Sports Illustrated broke a story yesterday claiming The Who would play the halftime show of this year’s Super Bowl. It sent the Internet and television world afizz. As it turns out, this story might not have been ready for breaking. The NFL will not confirm the reports and The Who released an announcement on their website  stating:

Rumours circulating that The Who are going to play at the Superbowl in Miami in February are pure speculation.

At least people that used the headline “Who playing Super Bowl halftime show?” can now just pass it off as a gramatically incorrect querry. (Via: Paste)

Killing two birds with one stone, Pete Townshend has announced that he is developing a new musical, the songs from which will provide the material for a forthcoming Who album. The musical, titled Floss, features songs that “are interspersed with surround-sound ’soundscapes’ featuring complex sound effects and musical montages,” according to Townshend. The musical’s plot revolves around Walter, a “pub-rock” musician who hits the big time when one of his songs is featured in a car commercial. Flush with cash, Walter becomes a “house husband” and his wife, Floss, takes up horseback riding; after a 15 year hiatus, however, “he finds that what he hears and what he composes evoke the ecologically rooted, apocalyptic mindset of his generation. Shaken by this and torn by personal difficulties, he and Floss become estranged,” according to Townshend.

In regards to the album, Townshend revealed that it will be designed as a “son et lumière piece” to be debuted in 2011. He is in talks with producers in New York and hopes to release some of the musical’s more “conventional” songs on a Who album sometime next year.

It seems the East Coast-West Coast rivalry is being dug up again, which we’re sure Biggie and Tupac would be amused at. It’s 40 years ago this August that the legendary Woodstock festival took place, which saw electric performances by Santana, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, The Who, CSNY, and Jimi Hendrix among others. Now, though, the celebration of four decades of influential music is being disputed by San Francisco and New York companies, who are arguing who owns the rights to the name “Woodstock.”

As reported by SF Weekly’s All Shook Down, Woodstock Venture’s Michael Lang is putting out cease and desist letters to all companies, organizations, and groups trying to plan festivities for the iconic festival. Lang, who was one of the co-creators of the original 1969 Woodstock, is trying to stop “any event in the world that plans to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock’” as well as any art or phrase that contains the words “peace and music.” Really? Is the economy that bad you have to limit the use of the word “peace”? Is “love” going to be next?

Veterans of the late 60s festival, including SF former venue owner Boots Houghston, Country Joe McDonald, and Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers, rallied yesterday to publicly denounce the idea and do not plan on complying with Lang’s request, citing that nearly 20 bands who played the original Woodstock in Bethel, New York were from San Francisco (Writer’s note: Hell fucking yeah!) (Editor’s note: Go back to Cali you hippie!). A gala scheduled in October to commemorate the 40 years of Woodstock is still being planned by the group. Hopefully these Summer of Love guys can just drop some acid and hug it out.

You can’t rock as hard when you’re unplugged, so that’s probably why Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend don’t do it that often — but they will be performing a rare acoustic gig to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust at Arsenal Football Club’s annual charity ball in two weeks.

The Legends and Youth Ball, going down May 21 at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in north London, will mark the end of the team’s season-long partnership with the Teenage Cancer Trust. Roger Daltrey, who is a patron of the Trust and a big Arsenal fan, issued the following statement about the night:

“We’re both honoured to be playing at the Legends And Youth Ball to celebrate Arsenal’s fantastic support of Teenage Cancer Trust throughout this season. I have been fighting for this cause for many years and I’m thrilled that this partnership has made and will continue to make a huge difference to young people with cancer.”

If you’d like to see a full classic Who set gone acoustic, get in line and have your money ready: a limited number of tickets are still available for a whopping £1,200 per pair, or £6,000 for a table of 10. Hey, it’s for the kids.

There for a blessed moment we had bands that didn’t seem to care about image:  Black Flag, Husker Du, The Descendents, Beat Happening, Nirvana.  Yes, they all had an image but it didn’t seem as contrived as say, Vampire Weekend, The Shins or any number of “indie” bands playing the festival circuit this summer.
 
That is why it was so refreshing when I received a CD from the Wichita, Kansas-based band Black Gasoline.  No, they weren’t extremely original but the influences that ring through on their album, She Gave Us Magic, all mix well to create a 1970s heavy music lover’s equivalent of a giant hash brownie. This is indeed stoner rock. And what is wrong with that?
 
The band’s love of classic rock is entirely in your face.  They create a sound that is as thick as sludge and meddles into a sound that is reminiscent of Van Halen, The Who, and recent champions of the sound, Queens of The Stone Age.  Taking their name from a 1940s barely refined type of homemade fuel, the band (Bryan Seely on vocals, Paul DeCeglie on guitar, Larry Donaldson on keyboards, Kendall Newby on drums and Scott Mackey on bass) seem ready to make their namesake proud; using driving guitars, pounding drums and bowel loosing bass lines as accelerants, they’ll set the Midwest on fire.

I “spoke” with the band via MySpace.
 
When did Black gasoline come together?
 It’s been about four years now.
 
What music has had the biggest impact on you as a group? She Gave Us Magic sounds very rooted in 1970s rock to me…
I think we have stylistically gravitated to the feel of 70s hard rock, but I don’t think you could call that a genre or even say that that would make us any easier to explain if you did. I do think it would be correct in that during the 70s you saw bands like Deep Purple or Black Sabbath make increasingly diverse, ambitious and dynamic albums, so I hope that’s what you mean. But as we’ve continued developing and finding our artistic voice, we’ve moved towards a genre that really didn’t exist, in that most of your 70s era bands only made one or two heavy psych albums, a piece which was usually peppered with a lot of R&B and blues, whereas we’ve been attempting to make a career out of that era’s accidents instead of the easy “heavy metal” outs.

As far as what’s been getting our goat lately, and I hate to answer this for everyone else, but the last few years worth of Swedish hard rock like The Hellacopters, Graveyard, Baby Woodrose, Dungen, and Witchcraft are absolutely awesome. Black Mountain, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, High on Fire, The Flaming Lips, Midlake, and Dead Meadow are some American bands we’ve been into. Not surprisingly, a lot of oldies are in rotation: The Pretty Things, Grand Funk Railroad, Hawkwind, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, E.L.O, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The Who, Queen, The Byrds, The Beatles. In the Ipod era, it’s almost more difficult to convey the logic of musical influence because after a point, and this is more likely for a musician, it gets almost more scholastic than it should be on the surface, because it is, after all, just pop music.
 
Is She Gave Us Magic your first full-length record?
 Yes it is, but we are more than half-way into a new record that will either make us or break us. I’m always appreciative of any interest in us, but it’s hard not to have more interest in the future than the past. So keep an eye on us; we’re hoping for summer or fall.
 
Is the process of songwriting a group effort or does one member take the reins more often?
I think one of our greatest strengths is our creative process. By the time a riff or a melody is filtered through the band as a whole, the original idea is, in many cases, unrecognizable. Without the collective input of all five of us, it just wouldn’t be the same.
 
Is there much of a rock scene around Wichita?
It ebbs and flows. I don’t want to be unfair to a core group of people that really do work hard to ensure that there’s always some sort of scene, but sometimes it’s music, sometimes it’s more like really loud fashioned. Like most American cities there’s a faction that is birthed from corporate radio and guitar stores which will always be shit, but there’s an underground that has no set sound but has been very interesting, for instance Wichita spawned Manilla Road, Split Lip Rayfield, so wrap your head around that!
 

What do you think of the current trend of bands becoming famous and getting signed to deals strictly from internet buzz?
It’s great if you don’t mind being famous and working a day job.
 
Do you think that it takes away from a band if they don’t have to tour the country and build their own fan base?
They certainly won’t be that cohesive. Making an ambitious record is not that hard in this day and age. Having taste is another matter, but neither will matter if you can’t pull it off live. You might have to play after us, and we won’t make it easy for you.
 
I saw your band play a club in Lawrence, Kansas, a few years ago and your energy was explosive. How do you stoke that fire every night?
Blood, sweat, practice, need for attention, energy drinks… Mostly practice, and all that energy that a good crowd reflects back to you.
 
With “indie rock” being the big thing as of this moment, do you think heavier bands like Black Gasoline suffer?
Do you mean any worse than it already has? Personally I think it’s great for a band like us; it makes us even more different. If we’re back to back with a really trendy indie band, we look like Viking plunderers when the reality is that, compared to modern metal bands, we’re not really that heavy, just louder. With music the way it is now we’re a mystery, and, personally, I think it works in our favor. Styles change, a few years ago it was that rap rock thing. How smart does that Limp Bizkit guy look now?
 
How is the tour in support of Magic going?
We’re still promoting it and selling it, but at this point, we’re really revving up to the next record.
 
What’s been the biggest crowd you’ve play for to date?
Probably The Riverfest in Wichita with fellow local luminaries Split Lip Rayfield. I think that was two or three thousand people.
 
What is your inspiration for songs like say, “Lady Iron Wing” and “The Boy That Destroyed The World”?
 
“Lady Iron Wing” starts off sounding like it’s another “dangerous chick” song, like Motley Crue’s “Looks that Kill or Deep Purple’s “Lady Double Dealer”,etc. but as the song moves along the listener hopefully” discovers that “The Lady” is actually a world war II bomber and as for “boy” your guess is as good as mine.
 
Do you think a band having an “image” is important at all?
That’s an interesting question in that we’re aware that our image is an absolute lack of image, which has its own hipster appeal. It’s interesting in that we are aware BG has this burnout image, but it’s not something that we think about because we would rather shop at thrift stores and have bad ass equipment then waste too much time really dwelling on it. If there’s any method to our image, it’s that so long as nothing dates you, your on the right track.

Metallica, the bay-area giants that legitimized “thrash metal” with albums like Kill ‘Em All, Master of Puppets, …And Justice For All and “The Black Album” were welcomed into the hallowed confines of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009.

Their inclusion, though absolutely deserving in every conceivable way, poses a wider question to my ever curious mind: Will the inclusion of now two “metal” acts, (Black Sabbath being the other. Let’s face it, Led Zeppelin and The Who don’t count as metal.) clear the way for other metal and proto-metal acts?

The governing body of “The Hall” is still skittish when inductions are concerned. The Hall has inducted piano music lightweight Floyd Cramer, but has passed up The Stooges. They’ve welcomed jazz “rockers” Steely Dan and the doo-wop group The Moonglows, but took forever to induct The Ramones and The Talking Heads. So, what would make you think The Hall will get heavier anytime soon?

There are several bands that fall into the metal, punk, thrash and hardcore categories that are entirely deserving of the honor of induction. Here is a list of bands that are eligible and in my mind, should be included. Bare with me, it’s a short list.

Motorhead: Without Lemmy Kilmister and the boys, the genre of thrash (and Metallica) probably would never have existed. Their album, Ace of Spades, is a benchmark of lawn killing volume and speed.

Megadeth: Dave Mustaine, former member of Metallica, focused all his aggression and hatred into classic ear splitting albums such as Rust in Peace, Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?, Countdown to Extinction and Killing is My Business and Business is Good. And as an added bonus, the band takes it’s name for the loss of lives from a nuclear detonation. Now that’s Metal.

MC5: The Detroit based house band for the Black panther Party was the first to “Kick Out The Jams”. Their explosive shows, incendiary guitar work of Fred “Sonic” Smith and Wayne Kramer and controversial political stances helped set the stage for both punk and metal.

The Stooges: Again, another band that helped in the invention of metal and punk. For god sake, listen to Raw Power and tell me Iggy Pop and his Ann Arbor, Michigan brethren don’t belong.

Black Flag: No they aren’t metal, but hardcore punk arose from the “forbidden beat” created by metal and more precisely, Motorhead. Black Flag gave birth to thousands of punk and thrash bands either by groups attempting to copy their sound or by guitarist Greg Ginn’s indie record label SST.

The Melvins: Masters of sludge and drone, no Melvins equals no Nirvana. No Nirvana equals none of the good bands and some of the bad (I’m talking to you, Bush and Candlebox) that appeared in the 1990’s wake of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

Judas Priest: Rob Halford is the King of the 1980’s wave of British Metal. British Steel is an album for the ages.

And there is just a taste of the metal, thrash, hardcore and punk bands that have shaped the musical landscape over the past 30+ years that are up for induction. They have all, either directly or indirectly, changed the public’s perception of what is great, what is groundbreaking, what is acceptable and what is not. And in the process have warped my brain for the better.

I must extend my congratulations to Metallica. They truly are one of the greats of this or any other time. Who knows, maybe next year someone from my list will be asked into The Hall, but my bet is that the voters will probably go with The Carpenters instead. Man, could they wail!

With all of the festivals going on in 2009, it’s starting to seem like the market is getting a bit over-saturated. But lest we forget the one that started them all turns 40 this year, and Woodstock organizers are hoping to land some of the original participants that performed at Yasgur’s Farm back in ‘69, including Santana, the Who, Joan Baez, Joe Cocker, Neil Young and the once-again reformed Grateful Dead.

According to The Daily Swarm, citing The Rock Radio and the Austrian Times, chief Woodstock promoter Michael Lang is planning two free Woodstock concerts in Berlin, Germany and in New York to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original 1969 festival. According to the press release, the New York show still doesn’t have a venue, but will take place on the actual 40th anniversary of August 15 and 16. The Berlin show will take place at the now-closed Tempelhof Airport on August 22 and August 23.

Ironically, Berlin’s Tempelhof airport was a Nazi stronghold and used regularly by Adolf Hitler and his cohorts, leaving many to wonder how much peace and love can be found at the site.

The infamous Pete Doherty kicked off his solo UK tour last night at a sold-out Shockwaves NME Awards show in London last night. Doherty was joined by a plethera of guests, including Graham Coxon, once-again of Blur, who also plays guitar on Doherty’s new solo album Grace/Wastelands. Doherty was also joined on stage by his Babysambles‘ mates, Drew McConnell and Adam Ficek, as well as esteemed music producer Stephen Street, singer Dot Allison, and guitarist John Robinson.

Doherty, formerly of The Libertines, played a wide variety of classics for the star-packed audience, (Attendees included Roger Daltrey of The Who), ranging from Libertines’ hits like “What a Waster”, “Time for Heroes”, and “Music When The Lights Go Out”, where his Babyshambles band mates played along as a string trio. Coxon also aided Doherty as he played acoustic renditions of songs off his up and coming album, which is due out March 9, and was recorded with Stephen Street last fall.

Dedicated to those songs that I can’t stop playing, humming, or thinking about; the 4+ minutes you fall head-over-heels in love with. Past instances have included Radiohead’s “Optimistic,” My Morning Jacket’s “Evil Urges”, and Led Zeppelin’s “C’mon Everybody.”

Like every music lover on the planet, I have a very complicated relationship with Ike & Tina. For that matter, Tina Turner herself had a very complicated relationship with Ike & Tina. Ike Turner was, in the best light, a world class dick head. A talented, rock ‘n’ roll volcano of a dick head, but dick head nonetheless. His mistreatment of Tina have become so well documented that they’ve become inseparable with the legend of “Ike & Tina.” You can’t listen to their music any more without reading into it. This was rich music to begin with, but with a story behind it, the music becomes that much more interesting. In a similar fashion, previously so-so movies like “Interview With A Vampire” and “Conspiracy Theory” have become fascinating since the stars of those movies have gone wacky.

The allure of Ike & Tina’s music remains strong as ever, and when I began my music collection in earnest during college, they made my early list of grabs. But like a neglected Netflix queue, they lingered in collection limbo. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop bumping movies ahead of “Far From Heaven,” but a few years ago I finally pulled the trigger by picking up a collection of Ike & Tina, mostly for “River Deep, Mountain High.” The song digs so deep into what rock ‘n’ roll should sound like that you wonder if you’ll ever bother listening to “Proud Mary” again. Obviously “Proud Mary” remains fantastic in all the ways Ike & Tina were, but it’s nowhere near the atomic bomb of “River.” I had my song and I was “happy.”

Only “happy” though. Discussing the Turners without eventually mentioning how Ike abused his wife feels disrespectful. In fact, that’s what kept me away from buying the album for so long. Even though my better judgement informed me that I wouldn’t be directly supporting or endorsing spousal abuse, I didn’t enjoy its proximity. It’s uncomfortable. Enjoying this music sometimes felt like watching someone get mugged and not telling anyone about it or helping the victim. I just felt dirty after.

I’m not tactless enough to infer that the Turners’ marital problems made their music better, but I am stupid enough to assume that the knowledge of such problems makes their music more interesting. So when you take that powerful story and put it behind something as monumentally rocking as “River Deep”, then you’ve got the balls. When she starts out singing about that rag doll (the only doll she ever owned), I believe her. It feels authentic. I know Tina was born poor and struggled her young life to make ends meet, so it’s only natural to assume that she pulled from these experiences to give such lines strength. This would lead me to believe she either really, truly, honestly loves someone in the chorus, or she’s just the greatest actress/performer in the world. Or maybe both. Whatever the reason, I believe it because she believes it, and through her sincerity, my fears drop away and I sing along. Scream along. Dance along.

On the other hand, whenever any bit of historical context returns it makes the song weird again. It’s essentially a love song, or at least an “I Love You” song, so when Tina blasted out how her love gets stronger “in ev-a-ry way,” was she really thinking about Ike? Was she pretending to think about Ike, but deep down was thinking of escaping from his grip? Did this fool him, or did he see through it and just get angry? Or did she really actually love the guy and he still got pissed off at her? I only call it “fascinating” while qualifying that “fascinating” just means it’s very, very interesting.

Since it’s impossible to completely remove the complexities of the band from this song, perhaps a new tactic could prove more successful. This tactic comes in the form of one of my favorite hypothetical questions: which five songs would you play if aliens landed and they asked you about rock ‘n’ roll? “My Generation” usually gets kicked in, as does a healthy dose of Ramones and such. The thinking friend will consider the gravity of the situation more closely. These aliens are beings who have never heard a rock song in their whole existence (if they do, in fact, age as we do). They need to hear a song which not only exemplifies the standards of rock music, but elevates those standards beyond normal human capabilities.

These aliens would be presented Tina Turner’s vocals, Ike’s big-nuts backing instrumentation, and one of Phil Spector’s best production jobs (which is saying something, but the aliens would never know the difference). Translated with an amazing pill, they would wonder aloud, “Are all flute solos as ‘kick ass’ as the one in this song?” Their disappointment in the fact that most flute rock is not as good would be quickly forgotten by the return to the pre-chorus, and they would pine for the ability to grow hair so that they might toss it around in an Earthling manner. Without any knowledge of the strange emotional baggage behind the song, the aliens would still understand what it is to rock hard, and they would choose this song to perk up any party, mix, or long space flight to the store. They wouldn’t understand the concepts behind the words, but the truth behind the song would ring inside their mighty brains. They would most likely assume that the female Tina truly loved her mate Ike, and we Earthlings would quickly change the subject while avoiding eye contact.

Video & Song Note: To complicate matters, there are many versions of the song. I’m talking mostly about this rock-roots style of bad ass seen in the attached video. Search out the other version, but I think you’ll find this version to be far superior not only to the other version of this song, but to most music in general.

Written By Phillip Mottaz

Ike Turner
Tina Turner