Loading ...Sure, we had some fun times with FNMTV before MTV took to just slapping the brand on its occasional block of videos, but these days, there’s just not a lot of music on television. Well, not a lot of music on television played by professional musicians, anyway. Not being content with using the American Idol results show and the occasional So You Think You Can Dance special performance to sell pop hits to American audiences, supermanager Simon Fuller is attempting to bring the Now That’s What I Call Music franchise to television. Is what I’m feeling… excitement?
Archive for January, 2009
Bring Back The “Next Seattle” Tag: Leeds May Be At The Forefront Of The New Grunge Movement
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Maura
Guardian writer Dave Simpson has filed a report from Leeds, a UK city that’s experiencing what many are referring to as a renaissance of that old ’90s “I know it when I see it” musical-descriptor standby, grunge. Simpson reports that the energy and the fuzzed-out guitars are all there waiting to be brought back into fashion, but there are a few crucial differences: “Although Wonderswan wear the check shirts of their American counterparts, and employ tongue-in-cheek slogans such as ’slack as fuck’ and ‘party like it’s 1994′—reminiscent of the self-deprecating marketing of Sub Pop, the original grunge label—all these bands wear unfeasibly tight trousers and their hair isn’t as long—although, crucially, it is just long enough to flail,” he notes. (The bands’ ability to swing on the flippity-flop was, alas, not judged.) But does this trend story hold up? Is Sub Pop going to send some A&R reps to Leeds now that Robin Pecknold has spit on its major-label ties? Will any of the bands in this story credibly cover “Swallow My Pride” anytime soon? Those questions answered after the jump.
Another Week, More Distressing Sales News
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Dan Gibson
Not surprisingly, Bruce Springsteen’s Working On… More »
Simon Cowell Is Not Very Happy That The Names Of This Year’s “American Idol” Semifinalists Are Out On The Internet
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Maura
American Idol’s premier antifan site Vote For The Worst has got its hands on what it’s claiming is this season’s group of 36 semifinalists—i.e., all the people who made it through the Hollywood Round (which airs next week) and onto the big stage, where they’ll be held up for scrutiny in front of text-message-ready Fox viewers. Tireless Idolblogger MJ has a page with links to the chosen ones’ auditions here; I’ve also placed the names of all 36 “lucky” ones after the jump. Surprises: It’s Osmond-free! Non-surprises: Joanna “major-label refugee” Pacitti and Von “I was famous on YouTube for being a white boy who screams songs” Smith are on it.
The Essence Festival: Bringing Al Green, Beyoncé, And Teena Marie Together At Last
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Dan Gibson
Wouldn’t it be great if Coachella took a few booking cues from their Southern (indoor) counterpart, the Essence Festival? There is one act crossing over from the desert lineup (New Orleans natives the Knux), but really, how great would a Teena Marie set in the tents be? More interesting than Steve Aoki, that’s for sure. Thankfully, if the economy hasn’t drained your savings yet, you can attend both fests—Coachella’s in mid-April, while Essence is over July 4 weekend. The lineup, as announced so far, is below the cut; if you can’t get excited over the possibility of seeing Al Green, Beyoncé, Maxwell, Janelle Monae, and En Vogue over one weekend, I fear for your soul.
All You Need To Know About The Desperation Felt By The “American Idol” Producers This Year
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Maura
Your Personal Live-Music Itineraries: Are They Feeling The Pinch?
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Maura
Sure, today saw quite a few highly anticipated concerts in the news. But Forbes.com is seeing through those lineup announcements and sellout crowds and forecasting nothing but gloom and doom, thanks to—what else?—recent global economic woes. Layaway plans for pricey festival tickets are just the beginning!
This Week’s Top 12: A Week In Which We Ignored Dr. Love’s Prescriptive Advice
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Maura
Gene Simmons getting territorial, alternate theories of the alternative era, Assteroidz, and the British band that’s probably more excited about Superchunk’s inclusion on the Coachella bill than anything else, after the jump.
The Coachella Lineup Is Out (For Real This Time)
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Maura
Paul McCartney, The Killers, and The Cure are atop the seemingly eternally delayed lineup (OK it was only like a week tops, but still) for the California festival Coachella, which takes place April 17-19. Also on the bill: Morrissey, Leonard Cohen, My Bloody Valentine, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, X, TV On The Radio, and Ida Maria. And Amy Winehouse, for real! Full roster, broken down by day, after the jump.
Morrissey (Almost) Reveals His Arsenal
Fri Jan 30 2009 by Maura
Have you ever wondered what Morrissey looks like nearly nude? Thanks to the inner sleeve of Mozzer’s single for “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris,” your fantasies involving him, and his backing band, wearing nothing but a few inches of vinyl can have actual images to go along with them. The (probably NSFW) shot after the jump.
