Search Results for: Paul Cook

For the past year, Hot Hot Heat frontman Steve Bays’ life has been an endless stream of numbers: one departed guitarist, two epiphanies, 30 scrapped songs, 42 hectic studio days, 168 hours of tape, 365 nights between shows and 4,000 used T-shirts. And out of all that came one herky-jerky new record called Elevator, which, according to Bays, is about as appropriate a handle as any. “There were so many ups and downs that went into making this record. It was a manic period, and it was extremely stressful,” he said. “It was a year of tripping hard, a year… Read more »

It seems that things really are “unwell” in the Matchbox Twenty camp, as guitarist Adam Gaynor has reportedly left the band. According to Billboard.com, after being with Matchbox Twenty throughout their three albums – which have sold 20 million copies worldwide – the guitarist has left without any official statement. The band have also remained tight-lipped, but a source told Billboard that the band didn’t want to “renew his services.” Ouch. Matchbox Twenty are currently on a break as many of the members are busy with other projects. Obviously, the most highly anticipated of those is singer Rob Thomas ‘s… Read more »

Beyonce Knowles may be “Crazy in Love,” but she kept her cool Sunday at one of the more sober Grammy Awards shows in memory. She was the night’s big winner, taking home a record-tying five trophies to join recent Grammy queens Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys and Norah Jones with the most wins in a single year by a female performer. OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won Album of the Year, giving the eccentric Atlanta funk/rap group three wins, including Best Urban Alternative Performance and Best Rap Album. British band Coldplay took home the prize for Record of the Year for “Clocks,”… Read more »

When Dick Clark first pitched “American Bandstand” to ABC as a national series in the 1950s, network executives yawned. “I still have the letter, still have it framed in my office, which in effect said ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you. Thank you, and it’s nice to see your dance party,’” Clark recalls. When he proposed a 50th anniversary special, Clark found out how little television had changed. Despite the show’s iconic place in pop culture, he had to argue the case of “American Bandstand” all over. An idea that was once ahead of its time was now hopelessly behind… Read more »

Sam Phillips demurs when it’s suggested that rock ‘n’ roll was invented at his Sun Records label during the 1950s. But he does acknowledge there was a whole lotta shakin’ going on in Memphis thanks to the music he created there with the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and others. “I do know this – it changed the world and it opened up a lot of doors,” Phillips said in a recent interview. “I’m happy we were able to contribute, at least in my opinion, to what music has done and is… Read more »

Clear Channel has identified 150 songs that are considered to be “lyrically inappropriate” for airplay in the wake of the terror attacks carried out in the U.S. on Tuesday, September 11. A Clear Channel spokesperson has confirmed that the list has been circulated among its stations across the country. The lyrical content targeted by the list includes any references to death, flying, September, or general destruction. The popular (and highly political) band Rage Against The Machine received the dubious honor of having their entire catalogue on the list. Pam Taylor, a spokesperson for Clear Channel stations in the San Francisco… Read more »

Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice” shot up the competition by bringing home six “Moon Man” trophies – including breakthrough video and best direction – Thursday night during the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. But “Weapon of Choice,” directed by Spike Jonze and featuring Christopher Walken dancing up a hotel’s walls, was shut out of the prestigious video of the year prize, which went to Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink for “Lady Marmalade.” Last year’s big winners ‘N Sync walked away with four trophies for “Pop,” including the coveted Viewer’s Choice… Read more »

It is a visual overload, this PopOdyssey tour starring the reigning champs of the pop music marketplace, ‘N Sync. There are films and explosions and dancers and mechanical bulls and more costumes than songs – it looks exhausting for performer and young viewer alike. It’s a feast of production values, a sign that every dime went into something the audience can see and, taken collectively, the show is a better marketing tool than a dozen videos. PopOdyssey is flat-out a vehicle to expose new songs to their hard-core audience and give a dynamic and visceral association to the bulk of… Read more »

Rob Thomas stepped off an airplane feeling like a bona fide rock star, with nearly 12 million copies of his band’s freshman album sold and the follow-up effort following closely behind. But when he handed his passport over to a control officer, she asked: “Are you Rob Thomas of Santana? The guy who sang ‘Smooth?”‘ “I was like ‘No! I’m Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty,”‘ he recalled during a recent interview. Thomas’ work on 1999 smash “Smooth,” which earned Santana record and song of the year at last year’s Grammy Awards, has gained him more celebrity than the success he’s… Read more »