Sound the alarm. Put on your safety goggles. It’s time for another exciting wrap-up of the week’s music news…
Fans of mushy adult contemporary pop felt their collective heart break this week as “Truly Madly Deeply” duo Savage Garden announced they would be going their separate ways. The Aussie heartthrobs insist that the split was amicable. Singer Darren Hayes told Rolling Stone, “I love and respect (bandmate) Daniel Jones very much and when your buddy tells you they’re just not happy. … You have to stand by them.” Aww…
Note to all the little boys and girls of the world: If you’re really, really, really, really good this year, you might find Destiny’s Child in your stocking come Christmas morn. The wily R&B trio will be releasing a holiday album titled “8 Days of Christmas” on Oct. 30. During an interview with Sonicnet, band member Kelly Rowland insisted that singer Beyonce Knowles “put the stank on it to make it a unique Christmas album.”
As of this writing, no further information is available on what “stank” is, exactly, or whether it is hazardous to your child’s health. I will let you all know as soon as I find out.
Once upon a time, there was a little band called Jamiroquai. Their singer wore a huge hat and thought he was the reincarnation of Stevie Wonder. Lots of people giggled.
Fast forward to 2001. Lead singer Jay Kay has been accused of hitting a photographer and destroying his camera equipment outside of a London nightclub. Kay has decided to plead not guilty. Perhaps he can get off on grounds of “Virtual Insanity.”
Poet laureate of the baby boom, Bob Dylan, recently came through Oregon on his “Love and Theft” tour. But Captain Mumble did not come to established concert towns such as Portland or Eugene. Nay, he opted for slightly more “creative” cities, such as Corvallis and Medford.
This humble reviewer managed to catch the Corvallis show and was struck by the fact that Dylan may have the most amazingly talented band in the world right now. I was also struck by the fact that despite having two incredible guitarists on either side of him, Dylan opted to play a decidedly unskilled guitar solo in the middle of nearly every song. And what was that mysterious cloud of smoke that appeared in the air during the middle of “Rainy Day Women #12 and #35?”
Speaking of mopey folk icons of the 1960s, Leonard Cohen released his first album in nine years this week. Cohen apparently hasn’t lost his dry sense of humor, as the album is titled simply “Ten New Songs.”
Perennially depressed rockers Nine Inch Nails will release their first live album and DVD on Dec. 4. Dubbed ” And All That Could Have Been,” the collection is culled from the group’s “Fragility v2.0” tour last year.
Are you ready to have your moral fibers ripped apart? If yes, then I have a shocking news development for you. It has come to my attention that Tom Hanks is a huge ‘N Sync fan. In fact, he likes them so much that he was involved in the early development of their upcoming movie “On the Line.” Movie producer Rich Hull told Entertainment Weekly that “Tom is a big ‘N Sync fan. The last time Lance and Joey were in town, I think they had dinner at Tom and Rita’s.” Maybe Tom spent a little too much time on that desert island while filming “Cast Away.”
Speaking of ‘N Sync, the quirky quintet has decided to bury the hatchet and play at an all-star World Trade Center benefit concert with the Backstreet Boys. The concert, called “United We Stand,” will be taking place in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 21. Other artists scheduled to appear include Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, James Brown, Kiss, Mick Jagger, and Ricky Martin.
Finally, local favorites Wallace will be playing three consecutive shows this weekend. Catch them this Friday at Sam Bond’s Garage, Saturday at Black Forest, and Sunday at the Downtown Lounge. Be advised that their music may rock you so hard that you will never look at the world in the same way again.
Dave Depper is a Pulse reporter for the Oregon Daily Emerald. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Emerald. He can be reached at [email protected].