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 [2016-07-30] Guide to Nirvana sights in Aberdeen, Olympia and Seattle [2015-03-22] Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways DVD/Blu-ray up for pre-order [2013-09-24] In Utero 20th anniversary release - OUT NOW! [2011-04-02] Follow NFC on Twitter - @nirvclub - for latest news |
| NFC News Courtney Love's diary book out October 31 | |
 Tomorrow, Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love will be published in the US by Faber & Faber. The book is described as a "multi-textual memoir chronicling the life of one of our most potent pop icons". From a Newsweek story about the book: "[The book] inevitably makes you think that Love is trying to keep pace with her husband, whose journals were published (by her) in 2002. There are certainly similarities. They're both full of scribbles, scraps and secrets—Love includes her 1976 rejection letter from the Mickey Mouse Club. But with Love, there's always more than meets the eye. The intimate items Love reveals —scrawled lyrics, photos, poetry, lists and childhood relics—form a collage of a life spent in pursuit of validation, fueled by her relentless creativity." And more from the official book description: "Through these diaries we see Love’s accomplishments, her mistakes, her history, and her bright future in a whole new light. From her upbringing in Oregon through her years living in Japan, New Zealand, and London, from her career highs with Hole and as a Hollywood leading lady to her personal heartbreak and struggle, Dirty Blonde is Love laid bare—a wholly fascinating portrait of a fierce and insightful woman with an unblinking worldview and a determination to express herself no matter the cost." You can order the book online here. | |
    Posted or updated: 10-30-2006 @ 5:59 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News Nirvana LTSO DVD trailer |
 A trailer for the upcoming Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! DVD has turned up online. View it below. |
| Posted or updated: 10-28-2006 @ 2:21 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News Review of new Kurt Cobain book | |
Jeff Burlingame, former longtime editor at the Aberdeen Daily World newspaper and co-founder of the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee is now ready with his brand new book Kurt Cobain: Oh Well, Whatever, Nevermind in the American Rebels series. Jeff knew Kurt Cobain for a brief period of time and for the past few years, as co-chair of the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee, he's been very active in getting Aberdeen to recognize their most famous son. The book is a short biography aimed at junior high and high school students, mainly intended to introduce this younger audience to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, by presenting just the facts and no editorialized views or opinions (more info on the book's background here). The book is not meant to break new ground or introduce a number of new details into the Nirvana legacy. But it does a good job of telling the story of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana's claim to fame in a simple, concise and interesting fashion. It is told in a objective tone, yet from the perspective of a person who writes from the heart, and out of respect and admiration for an artist and a band that meant so much to the author. Not just to him, of course, but to music in general, and to his home turf of Aberdeen, Washington. The sordid stories of heroin addiction, divorce, depression and even murder theories can't escape the Kurt Cobain tale, but there is still a pleasant tone throughout the entire book. Perhaps because the author doesn't dwell on any single event but swiftly moves through a host of different topics in each chapter. With that in mind, other Nirvana books are better if you want to get every detail on, say, Nirvana's recording sessions, concerts or other important events. But for a brief, summarized walk through the story of Nirvana - this is a good place to start. Through the author's interviews, especially with Kurt's grandfather Leland, you'll also find interesting and even funny new details or angles on events that you may not have heard before. Especially the story of Nirvana'a first ever concert, at a house party in March of 1987, is fascinating to read: "With Cobain on guitar, singing into a microphone taped to its stand, Novoselic on bass, and [first drummer Aaron] Burckhard playing [co-inhabitant of the house Jeffrey] Franks' drum set, the Aberdeen band began its set. The twenty people present were mostly there to party and certainly not there to see a band they had never heard of. So Cobain's band played eight songs to a mostly empty room." There's also the story behind the photo shoot for Rolling Stone magazine where the wardrobe stylist turned out to be from Aberdeen, WA as Cobain was. She helped pick clothing choices that she felt characterized Nirvana's career at the time: "After the session, [wardrobe stylist Cyndy] Warlow, Cobain, and Novoselic talked about growing up in Aberdeen. When the stylist got home, there was a phone message from Cobain thanking her for 'really taking the time to think about him and what he was about instead of just trying to make a fashion statement'." As a bonus, the book includes some artwork Kurt drew as a kid, as well as a couple of rare photos. Of course, you can also read about the Memorial Committee's work and plans for the future. In conclusion, if you're a hardcore Nirvana fan, there are other books that provide a more ellaborate and detailed account of the Nirvana tale. Nevertheless, this book does very well for the purpose of providing a healthy introduction for young newcomers to the band, and it is certainly a well-written and well-researched publication in that regard. Kurt Cobain: Oh Well, Whatever, Nevermind is available for pre-order at online stores (e.g. Amazon) now and from the author's website. It will be published on November 1. A portion of the proceeds from the book are going to the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee. | |
| Posted or updated: 10-26-2006 @ 7:09 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News Foo Fighters to release CD and DVD | |
A little Foo Fighters news (with a twist of Nirvana):SKIN AND BONES, Foo Fighters' first live album, captures the band's critically-acclaimed 2006 acoustic tour with 15 special performances of songs spanning the band's career. Available in stores on November 7th, SKIN AND BONES will be followed up with a DVD version in stores on November 28th. For many fans, the album and DVD will be the first (and only) chance to witness the magic of this completely sold out tour that played a mere 15 North American venues. SKIN AND BONES captures every highlight - from the opening crescendo of Razor to the live debut of the Nirvana b-side Marigold [with Pat Smear] to striking reinterpretations of FF classics like My Hero, Times Like These, Best Of You, and Everlong and much more." Story courtesy of the official Foo Fighters Newsletter. Pre-order the Foo Fighters live CD here or the live DVD here. Don't forget that Nirvana's Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! DVD comes out on the same day as the Foo Fighters CD: November 7th in the US (the day before in most other countries). You can pre-order the Nirvana DVD here. | |
| Posted or updated: 10-26-2006 @ 7:03 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News Smells Like Big Bucks |
| Journalist and author Gillian G. Gaar recently wrote an interesting article for HARP magazine, which is now available online. It deals with the "Nirvana industry"; the numerous books, unofficial DVDs, movies, magazines etc. that continue generating money for (and from) the Nirvana brand. It also mentions the new biography by Jeff Burlingame which I reviewed a couple of days ago, as well as the new Everett True book. Read the article here. Courtesy of HARP Magazine online and Guthrie, Inc.
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| Posted or updated: 10-26-2006 @ 6:31 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News Kurt Cobain is bigger than Elvis |
| According to a list compiled by Forbes, at $50 million, Kurt Cobain was the top-earning dead celebrity for the period October 2005-October 2006. Courtney Love selling a 25% stake in the Nirvana publishing rights earlier this year is the main reason for Cobain's top placement on the Forbes list. This was Cobain's first time on the list in its six years of publication - a list usually topped by Elvis Presley. Story courtesy of Reuters. Read more here. Thanks to everyone who sent in the story. Read the Forbes article here.
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| Posted or updated: 10-25-2006 @ 5:22 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News Nirvana music to feature in episode of "C.S.I.:Miami" | |
An episode of the popular show C.S.I.:Miami will feature several Nirvana songs in an upcoming episode. According to Forbes, the music will be included with one of the four episodes scheduled to air in November. The CBS show airs every Monday night at 10 PM. Apparently the episode in question was written around the Nirvana songs, and the concept is supported by Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. Read the full story here. Also check out this article from the Chicago Tribune about Nirvana music being used in movies and TV shows. | |
| Posted or updated: 10-25-2006 @ 5:22 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News "About a Son" clip |
| A short clip from the "About a Son" documentary has surfaced: |
| Posted or updated: 10-17-2006 @ 4:29 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News SLTS the third Greatest Songs Ever | |
In the October 2006 issue of Q Magazine, they have a list of the "100 Greatest Songs Ever", as voted for by the readers. Nirvana made it to spot #78 with Heart-Shaped Box while Smells Like Teen Spirit finished as #3, only beaten by two Oasis songs (the list was compiled by Brits!) The magazine describes the song, which opens with one of the most recognisable guitar riffs of all time, as "the aural equivalent of smashing an axe into firewood". Speaking of Q, on September 30 they published their 20th anniversary issue - in 20 different editions with 20 different covers. One of the cover stars is Dave Grohl who also did an interview with the magazine. More info here. | |
| Posted or updated: 10-16-2006 @ 5:02 PM (GMT) by RH. |
| NFC News NME's Krist Novoselic interview | |
In the September 30 issue of NME there is a rare interview with former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic as part of their coverage of the Nevermind 15th anniversary. Here are some excerpts from the interview which is mostly about the legendary album:What memories immediately come to mind when you hear the word "Nevermind"? Krist: "Well, making the record was pretty neat. We were living in Los Angeles, in north Hollywood, in a part-furnished apartment, and having as much fun as possible. We'd work from like noon, and then we'd go to Venice Beach at night to see the sun come up. About half the songs we put together in the months preceding the recording, and the other half were songs that had been around for a while. So we had the material down and we were playing live shows and playing well." How often do you listen to "Nevermind" now? Krist: "Well, I watched the Heart-Shaped Box video just the other night. That's a heavy trip, man. There was some heavy allegory there. That's open to interpretation, which is as far as I'm gonna go with that, but ... I listened to 'Nevermind' not so long ago, and it's a really good record. It moves right along, it's got diversity, it's hard rock and pop music and it's got the big choruses. I'm really proud of it. I'm really proud of the bass-playing. Things that I put there that I feel helped make that sound." What are your feelings about Kurt after all this time? Krist: "It's heartbreaking. He should never have done that. You can't blame anybody for something like that, it was dysfunction and it's just too bad. I think he should have hung in there and things would have got better for him. He could have done anything he wanted to do. He was a great, great painter, he was a sculptor, he was a songwriter - he was a bona fide artist. It reallty is tragic." Krist Novoselic is currently active in politics, mostly advocating for electoral reform (a topic he wrote a book about in 2004). He also hosts a Saturday night radio show. | |
| Posted or updated: 10-16-2006 @ 4:47 PM (GMT) by RH. |
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