High Places Tour to Explore Places of Varying Altitudes
By Scott Lauer on Oct 31 2008
High Places (warning: MySpace may induce seizures) have certainly had a strong 2008. But why stop when the year ends? Might as well keep the momentum going, right? According to their label Thrill Jockey, High Places will be embarking on a very, very long international tour beginning right after Election Day in Belgium and ending early April 2009 in Denmark. Hell, after a pretty solid collection of demos and an acclaimed self-titled album (TMT Review), the band has plenty of reason to proudly strut their stuff on stage throughout the world.
Neil Young Has Seen the Placards and the Damage Done, Cancels LA Show in Support of Stagehand Strike
By Mike McHugh on Oct 30 2008
Did you have plans to see Neil Young tonight at the Los Angeles Forum? Well, you don’t anymore. Unfortunately, Canada’s favorite singing caveman has canceled his performance in lieu of a strike by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Local 33. According to Billboard, union members are currently engaged in a contract dispute with the venue’s owner Faithful Central Bible Church and had planned to picket tonight’s show. Young, who is a lifelong honorary member of the IATSE, has placed his support with the workers and will honor the picket line.
“I am extremely disappointed to have to choose between satisfying my fans or backing my brothers and sisters of the IATSE,” Young said in a statement. “I will miss playing in Los Angeles and apologize to my fans for the inconvenience this has caused.”
The LA show will be rescheduled sometime in 2009, and ticket holders may receive refunds at points of purchase. But hey, even though you unlucky Angelenos don’t get to see Neil Young tonight, at least the season premiere of 30 Rock is on tonight! Plus I’m pretty sure It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is new, too! See? Every cloud has a silver lining, even when Neil Young is involved.
The Beatles Enter the Digital Age Through A Video Game
By Mr P on Oct 30 2008
According to Wired's blog, MTV, Apple Corps, and Harmonix (developers of Rock Band) confirmed rumors today of an exclusive videogame based on the music of The Beatles. But it won't be part of the Rock Band series, as most people initially assumed. The game will still base its platform on a similar one to Rock Band, but will instead be designed as an interactive, "experiential journey" through The Beatles' musical career. Does that mean there'll be a plastic Maharishi included as a peripheral? Fucking hope so! No title or release date has been set, but they aim to have the game ready for the holiday season of 2009.
While The Beatles have thus far refused to digitize their music, it's surprising that their first major foray into the digital world is through a videogame. Wait, no it's not: ROCK BAND HAS EARNED GLOBAL REVENUES OF OVER $600 MILLION AND ROCK BAND 2 SOLD 363,000 COPIES ITS FIRST TWO WEEKS. HARMONIX IS OWNED BY MTV, AND MTV IS OWNED BY VIACOM, WHICH EARNED $13.423 BILLION IN 2007.
Beatles for Sale, indeed!
Punk Memorabilia Goes On Auction Block at Christie’s in NYC in First Historic Punk Memorabilia Auction; Kid Midnight Places $300 Bid On Sid Vicious’ Last Hypodermic Needle, Plans on Getting Real High
By Kid Midnight on Oct 30 2008
As reported by The Associated Press, Christie's in New York City will be hosting an auction titled Pop Culture: Punk/Rock, with the primary focus of getting even more money from the Punk Brand. With the music, lifestyle, and fashion already bought, sold, marketed, and distilled, why not start cashing in on useless relics of a bygone era? Personally, I love the idea of a “Punk Auction”; it’s a great chance for all those stodgy squares to get their minds blown by an anti-authoritarian youth culture. Yeah!
Some of the 300 items going on sale: a flier for one of The Clash’s first shows, publicity photos signed by The Sex Pistols, a rare poster for a 1976 Ramones show in London (which, as we all know, everyone involved in British Punk, ever, attended), a copy of the first press release for The Sex Pistols (!), and a press packet from 1966 wherein a young David Jones made it known that, from that point on, he would only respond to the name David Bowie.
The auction also features records, press materials, promotional junk, and photos for other “punk” bands, like Nirvana, The Velvet Underground, Patti Smith, The Ramones, David Bowie, New Kids on the Block*, Blondie, The Cure, and The Smiths. Most of the stuff is expected to earn anywhere from $300 to $6,000 apiece. That’s a small price to pay for “real life rock ‘n’ roll history,” though, right? Why not just own the records? Why not just listen to the music? Why do we value junk so much? Is anyone listening?
Christie's “pop culture chief” Simeon Lipman had this to say about the whole farce: “Ten years ago, punk memorabilia probably wouldn't be something we'd be auctioning here. But now, people of a certain age have a certain ability to splurge on this material." In other words: If people have money to spend, we’ll make something seem valuable, outlandishly valuable.
The auction is scheduled for November 24.
* Kidding
Attention Lily Allen Lovers! Lily Has A Message For You: It’s Not Me, It’s You.
By Annapocalypse on Oct 30 2008
Oh, bloody hell! Lily Allen, everyone’s favorite Jager-swilling British songstress and "Queen of MySpace," is back with a follow-up to her 2007 debut, Alright, Still. Its title? It’s Not Me, It’s You. How subtle, Lily! Recorded at Eagle Rock Studios in LA with producer Greg Kurstin of The Bird and the Bee, the album is due for release February 10 on Capitol Records.
According to Rolling Stone (via the press release), “Highlights include ‘Everyone's at It,’ a synth-pop song about prescription drugs that features Allen on xylophone; ‘He Wasn't There,’ which matches emotional lyrics about her absent father to a jazz groove; and ‘Not Fair,’ a saucy country song about an inadequate lover.” Xylophones + saucy country = Lily Allen?! I guess we’ll find out for sure on February 10.
It’s Not Me, It’s You tracklisting:
