""Neither the David Bowie Organization, nor its co-publishers EMI Music and Chrysalis, has issued a license for a Bowie musical at the O2, as has been reported in the U.K. There are no negotiations pending for a long-running musical featuring the music of Mr. Bowie."

by Ryan Barkan

Super Bowl XLV (45): Dallas Cowboys vs...oh wait....The Green Bay Packers vs the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dallas' brand new, state of the art, big ass stadium. The Packers won, bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to small town America and less sales back to Wiz Khalifa. I wonder if Jerry Jones was faking all of those smiles? Enough of the sports talk. This feature is the return of the long lost "Week In Music Licensing" post.

The real winner tonight - Detroit. A town that has been down on its luck, due for something inspiring to happen. Well here you go. Laura R. Charron tweeted that "#Detroit area agrees that #Chrysler200 had THE BEST commercial." Decide for yourself:

Continue reading "music & commercials of Super Bowl XLV (Eminem, Jon Spencer, Ozzy, Bieber, Bowie, RAC, Kenny G & more)"

Last night's (and tonight's) show at Iridium Jazz Club was billed as "Jeff Beck invites you to a Very Special Evening - A Celebration of Les Paul with the Imelda May Band". The best way to describe it would be "The Imelda May Band played covers with the amazing Jeff Beck as their guitarist, a really awesome saxophone player and a couple of special guests". The show was being filmed by PBS for a special that is set to air around Christmas (and is being released on DVD).

Before the show started, they quickly filmed Jeff handing a plaque to Les Paul's son. The plaque will hang in the venue, which is where Les played every Monday night up until his recent death. Today, June 9th, would have been his 95th birthday.

The Irish Imelda May's band included her husband Darrel Higham who may have sang more songs than anyone all night, a drummer and an upright bassist. And there was a 3-piece horn section that included the crowd-pleasing Leo Green on sax. The setlist covered lots of standards ranging from Moon River to Rock Around the Clock. People clapped every time Jeff did a short solo in one of the songs. People made other weird crowd noises every time he switched guitars. Everyone was itching for him to jam out a little more. The NY Times says...

"Roughly speaking, Mr. Beck's long and passionate set was divided into three parts. The opening section, beginning with Elvis Presley's "Baby, Let's Play House" was pure rockabilly and allowed Mr. Beck to acknowledge some of the influences he absorbed after his initial exposure to Les Paul: Scotty Moore and Cliff Gallup in particular, but also with occasional Link Wray, Duane Eddy and Roy Buchanan flourishes thrown in. That part of the show also included a tune associated with Mr. Beck's own repertory, a reading of Johnny Burnette's "Train Kept A Rollin'" that was truer to the song's origins than the Yardbirds hit versions and other later recordings by Aerosmith and others.

After Imelda May took the stage, the show soon switched over to renditions of Les Paul's greatest hits, with Mr. Beck replicating some of the original solos, notoriously tricky, especially when not overdubbed, and transforming others by adopting a more stinging tone. In addition to "How High the Moon," he tackled "Vaya con Dios," "Mockingbird Hill," "Bye Bye Blues," "Tiger Rag" and, most challenging of all, "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise."" [NY Times]

The second guest, who fit right in with the rockabilly theme Imelda May and band have going on, was Stray Cat Brian Setzer who performed "Twenty Flight Rock" with Jeff and band. He also then returned a couple of songs later to play guitar on "Shake Rattle & Roll".

The biggest guest of the evening, David Bowie, never left his seat in the audience (well, while the show was happening anyway).

They do it again tonight, with even bigger special guests rumored (member of the Rolling Stones among them). A video from last night below...

Continue reading "Jeff Beck, Imelda May & some friends honored Les Paul @ Iridium Jazz Club (Gary U.S. Bonds plays BB Kings tonight) "

DOWNLOAD: Peter Gabriel - Flume (Bon Iver cover) (MP3)

Peter Gabriel's new record Scratch My Back is an all-cover, orchestra-backed collection of songs from Bowie's "Heroes" to Arcade Fire's "My Body Is a Cage." There's also a Bon Iver cover, a soft-spoken take on "Flume," which you can get above (full track list below). The record is described as "the first part of a series of song exchanges in which Peter and other leading artists reinterpret each others songs." It comes out in UK/Europe on February 15th (through EMI), in Canada on February 16th (through Universal Music) and in the US on March 2nd through Gabriel's own Real World Records.

Gabriel's album-supporting tour is short and sweet. He plays three European cities in March, then there are three North American stops - one night in L.A. and Montreal, and two nights at New York's Radio City Music Hall on May 2nd and 3rd. Tickets go on AmEx presale Sunday, Febraury 7th. General sale starts Tuesday, February 16th at 10am. For all the dates, he'll have a 54-piece orchestra in tow.

In other rock legends playing Radio City news, tickets go on general sale Friday for a show Ringo Starr and his All Star Band are playing at the venue in July.

Full Peter Gabriel tracklist w/ album art, an audio interview with Peter about the album, and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "indie rock-covering Peter Gabriel announces shows - 2 nights @ Radio City Music Hall & other dates, Bon Iver MP3, more"

Check out a collection of David Bowie Christmas videos below...

Continue reading "David Bowie & Bing Crosby wish you a Merry Christmas"

What makes an album great? And perhaps even more critical for this list, what makes a great album gay? To create our list of the 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums of All Time, we polled more than 100 actors, comedians, musicians, writers, critics, performance artists, label reps, and DJs, asking each to list the 10 most important albums of their lives. After receiving responses from Boy George, Rufus Wainwright, Cyndi Lauper, the Indigo Girls' Amy Ray, Perez Hilton, Nate Berkus, Jake Shears, Ed Droste, Nico Muhly, John Cameron Mitchell, Wilson Cruz, Junior Vasquez, Janis Ian, Lady Bunny and a slew of others, we tallied the results to determine our top-100 list. [Out]

Pitchfork also just released their list of the Best Albums of 2009.

Trent Reznor & Peter Murphy @ Terminal 5 in NYC - 8/25/09 (via nin.com)

As Kanye West and Amber Rose watched from the balcony (sorry for the gossip) at Terminal 5 last night (8/25), Nine Inch Nails played 29 songs at their 3rd of 4 NYC shows this week. The major highlight of the evening (for me at least) was that Peter Murphy of Bauhaus joined them for 3 of those songs, one of which was a Bauhaus cover ("Kick in the Eye). It wasn't the first time it's happened, but it was very sweet.

Earlier in the set, NIN played "I'm Afraid of Americans", before which Trent said something about getting to work with an idol on a song a few years ago, but unfortunately, despite that tease, David Bowie was nowhere to be found in the building. Now that I think of it, they totally should have had Peter sing Bowie's part on that one.

Trent introduced Peter Murphy by saying that back in 1990, when they were young and just coming up, someone helped them out and took them on the road. Then came Peter to the stage to help them perform "Reptile" which was followed by "Kick in the Eye". Peter returned in the encore to help NIN do their cover of Joy Division's "Dead Souls". His stage presence is awesome.

I thought the whole show was great, but it was the final ten songs that really made it feel like there was energy in the large, cavernous room. Basically: Peter--> Peter--> Hands That Feeds--->Head Like a Hole---> all encore songs w/ 1 Peter again---> final-emotional-Hurt. What did you think?

Night one (Bowery Ballroom) got "smallest venue ever". Night two (Webster Hall) got The Downard Spiral from start to finish. Night three got Peter Murphy. Night four happens tonight (Wednesday, August 26th), again at Terminal 5. All 10 "Wave Goodbye" dates (Trent at one point said something like "I'll miss you guys") (which bothers me a little because I don't actually believe this is the end) HERE. Stay tuned for more. Full setlist below.

Continue reading "Peter Murphy joins NIN @ Terminal 5 in NYC (night 1) - setlist"

Continue reading "Scott Walker '30th Century Man' movie opening (NY/LA/SF)"

Photos by Lori Baily

Monday, December 1, 2008
7:00 p.m.

Film Screenings & Events
Thurston Moore Introduces Early Music Videos by David Bowie
Theater 1 (The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1), T1

Held in celebration of the recent gift from the David Bowie Archive of music videos to the Museum, this program presents a special selection of works by the celebrated musician, actor, and producer. Bowie, who began playing the saxophone when he was thirteen years old, worked as a commercial artist before studying mime and, later, playing in bands. In 1969 he co-founded Beckenham Arts Lab in South London, a crucible for experimentation that hosted artist studios, poetry readings, and events such as light shows, theatrical and dance performances, and puppet shows. For several of his videos, Bowie collaborated with the photographer and filmmaker Mick Rock, best known for his photos of 1970s glam and punk icons including Iggy Pop, Queen, the Ramones, Lou Reed, and the Sex Pistols. Thurston Moore, of the "No Wave" band Sonic Youth, provides commentary throughout the program.

Continue reading "a Thurston Moore/David Bowie MoMA thing & Glasslands pics w/ Zeena Parkins, Carlos Giffoni & C Spencer Yeh"

by Ryan Barkan

Gogol Bordello @ Irving Plaza (more by Jefferson)

The second edition of this controversial new feature is back. "It's Not Selling Out Anymore" (or is it?)...

Aggressive racing game, Motorstorm, was one of the most successful titles for the Playstation 3 in 2007 (selling over three million copies world wide). It was only natural then, that Sony Computer Entertainment would get a sequel out in 2008. Enter Motorstorm: Pacific Rift. The game recently hit shelves in the US at end of October and in the UK this past week. The TV spot announcing the new game brilliantly matched Motorstorm's crazy, edgy style of racing on tracks in exotic locations with the "authentic energy" of Gogol Bordello's "Wonderlust King." Watch the video of the commercial below. Gogol Bordello tour dates are HERE.

While Gogol did not make the in-game soundrack, David Bowie, Clutch, Megadeth, The Hives, Simian Mobile Disco, Death From Above 1979, and more all made the cut. Eight of the forty-five songs are exclusive to the game including a remix by Diplo of Nirvana's "Swap Meet" *.

Speaking of exclusives, The Ramones' classic jam "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" was covered by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and singer Jemina Pearl (from the now defunct Be Your Own Pet). Their version exclusively premiered in this past week's episode of Gossip Girl. Love & Rockets made the episode too...though not as an exclusive.

Other Notable Licensing News:

On the tube, One Tree Hill had songs by Ra Ra Riot and Margot & the Nuclear So-So's; 90210 had Florence & The Machine, The Raconteurs, and The Bravery; Grey's Anatomy had The Bird And The Bee, Whitest Boy Alive, and Brett Dennon.

M83's "You, Appearing" provides a solemn background to a French commercial for Douleurs' "Pain Without Borders" commercial. Watch the video below. M83 is currently on a tour of the US (and in NYC this week).

Cadbury's new "Favourites" commercial features the song "Stars and Sons" by Canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene. Watch the video below. Pics from the band's recent show at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple can be seen HERE.

Supreme continues its love for musical collaborations with the announcement of a Bad Brains x Supreme collection. The line consists of a couple hoodies, a t-shirt, and two different styles of Vans shoes. Bad Brains have been busy lately playing shows in Austin, NYC and elsewhere.

Vans recently released its fourth Iron Maiden tribute shoe, this time featuring the artwork from the Powerslave album. The Sk8-Hi and slip on models are available at the vans online store as well as local distributors.

Videos below...

Continue reading "It's Not Selling Out Anymore -- This Week in Music Licensing"

Memorabilia from some of punk rock's biggest acts and seminal moments -- including a scrawled flier for one of the Clash's first shows and publicity photos signed by the Sex Pistols -- is headed for a Nov. 24 Christie's auction.

The event, announced Tuesday, includes more than 120 records, photos and promotional pieces for such punk, garage rock and new wave legends as the Velvet Underground, Patti Smith, the Ramones, David Bowie, Blondie, the Cure and the Smiths.

The auction is Christie's first to focus on punk mementos, signaling the collectible status of a brash, anti-authoritarian rock movement that largely thumbed its nose at posterity.

"We understand that tastes change, tastes mature," said Christie's pop-culture chief Simeon Lipman. "Ten years ago, punk memorabilia probably wouldn't be something we'd be auctioning here. But now, people of a certain age have a certain ability to splurge on this material." [AP]

David Bowie & Obama

Arcade Fire, Superchunk & Obama
"Tickets can be picked up in Forsythe, Guilford, Randolph, Almanace, Orange, Durham, and Wake Counties at the following locations during early voting hours starting Thursday April 24" [Merge]

Arcade Fire did this in Ohio too.

Get your David Bowie vs Obama t-shirts at Zazzle.

Listen to Flight of the Conchords' David Bowie song on their new album that's streaming at Spinner.

And at that website you can listen to six of the Tom Waits songs including "Fannin Street" featuring vocals by David Bowie.

Scarlett Johansson's inspired Atco Records debut album ANYWHERE I LAY MY HEAD features her distinctive interpretations of ten songs by Tom Waits plus one original selection, "Song For Jo." Johansson co-wrote the track with TV On The Radio's David Andrew Sitek, who produced the album and lends his multi-instrumental talents throughout as well. She is also joined by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner, Sean Antanaitis from Celebration and others.

Scarlett Johansson w/ David Bowie & Elijah Wood (2004)

On May 20, Scarlett Johansson's Tom Waits covers album, titled 'Anywhere I Lay My Head,' sees its release, with guest spots from David Bowie and production by TV on the Radio's David Sitek. Spearheaded by Waits' 'Falling Down' -- from 1988's 'Big Time' -- this isn't your average celebrity music makeover.

"When I had the idea to do an album of Tom Waits songs, before I had even met Dave [Sitek], someone suggested I sing 'Falling Down,'" Johansson tells Spinner. "But I decided it was too corny for me to do just because it has the lyric about 'Scarlett and me.' But Dave hadn't even noticed it. When I mentioned it, he thought the synchronicity was crazy and I never even thought twice about it after that. I was like, 'Yeah, let's do it.'"

"With 'Falling Down,' our pursuit of making one song with both Kermit the Frog and David Bowie on it became a success," Sitek adds.

Have an exclusive listen to 'Falling Down' on Spinner.

Paul Simonon & David Bowie backstage @ Shea Stadium, Queens, NYC, 1982

Continue reading "The Clash played Shea too, new DVD & PBS special "

Scarlett & Natalie Portman on the Today Show, earlier yesterday

I've been trying to find a picture of TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek sitting on the Joe's Pub stage with Scarlett Johansson talking about her new Tom Waits cover album that he produced, and how David Bowie contributed to it. I guess they didn't allow photography. Stereogum had a video from the press conference / listening party, but was forced to take it down. Rolling Stone and Billboard have more info (also no pics).

Earlier in the day (Feb 12, 2008) Scarlett and Natalie were up at the Today Show promoting their new movie The Other Boleyn Girl. Scarlett's Tom Waits CD tracklist is below....

Continue reading "Scarlett Johansson, Tom Waits, David Bowie, Dave Sitek, Joe's Pub, Natalie Portman, The Other Boleyn Girl"

I have to finish what I started, and I guess that would be compiling the world's biggest collection of people dressed as Amy Winehouse for Halloween. I was already up to 92 pictures. By the end of this post you'll have seen another 166. Some are great, and more than a few paired Amy with her boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil. This photo falls into both of those categories....

Even more looked less like Amy, and then there were many Amys that decided to hang out with Pete Doherty instead of Blake - a pairing that makes a lot of sense from the English musician drug addict tabloid point of view. This picture falls into both of those categories....

Pete Doggerty & Amy Doghouse

In related news,

After Amy Wino's hideous performance at the MTV Europe Awards last night, she was booed when she accepted an award for Artists' Choice. Pete Doherty immediately came to her defense.

He was asked what advice he would give Wino, "I wouldn't give her any. She's fine. It's all bollocks. People should leave her alone. I went for a drink with her earlier today and she's totally fine. Perfectly healthy and happy.
"People are saying she's out of control, but she's not. She's a sensible girl and she knows what she's doing. She ain't doing nothing wrong." [dlisted]

and even Amy with M.I.A....

Now we'll get to more Amy's in a second, but first: To answer my own question, "no", Amy is no longer playing the MTVu Woody Awards or Saturday Night Live due to visa issues. Oh well - not a big loss considering how scary her last live appearance was. That video, and a zillion more Amy impersonators, below.....

Continue reading "more AMY WINEHOUSE costumes & cancellations"

"Leno has said he’s comfortable with his planned departure but, according to a report earlier this month in the Los Angeles Times, the comedian has grown reluctant to retire as host of the fabled, top-rated late-night program." [MSNBC]

Grizzly Bear is playing Conan on November 6th. Some related videos below.....

Continue reading ""Conan O’Brien will take over ‘The Tonight Show’ in 2009""

DOWNLOAD: MGMT - Time to Pretend (MP3)

MGMT are a Bowie-esque "electro pop duo" from Brooklyn who happen to be signed to Columbia Records. They also happen to be going on tour with (the Bowie-loving) Of Montreal - that includes the show at Roseland Ballroon in NYC on October 13th They are:

Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, two psychic pilgrims whose paths first intersected in the green pastures of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, circa 2002.

Their MySpace page is really annoying too. I'd still see them live I guess (at least once) - like at Cake Shop in NYC tonight (Sept 12). All tour dates below....

Continue reading "MGMT (signed to Columbia) Tour Dates (of Montreal) ++ MP3"

Mitch from Voxtrot & Mike D. Separated at birth?

Voxtrot @ Great American Music Hall - May 30, 2007 (CRED - SPIN)

Beastie Boys @ Sasquatch - May 26, 2007 (CRED)

The 11th Annual Webby Awards will take place at Cipriani Wall Street in NYC on June 5, 2007. David Bowie (Webby Lifetime Achievement), eBay CEO Meg Whitman (Webby Lifetime Achievement: The eBay Community), Beastie Boys (Webby Artists of the Year), and Steve Chen/Chad Hurley, co-founders of YouTube (Webby Person of the Year) are being honored. Rob Corddry (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Winner) is hosting.

A new Voxtrot YouTube video HERE. Reviews of Beastie Boys @ Sasquatch HERE and HERE. Neko Case's corset sold for $300 on eBay. More Webby details below....

Continue reading "David Bowie, Beastie Boys, eBay & YouTube to be honored @ Webbys on Wall St."

I didn't go, but someone told me that (unlike at the Arcade Fire show) David Bowie introduced comedian Ricky Gervais at his High Line show Saturday night at the whamu theater by singing a song. I don't have a picture, so instead - here are some pictures taken by caural of David and TV on the Radio (and Ricky?) backstage at Deerhoof's High Line show at the Fillmore-Irving Plaza Thursday night (May 17, 2007)....

new.... (as seen here)

DOWNLOAD: Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat (MP3)

old....

DOWNLOAD: Dan Deacon - Mr. Big Stuff (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dan Deacon - Pizza Horse (live)
DOWNLOAD: Dan Deacon - Horse Lawyers (MP3)

* Dan Deacon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs & Todd P appear in the NY Times
* Dan Deacon gets "Best New Music" the same day
* A whole bunch more assorted Dan Deacon MP3s
* Even more Dan Deacon MP3s & video
* David Bowie & Sting opening burlesque haven
* A look inside Tim Harrington's apartment
* Pink Floyd played at Syd Barrett tribute show, sort of
* Sinead O'Connor is playing Joe's Pub - way sold out of course
* Olivia d'ABO = Karen Arnold on the Wonder Years
* Olivia D'abo is playing the Living Room

why not....

DOWNLOAD: Olivia D'abo - Broken (MP3)

Here's that gray suit I was telling you about.....

DOWNLOAD: Paul Westerberg - John Im Only Dancing (Bowie cover live) (MP3)

Continue reading "Photos of Arcade Fire with David Bowie @ Radio City"

DOWNLOAD: David Bowie - It's Hard To Be a Saint in the City (Springsteen) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Last Town Chorus - Modern Love (Bowie cover) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: David Bowie - Cat People (putting out fire) (MP3)

Arcade Fire @ Radio City Music Hall, NYC - May 9, 2007 (CRED)

I thought David Bowie would at least introduce Arcade Fire, or say something to kick off the "festival", but nope. He was there though - I saw him. He was wearing a gray suit, and looked happy & healthy - sort of like how he looked two nights earlier at the Met........

Iman & David Bowie @ The Met, NYC - May 7, 2007

He came out the backstage door into the orchestra area at some point. For the encore at least - he was standing against the same wall (stage left) that the trumpet player (Kelly Pratt) (also in Beirut) ran along to do this....

Arcade Fire @ Radio City Music Hall, NYC - May 9, 2007 (CRED)

Arcade Fire were great, but it sounds like maybe United Palace was more fun. At Radio City there was lots of fighting (literally) between the crowd and security. A bunch of people got dragged out. The security didn't know what to do when Win encouraged people to dance in the aisles.

If Bowie had played with them, it would have looked something like THIS and THIS. Was David Byrne there? I didn't see him, but someone told me they did see Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.

Lou Reed & Bowie @ Syracuse W Hotel - Apr 26, 2007 (INFO)

I missed the National - not on purpose.

And just in case you were wondering, Zach Condon from Beirut was there too - it would have been the only one of the three shows he would have been able to make. Actually, they were ALL probably there - the whole indie trumpet player mafia.

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I believe there are still tickets available for the Air, TV on the Radio, Kate Havnevick show tonight (the 2nd High Line Festival show).

Beirut is back for three shows in September. Tonight Arcade Fire hit Boston.

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Radio City setlist below....

Continue reading "David Bowie didn't play with Arcade Fire @ Radio City"

New Yorkers have probably seen this Time Out cover by now....

Here is what's inside....
* David Bowie interviews Laurie Anderson
* David Bowie interviews Ricky Gervais
* David Bowie talks about Spanish movies
* Pictures and everything else

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The High Line Festival kicks off with The Arcade Fire & The National (& hopefully a special guest) at Radio City Music Hall this Wednesday. TV on the Radio still not added to High Line Festival website.