Ramblings Tuesday February 6, 2007

The Police reunite at the upcoming Grammy's show...
classicrock.about.com
redroselass.blogspot.com
www.rollingstone.com/news

Apple Corps vs. Apple Inc. settle down after years of battle...
www.appleinsider.com
www.journalstar.com/articles

Gizmodo has the image of the day...
gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple

Posted by Mike

Van Halen 2007 North American Tour

The original Van Halen is reuniting this summer for their 2007 North American tour. They've just announced 40 shows with front man David Lee Roth. It's the first time since 1984 that Roth, Eddie and Alex Van Halen have performed together. A junior Van Halen, Eddie's 15 year-old son, Wolfgang, will be playing bass.

In their press release, Eddie Van Halen stated, "I am very excited to get back to the core of what made Van Halen."

It will be very interesting to see what material they work up for their stage show. There's plenty to choose from, even if they only pull setlists from their early catalog with Roth. Any way you shred it, you know there will be sparks flying on this reunion tour, right along with all their big hits, like...Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - Eruption - Runnin' With The Devil - Jump - Panama - I'll Wait - Hot For Teacher - And The Cradle Will Rock - and their rockin' cover of You Really Got Me.

Official Press Release: www.van-halen.com/pressrelease.html

Eddie Van Halen has also teamed up with Fender and Jackson Guitars to build the EVH Signature Custom Guitar, an authentic replica of Van Halen's legendary Frankenstein red and white striped guitar.

Posted by Mike

Grace Slick Medium on Canvas

February 1967 lifted off with the Jefferson Airplane's greatest album, Surrealistic Pillow. The single "Somebody to Love" reached #5 on the charts, and the LP peaked at #3, selling 1.5 million records for RCA Victor. The songs are outstanding, with brilliant instrumentation and vocals by the different members of the group.

1. She Has Funny Cars (Balin/Kaukonen) great drums & wild psychedelic guitar
2. Somebody To Love (Slick) #5 single
3. My Best Friend (Spence) 60's pop
4. Today (Balin/Kantner) dream sequence
5. Comin' Back To Me (Balin) moody second movement
6. 3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds (Balin) rockin'
7. D.C.B.A.-25 (Kantner) G.O.O.D.
8. How Do You Feel (Mastin) flyin'
9. Embryonic Journey (Kaukonen) brilliant instrumental
10. White Rabbit (Slick) radio hit
11. Plastic Fantastic Lover (Balin) psychedelic man

Grace Slick is now an artist using a different medium, of canvas and paint, rather than audio recordings. I've listened to her sing those great Jefferson Airplane songs for years and always loved her voice.

Here's a link to a gallery show Grace Slick just did in Austin. www.austin360.com

Check out the 1955 video from RCA Victor.

Posted by Mike

The Goo Goo Dolls & QVC Let Fans In

The Goo Goo Dolls will debut on QVC on Tuesday, February 6 at 9 PM Eastern Time with a special DVD/CD package, with bonus material, three weeks before the scheduled release date.

Interesting side note: just last month we saw Carly Simon debut her new album on QVC.

In a live broadcast from Washington, D.C.'s premier music venue Nightclub 9:30, QVC will grant viewers a special behind-the-scenes interview with The Goo Goo Dolls, who will share the inspiration behind their eighth album "Let Love In." Immediately following the interview, QVC will broadcast the band's live concert.

The Goo Goo Dolls, John Rzeznik (vocals, guitar), Robby Takac (bass, vocals) and Mike Malinin (drums) are currently on tour in support of their "Let Love In" album.

The Goo Goo Dolls "Live and Intimate" DVD with "Let Love In" CD set features music videos and rare acoustic tracks compiled especially for QVC (QVC Item #E02449) and will be available at 800.345.1515 or www.qvc.com while supplies last.

Source: media.prnewswire.com
www.qvc.com

Posted by Mike

Norah Jones Not Too Latte

Norah Jones Timeline:
Tuesday January 30 - Norah Jones releases her third album "Not Too Late."

Wednesday February 7 - Norah Jones & The Handsome Band will perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Friday February 9 - Norah Jones & The Handsome Band will play a live in-store concert at Amoeba Records in Hollywood, CA.

April 13, 2007 - Norah Jones & Band start a four week US tour.

See & Hear her latest video podcasts here:
Video Podcast Jan.30, 2007
Video Podcast Jan.23, 2007

RSS Feed @ www.bluenote.com/norah_jones/norahjones.rss
www.norahjones.com
www.bluenote.com

I guess if Norah Jones ever recorded at Starbucks we'd have to call the CD "Not Too Latte."

Posted by Mike

Aaron Lewis Solo Acoustic Tour

Aaron Lewis, lead vocalist for Staind, will be performing some solo acoustic tour dates, starting March 1st at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Detroit. There's about 30 dates planned into April.

Aaron Lewis solo tour dates:

Jan. 26 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino
Feb. 9 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel & Casino
Mar. 1 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
Mar. 2 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
Mar. 3 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room
Mar. 5 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
Mar. 6 - Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Theatre
Mar. 7 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant Theatre
Mar. 9 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
Mar. 10 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre
Mar. 13 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Mar. 17 - New Orleans, LA - Sugarmill Room
Mar. 19 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theatre
Mar. 20 - Shreveport, LA - Strand Theatre
Mar. 22 - Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre
Mar. 23 - Pensacola, FL - Saenger Theatre
Mar. 24 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
Mar. 29 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
Apr. 4 - Buffalo, NY - University of Buffalo

Source: www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net

Posted by Mike

Kelly Clarkson NASCAR Idol

The original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson has signed a deal to represent NASCAR during the 2007 season. She will be headlining the Nextel Tribute to America concert before the Daytona 500 on February 18th.

Clarkson will also be the official spokesperson for the fourth annual NASCAR Day on May 18th. Race fans are encouraged to make a five dollar charitable donation to the NASCAR Foundation in exchange for a commemorative lapel pin.

The NASCAR season concludes on December 3rd, when Clarkson performs at the Nextel Cup Champions Banquet in New York.

Online @ www.kellyclarksonweb.com
Online @ www.nascar.com

Posted by Mike

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Another friend of mine at work shared this great website with me. The Archive of Misheard Lyrics is dedicated to the art of the common misunderstood song lyric.

Even the domain itself kissthisguy.com is named after one of the most common misheard lyrics in rock and roll.

"'Scuse me, while I kiss the sky" from "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix

Online @ http://kissthisguy.com

Posted by Mike

Not Too Late for Norah Jones

Norah Jones has a new album coming out next Tuesday. It's called Not Too Late. The first single is "Thinking About You."

The album features 13 new songs, all written or co-written by Jones. The album was produced by Lee Alexander, Jones' songwriting partner and bassist. Not Too Late features many of Jones' longtime collaborators including guitarists Adam Levy, Jesse Harris, Kevin Breit and Robbie McIntosh, drummer Andy Borger, and singer Daru Oda. Other guests include singer M. Ward, organist Larry Goldings, and Kronos Quartet cellist Jeffrey Zeigler. On Blue Note Records.

See Quicktime Video podcast of behind-the-scenes footage making of the new album.

Not Too Late Album Preview: WinMedia : QuickTime : RealPlayer

“Thinking About You” Single Preview: WinMedia : QuickTime : RealPlayer

RSS Link: www.bluenote.com/norah_jones/norahjones.rss

Online:
www.norahjones.com
www.bluenote.com

Posted by Mike

rehearsals.com

Once again I've discovered a really cool website from browsing through the RSS music feeds.

Step into the studio to watch your favorite music artists prepare for concerts, television appearances, tours and recording sessions, at rehearsals.com.

rehearsals.com gives you an all-access pass to:
rehearsals with The Ringers & Hello Stranger
lessons from the legends with Kenny Aronoff & Doyle Bramhall II
exclusive performances with Chris Isaak & Norah Jones
e-merging artists like Population Game & The Early Strike
givin' back with charities like MusicCares & the After School All-Stars
The NEWZ gives you music news with real people.

CenterStaging formed rehearsals.com in 2004, and produces and distributes original high-definition digital video of musicians and recording artists as they rehearse, record and give clinics. You get a behind-the-scenes perspective of the artists and musicians and the songs they play.

Plus there's the Green Room blog, where you can find out what's going on behind the scenes, performance updates and tour schedules.

http://rehearsals.com
http://www.rehearsalsblog.com

Posted by Mike

Ringtones: Ringing Up Sales

Ringtones are big business. $5 billion worldwide. Don't believe it? Then consider the latest news about EMI Publishing, who has filed a $100 million lawsuit against InfoSpace. EMI alleges that InfoSpace has underpaid royalties, sold ringtones they had no license for, obstructed audits, and has engaged in misinformation. Meanwhile, InfoSpace has reported a 16% growth in revenue for their 3rd quarter of 2006, an increase of $13.1 million over their previous 3rd quarter in 2005. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Rhino Tones has their own Rhino Mobile Shop at rhino.com/ringtones.
Can you say "deep catalog?" They've got everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Los Lobos to ZZ Top. They're also featuring a flashback to the 80's, where you can download anything from Devo to the B-52's.

If you're feeling really creative, you can make your own ringtones at OwnYourPhone.com. Their easy-to-use editor lets you get any part of any song you want, instead of having to settle for whatever was pre-recorded. ownyourphone.com

Posted by Mike

Kenny Wayne Shepherd 10 Days Out (Blues From The Backroads)

Kenny Wayne Shepherd's new album Ten Days Out (Blues from the Backroads) comes out today on DVD and live CD.

Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon, Double Trouble's rhythm section, accompanied Kenny along with producer Jerry Harrison on the project. They spent ten days on the road with a film crew to capture the blues in an authentic setting with classic players like B.B. King, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Hubert Sumlin.

On Warner Brothers & Reprise Records.

Posted by Mike

Fender + Roland = VG Statocaster Guitar

The NAMM show is over for another year, but this annual music event brought enough news to keep us busy for months.

Fender and Roland have teamed up and produced the first VG Stratocaster guitar with onboard modeling. The VG features a wide array of options...37 Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, humbucking, 12-string and acoustic sounds, plus five alternate tunings. This amazing new guitar model sports a couple of additional knobs on the pickguard, an LED and a Roland GK bridge pickup, which enables the extra features.

Cary's got the VG scoop at ElectricGuitarReview. Check out his new guitar forum @ www.tubefreaks.net!

Les Paul selected Future Sonics to supply his stage monitors. Wow, an endorsement from living guitar legend and audio innovator Les Paul. He will be using their Ear Monitors for live performances. Oh, and he's 91 and still going strong too!

Eddie Van Halen and Fender executives have announced a new EVH Signature Custom Guitar, at a private party at the NAMM music show in Anaheim, California. Jackson Guitars has built an authentic replica of Van Halen's legendary Frankenstein red and white striped guitar, and feature every nick and scratch that the original has, according to Fender.

Gibson Guitars have announced their first Signature Series flash drive, a 1GB USB2.0 designed to look like their 1959 Les Paul Standard guitar. Did you know they also have a new line of consumer electronics?

Sources:
www.fender.com/vgstrat/home.html
www.gibson.com/allaccessfeatures
www.macworld.com

Posted by Mike

Denny Doherty

Singer songwriter Denny Doherty was such a big part of the vocal group the Mamas and the Papas. And they were a big part of the sixties, especially in 1967 when they helped organize and stage the Monterey Pop Festival. God Bless You, Denny. Along with John & Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliot, you made some beautiful music together.

This is my Top 5 from the group:
California Dreamin'
I Saw Her Again (Last Night)
Dedicated To The One I Love
Monday Monday
Creeque Alley (Saga of the group's early history)

Posted by Mike

NAMM 2007: Portnoy Parker & Recreational Music Making

Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy will be at the NAMM show on Saturday, January 20. See Mike at the Tama booth with Kenny Aronoff and John Blackwell at 2:30 pm, then at the Pro-Mark booth with Marco Minnemann at 4:30 pm.

Parker Guitars has announced their first acoustic/electric bass guitar at the Winter NAMM show (where else?) in Anaheim, CA. Model PAB40 sports an American Black Walnut body, Parker's own Soundslot feedback suppression system, and their exclusive custom Fishman Matrix Pickup system, which delivers a more natural acoustic bass tone. For serious players only. Suggested list price is $1800 and includes a hardshell case.

NAMM Press Release: Pianos in Plano

NAMM recently sponsored an experimental new piano teaching program with some exciting results. At the conclusion of the new Recreational Music Making (RMM) piano class, nine of the 10 selected teachers indicated a desire to continue teaching RMM-type classes.

The new program was coordinated by Brenda Dillon, a local music educator with a history of teaching adult beginners at the Plano Senior Center, and selected 10 area educators to teach classes throughout the Dallas area to 58 students.

“The students were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about learning in a group,” said Dillon. “And the teachers enjoyed the new method of teaching and observed that teaching this way was not ‘dumbing down’ of piano lessons.”

The test included eight-week classes, one hour per week with two pianos side-by-side; six students seated in a semi-circle facing the pianos; solo playing being voluntary; and a primary emphasis on enjoyment. The teachers also used printed materials developed by Dillon.

These teachers and their students, as well as the Plano Sr. Center students, will be the focus of a new video that will serve as a documentary of RMM piano classes in the Dallas area. The video will be shown at a presentation at the NAMM Show, an annual gathering of the music products industry in Anaheim, Calif. It will also be included in a session on RMM teaching presented by Brenda Dillon at the Music Teachers National Association conference in Toronto, Canada in March.

Online:
www.thenammshow.com/
www.namm.org/

Posted by Mike

NAMM 2007: Ludwig Levin & Hughes

NAMM 2007 starts today and runs through Sunday January 21st, in Anaheim, California. The annual National Association of Music Merchants show usually has alot more going on than the general public will ever see, so it's really cool to get an inside look. This year should be better than ever.

Celebrity Guests:
Bassist Extraordinaire Tony Levin has blogged about his past NAMM experiences, and always has nice pictures to enhance his daily post about the goings on. He's usually at the Ernie Ball Music Man booth, where he says it's always interesting to see what their new theme is. So we'll just have to see, won't we?

Another legendary bassist, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze) will be at a meet and greet signing session at the Manne Guitars booth this Friday January 19th. Booth #1630, Hall E at 3:00 pm.

Hughes will also be featured on the national syndicated radio show Rockline, which will air on Wednesday February 7th, starting at 8:30 pm PacificTime (11:30 pm Eastern.) You can call into their national toll free fan line @ 800-344-7625. www.rocklineradio.com

Glenn Hughes' new solo album Music For The Divine will be released in the US on January 30th, on Demolition Records. The album features Chad Smith on drums and J.J. Marsh on guitar, with special guest John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Ludwig Drums have announced five new Access CS Drum Outfits. The five high gloss glitter finishes are available in amber, blue, cherry, green and purple and are applied to 100% birch shells. All outfits feature Vibra-Bands and include Ludwig 300 Series hardware on either the Power, Fusion, Fusion Plus or Jazz styles.

The Ludwig Accent line feature the famous "Zep Set" and "Fab 4" outfits, which are now available in Black Diamond, White Marine Pearl, Silver Sparkle and Black Oyster Pearl, and are available with the sturdy 700 Series double brace hardware. That's the only way to go for a rock and roll drummer. They sure worked for John Bonham and Ringo Starr! www.ludwig-drums.com

Posted by Mike

folkjam.org

Musicians...you will love this idea. You ever search your area for open jams or just other players to jam with? Well, now you can search online with folkjam.org. It's a database of acoustic jam sessions all around the country. Search results will vary, depending on how many jams have been listed in your area. Sign up and enter your own jams, or ones you go to. It's a great way to keep your chops up, and meet some other great players too. Keep up to date with their RSS feed. www.folkjam.org

So what other jams are out there? Tons, for sure, but how do we keep track of 'em? Good question, with no good answer yet. Maybe we'll see a bluesjam and rockjam.org soon?

While searching, I found the Wordie Perkins Blue Worm IBC Blues Jams notice on
www.livefrommemphis.com

James Bonner (The Fieldstones, Daddy Mack Blues Band, The Universal Players) will be hosting the event. Approximately 7,000 blues musicians and fans from all over the world will be in Memphis Feb. 1-3 for the International Blues Challenge (IBCs). Over the last several years many of the musicians who have attended the IBCs have expressed the desire to play and jam in a genuine honky-tonk juke joint. This is an opportunity for some of the finest blues musicians on the planet to experience the unmatched blues music and atmosphere of The Blue Worm.

These jam sessions will be recorded by Daddy-O-Records for possible airplay on the internationally syndicated “Beale Street Caravan," Thursday & Friday, February 1st & 2nd starting both nights at 9:00pm until "whenever."

At The Blue Worm, 1405 Airways Blvd (between Park & Lamar behind the Sav-A-Lot grocery store,) in Memphis, Tenn. Cover is $10….$5 if you have an instrument. Let's go jam!

Posted by Mike

Michael Brecker

Grammy-award winning saxophonist Michael Brecker, 57, passed away on Saturday. He died of MDS and leukemia in New York. Brecker played tenor sax for a multitude of artists, as a much sought after session player.

His discography numbers almost 900 albums, and he's won 11 Grammys. Man, this guy has recorded with just about everybody on the planet! Some of my favorites are Steely Dan (Gaucho,) Ringo, Todd Rundgren, Lou Reed, Mike Stern, Phoebe Snow, Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, David Sanborn, and Herbie Hancock.

Michael Brecker Online @ www.michaelbrecker.com

An open letter from Susan Brecker

The Marrow Foundation

Posted by Mike

A brief conversation of discovery

...A brief conversation of discovery between a couple of music junkies...

mike: Check out Andy McKee, he's freakin' amazing. His style reminds me of Erik Mongrain. The video with the harp guitar is really awesome; it's the 2nd video on our CyberSearch page.

Andy McKee video @ www.cybersmusic.com/cybersearch
more Andy @ www.youtube.com

cybercoder: This guy is a lot like Michael Hedges. I think Erik Mongrain has a better, wider range.

Erik Mongrain video @ www.cybersmusic.com/cybersearch

mike: I just love that combination style of rhythm slapping overhanded string picking plucking thing. And the open chord structures are just beautiful.

cybercoder: Check this out; Tony Levin and members of Dream Theater = Liquid Tension.

Andy McKee online @ www.andymckee.com
Dream Theater online @ www.dreamtheater.net
Erik Mongrain online @ www.erikmongrain.com
Liquid Tension online @ www.yesiknow.com/lte
Michael Hedges online @ www.nomadland.com
Tony Levin online @ www.tonylevin.com

Posted by CyberCoder & MikeStand

Classic Rock Is My Kind Of Time Travel

Classic rock is my favorite form of time travel. No kidding. Listening to these songs from forty years ago, especially in 1967, at a time when rock music was transforming millions of fans, from concerts to television, is like a magic time machine.

I started to list out the songs that I know and love from this fabulous year, but when I started linking, I couldn't find anything more complete than Wikipedia's search item "1967 in music," so I'm just going to link to it. This list is by no means complete; it's just some of my favorites I remember from my childhood. What's your favorite?

Rewind 1967 ~ The Records:
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) - Harpers Bizarre
Groovin' - The Young Rascals
San Francisco (Be sure to wear flowers in your hair) - Scott McKenzie
Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane
Up Up and Away - The 5th Dimension
Windy - The Association
San Franciscan Nights - Eric Burdon & The Animals
Get Together - The Youngbloods
The Rain, The Park & Other Things - The Cowsills
King Midas In Reverse - The Hollies
Neon Rainbow - The Box Tops
Strange Brew - Cream
Kind Of A Drag - The Buckinghams
Gimme Some Lovin' - The Spencer Davis Group (Steve Winwood's first group)
Happy Together - The Turtles
Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles
Penny Lane - The Beatles
I'm A Believer - The Monkees
New York Mining Disaster 1941 - Bee Gees
Tales Of Brave Ulysses - Cream
Up, Up and Away - The 5th Dimension
Light My Fire - The Doors
All You Need Is Love - The Beatles
The Letter - The Box Tops
SWLABR - Cream
Down On Me - Big Brother & The Holding Company - Featuring Janis Joplin
Rollin' And Tumblin' - Canned Heat
Along Comes Mary - The Association
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Soul Man - Sam & Dave
White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
A Whiter Shade Of Pale - Procol Harum
Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley
I'm a Man - Spencer Davis Group
Little Bit o' Soul - Music Explosion
Good Thing - Paul Revere and the Raiders
Mellow Yellow - Donovan
Nashville Cats - The Lovin' Spoonful
Baby I Need Your Lovin' - Johnny Rivers
Hello, Goodbye - The Beatles

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_in_music

Posted by Mike

Big Brother & the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin

Big Brother & the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin ~ How could I have passed over this record in my review of 1967?

It was their debut album, released late that year. The one song I remember from it is "Down On Me," which featured the amazing vocals of Janis Joplin. The band's outstanding performance at the Monterey Pop Festival drew international attention to this emerging star, but their next album Cheap Thrills was the big one that busted out the "ol' ball and chain."

Posted by Mike

Rewind 1967: The Albums

Looking back forty years ago to the year 1967, I expect there to be some anniversaries celebrated as we move forward into the new year. I'm going to acknowledge these milestones, because they're more than just rock and roll history; these are pivotial points in time that shaped the direction of music.

We've mentioned the Monterey Pop Festival already. So what else happened in '67? Well, it was the "Summer of Love," where thousands flocked to the Haight-Ashbury district of