News & Views

News …

2008 was a big year for singles in the U.K. Really, really big – The Telegraph U.K.

Norwegian public radio yanks Beatles podcasts after realizing distributing the Fab Four’s catalog via downloads is “probably” illegal – PaidContent.co.uk

Look who’s got a new day job! It’s The Offspring’s Dexter Holland , and he wants to sell you his “Gringo Bandito” hotsauce – Los Angeles Times (registration may be required)

Dustup between Kanye West fans and Jimmy Buffett buffs results in death in Colorado tavern – Rocky Mountain News

Views …

The Bad Plus in NYC – “Jazz is a genre wondering how the hell it got so pretentious, and The Bad Plus is here to save it.” – The MIT Tech

The Fray in Englewood, Colorado – “The capacity crowd needed no excuse to sing along and go with whatever the band wanted, whether it was handling the chorus on ‘All At Once’ or gamely clapping along with a Beyonce cover.” – Rocky Mountain News

The Saturdays in London – “In a camp spectacular consisting of sequined mini-dresses, big hair and hot dance routines, the girls ploughed through their recent hits including ‘If This Is Love’ and dance floor favourite, ‘Up.'” – The Sun U.K.

Franz Ferdinand Down Under – “McCarthy playfully chopped at his guitar, theatrically shooting off at the crowd as if his guitar were a machine-gun. Kapranos bounced up and down excitedly throughout, kicking his legs in the air to the point where he almost did the splits.” – The Age (Australia)

Patricia Barber in Chicago – ” … if you had closed your eyes you might have thought you were lingering in someone’s living room late at night, eavesdropping as he or she whispered one jazz nocturne after another.” – The Chicago Tribune

They Say It’s Their Birthday … (Or so says Associated Press)

Jack Greene is 79
Paul Revere is 71
Jann Wenner is 63
Kenny Loggins is 61
Marshall Chapman is 60
Juan Gabriel is 59
David Lee Murphy is 50
Kathy Valentine (Go-Go’s) is 50
John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) is 44

John Rich is 35