Paint the White House green... Irish green... green beer...

By Fred Mills

Only partially deterred by that that little technicality of U.S. law that requires all presidential candidates to be native-born Americans, a group of U2 fans who would otherwise be pumping cash into Bono's run for the White House have been funneling their funds and their energies in the direction of Barack Obama.

U2 Fans for Obama, which boasts 126 core members, has organized some 654 fundraisers during the campaign season thus far, resulting in nearly $18,000 for Obama. They also list as having attended 3,016 events, made 6,865 phone calls, knocked on 37 doors, and made10,268 blog posts. (Wait - only 37 doors?)

In a report about the campaign and various candidates' musical connections and preferences filed by Britain's Times Online, the group of fans have stated on their website and blog that "since Bono can't run for US president, Obama is the next best thing... [We] see in Obama a progressive Christian who embodies the ideas and sentiments . . . so compelling in U2's music."

On the group's blog, a general mission-statement post from early 2007 reads thusly:

I just wanted to say thank you for joining U2 fans for Obama 08.  And, while I'm thrilled that each of you has joined, I'm a bit disappointed that there aren't more of us.  Yes, I know the campaign has just begun, and I know this is what one might call a "niche group" (thank you, James), but I also know that we can't be the only ones who see the Obama/U2 connection!  So tell your friends and get them to join us. 

And if you've got any ideas about how to drum up more members, please let me know, or go ahead and try them.  I've posted an invitation on the forums at interference.com (the U2 fan club site), for example. Finally, if you can think of other ways we can make U2 fans for Obama 08 one of the most active, innovative, and impressive groups on mybarackobama.com, please share them.  Feel free to add to the blog or email me.In the meantime, take care and keep the hope alive.

Obama, of course, hasn't shied away thus far from co-opting U2 music during his campaign (and no one from the band's camp has complained yet, either): at the DNC last week he used both "City Of Blinding Lights" and "Beautiful Day" during his acceptance speech. Which, I might add, is a good bit cooler than using some cracker anthem that the country-ass likes of, I dunno, Brooks & Dunn might offer up....

Jourgensen puts an end to the “rumors,” goes flex-time with the Revolting Cocks.

By Randy Harward

Sometimes it’s hard to retire gracefully—just ask Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons. We expected more of a commitment from Al “Alien” Jourgensen, however, when the Revolting Cocks co-founder/frontguy was talkin’ about pullin' out of the band. Now he’s saying he’ll stay… at least for a few choice dates, says a press release sent out earlier this month.

In the release, Jourgensen said, “Much like Menudo does or the Blue Man Group, I was going to hand the band over to this younger generation of RevCo's, to Sin [Quirin/guitars], Josh [Bradford/vocals] and Clayton [Worbeck/keyboards], kind of franchise it out. I think that these three knuckleheads capture the true essence and spirit of being a Revolting Cock, if you will. But, this album turned out so damned good, I think I'm going to stick around for a while.”

He went on to heap praise upon the RevCo’s new album, Sex-O Olympic-O. “This is the best RevCo album I've ever done. As a matter of fact, I think this is the best album—including Ministry, Pailhead, Lard—anything I've ever done, period. Production-wise, song-wise, I'm really, really happy with this record. It's the first CD I've ever gotten back from the mastering studio that I didn't have anything to bitch about. No complaints. I listened to the whole thing and just went, “OK, that's a wrap. Let's go!’”

There’s only one problem left, says vocalist Josh Bradford. “The challenge will be coming up with a name for the RevCo tour, since Al already took all of the RevCo-appropriate tour names such as CliTour, Sphinctour, FornicaTour, and MasterBaTouR for Ministry. We'll probably have a contest on the RevCo MySpace site and ask the fans.”

No, no. Dude—BLURT has gotcha covered.

Tour You A New Asshole

Alien Adduction

Penile ImplanTour

VibraTour

Indecision in Ten Cities

The Return of ScroTour

MitigaTour

Black Black No Takebacks

ReTourDead

You Goddamned Son of a—What, You’re Not Leavin’? Cool.—Tour

FisTour

Taint A Comeback

What do we win?

Really, we don't stay up late thinking this dumb shit up - other folks do.

By Fred Mills

In the wake of the Bristol Palin (age 17) pregnancy story, Barack Obama was unequivocal with his comments to reporters over the Labor Day weekend, saying, "I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics, it has no relevance to governor Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories."

Fair enough. And really, who cares, except a bunch of dumb, uptight, cracker Republicans who spend all their waking hours parsing the exact millisecond of conception? What we at BLURT wanna know is: WHO ARE THE HOTTEST-LOOKING KIDS IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTION?

We've already told you more than you need to know about John McCain's blonde, blog-o-riffic babe of a daughter Meghan McCain (see "Bloggin' For Daddy," July 24) - you've voted in our BLURT Poll about Meghan, right? - although decorum, and probably a few federal and state laws, suggests we steer clear of the Obama brood until they turn 18 (which won't be anytime soon). However, in a timely move, 236.com has a great feature running at the moment, "Inappropriate Hottie Rundown: The Veep Kids," in which the progeny of V.P. hopefuls Joe Biden and Sarah Palin are rated in terms of, uh, hotness.

Writes 236, "It's been a long eight years since the Gore girls left Washington, and after a quick perusal it looks like both VP hopefuls have at least a couple of rugrats that really know how to put the "vice" back into Vice President."

Needless to say neither Biden nor Palin fished in the wrong gene pools when it came time to select mating partners, and indeed, you can't lie with DNA. Of the Biden boys, Beau comes out on top with 3.9 out of 4, followed closely by bro Track (3.5) and with Hunter bringing up the rear (a still-not-too-shabby 3). Ashley Biden, age 27, warrants a 3.8, according to 236. Meanwhile, over in the life-begins-BEFORE-conception Palin camp, Bristol only merits a 3.2 - booo! Not fair! There are several other Palins - all well under age - that 236 rates, so if you're a pervert, feel free to read up on them.

This has been a public service - with guitars (and condoms).

Juneau poster by Brian Berrebbi - check him out HERE.

Officially approved 666 times by Lucifer himself.

By Blurt Staff

The legendary Misfits will join the equally legendary Motorhead for the "Volcom  2008" all ages tour which also features Airbourne, Valient Thorr, and Year Long Disaster. This is the first time that the Misfits and Motorhead will perform together in the United States. "We are excited to be hitting the road with Motorhead and cracking skulls together! American audiences have never witnessed destruction on this magnitude," said Misfits founder and frontman, Jerry Only, in a statement.


Fronted by Only (Bass/Vocals) with former Black Flag alum Dez Cadena on guitar and original Misfits drummer Robo still behind the kit, the Misfits continue to sell out shows and draw thousands of fans night after night around the globe. "When fans come to a Misfits show, they get a band who gets up there and gives them all they've got," says Only. "We give them the real thing - that's how we've always done it. At a show, everyone's just part of the band, there's no them and us - we're all us."

Motörhead's still crazed after all these years, too. A band that never sacrifices anything and has always remained true to what they are, Lemmy Kilmister, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell recently served up Motörizer, Motörhead's 24th album, on SPV Records on August 26 and you can read the BLURT review HERE.

Misfits-Motorhead Tour Dates:

Sep. 04 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
Sep. 06 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore Auditorium
Sep. 07 - N. Kansas City, MO - Harrah's Voodoo
Sep. 09 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
Sep. 10 - Madison, WI - Orpheum Theatre
Sep. 12 - Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN - Myth
Sep. 13 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Orbit Room
Sep. 14 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
Sep. 16 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
Sep. 18 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
Sep. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - The Electric Factory
Sep. 20 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
Sep. 21 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony Parking Lot

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

6:00 AM  - 9:00 AM PLD HD: Glastonbury 2008 (big launch of MTV's renamed HD channel... featuring KT Tunstall , The Ting Tings , The Feeling , Candi Staton , Editors , Lupe Fiasco, Crowded House , Duffy , James Blunt , Vampire Weekend , Raconteurs , Mark Ronson , Tawiah , Newton Faulkner , Crystal Castles , Goldfrapp , The Pigeon Detectives

9:00 AM Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Gavin Rossdale , Hilary Duff , Usher

2:30 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Airborne Toxic Event

3:30 PM PLD HD: 46664 - A Concert for Nelson Mandela

4:00 PM Syndicated: The Oprah Winfrey Show: Diddy

5:00 PM VH1C: Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun

6:30 PM FUSE: Loaded: Gym Class Heroes

7:00 PM PLD HD: Music In High Places:  Ryan Adams in Jamaica

8:00 PM PLD HD: Music In High Places: Goo Goo Dolls in Alaska

11:35 PM CBS: The Late Show With David Letterman: Tricky

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Brian Wilson , Billy Bob Thornton

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Delta Spirit

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

[SSLYBY photo by Rogan]

Takes place Sept. 10-14 in Nashville.

By Blurt Staff

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE:

With Next BIG Nashville's 3rd Annual Music Festival and Conference just around the corner, the full line-up of daytime panels and conference activities has officially been announced. Sponsored by The Recording Academy and EMMA Email Marketing, the panels take place at the Musicians' Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame on September 11^th and 12^th. Following the NBN 08 Music Conference theme "21^st Century DIY," the featured topics are aimed at the issues facing the changing nature of the music business and increasing opportunities for independent artists and business owners.

Music business insiders, digital industry leaders and artists will participate in the discussions, featuring a Keynote Interview with Ben Folds by Esquire Magazine's Andy Langer, a Red Bull Academy Workshop Session with Egon (Stones Throw Records), a star-studded Management panel featuring Carl Stubner/Sanctuary(Mick Fleetwood, Tommy Lee), Ken Levitan/Vector (Emmylou Harris, Kings of Leon, Damien Rice), Steve Smith/Co-Founder, AWARE and Doc McGhee (KISS, Jypsi, Ted Nugent) and a world class co-writing panel featuring Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Dixie Chicks), Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket,  Kevin Griffin (Better Than Ezra, Howie Day), and Daniel Tashian (Donovan Frankenreiter, Sixpence None the Richer).

Other NBN 08 Music Conference Panelists include Steve Robertson/VP A&R Atlantic Records, Clint Smith/Co-Founder, Emma, Dave Jaworski/Founder & CEO, Passalong Networks, Lou Plaia/VP of Artist Development, ReverbNation, Chris Stacey/VP, Music Industry Mozes, Patrick Sullivan/Co-Founder RightsFlow, Carianne Brown/Sr. Creative Licensing Songs Publishing, Thaddeus Rudd/Co-Founder, Rebel Synch, Roger Moutenot/Producer (Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, Jessie Baylin), Jacquire King/Producer (Kings of Leon, Pictures and Sound), Sharal Churchill/Founder, Media Creature and many more. For the full list of panelists and panels visit www.nextbignashville.net/conference .

Spotlighting Nashville's diverse music scene, NBN 08 will showcase over 200 bands at over 15 venues this year including those based in Nashville, along with those that have ties to the area through business and musical endeavors (i.e. management or publisher based in Nashville, recorded at a local studio, co-wrote with local artist, etc) and regional performers. Next BIG Nashville co-founder Jason Moon Wilkins describes the event as "a way to connect musicians, the music industry and the media to the music fans of Nashville and its visitors. It's a story that can be told about the city and the scenes within the city."

Festival wristbands and festival/conference VIP Badges are now officially on sale through the website http://www.nextbignashville.net/tickets. Full schedules for artist showcases, conference panels and special events can be found at www.nextbignashville.net.

ABOUT THE SHOWCASES:

This year NBN will host several indie label showcases from Skybucket (Birmingham, AL), Grand Palace (Murfreesboro, TN), Chicken Ranch (Austin, TX), and Infinity Cat (Nashville), as well as showcases from music organizations such as Nettwerk Management, NSAI, Lake Fever Productions, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and Mr. Lemons Studio.

As one might expect from the songwriting capital of the world, the NBN '08 lineup includes a wide variety of singer-songwriters from all genres including rising stars Jeremy Lister (Warner Bros.), Erin McCarley (Universal Republic), Matthew Perryman Jones, Andy Davis, Courtney Jaye (Universal Republic), Madi Diaz, Katie Herzig, Tyler James and Megan McCormick, along with respected Nashville names such as Matthew Ryan, David Mead and Butterfly Boucher. "Ten Out of Tenn," the live touring showcase companion to the CD compilation featuring Boucher, Jones, Herzig, McCarley, James, Davis, Griffin House, KS Rhoads and Trent Dabbs, will close the conference on Saturday night at the Cannery Ballroom.

In addition to the array of Music City talent on display this year the NBN 08 lineup also offers performances by acclaimed regional artists such as Dead Confederate, The Bridges, Neva Geoffrey, The Dexateens, Sons of Roswell, The Howlies and Royal Bangs. Nashville's internationally respected indie scene, which counts among its members Lambchop, Silver Jews and David Vandervelde among others is well represented with performances by Cortney Tidwell, Ferraby Lionheart, JEFF The Brotherhood, Kyle Andrews, How I Became the Bomb, Magic Wands, Paper Route (Universal Motown), Superdrag, Paper Rival (Atlantic) and others.

And it wouldn't be Nashville if we didn't have a little twang in there! NBN '08 offers a spotlight for a variety of diverse country-influenced artists such as Caitlin Rose, Danger Bear, Chris Janson, Joey & Rory, Whispertown 2000 (the first signing to Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings' Acony label), Sarah Siskind, Glossary and more.

As a leading voice in Nashville's emerging artist community NBN has showcased numerous Nashville rising stars over the last two years, and has proven to be valuable instrument in the emerging artist arena. After NBN's first event, 17 of the 36 featured acts signed deals in the ensuing months following their showcases. The second year of the festival, the event expanded to showcase almost 150 artists whose credits now include everything from major label record deals to exclusive tie-ins with international brands. NBN Alumni include American Bang (Warner Bros.), Matt Wertz (Universal), Dave Barnes (Razor & Tie), De Novo Dahl (Roadrunner), Gabe Dixon Band (Fantasy), Justin Townes Earle (Bloodshot), Cage the Elephant (DSP), Landon Pigg (RCA) and more.

Over 50 more artists will be announced in the coming weeks. For the full initial artist list of over 150 confirmed participating acts, go to http://www.nextbignashville.net/artists.

He don' need no steenking permissions!

By Randy Harward

Ya gotta wonder what would possess the McCain campaign, just after getting spanked by a wuss like Jackson Browne, to tempt the unstable four-headed hydra called Van Halen.

McCain drew Browne's ire for using "Running On Empty" in an ad attacking Barack Obama. Now he's used VH's "Right Now" as his entrance music at the Republican National Convention--again, without seeking permission, prompting the legendary rock band to play the cease-and-desist card. From TMZ.com:

Van Halen management tells us the band had no idea McCain was planning on using "Right Now" during his big entrance in Ohio telling us, "Permission was not sought or granted nor would it have been given."

For the record, Dubya used the same song during a bunch of his campaign speeches back in 2004, but sources close to the band tell us, "They're not political, they're just rock and roll."

Yeah, but it's probably fine with Sammy Hagar, who actually sings the song--and gave money to George W. Bush's 2004 campaign and consistently donates to California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R). That's one more reason you should support the real Van Halen when they manage to get their act together and record some new stuff. Unless it sucks.

Er, did we just flip-flop?

Burn baby burn: Playing Washington Nov. 4.

By Blurt Staff

Years ago they were "banned in D.C." (and got a song out of the deal, but still... ). Nearly 3 decades later, rasta punks the Bad Brains will be playing D.C. on that most auspicious of Washington-esque evenings: Election Night.

That's right: Nov. 4 finds the original lineup rocking the 9:30 Club. Now don't you feel good about that? Pay to cum, kids.

November 4 - 9:30 Club, Washington D.C.

November 6 - Irving Plaza, NYC

Novermber 9 - Waterloo Park, Austin TX

All the concert news ‘n' reviews that's fit to print.

By Blurt Staff

More concert coverage from your friendly neighborhood BLURT - this time, we've got the Outside Lands fest in San Francisco and the Regeneration Tour 2008 in Cincinnati.

• *BLURT Associate Editor Andy Tennille made the proverbial prodigal return to his old stomping grounds of San Francisco the weekend of August 22-24 to catch the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in Golden Gate Park featuring, among others, Radiohead, Tom Petty, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and Wilco rocking the assembled masses. The event was not without its problems, notes Tennille. "Due to the park's landscape, festival organizers were forced to work with its existing layout, resulting in several narrow bottlenecks that made travel between stages extremely difficult and crowd management next to impossible. Sound gremlins continually plagued the event [and the] topography and location of some stages - such as the Twin Peaks stage - presented aural snake pits for festival sound engineers trying to achieve pristine sound. All that said, the focus of the weekend was the music, and promoters - Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents and Starr Hill Presents - did not skimp on the talent." Check out Tennille's exclusive photos from the event, incidentally.

• *The next evening Steven Rosen was getting his inner I Want My VH1 Classic groove on at the Regeneration Tour 2008 at Cincy's National City Pavilion. Featuring Human League and ABC plus Brenda Carlisle, A Flock Of Seagulls and Naked Eyes, the show was a mixed bag, writes Rosen. "Several of the acts - Naked Eyes and a ragged A Flock of Seagulls, whose synthesizer player/vocalist Mike Score no longer has that fantastic tidal wave of a haircut - are better remembered than actually heard these days [but] ABC and Human League made a compelling case for the quality of their music. Somewhere in between was Belinda Carlisle, whose stage presence was energetic and voice strong, but whose songs mostly are bland and uninteresting."

Check ‘em out at the provided links, or simply scroll down the BLURT front page to the reviews section. We've also got new book, DVD and CD reviews being added daily.

[Sharon Jones photo by Andy Tennille]

By Ben Westhoff

Let's get one thing straight: I did not get Sarah Palin's daughter pregnant. Although I have been to Alaska and enjoy the occasional Mooseburger, I did not have sex with that woman. Girl.

I will admit, however, to being wild and on the prowl on the first day of the Republican National Convention, held in downtown St. Paul. The atmosphere was almost exactly like that of a post-apocalyptic movie, with giant fences separating the privileged controlling elite from the screaming masses, some so poor they apparently can't afford deodorant and even rummage through dumpsters for bits of tofu burgers. (Red eyed folks in tattered clothes stumbled around as well, although they were less "infected" than "sprayed with tear gas.")  

‘Twas a different scene entirely inside the Xcel Energy Center, where the Minnesota Wild normally play hockey, and which adjoins the hall where my high school graduation ceremony was held. The convention floor was as quiet as a mouse, or perhaps a rat, as President Bush and VP Cheney had opted out of their speeches to go battle Hurricane Gustav. (To quote The Church Lady: "How conveeeenient.").This left us only with Cindy McCain, who spoke about the relief effort, and Laura Bush, who spoke about her battle fighting an addiction to Capri Menthol Lights cigarettes (just kidding).

The, um, elephant in the room that the 17-year-old unmarried daughter of McCain's unvetted VP pick, Alaska governor babe Sarah Palin, was preggo. This was the third game-changer of the week, following the hurricane and the initial announcement that the VP slot was going to a creationist nut job who until recently was the mayor of Cicely, Alaska or some such. (Speaking of which, somebody really needs to get John Corbett off of those Applebee's commercials and back in the DJ booth where he belongs.) Word from nearby adjoining red states was that the baby bump could spark a poll numbers bounce, leaving the mainstream media liberal elite scratching their bald spots.

Outside, anarchists busted a few windows and declined my interview requests. (They think they're so cool.) The rest of the 10,000 protesters marched in well-behaved and confusing fashion. I for one never did understand what running your car on vegetable oil, universal health care and medical marijuana have to do with "Israel out of Palestine" and the war in Iraq, but whatever. Riot-geared up police lined the streets; most of them were apparently from out of town because no one could tell me how to get to Harriet Island, where the Service Employees International Union protest concert was being held across the Mississippi river.

I eventually made it over there, though, only to find that the performer I was most looking forward to seeing had canceled. (Someone speculated that Lupe Fiasco is a disenchanted Hillary supporter won over to McCain by the Palin pick, but that's probably not accurate). Though fairly subdued, the crowd seemed to enjoy political ramblings and occasional guitar strumming of folks like Tom "The Nightwatchman" Morello, Billy "why couldn't I have been born 80 years ago goddammit" Bragg, the delicate, beautiful Allison Moorer and her hideous beast of a husband, Steve Earle. (Apparently Mos Def and The Pharcyde came on later, but I was too busy leaving comments on the Stuff White People Like blog to pay attention.)  

Morello tells me beforehand that he's not there to support Barack so much as to support the union and fuck with Republicans. "I feel much more comfortable on the other side of the barbed wire fence lobbing musical Molotov cocktails in," he says. "The only candidate that I've publicly endorsed in my life is Cindy Sheehan when she was running against Nancy Pelosi."

He and Earle became buddies about five years ago on the "Tell Us the Truth Tour" (something about media consolidation, abolishing the death penalty and organic arugula, probably). They bonded over their mutual love of Lord Of The Rings, annoying Billy Bragg by watching the six hour extended version of The Two Towers over and over on the tour bus. Since then the pair have continued their activist ways, although their actions have not always been appreciated.

"I witnessed Al and Tipper Gore practically levitate to avoid having their picture taken with me," remembers Earle. "[Al] was speaking at a place called The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, and a couple friends of mine tried to drag me into this photo op. You should have seen the look of terror on their faces. They were horrified. I'm sure the camera was tracked down immediately after I left."

Recalls Morello: "At the SEIU mayday rally in Chicago, Mayor Daley was on stage waiting to speak after I finished a rousing version of Woody Guthrie's ‘This Land Is Your Land,' complete with all the censored verses. It turns into a real class-war anthem, and at the end of it I asked everybody up on stage to jump up in down in solidarity with workers' rights. I think the mayor was kind of caught of guard, but he did jump up and down, to his credit."

The pair certainly seemed a bit more committed than, say, Atmosphere emcee Slug, who like the protesters downtown has a tendency to stray a bit off message. "I don't rock their name in interviews or anything like that," he says of the union, "but I'm not necessarily against what they stand for." That's quite an endorsement. He goes on: "Quite honestly, it didn't have to be this cause, it could have been fucking Haagen Dazs. If they were out there throwing a festival across the river from the RNC, and they had Tom Morello, I still would have done it."

After the show, I ghostwalked a bit more around the perimeter of the convention center, 28 Weeks Later-style, and then went back inside. Bill O'Reilly announced on one of the overhead screens that Obama's convention bounce had all but evaporated, and the race was now neck and neck. I think it's fair to say Sarah Palin's grandfetus is holding all the cards right now.   

Contemplating life and, uhh, some other stuff.

By Fred Mills

Mike Skinner, aka The Streets, will issue album number four, everything is borrowed, October 7 via Vice. Skinner is "contemplating the impermanent nature of life this time around," advises his label, going on to add that he's "made a record to console the lonely and bring a smile to the saddest visage."

Er, right.

Wielding live instruments, the British hip-hopper tackles on the album religion ("Alleged Legends"), evolution ("The Way of the Dodo"), biological destiny ("On the Edge of a Cliff"), and male friendship ("The Sherry End"). Yes, our little Mikey has grown up an got hisself and ed-u-CA-shun. No more bitches and blow - that's so, like, 2005.

In all seriousness, though, the Streets got cred: Skinner debuted with the Mercury Prize-nominated debut Original Pirate Material, and regardless of people's initial impressions of him (black or white? from London or the Midlands? serious or a joker?), he's lasted long enough to be considered in da game for life. So he can rap about whatever the hell he wants to.

Watch "The Escapist" video and receive a free download of the track:

http://vicerecords.com/thestreetseib/

Diddy to McCain: Alaska? I don't even know if there's any black people in Alaska.

By Randy Harward

"Attention John McCain, attention John McCain: My name is Diddy. Okay? You may know my by government name--Sean Combs--but, you know, my friends and my family, they call me Diddy, a.k.a. Ciroc Obama. We'll get to that on a whole 'nother blog. But right now, I had to check in witchoo to tell you that you are bugging the fuck out."

So says Sean "Diddy" Combs in a halting, borderline incoherent rant on his "Diddy Blog #16." As Diddy films himself spinning around in his yard, he proceeds to tell McCain his choice of running mate is absolutely insane and--if we understand correctly, it's because she's a white woman from Alaska. Here's more from the post, which you really have to watch in its entirety:

I don't even understand--what planet you're on right now... This is the job to be the leader of the free world. Okay? No disrespect. I love you; I want you to live to be 110.

Things happen. What if--God forbid--you got a runnin' mate, you become president-- Alaska? Alaska. Alaska? Ala--come on, man. I don't even know if there's any black people in Alaska.

John, like, come on. This isn't--Sarah Pi--?! Yo, if you really think that we gonna let you win this election with these... these like, crazy... decisions that yo'reu makin'? You're buggin'. Okay? I'm calling all youth, all colors, all youth...voters, November 4th, we gotta protect our future because John McCain is bugging the fuck out. Okay? Like, the lady's nice. She's cool... [Trails off watching helicopters overhead]

She's a heartbeat away. Just li--uh-eh, si--oh, shi-- And then she--the president! She gonna be on the phone, oh man, for South Korea, or like--what's she-- I mean-- What in the hell? Alaska?

You shoulda got Michelle Obama to be your runnin' mate. Now that would've been something strategic and fly. This one right here? Is not respectful to our lives, diverse lives... Anybo-- Yo... You would let her keep your kids? You would let her keep your kids, raise your-- You feel like... For real? Nah. You're bugging the fuck out. You my man. God bless you, you're a great war hero, but you are bugging the fuck out. Sarah Palin, that is completely irresponsible.

It loses a lot in the transcription. Go watch it. Then check out Diddy Blog #12," where he opines on gas prices and says (in the info section), "Attention all media and hate bloggers. This blog is just me making a joke about gas prices. Loosen up."

Well, stop giving us so much to work with, halfwit.

(Thanks to Jamie Gadette for the tip.)

Four-day event from the people who brought us "Record Store Day."

By Blurt Staff

After the landmark event/national holiday "Record Store Day" comes "Noise In The Basement," a four-day (Sep. 17-20, Baltimore) festival from the same organizers. Over 700 indie record stores from the US and Canada will be represented at the gathering, which will feature performances by The Pretenders (holding a special album launch for their green-minded Break Up the Concrete), The Hold Steady, Motörhead, Unearth (as part of the "Search For The Next Great Metal Band"), Tom Morello, Valient Thorr, Noah & the Whale, Year Long Disaster and Rachel Yamagata, among others. The documentaries Heavy Metal in Baghdad and The Gits will be screened "as part of various film and gaming events."

Closing out Ripple Effect festival at State Capitol Lawn.

By Fred Mills

5:45 pm EST: With the free Ripple Effect festival in progress right now in Minneapolis-St. Paul at the State Capitol Lawn as one of several concerts this week coinciding with the Republican National Convention, it's activist nirvana in the Twin Cities - and BLURT has just learned that none other than that most active of musical activists, Rage Against the Machine, is going to do an unannounced set at the Ripple Effect.

The band has kept the news hush-hush all day long, reportedly because the city police have been trying to get the festival shut down and Rage doesn't want to give the cops any additional incentive. But if all goes as planned, the group will go on between 6 and 6:30 pm local (Central zone) time. The concert was advertised as ending around 7 pm. So this is a natural fit - kids, you might not get home on time today like you planned.

Also on the bill: headliner Michael Franti, plus Dead Prez, Anti-Flag and Wookie Foot. Guest speakers include Medea Benjamin, Will Steger and Winona LaDuke. You can go to the Ripple Effect site HERE.

Rage, recall, is already scheduled to play a regular (if anything is "regular" in Minneapolis-St. Paul this week) concert Wednesday night at the Target Center. And Rage guitarist Tom Morello, in his other guise as the Nightwatchman, performed yesterday at the Service Employees International Union protest concert along with Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, Mos Def and the Pharcyde. (Read BLURT's coverage of the Monday events HERE.)

But in a statement issued last week, Morello broadly hinted that his band's involvement during RNC week might extend further than merely walking out onto the stage of an arena. Said Morello, "While there's a lot of clinking of champagne glasses and toasting one another and passing big checks back and forth inside the convention, there's a reality on the streets outside that will be represented by the Nightwatchman and Rage Against the Machine and Anti-Flag and all the other bands playing to protest in Minneapolis-St. Paul. We'll be outside the barbed-wire fences throwing musical Molotov cocktails toward the fences."

Let the tossing of Molotovs begin.

Band arrives to play Ripple Effect but isn't allowed to go onstage.

By Fred Mills

Thwarting Rage Against The Machine's plans to play a free, unannounced show late yesterday afternoon at the Ripple Effect festival in St. Paul, local police shut the concert down promptly at 7 p.m. - the original curfew time for the event. (Read our report of what led up to the show and Rage's proposed appearance HERE.)

Apparently the band got to the State Capitol lawn where Ripple Effect was taking place too close to that 7 p.m. curfew and additionally lacked a permit to play, so the police barred them from taking the stage.

According to a report filed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, an antsy crowd began chanting while the band and event organizers conferred, shouting "Free speech!" and "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" (a key, early Rage lyric) and singing "The Star Spangled Banner." Ultimately, members of the group joined the crowd and with vocalist Zach De La Rocha wielding a bullhorn sang a cappella versions of "Bulls on Parade" and "Testify" before marching en masse with the 2000-strong crowd towards the Xcel Energy Center.

According to a Ripple Effects spokesperson, the police deliberately held up the event to prevent Rage from going on, saying, "A state patrolman held the band and wouldn't let them enter [backstage] until it was too late." However, a representative of the Minnesota State Patrol indicated it was because the band was not included on Ripple Effect's permit and that "the concert ended on time... it was quite a peaceful day of music otherwise."

Speaking of a peaceful day: subsequent media reports said that while the band members wound up leaving the march after reaching the Center, a number of marchers in the crowd, which had swelled to 4000, stormed the security fences outside the RNC and tried to break them down, resulting in the police using teargas on them.

Rage Against the Machine performs at the Target Center in Minneapolis tonight as part of a previously scheduled concert. No doubt there will be additional, unscheduled comments heard from the stage, however.

Fresh off Coldplay tour...

By Fred Mills

Santogold announced yesterday her first headlining US tour, dubbed "The Goldrush Tour." It's presented by MySpace Music, but don't hold that against her - tours are expensive to mount these days, yo.

This comes on the heels of arena dates with Coldplay (don't hold that against her either, it had to be great exposure). and as a headliner she'll have her full band and a DJ, playing most of her acclaimed self-titled debut (Downtown/Lizard King).

9/19:  New York, NY @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza

9/20:  Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

9/23:  Philadelphia, PA @ TLA

9/24:  Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre

9/25:  Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues

9/27:  Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall

9/28:  Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

9/30:  Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall

10/01:  Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre

10/04:  Seattle, WA @ Showbox

10/05:  Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom

10/07:  San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore

10/10:  San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

10/11:  Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

10/13:  Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues

10/14:  Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern

Directed by the mighty Julien Temple, natch.

By Fred Mills

THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND is directed by none other than Julien Temple and, as you might suspect from the headline, it's a Sex Pistols film. Temple previously was behind The Filth and the Fury, of course. This time around we get a document of the band's live performance at Brixton Academy last year. The performance celebrated 30 years since the release of Never Mind The Bollocks.

In addition to this are 98 mins of extras which features the band's "unique guide to London" and the places and venues that shaped punk, with some never-before-seen archive footage and interviews exclusive to THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND.

John Lydon offered in a statement, "Buy one get one for the same price as one." Meanwhile, director Temple was a bit more forthcoming, saying, "This film is about the unique electricity between the Sex Pistols and their audience. The amazing cross section of the crowd at a Pistols gig is like no other, and the Brixton shows last year brought the band to a whole new generation as well as to those that have been there from the very beginning. THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND documents a unique band in every sense."

Rhino/FremantleMedia Enterprises will release THEYRE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND on DVD on October 14. That same day, Rhino will reissue Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols on 180-gram vinyl. All together now, kids: let's count how many times the album has been reissued.... Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND Tracklisting:

1.        Pretty Vacant

2.        Seventeen

3.        No Feelings

4.        New York

5.        Did You No Wrong

6.        Liar

7.        Beside The Seaside

8.        Holidays In The Sun

9.        Submission

10.      (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone

11.      No Fun

12.      Problems

13.      God Save The Queen

14.       EMI

15.       Bodies

16.       Anarchy In The UK

17.    Roadrunner

Special Features: The Knowledge - The Pistols Guide To London

“Boy, Did She Teach You Nothing” makes world premiere at BLURT…

By Blurt Staff

We’ve got a world premiere exclusive video here for ya: “Boy, Did She Teach You Nothing” is by London’s beloved Absentee, and it comes from their new album Victory Shorts, due — appropriately enough — on November 4 on Memphis Industries (of Go! Tam, Pipettes and Ruby Suns fame). Trust us, you ain’t heard some kickass power pop like this since the heyday of the Plimsouls or the Church.

What the hell’s up with all those balloons?!?

Anyhow, here’s the scoop about the band and the album direct from the label…

Victory Shorts is the sound of a band whose time has come. Tackling themes of premature marriage proposals, adultery, lost property, love, and broken crockery, Absentee provide the soundtrack for every lost soul who took a wrong turn whilst looking for the right one.  Born to the sounds of Barry Manilow and The Carpenters, raised on romantic comedies, and schooled in failed love and misfiring lust… Absentee emerge well-versed in the rigours of romance with their finest album to date, Victory Shorts.

Finding a seat somewhere between unreachable romanticism and hopeless realism, Victory Shorts offers lush mini romantic tragedies for those who thought Casablanca ended a little too abruptly.

Album opener "Shared" sets the scene with a couple pleased as punch that they found each other, until things take a darker turn with Absentee smashing their way through "Boy, Did She Teach You Nothing?" latest EP title-track "Bitchstealer" and "Love Has Had Its Way" in an attempt to get to the truth of the matter: Happy endings don't come easy.

"The Nurses Don't Notice a Thing" takes us on a walk with someone looking for hope in a maternity wing: "our eyes meeting as your waters break and I'm born again as him or her," meditating on the beauty of innocence as: "the simplest feelings of love explode into the room like cowboys in saloons… I want to clap but it seems inappropriate." In "We Smash Plates" the lovers' first argument and consequent makeup is summed up in a mess of broken crockery: "I ask you kindly to take a seat whilst I'm sweeping broken china from around your feet, like a miner bringing riches from the core... we both smile knowing there will always be more".

By album closer "That Old Ghost", we're left contemplating a lovers' grip: "the way that you hold me, it won't be my heart that breaks first" and the enduring qualities of love found the hard way: "you don't have to ask me if you want me to stay... I'm not a bird, I'm not a whore... you can just clap your hands and make me run away".

Marked by the influence of Johnny Cash, Pavement, and The Velvet Underground, produced/engineered/mixed by Nick Terry (Klaxons, Libertines, Bernard Butler), and shot through with the originality and humour we've come to expect from Absentee, Victory Shorts stands alone as the band's strongest, most honest record yet.

By Blurt Staff

The good folks at Above The Fold snagged top-quality video footage of Rage Against the Machine talking to the crowd a the Ripple Effect festival yesterday and then leading them in a capella versions (bolstered by bullhorn, natch) of Rage songs. You can read the details of the incident, in which police blocked the band from performing onstage, at our prior report.

Check out the video - good solid ten minutes' worth, in fact...

By Blurt Staff

Sophomore platter features some notable players...

Now that's some rockin' Foo: Guitarist Chris Shiflett, of Foo Fighters / Me First and the Gimme Gimmes fame, unveils his other band's new platter this week. Harmony and Dissidence is the sophomore release by Shiflett's Jackson United and it's described by the band's label, Acetate Records, as "a collection of guitar driven anthems reminiscent of punk's glory days a la The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers." Shiflett is joined by his brother Scott (Face To Face) and the Foos' Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins appear on the album.

Sounds good to us! The band hits the road next month so don't miss ‘em.

Oct 01 - Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory
Oct 02 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
Oct 03 - Reno, NV @ Club Underground
Oct 04 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby
Oct 05 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre w/ Flogging Molly
Oct 17 - Arcata, CA @ Arcata Community Center/Humboldt State Univ.

Oct 18 - Sacramento, CA @ Radisson Hotel/The Grove
Oct 19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Oct 20 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Oct 24 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl at The Palms Concert Theatre

When you're hot, you're hot!

By Fred Mills

Good ol' boy Jerry Reed died Monday of complications from emphysema. The hitmaking country singer and good-humored actor (a native of Atlanta) was 71.

While a lot of people associated Reed with his redneck cinematic image - in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s  he famously starred in all three Smokey and the Bandit  films with Burt Reynolds - among music aficionados he was known as a gifted guitarist and tunesmith, initially scoring big in 1967 with the hit "Guitar Man" (later covered by Elvis) and going on to an impressive chart run with songs such as "Amos Moses," "When You're Hot You're Hot," and "Lord Mr. Ford." Years later he enjoyed a second hitmaking life with witty numbers "The Bird" and "She Got the Goldmine (I Got The Shaft)."

Reed also collaborated with his friend Chet Atkins, was a regular on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, briefly hosted his own variety show and continued to work in film and TV.

Fun fact: in 1972 he was turned into a ‘toon and he played himself in an episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "The Phantom of the Country Music Hall." Now THAT's entertainment.

Rest in peace, sir.

The RNC and its protesters, day two.

By Ben Westhoff

So much rage in downtown St. Paul, and yet not nearly enough Rage. In town to perform at the Target Center on Wednesday, Rage Against The Machine was to play a free, unannounced show at the State Capitol on Tuesday evening - at least according to teenagers on Twitter, in any case.

The day after the convention's riotous opening ceremonies, folks who didn't have to go back to work (students, hippies and anarchist punks, joined by about 500 police officers) gathered on the capitol lawn for something called Ripple Effect. Most would call it a "free concert" featuring acts like Michael Franti, Dead Prez, Anti-Flag and the unfortunately named Wookie Foot, but organizers preferred "events" "embracing the core values of the environmental and social justice movements, with a collective understanding that the solutions to these problems will require us to break down issue and generational barriers." 

I'm not sure if any issue barriers were broken down that day, but the great unwashed chillaxed as hard as they could, playing with those green "floating" orb things, attempting (unsuccessfully) to double dutch and meditating in a giant rectangle. Phone numbers were exchanged, utopian alternate universes were contemplated, and the world's only "Nader/Gonzales ‘08" sticker was applied to a backpack.

It seemed that everybody was still exhausted from the previous day's protest marches, window smashing and urine stockpiling. You know leftists are tired when they can't even get pumped up by a Medea Benjamin speech. But when word of Rage's imminent arrival began to leak across the internet, the assembled (or at least those who could afford an iPhone) began to perk up. The crowd began to balloon around 6, when folks got off from their jobs at the skate shop and the juice bar and made their way downtown.

Anti-Flag had taken the stage in a flurry of black and pink, and were now working the crowd into a frenzy with brief bits of inspiration like, "The world sucks. So let's party!"  Folks moshed like it was 1999, and bassist/hype man Chris #2 dropped hint after hint that something big was about to happen. When they departed the stage they left all their instruments; the idea was that Rage would pick them up and play four songs.

Though you wouldn't think too many of St. Paul's finest would have copies of Evil Empire (or be Twitter savvy), the cops were wise to the plan, and -- since they didn't have the manpower to accommodate such a hugely-popular act - moved to halt the proceedings. Upon Rage's backstage arrival at 6:30, they were detained by a group of Minnesota State Troopers, of all people. As riot guard police and bike cops surrounded the premises, a trooper wearing one of those sweet flying saucer hats (she looked something like Marge Gunderson in Fargo) kindly informed Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello and the like that they didn't have the necessary permit to go on stage.

Rocha didn't get worked up about it - dude must meditate his ass off - and instead, while the chanting crowd screamed for blood (or at least for "Testify"), he plotted with his mates a way to keep the crowd from killing anyone while simultaneously creating a sense of, um, collective understanding about breaking down generational barriers.

The band exited past the police behind the stage and weaved out to the front of the crowd, where they implored their delighted minions to take a seat. Most everyone immediately sat; one suspects if Rocha had asked them to poop in their pants they would have done it. Next, bullhorn in hand, the group led those within ear shot in a short set of acapella sing-a-longs. Call it Rage karaoke -- sans machine, of course.

After twenty minutes or so of this, the band implored the assembled to rise, and they lead them in a march towards the Xcel center, where former lazy-presidential-candidate  Fred Thompson was preparing to address another group of dogmatic people. The bike cops pedaled nervously alongside the marchers (I'm going to suggest there were about 3000 people), and guards wearing pads and gas masks stood nervously along the route. No windows were smashed -- that I saw anyways -- but when they reached the perimeter of the buffer zone in front of the convention center, folks began shaking and rattling the fences. The police gave them a few warnings and then, according to reports from the front line, began firing off tear gas and those little bombs that make a lot of noise.

So, party over. Everybody hopped aboard their fixed-gear bikes or skateboards and headed back home, just in time to catch Big Brother 10.

In conclusion, it's fair to say that the day two protests felt less like a post-apocalyptic movie and more like a professional wrestling match. Though bloodlust was in the air, no one really got injured, and observers couldn't help feeling as if the whole thing was just a little bit scripted.

[Photo Credit: Neil Reiter]

Release the hounds! Meanwhile, Lars fiddles while his label steams…

By Fred Mills

When a record store in Paris yesterday reportedly, and “accidentally” sold copies of Metallica’s new album Death Magnetic (how do you do accidentally sell something?), it immediately found its way online. It’s not due in stores until Sept. 12, but both the music and the album artwork is on the web now.

Despite that, drummer Lars Ulrich told American radio station Live 105 that, unlike in years past, he’s not that chapped about illegal file sharing anymore. "Listen, we're ten days from release. I mean, from here, we're golden. f this thing leaks all over the world today or tomorrow, happy days. Happy days. Trust me. Ten days out and it hasn't quote-unquote fallen off the truck yet? Everybody's happy. It's 2008 and it's part of how it is these days, so it's fine. We're happy."

BLURT is damned happy you’re happy, Lars. Meanwhile, below is a message from Metallica’s label and marketing team at Warner Bros. that was circulated via music industry observer Bob Lefsetz. It suggests that not everyone in the band’s camp is as blithe as Ulrich about all this.

***

WE ARE NOT SERVICING METALLICA MUSIC !!!

We know it has leaked on some bit torrent sites. So what, that happens all the time and we are not changing our plan. Please tell radio NOT to play other songs, even if they stole the record. We are vigorously fighting to get it off the internet the best we can.

They are our partners and we have a ton for them that could be in jeopardy if they play other music (other than “My Apocalypse” or “Cyanide”). Am Ex spent a bunch of money in the majors, per our direction.

ATT spent a ton of money based on our direction.

Clear Channel has a "Sneak Peak". All with CONTENT.

We have a premiere EXCLUSIVE for radio hosted by Dave Grohl and Taylor.

We have a tour and pre sale that many many stations are part of.

We have the biggest marketing plan for a record ever happening RIGHT NOW and they need to be our partner. It’s that simple.

There are 2 other songs, “My Apocalypse” and “Cyanide,”  that are floating out there and on iTunes. We are considering servicing those tomorrow morning to promote the premiere and also to let radio know we care about their needs... but for now PLEASE explain this as need be. Thanks.

All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash to benefit the Syrentha Savio Endownment.

By Blurt Staff

Anchorless Records today announced All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash benefiting the Syrentha Savio Endowment (SSE), a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to underprivileged victims of breast cancer. The comp features performances by the Dresden Dolls (with The Hold Steady’s Franz Nicolay), The Loved Ones, Gaslight Anthem and MxPx as well as debut solo performances from Lucero’s Ben Nichols, Russ Rankin of Good Riddance and Smoke or Fire’s Joe McMahon.

From the press release: “It is our hope that through this record we are able to introduce a new generation of music fans to the songs and importance of Johnny Cash via their favorite artists. The liner notes include quotes from each artist, expressing their feelings on the impact Johnny Cash has had on them both musically and personally.”

The vinyl version of All Aboard will feature an alternate version of "Delia's Gone" by Ben Nichols of Lucero. Expect a full album stream to be featured on www.Punknews.org starting October 21.

Track Listing:

1. Man In Black: The Bouncing Souls

2. Country Boy: Fallen From The Sky

3. Wreck Of The Old ’97: Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music)

4. Let The Train Whistle Blow: Joe McMahon (Smoke or Fire)

5. Delia’s Gone: Ben Nichols (Lucero)

6. God’s Gonna Cut You Down: The Gaslight Anthem

7. Cocaine Blues: The Loved Ones

8. Give My Love To Rose: OnGuard (feat. Jason Shevchuk of Kid Dynamite and None More Black)

9. I Still Miss Someone: Casey James Prestwood (Hot Rod Circuit)

10. Hey Porter: MxPx

11. Cry,Cry,Cry: The Flatliners

12. Ballad of a Teenage Queen: The Dresden Dolls feat. Franz Nicolay of The Hold Steady

13. Folsom Prison Blues: Chon Travis (Love = Death)

14. There You Go: The Sainte Catherines

15. I Walk The Line: Russ Rankin (Good Riddance, Only Crime)

16. Bonus Track/Vinyl Only: Delia’s Gone (Alternate Version) Ben Nichols (Lucero)

About The Syrentha Savio Endowment (SSE)

The Syrentha Savio Endowment (SSE), an Internal Revenue recognized non-profit organization, provides financial assistance to underprivileged women who cannot afford the expense of fighting breast cancer. Since their inception in 2002, SSE has raised funds through a handful of programs including The Shirts for a Cure Project, The SSE Benefit Concert Series, annual charity dinners, awareness walks and online auctions. SSE has awarded gifts to organizations that help women in struggling neighborhoods find the means to fight this killer. For more information on SSE see www.syrentha.org.

(Photo: Lucero, by Sam Holden)

Band to perform final album for MySpace program “Front to Back”

By Randy Harward

Ben Folds Five will reunite for a one-night-only performance on the inaugural episode of MySpace’s “Front to Back,” celebrating “iconic albums that have helped shape the MySpace Generation.” Folds, bass player Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee, who haven’t performed together in a decade, will perform their final album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner at the UNC Memorial Hall in their former hometown of Chapel Hill, NC on September 18.

“When MySpace approached me about doing this gig,” say Folds in the press release, “I misunderstood and thought they wanted us to play Purple Rain front to back, so of course I said yes. But we're happy to do The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner instead. Of our three albums, this one brings back the most vivid memories. It was actually written to be one song of many movements, which is why there are motifs that appear throughout the album. That should make Reinhold a natural to be played front to back.”

Anybody else out there kinda wishing they would perform Purple Rain? You know, just to hear Folds and Sledge do the Wendy and Lisa dialogue from “Computer Blue?”

Folds: Wendy?

Sledge: Yes, Lisa?

Folds: Is the water warm enough?

Sledge: Yes, Lisa.

Folds: Shall we begin?

Sledge: Yes, Lisa.

Proceeds from the show will benefit Operation Smile. For more details, visit MySpace’s “Front to Back” page.

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

7:00 AM NBC: Today: New Kids on the Block , Ne-Yo

9:00 AM Syndicated: Live with Regis and Kelly: LeAnn Rimes

10:00 AM Biography: Beatles' Women

11:00 AM ABC: The View: Terrence Howard

12:00 PM VH1C: Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun

3:00 PM PLD HD: Genesis - When in Rome

4:00 PM VH1C: BBC Crown Jewels: In Concert: Neil Young

6:00 PM Ovation: Live from the Artists Den: Crowded House

9:00 PM HBOS: Almost Famous (2000)

10:00 PM Biography:: The Barry White Story

10:00 PM Sundance: Live from Abbey Road: Brian Wilson, Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson

11:35 PM CBS: The Late Show With David Letterman: Duffy

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The Game

12:00 AM RAVE HD: From The Basement: Sonic Youth , Jose Gonzalez , Laura Marling

12:37 AM CBS: The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Amy Macdonald

1:00 AM ETV: Saturday Night Live (E!): Scarlett Johansson / Death Cab for Cutie

1:00 AM Ovation: Lou Reed: Live at Montreux

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: Ben Harper

See if you can guess how many original songs the Boss has composed specifically for cinema.

By Fred Mills

It's long been a given that popular artists' songs find their way into movies (cinema buffs cannot live on symphonic scores alone). And it's often thrilling when one of your favorite artists actually composes material specifically for a film.

In the case of Bruce Springsteen, it might actually surprise you how frequently he's granted permission for his music to be used in films - check this tally at IMDB.com if you're curious - since he's also been known to dig in his heels pretty deep when it comes to anyone co-opting the "message," as it were, of his art; hence his steadfast refusal to allow his songs to be used in commercials, and then only sparingly letting songs be borrowed by politicians and various causes.

Nor has Springsteen been exactly a tunesmith for hire when it comes to Hollywood. You can count on one hand the films he's composed or earmarked previously unreleased material specifically for use in scenes, over credits, etc. John Sayles' gorgeously moody film Limbo (1999) featured the Springsteen song "Lift Me Up" to breathtaking effect, while, likewise, Sean Penn's harrowing 1995 Jack Nicholson vehicle The Crossing Guard included "Missing," and the Boss' friend Jonathan Demme commissioned the songwriter to do "Streets of Philadelphia" for his '93 Oscar-winning Philadelphia. Quality tunes, all, and perhaps it's partly due to Springsteen's selectivity in choosing those types of projects that the material is so strong and so memorable.

Now comes word - courtesy The Playlist - that filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, who recently finished up The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, has convinced Springsteen to do a closing-credits tune titled, simply enough, "The Wrestler." The soundtrack itself apparently will be studded with a lot of has-been hair metal by the likes of Great White, Cinderella, Def Leppard and Motley Crue, but the Springsteen number was written specifically for the film.

According the The Playlist, quoting Aronofsky's blog, "Bruce Springsteen wrote a beautiful original song for the closing [of] the film. Called ‘The Wrestler' it is a wonderful acoustic piece. Makes me choke up every time I hear it. He really captured the spirit of the film and Mickey's character in the piece."

The film premieres this week at the Venice Film Festival and will also be screened at the Toronto and New York festivals. Reportedly, it features at the moment a rough or working version of the song and that Springsteen has pledged to get his final version to Aronofsky in time for its premiere.

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid...

By Fred Mills

Well, the Republicans wound up their robot last night and aimed her in the direction of the RNC podium, and she performed perfectly - too perfectly, in fact. In the time it took to deliver her I-got-good-Christian-maverick-cred/now-let's-go-get-that-scary-black-man speech, Sarah Palin went from MILF to maniac (and I'm not talking the pole-dancing "Maniac" sort, either). She was that scary, and if the Obama campaign underestimates her, we can, in the words of one of my esteemed colleagues, expect the Democrats to fumble the ball in the end zone once again.

Meanwhile, while the McSame campaign gets ready to ratchet up its New Improved Variation On The Southern Strategy - e.g., to bring soccer moms and disaffected Hillary voters under the same tent that's housing the closet racists and the Christian crazies - let us take a quick breather, come out of the trenches, and enjoy some of the wit, wit and more wit that the Palin ascendancy has prompted from pundits and funnymen alike.

In Tuesday's NYMag.com a feature titled "Sarah Palin Jokes: Is McCain's V.P. Making Politics Funny Again?" pointed out that a veritable deluge of Palin-themed humor has hit the media circus. A couple of our favorites that NYMag.com highlighted:

• "She's not bad-looking. She looks like one of those women in the Van Halen videos who takes off her glasses, shakes out her hair, and then all of a sudden, she's in high heels and a bikini. All of a sudden, I am FOR drilling in Alaska." -Jimmy Kimmel

• "John McCain's V.P. pick is the governor of Alaska, a unknown hockey mom named Sarah Palin that no one ever heard of. The only other job she had in politics was the mayor of a small town known as Wasilla, Alaska, and now she has the opportunity to be on a ticket opposite of Barack Obama, the first black man she's ever seen." -Bill Maher

• "She does know about international relations because she is right up there in Alaska, right next-door to Russia." - Fox News' Steve Doocy "When you think about it, Alaska is also near the North Pole, so she must also be friends with Santa." -Jon Stewart

Check ‘em out at the above link....

"Get a grip on reality!" says the rocker, on how high the stakes are this year.

By Fred Mills

For nearly 2000 words, Anti-Flag frontman Justin Sane - having appeared just yesterday at the Ripple Effect protest concert in St. Paul - weighs in on his latest BLURT blog about the 2008 election. "I'm voting against Godzilla-sized evil," announces Sane, going to outline in lucid detail both his reservations with and decision to vote for Obama, what a disaster the 2000 and 2004 elections turned out to be (he notes that he was "totally wrong" about presuming that Gore and Bush were essentially the same candidates and that he now regrets voting for Nader), the imminent threat that McCain (aka "McSame") poses to our country should he win the Presidency, and a laundry list of exactly what's at stake this year.

"Don't fuck up!" he concludes, urging everyone reading his blog to put some serious thought and research into the election and to get out and vote.

You can read Justin Sane's "Their System Doesn't Work For You" blog HERE. Feel free to leave your comments, too - it's a pretty lively interaction he has going with his readers.

Paleface and Mo be rockin' the roost...

By Blurt Staff

Last December, when Paleface and Mo charmed the bejeezus outta BLURT during an opening set for the Avett Brothers, we knew we would be fans for life. Now comes word that Paleface has inked a deal with North Carolina label Ramseur, longtime home of the Avetts, which plans to release his new album The Show Is On the Road early next year.

You can read our comments at the above link and also check out the goods directly at the official website: www.palefaceonline.com . Meanwhile, below is a capsule history of Paleface handily provided by the label. Enjoy!

***

1989 Paleface meets Daniel Johnston. Daniel teaches him how to write songs and Paleface begins to make home tapes, which in the following years will evolve into sought after underground bootlegs.

1990 Roommates and burgeoning songwriters, Paleface and Beck hang out in the Lower East Side, NYC. Danny Fields (Stooges,The Ramones, MC5, The Doors, etc.) discovers him at Lach's Antihoot and signs on as his manager.

1991 Polydor signs Paleface to a major label deal; he writes and records his first album Burn and Rob.

1992 Paleface is excited for his first album tour, but is mismatched with tourmates The Judybats and then The Crash Test Dummies. Not long after, he tours with Billy Bragg and gains his own following laying the foundation for his grass roots fan base. He appears in Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine.

1993 Paleface begins work on his second record, but A & R badgering keeps him awake at night and by the end of ‘93 he gets dropped because the record company doesn't understand the new songs.

1994 He records Generic America produced by Kramer for the indie label Shimmy Disc. With the touch of one finger, Kramer erases the masters. Consequently, the record doesn't come out.

1995 The New York Post does a feature article on Paleface in Lisa Robinson's column. Toward the end of ‘95 he signs to Sire Records. Hanging out behind the bar at Coney Island High, Paleface finds out he's been signed to Sire from Jesse Malin, (D-Generation), who had read it in the paper earlier that day.

1996 Sire releases PF's album, Get Off, about the same time as Beck's Odelay. Sire doesn't want to compete with the marketing and one month later Paleface is dropped.

1997 A bit disillusioned with the music industry, he begins a spring tour with The Breeders and Lutefisk. Rightfully pissed off, they all indulge in too much substance consumption.

While touring near Vegas Paleface gets shakes, Lutefisk breaks up soon after, and The Breeders album gets shelved.

1998 Paleface alters his lifestyle and starts the process of restoring his health and well-being. Paleface also begins a very prolific writing period; he produces and records some of his best songs as lo-fi underground bootlegs.

2000 Paleface meets and becomes friends with a new breed of artists which includes The Moldy Peaches, Langhorne Slim, and Regina Spektor at Lach's Antihoot in NYC and releases his famous underground classic The Multibean Bootleg.

2001 Jason Carmer (The Donnas, Run DMC,) and Arion Salazar (Third Eye Blind) invites Paleface out to San Francisco to make a new record, but the sessions are postponed after the events of September 11th. PF releases another one of his home recordings, The Couch Tape, and sells out his bootlegs at shows.

2002 Paleface forms a new band called "Paleface" with Monkeybone and they gig around New York. Monkeybone is a vehicle for Paleface to showcase the new songs that he's writing faster than the band can learn them. During this period, Paleface plays gigs with The Moldy Peaches and other New York emerging rock bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and is introduced to their audiences.

2003 Along with his re-emerging solo career, PF experiments with the Americana sound and forms a new side project called "Just About To Burn." They release their first record, Produced by Paul Kostabi ("Ena") and the band tours London. The crowds love the new songs and the new sound.

2004 Free Your Mellow is recorded and released as a new Paleface solo record.

2005 Paleface is invited by The Avett Brothers to their mountain recording hideaway to join in the making of Four Thieves Gone. 31 songs are recorded including 5 PF songs from which "Dancin Daze" is chosen for the final release. Later that year The Multi-bean Vol 2 is compiled and released.

2006 "I Just Wanna Play Guitar" is recorded with old friends Momotaro, Julian Summerhill, and Ena. It is released in Germany on the trash/punk rock label Wanker Records. Refurbished Just About To Burn begins recording anew. The band has grown to a four-piece.

2007 Paleface (and Mo)  hit the road and tour all over the US.  They are both featured on The Avett Brothers record Emotionalism (Ramseur), which sells close to 50,000 copies in its first year.

2008 Paleface releases "A Different Story" and continues to tour nationally.

[Photo Credit: Cheater Slick]

Not to mention has no less than two albums en route this year too.

By Blurt Staff

As previously announced in this space, Charlie Louvin will release two new albums on New York City's Tompkins Square label.

Steps to Heaven, due September 16^th, 2008, features ten traditional gospel classics including two Louvin Brothers songs. The release will be followed by Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs, out December 9, 2008. Both albums were produced, recorded and mixed by Mark Nevers (Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Andrew Bird, Bobby Bare Sr.)

You can read more of the details HERE.

Meanwhile, Louvin is gearing up for an October tour with none other than the Old 97's. Check out the dates below - now this should be an entertaining musical pairing!

Tour Dates:

Sept 16^th Grand Ole Opry

Oct 14 - Lucinda Williams album released w/ Charlie guesting

Oct 25^th - Woodstock NY Levon Helm's Ramble

On tour with Old 97's - October 1-12

Oct 1 Athens GA Georgia Theater

Oct 2 Knoxville TN Bijou Theater

Oct 3 Carrboro NC Cat's Cradle

Oct 4 Lancaster PA Chameleon Club

Oct 5 Boston MA Wilbur Theatre

Oct 6 S. Burlington VT Higher Ground

Oct 8 Buffalo NY Town Ballroom

Oct 9 Pittsburgh PA Diesel

Oct 10 Cleveland OH Beachland Ballroom

Oct 11 Detroit St. Andrews Hall

Oct 12 Newport KY Southgate House

Notes from the bowels of the  RNC, day 3.

By Ben Westhoff

Sarah Palin's primetime speech last night was the most anticipated of the convention. John McCain wanted a "game changer" as his Vice Presidential pick, and, oh boy, did he get it. Since the minute he picked her, juicy bits of gossip, innuendo, and scandal have surfaced -- that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol, not she, birthed the down Syndrome newborn Trig (false); that Bristol herself was pregnant (true); that the Palins would make lemonade by marrying off Bristol hastily (true); and, finally, that the executive director of Jews for Jesus spoke recently at Palin's Wasilla Bible Church (also true [www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13098.html], though the media has yet to really pounce on it).

That Palin looks unlike any politician we've seen fueled the anticipation as well. Whereas Hillary Clinton played down any sex appeal she may have, Palin plays it way up; for her speech she eschewed a pantsuit for a relatively short black skirt, shiny earrings, and librarian glasses. Quoth Jimmy Kimmel: "She looks like one of those women in the Van Halen videos who takes off her glasses, shakes out her hair, and then all of a sudden, she's in high heels and a bikini. All of a sudden, I am for drilling in Alaska."

Put it another way: There's a reason everybody believes this picture [http://blogs.citypages.com/gop/2008/09/get_ready_to_pl.php] floating around the internet -- the one of her clad in an American flag bikini and holding a hunting rifle by a pool -- is real. (Sorry fellas, it's a photoshop fake.)

But though obviously a "game changer," it remained to be seen if Palin would adrenalize or deflate McCain's moribund campaign. Though wonks like Politico's Charles Mahtesian [www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13062.html] believe her family's red-neck affinities (snowmobiling, underage pregnancies, DUIs) will endear her to red and swing state voters, most everyone agreed she needs substance behind her image. After all, McCain has hammered Obama for his lack of experience, and Palin has even less than he does. And there have already been grumbles about her among the Republican base -- former Nixon speechwriter and Ferris Bueller educator Ben Stein, for one, isn't pleased [http://blogs.citypages.com/gop/2008/09/ben_stein_hates.php]. Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor/spurned VP pick Tim Pawlenty didn't even stick around for her speech [http://blogs.citypages.com/gop/2008/09/pawlenty_a_nonp.php].

So, would she deliver? After an introduction by Rudolph Giuliani -- in which he somehow compared running New York City to running Wasilla but didn't, to his credit, say "9/11" -- Palin took the stage to a warm, but not ecstatic, reception. She trotted out her already well-trod "You know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit pull? Lipstick!" line, and went on to list her accomplishments in elective office. Some of her points were salient, like canceling the "bridge to nowhere" and taking on the waste and cronyism of entrenched Alaskan politicians like the Murkowskis. Others, however, not so much. Though she spoke of being a deficit hawk, for example, folks like James Love [www.huffingtonpost.com/james-love/sarah-palins-increased-op_b_123400.html] have responded that her operating budget actually rose during her tenure. Others have noted that, should the price of oil slide, the state will be up shit creek. (Up shit fjord?)

Most of the Bud Ice drinking masses won't care about those details, of course -- just like they won't care about Obama's overwhelmingly leftist policies so long as they find him "genuine." But more than Obama has had to, Palin needed to appear presidential - not so much because she's a woman, but because she's backing up a guy that, what with his melanoma and inability to raise his arms above his head, could seemingly croak at any moment.

My gut feeling is that, in this regard, she didn't hack it. The applause she received was never particularly loud or fervent, and didn't approach anything McCain received upon his brief appearance after her speech. (And this is a guy right-wingers like Rush Limbaugh loathe.) If she couldn't sell herself completely to this friendly crowd, it seems doubtful her shtick played well across the country.

But this race is far from over, and Palin remains at the center of it. Republicans are hellbent on creating a backlash in her favor, predicting (probably correctly) that voters will rush to her defense if they feel the media is unfairly piling up on her or Democrats are taking cheap shots. (Much like Americans gave Bill Clinton sky-high poll numbers in the midst of his impeachment trial.) It now appears that even some former Hillary Clinton aides [www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13129.html]  are joining the "sexism" chorus.

So trying to make predictions at this point is dubious. After all, a million more "game changing" events could still occur. Bristol's baby could come early. The Jews for Jesus story could bubble up. And, who knows - real Palin gun/bikini photos could surface, or even nude ones along the lines of those of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Lord knows that would lock down the key Celebrity Skin demographic.

[Photos courtesy the good ol' Internet. Top: Palin In Bikini (not); bottom, Not Palin In Bikini]

You probably watch The Hills, too....

By Blurt Staff

Tilly and the Wall taped a performance of "Pot Kettle Black" for the Sept. 2 season premiere of the revived/remade/remodeled Beverly Hills 90210. You watched that, right? Probably burned up the message boards afterwards, right? See below if you missed it (warning: turn the volume up).

Now media reports indicate that Liz Phair is doing some of the soundtrack music for the show, and this should come as a big...

Aw, who gives a fuck. The original 90210 was the dumbest show ever to crawl out of the leaky cultural anus known as the ‘90s. (So if you were interested enough to click on this news item when you saw the headline, you are, by definition, a dumbass... almost as big a dumbass as we are for even drafting this news item... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........)

Don't let the apple tempt you, but the cover star of BLURT digi-mag #3 preps new album release.

By Blurt Staff

Just a few weeks before the release of Jenny Lewis' solo album Acid Tongue (September 23rd, Warner Bros Records), the title track and a nine-minute medley, "The Next Messiah," have been made available as streams on her website.

 
Go to www.jennylewis.com  to hear the songs and see some home movies starring Ms. Lewis and what her label is describing as "an unexpected visitor. Something strange is definitely happening in the Canyon."

 
Acid Tongue is the follow-up to 2006's critically lauded Rabbit Fur Coat. Recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California with guests including "Farmer" Dave Scher, Johnathan Rice, Jonathan Wilson, M. Ward, Elvis Costello, Chris Robinson and Zooey Deschanel, Acid Tongue is being called "an impressive, fully realized album, perfectly crafted and easily Lewis' best work to date....an album that feels like a collection of mini movies, each with its own tangled narrative and colorful characters" with "a streak of cynicism as wide as a Los Angeles freeway."
 
 
  
Jenny Lewis Tour Dates:
   
   
 Monday, September 15 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre*
 Tuesday, September 16 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre*
 Wednesday, September 17 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre*
 Thursday, September 18 Lawrence, KS @ The Granada*  
 Friday, September 19 Chicago, IL @ Epiphany Church*   
 Saturday, September 20 Omaha, NE @ Anchor Inn**  
 Sunday, September 21 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium**   
 Monday, September 22 Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre**
 Tuesday, September 23 Fayetteville, AR @ George's Majestic Lounge**
 Wednesday, September 24 Oxford, MS @ The Lyric**
 Thursday, September 25 Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom**  
 Friday, September 26 Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits  
 Sunday, September 28 Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa^
 Tuesday, September 30 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse#   
 Wednesday, October 1 Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre#
 Thursday, October 2 Washington, DC @ Sixth & I Historic Synagogue#  
 Friday, October 3 Wilmington, DE @ Grand Opera House#   
 Saturday, October 4 New York, NY @ Apollo Theatre
 Sunday, October 5 New Haven, CT @ The Shubert Theatre#
Friday, October 24 Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre%
 Saturday, October 25 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom**  
 Sunday, October 26 Seattle, WA @ Showbox @ Market**    
 Tuesday, October 28 San Francisco, CA @ Herbst Theatre%
 Saturday, November 1 San Diego, CA @ The University of California at   San Diego%
 
 *With Whispertown2000 & Jonathan Wilson
 **With Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band  
 ^With M. Ward
 %With Beachwood Sparks & Pierre De Reeder
 #With Michael Runion   
   

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

9:00 AM SYN: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Duran Duran , Mariah Carey

11:00 AM VH1: Rock Docs: Last Days of Left Eye

12:00 PM FUEL: Check 1, 2:  Matt Costa

2:00 PM MOJO: London Live!: Boy Kill Boy , David Jordan , Sheryl Crow , Athlete , The Enemy , Akon

2:30 PM MOJO: London Live!: Richard Ashcroft , Heavy Trash , James Dean Bradfield , James Morrison

5:30 PM Noggin: Yo Gabba Gabba!: Supernova , Biz Markie

6:00 PM BET: 106 & Park: Terrence Howard , Alicia Keys

7:30 PM VH1 Classic in Concert: Queen: Live at Wembley

7:55 PM DISN: Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream

8:00 PM BET J: Club J Concerts: George Clinton: Live at Montreaux - 2004

8:00 PM NBC: Stand Up To Cancer w/Mariah Carey , Mary J. Blige , Rihanna , Fergie , Sheryl Crow , Miley Cyrus

8:00 PM VH1: Rock Docs: The Drug Years

8:30 PM FUSE: d'fused: Slipknot "Psychosocial"

9:00 PM Sundance: Live from Abbey Road: Brian Wilson, Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson

9:00 PM VH1C: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973)

10:00 PM Sundance: New York Doll

11:35 PM CBS: The Late Show With David Letterman: Steve Earle

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Shinedown

12:00 AM FUEL: The Daily Habit:  Liars

12:00 AM RAVE HD: From The Basement: PJ Harvey , Super Furry Animals , Free Blood , Operator Please

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Black Kids

12:37 AM CBS: The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Gabe Dixon Band

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: Local H

[Photo Credit of Gabe Dixon Band, above: Henry Diltz]

Guns N' Roses legend talks licks, riffs, "Guitar Hero" and his old band.

By Blurt Staff

Elsewhere on the site you can read ace reporter Jose Martinez's encounter with Slash this week at the Guitar Center in Northridge, CA; the guitar maestro held forth on his career to date while entertaining the crowd with a plethora of his signature licks.

Meanwhile, check out Jose's exclusive photos from the event, below.

Sure, Palin's a barracuda... and a shark... and a moray eel... and a slimy squid...

By Fred Mills

It may have been one of the more descriptive and accurate appropriations of a rock song for use in a political campaign: Heart's classic hard-rock cruncher "Barracuda" was tapped by the Republicans for usage as the so-called "congratulatory theme" for V.P. hopeful Sarah Palin at the RNC this week.

Unfortunately for the McSame campaign, the writers of that song, Ann and Nancy Wilson, took exception and they have informed the campaign that Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG have sent a cease-and-desist notice to not use the tune.

In a statement, the Wilsons indicated that the Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission.

"We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music.  We hope our wishes will be honored," said the Wilsons.

Well, it was a better choice than Obama's bone-headed use of that Brooks & Dunn redneck anthem at the conclusion of his speech at the DNC. But yeah, we're with Heart on this one - Palin may be a barracuda in her own right, but she wouldn't know a rock ‘n' roll riff from the point of conception.

No word yet whether the McSame-VanPalen campaign is planning to borrow the song…

By Fred Mills

John Mellencamp, still riding high on his T Bone Burnettt-produced album Life Death Love and Freedom, just polished off a home recording of Dylan classic “The Times They Are A-Changin’” that has been posted on www.mellencamp.com  exclusively.

When you go to his site, scroll down to the video box displaying Mellencamp with his guitar and specs – it’s on the right side of the page, just click on “play.” (Disable the streaming audio player at the very top of the page first, however, as that’s set to trigger album track “Longest Days” when you arrive at the page.)

Writes Jim Bessman about the recording:

One of the resounding themes of this election year is change.

“Change we can believe in” is Barack Obama’s key campaign slogan, and as this is written, the Republicans are hailing John McCain’s vice presidential choice Sarah Palin as a “change agent.”

Be that as it may, this remarkable moment in our nation’s history has for very many evoked the sense of hope from 40 years ago, when for a brief moment leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy truly embodied change.

That moment was musically foreshadowed in 1964 by the titletrack of Bob Dylan’s third album, “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” But this veritable battle-cry for a generation (“Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call”) has never seemed more timely than now. And now John Mellencamp, with this homemade, Web site-only performance, offers it to a new generation at a time of renewed hope.

Dylan, of course, was one of Mellencamp’s biggest influences.

Mellencamp performed “Like A Rolling Stone” during 1988 “Lonesome Jubilee” tour stops (a live version of the song was included as a B-side) and also sang it and “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” for “The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration” at Madison Square Garden in 1992 (both songs are included in the commemorative album). Also that year he performed “All Along the Watchtower” on “MTV Unplugged” and in 2003 he did “Highway 61 Revisited” at shows and for “Sessions @ AOL.”

He covered Dylan’s “Farewell Angelina” on his “Rough Harvest” album, and even directed the video for Dylan’s “Political World” track from his 1989 album “Oh Mercy” (if you look closely you can spot Mellencamp’s guitarist Mike Wanchic playing in Dylan’s band). Both artists also appeared in “A Vision Shared: A Tribute To Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly,” a 1991 documentary including performances by artists influenced by the two folk music legends (Mellencamp, like Dylan before him, was hugely influenced by Guthrie).

As for “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” Mellencamp’s “Peaceful World,” which addressed racism and saluted the words of Dr. King, echoed the Dylan song’s most powerful line (“Please get out of the new [road] if you can’t lend your hand”) with “if you’re not part of the future then get out of the way.” Here, on this new Web site exclusive, he goes directly to the source in reliving the once-again relevant ideals of the past.

UPDATE ON OUR PREVIOUS NEWS ABOUT HEART'S ANNOYANCE AT USE OF THEIR SONG "BARRACUDA" AT THE RNC WEDNESDAY NIGHT:

The song was used again after McSame's speech last night, prompting a frustrated and pissed-off Nancy Wilson to say in a phone call to EW.com., "I feel completely fucked over."

The Heart camp followed that up with an official statement:

"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

"Soulless corporate nature," eh? Sounds like the G.O.P. to us....

Previously unseen footage from 1971 polished and put together  by the Oxford American.

By Fred Mills

Go on YouTube and you can find a sampling of Big Star videos, but there's a catch: they're all either audio dubbed over still images (e.g., not actual performances), or clips of the latterday ‘90s incarnation featuring members of the Posies joining Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens. It seemed that nobody but hardcore collectors would own any real footage of the band in its heyday - if they had any at all.

That's why a palpaple shudder of delight rippled through the musical community recently when the venerable Oxford American, in the July 2008 issue, included a DVD with the third annual "Best Of The South" issue.

From the OA description:

"Get ready to be blown away by some rare and never-before-seen clips. See Elvis warming up the mike in preparation for his greatest performance ever. See lost footage of one of the most influential rock bands in music history: Big Star. (Gathering dust on the shelf until we polished it up for this DVD, these beautiful images were shot by Big Star guitarist Chris Bell and bassist Andy Hummel.)"

Blown away is an understatement. You can see the results below, 1971 images set to the tune "Thank You Friends," from the DVD and recently posted to YouTube. All I'll add is that just to see the late Chris Bell smile semi-selfconsciously as the camera points at him, but still beautifully, is worth its weight in gold. (Purists may quibble over the fact that "Thank You Friends" was recorded long after Bell and Andy Hummel had left the band - Chilton and Stephens cut it for Sister Lovers - but as a tribute to the four men and comradeship, the lyrical and musical sentiments hold up nicely, thank you very much.)

Hell, as long as we're at it, below the Big Star vid is a cool clip we found of the Bangles doing - sort of (you'll see what we mean when you view it) - Big Star's "September Gurls."

Enjoy the weekend, kids, from your friendly neighborhood Blurt.

New super-supergroup to release Dark Developments on Oct. 14.

By Blurt Staff

Songwriter's songwriter Vic Chesnutt has teamed with fellow Athens, Georgians Elf Power and The Amorphous Strums on Dark Developments, due Oct. 14 on Orange Twin Records. The album was recorded over winter by Chesnutt and Elf Power's Derek Almstead in the former's attic studio. From the publicist:

"Dark Developments revels in the intimate, home-recorded atmosphere you'd expect from an Athenian union like this... It's that friction extant between Chesnutt's shadowy worldview and the inventive bounce and bray of Elf Power's euphonious intraband chemistry that buoys Dark Developments, provides its freshness, and makes for rewarding repeated listening."

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6:

9:15 AM Showtime Next: Moog

10:00 AM Biography: Jayne Mansfield

12:00 PM RAVE HD: Beautiful Noise: Neko Case

2:00 PM Great American Country: On The Streets: Rodney Crowell

2:30 PM GAC: Jerry Reed Tribute

2:45 PM FLIX: Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)

3:00 PM RAVE HD: Later With Jools Holland: Roni Size , The Zutons , Razorlight , Mory Kanté , Robin Gibb , Jocelyn Brown

4:30 PM Encore Drama: C'Mon Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story (1999)

5:00 PM PLD HD: Glastonbury 2008: KT Tunstall , The Ting Tings , The Feeling , Candi Staton , Editors , Lupe Fiasco , Crowded House , Duffy , James Blunt , Vampire Weekend , Raconteurs , Elbow , Mark Ronson , Tawiah , Newton Faulkner , Crystal Castles , Goldfrapp , The Pigeon Detectives

6:00 PM Sundance: Live from Abbey Road: Brian Wilson, Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson

6:00 PM VH1C Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973)

8:00 PM PLD HD: Radio 1's Big Weekend 2008 w/Madonna , Raconteurs , Usher , Nelly, OneRepublic

8:00 PM VH1C: The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story

9:00 PM Great American Country: Opry Live: Jessica Simpson , Patty Loveless , Loretta Lynn

9:00 PM PBS: Austin City Limits:  Brad Paisley / Dierks Bentley

9:00 PM PLD HD: Isle of Wight Festival 2008: The Police , The Sex Pistols , Iggy Pop, The Stooges , Kate Nash , N.E.R.D.

9:00 PM RAVE HD: From The Basement: Damien Rice , Autolux , eels , Architecture In Helsinki

10:00 PM MOJO: Reform School Girls (1986) w/Wendy O. Williams

11:30 PM NBC: Saturday Night Live:  Tina Fey / Carrie Underwood

1:00 AM ETV: Saturday Night Live (E!): Drew Barrymore / Kelis

1:00 AM FUEL: Check 1, 2:  The Cool Kids

1:30 AM MTV2: Celebrity Deathmatch: Jamie Foxx , Ray Charles

2:00 AM MTV2: Celebrity Deathmatch: Xzibit , The White Stripes , Jack Black

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7:

9:00 AM A&E: Private Sessions: Duran Duran

9:00 AM PLD HD: Glastonbury 2008

11:00 AM VH1C: Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun 

12:00 PM PLD HD: Radio 1's Big Weekend 2008 W/Madonna , Raconteurs , Usher , Nelly , OneRepublic

1:00 PM HDNet Concert Series: 2005 Jammys W/The String Cheese Incident , Perry Farrell , North Mississippi Allstars , John Mayer , Buddy Guy , Phil Lesh

1:00 PM VH1C: Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)

2:15 PM TCM: Viva Las Vegas (1964) W/Elvis Presley , Ann-Margret

3:00 PM HDNet Concert Series: We Have Arrived - Bonnaroo 2004

5:00 PM HDNet Concert Series: Blues at the Brewery W/Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers

6:00 PM Great American Country: Jerry Reed Tribute

6:30 PM FUSE: Green Day: Making of Boulevard of Broken Dreams

6:30 PM Showtime Next: Herbie Hancock: Possibilities

7:00 PM PLD HD: Green Day: Bullet in a Bible

8:00 PM Great American Country: Brooks & Dunn: Cowboy Town

8:00 PM PLD HD: Rothbury 2008 w/Dave Matthews Band , Snoop Dogg , John Mayer ,Widespread Panic , Rodrigo y Gabriela , Primus

8:30 PM Sundance: The True History of the Traveling Wilburys

9:00 PM MTV2: 2008 MTV Video Music Awards

11:30 PM IFC: Z Rock: John Popper

Halloween-themed collection of tunes from his Wicked Cool label.

By Fred Mills

Little Steven Van Zandt's garage-shock label Wicked Cool has a spooky treat for ya in a couple of weeks: Halloween A Go-Go, a collection of scary, creepy, goony and loony tunes handpicked by Silvio himself. It's due September 16.

Little Steven filled us in: "Our first Halloween collection finds us probing the subconscious to confront our most persistent demons on Garage Rock's favorite holiday. We are visited by some of the usual cast of characters one would expect - Dracula, the Wolfman, Ghosts, Zombies and Witches - but are far more horrified by that which cannot be touched, controlled, bargained with, or avoided - our own dreams. 

"During the course of these proceedings you will find yourself dancing with the devil, laughing in the face of the apocalypse, transported to the mystic forests of your deepest darkest secrets and insatiable lusts, and shocked by the helplessness of your own confessions of the sacred and the profane.  But afterward, if you live, one fact above all with remain clear - now you will learn why you fear the night!"

And dig it, fans and collectors: "Restless Nights," performed Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (which Steven is, uh, a member of), is one of those obscure gems previously only available on the Springsteen rarities box Tracks.

Halloween A Go-Go Track List:

01. The Electric Prunes ­ I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night

02. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band - Restless Nights

03. The Chesterfield Kings - Running Through My Nightmares

04. The Fuzztones - I'm the Wolfman

05. Howlin' Wolf ­ Howlin' For My Darlin'

06. Minus 5 - Lies of the Living Dead

07. Roky Erickson and The Aliens - I Walked With a Zombie

08. Jarvis Humby -­ Man with the X-Ray Eyes

09. Sweatmaster - I Am A Demon and I Love Rock and Roll

10. Tegan And Sara - Walking With A Ghost

11. The Stems - She's a Monster

12. Carl Perkins - Put Your Cat Clothes On

13. John Zacherle "The Cool Ghoul" - Dinner with Drac

14. The Pretty Things - Walking Through My Dreams

15. Donovan - Season of the Witch

Reading his own short story for a new compilation.

By Fred Mills

With the RNC over with it's gonna be a slow news weekend. To wit: here's the most underwhelming news we've heard all day. Britain's NME is reporting that Alex Turner, frontman for the Arctic Monkeys, had made a spoken word recording that will be released on October 13. It's of him reading a Turner-penned short story titled "The Choice of Three" and it will appear on a compilation that fellow Monkey Matt Helders is putting together for the Late Night Tales series.

Also on the compilation: songs from Roots Manuva, the Rapture and the Coral.

The NME offered the story's opening lines:

"In the tunnel I noticed I had a choice of three. While I thought it very kind of them to offer me this I do wonder if they realised what a dilemma they were sending to face me.

"The trouble was if I looked at your reflection in the left window I missed the actual image of you and your reflection in the right, and if I looked at the right I had the same problem the other way around."

Don't read in bed kids, you'll just fall asleep, and.... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............

Beloved indiepop band gets down with bombastic style.

By Blurt Staff

A picture is worth a zillion words, and so it is with the one above. You say you don't know Dressy Bessy? BLURT faves, they return with a new album Sept. 30 on Transdreamer recs. Titled Holler And Stomp, it's the followup to the well-received Electrified and it looks to be the one to put the Denver band over the top. The label sez it combines "uber-indie sensibilities mixed with bombastic style, the band remains inspirational, hook-laden and upbeat...13 songs will have you dancing and singing in seconds."

Hey, we are all about uber-indie sensibilities and bombastic style!

Adds sexy-cute vocalist Tammy Ealom, "Personal, as well as impersonal experiences over the past few years have helped inspire my urge to HOLLER and STOMP!"

Well, all right then. Ealom is joined by guitarist John Hill (who also moonlights in Apples In Stereo), along with Rob Greene on bass and Craig Gilbert on drums. A monster tour kicks off next week....

Dressy Bessy Tour Dates:

September:
9/13- Monolith Music Festival, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
9/19- Replay Lounge, Lawrence, KS
9/20- Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA   NOTE: 2 Shows, All Ages and 21+
9/21-  The Picador, Iowa City, IA
9/22- Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL
9/23- Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
9/24- Club Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
9/25- Arlene's Grocery, NY, NY
9/26- Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY
9/27- Talking Head, Baltimore, MD
9/28- T.T. The Bear's Place, Cambridge, MA
9/30- Black Cat (Backstage), Washington, DC

October:
10/1-  The Saint, Asbury Park. NJ
10/2-  941 Theater, Philadelphia, PA
10/3-  Charlottesville, VA
10/4-  Tin Roof, Charleston, SC
10/5-  Pirate's Cove, Myrtle Beach, SC
10/7-  Smith's Olde Bar, Atlanta, GA
10/9-  40 Watt Club, Athens, GA
10/10- The Nick, Birmingham, AL
10/11- The End, Nashville, TN (NOT w/Casper & The Cookies- supporting The Evangelicas)
10/12- Young Avenue Deli, Memphis, TN
10/14 - Sticky Fingerz, Little Rock, AR
10/15- Hailey's, Denton, TX
10/16- Emo's Lounge, Austin, TX
10/17- Opolis, Norman, OK
10/18- Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO  CD Release Show
 10/24- The Whole Music Club, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
10/25- The Cave, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
10/26- Draught Haus, Winona, MN
10/28- The Aquarium, Fargo, ND (supporting Blitzen Trapper)
10/29- The Turf Club, St. Paul, MN
10/30- Blue Devil Lounge, University of Wisconsin, Stout, Menomonie, WI
10/31- The Duck Room, St. Louis, MO

November:
11/1- The DuKum Inn, Kirksville, MO
11/2- Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL
11/5- Frankie's Inner-City, Toledo, OH
11/6- Bernie's, Columbus, OH
11/7- The Belmont, Detroit, MI

Notes from the bowels of the RNC, day 4.

By Ben Westhoff

What do John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen and Heart have in common? They all want the Republicans to stop using their goddamn songs at rallies. Ann and Nancy Wilson reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to the McCain campaign after the RNC rocked "Barracuda" at the Xcel center last night. Depriving the candidate of this associate will hurt; after all, like your typical barracuda McCain is a little less than six feet long, not very nimble, hunts via ambush and possesses powerful jaws. (Another problem is that "All I Want To Do Is Make Love To You," while a powerful pro-life statement, just doesn't get folks fired up.)

So, ‘70s and ‘80s rockers don't like McCain, but does anyone else? No one hanging around the Minnesota State Capitol for the RNC final-day protests, that's for sure. Lacking the numbers of earlier rallies, they nonetheless gamely fired themselves up around mid-afternoon, using songs, factually-inaccurate diatribes, and free crumbly cookies and bananas, the latter of which came in small, gooey segments. I ate one, and then twenty minutes later became convinced I'd been dosed with LSD. Briefly I contemplated an alternate universe tea party featuring Michele Bachman and that female protester over there (the one calling the surrounding riot cops "cowards"); the ladies ate cucumber sandwiches and discussed clean coal and wind power. (Matter of fact T. Boone Pickens was there too!)

I soon realized my dizziness was probably due to lingering tear gas in the atmosphere and not acid, and followed the now-moving protesters towards downtown. The group was redirected almost immediately, however, by a line of police aiming (tear gas?) guns directly at our brains. The mass swung west and walked along St. Anthony Avenue, before being cut off again by a dozen or so cops on horses. The now-flummoxed protesters decided to plant their rear ends in the road and wait the situation out. I wasn't exactly clear to their aims; perhaps this was a sit-in to protest Piper Palin's spit-shining her little brother's hair?

Eventually the tear gas and concussion bombs came out again, and everyone scattered. (You can read a more detailed account of the clash here, which also reports on the assault of a pair of City Pages reporters.) That meant it was time those of us with press passes -- approximately 1/3 of the crowd -- to head back to the convention center, where Cindy McCain was holding court. She made it clear why so many people are in awe of her husband; not because he was able to withstand torture in a Vietnamese prison camp for five and a half years, but because he was able to trade his old wife in for a new one who was not only much younger and blonder, but whose pops hooked him up with a VP job at his mammoth beer distributorship to boot.

I really dug the video montage introducing McCain, which detailed his time spent in the camp and included a black and white video of him smoking a cigarette with one of his broken arms. One of the main themes of the intro and his speech was how his time in capture made him a less selfish person. When Victor Charlie offered him early release because his father was an admiral he said, "Hell no. I want four more years of torture!"

Although this, like many aspects of his story, is hard to believe, it's fair to say his reputation as a political iconoclast is well deserved. He has succeeded in politics not despite, but because of, his ability to piss off people in his own party and occasionally buck popular opinion. In 2000 he nearly captured the Republican nomination by dissing Christian conservatives and championing campaign finance reform. In 2008 he won despite being against drilling in ANWR. Once sympathetic to him, Democrats now complain he's fallen in line with the Bush tax cuts and taken on a real barracuda, I mean pit bull, of a right-wing running mate, but it seems unlikely a McCain presidency would resemble a Bush presidency. Schwarzenegger's terms as governor come more to mind; like Arnold, McCain would inherit a Democrat-controlled congress, and, with his desire to be remembered trumping an already nebulous party affiliation, would likely set his sites on historic change.

Ah, "change." The key word in this election cycle, espoused by everyone from dogmatic leftists (Barack Obama) to reactionary Mormons (Mitt Romney) to members of the most powerful political families in America (Hillary Clinton). McCain used the word repeatedly in his acceptance speech, though since he was attempting to play to the crowd his proposed policies sounded like Republican business as usual - school choice, loosening trade restrictions and strengthening private health care. On the last issue McCain is surely on the wrong side of history; Americans think the current system sucks, and unless you're planning to blow it up, no one really cares about your plans to tweak it.

Only when he looked the right-wing faithful in the eye and told them things they didn't want to hear - about campaign finance reform, about environmentalism, about how the "Contract for America" Republicans lost their way ("We let Washington change us") -- did he give hints as to why he's been so successful. But it was too little, too late. John McCain's shtick plays best when he's ruffling feathers, but this speech felt like a Heart concert. Not like an ass-kicking 1977 show where the Wilson sisters get all "Crazy on You" at a small club, but like a sell-out, cash-in comeback show decades later, where they play "Barracuda" for the thousandth time, before a crowd that knows all the words.

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

7:00 AM CBS: The Early Show: Bryan Adams

9:00 AM Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Jonas Brothers

10:00 AM PBS: Sesame Street: Sugarland

12:00 PM BET: 106 & Park: Terrence Howard , Alicia Keys

4:00 PM Sundance: Follow My Voice: With the Music of Hedwig (2006)

4:30 PM Comedy Central: A Mighty Wind (2003)

9:00 PM ABC: CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock

 10:00 PM VH1C: Led Zeppelin: Live

11:30 PM Great American Country: Jerry Reed Tribute

11:30 PM PBS: Tavis Smiley: Ne-Yo

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Kardinal Offishall , Akon

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Lady Antebellum

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Bon Iver

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: Katy Perry

3:00 AM BBCA: The Graham Norton Show: The Kooks

For once, kids, DO try this at home - just not at concerts.

By Fred Mills

Sunday night at Toronto's V Festival, headliner Oasis had an incident during the middle of their set: as they played "Morning Glory" a member of the audience climbed onstage from the side, raced across to Noel Gallagher and shoved the guitarist to the ground.  Apparently Gallagher was not injured, however, for after a short delay, the band resumed playing. Security grabbed the assailant, who was later charged with assault on Gallagher. As of this writing he remains unidentified.

The two-day festival also included Saturday headliners Foo Fighters, plus Bloc Party, Paul Weller, Silversun Pickups, the Kooks, Weakerthans and others.

A fan in the audience captured the Gallagher incident on video and posted it to YouTube (below). Watch for it at about 1:30 into the clip.

And expect a rash of similar boneheaded acts to commence at a concert near you when mooks and their digi-cam wielding friends aim for their 15 minutes of YouTube fame....

Kids, don't try bootlegging a major label artist at home...

By Fred Mills

Amazon is premiering the new, previously unreleased Bob Dylan song and music video "Dreamin' of You" on www.amazon.com/music.  For the time being, Amazon gets the exclusive.

"Dreamin'of You" stars Harry Dean Stanton, and provides fans with a preview of Dylan's new album, "Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8," set for release on Oct. 7.

"The impact of Bob Dylan on popular music and American culture over the past half-century is incalculable. His talent for both singing and songwriting has inspired fans and fellow musicians alike," said Peter Faricy, vice president of music and movies at Amazon.com. "We are proud to provide our customers with this unique experience as part of our celebration of the Amazon Music Store's 10^th anniversary, and thrilled that our customers and Dylan fans have this extraordinary opportunity to get a first look at one of his newest songs."

Well, of course.

What's in those suitcases Stanton is toting? Is he running a bootleg operation out of his office? Don't normal folks like us get visited by the FBI for similar activities? Check out the video and find out for yourself!

Incidentally, whether due to a massive number of people trying to call up the Dylan vid or just a klunky video player, at the moment it takes ages for it to load, so make sure you bring a book or a magazine with you so you can have something to do while you wait....

Comin' to your town to help you party down...

By Fred Mills

Okay, okay... so she's not going Grand Funk Railroad on us. But with her new 4-song, 7" EP titled Marianne Nowottny & the All American Band, you would be excused thinking it (indie rock irony is at an all time low currently, so hey). What's even better, anyhow, is that the limited edition record - issued by Britain's Sad Gnome label and available Stateside through her regular label Abaton Book Company - is a more-than-credible followup to her recent full-length CD What Is She Doing? (Abaton), so you know you want it.

Here's what we had to say about the CD, back when we were just a little BLURT-ling named Harp magazine:

At 25, Marianne Nowottny is no longer the fluky teen prodigy who won raves for 1998's Afraid of Me. She has the same fluttering coo and fondness for ethereal synths, but here she inches her knack for drum programming towards dub and hip-hop. It'd come off kitschy if Nowottny hadn't grown so much as a songwriter in the past nine years. Beats slip from background to foreground as needed, Eastern influences abound, and there's a theatricality to her singing that she's admitted is learned from Tori Amos. The Hawaiian-tinged standout "All Over the World" is a lush ode to a cruise with her lover, whereas "Never Been in Love Before" and "I Don't Wanna Fight" find her resigned to an immaculate melancholy. Nowottny actually raps on the gurgling banger "Mr. So & So" but it's not long before she turns back to her wavering Casio and swooning sense of romance.

Well, all right then! So, for the new 4-songer, Nowottny (vocals, keys, percussion), along with guitarist Mark Dagley and bassist Stirling Krusing, rock the house with a platterful of twisted pop and discofied funk (and some grand-ly patterned funk it is). No less than LosingToday.com calls it "cleverly dippy and crookedly ablaze with an unhinged though crafted pop sensibility... trippy daydream hazes of crooked calypso corteges pepper-corned subtly with 80's [sic] string motifs into a softly stirring shanty like beauty... [morphing] sweetly into a smoking babe that draws its essence from the celebrated electro clash end of the musical spectrum." Yeah, hup! You can read the entire review and decide for yourself.

Or just take our advice and buy the damn record. And watch for a review in your friendly neighborhood BLURT.

New series gets off to good (musical) start...

By Fred Mills

Okay, so you watched the premiere of the new HBO series True Blood last night, right? Yeah, kinda cheesy in places... the sex scenes were pretty graphic though... But hey, any time you have a blood suckin' freak and a nubile young gal onscreen, that's rock ‘n' roll, right?

But we don't watch much TV. So what we actually wanted to know was the name of that minor-chord slice of swampy twang playing over the end credits - part vintage Fleetwood Mac, part Buddy & Julie Miller. Turns out it's called "Bones" by the country-folk outfit Little Big Town, and it was plucked from their 2005 album The Road To Here. The lyrics (copied below) pretty much sum up what was going on in the episode - scary!

As with The Sopranos, this new series appears set to have a fascinating soundtrack in the making. Other artists with music in various scenes during the premiere were Joseph Arthur, the Derailers and Dishwalla, plus Jace Everett, who's song "Bad Things" is the series' theme song - if the show takes off, it could do for him what The Sopranos did for Alabama3. The show's official website has helpfully started a page (complete with iTunes link no less) to make it simple for viewers to find out what music they hear in each episode.

This isn't the first time around for "Bones," by the way: it's been used by the CW series Supernatural. Following the lyrics, check out the video clip from that show, along with an AOL vid of the band doing it live on a soundstage.

"Bones" Lyrics:

What goes around comes around
Feel it breathin' down heavy on you
You made that bed you're layin' on
Deeds that you have done
Now you can't undo

You've got bones in your closet
You've got ghosts in your town
Ain't no doubt, dear,
They're gonna come out
They're waiting for the sun to go down
You can't hide from your demons
Feel them all lurking around
You're runnin' scared cause
You know they're out there
They're waiting for the sun to go down

It's a long and hard row to hoe
When seeds that you sow
Grow by the wicked moon
Be sure your sins will find you out
The past will hunt you down
And return to tell on you

You've got bones in your closet
You've got ghosts in your town
Ain't no doubt, dear,
They're gonna come out
They're waiting for the sun to go down
You can't hide from your demons
Feel them all lurking around
You're runnin' scared cause
You know they're out there
They're waiting for the sun to go down

Oh, it stands to reason
Every dog will have his day
Your day is leaving
Better hold on tight
Here comes the night

You've got bones in your closet
You've got ghosts in your town
Ain't no doubt, dear,
They're gonna come out
They're waiting for the sun to go down
(Waitin' for the sun to go down)
You can't hide from your demons
Feel them all lurking around
(They've got ya runnin')
You're runnin' scared cause
You know they're out there
They're waiting for the sun to go down

They're waiting for the sun to go down
Down
What goes around comes around
Feel it breathin' down heavy on you

Like the bastard child of Primus and Parliament-Funkadelic (with Guns N' Roses claiming to be the father....)

By Blurt Staff

Science Faxtion will have its Living On Another Frequency debut released by Mascot Records on October 28. The supergroup combines bassist Bootsy Collins-who, with James Brown in the 1960s and Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s, set the course of modern funk-with guitarist Buckethead (Guns N' Roses, Iggy Pop, Mike Patton, Les Claypool, Bernie Worrell, Serj Tankian, Tony Williams and Bill Laswell), drummer Brain (Primus, Tom Waits, Godflesh), and producer/singer/songwriter/guitarist Greg Hampton (Alice Cooper/Ron Wood, Rick Derringer, The Tubes, Jack Casady featuring Ivan Neville & Gov't Mule, Jorma Kaukenon, Little Feat).

The CD features an all-star cast, including contributions from rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy, Bernie Worrell and others. Although Hampton produced, sang lead, composed and played guitar on Living On Another Frequency, he also plays bass, drums, keyboards and percussion, and has performed every genre of music in his wide-ranging career from funk, hard rock, metal and pop to country.

"Originally, it was Bootsy," said Hampton, in a statement. "We were going to be referencing more of his oldschool and historical funk elements that we all grew up with. Then he had the epiphany of us doing a group project, having me sing and play guitar, and bringing in Buckethead and Brain. And DJ Botieus does a lot of programming. He's definitely a secret weapon."

Added Hampton, as a teaser, "It's like Audioslave-meets-Nine Inch Nails."

Well, all right then!

Track Listing

1) Sci-Fax Theme
2) Lookin' For Eden
3) At Any Cost
4) Chaos In Motion
5) Famous
6) L.O.A.F.
7) Gone Tomorrow
8) Life-IS IN-Deliver
9) Take You Down
10) What It Is
11) Fatally Flawed Flesh
12) I See Rockets
13) ZIONPLANET10

First in a series of four EPs the Danish band is releasing.

By Fred Mills

The Raveonettes have just announced a series of digital only EPs to be issued on Vice Music. They'll come out over the course of the next three months, leading off with a free remix EP today.

It's a departure from the band's signature glam/shoegaze sound as evidenced on the recent Lust Lust Lust album - they claim it and subsequent releases will "show off new, heretofore unknown creative angles of the group."

Three tracks from Lust Lust Lust, presented in radically different new versions, make up the EP, Japanese electro producer 80KIDZ, Alec Empire-conspirator Nic Endo, and Danish DJ Trentemøeller handling the knob-twiddling. You can nab ‘em HERE.

Tracklisting:

 
1. Dead Sound (80KIDZ remix)
2. Aly, Walk With Me (Nic Endo remix)
3. Lust (Trentemøeller Remix)

Following today's remix EP will be Sometimes They Drop By on September 23, with electronics that "indulge a deeper investment into the sampled beats and textures that have always lurked underneath their sound." According to a posting at the band's MySpace blog some elaboration was provided on the second EP, which was recorded in NYC, Copenhagen and L.A.: "It's an explosive mixture of electronic sounds and a tiny bit of guitar," writes the band. "It was a real blast making it and it also made us a tad nervous cause it's quite different from what we normally do, at least that's what we thought when we recorded it but after a while I see some similarities there, the drum beats, the vibe of the songs, the singing of course and just the overall feel"

Track Listing:

Way Out There
Sometimes They Drop By
Blood Red Leis
Vintage Future

 Two more EPs will follow on October 21 and November 25: the former's to be a "twist" on the band's familiar vibe, while the latter comprises Christmas tunes.

[Photo Credit: C. Davey Wilson]

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

7:00 AM CBS: The Early Show: Natalie Cole , Keith Urban

10:00 AM RAVE HD: Other Voices: Ryan Adams , Cathy Davey , The Crimea , Foy Vance

10:00 AM Sundance: Joe Strummer Let's Rock Again!

3:00 PM Encore Drama: Too Tough to Die: A Tribute to Johnny Ramone

3:30 PM Showtime Showcase: End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones

5:30 PM Showtime: All We Are Saying w/Chrissie Hynde , Peter Gabriel , Radiohead , David Crosby , Sheryl Crow , Elton John

7:00 PM VH1C: The U.S. vs. John Lennon

 9:00 PM CBS: Fashion Rocks w/Beyoncé , Justin Timberlake , Black Eyed Peas , Chris Brown , Kid Rock , Fergie

9:00 PM RAVE HD: From The Basement: Damien Rice , Autolux , eels , Architecture In Helsinki

11:30 PM IFC: Z Rock: John Popper

11:30 PM PBS: Tavis Smiley: Amos Lee

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Leona Lewis

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Tokio Hotel

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: Grizzly Bear

1:35 AM Starz Cinema: A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake

2:25 AM HBO: The Chris Rock Show: Method Man

Dance-pop darling helps out on slow news day.

By Fred Mills

It's probably not the smartest thing to do first thing in the morning when you log on to check the headlines in the British media, but there ya go: Kylie Minogue was quoted in this morning's The Sun as saying she's decided to become a lesbian.

Er, well, hold on there, all you hairy palmed fanboys. Before you break out the vegetable oil, that's not exactly what the singer said. Minogue, who in the article is characterized as "lonely Kylie Minogue" who just can't find a good man to give her what she's needin', reflects on film actress Tallulah Bankhead, who was bisexual but is very much deceased.

"I'd go gay for her," Minogue is quoted. "She was a fascinating and exotic woman. There was so much to admire about her. She lived life to the full, maybe a little too fully. I can't get a man so maybe I should cross over."

Well. That settles that. Quite. Glad we're keeping our quotes in context.

Funny how they are reporting this across the pond. The headlines don't even bother to accurately phrase the quote, reading, variously, "I'm considering going gay," "I might go gay," and "wants to turn lesbian." A fourth headline bears the very tantalizing phrase "triggers 20-year stampede," but apparently that refers to some ticket sales, not a libido rampage.

This has been a public announcement - with disco balls.

Justin Broadrick serves up his latest...

By Fred Mills

Justin Broadrick's mighty Jesu - extant since 2003 since Godflesh broke up - has been incredibly busy the past few months, issuing two split EPs, Jesu/Envy (in July) and Jesu/Battle of Mice (August). Prior to that were the vinyl editions of Heart Ache and Pale Sketches, and just this week, the Why Are We Not Perfect? EP arrived courtesy Hydra Head.

It's a bit more electronica-oriented than some of Jesu's previous guitar-thunder (there are some moments one could arguably describe as "pop," in fact), it's but no less intense and teeth-rattling. You can find out for yourself, in fact: Jesu is streaming the record in its entirety right now.

Just go HERE and check it out.

What's that about My Bloody Valentine, you say?

By Fred Mills

Here's the finalized sked for All Tomorrow's Parties New York, which as you probably know by now takes place next weekend, Sept. 19-21, in Monticello, NY (about 90 mins from the City).

As you probably also know this will markd the first time My Bloody Valentine has played the U.S. in 16 years - BLURT can personally testify that when we saw MBV perform with Dinosaur Jr and Superchunk in Chapel Hill back in the early ‘90s, it was the most mind-expanding aural assault we'd experienced since Black Sabbath and Deep Purple sharing a bill a couple of decades prior. And our ears rang for days afterward. So be forewarned, punters.

There are still 3-day passes available for the event: go to www.atpfestival.com for details.

FRIDAY 19TH SEPT - DON'T LOOK BACK

STAGE 1

BUILT TO SPILL - 11.20PM - 12.50AM

THURSTON MOORE - 9.15PM - 10.30PM

TORTOISE - 7.45PM - 8.45PM

MEAT PUPPETS - 6.00PM - 7.00PM

BARDO POND - 4.30PM - 5.30PM

STAGE 2

PATTON OSWALT - 10.30pm - 11.15pm

EUGENE MIRMAN - 10pm 10.25pm

MARIA BAMFORD - 9.30pm -9.55pm

JOE DeROSA - 9.00pm - 9.25pm

SATURDAY 20TH SEPT - CURATED BY ATP

STAGE 1

LIGHTING BOLT - 12.45am - 1.30am

SHELLAC 11.30PM - 12.30AM

LES SAVY FAV 10PM - 11PM

POLVO 8.45PM - 9.30PM

AUTOLUX 7.30PM - 8.15PM

EDAN with Guest Dagha 6.05PM - 7PM

FUCK BUTTONS 4.45PM - 5.35PM

THE DRONES 3.30PM - 4.15PM

APSE 2.15PM - 3PM

STAGE 2

THEE SILVER MOUNT ZION 9.45PM - 11.15PM

LOW 8.00PM - 9.00PM

OM 6.45PM - 7.30PM

HARMONIA 5.30PM - 6.15PM

WOODEN SHJIPS 4.15PM - 5.00PM

GROWING 3.00PM - 3.45PM

ALEXANDER TUCKER 1.30PM - 2.15PM

SUNDAY 21ST SEPT - CURATED BY MY BLOODY VALENTINE

STAGE 1

MY BLOODY VALENTINE - 12am - 1.30am

DINOSAUR JR - 10.00pm - 11.00pm

MOGWAI - 8.15pm - 9.15pm

YO LA TENGO - 6.45pm - 7.30pm

MERCURY REV - 5.30pm - 6.15pm

EPMD - 4.15pm - 5.00pm

ROBIN GUTHRIE - 3.00pm - 3.45pm

STAGE 2

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE - 10.45pm - 11.45pm

BOB MOULD - 9.15pm - 10.00pm

TRAIL OF DEAD - 7.30pm - 8.15pm

SPECTRUM - 6.00pm - 6.45pm

GEMMA HAYES - 4.45pm - 5.30pm

LILYS - 3.30pm - 4.15pm

WOUNDED KNEES - 2.15pm - 3.00pm

LE VOLUME COURBE - 1.00pm - 1.45pm

And BLURT reviews their latest record, too!

By Fred Mills

Matador Records has announced that Sonic Youth has signed with the label for their next studio album due "sometime in 2009." The band had completed their long-running relationship with Geffen Records but, for reasons known only to the band and Geffen, the two decided to part company. (Pundits speculate, quite naturally, that the changing face of the record industry and at the Universal label group in particular meant that it wasn't the same Geffen that the band signed with in the early ‘90s.)

In a posting to Matador's matablog this morning, label head honcho Gerard Cosloy confirmed what had previously been rumored (partly thanks to guitarist Thurston Moore alluding to the matter in interviews).

Here's what Cosloy had to say:

After rampant speculation, Matador Records can confirm the label will be releasing a new studio album from Sonic Youth sometime in 2009. Having fulfilled their contractual obligations to the Universal Music Group, Sonic Youth recently reached an agreement with Matador to release the band's 16th album of new material in all worldwide territories, save for Japan.

While Sonic Youth's status as one of the more innovative and influential bands of the past 30 years needs little explanation, the group's most recent recordings for Geffen - 2006's ‘Rather Ripped' being their final for the label - rank amongst the current decade's best.

For Matador, the opportunity to work in partnership with a group who've made such an profound impact on our roster/hometown/collective consciousness was one to jump at.   Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley will commence recording the new Sonic Youth LP/CD this autumn and we look forward to sharing further details in the very near future.

Meanwhile, check out BLURT's review of the new Sonic Youth EP, self-released by the band, HERE.

Or, if you are so inclined, you can read BLURT's reviews of the last two Sonic Youth EPs HERE.

So what the hell is on Sarah Barracuda's iPod these days, anyhow? Oh yeah, that's right - Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher."

By Fred Mills

As we told you last week in this space, the John McSame-Sarah Van Palen campaign tapped rock band Heart's song "Barracuda" for, apparently, the aspiring Veep's theme music - word has it that the Alaska governor had  nickname of "Sarah Barracuda" when she was a hotshot basketball player in high school.

Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson were neither flattered nor amused and requested that the G.O.P. not use their song again.

Not long afterwards, Heart guitarist Roger Fisher also weighed in on the matter with a statement via his official mailing list:

As many of you have heard, there is a controversy regarding the use of the Heart song Barracuda by the McCain/Palin campaign.

I want it to be clear that, while I think using Barracuda was a feather in the cap for the McCain/Palin campaign, I STRONGLY ENDORSE OBAMA/BIDEN, and will donate a portion of royalties received from the Rebublican Convention Broadcast playing of Barracuda to the BARACK OBAMA campaign.

It is indicative of a gross lack of discretion on the Republican Party's part to make it appear that the musicians involved with Barracuda support McCain/Palin. This is wrong and Heart deserves a public apology from the McCain/Palin campaign.

I applaud you, Ann and Nancy Wilson!

Roger Fisher

Needless to say, there was no apology forthcoming. And now, to add insult to injury, it turns out that the song was used yet AGAIN at a campaign rally this morning in Lebanon, Ohio.

Meanwhile, the message boards at CNN.com lit up after the news portal posted the story this morning. Read it HERE and then scroll down to view the comments, which range from "you go, Sarah Barracuda!" to "she should be called Sarah Pirahana" [sic] to "With something as simple as a song, if they cannot respect Heart's wishes what would make the American people think that they would respect their wishes." to "Dear McCain / Palin, Please stop playing Barracuda. It was, and is, a terrible song."

Whoops! Sorry about that last one, Wilsons.

Believe it or not, Republicans masturbate too.

By Fred Mills

Whoops! Sorry about that headline. It's a misprint. We meant EDDIE VAN HALEN!!!

But hey, each time we hear the aspiring Veep's name mentioned on the radio or TV, we can't help thinking about our fave rock group Van Halen. And each time we see yet another photo of Sarah Barracuda rockin' that prim-but-sexy-teacher image, we can't help but thinking of our fave Van Halen video, "Hot For Teacher."

Ergo, see below. Apologies for the poor dubbing.

Meanwhile, we also think you should read what the great Gloria Steinem had to say about John McSame's choice of running mate last week. Check out her editorial in the Los Angeles. Times HERE. In all seriousness, this campaign's no laughing matter.

Famed actor-director gets his musical mojo working once more.

By Fred Mills

Actor/director/artist/musician Vincent Gallo is taking hit band RRIICCEE on the road again for a couple of weeks, starting Sept. 24 in New York. Who or what is RRIICCEE, you ask? For starters, you can consult the group's official website or its MySpace page to get the scoop on Gallo and co-conspirators Nikolai and Simon Haas.

Not that Gallo needs any introduction: he's behind the films Buffalo 66 and The Brown Bunny and has released two solo albums on Warp Records, and at one point he also collaborated with the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in the New York no-wave musical group Gray. 

According to the RRIICCEE camp, the group conceives itself as "a spontaneous collective between the musicians and exhibit's the creation of composition within a live performance.  For all appearances, the outfit does not perform pre-written music and is not limited to the boundaries of one specific musical genre." You may recall that BLURT's immediate predecessor, Harp magazine, ran a story on RRIICCEE back in our Jan/Feb issue. In it, Gallo was asked the significance of the band name, to which he replied, succinctly, "RRIICCEE doesn't stand for anything. The whole concept was to make something that was free of something so small minded as standing for something. I mean, how much profound vision can one person have that they can actually name themselves something that would carry out half their small experience at that time?"

So there you have it.

Perversely, the group has neither any extant recordings nor plans do a commercial release, so your only way to experience it is in the live setting.   At the present time, RRIICCEE has no recorded music and has no plans on recording a commercial release. 

Tour Dates:

September 24^th New York, NY Hiro Ballroom

September 25^th Buffalo, NY Soundlab

September 26^th Pittsburgh, PA Garfield Artworks

September 27^th Pontiac, MI The Crofoot Ballroom

September 28^th Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom

September 29^th Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall

September 30^th St. Paul, MN Turf Club

October 3^rd Portland, OR Mission Theater

October 5^th Santa Barbara, CA SOHO

McCain campaign undecided on whether to tap Snoop anthem "Bitch Please" for new Sarah Palin theme music...

By Blurt Staff

Capitol/Priority will release N.W.A And Their Family Tree on September 30.  The new CD and digital collection features a cross-section of 18 key tracks by the pioneering gangsta rap group and its founders, plus Mack 10, Westside Connection, Snoop Dogg, and other N.W.A-inspired artists. Full tracklisting can be found below.

Then on October 3 at 11pm ET/PT, VH1 will premiere a new 90-minute Rock Doc, "N.W.A: The World's Most Dangerous Group." The documentary features new interviews with Ice Cube, DJ Yella, Eazy-E's widow Tomica Woods-Wright, former manager Jerry Heller, Ice-T, journalist Cheo Coker, and director John Singleton.  Supplemented by rarely-seen footage and interviews from the group's early days, photos, and music, the documentary illustrates how gangsta rap exploded from late ‘80s Los Angeles, a city torn by drugs and violence, and how America responded.

In case you need to be brought up to speed, here's a handy précis on the group, courtesy the record label. (What, did you sleep through the nineties?)

Two decades have passed since N.W.A rocketed Straight Outta Compton to multi-platinum success, worldwide acclaim and notoriety as rap music's most powerful force, redefining forever the boundaries of popular music. In the course of little more than three years, N.W.A's Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and Yella reached unprecedented gangsta superstardom with their no-holds-barred missives from Los Angeles' toughest streets.

Defining the style that came to be known as gangsta rap, N.W.A propelled the genre into an expanded musical realm and topped the charts with their own challenging and illuminating style of rhymes, unprecedented in their brutal reality, over complex, funk-fueled tracks. "The World's Most Dangerous Group" played a key role in mapping rap music's trajectory and spawned three of the most important figures in gangsta rap's evolution: the late rapper and entrepreneur Eazy-E, street lyricist extraordinaire Ice Cube and mega-producer Dr. Dre.

1.   Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A

2.   Boyz-N-The Hood - N.W.A featuring Eazy-E

3.   Dopeman - N.W.A

4.   Fuck Tha Police - N.W.A

5.   We Want Eazy - Eazy-E

6.   Express Yourself - N.W.A

7.   It Was A Good Day - Ice Cube

8.   V.S.O.P. - Above The Law

9.   You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo - Yo-Yo featuring Ice Cube

10.  Foe Life - Mack 10

11.  It's Funky Enough - The D.O.C.

12.  Final Frontier - MC Ren

13.  Regulate - Warren G. & Nate Dogg

14.  Bow Down - Westside Connection

15.  Bitch Please - Snoop Dogg featuring Xzibit

16.  Gangstas Make The World Go ‘Round - Westside Connection

17.  Lay Low - Snoop Dogg featuring Master P, Nate Dogg, Butch Cassidy & The Eastsidaz

18.  We Be Puttin' It Down - Bad Azz featuring Snoop Dogg

Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys and John Lennon’s Imagine to join Radiohead, Coldplay, R.E.M. titles.

By Blurt Staff

Soon after Capitol/EMI’s initial “From the Capitol Vaults” salvo of limited-edition vinyl reissues by R.E.M., Radiohead, The Beach Boys, Coldplay, A Perfect Circle, and the Steve Miller Band comes a second shot: On September 30, the label will release John Lennon’s Imagine and Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys. Both titles will be on 180-gram vinyl with original artwork and packaging—“true to their original single or gatefold jacket LP releases”—but Hendrix is getting pressed on “fiery red” wax. Nice.

Capitol/EMI debuted the reissues campaign last week with 13 titles: A Perfect Circle’s Mer de Noms, The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, Coldplay’s Parachutes, A Rush Of Blood To The Head, and X&Y, Radiohead’s Pablo Honey, The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A (two 10” 140-gram LPs), Amnesiac (two 10” 140-gram LPs), and Hail To The Thief, R.E.M.’s Document, and Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits 1974-78. Capitol/EMI promises more releases in the near future. For more information, visit http://fromthecapitolvaults.com.

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

9:00 AM Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Sugarland

2:00 PM FUSE: Steven's Untitled Rock Show: Underoath

2:30 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit: Darkest Hour

4:00 PM Rave HD Concerts: Warren Haynes - The Benefit Concert 2006

5:30 PM VH1C: VH1 Rock Honors: The Who (2008)

6:00 PM Ovation: Elvis '56

7:00 PM RAVE HD: Other Voices: Daniel Lanois , Kate Walsh , Super Furry Animals , Sons & Daughters

7:30 PM VH1C: Heart: Dreamboat Annie

9:00 PM BET: Hustle & Flow (2005)

10:00 PM PLD HD: Rothbury 2008: Dave Matthews Band , Snoop Dogg , John Mayer , Widespread Panic , Rodrigo y Gabriela , Primus

11:30 PM FUSE: d'fused: Slipknot "Psychosocial"

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Al Green

12:00 AM VH1C: Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Gym Class Heroes , 50 Cent

12:37 AM CBS: The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Alice Cooper

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: P.O.D.

London celebrates, rest of planet snoozes....

By Fred Mills

In a triumph for provincialism and inscrutability, Elbow's recent album The Seldom Seen Kid was awarded the Nationwide Mercury Prize last night in a ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. Journalists and fans were left scratching their heads when neither Radiohead's In Rainbows and Plant & Krauss' Raising Sand were announced as the winner; both those records are massive international hits, whereas the Elbow record has only gotten middling attention from the public at large - although, admittedly, those who have heard the record have generally been favorable towards it. (Read our review HERE.)

According to Britain's NME a visibly shocked Elbow took the stage to receive their award and vocalist Guy Garvey said, "Thank you very much. I'd like to thank all the players we've been with since day one, including Phil Chadwick, our manager.This is the best thing that's ever happened to us. We'd like to dedicate this award to Brian Glancy, one of the greatest men who ever lived. Thank you very much and have a top evening!"

(Brian Glancy is a friend of the band who passed away; the album title refers to him.)

And as with last year, the Mercury Prize is once again rendered irrelevant. You remember last year's winner, right? What? Think hard. It'll come to you. Here's a hint: it was the Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future. There. Don't you feel better? What? You say you never heard of the Klaxons? Us neither!

2008 Mercury Prize Nominees:

Adele - 19
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial - Untrue
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Estelle - Shine
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Portico Quartet - Knee-Deep In The North Sea
Robert Plant And Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Rachel Unthank And The Winterset - The Bairns

Prompts run on vegetable oil in supermarkets across the globe...

By Fred Mills

Barely hours after pop singer Kylie Minogue shocked journalists and sparked the imaginations of onanists worldwide with her so-called desire to become a lesbian, Minogue's younger sister Danni - also a singer, also with extremely good genes, albeit not the sharpest scythe in the Minogue family toolshed - has created a similar stir.

In an, er, naked bid to grab some of the news cycle away from her more popular sis, Danni Minogue has announced - no, not that she would like to "go gay" because she's already had her own "gay moment" when she filmed a video of "Everlasting Night" for a Gay Pride event eight years ago, leading to rampant speculation (and YouTube infamy) that she was a lesbian - that she would like to pose nude for Playboy. This would, in fact, mark the second time to the Hef well for Minogue (actually, she seems receptive to dropping trou for any trained chimp who knows how to spread Vaseline on a lens properly, as evidenced BELOW or via a quick Internet search); the 36-year old previously bared all 13 years ago.

Speaking to British magazine New!, the sometimes-brunette/sometimes-blonde Minogue said, "I did Playboy when it was cool and I shocked myself and many others, but it was liberating at the time. I would I do it again. If the money was right, then sure. Who knows, it might happen this year, too."

Minogue elaborated, citing her then-recent marriage breakup with actor Julian McMahon as the catalyst. "I had just had a marriage break-up. Most women go to the hairdressers - I did Playboy. I chose the photographer, the location, what I did or didn't want to wear and everything else about the pictures. I found it a really liberating, empowering experience."

Christ. How do folks get these kinds of quotes from celebrities anyhow? As with the Kylie-Tallulah Bankhead-lesbian comments, was that, like, the entirety of the interview? Does Danni have a new record coming out or something?

Kinda like the Beach Boys, only French Kicks...

By Blurt Staff

Brooklyn's French Kicks will be releasing a 4 song digital EP of cover tunes, aptly titled Covers EP (Vagrant) on Sept. 23. It will feature songs made originally popular by the Ramones, Lindsey Buckingham, the Zombies and the Shirelles.

"We've always loved the Beach Boys' Party! record where the Beach Boys went into a studio room with some friends and played really loose and live, mainly cover songs, and then put it out," said Nick Stumpf, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, in a statement. "We don't have any friends, in this case, but the spirit is the same.  With the exception of "Trouble," which was recorded at the same time as the songs on the record and has overdubs, everything is completely live, and a few we figured out how to play on the spot just before we recorded them.

Track Listing:

"Trouble" (originally by Lindsey Buckingham)

"Questioningly" (originally by The Ramones)

"Carolina Goodbye" (originally by The Zombies)

"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" (originally by The Shirelles/written by Carole King)

Tour Dates:

Sep 16 - Montreal, QC @ Il Motore 

Sep 17 - Toronto, ON @ The Horseshoe

Sep 18 - Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room

Sep 19 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door

Sep 20 - St. Louis, MO @ PLAY:stl Festival (Blueberry Hill Duck Room)

Sep 22 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House

Sep 23 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theatre 

Sep 24 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

REM. guitarist’s beloved Rickenbacker guitar swiped after show.

By Randy Harward

The BBC reports that REM guitarist Peter Buck’s trusty Rickenbacker—which he’s used live and in the studio since the band’s 1982 debut EP Chronic Town—was stolen after a show in Helsinki, Finland. And get this: it was taken from the stage.

Now we all know those Fins be thuggin’ for real—nay, for riz-eal—but come on, man. Unlike wispy Michael Stipe, Buck is a feisty dude (‘shpeshully after fifteen refillsh of wine—jusht ashk British Airwaysh) and you’d think REM could afford better security.

“Needless to say, this instrument means a great deal to Peter and to REM,” the band said in a statement. “It is our sincere hope that whoever is responsible for the loss, or whoever has information which can help recover the guitar, will come forward to receive a generous reward, no questions asked.”

Hopefully it’s a better reward than what Iron Maiden offered last month when Adrian Smith’s guitar was taken after a concert in Athens. The metal legends offered a signed tour jacket and a letter of thanks from Smith. Where’s the cash, guys? Or at least an opportunity to watch the show from a VIP suite in one of Eddie’s eyes?

Oh man, that’d be awesome.

This one's for the ladies... the guys already got that nude photo of Danni Minogue...

By Fred Mills

Once upon a time Devendra Banhart was posing in drag for the camera for a Harp magazine cover story, so we at BLURT are happy to bring our erstwhile Harp file up to date with the latest Banhart news ‘n' nudes. Mark your calendars for Sept. 16 and Oct. 7 (that's digital vs. physical) releases of his new project.

He's billing it Megapuss - Banhart and Greg Rogove, of Priestbird, with assists from Banhart pal and Strokes drummer Fab Moretti - and the album is titled Surfing (Vapor Records). There are no real details disclosed yet other than the date and title, although you can go to the Megapuss MySpace page to check out a couple of songs, "Adam and Steve" and "Crop Circle Jerk ‘94". Both have a kind of lounge/worldbeat vibe with elements of lo-fi guitar twang and muted trumpet snaking around in the mix.

The band will do scattered touring as well, starting with a weeklong West Coast trek in a couple of weeks.

9-24 San Diego, CA - Casbah
9-25 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
9-26-27 Big Sur, CA - Festival in the Forest
9-28 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
9-30 Seattle, WA - Neumos
10-01 Portland, OR - Doug Fir

Get those SonicBids accounts fired up pronto, aspiring Moogsters...

By Blurt Staff

Back in June we brought you THIS STORY about the late, great synthesizer pioneer and inventor Robert Moog. Now comes word of Moogfest 2008, which will take place Monday, October 13th at the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center in New York City.  A stellar lineup of top Moog users will gather for an evening of ground-shaking music to honor Bob Moog and commemorate his groundbreaking achievements.

"This is our fifth year presenting this tribute to Bob and we're excited about moving to The Hammerstein, which is more than twice as large as our previous venue," said Mike Adams, Moog Music President.  "Every year the artists who play at Moogfest tell us what a fun event it is, and as a result we have been privy to many fine performances.  This year's lineup and our annual ' Bob Tribute' award will make for another fantastic evening for music fans."

Moogfest 2008 will also feature Moog Music's transforming new instrument, The Moog Guitar.

Performers scheduled to participate include Umphrey's McGee, Eric McFadden Trio, Bernie Worrell (P-Funk), Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits), Jamie Shields (The New Deal), Joe Russo (Benevento/Russo) and others.

Moogfest 2008 offers an opportunity for artists to play alongside the world's leading Moog players.  Entry submissions should be made by September 10; artists selected will be compensated an amount to be determined based on draw, experience, etc. For more information visit www.sonicbids.com/Moogfest .

For more information on Moogfest 2008, visit www.moogfest.com .

[Pictured: the late Robert Moog at his workbench; photo courtesy of Moog Foundation]

Collaborator with Bjork, Gabriel, Eno and many others will be missed.

By Fred Mills

Innovative French composer-musician Hector Zazou died yesterday (September 8) in a French hospital from unspecified causes. Apparently he'd been battling an illness for sometime, but there's no word just yet what it was; after falling more seriously ill earlier this year he had to cancel a number of dates that had been scheduled for the summer.

 Zazou, who'd collaborated with everyone from Bjork, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, John Cale, David Sylvian and Siouxsie Sioux, was 60. A spokesperson from his record label Crammed, says: "He will be hugely missed." A post at his MySpace page read thusly:

WE ARE VERY SAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT HECTOR ZAZOU PASSED AWAY ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 8TH.
AN AMAZING MUSICIAN IS GONE, AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN IS GONE.

Born in Algeria in 1948 of French and Spanish parents, Zazou was known as a innovator in multiple realms - classical and avant-garde, worldbeat and electronica, and - as evidenced by that list of musicians, above - rock. Earlier this year he released Corps électriques while due later this year is In The House of Mirrors, a collaboration with Indian-Uzbekestani outfit Swara.

To hear some of Zazou's entrancing music, including previews of the Mirrors album, go to his MySpace page.

Firsthand account of Toronto incident where Noel Gallagher got assaulted.

By Kyle Gustafson

[Editor's note: Author Gustafson was at the Oasis show Sept. 7 in Toronto when guitarist Noel Gallagher was knocked over by an assailant. He reported back to BLURT on what he saw (and had the pictures to prove it). Since then the man who hit Gallagher, 47-year old Daniel Sullivan, has been charged with assault by Toronto police, and Oasis had to cancel their following show, originally scheduled for Sept. 9 in London, Ontario, while Gallagher recovers from his injuries.]

When I booked my trip to Canada to see Oasis play the Toronto Edition of the Virgin Mobile Festival, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I just wanted to hear my favorite band sprinkle in some new tunes while playing some of their classic stadium anthems to 20,000+ people and see how many times people actually said "Mad fer it" over the course of the day.

Sunday had actually been full of stress and intrigue for me.  Rumors were flying backstage as to what was going to happen during Oasis' set.  Among other things, Brad Pitt was supposedly going to come out and introduce the band to the crowd (he was in town for the Toronto International Film Festival) and Paul Weller was allegedly scheduled to make an appearance when the band played "Champagne Supernova" (The Modfather played lead guitar and sang backing vocals on the recorded version).  Sadly, neither ended up happening. All the photogs covering the festival were worried they weren't going to be allowed to shoot the band from the photo pit when the time came, and, as it turns out, most weren't. Including me.

A few of us decided to make our way into the crowd and hope to get a good spot from there to shoot the show, but after wading into the sea of fans, we quickly found out how pointless that was, so we headed back to the VIP/Media area-which was on an incline and therefore had a better view of the stage-to drown our sorrows at the backstage bar.

The band hit the stage shortly after their allotted 9:10 stage time and started in on the same set they've been playing on this tour.  They were in good but not great form, but for someone that hadn't seen them in over three years, they sounded heavenly. Liam was at his menacingly best, but the new drummer still has some kinks to work out. Liquor drinks were consumed, choruses were sung along to and every once in a while I would take out my zoom lens and take a photo or two, hoping to get something passable for my own personal collection, even though I was a few hundred feet away. I had flown all the way up to Canada to shoot the band and after being denied the opportunity by the band's management, I figured I would at least get something for my troubles.

The lighting was alternating between deep blue to bright white when they started "Morning Glory" so I raised my camera and took aim through the viewfinder, trying to get a few shots when the light turned white.  And then that's when I saw him.  Some crazed punter emerging from the back of the stage, heading straight towards Noel.  He had both of his arms extended and gave Noel a mighty push from behind.  I couldn't really believe what was happening as it was unfolding, but luckily I remembered to hit the shutter button while it played out.  Noel landed in the monitors in front of him with a loud thud as the punter turned attacker turned to go after Liam.  Liam didn't seem to be aware of what was going on, but security jumped on the assailant before he could cause any further chaos.

Needless to say, the crowd, at least those around me, were in complete and utter shock.  Noel got up, holding his back, and walked off under his own power.  Liam was chasing after the guards, trying to get a lick or two in I guess, and the rest of the band quickly left the stage. After a short time, someone affiliated with the festival came onstage and said the band would return in five minutes.  This turned out to be true, as Noel and company walked back on stage to huge, thundering applause. 

Strangely, neither Noel nor Liam mentioned anything about the event that just transpired in front of their fans.   I assume Noel was just putting his head down to try and get through the gig, which he and the band did, cutting two songs - "Ain't Got Nothing" and "Champagne Supernova."

Noel actually sang lead on three of the remaining six songs in the set, including the new tune "Falling Down" (oh, the irony) and the most memorable version of "Don't Look Back In Anger" (a song I don't much care for) that I have ever heard.  But sadly, the gig's momentum had been lost and everyone's mind was on the attack.  How did the intruder gain access to the stage?  What if he had had a knife? Was Noel alright? Did security beat the shit out of that guy or what?  How many people (both festival and band security) would lose their jobs over this? What about the last two gigs of the tour?

Noel left the stage quickly at the end of "I Am The Walrus," one can only wonder what went down backstage as the crowd slowly made their ways to the ferries that would take them back to Toronto proper.  All I can say for sure is that he has my eternal respect for finishing the gig. 

[Kyle Gustafson is a freelance photographer living in Washington, D.C. See his work on the web at the contacts below.]

Writer - http://www.informationleafblower.com/blog/
Editor - http://www.dcist.com/
Photographer - http://www.photokyle.com
Tumblr - http://leafblower.tumblr.com/

Rapper busts CAPS, defends herself against accusations of terrorist sympathy.

By Blurt Staff

In response to recent criticism and accusations of terrorist sympathies, rapper M.I.A. has come out fighting. On her MySpace blog, she hits the CAPS lock and starts blasting, giving direct, no-nonsense answers to questions about why she left Sri Lanka and putting those who insist on perpetuating the rumors—and, ostensibly, even ask about them—on notice:  

“FUCK YOU TO ALL THESE EVIL PEOPLE TWISTING THE TRUTH. YOU DONT SPEAK FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN SPEAK FOR MY SELF.”

The criticism stems from M.I.A.’s father’s membership in the Black Tiger wing of the Sri Lankan separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). Her father, Arular Arulpragasam, told the Asian Tribune that his daughter does not support the group, saying, “She is not alone in this. She has an army of people behind her and she will deal with this matter in a manner she deems fit. This issue has been taken up and dealt with two years ago and the matter referred to are outdated.”

The Asian Tribune article goes on to say that, in a letter to her father, M.I.A. says, “It’s good to have the facts on file” and that she believes the accusations come from another Sri Lankan rapper, DeLon, who “wants to promote himself and sell t-shirts on the back of my song.” DeLon made his statements against M.I.A. in a recent diss track.

M.I.A. closes her post—which you can read below—by saying, “EVERYTHING IN ME WAS KILLED BUT MY ART IS NOT DEAD!”

It is, after all, about the music. And the clothing line.

***********

MY DAUGHTER THE TERRORIST

I CAME ACROSS THIS MOVIE TODAY ,


http://www.snitt.no/mdtt/prints/movie.htm


http://www.oslodocs.com/product_pages/my_daughter_product.html

I HAVE JUST ORERED IT SO I HAVENT SEEN IT YET , BUT WITH SO MANY ONE SIDED VIEWS IN THIS WORLD IT IS ONLY FAIR WE STAY EDUCATED AND EXPOSE OURSELVES TO ALL OPINIONS. I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE BECAUSE
1. NO ONE HAS EVER ACCESSED THE AREAS THIS FILM WAS MADE IN, AND I ACTUALLY DONT KNOW HOW THESE PEOPLE LIVE.

2. ANY EUROPEAN JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE ACCESSED THIS AREA , WHO INVESTIGATED THE TRUTH, HAVE BEEN SHOT DEAD BY THE GOVERNMENT, IN A BID TO KEEP THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE ONE SIDED .

3. I FOUND THIS STORY
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12934...

READING THE COMMENTS MADE ME WANT TO SPEAK OUT. BUT I WAS DENIED ACESS TO MAKE COMMENTS, ONLY THE WELL CONNECTED INSIDERS ARE ALLOWED TO COMMENT AND THIS IS THE CASE WITH SO MANY OF THESE BLOGS TALKING SHIT ABOUT ME. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TELL THE TRUTH, AND SET THE FACTS STRAIGHT. SO HERE IS THE COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE!

THE TRUTH TO WHY I LEFT TO SRILANKA WAS ...
A. I COULD , I WAS BORN IN LONDON.

B. EVERY TOWN AND VILLAGE MY MOTHER TOOK US TO WOULD GET BURNED DOWN BY THE ARMY. IN THE END EVEN THE TAMILS WOULDN'T LET US STAY THERE AND AFTER MY SCHOOL WAS SET ON FIRE BY THE ARMY, I HAD NOTHING TO DO THERE, AND WAS REALLY FUCKING BOARD.

C. FUCK YOU TO ALL THESE EVIL PEOPLE TWISTING THE TRUTH. YOU DONT SPEAK FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN SPEAK FOR MY SELF.

D.WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO BE A TAMIL OR A LTTE SUPPORTER TO KNOW THAT BURNING DOWN A SCHOOL WITH 800 KIDS IN THE NAME OF FIGHTING TERRORISM IS NOT COOL. I AM NOT A LTTE SUPPORTER. I WAS JUST AN 8 YEAR OLD THAT DIDNT GET KILLED ON THAT DAY, THATS ALL. I'M A MUSICIAN WHO DOESNT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE MUSIC PRESS.


THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HEARING THIS

EVERYTHING IN ME WAS KILLED BUT MY ART IS NOT DEAD!

i love you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx m.i.a

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

7:00 AM NBC:  Today: Chubby Checker , Natalie Cole

8:00 AM TVONE: Tom Joyner Sky Show: Al Green

9:00 AM The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Leona Lewis

11:00 AM ABC: The View: Jessica Simpson

12:00 PM PLD HD: CMT Crossroads: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

2:30 PM MOJO: London Live!: Girls Aloud , The Game , Howling Bells , The New York Dolls

6:00 PM VH1C: NY77: The Coolest Year In Hell w/The Jimmy Castor Bunch , Gloria

Gaynor , Chic , The Ramones , Richard Hell , Blondie

6:00 PM Ovation: Live from the Artists Den: The Swell Season

8:00 PM TMC: Prey for Rock & Roll (2003)

9:00 PM Biography: Ellvis: Return to Tupelo

10:00 PM Ovation: Elvis Costello & the Imposters: Club Date

11:30 PM PBS: Tavis Smiley: Carole King

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Alejandro Escovedo

11:35 PM CBS: The Late Show With David Letterman: Jessica Simpson

12:00 AM FUEL: The Daily Habit: Langhorne Slim

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Glen Campbell

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Meiko

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: Cloud Cult

2:00 AM FUEL: Check 1, 2: Valient Thorr

[Pictured: Top, Alejandro Escovedo (photo by Andy Tennille; bottom, Valient Thorr]

New album arrives October 14.

By Blurt Staff

 BLURT blogger Todd Snider, whose new EP Peace Queer, drops Oct. 14 (Aimless Records), will join NPR's Mountain Stage's "Moving the Mountain" tour for three shows this October. After a successful tour in 2007, the legendary live music radio program takes to the road again this fall with stops in Harrisburg, PA, Glenside, PA

(Philadelphia) and New York City.

Snider has been a guest on the program seven times since he released his debut record "Songs for the Daily Planet" in 1994. On his choice to bring Snider along for the tour, host Larry Groce noted, in a statement, "Todd Snider first came on the Mountain Stage in

1995 and we've been fans of his ever since. We admire how he goes about this business- he's fiercely independent, cleverly topical and can be very funny sometimes which is no easy task by itself. We're thrilled he's agreed to come onboard as a re-occurring guest on this series of road-shows."

Snider returned the compliment, saying "I love playing Mountain Stage. It is great to be able to share my work with their audience and be a part of an institution that not only believes in the power of live music, but they live it and promote it themselves. I am grateful for the opportunity to 'move the mountain' with them this fall and share the stage with some great people along the way."

Of the record itself, Snider describes it as a "song cycle, starting with a song called 'Mission Accomplished.' In six sentences, the record goes like this: Here's the kid being told everything's going to be great. Here's the reality of that. Here's that kid when he comes home a sad and banged-up and angry 'winner.' Here's the breakdown of why I think that's happening. Here's the guy in our culture that I think is causing that to happen, and it's not a president. And then here's what I think is going to happen to that guy. And then we roll credits."

Peace Queer' will be available for free download at ToddSnider.net October 11-31.

Mountain Stage "Moving the Mountain 2008" Tour Dates

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

7:30pm

at the Whitaker Center at the Forum

5th & Walnut Streets

Harrisburg, PA

717-214-2787

www.whitakercenter.org

Featuring:

The Grascals, Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers, Todd Snider and others TBA

Tickets: $44.50 / $36.50

Thursday, October 23, 2008

7:30pm

at the Keswick Theatre

291 Keswick Avenue

Glenside, PA

215-572-7650

www.keswicktheatre.com

Featuring:

Todd Snider, Ollabelle, Jim Boggia, Simone and others TBA

Tickets: $54.50 / $44.50 / $34.50

Saturday, October 25, 2008

8:00pm

at Town Hall

123 W. 43rd Street

New York, NY

212-307-4100

www.the-townhall-nyc.org

Featuring:

Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Todd Snider and others TBA

Tickets: $65 / $45 / $35

Ov strangeness and synchronicity in the shadows of the twin towers.

By Fred Mills

While everyone pauses today to remember 9/11, it's inevitable that, depending on your frame of reference, your mind will drift in different directions. One such direction arrives courtesy of Burning Babylon, a culture/politics/arts blog, which posted an intriguing essay/compendium a couple of days ago titled "More 9/11 Strangeness - Scorpions & Other Synchronicities."

In it, writer Michael Goodspeed ruminates upon pop culture connections to the 9/11 tragedy, and although his general tone tilts a bit too heavily in the direction of conspiracy theory, he doesn't really try to sell the reader on any particular agenda - he clearly feels that by presenting his litany of coincidences, that others will be piqued enough to do their own investigations. Writes Goodspeed, "I don't believe that any of these connections can reasonably be described as a "stretch" or "wishful thinking" (although of course not everyone will agree on their ultimate significance.)"

Well, some of the so-called connections might charitably be described as "a stretch."  For example, one citation reads thusly: "In the 1982 Richard Bachman (Stephen King) book The Running Man, the story concluded with the protagonist hijacking a plane and flying it into the tallest building in downtown NY."  He also mentions that notorious album cover for Party Music from The Coup: "In 2001, the rap group The Coup created an album cover featuring its members detonating the World Trade Center south towers. They later released their album with a different cover." In the first instance, it's clearly a coincidence (most likely Osama Bin Laden wasn't thinking about the WTC back in 1982), and with regard to The Coup, the band itself spent plenty of time in the media explaining that their so-called "eerily prophetic" artwork was simply a statement about capitalism's evils.

Just the same, some of Goodspeed's other connections are interesting to ponder even if you're not a conspiracy nut. Here's three of them:

*In the 1999 film The Matrix, the expiration date of the passport of Keanu Reeve's character Neo is September 11, 2001.

*In the 1998 film Enemy of the State, Jon Vogt's character - a malicious NSA official intent on pushing legislation that will make it easier to spy on Americans - was born on September 11th.

*In the 2001 pilot of the TV program The Lone Gunmen, the story centers on a Pentagon plot to fly a plane into the WTC for the purpose of triggering a war.

Food for thought, eh? There's a lot more in the essay worth reading and pondering, if not exactly swallowing hook, line and sinker. Maybe you have some coincidences of your own. At any rate, today, at least take a few moments out to think about the events of seven years ago. And don't take everything you read, see or hear for granted.

By Fred Mills

Seven years ago to this day - as I write, to this hour - I was placing a couple of travel bags beside the front door and preparing to drive to the airport where I'd be taking a flight to New York for the 2001 CMJ fest. What can I say, I'm a rock writer, and things like CMJ, SXSW and the like are important to hacks like me. I remember getting this momentary, very strange, pit in my stomach; it would be the first time I'd be away from my eight-month old son, and I'd been so busy getting ready for my five-day trip that I hadn't realized how much I would miss him.

The phone rang. It was my sister-in-law: Turn the television on.

A couple of hours later I finally pulled myself away from news accounts of the events at the World Trade Center. There was still just enough time to get to the airport in time to catch my plane. I'm not sure exactly when the FAA ordered all flights in the U.S. grounded, but I didn't even think to call American Airlines to check on my own flight's status. Instead, I did what any normal, red-blooded, music-obsessed rock geek journalist would do: I called the CMJ offices.

"Hi, I'm getting ready to fly up there from N.C. but first I thought I'd check with you to make sure that everything is still going as planned."

"We're not sure. Well, we think so, but there might be some delays now. We're waiting to find out ourselves and have been trying to make some calls..."

At that point that morning, everybody in Manhattan was trying to make calls - many of them unsuccessfully. Hmmm, what should I do, I thought to myself.

And I remember thinking this to myself, too: Goddammit, this is such an inconvenience. I'm probably going to have to change my flight to tomorrow and...

I suppose that on 9/11 more than a few people were inconvenienced. Casting my mind back to that point now, I can hardly believe I would have a spot reaction like that, but of course I realize, too, that I must have been in shock, and I certainly didn't have all (many) of the facts yet, either. But still... confronting my selfishness and self-centeredness shames me. A fucking "inconvenience"?!? Whew. Needless to say, I didn't catch my flight that day, nor the next, nor the next. (In 2001, CMJ was postponed until October.)

Ever since, I've felt this aching tug in my heart every time I think about 9/11. It's not so much that I have a direct connection to it - I didn't lose any friends or loved ones in the tragedies - but more a kind of ultravivid sense memory that is pulled up when I think about it and ponder the fact that had timing been slightly different, I might have actually been in NYC (or in the air) when the tragedy hit.  I'm sure most of you can identify - maybe when someone asks you, Where were you and what were you doing when you heard the news?

That's one reason we should never forget 9/11. We're all connected to it in one way or another.

Coming out of the underground to fight the good fight.

By Fred Mills

Noise for Obama's the name of the website, and it's something that's been put together by musicians Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt, Black Pus) and Brian Miller (Foot Village, Deathbombarc). In a report filed today by Pitchfork, the site is aimed at collecting Obama testimonials from the noise-rock community - also pitching in are members of No Age and Deerhoof - and beyond. The site also provides a link that will help you register to vote (and if you haven't done so already, get off your ass pronto).

Miller told Pitchfork, "We were both concerned that a lot of people, both audiences and artists, in the noise/underground music community don't vote and may not have considered what an important election year this is. So I started writing to other noise rockers and found that there are others that feel as strongly about Obama as we do."

A 12" split single is due Oct. 14 featuring tracks by Foot Village and Black Pus, and proceeds will be donated to the Obama campaign.

Coming to a town, and a digital magazine, near you.

By Blurt Staff

Sure, this is a shameless plug for the September issue of BLURT's digital magazine, which goes live on the site any day now. Be watching for.... Drumroll please.... the image of Jenny Lewis that'll appear on the magazine cover on the right hand side of our homepage. You know you're drooling already.

Meanwhile, as we told you last week, the Rilo Kiley vocalist kicks off he solo tour tonight in Los Angeles in support of her forthcoming album Acid Tongue, due Sept. 23 from Warner Bros. You can hear a preview of it at her official website, www.jennylewis.com , where a couple of songs are being streamed. You can also see see some home movies starring Ms. Lewis and what her label is describing as "an unexpected visitor. Something strange is definitely happening in the Canyon."

Jenny Lewis Tour Dates:

9-11 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland

9-12 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo

9-15 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre #

9-16 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre #

9-17 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre #

9-18 Lawrence, KS - The Granada #

9-19 Chicago, IL - Epiphany Church #

9-20 Omaha, NE - Anchor Inn *

9-21 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium *

9-22 Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre *

9-23 Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge *

9-24 Oxford, MS - Lyric Theatre *

9-25 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom *

9-26 Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Music Festival)

9-28 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa *!

9-30 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse $

10-01 Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre $

10-02 Washington, DC - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue $

10-03 Wilmington, DE - Grand Opera House $

10-04 New York, NY - Apollo Theatre $

10-05 New Haven, CT - Shubert Theatre $

10-08 Paris, France - La Maronquinerie

10-09 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg

10-10 Hamburg, Germany - Knust

10-11 Berlin, Germany - Lido

10-13 Stockholm, Sweden - Kagelbanan

10-14 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Junior

10-16 Cologne, Germany - Gebaude 9

10-17 London, England - Koko

10-18 Glasgow, Scotland - Queen Margaret Union

10-19 Dublin, Ireland - Button Factory

10-20 Manchester, England - University

10-24 Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre %

10-25 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom *

10-26 Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market *

10-28 San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theatre %

11-01 San Diego, CA - University of California at San Diego %

# with Whispertown2000, Jonathan Wilson

* with Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band ! with M. Ward $ with Michael Runion % with Beachwood Sparks, Pierre De Reeder

Stream: Jenny Lewis: Acid Tongue [from the forthcoming Acid Tongue LP]

MP3: Jenny Lewis: Acid Tongue [from the forthcoming Acid Tongue LP]

Band of Horses head south of the border.

By Andy Tennille

After a successful late-summer tour of Australia, New Zealand and Japan - where they saw some wildlife, taught bartenders how to make martinis, made some friends and knocked out their Asian fans with some new killer jammers - Band of Horses has announced they're headed south of the border for two shows in Mexico in November.

The band will headline the Viva Cuervo Salon in Mexico City on November 6^th before heading up to Monterrey to perform at the Zero Festival on November 8^th. More information on the Zero Festival can be found here.

Tickets for the Zero Festival go on sale today, while ticketing for the Viva Cuervo Salon won't begin until Thursday, September 18^th . Check Ticketmaster's Mexican site, Boletos Jefe, for more information.

 (All video and photos provided by Christopher Wilson. Check out his blog from Band of Horses tour at http://bandofhorsestour.blogspot.com/.)

Diddy revises “Diddy Blog #16,” cuts Palin some slack and asks for some of the same.

By Randy Harward

Raving lunatic and general dumbass Diddy keeps digging himself a deeper hole. Hopefully he’ll disappear down it one day and nobody will have to listen to his terrible music or mush-mouffed video blogs.

Surely you recall his incredibly stupid “Diddy Obama Blog #16” from last week? At the time BLURT reported on it, the clip was already removed from YouTube. Since then, all mention of the video has been deleted from Diddy’s Wikipedia entry. And get this: Diddy has posted a replacement #16 as well as a follow-up. {Note: All three videos appear in order after this post.] Clearly there has been some backlash, and it’s damage control time.

In the new #16, Diddy plays the old #16 off as comedy and sings, “I’m sorry… so sorry…” to anyone offended by his racist, sexist, stupid post. “I was not 100% serious on that blog. I do know that there are black people [laughs] and crackheads in Alaska…” He goes on to say that the bottom line is he doesn’t think Sarah Palin is ready to be vice president and McCain “didn’t thoroughly vet her out.” And he reiterates—repeatedly—that he’s just havin’ a laugh.

“Now some of you guys would like me to articulate myself in a very direct, serious manner like this—but I choose to have fun on my blogs. I choose to make fun of myself, I choose to just make you laugh a little bit, and have you wonder am I crazy, am I serious.”

He states he’s not a Democrat, he’s an Independent, and pleads for us to leave him alone. “I’m just gonna be involved in this election in my way, through my blogs. And, um, don’t critique them, media, or bloggers in the blogosphere, like they’re 100% serious. Watch the blogs to laugh and give an opinion.”

Then he restates his qualms about Palin’s competence: “I wanna know who she is… I’m on this one.” And once more, to the haters: “Stop takin’ everything so serious! Motherfuckers! See, I can curse on my blog.” And now is the time on Sprockets when we dance: Diddy bops in his chair while saying, “I’m not a politician. I’m a citizen. Havin’ fun. On the Internet. Woo-oooo! Peace.”

In “Diddy Blog #17” he continues to try to save face by applauding Palin’s GOP convention speech and acting like she’s presented us with some serious shit to consider. “On Wednesday night, 34 million people who doubted you, who didn’t know you—I didn’t know you, I doubted you—um, we didn’t know who you were, what you stood for. Honestly, we still don’t exactly know [laughs] but you had the pressure of the world upon you… You stepped up to the mic, you looked us in our eyes and you did your thing. You know? You gave a pretty good speech.

“Not overly thinking, or not overly critiquing the factual information of the speech or even if the speech really spoke to issues. More to the fact that I didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt. Most of the people in American didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt, and that’s a very important lesson that I learned. I want people to always give me the benefit of the doubt. So I should at least give you the benefit of the doubt. But I did it. And um, you gave a speech that basically shut me the fuck up. For the whole time that you were speakin’. Um, you came across extremely strong, extremely charismatic, um, somebody I would wanna play hockey with. I still don’t know if I want you to be vice president, but you at least deserve the benefit of the doubt, see how you do in this campaign.”

Finally, as punishment for his trenchant mouf, he then grounds himself from posting video blogs until next Tuesday. That’s Diddy for you: fair and imbalanced.

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

7:00 AM CBS: The Early Show: LL Cool J

9:00 AM Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: LL Cool J

10:30 AM PLD HD: Nine Inch Nails - Beside You in Time

11:30 AM NICK: Yo Gabba Gabba!: Sean Kingston , Mark Mothersbaugh

12:00 PM Biography: Phil Spector

1:00 PM PLD HD: Isle of Wight Festival 2008 w/The Police , The Sex Pistols , Iggy Pop , The Stooges , Kate Nash , N.E.R.D.

2:30 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit: Langhorne Slim

5:00 PM Ovation: Jazz Heroes: Ella Fitzgerald: The Singer Not The Song

6:00 PM RAVE HD: From The Basement: Sonic Youth , Jose Gonzalez , Laura Marling

8:00 PM ABC: The 2008 ALMA Awards w/Will.I.Am , Mariachi Los Camperos De Nati Cano , Linda Ronstadt , Shakira , The Cheetah Girls , Sergio Mendes

9:00 PM Comedy Central: Chappelle's Show: Common , Kanye West

10:00 PM Sundance: Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter

11:00 PM PLD HD: MTV Live: R.E.M.

12:00 AM FUEL: Best of The Daily Habit Music w/Lupe Fiasco , MGMT , The Kooks , Tim Fite

11:30 PM PBS: Tavis Smiley: Harry Belafonte

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Raphael Saadiq

11:50 PM Encore Mystery: Videodrome (1983)

12:00 AM Sundance: The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico (2005)

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Justin Nozuka

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: The Game

2:00 AM FUSE: No. 1 Countdown: Duffy

2:00 AM Ovation: Elvis Costello & the Imposters: Club Date

2:30 AM MTV2: Celebrity Deathmatch: Rev Run , Russell Simmons

Stripes/Raconteurs mainman goes 007 with the soft drink giant.

By Fred Mills

Remember that 007 theme song we told you about that Jack White was creating for the upcoming James Bond Flick Quantum of Solace? The one with Alicia Keys guesting? The UK news media is reporting that Coca Cola has licensed portions of the song "Another Way to Die" for use in an international ad campaign - Coke Zero will be temporarily re-named Zero Zero 7 (that would be 007 to all you numerically-challenged readers).

You can view the ad, which is clearly an homage to the whole stylized Bond-babes-noir aesthetic, HERE.

Recall that back in 2005 White also did an ad for Coke (not a shabby payday, to say the least) and he commented at the time to the NME that he was attracted to the idea of creating a new song if it was an "interesting" commercial but that he "certainly wouldn't want a song that I'd already written to be used on a commercial."

You can view that decidedly White Stripes-ian (visually speaking) ad below. Do we detect a strong Small Faces influence in the music?

Co-author of Orleans hit "Still The One" knows of what he speaks.

By Fred Mills

We've been talking a lot about how the McSame-Van Palen campaign ripped off Heart's "Barracuda" song, something that definitely rubbed the band the wrong way.

In a statement, the Heart camp said: "The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission. We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music. We hope our wishes will be honored."

As it turns out, the campaign apparently did obtain, technically speaking, permission to use the song: they got the necessary licenses to use it (typically by paying a blanket fee to ASCAP in the same fashion as other organizations or venues would do). So Heart is, essentially, fucked.

Weighing in on the matter today was guitarist/songwriter Larry Hoppen, who along with John Hall fronted the band Orleans and had a number of hits in the ‘70s (Hall is now a Congressman, while Hoppen continues the band to this day). Hoppen posted a commentary to the mailbag of music industry blogger/watchdog Bob Lefsetz ("The Lefsetz Letter"). It's reproduced below.

In it, Hoppen outlines very clearly - and without pulling any rhetorical punches, either - what happened to Heart and how it's just more dirty, underhanded business as usual with the GOP.

Well said, Mr. Hoppen.

***

From: Larry Hoppen

Subject: Political use of Iconic songs

Bob, the recent unauthorized McCain Campaign use of Heart's "Barracuda" is the latest in a decades-long tradition of (mostly Republican) misappropriation of popular Artists' work.  I applaud the public response Heart had to this fresh offense. I REALLY applaud Jackson Browne for filing suit against the unauthorized use of "For Everyman" recently.

As lead singer and a royalty artist on the 1976 hit "Still The One", I have hands-on experience with the anger, embarrassment and false image this outrageous practice causes. When George Bush and the RNC were caught using STO as W's new re-election "Theme Song" by its co-author John Hall (now a Congressman, D-NY) and myself, the usual "cease and desist" legal letter went out. The RNC claimed, as McCain did with Barracuda only days ago, that they had paid "all the required licenses" because they "respect artists' work".

The truth is, they only get a "Blanket License" from one of the performance rights societies, which covers mainly 'background' use - and then they use these songs as featured thematic material in major venues - like national campaigns that are televised and/or potentially reach hundreds of thousands, indeed millions, on a given Campaign tour.

The first time I remember this happening was Reagan using Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" (in 1984, I believe). He was asked to stop ... and there are many other examples.

In fact, McCain ALSO started using "Still The One" recently, and was VERY quickly sent the standard cease and desist letter. Another example of his similarity to Bush, I guess.

For the record, Sen. Ted Kennedy had PERMISSION from the author and artists to use "Still The One" both in 2000 and 2008. I presume Fleetwood Mac authorized Pres. Clinton to use "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow", or it wouldn't still be a Clinton 'signature song'!  Sure seems like only one Party ever asks.

Also for the record, only months after the RNC pledged to stop using STO with Bush's re-election in 2004, I saw a film of a Tom DeLay rally using the same recording of ours.

I bring all this to your attention because I think it's timely and important to say:  When people who think nothing of doing this say that they are being respectful of artists' work, when they say they are respectful of Copyright Law, when they say they are in favor of an "Ownership Society", they are LIARS.

Let's call the unauthorized use of massively popular hit records what it is: grand theft, at the very least.  One unanswered question is: WHO is accountable for this behavior? And let's point the finger at who's doing this most of the time: Republican candidates.

Also promoting That Lucky Old Sun at Hollywood Bowl.

By Fred Mills

Brian Wilson is to be given the big thumbs-up by the Los Angeles City Council today (Sept.12) in acknowledgement of his artistry and accomplishments - and, by extension his many contributions to Los Angeles and California as the city and state's virtual musical ambassador over the years.

It's all timed to coincide with three back-to-back performances at the Hollywood Bowl that Wilson and his band are performing this weekend. You can read BLURT's review of Wilson's appearance last week in Oakland HERE.

Not that Wilson needs such a honor. But it's a nice gesture just the same. In a statement issued by the LA City Council, they praised St. Brian, saying, "In the 46 years since Brian Wilson wrote the lyric 'if everybody had an ocean', nobody has done more to define the Southern California experience than The Beach Boys."

With that in mind, let's revisit this clip of Brian doing "Surfin' USA" at Glastonbury....

"Days of Wine and Roses" + "I Have Faith" revisited...

By Fred Mills

For our latest installment in the BlurtTube Flashback series (translation: we were nosing around on YouTube and found some cool music video clips and we don't have anything better to do at the moment) we bring you a pair of vids from the late great Dream Syndicate.

First up is the early lineup's signature tune "Days of Wine and Roses" (a smokin' live version no less) followed by the latterday incarnation (circa 1988's Ghost Stories) with their stylized "I Have Faith" - raise your hand if you were one of the few but faithful who saw it on MTV's "120 Minutes" back in the day.

All props to erstwhile D.S. frontman Steve Wynn: his new solo album Crossing Dragon Bridge was officially released in the U.S. this week. You can read our Wynn interview from last month HERE and you can visit Mr. W at his official website as well. He's got tons of video and audio material at the site and plenty more of Wynn-related content for your perusal.

Still better than the Beatles... tuning their songs in the key of Z...

By Fred Mills

And then there were - the Shaggs. You know, the female combo from the late '60s and early '70s that thrilled fans of garage rock and outsider music, and that appalled pretty much everyone else on the planet. (You know which camp we fall in, however.) No less than Frank Zappa proclaimed them to be "the missing link between Fanny and Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band." You know you can trust Frank.

Let's just go straight to Wikipedia for the scoop - or if you're in a hurry, here's the general overview:

The Shaggs were an American all-female rock group formed in Fremont, New Hampshire in 1968. The band was composed of sisters Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin (vocals/lead guitar), Betty Wiggin (vocals/rhythm guitar), Helen Wiggin (drums), and later Rachel Wiggin (bass).

The Shaggs were formed by Dot, Betty, and Helen in 1968 on the insistence of their father, Austin Wiggin, who believed that his mother foresaw the band's rise to stardom. The band's only studio album, Philosophy of the World, was released in 1969. The album failed to garner attention, though the band continued to exist as a locally popular live act. The Shaggs disbanded in 1975 after the death of Austin.

As the obscure LP achieved recognition among collectors, the band was praised for their raw, intuitive composition style and lyrical honesty. Philosophy of the World was later reissued, and the compilation Shaggs' Own Thing was released in 1982. The Shaggs are now seen as a groundbreaking outsider music group.

Now comes word that Shaggs' Own Thing - produced by none other than Terry Adams of NRBQ - has been reissued in Japan on CD. It boasts the original sleeve artwork and comes as a mini-LP cardboard sleeve design. (Don't ditch those obi strips, collectors.)

And whattaya know, you can order it from our good friends at NRBQ! Just click on over to the NRBQ Store, while supplies last. Operators are standing by to take your shopping cart.

Putting the pusher to the pedal for a good cause.

By Fred Mills

Yo La Tengo's got a generally light tour itinerary between now and mid October when they head off to Taiwan and South Korea - just shows in Champaign (Sept. 20), the ATP festival in Monticello (Sept. 21) and an appearance at the Neumann Leather Tenants Association Benefit in their home stomping grounds of Hoboken (Sept. 29).

But on Oct. 5, Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley plan to put all that body toning that comes with playing marathon rock shows to a test when they attempt to bike all the way around Manhattan as part of the bike-a-thon intended to raise money for MS. See below for a recent posting to their official website that will explain the whole situation, and check the links at the end if you'd like to make a donation to sponsor either or both of the pedaling musicians.

***

Hi everybody: On October 5, Georgia and I will be participating in what used to be called the MS Bike Tour, but what now goes under the somewhat more ungainly name Bike MS New York City Traffic Free. Call it what you will, we will be be riding 30 miles around Manhattan, unless one or both of us decides to go wild and make a dash through the Lincoln Tunnel and take a spin around New Jersey too. (That's what we did in 2005, Georgia topping out at 45 miles, me clocking in at 60.) And in the process try to raise some money in the fight against MS.  If you would like to sponsor one or both of us, we'll be very grateful.

Click here for Georgia.

Click here for Ira.

If you put lipstick on a pit-bull, it's still a pit-bull.

By Brian Creech

According to a press release issued by the band, the band Portugal. The Man has true Alaskan cred, at least more Alaskan cred than governor Sarah Palin:

"Gourley and Carothers grew up in the tiny town of Wasilla, fishing, hiking, and playing music together. Gourley and his hippie parents lived outside of town in a remote log cabin that was powered by a generator and had no phone. His mom and dad, a team of dog sled mushers, ran Alaska's annual Iditarod, dubbed the "last great race on earth." And Carothers remembers his frequent banter with Palin, then Wasilla's Mayor, about building a town skate park (never happened). Gourley and Carothers' families still live in Wasilla... [and] Gourley has said that Alaska, with its breathtaking, ice-filled landscapes, has had a huge impact on the band's music."

So wait, Sara Palin reneged on a promise to build a skate park?  Just add that to the long list of grievances presented by Gourley over at www.portugaltheman.net.  Given Sarah Palin's limited time on the world stage, Portugal. The Man's words are the first bit of criticism to come from a group of Alaskans. 

The essay, titled "Palin, Because We Don't Need It," invokes an ethos of sustainability, telling a poignant story of when Gourley and his dad, while on a hunting trip, give up a perfectly good shot at moose.  When Gourley asks his dad why he gave up such an opportune shot, he responds with "Because we don't need it." 

Gourley goes to include a list of other things we don't need;

"We don't need drilling in some of our most beautiful and untouched land...We should be investing and working towards clean fuels. We don't need to be draining our planet of every last drop before moving on to the next. Sarah Palin disagrees....

We don't need aerial hunting...I don't know of any true Alaskan that feels it is

good sport to shoot an animal from a plane. Sarah Palin disagrees...

We don't need book burners and censors...

We don't need a wolf in sheep's clothing...She has billed her self as this overly average "hockey mom" and it is just not what I see. I see the sport hunter, the censor, choice taker, the revelations reader, and the high school cheerleader. It is endlessly embarrassing to watch people fall all over this idea. This is not my Alaska."

In between now and Election Day, Portugal. The Man plan to release an album and tour the lower forty-eight, presumably relating their tale of the evils of Sarah Palin to the non-Alaskan audiences. Their album, Censored Colors will be released on September 16 via Equal Vision.  Their tour starts on October 14^th in Fresno, CA and carries them all the way through November 28^th, ending in Seattle, WA.

OCTOBER

14 The Exit, Fresno, CA
15 Clubhouse, Phoenix, AZ
17 Rock Bottom, San Antonio, TX
18 Emo's, Austin, TX
19 Meridian, Houston, TX
20 House of Blues/Parish Room, New Orleans, LA
22 Orpheum, Tampa, FL
23 The Social, Orlando, FL
24 Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL
25 The 7 Venue, Douglasville, GA
26 The Brewery, Raleigh, NC
27 Canal Club, Richmond VA
29 Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
30 Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA
31 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY

NOVEMBER

1 School of Rock, Hackensack, NJ
2 Harper's Ferry, Boston, MA
4 The Club at Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY
5 Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
6 Grog Shop, Cleveland Heights, OH
7 Subterranean, Chicago, IL
8 The House Cafe, Dekalb, IL
9 Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
10 Sokol Underground, Omaha, NE
12 Fubar, St. Louis, MO
13 OZ Cafe, Wichita, KS
14 Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO
15 Studio 600, Salt Lake City, UT
16 Jillan's, Las Vegas, NV
18 Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA
19 Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
20 Soma Sidestage, San Diego, CA
21 Howie's, Visalia, CA
22 The Dome, Bakersfield, CA
23 Eureka Coffee, Lathrop, CA
24 Slim's, San Francisco, CA
25 The Boardwalk, Orangevale, CA
28 El Corazon, Seattle, WA

Two discs and 34 Songs From The Virtuoso Guitarist's Eclectic Career.

By Fred Mills

"Rhino takes a joy ride through Ry Cooder's prolific career" begins a press release from the esteemed archival label, and if you've glommed the loony album artwork above, you know that they must be telling the truth. On Oct. 8 Rhino will drop the two-CD Cooder chronicle The UFO Has Landed, a 34-song compilation tracking the maestro's solo records and his soundtrack work.

Now, sharp-eyed BLURT-sters will already have noted this is not the first time to the Cooder anthology well: in 1995 Warner Bros. released Music By Ry Cooder, a two-disc collection of his film music that's absolutely crucial listening to any Cooder fan (it's long been a house fave here at the BLURT mansion); while the previous year WEA-Germany issued the 19-track River Rescue: The Very Best Of (likewise, an essential piece to own, as it collected both film and solo work); and in '92 Warner Bros. UK reissued the 13-song Cooder greatest hits LP, Why Don't You Try Me, on CD. The latter two, however, are outrageously priced nowadays, however. And in any event, The UFO Has Landed brings the career overview up to the present - just looking at the track listing we can already state for the record that this record is the bee's knees, Jeeves.

From Rhino:

 
Produced by Cooder's son, Joachim, the set offers a fresh look at Cooder's musical career, spanning 38 years--from his eponymous 1970 debut to this year's I, Flathead--and includes the previously unreleased version of "Let's Work Together" featuring accordion player Buckwheat Zydeco, drummer Jim Keltner, pianist Jim Dickinson and bassist Mike Elizondo. Along with his solo work, The UFO Has Landed features selections from Cooder's film soundtracks, including the themes from Southern Comfort and Paris, Texas.
 

It collects Cooder's most memorable cuts from his solo albums, including "Maria Elena," "Jesus On The Mainline," "Boomer's Story," "I Got Mine" and "Available Space." The latter, a Cooder original on his debut, got its name from the album's producer Van Dyke Parks, who saw the words on an empty billboard on the way to the studio.
 

Get rhythm, baby!

Track Listing:
 
Disc One
1. "Get Rhythm"
2. "Low Commotion"
3. "Available Space"
4. "On A Monday"
5. "Do Re Mi"
6. "Which Came First"
7. "The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor)"
8. "Down In Hollywood"
9. "Smells Like Money"
10. "Let's Work Together"*
11. "I Got Mine"
12. "Cherry Ball Blues"
13. "Jesus On The Mainline"
14. "Tattler"
15. "Teardrops Will Fall"
16. "Maria Elena"
17. "Jesse James"
 
Disc Two
1. "Paris, Texas"
2. "Theme From Southern Comfort"
3. "Tamp 'Em Up Solid"
4. "Billy The Kid"
5. "Crazy 'Bout An Automobile (Every Woman I Know)"
6. "Drive Like I Never Been Hurt"
7. "Feelin' Bad Blues"
8. "Boomer's Story"
9. "How Can You Keep Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)"
10. "Alimony"
11. "Always Lift Him Up/Kanaka Wai Wai"
12. "Theme From Alamo Bay"
13. "Dark End Of The Street"
14. "Why Don't You Try Me"
15. "Poor Man's Shangri-La"
16. "Going Back To Okinawa"
17. "Little Sister"
 
*Previously unreleased

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

SATURDAY, SEPT. 13:

7:00 AM CBS: The Saturday Early Show: David Sanborn

11:00 AM RAVE HD: Soundstage: Steve Winwood

12:30 PM PLD HD: Monterey Pop (1968)

1:00 PM TVONE: James Brown: The Man, The Music & The Message

5:30 PM HBOS: Once (2006)

6:00 PM Sundance: Live from Abbey Road: Mary J. Blige, Dashboard Confessional, James Blunt

8:00 PM PBS: The 60s Live! - My Generation, My Music

9:00 PM PLD HD: Bruce Springsteen - Live in Barcelona

10:00 PM ETV: Saturday Night Live (E!):  Christina Aguilera / Maroon 5

10:00 PM MTV2: Saturday Rock The Deuce:  Alkaline Trio

11:30 PM NBC: Saturday Night Live:  Michael Phelps / Lil Wayne

1:00 AM BBCA: The Graham Norton Show: Alanis Morissette

1:00 AM FUEL: Check 1, 2:  Duane Peters and The Hunns

SUNDAY, SEPT. 14:

6:00 AM Sundance: We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen

10:00 AM RAVE HD: Other Voices: Ray Davies , Candie Payne , Mick Flannery , Glen Hansard , Markéta Irglová

12:00 PM HDNet Concert Series: Mike and the Mechanics and Paul Carrack - Live at Shepherds Bush London

12:30 PM VH1C: Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun

1:30 PM HDNet Concert Series: Eddie Money Live in Detroit

3:00 PM HDNet: LIVE! from Central Park SummerStage: Stellastarr*

4:30 PM HDNet Concert Series: Moe. Live From The Fillmore

5:15 PM Showtime Next: Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out

9:00 PM Great American Country: Academy of Country Music Awards: The 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards

10:00 PM Comedy Central: Chappelle's Show: Cee-Lo

12:30 AM Comedy Central: Chappelle's Show: DMX

It'll help you keep those lamps trimmed and burning, all you unreconstructed hippies!

By Fred Mills

Fans of vintage West Coast psychedelia and folk-rock with long memories will often tell you, in hushed tones, of the 1972 documentary film FILLMORE: The Last Days, released by 20^th Century Fox, which chronicled the concerts (and events surrounding them) that marked the closing of the legendary Fillmore West in 1971. Groups such as the Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Santana and the Grateful Dead all jammed until the proverbial cows went home.

In '72, also, Fillmore/CBS records also released a lavish boxed set (25 tracks spread across 3 LPs plus a 7" EP, along with a poster, book and backstage pass) from the concerts that eventually became a collector's item. After it went out of print bootleggers took up the cause and it surfaced in various forms over the years until Sony Legacy finally saw fit to put it out as a two-CD; it's still available and boasts very good remastered sound.

As with a lot of rock docs of the era (Woodstock et al), the Fillmore film captured a unique moment in time that, depending on how cynical you are or how rose-tinted your lenses are, was either a socio-cultural wash or a period to be celebrated. At any rate, the documentary has long been a coveted item among VHS and, more recently, DVD-R collectors and traders who've tapped the underground bootleg network to obtain copies of the film - often grainy, 4^th- and 5^th-generation copies (initially taken from original reels but subsequently dubbed and re-dubbed) that'd turn your 20/20 vision into mush.

Now, though, word arrives that on Nov. 11, Rhino will finally reissue the film for the first time on DVD. A full tracklisting of artists and performances can be found below. Meanwhile, here's the scoop from the label:

When the legendary rock impresario Bill Graham closed the Fillmore West in 1971, the San Francisco venue had become an institution, an integral part of the West Coast music scene in the '60s. Always the showman, Graham made sure the Fillmore West was sent off in a blaze of glory, scheduling five nights of concerts featuring bands, like the
Grateful Dead and Santana that got their start at this storied concert hall. Both the madness leading up to the shows and the concerts were filmed for FILLMORE: The Last Days, a documentary originally released in 1972.

The film stands as a vivid time capsule that captures an era in rock history when music had become a major industry and‹for some‹a huge headache. It delivers a gritty, behind-the-scenes look at the music business at a time when many artists were growing jaded by their success, demanding more and more. Disillusioned by the change, Graham decided to get out, pulling the curtain down with five days of concerts that ended on July 4, 1971.
 

In the end, the frantic preparations paid off with a host of marvelous performances from a range of artists who made up what was called "The San Francisco Sound." FILLMORE: The Last Days features highlights from all five nights, including songs by the Grateful Dead ("Casey Jones," "Johnny B. Goode"); Santana ("Incident At Neshabur," "In A Silent Way"); Quicksilver Messenger Service ("Mojo," "Fresh Air"); Jefferson Airplane ("Volunteers" / "We Can Be So Good Together"); along with performances by Boz Scaggs, Cold Blood, Hot Tuna, and Lamb.

Meanwhile, prior to its DVD release, FILLMORE: The Last Days will screen in part at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 3 at 8 p.m. The festival will present specially chosen clips from the 1972 concert film. The clips, introduced by author and original Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres (who also wrote the liner notes for the DVD, include performances by Boz Skaggs, Grateful Dead, Santana & Quicksilver Messenger Service.

The evening will also include an all-star panel of music professionals who will offer a detailed, backstage point of view on the events at the Fillmore and a live performance in tribute to FILLMORE: The Last Days. It will include a full set of live music with house band Moonalice, featuring G.E. Smith, Jack Casady, Barry Sless, Pete Sears, Ann McNamee, Roger McNamee, Jimmy Sanchez, and invited guests including Ray Manzarek, Elvin Bishop, Dan Hicks, Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman and Jay Lane, Lydia Pense of Cold Blood, Josh Clark and Trevor Garrod of Tea Leaf Green, and Dan Lebowitz of ALO. (For full ticket information, directions and additional screening times, visit www.mvff.com.)
 
 

FILLMORE: The Last Days Track Listing:

 
"Hello Friends" ­ Lamb
"You Got Me Hummin'" ­ Cold Blood
"I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" ­ Cold Blood
"Hollywood Blues" ­ Boz Scaggs
"I'll Be Long Gone" ­ Boz Scaggs
"Candy Man" ­ Hot Tuna
"Uncle Sam Blues" ­ Hot Tuna
Rehearsal Jam ­ The Rowan Brothers 
"Isn't It Just A Beautiful Day" ­ Lamb
"Fresh Air" ­ Quicksilver Messenger Service
"Mojo" - Quicksilver Messenger Service
"Volunteers"/ "We Can Be So Good Together" ­ Jefferson Airplane
"Noodle" ­ Jerry Garcia           
Rehearsal Jam ­ Jerry Garcia with The New Riders Of The Purple Sage
"Casey Jones" ­ Grateful Dead
"Johnny B. Goode" ­ Grateful Dead
"White Bird" ­ It's A Beautiful Day
"The Sky Is Crying" ­ The Elvin Bishop Group
"Incident At Neshabur" ­ Santana
"In A Silent Way"/ "Jam" ­ Santana
"In A Silent Way" ­ Santana
 

Don't you think calling a soft drink "Coke Zero Zero 7" is a dumb idea in the first place?

By Fred Mills

Friday brought word that Jack White's OO7 theme song "Another Way To Die," which was commissioned for the Bond Flick Quantum of Solace, had been plucked for a new Coke Zero commercial in a co-branding promotion with the film.

Apparently White was not consulted in the matter, however, as this morning his management issued a statement to that effect and that White does not endorse the commercial.

"Jack White was commissioned by Sony Pictures to write a theme song for the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace, not for Coca Cola," said White's handlers. "Any other use of the song is based on decisions made by others, not by Jack White."

"We are disappointed that you first heard the song in a co-promotion for Coke Zero, rather than in its entirety."

White had previously done music for a Coke commercial but has gone on record as saying that he prefers to treat that as a separate project rather than have pre-existing music used in ads.

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

8:00 AM TVONE: Tom Joyner Sky Show:  The O'Jays

11:00 AM FUSE: Loaded: Eminem

1:30 PM Sundance: Saving Jazz w/Irvin Mayfield , Tony Bennett , Wynton Marsalis , Kermit Ruffins , Ellis Marsalis , Irma Thomas

2:30 PM Sundance: Let's Rock Again! Joe Strummer , Mescaleros , The Clash

4:30 PM GSN: Family Feud: Village People vs. Disco Divas w/A Taste of Honey ,  Thelma Houston , Freda Payne , Village People , The Weather Girls

7:00 PM Ovation:  Profile: John Cale

8:00 PM RAVE HD: Soundstage:  Counting Crows and Shelby Lynne

12:00 AM RAVE HD: Later With Jools Holland: Green Day , Elvis Costello , Robbie Williams , Estelle , Nellie McKay , Jools Holland

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Tokio Hotel

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Marc Broussard

12:37 AM CBS: The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: The Ting Tings

1:00 AM VH1C: Behind The Music: Pantera

Memo to journalists: here's how you should do interviews.

By Fred Mills

In a breathtaking triumph for brevity (and deadline-impaired copy editors), U2's the Edge gave Britain's NME an interview the other day on the subject of the band's new album, which had been heavily anticipated as a pre-Christmas blockbuster release.

"We're still writing and we're trying to take it to the next level. It's taking a while, but I'm told there's no short cut to greatness!" Doth quote the Edge, who quickly shuffled off to his pals waiting for him at the Amnesty International awards ceremony in London. (The Edge presented Peter Gabriel with the 2008 Ambassador of Conscience trophy.)

Now THAT's how an interview should be conducted. No fluff, just the basic facts.

A couple of weeks ago U2's Bono, posting to his band's website, broke the news that the album wouldn't be ready until next year:

"We've hit a rich songwriting vein. It gets a bit dark down here but looks like we've found diamonds not coal. I thought a while back we might have the album wrapped by now, but why come up above ground now if there's more priceless stuff to be found? It's been maddening...there have been injuries and recoveries, no babies born that I know of, but this one is nearly ready for the new year of 2009."

"It's a brand new chapter for us, and everyone we've played the tracks to has said that musically it feels like another departure. The last two records were very personal, with a kind of three-piece at their heart, the primary colours of rock - bass, guitars and drum. But what we're about now is of the same order as the transition that took us from The Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby. Early next year people will be able to start hearing what we've been doing. We want 2009 to be our year, so we're going to start making an impression very early on."

Earlier this year several tracks from the new album semi-leaked to the Internet via YouTube - alas, they've since been taken down, but you can read the whole ridiculous account (seriously - it's one of the dumbest things to happen in rock lately) HERE.

BLURT fave mounts tour supporting Waiting For the Sunrise album.

By Brian Creech

"I'm a huge Fleetwood Mac fan," David Vandervelde says about his music taste in BLURT's July issue.  Say what you will, but the guy surely seems to have learned a lot from listening to Rumours perhaps too many times.  His latest album, Waiting For the Sunrise, has drawn comparisons the Byrds to Bowie to Christie McVie, and he's ready to bring his sunny 70's AM radio sound to a  music hall/bar/church near you. 

The tour begins September 19 in Nashville, TN at the End and wraps up on October 28 in Houston, TX at Walter's on Washington.  Joining Vandervelde on tour will be Margot & the Nuclear So & So's as well as Secretly Canadian labelmates Magnolia Electric, Co. and Throw Me a Statue.  A big, groovy time is sure to be had by all.

And for those out there he need just a little bit more convincing, Secretly Canadian is currently streaming two tracks Waiting for the Sunrise for you to wet your whistle on.  Links and tour dates are listed below.

Finally, Vandervelde seems to have been anticipating the new Okkervil River album The Stand Ins a bit more than most.  Here, he covers the song "Singer Songwriter," the second track on The Stand Ins.

Waiting For The Sunrise MP3's:

"Someone Like You" - http://www.scjag.com/mp3/sc/someonelikeyou.mp3

"I Will Be Fine" - http://www.scjag.com/mp3/sc/iwillbefine.mp3

Tour Dates

9/19 --  Nashville, TN -- The End
9/27 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Union Hall*  
9/28 -- New York, NY --Mercury Lounge*
9/30 -- Iowa City, IA -- Old Brick Church**   
10/2 -- Denver, CO --The Bluebird Theater**
10/3 --  Salt Lake City, UT -- Kilby Court**
10/4 -- Reno, NV -- Tonic Bar**
10/5 -- San Francisco, CA -- The Independent**
10/7--  Los Angeles, CA - Troubador**
10/8 -- San Diego, CA - Casbah**
10/9 -- Phoenix, AZ -- Rhythm Room**
10/10 --  Tucson, AZ - Plush**
10/12 -- Austin, TX -- The Mohawk**
10/13 -- Houston, TX -- The Mink**
10/14 --  Norman, OK -- The Opolis**
10/15 --  St. Louis, MO -- Billiken Club**
10/17 -- Indianapolis, IN -- The Murat Arabian Room**
10/18 --  Bloomington, IN -- Buskirk-Chumley Theatre**
10/19 --  Columbus, OH -- Skully's Music Diner**
10/22 -- Louisville, KY - Headliners^
10/23 --  Asheville, NC -- Grey Eagle^
10/25 --  Birmingham, AL -- The Bottle Tree^
10/26 -- Memphis, TN -- Hi-Tone^
10/27 --  Denton, TX -- Rubber Gloves^
10/28 -- Houston, TX -- Walter's on Washington^
* w/ Throw Me The Statue
** w/ Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
^ w/ Magnolia Electric Company

Guarantee: 100% brainless fun or your money back.

By Fred Mills

Our friends at the esteemed MVD Entertainment Group have their fingers in a lot of different pies (so to speak) - so many, that we usually only plug a handful of their more notable music CDs and DVDs. Sometimes, though, a non-music product comes down the MVD pike that just screams "BLURT." Or at least the cover art does....

So here ya go: Bikini Bloodbath Carwash, due Oct. 28 from Eclectic/MVD, billed as "100% brainless fun." Which, if you've been paying attention, is a pretty good description for BLURT, too!

 Here's the synopsis of the 72-minute "film." Seances, sorority girls, Chef Death, bikinis, blood - what's not to like?

Jenny (Rachael Robbins) a freshman at Community College University earns her tuition by working at Miss Johnson's (Debbie Rochon) Bikini Carwash along with her seven gorgeous classmates. After work, Jenny and friends accidentally resurrect the infamous Chef Death during a seance. Chef Death finds the bikini clad girls at Miss Johnson's year end party and the blood bath begins. This campy splatterfest is 100% pure brainless fun.

Legendary keyboardsman co-founded equally legenday band.

By Fred Mills

Richard "Rick" Wright, founding member and keyboardist for Pink Floyd, died today at his home in England following a short battle with cancer. According to A.P. reports Wright's family has not released any details about the death and the news was announced by a spokesman for the band. Wright was 65.

Wright founded the band in 1965 along with Roger Waters, Syd Barrett and Nick Mason, and though his relationship later became stormy with Waters - he was forced out of the band during the making of The Wall, only to be "hired" back as a session musician, ultimately leading him to quit in the early ‘80s - he returned to the fold in the post-Waters era when guitarist David Gilmore took the helms of the band. Over the years he continued to work with Gilmore, both in Pink Floyd and on Gilmore's solo projects. In 2005 Wright, Gilmore, Mason and Waters performed a one-off reunion show at the Live 8 festival in London.

Wright also released a couple of modest-selling but well-regarded solo albums, 1978's Wet Dream and 1996's Broken China. Both are well-worth seeking out.

[Photo Credit: Deep Schism/Creative Commons, Wikipedia]

First new album of studio material from the Runt in four years.

By Blurt Staff

Todd Rundgren is hitting the road this fall in support of  his first full-length record of original studio material in 4 years, entitled Arena.  The album is out on September 30^th  via newly launched music venture Hi Fi Recordings. 

Of Arena, recorded in the Runt's current home state of Hawaii, is more guitar-based than fans have come to expect of the auteur, whose studio recordings in recent years have dipped heavily into electronica. Observes Rundgren, "I found myself just going out and doing this sort of guerilla guitar quartet thing around the country and around Canada. So when it came time to make a record, I thought maybe I'll just continue in that vein and write something that is appropriate to the guitar, since the fans seem to be enjoying it so much. So when I decided to write a new album, I knew beforehand it was going to be this kind of old-school guitar-rock record."

Known as a man of musical innovation, Rundgren's latest release draws from his vast career experiences as a performer, songwriter and producer - including notable achievements on the cutting edge of music and technology such as: the first live nationally broadcast stereo radio concert (by microwave), which linked 40 cities around the country in 1978; the very first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for "Best Short Form Video" in 1983; and the launch of PatroNet, the world's first direct artist subscription service; and of course there are the hit songs, including ‘Couldn't I Just Tell You,' 'Hello It's Me', 'I Saw The Light', 'Can We Still be Friends', and 'Bang The Drum.'

Todd Rundgren Tour Dates:

10/1                                         The Triple Door                                  Seattle, WA

10/4                                        BR Cohn Winery Amphitheatre       Glen Ellen CA

10/6                                        Park West                                           Chicago, IL

10/7                                         Barrymore Theater                            Madison. WI

10/9                                        Mayo Center                                      Morristown, NJ

10/10                                       Rex Theater                                       Pittsburgh, PA

10/11                                        Tarrytown Music Hall                        Tarrytown, NY

10/13                                       Bijou Theater                                     Knoxville, TN

10/15                                       The Orange Peel                                Asheville, NC

Todd & Utopia doing "Couldn't I Just Tell You" revisited...

By Fred Mills

For our latest installment in the BlurtTube Flashback series (translation: we were nosing around on YouTube and found some cool music video clips and we don't have anything better to do at the moment) we bring you a killer klip of Todd Rundgren, fronting his band Utopia, on Germany's Rockpalast in '77 doing the all-time Runt classic "Couldn't I Just Tell You."

Nice - and timely, too, given that Rundgren just announced a national tour in support of his first album of studio material in four years, Arena, due Sept. 30.

One bus, one band and a bunch of girlfriends on the road.

By Blurt Staff

Over the past four years, The Hotel Café Tour has established itself as the premier tour for both up-and-coming and established singer-songwriters. This fall, the Tour will feature an all female line-up for the first time. Nineteen female songwriters, ranging from established musicians Ingrid Michaelson and Rachael Yamagata [pictured, above - also featured in new digi-mag issue of BLURT] to hot rising stars, Meiko, Thao Nguyen, Priscilla Ahn, Brooke Fraser and many more, will pile into a bus and head out on a 34 city tour. As the tour organizers put it - "One bus, one band, and a bunch of girlfriends on the road."

 
 
Named for the coffee shop-turned-venue in LA, The Hotel Café Tour was created to share the community vibe and the songwriters that grew The Hotel Café scene into "the place that breaks artists". Community and camaraderie are the focus, there are no headliners, the band is shared and spontaneous collaborations between artists are encouraged. According to the organizers, "With a revolving cast of songwriters jumping on and off the bus, each evening is unique, creating a feeling of ‘these people in this place will never happen again.'"

 
Over the past four years, the Tour has hit every major market in the United States and Europe and many of the participating songwriters have grown from emerging artists into household names. The Spring 2008 tour sold out, with Sara Bareilles, Cary Brothers, Ingrid Michaelson and Joshua Radin playing to over 30,000 people. The Fall Tour is set to repeat those stats and will feature: Rachael Yamagata, Ingrid Michaelson, Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, Kate Havnevik, Thao Nguyen, Brooke Fraser, Samantha Crain, Alice Russell, Jaymay, Erin McCarley, Katie Herzig, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lenka, Emily Wells, Anya Marina, Holly Conlan, and Catherine Feeny.

"Diverse in their presentation and point of view, they have their passion for lyrics, vocals and the importance of the communal spirit in common. Many have recently released albums but have taken time out of a more traditional individual tour for the opportunity to be a part of this special collaboration."

 
In line with the Tour's commitment to community, The Hotel Café Tour will be donating money and raising consciousness for UNFPA and Amnesty International's Stop Violence Against Women Campaign. Motorola, Myspace, Starbucks and Taylor Guitars have signed on as partners for the Fall Tour.
 
Pre-sale tickets for The Hotel Café Tour are available starting TOMORROW, Tuesday, August 19 at www.thehotelcafetour.com  with regular ticket sales beginning on August 26.  The dates are as follows - check the website for the line-up of each show.

 
Thursday, October 9 Santa Barbara, CA - SoHo Restaurant
Friday, October 10 LA, CA - Hotel Cafe
Saturday, October 11 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Monday, October 13 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
Tuesday, October 14 Phoenix, AZ - Martini Ranch
Thursday, October 16 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
Friday, October 17 Austin, TX - Parish
Saturday, October 18 Houston, TX - Meridian Red Room
Monday, October 20 Birmingham, AL - Work Play
Tuesday, October 21 Nashville, TN - Exit/In
Wednesday, October 22 Atlanta, GA - Variety
Thursday, October 23 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
Saturday, October 25 Orlando, FL - Social
Monday, October 27 Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle
Tuesday, October 28 Washington DC - 9:30
Wednesday, October 29 Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live
Thursday, October 30 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
Friday, October 31 Boston, MA - Paradise
Saturday, November 1 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Monday, November 3 Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts Front Room
Wednesday, November 5 Chicago, IL - Park West
Thursday, November 6 Mpls, MN - Varsity Theater
Friday, November 7 Madison, WI - High Noon
Saturday, November 8 St Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill
Sunday, November 9 Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
Tuesday, November 11 Denver, CO - Bluebird
Wednesday, November 12 Salt Lake City, UT - Avalon
Thursday, November 13 Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Concert House
Friday, November 14 Portland, OR - Doug Fir
Saturday, November 15 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
Monday, November 17 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Tuesday, November 18 LA, CA - Fonda

Four-song EP recorded on the quick after Leo watches brutality in St. Paul

By Blurt Staff

"Real people were hurt in St. Paul, and real people have bills to pay, and real people need funding to continue their good works. We (the band and I) were all feeling these events as deeply as we could from our 1200 mile remove, and so as not to feel entirely powerless, and in an attempt to contribute SOMETHING to that continuation of those good works, we wrote a song and recorded it. This isn't meant to be some grand sweeping statement on our part - it's just a way for us to contribute SOMETHING real to the lives of real human beings, and show our material support for those whose actions and thoughts we value in this ideological struggle."

That's Ted Leo, speaking today in a statement, about his reaction to the police actions in Minneapolis/St. Paul during the RNC. As a result Leo and the band went into his home studio last week and recorded two new songs, "Paranoia: Never Enough" and "Mourning In America," plus two cover tunes, "I Got Your Number" (originally by Cock Sparrer) and "Nobody's Driving" (Amebix). Together the yield the Rapid Response EP that Leo hopes will "bring awareness and financial aid to the people affected by the police brutality in Minnesota."

Rapid Response is available now for an exclusive two-week window via Touch and Go Records (www.touchandgorecords.com) for $4.00, with other donation options available for those who would like to contribute an additional amount. After the two week period, Rapid Response will be available for single track purchase at online retailers (Itunes, Amazon et al), as well as the Touch and Go Records website. All proceeds from this EP will go directly to Food Not Bombs Minneapolis, Democracy Now and the legal fees for those who have been arrested.

A complete explanation from Ted Leo about this project can be found here.

[Photo Credit: Ryan Russell]

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists Tour Dates:

9-30 Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay *
10-01 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade *
10-02 Hilton Head, SC - Stages Music and More *
10-03 St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing *
10-04 Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues *
10-05 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds *
10-07 Greensboro, NC - Greene Street *
10-08 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
10-09 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory *
10-10 Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom *
10-11 New York, NY - Webster Hall *
10-12 Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre *
10-14 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's *
10-15 Des Moines, IA - People's Court *
10-16 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
10-17 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater *
10-18 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre *
10-20 Omaha, NE - Slowdown *
10-21 Englewood, CO - Gothic Theater *
10-22 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue *
10-23 Boise, ID - Knitting Factory *
10-24 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
10-25 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater *
10-27 San Francisco, CA - The Grand Ballroom *
10-28 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern *
10-30 San Diego, CA - Casbah #
10-31 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress #
11-02 Norman, OK - The Opolis #
11-03 Columbia, MO - Blue Note #
11-04 Bloomington, IN - Buskirk-Chumley Theatre #
11-05 Pittsburgh, PA - Diesel #

* with Against Me!, Future of the Left
# with Titus Andronicus

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

7:00 AM CBS: The Early Show: Andy Taylor

8:00 AM TVONE: Tom Joyner Sky Show:  The O'Jays

12:00 PM RAVE HD: Soundstage: Lifehouse

1:00 PM Biography: City Confidential: Greenwood: The Devil and the Delta Blues

1:30 PM Sundance: Saving Jazz

2:30 PM Sundance: Joe Strummer Let's Rock Again!

4:00 PM RAVE HD: Soundstage: Tori Amos

7:00 PM Syndicated: Entertainment Tonight: Tina Turner

10:00 PM Great American Country:  Hal Ketchum

10:00 PM PLD HD: Radio 1's Big Weekend 2008: Madonna , Raconteurs , Usher , Nelly, OneRepublic

11:30 PM PBS: Tavis Smiley: Natalie Cole

12:00 AM RAVE HD: Later With Jools Holland: Green Day , Elvis Costello , Robbie Williams ,

Estelle , Nellie McKay , Jools Holland

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Tokio Hotel

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Marc Broussard

2:00 AM BET: The Blind Boys of Alabama

3:00 AM GSN: What's My Line?: 6/3/1956 - Liberace

Legendary 1977 show paired with equally legendary 1969 show.

By Blurt Staff

For the discriminating Who collector, it's a little bit of manna from ‘oo heaven: The Who: At Kilburn: 1977, a two-disc DVD and single-disc Blu-Ray due November 18 from Image Entertainment, Inc. Newly mastered in high-definition with state-of-the-art sound, the December 15, 1977 Kilburn show at the Gaumont State Theater in North London was recorded before a select audience for Jeff Stein's hit film about The Who, The Kids Are Alright, but only a few brief selections of what would prove to be legendary drummer KEITH MOON's public swan song were ever seen in the finished feature. Captured on 35mm with six cameras and a 16-track audio recorder, portions of the Kilburn have surfaced on bootleg in the past (typically, poorly dubbed VHS copies) and the entire concert has appeared on audio (again, via the bootleg underground), but never in this quality.

Also included in this release is another never-before-seen show and one of the band's favorites, their 1969 London Coliseum performance, which comes with a wealth of additional bonus tracks and boasts the first-ever, officially sanctioned full live recording of their groundbreaking rock opera, Tommy. With a total of 29 classic The Who songs, this pivotal release has long been at the top of rock fans' wish lists and has been regarded as a lost "holy grail" for followers of The Who since Moon's passing.

In other Who news, it was recently announced that surviving members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey will be given lifetime achievement awards at the Kennedy Center Honors on December 7, along with Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Barbra Streisand and Twyla Tharp.

 Track Listing:

Disc One:

Kilburn Songs: " I Can't Explain," "Substitute," "Baba O'Reilly (Teenage Wasteland)," "My Wife/Going Mobile," "Behind Blue Eyes," "Dreaming from the Waist," "Pinball Wizard," "I'm Free," "Tommy's Holiday Camp," "Summertime Blues," "Shakin' All Over," "My Generation," "Join Together," "Who Are You?," "Won't Get Fooled Again."

London Coliseum Songs: "Heaven and Hell," " I Can't Explain," "Fortune Teller," "Tattoo," "Young Man Blues," "A Quick One While He's Away," "Happy Jack," "I'm a Boy," "I'm Free," "Tommy's Holiday Camp," "See Me, Feel Me," "Summertime Blues," "Shakin' All Over," "My Generation."

Disc Two:

70 minutes of rare Coliseum bonus tracks and extended versions including the first-ever live recording of the rock opera Tommy: "A Quick One While He's Away," "Overture," "It's a Boy, " "1921," "Amazing Journey," "Christmas," "Acid Queen," "Pinball Wizard," "Do You Think It's Alright," "Fiddle About," "Tommy Can You Hear Me?," "There's a Doctor," "Go to the Mirror," "Smash the Mirror," "Miracle Cure," "Sally Simpson," "Tommy's Holiday Camp," "I'm Free," "We're Not Gonna Take It."

Literally, the best reunion album of all time!

By Fred Mills

Awhile back we told you the tale of the Source Family, an L.A.-based (later Hawaii) commune of the early ‘70s whose spiritual guru, Father Yod, shepherded the young people of the group, additionally operating the popular Source health food restaurant and frequently fronting the in-house rock band, the mega-psychedelic Yahowa 13. (Go HERE to read our review of the recent book about the family, The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Yahowa 13 and the Source Family.)

Now comes word of the imminent release of Sonic Portation featuring a re-formed Yahowa 13, due Oct. 23 on Prophase/MVD Audio. Of the live reunion that took place last November, the L.A. Times sagely observed that the band "makes Devendra Banhart look like Don Rumsfeld... the surviving members of the group reformed Friday night at the Echoplex and proudly revisited an era when belonging to the counter-culture took a bit more commitment than joining a Facebook group.Ya Ho Wa 13's music is purposefully obtuse and hypnotic -- tribal drums, sawing violins and group chanting made up on the spot -- but it's nothing you can't get from Animal Collective or Soft Circle today. The difference is that Ya Ho Wa 13 really, really means it."

The scoop on the CD, directly from the label:

Back in the early 70s a curious group owned and operated a health food restaurant in Los Angles. The Source Family was a religious group of young people centered around the father figure of Father Yod, a WWII flying ace and spiritual searcher. This group of young people also performed improvisational music backing Father Yod under the name Yahowa 13. When Father Yod died in a hang gliding accident in 1975, the group dispersed.

In 2007, with the publishing of a book about the Source Family, the original Yahowa 13 reunited for some shows and did some studio recordings. These are the long awaited results, the first studio recordings in over 30 years by Yahowa 13! Original members Djin, Octavius and Sunflower jam out like the ensuing years never happened. Incredible improv pieces with mind melting guitar and the psychedelic low end throb that all Yod fans will immediately recognize. Literally, the best reunion album of all time!

Track Listing:

Eah O Shin

Raga Nova

Yod Hey Vau Hey Tetractys

Travelin Ohm

Big Qundalini

In And Out

By Blurt Staff

Mmm... glom that groovy pic of Jenny Lewis! That and much more can be yours absolutely free for the viewing (and downloading).

We've put the finishing touches on the third issue (September 2008) of the Blurt digi-mag and it's a corker. In addition to our cover story on Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis there are in-depth features on the Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer, New Orleans musical legend Bobby Charles, comedian Lewis Black, ex-Hella drummer Zach Hill, funk/soul icon Isaac Hayes (a special remembrance penned by former Stax Records studio engineer Terry Manning) and French electronica mavericks Daft Punk. We've also got coverage of Dead Confederate, Damien Jurado, Ben Folds, Tindersticks, Rachael Yamagata and loads more, plus the usual slew of CD, book and DVD reviews. In the latter section we shine the spotlight in particular on the brilliant new release from the Cold War Kids, Loyalty to Loyalty, and the brilliant old release from Johnny Cash,  At Folsom Prison: Legacy Edition; a new biography on Sly Stone, I Want to Take You Higher; and the Julian Schnabel-directed film Lou Reed's Berlin.

Speaking of Amanda Palmer: we've also got behind-the-scenes footage of her photo shoot and a special video interview to go with our magazine article. And dotting the issue are plenty of embedded MP3s from artists featured in the issue, all for your one-stop reading/listening pleasure. You can read BLURT #3 on the web or download it as individual pages or in its entirely in printer-friendly PDF form.

Just click on the magazine image on the right side of our homepage and follow the instructions....

Band relocates annual year-end NYC residency as well.

By Blurt Staff

"It's not one of those groups that can make a change overnight."

That's Warren Haynes, in a statement released this morning. The Gov't Mule frontman is explaining the arrival of new Mule bassist Jorgen Carlsson. He replaces Andy Hess, on board since 2003.

When founding bassist Allen Woody passed away in 2000, Haynes continues, "We were faced with the daunting task of replacing a one-of-a-kind musician, which I'm sure was challenging for Andy, who did a wonderful job and brought his own personality into the music. Jorgen's style is somewhere between Woody's and Andy's. He brings some of Woody's aggressive spirit back although he is very much his own man." Carlsson was born in Sweden and has been active as a session musician and studio owner since arriving in the US in 1991.

Founded by Haynes, Woody, and drummer Matt Abts in 1994 as a power-trio, Hess was eventually brought in to fill Woody's shoes after the bassist's death in 2000. Later, keyboardist Danny Louis joined as a full-time member in 2003. With Hess leaving to pursue other opportunities, Haynes sees the addition of Jorgen as connecting the past and future of Gov't Mule: "Having worked with Jorgen over the last several months, we are very excited to explore some new directions while at the same time going back a little closer to our roots."

In more Mule news:

On September 16th, Gov't Mule will release the double live DVD The Tale of Two Cities, which spans the entire preceding era of the band with Andy Hess on bass. It is composed of two complete shows filmed the first date of the fall 2004 Deja Voodoo tour and the last date of the winter 2006 High and Mighty tour.

Gov't Mule's Kinder Revolution fall tour begins on October 30 and runs through November 22nd, and includes performances on Halloween at the Orpheum Theater in Boston, two night stands at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis and the Fillmore in San Francisco, shows at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia, the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford, CT, and more. Following the tour, Gov't Mule will, for the seventh year in a row, celebrate the new year with a series of performances in New York City: two acoustic shows on December 27th and 28th at the Angel Orensanz Center in the Lower East Side, then two electric shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom on December 30th and 31st, with the New Years' Eve show featuring the traditional three sets.

The group traditionally does a stand at NYC's Beacon Theatre at year's end, but due to the on-going renovations at the Beacon the events had to be temporarily relocated. According to the Mule camp, "Much consideration was taken into choosing these venues. The band has always wanted to play Angel Orensanz, a former temple which is a visually and acoustically superb room, and jumped at doing so when the opportunity presented itself. The Hammerstein Ballroom, with its extremely accessible location as well as its mixture of seated balconies (both reserved and general admission) as well as its expansive open floor, will appeal to all of our fans needs. With its location in midtown Manhattan, and its close proximity to public transportation to New Jersey, as well as the Long Island Railroad and Metro North, it is one of the more convenient venues in New York City to reach."

Gov't Mule Tour Dates:

Thurs 10.30 Flynn Theatre Burlington, VT
Fri 10.31 Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
Sat 11.01 Smith Opera House Geneva, NY
Sun 11.02 Carnegie Music Hall Homestead, PA
Wed 11.05 Rams Head Live Baltimore, MD
Thurs 11.06 Madison Theatre Covington, KY
Fri 11.07 Tower Theatre Philadelphia, PA
Sat 11.08 Chevrolet Theatre Wallingford, CT
Sun 11.09 Calvin Theater Northampton, MA
Tue 11.11 Royal Oak Theatre Royal Oak, MI
Wed 11.12 The Venue Hammond, IN
Thurs 11.13 The Rave Milwaukee, WI
Fri 11.14 Pantages Minneapolis, MN
Sat 11.15 Pantages Minneapolis, MN
Sun 11.16 Harrahs Voodoo Kansas City, MO
Wed 11.19 The Orpheum Flagstaff, AZ
Thurs 11.20 House of Blues Anaheim, CA
Fri 11.21 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Sat 11.22 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Sun 12.27 Angel Orensanz New York, NY
Mon 12.28 Angel Orensanz New York, NY
Wed 12.30 Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY
Thurs 12.31 Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY

[Photo Credit: Jay Blakesberg]

Bad Seeds kick off American tour in the meantime.

By Blurt Staff

Nick Cave on scoring film soundtracks:

"It's exciting. It's easy in the sense that it's hugely enjoyable, but it's complex. It's hugely enjoyable to make your own records because you go in, you write something, it's cool and you like it and you put it out as a record. There's no financiers or producers who then have to listen to it and decide whether they like it or not, do you know what I mean?

"The whole film business, everything is done by committee, it would seem. So what you feel about what you've created is highly irrelevant in the process of making a film. You hand something in and the worth of it is judged by people you've never even seen, so it's mentally frustrating in that way, but at times it's hugely enjoyable because the kind of agony of original creation, of having to think of the actual idea and the theme and what you're going to write about and all that kind of stuff, which is really very difficult, the toughest part of songwriting for me, is not there. You're simply supplied everything by what's on the screen."

That's Cave speaking to the Los Angeles Times in a lengthy article published today. Cave and the Bad Seeds are about to kick off their U.S. tour tonight in San Diego, of course. But what's perhaps even more interesting is that Cave and cohort Warren Ellis have been working on the music for The Road, the forthcoming film of Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name due to arrive in theaters Nov. 26.

Directed by John Hillcoat (who previously helmed 2005's The Proposition that Cave also worked on), The Road stars Viggo Mortensen. The plot summary is described by IMDB.com thusly:

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and, when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing: just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food--and each other.

Sounds like Cave country to us! For the full synopsis, go HERE.

Some of Cave's best work has been in film - the aforementioned Proposition, certainly, and his and Ellis' score for 2007's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. And longtime Cave watchers will cast their memories all he way back to 1988's obscure Ghosts... of the Civil Dead, plus 1996's To Have and to Hold, both done with members of the Bad Seeds.

With the imminent release of The Road we can finally forgive him for that contribution to the Batman Forever soundtrack....

No, that's not one of the Black Kids in the photo above...

By Fred Mills

For our latest installment in the BlurtTube Flashback series (translation: we were nosing around on YouTube and found some cool music video clips and we don't have anything better to do at the moment) we bring you one of the stranger artifacts to surface. Two of ‘em, in fact - kinda the same, but kinda not. It's called "Zilch." Guess who did the original music?

Don't worry about the hurricanes, the Wall Street crashes, the Sarah barracudas...

By Fred Mills

We'll keep thing simple: When the mighty Chip Taylor set out to record the title track from his latest album New Songs of Freedom he sure hit the goddam nail on the head about the current woeful state of the union. Among the tune's key lines:

Don't worry about the straddle of the right-wing radical just heed the
speed of the vulture
Don't cross the border for political order and upset the balance of culture
Just keep your eyes on the ozone and the price of oil
Don't worry about the stock market, let it fall
The warming of the seas, and the hybrid cars
Was there ever an ocean up there on Mars
Oh, the new song of freedom, just let it go--it'll get there on its' own

And if you can't hang with that, check out the video clip for the song, posted below. It's one of the most moving videos we've seen in a long, long time.

Then get off your ass and go register to vote if you haven't already. There's a lot at stake this year. But you knew that, right?

This ain't your mother's sweet little Partridge...

By Fred Mills

At BLURT we are all about giving musicians their due - current, former, lapsed, dead, even those not even yet born. (Remember: a riff begins at the moment of conception.)

Sometimes, though, it all gets a bit too much. You've kept track of erstwhile Partridge Family member Danny Bonaduce, right? The radio shows, the boxing matches, the strippers, the meltdowns... Well, the dude has clearly, finally gone over the edge, as evidenced by what we came upon this morning nosing around MySpace for band photos we could steal for the Blurt site.

"Hi, Danny Bonaduce here," read the ad-box teaser. "Want to earn and extra $1,700 - $7,900 from home this month?"

Why yes - yes, we do! Glad you asked, Dan!

The ad provides a web address for  IncomeWithDanny.com (it doesn't seem to be working, however) and goes on to say, "If you've ever wished it was YOUR TURN to escape "the rat race" and align with a respected company that's creating 5 & 6 figure income earners - every year - like clockwork, then pay close attention to what you're about to discover..."

Of course, you'll have to fill out a webform and provide your name, phone and address in order to click-through to the following page, so at that point we decided that we're happy enough being part of the rat race. Truth be told, you'd have to be fucking nuts to go along with these sorts of schemes - what, stuffing envelopes? Separating brown M&Ms from little piles? Inseminating gerbils? Working spam bots?

And Bonaduce has lost his mind if he thinks anyone's gonna get sucked into his little celebrity black hole... Christ. Where's Susan Dey when we need her?

 It was kinda cool hearing that abrasive Bonaduce voice play while looking at the ad, however.

Sexploitation horror flick features blood, boobs, and a killer cover of "Bang a Gong"

By Blurt Staff

AL Jourhgensen just can't take a break.  Now that Ministry has wrapped up its farewell "C U La TouR," Jourgensen will concentrating on the release of the "Wicked Lake" soundtrack, set to arrive in stores on November 24, 2008 in conjunction with the film's October 7 DVD release.

For those who are wondering, "Wicked Lake" is a new horror film directed by Zach Passero and written by Adam Rockoff.  The film follows four seductive women as they coyly tease the locals and are eventually held hostage and terrorized in their cabin by several of the sex-crazed and sadistic locals they toyed with before.

See below for the awesome trailer! Lotsa nudity, blood, etc.

While "Wicked Lake" is Jourgensen's debut scoring for a feature film, it's not his first foray into soundtracks.  He wrote and performed tracks for Steven Spielberg's "Artificial Intelligence: AI" (2001), Paul Verhoeven's "RoboCop" (1987) and "The Matrix" (1999).

The soundtrack offers 15 tracks, mostly from artists on Jourgensen's 13th Planet's label.  The song list includes Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Prong, Ascension of The Watchers, and False Icons. One gem is a previously unreleased Ministry track, "Cuz U R Next," one of the last songs written by the late Paul Raven with Jourgensen.  Also on the soundtrack is a brand new Revolting Cocks track called "Hookerbot3000."

Jourgensen and the cast of "Wicked Lake" will be making an in-store appearance at Hollywood's Virgin Megastore on September 25 to publicize the film.

The complete track list:

"Evading"

Ascension of The Watchers

"Residual Presence"

Ascension of the Watchers

"Experiment in Terror"

Laika & the Cosmonauts

"10 Million Ways to Die"

Revolting Cocks

"Hookerbot3000"

Revolting Cocks

"Bang A Gong"

Ministry & Co-Conspirators

"Radar Love"

Ministry & Co-Conspirators

"Decay"

False Icons

"Cuz U R Next"

Ministry

"Can't Stop the Bleeding"

Prong

"No Justice"

Prong

"Combustion"

Meshuggah

"As I Destruct"

Threat Signal

"Nobody Knows What Killer Looks Like"

Hemlock

"Khyber Pass [Wicked Instrumental]"

Ministry

Let's paint the White House black this year, people.

By Fred Mills

Time is about to run out on your chance to vote in the latest BLURT poll. We told you: To hell with red/blue states - in the BLURT party, we let YOU pick the candidate and the veep!

And cast your ballots you have - with the ticket of Michael Stipe/Patti Smith currently just one vote ahead of the Jello Biafra/Mojo Nixon ticket. See the stats as they stand below.

We're personally chagrined that the George Clinton/Flavor Flav ticket hasn't proven more popular - are you saying you don't want another Clinton in the White House?

Even porn star Mary Carey and her running mate Courtney Love is beating the funk/hip-hopsters at this point, leaving those bastions of conservatism, Brooks & Dunn, angling to come in last in a dead tie with Clinton/Flav. But hey, like we said, YOU get to pick the candidates.

Just look for the BLURT poll running in the left-hand margin of our home. Like Mary Carey herself says, "Don't be a boob - get out and exercise your rights as an American citizen!"

George Clinton & Flavor Flav (1)        3%

Michael Stipe & Patti Smith (10)        27%

Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon (9)            24%

Ted Nugent & Sammy Hagar (2)        5%

Brooks & Dunn (1)                             3%

Warren Haynes & Grace Potter (4)     11%

Kinky Friedman & Krist Novoselic (5)  14%

Little Richard & Little Steven (3)           8%

Mary Carey & Courtney Love (2)         5%

Sammy Hagar calls for change in new song/video.

By Randy Harward

Sammy Hagar’s donations to George W. Bush and California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R) evidently—and insistence that he doesn’t mind that McCain used his Van Halen song “Right Now” at the RNC—don’t indicate he’s a true redhead. The title track to his new album Cosmic Universal Fashion (Roadrunner/Loud & Proud) was an online collaboration between Hagar and an Iraqi musician name Steven Lost. The video calls for ideologues from all sides to remove heads from heinie-holes and enact real change.

The clip picks up where VH’s “Right Now” video left off—in fact, it’s the same concept, and they admit as much at the beginning. “In 1992, 4 minutes and 18 seconds caught the world’s attention in a universal fashion,” flashes onscreen before a patchwork of images and “right now” statements lament the state of the world. The war and the current administration are ostensibly taken to task over the faltering economy, exorbitant fuel prices, health care, global warming, world hunger, American gluttony, rockstar politicians/political rockstars, fear-mongering and godlessness (although he appears to be non-denominational, showing pictures of Ganesha, Buddha and Christ). True to his partyin’ motherfuckerness, Hagar also bemoans spammers and the fact that strippers can’t retire on tips. (Oh, and he covers the Beastie Boys’ “Fight For Your Right To Party” on the album.)

Really, though, Hagar calls for everybody to pull their heads out and get serious about the country’s direction instead of continuing the red-blue slap fight. “We are light years ahead of where we thought we’d be in 1992, yet there will always be issues that continue to need our attention,” Hagar says in a press release. “With the upcoming election, global and national issues are at the forefront of everyone’s minds. “Cosmic Universal Fashion” is not about supporting left or right, blue or red, but rather an attempt to appeal to people on a personal level to get involved.”

This notwithstanding, it’s interesting to note that Dubya gets spanked twice, perhaps thrice, in the clip. When the song complains about presidential scandals, Bill Clinton is shown, then we see Bush shaking hands with Tony Blair. In another spot, a picture of the lame duck, lame-ass president is accompanied by a statement says he’s more an entertainer than politician. And Hagar and ex-VH bass player Michael Anthony stand arms folded to these words: “Right now it’s time to finish what you started.” We assume these pertain to the Iraq War as well as Hagar’s “do something” theme.

And mind you, the Red Rocker has never claimed to be overly Republican, citing a brand-conscious desire to be outwardly non-partisan. As he told USA Today last month, “I can't take the stage and preach to people, because unfortunately there will always be folks out there who'll say, ‘Oh, he thinks that, then I'll never go to his club again.’ So I just do what I do, and hope I don't insult anyone.

            “We're at a crossroads, for sure. If we don't make the right changes, right now, we'll have an even bigger depression and more wars. The best thing we can all do is not wait until the government does things, but instead just get involved in our own communities to help those around us.”

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

9:00 AM PLD HD: Unplugged (VH1): Black Crowes

9:00 AM Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Ne-Yo

10:00 AM Sundance: Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul

1:00 PM RAVE HD: Beautiful Noise: The Ponys

6:00 PM Ovation: Stuart Sutcliffe - The Lost Beatle

6:00 PM VH1C: Bob Dylan Don't Look Back

8:00 PM CMT: 2008 CMT Music Awards

9:00 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit: Chuck D, Atmosphere

9:00 PM RAVE HD: Later With Jools Holland: Paul Weller , Carlos Santana , Anthony Hamilton , Bettye Lavette , John Cale , Sheryl Crow

9:30 PM PBS: Los Lonely Boys - Cottonfields and Crossroads

11:35 PM CBS: The Late Show With David Letterman: Terrence Howard

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: George Clinton

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Loudon Wainwright III

This ain't your parents protest music.

By Brian Creech

This might not come as a big surprise, but the thought of a McCain/Palin administration terrifies Lucinda Williams.  So, she's doing what any citizen born in a democracy that (nominally) prizes dissent and protects free speech  would do: pick up a guitar and digitally release a collection of classic, red-blooded protest songs.

The album, entitled Lu in '08 features covers of classics like Bob Dylan's "Master's of War" and Buffalo Springfield's "For What it's Worth" alongside "Marching the Hate Machines (Into the Sun)," a cover of a Thievery Corporation song featuring the Flamin Lips.   The album also contains four new songs from Williams, including her own protest song "Bone of Contention," which Williams has called a "swampy bluesy thing" in the vein of ZZ Top and Tony Jo White.  The album is set to be released on October 28^th, a week before election day.

Concert goers who have heard this new song have called the acoustic version amply aggressive, so no one should expect the downloadable album to come packaged with a new brand of flower power.  It has been performed by Williams live several times over the summer, the most famous instance being at a show in Lowell, MA where the she had a minor breakdown on stage.  When a fan requested her to play some Pink Floyd, she responded with a rated R rant and said to the guy, "You don't understand what it's like up here when someone yells something stupid like 'Play some Pink Floyd.' Fucking leave. If you don't want to hear it then fucking leave. You think it's easy doing this?"

On the Lucinda Williams' message board over at LucindaWilliams.com, "Bone of Contention" has been notable for its righteous attitude and tendency to calm the singer's nerves after she rants at fans.  One commenter noted that he would take a minor freakout over the major freakouts from earlier in her career anyday.  Lucinda Williams kicks off her fall tour in Asheville, NC on September 25^th, so she may bless us with the ire of one of those fabled freakouts yet.

Finally, in anticipation of the release of Lucinda Williams other new album, Little Honey, Lost Highway records is giving away all-expense paid trip for two to New York to see Williams live at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden on October 3^rd.   More info can be found HERE.

Lucinda Williams Tour Dates

THU-SEP-25 THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM ASHEVILLE, NC

 FRI-SEP-26 HISTORIC TENNESSEE THEATRE KNOXVILLE, TN

SAT-SEP-27 NORTH CHARLESTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER NORTH CHARLESTON, SC

MON-SEP-29 BELK THEATRE CHARLOTE, NC

TUE-SEP-30 RALEIGH MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM RALEIGH, NC

 FRI-OCT-3 THE THEATER AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN NEW YORK, NY

SAT-OCT-4 SHUBERT THEATER NEW HAVEN, CT

TUE-OCT-7 HART THEATRE / THE EGG ALBANY, NY

WED-OCT-8 ORPHEUM THEATRE BOSTON, MA

THU-OCT-9 METROPOLIS MONTREAL, QUE

SAT-OCT-11 MASSEY HALL TORONTO, ONT

SUN-OCT-12 HARRO EAST BALLROOM ROCHESTER, NY

TUE-OCT-14 MICHIGAN THEATER ANN ARBOR, MI

 WED-OCT-15 LIFESTYLE COMMUNITIES PAVILION COLUMBUS, OH

FRI-OCT-17 WAR MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM NASHVILLE, TN

 SUN-OCT-19 THE PAGEANT ST. LOUIS, MO

MON OCT 20 UPTOWN THEATRE KANSAS CITY, MO

TUE-OCT-21 HOYT SHERMAN THEATRE DES MOINES, IA

 THU-OCT-23 FIRST AVENUE MINNEAPOLIS, MN

FRI-OCT-24 RIVIERA THEATRE CHICAGO, IL 

WED-NOV-5 FIRST AVENUE MINNEAPOLIS, MN

SUN-NOV-16 THE FILLMORE SAN FRANCISCO, CA

MON-NOV-17 THE FILLMORE SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Frammin' on the jim-jam for a good cause to boot.

By Fred Mills

Okay, astral travelers, get your head together long enough to mark your calendars for Oct. 11. That's when The Frisco Freakout descends upon, logically enough, San Francisco. Serving up "good trips, organic eats and the best in California psychedelic rock" (as the organizers advise us, there will be some serious frammin' on the jim-jam courtesy the following ace acts:

Earthless, Crystal Antlers, Wooden Shjips, the Bad Trips, Sleepy Sun, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound,  Greg Ashley, Ascended Master, Art Lessing and the Flower Vato

The event will be held at Thee Parkside, 1600 17^th St and you can nab tickets here or find out more at www.friscofreakout.com.

Proceeds from the psychedelic dance party get donated to Creativity Explored, a nonprofit visual arts center in San Francisco, where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art. Creativity Explored's new exhibition, Fibrocosm, opens October 9, at the organization's gallery, 3245 16th Street, San Francisco.

The non-partisan voter registration organization HeadCount will also be on hand to register new voters, process address changes, and provide general voting information.

By Blurt Staff

Mmm... glom that groovy pic of Jenny Lewis! That and much more can be yours absolutely free for the viewing (and downloading).

We've put the finishing touches on the third issue (September 2008) of the Blurt digi-mag and it's a corker. In addition to our cover story on Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis there are in-depth features on the Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer, New Orleans musical legend Bobby Charles, comedian Lewis Black, ex-Hella drummer Zach Hill, funk/soul icon Isaac Hayes (a special remembrance penned by former Stax Records studio engineer Terry Manning) and French electronica mavericks Daft Punk. We've also got coverage of Dead Confederate, Damien Jurado, Ben Folds, Tindersticks, Rachael Yamagata and loads more, plus the usual slew of CD, book and DVD reviews. In the latter section we shine the spotlight in particular on the brilliant new release from the Cold War Kids, Loyalty to Loyalty, and the brilliant old release from Johnny Cash,  At Folsom Prison: Legacy Edition; a new biography on Sly Stone, I Want to Take You Higher; and the Julian Schnabel-directed film Lou Reed's Berlin.

Speaking of Amanda Palmer: we've also got behind-the-scenes footage of her photo shoot and a special video interview to go with our magazine article. And dotting the issue are plenty of embedded MP3s from artists featured in the issue, all for your one-stop reading/listening pleasure. You can read BLURT #3 on the web or download it as individual pages or in its entirely in printer-friendly PDF form.

Just click on the magazine image on the right side of our homepage and follow the instructions...

Incidentally, we haven't been exactly neglecting this website you're on - as of September 16 we had posted our 500^th review. Pardon us if we pat ourselves on our back, but that's not bad for a music portal that's only been operative for 3 months. Scroll down the page to locate our vast archive of CD reviews, and then below that are Books, DVDs and Concerts.

Up for an Americana award, too.

By Blurt Staff

Steve Earle will conclude his Washington Square Serenade tour of North America next week at NYC's Judson Memorial Church. Described as an "extremely intimate" venue, it will be a special 4-night conclusion to an already special tour, and we just got word that a handful of tickets are still available - go HERE for Earle's itinerary and ticketing information.

Judson, incidentally, is a pretty special place for New Yorkers. Located at 55 Washington Square South, the church describes itself as "a little bit different" on its website, www.judson.org:

You've found a church  that's a little bit different. It looks like a high Italian Renaissance church for a reason you might not expect from low church Baptists. We're deeply rooted in free church, Baptist and UCC traditions, but every kind of believer and not-so-much-a believer gathers together on Sunday mornings. We've been Gay Proud long before Gay Pride.

We're interested in changing the plight of the marginalized and noticing when the emperors have no clothes. We think the arts make life worth living and celebrate the secular and sacred in all that we do, including worship and how we use our glorious spaces.

Meanwhile, Earle will be at the Americana Music Association awards ceremony tomorrow in Nashville where he's up for Artist of the Year. For our prior coverage of Earle, the tour and the award, go HERE.

Birthplace of Muscle Shoals sound mines vault and readies reissues.

By Blurt Staff

Muscle Shoals is an unassuming town, the least likely town one would expect to be the birthplace of some of the most iconic soul hits of the 1960's and 70's. Artists like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Duane Allman, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, and Little Richard mined real artistic gold in the town.  Muscle Shoals was known for a plucky group of session musicians known as the Swampers, who pioneered "that Muscle Shoals sound" under the direction of Rick Hall and FAME Recording Studios.  More recently, BLURT hero Jason Isbell has been at work recording his second solo album there.

(For a detailed history of Fame, go HERE.)

FAME Records is the sister company and music distribution wing of the famous FAME Recording Studios, and in its hey-day released music by soul legends Candi Staton, Dan Penn, Clarence Carter, and Arthur Conley.  Shuttered in 1976, the label has announced its own resuscitation thanks to a new arrangement with EMI Distribution Co.

The first release from the reinvigorated label will be 'The Best of Jimmy Hughes,' an eighteen -track collection, due out October, 28, 2008.  Hughes' signature hit, 1964's "Steal Away," was the first song recorded at FAME's Avalon Avenue studios, and the first release on the original FAME label.  Though he retired from recording in the mid- ‘70s, Hughes still lives near Muscle Shoals and sings in church most Sundays. Album extras include an essay by renowned record producer Rick Hall, and a roundtable discussion with Hughes and Hall, and several legendary Muscle Shoals musicians - Norbert Putnam, Spooner Oldham, Jerry Carrigan, Peanut Montgomery and David Briggs - which fans can access as a bonus mp3 when they purchase the album.

Rodney Hall, vice-president of FAME Records and son of Rick Hall, said, "It's been nearly fifty years since my father built FAME Studios, and the music made here is more influential now than ever.  Our mission with FAME Records is to keep the legacy of this essential American music alive, and show the world that Muscle Shoals still thrives as a music mecca today."

More releases are to be expected as FAME Records mines the vaults and pulls out dusts off many more southern-soul gems.  

Taking bets as well...

By Fred Mills

One of the current trainspotter pastimes is unquestionably monitoring Robert Smith's blog at the Cure's official website as we lead up to the release of the new 4:13 Dream (tentatively set for an Oct. 28 arrival in the States).

Smith's most recent post revealed the presumed artwork (above) for the album - well, it he noted that it "will look something like this..." - as well as the tracklisting ("will sound something like this...") along with some typically Smith-ian gibberish:

1 UNDERNEATH THE STARS
2 THE ONLY ONE
3 THE REASONS WHY
4 FREAKSHOW
5 SIRENSONG
6 THE REAL SNOW WHITE
7 THE HUNGRY GHOST
8 SWITCH
9 THE PERFECT BOY
10 THIS. HERE AND NOW. WITH YOU
11 SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD
12 THE SCREAM
13 IT'S OVER

IT WILL BE THE SAME EVERYWHERE
(AAAAAH... JUST LIKE THE OLD DAYS?!!)
AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ON CD, VINYL AND ONLINE...

MORE EXCITING NEWS ABOUT STUFF AND STUFF IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS...

RSX
PS
TAKING BETS NOW AGAINST 'DARK ALBUM' COMPANION PIECE OUT BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY 2009... HA!

OR NOT SO HA...

Actually, if you go to the site, click on the "comments" link below the post - there's never anything quite so entertaining as the tear- and cum-stained dribblings of long-suffering, besmitten Cure fans...

Anyhow, keep scrolling down when you do go to the site and you'll find Smith holding forth on everything from iTunes UK (he feels they have somehow fucked up the new Hypnagogic States EP - "I fucking despair again," writes Smith - for charging too much) to MTV to "The Perfect Anniversary Singalong" (you'll have to figure that one out for yourself as our heads are hurting now from reading Smith's faux-poetry).

"Temporary People" and "The Rat" respectively rockin' our day.

By Fred Mills

Over in our Blurt video section we've got a pair of new aces poking out of our deck that we feel are must-see teevee:

Dead Confederate "The Rat" comes from the Georgia band's brand new Wrecking Ball (Razor & Tie) album. Part performance clip, part impressionistic southern travelogue, it's guaranteed to induce vertigo - ditto the woozyheavycool music.

Oh, and it's a BLURT exclusive, too. Make sure you check our new (September) issue of the BLURT digital magazine. Not only do we have a review of the Dead Confederate album (8 stars out of 10), there's also a feature profile of the group.

Meanwhile, back to the videos:

Joseph Arthur "Temporary People" is plucked from the forthcoming album of the same name (issued by his own Lonely Astronaut Records) - what the hell's up with that kitty-cat mask, Joe? A seriously fine album, judging by the advance we have, and yet another in Arthur's long line of visually arresting videos.

"Fake" news reporter dons cardigan, celebrates Christmas with famous musical guests

By Brian Creech

Stephen Colbert, on his quest to protect all things American, has added a new institution to his list: the Holiday Special.  Sure to feature collection of holiday attire to make any Gap ad swell with pride, the one -hour comedy and music bonanza, entitled A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All, premiers November 23rd on Comedy Central .  Though it will probably be run into the ground even more than the roasts of Flavor Flav and Bob Saget combined, Comedy Central will also release it on DVD on November 25^th.  Old copies of A Bing Crosby Christmas are being tossed out in anticipation.

 According to a press release:

In the special, Colbert is on his way to meet with Elvis Costello in New York City but is snowed-in at his cabin in upstate New York (bear country). He weathers through the storm with help from his friends Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend, Willie Nelson, and Jon Stewart.

Surely, they will all learn the true meaning of Christmas while making Hannukah/Jew jokes at Jon Stewart's expense, but it is a reassuring thought to imagine Colbert and Costello sharing a yuletide cup of eggnog together.

Eight of the songs for the special were written by Adam Schlesinger, of Fountains of Wayne fame, and Daily Show executive producer David Javerbaum.  "Another Christmas Song" and "Cold, Cold Christmas" will feature Colbert solo, while "Little Dealer Boy" features Colbert in a duet with Willie Nelson.  Jon Stewart joins Colbert for "Hanukkah ," while Jon Legend steps in to help Stephen perform "Nutmeg." Feist sings "Please Be Patient" to an impatient Colbert, and Toby Keith continues his tradition of straight-talking singing with "Have I Got a Present for You," in which I'm willing to bet he gives someone a present.

Colbert and Costello finally cross paths on "There Are Much Worse Things To Believe In"  and the entire ensemble performs a version of Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding."  Speculators say Toby Keith is currently lobbying to have the line "A whole damn lot" added to the chorus. 

A portion of proceeds from DVD sales of "A Colbert Christmas" will go to the charity Feeding America.  Special features on the DVD version include a book-burning yule log, a video advent calendar, and some alternate endings.  Like the one where Willie Nelson jack-slaps Toby Keith for ratting him out on national television. 

[Photo Credit: Kristopher Long]

Ted Nugent sends love letter, new book to VP candidate; halo of hearts and stars appears above his head.

By Randy Harward

Oh, Nuge. It’s so cute you have a crush on Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin. We all do, but for those of us on the reasonable side, it’s purely physical (but we’d feel dirty in the morning). We can see why you’d be drawn to her: She’s extreme! Just like you, she has a scorched earth/kill ‘em all, let (((((God))))) sort ‘em out policy. She’s an avid hunter and outdoorswoman, and a lifetime member of the NRA. She shares your narrow, stupid ideology. You couldn’t have found a better match on eHarmony.com. (Take that, Neil Clark Warren!)

Let’s see what you said in the love letter that accompanied the ostensibly signed, leather-bound first-edition of your book:

Dear Governor Palin,

Please accept this copy of my new book, "TED WHITE & BLUE-The Nugent Manifesto" for you and your family. As a proud fellow American hunter, fisherman and lover of Alaska's soul cleansing magnificent Spirit of the Wild, we who live our American Dream by God, truth, logic, goodwill and decency, thank you for bringing such defiant common sense and self evident truth back to the GOP and politics. We wish you Godspeed for the best hunting and fishing season of your life and pray to God almighty that you bring your bold spirit to the White House.

Godbless,

American BloodBrothers, Ted Nugent and family

You’re probably replaying her speech and putting a stranglehold on Uncle Ted, Jr. right now, imagining how great it would be to run naked through the Alaskan wild, then rut like beasts in the belly of a freshly slain… beast. Then, in the afterglow, you’ll read to her the sonnets collected in your self-referential, self-aggrandizing, hot-as-Courtney Love’s-morning-breath tome (that means “book”). And suddenly, you’re ready for another go. You know, after you ask her to plug your book at campaign stops.

Oh, and look at this: You’re already defending her honor against the dreaded Hollywood liberal Matt Damon. How cute! Go get her, Teddy.