Morning Music Notes – Rock Stars are People, Too

Rock Stars and Their Surprisingly Normal Hobbies

Pretend you’re rich. This proves that even the rich love this website! Now what else would you do with your spare time and money? Light cigars with your $100 bills? Swim in piles of gold coins ala Scrooge McDuck? Spinner details the surprisingly normal hobbies of your favourite rock stars. Highlights include:

Jack White: Before he was a guitar legend, Jack White was an apprentice upholsterer. Mr. White has another passion that seems to have become undervalued in the modern age: Taxidermy. In an interview with the Believer, White revealed himself as a taxidermy enthusiast with a large, mostly antique, collection of taxidermied animals, “I’ve got a zebra head, two gazelles, an eland, a kudu, a giant white elk …”

Ummm….creepy!

Slash: Slash is a true pinball enthusiast. The guitarist is an avid player and has built two pinball machines, but his own words illustrate his passion the most vividly: “When you’re playing a guitar solo you have to try and get from your head to your fingers in the fastest amount of time possible so you can get the point across, in time … same thing with pinball.”

And in the category of terrible analogies….Slash!

Rivers Cuomo: Rivers Cuomo is a man of many eccentricities but his love for soccer and knitting stand out as two of his more left-field interests. The Weezer frontman’s music video for ‘Lover in the Snow’ is almost entirely dedicated to his love of soccer. And, if that wasn’t enough, he also recorded the unofficial but totally awesome US World Cup Anthem, ‘Represent.’ When Rivers isn’t busy with all things soccer, he often unwinds by knitting and then tweeting about it.

Robbie Williams: Robbie Williams disappeared from public view at the end of 2006. He reemerged a couple years later with a beard and a strong penchant for UFOs. Mr. Williams has claimed to have seen three UFOs to date and his passion as a Ufologist has largely subsumed his music career. Robbie has also shared his convictions that Britain will soon be invaded by aliens. Let’s hope not.

Well, that would explain his weird behaviour.

Trying to Remove the Romanticism Behind the 27 Club

Yesterday’s Morning Music Notes told you how Amy Winehouse joined the list of musicians who have left us too young – specifically, at the age of 27. The bigger question is “Don’t Other Ages Have a Long List of Musicians Attributed to Them?” Digital Music News has compiled a list of 27 artists who died young but not at 27.

(1) Tupac Shakur, died at age 25.
(2) Notorious B.I.G., age 24.
(3) Bradley Nowell (Sublime), 28.
(4) Keith Moon, 32.
(5) Bob Marley, 36.
(6) Mozart, 35.
(7) Hillel Slovak (Red Hot Chili Peppers), 26.
(8) Selena, 23.
(9) Karen Carpenter, 32.
(10) Aaliyah, 22.
(11) Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, 30.
(12) Dimebag Darrell, 38.
(13) Randy Rhoads, 25.
(14) Layne Staley (Alice In Chains), 34.
(15) Jeff Buckley, 30.
(16) Sid Vicious, 21.
(17) Big Pun, 28.
(18) Ritchie Valens, 17.
(19) Buddy Holly, 23.
(20) John Lennon, 40.
(21) Stevie Ray Vaughan, 36.
(22) Cliff Burton (Metallica), 24.
(23) Otis Redding, 26.
(24) Duane Allman, 24.
(25) John Bonham, 32.
(26) Jim Croce, 30.
(27) Elvis Presley, 42.

Of course, there are many, many others one could add to this list. One could also put together a list for several other age groups, although perhaps not as famous as members of the 27 Club.

New Video for Björk – Crystalline

Björk is both a genius and an artist that one can only handle in small doses. It’s that powerfully strange voice of hers I would think. Björk’s new album, Biophilia, is released September 27, but the video for first single, Crystalline, is out now. The album’s songs are being released with accompanying iPad apps. Björk has also said that parts of the album have been recorded and made with the iPad. Sounds like someone is fishing for a free iPad from Steve Jobs!

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