Music Report

Rodrigo y Gabriela are worth a listen for some instrumental, dueling, fast guitar picking, Latin flava. They do wonderful things with acoustic-electric guitars, which they also use for their percussion, especially on their song “Orion” which appeared on Leno before the writers’ strike. They seem to be sweethearts of the video gaming world with songs included in MLB 08 and the next release in the Gran Turismo series. While you listen, consider the level of difficulty if they were included in Guitar Hero.
http://www.rodgab.com/

Juno, the upcoming Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Rainn Wilson teenage pregnancy flick draws from the Moldy Peaches’ catalog for its soundtrack, spurring the group to reunite. The Moldy Peaches, Adam Green and Kimya Dawson, were active as part of New York’s anti-folk scene. Though their music doesn’t sound anything alike, but because of common management they previously toured with The Strokes. Their music was said to be chosen for the film because it’s “full of so much heart and so much simplicity and it's so genuine.”
http://www.moldypeaches.com/

Next Wednesday, 12/12, choose your show:

An Evening with Hall & Oates at the Beacon Theater (Good place to find Rich Girls)
http://flavorpill.com/newyork/events/2007/12/11/an-evening-with-hall-and-oates

Neil Young at United Palace Theater (Legendary in theory but maybe boring in practice. He’s playing there five of the next seven nights as well) http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/356

Unlimited Sunshine touring festival with Cake, Brazilian Girls, and four other bands at Terminal 5 (Nice option as long as you don’t get there too early)
http://www.cakemusic.com/tour.html

The Bad Plus at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall (My Pick)
http://www.thebadplus.com/tour_dates/default.htm

Here’s a review of their latest album:
"A gourmet 10-course meal of the sublime (a gorgeous take on Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"), the rowdy (a raucous ride through the original "Physical Cities") and the eclectic (Iverson's "Mint," Rush's "Tom Sawyer"). Easily the most likable and listenable jazz album of 2007." The Bad Plus draw from diverse and unlikely sources and forge a sound which defies categorization.

In advertising industry news, RJReynolds is taking heat for using cartoon advertising in Rolling Stone magazine amidst a four-page fold out section. The advertising is part of their campaign called “The Farm” that, because of its use of cartoons, allegedly violates the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement of 1997. Nine state attorney generals have filed suit with the threat of a penalty of up to $100 million. A cautionary tale.
http://www.thedailyswarm.com/swarm/kill-rock-stars-camel-targets-indie-rock/

Grammy Noms are out:
http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_show/list.aspx

Amy Winehouse, recipient of six of them, is accelerating her downward spiral:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=499349&in_page_id=1773&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5