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Dec. 8, 2001

Dion N Little Kings

Live, From New York!
Smithereens bassist Mike Mesaros is featured on the new UK release called Live In New York, from Dion 'N' Little Kings. Mike was part of that touring band with the famed Dion DiMucci when this live show from April 1996 at the Mercury Lounge in New York was captured on tape. DSP readers will recall that two songs from this concert were previously released on King Of The New York Streets, but now we get a more complete recording.

The track list:

I'm Serious, You Move Me, King Of Hearts, Daddy Is A Jockey, Heartbreak Hill, Drip Drop, In A Heartbeat Of Time, Stolen Kisses, (Down On The Street) Jo Jo's Crazy, No! No! No!, Stay With Me, King Of The N.Y. Streets.

The import CD appears on Ace Records, and the catalog number is CDCHD 797.

 

Rudolph!

'Tis The Season For Rudolph
The Smithereens' rockin' rendition of the holiday favorite Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer has been released yet again, this time by Wea/Rhino on a collection titled VH1: The Big 80's Christmas. Other artists making an appearance include Billy Squier, Queen, Squeeze, the Waitresses, the Ramones, and Pat Benatar.

 

Dennis Diken, the Producer
Ever prolific, Dennis Diken is back twiddling the knobs, most recently for NYC band Star City. The band's second album, Inside the Other Days was co-produced with Dennis' pal Dave Amels at Brooklyn's Mission of Sound for Shanachie Records, and released last August.

 

 

Oct. 31, 2001

An American Band

Rockin' In The Free World!
The Smithereens performed for the "Alliance of Neighbors" benefit concerts on Thursday, October 18, and Friday, October 19, to raise funds for the families from Monmouth County affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks. The Friday concert was televised live on the CN8 Comcast network from the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, and the Reens performed Only A Memory, Blood And Roses, and A Girl Like You.

The band also played the same songs at Thursday's concert, though it was not televised. Bassist Mike Mesaros told Sonicnet.com from backstage that night, "I was thinking, 'What am I doing with my life? All I do is play guitar.' But growing up, I would listen to music and it would make me feel better. If the people here feel better after listening to this night of music, if they need to escape the events of September 11 for a night, then I feel better about playing music."

Thursday's sound check was opened to the families of the Monmouth County victims, and the band played Behind The Wall of Sleep, I Believe, and Time And Time Again.

 

Sept. 29, 2001
Reens at Dirt!

 

An Old Smithereens Haunt Celebrates With A Reunion!
Back in the day, the young Smithereens were the Dirt Club's house band, every Thursday night. The Bloomfield, NJ venue helped the band make a name for themselves in the early 80's, despite the misspelling of said name in the advertisement pictured at right.

 

The Real Dirt!
On Sunday (9/30), John "Johnny Dirt" Schroeder will host a Dirt Club Reunion Cruise on the Hudson River for former patrons. In an article from the Star-Ledger, Smithereen Dennis Diken was asked to comment on Johnny Dirt, and his rock club. "It felt like a home base, and you could drop in any time. He knew a lot of the people, even if he mispronounced their names a lot. I remember many nights where any number of us would, after the doors were locked, hang out 'til sunrise, just drinking cognac with him and talking about his many endeavors and plans."

 

Sept. 23, 2001

On The Air!

DiNizio Rockin' Satellite Radio!
For a June 3rd article of the Courier News, Pat was interviewed about his job as programmer for XM Satellite Radio in Washington, DC. He gave further insight into his Rock 'n Roll American life when he said:

"I wanted to be a Cub Scout," DiNizio says, "I was a bit envious of the Cub Scouts, who on the day of their weekly meeting would wear their uniforms to class and salute the flag in an altogether different style than we who held our hand over our heart. They actually saluted.

"I asked my dad if I could join the Cub Scouts and take guitar lessons, and he said, 'Son, we don't have enough money for both. You'll have to choose one.' And I chose guitar. I'd like to think that I made the right decision."

The Washington, D.C.- based XM postponed the September 12 launch of the commercial satellite radio service, after the terrorist attacks. Broadcasts are set to be beamed to Dallas, Fort Worth and San Diego, and the company plans to expand service to the Southwest in October, and across the rest of the continental U.S. by November.

 

Design by Dennis!

Dennis Diken, Drummer And Designer!
Dennis has contributed to the graphic design and photography for a reissue of Hal Blaine's 1963 LP Deuces, "T"'s, Roadsters & Drums. Blaine, one of Dennis' influences, was the studio drummer for the Beach Boys, Byrds, Monkees, Phil Spector, and many others.

 

 

Drumming by Dennis!

 

Dennis also has lent his drumming to a Michael Shelley CD called I Blame You, released back in January by Bar/None.

 

 

Drumming by Dennis!

 

Speaking of Michael Shelley, Dennis also played drums for his 1997 album Half Empty, which just happened to be re-released in Japan with bonus tracks. The April re-issue appears on the Crown label.

 

 

Update On Smithereens Stomping Ground,The Court Tavern!
"We don't plan to go anywhere," said owner Bob Albert. Get the full story from the Star-Ledger.

 

 

May 26, 2001

Live LRT!

Pat DiNizio's LRT CD Released!
At long last, Wild Oats Records has released their CD for Pat's Living Room Tour. The disc features highlights from two of the lead-reen's live shows from last year, when Pat made stops in Nashville and Chattanooga.

Pat DiNizio / "LIVE: The Living Room Tour":

1. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
2. House That We Used To Live In
3. Groovy Tuesday
4. The Blues Before And After
5. Paranoid
6. Room Without A View
7. Only A Memory
8. Maria Elena
9. Well, All Right
10. Yesterday Girl
11. Behind Blue Eyes
12. Blood And Roses
13. A Girl Like You
14. (Unlisted Track: Snippet of Sweet Home Alabama)

To get a glimpse of what those shows were like, read our reviews.
[Nashville] | [Chattanooga]

Also visit Wild Oats' Dinizio site, or e-mail them at info@wildoatsrecords.com to order this CD.

Want more? See DSP's Living Room Tour Page.

 

Celluloid Hero!
The film documenting Pat DiNizio's bid last fall for the NJ Senate has been making the rounds. Pat got out there in the media to promote it just a bit, and as always, he had something to say. In an online chat for the Baltimore Sun this month, Pat commented on the state of music. "The sort of three-minute traditional pop songs that we specialize in are not especially popular these days, although we are now back in the area of the appalling pop ballad, as evidenced by artists like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and the Backstreet Boys."

To Launch.com, DiNizio complained about his former opponent's campaign tactics. "I wound up intercepting email to certain groups of people that were supporting my campaign, saying, 'Congressional members are in an uproar over his candidacy. If you support him, we'll never support you.' There was a lot of stuff going on."

An old interview with Pat about his campaign recently turned up, where he made our favorite quip: "What's the point of running? It's got to be about something more noble, something grander. It's got to be about putting something back into society and thinking about our kids. It can't be about not answering questions to a journalist and being afraid of putting your foot in your mouth and not getting elected. I don't care about that; I'm going to put my foot in my mouth many times in this campaign, and I have already, but if I have to act that way and hedge my bets and keep everything so close to the vest that I'm going to be vague about things, I don't want to do it."

On a lighter note, Pat was part of the Maryland Film Festival in Baltimore, where the film, Mr. Smithereen Goes To Washington was screened many times over that weekend. Pat performed his music for the filmmakers' party, held on May 4.

Be sure to visit the film's website for more info.

 

More On Radio Free Pat
Pat, busy working on his nationwide satellite radio venture known as XM Radio, told the Los Angeles Times, "I just got two tremendous boxes full of CDs from all across the country in the mail today alone - and that was just from one letter I put on an Internet news group," he says. "I will listen to everything sent me from those who never got a shot or haven't gotten a shot yet, and those who may have had a shot but got squeezed out or chose not to have major-label affiliation. You'd be surprised by the quality of material. Most of these CDs that have come in have at least one great track. Some I can play the whole CD [on XM], but my goal is to play at least one track from every CD."

The radio channel will be available by subscription for XM-ready radios.

 

April 26, 2001

More Smithereens Concert Dates!
The Smithereens add a couple more gigs to the list!

7/26/01 House Of Blues Anaheim, CA
7/28/01 Key Club Hollywood, CA

 

April 2, 2001

Pat DiNizio's Radio Gig!
Pat DiNizio has already started his new job in Washington, DC as Program Director of a station at XM Satellite Radio. Pat's radio station will broadcast only unsigned and indie label bands and musicians, beginning in August, on commercial-free radio. Until then, DiNizio is building the station from ground zero, and is putting the word out to all unsigned and independent music makers to contact him at:

Pat Dinizio
C/o XM Satellite Radio
1500 Eckington Place NE
Washington, DC 20002-2194

 

March 26, 2001

New Smithereens Concert Dates!
Look-ee here! The Smithereens are hitting the road again!

4/27/01 Town Point Park Norfolk, VA
5/1/01 Waterfront Park-Kentucky Derby Festival Louisville, KY
5/5/01 Music Midtown Atlanta, GA
5/26/01 Taste of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH
6/1/01 Great Lakes Naval Training Center Great Lakes, IL
7/24/01 Mohegan Sun Wolf Den Uncasville, CT

 

March 4, 2001

Salesman!

Birth Of A Salesman!
Dennis Diken's contribution to Dave Kleiner and Liz Pagan's Salesman album that DSP told you about last June, is now out.

Here's what Kleiner told DSP about it:

"Dave Kleiner and Liz Pagan's album Salesman, produced by Dennis Diken and Dave Amels, also known as the Husky Team at Nun Bett'R Productions, has just been released. The CD includes Dennis playing drums on 10 of the 12 cuts, and he also tried his hand at backing vocals and latin percussion on Mexican Rabbi, the first single from the CD. On The Burtons, a song about annoying neighbors, Dennis plays the part of the obnoxious Mr. Burton in a hilarious voiceover ('You know, there's free hams at Grand Union this week!'). The CD is available through www.cdstreet.com or www.davidkleiner.com. Call your local station and request Mexican Rabbi, and learn the secret of matzo tortillas."

 

War Against Music!

Dennis On Fresh Release!
Dennis Diken's contribution to the new Minus 5/Young Fresh Fellows CD set was released February 27. Scott McCaughey, frontman of both the Minus 5 and the Young Fresh Fellows, has paired new albums from both bands in the form of a double CD called Let the War Against Music Begin/Because We Hate You.

Dennis played on the Minus 5 tracks Got You and Desperate For Someone, and, while not touring with McCaughey and company, we wouldn't be surprised if he showed up at upcoming gigs at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ on March 11, 22-24, and in NYC at the Mercury Lounge on March 12. (He's done it before.) [Buy this CD now!]

 

King Of NY Streets!

Mike Meets The King !
Mike Mesaros' contributions to two live tracks recorded with Dion DiMucci were released last December 5th, as part of a 3-CD set called King Of The New York Streets. The performances were culled from a show that Dion, Mike, and the rest of the Little Kings played in April 1996 at the Mercury Lounge in New York. Mike's bass playing can be heard on disc 3, on the songs You Move Me and King of Hearts. [Buy this CD now!]

 

Dec. 3, 2000

A Reens Xmas!

The Smithereens And Rudolph Are "Sleighed"!
It's that time of year again, and the Smithereens' perennial classic Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer has shown up on the brand new CD called Sleighed - The Other Side Of Christmas. The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly gives the compilation a grade of B+, and says "Now this is more like it - a Christmas disc brimming with crass, tasteless tunes... The perfect holiday album for the Grinch in all of us."

Other artists on the disc include Spinal Tap, Sonic Youth, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. [Buy this CD now!]

 

Dennis And Jim Back The Beau Brummels!
Reens Dennis and Jim got together with some of their Buzzed Meg-mates to back up original Beau Brummels members Sal Valentino and Ron Meagher at Cavestomp, November 5, in NYC. Among others, they played the obvious hits Laugh, Laugh, Just a Little, and saved Don't Talk to Strangers for the finale. Everyone will remember that the Smithereens backed members of the Beau Brummels in 1985, and that recording appears on the CD Attack Of The Smithereens.

Several shows from the annual Cavestomp event have been released on CD, and there are tentative plans to release the Beau Brummels' set, as well.

 

Nov. 19, 2000
Like a RollingStone...

Pat DiNizio In The New Rolling Stone!
There's a big 5 page ad for Jim Beam in the new issue of Rolling Stone with a Pat DiNizio Q & A featured prominently therein. (This is the "100 Greatest Pop Songs" issue, RS 855.) As Chairman of the B.E.A.M. advisory board, Pat answered questions like this one:

Q. Why did you get involved with B.E.A.M.?

A. I understand the struggles and frustration of attempting to break into the music industry. Being involved with the B.E.A.M. program allows me to share my experiences and offer advice to emerging talent. I'm proud to be part of such a valuable and unique resource for aspiring musicians. B.E.A.M. is the real deal - no other company is doing this much for emerging artists.

[Thanks to Todd Sinclair.]

 

Nov. 13, 2000
The Real McCaughey

Dennis Diken Makes The Difference For Minus 5!
Drummer Dennis Diken has teamed up once again with Scott McCaughey and The Minus 5. Dennis drummed in sessions for an upcoming Minus 5 album, titled Let the War Against Music Begin, and it's slated for a February 2001 release. The Seattle-based collaboration also includes R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, former Posie Ken Stringfellow, ex-Presidents of the U.S.A. drummer Jason Finn, Barrett Martin of the Screaming Trees, Jeff Tweedy from Wilco, and Steve Berlin of Los Lobos.

 

Dusty Forever

Dennis Pays Tribute To Dusty Springfield!
Dennis also recently worked in the studio with Jill Sobule, on a cover of Dusty Springfield's Just A Little Lovin'. The song can be found on the CD Forever Dusty, released last April. Very much like a Losers Lounge-type lineup, the other musicians who worked on the track are Julia Greenberg, Amanda Thorpe, and Leif Arntzen. Other great artists on the disc include Smithereens-collaborator Marti Jones, and the Indigo Girls. [Buy this CD now!]

 

Dennis Hits The High Notes

Dennis Hits The High Notes With The Beach Boys!
The Reens drummer continues his busy pace, and has penned the liner notes for the Beach Boys two-fer reissue series' 15 Big Ones/Love You. Actually, Diken wrote the notes for "Big Ones," while Peter Buck composed the notes for "Love You." (Interestingly, mutual friend and collaborator Scott McCaughey has also found time to write the liners on yet another BB disc.) The 70's albums were re-mastered and re-released last summer.

Dennis also paid tribute to the Beach Boys' classic Pet Sounds in the press recently. "I got it in '66 when it first came out," said the Smithereen and Beach Boys expert. "I didn't totally embrace it the moment it came out, but I kept on listening to it, and I did end up digging it.

"I think it broadened my scope as a musician. I helped me appreciate jazz and classical music in a way that I might not have, because it introduced elements of those things."[Buy this CD now!]

 

July 8, 2000
Buy this CD!

Smithereens on New Compilation!
The Smithereens' Blood And Roses appears on the newly released various artists compilation called Heartbreak Of Rock. Other artists include Eric Clapton, Genesis, and the Pretenders. [Buy this CD now!]

 

June 25, 2000

New DiNizio Show!
Pat DiNizio will perform a solo concert at Capt'n Bobs on 64th Street in Ocean City, Maryland at 8:00 on Wednesday, June 28. [Thanks to Stephen Speelman.]

Living Room Tour Idea Takes Off !
Some time ago when Pat DiNizio was organizing his solo tour to fans' homes and assorted makeshift venues, he raised more than a few eyebrows. Proving his great success with that venture (yeah, ok, DSP did help just a tiny bit), other artists are jumping on the bandwagon. Cindy Bullens is one such artist inspired by Pat's initiative and she's currently taking her own LRT, playing in front of her fans in fire houses, and school chapels, etc. Bullens decided to tour after meeting Pat in Texas earlier this year. Quoted in Billboard magazine, Bullens said: "He said, 'Yeah, I'm right in the middle of this living room tour.' I said, 'What's that?' Basically it's where your fans and supporters put together a venue, and they do all the promotion and come up with the place and the time, and you go to them." [Thanks to Barry White.]

Diken Stays Busy!
Reens drummer Dennis Diken continues his non-stop flurry of activity, this time drumming and producing recording sessions for folk artist Dave Kleiner. Other musicians present include guitarist Jon Graboff, bassist Graham Maby, and keyboardist/fellow Nun Bett-R Productions sidekick, Dave Amels. The sessions took place recently at Mission Sound in Brooklyn, where the basic tracks and mixing for the upcoming CD were completed about 2 months ago. Refreshingly, in these modern times, only analog equipment and instruments were used, including vintage keyboards and mixing boards.

Kleiner told DSP that the album will be called Salesman, and described working with Dennis and company as "a very rewarding and fruitful experience." Together, they recorded 12 compostions written by Kleiner. The CD, which Kleiner says contains "a lot of variety," will soon be shopped to a label.

"The approach," he added, "was to treat every song as an individual entity. I wanted it to be fun to listen to repeatedly, and I think we've been successful."

Smithereens fans will be happy to know that Dennis plays drums on 10 of the 12 songs, performs some background singing and percussion work, and is involved hands-on in the engineering and mixing with his co-producer Dave Amels. Jon Graboff, who has previously worked with Dennis backing Amy Rigby, played pedal steel and mandolin as well as guitars.

In other news, Dennis was spotted at Ringo Starr's concert in New Brunswick, NJ at the State Theater on May 24.

May 21, 2000

Smithereens Back In The Saddle, Again!
OK, we think we've just about got it straight this time. The on-off Smithereens appearance at the Stone Pony is definitely on again. A phone call to the folks at the famed Asbury Park, NJ establishment has confirmed that the band will perform there on May 28, and tickets are $20. Just in case, here's the Stone Pony's number: 732-502-0600. [Thanks to Jim Domizio.]

Dennis Diken Thinks Ringo Is Fab!
The May 19 edition of the Home News Tribune (NJ) ran a report on Ringo Starr's latest concert tour. In it, the Smithereens' own drummer commented on the talents and the influence of the former Beatle: "Ringo was the ultimate song player and the Beatles were a song band. Ringo knew exactly how to put a song across. They were the ultimate band in that they were four guys playing together - they weren't trying to shine as instrumentalists. But he was one of the best players who picked up a pair of sticks and, of course, he inspired millions of kids to play." [Thanks to Steve Marinucci.]

Buy this CD!

Long Lost DiNizio Recording Re-Issued!
Pat DiNizio vocal and percussion contributions to a 1986 record release can now, at long last, be heard for the first time on CD. The once hard-to-find record from Peter Zaremba called Spread the Word has been recently re-issued by Amsterdamned Records (CD 70003-2).

Zaremba initially came to prominence as the lead singer and frontman of the Fleshtones in the 1980s, and spent time hosting MTV's The Cutting Edge, where the Smithereens were once a guest. Zaremba also toured with the all-star band called the Wild Bunch, along-side Pat DiNizio and Jim Babjak.

You can order the disc from CDNow.

May 8, 2000

More news on the Living Room Tour CD !
Wild Oats Records reports that their forthcoming live concert recording of one of Pat DiNizio's LRT shows is due on CD in June. The disc, to be titled simply "The Living Room Tour," was recorded during Pat's stop in Nashville.

The indie label's website has added a special page with more info on the release, as well as photos from the show, and a RealAudio sample for Pat's performance of "House We Used To Live In."

To get still more info on the CD, go to Wild Oats' LRT website.

Late Smithereens Producer Is Remembered.
One time Smithereens producer, the late Alan Betrock, was remembered by London's "The Independent" newspaper in their April 29 edition. The obituary described Betrock as "a passionate record collector with an encyclopaedic musical knowledge who played a crucial role at several junctures in the development of American rock music."

Betrock, who produced the original 1983 release of the Reens' "Beauty And Sadness" EP, also worked with Blondie, The dB's, and Marshall Crenshaw.

April 30, 2000

Living Room Tour Documentary In The Making!
Independent documentary film maker Joshua Tunick of Cyber-Technic Productions is currently on the road with Pat Dinizio shooting numerous stops on his Living Room Tour. Tunick is recording all of Pat's performances on digital audio tape (DAT).

Cyber-Technic Productions is planning a January 2001 release of the film, just in time for the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. They will also be doing Pat's political spots pro-bono in support of his run for the Senate.

March 2000

DiNizio Mini-Concert and Interview Are On Video And On The Web!
Pat DiNizio performed a mini-concert for Yahoo! and Broadcast.com while in Dallas, on February 25. Tunes included She's Got A Way, Only A Memory, Behind The Wall Of Sleep, and Everything Changes. You can view the archived video of Pat's solo, acoustic performance here.

After you've seen the concert, be sure to check out his video interview, by clicking here.

Smithereens Chat On Video and On The Web!
There are two new video interviews available for you! First, there's the 20-minute yap with Pat and Jim at the House of Blues, on 11/30/99. Then, there's the 4-minute (and still very cool) talk with the nice folks at Mediatrip.com.

Top that off with the two seperate cyber-chat transcipts from the HOB and Yahoo sites!

Previously, In The News

DiNizio Documentary Wins A Local Emmy Nomination!
An acclaimed documentary with a segment featuring Pat DiNizio and his mother, Antoinette, has been nominated for a New York Emmy award. This film by husband and wife filmmakers, Jerome Bongiorno and his wife Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno, also features director Martin Scorsese, NY mayor Rudy Giuliani, actor John Turturro and their mothers. According to the 2/25/00 edition of the NJ Star Ledger, "Mother Tongue the MSG Metroguide documentary about Italian-American mothers and their sons, is competing in the historical cultural programming category". Read the online article.

Pat DiNizio's Living Room Tour!
As Pat gets ready for his Living Room Tour, folks are busy lining up gigs with him to play in their own homes! (Get in on this act soon, gang! Don't delay!) Meanwhile, the press is picking up on Pat's great idea, and here's what a recent issue of the Aquarian Weekly had to say:

"Smithereens lead singer Pat DiNizio is taking it to the streets, well actually to the living rooms. The troubadour recently embarked on a tour which would have him riding the rails (that's trains to you greenhorns) and performing at fans' houses - whether it be their living room or back yard - over the next couple of months. The lucky fans will be able to sell 100 tickets to the shows and keep 20 percent of the profits according to DiNizio who proclaims the tour as 'the most punk rock idea I could think of.' "

Smithereens To Record McCartney Tribute?
The Smithereens have been asked to contribute a track to an upcoming Paul McCartney tribute compilation CD called Listen To What The Man Said.

Whether they will actually record such a track is doubtful, however. At least one band member is said to be not in favor of recording a note-for-note re-creation of yet another cover song. On the other hand, we also know that these cover songs are fan-favorites. (Witness the popularity of Attack Of The Smithereens.) Pat DiNizio recently said that he is proud of the Smithereens' covers of The Seeker and Gloomy Sunday because "we made them our own."

Buy this CD!

Smithereens On New Soundtrack!
Koch Records has released She's Got A Way on a new film soundtrack titled Boys Don't Cry. The film of the same name is touted by critic Roger Ebert as the fourth best film of 1999 -- a proclamation which is sure to spur sales of the Smithereens' new album!

The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (12/10/99) called the disc "a sparkling oddball soundtrack of jukebox wailers and cagey covers."

Update! (3/10/00)
The film Boys Don't Cry has also received two Academy Award nominations. One is for the performance by an actress in a leading role: Hilary Swank and another one for performance by an actress in a supporting role: Chloe Sevigny. The winners will be announced on March 26, 2000. See the related Oscars® "Boys Don't Cry" nomination webpage.

Reens on the Edge!

Smithereens On New Compilation Disc!
The Razor and Tie label has issued a new double-disc compilation of hits from the 1990's, featuring the Smithereens' A Girl Like You. Titled On The Edge, the release also includes tracks by R.E.M., The B-52's, and Elvis Costello. The compilation is currently receiving heavy promotion on cable TV.

Smithereens Play COMDEX!
The Smithereens played a private concert November 16 in Las Vegas for COMDEX, the computer conference and trade show. The invitation-only gig was sponsored by music-interested corporations e.Digital, Texas Instruments, Liquid Audio, Thomson/RCA, QDesign, SanDisk, IJAM, RioPort and Sanyo.

Of the concert, Pat DiNizio told DSP, "Comdex was great, lots of audience participation...surprising!"

DiNizio also took part in a conference panel discussion concerning MP3 technology. Seagram Co.'s Universal Music Group in conjunction with America Online and MTV, has launched an Internet-based record label called Jimmy and Doug's Farm Club. The label takes submissions from hopeful artists. Said Pat, ""It's a gimmick. There's a sort of backlash against the recording industry by the young bands and by the young pirates out there who are pilfering all this MP3 stuff, so it's an attempt, obviously, by the label to be hip or contemporary or to garner some sympathy from the artist. There is no way in hell that anyone would have the interest or take the time to listen to thousands upon thousands of submissions. It's not going to happen. It's a P.T. Barnum-esque scam, basically."

The Rooks!

Mike Mesaros Records With The Rooks!
Smithereen-bassist Mike Mesaros has stepped in to record several tracks for the latest offering from the Rooks, called A Wishing Well. The disc has been released by Not Lame, and while it isn't the Smithereens, it is a nice slice of pop you're sure to enjoy. Check out some cool Real Audio samples!

Here's a list of the songs on which Mike plays bass:

  • Wish You Well
  • Vows
  • Meditation
  • Drag Of The Month
  • Trip
  • India
  • Do You Have God?
  • Some And Others

 

For current news, visit Smithereens News.
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