Nominees for the 61st annual Emmy Awards were announced this morning, and while 30 Rock came away with the highest number of overall mentions, we should probably extend a bit of congratulations to the increasingly multitalented Justin Timberlake, who walked away with three nominations—two songs he contributed lyrics to received Outstanding Original Music honors, and he was also tabbed for a Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series nod in honor of his stint guest-hosting Saturday Night Live. The two songs that Timberlake had a hand in, and some of their competition, after the jump. More »
Before we close out the weekend, a few links worthy of your clicking / browsing:
• Axe-slinging Idolator fave Mary Timony has a new band called Soft Power, which, based on the two songs that are streaming from its MySpace right now, sounds like what would happen if her solo efforts got Krautrock remixes. Needless to say, I love this. [MySpace via Jessica Hopper]
• Pete Wentz is imagineering a comic book around the Folie A Deux track “Tiffany Blews.” Also, it’s his 30th birthday today. Also, this Sunday’s episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent is called “Folie A Deux,” although I suspect that is just a coincidence. [Fall Out Toy Works / Buzznet]
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Last night’s 30 Rock season finale closed out with a grand parody of one of those celebrity-studded benefit songs, a la “We’re Sending Our Love Down This Well” and “What’s Going On ’01.” “Kidney Now!” saw Cyndi Lauper, Michael McDonald, Mary J. Blige, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, and a slew of other well/sorta-well-known musicians warbling in honor of Jack Donaghy’s dad (played by Alan Alda)’s nephorotic needs. There’s even a splashy mini-site with a karaoke version of the track to go along with it–although Clay Aiken fans are probably going to get a bit riled up, given that its list of participating celebrities somehow managed to exclude their hero, perhaps because of his alleged relation to Kenneth the Page. (Take heart, Claymates: Mike D got left off the list as well, and he doesn’t even have your insane completely devoted fanbase!) Clip after the jump. More »
In this preview for tonight’s 30 Rock season finale, Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy basically blackmails Mary J. Blige, Elvis Costello, and an unrecognizable Clay Aiken into performing at a charity concert for his newly discovered, kidney-deficient father. A commercial for this episode–which will also feature Sheryl Crow and Rob Thomas, because they tend to show up on these sorts of things–promised “an ending that will end up on the Internet,” which I thought was a given since every single episode of 30 Rock has been on Hulu, like, the next morning, but maybe that was a subtle hint that NBC is really serious about getting into the whole music-blog thing? [NBC] More »
What were the 80 most important musical recordings, artists, trends, events, and performances of 2008? What were the eight things this year that broke our hearts—or, at least, our ears? We’re happy to announce 80 ’08 (and Heartbreak), Idolator’s year-end overview. The list is below the jump.
The past decade has been rife with inexplicable on-record collaborations that have seemed mercenary at best (surely you all remember the rush-release of “Ayo Technology”?), completely insulting at worst. Which is why there was something really sweet about Elvis Costello’s reasoning for appearing on “What A Catch, Donnie” from Fall Out Boy’s Folie A Deux, which he related in a a New York Times piece on his new TV show:
If a studio chose to make a film from your novel, I’d imagine you’d be somewhat protective of the final product, down to the musical choices. Then again, if you’re a novelist who enjoys albums that came out before the Duffy record, your opinions about the soundtrack will probably be summarily ignored by the people financing the picture.
When you’re Elvis Costello, you certainly have the luxury of doing largely whatever you please. Record an album of opera? Sure. Reissue your catalog three times? Whatever. Marry a borderline smooth jazz singer? Maybe that was a bit too far, but who am I to judge? More »
Today’s Wall Street Journal notes that several labels have taken to re-issuing and re-packaging the same classic album numerous times, all in the hopes of convincing consumers to keep paying for records they already own. Executives claim the new editions are put out to satisfy “completists,” but even we had to have to wonder just how many die-hard fans are going to shell out for the forthcoming “Deluxe Edition” of Elvis Costello’s My Aim Is True–the fourth such incarnation of the record since the CD era was launched.
Incredibly, the release of the “My Aim Is True Deluxe Edition” doesn’t even set a reissue record. The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” has been reissued in nine configurations since its release in 1966, including three new ones in 2006 alone. Those 40th-anniversary releases included a double LP on green and yellow vinyl records. Miles Davis’s iconic “Kind of Blue” and the Who’s “Live at Leeds” also are contenders for the title of most-reissued albums, with as many as seven incarnations apiece.
