Rock Water Cooler – Things to talk about to appear really smart….
Top 10 – This week’s Americana chart
1 ROBERT PLANT Band of Joy
2 RYAN BINGHAM & THE DEAD HORSES Junky Star
3 RAY LAMONTAGNE & THE PARIAH DOGS God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise
4 JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Harlem River Blues
5 MARTY STUART Studio B Sessions
6 LOS LOBOS Tin Can Trust
7 MAVIS STAPLES You Are Not Alone
8 OLD 97S The Grand Theatre
9 JOHN MELLENCAMP No Better Than This
10 KIM RICHEY Wreck Your Wheels
→ After retiring the floppy disk in March, Sony has halted the manufacture and distribution of another now-obsolete technology: the cassette Walkman. The final batch was shipped to Japanese retailers.The first generation Walkman was released on July 1, 1979. Sony sold more than 200 million Walkman’s over the 30 years.
→ U2 will likely follow 2009’s “No Line on the Horizon” with an album primarily produced by Danger Mouse, according to Billboard.com. Bono said that U2 is prepping three new albums, with the Danger Mouse project arriving in early 2011. “We have about 12 songs with him,” says Bono. “At the moment that looks like the album we will put out next because it’s just happening so easily.”
→ Some Indianapolis contributions to a new song from now-California singer/songwriter Timothy Scott’s new EP. Former bandmate Matt Street, from Indianapolis’ Mardelay, sings the high vocal harmony on backup vocals and Henry French colors it Americana with his harmonica (http://www.facebook.com/thetimothyscott). French has also started work on his next record, a follow-up to his now-defunct band Henry French and the Shameless.
→ Finally, music-news.com reports that Boy George has announced on his official website that Culture Club will reform in 2012 to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Because I just thought you might want to know…