Jason O'Bryan Dub Pistols Show 08.02.08 27 June 2008 10:09:12
Plays 47
PROFILE
Barry Ashworth and Jason O'Bryan AKA the Dub Pistols have spent the best part of a decade at the forefront of Beats culture. From their early singles for Concrete Records to their genre defying 'Six Million Ways To Live' long player, the Dub Pistols have always added a much needed Rock n Roll swagger to the UK's dance scene. Chewing up hip-hop, dub, techno, ska and punk and spitting them out in a renegade futuristic skank they have consistently defied categorisation and exceeded the highest of expectations.
Their genre-mashing abilities have led to remix work for the likes of Moby, Crystal Method, Limp Bizkit, Bono, Korn & Ian Brown, and has seen them work with hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes on 'One', a track for the Blade 2 soundtrack and 'Molotov' on the Y Tu Mama Tambien soundtrack. In recent years the band has mutated from a studio based duo into a fully fledged live act often featuring the talents of guest vocalists UK Hip Hop don Rodney P, the maverick and mercurial former Specials front man Terry Hall, US rap wÿnderkind T.K., as well as Sugardaddy horn-blower Tim Hutton and scratch maestro DJ Stix.
Their third album 'Speakers And Tweeters', released on 9th April 2007, through Rob da Bank's Sunday Best label, is a consummate statement of intent. Their most accessible to date, the album's 13 tracks draw on a rich tapestry of influences, weaving tight beats and even tighter rhymes into a refined and assured set. The stirring chords and laid-back beats of 'Speed of Light', featuring guest vocalist Blade's skilful flow, opens the album in style. An inspired cover of Punk legends The Stranglers' classic 'Peaches', immediately grabs the attention, with the vocal dexterities of guest vocalists Rodney P and Terry Hall taking centre stage, before the pumping, angular funk of the album's title track 'Speakers And Tweeters' takes hold. A deeply ingrained skank runs throughout the album, as ably demonstrated on the horn-driven 'Running From The Thoughts'.
The album's lead single, released on 2nd April 2007, sees the Dub Pistols taking Blondie's 'Rapture' and booting it firmly into the future, with guest vocalist Terry Hall's laconic delivery adding an insouciant edge. Following hard on its heels is the bumping krunk of 'Cruise Control', harking back to the classic era of street beats and Electro. The Disco strut of 'Open' and the Black Ark stylings of 'You'll Never Find' keep things on the boil before the Dub Pistols drop a bold cover. A superlative version of The Specials' seminal 'Gangsters' sees guest vocalist Terry Hall, a quarter of a century wiser, reprising his vocal role, giving the 2-Tone classic a knowing air, underpinned by the band's groove juggernaut.
Channelling the spirit of Dr Dre on the anthemic 'Something To Trust', the Dub Pistols approach the last few tracks in full on intergalactic hip-hop mode. 'Mach 10's rolling beats are given an authentic treatment with guest vocalist T.K.'s super slick delivery taking things to the next level. 'Stronger's Roots Reggae lilt and the reflective 'Gave You Time' provide a polished denouement to what is undoubtedly the Dub Pistols' finest hour.
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26/08/08 Developing: Apple Investigating Chinese iTunes Store Block
Apple is now examining why its iTunes Store is inaccessible to Chinese users, according to information emerging Friday. "We are still investigating," a representative told news service AFP.
Earlier this week, users started noticing that the store was inaccessible from inside China, and subsequent traceroutes pointed to a governmental block. The reason for the block is not entirely clear, though the presence of a pro-Tibetan album download is strongly suspected.
The next moves are likely to set the tone for future content "discussions," specifically those tied to albums like Songs for Tibet. In most cases, the Chinese government demands compliance with various censorship rules, a pill that most American companies must swallow.
26/08/08 Terrestrial Radio Revenues Down 6% In July...
Terrestrial Radio Revenues Down 6% In July...
US-based terrestrial radio revenues slid 6 percent in July, according to figures published by the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). The tally, published late last week, showed a 5 percent decline in local advertising revenues, and a 15 percent decline in broader, national advertising. That was offset by a 6 percent increase in off-air revenues, though the pace of that growth has slowed. The revenue information is based on a sample of one-hundred stations, collected by accounting firm Miller Kaplan Arase & Co.
The July assessment follows a string of declines during earlier months, according to RAB reports. In June, the group reported a broader decline of 9 percent, and May produced a drop of 8 percent. In fact, the industry has been posting declines for the past fifteen consecutive months, a trend that predates the current economic malaise. "Radio has entered and seems stuck in a new, discouraging territory with the combined challenges of a secular slide and cyclical recessionary times," commented CL King & Associates analyst Jim Boyle.
26/08/08A Bull Among Bears: Newbury Comics Expanding...
A Bull Among Bears: Newbury Comics Expanding...
Most companies cut costs, shed employees, and table expansion plans during economic downtimes. But for some ambitious players, economic malaise sets the perfect backdrop for an expansion - and market share grab.
In Boston, Newbury Comics is now adopting that aggressive, and more risky, approach. "Every time the economy goes into a recession, that's when you want to invest," company cofounder and chief executive Mike Dreese recently told the Boston Globe. "Virgin just pulled out of town, Tower is bankrupt. If we're going to expand, we should do it now."
Indeed, the company just opened a mega-store in the Boston suburb of Norwood. The massive facility, a former car dealership, offers the perfect space for shows and latte bars, as well as merchandise like clothing, vinyl, DVDs and games. The company also added another store in the city, at Faneuil Hall, a move that cuts an aggressive profile.
Some executives would have trouble stomaching that level of risk, and Newbury is feeling its share of pain. The company pointed to flat sales during the past four years, and a profit dip of 10 percent last year, though Dreese confidently pointed to a diversified product set.
26/08/08 ...And Vinyl Sales Keep Increasing..
The CD is leading the plunge in recording sales, though the decades-old vinyl keeps showing strength. The latest positive report comes from Newbury Comics, part of a broader profile in the Boston Globe. "There’s a huge resurgence in vinyl," chain chief executive Mike Dreese reiterated, while pointing to turntable sales of 600-800 over the past two months.*
In total, the company projected vinyl-specific sales of $1.5 million this year, up 70 percent from 2007. That is part of a steadily ramping format. In June, Newbury pointed to monthly vinyl revenues of approximately $100,000, or $1.2 million annualized.
The trend is being sparked by a number of factors, including nostalgia, more involved product packaging, greater collectability, and the availability of lower-priced turntables. Dreese noted that CDs now account for 43 percent of the broader product mix, down from 75 percent ten years ago.
21/08/08 The iPhone Connectivity Issue: Is Apple on the Case?
The second-generation iPhone is easily the hottest device of the summer, though connectivity issues are now softening the hype. A number of buyers worldwide have been complaining about 3G-specific connectivity problems, including spotty reception and dropped calls.
Now, Apple appears to be addressing the problem through a firmware update, without publicly admitting the issue. The company recently issued the upgrade - OS 2.0.2 - while reservedly pointed to a 'bug fix' release. Just recently, reports suggested that the connection issues were linked to a chip from Infineon, though neither company has confirmed the cause.
The firmware update is automatically triggered during an iTunes sync.
