Jul/090
Nas and Damian Marley are Distant Relatives
Nas and Damian Marley are Distant Relatives
And I hope y'all like jammin', too.
(No, they’re not actually related. At least, not that I know of.)
A while back, a story circulated through the blogosphere stating that rapper/songwriter/producer Nas and reggae singer Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley would be collaborating on an unnamed album. Barely any details have emerged about that project since then – until now.
Recently, the duo unveiled a collaborative Myspace page containing more information on the project, to be named Distant Relatives. As is to be expected, the project will combine hip-hop and reggae influences, and will indeed result in an album in addition to the duo’s ongoing tour. And the music possesses a deeper meaning as well: Nas and Damian intend for it to “celebrate the correlation and deep-rooted connection between [the two musical styles] and Africa.” To that end, they even intend to donate a portion of the proceeds to building a school in Africa.
Good music for a good cause: How often does all of that come together, eh? The album doesnt yet have a release date, but according to the Myspace page, it’ll be coming in a few weeks.
May/090
Nine Inch Nails raise $446,000 in donations to save a fan’s life
Nine Inch Nails raise $446,000 in donations to save a fan’s life
Trent Reznor is, without a doubt, one of the coolest guys in the music industry. So when he heard that Nine Inch Nails fan Eric De La Cruz was in need of a heart transplant – but denied one due to the sorry state of the United States’ health care industry – he decided to take matters into his own hands. In a letter to his fans, Reznor offered an exclusive chance to hang out with the band before any NIN/JA show for a donation of anywhere from $300 to $1200, with all of the money going toward De La Cruz’s medical bills.
One wouldn’t expect too many people to pony up that kind of cash, but apparently they did – in droves. Reznor and the band raised a whopping $446,020 as of midnight last night thanks to a ton of generous donors. Now, hundreds of groupies will get to attend an awesome meet-&-greet, and one less person will fall victim to the lack of civilized health care here in the States.
If you’re interested, you can donate here via the NIN online store. And please, please write your local congressperson with reference to this story so that we can bring the United States health care industry out of the Stone Age.
Apr/090
Tomorrow is Record Store Day!
Tomorrow is Record Store Day!
This weekend will bring a celebration of the independent record store to the 700-some-odd such locations that still exist across America. But the question on many people’s minds is: Are those stores worth saving at all?
First celebrated in 2007, Record Store Day is intended to lure music fans of all colors and stripes out to their favorite local music joint with the promise of dozens of exclusive releases by well-known bands, and even a smattering of live performances and visits from popular musicians. The website even provides a listing of all of the participating record stores for your convenience. All in all, it’s a neat idea, and the type of fan who eats up 7″ singles by the bowlfull will love it.
But let’s not lie to ourselves: There’s a reason why record stores, and indie record stores in particular, are dying out. These days, a band doesn’t need a brick-and-mortar location to promote their new record when a Myspace page and a few banner exchanges take much less effort and prove far more effective. Yes, it’s true that these stores are still fun as an interesting diversion: there’s nothing like rooting through a bin of old LPs looking for that one Simon & Garfunkel album that you’ve always wanted to add to your collection, but which isn’t available in newer formats in its original mono master. But even that experience can be supplanted by sites like eBay, where you can browse the equivalent of a hundred record stores with just a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, and all from the comfort of your computer desk.
So are record stores worth preserving? I can’t really say for sure, but with events like Record Store Day, they might just be.
On a final note: If you’re one of our many Pittsburgh readers, here’s a list of participating record stores. Be sure to drop by tomorrow and score a few rare pressings.
720 Records (Squirrel Hill)
Dave’s Music Mine (South Side)
Desolation Row (Oakland)
Eide’s Entertainment (Downtown/Strip District)
Jerry’s Records (Squirrel Hill)
Wicked Discs (Oakland)
Apr/090
Conor Oberst makes with the freebies
Conor Oberst makes with the freebiesConor Oberst hasn’t always had so much “street cred.” His first project, the saccharine-melancholy Bright Eyes, produced music that only a seventeen year old emo kid could enjoy, and the only thing that redeemed it was the fact that he started it when he was a seventeen year old emo kid. Nowadays, however, he’s releasing considerably happier music with his Mystic Valley Band. He’s so happy, in fact, that he wants to share his joy with you via some free goodies.
Yesterday, Oberst and the band released a one-hour-plus documentary for streaming or download through Causecast. The film, entitled One Of My Kind, follows the group from their formation through the recording of their sophomore album. Though you’re not required to pay anything for it, the band and Causecast encourage you to donate to one of the charities listed in the press release. (Also, you’ll have to register with Causecast to view the film.)
In addition, Conor and the boys, along with Jenny Lewis, will be playing the River to River Festival on Independence Day in New York’s Battery Park. The concert may be gratis, but space is limited, so be sure to arrive early!
Apr/090
Morrissey, Stan Ridgway, and more to aid Peter Case
Morrissey, Stan Ridgway, and more to aid Peter Case
Peter Case is one of those unsung (no pun intended) names of the singer-songwriter realm: you probably don’t know him, but he’s made some wonderful music over his three-decade-plus career. Recently, however, he’s had to temporarily abandon the touring circuit to undergo open-heart surgery. And while he’s expected to make a full recovery, like so many other Americans, he has no health insurance.
I’m sure you know where this is going. With the bills piling up, Case had nowhere to turn – which is why some of his friends in the music biz are stepping in to help. Not only have they set up a charity in his name, but they’re also putting their mouths where their money is, so to speak. Over the course of three days – the weekend of May 1 to 3, to be exact – the charity will hold a benefit concert to raise money for the debt-saddled musician.
The concert will take place at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, and will feature performances by Morrissey, Stan Ridgway, T-Bone Burnett, and many more to-be-announced artists. So if you live down California way, please drop in and support Case’s road to recovery. And the next time Election Day rolls around, remember to vote for government officials who want to bring American health care into the twenty-first century, so that tragedies such as this one may never again take place.
Mar/090
Rock for the Auto Industry… for Ten Days Straight
Rock for the Auto Industry… for Ten Days Straight
Back on Friday, City Councilwoman Martha Reeves sang the National Anthem in a nondescript cafe in the Detroit suburbs. Though seemingly a small act, the competent rendition of the patriotic tune kicked off a concert that will draw over 240 bands in as many hours to that tiny venue. There, they will play those hours straight through, without stops or breaks. Pretty impressive, right?
The Assembly Line Concert is taking place as you read this post in AJ’s Music Cafe in Ferndale, Michigan. The goal of the concert is twofold: aid the state’s ailing auto industry, and break the Guinness World Record for, “longest concert by multiple artists.”
Attendees are also asked to sign a petition pledging to buy an American car that’ll probably break down five years earlier than a foreign one and end up costing you twice as much, all the while lending you no shortage of migraines, but feel free to skip that part. Maybe next time the auto industry should rely on quality parts and manufacturing rather than government subsidies and the blind patriotic fervor of its customers, but I guess that would actually, you know, require effort.
Jan/090
Neko Case saves some animals, five bucks at a time
Neko Case saves some animals, five bucks at a time
People Got A Lotta Nerve – Neko Case
Do you like animals? Do you like cute redheads? Do you like some good, free alt-country? If you’re like me, you can answer “yes” to all three of these questions. And if so, I’m about to make your day by telling you how you can save some animals by blogging about some good, free alt-country written and recorded by a cute redhead. Isn’t life sweet?
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Neko Case, known for both her solo work and as a member of The New Pornographers, will be donating $5 to Best Friends Animal Society for every blog that posts her new song, “People Got a Lotta Nerve,” between now and February 3. For instructions as to how to get your donation in, please refer to the Anti- Records blog. And if you like the new track, go out and support Case by buying her new album on March 3. After all, one good deed deserves another.
Oct/080
for a great cause: hard rock cafe’s “imagine” campaign
for a great cause: hard rock cafe’s “imagine” campaign
Bruce Springsteen, My Morning Jacket and DMC have contributed tracks to the Hard Rock Café’s charity compilation Serve3.
The album will benefit the restaurant chain’s “Imagine There’s No Hunger” campaign, which benefits World Hunger Year, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting hunger and poverty around the globe.
The track list for the album is as follows:
SERVE3:
01 Bruce Springsteen: “Remember When the Music” (live)
02 Joss Stone: “Love Has Made You Beautiful”
03 My Morning Jacket: “Look at You (Jim’s Electronic Version)”
04 Avril Lavigne: “When You’re Gone” (live)
05 Robert Randolph & the Family Band: “Diane (live From Bonnaroo 2006)”
06 The Charlatans: “Complete Control”
07 Ryan Shaw: “People Get Ready” [Curtis Mayfield cover]
08 Marc Broussard: “Keep Coming Back (live From Nashville)”
09 Starsailor: “Military Madness” [Graham Nash cover]
10 Micki Free: “Mother Earth”
11 DMC: “I Be Rockin’ It”
12 The Chapin Sisters: “I Know It’s Over” [The Smiths cover]
13 John Lennon: “Give Peace a Chance”