Music News & Gossip
Oct 30, 2002
Threats & Promises
Music News and Gossip
Changes: Flagpole Music Editor Ballard Lesemann is taking some time off to tour with Elf Power, playing bass. (Yes, bass!) Ballard is still writing for us as time allows. Sarah Lee is Acting Music Editor, and she's the person to contact for music related matters. Chris McKay has picked up Ballard's ABC duties, and he's the guy to contact for music listings. [Pete McCommons]
Witchy: As Flagpole went to press last week, the 40 Watt Club revealed who exactly was behind the mysterious Halloween headlining act called Witch
Mountain (remember that Disney flick with the brother and sis and Eddie Albert?). Drummer Kurt Wood (formerly of The Woggles) spilled the ghoulish beans and spoke with fiendish enthusiasm about the thematic ensemble. The lineup features Wood on drums, Jim Willingham (of Crown Vic) and Mark Tissenbaum (ex-Wide Receivers) on guitars and Paul Wlazlo (of Dime Bag) on bass. The band is set to perform a few choice covers - including "TV Set" by The Cramps - and a number of originals - including a ditty called "Dinosaurs Were The First Monsters." Guess which woolly fiend Kurt Wood is in the photo! [Ballard Lesemann]
Fire!: Last week, Athens pop bands Lovers and The Good Ship - both of which contain almost the exact same line-up and have recorded for local
label Orange Twin Records - embarked on what was supposed to be their first joy-filled national tour last week. On day one, as the five musicians drove up the Interstate towards D.C., their camper truck lost a wheel, careened over to the side of the road, and suddenly caught fire. Everyone escaped unhurt, but the vehicle and all the gear and luggage in it went up in flames. According to Orange Twin, the band rented a van and acquired new gear and pressed on with the trip. The bands are due back home next week. [Ballard Lesemann]
What? No Gudbrandsdalsost?!: A truly bizarre twist of events transpired at the Caledonia during the recent gig by A Hawk and A Hacksaw, Norway's St. Thomas and Summer Hymns. After the gig was over and it was pretty well known that most everyone had a great time, St. Thomas' singer and songwriter, Thomas Hansen, proceeded to have an absolutely violent fit of temper. He threw all three bands' CDs all over the floor of the club, upended the Caledonia merchandise table, kicked over boxes and trash cans and had to be physically removed from the club by tour manager Scott Spillane. The reason for the sudden outburst? Thomas was upset that his band had not sold as many CDs as the other acts. It was unfortunate that the night should have come to such an end, because A Hawk and A Hacksaw played a stellar show, with mastermind Jeremy Barnes performing on percussion and accordion, and Summer Hymns played, bar none, the best set I have ever seen by them. In what was the most appropriate action of the night, Spillane abruptly quit managing the St. Thomas tour, and after later realizing that Hansen had also trashed his hotel room, drove him to the Atlanta airport and sent him back to Norway. The biggest casualty of the night was the trouble caused to A Hawk and A Hacksaw, who were to continue touring with St. Thomas all the way to New York in order to fly Barnes back to his home in England. With the tour canceled who knows what their plans will be. Bands breaking up at the Caledonia hasn't become Athens legend yet, but if many more instances like this happen, it soon will be. Previous breakups of note include Damon Che, formerly of Don Caballero, breaking up ON-STAGE with his band Bellini. Bands, please check these egotistical, maniacal behaviors at the door or just don't bother showing up.
Okay, Check It: I get myself out of bed at a fairly early time for a Sunday. I get myself down to Chase Park for the first rumored/then-confirmed show by Shellac. Then I find out the whole thing's been canceled because someone in the band hurt their back. Folks had come from as far away as Florida for this show. I understand injury, but man, when your band only plays like five shows a year, you'd think you could take one for the team!
David Barbe, however, noted that the Wiffle ball tourney (the event Shellac was supposed to support) went well, with five teams still vying for "the most treasured prize in all of sports," the International Commissioner Spectator's Cup. By the time this week's T&P comes out, the second round of the three-man Wiffle-ball tournament, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 27, will have already gone down, so we'll update those results next week. For now, Barbe said special accolades go out to Mark Opal, who hushed the crowd with the most envied hone run of the day. "Even veterans like Dizzy Spells and Ol' Wheelhouse were awed by Opal's awesome display of power," said Barbe. Barry Bonds my ass. Anyway, that's not all that happened this week. See below for details: [Sarah Lee]
A Little Dab Will Do Ya: In a move that will be remembered for its pathetically desperate tone, Epic Records has taken to sending out high-demand advance copies of new releases in portable CD players which have been, no lie, glued shut. After a journalist listens to the recording and reviews it he is then asked to send back the player to the label so it can then be forwarded to another journalist! Apparently this experiment has worked so far on an advance copy of the new Pearl Jam recording with every player returned intact. I gotta tell you, folks, if anyone ever sends me a glued-shut CD player with some dorky record in it, I'm selling that on eBay without it ever touching my ears.
Music As Politics; Lesson #4,032: On Wednesday, October 30 Atlanta's Echo Lounge will host a pretty good show featuring The (International) Noise Conspiracy, The Gloria Record, Division Of Laura Lee and Small Brown Bike. While the Conspiracy undoubtedly rocks the house and has an impeccable fashion
sense, the overwhelming scent of Marx and Guy Debord might be too much for some to bear. Unless of course you're just gonna get drunk and act dumb. In which case you're just a stupid American that will serve to prove their pretty loudly stated case that all Americans are stupid.
Life imitating art or art imitating life? At any rate, tickets for the Conspiracy, whose 2001 release was named Capitalism Stole My Virginity, are $10 and they will have their usual slew of merchandise available for purchase, so you too can speak out against capitalism. Yum.
Going To Town Piggyback: Athens label Ghostmeat will be somewhat represented this year at the annual CMJ Music Marathon by virtue of having its artists playing other labels' showcases. David Dondero will be playing at the showcase by Future Farmer, Andy LeMaster and Clay Leverett will be performing with Now, It's Overhead and Azure Ray and Casey Scott will be playing with Desaparecidos. Ghostmeat has never gotten a whole lot of Athens hipster respect, but it should be obvious by now that the label has had an ear for talent that is now being heard nationwide. Kudos to Ghostmeat for keeping the faith.
Hit That Perfect Beat, Boy: If you're truly interested in a more diverse and inclusive hip hop scene, you might want to check out Gayhiphop.com. The site is somewhat of an oddity considering that mainstream gay culture has shunned hip hop and rap as homophobic and misogynistic, and hip hop has done very little to combat this image. The articles on the site are fairly well written and show an entire world of gay hip hop DJs and gay rappers that are perpetually out of the loop through no fault of their own. Remember, folks, "diversity" doesn't just mean inclusion for your own little sect of
people. It means respecting everyone.
Knockin' Me Out With Those American Thai's: Pop music's jailbait fantasy Christina Aguilera has come under fire in Thailand for having posters in her newest video which make graphic allusions to that nation's sex-tourism industry. The clip for the track "Dirrty" (yes, with two r's) shows Aguilera flashing her crotch and getting her behind slapped in front of a couple of posters which, when translated, say "Thailand's sex tourism" and "Young underage girls." In a move to appease the locals Saharat Wannachomphu, marketing director for BMG Thailand Co., has decided not to send the video out to Thai video programs. Oh, come on folks, like this type of tourism was some big secret or something. Even so, Aguilera's privates may not have the sales oomph they once had considering that the song has been steadily slipping down the charts since its release. Her newest album Stripped was released October 29.
Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone: The studio where English classical composer Benjamin Britten wrote operas such as Billy Budd and Death In Venice has been listed by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport in Horham, Suffolk, England as a Grade II Historical Site. This designation will protect the studio against "inappropriate alteration or development." You might have mixed feelings about a recording studio being protected as a culturally historical site; however, the United States has lost a good number of historical music sites because no one saw the value in preserving them. For example, Muscle Shoals, the recording studio in Alabama where innumerable acts such as Booker T. and The MG's and The Rolling Stones recorded landmark hits, is now an appliance store. The assortment of washers and toaster ovens on the site pretty much fail to convey the historical value of the building.
Free Is Always Good, Unless It's Not: Canadian band Godspeed, You Black Emperor! has made MP3s from its forthcoming album yanqui u.x.o. available at brainwashed.com/godspeed/music.html. While MP3s are not normally something I get giddy about, Godspeed hasn't let me down yet and, even though the previews are only a total of about 10 minutes of music, you can sample a whole lot of other music by them at this site. The new album will be released in the States on November 11, with the import available for a much higher price a mere week beforehand.
Oh, The Price Of Fame: Monstrously popular British rock group Queen has been given the distinct honor of being the 2,207th recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
They will be one of the few non-U.S. acts to receive the honor, and it comes as a result of heavy campaigning on the part of the band's fans. The Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce awards stars to those who have "achieved fame in movies, TV, radio, music or live performance." Get this, though, the recipient has to pay $11,000 to cover the cost of the star and the dedication ceremony. It is for this reason I have declined my star at this time.
You Get What You Pay For: This is one of the most blatant examples of a politician grubbing for free music in his ads that I've seen in a long time. Oklahoma's independent gubernatorial candidate Gary Richardson has been illegally using country hit-maker Alan Jackson's song "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" in a political ad attacking opponent Steve Largent's response to September 11. Folks, if you're gonna steal music for an ad, it might behoove you to at least LISTEN to the lyrics before you align your political campaign with them. Sample lyric from Jackson's song: "I'm not a real political man/ I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you/ The difference in Iraq and Iran." Given the current state of world affairs, I would think that knowing that difference is somewhat important.
Support Your Local Musicians, Already: New CDs from local folks are being released even as we speak. Ones to look for include Tutupi, Calliope Fair, Park Bench Trio, C'est Mortale, Dodd Ferrelle and the Tinfoil Stars, Dances With Wolves and Erik Hinds, among others. [Sarah Lee]
Don't Steal 'Cause It Isn't Nice: Eminem and producer Dr. Dre have asked their fans to refrain from downloading the soundtrack from the new movie 8 Mile. The official version released October 29, will include a bonus disk of unreleased material which is only available with the purchase. No word yet on what they'll do when, after the first copy sells, all the bonus material is also bootlegged and available on the web. Damn, dog, seems like it's getting harder and harder to sing about killing your baby's mama without someone wanting to rip you off!
That's all for this week. Keep your stuff coming in. There can never be too much news.
Contact me with all your news and such via voicemail at 549-2360; via fax at 548-8981; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.
Gordon Lamb
Witchy: As Flagpole went to press last week, the 40 Watt Club revealed who exactly was behind the mysterious Halloween headlining act called Witch
| |
Fire!: Last week, Athens pop bands Lovers and The Good Ship - both of which contain almost the exact same line-up and have recorded for local
| |
What? No Gudbrandsdalsost?!: A truly bizarre twist of events transpired at the Caledonia during the recent gig by A Hawk and A Hacksaw, Norway's St. Thomas and Summer Hymns. After the gig was over and it was pretty well known that most everyone had a great time, St. Thomas' singer and songwriter, Thomas Hansen, proceeded to have an absolutely violent fit of temper. He threw all three bands' CDs all over the floor of the club, upended the Caledonia merchandise table, kicked over boxes and trash cans and had to be physically removed from the club by tour manager Scott Spillane. The reason for the sudden outburst? Thomas was upset that his band had not sold as many CDs as the other acts. It was unfortunate that the night should have come to such an end, because A Hawk and A Hacksaw played a stellar show, with mastermind Jeremy Barnes performing on percussion and accordion, and Summer Hymns played, bar none, the best set I have ever seen by them. In what was the most appropriate action of the night, Spillane abruptly quit managing the St. Thomas tour, and after later realizing that Hansen had also trashed his hotel room, drove him to the Atlanta airport and sent him back to Norway. The biggest casualty of the night was the trouble caused to A Hawk and A Hacksaw, who were to continue touring with St. Thomas all the way to New York in order to fly Barnes back to his home in England. With the tour canceled who knows what their plans will be. Bands breaking up at the Caledonia hasn't become Athens legend yet, but if many more instances like this happen, it soon will be. Previous breakups of note include Damon Che, formerly of Don Caballero, breaking up ON-STAGE with his band Bellini. Bands, please check these egotistical, maniacal behaviors at the door or just don't bother showing up.
Okay, Check It: I get myself out of bed at a fairly early time for a Sunday. I get myself down to Chase Park for the first rumored/then-confirmed show by Shellac. Then I find out the whole thing's been canceled because someone in the band hurt their back. Folks had come from as far away as Florida for this show. I understand injury, but man, when your band only plays like five shows a year, you'd think you could take one for the team!
David Barbe, however, noted that the Wiffle ball tourney (the event Shellac was supposed to support) went well, with five teams still vying for "the most treasured prize in all of sports," the International Commissioner Spectator's Cup. By the time this week's T&P comes out, the second round of the three-man Wiffle-ball tournament, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 27, will have already gone down, so we'll update those results next week. For now, Barbe said special accolades go out to Mark Opal, who hushed the crowd with the most envied hone run of the day. "Even veterans like Dizzy Spells and Ol' Wheelhouse were awed by Opal's awesome display of power," said Barbe. Barry Bonds my ass. Anyway, that's not all that happened this week. See below for details: [Sarah Lee]
A Little Dab Will Do Ya: In a move that will be remembered for its pathetically desperate tone, Epic Records has taken to sending out high-demand advance copies of new releases in portable CD players which have been, no lie, glued shut. After a journalist listens to the recording and reviews it he is then asked to send back the player to the label so it can then be forwarded to another journalist! Apparently this experiment has worked so far on an advance copy of the new Pearl Jam recording with every player returned intact. I gotta tell you, folks, if anyone ever sends me a glued-shut CD player with some dorky record in it, I'm selling that on eBay without it ever touching my ears.
Music As Politics; Lesson #4,032: On Wednesday, October 30 Atlanta's Echo Lounge will host a pretty good show featuring The (International) Noise Conspiracy, The Gloria Record, Division Of Laura Lee and Small Brown Bike. While the Conspiracy undoubtedly rocks the house and has an impeccable fashion
| |
Life imitating art or art imitating life? At any rate, tickets for the Conspiracy, whose 2001 release was named Capitalism Stole My Virginity, are $10 and they will have their usual slew of merchandise available for purchase, so you too can speak out against capitalism. Yum.
Going To Town Piggyback: Athens label Ghostmeat will be somewhat represented this year at the annual CMJ Music Marathon by virtue of having its artists playing other labels' showcases. David Dondero will be playing at the showcase by Future Farmer, Andy LeMaster and Clay Leverett will be performing with Now, It's Overhead and Azure Ray and Casey Scott will be playing with Desaparecidos. Ghostmeat has never gotten a whole lot of Athens hipster respect, but it should be obvious by now that the label has had an ear for talent that is now being heard nationwide. Kudos to Ghostmeat for keeping the faith.
Hit That Perfect Beat, Boy: If you're truly interested in a more diverse and inclusive hip hop scene, you might want to check out Gayhiphop.com. The site is somewhat of an oddity considering that mainstream gay culture has shunned hip hop and rap as homophobic and misogynistic, and hip hop has done very little to combat this image. The articles on the site are fairly well written and show an entire world of gay hip hop DJs and gay rappers that are perpetually out of the loop through no fault of their own. Remember, folks, "diversity" doesn't just mean inclusion for your own little sect of
people. It means respecting everyone.
Knockin' Me Out With Those American Thai's: Pop music's jailbait fantasy Christina Aguilera has come under fire in Thailand for having posters in her newest video which make graphic allusions to that nation's sex-tourism industry. The clip for the track "Dirrty" (yes, with two r's) shows Aguilera flashing her crotch and getting her behind slapped in front of a couple of posters which, when translated, say "Thailand's sex tourism" and "Young underage girls." In a move to appease the locals Saharat Wannachomphu, marketing director for BMG Thailand Co., has decided not to send the video out to Thai video programs. Oh, come on folks, like this type of tourism was some big secret or something. Even so, Aguilera's privates may not have the sales oomph they once had considering that the song has been steadily slipping down the charts since its release. Her newest album Stripped was released October 29.
Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone: The studio where English classical composer Benjamin Britten wrote operas such as Billy Budd and Death In Venice has been listed by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport in Horham, Suffolk, England as a Grade II Historical Site. This designation will protect the studio against "inappropriate alteration or development." You might have mixed feelings about a recording studio being protected as a culturally historical site; however, the United States has lost a good number of historical music sites because no one saw the value in preserving them. For example, Muscle Shoals, the recording studio in Alabama where innumerable acts such as Booker T. and The MG's and The Rolling Stones recorded landmark hits, is now an appliance store. The assortment of washers and toaster ovens on the site pretty much fail to convey the historical value of the building.
Free Is Always Good, Unless It's Not: Canadian band Godspeed, You Black Emperor! has made MP3s from its forthcoming album yanqui u.x.o. available at brainwashed.com/godspeed/music.html. While MP3s are not normally something I get giddy about, Godspeed hasn't let me down yet and, even though the previews are only a total of about 10 minutes of music, you can sample a whole lot of other music by them at this site. The new album will be released in the States on November 11, with the import available for a much higher price a mere week beforehand.
Oh, The Price Of Fame: Monstrously popular British rock group Queen has been given the distinct honor of being the 2,207th recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
| |
You Get What You Pay For: This is one of the most blatant examples of a politician grubbing for free music in his ads that I've seen in a long time. Oklahoma's independent gubernatorial candidate Gary Richardson has been illegally using country hit-maker Alan Jackson's song "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" in a political ad attacking opponent Steve Largent's response to September 11. Folks, if you're gonna steal music for an ad, it might behoove you to at least LISTEN to the lyrics before you align your political campaign with them. Sample lyric from Jackson's song: "I'm not a real political man/ I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you/ The difference in Iraq and Iran." Given the current state of world affairs, I would think that knowing that difference is somewhat important.
Support Your Local Musicians, Already: New CDs from local folks are being released even as we speak. Ones to look for include Tutupi, Calliope Fair, Park Bench Trio, C'est Mortale, Dodd Ferrelle and the Tinfoil Stars, Dances With Wolves and Erik Hinds, among others. [Sarah Lee]
Don't Steal 'Cause It Isn't Nice: Eminem and producer Dr. Dre have asked their fans to refrain from downloading the soundtrack from the new movie 8 Mile. The official version released October 29, will include a bonus disk of unreleased material which is only available with the purchase. No word yet on what they'll do when, after the first copy sells, all the bonus material is also bootlegged and available on the web. Damn, dog, seems like it's getting harder and harder to sing about killing your baby's mama without someone wanting to rip you off!
That's all for this week. Keep your stuff coming in. There can never be too much news.
Contact me with all your news and such via voicemail at 549-2360; via fax at 548-8981; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.
Gordon Lamb
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