Right off the top, I’d like to say that I’ve finally figured out what’s been causing me so much grief in regards to the HTML errors that tend to populate every other column I post. I’ve always maintained that I use the patented 411 HTML Checker before I send stuff off to the Bosses, however, when I actually do that is another matter entirely. With that said, this whole matter of ugly columns thanks to errors on my behalf should be a dead issue from now on. *knocks on wood*
So the Pixies performed here on Monday, which I guess was a good consolation prize in lieu of the fact that my beloved Canucks have bowed out of the playoffs now. Oh hell, who am I kidding?
Catching an older, balder, slightly chubbier Pixies last Monday was probably one of the top ten musical moments I’ve had in my lifetime. The show itself was plain nuts..the entire vibe made me feel like I was attending the Second Coming of Christ or something. To give you an idea as to how crazy it was, when I first got to the venue there were a couple of really old guys in denim and tattered t-shirts with a sign scrawled out onto crumpled paper that said ‘Pixies Tix: NEED 2. Will Pay $100′.
So, okay, that was pretty crazy. They must be insane fans. Getting a little closer to the venue, I saw this guy with a sign that said ‘Buying Pixies Tickets: $250’.
ONE ticket for the Pixies, and this dude was willing to shell out two hundred and fifty bones to scope them out? Holy crap, sez I, as I shook my head and thanked Al Gore for inventing the Internet, which allowed for me to get my ticket, no problemo.
Then I get to the entrance of the venue, and there’s this guy in an expensive Armani suit, looking all the worlds like he just flew in from some European country with a HUGE sign on cardboard saying ‘$500 for your Pixies ticket’. Unbelievable, absolutely and completely unbelievable, I thought. Funnily enough, the night had a couple more twists and turns in store for me, as I wandered around MacEwan Hall and soaked things in, while looking for a couple of friends who were attending.
I saw kids, and by that I mean children, people old enough to be my parents, as well as the various assortment of hipsters, goths, students, punks, etc, that would fit into my demographic. The opener, Chad Van Gaalen was fairly good, and I’d recommend him if you’re a fan of Modest Mouse, as his voice was a DEAD ringer for MM’s leadman. As for the Pixies themselves…? Well,
Time has been kind to the group, although I have to say that technology wasn’t. There were a number of technical errors and mistakes occurring throughout their set. I think Joey broke like 3 guitar strings on three seperate guitars, and Kim’s mic was pretty much impossible to hear. The onstage ‘vibe’ I was getting off of them didn’t seem to add up very well, either…something didn’t seem right, and I could never put my finger on what exactly it was.
On the other hand, when the band was on, the band was ON. ‘Nimrod’s Son’ was utterly brillant, as was ‘Rock Music’ and ‘Velouria’ and just about everything else the band cranked out when their sound wasn’t getting bungled with thanks to technical errors. They’re going to be playing Coachella next weekend at probably THE show of the year, and there’s a new greatest hits coming out (Wave Of Mutilation), as well as a live/videos DVD this Tuesday, so pick that up if you’re needing a Pixies fix and couldn’t make it to the show.
Also, if you’re going to any of their shows, it looks as though the Pixies have hooked up with DiscLive and are selling Limited Edition copies of their shows at the actual shows. I picked up the Calgary one (natch) and I have to say it sounds a LOT better than the actual show itself…I can actually hear Kim when she talks and does shit. And…yeah, that’s my little Pixies love-in.
The Pixies: The band that spawned a whole horde of imitators and plagarists, the greatest of which would’ve been a little band you might know as Nirvana.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?
Da News
Lots of GOOD news this week. The right people getting sued and/or losing money, among some other stuff. Not so doom and gloom for once. HURRAH!
– In a story that I covered about a month or so ago, it looks like that Madonna’s bitching about Warner’s lack of help for her own have evaporated into a big cloud of smoke. Y’see, in court documents that were unsealed earlier this week, it was revealed that Maverick Records, the label that Grandmadonna owns, was in the red to the tune of $60 million or so. As well, these unsealed documents revealed that Warner did all they were contractually obligated to, and ended up loaning the label $20 million. Money, no doubt, used to fund the propaganda campaign that was unleashed upon us right around the time that American Life came out last year.
Looks like Madonna’s little temper tantrum lawsuit backfired on her, as if Maverick does indeed want to split from Warner, and if Maverick cannot cough up reimbursement money to Warner to pay back the money they initially invested, then Warner gains control of Maverick until the label is 100% reimbursed. Revenge is a dish served cold, you over the hill corpse, and I consider this to be payback for The Kiss and all the (unwanted) media attention it attracted.
– Speaking of courtroom dramas, looks like media giant Clear Channel is looking at a lawsuit for ‘monopolistic and predatory practices’. Looks like the go-ahead was given after it was shown that it looks like (yeah, gotta love the legal world…full of maybes, supposes and hypotheticals…) that Clear Channel unfairly discriminated against artists who booked tours with competing promoters by lowering radio play on their 80 gabillion radio stations. Look for Sage Francis, he of the Fuck Clear Channel Tour, to be exhibiting jubiliance at this.
– Rumours are circulating that Limp Bizkit have been dropped from their record label, Interscope Records. I will not say anything further about this until it is totally and utterly 100% confirmed, so as not to jinx it spread false information.
– As was reported by Minority Report member A-Cam on Friday, Vince Neil, who happens to be going out on the touring circuit later this summer and will be making an appearance close to my stomping grounds, is getting sued by a prostitute. Yeah, the guy who headed up one of the more hedonistic groups of the 80s is getting sued by someone who charges money for sexual intercourse. I don’t think anything more really needs to be said here, heh. But…
I think it should be pointed out here that if you were to replace ‘Vince Neil’ with, say, 50 Cent, or another rapper of some kind, this story would be splashed all over CNN and the prostitute would be enjoying the knowledge knowing that the ‘perp’ would be getting sodomized by burly and gruff inmates at a jail somewhere. The ugly Double Standard Monster rears it’s ugly head once again, especially when you realize that Neil was fined $1,000 for his actions of choking out this woman and then throwing her to the floor of one of the rooms in the brothel Mr. Neil was at.
– It’s not over till the fat lady sings — badly.
The WB television network believes that if a bad singer like “American Idol’s” William Hung can become a pop culture sensation then it might have an entire TV series on its hands.
The broadcaster said on Thursday it will launch “The WB’s Superstar USA,” an already taped reality series in which the contestants were unaware of the true nature of the show — that the judges are looking for “singers” who do not really sing that well.
The show, which the network calls “an off-key version of the red hot performance reality genre,” will air over seven episodes beginning May 17. (Reuters)
No…just, no. Expect this to tank faster than Courtney Love’s solo disc.
– In something that seems to have come out of a Saturday Night Live sketch, or perhaps a Mad TV sketch, it seems that Andrew WK will be hosting an advice show on MTV2. ‘Your Friend, Andrew WK’, will be a weekly advice/video show where Andrew will play videos and answer e-mails from fans. For once in my life, I actually want access to MTV2, just to see how this plays out. Yes, color me intrigued…I don’t care all that much for Andrew WK’s music, but he’s an interesting enough character and he carries off the ‘mocking something he loves’ vibe that the Darkness aren’t able to put their fingers on. The show will debut May 22nd at 9ET/6PM PT.
– A Perfect Circle will be releasing a DVD to go with their single for their latest offering off of last year’s Thirteenth Step. Lost In The Bermuda Triangle will feature an unedited and extended version of one of THE best videos to have ever come out this year, ‘The Outsider’. Also, for those of you who read my column a couple of weeks ago, you’ll recall me going off about ‘The Outsider’ video and how it’s the most un-Tool/Maynard/APC/whatever video in the world.
Turns out a very helpful reader, whose contact information I have lost, but will be more than willing to post here if they mail me back, has informed me that there’s a Bikini Bandits movie which has Maynard starring as The Devil himself. I must see this video, now.
– The Chili Pepper’s John Frusciante will be providing an audiostream of goodies on his website. The ‘goodies’ in question are a variety of acoustic and demo versions of tracks off of his latest album, Shadows Collide With People. This is one of the better albums that has come out thus far this year, and you’ll be doing yourself a favor if you check out the link above and/or download some of his material.
– And again, that feisty A-Cam beats me to the punch, dropping the story on a new rap compilation disc. Suge Knight will be releasing a compilation CD to benefit the families of those who have members of the US military who are currently serving in Iraq. Tenatively set for a Christmas release, the proceeds of the rap CD will be going to help out the families, many of whom, Knight says, ‘many of them are suffering, not only emotionally but also financially.’ No word if Knight will be able to get Tupac into the studio to contribute a track or not, nor has anyone been committed to the CD.
In other related Death Row news, the finishing touches are being done on the latest Kurupt disc, entitled Against The Grain. Set for a July 29th release, this disc will be the first album since 1996 to feature 100% brand new material from the Death Row label. I dunno about you, but 8 years sure seems like a LONG time to go for your artists that are still, you know, ALIVE.
Anti-Pop: Mask & Snorkel & A Bottle Of Ketchup
– I’m tossing this one out pretty early this week, so no plug for Jeff this week, unfortunately. If you haven’t already, get your Late Night Jukebox fix with yesterday’s column and then get back here and let me wrap things up.
– Aaron’s got a column. Aaron’s got a column with no in-jokes, but Aaron is still the best at what he does, and that’s writing columns! Aaron’s got a column. Yay!
– Mathan is back for another week, and he’s edmucating you buggers on rap this week. However, he is mistaken with one thing. I am, in fact, not Canadian. I hail from Iceland and am currently residing in Peru. Yes…
– The long awaited Fear Factory piece that Melchor got is up and ready for your viewing pleasre.
– This is probably going to come across as sounding insulting, but I honestly am not intending it to be. Mr. YOU has what’s probably one of his best columns in awhile up for y’all. I dunno why, but I REALLY enjoyed what he had going on this week. Ripping on American Idol, William Hung, Kurt Cobain and Michael Jackson all in 2 paragraphs? Fucking gold.
– I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Stephen Randle, Dave Gagnon’s and Will Helm’s coerage NHL playoff semifinals. Question: Does plugging a column talking about hockey still count as talking about hockey? Or can I freely admit that this column is devoid of hockey talk this week? Also, check out Mayer’s recap of the first round of the playoffs, as well.
Sound Advice
No Sound Advice this week. I’ll make it up with a double dose of it next week. That’s right, TWO artists for the price of one, only in next week’s Sound Advice.
Other Artists Featured In Sound Advice: Matthew Good, Joel Kroeker, The Dears.
The End Is The Beginning Is The End
Lots of stuff coming out this week, however, a very small amount of it is actually worth paying attention to.
The D12 disc is actually pretty darn good, I was really surprised, considering my disdain for their first one. They could do away with a bit of the potty humour, but I’m sure Eminem’s/D-12’s more hardcore fans will lap this shit up and think it’s gold, so it doesn’t really matter. Also, Ron Sexsmith, who recorded with Coldplay’s Chris Martin and did a version of ‘There’s Gold In Them Hills’, has a new disc coming out, called Retriever. I didn’t give Mr. Sexsmith as mad props as I wanted to in my Juno column, as I was being the good little Hawksley Workman fanatic that I am, so I’d like to mention, again, the awesomeness that is Ron Sexsmith. Truly one of the more underrated talents we have here up in the Great White North and is worth listening to if you know what’s good for you.
There’s a new WASP disc coming out, as well as a kick-ass Black Sabbath box set. Another famous Canadian, Diana Krall, has her new one coming out, which features her beau, Elvis Costello, handling some of the songwriting duties. I have mixed feelings about this last one as on one hand, I absolutely hate Diana Krall and her middle of the road jazz musings, but on the other hand, I adore Elvis Costello. Will the two cancel each other out in an effort that will completely nullify the other? Only time will tell…
There’s also a new Funeral For A Friend disc that’s coming out that’s supposed to be pretty swell, and I think that’s about it for new releases this week. Movies are pretty bleak, with the re-releases of the original versions of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolfman getting the DVD treatment this week in conjunction with the upcoming Van Helsing flick.
Melchor’s tomorrow. Read him. Or he’ll come to your house and cut you. Or maybe just yell at you really loudly. I’m Trevor, and that was Sunday!
