UK Investigates Casio, Fender, Korg, Roland and Yamaha on Suspicion of Price-Fixing

The Telegraph:

The inquiry is thought to be focusing on whether any attempt has been made to manipulate sales of musical instruments and pro-audio equipment with, among other things, price fixing or controlled sales to specific areas of the country. 

A music industry source said as many as 10 CMA [Competition and Markets Authority] staff visited the offices of the music manufacturers, some carrying out searches for up to four days. Meanwhile, 14 leading music shops have been asked to provide details of their dealings with the companies. The shops are not under any suspicion of wrongdoing. 

The sale of musical instruments and sheet music in online and from shops is worth around £500 million a year in Britain.

'Roseanne' Without Roseanne? ‘A Long Shot’ But Not Impossible

Variety:

Multiple sources close to the situation say that there have been extremely preliminary discussions among key players — including executive producer Tom Werner, co-star and EP Sara Gilbert, and showrunner/EP Bruce Helford — about options for keeping the ensemble together in some form without Roseanne Barr. Barr sent the show into a death spiral on Tuesday after posting a racist tweet late Monday night that sparked outrage via social media, so much so that ABC pulled the plug on its most-watched program.  

A source said that Gilbert and Werner and Helford are preparing to sit down with ABC execs as soon as Friday to discuss options for the future of the series. One big problem to overcome is the fact that Barr has a significant financial interest in the series, and there is concern that a new iteration that would benefit her financially would be a non-starter for everyone involved.

Not a bad idea. Kill off Roseanne, make Dan a widower and keep rolling. Stay tuned.

Jeff Goldblum Signs With Decca Records

The veteran actor—who also happens to be a talented jazz pianist—has just inked a deal with the Decca Records Label Group to release his debut album.

“As far as I can tell, everyone loves Jeff Goldblum. It’s like a universal truth. His love of jazz is infectious and whenever he plays he makes you feel very happy. If we can take Jeff’s music into people’s homes then we will be helping, in our own small way, to make the world a happier place,” said Tom Lewis, Decca’s director of A&R.

No further details about the deal or the album’s recording and release have been made public at this time.

What Is Wrong With Hollywood Right Now (Star Wars edition)

Solo: A Star Wars Story, the backstory of one of the most popular sci-fi/pop culture icons ever, opened to a $100 million weekend. Great, right? Um, no. Check out these headlines:

Forbes: "Reflecting On The Failure Of Solo: A Star Wars Story"
Variety: "Solo: A Star Wars Story Stumbles With A $103 Million Holiday Weekend"
Washington Post: "Woeful" Box Office

Etc. Etc. Etc.

People need to get a motherfucking grip. $168 million worldwide on its opening weekend and all this negative hubub? Give me a break.

Over at Gizmodo, this headline opted for common sense, vis-a-vis the film's box receipts:
"Everyone Needs to Calm Down About Solo's Box Office Performance"

Yeah, chill the fuck out.

ABC Cancels 'Roseanne' After Barr's Racist Tweet

Who was surprised she'd continue spewing racist and Alex Jones-type conspiracy theory bullshit after ABC emboldened her with a (money-making) reboot of her show? Not anyone paying attention, for sure.

 

Jeffrey Scott Buckley (Nov. 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997)

Tuesday TV Trivia

- The first season episodes of Nashville [2012] are named after Hank Williams songs.

- Describing it as “If David Lynch or The Coen Brothers made a a show about hip hop culture” is how Donald Glover pitched his show Atlanta [2016].

- Fred Rogers’ car was once stolen from a spot around the corner from the TV station where he filmed Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood [1968]. After he filed a police report which was broadcast locally, his car was returned to the spot where it had been stolen, 48 hours later, with a note that read, "If we'd known it was yours, we never would have taken it."

- The basic premise of The Americans [2013] (a cell of Russian sleeper agents hiding in plain sight in the US for decades) is partly based on a true story, which broke in 2010.

- The Office [2005] is arguably the most successful American adaptation of a British TV show. (It aired 188 episodes to the original’s 14).

Rivers Cuomo - "Buddy Holly" [live acoustic in SF]

Mr. Weezer himself delights an adoring, intimate crowd at a recent gig in the city by the bay. Sing along, if you like. These folks surely did.

 

Biggie Murder Gets Big Screen Depp-Whitaker Treatment

Based on and originally titled after LAbyrinth, Randall Sullivan's nonfiction book about the Notorious BIG/Tupac Shakur murders, City of Lies is its film adaptation, starring Johnny Deep as the highly decorated and respected LAPD Detective Russell Poole who investigated Biggie's shooting, and Forest Whitaker as a crusading journalist trying to uncover the truth.

City of Lies opens in theatres on September 7th.

 

Rolling Stone Comments A Right-Wing Cesspool

We don't do politics here at 5 but it's been increasingly obvious over the last few years that a bastion of liberalism as Rolling Stone magazine—as evidenced by the political pieces in its pages over a 50 year history—has had its comments section overrun by nasty hard right posts for some time now. Granted, Matt Taibbi and others notwithstanding, the magazine has long ago relinquished its role as a cultural standard bearer in politics or even music, and the right wing vitriol by commenters precedes the political career of the über divisive Donald Trump, but the truth is, we've seen more civility in the New York Post's equivalent sections or even on YouTube, for that matter. And when your comments section is nastier than YouTube's, well...

Happy Birthday: Paul Weller

"Apart from David Bowie, it's hard to think of any British solo artist who's had as varied, long-lasting and determinedly forward-looking a career."

That's what The Daily Telegraph said of John William Weller, Jr., best known as Paul, in 2015.

On his 60th birthday, May 25th, we here at 5 would like to join in on the tributes to this British icon and inspiration to legions of artists and fans all over.

Cheers, Modfather.

What We're Listening To

JASON FALKNER presents Author Unknown [Elektra-1996]
THE POSIES Amazing Disgrace [DGC-1996]
ROLLINS BAND The End of Silence [Imago-1991]
SODA STEREO Sueño Stereo [BMG US Latin-1997]
ANDY SUMMERS & ROBERT FRIPP I Advance Masked [A&M-1982]

What are YOU listening to?

It's Electric: Lars Ulrich Interviews Billy Corgan

With all due respect to the great music journalists out there who are knowledgeable and make due diligence their trademark when approaching a subject, there’s something about a conversation between two artists that can not only be quite revealing on many levels, but can convey that knowing experience that is practically exclusive to those in the fish tank of fame and the music business itself.

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich on his It’s Electric shows has conducted some great interviews with the likes of Noel Gallagher, Dave Grohl and Jack White, and this one-on-one with the big Pumpkin does not disappoint and is surely to be enjoyed by fans of the man and Smashing Pumpkins. But, arguably, the most interesting part of it is towards the end of their chat, with Corgan and Ulrich discussing the current state of the business, as it relates to the relationship of the audience with the music and Corgan’s positive outlook towards where that relationship now resides and where it may be headed.

Good stuff.

Quote of the Day

We used to say “These kids weren’t born when Kill ‘Em All came out.” Then it became, “These kids weren’t born when The Black Album came out.” Now, it’s like, “These kids weren’t born when St. Anger came out.” 

- Lars Ulrich on Metallica’s teenage fandom over the years and, indirectly, the band’s longevity.

John Mulaney Explains Back to the Future

Beloved ‘80s movies have been the focus of scrutiny in recent times, in particular due to the casual display—blatant or otherwise—of racism and sexual assault. (John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles is guilty on both counts.) But sometimes we just have to acknowledge the goofiness or outright weirdness of a premise that is just a hair away from ridiculous, as is the case of Back to the Future, which comedian John Mulaney humorously makes us quite aware of in this clip from his Netflix special, The Comeback Kid.

 

Monday Movie+Music Trivia

- In Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical Almost Famous [2000] fictional band Stillwater features real life singer/songwriter Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon) as a band member.

- The stars of the road movie Two Lane Blacktop [1971], singer/songwriter James Taylor and the late Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, never acted in a movie before or after this one.

- Joni Mitchell was the inspiration for the Jane character played by Frances McDormand in Laurel Canyon [2002].

- Despite having performed with the band at the concert, Neil Young refused to be filmed and thus does not appear with Crosby Stills and Nash in the Woodstock [1970] movie. (He can be heard on the soundtrack, however.)

- Shortly after the release of the classic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap [1984], director Rob Reiner was told by various fans of the film—oblivious that it was a spoof—that he should’ve worked with a better known band.

The Aces - "Last One"

Trying to figure out if they’re an honest commercial pop band or an '80s influenced, Disney-type concoction (six producers on their recently released debut album, When My Heart Felt Volcanic, and a deal with, um, Red Bull Records doesn’t instill much confidence in the former), we caught the all-female quartet The Aces performing this album track on Late Night with Seth Meyers and were not entirely disappointed. Meanwhile, the Provo, Utah band are already garnering much press (including comparisons to Haim) and are scheduled to play this year’s Lollapalooza. Hmm.

Wax Off

Because I am not a feline and thus believe to be immune to the pitfalls of curiosity, I finally succumbed and found myself lured into the YouTube sequel to the Karate Kid franchise, Cobra Kai, a Will Smith-produced, nostalgia-fueled, present day script flip of the hero and antagonist roles played by the actors who embodied the roles back in the ‘80s.

Thirty plus years later Daniel is a successful multi-car dealership owner, with a beautiful wife, a couple of kids and a house with a pool. Meanwhile, Johnny is a somewhat racist, down and out contractor who drinks himself to sleep every night, is estranged from his son and lives in a ratty apartment. And, yes, he’s the hero this time.

Pushed along by a series of expository scenarios that come across a tad forced, the story follows Johnny as he decides to set up a dojo and teach the ways of Cobra Kai karate to a new generation of San Fernando Valley kids. If all this sounds very ‘80s—and not in a good way—it’s because it truly is a distillation of the decade and its clichés, not to mention those of the franchise itself. There may be FaceTime, texting and the like, but this ain’t no 21st century fable.

Now, as someone who wasn’t a fan of the original movies my mild disdain might be deemed sacrilegious to those who frequently quote The Karate Kid to this day. So maybe it’s me. But two episodes into it, I can take it or leave it. YMMV, of course.

 

Iron Maiden's 'Piece of Mind' Turns 35

Their first with drummer Nicko McBrain and second with vocalist Bruce Dickinson,  album number four was, despite being rehearsed in New Jersey, recorded in the Bahamas and mixed in NYC, quite the cohesive statement, nonetheless. Loaded with killer songs including anthems like the much beloved "The Trooper", its critical and commercial success elevated them from cult status to bonafide headliners in the US.

Certified platinum in the US, UK and Canada and considered one of the greatest metal albums of all time the world over, Piece of Mind was released May 16, 1983.

 

Glenn Branca (1948-2018)

Influential avant garde composer and guitarist Glenn Branca passed away in his sleep Sunday night after battling throat cancer.

A fixture of NYC’s late ‘70s/early ‘80s downtown music scene, Branca brought a punk rock attitude to experimental and modern classical music and was known for his loud, droning yet trance-like compositions performed by ensembles that over the years included members of Sonic Youth, Helmet and Swans. (Branca’s Neutral Records released early albums by both Sonic Youth and Swans.) And shortly before he passed, David Bowie listed Branca’s 1981 album The Ascension as one of his 25 all-time faves.

Glenn Branca was 69 years old.

Posies Embark on 30th Anniversary Tour

Reuniting with their Frosting on the Beater [DGC-1993] rhythm section of bassist Dave Fox and drummer Mike Mussburger, singers/guitarists Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow will kick off the full band North American leg of their 30th Anniversary tour with their lone Canadian date this Friday the 18th. A European leg will follow, starting in late August.

May 18 – Victoria, BC @ Capital Ballroom
May 19 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
May 20 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
May 21 – Bend, OR @ Volcanic Theatre Pub
May 22 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
May 23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
May 24 – San Juan Capistrano, CA @ Coach House
May 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
May 26 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
May 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
May 30 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Brewing Co.
May 31 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
June 1 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
June 2 – Austin, TX @ The Parish
June 3 – Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock at House of Blues
June 4 – Little Rock, AR @ Capitol View Studios
June 5 – Memphis TN @ Layfayette’s Music Room
June 6 – New Orleans, LA @ The Parish at House of Blues
June 7 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
June 8 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
June 9 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
June 10 – Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
June 11 – Annapolis, MD @ Ram’s Head On Stage
June 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
June 14 – Fairfield, CT @ Stage One at Fairfield Theatre
June 15 – Somerville, MA @ ONCE Somerville
June 16 – Washington, DC @ The Hamilton
June 17 – New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom
June 19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
June 20 – Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club
June 21 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
June 22 – Detroit, MI @ The Magic Bag
June 23 – Chicago, IL @ Park West
June 24 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
June 25 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
June 26 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
June 28 – Milwaukee, WI
June 30 – Denver, CO @ Levitt Pavilion
July 1 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
July 6 – Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo
July 7 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre

A New Spike Lee Joint: BlacKkKlansman

Based on the 2014 book Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth (and not the hilarious Chapelle Show skit), Spike Lee's latest is the true story of a black detective who gets tight with David Duke over the phone and later has a white colleague pose as him to effectively infiltrate the Klan, Lee's latest just debuted at Cannes to positive reaction.

Co-produced by Jordan Peele and starring John David Washington (son of Denzel) and Adam Driver, the trailer for BlacKkKlansman packs quite a punch. Opens August 10th in theatres.

Maximum R&B - '80s Style

It’s surely not a new thing—Bruno Mars, Daft Punk and many others, have been on that tip for a while now—but it's become quite evident that 21st century R&B has been taking its cues from its ‘80s counterpart in earnest. And it’s not just the big name hitmakers who are partaking, as this ingratiating track by Sydney-based up and coming electronic duo Kayex clearly proves.

On Any Given Tuesday: The Shazam

Beloved indie power poppers' "Super Tuesday" from their Godspeed the Shazam [NotLame-1999] album.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody: The Movie

The trailer from the upcoming Queen biopic, opening November 2nd:

 

What We're Listening To

THE JIMMY CHAMBERLIN COMPLEX The Parable [Make Records-2017]
MICHAEL HEDGES Beyond Boundaries: Guitar Solos [Windham Hill-2001]
SPINETTA & LOS SOCIOS DEL DESIERTO self-titled [Sony Argentina-1997]
WILCO Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [Nonsuch-2002]
YES Relayer [Atlantic-1974]

What are YOU listening to?

Quote of the Week

“I think Obama fucked us all up by calling Kanye a jackass and not inviting him to the White House. These are the bad things about Obama’s legacy—his immigration policy, drone strikes, and calling Kanye a jackass.”

- Talib Kweli in Esquire magazine.

How much of a fucking apologist must you be to make a pronouncement of this nature? To equate calling out a deified hack with deportation and the killing of innocent people is ignorant and irresponsible at best.

This is the problem with a douchebag like West spewing garbage—scores of bagmen and sycophants ready to carry his water and defend the indefensible.

The Return of Childish Gambino

This past weekend, Donald Glover, star of the hit show Atlanta, hosted Saturday Night Live to glowing reviews. And while Glover brought the funny to his monologue (which mocked having auditioned twice for SNL and being rejected despite his multi-faceted artistic ability) and the sketches he was in (his dour, Barbie-assigned Mattel intern was priceless) it was his musical alter ego who was the talk of not just the town but the internets as well.

Introduced by Zoe Kravitz, the musical persona known as Childish Gambino—who signed a record deal earlier this year, despite Glover publicly stating his desire to retire from music last summer—debuted a new song titled “Saturday”, an intoxicatingly catchy slice of breezy, vintage ‘70s soul with a tropical flavor. But despite its groovy yumminess it was overshadowed by 'Bino's other new track.



“This Is America” and its attendant video clip in particular—released after his SNL performance, it got somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 million views over the weekend—is one hell of an artistic statement. An engaging hip-hop/R&B hybrid, its video is pregnant with symbolism: people gleefully dancing and being all-out consumers while engulfed by chaos; gun violence in which the weapons are treated with more care than the victims; Death riding a pale white horse (from the biblical book of Revelations); and spectators capturing it all on their cellphones.

Many have questioned the absence of musical statements in the midst of our current state of political turmoil; bemoaning a lack of the defiant commentary traditionally the province of our artists. At a time when they are seemingly more preoccupied with shilling for their own clothing lines and fragrances and, after a week in which an immensely popular hip hop artist like Kanye West made a blatant, ignorant fool of himself in a spectacular manner, Gambino has reminded us all what it is to be a talented, socially conscious artist and what they can do in that regard when so inclined.

Tremendous.

 

Monday Movie Trivia

- The plot and characters for Saturday Night Fever [1977] were based on "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night", a 1976 New York magazine article about the Brooklyn disco scene written by British journalist Nik Cohn. (20 years later Cohn admitted his article was entirely fiction and not factual as previously claimed.)

- When Sen. Al Franken released his financial records in 2012 they showed he still gets royalties for his appearance as the baggage handler in Trading Places [1983].

- Hollywood tends to use the non-existent 555 exchange when a phone number is mentioned during the course of a film. On occasion a real number is used: in The American President [1995], 202-456-1414, the phone number President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) gives Sydney Wade (Annette Benning) is the actual number for The White House.

- Despite a long, stellar career in a myriad of roles, David Paymer's only Oscar nomination to date is for the critical and box office flop Mr. Saturday Night [1992] alongside Billy Crystal.

- In Fast Times at Ridgemont High [1982] Mike Damone (played by Robert Romanus) advises his buddy Mark Ratner (Brian Backer) that "when it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV", yet it's "Kashmir" from the band's Physical Graffiti album that's heard on Ratner's date with Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

Friday Factoids

- During the Francisco Franco regime, Neil Young's classic "Cortez the Killer", from the album Zuma, was banned in Spain. After Franco's death Zuma was released there with the song retitled as "Cortez".

- Perry Farrell is the only artist to have performed at every single Coachella to date.

- GnR's Duff McKagan was one of the last people confirmed to have seen Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain before he died on April 5, 1994, having sat next to Cobain on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle on April 1st.

- DJ Shadow is said to own upwards of 60,000 vinyl records.

- Contrary to what Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" says, there is no South Detroit.

Happy Star Wars Day

Gibson Files For Bankruptcy

Gibson Brands Inc., home of the iconic Gibson Les Paul guitars, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Nashville, TN-based company was expected to make this move after significant losses had put Gibson in a precarious financial position.

The legendary guitar manufacturer will continue to streamline their holdings in pursuit of stability while promising to transition in a manner "virtually invisible to customers", according to Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, who owns 36% of the company.

[Variety]