DBT Week in Review - 5/25/07

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Let's begin today with happenings out of the 400 Unit.

Jason and the gang's new website is partially up and looking nice.

www.jasonisbell.com

The big tour is set. Check out the website to find the city near you where Jason and the 400 Unit will be playing.

This looks to be a mighty fine tour with dates all over. I'm set for a Saturday night show in San Francisco. Woo-hoo!

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Jason's got a new song on iTunes. Make sure you buy a copy of "Brand New Kind of Actress". You'll show your support and you'll give the record company something to use to gauge how many initial copies of Sirens to press.

They'll need to print a lot.... I mean, A LOT of copies.

www.myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic:

"'Brand New Kind Of Actress' Available Now at iTunes! Buy the track and it will be credited to the purchase of the album through iTunes 'Complete My Album Program'"

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Be sure to check out Jason's wonderful tribute to Topper Price. You can find the tribute on Jason's MySpace page on his blog.

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Via Jayne

dbts : Message: Jason Interview Thurs 7 a.m.:

"Jason Isbell Interview
Thursday, May 24- 7:00 a.m.
89.7 WTMD (Baltimore)
http://wtmd.blogspot.com/2007/05/live-from-louisville-schedule.html

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DBT

Jenn made some groovy new banners for your website. I've sported one in my header the past 3 days.

Drive-By Truckers New Banners for your website

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Killer TDU review by RevTodd on Ninebullets:

Nine Bullets:

"Ok, ok, I realize it's two weeks overdue, but I drink a lot folks.

In any case, here's the latest installment of my concert book:

# 412 DRIVE BY TRUCKERS (19)

Fox Theater/ Boulder, Co 5/27/07

Flying from Columbus to Chicago to Denver, I arrived in the Mile High city around 11am MST. Weeb picked me up and we drove to their house in Arvada. I hadn't seen him or his wife , Sandy, since they got married in 2002. I've known Chris (aka Weeb) since my Ohio State days and we've done some serious drinking over the years. Luckilly, marriage has not changed my friend. In fact, I think he found the perfect partner in Sandy. She likes to hike, ride Harley's, drink beer, gamble, and she loves him. "

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My vanity is showing.

Here's a TDU SF review. They used one of my pictures for their review.

Concert Review: Drive-By Truckers at the Great American Music Hall, 5/8/07 | BuzzSugar - Movies, TV, Music.:

"The Drive-By Truckers are a rarity in today's music climate: a band that hugs the road as if it were kin, touring any chance they get. They hit the pavement when they have a new album, or when they have a few festivals to play, or — in this case — when they have a batch of new songs to hone before heading into the studio."

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The Drams

Check the ever entertaining Drams tour diary for the latest shananagans.

the Drams:

"Hey diggidees,
French kisses with a little over the bra gropin! It was only a matter of time that that itch in a place you don't need to know came back and I let you know what is going on, my peep-peeps(hee-hees)! Also know that evidently my damn-ass spell check aint(is not) working in this new Google-enhanced/bought blog space-shit. Sorry, but you are probably used to my half educated ass anyway. History degrees do not get you very far these days.

As of late we have been reserving our energies on the home front and trying to do the things we can to be productive citizens of this society by any means we can. And stuff."

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Go buy this. Brent Best's 'Robert Cole' is included.

Bloodshot Records: Bloodshot Records Compilations - Just A Few More: A Musical Tribute to Larry Brown Bonus Collection

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Music

Some of my favorite political blogs have been discussing music of late.

Eschaton:

Why The Selling Out Conversation Matters

Judging by the reaction of some commenters there seems to be a wide perception that this is just some college-level conversation about who's keeping it real. There's a bit of that, admittedly, but there are larger issues at play. The music industry is going through a radical change right now, due to technology changes and other issues, and it isn't quite clear what the next equilibrium outcome will be. The revenue, marketing, and distribution models are all changing and what they will finally evolve into isn't yet set in stone. There's no inevitable outcome, both due to uncertainty about future technological developments, as well as the fact that policy (copyright law and DMCA, net neutrality and other internet policies, etc...) could play an important role.

The internet provides for the incredible possibility for musicians to market and distribute their own stuff, though there are limits to that so I think it's important to encourage, not discourage, any other alternative methods of marketing and revenue generation.

The Future of Music Coalition has a bunch of info on these issues."


More Selling Out

It's true that while I don't think there's anything inherently wrong about "selling out," it's also the case the rock bands are also brands in and of themselves so turning half their catalog into commercial jingles for canned soup might negatively impact their brand. The issue isn't "how dare they sell out to Big Soup!!!" it's that maybe their fans don't want to be at their concerts thinking about dancing soup spoons.

Like other commercial enterprises bands have a brand to protect, and associating that brand with other things might have negative effects. But that's a different issue than objecting to them making a buck.

Crooks and Liars � Music…:

"I'm joining in to the music discussion that started over the weekend. The music world has changed incredibly in a short period of time, (technology, copyright laws, the Internet, etc…) so what's the big deal if bands let commercials use their music for a hefty fee? Back in 'the day,' it was the cool thing for a band to not 'sell out' to the man, but as Amanda says: 'That is so 20th Century.' I still cringe a bit when I hear a Hendrix song on a commercial, but the times are a changin' and it has always been a struggle to make it in the music world.

What's sad is that the music industry knew that the dynamic was changing because of technology; file sharing in part was developed by them, but they sat on their hands because they DID NOT WANT to set a precedent. I'll have more on this later… "

Matthew Yglesias:

"By popular demand, you'll find the playlist for the Nineties Alt-Rock Party below. A few words. For one thing, this is just the songs in alphabetical order; at the party itself, the Party Shuffle was in effect. Most important of all, before looking at the list you need to understand what it is and what it is not. This is an effort to recreate the experience of listening to your average 'modern rock' radio station during the decade in question. Hence, no hip-hop, no Spice Girls, and no then-obscure indie bands etc. One also gets points for iconicness and the elusive quality of ninetiesness. Hence, 'What's the Frequency Kenneth?' represents R.E.M. on the grounds that it's the 'most nineites' of R.E.M. songs and 'Buddy Holly' represents the Blue Album since it was the monster hit. Arguably, I violated the terms of the arrangement with the Nirvana selections, and it's been put to me that Pavement was sufficiently mainstream to merit inclusion. Be that as it may, the task is inherently subjective and this was my party:"

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Prince played SF recently and covered a songs by our own Spooner Oldham.

REVIEW / His white-hot Purpleness and Sheila E. in concert? Priceless.:

"Vocalist Shelby Johnson brought old-fashioned soul to the sound and, as if to make the point, even sang a heated version of Aretha Franklin's 'I Never Loved a Man.' Two additional background vocalists, all long legs and bottoms and very little skirt, brought a lot of motion to the show with the sort of dancing not often seen outside gentlemen's clubs. When Prince and Sheila E. dragged 15 or so goofballs out of the front rows to dance with the band, it was controlled chaos onstage and Prince made the most of it.

He used a lot of purple backlighting and frequently asked for the already dim lights to be dropped even lower. 'Make it sexy,' he would say, and the lights would go out."

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