Search Results for: Andy Black

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 »

Cocktail waitresses in black leather hot pants shuttled trays of drinks across the casino floor. Slot machines with names such as “Filthy Rich” and “Deuces Wild” chattered endlessly. Meanwhile, in a line that snaked past display cases bearing outfits worn by the likes of Prince, Shania, Alanis and Britney, Oasis fans from around the country anxiously waited to enter the Hard Rock Hotel’s small concert venue, the Joint. It was there that the members of Oasis chose to place their first foothold in the return climb for Stateside success with a ripping show on Friday for 1,400 of their closest… Read more »

Remember how psyched you were as a kid to build a little car or a castle out of Lego pieces? Bet you never fashioned a fully functioning punk-rock duo and a kaleidoscopic world where they could swim, ride bikes and whale on the drums, though, did you? Don’t feel bad. You probably never got that sophisticated, but pioneering director Michel Gondry did, thanks to the White Stripes. In the eye-popping video for “Fell in Love With a Girl,” a two-minute blast of O.P.P.-like fantasy, the candy-colored pair from Detroit strum, jump and sprint their way through a building-block realm that… Read more »

Alicia Keys, George Clinton, ?uestlove and Doug E. Fresh were among the surprise guests to appear onstage with Prince early Wednesday morning at Times Square’s The World nightclub. Free for members of Prince’s NPG Music Club, $40 for nonmembers, the show began at 2 a.m., a few hours after a full concert uptown at the Lincoln Center. With bassist Larry Graham (who appeared briefly at the previous show) and saxophonist Candy Dulfer joining most of Prince’s core band – Renato Neto on keys, John Blackwell on drums, Maceo Parker on sax and Greg Boyer on trombone – the freeform funk… Read more »

The seventh edition of Epitaph Records’ “Punk-O-Rama” compilation series will be released June 25 and feature 19 tracks from the likes of Rancid, Bad Religion, NOFX, Pennywise, the Hives, and Bouncing Souls. Following the series’ modus operandi, “Punk-O-Rama Vol. 7” will be specially priced at $5.98. Epitaph says the first six volumes have collectively sold 1.7 million copies worldwide, and the most recent four volumes have reached The Billboard 200. “Vol. 6” debuted at No. 80 on the tally in June 2001. “Vol. 7” features songs from many Epitaph artists’ recent releases, but also includes four previously unreleased tracks: Guttermouth’s… Read more »

Many artists and fans alike cite a lack of creativity for the recent glut of uninspired rap albums. Onyx blame something else: lack of energy. The bald-headed trio who exploded onto the hip-hop scene nearly a decade ago with smash singles “Throw Ya Gunz” and “Slam” from their riotous debut album, 1993’s Bacdaf-up, hope to inject the same type of kinetic energy into the rap game as they did 10 years ago. “Right now the game is fabricated with a lot of MCs that really don’t focus on a lot of energy in the streets,” said Fredro Starr, who is… Read more »

Following waning U.S. album sales, Oasis should probably call on high for divine inspiration. Instead, the perverse Brits are naming their fifth record Heathen Chemistry. The album will come out in July, and the first single, “Hindu Times” – part of which sounds like a psychedelic spin-off of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” – will be released to radio in the next two weeks. A black-and-white video for the song was directed by Wiz, and features shots of the band onstage juxtaposed against images of a gun barrel, a sign flashing “pills or bombs,” and X-rays of vocalist Liam Gallagher,… Read more »

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, EpicRecords.com has donned a new hue, a new site intro, and two new promotions to celebrate the many themes and universality of love. The now-blushing EpicRecords.com has launched the “Language Of Love” Sweepstakes featuring 14 individual contests, showcasing 14 artists, exploring 14 degrees of love from Lost to True to Family to Unrequited. A highlight of the promotion is the online premiere of “A New Day Has Come,” the title track from quintessential love-songstress, Celine Dion’s forthcoming release that arrives in US stores on March 26. The “Language Of Love” Sweepstakes is being cross-promoted… Read more »

“How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” Michael Stipe asked the crowd soon after R.E.M. took the stage Thursday night at the venerable venue. “Practice,” the crowd blurted in unison. “Well, we didn’t,” Stipe responded. “So if you hear a bum note or something that doesn’t sound right, I urge you to sing louder in your head.” The tour-shy Athens rockers and granola-pop folkie Jewel were among those on hand for an evening of spirited entertainment at “You Gotta Have Friends: Partners in the Fight Against AIDS,” a benefit for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. ( from the event.) Judging… Read more »