Monthly Archives: April 2014

April 21st, 2014 Monday Edition. Find out what’s happening in the world of Rock & Roll, Alternative Rock, Hip Hop, EDM, and Top 40 music every Manic Monday on the MLE Blog! Have you heard any music news?

This latest edition includes coverage of the recent 2014 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony! See Below. Enjoy!

ALTERNATIVE NEWS:  Surviving Members of the Grunge Band Nirvana Team Up With Lorde, Joan Jett, and Others to Celebrate Their Induction!

Girl Power showed up in support of Nirvana’s induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, when Joan Jett, Lorde, Sonic Youth vocalist-bassist Kim Gordon and St. Vincent – joined the living members of Nirvana to perform four of their songs with them. Joan Jett sang a punk inspired, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Gordon did her version of “Aneurysm,” St. Vincent sang, “Lithium” and the young sensation, Lorde, covered, “All Apologies”, with bassist Krist Novoselic, drummer Dave Grohl and guitarist Pat Smear. The performances took place after the band was inducted by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe.

Jett once said that Kurt was “a great guitar player and a great singer,” in an interview from 1996, and that she “used to listen to [Nirvana] all the time. . . day and night.” She has since co-written “Any Weather” with Dave Grohl for her 2013 record Unvarnished, and has toured with the Foo Fighters and joined them onstage, where they’ve backed her playing her songs. Jett also produced guitarist Pat Smear’s debut full-length, 1979’s (GI), by his first punk band, the Germs.

St. Vincent, an alias for her real name, Annie Clark, paid tribute to Nirvana, by playing “Lithium” at her gig in Chicago which took place on the 20th anniversary of Cobain’s death.

Pop sensation, seventeen-year-old Lorde was born two years after the death of Cobain. She’s the only singer to have received a tribute of her own from a member of Nirvana. During the induction ceremony, she did a performance of Nirvana’s, “All Apologies”, which brought the crowd to their feet in amazement. Earlier this year Krist Novoselic played an original instrumental version of her song “Royals” on the accordion, during a performance to raise awareness for his Fair Vote campaign.

And finally, Gordon has long been friends with Nirvana, as far back as 1989 when she and then-husband/Sonic Youth bandmate Thurston Moore saw them perform in Hoboken, New Jersey. The couple saw them again in New York a year later with the A&R rep who eventually signed the band to their label, DGC. She and Moore even offered Nirvana business advice, making an introduction for them to their management company, Gold Mountain. The two bands toured in 1990 and 1991 with each other.

Gordon has said, in hindsight, she wished had stayed in touch with the band more, especially in its later years. “We didn’t have much contact with Kurt that last year and a half; he was pretty much distanced,” she said in an interview from 2005 with MTV. “I was really thinking about what could have hopefully jolted [Cobain] out of his perspective.”

Nirvana entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during their first year of eligibility, and was inducted with “Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt. The E Street Band received the Award for Musical Excellence and Beatles manager Brian Epstein and original Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham earned the Ahmet Ertegun Award for non-performers.”  Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nirvana-reunite-with-lorde-joan-jett-on-vocals-for-rock-hall-of-fame-20140411#ixzz2yuvV5ocf

ROCK “N” ROLL NEWS:  Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band Inducted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame!

On Thursday April 10^th Bruce Springsteen’s legendary backup  band, The E Street Band was inducted into the Rock n Roll hall of Fame under the induction category: The Award for Musical Excellence. When the E Street Band entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame they were inducted by none other than, Bruce Springsteen, the man they’ve backed for more than 40 years. 

Here is a short transcript from Rolling Stone Magazine’s website who published Springsteen’s induction speech of his great band:

Bruce Springsteen:.

“Years and bands went by: Child, Steel Mill, the Bruce Springsteen Band — they were all some combo of the above-mentioned gang. Then I scored a solo recording contract with Columbia Records, and I argued to get to choose my recording “sidemen,” which was a misnomer, in this case, if there ever was one.

So, I chose my band and my great friends, and we finally landed on E Street — the rare, rock & roll hybrid of solo artistry and a true rock & roll band.

But one big thing was missing … It was a dark and stormy night, a Nor’easter rattled the street lamps on Kingsley Blvd. and in walked Clarence Clemons. I’d been enthralled by the sax sounds of King Curtis and I searched for years for a great rock & roll saxophonist. And that night Clarence walked in, walked towards the stage and he rose, towering to my right on the Prince’s tiny stage, about the size of this podium, and then he unleashed the force of nature that was the sound and the soul of the Big Man. In that moment, I knew that my life had changed. Miss you, love you Big Man. Wish that he was with us tonight. This would mean a great, great deal to Clarence.

So, real bands — real bands are made primarily from the neighborhood. From a real time and real place that exists for a little while, then changes and is gone forever. They’re made from the same circumstances, the same needs, the same hungers, culture. They’re forged in the search of something more promising than what you were born into. These are the elements, the tools, and these are the people who built the place called E Street.

Now, E Street was a dance; was an idea; was a wish; was a refuge; was a home; was a destination; was a gutter dream; and finally, it was a band. We struggled together, and sometimes, we struggled with one another. We bathed in the glory, and often, the heartbreaking confusion of our rewards together. We’ve enjoyed health, and we’ve suffered illness and aging and death together. We took care of one another when trouble knocked, and we hurt one another in big and small ways.

But in the end, we kept faith in each other. And one thing is for certain: As I said before in reference to Clarence Clemons — I told a story with the E Street Band that was, and is, bigger than I ever could have told on my own. And I believe that settles that question.

But that is the hallmark of a rock and roll band — the narrative you tell together is bigger than anyone could have told on your own. That’s the Rolling Stones; the Sex Pistols; that’s Bob Marley and the Wailers. That’s James Brown and His Famous Flames. That’s Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

So, I thank you my beautiful men and women of E Street. You made me dream and love bigger than I could have ever without you. And tonight I stand here with just one regret: that Danny and Clarence couldn’t be with us here tonight.

Sixteen years ago, a few days before my own induction, I stood in my darkened kitchen along with Steve Van Zandt. Steve was just returning to the band after a 15-year hiatus and he was petitioning me to push the Hall of Fame to induct all of us together. I listened, and the Hall of Fame had its rules, and I was proud of my independence. We hadn’t played together in 10 years, we were somewhat estranged, we were just taking the first small steps over reforming. We didn’t know what the future would bring. And perhaps the shadows of some of the old grudges held some sway.

It was a conundrum, as we’ve never quite been fish nor fowl. And Steve was quiet, but persistent. And at the end of our conversation, he just said, “Yeah, I understand. But Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band — that’s the legend.”

So I’m proud to induct, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, hard-rocking, booty-shaking, love-making, earth-quaking, Viagra-taking, justifying, death-defying, legendary E Street Band.”

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/read-bruce-springsteens-e-street-band-induction-speech-20140411#ixzz2yv60ZnSr

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/read-bruce-springsteens-e-street-band-induction-speech-20140411#ixzz2yv5tuPqy

TOP 40/POP NEWS: Muse to Begin Work on Their Seventh Album. 

The band, Muse, is slated for some Coachella appearances, and after that they now say they will begin work on their seventh album starting next month. “We’re going to go back in May and start working on some new stuff, so I think we’ll start recording it this year,” drummer Dominic Howard who told this to KROQ over the weekend. “If we can get something out this year, that would be great, but definitely next year.”

In December, Muse frontman, Matt Bellamy, told Rolling Stone that the group had begun work on the follow-up to, The 2nd Law, its 2012 album shortly after it played the Rome Olympic Stadium. They later put out that performance as a CD-DVD. Back then Bellamy said, ““he thought the band might want to take a back-to-basics approach with it. “I have this strong feeling that the next album should be something that really does strip away the additional things that we’ve experimented with on the last two albums, which is electronics, symphonics and orchestral work and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “I kind of feel like it will be nice to reconnect and remind ourselves of just the basics of who we are.”

Recently, Muse reestablished its connection with an artist who inspired its members from the beginning: Nirvana. In Sao Paolo, Brazil, they played the Nevermind song, “Lithium”, on the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death. Muse then played the song at Coachella over the weekend. “They were massively influential to us when we were growing up,” Howard told KROQ. “They’re one of the reasons we picked up some instruments and decided to start a band in the first place, and I think that for many other millions of people, they were influential for starting bands.”

That speaks volumes about Nirvana’s influence on Rock n Roll, and shows why they were recently inducted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/muse-to-begin-work-on-new-album-this-spring-20140414#ixzz2yyrgdE6b

EDM NEWS:  10-Year Old Aiden Jude Releases His Very First Single, “Tonight”!

A number of of young producers have recently made waves in the electronic dance music scene. At 17, Martin Garrix, received a platinum award for ‘Animals’, and newcomer, Aiden Jude, is no different. Aiden was born and raised in New York, and has been around music all his life. He credits his Dad and uncle for being the first to introduce him to music. He hopes to pave the path for similar young producers in hopes to do what they love.

Aiden’s very first official release ‘Tonight’, is currently on Beatport, and can eventually be found on a soon to be released remix EP on April 28, and it goes to show age is not a factor. Jude has a few upcoming gigs in LA and New York, and will be opening up for Mobb Deep in Hollywood. Read more: http://www.edmsauce.com/2014/04/15/aiden-jude-10-year-old-releases-first-single/#ixzz2yyvIgzGz

HIP HOP NEWS: Hip-Hop Mogul, Russell Simmons, Looking to Hire College Interns!

Russell Simmons, known to many as the godfather of Hip-Hop, is looking to hire interns and employees to start work for his company, GlobalGrind.com. It’s a popular website which “chronicles celebrities (and blogs), lifestyle content, entertainment news, fashion, music, and politics with an authoritative voice.” Simmons is especially looking for college students with an interest/expertise “in the areas of editorial, social media, graphic web design, product management and business development. Internships are located in New York City and are for college credit only. Students with a passion for music, entertainment and social media are especially encouraged to apply. From time to time, the company also has part-time and full-time jobs available.”

For more details and/or to apply, visit:
www.findinternships.com/2014/04/russell-simmons-internships.html

Read more: http://www.blacknews.com/news/russell-simmons-hiring-internship-jobs-global-grind101.html#.U0ydMKL4L9U

Our last item for this week’s Manic Monday Music News…Noted April Birthdays this week in Music!! 

April 20: Luther Vandross (singer).
April 21: Iggy Pop/James Newell Osterburg (singer; The Phsycodelic Stooges/Stooges).
April 22: Daniel Johns (Australian vocalist, composer, pianist, guitarist; Silverchair), Ginger Sling/Ginger Reyes/Ginger A. Pooley (US bassist; Smashing Pumpkins/solo), Peter Frampton (UK guitar, vocals; the Herd/Humble Pie/solo), Charles Mingus (jazz musician/bandleader).
April 23: Roy Orbison (pop and country singer, songwriter).
April 24: Kelly Clarkson (singer; winner of the US TV show Pop Idol), Brian Marshall (US bass guitar; Creed/Alter Bridge), Doug Clifford (drums;Creedence Clearwater Revival/Creedence Clearwater Revisited), Barbra Streisand (singer, actress).
April 25: Bjorn Ulvaeus (Swedish guitarist, vocals, composer; ABBA), Stu Cook (bass; Creedence Clearwater Revival/Creedence Clearwater Revisited), Jerry Leiber (Leiber/Stoller songwriting and producing partnership), Albert King/Albert Nelson (Blues guitar virtuoso, composer), Ella Fitzgerald (legendary jazz singer).
April 26: T-Boz/Tionne Tenese Watkins (lead vocals; TLC), Bobby Rydell/Robert Louis Ridarelli (singer).

Every Monday look forward to the “Manic Monday Music News”, run by yours truly, Scott Rossi! Music is the Universal language which brings the world together, something we can all agree on, so I will always try to find some cool weekly news for you to hear about, here on the MLE Blog. Thanks go out to Deejay Shelly, for this opportunity. Enjoy!

Let us know if you’ve heard any music news we missed! Thanks! Scott Rossi, DeeJay Shelly!!!