the (almost) daily blog

I confirmed with Franz yesterday that Le Sport has called it quits. Here's a video for "It's Not The End Of The World":

Labels: le sport

and I don't feel so good myself.

Every generation has an artist (or artists) that die at the height of their popularity - only to become revered. some were criticly acclaimed (Jimi Hendrix) and some were more popular (Jim Morrison). With Kurt Cobain's death 13 years ago, he became an icon. But let's step back and wonder what might have happened if it had been someone else from that time frame ...

One could argue that the four top rock frontmen of the early 1990's were Cobain, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots). Critics would have placed them in that order - popularity would have flipped Cornell and Weiland.

In 1992, Pearl Jam was more popular that Nirvana - with Vedder the masses choice for frontman/songwriter of most importance, but Cobain had more punk/indie cred. There was a sect that thought it was actually Cornell and Soundgarden that was the best grunge band - because they had been doing it for longer (since 1984). But what would have happened if it has been Vedder or Cornell?

Vedder, one could argue, would have been more revered that Cobain is now. The band was slighly more commercial, but still had strong political overtones. The popularity and critical acclaim of "Jeremy", "Alive", etc., were stonger than that of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - at the time. Cornell may not have had the popular success (at the time) to garner him an icon.

While Vedder is still making music - and shunning the public spotlight as the new Neil Young meets the Dead; Cornell and Weiland have continued on as frontmen for other bands (with little to no critical praise). What would Cobain have done? I can't see Nirvana being something he would have continued to do for another 13 years. Maybe a solo career? Maybe a few less than well recieved albums in the late 1990's would have sent him down the same road as Billy Corgan. Maybe the Foo Fighers never happen and people continued to overlook Dave Grohl.

Who knows ...

Do you know Peel? If not, know it soon.

Jessie Malin with the boss? Anberlin being pushed on MySpace? The hell is going on around here?

Interested to see how this XM/Sirius merger goes ... hopefully not badly.

Have you checked out LocalRec lately?

Labels: anberlin, jessie malin, localrec, peel, sirius, xm

With the one-year anniversary of DeadJournalist.com only one month away, here's a look back at the Exclusive Interviews I've done during the past 11 months:



To read an interview, click on a link below.

• Havana Guns - 02.15.07 - London-based band


• What Made Milwaukee Famous - 02.06.07 - Austin-based band


• Sophia Shorai - 02.04.07 - Minneapolis-based vocalist



• The Rosebuds - 01.27.07 - Raleigh-based band


• David O'Brien - 01.23.07 - Atlanta Braves beat writer


• Dirty on Purpose - 12.29.06 - Brooklyn-based band



• Castle Project - 12.12.06 - Vancouver-based band


• The Features - 12.03.06 - Murfreesboro/Sparta-based band


• The Village Green - 11.11.06 - Portland-based rock band



• Film School - 11.03.06 - San Francisco-based band


• The Ettes - 10.31.06 - Los Angeles-based band


• Cory Branan - 10.19.06 - Memphis-based singer-songwriter



• Midlake - 10.16.06 - Denton-based band


• 120 Days - 10.11.06 - Oslo-based band


• KissKill Destroyer - 10.09.06 - Baltimore-based band



• The Decemberists - 10.08.06 - Portland-based band


• The Close - 10.03.06 - Atlanta-based indie/post-punk band


• Daniel Merlot/Crash Berlin - 10.02.06 - Hollywood-based DJ/electro-punk band



• Cassettes Won't Listen - 09.28.06 - New York City-based musician


• Nyles Lannon - 09.26.06 - San Francisco-based musician


• Denver Dalley - 09.24.06 - Omaha/Nashville-based musician



• Voxtrot
  - 09.22.06 - Austin-based post-pop band


• TV on the Radio
  - 09.09.06 - New York City-based
  jazz/electro/psychedelic band


• All The Saints
  - 09.06.06 - Atlanta-based psychedelic
  rock band



• The Prids - 08.31.06 - Portland-based post-punk band


• Parachutes - 08.29.06 - Los Angeles-based indie/dream-pop band


• I Am The World
  Trade Center - 08.25.06 - Athens/Corvallis-based synth-pop band



• Cities - 08.22.06 - Chapel Hill-based post-punk/indie band


• KillGordon - 08.16.06 - Atlanta-based rock band


• Y O U - 08.15.06 - Atlanta-based indie band



• Rock N Roll Soldiers
  - 08.08.06 - Eugene-based
  rock band


• Irving - 07.28.06 - Los Angeles-base indie/alternative band


• Clearlake - 07.25.06 - Brighton-based indie-folk band



• The Black Angels
  - 07.17.06 - Austin-based psychedelic
  rock band


• Oppenheimer - 07.12.06 - Belfast-based synth-pop band


• Popup - 07.05.06 - Glasgow-based indie-pop band



• Snowden - 06.15.06 - Atlanta-based neo-wave band


• Todd Bogin - 05.16.06 - New York City-based folksinger-songwriter


• antlerand - 04.27.06 - Portland-based alternative/audio-visual band



• The High Violets - 03.27.06 - Portland-base alternative/shoegaze band

Labels: 120 days, all the saints, clearlake, dirty on purpose, havana guns, midlake, popup, snowden, sophia shorai, the decemberists, the ettes, the features, the rosebuds, tv on the radio, voxtrot

The new interview with London's Havana Guns is up: here

If you go to the main page, I've also linked two Havana Guns mp3s (NYCS and She Always Goes Down): here

Labels: havana guns, NYCS, she always goes down

It is one of those days - seriously - whoa. So anyway, here's what you should be listening to, if you have more time than I do:

Popup - This Scottish band is coming, so if you like Art Brut, but wish they had a wee bit more pop sensability, then check them out. I just got the new single, and maybe I'll finally give in and post an MPThree.

Born Ruffians - Beware, I'm coming for the for another interview. This band of 20 year-olds seem to take influence from Talking Heads' early work.

Havana Guns - They are about to release a new EP. I from heard/played a track by them about a year ago. If you like the Raveonettes or Jesus and Mary Chain, give them a listen. MPThree to come.

End.

Oh, and Stereogum.com seems like love our friends Snowden. They've posted two songs (well, one plus the two year old version of *cough* kill peaches' Fleetwood Mac "Rumors" cover). Hard to think it's been four years since their first show. I wish them continued success. They just hit the road for their next tour. I'll look forward to a beer with Dave and Jordan when they get back.

Labels: born ruffians, havana guns, jesus and mary chain, kill peaches, popup, raveonettes, snowden, talking heads

Justine Frischmann

Watching Elastica's "Connection" video lead to a little trip to Wikipedia to look up info on Justine Frischmann (from woman, former Suede member and ex of Damon Albarn). Elastica split in '01, so I was curious what she has been up to since. Hmm, only helping to co-write M.I.A.'s "Galang" and co-produce White Rose Movement (a vastly underrated UK band).

Labels: Damon Albarn, Elastica, Justine Frischmann, MIA, Suede, White Rose Movement

Everyday, we have songs stuck in our head. Some are good, most are horrible.

So far today, I've had:

"Stuck Between Stations" - The Hold Steady
"Amazed" (some country band? how?)
"Hello, Goodbye" cover by Sophia Shorai

What songs are stuck in your head today?

Send a message back and I may do a piece on it for the site.

Chuck

Right now, The Smiths are playing "Back To The Old House" on my iTunes. I've spent most of this afternoon listening to music, uploading songs that were lost in the great laptop meltdown of '06, and thinking about how this used to be how I spent most of my Saturdays.

As those who have lived with me can attest, Saturday afternoon in the Winter and Spring would often mean an hour or two of loud music coming from my room. Much of it sung horribly by yours truly.

"but the good life is out there somewhere, so stay on my arm you little charmer"

Today's music included uploading on tunes by The Rapture, P.I.L, Ryan Adams and listening to some new stuff here and there. I took a break to watch a few videos on MTV2 (TV on the Radio, Irving, The Thermals and Beck). But when, as often was the case, I grew tired on listening partial tracks at a time, I put on the one band who I always have and always will ... The Smiths.

I grabbed Louder Than Bombs specifically to listen to "Oscillate Wildly" and "Stretch Out and Wait". Oh, and "Please, Please, Please Let Get What I Want".

All I can think about is the years and years I spent listening to these songs - times when depression and misspent youth weighed heavily on my mind. They were part hope, part hindrance. But all the while, they provided familiar escape. When I couldn't imagine being a, "grown man of 25".

But I'm happy and I'm not sad. I'm just sitting here on a Saturday, with the sun low in the sky, it's rays filtering through high winter clouds like I have many times before.

Except this time, I have no need to quote lyrics from "Unloveable".

Thankfully.

Labels: saturdays, the smiths