Does John Lennon belong in a car commercial? His son Sean thinks so. When Yoko Ono came under fire for licensing her late husband’s film clip to Citroen, her son took to Twitter to defend her. His tweet read:
“She did not do it for money. Has to do w hoping to keep dad in public consciousness. No new LPs, so TV ad is exposure to young.”
What do you think?
Jane’s Addiction’s reunion in 2008 was not the first since their 1991 break up. It was however, the first time the original line up had reunited in 17 years. It was in 2008 that bassist Eric Avery agreed to join the rest of the band in getting back together. Almost as quickly as it occurred, Dave Navarro and Avery have announced via their Twitter accounts that Avery is calling it quits. Duff McKagen of Velvet Revolver and Guns’n’Roses will be taking Avery’s place just as Jane’s Addiction heads back to the studio to record their 4th studio album.
Record Store Day is just a little over a month away. On April 16th, all kinds of musical artists will offer special vinyl and CD releases exclusively through independent record retailers. Indiana’s own Jagjaguwar records is on board with a special 7” single tied to Peter Gabriel’s recent Scratch My Back covers project. The label’s Bon Iver takes the A-side with their cover of “Come Talk to Me.” Gabriel returns the favor on the B-side with his version of the band’s “Flume.”
Blind Melon’s career began in 1989 and was cut short in 1995 by the untimely death of lead singer and Indiana native, Shannon Hoon. October 21st will mark the 15th anniversary of Hoon’s death. As a tribute, the surviving members of Blind Melon are releasing a documentary later this year about the early days of the band. The film will include footage of the band’s tour with the Rolling Stones and Neil Young, as well as home video shot by Shannon Hoon himself. And if you’re interested in joining the band, they are accepting mp3’s and YouTube video links from potential lead singers.
What would it be like to hear Ben Harper’s version of INXS’ “Devil Inside?” How about Rob Thomas doing “Original Sin?” Or Brandon Flowers covering “Beautiful Girl?” We’ll hear those artists and more on a “reimagining” INXS album due out in May. But if a covers album just doesn’t cut it for you, INXS drummer Jon Farris says fans can expect new material sometime in the future.
Pete Townshend hears that. In an interview with Rolling Stone he reveled that his tinnitus has returned. One possible solution: hooking Townshend up to an in-ear monitoring system which they will test during the Who’s March 30th Teenage Cancer Trust show. If the gig does not go well, The Who may cancel their upcoming concerts.
Doesn’t it seem like Christmas comes a little earlier every year? Chris Martin of Coldplay certainly isn’t wasting time planning for the 2010 holidays. The band is also taking extra precautions to make sure Christmas doesn’t come too early for their fans by ensuring the forthcoming album does not get leaked online.
The recent release of the album Valleys of Neptune hinted that there might yet be unreleased Jimi Hendrix beyond just studio outtakes and live performances. In an interview with the L.A. Times, the rock icon’s sister Janie suggested Valleys of Neptune is only the first step in a strategy to explore the his archives. Then she let slip with a nugget that had not previously been reported. A special edition of the video game Rock Band featuring the guitarist may be in the works. EA had previously announced the next special edition would feature Green Day and did not respond to Billboard inquiries about a Hendrix edition.
Right around the time John Mellencamp’s 80’s anthem “Authority Song” was making it’s annual appearance in World Class Rock A-to-Z a grassroots movement suggested a different attitude for the Indiana rocker…If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. In this case they’re suggesting the U.S. Senate in the seat soon to be vacated by Evan Bayh. Since February 15th, the Facebook group “Draft John Mellencamp for Senate!” has acquired several thousand members and the attention mainstream media outlets including the Wall Street Journal and MSNBC.
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For Sale: One studio.
Location: London, England.
Condition: Slightly used…for some of the greatest recordings in rock and roll history!
Abbey Road Studios is being put up for sale. Abbey Road was opened in 1931 by the Gramophone Company, which later became EMI.
