 KIFM promo radio While promo people give a lot of stuff out, we don’t often get items back from our business to business partners – the relationships are way too unequal for that. But occasionally, in a few instances, I have picked up t shirts, mousepads, antenna bobbles or other items meant for entities other than their content providers. Listeners, advertisers and donors are the intended parties for these items.
The artifact I am featuring today was given to me by a radio station I enjoyed a great “sense of harmony” with, KIFM in San Diego. This station really disliked the music I was working and only gave sporadic airplay to our artists. I’m not sure if that’s the best formula… what if they hated me but played everything they hated? I’ve seen that syndrome before… seems short-lived as a strategy though.
KiFM now calls itself the breeze (like the Allman Brothers?) and can be found here.
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 Elton John and Leon Russell The Union is the new album by Elton John and Leon Russell, a collaboration inspired during a conversation Elton had with Elvis Costello on the tv program Spectacle where he detailed the profound influence the Oklahoman had on his music in the early 70s. Today, the pair are also announcing two concert dates, starting October 19 at the Beacon Theater in New York. The album comes out on October 25, and then there is another show at the Hollywood Palladium on November 3. They’re probably the smallest venues Elton John has played in a long time, and I think the album and shows will start a new career renaissance, or as the man once said, “another burst” (after “Tiny Dancer” appeared in Almost Famous).
The album features 14 songs, and was produced by the red-hot T-Bone Burnett in collaboration with its principals. While this is the first recording they have made together, the relationship goes back to the early 70s, when they met during Elton John’s legendary Troubadour stint. Neil Young and Brian Wilson contribute background vocals, and musicians on the album include Booker T. Jones and Robert Randolph. Having heard the album, I can tell you it lives up to its heavy billing. Hear the first single after the jump!
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What more do you need to launch a band these days than a fresh video? It pays to have a name too, and in this case Fistful of Mercy is rolling with three. Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison have teamed to make at least one song so far (also titled “Fistful of Mercy.” Maybe this means Dhani Harrison’s band thenewno2 is on ice for a while? Whatever the case, this seems like a good match for him. As Sean Lennon is also proving with his recent work, you can make a big ripple without being in the ratrace of the traditional music business (verse-chorus-verse and tour-album-t shirt) which his pop and the other Beatles rode to the stars.
Fistful of Mercy from Fistful of Mercy on Vimeo.
In Fistful of Mercy, Harrison has picked some friendly collaborators, both to the audience and the organization with Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur. They are about the same age and have been plowing the adult rock/jamband scene for years. They are also proven songwriters with radio hits (Arthur’s “Honey and the Moon” is to me at least). Coincidentally, Ben Harper and his band abetted Dhani’s Uncle Ringo on The Artist’s Den this past year. He’s coming in at a low angle after making big splashes with his father’s audience at the Concert for George and the Rock Hall of Fame induction, where he performed “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with Prince and Tom Petty (!). Dhani also takes the stage with Eric Clapton occasionally.
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After an entire month of slacking on the site, I have returned. It got a little busy. Then it got ridiculously hot and humid, and here we are at the end of August. There is a lot to report on. I have video from a few shows to upload, and a long list of topics to comment on which hopefully aren’t totally stale and outdated. We know the Google Music service hasn’t launched yet, so everything is mostly the same as it was when we left off in July.
One major project I have closed in the past month was the total restoration of the art in my iTunes library, in anticipation of the final backup. After x years of collecting music, it is now ALL digitized and associated with an image. Since the dawn of the digital age when cds reduced album covers and mp3s eliminated them completely, people have been talking about the large, tactile, covers of yore. With iPads and even my iPhone, I want to be able to tell what’s playing quickly, so art has a practical purpose. If you are into fidelity at all, you require a certain level of resolution and I think the quality of the art can start to influence how accurate you perceive the sound file to be. They look good on the iPad screen too… almost back to full size!
Another observation now that my entire library is digitized… “Where did this come from?” I have now started ERASING bad albums! This was an utter impossibility in the physical world – they could always be traded in for something good. But what now? Well after having several klunkers bumming me out, I have started scissoring artists. I will probably turn this into a feature, but the last album I cut was by Michelle Williams. I think she was in Destiny’s Child, who I’m loyal to, but it was enough already.
Now that I have this first post down, I’ll be flowing more. For those on the east coast, I strongly recommend visiting the Silverball Pinball Museum, in Asbury Park NJ, which I hit a few weeks ago. Time stood still as I revisited Evel Knievel; Spirit of ’76; Space Mission and numerous other old friends on an hourly, unlimited credit. They don’t make machines like that anymore and they rarely make museums this cool… summer’s not over yet and I’m going back!
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 Doug Harvey in action Umpire Doug Harvey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday, after a long career making calls of ball or strike, out or safe and whether to keep playing in rain (maybe even darkness). His speech showed the minimal and firm style of communication that enabled him to only eject 43 players or managers in over 30 years of working games.
Harvey commanded respect, and his nickname, God, affirms that idea (and then some). There were a lot of jokes and tributes from former managers yesterday, but Harvey’s speech communicated some really serious and good themes. He came from a family of umpires, and gave his father a lot of credit for instilling good values.
Advice from Doug “God” Harvey:
1. Set goals and promise yourself you will attain them.
2. Work hard to achieve your goals.
3. You never know when opportunity will come, so be ready to do your best – quickly.
4. Know the rules – the real rules – it will get you out of arguments.
5. Sacrifice, both emotional and physical, is part of success.
He gave anecdotes that supported these themes, such as working with broken teeth so he wouldn’t lose income while his wife was about to give birth. Harvey concluded by saying his goal was to “teach everyone I work with everything I know, in order to improve the profession, and challenge them to improve on my accomplishments.”
Why shouldn’t these ideas apply to everyone?
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