This is fairly cool news for those of us under 30. Frank Black gets it. If you want to attract a younger demographic to your shows in 2013, you can’t charge $45 because we just don’t have that kind of expendable income to spend when we also have to eat that week. Adjusting the ticket price accordingly means everybody wins. He gets fans who have maybe just discovered the Pixies and his other projects in the door, rather than the just same people that would always go to his shows, and the generation that’s been completely screwed financially can actually afford to see a music legend live.

Of course, those who are over 30 might claim this is discrimination, but there are actual statistics that show just how much harder it has been for the Millennials to not just get jobs but get paid what the generations before us easily received. It’s not arbitrary bullshit. Everyone is cool with the 65+ population receiving discounts because they just don’t have as much money now that they’re no longer working, it’s no different for the generation that wants to work but graduated right into a recession. As someone who was laid off in January, I especially appreciate things like this.

Now if only Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen would do the same.

How do you feel about it? Should more musicians implement age based pricing?  

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Happy long weekend, everyone! How are you spending Victoria Day? I think we all know how good ol’ Mayor Ford will be spending it. But really, drug abuse is a serious, horrible thing, so as much pleasure as we are all taking in this final epic fall he is taking for being the ULTIMATE anti-drug hypocrite, it’s important to remember that if it all turns out to be true – this man has a serious problem and he needs help. But first and foremost, he needs to get the hell out of office. 

Speaking of office, did anyone else watch The Office series finale? It made me sad of course, but I didn’t love it. I know Michael was just making a cameo, but if he’s gonna come back, let him come back and be Michael! That was a little disappointing. It felt more like a finale for the cast of this season rather than a finale for the entirety of the show.

Anyhow, the links:

• 10 Embarrassing Moments From Rob Ford (Possibly Explained By Crack Cocaine) It really does help explain away most of these ‘incidents.’
• Help get the video out by donating money before Ford buys it!! They’re almost at $30,000 already and it’s only a few hours in. This can happen. And if it doesn’t, they’re donating the money to CAMH, which is an incredible organization that does great work for people with addiction and mental health issues.
• Twitter reaction to crackgate. Oh my.
• What We Do and Do Not Know About Rob Ford and Drug Use I hate the man for destroying my city, so it was of course easy to jump on the hell yes, fuck you Ford, bandwagon, but Torontoist presents some very valid points here.
• Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman: ‘Apps are in every artist’s future’. Truth.
• Rdio And Shazam Expand Full Music Track Streaming Partnership To UK, Canada, Australia, Brazil And Mexico. Finally.
• Shazam Is Generating Big Bucks for iTunes and Amazon. This is the future of music, labels can’t claim digital is harmful anymore.
• Rock the microphone: Shazam unveils the top tagged music of 2012. Oh god. Sadly this is what the general population is listening to.
• The Ten Worst Bands of the Nineties. Apparently Rolling Stone did a poll and somehow (aka in a desperate attempt for pageviews) they put Nirvana as an option – and they came in 5th. Nirvana is the 5th worst band of the 90s??!! According to who? Probably the people who Shazamed the music in the link above…
• How Music Blogging Landscape Has Changed.
• Our Favourite Toronto Music Blogs – I got a nice little shout out on View the Vibe as one of their fave bloggers, the write up is too kind!
• Take a sad song and make it better: Listening to downbeat music helps people get over a break-up. I realize this is a ‘tell me something I didn’t already know’ link, but apparently the general consensus is that you should listen to happy music when you’re sad? God knows when I’m unable to eat, sleep, stop crying and leave my bed, the last thing I want to hear is a fucking Carly Rae Jepson song. But I am known for my love of sadsack music, so I digress.
• Mother of Alice in Chains front man sues dead son’s bandmates.
• LimeWire to Pay Labels $105 Million to Settle Copyright Suit. Really? I think I last used LimeWire almost a decade ago.
• 30 Unconventional Business Cards. If you recall my business cards, you’ll know I’m all about a memorable card. Everything else just gets tossed.
• This Is The Most Epic Brand Meltdown On Facebook Ever. Absolutely hilarious, but also, kind of sad and scary. Watch the Kitchen Nightmares episode if you haven’t, these people are the definition of lunatic. This woman needs years of extreme therapy, and a husband that isn’t a creepy enabler.
• Pete Cashmore: Top 10 Things My Generation Likes. The Times issue all about the Millennials is quite inspiring. We’re not all that bad, or so they say. The idea that we’re all entitled spoiled brats needs to go, for once and for all.
• My Medical Choice. So Angelina Jolie’s surgery was big news this week. I hate to play devil’s advocate on a touchy subject, but I can’t help but have it cross my mind that she really just wanted her boobs back after 3 kids sucking out their glory, and this provides an easy out for the “omg you bought new tits!” insults she would otherwise get. Of course, I think it’s awesome to be proactive about your health and she definitely tested high, so I shouldn’t be such a cynic, but it does seem like convenient timing. Breast removal and implants are incredibly extreme before you even have any kind of cancer, but more power to her. The normal female population can’t really afford to do such a thing.
• Are foodies quietly killing rock-and-roll? Heh, I can’t imagine life without either.
• HELLO! magazine shames Canada and beauty by naming Avril Lavigne Most Beautiful Canadian. No, really. Why not just put Rob Ford on there with his crack pipe?
• Metal Concert Bracelets - would you wear this? Unless it’s solid gold I get really bad reactions to jewelry (I’ve had my ears pierced no less than 5 times in the same spot because of bad reactions – finally gave up) so I know it would probably be a nightmare for me, but even-so, I’m not sure I would want to wear that. Concert bracelets are annoying enough when they’re just plastic.
• Portraits of Soldiers Before, During, and After War. This is quite stunning.
• Guys: Holding A Guitar Makes You More Attractive. It’s science, guys. You don’t even have to know what to do with it, just hold it. Panties will drop. But really, it’s an instant visual cue to women that you are potentially ‘sensitive’ and in touch with your emotions, and that’s all we really want.
• Finally, our man in space returned this week, but not before making this crazy cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” IN SPACE. Truly, Chris Hadfield is the coolest astronaut of all time:

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I would go to work from 9 to 6, go home, nap for two hours, then write from 8 to 2 a.m. There was an urgency to what I was doing. That’s where a lot of the creative ideas I am still working with began.

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No one can say Bowie’s lost his edge. This video is incredible, so incredible YouTube actually pulled it briefly, and now it has an adult’s only rating. Xavier Dolan made a similarly shocking music video that I want to talk about in a different post, but for now, enjoy the wonder that still is David Bowie, taking on the Catholic church with “The Next Day.”

I’d love to hear your opinions on this one.

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Happy Friday! I’m just finally starting to get over my disgusting cold, and thinking about actually leaving my house again, which means today is gonna be a productive day. I hope that is the case for you as well. This weekend is packed with great shows in Toronto, are you headed to Foals, The Breeders or Charles Bradley?? Let me know.

Anyhow, here’s what has interested me over the past couple weeks:

• Westboro Baptist Church To Picket Jeff Hanneman’s Funeral By Singing Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Crazy Train’. I think the world is excited to see this picket happen, because the WBC psychos will finally get to experience the wrath they deserve, by way of scary Slayer fans.
• Westboro Baptist Church Claims ‘God’ Killed Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman, Fans Dare Them To Picket Funeral. Seriously, it’s gonna be funny.
• Adam Yauch Park officially open in Brooklyn Heights. Awww. Awesome.
• Beastie Boys Sign a Memoir Deal. Also awesome.
• Gwen Stefani ‘Wild Horses’: No Doubt Singer Screws Up Song In Front Of Rolling Stones. Oh my god this is terrible. I almost feel bad for her because how incredibly embarrassing that must have been, but if the Stones ask you to sing with them you learn the lines. And it’s a simple song! Most of it is the chorus repeated!
• Lust For Laughs: Iggy Pop’s concert rider funniest in rock history? I wanna hang out with the guy who wrote it.
• The Invention of David Bowie. A great, detailed look back at his career.
• From Hannah Georgas to Alex Cuba: Canadian musicians on their 1st instruments. This is cute. See them when they were kids!
• See What Sigur Rós Looks Like On The Simpsons. I know no one really cares about the Simpsons anymore, but it’s kind of cool Sigur Ros is gonna be on. I’m gonna make it a point to actually tune in.
• Neutral Milk Hotel Reunites, Announces 2013 Tour Dates. YES! I already saw Mangum and it was probably in my top 3 concert experiences of all time, so I can only imagine with the full band it’ll take the number 1 spot. Praying for a Toronto date.
• Music Dealers: ‘Brands are picking up the pieces of the music industry.’ “It’s almost not cool if you don’t have a brand behind you. If somebody doesn’t think you’re valuable enough to put in a commercial, it’s almost an insult to a band these days.”
• Ticketmaster Accuses 21 of Fraudulent Ticket Buying.
• 5 reasons Why #Coachella’s Social Media Strategy is Genius. It really is great, but it has the large audience and years behind it to account for that.
• Troy Carter Says The Next Technology Disruption In Music Will Happen In Terrestrial Radio.
• In Songza 3.0, Music Isn’t A Choice. It’s A Lifestyle. Hell yes. Songza is my most used and most loved app on my Android. Highly, highly recommended if you’re somehow not already addicted.
• Discover Music Through TV Shows You Like.
• El Mocambo set to close for the summer (or longer). Boo.
• Do Not Touch: A crowdsourced music video, where your mouse pointer is the star. This is neat.
• Rap, Both Good and Bad for Business.
• Music-Map – the Map of Music. This is neat, type in any artist to see all the related artists, then click on another artist to see more related artists. Great way to find new bands you may not know but will probably dig.
• What Song Did You Lose Your Virginity To? Tell me! Mine was Radiohead but I can’t remember which exact song because I was kinda busy.
• World’s most expensive turntables. Insane.
• This Ad Has a Secret Anti-Abuse Message That Only Kids Can See. I like the idea but I agree with the comments - publicizing this kind of defeats the purpose, parents are going to crouch down to look at it. But hopefully it still helps some kids out.
• These 4 Sisters Were Photographed Every Year For 36 Years. I kinda wanna do this with my sis, so cool.
• Banned Captain Beefheart TV Commercial: 60 Seconds The Networks Did Not Want You To See. Lol why was this banned??
• Book Publishers Scramble to Rewrite Their Future.
• Finally, more Beastie Boys greatness – a very early interview with them:

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