Johnny Marr adds juice to the Cribs
The addition of guitarist Johnny Marr to an up-and-coming English indie band might seem like the creative maneuverings of sales-hungry record execs.
But according to Cribs bassist and co-frontman, Gary Jarman, the legendary Smiths axeman decided to join the three-piece (currently his second besides Modest Mouse) after declaring himself an unabashed fan of the meaty Britpop they displayed on 2005's "The New Fellas."
"It was as innocent as that," Jarman says down the line from his Portland home. "I guess a lot of people think these things are [orchestrated] by band managers or labels, but it really wasn't like that.
"We always resisted the idea of adding a fourth person because that meant one of us would have to go in the middle and no one wants to do that," he laughs. "We're too shy and humble."
Also based in Portland, Marr befriended Gary and brothers Ryan (guitars) and Ross (drums) following Modest Mouse's 2007 effort "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank."
The friendship, which was forged by hanging out almost daily, helped the Jarman brothers start to envision bigger, more intricate melodies for their follow-up, the recently released "Ignore the Ignorant."
"I loved being a three-piece, but it was a bit one dimensional because we had to try and generate powerful sounds between three people," he says. "Adding Johnny freed my brother and I to concentrate more on singing and the melodies."
Extended jam sessions in Marr's home let the band unite pop ambitions forged on the Alex Kapranos-produced "Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever" (2007) with the bounce rock that has made them a radio mainstay in their native England.
Marr, who co-wrote all the songs with the Jarman clan, injects his unmistakable guitar between Gary and Ryan's melodic vocals, but doesn't overshadow Morrissey-like lyrics that take aim at a celebrity obsessed culture ("Victims of Mass Production") and the rise of the British right wing ("Ignore the Ignorant").
"After the success of our first couple of records, people had sort of pegged us as this super confident band, but that was never the case," says Jarman. "Just having Johnny as a fan was a huge thing because we were such big fans of the Smiths; they were a big influence and Johnny's playing was a big influence on my brother.
"That was a big enough deal anyway because we never expected anyone to ever care about our band in the first place."
And while the addition of Marr allowed Gary and Ryan to try their hand at arena singalongs ("We Were Aborted," "We Share the Same Skies," "Hari Kari"), the injection of the legendary guitarist forced the brothers realize their songs have to look cool on paper.
"The songs should look good written down," Gary recalls Marr saying. "And I agree. That might sound superficial, but I do honestly think that, just like a book, if you have a song with a boring title you won't be that compelled to listen."
Genesis Says Peter Gabriel Missing Rock Hall Induction Is No 'Snub'
Peter Gabriel's Genesis bandmates are giving him the benefit of the doubt for bowing out of next month's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Gabriel will not attend the March 15 affair because it conflicts with orchestra rehearsal dates for his upcoming European and North American concerts to promote his new album, "Scratch My Back." "(Gabriel) rang up and said, 'Look, everyone's going to say I'm trying to snub you and all the rest of it,' " Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks tells Billboard.com. "I said, 'Well, just tell them we didn't want you to come, so we're snubbing you!'
"No...I mean, it's a fair enough thing. It would've been lovely if he could've come, but I understand his problem," Banks adds.
Guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford says Gabriel was "very keen" about the induction and feels the singer's absence is "a very legitimate excuse. I know he would (come) if he could, but it's just the wrong timing."
Gabriel's decision has effectively scuttled any hopes of Genesis performing at the ceremony, though a full complement of Genesis members will be there, including: drummer-turned-frontman Phil Collins, who's still rehabilitating from spinal surgery and is unable to play; guitarist Steve Hackett, who left the band in 1977; and longtime touring members Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer.
"I think at my age, any accolade is enjoyed," says Rutherford, who turns 60 in October. "It's nice to be inducted into something."
Neither Banks nor Rutherford expect the induction to inspire any sort of renewed Genesis activity, however. The group last toured in 2007 and has not discussed anything further, although Banks notes that "we never rule it out." But he adds that he "can't see us doing any writing again, but in terms of just (playing live), it's always a possibility."
Rutherford, meanwhile, says that "the last tour was a nice kind of moment; it made us appreciate the band and each other as human beings. It kind of reminded us how much fun we'd had. And you never know what will happen; it depends on who's standing in five years' time or something like that."
The Genesis members are staying busy on their own, however. Besides Gabriel's project, Collins is recording an album of Motown songs that's due out this fall; he's also slated to receive the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriter's Hall of Fame on June 17. Hackett is collaborating on a project with Yes bassist Chris Squire, while Banks, who issued a remastered and expanded version of his 1979 solo debut "A Curious Feeling" last year, is working on a classical piece. Rutherford, meanwhile, has reactivated Mike & the Mechanics with British singer Andrew Roachford, among others, and expects to have a new album finished by May.
'Precious' wins big at 41st NAACP Image Awards
LOS ANGELES – It was a winning night for "Precious" at the 41st NAACP Image Awards.
The heart-wrenching tale of an illiterate and abused teen who finds hope in a Harlem classroom was named outstanding motion picture and outstanding independent film at Friday's ceremony. Stars Mo'Nique and Gabourey Sidibe, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher and director Lee Daniels also won.
Daniels excitedly accepted the best-picture prize, surrounded by his cast and fellow producers.
"No one in Hollywood told me they wanted to see a movie about a 350-pound black woman with HIV," he said.
Sidibe objected, and Daniels corrected himself: "She's not 350 pounds. This was before you were hired."
The director twice told the orchestra to stop playing him off, but Daniels was ultimately cut off as gospel duo Mary Mary took the stage and the show came to a close.
Presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Image Awards honor diversity in the arts and outstanding achievements in film, television, music and literature.
Sidibe cried as she accepted the award for outstanding actress in a motion picture for her starring turn as Precious, the overweight, twice-pregnant teen who discovers her self-worth through reading and writing.
"It's so awesome to win! I love winning," said the Oscar nominee, who made her acting debut with this film. "I want to thank my God for ordering my steps, for everything that my life was and everything that it is now."
Fellow Oscar nominee Mo'Nique, who has swept the supporting actress prize throughout Hollywood's awards season for her moving turn as abusive mother Mary Jones, added another trophy to her collection with the Image Award for her role in "Precious."
"For all the Mary Joneses, I love you unconditionally, baby," she said. "For all the Preciouses, I love you unconditionally. Let's start loving each other again."
Other winners Friday included Keri Hilson, Maxwell, "Brothers" star Daryl "Chill" Mitchell and Chris Rock.
Hilson was named outstanding new artist, Maxwell won for male artist, Mitchell took the award for actor in a comedy series and Rock accepted the documentary award for his film "Good Hair."
Mitchell was moved to tears as he accepted his trophy.
"As long as you all got legs, I'm going to always walk," the wheelchair-bound actor said.
Rock said he wasn't prepared for his documentary win.
"I made this movie just for black people," he said. "I've seen a lot of documentaries, and I said I want the blackest movie of all time."
Tyler Perry was honored with the Chairman's Award for his philanthropy and career achievements. Wyclef Jean received the Vanguard Award for raising funds and cultural awareness after the earthquake in Haiti. Human-rights activist Van Jones received the President's Award.
Music mogul Clarence Avant was inducted into the Image Awards Hall of Fame at the ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium, which was hosted by Anika Noni Rose and Hill Harper and broadcast live on Fox.
Leno returns to late night, but can he rule?
LOS ANGELES – The chin is coming back to late-night on NBC. So is the desk, the couch and, the network fervently hopes, the audience.
When Jay Leno reclaims "The Tonight Show" on Monday, NBC is banking that the ratings spiral that marked Conan O'Brien's brief tenure as host will quickly fade to a dim memory.
If viewers want to dwell on the messy dithering that led to this point — Leno moved to prime-time, NBC affiliates rebelling at his low ratings, O'Brien balking at NBC's directive that he and "Tonight" shift to midnight, O'Brien exiting and leaving a diminished audience behind — the network is focused on the end result.
With the Winter Olympics providing a big platform, NBC aired a promotional spot advising that "the chin" was back. Another spot had Leno breezing down a coastal highway in a snazzy convertible that shed the number "10" for "11:35." It cast him as a happy traveler headed home, back where he belongs, after a misadventure not even worth a postcard.
Lisa Howfield, general manager of NBC affiliate KVBC in Las Vegas, thinks Leno's fans will be right behind him.
"I suspect he'll get the same numbers (ratings) he had in prime-time, which are the same numbers he had in late-night. ... I think it's probably going to get right back into normal viewing patterns," Howfield said.
Media analyst Steve Sternberg agrees Leno should regain the late-night lead, which he held for most of his run, despite some observers' assertions that he ended up cast as the villain when O'Brien took a powder.
"I don't think Leno's image took much of a hit with his fans at all," said Sternberg. "That was more of a press and Conan fan-Twitter creation than anything else. Half of Leno's audience is over 55, a group that tends to be very loyal."
Leno averaged 5.2 million viewers nightly in his final season of "Tonight" before O'Brien took over last May, and was drawing virtually the same number — 5.3 million — to his prime-time show.
Expectations were higher for the new show, however, because more people watch TV in prime-time, and affiliates complained loudly to NBC because their local newscasts were taking a viewership hit because of the weak lead-in. NBC eventually bowed to the pressure.
Aside from the Olympics spots, the network has taken a relatively low-key approach to Leno's comeback, especially compared to his splashy debut last fall with "The Jay Leno Show."
The comedian has declined interviews and NBC, which proudly toured reporters through the Burbank set built for Leno's new show, is keeping the now-revamped studio largely under wraps. It will include the time-honored desk-chair-couch setup, which was banished from prime time, and a new color scheme.
Bill Carroll, an analyst with media-buyer Katz Television in New York, said NBC is taking a wise approach by reminding viewers that "Tonight" again has Leno but not "overhyping" the event so expectations remain reasonable.
As for content, Leno will bring along some elements introduced in prime-time, including field reports from comedians and the "Cop N Kitty" sketch, a parody of police teams. These will be blended with the "Tonight" bits Leno has kept alive, including odd headlines and his "Jaywalking" man-in-the-street interviews.
His first-night guests will be Jamie Foxx, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn and Brad Paisley. Sarah Palin is set for Tuesday, along with Olympic snowboarder Shaun White and a performance by Adam Lambert.
Leno is facing a changed landscape. O'Brien had lost half the audience that his predecessor had drawn to "Tonight," with CBS' David Letterman and other shows the beneficiary.
Whether Leno can reclaim those scattered viewers and his No. 1 status is unclear. A benchmark moment, such as the Hugh Grant interview that helped Leno get traction when he started as "Tonight" host, could make the difference, analyst Carroll said.
But whether that moment belongs to Leno or Letterman remains to be seen.
"Over the long haul, it could go either way. Late night is so fickle," Carroll said.
Farrell harsh on 'Miami Vice'
Colin Farrell has slammed his 2006 movie Miami Vice, insisting the plotline was "style over substance".
The Irish actor was cast as Detective James Crockett in the crime drama, opposite Jamie Foxx, who played his colleague, Detective Ricardo Tubbs.
But Farrell is convinced the relationship between the pair was too intense for the movie - and admits he may have been at fault over his portrayal of the cop.
He tells Total Film magazine, "Miami Vice? I didn't like it so much. I thought it was style over substance and I accept a good bit of the responsibility.
"I understood that we were trying to paint a relationship with Tubbs and Crockett that was so grounded and familiar that there was no need for them to incessantly talk to each other - or look at each other - over two and a half hours.
"I did think we missed an opportunity. It was never going to be Lethal Weapon, but I think we missed an opportunity to have a friendship that also had some elements of fun."