A Moment Of Noise

 Bacon as a Gateway Meat

[ via Serious Eats ]

Looking for that special gift for the discerning Buzzcocks fan on your list? Eastwood, those purveyors of wacky guitars (and the company that makes the JR Elite, a replica of Johnny Ramone’s famous axe), is now shipping it’s limited edition Pete Shelley Signature Starway Guitar! It’s an exact replica of the pawnshop beauty that Shelley used when recording that Buzzcocks classic, Spiral Scratch, right down to the missing slab of wood! (The original was also Pete’s road guitar for some time as well) Actually, this guitar is probably better than the original when you consider materials and build quality. It’s limited to 88 autographed copies that come with a special fitted case, strap, certificate of authenticity, and Pete Shelley signature Rotosound strings.

All of that, for the bargain basement price of $1089!! Order now to get it to me in time for X-Mas!!

Visit the site for more info and a video interview with Mr. Shelley discussing the history of the guitar.

Time for another installment of what the kids like to call "PTF." And by ‘the kids’ I mean no one. Let’s start this one off in the UK:

Although I generally try to stick to the subject of music for PTFs, I would not be a very good friend if I didn’t turn you on to The Bugle, a comedy podcast from London’s Times Online. Tagged as an "audio newspaper for a visual world," the show is hosted by former BBC Radio partners Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver, the latter now a Daily Show correspondent. It’s laugh out loud funny as I demonstrated recently after loading several episodes onto my DAP and trampling the reverent silence of my Subaru dealer’s service department waiting room, alarming its flannel clad denizens. In this sad world deprived of fresh fake news due to the writer’s strike, thank the imaginary friend/deity of your choice that these wacky Brits are bringing the funny. And don’t worry, it’s not so British that you won’t get it– except for the soccer (er, football) and political references.

Download this episode in glorious MP3, or perhaps this one. Better yet, visit the page, as there are eight episodes to choose from at the time of this posting.

"A Fiendish Thingy!!" In celebration of the reissue of The Beatles movie "HELP!" on DVD, Michael Palin of Monty (or "Marty," as my mom would say) Python fame hosts a series of 5 podcasts that look back at the film. Interviews with cast and crew are mixed with period interviews with the boys in the band, music, and clips from the movie to tell the story behind story. Anecdotes about George Harrison’s discovery of eastern instruments, fans trying to discover the band’s "willies," and dope smoking make for some interesting listening– I even found myself placing the DVD on my ‘wish list’ over at my favorite online vid retailer after fond memories were stirred. Effective marketing, indeed.

Click here to get the 1st installment (MP3), or go to the page to stream the episodes (via the ‘radio documentary’ link). However, if you want access to all of the episodes on MP3, you’ll have to subscribe to the feed.

If you haven’t paid a visit to NPR’s new music page yet, you should. Here’s a few of the concerts they’ve had recently:

•  Neko Case’s recent show at Disney Hall shows off her fabulous voice, which is (as usual) backed by a dynamite band. Get the MP3 here.
• Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene played The 9:30 Club in DC and All Songs Considered was there. Download the MP3 and enjoy an interview with Mr. Drew after the show.
• Andrew Bird also played The 9:30.
• As did Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. (MP3)
• Seattle’s KEXP posts some great live programming. They recently offered up a live set from Stars.
• Here, The Waterboys drop by KEXP for a live in-studio performance.

As for song samplers with a nice mix of artists, I like KUTs Radio Without Borders. The station is based in Austin, which according to rumor, has a lot of live music going on! KUT serves up the best of their in-studio sets in the Without Borders podcast. Here’s a link to an episode featuring a song by Robyn Hitchcock. Perhaps Yo La Tengo is more your speed, in which case you should click this link to download the MP3 of that eppy.

I guess I can’t close out this installment of PTF without making mention of The High Holiday Season. If you’re like me and perfectly happy to humbug it along ’til mid January, then move on to the next item. But, if you’re in need of a holiday mix with some hipster cred, then All Songs Considered has you covered. Their annual holiday music show features a pretty stellar mix of holiday cheerleaders, including The New Pornographers, The Minus 5 ("Your Christmas Whiskey" — Yah!!), Magnetic Fields, The Apples In Stereo, and others. Here’s the episode page where you’ll find the complete list and can stream the show, or download the MP3.

Also, at 8pm ET on December 17th, NPR.org will webcast a holiday concert with Aimee Mann. Featured in the show will be guests Nellie McKay, Ben Lee, and comedian Paul F. Thompkins. WXPN will webcast The Smithereens Christmas Show on Dec. 21st at Noon ET. I’ll post the MP3s if they’re made available.

There you go. Enjoy. And hey, if you’ve got any podcasts you think I need to know about, please do pass them along!

[ Thx Cliffie! ]

The always-insightful rock critic Bill Wyman has developed an equation, known as “The Moby Quotient,” to quantify “the degree to which artists besmirch their reputations when they lend their music to hawk products or companies.” Check it out — there’s even a tool you can use to plug in your own numbers and see how it works. More about The Moby Quotient here.

[ via Kottke ]

From the review in NME:

You might think it couldn’t possibly live up to expectations, but, it transpires, the opposite is in fact true of Led Zeppelin’s first public appearance in 17 years.

They seem buoyed by the deafening roars that greet their every twitch tonight - everyone present in the O2 Arena is willing their performance to the realms of greatness. It’s almost impossible to be subjective, to not be sucked in.

It takes Robert Plant three songs before he offers a cursory “good evening”. By that time they’ve alreay blasted through an incendiary ‘Good Times Bad Times’, a dramatic ‘Ramble On’ and the stop/start rhythms of ‘Black Dog’. He needn’t say anything.