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What Goes On
Watch the New Video from Andrew WK, “I’m a Vagabond”
I love this guy. “I’m a Vagabond”, a righteous party-rock ballad, is the new video to celebrate Andrew WK’s upcoming release for the double album Close Calls with Brick Walls / Mother of Mankind, which is set to hit the streets next week on March 23rd.
Andrew WK recorded Close Calls with Brick Walls back in 2004-2005, but it only saw a limited release in Japan and Korea; interesting that four years later it is seeing its US debut. Mother of Mankind features rarities spanning his career.
Live Show Review: The New Mastersounds at the Fillmore, San Francisco
The New Mastersounds with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue
March 13th at the Fillmore, San FranciscoSan Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium embraced a one-two funk-party punch this past Saturday night. The Leeds-based New Mastersounds made a trip across the pond for their spring tour and were supported this evening by New Orleans’ native, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. It was an appropriate pairing of acts, as both bring different styles to the modern funk world and boast a level of success in their ability to get the crowd to shake it.
Trombone Shorty got the party started with a well-executed mix of both covers and originals. “Trombone Shorty” Andrews is a very dynamic performer who is equally adept at trombone, trumpet, singing, conducting, and working the crowd. He switches between each of his trades at will. He leads a six-piece band that features another horn, percussion, drums, bass, and guitar, and though they played a selection jazz, hip-hop, rock, and soul, the music was clearly rooted in the loose, rubbery funk that hails from New Orleans. Twenty-four year old Trombone Shorty has command of his instrument and a sound that hardly reflects his young age. He and his band brought lively character to a set woven from original music mixed with modern covers, like Mystikal’s ”Shake Ya Ass.” In addition to featuring tracks from his new album Backatown, we also saw Trombone Shorty offer up a sexy version of Al Green’s “Let’s Get It On” and Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly Away.” The energy of the set and power of soul really gave me the impression that 2010 is going to be a breakout year for Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue.
read moreYouTube Agrees to Pay Indie Musicians In Some Kind of Capacity
Apparently, you have to sign up for this, but if you are an indie band and you wanna make some extra scratch, you can now find a way to do that on YouTube. They say:
“So whether you make hip-hop, folk, noise-rock, jazz or a genre of your own invention, we are looking for all types of original music video content. One thing to keep in mind is that right now this program only supports video content by U.S.-based artists, though there are plans to roll out the program more widely in the future.”
Find out more here.
Who Covered It Best: “Raining Blood”
Tori Amos did. Seriously. She did Slayer proud with this one, I think. It’s disturbing and sad and completely paying homage to the death metal band’s signature tune in her own way. It may not be heavy like Slayer-heavy, but it’s still way heavy.
Hear the original from Slayer after the jump. read more
Nixon Or Axl?
See if you can determine who spoke the following quotes—our 37th president Richard Milhaus Nixon or Guns n’ Roses wild man Axl Rose. Answers after the jump.
1. “Sure, Aristotle was a homo. We all know that. So was Socrates.”
2. “By the time you get dressed, drive out there, play 18 holes and come home, you’ve blown seven hours. There are better things you can do with your time.”
3. “We take it for granted we know the whole story. We Judge a book by its cover and read what we want between selected lines.”
4. “The press is the enemy.”
5. “I’d just like to say that I have a personal disgust for small dogs, like poodles. I have serious physical problems with them.”
Nigeria Special Afropop Compilations Rock!
I was at a party the other day when I overheard someone opine, albeit drunkenly, that “Afropop is played out.” At first, I thought that I would in no way lend credence to an opinion so obviously formed in the wake of Vampire Weekend, but that is just so wrong.Sure, several bands that have become popular of late have definitely cited, directly or obliquely, an influence by African music, whether rhythmically, through guitar playing style, vocal intonation, or what have you. Some are like hand-drawn copies, others, like the Dirty Projectors, adopt in the abstract. For all the heat he took for VW’s sound, Ezra Koening’s project with Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya, The Very Best, is a far more lovable than Contra (Check out their “cover” of Yeasayer’s “Ambling Alp”). But the truth is, whether its devotees are innovative, allusive, or not, the coolest Afropop is the stuff that you’ll hear that came from Africa.
R.I.P. Alex Chilton, 1950-2010
[via The Commercial Appeal] Wow, this is really sad. It’s been reported that Alex Chilton, cult hero, legendary rock musician, pop hit maker, and perhaps one of the last true men of mystery, of bands such as Panther Burns, the Box Tops, and Big Star, has passed away today in a hospital in New Orleans. He was 59, and the cause is believed to have been from a heart attack.
John Fry, Ardent founder and engineer to most Big Star sessions said this: “I’m crushed. We’re all just crushed… This sudden death experience is never something that you’re prepared for. And yet it occurs.”
Chilton was a tremendous talent and he will be sorely missed by all of those who loved his music. If you’re out drinking tonight, pour one out for him.
After the jump, view a video of Alex Chilton on a 1985 installment of 120 Minutes. read more
SXSW From the Frontlines of Daytrotter: Jakob Dylan and Neko Case
Jakob Dylan with Neko Case at Daytrotter
Austin, SXSW 2010Light banter and familiar chatter among the room full of musicians sets the tone for what turns out to be a striking session by Neko Case and Jakob Dylan (yes, son of Bob, as if you didn’t know that). Dylan’s voice kicks in with, “Nothing like the whole wide world for us” and Case’s greets his, taking the song to harmonious heights, his voice raspy and familiarly American, Case’s twangy and honeyed, but with a bite. Through the walls of the control room, “striking” is the word that first comes to my mind. This song swings slowly, fitting in perfectly with the expansive Texas landscape outside and the casual vibe of the studio itself.
Jakob Dylan has a new record coming out in April titled Women and Country, and that first song, “Nothing But the Whole Wide World”, is the leading track off the album. Dylan’s been off my own personal radar for a while now, but hearing his voice being put down on tape like this makes me want to dig up the story of his last few years. (A quick search reveals that post-Wallflowers’ last record in 2005 he released a solo album in ’08 called Seeing Things.) Case, of course, scored big with her last record, the critically acclaimed Middle Cyclone, and together they bring a moody mix of country and Americana soul to the reel like few collaborative efforts are able to achieve.
Two Other Farhang va Ahang-Related Journalists Released By Iranian Authorities
NME broke the news this morning that Kayvan Farzin (pictured right) and Lily Farhadpour, who had fallen victim to enforced disappearance at the hands of Iranian authorities in January, have been released.Farzin and Farhadpour were arrested along with along with Behrang Tonekaboni (editor of Iranian music magazine Farhang va Ahang) for no stated reason, and were held in an undisclosed location. Tonekaboni was released earlier this month on $70,000 bail. There’s no other information on the details of the release of the other two, nor is it known how they were treated, where they were kept, or even why they were arrested.
It’s good news that all three are now free, however the amount that remains unknown seems frighteningly in correlation to the amount of power abused and unchecked in Iran. It’s likely that the three journalists were arrested on suspicion of activity related to the protests that have roiled Iran since the disputed presidential election last year. Thousands of people were arrested in the midst of the protests, with many later reporting having been tortured while in custody. At present, there remain roughly 40 journalists jailed in Iran. Please visit Amnesty International’s website for information on what you can do to help pressure the Iranian government to release its journalists, and all those held for no reason other than peaceful dissent.
Mary J. Blige Punishes Foreign Markets With Covers of “Whole Lotta Love,” “Stairway To Heaven”
by: Howard Wyman
MTV reported last month that she was teaming up with Travis Barker, Randy Jackson and Steve Vai to get it done, which was a clear enough indication of what to expect. But now that it’s out there… Well, this just furthers my theory as to why she’s always so proud of all those sexy corpses she drapes herself in. She gets a discount for cutting furrier’s labor costs, see, by strolling between the cages singing classic rock covers, compelling the animals to kill themselves. And yet, while their deaths may then be construed as voluntary, sadly, they are no less cruel.
by: Howard Wyman
published: March 18, 2010
in column: What Goes On
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