Top-Earning Dead Musicians

Forbes just came out with their annual list of top-earning dead celebrities and its dominated by musicians:

• Elvis Presley - $49 million
  
• John Lennon - $44 million
  
• George Harrison - $22 million
  
• Tupac Shakur - $9 million
  
• James Brown - $5 million
  
• Bob Marley - $4 million

The only surprise here is that Kurt Cobain dropped off the list after appearing on it last year.

Here are some of my favorite dead musicians, none of whom you are likely to ever see on Forbes list:

• Jeff Buckley
  
• Nick Drake
  
• Elliott Smith
  
• Jimi Hendrix
  
• Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon)
  
• Stuart Adamson (Big Country)

My wife and I were in Hawaii for the 2001 Honolulu Marathon and left a few days before Adamson was found dead in the Best Western Plaza Hotel, apparently by suicide. I had bumped into Adamson ten years earlier in London and didn't have the nerve then to tell him how much his music had meant to me as a disaffected teen growing up in suburbia. "Steeltown" still ranks as one of my all-time favorite albums. Adamson opened my eyes to history in ways that only musicians, artists and writers can.

If I had seen Adamson in Honolulu, I wonder, would I have recognized my childhood idol? Would I have said anything to him before he decided to leave this world?

Dig this!

Michael at Hopping Into Puddles has just posted a great mix that he's dubbed "Bomb Diggity Jams - Volume 1." I recommend downloading it while its still available. Its an eclectic mix, but it works:

1. “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” - Paul Simon
2. “Unless It’s Kicks” - Okkervil River
3. “Hang Me Up to Dry” - Cold War Kids
4. “Same Old Drag” - Apples In Stereo
5. “Ever Present Past” - Paul McCartney
6. “Girls & Boys” - Blur
7. “I Believe” - Simian Mobile Disco
8. “D.a.n.c.e” - Justice
9. “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” - Daft Punk
10. “Stronger” - Kanye West
11. “Ghetto Musick” - OutKast
12. “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) (ft. Jay-Z)” - Kanye West
13. “Josephine” - Hi-Tek
14. “Paper Planes” - M.I.A.
15. “Parade” - Heypenny
16. “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” - Spoon
17. “Back In The U.S.S.R.” - The Beatles
18. “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces” - Ben Folds Five
19. “Big John Shaft” - Belle & Sebastian
20. “Reflections Of A Sound” - Silverchair

If I can find the time, I may just return the favor and post a mix of my own.

Enjoy the music!

Heavy Metal Angel of the Morning

What do you get when you cross a Juice Newton video with the guy from "Death Metal Office Drumming?"



Rock on, Philip J. Kaplan. You are one fuckin' funny dude.

48.4 MB

That's the size of the zip file for Radiohead's new album, "In Rainbows," which was released today as an MP3.

The servers were a little slow, which is to be expected given the anticipation for the album, as well as favorable press coverage, including a review on NPR's All Things Considered, of all places. (I wonder what my parents thought.)

After naming the price I was willing to pay, in pounds and pences, and registering with the Radiohead store, run by xurbiaxendless.com, I was told that:

This transaction will appear on your credit card bill as WASTE PRODUCTS LTD. or a shortened version of this.

Is "Waste Products Ltd" meant to be self-deprecating? Ironic? I don't know, but so far I would say Radiohead's seventh studio album is anything but a waste product. Once I have a chance to completely digest it, I'll post a review.