Blog Posts by Dave DiMartino

It's getting to be that time of year: Those of us old enough to remember rockers Fleetwood Mac playing onstage at one of Bill Clinton's inaugural parties know that politics and pop music regularly coincide every four years or so--when artists from every genre embrace their presidential candidate of choice, photo opportunities abound, and those who think politics and music should never intersect stay at home, pull the shades down and play with their Xboxes!

And so it is that country star John Rich of Nashville duo Big And Rich has thrown his full support behind presumed Republican presidential candidate John McCain, this week announcing his new composition "Raising McCain"--which focuses on the Arizona senator's five years-plus spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam during 1967-73. "He stayed strong, stayed extra long til they let all the other boys out," go the lyrics. "Now we've got a real man with an American plan, we're going to put him in the big White House." Since Rich's partner

It's hard not to feel a tiny twinge of pity for the Black Crowes.

Only months ago they caused a stir when they accused Maxim magazine of running a lukewarm review of their latest album Warpaint without actually hearing it.

And just yesterday, the band issued a notice of copyright infringement against colorful country singer Gretchen Wilson, her record label, her music publisher, and Turner Network Television--claiming her song "Work Hard Play Harder," currently airing to promote the TNT show Saving Grace, "wrongfully exploited" the band's 1991 debut single "Jealous Again."

While it's possible the alleged infringers can successfully argue that Wilson wrongfully exploited the composition without actually hearing it--hey, it happened before!--there's no need for any of us to wade through any legal mumbo-jumbo.

You make the call. Check it out yourself.

First up, here's the Crowes, from their 1991 multi-platinum debut album Shake Your Money Maker--which, er, coincidentally took its title

Naysayers who insist that today's music scene is stagnant, offering few if any noteworthy new albums, would do well to look at this week's hot new releases!

Among the highlights are steaming hot product from Richie Havens, Rick Springfield, Alice Cooper, and exciting new duo Steve Cropper and Felix Cavaliere!

And on the DVD front, this is the week that Martin Scorsese's heralded punk documentary Shine A Light--featuring the at-times off-color Rolling Stones--hits the shops!

One thing's for sure--it wasn't like this when I was a kid! Heck, those guys' records were all out of print back then!

Scars On Broadway: Scars On Broadway (Interscope) Easily this week's hottest new CD--I left it on my front seat this afternoon at Ralphs!--this searing debut project from Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan, both of System Of A Down, is loud, intense, punkish, and circular! Highlights include the upbeat  "Stoner-Hate," "Insane," "Kill Each Other/Live Forever," and my personal favorite, "Chemicals." 

Earlier this week I read John Kordosh's delightful Yahoo blog Framed--which now spotlights "7 Things," the charming new video by teen sensation Miley Cyrus--and was pleasantly surprised!

Not only was his column written in English, but it had lots of pictures and was fun to look at!

Additionally, I couldn't help but watch young Ms. Cyrus's video!

All told, I was captivated! She seems like a fun-loving youth with boatloads of talent, and I heartily recommend her and all products associated with her name!

Say--do you think she'll read this?

Miley Cyrus: Breakout (Hollywood) Eschewing the predictable topics of busting her homies out of the slammer and bothersome pimples erupting at inopportune times--God, the music business is in such a rut--Breakout is everything we expected in a Miley Cyrus CD cover and more! In many ways the artistic zenith of both the Disney corporate machine--which promotes artists to the preteen crowd via its own TV and radio networks--and some young chick singer,

A wise old man once declared that people who see patterns where others see none are typically brilliant or psychotic. Then, tragically, he was killed!

And so it is that moments ago, when I sorted this week's new releases into piles and entered their titles in the appropriate column of my review-writing program, I noticed something significant.

Among this week's new releases are albums entitled No End In Sight, Object 47, Stay Positive, and--perhaps most significantly--Mediocre.

In short? It's the best week ever!

David Banner: The Greatest Story Ever Told (SRC/Universal) 1) David Banner is the character Bill Bixby played in the TV version of The Hulk! 2) The Greatest Story Ever Told is the name of a movie made in 1965 about the life of Jesus Christ! 3) This new album features guest appearances by Akon, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Snoop Dogg, and a billion other people who have appeared on everyone else's album this year! 4) In the Bizarro World, this would be considered the most original

The week's best new music appears to be the week's best old music--since aside from one or two interesting new albums, all the good stuff is reissued music by people who've been making records for years!

Guess that proves that all new music is no good!

But that's cool! I understand there are lots of exciting new things to get into--video games, text messaging, social networks, and those "book" things!

Plus, if you get a new widescreen TV, the shows automatically get better, too!

Life is getting easier by the minute!

Beck: Modern Guilt (Interscope) The best thing about guys like Beck is that they get to keep making records because enough people still care about them! Wow! In this episode, Beck writes a bunch of new songs about things like rejecting people who want to be his friend on Facebook, driving by the old Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard and realizing he really should have shopped there one last time before it shut down, and seeing guys like Papa Roach and Puddle Of Mudd

It's a healthy week for new releases, with familiar names mixing with legendary artists, with obscure cult favorites battling High School Musical superstars--and perhaps best of all, hot new product with names like T.O.S. Terminate On Sight and Walk With Me In Hell!

And heck, that's just the Vanessa Hudgens album!

Luckily, other upbeat new titles such as Agony & Irony and the The Black Parade Is Dead provide the needed balance that all of us as music consumers need to get by as we seek entertainment in these trying times!

Golly! What say we all take some time to stop and smell the roses?

G-Unit: T.O.S. Terminate On Sight (G-Unit) I think G-Unit may be favorite rap group ever with that name--and why not? Clearly the heightened self-awareness they continue to demonstrate--via giving their new album a title mocking both the criticism they've received in England as "tossers" and their dissatisfaction with the current Terms Of Service offered by today's top Internet sites--proves them to

It would be unbecoming of me, an open-minded music fan, to proclaim that this week's new releases are less than stellar!

After all, these albums have been put together by artists who doubtlessly worked very hard to make wonderful recordings for us all to enjoy!

Is it their fault that when compiled in list form, no single disc really leaps out as an absolute must-have?

In fact--isn't a week offering maybe 15 "B+" albums intrinsically better than one offering two "A+" discs and 13 absolute stinkers?

For that matter, wouldn't you prefer merely getting your little finger cut off rather than your entire hand?

So you see? That's why I like Less Than Jake!

Motley Crue: Saints Of Los Angeles (Motley) Hey, I took German in high school, so maybe I'm completely nuts here, but shouldn't this album's title be either Santo De Los Angeles or Saints Of The Angels? Like, you know, either one or the other! In the same manner, this is either a long-awaited reunion album that will thrill and chill