May 2013

The disaster on display here is not a tornado, but a fire, or to be more specific: The icy shell that formed around a Chicago building as firefighters fought the blaze.

Lana Del Rey makes perfect sense for a Great Gatsby soundtrack and this video is a great counterpoint to the over-the-top opulence of the Baz Luhrman film. This is faded and real: Beautifully shot by Sophie Muller and directed by Chris Sweeney.

When I first started in the music biz, Platinum and Gold plaques were given out like Holiday cards. Anyone tangentially related to a hit project got a plaque. Those days are gone: Fewer million sellers, fewer award certifications, smaller budgets, less cash to waste on trophys. It's a bummer. Especially if you're a company like Ill-Eagle or Jewel Box Platinum, that designs and manufactures these plaques.