"Music kind of sucks. Nobody's into being a musician. Everybody's getting their mogul on. You've been so infiltrated by this corporate mentality that all the time you'd spend getting great songs together, you're busy doing nine other things that have nothing to do with art. You know how shitty Stevie Wonder's songs would have been if he had to run a fuckin' clothing company and a cologne line?" says Chris Rock In a wonderful new interview in Rolling Stone  (Nov 15, 2007 issue 1039) in which the magazine accurately notes that in this age of hip-hop it is more than common for most rappers to utter those words that we have heard a zillion times already: "I'm not a rapper, I'm a businessman." And Chris Rock responds, "That's why rap sucks, for the most part. Not all rap, but as an art form it's just not at its best moment."

The always articulate, observant and funny comedian/social satirist Rock has built a career on consistently poking fun at rap music in particular, from his SNL impersonations (including one of MC Hammer) to his hilarious lead role in the excellent 1993 obviously NWA inspired, faux-gangsta rap group comedy CB4 as the fictional emcee Gusto, to such things as the cover art of his 1999 comedy album Bigger and Blacker which mocked the (at the time) predominant No Limit/Cash Money record labels' styled rap album cover art. Rock never misses a beat in taking shots at rap music and at the music scene, um business, in general.

As you likely already know, today (November 6th) was the release date of the anticipated Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers' Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969 2CD set -- the first volume in the long lost sessions from the late great artist who created "Cosmic American Music," and the second release from the recently launched Amoeba Records. (The premiere release a couple of months back was Brandi Shearer's Close To Dark.) Coincidentally, there is also a new biography just out on the artist titled Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music written by David N. Meyer and published in hard copy by Villard Books.

Gram Parsons, who died of a drug overdose at the young age of 26 and who would have celebrated his 61st birthday yesterday, November 5th, is one of those great artists whose contributions to American music are realized increasingly more and more in every year since his 1973 tragic death. And as each year progresses the legions of fans and artists directly touched by this long deceased singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist just seem to continue to grow.

"Parsons was born in 1946 into a rich but dysfunctional Southern family; his father committed suicide when Gram was 12, and his mother died of alcoholism the day Gram graduated from high school. Although he grew up in Georgia and Florida, Parsons wasn't turned on to country until he went north to Harvard (where, obsessed with music, he flunked out freshman year), but once he discovered Buck and Merle, he was smitten," wrote the New York Times in its lukewarm review of the new 559-page biography on Parsons. The book, and other reviewers agree, is by no means a perfect biography -- skipping some important details and over-emphasizing others -- but it is a good book to have, especially for diehard fans and Parsons completists. It is also by no means the the only book out there on the fascinating character that was Gram Parsons. Others include Grievous Angel: An Intimate Biography of Gram Parsons by Jessica Hundley with Polly Parsons (Gram's daughter) that was published by Thunder's Mouth Press a couple of years ago and is available in both hard-cover and on paperback. There is also the recommended Hickory Wind: The Life and Times of Gram Parsons by Ben Fong Torres that is well worth reading to further understand the artist. Other books in the long list under Gram Parsons' bibliography include Pamela Des Barres' I'm With the Band: Confessions of A Groupie which was published by Jove Books in 1988. DeBarres, who counts Gram Parsons among her closest past friends, also wrote the liner notes for the new Amoeba Records release.

Former music star and God-fearing Republican, Kentucky resident Pat Boone recently made a plea to voters in his state (with the voting day quickly approaching) to steer clear of queer friendly Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear and his running mate Daniel Mongiardo in a thinly veiled anti-gay speech (hear audio of speech by clicking here). (NOTE: click twice if it doesn't link first time.) The speech sternly warned voters in the state: "Do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?" When asked by the Washington Post what he thought of this statement by Boone, Beshear diplomatically replied: “Pat Boone was a great singer. And I still enjoy listening to his music. I would think he ought to stick with singing.”

In vocal support of the Kentucky Governor, Republican Ernie Fletcher, who is up for re-election and is looking behind in the polls, Pat Boone, the grandson of Daniel Boone, made the speech via phone message over the weekend stressing that, "As an American and a Christian I am very concerned about the upcoming Governor's election" -- going on to say of Fletcher's pro-civil rights opponent Beshear that he is an individual "who has consistently supported every homosexual cause," including such things as "same-sex marriage; gay adoption; special rights to gay, lesbian, bisexual, even transgender individuals!"

And if you think that thinly veiled anti-gay rhetoric by Boone is bad, check out what Fletcher’s lieutenant governor candidate Robbie Rudolph had to say in a speech delivered on Saturday night to a crowd of over two hundred GOP supporters in Lexington, KY: “Do you want a couple of San Francisco treats or do you want a governor?” Yikes!!! Now, I don't know about you, but to me in this seemingly politically correct and ultra sensitive age -- where, for example, the recently disgraced A&E TV star Dog the Bounty Hunter saw his career go down the toilet for uttering the "N" word in a private phone conversation -- shouldn't Rudolph be held somehow responsible for what appears to me as pure hate speech?
                                
Please add your thoughts/opinions in the COMMENTS box below. Thanks!

After recently stumbling across the Craigs List New York City area posting (reprinted below - scroll down) directly addressing the ridiculous current state of the high cost of housing in New York City (and it is so bad that people who go out of town for a week sublet their place -- damn!), it got me thinking about the whole issue of the high cost of housing for all of us, in particular in certain desired American cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and of course New York City. 

As eloquently and emotionally expressed in the recent CL posting, which appeared under the heading "Perpetual Childhood" and was written by a Brooklyn resident, NYC seems to be the very worst when it comes to the high cost of urban housing in the States these days. Please take a moment to read it and after you have, please add to the COMMENTS box below your thoughts on housing in the area where you dwell or have previously lived (rented). Is it as bad where you are? Are there any solutions to the ridiculous cost of housing that most of us are subjected to? What percentage of one's income do you think the average person should pay in rent? Personally, I think it should only be 15% or 20%. I also strongly believe that the government, local and federal, should heavily subsidize housing for artists. But when I say this to most people, they tell me I am crazy to hold such foolish beliefs. But what do you think of the state of housing in the USA  today -- especially in cities  such as SF, LA, or NY? Thanks for reading and for sharing your COMMENTS! Here is the posting:

THE HIGH COST OF HOUSING IN NYC FORCES DWELLER INTO PERPETUAL CHILDHOOD:

This City is keepin us in F***ing perpetual childhood! Six figures and cannot find an apartment unless I'm willing to swallow pride and sanity and kiss the ass of some F***ing nickel and diming greedy scumbag feudal lndlord. They want you to make 20x the rent and they're looking at you with a straight face as they offer some f***ing shoe box with NO GARBAGE DISPOSAL, NO W/D, NO F***NG SCREENS ON THE WINDOW, MOLD, no closet space. Don't even blink in shame. What exactly am I getting for my f-ng money????! Tell me THAT you d***ass.

AMOEBITE PROFILE: HEIDI

AMOEBLOG: What exactly is your job at the Amoeba Music Hollywood store? How long have you worked there and how did you end up working at Amoeba?

HEIDI: I've had a lot of different jobs at Amoeba but these days I'm mostly in rock vinyl and black metal. I was hired at Amoeba three years ago through my friend Inez.
 
AMOEBLOG: What makes working at Amoeba unique compared to other jobs you've had?

HEIDI: Working at Amoeba is a truly unique environment. It is refreshing to work with so many people who are as nerdy as I am about music. It's also satisfying to work for Amoeba Music as a company because they truly take care of their employees. It feels very much like a family.
 
AMOEBLOG: What are the Top 3 Items in the past week or so that you've noticed people are seeking out at the Hollywood Amoeba Music?

HEIDI: Dethklok The Dethalbum, Ulver Shadows of the Sun, Bruce Springsteen Magic on vinyl (new studio recording from the Boss with the E Street Band and featuring 11 new Springsteen songs -- all produced by Brendan O'Brien).

AMOEBLOG: I know you that you are a real fan of good metal music. In terms of that genre, how, in your opinion, is the scene in LA these days for bands and for clubs?

HEIDI: To be honest, I don't go out much, but I love to see that there's a rise in the number of youngsters reviving the thrash scene here in Los Angeles. I need to make more of an effort to check it out. If you want to see a good heavy show, go see High On Fire. They aren't LA natives but they play here quite a bit. But a couple of local bands well worth mentioning are Strong Arm Down, who are a great heavy live band... check em' out!! And then there is another LA band I recommend called An Endless Contortionist, who are super noisy fun!!