Karl THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE…
…with ROCKPILE, a band that featured old pals Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds cranking out the rootsy pub rock. They seem to be lip-synching on “Teacher, Teacher” and “If Sugar Was As Sweet As You,” but I had to post 'em 'cause it's American Bandstand, which strikes me as just plain odd. For actual live performances, here's the band rolling through Lowe's “They Called It Rock,” and “So It Goes,” plus a cover of Elvis Costello's and “Girls Talk,” which many associate more with Edmunds. I think that even my Dad will like Rockpile.
A SHORT “STATE of the SITE” ADDRESS: Regular visitors may have noticed we have had some technical difficulties this week. Our site admin, Lance, is working on some technical solutions and upgrades that should make the site more stable and (eventually) faster. I should add that when we got started about two years ago, we had 2 page views on Sept. 24th. Recently, any day much under 5K is a slow day. So we're glad you are stopping by and telling your friends (we do no advertising and relatively little in the way of self-promotion). With the traffic comes a few growing pains, but they should be behind us soon.
ROGUE WAVE drummer Pat Spurgeon needs a kidney and money for surgery. He was only born with one kidney; the replacement he got when he was a teenager has since conked out. on Sept. 30, Rogue Wave is having a benefit concert in San Francisco, featuring Ben Gibbard, Nada Surf, and John Vanderslice, MC'ed by Lemony Snicket. If you're goin' to an Francisco, you should try to go (and wear flowers in your hair). Otherwise, if you still want to help, you can go to their website and make a donation. Alternatively, music blogger Jennings at rbally is going to auction his “used” iPod nano for the cause; you can check his home page for the link today. I've been a bit remiss in blogging about Rogue Wave; I liked what I heard of their second album. You can stream a bunch of tracks via the Hype Machine, including an odd studio cover of “Everyday” by Buddy Holly and live covers of Thunderclap Newman's “Something In The Air” and “Odorono” from The Who Sell Out.
BOB DYLAN: Coudal Partners is giving away copies of Modern Times and three complete Dylan catalogues to winners of a contest based on “Six Degrees of Separation.” Yesterday, you had to try to link Dylan with Condoleezza Rice.
COVER ME: At My Old Kentucky Blog, Dodge revisits his “covers project” by collecting odds and ends, then resumes with dozens of versions of the Oasis staple “Wonderwall.” You can jukebox 'em via the Hype Machine. ALSO: Aquarium Drunkard offers up “Sex Beat” by the Gun Club, along with the original by the Gun Club.
UNPLAYABLE 45s: Prof. Ann Althouse won't throw them out, so she's scanning and blogging them, including: “Walk Like A Man” (on VeeJay — the Beatles' first US label!); “Substitute” (plus a shrine to the single); Donovan's “Epistle to Dippy” and “Lil' Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs; “The Eggplant That Ate Chicago” (written by Norman Greenbaum); “Eighteen” by Alice Cooper; and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” where she tells you what's on the flip side, which is important.
BECK: “Viral videos” from his forthcoming album have been leaking onto YouTube. Most get removed, but “No Complaints” is still there… for now, anyway.
VAN HUNT: Gawker Media's new music blog Idolator likes his sophomore album and asks “Where Is The Love?” MP3s at the link. BTW, Hunt does cover the Stooges on his latest album, but it's not one of the tracks at the link. Hunt also makes a cameo on “If I Had No Loot” by Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave fame).
MOUNTAIN GOATS: John Darnielle talks to The Ithacan about songwriting and influences, and to Pitchfork about many subjects, from death metal to acoustic instrumental music, and comparisons to Lifter Puller and The Hold Steady.
PANDORA: Lifehacker suggests 15 ways to get more out of the music recommendation service. (including links for ripping music from Pandora, which is just wrong.)
THE CUTOUT BIN: Friday's fortuitous finds from the Hype Machine include: The Soft Boys – The Queen Of Eyes; The Plimsouls – Everywhere At once; Hidden Cameras – Awoo; Maroon 5 – Pure Imagination; The Polyphonic Spree – Lithium; The Clash – Death Or Glory; The Hold Steady – Stevie Nix; Snow Patrol – Crazy In Love; Cobra Verde – I Feel Love; Wilson Pickett – Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do); The B-52's – Dirty Back Road; The Rolling Stones – Waiting on A Friend; Jake Holmes – Dazed and Confused; and Prince & The New Power Generation – Whole Lotta Love.
JACK NICHOLSON: Life imitate's Something's Gotta Give as Jack gives Rolling Stone the lowdown on the sex life of the only 69-year-old man whose sex life might be considered remotely interesting — over the past year he has “probably covered the territory from twenty-one to sixty-one.” He also seems to believe that nothing spices up a movie like an artificial penis. Can you handle the truth?
NOW SHOWING: This week's wide releases include Jacka**: Number Two (scoring 65 percent on the Tomatometer); Jet Li's Fearless (73 percent) the World War I themed Flyboys (38 percent) and the star-studded political epic All the King's Men, which is scoring an abysmal 16 percent on the ol' Tomatometer. Doubly sad as screenwriter-director Steve Zailian is a friend of the family. And I mean that literally and in the sense that I could tell you some pretty funny Hollywood stories, but then I'd have to kill you. I'm looking forward to Michel Gondry's The Science of Sleep (currently 71 percent), but it's only opening in NYC and LA this weekend.
JACKO is supposedly interested in opening up a leprechaun-inspired theme park, which will make everyone forget about his affinity for little people.
MADONNA: It seems as though NBC may not air Madge's mock crucifiction as part of her upcoming prime-time concert special. But if Madge was offending Muslims, would there even be a question about the network yanking the segment?
TOM-KAT UPDATE: US Weekly claims that the flowers are ordered for a Tom-Kat wedding.
BRADGELINA: The two million bucks in charitable donations reported yesterday will be made through Pitt and Jolie's new charitable foundation, Celebrities Without Borders. Actually, People didn't report the name, but I think that's a good one. Meanwhile, Jolie is set to star in the film adaptation of Ayn Rand's iconic novel, Atlas Shrugged. Jolie is reportedly a longtime fan of Rand's, though I wonder what Rand would make of Jolie's activism.
RUPERT EVERETT has no sperm left, due to his medication for alopecia. NTTAWWT — why wouldn't a gay man rather have hair than sperm?
CROC HUNTER: The death of Steve Irwin has created a vacuum in the naturtainment niche — and members of the Cousteau family are fighting to fill it. While they are occupied, perhaps Steve Zissou can step in.
CLAY AIKEN: Diane Sawyer thinks it's kind of unseemly that people want to ask the former American Idol runner-up whether he's gay, but she does it herself, prompting a lengthy non-denial. NTTAWWT. Video at the link.
KIM CATRALL, best known for playing the promiscuous Samantha on Sex and the City, wants to give sex advice to teenage girls in her latest book. Catrall previously co-authored Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm with her husband… before they divorced shortly thereafter.
JESSICA SIMPSON: US Weekly wonders what the pneumatic blonde is hiding under bulky sweaters. There has been gossip that she's dealing with her personal misery by eating. Life & Style magazine claims that creepy dad-manager Joe is trying to start a chain of “Daisy Duke's” BBQ restaurants behind Jessica's back.
IRAN: Pres. Ahmadinejad broke away from events at the UN General Assembly to hold an informal question-and-answer session with the Council on Foreign Relations, which ended with Ahmadinejad asking CFR members “whether they were simply shills for the Bush administration.” BTW, did you see much press on the 30K people who rallied against the man who said Israel should be “wiped off the map?” No? It attracted everyone from NY Gov. Pataki to Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, but apparently that's not news, either.
PAKISTAN: Pres. Musharraf said that after 9/11, the US threatened to bomb his country if it did not cooperate with America's campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan. And it worked, to some degree.
IRAQ: The Government of Iraq took control of the southern province of Dhi Qar on Thursday. Though challenges remain, Coalition officials and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki say they hope to have all 18 of the country’s provinces under Iraqi control by the end of next year. Building up Iraqi logistics is one such challenge, as regular visitors here already know. The bipartisan Iraq Study Group, chaired by former secretary of state James Baker, and former House International Relations Committee chairman Lee Hamilton, may recommend a phased withdrawal or diplomacy with Iran and Syria. Both chairman said no public report will emerge until they brief Congress and the White House, and until well after the November midterm elections.
IRAQ in the MEDIA: The US campaign in Iraq is “increasingly unpopular,” according to much of the US press, including The New York Times (at least twice since the end of August alone); the Los Angeles Times (on Sept. 13 and 20); The Associated Press (Sept. 19); Reuters (Sept. 19); the Washington Times (Sept. 14); the Arizona Republic (Sept. 19); and ABC News (Sept. 17), to name a few. However, the latest USA Today/Gallup Poll, ABC News Poll and Pew Poll all find increasing support and optimism on the issue over the past month or so. ABC News is a particular offender here, as its own poll contradicts its story, which quotes Andrew Kohut from Pew (whose poll contradicts his own quote).
“MR. JIGGYWINKLE” had sex with a hedgehog and injured himself on the animal’s pricks. In his defense, he was following the advice of his witch doctor. No, really. Dinsdale! (thx, Lance!)
SNAKE in a BED: And not in that good way.
AMERICAN SQUIRRELS are tough. Another suicide squirrel took down the power grid in northwest Carmel, Indiana. Meanwhile, in the UK, immigrant squirrels from the US are driving out the Reds.
CANE TOADS make good fertilizer… until they explode.
AN EMU remains on the lam in Centreville, VA. Two other emus who escaped from a farm near Chantilly have been recaptured.
COWS enjoyed getting stoned in Romania. Now we know why they stare unamazed by the going-nowhere gravel road, Pate fans.
