Ani DiFranco – Pines Theatre Presale

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for a July 11 show at the Northampton outdoor venue.  I'm pleased to see that it's all general admission, as the reserved section in past years was an uncomfortable joke.   Bring your bug spray and a pre-show picnic basket.

Paul Simon Meets Eno

Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected this collaboration, but there it is.  Brian Eno, founding member of Roxy Music, purveyor of ambient “Music for Airports” experimental records, and producer of U2 and the Talking Heads, is teaming with Paul Simon.  “Surprise” is the all-too-fitting title, due for a May 9 release.  Bill Frissell [...]

Gadget Solves Battery Problem

Here’s an MP3 player with a built in solar panel. Sort of forces the geeks outdoors – not a bunch of storage, about as much as an iPod Mini, but who cares? You’ll never have to plug it into the wall again.

Reunions – One Real, The Other Makeshift

Phil Collins has apparently found a way to deal with all those hearing and singing problems that forced an end to his touring career. Today, he and pals Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutheford and Tony Banks announced a re-formed Genesis. Makes sense, as Gabriel’s solo efforts have essentially plateaued, and the Rutheford/Banks collaboration as [...]

A Search Engine of Note

Check out Eventful, a search site that lets you plug in a zip code, and view upcoming events.  It’s somewhat threadbare, but unlike Pollstar, for example, it’s democratic.  You can learn about author readings along with the big ticket shows.  Now in beta, and not owned by Ticketmaster.

CD Review – Mark Erelli

“Hope and Other Casualties”
Mark Erelli departs from his chameleon-like ways with this effort, which should please fans that latched on to his eponymous 1999 debut, and the brilliant follow-up, “Compass & Companion.”. Despite the title, this is an optimistic work. “Here Now” imagines a time when “there’s no cracks to fall between.” Much of “Hope [...]

Spitzer Sues Radio Chain as Part of Music Inquiry – New York Times

Spitzer Sues Radio Chain as Part of Music Inquiry – New York Times.
Strange times in the big music biz.  Along with the payola suit, there’s news that major labels are increasingly fighting the tide of online downloads.  Ne-Yo’s latest is touted as evidence of the strategy’s success, but 400,000 or so units is chump change [...]

RIAA – Geek Utopians are the Problem

Kwensil – Slashdot “laggards” holding up progress …(cue laugh track)