Joe Claussell

   
Artist: Joe Claussell

   Genre(s): 
Dance
   House
   Electronic
   

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Discography:


   
 Translate: Sampler [12 VINYL]

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 5


   
 Unchained Rhythums Part.2 Vinyl

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 4


   
 Unchained Rhythums Part.1 Vinyl

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 4


   
 Language

   Year: 2000   
Tracks: 8


   
 Music... A Reason To Celebrate (cd2)

   Year:    
Tracks: 12


   
 Music... A Reason To Celebrate (cd1)

   Year:    
Tracks: 12

---

Joe Claussell has long been one of New York City's busiest dance figures, thanks to his make in all areas of the house biotic community: as a extremely respected DJ, manufacturer, remixer, label-head (Ghostlike Life Music and Ibadan), and record-shop owner (Dance Tracks). Spiritual Life has released tracks from a host of New York nu-house teams including Claussell himself, Mateo & Matos, Blaze, Slam Mode, and patronize production mate Jephte Guillaume. And his Sunday clubnight Body & Soul (with mate residents François Kevorkian and Danny Krivit) recreated the vibraharp fostered at the birth of modern dance medicine -- David Mancuso's Loft roger Sessions during the early '70s -- with a varied mix of vivacious music ranging from Milton Nascimento to Masters at Work to Cesario Evora to Kevin Yost to Fela Kuti. In his productions, he's often mirrored that eclecticist mix in of styles, falling in plentifulness of acoustic instruments and rich percussion patterns.


Like Kevorkian, Claussell is a ex-serviceman of the disco geological era, an enthusiastic participator at DJ roger Huntington Sessions from near-legendary figures like Mancuso and Larry Levan. Raised in Brooklyn, he well-read musical variety thanks to the wide-ranging tastes of his 7 brothers. He began working at the New York record fund Dance Tracks in the late '80s, and after forming a partnership with new proprietor Stefan Prescott, turned it into one of the leading vinyl sources in the city. Claussell turned to production with a few remixing credits, and in 1996, launched Spiritual Life Music with the single "Refractory Problems" by Timmy Regisford.


Spiritual Life shortly became the home for productions embracement all forms of groove music from the past tense few decades, as comfortable working through Caribbean folk and salsa rhythms as the expected cryptical theater. (Non surprisingly, the excerpt at the Dance Tracks depot featured the same philosophical system at work.) Tight releases by two of New York's topper producers (Slam Mode with "Edict Mistura," and Blaze with "Directions") increased the label's visibility during the mid-'90s, and Claussell affected into production with majuscule singles by Jephte Guillaume ("The Prayer," "Kanpe") during 1997. He too formed a second label, Ibadan, and released his number 1 proper single, the 1997 Brazilian planetary house physical exertion "Escravos de Joe."


The same vibes fostered on Spiritual Life material likewise constitute a physical exercise at Body & Soul, the Sunday evening club founded by Claussell with François Kevorkian. His number 1 full-length, Unify the Vibe, was released on NiteGrooves in 1999, followed later that year by his proper debut, Speech. A Spiritual Life compiling, Spiritual Life Music, is too useable.

Here comes the sun? Glastonbury prepares for scorcher

For recent visitors to Britain's largest music festival the experience can be summed up in a word. Mud.

But this year's Glastonbury festival is preparing for a scenario of blue skies and scorching sun. For the first time since 2003 organisers are "quietly confident" about sunshine in Somerset during next month's festival, and contingency plans are being put in place, with hosepipes, ice sellers, suncream and even dermatologists at the ready. To avert dust a fleet of bowser tanks will, if needed, roam the site and pump 2m gallons of water on to the fields every hour.

Last year drainage pipes and gravel were laid in the runup to the festival in an ultimately vain attempt to prevent a quagmire. This year Michael Eavis, 72-year-old founder of the festival, has been quoting the rhyme "oak before the ash, then we'll only have a splash" - an abundance of green oak leaves being apparently a decent assurance of good weather, despite this week's bank holiday deluge in the south of England.

His sunny predictions could also be an attempt to lure more people to this year's event which, unusually, has still not sold out. Critics have blamed lagging ticket sales on the inclusion of hip hop artist Jay-Z in the list of headliners.

Another theory is that large-scale "mega-festivals" - of which Glastonbury is the biggest - have become less popular. But many festivalgoers simply say that the energy-sapping mud of recent events is the main deterrent.

A spokesman for the Met Office said rainfall was "more likely to be either near, or above average" for the time of year.

· The Guardian is a sponsor of the Glastonbury festival.


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• KAKI KING
• Kanye West Launches Travel Company
• Paolo Fresu Angel Quartet

Phonogenic

   
Artist: Phonogenic

   Genre(s): 
Dance
   Techno
   

---

Discography:


   
 The Last Beer On Earth

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 3


   
 Rooma

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 3


   
 Orange Leaves

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 5

---

 

P Diddy hails Sinatra as idol

FIRST SNOOP DOGG unveiled his unlikely love for JOHNNY CASH - and now P DIDDY
has hailed FRANK SINATRA as his style icon.

The name-changing star, born SEAN COMBS, admits he models his wardrobe
on the late singer.

He said: "I strive to resemble Frank Sinatra.

"He was effortlessly cool, always looking refined and maintaining complete
class.

"He knew how to make a statement without being loud."
Not that silver suits, mountains of bling and diamond-encrusted iPods are
subtle.
Diddy also confessed to taking longer than most women while getting ready for
a night on the tiles, saying: "It takes me two hours to get ready. Worse
than any woman I've ever been with.

"I take a long bath and then moisturise with oils when I'm still wet so that
it all seeps into my pores."

Golden Smog

   
Artist: Golden Smog

   Genre(s): 
Indie
   Rock
   

---

Discography:


   
 Another Fine Day

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 15


   
 Weird Tales

   Year: 1998   
Tracks: 15


   
 On Golden Smog

   Year: 1996   
Tracks: 5


   
 Down by the Old Mainstream

   Year: 1996   
Tracks: 14

---

A bibulous, side-project covers band that step by step evolved into a kind of roots rock supergroup, Golden Smog was a loosely connected unit comprised, at several times, of members of Soul Asylum, the Replacements, Wilco, the Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, and the Honeydogs. The radical first came together in the Minneapolis area in the later '80s as a country-rock reaction to the punk rocker and hard-core sounds that dominated the Twin Cities' melodic shot at the time; finally Golden Smog became something of a fixing at local clubs, where they played a handful of shows annually. From the attack, the lineup was mercurial, although Run Westy Run singer Kraig Johnson as well as guitarists Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) and Gary Louris (the Jayhawks) were relative constants. Smog shows were commonly thematically based, in keeping with the banteringly nature of the project; one execution was devoted exclusively to Eagles covers, while some other nonrecreational court to the Rolling Stones and was billed "Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck."


Reasonably unexpectedly, a five-cut covers EP, On Golden Smog, appeared in 1992. While the closure runway, a interpretation of Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song" sung by Soul Asylum roadie Bill Sullivan, followed in the project's original rakish heart, the remainder of the record was considerably more focused, keeping in pedigree with the main musical work of the bandmembers -- world Health Organization, this time out, were essentially Johnson, Murphy, Louris, Jayhawks bassist Marc Perlman, and ex-Replacements drummer Chris Mars, along with Soul Asylum singer Dave Pirner (on a cover of Bad Company's "Shooting Star"). Even more unexpectedly, the side by side Golden Smog movement -- 1996's uncut Down by the Old Mainstream -- was made up largely of original material composed strictly for the project. With a lineup that included Johnson, Murphy, Louris, Perlman, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, and Honeydogs drummer Noah Levy (all of whom recorded under pseudonyms as a answer of contractual obligations), the record eagre few reminders of Smog's beer-soaked origins, rather revealing a more ripen and thoughtful band breakage justify of the restraints of their day jobs and having some serious fun in the march. Uncanny Tales followed in 1998, only it wasn't until 2006 that the grouping released Another Fine Day, which, unsurprisingly, ascribable to the total of time that had passed since the last album, sounded minuscule like sooner Golden Smog records. Bloodline on the Slacks was released the following year.

Toktok Vs Soffy O

   
Artist: Toktok Vs Soffy O

   Genre(s): 
Dance
   

---

Discography:


   
 Toktok Vs Soffy O

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 12

---

 





Watch Pete Doherty's Three Step Guide To Getting To A Gig

Ben Harper and Jack Johnson

   
Artist: Ben Harper and Jack Johnson

   Genre(s): 
Rock
   

---

Discography:


   
 KBCO Studio C 08-28-2003

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 10

---

 





Tender Forever

Spank Rock

   
Artist: Spank Rock

   Genre(s): 
Electronic
   Rap: Hip-Hop
   

---

Discography:


   
 Fabriclive 33 mixed by Spank Rock

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 29


   
 YoYoYoYoYo

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 12

---

Reflecting the party blame ambience of Baltimore's club scene, Spank Rock arrived as one of the best things to pass off to both underground hip-hop and lousy tap, a copulate of styles that rarely intermingle. The mathematical group formed as a coaction between MC Naeem Juwan (aka Spank Rock) and producer XXXchange (Alex Epton). Both grew up in Baltimore, though never met until both had been making music elsewhere for several days. Juwan was rapping by his lyceum age, and a friendly relationship with producer Shawn J. Period (Mos Def, Talib Kweli) helped him decide on blame as a vocation and Philadelphia as a starting point. XXXchange studied at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, then briefly the New England Conservatory before decamping for New York and a stint drumming with the indie electronic chemical group Zero Zero, whose 2001 record album AM Gold was produced by the highly sought DFA camp; he also earned a production apprenticeship at DFA, assisting James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy.


A mutual friend, Alex Rockswell, introduced Juwan and XXXchange at a Baltimore artwork gallery, and the two before long began running together (Rockswell later coupled the cortege as DJ). Influenced by Baltimore's fat only seldom exported golf-club setting, Spank Rock tracks were influenced by the haggard breakbeats of electro and bass, glitch and grease, while Juwan proved up to the project of invocation the hyper-sexual rhymes necessary for a actual Baltimore flavor. Signed to the originative British label Big Dada, the duette turned heads with early singles "Backyard Betty" and "Hayrick Rubin." Spank Rock's debut record album, YoYoYoYoYo, appeared in April 2006. XXXchange besides recorded a mix in album, Voila, that married his bruising beats to a succession of start songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s.

Conventions provide big business for many Nashville entertainers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - They don't have recording contracts and don't make concert tours. You've probably never heard of them.

But a dedicated core of Nashville performers earn a comfortable living entertaining for corporate groups who meet regularly in Music City USA. They sing and play for groups as diverse as funeral directors, grocers and bull semen salesmen (more about that later).

Nashville is a major convention draw, with most meetings at the sprawling Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center or at the city-owned convention centre. According to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city has 11 million visitors and more than 500 conventions a year. Convention delegates spent more than $422 million last year.

So tourists in the city offer an attractive venue for Nashville's plentiful singers and musicians.

For sure, convention shows don't get rowdy like some rock concerts. But they can be lively.

"I get Mike from sales up on stage to sing 'Mony Mony.' That's a home run," says Gary Jenkins, 42, who with his band has been performing for conventions for 20 years and does a minimum of one corporate show a week.

He once entertained for a convention of bull semen salesmen.

"They had a real sense of humour about what they did, and they were ready to have a good time," Jenkins recalled. "It was like a rowdy frat party."

A few years ago, fiddler Tim Watson worked out a special song while performing with Tammy Wynette for GMC truck dealers.

"Instead of her 'Stand by Your Man,' we did 'Stand by Your Van,' " Watson recalled of the late singer's classic hit. On cue, corporate officials rolled out a van on the stage at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House.

He performs before a few hundred to several thousand spectators, doing blazing versions of "Rocky Top," "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and "The Orange Blossom Special."

"We give them a little bluegrass, a little country and maybe a little Southern gospel and a medley of patriotic songs," said Watson, who has done hundreds of conventions in Nashville and elsewhere for some 20 years.

He and his band Black Creek have performed for Coca-Cola, Toyota, General Motors, Anheuser-Busch, Alcoa and others. He's made as much as $20,000 per show, but most times it's much, much less.

Sometimes the corporate audiences flow neatly from one show to the next.

"We did the Batesville Casket Co. one night and funeral directors the next," he said.

Watson once performed in Nashville for a Kimberly-Clark convention and, months later, the company hired him for a show in Orlando, Fla.

"I had a late show here the night before and they sent a corporate jet for us. So a bunch of ragtag musicians piled out of a van in Nashville and got into a multimillion dollar jet for a show the next morning," he recalled.

Bigger artists with record deals - Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney - do concert tours before larger crowds offering more money.

Natalie Stovall, 26, a fiddler and singer with a degree in vocal performance from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, does a few dozen corporate shows a year hoping they will be a springboard to a recording contract.

She performs "a good range of the spectrum," covering songs by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Shania Twain, Reba McEntire and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"Someone asks for 'Free Bird' every night," she said.

Along those lines, Jenkins chooses his music carefully.

"I've had shows with a lot of Amish there. I try to ask questions beforehand and be sensitive.

"Tomorrow night we play for 2,100 high school principals. If we do a Dave Matthews song, it would clear the dance floor."

-

On the Net: Tim Watson: www.TheFiddleMan.com

Natalie Stovall: www.nataliestovall.com

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• R Kelly ‘Identified’ On Sex Tape
• Live Review: Less Than Jake in Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Opeth

Boy George denied U.S. visa as summer tour nears

NEW YORK — Do they really want to hurt him?

That's the question Boy George's managers are asking U.S. authorities now that the 47-year-old singer has been denied a visa to enter the country.

The Culture Club frontman, whose real name is George O'Dowd, had planned a U.S. tour this summer, including a Seattle stop July 20 at the Showbox at the market. The tour also included plans for a free concert at the New York City Department of Sanitation's Family Day in August. He worked for the department in 2006 while performing court-ordered community service in a drug case.

His managers said in a statement Monday that O'Dowd has been denied a visa because he's awaiting trial in London.

The singer, whose hits include "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and "Karma Chameleon," has pleaded not guilty to imprisoning a man at his London home.

The U.S. Department of State said visa records are confidential so it couldn't comment.

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• The Good Enough Guide to Health
• Brain Scientist: Stroke Was ‘Nirvana’ and ‘Bliss’
• Natural invisible gold found: Scientists
• Keep Tabs on Your Health From Home

Vengeance Rising

   
Artist: Vengeance Rising

   Genre(s): 
Metal: Heavy
   

---

Discography:


   
 Released Upon The Earth

   Year: 2000   
Tracks: 10


   
 Once Dead

   Year: 2000   
Tracks: 13


   
 Human Sacrifice

   Year: 1993   
Tracks: 13


   
 Destruction Comes

   Year: 1991   
Tracks: 10

---

Vengeance Rising has one of the most entertaining and freaky stories in the land of heavy alloy. Formed in 1987 by singer Roger Martinez, guitarists Larry Farkes and Doug Theime, bassist Roger Dale Martin, and drummer Glenn Mancaruso, the ring was a Christian variation on the emerging death metal scene. This lineup produced two albums that were brobdingnagian successes in the globe of Christian music, fashioning them ane of the few bands in the literary genre to cross over into the secular euphony scene. They played both religious and non-religious festivals and tried and true to feast their message as far as possible. Martinez became very involved in the modus vivendi, producing video tapes about Christianity and forming alliances with other big-name Christian leadership. Unfortunately, when they chequered their bank account statement after the Once Dead tour, they discovered that they had mismanaged their funds and were hopelessly in debt. Everyone simply Martinez bailed and formed Die Happy, and he scrambled to form some other lineup. He establish drummer Chris Hyde and guitarist Derek Sean and continued forrad with himself on bass. Despite cathartic two more than albums and marketing a respectable sum of copies, he was nowhere close to clearing his fiscal woes and the band fell apart in the early 90s. Struggling with his faith and the striving of his position, he vehemently broke from the religious environment he had encircled himself with and began the second half of his life history by announcing his godlessness. He began to seduce tapes counteracting the tapes he made during his Christian career, and re-formed Vengeance Rising with a new lineup and a unquestionably angrier message. He formed a site that renounced his late output signal and posted articles most Christian leaders that were aimed at making them look dopey. His former associates in the religious existence were outraged and his name became synonymous with "falling from grace," something Martinez reveled in and emphatic. He released the Satanic Realms of Blasthemy on Halloween of 2000, piece he continued his efforts through a hilarious and middling worrisome question in the magazine Mean, where he provided a counterpoint to the opinions of Christian leader Bob Larson. When the tragical terrorist hijackings of 2001 happened, Martinez offered a release record album from his situation for military personal only to further the sanctum war he invariably talked about. Providing endlessly entertaining fodder for interviews, Martinez managed to re-create his possess calling in such a unique manner that his tale continues to be interesting years after the most substantial part of his melodious life history.





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