating that The Sex Pistols are finished... no more... done. He stays with various New York bands, attends some gigs, goes to some clubs, and then disappears into the city.
Finally, I received an email on Saturday asking an unusual question. The sender (also a fan of the station) wanted to know how come there are no pictures of the staff at 360 Degrees of Alternative on the website, on the Facebook page, etc. I had to admit, I never really thought about it. But, without further ado, here is the staff -
1). Gunther; IT specialist - Gunther is our "go to" guy when we experience any technical glitches, which
thankfully, are very few. It's amazing what this guy did with all this equipment in a space the size of a small closet. He's working on some cool upgrades that we hope to have on-line in the very near future. He also keeps me in line when we experience "hiccups" and gives me those puppy dog eyes...
2). Yogi; Human Resources Manager - Yogi comes to us from overseas with a wealth of knowledge and life experience. He keeps the station flowing and keeps everyone on track (including me) when things get a bit hectic. I must admit, he is one of the more relaxed characters I've ever met and that's one of the main reasons why is is so key to this operation.
3). Ba
xter; Assistant Program Director & "Party Animal" - Believe it or not, Baxter is not all fun and games. He has quite the pulse on the alternative rock scene, especially on what's new and up & coming. He helps me keep on top of the latest news, trends and groups. Ironically, he and Gunter get along great!
That's about it for now. Until next time, keep listening and thanks!
Peace out,
Dave
The big buzz over the past few days has been about the live Green Day album that's coming out in March. This may be old news for some of you, but the band is releasing a 2 disc CD on March 15th called "Awesome as F**k". All material was recorded on their latest tour. No other details are available at this time, except Amazon.com states that a DVD will also be included with the bundle that contains footage of the band performing live. The trailer has been all over the net, so what the heck - let's throw our hat into the ring!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZcCJBr_Nh4
In some other "tag line" news bits, we look at some polar opposites;
- We mentioned a while back that Coldplay is working on a new album. There's still no release date yet, but they'll be working two producers - Brian Eno and Markus Dravs. Rating = Cool!
- After a two year hiatus, Britney Spears "couldn't wait" to leak her new single, "Don't Hold It Against Me" through iTunes over the weekend. As a good friend of mine said about the song, "Sometimes the jokes just write themselves". 'Nuff said. Rating = Not Cool!
Trent Reznor, the front-man for Nine Inch Nails, is doing another movie soundtrac
k. You may remember he did the music for David Fincher's movie The Social Network. Trent's latest project will be the score for the American film adaptation of Stieg Larsson's bestselling book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which is also being directed by Fincher and slated to hit theaters around Christmas 2011. According to Reznor, the upcoming soundtrack will be more performance oriented and less programmed.Here's your chance to shape the future of rock n' roll! Converse in association with Rolling Stone magazine is hosting a contest called "Get Out Of The Garage". Kind of like an on-line "American Idol", you get to vote for one of the top 10 finalists. The winning band will be the opening act on the Get Out Of The Garage tour that kicks off in March down in Austin Texas for a 6 city tour including stops in NYC and LA. Click here to cast your vote.
Speaking of "shaping the future of rock n' roll", I was looking through some history that happened during this week:
- Back in 1977, The Clash sign a world-wide deal with CBS Records with an initial signing bonus worth over 100,000 pounds. Their are rumblings in the underground that The Clash, being the last bastion of the political left, have "sold out". The band plans to release their debut single in less than eight weeks.
- Back in 1978, The Sex Pistols implode in San Francisco, less than 3 months after the release of their debut record on Warner Brothers. The band, at this point, is an absolute train wreck. The bands man
ager, Malcolm McLaren, is trying to stop the chaos. After their performance at Winterland in the bay city, Johny Rotten says he is through with the Sex Pistols and takes off to San Jose. Bassist Sid Vicious is depressed, suicidal, and constantly wasted. He almost OD's on heroin 2 days after the show. No one in the band wants anything to do with him. Guitarist Steve Jones & drummer Paul Cook actually plan to go on with the tour without Vicious and Rotten. The final nail in the coffin, is after expenses are subtracted for the show (and everything else) from the bands money, they are left with only $67 to split between the four of them. A day later, Johnny Rotten is in New York & makes a statement to the The New York Post stating that The Sex Pistols are finished... no more... done. He stays with various New York bands, attends some gigs, goes to some clubs, and then disappears into the city.Finally, I received an email on Saturday asking an unusual question. The sender (also a fan of the station) wanted to know how come there are no pictures of the staff at 360 Degrees of Alternative on the website, on the Facebook page, etc. I had to admit, I never really thought about it. But, without further ado, here is the staff -
1). Gunther; IT specialist - Gunther is our "go to" guy when we experience any technical glitches, which
thankfully, are very few. It's amazing what this guy did with all this equipment in a space the size of a small closet. He's working on some cool upgrades that we hope to have on-line in the very near future. He also keeps me in line when we experience "hiccups" and gives me those puppy dog eyes...
2). Yogi; Human Resources Manager - Yogi comes to us from overseas with a wealth of knowledge and life experience. He keeps the station flowing and keeps everyone on track (including me) when things get a bit hectic. I must admit, he is one of the more relaxed characters I've ever met and that's one of the main reasons why is is so key to this operation.
3). Ba
xter; Assistant Program Director & "Party Animal" - Believe it or not, Baxter is not all fun and games. He has quite the pulse on the alternative rock scene, especially on what's new and up & coming. He helps me keep on top of the latest news, trends and groups. Ironically, he and Gunter get along great!That's about it for now. Until next time, keep listening and thanks!
Peace out,
Dave
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Post Christmas Wishes & Resolutions, Getting Ugly, Denying Rumors, & More Chekky Dribble!
Welcome to 2011!
Alright, it's January 8th as I'm writing this, so we're more than a week into the New Year, but hey - better late than never! Over the past 2 weeks, I took a break from the blog and looked back at the 12 months we called 2010. I made some notes, as well as a list of belated Christmas wishes and resolutions to the music industry. But more on that in a bit...
First off, it seems that 2011 is off to an ugly start for Paramore. On January 7th, the band did a broadcast interview on MTV about two of their founding members leaving the band and responding to ex-guitarist Josh Farro's... "bitter" shall we say... blog post about th
e split. It seems that the post aimed the bulk of his aggression against singer Hayley Williams (whom he had once been romantically involved with... oops), alleging that she was a controlling force in the band, and that Paramore was really all about her.
Williams has candidly admitted that, just like Farro wrote in his blog post, the band's deal with Atlantic Records was solely under her name, (oops again...), she emphasized how she's always worked to make Paramore a real band and not just a one-woman show. As for the future, they will finish up their latest tour with replacement musicians and plan to release new music at some point in 2011.
Speaking of things getting ugly, it seems the brothers Gallagher, both formally of Oasis, (who haven't even spoken to each other since the split years ago) are feuding yet again. Noel Gallagher has a new solo album due out soon and brother Liam says Noel "stole the songs for his solo album". According to a Uncut Magazine interview, Liam says it all, "I've heard his fucking new record 'cos I fucking sung on half of it. Fucking nonsense." Wow! There's brotherly love for you! However, some music industry insiders have a few questions:
- How exactly, does Liam know that Noel stole them?
- And if Noel wrote the songs during the 2008 session of Oasis' final album "Dig Out Your Soul", how exactly do you steal your own songs?
I wrote a month or so back that Adam Yaunch of the Beastie Boys was on the mend
from cancer. It's now been 18 months since he started treatments - and yes, Adam says he is feeling much better. Yes, the boys will be releasing "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2" in the spring. However, Adam will be the first to deny rumors that he is cancer free. In a recent interview with the BBC, Yaunch stated that his better health and the new release "is a good thing... we're all very excited about it. But where these rumors and statements came from, you've got me. If I'm totally cancer free, I'd like to know about it. That would be really cool!"
Ah, all this drama, rumors, etc. Reminds me of a line from a famous movie; "How can there be so many currents in such a little puddle?"
Now, since we've finished celebrating the 12 days of Christmas & hopefully still have some unbroken New Years resolutions, here's my list of gifts and wishes that I would like to pass on to the music world. I hope these artists found these "gifts" under their tree or made it part of their commitments for the New Year. My apologies in advance...
1). Lady Gaga - originality
Yes, she's popular... yes, she's everywhere. However, this artist does not have an ounce of originality. It has been noted that all her costumes ideas have been taken from other artists throughout the past 3 decades, especially Madonna. Her music contains countless rhythms, hooks, concepts, and sounds...that from other artists. Lady G - you've got the fame, the money, and the clout. Now use this leverage to actually do something that is TRULY your own.
2). Katy Perry - remembering her age & some talcum powder.
As popular as Lady Gaga except that the majority of her audience consists of 4th-9th graders. Katy dear... act your age, not your shoe size. Please mature a little bit & bring your music along for the ride. You are not the next Hanna Montana. As far as the talcum powder - with all the latex you wear, you must be running out...
3). Any friend, family member or associate of Michael Jackson - a copy of MJ's death certificate.
People please... the guy is dead. Leave him alone for once...
4). Christina Aguilera - an identity.
Christina - note to self. You are NOT Lady Gaga. For future reference, imitation sometimes is not the most sincerest form of flattery. When you tried to be something you were not, your latest album flopped and you had to cancel your tour because it bombed. Go find yourself.
5). The Who - some rehearsal time.
I love The Who. Pete Townsend is one of my favorite guitarists & biggest influences. However, when The Who played at last years Super Bowl halftime show, it became excessively apparent that they did not rehearse enough (they started a week before the gig). C'mon guys - you're better than that.
6). Courtney Love - her memory.
I know she hasn't had the easiest life over the past 15 years, however her comeback would have been better if she included one important aspect... her memory. She released a new album & went on tour using her old band's name Hole. One big problem was she forgot her former band-mates... and she needed them. She also needed to remember that she's not 25 anymore. Her voice was borderline shot or at least way out of practice. Courtney - remembering at least some of the past is a good thing.
7). Justin Bieber - an exit sign.
Justin... dude... just go away. Hang the exit sign over any door & don't come back... please.
8). To all the emo music loving teens in the malls - tissues.
OK - Fall Out Boy broke up. Cry a little, get over it. Worse things happened this year... deal.
9). Scott Weiland - rehab & sticking with it.
Maybe it was because he started drinking again. How he got out of Velvet Revolver is still a mystery to me. He should have stuck with them... at least they were very successful. As a result the Stone Temple Pilots reunion was a flop and resulted with Scott's meltdown in Houston.
10). Kesha - a reality check.
Sorry, I refuse to put a dollar sign in her name. I will admit - many people enjoy an auto-tune once in a while. However, this artist probably needs more help than anyone on this list. A HUGE reality check in fact. She honestly thinks she has talent... but she has none. She thinks she's cute... but comes across like a blithering idiot. She thinks she has a great voice... but it's unbearable. Maybe it's the ridiculous group of people around her who constantly pump her ego telling her she's so great... I don't know. But maybe Kesha can share her gift...
Here's to a prosperous (on many levels), blessed, and safe 2011!
Until nest time, keep listening and thanks!
Peace out,
Dave
Alright, it's January 8th as I'm writing this, so we're more than a week into the New Year, but hey - better late than never! Over the past 2 weeks, I took a break from the blog and looked back at the 12 months we called 2010. I made some notes, as well as a list of belated Christmas wishes and resolutions to the music industry. But more on that in a bit...
First off, it seems that 2011 is off to an ugly start for Paramore. On January 7th, the band did a broadcast interview on MTV about two of their founding members leaving the band and responding to ex-guitarist Josh Farro's... "bitter" shall we say... blog post about th
e split. It seems that the post aimed the bulk of his aggression against singer Hayley Williams (whom he had once been romantically involved with... oops), alleging that she was a controlling force in the band, and that Paramore was really all about her.Williams has candidly admitted that, just like Farro wrote in his blog post, the band's deal with Atlantic Records was solely under her name, (oops again...), she emphasized how she's always worked to make Paramore a real band and not just a one-woman show. As for the future, they will finish up their latest tour with replacement musicians and plan to release new music at some point in 2011.
Speaking of things getting ugly, it seems the brothers Gallagher, both formally of Oasis, (who haven't even spoken to each other since the split years ago) are feuding yet again. Noel Gallagher has a new solo album due out soon and brother Liam says Noel "stole the songs for his solo album". According to a Uncut Magazine interview, Liam says it all, "I've heard his fucking new record 'cos I fucking sung on half of it. Fucking nonsense." Wow! There's brotherly love for you! However, some music industry insiders have a few questions:
- How exactly, does Liam know that Noel stole them?
- And if Noel wrote the songs during the 2008 session of Oasis' final album "Dig Out Your Soul", how exactly do you steal your own songs?
I wrote a month or so back that Adam Yaunch of the Beastie Boys was on the mend
from cancer. It's now been 18 months since he started treatments - and yes, Adam says he is feeling much better. Yes, the boys will be releasing "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2" in the spring. However, Adam will be the first to deny rumors that he is cancer free. In a recent interview with the BBC, Yaunch stated that his better health and the new release "is a good thing... we're all very excited about it. But where these rumors and statements came from, you've got me. If I'm totally cancer free, I'd like to know about it. That would be really cool!"Ah, all this drama, rumors, etc. Reminds me of a line from a famous movie; "How can there be so many currents in such a little puddle?"
Now, since we've finished celebrating the 12 days of Christmas & hopefully still have some unbroken New Years resolutions, here's my list of gifts and wishes that I would like to pass on to the music world. I hope these artists found these "gifts" under their tree or made it part of their commitments for the New Year. My apologies in advance...
1). Lady Gaga - originality
Yes, she's popular... yes, she's everywhere. However, this artist does not have an ounce of originality. It has been noted that all her costumes ideas have been taken from other artists throughout the past 3 decades, especially Madonna. Her music contains countless rhythms, hooks, concepts, and sounds...that from other artists. Lady G - you've got the fame, the money, and the clout. Now use this leverage to actually do something that is TRULY your own.
2). Katy Perry - remembering her age & some talcum powder.
As popular as Lady Gaga except that the majority of her audience consists of 4th-9th graders. Katy dear... act your age, not your shoe size. Please mature a little bit & bring your music along for the ride. You are not the next Hanna Montana. As far as the talcum powder - with all the latex you wear, you must be running out...
3). Any friend, family member or associate of Michael Jackson - a copy of MJ's death certificate.
People please... the guy is dead. Leave him alone for once...
4). Christina Aguilera - an identity.
Christina - note to self. You are NOT Lady Gaga. For future reference, imitation sometimes is not the most sincerest form of flattery. When you tried to be something you were not, your latest album flopped and you had to cancel your tour because it bombed. Go find yourself.
5). The Who - some rehearsal time.
I love The Who. Pete Townsend is one of my favorite guitarists & biggest influences. However, when The Who played at last years Super Bowl halftime show, it became excessively apparent that they did not rehearse enough (they started a week before the gig). C'mon guys - you're better than that.
6). Courtney Love - her memory.
I know she hasn't had the easiest life over the past 15 years, however her comeback would have been better if she included one important aspect... her memory. She released a new album & went on tour using her old band's name Hole. One big problem was she forgot her former band-mates... and she needed them. She also needed to remember that she's not 25 anymore. Her voice was borderline shot or at least way out of practice. Courtney - remembering at least some of the past is a good thing.
7). Justin Bieber - an exit sign.
Justin... dude... just go away. Hang the exit sign over any door & don't come back... please.
8). To all the emo music loving teens in the malls - tissues.
OK - Fall Out Boy broke up. Cry a little, get over it. Worse things happened this year... deal.
9). Scott Weiland - rehab & sticking with it.
Maybe it was because he started drinking again. How he got out of Velvet Revolver is still a mystery to me. He should have stuck with them... at least they were very successful. As a result the Stone Temple Pilots reunion was a flop and resulted with Scott's meltdown in Houston.
10). Kesha - a reality check.
Sorry, I refuse to put a dollar sign in her name. I will admit - many people enjoy an auto-tune once in a while. However, this artist probably needs more help than anyone on this list. A HUGE reality check in fact. She honestly thinks she has talent... but she has none. She thinks she's cute... but comes across like a blithering idiot. She thinks she has a great voice... but it's unbearable. Maybe it's the ridiculous group of people around her who constantly pump her ego telling her she's so great... I don't know. But maybe Kesha can share her gift...
Here's to a prosperous (on many levels), blessed, and safe 2011!
Until nest time, keep listening and thanks!
Peace out,
Dave
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Ramones (Something Old), R.E.M. (Something New), Vampire Weekend (Something Borrowed), Kings Of Leon (Something Burned) & More!
It's almost the New Year, so I figured I would go with the theme of that waxing poetic statement of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something _____". Well... sort of... Anyways, this blog promises to be a tad shorter than the last one as we are getting lost of brief news tidbits that have been trickling down since Christmas.
In the "Something Old" department, besides myself, we have The Ramones.
This news can also fall into the category of "it's about time", "way overdue", and about 1,000 other cliche statements. The Ramones are getting their first Grammy. The pioneering punk band will be honored at an event in Los Angeles on February 12, a day before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards ceremony is held. At this time, we're not sure exactly what that award entails, but it is great news nonetheless.
In the "Something New" category, we check in with R.E.M. The group has released a two minute trailer previewing tracks from their upcoming album Collapse Into Now, out in March. The clip shows the alt-rock vets rehearsing new tracks "All the Best," "Mine Smells Like Honey," "Every Day Is Yours to Win," "Oh My Heart," and more. Is it me or is Michael Stipe looking more like Elvis Costello with those glasses? Click here to watch it.
Covering the "Something Borrowed" aspect, we have Vampire Weekend. They have released an iTunes Sessions, which features a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm Going Down."
In the last category in regards to our theme, "Something Burned", that award goes to Kings Of Leon. They were forced to cancel a gig at London's O2 Arena after a tour bus caught fire outside the venue. Firefighters treated six unidentified people for smoke inhalation and no major injuries have been reported. The band will reschedule the show at a later date.
Finally, here's our "more" entry. This is kinds old news, by industry standards, but I
didn't have a chance to note it on the last blog. Gorillaz wrapped up their tour in New Zealand, of all places, with guests like former members of The Clash Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, as well as Bobby Womack, Little Dragon, and the American Syrian Orchestra (!!). It was a tour for the memory books - you may remember that the group kicked off the tour, which was only 48 dates, in Madison Square Garden in NYC with special guests Lou Reed & Mos Def. The band hopes to repeat this type of tour again, but even front-man Damon Albarn says, "This may never happen again..." Let's hope he's wrong. In any event, yes... the Gorillaz ruled in 2010.
That's it for now. Keep listening & keep the comments and suggestions coming!
Peace out,
Dave
In the "Something Old" department, besides myself, we have The Ramones.
This news can also fall into the category of "it's about time", "way overdue", and about 1,000 other cliche statements. The Ramones are getting their first Grammy. The pioneering punk band will be honored at an event in Los Angeles on February 12, a day before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards ceremony is held. At this time, we're not sure exactly what that award entails, but it is great news nonetheless.In the "Something New" category, we check in with R.E.M. The group has released a two minute trailer previewing tracks from their upcoming album Collapse Into Now, out in March. The clip shows the alt-rock vets rehearsing new tracks "All the Best," "Mine Smells Like Honey," "Every Day Is Yours to Win," "Oh My Heart," and more. Is it me or is Michael Stipe looking more like Elvis Costello with those glasses? Click here to watch it.
Covering the "Something Borrowed" aspect, we have Vampire Weekend. They have released an iTunes Sessions, which features a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm Going Down."
In the last category in regards to our theme, "Something Burned", that award goes to Kings Of Leon. They were forced to cancel a gig at London's O2 Arena after a tour bus caught fire outside the venue. Firefighters treated six unidentified people for smoke inhalation and no major injuries have been reported. The band will reschedule the show at a later date.
Finally, here's our "more" entry. This is kinds old news, by industry standards, but I
didn't have a chance to note it on the last blog. Gorillaz wrapped up their tour in New Zealand, of all places, with guests like former members of The Clash Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, as well as Bobby Womack, Little Dragon, and the American Syrian Orchestra (!!). It was a tour for the memory books - you may remember that the group kicked off the tour, which was only 48 dates, in Madison Square Garden in NYC with special guests Lou Reed & Mos Def. The band hopes to repeat this type of tour again, but even front-man Damon Albarn says, "This may never happen again..." Let's hope he's wrong. In any event, yes... the Gorillaz ruled in 2010.That's it for now. Keep listening & keep the comments and suggestions coming!
Peace out,
Dave
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Coldplay, Bamboozle Festival 2011, Christmas Madness Through The Years & More!
The elves & I here at 360 Degrees of Alternative have been very busy during the past 2 weeks. Between putting the finishing touches on our 1st annual Christmas CD and drinking way too much spiked eggnog, someone finally noticed that the blog hasn't been touched in a few weeks. We will dispense with the wrapping and bows, so you open this "gift" right now - Happy Holidays!!
First off, there's been quite a buzz on the net recently about the new Coldplay release. More details are starting to surface, so here's what we have so far: Chris Marting has informed the BBC that Coldplay’s next release will be a concept album. He explained it as being “from the point of view of two people who are a bit lost, two like-minded outsiders who meet in a very difficult environment and therefore have a journey together.” He said, “It’s a concept album but it's supposed to be very personal within a big framework. Does that make sense?" I don't know - I'm still back at the two lost people section... I also know that Brian Eno will produce this next album.
Here's a link to your 1st Christmas present: Click here to watch the "Christmas Lights" video.
The 2011 version of the annual three-day Bamboozle Festival will run April 29th, 30th and
May 1st at the New Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ (15 min west of NYC) and the organizers are starting to release performer information. Holding true to their commitment to offer up an eclectic lineup, main stage artists confirmed so far include A Day To Remember, Boys Like Girls, New Found Glory with Marky Ramone, Waka Flocka Flame, Circa Survive, Streetlight Manifesto and the RX Bandits.I've been making a lot of mention as of late about all the new albums / releases that are due to hit the open market between January and the Summer 2011, with a big push in the Spring. Now, we're getting word of a great deal of tour announcements and dates. The following bands have scheduled tours for next year:
- Jimmy Eat World
- Foo Fighters
- My Chemical Romance
- Radiohead
- The Flaming Lips
- Cage The Elephant
... and that's just for starters.
The latest issue of "Rolling Stone" is doing a feature on the top 15 Christmas songs of all time. It is definitely a list for discussion. We here at 360 Degrees aren't going to get too wrapped (pardon the pun) in this, we are offering two things: our own list as well as our own CD... gift #2 to you!
In my book, here are some of the biggest alternative Christmas songs in history:
1). "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid.
Yeah, I know we've all heard this song a great many number of times over the past 26 years. But it's importance lies in the fact of the amount of charity that came out of it and the events like Live Aid that happened the following summer.
2). "Baby Please Come Home" by U2.
A one shot deal by the boys from Ireland. A fantastic remake of the 1963 Darlene Love classic. To add credibility, it's also on the 1st CD release for charity in conjunction with Special Olympics.
3). "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses.
One of the few Christmas songs I know that not only appeared on groups' greatest hits collection, but may have defined the band more than their staple, "I Know What Boys Want". When this song came out, alternative and rock in general, was way overdue for an original Christmas song. This track fit the bill in spades and is still widely played.
4). "Christmastime" by Smashing Pumpkins.
This song, which only appeared on the 3rd CD charitable release for Special Olympics, was also completely "out of character" for this group - which was a good thing. Many people, at first, thought this was a lead vocalist Bill Corgan solo project as there wasn't an electric guitar or drums or anything heavy to be found within 100 miles. The song showed just how versatile and talented the group could actually be.
5). "Merry Christmas Eve" by Better Than Ezra.
Another original song written and released a few years ago. It mostly gets played on rock and "modern" stations, but to this day, I cannot figure out why more stations don't play this song. It is very well written and composed - in fact, EVERY person who listens to this song for the first time, wants me to burn a copy for them or they go out and buy the song... it's THAT good.
Now, (attention: sales pitch ahead), all these songs (except for the
1st one) are on our 1st annual Christmas CD "360 Degrees Of Alternative Christmas". We have a few left if you would like one. 20 songs in all - no digital remastering, no BS... just great tunes. Something for everyone. Just drop us an email at alternatv@midcoast.com. Allow us a week or so to get you one in the mail.Another part in the blog title is "Christmas Madness Through The Years". This is the history part of the blog as I went back in time (pre-1983) & found some cool (and hysterical) alternative Christmas moments;
- 1982: New Order provides their fans with special 7" record containing "Rocking Carol". The B-side contains their version of Beethoven's "Song Of Joy". Only 4,400 are produced and all were given away in a rubber-stamped bag that also contained a party hat, a whistle, some streamers, and a bit of candy.
- 1982: On the opposite end of the spectrum, Fear also releases a holiday offering called "Fuck Christmas" - a song that clocks in at only 45 seconds long.
- 1980: The Police play a pair of Christmas concerts in a huge tent on Tooting Bec Common. The 5,000 capacity tent has it's own heating system, but no seats. Just as well though, their fans will have a chance to dance to keep warm.
- 1979: Elvis Costello was part of a huge Christmas concert that featured Paul McCartney & Wings, as well as Rockpile. I still find it ironic that at this juncture in music history, Wings were on their last legs and Costello was just starting to hit his prime...
- 1978: Ian Dury fans had that "sinking feeling" at his concert at the Ilford Odeon. The over-excited fans were midway through the show when the floorboards gave way under excessive pogo dancing and caved in. The only thing that saved the punters from a quick trip to the basement was a sagging carpet. Wow...
- 1977: How's this for a Christmas bash? The infamous NME Christmas party was underway at Dingwalls on the 24th. Music was provided by Dave Edmunds and The Flaming Groovies. Attending the party are members of The Clash, The Ramones, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Squeeze and many more!
Well, that's about all the time I have for today. The elves are screaming to use the stations' computer. Think I'll get them their own for Christmas...
Til next time, happy holidays & keep listening!
Peace out,
Dave
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Shaping Radio Stations And Listeners, Then & Now
We received a lot of interesting and positive feedback from the last blog, which was a slight departure from the norm. I usually like to include what's new in alternative rock, as well as some history, interesting and sometimes funny tidbits, and what's to come in regards to the station. Consider this entry as part #2, continuing from last week. For those of you who thought the last blog had some interesting thoughts, but on a whole, was kind of off, don't worry - this type of blog is not the new boss.
I have to admit, I'm one of those people who were totally immersed in rock n' roll by the time I was 12 years old. By that age, I had shed almost every ounce of "pop radio" from my system. I say, almost, because my Mom still listened to that genre of music quite often, especially in the car. Since I wouldn't have my drivers license for another four years, she still "had control" over the radio whenever she had to cart me around somewhere.
By 16 - another life changing event. No, it wasn't the fact that I not only had a summer job and had the money to buy my 1st "killer stereo", or obtained my drivers license and therefore could use the car and therefore could listen to whatever tunes I wanted. One of my best friends, Scott, got the idea to hook up a TV coaxial cable to the back of his stereo receiver via an adapter instead of using that same group of wires to watch cable television. We both lived in rural New Hampshire at the time and "good" radio stations, in our opinion, were very few & far between. However, after he hooked up the cable, he was able to pull in stations from Boston and even Rhode Island with amazing clarity. We now had access to tons of songs & bands that we had never heard of. Heck, some of these were bands the local record store never heard of nor stocked the vinyl! We didn't know it at the time, but these stations shaped our likes, dislikes, and listening.
This in turn shaped us throughout college when Scott & I both went on to obtain degrees in radio and communications. We were both heavily involved in our campus radio stations and swapped music constantly. Looking back, I consider us both to be lucky to be able to attend college near Boston. One station in particular, WBCN, was influential in our music and for me, quite heavily. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this progressive station, WBCN has been an icon for over 40 years. The station has been credited with launching the careers of The Cars, The Police, U2 and 'Til Tuesday, just to name a few, because they were the first station in the US to play songs by these bands.
Now, you don't have to be involved in the radio business to realize that formats as well as stations come and go - sometimes rather quickly. For a major market station to last more than 40 years, with the same format in tact, and still featuring local programming, is nothing short of a miracle these days. I still listen to WBCN - going on 30+ years.
In hindsight, I find it humorous to think about the time when I first got into professional radio. I was young and ready to change the world! However, I was not prepared for the business side of it, the egos, and the uncertainty of it. That changed quickly and I learned as well as learned to adapt. That led me to bigger and better gigs at larger (bigger market) radio stations where I eventually had a hand at programming. Ironically, now I was the one (hopefully) shaping listeners and other radio stations. I eventually got to meet and talk to a number of rock artists that I was a fan of. To date, I've not yet become a skilled enough writer to paint an accurate picture to describe what some of those meetings were like. While they were all memorable, I can say that some people were really cool & some were total assholes.
All these years, memories, and changes have not only influenced my taste in music, but also influenced me to start this station and what to play. However, this time through the Internet and satellite, my hope is to not only possibly influence and hopefully entertain in the process, but to also to educate. At 360 Degrees of Alternative, I like to think we are "classic to cutting edge" when it comes to alternative rock. That's why we feature five decades of music, because I truly believe you cannot appreciate the present without respecting the past.
Until next time, keep listening!
Peace out,
Dave
I have to admit, I'm one of those people who were totally immersed in rock n' roll by the time I was 12 years old. By that age, I had shed almost every ounce of "pop radio" from my system. I say, almost, because my Mom still listened to that genre of music quite often, especially in the car. Since I wouldn't have my drivers license for another four years, she still "had control" over the radio whenever she had to cart me around somewhere.
By 16 - another life changing event. No, it wasn't the fact that I not only had a summer job and had the money to buy my 1st "killer stereo", or obtained my drivers license and therefore could use the car and therefore could listen to whatever tunes I wanted. One of my best friends, Scott, got the idea to hook up a TV coaxial cable to the back of his stereo receiver via an adapter instead of using that same group of wires to watch cable television. We both lived in rural New Hampshire at the time and "good" radio stations, in our opinion, were very few & far between. However, after he hooked up the cable, he was able to pull in stations from Boston and even Rhode Island with amazing clarity. We now had access to tons of songs & bands that we had never heard of. Heck, some of these were bands the local record store never heard of nor stocked the vinyl! We didn't know it at the time, but these stations shaped our likes, dislikes, and listening.
This in turn shaped us throughout college when Scott & I both went on to obtain degrees in radio and communications. We were both heavily involved in our campus radio stations and swapped music constantly. Looking back, I consider us both to be lucky to be able to attend college near Boston. One station in particular, WBCN, was influential in our music and for me, quite heavily. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this progressive station, WBCN has been an icon for over 40 years. The station has been credited with launching the careers of The Cars, The Police, U2 and 'Til Tuesday, just to name a few, because they were the first station in the US to play songs by these bands.
Now, you don't have to be involved in the radio business to realize that formats as well as stations come and go - sometimes rather quickly. For a major market station to last more than 40 years, with the same format in tact, and still featuring local programming, is nothing short of a miracle these days. I still listen to WBCN - going on 30+ years.
In hindsight, I find it humorous to think about the time when I first got into professional radio. I was young and ready to change the world! However, I was not prepared for the business side of it, the egos, and the uncertainty of it. That changed quickly and I learned as well as learned to adapt. That led me to bigger and better gigs at larger (bigger market) radio stations where I eventually had a hand at programming. Ironically, now I was the one (hopefully) shaping listeners and other radio stations. I eventually got to meet and talk to a number of rock artists that I was a fan of. To date, I've not yet become a skilled enough writer to paint an accurate picture to describe what some of those meetings were like. While they were all memorable, I can say that some people were really cool & some were total assholes.
All these years, memories, and changes have not only influenced my taste in music, but also influenced me to start this station and what to play. However, this time through the Internet and satellite, my hope is to not only possibly influence and hopefully entertain in the process, but to also to educate. At 360 Degrees of Alternative, I like to think we are "classic to cutting edge" when it comes to alternative rock. That's why we feature five decades of music, because I truly believe you cannot appreciate the present without respecting the past.
Until next time, keep listening!
Peace out,
Dave
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