Month: April 2006 (Page 6 of 16)

Extreme says, “Screw ‘Bands Reunited’! We’ll get back together when WE say!”

April 24, 2006 / Will Harris

And they say, “June 30th and July 2nd.” (Well, actually, that’s what guitarist Nuno Bettencourt’s site says.

So why did they decide to reunite now…? Couldn’t say. And no-one’s offered any specific explanation. But the best bet is that it’s for the cash. Still, it’d be nice to see a new Extreme album show up…even if only a handful of people would care nowadays. “Pornograffitti” was and is one of the best albums of the ’90s…

…even if it gets less respect than Rodney Dangerfield, thanks to “More than Words.” (Everyone knows that “Hole Hearted” was the better song, anyway.) The band could knock out some harmonies that’d make your head spin. It’ll be interesting to hear if they can still pull them off live…

Artists, News, Rock

This week’s Next Big Thing from the UK: Bell X1

April 23, 2006 / Will Harris

As with so many UK bands, Bell X1 – who hail from Ireland – haven’t managed to properly release an album here in the States yet…but they did, at least, score inclusion on the 4th volume of The O.C. Mix, which came out in mid-2005. (Their song, if it rings any bells, is “Eve, the Apple of My Eye.”) It’s a shame no-one’s latched on to their disc, Flock, for domestic release; you’d think the buzz of its premiering atop the Irish album charts would be enough to raise eyebrows over here…

…but, then, that’s what you’d get for thinking. Also, it could have something to do with the fact that, when the band came to the States to play the release party for the “O.C.” disc, they met members of the cast…and had absolutely no idea who they were. Oops. There’s a nice faux pas for you.

Fortunately, you can at least check out their previous album, Music in Mouth, via iTunes, where you can download it for a pittance – the current defintion of “a pittance,” by the way, is $9.99 – and find out what other songs surround the aforementioned “Eve.”

Check out their MySpace page here, where you can hear four of their songs, or investigate their official site here.

Alternative, Artists, Rock

Turn me on, dead man…

April 22, 2006 / Will Harris

…but, first, fork over $9.95.

That’s how much it’s gonna cost you to watch the pay-per-view special where a seance is held and the spirit of John Lennon speaks from beyond the grave.

Predicted first revelation: Paul not actually dead.

Producer Paul Sharratt, who heads Starcast Productions – the company producing the show – and who calls himself a skeptic, said hearing the voice has made him a believer. Reportedly, he then added, “You know, like the Beatles song?” When informed it was actually a Monkees song that he was referencing, he said, nervously, “No, I’m pretty sure it’s a Beatles song,” then yelled, “Look, over there, it’s the ghost of George Harrison!” But when we turned to look, we saw nothing…and when we turned back, Sharratt had run off.

Artists, News, Pop

Because “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” just wasn’t enough…

April 22, 2006 / Will Harris

…Rhino Handmade now provides you with that ukelele standard, plus 106 more songs by Tiny Tim, courtesy of their new, limited-edition (only 3,000 copies) release, God Bless Tiny Tim.

And if you don’t know who Tiny Tim is, well, that’s not so surprising. He’s definitely the textbook definition of Andy Warhol’s oft-quoted “15 minutes of fame” comment, having earned a novelty hit with “Tulips,” then being such a – let’s not mince words here – freak that his marriage of Miss Vicki on “The Tonight Show” scored Johnny Carson some of the highest ratings of his career:

In all seriousness, I may well buy this set from Rhino.

Scoff if you will, but mark my words: this will sell out sooner than later…so if you want a sure-fire investment, buy it now and sell it in a year or so on eBay. I did it with Handmade’s Josie and the Pussycats CD, and I doubled my money…

Artists, News, Pop

Clear Channel: “Wait, so now we need to NOT suck? I’m confused.”

April 21, 2006 / Deb Medsker

Turning an about-face on its longtime strategy of attempting to drown radio listeners in a sea of aggressively bland, soulless, identical radio stations, Clear Channel has finally discovered the niche audiences that were there all along.

As part of a new initiative to be announced next week, Clear Channel intends to lock horns with satellite radio, rolling out new niche channels with names like Dank (“Hip Hop and Rock all rolled up into one big spliff”), Full Metal Racket (“It’s dark, it’s edgy, it beats, and it rocks”), and Mother Trucker (“a hearty serving of the best Southern Rock”). Clear Channel will also be expanding its HD radio service to 50 cities, from its current base of 28.

Can this old dog learn enough tricks to persuade people to shell out $200 for an HD radio receiver instead of signing on for satellite radio? Can the American public forgive Clear Channel for its numerous transgressions against music fans all across the country?

Stay tuned to find out.

Radio, Satellite Radio