March 2 — Items Of Interest
Posted By Ben W. on March 1, 2009
Monday is for items of interest. It’s Monday. So here are your items of interest.
BABY C’MON
A week after giving us a top 10 Smiths song list, Paste Magazine delivers again. This time it’s a compilation of the best appearances by babies on album covers.
Fun stuff, but I fear they made an egregious omission (see left).
The Tubes’ Remote Control record cover has everything you could want in a record cover, or rather on a record cover. You get a blubbering tubby baby, a spherical computer that somehow manages to be futuristic and anachronistic at the same time, and some pretty heavy social commentary. It was like the OK Computer of the ’70s.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Morrissey is famous for having some of the best, funniest and certainly longest song titles ever. “Shoplifters Of The World Unite,” “The Last Of The Famous International Playboys,” “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful,” “Barbarism Begins At Home,” “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me,” and “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” rank among my favorites. “Ask” was more succinct but pretty good too.
But did you know his album titles also carry their own significance?
NEW SONGS TO PLAY AND LISTEN TO
Spring is in the air (hardly) and so is new music (definitely). The Doves (or are they just Doves?) have a new single called “Kingdom Of Rust.” As a single, it’s not really lighting my fire. But it’s not terrible, and maybe it will work better within their new album, Kingdom Of Rust, April 7.
Phoenix, who I listen to everyday as the theme song to The Basketball Jones NBA podcast, also has a new album coming soon. It has a dumb name — Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. But the release date is just fine — May 25. And the lead single, “1901,” ain’t bad either.
Last and probably least, MSTRKRFT drop their new Fist Of God album next week. For a couple of pale Canadian dudes, they’ve got a pretty impressive roster of rappers lined up, including one of my favorite West Coast rappers ever — E-40 — on the lead single “Click Click.”
FRIENDS AND NME’S
The Brits certainly like their award shows. And as far as award shows go, the NME Awards are pretty darn cool. The 2009 edition went off last week, with performances by Franz Ferdinand, Elbow and Glasvegas, not to mention a surprise appearance by Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, who used to pal around together in a band called Blur. They played an old favorite, “This Is A Low.” It’s exciting that it happened, but the actual performance isn’t all that easy on the old wax factories.
You gotta like any awards show that hails Barrack Obama as “Hero of the Year,” George W. Bush as “Villain of the Year” and reserves Worst Band and Worst Album honors for the Jonas Brothers.
They also had some hilariously awful interviews with some of the victors.
A very affable Dizzee Rascal didn’t even know he was up for an award when he won one.
MGMT got dressed up for a Brooklyn hipster party only to find they had way more fans in England than the U.S.
Despite an ego trip sudden rise to fame and fortune, Glasvegas continue to come across as the nicest fellers (and lady) in the room.
And Pete Doherty is “dead excited” about his new solo album and only slightly more coherent than usual.
NUMBER ONE? THEM?
As good as the NME Awards were, we must remember the UK music charts aren’t immune to poor taste just because they have better magazines and award shows than our country. The Prodigy hit number one on the UK albums chart this weekend with their new Invaders Must Die. It’s not a good album, folks. It’s boring. And it sounds like pop house techno from 1996 — i.e. the kind of thing that impressed back then but that anyone can make on GarageBand these days.
Of course that’s nothing compared to this week’s singles chart, where Lady GaGa has two of the top six songs.
THE ODD COUPLE (TRIO)
I hate Pitchfork, but I was interested to read this little item about the Clipse working with Rick Rubin on some new material. Interested, but not necessarily excited. Let me tell you why.
The Clipse are one of the strangest phenomenons in music this decade. As far as I can tell, their only sizable fan base consists of white hipsters who think Jay Z invented hip hop in 2003. A deceitful, disgusting and altogether dubious brood they are. And it’s akin to a creative death knell when they start liking your music.
But the odd thing about the Clipse is they haven’t starting sucking as a result. They’ve quietly produced an impressive catalogue of tracks, albums and mixtapes over the years. And none of it betrays a pandering to fans who will pay money to see them at the Pitchfork Music Festival. Their music is dark and hard as hell; the picture of impeccable hip hop integrity.
Which is why Rick Rubin should just stay the hell away and grow his beard some more. He’s the jerk who mainstreamed rap in the first place. And lest we forget he also produces the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Yeah, I’m not liking this pairing at all.
I LIKE MY GRAPE GATORADE FIERCE, AND MY PANDAS FIERCER
Those heady days of Brit Pop are a decade and a half in our rear view, which means Fierce Panda Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, too. Crazy. I was 15 when the good Fierce Panda folks introduced me to Supergrass and Ash, thereby significantly improving my life and easily giving me the most unlikely CD collection at North College Hill High School. Here’s a nice tribute from a fan far more informed than I.
LADY DI
A couple of Diana Ross’ early solo albums are finally being remastered and re-released on CD. Obviously 40 years on, she is established as a legendary performer, a fashion icon and pretty much one of the most important and influential women in the history of rock ‘n roll. So it’s surprising to learn that prospects for her solo career weren’t always so assured.
GLAM SLAM
Keeping our ’70s momentum going, it’s important to remember that a healthy dose of glam rock is part and parcel to healthy living. I’d recommend a week-long binge at least every six months. The AV Club suggests starting with Ziggy Stardust. And it’s tough argue with Bowie, but it’s even tougher to argue with Marc Bolan’s trio of T. Rexstasy triumphs — Electric Warrior, The Slider and Tanx.
and last but not least…
JOAQUIN THE LINE
Everyone’s favorite celebrity nut job of the hour, Joaquin Phoenix, was supposed to play his first gig as a rapper last Friday in Atlanta. Well, at least that’s what a MySpace bulletin claimed.
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