Sorry I’m late… I usually do the column while watching Monday Night Football, but my roommate who usually works second shift had yesterday off, so I watched wrestling and MNF without writing for the first time in a while.
So, I figure I’ll take this on early in the AM and try to get it out rather than bagging another week.
Also, I have decided I am no longer a Giants fan. I’m taking votes on who I should root for now. As the cold weather is starting to settle into Upstate NY once again, I’m listening more to those of you who suggest the Niners, Raiders, or Panthers. If anyone has any jobs in the listed locations… or anywhere that stays 50 or above all year, please forward job descriptions to tdaniels@411mania.com.
The Giants looked like a team that didn’t even belong in the NFL, much less college. I’m pretty sure the NYS Class A High School champs could have beaten them the way they were playing on Sunday… because I know they could have beaten the Falcons the way they’ve been playing recently.
Fuck the Giants, I’m moving to Raleigh and buying up all the powder blue I can find.
Navy Blue: Old and Busted
Powder Blue: New Hotness.
In another note, the Rage-o-meter associated with Mario Sunshine has dropped to an easy 40. Simply because I haven’t played it in a week or so.
Christina with a case of sniffles
Christina Aguilera recently cancelled the final two dates of her UK tour, citing doctors orders to bed. Christina’s said in a statement:
I am terribly sorry for any inconvenience caused, but my doctor has ordered me to my bed, and told me I cannot perform for at least 10 days
Well shit, is that all you have to do to order her to bed? Get a fake medical license? The article went on to describe how much her and Britney’s careers have paralleled each other, with endorsements and whatnot. I would cover it if I cared in the least. I also respectfully refuse to link this column as I do any who use Xtina… because it’s retarded and not even correct. If they wanted to use X it would be Xina, which is equally retarded.
The Billboard Music Awards
The Eminem Music Awards have confirmed their first two performers of the 2003 awards show. Both Sting and Gwen Stefani will be performing at the awards. Actually, No Doubt is scheduled to perform but, honestly, is there really a band anymore? I’d have to say “no.†I don’t think they’ve been much of a band since Gwen hit the singles chart with Eve and Moby. I think it’s just kind of an interchangeable band now. Regardless, they will both be on the awards show based on record sales. So, can we just give them all to 50 Cent and get it over with?
The awards show will air December 10th live on Fox from the MGM Grand Garden Arena from Las Vegas and will be hosted by American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest. Let the fun begin!
Music and Games
In a move that may make the Games Staff cringe, I am mentioning video games in my column. God forbid. I take full responsibility for my actions and ask that they not blame anyone else but me.
With that out of the way, Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor have both recently hooked up with Namco Hometek to add some spice to their video games. Most recently, Manson contributed Use Your Fist, Not Your Mouth to the new Spawn Armageddon game, due out 11/26. Todd McFarlane seemed good with the idea, saying If any artist epitomizes my antihero Spawn, it’s Marilyn Manson.
In a related story, Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) will be providing a score to eagerly anticipated Doom III. Reznor has also contributed music to Quake in the past.
I would like to point out that I damn near managed to tie every 411 zone into one newsbit. McFarlane gives me figures and comics, Reznor and Manson gives me music, and Doom and Quake give me video games. Score one for the programmer!
The Legal Online Stuff
Pretty much following what I predicted a couple of weeks ago, the entrance of Napster back into the file-swapping world has been met with extreme apathy by both the online community and the community of folks who just download songs and don’t care about anything else.
Napsters first few weeks of service have seen iTunes outsell it at a ratio of 5 to 1. Now, while selling 300,000 songs in it’s first week might not seem like all that bad a thing, you have to keep in mind that iTunes sold over 1 million songs in it’s first week. Whether that should be the measuring stick by which all other’s are judged, I don’t know… but less than a third of that probably shouldn’t be the measuring stick either.
Apple cited data from Nielsen Soundscan, whose data indicated that iTunes was responsible for 80% of the legally purchased online music for Napster’s opening week. iTunes, which just recently entered the PC Market has sold about 13 million singles since going online.
While most current college students were but young high school students on AOL dial-up back during the initial rush of Napster, they still say they don’t have any plans of paying for the service which offers 99 cent singles and 9.95 CDs.
And honestly, when it comes down to it… why buy a CD for 9.95 when you can go to the store and buy a new release for 9.99 and get a real CD, and case. Not to mention… if I’m going to buy a single that I can’t put on a CD, what the hell is the point of buying the single. I don’t carry my computer around. And don’t give me “Sony will be releasing a product that lets you take your songs with you.†Fuck that. I don’t wear a walkman in the car, guys. Until you give a viable, pay alternative that is as convenient as the free “illegal†services. You are going to continue to fight an uphill battle. Convenient meaning: I buy the song, I can put it on as many CDs as I damn well please and play it in the player of my choice. If it ain’t an mp3, I don’t want it. Sorry. I’ll stick with Kazaa and hunt for a good, non-shitty version of a song. I’m patient.
Out This Week
Speaking of CDs, I’ll buy. The much anticipated Lost Dogs: Rarities and B-Sides CD is finally out today. Get some songs that Pearl Jam made back when they were good! Three of my top ten favorite Pearl Jam songs ever is on these discs: Yellow Ledbetter, Alone, and Wash… although their two best rarities ever, State of Love and Trust and Breathe, both from the Singles Soundtrack are not included. I’ll likely be picking this up tomorrow, as tonight I’ll be off to see some Barenaked Ladies. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do this review before the evil Ari Bernstein yanks it out from under me.
Kid Rock with a self-titled release of songs about himself.
Resurrection: the latest post-mortem effort from 2Pac Shakur… it’s the soundtrack from the movie of the same name. While I could get into the interesting bits of a dead guy putting out a movie, I won’t. Instead I will point you to Countdown to the Resurrection. The 10 part feature on Tupac Shakur.
The latest effort from Pink. Yeah, good luck with that.
In Other Reading
Vanderhorst gets some 411 Freebies by getting the new Default disc. Unfortunately, he also doesn’t like it much. He also assigns their first album about a 6.5, which about where I would put it, too, on the strength of about three good songs on the disc. As such, since we agree on the first album, I’ll agree with him on the second album, though I haven’t heard it yet.
Jacob Ziegler has a review of Coldplay Live
Katz has your Indy Info.
Rhett Walker hates the RIAA, too. Why? Cuz he’s a smart man.
In Conclusion…
Back soon, until then, enjoy everyone else.
