Life is a process of giving and giving up, of growing and growing apart. As we get older, relationships change, and what may have seemed like the perfect partnership yesterday might seem, in some indiscernible way, to have gone irretrievably in the wrong direction tomorrow. Many of us learn these truths from teenage serial dramas such as Gossip Girl or Judy Blume novels. Others of us -- namely Tim Clark and David Enthoven of artist management firm ie: music -- learn when prized roster addition Morrissey departs from your company after only three months.
Yes, it's been a tough year for Morrissey. So if you see him, give him a hug and my cell phone number, so that we can meet up in a dimly-lit 15th-century pub and direct cutting but affectionate witticisms at one another into the wee morning hours. Because, as you may or may not know, Morrissey has not been having the best of luck lately. His most recent completed work, Years of Refusal, was slated for a fall release on Universal music, but was later pushed back to February 2, 2009 for "unspecified reasons." At this date, no North American label has agreed to release the project . To make matters worse, Warner Bros. -- Moz's former label -- announced this year the DVD release of Live at the Hollywood Bowl, which the former Smiths frontman decried to Billboard as being planned "without any consultation to me whatsoever, and in breach of their terms as laid out by themselves in an agreement made for the film between Warner and my ex-manager." And since, as they say, bad things come in threes, this story wouldn't be complete without a mention of how Years of Refusal producer Jerry Finn passed away last week.
Wow! What a cheery story this has been! My offer stands, Morrissey. You pick the place, I'll pick the absinthe, or red wine, or whatever it is I happen to imagine you drinking at the moment. And to any Minneapolis/St. Paul radio stations who happen to be reading this story, please play "This Handsome Devil" today while I am at work; it has been stuck in my head for a little over two weeks.
When not doodling or making music, Phil Elverum (a.k.a. Mount Eerie) is apparently booking tourdates. Beginning today, Elverum will head out on a gigantic tour that'll take him everywhere from the beautiful beaches of Idaho to the caves of Norway. As previously reported, Elverum will be touring with WHY? for part of the tour and later with Julie Doiron (picked to appeal to Hilary fans?), who will also perform with Dick Morello as Calm Down, It’s Monday for most of the dates. The Music Tapes, who inspired me to get all verbose a few weeks ago (TMT Review), will play a stripped-down show with him September 15 in Athens.
Capitalist that he is, Elverum is selling some of his new, COMMODIFIED tunes on the tour too, including his mini-album with Doiron and Fred Squire Lost Wisdom (in stores October 7) and Dawn (November 4). Don't like to go out? Spoiled, anti-social misanthrope like me? Thankfully, P.W. Elverum & Sun expects to implement a download store in the near future "where you can buy digital albums with extreme direct-ness, and featuring some rarities." It's kinda, like, shattering the glass ceiling into 18 million pieces or something. So inspiring. Things are changing. New politics. Hope, change, mavericks, blah blah blah.
The RIAA knows no Santa Claus. Instead, they look to the G8 summit for their holiday wishes, and should they get their way, it'll be like a stocking fulla coal for the rest of us. The RIAA has been jonesing for a little something called the Anti-Piracy Trade Agreement Wishlist (ACTA) for awhile now. Let's take a look at the juiciest pretty pleases, shall we?
Require internet service providers and other intermediaries to employ readily available measures to inhibit infringement in instances where both legitimate and illegitimate uses were facilitated by their services, including filtering out infringing materials…
This means that your ISP, whether it be Time Warner or Comcast or any other provider, would be able to compare the files you download to a fingerprint database of sorts that identifies "infringed" material. So, not only would the RIAA slap you with a lawsuit, but you'd also get into some shit with your internet service. Kind of like a SWAT team breaking down the door before the cops come in and haul you out.
Establish, adequately fund and provide training for a computer crimes investigatory unit.
That's right. The internet police. Specially trained cops whose purpose is to weed out pirates on the internet. Better make sure Madonna doesn't lose a single album sale before we worry about the country's ballooning crime rate, right? Totally. Not to mention that the RIAA has been incredibly vague about what this crime unit would actually do, and we all know that, in this sort of situation, carte blanche is never a good idea.
…in the absence of proof to the contrary, an Internet service provider shall be considered as knowing that the content it stores is infringing or illegal, and thus subject to liability for copyright infringement…
Here's the kicker: Even if ISPs help the RIAA take down their customers who download illegally, they themselves can STILL get screwed for not identifying the offenders quickly enough! I'm not quite sure what incentive the RIAA is willing to offer these ISPs other than "do it or we'll punch you in the face." We're reverted to schoolyard bully tactics. Awesome.
I could keep going, but quite frankly, the list speaks quite well for itself. Oh, and hey, RIAA? Just met your buddy over here. Yeah, he appears to be green and has a heart that's about two sizes too small...
As you might know, the 2008 Republican National Convention is being hosted in St. Paul, MN. In addition to the $160 million or so boost that comes with this decidedly hyper-capitalist venture, $50 million is spent on "increased security." In such a volatile political climate, this nearly blank check for added security manifests in a whole lot of arrests, tear gas, and essentially an occupation by state police. But where there's power, there's dissent, and it is in this spirit that protesters and rallies reach their symbolic, ritualistic significance.
Enter Rage Against the Machine. As we recently reported, Rage Against the Machine is scheduled to play the Target Center tonight in Minneapolis, MN to coincide with the RNC. But in a surprise move, Rage announced yesterday that they were going to make a special guest appearance at the free concert Ripple Effect on the state capitol lawn, which included performances by Dead Prez, Anti-Flag, and Michael Franti. But things didn't go as planned. According to Above The Fold, a Minneapolis-based blog:
But when it came time for the band to perform, the Minnesota State Police formed a barricade around the band and would not let them on stage. After 20 minutes of crowd chanting that included "Let Them Play," "Music is not a Crime," "We'll be good, we promise," and a riveting rendition of the national anthem the band came into the crowd and performed an acapella performance of two songs.
Check out Above the Fold's amazing footage:
According to an eyewitness report, the permit for the concert was set to last until 7 PM, and the last band (Anti-Flag) had finished their set at 6:15 - 6:30 PM. So why were they not allowed to play? Apparently, RATM were not named on the permit. So, if Cloud Cult had been the surprise guest, they'd barricade them too? Whatever. Despite chants from the crowd (including a rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner"), the plug was officially pulled on the concert, and Rage led a march that eventually joined with the Poor People's March through the St. Paul streets.
Everyone’s favorite band that isn’t Mclusky but kinda still wish that they were Mclusky, i.e. Future of the Left, will be embarking on an October tour of the U.S. to the delight and chagrin of hecklers and, uh, moms everywhere?
To quote inimitable words that continue to ring so painfully true in the hearts and blogs of stifled and misunderstood teens worldwide, “Parents just don’t understand.” Just ask Future of the Left message boarder gapu:
Not a minute, ago my mum was complaining about the noise. once again!!! I was playing Small Bones Small Bodies, and she asked me: "what's that noise?". like this isn't even music... I told her this is the best so-called "noise", since over a year….i can't imagine better parents than mine... but i don't really like it when they call the stuff i like as "silly antics" or something like that.
Man, when will parents ever get it? This so-called “noise” is the expression of our universal yet uniquely distinct search for self-discovery-- and the desire to rock-out. But you know who does sympathize with your frustration and crumpled pride? Future of the Left do. That’s why the Cardiff-based trio, comprised of Mclusky alumni Andy Falkous and Jack Egglestone and Jarcrew’s Kelson Mathias, kick of their tour with Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and Against Me! September 30 at the Workplay Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama. “Silly antics.” Sheesh.
