It’s a shame - truly a shame to hear about his passing…

And it came as a shock.

To die so suddenly from cancer

And talk about a huge void… Seriously…

An outstanding instrumentalist.

Dark Side of the Moon wouldn’t exist without him…

“The great gig in the sky”, “Us and Them”…

Definitely Richard Wright creations that still sound so fresh to this day.

I met him briefly on David Gilmour’s tour a couple of years ago and I met a true English Gentleman - Quiet, Reserved, and Just fun to be around…

You could tell he enjoyed life, playing music, and performing.

So again, I’m going to miss his contributions to Pink Floyd tremendously, His keen ear for bluesy, whoosy, lushful dreamy unmistakable sounds generating from his keyboards.

A toast to Richard Wright, looking up at this great blue sky…

You will be missed.

I have to admit that for me, Beck Hansen can do no wrong. Every album he has ever put out has its own distinctive sound and intent, from the grinding, haunting Mellow Gold to dirty, gritty Midnite Vultures to the mellow, lonely and transcendent vibe of Sea Change. Hell, he even gave you groovy stickers to design your own album cover with The Information. (It did sound a bit like, “Yes, I know you can buy it online, but do you get stickers that way?!? I think not.)

My loyalty having been declared, I actually wasn’t sure how I felt about the first single I heard, “Gamma Ray” from this month’s Modern Guilt. Did it seem all that fresh? Different from the albums that came before it? Creepy? Boppy? Sappy? Snappy? I’ve come to expect a lot from Beck…maybe because I never know quite what to expect. (But I’ve been disappointed before, even in artists I fiercely believe in.) I snagged the album the next day and gave it a solid listen, to get the point of view, the theme, the style, the new invention. And…it fit just right *whew* - this new, modern Beck, somewhere right between Guero and The Information.

I don’t know if he’ll ever make another album with the raw energy of Mellow Gold, Mutations, and a few tracks from Odelay – there’s just something about those first albums that’s uniquely emotional and forcefully creative. Then again, I’ve been listening for what, 15 years now? He may not have quite the same edge to him now, but he makes up for it with sincerity and unfailing artistry. With albums as diverse as his influences, he’ll have my attention for as many as he cares to put out.

One last thing….have you ever seen the man move?!

*sigh*

He’s absolutely precious.

An ordinance currently making its way through the city council circuit could potentially destroy the wonderful way music is heard here in Chicago.

The so called “Event Promoters” ordinance looks to require any event promoter to have a license with the city of Chicago and liability insurance of up to $300,000 for starters. The short of it is that the way this is worded it would require small, new, or out of town bands that want to promote their music and put on their own show to apply for the very expensive license to put on an event/show.

A new effort is afoot to stop the ordinance in its tracks, by getting digital signatures on a petition before the May 14th date ( thats a few days away now ). You can sign the petition here

You can read more about the ordinance:
@ the Jim DeRogatis - Chicago Sun Times Blog

The Bees are a UK band, also known in the U.S. as A Band of Bees (for reasons which I have not yet found…). With 2007’s Octopus, they released the most upbeat, cohesive collection of tunes I’ve heard in a while. It’s downright pleasant. And though it expresses itself in a rich retro style, it also manages to be very refreshing. Basically, I can’t stop playing it. (Note: A few years ago, I would have been able to describe it as “a cd that will have a perpetual slot in the cd player for quite some time.” Now, in the age of mp3s and shuffling, I guess I’d have to call it “an album I actually listen to straight through - no shuffling - over and over again. So I guess I’d have to say that’s a pretty nice compliment.)

(more…)

Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails have released a new album for free to their fans. only days after releasing their single, which he gave out almost immediately after finalizing the mix. It seems like Trent is trying to make a statement to the record labels, that an artist can create and be successful through the internet, and in doing so maybe he, along with Radiohead and other artists following in their footsteps, will be changing the way the medium is distributed and promoted.

Nine Inch Nails has 20 plus years in the industry, and show no signs of ever slowing down, creating music that different generations since their inception have loved and rocked out to. As one of the legion of fans I don’t know if I can be completely objective but I will try.
(more…)