Exactly twenty two years ago today, January 4th, 1986 Irish rock legend Phil Lynott, who came to fame as the frontman of Thin Lizzy (perhaps best known stateside for their hit "The Boys Are Back In Town") died of pneumonia and heart failure, apparently the result of complications from a heroin drug overdose.

And today many people around the world are honoring the man. Most notable is the big annual 22nd Vibe For Philo: Johnny the Fox meets Jimmy the Weed celebration tonight in Dublin, Ireland at The Button Factory at Curved Street in the Temple Bar district where numerous artists will perform, including Cait O'Riordan (formerly with the Pogues), the tribute band Tizz Lizzy as well as Satoshi Shibata  -- lead guitarist with Japanese tribute band The Lizzy Boys. The late singer's mom, Philomena Lynott, will also be on-stage tonight in Dublin.

Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy (who in recent years reformed but it ain't the same without Phil) are one of those bands whose influence is very great and wide with countless Thin Lizzy tribute bands popping up worldwide over the years, as well as numerous bands who do Thin Lizzy covers/tributes, including Europe, Motorhead, and Metallica, whose cover of Thin Lizzy's version of the old Irish traditional folk song "Whiskey In The Jar" is perhaps better known with American audiences than the Lizzy's 1972 recording -- their first hit single, which is below in video form (check out the opening which features the Celtic influenced art of modern Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick who did most of Lizzy's album covers).

JACK WHITE & DAVE GROHL JOIN LED ZEPPELIN IN SAN FRANCISCO:


 In my wildest fantasy Led Zeppelin is going to go on one last amazing, kick-ass world tour. They will play at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and, as offered, Dave Grohl will be playing drums (that is, if Jason Bonham is unavailable). Waiting in the wings is Jack White to sing and play on a song or five. Jimmy, Jack and Dave on a stage together... that's my prediction.


                         - Maggie the Cat (Bay Area Crew AMOEBLOGGER)




RETURN OF THE OLD SCHOOL TO HIP-HOP'S RESCUE:


I predict that old school rap will come to the rescue helping to guide the music out of its slump. Also, i think there will be more old school film projects, maybe a Busy Bee movie or a Scott La Rock film.

   
             - Michael A. Gonzales (author, journalist, blogger at BlackadelicPop)





RETURN OF VINYL, DOWNFALL OF HANNAH MONTANA, & MUCH MORE

TABLOID TALES: In 2008 Britney Spears, no longer hounded by a pack of paparazzi -- just that one guy she took back to her hotel room-- will be completely upstaged by lil sis Jamie Lynn Spears who will lead tabloid headlines for the next seven or more months. She will then be suddenly upstaged herself by the even more shocking, tabloid-ready real-life story of Hannah Montana (the alter ego of Miley Cyrus), who will have an unexpected and sudden, widely publicized downfall into drugs and sexploits. So shocking will this news be to the parents of tween fans of the wholesome Disney Channel star that there will be a huge backlash culminating in a Hannah Montana doll burning gathering at a Florida sports stadium in November with tickets to the event being as much in demand as Hannah Montana concert tickets were just a year earlier.

Welcome to January 1st, 2008, otherwise known as Public Domain Day. Each New Year's Day thousands and thousands of new creative works pass from being copyrighted material into the public domain -- meaning movies or music, etc, become free to you or me or anyone who wants them.

As reported today on the Copyright Watch website today "January 1st is Public Domain Day in most countries of the world, where copyright runs from the death of the author of a work until the end of the 50th, 70th, or some other year thereafter. In the largest bloc of countries of the world, with the majority of the world’s population, the general copyright term of life+50 expired no later than midnight this morning for the works whose author, or last-surviving of multiple authors, died in 1957."

There are already thousands of works out there (movies, music, plays, books, etc) that are public domain that many people are unaware of. They just don't know that are out there for the pickings. In fact there are some individuals who trawl online sites looking for obscure public domain movies to download, and then burn them on DVD and sell them on eBay for a profit. The New York Times, which recently did a story on this practice, said that what makes it unprecended is that traditionally people would be more likely to hawk copyrighted material. But in a case like this the seller is taking the time to research and dig and see what material is out there in the public domain, downloading it, and then marketing it via eBay and other outlets.

Britney Spears will find God, actually become a religious zealot. She’ll start her own religion, set up a compound/church in Iowa where millions of her disillusioned directionless fans will follow her.

A couple of years down the line Iowa will pass a referendum establishing itself as the independent Sovereign Nation of Iowa. By 2009, Mike Huckabee, having only ever won in Iowa, will run for President of Iowa and win. Meanwhile Britney’s sister, Jamie Lynn, will disappear from public view only to resurface in 2012, when she signs with Blue Note Records as a jazz singer.  Her new approach will emulate her idol Anita O’Day. Jamie Lynn then will write her own parenting book titled It’s Never Too Early to Start Good Parenting. 
            
She’ll eventually marry the California Highway Patrol officer who pulled her over for driving under the influence, though he’ll tear up the ticket once he recognizes her from her Playboy spread.
                     
-  Whitmore ("the thing of a thing of a thing..." Hollywood AMOEBLOGGER, member of the band Listing Ship)

BABY EATING ON FEAR FACTOR & PERSONAL MEMORIES ON NETFLIX

The cross cultural fusions happening in popular music will grow so varied that Frankenstein-esque new genres will have to be sewn together in order to describe the newest music like: gothic indie folk, or post-grunge screamo tech, or neuvo-retro contemporary psychobilly Christian, acappella death electro, braille, sunshine blues and every CD will have either a string quartet tribute or a downtempo remix.   Someone in everyone of these band will either have the chin-beard/dreads combo, extreme bedhead/facial grimace combo or will wear a necktie incorrectly.

DOMINATRIX HILLARY CRACKS THE WHIP TO WARM LEATHERETTE

I predict Clinton will win the presidency and immediately win a hefty boob job. She'll then dye her hair red and sport a hip cyber-dominatrix uniform while cracking a whip madly. Bill is on all fours on a leash in a pink muzzle by her side cranking Warm Leatherette by Grace Jones from a giant 80's boombox on his back at her second State Of The Union Address.

- Tim Ranow (Amoeba Music Hollywood )

USC, LAKERS, AND GOOGLE ALL GOOD BETS FOR 2008:

USC win Rose Bowl: In addition to being the Pac-10 champions, USC will beat Illinois in the Rose Bowl on New Year's day.
 
Google Shares cross $800: In 2007 Google's stock was as low as $437 per share and as high as $747 per share. 2008 will see Google's stock soaring past $800. Don't sleep on the big G.

Lakers in '08: Bold prediction -- the Lakers will be the Western Conference champions only to lose in the NBA Finals. Can't say who they will lose to.
                                                                                
  - Rameen Mansour, Amoeba.Com Web Office