Congratulations to JW as his new album, Blunderbuss is now No. 1 in four countries. You can catch him on May 15 and 16 in Nashville at The Ryman Auditorium, that is, if you already have tickets because it is sold out.
And Craig, I am loving this photo.
Jack White by Craig McDean for Interview Magazine May 2012
Jack White has an amazing room in his house.
“White walked back to a room called the Vault, which is maintained at a constant 64 degrees. He pressed his thumb to a biometric scanner. The lock clicked, and he swung the door open to reveal floor-to-ceiling shelves containing the master…”
(Source: The New York Times)
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nicole Kidman is in talks to play Grace Kelly in Grace of Monaco — the indie flick will focus on 33-year-old Grace saving Monaco from its dispute with France. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a brilliant casting choice. I mean, Nicole has the poise and elegance to play Grace, and she’s got the regal look that would pass for a royalty. Also, Nicole is amazing in period pieces. This should be good!
(Source: twism)
Oh, what a night we had last Sunday at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. The glitz! The Glamour! SEACREST! Where do I begin?? Chillin’ with Lil’ Wayne…meeting Cyndi Lauper’s adorable mother…the complimentary blinking Coldplay bracelet…..much too much to recap. It’s really is still a bit of a blur. But, if there’s one thing that I remember VERY clearly, it was accepting the Grammy for Best Rock Performance…and then saying this:
“To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of music is what’s important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do… It’s not about being perfect, it’s not about sounding absolutely correct, it’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head].”
Not the Gettysburg Address, but hey……I’m a drummer, remember?
Well, me and my big mouth. Never has a 33 second acceptance rant evoked such caps-lock postboard rage as my lil’ ode to analog recording has. OK….maybe Kanye has me on this one, but….Imma let you finish….just wanted to clarify something…
I love music. I love ALL kinds of music. From Kyuss to Kraftwerk, Pinetop Perkins to Prodigy, Dead Kennedys to Deadmau5…..I love music. Electronic or acoustic, it doesn’t matter to me. The simple act of creating music is a beautiful gift that ALL human beings are blessed with. And the diversity of one musician’s personality to the next is what makes music so exciting and…..human.
That’s exactly what I was referring to. The “human element”. That thing that happens when a song speeds up slightly, or a vocal goes a little sharp. That thing that makes people sound like PEOPLE. Somewhere along the line those things became “bad” things, and with the great advances in digital recording technology over the years they became easily “fixed”. The end result? I my humble opinion…..a lot of music that sounds perfect, but lacks personality. The one thing that makes music so exciting in the first place.
And, unfortunately, some of these great advances have taken the focus off of the actual craft of performance. Look, I am not Yngwie Malmsteen. I am not John Bonham. Hell…I’m not even Josh Groban, for that matter. But I try really fucking hard so that I don’t have to rely on anything but my hands and my heart to play a song. I do the best that I possibly can within my limitations, and accept that it sounds like me. Because that’s what I think is most important. It should be real, right? Everybody wants something real.
I don’t know how to do what Skrillex does (though I fucking love it) but I do know that the reason he is so loved is because he sounds like Skrillex, and that’s badass. We have a different process and a different set of tools, but the “craft” is equally as important, I’m sure. I mean…..if it were that easy, anyone could do it, right? (See what I did there?)
So, don’t give me two Crown Royals and then ask me to make a speech at your wedding, because I might just bust into the advantages of recording to 2 inch tape.
Now, I think I have to go scream at some kids to get off my lawn.
Stay frosty.
I was brought to tears again last night, as I’m sure many were, when Jennifer Hudson sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ on the Grammys in memory of Whitney. Like everybody else, I am still in shock. But I know that Whitney will live forever in all the great music that she left behind. I will always have a very special piece of her in the song we shared together and had the good fortune to share with the world. Rest in peace, Whitney. Again, we will always love you.
- Dolly Parton
LESLIE CARTER, SISTER TO AARON AND NICK, DIES AT 25
Leslie Carter (pictured second from left), 25, sister to pop stars Aaron and Nick Carter died on Tuesday morning, a publicist confirmed. She died in upstate New York and no further details have been released. She leaves behind her husband, Mike, and 10-month-old daughter, Alyssa Jane Ashton.
“Our family is grieving right now and it’s a private matter. We are deeply saddened for the loss of our beloved sister, daughter, and granddaughter, Leslie Carter,” the Carter family said in a statement. “We request the utmost privacy during this difficult time.”
I know Mr. White has released quite a bit of music over the years but I am particularly loving this song.
(Source: doree)
The Black Keys: Our musical mathematician breaks down what makes up these artists
(via thedailyfeed)
Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys is giving Bon Apetit his personal recommendations on where to eat in Nashville. Check it out.
