Alice and Elton: Can You Feel The Love Tonight?
Well kids, another week has come and gone and here we are, reviewing the latest music happenings. This has been a big week, with the 40th anniversary of Woodstock happening this weekend, Miley Cyrus deciding what she wants to be when she grows up, and the passing of the great Les Paul. I’m going to leave the commenting on these momentous events to other more capable keyboard strikers and hit you with news that you may not have heard during the week.
What do we call it? Elton In Chains? Alice In Elton? (shudder)
Probably the most bizarre news I’ve heard this week comes from the revamped Alice In Chains, where Jerry Cantrell and the boys are gearing up to release their comeback album Black Gives Way To Blue in September. Some of you will remember that lead singer Layne Staley passed away in 2002 after a long battle with heroin addiction. The band was pretty much on hiatus until a “reunion” of sorts in 2006, and 2008 brought a new lead singer (William DuVall) and work on their first album of new songs in 14 years.
All that’s kind of old news and really nothing shocking. Until we learned this week that Cantrell, in need of someone to play piano on a Staley memorial track, decided to ask the Rocket Man himself, Elton John, to tickle the ivories on the track. Unfortunately for those of us that like an orderly universe, Sir Elton agreed and thereby created a rift in the space-time continuum which will result in our solar system collapsing into a black hole and destroying life as we know it. Scientists say that the only way to repair the hole would be for Angus Young to play guitar on the next Pet Shop Boys record. We’ll be holding our breath for that one.
The Decemberists, On the Wrong Side of the Law
You know, I’ve always thought that Colin Meloy was a shady-looking character. This week, his band The Decemberists played in Royal Oak, Michigan, a town that evidently believes in taking the “street” out of “street music”. The band was bored before their performance on the 11th and decided to busk a little. The Decemberists are known for their campy stage antics like playing music dressed as peasants from the 19th century and Meloy’s penchant for writing entire albums about shapeshifting fauns that fall in love with humans.
So is it any surprise that a band named after an attempted communist revolution in early 19th Century Russia would take to the streets to foment chaos and disorder in the stately town of Royal Oak? Click here to see an article with pictures of the carnage, but you might not want to have your children in the room when you do. Fortunately, the authorities handled the manner in brisk fashion, issuing a “warning” (read: beatdown) to the revellers and restoring sanity to the fair city. But Decemberist-apologetics take heed: The world is on to your antics! The Missoula, Montana Glee Club is gearing up to take you down if you try to bring your seedy street performances into their town. Consider yourself warned!
Finally, we’ve got some exciting music happenings coming up here at the Society in the near future. This next week will be a busy one, so keep your eyes peeled for some exclusive happenings that will inspire and entertain you, all at the same time. I’m sworn to secrecy right now, but let me tell you we’ve got a cat in a bag somewhere and he’s itching to get out. Once he does, the internet as you know it will never be the same.
