There are only one of two possibilities when it comes to communing with dead rock stars.
a) It's all nonsense, in which case rock nyc hasn't hurt anybody.
b) it's all true, in which case where's the kick?
A couple of years ago, rock nyc interviewed Elliott Smith thru a medium to ask him about the circumstances surrounding his death. Elliott said Jennifer Chiba did it though I kinda doubt the accusation would stand up in court.
Since then we've done some fun stuff, we published the amount just about every major rock star makes. Got roundly ignored, of course, but a fun post. Currently we are trying to get the FBI files on dead rock stars through muckracker.com.
Which got me to think of dead rock stars, again.
rock nyc is so small, we are nearly entirely ignored by the major labels (and the minor, come to think of it). Sooooooooo, since we can't reach out to rock stars via the usual methods, we figured we'd trying something, how you say, alternative. I have emailed the woman who performed the Elliott Smith interview for us. If she isn't interested, I am sure we can find someone else.
Then the question becomes: who do we want to talk to. Nothing too obvious: no Presley, no Lennon, no James Brown. Nothing too recent: no Amy Winehouse, no Poly Styrene. Nothing too long ago: no Big Bopper or Bobby Fuller.
My first choice is Alex Chilton. A great singer songwriter, an iconic figure in my book. However, while I don't mind a guiltless life, does it have to be THIS GUILTLESS.
Big L – I am a huge fan and he was murdered so you gotta think there is a thing or two to be said about that. But maybe too obscure for rock nyc.
Louis Armstrong – I know, this goes against all my rules but who wouldn't love to speak to him. I am definitely gonna try.
Doug Hopkins – He was the co-leader of the Gin Blossoms and one of the great lost songwriters. fired from the band after he wrote or co-wrote half of the songs on their masterpiece New Miserable Experience, his is a real tragedy. I wouldn't mind going through some of that truly miserable experience with him.
So, yeah, I'm simultaneously funning and taking the concept equal parts seriously. As an agnostic, all I can say is, hey, why not. If I'm not gonna do something like this, why bother to co-edit a music blog? There's more gotta to be more to it than aggregating news of the repulsive excesses of the Jay-Z's in this world.
So keep reading, interviews with dead rock stars is on its way.