Month: December 2009 (Page 8 of 10)

Ron Wood arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse

December 4, 2009 /

Wood

Police officers in Esher, Surrey, responding to reports of a “domestic incident,” arrested 62 year-old guitarist Ron Wood at his home on Claygate High Street. Witnesses claim they saw the Rolling Stones member choking his 20 year-old Russian girlfriend, Ekaterina Ivanova.

Celine Dixon told The Sun that she and her boyfriend, Phillip Legge, witnessed the incident outside an Indian restaurant at around 11.30pm.

She said: “We heard a woman screaming, then saw a man pinning her to the ground.

“He was shouting at her then we heard choking sounds so my boyfriend rushed out to help. When he got outside he saw it was Ronnie and Ekaterina.”
Miss Dixon added that Wood let Miss Ivanova go and walked away when challenged by Mr Legge.

The couple then escorted Miss Ivanova back to their home before calling police, she said.

A spokesman for Wood, David Rigg of Project Associates, said: “I can confirm that there was an incident (on Wednesday night) and that Ronnie Wood was arrested. He has since been released on police bail.

“We have no further statement to make at this time.”

Wood began his affair with Ivanova in July of last year. After 23 years of marriage, he left his wife Jo for the young Russian.

News

21 Century Breakdown: Mike Farley’s Top 10 Albums of the 2000s

December 4, 2009 /

The past decade to me was less about musical trends and styles, and more about how I listen to music. I’ve always been a mix tape guy, and as the ‘90s moved to Y2K, I was entering the world of burning mix CDs. But then around 2004, everything changed, and changed for the better, when I discovered iTunes. Now I could not only make up my own playlists from my music collection, but I could order single songs for 99 cents and add those to my collection. Suddenly I was re-discovering songs from my childhood and teen years, and basically every phase of my music-listening life. And I could arrange all those songs any way I liked…playlists galore and, as I described them, “kickass mixes.” Every four to six months, I make a new play list of what I’m currently listening to, and date that as a new Kickass Mix, something I can go back to that makes me remember what I was doing and feeling at that point in time.

As for the actual music I’ve been listening to and enjoying, there are a few acts that have entered my iTunes world this decade that have become favorites that I can’t get enough of, no matter how many times I listen: The Damnwells, the Silver Seas, Ari Hest, Jason Spooner and Butch Walker, to name a few. I know that radio is basically a shell of its former self and we find and listen to music in so many different ways, but I, for one, have fully embraced the digital world of music.

Here are my picks for top albums of the decade.
1. The Silver Seas: High Society
2. Jason Spooner: The Flame You Follow
3. Ari Hest: The Break In
4. Stereophonics: Langauge, Sex, Violence. Other?
5. The Damnwells: Air Stereo
6. The Southland: Influence of Geography
7. The Damnwells: One Last Century
8. Josh Rouse: 1972
9. Butch Walker: Left of Self Centered
10. Paddy Casey: Addicted To Company

Alternative, iTunes, Lists, Pop, Power Pop, Rock

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: The Live Anthology

December 4, 2009 /


RIYL: The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Kings of Leon

Tom Petty set the standard for greatest hits compilations in 1993 when he released the aptly-titled Greatest Hits, which included 16 of his biggest singles, a soon-to-be-smash (“Mary Jane’s Last Dance”), and a very worthwhile cover (Thunderclap Newman’s “Something in the Air”). While some might argue that 1983’s “Change of Heart” (peaking at #21) and 1987’s “Jammin’ Me” (#18) were technically bigger hits than some of the singles that were included, no Petty fan worth his salt is going to argue that those two tunes held up better than the likes of “Listen to Her Heart” (#59) or “Here Comes My Girl” (#59).

Fast forward two years to Petty’s first box set, 1995’s Playback, which was a hodgepodge of hit singles, live tracks and rarities. The set wasn’t very cohesive, but it was important because of its excellent sixth disc (“Nobody’s Children”), which featured 11 leftover tracks from 1986 to 1993 – maybe the most productive span of Petty’s career.

Then there was 2000’s Anthology: Through the Years, which was essentially an expansion of the Greatest Hits disc, though, oddly enough, it didn’t include anything from post-Greatest Hits albums Wildflowers (“You Don’t Know How It Feels,” “It’s Good to Be King,” “You Wreck Me”), She’s The One (“Walls”) or Echo (“Free Girl Now,” “Room At the Top”).

petty live

So now we have The Live Anthology, which comes in several different formats – the standard set (48 tracks on 4 CDs), the deluxe set (62 tracks on 5 CDs, including a 14-track bonus disc, two DVDs, a Blu-Ray disc, a vinyl re-master of of the ’76 Official Live Leg, and more, only available at Best Buy), and a vinyl deluxe box set (51 tracks pressed on seven 180-gram audiophile quality vinyl LPs). This review is of the digital version of the standard set, which is the first live release from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers since 1986’s Pack Up the Plantation-Live!

Eleven songs in the set are live versions of tracks included on both Greatest Hits and Anthology. (Think big hits like “Refugee” and “American Girl.”) Most of these tracks are relatively faithful interpretations of the studio versions, save for the beautiful “Learning to Fly” and “I Won’t Back Down,” which Petty often plays in concert with a much sparser production. Both tunes are well worth a listen.

Nine album tracks from The Live Anthology also made my recommended Tom Petty Deep Cuts playlist, and are welcome additions here. It’s hard to pick favorites, but it’s nice to see “Angel Dream (No. 2)” and “Have Love Will Travel” get some live love, and “Dreamville” is an especially impressive live performance. “Southern Accents” is vastly improved from the album version since it’s without the irritating, echoing cross stick that was used in the studio.

Considering that the set has been culled together from hundreds of hours of live recordings from 1979 to 2007, the most impressive thing is how cohesive each disc sounds when played start to finish. It’s almost as if the listener gets four individual, hour-long sets from the Heartbreakers. The band has never been afraid to dive into a cover or two, as evidenced by the the presence of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well,” the Zombies’ “I Want You Back Again,” Booker T. and the MGs “Green Onions,” the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil,” the Dave Clark Five’s “Any Way You Want It” and more.

The Live Anthology is by no means definitive, but it provides a good, in-depth look at one of the greatest live acts of the last thirty years. Moreover, it’s available at the band’s website for $18.49, which is a nice deal for almost four hours of music. (Reprise, 2009)

Adult Contemporary, CD Reviews, External Music, Rock

52nd Annual Grammy Awards nominees unveiled

December 3, 2009 /

Grammy Awards

The 52nd Annual Grammys are upon us and the nominee announcements reveal a slew of names we’re all familiar with by now. Artists such as Beyonce (10 nominations), Taylor Swift (8), and Kanye West (6) will garner much of the spotlight at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, inadvertently recreating this year’s VMAs. Still, a few of the elder statesmen managed to sneak in there. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and even Hall & Oates will each have a chance to walk away with a gilded gramophone. Will the Recording Academy recognize “Sara Smile” after all these years? Who will emerge with the most Grammys between Beyonce, Kanye, and Taylor? Tune in January 31, 2010 on CBS at 8/7 C to find out.

Click below to see a list of nominees from some of the more popular categories.

THE 2010 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

SONG OF THE YEAR
Beyonce, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Kings Of Leon, “Use Somebody”
Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
Maxwell, “Pretty Wings”
Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

RECORD OF THE YEAR
Beyonce, “Halo”
The Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
Kings Of Leon, “Use Somebody”
Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Beyonce, I Am… Sasha Fierce
The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
Lady Gaga, The Fame
Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King
Taylor Swift, Fearless

BEST NEW ARTIST
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings
Zac Brown Band

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Adele, “Hometown Glory”
Beyonce, “Halo”
Katy Perry, “Hot N Cold”
Pink, “Sober”
Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
John Legend, “This Time”
Maxwell, “Love You”
Jason Mraz, “Make It Mine”
Seal, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”
Stevie Wonder, “All About The Love Again”

BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
Rosanne Cash & Bruce Springsteen, “Sea Of Heartbreak”
Ciara & Justin Timberlake, “Love Sex Magic”
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, “Lucky”
Willie Nelson & Norah Jones, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
Taylor Swift & Colbie Caillat, “Breathe”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY POP DUO OR GROUP
The Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
Bon Jovi, “We Weren’t Born To Follow”
The Fray, “Never Say Never”
Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Sara Smile”
MGMT, “Kids”

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
Colbie Caillat, Breakthrough
Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted
The Fray, The Fray
Pink, Funhouse

BEST DANCE RECORDING
The Black Eyed Peas, “Boom Boom Pow”
David Guetta, & Kelly Rowland, “When Love Takes Over”
Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
Madonna, “Celebration”
Britney Spears, “Womanizer”

BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM
The Crystal Method, Divided By Night
David Guetta, One Love
Lady Gaga, The Fame
LMFAO, Party Rock
Pet Shop Boys, Yes

BEST ROCK SONG
Pearl Jam, “The Fixer”
U2, “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”
Green Day, “21 Guns”
Kings Of Leon, “Use Somebody”
Bruce Springsteen, “Working On A Dream”

BEST ROCK ALBUM
AC/DC, Black Ice
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, Live At Madison Square Garden
Green Day, 21st Century Breakdown
Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King
U2, No Line On The Horizon

BEST ROCK SOLO VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Bob Dylan, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”
John Fogerty, “Change In The Weather”
Prince, “Dreamer”
Bruce Springsteen, “Working On A Dream”
Neil Young, “Fork In The Road”

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, “Can’t Find My Way Home”
Coldplay, “Life In Technicolor II”
Green Day, “21 Guns”
Kings Of Leon, “Use Somebody”
U2, “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”

BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
AC/DC, “War Machine”
Alice In Chains, “Check My Brain”
Linkin Park, “What I’ve Done”
Metallica, “The Unforgiven III”
Nickelback, “Burn It To The Ground”

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
Judas Priest, “Dissident Aggressor”
Lamb Of God, “Set To Fail”
Megadeth, “Head Crusher”
Ministry, “Señor Peligro”
Slayer, “Hate Worldwide”

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
David Byrne & Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Death Cab For Cutie, The Open Door
Depeche Mode, Sounds Of The Universe
Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, It’s Blitz!

BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Beyonce, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Melanie Fiona, “It Kills Me”
Lalah Hathaway, “That Was Then”
Ledisi, “Goin’ Thru Changes”
Jazmine Sullivan, “Lions, Tigers & Bears”

BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Anthony Hamilton, “The Point Of It All”
Maxwell, “Pretty Wings”
Musiq Soulchild, “Sobeautiful”
Pleasure P, “Under”
Charlie Wilson, “There Goes My Baby”

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
Jamie Foxx & T-Pain, “Blame It”
India.Arie & Musiq Soulchild, “Chocolate High”
Musiq Soulchild & Mary J. Blige, “Ifuleave”
Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters, “Higher Ground”
Calvin Richardson & Ann Nesby, “Love Has Finally Come At Last”

BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
Drake, “Best I Ever Had”
Eminem, “Beautiful”
Jay-Z, “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)”
Kid Cudi, “Day ‘N’ Nite”
Mos Def, “Casa Bay”

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
Beyonce & Kanye West, “Ego”
Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo, “Knock You Down”
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, “Run This Town”
The Lonely Island & T-Pain, “I’m On A Boat”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake, “Dead And Gone”

BEST RAP SONG
Drake, “Best I Ever Had”
Kid Cudi, “Day ‘N’ Nite”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake, “Dead And Gone”
Jay-Z, “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)”
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, “Run This Town”

BEST RAP ALBUM
Common, Universal Mind Control
Eminem, Relapse
Flo Rida, R.O.O.T.S.
Mos Def, The Ecstatic
Q-Tip, The Renaissance

BEST COUNTRY SONG
Trace Adkins, “All I Ask For Anymore”
Jamey Johnson, “High Cost Of Living”
Lady Antebellum, “I Run To You”
Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”
Taylor Swift, “White Horse”

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
George Strait, Twang
Taylor Swift, Fearless
Keith Urban, Defying Gravity
Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy

BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Miranda Lambert, “Dead Flowers”
Martina McBride, “I Just Call You Mine”
Taylor Swift, “White Horse”
Carrie Underwood, “Just A Dream”
Lee Ann Womack, “Solitary Thinkin’”

BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Trace Adkins, “All I Ask For Anymore”
Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”
Jamey Johnson, “High Cost Of Living”
George Strait, “Living For The Night”
Keith Urban, “Sweet Thing”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY COUNTRY DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
Brooks and Dunn, “Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Zac Brown Band, “Chicken Fried”
Lady Antebellum, “I Run to You”
Rascal Flatts, “Here Comes Goodbye”
Sugarland, “It Happens”

Check out the event’s website for the full list of nominees.

News

Steal This Song: Morningwood, “Best of Me”

December 3, 2009 /

Truth be told, I’m a bit shocked that the music press is rather indifferent to New York glam rockers Morningwood. I know they’re not the best band New York’s given the world, but their blend of punchy guitars, perky beats and that force of nature named Chantal Claret at the microphone strike some primal chord in me. Maybe it’s a reminder what what rock bands used to sound like, before they worried about whether they were cool enough, or if they were attracting the “right” fans. What a joke, really. Do you think Cheap Trick ever gave a fuck who was listening to their records, as long as people were buying them? Hell, no.

That’s why people refer to the music business these days as junior high school with money. Sadly, the same peer pressure rules apply to the people who write about bands. They want to be seen as cool, too (probably more so than the musicians they write about), so once a band has the perception of not being hip, the writers tend to fall in line. Case in point: a very well-known blogger told me at Lollapalooza in 2007 that they were surprised at how much they liked Silverchair’s performance, yet they the band down in their column. Oh, the price some pay for hipster credibility.

But not me. I gave that ghost up years ago, and I can’t tell you how much easier things are since I did. Of course, this might make bands reluctant to receive my stamp of approval, since it comes with a giant asterisk – Shit! He’s uncool! Wait, unless it’s cool to not care about being cool. Damn, this is hard – but I’m not high enough on the food chain yet for that to matter. Anyway…

Personally, I’ll take a band like Morningwood and a song like “Best of Me” over the more popular Paramore any day of the week. It’s brief (just a hair over three minutes), it’s catchy, it’s confident without bragging, and best of all, it’s all major keys, so there’s no unnecessary melodrama. It reminds me of Pat Benatar in her ass-kicking days (i.e. before she started her family). And you can have it for free. Dig in. And as an appetizer, here’s the video, which contains a nice callback to the band’s hilarious clip for “Sugarbaby,” which is one of my singles of the year.

To download Morningwood’s Best of Me, click here

Alternative, Artists, Downloads, Pop, Rock, Steal This Song

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