The 33 1/3 book series, in which one album is given a book-length treatment by a writer, has finally narrowed its latest shortlist down to 11 titles. The list of approved albums–and the authors who will be taking the albums on–for the 2010-2011 roster of books after the jump: MORE »
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The Next Crop Of 33 1/3 Books Will Not Be As Classic Rock-Leaning As You Might Have Feared
last night's tv party
“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” Breaks Down The Unfairness Of The Music Business
It is always kind of awesome when one of the shows in Dick Wolf’s empire of NYC cop dramas takes on the music business. G-Train! “No Bozo Jam”! Patrick Stump as a criminal! And last night’s episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent continued that tradition, with its Williamsburg setting, Bono in the front/long greasy ponytail in the back aging rocker character, and opportunity for newly installed detective Zach Nichols–played to pitch-perfect effect by Jeff Goldblum–to both rant about the unfairness of the music business and show off his piano skills. (One of those things actually played into why one cast member killed another, FYI.) MORE »
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Let’s Start Wondering Why The U2 Album Isn’t Selling
It’s not a surprise that the new U2 album is, barring some sort of crazy coup by Taylor Swift fans, going to hit No. 1 on the album charts next week, but music biz projection types seem to think that Bono & co. are going to scan right around 500,000 copies the first week out of the box which to say the least is a little disappointing (considering How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb sold over 800,000 the first week). It’s not like the band hasn’t put the promotional work in. So what happened? MORE »
U2 Prefer To Hang Out Where The Streets Have Their Name
Irish rock band U2 continue the habit of hanging… MORE »
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Bono Has An Identity Crisis
There seem to be two discrete ways of approaching the new U2 album. One, exemplified by a review on the Jim DeRogatis/Greg Kot radio show Sound Opinions, is to look at the fact that they’ve employed Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois for some tracks and write off the big stadium rockers to paint the album as an embrace of texture and mood, and a general triumph. The other view, however, is more dubious. Being a rock star is great, but it can’t help but seem less important when you’ve been doing what Bono’s been doing, and the five-year gap between albums would seem to indicate Bono’s changing priorities. Certainly he doesn’t seem very connected to his bandmates anymore. It’s like Bono woke up one day and realized he was turning into Bob Geldof: someone whose social activism overshadows their music, and consequently seems like a fraud. And so, it was time to update his brand with a new album. Unfair? Maybe. But let’s look at the evidence. MORE »
the last word
U2 Is Made Of Stars
Our look at the closing lines of the week’s biggest new-music reviews continues with a look at reactions to No Line On The Horizon, the 12th studio album by U2: MORE »
upcoming tours
Never Let It Be Said That Bono Isn’t Up On Current Events
Speaking on Radio One earlier today, U2 frontman… MORE »
corporate rock still sells
U2 Triangulates The Rock Charts
After Billboard launched its Adult Album Alternative singles chart last year, I compared and contrasted it with the two existing rock charts, Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock, and noted how few bands, let alone songs, would be able to make a dent on all three charts. At the time, I wrote: “I’ll be very curious to see what song, if any, will be the first to appear on all three rock charts; my best guess is that it’ll depend on whether U2 or the White Stripes releases a new album sooner.” Not to toot my own horn, but I was right on the mark; the lead single from U2’s No Line On The Horizon became the first song to achieve that feat immediately upon its release. “Get On Your Boots” has been locked at the top spot on Triple-A for the last four weeks; on Modern Rock it entered at No. 8 and currently sits at No. 5; and while it’s made the Mainstream Rock chart, it has so far only climbed to No. 26. MORE »
the new model
Universal Music Group Australia Leaks The U2 Album
U2’s No Line On The Horizon leaked early Wednesday morning, a week and a half before it was supposed to be available in Irish record shops and nearly two weeks before its Stateside release. Horizon, being one of the few albums on the docket that is seen as something of a commercial lock, was under heavy lock and key before its release. So what happened? Was Bono blaring his own tunes at home again? Did some enterprising warehouse worker sneak a copy to his laptop? The answer is a lot more surprising—and much more embarrassing for Universal Music Group, which is counting on this album’s sales to beef up its bottom line. MORE »
Brandon Flowers At The Center Of Yet Another Special-Guest Maelstrom
After last night’s Brit Awards, the Killers and… MORE »
