Breaking News- Beatles on iTunes at Long Last!

"In 1964 they came to America, now they're coming to iTunes."
Well, fanatics, the day has finally come! The four lads from Liverpool have entered the digital age with their entire catalogue, including their 2009 remasters box set and some video exclusives, including the concert film  "Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964", and a series of ads welcoming the British rock legends to iTunes. 
"We’re really excited to bring the Beatles' music to iTunes," said Sir Paul McCartney. "It's fantastic to see the songs we originally released on vinyl receive as much love in the digital world as they did the first time around."
"I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes," said Ringo Starr. "At last, if you want it—you can get it now—The Beatles from Liverpool to now! Peace and Love, Ringo."
Thanks Ringo. As Paul wrote in his song that was a hit for Badfinger, "If you want it, here it is, come and get it!"
It's the British invasion all over again, ya ya ya! Announced 7:00 this morning, Los Angeles time via apple.com, the Apple website and iTunes home pages were plastered with Beatles related images and features.

RIP Reg King of the Action

Man, this blog is getting to be a real downer with all the great dying, but it would just be wrong not to mention this inimitable talents. My friend Will Courtney of the band Brothers and Sisters just informed me of the passing of Reginald 'Reg' King Of all the recently decease artists that we have been honoring, Reg King is perhaps the most obscure, yet the most ripe for rediscovery. Possessing what Pitchfork calls a "powerful, debonair croon", King was the lead singer of critically acclaimed yet doomed-to-failure R&B influence psychedelic pop group the Action ('freakbeat' in music critic lingo). Check this baby out; a cover of the Marvelettes' 'Keep on Holding On', this gives the Who a run for their money.
Allmusic states: "After the Beatles, the Action were the most impressive band signed to EMI by George Martin during the mid-'60s. That they never managed to chart a single in the space of two years with the label, even as lesser bands sold tens of thousands of records with seemingly no effort, is one of those great ironies of mid-'60s English rock & roll.
Now why is he so important if they never scored a hit nor made a record? Well, they played a psychedelic brand of folky power-popish R&B that could have given the Zombies, the early Who, or the Small Faces a run for their money; Reg King was a powerhouse vocalist, a true R&B force of nature like Steve Winwood; and most importantly, in 2002, their archives turned out one of the best psych albums of all time. Yup; within the archives of EMI lay an unreleased album, Rolled Gold, on par with 'The Who Sell Out' or any of the best '60's British rock- allmusic calls it "a lost masterpiece...Tracks such as "Something to Say" and especially "Brain" with Reggie pleading for immortality over a hugely anthemic chord progression are as good, if not better, than anything that charted during the late '60s and sound less dated than many of the Action's contemporaries' efforts. It's as if Paul Weller time-traveled back to 1967 and wrote the best songs of his career. Every track is a fully realized melodic and lyrical statement. While there is a roughness to the demo-quality recording, it only magnifies the raw emotions the Action were able to translate into timeless music -- music that deserved much better than it got." Tell it like it is AMG. Oh. And Pitchfork gave it an 8.0. Check it out.

We at Phat Fellas salute you, Reg King, British master of soul.

Here are a few Rolled Gold tracks:


Here's a solo version of one of my favorite songs on 'Rolled Gold', Little Boy. Vocals DO NOT get better than that. ROCK AND ROLL, damn it.

Great Albums: Spoon- Girls Can Tell

It's midnight; the fog rolls in heavily, enveloping the bleak urban landscape with a layer of haze. Only the warm light of the streetlamps can penetrate through. Shady men congregate at steet corners and smoke their cigarettes while engaging in illegal business. This is sleek, moody, modern, in a 1940's way; very dark, very sleek, very now. No, this is not a film noir; Humphrey Bogart is irrelevant to this post. This is the sound of Spoon's masterpiece "Girls Can Tell".

After having released two raw and urgent post-punk albums that were heavily indebted to Wire, Gang of Four, Nirvana and the Pixies, Spoon finally found their own unique voice on this 2001 release. Rather than adding elements to their music for dramatic effect, Spoon pare their sound down to only the most essetial elements; a sort of minimalism akin to a Mondrian painting. These songs are lean, mean and direct in a way that recalls Elvis Costello, yet is unique to Spoon; in an era where bands are becoming increasingly pompous and self indulgent (Muse anyone?), Spoon's self councious minamalism is a breath of fresh air. The album exudes the stylish swagger of Film noir, an effect enhanced by liberal use of vibes, mellotron, viola, harpsichord and percussion. However, they never pile on too many instruments and always know how to let the music breathe, a skill which is lacking these days in most bands (I love you Arcade Fire, but you're a prime culprit).

Singer, guitarist and composer Britt Daniel draws from many influences (among them Elvis Costello, Motown, the Beatles, Gang of Four), but rather than becoming a slavish impersonator, he takes from them the indescribable qualities that make music classic and timeless. Daniel's vocals are raw and emotional, sometimes to the point of sounding angry and confrontational; in my opinion, he is one of the great rock vocalists of all time. The lyrics are literary and largely obscure in nature, but they are smart and often fascinating.The marriage of intellectual lyrics with an aggressive and wiry guitar attack makes for an exciting listening experience. Throughout all of this, Spoon never loose track of their pop instinct and their roots in classic rock'n'roll, unlike nearly everyone of their indie rock peers (finally, a rock band who sound like a rock band!).

This eclectic and brilliant album states its intentions from the get-go. "Everything Hits At Once" an ominous pop song driven by vibes and electric piano is a mini masterpiece; longing and hurt pride are evident in Daniel's impassioned vocal. "Lines in the Suit" is a great slice of guitar pop with a brilliant middle section that recalls John Lennon. "The Fitted Shirt" is a Ray Davies/Kinks style homage to shirts that fit right, set to a groovy guitar riff, funky drums, and a harpsichord on which Daniel laments the loss of more proper times and better shirts: "I Long For The Days/They Used To Say/Ma'am And Yes Sir/For Now I'm Going To Find/Buttons For My/ Dad's Old Used Shirt." "10:20 AM" is a great piece of trippy '60's style folk, complete with harmonies and flute mellotrons. The pulsating "Take A Walk", the soulful and minimalistic "Take the Fifth", the upbeat and poppy "Anything You Want" and the jagged "Believe Is Art" are testaments to the diversity of this records, yet all of the songs are performed with the same emotional, gritty and stylish verve, which gives the album a consistency almost never found in albums these days. "This Book Is A Movie", tense and chilling instrumental and "Chicago At Night", a pop song that is just chilly and jagged enough to keep up the albums noir vibe close this beautifully succinct, 36 minute record on a high and slightly creepy note.

Next time you go out to get your fitted shirts pressed, pick up a copy of this creative rock and roll jem. This is the record that will make the curmudgeons who say "they don't make records like they used to" change their tune.

Key Tracks: Everything Hits At Once, Me and the Bean, Lines In the Suit, The Fitted Shirt, 10:20 Am