By Shane Mack on Nov 1 2008
From The Washington Post:
Yma Sumac, a Peruvian folk entertainer with an astonishing vocal range who surged to fame in the 1950s with an "Incan princess" mystique that captivated millions of record-buyers in search of exotic sounds, died of cancer Nov. 1 at an assisted living facility in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles.She was believed to be 86, according to personal assistant Damon Devine, who said he had seen the birth certificate.
- Yma Sumac official website
- Yma Sumac Wikipedia entry
Like Post-It Notes and White Out, it seemed so obvious, but took a while for someone to actually do it: Finally, a wide-release Punk Rock Karaoke DVD has dropped.
By Kenny Bloggins on Oct 31 2008
The original Punk Rock Karaoke is a touring cast of musicians from some very notable punk bands playing your favorites, allowing common folk, as well as some famous names, to take the stage and sing a ditty or two. These performances are recorded in the new Punk Rock Karaoke documentary, which was released this week via MVD. Better yet, each song features the words at the bottom of the screen so you can follow along at home! This is great news for me -- I'm tired of singing the same three Fleetwood Mac songs I know by heart, with an occasional Rickroll thrown in for good measure.
Punk Rock Karaoke features:
- The Dickies - "Manny, Moe and Jack" (featuring vocals by MxPx's Mike Herrera)
- The Circle Jerks - "Back Against the Wall" (Pennywise's Jim Lindberg)
- Black Flag's "Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimme" (Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba)
- Buzzcocks - "What Do I Get?" (The Vandals' Warren Fitzgerald)
- Bad Religion's "Fuck Armegeddon ...This is Hell" (Flogging Molly's Dave King)
- Stiff Little Fingers - "Suspect Device" (Mighty Mighty Bosstones' Dicky Barrett)
- Minor Threat's "Minor Threat" (New Found Glory's Jordan Pundik)
- The Descendents - "Bikeage" (Lagwagon's Joey Cape)
- The Adolescents - "Amoeba" (Swingin' Utters' Spike Slawson)
- Dead Kennedys - "California Uber Alles" (Throw Rag's Sean Wheeler)
Get more info here.
Living on the West Coast? You're in luck, as you can witness the magic live:
11.02.08 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy
11.03.08 - Sacramento, CA - Blue Lamp
11.05.08 - San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside
So it's time to grab the mic, mix up some Bacardi 151 with the free Dr. Pepper you're getting next month (TMT News), and American Idol-it up; tunefulness not necessary.
RIP: Danny Dill, Country Music Songwriter
By Shane Mack on Oct 31 2008
From The Tennessean (via Idolator):
Horace Eldred “Danny” Dill, who co-wrote two of country music’s best-known songs, died Thursday at age 83.Mr. Dill wrote “Long Black Veil” with Marijohn Wilkin, a that song has been recorded by Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia and a slew of others. His “Detroit City,” written with Mel Tillis, became a standard when recorded by Bobby Bare. Largely on the strength of those songs, Mr. Dill was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.
“If all he’d done was help to write ‘Long Black Veil,’ he’d still go down as one of the all-time great country songwriters,” said Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson.
- Danny Dill Wikipedia entry
- YouTube video: "Bobby Bare - Detroit City"
- YouTube video: "The Band - Long Black Veil"
- YouTube video: "Danny dill (hungry for your lovin')"
Mos Def Drop New Album in February, Rumored Production by Madlib, J Dilla, Kanye West; Will He “Go Rogue” on Slick Rick Track?
By J.E. Williams on Oct 31 2008
For now, 2009 seems to be looking up for hip-hop heads. The man himself, mighty Mos Def, is set to release his fourth studio LP, The Ecstatic, February 10 via Downtown Records. The Brooklyn-based rapper’s last album, 2006’s Tru3 Magic (TMT Review), was a critical success, but a commercial failure, only selling 93,000 copies. (This was partly due to poor promotion by his previous label, Geffen Records.)
If the hype is right, The Ecstatic is set to be a hip-hop heavyweight, perhaps close to the success of Def’s first solo album, 1999’s Black on Both Sides (TMT Review), or his collaboration with rap champion Talib Kweli, 1998’s Black Star? The Ecstatic will reportedly feature collaborations with Kweli and Slick Rick, as well as production from Madlib, the late J Dilla, Kanye West, and Chad Hugo from The Neptunes.
If you’re like me and just can’t wait, be sure to lookout for the album’s first single, “Life in Marvelous Times,” as an iTunes exclusive on November 4. And if that’s not enough -- and you’re feeling really ambitious -- you can catch Mos Def on the European half of the Rock the Bells tour with Nas and The Pharcyde (TMT News).
Hey Everybody, It’s National Ironic Beard Day! What Better Way To Celebrate Than Watch the Premiere of Tim Harrington’s Show Beardo on Pitchfork TV!
By Tiffani Harcrow on Oct 31 2008
Did you know that, sometimes, musicians can be just as funny as real comedians? It’s true! Sammy Davis Jr., David Lee Roth... Bono? Anyway, it seems as though the Sammy Davis Jr. of our generation is none other than Les Savy Fav frontman Tim Harrington; just check out the premiere episode of his new Pitchfork.tv show, Beardo, for example.
Assisted by Daily Show/Flight of the Conchords comedian Kristen Schaal, Harrington describes his new show as "Sometimes we'll have music stuff in it, sometimes not. It's always supposed to be funny. It always wants to be. Celebrities, musical guest stars, minor music celebrities. Major music celebrities, in my mind.”
Possible music stuff and guaranteed beards; count me in!
