The good, the bad, the independent

The music world is like the Wild West nowadays. The old rules about making it in the business -- write singles, get the big label's attention, sign and sell lots of albums -- is out the window. The new model is still taking shape, and the only thing we know for sure is it's wide open.

The upside is that a lot of terrific artists who might have labored in obscurity making af few bucks a night playing bars are now laboring in semi-obscurity making a few more bucks a night by selling downloads and merch online in between playing bars.

The downside is, the market is flooded. Here at the Vault, we get a ton of independent discs in the mail every week, and while we love to discover new artists and feature independent music whenever we can, honestly, about 75% of what comes in is seriously flawed in one way or another. It's an act that doesn't have a voice or style of its own or anything original to say or an exciting or engaging way of saying it, or even a reasonably professional recording. It's self-indulgent, it's amateurish, and sometimes it's just plain bad.

That said, my last three published reviews have all been of terrific, lovingly crafted work by artists who are either self-releasing or on a small indie label. So please, ignore the glut of marginal material and enjoy these three indie gems:

• Fractures by Last Charge Of The Light Horse. Like a ten-years-after sequel to Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love; a superbly crafted song cycle about troubled relationships and the daily search for hope and redemption.
  
  
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• Time Travel Made Easy by Spiraling. Fountains Of Wayne meet H.G. Wells in this brilliantly executed concept album full of clever riffs, retro synths and singalong choruses.
  
  
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• Today by Mike Zito. Simply the best electric blues album I've heard in a long time, full of Stevie Ray Vaughan grit mixed with John Mayer melodicism and John Hiatt self-awareness.
  
  
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  Enjoy!
  

Jeff's Quick Picks -- Rooney

"I Should've Been After You"
Rooney
Calling The World

Retro-rock has been one of the driving forces behind popular music for a few years now; I might argue it began with the garage rock revival of the early 00's, but that's just a personal opinion. Point is, a great deal of bands these days seek to emulate the sound/style of their elders. Some do this better than others.

I couldn't tell you much about Rooney as a band, apparently they have a decent reputation and I believe one of the members is the brother of a member of the band Phantom Planet. Their pop/rock sensibilities are impeccable however, and that shines through on "I Should've Been After You."

This track contains elements of Queen, Genesis, with a dash of Boston to boot. It is quite the summer song, oozing charisma and energy from every pore. This track really hearkens back to the days when bands used to actually release singles, and that in turn meant something to the consumer. This is a song meant to be spinning on a turntable somewhere during 1976. Perfect example of a song to download for a dollar; more than worth it.

Jeff's Quick Picks -- Paul Simon

"Pigs, Sheep and Wolves"
Paul Simon
You're The One

This quirky number comes to the masses from Simon's 2000 disc You're The One. After a decade that saw no traditional release from Rhymin' Simon, he saw fit to return to his roots...in a matter of speaking.

One can definitely hear the influences of the South African/World music that Simon has utilized throughout his career; but it has lost some of it's charm and uniqueness. Still, the production/musicianship is ten times better than anything you would hear on Top 20 radio.

No, this song loses points on performance of Simon himself. Lyrically, the allegory between Pigs, Sheep, and Wolves and mankind has been made before (In fact I think there's been an album dedicated to it....). Simon's odd vocals don't help matters much; to be frank it sounds as if he decided to lazily toss these off at 9 at night when he was bored and tired. He does this now and then, the worst example being his vocals on "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" from the Simon & Garfunkel live record Old Friends.

Paul Simon has a decidedly hit or miss solo career; this particular song qualifies as a miss.

Chris Cubeta and The Liars Club Prep for June Residency at Manhattan’s The Living Room

Daily Vault faves Chris Cubeta and The Liars Club, who too-modestly call themselves "an Americana rock band from Brooklyn," will begin a prestigious, month-long residency at New York City's The Living Room on June 2. The Liars Club will appear every Monday in June at 10 PM. All five Monday night shows are -- get this -- FREE with a one-drink minimum per set. That's an unbeatable bargain for an artist who's earned straight "A"s from the Vault and delivered this reviewer's favorite indie releases of both 2006 *and* 2007.

The Liars Club has been making noise in and out of New York over the last year. Last summer, they embarked on a seven-city East Coast tour that included stops in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Raleigh, Wilmington and Nashville. The band has opened for singer-songwriter Gary Jules (“Mad World,” Donnie Darko soundtrack) and Cubeta has performed solo on two occasions in support of former Pushstars lead singer Chris Trapper. In December, Cubeta released the spectacular Change EP to a packed crowd at The Living Room. The band has also drawn big crowds at some of the city’s most lively rooms including Rockwood Music Hall, Pianos, Crash Mansion, The Bitter End and Trash.

This is the first-ever residency for The Liars Club at The Living Room. Sets will include special guests and promotions. The Living Room is at 154 Ludlow between Stanton and Rivington in the heart of Manhattan’s Lower East Side (take the J or F to Delancey -- phone number is 212-533-7235). For more information, contact band manager Danny Lanzetta at 914-475-8070 or at dlanzetta[at]galuminumfoil.com.

Most of all -- if you can possibly help it, don't miss these shows. If I lived within a thousand miles of NYC, you can bet I wouldn't.

"Jeff's Quick Picks"

“San Francisco Mabel Joy”
Kenny Rogers
The Gambler

And the inaugural song to break in “Jeff’s Quick Picks” is……Kenny Rogers? What were the odds in Vegas on that one? Well, I promised to be indiscriminate, and indiscriminate I shall be!

The Gambler is one of Roger’s most famous albums, if not his most famous. It provided him with a platform to launch a few crossover tunes from the country charts to the pop charts, and “San Francisco Mabel Joy” is a good example. While the refrain and vocal twangs scream country, the orchestral overdubs and reggae-tinged guitar sound much more contemporary.

While there are other songs on The Gambler that have reached the status of classics and were much bigger hits, “San Francisco Mabel Joy” has the feeling of being that 3rd or 4th single to mop things up from one record to the next. Definitely a keeper from a great album.

The Daily Shuffle...

It can be quite a challenge picking music to listen to when your music library is as vast as mine. I’m not trying to gloat or show off, but it’s the truth. Tell me that you have not walked into a video rental store, or the grocery store, and been presented with so many options that you can’t even begin to pick where to start.

When such a time arrives, I tend to crawl up in the fetal position and suck my thumb for a few hours. However, with my music collection, I have the option of one of the most glorious aspects of the CD/MP3 age: SHUFFLE!!

Instead of spending my time debating the merits of listening to Close To The Edge over Kill’em All, I can let my iPod choose for me. One click, and I’m reveling in the entire breadth and scope of my library. What song is my iPod going to deliver? I have no idea, and that’s the beauty of the whole process.

Over time, I’ve come to realize that when I shuffle things up, I am often introduced/reintroduced to songs I had no memory of owning, or even listening to. Therein lies the thrill of listening to music, in a method that was once the sole domination of radio, but now accessible to any consumer.

Our focus here at the Vault are albums, and rightfully so. However, God bless this blog of ours, for it allows a certain degree of latitude and freedom in covering content. We don’t often get the chance to highlight a new song that we heard on the radio, or saw in a commercial, or had a friend tell us about.

So, with an incredibly small amount of fanfare, I introduce “Jeff’s Quick Picks,” whereupon I’ll hit on a few tunes I come across while shuffling. Whether it’s an album cut from a record I know very well to a track that I will swear up and down to never having listened to, rest assured that not even I know what is coming up next.

Now serving: free lunch

Apparently, Trent Reznor has never heard of the famous economics maxim which states "There is no such thing as a free lunch." Today, Reznor announced that the latest NIN album was available to the fans 100% free,

This announcement comes two months after Reznor released Ghosts I-IV, a 36 track instrumental album in every format known to man. In the span of a week, Reznor sold roughly a million dollars' worth of digital downloads, lighting the internet on fire with his bold new delivery model.

As many have surmised, with the actions of NIN, Radiohead, and Coldplay, there is a paradigm shift occurring within the music industry. The old way of walking down to the local record store to pick up the latest released from Bread is going the way of the dinosaur. How much one laments the loss of such a process is growing more and more dependent on the age of individual.

Of course, it's going to be some time before this is preferred delivery model of music; the bands that are utilizing this system have huge, established fanbases. They have made it big, and can afford to take losses when announcing and delivering released of this nature. Your fledgling, indie band trying to make it big simply cannot afford to the same. At least, at the present time...

Oh Piggy, where art thou?

The iconical and infamous inflatable pig that was originally inflated to support Pink Floyd’s Animals tour back in 1977, was sent aloft this past weekend during the Coachella music festival out in the California desert. Waters has retained ownership of the pig and deployed it periodically for the past 30 years.

For reasons unknown, the pig broke loose of its moorings and drifted off into the sky, to be found the next morning in tatters in suburban La Quinta about 10 miles away. Festival organizers offered a $10,000 reward for its return, which was gratefully split between the two families whose yards were festooned with the shredded remains.

The reasons for the pig's attempted escape are unclear. However, he had been plastered with pro-Obama slogans for the festival, and some speculate it was headed for nearby Arizona, home of Senator John McCain.

Turning forty

I turned forty this year. I think the most notable thing about being forty so far is the sheer number of people dying who make me at least momentarily sad.

So this news was kind of depressing.

Paul Davis was not a great singer. I do not own any of his CDs, nor do I plan to. But there is a place in Musical Valhalla for someone who turned out a few listenable tunes. "I Go Crazy" is still a wonderful love song, "Cool Night" is an axiomatically seventies soft rock song, and "'65 Love Affair" was just fun, putting cheerleaders in a song before Toni Basil ever thought of it.

Was Paul Davis a legend, a groundbreaker, an unsung genius? Well, put it this way; we're not likely to do a Paul Davis retrospective any time soon. Davis was just a Mississippi boy who liked doing country-rock and had a few successes doing it. But I still remember that smooth voice on the radio...

"Cool night, brings back memories of a good life, when this love was not so old..."

I wasn't this old, either.

RIP, Paul.

*Duke

Chinese Democracy: any day now, really, we mean it

Making fun of the industry joke that is the "band" Guns N'Roses is so easy at this point that it's become the moral equivalent of cruelty to small animals. So we'll give you the very latest with as straight a face as we can muster: Axl says the band is "in negotiations" for the release of the long-rumored album Chinese Democracy, and the band professes to have no idea why guitarist Robin Finck up and left to return to touring with his old band Nine Inch Nails.

Not that Axl's former bandmates have had much better luck with their latter-day frontman. What can you say but bad karma all around.

R.I.P. Danny Federici

His Boss called E Street Band organ, glockenspiel and accordion player Danny Federici "one of the pillars of our sound." Late yesterday word came that Federici had died at the age of 58, after a three-year battle with melanoma. Ten years ago, Danny Federici was my first professional interview, after DV Founder Christopher Thelen was kind enough to assist me in lining it up.

The interview, which took place concurrent with the release of Federici's first solo album, 1998's Flemington, is here. Chris's review of the album is here. You can read more about Federici's colorful life and tremendous musical accomplishments here, and see video of his last live performance with the band on March 20th here. I recommend having the Kleenex handy for the latter. Judging by their expressions, I think they must all have known.

Danny Federici was a remarkable musician and a true gentleman. Our condolences to his family, friends, and bandmates.

R.I.P. Danny.

Thursday Roundup

Thursday roundup? Why not! Certainly no shortage of items...

• May 20 will see the release of Live From Chicago, the first-ever DVD from multi-Platinum selling recording artist the Steve Miller Band. The three-disc set will be comprised of two DVDs and a 12-song CD. The DVD, shot at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival in July 2007, captures the SMB’s sold-out, two-night stand with 5.1 Surround Sound and 17 high-def cameras. Disc one of Live From Chicago features performances of 20 classic hits, including “Fly Like An Eagle,” “Living in the USA,” “Jet Airliner,” “Abracadabra,” “Rockin’ Me,” “The Joker,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Swingtown” and “Jungle Love.” The second disc contains a revealing documentary of the band’s traditionally reclusive namesake.
  
  
• Virgin Group Founder and Chairman Sir Richard Branson recently announced the headline acts for the third Virgin Mobile Festival, the largest music and arts festival on the East Coast, being held August 9-10 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The festival headliners are Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots. Niiiice.
  
  
• On April 7, Columbia Records announced that Bob Dylan was awarded an honorary Pulitzer Prize. Dylan -- the first rock and roll artist ever to be honored by the Pulitzer Committee -- was recognized for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." In other Bob Dylan news, Todd Haynes' unconventional Dylan biopic I'm Not There will be released on DVD on May 6th. The soundtrack was released on Columbia Records; the two-disc, 34 song collection includes newly-recorded cover versions of Bob Dylan songs from the film by artists including Eddie Vedder, Sonic Youth, Stephen Malkmus, Cat Power, Sufjan Stevens, John Doe, Karen O, Jeff Tweedy, Willie Nelson, Antony, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova and more.
  
  
• The festival the New York Times is calling "a breakout hit" -- the first annual Mile High Music Festival on July 19-20 -- rolled out a lineup that reads like a who's who of modern rock. Try John Mayer, The Black Crowes, Mike Gordon (of Phish), O.A.R., Michael Franti & Spearhead, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Steve Winwood, Spoon, Jason Mraz, Flogging Molly, Colbie Caillat, OneRepublic, The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Hill Country Review, Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers, Ferras, The Whigs, and Eric Hutchinson. Plus local favorites Flobots, Rose Hill Drive, Meese, Born In The Flood, Railbenders and The Photo Atlas. Oh yeah, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will headline on Saturday, July 19th, with Dave Matthews Band topping the bill on Sunday, July 20th. You're best advised to be in the vicinity of the Outer Fields at Dick's Sporting Goods Park at the appointed time....
  

Noel Gallagher: Wankerboy

This just in from DV Staff Writer Bruce Rusk (who's going to get his own account any moment now so I don't have to keep posting these for him):

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Professional foot-in-mouth-head-up-ass practitioner and sometime Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher has launched his semi-annual "Hey! No one's paying attention to me so I'm going to dis an artist who is still relevant" press brief.

It seems Noel is very upset that Jay-Z was selected as the Saturday headliner for the annual Glastonbury Music Festival.

The alleged musician said it was "wrong" to have hip-hop at the event which is traditionally the domain of indie rock bands.

"Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music." Uh huh. Indie bands... playing guitars... hmmm. So in other words, white guys. Sure Noel, instead of the most successful and popular hip-hop artist of the day, let's prop up a dozen interchangeable, cookie-cutter four-piece white guy emo-rock Beatle poseurs with their mod hair-dos and acoustic guitars playing the same damn indie-rock rehash for 12 hours.

But Noel, didn't you hear the Neil Diamond is headlining on Sunday? Where's the hue and cry against the inclusion of aging white crooners?

Coincidentally, Noel is also performing at Glastonbury. But unlike Jay-Z, he wasn't invited. He had NME.com contact the festival organizer and ask them if he could perform.

So, to recap, Jay-Z was invited, wankerboy begged to be included.

At least he didn't call Jay-Z a nappy headed ho.

Saturday Roundup

Last time we were all about the 70s; this time we're all about the 90s. Guess next time we'll be clairvoyant...

• The BoDeans ("Closer To Free" et al) are back and finding the D.I.Y route to their liking. The new disc from Sammy Lllanas and Kurt Neumann is Still, which debuted in the Billboard Top 200, and came in at #30 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The record’s first single, “Everyday,” has also landed in the top 10 on the Americana charts, and is one of the top 3 most-added songs at Triple A radio. Nice work from a couple of sharp-eyed singer-songwriters who've joined the crowd in leaving their label days behind.
  
  
• The Dave Matthews Band will co-headline the inaugural Mile High Festival on July 19-20 along with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and John Mayer; other performers include The Black Crowes, O.A.R., Michael Franti & Spearhead, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Steve Winwood, Spoon, Flogging Molly, Colbie Caillat, OneRepublic, The Roots and many others yet to be announced. Tickets go on sale March 29.
  
  
• P.O.D. will release their first album with Columbia Records, When Angels and Serpents Dance, on April 8. The boys are also heading oout on a Hard Rock Cafe tour in a few days that will run through April; check here for dates.
  

Monday Monday

It's a Monday roundup this week, so get over it, already. P.S. The theme this week is the 70s... and follow-ups to previous items...

• Journey -- complete with new singer Arnel Pineda, who does a better Steve Perry than Perry has in years -- has a new album coming out. Revelation drops June 3, ahead of a U.S. concert tour set to begin in July. A three-disc CD and DVD package, Revelation's first disc consists of 11 re-recorded classics, while the second is filled with 11 new songs, and the third is a live DVD. While it's a bit of a bummer that Revelation will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores in North America, it nonetheless registers as a musical event of arena rock-sized proportions...

• Return to Forever's classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White recently announced a tour that will represent their first extensive engagements together in 30 years. The foursome will play more than 50 dates across North America and Europe, featuring primarily classic music from their chart-topping albums. Beginning in Austin, Texas, on May 29th, the legendary supergroup will swing across the U.S. and Canada in June, cross the Atlantic for July dates in Europe from Lithuania to London, then return to the States for an East Coast run of major venues. Visit www.return2forever.com for the latest information.
  
  
• Oh yeah -- did we mention Sheryl Crow is joining Fleetwood Mac? The longer those initially strange words hang in the air, the more they make perfect sense.
  

Sunday Roundup

You just never know when a batch of new items is going to pop up around here...

• Blind Melon's early 90s run was notable both for the immediate buzz it generated on MTV and elsewhere, and for the rock tragedy cliche it turned into when talented frontman Shannon Hoon overdosed on tour just as the band was hitting its stride. Fastforward to 2006 and you find guitarist Christopher Thorn and bassist Brad Smith producing singer-songwriter -- and diehard Blind Melon fan -- Travis Warren. It didn't take long for the idea to be hatched, the remaining members to be contacted, and Blind Melon to be reborn. On February 28th the reconstituted Blind Melon are set to embark on a five month U.S. tour in support of their forthcoming CD For My Friends, set for release on April 22, 2008. Welcome back, guys.
• The latest Aussie import to these American shores is Down Under superstars The Cat Empire, who will release their latest album, 'So Many Nights,' on April 22 via Velour Music Group. Lead-off title track "So Many Nights" sets the mood for this genre-defying album, which is already certified platinum down under. Listen here.
• Steve Winwood has released the first single, “Dirty City” (featuring Eric Clapton), from his upcoming album Nine Lives, due in stores on April 29. Check out Winwood’s official site starting Monday, February 25th, for an exclusive “Dirty City” video clip and a chance to pre-order Nine Lives. Winwood will also be appearing with his former Blind Faith band-mate Clapton on-stage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden for three sold-out performances on February 25th, 26th and 28th.

Just for the record

We don't do this. EVER.

Asia Redux (Redux) (Redux)

As far as I'm concerned, this blog is about disagreeing sometimes with my fellow DVers. So...it's time to do that again. :)

To My Fellow Reviewers (You Know Who You Are):

I acknowledge, first off, that I am often in the minority among my DV friends. I don't get the Grateful Dead, I dislike Bob Dylan, I kinda like Barry Manilow -- I am, needless to say, the very soul of uncool sometimes. After many years of struggling with this, I have learned to deal with it.

But I'm about to take it another step. I kind of like Asia, at least their first and second CDs, Asia and Alpha. I cheerily admit everything after that is crap, except for "Days Like These" off their Then And Now CD. Slick as the Exxon Valdez spill? Check. Corporate, soulless, mechanical? Yep, all that's somewhat true. Live albums recorded in more locations than "CSI" spinoffs in a shallow attempt to cash in on the same songs over and over again? I agree. But damn it, there are occasional moments when "Heat Of The Moment" or "Don't Cry" just hits the spot. I don't own the CDs, I don't need to own the CDs, but they're...acceptably mediocre with a chance of partly fair.

My fellow writers seem to believe they're the musical equivalent of Times Beach, Missouri. And now they've decided to give the new CD a bad rep even before it's been released by being a bit...er...what's the term I'm looking for here...ah, yes, snarky *grin*... about who's actually in the band.

There's a serious point to this; in my judgment, critics perpetuate their opinions of artists without paying attention to what they might be doing at the time. Yes, Asia's new CD, Phoenix, will probably mostly suck. But if it doesn't...are we going to be sufficiently open-minded to admit it doesn't mostly suck?

Washed-Up Band Strikes Back Against "The Man"

This just in from Daily Vault Staff Writer Bruce Rusk:

Eighties has-beens and one-and-a-half hit wonders The Romantics took time off from their gala tour of Holiday Inns and mall openings to file legal action against Activision Games and their partners Redoctane, publishers of the wildly successful Guitar Hero series of games.

For those of you who have lives (or don't have teenagers), Guitar Hero is a video game wherein the player manipulates a plastic guitar thingy and plays along with famous rock songs. Most of the songs are covers (used by permission) and some are the original recordings. Yes , royalties and all that do apply. Some major acts including Metallica, Aerosmith and Pearl Jam have blessed the games with their original recordings. The rest apparently gave permission and cashed the check, thank-you-very-much-nice-doing-business-with-you.

In one of the many versions of the game; Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s, a cover version of The Romantics' ubiquitous "What I Like About You" is included. Apparently the band took offense to the fact that according to them, the song "sounds too much like us."

Okay you window-lickers, when the sound of your careers fading further off into the sunset subsides, listen closely...

IT'S A COVER! IT'S SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE YOU!

According to a statement from the band's lawyer, The Romantics felt the cover "infringed" on their "trademark sound" and wanted to "share in any "good commerce" generated by the game.

OK, I see, you want some money. That I understand.

The irony of this is that the same song is now the advertising jingle for Hampton Inns. In fact, it's been flogged all over the airwaves in several advertising campaigns for things like cleaning products and frozen desserts over the past two decades. However, when it's being used to shill window cleaner, it's really the Romantics performing, thereby leaving their integrity intact and their wallets a little fatter. That'll come in handy as they travel out to the brightly lit stages of their stellar career, like their upcoming shows at the St. Angela Merici School's 21st Annual SummerFest 2008 and the National Cherry Festival.

As I was marveling over this incident, I discovered that a judge threw the case out stating that Activision had acted within that law, and without ill will towards the band. I suspect an appeal is coming, as soon as they can whore that song out to Tampax or Quaker Oats and raise enough to pay their lawyer.

Asia redux (redux)

Just for the record, this post is all Michael Ehret's fault, except for the parts that are all Bruce Rusk's fault.

See, Michael, having read Bruce's and my reviews of the original self-titled Asia disc from 1982, clapped his hands together with glee when he heard the recent news about the four original members of Asia reuniting not just for a tour, but for a new album, titled Phoenix and due out in April.

This naturally led to a conversation on the Vault writers' e-mail discussion list that went something like this:

Funny you should mention the "not-original" Asia... yes, [keyboardist Geoff] Downes kept the name alive for 15 years with no other original members. The main other guy was a bassist-guitarist-vocalist named John Payne, with rotating touring guitarists and drummers. Every so often one of the other original four would play a few shows with Downes and Payne for old times' sake -- I think [guitarist Steve] Howe once played most of a tour in the early 90s while the [guitarist Trevor] Rabin edition of Yes was busy recording Talk.

About two or three years ago, [original Asia bassist-vocalist John] Wetton and Downes got together and made an album -- I think it was called Icon -- and then Yes went on hiatus, so Howe became available, and [drummer Carl] Palmer jumped in too. Apparently you hit it right on the head as far as the "other" Asia -- Downes left them by the side of the road... But that's not the end of the story! John Payne and the other two guys who were current in Asia at the time have now formed a band named -- I kid you not -- "Asia Featuring John Payne." As opposed to the Downes-Howe-Wetton-Palmer edition of Asia, which is technically known as "The Four Original Members of Asia."

See, it isn't just progressive rock MUSIC that's complicated...!

Saturday roundup redux

Drop everything because here comes another Saturday roundup...

• New benefit CD Cinnamon Girl -- Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity officially drops Tuesday, February 12th worldwide and on iTunes. The double-CD from American Laundromat Records focuses on Neil's early work (1969-1979) and features 21 new cover versions of his most popular songs by Tanya Donelly, Britta Phillips, Lori McKenna, Jill Sobule with John Doe, Josie Cotton, Kristin Hersh, The Watson Twins, Darcie Miner, Elk City and many more. All proceeds from the project are donated to Casting For Recovery, a national non-profit support and educational program for women who have or have had breast cancer.

• Haale (as in halle-lujah, or jale-peno ), is a downtown New Yorker of Iranian descent. Her full-length debut No Ceiling melds the Persian influence of her bloodline — including the work of the mystical poet Rumi and the Sufi trance tradition -- with her fondness for Hendrix, Dylan, Radiohead, and psychedelia. No Ceiling sounds as different and intriguing as they come today, and will be released March 18, 2008 on Channel A Music.

• The Mimi Fishman Foundation has launched another on-line charity auction. The latest auction, which concludes February 21, 2008, includes rare and signed memorabilia donated by Phish, Oysterhead, moe., Michael Kang (The String Cheese Incident), and artist Scramble Campbell. Items include: signed Oysterhead poster (Trey Anastasio, Stewart Copeland of the Police, and Les Claypool); signed Trey Anastasio Band poster; hand written lyrics from Michael Kang of the The String Cheese Incident; signed poster and more from moe.; signed Page McConnell (Phish) poster; rare Phish shirts (Coventry, 20th Anniversary show). To view and/or bid on the auction, as well as read about the charities the auction supports, visit the Mimi Fishman Foundation Auction Page.
  

International recognition

The International Songwriting Competition annually considers over 15,000 entries from over 100 countries. And wouldn't you know it, one of the finalists this year is taken from one of the Vault's favorite independent albums of 2007...

Hearty congratulations to Diego Sandrin for his nomination in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category!

Saturday roundup?

Hey, why not... it's not the day, it's the content. And we've got a full load for you today, all on the theme of innovation -- or was it inspiration? You decide.

• This Mardi Gras (February 5), Bonerama and OK Go will release You’re Not Alone, a five-song digital EP. Bonerama and OK Go spent the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina recording at Piety Street Studios deep in the city’s Upper 9th Ward. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the EP – available exclusively at iTunes – will benefit members of New Orleans’ music community who are still struggling to rebuild their homes and their lives in the aftermath of the flood. Note also, on Monday, February 11, Bonerama and OK Go lead singer Damien Kulash will perform “A Million Ways” on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman.
  
  

• "Blood On The Tracks is a murder-mystery set against the world of rock n' roll. But not just any rock star is knocking on heaven's door. The murdered rock legend is none other than Bob Dorian. Suspects? Tons of them. The only problem is they're all characters in Bob's songs." So goes the jacket copy for producer/writer Tom Grasty's cleverly conceived murder mystery cenetered on the death of an ever-so-slightly fictionalized rock icon -- a figure of, shall we say, Dylanesque proportions. Good luck, Tom!
  

• Guru, one half of the critically acclaimed hip-hop duo, Gang Starr, began releasing his own collaborative solo albums in 1993 under the creative collective name of Jazzmatazz. The ongoing series showcases Guru’s collaborations with top hip-hop, R&B, and jazz artists, merging hip-hop with jazz in a style that has, in turn, influenced both genres. On February 12, Virgin/EMI will release The Best Of Guru’s Jazzmatazz, an 18-track CD and digital collection presenting together, for the first time, the best cuts from the groundbreaking series, including the hits “Lift Your Fist” with The Roots, “Trust Me” with N’Dea Davenport, “Watch What You Say” with Chaka Khan and Branford Marsalis, and “Keep Your Worries” with Angie Stone. The collection also features collaborations with Donald Byrd, Kelis, Ramsey Lewis, Erykah Badu, Lonnie Liston Smith, Jamiroquai and others, plus three rare bonus tracks.

Gimme more

Time for the Thursday roundup, this week appearing on... Thursday.

• Ringo Starr, fresh from his dust-up with Regis and Kelly (couldn't have happened to a more egregious pair of talk-show shills), plays a show with co-producer Dave Stewart and a seven-piece band at LA's House of Blues this Friday, January 25. Amoeba Music in Hollywood and KLOS 95.5 are giving away passes all week -- no guarantee you'll get in day-of-show, but if you're still anxious to catch the gig, it will also be streamed online at Ringo's site at 1:00 pm Pacific on Friday.
• In another Hollywood/Billboard crossover, lead singer Candice Night of Blackmore’s Night will appear in the supernatural thriller House Of Eternity, a film set for release in the fourth quarter of 2008 from Fires At Midnight Films. Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate will also appear in the film.
• Roxy Music, one of the music world's premier visual as well as musical artists, is set to release a two-DVD set of the band's best filmed material. The Thrill Of It All: A Visual History (1972-1982) is out February 5 on Virgin/EMI and includes 38 music videos, concert clips and television performances, many of which have never before been released, and beginning with the band’s first filmed performance in June 1972 at the Royal College of Art.

Jeff's Quick Hits O' the Week

Another Monday, another batch of random observations and such:

• It's January, which means one thing: American Idol. This year, I like Angela Martin, she really has what it takes to truly be....wait a minute, I HATE IDOL!!!! For 7 seasons now, that travesty of a television program has been foisted on the America public. You know what folks? It's nothing more than glorified karaoke, with singers who most of the time fail to stand out in any which way shape or form. Yes, some decent acts have come out of the program, but the majority have faded away into obscurity. The rest have found success, but who amongst them can be truly called a great artist? Kelly Clarkson? Daughtry? Carrie Underwood? Average at best, with a handful of catchy songs amongst them. Don't even get me started on the show's corporate sponsors, or their guest hosts, or their guest stars, or that dreadful "Idol Cares" special held last year...
  
  
• The Writer's Guild strike has been rough for some, including myself with a few shows. However, some positives have come out of it. The Golden Globes being cancelled made me very happy, and if the same fate befalls the Oscar, this guy won't be shedding a tear. Even the Grammies have the potential to be affected. This country is obsessed with awards show, and none more useless than the Grammies. God forbid the good music actually wins an award, instead, you see the entire industry jump on the same bandwagons, lavishing praise on the album that every reviewer on the planet just adores. Sure some of the works honored deserve it, no question. However, let's be honest, their choices don't cut the mustard.
  
  
• That's enough whining and ranting for one week. Let's close things out with an addition to Jason's post below. Yes, 2.5 million songs have been purchased by Rock Band users, while Guitar Hero III players have downloaded 5 million songs. But who are the top sellers? Metallica, as it turns out. (Those who are faint hearted and new to the game might want to hold off...just a tad difficult...) Now, these aren't songs you can put on an iPod, or a Zune, or even burn to a CD. There's is an incredibly limited functionality to these tracks; they solely play for Rock Band or Guitar Hero. However, users have found it worth it, and purchased 7.5 million songs. That states a lot about the continuing digital music revolution, and that when given a price and package that seems fair, consumers will respond favorably.

Guitar Hero-ics

I'm not sure this constitutes a new business model for the music industry, but it's definitely an interesting development...

Bryan Master needs your help

Only a handful of artists have been featured as our Indie Friday guest more than once. One of those is the extremely talented Bryan Master, an LA-area singer-songwriter with New York roots who reminds me of a slightly poppier Shawn Mullins (and I think Shawn Mullins is amazing). In the past we've reviewed Bryan's LP Out At Sea and his EP Incommunicado. Now he's one of 25 finalists (out of thousands of entrants) in an LA-area radio station contest whose grand prize is a recording contract with Dave Matthews' ATO Records. You can view his wonderful video and vote for him and his song "Moments Like This (Don't Come Along For People Like Us)" here. Vote early, vote often, go Bryan!

Tuesday roundup: Blues/genes

Lots happening once again as we segue into this week's roundup. Today's theme is Blues and genes:

• Eagle Rock Entertainment is preparing to release a CD and DVD of one of the late great blues guitarist Albert Collins' last live performances. Live At Montreux 1992 and its companion 102-minute DVD are due on March 4.
  
  
• Proving that talent is at least partially genetic, AJ Lambert is set to release her debut solo recording, an EP called, well, EP that features five new tracks plus a ten-minute film. Lambert is also bassist/singer/songwriter of the NYC band Looker, the daughter of 60s pop diva Nancy Sinatra, and the granddaughter of music legend Frank Sinatra.

• Blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd recently traveled the South with a documentary film crew and a portable recording studio to capture several veteran blues players on their home turf. The resulting album and film, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, has been nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best Traditional Blues Album and Best Long Form Music Video) and is touted as “…a blues fan’s dream…” The album and film features Blues greats B.B. King, Etta Baker, Gatemouth Brown, and many others. Trailer is here; iTunes link is here.
  

• Justin Townes Earle will launch a full U. S. tour to celebrate his debut album, The Good Life, in stores March 25th. Kicking off 2008 with select dates in January and February, his schedule also features a showcase at the Bloodshot Records Party at SXSW on March 14th. The son of legendary singer/songwriter Steve Earle, Justin's genre is acoustic blues-folk with influences as diverse as his namesake Townes Van Zandt, The Replacements, Ray Charles and The Pogues.

"The cover of the Rolling Stone..."

Okay, so we didn't actually make the cover of anything just yet, but we did rate a mention in today's edition of USA Today's Pop Candy column/blog. Woo-hoo! And thanks to longtime Vault contributor Sean McCarthy for the shout-out.

Jeff's Quick Hits O' the Week

• The New Year has begun, and with it comes boundless opportunity, limitless optimism, and any other warm and fuzzy thoughts you can think of. Here at the Vault, the New Year presents a chance for us to erase the memories of terrible albums, and to purge our LP collections of unworthy material. Let's say that five minutes from now, Doc Brown is going to pull up in the Delorean and take you back to a point this year when you made a terrible mistake in buying an album, and undo it. What terribly misguided abomination against mankind are you choosing?


• For those who received a CD or perhaps an iTunes gift certificate for Christmas, and are pondering the multiple options available to you to listen to said music, do not automatically jump to the conclusion you need an iPod. A great alternative has arisen lately, that being Microsoft's Zune 2. As an Apple fanboy it pains me to say it, but the Zune is the iPod's equal in terms of hardware, and some may argue it's greater. With an iPod you have access to the whole world of iPod accessories and iTunes, but the Zune 2 is no slouch.


• When artists die, there is usually a rush to snap up their material and lavish them with praise. I always find it ironic that the person isn't around to enjoy this renewed success, but I imagine most would be happy people are listening to their music again. Dan Fogelberg was a man I knew by name only; gun to my head I could not have named a single song of his. So, when he passed, I decided to throw in the Greatest Hits disc my Mom had lying around. Shame on me. I realized that I knew a lot of these songs, and they were favorites of mine as a kid, "Same Old Lang Syne" in particular. I may have been late in joining the party, but I don't believe Mr. Fogelberg would begrudge me that.


• "Download of the Week": In a glimpse at a future review, I offer up "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. Normally I am not one to to be influenced by advertisements on television, but whilst I was gorging on poorly played bowl games, a commercial came on featuring this song. After doing some research and reading up on the lady, I took a plunge on the album. Those thoughts I will save for a later date, but I can tell you that "Love Song" is a terrific slice of piano-pop/rock that will put a smile on your face.

Tuesday roundup

Just to prove we can do the roundup any day we please, here's another collection of the latest and greatest items to cross the DV blotter:

• Iowa roots rockers The Nadas, reviewed by the Vault, made national headlines last month when frontman Jason Walsmith recorded and released the timely cut "Get Outta Our Town (Caucus Lament)." The band subsequently fielded calls from the political desks of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, and appeared on NPR. The clever DIY video is here.
• One of the secrets of the surprise hit film of the Christmas season, snarky teen pregnancy comedy Juno, is that it features a 20-song soundtrack that mixes classic tunes with fresh new material, including eight songs from Kimya Dawson, who is featured as a solo artist as well as member of the groups The Moldy Peaches and Antsy Pants. Classic acts rounding out the soundtrack include Mott The Hoople ("All The Young Dudes"), The Kinks ("A Well Respected Man"), Buddy Holly ("Dearest"), and Sonic Youth ("Superstar").
  
• Sheryl Crow's new disc Detours is due out February 5 and you can now catch the video from first single "Love Is Free" on YouTube.
• The Black Crowes return March 4 with the new album Warpaint and will do a special series of shows March 2 through 20 in which they will play the entire new album live. This swing will include a headlining show at SXSW in Austin March 15. Then they're off to play Australia and a couple of exclusive European dates in London and Amsterdam before returning to the States in May for a full-fledged summer tour.
  

...in with the new

It's the time of year when those of us so inclined turn reflective and tally up the year's events in some fashion or other. There'll be plenty of time for that later this evening though -- for now, we just wanted to point you to our annual Daily Vault cavalcade of "Best Of 2007" lists! Enjoy...

When I Was 22, It Was A Very Good Year....

All things considered, 2007 was a fairly normal year for the music business. CD and Retail sales continued to drop, while digital sales continue their outstanding growth, as they did in 06. However, as we approach the end of the calendar, there's one event that could easily become one of the most important decisions made by the industry in quite some time. We're talking, boys and girls, about DRM.

If you read my Best Of 2007 list , you'll see I alluded to this event but didn't expound upon it. Well, that's why the Vault has a blog!

The whole issue of DRM is much too expansive for me to completely cover here, suffice it to say it has become one of the cornerstones of the arguments for Digital Music. For the uninitiated, DRM is what record labels and online stores use to ensure that the music downloaded from them has restricted usage. For example, anyone who is reading this probably has an iPod, and odds are some of you have downloaded a song from the iTunes store. That song contains a DRM technology created by Apple called FairPlay. That technology only allows your purchased music to be played on 5 different computers, selected by you.

On cursory glance, that wouldn't seem to impact your normal music listening habits, but to others, it is the principle of the matter. When you buy a product, it's yours. By all rights, you should be able to do what you want with it, as long as it does not infringe on the personal rights of others. You purchase a car, and decide to fix it up yourself, adding custom parts. No one sees a problem with that, yet there is a stigma with people wanting to share their music with others. Recently, in a Peer-to-Peer Sharing Trial, an RIAA executive stated that even just ripping music from CDs is a copyright infringement. (This involves the whole notion of copyright laws and art, and that's an argument for a whole other day. I will say that I, unequivocally, have never met anyone who has stolen music.)

This year, however, the tide has started to turn for the better. Apple's CEO Steve Jobs wrote a letter early in the year decrying the use of DRM, and stating Apple would support any record labels that would remove it from their product. Shortly thereafter, EMI announced it would start selling DRM-free music across the Web, and they made good of their promise in May. Apple at that time launched their iTunes Plus portion of their store, in which the consumer is able to choose is they want the DRM-free, higher quality tracks or the standard FairPlay files. Over the past few months, other labels such as Universal have engaged in implementing similar strategies. Amazon launched their own Mp3 Download store, with every song DRM-free (As a sidenote, before you go to iTunes, check to see if Amazon has the album first. Their service is terrific, the quality of the files is better, and each has artwork imbedded in it).

However, quite possibly the biggest step forward came with the release of In Rainbows by Radiohead. They completely bypassed the record labels, releasing their album on their own online. What's more, the consumer could choose how much they wanted to pay for the album, which had zero DRM. The results? Radiohead made more off the digital sales from the album than they had with all the other albums put together, according to Thom Yorke himself. Radiohead may claim that their reasoning for the release was based on practicality, however they fail to understand just what it means from this point moving forward.

To the average consumer, this may not sound like exciting news. However, I assure you, it is important. For the first time in a very long while, the record labels are responding to consumer interests, and taking a positive step forward, instead of maintaining archaic policies that do not reflect the times. Within the next year, I would find it difficult to imagine DRM existing in any relevant fashion at all. Music Lovers 1, Labels 0.

Add to your shopping list: Chris Cubeta

I am a Chris Cubeta fan; just ask the writing staff here at the Vault how many times I have bugged and cajoled and demanded that they give him a listen. Perceptive, artful lyrics backed with stirring roots-rock/alt-country arrangements, and sung with total commitment, that's Cubeta's thing. In past reviews I've compared the quality of his lyrics to big guns like Springsteen, Dylan and Hiatt, and I'm not backing off now. Quite the contrary; his new Change EP is one of the most powerful, amazing discs I've heard all year and you should really go buy it right now.

Thursday roundup

Lots of items for the roundup this week:

• Ringo Starr's new album Liverpool 8 comes out January 15 in multiple formats, and the promotional campaign is building steam with previews, interviews, etc. already in play with Amazon.con, Quicktime.com and Time magazine. And hey, it's Ringo -- what's not to like?
• February 12 will see the release of what sounds like it will be a mind-blowing DVD featuring the a capella septet Naturally 7 playing a set at Montreux. If you're expecting chorused vocals, though, prepare to have your preconceptions smashed, because the members of Naturally 7 mimic specific instruments, creating a full band of lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards drums, horns and more using only their own voices. Keep an eye on the Eagle Vision site and check it out.
• What some are already calling the jazz event of 2008 is now confirmed: Return to Forever, one of the most influential groups of the 1970s, will reunite and tour in '08 with the classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White all on board. The developing US and European tour will be the group's first performances together in more than 25 years; stream interviews with the principals here.
• Sheryl Crow has a new album called Detours due out February 5, and you can already catch her on YouTube talking about it, and download a free clip of first single "Love Is Free" here.
  
• Aussie rockers Silverchair have a new EP out on iTunes titled The Greatest View, with significant contributions from Julian Hamilton of the Presets. Stream the track ""Straight Lines [The Presets Remix]" here.

...melt into a river of souls...

I got home late from work last night -- I'm in the restaurant business, so this time of year is busy. I ate something, then logged on to my email just to give it a quick sweep...

..and that was when I saw the subject line. "RIP Dan Fogelberg."

And that was pretty hard to take.

I am a huge fan of Fogelberg's work. I think he is -- he was -- grossly underrated as a singer, a songwriter, and as a performer. I want to celebrate the music and what it meant to me.

I want to remember the first time I heard the fantastic guitar on "She Don't Look Back." I want to once again soar high above Fogelberg's beloved mountains with "The Wild Places." I want to remember being a teenager and being inspired by "Part Of The Plan" heard at a youth Mass. I want to get teary-eyed again at "Same Old Lang Syne." I want to shudder at the power of "The River" and "River Of Souls," twenty-five years apart. I want to sit in the darkness of a Samhain ritual and drown in "Ever On." And I want to celebrate one of the first songs I learned to play on my guitar, "Tucson Arizona (Gazette)," which is one of the greatest songs of all time, period.

I want to remember all this, and I want to mourn for my own getting old and the death of my heroes.

And I want to dig in my CDs and find "The Innocent Age," "Phoenix," "Windows And Walls," and listen to them all again, and mourn for the loss of a man and a musician who cared about the Earth, about people, and about life.

What is remembered, lives -- but it's never quite as good.

"I take my place along the shore and I wait for the tide
It seems I've passed this way before in an earlier time
I hear a voice like mystery blowing warm through the night
The silent moon embraces me and I'm drawn to Her light
I follow footprints in the sand to a circle of stone
Find a fire burning bright 'though I came here alone
And in the play of shadows cast I can dimly discern
The shapes of all who've gone before calling me to return ..."
--"River Of Souls," Dan Fogelberg

Gone too soon: Dan Fogelberg

Soft rock singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg died Sunday morning at the age of 56. Fogelberg, whose melodic hit singles included "Leader Of The Band," "Same Old Lang Syne" and "Longer," was part of the 1970s sensitive-guy singer-songwriter movement led by James Taylor and Jackson Browne. Fogelberg, an environmental activist whose most recent album was 2003's Full Circle, was diagnosed in 2004 with advanced prostate cancer. After his diagnosis he spoke out often as an advocate of regular testing and exams for men over 40. Read his Associated Press obit here; check our reviews here; visit his Web site here.

R.I.P. Dan.

Thursday roundup

Another Thursday, another batch of items presented for your viewing (and linking) pleasure:

• Whether it's a publicity stunt or a sincere statement of artistic frustration doesn't really matter; the point is that Lewis Taylor is still officially retired from the music biz a year after issuing two of the mostly lovingly praised -- and commercially overlooked -- albums of the recent past, full of sunny pop melodies stretched and twisted into a sort of progressive Beach Boys daydream. Sweet, sweet stuff.


• Yoko and Paul agree on something; that's always news. This time it's the merits of Starbucks as a distribution vehicle, as Capitol/EMI and iTunes just released a new John Lennon Video Album at SB stores nationwide, featuring 21 of Lennon’s music videos for $24.95. Buy the special gift card stamped with a silver-toned photo of Lennon, take it home and you can redeem it on the iTunes Store for a collection of music videos that includes “Imagine,” “Happy Xmas,” “(Just Like) Starting Over,” “Nobody Told Me,” “Mind Games,” “Working Class Hero” and others, many of which are available digitally for the first time.


• This week's date movie P.S. I Love You features James Blunt's new single "Same Mistake," and you can stream the video here.


• EndeverafteR, a Sacramento-based quartet who've opened for KISS, Poison and Cinderella (supplying their own eyeliner, no doubt) are giving away a brand new Washburn Guitar -- sign up for the contest here.


• Sonic Past Music recently re-released the entire solo catalog of Randy Meisner, bassist, vocalist and songwriter for The Eagles all the way up through Hotel California. You can find this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's solo work here.

Grammy time, part II

Next up in our Grammy discussion are the nominees for Album of the Year:

• Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace --Foo Fighters
• These Days -- Vince Gill
• River: The Joni Letters-- Herbie Hancock
• Graduation -- Kanye West
• Back To Black -- Amy Winehouse

Discuss...

Hammer of the Gods (of rock)

If there's another story that matters in the rock and roll universe today, we're not sure what it might be. Coverage: MSNBC, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, CNN, Rolling Stone.

Oh, and: please, please, please tour. Please?

Interview: Switchfoot's Jon Foreman

Today on the Vault we're serving up a new interview with Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman, third course in a meal which includes recent discussions with members of Maritime and Superdrag. Tasty stuff; get your order in now!

Grammy time

Okay, first off: I really hate the Grammys. Most of the time, there are really only two kinds of Grammy voters: the bandwagoners jumping on the latest fad and/or industry heavy hitter, and the CYA types voting for artists who should have won decades ago but never did.

That said, they are a huge industry deal and we do have some writers on board who'd like to stir the pot with some discussion. So, starting at the top, here are the nominees for record of the year. Discuss:

RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Irreplaceable" (Beyonce')
"The Pretender" (Foo Fighters)
"Umbrella" (Rihanna featuring Jay-Z)
"What Goes Around... Comes Around" (Justin Timberlake)
"Rehab" (Amy Winehouse)

[Side note: anyone employing a tiresome pun involving the word "rehab" will receive two demerits and an iTunes gift card usable only for the purchase of tracks by Lipps Inc.]

Thursday roundup

Items, items, getcher hot'n'fresh items right here:

• Celebrating double digits, yesterday Godsmack released a greatest hits album: Good Times Bad Times….Ten Years of Godsmack.
• The Dept. of Twisted Christmas checks in with this press release trumpeting Wreck The Halls, an album featuring sleigh-bell mall-Santa versions of classic Metallica, AC/DC and Green Day tracks. All we can say is yikes!
• All-female rock trio Girl In A Coma recently scored quite the coup, landing the opening slot for Morrissey's upcoming UK tour.
• In the Dubious Distinction category, it seems Mariah Carey has a double-disc DVD coming out soon, and we've got the link to the trailer. Caveat emptor.

Journey goes international

One of the hardest things for any band to do is replace its lead singer. It surely doesn't help if said lead singer has a distinctive voice around which the band has built its entire repertoire.

Post-Steve Perry, Journey has had some significant singer issues. Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto are both pros who gave it their best, but Perry's distinctive voice and amazing ability to hit the high notes made him an almost impossible act to follow.

None of which really explains this blog post since, to be honest, I've never been a big fan of Journey even if they are my Bay Area homeys. Ah, but the latest twist in Journey history is worthy of the movie Rock Star -- hell, it's worthy of a much better movie than that.

It seems co-founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon got so discouraged about finding the next "next Steve Perry" that he went on YouTube and spent hours watching bad Journey cover bands -- surely a painful process for anyone, but no one moreso than the guy at the center of the real thing.

And then he found this.



And this. And this.

Arnel Pineda is not exactly a household name in the U.S., being as his career apex to date was playing in a cover band in Quezon City, The Philippines. But one listen to this guy is all I needed to be convinced Journey did the right thing when they announced today that Pineda is their new lead singer.

Welcome to the States, Arnel!

P.S. Sample comments from YouTube:

"Man, it's ridiculous. There can't be this many guys that sound like Steve Perry."

"As a MAJOR Steve Perry fan, this guy is dead on. Bring him on!"

Funnier yet are the snarky commenters who insist he must be lip-synching over the original Perry vocal track. Um, no.

Prince F. U.

The Great Prince Fan Site Rebellion of 2007 rages on, now generating coverage from the New York Times (that's prince.org webmaster Ben Margolin in the Times picture at right). By now the Purple One is surely seeing red, having ignored the most important maxim of the last 150 years: never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel (or bandwidth by the terabyte). Gimme a "P," gimme an "F," gimme a "U," what's that spell?

I (We) got the music in me (us)

Hungry for new music? Try these tasty sample-sized morsels from all over the world:

• First up is Tarja with “I Walk Alone” from her upcoming US debut My Winter Storm in stores everywhere on Feb 26th. This is the US solo debut of the frontwoman for the platinum-selling Finnish band Nightwish.
• Click on "Video Clip" at this link for a look at Norway's darlings Big Bang, a Cream-like power trio who'll hit American shores with their U.S debut Wild Bird EP in February.
• And from right here in the States, it's a treat for Weezer fans as Geffen unveils multiple streaming samples from the new disc Alone - The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo.

Yum yum eat 'em up! And don't forget to brush when you're done.