Tag Archive | Beyoncé

Unsolicited Odelay On Beckghazi

– every year we endure the Grammys and every year a not insignificant number of people are outraged when the awards fly wildly off target, as if this ceremony has ever accurately reflected anything

– theories abound that Beck’s Album of The Year win last night was the voting body’s mea culpa for snubbing his genius work Odelay! nearly two decades ago; there should just be a category called “Oops!” wherein they grant themselves the opportunity to reverse decisions from years past

– I think we all appreciate Kanye going through the motions for us

– wouldn’t it be great if all this lead to a Beck/Beyoncé collaboration?

– Beck: Scientologist; Beyoncé: Illuminati demigod; they each have five Grammys now, so let’s end this pointless conflict and get back to uncovering the evidence that will prove Lorde is actually in her late forties

January 27, 2014

ARSC Nominates This Music Leaves Stains For Award

The Association For Recorded Sound Collections has nominated my Misfits book This Music Leaves Stains for a 2014 ARSCy Award (that’s what they’re called, right?) for “Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research.” Apparently there’s a subcategory to that, like “Rock” or “Pop” or whatevz, but said classification hasn’t been announced yet (nor has a complete list of nominees).

What can I say? Turns out all our favorite celebrities weren’t lying—it actually is an honor just to be nominated. I’m plenty happy with that. Thank you, ARSC, appreciate it.

ARSCy Winners are announced in or by September…plenty of time to shop for a gown to wear to the fabulous awards gala. Gonna put Beyoncé to shame, gonna make her wish she was never born.

SASHA FIERCE MORE LIKE SASHA FART WATCH OUT LOSER

May 21, 2013

in Complaints, Music, Shout Outs
1 Comment

Kid Gets Job, America Outraged

Those who follow the ups and downs of professional music journalism are crowing this week about Rolling Stone High Priest Jann Wenner appointing his twenty-two year old son Gus as the head of RollingStone.com. Argle, they cried! Bargle, they moaned! The most nepotistic act since Jeb Bush stole Florida for his brother George, they sputtered through a mouthful of buttered croissant flakes and overly-sweetened coffee!

Listen, I can’t speak to this kid’s work ethic or industry knowledge or ability to sharpen pencil one, but there are far worse crimes a rich kid can commit than inheriting a piece of the family business (poor kids do it all the time). Also, as far as I’m concerned, Gus Wenner might as well be the new CEO of Big Lots. When’s the last time anyone said or thought, “You know who’s really on top of the online music journo game and is just completely flush with all sorts of amazing talent? Rolling Stone!”? I don’t think most of the world realized Rolling Stone even had a website until Matt Taibbi started tearing shit up a few years ago with all those financial collapse articles.

Speaking of which: Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone’s best writer, the only “name” it’s produced in years, is a political correspondent. Meanwhile, I can’t tell you who’s been covering music over there or think up any figure who’s built an audience writing about rock in those tight Springsteeny confines…and that’s sort of my racket.

That of course could change with Gus, if he can somehow break Roll One’s endless cycle of U2, Beach Boys, Beyoncé, Dylan, and BROOOOOOOCE coverage (all of whom currently appear in some kind of story on RS.com’s main page as of this writing). Ostensibly that’s why Wenner II was installed, right? He’s fresh out of college, he can go in directions away from his rich dad’s friends, find new talent, offer a different perspective, etc. I’m putting my faith in this kid because even though his dad is a monied institution who gave him a plum job I have to assume there’s some fire in there to make Gus want to buck the system. Don’t we all feel that at twenty-two?

On the other hand, Gus Wenner is in an adult contemporary / alt country band with Scout Willis, so maybe this is all moot. I mean, that could be a punchline from Andy Kindler’s act. “An ALT COUNTRY band with SCOUT WILLIS. Is this thing on?” We’ll see, I guess. I remain cautiously optimistic.

January 10, 2012