Todd is God

Considering how excited I was about the quality of records released during 2013, I have to say that overall I have felt a bit underwhelmed by the releases I've heard thus far in 2014. BUT, if I had to pick the ten that have given me something, then these would be them. The top 3 are indeed the three records I've enjoyed most, the other 7 are in no particular order. 1.  The Hold Steady – Teeth Dreams . 2. St Vincent – St Vincent. 3. The Pretty Reckless – Going to Hell. 4. Pixies – Indie Cindie. 5. The Both – The Both. 6. Kelis - Food.   7. The Amazing Snakeheads – Amphetamine Ballads . 8. I Break Horses – Chiaroscuro . 9. Baby Metal - Baby Metal. 10. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence.

A techno style take on Todd's "Bang The Drum All Day"

Ultimate Classic Rock are reporting that Todd is one of a host of famous artists would appears on a soon to be released tribute album to the Doors. Todd joins Geoff Downes and Zoot Horn Rollo on ' Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)’

Vibe talked to Nile Rogers about his career and when it went off on a tangent Todd got mentioned too. Where would you be now had you never been in music? I’d have gone into science. In our days, we called it thermonuclear hydro-dynamics. That was my thing, in our clique at school we were trying to figure out how take nuclear energy, make it safe, and power the planet. Nile Rodgers would’ve been a nuclear scientist? You would not believe how many famous musicians were into this. My friend Reggie Lucas was in the same school, he was on Madonna’s album. He and Todd Rundgren developed the very first screensaver. My other partner, Tom Murray, he went on to invent all sorts of digital applications, way before laptops. I love science. As part of my charity, we brought in Gza from the Wu Tang to give a talk on magnetism and gravity. What went wrong Nile?! Back then, we all knew from a very young age the government weren’t going to use our research for good stuff!

Interesting  interview with Johnette Napolitano in the Dallas Observer. I always liked Concrete Blonde, esp their second album FREE.  Anyway, here she talks about her time in the Talking Heads (sort of) and TR gets mentioned in relation to The Cars. You were in the Heads with members of the Talking Heads, but that band was sued by David Byrne. I can relate to how David felt about that project. Being in that band was like being in the middle of a war. It was just brutal. I got death threats. I had to have armed security. Fans of David Byrne were just not digging it. It was a drag. That band was mismanaged from the ground up. It was a brilliant record that nobody will probably hear. What record is that? We were working on two records at that time. We had finished one record and then did another called No Talking, Just Head. It had a lot of different singers on it. What they should have done was release the other album first because we could have established an identity wit...

We have had the new album from Brent, so how about one from Adrian – his son?: Pop/Art Blog Critics has the interview In listening to Pop/Art, I would think that you were influenced by The Beatles (especially Paul McCartney), Brian Wilson, Todd Rundgren , Elton John, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. Are there others that you would like to mention or acknowledge? All of the above are definitely big influences. Probably the biggest one not mentioned is Elvis Costello, whom I'd call the greatest solo singer/songwriter. Simon and Garfunkel, Velvet Underground, U2, Ben Folds, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, The Rascals, Tom Waits, Roy Orbison, Eisley, Hanson, Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Lynne, Big Star, Elliott Smith, George Gershwin, Chuck Berry, and others have influenced and inspired me. I would consider my best friend Ricky Berger as big a musical influence on me as anyone. Speaking of Mr. Rundgren , you have a song 'Everybody Knows It Was Me,...

Mike Greenblatt, at Goldmine [ Pg. 36 Vol. 40 No. 7 ] talks to John Oats about Hall of Fame and career and of course Todd gets a mention GM: Then you go and turn around and work some hard rock with Todd Rundgren on your very next album, "War Babies" [1974]. JO: Here again, that's another trademark of our careers: We weren't afraid to experiment. If you take it in the context of the times, "Abandoned Luncheonette" wasn't really that successful. The hit on that album, "She's Gone," only went into the Top 20 or 30, I think. That album didn't really reinforce to either us or the record company that, "Hey, you guys should make 'Abandoned Luncheonette 2.'" There was no thinking on those terms. So, because of that fact, we had no reason to think that was our style or what we should be doing for the rest of our lives. So we said, "OK, we made a good record. A lot of people liked it. Let's do something differe...

Brent Bourgeois is back ... and so are ex member or Bourgeois Tagg and Mr Rundgren for Brent's new album 'Don't Look Back'. Brent has a page about Todd and the album. Todd and Kasim feature on the VERY Todd-like 'Poor me' The New Jersey Stage also talks about the new album. 

It's Summer ... well, as good as, ... so how about some music to listen to whilst in the sun. We review - Pixies - Indie Cindy Lily Allen - Sheezus Anastacia - Resurrection Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots Kelis - Food Paul Heaton - What Have we Become We're having a break during June, but should be back with you sometime in July. Check out this episode!

Unofficial Apple blog TUAW has a nice article on Esslinger's design work for Apple, and include a photo of  the 1979 tablet that ran on Todd's computer paint program "Utopia Graphics System."  

The San Diego Union-Tribune has a brief item on the new album from Adam Traub's  The Burning of Rome. Made with indie-rock legend Paul Leary (ex Butthole Surfers) at the helm, the piece says: The result is The Burning of Rome’s most varied and accomplished work to date. At its best, “Ox” is a left-field, neo-art-rock opus, minus the prog-fueled pomp and sonic overkill. Its songs draw from pop, punk, psychedelia and early ’70s glam, along with the music of Todd Rundgren in his creative prime and early Queen at its least ostentatious. “I love Todd Rundgren, and so does Paul,” said Traub. Here is the first single off said album - I Like it.

Josh Rotter at Download.com has interviewed Todd. Mostly a rehash of stuff he has said many times before, but has an interesting comment on his recent forays into EDM based remixes for other people and his approach to doing so "When I get involved, it's often to focus on the lyrics or see if there's a lyrical idea. But if you're going to do justice to an EDM song, you have to transcend the limitations of lyrics and build something from it." Speaking of remixes, I'd missed this one.  Au Revoir Simone released a remix EP,  Brightness/Contrast , back in February featuring  Move in Spectrums  tracks reworked by  David Lynch   , Etienne Daho  and  Todd Rundgren. [Later can be streamed if in USA http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2014/05/au_revoir_simon_13.html ]

Spring has sprug and we have some music to go with it: This month we cast a critical eye at: The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams Hurrah for the Riff Raff - Small Town Heroes Liars - Mess Baby Metal - Baby Metal The Amazing Snakeheads - Amphetamine Ballads EMA - The Future's Void Check out this episode!

So Nirvana, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), Linda Ronstadt, Hall & Oats all added into the Hall of Fame. Todd got a mention too, from Mr Hall, who noted the band were the first Philadelphia band that has ever gone into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He then went on to name-check a long list of deserving Philly acts, including Todd, the Stylistics, the Delfonics, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and Chubby Checker. I'm guessing the 'induction process' politics and Mr R's comments about the HoF are why he is unlikely to be inducted whilst alive. Anyway, this is an excuse for a bit of Yusuf

The new The Hold Steady album is now out and its a really good record. Probably their most 'polished' sounding record. The lead single is also one of the album's highlights for me. Here's Spinners ... Also here is a great piece in The Vulture where Tad and Craig pick their favourite The Hold Steady songs from each of their albums.

“It’s not rock ‘n’ roll anymore anyway,’’ he said. “What we used to call rock ‘n’ roll – the original term, defined by DJ Alan Freed – meant to refer to a certain kind of music that Chuck Berry and Little Richard and Elvis [Presley] were playing, and it was distinguishable from ‘popular music’ at that time ...What you have now is a pop music hall of fame, and I don’t care if I’m in the Pop Music Hall of Fame or not’’  Todd on why he's not especially a fan of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame as told to the  Plain Dealer

OK. I give in. The 'meme' of the week it is: The theme tune of your life is the song that was UK Chart/ Billboard #1 on day born, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th or 21st birthday.  Given that I was born at end of year I already knew this could be bad as I was looking at a long of Xmas number ones, but how bad could it be when you kick off with The Scaffold – Lily the pink in '68 Have always loved this tune. How bad can it get?  How about this bad:  12th birthday: St Winifred's School Choir -There's no one quite like Grandma 14th Birthday: Renee and Renato – Save your Love 16th Band Aid 18th Jackie Wilson – Reet Petite [Thank Christ a decent tune at last]  21st, soddin Band Aid (II) AGAIN.  The UK having clearly failed me, I set sail for the US of A and found things much more to my liking ... O = Marvin Gaye – I Heard it Through the Grapevine 12 = John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over 14 = Hall & Oats – Maneater 16 = Madonna – Like a Virgin 18 ...

Hello listeners. Apologises for the delay in gettin podcast three out, but at last it is here: This time around its the following in our reviewing sights: Elbow - The Take off and Landing of Everything Drive by Truckers - English Oceans Pharell Williams - GIRL Kylie - Kiss me Once Real Estate - Atlas Blood Red Shoes - Blood Red Shoes   Check out this episode!

Not very often I mention books on here, but then again don't read a great deal of music books, but I want to mention two. The first one I haven't read yet, but is written by the friend of a friend of mine - Daryl Easlea Without Frontiers: The Life & Music of Peter Gabriel I've read the first few pages and it looks good [Todd mentioned 5 times] Daryl has previously written books on Sparks, Chic and Beyonce. Read the Chic one and it was very good. The second book is one that EVERY pop music fan should read.  Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop Written by Bob Stanley (from the band Saint Etienne) it is a chronological trip through the history of 'the pop single' in the UK/US, and is a pure delight from start to finish. If you have access to a streaming music service such as Spotify etc you'll also find yourself checking out LOTS of stuff you didn't know or had somehow forgotten about. Brilliant.

Like me, you must have often sat down and pondered just why no one had ever thought to blend Japanese Jpop with Heavy Metal. Well, my friends, wonder no more. This will be the best AND/OR worst thing you heard this week. I have to admit, I kind of like it. Truely bonkers.