Saturday, February 19, 2011

Michael Fremer Album Review


A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night
(Reissue)

Harry Nilsson

RCA/Audio Fidelity AFZLP 083
Produced by: Derek Taylor
Engineered by: Phillip McDonald
Mixed by: Phillip McDonald
Mastered by: Kevin Gray at AcousTech




MUSIC




SOUND





Audio Fidelity Reissues Nilsson's "Standards" Album
by Michael Fremer
February 01, 2011

The iconoclastic singer Harry Nilsson lived hard and mostly sang softly. His Los Angeles debauchery with his pal John Lennon and the resulting outcast behavior including being tossed with Lennon from The Troubadour for heckling The Smothers Brothers is well known, as are many of the songs he wrote, including "One" covered by Three Dog Night and "Cuddly Toy" covered by The Monkees.

Nilsson scored hits with songs written by others like Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" that was key to the film "Midnight Cowboy," and Badfinger's "Without You" written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans. He also scored with novelty hits he wrote "Coconut" and "Jump Into the Fire."

Nilsson was friends with all of The Beatles and more importantly, they respected his musical abilities, particularly his singing. Beatles publicist Derek Taylor was a champion and thus his producer credit on this album recorded in a week long session at CTS Studio in Wembley, London late winter/early spring of 1973.

At the time Nilsson went in to record this album he'd had considerable success with 1971's Nilsson Schmilsson followed quickly by the more blunt forced Son of Schmilsson, which infamously contained the "hit" single "You're Breaking My Heart (you're tearing it apart so fuck you)." Actually I used to play on my late night FM radio show in Boston an edited version. The songs was a rocker featuring George Harrison (billed as "George Harrysong"), Peter Frampton, Klaus Voorman, Jim Price and Bobby Keys.

While that album didn't do as well, it did well enough. So following it up with this album of really old standards backed by a thirty nine piece orchestra lushly arranged by the great Gordon Jenkins was an odd choice to say the least—unless you were Harry Nilsson! A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night was not a commercial success but it surely was an artistic success and all these years later both showcases Nilsson's superb pipes and interpretive abilities and presages where Rod Stewart would later take his career, not because he wanted to as much as because it was the logical place for it to go. Nilsson paid the price for his move, Rod was paid a handsome price for his! Such is life.

The tunes include "For Me and My Gal," "It Had to Be You" (Woody Allen used it effectively in "Annie Hall"), Irving Berlin's "Always," "You Made Me Love You," "What'll I Do," and even an obscure "Lazy Moon" supposedly never recorded but sung by comedian Oliver Hardy in a 1930s movie. The set ends with "As Time Goes By."

The arrangements are sublime and despite Nilsson's cutting up on his previous release and grossing out some of his growing fan base, he takes everything here seriously and the results are soothing and stunning, aided by a superb orchestra and recording. Nilsson's soaring vocals, his crisp phrasing and well controlled vibrato contribute to a stellar performance that's a fitting testament to his talent.

Nilsson's later life was filled with tragedy: his flat in London was the scene of two famous deaths: that of "Mama" Cass Eliot in the midst of her triumphant Palladium solo stand and later Keith Moon's of an overdose of an anti-alcohol prescription medication.

A few years later his dear friend John Lennon was shot and at the beginning of the 1990s he found himself almost penniless when it was discovered that his "financial advisor" had embezzled virtually all of his royalties. Since he never toured, preferring the studio, he never made the kind of money touring provided. He died of heart failure at the age of 52 in 1994.

Take into account a short but adventurous life well-lived as you listen to this nicely produced reissue mastered by Kevin Gray. The original was pressed on RCA's thin Dynaflex vinyl, yet the copy I have at least is remarkably quiet and smooth-sounding.

This reissue is not as warm, nor does it possess the original's stage depth, but it is more dynamic and detailed and the bottom end is more extended. The slight edge to Nilsson's voice and to the massed strings could be a result of more honest mastering that gives you what's on the recording, even if that means delivering the microphones' rising high frequency response.


Thanks to Michael over at www.musicangle.com  for the exclusive rights to reprint this material. Stop by MusicAngle.com for more reviews and features.

©2010 MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer - - All rights reserved

Reprinted by Permission


Here is one of my favorite Nilsson cuts, he was truly a genious!





Vinyl Record News & Notes, Did You Know?

Spinner.com has this interesting piece of music trivia:

Smashing Pumpkins' New Bassist Was 'Siamese Dream' Cover Kid

by Sam Parker

It's a story that somehow feels like it belongs on an awful daytime chat show -- 'My New Bandmate Was My Album Artwork Child' -- yet here apparently that's just what's happened to one of the grunge era's biggest bands.

Read the rest at Spinner.com











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and even more great news from our friends at Spinner.com:

The Smithereens Talk Facebook, Vinyl and Playing in Fans' Living Rooms

by Ronnie Koenig

With recognizable hits like 'Blood and Roses,' 'A Girl Like You,' and 'Too Much Passion,' the Smithereens are one of those bands whose records blasted from college dorms during the '80s.

And thanks to their 1960s power-pop-influenced tunes, the New Jersey rockers -- founded by singer-songwriter Pat DiNizio, guitarist Jim Babjak, drummer Dennis Diken and bassist Mike Mesaros -- haven't lost their appeal.

Read the rest of the interview at Spinner.com

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Arcade Fire Announce Entire U.S. Spring Tour

Arcade Fire have just confirmed what they claim will be all the remaining dates of their upcoming U.S. tour. Special guest openers for the run will vary by city and include Local Natives, the National, Okkervil River and Explosions in the Sky, respectively.

For the rest of the story and tour dates visit Spinner.com













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great to see our friends in the UK celebrate Record Store day!

EMI To Release DEEP PURPLE Retro Single To Celebrate U.K.'s 'Record Store Day'

According to the Darker Than Blue web site, EMI will celebrate the U.K.'s "Record Store Day" in April by releasing a retro DEEP PURPLE single containing "Hush" — recorded for Chris Grant's "Tasty Pop Sundae" in early 1969 — and "Speed King", recorded for Stuart Henry's "Noise At Nine" in October that same year. Both are from the upcoming "BBC Sessions" project. The picture sleeve is based on the original Harvest art and will be unveiled next week. The single will only be distributed to the participating indie shops in the U.K. and the pressing run is low at around 1400 copies.

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Shawn over at bloody-disgusting.com/  has his take on some great new metal coming, and I couldn't agree with him more!

Original: Most Anticipated Metal Albums Of 2011

With the recent release of Nola sludge legends Crowbar's much anticipated new album, Sever The Wicked Hand, I started to think about what other huge albums 2011 has to offer the metalheads among us. With new albums from genre heavyweights like Atheist, Fear Factory, and Agalloch turning last year into a seriously stellar year for metal, 2010 is going to be hard to top, but here are 10 (+2) albums that I think will give 2011 more than just a fighting chance.

Children Of Bodom – Relentless Reckless Forever (March 8)

With their unique brand of power metal infused melodic death metal, Children Of Bodom has quickly become one of the biggest names in extreme metal........

Read the rest of Shawn's list at Bloody-Disgusting.com

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Pitchfork.com has this news, I hope to catch Costello in Chicago in May:

Elvis Costello Announces Spinning Wheel Tour

In May, Elvis Costello and his band the Imposters will head out on "The Revolver Tour", where they'll pick their set list via spinning wheel. Members of the audience will spin the Spectacular Spinning Songbook wheel, which will feature 40 songs, "including hits, rarities, and covers," according to a press release. When the wheel lands on a song, Costello and his band will play it, and the audience member who spun the wheel will be invited to dance in an onstage go-go cage or to sit and be served refreshments in an onstage lounge. (Costello pulled this trick before, on a 1986 tour.)

Get the rest of the story and the tour dates at Pitchfork.com





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and this from the UK caught my eye:

REGGAE FOR A REVIVAL

MIKE Darby is a man on a mission. An unusual one, perhaps, for a 50-something who declares himself to be a "white, middle-class boy from Frampton Cotterell".

It comes to fruition on Monday with the release of a very special album compilation of homegrown Bristol reggae music.

The Bristol Reggae Explosion covers the years from 1978 until 1983 when bands playing the hypnotically rhythmic music of Jamaica took centre stage night after night at gigs in the city and further afield.

Mark runs Bristol Archive Records, a label which, basically, sets out to celebrate the hits of Bristol and its music scene from 1977 onwards.

"It's designed to remember and acknowledge the people, the bands, the faces, players, clubs, and the era, so it never gets forgotten, because it is an integral part of social history," he explains.


● Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-1983 is released on Monday, February 21, in CD and limited edition vinyl. It's available from http://www.bristolarchiverecords.com/, Rise Records, Clifton, or Plastic Wax, Gloucester Road.

Read the rest at thisisbristol.co.uk

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and a quick look at what's selling at Grimey's, the world famous record store:

Grimey’s Top 10 Vinyl Best Sellers 02/07-02/13/2011

Spin magazine has ranked Grimey’s as one of the top indie record shops in the nation, calling it “A stalwart of indie cool in a town that’s known for a very different kind of music scene.”

1. Jeff The Brotherhood / Best Coast – split 7″

2. The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow

3. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

4. PUJOL – How High 7″

5. Drew Holcomb – Chasing Someday

6. Yann Tiersen – Dust Lane

7. The Decemberists – The King Is Dead

8. Akron/Family – A/F II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT

9. Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean

10. Destroyer – Kaputt

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Did You Know?

more stuff everybody should know...


A glorious event for all of us, in 1878, Thomas Edison was granted the patent for the phonograph.

Crocodiles swallow stones to help them dive deeper

Due to gravitational effects, you weigh slightly less when the moon is directly overhead.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

Gerald Ford pardoned Robert E. Lee posthumously of all crimes of treason.

If a surgeon in Ancient Egypt lost a patient while performing an operation, his hands were cut off.

In Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam." Sherlock Holmes never said "Elementary, my dear Watson." Captain Kirk never said "Beam me up, Scotty," but he did say, "Beam me up, Mr. Scott."

It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear.

It is illegal to be a prostitute in Siena, Italy, if your name is Mary.

Lady Astor once told Winston Churchill 'if you were my husband, I would poison your coffee'. His reply ' if you were my wife, I would drink it!'

and in music history today:

In 1964, a British company shipped a half ton of Beatle wigs to the US. An American reporter later asked John Lennon, "How do you feel about teenagers imitating you with Beatle wigs?" John replied "They're not imitating us because we don't wear Beatle wigs."

In 1966, Lou Christie enjoyed his only US number one record with "Lightnin' Strikes," a song that his record company, MGM, hated so much, they initially refused to release. Label head Lenny Shear actually threw the tape in the wastebasket and said it was a piece of crap. After Christie's management team promoted the record themselves, it started to gain attention and three months later, Billboard magazine featured a picture of Shear presenting Christie with a Gold record.

In 1972, Paul McCartney released "Give Ireland Back to the Irish", his commentary about the Britain-Ireland conflict. The song was immediately banned by the BBC, but the notoriety the song received from the banning only increased its popularity and the record soared into the UK Top 20.

Although he had written songs that were recorded by The Turtles, Rick Nelson, Blood Sweat and Tears, Lulu, The Monkees and Three Dog Night, Harry Nilsson had his only US number one hit in 1972 with "Without You," a tune written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger.

In 1974, KISS made their TV debut on "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert."

In 1980, Bon Scott, vocalist for AC/DC, died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 33. What a shame.....



In 1981, Judge Richard Owen of New York State Supreme Court ruled that George Harrison 'subconsciously plagiarized' The Chiffons song "He's So Fine" in his hit "My Sweet Lord." Harrison was ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000.

In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne was arrested in San Antonio, Texas for urinating on a statue in front of the Alamo. Osbourne was wearing a dress at the time of his arrest. After he made bail, the Black Sabbath singer skipped town. Where was Sharon when he needed her?

In 1997, a very smart New York judge dismissed a $7 million lawsuit filed against Motley Crue for hearing loss of a fan that was suffered at one of their concerts. Duh!

Tragically, in 2003, 99 people were killed in a fire at the West Warwick, RI nightclub The Station. Sparks from a pyrotechnics display by Great White caused the fire. The group's guitarist, Ty Longley, was one of the victims.

Birthday wishes to Toni Iommi from Black Sabbath who turns 63 today.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings Announce the First Wide Release of Bob Dylan in Concert - Brandeis University 1963 on Digital, CD & Vinyl Formats

AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011

Recently Uncovered Recordings Document Rare Early Dylan Performance at Brandeis University Folk Festival on May 10, 1963

Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings announce the first stand-alone release of Bob Dylan In Concert - Brandeis University 1963, available on digital, CD and vinyl formats everywhere on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

Pre-sale information for Bob Dylan In Concert - Brandeis University 1963 may be found via BobDylan.com  (the artist's official website) and Facebook.

A previously unknown live recording of a 21-year-old Bob Dylan taped at the Brandeis First Annual Folk Festival in Waltham, Massachusetts on May 10, 1963, Bob Dylan In Concert - Brandeis University 1963 captures the rollicking wit, deadpan delivery and driving intensity of the young artist's on-stage persona in an assortment of end-of-the-world songs -- none of them commercially available at the time -- performed in front of an appreciative audience two weeks prior to the release of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (May 27, 1963).

The Bob Dylan In Concert - Brandeis University 1963 concert tape was discovered recently in the archives of the noted music writer and Rolling Stone co-founder Ralph Gleason, where it sat on a shelf for more than forty years. "It had been forgotten, until it was found last year in the clearing of the house after my mother died," said Toby Gleason, Ralph's son. "It's a seven inch reel-to-reel that sounds like it was taped from the mixing disc."

Drawn from two sets that spring night at the Brandeis Folk Festival, tracks on Bob Dylan In Concert - Brandeis University 1963 include "Honey, Just Allow Me On More Chance" (incomplete), "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues," "Ballad Of Hollis Brown," "Masters of War," "Talkin' World War III Blues," "Bob Dylan's Dream," and "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues."

Previously available as a limited time offer, Bob Dylan In Concert - Brandeis University 1963 is being reissued in response to overwhelming popular demand for a wide release. The new Columbia/Legacy edition features liner notes penned exclusively for this release by noted Bob Dylan scholar Michael Gray, author of The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia and the three-volume Song & Dance Man: The Art of Bob Dylan, provided an explication of the album's seven songs and historical/cultural context for the performances.

"It's a small miracle this recording exists," Gray writes in his essay. "Clearly a professional recording ... (t)he Bob Dylan performance it captured, from way back when Kennedy was President and the Beatles hadn't yet reached America, wasn't even on fans' radar ... It reveals him not at any Big Moment but giving a performance like his folk club sets of the period: repertoire from an ordinary working day ... Dylan has leapt a creative canyon with this material ... This is the last live performance we have of Bob Dylan before he becomes a star..."

SOURCE Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings

Legendary Bluesman Robert Johnson's 100th Birthday on May 8, 2011, Inspires Two Centennial Sets

- ROBERT JOHNSON: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL MASTERS - CENTENNIAL EDITION BOX SET

- ROBERT JOHNSON: THE CENTENNIAL COLLECTION double-CD set

Legacy Recordings – May 8, 2011, marks the 100th birthday of Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson, who, according to legend, sold his soul down at the crossroads of Highway 61 and Highway 49 in a midnight bargain that has haunted the music world for three-quarters of a century. The 'deal' brought forth Johnson's incandescent guitar technique and a run of 10-inch 78 rpm singles for the Vocalion, Oriole, Conqueror and Perfect labels recorded in San Antonio in 1936 and Dallas in 1937. Those songs have become a cornerstone of Columbia Records' identity, and will be celebrated on two CENTENNIAL releases from Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.


Over the years, Johnson's influence has resounded in the music of Muddy Waters ("32-20 Blues"), Elmore James ("I Believe I'll Dust My Broom"), Junior Parker ("Sweet Home Chicago"), John Hammond Jr. ("Milk Cow's Calf Blues"), the Rolling Stones ("Love In Vain," "Stop Breakin' Down Blues"), John Mayall ("Ramblin' On My Mind"), Cream ("From Four Until Late"), Eric Clapton ("Cross Road Blues"), Johnny Winter ("When You Got a Good Friend"), Paul Butterfield and Bonnie Raitt ("Walkin' Blues"), Fleetwood Mac and ZZ Top ("Hellhound On My Trail"), Led Zeppelin ("Traveling Riverside Blues"), Keb' Mo' ("Preachin' Blues"), Cassandra Wilson ("Come On In My Kitchen"), and countless others. It is by far the most empowering body of work in American history to emerge from one solitary blues figure.

As recently as this year, John Mayer was nominated for a Grammy Award® for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, for his cover of "Crossroads" on his Battle Studies album, Columbia, 2009. "Cross Road Blues," of course, gives Eric Clapton's annual Chicago music festival its title.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Robert Johnson's birth, Columbia/Legacy pays homage to his spirit with ROBERT JOHNSON: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL MASTERS - CENTENNIAL EDITION, a multi-faceted "box set" encompassing stand-alone vinyl, CD and DVD components. Its components include:

1) A hardbound vintage book, with sleeves housing the dozen 78rpm vinyl-disc replicas (now at 45 rpm) originally released by Johnson, including a lavish 10-inch-square booklet;

2) ROBERT JOHNSON: THE CENTENNIAL COLLECTION, a new double-CD which includes all 29 songs he recorded in 1936 and '37, for a combined total of 42 masters and alternate takes;

3) RARITIES FROM THE VAULTS, a double-CD comprising:

•CD One: Blues From The Victor Vault, a dozen rarely-collected 78s (i.e. 24 A-sides and B-sides) from the Victor archive by Frank Stokes, Tommy Johnson, Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis, Memphis Minnie, Blind Willie McTell, and others, recorded between 1928 and 1932; and
•CD Two: Also Playing…, 10 tracks featuring artists recorded during the same San Antonio and Dallas sessions as Robert Johnson, a musical hotpot ranging from folk and hillbilly, cowboy and Mexican to Texas Swing;

4) THE LIFE & MUSIC OF ROBERT JOHNSON: CAN'T YOU HEAR THE WIND HOWL?, a DVD of the critically-acclaimed 1997 documentary film, directed by Peter Meyer, hosted by Danny Glover, and featuring Keb' Mo' as Robert Johnson. The 76-minute film also includes interviews with Robert Cray, Johnny Shines, John Hammond, Honeyboy Edwards, Robert Lockwood Jr., Henry Townsend, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.

The four components will ship together and are available exclusively at www.thecompleterobertjohnson.com in advance of their April 26th release. This package will not be available in stores.

The most unique component of ROBERT JOHNSON: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL MASTERS - CENTENNIAL EDITION will be a 10x10-inch hardbound book that recreates the look and feel of Johnson's classic 78rpm vinyl singles. The book will be constructed in the style of vintage multi-sleeve albums of the 1930s and '40s, with each sleeve containing an actual vinyl replica disc. An additional sleeve will house a smaller book that includes a new 1,500-word essay written by Ted Gioia, Texas-based pianist and music historian, and the author of Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music (2008); Work Songs (2006); and The History of Jazz (1997). Complete historic track annotation and discographic data is also featured.

Read more HERE

Vinyl Record News & Notes, Did You Know?

Hull Announce Special Vinyl Release

Hull is set to release their 'Viking Funeral' EP, initially self-released in 2005, on vinyl via Science of Silence Records this spring.

The limited edition wax version will come in 180 gram blood red/black swirl vinyl with the song on one side, a laser etched image on the other and a parchment insert with the detailed Viking Funeral saga as well as a sticker and digital download info all wrapped in a Viking Funeral poster and wax-stamped with the band's logo.

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The Bouncing Souls Record Store Day Special Release

The Bouncing Souls are scheduled to have a special release for fans on Record Store Day. NYC's Generation Records announced the release of The Bouncing Souls - Live At Generation Records.
The 12-inch vinyl LP showcases 11 tracks from the band's celebrated acoustic performance at the store on Record Store Day 2009.

It includes fan favorites like "Lamar Vannoy," "Quik Chek Girl," "Joe Lies," "Gasoline" and a special cover of Sick Of It All's "Good Lookin' Out."

Live At Generation Records will be released on Record Store Day 2011 (April 16th). The record is a one-time, limited edition pressing (only 1500 copies!) and will be exclusively distributed by the Independent Label Collective.

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Jackson Browne, Alice Cooper, Crosby & Nash, more to Play Benefit for Arizona Shooting Victims

A long list of artists will be at the Tuscon Convention Center on Thursday, March 10 to participate in a fundraiser for the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona and the newly established Fund for Civility, Respect, and Understanding.

Read more: VintageVinylNews.com

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Boris to Release Two Albums on the Same Day

This spring, Japanese fuzz-rock overlords Boris will pull a Guns N' Roses/Springsteen/Bright Eyes and release two albums on the same day. Outside of Japan, Sargent House will release the new albums Heavy Rocks and Attention Please on April 26.

Read more at Pitchfork.com

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as a longtime fan of, I am excited to pass this along (from our friends at Vintage Vinyl News)

Preview: 40 Odd Years - Loudon Wainwright III (4-CDs/1-DVD)

Artist: Loudon Wainwright III
Title: 40 Odd Years
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Label: Shout! Factory
Format(s): 4-CDs/1-DVD

The career of Loudon Wainwright III will be celebrated by Shout! Factory on May 3 with the release of 40 Odd Years. The 4-CD/1-DVD set features songs from throughout Wainwright's career from his first album to 2009's High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project.

Read more: VintageVinylNews.com



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Michael Jackson Estate Earns $310m Since Star's Death

It's being reported that the estate of Michael Jackson has earned $310million since the singer's death in June. The figure, which includes album sales, the concert film This Is It and other merchandise, was revealed in court papers.

The estate's administrators have used $159milllion to pay the singer's debts, which stood at more than $400million when he died, reports Reuters.

"Although there remain unresolved creditor claims, pending litigation and additional challenging business, tax and legal issues, and the estate is not yet in a condition to be closed, the executors have made substantial progress in reducing the estate's debt," the documents state.

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The Pretty Things S.F. SORROW Limited Edition Colored Vinyl LP

Breathe the perfumed air of PRETTY THINGS psychedelia! The Pretties’ landmark longplayer, S.F. SORROW is NOW AVAILABLE on a limited run of cool, green-clear vinyl, with original U.K. artwork

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE











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Did You Know?

more stuff everybody should know...

A species of earthworm in Australia grows up to 10 feet in length.

Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows to mourn the deaths of their cats.

Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them use to burn their houses down -- hence the statement "to get fired."

Clark Gable used to shower more than 4 times a day.

Evian (the bottled water) spelled backwards is "naive."

Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.

In the 40's, the Bich pen was changed to Bic for fear that Americans would pronounce it 'Bitch.'

and in music history today:

The Beatles recorded "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" in 1965.

The Buckinghams reached number 1 in the U.S. in 1967 with "Kind of a Drag."



Also in 1967, Petula Clark's version of the Charlie Chaplin penned "This Is My Song" tops the UK chart for the first of a two week stay. After singing the song in French, German and Italian, Petula reluctantly recorded the song in English, even though she thought the lyrics were corny and old fashioned. The tune would go on to be a Top Ten hit in America, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Holland, Belgium and Norway.

In 1968, Pink Floyd members fired Syd Barrett from the band and permanently replaced him with David Gilmour. Roger Waters later wrote and dedicated the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" to the increasingly unstable Barrett, who checked into a psychiatric hospital before going into seclusion.

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band made their New York debut in 1971.

In 1974, Yes sold out the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden without any advertising. Fans learned of the show from listings at ticket outlets.

Bon Jovi hit number 1 on the U.S. Singles chart in 1987 with "Livin' on a Prayer."

Guitarist Bob Stinson from The Replacements died from a drug overdose in 1995, his body was found in his Uptown, Minneapolis apartment.

In 2003, singer Johnny Paycheck died at the age of 64. He had been in a nursing home, suffering from emphysema and asthma. During his career, Paycheck recorded 70 albums and had more than two dozen hit singles, the biggest of which was the working man's anthem, "Take This Job and Shove It".



In 2006 - In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, the Rolling Stones gave a free concert before a crowd of over 1 million people at Copacabana Beach.

In 2010, Gordon Lightfoot was headed to the dentist when he heard on the radio that he was dead. "It seems like a bit of a hoax or something," the 71-year-old singer said. "I was quite surprised to hear it myself."

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Vinyl Record News & Notes, Did You Know?

Endangered species

San Diego record stores struggle for survival

By Seth Combs

Barely a minute into a conversation with Lou Russell and you can hear melancholy in his voice. When asked to describe the state of Lou’s Records, the iconic Leucadia record store that Russell’s owned and operated for more than three decades, he uses words and phrases like “descent,” “decline” and “downward slope.”

Any business owner will tell you that the last couple years have been tough, but Russell had a particularly dismal 2010.

Read more at SDCityBeat.com

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Still-sealed, first-state Butcher Cover heads to auction

By Susan Sliwicki

If you’ve got $15,000 kicking around, you’ve got enough to place the opening bid on still-sealed, first-state Beatles Butcher Cover on the block at Heritage Auction Galleries this week.

A still-sealed, first-state Beatles butcher cover is expected to bring $30,000 or more at auction.

The firm’s 2011 February Beverly Hill Signature Music & Entertainment Auction closes in two phases, according to lot number. Session 1 closes at 3 p.m. central Friday, Feb. 18; Session 2 closes at noon Saturday, Feb. 19.

“This isn’t just a nice copy, as rare as that would be — it’s still factory-sealed and easily the finest copy we’ve ever seen,” the lot’s description reads.

Read more: Still-sealed, first-state Butcher Cover heads to auction | Goldmine Magazine

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Phish to Release Two Soundchecks On Record Store Day

Phish will release a limited edition 7-inch vinyl record on Record Store day. Two Soundchecks will be available exclusively at participating independently owned record stores across the country. It will also be Phish’s first ever live vinyl release and their first release in conjunction with Record Store Day.

According to the band, “This 7-inch is limited to 2,000 hand-numbered copies, and once they are gone they are gone. The A-Side is an instrumental jam culled from the soundcheck of Phish’s third show of a sold out three-night stand at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA. The B-Side is an especially exotic soundcheck from Hartford, CT in 2009, featuring Trey on Bass and Fish on drums.” Record Store Day is April 16, 2011.

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Mike Gordon Sets Record Store Day Releases

Mike Gordon is set to re-release his first solo album 'Inside In' and the Moss Remixes as Limited Edition Vinyl albums which will be available exclusively at participating independently owned record stores across the country.

Inside In has been pressed on 180g orange vinyl and includes “Minkinetics”, “Trinners March” and “Be Your Tape”, three previously unreleased outtake tracks from the albums. Musicians on the album include Phish’s Jon Fishman, Bela Fleck, Col. Bruce Hampton, Buddy Cage, Vassar Clements and others.








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For the record: Local vinyl collectors never lost their groove

Written by
KRISTEN INBODY
Tribune Staff Writer

From inside an album cover picturing a sequined burrito, Tim Christensen withdraws a vinyl record from 1970 with the care one might grant an infant.

Soon the dulcet tones of the Flying Burrito Bros. fill his Great Falls home.

"This was a great band," he said.

The country-rock album, "Burrito Deluxe," is but one of 20,000 LP (long-playing) records in Christensen's collection.

"But it's not the kind of thing where you sit down and count them," he said. "You'd rather listen to them."

His collection would add up to 95 lineal feet of records and weighs two tons. Asking for help moving it is how one loses friends.

"People just love the sound of vinyl because it's really good," he said. "People are picking up turntables again. This is not a lost medium."

Read the rest of this intuitive glimpse at a record collector and his riches at greatfallstribune.com

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Did You Know?

more stuff everybody should know...

A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside!

A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court!

Bulls are colorblind, therefore will usually charge at a matador's waving cape no matter what color it is -- be it red or neon yellow!

One ragweed plant can release as many as one billion grains of pollen!

The world's termites outweigh the world's humans 10 to 1!

There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building!

A ten-gallon hat holds three-quarters of a gallon.

Bob May played the Robot on "Lost In Space" (1965-68) and Dick Tufeld was the voice.

and in music history today:

Birthday wishes to Yoko Ono 1933 and Dennis DeYoung of Styx (1947)

In 1955, and at the recommendation of R&B artist Lloyd Price, Richard Penniman, who was currently leading an ensemble called Little Richard and The Upsetters, sent a demo tape to Specialty Records founder Art Rupe. After some initial reluctance, Rupe will sign Penniman to a contract that will pay the singer a half cent for every record sold.

In 1962, Gene Chandler had the top tune on the Billboard Pop chart with "The Duke Of Earl", the first of his six US chart hits.



In 1966, The Beach Boys begin recording sessions for Brian Wilson's masterpiece, "Good Vibrations". Multiple layered overdubs spread out over eleven sessions would make this the most expensive single ever recorded to date. Although the record would top charts around the world and sell millions of copies, it would be The Beach Boys' last to reach the Billboard Top 10 for ten years.

In 1968, David Gimour replaces Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd. Barret had gone checked himself into a psychiatric hospital and then gone into seclusion.

In 1972, Pink Floyd premiered some material that was scheduled to appear on the "Dark Side of the Moon" album, including the song "Eclipse", at the Rainbow Theatre in London. Eventually, the playing of live versions of songs yet to be released would have to be stopped, as bootleg copies of their material started to appear before the studio releases.

In 1973, The Rock ensemble Free, who reached #2 in the UK and #4 in the US in 1970 with "All Right Now", play their final show at Florida's Hollywood Sportatorium. Vocalist Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke will move on to form Bad Company.

In 1974, KISS released their first album "KISS".

In 1976, The Eagles release their "Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975" album. To this day, it is still one of the best selling records of all time.

In 2006, Bill Cowsill, who led his band The Cowsills on their 1967 hit "The Rain, The Park and Other Things", died at the age of 58. His family learned of his death shortly after a memorial for their brother Barry, who drowned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 14, 2011


DEAR JERRY: I have both the Original 1964 Buena Vista Soundtrack LP for “Mary Poppins” (BVS-4026) and a 45 rpm single (F-434), both featuring Julie Andrews, Dick Van d**e, and the Pearlies.

“Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious” is on the LP and the single, and is hyphenated on both. I have also seen it on other records without hyphens.

I bring this up because “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” with its 34 letters, is widely regarded as the longest word in a song title. But, even with one hyphen, let alone six, I don't think it qualifies as just one word.

If it doesn't count, then what would be the new longest word used in a title?
—Jackie Woodside, Eugene, Ore.


DEAR JACKIE: For this purpose, any concern over hyphenation is moot.

Even the records from Disney's Buena Vista show this title both ways.

FYI: This music and film subsidiary gets it name from the street in Burbank that is home to the Disney studios (500 S. Buena Vista St.).

Interestingly, the single you mention does read “Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious,” but the picture sleeve for that same record has “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” in huge letters on the front.

The clincher is seeing songwriter and music publisher representative, Broadcast Music, Incorporated (BMI), giving the legal title as “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (BMI Work #1433285).

It clearly qualifies as one word.

Now comes my Perry Mason moment.

There is a co-champion in this event, another one-word, hyphenless, 34-letter title. One of just four tracks on Isaac Hayes' first LP, the Gold Record award-winning “Hot Buttered Soul” (Enterprise 1001), is “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic.”

Nowthatisreallyquiteamouthful!

When issued in 1969, the mainstream music industry was stunned seeing a pop (not jazz or classical) album with over 45 minutes comprised by just four selections. Those contents and running times are: (Side 1) “Walk on By” (12:02); “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic” (9:36); (Side 2) “One Woman” (5:08); and the protracted “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (18:42), the first 8:38 being an introductory narrative.

To get the radio play that generates lucrative singles sales, edited versions of “Walk on By” (4:33) and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (6:46) were coupled as Enterprise 9003. Both sides became Top 30 hits.


DEAR JERRY: From one of your January columns I learned that Conqueror was a discount line of records made for sale at Sears & Roebuck stores. I think I have one of those.

We no longer have a phonograph, but packed away amongst a bunch of records is a Conqueror 78, with red labels, titled “M & O Blues.” I have never understood what “M & O” stands for, though one blues collector thinks it is means Mine & Oil.

Do you know?
—Sonny Sherman, Detroit


DEAR SONNY: Yes, and if it's been awhile since you last laid eyes on “M & O Blues” (Champion 50023), it is understandable how Conqueror could be confused with Champion.

Both names begin with C, both have red labels with a similar layout and design, and both were of lower quality materials made for sale at a reduced cost.

“M&O Blues,” by Willie Brown, refers specifically to the Mobile & Ohio Railroad (1848-1940), which originally ran between Mobile, Ala. and the Ohio River, near Cairo, Ill. It did not serve the state of Ohio.

The first verse makes it clear: “I'm gonna catch that M 'n' O, I'm goin' way down south … gonna build me a mansion out on Decatur Hill.” No mention is made of a mine or refinery.

The Champion single, issued in 1935, is actually a budget line reissue of Paramount 13090, made in 1930. Both have “Future Blues” for the B-side.

Does “packed away” mean stored in an attic or basement, or perhaps a safe deposit box? I hope it's the latter.

That's because the current value of Champion 50023 is $8,000 to $12,000. And you can double that for the Paramount original!


IZ ZAT SO? If a $20,000” price tag on Paramount 13090 is an eye-opener, even more might be paid for either of the other two Paramount singles by Willie Brown.

One came before and one after “M & O Blues”: “Grandma Blues”/“Sorry Blues” (13001) and “Kickin' in My Sleep Blues”/“Window Blues” (13099). All are from the class of 1930.

By all accounts these two should exist; however, we have yet to confirm a copy of either.

In an appropriate auction, a hammer price of $30,000 to $50,000 would not be surprising.

Got one lying around that you don't need?


Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368 E-mail: jpo@olympus.net  Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com .

All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.

Copyright 2010 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission




Moby To Release New Album 'Destroyed' In May

Yesterday, I blogged about Moby's new project and have since heard from Sheryl at Mute.com and she provides us with more detail about the release:



MOBY DESTROYED

NEW ALBUM AND PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK OUT MAY 17, 2011

FREE DIGITAL EP – BE THE ONE – FEATURING SONGS FROM DESTROYED

DOWNLOAD ON MOBY.COM www.moby.com/



DESTROYED ART AND MUSIC LAUNCH EVENTS

May 9th - National Geographic ‘Music on…Photography’ – Washington D.C.

May 11th – Clic Gallery Art Opening and Book Launch– NYC

May 12th – Brooklyn Museum ‘Discussion with Moby’ – Brooklyn


PHOTOGRAPHY + MULTIMEDIA EXHIBIT IN NYC AT CLIC

MAY 12 – JUNE 26


PERFORMANCES AT BOTH SXSW 2011 AND ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL MIAMI

Moby and Mute are pleased to announce details of Destroyed, a new album and book of photography set for release on May 17, 2011. Destroyed the album will be available in CD, vinyl, and digital formats and will be included with the Destroyed book of photography. Published by Damiani/D.A.P, the book is 128 pages and features 55 photographs taken by Moby all over the world.

To celebrate the new album and his ninth studio LP, Moby is making a free digital EP available featuring three songs from Destroyed. Additionally, Moby also directed three short films to accompany each track. Visit moby.com http://www.moby.com/  to download and view the videos.

Destroyed takes us behind the scenes on an international journey with Moby, introducing us to the strange and disconcerting life of touring that is often not exposed; the time spent isolated in anonymous, mundane spaces like hotel rooms, airports, and backstage waiting areas. These experiences are juxtaposed with moments and places of intense beauty in the world and the excitement and connection with audiences. From the absurdly empty to the absurdly full, Moby captures the universal situation that so many musicians and artists undergo living nomadic lives. The combination of the album and book of photography, created while touring, provides an intimate look at Moby’s world and his creative process.

Songs on Destroyed were written by Moby mostly late at night, in hotel rooms around the world when cities had gone to bed and the insomnia that worldwide travel can induce fueled his need to create. A soundtrack for empty cities at 2 A.M., Destroyed fluctuates with nocturnal feelings of anxious isolation and comfort in quiet solitude. The result is a 15-track collection that conflates the atmospheric and the disconcerting with the enveloping and beautiful – a record rich in the kind of melodies that are lodged in the brain by stealth rather than with a bludgeon. Destroyed is an album that changes and evolves, exploring time, expectation, and ultimately the tension it creates.

Destroyed was produced by Moby and mixed by Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros, M83) on old analog equipment and mixed on a 1972 Neve analog mixing desk from Abbey Road. A cohesive body of work, Destroyed is to be listened to in its entirety and, preferably, as it was made; late at night when your city has gone to sleep.

Moby has been taking pictures as long as he’s been making music, or ever since he was nine years old when his uncle presented him with an A Nikon F camera. To this day Moby carries a camera wherever he goes. “Touring is all contrasts and strangeness, and that’s what I’m trying to convey in these pictures.” The title and front cover of Destroyed, both album and book, is the product of Moby’s keen photographer eye. The eye-catching image depicts the final part of an LED security warning: Unattended luggage will be destroyed, which Moby snapped as it flashed up, one word at time, in a deserted hallway at New York’s La Guardia airport.

Events will be held in select cities to debut music and exhibit prints from Destroyed. National Geographic will host the first event on May 9th called, ‘Music on…Photography’, which is a National Geographic Music Live multi-media series featuring renowned personalities in the music world as they share their view of the planet from behind the camera lens. The event will be held in Washington D.C. at National Geographic Live

Clic Gallery in New York City will host “Destroyed: Photographs by Moby”, an exhibition that will run from May 12th through June 26th, featuring photos and multimedia work from Destroyed. On May 11th, the book will launch simultaneously with the exhibit opening and will include a book signing. The following night on May 12th at Brooklyn Museum, Moby will present and discuss his photographs, in addition to signing copies of Destroyed. Additional exhibitions and events will be scheduled in the U.S., including Kopeikin Gallery in Los Angeles in September, and throughout Europe this summer in conjunction with his concert tour.

Moby will appear at SXSW 2011 in Austin this March at several events to be announced. He’ll also DJ during the Ultra Music festival in Miami on March 27.





Vinyl Record News & Notes, Did You Know?

ELECTRIC BOYS: New Album Details Revealed

The reunited original ELECTRIC BOYS lineup — Franco Santunione (guitar), Andy Christell (bass), Niklas Sigevall (drums) and Conny Bloom (guitar, vocals) — will release its first album since 1992 called "And Them Boys Done Swang" on April 6 via Supernova Records, a division of the Cosmos Music Group. The CD will be made available in Japan on March 16 through JVC with three

Read more at Blabbermouth









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Septicflesh - New Album Cover Art Revealed

Season Of Mist press release

Septicflesh's upcoming album 'The Great Mass' is set to hit the stores on April 18th (one day later in North America). It is time to unveil the cover artwork of the album's jewel case edition, designed by Seth Siro Anton himself:

Seth explains: "This is a small fragment of the artwork that will dress the new artistic experiment of Septicflesh, The Great Mass. It is a small part of an occult machine made from marble and flesh, fantasy and reality, order and chaos. A great machine composed from the blasphemous union of strange figures, creations of Man, the creator of the gods and demons. Their grotesque purpose will be revealed soon, when all the cover editions of the new album will be presented and will be combined together... Let the great self-cannibalistic symposium begin."

The Greek demons' new opus will be available in the following formats:


- CD + Blu-ray Digipak
- Collector's book including 2 CDs + Blu-ray
- 12" gatefold LP
- CD jewel case
- Digital download

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Tengwar Posts New Album "The Halfling Forth Shall Stand" Art


Argentina based folk metal band Tengwar has posted the cover artwork online for the band's upcoming album "The Halfling Forth Shall Stand."  The band also commented on the album and artwork:

"The Halfling Forth Shall Stand is the first part of a conceptual work concerning the matters of J.R.R. Tolkien's famous trilogy. More than an hour of mighty Celtic and Medieval rooted folk metal in an astonishing epic trip along the realms of Middle-Earth.

"Front Cover artwork by Kris Verwimp (Arkona, Suidakra, etc), desing by Valgorth The Hammmerblaze (Lost Horizon, Black Majesty, Skiltron, etc). Original Logo by Adrián Gutiérrez/Thorvi Fairstone.

"Rise your horn up! Let your axe and sword be sharpened! Come and join the fellowship!"

The track listing for the album is as follows:

1. Return of the Shadow
2. A Long Expected Fading
3. The Halfling's Rise
4. War Begins
5. Marching South
6. Snow and Defeat
7. The Password
8. A Dwarf Sings in The Dark
9. Fire and Shadow Defied
10. The Pilgrim's Gone
11. In the Land of the Golden Trees
12. Farewell
13. The Swan
14. Uruks
15. The Bearer's Choice

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Last Chance To Reason Announces New Album "Level 2" Details


Last Chance To Reason has announced April 12th as the North American release date for the band's Prosthetic Records debut, "Level 2."

The Augusta, Maine based metal sextet will hit the road in February for the band's first Canadian run of dates and will then meet up with the legendary Atheist. The band will also be appearing at this year's New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA on April 16.

Last Chance To Reason teamed up with producer Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me) to create the album, which draws influences from the 70's prog of King Crimson and Yes, composers Steve Reich and Schoenberg, as well as prog-metal masters Opeth, Dream Theater, and Cynic.







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Appetite for Bargains: Slash Auctions His ‘Stuff’

Michael Wright

Ever dreamed about living the rock star life? Driving the rock star ride? Wearing the rock star threads? Well, now’s your chance. Velvet Revolver guitar hero Slash is teaming up with Julien’s Auctions to sell everything from a muscle car to guitars to, yes, his trademark top hat.

Read the rest at Gibson.com









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Backstage in South Florida

Backstage: A Music Obsessive's Collection

By Lee Zimmerman

​Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman shares stories of memorable rock 'n' roll encounters that took place in our local environs. This week: The haunted hoarder.

This column requires that I clean out the cobwebs of my memory, as well as the dust that's gathered on the albums, photos and memorabilia that clutter up my music room. It's there that I find my own fortress of solitude amidst floor to ceiling shelves jutting out at unlikely angles to accommodate stacks of CDs and vinyl albums that otherwise would have no home. It's a large room, mind you -- approximately 500 square feet to be accurate -- but after years of fixating on collecting, I've simply overrun its parameters.

Read more about a fellow record collector at blogs.browardpalmbeach.com

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Album artwork: Crazy, colorful sleeves from Thailand’s musical past

Paradise Bangkok DJs Chris Menist and Maft Sai dig into their massive Thai record collection to prove that in Thailand, you can’t judge an album by its cover

By Chris Menist

Before coming to Thailand, when it came to digging for vinyl I found that you generally could judge a book by its cover.

Record sleeves from Europe and the United States would by and large give a clue as to the music inside, utilizing graphics, a natty dress sense by the musicians on the front, or even some of the song titles to hint at the style and direction of the music contained within.

Additional information could be gleaned from the label the music was on, as well as the musicians and/or the producer involved.

Coming to Thailand changed all that for me.....

Read more: Album artwork: Crazy, colorful sleeves from Thailand’s musical past | CNNGo.com

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Lost Highway to Release Ryan Adams’ Love Is Hell, Whiskeytown’s Pneumonia on Vinyl

Given Ryan Adams’ affinity for releasing music on vinyl, you might think that all the popular albums from his discography are readily available in the superior analog format, but there are actually a few that are rather hard (or impossible) to come by. Enter Lost Highway’s 10th Anniversary clear vinyl celebration, in which Adams’ former label will release a slew of LPs

Read more at TwentyFourBit.com

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The Strokes, Arcade Fire, Robert Plant and his Band of Joy and the reunited Buffalo Springfield are just some of the acts announced to play this year’s Bonnaroo festival.

Manchester, Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Festival recruited 2010 lineup member Conan O’Brien to announce the 2011 lineup, moments ago, for this summer’s June 9-12 event



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and in my neck of the woods:

Rock Fest 2011 Lineup Includes Rob Zombie, Def Leppard, Kid Rock

Rob Zombie, Def Leppard, Kid Rock and Avenged Sevenfold will all headline Rock Fest in Cadott, Wis. The four-day fest kicks off July 14 and runs through July 17. Other bands scheduled to perform include Slaughter, Cinderella, Three Days Grace, Rock Sugar, Saliva, Skillet, Hinder, My Darkest Days, Sick Puppies, Chevelle, Seether, Jackyl, Tesla and Heart. More bands will be added.

This is the 18th year for the event. It is presented by Chippewa Valley Music Festivals. General admission, VIP and camping packages are available.

------------------------

Did You Know?

more stuff everybody should know...

While performing her duties as queen, Cleopatra sometimes wore a fake beard.  Cool, chicks with beards!

When young and impoverished, Pablo Picasso kept warm by burning his own paintings.

Turkey's often look up at the sky during a rainstorm. Unfortunately some have been known to drown as a result.

There is no mention of Adam and Eve eating an apple in the Bible.  And next you'll tell me that the ark was fake as well....

The slogan on New Hampshire license plates is 'Live Free or Die'. These license plates are manufactured by prisoners in the state prison in Concord.   Well two out of three ain't bad (they are going to live and they are going to die - too late for that freedom thing....)

The Phillips-head screwdriver was invented in Oregon.

The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."  Shit, I though it was fast food joint....

The largest eggs in the world are laid by a shark.

and in music history today:

In 1963, the Beatles saw their second release, "Please Please Me", reach the top of the UK singles chart. No one seemed to care that during one verse, John and Paul can clearly be heard singing different words.

In 1964, the Beatles appear for the second week in a row on The Ed Sullivan Show, with an estimated audience of 70 million watching.

In 1971 - The Rolling Stones were sued by the Hell's Angels who say that their privacy was invaded by showing the fatal attack at Altamont in the documentary Gimme Shelter.

In 1991, The Simpsons were at #1 on the U.K. singles chart with “Do The Bartman.” The song was written by Michael Jackson and Bryan Lorenand. The Simpsons became the first cartoon characters to make #1 since the Archies’ hit “Sugar, Sugar” in 1969

Birthday wishes to Andy Taylor (1961) of Duran Duran!


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

New Music Releases ~ February 15, 2011

A slew of great music this week led by the Drive-By Truckers' Go-Go Boots album, Bright Eyes with 'The People's Key,' PJ Harvey's 'Let England Shake' and The Dears' Degeneration Street,' just to name a few. Lots of vinyl this week as well, check out this fantastic music release list!

As always, CVR Blog picks are in red and no wagering is allowed:



A Hawk and a Hacksaw - Cervantine
A Skylit Drive - Identity On Fire
Al Jarreau - L Is For Lover: Deluxe Edition
Andrew Jackson Jihad - Candy Cigarettes Capguns Issue Problems & Such
Anthrax - Spreading the Disease (vinyl)
Arbouretum - The Gathering (vinyl)
Asobi Seksu - Flourescence (vinyl)
Awol One & Factor - The Landmark (vinyl)
Bart Davenport - Searching for Bart Davenport
Beans - End It All
Billy "Red" Love - Gee I Wish / The Sun Years Plus
Black Sabbath - Dehumanizer (2 CDs)
Bob Geldof - How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell
Borknagar - The Archaic Course (vinyl)
Brave Irene - Brave Irene
Bright Eyes - The People's Key (LP+CD) (180 Gram) (vinyl)
Brown Recluse - Evening Tapestry
Cali Swag District - The KickBack
Canned Heat - Human Condition (vinyl)
Cauldron - Burning Fortune
Chamberlin - Bitter Blood
Charlie Phillips - Sugartime
Charlie Sizemore - Heartache Looking For A Home (vinyl)
Chicago - Chicago VI (180 Audiofile) (vinyl)
Clandestine - The Invalid
Close To Home - Never Back Down
Cowboy Junkies - Demons (vinyl)
DOM - Sun Bronzed Greek Gods (vinyl)
Dan Melchior - Assemblage Blues (vinyl)
Dark Funeral - Attera Totus Sanctus (vinyl)
Dark Funeral - Diabolis Interium (vinyl)
Dark Tranquility - Projector (vinyl)
Darkest Era - The Last Caress of Light
Deaf Center - Owl Splinters
Death - The Sound of Perseverance Re-Release
Deicide - To Hell With God
Dennis Coffey - Absolutely The Best Of (vinyl)
Devotchka - 100 Lovers
Dio - At Donington UK: Live 1983 and 1987 (vinyl)
Dismember - Indecent & Obscene (vinyl)
Dismember - Massive Killing Capacity (vinyl)
Dismember - Pieces (vinyl)
Dismember - The God That Never Was (vinyl)
Dom - Sun Bronzed Greek Gods (remastered)(EP)
Doris Troy - I'll Do Anything: The Doris Troy Anthology 1960-1996
Dr. Acula - Slander
Dream Diary - You Are the Beat
Dream Diary - Dream Diary
Drive-By-Truckers - Go-Go Boots (vinyl)
Drive-By-Truckers - Southern Rock Opera (2xLP)(vinyl)
East River Pipe - We Live in Rented Rooms
Echo Lake - Young Silence (EP)
Eddie Spaghetti - Sundowner (vinyl)
Eksi Ekso - Brown Shark, Red Lion
Elephant Man - Dance & Sweep (vinyl)
Elk - Lets Get Married
Elton John - Covers Record
Emmure - Speaker of the Dead
Etana - Free Expression (vinyl)
Funeral Party - Golden Age of Knowwhere (vinyl)
Ginuwine - Elgin (vinyl)
Githead - Landing + Headgit (special edition 2xLP)(vinyl)
Glenn Reeves - Johnny On The Spot: Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight
Gord Downie - The Grand Bounce

Grand Funk Railroad - We’re An American Band (180 gram Audiophile)(vinyl)

Grand Funk have continued to be one of the biggest selling artists of all time. Their historic concerts are legendary, their albums are all important achievements of the classic rock era, and their continuing fan base is second to none.

We're An American Band changed history once again for this multi-platinum act as it rose to the top of the charts and brought them more deserved fame. As the anthem-like title track and album took off, even more chart action unfolded with hits like Walk Like A Man (You Can Call Me Your Man). This groundbreaking album also included some very hard hitting rockers like Black Licorice, The Railroad and more fan favorites like Stop Looking Back.

Led by the dynamic lead guitar and vocals of the legendary Mark Farner, the incredible power drummer/vocalist Don Brewer, the thumping bass of Mel Schacher and the arrival of their new member Craig Frost on keyboards, this new energized sound of Grand Funk Railroad, now produced by Todd Rundgren (Meat Loaf, Badfinger) were recordings made for the history books, as this amazing album has surely stood the test of time.

And for a very limited run this Grand Funk Railroad album will be pressed on GOLD VINYL, as originally presented in 1973!

Buy Grand Funk Here

Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals) - Hotel Shampoo
Gwyneth & Monko - Gwyneth & Monko
Harald Grosskopf - Synthesist
Hayes Carll - Kmag Yoyo (vinyl)
Hot Chocolate - Box Selection (4 CDs)
Howlin' Rain - Good Life (vinyl)
Ian Anderson - Walk Into Light
Impiety - Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny
In Flames - Lunar Strain (vinyl)
In Flames - Subterranean (vinyl)
J.J. Cale - Silvertone Years
Jack Bruce - Live at the Milkyway
Jackie DeShannon - Come & Get Me / Vol. 2-Complete Liberty & Imperial
Jay Crocker: Co-Stars
Jefferson Starship - Air Play (vinyl)
Jimmy Spellman - Doggonit
Justin Bieber - Never Say Never - The Remixes
Kasey Anderson & The Honkies - Heart of a Dog (vinyl)
Katrina Elam - Pure Country 2' Soundtrack
Kyle Fischer - Open Ground (vinyl)
La Sera (Vivian Girls side project) - S/T (vinyl)
Lifeguards - Waving At The Astronauts
Malcolm Holcomb - To Drink the Rain
Marianne Faithfull - Horses and High Heels
Matt Monro - Words & Music
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (vinyl)
Mercyful Fate - In The Shadows (vinyl)
MillionYoung - Replicants
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will (2xLP)
Mophono - Cut Form Crush
Morgan Zarate - Hookid EP 12" (vinyl)
Moving Units - Tension War EP
Mr. Big - What If (vinyl)
Nazareth - Snaz
Neuraxis - Asylon
Nuclear Assault - Game Over/The Plague (vinyl)
Nuclear Assault - Handle With Care (vinyl)
Occult Detective Club - Crimes (vinyl)
Off! - First Four EPs
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (vinyl)
Paul Westerberg - This Machine/Foolish Hand Shake (vinyl)
Phil Collins - No Jacket Required (Audio Fidelity)
Poor But Sexy - Let’s Move In Together
powerdove - Be Mine
Primordial - Storm Before Calm
REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity (180 gram Audiophile)(vinyl)
Rabbits - Lower Forms
Rev Theory - Justice (vinyl)
Rick Nelson - In Concert: The Troubadour, 1969
Rick Rizzo and Tara Key - Double Star (vinyl)
Robin Trower - At the BBC 1973-1975 (2 CDs)
Robotanists - Plans in Progress
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Live in Japan
Roxette - Shes Got Nothing On
Runner Runner - Runner Runner
Saigon - Greatest Story Never Told
Sam Cooke - Very Best of 1957-60 (2 CDs)
Sarah Darling - Angels & Devils
Shawn Lee & Ping Pong Orchestra - World Of Funk (vinyl)
She Sir - Yens
Shugo Tokumaru - Port Entrophy (vinyl)
Sims - Bad Time Zoo
Sirenia - The Enigma of Life
Smokey Robinson - The Solo Albums: Vol. 4 (vinyl)
Snowblink - Long Live
Sonic Youth - Bad Moon Rising (180 Gram LP)
Sonic Youth - Simon Werner a Disparu
Spacemen 3 - Take Me to the Other Side (reissue) (vinyl)
Spacemen 3 - Transparent Radiation (reissue) (vinyl)
Spacemen 3 - Walking With Jesus (reissue) (vinyl)
Stockholm Syndrome - Apollo (vinyl)
Stryper - The Covering
Sugo Tokumaru - Port Entropy
Swamp Dogg - It's All Good: A Singles Collection 1963-1989
Teena Marie - ICON (vinyl)
Telekinesis - 12 Desperate Straight Lines (vinyl)
The 1900s - Return of the Century (vinyl)
The Babies - The Babies
The Dears - Degeneration Street (vinyl)
The Disciplines - Virgins of Menace
The Famine - The Architects of Guilt
The Forms - Derealization
The Gracious Few - S/T (vinyl)
The Liptonians - Let's All March Back into the Sea
The Skull Defects - Peer Amid (2xLP) (vinyl)
The Streets - Computers & Blues
The Thermals - Not Like Any Other Feeling 7" (vinyl)
The Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps (vinyl)
The Wailers Band - Majestic Warriors (vinyl)
The Warriors - See How You Are
The Wildebeests - Gnuggets (2xLP) (vinyl)
Thelonious Monk - The Complete Thelonious Monk at the It Club (180 GM Vinyl)
Theodore Roethke - Words for the Wind: Poems of Theodore Roethke
Three Degrees - 3D
Tim Hecker - Ravedeath
Tommy Emmanuel - Little By Little (2 CDs)
Tristen - Charlatans At The Garden Gate
Various Aritsts - Singers & Songwriters (11 CDs)
Various Artists - 1960 British Hit Parade: Volume 2 (4 CDs)
Various Artists - Come Back Bird: The Abilene Teen Scene 1964-1967
Various Artists - Country's Got Heart (10 CDs)
Various Artists - Euro Beats
Various Artists - Flower Power (10 CDs)
Various Artists - Golden Age Of Pop (10 CDs)
Various Artists - Pop Memories Of The '60s (10 CDs)
Various Artists - Romancing The '70s (10 CDs)
Various Artists - Sweet Inspiration: Songs of Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham
Various Artists - The Music City Story: Street Corner Doo Wop, Raw R&B and Soulful Sounds from Berkeley, California 1950-1975 (3 CDs)
Various Artists - Ultimate Oldies But Goodies (10 CDs)
Various Artists - Everybody Wants to Be a Cat: Disney Jazz, Vol 1
Various Artists - Pretty Little Liars - Television Soundtrack
Various Artists - Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Weezer
Various Artists - The Best Of Soul Train (9-DVD box set)
Volture - Shocking Its Prey (vinyl)
Wake Up Lucid - Sugar
Warm Ghost - Uncut Diamond EP
Whitesnake - Live (vinyl)
Whitesnake - Love Hunter (vinyl)
Whitesnake - Ready and Willing (vinyl)
Win Win - Win Win
Yellow Ostrich - Mistress (vinyl)
Yellowbirds - The Color
Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting
Yuck - Yuck
Zoey Van Goey - Propeller Versus Wings


New Jazz Releases


Remember, if you are a record company and have new releases or know of any I missed (especially vinyl), please email me and I will add your music to the list. I also do reviews of new vinyl, email me for more information.

Have new music for the list? Email me at rbenson30@wi.rr.com