Muse is Queen/King

Hello Friends,

Holy crap - have you heard the new Muse single 'United States of Eurasia' ? Well please click and do so...I'll wait until you have to continue.

Unreal how much Matt Bellamy sounds like Freddy Mercury - and the music is so massive and atmospheric. Wow - I'm not sure what to say or do - instead I will take my hat off to the lads for being amazing!

The band are currently on tour opening for U2 - and if you've not heard them before - you will now understand why.

They have also been announced as a perfromer at this year's MTV Video Music Awards in September. What this says to me is that MTV are trying to get back in the music game and no better choice at this particular time than MUSE. Well done!!

Here's a quick list - or beginners guide to some Muse tracks to get you started.

• Time is Running Out


• Starlight


• Invincible


• Feeling Good


• Super Massive Black Hole

Thank you Muse for releasing such beautiful music.

Gregg

The 90s Re-visited

Hello Friends,

Today saw the release of a new Pearl Jam single 'The Fixer' and it got me thinking how quickly time is flying by. It also saw the announcement from the Beastie Boys that Adam Yauch aka MCA has a form of mouth cancer and that they will need to pospond their forthcoming tour and album release.

It's pretty crazy for me to think that the music these 2 bands have created is now this old. I just looked up MCA on wikipedia and he's 45. The Beastie Boys started in 1979...making this a 30th anniversay of the group. 30 years of being totally relevant and breaking ground for so many that came after.

Pearl Jam started as a band in 1990 - which is a mere 19 years ago now - and were one of the front runners of a movement. They too have stood the test of time and are still making relevant records too.

The past few years have seen many bands that I love come back on tour and release new albums keeping their names alive in the world of music. I am happy to see concert calendars that now consist of forthcoming shows by the likes of The Happy Mondays, The Charlatans and Pearl Jam headlining Virgin Festival in Calgary.

My question is who, if any, artists starting out today will be able to keep this kind of stay with relevant music and coolness? The Jonas Brothers? They are the biggest thing going right now - but will their tween audience grow with them or out of them? Will Miley Cyrus be looking back at her days as Hannah Montana much the same way Britney does for The Mickey Mouse Club? Or will she be like the youngest brother of Hanson?

Here's 5 songs I will be listening to this afternoon because of this walk down memory lane...

Pearl Jam - Immortality

1. Pearl Jam - Release


2. Pearl Jam - Immortality


3. Beastie Boys - Pass The Mic


4. Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro


5. The Charlatans - The Only One I Know

have a great week!

Gregg

Venues

Hello Friends,

Over the years I have had the pleasure of seeing many bands in different venues around the world. Each city has it's own favourites and there's always some great history as to why and to who has played there. I live in Toronto so obviously have a soft spot for some of these places as I've seen so many shows here.

I currently work for MTV in Canada and have the pleasure of working in The Masonic Temple building at Younge and Davenport. This particular budiling is also well know as it used to be called the Concert Hall and the likes of David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Rod Stewart and many more perfromed here over the years.

The top 5 venues that I've seen shows at are as follows...

1. Shepperd's Bush Empire - London, England


2. Massey Hall - Toronto, Canada


3. The Bowrey Ballroom - NYC, USA


4. The Barrowlands - Glasgow, Scotland


5. Lee's Palace - Toronto, Canada

My favourite Massey Hall show was Eddie Vedor of Pearl Jam doing a solo show to promote the release of 'Into The Wild' soundtrack. It was a special night indeed!

I've kept every single ticket stubb for each concert I have ever been to - so will make a list about them one day. They all live in a shoebox - so it seems a daunting task at this time to organize them.

Speak soon.

Gregg

Green with Envy

Hello Friends,

I had the pleasure of being sent to the 'T in the Park Music Festival' in the UK for work a few years back. I was there to chaperone to a camera crew and a few contest winners - but was able to explore the sights whilst there.

I write about this today as I read the listings to this years along with all the other forthcoming festivals and get supoer green with envy. Check this line-up out! and right across the Irish sea is another festival happening at the same time called Oxygen and it's pretty much the same line-up just toggling the dates check it here!

I mean you know you have a great festival when Janes Addiction and NIN are playing the second stage - amazing!

Here's a quick top 5 I would would hoping to see live this weekend if I were so luck as to be there...

1. Blur - She's So High


2. Snow Patrol - The Planets Bend Between Us


3. The Killers - Indy Rock n Roll


4. Glasvegas - Flowers and Football Tops


5. Paolo Nutini - Jenny Don't Be Hasty

Another beauty that is happening tonight is that OASIS are set to take the stage at Wembley! It's a good time to be on the Island.

Have fun if you are and send some pix!

Gregg

Shuffle

Hello,

Alright - I was at the airport in Toronto this past Tuesday awaiting the plane to arrive from nyc to return to nyc with me on it. It's been delayed now for 3 hours.
I can't remember or even imagine what it was like waiting before the invention of iPods and cell phones, Blackberry.

I'm forever impressed with iPod shuffle and now genius for that matter. I am easily impressed to begin with :)

Here's a list of the last 10 tracks that have been served up to me...and I loved every second of it.

1. Aint nothing like the real thing Baby - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

2. Trick Rider - Gord Downie

3. Hotel Yorba - White Stripes (and I hate this band)

4. Love will come Through - Travis

5. Just for You - Sam Cooke

6. Could well be In - The Streets (love Mike Skinner's music)

7. Reckoner - Radiohead

8. The Boy with the Arab Strap - Belle & Sebastien

9. Turn your lights down Low - Bob Marley feat Lauryn Hill

10. Stronger than Me - Amy Winehouse

Not a bad little line-up.

Gregg