Led Zeppelin's glorious excess

Atlantic

Led Zeppelin publicity shot for Atlantic Records.

With a one-off tribute show in London on Dec. 10 now rumored to be morphing into a U.S. tour, a former nonfan reveals how she was won over.

By Ann Powers, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 2, 2007

WHEN I was in high school, I hated Led Zeppelin. I was a punk (or really, a New Waver -- the few punks around in semi-suburban Seattle circa 1980 scared this nerdy drama-club kid). I was in love with the fashion-damaged, oddball artsiness of the late-1970s underground. To me, those long-haired beasts in Zeppelin, with their 20-minute guitar solos and songs about fairy-goddess devil women, were really very old hat. Stoner music, yuk.

Then in college, I took up women's studies -- and hated Led Zeppelin even more. The heavy sound that Zep originated had by then mutated into hair metal, which I enjoyed for its shiny, plastic similarities to New Wave but which also turned the grandiosity of Zep's romanticism into a Twisted Sister cartoon. And of course, Zep was a particular bugaboo for feminists, put off by not only the strutting machismo of songs like "Whole Lotta Love" but also by the infamous offstage "antics" that could be labeled groupie abuse.

In the 1980s, the wheel of pop was, as always, turning. The arena-goers who'd never stopped loving the band soon found new company in the indie musicians of the Pacific Northwest. Those bands -- Soundgarden in particular -- created a new hard rock that somehow reconciled punk's no-frills virtuousness with metal's florid virtuosity. In the meantime, metal itself was going underground; with Metallica leading the transformation, it would eventually become art rock again.

Around the same time, I found myself going through a surprising Led Zeppelin phase. At 24, I was already feeling jaded (ah, youth!) and in need of something to rejigger my musical libido. My roommate Anne and I became hooked on a local band called the Ophelias, which played psychedelic rock with a shriek and a wink. Highly unsophisticated record collectors, we followed the Ophelias' trail not toward groovy obscurities like the Soft Machine or even early Pink Floyd but right to the Zep albums that were so easy to find in the used-record bins.

We'd put aside our raised consciousness long enough to rock out to "Kashmir," loving the illogic of filling our proto-girlpower household with the sound of Robert Plant's priapic wails and Jimmy Page's conquering guitar solos. We were going back -- to a time we'd never actually wanted to be a part of and that actually existed only in fantasy worlds like the one Zep's music created.

There, the myth of free love hadn't yet been deflated by women pointing out that, while their menfolk screwed around and sought greatness, they were mostly still stuck raising the kids and doing the cooking. No discourse existed about "appropriation," so musicians could take songs from lesser known (and often nonwhite) writers and "elevate" them into their own hits. Ten-minute drum solos were considered revelatory, not a form of self-satire. And a band could invoke the myths of Arthur and Aragorn and not even crack a smile.

The world that we heard come to life in albums recorded when were in preschool was the same one we were fighting to eradicate in our indie rock-filled, progressively oriented daily lives. Nostalgia is often strongest when it invokes the things you know better than to love now.

We hardly wanted a return to the sexism embodied by lyrics like "Soul of a woman was created below."But it still felt great to bellow it out, to take it on, to see what it felt like just for a minute to act like these objectionable expressions were OK. Because, frankly, that feeling was a luxury that, as young women fighting for our own voices, we were never allowed.

I still love Led Zeppelin, though I've lost interest in glamorizing the groupie-slaying, party-til-death lifestyle they seemed to advocate in their heyday. The music is what sends me, creating a space where giant daydreams can arise, acted out by a huger me than life's limitations allows.

Many writers share my Zep fetish. Steve Waksman, an academic authority on the cult of electric guitar, illuminated the origins of the band's "heavy music" in his 1999 book "Instruments of Desire." Musicologist and feminist Susan Fast has published a passionate book-length exploration of the band. My own favorite Zep tome is Erik Davis' slim volume on the famous "runes" album, which lays out the band's mythography in loving, though wry, detail.

Zep again?

FAST forward to the present day. The three surviving members of Zep are reuniting for the first time in many years. At first they said they'd play just one show, as part of a tribute to the late Atlantic Records executive Ahmet Ertegun, in London on Dec. 10. But they've recorded a new song, and rumors are circulating about a possible U.S. tour. Once again, Zep has come in all its excessive glory to save us from appropriateness.

All the things that are most attractive about Led Zeppelin are, paradoxically, the same things many people hold most suspicious about rock music now. It's not so much the machismo or colonialist attitudes about claiming sounds from other cultures.

What's inappropriate about Zep now, and what we long to hear, is the band's sound. Its greatest outings, from "Stairway to Heaven" to the group's epic live jams, oppose the professionalism, studio-altered perfectionism and clean digestibility of today's mainstream rock. Kelly Clarkson may play "Whole Lotta Love" between hits on her tour, but she'd never let one of her own songs stretch past five minutes. Neither would Daughtry, this year's biggest rock act.

Sure, there are jam bands, but their musical indulgences feel neighborly, like group hugs, not heroic quests. The model for that music is the Grateful Dead, a band whose attitude toward jamming privileged slow evolution, not empire.

Led Zeppelin could fit in with the freak-folk crowd, maybe. Devendra Banhart and his fellow errant knights and ladies are also dramatic, if in a quieter way. But that's when Zep's other side -- its pop-wise love of the big hook, stoked by the experiences Page and bassist-arranger John Paul Jones had playing in countless studio bands -- again prevents the band from fitting in.

And nothing could be less like Led Zeppelin than what the Top 40 now calls rock. Even top-notch commercial rock bands such as Foo Fighters favor snappy, tight rhythms and melodies and that compressed production style that makes songs shoot out of a car radio like silver bullets. At the spectrum's other end, neo-prog acts like Tool certainly ramble on, but while their music fascinates, it doesn't make a grab for the general listener the way, say, "Stairway to Heaven" did. A Led Zeppelin song could captivate and bore within the space of a few minutes. A big part of their genius was that they thought it was OK to do both.

Jack White is out there, possibly waiting for a phone call from Page when the elder guitarist finally realizes his recently broken finger might make playing the old double-neck a bit of a problem. Yet even the White Stripes, the most musically expansive rock duo ever, tie up their sound in a neat, theatrical concept. In her book, Fast notes that Led Zeppelin's mythic style was grounded in a sense of realism -- Zep fans believe that the journey the music describes is neither a joke nor a metaphor. Ever since Spinal Tap and "Wayne's World," it's been difficult to experience new bands that way.

So welcome back, Led Zeppelin. Enjoy the thunder, the lushness, the boring parts. They don't make 'em like this band anymore. And we, with our 21st century ears, probably wouldn't want them to.

John Fogerty's Revival Meeting

The former Creedence Clearwater singer delivers hits new and old with bite and bravado at a roof-raising Nokia Theatre show.

By Sarah Tomlinson, Special to The Times
November 26, 2007

John Fogerty has made peace with his past and his present, and his live show is all the better for it. He finally settled his notoriously acrimonious dispute with Fantasy Records, which kept him from playing Creedence Clearwater Revival songs in concert for decades. His bitterness gone, he's written some of his most powerful material in years on his new album, "Revival," which came out in October. He hit highlights from both eras of his career during a fierce two-hour set Friday at the Nokia Theatre.

The venue is still working out some kinks, as slow-moving security checkpoints kept attendees waiting in long lines to enter. But after starting 40 minutes late, Fogerty soon banished thoughts about anything but the music. He opened with a taut version of Little Richard's hit "Good Golly Miss Molly." Covered by CCR on 1969's "Bayou Country," it set the night's mood by pointing to how deeply rooted Fogerty's sound is in American rock traditions, with his many Chuck Berry-style guitar solos.

The bouquet of dried wheat on his microphone stand gave the show a homespun feel. But it was an otherwise no-muss, no-fuss stage show. Fogerty even joked, "Now that's what I call a production," as stools were brought out for his band before the new song "Gunslinger." The twangy, heartfelt rocker had as many standout guitar riffs as any Creedence song while showing off Fogerty's pointed political commentary. "It's about, 'Could we get some leadership in this country, please?' " he said as introduction.

The night's most arresting moment was "Deja Vu (All Over Again)," from his 2004 album of the same name. As he played the melancholy anti-war song, with images from the Vietnam and Iraq wars projected behind him, his protest had simple power and grace.

But the night was really about the hits, and they were awesome and abundant. Many were introduced with winning anecdotes, like those about the childhood memories that prompted "Green River," and his experience playing Woodstock, which led to "Who'll Stop the Rain." All it took was the first unmistakable riffs to get the crowd cheering for "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and "Born on the Bayou."

Backed by a tight five-piece band plus a three-piece vocal group, Fogerty attacked his guitar with a beatific grin and remained good-natured even as his voice weakened toward the night's end. And he beamed with pride when his two sons joined him on guitar during "Up Around the Bend."

It hardly seemed as if he'd have anything left for the encore. But he ended with an ecstatic version of "Proud Mary" that was a reminder that he wrote some of the rock pantheon's definitive songs, which he continues to deliver with bite. Equally impressive, he's still got plenty to say and just the right riffs with which to say it.

A classic Van Halen eruption

Singer David Lee Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen perform at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on November 20.

After decades apart, the Van Halens and David Lee Roth bring their doo-wop metal home.

By Greg Burk, Special to The Times
November 22, 2007

Instead of sweating to Van Halen, the ravers who packed Staples Center on Tuesday often looked as if they were gaping at a movie. They were; they all had to stand at seats, and the dynamic angles on the behind-stage mega-screen pumped the scene with a cinematic dimension.

They had another reason to lurk like peepers behind their cellphone cameras, though: They couldn't quite believe they were seeing Van Halen reunited with singer-ringmaster David Lee Roth after more than two decades.

With his tile-work expanse of Smilin' Bob teeth and his vaudevillian shtick, Roth has always been exactly the showbiz rocker Los Angeles deserves. After an early '70s launch in Pasadena, Van Halen survived the T-shirt tribulations of late-'70s punk, the scythe of addiction and several hiatuses to continue delivering a bigness and whirling glamour that never seem to go out of style. And while ego dust-ups between Roth and guitar god Eddie Van Halen may have led to singer transplants via Sammy Hagar, Mitch Malloy and Gary Cherone, Roth's picture is the one that has stayed in most fans' love lockets.

So the Roth reconciliation, which has teetered on the brink for more than a decade, was huge. Adding to the intrigue, Eddie Van Halen has said he agreed to try it mainly to offer his son with actress and ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli, 16-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen, a shot at filling the shoes of original bassist Michael Anthony. A dubious way to bend the Van Halen family twig, maybe, but that's Hollywood.

A gusher of pent-up guitar energy roared from the stage shadows, the curtain ascended, and Van Halen bombed into the first hit from the group's 1978 debut album, a headbanging cover of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me," to which Roth still hasn't learned Ray Davies' lyrics.

Both sporting trim short hair in contrast to their lank 'dos of the '70s, Roth (in a series of embroidered jackets and top hats) and Eddie Van Halen (in fatigue pants, shirtless) split most of the spotlight time equally, appearing to hate each other very little.

Roth snapped hepcat fingers to Eddie's solo during the jaunty "I'm the One," blew powerhouse harmonica on the blues-shouting "Somebody Get Me a Doctor," traversed the expanded stage arcs front and back with ceaseless muggery, flicked his hat Gene Kelly-style and mounted it on his crotch (no hands).

His best and most personal moments stretched through an extended rendition of the country-blues-flavored "Ice Cream Man," where he picked some creditable acoustic guitar and spieled out a sunny, charming account of a youth spent smoking pot and driving his Opel around the suburbs, "where they tear out the trees and name the streets after 'em."

Roth's mighty lungs were in prime condition.

His attack simultaneously weighty and buoyant, Eddie had fun zinging through the songs. He skipped and twisted during the hat dance of "Señorita," and often leaned back into his trademark kneeling position to squeal, bend and flagellate the strings. He showed his structural flair too, with an intelligently balanced improvisation on the mid-tempo rocker "I'll Wait," and outright blazed on the introduction to the smoking boogie of "Hot for Teacher."

One reason to be glad it's 2007: The camera could zoom in, blowing up Eddie's vein-popped hands on-screen to the size of willows, allowing guitar geeks to scrutinize every hammer-on and admire each knob inflection.

Eddie and Roth, both sporting swim-team physiques, had even rehearsed some nice turns together. Especially striking was the moment when they posed as if in a whaling skiff, with Eddie the steersman and Roth the harpoonist.

A helmet-haired Wolfgang plucked capable if not commanding bass while bulked up in a black hoodie, strolling the perimeter and interacting easily with his dad, with whom he hollered out excellent backing vocals; he even got to play a nimble, well-organized solo. He's not comfortable yet, but getting there.

Alex Van Halen is surely accustomed to the bathroom stampede that accompanies his drum spots, but the restroom rioters missed some real chest-pounding stimulation. His big rumble powered the hard-driving band train all night.

Van Halen's is a sexy sound, rhythmically flexible enough to accommodate the reggae tinges of "Dance the Night Away," blurry enough around the edges to avoid testosterone overload. And the half-male, half-female crowd was way into it, minding not at all that there was no new material.

The rock didn't go over the top, though, till near the end, with the doom-soaked riff of "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love." When Roth lent his dramatic vibrato to the words about going to the edge and losing friends, the song took on meanings it didn't own 30 years ago, for audience as well as band.

No surprise, the encore was Van Halen's biggest smash, "Jump," with its ridiculously catchy keyboard riff. (Where was that sound coming from, anyway? No visible keys onstage.) It fell apart a little, as it often does, but so what? Roth twirled his baton and waved a huge red flag; a monsoon of confetti poured down. It was over.

As the crowd filed out after the two-hour set, a guy grinned and said he wanted his money back. He obviously didn't.

One of Bob Marley's sons, the husky-voiced Ky-Mani Marley, opened, leading his slick, spare and heavy band through a listenable reggae set studded with the hits of his father. If you tell him he shouldn't trade so heavily on his father's legend, you'll have to say the same thing to Hank Williams Jr. And Wolfie.

Reunited Soda Stereo finds that the fizz is still there

By Agustin Gurza, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 21, 2007

It was 3 p.m. in Mexico City and singer Gustavo Cerati had just gotten up at his hotel to start another day on the road. Time gets turned around for musicians on tour and the veteran Argentine rocker still sounded a little groggy when he came to the phone to talk about the reunion of his old band, Soda Stereo, one of the most popular and influential groups in the history of rock en español.

The original members of the 1980s alt-Latino trio -- bassist Zeta Bosio, drummer Charly Alberti and Cerati, the main songwriter -- had been storming through Latin American capitals since Oct. 19, when the reunion tour blasted off in Buenos Aires, selling out five shows at the 70,000-capacity River Plate Stadium, then adding a sixth to break the venue's previous attendance record set by the Rolling Stones.

And that was just for openers. The band went on to sell out shows in Peru, Chile, Panama and three cities in Mexico. In Ecuador, so many Soda-heads converged on the port city of Guayaquil that flights and hotel rooms were completely booked, forcing fans to create their own accommodations outside Modelo Alberto Spencer Stadium. In its only West Coast stop, the band performs tonight at Home Depot Center, home of the Galaxy soccer team in Carson.

Cerati, the one with the most successful solo career, was the last to embrace the idea of a reunion. It was Andy Summers of the Police, he recalls, who once told him that as soon as bands get back together, the problems start all over again. So Cerati was reluctant to risk dredging up the acrimony and resentments that caused the band to break up 10 years ago.

"I realized that if we did a reunion we would have to enjoy it," says the singer, soon sounding wide awake. "Of course, the money was there and the fans wanted it. But the truth is, if we could not relish it musically and personally, travel together and share life together like we did back in the day, then sincerely, you couldn't pay me enough money to do it."

It turns out the time was right. The three musicians have rekindled old friendships and recaptured the old energy of performing together. Cerati says he's "48 and ready to rock."

The phenomenal response to the reunion comes at a time when the aesthetic and commercial promise of rock en tu idioma (rock in your own language) has faded. Few new bands on the scene today can even aspire to the status of Soda Stereo, one of the first acts in the genre to break down national barriers and find mass acceptance across the Latin American continent.

The stunning box-office success of the reunion tour, Cerati says, shows that fans still yearn for a time when music was less a function of marketing. Older fans are trying to recapture a moment when they truly felt part of a musical movement. And younger ones, those who weren't even born in Soda's heyday, are trying to connect with that mystique before it's gone forever.

By the time the tour closes next month back in Buenos Aires, more than 1 million fans will have seen the show that packs 15 years of Soda history into 150 minutes. For Cerati, who once said that he doesn't like to dwell on the past, the experience has compelled a reassessment. This tour has given him a new perspective on the band's body of work as a continuum.

"Life passes one by quickly and there's no time to be looking backward," he says, speaking with the distinctive accent of Argentine Spanish. "I'm not one of those people who has a lot of nostalgia, truthfully. But this process has made me discover a lot of the things we accomplished together which I had forgotten. It has allowed me to see what was left behind, and given me the chance to retrieve it. I like that because it does justice to those things that have remained more in the shadows."

Soda Stereo emerged in the early 1980s, part of a wave of homegrown rock that arose in Argentina after the fall of the brutal military regime responsible for the so-called dirty war. The band was born as the country was waking from its collective nightmare, but as its name suggests, its members were more interested in pop culture than politics, more Andy Warhol than Che Guevara.

"There was a whole movement that was more about, 'Enough with politics! Let's go out and dance a little and enjoy ourselves while we're still young,' " he says. "In the final stages of the dictatorship, rock had become, naturally and with good reason, a declaration about everything that had happened. But that was at the detriment of entertainment, of being able to have a good time, of freeing oneself a bit. So that's what we did and, of course, we were roundly criticized for being too plastic and shallow, et cetera. But that never bothered us."

The group went on to record seven studio albums, selling more than 7 million records and gaining increased critical respect as its music evolved from a lightweight Latin version of British New Wave bands such as XTC to a complex and artful style steeped in the ethereal moods and sonic textures of electronica. Through it all ran Cerati's lyrics, at times sly and satirical, at times poetic and evocative.

The band was also known for putting on a good show. But Cerati says this tour tops them all. With a set design by Britain's Martin Philips (U2, Nine Inch Nails), the Soda road show requires 50 support staff and almost 30 tons of gear, says Roberto Costa of Pop Art, co-producers with Triple Producciones, both based in Buenos Aires.

The trio is playing better than ever too, if Cerati does say so himself.

"This has been a fantastic step for us," he says, though there are no plans for the band to continue beyond the tour.

"We feel very close to each other, and it's wonderful to feel the vibe of what happens between us. It's much better than during the final years of Soda. . . . In fact, if it had been this good before, we would never have broken up."

On solid ground again

Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times

"Nowadays, everything I do is very calculated," said Ryan Tedder, far right, leader of OneRepublic.

OneRepublic's debut album is a step forward after the band lost its initial footing.

By August Brown, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 20, 2007

RYAN TEDDER, the frontman and founding member of the alt-rock band OneRepublic, is first and foremost a writer. He's penned tunes for such pop starlets as Natasha Bedingfield and Hilary Duff, co-wrote with Jesse McCartney a U.K. chart-topping hit ("Bleeding Love") for Leona Lewis, and collaborated with rappers Lil Jon and Bubba Sparxxx. OneRepublic's high-profile cameo on Timbaland's album "Shock Value," a remix of the band's string-soaked lament "Apologize," which has been holding strong on the charts, is a testament to the versatility of Tedder's compositional skills.

In OneRepublic, Tedder uses this talent to fine-tune the traditional ingredients for pop stardom (giant choruses, suave fauxhawks) and snip off anything or anyone that gets in the way. As modern rock becomes harder to sell in huge numbers, and professionalism is quickly overtaking spontaneity, the most popular new bands know that hits don't come accidentally. The potential of OneRepublic's debut album of meticulously earnest ballads, "Dreaming Out Loud" (released Nov. 20), will depend on the 28-year-old Tedder's ability to single-handedly script his band's rise to fame.

As his story goes, OneRepublic was formed by high school buddies in a bucolic Colorado town and teased with early success upon moving to Los Angeles, only to be shattered by major-label politics. Then the band climbed the My- Space Unsigned charts and scored a life-raft record deal and remix from Tedder's longtime mentor Timbaland.

That story leaves out a few of the realities of how a talented, sharp-dressing and fiercely ambitious songwriter reinvents himself and his band -- a route involving a fundamentalist Christian education, the affirmation of 'N Sync's Lance Bass and booting a longtime friend from the band for crimes of fashion.

"Nowadays, everything I do is very calculated," Tedder said. "Back then, I'd see any opportunity and jump at it. But I swore to myself I wouldn't do anything but music, that until OneRepublic paid my bills, if a director showed me a scene for a movie and asked me to write a song for it, I'd say 'Cut me a check and I'll do it.' "

Tedder seems to have covered all his bases: "Dreaming Out Loud" consistently hits the high points of '90s and '00s dorm-pop groups like Oasis and Coldplay with hints of modern soul and electronica gleaned from Tedder's years writing and producing with Timbaland. But are a photogenic quintet of bandmates, a crafty songwriting and production mind and a thick Rolodex of industry contacts enough to will a rock band into popularity in 2007?

Like most every event in the life of OneRepublic, the friendship between Tedder (whose heavy eyes and sharp jaw evoke a less-creepy version of Spencer Pratt of "The Hills") and co-founding guitarist Zach Filkins at Colorado Springs Christian School in 1996 began auspiciously. "Our senior year, Zach joined the soccer team," Tedder said. "In his first game he gets on the field and scores three goals, and we said 'Yeah, we're going to keep him.' "

Tedder and Filkins parted ways after graduation, but kept in touch while Tedder pursued a solo career and publishing deal in Nashville. In 2000, he auditioned for an MTV-sponsored talent showcase sponsored by 'N Sync's Lance Bass. He played an original song, which won him the competition, a production deal from Bass' Freelance Entertainment and a look from Interscope Records. Bass even extended an invitation for him to open up an 'N Sync stadium tour. But soon everything took a nose dive -- the production deal with Freelance collapsed, Interscope never followed through and the tour didn't happen.

Reversal of fortune

"Two weeks after that deal, I was waiting tables," Tedder said. "Timbaland happened to see the video though, and he signed me to a production deal. I learned a hell of a lot about writing, but I had nothing to show for it."

Tedder credits the Timbaland affiliation for fast-tracking his career, with the MTV showcase and solo contract being two of a few pockmarks. Numerous demos of Tedder singing tracks planned for other artists are floating around the Internet, but after OneRepublic's success, he's reluctant to point them out.

"It's like how David Duchovny popped up in a porno," Tedder said. "It's all stuff I didn't write for any one person, and then it ends up in the hands of the biggest cheeseball. When you're a writer, you live and die by every cut you get. But I just passed on Clay Aiken."

Similarly, Tedder's college education at Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma (he graduated as a PR/advertising major in 2001) isn't usually included in the OneRepublic biography.

"I cocooned myself with kids there who had the same pseudo-cynical outlook," Tedder said. "Both of my parents went there, and I grew up super Pentecostal. In Hollywood though, it's actually edgy, like 'You went to NYU? Well, I went to ORU.' "

Tedder and Filkins regrouped in Colorado to write songs, including the band's first single, "Apologize," a swooning, R&B-inflected slow burn that amorous college kids and Timbaland could get behind. The pair moved to Los Angeles in 2003, where they rounded out the OneRepublic lineup and quickly signed with Columbia Records. There were still kinks to hammer out, like refining the live show and getting the band's look -- a disheveled mix of GQ and Abercrombie indie rocker -- exactly right.

"The label said that if you want this deal, you have to get rid of your drummer," Tedder said. "He looked like Travis Barker, he was rocking JNCO shorts and his playing style was very punk. He was the coolest guy ever but he didn't fit."

The band soon settled on its current lineup, with drummer Eddie Fisher, guitarist Drew Brown and bassist-cellist Brent Kutzel. But its self-titled album's planned release date (June 6, 2006, or 6-6-06) didn't bode well. Sure enough, after a Coachella gig, Columbia got cold feet and dropped the band. The members of OneRepublic imagined that their residency at the Key Club in the spring of 2006 would be their last shows together.

MySpace's saving grace

But the band got an unexpected boost from MySpace, where daily listens of OneRepublic increased nearly fivefold during the Key Club shows (the current tally: more than 21 million MySpace plays). Yet again, labels came sniffing.

"We were thinking these are our last five shows, then four labels called us, including one guy from Columbia," Tedder said, grinning at the irony of being courted by his former label. "I said 'If you're interested, go to the 5th floor and talk to Business Admin because you own it.' I didn't know if I had the strength to go through this again."

But Timbaland saw an opportunity to add a rock band to the rap-heavy fold of his Universal imprint, Mosely Music Group, and debuted the band with his beat-heavy remix of "Apologize." Though the pairing of one of pop's great sonic innovators with such a straight-laced band as OneRepublic is unexpected, Timbaland saw them as kindred songwriters. "The band's chemistry is amazing, but what is so exceptional about them is how musical they are," Timbaland said. "I was just naturally drawn to 'Apologize' and wanted to add my touch."

As the band prepares to release "Dreaming Out Loud," the quintet is confident that sticking to its original guns -- indelible hooks, vague but enormous emotional crescendos and Tedder's flexibly soulful voice -- was the right decision. Songs such as "Stop and Stare" and "All We Are" fully realize this vision of neatly scripted pop.

"We're trying to connect to the largest demographic as humanly possible, and whatever format that is, we'll take it," Fisher said. Tedder agreed that "if I had to care about one thing, it'd be accessibility. What good is all the coverage in Filter Magazine if we have to break up because I can't stand another meal at Taco Bell?"

That candidness about OneRepublic's songwriting philosophy is the best and most trying thing about "Dreaming Out Loud." Pop tunes such as Britney Spears' "Toxic" or Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" stick because they pair inventive arrangements with indelible choruses, while rock bands such as Hinder and Daughtry feed a seemingly bottomless appetite for dour neo-grunge.

OneRepublic expertly plucks ideas from nearly every successful alt-rock band of the last 15 years, and the songs are airtight guitar-pop compositions. But will this snag attention in a Top-40 climate where the best songs are often the strangest, and mainstream rock has surrendered to Nickelback?

"Musically, we had enough versatility to swing the band any number of directions, as experimental or as pop as possible," Tedder said. "Lots of bands say they want credibility, but we actually want to make a living too."

Rock music is at its best when the struggle between pop craftsmanship and scrappy volatility yields something unexpected yet immediate. It's too soon to tell if fans will find that Tedder's master plan balanced the two sides or missed at both of them. But his band has learned that if the Sunset Strip isn't paved with the gold the band imagined, it's scattered with a few second chances.

"When you sharpen your teeth on the streets of Hollywood, it makes for a cool chapter to open and close," Fisher said. "We're happy the Cat Club chapter is closed now."

august.brown@latimes.com

Paul: Web Beatles 'ready to go'

Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Paul McCartney tells Billboard.com that he's "pretty sure" the Beatles catalog will finally be available online in 2008. "The whole thing is primed, ready to go," he's quoted as saying on the magazine's website. "There's just maybe one little sticking point left, and I think it's being cleared up as we speak, so it shouldn't be too long. It's down to fine-tuning, but I'm pretty sure it'll be happening next year."

The long-awaited move has been expected after the arrival of each of the Fab Four's solo catalog's went online this year.

Earlier this year, however, McCartney and Ringo Starr told The Times that it was unlikely the Beatles' master recordings would be given a full sonic upgrade when they ultimately become available for download. That suggests fans who have been clamoring for remastering or remixing of the 20-year-old masters used for the Beatles albums issued on CD in 1987 will have to keep waiting.

Louis Walsh Disses Robbie Williams

Louis Walsh has been dissing Robbie Williams claiming he was the "most talentless" member of Take That.

He told reporters this week: "I much prefer Gary Barlow. It is not necessarily the most talented people who make it to the top in the real world. Robbie is a great showman but I just don't like his voice".

Ah well, being a great showman pays nevertheless. There were reports yesterday that Williams earned £32 million in 2006 by simply playing 44 concerts. Or at least that's the spin being put on the news that his own company, The In Good Company Co Limited, paid him £32 million in that period. Financial reports from the company also reveal Williams has earned £67 million from his music since the company was set up in 2002. So I guess Louis Walsh not liking your voice really doesn't matter.

Boy George Charged With False Imprisonment

By Associated Press

9:51 AM EST, November 13, 2007

LONDON - Musician Boy George was charged Tuesday with falsely imprisoning a 28-year-old man, British police said.

The 47-year old singer and DJ, whose real name is George O'Dowd, has been ordered to appear before a court on Nov. 22.

The Sun newspaper reported in April that a Norwegian man, Auden Karlsen, 28, claimed he was chained and threatened at O'Dowd's London flat, where he had gone as a photo model.

B.B. King returning to Genesee Theatre

November 12, 2007

NEWS-SUN STAFF REPORT

WAUKEGAN -- Three years after he and Lucille first hit the Genesee Theatre, blues legend B.B. King has scheduled a return trip for Feb. 9, with tickets to go on sale Nov. 30.

According to www.geneseetheatre.com, King has been slated for a single performance at 8 p.m. Tickets, which will be available at the theater box office and through Ticketmaster, are priced at $49.50 and $39.50, with a limited number of orchestra pit seats at $75.

King, who turned 82 in September, is a 14-time Grammy winner and a 1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. He first appeared at the Genesee in March 2005, drawing a near-capacity crowd.

Also added this week to the Genesee's upcoming schedule was "RAIN: The Beatles Experience," a live, multi-media tribute to the Fab Four that is touted as performing "the full range of the Beatles discography live onstage."

Prince Takes Steps to Protect Copyrights

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Prince is taking legal action to stop Web sites from using copyrighted images, a concert promotion company announced Friday.

Contrary to reports, the Purple One is not suing his fans or looking to inhibit free speech in any way, AEG, which promoted Prince's concert series in London, said in a statement.

"The action taken earlier this week was not to shut down fan sites, or control comment in any way," the statement read. "The issue was simply to do with in regards to copyright and trademark of images and only images and no lawsuits have been filed."

Three Web sites published copyrighted images and live photos from Prince's London concerts, according to AEG. "Mediation between the parties is currently resolving the matter," the group's statement said.

Prince intends to offer some material for free online, bypassing "phony fan sites that exploit both consumers and artists," AEG said.

The promotions company said one of the alleged violators, Pirate Bay, is "exploiting copyrighted material for their commercial gain."

Representatives from Pirate Bay did not immediately return a request for comment.
Links by inform.com

Alison Krauss & Robert Plant: In a Dark Mood

Dabbling in the downbeat vibe of their album 'Raising Sand' was an upbeat experience for the singers, so much so that they want to prolong the experience next year with a tour.

By Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 11, 2007

NEW YORK -- ALISON KRAUSS must feel as if she's dreaming. Across the crowded green room at the NBC-TV studios early on a recent morning, a walking hot dog and a 6-foot-tall ketchup bottle are talking to Popeye and Olive Oyl. Then Hugh Hefner and a Playboy bunny come through a door.

Blinking, Krauss heads to the coffee urn. She's been up since 3:30 a.m., she says, to make sure there's plenty of time to do hair and makeup for her appearance on the "Today" show with her celebrated singing partner of the moment, Robert Plant.

"If they can't do her in three hours, they might as well give up," she says, putting herself in the third person and laughing at her joke.

Ungodly hours, by musicians' standards anyway, are part of the bargain for the folk-country star and the British rocker as they do their bit to promote their collaboration, "Raising Sand," which to their surprise is turning out to be one of the most anticipated albums of the year.

After doing interviews and taping a performance for the CMT cable channel's "Crossroads" show in Krauss' hometown of Nashville, they arrived here and went straight to a reception in their honor at an elegant tavern at Grand Central Terminal, then spent the next day visiting radio stations.

From New York they're off to England for another round, and after Plant's old band Led Zeppelin does its reunion show in December, the duo will start making plans for a U.S. concert tour.

Not many people were expecting this kind of attention for a project that began as an experiment with no clear aims -- least of all Massachusetts-based Rounder Records, the venerable roots-folk label that's fostered Krauss' career and now finds itself with a rock icon on its hands, and all that goes with it.

"It's the most expensive record we've ever put out," says Rounder President John Virant, standing at the bar during the reception, which figures to add a bit to the tab. "A lot of it was the travel for all the musicians -- Robert came over from England a couple of times. I remember getting an AmEx statement with $45,000 for airfare. . . . But when you're working with people like this, you can't run around crying that you're a poor little indie."

Virant is smiling as he says this. He figures it's money well spent, and sure enough, when the numbers come in a week later, "Raising Sand" has entered the national sales chart at No. 2, selling 112,000 copies during its first week -- the highest in Rounder's history. With the singers' combined pedigrees and the critical acclaim it's gathered and the spring tour to keep it fresh, the album could enjoy a long shelf life and be a factor in the 2009 Grammys.

T Bone Burnett, who produced the album, knows all about that. He assembled the soundtrack for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," the surprise album-of-the-year winner in 2002, which is when he first worked with Krauss.

"She is a profound artist and it's sort of easy to overlook that somehow, because she's so good at what she does," Burnett says. "But the reality is she has very deep notions about music and art. She doesn't wear them on her sleeve, but she may be the most uncompromising person I've ever met in my life.

"And Robert. . . . In a way Robert's sort of the fulfillment of this threat that Elvis Presley made."

Bluegrass meets rock

THE hot dog, the ketchup bottle and company have finished their "Today" segment (it's about Halloween costumes), and now Krauss and Plant are in a corner of the small studio in Rockefeller Center singing "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)," a bouncy, driving Everly Brothers song from "Raising Sand."

The 36-year-old bluegrass princess and the erstwhile rock god, 59, blend their contrasting voices with the assurance and rapport they've developed over the course of their collaboration. That began when Plant invited Krauss to sing with him at a tribute to folk/blues giant Leadbelly at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and flowered in the "Raising Sand" sessions last year in Nashville and Los Angeles.

After the final chorus and a "Well well!" yelp from Plant, the singers stand back and watch as their band builds the intensity. Jay Bellerose's drums dance lightly around the contours, while Burnett, Buddy Miller and Mark Ribot -- a summit meeting of premier roots-conscious, cutting-edge guitarists -- put on a show of their own.

Plant, who heard his share of guitar virtuosity in 1960s England and with Led Zeppelin, is still marveling at the display a few minutes later.

"When you see that there, Buddy Miller and Marc Ribot and T Bone playing," he says, shaking his head. "It's such a minimalistic piece of music, and yet with all that prowess and skill and musicality it becomes even more minimal.

"And then of course Ribot plays a solo that we haven't heard before and didn't know was going to happen, which makes it really good."

A natural chemistry

The Tab Two: Paul McCartney and Shevell

By FRANK ELTMAN |Associated Press Writer

8:18 PM EST, November 7, 2007

AMAGANSETT, N.Y. - They're here, there and everywhere: Paul McCartney and his latest rumored love interest. The 65-year-old ex-Beatle and a New Jersey trucking heiress (no, she's not a Soprano) were spotted last weekend in the tony Hamptons at a sushi restaurant, a movie theater and a lingerie shop. On Wednesday, pictures of the pair smooching and strolling along the beach turned up in the tabloids, alongside headlines like "TRYST AND SHOUT."

The shot of McCartney kissing Nancy Shevell in the front seat of his truck was published first by The Sun of London, but quickly made its way across the pond to the Daily News, the New York Post and Newsday.

Paparazzi outside Shevell's Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan snapped her picture as she left home Wednesday morning, her anonymity swept away by a burst of 21st-century Beatlemania.

Shevell, 47, and a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, is McCartney's latest apparent flame since his marriage to Heather Mills disintegrated last year. The rock 'n' roll Hall of Famer was previously spotted with high-profile dates Renee Zellweger, Christie Brinkley and Rosanna Arquette.

McCartney, whose songs as a Beatle and a solo act sold millions of records worldwide, opted to keep his mouth closed Wednesday about the tab two.

"We don't comment, as a policy, on private or business affairs," said McCartney spokesman Paul Freundlich.

Out in the Hamptons, where the couple did their bonding, local merchants were equally tightlipped. The owner of a British pub where McCartney occasionally stops for a drink declined to comment, as did workers at an assortment of local businesses: a pharmacy, a jewelry store and a gourmet deli.

Although the streets were fairly empty on a brisk November morning, nobody acknowledged seeing McCartney and Shevell in tandem -- or even separately. They instead observed the unwritten local rule that loose lips sink businesses in this summer haven for bold-faced names such as Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Gwyneth Paltrow.

"The Hamptons are filled with celebrities," said Hamptons scene chronicler Steven Gaines, who is also the co-author of "The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles." "This is a community that's very protective of those who live here."

McCartney is a veteran of the Hamptons scene, coming out for years with his wife Linda before her 1998 death from breast cancer. Gaines said McCartney prefers to stay after Labor Day, when things are more quiet and private.

"October is Paul's favorite month," he said. Or it was, it seems, until this November.

Shevell is estranged from her husband of 23 years, Long Island lawyer and politician Bruce Blakeman. She serves as a vice president for New England Motor Freight Inc., a New Jersey family business that was linked to the mob back in 1988.

Federal authorities alleged that her father, Mike Shevell, "cultivated a corrupt relationship" with Genovese family soldier Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano and other reputed mobsters.

Provenzano, a former Teamsters leader, has been identified as a prime suspect in the 1975 disappearance of ex-Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. The case against Mike Shevell was settled with no admission of wrongdoing by Shevell, according to a report in the Village Voice.

(This version CORRECTS spelling to Mike Shevell from Mike Levell.)

White Stripes Back In Studio

Words By MusicRooms

The White Stripes have gone back in the studio following the cancellation of all 2007 tour dates.

Back in September the band announced they were scrapping their tour due to Meg suffering from acute anxiety.

Since then they have been working on a mysterious new video.

Jack and Meg's website reveals: "The White Stripes have just filmed an exciting new video and recorded three never before heard original songs (with a special collaboration)."

No details on when we will see the video have been given, so we'll just have to wait to find out who the special collaborator is.

Jay-Z plays 'Gangster'

Jay-Z in concert at the House of Blues in West Hollywood on Tuesday, Nov. 06.

By Oliver Wang, Special to The Times
November 8, 2007

The concept behind Jay-Z's new "American Gangster" album was simple. After watching a preview of the new Ridley Scott film of the same name, chronicling the rise and fall of real-life Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, Jay-Z was inspired to record an entire album in homage. The conceit is shrewd marketing but otherwise, it's a cursory gesture. The album rarely engages the film's narrative or characters, save for a few, obligatory references and dialogue samplings.

More important, Jay-Z long ago had built a successful career dramatizing drug lords in his music.

Jay-Z rose to fame off his vivid, crack-era narratives. A former minor drug dealer himself, he's milked those hustler credentials for every album since. In the Bizarro World of street cred, though, becoming one of hip-hop's greatest rappers is an accolade Jay constantly downplays. On "No Hook," he rhymes, "Don't compare me to rappers / compare me to trappers / I'm more Frank Lucas than Ludacris." The claim is rather, uh, ludicrous given how, between running a major record label (Def Jam), appearing in national ad campaigns (Budweiser and Hewlett-Packard) and dating a megastar (Beyoncé), Jay's not "more" like ex-drug pushers, current rappers or anyone else for that matter.

The new album arrives less than a year after the relative disappointment of "Kingdom Come," his "comeback" album after retiring in 2004. "American Gangster's" naked desire to be a return to street-seasoned form doesn't quite smack of desperation, but its nod to the movie isn't matched by an album that feels either cinematic in scope or well-scripted in design.

That doesn't mean Jay doesn't display a few flashes of genuine panache and power in musing on "the life." "Roc Boys" is a energetic rundown of the tools of the hustler's trade: "Thanks to the duffel bag / the brown paper bag / the Nike box for holding all this cash." Likewise, on "Success," his pairing with former rival Nas, Jay's couplets create a compelling counter-rhythm to producer No I.D.'s screaming organ vamps: "Broad daylight / I off your on-switch / you're not too bright / good night / long kiss."

Elsewhere though, some of the production is surprisingly square and listless, especially on "Pray" and "American Dream." And for a rapper who name-checks Robert De Niro three times, Jay-Z's own performance is less than riveting. The clever wordplay and agile flow are still there but much of it sounds like something heard before, only better. In the end, "American Gangster" doesn't inspire passionate derision but it is phlegmatic enough to engender shrugged indifference. For Jay-Z, the latter may be worse.

Of course, most of the 1,000-plus people who saw him perform Tuesday at the House of Blues were anything but indifferent. After all, they paid $150 per ticket to see Jay-Z -- who typically plays arenas -- in an intimate venue.

Taking the stage in "rock star casual" -- black jeans, black tee, high-top Nikes and sunglasses -- Jay, backed by a 13-piece band, adroitly moved through 30 songs in 90 minutes. Of course, the benefit of being Jay-Z is having dozens of chart-toppers to draw from and many of the evening's selections were major, crowd-pleasing hits.

He also included a five-song set which included Roc-A-Fella label mates Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek and Freeway. And because this was West Hollywood, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jermaine Dupri made quick celeb cameos during the final encore. (No Beyoncé, alas).

One third of the playlist came from "American Gangster," creating an intriguing contrast with Jay-Z's older material. A few stood out: "Roc Boys" is destined to join his concert repertoire -- the blasts of brass, the catchy chorus ("the Roc boys in the building tonight!") are too perfect. In contrast, "Pray" felt even more plodding and stilted than on the album, but ironically, for a song called "No Hook," Jay-Z had the house yelling along with its refrain.

Whether Jay-Z can claim to be the definitive American gangster is debatable; as the definitive American rapper however, the claim is all but uncontested.

Most Fans Paid $0 For New Radiohead Album

Well, Radiohead did let fans choose their own price...

According to a study done by a customer research firm, a majority of people that bought Radiohead's new album, In Rainbows, paid $0 for it.

Radiohead decided to let fans choose how much to pay for their new album and made it available only through their website. The study found that 62% of people didn't pay a penny for the new album. The other 38% paid an average of $6.00 for the new record.

Radiohead decided to release the album themselves, breaking a long tradition of releasing their albums in a CD format through a major record label. The move has its share of supporters and critics, some calling it a shrewd move at a time of declining CD sales and others seeing the online release as a publicity stunt.

Credit: AP

The Eagles New Album is a Hit at Wal-Mart, but the Band May be Nearing the End of the Road

By Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 6, 2007

THE long run of the Eagles began with a sad, funny little gig at the Westlake School for Girls and nights spent in the dingy confines of the Troubadour, where their crystalline harmony -- at least on stage -- would define the world-famous "Southern California sound."

Now, in fact, it's hard to think of Los Angeles without thinking of the music of the Eagles and it's impossible to consider the band without L.A. as a frame.

The L.A. story of the Eagles is on the first page of the final chapter. The band has a new album in stores for the first time in 28 years and the members seem to know their own swan song when they hear it.

"It was painful birth," lead guitarist Joe Walsh said of the struggle to finish "Long Road Out of Eden," which ended up as a double album. "I can't think we have another one in us. I really can't."

When the new edition of the Billboard 200 chart is released Wednesday, it will show that the No. 1 album in America is "Blackout" from Britney Spears. But in reality, the bestselling album in the country over the last week was in fact "Eden" -- because it was sold exclusively through Wal-Mart stores and the veteran band's website, "Eden" is ineligible for the Billboard tally.

The first Eagles album since the Carter administration has a first-week total that looks to be about 700,000 copies, according to the band's manager, Irving Azoff. That doubles the sales of the new Spears album and makes "Eden" one of the fastest-selling CDs of the year even though it was not released by anything resembling a traditional record label.

"I'm not even sure what the recording industry is anymore," said Don Henley, who with Glenn Frey is the most familiar voice in the Eagles. To add to the sense of strangeness, the iconic band finds its new music is getting its most significant radio airplay at country stations. Embracing that, the Eagles will perform Wednesday on the Country Music Assn. Awards on ABC, which, shockingly, will mark the first time the band has ever appeared on an awards broadcast.

In other words, if you think you are bewildered by the carnival fun house that is the music industry of 2007, try being a member of the Eagles.

"I couldn't tell you what a hit record is these days," said Frey with a shrug. He and Henley are the only founding members left from the days when the Eagles got their start as a backing band for Linda Ronstadt.

They went on to claim the bestselling album in the history of American music, "Their Greatest Hits, 1971-1975," which is creeping toward 30 million copies shipped to stores, according to the Recording Industry Assn. of America. But that titan status in the boom of the 1970s has given them a collective impatience with the wilting industry around them now. "I feel like I was part of Camelot," Frey said, "and it's not coming back."

"Eden" is an epic album (many critics, in fact, are saying it's too long, although the reviews have also been largely positive) and all four members -- Henley, Frey, Walsh and bassist Timothy B. Schmit -- get a turn in the spotlight. It's almost like they are taking their bows. The 20th and final song on "Eden" is a farewell tune, "Your World Now."

"It's a sort of a passing of the torch song, it's an adios song," Henley said. "It works on that level for our children and also on the band level."

Alice Cooper Brands Ozzy Osbourne A 'Joke'

Words By MusicRooms

Rock legend Alice Cooper has blamed Ozzy Osbourne's reality TV show for ruining the Black Sabbath star's career.

Cooper, aged 59, feels reality TV show The Osbournes destroyed all of the mystique surrounding the star and left fans disappointed with an unexpected insight into the rocker's life.

He says: "Most fans thought he lived in a big, dark castle with skeletons in the cellar.

"When that show aired they knew he was just some guy who potters around his Beverly Hills mansion. It was meant to be some kind of comedy but the audience was laughing at Ozzy, not with him.

"And as a close friend, that made me very sad."

Too Good to be UNKNOWN by the World

INDRA LESMANA

Indra Lesmana was born in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday, March 28th 1966. His late father, Jack Lesmana was a jazz multi-instrumentalist. He is biggest influence and motivator during Indra's early musical career. His mother, Nien Lesmana was a famous singer in the 60's. Music and jazz become the main course within his family lives. His first record album called " Ayahku Sahabatku " released in 1978 happened to be the stepping stone of his journey in music industry.

Indra Lesmana grew up in Sydney, Australia and studied at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music before I moved to Los Angeles, U.S.A to sign records deal with Zebra record/MCA.
In 1982, Indra explored his fusion jazz styles of music and formed another band called "Nebula" with Steve Hunter, Andy Evans, Ken James, Vince Genova, Carlinhos Gonzalves. The band had recorded their session in the album called "No Standing" contained of 4 Indra's original compositions ( No Standing, The First, Sleeping Beauty, 'Tis time to part ) and a Steve Hunter’s "Samba for ET". The album released in Australia by Jasmine Records, he also joined Sandy Evans, Tony Buck and Steve Elphick to form a modern jazz band called "Women and Children First" and recorded their first album in 1983.

Indra's musical talent and compositions apparently captured by the American jazz industry. Zebra Records, an affiliate of MCA Records sent their interest to sign him as the solo artist and release the album "No Standing" as Indra Lesmana's solo album. The agreement met in 1984 and the album was remastered by Bernie Grundman before released in USA.
Indra moved to California, U.S.A in 1985 and did the recording at Mad Hatter Studio with Vinnie Colaiuta, Michael Landau, Jimmy Haslip, Airto Moreira, Charlie Hadden, Bobby Shew, Tooty Heath for his album called "For Earth and Heaven". The album released in 1986 and happened to be his second internationally distributed album by Zebra Records. His two albums "No Standing" and "For Earth and Heaven" appeared to be his highlight debut in USA.
His singles "No Standing"( from No Standing album ) and "Stephanie" ( from For Earth and Heaven album ) were successfully became the hits and top list of Billboard Charts for Jazz in US and number one in radio charts.Beside his perform duties as an artist and record producer, Indra has deep interest in audio or sound recording technology. His album called Tragedi released in 1984 happened to be his first debut in becoming a sound designer. In 1998 Indra Lesmana firstly produced the master quality sound of the Sabda Prana album by Java Jazz.

In 1999 he decided to establish InLine Music, his independent company and studio for recording, mixing and mastering house specializing in jazz where his talent and skill are advanced in that particular music production. Up until today, Indra Lesmana has succeeded mixed and mastered more than 20 albums of Indonesian distinguished artists. He was also nominated as Best Mixing Engineer on AMI Awards 2003.
His recognition as the Indonesian jazz icon and one of the most important productive recording artists has been proved through his over 150 original compositions, 43 albums and more than 70 record albums production exploring in pop, contemporary, mainstream, swing to nu-jazz music and participation in many international jazz festivals. His nature in making a record is to present his inspiration and mission through out his original compositions. Therefore Indra always take care the messages as well as the musical artistic value in his every album. Some of his original hits made "Warna", "Ekspresi", "Aku Ingin", "Dunia Boleh Tertawa" have been considered as the most everlasting popular songs.

In the year of 2000, he made an uprising record when his first single-instrumental jazz music video called "Reborn" heavily aired on Indonesia national television. He formed his first 17-piece big band project in March 2002 in order to record his 15th solo album that also happened to be his first big band arrangement of original soundtrack album for sister-film producer, Mira Lesmana called "Rumah Ke Tujuh".

In early 2004, with wife Hanny Trihandojo Lesmana and music partner Aksan Syuman, built and organize a non-profit art documentary weekly program at Sumber Cipta mini art center in South Jakarta called "Concert Practice" to regenerate young people to explore their artistic performance in music, dance and other art forms.

Later in March 2004, Indra was engaged to Fremantle Media and RCTI working for a famous UK licensed - reality show - TV programme called the Indonesian Idol as the head of the four juries ( with singer-Titi Dj, video maker-Dimas Djajadiningrat, ex.radio host-Meutia Kasim ).
The program continues and enters its forth season with a great success respond as one of the highest rating TV show in Indonesia.

In year 2006, Indra Lesmana and his wife, Hanny T Lesmana wrote and produced a single "Jalinan Kasih' and the song performed by Mike Mohede who's the Indonesian Idol -season 2- winner. They dedicated the song as a theme for RCTI social program called "Jalinan Kasih" that work to help and give health/medical support for the poor children.Indra Lesmana is expert in Grand Piano, Fender Rhodes, Mini Moog, Hammond, Melodica, synthesizers and workstation.

He's been endorsed by Roland Keyboards, Steinberg Cubase SX and M-Audio.Throughout his career, Indra Lesmana has recorded with Vinnie Colaiuta, Michael Landau, Jimmy Haslip, Airto Moreira, Charlie Hadden, Bobby Shew, Tooty Heath, Sandy Evans, Tony Buck, Steve Elphick, Steve Hunter, Andy Evans, Ken James, Vince Genova, Carlinhos Gonzalves, Steve Brien, Dale Barlow, Tony Thijssen, Harry Rivers, James Morrison and performed with Chick Corea, Jan Garbarek, Mark Murphy, Ira Coleman, Eberhard Weber, Gerald Albright, Lenny Castro and many more.

Led Zeppelin Concert Postponed due Fractured Finger

Led Zeppelin’s November 26th reunion concert has been pushed back to December 10th because guitarist Jimmy Page fractured his aging finger.
The injury, which he sustained this past weekend, will make him unable to play guitar for the next three weeks. “I am disappointed that we are forced to postpone the concert by two weeks,” Page said in a statement. “However, Led Zeppelin have always set very high standards for ourselves, and we feel that this postponement will enable my injury to properly heal, and permit us to perform at the level that both the band and our fans have always been accustomed to.”
Led Zeppelin tickets bought for the original show will be honored on the new date, and refunds will also be available. This news sucks (especially since Page busted a finger in a train door in 1975 but soldiered on and continued to tour), but we’ve waited twenty-seven years for this show, so what’s another fourteen days?
That is, of course, unless you already bought plane tickets and made hotel reservations.

Krist Novoselic Speaks Ahead of 'Nirvana Unplugged' DVD

Bassist now wants 'In Utero' re-released too
31.Oct.07 10:08am

Nirvana's legendary 'MTV Unplugged In New York' performance is finally set to be released on DVD, nearly 14 years to the day from when it was performed.

The DVD will contain both the original broadcast of the show and the complete unedited version of the set with 5.1 Surround Sound.

Speaking to NME.COM, Nirvana's bass player Krist Novoselic said he was looking forward to the release, particularly in its new audio format.

"The new 5.1 sound really opens it up and it gave me a new appreciation for the songs," he explained. "You can hear what each instrument is doing. It really invites you in and I'm sure everyone will enjoy it in a new way. I'd really like to re-release 'In Utero' in that way at some point."

In between songs on the unedited 66-minute version, the band are seen affably chatting with each other, debating what songs to play and even taking requests from the audience.

At one point, they even break into a jokey version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's classic 'Sweet Home Alabama' with guest performers The Meat Puppets.

Also featured on the DVD are previously unseen rehearsal takes of 'Plateau', 'About A Girl', 'Polly', 'Come As You Are', 'All Apologies' and their cover of David Bowie's 'The Man Who Sold The World'.

A rehearsal version of 'Pennyroyal Tea' which features guitarist Pat Smear also playing in the track is included. This was originally the way the band planned to perform the song until Kurt Cobain decided at the last minute to play it solo during the show.

Additionally, a 20 minute documentary featuring interviews with the band and members of the crew are also included.

The DVD is set for release on November 19.

Do You Know?

KULINTANG

Kulintang is a modern term for an instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally-laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by

larger, suspended gongs and drums. As part of the larger gong-chime culture of Southeast Asia, kulintang music ensembles have been playing for centuries in regions of the Eastern Malay Archipelago — the Southern Philippines, Eastern Indonesia, Eastern Malaysia, Brunei and Timor, although this article has a focus on the Philippine Kulintang traditions of the Maranao and Maguindanao peoples in particular. Kulintang evolved from a simple native signaling tradition, and developed into its present form with the incorporation of knobbed gongs from Sunda. Its importance stems from its association with the indigenous cultures that inhabited these islands prior to the influences of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or the West, and hence Kulintang is the most developed tradition of Southeast Asian archaic gong-ensembles.

Technically, kulintang is the Maguindanao, Ternate and Timor term for the idiophone of metal gong kettles which are laid horizontally upon a rack to create an entire kulintang set. It is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. Due to its use across a wide variety groups and languages, the kulintang is also called kolintang by the Maranao and those in Sulawesi, kulintangan by those in Sabah and the Sulu Archipelago and totobuang by those in central Maluku.

By the twentieth century, the term kulintang had also come to denote an entire Maguindanao ensemble of five to six instruments. Traditionally the Maguindanao term for the entire ensemble is basalen or palabunibuyan, the latter term meaning “an ensemble of loud instruments” or “music-making” or in this case “music-making using a kulintang.”