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Tom Petty, The Sonics, Nicole Atkins, Cutout Bin, and... Khan!   Printer-friendly page   Send this story to someone
Friday, November 02, 2007 - 08:00 AM
Posted by: Karl

Karl

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

...with TOM PETTY!  Earlier this week, the NYDN's Jim Farber wrote that "there's barely a wasted minute" in director Peter Bogdanovich's four-hour film on Petty, "Running Down a Dream."  I don't know that I would go quite that far, but the documentary is quite good -- and reminds me of how underrated Petty is.  The doc goes as far back as Petty's days in Mudcrutch, which led him -- and some future Heartbreakers -- to legendary A&R man Denny Cordell, who would produce the first TP records, including "American Girl," "I Need To Know" and "Listen To Her Heart."  He fought -- and beat -- his label twice.  The first fight -- over the sale of hsi contract to MCA -- preceded the seminal Damn The Torpedoes album (the master tapes were kept in hiding during litigation) that would launch the band to super-stardom with tracks like "Here Comes My Girl," "Even The Losers," "Don't Do Me Like That" and the signature "Refugee."  The second fight was over the pricing of his follow-up, Hard Promises, though in the movie Petty also shares the backstory for "The Waiting" from that LP.  The movie is not just PR, however; it is acknowledged that while the video for "You Got Lucky" was state of the art for that era, the Long After Dark album was treading water creatively.  

Bogdanovich also makes clear that Petty's success is due in no small part to a relentless drive that occasionally strays into the ruthless.  Petty was not above dumping band members, stealing band members and collaborators -- like Eurhythmics' Dave Stewart, whom he suggested write for Stevie Nicks, but ended up making off with him and "Don't Come Around Here No More" for himself, even though its psychedelic sound did not really fir with songs like "Rebels" on the Southern Accents album.  Indeed, the Wonderland-themed video for the former would supply Petty the Mad Hatter persona who would pop up in later videos for songs like "Into The Great Wide Open," which was expanded to almost seven minutes just because they had great footage from Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway.  And in the movie, Nicks doesn't seem to mind, esp. in light of the success of their collabration on tracks like "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."  While I'm less of a fan of Petty's later work, the film tells the engaging backstory of the Traveling Wilburys, which reminds you that not just anyone gets to be in a band with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and the late Roy Orbison.  Indeed, TP & the Hartbreakers would later back Johnny Cash on one of those Ric Rubin productions.  And Petty is still capable of turning out great stuff, as the movie documents TP's solo LP, which spawned hits like "Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin'" and "Runnin' Down A Dream."  Somewhat surprisingly, it was Petty's biggest album to that point.  There's also some great footage of Petty standing up to some music-biz types who wanted former Byrd Roger McGuinn to record some piece of pop fluff;  Petty & McGuinn would turn out "King Of The Hill," a song about "Papa" John Phillips (though they don't say so in the movie).  McGuinn also tells the story of the first time someone played him "American Girl": "When did I record that?"  Catch it on Sundance or queue it.

ROBYN HITCHCOCK:  Like Don at Timedoor, Ken King are going to Hitchcock's show at Shank Hall tonight.  But Don is the one with a six-part interview of Hitchcock he did for Milk magazine in 1996.  At the moment, there's plenty of Hitchcock streaming via the ol' HM.  The Architectural Dance Society reviews Robyn's box set, adding rarities not included.

THE SONICS:  Seattle's seminal garage rockers of the 60's have semi-reunited and make their NYC debut tonight, playing for the first time in 35 years on a bill including the Stawberry Alarm Clock, the Fleshtones and the Lyres.  WFMU is still streaming their best known stuff and an interview with guitarist Larry Parypa.  Have love?  Will travel!

JOE JACKSON has reteamed with original Joe Jackson Band members Graham Maby (bass/vocals) and Dave Houghton (drums/vocals) for a new album due in January.  You can -- and should -- stream "King Pleasure Time" from the 'Gum Mix.

LINDA STEIN, who helped pioneer the punk music scene, influenced the careers of Madonna and the Ramones and went on to become known as a real estate agent to the stars was found bludgeoned to death Tuesday night in her apartment at 965 Fifth Avenue.  The ex-wife of Seymour Stein, the founder of Sire Records, Stein later parlayed her show business connections - including a decades-long friendship with Elton John - into a high-profile real estate career.

DEVENDRA BANHART did an interview and mini-set for the World Cafe you can stream on demand via NPR.

NICOLE ATKINS wowed Letterman with a particularly torchy take on "The Way It Is" -- they even snuggle a bit at show's end.  If she looks familiar, maybe you have seen her American Express ad.  Her new album, Neptune City is streaming in full this week via Spinner, which also has video clips of Atkins re-visiting the Saint Club in Asbury Park, NJ, which borders Neptune City.  She also talked about immortalizing her hometown with the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

THE SEX PISTOLS were on Leno opposite Atkins, playing "Anarchy in the UK."  Johnny Rotten talked to the Orange County Register about the band's latest reunion: "Well, it's an anniversary of punk in England, and there's been garbage rubbish bands performing all year trying to claim the credit for what existed 30 years ago. We just decided to put our foot down on that and tell a few home truths..."

JOSE GONZALEZ did an interview and mini-set for the World Cafe you can stream on demand via NPR, in which the Argentinian Swede talks about the music scene in Sweden - the third-largest exporter of pop music in the world.  He also names a few of his favorite things for Pitchfork's Guest list feature.

LED ZEPPELIN:  The November 26th reunion concert has been pushed back to December 10th because guitarist Jimmy Page fractured his finger.

THE TOP TEN COWBELL SONGS, according to Cracked magazine, with plenty of embedded video... though it could have used, you know...

CUTOUT BIN:  This Friday's fortuitous finds on the ol' HM are: Casey Kasem - Long Distance Dedication (nsfw); Charles Fox - Wonder Woman Theme; Jackson 5 - Want You Back (DJ Skeet Skeet Edit); Band of Bees - Chicken Payback; Boots Randolph - Yakety Sax; Curley Moore - Soul Train; Pastel Vespa - The Boys are Back in Town (yes, that one); Sam & Dave - Soul Man; The Soul Survivors - Respect (O. Redding); Marlena Shaw - California Soul; Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On; Dusty Springfield - Just A Little Lovin'; Moody Blues - Go Now; Jan & Dean - Dead Man's Curve; Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - Hold Tight; The Leaves - Hey Joe; The Staple Singers - The Weight; The Hold Steady - Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (B. Dylan); The Byrds - So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star; Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street; The Sadies - Never Again; M. Ward - Chinese Translation; eels - I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (Prince); The Suburbs - Love Is The Law; The Jam - Start!; Cake - Short Skirt, Long Jacket; and Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.

BRITNEY SPEARS invited a man to snort cocaine off her chest during a wild party at her Hollywood mansion just two days after losing visitation rights to see her sons, it has been reported.  The pop tart says she's doing the best she can.  Meanwhile, she's being sued by a former manager, Johnny Wright.  Nevertheless, Blackout sold an estimated 124,000 albums the first day of its release Tuesday and is set to become Spears' fifth consecutive number one album... although the top slot may go to the Eagles, if Wal-Mart chooses to report sales of its exclusive album.

THE FRENCH HOTEL dressed as a prisoner for Halloween.  The one thing she does know is PR, though TMZ now has video of her tantrum in a Toronto adult video store.

THE McCARTNEYS:  Heather Mills, otoh, faces a PR backlash from her televised claim that the British press was engaging in a "hate campaign" against her, with the same British press referring to her as "out of control" and "wild-eyed," and scarier than Halloween on a "day of unhinged ranting."  Mills has been dropped by her publicist, who understands that you don't pick fights with those who by ink (and pixels) by the barrel.

LINDSAY LOHAN's aides are going out of their way to make sure the actress/singer stays sober after spending much of the summer in rehab, they've told staff at all her old hangouts not to let her drink alcohol.

LANCE ARMSTRONG & ASHLEY OLSEN were... wait for it... caught canoodling again, this time in the wee hours Wednesday at hip NYC restaurant the Waverly Inn, along with Armsrtong pal Owen Wilson.

OWEN WILSON, btw, has taken to relieving himself with the stall door open.  Despite having been spotted enjoying an occasional cocktail, Kate Hudson's ex is trying to prove he is not partaking of any other substances.  Or hanging out with Sen. Larry Craig.

NOW SHOWING:  This week's wide releases include Jerry Seinfeld's much-hyped Bee Movie, which is currently scoring 43 percent on the ol' Tomatometer (That's got to sting); The Ridley Scott-Russell Crowe-Denzel Washington crime drama American Gangster, currently scoring 82 percent; and John Cusack in the drama Martian Child, which is scoring 30 percent

GYLLENSPOON WITHERHALL took Reese's kids trick-or-treating, dressed as a witch and an ape.  Pics at the link.

TOM-KAT UPDATE:  Cruise is shooting his Nazi movie, learning to run United Artists and promoting his marriage to Holmes, but what he'd really like to do is direct.

DOG the BOUNTY HUNTER was caught spewing an explosive, racist rant on tape of phone conversations with his son.  A&E has suspended production on his TV show.  "Pastor to the stars" Tim Storey says Dog is not a racist and has apologized for the tirade.

DAVID SPADE finally admitted that he dated Heather Locklear during an appearance on Letterman.  Video at the link.

JOSS WHEDON has created a new TV series, titled Dollhouse.  Starring Eliza Dushku, Whedon already has a seven-episode commitment from Fox.

SAVE THE CHEERLEADER, SAVE THE DOLPHINS:  Hayden Panettiere attempted to play real-life hero, teaming with the Save Japan Dolphins coalition in trying to disrupt the annual slaughter of dolphins by Japanese fisherman, who kill an estimated 23K of the sea creatures each year.  Let's go to the video.

NANO-RADIO:  Harnessing the electrical and mechanical properties of the carbon nanotube, a team of researchers has crafted a working radio from a single fiber of that material.  The source content for the first lab test of the radio was "Layla," by Derek and the Dominos, followed soon after by "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys.

IRAN:  The new central bank governor warned Pres. Ahmadinejad over money supply growth, urging measures to prevent a further rise in inflation.  Representatives of the six major powers involved in talks about Iran's nuclear program will meet in London today.  The US said that Russia and China had been blocking tough UN sanctions against Iran for months and pledged a drive to impose them if Iran did not halt nuclear activity within two weeks.  Pres. Ahmadinejad said he was "not worried at all" about broader economic sanctions, dismissing them as ineffective, but threatened unspecified economic retaliation against European countries that follow the US in imposing them.

IRAQ:  "Al Qaeda in Iraq is defeated," according to Sheik Omar Jabouri, spokesman for the Iraqi Islamic Party and a member of the widespread and influential Jabouri Tribe.  Another member of the party said that al Qaeda has shifted targets, now trying to generate friction between tribes, but the tribes are not playing that game.  Embedded blogger Michael J. Totten writes about whether he only saw what the Army wanted him to see.  Tribal leaders from Anbar province pressed US SecDef Gates for help in expanding the size of the local police forces.  Iraq will set up more checkpoints along its northern frontier to keep out supplies for Kurdish rebels, while the Pentagon maintains that the US has given Turkey's armed forces "actionable intelligence" on the PKK rebels.

KHAN the WONDER DOG!  A rescued doberman saved a toddler from a king brown snake - the world's third most venomous - by throwing her out of harm's way as it attacked, biting the dog's leg.  Let's have a big shout out for... Khaaan!  Heck, let's play two.  BONUS: Khan really should be sporting a doggie mullet.  DOUBLE BONUS:  A kelpie named Tess, hailed as a lifesaver, is in a coma after defending its owner from an attack by a deadly giant eastern brown snake on Australia's Gold Coast.

15000 DUCKS INCINERATED in a fois gras-related fire near Swan Lake in NY.  An apparent duck feces eruption ensued.

A PIG-SITTER in Winona MN may face abuse charges for letting the potbellied porker get too fat.

MAN WRESTLES and RESCUES SHARK on Miramar Beach in Florida.  Let's go to the video.

AN ESCAPED KANGAROO is on the lam in Copenhagen.

SILENCE of the SHEEP:  Swiss police are baffled after a flock of 90 sheep vanished from a remote Alpine pasture - for the second time.  Anyone seen Harold?

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