the beatles norwegian wood
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Album Cover Art
The Freeze "Land of the Lost" 1984
The Freeze are a hardcore punk rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Freeze formed in late 1978. At the time all members were in high school. The Freeze are generally considered to be a Boston hardcore band, but they never truly fit into the typical Boston mould. Like most hardcore groups, the band was started by enthusiastic teenagers. Indeed, despite the popularity of their first record, the band's ability to capitalize on their local fame was limited only by their age at the time. Most members weren't old enough to drive to Boston, the local mecca of hardcore.
The Freeze were neither straight edge nor heavy metal-influenced like their Boston contemporaries DYS and SSD. The Freeze have a more melodic sound which hints more to punk rock than hardcore.
The Freeze are a hardcore punk rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Freeze formed in late 1978. At the time all members were in high school. The Freeze are generally considered to be a Boston hardcore band, but they never truly fit into the typical Boston mould. Like most hardcore groups, the band was started by enthusiastic teenagers. Indeed, despite the popularity of their first record, the band's ability to capitalize on their local fame was limited only by their age at the time. Most members weren't old enough to drive to Boston, the local mecca of hardcore.
The Freeze were neither straight edge nor heavy metal-influenced like their Boston contemporaries DYS and SSD. The Freeze have a more melodic sound which hints more to punk rock than hardcore.
No vinyl, no more
Found this sad story online- we have to help the independent record stores- Buy Your Vinyl Locally!
No Radio Records fails to attract niche market in a changing industry
By Matt Biddle Staff Writer | March 5th, 2009
On a cold, blustery Monday afternoon, trees near The Commons sway in the wind while the action inside No Radio Records is considerably more static. Bob Proehl, the store’s owner, sits at the check-out counter, immersed in his computer, while records and CDs sit on the shelves, waiting for an eager customer to snatch them up.
No Radio Records will close permanently because of low sales and other financial reasons on March 13. Located just off The Commons on East State Street, the shop has been a piece of downtown Ithaca for more than two years. Proehl said he originally envisioned the shop as a lively, performance-heavy venue like the record stores he visited as a college student.
“I wanted it to be a community space,” he said. “You have this idea of it sort of being full of people all the time.”
Proehl said changes in the music industry, however, have made it hard for independent stores to compete with online services like iTunes and Limewire.
“We came along at a really difficult time for this industry,” he said. “Unfortunately, the industry has made a number of decisions over the past few years that have really hurt and, in some cases, seemed designed to hurt independent shops.”
Some artists release exclusively to places like Best Buy or Starbucks, while other bands lower the price of a digital copy of their latest music. However, Proehl said small stores would still find an audience.
“It’s a niche market,” he said. “There’s always going to be a small, dedicated group of people who want the physical object, who want a CD or want vinyl and need to have it in their hands.”
Proehl said it was a difficult but necessary decision to close the store. He incurred significant medical bills last year after developing skin cancer and, as the sole owner, he said running the store has become too expensive.
“I have a full-time job that doesn’t pay me,” he said. “It doesn’t give me insurance. Every now and then, it gives me a record or two — which is nice, but very few hospitals will allow you to DJ away your medical bills.”
Proehl said, while it’s difficult abandoning something he worked for, he’s happy that the business hasn’t clouded his love for music.
“There’s something very different about standing in line at midnight to get the new Radiohead album, like I did when I was in graduate school,” he said. “Given the choice, I’d very much prefer the former way of thinking about music.”
No Radio Records will host its farewell show at 8 p.m. closing day, featuring Dufus, a local band, and Jeffrey Lewis, a New York-based anti-folk singer. Seth Faergolzia, Dufus founder, said the performance will be bittersweet because the band played the store’s opening as well.
“It definitely makes me sad that it’s closing,” he said. “I had some really fun nights there, and I think it has been a stronghold for underground bands that want to hit Ithaca.”
Sophomore Cathleen Hannah, who has attended several shows at No Radio Records, said she’ll miss the store’s music selection most of all.
“It’s cool having stores like No Radio that have records from bands you normally couldn’t find,” she said. “I’d miss having that in Ithaca because it’s something we have that not a lot of other places have.”
Ithaca Underground, a local concert-planning organization, arranges shows for the venue. Bubba Crumine, in charge of booking and promotions for the group, said No Radio Records was the perfect location for shows.
“Kids would go to a show at No Radio just because there was a show at No Radio,” Crumine said. “There’s a different scene around No Radio.”
Performances will continue at this location when The Shop, a café and music venue, takes its place in April. Phoebe Aceto, the new owner, said she plans to sell music and merchandise from local bands, as well as maintain the store’s community sense.
“It’s pretty much going to replace that casual hangout spot so anyone can feel welcome,” she said. “[We want] live music as often as possible in the evenings.”
Proehl said The Shop will be a positive replacement for the independent music shop.
“Using it as a community and performance space was definitely a crucial part of [my original model], and I’m really happy that aspect of it is going to continue, albeit in a different form,” he said.
SOURCE: http://theithacan.org
No Radio Records fails to attract niche market in a changing industry
By Matt Biddle Staff Writer | March 5th, 2009
On a cold, blustery Monday afternoon, trees near The Commons sway in the wind while the action inside No Radio Records is considerably more static. Bob Proehl, the store’s owner, sits at the check-out counter, immersed in his computer, while records and CDs sit on the shelves, waiting for an eager customer to snatch them up.
No Radio Records will close permanently because of low sales and other financial reasons on March 13. Located just off The Commons on East State Street, the shop has been a piece of downtown Ithaca for more than two years. Proehl said he originally envisioned the shop as a lively, performance-heavy venue like the record stores he visited as a college student.
“I wanted it to be a community space,” he said. “You have this idea of it sort of being full of people all the time.”
Proehl said changes in the music industry, however, have made it hard for independent stores to compete with online services like iTunes and Limewire.
“We came along at a really difficult time for this industry,” he said. “Unfortunately, the industry has made a number of decisions over the past few years that have really hurt and, in some cases, seemed designed to hurt independent shops.”
Some artists release exclusively to places like Best Buy or Starbucks, while other bands lower the price of a digital copy of their latest music. However, Proehl said small stores would still find an audience.
“It’s a niche market,” he said. “There’s always going to be a small, dedicated group of people who want the physical object, who want a CD or want vinyl and need to have it in their hands.”
Proehl said it was a difficult but necessary decision to close the store. He incurred significant medical bills last year after developing skin cancer and, as the sole owner, he said running the store has become too expensive.
“I have a full-time job that doesn’t pay me,” he said. “It doesn’t give me insurance. Every now and then, it gives me a record or two — which is nice, but very few hospitals will allow you to DJ away your medical bills.”
Proehl said, while it’s difficult abandoning something he worked for, he’s happy that the business hasn’t clouded his love for music.
“There’s something very different about standing in line at midnight to get the new Radiohead album, like I did when I was in graduate school,” he said. “Given the choice, I’d very much prefer the former way of thinking about music.”
No Radio Records will host its farewell show at 8 p.m. closing day, featuring Dufus, a local band, and Jeffrey Lewis, a New York-based anti-folk singer. Seth Faergolzia, Dufus founder, said the performance will be bittersweet because the band played the store’s opening as well.
“It definitely makes me sad that it’s closing,” he said. “I had some really fun nights there, and I think it has been a stronghold for underground bands that want to hit Ithaca.”
Sophomore Cathleen Hannah, who has attended several shows at No Radio Records, said she’ll miss the store’s music selection most of all.
“It’s cool having stores like No Radio that have records from bands you normally couldn’t find,” she said. “I’d miss having that in Ithaca because it’s something we have that not a lot of other places have.”
Ithaca Underground, a local concert-planning organization, arranges shows for the venue. Bubba Crumine, in charge of booking and promotions for the group, said No Radio Records was the perfect location for shows.
“Kids would go to a show at No Radio just because there was a show at No Radio,” Crumine said. “There’s a different scene around No Radio.”
Performances will continue at this location when The Shop, a café and music venue, takes its place in April. Phoebe Aceto, the new owner, said she plans to sell music and merchandise from local bands, as well as maintain the store’s community sense.
“It’s pretty much going to replace that casual hangout spot so anyone can feel welcome,” she said. “[We want] live music as often as possible in the evenings.”
Proehl said The Shop will be a positive replacement for the independent music shop.
“Using it as a community and performance space was definitely a crucial part of [my original model], and I’m really happy that aspect of it is going to continue, albeit in a different form,” he said.
SOURCE: http://theithacan.org
In Hamtramck, vinyl records keep on spinning
By Terry Parris, Jr.
Citizen Staffwriter
If Jeff Garbus doesn’t have it, Mike Smith does. And if Smith doesn’t have it, Garbus does. That’s pretty much been the modus operandi of Hamtramck’s two vinyl record dealers.
Garbus, who owns and operates Record Graveyard, specializes in more soul albums (though he has more then 100,000 records to choose from) whereas Smith, who does the same with Detroit Threads, tends to stock a lot of local rock and techno albums. Smith also sells a lot of vintage clothing (really vintage everything) and Detroit-influenced ware at his shop. But, still, he has a lot of records.
“I think we’re the two best record shops in southeast Michigan,” Smith said, who actually grew up with Garbus in Westland. “We bring people from all over Michigan, and all over the world. We’re destination spots for the city of Hamtramck.”
Garbus has been operating in Hamtramck since 2001. His record selling business started with metro Detroit’s Desirable Discs music stores, which also sold CDs. But now it’s just the vinyl for Garbus.
“I’ve always had an affection for them, personally. More than CDs,” Garbus said. “It’s what I love.”
Garbus just recently moved from his Jos. Campau location, which was located on the Belmont corner, to the old Piast Institute spot on Caniff.
“I did it for economical reasons and the other spot needed some repairs,” he said. “It feels like home here, home sweet home.”
The two record stores used to be a block apart on Jos. Campau before Garbus left for around the corner. But now Smith is the only vinyl dealer along that strip, located closer to Trowbridge St.
Smith and Detroit Threads have been in town for 11 years and at the current location for three.
Some people might ask why vinyl? What about CDs? What about iTunes and downloading?
“People just like records,” Garbus said plainly.
As for sales, both have said they’re doing quite fine, despite Michigan and Hamtramck’s economic hardships.
“There was a bit of a drop in recent years but record collecting has really picked up again,” Smith said.
“Of course, it’ll be a little harder but I’m hanging in there quite well,” Garbus said. “Records are entertaining and people always want to be entertained.”
For Detroit Threads, Smith said, he has other options if the records don’t sell.
“If one thing isn’t selling, something else is. I have the vintage clothes and people always buy up the Detroit stuff,” he says.
For both Record Graveyard and Detroit Threads, the upcoming “Hamtramck Blowout” weekend should bring in some buyers. Both places will participate in the festivities. Detroit Threads will be open all three nights with DJs, including Smith himself, while Record Graveyard will have bands on Saturday night. Additionally, Garbus said anyone with a Blowout wristband would get 20 percent off in his store.
SOURCE: http://www.hamtramckcitizen.com/
Citizen Staffwriter
If Jeff Garbus doesn’t have it, Mike Smith does. And if Smith doesn’t have it, Garbus does. That’s pretty much been the modus operandi of Hamtramck’s two vinyl record dealers.
Garbus, who owns and operates Record Graveyard, specializes in more soul albums (though he has more then 100,000 records to choose from) whereas Smith, who does the same with Detroit Threads, tends to stock a lot of local rock and techno albums. Smith also sells a lot of vintage clothing (really vintage everything) and Detroit-influenced ware at his shop. But, still, he has a lot of records.
“I think we’re the two best record shops in southeast Michigan,” Smith said, who actually grew up with Garbus in Westland. “We bring people from all over Michigan, and all over the world. We’re destination spots for the city of Hamtramck.”
Garbus has been operating in Hamtramck since 2001. His record selling business started with metro Detroit’s Desirable Discs music stores, which also sold CDs. But now it’s just the vinyl for Garbus.
“I’ve always had an affection for them, personally. More than CDs,” Garbus said. “It’s what I love.”
Garbus just recently moved from his Jos. Campau location, which was located on the Belmont corner, to the old Piast Institute spot on Caniff.
“I did it for economical reasons and the other spot needed some repairs,” he said. “It feels like home here, home sweet home.”
The two record stores used to be a block apart on Jos. Campau before Garbus left for around the corner. But now Smith is the only vinyl dealer along that strip, located closer to Trowbridge St.
Smith and Detroit Threads have been in town for 11 years and at the current location for three.
Some people might ask why vinyl? What about CDs? What about iTunes and downloading?
“People just like records,” Garbus said plainly.
As for sales, both have said they’re doing quite fine, despite Michigan and Hamtramck’s economic hardships.
“There was a bit of a drop in recent years but record collecting has really picked up again,” Smith said.
“Of course, it’ll be a little harder but I’m hanging in there quite well,” Garbus said. “Records are entertaining and people always want to be entertained.”
For Detroit Threads, Smith said, he has other options if the records don’t sell.
“If one thing isn’t selling, something else is. I have the vintage clothes and people always buy up the Detroit stuff,” he says.
For both Record Graveyard and Detroit Threads, the upcoming “Hamtramck Blowout” weekend should bring in some buyers. Both places will participate in the festivities. Detroit Threads will be open all three nights with DJs, including Smith himself, while Record Graveyard will have bands on Saturday night. Additionally, Garbus said anyone with a Blowout wristband would get 20 percent off in his store.
SOURCE: http://www.hamtramckcitizen.com/
Music News & Notes
Eminem Confirms Two 2009 Albums: “Relapse” Due May 19th
Eminem’s “Crack a Bottle” has become a hit on the singles chart, and now the album it likely comes from — his long-awaited comeback LP "Relapse" — finally has a release date. Interscope announced that Relapse is scheduled to go on sale May 19th, and a second album, titled "Relapse 2" will later in the year.
“A lot of people were expecting Relapse to drop last year. I was one of them,” Eminem stated in a press release. “Then Dre and I went back in the studio in September for a few days, and that turned into six months. We were on such a roll; we wound up with a ton of new music produced by Dre. Putting out Relapse 2 will let everyone get all of the best stuff.”
Eminem hasn’t released a studio album since 2004’s "Encore;" a greatest-hits compilation called "Curtain Call" was released the following year. In October 2008 he put out an autobiography called "The Way I Am," in which he confirmed a new LP was on the horizon:
“I’ve been recording the new album mainly in the crib. Makes it very easy for me. It’s like the old days, only there’s a lot more than a rusty four-track in my basement.” In December, he told Billboard, “Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man. Just him banging away on tracks and me getting that little spark that makes me write to it.”
=============================
Mustane Turns Down Invite
Dave Mustane has turned down an invitation from former Metallica bandmates Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield to join them at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Mustane wrote on his website:
"Metallica, as you know, has been selected to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So, it is with much respect that I say congratulations! I also had the nice surprise of hearing that they called to invite me to the pre-ceremony party the night before, and then to the actual ceremony. Unfortunately, as you all know, I will be winding down our European tour with Judas Priest, so I will be unable to attend. However, I'd like to say to Lars and James, I am so very proud of all you have accomplished.
"Thank you for the invitation and thinking of me."
=============================
Sir Paul & Ringo
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are scheduled to play at least one song together on April 4 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The show is a benefit for the David Lynch Foundation which supports transcendental meditation in schools. Also on the bill are Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Moby, Paul Horn, Betye LaVette and Jim James.
=============================
Jane's Addiction to release massive box set
It includes 30 unreleased tracks
Jane's Addiction have announced that they will release a massive box set this spring.
'A Cabinet Of Curiosities' is due out in the US on April 21 via Rhino records, and features several rare recordings, demos and live tracks. The three CD, one DVD box set kicks off with five songs recorded in 1986 in Venice, CA including a previously unreleased version of 'Jane Says'.
It also includes rare demos of their classic tracks 'Three Days,' 'Ocean Size,' 'Classic Girl,' 'Summertime Rolls,' and 'Stop!' The second disc contains more unreleased demos along with a recording of the band rehearsing 'My Time' and a 12-inch remix of 'Been Caught Stealing'.
The set also includes Jane's Addiction covering Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' and The Stooges' '1970'.
The DVD contains several videos including the one for 'Mountain Song' that was banned by MTV and candid home movies of the band. It also features 1990 performances taped in Milan for MTV Italy.
The box set comes packaged in a limited-edition wooden "curio cabinet" that features recreations of the band's early concert fliers, tickets stubs and other memorabilia. The set will also be available digitally.
Rhino has announced that it will release 180-gram vinyl versions of Jane's Addiction's landmark albums 1988's 'Nothing's Shocking' and 1990's 'Ritual De Lo Habitual' to celebrate Record Store Day on April 18.
=============================
Mastodon Tour
Grammy-nominated hard rock juggernaut Mastodon have confirmed dates for their Spring U.S. tour in support of their second album for Reprise Records, CRACK THE SKYE. This first tour behind the groundbreaking new album will sweep across the U.S. and Canada playing to smaller theaters and clubs to insure a maximum and up close intimate environment in which to be exposed to brand new songs and old favorites for Mastodon fans.
Yet another highly collectable Mastodon item will become available for sale in the coming weeks. This time, a special Limited Edition 12" vinyl Paul Romano album artwork picture disc of Divinations, backed with the instrumental Score version of the track. This disc will go on sale beginning Tuesday, Mar 10, at select Hot Topic retail store locations and at Hottopic.com.
=============================
Tork Ill
It's being reported that the Monkees’ Peter Tork has been diagnosed with a rare form of tongue cancer.
According to Popeater, Tork has Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, but luckily doctors discovered the tumor before it spread.
“I am extraordinarily grateful, amazed and humbled by the encouragement, affection and support I’ve received so far,” Tork said, adding he’ll be able to perform again in a matter of months.
Eminem’s “Crack a Bottle” has become a hit on the singles chart, and now the album it likely comes from — his long-awaited comeback LP "Relapse" — finally has a release date. Interscope announced that Relapse is scheduled to go on sale May 19th, and a second album, titled "Relapse 2" will later in the year.
“A lot of people were expecting Relapse to drop last year. I was one of them,” Eminem stated in a press release. “Then Dre and I went back in the studio in September for a few days, and that turned into six months. We were on such a roll; we wound up with a ton of new music produced by Dre. Putting out Relapse 2 will let everyone get all of the best stuff.”
Eminem hasn’t released a studio album since 2004’s "Encore;" a greatest-hits compilation called "Curtain Call" was released the following year. In October 2008 he put out an autobiography called "The Way I Am," in which he confirmed a new LP was on the horizon:
“I’ve been recording the new album mainly in the crib. Makes it very easy for me. It’s like the old days, only there’s a lot more than a rusty four-track in my basement.” In December, he told Billboard, “Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man. Just him banging away on tracks and me getting that little spark that makes me write to it.”
=============================
Mustane Turns Down Invite
Dave Mustane has turned down an invitation from former Metallica bandmates Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield to join them at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Mustane wrote on his website:
"Metallica, as you know, has been selected to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So, it is with much respect that I say congratulations! I also had the nice surprise of hearing that they called to invite me to the pre-ceremony party the night before, and then to the actual ceremony. Unfortunately, as you all know, I will be winding down our European tour with Judas Priest, so I will be unable to attend. However, I'd like to say to Lars and James, I am so very proud of all you have accomplished.
"Thank you for the invitation and thinking of me."
=============================
Sir Paul & Ringo
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are scheduled to play at least one song together on April 4 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The show is a benefit for the David Lynch Foundation which supports transcendental meditation in schools. Also on the bill are Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Moby, Paul Horn, Betye LaVette and Jim James.
=============================
Jane's Addiction to release massive box set
It includes 30 unreleased tracks
Jane's Addiction have announced that they will release a massive box set this spring.
'A Cabinet Of Curiosities' is due out in the US on April 21 via Rhino records, and features several rare recordings, demos and live tracks. The three CD, one DVD box set kicks off with five songs recorded in 1986 in Venice, CA including a previously unreleased version of 'Jane Says'.
It also includes rare demos of their classic tracks 'Three Days,' 'Ocean Size,' 'Classic Girl,' 'Summertime Rolls,' and 'Stop!' The second disc contains more unreleased demos along with a recording of the band rehearsing 'My Time' and a 12-inch remix of 'Been Caught Stealing'.
The set also includes Jane's Addiction covering Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' and The Stooges' '1970'.
The DVD contains several videos including the one for 'Mountain Song' that was banned by MTV and candid home movies of the band. It also features 1990 performances taped in Milan for MTV Italy.
The box set comes packaged in a limited-edition wooden "curio cabinet" that features recreations of the band's early concert fliers, tickets stubs and other memorabilia. The set will also be available digitally.
Rhino has announced that it will release 180-gram vinyl versions of Jane's Addiction's landmark albums 1988's 'Nothing's Shocking' and 1990's 'Ritual De Lo Habitual' to celebrate Record Store Day on April 18.
=============================
Mastodon Tour
Grammy-nominated hard rock juggernaut Mastodon have confirmed dates for their Spring U.S. tour in support of their second album for Reprise Records, CRACK THE SKYE. This first tour behind the groundbreaking new album will sweep across the U.S. and Canada playing to smaller theaters and clubs to insure a maximum and up close intimate environment in which to be exposed to brand new songs and old favorites for Mastodon fans.
Yet another highly collectable Mastodon item will become available for sale in the coming weeks. This time, a special Limited Edition 12" vinyl Paul Romano album artwork picture disc of Divinations, backed with the instrumental Score version of the track. This disc will go on sale beginning Tuesday, Mar 10, at select Hot Topic retail store locations and at Hottopic.com.
=============================
Tork Ill
It's being reported that the Monkees’ Peter Tork has been diagnosed with a rare form of tongue cancer.
According to Popeater, Tork has Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, but luckily doctors discovered the tumor before it spread.
“I am extraordinarily grateful, amazed and humbled by the encouragement, affection and support I’ve received so far,” Tork said, adding he’ll be able to perform again in a matter of months.
Record company defies conventional labels
Silver Spring's Cuneiform Records survives for 25 years by signing avant-garde artists
by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer
When Steve Feigenbaum started Cuneiform Records out of his parents' Wheaton home in 1984, he wasn't discouraged when it lost money its first year. Or the year after that. Or the next 11 years.
"I had miserable experiences of people taking advantage of me and ripping me off," Feigenbaum said last week from Cuneiform's small office in downtown Silver Spring. "It was difficult and slow, but because I was young I just kept doing it."
Twenty-five years later, despite massive change in the record industry and massive changes in Silver Spring, Feigenbaum doesn't seemed surprised his small label of experimental music now makes him an honest living.
The first record Cuneiform released was from New Jersey songwriter R. Stevie Moore, after Feigenbaum listened to more than 100 of Moore's songs to release a "best of" compilation.
"I asked his manager, ‘Is Stevie going to care which songs are on the album?'" recalled Feigenbaum, a hyper-engery 51-year-old. The manager responded, "‘No, he thinks they are all wonderful.'
Read the rest of the article here:
Record Label
by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer
When Steve Feigenbaum started Cuneiform Records out of his parents' Wheaton home in 1984, he wasn't discouraged when it lost money its first year. Or the year after that. Or the next 11 years.
"I had miserable experiences of people taking advantage of me and ripping me off," Feigenbaum said last week from Cuneiform's small office in downtown Silver Spring. "It was difficult and slow, but because I was young I just kept doing it."
Twenty-five years later, despite massive change in the record industry and massive changes in Silver Spring, Feigenbaum doesn't seemed surprised his small label of experimental music now makes him an honest living.
The first record Cuneiform released was from New Jersey songwriter R. Stevie Moore, after Feigenbaum listened to more than 100 of Moore's songs to release a "best of" compilation.
"I asked his manager, ‘Is Stevie going to care which songs are on the album?'" recalled Feigenbaum, a hyper-engery 51-year-old. The manager responded, "‘No, he thinks they are all wonderful.'
Read the rest of the article here:
Record Label
This Date In Music History-March 5
Birthdays:
Alan Clark- Dire Straits (1952)
Reggae star Eddy Grant (1948)
Craig and Charlie Reid- The Proclaimers (1962)
Teena Marie- (1956)
John Frusciante- Red Hot Chili Peppers (1970)
Murray Head ("Superstar") is 63.
They Are Missed:
Michael "Smitty" Smith, drummer for Paul Revere & the Raiders ("Kicks"), is found dead from natural causes in 2001.
The late Tommy Tucker ("Hi-Heel Sneakers") was born in 1939.
Singer and Solid Gold host Andy Gibb ("Shadow Dancing") was born in Manchester, England in 1958. Gibb died on March 10th 1988.
Syd Nathan, boss of R&B label King Records, died in 1968 (age 63). His short temper brought him the nickname "Little Caesar," but King released records by legends like Little Willie John and James Brown.
Country singer Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash at Dyersburg, Virginia in 1963, along with The Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. They were traveling to Nashville to appear at a benefit concert for DJ 'Cactus' Jack Call, who'd died in a car crash. Cline was the first country singer to cross over as a pop artist.
Actor and singer John Belushi died from an overdose of cocaine and heroin in 1982. Belushi was one of the original cast members on US TV's Saturday Night Live, played Joliet 'Jake' Blues in The Blues Brothers.
History:
Ike Turner recorded "Rocket 88," in 1951, a song many consider the first Rock n’ Roll record. Three months later it topped the R&B chart.
In 1970, John Lennon and Yoko Ono checked into the London Clinic. Later in the month the couple began a primal-scream course led by therapist Dr. Arthur Janov. Lennon started writing songs - such as "Mother" and "Isolation" - that will appear on Plastic Ono Band.
Led Zeppelin performed the epic anthem, "Stairway to Heaven," in concert for the first time in 1971 at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour releases his second solo album, "About Face" in 1984. He later realizes his solo material sells more when recorded under the name Pink Floyd.
Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass went to #1 on the US album chart in 1966 with “Going Places.”
Today in 1966, the song "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by Sgt Barry Sadler topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks.
Barbra Streisand started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1977 with “Love Theme From A Star Is Born,” her second US #1.
R.E.M. cleaned up in The Rolling Stone Music Awards in 1992 winning Album of the year, for “Out Of Time,” Artist of the year, Best single for “Losing My Religion,” Best video for “Losing My Religion'”and Best band, Best guitarist and Best songwriter awards. I guess they were the Best.
Madonna went to #1 on the UK singles chart in 2000 with her version of the Don McLean 1972 hit “American Pie.”
Elvis Presley was discharged from the U.S. Army in 1960.
Elvis Presley made his first TV appearance in 1955, on the "Louisiana Hayride" program.
Bobby Darin recorded "Dream Lover" in 1959.
Alan Clark- Dire Straits (1952)
Reggae star Eddy Grant (1948)
Craig and Charlie Reid- The Proclaimers (1962)
Teena Marie- (1956)
John Frusciante- Red Hot Chili Peppers (1970)
Murray Head ("Superstar") is 63.
They Are Missed:
Michael "Smitty" Smith, drummer for Paul Revere & the Raiders ("Kicks"), is found dead from natural causes in 2001.
The late Tommy Tucker ("Hi-Heel Sneakers") was born in 1939.
Singer and Solid Gold host Andy Gibb ("Shadow Dancing") was born in Manchester, England in 1958. Gibb died on March 10th 1988.
Syd Nathan, boss of R&B label King Records, died in 1968 (age 63). His short temper brought him the nickname "Little Caesar," but King released records by legends like Little Willie John and James Brown.
Country singer Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash at Dyersburg, Virginia in 1963, along with The Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. They were traveling to Nashville to appear at a benefit concert for DJ 'Cactus' Jack Call, who'd died in a car crash. Cline was the first country singer to cross over as a pop artist.
Actor and singer John Belushi died from an overdose of cocaine and heroin in 1982. Belushi was one of the original cast members on US TV's Saturday Night Live, played Joliet 'Jake' Blues in The Blues Brothers.
History:
Ike Turner recorded "Rocket 88," in 1951, a song many consider the first Rock n’ Roll record. Three months later it topped the R&B chart.
In 1970, John Lennon and Yoko Ono checked into the London Clinic. Later in the month the couple began a primal-scream course led by therapist Dr. Arthur Janov. Lennon started writing songs - such as "Mother" and "Isolation" - that will appear on Plastic Ono Band.
Led Zeppelin performed the epic anthem, "Stairway to Heaven," in concert for the first time in 1971 at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour releases his second solo album, "About Face" in 1984. He later realizes his solo material sells more when recorded under the name Pink Floyd.
Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass went to #1 on the US album chart in 1966 with “Going Places.”
Today in 1966, the song "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by Sgt Barry Sadler topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks.
Barbra Streisand started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1977 with “Love Theme From A Star Is Born,” her second US #1.
R.E.M. cleaned up in The Rolling Stone Music Awards in 1992 winning Album of the year, for “Out Of Time,” Artist of the year, Best single for “Losing My Religion,” Best video for “Losing My Religion'”and Best band, Best guitarist and Best songwriter awards. I guess they were the Best.
Madonna went to #1 on the UK singles chart in 2000 with her version of the Don McLean 1972 hit “American Pie.”
Elvis Presley was discharged from the U.S. Army in 1960.
Elvis Presley made his first TV appearance in 1955, on the "Louisiana Hayride" program.
Bobby Darin recorded "Dream Lover" in 1959.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Classic Rock Videos
Note: we are getting to some of my favorite Beatle songs, watch over the next few days and tell me if you agree!
The Beatles - In My Life
The Beatles - In My Life
Mr. Music
I am continuing our new feature: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2008), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.
FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23, 2009
DEAR JERRY: I am a bit confused by a piece I just heard on one of those entertainment news and gossip TV shows.
In short, they said Kelly Clarkson just made musical history by making the biggest jump to No. 1 ever on the Billboard 100 top sellers.
Clarkson's “My Life Would Suck Without You” reportedly sold about 300,000 digital downloads in its debut week, and zoomed from No. 97 to No. 1.
While this is an impressive leap, compare it to the following quote from one of your July 2000 columns, which popped up during an internet search:
“On September 13, 1997, Mariah Carey's “Honey” became the first record to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Just one month later, Elton John's Princess Diana tribute, “Candle in the Wind 1997,” backed with “Something About the Way You Look Tonight,” also debuted at No. 1.
“And it almost happened a third time — that very same month.
“Sandwiched between Mariah and Elton, “4 Seasons of Loneliness,” by Boyz II Men, debuted at No. 2 on September 27.”
My math indicates all three of these 1997 hits out jumped “My Life Would Suck Without You.” Am I wrong? —Millie Johanson, Milwaukee
DEAR MILLIE: Your math skills are impeccable, though your news source may have omitted one little qualifier.
The point must be a jump from one chart position to another, rather than the highest debut position.
When it comes to the long jump, Kelly Clarkson is no stranger to that event. In 2002, she first set the record for biggest leap to No. 1 when “A Moment Like This” sailed from No. 52 to No. 1.
Kelly now reclaims her throne by a sliver, edging out “Womanizer,” by Britney Spears. Last November Britney moved to No. 1 from No. 96.
DEAR JERRY: Around the time the Monkees became America's top group is when, for the first time ever, I could enjoy music in my Mustang from something other than the car radio.
Making this possible was the introduction of car players for 8-track tapes.
Thankfully, my klutzy Monkees cartridges were soon replaced by cassettes, and finally compact discs.
When did new cars first come with 8-track players, and was there any system used in autos before 8-tracks? —Earl Grower, Buffalo, N.Y.
DEAR EARL: On April 3, 1965, Ford first announced, via the music industry trades, their intention to offer optional factory-installed players for 8-track cartridges that September with the introduction of their 1966 models.
Not remembered nearly as well as the 8-track is its predecessor, the 4-track cartridge system.
Developed in 1956, ironically in conjunction with Ford Motor Company, 4-track tapes and players didn't get off the ground until around 1962.
Even then, 4-track players could only be obtained as an accessory and not factory-installed.
When Ford opted to go with the 8-track format, it would be the proverbial nail in the coffin for 4-tracks.
A decade later a very similar tape format war ensued, this time with competing video cassettes.
Sony introduced Betamax in 1975, but it was JVC and their VHS format, unveiled in '76, that would become the world standard.
IZ ZAT SO? By the end of the 1960s, audio cassettes took over as the format of choice for music on tape.
Cassettes and vinyl LPs dominated throughout the '70s, with both analog formats finally giving way to the digital revolution in the mid-'80s.
However, just as vinyl records continue to be made by some companies, a few independent labels stuck with 8-tracks until 2004.
FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23, 2009
DEAR JERRY: I am a bit confused by a piece I just heard on one of those entertainment news and gossip TV shows.
In short, they said Kelly Clarkson just made musical history by making the biggest jump to No. 1 ever on the Billboard 100 top sellers.
Clarkson's “My Life Would Suck Without You” reportedly sold about 300,000 digital downloads in its debut week, and zoomed from No. 97 to No. 1.
While this is an impressive leap, compare it to the following quote from one of your July 2000 columns, which popped up during an internet search:
“On September 13, 1997, Mariah Carey's “Honey” became the first record to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Just one month later, Elton John's Princess Diana tribute, “Candle in the Wind 1997,” backed with “Something About the Way You Look Tonight,” also debuted at No. 1.
“And it almost happened a third time — that very same month.
“Sandwiched between Mariah and Elton, “4 Seasons of Loneliness,” by Boyz II Men, debuted at No. 2 on September 27.”
My math indicates all three of these 1997 hits out jumped “My Life Would Suck Without You.” Am I wrong? —Millie Johanson, Milwaukee
DEAR MILLIE: Your math skills are impeccable, though your news source may have omitted one little qualifier.
The point must be a jump from one chart position to another, rather than the highest debut position.
When it comes to the long jump, Kelly Clarkson is no stranger to that event. In 2002, she first set the record for biggest leap to No. 1 when “A Moment Like This” sailed from No. 52 to No. 1.
Kelly now reclaims her throne by a sliver, edging out “Womanizer,” by Britney Spears. Last November Britney moved to No. 1 from No. 96.
DEAR JERRY: Around the time the Monkees became America's top group is when, for the first time ever, I could enjoy music in my Mustang from something other than the car radio.
Making this possible was the introduction of car players for 8-track tapes.
Thankfully, my klutzy Monkees cartridges were soon replaced by cassettes, and finally compact discs.
When did new cars first come with 8-track players, and was there any system used in autos before 8-tracks? —Earl Grower, Buffalo, N.Y.
DEAR EARL: On April 3, 1965, Ford first announced, via the music industry trades, their intention to offer optional factory-installed players for 8-track cartridges that September with the introduction of their 1966 models.
Not remembered nearly as well as the 8-track is its predecessor, the 4-track cartridge system.
Developed in 1956, ironically in conjunction with Ford Motor Company, 4-track tapes and players didn't get off the ground until around 1962.
Even then, 4-track players could only be obtained as an accessory and not factory-installed.
When Ford opted to go with the 8-track format, it would be the proverbial nail in the coffin for 4-tracks.
A decade later a very similar tape format war ensued, this time with competing video cassettes.
Sony introduced Betamax in 1975, but it was JVC and their VHS format, unveiled in '76, that would become the world standard.
IZ ZAT SO? By the end of the 1960s, audio cassettes took over as the format of choice for music on tape.
Cassettes and vinyl LPs dominated throughout the '70s, with both analog formats finally giving way to the digital revolution in the mid-'80s.
However, just as vinyl records continue to be made by some companies, a few independent labels stuck with 8-tracks until 2004.
Album Cover Art
An interesting cover, this prog-rock group is well known for their inventive album cover art.
Roadside Monument's odd blend of emotional hardcore and math rock juxtaposed with the raging spazzcore of Frodus is a heady combination. The Roafside songs are anything but boring, as the previous reviewer suggested, but, when compared to Frodus, they are quite subdued. DC's Frodus steals the show with the astonishing "Lights on for Safety," perhaps one of that bands finest moments (control is always automatic). For fans of the DC punk sound, as exemplified by Dischord Records, this split is worth hearing.
Roadside Monument's odd blend of emotional hardcore and math rock juxtaposed with the raging spazzcore of Frodus is a heady combination. The Roafside songs are anything but boring, as the previous reviewer suggested, but, when compared to Frodus, they are quite subdued. DC's Frodus steals the show with the astonishing "Lights on for Safety," perhaps one of that bands finest moments (control is always automatic). For fans of the DC punk sound, as exemplified by Dischord Records, this split is worth hearing.
New Vinyl Releases
Here are some great new vinyl releases, buy them here:
http://tinyurl.com/d5445p
Bitter Tears/Jam Tarts in the Jake [LP] (includes download codes)/Carrot Top
Boozoo Bajou/Grains [LP]/K7 Records
Buddy & Julie Miller/Written In Chalk [LP] (feats. Robert Plant & Emmylou Harris) New West Records
Cult/Love (180 Gram Vinyl)/Vinyl 180VYL
Cult/Love + She Sells Sanctuary 12'' [LP+12''] (180 Gram)
Daniele Baldelli/Cosmic Sound: Another Flying Trip through the Alkemy of Music Mediane
Grandmaster Flash/The Bridge (Concept Of A Culture) [2 LP]/Strut
Justin Townes Earle/Midnight At The Movies/Bloodshot
Marianne Faithfull/Easy Come Easy Go [2 LP]/Decca U.S.
Marissa Nadler/Little Hells [LP]/Kemado Records
Method Man/Redman/Blackout 2 [2 LP]/Def Jam
Nashville Pussy/From Hell To Texas[LP]/Steamhammer
Thin Lizzy/Still Dangerous - Live At The Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977 [LP] (Gatefold + bonus 7'') (new 2009 release) VH1 Classic Records "Double gatefold collectors LP will feature bonus 7” single (w/2 unreleased songs)
Townes Van Zandt/Live at the Old Quarter (Houston Texas) [2 LP] (180 Gram)/Fat Possum
Townes Van Zandt/Our Mother The Mountain [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl)/Fat Possum
U2/No Line On The Horizon [2 LP] (180 Gram) [Limited Edition] Interscope
Features:* Limited Edition, 7500 copies* 180g Vinyl* Double LP* Gatefold sleeve* 16-page booklet
http://tinyurl.com/d5445p
http://tinyurl.com/d5445p
Bitter Tears/Jam Tarts in the Jake [LP] (includes download codes)/Carrot Top
Boozoo Bajou/Grains [LP]/K7 Records
Buddy & Julie Miller/Written In Chalk [LP] (feats. Robert Plant & Emmylou Harris) New West Records
Cult/Love (180 Gram Vinyl)/Vinyl 180VYL
Cult/Love + She Sells Sanctuary 12'' [LP+12''] (180 Gram)
Daniele Baldelli/Cosmic Sound: Another Flying Trip through the Alkemy of Music Mediane
Grandmaster Flash/The Bridge (Concept Of A Culture) [2 LP]/Strut
Justin Townes Earle/Midnight At The Movies/Bloodshot
Marianne Faithfull/Easy Come Easy Go [2 LP]/Decca U.S.
Marissa Nadler/Little Hells [LP]/Kemado Records
Method Man/Redman/Blackout 2 [2 LP]/Def Jam
Nashville Pussy/From Hell To Texas[LP]/Steamhammer
Thin Lizzy/Still Dangerous - Live At The Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977 [LP] (Gatefold + bonus 7'') (new 2009 release) VH1 Classic Records "Double gatefold collectors LP will feature bonus 7” single (w/2 unreleased songs)
Townes Van Zandt/Live at the Old Quarter (Houston Texas) [2 LP] (180 Gram)/Fat Possum
Townes Van Zandt/Our Mother The Mountain [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl)/Fat Possum
U2/No Line On The Horizon [2 LP] (180 Gram) [Limited Edition] Interscope
Features:* Limited Edition, 7500 copies* 180g Vinyl* Double LP* Gatefold sleeve* 16-page booklet
http://tinyurl.com/d5445p
How to rescue our record shops
Here is the state of the record store in the UK:
How to rescue our record shops
Indie stores everywhere are closing – but we can still save them, says Elisa Bray
Many of my teenage days were spent in Camden, at tiny, sweaty gigs or in independent record-shops. As a ritual, before gigs we would amble into the little shops along the high street, our mission being to rummage through the 50p bargain bins and the promo boxes. There was usually a competition to see who could find the best musical bargain for £3; we would later return eagerly home to test out the new music.
Most of the time, we didn't know much about the small bands whose songs we had picked at random. Once, in 1999, I struck gold – the very first UK release by Sigur Rós, their EP featuring "Svefn-g-englar". When we first listened to it, it sounded like nothing we'd ever heard before: beautifully fragile, with otherworldly vocals building to a towering, breathtaking climax. It's still my favourite of the Icelandic band's tracks to date. In those days before MySpace, shopping at independent stores was the best way to discover new music. There, thumbing my way through the always brimming indie-rock section or the left-field electronica offerings, I found all the minor artists who didn't get a look in at the big stores.
Sadly, out of those most-visited Camden shops of ours, only Music and Video Exchange remains. The sad fate of Rhythm Records, which opened in 1978, was sealed in 2000, but last year was by far the worst for independent shops. In 2008, more than one-quarter of these stores went out of business, as the industry journal Music Week has reported. Among them was Disque, in Islington, which specialised in dance music spanning hip-hop, techno, electro, soul and funk. Outside London, Derby's popular Reveal also shut up shop – today, a link on the website takes you to their "shop" on eBay. At the end of this month, Selectadisc in Nottingham will close its doors after 40 years in the business.
The demise of independent record shops has been pretty much inevitable since the digital revolution began, but now we're seeing a record number of independents closing. Only 300 remain in the UK today, a sad fact for the many music-fans for whom shopping in independent record-stores rather than in the clinical aisles of the high-street chain is a treat. Browsing through the dusty rows of CDs, you would often unearth a forgotten treasure and usually leave with something unexpected. There, within the murky warrens of CD racks, is a treasure trove where you could find deleted singles by The Smiths, Pink Floyd singles on 7in vinyl, and rare, one-off coloured vinyl discs.
Sister Ray, a Soho-based indie since 1987, narrowly avoided closure when its co-founder bought it out of administration last year. When I asked them which was their most valuable treasure, they said it was an original copy of the "Silent Sun" 7in by Genesis, priced at £300 (not a demo version). With collectors' items such as these selling for that kind of sum, the staff not only have to know their own stock and the market, and be keen to help in recommending music, but they will also phone their customers to let them know if such items have come in.
The rarity of such a release makes its purchase that much more satisfying. As an arthouse cinema is to dedicated film-fans, the independent record shop is a haven to like-minded music fans – visited by those who really love music. Trawling eBay (a practice partly to blame for the shops' demise) for a long-deleted vinyl single by The Smiths just does not have the same romantic appeal.
But, as these stores rely so much on their customers, I urge you to seek out the remaining independent record shops in your locality and see what you can discover: surprise and pleasure are in store.
SOURCE: http://www.independent.co.uk
How to rescue our record shops
Indie stores everywhere are closing – but we can still save them, says Elisa Bray
Many of my teenage days were spent in Camden, at tiny, sweaty gigs or in independent record-shops. As a ritual, before gigs we would amble into the little shops along the high street, our mission being to rummage through the 50p bargain bins and the promo boxes. There was usually a competition to see who could find the best musical bargain for £3; we would later return eagerly home to test out the new music.
Most of the time, we didn't know much about the small bands whose songs we had picked at random. Once, in 1999, I struck gold – the very first UK release by Sigur Rós, their EP featuring "Svefn-g-englar". When we first listened to it, it sounded like nothing we'd ever heard before: beautifully fragile, with otherworldly vocals building to a towering, breathtaking climax. It's still my favourite of the Icelandic band's tracks to date. In those days before MySpace, shopping at independent stores was the best way to discover new music. There, thumbing my way through the always brimming indie-rock section or the left-field electronica offerings, I found all the minor artists who didn't get a look in at the big stores.
Sadly, out of those most-visited Camden shops of ours, only Music and Video Exchange remains. The sad fate of Rhythm Records, which opened in 1978, was sealed in 2000, but last year was by far the worst for independent shops. In 2008, more than one-quarter of these stores went out of business, as the industry journal Music Week has reported. Among them was Disque, in Islington, which specialised in dance music spanning hip-hop, techno, electro, soul and funk. Outside London, Derby's popular Reveal also shut up shop – today, a link on the website takes you to their "shop" on eBay. At the end of this month, Selectadisc in Nottingham will close its doors after 40 years in the business.
The demise of independent record shops has been pretty much inevitable since the digital revolution began, but now we're seeing a record number of independents closing. Only 300 remain in the UK today, a sad fact for the many music-fans for whom shopping in independent record-stores rather than in the clinical aisles of the high-street chain is a treat. Browsing through the dusty rows of CDs, you would often unearth a forgotten treasure and usually leave with something unexpected. There, within the murky warrens of CD racks, is a treasure trove where you could find deleted singles by The Smiths, Pink Floyd singles on 7in vinyl, and rare, one-off coloured vinyl discs.
Sister Ray, a Soho-based indie since 1987, narrowly avoided closure when its co-founder bought it out of administration last year. When I asked them which was their most valuable treasure, they said it was an original copy of the "Silent Sun" 7in by Genesis, priced at £300 (not a demo version). With collectors' items such as these selling for that kind of sum, the staff not only have to know their own stock and the market, and be keen to help in recommending music, but they will also phone their customers to let them know if such items have come in.
The rarity of such a release makes its purchase that much more satisfying. As an arthouse cinema is to dedicated film-fans, the independent record shop is a haven to like-minded music fans – visited by those who really love music. Trawling eBay (a practice partly to blame for the shops' demise) for a long-deleted vinyl single by The Smiths just does not have the same romantic appeal.
But, as these stores rely so much on their customers, I urge you to seek out the remaining independent record shops in your locality and see what you can discover: surprise and pleasure are in store.
SOURCE: http://www.independent.co.uk
Music News & Notes
Neil Young's Fork In The Road Release Is Set
Neil Young is scheduled to release his new album, "Fork in the Road," on April 7. The entire album revolves around his 'Linc Volt' electric car project that he has been working on with auto guru Jonathan Goodwin.
The first single from the album, "Johnny Magic," is a tribute to Goodwin commented to Rolling Stone that he really doesn't know much about Young's other career.
“For the first month I thought he was Neil Diamond. I guess he is another singer. My wife told me ‘That’s Neil Young. He sings the older songs.’ To this day I’ve never listened to any of his music.”
Young has been playing nine of the ten songs on the album in concert since the end of last year with only the single being a brand new debut. General reaction to the new material has been mixed at best.
Participating on the album are Ben Keith , Chad Cromwell, Rick Rosas, Pegi Young and Anthony Crawford.
The track list:
When Worlds Collide
Fuel Line
Just Singing A Song
Johnny Magic
Cough Up The Bucks
Get Behind The Wheel
Off The Road
Hit The Road
Light A Candle
Fork In The Road
Buy Your Copy Today!
=================================
Cursive Spells Out Unique Pricing Plan For Latest Release
Rock band Cursive is offering up a digital download of its forthcoming Saddle Creek effort "Mama, I'm Swollen" at dramatically low prices leading up to its release on March 10. The promotion kicked off last Sunday, March 1, with cost at $1. On Monday, it was bumped up to $2, Tuesday at $3 and so on until it reaches $9. The sale is taking place on the Saddle Creek website.
Cursive are scheduled to release physical copies of the album, as CDs and a deluxe LPs and these will include download cards for bonus material and instant digital versions of the set.
Headed by frontman Tim Kasher, they will be performing on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on March 13.
Buy Your Copy Today!
=================================
The Fray Announces Summer Dates
The hot Denver-based rock band The Fray, which last month scored its first #1 album, has announced plans for a summer headlining tour. The 35-city trek kicks off on June 12 in Atlanta and ends up in Spokane, WA on August 7. Jacks Mannequin is the opening act for all dates.
The Fray's second album, "The Fray," was released by Epic on February 3 and debuted on the Billboard Hot 200 at #1. The album remains at #3, having sold a total of 306,000 copies to date according to Nielson SoundScan.
Buy Fray Music Here
Here is the beginning tour dates for The Fray with many more coming:
June 12: Atlanta, GA (Chastain Park Amphitheatre)
June 13: Charlotte, NC (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
June 14: Virginia Beach, VA (Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater)
June 16: Washington, DC (Merriweather Post Pavilion)
June 17: Darien Lake, NY (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
June 19: Holmdel, NJ (PNC Bank Arts Center)
June 20: Hartford, CT (The Meadows Music Theatre)
June 21: Boston, MA (Comcast Center)
June 23: Toronto, ON (Molson Amphitheatre)
June 24: Philadelphia, PA (Susquehanna Bank Center)
June 25: Wantagh, NY (Nikon at Jones Beach Theater)
June 27: Detroit, MI (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
June 28: Chicago, IL (First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre)
June 29: Cincinnati, OH (Riverbend Music Center)
July 1: Cleveland, OH (Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre at Tower City)
July 2: Indianapolis, IN (Verizon Wireless Music Center)
July 3: St. Louis, MO (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)
=================================
Arc Angels To Work On New Material
The Arc Angels, the Austin, Texas-based all-star group that was formed in the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughn's death, are ready to take off again.
After playing together periodically during the past several years, the band is planning to release a DVD this year and tour extensively -- including two appearances during this month's South By Southwest music festival and a May tour with Eric Clapton in England -- and to start work on its first album in 17 years.
"We feel like we have unfinished business here, and it always feels right when we're together," guitarist Doyle Bramhall II told Billboard.com. "The chemistry is sort of undeniable when we get together. We really enjoy playing with one another."
The Arc Angels formed during the early 1990's, following fellow Texan Stevie Ray Vaughan's Aug. 27, 1990 death in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisconsin. Vaughan's Double Trouble Rhythm Section -- drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon -- joined forces with Bramhall and Charlie Sexton at the Austin Rehearsal Center (ARC), which gave the group its name. But after one well-received album, 1992's "Arc Angels," the group broke up in 1994 -- partly, Bramhall acknowledges, due to his heroin addiction.
Buy Your Copy Today!
=================================
Beatles 101
The city of London already has a Beatles museum, a Beatles-themed hotel and an airport named after John Lennon. Now a Liverpool university said that it rolling out a graduate program entirely devoted to the Fab Four.
Liverpool Hope University said yesterday that its new master's program, "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society," would enable students the opportunity to study and analyze popular music and culture through the band's work.
"There have been over 8,000 books about The Beatles but there has never been serious academic study and that is what we are going to address," commented Mike Brocken, who is directing the program at the university, which is in the band's hometown in northwestern England.
Brocken, who said he learned to play his favorite album, "Revolver," on his tennis racket as a child, said students would be expected to study the Beatles' songs, stardom, hometown and cultural impact through four 12-week courses and a dissertation.
In one such course — studio sound and composition — a student could perform a Beatles song as an assignment.
Brocken said studying the band was really a way of examining society as a whole.
"If popular music is about anything, it's about people," he said. "If we look at popular culture, it simply provides us with a very complex mirror of ourselves."
Buy Beatles Music Here!
=================================
No Doubt Tour
For No Doubt’s upcoming tour, the band has announced a special deal: they’re giving away a free digital download of their entire catalog, from 1992’s No Doubt to 2003’s greatest hits compilation The Singles, to each person who purchases a full-priced ticket.
“Since the band is heading back to the road, we wanted to find a cool way to get people listening to our music and stoke them with a great deal at the same time,” guitarist Tom Dumont said in a statement. “With this download it’s easy for fans to get psyched up to hear our music live once again and that rocks.”
So why offer such an incredible deal? Maybe No Doubt are being cautious with the recession expected to cripple the summer touring season or maybe they’re rewarding their fans for their patience. Either way, the digital download is a pretty awesome and generous move on the part of Gwen Stefani and crew. There is a small catch, however: The digital download only comes with the purchase of a full-priced, $42.50 ticket and not lower-tiered or lawn tickets.
No Doubt Catalog
The Singles 1992-2003 (2003)
Everything In Time (B-Sides, Rarities, Remixes) (2003)
Rock Steady (2001)
Return Of Saturn (2000)
Tragic Kingdom (1995)
The Beacon Street Collection (1993)
No Doubt (1992)“Stand And Deliver”
Buy No Doubt Music Here!
=================================
666 From Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden is all set to show their new documentary, Flight 666, for one day only at 400 theaters around the world, officially dubbing April 21 as Maiden Day.
The film followed the band during their "Somewhere Back in Time Tour."
"This film is a testament to an extraordinary tour and to our incredible fans all over the world. Seeing it on the big screen will make you feel like you were there on that spectacular journey," manager Rod Smallwood said.
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Vinyl Collective Top Ten
Vinyl Collective Top 10 Sales of the past Week (Stop by the site and get your vinyl!- www.vinylcollective.com)
1. AUSTIN LUCAS/FRANK TURNER “Under the Influence Vol 8″ 7″ Red/White color in colo
2. THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “Great Expectations” 7″ import
3. AUSTIN LUCAS/FRANK TURNER “Under the Influence Vol 8″ 7″ both colors
4. NEW FOUND GLORY “Not Without A Fight” LP
5. Suburban Home Pick 5 for $25 Sale (CDs, Vinyl, Pint Glasses)
6. AUSTIN LUCAS/FRANK TURNER “Under the Influence Vol 8″ 7″ White/Bllack half and h
7. TORCHE “Healer/Across The Shields” LP + DVD orange vinyl
8. RIVERDALES “Phase 3″ LP clear gold vinyl
9. TWO TONGUES “S/T” LP picture disc
10. O PIONEERS!!! “Neon Creeps” LP orange vinyl silk-screened jackets
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Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have moved up their release of "It’s Blitz" after their new album leaked last week. Blitz will hit digital retailers March 10th, with the physical release to follow on March 31st. The album was originally slated for release on April 14th. “YYYs have been brimming with nervous excitement in anticipation of releasing this record to the world! Leaks are NO FUN but it’s out of our hands,” the band wrote on their Website.
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TIM EASTON TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM PORCUPINE ON NEW WEST RECORDS APRIL 28
Contemporary folk/rocker Tim Easton has been driven westward both geographically and musically since his college days in Ohio. On his 5th album, Porcupine due out April 28 from New West Records, the Joshua Tree, CA resident returns to his mid-western sound and lets a myriad of guitar riffs rooted in blues, rock, and folk set the color for observational lyrics capturing life from the desert to the sea, and around the world. The new album finds Tim's writing skills sharpened, possibly inspired by his friend and mentor Lucinda Williams. Easton, known for his non-stop touring (from Dublin to Anchorage to Bangor to Jacksonville), will be on the road with a band, supporting Porcupine beginning this Spring, including a stop in Austin, TX where Tim will appear at several events during the South By Southwest convention, including the New West Records day party, Pop Culture Press party, Ground Control Touring showcase and the Sin City Social Club party (dates below).
For Porcupine, Tim went back to Alex The Great and Club Roar studios in Nashville to work with Brad Jones and Robin Eaton who produced his debut album, Special 20. He wanted to "make some noise and get that jagged, midwestern rock and roll sound again" so he hand-picked the Ohio-based rhythm section - Sam Brown on drums (Gaunt, New Bomb Turks, RJD2) and Matt Surgeson on bass and backing vocals (Matt also played on Special 20). Renowned guitarist Kenny Vaughn, who Tim met playing in Lucinda's band for her Car Wheels tour, played second guitar.
Porcupine visits the rough edged and electric side of Tim's recordings, although it's an acoustic track that provides the record's shiniest moment in the pop-folk jangle of "Seventh Wheel." Tim wrote the song in as much time as it takes to sing it while staying at friend's house in Dublin, and the band demanded that he record it for the album after hearing the demo he made in Ireland. As for the title Porcupine, Tim explains "I thought the physical animal called the porcupine was a perfect symbol for the sound of this record in that it appears to be a gentle and harmless creature from a distance but up close it is in fact sharp and potentially dangerous."
Tim has released three critically acclaimed albums on New West thus far: The Truth About Us (2001), Break Your Mother's Heart (2003) and Ammunition (2006). He has toured with label mates John Hiatt and The Flatlanders, as well as with The Jayhawks and Lucinda Williams. Living in the village of Joshua Tree between tours has made more time available for other creative endeavors such as painting and writing. "There's not much else to do out here," Tim remarked, "so going for long hikes with my dogs or making music, paintings, and stories is what fills my average day at home." There will be an exhibition of Tim's paintings, which are folk art based pieces that focus on the guitar, at Yard Dog Gallery in Austin during this year's SXSW conference. A series of 500 individually painted vinyl album jackets will be part of the Porcupine release, and the New West CD release will feature Tim's art on the cover.
Neil Young is scheduled to release his new album, "Fork in the Road," on April 7. The entire album revolves around his 'Linc Volt' electric car project that he has been working on with auto guru Jonathan Goodwin.
The first single from the album, "Johnny Magic," is a tribute to Goodwin commented to Rolling Stone that he really doesn't know much about Young's other career.
“For the first month I thought he was Neil Diamond. I guess he is another singer. My wife told me ‘That’s Neil Young. He sings the older songs.’ To this day I’ve never listened to any of his music.”
Young has been playing nine of the ten songs on the album in concert since the end of last year with only the single being a brand new debut. General reaction to the new material has been mixed at best.
Participating on the album are Ben Keith , Chad Cromwell, Rick Rosas, Pegi Young and Anthony Crawford.
The track list:
When Worlds Collide
Fuel Line
Just Singing A Song
Johnny Magic
Cough Up The Bucks
Get Behind The Wheel
Off The Road
Hit The Road
Light A Candle
Fork In The Road
Buy Your Copy Today!
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Cursive Spells Out Unique Pricing Plan For Latest Release
Rock band Cursive is offering up a digital download of its forthcoming Saddle Creek effort "Mama, I'm Swollen" at dramatically low prices leading up to its release on March 10. The promotion kicked off last Sunday, March 1, with cost at $1. On Monday, it was bumped up to $2, Tuesday at $3 and so on until it reaches $9. The sale is taking place on the Saddle Creek website.
Cursive are scheduled to release physical copies of the album, as CDs and a deluxe LPs and these will include download cards for bonus material and instant digital versions of the set.
Headed by frontman Tim Kasher, they will be performing on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on March 13.
Buy Your Copy Today!
=================================
The Fray Announces Summer Dates
The hot Denver-based rock band The Fray, which last month scored its first #1 album, has announced plans for a summer headlining tour. The 35-city trek kicks off on June 12 in Atlanta and ends up in Spokane, WA on August 7. Jacks Mannequin is the opening act for all dates.
The Fray's second album, "The Fray," was released by Epic on February 3 and debuted on the Billboard Hot 200 at #1. The album remains at #3, having sold a total of 306,000 copies to date according to Nielson SoundScan.
Buy Fray Music Here
Here is the beginning tour dates for The Fray with many more coming:
June 12: Atlanta, GA (Chastain Park Amphitheatre)
June 13: Charlotte, NC (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
June 14: Virginia Beach, VA (Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater)
June 16: Washington, DC (Merriweather Post Pavilion)
June 17: Darien Lake, NY (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
June 19: Holmdel, NJ (PNC Bank Arts Center)
June 20: Hartford, CT (The Meadows Music Theatre)
June 21: Boston, MA (Comcast Center)
June 23: Toronto, ON (Molson Amphitheatre)
June 24: Philadelphia, PA (Susquehanna Bank Center)
June 25: Wantagh, NY (Nikon at Jones Beach Theater)
June 27: Detroit, MI (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
June 28: Chicago, IL (First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre)
June 29: Cincinnati, OH (Riverbend Music Center)
July 1: Cleveland, OH (Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre at Tower City)
July 2: Indianapolis, IN (Verizon Wireless Music Center)
July 3: St. Louis, MO (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)
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Arc Angels To Work On New Material
The Arc Angels, the Austin, Texas-based all-star group that was formed in the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughn's death, are ready to take off again.After playing together periodically during the past several years, the band is planning to release a DVD this year and tour extensively -- including two appearances during this month's South By Southwest music festival and a May tour with Eric Clapton in England -- and to start work on its first album in 17 years.
"We feel like we have unfinished business here, and it always feels right when we're together," guitarist Doyle Bramhall II told Billboard.com. "The chemistry is sort of undeniable when we get together. We really enjoy playing with one another."
The Arc Angels formed during the early 1990's, following fellow Texan Stevie Ray Vaughan's Aug. 27, 1990 death in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisconsin. Vaughan's Double Trouble Rhythm Section -- drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon -- joined forces with Bramhall and Charlie Sexton at the Austin Rehearsal Center (ARC), which gave the group its name. But after one well-received album, 1992's "Arc Angels," the group broke up in 1994 -- partly, Bramhall acknowledges, due to his heroin addiction.
Buy Your Copy Today!
=================================
Beatles 101
The city of London already has a Beatles museum, a Beatles-themed hotel and an airport named after John Lennon. Now a Liverpool university said that it rolling out a graduate program entirely devoted to the Fab Four.
Liverpool Hope University said yesterday that its new master's program, "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society," would enable students the opportunity to study and analyze popular music and culture through the band's work.
"There have been over 8,000 books about The Beatles but there has never been serious academic study and that is what we are going to address," commented Mike Brocken, who is directing the program at the university, which is in the band's hometown in northwestern England.
Brocken, who said he learned to play his favorite album, "Revolver," on his tennis racket as a child, said students would be expected to study the Beatles' songs, stardom, hometown and cultural impact through four 12-week courses and a dissertation.
In one such course — studio sound and composition — a student could perform a Beatles song as an assignment.
Brocken said studying the band was really a way of examining society as a whole.
"If popular music is about anything, it's about people," he said. "If we look at popular culture, it simply provides us with a very complex mirror of ourselves."
Buy Beatles Music Here!
=================================
No Doubt Tour
For No Doubt’s upcoming tour, the band has announced a special deal: they’re giving away a free digital download of their entire catalog, from 1992’s No Doubt to 2003’s greatest hits compilation The Singles, to each person who purchases a full-priced ticket.
“Since the band is heading back to the road, we wanted to find a cool way to get people listening to our music and stoke them with a great deal at the same time,” guitarist Tom Dumont said in a statement. “With this download it’s easy for fans to get psyched up to hear our music live once again and that rocks.”
So why offer such an incredible deal? Maybe No Doubt are being cautious with the recession expected to cripple the summer touring season or maybe they’re rewarding their fans for their patience. Either way, the digital download is a pretty awesome and generous move on the part of Gwen Stefani and crew. There is a small catch, however: The digital download only comes with the purchase of a full-priced, $42.50 ticket and not lower-tiered or lawn tickets.
No Doubt Catalog
The Singles 1992-2003 (2003)
Everything In Time (B-Sides, Rarities, Remixes) (2003)
Rock Steady (2001)
Return Of Saturn (2000)
Tragic Kingdom (1995)
The Beacon Street Collection (1993)
No Doubt (1992)“Stand And Deliver”
Buy No Doubt Music Here!
=================================
666 From Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden is all set to show their new documentary, Flight 666, for one day only at 400 theaters around the world, officially dubbing April 21 as Maiden Day.
The film followed the band during their "Somewhere Back in Time Tour."
"This film is a testament to an extraordinary tour and to our incredible fans all over the world. Seeing it on the big screen will make you feel like you were there on that spectacular journey," manager Rod Smallwood said.
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Vinyl Collective Top Ten
Vinyl Collective Top 10 Sales of the past Week (Stop by the site and get your vinyl!- www.vinylcollective.com)
1. AUSTIN LUCAS/FRANK TURNER “Under the Influence Vol 8″ 7″ Red/White color in colo
2. THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “Great Expectations” 7″ import
3. AUSTIN LUCAS/FRANK TURNER “Under the Influence Vol 8″ 7″ both colors
4. NEW FOUND GLORY “Not Without A Fight” LP
5. Suburban Home Pick 5 for $25 Sale (CDs, Vinyl, Pint Glasses)
6. AUSTIN LUCAS/FRANK TURNER “Under the Influence Vol 8″ 7″ White/Bllack half and h
7. TORCHE “Healer/Across The Shields” LP + DVD orange vinyl
8. RIVERDALES “Phase 3″ LP clear gold vinyl
9. TWO TONGUES “S/T” LP picture disc
10. O PIONEERS!!! “Neon Creeps” LP orange vinyl silk-screened jackets
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Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have moved up their release of "It’s Blitz" after their new album leaked last week. Blitz will hit digital retailers March 10th, with the physical release to follow on March 31st. The album was originally slated for release on April 14th. “YYYs have been brimming with nervous excitement in anticipation of releasing this record to the world! Leaks are NO FUN but it’s out of our hands,” the band wrote on their Website.
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TIM EASTON TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM PORCUPINE ON NEW WEST RECORDS APRIL 28
Contemporary folk/rocker Tim Easton has been driven westward both geographically and musically since his college days in Ohio. On his 5th album, Porcupine due out April 28 from New West Records, the Joshua Tree, CA resident returns to his mid-western sound and lets a myriad of guitar riffs rooted in blues, rock, and folk set the color for observational lyrics capturing life from the desert to the sea, and around the world. The new album finds Tim's writing skills sharpened, possibly inspired by his friend and mentor Lucinda Williams. Easton, known for his non-stop touring (from Dublin to Anchorage to Bangor to Jacksonville), will be on the road with a band, supporting Porcupine beginning this Spring, including a stop in Austin, TX where Tim will appear at several events during the South By Southwest convention, including the New West Records day party, Pop Culture Press party, Ground Control Touring showcase and the Sin City Social Club party (dates below).
For Porcupine, Tim went back to Alex The Great and Club Roar studios in Nashville to work with Brad Jones and Robin Eaton who produced his debut album, Special 20. He wanted to "make some noise and get that jagged, midwestern rock and roll sound again" so he hand-picked the Ohio-based rhythm section - Sam Brown on drums (Gaunt, New Bomb Turks, RJD2) and Matt Surgeson on bass and backing vocals (Matt also played on Special 20). Renowned guitarist Kenny Vaughn, who Tim met playing in Lucinda's band for her Car Wheels tour, played second guitar.
Porcupine visits the rough edged and electric side of Tim's recordings, although it's an acoustic track that provides the record's shiniest moment in the pop-folk jangle of "Seventh Wheel." Tim wrote the song in as much time as it takes to sing it while staying at friend's house in Dublin, and the band demanded that he record it for the album after hearing the demo he made in Ireland. As for the title Porcupine, Tim explains "I thought the physical animal called the porcupine was a perfect symbol for the sound of this record in that it appears to be a gentle and harmless creature from a distance but up close it is in fact sharp and potentially dangerous."
Tim has released three critically acclaimed albums on New West thus far: The Truth About Us (2001), Break Your Mother's Heart (2003) and Ammunition (2006). He has toured with label mates John Hiatt and The Flatlanders, as well as with The Jayhawks and Lucinda Williams. Living in the village of Joshua Tree between tours has made more time available for other creative endeavors such as painting and writing. "There's not much else to do out here," Tim remarked, "so going for long hikes with my dogs or making music, paintings, and stories is what fills my average day at home." There will be an exhibition of Tim's paintings, which are folk art based pieces that focus on the guitar, at Yard Dog Gallery in Austin during this year's SXSW conference. A series of 500 individually painted vinyl album jackets will be part of the Porcupine release, and the New West CD release will feature Tim's art on the cover.
Album Cover Art
This is from a local newspaper, I love the fact that more and more people are taking notice of album cover art; it truly is a wonderous and historic medium.
The lost art of album covers
Area music lovers pick their favorite works of cover art
By Sharon Roznik • The Reporter
George Bauman holds a Buddy Holly album in his hands and peers at the face behind the horn-rimmed glasses.
He wonders where the late singer's many talents would have taken him, had he lived.
Last November the Waupun native visited Clear Lake, Iowa, and the Surf Ballroom where Holly played his final concert just hours before the crash.
"I can clearly remember the day Feb. 3, 1959, when I came from school and my mother told me that Buddy Holly had been killed in a plane crash the night before," Bauman related. "I was very upset and played his music over and over on the old phonograph we had."
Before there were MTV and DVDs, YouTube and videos, the cardboard comfort of album covers connected teens with the musicians they loved.
As rock 'n roll evolved, so did album art, with the 1967 design for the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" launching the revolution.
Local music lovers from the glory days of LPs share some of their top album cover pics:
Steve Hinkley says he doesn't have to think too hard to come up with a favorite cover. "Disraeli Gears," by Cream, (with or without a black light) surpasses them all.
"The title of the album was taken from an inside joke. Eric Clapton had been thinking of buying a racing bicycle and was discussing it with Ginger Baker, when a roadie named Mick Turner commented, 'it's got them Disraeli Gears,' meaning to say 'derailleur gears,' but instead alluding to 19th Century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. The band thought this was hilarious," Hinkley said.
Molly Hatchet's "Devil's Canyon" was a favorite for Tracy Peters because of the artistry.
"I am now 43, but at that time a bunch of girls, then 15, from Theisen (Middle School), not only loved the band, but were captivated by the cover and would re-draw it to hang up in our bedrooms. There were several bands that we did this to, but that one I remember the most," she said.
Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy" takes Michael Pocan back to the 1980s, when he lived in Green Bay and had just returned home from the Marine Corps.
"My instant memory of that album would be sitting in the recreation room at my brother's house having some frosties, readjusting to civilian life," he said.
"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" by the Moody Blues is Sue Jones' favorite album cover.
"I loved to look at the drawing of the little boy and the magician. The boy has such a look of amazement on his face," she said.
Some nights Frank Jozefowski heads down to his basement just to thumb through his hundreds of albums for "old times sake." His all-time favorite cover is the Car's "Candy-O," done by famed pin-up artist Alberto Vargas.
"Along with other sensory notations made about vinyl records, there was always the distinct smell of the package when you would remove the protective plastic covering. I also liked the stickers that would sometimes be slapped on the plastic covering, as I have saved a few of those as well," he said.
Another great album cover artist blew David Jacak away as an impressionable teen. His love of heavy metal and Ozzy Osbourne drew him to Boris Vallejo's album jacket for "The Ultimate Sin."
"Vallejo was an artist for the popular muscle mags at the time. This art work just always intrigued me with the futuristic beast and the sexy woman (what I thought at the time)," Jacak remarked.
In some way, Journey's album cover "Escape" influenced Russell Ellison (in a cheesy way, he says) to join the U.S. Army.
"All the Journey albums were cool, but I think 'Escape' was the best. Heck, they even made an Atari game out of it. From a person who grew up in the '80s, album cover art is kind of a lost thing," he said.
In 1968, David Schaefer was just a little shaver snooping through his big brother's stuff.
"All of the albums I had seen previously were gaudy. I was drawn to one by the starkness. The original album had raised white letters but then the album was re-released with embossed silver letters. I still listen to it today on my iPod," he said.
He's talking, of course, about The Beatles famous "White Album."
Another Beatles album, "Abbey Road," charmed Cynthia Parman with the cover shot of John, Ringo, George and Paul casually walking across the street.
"The simplicity of being able to have the freedom to do just that ... take a walk. There is some peacefulness to it, I think. This album was released in September of 1969. My, how time flies," she said.
SOURCE: http://www.fdlreporter.com
The lost art of album covers
Area music lovers pick their favorite works of cover art
By Sharon Roznik • The Reporter
George Bauman holds a Buddy Holly album in his hands and peers at the face behind the horn-rimmed glasses.
He wonders where the late singer's many talents would have taken him, had he lived.
Last November the Waupun native visited Clear Lake, Iowa, and the Surf Ballroom where Holly played his final concert just hours before the crash.
"I can clearly remember the day Feb. 3, 1959, when I came from school and my mother told me that Buddy Holly had been killed in a plane crash the night before," Bauman related. "I was very upset and played his music over and over on the old phonograph we had."
Before there were MTV and DVDs, YouTube and videos, the cardboard comfort of album covers connected teens with the musicians they loved.
As rock 'n roll evolved, so did album art, with the 1967 design for the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" launching the revolution.
Local music lovers from the glory days of LPs share some of their top album cover pics:
Steve Hinkley says he doesn't have to think too hard to come up with a favorite cover. "Disraeli Gears," by Cream, (with or without a black light) surpasses them all.
"The title of the album was taken from an inside joke. Eric Clapton had been thinking of buying a racing bicycle and was discussing it with Ginger Baker, when a roadie named Mick Turner commented, 'it's got them Disraeli Gears,' meaning to say 'derailleur gears,' but instead alluding to 19th Century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. The band thought this was hilarious," Hinkley said.
Molly Hatchet's "Devil's Canyon" was a favorite for Tracy Peters because of the artistry.
"I am now 43, but at that time a bunch of girls, then 15, from Theisen (Middle School), not only loved the band, but were captivated by the cover and would re-draw it to hang up in our bedrooms. There were several bands that we did this to, but that one I remember the most," she said.
Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy" takes Michael Pocan back to the 1980s, when he lived in Green Bay and had just returned home from the Marine Corps.
"My instant memory of that album would be sitting in the recreation room at my brother's house having some frosties, readjusting to civilian life," he said.
"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" by the Moody Blues is Sue Jones' favorite album cover.
"I loved to look at the drawing of the little boy and the magician. The boy has such a look of amazement on his face," she said.
Some nights Frank Jozefowski heads down to his basement just to thumb through his hundreds of albums for "old times sake." His all-time favorite cover is the Car's "Candy-O," done by famed pin-up artist Alberto Vargas.
"Along with other sensory notations made about vinyl records, there was always the distinct smell of the package when you would remove the protective plastic covering. I also liked the stickers that would sometimes be slapped on the plastic covering, as I have saved a few of those as well," he said.
Another great album cover artist blew David Jacak away as an impressionable teen. His love of heavy metal and Ozzy Osbourne drew him to Boris Vallejo's album jacket for "The Ultimate Sin."
"Vallejo was an artist for the popular muscle mags at the time. This art work just always intrigued me with the futuristic beast and the sexy woman (what I thought at the time)," Jacak remarked.
In some way, Journey's album cover "Escape" influenced Russell Ellison (in a cheesy way, he says) to join the U.S. Army.
"All the Journey albums were cool, but I think 'Escape' was the best. Heck, they even made an Atari game out of it. From a person who grew up in the '80s, album cover art is kind of a lost thing," he said.
In 1968, David Schaefer was just a little shaver snooping through his big brother's stuff.
"All of the albums I had seen previously were gaudy. I was drawn to one by the starkness. The original album had raised white letters but then the album was re-released with embossed silver letters. I still listen to it today on my iPod," he said.
He's talking, of course, about The Beatles famous "White Album."
Another Beatles album, "Abbey Road," charmed Cynthia Parman with the cover shot of John, Ringo, George and Paul casually walking across the street.
"The simplicity of being able to have the freedom to do just that ... take a walk. There is some peacefulness to it, I think. This album was released in September of 1969. My, how time flies," she said.
SOURCE: http://www.fdlreporter.com
Limited Edition Steve Wynn 45 Available Now
First release in "Euclid Sessions" series available
Euclid Records press release:
Limited Edition Steve Wynn 45 Available Now – First Release in Euclid Sessions Series
ST. LOUIS: Euclid Records is proud to announce the arrival of the debut 7” 45 rpm release in the Euclid Sessions series, “John Coltrane Stereo Blues Pts. 1 and 2” by Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3. Recorded live in Euclid Records last November, this single has been eagerly anticipated by those who were in attendance. This release, like all future efforts in the series, will be strictly limited to 300 copies. $1 for each one pressed will be donated to the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund (NOMRF) to benefit musicians displaced or suffering loss of equipment in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Euclid Records is located at 601 East Lockwood in Webster Groves, MO.
Steve Wynn first recorded “John Coltrane Stereo Blues” when he was in the Dream Syndicate for their second LP, “Medicine Show,” back in 1984. Since then, it has been revived in a number of live contexts, but this is the first time the song has been available on record or disc since the Dream Syndicate disbanded. The Miracle Three includes Linda Pitmon on drums, Dave DeCastro on bass, and Jason Victor on lead guitar.
The record itself is available on colored vinyl, though these will be limited to those who subscribe to the series online. Each copy comes with a gorgeous silk screen print, individually signed and numbered by artist Phil Huling. There is also a delightful cardboard sleeve designed by the geniuses at Firecracker Press.
The 45s will be sold exclusively through the websites of Euclid Records (www.euclidrecords.com) and NOMRF (www.nomrf.org). The price for this debut release is $7.99.
Euclid Records press release:
Limited Edition Steve Wynn 45 Available Now – First Release in Euclid Sessions Series
ST. LOUIS: Euclid Records is proud to announce the arrival of the debut 7” 45 rpm release in the Euclid Sessions series, “John Coltrane Stereo Blues Pts. 1 and 2” by Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3. Recorded live in Euclid Records last November, this single has been eagerly anticipated by those who were in attendance. This release, like all future efforts in the series, will be strictly limited to 300 copies. $1 for each one pressed will be donated to the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund (NOMRF) to benefit musicians displaced or suffering loss of equipment in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Euclid Records is located at 601 East Lockwood in Webster Groves, MO.
Steve Wynn first recorded “John Coltrane Stereo Blues” when he was in the Dream Syndicate for their second LP, “Medicine Show,” back in 1984. Since then, it has been revived in a number of live contexts, but this is the first time the song has been available on record or disc since the Dream Syndicate disbanded. The Miracle Three includes Linda Pitmon on drums, Dave DeCastro on bass, and Jason Victor on lead guitar.
The record itself is available on colored vinyl, though these will be limited to those who subscribe to the series online. Each copy comes with a gorgeous silk screen print, individually signed and numbered by artist Phil Huling. There is also a delightful cardboard sleeve designed by the geniuses at Firecracker Press.
The 45s will be sold exclusively through the websites of Euclid Records (www.euclidrecords.com) and NOMRF (www.nomrf.org). The price for this debut release is $7.99.
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