Shows This Past Week (or month)

Lou Reed.
Highline Ballroom
http://www.myspace.com/loureedfanpage

This show was a lifetime memory. I had never seen Lou Reed before and have been a big fan since I was a kid. My dad taught me about Lou Reed and Velvet Underground at a very young age. He told me about them, I believe when I was in middle school when people started throwing around the term “alternative music.” This didn’t just end here. I went to Syracuse University (Lou’s Alma Mater). The last time I was supposed to see him, there was a tiny snow storm that cancelled the show. New Yorkers bug out from little nothing snow storms. Any way, this show was at Highline Ballroom in the Meat Packing District. The crowd wasn’t so cool… one stupid bitch pushed my dad for having a good time and dancing a little.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
No question… I got to see Lou Reed with my dad.

Tegan & Sara.
Terminal 5
http://www.myspace.com/teganandsara

I was shocked how good this show was. Between the quality of the performance and the sound of room at Terminal 5, this was a fantastic show. Not only great songs written by two very talented women, but their chemistry between and during songs can’t be beat. Of course it helps that they are sisters, but they were cracking me up. Usually, I don’t like talking between songs and just want them to play but this was an exception. I liked the jokes. I liked the whole Vh1 Storytellers vibe to the show. It was really cool seeing Tegan’s prankster like personality and Sara’s more cute and appreciative side. Very fun, a show I will definitely go see again.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
Before the show, I went to an Irish pub for some food and a couple pints. It wasn’t a sports bar, but it was a place full of regulars watching the Mets on the tvs. It was hilarious watching them looking around thinking, “whats with all the girls with Mohawks and muscle shirts?”

Mike Ness.
Irving Plaza
http://www.myspace.com/mikeness

I am a music nerd. I like all of my favorite bands side projects. This one is one of my favorites. He doesn’t get so far away from the Social Distortion formula… at all. He adds a little country flavor to it and I love it. While there were plenty of Sick Boys walking around (I dressed in my finest Sick Boy attire myself), a lot of the people there traded in their work shirts and chains for cowboy hats and plaid shirts. It was a really cool half punk half hootenanny vibe. Mike played his album of originals, some Hank Williams covers, some Johnny Cash covers and Ball and Chain. While it wasn’t exactly a Social Distortion show, I will take it as an appetizer until the come back.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
I went to this show alone, but ran into one of my favorite bartenders from my favorite bar… she and I have the exact same taste in music. The country punk vibe was cool too and the girls dressed as punk rock pinup girls is always ok by me.

The Wombats.
Gramercy Theater
http://www.myspace.com/thewombatsuk

As you know I have a special place in my heart for this band. I consider myself one of their American finders. I have known them for about 18 months now. They put on another great show and its amazing watching them get bigger and bigger every time I go see them. They also seem to be just as quirky and just as fun loving as ever. For more see April 4th report.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
Their manager took really great care of me and my friend at this show… thanks Simon.

Mission of Burma.
Bowery Ballroom
http://www.myspace.com/missionofburma

Loud… it was loud. Almost too loud. This was a very significant show. In this show, they warmed up with a random potpourri of songs and then played Signals, Calls and Marches from start to finish. I was impressed with how well the vocals sounded the instruments were a little bit hard to really hear since it was as loud as it was. This is another band that I have been wanting to see for a long time. They didn’t disappoint at all. The crowd was very into it and that of course just made everything better. I am not sure I am a big enough fan to watch a regular show, but since I love every song on the album they played they made it a great show. In other words this was a show made specifically for me. Thanks guys.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
The mix of people. Punks. Metal heads. Indie kids. All drinking Brooklyn Lager and enjoying a great show together.

Coldplay.
Madison Square Garden
http://www.myspace.com/coldplay

I know what you are thinking. Really? Yes, really. My girlfriend is a big fan, and I won tickets to the free show so we went. I am not afraid to admit I was impressed. It was much better than I thought it would be. I also am shocked how many songs I knew. Not necessarily to the point that I was jumping and singing and going nuts but it did make it fun. I am not quite sure why, but for some reason I didn’t think Chris Martin’s voice was going to be able to fill The Garden. It wasn’t a problem at all his voice is much bigger live than it is on the records.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
The show was free! They made a few mistakes tuning, starting at different times, lyrics mistakes. The dress rehearsal vibe was kind of cool. It made one of the world’s biggest bands seem human. On the bands mistakes, at one point Chris Martin sang, “I can’t believe we are embarrassing ourselves at MSG atleast all of the fans are here for free!” He also came out and apologized to everyone for the high ticket price which got a large cheer.

Pearl Jam.
Madison Square Garden
http://www.myspace.com/tenclub

I have seen Pearl Jam three times, this being the most recent, obviously. This was probably the best show I have seen of theirs allow to me to explain by telling you about all three.

Show one was at Izod Center at the Meadowlands. It was far. It was raining. There was a line for the bus. There bus was stuck in traffic. We get to the show. They run out of beer early. Pearl Jam plays maybe 4 songs I knew in the entire set. The next night apparently they played a huge playlist. Lame.

Show two was at Lollapalooza 2007. It was amazing. Clear night. They played everything that a festival wanted to hear. Everyone knew every song. They did a version of Another Brick In The Wall about British Petroleum dumping in Lake Michigan. “Hey BP, leave out Lake alone.” Of course a political singer from Chicago is going to have to bring that up.

That brings us to show three. An amazing mix of the two. I know Pearl Jam shows aren’t supposed to be greatest hits playlists. This was far from a greatest hits playlist… I would say as a medium Pearl Jam fan I knew a lot of songs certainly not all. However, the crowd knew every song. It was by far the loudest crowd I have ever been to a show with. They every song incredibly loud and the Knicks and Rangers have never gotten a cheer at the Garden the way they did after each song. It was incredible to be a part of.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
Two songs in, Eddie Vedder announced, “we spoke to the people here at tonight and they told us we don’t have to worry about curfew, so we may play for a while is that ok with you guys?”

5 Songs I am Into Right Now

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks- Dragonfly Pie
From the album Real Emotional Trash (2008).
Pavenment's front man shows that he can play some good old fashion classic rock in sludgy Black Sabbath sort of way, but keeps the 90s College Radio vocals alive.

Sonic Youth- Reena
From the album Rather Ripped (2006)
Alternative icon's keep their sound and swagger in an only slightyly updated (not too updated though) version of themselves, playing behind Kim Gordon's vocals.

A Place To Bury Strangers- Missing You
From the album A Place To Bury Strangers (2007)
Brooklyn's loudest band comes through with a song that almost seems to be a slightly harder shout out to My Bloody Valentine.

Lou Reed- Goodnight Ladies
From the album Transformer (1978)
The Godfather of everything glam and indie gives a song that is almost a showtune about a night going home all alone in Manhattan.

Tom Waits- Goin' Out West
From the album Bone Machine (1992)
Great song for drinking whiskey, forgeting your problems, then taking the bottle and smashing it over the guy's head who hasn't shut up all night.

Lollapalooza 2008

Ok. Ok. Ok. The study guide is coming soon. I will be posting by the day this week... so quit bothering me!

For now visit-
http://www.lollapalooza.com/default.asp?fd=1

Sports Gossip? (ill logik)

For those who don’t know, I am a sports junkie. Let me rephrase that. I love sports. You are likely asking yourself why would he down grade like that and not just come out and say it that way. Well here is the thing, I am indeed a huge sports fan. Sports is what I watch on tv 95% of the time… I don’t like movies, I don’t like sitcoms or any of these continuation epic shows like Lost or Heros or that stuff.

I prefer sports, but I am not one of those people that knows every single starting lineup, where they went to school and what their stats are. I love my teams and follow my teams but that’s about it (still don’t know their numbers and stuff).

Any way, so this past weekend I have had my second favorite form of entertainment (music is still number 1), turned into US Weekly from this whole, ARod getting divorced from his wife who is with Lenny Kravitz in Paris, while he stays home with Madonna… stupid. Its lame to me that people who read People Magazine know who Tom Brady, Lance Armstrong, Derek Jeter and Tony Parker are based on who they date/marry. It’s lame. The ARod story even got the back page on the newspaper the day the Yankees were hosting the 4th and final game of a series against the Red Sox. Here in town nonetheless.

Two very cool stories happened this weekend involving athletes that aren’t getting nearly enough love. First, former NFL player turned lame actor Brian Bosworth pulled a woman out of a wrecked car this weekend. Also a current NFL superstar, Tony Gonzalez apparently gave someone the Heimlich Maneuver.

I don’t judge anyone for reading US Weekly or People or whatever. The fact of the matter is though, we are sports fans because we love the game! We don’t care who dates who. We don’t care who cheats on who. If my favorite athlete cheats on his wife today, he is still my favorite athlete tomorrow. I love the game and the athletes, what they do in their private time is up to them.

Head Stone Of Ian Curtis Stolen.

As if it isn't odd enough to hear one of your favorite singer's headstone has been stolen, imagine that you heard this the day after you finally saw the movie Control. That's exactly what happened to me, folks. I watched the biopic on the Joy Division singer less than 24 hours before hearing this story. I had been wanting to see it for months and I decide to watch it the day before BBC Manchester reported that the headstone had been stolen from Macclesfield Cemetary.

The headstone simply read "Ian Curtis 18-5-80. Love Will Tear Us Apart."

Josh Homme Responds

From The Tripwire. I am a big QOTSA Fan and Josh Homme I know doesn't have the longest fuse in the world... so, enjoy this!

------

The interwebs were buzzing about a recent Queens Of The Stone Age gig in Oslo, during which a fan chunked a bottle at frontman Josh Homme. Now, we've met Homme before, and there is no way in the world that we would even remotely consider fucking with him. The dude could break you in half without breaking a sweat. Well, after this bottle whizzed by his head, Homme erupted into a pissed off rant, using language that some interpreted as homophobic and inappropriate. In an effort to sorta kinda but not really clear his name, he released the following statement to press:


Member of the Peanut Gallery:

Some journalists & citizens on the internet & are wondering: Q? Am I a homophobe because I included a slang for gay in with other "acceptable" curse words during a verbal lashing I gave a young concertgoer, after being hit by his shoe, during a show the other day? A= Nope. My gay family & friends, as well as myself, KNOW I am not a homophobe. For years now I've known gay is not a choice; one's skin color doesn't determine one's intelligence level; & red hair doesn't mean you're someone's stepchild. You see, it's not the words, it's their intent. I never said, nor suggested, that being gay is wrong, but apparently, based on your outrage to my flu-infused rant, you do! By that logic... I also told that young whipper snapper I'd have anal sex with him... how can I possibly reconcile these opposing viewpoints? I called him a pussy too. Does it mean I hate our one worlds' collective vagina? I never have been nor intend to be politically correct. That's your cross to bear. To me, that PC world would suck more shit than the porta-potty truck at Glastonbury. Homophobic? I'm in Queens of the Stone Age for crissake... You say, "So. Your band name doesn't prove anything." Maybe not. But it's a helluv a lot more definitive than the logic of some watchdog... (sorry canine-American, canine-European, canine-African, canine-Australian & canine-Asian) moralist, keeping score from pure perfectionville? If your glass house is squeegeed that clean & you need to do something, do what the great philosopher Bill Hick's once suggested: - forgive me-. Or don't. I'm not asking for either, OK? I think you should let both of your cheeks go loose so the stick will drop out. Either way I expect that you'll soon find another injustice from your chair, then roll to your bullhorn & point it out to the rest of us... Because you're so above it all. Or If you'll allow me to translate a wish of mine into your PC lingo:
Will you please go have, consensual, sex with yourself.
Pretty please with all natural, carbon offset sugar on top.

Sincerely,
Mr. Missundastood
A.K.A. Joshua, Baby Duck, Jho
Head Choreographer & Do Stuff Corporation's pansexual spokes-thing

Good Music Videos

The Wombats- Moving To New York

Good Music Videos

Queens of the Stone Age- Go With The Flow

Universal Music Group has decided they would rather I didn't promote their music for them so if you would like to see this video please go to THEIR page at the link! They pulled all of the postings of this video on YouTube except for their own, and won't give out an embeding code. Long live the major label!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiU7o7hRJmE

Good Music Videos

Justice- D.A.N.C.E.

Alicia Keys Says 'Gangsta Rap' Is A Tool Of The Government

Alicia Keys recently did a article with with Blender. Now I know why Clive Davis was nervous about letting her talk at the beginning. I also now realize what it must feel like when a reporter is sitting there with a pen, paper and recording a conversation and can't believe the stuff that they are getting. What started as a what was going to be a innocent article about a popular songstress, turned into...

"'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. 'Gangsta rap' didn't exist."

Another of her theories: The bicoastal feud between slain rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. was fueled "by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing."

She then went on to say that she wears an AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead,"

Good work Alicia... I am just not sure I buy it.

Music From The Ghidrah (4/7/09)

The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!

This week's GHIDRAH features Collective Soul exclusively! Includes a sneak-preview of the band's new radio edit for "All That I Know"

Afterwords (El Music Group) is the new studio album from Collective Soul. It is the seventh studio album by the hard-rocking band from the tiny town of Stockbridge, GA that’s gone on to become multi-platinum hit-makers playing all over the world. http://www.collectivesoul.com/

Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:

SONG 1: Collective Soul - "All That I Know" (radio edit) SONG 2: Collective Soul - "Hollywood"
SONG 3: Collective Soul - "Georgia Girl"

And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:

SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma

The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit the Official Rock Ridge Music site

Thank you for your support of this free music program.

Shows This Past Week

The Wombats.

http://www.myspace.com/thewombatsuk

These guys are great. They make the Arctic Monkey's tunes seem hookless and whimless (is that a word). All of their songs are so full of whit and tell a story of what I could only imagine it must be like to be a young twenty something who likes to party in the UK... but without really getting invited to the cool party or hang with the hot girls or really party at all. Just kinda find your own fun where there is a bar. The first time I found these guys was at SXSW 2006 when I came across them one afternoon by total accident. I have pretty much been a fan since. How can you not love a line like, "lets dance to Joy Division and celebrate the irony."?

They will be back in New York at the beginning of June at the Blender Theater and I think you should check it out.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.

I got to the Annex about 2 hours before show time and there was already a long line. My girlfriend didn't have a ticket. Then when we finally got tot he front of the line to give tickets (that we didn't have), I found out that Simon the band's manager gave me a +1... thanks buddy!

ps. this post is a month late... sorry!

Shows This Past Week

So this past week, I saw two great ones. Couldn't be more different but great.

The Black Crowes.

http://www.theblackcrowes.com/

No introduction needed, these guys are the kings of Southern Rock & Soul. This show was a little weird at first. Since the Irving Plaza has changed its name to Filmore East at Irving Plaza (you know my feelings on this) they have forgotten their capacity. They over sell everything. It was too crowded and about 1000 degrees in there. The first set we actually were watching from outside the doors in the corridor to the left of the stage near the merch and LifeBeat tables.

The first set they played all songs off their new album Warpaint. For a group of songs I didn't know it was still awesome. Their songwriting and performance were great. They then came out for a second set and did a few crowd favorites, the best being "Sting Me."

Random Non-Music Related High Point.

During the set break, all the smokers ran outside to hack a butt before the second set. When they all ran, we were able to move to a prime spot near the stage in the main room... Long Live Joe Camel!

Justice.

http://www.myspace.com/etjusticepourtous

This French DJ duo, is pretty much the first time there has ever been a techno/house DJ that I can truly say I am an out right fan of. Their record Cross, gets normal play on my headphones, and I haven't been into this type of music since 99/2000 when the world seemed to all be on Ecstasy.

This was the most fun I think I have ever had at a concert all alone. I just danced for an hour and a half. They had 18 Marshalls stacked on stage along with the Theater at Madison Square Garden's house PA. It was loud and sweaty. It seemed impossible not to have fun and get caught in the energy. If you ever have the chance to see Justice and you feel like dancing... DO NOT MISS THEM. The picture shown is actually from my cellphone.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.

Easiest call ever. Between the set and the encore having the thousands of people there chanting the words to Justice's first hit with Simian. "Weare your friends, you'll never be alone again!"

Good Music Videos

The Smiths- Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

The Inn LW12 (The Bar Card)

The Inn LW12
(Little West 12th & 9th ave)
I'm not someone who ever says lets go to the Meatpacking District. Its far from where I live and it's not at all the type of people i like to generally hang out at...

This past Friday night, we decided to leave the girls at home and go out about 6 or 7 guys. Which again is not something I would tell you to do in this part of town. The Inn was not like that at all. We walked right into the crowded bar. The bar was two floors and resembled a small bar that may be out in the mountains up state. I felt like I went from Manhattan to Haynes Falls. Of course, I just mean the bar itself not the clientele or music. They had bottle beer to chose from, Heineken, Corona and Budweiser.

This was probably a better place to go with a group than a date. I can't tell you what the case was during meal times, but at night it was much better for groups.

My biggest complaint about the bar was the fact that they didn't have good tequilas. The tequila they claimed to be there best tasted like watered down Cuervo.

Location.
As I said, this is not the location that I would like to go out in. You trek all the way out there and if the place sucks, you are only surrounded by pain in the ass clubs. The Meatpacking District has the uncanny ability to attract b&t people and lots of douche bags that think they are the shit. Some think they are ballers, some think they are euro trash, some think they are famous. You also get a large amount of tourists who have the same attitude as mentioned above.

Music.
The music was hip hop I remember that much. I don't remember it being awful southern crap. If I don't remember one way or the other, it probably wasn't to offensive but not very original.

Crowd.
Bridge & Tunnel or kids who just didn't get into Tenjune or Gansevoort or the likes.

I guess I would go back but it would never be my suggestion. And I will always make sure there is a plan B.

Good Music Videos

Cake- Short Skirt, Long Jacket

Shows This Past Week

I have decided that I am going to write about all shows that i got to for fun as opposed to shows I go to in interest of signing. This past weekend, John Sellers who wrote the book "Perfect From Now On" released on paper back. One of the things he did was add a section to the book of every big show he saw for a year. I am going to attempt doing the same thing (eventually)from now on I will just add each week.

Dax Riggs (Mercury Lounge)

http://www.myspace.com/daxriggs
Bluesy, metalesque. Possibly the hardest singer songwriter I have seen in a while. Dax sings with a suprisingly great range and plays the guitar. There is nothing overly complicated about his playing, but his dynamic voice makes up for it. He is joined by a drummer on the most minimal kit i have ever seen, no symbals. This was fantastic show that I recommend seeing if he is ever in your area.

Great Read That Must Be Shared

This was taken from the blog, "Stuff White People Like"
------

Music is very important to white people. It truly is the soundtrack to their lives, meaning that white people are constantly thinking about what songs would be on the soundtrack for the biopic. The problem is that most of the music that white people like isn’t really dance-friendly. More often the songs are about pain, or love, or breaking up with someone, or not being able to date someone, or death.

So when white people go to concerts at smaller venues, what to do they do? They stand still! This is an important part of white concert going as it enables you to focus on the music, and it will prevent drawing excess attention to you. Remember, at a concert everyone is watching you just waiting for you to try to start dancing. Then they will make fun of you.

The result is Belle and Sebastian concerts that essentially looks more like a disorganized line of people than a music event.

If you find yourself invited to a concert with a white person, do NOT expect to dance. Prepare yourself for three hours of standing reasonably still. It is also advised to get a beer or (if legal) a cigarette so you have something to do with your hands. Although it is acceptable to occasionally raise one hand and point just above the stage.

Note: the addition of the drug ecstasy changes everything.

NIU on alert after Virginia Tech shooting reference found on wall (Dec. 10, 2007)

Campus security raised, and alerts go out to everyone on campus by e-mail, voice mail and fliers

By Alexa Aguilar | Tribune staff reporter
12:15 PM CST, December 10, 2007

Northern Illinois University in DeKalb is under a security alert through the end of the semester after police found threats on a bathroom wall that included a racial slur and references to the Virginia Tech shootings, a university spokeswoman said Sunday.

A statement on the school's Web site late Sunday said that "concerns and questions" related to the threats have in part prompted the cancellation of final exams scheduled for Monday. Icy conditions also factored into the decision to close the campus, officials said.

"Only essential service personnel should report to work on Monday," the statement read. University officials are going to meet at 2 p.m. to discuss how long the university will be closed and what they plan to do about final exams.

Campus police are investigating two separate messages found by a student Saturday night on a restroom wall in the Grant D Towers complex that read that "things will change most hastily" in the final days of the semester, which ends Friday, said Melanie Magara, a university spokeswoman.

Grant D Tower is one of four 13-story towers known collectively as Grant Towers. Grant D features all single rooms. Towers A, B and C have double rooms.

The first set of messages, found written in black ink in a women's restroom, includes a racial slur and reads "ME / OUT . . . Die Sem Burr 10th . . . Hmz Sdn Cr" in what officials believe are references to Dec. 10 and the Holmes Student Center. Underlined letters also spell out the word "WATCH."

The second entry, which appears to be in different handwriting, reads, "What time? The VA tech shooters messed up w/ having only one shooter . . ."

NIU officials increased campus security and notified people on campus about the threats by e-mail, voice mail and fliers, Magara said.

NIU President John Peters said officials are being especially cautious. "We will not tolerate threats against individuals or groups," Peters said in a statement. "Nor will we tolerate hate speech of any type on this campus."

Some students and parents said they were worried.

"I just don't think that they're doing enough. I think they should be canceling classes, or at least let them do their finals online, or something, because this should not be taken lightly," said Dianne Faulkner, who has a son and a niece that are NIU students. She said she is afraid for their safety, especially because the message appears to be targeting black people.

Anyone with information should call police.

NIU officials also have set up hot lines to answer concerns. Those numbers are 815-753-1573, 815-753-1585 and 815-753-6257.

A Comedy Of Errors

Yesterday, I flew from New York City to lovely Champaign/Urbana for both a little business and to see some of the Chicago guys. Let me take you through the entire day so you can see what the current state of travel in this country is... if you haven't travelled in a while of course.

The day began with a cab ride to LaGuardia. This was actually probably the easiest part of my entire day. I got dropped off at the airport and was only carrying on so I quickly got my ticket and couldn’t use the self check in machine. I am not allowed to use the self check in machine due to the face that a terrorist uses my name as an alias. I have to check in with an agent because he/she has to make sure that I was not born in approximately 1945. Any way, I get checked in and buy some magazines. Standard purchases really, Spin, Blender & Men’s Health.

I walked to my gate everything is cool. The 11:45 flight from LaGuardia to O’Hare was on time. Great! Looks like I missed the bad weather that just pelted the Chicagoland area. We get on the plane I was in the 24th row on a window and had an empty seat in the middle of my row. Amazing! The guy to had some of his stuff on the middle seat but that didn’t bother me at all. I decided to close my eyes and ended up passing out before we even took off. The next thing I know, we start taking off and it took forever for the plane to actually get off the ground. It felt like it was speeding up to take off for a mile. When we took off it was bumpy almost immediately. Then I passed out again.

All of a sudden we landed. I was like holy shit I have never slept through a flight before, I was shocked. I opened the window and saw the Empire State Building. I was shocked. Turns out the plane broke mid take off and landed at JFK. That’s right we flew across Queens.

We waited for an hour before they even announced the flight was cancelled. Luckily I got myself a seat on some later planes. I had to stand in the line about 30th to get my tickets just printed. No one would print them for me! It took an hour to get them and I still had 2 hours until my new flight, so I sat at a bar and had a few pints of Guinness.

I am now getting ready to board my 3:40 to Chicago. In 4 hours I have crossed Queens. I board my plane and again go to sleep, which is always easy to do in the middle seat. But we can’t take off yet. The old woman in front of me refused to quit her cell phone conversation. I could not believe what was going on… the whole plane was yelling at her but she wouldn’t get off. Then when she did, the phone rang and she TOOK THE FUCKING CALL!

The flight went easy after that and we landed in Chicago and I made the final boarding call for my Champaign flight. I had the single aisle seat. Money. The girl sitting across the aisle from me was a very attractive Mexican girl who told me she was from Mexico City. She was interested in what I did for a living until she told me she was getting ready to finish her PHD for neurosociology. Yup she studies the functions and actions of the brain. The nerd next to her was on his way to U of I for an interview to do the same… I was yesterday’s news quick. I have a wonderful girlfriend who love with all my heart and I would never do anything to compromise our relationship, but its always fun talking to attractive girls… not even flirting just talking. I over heard her say that he friend think she is crazy and a psycho, the next second her cell phone rang and it was the whistle from Kill Bill… it was creepy as shit… so creepy that I want the ringer.

Then the de-icing truck came to hose down the plane. It broke down. It broke down. It broke the fuck down, right behind the plane. So we left late. I just sprinted from the H 13 to G 17 in 10 minutes for this!

Any way another truck came in 15 minutes or so and I made it to Champaign in time to have some drinks with my friends and watch the Bulls game. I hate flying.

A few things on my mind....

How does it make sense for someone to literally stop at the bottom of an escalator to decide whether they should got to McDonald’s then give me a dirty look when I bump into them when I get off? Take 3 steps in any single direction and that whole thing could have been avoided.

Why do I feel like its ok for me to go out and celebrate my friends team? The Bears didn’t win, the Giants won and I went out and drank a ton that night. Was it because my bets killed it or was it because I will take any excuse to drink a little bit? While we are talking about the Super Bowl, Eli & Peyton Manning are way better than my brother and I.

I was watching the Super Tuesday coverage yesterday… I have a few questions. How does it make sense that not every state does the elections the same? Why will we have a clearer picture of the GOP than the Dems? Is it really necessary for them to discuss that African Americans voted for Obama, and women voted for Hilary and then everyone else was up in the air. They also talk about how the Bible Belt votes for Huckabee and the Mormons voted for Romney… you don’t say… imagine that.

Eddie Murphy Predcits the 2008 NFC Championship Game

While working at McDowell's Akeem (Murphy) approaches Mr. McDowell in hope to finding some common ground to discuss. He decides to ask his boss if he watched the previous night's football game. When Mr. McDowell says he didn't watch it, he simply tells him...

"Oh, it was most exhilarating. The Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big 'H'. It was a most ripping victory."

Indianapolis Boos High School Student

Have you heard about the 14 year old girl booed in Indianapolis yet? I'm sure you have. If not here's whats up...

The Punt, Pass, Kick competition winners were introduced at the playoff game between Indianapolis and San Diego this pass weekend. All the kids had the jersey of their local team and they all got cheered for except the young lady in the Patriots jersey. They booed a 14 year old girl. They didn't boo the kid in the Chargers (the team the were in the middle of playing and eventually losing to) jersey, just the girl from New England.

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots decided to do the exact opposite. She has been given tickets to the AFC Championship game for this coming weekend and will be on the field again to do the opening coin toss. Congrats young lady! Enjoy it. I don't like New England, but good work Mr. Kraft. You certainly look like the bigger man this time.

TO is a Joke (ill logik)

I'm sorry TO... I am no buying this whole don't pick on my teammate nonsense. You threw McNabb and Garcia under the bus, why should I believe you now?

No one brought up blame on Tony Romo in the press conference except for you! Is that your subtle way to place blame on your quarterback without having to take heat form teh reporters yourself?

Sorry TO I'm on to you. You are still the worst teammate in pro sports.

Not Likely... But A Good Read

Why I Believe Bush Must GoNixon Was Bad. These Guys Are Worse.
By George McGovernSunday, January 6, 2008

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010404308_pf.html

Music from the Ghidrah (1/07/08) - Collective Soul, Daughtry, The IRA

The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!

Happy New Year to all GHIDRAH site partners! The first GHIDRAH of '08 looks back at the best of '07:

Bright as California sunshine, Collective Soul's “Hollywood” features an undeniable melody with tinges of ’80s pop. Singer/ songwriter Ed Roland puts a bouncy energy to his sly lyrics that compare Tinsel Town to a naughty girl (or is it the other way around?): “Yeah, Hollywood/ You know I love you more than one man should/ Yeah, Hollywood/ kiss me, kiss me good.”

Daughtry had a breakout year in 07, powered early in the year by the infectious "It's Not Over". Daughtry's self-titled debut was the top selling rock album of the year, and we look forward to more from him in 08.

The Ike Reilly Assassination had an insane amount of press coverage for "We Belong To The Staggering Evening", and hit hundreds of "best of 2007" lists: http://www.rockridgemusic.com/assets/ira_bestof07.jpg Don't believe the hype? Listen to "Valentine's Day In Juarez", a WXPN/Philly top pick.

Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:

SONG 1: Collective Soul - "Hollywood"
SONG 2: Daughtry - "It's Not Over"
SONG 3: Ike Reilly Assassination - "Valentine's Day In Juarez"

And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:

SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma

The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.

Thank you for your support of this free music program.

Music from the Ghidrah (11/26) - The IRA, Ugly, Steriogram

The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!

This week's GHIDRAH features tracks available for free mp3 download on Rock Ridge Free! http://www.rockridgefree.com/

Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:

SONG 1: Ike Reilly Assassination - "When Irish Eyes Are Burning"
SONG 2: Ugly - "Sex, Drugs, and Rock N Roll"
SONG 3: Steriogram - "Just Like You"

And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:

SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma

The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.

Thank you for your support of this free music program.

"Devin Hester, You Are Ridiculous!"

So yesterday I went to the most fun Chicago Bears game I have ever been to. The game was at Soldier Field, where the Bears hosted the Denver Broncos… where Shanahan thought it would be a good idea to kick to Devin Hester. Devin Hester returned the kick for a td… twice. He has now scored 3 less tds in 10% of the games of the all time leader! In one of the returns, he leaped right over Bronco's punter Todd Sauerbrun like a fallen hurdle. All this after he had fumbled one a stupid play to allow Denver their first three points of the game.


The Bears defense looked soft but behind Hester, a blocked punt by Peanut Tillman and a drive by Rex Grossman with phenomenal catch by Berrian. Though they looked soft, down the stretch, they seemed to start getting the stops they needed.
The Bears got the ball first in the overtime and wasted no time moving down the field and winning thanks to a big catch by Desmond Clark and then a Robbie Gould field goal.
Some people seem to be saying, "the Bears are back!" I still think its a little early for that. The division is lost, and they are back in the Wild Card hunt, but this is one game. They have some big games coming up with the Giants, Washington and Minnesota. All are virtually must wins if they want a crack at the post season.
The Bears lost running back Cedric Benson to an ankle injury but Adrian Peterson stepped up to the plate and made a couple big plays for the Bears. And though he is the weakest player on the team and is responsible for a couple huge Broncos plays… this will get Adam Archuleta a get out of jail free card. I saw Jennifer Walcott at the game yesterday wearing his jersey. If you don’t know who she is, please see below.

Music Review: The Marble Index - Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/11/20/072355.php

Here is an article from Nathalie Vanderheyden on The Marble Index- Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives for BlogCritics Magazine.

------------------

I have to begin with yet another admission which makes me think that I should start calling my reviews 'true confessions'; but that's another story. In any case, I must confess to a certain bias when reviewing bands from Hamilton Ontario. I feel a swell of pride in my Hammertown guys and gals that may color my perception. I'm confident however that when it comes to The Marble Index, my hometown pride is well placed.

Their second release Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives is a slick recording showcasing a more mature band with the experience of a successful first launch and allot of touring under their belts.

The tracks on this CD are very danceable and alternative-radio friendly songs that still manage to retain a slight garage band feel. I guess you could say the Marble Index's sound has moved into a three car heated garage with a kick ass sound system, a lounge space and a mini bar fully stocked for an endless block party. It's guitar driven dance music minus the techno pop.

One of the best tunes in my humble opinion is "All That I Know". This is the second track on the CD, though it really should have been the first. It has a great hook that gets your head bopping to the beat from the first pluck of the guitar.

Track 5 "Let Me Be The One" is another tune that finds me hitting the replay button. This catchy song has the slightest hint of reggae and demonstrates vocalist Brad Germain's knack for delivering lyrics like "If I can't be yours tonight, let me be the one that could hold you for the rest of your life" in a style that sticks to my brain and gets me singing the harmonies in a fantasy duet. (Then again maybe I just always wanted to be a cool back up singer complete with tambourine and cow bell - "more cow bell!")

I've seen track 8 "I Don't Want To Try To Change Your Life" performed live at a local gig, so I know for a fact this song gets the crowd jumping on the dance floor and sets the girls screaming. The Marble Index, I can honestly tell you, put on a fabulous live show.

In this age when any tone deaf, teeny bopper nymphette with the right sound engineer can be a pop diva, the ability to sing and play your instuments well is becoming an endangered skill. These guys however, sound as good live as they do on their CD.

They're also great fun to watch. The Marble Index, comprising of guitarist and vocalist Brad Germain, Bassist Ryan Tweedle, and Drummer Adam Knickle look like they're having the time of their lives on stage; and lead man Germain really knows how to connect to the crowd and get a serious party vibe streaming through his audience.

The group has demonstrated a good deal of growth on this sophomore release, though I think there is still room for improvement in developing their music. This is really good but somewhat familiar guitar driven dance music. I can hear the potential for a unique distinct sound but I don't think they've quite reached it yet.

That said, if they are already this good then they can only go up from here. If they keep refining and honing their songwriting skills with each new album then I have no doubt that The Marble Index will still be around cranking out awesome tunes long after the latest flash in the pan party band has fizzled into oblivion.Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives is released on Rock Ridge

Music and tracks include:
1. Everyone Else
2. All That I Know
3. Couldn't Do Without
4. Same Schools
5. Let Me Be The One
6. We Always Complain
7. What We Need
8. I Don't Want To Try To Change Your Life
9. Anytime
10. Not Impressed
11. Same Old Lie
12. Never Ends

Changes for Lollapalooza? (ill logik)

So I am back at home in Chicago for Thanksgiving this week. I came back because Sister Hazel. They played the Chicago Lighting Festival (along with KT Tunstal and Corbin Bleu... whoever that is). So I am staying th week.

So it was in the Chicago Tribune, that the plan maybe to have second concert in Philly that would include the same idea as Lollapalooza Chicago, however, it won't have all the bands that were in Chicago. It turns out it actually hit a snag in its plan this week. C3 Presents has already announced Loallapalooza will be in Chicago for the next 4 years but that doesn't mean they don't want to expand. They are looking at Belmont Plateau in Philly for 2 or 3 weeks after the Grant Park show.

They are saying that it wouldn't be called Lollapalooza but it would follow the same model. While C3 wants to bring it to Philly... Electric Factory (Live Nation) has other plans. They want to be the one to do it.

All this is fine with me. I am not one of those people who thinks that my toes are being stepped on by having more than one show. I could care less if they do 10 shows... all I know is I will see it in Chicago... and thats fine!

The only part that actually pissed me off were some comments by Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. The Jane's Addiction front man said, "the scariest predicament we face in the music is that commercialezation has killed off the underground scene. It used to be at Lollapalooza that the audience was full of 20,000 freaks and miscreants and outcasts. But now people look like they walked out of the Gap."

Well Mr. Farrell... what the fuck do you expect when the tickets for 3 days are approaching $200, you have every single sponsor you can think (Adidas, iTunes, AT&T, MySpace, Citi, Play Station, Bud Light, etc.) and you yourself did a song with Fergie! If the show is commercial, the fans will be commercial too. But that doesn't even matter. Since when is a music festival for some people but not others. Isn't that whats beautiful about music? Isn't music the universal art? I coulda sworn it was.

Celebrity Access

Here is a interview i did with Celebrity Access:

http://encore.celebrityaccess.com/index.php?encoreId=103&articleId=23870

Ben Miller is A&R manager for Rock Ridge Music and has signed TrashlightVision, a hard hitting mix of dirty rock, metal and punk from Brooklyn, NY and Marble Index, a straight forward indie rock band which loves chord changes from Hamilton, Ontario.

Ben's first industry experience was as an intern from Syracuse University at DAS Ventures, David Sonneberg's management company in year 2002 where he helped run the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (JLSC) and the promotion of the JLSC Bus at the 2002 Warped Tour. "For the contest itself, I was in charge of getting in touch with people who had incomplete applications and letting them know what was missing," he reminisces. "The bus was a mobile recording studio that would work with local kids from the Boys & Girls club to document a day at Warped Tour. My job was to get different bands to help the kids either to hang out or just sign off that the kids can record them."

After graduating from Syracuse, Ben worked at Special Ops Media in 2003 where he got his first taste of online marketing and some basic new media, working on Cypress Hill SmokeOut, Freaks and Geeks and assisted with projects such as Santana, Three Days Grace, Robbers on High Street and Jane’s Addiction.

He then joined Jason Spiewak at Studio E in 2004, where he got to use some of his learned tools from Special Ops to help with some viral marketing for Local H. He also did some of his own online work on the side with his own company, Ill Orange Marketing, and got hired to do some online work for TVT Records (Pitbull, Ying Tang Twins).

"Shortly after, I joined Tom Derr at Rock Ridge Music in 2004," he says. "I started as the street team coordinator and did some online work as well. Once Jason Spiewak joined the team, my online job became more viral so I was able to focus more on my street teams. Some of the teams I ran include, Ike Reilly Assassination, Domeshots, Love.45, Sinch, Legbone, Accident Experiment, and helped with the Five.Bolt.Main team. I also worked with online teams for Zack Wylde’s Black Label Society on Artemis, Danko Jones on Razor & Tie and Fall As Well on Imprint Records."

"Street teams are exactly what they sound like," he opines. "It's the fans of a band that promote on the streets, at shows, at record stores and lifestyle shops-- i.e. skate shops or tattoo parlors. They usually go in with some posters, stickers or flyers and let the people know about the band be it for a release or a show. Street teams are usually made up of a band’s most passionate fans."

After running the street teams for two years, Ben was promoted to A&R manager, "which was a personal goal that I'd always wanted to achieve," he reflects. "Since becoming A&R manager, I have signed Trashlight Vision and Marble Index and have helped out with a couple other signings that were not my deals."

Experience & Advice

The two biggest mistakes, which I don’t feel the need to get specific about, have both had to do with paying close attention to detail. Now I try and pay close attention to detail.

As an A&R manager what type of artists are you looking to sign?

We're looking for just about anything. Currently on the roster we've everything from guys who perform alone with acoustic guitars all the way to metal bands who sing about beer and everything in between. If the music's good, the band has a fan base we can work with, and they're willing to work as hard as we are, we are down for anything.

How effective are street teams?

Its hard to tell directly from sales but if done correctly, it could help with getting a bands name out there. It also has to do with the tools themselves. If you're giving a way a flyer people will look at it and read the information… cool, so Band X has a new record coming out. However, it's better to have a call to action on the flyer… go to Band X’s website to hear the new tracks from the upcoming album and download a song for free. That makes it’s a little more appealing to the perspective music fan. Again, the key to street teaming is getting the demographic that you want. It’s a lot easier to shoot fish in a barrel. Street teaming done right can be very effective.

How important is marketing to an emerging artist?

It’s pretty important in developing a band's name through branding. For example, if you're working with a hard rock/metal band, and Slipknot is in town--that would be a good place to send some street teamers to hand some things out. Clearly you don't want to send the same street teamers to a Fergie show. The key is hitting up the right musical demographic for your promotions. Even if the kids never check out the music, they may see that name again in the future and say, “wait, I’ve heard of that band.”

How effective are YouTube and MySpace sales?

I'm not totally sure how that connects directly for sales. People use them incorrectly if you want to know the truth. If you're just a band asking random kids to be your friends, they may not care to even check you out. However, MySpace can be killer for your existing fans. It's a good place to provide music, blogs and some connection between the band and their fans in a central location.

How do you feel about free downloads off the Internet?

It’s great. I personally don't do any of that downloading, not because I'm overly moral, but because I like supporting bands and don't want to mess up my computer. Rock Ridge Music is pretty positive about downloading. We have a website called RockRidgeFree.com where we give away songs. It's like and online sampler disc. What's a better way to promote your music than by letting people hear your music.

First concert attended

Jonathan Brandmeier had a show with different bands in 1990 at the World Music Theater in Tinley Park, IL.

First industry job

Answering phones and customer service for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2002.

Career highlights

The first time I saw a Rock Ridge Music label on a CD in a store and receiving my first signed record deal in the mail.

Career disappointment

Luckily so far they've been light a few and far between: when I really dig a band and for one reason or another the deal falls through.

Greatest challenge

Introducing myself to the world. I became an A&R guy at 24. I didn’t know too many people so I'd to create my own network. Also making bands realize that they don’t need to shop their record and wait for a check to show up.

Best business decision

Hands down: becoming a member of Rock Ridge Music. It has given me a great opportunity to see the birth and maturation of a record company from the ground up. I was the first day to day employee so I learned a ton really quick.

Memorable industry experiences

The first RRM release date comes to mind. Of course, going to an after party in August, 2006 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City after the VH1 Decades Live show with Incubus, Kings Of Leon, Iggy Pop and the Pretenders walking around wasn’t so bad either.

What friends would be surprised to learn about you?

I enjoy my train ride to Newark; I don’t watch scary movies because I get scared; I've seen Barry Manilow live more times--twice-- than I've seen Social Distortion--once-- unfortunately sad.

Industry pet peeve

People who don’t talk about ideas, problems, solutions or anything that has to do with the music business but drop name after name.

If I wasn’t doing this I'd be......

second baseman for the Chicago Cubs or selling peanuts at Wrigley Field-- one of the two -- either way I would be at Wrigley.

Favorite teams

Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls and Syracuse basketball.

Industry mentors

Jason Spiewak and Tom Derr.

Ben can be reached at (973) 596-0444x26 and by email at ben@rockridgemusic.com

Music from the Ghidrah (10/15) - Leo, The Marble Index, Steriogram

The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!

This week's GHIDRAH features songs from our 10/9/07 releases. All new music from Leo, The Marble Index, and Steriogram!

Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:

SONG 1: Leo - "Broken Record"
SONG 2: The Marble Index - "All That I Know"
SONG 3: Steriogram - "Just Like You"

And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:

SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma

The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.

Thank you for your support of this free music program.

Sweet & Vicious and Black & White (The Bar Card)

Sweet & Vicious
Last night we headed down for some drinks at a Sweet & Vicious (Spring & Bowery). It was a new place for me but everyone I was with had been before. I really dug this place. It was perfect for what I wanted last night. It wasn't overly crowded or crazy. There weren't a lot of bridge and tunnel types, however there was a good number of "cohorts" as I like to call them. Cohorts are the guys who go to bars wearing their work clothes with their work buddies and they are always the loudest drunkest bastards in the bar. The music was predictable hip hop but the crowd but it wasn't the Midtown type of crowd either, nor was it one of those snobby types that looks down even at its own patrons. Not to mention they knew how to pour a pint of Guinness.

The space was an opened single room with a long bar on one side. They kept the stools there which is always a nice change from some of the more crowded places. The floors were wood and there were these huge circular light fixtures on the ceiling keeping the place nice and dark.

Location.
The location was great quick trip there from my apt and of course and I love the Bowery. The space itself looked like it belonged in the Bowery.

Music.
Predictable hip hop. Thank god it wasn't dirty south stuff.

Crowd.
The crowd was fine. Not overly hip but didn't really care. The weird thing was the bar emptied at 1:30.

I would definitely go back.

Black & White
When we first got to Black & White I loved it. The crowd was a little more Village Hip than the people at S&V. The music was great. The space was just as plane as the name would suggest. A bar and some tables. There was no sign out front (at least I didn't see it) and it was hard to tell that there was a bar there. Again, they knew how to pour a pint of Guinness.

Location.
Love the east village and they did a great job making it seem like a hip little secret.

Music.
One of the best rock DJs I have ever heard in the city. The music included The Stooges, Blur (but not Song #2), Stone Roses, MC5 and the list goes on. It was awesome.

The Crowd.
The crowd was fine. There weren't that many people there when we go there. But it was mostly the types that would dig the music that I mentioned. A few posuers too.

Now, I dug this bar too but I can't support it. My friend payed for a round of drinks and didn't pick his money up fast enough and one of the bartenders put it in the tip jar. When my friend told the bartender of the mistake, he refused to give it back. Then another bartender gave it too him. When we stepped outside, that same jerkoff bartender told the bouncer never to let us in again. He also told us he was the owner. We then got into a yelling match and the bouncer (who was very nice) said we could come back another time. Fact of the matter is, there was no way that fat bartender was the owner... it was very strange.

Thanks to the bartender, I don't plan on going back.

A Victory for the RIAA (Lefsetz Letter)

What did we learn here?

That the courtroom oath no longer means SHIT! Did you read the evidence? The woman used the same name for her MySpace account, to get dates on Match.com... Talk about GUILTY!

But we know people trade files P2P. What the fuck are we gonna DO ABOUT IT?

According to the RIAA, we should all just cease and desist. After we stop smoking dope and having unprotected sex. Yes, just say no.

Give me a break.

You're a fifteen year old. You've heard about this old band from the seventies, from before you were born, when your PARENTS were in high school. You could wait to hear "Stairway To Heaven" on the radio, maybe even "Kashmir" and "Whole Lotta Love", but you want MORE Zeppelin. You want to start with "IV", work your way back to "II", and then go to "Physical Graffiti" and "Houses Of The Holy", never mind the debut. Yup, why don't you plunk down A HUNDRED BUCKS!

But how are you going to afford Cold Stone? The movies? Video games?

You must give those up. Music is competing for the entertainment dollar and you've got to make a choice. Either have a well-rounded life or listen to music, it's your decision, this is the way it's got to be, because the rights holders SAY SO!

Now if I rang up Robert or Jimmy and asked them... Do you want a few rich teenagers paying a hundred bucks plus for your catalog or MILLIONS paying a lot less, what do you think they'd say?

Well, they'd say this Ahmet Ertegun tribute is really a soft launch for their tour. They're going to go out on the road and rape and pillage...why do you think they're PRACTICING SO HARD! And they don't want to play arenas, but STADIUMS, like in the old days, and they want to FILL THESE BUILDINGS! And the old farts will pay a lot to sit up close, but they won't pay a fortune to sit in the bleachers. But these kids, they'll be thrilled just to BE INSIDE!

Do you get it yet? That it's not about the rights holders, but MUSIC! That the RIAA companies have music locked up, they want to charge a fortune for it, and therefore most people can't afford it. And that there's an easier way out, monetizing the present behavior...having everybody be a music customer, resulting in at least as much revenue, and a healthy scene, great live gate, tons of merch sales.

Who's gonna follow Neil Young? Who's gonna follow the Paul McCartney, the Stones and the Eagles? Where are the next ARENA bands, never mind stadium acts. The only way we can build these bands is by getting the music in people's hands. And last I checked, ten dollars from a million people is no different from one dollar from ten million people. It's just that now, A FUCK OF A LOT MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU, A FUCK OF A LOT MORE ARE FANS!

Couldn't happen in the old days. The costs were too high and you couldn't reach people easily. But the Net has broken down these barriers. Let me ask you, in what ways have the RIAA companies embraced the Net?

iTunes is worse than CDs. The sound quality sucks and the price is the same. Where's the innovation? Where's the BUILDING of the business. The assholes are so busy trying to MAINTAIN what they've got that they can't see the virgin landscape open for the taking, the vast resources that can be used to promote music to what it once was, the hippest artistic medium on the planet, as opposed to the inbred cousin no one wants anything to do with.

This is a business built on bullying and intimidation. And it's no surprise the RIAA's legal strategy reflects this. And those days are through. Transparency rules. It's not about paying radio off and cheating acts on royalties, it's about making the music available to hear on the Web and transparent accounting. The industry's worst nightmare.

So they convicted a guilty woman and penalized her an amount she'll never be able to pay.

Their hands were tied. How else could they get everybody else to settle for a few thousand. Huh? Is this strategy WORKING? Cara Duckworth of the RIAA said "We lose money on our litigation program." Okay, if you lose money there, and you're losing CD sales, WHERE ARE YOU WINNING? What's the strategy to turn things around? NOWHERE IN EVIDENCE!

People want a lot of music for a low price. The labels don't offer this. Except as evaporating subscriptions with low tech devices that make iPods look like hand-held human transporters. It's like trying to get people to give up their BMWs by offering them Kias. Sure, Kias might get better gas mileage, BUT DO YOU WANT TO DRIVE ONE?

The labels are making music free. The lawsuits not only lose money, they're not reducing file-trading. All they're doing is scaring off people who don't buy music ANYWAY!

If this is a victory, then I don't understand the game.

This is a flawed strategy exercised to make non tech-savvy label heads feel good as they drink expensive wine and worry about their eight digit payouts. This is like TV networks not being on the satellite. Huh? Eventually the networks merged with the cable stations. Everybody made more money. The labels have to embrace the Internet, or else go extinct. Which, they're doing a good job of. As far as getting acts to cough up their touring and merch revenue, they're lucky to get good acts to sign with them AT ALL! You tell me what to record, you can't get me on the radio, you don't pay me and you won't let me leave. This is an enticing business proposition?

As for the public... The RIAA lost people's hearts and minds a long time ago. It happened when people discovered the original Napster and then got iPods. They all said WOW, THIS IS GREAT! How come the labels can't understand this? A buck a track? That's like $4,000 for a PC. But now they're five hundred bucks at Wal-Mart and everybody has one. Which business model do you want to employ? A few at a high price or many for very little? Do you want EVERYBODY listening to music or only the privileged, dedicated few. Think about it. And then figure out how to monetize the stealing, how to give the people what they want. ISN'T THAT THE ESSENCE OF BUSINESS?

Cubbies Beat Themselves In Game One Of The NLDS

Well… unfortunately I have to put the first loss on Lou himself. There were two mistakes in this game that I didn’t get.

First, off the mistake everyone is talking about. Pulling Zambrano after 85 pitches is crazy. Zambrano is willing and able to throw 120 for you on any night. The guy had given up only a run last night. Lou decided to go with Carlos Marmol (who has been the Cubs best reliever this year no question). Marmol gave up the lead right upon coming into the game. Disaster. Lou must have known that was going to be the first question he was going to get in the post game press conference.

The second thing that I didn’t understand happened much earlier in the ball game. At the time, the Diamondbacks were winning 1-0. Theriot hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield and the throw was airmailed over the head of the first baseman. Ok, so now you have a runner on second and no outs. The next batter was Zambrano (your pitcher). I know he is a great hitter for a pitcher and had a hit last night. However, he swung away. He swung away. He swung. First pitch was a line drive to the short stop who made the out and the runner didn’t advance. The next two outs were Soriano and Jones flying out. No runs, one man left on base.

Tonight the Cubbies will try and even the series before heading home to the Friendly Confines. Ted Lilly will face Doug Davis.

Go Cubs Go!

GHIDRAH - special CAYAMO edition - Beth Wood, Oval Opus, The Duhks

The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!

This week’s GHIDRAH features artists playing on CAYAMO, a journey through song. Cayamo is a 6-day Caribbean cruise featuring the crème de la crème of songwriters, including headliners and Grammy award winners, Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris, in addition to Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Buddy Miller, Brandi Carlile, Ari Hest, The Duhks & Patrick Davis. They will be joined by other great songwriters and emerging artists for the inaugural cruise, which stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Want to win a free cabin on Cayamo? Enter to win here: http://www.rockridgemusic.com/sixthman

Eleven years ago Texas singer-songwriter Beth Wood kissed her day-job goodbye and hit the road to play music full-time. Since then, she has released seven independent albums, won many songwriting awards including the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Award, charted in the top 20 on the AAA radio charts, had a song featured on Fox Television’s “Party of Five”, sung our National Anthem at major league baseball and basketball games, and toured nationally as a solo artist. But most importantly to Beth, she has found a way to connect with others through her music. Beth is a high-energy communicator of joy, a modern-day troubadour with a killer voice, poetic lyrics, and wickedly strong guitar stylings. If you ask Thor Christensen at the Dallas Morning News about Beth, he’ll say, “a voice and songs this strong are bound to persevere.”

Nestled on the Ohio River, where north meets south, is the humble hamlet of Cincinnati, Ohio. Born in this hybrid culture of North, South and Midwest, Oval Opus has soaked up a little bit of charm, a little bit of honesty, and a lot of pop sensibility to mold their unique, yet universal sound. Spawned from a chance meeting on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, OH, Oval Opus has spent the last several years establishing themselves as one of the most successful independent touring acts in Ohio and the region. With soulful vocals, classic rock driven guitars and tight radio ready songs performed with the energy and virtuosity of their live rock shows, with their new album, Oval Opus showcases their diverse talent and deliver profound yet playful pop/rock tracks that separate them from your everyday rock band to something short of legendary. www.Ovalopus.com or www.myspace.com/ovalopus

The most vital acoustic music band made today acknowledges its predecessors and lives in the here and now. For four years now, The Duhks, the band of five skilled, high-energy, tattooed twenty-somethings from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been riveting audiences and winning staunch fans across North America and around the world with just that kind of music. Blending soul, gospel, folk, samba, old time country and irish dance music, The Duhks are definitely a band to keep you eyes and ears on! Migrations, the title of their sophomore release, seems to speak for itself. The Canadian prairie band has toured relentlessly, played everything from rock halls to theatres to festivals, making the world their home. Time can only tell which direction the Duhks will fly to next, but one thing’s for certain—they will bring with them a sound unlike any other.

Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:

SONG 1: Beth Wood – “Right On Time”
SONG 2: Oval Opus – “Anchorman”
SONG 3: The Duhks – “Ol Cook Pot (Live)”

And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:

SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma

The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.

Thank you for your support of this free music program.

Rich & Famous, Broke & Well Hung

It all started with Life Styles of the Rich & Famous. Lets go back to Saturday... This past Saturday, I went to the Syracuse vs. Illinois football game at the Carrier Dome. I had breakfast in Manhattan, lunch on Marshall Street and dinner in Westchester. How did I do this you ask? I flew on a private jet from Westchester to Syracuse and back. It was a 35 minute flight. No security. No gates. It was amazing. The plane belonged to my roommates family friends. When he isn't using it he rents it to people like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw... crazy. The plane was beautiful. So we drive to the airport. Drive onto the tarmac, and get on the plane. Someone even parked the cars for us.

A limo picked us up at the airport in Syracuse and took us to the game. When we got back, the cars were waiting for us. It was amazing.

Celine Dion, Marc Anthony, etc.) Oh man. This place was like nothing else. I have actually been there before. She had a Christmas party last year. It had a roof deck that included breathtaking views of Central Park. Then last night I went to a VH1 Save the Music dinner at the home Denise Rich (songwriter for breathtaking views of the park. Beautiful art and marble floors and was probably no joke 15-20 times the size of any other apartment I have ever been to and I was only on the main floor. Oh and the woman in the picture to the right was there. It was nice meeting her. As you can probably imagine.

Here I am with $17 in my pocket and drinking champagne and Grey Goose with these people. Then I met up with my girlfriend, her sister and her sisters friends for some predrinks before the Kings of Leon show at Radio City Music Hall. The show was fantastic but the funniest part of the night was an African American "thugish" type dude had some comments about me being with all those young girls. As we walked past he grabbed his junk and said, "eh boy whatchu doin' with all them girls, i have 13 inches and I don't have that many girls." At which case all of us started laughing. It was fantastic.

I love New York.

Music From The Ghidrah 9/19/07: Reel Big Fish, The IRA, Psychostick

The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!

This week’s GHIDRAH says “Bottom’s Up”!! All tunes about drinking stuff, and doing stuff.

Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:

SONG 1: Reel Big Fish – “Beer”
SONG 2: The Ike Reilly Assassination – “The Boat Song (We’re Getting Loaded)”
SONG 3: Psychostick – “Beer!!!”

And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:

SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma

The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.

Thank you for your support of this free music program.

WEST IS BEST! (Hits Daily Double)

50 Cent and Chesney Score Top 3, Disney Has Two in Top 5, But Kanye's Total is Year's Best

September 18, 2007

The people have spoken, and it’s Graduation day for IDJ’s Kanye West.

In the much-celebrated battle between the dapper rapper and Shady/Aftermath/ Interscope gangsta icon 50 Cent, West wins going away, with a first-week total of 930k that tops his own Late Registration, which bowed at #1 in August 2005 with 860k in sales.

Fiddy has nothing to be ashamed of, as Curtis tallies 660k, which represents the second-largest one-week total of the year, topping Linkin Park’s 625k back in May.

SBMG Nashville’s Kenny Chesney doesn’t exactly have to go hat in hand, either, with an impressive 400k tally for Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates, which would have been an easy #1 in any other week but this one.

Those three together represent sales of about 1,000 copies less than the entire 200 best-selling albums totaled last week.

Walt Disney Records is the week’s other big winner, with two in the Top 5, including High School Musical 2, once more in six figures at 130k, and Hannah Montana 2--Meet Miley, while Hollywood Records sports the next highest debut, the third volume of the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack at #13.

A&M/Interscope’s Fergie (#6), Roadrunner’s perennial Nickelback (#7), Universal Republic’s surging Colbie Caillat (up 22% at #8), UTV/UMe’s Now 25 (#9) and Jive/ZLG’s Justin Timberlake (up 11% at #10) round out the Top 10.

Other chart newcomers include Trisha Yearwood’s Greatest Hits on MCA Nashville (#21) and Atlantic’s B5 (#28).

MTV VMA exposure appears to have helped strong gainers such as Interscope maestro Timbaland (#27-12, +47%), Geffen’s Common (#20-15, +25%) and Def Jam/IDJ’s Video of the Year winner Rihanna (#21-18, +31%). Other double-digit increases are registered by A&M/Octone’s Maroon 5 (#19-17, +14%), RCA’s Daughtry (#22, +16%), Reprise’s Michael Buble (#28-25, +10%) and WB’s Talib Kweli (#38-30, +12%).

Interscope Best New Artist Grammy candidate Feist uses the ubiquitous exposure of the new Apple Nano TV spot to move back into the Top 50 at #37, with more than double her previous week’s sales total.

Next week, a slew of new releases will crack the Top 50, including James Blunt, Chamillionaire, Barry Manilow, Rebe McEntrire, Twista, U.K. opera phenom Paul Potts and KT Tunstall.

Yankee's Prank Strikes Out (Boston Hearld)

I thought this was hilarious...

------
Talk about sore winners.

Griffin Whitman, a 10-year-old Red Sox [team stats] fan from Swampscott, was excited to attend his first Yankees vs. Red Sox game Friday night. The young autograph -collector was even more thrilled to score Yankees outfielder Shelley Duncan’s signature before the game. That is, until Griffin read the message from the 27-year-old rookie: “Red Sox suck! Shelley Duncan.”

“It was cool to get his autograph,” Griffin said. “It didn’t make me feel happy when he wrote that.”

Griffin’s mother, Karen, blasted the Yankees slugger’s bad manners.

“This is someone who wears the Yankee uniform and is on the payroll and should be setting an example for 10-year-olds,” she said.

Duncan, son of St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, has become a fan favorite in the Bronx for hitting mammoth home runs since he was called up from the minors in July.

Yesterday afternoon, a Yankee spokesman declined to comment until he got a chance to speak to Duncan.

Jozy Altidore: Patience, Patience (New York Times)

September 14, 2007, 5:18 pm
Jozy Altidore: Patience, Patience

By Jozy Altidore

Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore contributes items for The New York Times Goal blog each week about his life, soccer and his ambitions. This is his fifth post.

Jozy AltidoreRed Bulls’ striker Jozy Altidore.

I was talking to one of our trainers on Thursday about how easily things get blown out of proportion. Especially in soccer, I think, we have so few players that anybody promising that comes along is blown up into the next big thing. Personally, I don’t feel it, but then someone read me some quotes by Tim Howard that he made after last week’s game against Brazil.

I just think they were trying to wind me up a bit, but I happen to agree with Tim Howard: The fans want somebody to step up and score goals. But we’re still human and can only do so much. Fans seem to be very fickle and get sick of guys who go through droughts for two or three games. Just because they don’t score every game, suddenly they’re all washed up.

I don’t know what it is, but it seems to me that fans in other countries stand by their players. Here, if you have a bad game fans let you hear it, instead of being more loyal, as fans are across the world.

I guess it’s just a bit of impatience. I was watching the Brazil-Mexico game last Wednesday and Mexico brought in a couple of young players — (Giovani) Dos Santos and (Carlos) Vela for about 20 minutes. They are young kids who didn’t show signs of being brilliant or of being the type of players I know they can be. If that was two young Americans on the pitch I think the feedback would have been negative. That’s my opinion. They didn’t have much of an impact, I mean they were playing Brazil, the No. 1 team in the world. They were just trying to fit in.

I’m sure Mexican fans understand that and will support them. In the U.S., I just feel when people get their first chance on the national team and might have an off day or be a bit nervous, the fans go negative too quickly. I just don’t understand why. Maybe because Americans always want to be on top and always expect the best from their players.

In this game, they need to learn a little patience.

They might have a right to be antsy and anxious, but they also have to remember that we’re still developing as a soccer nation. They look at our teams like we’ve already won three World Cups. We’re not Brazil, we’re not supposed to produce instantly. People should not count out players too quickly.

For me personally, my expectation is to play for the national team someday, probably in the Olympics first, then hopefully in the World Cup. If I don’t fulfill other people’s expectations, that’s not my problem. I set my own goals. People feel that if you don’t reach their expectations then you’re a failure and you get written off. Fans can say what they want to say, but it doesn’t mean they’re right.

To me, Freddy Adu is the perfect example. He’s only 18 and people have already written him off. The kid has 10 years until he hits his prime and plays his really best soccer. To say he should be a great player at 18 is ridiculous. A lot of us, myself included, have a lot to learn. To Americans, Freddy has already been written off as a failure. But obviously Benfica sees something in him or else it wouldn’t have signed him. In other countries they realize that young players have their youth and a ways to go to develop as quality professionals. But here, because he’s had some rough times, he’s done.

Could the same thing happen to me? That’s a good question. I’ve been lucky enough to sit back and see how fans react, which is why I say that I set my own bar high. Fans might have set their expectations for me — whether it’s playing for the national team or going to a club in Europe — but those expectations are tough for me to fill because they are not mine. I want to bring myself along gradually and to compare myself to other players would be a mistake.

I know people have pointed to the fact that some of my teammates from the U-20 World Cup team — Danny Szetela, Sal Zizzo, Freddy, Gabe Ferrari — signed with European teams. But every player faces his own unique situation. Hannover was very interested in Zizzo, they made a great offer and it seems like the right choice for him. The same for Freddy, it was a great offer.

But I haven’t had those things happen to me yet, and it’s no problem because the environment I’m in now is fine for me. Fans seem to think that I can pick up the phone and decide to leave tomorrow. It takes time. You have to build relationships.

Finally, my message to American soccer fans is that it’s coming, be patient. There are players who you are soon going to see at 17 who are better technically and mentally stronger than the players we have been producing.

It’s coming. Soccer is growing more and more in the U.S. There are many growing ethnic groups in this country, they are going to bring their different styles to the table and they’re all going to combine into one American style.

People have to be patient. The time will come when the United States is a world power, but that time is not right now. So let’s stick together. We’ll get there. I’m a believer.

How The West Has Won (Hits Daily Double)

Kanye’s Opening Week of 800k+ Will Be Biggest in Two Years, 50 Cent at 600k, Kenny Chesney 450k September 12, 2007 School may have just started, but Kanye West’s Graduation has come just in time for the beleaguered music biz. Following one of the worst weeks in the history of album sales comes one of the liveliest, and boy was it needed. Thanks to a record-shattering first day at iTunes and traditional retail (where it reportedly sold more than 435k), IDJ artist West will debut at #1 on next Tuesday’s HITS Top 50 Album Chart, easily surpassing 800k in sales. That would more than top Linkin Park’s previous one-week high of 625k set in May and Rascal Flatts’ 2006 high of 722k. In fact, it would be the biggest sales debut since West’s last album Late Registration bowed in August 2005 with 860k. Shady/Aftermath/Interscope rapper 50 Cent, who has loudly declared he’d retire if West’s album sold more than his, better start boning up on his golf game, because Curtis will land at #2 with a still-impressive 600k, plus or minus. Kenny Chesney will have to settle for third place with his new album Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates on SBMG Nashville, which will bow at #3 with around 450k. The only other album of note to hit retail is the latest edition of the Gray’s Anatomy soundtrack from Disney's Hollywood Records. The market was down a little less than 4% vs last week, down about 23% vs same week last year and now down 14.5% year-to-date.

Music From The Ghidrah 9/10/07: Chris Volz

The Rock Ridge Music GHIDRAH – the music is FIRE!

This week’s GHIDRAH features songs from the upcoming Chris Volz album “Redemption”. The album hits stores Tuesday.

“Nothing great happens without taking risks,” says Chris Volz. And while this comment can apply to almost anything in life, he means it in relation to his forthcoming album, “Redemption,” his first as a solo artist. As someone who has always performed in a band scenario (formerly with FLAW and the recently-disbanded Five.Bolt.Main), the solo thing has been a leap for him, yet one he was ready to make. And his lyrics, while always deep and introspective in the past, seem to plumb new depths here, opening Volz wide to listeners and fans. “The lyrics on this record are very personal,” he says. “I don’t sing about anything I haven’t felt or don’t mean.” Redemption drops 9/11/07, and Volz will be touring in support of the record in October.

Chris Volz is MSN’s Artist On The Rise this month: http://www.windowsmedia.com/Mediaguide/artistontherise

Here are this week’s GHIDRAH songs:

SONG 1: Chris Volz – “Redemption”
SONG 2: Chris Volz – “All My Life”
SONG 3: Chris Volz – “Secure”

And, for your convenience, here are the GHIDRAH links:

SONG 1: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_1.wma
SONG 2: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_2.wma
SONG 3: http://vista.streamguys.com/jspiewak/rockridge_3.wma

The GHIDRAH is a song-of-the-week program. Each week the songs change, but the links don’t change – it is self-refreshing content. To get more information about putting the GHIDRAH on your site, please reply to this email and visit http://www.rockridgemusic.com/top-music.htm.

Thank you for your support of this free music program.

Zambrano Tears Into Wrigley Faithful (ill logik)

So this weekend after Carlos Zambrano has gotten shelled for the again. Zambrano is 0-7 since the begging of August and complained yesterday about being booed by his home fans. He went on to say that this is when the fans should be most behind him because he is struggling.

"I don't accept that the fans were booing at me. I can't understand that. You know, I thought these were the greatest fans in baseball. But they showed me today that they just care about them, and that's not fair, because when you're struggling, you want to feel the support of the fans. No, I don't accept it. I just pointed to my head, and I will remember that because I don't want any bad outings. I know the great moments of my career will come."

I personally don’t boo players that play on my team with a few exceptions. However, it is in fans total right to boo a player. Especially if he just signed a nice big contract and has been in a funk ever since. Especially if he is supposed to be the guaranteed winner in the pitching staff. Especially if you are in a race for a division championship and every single game counts.

When people boo players like Zambrano, they aren’t booing him because he sucks. No, they boo Rex Grossman because he sucks. They boo Zambrano because he is awesome. Because he is one of the best pitchers in the majors and he isn’t playing like it. A month ago he had a legitimate shot at winning 20 games, that idea is way passed.

Carlos, the fans are going to be fans. They will back you when you win. They will get down on you when you lose. Don’t worry about the fans. Just worry about winning a godforsaken game. Please… we need you.

CBGB Founder Hilly Kristal Dies (The Tripwire)

After battling lung cancer for quite some time, CBGB founder Hilly Kristal has passed away. Kristal had a wild ride over the past couple of years, fighting to keep his lease so that the legendary punk venue could remain open in its original location. Despite the efforts of Kristal and a wide assortment of supporters, the Bowery Residents Committee finally got there way and booted CBGB from the building. Now all that remains from the venue's glory days is a whiff of cigarette smoke and stale air, as it has been gutted and is waiting for a new tenant.

Less than a year after the official end of CBGB, it is like a one-two punch with the passing of Kristal. You have to give the man props for helping light the fire to get punk rock in motion here in the US, giving bands like The Ramones and The Talking Heads a place to perform in their early days. Hilly Kristal and the defunct CBGB are rock & roll institutions, and it is a damn shame that they are both now gone. RIP Hilly Kristal... you will be missed. He was 75.

According to Gothamist, a public memorial in Kristal's honor will be held at a later date. In the meantime, friends and supporters and send donations in his name to either the American Cancer Society or Hilly Kristal Foundation For Musicians And Artists (168 Second Avenue, PMB 207, New York, NY 10003).

By Chip Adams Aug 29, 2007 in NEWS