Madison and Pine

NME awards rocked pics of Mick Jones

I just got back in from a wicked night as guest of the NME at their annual awards show... and as blurry as it is here's a couple of pics of one of the most incredible and rare musical events I've witnessed in person...

I wish my phone was a better camera.. but here's Mick Jones with Primal Scream from tonights show at the Hammersmith Palais... simply awesome(it'll be broadcast in a short while on UK Channel 4).. and a crowd that included Noel from Oasis, Kate Moss, Artic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Klaxsons... and a myriad of others famous and UK influential were on their feet dancing and crowd surfing.. oh the power of great music!!

l8t

r

Grammys schmammies.. I hung out with Cowboy Jack!

So I'm here in LA again getting ready for our Grammy bash.. I actually have an iron in my room and may use it on my new shirt if I can work out how to switch it on!.. of course news of Wolfmother and RHCP and Madonna and all sorts abounds.. but the truth is I got to hang out with a real music guy on Friday in a studio and in his 80s (I'm guessing) he made more sense that all this glitter would in a hundered lifetimes! Yeah I spent time with  Cowboy Jack , he's produced a few records in his time Johnny Cash ~ Waylon Jennings ~ U2 ~ Charley Pride ~ Louis Armstrong ~ Doc Watson ~ Jerry Lee Lewis ~ Townes Van Zandt ~ Eddy Arnold ~ Frank Yankovic ~ Carl Perkins.... and over the years has evolved some rules that could probably see more use!

1. Be alert. 

2. Be on time.

3. Don't bring or invite anyone.

4. Don't talk about your troubles.

5. Don't mention the words "earphones", "headphones", "cans", "earmuffs" or the like.

6. Be quiet when the Cowboy is speaking.

7. Don't be timid or shy with your playing.

8. Have a good day.

9. Listen.

10. Remember that it only takes three minutes to cut a hit record.

anyway, it made my day to meet him.. thought I'd share

l8t

r

Errol & Astralwerks-passing of an era

There are few people in the music industry that can claim to have had a significant impact on American Culture. My good friend Errol Kolosine is one of them. I just learned today that he's leaving his gig running Astralwerks (yes I know I'm late on this but I don't have time to read the gossip as much nowadays) for opportunities that will allow him to continue to expand on his abundant creativity.. (my words not his, he's way to modest!)

Anyway, him leaving Astralwerks is truly the end of and era. His legacy is amazing, and I know I'll miss half of it, but VHS or Beta, Beta Band, The Chemical Brothers, Air, Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx, Phoenix, Small Sins, The Little Ones, The Kooks, Hot Chip, Badly Drawn Boy....not bad and there are soooo many more. So while a "passing" always brings with it a little sadness, I'm incredibly excited to see where Errol ends up next. He is after all one of the smarter people on the planet!

pic: Errol - finally after more than a decade he will get a day off!

Strummin with the Devil......

I couldn't resist... I think I just found one of the weirdest albums of the year, and all thanks to Peter over here on the Zune team... he casually mentioned "have you ever heard the Blue Grass-Van Halen- tribute album 'Strummin with the Devil' ? " After doing a double take like a boxer getting the first wallop on the chin, he came back at me with a left hook.. "oh yeah David Lee Roth sings on a couple of songs"

pic : Strummin with the Devil - it just ain't right!!

With their kinda reunion tour just announced, I'm looking for a leap in banjo prices...well perhaps not!!

I have nothing more to say on this subject....the devil is all yours should you choose this path!

l8t

r

posting frenzy

I almost forgot... here's our first official Zune tour poster.. designed by the lovely Love Fox of CSS it's for the CSS-Cheetah Brick tour.. hope you like

pic: CSS poster - "Would you Cheetah Brick?"

More interesting artwerx from Mexican Institute of Sound, Small Sins, The Little Ones and Plastilina Mosh coming zune

more insight into Zune Preload

oh my what a weekend..all sorts of messy stuff.. but anyway, probably not of any great interest to you guys today.. well maybe.. mm perhaps not !!

OK so here's the skinny today, confirmed in preload Norwegian band Serena Maneesh who have recently completed their album, with Steve Albini at Electrical amongst others, will be in the device. Their album comes out here on Beggars tour dates here

pic: Serena Maneesh - Scandinavian superstars..

airports are fab!!!!

Desperately looking for an upside to the newly dehydrating experience we call a"ir travel" (which strangely consists more of sitting around on the ground) I'm trying to convince myself that because I am finally getting to update my blog that airports are fab..... but... well they suck...

What ,according to the crowd at The Baltic Room this weekend, didn't suck was Rich Medina who dropped a very interesting set of classics and cool on a packed dance floor (yeah my phone camera blows)

pic: Rich Medina.. funky called by no other name?

Anyway it was a wicked night followed in stark contrast the following day with a little Axe accident I had at home... but hey we learn from everything right?

More on Seattle music and Zune as it comes.

l8t

r

"Wipe Out" run tings!

After about a 2 year diversion into "one drop" riddims, jump-up dancehall is finally starting to bubble again. Yes, "Throw Back Giggy" and "Galore" riddims brought back the '90s flavor, but things are really starting to heat up as we move through Summer '06.

What the heck am I talking about? Check the recently issued "Wipe Out" riddim:

Beenie absolutely kills it:
Beenie Man "From U Neva"

And Buju is runnin' in fine form:
Buju Banton "Me & Oonu"

This is the sound that's been powering my commute this week. Hot tings!

KH

Syd Barrett dies

I just heard on KEXP on the way into the office this morning that Syd Barrett has died at the relatively young age of 60. His constant use of LSD in the later years of his tenure with Pink Floyd had left its mark and Barrett had been living a quiet life in Cambridge (UK).

"He died very peacefully a couple of days ago. There will be a private family funeral," a spokeswoman said.

Syd Barrett 1946-2006

The Music Club formerly known as....

Just reported by Rafat over at PaidContent.org It's a pity when any innovation that is artist driven fails, but I have to think was there ever really a large enough subscriber base and a compelling enough flow of new content to make this work? 8 or 10 new files a month seems like slim pickins for a monthly blip on your credit card, and must have been an enormous pressure on the formerly "purple one." Fortunately, as always, he'll be back with something new. We just get to guess what it'll be!

Prince Closes His Online Music Store 

Prince’s five-year-old pioneering experiment with online music distribution is going on hiatus….he has closed down NPG Music Club. The stated reason for closing the NPGMC is that the club had evolved as much as its current form will allow. “In its current form there is a feeling that the NPGMC gone as far as it can go,” said the statement on his site.
Prince launched NPG on Valentine’s Day in 2001 as an attempt to bring his fans together in an online community. It won the 2006 Webby Award.