Nicolas Cage in "Bad Lieutenant": Don't Call It a Remake

Completely awesome on a million levels:

Actor Nicolas Cage plays a deranged, drug-addicted detective in "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," re-visiting the corrupt cop role made famous by Harvey Keitel 17 years ago.

Despite the similarity in title to Abel Ferrara's 1992 cult classic "Bad Lieutenant," and Ferrara's obvious displeasure at the idea of a remake, Cage and German director Werner Herzog say their movie is not connected.

"It would be unfair to compare the two movies," Cage told Reuters in an interview in Venice, where the picture is in competition at the annual film festival.

"Harvey's trajectory is really dealing with guilt and all of that, and perhaps fits more into that (Judeo-Christian) program, so to me it's a completely different story and a different cop," added the 45-year-old, who won a >best actor Oscar for playing an alcoholic in "Leaving Las Vegas."

"This is a New Orleans cop, it takes place in New Orleans, it's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, it's not Bad Lieutenant."

Ferrara has criticized the idea of a remake, and was quoted in the media as saying: "I wish these people die in hell."

"It's not 'CSI' it's 'CSI New Orleans.'"

Hats off to Herzog on creating a totally original version of being an Advanced Irritant. Also this is a perfect illustration of something that is not the opposite of what is expected from an artists, which is at the heart of Advancement. What gave Cage/Herzog the idea that this project would inspire anything but rage? Fans of the original will be mad, non-fans won't see it, so why would they do it? And who's paying for it? Whoever it is may be the most truly Advanced player in this whole project.

By the way, if you've never seen the original, he really is a bad lieutenant. Very, very bad.

Bob Dylan to do GPS Voice

This is fantastic:

[Bob Dylan] said on a recent broadcast of his radio show that he may lend his distinctively gravelly voice to a satellite navigation system for cars, Agence France-Presse reported. In the latest edition of his “Theme Time Radio Hour” program, Mr. Dylan said, “I’m talking to a couple of car companies about being the voice of their GPS system,” according to Agence France-Presse.

That GPS should come with the Cadillac that Dylan promoted. And it should be pre-loaded with Victoria's Secret locations.

Zemeckis to Remake Yellow Submarine

Hmmm:

Robert Zemeckis is in negotiations to direct a remake of the 1968 animated Beatles feature "Yellow Submarine" for the Walt Disney Studios Disney had no comment on the deal. Still being sorted out is the acquisition of rights to the film's music, which includes the title track as well as "Eleanor Rigby," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "With a Little Help From My Friends."

Apparently he's going to use the animation style we saw in Polar Express. I've got to admit that even I have reservations about this one. Prove me wrong, Robert!

Weezer Is Rad-vanced?

I don't like Weezer much, but I do like the name of their new album: Raditude. Might have to give that one a listen.

Sonic Youth on Gossip Girl

Another good story for Saturday (NME):

Sonic Youth are set to appear in an upcoming episode of the popular US television programme 'Gossip Girl'.

The veteran rockers are reportedly fans of the show, and guitarist Thurston Moore recorded a cover of the Ramones' 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker' for inclusion in a previous episode.

Now the band are set to perform an acoustic version of their 1986 single 'Starpower' on the fifth episode of the upcoming fall season, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Let everybody know.

Bob Dylan: I and ID

A teacher friend pointed me in this story's direction:

A 24-year-old police officer apparently was unaware of who [Bob] Dylan is and asked him for identification, Long Branch business administrator Howard Woolley said Friday. “I don’t think she was familiar with his entire body of work,” Woolley said.

The incident began at 5 p.m. when a resident said a man was wandering around a low-income, predominantly minority neighborhood several blocks from the oceanfront looking at houses.

The police officer drove up to Dylan, who was wearing a blue jacket, and asked him his name. According to Woolley, the following exchange ensued:

“What is your name, sir?” the officer asked.

“Bob Dylan,” Dylan said.

“OK, what are you doing here?” the officer asked.

“I’m on tour,” the singer replied.

A second officer, also in his 20s, responded to assist the first officer. He, too, apparently was unfamiliar with Dylan, Woolley said.

The officers asked Dylan for identification. The singer of such classics as “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” said that he didn’t have any ID with him, that he was just walking around looking at houses to pass some time before that night’s show.

The officers asked Dylan, 68, to accompany them back to the Ocean Place Resort and Spa, where the performers were staying. Once there, tour staff vouched for Dylan.

The officers thanked him for his cooperation.

“He couldn’t have been any nicer to them,” Woolley added.

Meanwhile Cate Blanchett was in Patterson, NJ, robbing a bar and grill.

Dylan Christmas Album

This should be good (Reuters):

Bob Dylan is set to release an album of Christmas songs, including "Here Comes Santa Claus" and the carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem," according to music websites.

Rumours of the album first emerged on Isis magazine website, which is devoted to Dylan. It later reported the songs had been recorded in Jackson Browne's studio in Santa Monica, California, in May.

David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, who played accordion on Dylan's chart-topping latest album "Together Through Life," is one of the musicians who took part in the sessions, it said.

"It is a personal project of Dylan himself rather than an idea put forward by his record company," Isis said.

Billboard magazine said it had confirmed the album existed. Other songs included "Must Be Santa" and "I'll be Home for Christmas," it said.

Dylan was originally of the Jewish faith and was a Born Again Christian from 1979-1981, releasing three religious-themed albums.

"At first glance it may sound bizarre, but I don't think Dylan cares much about what his detractors might make of it," Scott Marshall, who has written a book 'God and Bob Dylan: A Spiritual Life' told bullypulpit.com.

"He's both never renounced being Jewish or renounced his experience with Jesus some three decades ago," Marshall said.

This is classic Advancement on a number of levels. Being religious is Advanced, as is liking Christmas (especially if you're Jewish), but recording a Christmas record after releasing three critically acclaimed albums in a row and doing it at Jackson Browne's studio with a member of Los Lobos is amazing. This record is also an example of an Advanced musician managing to do something unexpected that is also not the opposite of what is expected. By now I thought I had a handle on Dylan, but a Christmas album is surpising, but exactly why that is I can't say, nor can I say why he would want to do one.

Waterloo Sunset vs. Breakfast in America

Getting back to blogging has been difficult because I can never find anything good about the world of Advancement. Or maybe it's harder to get interested these days. But whatever, it's hard. So here's just a thought:

Since moving back to Atlanta a couple of years ago, I've had to get used to listening to the radio again because I don't have anything to play iPods in my stereo and I can't seem to make enough CDs to keep myself happy. Anyway, I've just heard "The Logical Song" by Supertramp for the eight-millionth time on our classic-rock song and I just want to know why you never hear "Waterloo Sunset" on the radio. The Kinks have tons of radio-friendly music, but I can give that a pass. But what on earth prevents a DJ from putting on such a great song? If I were to request it, would the average classic-rock station even have it?

Jimmy Carter Thought Born-Again Dylan Wasn't to Die For

From beliefnet via idolchatter.com:

Jimmy Carter, it seems, believes in the separation between church and rock. The former president, whose 1976 White House campaign saw both performances by the Allman Brothers Band and the introduction of the term "born again" to the Washington media's lexicon, has revealed in a new book that he became disenchanted with Bob Dylan after the singer was converted to Christianity. Writes Kevin Mattson in his history of Carter's "malaise" speech, "Jimmy Carter's favorite rock musician now refused to sing the songs the president most enjoyed . . . [those] written before Dylan found Jesus."

A surprisingly Overt take from Jimmy Carter. But then again, most Advanced Musicians side with the Republicans, so maybe this isn't so surprising.

Bowie iPhone App

Good stuff from Mobile Entertainment:

A new iPhone app from iKlax will celebrate the 40th anniversary of David Bowie's Space Oddity single by letting fans remix it. The app will be released on 20th July on the App Store, and has been made by music developer iKlax. Fans can sign up on a dedicated website to be notified when the app goes live.

It ties in with an anniversary release of a digital EP featuring different versions of Space Oddity, as well as 'stems' that can be remixed in desktop music tools like GarageBand and Audacity.

The attached picture is Bowie hard at work, developing the app.

Kraftwerk Get Some Help From Olympic Cyclists

Kraftwerk found a way to spice up their live show a bit that I find quite Advanced:

The German godfathers of electronica played a two-hour set to open the Manchester International Festival. They were joined by Ed Clancy, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff and Geraint Thomas - who all triumphed in Beijing in 2008.

The quartet appeared from behind the band to ride in a wave formation during Kraftwerk's song Tour De France. The cyclists' names were announced from the stage with a thick German accent a couple of minutes into the song, much to the delight of the crowd. The wave formation was then mirrored by elaborate visual effects on screens behind the stage.

Most of the audience agreed the appearance was the highlight of the show. "I think I died and went to heaven when the cyclists came out for Tour De France. That's the best track and action I've ever seen working together - it's my gig of the year," said one enthusiastic fan.

I like that in the mind of this fan, heaven is a Kraftwerk concert that features four guys on bicycles. Oh and that in heaven you get to see the best gig of the year, not the best gig ever.

Lou vs. Liu: Do Not Talk While Lou Reed Is Performing

Lou Reed is weird in that he wants people to be respectful when he performs, and he's not afraid to say something about it:

An insider tells us that the iconic rocker demanded the bar be shut down when he sang at Persol's Incognito design exhibit at the Whitney on Tuesday - because he didn't want to hear the clinking of glasses or ice. Onstage, the musician even shouted to the crowd, "Shut the [bleep] up - you're talking too much!"

Apparently one of the fans who obeyed was Lucy Liu. I'm not sure if I like her more or less now.

In related news, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders says the show was "flawless." He talked to Reed, who said, "It''s always fun to play a museum. When I was with Andy Warhol, we played hundreds of them." Especially when you can tell Lucy Liu to shut up and she does, I guess.

Lionel Ritchie to Pull Reverse Rick Springfield

Here's the mildly interesting story:

Singer Lionel Ritchie is set to star in U.S. soap One Life To Live.

The 'Easy' singer will tape his debut on the show next week and the episode will be telecast in July, reports Contactmusic.

Although, Richie's role is being kept a secret, a show spokesman said, "He won't just sing and go."

Of course not. He'll stay all night long. But seriously, the end of the article is what caught my eye:

Other celebrities like Snoop Dogg have also made an appearance on the show.

I don't know if Snoop is Advanced, but he is truly fascinating.

Eddie Van Halen Suing Nike

Here's the latest (and only), from Blabbermouth:

According to KTLA-TV, guitarist Eddie Van Halen filed a lawsuit against Nike in Los Angeles Friday, alleging the company used the trademarked striped design from his guitar on their new line of "Dunk Lows" tennis shoes.

The Nike shoes feature red, white and black streaks along the midsole.

The suit states that Van Halen received a 2001 copyright for the design on the body of his "Frankenstein" electric guitar.

Court papers allege that Nike infringed on that copyright by using the design on sneakers without "consent, approval or license."

Van Halen claims Nike is doing "irreparable harm and damage" to his signature design. He is seeking general and punitive damages, all profits arising from the sales of "Dunk Lows" and a permanent injunciton halting production of the Nike shoes.

Wow. Don't mess with Frankenstein. If you would like the EVH approved shoes, go here for his sneakers that look suspiciously like Chuck Taylors. I smell another lawsuit.

Cheap Trick to bring 'Sgt. Pepper' to Las Vegas

Here's the story:

Cheap Trick will interpret The Beatles' classic 1966 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" during a September Las Vegas engagement.

The band will kick off the performances, complete with a full symphony orchestra, Sept. 13 at the Las Vegas Hilton. The showcase will run over nine nights and will feature "special musical guests to be announced later," according to promoters.

"We are going to make rock 'n' roll history by incorporating this legendary American rock group with the music of The Beatles," said Bill Edwards, the show's producer, in a press statement. "This is a groundbreaking performance that everyone said couldn't be done live, but Cheap Trick has perfected it."

I used to joke about making an album called Jason Hartley Perfects the Classics, but I'll be darned if Cheap Trick hasn't gone an one-upped me.

AFL vs. AC/DC

It's a clash of priorities in Australia:

AC/DC is booked to play three concerts at Docklands in Melbourne next February. Two of the concerts have already sold out. But the AFL [Australian Football League] has booked pre-season matches on the same nights. The AFL has written to stadium officials to remind them of their contractual obligations saying it has first call on the indoor venue. But concert promoter Garry Van Egmond says the AC/DC shows will not be rescheduled or relocated.

"We're going ahead as planned. We couldn't, we wouldn't even consider it. We've got dates in Japan after this which we can't change," he said. "We've got three dates booked, we've sold 180,000 tickets and there's still some tickets available for the third show.

"We're going ahead, full steam ahead. We've got a watertight contract." AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has told Fairfax Radio the debacle is a matter for the stadium to sort out. "The ball's in the Etihad Stadium management's court. We're being absolutely open and honest in our agreement," he said

Please note that this is a preseason game! Those Aussies are serious about their football. But what a dilemma for an Advanced Fan of AC/DC. AFL chief broadcasting and commercial officer is really bummed because he has tickets to the concert.

Bono and the Edge Talk Spider-Man Musical

While Batman seems to be the most Advanced superhero, doing a Spider-Man Musical is still pretty good. Plus U2 already did a song for a Batman movie. Still, U2 cannot be Advanced because bands don't qualify. Only solo acts can achieve Advancement.

Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr to Collaborate

Well, this could be interesting (Paste):

Sir Paul McCartney, his fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, and Bob Dylan are joining forces to collaborate on new material.

The three musicians—all of whom are in their late 60s—have shared stages before, but never created new music together like this. McCartney recently became interested in working with Dylan, and after Dylan reciprocated, the two decided to move forward with this project. Starr will play drums.

This is the stuff music critics’ dreams are made of, and harkens back to the grandaddy of supergroups, the Traveling Wilburys, which consisted of Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. Details are scant otherwise, but expect to hear more about this collaboration soon.

I'm glad they told us that Ringo will play drums. I have no idea what this would sound like, but I hope it's an album of George Harrison covers. Or maybe a re-recording of All Things Must Pass.

Ghostbusters' Afterlife Continues in Video Game

Of course the New York Times had to use "Who You Gonna Call?" in the headline about a Ghostbusters video game. But anyway, here's a bit from the story:

“My mother claims that when she was nursing me, a man and woman appeared at the foot of the bed, so she called to my dad, and they opened up the family album, and it was Sam and my great-grandmother Ellen Jane coming to welcome the new baby.”

“We had total confidence at that point,” said [Harold] Ramis, one of the film’s stars and co-writer of the final screenplay. “We were at the top of our game. I remember during ‘The Blues Brothers’ Dan had been down on doing a lot of merchandising. He would say, ‘I don’t want to be on every lunchbox in America.’ Well, when it came time for ‘Ghostbusters’ his tune had changed, and he said, ‘Now, I do want to be on every lunchbox in America.’ And we were. And we were getting our own action figures and so on. We’d sort of already made some small mark on pop culture with several of the earlier movies, so we felt like we had arrived, and then ‘Ghostbusters’ kind of put it over the top.”

I'm not really sure why this game inspired this big write-up, but I was glad to see that Ghostbusters III is still a possibility.

Danger Mouse, David Lynch, and Sparklehorse: I Like This

Here's something interesting from Wired:

For [Danger Mouse's] new album, Dark Night of the Soul (due in June), he collaborated with indie rocker Mark Linkous (aka Sparklehorse) and filmmaker David Lynch. The power trio...reinvented the album as a guerrilla art project. "When formatting changed from vinyl to cassette, packaging got smaller. With MP3s, it's completely gone," Burton explains. "I wanted to get back to a time when packaging was a visual fantasy about the music and created a mystery for people to unpack."

In case you were worried that he might have been left out, Iggy Pop supplied some lyrics.

Book Update

Just finished the first draft on Monday! I'm taking a little time off from thinking about Advancement, but then I'm going to try to start posting some more. Is anyone still there?

Val Kilmer: Next Governor of New Mexico?

From the always reliable New York Post gossip section:

SO, as we speak, guess who's gearing up for political office?

Guess.

Just guess.

You'll never guess.

Val Kilmer.

By cellphone from Bulgaria, he said: "There's sort of a rumor around that I'm maybe thinking about running to be governor of New Mexico? Well, it's sort of true. It's been my home 25 years. I really love my state. Poor, hardworking, decent people - Native Americans, carpenters, artists, expats mixed in with hundreds of the world's smartest physicists at Los Alamos. I've always thought of myself as functioning as a candidate for them.

"The media interests me and it's influenced politicians since the '60s, and I'm approaching this as a worthy serious endeavor. I would be very comfortable in my position as a representative for the people."

Val Kilmer? Who was the lead in "Batman Forever"? Moses in "The Prince of Egypt"? Druggy rocker Jim Morrison in "The Doors"? Ladykiller Val Kilmer? Governor of New Mexico?

"People in the state are being supportive. Our current governor, Bill Richardson, who's hoping to be picked as secretary of state, and whom I've seen down in the dirt helping people you know could never help him in return, and whom I love, had a dinner for me and said not to dismiss the idea. Said I could be a great governor.

"Right now I'm making a movie here. I won't say it's a remake of Hitchcock's '59 oldie 'North by Northwest' because that sounds awful. Let's say it's inspired by that film. Similar plot, espionage, mistaken ID," and here he laughed, "and I'm doing Cary Grant's part which, I guess, is like saying I'm doing a sculpture of the Statue of Liberty.

Needless to say, I'd be happy to endorse him.

Led Zeppelin to Tour Without Robert Plant

Couldn't pass this one up:

Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones has confirmed that the band plan to tour without frontman Robert Plant. Jones said he and the group's remaining members – guitarist Jimmy Page and drummer Jason Bonham – “really hope” to return to the road, although he didn't specify when. Last month, Plant said he found the constant speculation around the band's future “frustrating and ridiculous”, and insisted that he “will not be touring or recording with Led Zeppelin”.

Jones told an audience at a guitar exhibition in Devon last weekend that the band had auditioned singers to take Plant's place. "As you probably know, Jimmy, Jason and I are actually rehearsing and we've had the odd singer come in and have a bash,” egigs quoted Jones as saying. “As soon as we know — which we don't — we will let you know. But we really hope that something is going to happen soon because we really want to do it and we're having a lot of fun, actually, just rehearsing.”

George Michael is the man for the job.

Johnny Rotten: He's a Butter Man Than I

I've been writing about Johnny Rotten for the book and came across this little gem:

They all sell out sooner or later: Remember Johnny Rotten? Punk/anarchist/rocker with the Sex Pistols, a band inexplicably popular 30 years ago? Real name John Lydon?

Well, it took a while, but it turns out that even punk anarchists have bills to pay, so there he is on English TV, wearing a tweed suit in a commercial for Country Life, a brand of butter.

"I've never done anything like this before and never thought I would," he told the Daily Telegraph, "but this ad was made for me and I couldn't resist the opportunity.

Parkay.

I'm Still Here, butMorrissey Is at the NFL Network

Sorry for not posting anything for so long and not saying why. I'm working on a book about an important topic you might be interested in, and that is keeping me too busy to keep the blog going. I will try to do weekly postings from now on, though, starting with this: "Every Day Is Like Sunday" is being used in NFL Network commercials.

"Spectacle: Elvis Costello"

I think this is an update on a previous post:

Elvis Costello is to become a fixture on both British and North American screens with his brand new TV show: 'Spectacle: Elvis Costello with,'.

Over the course of 13 episodes, Elvis will chat and perform with some very special guests, including Elton John, Tony Bennett and Lou Reed.

Very special and Advanced! Can't wait.

New Guns N' Roses Song to Debut on Rock Band 2

From the New York Times:

A decade and a half after releasing its previous album, Guns N’ Roses plans to put out a new song in September — on the video game Rock Band 2. MTV expects to announce on Monday that the sequel to its popular Rock Band game will include “Shackler’s Revenge,” a track from the Guns N’ Roses album that has been in the works for more than a decade, said people familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because the arrangement has yet to be announced.

The inclusion of the song on a game suggests that the Guns N’ Roses album “Chinese Democracy” will come out this fall, after years of delays. Axl Rose, who has selected replacements for the other original members, has said that the album is finished, but a release date has not been announced.

MTV and Universal Music Group, Guns N’ Roses’ label, declined to comment on the deal.

Guns N’ Roses’ plan to reintroduce its music to the public in a video game underscores how important to the music business games have become — especially Rock Band and Activision’s Guitar Hero series, which allow gamers to play along with songs on instrument-shaped plastic controllers. Rock Band 2 will also include songs from marquee acts like AC/DC and Rush; the game may also feature music by Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan, according to a track listing leaked online.

Every word in this article is Advanced.

Radiohead Camera-Free Video, Plus Footloose Soundtrack Remake

From my new favorite commenter:

More Radiohead advancement!! No cameras were used to make their new music video.

also, someone has recorded a remake of the entire Footloose soundtrack.

Chickenfoot

Here is some pretty serious Advancement:

The new "supergroup" featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, ex-VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith recently began work on material for its debut album. According to Anthony, that music that has so far been completed for the band, tentatively called CHICKENFOOT, is "F--IN' rockin and we hope to be in the studio finishing it up early September so we can get out there and PLAY!"

Smith told The Pulse of Radio he got involved in the project by owning a home near Hagar's place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. "If you're in Cabo, of course you know Sammy 'cause he's, you know, he rules the joint," he said. "And he's a really nice man, he's a great guy actually. Somehow he's taken a liking to me, and we played in Vegas, and we played some cover songs — we're a good cover band now. He got pretty excited about it and it actually sounded really good. Him and Joe got together up at his place and they wrote like five things together, and we'll see."

Hagar himself spoke about the project in a recent interview, explaining, "We've written eight, nine songs...When people hear the music, it's LED ZEPPELIN. It's as good as that. I know that's a mighty bold statement...We could rival ZEP."

...Chad Smith has been playing with former DEEP PURPLE bassist/singer Glenn Hughes as well as his own jazz combo since the CHILI PEPPERS came off the road last year after touring in support of 2006's "Stadium Arcadium" CD.

Who would've thought that Chad Smith would be the most Advanced Chili Pepper? At any rate, I'm really excited that there's a new band that rivals Led Zeppelin.

Best Radiohead Remix Ever

Been gone on vacation and catching up. Hopefully you will enjoy this remix my brother found here. a little background:

"For an approach that co-opts the hardware of corporate IT, look at how James Houston responded when Radiohead announced a remix contest around their second single, “Nude,” from the “In Rainbows” album. Fans had the opportunity to download the individual instrument tracks, then create their own song, but Houston went many steps further: he programmed a roomful of outdated hard drives and other office equipment to play the song orchestra-like. (Start around 01:15 for the melody)."

No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980

The New York Times has a bit about a new book on the No Wave scene. Here's the gist:

Of all the strange and short-lived periods in the history of experimental music in New York, no wave is perhaps the strangest and shortest-lived.

Centered on a handful of late-1970s downtown groups like Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, DNA and James Chance’s Contortions, it was a cacophonous, confrontational subgenre of punk rock, Dadaist in style and nihilistic in attitude. It began around 1976, and within four years most of the original bands had broken up.

But every weird rock scene — and every era of New York bohemia — eventually gets its coffee-table book moment. This month Abrams Image is publishing “No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980,” a visual history by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley.

There's a nice little slideshow too.

Lou Reed Interview, Australian Style

Every interviewer has to talk about how hard it is to interview Lou Reed:

TO anybody unfamiliar with the stratagems that Lou Reed regularly adopts to unsettle journalists, the scene unfolding in this chic Greenwich Village restaurant would seem pretty weird. Even I, a veteran of four previous encounters with one of rock's most truculent interviewees - and hence no stranger to his bleak stares, sudden interruptions and blank refusals to answer this or that - am confused.

We were scheduled to meet at 12.30pm to talk, over lunch, about Lou Reed's Berlin, a concert movie directed by his friend, artist and film director Julian Schnabel.

After various phone messages to the effect that "Lou is running late", at 3pm a middle-aged stranger walks up to my table, introduces himself as Reed's manager and leads me over to another table on the terrace outside, where he and his client are tucking into their tagliatelle starters. Reed looks up briefly, mumbles something and resumes his conversation with the manager.

Perched beside them, cradling the glass of mineral water that has kept me company for the past two hours, I soon realise there will be no lunch for me today and possibly no proper interview, either.

But enough about the interviewer:

At 66, Reed looks better now than he did for most of his middle years. His bad-hair decade, the 1990s, during which he persisted with a dyed black mullet, is behind him. He is back with a greyer version of the tousled mop he wore in his Velvet Underground days. He has long since kicked all of his bad habits, smoking being the last to go, in 2001; and, thanks to his exercise programs, tai-chi workouts and fastidious eating habits, his lean, slight figure means he can just about get away with the teenage gear he is wearing today: a noisy ensemble of baggy, brilliant-white tracksuit bottoms, orange and green trainers and a khaki windcheater.

But Lou doesn't forget the interviewer:

No sooner has Reed started to recall the conversations he has had through the years with Bob Ezrin - Berlin's producer and arranger, who originally suggested that he weave the songs into "a film for the ear" - than another, more painful memory barges in. Reed fixes me with a fierce stare. "Did you write that review of The Raven" - Reed's last studio album, from 2003 - "which said, 'Don't quit your day job'?"

He stares down my startled denial. "I remember these things. I don't mean to, but people send me this stuff. It's like your great-aunt just loves to see your name in the paper. But anyway... Look at that!"

Reed has just spotted a new Mini Cooper driving past the restaurant. "They're really fun to drive, but you don't wanna be in one for more than an hour. You can't see out the back and you can't move."

Why do you think Reed would be in the back seat of a Mini Cooper for more than hour? Anyway, there's more good stuff, and I encourage you to read the whole thing.

For Those About to Shop: AC/DC Makes a Deal With Wal-Mart

Hell's bells, I never thought it would happen:

AC/DC's next studio album will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores in the U.S., according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

...AC/DC is one of the few major acts yet to make its music available via Apple's iTunes Music Store. In August 2007, Verizon Wireless snagged the exclusive rights to sell the band's entire back catalog through March 2008, becoming the first and only digital music store to offer AC/DC's content.

I like to get all my rock news from WSJ.

Lou Reed at Spoleto

Lou Reed showed up at Spoleto:

We knew Spoleto season was upon us last month when people started phoning in Lou Reed sightings a few days ahead of the opening ceremony, and though the former Velvet Underground frontman accompanied wife Laurie Anderson to her official festival house party Wednesday night, he seems generally to have kept a low profile.

But Anderson and Reed had a surprise planned for the audience Thursday night (the second of Anderson’s three Spoleto shows). News of some kind of special guest reached the newsroom at about 3 p.m., and through some mojo I’ll never understand I wound up with a ticket to what appeared to be an otherwise sold-out Anderson performance at Memminger.

The surprise? Near the end of the show, Anderson announced that it was her 61st birthday and called Reed up on stage for a rendition of “The Lost Art of Conversation.” It turns out this isn’t the first time Reed has joined Anderson for a performance of this song from the Homeland cycle, but for what it’s worth, I thought Reed added an electric growl to the piece as it wore on, and for just a moment the five players transformed the relatively minimalistic score into what seemed like a sudden, queasy, blues-rock hallucination, which isn’t exactly an everyday sound when one of your five instruments is an accordion. It surged and faded, but it seemed spontaneous and surprising.

Thanks for the heads up, Teacherfriend!

Scarlett Johansson Video: Falling Down

I love my Salman (Sal Bass) Rushdie. I think she actually does a nice job on this one. Sounds a bit like Sinead O'Connor or Elisabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins.

Joy Division Zune

From Pitchfork:

Ain't she something? That's the previously reported limited edition Joy Division Microsoft Zune up there, bearing Factory Records design guy Peter Saville's iconic Unknown Pleasures artwork. Though initially set to arrive in conjunction with the DVD release of the Grant Gee-directed Joy Division documentary on June 10, both DVD and Zune now go up for sale June 17.

All 500 copies of this thing come pre-loaded with the film, and the 80-gigabyte devices, dying star charts and all, can be purchased via Zune's website and zuneoriginals.net.

I'm reminded of an old SNL game show sketch where a bunch of comedians had to guess what is the deal with a variety of things, and Adam Sandler's response to every one was, "Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one?"

White Gold

Drink it up.

Inconvenient Truth: The Opera

From the AP:

First it was the film and the book. Now the next stop for Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" is opera. La Scala officials say the Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli has been commissioned to produce an opera on the international multiformat hit for the 2011 season at the Milan opera house. The composer is currently artistic director of the Arena in Verona.

I always thought there should be an opera based on a PowerPoint presentation, so I'm pretty pleased about this.

Scarlett Johansson's Album Gets Bad Reviews

From Reuters:

"Anywhere I Lay My Head," a collection of Tom Waits songs recorded by the star of such films as "Match Point," "Lost in Translation" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring," has been described by the actress as "an intimate experience." But numerous reviews of the album complained that Johansson's vocals end up lost in the lush arrangements of producer David Andrew Sitek, the guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band TV on the Radio.

For some critics, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Johansson's voice is unremarkable and her pitch sometimes unsteady; she's a faintly goth Marilyn Manson lost in a sonic fog," wrote Rolling Stone magazine, which gave her a lukewarm 2.5 stars out of five.

Britain's Mojo magazine called the recordings "fussy and forgettable," adding that the decision to begin the album with an instrumental was hardly a vote of confidence in Johansson's vocal abilities.

The disc received a middling "C" grade from Entertainment Weekly magazine, which wrote that her "expressionless voice" was buried "deeply in the druggy ambiance."

And the Washington Post said it was possible to listen to all 40-plus minutes of Johansson's album and "still have no earthly idea what she sounds like."

"The album is ultimately too ethereal for its own good," the Post said. "Every song is like every other song, even the ones that sound different."

...

She later sang live with the band Jesus and Mary Chain at the Coachella Music Festival in California.

I didn't know about that last part. That's a nice move on the part of Jesus and Mary Chain. Anyhow, don't let those critics get you down Scarlett. They don't know what they're talking about, plus they're jealous of you (or your boyfriend).

David Bowie Musical

From Contact Music:

David Bowie fans can dust off their glitter trousers as the Thin White Duke is planning a musical theatre version of his hits, a tabloid reports. The Sun says a version of the 1976 cult sci-fi film The Man Who Fell To Earth will be hitting the West End after Bowie gave his permission for work to begin on the project.

According to a source quoted by the newspaper, the involvement of director Peter Schaufuss is what swung the decision. "David has been approached many times with a view of turning his songs into a stage production but he has always said no," the insider said.

"He guards his legacy carefully and didn't want a cheesy show tarnishing it."

He should star in it. That would be quite Advanced.

Lou Reed to Host Satellite Radio Show

It was only a matter of time (Reuters):

Rocker Lou Reed is taking a walk on the wild side to Sirius Satellite Radio Inc, where he will host his own weekly show, the company said. Dubbed "Lou Reed's New York Shuffle," the free-form radio show will premiere on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST on Sirius' Disorder channel 70.

"For years, I've always been a fan of eclectic radio, such as FM radio in the past when you could hear stations play widely divergent music, ranging from rock to country to jazz to opera," Reed said in a statement. "We will try to bring Sirius' listeners audio from all parts of the world that covers the whole musical spectrum."

Reed will co-host the show with Hal Willner, who was a musical director on "Berlin," a theatricalized concert version of Reed's 1973 album of the same name. The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on July 18.

That first sentence makes absolutely no sense. In what way is he walking on the wild side to satellite radio? I understand that Lou Reed is a one-hit wonder and all, but he does have other songs, including one that actually mentions satellites! Oh well, still good news.

Neil Diamond: All the Number-One Hit

Neil Diamond's got his first number-one record. Take it away, Reuters:

With "Home Before Dark," Neil Diamond has landed his first chart-topping album. The Columbia release, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, got a big plug when Diamond appeared recently on "American Idol," bolstering its 146,000 first-week U.S. sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The Rick Rubin-produced "Home" is Diamond's biggest debut sales week since SoundScan began tracking in 1991. He first appeared on Billboard's charts in 1966 with "The Feel of Neil Diamond"; the closest he got to No. 1 was with the 1973 soundtrack to "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," which reached No. 2.

You know what would be a great record? A Rick Rubin-produced George Michael album. "Who should Rick Rubin produce next?" could be a fun game.

Joaquin Phoenix Making a Record With Tim Burgess

According to Reuters, it's true:

Actor Joaquin Phoenix, who played Johnny Cash on the big screen, is cutting an album with Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, Billboard.com has learned. But whether the set will be released remains unclear.

"Once he learned guitar, he found that he had quite a lot of demons inside himself that he wanted to expel through music," says Burgess, who has been mixing the record alongside Alan McGee, the Charlatans' manager and former head of U.K. independent label Creation Records.

But it seems that the perfectionism that has brought Phoenix acclaim as an actor could prevent the record from ever seeing the light of day.

This is not actual Advancement because I don't think Phoenix (or Burgess) rises to that level, but he did play somebody Advanced, so I thought I'd tell you about it. One thing I'm not sure about: Is it more Advanced for him to release the record or not?

David Byrne's Musical Building, Neil Young Gets a Spider

Sorry I've been away for a while, but I was busy on a project. But now I'm back so let's take a look at this, from the AP:

Ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne plans to turn a landmark building in Manhattan into a giant musical instrument. State officials say Byrne will create a temporary installation in the Great Hall of the Battery Maritime Building, which is next to the Whitehall Ferry Terminal. The "Playing the Building" installation will include devices attached to ceiling beams, plumbing, electrical conduits and other parts of the structure. Sound will be produced through vibration, making the building function as an instrument.

And here's this, from Reuters:

Iconic singer and songwriter Neil Young has had an honor bestowed upon him that is not received by many musicians -- his own spider. An East Carolina University biologist, Jason Bond, discovered a new species of trapdoor spider and opted to call the arachnid after his favorite musician, Canadian Neil Young, naming it Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi.

"There are rather strict rules about how you name new species," Bond said in a statement. "As long as these rules are followed you can give a new species just about any name you please. With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice."

Roy Orbison has his own spider too! But the question is, where is John Entwhistle's?

Lou Reed Gets Married, Plays Music, Likes Tai Chi

From Contact Music:

Veteran rocker LOU REED has reportedly married his longtime partner LAURIE ANDERSON in a secret ceremony in Colorado earlier this month (12Apr08). The couple, who have lived together since 1995, was recently spotted celebrating in New York with drinks and dessert at the East Village, New York townhouse of photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Sanders made the Grammy-winning documentary Lou Reed: Rock And Roll Heart about the musician in 1999.
Guests at the gathering included filmmaker Julian Schnabel and Law + Order: Special Victims Unit star Richard Belzer, reports New York gossip column PageSix.

And he's playing shows too (Washington Post):

Lou Reed called his most famous live album "Rock n Roll Animal," but the title was kind of a joke even then, in 1974. The unofficial poet laureate of New York City is one of the least-pandering rockers ever, and his complete absorption in the music gives him a paradoxical charm: Like all icons of existential cool, he seems truly not to care whether you like him or not.

Take Tuesday night's powerful but maddeningly brief show at the 9:30 club. The majority of the mere dozen songs performed were mid-'80s-and-later album cuts, with only "Sweet Jane" (disposed of early in the set) and "Perfect Day" among Reed's "hits." He might have rolled his eyes introducing the Velvet Underground curio "I'm Sticking With You" ("This was in 'Juno,' that's why we're doing it") but you just never know with this guy.

Finally, if you're planning to interview Lou Reed, here's some advice (Style Weekly):

“Talk to Lou about playing music, manipulating sound [guitar feedback], the power of focusing your energy. He’s really into tai chi — that Chinese, slow motion exercise stuff,” he writes. “I got lucky when I talked with him, he didn’t get pissed off once in the entire eight-or-so minutes. Even invited me backstage, which was later withdrawn by his management, the bastards. Good luck!”

The Daily Collegian Gets It

Nice little article about Lou Reed in the Daily Collegian:

Lou Reed is sort of an art snob. He was trained by poet Delmore Schwartz, whom most of us have never heard of, and he writes soundtracks to films about obscure Nelson Algren novels that never come to fruition. He records Top 20 hits, grows disenfranchised and releases double albums of distortion. He puts out brilliant rock operas, stylized renditions of the works of Poe and, more recently, meditation music inspired by the Hudson River. Lou Reed isn't appealing to your tastes, and that's what makes him appealing.

Couldn't have said it better myself. There's other good stuff here, so read the article. Don't worry, it's short, and while little will be new to you, it is the rare article about Reed where the writer seems to actually understand the subject.

MSN Vista SP1 Video

No comment.

Peter Gabriel Recommendation Engine, Bill Cosby Does Hip-Hop, Neil Diamond to Tour, and Other Things

Busy day yesterday.

Digital Music News:
Peter Gabriel is now unwrapping a beta version of a multimedia filtering and discovery engine. The destination, called The Filter (thefilter.com), is currently in private beta, though a small group of journalists are being briefed on the concept. Music is a critical component of the offering, though Gabriel is pushing a vision that includes multiple forms of media.

USA Today:
Bill Cosby's path has taken him from pudding pops to hip hop. The 70-year-old has recorded a hip-hop CD set for release next month. Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency blends the comedian's concepts and stories with a hip-hop, pop and jazz soundtrack.

"I do not rap on any of these things," Cosby told The Associated Press Monday. "I wouldn't know how to fix my mouth to say some of the words." What Cosby does know, though, is that the hip-hop music he hears is profane and degrading. His album is "the opposite of what I think is the profanity for no particular reason, the misogyny for no particular reason. It really looks at the frustration and the anger that a young man may have," he said.

AP:
Neil Diamond, who is releasing a new album next month and embarking on a new tour this summer, says both projects mark the best — and hardest work — of his career.

This is the most technically challenging show that I've ever done," Diamond told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. Diamond said: "This record represents a giant step in my evolution as a writer and a recording artist ... you will see I've gone deeper. It was more painful to write this — maybe the most difficult album I've ever written, and maybe my best."

Live Daily:
Veteran singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen [ tickets ] will launch his first tour in 15 years next month with a round of dates in the Canadian performer's native country.The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will kick off the run May 11 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, with multiple nights in many locations during the May/June outing, including a five-night engagement (4/12-13, 15-17) in Halifax, Nova Scotia....

Cohen will be backed on the trek by a full band that includes bassist Roscoe Beck, keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Neil Larsen, guitarists Bob Metzger and Javier Mas, stringed instrumentalist Christine Wu, drummer Rafael Gayol and multi-instrumentalist Dino Soldo.

CMT:
A live album featuring Willie Nelson and jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, titled Two Men With the Blues, will be released on June 10 by Blue Note Records, a jazz label. Mickey Raphael, Nelson's longtime harmonica player, also appears on the album, along with Marsalis' band. Nelson and Marsalis recorded their concert at Lincoln Center in New York City in January 2007.

***
I'm told that the Neil Diamond record actually is amazing, by the way. And Leonard Cohen's band is classic Advancement. Finally, my son has been sick the last few nights, and I began to wonder why do I all of the sudden turn into the woman who played Steve Martin's mom in the jerk when trying to soothe him by singing?

Eminem to Perform for Nelson Mandela

According to dlisted, it's true:

When you think of Nelson Mandela, you automatically think of Eminem. Em will take the stage at Mandela's 90th...count 'em....90th Birthday party. WTF! Come to think of it, I can see Mandela dropping it like it's hot to "Lose Yourself." The Sun reports that Em has been confirmed to make his comeback at Mandela's party. I hope it's fat Eminem that takes the stage.

An inside source said, "We’re amazed to have Eminem on board. We wanted some of the greatest artists from recent times and Eminem was on the list."

Let me guess, Vanilla Ice wasn't available because he's in jail.

I'm also hoping Mandela and Eminem do a duet to "Ebony and Ivory."

I have one question: did a 1980s robot write those jokes?

Dave Stewart's Rock Fabulous Orchestra

From a press release:

One of the most prolific artists in the past two decades, Dave Stewart, will embark on a full-scale North American tour this August. Billed as Dave Stewart and His 30-Piece Rock Fabulous Orchestra the show will include songs from Stewart's vast catalog of classic hits performed in one-of-a-kind arrangements. In addition to smash-hits from Eurythmics such as "Sweet Dreams" and "Here Comes the Rain Again," the songbook includes timeless tracks penned by Stewart including Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More," No Doubt's "Underneath It All," Mick Jagger's Golden Globe-winning "Old Habits Die Hard" and Celine Dion's recent chart-topper "Taking Chances," only to name a few.

"This isn't so much a look back but a new beginning," said Stewart. "When stuff has been put away for a while and you dust it off, you often see something you've never seen before. And before you know it, you're on the road with a 30-piece orchestra!" I have a great band as well as an orchestra and some amazing female voices to sing with me.

In August, Stewart's company Weapons of Mass Entertainment and Surfdog Records will be releasing an album consisting of new fresh rejuvenated versions of his most celebrated material with the full orchestra. The aptly titled "Dave Stewart Songbook, Vol. 1" will be accompanied by a hard-cover, glossy book of the same title. The book will include a chapter dedicated to each song with the story behind the music and stunning photos of his collaborators during the recording sessions, most of which were taken by Stewart himself.

Beyond his music legacy, Stewart and his company Weapons of Mass Entertainment have been at the forefront of innovation linking creative ideas to a host of projects in film, television, books theatre and new media. Stewart was recently hired as a consultant for Nokia, the world's largest cellphone company, where he was given the unique title of "Change Agent," charged with ensuring the artists' point of view is represented in the "new world" and creating new content business paradigms for the entertainment industry. A recent Washington Post article hailed Stewart's innovation in this arena, calling him "a man who vows to drop a 'neutron bomb' on the current entertainment distribution model."

Stewart is described by Bob Dylan as "a fearless innovator" and he has built up a repertoire of remarkable songs that have been performed by some of the most influential musicians of our time. In 1999, Dave Stewart along with his Eurythmics partner, Annie Lennox, were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Brit Awards after having sold over 75 million albums.

Is Dave Stewart Advanced? All I know is that is stock is rising.