HBO puts on a show

Dec. 27, 2006

Aimee Mann sticks to it the Grinch
Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann has just embarked on her First Annual Christmas Variety Show, which had its first show on December 4 in San Francisco. Mann, whose first Christmas album, One More Drifter in the Snow, was released last month, will perform original material as
well as her versions of some seasonal classics, including Mann’s rendering of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which
also includes narration by fellow singer-songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. Mann is promoting the tour as a kind of traveling holiday circus, and of course will perform along with a series of special guests, which so far will include Phillips as well as comedian Fred Armisen...
 
Ryan Adams is quite the songwritin’ fool as of late; he released three full-length albums on Lost Highway Records last year, and has now posted eleven - yes, you read that correctly - new albums on his website, albeit under three different names.  Adams records of rap (huh?) tracks is under the alias of DJ Reggie, his new rock tunes albums are under the name The Sh*t, and a single hardcore disc, which includes a bizarre cover of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One,” is credited to WereWolph.  All the songs can be streamed on Adams’ website (www.ryanadams.com), and there is even cover art to accompany each album...
 
The Killers have responded to an invite from U2’s Bono to help with Bono’s (RED) charity campaign;  they’ve written and recorded a new holiday song that is now available for purchase from the iTunes Music Store, with 100% of the proceeds going to (RED.) The track, titled “A Great Big Sled,” will also have an accompanying video that should premiere this week...
 A song from the latest installment of Johnny Cash’s American Recordings, titled “God is Gonna Cut You Down,” is now out as a music video, which has taken the shape of a wake-like celebration for the departed Man in Black. Nearly three dozen musicians and other celebs make cameos paying tribute to Cash in the clip, including Chris Martin, Sheryl Crow, The Dixie Chicks, Bono, Justin TImberlake, Rolling Stone Keith Richards, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Keidis and Flea. The song has already hit number one on the Billboard charts...
 
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
Army of Anyone (meaning Filter’s Richard Patrick, STP’s Dean DeLeo and Robert DeLeo, and Ray Luzier) recorded an instrumental track titled “Used To Know Her” while recording their debut disc, and the track has been unreleased until now;  go to http://armyofanyone.com/promo/audio/free/aoa_Used_to_Know_Her.mp3 to hear the bombastic tune...
 
MINI BUZZ:
Pop diva Christina Aguilera’s likeness has been added to the famed Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in London last week, her wax figure bedecked in a vintage, floor-length gown; fans can sing along with Aguilera by crooning into a wax hairbrush...
In a statuesque coincidence, Colombian singer Shakira was honored in much the same way as Aguilera, also last week, with a 15-foot, six-ton iron statue that was put up in her hometown of Barranquilla - and no, the statue’s hips do not shake...

If you want to get in shape as much as Aguilera or Shakira, you can now use the iTunes/LCD Soundsystem collaboration, which includes a 45-minute techno/disco workout soundtrack and running shoes that track how many calories you’re burning...
A double DVD of the Ramones’ live shows - about 5 hours of footage in all - is scheduled for release next August...
Set to kick off February 6, Pete Yorn’s winter head-
lining tour has been announced, and, as an added bonus, fans buying tix will receive a free song download with ticket pur-chase while supplies last..
And Michigan’s own Madonna is teaming up with Euro clothing store H&M (which has stores
in the U.S.) to design a clothing line that will be called M by Madonna and will be sold in 1,300 H&M stores...
 
ON CD:   Fatboy Slim’s Champion Sound... Billy Idol’s Happy Holidays - A Very Special Christmas Album... Rubber Soul Jazz by The Music Company... American Idol’s Taylor
Hicks’ debut disc, Taylor Hicks... Weird Al’s White and Nerdy... and Various Artists in Pop Ambient 2007...  
ON DVD:  The Supremes - Reflections: The Definitive Performances 1964-1969...  AFI’s I Heard a Voice... My Morning Jacket’s Okonokos: The Concert... and The Pet Shop Boys’ Life in Pop ... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.
 
Questions, comments, rants, raves, suggestions on this column or your fave musicians?  Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com