david thorpe

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The Big Hurt: Unnecessary press release roundup

No matter how lazy music writers get, we can't spin every press release into a freebie news story, or even a scrap of "Web content" (shudder) for whichever shit aggregator pays our parking tickets.
Aggregating
By DAVID THORPE | December 16, 2011

Smash Mouth chicken out

In the end, some eggs were eaten and a bunch of money was raised to help sick kids, which is great. But did Steve Harwell truly meet the egg challenge? No!
Scrambling
By DAVID THORPE | October 21, 2011

Thorpe nabs Deems Taylor Award

Phoenix columnist David Thorpe has been named one of the winners of this year's ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for writing about music.
Blowing Our Own Horn Dept.
By BOSTON PHOENIX STAFF | October 14, 2011

The Big Hurt: This week in music merchandising

I love watching a credible artist make a decent living. That's why I take such audibly-giggling delight in keeping readers abreast of the latest honest-buck news, which is coming fast and furious this week.
Good times!
By DAVID THORPE | September 30, 2011

The Big Hurt: The Game outs 50 Cent, Gucci Mane goes to the slam; plus, Julian Lennon's new titles, and more

I have nothing against the music of British rapper TINIE TEMPAH — I don't think I've even heard it, to be honest — but boy am I ever sick as heck of reading that name in print.
Music news in brief
By DAVID THORPE | September 23, 2011

The Big Hurt: Alex James's cheese, the Chili Peppers' video, Noel and Liam's suit, Nicole Scherzinger's Killer Love, Sammy Hagar's Chickenfoot III

James is on the vanguard of a truly extraordinary future: now that cheese has been infused with the flavor of ketchup, it's only a matter of time before entire cheeseburgers — with beef, onions, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and all — are compressed into pre-s
Music news in brief
By DAVID THORPE | September 02, 2011

The Big Hurt: Ten years of Kidz Bop

I've made fun of Kidz Bop plenty in the past, but it's time to get real: Kidz Bop is a venerable institution now, worthy of serious retrospection.
The kidz are alright
By DAVID THORPE | August 12, 2011

The Big Hurt: Pablo Dylan's 10 Minutes

Bob Dylan's 16-year-old grandson, Pablo Dylan, just dropped 10 Minutes , his first rap mixtape.
Meritocracy news
By DAVID THORPE | August 05, 2011

The Big Hurt: Kiedis's new look; plus, Incubus, Moz, Bieber, and Robbie Williams

Beware: the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS have a new track called "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie."
Music news in brief
By DAVID THORPE | July 29, 2011

The Big Hurt: Smash Mouth egg, Juggalos gather, Oasis grump, Bieber fades

By the time you read this, Steve Harwell of SMASH MOUTH may be caked in sweat and yolk flecks, clutching his distended belly, groaning and wheezing — more so than usual, even.
Music news in brief
By DAVID THORPE | July 15, 2011

The Big Hurt: Calling all Rembrandts!

While scouring the press release bin for cheap laughs, I came across a story of some legitimate interest: a coalition of Dutch artists recently took out an ad in the New York Times advising "Do Not Enter the Netherlands — Cultural Meltdown in Progress
The Dutch 'Cultural Meltdown'
By DAVID THORPE | July 08, 2011

Suede reclaimed

It's an emotional time for the few surviving members of the Teenage Anglophiles-of-the-'90s club.
The best ever!
By DAVID THORPE | June 17, 2011

More unloved press releases

Space used to be about buzz-cut patriots putting boots to moon to teach those rascally Russkies a lesson, but now it's just nerds studying gravity and rich idiots buying their way up.
Weed's rights, etc.
By DAVID THORPE | April 29, 2011

Billboard's Rap Songs chart

In the immortal words of O.D.B., "Rappenin' is what's happenin'."
The Big Hurt: Who charted?
By DAVID THORPE | July 02, 2010

The Big Hurt: Vince Neil acts his age

By the time you read this, the Situation will have his first single out on iTunes. Yeah, that the Situation.
Plus The Situation singled, Drake unsurpassed, Pete Doherty denied, Lou Reed exonerated
By DAVID THORPE | June 25, 2010

Dear Phoenix Readers

’Sup.
A word from the new editor
By CARLY CARIOLI | June 25, 2010

Coming soon, unfortunately

Despite last month's record sales (the lowest since anyone's been keeping track), some artists still don't get the picture: nobody wants music anymore .
Music you don't want
By DAVID THORPE | June 18, 2010

The M.I.A. kertruffle

In an interview with Nylon magazine, M.I.A. offered a shocking revelation about the Web sites we use every day: "Google and Facebook were developed by the CIA, and when you're on there, you have to know that."
Plus Gallagher goes begging, Bieber gets erased, Abdul loses time
By DAVID THORPE | June 11, 2010

The Big Hurt: Enduring the Billboard ‘Active’ chart

If you're not in the radio business, you might not know the term "Active Rock." It's not a genre, thank Heaven, but a radio format — the worst radio format.
Who charted?
By DAVID THORPE | June 04, 2010

The Big Hurt: Reed goes to the dogs

More evidence of the sickening barbarity of America’s penal institutions: Lil Wayne is being hassled because officers found headphones and the charger for an MP3 player in his cell.
Plus Weezy debudded, Ant derided, Michaels bandanna’d
By DAVID THORPE | May 28, 2010

The Big Hurt: Shill crazy

You know, I might stop following real music journalism altogether. Press releases are so much better. Just when I start thinking it’s a slow week in silly pop news, I check the PR wire — a/k/a the bottom of the barrel — and dig up two of the greatest ite
The week in corporate sponsorships
By DAVID THORPE | May 21, 2010

The Big Hurt: A big country lesbian pissing match

Reports began to surface recently that a major country star was set to come out of the closet in People magazine. I had high hopes for Chris Gaines, but no such luck.
Music news in brief
By DAVID THORPE | May 14, 2010

The Big Hurt: Red scare

If you’re a dedicated follower of pop, you’ve no doubt heard about M.I.A.’s shocking new video for “Born Free,” the lead single from her upcoming album.
M.I.A.’s ultraviolent new video misses the target
By DAVID THORPE | May 07, 2010

The Big Hurt: The week in death

Back in January, I predicted that, because of medical advances and the prospect of universal health care, no musicians would die in this decade. Unfortunately, it hasn’t turned out that way.
RIP Chilton, Guru, and editorial tact
By DAVID THORPE | April 30, 2010

The Big Hurt: Dialing up Billboard’s Ringtones Chart

We may scoff at the very idea of Billboard ’s ignominious Ringtones chart, but mobile phones are one of only three viable revenue channels musicians have left these days (the other two being commercial licensing and crooked charities).
Who Charted?
By DAVID THORPE | April 23, 2010

The Big Hurt: ICP take on magnets

Would that I could simply post the entire lyric to “Miracles” by INSANE CLOWN POSSE and call it an article.
Plus Slash loves Axl and Dre does Freddie
By DAVID THORPE | April 16, 2010

The Big Hurt: Say anything

It’s almost impossible to read a single page of YouTube comments without being confronted by society’s ugliest afflictions: ignorance, pointless fights, horrifying racism, and unfair criticism of Justin Bieber’s haircut.
The week in YouTube comments
By DAVID THORPE | April 09, 2010

The Big Hurt: Bieber fever

Of the 45 headlines on mtv.com’s music-news section, nine are about JUSTIN BIEBER . That’s precisely 20 percent.
Plus U2’s purported fans, and Keane hits the green
By DAVID THORPE | April 02, 2010

The Big Hurt: What would Jesus download?

True, I may be the wrong guy to review the top tracks on the Billboard Christian Songs chart. I’m not religious, so songs about Jesus mean about as much to me as songs about Popeye.
Who charted? Billboard's Top Christian Songs edition
By DAVID THORPE | March 26, 2010

The Big Hurt: Now hiring

If you're a musician looking to break into the big leagues, now's your chance.
Music news in brief
By DAVID THORPE | March 19, 2010

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