Hi folks! Our online presence has unofficially, sorta, kinda shifted to a more lively presence on Facebook and Twitter. Please add us to your social media widgets!
This place will still get shocked back to life once in a while, I’m just not making any promises.
Hey everybody! Jeff Klingman here, welcoming you to old home week. As the extremely loyal and die-hard among you may remember, I used to do a bit of blogging round these parts (and will soon again, as MS Songs of the Year season is soon upon us). Anyway…I return now to alert you to an exciting development for a key component of the site’s rich history. Professor David Klein, whose heady ruminations on numerically bent pop music are still found here under the “Numerology” header, has collected, expanded, and cleaned up his maniacal ramblings for company, turning them into a svelte and engaging book-type fella! The first installment of Klein’s magnum opus, If 6 Was 9 (and Other Assorted Number Songs), will be available to occupy Shelf Street early next year. Vol. 1 seeks to definitively identify the finest musical standard bearer of each integer, spanning the gulf from “The Number One Song in Heaven” to “Peng! 33″ with a full calculator’s worth of delightful digressions.
To ease the wait, we give you a little refresher course on the project via DJ Rick Cornell of WCOM in North Carolina. Dave and Rick recently took to the air to shoot the shit about the book, spin some digit-heavy tracks, and generally prime the pump for the wellspring of inspiration to come. We’ve helpfully embedded their conversation below. Ignore it at your peril…
WCOM, North Carolina – David Klein interview
Jesters, as in, the joke’s on you, KOL fans. I haven’t really followed this too closely until today, but I knew the initial tour cancellation announcement smelled as fishy as every statement ever put out by the Lohan family about Lindsay’s “upcoming film projects”:
We are so sorry to say Kings of Leon are canceling their entire US tour due to Caleb Followill suffering from vocal issues and exhaustion. The band is devastated, but in order to give their fans the shows they deserve, they need to take this break. Unfortunately, the US dates cannot be rescheduled due to the band’s international tour schedule. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. Tickets purchased online or via phones will be automatically refunded. The band will resume touring in Canada at the Rogers Center in Vancouver, BC, on September 28th. That show was originally schedule for September 14th. [KOL]
Here’s video of Caleb Followill’s “breakdown” in Dallas on Friday.
Here’s a short clip of Caleb’s bandmate’s subsequent apology to the Dallas crowd where they clearly throw him under the bus: “hate Caleb, not us”. Ouch.
And if you think that was just a hot-headed comment tossed off during a crappy situation, these are band tweets that night and the following day:
So sorry Dallas, your heat got the best of a few of us. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience of all this bullshit. We’ll be back soon. [doctorfollowill]
Not so good morning 4 me today. Ashamed & embarrassed by last nights fiasco. Can’t apologize enough, utterly gutted. A million I’m sorry’s. [doctorfollowill]
I love our fans so much. I know you guys aren’t stupid. I can’t lie. There are problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade. [youngfollowill]
Expect the true reasons for the cancellation to evolve past ‘exhaustion and vocal issues’ to someone checking into rehab of some sort in the near future. Shocking shocking, I know, but the reading between the lines isn’t too difficult to follow here.
SU Carrier Dome
Friday pun-day. I read this WSJ blog today about a new class my alma mater (one shared with most of the Swankster crew), Syracuse University, is offering this semester on the fab four. It’s not just any class however, this one is backed by some heavy hitters from The Beatles, Inc.
A new class at Syracuse University this semester offers students probably the closest thing to a history lesson from Paul or Ringo. “The Beatles” (course number RAE 400) is a dive into the band’s impact on business, technology and culture, featuring guest lecturers with first-hand knowledge of the Fab Four and their e
mpire.
The class kicked off last week with speaker Peter Asher, whose resume includes talent scouting for Apple Records, the label launched by the Beatles in 1968. Back then, Asher brought a young James Taylor to the label and produced his debut album. His lecture touched on the strengths and weaknesses of the label as a business, but he also doled out some choice “I-was-there-when” nuggets. Example: his memory of being the first non-Beatle to hear “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” when McCartney and Lennon worked up the song in the basement room used by Asher’s mother as an oboe studio.
Pretty cool stuff. As far as fluffy college classes go, you should have an easier time justifying this one to your parents than say, oh – beer and wine appreciation or horsebackriding (speaking from experience). The piece continues with more insider tidbits offered in the curriculem and goes on to say everything has been approved by the principle stakeholders of the band (e.g. Yoko Ono). Read the rest of the article here.
Fans of The White Stripes are sad today, as the band has announced their unofficial hiatus has taken a turn to permanence. As of today they are no more. Official statement from the band’s website:
The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011, their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.
The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.
It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.
Meg and Jack want to thank every one of their fans and admirers for the incredible support they have given throughout the 13 plus years of The White Stripes’ intense and incredible career.
Third Man Records will continue to put out unreleased live and studio recordings from The White Stripes in their Vault subscription record club, as well as through regular channels.
Both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn’t met with sorrow by their fans but that it is seen as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who’ve shared in those creations, with their feelings considered greatly.
With that in mind the band have this to say:
“The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful.”
Sincerely
Meg and Jack White
The White Stripes
The White Stripes – “Fell In Love With a Girl”
LCD played Denver last night. I feel like a I need a few days to recover. Hot show with crazy energy all around. Today while perusing online for clips of the Fillmore show, I found these two videos. Footage from the LCD bus and behind the scenes clips and funny tales from the road told by a likable and wonderfully mustached dude. I vaguely remember talking to a guy on my way out who was also wonderfully mustached and recording the departing masses with a flip camera. Heh.
lcd soundsystem – oh my blog v1 – with jay green
lcd soundsystem – oh my blog v2 – with jay green
This one was funnier. I don’t want to ruin anything…Chocolate blowjob fountain. Shit, sorry.