Daily Loaf

Photos by Eric Snider

“This didn’t have to happen,” says Rob Douglas, his 6-foot-4 frame slouched on a sofa in his south St. Pete condo, his raspy voice weary and tinged with bitterness. He’s a linchpin of the St. Petersburg concert scene, his tenure as a promoter, venue operator and production manager dating back to the early ’80s, when shows were put on by enterprising locals rather than megacorporations. He spent 25 years working at Jannus Landing, one of the Bay area’s most beloved concert venues, until August when he severed ties with the downtown St. Pete institution. Douglas, 54, had reached the end of his tether with then-owner Jack Bodziak. “Even with the wreckage of the economy, we could have survived this,” Douglas says. “It was due to piss-poor stewardship.”

When he spoke those words in late October, Jannus Landing had been empty for most of the prior three months, its last show having been the execrable Insane Clown Posse on Oct. 9. Several scheduled concerts had relocated to other venues, most to the Ritz Ybor. Bodziak was beset by financial and legal problems, the most glaring of which was his arrest by state agents in May on charges that he failed to pay more than $200,000 in sales tax on revenues from Jannus Landing. He also owed a reported $160,000 in back rent and faced eviction. A new guy, Jeff Knight, waited in the wings, a well-heeled businessman with grandiose plans and no experience in the concert business. Read the rest of this entry »

A helping of music links to get you through the weekend.

• Despite Thom Yorke’s ongoing solo project, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien says the band will be releasing a physical album sometime next year. I don’t care if you give me something online or on vinyl — just keep on playing, Radiohead.
• Amy Winehouse is “hopefully” going to be releasing an album in 2010, according to Island Records co-president Darcus Beese. She’ll also “hopefully” be sober next year. And “hopefully” eat a cookie or two. And “hopefully” wash her hair.
• Ozzy Osbourne promises to answer fan questions in an upcoming issue of Uncut magazine, and inquiries are now being accepted online. Whether or not anyone will be able to understand the answers he supplies remains to be seen.
• Method Man was arrested for tax evasion in New York and now faces four years in prison. Dude, didn’t you learn anything about the legal system from your days on The Wire?
• French electronic musician Alan Braxe has re-mixed Beyonce’s new single, “Broken-Hearted Girl.” It doesn’t matter how good it is, Braxe: Kanye’s comin’ after you.
• The Pixies are releasing limited-edition CDs and digital downloads from their current tour, where they’re playing Doolittle in its entirety. Even the indie rock crowd is jumping on the digital bandwagon. Are you taking note, Killers?
• If you can’t wait for Beck to release a new album, listening to Charlotte Gainsbourg’s IRM ought to curb your appetite.  Beck wrote the album’s music, co-wrote the lyrics, produced and mixed it, but it’s still Gainsbourg’s record. Really.
• Soulja Boy was arrested in Georgia for obstruction after telling police officers that people gathered at an abandoned home were there shooting a music video.  This is seriously the uncoolest thing a rapper has ever been arrested for. Read the rest of this entry »

Enjoy a dose of music news and videos to kick off the weekend.

• Surprise! Kanye’s all talk and no show and cancels his American tour with Lady GaGa.  But maybe you can catch him at Taylor Swift’s next concert.
• Radiohead’s Thom Yorke announces his solo band will be making an early debut tonight in L.A. The still-unnamed project also includes bassist Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• New Jersey-based fans of The Boss will be treated to complete performances of some of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s classic albums at a series of concerts being played at Giants Stadium. Hungry hearts, consider yourselves fed.
• Social Distortion is currently “road testing” new tracks on their U.S. tour from their upcoming album, tentatively slated for release in 2010.
• Madonna’s latest album, Celebration, takes the top spot on Billboard’s Top 100 European Albums. Does this mean she’s going to bring back the faux British accent? Let’s hope not.
• A biopic on the Ramones is in the works, and is based on a book by Joey Ramone’s brother. If you see this flick, feel free to beat the brat in the theater who refuses to turn off her cell phone.
• Kylie Minogue kicked off her first American tour this week in Oakland, Calif. And you thought Beyonce and Lady GaGa were the only pop singers who could pull off a shiny leotard.
• Michael Buble released his video for “Haven’t Met You Yet” from his upcoming Crazy Love album, which drops Oct. 9. What are you waiting for, Michael? You’ll never meet me if you’re shopping at the wrong grocery store. (The vid and more in music news after the jump.) Read the rest of this entry »

The debate on file-sharing continues in earnest, with UK artists Radiohead and Lily Allen taking opposite sides. From a September 10 article in the Times Online, about musicians speaking out against a British government proposal to cut illegal file-sharers’ internet connections: “Every generation has a different method,” said Radiohead guitarist and FAC Board of Directors member Ed O’Brien. “File sharing is like a sampler, like taping your mate’s music.” From a blog post on Lily Allen’s Myspace page: “I think music piracy is having a dangerous effect on British music, but some really rich and successful artists like Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and Ed O’Brien from Radiohead don’t seem to think so. Last week in an article in the Times these guys from huge bands said file sharing music is fine. It probably is fine for them. They do sell-out arena tours and have the biggest Ferrari collections in the world. For new talent though, file sharing is a disaster as it’s making it harder and harder for new acts to emerge.”

Flaming Lips debuted a new video on Myspace for “I Can Be a Frog.” The song is kind of slow and ambient for the Lips, and I can’t figure out if the animal sounds are genius or an effing nuisance. Check it out: Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Next Monday, you can check out The Age of Stupid, an eco docu-drama directed by Franny Armstrong (McLibel, Drowned Out).

It’s shown as a “first of it’s kind” worldwide event — simulcast live from a solar tent in New York to select theaters in conjunction with UN Climate Week. The film stars Pete Postlethwaite (pictured) as a global archivist in the future who is wondering why the heck people didn’t get the clue about global climate change and stop it when they had a chance. It features present day news clips in an archive that interweaves six dramatic stories of people from around the globe facing different ecological crises. After the film, there’s a live via satellite panel discussion with the director, Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Gillian Anderson of X-Files fame, Postlethwaite, and field scientists working in the Himalayas and the Indonesian rain forest. Bonus: Thom Yorke of Radiohead ends the show with an acoustic performance of the film’s title track. Mon., Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m., Citrus Park Stadium 20, 7999 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, Tampa, $12.50, visit fathomevents.com for a full list of participating theaters. – Katie Machol

The Age of Stupid is an eco docu-drama directed by Franny Armstrong (Mc Libel, Drowned Out) and will be shown as a “first of it’s kind” worldwide live event- simulcast live from a solar tent in New York to only 440 movie theaters in the nation, in conjunction with UN Climate Week.

The film stars Pete Postlethwaite (The Usual Suspects) as a global archivist in the future who is wondering why the heck people didn’t get the clue about global climate change and stop it when we still had a chance. It also interweaves six dramatic stories of people from around the globe facing different ecological crises and features present day news clips that are featured in this future media archive.

See the trailer after the jump:
Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s recommended releases as well as a breakdown of other worthy albums available now.

Vinyl:

Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
The band’s third album is a set of songs both heavier and lush than in previous efforts but still full of the Monkeys’ punch and vitality.

Jeff Beck – Beck-Ola
Jeff Beck – Truth
Exact replicas now available on pristine HQ-180 vinyl. Taken from the original analog master tapes.

Chocolate Watch Band – No Way Out
Chocolate Watch Band – Inner Mystique
Hailing from San Jose, Calif., the Watch Band — featuring the pouting, Mick Jagger-influenced lead vocals of Dave Aguilar, the thrilling guitars of Sean Tolby and Mark Loomis, the solid bass of Bill Flores and the thumping drums of Gary Andrijasevich — made all the right scenes in San Jose, including appearances with the Syndicate of Sound and Count Five.

John Fogerty – Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
Among the special guests are Bruce Springsteen.

Fugazi – 3 Songs 7″
Remastered.

Woody Guthrie – Woody, Cisco And Sonny
Woody Guthrie – Woody The Agitator
Woody Guthrie – Woody’s Roots
Woody Guthrie – Woody’s Greatest Hits
Classic Guthrie vinyl reissues — now available.

Jet – Shaka Rock
bass, drums, guitars and vocals.

Willie Nelson – American Classic

Pearl Jam – The Fixer 7″
Two new tracks from their upcoming album on white vinyl with glow-in-the-dark ink on the label!

Chuck Ragan/Brian Fallon split 7″
They of Hot Water Music and Gaslight Anthem fame, respectively.

Reigning Sound – Love and Curses
New release — now available on vinyl.

The Smiths – The Smiths
The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
The Smiths – Queen is Dead
The Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come
180 gram vinyl reissues. Remastering supervised by Johnny Marr. Read the rest of this entry »

Faith No More announced their reunion earlier this year. Mike Patton? Check. Virtuoso guitarist Jim Martin? Afraid not. Turns out it’s the Album of the Year lineup. Adding to my disappointment, Faith No More has yet to play a single concert on American soil.

Rolling Stone caught up with former frontman Chuck Mosley as he promotes his debut solo LP – the awesomely-titled Will Rap Over Hard Rock For Food (out now). Mosley says he was actually invited to Europe to duet with Mike Patton, but passport trouble interfered. Mosley also not only laments Jim Martin’s absence, but thinks the band should have never fired Martin.

I thought [firing Martin] was as big if not bigger a mistake than getting rid of me – just because he had a lot of pull with the big part of their crowd at the time. And he was ‘the personality,’ y’know? There was something people could identify to. After Jim, they were going through a string of different guitar players, and I couldn’t name one of them. That Jagger/Richards, Plant/Page thing was gone.”

Video of Faith No More covering Peaches & Herb’s “Reunited”, plus more news after the jump! Read the rest of this entry »