Beastie Boys, iTunes, Jane's Addiction, Zane Lowe, Glastonbury, The New York Dolls and Bros...
Intro...
Welcome to today’s slice of stuff. Read on to learn about how much money Apple made last week via their iTunes program, the break-up (again) of one of America’s biggest groups, Zane Lowe’s kewl list, Michael Eavis' secret weapon to prevent the Glastonbury festival being a washout, details of a New York Dolls tribute album and the return of Bros. But first up it is the Beastie Boys who are riding high in the charts...
Ch-ch-check Out The Chart...
After an absence of six years the Beastie Boys have returned to the top of the charts in America. The New York trio’s latest album ‘To the 5 Boroughs’ sold 360,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which sent it to the top of The Billboard 200.
The follow up to 1998's ‘Hello Nasty’ has received widespread critical acclaim but the CD has caused some controversy after some net-nerd computer geek or other claimed that the disc installed Spyware onto their computer. The allegation was denied of course.
The band’s label, EMI, said: "While the Beastie Boys CD does use copy control in some territories, there is no copy control on the Beastie Boys discs in the US or the UK.
"This technology does NOT install spyware or vaporware of any kind on a users PC. Nothing is permanently installed on a hard drive. These details can be verified in the 'install.log' file in the computer's root directory."
It is also reported that the rappers are working on a B-side album and a book which could be out at the end of the year.
iTunes A Success In Europe...
In the last week more than 800,000 songs have been downloaded through the new European version of Apple’s iTunes music store. The service was launched last week in the UK, France and Germany after taking the USA by storm.
The majority of the tracks sold went to UK residents with 450,000 downloads ending up on these shores. With songs costing 79p in the UK (99 cents in France and Germany) Apple have already coined in well over £600,000 so far.
Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, said: "After selling over 800,000 songs during its first week, iTunes is Europe's top online music store.
"In the UK alone, iTunes sold more than 450,000 songs in the last week—16 times as many as its closest competitor."
The Pixies were one of the top selling artists after releasing their new song 'Bam Thwok' exclusively through the online store last week.
"By distributing our first new song in 13 years exclusively on iTunes, we were able to quickly and inexpensively make it available to millions of fans in the United States and Europe," said band manager Ken Goes.
"One week after its release, we are thrilled at the response from iTunes users that have helped to make 'Bam Thwok' a top seller across four countries."
Back…Disbanded…Back…Disbanded...
It seems that after a successful comeback it looks like Jane’s Addiction are set to implode again. The Los Angeles quartet first burst onto the music scene in the late 80’s and recorded two classic albums before disbanding.
Then they got back together again. Then they disbanded. Then they got back together again. Then they disbanded (repeat to fade).
2003 saw their triumphant return with the release of ‘Strays’. The band toured and looked to have the world at their feet again. Singer Perry Farrell even managed to resurrect the travelling rock festival Lollapalooza (dreamt up as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction in 1991 fact fans) and things were looking good.
Or so we though. A statement on guitarist Dave Navarro’s website from the band (but not Farrell curiously) indicates that they have split...again.
The statement reads: "We know we can't avoid this anymore so we will give it our best shot. What's the deal? The deal is that it simply didn't work out. Sometimes things just don't work out.
"In all honesty, we have broken up and rejoined roughly four times over the years. Perhaps that should shed some light as to where we are now. We really don't know. We do know that we really gave it everything we had this time and we actually made a really great record after so many years of silence.
"That was definitely a great thing and we are all proud of it. We were able to do a lot of shows and travel and see the world again. We had some amazing times. Why didn't it work out? So many reasons. Some of them over 15 years old, some of them new and none of them worth mentioning.
"Maybe we are just a volatile combination. Maybe that is why we were so great. The bottom line is that we are all extremely creative and motivated people and I know we will all continue to create and work on many different projects.
"After 20 years, just like in any relationship, you have your highs and lows and some amazing memories that can never be replaced. We were able to create great music together, and for that...we feel blessed.
"But sometimes relationships don't work, no matter how much time or energy you put into them...and at that point...you realise it is healthier to go your separate ways than to keep trying to recreate the magic of the early years.
"Sometimes people grow apart in the relationship, it is nobody's fault really...just a fact of life...an inevitable creative dissolution. Sometimes the best creative relationships are the most combustible and they aren't meant to last forever.
"We know this doesn't answer all of your questions, but hopefully it answers some of them. We would personally like to say, ‘thank you’ for all of the love and support you have shown us over the years, we greatly appreciate it and we love you."
So there you have it, see you in three years lads.
Guns Don’t Kill People...
It is ‘kewl list’ time again boys and girls. These are the tracks that Zane Lowe will be broadcasting on his Radio 1 show this week. You can check the cheeky chappie between 8 and 10pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Max Sedgely - 'Happy'
The Bees - 'Horsemen'
Futureheads - 'Decent Days & Nights'
Taz - 'Can't Contain Me'
The Hives - 'Walk Idiot Walk'
Bloc Party - 'Little Thoughts'
M.I.A - 'Sunshowers (live version)'
Badly Drawn Boy - 'Year Of The Rat (live version)'
Ed Rush & Optical - 'Kerbcrawler (Baron remix)'
The Libertines - 'Up The Bracket'
Kasabian - 'LSF'
James Brown - 'The Payback'
Yer Man - 'Good Grief'
John Frusciante - 'The Will To Death'
Goldie Lookin' Chain - 'Guns Don't Kill People'
Hope Of The States - 'Nehemiah'
Prodigy - 'Girls'
Next Nine Years - 'You Live I Learn'
Nas - 'Thief's Theme'
Oasis - 'Cast No Shadow'
Secret Machines - 'Light's On'
Lady Sovereign - 'Ch Ching'
Anti-Sutherland...
You seen the video for Kate Bush’s ‘Cloudbusting? You know, the one where Donald Sutherland is a mad professor who invents a machine that can make rain and Bush fires it at the sky to make it piss down as they haul her Dad away? No? Typical.
Anyway, Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis is setting himself up as some sort of anti-Sutherland (from that video I mean, not in a spiritual, political or sociological way you understand – ahem). The mad farmer is set to use a ray gun on passing clouds to prevent rain. Seriously.
The homemade gun was designed by Austrian psychologist Wilhelm Reich and has been used at the festival before. Eavis ‘fired’ the device back in 1971 although it is unknown (read: I can’t be arsed finding out) whether is successfully prevented a downpour or not.
Reich did some mental investigation and he claims to have found "an unknown energy which exists in all living matter and in the cosmos". The lunatic called this energy ‘orgone’ and he claims it turns clouds into rain. Erm yeah, don’t call us, we’ll call you mate.
Eavis said: "I had a phone call from Sir Paul's people saying: ‘What are you doing to prevent rain?’
"This looks like an anti-aircraft gun and you point it at the clouds. It's all done through the orgone energy thing Reich believed in."
Utter, utter shit – funny though.
Tribute To Pioneers...
One of the most influential bands of the 70’s are to be remembered with a tribute album. The New York Dolls appeared in 1971 and their unique style of Rock & Roll was credited with providing the punk template that the likes of the Sex Pistols used and exploited.
Now FastLane Records/CD Smash Records have just about finished a tribute album called 'Jetboys Of Babylon'. The long player is due to be released this summer and the guys at the record company are excited about what they have managed to compile.
"The audio tracks have turned out unbelievable and really give a modern feel to the old classics, we feel this tribute captures the vibe, swagger and energy of the Dolls.
Avid New York Dolls fan will be impressed by these classics made new again. We're hoping these new versions will help turn a new generation of music fans into New York Dolls fans.
We were fortunate to obtain David Johansen to re-record his classic "Babylon" with Frankenstein 3000, before he took off to England for the first ever, New York Dolls reunion in 25 years.
Other great bands on the tribute include: Flipp w/ Steve Jones, Dogs D'Amour, The Alarm, Blackbird, Slow Motorcade, Killingbird, R50, CrashMatic, just to name a few."
We Owe You nothing...
After appearing on reality TV programme ‘Hells Kitchen’ Matt Goss is suddenly fashionable again. This has inevitably lead to talk of a Bros reunion and I’m afraid to say that the fucker hasn’t ruled it out completely!
The good news is that if that lot get back together there is a good chance that it will only be for a one-off gig as opposed to a full comeback – phew. Apparently some fool has offered them a million-pound deal to perform together one more time.
Goss said: "I know for a fact we'll never reform, that will never happen, never in a million years. I know that I'm not for that, Luke's not up for it and I know Craig isn't.
"We've been made an offer that really is too good to turn down. If that's a reunion then we'll do it but it won't be a permanent thing."
The show is expected to take place in London's Hyde Park later in the summer which means I probably won’t be able to go. Well there is my summer ruined...
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home