Oct/090
Monday Newsmix: ODB’s son snags a single; plus The Strokes and more
Like father, like son?
It’s so hard to believe that it’s been five years since the untimely death of Wu-Tang member Ol’ Dirty Bastard. (But then, I tend to say that about a lot of things – maybe I’m just getting old, eh?) In fact, it’s been so long since then that now ODB’s own son is ready to take up his father’s mantle.
Barson Jones, AKA Boy Jones, will release his first single before the end of the year, according to reliable sources. The 21-year-old son of ODB, whose real name is Russell Jones, first appeared on stage at age 9 with his father, so he’s had a lot of time to hone his skills. Here’s hoping that the single lives up to its namesake.
Also, the linked article drops another interesting tidbit: ODB’s final posthumous album, A Son Unique, may be seeing a release before the end of the year. A fitting album name, all things considered, isn’t it?
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In other new album news, The Strokes are officially back in the studio. The five-piece indie group have been working on solo projects since the release of their 2006 album, First Impressions of Earth, but now they’ve collected once again to write and cut their long-awaited fourth album.
According to reports, the group have nearly finished writing the album, and frontman Julian Casablancas has compared the new songs to Thin Lizzy, as odd as that sounds. It’s good to hear that the band is taking their time, I suppose, but that description leaves me with a bit of apprehension. Here’s hoping that they can pull it off.
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I guess being behind bars doesn’t bar one from receiving accolades. Rapper T.I., whom you may know from his collaboration with Rihanna on the single “Live Your Life,” received two B.E.T. Hip-Hop Awards this past weekend while serving a year’s prison sentence for possessing illegal weapons. Hey, it is a pretty catchy single…
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So it looks like the new Animal Collective album is actually a five-track, half-hour-long EP. According to the description, it seems like it’ll be a bit harsher than the “springy, summery” Merriweather Post Pavillion. Okay, it’s not a new album, but it IS more AnCo. I’m certainly not complaining.
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As if you needed any further reason to avoid the next Good Charlotte record (other than the fact that it’s another Good Charlotte record), it looks like Pink will perform in some fashion on a song. Blech.
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See the track list for the upcoming Lego Rock Band video game here. Not a bad list, though I want to throttle the guy who thought that Vampire Weekend would be fun to play.
Oct/090
Thursday Newsmix: Oasis dries up, plus new Animal Collective and more
We're so British, we invented the Jaffa Cake.
After Noel Gallagher left the band over a month ago, the fate of Britpop superstars Oasis has been, for the most part, up in the air. Today, in an interview with The Times UK, estranged brother Liam Gallagher laid all rumors and speculation to rest: Oasis is no more.
In that interview, Liam spelled out the fate of the band in no uncertain terms: “Oasis is no longer. I think we all know that. So that’s done.” Instead, the younger Gallagher will be entering into the fashion business with a new line of clothing, with any further projects involving the remaining band members to be decided. Meanwhile, Noel is most likely going it solo, though details on any such venture are slim to nil at the moment.
While the demise of such a prolific band does tug a bit at my heartstrings – Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? having been, for better or worse, a major part of the soundtrack to my teenage years – the band has been mostly retreading well-worn ground for the past decade. The time was well past due to call it quits.
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My admiration for Animal Collective’s January release, Merriweather Post Pavillion, should be no secret by now. Hipster echo-chamber aside, MPP is a dynamic, exciting album packed to the brim not only with good musical ideas, but also a sense of melody and accessibility that the band’s earlier material lacked. So when the announcement of another album – slated for this year, too – comes out of nowhere, you must excuse me if I’m a little, er, excited.
Okay, that’s an understatement. This is going to be effing awesome.
The new album, to be titled Fall Be Kind, is slated to be released December 8 on Domino Records. We don’t really have any more info as of yet, but be sure to stay tuned as this exciting story develops.
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Are you the owner of some treasured piece of autographed Joy Division memorabilia? If so, you may want to check that certificate of authenticity. Ex-Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook has admitted to forging the signature of the late Ian Curtis on various JD-related items, thus calling into question the value (both monetary and otherwise) of pretty much every such piece. I think I just heard Curtis roll over in his grave.
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The Beastie Boys‘ Adam “MCA” Yausch is apparently really into Eastern medicine. After having been diagnosed with cancer, Yausch stated in an update released via Rolling Stone, he traveled to Tibet on a retreat, converted (temporarily) to veganism, and attended a seminar by the Dalai Lama. Whatever helps him feel better, I suppose.
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So it looks like Radiohead might be cutting a new album after all. Jeez, make your mind up already, will you guys?
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After initially snubbing an offer to have the band immortalized in a Rock Band game, arena-rockers U2 have stated that they would “definitely… like to be” involved with such a project. Too bad it won’t be nearly as good as The Beatles’ iteration.
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In other music-game news, view the entire tracklist for the upcoming DJ Hero video game here.
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Preview The Flaming Lips’ upcoming album, Embryonic, over at NPR.
Oct/090
Monday Newsmix: Glenn Beck and Muse; plus Method Man and more
I want YOU!! ...to subscribe to MY conspiracy theories.
I’m of the opinion that conservative/libertarian “commentator” Glenn Beck is one of the craziest political voices in the United States, between his religion-based warmongering, thinly-veiled racism, and general tin-foil-hattery. But at least he likes Muse – albeit for the wrong reasons (he erroneously associates the band with libertarianism).
Oh, and he’s also a dirty rotten liar. But we already knew that.
Recently, on his Fox News show, Beck claimed that a spokesperson for Muse insisted that he stop plugging the group on his show. Only, that never happened, according to a representative for Beck’s company. He was just joking. Right.
Regrettably, Muse declined to comment on the situation, thereby ensuring that this story doesn’t go much further than it already has. Otherwise, people might actually realize that Beck and his ilk are “fair and balanced” only because they jury-rigged the scale.
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Wu-Tang member Method Man, along with brother-in-arms Redman, released what’s thus far my favorite hip-hop album of the year back in May. But apparently not enough people bought it, as Meth needed to, uh, supplement his income with unpaid tax money.
This morning, Meth turned himself in for evading over $32,000 in taxes – and that’s not including the attorneys’ fees or punitive damages that any self-respecting judge will saddle the famed emcee with. If convicted – and it looks like he will be, due to the whole “turning himself in” thing – he could face up to four years in the slammer as well.
Any chance of a jailbird-recorded Blackout 3, Methy ol’ pal?
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NPR reports that a collaboration is in the works between David Byrne and Norman Cook, otherwise known as Fatboy Slim. The duo’s planned album, to be entitled Here Lies Love, will be based upon the life of former Filipino First Lady Imelda Marcos, and will feature over 20 guest vocalists, including Cyndi Lauper, Santigold, and Tori friggin’ Amos. Hell. Yes.
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In completely silly news, reggae artist Major Mackerel claims that some guy in New York City slashed him up with a two-foot-long sword. A strange story – and even stranger if it somehow turns out to be true.
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View the tracklisting for the Foo Fighters’ upcoming Greatest Hits album here. Not a bad list, though woefully lacking in tracks from their excellent debut album.
Sep/090
Tueday Newsmix: Danger Mouse breaks bells; Jacko breaks records
Here he comes to save the day! And make some kickin' rad music.
Been wondering what multi-instrumentalist/producer Brian Burton, AKA Danger Mouse, is up to lately? You’re definitely not alone. As one of the busiest men in modern music, Burton always seems to be at work on one project or another, all of which tend toward competent at worst and ground-breaking at best. Take now, for example: a scant few months after the “non-release-release” of his collaboration with Sparklehorse, the mouse is back – and in good company.
Broken Bells is the (tentative) name of the new collaboration between Burton and James Mercer, the creative force behind indie rockers The Shins. Unlike Dark Night of the Soul, however, both parties are in this one for the long haul: the duo plan to release their debut album next year via Columbia Records, and they already have plans extending beyond that album. There’s no further details on the collaboration yet, but that’s a helluva lot of musical talent concentrated in two individuals.
Has Burton finally settled on a project that’ll extend beyond the two album mark? Does this mean that The Shins are on hiatus? Probably not on both counts, but either way, this one just shot up near the top of my “most anticipated of ‘10″ list.
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Even after his death, Michael Jackson continues to sell tickets. Thousands upon thousands of ‘em. Tickets for showings of the documentary This Is It, comprising footage of the last few months of the late pop star’s life, went on sale this past Sunday – and shattered records for advance ticket sales. In North America alone, Reuters estimates, hundreds of screenings for the documentary have sold out completely. Elsewhere, in Japan alone, advance sales made more than $1 million.
Frankly, I don’t know why people are so eager to see footage of creepy caucasian post-facial-surgery Jacko, as opposed to young suave Jacko, but maybe that’s just me. I just hope that this documentary lives up to the hype.
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In other new-band news, Thom Yorke of Radiohead announced late yesterday that he’s heading a new supergroup. His fellow partners-in-crime will be Flea (yes, that Flea), producer Nigel Godrich, session drummer Joey Waronker, and Brazilian musician Mauro Refusco. I’m no fan of Yorke’s, but with that lineup I’d go see them live anyway.
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Apparently, after nearly three dozen shows in Europe and America, U2 still have yet to make a profit off of their “360″ world tour. According to reports, the band needs to front about $750,000 per show. What a waste.
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Wondering when the next Sufjan Stevens album will hit? According to the man himself, it won’t be coming any time soon, as he “no longer [has] a deep desire to share [his] music with anyone.” Sigh.
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Yet another Omar Rodriguez-Lopez album, titled Xenophanes, will drop November 10th via his own independent record label.
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Preview Karen O’s Where the Wild Things Are movie soundtrack for free over at Stereogum.
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NPR is streaming the upcoming Roseanne Cash covers album, The List, via their Exclusive First Listen feature.
Sep/090
Thursday Newsmix: E Street goes bye-bye, Billy Corgan says hello
Janey said it was time to go, So we closed our eyes and said goodbye to Gypsy Angel Row. Felt so right, Together we moved like spirits in the night.
If you missed Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s world tour this year, then you may need to wait a while longer for your next opportunity. A lot longer. Late yesterday, E Street guitarist Steve Van Zandt revealed that the band will be going on hiatus – perhaps indefinitely.
“[It could be] one year, year and a half, two years off,” Van Zandt stated, later adding, “You never know. This could be our last tour.”
If true, this announcement would mark the possible end of a band that’s been touring together on and off for nearly four decades. But don’t despair too much: after all, the last hiatus lasted “only” four years. I suspect Van Zandt’s just being dramatic.
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The Smashing Pumpkins (now just frontman Billy Corgan and a collection of random dinks) have had a turbulent history, with members coming and going, a full break-up and reformation, a critically panned comeback album, and Corgan’s frequently offensive antics backing it all. This time, however, Corgan aims to get it right for the first time since 2000’s criminally underrated Machina: The Machines of God.
Yesterday, in a long blog post, Corgan outlined the concept for his next album, to be titled Teargarden by Kaleidyscope (a name obviously meant to reference the trippy-quirky-emo name of 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness). The album – actually a collection of 11 4-track EPs – will “[harken] back to the original psychedelic roots of [the band]: atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.” Sounds good to me, but what makes it even better is that all 44 songs will be released for free.
Thank you for listening to your fans for once, Billy. Now please don’t screw this one up.
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NEWSBITES
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R.I.P. Mary Travers, folk singer and one-third of influential ’60s folksters Peter, Paul, and Mary.
Jay-Z is set to break the record previously held by Elvis Presley for the most number-one albums in America for a solo artist. Frankly, I can think of few modern recording artists more deserving. Good show, Jay.
Activision CEO Dan Rosensweig acts like a complete jackass in regards to Courtney Love’s objections over the use of her ex-husband Kurt Cobain’s image in Guitar Hero 5.
Timbaland’s upcoming album, Shock Value 2, will contain a song inspired by teen-vampire-schlock novel Twilight, as well as a guest appearance by, among others, Paramore. The only shock value here is Timby’s shockingly bad taste.
Embryonic, the new album by The Flaming Lips, is streaming over at The Colbert Nation website. It’s in a smallish box on the left hand of the screen.
Spiritualized is set to re-release their amazing 1997 album, Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, on November 16. Premium editions will include bonus CDs with nearly three dozen outtakes, demos, and remixes.
Sep/090
Wednesday Newsmix: Pavement reunion, Obama disses Kanye, and more
Hey, it could be worse - they could be named, "Asphalt."
Have you been dreaming for ten years about a Pavement reunion? Well, today, your dream has come true. According to “reliable sources” over at BrooklynVegan, your dream is about to come true. Stephen Malkmus and company – the original lineup from the band’s 1999 breakup – will come together next year for a series of shows at New York City’s Central Park Summerstage, which is sure to be swamped by twentysomething hipsters who grew up with the influential alt-rock band’s music. There’s also the possibility of a tour, but as with the Blur fiasco this year, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Unless those “reliable sources” turn out to be bunk, I’d look out for an official announcement sometime in the next month or so. Otherwise, no dice. But at the very least, this rumor might be worth cutting your hair for.
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You know you’re in deep when the leader of the free world takes time out from his busy schedule to talk a bit of smack about you. So it is with our beloved Kanye, who caught flak from President Barack Obama yesterday over Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards fiasco. In an interview with a CNBC reporter, President Obama stated that he thought the interruption was “inappropriate,” and that Mr. West was “a jackass” for interrupting country star Taylor Swift’s speech.
“[Swift] seems like a perfectly nice person,” Obama stated, while subsequently wondering, “what’s [West] doing up there?”
In a way, I wish political figures would comment more on pop culture. God knows we could use a few cooler clowns in the media circus.
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NEWSBITES
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The Beatles may become the best-selling artist of the ’00s if they outsell Eminem (32 million albums) by the end of the year. They’re currently about 4 million short, but with the new re-releases and the Christmas season still yet to come…
Remember that Joe Satriani lawsuit against Coldplay? It’s been dismissed from court. So much ado about nothing.
Deerhunter, the noise/shoegaze project of multi-instrumentalist Bradford Cox, is – sadly – on hiatus. Er, until the next album, anyway. I guess.
Radiohead drummer Phil Selway is currently recording a new solo album, thought to be a collaboration between himself and certain unnamed members of Wilco. Good stuff – at least it should be.
Enigmatic emcee DOOM is set to release a new compilation album, entitled Unexpected Guests, on October 27. The new disc will include appearances by Talib Kwei, Cound Bass D, J Dilla, and more.
Vampire Weekend have revealed the tracklist, cover art, name (Contra), and release date (January 12, 2010) of their sophomore album.
Aug/090
Wednesday Newsmix: Robert Plant kicks balls, Gaga bares all, and more
Please kick the football. I passed it to the goalkeep.
When former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant isn’t busy making low-key folk music with Alison Krauss, he’s apparently watching football. (No, I don’t mean American football, you uncultured dunderhead.) So much so, in fact, that yesterday the football club Wolverhampton Wanderers – with whom Plant has been involved for all of his adult life – have made him their official Vice President. In a press release concerning his new status, Plant stated that he was, “flattered, but [also] embarrassed,” due to feeling that others might be more deserving of the honor. Nice to see that one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll singers of all time can maintain an air of humility.
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How much do you really want to see of pop star Lady Gaga? If you’ve been following certain rumors considering her private parts, the answer may be, “not much,” but this may change your mind. Gaga, a noted LGBT activist and self-described bisexual, is slated to pose sans clothing in the forthcoming issue of Out Magazine. (NOTE: Link may not be work-safe.) And according to reports, at least one of the pictures shows, yes, definitive proof that the rumors are not true. Hopefully this will finally put such speculation to rest (excepting, of course, a few obligatory conspiracy nuts who will cry, “Airbrushing!”, but nothing will ever sate them anyway.)
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…and speaking of seeing too much of someone, pop-punks Fall Out Boy are in the news again. Only this time, it’s none other than a Prince doing the calling out! Well, okay – the Prince Regent of Sealand, a “country” consisting of an abandoned British sea fort several miles off the coast of England. But anyway, His Royal Highness Prince Regent Michael (yes, he apparently wants to be called that) has officially accepted Fall Out Boy’s offer to play a comeback show aboard the sea fort. You can read the entire message (sent from the Royal Illustrious Prince Regent’s iPhone) in the link – he seems pretty cool. Either way, I’d definitely go just to say that I set foot in Sealand.
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Shifting gears to our daily dose of Jacko news, the late pop singer is slated to be buried August 29 in a cemetary outside of Los Angeles. The ceremony, which will take place on what would have been Jackson’s 51st birthday, will be private, consisting of only his family and close friends. I’m guessing that his burial place will become a pilgrimage destination a la Elvis’ grave in Memphis, whcih makes me wonder what the gravestone will look like. Hopefully I’ll see for myself someday.
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Anyone else fondly remember The Squirrel Nut Zippers? After achieving unlikely success with their breakout ragtime/swing-influenced radio singles, “Hell” and “Put A Lid On It,” in the mid ’90s, the seven-piece band (who at one time included singer-songwriter Andrew Bird among their ranks) survived several years and four more albums until calling it quits in 2001. Now, in about two months, the newly-reformed group will release their first new album in almost a decade. The album (which doesn’t have a title yet) will have “a little more of a Southern roots approach” than SNZ’s previous work, according to vocalist/guitarist Jim Mathus. Sounds pretty cool to me. This one’s definitely on my radar.
Aug/090
Weekend Newsmix: Nobody knows Bob Dylan, Ludacris loves big butts, and more
I feel I'm knockin' on a Jersey home's dooooooor.
How often do songs translate so well into reality? This past Friday, legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan stumbled like a rolling stone into the yard of a New Jersey home during a rainstorm. The house’s occupants, disturbed by the “eccentric-looking old man” on their front lawn, called the police, who hauled Dylan away. The kicker? The officer jostling Bobby D around didn’t recognize him at first – even when he claimed to be who he really was.
I guess that’s how it feels to be a complete unknown, eh?
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Speaking of complete unknowns, Ludacris is on the lookout for a big one. And I mean that very, very literally. In a Craigslist ad for his latest music video, the Georgian emcee sought two women: One with “a great body… very curvy, and a little top-heavy.” The other? “Must be extremely plus size and able to play an acting role of an intimidating woman.” And to add insult to injury, the attractive one will get paid more. Way to enforce those stereotypes, Ludacris ol’ boy.
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And now, for something completely different: A man with two faces. Or at least, that’s how you might describe The Edge, who, in almost three decades as guitarist for arena-rockers U2, has cavorted around the world for various social-justice projects. After being called out by none other than David Byrne for touring with an excessively elaborate – and environmentally unfriendly – stage setup, The Edge responded, in short: “Everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we?” Yup, keep that good PR coming, guys.
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Been wondering what Ben Folds has been up to lately? Well, wonder no longer. Apparently the quirktastic singer-songwriter has been holed up in the studio with British writer Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity and About a Boy, among other novels. Hornby, apparently a big fan of Folds’, has written all of the lyrics to Folds’ next album, to be released nest year. We don’t know much more than that yet, but at the very least, we can guarantee that both will be keeping their regular “dark humor” quotients.
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With the advent of Youtube and Myspace, it’s relatively easy to grab a bit of Internet fame for producing an inventive remix. But for the next month, The Crystal Method will offer you the chance to make it even easier. From now until September 15, the LA-based electro duo are offering you – yes, you over there with that yard-sale synth and copy of Pro Tools – a chance to remix their latest single, “Come Back Clean.” The best submission will net a microKorg XL synth, a tour of the band’s studio, and some free promotion (including getting your track streamed on the duo’s Myspace.) So get crackin’!
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Aug/090
Weekend Newsmix: R.I.P. Mike Seeger; Bob Dylan; Radiohead and more
Now strumming a banjo up in the clouds...
Happy Monday, all! In case you’re wondering where the weekly Album Roundup has gone, I’ve officially moved it back to Tuesday. (Mondays here in the ShowClix offices are far too hectic for me to commit the time that I need to get those posts done on time.) But on the bright side, this means that you’re not waiting three days for news bites anymore!
But on that note, let’s see the major events that happened over the weekend…
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Folk singer Mike Seeger, half-brother of Pete Seeger, passed away late last Friday of cancer. He was incredibly influential in the 1960s folk scene, even having been described by none other than Bob Dylan as one of his primary influences. R.I.P., dude.
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Speaking of Bob Dylan, the influential genre-bending singer-songwriter announced that he’ll be releasing a Christmas album this year. The album, which will include many Yuletide standards, will feature David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, among others. And here I thought the Christmas album had officially died with Elvis?
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Holding out hope for a new Radiohead LP in the next year or so? Well, I wouldn’t hold your breath. In a recent interview, frontman Thom Yorke stated that he hates the album format, and that we can expect the band’s new material to trickle in via a series of EPs instead. One thing’s for sure, though: Either way, people will buy the new releases like they were chocolate-plated gold.
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Rapper Jay-Z has been in the news a lot recently, what with everyone hyping his upcoming album to hell and back. But over the weekend, the paparazzi captured him in a highly unusual situation: hanging out with none other than Oprah Winfrey. What could the duo be up to? I don’t know, but I really hope that it doesn’t involve Oprah singing on Jay’s upcoming record.
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Chicago’s annual Lollapalooza music festival went off without a hitch… well, mostly. Friday afternoon, paramedics had to rush a man suffering cardiac arrest from the festival ground to a nearby hospital, where he died of cardiac arrest. Another soul lost to rock ‘n’ roll…
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In other death-related news, it seems that the Kiwi musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords might be no more. Apparently there’s been talk of a new season, but nothing’s finalized yet: the project could literally die with a whimper. Too bad, too, as there’s precious few quality “musicomedy” acts out there right now. Where’s the next Spinal Tap when you need them?
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Finally, anyone remember that Spider-Man musical that was supposed to be written by Bono and The Edge? Well, it’s been halted due to running out of funds. Good thing, too: this endeavor had “flop” written all over it. Now the boys in U2 can get back to doing what they always do: crafting good, quality, non-gimmicky mus- …oh, wait.
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Jul/090
Wolfmother end (short) hiatus; ready sophomore album
Out of the egg like Galactus. (...oh god I'm such a nerd.)
Has it really been almost four years since the release of psychedelic project Wolfmother’s stunning debut album? Coming out of nowhere in ‘05, Aussie frontman Andrew Stockdale and crew singlehandedly brought Hendrix-style blues-rock back into the limelight, eventually paving the way for a decent-sized psych-rock underground. Now, after an all-too-long wait, they’re back with a sophomore offering.
Earlier this year, after he and the band’s former rhythm section parted ways, Stockdale reformed Wolfmother with a new set of musicians. After a few concerts, he then began work on the album, to be titled Cosmic Egg (a reference to an obsolete theory about the origin of the universe.) According to Stockdale himself, the material on this second album will be heavier and more exciting than the first – which, of course, is excellent news.
Cosmic Egg will rock your world October 13. The band also has a world tour planned, albeit with only a few stops in the States. With superb offerings from Black Moth Super Rainbow and Radio Moscow so far, plus a new Flaming Lips record on the way, and now this, 2009 looks to be an excellent year for psychedelic music.
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