Some ambitious comeback plans, a call for any—any—hip-hop artists to collaborate, and not a little crazy shit.
Sylvester “Sly Stone” Stewart is about to return to the stage after a long absence. He's performing with a makeshift version of the Family Stone (rumor has it that Sly's bro Freddie Stone may appear; Greg Errico, however, informs me that he will be recording in New Orleans and unable to sit in on the drums) at the Anaheim House of Blues April 25 and at its West Hollywood counterpart April 26. If they can get it together, they will have one of the greatest passel of hits in the history of recorded music at their disposal—at least two dozen songs that are the sonic equivalent of the elixir of eternal youth.
To promote this short tour, the legendary funk/soul song and dance man has deigned to do some interviews, including one with OC Weekly and another with the LA Times.
Until recently, I had two black binders filled with songs and they were stolen from me. Even though I have copies of all these songs, the idea that someone around me who is supposed to be helping me might take these hurts. If anyone should happen to find these binders of songs, do as they see fit. There is a reward for anyone who returns those binders. The binders explain two years of my life and two years is too long to wait, and two words can’t get it straight! Help me find my binders. These people are not allowed to steal our music. It’s your music, my music, and it came from God.
Here are some rather interesting passages from Geoff Boucher's piece in LA Times:
The golden moment for the band was its August night at the Woodstock
Festival in 1969. Sly performed a delirious call-and-response version of
"Higher" and listened to the crowd of 400,000 sing his words back to him.
Many say that set changed the course of music, melding rock with R&B in a
liberating way.
"Everybody I saw was full of peace, it was a spirit there that was just
peaceful and cool," Stone said. "The thing I really remember is I went to
whatever was the main street there and I got a bologna sandwich. And it was
so hot. And I never open a sandwich to look what's going on, but somehow I
thought that time that I would do that. Because it was hot and I didn't
think bologna sandwiches were hot. And I opened it and there were people
running across the meat. And, I thought, whoa."
When someone says that they found tiny humans on top of their lunch meat,
the next natural question is: You didn't eat the sandwich, did you? "No! Oh,
no, no. I was reluctant to even throw it away. I had to look around for, you
know, to find the right garbage can that I should put it in."
Sly is one of my musical idols, but I don't have high hopes for this tour. May he prove me wrong. (I'll be at Coachella, so if someone sees him over the weekend, let us know how it went.)
Here's Sly on the Dick Cavett Show. How many illicit substances do you think are coursing through his veins here?
R&B has long been a sanctuary for sincere romantic sentiments, songs full of Vaseline-lensed, wine-light schmaltz. The characters in these songs never have intestinal distress or garlic breath or a raging zit precisely where the third eye's located. And rarely does raunchy humor violate the genre's strictly defined parameters. (R. Kelly is funny, but probably not intentionally so.)
So the song “Booty Hole” by LA crooner Tryflynn is an anomaly. Musically it hews to R&B's soft-cushioned, satin-sheeted smooveness. Lyrically, however, Tryflynn plays it blue—or rather, brown. Check out dude's MySpace and revel in some scatological loverman shtick.
“We'll start with my thumb and then my whole fist/Punch you in your ass/Call me Tyson, bitch.” What a charmer.
I just found out that Bill Cosby is making a hip hop CD. Which proves just one thing: Now anybody - and I mean anybody - can put out an album. If it's a good album is another matter. What is it with famous folk crossing out of their celebrity niches and into the music realm? This has been going on since William Shatner's did his version of "Rocket Man," which I'll admit, I loved. Hey, it might be a good thing. Who knows maybe Scarlett Johansson's new CD, "Anywhere I Lay My Head," will be brilliant. But I somehow doubt it.
Cosby's album, "State of Emergency," is supposed to harshly criticize drug abuse, black-on-black crimes and other issues in the black community. I don't know if Bill Cosby really understands the problems black youths face in our society, or, if he does, that anybody will listen. . .but I'll probably pick his CD up anyway.
P.S. I really just want to know if he can spit. It's been a long time since his pudding dayz. Eh, decide for yourself if he's a worthy MC:
Everyone knows that there is a special place in hell for accordion thieves. Especially thieves that steal rare Dallape SuperMaestro accordions that were once owned by famous Bulgarian accordionist Ivan Milev!
On Sunday, December 9 at approximately 12:45 p.m. CSUN Department of Music lecturer Gee Rabe's vintage Dallape SuperMaestro accordion was stolen from the trunk of hisher car as she was preparing for a performance at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Rabe had no idea that her practice session earlier that day was to be the last time she would ever play his accordion.
The trunk was slightly ajar when Rabe stepped several cars away to talk to her fellow band members. When she returned to the car, the trunk was completely closed and, once opened, Rabe discovered her accordion missing, as well as a music bag full of miscellaneous equipment. According to Rabe the stolen accordion is a scarcely found instrument, probably from the 1950s, estimated to be worth over $10,000.
"What is particularly special about the instrument was that it was previously owned by the famous Bulgarian accordionist Ivan Milev, who recently sold the instrument to me because he was impressed with my Bulgarian accordion playing," Rabe said. "I am heartbroken because this was a beautiful instrument with a history. It is part of my livelihood - part of my life is subsidized through playing music. I doubt it could ever be replaced."
Rabe contacted the Weekly for help with solving this crime yesterday and we were obliged to be of service.
So, if you have any information about the missing accordion please call 888-650-3972 or email Gigi.Rabe@csun.edu. An award is being offered for either the return of the instrument or information that leads directly to its return.
Has-been Marilyn Manson was recently quoted about his upcoming “Rape Of The World” tour (what a charming name) on Rollingstone.com. He says “It’s going to be difficult for people to keep us from tearing our faces off.”
That crazy, huh? OK, I’ll stand back and just watch you try and um, tear your own face off.
He also said: “Hopefully we can not only bring Twiggy back but bring Satan back into one giant evil cocktail that’s one thousand proof.”
One thousand proof?! Whoa thats really strong! But why stop there? Why not make it one million proof? Or infinity proof!
Moron.
If you want to see Manson tear his own face off, he will be playing the Wiltern on Feb. 22 and 23.
In an interview with MTV, famed Long Beach rapper Snoop Dogg shared a few of his New Year's resolutions with the kids. No, he's not talking about leaving his weapons and/or marijuana at home before he tries to board airplanes, and no, he's not promising to finally release a rap album that doesn't totally suck. Instead, Snoop says he's going to open a chain of grocery stores called "Snoopermarkets."
That's right: Snoopermarkets.
Get it?
One can imagine how Snoopermarkets will compete with larger, established grocery chains. Will it aim for the high-end health-food customers who shop at Big Lots! or go for the ghetto crowd who shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Hmmm. Either way, it's hard to know how serious Snoop is about entering the foodstuffs industry. He's apparently going to have a busy year. MTV reports he's also going to introduce a new clothing line called "Rich and Infamous," a line of pet-care products and record albums with the likes of Madonna, Mick Jagger and Bono.
"I'm on some rock shit, man," he says. "Snoop Dogg, man! Rappers don't really move me too much. They can't do what I did. I'm trying to get down with something that's outta the box and bigger than me."
It all started with Ben Westhoff's hysterical SATIRE piece on Zac Efron and Lil Wayne. Yes, satire. Y'all think this sort of collaboration would happen in real life?! With lyrics like these:
Efron sings the chorus—“Everybody all for one, a real summer has just begun! Let’s rock and roll and just let go, feel the rhythm of the drums. We’re gonna have fun in the sun!”—while Wayne raps: “I’m a dog, you’re all a bunch of fleas on my dick. Driving a Jag, er, like my name was Mick. I’m so sour like cream with chives, and my sperm will make your face break out in hives.”
In your dreams. And in Disney's nightmares! People will believe anything these days.
P.S. Thank goodness for clubs editor Erin DeWitt, who dropped Hilton a note to set things straight.
Everyone knows that there is a special place in hell for accordion thieves. Especially thieves that steal rare Dallape SuperMaestro accordions that were once owned by famous Bulgarian accordionist Ivan Milev!
Has-been Marilyn Manson was recently quoted about his upcoming “Rape Of The World” tour (what a charming name) on Rollingstone.com. He says “It’s going to be difficult for people to keep us from tearing our faces off.”
In an interview with 
No,