Apple and the Big Four Combine Revolutionary Ideas to Create a Revolution That Will Revolutionize the Concept of the Album, Name It After Shitty Tom Cruise Movie

by Nat Towsen on 08-03-2009

I met Mos Def once, and he was a really nice guy, which doesn’t matter, because there is pretty much no way he is reading this. Here are some facts about Mos Def you might not know:

- Mos Def tells all his friends that he’s really good at snowboarding, but, really, he only knows how to ski.
- Mos Def’s favorite of his own albums is The New Danger.
- While Mos Def was studying experimental theatre at New York University, he worked in the school’s Bobst Library, where he would frequently check out erotic novellas in other students’ names and then read them under his desk.
- Mos Def’s real name is Wilbur Doogan.
- Once, while making a guest appearance on Chappelle’s Show, Mos Def stole all the toilet paper from the Comedy Central bathroom because he had run out of toilet paper at home.
- Mos Def was in the movie The Italian Job.
- Mos Def once misread the subject line of an email from Chad Hugo as “New Breasts,” while the subject actually said “New Beats," and became momentarily excited. After the feeling of elation quickly faded, Mos Def contemplated the elusive nature of nowness.
- Mos Def is going to enter and exit one of the following shows on a gilded elephant:
08.05.09 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
08.08.09 - Newport, Rhode Island - George Wein's Jazz Festival
08.09.09 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
08.12.09 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
08.13.09 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
08.14.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
08.15.09 - Miami, FL - Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts
08.17.09 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
08.18.09 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
08.19.09 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
08.21.09 - Denver, CO - TBA
08.22.09 - Park City, UT - Harry O's
08.24.09 - Edmonton, Alberta - Edmonton Events Center
08.25.09 - Calgary, Alberta - Flames Central
08.27.09 - Vancouver, British Columbia - The Vogue Theatre
08.28.09 - Seattle, WA - TBA
08.29.09 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
09.03.09 - San Francisco, CA - Davies Symphony Hall *
09.04.09 - Oakland, CA - The Paramount Theatre *
09.05.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Palladium *
09.09.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
09.11.09 - Providence, RI - Lupo's
09.12.09 - Governors Island, NY - Water Taxi Beach
09.16.09 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
10.03.09 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits

* Erykah Badu

by Shane Mack on 08-03-2009

From NME:

Former Space drummer Andy Parle has died unexpectedly after collapsing in Liverpool on Saturday night (August 1).

Parle, 42, who co-founded the Liverpool band with vocalist Tommy Scott and guitarist Jamie Murphy in 1993, fell while crossing a road in Dingle, Liverpool at roughly 11:30pm (BST) on Saturday. [...]

The drummer played on a number of Space's biggest hits, including 'Female of the Species', 'Neighbourhood' and 'Me And You Versus the World'. He left the band in 1998.

Parle's former bandmate Dave 'Yorkie' Palmer said that the drummer had been "essential" to Space.

"It's the saddest, most tragic end you could have," he explained of Parle's death.

He added: "Space continued to have success after Andy left but the band changed and lost something which Andy had contributed. Even though we had another brilliant drummer there was something about Andy's style which was unique."

- Space official website

by Brom on 08-03-2009

The Simpsons got it spot on with Ticketmaster (from the Homerpalooza episode):

Mr. Burns: [chuckles] And to think, Smithers, you laughed when I bought Ticketmaster. "Nobody's going to pay a 100% service charge."}

Smithers: Well, it's a policy that ensures a healthy mix of the rich and the ignorant, sir.

Unfortunately, if the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger goes through, we’ll all be suckers! The proposed merger would see Ticketmaster, the nation’s dominant ticket seller, combine with Live Nation, which has its own ticketing business.

But one thing is for sure: this deal is not going through without a fight. Britain’s Office for Fair Trading, a consumer watchdog, has already referred the merger to the country’s competition regulator, the Competition Commission, which will report on November 24. And Senator Herb Kohl is most certainly not going to be taken for a goddamn fool either. As chair of the Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee, Kohl wrote to Christine Varney, head of the Justice Department's antitrust division, to argue "It is clear that this merger raises serious competitive concerns warranting thorough scrutiny.” In addition, Rep. Bill Pascrell wrote a letter expressing concern about the deal, which was signed by 50 members of the House of Representatives.

Kohl also says the venture would create "an enormous, vertically integrated entertainment giant, which will control everything from artist management, concert promotion, concert venues, and merchandise sales to primary and secondary market ticket sales."

On a lighter note, I did particularly enjoy Billboard’s comment that “the deal has been criticized by superstar Bruce Springsteen, politicians like Senator Charles Schumer, and legions of music fans commenting in Internet chat rooms.” Yeah, lets not forget those highly intelligent, sophisticated, and well-reasoned visitors of internet chat rooms, all (and I mean all) of whom engage with each other in an intellectual and erudite manner. Teh interwebz iz srs bsns!

by Mario Speedwagon on 07-31-2009

- Dischord Records has posted about some future releases on their site. In September, they will reissue Gray Matter’s 1984 release Food For Thought and their 1985 release Take It Back on vinyl. Both records will come with a download code, and Take It Back will include an additional four songs from the "Alive and Kicking" 7-inch from 1991. Dischord will also be partnering up with Desoto Records to reissue Jawbox’s 1994 jam For our Own Special Sweetheart.

- Atlas Sound and Broadcast will together be hitting the road this fall. Their tour kicks off in Atlanta, GA on October 15 at the Earl (they have good burgers and boiled peanuts, y’all) and ends November 7 in Denton, TX at Hailey’s. Both acts also have releases slated for October: Atlas Sound will release their new LP Logos on October 20 via Kranky, and Broadcast will release their currently untitled EP on Warp.

- The Walkmen are heading out on a small East Coast-ish tour this September. The band has dates planned in Boston, Northampton, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Asheville, Nashville, Birmingham, and New Orleans, with a few off dates in Morrison, CO (Monolith Fest), Austin, TX (ACL), and San Francisco, CA (I got nothin’.) They’ll also be playing the Guggenheim Museum’s “It Came From Brooklyn” concert series on August 14 with High Places. That name “It Came From Brooklyn” makes me think I’m going to see a hipster zombie movie where all the zombies look like this. They probably won’t eat you because they’re all raw vegans, so it would probably have a hint of Troll 2 (swap out zombies for goblins).

- The lineup for San Francisco’s 3rd annual Treasure Island Festival has been announced. Bands scheduled to play include The Flaming Lips, MGMT, The Decemberists, MSTRKRFT, Beirut, Girl Talk, Grizzly Bear, Brazilian Girls, Yo La Tengo, The Walkmen, Passion Pit, and tons more. The festival takes place October 17 and 18 on Treasure Island (duh). More information can be found at the official website.