Robyn Hitchcock has been around longer than most of the stuff you listen to, and there’s a reason for that; he’s fantastic!
For a limited time, you can head over to his site and download 2 tracks from his new project The Hungry Moment, which is a ‘psyche & western’ group he’s started with Abigail Washburn & Rayna Gellerd on board!
They’ll only be up for 1 week, so head over now to grab your Phantom 45′s…
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Posted in Tony, What's New
Tagged Abigail Washburn, Phantom 45s, PlayNetwork, psyche, Rayna Gellerd, robyn hitchcock, the egyptians, The Hungry Moment, toezoo, venus 3, western
I read on NME today that indie God Morrissey has selected his all-time favorite 13 albums for Friday The 13th! Since there are more than a couple i’ve not heard, I’ve decided to post some vids to visualtrack his picks, just to turn us all on…
Here is the list:
Jobriath – ‘Jobriath’
The Smoking Popes – ‘Born To Quit’
Damien Dempsey – ‘Seize The Day’
Roxy Music – ‘For Your Pleasure’
The Velvet Underground – ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’
The Velvet Underground – ‘White Light/White Heat’
Iggy & The Stooges – ‘Raw Power’
New York Dolls – ‘New York Dolls’
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Posted in Album Reviews, Tony
Tagged bryan ferry, damien dempsey, eno, friday the 13th, iggy, jeff buckley, jobriath, morrissey, new york dolls, nico, nme, patti smith, PlayNetwork, ramones, roxy music, smoking popes, sparks, stooges, toezoo, velvet underground
The early 90′s were an exciting time in music. The 80′s were over and i was discovering for myself more music than ever, growing out of The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen and the like… “Baggy” had started a couple of years earlier but was fading into House music, which left me cold. That’s when “Shoegaze” grabbed hold of me. There were fantastic songs coming out of this genre, and a couple of great albums as well. One such album was the debut from English band Lush, titled “Spooky“. I was in love with this album, and with Emma Anderson, the other singer-guitarist. Have a look and a listen…
In 1992 Lush played The Palace in Hollywood (now The Avalon Hollywood), and some friends and I made the trip over. Back then, all the shoegaze bands played The Palace and did signings at the late-great Aron’s Records. We headed down, but i refused to wait in line. However, i did hang around hoping Emma would see how great looking i was and come over and introduce herself. If that’s sounds cringe-worthy, i also stood in front of her at the show trying to grab her attention! You know what? I was surrounded by hundreds of other smelly 20-somethings trying the same thing. Embarrassing. I realized that night how ridiculous I was and killed my infatuation right then and there. However, the music still sounds great!
Back in the day, i only had a cassette player in my car, so i had to dub the CD onto one side of a 90 minute Maxell. The other side was their collection of British EP’s, “Gala“.
I spent 2 years driving around the desert with the top off of Beowulf blaring this lovely drug music! I didn’t do drugs then, but with Shoegaze music you didn’t need to. Just turn the volume up as loud as possible! Lush eventually jumped on the Britpop bandwagon and lost me. After the death of drummer Chris Acland in 1996, they disbanded. However, I do think it’s time for a Coachella reunion show!?
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Posted in Tony
15 years ago David Bowie & Trent Reznor thought it would be a great idea if they did a tour together. It wasn’t. I saw the tour in Las Vegas, and unfortunately NIN opened for Bowie, so half of the arena left when Trent did. I felt embarrassed for Bowie, though I stayed as he was who I’d come for. I’ve read over the years that Vegas was no fluke. Peeps were walking out everywhere, which would explain why this fantastic pro-shot footage has remained vaulted for the last 15 years. It’s too bad; it’s excellent!
I sort of attended out of obligation to the past and to my girlfriend at the time. NIN were played out for me even though they were riding the peak of their success at that time. I loved “Pretty Hate Machine” but “Broken” left me wanting more tunes and less rage, so by the time “The Downward Spiral” rolled around, i couldn’t be bothered. Bowie on the other hand had me excited when he announced he was collaborating with Brian Eno again, after years apart! These 2 were responsible for the “Berlin Trilogy” of albums that are still revered in most quarters. However, what they produced was the underwhelming, and slightly embarrassing “1.Outside“, which was really just 3 songs with some nonsense in between in the trendy NIN mold of the times. Yawn… You’ll notice there has yet to be an “2.Outside” even though they’d recorded enough material for 3 albums.
That being said, the show was actually really quite good as well as unique. Typically it would have gone like this: NIN play their set, then have the lights come up while some DJ ironically spins Blue Oyster Cult or something, then lights down, opening chords to Jean Genie… However, what they did was segue into each others’ sets. So Bowie comes on stage to sing a song with Trent, meanwhile the musicians behind them are swapping out. They get to NIN’s epic “Hurt” and it’s mostly Bowie’s band onstage so that Trent is now singing with them. The song ends, Trent waves goodbye, then, opening chords to Jean Genie… I’ve not seen anything like it since, but it’s a great idea I think.
Well, that version “Hurt” is pretty good, but we all know which version is best, right?
Bowie & Trent also did some excellent work with Eno afterwards, like this great song from Bowie’s follow-up to “1.Outside”, the far-superior “Earthling“…
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Posted in Concert Reviews, Tony
Read yesterday that Brian Eno will be releasing a new album on WARP. As far as i’m concerned, a new Brian Eno album of any kind on any label is welcome news! I love Eno’s music and his philosophy on life. I would worship at The Church Of Eno, even though he would absolutely loathe such an idea. In fact, it’s my understanding that Eno would hesitate to support any religious institution, which is ironic as he loves Gospel music.
It is also my understanding that any “NEW” album is a misrepresentation. Eno, as a musician, spends his time tarrying in the studio, stockpiling complete as well as unfinished ideas. Much like Prince, he is believed to have loads of unheard/unreleased material of varying quality locked away in the “vault” somewhere. This “NEW” album I assume is no different.
In fact, one of his collaborators alludes to this very fact! “It contains the fruits of several years of jams between the three of us,” Leo Abrahams wrote. Eno’s last 2 “official” releases have consisted of music selected by his assistant, and not necessarily the man himself. They also happen to be great records, so who’s complaining?
Check out this song from his 2005 release, “Another Day On Earth“…
Or this track from 2008′s collaboration with David Byrne, “Everything That Happens Will Happen Today“…
I guess what I’m saying is, why are there not more “NEW” releases from Brian Eno? Clearly there is plenty of excellent material to choose from! And why not release the mother of all unreleased Eno albums, “My Squelchy Life“? Some of which has actually been parted out to different records…
For more assistant assisted releases, check out EnoShop
Now don’t get me wrong! Eno can also produce amazing stuff on the fly as well, just give this a listen and hear why U2 finally gave him a writing credit…
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Posted in Tony, What's New
Ok, so yesterday i was hating on Nick Cave, but today is a new day and i’ve just read some exciting news! Now, i’m not a huge movie buff or anything, but one film i used to love was “The Crow“, and while i usually loathe remakes of already good films, today’s news has me singing a different tune, as Nick Cave has been tapped to pen this one.
For those of us who may not know it, Mr. Cave is regarded as the screenwriting talent for the future, and while i’ve not actually seen anything to his film credit (I’m afraid to, as I love his music and am familiar with the darkness his mind is capable of), the buzz is on!
“The Crow” may be better known as the film Brandon Lee was filming when he was accidentally shot dead on set. While the irony is almost unbearable, it is still a great movie with an even better soundtrack. If you’re familiar with either, then you’ll understand that this will be no exiguous & nitid affair, and I cannot think of anyone more capable of handling it. Maybe we can get Christopher Nolan to direct, or would that be too ironic for it’s own good?
Here’s the trailer for the original…
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
If Nick Cave is married to The Bad Seeds, then Grinderman is his mistress. “Heathen Child” has been given to us ahead of the albums release via SoundCloud, check it out!
I have to say, i don’t like it very much. Nick, i thought we had a kind of potlatch pact? I bring my hard earned cash to the party, and the music gets better and better. Well, now i feel a little betrayed! This is a poor b-side at best, in fact, The Bad Seeds have 3 discs full of better b-sides than this song. Maybe The Bad Seeds’ revolving door policy should be implemented with Grinderman? Just a thought. End this fling after this release and beg for forgiveness! That, and coax Blixa & Mick back into the fold. Now, please. I’m waiting…
Now, let’s reminisce for a moment, shall we?
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Posted in Tony, What's New
Wow! This is everything a video should be! Enjoy…
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Posted in Tony, What's New
Good news from one of the most underrated bands of all time, yes, of all time! JAMES is a band, not a man…well, unless you know someone named James, then he is also most likely a man, but this JAMES is a band, and a rather good one too…
Sadly for them, they are best known in the U.S. as that band that sings “Laid”…
Now, one song will not fill a stadium like that a decade after it’s release, so there must be something more, no? However, their anti-stardom is a blessing for those of us over here, as we get to see this great band in much smaller, more intimate & better sounding venues! Look for yours below and do yourself a favor and go…
USA, Canada, Mexico ~ Autumn 2010
September:
20th – Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Culture Room
21st – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House Of Blues
22nd – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
24th – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
25th – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
27th – Washington DC – 9:30 Club
28th – New York, NY – Webster Hall
30th – Toronto, CA – Queen Elizabeth Theater
October:
1st – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Theater
2nd – Chicago, IL – Vic Theater
4th – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre
5th – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
7th – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
8th – Portland, OR – Wonder Room
9th – Seattle, WA – Showbox At The Market
11th – San Francisco, CA – The Regency
12th – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues
13th – Los Angeles, CA – Music Box
16th – Mexico City, MX – Corona Capital Music Festival (with the Pixies, Interpol)**
18th – Guadalajara, MX – Teatro Diana**
19th – Second headline show in Mexico, venue TBA**
Here’s one of their best, co-written with Brian Eno…
There will also be a double CD release to go along with the tour, compiled from 2 EP releases this year! Let’s have another! Here’s rehearsal footage from their last album ‘Hey Ma‘…
Go. Buy. Now.
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Kristin Hersh’s new Book? new CD? “Crooked”
Just read in Billboard that Kristin Hersh is releasing her new album “Crooked” with book publisher HarperCollins! I’m not sure what section you’ll have to look in to buy it, but with the record industry collapsing, this is a shrewd move on her part. Is it a book with a CD, or a CD with a book? You decide. Each copy comes with a download code, recording stems for remixing, track-by-track audio commentary and a fan forum. The book contains color artwork and an essay about each song on the album. That sounds pretty cool actually!
This got me thinking about which artists could benefit most from this new arrangement. Perhaps the new Justin Bieber CD will be packaged with a coloring book? Or maybe the new Marilyn Manson will come with a pocket Bible? The new Who record could be another breakthrough, with the first CD/Braille Book packaging?
Kristin is on to something here i think…
Tony
Media Producer
PlayNetwork, Inc.
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