Intro 11.2.09 (Fast Planes to Fast Lanes Edition)

Sunday November 1, 2009 4:55 PM By Glenn Gamboa

Music for the week of 11.2.09 featuring The Academy Is..., Noah and the Whale, Joseph Arthur, Sean Kingston, Girls, Heartless Bastards, Straylight Run, Squeeze, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett

WHY?

THE ACADEMY IS... At Crazy Donkey Sunday.
NOAH AND THE WHALE. At Mercury Lounge Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
JOSEPH ARTHUR. At City Winery Friday.
SEAN KINGSTON. At Gramercy Theater Wednesday.
GIRLS. At Bowery Ballroom Friday.
HEARTLESS BASTARDS. At Terminal 5 Sunday.
STRAYLIGHT RUN. At Studio at Webster Hall Sunday.
GLENN TILBROOK. At Union Hall Friday and Boulton Theater on Saturday.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND. At Madison Square Garden Sunday.
LYLE LOVETT. At Beacon Theatre Wednesday.

U2, Mick Jagger and Black Eyed Peas? Must be Rock Hall's Night 2!

Saturday October 31, 2009 9:50 AM By Glenn Gamboa

    Though the first night of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concerts was far more exciting, the second night held closer to organizers’ plans to tell rock’s wide-ranging history through these superstar sets.
    U2 was certainly the most diverse, moving from a moody “Because the Night” with Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith to a pop-tastic “Where Is the Love” with the Black Eyed Peas. That was a bit too wide a stretch, though Bono did try to inject the song with some gravitas and tried to lighten “One” to fit with the Peas.
    However, the risk on “Gimme Shelter,” bringing together Mick Jagger and Black Eyed Peas, paid off handsomely, turning it into a powerful hybrid of darkness and light. And Bono and Jagger’s front-man face-off on “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” was truly a sight to behold, as Jagger bent a bit to Bono’s phrasing and Bono took on a bit of Jagger’s physicality.
    Metallica’s set was nearly as expansive, lightening up for “Sweet Jane” with Lou Reed and raging with Ray Davies on “All Day and All of the Night.” They were even deferential to Ozzy Osbourne, who remains an unstoppable concert force, as he roared through “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.”
    “The censor will have fun with that one,” Metallica’s James Hetfield said, after Osbourne left the stage. So will the rest of us.

SETLIST: Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire // Aretha Franklin - Baby, I Love You / Don’t Play That Song / Make Them Hear You // Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox - Chain of Fools // Aretha Franklin - New York, New York // Aretha Franklin and Lenny Kravitz - Think // Aretha Franklin - Respect // Jeff Beck - Drown in My Own Tears // Jeff Beck and Sting - People Get Ready // Jeff Beck - Freeway Boogie / Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers // Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy - Let Me Love You // Jeff Beck - Big Block / Rice Pudding // Jeff Beck and Billy Gibbons - Rough Boy / Foxy Lady // Jeff Beck - A Day in the Life // Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls / One / Turn the Page // Metallica and Lou Reed - Sweet Jane / White Light/White Heat // Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne - Iron Man / Paranoid // Metallica and Ray Davies - You Really Got Me / All Day and All of the Night // Metallica - Stone Cold Crazy / Enter Sandman // U2 - Vertigo / Magnificent // U2, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and Roy Bittan - Because the Night / U2. Bruce Springsteen and Roy Bittan - I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For // U2 - Mysterious Ways // U2 and Black Eyed Peas - Where Is the Love/One // U2, Mick Jagger, Fergie and will.i.am - Gimme Shelter // U2 and Mick Jagger - Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of // U2 - Beautiful Day

PHOTO: Bruce Springsteen at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary at Madison Square Garden Thursday night by Getty Images

Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel close Rock Hall 25th anniversary party (with setlist!)

Friday October 30, 2009 7:57 AM By Glenn Gamboa

Bruce Springsteen once again offered his geological theory of how Long Island and New Jersey were once a single land mass, before “New York kind of squeezed in the way.”
    Then, he announced, “Long Island is about to meet to New Jersey... I’d like The King of Long Island to meet The E Street Band.”
    And with that,the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden became quite the surprise party, or as Springsteen put it, “The Bridge and Tunnel Summit.”
    Yes, Billy Joel had arrived shortly before 1 a.m. to help close out the nearly six-hour celebration of the history of rock and roll.

 >>PHOTOS: Click here to see photos of Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and other stars at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert

    Joel, along with his guitarist Tommy Byrnes and saxophonist Mark Rivera, joined Springsteen and The E Street Band for a mini-set of their hits that was historic and incredibly fun, especially once Joel and Springsteen started trading verses on “Only the Good Die Young,” “New York State of Mind” and “Born to Run.”
    After a night of stirring moments, including Stevie Wonder choking back tears as he paid tribute to Michael Jackson on “The Way You Make Me Feel” with John Legend, the Springsteen-Joel union was like a stunning rock and roll dream, as each brought his trademark delivery to the other’s song.
    The Rock Hall celebration continues tonight with U2, Aretha Franklin, Metallica and Jeff Beck. One of the surprise guests rumored for U2's set? None other than Mick Jagger. Let the dreaming continue. (For a blow-by-blow description of last night’s events, check out our Twitter page and follow @ndmusic for tonight’s festivities. An edited version of the night's events will air on HBO on Thanksgiving weekend.)

 >>PHOTOS: Click here to see photos of Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and other stars at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert

SETLIST: Crosby, Stills and Nash - Woodstock / Marrakesh Express / Almost Cut My Hair / Crosby, Stills, Nash and Bonnie Raitt - Love Has No Pride / Crosby, Stills and Nash - Midnight Rider / Crosby, Stills, Nash and Jackson Browne - The Pretender / Crosby, Stills, Nash and James Taylor - Mexico / Love the One You’re With / Paul Simon - Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes / Me and Julio Down by The Schoolyard / You Can Call Me Al / Paul Simon and Dion - The Wanderer / Paul Simon, Crosby and Nash - Here Comes the Sun // Paul Simon - Late in the Evening / Little Anthony and The Imperials - Two Kinds of People // Simon and Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence / Mrs. Robinson/Not Fade Away /The Boxer /Bridge Over Troubled Water / Cecilia // Stevie Wonder - Blowin in the Wind / Uptight / I Was Made to Love Her / For Once in My Life / Signed, Sealed and Delivered / Boogie On, Reggae Woman // Wonder and Smokey Robinson - Tracks of My Tears // Wonder and John Legend - Mercy, Mercy Me / The Way You Make Me Feel // Wonder and B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone / Wonder - Living for the City // Wonder and Sting - Higher Ground/Roxanne // Wonder and Jeff Beck - Superstition // Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band -- Tenth Avenue Freeze Out // Springsteen, E Street Band and Sam Moore - Hold On, I’m Coming / Soul Man // Springsteen, E Street Band and Tom Morello - The Ghost of Tom Joad // Springsteen, E Street Band and John Fogerty - Fortunate Son / Proud Mary // Springsteen and E Street Band - Jungleland // Springsteen, E Street Band and Darlene Love - A Fine, Fine Boy / Da Do Ron Ron // Springsteen, E Street Band and Morello - London Calling / Badlands // Springsteen, E Street Band and Billy Joel - You May Be Right / Only the Good Die Young / New York State of Mind / Born to Run // Springsteen, E Street Band, Joel, Fogerty, Browne, Sam Moore, Darlene Love, Peter Wolf - Higher and Higher

PHOTO: Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary by Henny Ray Abrams for Associated Press

 

Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' heartbreakingly successful

Wednesday October 28, 2009 7:59 AM By Glenn Gamboa

    If he were still alive, Michael Jackson would never have let “This Is It” see the light of day. Maybe that’s why it’s so unexpectedly heartwarming and surprisingly special.
    As the King of Pop, Jackson was all about projecting a larger-than-life image to the public, managing, as much as he could, a musical persona that was the product of meticulous creation and tireless work. It was deserved, for the most part, but it was also a bit off-putting, as he unveiled propaganda-styled statues of himself and seemingly styled himself as the military dictator of some glittery, sequined country.
    “This Is It” – directed by his longtime collaborator Kenny Ortega, who was also directing the planned comeback at London’s O2 Arena in July and calls the movie a “sacred documentation of our leader and friend” – lovingly strips away all of Jackson’s public artifice as he prepares for the tour. The movie leaves us with something we have never seen before – a look at Michael Jackson, the man and, more importantly, the musician.
    The 120 hours of behind-the-scenes footage whittled down to two hours offers an idea of how Jackson’s mind works. He sings bass lines to his musicians, offers notes on timing and approach to has background singers and tweaks the rhythms of his hits for maximum effect onstage. He also knows instinctively where to insert dramatic pauses – time to “sizzle,” he says – and how to achieve the lighting and musical cues that will work best with the crowd.
    When Ortega asks how Jackson would be able to know when the filmed introduction to “Smooth Criminal,” which amazingly features Jackson in a gunfight with Humphrey Bogart, ends if his back is to the screen, Jackson matter-of-factly responds, “I’ll feel it.”
    After watching “This Is It,” you know he would feel it.
    After watching “This Is It,” you also know this comeback would have worked for him. Jackson was planning a massive extravaganza, with Broadway-styled backdrops and production numbers for nearly every song, that, in its own way, was too big to fail.
The movie also makes it clear that Jackson was in good health and good spirits in the weeks leading up to his death. His focus and determination showed that he was certainly the boss of this production and that he knew exactly what he wanted.
    “This Is It” makes no mention of Jackson’s death from an overdose of a powerful anesthetic that helped him sleep in June. There’s really no need for it – the movie is meant to be an upbeat celebration of Jackson’s musical genius and it succeeds at that.
    The only sadness comes in knowing that Jackson never got to realize his comeback and that we all never got to see it. “This Is It” is a thrilling, poignant movie, but also a heartbreaking reminder of what could have been.

PHOTO: Sony Entertainment's poster for "This Is It."

CMJ '09 Roundup

Monday October 26, 2009 8:30 AM By Glenn Gamboa

Though this year’s CMJ Music Marathon didn’t have one of those singular moments, or even a can’t miss showcase, it did continue to adapt to the new music industry landscape and its own place in pop culture. Based at NYU again this year, it also dropped a whole lot of knowledge. Some things learned last week:

Welcome to the piggyback effect. The stronger the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival gets, the more big-name, non-marathon events it seems to draw to the city during the same week. Because New York has so many big-name events happening every week, it’s less noticeable here than Austin, Texas, during South by Southwest time, but this year, the push to soak up CMJ visitors’ time intensified, with high-profile appearances from Alicia Keys and showcases from Florence and The Machine at Fader’s party.

Radio is still way important. While MySpace pages, YouTube viral videos and flashy placements in TV shows and commercials may get all the buzz, at the CMJ panel “The Path of a Hit Song,” successful songwriters said the best way to land a hit is a tried-and-true one: Get on the radio. “Radio’s become more important because of what has happened,” said David Katz, half of the production-songwriting team S*A*M and Sluggo, responsible for recent hits from Boys Like Girls, The Academy Is ..., and Metro Station. “The hit song’s become a more important medium because no one buys albums anymore.”

New-New Romantic. Whether it was London’s The Golden Silvers at a variety of appearances or Aussies The Midnight Juggernauts, who heated up the super-hot (temperature-wise) Fader/Levi’s Party at the Ace Hotel, there were a whole lot of new-new romantics (looking for the TV sound). Either they’re a little late for the 25th anniversary of the new wave splinter faction that spawned Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet or they’re getting in position for the 30th anniversary in a couple of years. Whatever the case, all the funky bass lines and floating synths spawned some nice nostalgia.

Superchunk’s new album can’t come soon enough. The book signing for “Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records” at Housing Works on Friday couldn’t have been more charming, as both Merge founders Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance read from the oral history. McCaughan read from the Magnetic Fields chapter, with Magnetic Field Claudia Gonson in the crowd, while Ballance read from the Spoon chapter. Author John Cook read from the chapter about the major labels’ attempts to woo Superchunk and Merge to sign with them. The sweetest part, though, was McCaughan’s acoustic covers of songs from Spoon and Magnetic Fields, as well as a lovely version of Superchunk’s “Detroit Has a Skyline.” During the Q&A session, McCaughan said Superchunk was working on a new album and that it might (hopefully) come out next year.

The new Clipse album is going to be great. Though their oft-delayed “Til the Casket Drops” album isn’t due until Dec. 8 now, but the “Grindin’” rappers’ MySpace showcase at Hiro Ballroom suggested that it will be worth the wait, rolling out grand versions of “Kinda Like a Big Deal” and “Popular Demand” that show off their reuniting with producers The Neptunes.

Coatsville, Pa., is way tougher than you thought. Fred Mascherino, currently of The Color Fred and formerly of Taking Back Sunday, told an amazing, hilarious story of being carjacked when he was 17 and taken on an ill-conceived drug deal at gunpoint (sorta) and take to the projects of Coatsville. It was off-topic during a panel on the resurgence of acoustic solo rock concerts, but still managed to show how flexible the solo performances can be. And after some twisting, it became the intro to Color Fred’s “Get Out.” (Mascherino also confirmed that he’s starting a new band with Andy Jackson from Hot Rod Circuit.

Alicia Keys dresses way better now. During her lecture at NYU, Keys offered the audience, which was mostly students and CMJ attendees, lots of advice about following your convictions as an artist. But she also recognized how much she has grown since her first showcase for Clive Davis at Joe’s Pub. Moderator Sway teased her about her B-girl outfit, complete with Kangol cap, to which Keys laughed, saying she picked that outfit thinking, “Ooh, I’m gonna be so cute!” (Keys also unveiled songs from her upcoming “The Element of Freedom” album, due out Dec. 1. Her setlist: Empire State of Mind / You Don’t Know My Name / Fallin’ / Doesn’t Mean Anything / Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart / If I Ain’t Got You / No One)

Jarrod Gorbel’s new album is going to be awesome. “The Honorary Title is over,” said Gorbel, before unveiling a couple of new songs at a CMJ panel. Due in the spring, the album was produced by Rilo Kiley’s Blake Sennett and judging from the songs Gorbel played is his most straightforward work yet.

Strong Island stands up. The one-two Long Island punch of Nightmare of You and Lights Resolve at the Big Picture Media showcase at the Bowery Poetry Club Saturday night made it clear why both bands show so much promise. Nightmare of You’s clever indie-pop has gotten more intricate on its new “Infomaniac” album, while Lights Resolve has gotten more streamlined and, somehow, more metallic.

Broadway stars still get surprised. At the CMJ panel about the revival of the musical “Hair,” attendees were treated to a stunning performance of “Walking in Space” by current star Gavin Creel, with harmonies from James Rado, who co-wrote the musical and originated the role on Broadway, and accompanied by another co-writer Galt MacDermot on piano. It was a moment that wasn’t lost on Creel, who paused during the song to say, “Oh, this is so (expletive) cool!”

Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' soundtrack album not worth it

Monday October 26, 2009 7:40 AM By Glenn Gamboa

Michael Jackson’s “This Is It (The Music That Inspired the Movie)” hit stores today. But for fans looking for the soundtrack to the movie, which opens in late-night showings Tuesday, this isn’t it.

“This Is It” (the album) is, more or less, another greatest-hits package for Jackson, whose popularity and sales have skyrocketed since his death in June. While it does feature the songs in the order that they will appear in the movie, which documents Jackson’s preparations for what would have been his comeback tour, the live versions of those songs aren’t here.

Instead, the 20-track album, which includes two versions of the previously unreleased ballad “This Is It,” offers the familiar recorded versions of Jackson smashes – “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Human Nature,” and “Thriller” – and remastered versions of other hits, including “They Don’t Care About Us” and “The Way You Make Me Feel.” The second disc – which features previously unreleased demo versions of “She’s Out of My Life,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” and “Beat It” and Jackson reading his poem “Planet Earth” – is more of an add-on, though it does come closest to providing a live, less-produced look at Jackson’s process, especially the gorgeous acoustic version of “She’s Out of My Life.”

In fact, the biggest draw for Jackson fans may actually come in the photos that come with the album, shot by Lindenhurst’s Kevin Mazur, famed concert photographer and co-founder of WireImage, at a rehearsal the day before Jackson died.

The photos, like the trailers for the movie, show Jackson – looking healthy and in control of a troupe of dancers and musicians – at work creating something new. One poignant photo captures Jackson in the middle of a dance move, his feet barely touching the stage, a broad smile on his face.

For many fans of a man who apparently died searching for enough personal peace to allow him to sleep through the night, the main draw of the “This Is It” project is to see how near he was to finding the redemption he so thoroughly craved. That photo shows that Jackson may have been closer than anyone outside his inner circle knew.

Whether “This Is It,” the documentary, will answer those questions remains to be seen. The album, as pleasant as it is to listen to, still leaves them unanswered.

>>PHOTOS: Click here to see photos of Michael Jackson, year-by-year

>>VIDEO: Click here to watch the trailer for "This Is It"

PHOTO: Michael Jackson at his tour rehearsal by Kevin Mazur for Getty Images.

Intro 10.26.09 -- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Mostly) Edition

Monday October 26, 2009 7:33 AM By Glenn Gamboa

(Music for the week of 10.26.09 featuring Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Florence and The Machine, Bonnie Raitt, U2, Eric Clapton, Simon and Garffunkel, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Metallica)

WHY?

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
STEVIE WONDER. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
MICHAEL JACKSON. “This Is It” album in stores Monday, documentary in theaters Wednesday.
ARETHA FRANKLIN. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Friday at Madison Square Garden.
FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE. At Bowery Ballroom Tuesday.
BONNIE RAITT. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
U2. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Friday at Madison Square Garden.
ERIC CLAPTON. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Friday at Madison Square Garden.
SIMON AND GARFFUNKEL. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
METALLICA. At Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert Friday at Madison Square Garden.

HEAR IT HERE: Rihanna, "Russian Roulette"

Wednesday October 21, 2009 5:17 PM By Glenn Gamboa

Rihanna returns with “Russian Roulette” (Island Def Jam), an ominous ballad that suggests the emotional toll of her relationship with Chris Brown has left her in a dark place. Sure, she may be playing a role in the song, but outlining the possibilities of shooting or being shot is harrowing enough without the sound effects of chambers clicking and gunshots ringing out. “Russian Roulette” is a boundary-pusher that sounds more like a cry for help with repeated listening.

By the way, is it a creepy coincidence that the day Rihanna rolls out her new single is the same day Brown unveils his "Fan Appreciation" tour and his new single "Crawl" hits the Internet?

VIDEO: Shakira, "Did It Again (Live at SNL)"

Monday October 19, 2009 10:41 AM By Glenn Gamboa

While Shakira's "She Wolf" sounded outright crazy (in the best way possible), she comes back to earth with this pretty little slice of synth pop, augmented, of course, with her own distinctively wild choreography.

But the weirdest part of the current Shak saga is that she put on this great performance with no way for fans to, you know, pay for it. Epic Records pushed back the release of the "She Wolf" album in America (it's out in other parts of the world already) from Oct. 13 to Nov. 17 -- probably because the title track hasn't blown up on the airwaves here. That odd decision to move it to an already-packed release week (against Norah Jones, John Mayer, Leona Lewis, and anticipated debuts from Kris Allen and Justin Bieber) resulted in Shakira appearing on two big platform shows -- "Dancing with the Stars" and "Saturday Night Live" -- in a week that can no longer directly help her sales.

To complicate matters further, Shakira's next single won't be "Did It Again," but the good-not-great "Give It Up to Me," featuring sales-boosters Lil Wayne and Timbaland in an attempt to rev up first-week sales. Remember when artists could just worry about putting together a good record and not worry about release-week roulette? Ah, good times.

"She Wolf" is a pretty great, if unorthodox, dance pop album. People would have found that out regardless. The delays are enough to require a view lycanthropic howls.