Best known for their lawsuits, the RIAA is also responsible for giving out those platinum and gold albums to celebrate high record sales..

[ In fact, that's *all* they're chartered to do. They've evolved into the forward face of the industry, but they need to get their wings clipped a bit, in my opinion. -k]

Racket protection - U and the numeral 2

In brief, the new album from Sahara Hotnights is 34 minutes of up-tempo punk-pop fun.

Reviews from Muze/Rhapsody and All Music Guide:

Instead of digging up age-old guitar riffs from long-dead bluesmen, Sweden's Sahara Hotnights seem intent on playing up the celebratory aspect of basic rock 'n' roll. The songs are big and loud, but the exuberance is all pure pop and glam rock. If you dig handclaps, low-slung guitars and chicks, you'll love this.

Vocalist Maria Andersson shines as a singer; she's vocally focused in her delivery while the harmonies coming from the Asplund sisters are equally fine-tuned, making Kiss & Tell fun right from the start. From the brassy cheers of "Hot Night Crash" and "Who Do You Dance For?" to the foxy Runaways-like impression of "Walk on the Wire," the energy of Kiss & Tell seduces you to twist your hips like never before.

[ I will now acquire this record. I didn't know they had a new one out, but their prior two are both really damn good - was just listening yesterday, as it turns out. What I'm really looking forward to is seeing them live again. They played Echo Lounge a while back (over a year, at least) and completely rocked the fucking house. I've seen a lot of shows, but they stood out for the pure hold-nothing-in-reserve intensiy. In my top 20 shows of all time, easy. -k

edit: FUCK! Aparently i missed them back in July. How the hell did that happen!]

Sahara Hotnights

Some things in life are bad,
They can really make you mad,
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle.
And this'll help things turn out for the best.
And....
Always look on the bright side of life, (whistle)
Always look on the bright side of life, (whistle)
If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten,
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps.
Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing.

[ Good advice, wish i was better at following it... -k]

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life

After 21 years, Phish is breaking up.

At long last, the dead is dead.

[ Don't count on it. I fear that as long as there are pot smoking frat boys and wanna-be hippie trustafarians, there will be some jam-band willing to give them 38 minute long songs and rootsy common ground.

It's fine in it's own way, I suppose, but the extreme attachment i see in such people, to a thing as ephemeral as a band, doesn't strike me as healthy.

On the plus side, Phish was a thousand times better, musically, than the Dead, so maybe the next generation will up the ante some more... -k]

Phish breakup 'bummer of a thing' for Maine fans

From the mini-review in Rhapsody:

Was it Jem's firsthand knowledge of the music business that made her pay attention to so many details in her music?

"Finally Woken" delights with well-crafted songs dressed up in gentle trip-hop beats and subtle-but-potent pop hooks. "Wish I," "Just a Ride" and "They" are a few highlights on this creative masterpiece.

[ Presumably not modeled after the 80's cartoon of the same name...

Actually, reminds me at times of a slightly dub influenced Emiliana Torrini and other times of a slightly more upbeat Dido. -k]

Jem - Finally Woken

What kind of mother doesn't love Roni Size?

[Roni Size is pretty baddass... -k]

Strictly Social

] Korn's new video for "Y'all Want a Single? Fuck That,"
] consists of the band trashing a record store, screaming
] the chorous, while a suprisingly eloquent rant against
] the recording industry's treatment of artists and the
] radio oligopolies' top-40 mentalitity scrolls past. The
] band reveals that they released the video against its
] label's wishes and urges you to "steal" it. (Link to video
] here.)

[ Very nice. Even if you don't like Korn. -k]

Boing Boing: Korn's new video damns the music industry

If you are not listening to Denali, you are not cool. March 16 for those of you in Nashville. Seriously.

[ fuckin-a right. and buy a record from them too... 12 bucks for some top 10 indie rock. -k]

^ DENALI ^

] MacBand is an online directory of songs and loops made by
] artists using Apple Computer's GarageBand software.

[ All of them are offerred under Creative Commons licences... an interesting implication for the Remix Culture meme the community seems so fond of... neat idea. -k]

MacBand.com - Share Your Music with the World

electronic (as in the genre) music label offers music, non-drm'd mp3s, for download via Bleep - looks like $1.35 per track, and $10 or less per record.

Perhaps this is a genre where this can work... interesting experiment if nothing else.

BLEEP - Digital Downloads from Warp Records