Happy Birthday, Trent

Y’all know I couldn’t let this birthday go unnoticed. After all, the birthday boy in question is the reigning two-time Stone Coldest Fox, as ordained by LET (and let’s face it, he’ll probably be a three-timer by the time the end of 2010 rolls around). He’s also a damn fine musician, as the legions and hordes of Nine Inch Nails fans will attest to. And while NIN is currently on an indefinite hiatus, that hasn’t stopped this guy from keepin’ on keepin’ on (check out How To Destroy Angels to get more Trentness).

And so, it’s time to break out your favorite Nine Inch Nails record (may I suggest perhaps The Downward Spiral?), have a glass of whatever tickles your fancy, and join me in a rollicking birthday toast to the man, the myth, the fox: Trent Reznor.

mp3: Discipline (Nine Inch Nails from The Slip)

Best Non-SXSW Gigs of 2009: NIN/JA & The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Just because it was so unfair to name SXSW the best show of last year and leave it at that, I've decided, in my infinite wisdom, to go ahead and let you know the other two best shows that last year had to offer that didn't take place in Austin. One of them happened in Columbia, Maryland, while the other took place both in Philly and right here in DC. Oh yeah, and the latter two just so happen to involve the band whose brilliant logo is pictured to the left.

We'll begin with the NIN/JA tour, billed as a kind of farewell tour for Nine Inch Nails, though not for Jane's Addiction. I went mainly because of my fondness for both the music of NIN and Trent Reznor himself, but hot damn if I didn't end up (finally) falling in love with Perry Farrell and the boys of Jane's by the end of the show. It was a magical night, from the storm rolling in during soundcheck to the utter perfection of the NIN set to the over-the-top exploits of Jane's Addiction. There's a lot to be said in favor of both of these bands, and many kudos to be given for just how good the front men are as showmen. The NIN/JA tour reinforced just how great these bands are live, and I feel pretty lucky to have been able to be there to witness it.

The other half of the non-SXSW live winners belongs to LET favorites The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Hopefully by now people have stopped going to BJM shows just to see what Anton gets up to, because if they're so fixated on that they might miss the sheer brilliance going on onstage. I got to see them twice last year, both at the Trocadero in Philly and the 9:30 Club here in DC. Both shows were amazing, and saw the divine triumvirate of Anton, Matt Hollywood, and Joel Gion all sharing the stage once more. Playing virtually anything and everything you could hope to hear at a BJM show, the band made me love them more with each note. I'm already looking forward to June 9th, when the band will be back in DC.

mp3: March of the Pigs (Nine Inch Nails from The Downward Spiral)

mp3: That Girl Suicide (The Brian Jonestown Massacre from Methodrone)

The Greatest Spring Mixtape You Will Ever Hear

Can you believe this shiggidy? It's Friday, and my inbox is NOT overflowing with new tunes to bring to you dirty masses. Hell, there's not enough here to listen to get through a good masturbatory session, for chrissakes, and Lord knows those don't take too long.

i'm guessing it's because tomorrow marks the first day of spring, ye olde Vernal Equinox, knowhutimean? Hell, i was getting a bit frisky just thinking about the joy of life that is a pretty lady in a sundress just last week, so i can hardly blame folks for skipping out early on the first Friday of SXSW. I do anyways, but only just a little.

Guess we'll just have to make due with the Greatest Spring Mixtape You Will Ever Hear.

mp3: Spring Again (Biz Markie from The Biz Never Sleeps)

mp3: March of the Fuckheads (Nine Inch Nails from Closer to God)

mp3: April Showers (Digital Underground from Who Got the Gravy?)

mp3: May We Bang You? (Parliament from Gloryhallastoopid (Or Pin The Tail On The Funky))

mp3: June (Pack A.D. from Funeral Mixtape)

mp3: Springtheme (Ween from Pure Guava)

Stone Coldest Fox of 2009: Trent Reznor

As we’ve said before, and will happily say over and over, we’re definitely not above a little objectification here at Les Enfants Terribles. We’re equal opportunity objectifiers, and we love us some smut. After all, someone’s gotta put the sex in “sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll.” With that in mind, I’d like to present my favorite Best Of category, celebrating the sex appeal of the guys who make the music we love. Last year, in my inaugural homage to the foxiest of foxy rock’n’rollers, I listed ten dudes who are, in my humble opinion, some of the sexiest men around. This year I thought better of that idea, not because I had a hard time choosing guys for the list but because when you boil it down it really isn’t fair. There’s one man who really personifies foxiness, one man who is like walking sex, one man who can out-smolder anyone and everyone. That man owned this title in 2008, and he’s repeating as my Stone Coldest Fox of the Year for 2009. May I introduce to you, again, the one and only Trent Reznor, and he could teach most of the dudes I know a thing or two.

What is it that makes Trent so overwhelmingly and irresistibly appealing, you might be wondering. Well, there’s plenty. Naturally, no one can deny that the man was given a good start by the genetic craps shoot. Be it Downward Spiral Trent in bondage gear or “Perfect Drug” Trent decked out in Edwardian velvets, or the current Trent-carnation of pure sex and bulging biceps, he’s a beautiful man. In addition, he’s got plenty of other things going for him, such as his stage persona. Rarely have I seen someone so intense during his performances. And I’ll say this, never underestimate the attractiveness of putting everything you have into a show, guys. It only makes us ladies curious about what else you might be so intense about.

Also enticing is the fact that he’s in his 40s. To some of us girls, this means that he’s worldly and wise, and has probably been around the block a time or two. Experience is oh-so alluring. Trent’s been in the music industry for quite a long time, and he’s seasoned. He’s a pro. He’s gotta be, to have survived for so long in such a tough business. And this tenacity and success does a lot to bolster his already sky-high sexiness. Oh yeah, and there's that whole super talented thing, too.

But perhaps what makes him the most lust-worthy of musicians is, as I can finally say from firsthand experience, his presence. Trent in the flesh is stiflingly sexy. Ladies, let me tell you, you haven’t lived until you’ve been enveloped in a bear hug from this man. And only someone with the slow-burning hotness of Trent Reznor could get away with saying something like, “I wanna be covered in boobs.”

Bottom line: Trent Reznor is the reigning king of foxes, at least as far as this here site is concerned. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I feel a swoon coming on.

mp3: Sin (Nine Inch Nails from Pretty Hate Machine)

Live Review: NIN/JA 2009 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, June 9, 2009

There are shows, and then there are Shows. Your average show happens every night, in bars the world over. They range from dire to nothing special to pretty darn good. Shows, conversely, Shows are something else entirely. Shows can be stunning, awe-inspiring, earth-shaking. At a Show, you might see stars, shapes, or God. Shows don't happen all that often, but when they do, you're bound to thank your lucky stars you were there. And friends, last month, I saw a goddam Show. Nine Inch Nails. Jane's Addiction. Live supremacy. Below is my review from RVA, photos by Miss Laura O'Neill. Hope you managed to catch the NIN/JA tour...

"If you’re anything close to my age (30), there’s a small collection of bands that have been a part of all our lives for a good number of years. You’ve probably spent over half of your life listening to some of them, even the ones that you weren’t necessarily all that fond of to begin with. These bands, over time, become a part of the lexicon of your days, the familiar Old Faithfuls of your record collection. When you got bored with the new or became tired of the classics, they were there, dependable. Listening to them, whether as a snippet of a chorus heard on modern rock radio or a voluntary listen at home, can bring back a flood of memories of bygone days, blurry snapshots of younger years. And it couldn’t possibly get much more nostalgic (or, well, awesome) than the Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction NIN/JA farewell tour, which stopped in the wilds of Maryland at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

When Trent Reznor announced (in his very fan-friendly way) the indefinite hiatus on NIN tours, it brought a tear to my eye. For my money, there are few bands around that can touch the intricacies, the intense spectacle, and the sheer performance value offered at a Nine Inch Nails show. Admittedly, I was slow (a mild understatement) to see the appeal of the formerly constantly black-clad and gloomy Reznor (my obsession with Britpop during my formative years being well-documented), but thanks to some jaw-droppingly spectacular live shows and a couple of the newer records, I’ve seen myself turn into quite an NIN fangirl. So naturally, then, the announcement of one last Nine Inch Nails tour was huge (another mild understatement). Throw in the promise of fellow '90s alternative mainstays Jane’s Addiction (and, I can’t lie, the promise of a shirtless Dave Navarro), and I was sold. Tickets were procured, preparations made (including a homemade cocktail I dubbed “The Ninja”). It seemed as though June 9th would never come.

When NIN/JA Day finally arrived, we jaunted up to Columbia, giggling like teenagers (the not-so-unexpected side effect of sheer giddiness, and those homemade cocktails). The glorious, sun-dappled (though ridiculously muggy) day gave way to the billowing thunderheads of a late afternoon storm, making a very atmospheric backdrop for the bon voyage party of two heavyweights. It’s as if Mother Nature wanted to see to it that the bands went out with a bang - though there were no worries there.

The farewell began with former Rage Against the Machine axeman Tom Morello’s newest band, Street Sweeper Social Club. I found them notable more for their matching epaulette-laden military jackets and huge banner than their actual tunes, though they did provide a fair introduction to the proceedings. It was loud, it was heavy, and you could dance to some of it. We already knew that Morello knows how to play guitar better than about 99% of the population, but the magic he found with Rage hasn’t been replicated. The best thing about SSSC, though, was that they sounded nothing like Audioslave.

After Morello and Co. left the stage, a certain energy began to fill the air. The thousands of us in the stands and the thousands more swathed in ponchos on the lawn all seemed to be buzzing at once. It was impatience, expectance, and exhilaration all pouring forth at the same time. After what seemed an interminable, molasses-like span of time, the lights finally went down, the crowd roared, and out strolled Nine Inch Nails for one final turn on the Merriweather stage. Trent Reznor being ever the chameleon, his approach to the final tour was in stark contrast with the last time I saw them, last November in Charlottesville. That show featured highly elaborate stage and lighting configurations, with each note of each song carefully planned with sensational effects for maximum impact. The NIN/JA tour was far less dramatic, though no less atmospheric. With the ever-approaching nightfall above, the dark lighting scheme of hazy golden browns and dark purples with strategically placed spotlights seemed somber and moody, perfect tones for a goodbye. The gloom was interspersed by fiery red lights and electric blues, but the fancy projections and mesh boxes were a thing of the past.

NIN was in rare form, though it’s pretty hard to imagine this band having an off night. They began with “999,999” and set the tone immediately. It was to be nothing but the best. The 19-song set was full of favorites, a veritable retrospective of NIN’s lengthy and noteworthy career. Two standouts were “March of the Pigs” and “Echoplex”, an old and a new favorite, the former featuring one hell of an audience singalong (though there were many), and the latter having been tweaked so that Robin Finck's saucy guitar riff was somehow even dirtier. All four band members were in fine fettle, with Reznor, as always, taking the lead. Alternating between vocals, guitar, keyboards, and fair amounts of thrashing around with boundless energy, the 44-year-old continues to put dudes half his age to shame. And hot damn, is he sexy. Every song was great, but the final four nearly induced my brain to melt: “Dead Souls” (the Joy Division cover that I never in a million years would have expected to see live), “The Hand That Feeds”, “Head Like a Hole”, and “Hurt”. The crowd singing along to “Head Like a Hole” and “Hurt” was quite possibly the loudest I’ve ever heard at a concert. And the finale, “Hurt”, was the best I’ve ever seen it, with extra poignance because of the finality of the gig. Despite the lack of songs like “Closer” or “Mr. Self-Destruct”, it was an amazing set, nearly perfect, but incredibly bittersweet. If we had to say adieu to NIN, this was the way to do it.

After the set that I didn’t want to end, it was time to take a breather before Jane’s Addiction closed the show. I’d never been much of a Jane’s fan, probably thanks to years of inherent resistance to the song “Jane Says”, which I couldn’t stand back in the day. But now I stand before you, completely converted. All it took was 14 songs to turn me into a believer. Ageless wonder Perry Farrell (50) shimmied and shook his ass across the stage, prancing around in his tight, befeathered ensemble like a preening, over-sexed peacock. Farrell is truly a consummate performer, witty and engaging, with the added charm of being overtly raunchy. Swigging from a bottle of wine, Farrell wiggled his hips and alerted us to the fact that we were making him hard. It wasn’t just the ostentatious Perry that I found so impressive. It was the entire band. They sounded legendary. After falling in love with songs like “Ocean Size” and “Mountain Song”, I found myself under Jane’s spell. I even found their last song, “Jane Says”, fantastic. And that truly is impressive, given how many years I’ve disliked it. The lighting was more outrageous for JA, as you might guess. Lots of pinks and greens and bright purple, to match the over-the-top whirlwind that is Farrell. They sure shocked the hell out of me with how much they could rock. Maybe not quite as hard as they once could, but they still know what they’re doing. And Pied Piper Perry will forever know how to keep the audience in the palm of his hand.

NIN/JA was probably the (non-festival) concert of the year for me. It would take some kinda ferociousness to top what happened up there in Maryland. There are so few bands that could withstand the test of time the way these two bands have. I mean, Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction would have been a hot ticket back in 1994, but it takes something special to keep the masses enamored for as long as they have. They always have great musicians around them, but both bands will always be known and noted for their frontmen; NIN with the awesome force that is Trent Reznor, and Jane’s with Perry Farrell, their brother from another time and place. I just hope they don’t stay in rock & roll retirement for too long. After all, someone’s gotta show the kids how it’s done."

Zut Alors!: Sharing is Caring

Dearest friends,

As we all know, the economy is still a big old nasty piece of work these days. I'm feeling it, and I'm sure pretty much all of you are feeling it.

However, there's a matter that I wish to bring to your attention, and it is my hope that at least some of you will be able to participate.

You already know how highly we think of Mr. Trent Reznor around these parts, and both Chris and I subscribe to TR's Tweets. It was one of those Tweets that alerted me to what I'm now going to bring to your attention. Here's the message that Trent posted to the NIN site:

"A Letter from Trent:

This is for something important. Eric De La Cruz is dying and needs a heart transplant. He keeps getting turned down for a transplant list because he's on Nevada Medicaid, and there are no transplant centers in Nevada. We want to get involved and hopefully so do you, so we're extending a hand. His sister Veronica (former Anchor and Internet Correspondent for CNN) has started a campaign to save his life.

Eric's situation shines a bright light on a broken health care system, and his particular set of problems are being addressed on the political front, aiming for reform in addition to the need for immediate financial help to keep him alive TODAY. I think we can help with the latter.

Here's what we're offering - three options:

If you have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,000 to this cause, we'll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/JA show of your choice. You and a guest can watch NIN and Street Sweeper Social Club's soundchecks, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you'd like.

If you donate $300, you and a friend can join us for NIN and SSSC's soundchecks and a handshaking / hug session before doors open at the NIN/JA show of your choice.

If you do NOT have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,200 to this cause, we'll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/ JA show of your choice and provide 2 tickets (best available). You and a guest can watch soundcheck, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you'd like.

100% of the money collected from this will go directly to Eric's fund.

I hope you'll consider helping out with this.

Sincerely, Trent Reznor

DEADLINE FOR DONATION PACKAGES IS 5:00PM (PST) 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EACH NIN/JA TOUR DATE.
NO MORE DONATIONS CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR THE FOLLOWING DATES* 5.21.09 SANTA BARBARA, CA [SANTA BARBARA BOWL]* 5.22.09 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA [SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE]* 5.24.09 GEORGE, WA [THE GORGE - SASQUATCH FESTIVAL]"

Like I said, I know times are super tight for everyone these days. As of now, this fundraising effort has raised over $600,000 to help Eric. We all know how completely and totally fucked the health care system is in this country, and this is a way to help someone who really, really needs it who might not make it otherwise. If you can, I would urge you to consider donating. You can even donate $10, which I know is a lot for many of us. I can't even begin to say how awesome this is, what Trent and co. have done, because if you think about it, not many bands at all would consider doing something like this (in an era in which some bands will charge you simply to meet them, with the money going to them as opposed to an actual pertinent cause). So, in closing, sharing is caring, and what better way to share than helping someone who is truly in need. It'll warm your heart, guaranteed.

Reznor Named King of All Things Social Media

Sometimes I worry that I write far too much about Trent Reznor, but, damnation, the guy is so far ahead of the game when it comes to the current state of the music industry, I can't help myself.

We've told you about numerous free albums, samplers and tracks he's posted for free on his site. If you haven't seen it, the guy's a Twitter freak, too.

Well, all that apparently was child's play, as the sumbitch now has officially launched his own iPhone app (Android and Blackberry ports allegedly are in the works). Now, I'm still playing with the thing myself, but it could be the most genius thing I've ever seen, wis-à-vis a band marketing itself through Web 2.0 outlets. Not only does this thing allow access to a boatload of music and videos, but it also has the vaunted "Nearby" feature, essentially a GPS/Twitter mixture that allows users to post their current thoughts and locations, ostensibly allowing like-minded NIN fans to get together to do whatever like-minded NIN fans do. I imagine it involves wearing a lot of black, but I digress.

If you've got an iPhone, I strongly suggest checking this thing out, regardless of your feelings on NIN, as this should be the future of what bands start doing in the future. Assuming that is the case, me likey. Me likey a LOT.

To get your iPhone app, click here.

Zut Alors!: 2009 NIN|JA Tour

Before I get into anything else, I'd like to say for the record that the upcoming Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction tour has possibly the coolest name of all times. I mean, seriously, they're calling it NINJA 2009. Seeing as the third act on the bill is Street Sweeper, I'd probably have called it NINJAS, but who am I to question the marketing gods?

To whet everyone's appetite for the impending festivities, the boys decided to give the fans a little sampler goodness. All you need to do is sign-up at the NINJA site, but we've got a couple of treats here for you if you're just too damn lazy to go that extra step yourself. You'd be a fool not to check it out if you're fans of any of the bands, however, as there are tons of things to watch and listen to there.

I'm not sure if I'm happier with the fact that Reznor produced some previously non-studio faves from JA or that Trent's stuff simply is as good as it is, but it's a dilema I don't mind having.

Regretfully for area readers, the NINJA tour is coming to the Nissan Pavillion, inarguably the worst venue in the southeastern US, if not on the entire East Coast. I'd say in the world, but that clearly would be hyperbole, even if it is true. Remember what happened the last time we had a major act at NP? Seriously, I've never been to one show there where it took LESS than two hours to get out of that parking lot. One road to and from the final stretch of road in and out of the place?

I'm not sure who to blame for booking the place, as it clearly does enough business to justify its own existense. However, it's a slap in the face to fans who want nothing more than to have a good time at an easily accessible venue.

Sadly, I will not be attending the sure-to-be fiasco waiting to happen that is the Nissan Pavillion. If any of our loyal readers attend, however, pick me up an XL NINJA tee shirt, would you, please? I just can't get enough of that namey goodness.

mp3: Chip Away by Jane's Addiction

mp3: Not So Pretty Now by Nine Inch Nails

mp3: Clap for the Killers by Street Sweeper

April 1st Fun

I'm sure there are dozens of examples out there, so feel free to post links to others in the comments section, but here are some of our favorite musician-specific April Fools for 09:

Mike Doughty, who has something fun ever year, sent out this email:

"Greetings from Portugal, where Scrap and I are currently touring! I'd like to fill you in on a new online venture I've launched.

Inspired by my study of ancient South and Central American cultures, I've started up a new website, MayanSpace.net -- a social network where people take up the avatar of a Mayan person, god, or city.

http://www.MayanSpace.net/

Check it out, especially if you're a Mesoamerican culture + mythology buff (as I'm sure most of you are). Members can contact me personally on MayanSpace.net at my screen name, Huehuetenango2727

(Please note that MayanSpace is a limited-time-only project; the site will only be active through the fall of 2012. So sign up now so you don't miss
out!)

Não acredite que tudo que você leu,
Mike Doughty"
++++++++++++++++++++

And then LET favorite Nine Inch Nails (more from them later this week) decided to offer up this free goodie. Nothing foolish about that.

Best Live Band of 2008: Nine Inch Nails

This one was pretty much the hardest category to choose. I was fortunate enough to see dozens of amazing bands this year, and they sure did make this one big ole bastard of a tough choice, which is why I have about a billion Honorable Mentions. But in the end, I'm pretty happy with my final decision.

I can officially state, for the record, that Nine Inch Nails just might be the best live band out there these days.

This year I saw Mr. Reznor and co. twice, one at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore in August, and again in Charlottesville last month.

I've never been a huge NIN fan (which I'm working on correcting), but each time I've seen them I've been totally blown away. They're incredible live. As in, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, ass-kicking incredible. It's not just that the music sounds so perfect, which it most certainly does. It's more than that. When you go to an NIN show, you're getting a total concert experience. The Charlottesville show was especially elaborate, a bonanza of fancy lighting and unique stage settings. Nearly every couple of songs, the stage setup and lighting would be rejigged to totally chage things up. And when it comes to showmanship, there are few people out there who can match the intensity of Trent Reznor.

Honorable Mention: The Stooges, Dead Confederate, These United States, Die! Die! Die! the Verve, the National, the Black Angels, Fleet Foxes, Spiritualized, My Bloody Valentine, Brian Wilson





[Photo by Megan Petty]

The Top Albums of 2008 According to Chris: #10 - Nine Inch Nails

It's no secret that I think Trent Reznor is a bit of the tortured genius when it comes to his music.

More importantly still, I'm hoping the guy is the bellwether for where music as an industry is headed. Between his Web 2.0 efforts to giving away countless free mp3s (thanks, Trent!), this guy has his finger on the pulse of where things are right now in terms of meaningful and important distribution channels.

I noticed that a number of folks out there felt strongly about NIN's 08, too, placing Ghosts I-IV on their own Top Tens. While a wonderful exercise, I'm going to have to give the nod to The Slip. Another "pay what you want, if anything" exercise, a few of the tracks on this bad boy rank among the best in the NIN catalogue.

It's good to hear Trent break out of the malaise that mired some of his more recent work (which is kind of weird to write, since the guy's musical output is largely based on malaise, but whatever).

I can't wait to find out what Mr. Reznor has in store for us in 2009.



mp3: Discipline (link expired)

mp3: Echoplex (link expired)

Album Review: Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

Somebody should probably tell Trent Reznor that it's OK for him to take a break every now and again. Right on the heels of his multi-disc Ghosts opus, he's decided to give another freebie to the fans with The Slip. Oh yeah, and he's about to start a summer tour in the near future. He'll be hitting the Virgin Fest for those of us in the DC metro area on August 10. It wouldn't surprise me if the guy also is working on a perpetual motion device, world peace, and a better way to cross-breed ducks, chickens and turkeys for the perfect Turducken experience for the holidays. We've voiced our love for both Trent's music and the direction he's headed with distribution and fan interaction here at LET. I do not, however, want the guy to have a heart attack from overworking himself, so I'm just suggesting you might want to take a breather when you get the chance, big guy.

The Slip can fairly easily be broken into two distinct portions. Fortunately for our purposes, that would be the opening half and the closing half of the CD. Opening with the spacey instrumental "999,999", the album then throttles into ass kicking overdrive for the next four tracks. For those of you that weren't in love with the completely instrumental Ghosts, you won't have that problem here. Reznor is just as frantic and powerful as ever on tracks like "1,000,000" and "Letting You". "Discipline" and "Echoplex" follow, which begin to slow the pace, but continue with the same spastic urgency that Reznor does so well, before he kicks things back up a notch with "Head Down". From there, however, things make an abrupt about-face. "Lights in the Sky" is a piano dirge, plain and simple, with Reznor's vocals barely audible in the background. "Corona Radiata" clocks in at over seven and a half minutes of essentially low key keyboard noises. This one was for fans of Ghosts, I guess, as the vocals are absent here. "The Four of Us Are Dying" maintains the chill pacing and then Reznor ups the ante on the earlier frenetic note of "Demon Seed".

The Slip does not have the overall cohesive feel of Year Zero, but that's not to say it's bad by any stretch of the imagination. I liken it more to With Teeth; a bunch of great tracks, even if they seem slightly disjointed in their grouping.

I'm really digging the James Brown-sian pace NIN is maintaining since abandoning the big label in favor for putting things out at their own pace. I just don't want that pace to result in a high speed chase with the cops, wife beating or an appearance in Rocky 47 (coming soon to a theater near you, I'm sure). I'm just saying.

To get your free copy of The Slip, check out the NIN site. If you're too damn lazy for that, here's a little sumthin' sumthin' to feed your fix.

Album Review: Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV

Well, I've finally been able to give NIN's latest the once over. It took me a lot longer than expected simply to procure the music, as apparently I was one of about seven gagillion (and that's a lot of people right there) that tried to download the albums these past few days. My first try resulted in a disconnection from the site. When I tried again, there was a message up with words to the effect of, "Even though we did no advance press on this release and planned on more traffic than usual, we've received three times the downloads we expected, so we're going to have to shut down for a while." Day two was much the same thing. I tried twice more on Tuesday, both times experiencing glacier-like download speeds, both times resulting in my computer timing out before the process was complete. Then, miraculously, just before midnight on Tuesday, it was like the heavens parted and I was able to download the zip file of the four discs I ordered in about 15 minutes.

What to say about Ghosts I-IV? As you've probably heard, it's an entirely instrumental affair, so it's kind of hard to judge outside of those parameters. It reminds me of soundtrack music, but what that movie might be is beyond me. Trent offers touches of industrial, somber piano interludes and I'll be damned if that's not some banjo I hear now and again. I'd like to say it's excellent background music, but some of the compositions are fairly jarring, so that's not completely right, either. Without a doubt, though, these were not some hastily compiled, throw away tracks that should have made the cutting room floor. They're well thought out and executed. It's just a bit much to digest in one sitting, what with the lack of vocals and all.

Each digital track comes complete with its own cover art and the pictures are stunning. The $10 package I purchased also comes with wall papers and a variety of other photo extras. If I read the fine print correctly, I also will be receiving two physical CDs in the near future.

While I'm not entirely sure what to "do" with this music, I'm glad I purchased it. Fortunately, it's enjoyable enough in its own right. The fact that it's helping to usher in a new movement in music distribution and fan interaction just makes it that much more appealing.

Zut Alors!: Is Trent Reznor the Future of On-Line Entertainment?

Every now and again (OK, twice), an artist will make a move that I feel is as important, if not moreso, than the music s/he makes. Back in the day, I really got behind Pearl Jam bucking the whole Ticket Bastard system, essentially telling the established machine that they weren't buying into it. PJ stopped making big budget videos and reached out directly to the fans to keep their music alive. Seeing as they remain one of the largest selling concerts of the year whenever they tour, obviously it worked for them.

Trent Reznor has been doing something similar, though still distinctly different, enough to make me sit back and say, "wow." Apparently feeling less than enchanted with his relationship with the Interscope record label, TZ made the announcement back in October of 07 that he was dropping the label and that Nine Inch Nails would henceforth be "a totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label." So it was with probably little surprise that on March 2, 2008, NIN made their first on-line offering with Ghosts I-IV, a 36-track series of CDs. With this one, fans can opt for anything from a completely free download of the first nine songs to shelling out $300 for the "ultra deluxe limited edition package," which includes such goodies as "an exclusive, four-LP 180 gram vinyl set in a fabric slipcase, and two exclusive limited edition Giclee prints in a luxurious package," amongst other things.

Sure, Radiohead already went this route (though they weren't the first, either), and if this was all Reznor was doing, I'd be less impressed. Remember "Year Zero" from last year? How many of you got into the alternate reality game (ARG) that went along with the project? Eerie websites, free songs on memory sticks left in bathrooms, a special concert--they guy really got into the entire idea of reaching out beyond the limitations of just a CD and its packaging and truly embraced what today's tech had to offer. I'm not a huge fan of the whole Web 2.0 theory, but if such a thing exists, Trent seems to have his finger squarely on its pulse. (Read more about the ARG side of things in this great Wired article. In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't get too involved with this aspect, as the A.I. game that launched the genre confused the hell out of me, though I did follow the articles that were written about it.

For the record (CD?), I ordered the $10 package of Ghosts this morning and, while I haven't had a chance to download it yet, I'm looking forward to doing so tonight and then getting my two actual CDs in the mail in a little bit. Hopefully, Trent is on the forefront of two very important movements. First, being in the vanguard of using an all-inclusive media package to entertain us, musically, visually and mentally. I, for one, really dig that. And if it just so happens that he's helping to drive the stake through the heart of record labels that don't seem to give much of a shit about the fans, well, I'm A-OK with that, too.

To get your copy of the latest offering from NIN, go here. It's up to you how much, if anything, you want to spend.

I'll be back hopefully no later than next week with the LET take on the albums.