Gazette August 12th

Hot on MOG

Rick Rubin Joins MOG Board of Directors

Rick Rubin, named by Time Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World," has joined the Board of Directors for MOG.

What does this mean? Well, for one, it means Rick is taking a fairly active role in the development of MOG. We've got some pretty awesome plans for our beloved site, and MOG founder & CEO David Hyman has already gleaned some of what he calls Rubin's "killer insights into what music fans want." He's so good, in fact, Hyman wishes Rick "could spend his days doing user interface and information architecture for us full time!" Heh.

The Grammy-winning Rubin has produced albums for some of music's biggest names, including the Dixie Chicks, Neil Diamond, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Tom Petty, the Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, System of a Down, and Run DMC. In May, 2007, Rubin joined Columbia Records in a unique executive and creative partnership with Rob Stringer and Steve Barnett. As if that weren't enough, Rubin is the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings.

It's truly a stellar advancement for MOG to have his participation. It's also, we believe, a testament to MOG, our future plans, and our credibility. His spirit has always been on MOG from day one.

Read Hyman's original gushing post and the official full press release. http://mog.com/david_hyman/blog/179963

MOG Launches "MOG Music Network" - Bloggers Join MOG

Here's our second big announcement of the day. We're super excited to share with you a major step forward in the development of MOG. We've just launched the MOG Music Network. Now music bloggers anywhere can get their content up on MOG automatically just by joining. We publish post excerpts that link back to the blogger's original post on their own blog site. We're launching this program with over 30 outstanding music blogs! Here's the full list of launch partners. http://mog.com/blog_post/content

What does this mean for you, Mogger? It means way more killer content everywhere, in the Posts section, artist/album/song pages, and so on. Wherever you see the "MMN" logo next to a photo and "posted by," you're seeing a new blog partner. We hope you check out their blogs. You can now add them as a "trusted blog" to boot!

By joining the MOG Music Network, blog partners also gain access to our recently-in-place rockstar ad sales team. They take responsibility for selling ads for the partner blog site. This blows away the revenue usually generated from Google Adwords.

Additionally, you'll see throughout MOG (for example, our Radiohead artist page http://www.mog.com/music/radiohead) a new sidebar section called "More from the Blogosphere," featuring content from the web's premium music providers.

If you have a music blog or know someone who does, more details can be found here. http://mog.com/mmn

New on MOGtv

Video Interview: The Coup on Musical Influences

The leader of Oakland hip-hop outfit the Coup, Boots Riley, talks about musical artists and the overall environment that influenced the Coup's sound.

Featured Post

New Bond Theme Leaked?

Mike the Knife: "It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the James Bond novels and the better films about the cruel yet sophisticated escapades of the man also known as British secret agent 007. If you are a fellow Bond-o-phile, I'm certain you're anticipating the November release of the next film in the series. This one will be the second to feature the superb Daniel Craig as Bond, and will continue his tale where it left off at the end of the previous installment Casino Royale..." read http://mog.com/Mike_the_Knife/blog_post/178093

Music News of the Week

Bruce Springsteen to Play Super Bowl XLIII Halftime Show

Mon Aug 11 2008 By: MrFrost

http://mog.com/MrFrost/blog_post/179108

Soul Great Isaac Hayes Dead at 65

Sun Aug 10 2008 By: Hello Mimi

http://mog.com/Hello_Mimi/blog_post/178821

Madonna Plans New Lesbian Kiss

Fri Aug 8 2008 By: pinkertonwasbetter

http://mog.com/pinkertonwasbetter/blog_post/178236

The Police Play Final Gig...for Real

Fri Aug 8 2008 By: Charley Rogulewski

http://mog.com/Charley_Rogulewski/blog_post/178131

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band Get "Souled Out" In New Music Video

Fri Aug 8 2008 By: Charley Rogulewski

http://mog.com/Charley_Rogulewski/blog_post/178135

Snoop Joins the World of Bollywood in Singh Is King

Fri Aug 8 2008 By: MrFrost

http://mog.com/MrFrost/blog_post/178192

How Many Acid Tabs Appear on New Jenny Lewis Album Cover?

Thu Aug 7 2008 By: Charley Rogulewski

http://mog.com/Charley_Rogulewski/blog_post/177802

Secret Identity of Burial Revealed at Last! PLUS 4 New Tunes on the Way!

Wed Aug 6 2008 By: mollifire

http://mog.com/mollifire/blog_post/177394

New Music from Young Jeezy: "Crazy World" + New Trailer

Wed Aug 6 2008 By: MrFrost

http://mog.com/MrFrost/blog_post/177282

Weezer Heading Everywhere on Tour This Fall

Wed Aug 6 2008 By: Charley Rogulewski

http://mog.com/Charley_Rogulewski/blog_post/177243

Album Reviews of the Week

ARTIST: Conor Oberst ALBUM: Conor Oberst

John Madden: "Conor Oberst is not, as some would have you believe (I'm looking at you, Metro newspaper) the debut solo album from, well, Conor Oberst. It's the fourth one, and that's not even counting the work he's done with Bright Eyes, Commander Venus, Desaparacidos and Park Avenue (of which I count a combined fourteen albums, but feel free to correct me in the comments). It seems, in fact, that the number one thing that Conor Oberst. wants you to know about Conor Oberst (see the difference?) is that he's prolific. Conor Oberst has been around the block, and knows what's going on. Or does he?" ...read more http://mog.com/John_Madden/blog_post/176443

Aug 5 2008

BY: John Madden

ARTIST: RZA ALBUM: Digi Snacks

Ben Heller: "In terms of evolvement Robert Diggs is stuck between a rock and a hard place. With everyone reporting the stagnation and impending death of Rap, the Wu Tang man, a genuine creative pioneer of an art form that just 15 years ago was at its commercial pinnacle, has a conundrum to solve. Safely re-produce the expected artistic formula via his Shaolin loving persona, or chance his arm on a more experimental concept?" ...read more http://mog.com/Ben_Heller/blog_post/175942

Sun Aug 3 2008

BY: Ben Heller

ARTIST: Getatchew Mekurya and the Ex ALBUM: Moa Anbessa

sageturk: "Ethiopian jazz legend partners with hard working dutch punk band The Ex, for a combo that is as challenging, enlightening, and entertaining as it is unexpected." ...read more http://mog.com/sageturk/blog_post/178109

Thur Aug 7 2008

BY: sageturk

ARTIST: Olafur Arnalds ALBUM: Variations of Static

Headphone Commute: "Porhallur Gunnarsson hosts a popular Icelandic talk show, Kastljos. The show is broadcast six nights a week on a national television network. Almost a hundred thousand viewers tune in each night. That's about one-third of the population of Iceland, which is located in the North Atlantic Ocean just south of the Arctic Circle. The climate must be cold. My hands are cupped around a hot coffee mug; I'm halfway across the globe, sitting in my pajamas, waking up to the latest post on YouTube. In the clip that I'm watching, Gunnarsson opens up with an introduction in Icelandic, a language I don't understand. No matter. The music that follows requires no words." ...read more

http://mog.com/Headphone_Commute/blog_post/177710

Wed Aug 6 2008

BY: Headphone Commute

Word of MOG

88BoaDrum: The Boredoms, Now with 91 Drummers

Spencer Owen: "There is good news and better news. The good news is that the Los Angeles edition of 88BoaDrum featuring the Boredoms was a smashing success, an outstanding experience with a beauty and power not to be understated and a couple thousand happy customers. The better news is that if you saw the Boredoms within the last several months, you can stop kicking yourself for missing 88; you saw a slightly better show, by a hair." ...read more

http://mog.com/Spencer_Owen/blog_post/178869

Sun Aug 10 2008

BY: Spencer Owen

Creating the Perfect '80s Soundtrack

walkingthecow: "My good friend has an idea for an '80's movie, and I am going to put together the most bitchin' 80's soundtrack EVER! There are a couple of rules to what songs can be included. Do you have any suggestions?" ...read more

http://mog.com/walkingthecow/blog_post/177812

Thu Aug 7 2008

BY: walkingthecow

2008 Vans Warped Tour: August 3rd Review

elissaG: "My day started out at 5:30, where I woke up after only a couple hours of sleep. My boyfriend Trevor, friend Kelly, and her friend Ann Marie left town at 7am so we could make it to Canterbury Park in Shakopee by 8:30. Well, we made it there not long after 8ish so we were stuck randomly walking around until I went to find Lisa at 9." ...read more

http://mog.com/elissaG/blog_post/178826

Aug 10 2008

BY: elissaG

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks Play the Village Voice Siren Fest, Coney Island

DaveCromwell: "Having hung out on consecutive nights (Thursday and Friday) till 4 and 5 in the morning watching the UK band The Indelicates play shows and then acquiesce to my interviews, respectively - what was one to do on the following afteroon/evening? Why, attend the Village Voice Siren Festival at Coney Island!" ...read more

http://mog.com/DaveCromwell/blog_post/176589

Tue Aug 5 2008

BY: DaveCromwell

The National Take on Bruce Springsteen

SLINKERTON: "This boy in college, as a parting gift, bought for me Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. We were in love but the world wouldn't let us be together sort of thing. I peeled off the plastic wrapping and picked away at the spine sticker till it tore off in little slivers and cracked open the jewel case." ...read more

http://mog.com/SLINKERTON/blog_post/177909

Thur Aug 7 2008

BY: SLINKERTON

Foo Fighters' East Rutherford, NJ Show, 7/29/08

partylikesteve: "On Tuesday, the Foo Fighers played at the former Continental Airlines Area (and the even-more-former Brendan Byrne Arena... man those were Chris Terreri days...), the IZOD Center! And I was there! It was a pretty good show, for the most part." ...read more

Mon Aug 4 2008

BY: partylikesteve

http://mog.com/partylikesteve/blog_post/176506

Flipping My "Whig" at Lollapalooza

amber: "Have you ever suggested to some friends, friends that you have the utmost respect for their opinions, to join you for a show from band you love and are pretty sure they'd like too? Did you feel some trepidation that the band may not measure up, that your friends may wonder what in the blasted Hell were you thinking?" ...read more

http://mog.com/amber/blog_post/178740

Sat Aug 9 2008

BY: amber

Lollapalooza, Chi-town, Fort Wayne!

Your Vegas: "First off, please accept my apologies for the delay in blogging but we've been really busy in Chicago over the Lollapalooza weekend. Finally I've got a chance to put my feet up, get the laptop out and tell you guys and gals about our weekend." ...read more

http://mog.com/Your_Vegas/blog_post/176619

Tue Aug 5 2008

BY: Your Vegas

Tour Diary: Friday 8/8/08 Idaho Center Theatre (Nampa, ID)

Andrew Volpe: "After crossing the border, spending a day in Helena, Montana, sleeping to Idaho, counting in the shipment of merch, setting up the tent, loading gear off the truck, and wiping the remaining Calgarian dust from everything we owned, we hung out at the Idaho Warped Tour for a spell. It was hot." ...read more

http://mog.com/Andrew_Volpe/blog_post/179041

Fri Aug 8 2008

BY: Andrew Volpe

READ THIS POST

Texas Roots Music: Digging Two Hoots and a Holler

Tony Scalzo: "Since I moved from Southern california to Austin in 1993, I don't think I can recall a local band that has provided a more seamless musical transition for me than the rockabilly, blues, cajun, country, punk stylings of Rick Broussard [of Two Hoots & A Holler]." ...read more

http://mog.com/Tony_Scalzo/blog_post/177223

Tues Aug 5 2008

BY: Tony Scalzo

Mogger of the Week

Say hello to madrid spacestation spain!

He originally intended to use MOG as an "outlet to practice practice writing." He explains, "I felt that college had robbed me of the ability from high school, and I thought writing about music would help me stay sharp." However, madrid spacestation spain has found much more than just a place to post his musings on music. "The MOG community is exactly that - sharp - and it quickly became more about finding music that other music geeks loved. I have greatly benefited and learned quite a bit from Moggers. As far as online networking sites go, this is hands-down the friendliest and most productive."

Slint's Spiderland holds the honor of being this Mogger's favorite album. "It has the perplexing song structures and storyteller lyrics," he explains. "It ebbs and flows, has an intriguing start, a beautiful and soulful middle and ends with a hammer swing. To me, it is the quintessential album whose sum is even greater than its parts. I have two copies of this on vinyl - one for listening, one for posterity."

Coming up for madrid spacestation spain are a whole lotta shows: Radiohead, People Under the Stairs, the Wedding Present, Obits, the Mars Volta, and Built to Spill. Rest assured, he'll certainly be posting some of the show highlights on MOG. "Looking forward to sharing some thoughts on those," he says.