Dylan’s 35th:
Bobby D‘s pushing production on what would be his 35th album, following 2009’s divisive holiday album Christmas In The Heart, reports The Aspen Times, via some comments from Los Lobos multi-instrumentalist David Hidalgo. A return collaborator of Dylan, Hidalgo revealed he and the 71-years-young icon just finished up some recording sessions at Jackson Browne‘s Los Angeles studio, Dylan recruiting Hidalgo again to chase some of the Mexican instrumentation Hidalgo is fluid in, particularly the guitar-esque tres, with its six strings bunched in three groups of two. Hidalgo said of the sessions, “It was a great experience. And different. Each one has been different, all completely different approaches. It’s an amazing thing, how he keeps creativity. I don’t know how he does it.” Here’s a hint: He’s Bob Dylan (via Paste).
RIP Michael Hossack:
Doobie Brothers drummer Michael Hossack lost a battle to cancer at his home last night in Dubois, Wyoming. He was 65-years-young. Initially drumming for the band from 1971-1973, Hossack played on most of the band’s soul-tinged rock greats, including “Jesus Is Just Alright,” “Listen to the Music” and “China Grove,” rejoining the band in the late 80s for another two-decade tenure, before leaving in 2010 to fight the good fight exclusively. The band’s website announced the news, promising a more formal forthcoming announcement. In the interim, get to listening to the music (via Rolling Stone).
Poseurs:
Kicking off SXSW 2012’s music panels, Billy Corgan had some choice self-righteous comments during a conversation titled “The End of Business as Usual” with author Brian Solis, promoting his book of a similar name. There were some new-artist-as-stripper analogies and weighing-ins on the whole LDR fiasco, but Corgan’s finest moment of reflection came in the context of what he’s seeing as a heavier value being placed on stardom these days, rather than the dream of the 90s artistry: “Don’t call it rock and roll. I was part of a generation that changed the world – and it was taken over by poseurs” (via Billboard).
Other Music:
NYC record store stalwart Other Music pushes against industry odds with the news of a physical label ambition, reports the New York Times. Housed under the Fat Possum imprint in Oxford, Mississippi (Youth Lagoon, Smith Westerns), Other Music Recording Company has been itching to get into the uphill battle for a while, one of the store’s owners, Josh Madell said on Monday. “Despite everything happening in the music industry, we are always getting excited about new bands.” Hence is the focus of the newb label – showcasing underground NYC-based musicians, as well as reissues of foreign artists. First on deck are Brooklyn-based crew Ex Cops, with a 7-inch come April 24.
Lyricapsule:
A young British blues revivalist guitarist by the name of Eric Clapton left The Yardbirds on this day in 1965, citing a number of reasons, but mainly things just got too commercial, man. History would prove the absence of bad blood, with Clapton’s departure setting in motion Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page‘s tenure in the band. Though this is the song that moved too far away from Clapton’s beloved blues, mop-topping a bridge in the middle “For Your Love.”