Daughtry Expected NOT to Accept Fuel Offer

Less than two weeks after Fuel offered former 'American Idol' contestant Chris Daughtry a position as its lead singer, it has been discovered that he will more than likely decline the request. It is uncertain whether Daughtry will attempt to go solo or form his own band from scratch, but the show bounds their contestants to contract at least three months after the season finale, meaning that Daughtry will be busy performing either way.

Wednesday Roundup: Musical Shoes, Billy Talent & The Idol Crown

Nike Teams Up With The Apple iPod

It seems everything has to be "iPod compatible" these days. From automobiles with docking stations to toilet paper dispensers (see Top 10 Strangest iPod Accessories), the sleek MP3 device is making inroads into all sorts of markets. Today, the sneaker is no exception. Nike has announced plans to produce a Nike+ line of shoes that can "talk" to the wearer's iPod. For joggers, the connected iPod can display/store performance information as well as play songs containing beats compatible with the running pace. Think of some 'Enter Sandman' kicking in during that final, closing kilometer, for instance.

Visit nikeplus.com for further details.


Billy Talent Nominated For Video Award

People still care about Billy Talent? Apparently the Canadians do. Canadian music channel, MuchMusic, has nominated the band for a top-spot video music award. The winners will be announced June 18.


Will Taylor Hicks Win Idol?

As of this writing, the 'American Idol' finale is still in broadcast. Surprisingly, the producers have made the two hour time slot pretty interesting. Chris Daughtry rocked the stage with Live, Burt Bacharach has made an appearance, Bucky dressed up in a suit, and Clay Aiken proved that there are actually people out there douchier than he is. Projections have Taylor winning this season's competition over Katharine McPhee pretty handily. But as history as shown, nothing is ever certain as far as this particular contest is concerned. I guess the world will find out the results in only a few minutes.


There ya have it. Have a great and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Lostprophets countdown

It will be a little over a month (June 26) before the Lostprophets' third studio album, Liberation Transmission, graces the shelves of your local music outlet. This may seem like an eternity to some LP fans, but fear not. The strength of the first single "Rooftops" is evidence enough that the forthcoming album is going to be great.

I don't know if they'll be able to top 2004's Start Something, but for now we can only wait and see. Have a listen to "Rooftops" and form your own opinions.

Lostprophets - Rooftops

Ted's Song of the Week - 5/23/06

The Adventure
Angels and Airwaves
We Don't Need To Whisper

Angels and Airwaves have produced a winner with their debut effort We Don't Need To Whisper. I've been listening to the newly released album all day and it has truly been a struggle to pinpoint what track I like the best. Unfortunately, I had to narrow the candidates down to "The Adventure" for the song of the week, but it very easily could have been any one of the tracks on the album. It's that good!
One of the coolest things about "The Adventure" is that it's constantly changing in flow. There is a perfect balance of driving beats and guitars reminiscient of The Edge (U2) with the ethereal breakdowns of singer/guitarist Tom Delonge delivering the chorus. A great song for those listeners with ADD.
Delonge has been bouncing back and forth between Blink-182 and Boxcar Racer for the last couple years, and while both bands have been successful, I believe that his latest stint with Angels and Airwaves could be the musical niche he's been seeking. This is his chance to experiment with a more mature style of music without pandering to his pop-punk audience
Alongside Delonge, former members of The Offspring and The Distillers round out the band to create a poor man's "supergroup." Check out the band's website and myspace page to learn more.

Angels and Airwaves - The Adventure


For song lyrics, click here.

Artist Spotlight: Dearborn

Dearborn has already achieved a large amount of attention and success within their native Chicago; but as they prepare to release their sophomore album this year, the band seems to be setting their sights on the world. And with a sound that could draw comparisons anywhere between John Mayer and Incubus, Dearborn seems poised for their chance at commercial success. Below is a sampling from the band's 2004 album, Prepare to Qualify.

Dearborn - Better Than This

The band received the 2004 Chicago Music Award for Rock Album of the Year for their debut release, Prepare To Qualify, and this past year were up against rock greats Billy Corgan, Wilco, The Pony's, and Umphrey's McGee as a nominee for 2004 and 2005's Best Rock Entertainer Award.

For more information and music, head on over to the following links:

Dearborn at Purevolume
Dearborn at Myspace
Dearborn Official Site

Axl vs. Tommy

Axl Rose gets bitchslapped by vanity fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger?? I guess truth really is stranger than fiction.

According to several reports, the scuffle between the two began when Rose moved Hilfiger's girlfriend's drink out of the way at a club he was to peform at. When Axl refused to comply with Hilfiger's request to move it back to its original location, Hilfiger began swinging fists.

Says club owner Noel Ashman of the incident:

"Axl was a gentleman and had the good sense not to retaliate as he would have done some serious damage to Hilfiger."

Hilfiger was removed from the venue, and Rose, along with Guns 'N Roses, performed an acoustic set, dedicating the song 'You're Crazy' to Hilfiger.

Those Cold Dwelling Simians Explain Bassist's Departure

Arctic Monkeys bassist, Andy Nicholson, will not tour in the New World due to fatigue and exhaustion. Nick O'Malley will be filling in during that leg. I guess having tequila shot contests with Noel Gallagher tends to tire a young rocker out.

In other Monkeys news, the band is planning on producing a feature film. Peter Carlton has described the upcoming production as a "kind of music documentary." Sounds...intriguing(?).

Ribbed for their pleasure

For all those file-sharing fanatics, it may be a good idea to crank up the computer security in the near future. Is the RIAA on another witchhunt? Nope, but there's a new Trojan horse on the horizon, and it's hungry for a wide variety of AVI, MP3, MPEG, WMV, and other formatted files.

This bane to the file-sharing public is known as the "Troj/Erazer-A horse" and its mission is to wipe out pirated files and security-related programs, which gives the hackers of the world a smorgasbord of opportunities to invade your computer.

"The Erazer Trojan is a vigilante worthy of a Charles Bronson movie, taking the law into its own hands. However, it's perfectly possible for the Trojan to aim poorly and wipe out innocent files too," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "The Erazer Trojan targets internet users it believes are involved in piracy, but fails to discriminate between the true criminals and those who may have MP3 music files or home movies that they have created themselves. Malware is not the way to fight internet piracy."

The people who create these trojans and other viruses are truly despicable. I'm sure they have their reasons for such loathsome activities, but the same argument could be made for Hitler, Saddam, Ted Bundy, and Michael Jackson. In a nutshell, they all suck.

For the full story, click here.

Caught On Tape: Seal - 'Kiss From A Rose'

By 1994, with the release of a second self-titled album, Seal no longer needed to "get a little crazy." He had already achieved mainstream success, and the sophomore record's first single, 'Prayer for the Dying' had won the album a good deal of recognition. However, it wasn't until a year later, with the release of Val Kilmer's captivating Batman Forever, that Seal truly rose to superstardom. By adding his song, 'Kiss From A Rose,' to the movie soundtrack, Seal became an adult contemporary sensation , and the single remained on the charts for 45 weeks. With 'Kiss From A Rose,' it appeared that the soulful Seal had found his raison d'être.

A year later, Seal would try to mirror his soundtrack success by jumping aboard the Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes mainstay, Space Jam, with a cover of Steve Miller's 'Fly Like an Eagle.' While it is true that any soundtrack for a cartoon starring a basketball player is a good career choice, it is more true that any soundtrack for a movie about a man dressing as a bat is an even better one.

In the 'Kiss From A Rose' music video, Seal is shown singing in front of the Bat Signal, arms outstretched, acting out his superhero fantasies. These shots are juxtaposed with clips from the movie, in which we see Batman berating Chris O'Donnell for being such a pretty boy, and the Riddler doing a killer Jim Carrey impersonation. 'Kiss From A Rose' became synonymous for greatness, and all movie soundtracks have been weighed against it ever since. And now here it is:

Wednesday Roundup: Brendan Benson Sixpack, Arctic Monkeys Outdrink A Gallagher & Stereogum Hate

Download Six Brendan Benson Songs

Continuing my obsession with The Raconteurs, I've decided to highlight six Brendan Benson songs available for download at Sixeyes. Will Brendan ever become as popular as Mr. White?


Noel Gallagher's Reputation Destroyed

...Or his drinking reputation at least. When Noel Gallagher challenged the Arctic Monkeys to a drinking contest he didn't know what he was in for. Apparently the Arctic Monkeys outdrank the Oasis legend after a show in London. Read the rest of the story here.


Fuck Stereogum

Supposedly there are some out there who think music blogging is overrated. For those that fall into this camp, they can buy a t-shirt saying "F*ck Stereogum," an obvious diss at one of the pioneers of this writing genre. Stereogum themselves even think it's funny.



There ya have it, the Wednesday Roundup short and sweet. Peace.

A Surprisingly Good Damone Song

Most of the music I've heard from Damone has failed to impress. Typical, predictable, pop-punk is the musical style I've always pigeonholed them to. That's why I was surprised to find out that the raucous 'Out Here All Night' was put out by the very same band.

Possibly an attempt at reinventing themselves, this new single possesses enough spunk to make any Negative Nancy wanna let loose. However, I cannot verify whether all the other songs on the same-titled Out Here All Night are just as good, since I haven't heard the rest of the album. Maybe somebody out there could fill me in?

Anyhow, I've attached a stream to 'Out Here All Night' below. Judge for yourself.

Damone - 'Out Here All Night'

Ted's Song of the Week - 5/16/06

Taste the Pain
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Mother's Milk

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the road lately, so it’s been essential to keep music on hand at all times. On my latest excursion, I packed along the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ breakthrough album Mother’s Milk. It had been quite awhile since I had given it a listen, but I was definitely refreshed to the pure genius of the group’s work. In addition, RHCP just released their latest album Stadium Arcadium this last week, so I felt the need to pay homage to their early work.
Mother’s Milk's is chock-full of gems that launched RHCP into the mainstream. Funky covers of Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire” and Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” lay the groundwork for original tracks like “Knock Me Down” and my personal favorite “Taste the Pain.” Released in 1989, Mother’s Milk helped land RHCP on the musical map
The album is surprisingly solid, despite band troubles prior to recording. The untimely death of guitarist Hillel Slovak and departure of drummer Jack Irons forced the group to re-tool and add John Frusciante and Chad Smith for this album, which ended up being extremely successful by going gold.
“Taste the Pain” is a bit different from the group’s traditional fare, but the fusion of funk-metal with a horn section is candy for the ears. My favorite part of the song occurs around two minutes in, when the group breaks it down with an onslaught of the brass section with a quick follow-up of intense guitar-work. The Chili Peppers at their finest.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Taste the Pain


For lyrics, click here.

Artist Spotlight: One Second Fame; William Besson

One Second Fame is the solo endeavor of Madrid/Las Palmas, Spain-based electronic artist Ander Kuriaki. A wide variety of musical influences layer the canvas, leaving Kuriaki to explore his palette for the perfect compliment. Stretching between French house and the smooth grooves of trip-hop, One Second Fame has a sound that befits the titles 'classic' and 'refreshing' simultaneously. While songs like 'Parfume (vanille mix)' and 'Bonnie and Clyde' pay obvious nods to Air and other Euro-lounge groups, the uptempo track 'Voyage Voyage' could nearly pass for Daft Punk. One Second Fame may not be breaking entirely new ground, but by fusing sucessful techniques of the past, he still creates a truly enjoyable, chilled-out sound. Information and music streams/downloads for O.S.F. are available here.



The second artist whom I have chosen to share the spotlight tonight is London's William Besson. A French-born multi-instrumentalist and classically-trained vocalist, Besson is another musician who finds inspiration in electronica. On 'Come Around', Besson seems to combine elements of Kraftwerk with Joy Division, with a result approximating something much more current, along the lines of She Wants Revenge. Tracks like 'Isn't it About Faith' and the Depeche Mode-esque 'By My Side' reveal even more of Besson's pop sensibilities. But in the words of Reading Rainbow, "don't take my word for it;" check out Besson's website and myspace pages and hear him for yourself!

Thee Who Purchases The Raconteurs Shall Be Saved

There has been a ton of buzz surrounding The Raconteurs album, slated for release tomorrow, and after hearing the new Jack White project peform a 45 minute live set today on XM, I'm sold. Funky, spunky and progressive, every song was gruvis. I don't normally lobby for specific albums, but I have a feeling this one will not only be well received by the rabble, but judged by the annals to be groundbreaking as well.

And Judging from the picture, it appears that even the holiest of the holy endorses the disc. Amen to that.

For more information, visit The Raconteurs offical website. Or if you want to stream 'Store Bought Bones' (a killer track) first, click here.

David Bowie Goes Clubbin'

What happens when you combine the greatest Bowie song of all time with infectious electronic sampling? You get this.

That's right. Digital Eargasm has provided the 'Rebel Rebel SFB Mix' for all to stream. It takes a couple of minutes for the guitar to make itself known on the track, but as soon as it hits you realize it was well worth the wait. I can just imagine a clan of fist-pumping, ecstasy-poppin, suburbanites gettin' down and dirty to this one in the clubs.

Now if somebody would only electronicize 'Suffragette City.' Hey man!

The Panic Channel

Listening to XM's Ethel yesterday, the DJ came on and announced that Dave Navarro has a new band. The Panic Channel, as the new project is known, consists of Stephen Perkins, Chris Chaney, and Steve Isaacs, in addition to Navarro.

Their Myspace page has three songs listed for free streaming, and from the best I can tell, their sound is pretty much a fusion of new-metal with neo-grunge. For some reason I couldn't help but thinking of both Default and Velvet Revolver while I was listening. An oxymoron? Perhaps.

In my brief perusal of the news section of The Panic Channel's website, I couldn't find an album release date. However, their first single hits radio stations May 16.

Stay tuned.

Ozzy takes a step down

Ozzy Osbourne has chosen to take a different approach to this year's Ozzfest tour. For the July 8th performance in San Bernadino, The Ozzman will be deserting the glamour of the main stage to rock out with the lower classes on the second stage.

"The rock icon has chosen to get right in the face of fans on the front line by headlining the down and dirty second stage located in a field adjacent to the venue's proper amphitheatre. For each of the last ten years, OZZfest's founder and namesake has headlined the main stage of the summer's premiere touring concert festival. At this time, OZZY is scheduled to headline the main stage at his other nine OZZfest performances slated for this year."

For the full story, click here.

Caught On Tape: Live - 'I Alone'

Live's late-1994 video for the hard rockin' single 'I Alone' was... to say the least, a bit odd. Filmed almost entirely in one scene, complete with fake tree and a mock desert landscape, it relied heavily on the band to keep things moving. Neither the guitar nor the bass appears plugged in to any electrical outlet, yet the intensity of the instruments can be felt. Singer Ed Kowalczyk, sans shirt, carries his frontman duties with authority; twisting and gyrating feverishly to the music. His bald head is accentuated by a long, braided ponytail, which he flails around in-synch with his wide-eyed facial contortions. Perhaps the one member who really makes the whole video come together is the drummer, who, lacking a drumset, is left to wander and bounce around aimlessly. Occasionally, he will attempt to share the foreground with Kowalczyk, but old Ed is far too entranced and spasmodic to pay him notice.

All of these moments helped make the video for 'I Alone' another staple for alternative rock in the 90's.

Wednesday Roundup: Rock Dominates, Goodbye Chris & Music Scrapes of the Week

Rock Takes #1, #2 Spots on Billboard

Progressive metalers Tool and veteran grungers Pearl Jam took the top two spots on this week's Billboard Top 200. The former moved over half a million albums in its first week. It was quite refreshing for me to see that two great bands who created such enduring music during the 90s still have a tremendous following here in the new century. I can attest from personal experience that the top distinctions are well deserved by both groups.


A Tearful Goodbye to Chris Daughtry

In a shocker fit for a season finale of 'Knots Landing', edgy rocker Chris Daughtry was voted off of 'American Idol' tonight. The look on his face could not hide his valid disappointment. I know there are a troop of Chris fans out there who feel he got robbed, and I'm one of them. I guess I must now transfer my loyalty to Taylor Hicks, the Joe Cockeresque rocker from Alabama, for the 'Idol crown.' Here's hoping.


Music and Video Selections

Fellow contributor Tae recently added some Jose Gonzalez to our radio station. Now you can download additional tunage by that same artist here.

Also, the video for The Zuton's 'Valerie' is available here. Much of it takes place in jail.


Stay safe, and remember to wish your moms a Happy Mothers' Day this Sunday. Stevecrest. Out.

Federline Rips Off Dolby

We all know Kevin Federline sucks, but it seems like the deadbeat coattail rider has committed another musical faux paux:

"Britney Spears’ slacker husband, Kevin Federline, has yet another trouble to add to his ever-growing list. The D-list celebrity has illegally sampled Thomas Dolby’s 1983 hit. Federline’s latest rap song, entitled 'America’s Most Hated', samples Mobb Deep’s 'Got It Twisted', which legally samples Dolby’s smash new wave song, 'She Blinded Me With Science.'"

Needless to say, Dolby is quite angry at Federline's latest anti-music attempt:

"You can't just take a very well-known piece of music and add your own vitriolic rap over the top of it and get away with it," Dolby told MTV News on Wednesday (April 5). "If anybody's going to sing nasty lyrics over my music, it's going to be me."

But the Dolby response that I think sums up the situation perfectly was:

"I think Vanilla Ice is a superstar compared to this guy."

Read more about this topic here and here.

Ted's Song of the Week - 5/09/06

The Hollow
A Perfect Circle
Mer De Noms

Due to Tool’s recent album release, I’ve spent time listening to a lot of Maynard, which includes his work with A Perfect Circle.

This track came to the forefront of my choices for song of the week, because it has been almost thrust upon me this last weekend. The first instance was at a party. Some guy I had just met immediately began talking Tool/APC with me and mentioned what “The Hollow” represents. I’ll spare the details, but I guess it’s highly sexual. It wouldn’t surprise me. Another APC occasion was yesterday while doing the dishes. Since we lack a washing machine, we spend a fair amount of time cleaning dishes. Therefore, we need background music to keep us entertained. It just so happened that Mer De Noms was the album choice for the cleaning session. Of course, “The Hollow” is the very first track, so apparently there was no escaping this song.

It’s been close to six months since I’ve given this song a listen. However, the subtle barrage of musical situations gave me the proper motivation to give the track the attention it deserves.

A Perfect Circle - The Hollow


Lyrics:
Run desire run
Sexual being
Run him like a blade
To and through the heart
No conscience
One Motive
Cater to the hollow

Screaming feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacify this hungering
So grow
Libido throw
Dominoes of indiscretions down
Falling all around
In cycles
In circles
Constantly consuming
Conquer and devour

Cause it's time to bring the fire down
Bridle all this indiscretion
Long enough to edify
And permanently fill this hollow

Screaming feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacifying

Feed me here
Fill me up again
Temporarily pacifying

Juicy Gossip: Zack Morris Bears A Second Child

Not that it is of high importance in my own life, but I read that Mark-Paul Gosselaar just reproduced again, spawning a little baby girl yesterday. I hear it's not even Kelly's. Oh, no he di'nt! What better way to celebrate new life... than by listening to a little Zack Attack?!

Zack Attack - Did We Ever Have A Chance?

Acquire the New Muse Single

Those decent Radiohead clones known as Muse have a new single. It's available for download here for a limited time.

Slash, Izzy to Rejoin Guns N' Roses?

An impromptu interview with Axl Rose on Eddie Trunk's radio show Saturday has breathed new life into the Chinese Democracy rumors. In his first interview since 2002, the reclusive Rose was baited into the Q&A session when Sebastian Bach, who was that day's guest on the show, called the controversial singing icon on his cell phone. When questioned by Trunk as to when the new Guns N' Roses album would come out, Rose claimed it would drop in the fall.

Late in the interview, Axl shockingly hinted that both Izzy Stradlin and Slash would rejoin the original GNR lineup. Slash is currently guitarist for Velvet Revolver, and his alleged renewed relations with Rose have spawned verbal feuding between Scott Weiland and the GNR vocalist.

Echoing most people's sentiments I'm sure: I'll believe it all when I see it.

Dark Side of the Moon's Billboard power

Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon has achieved the impressive feat of staying on the Billboard charts for a record 1,500 weeks. The album has sold an estimated 40 million copies worldwide since its debut in 1973.

Roger Waters comments on the album:

"When the record was finished, I took a reel-to-reel copy home with me, and I remember playing it for my wife and her bursting into tears when it was finished. "I thought, 'This has obviously struck a chord.' I was kinda pleased by that. I thought to myself, 'Wow, this is a pretty complete piece of work,' and I had every confidence that people would respond to it."

Read the full story here.

Franz Ferdinand to go on hiatus

Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand has announced their plan to go on hiatus after this year's festival season.

singer Alex Kapranos:

"We have been on the road or in the studio continuously for three years and I think everyone needs to spend some time with their wives or their girlfriends and live a bit of ordinary life again."

Fans should not get worried about any possible break-up, because the group intends to work on more material in the near future.

"Doing that recharges your batteries and gives you new material to write from, if nothing else."

Stay tuned for further developments.

Caught On Tape: Stan Bush is BACK!!

In the 80's, there were your run-of-the-mill movie soundtracks, featuring inspirational power ballads... and then there was STAN BUSH. As you may recall from my Bloodsport soundtrack review, Stan Bush took the art of motivational songwriting to unfathomed levels. Last night, while watching VanDamme's second greatest movie, Kickboxer, I rejoiced in Stan Bush's classics 'Streets of Siam', 'Fight for Love' and 'Never Surrender.'

For this week's Caught On Tape, I have chosen to celebrate this artist's extensive film soundtrack repertoire by featuring the music video to his song 'The Touch' - also known as the theme to 1986's The Transformers: The Movie. The epic proportions of Bush's music not only encapsulate the points the movies are trying to make - they take the movies beyond the screen, and into our hearts.

If you can think of The Transformers: The Movie and not sing "You got the touch! You got the powwweerr!" than you obviously don't invest enough of yourself in the films you watch. And in that case, a dose of Stan Bush is exactly what you need to get yourself going. If Stan Bush was a beverage, he would be a can of Rockstar Energy Drink. And 'The Touch' would be its themesong. I'm sure that even Optimus Prime and Megatron could agree with each other on that one.

When it came to soundtracks, Stan Bush had 'The Touch.'

Ted's Song of the Week - Spring Cleaning pt.2

Here is the second installment of my spring cleaning tracks. The songs I've featured are all relatively new, so have a listen!
(All of the spring cleaning "songs of the week" can be found on Lonely Note radio, along with a bevy of other great tracks from the contributors)













Love and Memories
O.A.R.
Stories of a Stranger

Every year around this time, I find a song that captures the essence of the upcoming season. It's a track that usually finds a lot of play throughout the summer. Two years ago, it was the Von Bondies' "C'mon C'mon." Last year, it was Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?" This year, "Love and Memories" gets the nod for feelgood track of the summer. I acknowledge that this O.A.R. track may be a bit too poppy for its own good, but we all have our guilty pleasures, so now you know mine.

O.A.R. - Love and Memories
















Kansas City Shuffle
J Ralph
Lucky Number Slevin soundtrack

A couple weeks ago, Tae (Lonely Note contributor) and I went to see "Lucky Number Slevin" at a local movie theater. Both of us found the movie to be extremely entertaining. However, what made this film all the better was the playing of "Kansas City Shuffle" at the beginning of the credits. I'm usually right out the door as soon as a movie ends, but I couldn't help but stay in my seat until the end of this song.
In addition, the song applies to the movie's plot line pretty well, so kudos to whoever chose it for the soundtrack.

J Ralph - Kansas City Shuffle















Vicarious
Tool
10,000 Days

Tool's fifth studio release 10,000 days hit store shelves yesterday, which required an immediate purchase from yours truly. It takes a lot for me to purchase an album in this age of internet downloading, but Tool is among an elite group of artists in which I will buy anything they put out. Now that i'm done giving praise, i'll get down to business.
"Vicarious" is the first single on an album that has been five years in the making. It's a rarity that an artist has such freedom to create an album in an industry that encourages output, but Tool shows that quality over quantity wins every time. In a nutshell, the album was worth the wait. Check out "Vicarious" and realize the obvious: Tool rules.

Tool - Vicarious

Bowie takes a break

One of the biggest androgynous performers of all time, David Bowie, is "fed up" with the music industry.

The former Ziggy Stardust has decided to take a year off from writing and performing. In this span of time, Bowie will be taking it easy and doing the things that any 59-year old musician should be entitled to do.

I'm taking a year off, no touring, no albums. I go for a walk every morning, and I watch a ton of movies. One day, I watched three Woody Allen movies in a row."

Woody Allen movies?!?

Despite his movie tastes, the guy is a musical icon and has earned the right to take a vacation.

Click here for the full story.

Wednesday Roundup: Snow Patrol Vid, Radiohead Leaks & Rising Gas Prices

Well, it's the middle of the week, and time for a flurry of music news:


Watch the New Snow Patrol Video!


Last month I mentioned how I really enjoyed Snow Patrol's 'Hands Open.' (For a stream to that song click here). Now, if you head over to Donewaiting.com you can view the video to that very tune. In my opinion the visual is merely average. And there's this part where this bus looks like it's going to hit Gary Lightbody, but ends up looking only like a cheesy computer graphic instead.

Aside from the video, 'Hands Open' is incredible. It is certainly one of my favorite tunes of 2006.


Radiohead Songs Leaked

Word has it that if you search hard enough throughout Radiohead fan sites you'll be able to find leaked copies of some of their new songs. The tunes were performed at London's KOKO on May 1. I'd think about posting them here, but I wouldn't want Thom Yorke calling me a "baby" and a "whiner." (It's a South Park reference).



Indie Bands Can't Afford Gas Either

Check out this MTV.com article for information on how some indie bands are scrounging to pay for gas just so they can tour. Look for merchandise and tickets to your favorite rockers' shows to go up in price in order to compensate for the more expensive petrol.





Well, there ya have it--music news handpicked by the Stevester himself. To all you college students out there bustin' tail for finals: GOOD LUCK! And to all the rest of you hard workers, Cinco De Mayo is just around the corner ;)

Ted's Song of the Week - Spring Cleaning pt.1

I know it's been awhile since Ted's Song of the Week has made an appearance on the Lonely Note, but I've fixed up a little something to make up for lost time. I've done a little spring cleaning in my music library and have found six songs (3 old, 3 new) to share with you. The feature will be split into two parts, because this thing is not going to be small. Therefore, I present you with the first set of songs, which will range from being eight to three years old. Enjoy!













Why, Part.2
Collective Soul
Blender

I’ve always had a soft spot for Collective Soul’s music. Anyone who listened to rock in the 90’s was bound to run across major hits like “The World I Know,” “Smashing Young Man,” and “Run.” Unfortunately, the band was unable to keep up their musical pace when nu-metal emerged to pollute the airwaves. With bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit gaining popularity, Collective Soul was forced to stand aside and let disposable music rule the realm. Before fading into obscurity, Collective Soul released “Why, Pt.2” on their Blender album in 2000.
I always thought this song was pretty decent, despite being a little different from their traditional fare. However, I’ve grown pretty fond of the song in the last month after it appeared on my itunes random shuffle. Now I can’t go anywhere without hearing the song. Most recently, I was having drinks with fellow contributor Steve at some seedy bar when a crappy cover band tried to tackle the song. They butchered it, but I give them props for the effort.

Collective Soul - Why, Pt.2















Walking After You
Foo Fighters
X-Files soundtrack

The Foo Fighters have received a lot of my attention lately, due to an assigned research project. I was obliged to go beyond the music to understand who the Foo Fighters really are. It was a month long project, so I let the Foo’s dominate my playlist to ensure a complete understanding of their music.
I’m always liked the Foo Fighters, but they’ve never been among my top ten favorite bands. However, after the time I’ve spent listening to them endlessly, they might have found a way to crack the list. If this is so, I give credit to “Walking After You” on the X-Files soundtrack. The song, originally featured on The Colour and the Shape, was specially edited for the movie soundtrack. I prefer this version to the original.

Foo Fighters - Walking After You (X-Files edit)















Freetime
Kenna
New Sacred Cow

I just got done reading Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. This book blew my mind! Anyway, the main point of bringing this up was a specific chapter in the book which highlighted the music of Kenna. In a nutshell, Kenna has suffered album sales, due to the regimented process of distributing an album. Through the use of focus groups and special music surveys, Kenna was shuffled back and forth as his label struggled to find the proper way to classify his genre and market his music.
“Freetime” was the first single off of Kenna’s debut album. It received a decent amount of airplay on MTV 2, but if you haven’t heard of the artist, it obviously didn’t sink in too deeply. Nevertheless, don’t let anonymity get in the way, because this track rocks! If one needs more convincing, a lot of music executives love this guy, so don’t rule out the possibility that Kenna can still hit it big.
If you wish to find out more, I recommend reading the book. You may or may not agree with the subject material (the ability to make informed decisions in an instant), but it’s something to become aware of.

Kenna - Freetime

Artist Spotlight: Demeter

Demeter may claim London as its home, but it was in Seattle's grunge scene that frontwoman Anna Mercedes went through her musical teething. In her take on the band's origins, Anna tells the surrealistic upbringing of a child raised amidst a recording studio, surrounded by famous musicians. She writes of her adventures moving from Seattle to New York, and from New York to London. There's no denying an interesting story behind Demeter's formation.

Anna Mercedes, heroin-chic temptress of the microphone, formed Demeter alongside electro-rocker Andy Chatterly of the London band The Droyds, and the two have since rounded out the band into a standard five-piece lineup. The band records and performs in its own warehouse studio, allowing for the ultimate artistic freedom. Demeter's music combines the rough edges of grunge with the electronic sounds of early 80's pioneers. The result is a style and image that is dark, yet easily accessible via an astute pop sensibility. To generalize, Demeter might fall somewhere between Blondie and Garbage. I've been especially drawn to their new single 'Addict,' which was officially released last week.

You can check out this track, along with several others on the band's Myspace page, and several are also featured on their official website. Be sure to follow-up on the rest of the band's biography while you're there, and look out for an album release this summer.

Kylie Minogue to Team Up With Scissor Sisters

Following her triumphant battle against breast cancer, Kylie Minogue plans on collaborating with the Scissor Sisters. Currently, details are sketchy, but Minogue has been spotted at restaurants with Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears.

The Scissor Sisters's sophomore release is scheduled to drop this fall.