Did Lance Armstrong propose to Cheryl Crow with a yellow bracelet? Maybe it was a purple one. Or perhaps blue. Whatever the case, Crow, a nine time Grammy winner, accepted just a few weeks before her new album 'Wildflower' makes its debut. With any luck, she'll help him kick the bracelet habit while touring with her new album. There aren't any Chicago dates listed yet, but I suspect she'll make her way here very soon.
A little bird told me that Madonna will be in a new commercial for Motorola soon, peddling a new and fancy phone. I can only hope she'll be clad in a sling saying things like 'Broken-Moto!', 'Bruised-Moto!', 'Cracked Ribs-Moto' and maybe even 'I've stopped trying to be British-Moto!'
Are you a parrot head? Did you get your Jimmy Buffet fix the other weekend at Wrigley Field? A heck of a lot of people in Hawaiian shirts did. I was riding the red line to a gig on Sunday night when the car suddenly filled up with more middle-aged drunken men and women than I'd ever seen. After two stops, some of the more intoxicated riders began to sing and shout, forcing me to make my exit early and grab a cab. I'd rather ride a train full of Deadheads any day... at least they're quiet.
Even as the summer is beginning to fade away, there's still tons of hot music out there. I'm currently LIVING for a Disco House track called 'Be A Man' by Ebb, a trio from New Zeland. Iain Gordon, Reuben Sutherland and vocalist Lisa Tomlin have, and I quote, 'a sound likened by some to Donna Summer meeting George Clinton and the Mad Professor in a cheap Detroit motel for late night thrills.'
The Original mix of 'Be A Man' has a disco loop buildup that's so stellar, when I played it the other night the folks on the dance floor didn't know what to do with themselves. By the time the main breakdown hit and she started hollerin', people were scurrying on the 'floor to get their groove on. Miss Tomlin's vocals are nothing short of a ferocious Disco Diva throwback from the 70s, and if you didn't know any better, you'd think this track came from someone's basement stack of wax. Be sure to check it out on Mettle Trax, a newer label that's sure to bring us more good stuff.
'Walkin' On Sunshine' is a new track by Rockers Revenge that has been remixed by Live Element, a duo that's well known among DJs. The boys of Live Element, Chris Malinchak and Greg Bahary, consistently put out prime time House tracks that always move the crowd. I can't recommend them enough, and if you ever come across their names, buy, buy, buy! Their incredible string and vocal loops mix with a great bass line to make 'Walkin' On Sunshine' a stellar Disco House track that will stay on my playlist for a long time. They're the New School sound of House. Trust.
With you in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik
peter@windycitymediagroup.com
