Segarini Coughs Up Another Column

The Weekend Roundup

There are certain ‘givens’ in life that are unexplainable. They are not governed by physics or any other known science or natural law, and are almost always guaranteed to cause you grief, anxiety, or at the very least, elevated blood pressure and the desire to punch a stranger in the face or stab him with a spork.

Some well known examples of what I refer to are: The rain that comes out of nowhere after you wash your car, your cell phone battery dying during an important call you’ve been waiting for for a week, noticing you’re out of toilet paper when you’re finishing up on the throne, and realizing your wallet is in your other pants as soon as the cab you’re in pulls away from the curb.

I am currently suffering from another one of these pesty and annoying little gremlins I am sure most of you are familiar with, It is commonly referred to as “CAFSCASTJATWSTGGAYHTMSWFIB BYV ISAYCSC”, or: Catching A Fucking Serious Cold And Sore Throat Just As The Weather Starts To Get Good And You Have To Miss Singing With Friends In Burlington Because Your Voice Is Shit And You Can’t Stop Coughing. Don’t let this happen to you. Avoid rain and strong winds.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Do not miss the 14^th season premiere of South Park this weekend. It’s all about men with money and power having sex with as many women as they can. If only the news were this truthful. “Kenny, it’s time for dinner!”

Two tours not to miss this year: James Taylor and Carole King, and The Eagles with the Dixie Chicks. Consult your local listings.

Is Justin Bieber the new Michael Jackson? Will the big budget movie version of Gilligan’s Island be as lame as the long running TV series? Will the big budget live-action Jetsons movie be as cool as the long running TV series? Will Bono ever shut up and write songs as good as Pride in the Name of Love and New Year’s Day again?

Attention anyone that works at the Comedy Network: Please adjust your listings to reflect the fact that Lucky Louie (the brilliant one season series from Louis CK) runs longer than 30 minutes and sometimes as long as 45. The grid for Rogers claims it is only 30 minutes long, and PVR’s aren’t smart enough to continue recording when the half hour is up. You owe me the endings of the last 2 episodes. Wednesdays at 10:00 EST.

For my politically correct friends: Please consider the meanings of words within the context in which they are used. Gay isn’t always used to describe homosexuals, retarded does not always address the mentally challenged, and lame is not always used to describe a crippled person. Gay can mean retarded, retarded can mean lame, and in context, they all mean ‘stupid’.  If you don’t realize that political correctness is just a euphemism for censorship, you are all three.

Personal question for Mark Vukovich: WTF is a ‘Disco Biscuit’?

Does anyone really understand just how important Chuck Berry is? Seriously, think about it.

The radio and record industries are not the ‘Big Bads’ in their sad and at one time avoidable declines in both finances and respect. Look to the same people that caused the economy to collapse. All done in the name of commerce.

The 32^nd Annual Martian Awareness celebration at the Lula Lounge on Saint Paddy’s Day. Hosted by Catherine O’Hara’s siblings Mary Margaret and Marcus. Queen Street Doyenne Sandy Stagg, Bam Boo owner Patti Habib, Erella, Bezerka, Adam, Jaymz Bee, and so many other wonderful people who were integral in the development of Queen Street West into a mecca for creativity, fashion, and music in the ‘70’s. Great performances by Rusty, Mary Margaret, Melany Melody and others. Thanks to long time friend Gnu Jet and videographer Michael Tomasek, for saving Pie and I some seats. Mary Margaret is a singular performer and channels Judy Garland as well as her own sister in her stream of consciousness onstage persona. She is truly one of a kind, and it’s almost impossible not to love her. She makes her entrance about 3 minutes into this clip. Watch it to its conclusion.

Attention Barflies and Foodies! Another great watering hole to add to your list of hot places to hang. Named after the Sean Penn character in Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown (1999) The Emmet Ray is a comfortable, inviting room with an amazing selection of whiskeys, bourbons, and  homemade food you won’t find anywhere else. The owners and staff are great, the clientele is young and friendly, and the prices are more reasonable than anywhere I’ve been to in a long time, Eat My Martini aside. Check out the menu and bar list at the link. Discovered by Pie on her way home from work one day. Highly recommended.

Who could possibly resist seeing a movie called ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’? Not I….

I’m already in line for this movie. If you haven’t read the comics or seen the trailers and want to stay spoiler free, just go see the damn movie, you won’t be disappointed if you like wit, action, and aren’t looking for Shakespeare or pretentious drama.

For the rest of you, here’s the extended trailer for Kick Ass, the trailer introducing Hit Girl, and for those of you that want a spoiler-filled sneak peek, a 4 minute clip somebody snuck out of a preview screening. Not for the faint of heart, but check out the audience reaction…oh boy, I can hardly wait. Kick Ass opens on April 15^th.

A&R Online Volume 49

Wow. This is A&R Online Volume 49. That’s a lot of music considering that most of it is Indie, overlooked, or underappreciated. Right or wrong, we are always 100% sure that this is quality material and performed by outstanding artists. Sometimes, I wrestle with what get’s played here, trying to be both true to my musical beliefs, and objective enough not to play something because it’s a friend’s work, or a personal decision based on anything other than merit. One thing is for certain. In a perfect world, radio would still be the main arena for exposing new music and artists, but as long as great online music sites exist, like Radio That Doesn’t Suck, rest assured that the good stuff is out there, all you have to do is keep looking…and you can start here, click on ‘On Demand’, and select A&R Online Volume 49.

Rick Taylor – Ray’ s Pool Hall: Met this gentleman during CMW when he was getting ready to leave for a showcase at the Silver Dollar. I wish I could have seen that show, but I was already committed to another venue. He handed me two CD’s, one, a new solo effort with just him and his guitar and not much else, which I promise I will play a track from in the next week or two, and a CD of his band from several years ago, which is where this track is from. I couldn’t resist…it just makes you smile.

Carey Ott – Ain’t No Upside (Livin’ on the Downside): This song has so many influences I love I don’t know which one to mention first. Let’s put it this way, if you like early Van Morrison, the easy gait of ‘60’s soul music, the sense and structure of classic Doo-Wop, sparse but involving production, sweet backup vocals, and a melodic but intense lead guitar break towards the end, you will enjoy this as much as I do. Keep an eye on this guy, there’s something happening here. 

Mad June – Thicker: I first met and heard these young Montreal women at the Velvet Underground during last year’s Indie Week. I was impressed by the lead singer’s Chrissie Hynde-like delivery only fueled by passion more than ‘cool. Threading my way through the crowd to get a better look, I soon discovered the whole band was Estrogen enabled. It was a bit of a shock because the playing was authorative and energetic and driven by a drummer who, on some of the tunes, manages to remind of Keith Moon at his manic best. I’ve been waiting for the CD ever since and it finally came in the mail this week. Real life Energizer Bunnies. Enjoy…and see them when you get the chance.

Alex Cuba – If You Give Me Love: A little Sly Stone, a little Eric Burdon, a great pop song, and really good non intrusive production. It is such a great moment when the well arranged horn chart kicks in, and the sweet soul background vocals sweeten the pot. Nice, loping groove, perfect for dancing or just bobbing your head in time at the bar. Excellent.

Naturally 7 – Wall of Sound: This track just keeps growing on me. All my favourite things rolled into one giant ball of ‘cool’. Closest I can come to describing it would be to say that you should imagine the Jackson 5 stayed together after Michael left, embraced a more jazz influenced direction, and became more dependent on their accapella skills. This track reminds me of driving on the Bayshore Highway south of San Francisco on my way to Carmel or Monterey. This record, and this group, are musical in the extreme. A creative, imaginative song, arrangement, and performance. There are no musical instruments on this track. Just fucking Killer.

Ali Milner – Day By Day: Ali serves up another gem, musically mature beyond her years and possessing a classic voice and fine piano skills, this young woman deserves a long and successful career. This track should be used under the opening credits of a Rom/Com. Make it so, Hollywood….

Win of the Week

Better late than never, Universal made an announcement this week that makes them smart, pro-active, and possibly leading the way towards a little better relationship with their customers. Yeah, there is a downside for small, independent record stores, but at least UMG is looking for solutions rather than just blaming piracy and the internet for their woes. Here’s the full story: “NEW YORK (Billboard) – Universal Music Group (UMG) is embarking on one of the most ambitious efforts yet to boost U.S. CD sales, with the test of a new pricing structure designed to sell most new releases by current artists at $10 or less at retail.

The major’s “Velocity” pricing program responds to the continuing plunge in CD sales, taking aim at brick-and-mortar retail stores that have scaled back on floor space dedicated to music. The pricing adjustments will also bring CD prices more in line with what consumers pay for digital albums at online retailers like iTunes and Amazon.

“We think it will really bring new life into the physical format,” Universal Music Group Distribution chairman/CEO Jim Urie says.

Universal, which accounts for 28.7 percent of year-to-date U.S. album sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan, will cut UMG’s main wholesale price point of $10.35 to about $7.50 or less for front-line releases, which are generally by established current artists. It’s also breaking with prevailing industry practice by putting suggested retail prices on CDs, ranging from $6 to $10.

UMG is betting that it can offset the loss in revenue per CD with increased sales volume and the rollout of greater numbers of higher-priced, higher-margin deluxe editions of albums. The new CD pricing structure could also spur UMG imprints to find ways to reduce CD costs, such as embracing less elaborate packaging on standard single CD releases or placing fewer songs on albums in order to reduce mechanical royalty payments to songwriters.

Most new releases will carry the new price points, although there will be the occasional exception, UMG sources say. The Velocity program will begin in the second quarter and run through most of the year. Sources say the first titles to be released under Velocity are expected to include new albums by Godsmack, Game and Taio Cruz.

RETAIL REACTION

Retailers should respond well to the new price points, given that many of them were already pricing many new releases at $10 and absorbing the loss to generate foot traffic to their stores.

But their enthusiasm may be tempered by the narrower profit margins expected under the new pricing structure. According to sources, front-line UMG releases will carry a 25 percent profit margin, down sharply from the customary 35 percent. That means CDs with a suggested list price of $10 would wholesale for $7.50, those with a $9 list for $6.75 and so on.

The move may not go over well with retailers that buy from wholesalers and already reap a narrower margin than those that buy direct from labels. And merchants accustomed to having free rein in setting retail prices may chafe at the suggested list prices. Meanwhile, UMG artists and their managers may grumble about the pricing initiative, since royalty payments, usually a percentage of sales, will be calculated based on the lower price points.

“We are happy to see that a major music vendor has made a decision to lower its price substantially,” Bob Higgins, chairman/CEO of retail operator Trans World Entertainment, says, “because it’s what the customer wants today, and (because lower pricing is needed) if we are going to see a viable CD business continue.”

Similarly, Newbury Comics CEO Mike Dreese says he gives the initiative “two thumbs up,” but adds that the industry still needs the other major labels and independents to make similar reductions in front-line pricing to boost overall CD sales.

Merchants have long clamored that lower pricing alone would prolong the life of the CD, sales of which are down 15.4 percent in the United States so far this year from the same period in 2009, according to SoundScan. With retail Sunday circulars and the home page of Apple’s iTunes store touting hit titles at $9.99, it became conventional wisdom among merchants that $10 was the magic price point that would induce consumers to buy more CDs.

UMG was the first major to cut wholesale CD prices when it initiated its JumpStart pricing program in 2003. The other majors initially condemned the move, but eventually began reducing prices on their own catalog titles. Such initiatives have brought wholesale prices down to the $6-$8 range for midline and full-priced titles. Front-line pricing, however, remains a mixed bag, with UMG’s main wholesale price point at $10.35, Sony’s at $10.50, EMI’s at $12.04, and Warner Music Group’s at $12.05.

Last year, Trans World enlisted the participation of UMG, Sony and EMI in a pricing experiment to sell every CD for $9.99, an initiative that it has extended to more than 100 of its stores.

“Things are not going to get better for CD sales unless the price point is addressed,” a senior retail executive says. “One thing that the Trans World test shows for sure: $10 will drive sales and traffic.”

The last I heard, they were thinking of putting the price right on the spine of the CD case, thereby stopping retailers from marking up the price. Here’s wishing them luck with this project.

Fail of the Week

…and people wonder why radio’s in trouble…

Parting Shot

Alex Chilton 1950 – 2010

Shortly after the Edgar Winter Group broke up, Danny Hartman, Edgar’s bass player and writer of Free Ride called me up and invited me down to his home in Connecticut. The idea behind the visit was to form kind of a super power pop group with Dan, myself, Dwight Twilley, and Alex Chilton. Danny said that Alex had expressed mild interest in the idea, and that we should think of alternatives if either he or Twilley didn’t want to get involved. I was surprised and flattered to even be considered for something like this, but I suggested Michel Pagliaro, and John Hiatt. While I was at Danny’s, I spoke to Alex Chilton over the phone, but never had the opportunity to meet him. I wish I had. He’s been called an Iconoclast, moody, and difficult at times, but all I think of when I hear his name is the music. From the time he sang the lead on The Letter at 16 through all his other projects, Chilton wrote great songs and sang his ass off. Nothing ever came of Danny’s idea, but just being able to speak to Alex Chilton on the phone and hang out with Dan Hartman made the trip to Connecticut more than worth while. Both passed on way too young. Rest in Peace, Alex Chilton.

The Letter 

Thirteen

In The Street 

September Gurls

Have a great weekend, we’ll see you on Monday…

That’s enough for now. Email me at segarini@fyimusic.ca with your comments, complaints, and thoughts…and remember…don’t believe a word I say.

Bob “The Iceman” Segarini was in the bands The Family Tree, Roxy, The Wackers, The Dudes, The Segarini Band, and Cats and Dogs, and nominated for a Juno for production in 1978. He also hosted “Late Great Movies” on CITY TV, was a producer of Much Music, and an on-air personality on CHUM FM, Q107, SIRIUS Sat/Rad’s Iceberg 95, (now 85), and now provides content for radiothatdoesntsuck.com with RadioZombie, The Iceage, and PsychShack. Along with the love of his life, Jade (Pie) Dunlop, (who hosts and writes “I’ve Heard That Song Before” on RTDS), continues to write, make music, and record.