A friend sent me a link to www.pandora.com, part of the Music Genome Project, which has analyzed the musical attributes of 10,000 songs in order to “capture the essence of music at the most fundamental level.” The Pandora site creates a radio station based on an artist or song you suggest, since the project’s friends were always asking for suggestions of new music they might enjoy.

So, of course, I had to pop in U2 and see what came up. I entered the group rather than a song to see which direction they took it in, and I was pleasantly surprised to see them start off with “An Cat Dubh.” In explaining the song choice, it said, “We’re playing this song because it features electric rock instrumentation, a vocal-centric aesthetic, extensive vamping, electric guitar riffs and a dynamic male vocalist.” So what could be next? Coldplay? REM? One of their influences? No, try 38 Special’s “If I’d Been the One.” Wha?

The explanation: “We’re playing this track because it features electric rock instrumentation, a vocal-centric aesthetic and many other similiarities identified in the genome project.” Ummmm … OK …

Next on the list were Led Zeppelin’s “The Wanton Song” and Chris Isaak’s “Dancin’,” with much the same explanation (except Isaak also features “repetitive melodic phrasing, extensive vamping and minor key tonality.”).

But I think I’ll keep playing with it. You get about four songs before you have to register, but it’s free if you don’t mind ads. You can create multiple stations, save them, tell it you like or don’t like a song … I could see myself losing much time here. And the next song that came up was “Staring at the Sun” Live from Rotterdam. Gotta love that.

Rather than wait until my return to writing OTR (which is still a couple weeks away), I thought I’d drop a note here about an Ireland photoset I’ve just added to Flickr. There are a lot of U2-related pictures because this was a trip that was partially designed for research on a book I was writing at the time — the book never happened, but much of the research ended up in the “Guide to U2’s Dublin” that we have on @U2. Anyway, here are the pix:

Ireland trip, June 1996

Enjoy!

I know that Larry’s said on U2.com that he can’t multi-task with smiling and drumming at the same time. We have proof in this performance that he can indeed smile AND drum at the same time. Perhaps that’s a skill that goes away with age?

Glad to see white outfits are no longer a fashion statement.

Thanks to the folks at U2place.com for uploading it!

By the way - there are a few other great clips found on YouTube - thanks to those who uploaded!
Larry & Bono during Comic Relief Fast Cars (Sims version)

There has been a great deal of foreshadowing going on in the reporting on U2.com and in Willie’s Diary with regards to filming the 4th leg (as well as filiming of parts of the third leg). The latest hint comes in the recap from Mexico City from Feb. 18 where they say, “The cameras were on stage tonight, second show in succession, and the band were using them more, playing with them, reacting to them. Something interesting is going on…but our lips are sealed, we’ll bring you more on this in the coming days.”

Hmmm….could it be a concert simulcast on U2.com in the very near future? AOL just did a simulcast of the Stones at Copacabana Beach…could it be similar? I guess we’ll need to wait to find out!

The Boston Globe has an article in today’s paper about the h-lounge.com MIT ringtone competion where Edge offers more insight on how ringtones shape people’s impressions of you. The article states:

Geoff Mayfield, Billboard’s director of charts, also wonders whether there’s a mass market for original ring tones. ”Making your own ring might have a certain kind of coolness, but another kid might say, ‘Mine plays 50 Cent,’ ” Mayfield says.

”Music you do in private,” he says by phone. ”But ring tones become a public display, like a pair or sneakers or a T-shirt. People are going to use ring tones as a real expression of what they’re about.”

You can read the article here.

(Disclosure: As a participant in the ringtone competition, I was interviewed and quoted in the Globe story as well.)

I stumbled upon this cartoon I cut out a very long time ago as I was cleaning out my files this weekend. With the start of the 4th leg, and the size of the stage’s screen, I thought you’d get the same giggle I did many years ago when I saw it in the newspaper.

Someone has turned off his irony-sensor:

Pastor Joel Schimmel, author of They Sold Their Souls For Rock And Roll, formerly titled Rock & Roll Sorcerers of the New Age Revolution, has produced an 8 minute video you may be interested in watching.

The thesis is — you guessed it — U2 have sold their souls and become Satan’s minions.

You should be able to view it directly here or if you’d like to see some other work of Pastor Joel, you can go to

http://www.goodfight.org to find the U2 video.

In all seriousness, viewing this piece kind of makes me wonder why there hasn’t been more anti-U2 backlash from those who like their religion a little more black-and-white.

In the March 2006 issue of Cargo magazine actor Jeremy Piven gives up a little man love to U2.

Cargo: “As a self described “drum-slut,” hitting the skins is probably also relaxing. Would you run if Bono needed you?”

Piven: “If Bono called, I would drop everything. It’s done. I know every one of U2’s songs, and Larry Mullen, Jr., their drummer, is one of my heroes. I would absolutely hit the road with them. I’d haul speakers. But If I had to retire from acting, I can’t even imagine what I’d do with myself. It would freak me out to the core. So, to walk away and play kit behind U2, by all means, but I’d have to get back on stage as an actor at some point.”

Piven plays, Hollywood agent, Ari Gold on the HBO hit series Entourage. U2 appeared in the episode I Love You Too, during season 2, where the cast attended a U2 concert in LA.

For all of the u2.com subscribers, good news! Willie Williams has resumed his diary entries on u2.com. The latest one is dated February 8. They started back up around the start of the year as he gears up to join the band on the 4th leg of the tour, but somehow I managed to finally stumble upon them today.

In his Feb. 6 Diary entry, he mentions, “From there we headed to Universal City to see a demo of some 3D IMAX test footage of U2 which was shot on the last leg of the tour.” Well, that certainly sounds interesting! However, is it that far of a stretch to imagine Bono that big and in 3D? Imagine seeing the Gibson Explorer that big, tho!

Welcome back, Willie! We sure did miss you.

A lot of news will be circulating today regarding U2’s big night at the Grammy’s. CNN.com has a short interview with all 4 members as they kick back some pizza and popcorn after the show last night.

The quote that stands out to me is when Bono is describing How to Dismantle… and saying there are songs like A Man and a Woman and Miracle Drug that hopefully people will be in a truck stop and will stop and discover the songs. Forgive me here - but my mind can’t quite wrap itself around the notion of being in a truck stop and pondering the song A Man and a Woman. (Answer Guy will back me up on this).

You can view the interview here. (For all you Larry fans…yes, he does talk about being down on his knees. And, no, I haven’t been able to figure out why he’s recycling Bono’s Elevation Tour look with the red star on his shirt.)

For the rest of the news reports, good luck keeping up with them! Google News has hundreds of related stories cataloged already! (Hope U2’s publicity team have their trainers on to keep up with it all)