MSN Music Blog - Reverb

FEATURED POST

Who guitarist claims to favor U.S. militarism

By percy thrillington Dec 5, 2012 2:29PM
As any Who fan knows, Pete Townshend will basically say anything that pops into his head, which is why this little nugget, reported by HuffPo, via , is both no surprise and a little surprising. It's also worth mentioning that Townshend is 

From HuffPo, via Politico:

If asked "Who are you?," rocker Pete Townshend might reply, in part, "A neoconservative."
The Who guitarist revealed that he is "a bit of a neocon" during an interview with ABC News. Townshend and Roger Daltrey sat down with ABC to talk about their work for teens with cancer with the Who Cares campaign, and Townshend wasn't afraid to delve into the subject of politics.
“I try and stay away from American politics because I’m a bit of a neocon," Townshend, a British citizen, told ABC. "I’m not that popular with everybody.” Adding, "I like the idea of America as the world's police force. Then we don't have to do it. You guys sort it out."
A "neoconservative" is officially defined as "a conservative who advocates the assertive promotion of democracy and United States national interest in international affairs including through military means," according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It is also "a formal liberal espousing conservatism."
Townshend, who thought Mitt Romney would beat "tired" Barack Obama, said he was never very politically inclined growing up until he found music. "When I found music, and I found a new way to speak and to express myself to particularly those young teenagers that we entertained when we started out, that became my politics--the politics of the spirit, the politics of the heart, the politics of the soul," he told ABC.
In 2004, Townshend refused to let liberal filmmaker Michael Moore use "Won't Get Fooled Again" in his documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," the Guardian previously reported.
"When first approached I knew nothing about the content of his film 'Fahrenheit 9/11,'" Townshend wrote on his website at the time. "I had not really been convinced by Bowling for Columbine [Moore's previous film] and had been worried about its accuracy. Once I had an idea what the film was about, I was 90% certain my song was not right for them."
Townshend, who was arrested in 2003 on suspicion of possessing child pornography, has been disclosing personal details about his life recently. He discusses his childhood -- which he believes included sexual abuse -- substance abuse, infidelity, and the trials and tribulations of the band in his memoir, "Who I Am."

Just to delineate between things that get said and things that get reported, it wasn't that Townshend said "tired Obama"; it was that he said this: 

"I thought he [Romney] was throwing the money in such buckets and I thought Obama looked, looked tired,” Townshend said. 
It's also worth mentioning that in 2002, Townshend said this to Rolling Stone:
"I am a genius, not was, am."

Soooooo....
 

Singer airlifted to hospital to treat head injury

By percy thrillington Fri 3:07 PM
Some people simply shouldn't travel in cars. 

That seems to be the only logical conclusion to draw from the news that 49-year-old pop singer George Michael was airlifted to a hospital after a Range Rover in which he was riding (though possibly not driving—his representative's statement was purposefully vague on this point) crashed on the M-1 motorway near St. Albans, Hertfordshire, about 20 miles north of London. 

Yesterday, pop singer George Michael was airlifted to a hospital after he was involved in a car crash. According to the BBC, the 49-year-old singer suffered a head injury, though his spokesperson insists he's doing "fine" and only suffered "superficial cuts."
Details on the crash remain unclear, but Michael's rep, Connie Filippello, stated that he was a passenger in a Range Rover that crashed on the M1 motorway near St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. "No third party was involved. We have no further comment at this time," she said. No arrests have been made following the crash, though police are still investigating what happened.
This marks another in a long line of driving-related incidents for the former Wham! singer. In 2010, he was sentenced to eight weeks in jail after driving his Range Rover into a Snappy Snaps photo store while stoned, which also resulted in a five-year driving ban. The year before that, he was detained on suspicion of driving under the influence after he crashed into the back of a truck. In 2006, police found Michaelslumped over the wheel of his parked Mercedes, and he pled guilty to driving under the influence of drugs the following year.


 

Legendary songwriter will receive Gershwin Prize

By percy thrillington Fri 2:59 PM


Though the Obama administration continues to struggle with crisis after crisis, one thing they seem to do pretty well is honoring worthy musicians. Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David have all performed at the White House concert series since the President took office in 2008. And now, according to a stor in today's Hollywood Reporter, Carole King will be honored with the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at a White House concert next Wednesday, May 22. According to the announcement, she will perform in the East Room, alongside James Taylor, Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, and others, after being praised both for her astonishing accomplishments as a songwriter and recording artist, and for her long-time commitment to Democratic activism by President Obama.The event will be streamed live beginning at 3pm Pacific at www.whitehouse.gov/live. She is the first female artist to be given the Gershwin Prize.

 

The night before, King will be honored at an invitation-only ceremony and concert at the Library of Congress’ Coolidge Auditorium featuring performances by King, her daughter Louise Goffin, Patti Austin, Colbie Caillat, Michael Feinstein, Siedah Garrett, Shelby Lynne, Gian Marco and Arturo Sandoval.

 

Mini-commercial for "Magnetic" goes up to give the fans a taste

By Mark C. Brown Fri 12:17 PM
Goo Goo Dolls
Rock anthems? Check. Wistful ballads? Present and accounted for. Must be the new Goo Goo Dolls album.

The Goo Goo Dolls return June 11 with their latest work, "Magnetic." And in this time of trying to figure out how to get heard, they've actually gone and put together nearly four minutes of excerpts from the new songs to give fans a taste without giving the whole store away ala David Bowie or Daft Punk.

Of course, it's not like Johnny Rzeznik and crew have kept everything under wraps. The single "Rebel Beat" is out there since January, with the official video going up last month.
They're doing a few dates but the touring schedule really heats up in late June, when they begin a trek across the country and back with Matchbox Twenty (after Rzeznik takes a bit of time off to get married).



 

After a layoff, she's back strong and sure

By Mark C. Brown Thu 4:46 PM
Susan JamesDespite a music career that was taking off in the late '90s, California singer/songwriter Susan James decided to put her music on hold to raise her daughter. Little did she know that her hiatus would see the collapse of the music industry, the rise of the Internet and legal/illegal downloading and general panic as the old system totally disintegrated.

So when she returned with "Highway, Ghosts, Hearts and Home" last year and her latest, "Driving Toward the Sun," she knew everything was different. And she was ready for it. For the latest album she teamed up with her neighbor and friend, Ryan Ulyate, a producer/engineer who has Tom Petty, George Harrison, the Traveling Wilburys, Electric Light Orchestra and other credits under his belt. They recorded in his high-tech home studio but the approach was strictly old-school: Eight tight, fully realized songs that told an adult tale of heartache and redemption, from the stirring title cut to sad, resigned songs such as "U-Haul in the Driveway." Critical acclaim quickly followed, with No Depression quickly naming it one of the best albums of the year so far.

"I wanted an album that sounded like me and my sound and my past without sounding dated. It's honest in sound and it could be from any era," James said.

And rather than worry about technology marching on, James embraced it. She did old-school radio promotion with NPR and legendary California station KPIG, as well as Spotify, Emusic, iTunes, Amazon and plain old touring and getting the word out. James and Ulyate took a few minutes to talk about the collaboration and where she goes from here. 

Twitter-phobic singer/felon launches app

By percy thrillington Thu 5:47 AM

For one who so famously dishes it out, Chris Brown is equally notorious for not being able to take it. When last seen on Twitter, in January, after taking a bit of heat over his ALLEGED brawl with Frank Ocean's crew over a parking spot, the artist-I-refuse-to-call-Breezy declared that "Social media takes away the essence of why we are even special or icons. So with that, I'm detaching myself from that world," and promptly deleted his account. Next, he privatized his Instagram feed (cold). He has since had an apparent change of heart—yesterday saw the launch of the Chris Brown Channel, an app that basically allows Brown to send out dispatches from the front lines of his life without any of the frustrating back-talk from haters that made his Twitter and Facebook feeds so volatile. One can only hope the Channel preserves the essence of what makes him even special or icon. According to MTV:
Breezy held his first "broadcast" Wednesday (May 15) in a sienna-tinted shot of him in front of his piano, welcoming everyone.
Along with the backstage access you'd expect from the new site, fans can do things like check out his closet, see him play b-ball in a mall, go on a roller coaster ride with him and even watch him light up. The site, which also has a mobile app version, collects photos, status updates and videos that CB posts straight to his followers, pushing his authenticity.
"Now all you guys can see me at all times of the day, keep up with what I'm doing... really," Brown said in the 13-second clip. "I appreciate you guys, man. I love you."
The app trailer claims the "channel" will give users more entry to the star's life than his Facebook, Twitter or Instagram — and given Brown's track record with Instagram and Twitter, he might need a social-media upgrade anyway.
 

A best-of compilation on the long lost show is set for release

By Mark C. Brown Wed 11:49 AM
Graham ParkerWhat was "Fridays," you ask?

Good question, as the show was on for just a couple of years starting in 1980. And the name tells you everything: It aired on Fridays and yes, it was a shameless rip-off of "Saturday Night Live."

The only way it surpassed SNL was in its more-adventurous musical bookings. And you're finally going to get to see them (other than on YouTube) when Shout Factory releases "The Best of Fridays" in August, including plenty of musical performances. Sure, the show wasn't totally groundbreaking with its musical bookings (the Kenny Loggins episode proves that). But it embraced new wave in a way that SNL never did, booking The Clash, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Graham Parker and the Rumour, The Cars, Devo and more.

Other musical performances due on the disc include Dire Straits, the Bus Boys, KISS, former Eagle Randy Meisner and the Silverados, Kim Carnes, Stray Cats, Pat Benatar and more (yes, it's quite the odd time capsule).

No word on exactly what performances will be released -- as with SNL, each artist got two songs per episode - but here are a few of the better ones from the era.

 




 

Canadian astronaut covers Bowie's 'Space Oddity' IN SPACE

By percy thrillington Tue 6:28 AM
No one could accuse Chris Hadfield of taking the intuitive path to a music career. First, he became an astronaut, and then Commander of the International Space Station. Along the way, he learned to play the guitar and waited for his big moment. That moment came yesterday, when he recorded himself, in orbit, playing the only song you could ever really play in this situation: David Bowie's "Space Oddity," resulting in the first music video shot in outer space. And, sure, he plays with the lyrics and blah blah blah, but guess what! HE'S IN SPACE! SINGING DAVID BOWIE! IT'S FANTASTIC!

Just admit that if you were an astronaut, you'd have done the same thing. 

Hadfield is scheduled to return to Earth to-DAY-hay-ay. Bon voyage.
 

New song caps off a collection of his iconic cuts

By Mark C. Brown Mon 12:03 PM
George ThorogoodGeorge Thorogood and Eric Clapton rarely get mentioned in the same sentence, but maybe it's time for that to change. Both bluesmen dusted off classic songs from forgotten bluesmen and brought them to the attention of the general public. Thorogood merely put a wry, funny twist on songs by Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Brownie McGhee and more (as well as his own self-penned classics such as "Bad to the Bone").

A bunch of those classics are rounded up on "Icon," the new compilation from Lonesome George, due in stores on Tuesday. Not only does it pull together his best work, but there's a new song on there, "Do the Do." In an MSN exclusive, you can hear the new song below.

Consider this a starting point for those of you unfamiliar with the depth and breadth of Thorogood's work. While "Bad to the Bone" and "I Drink Alone" have become ubiquitous, his albums always delve into the blues much further. Here's a personal favorite that didn't make the new disc -- Thorogood's sublime cover of Hooker's "One Way Ticket."