Come on my Son Volt

Rolling Stone magazine reports:

As Jay Farrar readies a new Son Volt album with a fresh cast of characters, he is taking a moment to look back, helping to compile a Rhino Records anthology for release May 24th. Alongside the band's classic album cuts, the two-CD set features demos and rarities. "I was thinking about artists I like, whether it's Bob Dylan or R.L. Burnside, and all the unreleased stuff they've put out there," Farrar says, "and it motivated me to dig through the vault a bit."

Fonts of rock

Need to make up a facsimile of an AC/DC album sleeve or a Megadeath poster? Well, half your worries are over. Here on this RockRage page are a whole bunch of music fonts.

Physical Graffiti with style!

Why Wilco is the future of music

Oh, I'm already convinced. But you might read an article from the February issue of Wired magazine.

Lawrence Lessig says:

Great things happen when a band and its audience find harmony.

Lessig interviews Jeff Tweedy, and discusses Wilco's recent success, despite the record company canning them. It's all down to the internet, and a new paradigm:

"Music," he explained, "is different" from other intellectual property. Not Karl Marx different - this isn't latent communism. But neither is it just "a piece of plastic or a loaf of bread." The artist controls just part of the music-making process; the audience adds the rest. Fans' imagination makes it real. Their participation makes it live. "We are just troubadours," Tweedy told me. "The audience is our collaborator. We should be encouraging their collaboration, not treating them like thieves."

Also, it does help that they have made an extraordinarily good record in A Ghost is Born.

Barbershop conversation

I tried a new hairdresser yesterday - my usual chap was not available for weeks, the hair in my eyes was becoming a hazard, and the general look was probably inappropriate for someone nearly fifty.

This guy plays good, soothing music, which is great for someone who does not like to get their hair cut. Instead of some loud techno which leaves fingernail impressions in the palms of your hands, he was playing the soundtrack to Thicker than Water by Jack Johnson.

"But the customers really like Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos," he said.

In the old days, barbers gave you sensational stock market tips and sold you a pack of prophylactics on the way out the door.

What did Santa bring you, sonny?

I finally made up my mind what to buy with my Christmas amazon gift voucher (thanks, Mom & Dad!), 'cos you want to spend on records you really want. This is not to be squandered on some throw-aways you only listen to once, ya know.

Haven't really had a chance to listen intently yet, so no reviews, no packdrill, just saying that I've got 'em.



Tambourine by Tift Merritt
I really liked her Bramble Rose record from a couple of years ago. This has more soul, more trumpets, and sounds like Sheryl Crow probably wants to sound like.



Vultures Await by Will Johnson
Solo record from Centro-matic leader; I was turned on to Centro-Matic by friend and drummer Paul. This is obviously, er..., him without the band.



I'm Wide Awake It's Morning by Bright Eyes
Has been huge in the USA indie markets. So far, its claim to fame is that it has been banned from general public playing in the house, due to language and some gritty images. It joins Post to Wire from Richmond Fontaine in that; not necessarily a bad thing, then.



Want One by Rufus Wainwright
In sharp contrast, widely liked. I saw a video clip of him playing I Don't Know What It Is (track 2), and was intrigued by really strong sense of melody.

CD-WOW!

Obviously there's lots of places to buy inexpensive music - even the supermarkets have some pretty good deals from time to time.

On the net, one place I've used consistently is CD-WOW. They sent me an e-mail today saying that all chart cds have been slashed in price and are now £8.75, delivered to your door.

CD-WOW ship from the Far East, but I've always had exceptional service, with product arriving in a few days; worth checking out, even if the range is not as esoteric as one might always want.