With the US release of the new Fishbone album almost here, we've learned that because Hollywood Records is a US only company, the worldwide releases will be handled by other companies: Universal in Canada; Avex in Japan; Festival in Australia and New Zealand; and the dance label Edel in Europe.

UK release date is 27th March 2000. Yay!

28th February 2000

The Black Rock Coalition is looking for new music by new artists and bands to be included in several new releases for Black Rock Coalition Records. The new compilations will be for sale via the web as well as through the BRC and other distribution outlets. Bands and artists who believe they are truly on the cutting edge of something new should send 3 completed recordings ready for master (on DAT or CD) along with a picture, bio, return address and a contact number and person to:

Black Rock Coalition Records
P.O. Box 1054 Cooper Station
New York, NY 10276

All music sent will be listened to.

"The BRC is a Not-For-Profit organization and relies on yearly dues paid by its members to afford the cost of operation, the monthly newsletter, and the special panels, clinics and events we sponsor. Therefore, although it is not required upon submission that you or your band be a member of the organization, if you are selected you will be asked to register with the BRC for membership."
If you've already got music on the web please email your information to:

info@blackrockcoalition.org

For more information on previous BRC releases visit:

www.blackrockcoalition.org

21st February 2000

UK political fusionists Asian Dub Foundation had new material played on Radio 1 last night. The latest single, Real Great Britain is a mix of jungle beats, punk guitars and ragga vocals with a lovely funky breakdown at the end. Look out for it in the UK on March 6th. ADF are currently touring Europe with Rage Against The Machine.

18th February 2000

Dutch hip-hop rock pioneers Urban Dance Squad are no more. A news item on their official site reads as follows:

"STOP - urban dance squad - STOP - 13 years - STOP - 1600 concerts - STOP- 5 studio albums - STOP - 118 songs - STOP - bank stock 6 zeros - STOP -STOP - STOP. PS: we wish to thank all of you fans out there for your warm support. You really have been the biggest part of the magic we experienced."

If you're interested in the history (and indeed the future) of crossover music, get yourself some Urban Dance Squad. They were making classy, streetwise hip-hop rock crossover when Fred Durst was in diapers.

7th February 2000

LA nutmeg funk collective Weapon of Choice will be playing at the House of Blues, LA with Hepcat on Feb 7th. The lineup for the band will include not only Lonnie "Mega*nutt" Marshall, but also Fish (of Fishbone fame) on drums, Brewster (The Untouchables, Fishbone) on keys and old school members Mark, Audra, Jellybean, T-Bone and Davie.
The nutmeg touring festival, Nuttstalk, is on its way this month too. Bands will include Fishbone, Trulio Disgracias, Vicky Calhoun, Blowfly, members of Weapon of Choice and possibly also Weapon of Choice themselves, among others. Sounds great. Any chance of a Nuttstalk Europe? ;-)

2nd February 2000

Promo copies of the new Fishbone album have been arriving on people's doormats recently. They don't include all the official release's tracks, but here's a run down of the tracks and what people have been saying about them:

Shakey Ground - a p-funk style track (w/Donny Osmond, Bronx Style Bob, Ivan Neville, Chad Smith, Flea, Billy Bass Nelson, John Frusciante, Jeff Skunk Baxter, Walt Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Albert Wing, Lenny Castro, Jim Cox). The track also appears on the soundtrack to the film "Playin' it to the Bone".

Suffering - a soulful reggae track (w/John Robinson, John McKnight, Lenny Castro, Walt Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Albert Wing)

Where'd You Get Those Pants? - ska-pop incorporating some of "I'm a Weed Plant" (w/John Robinson, Tony Maiden, Lenny Castro, Walt Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Albert Wing)

Everybody is a Star - reworking of the Sly Stone track (w/Gwen Stefani, George Clinton, Rick James, Perry Farrell, Abe Laberial Jr, Patrick Warren, Walt Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Albert Wing, Lil Hadyn, Lenny Castro)

One Planet People - ska/worldbeat (w/ Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Bronx Style Bob, HR, Charles Neville, Abe Laborial Jr, Lenny Castro, Walt Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Albert Wing)

Just Allow - ska (w/Dion Murdock)

Aids & Armageddon - funk/reggae (w/John Robinson, Dion Murdock, David Baerwald, Lenny Castro, Walt Fowler)

It All Kept Startin' - ska (w/Perry Farrell, Abe Laborial Jr, Lenny Castro)

Dear God - dark & moody (w/Abe Laborial Jr, Lenny Castro, Billy Bass Nelson)

Karma Tsunami - punk/ska (w/Lenny Castro)

No sign of Les Claypool or any of the other artists rumoured to be appearing. I hope I get to hear it myself fairly soon!

18th January 2000

David Ryan Harris, former frontman with black rockers Follow For Now has officially left Columbia records due to (surprise surprise) lack of commitment from the label. His brilliant first solo album, it seems, received support from only a handful of people at Sony, and Harris has left to form a new band, a trio by the name of Brand New Immortals. Consisting of DRH on guitar, vocals and programming, Ken Cresswell on drums/percussion and Jon Colt of the Black Crowes on bass, the band is a "basic recipe [of] equal parts Bjork, Stevie Wonder, Hendrix, Radiohead, and the Beatles with salt to taste." Recording now, there'll probably be an EP released by them at the end of February.

14th January 2000

Politically charged genre-breakers Asian Dub Foundation, are putting the finishing touches to their new album Community Music. Provisional UK release date for the disc is 20th March, with a single, Real Great Britain coming out in February.

11th January 2000

The members of ragga-metal lunatics Dub War have reformed as Skindred, although this time with a new bassist. Live reports are promising, and they may well be touring with Slipknot, One Minute Silence or Limp Bizkit. Jeff and Ginge's side project, Tribal Clash, will soon see the light of day via the Welsh punk label Words of Warning.

11th January 2000

Jungle Funk, the project consisting of former Living Colour members Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbush, is no more. They've parted company with vocalist/percussionist Vinx, and have teamed up with former bandmate Corey Glover to form Head Fake. Reportedly an "eclectic mix of psycho-funk", the project's first release will be a live recording of their New Year's Eve gig. Whether this will affect Corey's plans to release his own work, I don't yet know.

4th January 2000 (Happy New Year!)

Freak Juice, the band formerly known as Civil Rite release their debut album Juicemaker on December 4th. Musicians Tori Ruffin, Jai Dillon and Satnam Ramgotra have between them worked with Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Dionne Farris, The Time, Michael Jackson, Dave Wakeling, Alanis Morisette, Michael Landau, The Raging Honkies, Steve Vai, Boxing Gandhis, Mike Keneally and Kevin Gilbert. If their previous incarnation as Civil Rite is anything to go by, Freak Juice will be at the vanguard of black rock music in the 21st century.

If you're interested in picking up a copy of the album, send US$10.00 plus US$5.00 shipping and handling, to:

Rite House Entertainment
Suite 206
6440 Bellingham Ave.
North Hollywood, CA.
91606

25th November 1999

The Nutmeg funk collective Trulio Disgracias will appear on stage for the first time in two years when they play a gig on 30th November at the Roxy in W. Hollywood, California. Although the lineup constantly shifts around nutmeg lynchpin Norwood Fisher, it is expected to include all members of Fishbone and Weapon of Choice; drummer D.H. of the Dead Kennedys; current and former members of Parliament and P-Funk Allstars; Prince from Black Eyed Peas and the legendary HR from Soul Brains (formerly Bad Brains). It will also include the Skeletones' horn section, singers Vicky Calhoun, Durga McBroom and Terrez Lee, and percussionist Ravi. Looks like it might be a show that rivals the golden days of P-Funk for sheer weight of on-stage numbers!

16th November 1999

In a recent visit to the Fishbone mail list, Angelo Moore gave us more information on the new Fishbone album. Collaborators will include: Rick James, George Clinton, Frank Zappa Horns, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blow Fly, Lenny Castro, David Baerwald, Donny Osmond, Primus and Gwen Stefani. All the tracks will feature collaborators.

15th November 1999

Donny Osmond has been confirmed to be appearing on the new Fishbone album. "My son turned me on to Fishbone," says the former teen idol, "I listened to some of the music and thought 'It's really good!'" Osmond and the boys will cover Shakey Ground (by the Temptations?). New names to be mentioned as appearing on the album now include Rick James and George Clinton.

9th November 1999

The new Fishbone album will now no longer be called Fishbone & Friends. The boys have opted for the slightly less snappy title of Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience presents the Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx. Release date has been put back to March 21st 2000. U-Nutted We Stand, the compilation, is on hold, while the Trulio Disgracias and Dirty Walt albums are still looking for a viable distributor.

2nd November 1999

According to a Los Fabulosos Cadillacs fan site, the Argentinean ska band have recorded a song called "One Planet People" with Fishbone for the forthcoming Fishbone & Friends album. They also recorded backup vocals for a few of the other tracks.

25th October 1999

There are a number of bands that I'm interested in tracking down. Their websites remain untended (or offline) and no information seems to be forthcoming. If you have any info on them, please get in touch with me. The artists are:

Audioweb
Dust Junkys
Senser
Slapbak

12th September 1999

Corey Glover appears to have parted company with Laface records just as the new album was about to be released. The news is just rumours at the moment, but it looks as though the usual lack of label committment seems to be the cause. Hopefully Corey will be able to take the album elsewhere. There is also a likelihood that the album will be released online a la Public Enemy before it's released on conventional music formats.

12th September 1999

Corey Glover's new album will reportedly be entitled The Redemption of Reverend Daddy Love. No news on a release date as yet, but it has been confirmed that for this album the former Living Colour frontman's band will play on all the record's tracks. Apparently there are also some interesting guest collaborators, but no details have come to my attention just yet.

8th August 1999

Fishbone have announced a European mini tour in September:

Sept 8th Paris France La Cigalle
Sept 9th Amsterdam Holland Melkweg
Sept 10th Strasbourg France La Laiterie
Sept 11th Mainz W. Germany TBC
Sept 12th Koln W. Germany Live Music Hall

This is amazing, since the band are certainly financing this tour from their own pocket. Go along and support them if you can!

1st August 1999

Acid jazz band the Brand New Heavies have recently gained soul diva Carleen Anderson (formerly of the Young Disciples) on vocals. Former vocalists for the band (whose jazz funk grooves have in the past been sampled by hip-hop bands convinced that they were genuine seventies artists) include Ndea Davenport and Siedah Garret. A studio album with Anderson is forthcoming, but in the meantime BNH will release Trunk Funk, a best of compilation. UK release date for Trunk Funk is 23rd of August, but the rest of the world release dates are as yet unknown.

25th July 1999

UPDATE TO PREVIOUS POST: According to Alternative Press, Fishbone and Friends will be released in September 1999. In a report from MTV, official No Doubt sources confirmed that Gwen Stefani did indeed record a track for the project on the 28th June, while sources close to the Red Hot Chili Peppers state that they joined their long time comrades in the studio the previous Sunday. David Lefkowitz, manager for Primus, told MTV News that Claypool and co. had spent a full day in the studio last month, and a rep for Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros frontman Perry Farrell stated that singer recorded a track last week.

Busta Rhymes, who contributed vocal duties to the Fishbone album Chim Chim's Badass Revenge, is reportedly trying to schedule some time with the group, while a management rep for Donny Osmond (sic) said that the singer is definitely interested in working with the band, but is waiting to hear the song the group has in store for him before making his final decision.

Other artists hoping to participate include: Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez from 311, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, guitar experimentalist Buckethead, Super 8's Bob Khaleel (the Artist Formerly Known as Bronx Style Bob), and members of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Wow.

5th July 1999

Fishbone's long-awaited new album is due out in late 1999. Reportedly entitled Fishbone and Friends it will include a large number of guest appearances (Gwen Stefani has been confirmed, as has Les Claypool), and will be released on Hollywood Records. Also due for release in late 1999 is a two-volume compilation album called U-Nutted We Stand, via the band's own Nuttsactor 5 Records. Bassist extraordinaire Norwood's funk supergroup Trulio Disgracias will release their debut album Nuttin's Gonna Get You if You Don't Look Out on Transmission Records, while Dirty Walt and the Columbus Sanitations are set to release their debut To Put it Bluntly on Nuttsactor 5 Records sometime in '99.

Vocalist, saxophonist and renaissance man Angelo Moore will also publish his second volume of poetry later this year.

25th June 1999

Los Angeles-based salsa-hip-hop stars Ozomatli have reportedly been working with Trulio Disgracias. Whether these sessions will appear on any forthcoming release by either band is as yet unknown.

May 1999

"Basically some members wanted to use samples and loops, whilst others wanted to keep hardcore guitars - at the end of the day some people were sick of being in a heavy band. For me, making music and having sex is the same thing: if one of the party doesn't want to do it any more and is forced to do it, it becomes rape. The band couldn't function properly under those circumstances.

"I'd like to thank everyone who bought our records, came to our shows and suppoted Dub War in any way - and I'd like to think that all of you will be equally enthusiatic and supportive of all the members' new ventures. One thing is for certain - the story isn't over yet. My belief is that setbacks become springboards and that obstacles become opportunities."

Benji is currently writing new material for an as yet unnamed project which he hopes will be released later this year. Already in the can is his collaboration with ex-Infectious Grooves/ Ozzy performer Rob Trujillo. The project, Mass Mental, is currently undergoing production work by Mark Dodson.

Meanwhile Ginge and Jeff have formed Tribal Clash, while bassist Richie is working with members of hardcore band Leatherface.

May 1999

Disclaimer: Although much of the information presented here comes straight from the artists' mouths, don't take it as cast iron truth. It's the nature of the music business that new projects can fold at the drop of a hat due to lack of funding or schedule difficulties. Sorry to be a wet blanket, but I don't want to see you disappointed!

If you have any news you think might be of interest to the Nutmeg world at large, give me a shout.

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