LIFESAVERS – Sheep   by Luke James (excerpted from his book, Stairway To Nowhere, the true story of late 1970’s Birmingham, UK band Fàshiön).   Texas. It goes go on for sodding ever. And then it goes on some more. And then just when you thought it might be running out, yes, it goes on some more. I mean it’s only about an 800 mile drive (only!) from Atlanta to Houston but when the landscape never changes it makes it feel further.   “Whoa!”   Miki’s apparent delusion that he’s driving the Deadwood stagecoach jerks [...]

This week we continue our light-hearted analysis of the Duran Duran video oeuvre with a close look at Night Boat, courtesy of talented New York-based writer Morgan Richter. The mini-horror film was shot in May of 1982, which, it should be noted, was several months before Michael Jackson did the whole Thriller zombie thing.     It’s the great Duran Duran-versus-zombies showdown!   The video for “(Waiting for the) Night Boat” came out in 1982. I just saw it for the first time yesterday. How did this slip beneath my radar for so long? How [...]

Topspsin CEO Ian Rogers: “Direct To Fan is NOT a Rich Band’s Game”   “I used to think the Internet’s impact on the music business would be a move to digital and away from physical. I know now the Internet’s biggest impact is consumer empowerment manifesting in both fan choice and the ability to connect directly with the artists they love. Trent Reznor opened our eyes to this when he released Ghosts in 2008. Instead of saying, “Hey stop stealing my digital album!” to his fans he give them choice, from FREE to $300, and [...]