Nneka on Letterman

Nneka hit up Letterman last night to show why she is going to be one of the most talked about artists of 2010. Take a look!

Rising Artist EXCLUSIVE! Happy Ending INTV!

Whatever happened to the simple pop-rock and roll song? Why must all music these days must be these layered super complex studio achievements that may or may not be able to reproduce live? Whatever is going on in any scene these days, if you are looking for something simple yet sophisticated you have come to the right place. The Berkly via Brooklyn duo, Happy Ending have been making music together for 6 years kicking around New York City and New England. Now finally gaining some cash the band just self financed and recorded their debut. As Happy Ending are set to show the world what they have, I had the chance to speak to them about beginnings and what lies in their hopes and dreams. Here is my conversation with the band's key members Mike Goodenow and Carl Bishop.

As a band coming out of Brooklyn these days, how does Happy Endings not get clumped in the mold of the plethora of other acts coming out of that borough?

Where we live does not inform our music nearly as much as where we come from and what the subject matter of the song is. Our first rule was to never have a “sound”. We just wanted to tell great stories and write the best songs possible.

There are only two members in the band who work on studio material, what do you do for live shows?

It wasn’t just the two of us on the album. Our producer Jimi Zhivago, also played on the record. Especially the amazing piano work on “Through Your Eyes” and the tasteful jazzy bass part for Together Again”. For our upcoming album Debut, we are pulling from the community of local talent to make the album come alive on stage.

You write simple pop songs but with a very cleaver twist. Who are some of your influences?

Carl, who writes the lyrics, is attracted to the strong visceral emotion of John Lennon’s solo material, i.e. “Mother”, but tempers it with the wit and restraint of Steven Merritt. Michael, who writes the music, grew up worshiping Jimmy Page, The Edge and the complex and perfectly simple song structures of the Beatles.

How do you describe you style and sound to those that never heard you before?

Strongly melodic, hooky, pop rock that you could imagine on the same bill as Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins, Arcade Fire and other bands that put importance on writing great songs.

How did the band get together?

We meet in 2004. Michael was a student of Carl’s in an audio production class. Carl started awkwardly flirting with Michael and Michael unwitting took it as an invitation to write songs together. The only consummation was musical and the rest is history.


Making music is not your day jobs, how often do you get together and practice?

The band is quickly becoming our day jobs. As of this interview, we currently get together for rehearsals or meetings at least three times a week.

Since it is just the two of you, are jobs allocated, for instance does Carl write all the lyrics and does Mike write all the music? Or is it a collaborative effort?

We are both involved in all aspects of the song. It is usually sparked with a lyric that Carl writes. Then Michael finds a musical setting to support the lyrics and they develop the song together.

Where would you like the band to take you?

Albuquerque! No, seriously we would love to get to the point where it is our full time job to write and play the music we love.

The band has been kicking around for a few years, but it is just recently that you two have been emerging from the studio and doing gigs and hiring musicians. What took so long?

We were trying to write an album that was full of hits, not one and a bunch of filler. We felt the songs had reached a point where what we were writing was so good it was time to bring it to a wider audience.

When can we expect a debut?

Our album release date is scheduled for March 5th, 9PM at the Living Room 154 Ludlow Street, NYC. Attendance is mandatory.


Find your Happy Ending at:

http://www.happyendingsongs.com/

www.myspace/happyendingsongs

Special thanks to Mike and Carl.

Coldplay on The Simpsons

Take a look at this screenshot of Coldplay from the band's website of the band's appearance on The Simpson's last night. Animated Chris Martin and Co. are in their famous French Revolution influenced garb and belting out tunes for Homer and Bart.

Movie of the Month - Magnolia

There are movies and there are films. I have said this before and I will say it until I am blue in the face. Movies are there to entertain, films are there to enlighten. Magnolia is one of those films that does more than it's main requirements, in fact this film is life changing. It changed mine. Forever. The 1999 brilliant film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (yes, the guy that directed Mark Walhberg in a film about porn and Daniel Day-Lewis with that kick ass mustache screaming for milkshakes), marked a key moment in film making and story telling. Interweaving nine separate story lines from an all-star cast featuring, Tom Cruise, Julian Moore, Luis Guzman, William H Macy, Phillip Baker Hall, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and more shows modern life in California, but in actuality, this could have taken place right down the block from your home. Words cannot describe this perfectly paced, three-hour epic of Americana, all I can say it watch it and it will change how you look at films and life again. Nominated for a slew of Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Cruise), Magnolia was a critical favorite, but was released the same year as another critical smash, American Beauty. Backed by one of the greatest soundtracks in history, featuring an original score by the multi-talented Jon Brion and original music from Aimee Mann as well as a great cover of "One is the Loneliest Number," Magnolia will have you thinking and staying with you for days.

Underrated Classic - Jimmy Eat World "Clarity"

Often boasted as one of the best and most forgotten records of the late 90's, Arizona's Jimmy Eat World may have broke big in 2001 with their record Bleed American. However, it was the band's third record, Clarity that is the diamond in the rough and shined a light on the band upon its release in 1999. The praise the band received did not help initial album sales and forced major label Capitol Records to drop the band completely after being looked at as a commercial failure. Yet, with no major label backing, Jimmy Eat World pressed on and self financed everything they had to get to the status Bleed American garnered them. Clarity proves to be a turning point within the band as well as it showcased Jim Adkins for the first time as lead vocalist instead of original singer Tom Linton. Adkins would then become the face and the "Jimmy" of the group as they propelled to super stardom. Clarity, which featured the song "Lucky Denver Mint," would go on to achieve cult status, even having the band in 2009 go on the road to support the 10th anniversary of the record and playing it in full across clubs around the country.

Quick News

Coldplay member Guy Berryman's side project Apparatjick, which also boats members of Mew and A-Ha, will release their debut February 1 in Europe. It will be released to the rest of the world the following day.

Franz Nicolay has explained his decision to leave The Hold Steady. Speaking exclusively to Paste Magazine, the mustached piano/keyboard/accordion player says "In the Hold Steady, I was kind of a fox in a hedgehog band. The Isaiah Berlin thing about the hedgehogs who have one defining idea and the foxes who have a lot of different ideas. So this is going to let me indulge a lot of those different ideas." Nicolay also expressed that he had begun work on a new Hold Steady record, and since his departure in November the band has redone his sessions with another keyboard player.

Sigur Ros has scrapped their nearly completed sixth album so that band members can take care of their families and pursue solo ventures. Sigur Ros front man Jonsí Birgisson will release his solo album in March.

Former Jam front man Paul Weller has given details about his forthcoming record. Wake Up the Nation, will be out April 12 in UK and the follow day in the rest of the world. Weller describes the politically charged album on his website paulweller.com by stating "We've got to reclaim our heritage and our culture. Claim it back from the fucking politicians and the establishment."

California surf-punk band The Soft Pack set a record and played a marathon 10 shows in the same day in the LA area on Saturday in support of their debut album which is released Tuesday. I have listened to the album, and I must say it is great. A review will be up later this week, certainly one to check out!

Liam Gallagher has vowed that his first post-Oasis album, featuring everyone in Oasis but older brother Noel will be out in July.

VOTE FOR ELLIOT!!!

My special road correspondent and drummer to Ingrid Michaelson, Elliot Jacobson needs your help! He has been nominated in Modern Drummer magazine's Reader's Poll. Please vote for Elliot, I cant think of a better guy that deserves this more than him! Here are the rules, via http://www.elliotjacobson.tumblr.com/


Vote for Elliot in Modern Drummer Poll
I NEED YOUR HELP. =)

My favorite magazine, Modern Drummer, is doing their annual Reader’s Poll again. I’ve been told that I may have a shot at winning this time around, so I am calling upon you, the good people of earth, to help me.

All you have to do follow these simple steps:

1. Go to: http://www.moderndrummer.com/contest.php?id=800000071

2. Fill in your name, address and email address.

3. Fill in my name, Elliot Jacobson, under ROCK and UP & COMING. (I mean, you can vote for me in the METAL category, but I ALREADY know I’m the best metal drummer ever!)

4. Click Submit.

5. Tell your friends! Twit, Blog, Facebook, Email, command your soldiers to help. We need a lot of people behind this for it to work. Your help is appreciated more than you know.

6. If I win, I will do something nice to thank you for voting. And I’m going to make it DAMN good, too.

*****The deadline is Feb 15, 2010.

Thanks for your help. =)

The Cribs on Fallon

The Jarmin fraternity and Johnny Marr hit up Jimmy Fallon last week to perform "We Share the Same Skies," take a look at this brilliant British band in action!

Quick News

The National have announced that their new, still untitled record will be out in May. This is the band's follow up to 2007's acclaimed Boxer.

According to an interview with Absolutepunk.net, Manchester Orchestra drummer Jeremiah Edmond has left the band. Edmond tells the music site, "Basically, there were several things building up to it. The most important one on a personal level would be that I was getting burnt out from being on tour constantly. I've been married for two years, and I've spent a majority of those two years away from home. [I'm] ready to finally build a life with my wife at home. Support her more than I have been. She would never ask me to [leave] the band and has always been supportive, but for me on a personal level, it was being ready to be home." I wish Jeremiah all the best of luck, we will miss him dearly in the band.

She & Him, the indie collaboration between M.Ward and (500) Days of Summer and Mrs. Ben Gibbard, Zooey Deschanel have announced the track listing and info on their latest record. Volume 2, will be out March 23 in the US and April 5 in the UK. Here is the track listing below:

1."Thieves"
2."In the Sun" (featuring Tilly and the Wall)
3."Don't Look Back"
4."Ridin' in My Car" (NRBQ cover)
5."Lingering Still"
6."Me and You"
7."Gonna Get Along without You Now" (Skeeter Davis cover)
8."Home"
9."I'm Gonna Make It Better"
10."Sing"
11."Over It Over Again"
12."Brand New Shoes"
13."If You Can't Sleep"

EXCLUSIVE! Blue Knives INTV

In this day and age anyone can be an A&R person, either for a label or just for personal gain. With the internet you can find anything you are looking for, or sometimes, it finds you. That was the case with Blue Knives and I. A band from England that got in touch with me, a guy from New York City. We discussed our love for acts like Editors and then I took a listen to their music and was just hooked. I had interviewed bassist Nathan Bayley in December 2008 as the band was about to begin recording their debut. Without any money, and just banking on a dream, Blue Knives debut, Clothed with the Sun arrived in September 2009 and it sounds like an expensive production that displays the English trio's talents. In a unconventional follow up, I sent over questions to the band and they read them off in the studio and answered them for the site. Take a listen to all of Blue Knives. singer Dan Solly, drummer Rich Cornish and Nathan discussing the making of their album and where they go from here.








Read my FIRST Interview with Blue Knives HERE.