A Solid Call 2.0

: Christmas E-Cheer: Check out the Musicmatch Happy Holidays card. We're a happy bunch.

: That Time Of Year: It's a holiday tradition that's all the more touching this year. Merry Christmas from Wesley Willis! R.I.P.W.W. We miss you. Rock over london, rock on Chicago.

: Hear It Now: Amazon always seems to pick albums I like for this: If you pre-order Elbow's Cast Of Thousands from Amazon, you'll be able to stream it immediately, a full month before its Jan. 27 North American release date. I already got the import, or else I would do this in a second. I really love the album - but there is no single track that matches the impact of "Coming Second" from their first disc. CoT is very downtempo and melodic - perhaps moreso than Asleep in the Back. It's rich and sad without being bleak. It's very English and very deep. Check it out.

: Feel Me?: It's all about the genius of Delux_247. Greg is a huge fan, as well. (On the page, check out the "Talking About Fame" video on the right.)

: Tasty: Jason submitted this gem: One of the best looking women in Indie Rock:Sasha Bell from Ladybug Transistor, Essex Green and now her solo project Finishing School. I need to hear the music too ;)

: Uncover Song: Sure, this video from the Boogie Pimps has the cutest little adorable sky-diving babies, but I think you'll agree that on the whole, it has a little something for everyone. (The video link is on the left. Duh, I think it's a cover song.

: Bizarre Love Triangle: An anonymous tipster sent in this little bit of history regarding the backstabbing that led to the demise of the original Groove Radio. This was brought up with the news that local alt-rock maven Mike Halloran is to be named PD at 103.1 in L.A.

: Deck the Halls: Check out my exclusive photos from the Musicmatch Christmas Party 2003 featuring Hoobastank.

: Editor's Pick: Need something chill to listen to? I'm highly recommending Martina Topley-Bird right now. She was the voice for a lot of Tricky's trip-hop and now she has a solo disc called Quixotic in the import bins. If you like Portishead or Morcheeba, check it out her media page with a very awesome video for "Anything" among other streams. Post your thoughts in the comments area. It's another thing I think it would be cool for Astralwerks to pick up and release in the US.

: On the List: Hall and Oates deemed 'heroes' of music in a vague congratulatory backslap from the Recording Academy. I thought we were all going to reel in the hyperbolic use of the term "heroes" after 9/11? I guess it changed nothing. Nothing against Hall & Oates though -- they are still tremendous.

: What's In a Name?: Bradley Buckles is the RIAA's new anto-piracy czar. At one time, he was director of the ATF. I am just posting this because I like the name Bradley Buckles. I'm sure there is a jackbooted-thug joke in there somewhere.

: It's About Time: I just got this news from EMI: Blue Note Records has confirmed that Norah Jones has returned to the studio to record her as-yet-untitled second album, due in February 2004. The winner of eight Grammys remains in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 chart, but Norah is moving on.

"I really can't think about the success of last year," she says, referring to her multi-platinum selling debut album Come Away With Me. "I'm just focusing on trying to make the best music I can at this point."

Veteran Arif Mardin is again taking up production duties, along with Jones, and guests on the record include Dolly Parton, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson of The Band, jazz drummer Brian Blade, Jesse Harris (Grammy-winning songwriter of "Don't Know Why"), Rob Burger and Tony Scherr.

Norah Jones is slated to kick off a Worldwide tour in April beginning in Europe and hitting the U.S. starting July. Her duet with Willie Nelson, "Wurlitzer Prize," was nominated for a Grammy earlier this week.

For information on Norah Jones please visit her official website. For further information including tour dates, releases and more visit Norah's Blue Note page.

: Jackbooted Thugs Imminent: The intersection between free speech and political campaign spending causes thorny problems. The NRA is about to make it thornier. They want to buy a TV station, so they can be considered a "news outlet" -- and thus be exempt from campaign spending limits. This is blatantly and cynically contrary to the spirit of campaign finance law, and probably destined to succeed. As an aside, I think that corporate speech and free speech are completely divergent, and should be treated differently under the law.

: We're All Winners, Except We're Not: Grammy Nominees are in. Didja hear, Fountains of Wayne are a new band! Ha! Other oddness: Pink's lackluster "Trouble" nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance? Also fun to see Yeah Yeah Yeahs nominated for Best Alternative. My early Upset Prediction™ is: The Roots take best Rap album, beating out Outkast and 50 Cent. Yes, I know that would be unbelievable, but that's a freebie. Keep an eye out for the 3rd Annual High Rollers Grammy Pool -- Coming Soon!

: Time-waster Wednesday: Slack off with the Buckle Sound Mixer. I just wish it had a "Fill" button like my old Casio.

: Say What? There are many nuances to how you should pronounce "Kelis". Listening to her is much easier. Do we need another young earthy soul singer? Yes, we do.

: Not Acceptable: First the Plan, now another of my core-to-the-coeur favorite bands are breaking up. Nobody could put together cinematic instrumental post-rock indie music like Pele. They will be missed. I never saw them live, as I guess their biggest fans are in Japan. My favorite song from them was "Gymnastics (Pam)" which you can download from Epitonic.

: Santa, Get Me This!: Holy [cow] it's the Flavor Flav Clock!! It's slightly too rich for my blood... any ASC fans want to get us a giftie?

: PS3 Rumors: Looks like some slick, probably fake, Playstation 3 images are floating around the web. I should be too old for this stuff, but I'm not. I just wish it was more integrated into a real home entertainment unit that handled DVD, games, CD and MP3, with proper display and visualizations for the TV.

: More Joss, More JOSS!: I just came across this 5-and-a-half-minute Joss Stone promo documentary. Click to see Little Beaver! This buzz around Joss is building slowly, but has a chance to get very big. All the pieces are in place for a solid story, but the story won't be complete without radio. I know EMI has picked up on the record and are starting to put some muscle behind it, so we'll see what happens. There might be a video for the song "Super Duper Love" which is a great song, but the real winner is her White Stripes cover "Fell In Love With A Boy." I see the potential for an Alien Ant Farm sort of career arc, where the first single is just OK but the second single really demands attention,and thus the breakout. Maybe setting up the second single to be the hit is the way to go? Norah Jones did it mostly without radio, but at least was able to tour. I don't know what else to say -- you already know how I feel about Soul Sessions. They recorded something quite special, and I think it will resonate. More info? The official Joss Stone site @ S-Curve Records.