Spill It: A Music Blog

What's Happening Now: Friday, Feb. 29

In Da News Got a pesky neighbor who keeps annoying you with their messy lawn upkeep? Wanna piss off your ex-boyfriend by driving by past his house at 4 a.m. blaring music? The U.S. military — who absolutely, positively do not torture people — has set some examples on how to … uh, torture people, by assaulting prisoners and detainees with loud music intended to offend all sensibilities. My torture music is Fergie (it works on me, anyway), but Mother Jones has a round-up of what our government uses, compiled by looking at military logs and news reports. Chart-toppers of the interrogation Top 40 include Deicide's "Fuck Your God," AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" and "Hells Bells," Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA," matchbox 20's "Cold," Neil Diamond's "America" and kid's songs from Sesame Street and Barney. Water-boarding or "I Love You, You Love Me" — which bullet would you rather take?

On This Day in 1980, police in Mason, Iowa, discovered the glasses Buddy Holly was wearing when he died in a plane crash in 1959. The legendary eyewear (which, one would imagine, could spur quite a bid on eBay) had been hidden in the cops' files for over 20 years. Speaking of arresting developments, somehow Patrick Swayze had the No. 3 song in the country on this day 20 years ago with "She's Like the Wind." Ah, the golden age of music … that sucks.

Tonight Superb local singer/songwriter Greg Mahan kicks off his CD release party weekend tonight at the Southgate House's parlour. Mahan's first CD in eight years, Thirty-Five-Cent Daydream, is a fantastic studio representation of Mahan's excellent Americana-flavored songs. Producer Brian Lovely helped Mahan achieve a golden sound on the disc and guest musicians from the area provide flawless support on everything from strings to drums. Mahan gets adventurous on a few tracks, expanding the Roots template with experiments with everything from World rhythms to sharp Pop.  At the Southgate show tonight, Mahan is joined by Messerly & Ewing and Lines & Spaces. Tomorrow (Saturday), Mahan moves the party to Rohs Street Cafe with a show featuring guests Uncle Smokin' Joe & the Solid Pack and Jack Redell. Read a brief review of the new disc here; find details for tonight here and Saturday here.

Here's a brief sample of the Daydream song "Mento," one of the disc's highlights, along with a video promo for this weekend's shows.

— Mike Breen

MidPoint Music Festival 2008: Under New Management

If you went to the Web site for the MidPoint Music Festival over the past few weeks, all you saw was this cryptic message: "After six years, everything changes."

So what's the big change? CityBeat is now the proud operator of MPMF, which will return Sept. 25-27. A huge overhaul of the event is underway. Over the course of five years, MidPoint founders Sean Rhiney and Bill Donabedian developed their labor of love into one of the preeminent showcases for unsigned bands in the country. Their dedication to the up-and-coming artist should forever be commended as it has helped Cincinnati's profile as a "music city" in the midst of our current musical renaissance period.

CityBeat will keep true to that initial spirit and also work to broaden the appeal of the fest overall. Unsigned bands will still be a large focus of the event. Any and all artists interested in performing can submit starting later today (or early tomorrow at the latest) at the MPMF Web site.

No more industry panels (at least this year), just music. Over the next few weeks we'll be making further announcements about the fest (keep an eye on this blog), culminating with an event at Below Zero in Over-the-Rhine (the former Alchemize and Cavern locale) on April 9. The Omaha-based band Cursive, members of Connor Oberst's Saddle Creek Records family, will perform at the April 9 launch event.

We would love your input. As a fan/attendee, what would you like to see at MidPoint this year? As a performer/participant, do you have suggestions? Please leave your comments below and help us take MidPoint to the next level.

— Mike Breen

What's Happening Now: Thursday, Feb. 28

Tonight: At 6 p.m., some local bands will show their support for CityBeat cover star Barack Obama and his presidential run at a concert/rally at the AFL/CIO headquarters at 1235 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. Here is hoping that Freekbass or Buffalo Killers don't go off, Willie Cunningham-style, and start calling Hillary names. Although, it might be cool to hear Barack denounce them later. Look at the press it's gotten Cunningham. Check below the break for the full press release about the event.

In Da News: Lots of music biz news the past couple of days. Not surprisingly, most of the news is about the great digital shift.

• Thomas Hesse, Sony/BMG's President of Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales, has been quoted as saying that he believes the CD format is not dead. "At all," he insists. Uh, is this guy in the right job? Who's doing the hiring over there, George Bush? Heckuva job, Tommy. During his keynote interview at the Digital Music Forum East, Hesse said some hard-CD retailers are "excited" about the 30% of people in the U.S. who are not online and therefore have to go to a store to get music. It's indicative of an industry unable to adjust to the times and desperately trying to hang on to the old model.

• USA Today wrote of a study that found that 48% of teenagers did not buy one hard CD in 2007, up 10% from the year before. Shhh, don't tell Tom Hesse.

• Qtrax, a music download system that promised free, legal music, is still not ready for operation. The site, which would support itself via ads, tried to launch a few months ago and received a lot of attention for it. But when launch time came, the site was not ready, reportedly having not secured rights to all of the music it was planning to make available. Here's a good article on the "fiasco." According to the piece, half a million people downloaded the program in anticipation of the launch. That's a lot of disappointed customers. The site is still planning to launch, but no firm date has been pinned down. Meanwhile, rumors suggest other sites, like Google and MySpace, are working on a similar free-music platform.

• Another study says that in the next few years, downloading sites will become consolidated as the larger companies snatch up the smaller ones. According to Billboard, research firm Point Topic says larger outlets like RealNetworks, Nokia and Microsoft will likely be among the big buyers. Clear Channel used the name Live Nation for its concert promotions side-biz (in order for CC to look less like the behemoth it really is). I wonder what their download company will be called?

On This Day in 1973, Elton John's Don't Shoot Me I'm Just the Piano Player was the No. 1 album in the country and John's "Crocodile Rock" was No. 9 on the singles charts, just below Eumir Deodato's reworking of "Also Sprach Zarathustra," better known as the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Here are a few interesting mash-ups that combine "Also Sprach" with Pink Floyd. I heard these sync up perfectly with all episodes of Moment of Truth. Honest.

— Mike Breen

What's Happening Now: Wednesday, Feb. 27

In Da News: There was a big earthquake in England overnight. Blame these guys for rocking too hard. The Florida blackout? God's punishment for the Tampa Bay Rays' rumored new spring acquisition? Screw it — let's just blame Willie for everything! That's William "ASSHOLE" Cunningham (please use his middle name with emphasis), for those unfamiliar.

• In more "Maxim is a piece of shit magazine" news, it appears that the soft-core men's mag (to readers of the rag: you know there's free all-out hardcore porn on the Internet, right?) may not listen to any of the CDs they review. There's at least one more to add to the "not listened to before reviewed" pile. We have to say "allegedly" here, because this news is coming from the New York Post. But (allegedly) they at least talked to the artist's whose album was faux-reviewed. Respected Hip Hop MC Nas says that his 2-and-a-half-star rating in the magazine for his new album, Nigger, was also premature and technically impossible to deduce. The magazine has apologized to readers for a review of the Black Crowes new one, a CD they couldn't have listened to because no advances were sent to press (the Crowes' management is insisting on an apology to the band still). Not only weren't advance CDs of Nas' new disc sent to press — Nas says the album isn't even finished yet! To his credit, Nas hasn't blown his top over the review — he told the Post he'd rather have been reviewed by Playboy. Here's my prediction/review of the next issue of Maxim: big fake breasts with a woman attached to them will be on the cover. Oh, and right in the front of the book will be an extensive explanation/apology about the magazine's review policy.

• On this day in 1991, the "Free James Brown" signs and T-shirts finally worked and the Godfather of Soul was released from prison after serving two years of a six year sentence for resisting arrest (by being chased by cops across two states while carrying a gun and being intoxicated). Also on this day, in 1973, the Bluegrass smash "Dueling Banjos" achieved its highest ranking on the U.S. singles chart, making it all the way to No. 2, helped, no doubt, by its appearance in the film Deliverance. That song makes me want to squeal like a pig. Soooeeey!

• Tonight's big gig is the Po' Girl show at Molly Malone's (the old Jack Quinn's) in Covington. The Canadian Americana duo-turned-quartet are known for their elegantly lively live shows and alluring diversity. Their music touches on everything from Folk and Jazz to Gospel and Klezmer. Read Brian Baker's preview of the show here and find more show info here. Here is a clip of the group (in duo form) jammin' on a street corner:

— Mike Breen

What's Happening Now: Tuesday, Feb.26

In Da News: Before the weekend, we told you about the New York Philharmonic Orchestra's unprecedented visit to North Korea (they actually performed this morning and, as far as we know, were not all converted to Communism). Now, they want God, too. Eric Clapton has reportedly been invited to play in the county, which, to put it mildly, isn't usually friendly to western arts, culture, politics … you get the idea. A newspaper is reporting that Clapton has agreed to play in the country as early as 2009. Arguments were made for and against the Philharmonic's visit — the "pro" side said the concert could be an olive branch; the "con" side said it would all just be turned into propaganda for Kim Jong-ill. But with Clapton, North Koreans will probably just scratch their heads and ask, "You mean you can be a millionaire in the U.S. and U.K. and all you have to do is play the same guitar solo over and over for 15 years?" I say let him go. Maybe they'll keep him.

• A new album out in mid-March features a collection of anti-war songs, focussed on the Iraq debacle and the president. Body of War: Songs that Inspired a Vietnam War Veteran is being released in conjunction with Body of War, a documentary directed by Phil Donahue (yes, the old talk show guy) about an Army soldier who became paralyzed in battle. The album is full of previously released material and presents an interesting way to keep track of the musical protest history behind the Bush regime. The album was curated by Neil Young, who nabbed tracks by Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam (Eddie Vedder offers up a brand new song composed for the film), as well as several tracks that specifically name our soon-to-be ex-prez, including Public Enemy's "Son of a Bush" and Tori Amos' "Yo George." It's a noble effort, though perhaps it would have been better to have it released a few yeas ago. Not that it isn't fair to kick a lame duck when he's down, but at this point, releasing (or re-releasing, in this case) an anti-Bush song is kind of like releasing an anti-Polio song.

I don't think this one made the cut, despite being self-described as "the Greatest Anti-War/Peace Song." Just stunning:

 

On this day in 1997, Ben Raleigh, composer of the Scooby Doo theme song, died when his bathrobe caught fire while he was cooking. Zoinks!

Tonight the big show is HorrorPops at Bogart's. The Danish Psychobilly/Goth/Punk/New Wave band (kind of a Rockabilly version of No Doubt?) is joined by The Pink Spiders and Steve E Nix and the Cute Lepers for tonight's 7:30 p.m. concert. Check out Alan Sculley's interview with the band here and find more info here. And then cue up this video for a little taste of blood:

— Mike Breen

What's Happening Now: Monday, Feb. 25

* In Da News: I half-watched the Academy Awards ceremony last night. I'm sure Jason will have lots to say over at A&E. Looks like he did pretty well with his picks. On the music tip, it was cool to see Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard win for their song from the film Once (loved the acceptance speeches as well, even Marketa's delayed one). The rest of the songs were, in my opinion, awful — every time they did a performance from the other nominees, I turned the channel like Nancy Grace was coming on. Have they learned nothing from the Rob Lowe/Snow White fiasco? Also nice to see surprise winner Marion Cotillard take a trophy home for portraying Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose.

Here is a clip of Hansard perform the winning song ("Falling Slowly") with his band, The Frames, which had the song on their fifth studio album, The Cost, released last year on Anti- Records.

• On this day in 1973, Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" was the No. 1 song in the country. Speaking of — whatever happened to Lauryn Hill? I was reading a column in Spin the other day that talked about how Hill was great because she put everything into the little work she did release (including material with The Fugees, whose cover of Flack's ’73 hit was itself a big hit — and forever has me singing "one time!" when the original comes on the radio). The author's claim was that Hill got out before she could get bad. Which makes a lot of sense to me, though I'm left wondering forever what could have been. Hill did participate in a Fugees reunion a few years ago, but the project re-derailed, reportedly due to her. Hill's MySpace site — which says she now lives in Florida — is still active but hasn't been updated since 2006 (when the Fugees were still together). What do you think? Should Lauryn come back or should she just leave us with the great memories she's already produced? Here's Hill in one of her finest moments:

• Have you ever seen Mike Kuntz? No, it's not a bad joke nor a Living Out Loud post, but Mr. Kuntz is hosting an open mic night tonight in the Southgate House's lounge. Heck, maybe it's even pronounced "Koontz." So dust off the old geetar (or, if you'd rather, keytar) and strut your stuff tonight. Or just hang out and have a drink or two and heckle.

— Mike Breen

Rule No. 1 of Writing CD Reviews ...

Well, rule No. 1 should be "Listen to the CD." But the management of The Black Crowes are claiming at least one publication allegedly doesn't follow that rule. The soft-core "men's magazine" Maxim featured a review of the new Crowes' album, Warpaint, and gave it a 2.5-star rating. Problem is, according to the Crowes and Co., there's no way anyone at the magazine could have heard more than one song (the radio single), because advance CDs weren't mailed out and Warpaint doesn't hit stores until next Tuesday.

According to a press release found on the Crowes official site, when confronted about the review, the editor told Crowes' management it was an "educated guess preview." In an email exchange, the Maxim rep allegedly said that, with regards to "big" albums, they would rather have a "guess" review than nothing at all.

You mean I've been wasting my time actually listening to all these damn CDs I write about?  In honor of Maxim (and a naked attempt to get a job there), here are some "reviews" of upcoming albums:

He's Got The Beat

This past summer, I had the chance to sit down with Dave Wakeling, lead singer and songwriter from second-wave Ska legends The English Beat, backstage at Riverbend, where the band (Wakeling is the only original member) opened for 311 and Matisyahu. For a former teenage Ska addict, it was a "Make a Wish" moment. I wrote about the interview in this week's CityBeat, in anticipation for tonight's show by the band at Bogart's. Below is the complete transcript from the interview.

CityBeat: How long has The Beat been out with 311?
Dave Wakeling: We’ve done 11 dates. Nick (Hexum) and I have become great pals over the past few months, discussing philosophy. I have become firm friends with the rest of the band and their crew too. We were just offered the middle support slot for a later tour leg so we can play after the crowds come in.

CB: What’s it like to hear from bands like 311 and how much they loved you growing up?
DW: It’s good, actually. Just having another musician tell you how much your songs meant to them while they were deciding to become a musician, you just can’t put a price on it. I’ve heard from people like Johnny Marr and even Pete Townshend, telling me how much my songs meant to them. Because, like any songwriter, (when you’re writing) you’re just groping in the dark and you’re like, “How about this? No, it’s awful, it’s awful.” But then sometimes it turns out that someone who you really admire really admires your songwriting. Priceless. That’s the word I use.

CB: Writing the first Beat album, did you ever think down the line that people would be coming up to you 30 years later telling you how much it meant?
DW: No, I was just writing. It was an alternative to going to jail. This is much better.

It was a funny time because Punk had just started and up until then concerts were at these huge venues and guys had permed hair blowing in the wind, the bands were named after American cities and you didn’t even know if they came from there. Surprisingly, in England, something called “Kansas” sounds really exotic.

So it just seemed like in a different world, Punk. The (other stuff) was for stadiums. You’d see the Clash and the Pistols and think, “Hey, I know three chords. I can do this.”

What's Happening Now: Friday, Feb. 22

• In Da News: From politicians to celebrities to major-league baseball team owners, this is not a good thing to be quoted as saying: "Hitler was a good person." That's what news agency World Entertainment News Network said Will Smith said, and now they're paying for it (the amount is undisclosed). The agency allgedly misrepresented words Smith told a Scottish newspaper and have since retracted the story and apologized. A rep for Smith said the rapper/actor thinks Hitler was a "vile and heinous man." You know it's a bad day when you have to have your reps release a statement like that one.

In other music-meets-horrible-dictator news, the New York Philharmonic is preparing for a concert in North Korea next week. The Phil's director says such cultural-exchange events could help "nudge" the door open to better relations. But critics say the performance will likely be just another cog in the country's strong propaganda machine. Pianist Kim Cheol-woong, who defected from North Korea to South Korea  to study western music, is quoted by Reuters as saying the concert sends this message to North Koreans: "The U.S. is kneeling to our Dear Leader Kim Jong-il." Others say the concert will likely be billed as a "tribute" to Dear Leader. I can't stop picturing Kim (in Team America puppet form) slowly rubbing his fingers over "The Button" to set off some nukes, only to be distracted by the orchestra's strains of Gershwin's "An American in Paris." Cue video (warning: contains non-worksafe language):

Nobody in the music world is big-upping Mussolini, but they are opening a museum dedicated to him in Italy. Note to Will Smith: Stay away! At least until this Hitler stuff dies down.

• On This Day If you have an extra million dollars laying around, apparently you can get Paul McCartney to play your birthday, wedding or Bar Mitzvah. Five years ago today, Sir Paul no doubt played The Beatles' "Birthday" at a party celebrating the 50th birthday of the producer of Larry King's show on CNN. At the time, Paul donated his million dollar fee to the Adopt-a-Minefield charity. Today, given his "domestic problems," Paul might do it for a six-pack of Bud, an ounce of pot and a couple grand. Paul seems up for a party these days — at the recent Brits awards show in England, McCartney received the "Outstanding Contribution to Music" award, dedicating it to his late wife Linda. The tabloids are saying that Sir Paul had some fun backstage at the show, taking pictures of underwear models. Wow, maybe I'll ask him to play my bachelor party?

Here's Paul from Wednesday's Brits:

• Tonight: Just to be safe, it might be a good idea to call ahead before you head out tonight for your weekend music kick-off. Who knows what wrath the white-death weather panic has caused the bar world (let alone the itineraries of touring acts, who might get stuck in the Midwestern muck). Ska legends The English Beat and newer-comers RX Bandits are at Bogart's tonight. Read about the Beat here and find show details here. Folk/Americana legend John Prine is at the Taft Theater tonight, joined by Maura O'Connell (get ticket info here). And veteran alto sax player Jim Snidero is in town from NYC to play tonight and tomorrow night at the Blue Wisp. Read about him here and find show details here.

Weekend recommendations below the jump.

Cincinnati Music in Spin Magazine

The new issue of Spin (with Vampire Weekend on the cover ... really, already?) features a nice two-page spread about the Cincinnati music scene. The city is featured in the magazine's "City Guide" section at the back of the book, following overviews of the music scenes in Austin, San Francisco, Miami, Phoenix and Nashville (not bad company). The article, written by Enquirer writer Kari Wethington, features nods to Bootsy, woxy.com, Scribble Jam and Shake It Records. Venues noted are The Comet, Southgate House, Gypsy Hut, Madison Theater and Music Hall. And artists spotlighted include Peter Adams, Heartless Bastards, Hi-Tek, Bad Veins and Wussy, who get a large photo in the piece as well.

Kudos to all involved. The section makes the city look pretty damn cool. Now will more people here in town actually take notice?

— Mike Breen