An anonymous person writes:

This story was in the Boston Sunday Globe. It's so true, but I bought the new 'Best of' anyway.

"With reissues, what's old is always new again"

By Steve Greenlee, Globe Staff, 11/11/2001

Excerpt:

It's amazing how artists and record companies can release so many new albums without having new material to put on them. It's the marketing of nostalgia: You get to pay again for what you've already heard, and for what you already have. And some of these performers are sticking the same songs on compilation after compilation.

Morrissey Is My Grandpa writes:

Filmjerk just ran a report from Harry Potter movie crew people that says Morrissey references were put on the sets and they played Smiths tunes during production.

Excerpt:

The Potter sets are filled with hidden stuff. I have to believe at least some of it will be visible on the screen... On a table somebody carved 'Morrisey [sic] Spawned a Monster.' ...

I know, it is shocking. As I did my best to verify these reports, Darth W. Bush wrote back: Ya, there are a lot of Moz references. One bloke was playing Smiths tunes on the set for days and everyone was walking around singing 'This Charming Man.' All these big blokes singing fag pop! Snarky!

FilmJerk, of course, is horrified by this activity.

Not so much the pornography on the set, but Morrissey??? Think of the children! The children!

Bill Stevens writes: I recently attended the Built to Spill show at Slim's on Sunday 11/11 and boy was I in for a treat. Before the band launched into the finale, Doug Martsch started up a song all by himself - to my surprise it was a cover of 'This Night Has Opened My Eyes' and it was amazing. I don't know how much the band has covered Smiths tunes before but you can tell by Doug's lyrics and the choice of such an obscure song that they're a huge influence on his music. Just an interesting tidbit I thought I'd pass along...

Lucia Patino also writes:I just wanted to let you know that Doug Martsch of the band Built to Spill did a wonderful cover of This Night Has Opened My Eyes and you wouldn't believe how many people got excited. It was between songs, the band was getting their equipment set up for the next song and Doug asked if anyone would like hear him perform a song on his own and everyone cheered, (of course), then he plucked the first cords of the song and immediately I let him know how great he was. Good cover, good show, wish I would have recorded it!

textatron writes:

So on Wednesday, Songs:Ohia and shannonwright played the Pyramid Cabaret here in Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada). Both acts were solo this time around, which made for a very low-key and intimate affair for the 80 or so people who were in attendance. What a great show. Imagine my surprise when shannonwright sat down at her keyboard and did a very moving version of "Asleep" by the Smiths - only my favourite Smiths song ever! (note: she also did a version of "I Started a Joke" by the Carpenters (?) which was quite good as well) So I quickly caught her after the show to tell her how much I enjoyed her set, and especially her version of "Asleep", to which she replied "Well, it's quite a beautiful song, isn't it?" I am smitten. if you've never heard shannonwright, you should; her voice is so strong that half the time she was singing away from the microphone.

morrissey_frank_moz writes:

I was watching Muchmusic on November 6, (MMUSA) and there was an interview with the lead singer of The Strokes and i like the strokes so i watched it the interviewer was acting like a jerk by being in his face but the he said that Morrissey was in one of their concerts and he should feel special because Morrissey is God, and he is number one. That Morrissey will have a record due out and he should feel special that he knows where Moz is at and not even his manager knows. The lead singer was cool about it by saying yeah Morrissey is cool and yeah he feels special but was acting like a jerk about it, not real cool of him...
---
David T. (different) also sends a Strokes fax rumor that was posted at Popbitch.

Gladioli writes: I just found out that there's a record coming out in February 2002 with Coe reciting songs/poems/extracts from his novels. Coe is for me the best living English novelist. Funnily enough, the album released by Tricatel, one of my favourite French labels and some of the music is written with Louis Philippe, one of my favourite artists ever! Here's a small extract from Coe's foreword to the album mentioning Moz and the Smiths. The rest can be found here: http://www.tricatel.com/biocoe.html.

[...] For a few years The Smiths provided some crumbs of comfort, with Morrissey's irony-laden melancholy and Johnny Marr's brilliant melodic gift (they were much better songwriters than Lennon and McCartney, in my view). But then I stumbled upon él records, Britain's great musical secret of the 1980s, home to Bid [The Monochrome Set] and Marden Hill and The King of Luxembourg and a cluster of other acts who proved that pop songs could still be written with style and feeling and classical elegance. And also home, of course, to Louis Philippe. At the time I discovered Louis' music, there were two things happening in my creative life. The student band for which I had written songs and played keyboards was on the point of collapsing, and my novels were beginning to be published.[...]

Mimi writes:

Boz Boorer will be playing two of his notorious solo shows in Germany this month. The dates are:

Thursday, 11/22/01 Berlin, Razzle Dazzle, Mühlenstr.12, Berlin-Friedrichshain (doors open 7 p.m.)

Friday, 11/23/01 Hamburg, Faint, Fischmarkt 17, St. Pauli (doors open 8 p.m.)

The set will resemble those he already played in L.A. and Dublin, though in Berlin he'll be joyned by members of local Rockabilly combos Dusty Gray and the Desperado Five for a bit of a rockin' finish!

Come and enjoy!

D. McPherson writes:

I think that everyone should know that there is a very UNCOMMON happening about to take place in the heart of the USA. On Friday, November 23, Moz will be honored by way of a MORRISSEY FEST held in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma at the Plaza Ramada Hotel (7th & Boulder, 2nd floor, in the Transit Bar, $3 cover). It starts about 8 pm, and will feature Smiths cover bands, Moz look-alikes, a dance contest, Videos, Merchandise, Memorabalia, and other such swag. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS EVENT IS 21 AND OVER ONLY. There is a special rate at the hotel if you mention the Fest. THIS KIND OF THING HARDLY EVER HAPPENS IN THIS AREA, SO BE SURE TO ATTEND!!! for more info, email Barry at: [email protected]. OUTOFTOWNERS WELCOME! 'I knew it was gonna happen someday..."