SXSW 2008: It's all about the, erm, hairgel commercials

An interesting take on SXSW from the Wall Street Journal. Sure, it's where exciting new bands gather to preen and show off... and then get co-opted to appear on a mobile phone ad:

Over its 22 years, South by Southwest has become the nation's biggest showcase for emerging music talent, speeding the ascent of stars like Amy Winehouse and the Strokes. The festival still plays host to edgy acts, from blistering heavy-metal bands to rock groups with unprintable names, all striving to impress critics, record labels and concert bookers. But increasingly the tone in Austin is being set by a new guard of talent scouts, especially those from industries like television and advertising who can score licensing deals for new music acts.

Yes, yes, we know: bands have got to eat. But it's a little disappointing that SXSW is turning into a barrel where they can be hoovered up like so many fish. It'd be nice to think that bands turn up on advertisements because someone has made an emotional connection between track and product; this is more akin to a ad-track Amsterdam, where bands sit in the windows hoping for passing trade.

Beth Orton weekend: Where Do I Begin?

Beth Orton joins The Chemical Brothers for Where Do I Begin at the Electric Proms:



[Part of the Beth Orton weekend]

Evening Standard rages over 2005 speech

Some excellent work by Andrew Collins on an Evening Standard report that a Lib Dem MP is slipping references to Shed Seven into a speech.

The Standard claims that Lewes MP Norman Baker deliberately inserted Shed Seven song titles into a speech in the Commons. Perhaps wisely, it chooses to not publish the article on its website, as it also claims that it was a "recent" speech when it actually dates back to 2005.

Baker denies doing this, calling it a coincidence - which we could accept, given how hackneyed so many Shed Seven songtitles are, it's virtually impossible to have a conversation without inadvetently throwing in a Witterism, like you're dropping cod into some sort of Ocean Pie. We could believe him, but for this last line:

On energy efficiency we are still chasing rainbows. Going for gold we are not.

That's got to be deliberate.

Naturally, rather than enjoy a little giggle at such life-enhancing silliness, the Standard rages (must be for a bet, throws doubt on his probity). The paper doesn't, though, indicate who might be hurt by the joke.

Ringo: There's more to me than The Beatles

Former Beatle Ringo Starr, who was in The Beatles, has used an interview with people interested in his time in The Beatles to complain that people only want to talk to him about one thing. The ex-Beatle raged:

"Some days I'm just fed up with The Beatles," Starr explained. "I think that when when I die, the message on my tombstone will be 'Ex-Beatle'. Like I've done nothing else."

It's a fair point, isn't it? Nobody ever mentions Back Off Boogaloo when they talk about him, do they? Or... um... all the other things he's done. Which is plenty. Loads and loads of stuff. Like Wings...

Oh, no. That was Paul, wasn't it?

But he did all that meditation stuff and the concert for Bang...

Oh, hang on. George, that, wasn't it?

Let's remember Imagine and...

Oh, yes. John.

What did Ringo do that wasn't the Beatles? What is his contribution to popular culture that is going to outweigh that?

Aha! He must want his gravestone to read 'Here lies Ringo Starr: Voice of Thomas The Tank Engine until he got bored and Michael Angelis took over'.

Well done, journalism

It's a comedy staple: hapless hero smiles at a woman of stature and asks "when's it due?" only to be hit by an umbrella as the woman indignantly rages that she's not pregnant.

Now, gossip journalism has sunk to a point where the gag has been reversed: Lisa Marie Presley has been forced to announce that, actually, she isn't fat, she's pregnant:

"Once they got a glimpse of my expanding physique a few days ago, they have been like a pack of coyotes circling their prey whilst eerily howling with delight," said Presley.

"I have had to show my cards and announce under the gun and under vicious personal attack that I am in fact pregnant," she said.

Presley said the press had been "irresponsible and disgusting".

There's the additional question of how dumb a readership has to be judged before it takes a writer to be required to point out that, say, the woman in the picture above has a greater weight than she did in a photo taken in the past.

Embed and breakfast man: Beth Orton

Beth Orton is one of the voices who's taking part on Annie Lennox's campaigning-and-fundraising HIV in Africa Sing project, which is as slim a hook as we need for spending the weekend looking at Beth Orton videos.

Let's kick off with She Cries Your Name, shall we?



More videos over the weekend - they'll be listed here
Where Do I Begin - live at the Electric Proms with the Chemical Brothers
Central Reservation - live at West 54th
Dolphins - live on Jools Holland with Terry Callier
Pass In Time - live at Webster Hall

Buy
Trailer Park
Daybreaker
Pass In Time - a two-disc best of from 2003
Southlander - 'struggling rock musician' movie which features a Beth cameo

Darkness at 3AM: Shocked!

The 3AM Girls report on an Amy Winehouse night out:

Amy Winehouse shocks friends by snorting vodka shots

Really? Amy Winehouse's friends were shocked by that? What, were they surprised she wasn't just mainlining it?

Gordon in the morning: Not such a breast expert

Given that he spends so much time talking about breasts, you'd expect Gordon to know something about them. Apparently not, as he responds to a picture of Cheryl Cole wearing a Fashion Targets Breast Cancer shirt without apparently realising what it is:

THINGS look brighter for CHERYL COLE as she steps out in a garish yellow top.

It might be considered a little tacky to describe something worn to promote a charitable end as "garish" without at least acknowledging that there's more to the garment than just being a tshirt. Let's hope one of the journalists at the Sun can brief him properly before poppy day.

Gordon is delighted that Cheryl looks happy in the shot:

I reckon Cheryl is looking much happier now that she’s sorted out her marriage.

That'd be the one you've spent the last month telling her she can only be happy if she walks out on, wouldn't it, Gordon? The one where the trouble started not only because her husband behaved like an arse, but because you made the humiliation very public indeed?

Gordon also carries news of Robbie Williams' claims that he's seen three UFOs and that

He says he also believes cult Scientology “exists”

Uh... Gordon, the cult Scientology does exist. You want to get yourself up Tottenham Court Road, you'll get yourself a scoop. Perhaps what you mean is that Williams believes the fairy-story at the heart of the money-making cult, which would confirm that he's got no judgement worth considering.

A quarter century of Blue Mondays

As DJ Martian points out, today is the twenty-fifth anniversary of this song's first, losing-money-on-every-copy release:



Happy birthday, Blue Monday.

To put this into too much context, we're now as far away from the release of Blue Monday as the release of Blue Monday was from this: