One of pop's most distinctive voices succumbs to cancer.

By Fred Mills

The tributes poured forth on Sunday and this morning as word circulated of Bee Gees legend Robin Gibb's death on Sunday (May 20) following a lengthy battle with cancer (complications from which had recently put him in a much-publicized  temporary coma). The vocalist, whose twin brother Maurice (also 1/3 of the Bee Gees) died in 2003, was 62.

Along with brothers Maurice and Barry, Robin Gibb's mark on pop music was indelible, and not just for the Bee Gees' ubiquity during the disco and Saturday Night Fever era, either. The string of mid/late '60 hits the Australian combo crafted are among that era's most enduring, holding their own alongside the British Invasion hits of the day, so in a sense it's a shame that they'll be remembered chiefly for (admittedly great) songs like "Night Fever," "More Than a Woman," "Stayin' Alive" and "You Should Be Dancing" over such earlier gems as "Holiday," "I Can't See Nobody," "To Love Somebody," "New York Mining Disaster 1941" and "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You."

Let's pay tribute:

Also making plans for a special Christmas album.

By Blurt Staff

The Polyphonic Spree will record their show at New York's Webster Hall this Wednesday, May 23, for a live album and DVD to be released later this year. "NYC was our first home away from home in the States," says Spree frontman Tim DeLaughter of the decision to record their first concert album there. "We went from very small crowds in Texas to the UK for for the Meltdown Festival curated by David Bowie in 2002, then straight to New York to play eight shows in seven days on our 'layover' back to Dallas. Our friend took all of our first photos in Williamsburg near the East River (before it was developed) and the rest is history.

"New York embraced us from the get go. Cynicism wasn't part of it, ironically. We toured so much overseas initially, and coming 'back to the States and feeling at home' meant Brooklyn and Manhattan."

In addition to the live release, The Polyphonic Spree are planning to release a Christmas album this fall, before taking their annual Holiday Extravaganza, which they've staged in their hometown of Dallas for the last nine years, to other markets for the first time. And the band has commenced recording a new original album -- their first since 2007's "The Fragile Army" -- intended for release sometime in 2013. Details will follow later this year.

[Photo Credit: Patrick Cone]

Had drummed for the band 1994-96.

By Fred Mills

Drummer Peter Jones, who played with Australia's Crowded House during the mid ‘90s following the departure of original drummer Paul Hester, passed away on Friday, May 18.  The cause of death for the Liverpool native was brain cancer, reports Billboard.com. Jones was 45.

Crowded House posted, in a statement on its website, "We are in mourning today for the death of Peter Jones. We remember his as a warm-hearted, funny and talented man, who was a valuable member of Crowded House. He played with style and spirit. We salute him and send out love and best thoughts to his family and friends."

Don't choke on this at home, kids.


By Blurt Staff



"Ég Anda", from from the new Sigur Ros album Valtari, was just unveiled as the lead video. It's directed by Ragnar Kjartansson and is  the "first of a series from 12 directors for a mystery film experiment." Check it out:




Still to come: more in the series, with directors on board including John Cameron Mitchell, Ryan McGinley, Ramin Bahrani, Alma Har'el and Clare Langan.

"Classic" post-John Foxx lineup, natch. Check "making of" video clip, below.

By Blurt Staff

British synth-rock pionners Ultravox are set to return with their first studio album in 28 years. Following on from the sold-out Return To Eden reformation shows in 2009, the classic Ultravox line-up of Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross and Warren Cann has recorded a 12-track album of brand new songs titled Brilliant which will be released digitally in the U.S. on May 29^th via EMI. It's described as "dramatic, passionate, and truly epic in scale and sound."

A UK tour is planned for September and October

The backstory: Emerging from the new wave and electro scenes of the late ‘70s, Ultravox fashioned a form of electronic rock music that was uniquely powerful and delivered massive hits through the 1980s such as "Hymn," "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes," "The Voice," "Reap The Wild Wind," "Love's Great Adventure," "We Came To Dance," and of course the atmospheric "Vienna." More details on the band available at www.ultravox.org.uk.

Tracklisting:

 Live Again

 Flow

 Brilliant

 The Change

 Rise

 Remembering

 Hello

 This One

 Fall

Let It Lie

Satellite

A veritable buffet of classic Stones tracks.

By Blurt Staff

Saturday night it was all about Saturday Night Live - specifically, guest host Mick Jagger, along with guests Arcade Fire and the Foo Fighters.  Check out the clips, below, including the grand finale.

The clips are, in order:

Mick Jagger and Arcade Fire: "The Last Time"

Mick Jagger and Foo Fighters: "19th Nervous Breakdown"/"It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"

Arcade Fire / Jagger + Cast, Steve Martin, Foos, etc.: "She's a Rainbow"/"Ruby Tuesday" finale (Kristen Wiig tribute)

Rod & Kustom (and, er, some kickass rock ‘n' roll...) bash held April 5 and 6 in Austin.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL PASSMAN

(above) Dick Dale

Craig Finn

Rosie Flores

Wanda Jackson

Wanda & Danny

Southern Culture on the Skids

Deke Dickerson

Banjo maestro influenced at least two generations' worth of young pickers.

By Fred Mills

In a week that brought sad news of the passings of disco legend Donna Sumer and go-go Godfather Chuck Brown, another hugely influential musician also died, on Wednesday (May 16): Doug Dillard, founding member of contemporary-era bluegrass pioneers The Dillards, and a sideman and collaborator to scores of popular rock and country artists. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Dillard, who suffered a collapsed lung several months ago, recently developed a lung infection and died in a Nashville hospital." He was 75.

In addition to sibling group The Dillards (Doug, Rodney and Earl) - aka recurring musician characters "The Darlin' Boys," to aficionados of the old Andy Griffith television show - the banjo player formed Dillard & Clark in the late '60s with erstwhile Byrds vocalist Gene Clark (essential listening: The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark) and he continue to perform and record throughout his life until a couple of years ago when his health went into steep decline. Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers founder Chris Hillman is quoted by the Times as saying, "I would put him at the very top level of proficiency on the banjo, right up there with Earl Scruggs. He was a great musician, and he greatly influenced me."

The Dillards were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

UPDATE 5/19: See below for latest press release. You know, these guys are starting to come across as old whores arguing about whose pimp gave 'em the best lovin'... fans are rapidly losing interest in ANY type of Sabbath reunion at this point, Ward or no War...

"At the request of Bill Ward, through his attorney, so as to not give the public the wrong impression about his involvement in the current Black Sabbath lineup, we have temporarily removed Bill Ward's images from the main pages of the blacksabbath.com  official website.  In accordance with Bill Ward's attorney's request, we are doing so for the duration of the forthcoming shows." -- BLACK SABBATH

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Maybe Big Black's old drum machine is available for the gig...

By Perez Mills


That Black Sabbath - Bill Ward feud over Ward allegedly being disrespected by his estranged bandmates boiled over finally yesterday following Ward's publication a couple of days ago of a 1,504-word letter  detailing his disillusionment over the band and his decision not to take part in the much-publicized reunion.

Sabbath subsequently sent out the following press release late yesterday:

We have decided not to make any detailed comment on Bill's latest statement. There are two sides to every story. We have been working hard at rehearsals making excellent progress after Tony's treatments and we have engaged a substitute drummer for the forthcoming shows. See you at Download.

-Black Sabbath, 5/17/12

No word yet who that substitute will be, although we know for certain that Meg White is available...

The Godfather of Go-Go was one of a kind.

By Blurt Staff

Washington, DC, legend Chuck Brown, originator of the funk-based musical subgenre known as Go-Go, passed away Wednesday (May 16) at the age of 75. The gregarious, much-loved North Carolina native died of multiple organ failure related to heart failure.

Go-Go's signatures - polyrhythms racing constantly throughout the tunes and often stitching them together, plus heavy use of horns and call-and-response vocals - left an indelible imprint on popular music, notably in hip-hop (Eric B. & Rakin's Paid In Full album had a pair of Brown's tunes, while Nelly's "Hot In Herre" adapted Brown's "We Need Some Money") but also in rock as well (for example, Coldcut borrowed heavily from "Bustin' Loose" for their "Say Kids What Time Is It?" hit).

Go-Go was primarily a live phenomenon, although Brown did have a number of chart hits such as the aforementioned "Bustin' Loose," and anyone who saw Brown and his Soul Survivors perform will attest to the non-stop dancing and just sheer viscerality that would mark a Brown gig.

Brown received his first Grammy Award nomination in 2010 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Love" (with Jill Scott and Marcus Miller), from the album We Got This.