oasis mouthwash: the most perfect potential celebrity product endorsement tie-in opportunity ever

you know you are a demented blogger when you take cell phone pics of mouthwash in the drug store.

liam gallagher: call me! (you dirty bastard)

sounds familiar

coldplay at work on something different (rolling stone)

Coldplay are currently holed up in a studio in northern London, trying to hammer out the details for their still-untitled fourth album, due out in May. On a white board, three band members have posted radically different proposed track listings for the album. Chris Martin has withheld his, hoping to lobby his colleagues a little while longer. "I heard a Bono quote once that said 'Bands shouldn't break up over money, they should break up over track listing,' " he says. "Nothing could be more pertinent at this point."

To record their fourth album, the band hired legendary producer Brian Eno and pointedly tried to remove all outside influences. "We felt like the first three albums were a trilogy, and we finished that," says guitarist Johnny Buckland. "So we wanted to do something different." The band let Rolling Stone hear the songs they're working on, and most are refreshingly, bracingly different from Coldplay hits like "Clocks" and "Speed of Sound."

Several tracks are considerably rougher around the edges, with distorted guitars and more prominent percussion. The lyrics are darker, dealing with recurring themes of death and loneliness. And on several songs, Martin extends his vocal palette considerably beyond the falsetto that has largely defined him, exhibiting a lower, sexier mode that feels more personal and real. "Whether or not it's good, we certainly started to use more colors," says Martin.

... more

please

video:



elvis costello in 2000 at the kennedy center, with donal lunny accompanying him playing a bouzouki.

bono spotted in greenpoint (BK!)

thanks to greenpoint's finest for spotting and photo-ing the bono (sawdust supply co. truck) this morning ...

yay

The NY Times Movie Blog offers this ...
Glen Hansard showed up on the red carpet with his beat-up guitar on one arm and his professional and personal partner Marketa Irglova on the other.

For two people who busked while they worked on “Once,” they’ve done okay for themselves, including just winning best song. They took it as a sign that a couple of weeks ago, they were eating in a restaurant and noticed that they were sitting in by Melissa Ethridge, the winner of best song last year. “You’ll be fine,” she told them.

Hansard was effusive, in back, including walking into the press room and saying, “I just got a text from Bono. That is the biggest thing in the world that can happen to an Irishman.”

performance


speech(es)


From RTE
Speaking from a post-Oscars party to 'Morning Ireland' presenter John Murray, Hansard said: "I kind of feel a bit like a plumber at a flower show over here. I kind of feel like we're totally outside of all this but at the same time I'm kind of just trying to accept that it all happened. It's been an incredible ride this whole thing."

When asked if his win had sunk in, he said: "It's kind of sunk in so much that I've been walking around with this heavy thing all night. What was really amazing for me was getting texts from family and friends, it was amazing beforehand, and then I got a text from Bono and I was like 'Ah, my God, that's just amazing.' For me it was just like getting a text off the King of the Tribe."

if you're not irish, that isn't your fault

video of the ballad of ronnie drew, performed on ireland's late late show last night. bono, andrea corr and sinead o'connor, and the men singing the solo verses (in order) aside from bono: shane macgowan, liam o maonlaí, damien dempsey. in the studio version, there's also christy moore, but liam took his singing spot on the tv version. glen hansard is also included in the studio version, but was not on the tv one. (glen is performing at the oscars this weekend.) the band includes all the members of u2, as well as kila and the dubliners. too bad for the dreaded "song-killing charity single sing along chorus" because with just the verses, it has some potential. at least shane didn't set bono's head on fire again.

guitar

fuzzy taper new u2 audio clips. taped by a fan from outside the studio. is that cool? to do? or not?

feel free to make a bold prediction about the new album based on the sound of this clip so i can file you away in the back of my brain as an imbecile.

last night i went to see billy joel. except when he showed up he told us he was really billy's dad and that billy couldn't make it because he was home combing his hair. i swear he said that. he made a lot of jokes. he is the entertainer. indeed. being in vegas, he even pulled out some elvis shtick, putting on elvis sunglasses and singing suspicious minds. about midway through his set, he got up from behind the piano and was playing guitar. which i don't know, was odd. like seeing edge play the drums. while billy was playing (rhythm) guitar, one of the roadies got on stage to sing highway to hell. the whole song. that was pretty awesome.

i had fun. going home tonight. weather permitting.

peace out, yo ...

assorted

lots o' pics from the u23d movie's dublin premiere on wednesday.

the @u2 interview: jerry mele. you should read this.

and, um, i may be demented, but i think this video is awesomely amusing.

i'm in vegas. my feet sort of hurt.

latez

people really really really want to see billy joel

play the last show at shea stadium, eh? i wouldn't be one of those people, but i am going to see billy joel tomorrow night in vegas. a work thing. it's a benefit/fundraising concert type deal. over the summer, the same charities had a benefit concert with hall and oates and stevie nicks as the featured performers. and i soooo went to that, yo.

is the piano man better than a hall and oates and stevie nicks combo?

photos

dublin. outside studio. hanover quay. bono, edge, mcguinness. new pics here and here. navigating a phalanx of sharpie pens.

billboard article: u2 hits the studio in dublin

the ballad of ronnie drew: listen

update: watch the full video on u2.com / or watch the live version

or listen at 7 digital, or click below:

audio clip above, bono on the intro. available for purchase as a digital single by customers in ireland only. a cd single is out on feb. 29.

more info on u2.com
"The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" was recorded as a tribute to Irish musician Ronnie Drew, who is battling cancer. the song is is by U2, Kila, The Dubliners and "A Band of Bowsies" - the Bowsies include Christy Moore, Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey, Andrea Corr, Sinéad O'Connor, Moya Brennan and Glen Hansard. "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" was written by Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead) with Bono, The Edge and Simon Carmody. Ronnie Drew chose the Irish Cancer Society to be the recipient of all profits from this track. The Irish Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer and improving the lives of those living with cancer.

Bono says: "Ronnie is like the King of Ireland, and we are his subjects."

lick, taste, jargon (reprise)

marketers salivate over lickable ads: wall street journal feb. 13

would you lick this? : scatter o' light feb. 10

always beating those guys to the punch. heh. a lot of people on the internetz were talking about those lickable ads last week. it is possible that we were the only ones salivating over lickable alternatives, but ... jay minkoff, president of first flavor, which makes this peel 'n taste product left a comment for us here that says in part:

This is not about Lickable Ads. Welch's used the term 'lick' in their ad and no one seems to have bothered to read the fine print.

Our product, which can be attached to a print ad and peeled off, is a sealed tamper evident foil pouch containing a piece of edible film. (Similar to popular breath strips.) One peels opens the pouch and places the piece of edible film on your tongue. The edible film dissolves quickly leaving you with a burst of flavor. No licking involved!

The point that was really missed was that finally consumers now have a way of trying the taste of a product before they buy it. We call it taking a product for a 'Taste Drive'!

mmmm. now we have moved beyond a "lick" to a "taste drive." well alright.

latez

dunks

video: bono, damien hirst on good morning america from saturday

charlie rose: a conversation with damien hirst. video from feb. 13.

toronto sun article: u2 back in studio
i'm really trying not to get too caught up in the descriptions of how the album is now. or may be at the end. it's better for me if i don't put expectations on it.

[mp3]
hang them all - tapes 'n tapes
this is the new single off the upcoming tapes 'n tapes album walk it off. [myspace]. i like it.

[mp3]
reed kd - empty bottles
from the new alum the ashes bloom. [myspace]. pretty and simple folksy harmony type vibe.

peace

a million billion dollars

video:

classic bono introing the (red) auction at sotheby's in new york last night. lessons about saints and penis party tricks and bono singing all you need is love (again).

article
Rocker Bono and artist Damien Hirst sent the mother of all Valentines to Africa Thursday night - raising more than $40 million for AIDS relief.

some photos are here

as bono makes reference to in the video above, anna wintour was involved in helping them organize an event the night before:



happy weekend, people ...

hewson

video on youtube: bono and damien hirst talk to bbc about the (red) auction, which is tonight. bono was in washington, dc earlier today:



U2 lead singer Bono (L) talks during a memorial service for late US Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) at the US Capitol in Washington, February 14, 2008. Lantos, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee and the only survivor of the Holocaust elected to the U.S. Congress died on Monday after recently being diagnosed with cancer. Also pictured is U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R). REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (photo via)

update: watch the video of bono speaking at the memorial and singing all you need is love.

in and out of our heads

the frontier brothers are based in texas, but they say they are from outer space. something to do with "betelgeuse." despite this, i still think they're more than alright. pop, but a little off kilter. a rock 'n synth feel with humor and grit. party punk. the frontier brothers are three guys - brett moses (keyboards), travis newman (bass, drums) and lead singer and guitarist marshall galactic (really). marshall told me that they're planning to put out a full-length this year and by 2012, we'll be talking "major motion picture" stardom. (chuckle). so we did an odd little Q&A.


Q: what was the first band you really loved as a kid and why?
Marshall: Girls tell me I'm sensitive and I owe that to the first Savage Garden record that I owned. I still defend the Garden when discussing boy bands. The past is not always proud, but the truth, ever, will be.

Q: what bands are you into at the moment?
Marshall: The National. Heavens, No! The Groovie Ghoulies broke up. A tragedy. But to the old hymns of Pavement I do continually sing.

Q: you are from outer space? so what's your alien superpower?
Marshall: Ever consider TIME TRAVEL? As many astronomers agree, the mathematics of time travel conflict with neither the theory of relativity nor contemporary quantum mechanics. It's perfectly possible. Please understand, we are from a future far beyond the imagination.

Q: did you know that the edge is from outer space? ever seen him?
Marshall: Yeah, I know him. He used to travel past Betelgeuse like an idiot. He was not daring, he was fucked up and desperate. Great guitarist, but not to be relied on in a pinch.

c's sidenote: dear fuck. what the fuck? continue ....

Q: you guys are a bit quirky, but the music is emotive and authentic. is it hard to balance those things?
Marshall: ... We all have decent senses of humor. But right now I feel absolutely free with my vocals. Feels great. The quirkiness came from an idea long, long ago. We'll always be weird, a shamefully poppy grand performance type of weird that makes girls dance.

the frontier brothers on myspace

ooh, clever

a pitchfork rating of U.2 = not a compliment.

British Sea Power
Do You Like Rock Music?
[Rough Trade; 2008]
Rating: U.2

...These songs sound big in the usual ways, and that's a genuine shortcoming for a band that's made so much of its eccentricities over the years. Where formerly they made glancing references to bands like the Pixies and the Psychedelic Furs (singer Yan still sounds studiously like Richard Butler), the primary touchstone on Do You Like Rock Music? is U2. And not 1980s U2, 2000s U2. Too often the drama sounds painstakingly deliberate, rising and falling expectedly...

... Despite the implications of the band name, British Sea Power don't work as well at this size and scope. They're in danger of becoming the Alarm to the Arcade Fire's U2.... (more)

related

view

nylon tv video: fashion week diary, ali discussing edun.

redux: access hollywood video: bono, edge, catherine owens @ sundance. bono bores/ridiculousizes edge to sleep midway through.

would you lick this?

i saw this welch's grape juice ad in people magazine today.i was flipping through people in the grocery store checkout line. i did not buy it (or lick it), just cameraphoned it. apparently there is a dissolvable strip type thing inside the packet. what is the point of this? who the fuck doesn't know what welch's grape juice tastes like? put something i'm interested in licking under that tab and then we'll talk.

Q: how hot does pop bono look in this little picture? (A: very, very, very)

it's from an article in the latest issue of italian gq, which a kind fan has translated parts of here.

if you translate and then retranslate his comments about the new record, paint them sparkly red, and translate them again, and pin them on the horn of a unicorn, even then, i still don't believe him.

before our eyes

[mp3]
buildings and mountains - the republic tigers

the first minute is filled with potential. then the layered falsetto vocals catch me, too. by the last half, it's going nowhere and i'm not so sure. listen to more on the republic tigers myspace page. the above song is from an ep you can buy on itunes.



Above: A woman walks past artist Jeff Koons' 'Balloon Rabbit Wall Relief' and Takashi Murakami's 'Red Flower Ball (3-D)' at a gallery in New York, February 4, 2008, as art is displayed before the (RED) Auction at Sotheby's to benefit HIV/AIDS relief programs in Africa. The auction, arranged by Bono and Damien Hirst, will be on Valentines Day, February 14. (photo via)

Below: Artist Damien Hirst's 'Where there's a will there's a way,' which shows antiretroviral drugs in a medicine cabinet, is also part of the auction.(photo via)



much more on sotheby's.com

wednesday

"traffic" sign outside st. patrick's cathedral

radiohead was on jools holland last week. there are mp3 rips here.

arcade fire had their music played during the super bowl without their permision on fox tv. apparently, this is totally legal.

oh, and finally a musician whose politics i am down with.

~ that's about it ...

come on

oh my goodness, that sure doesn't look like tom brady

frigtaahhd

bono's pal, new england patriots quarterback tom brady (above, waving), had a hair stylist on hand this week to give him a pre-super bowl haircut.

tom brady's, er, team is playing the new york giants in the super bowl today. which is why guys like these dudes that i saw in union square on friday are selling things like this:


i just took the picture. didn't buy one. not really my style.

rock star in the window

passing this hotness brightened up a windy, freezing rainy day in nyc for me today. bono's good like that. hard rock cafe, times square.

also:

is u2 going to leave universal? either way, this sentence from that post seems most illogical to me: This year, according to manager Paul McGuinness, U2 will release two albums: the music for the Julie Taymor-directed Spider-Man musical and a traditional rock album.

also:

this article refutes that "leaving universal" rumor.