So the new "SS Media" section is up and running. Hey, it's a start. Much more to come, so keep cool my babies. In the meantime listen to Spoon's new disc. It's groovy. Yup that's a plug. Keep the promo CDs comin' yo.
Regards,
Sonic Slang
UK buzz band Maximo Park will unleash its sophomore LP, Earthly Pleasures, Stateside on May 8 (April 2 in the UK). The release is preceded by lead single "Our Velocity," which hits stores on March 19 and can currently be heard via the band's MySpace page.
The band also has of international tour dates scheduled, with a formal US tour announcement expected in the near future.
Earthly Pleasures tracklist:
Girls Who Play Guitars
Our Velocity
Books From Boxes
Russian Literature
Karaoke Plays
Your Urge
The Unshockable
By the Monument
Nosebleed
A Fortnight's Time
Sandblasted and Set Free
Parisian Skies
Pride Before a Fall (bonus track)
14 Distance Makes (bonus track)
Admit it. For all your ball-busting of our pal Ryan Adams, you miss the guy. Sure, his inability to not release even a single track he pens or records ticks people off now and again, but tell us "Ryan Minus Adams Dot Com" didn't give you a chuckle or two. And for our money, a guy with his talent that clearly LOVES music as much as he does, deserves to do whatever the hell tickles his fancy.
That being said, it's been an eternity (by his standards) since we last had an official release. His trio of releases in 2005 got us used to the idea of a new Adams disc every few months, and though we had rumblings of another hat trick in '07, that never materialized. Production duties for Willie Nelson and gigs with America had to satisfy our appetite, but this June the wait is over. Easy Tiger, Adam's 9th proper LP (and probably his 22nd in total) will hit stores June 5 via Lost Highway.
No word yet on which genre Adams will tackle this time, or whether The Cardinals will be in tow on all tracks, but we do have a track list.
Easy Tiger tracklist:
Goodnight Rose
Everybody Knows
The Sun Also Sets
Halloween Head
Off Broadway
Two Hearts
Tears of Gold
These Girls
Two
I Taught Myself How to Grow Old
Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
Rip Off
Pearls on a String
Rumors were swirling about an impending Razorlight breakup following the band's on-stage scuffle a few weeks back. Well lead singer Johnny Borrell has quashed the speculation, saying the incident was exaggerated in the press.
"We had an argument on stage but what it was about was neither here nor there."
"The fact is that it was totally blown out of proportion by all the papers. I haven't alienated anyone in my band."
Razorlight hit up the Bowery Ballroom Monday night, on tour in support of the it's second, self-titled LP. A fourth single, "I Cant Stop This Feeling I've Got" will be released March 19 in the UK. Check it out live in Utrecht below:
A three-song medley from The Bravery's forthcoming sophomore disc, The Sun and the Moon, is streaming at the band's official site.
Lead single "Time Won't Let Me Go" as well as "Believe" and "This is Not the End" are playing, and except for a few Clash-ish guitars, the band hasn't strayed too far from the new wave-inspired sound of 2005's self-titled debut. Some might have found the band's vibe anything but original last time around, but at least they aren't trying to go all Springsteen on our asses like another bunch of synth rockers we know...
The Sun and the Moon is due to hit stores May 22.
Just about the only bad press associated with The Hold Steady's near-masterpiece filled with Springsteen-esque tales of love, relationships and wasted youth, was the bomb of a social networking site, BoyandGirlsinAmerica.com. A neat idea, but if they were seeking some OK Go level viral buzz, they failed miserably. Well you have to admire the band's persistence - The site was just relaunched and refocused.
Now users have until March 31st to create an original music video for any track on Boys and Girls in America. The prizes aren't exactly stellar ($1000 cash, $1000 in products from JLB and a six month membership to eMUSIC for the grand prize winner) but the winning vid will also get streamed on Fuse.tv, which is a neat perk for all the budding Spike Jonzes out there.
Head over here to submit your entry. And if you don't have the disc yet, you're seriously missing out. Buy it!
PS - From backstage at Letterman: Great taste in movies too!
The Notorious B.I.G.'s posthumous output was never expected to rival that of his friend/arch nemesis/chief rival for best mainstream MC of the 1990's Tupac Shakur, but that hasn't stopped Mrs. Wallace, Diddy and the Bad Boy execs from trying like hell to milk some more cash out of the cow. Does Biggie deserve a Greatest Hits compilation? Yes. Did we need one? No. If you listened to hip hip during the prime East Coast/West Coast feuding years, then you already own these songs. But Diddy, always more business mogul than rapper, knows this. So "enjoy" these two "new" tracks: Paste some old Biggie rhymes into a marginal beat, add some guest stars (Snoop, Fabolous, Busta, Nate Dogg), mix and enjoy...sort of.
- Stream "Running Your Mouth" and "Want That Old Thing Back" via AOL.
"Running Your Mouth" is the lesser of two evils. While it is merely a waste of talent, "Want That Old Thing Back" is borderline blasphemous. It's basically "One More Chance (2007)" but with a crappy beat (and Ja Rule). Wonder if the irony of the title was lost on the suits that let this train wreck happen...
After the the successful resurrection of glam rock pioneers New York Dolls, SS was hopeful that the forthcoming Stooges reunion would get hit with the critical enthusiasm. Iggy guested on one of our favorite tunes of 07' thus far, and still could probably kick our assess without breaking a sweat. But then we heard "My Idea of Fun," the first single off The Weirdness, and things started looking grim. Well kids, it was no fluke. Stereogum leaked the second available track, "Free and Freaky" and it's just as bad as the title sounds:
"The cheese is stinky and the beer ain't cold...free and freaky in the USA!"
Oy.
Flavor of the week for ironic hipsters in the US, and real-deal rockers (for at least one album) in the UK The Darkness will rise again, according to reports.
Despite the loss of lead singer Justin Hawkins (right), who left to continue his rehab efforts and embark on a supposed solo career (right), his band mates (Richie Edwards, Dan Hawkins and Ed Graham) intend to carry on in all the band's tongue-in-cheek glory, albeit with a new moniker.
The band also drafted bassist Toby MacFarlaine into the mix, while Edwards is tipped to takeover lead vocal duties. Here's hoping he looks good in spandex.
At SS we make it a point to not get too caught up in the Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton blogger circus if possible. Rule of thumb - We'll leave the celebrity gossip (and that's what they are folks - celebrities, not musicians) to Perez Hilton (if he can stay out of court, that is) and focus on the tunes. But this Britney debacle is just getting weirder and weirder.
According to the latest reports, before embarking on her third attempt at rehab Spears lashed out at a group of photographers with the metal tip of an umbrella, following an unsuccessful attempt to visit with ex-husband Kevin Federline and her two children.
That's right, a crazed, exasperated and bald Britney Spears attacked paparazzi (can't you really blame her?) with a metal umbrella tip - on tape of course. Enjoy:
After setting a supposedly firm March 6 release date, The GNR camp has delayed the most anticipated let-down disc of 2007 (and 2005, and 2006...) once AGAIN. Maybe Steven Adler was actually on to something...
When you're a reasonably derivative bunch of post-punk/new wave indie rockers like the Kaiser Chiefs, it's always risky calling a track off your world-conquering sophomore disc "Everything is Average Nowadays." So true, so true.
Most of Yours Truly, Angry Mob has leaked, says Idolator (who have two tracks available for download). We say "yawn." But hey, at least they hate nukes.
The subject of a GNR reunion is never really a dead issue amongst music aficionados. Metal heads might speak of it like the Second Coming of rock, hipsters view it ironically (while secretly head banging to "Paradise City" of course) and former Guns drummer Steven Adler...well he just plain needs the work. So this might be total BS, but reunions are all the rage in 2007...
A conversation between Adler and a "friend and fan" from the "official" Steven Adler MySpace page:
STEVEN: I saw Axl, talked with him from, shit, what was it? 10 or 12 at night to 8 in the morning, we talked. We resolved a lot of fucking shit!
FANSITE: What was that like? That must've been weird!
STEVEN: It was wonderful! Just wonderful. I was the same happy-go-lucky person that I've always been to him, and he enjoyed it. Dude we talked 'till 8 in the morning!
FANSITE: Wow.
STEVEN: It was at The HardRock, when he played there.
FANSITE: Did you see the show?
STEVEN: Yeah…three people in his band all look like Izzy! I told him it sucked, I was kidding. I said "You know the five of us have to get back together! That's when it will really fucking take off again! Nothing will be bigger. It would be the biggest reunion ever in history".
FANSITE: What did he say?
STEVEN: You know how he is. He just grinned and giggled a little bit. Everybody in his band came up to me, "You're the greatest fucking drummer! We tell Axl, 'you gotta get the band back together'!" That's what they said to HIM! It was wonderful! Dude, let me call you back! I'm not ignoring you, dude! You're one of my top best friends, man! You've never done anything to hurt me! I'll call you right back!
FANSITE: No problem, man! But real quick, what else is goin' on?
STEVEN: Um, I've been talking with Izzy. I've been talking with Slash. 20 years, dude, since Appetite came out. Axl's record is supposed to come out, in what, a few months?
FANSITE: Yeah, hopefully.
STEVEN: Izzy wants a reunion. I know what I need to do. Before anything happens, me and Chip (Z'Nuff) have been talkin' about doing a world tour. I'm so sorry, I know it made you feel really bad that I haven't answered the phone, things have been hard on me lately. I miss ya, and I will talk to you later!
FANSITE: Okay, Stevie!
This guy is SUPER excited to be "friends" with a washed-up, 1980's metal drummer, so let's take it with a grain of salt. But...the more time passes without Chinese Democracy, the more likely this becomes. If Slash ever decided to sign on, could Axl resist? At the very least it'll get the guy back on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Thanks to Earvolution for the find!
Wow - Britney Spears may not have been on the short list for Mother of the Year, but did anyone see this coming just a few months ago? Concerned father Kevin Federline has called for an "emergency hearing" to gain custody of his and Spears' two children.
Let's face it - After two aborted stints in rehab, the head shaving and tattoo binges, Spears might have finally crossed over from an entertainingly white trashy mother, to a dangerous parent that needs help. K-fed might still be a dirtball, but unless this is a completely shameless publicity stunt, he's at least got some heart when it comes to his kids.
The word is, K-fed will be at the hearing, Spears will not. And more importantly, experts expect that he may in fact gain sole custody. It's a sad story, if not an uncommon one, but all indications are that Spears had no intention of letting her single-parent status slow down her party lifestyle. K-Fed's album tanked, and other than that Super Bowl commercial, it doesn't sound like there's much on the horizon. He might just make a wonderful Mr. Mom after all.
UPDATE: Brit is apparently back in rehab, with Fed-ex playing Dad for 30-45 days.
Well, it might not yet be a Pixies-eque, full-fledged reunion tour yet, but the Jesus and Mary Chain have added two more dates to their formally one-off performance, with rumbles of a NEW ALBUM also starting to show up.
via Pitchfork:
Said Jim Reid in a press release, "It's taken this long for me and William to get to a point where it would be realistic to [get back together], and to some degree each of us assumed the other wouldn't be interested, and it was only after we talked about it that we realised this. Also Coachella were very persistent."
Reunion dates:
04-27 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field (Coachella)
07-13 Madrid, Spain - Boadilla del Monte (Summercase)
07-14 Barcelona, Spain - Parc del Forum (Summercase)
The shows will be the band's first in nine years, and if we don't actually get a new disc, there's always solo discs from each Reid brother later this year.
Hey gang, hope ya'll enjoyed a happy and most importantly work-free President's Day. Today, we're weening ourselves back into reality, so our apologies if posts are a little slow. But to get you stragglers back up to speed, the big industry news this week is obviously the XM/Sirius merger. The two competing satellite radio giants have agreed on terms to combine their efforts, creating a "$13bn merger of equals."
It remains to be seen whether the move puts more asses in the seats, but we're just hoping for a Stern (Sirius) Dylan (XM) team up. Now that's a morning show we could get behind. Great tunes, and lots of boobs.
In case you haven't heard yet, Wilco went public with the tracklist off the band's forthcoming Sky Blue Sky disc, due May 15 via Nonesuch Records.
Rumored to be a return to the a looser, more alt-country flavored sound that recalls Wilco's earlier work on discs like Summerteeth, several tracks including "On and On and On" and "Walken" (Christopher?) have been floating around the web for some time.
For our money, we could go for a few more breezy acoustic ditties like "The Thanks I Get," but that's us. The world already has a Radiohead.
Tracklist for Sky Blue Sky:
Either Way
You Are My Face
Impossible Germany
Sky Blue Sky
Side With the Seeds
Shake It Off
Please Be Patient With Me
Hate It Here
Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
Walken
What Light
On and On and On
Ya'll might remember how excited SS was about Minus The Bear's Menos el Oso disc back in '05. Well not only is the band prepping the follow-up disc (yay!) tentatively titled Planet of Ice, but we have a Menos remix album on the way to tide us over. Interpretaciones Del Oso is due in stores Feb 20, but is available now at Suicide Squeeze.
Tracklist for Interpretaciones Del Ose:
1. Drilling - (P.O.S. REDO)
2. Memphis & 53rd (FOG Remix)
3. Fulfill the Dream (Old Italy Remix by Tyondai Braxton)
4. This Ain't A Surfin' Movie (IQU 06 Mix)
5. The Fix (Plan B Remix)
6. Hooray (Dark Baby Remix)
7. The Game Needed Me (the Oktopus Remix)
8. Pachuca Sunrise (Alias Remix)
9. Michio's Death Drive (Michio AKA MONOSTEREO Remix)
10. El Torrente (J. Clark Remix)
11. The Pig War (O, Hunter Remix)
PS - Considering MTB's tendency towards spacey, summer surf jams, could an album titled Planet of Ice signal a departure? Either way, it sounds like the band is reaching for something grandiose this time around:
"We're substantially done with writing and the music sounds very organic to me," adds frontman Jake Snider. "We've been on this intense musical journey the past few months and this new record is going to be expansive... but catchy. Everything is bigger and seems, at least to me, more dramatic than the last record."
Stream Drilling (POS Remix) at MySpace
Despite his immense gifts, uber-prolific output and an ability to genre-shift seemingly at whim, our favorite version of Ryan Adams is often the new, goofball version. Where he was often criticized in years past for taking himself, and his burgeoning legend waaay too seriously, it seems that Adams is actually mellowing with age, losing the chip on his shoulder and just having a helluva lot more fun. "Welcome to Ryan Minus Adams Dot Com" is a perfect example.
It's another funny-ass intro song on his official site, replacing "Look Who Got a Website" and replacing hip hop with a Neil Young, piano and acoustic guitar ditty that is actually pretty catchy, despite the ridiculous stream-of-consciousness lyrics. A few of our favs:
"Today is a new day on Ryan Minus Adams Dot Com...welcome to Ryan Slash Adams Dot Com...Hello, hello from the Cardinals too, they are busy as bees...I think I got cabin fever...muthafuckers..."
The Apples in Stereo's new disc, New Magnetic Wonder, dropped this Tuesday and is available for streaming via AOL music and Spinner (also via YepRoc). It's another super batch of shimmering indie pop, with the usual spacey bells and whistles. It's bizarre, but as accessible as ever. Good stuff.
Though Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin have managed to keep the forthcoming Smashing Pumpkins reunion album shrouded in a certain amount of secrecy, we finally got some concrete info via, where else, the band's MySpace page.
A blog post from Chamberlin, simply titled "From BC," reveals that July 7 (oddly enough, a Saturday) will see the birth of Smashing Pumpkins' 6th studio album, Zeitgeist. No other info was offered, and I'm sure the band wouldn't have it any other way.
It's not as if anyone of us really thought that the forthcoming Rage reunion at Coachella was coming without political messages attached. De La Rocha and co. were well known for their leftist leanings...sometimes even more than for their tunes (and that's no small feat, considering the quality of their output), but SS never thought they bought into their own hype quite this much:
Guitarist Tom Morello:
"Is it a coincidence that in the seven years that Rage Against The Machine has been away that the country has slid into right-wing purgatory? I think not. "It occurred to all of us that the times were right to see if we can knock the Bush administration out in one fell swoop, and we hope to do that job well."
Good luck with that boys. Rap/rock em' like it's 1998. Though from the sounds of it, Morello isn't so sure about the future of either of his bands so better make this one count.
There's two discs worth a listen over at AOL Music this week. Check out Bloc Party's much-anticipated follow-up to Silent Alarm, A Weekend in the City, and Teddybears' genre-defying (we love hyphens) Soft Machine. (Oh, and Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High is also there, and will probably make mince meat out of the rest on Soundscan...but we just ain't feelin' it.)
Still a bunch of hungover, overstuffed turkeys around the SS water cooler today, but wanted to pass along some industry news to ya'll:
via Billboard:
Rick Rubin, the veteran producer and head of Warner Music Group-based American Recordings, has has been offered a job as co-chairman of Columbia Records, the New York Times reported Sunday, citing anonymous sources.
The Times reported that Rubin is attempting to negotiate an early release from his existing pact with Warner Bros. Records, though any such agreement would still allow Rubin to produce for Warner-based artists, including the projects he has under way with Linkin Park and Metallica. The offer to join Columbia Records calls for Rubin to work closely with label chairman Steve Barnett, a former talent manager appointed to the post in late 2005, the Times reported.
This is interesting news, considering the guy has been on a bit of a roll, production-wise. Specifically, he twiddled the knobs for two of this year's five Grammy nominees for Album of the Year: The Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way and RHCP's Stadium Arcadium.
SS has a major, post-Super Bowl food hangover, but while we try to ween ourselves off nacho cheese and wings without suffering any severe withdrawal, we did muster up the strength for today's obligatory Arcade Fire post:
via P-fork:
Oh those sneaky, sneaky Arcade Fire kids have done it again. Just a little over a month before the release of their second album Neon Bible, the band has posted the lyrics for every song on the record on the album's mysterious website.
Neon Bible finally drops on March 6, but if reading the lyrics will give you the fix you need until then, just head over to neonbible.com, click on the blinking bibles and then click "lyrics."
More tour info goodies for ya'll (it gets us out of writing a real post when we're hung over) courtesy of our favorite Vegan from Brooklyn:
The Roots never exploded as the MEGA act they should rightfully be, but they still kick the crap out of dudes like Kanye, Shady, and even the Jizza himself these days. And if that's not enough, some dates include Lupe Fiasco, who is almost equally kick-ass. (If you're unfamiliar, check out "Hurt My Soul.")
The Roots | 2007 Tour Dates (some w/ Lupe)
Fri 02/02/07 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Sat 02/03/07 Seattle, WA The Showbox
Mon 02/05/07 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Wed 02/07/07 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Thu 02/08/07 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Sat 02/10/07 Universal City, CA Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk * & Jill Scott & Akon
Mon 02/12/07 San Diego, CA House Of Blues *
Wed 02/14/07 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues
Fri 02/16/07 Park City, UT Harry O's *
Sat 02/17/07 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium *
Mon 02/19/07 Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Room & Ballroom *
Tue 02/20/07 Austin, TX Stubb's Barbeque *
Thu 02/22/07 New Orleans, LA House Of Blues *
Sat 02/24/07 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues
Sun 02/25/07 Fort Lauderdale, FL Revolution
Sat 03/03/07 North Myrtle Beach, SC House Of Blues
Sun 03/04/07 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle *
Wed 03/07/07 Norfolk, VA The NorVa *
Thu 03/08/07 Baltimore, MD Meyerhoff Symphony Hall *
Fri 03/09/07 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall *
Sat 03/10/07 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall *
Sun 03/11/07 New York, NY Nokia Theatre *
Mon 03/12/07 New York, NY Nokia Theatre *
Tue 03/13/07 Boston, MA Avalon *
Sat 03/17/07 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre *
Sun 03/18/07 Milwaukee, WI The Rave Eagles Club
Tue 03/20/07 Maplewood, MN Myth
Thu 03/22/07 Saint Louis, MO The Pageant
Sat 03/24/07 Toronto, ON Kool Haus
Sun 03/25/07 Montreal, QC Metropolis
Sat 03/31/07 Fremantle, AUS Esplanade West Coast Blues N Roots Festival
Tue 04/03/07 Philadelphia, PA Kimmel Center For The Perf. Arts
Wed 04/04/07 Philadelphia, PA Kimmel Center For The Perf. Arts
Sat 04/07/07 Byron Bay, AUS Red Devil Park East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
Sun 04/08/07 Sydney, AUS Newington Armory The Great Escape
Tue 04/10/07 Sydney, AUS Enmore Theatre
Thu 04/12/07 Adelaide, AUS Thebarton Theatre
Fri 04/13/07 Melbourne, AUS Metro
Sat 04/14/07 Perth, AUS Metro City
Sun 04/29/07 Indio, CA Empire Polo Field Coachella *
* w/ Lupe Fiasco
SS fav Razorlight will hit the States for a brief tour beginning in February. The band will be promoting last year's self-title release, that fittingly includes the UK hit "America."
Feb. 25 - Middle East, Boston
Feb. 26 - Bowery Ballroom, New York
March 1 - Mod Club, Toronto
March 3 - Martyr's, Chicago
March 4 - Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis
March 8 - Slim's, San Francisco
March 9 - El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles
March 10 - Casbah, San Diego
March 12 - Salon 21, Mexico City, Mexico
March 14 - NME Showcase, SXSW, Austin
J.K. Rowling announced the end of the "kids reading books" fad today, with the final Harry Potter novel now set for a July 21 release, just eight days after the 5th installment of the film franchise hits theaters. We know we know, what does this have to do with music?? Well...
Ok nothing. Here's a video then. Check out the Kaiser Chiefs, Harry Potterfied:
Franz Ferdinand posted a new track on the band's MySpace page called "Hallam Foe, Dandelion Blow" which will appear on the soundtrack to an upcoming Scottish film.
Alex Kapranos had this to say about the track:
I've put a new song on this page. We wrote it a couple of months ago as a theme for a Scottish film called Hallam Foe, directed by David Mackenzie who directed Young Adam and Asylum. The title character is played by Jamie Bell who was the lead in Billy Elliot.
Sexual tension, voyeurism, dark humour, Scotland and death are themes of the film - all of which seem good ingredients for a song by the Ferdinand. Nick and I read the script and went to screenings of early edits in the Glasgow Film Theatre which gave us the ideas for the melody and lyrics. Other Domino artists appear on the soundtrack including Psapp, Unpoc and Sons & Daughters.
The film will be realeased some time this year and will be appearing at the Berlin Film Festival. There's a blog that has been kept by Colin Monie here http://www.getyourpeople.com/ if you want to read more.
It's a quite a departure from the loud, post-punk that fans have come to expect from Franz, and Kapranos' voice isn't terribly suited to bare-bones guitar and piano crooning, but hey, it's new stuff.
Holy crap! Maybe those midnight sales had a bigger turnout than we thought...
The Shins' Wincing the Night Away debuted at #2 this week on Billboard! This trumps the band's previous chart high of #86 by...well by a lot. In fact, it marks a high water mark for the entire Sub Pop label, which has never posted higher than #79 in the Soundscan era.
Less than unanimous praise for sophmore disc Sam's Town hasn't slowed The Killers' quest for world domination, as they prepare to launch a 3-week North American tour. NME still loves them though.
The Killers' US Tour Dates:
April 6: Santa Barbara, Calif. (UCSB Events Center)
April 7: San Francisco (Bill Graham Auditorium)
April 9: Los Angeles (Staples Center)
April 10: San Diego (Rimac Arena)
April 11: Phoenix (Dodge Theatre)
April 13: Austin, Texas (Frank Erwin Center)
April 14: Baton Rouge, La. (River Center)
April 15: Dallas (Pizza Hut Park)
April 18: Tampa, Fla. (USF Sundome)
April 19: Hollywood, Fla. (Hard Rock Live Arena)
April 20: Orlando, Fla. (UCF Arena)
April 22: Atlanta (Fox Theatre)
April 23: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)
April 26: Faifax, Va. (Patriot Center)
April 27: Camden, N.J. (Tweeter Center)
April 28: New York (Madison Square Garden)
April 29: Boston (Tsongas Arena)
Today SS discovered The Colour and was immediately hooked on the LA band's blend of groovy 70's boogie rock, and slick UK 80's sheen. Apparently originating as Strokesy British revivalists, The Colours' debut full-length, Between Earth and Sky, sounds like Jet (keep reading, seriously) at turns channeling Robert Smith and Rattle and Hum-era Bono. And yes, it's very, very cool.
You can stream the entire disc before it's Feb. 6 release date at the band's official site, or check out a few tracks at MySpace. Key tracks: "Until We're High," "Black Summer" and "Save Yourself."
If you get hooked too, check out this peek in the studio to see the band in action:
After weeks of speculation, it looks like the official word is in. The Police will reunite to play The Grammys on Feb. 11, likely followed by a world tour throughout 2007. Hippies waiting for another Oysterhead album will just have to wait.
From the band's official site:
"We are sorry to announce that our upcoming tour in May will be our last. Nick quit the band and the rest of us feel like it wouldn't be right to continue on without him. The 5 of us feel very lucky to have met and worked with some truly amazing people over the years. Thank you all so much..."
Over the last few weeks SS got all caught up in reunion madness (The Police and Rage, Crowded House, Van Halen) and forgot a very simple reality: Sometimes bands are better off retired. Case in point - The Stooges.
It's been 35 (!) years since the last disc from Iggy and the boys, and we'd love to believe that he could jump back on stage, carve "We're Back" into his chest with a shard of glass and belt out some new punk anthems to show the kids who's boss. Sadly, the first single off The Weirdness, "My Idea of Fun," is pretty beat.
Iggy's voice strains like a bastard to hit the high notes (he should stick with the low baritone of "Punkrocker"), and those lyrics - "My idea of fun, is killing everyone." Oy. Iggy might (and should) go on forever, but The Stooges time might have come and gone.
Listen to "My Idea of Fun" at Iggy and The Stooges' MySpace page.
Billboard reports that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will drop its fourth LP, Baby 81, on May 1 via RCA. It will be the follow-up to the band's 2005 disc, Howl, though the sound might be a bit of a departure from that effort.
"Things open up and break down within the songs, a lot," guitarist Peter Hayes told Billboard.com in October. "There are some songs that are kind of groove-oriented, not so blues- or country influenced [as 'Howl']."
"When he (drummer Nick Jago, who sat out the majority of Howl) came in for the last record, there were two songs we did with him that we left off," he added of Jago's return to the band. "We knew they'd be for this one. We used those two songs as a starting point for what this album was going to sound like, and we stuck to it, for the most part."
Tracklist for Baby 81:
"Took Out a Loan"
"Berlin"
"Weapon of Choice"
"Window"
"Cold Mind"
"It's Not What You Wanted"
"666 Conducer"
"All You Do Is Talk"
"Lien on Your Dreams"
"Need Some Air"
"Killing the Light"
"American X"
"Am I Only"
You know, we thought reality TV hit its low point with Temptation Island...but what's more scummy that the exploitation of infidelity? Well the exploitation of drug addiction of course! And who have the creators of Rock Stars in Rehab chosen as their poster boy? (As if we have to ask.) None other than SS all star Pete Doherty!
via the Sunday Mirror:
"It's going to be like Spinal Tap meets The Priory. The plan is to put a group of well-known faces with a very public drug problems into a rehab and just let the cameras run."
Hmm, coming on the heels of that long-term record deal with his band Babyshambles, it seems like a curious time to embark on a TV career. But then again, a VH1 show with Danny Bonaduce might be quite a compelling train wreck.
Yeah this is old news, but a belated "Holy Crap! Sweet!" is better than none at all. James is back together gang! And if you're thinking one hit wonder, ("Laid") think again. (Try "Born of Frustration" here for starters.) Read the official note below:
It's usually doom and gloom at SS when we talk about the music biz, but indie excitement over The Shins just gave us a teeny bit of hope.
The arrival of the Oregon band's latest disc prompted a semi-revival of an almost forgotten record store tradition - the midnight sale. Sure, nobody outside the Sub Pop offices expects Wincing the Night Away to do Modest Mouse numbers at Soundscan, but if some of this excitement can carry over for upcoming releases by other buzz bands like Arcade Fire or Bloc Party...well a little fad called buying albums might just become cool again.
via AOL Music:
Many stores abandoned the ritual during the past few years, as the era of Internet leaks have all but killed the need for die-hard fans to stand in line on a Monday evening. And the Sub Pop album "Wincing the Night Away" was not immune to prerelease file-sharing, as it hit the Web last October.
But the drawing power of the indie pop act, as well as a heavy marketing push from Sub Pop, persuaded store managers to keep their doors open. Grimey's owner Dolye Davis says the Nashville store staged its first midnight sale since opening in 1999, and Eric Levin at Criminal Records says he hasn't opened at midnight since the 2004 release of the Beastie Boys ' "To the 5 Boroughs."
What do you think kids? Any chance you'll be lining up at midnight, or is the ease of iTunes too hard to resist?
The NYT ran an interesting article today about the growing number of black music listeners embracing rock (both indie and non), their subsequent ostracizing for their tastes and the now growing subculture in NYC for these so-called "Blipsters."
“For a long time I was laughed at by both black and white people about being the only black person in my school that liked Nirvana and bands like that,�? said Mr. Martin, now 23, who lives in Seattle, where he is recording a folk-rock album.
But 40 years after black musicians laid down the foundations of rock, then largely left the genre to white artists and fans, some blacks are again looking to reconnect with the rock music scene.
The Internet has made it easier for black fans to find one another, some are adopting rock clothing styles, and a handful of bands with black members have growing followings in colleges and on the alternative or indie radio station circuit. It is not the first time there has been a black presence in modern rock. But some fans and musicians say they feel that a multiethnic rock scene is gathering momentum.
Good stuff - SS is all about a musical melting pot and considering that rock and roll was basically invented by African Americans, it's very cool to see the music of Death Cab or Bloc Party welcomed by cultures other than skinny white boys who watch the O.C. And maybe we can feel a little better about putting those N.W.A. albums on the office jukebox.
It's Saturday night and SS is home early and sober(ish) enough for a late-night post. So...since we're still in party mode, it's as good a time as any to pimp Young Love - a Billboard "Best Bet of 2007" we actually agree with.
Known to his momma as Dan Keyes, Young Love is already making a bit of a splash in some NYC clubs. The tunes on debut Too Young To Fight It (due Jan 30) accomplish the always neat trick of finding some middle ground between post-punk hipster cool, and bubblegum pop. Which means we're still not sure if Young Love is destined for TRL or a tour with Arctic Monkeys, but if nothing else you might have found a concert to take your teenage sister to, without making up an alibi.
"Find a New Way" is one of the tracks currently making the rounds, but don't write it off just because it's the theme music for J. Lo's new MTV show Dance Life. She's just looking for street cred. Check out the vid below, and start some "Pants Off Dance Off" at your office Monday morning.
Poster act for the mainstreaming of indie rock Modest Mouse has revealed the tracklist and release date for We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, the follow-up to the band's 2004 juggernaut, Good News for People Who Love Bad News.
Set to drop March 20 via Epic, the disc sports new band mate Johnny Marr, and a more radio-friendly first single ("Dashboard") than many fans are comfortable with.
Tracklist for We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank:
1. March Into the Sea
2. Dashboard
3. Fire It Up
4. Florida
5. Parting of the Sensory
6. Missed the Boat
7. We've Got Everything
8. Fly Trapped in a Jar
9. Education
10. Little Motel
11. Steam Engenius
12. Spitting Venom
13. People As Places As People
14. Invisible
The good news: The Beastie Boys are hard at work on their latest CD, a follow-up to 2004's ode to NYC, To the 5 Boroughs. So unless the guys hit some major writer's block, don't expect another six year wait between discs like the dark days following '98's brilliant Hello Nasty.
The bad news: You'll probably think it sucks.
Mike D's comments, via Gigwise:
"It is actually really different ... fans can expect to be disappointed, they can expect to be angry at us."
"It's always hard to know (how the album will turn out). We still have a little of a way to go. I don't want to describe it too much because whatever I say might change."
The reviews for Jennifer Garner's new film, Catch and Release, have been kinda weak, but SS was planning a trip to the multi-plex anyway just to catch our boy Kevin Smith in an actual speaking role that doesn't call for anal jokes or drug dealing. We hear he's actually pretty good! But the flick's soundtrack might be even better. It's the Garden State effect for sure, designed to make the film a tad hipper than it probably is, but there's some good tunes to be found:
1. "Razor" - Foo Fighters
2. "My Drug Buddy" - The Lemonheads
3. "A Nest For Two" - Blinker The Star
4. "Mornings Eleven" - The Magic Numbers
5. "Pills" - Gary Jules
6. "Electrified And Ripe" - Steve Durand
7. "The Winding Staircase" - New Radiant Storm King
8. "Sky Signal" - Audible
9. "Leaving The Ground" - Peter MacLaggan
10. "What If You" - Joshua Radin
11. "These 3 Sins" - Gomez
12. "Resistance" - Alaska!
13. "Let The Bad Times Roll" - Paul Westerberg
14. "Turning Blue" - The Swallows
15. "What I Done" - Andrew Rodriguez
16. "Soul Meets Body" - Death Cab For Cutie
17. "There Goes The Fear" - Doves
Since nobody buys music anymore, the $$$ is in the tours these days. And apparently, people that go to concerts do NOT read blogs - Lets be honest, how many of these shows did you go to? (A pass for those who caught The Stones or Madonna. As for the rest of you...)
via Forbes: Top music earners of 2006
1. The Rolling Stones ($150.6 million)
2. Tim McGraw / Faith Hill ($132 million)
3. Rascal Flatts ($110.5 million)
4. Madonna ($96.8 million)
5. Barbra Streisand (95.8 million)
6. Kenny Chesney ($90.1 million)
7. Celine Dion ($85.2 million)
8. Bon Jovi ($77.5 million)
9. Nickelback ($74.1 million)
10. Dave Matthews Band ($60.4 million)
When last we reported on Beck's upcoming deluxe edition of 2006's The Information, it smelled like a quickie cash-in aimed to milk a little more dough out of the fans. Well, we should have known better. It's been announced that Mr. Hanson's latest endeavor won't be a simple re-release padded with a few remixes, but a TRIPLE disc affair complete with a full DVD of every one of the awesomely lo-fi videos created for each track.
The Information redux drops February 27, and as we'd hoped, it does contain more stickers so you can pimp out your CD cover all over again. This one might actually be worth the re-buy.
Disc 1 (CD)
01. Elevator Music
02. Think I'm In Love
03. Cellphone's Dead
04. Strange Apparition
05. Soldier Jane
06. Nausea
07. Dark Star
08. Movie Theme
09. We Dance Alone
10. No Complaints
11. 1000 BPM
12. Motorcade
13. The Information
14. New Round
15. The Horrible Fanfare/Landslide/Exoskeleton
16. Inside Out (Bonus Track)
17. This Girl That I know (Bonus Track)
18. O Menina (Bonus Track)
Disc 2 (CD)
01. Cell Phone's Dead (Ellen Allien Remix)
02. Nausea Pirates Mix (Bumblebeez Remix)
03. Dark Star (David Andrew Sitek Remix)
04. Nausea (The Chap Remix)
05. Cell Phone's Dead (Jamie Lidell Limited Minutes Remix)
06. Cell Phone's Dead VILLALOBOS Entlebuch Rmx (Ricardo Villalobos Remix)
Disc 3 (DVD)
01. Elevator Music
02. Think I'm In Love
03. Cellphone's Dead
04. Strange Apparition
05. Soldier Jane
06. Nausea
07. Dark Star
08. Movie Theme
09. We Dance Alone
10. No Complaints
11. 1000 BPM
12. Motorcade
13. The Information
14. New Round
15. The Horrible Fanfare/Landslide/Exoskeleton
16. Inside Out
17. This Girl That I know
18. Cellphone's Dead (Directed By Michel Gondry)
19. Nausea (Directed By Patrick Daughters)
Jared Leto, actor and leader of marginally popular band 30 Seconds to Mars, has long been subject to blogger scrutiny for...well basically for being a douchebag. SS has never joined in the fun, but with our usual snark victims like Pete Doherty, K-Fed or Justin Hawkins making less news as a-holes lately, we need a new whipping boy! Let's try this one on for size:
Apparently Leto chocked Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood at last November's MTVU Woodie awards for, get this, not liking his band.
via Hollywood.com:
Leto came over, whispered in Wood's ear and walked away, but then turned around, grabbed him by the throat and called him a "f**king a**hole."
Wood tells Jane magazine, "He was basically upset at the fact that I said I didn't like his band. He said that initially and walked away.
"I guess he thought I was laughing at him, but I was more shell-shocked and telling people around me, 'Whoa, I just got told off by Jared Leto for not liking his band.' And that's when he came back and grabbed me."
Yep, this guy will do nicely. Leto, we'd never talk smack about you just for writing middle-of-the-road alternative rock...hell we can even overlook all the eyeliner and to tell the truth, you were pretty good in Requiem for a Dream. But stop being such a pussy, write some songs that don't rip off crappy bands like Breaking Benjamin or Thrice, and back up off Frodo!
OK - Bring on the beatdown.
Well it looks like those waiting for the current music sales free-fall to hit rock bottom are gonna keep waiting. This week's Billboard charts registered another dismal showing. Chris Daughtry's debut disc led the way (65,000), but marked the 3rd straight week without a 100,000 copy seller. Overall sales were down slightly again (.05%) for the week, but a hefty 15% for the year, as compared to 2006 (which was already a crap year).
This week's top 10:
1. Daughtry - Self-titled (65,000)
2. Dreamgirls - Official Soundtrack (56,000)
3. Jump In! - Official Soundtrack (57,000)
4. Corinne Bailey - Self-titled (55,000)
5. Akon - Konvicted (52,000)
6. Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds (42,000)
7. Now 23 (36,000)
8. Nickelback - All the Right Reasons (35,000)
9. Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts (33,000)
10. Beyonce - B'Day (33,000)
OK kids, take your best guess which British rock act just signed a "long-term" deal with Parlophone.
via Guardian:
"We're extremely pleased to be welcoming such a vibrant and talented band into the Parlophone label", said Miles Leonard, Parlophone's managing director. "_______, justifiably, have a great reputation for crafting some of the most exciting music around today, and in ______ they have one of the best songwriters of his generation."
High praise huh? Well, the band is Babyshambles and the songwriter is none other than old Mr. Reliable himself, Pete Doherty. That's right, somebody signed a LONG TERM DEAL with someone who can't seem to take out the trash without getting busted for smack. Helluva an organization they're running over there folks.
Fans of thoughtful 1980's Brit pop, your prayers have been answered - Crowded House joins the reunion fun.
Chris Walla's chat with Billboard should make all you Death Cab fans happy. While the band might be on semi-hiatus, his solo debut, It's Unsustainable, won't stray far from the pop sound the indie kids knew and loved, long before The O.C.
"In production and sound, it will be very similar to a Death Cab album," says Walla, who put the disc on hold last year while he finished building his own Alberta Court studio in Portland, Ore. "Two tracks stem from the writing session that spawned 'Brothers on a Hotel Bed' [from Death Cab's 2006 album 'Plans'] -- [frontman] Ben [Gibbard] didn't really know what to do with them. I've also written some new songs recently."
The disc is schedule for release this fall via Barsuk.
A bit of news about two SS favorites:
1. More love for The Hold Steady - Harp talks to Finn and co. after selecting Boys and Girls in America as the best CD of 2006. Check out this acoustic version of "Stuck Between Stations" if you're not appropriately stoked about this:
2. Billboard reports that Maximo Park has completed work on the follow-up to the band's 2005 debut, A Certain Trigger. Our Earthly Pleasures is due April 3, preceded by first single "Our Velocity" on March 19.
SS was already psyched to see Lucky You when it hits theaters in March - Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore and Robert Downey Jr. in a high stakes poker movie could be the cooliest flick for card sharks since Rounders. But who knew it would have Springsteen (with little-known gem, "The Fever," no less!), Dylan AND Ryan Adams on the soundtrack:
Lucky Town - Bruce Springsteen
The Fever - Bruce Springsteen
Huck's Tune - Bob Dylan
The Cold Hart Truth - Drew Barrymore
Choices - George Jones
Maybe This Time - Liza Minnelli
I Always Get Lucky With You - George Jones
Let It Ride - Ryan Adams
Viva Las Vegas - Shawn Colvin
Positively 4th St. - Johnny Rivers
They Ain't Got 'Em All - Kris Kristofferson
Bartender's Blues - Bonnie Raitt
The Lucky You soundtrack is due March 6.
It looks like not one, but two Coachella reunion rumors are brewing...
2. The Police?
OK - Number two might be a little more monumental than number 1, just as long as we don't have to hear "Roxanne" played on the lute...
Playoff football means that blogging takes a back seat today kids, but a quick word to the wise: Don't believe the hype.
The Shins' Wincing the Night Away is far from the letdown indie purists might have you believe, and once in a while, bigger can actually be better. Stream the disc at MySpace - These tunes might not change your life, but if lush, melodic pop rock is your bag, it's a treat indeed. SS favs: "Sea Legs," "Phantom Limb" and "Split Needles."
Is it so wrong that we're actually interested in this Rolling Stone, reality show nonsense? Probably, but between SS fav We are Scientists and an attempt to karaoke the Yin Yang Twins' "Whisper Song," it sounds a helluva lot more entertaining than Idol so far.
A few more new album nuggets for ya'll:
-Kanye readies "Graduation" for late 2007: The rapper's latest will feature Coldplay's Chris Martin on likely first single "Homecoming."
-Bjork enlists Timbaland for latest set: Look for a late Spring release followed by a tour.
-Posthumous Rick James due in May: Enjoy yourselves bitches.
Now don't get us wrong, we love our Beck and his Ryan Adams-like ability to constant keep us inundated with new material...but this one smacks of milking the cash cow:
From NME:
"Beck is set to release a new version of his 2006 album 'The Information' which will feature three additional tracks as well as six remixes and a lyric book."
"The expanded album will also feature two extra videos that were not available on the initial release and were made by two of the world's most celebrated music video directors."
But will we get more stickers?
A Jeff Tweedy show Wednesday night in Tennessee gave the blogosphere some unexpected news, in the form of the first "official" release date for the next Wilco record. After a set at the James K Polk theater in Nashville, Tweedy took a few questions from the audience. Thanks to the work of one curious Stereogum tipster, Tweedy revealed that Sky Blue Sky will hit the shelves on May 15. Some early buzz has indicated that the disc will be a return to Wilco's more traditional pop/alt-country leanings. This theory is supported by the band's current MySpace stream, "The Thanks I Get," a soulful acoustic ditty that reminds SS a bit of old school Crowded House.
UPDATE: Check out another track supposedly included on Sky Blue Sky, "Walken," performed live at Lollapolooza 2006:
More Updates: Another new-ish track and possible album cut, "Impossible Germany," is available for download on Chromewaves. Check it.
So 
"Love Song No. 7" was pretty, if a tad downbeat choice for a lead single, but after checking out the full album stream of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's sophomore disc, Some Loud Thunder, at the band's MySpace, we can officially report that the Brooklyn outfit hasn't lost a bit of it's quirky pop mojo this time around. Admittedly, there might not be anything as immediately catchy as "Over and Over Again" this time around, and the whole affair doesn't quite have the energy of the band's debut, but repeated listens will reveal a band working OT to carve out a unique niche in the indie pop arena with gems like the title track, "Satan Said Dance" and "Goodbye to Mother and the Cove." Hopefully the Talking Heads comparisons will die down, and CYHSY will start getting judged on its own merits, of which there are many.
Tracklist for Some Loud Thunder:
1. Some Loud Thunder
2. Emily Jean Stock
3. Mama, Won't You Keep Them Castles in the Air and Burning?
4. Love Song No.7
5. Satan Said Dance
6. Upon Encountering the Crippled Elephant
7. Goodbye to Mother and the Cove
8. Arm and Hammer
9. Yankee Go Home
10. Underwater (You and Me)
11. Five Easy Pieces
Happy news for milf fans - Fountains of Wayne, the popsters of "Stacey's Mom" fame (though we suggest you check their back catalog for plenty more good stuff) will release its LONG-awaited follow-up to 2003's Welcome, Interstate Managers on April 3. It will be called Traffic and Weather and will hopefully be much more interesting than both.
Also check out this brief preview in USA Today, but pay no mind to the incorrect release date. "Legitimate" media our ass!
For a second consecutive week, the Billboard 200 set a record for lowest sales of a #1 album. The Dreamgirls soundtrack sold 60,000 copies, a slide of 10% from the album's then record low of 66,000 last week.
Yet 50,000 people still bought Daughtry...
Two questions: Ahem...Sam's Town for best international album? And even more weird, who in the hell is Orson? Did we miss something? Anyway, see the only award list featuring George Michael and Take That below. (It's not all bad, promise.)
James Morrison Polydor/Universal Music 5 nominees decided by commercial radio hit40uk and The A List listeners. Winner chosen by radio and TV viewing audience live on show night
Winner chosen by Radio 1 listeners
Nominees chosen by a panel of experts in association with The Live Music Forum. Winner chosen by Radio 2 listeners
Winner chosen by MTV Spanking New Music viewers
So most of the blogosphere has been all geeked-out over the iPhone the last couple days. Sure the thing is damn cool, and Jobs' typically boisterous claims ("five years ahead of any other phone, will revolutionize the industry, blah blah blah") might actually have some validity. But we at SS are simple creatures. And though a phone that can send email, play music, do our taxes and make our morning coffee is pretty neato, sometimes it's the simple things that matter most...These guys got it right. Or, I guess we could just bring our iPods into the jon huh?
- via the RS Rock and Roll Daily
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's debut was one of the most pleasant surprises to come out of Brooklyn in 2005. Much was made of how the self-released disc channeled The Talking Heads, but SS always felt that was an unfair label. Sure, Alec Ounsworth can do a helluva indie David Byrne when he wants to, but musically the band was always a lot more all over the map. But while they did a fair amount of genre-hopping, the music usually stuck to a formula of short, sweet, poppy fun. Not so on "Love Song No. 7," and the band is better for it.
It's an odd choice for a lead single off Some Loud Thunder (due January 30, but you can download it from the band's official site on January 16), yet the eerie track shows some new range and depth for the band that we didn't know they had in em'! Let us be the first to say "yeah." Lookin' forward to the full disc...
Hear "Love Song No. 7" at P-fork.
If you're in your late-20's to early-30's, then you probably remember a time when Trent Reznor was one bad mo-fo. Sure, he scared the crap out of you with pseudo-snuff films, but Nine Inch Nails' brand of electro goth-rock was way ahead of its time back in the early 90's mainstream. He was Marilyn Manson, with less makeup and lots of talent. Then a funny thing happened. A few years went by, the emo kids caught on to his scene, and 2005's With Teeth was no edgier than My Chemical Romance. Typically, that leaves a seemingly over-the-hill rock star with two options for a follow-up. Either amp it up and blow our minds, or just tell everyone to f off. Reznor seems to have chosen the latter for April's Year Zero:
"With Teeth was me kind of wondering if I could still even do this,�? he said in a revealing recent interview. “I’ve got my confidence back. I feel stronger about what I have to say as an artist and I feel a lot less concerned about what people think about it…"
Read more about how the now curmudgeonly Reznor hates emo, doesn't understand kids these days and thinks his new stuff is the bee's knees, at the RS Rock and Roll Daily.
From the sounds of the new Modest Mouse leak, "Dashboard," off upcoming LP We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, it looks like the band is very serious about maintaining its mainstream success story. In fact it has a jitter riff, disco-beat feel that's severely out of character for the former indie darlings, even more so than the accessible pop of Good News. Good thing it pretty much kicks ass. (But how could it not, with Johnny Marr in the fold?) It'll get knocked around by MM purists as generic pop pandering, but we dare you to not shake your ass!
At any rate, the NYC indie kids will eat it up. Club dancing to Modest Mouse, who'da thunk it?
So the blogosphere has been buzzin' about this supposed Police reunion tour in the works for 2007, but SS isn't gonna bite just yet. First, Sting somehow managed to reach new levels of absurd pretension last year with his album of traditional lute music, and to be honest, we're having a hard time picturing him rockin' again. Sure Sting hasn't exactly been relevant to the kids in a long, long, LONG time, so maybe he just said F it and did some self indulging...but for God's sake, the lute??? The music was definitely pretty, but Songs from the Labyrinth sounded like it belonged in some Renaissance fair, not on our iPods. It was adult contemporary music, for people who find James Blunt a tad too edgy and love Medieval Times.
Plus lets not forget the years of repeated denials for ANY reunion tour, save the occasional one-off performance, such at the band's 2003 Hall of Fame induction. This reunion sounds great in theory, but until we hear and actual band member confirm something, we'll be holding our collective breaths.
The "GodFather of Soul" is dead at 73, after being admitted to the hospital for pneumonia on Christmas Eve.
Check out Rolling Stone's "Essential" James Brown playlist.
When Gwen Stefani described her hew disc as "modern" sounding, SS was already worried. Sure, "Hollaback Girl" was an addictive novelty, but we were a big fan of retro-Gwen. Madonna Gwen. "Serious" Gwen. But now it looked like we were in for some Futuresexy batch of nu-dance music, with bell, whistles and know-twiddling by Timberland and company.
The first single "Wind it Up" isn't quite what we were expecting. But it still sucks. And that yodeling Gwen? That'll be quite enough of that.
Suddenly, that No Doubt reunion can't come soon enough...
AOL Music has scooped the new video for The Hold Steady's "Chips Ahoy!" and it, predictably, rules. A 1970s local news homage that would does Anchorman proud, the clip isn't up on Youtube yet, but you can check it out here and enjoy it in all its mustachioed glory.
If you don't have Boys and Girls in America yet, first slap yourself in the face, then grab an mp3 of "First Night" here.
That looooong-delayed follow up to The Shins' indie favorite Chutes Too Narrow (and Chinese Democracy's only rival for procrastination) looks like it will finally see the light of day.
First we got a name: Wincing the Night Away (which reminds us a bit too much of Chumbawumba, but we'll deal), then a firm release date of January 23rd (hopefully) and now a full tracklist.
Check out the songs destined to change your life in 2007:
Sleeping Lessons
Australia
Pam Berry
Phantom Limb
Sea Legs
Red Rabbits
Turn on Me
Black Wave
Spilt Needles
Girl Sailor
A Comet Appears
Yusuf Islam (better known to us Christian devils in the west as Cat Stevens...hehe, we kid, we kid) is prepping his first pop album in 28(!) years and Stereogum has a sneak peek. To our mild surprise, it's pretty damn good! Call off the Holy War for a minute and check this out peeps:
"Heaven/Where True Love Grows" via Stereogum.
At time, Badly Drawn Boy's Damon Gough sounds as Springsteen-obsessed as The Hold Steady :-) and The Killers :-(. On his latest disc, the appropriately-titled Born in the U.K., his results fall somewhere between the two extremes.
Gough seems to have moved back to the heavily arranged, uber-ambitious sound of Have You Fed the Fish?, which has never been nearly as memorable as his more restrained moments, particularly those found on the About a Boy soundtrack. Reaching for an epic always runs the risk of coming across as trite or pandering, and often this odd little disc plays a bit like an overblown musical, rather than a rock disc. But occasionally Gough pulls it off. "Degrees of Separation" and "Journey from A to B" would do The Boss proud...which has suddenly become quite important in the indie-verse. Bruce, you hearing this? Time to round up the E Street boys...
Stream Born in the U.K. at AOL Music.
SS has been in love with Scarlet Johanssen ever since our obsession with the Lost in Translation soundtrack, but we're still on the fence about this one:
The actress and allegedly fine singer will be releasing her debut CD through Atco Records, a formally dormant branch of Rhino. Now we know that actors trying to play rock star (and vice versa) is hardly news, but the source material in this case certainly is. Scarlett Sings Tom Waits is a completely literal title, and the disc will consist entirely of her own interpretation of the famously gravel-voice troubadour.
Although, maybe this will be a winner after all. Don't get us wrong...we love us some Tom Waits. But haven't you ever listen to a track, and secretly wished it covered by someone who can really, er, sing?
In fact, although we love the Armstrong vibe it's already got, this track might be sweeet if Scarlett can pull it off.
Thom Yorke, in something of an aside amidst a post about The Big Ask environmental campaign, has confirmed that "proper" work has begun on Radiohead's 7th studio album.
"We've started the record properly now. Staring to get somewhere I think. Finally," Yorke said via the band's official site.
Online independent music retailer Insound has launched a star-studded campaign to "Save the Album," with help from indie favorites such as The Decemberists, The Walkmen, Bloc Party and others. In this era of mp3 downloads and single track sales, the artists talk about their love for the album format, and discuss their all-time favorites.
In support of the campaign, Insound will also launch a new album-only, digital-only store where consumers can purchase mp3s in their intended format - as part of a full album.
“While the sale of individual tracks certainly makes sense technologically for pop music, it is fully not in the best interest of the independent music community. It hurts not only artists, but also labels, retailers, and distributors,�? said Matt Wishnow, President of Insound. “If I love Spoon, I love them for Series of Sneaks, Kill the Moonlight and Gimme Fiction and not for particular songs on those albums. We want to continue to nourish fans who feel this way about the album while allowing those fans to get their music in whatever format they prefer – CD, LP or MP3.�?
Check out all the "Save The Album" artist videos here, or just enjoy The Decemberists' Colin Meloy (He loves The Pogues, yay!) and his oh-so-realistic 'stache below:
Found this one via SS blogger amigo Myself Myself, who hit the nail right on the head with the Peter Gabriel-meets-the Junior Boys description. Nicholas Makelberge's "Dying in Africa" might never quite reach the musical catharsis SS was expecting, but the song still ranks up there will the best atmospheric electro pop we've heard in quite some time.
Grab an mp3 here, and three other tunes on the artist's MySpace.
More recycled Oasis goodies today kids. And again, it's a heck of a lot cooler than anything off Don't Believe the Truth.
This new vid for "The Masterplan" starts off more like something you'd see coming out of the Radiohead camp, and the song is still a keeper. Enjoy.
Oasis' greatest hit disc, Stop the Clocks, is in stores next month.
In yet another example of waning support for traditional music sales, record shop juggernaut Tower Records will close its doors after being sold to a liquidator that will torpedo all 89 stores in 20 states. An estimated 3,000 employees will collect their pink slips.
The 46-year-old chain's troubles comes as little shock, amid an overall music sales decline in addition to increased competition from Wal-Mart and online retailers. But at the end of the day, SS blames the $19 CD sticker prices for the ultimate demise. In this blog and mp3 age where music fanboys typically hear most every song on an album weeks before its release, consumers are naturally more inclined to download songs track by track, rather than spend 20 bucks on an album they already know has only 3 good songs.
Larry Kirwan's (Black 47) point about the "real and powerful" nature of music that cannot be grasped through downloading is a nice thought (and easy for us to agree with, considering we get most of our music for free), and the High Fidelity style record shop will always be a romanticized draw for the hipsters, but music, by its very nature, is meant to be shared. Two weeks' allowance to pick up some K-Fed hardly seems fair. Viva la iTunes!
Incubus, generally out of the limelight for almost two years, returns on November 28 with Light Grenades, the follow up to 2004's A Crow Left of the Murder.
The musical landscape has changed a great deal since the band's brand of surf-rock/alt-metal last road the charts. Will the album go the way of Korn and The Deftones into relative pop chart obscurity? Not likely. First off, the passe rap/metal aspect of Incubus has never been a key part of the band's sound or success. Brandon Boyd's vocals and Mike Einiger's guitar work are both instantly identifiable, and that hint of turntable hip hop works in small doses, but not as a regular feature. Essentially, Incubus is a straight-up, aggressive alternative rock band, and a damn good one at that. Fads or no fads, they'll be sticking around.
The lead single, "Anna Molly" is classic Incubus, even if the lead riff tempo is taken up just a notch, perhaps in recognition if the recent post-punk leanings in pop music. But the song then quickly falls back into that patented stutter-step rhythm and alternating doses of heavy thrash and spacious licks accompanying Boyd's distinctive delivery. It might not rule Billboard, but it's another rock radio top 5 for sure.
Stream "Anna Molly" at the band's MySpace or right here.
It seems that lately, Ryan Adams' website has become vastly more entertaining (and gotten a lot more attention) than the artist himself. Seemingly going stir crazy without new music on the shelves, he did recently take to recording a few sloppy (but freakin' hilarious) hip hop songs to stream, and had some suspecting yet another genre shift into the realm of Mr. Beck Hanson. But then, with the subsequent hoopla surrounding the shut down of a popular Adams fan site, in addition to his primary duties on a UK tour with The Cardinals and producing Willie Nelson's new disc, who knew we'd see anymore new Ryan Adams tunes anytime soon?
Then last night, You are the Audience mysteriously popped up on the Cardinals Radio player. But if you're looking for more hip hop, or some alt-country a la Cold Roses, we're afraid you're out of luck. It's also not 80's rock a la Rock and Roll (and the recent "France" single streamed on the homepage), British alternative a la Love is Hell, 70's American rock a la Gold or any of the other genres seen on proper Adams releases. (We're sure there's a polka bootleg floating around the web somewhere.)
What it is, is 21 loud, fast, sloppy (generally hilarious) punk rock tracks that sound like one long, drunk-ass day in the studio after listening to a lot of the Buzzcocks and his own old Whiskeytown records. And since it's Adams, it's actually pretty cool (though I'm sure many breaths will be wasted on ball-busting from web journalists. (Pitchfork, we're talking to you!)
Enjoy the new stuff, enjoy the fact that Adams has the courage to through himself on the line like this so often, and enjoy that fact that he doesn't take this shit nearly as serious as many of us seem to.
UPDATE: 15 more tracks in the vein of Jacksonville City Nights (albeit a bit on the tongue in cheek side. And what is with that rooster crow?) Anyway, does this dude sleep?
Yes yes, this is sorta old news...but we'd be terribly remiss if we didn't mention, and pay tribute to one of SS's primary sources of snark during our early days, Justin Hawkins. On Wednesday, the Darkness lead singer announced his exit from the band, citing an ongoing battle with drug addiction.
"It would be damaging to my recovery to stay on. I'm not blaming the band for my problem -- I am an addict."
Speculation about the demise of The Darkness has been rampant in the months following the flop of One Way Ticket To Hell...and Back, the band's 2nd LP, but was consistently denied by its members.
Hawkins plans to continue a solo career and write film music, while other band members have yet to announce plans for the future.
"We -- Dan, Ed and Richie -- are still in total shock and can't say at this stage what the future holds. You will hear from us, once we know what we want to do."
In memorial, SS has donned its spandex pants to the office today. We suggest you do the same.
Sorry folks, no big posts this afternoon...but here's some shorties to get you through the day:
-Kate Moss: the new Yoko?
-Modest Mouse pushes back new LP. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank now set to drop in "early '07." November NYC dates still on.
-Gangster rapper Ryan Adams' message board goes offline...beeeatch!
-Morrissey back for more UK shows this winter.
-Travis Barker fails to channel Def Leppard, tour dates canceled.
-Check out snippets from the "completely over the top, borderline psychotic" new disc from My Chemical Romance.
-Jimmy Buffett slams French police over ecstasy debacle: "My vices these days consist of boat drinks, beer, wine and the occasional hot fudge sundae."
-Perhaps answering the question "Do people still care about Eminem?," his new single "You Don't Know" is available here.
-Razorlight hits #1 with "America," but to be fair, this is #3: (Wow)
If ya'll haven't heard this yet...well, then this must be your first visit to a music blog, like, ever. But hey, on the upside, you're starting out with a bang (and you missed our brief, ill-advised foray into Paris Hilton blogging.)
So without further ado, we give you Jay Z's triumphant return. (via Prefixmag)
Thanks to Idolator for risking their newbie necks with what looks like an illegal post. But we suppose if any blog can withstand the heat, it's a Nick Denton blog.
It looks like Beck's latest disc, the muy excellante' The Information, won't be making even a dent in the UK charts. Not because people won't be buying it, mind you, but because those free stickers give Mr. Hanson an "unfair advantage."
Yep, that's why we buy CDs. OK we don't buy CDs. We get them free or buy them on iTunes. But if we did buy CDs that would be why. For the stickers. And we'll only buy a novel if it comes with a killer bookmark as well. But that's just us.
Beck's new disc will be charting in the US, stickers and all. Following its release this Tuesday, you can expect to see it land near the top of the charts next week.
We Are Scientists is a blogger's band, and that's a-ok apparently. Regarding the band's Also-Ran Buzz Bands Tour, also featuring Art Brut and Spinto Band:
"Blogs rejoice. Print mags worry about more important things."
You may be right fellas, but when SS's bound hardcover edition finally sees the light of day, you'll make the cut for sure.
At any rate, on to the news: We Are Scientists recorded a split 7" with Art Brut and two tracks can currently be ganked over at Mr. Red Penguin's Mp3 Heaven. The tunes in question find each band covering the other and are damn cool cool if you're a fan of either one. SS particularly digs We Are Scientists' take on "Bang Bang Rock and Roll."
We tend to steer clear of the gossip pages at SS, but this made us smile:
Last night, Paris Hilton got b*tch slapped, and Bobby Brown got negged from a Hollywood nightclub. That, friends, is most definitely hot.
Stereogum's rounded up the list of CMJ 2006 performers, and it looks like another doozey of a lineup. From SS indie favs like Magnolia Electric Co. Cold War Kids and CSS, to shoulda' been country mega-superstar Steve Earle, to life-changers The Shins, to Hot Chip, to French Kicks, to...and it goes on like that. Wow.
Those list-a-holics over at the RS Rock and Roll Daily, inspired by the recent funeral song poll topped by James Blunt (are these natural deaths or suicides?), created a funeral mixtape that's pretty spot on. The only glaring omission in SS's eyes would be "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo, but they got The Pogues' "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" in there, so we won't quibble.
Some are obvious (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash) others not so (Oasis, Sleater-Kinney - who deserve their own righteous funeral), but all would make SS roll over (in a good way) in our grave.
Listen to the Till Death Do Us Party mixtape, here. Our b-side is below:
According to NME, it seems that Pete Doherty manages to squeeze in some honest-to-goodness reading between benders...
"I've got a shelf full of books with HMP Pentonville, HMP Wandsworth on them, smuggled 'em out, yeah. 'Crime and Punishment' I read! Except my cellmate at the time kept pulling his shorts down and getting his knob out, and going, 'Is this normal, Pete?' And I'm trying to read."
In related news, Whitney Houston loves freebasing to Masterpiece Theater.
As The Killers' new disc continues to take a drubbing from the critics, those Springsteen-like attempts at Americana romanticism seem awfully silly in retrospect. Stop burning down the highways on the backs of hurricanes, put on some eyeliner and go hang out with Simon Lebon. All is forgiven.
BUT, while we wait for that triumphant "return to form" in The Killers' third LP, SS has found another band who's street life tales of lovable losers and southbound girls rings surprisingly true. Yep, we're going to agree with Pitchfork on this one. The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America is fucking awesome.
Perhaps a glimpse at what Bruce might have sounded like, had he been born 20 years later (or perhaps what he still could sound like if the desire for Born in the USA fame ever tickled his fancy again? Hey, we can dream...), the disc is an amped up take on Born to Run, both thematically and musically. Craig's Finn's "singing" voice is still a hate-it-or-tolerate-it proposition, but his down-and-out, street poet cred could be off the charts after this one. This time we're actually hoping for the Pitchfork effect (Arcade Fire, we're talking to you) to kick in. Keep it rockin' boys.
Stream Boys and Girls in America in its entirety here, before its release in stores this Tuesday.
Despite Brandon Flowers now-infamous claim that Sam's Town would be "one of the best albums of the last 20 years," SS is determined to give The Killers' new disc a fair shake. But we'll be honest...other than the Springsteen-esque, almost heroic "When You Were Young," most of what we've heard has been a letdown. It's as if removing the synth from The Killers' sound left them with nothing more than generic, almost hook-less rock. We'll see...though the Rolling Stone already ripped it, and if they are willing to rip a band as "in" as The Killers, it must be a steaming pile.
Decide for yourself and let us know. You can stream Sam's Town in its entirely right here, at MTV's "The Leak."
Hmmm...we wrote that first Ryan Adams rap off as a lark...but today the dude's posted some new tracks that come dangerously close to hip hop-influenced territory...meaning, yeah, real songs.
The dude's got plenty on his plate, what with the Cardinals tour and the Willie Nelson album, so he can't just be bored. Guess he's been listening to a lot of Beck lately...
After a one-year hiatus, briefly relinquishing the reins of indie rock award-giving to the New Pantheon award, the Short-List prize has risen from the dead.
From the official site:
"The Shortlist Organization announced today that Greg Spotts has acquired all of Tom Sarig’s interest in The Shortlist and The New Pantheon. Spotts is now the sole owner of the Shortlist and New Pantheon music prizes."
"Spotts and Sarig founded the Shortlist Music Prize in 2001 to honor the most adventurous and creative albums of the year, focusing on emerging artists rather than established hitmakers. In a statement, Spotts noted his sincere thanks and appreciation to Sarig as cofounder of the Shortlist and for his many contributions to peer-selected music awards. Similarly, Sarig expressed appreciation for the hard work Spotts has put in during their years together and wished Spotts well in continuing the Shortlist mission."
Despite these two's apparently constant feuding, the award has been pretty spot-on with its nominees over the years. Past winners include: TV On The Radio, Sufjan Stevens and Sigur Ros.
Nominees for the 2006 Short-List prize will be announced around Thanksgiving.
Just when we thought Ryan Adams new official site couldn't get any more random...
"With a a bottle of whiskey a wizard and a mime...dot com mother fucker!"
That brilliant prose represents a stanza from Adams' new hip hop joint currently streaming on his homepage. No doubt it's just a goof...name checking Brooklyn, Kevin Costner, Kevin Bacon before dropping into a Wicked Witch of the West voice towards the end, but even so, holy crap.
It's pretty damn funny really, but lets all pray to God the dude doesn't fancy himself the next Beck. Eh, who are we kidding...we'd still buy it.
Substance abusers past and present joined forces last night, on stage in Dublin. A Babyshambles gig (yup, they're still together) turned up a surprise appearance by legendary singer, boozer and bar-fighter Shane MacGowan (pictured) for a version of Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town." MacGowan's band, The Pogues, first covered the track on the 1985 album Rum, Sodomy & The Lash.
No word on whether the night culminated in the bender to end all benders, but local Irish citizens should probably watch where they step in the gutter this morning.
In related news, The Pogues original lineup will play The States this fall for the first time in 15 years, in support of the expanded reissue of the band's first five albums. In total, 31 bonus tracks will appear, including four songs from the 1986 EP, Poguetry in Motion.
If you don't live on the West Coast, and you're hanging your hat on free mp3s instead of shelling out some dough for the reissues, we've got a video for ya'. Now now, we know LOTR references are sooo 2003, but tell us, does this song not fit perfectly? Something to think about for that proposed film adaptation of The Hobbit. Enjoy "Tuesday Morning" featuring Merry and Pippin.
Time to call it a day and head for the company bar (ahhh, if only...), but one last quick one before we go.
If you're looking for some new tunes tonight, AOL Music opened the floodgates once again, with a whole mess of full-disc previews. Yay for free stuff! AOL - They can't make a web browser for shit, but they done right by the blogosphere.
Worth a listen:
Evanescence - The Open Door
Janet Jackson - 20 Y.O
Ludacris - Release Therapy
Tori Amos - A Piano: The Collection
The Lemonheads - The Lemonheads
First Impressions: The Lemonheads' Evan Dando still has it, Janet still needs it, Ludacris is getting too serious for his name, Evanescence...well, we never liked them and Tori still dazzles (after 16 years???). Enjoy.
OK pop quiz: What does the world need even less than an Oasis greatest-hits disc? That's right! An EP that previews tracks from an Oasis greatest-hits disc.
Come on guys...Don't Believe the Truth was the best thing you've done in years. Keep the momentum going!
The Decemberists' new disc, The Crane Wife, is due October 3, but SS hasn't said a peep so far. Shame on us. Today we make amends with two new tracks:
-"O Valencia" is the band's bread and butter. Kill yourself lyrics set to happy-go-lucky riffs. Either turn your brain off and dance around your bedroom, or have some brooding ruminations on lost loves and bloody civil violence. Guess it depends on your mood.
Stream "O Valenicia" at the band's MySpace.
-"Yankee Bayonet" on the other hand, is a bit more down-beat, musically-speaking. But then again, there aren't really that many Civil War tunes set to a dance groove. Either way it's a beautiful, melancholic song with some old school REM acoustic riffs that features Laura Veirs trading vocals with Colin Meloy.
Stream "Yankee Bayonet" here.
UPDATE: Now you can stream the entire disc, free at MTVu!
It's no secret that our tastes often butt heads with those of Pitchfork (not an uncommon sentiment in the blogosphere) but we never thought we'd find ourselves in the position of arguing against them over the merits of a Paris Hilton song! And get this, we're the ones who think it sucks! (Relatively speaking.)
Pitchfork flatly, and without a trace of irony, call Paris' latest single, "Nothing in This World," a "great song," and goes on to credit its "fairly understated, sophisticated production...Paris steals the show with one of her strongest performances." Whaaa?
Give it a listen. What do ya'll think? We hear a bad Gwen Stefani impression on the verse, and every other b-list pop singer on the chorus. Of course, that is pretty good for Paris. But 3 1/2 stars? Somebody's throwing off the curve here kids...
Some Monday morning procrastination stimulation:
-Dre and Snoop re-team: According to Billboard, Dr. Dre has produced "several tracks" for long-time collaborator Snoop Dogg's upcoming disc, The Blue Carpet Treatment. It will mark the duo's first new music together in five years.
Other guests include R. Kelly, Stevie Wonder, Ice Cube and The Game.
-Preview Open Season: Lost Highway has released long-ish snippets of each track from Paul Westerberg's soundtrack to the new animated flick, Open Season. Highlights include: "Love You In The Fall,"Meet Me In The Meadow" and a re-working of Westerberg's "Good Day," which first appeared on his 1996 disc, Eventually.
-Jet's new disc, Shine On (due October 3), is currently streaming in its entirety at the band's MySpace page, including the first single "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is."
Two items that caught our eye this Friday morning:
-John Mayer needs your help. Apparently his inoffensive brand of of light blues/pop isn't enough to start some Dylan-esque radicalism in 2006. So, the "Waiting on the World to Change" wants to know what you are doing.
Mayer and Yahoo Video are accepting 30 second clips here, that aim to depict how you have changed the world for the better. Yeah, it's kinda cheesy and considering the rather non-activist sentiment of the song in question, oddly contrary, BUT Yahoo will donate $10 for each video submitted to the cause of the singer's choice.
For our video: We're gonna take the master recordings for K-Fed's new disc, and toss em' in the East River.
-It seems Michael Jackson doesn't need Neverland anymore...He's got a new playground: Leprechaun Land.
“Michael is deadly serious about this idea,�? a source told Ireland’s Daily Mirror. “He loves the whole idea of leprechauns and the magic and myths of Ireland. It would cost around 500 million Euros [about $635 million] to do. He’s always wanted to open his own theme park and he thinks Ireland is the perfect place and it will all be built around the leprechaun theme.�?
Are there still people out there willing to take their kids to what seems like an almost pedophilia-themed park run by this guy? Well if there are, let's hope they're the nice Leprechauns, with gold and rainbows. The others could get a little testy if Jacko cops a feel.
Last week saw several high-profile releases and despite the obvious entry of Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds at the top spot (684,000), there were a few other interesting results:
John Mayer's latest disc, Continuum, bowed at #2 with 300,000 units. Though this marks a slight dip from 2003's Heavier Things, which debuted at #1 with 317,000, these still must be encouraging results for an album almost completely devoid of pop music or radio-friendly singles. Is it possible that all the teeny boppers still went out and bought it, (which would likely predict a big drop in second week sales after the bad buzz hits the high schools), or is Mayer actually finding a new audience to appreciate his more muted, bluesy styles? Time will tell.
Bob Dylan's Modern Times continues to hold up better than expected, slipping 3-5 in its 3rd week on the charts. The disc only registered a 27% dip in sales, and if this keeps up, ole' Bob might have a platinum album on his hands.
The Mars Volta's Amptechture bowed at #9 with 59,000 copies. It's a drop off from 2005's Frances the Mule, which moved 123,000 in its opening week, but for a band offering music as generally inaccessible to a pop audience as they, we're still impressed.
Brooklyn's own TV on the Radio made its chart debut, with Return to Cookie Mountain moving 21,000 copies at #41.
Finally, two former chart mainstays made surprising returns to the top 10: Bob Seger returned to the top 5 for the first time in 20 years with Face the Promise (#4, 151,000 copies), while Lionel Richie overcame the same two decade absence with a #6 bow for Coming Home (75,000).
So we repeat: In SEPTEMBER 2006, the Billboard top 10 saw, Bob Seger, Bob Dylan and Lionel Ritchie! No disrespect to Dylan's amazing new disc, but still makes it quite clear that our parents haven't figured out the whole mp3 thing yet...
The top 10:
1. Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds (684,000)
2. John Mayer - Continuum (300,000)
3. Beyonce - B'Day (162,000)
4. Bob Seger - Face the Promise (151,000)
5. Bob Dylan - Modern Times (93,000)
6. Lionel Richie - Coming Home (75,000)
7. Hinder - Extrem Behavior (64,000)
8. Danity Kane - Danity Kane (62,000)
9. The Mars Volta - Amptechture (59,000)
10. Nickleback - All the Right Reasons (57,000)
Willie might have gotten busted, but Keith Richards is taking the high ground (sort of):
via Gigwise:
“I don't like the way drugs now are working on your brain area instead of just through the blood stream. That's why I don't take any of them anymore."
Don't worry, Richards was merely referring to "modern" drugs like ecstasy. In fact, if anything, he wishes the new stuff got you more f-d up:
"I think the quality's gone down. All they do is try and take the high out of everything.�?
Interesting theory. Keith, have you seen Pete Doherty lately?
The Killers are headed to Webster Hall this Friday, so we thought a little update was in order for those of you :
First, pre-sale starts today at 3pm, here, for fan club members...The common folk will have to wait till Wednesday at noon. Next check out 30 clips of each track off Sam's Town here, and if that doesn't hold you over until the show, check out this B-side, "All the Pretty Faces," courtesy of Still-Listen.
So...Still the "best album of the last 20 years?" Not according to the Brits:
"The Killers mark II are bigger, heavier, and sadly sound a whole lot more like Meat Loaf and Bryan Adams than they've ever done before." Doh.
Big Brother is watching over at Idolatrod; that newly-minted musical wing of the Gawker Media blogging empire. As is the case with all their sister-sites, you need approval to simply comment on an entry at Mr. Denton's newest income stream! Whether this'll lead to indie rock super snobbery (You don't like Deerhoof?? I cast thee outtt!) or sponsor-influenced pandering remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Sonic Slang with never silence its readers!
Whether you're groovin' on Lionel Ritchie, Sufjan Stevens or even our pal K-Fed, we respect your right to choose, even if your choice is embarrassingly awful. But no matter how firm we hold to our convictions (and yes, we get the plus side: no spam, no hate speech, less flame wars, etc etc), this kind of behavior at a blogging powerhouse like Gawker can't bode well for the future, can it? Last time we checked, this was America jack! Take that Kim Jong!
For you aspiring taste-makers and indie bloggers, we give you two possible outcomes for dropping unauthorized tunes on an eager public:
1. You become a romanticized, mysterious, musical Robin Hood.
2. You get your ass fired.
Scissor Sisters' sophomore LP Ta Dah hits the shelves tomorrow (9/19). The band's first collection of Elton-Johnish (he appears on one track) disco scored cool points with both the drag queens and the indie kids, so hopes are high for another batch of trashy fun this time around. Check out the whole thing a day early on MySpace and give us your take.
Speaking of Elton: The fella who was doing gay pop back before the Sisters bought their first pair of leather pants is back with The Captain and the Kid. It's streaming over at AOL Music and we're happy to report that the late-career revival movement isn't only for Bob Dylan. Following Songs From the West Coast and Peachtree Road, this marks another quite excellent batch of 70's-inspired piano pop and country-flavored soft rock. Long live the Queen!
Something called Gawker Media just launched its first music blog, Idolatrod. In other words, our Mom and Pop operation is gonna get squeezed out by Walmart...
Hold on to your hats kids. This October brings us not one, but two triumphant returns from artists legendary in their respective genres! One is classic, 70's arena rock, the other samples classic R&B to produce slick, generic hip hop. Hey, it's a genre! Of course we're talking about The Who, and Diddy. We'll give you a moment to compose yourselves...
OK, first the good stuff - 
The Who's Endless Wire hits stores on 10/31 and will be the band's first studio album in 24 years! The Wire and Glass EP wet our appetites this summer, and now we have two streams to tease you even a bit more:
Check out "It's Not Enough" and "Tea and Theatre" right here.
As for "The Artist Formally Known as Just About Everything," Diddy drops his "comeback" disc on 10/17. Titled Press Play (which reminds us a bit too much of that awful Aerosmith disc), it finds the rap mogul sounding a bit more like the newly un-retired Jay Z this time around (well, as much as can be expected). Judging by the tracks available on his MySpace page, it's a mixed bag, but worth checking out considering the rather star-studded cast.
Tracklist for Endless Wire:
1. Fragments
2. A Man In A Purple Dress
3. Mike Post Theme
4. In The Ether
5. Black Widow's Eyes
6. Two Thousand Years
7. God Speaks of Marty Robbins
8. It's Not Enough
9. You Stand By Me
10. Sound Round
11. Pick Up The Peace
12. Unholy Trinity
13. Trilby's Piano
14. Endless Wire
15. Fragments Of Fragments
16. We Got A Hit
17. They Made My Dream Come True
18. Mirror Door
19. Tea & Theatre
Some evening linkage - Enjoy:
-Rumors abound: The Jay Z comeback disc.
-Morrissey: Happy, then sad.
-Neko Case, Ryan Adams join Nelson (Willie, that is) on stage.
-Killers confirm UK tour dates.
-Paste ready to Rock n Reel.
-First ever Van Morrison DVD to hit shelves.
-Scissor Sisters top charts. Still no dancing.
-Springsteen and others to guest on Jerry Lee Lewis' Last Man Standing.
More Paul Westerberg/Open Season news:
Good news - If you're a fan, those ring tone snippets aren't the only way to check out some tracks off the album. Man Without Ties reports that not one, but two songs are available for streaming.
Check out "Love You in the Fall" at AOL Music, and "Meet Me in the Meadow" at Lost Highway's MySpace page. SS particularly enjoys the former. It's on the poppy side (this is a cartoon bear movie) but also recalls the 'Mats circa 1987, which we always love.
On this fifth anniversary on the 9/11 terrorist attacks, somehow extensive blogging about indie rock and rock star guffaws doesn't seem as important as it normally does. So SS is laying low today.
But if you must have your music (and many of us must), here's a few links to keep ya'll busy:
-AOL music is streaming a whole bunch of new disc, including: The Rapture, REM, Yo La Tengo, Lionel Richie (hehe), and others.
-Van Halen Reunion? (For real this time...maybe.)
-Check out Brooklyn Vegan's live Ted Leo tracks.
-A Soundtrack for Everyone has more of those new Beck tunes you guys can't get enough of. Grainy, badly-lit, low budget videos to follow.
OK - We've been resisting posting about this whole Lonelygirl15 thing mainly because, well, mostly because it has nothing to do with music. Even with Stereogum and many other bloggers chiming in on the subject, we preferred to keep our observations private. But now that the whole thing is starting to look like a conspiracy, or Blair Witch-like marketing tool, we thought it was worth a mention. Christ, who is this chick???!!!
Umm OK, music news. Right. Let's see...Ummm, 50 Cent got pulled over. There.
UPDATE: Yup, looks like it's fake people. Check out the lonelygirl15 "tribute" page and it's forum...specifically right here. Welp, back to obsessing over Morrissey and Robert Pollard like a real blog.
UPDATE #2: Gah! Or is that forum post another fake??
Ahh the power of the blog.
The vastly overrated Arctic Monkeys took home the coveted Mercury Prize, beating out the likes of Thom Yorke, Editors, Hot Chip, Richard Hawley and others Look don't get us wrong, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is a cool disc...but hardly anything original or groundbreaking, and totally over-hyped by the blogosphere (well, cept by us of course.) We wish the lads well, and hope they enjoy the 38K prize, but at next year's ceremony we want our minds blown and faces melted by the winner.
If you somehow missed all the Monkey business, check out a couple tracks here.
-Lincoln Center will host a Bob Dylan benefit on November 9. Artists to perform include: Ryan Adams, Cat Power, Bob Mould, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and others.
-Paris Hilton arrested for drunk driving! But wait, was it the real Paris?
-OK so John Mayer isn't dating Jessica Simpson (anymore at least), but somebody please find this guy a woman! He sounds really hard up...
-Here's a shocker: Robert Pollard has a new album (Oct. 10) and fall tour in the works.
-Just in time for Christmas: Glenn Danzig collectible dolls.
-Juliana Hatfield really trusts you.
-Tim Burton directs new Killers video.
-SS has never jumped on board the Jared Leto-hating blogger bandwagon, but OK, we're in.
-Perhaps the tour of the fall: Death Cab, Ted Leo, OK Go and Jenny Lewis.
Well, he did say new music sucks. Apparently ya'll agree.
Bob Dylan's Modern Times became the artist's first #1 album in 30 years, topping the charts this week with 192,000 copies sold. Not since 1976's Desire has Dylan reached the top of the pops, and the number also represents his best sales week in the Soundscan era (post-1991). Not bad for 65 years old. In fact, let's give the old coot some props by checking out the video for what's likely the oldest sounding song on Modern Times. Call grandma, she's gonna dig this one:
Other artists in the top 10 (How many of these guys do you think Dylan has even heard of?):
2. Danity Kane - Danity Kane (117,000)
3. Young Dro - Best Thank Smokin' (104,000)
4. Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics (101,000)
5. Jessica Simpson - A Public Affair (101,000)
6. The Cheetah Girls 2 - (80,000)
7. OutKast - Idlewild (78,000)
8. Method Man - 4:21...The Day After (62,000)
9. The Roots - Game Theory (61,000)
10 Nickelback - All the Right Reasons (60,000)
This Open Season soundtrack deal might be worth a lot more to the Westernerds (guilty!) out there than we originally thought:
According to a recent interview with Westerberg, St. Paul is considering "more Stinson collaborations," referring of course to former the 'Mats bassist Tommy Stinson who joined him in the studio for several of the Open Season tracks. Though he's currently on Axl's payroll as part of the freak show that is Guns and Roses, Stinson allegedly suggested he and Paul go in and record, gulp, another Replacement album!
Now before we get too excited, lets remember that Westerberg has been known to play with the media before. For example, he once famously hinted that the excellent Stereo/Mono collection was a 'Mats reunion in disguise...no such luck.
But if nothing else, this news proves that Tommy and Paul don't hate each other nearly as much as some might think, and there is still hope, however small, that we'll see at least 3/4 (minus the deceased Bob Stinson) of the old band trashing dressing rooms and blowing off tour dates once again...
And for those of you that might now only be hearing about Westerberg as the guy doing the soundtrack to a talking bear movie, check out pretty much the coolest video ever made, below:
To those of you that think REM has been all down hill since Bill Berry left the group, next Saturday (9/16) might be a good day for a road trip. On that day Stipe and co. will be inducted their home state of Georgia's Music Hall of Fame, and Berry will pick up the sticks for the 3rd, and presumably last time following his exit from the band in 1997.
REM will perform three songs at the induction, and will reportedly head into the studio shorty after (sans Berry of course) to begin work on a follow-up to 2004's Around the Sun.
Well Labor Day weekend didn't turn out quite as bad as we thought it would here in SS country. Got in a little sun, a little sand, a little golf and most importantly for ya'll, a few hours spent holed up in the office making the Sonic Slang experience so much more luxurious. So while you marvel at the beauty that is our new layout, enjoy these two feel-good posts to tide you over until regular updates resume tomorrow...
-According to a grammatically-suspect report from a VMA after-party, Axl Rose and Tommy Hilfiger have patched things up, after realizing that neither of them are famous enough anymore to warrant a public feud. In other GNR news (yes, there is news!) Axl is still holding out hope for a 2006 release of Chinese Democracy, while also announcing a full U.S. tour kicking off October 24. Check out Axl commenting on the Hilfiger spat below, and a full three-minute interview with MTV's John Norris here.
-In other reclusive genius/weirdo news, Jacko has turned to John Landis to helm his "comeback video" in hopes of resuscitating a career stalled by years of seclusion, those pesky child molestation law suits and generally being a crazy bastard. Landis, director of such classic films as The Blue Brothers and Trading Places, confirmed the rumor, if nothing else with these comments:
"I talked to him last month. He was in Bahrain or some bizarre place. It was a business thing we had to talk about...Michael is a genius. He's obviously an eccentric but he really has a great talent."
Most directors might not touch MJ with a 10-foot poll...at least not until after a few glasses of Jesus Juice, but considering Landis' upcoming projects include Bat Boy and Show Dogs, maybe Thriller Part Deux isn't too bad an idea...
The latest incarnation of Ryan Adams' official site just went live, and just like the last one, it's heavy on flash but light on common sense. Though once again, for the super-fans at least, that's half the fun.
We got a sort of sci-fi theme this time around, with the homepage resembling the cockpit of a space ship. Among the features are a streaming audio player (nothing new there, including "France" so don't get too excited yet) and a "tour tracker" for those of planning on hitting up any of The Cardinals' Cali or UK dates this fall, but the real fun stuff requires teleportation:
With random, and not-so-random tid bits such as: the weather in NYC, a photo gallery, the flash game Lunar Command, a bio and even a link to some magic eye trick on Youtube, it'll once again appeal to the web surfing geek in most of us blog-happy people. (A group which we suspect Ryan could count himself a member of.) So check it out if you've got some spare time to waste, like most of us on this dreary holiday weekend.
Come to think of it, the combo of the new spacey site and the "France" leak is starting to lend more and more credibility to the alleged Blackhole release of "sexy, damaged tunes." We shall see...
In other Adams news, you can get a sneak preview of the track "Blue Hotel," a song he penned for Willie Nelson's upcoming Lost Highway disc, Songbird, on the label site. He also produced the set and though you need to register as a member to hear the track (click on "Media"), it's worth the wait to hear Nelson's take on the bluesy, soulful tune, hearkening back to the sound of Heartbreaker or perhaps Gold-era Adams. Songbird is due 10/31
Apparently, a flurry of traffic to John Mayer's official site blog crashed the server. The culprit: This post.
Mayer was previously reported as wooing fembot Jessica Simpson.
Jennifer O'Connor's lovely Matador debut, Over the Mountain, Across the Valley and Back to the Stars, hit record stores last week and has been getting some wonderful press thus far, including the almighty Pitchfork plug. (Second only to the Sonic Slang plug of course.)
Well, several tracks are streaming on her official site, but if you want something for that iPod, Daytrotter.com has four "stripped-down" versions for ya'll to grab ahold of. (Discovered via Matador's new and groovy Matablog.)
If you dig, and want to check out the real thing, O'Connor is currently on tour with Mason Jennings, as well as a few select dates with Portastic:
September 7 - Barrymore Theatre, Madison, WI
September 8 - The Canopy, Urbana, IL
September 9 - House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH
September 10 - Mr. Small’s Theatre, Millvale, PA
September 12 - Drake Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
September 14 - The Space, Portland, ME
September 15 - Pearl Street, Northampton, MA
September 16 - Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA
September 19 - Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC
September 21 - Freebird Cafe, Jacksonville, FL
September 22 - Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, FL
September 23 - Common Grounds, Gainsville, FL
September 24 - The State Theatre, St. Petersberg, FL
September 28 - Walter’s On Washington, Houston, TX
September 29 - Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, TX
September 30 - Stubbs BBQ, Austin, TX
(above dates supporting Mason Jennings)
October 11 - North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA
October 13 - Mercury Lounge, NYC, NY
October 14 - Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
October 15 - Bar Night Club, New Haven, CT
(above dates supporting Portastatic)
In the midst of preparation for his band's European tour (after a quick swing through Los Angeles), a post on Ryan Adam's still-under-construction new website states that bassist Catherine Popper has left The Cardinals for "personal reasons." Popper will be replaced by Chris Feinstein. No word yet on those 3 discs still due in '06. Maybe that was a hoax after all. (Though we still have that Willie Nelson disc to look forward to folks.)
From the official site:
"Immediately following a quick swing through the Los Angeles area in mid-September, The Cardinals will spend six weeks in Europe playing an extended series of live dates (see full itinerary below). The Cardinals regret to announce the departure of Catherine Popper from the group. Catherine's decision to bow out was based on her own personal reasons and we all wish her well in her future musical pursuits. Stepping in to play bass guitar will be longtime friend and occasional Cardinals collaborator, Chris Feinstein. The band is currently sequestered in New York City rehearsing for the upcoming shows to insure maximum Cardinalicity at every gig. We look forward to seeing many of our old friends and maybe even a few new ones across the Atlantic in the weeks to come."
Sincerely, The Cardinals.
Brad Pemberton
Neal Casal
Jon Graboff
Ryan Adams
---
* Ryan you've come along way my friend. A few years back you know his name would have been first, with a much bigger font and some gold stars around it.
According to a post on the band's official site, pop punk senior citizens Green Day have begun work on the inevitable letdown that will be the follow-up to American Idiot. Don't get us wrong...it'll be good in all likelihood. But capturing lightening in a bottle usually only happens once. And from the sounds of it, they intend on stretching the boundaries even further this time around. Calling the album an "event," Billie Joe Armstrong had this to say to MTV:
"At this point, to put a record out with like 12 songs on it and turn it in sounds a bit boring for us. So we want to definitely make something that is well thought out and (that) all of our blood is put into."
In other punky news, Rancid's Tim Armstrong will drop an album's worth of new material online, for free, through a series of mp3s. The first track, "Hold On," is set to hit label Epitaph's site on Oct. 7. Shortly after, Rancid is expected to gather once again to record the follow-up to 2003's Indestructible.
Pitchfork got its grubby little hands on a track from The Decemberists upcoming LP, The Crane Wife, and it's pretty wonderful. "Summersong" is pretty straight-forward for the band, but it's still a beautiful piece of melancholy pop; an ode to the end of the season.
John Mayer may have spent much of the last couple years squeezing his way out of the teeny-bopper demo (with the John Mayer Trio, and his decidedly adult-flavored new disc Continuum), but his new relationship with Jessica Simpson should have him right back on the cover of Teen Beat.
As for Simpson, at least it gives her another artist to rip-off, until the world finally figures out that she's animatronic.
Check out the new vid for "Waiting on the World to Change," the lead single of Mayer's Continuum, due September 12.
This could just be the denial phase, but after growing up in Jersey, SS adheres to the following mantra: "If The Boss says it's true, it must be true."
In response to persistent web chatter about the eminent demise of his marriage, Bruce Springsteen posted a brief message to his fans via his official site, reassuring them that he and wife Patti remain as committed to each other as ever:
"Patti and I have been together for 18 years- the best 18 years of my life. We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married."
Somehow we missed the news about Gin Blossoms at the Apple Store tonight (8/28) till it was too late. Sure, the band's jangly 90's alternative rock isn't exactly what the kids would call the bees knees, but what 20-something (OK, late-20-something) didn't crank up "Hey Jealousy" in the car about a dozen summers back?
Believe it or not, "Learning the Hard Way," the lead single off the band's comeback disc Major Lodge Victory, is just about as catchy as anything from back in the heyday. Stream it at the band's MySpace and let us know what you think. The band certainly hasn't updated the sound even a bit, but the boys still know their way around a warm, inviting harmony. Tell you what...Get together a Better Than Ezra co-headliner and we're there bro.
If anybody caught the Apple Store show, drop us a line. Major victory or New Miserable Experience? (Sorry, it's late.)
Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. drops his solo debut this fall and at first we weren't too enthused about his prospects. But after hearing the new tracks streaming on his MySpace...ok, we're listening. In fact, the three tunes, "Everyone Gets a Scar," "Scared" and "101" are for the most part stronger than anything his band offered on its last disc. Who'd a thunk it?
Yours to Keep hits the UK on October 9 via Rough Trade. The tracklist is as follows:
01 Cartoon Music for Superheroes (Goodnight)
02 In Transit
03 Everyone
Gets a Star
04 Call an Ambulance
05 Blue Skies
06 Back to the 101
07 Bright Young Thing
08 Scared
09 Holiday
10 Hard to Live in
the City
Hammond's band has dates lined up through October, several of them in support of Tom Petty.
Dylan's new disc, Modern Times, is in stores tomorrow. The critics love it, and so does Bob, but what's your take? It's streaming over at AOL Music a day early so check it out and let us know.
Our first impression - Sounds like another classic, save for Dylan's voice which has erroded to the point of distraction. Somebody get this man a cup of tea or something...
Looks like our Spidey-sense was on the money with the new Outkast disc, Idlewild. Metacritic has it at a less-than-super 64 rating so far. Though some guy named Bob Dylan is at 97, so what do critics know anyway?
Either way, Mr. Zimmerman couldn't agree more. From the horse's mouth: He's great, everyone else sucks. Hmm, here's hoping for a Jack White vs. Bob Dylan throw-down.
SS is really starting to come around to this Paul Westerberg-penned soundtrack to Open Season. You can understand our apprehension of course. Sure, we know the one-time hell raiser has sobered up and settled down, but after the shaggy, devil-may-care attitude (even if it was calculatedly so) of his last few releases, we're in no mood to listen to another by-the-numbers disc of pop rock a la his many sucky followers like Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty. But we managed to hear a few snippets and things are looking good...considering, of course, the train wreck this could have been.
The tip came courtesy of the always reliable Paulwesterberg.com. (It's not an official site...Paul's not really an Internet kind of guy, but it's pretty much the go to source anyway.) It seems that Sony is selling ringtones from the kiddie flick, and four of them are new tunes (three sung by Paul, and another penned by him, but sung by a band called Deathray) that sound like the most fun the dude's had in sometime. And as previously reported, the presence of ex-'Mat Tommy Stinson on bass just plain makes us smile.
Head over here, then click the "ringtone" tab. "Love You in the Fall" (probably the most 'Mats-like of the bunch), "Meet Me In The Meadow" and "Right To Arm Bears" (oy) feature Paul on vocals, while "Wild As I Wanna Be" is the Deathray track.
We know we know...ringtones for a cartoon bear movie...on the surface is sounds pretty sucky. And frankly, if someone told Paul in '85 that he's be doing this type of thing he'd probably have shat himself. But, it's honestly nice to just see the fella getting some damned credit for the genius he is. And if this has a whole new generation of kids rocking out to Paul Westerberg, we say hell yeah!
A while back we made a pretty positive post about that new John Mayer track, "Waiting On The World To Change." It's off Mayer's upcoming 3rd disc, Continuum, and it kinda threw us for a loop with a very XPN feel that sounded more like a song for a Starbucks compilation, than the prom songs we've come to expect from the guy who penned "Your Body is a Wonderland."
Well, the disc drops on September 12, but Clearchannel Music is streaming the whole thing right now. We gave Continuum a couple spins, and yes, "Waiting" was indeed an anomaly. That's not to say it's a bad album in the least...but it's just not the departure we were suspecting following the John Mayer Trio jaunt. Instead, we find Mayer building further on the soulful, bluesy, urban chic sound he began cultivating on Heavier Things. It's definitely the most muted disc he's ever offered, with a lot of fireplace makeout music replacing the poppier stuff of Room of Squares.
At this point, acoustic guitars have been almost completely replaced by sultry, electric licks accompanying Mayer's uniquely breathy voice and cooing backup vocals. It's all a very intimate affair, but Mayer carries it off competently and with a slickly stylish approach that's becoming uniquely identifiable as his own. There's almost no way this one is gonna go to the top of the pops, but recent interviews indicate that the dude knows, and doesn't care. So on that level, it's nice to see a young, very talented guitarist being more concerned with building a career, than going platinum.
UPDATE: It looks like Mayer's appearance on Chappelle Show, and his ill-fated stand-up gig (gigs?) aren't going to be his only forays into the non-musical showbiz realm. Word is, he'll appear in the season premiere of CSI as, well as himself. Mayer will perform two tracks from Continuum: "Waiting on the World to Change" and "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room." Let's just hope he doesn't get upstaged by the other guest star...scene-stealing Danny Bonaduce
Bruce die-hards have heard rumors about this all summer, but it looks like The Boss's marriage problems have finally leaked to the media. Apparently his 15-year relationships with wife and E Street member Patti Scialfa is on the rocks, while whispers continue of a secret relationship with a 9/11 widow he met while organizing a charity event.
Springsteen's marriage to Scialfa is his second, following his 1989 divorce from Julianne Philips.
That oft-delayed disc from indie darlings The Shins looks like it's finally coming together. After what seems like a dozen push-backs, the album has a January 2007 release date, and now it even has a name: Wincing the Night Away.
As psyched as we may be, can any of you really say that album name outloud without thinking of Chumbawumba's "Tubthumping?" Distressing...
Likely album cuts include: "Phantom Limb," "Red Rabbits," "Sea Legs," "Spelling Lessons," "Spilled Needles" and "A Comet Appears." The set will be the follow-up to that little album that "changed your life" back in 2003, Chutes Too Narrow. The band can be seen September 16th at this year's Austin City Limits festival.
This has been all over the web, but we owed it to our old pals in Weezer to express our joy that those nasty rumors of a breakup are, apparently, bogus.
From the official site:
"This PSA has been brought to you by the fine guacamole dip at Scott Shriner's house, co-sponsored by a ring of fine cheese, and a dish of fresh figs from the back yard," reads the post. "Now please, take those 'Weezer split?' headlines and place them firmly into the 'Don't believe the hype' bin. And have yourself a fine afternoon now."
Hmm...the sound almost like...friends? Considering the strained relationship among Rivers and co. just a few years back, that's somewhat surprising. Although a tortured, awkward Rivers, as we know from Pinkerton, is much better (musically speaking) than a happy, rich, friendly one.
Next thing you know, he'll be moving to Beverly Hills...
Razorlight's new self-titled disc hit US shore this week (8/22), and as SS has been suspecting all along, it's the shite. What's interesting is how the band has been able to move away from being name-checked along with UK hipster favs like Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, etc. etc., essentially becoming a straight-up rock and roll band, while clearly getting BETTER for it. The album is bright and energetic, full of sharp pop harmonies that borrow from 60's pop as much as current UK rock and though it might be a tad straight-forward for the average Franz Ferdinand fan, there's not a clunker among the 10 tracks.
That being said, it's still been a tough week for the band. First, the previously reported Keane cancellation caused their US touring mates to drop out as well (if a MySpace post is considered a verifiable source), then frontman Johnny Borrell lost his guitar to a luggage mishap.
Despite these setbacks, Razorlight will release it's second single, "America," on October 2nd in the UK. You can preview the track, along with three others on the band's MySpace page. Short snippets of each album cut are also available on the band's official site.
Well to all the haters that criticize Keane for being a poppy, wussy, shiny and all-to-calculating band, check this out! It seems that lead singer Tom Chaplin has checked himself into rehab, following on the heels of fellow UK frontman Justin Hawkins.
From the band's official site:
"Following last week's announcement that Tom has been diagnosed with exhaustion, he has admitted himself into a private clinic.
Tom said, 'I've been having to deal with an increasing problem with drink and drugs, and the time has come to get the professional help I need to sort myself out. I feel desperately disappointed to be letting down our fans, but I want to get myself right now so that I can be back on the road for the rest of the year.'
As a result, the band will be taking a break from touring and some US dates will be postponed. See the following news story for more details."
We at SS aren't ones to encourage addictions, but perhaps a little devil in their music is just what Keane needs to avoid becoming the Matchbox 20 of the UK. Maybe, just maybe they are a little rougher around the edges than we all thought? Then again, Billy Joel is a drunk too...
A quickie but a goodie:
Those lovers of wordy album titles in Modest Mouse have announced the name of their next disc. The follow-up to the blockbuster Good News For People Who Love Bad News, will be We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. Guess everyone wants to be a pirate these days.
Uplifting huh? Well it'll still be the first disc featuring former Smith guitarist Johnny Marr, so that's reason enough to smile. Yarrrr.
Remember our old friend Justin Hawkins of The Darkness? Seems there was a time when he rivaled Pete Doherty for dumb-assedness here on SS, but after his band's second disc, One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back, sort of tanked, the snaggle-toothed, spandex-wearing wonder faded off our radar for a while. (Even thought we still loved the disc Justin.)
But the fella who so candidly addressed his addiction problems on the recent album's title track, has found the perfect way to move himself back into the blogosphere headlines: Rehab.
All forthcoming work commitments have been put on hold as Hawkins enters The Priory for undisclosed reasons and/or "rest." His band's 3rd LP is still slated for 2007, and the following statement was issued via the official website:
"As everybody found out today, Justin has been admitted to a rehabilitation clinic. We would however like to make it clear that this emphatically does not signal the end for The Darkness, nor are their label Atlantic Records considering 'dropping' them. On the contrary they have taken up their option with the band and are looking forward to releasing The Darkness' third album in early 2007.
We are not here to comment on Justin's private life - or anyone else's for that matter - but he is feeling better already and as soon as he is ready we will be going straight into the studio to begin recording album number 3.
We hope you would join us in wishing Justin well - and it is for you to judge if a platinum album, headlining and co-headlining sold out shows across the UK, Continental Europe and Australia, etc. to an audience of tens of thousands of adoring fans can ever be considered a failure!"
We've been (and still are) pretty skeptical about this Open Season soundtrack that Paul Westerberg is penning. Sure, new Weste is always good, but when you're writing songs for a cartoon featuring Ashton Kutcher as a talking deer...well, it sends up a red flag. Moreover, it feels like a task more suited to the Goo Goo Dolls' Johnny Reznick, a long-time Westerberg imitator and an artist much more prone to the drippy, cliche-ridden ballad with that swelling, string-filled chorus that'll win an Oscar, but make the critics puke.
Or maybe it'll kick ass. One thing's for sure, this Billboard story made us feel a lot better, and the presence of Tommy Stinson again on bass keeps us holding out hope for that always-dismissed 'Mats reunion.
Open Season hits theaters on Sept. 26 with the soundtrack arriving 3 days prior. The 12-song tracklist, including 10 Westerberg originals, is below.
Open Season Tracklist:
Hey folks, SS is back from our little break. We spent last week in the amazing city of Montreal, and instead of those Barenaked Ladies and Our Lady Peace posts you make have been hoping for, we thought going with our bread and butter might be the best bet until we catch up on some siesta time. So without further ado...
-Pete Doherty really likes reality TV.
-Doherty pleads guilty to five counts of being Pete Doherty.
-Doherty wants to ditch drugs for Kate...or for his fans...or for dear old mum...
NYC's Interpol has inked a deal with Capital, leaving indie label Matador following the acclaimed Turn on the Bright Lights and Antics. This major label move doesn't really surprise SS, though it's a rare thing when hipster bands are able to successfully make the leap to mass-market appeal, which is clearly what the suits at Capital would want.
Antics is hardly an album that would appeal to middle-America, so hears hoping the band doesn't sell out to stadium hooks and posturing a la their new label mates Coldplay (though they do now share the same manager in Dave Holmes). And though we love em', the world definitely only needs one act like The Killers.
Interpol's 3rd disc, and first on Capital, is due sometime in mid-2007. According to the band's official site, two tracks currently in the works that may appear on the next disc are "The Heinrich Maneuver" and "Pawn Shop."
Well despite rumors of another jam-packed year, Ryan Adams has apparently found time to pair up with Willie Nelson and produce his latest disc, Songbird. The set it due in stores on October 31 via Lost Highway.
It's not clear as to what tracks, if any, Adams himself appears on, but the Cardinals back Nelson throughout. After the recent stream of the Rock and Roll-esque "France" on the genre-bouncing Adams' official site, perhaps this means hasn't left the country-flavored sound of Jacksonville City Nights or Cold Roses behind just yet. Or maybe he just wanted to score free pot. Either way it'll probably be the first Willie Nelson album SS has ever bought.
Tracklist for Songbird:
Another festival that, once SS gets corporate sponsorship and makes us all rich, we'll be attending every year:
Bumbershoot 2006 hits Seattle from September 2-4 and looks like good times. Now in it's 36th year, the music and arts cavalcade features an eclectic lineup of music acts, as well a diverse group of artists and performances in film, dance, visual, literature and more.
Some of the SS favorites hitting the stage:
Kanye West
The New Pornographers (pictured)
Spoon
The Gossip
Blondie
A Tribe Called Quest
Speaker Speaker
Mates Of State
Metric
Rogue Wave
Of Montreal
Badly Drawn Boy
Check out the full lineup and schedule here.
The Rapture has revealed the full tracklist for its 3rd full-length, Piece of the People We Love, due September 12. As previously noted here, "Get Myself Into," the lead single, hit the web about a month ago.
Pieces of the People We Love's tracklist:
Pieces of the People We Love
Don Gon Do It
Get Myself Into It
Whoo! Alright-YeahUh Huh.
The Sound
Calling Me
The Devil
Down For So Long
Live In Sunshine
First Gear
UPDATE: The new album has a nifty official site where, if you're willing to upload a pic and some personal info for The Rapture's fan mosaic, you can stream snippets from five new tracks.
You know, now that we've been able to stream the entire album, please allow us to take back every semi-not totally sarcastically complementary thing we've ever said Paris Hilton. She sucks as much as they say...perhaps more.
And to think...she could have been as big as the Pussycat Dolls...
The only thing we like more than music festivals, are music festivals headlined by Ryan Adams. Well, and this of course.
End Of The Road festival: 9/15-9/17
Ryan Adams
Badly Drawn Boy
British Sea Power
Richard Hawley
Josh Ritter
Guillemots
Ed Harcourt
Semifinalists
Simple Kid
Howe Gelb
James Yorkston
Kathryn Williams
Darren Hayman
Brakes
Boy Least Likey To
Holly Golightly
Jim Noir
Jolie Holland
Tilly And The Wall
Pink Mountinatops
Charile Parr
David Thomas Broughton
My Latest Novel
Gravehurst
Memory Band
El Perro Del Mar
Electric Soft Parade
Absentee
Ralf Band
Boy Omega
Superthriller
The Bright Space
Chris T-T
Crosbi
Ladyfuzz
Rose Kemp
Jeremy Warmsley
Paris Motel
Barbarossa
Stuffy & The Fuses
Dan Arborise
Gethin Pearson & The Scenery
Merz
Metronomy
Things In Herds
Hush The Many
Uncle John & Whitelock
Emmy The Great
M Craft
Sunny Day Sets Fire
Flipron
Treecreeper
Hemstad
Kelley Stoltz
Dawn Landes
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
After the Keane post, we figured it was time to cleanse the pallet with some good ole' fashioned NYC indie electro-rock. You know, our bread and butter. Thus, let us present Young Love. This is good stuff kids. Good stuff.
They've got it all: post-punk riffs, cool hair, nice duds and an endorsement by Ultragrrrl. Sounds like the perfect storm of blogosphere hype...wait, did we mention great tunes?
Check out da' MySpace to hear "Discotech," the lead single off the band's forthcoming, self-titled full-length. If you dig, stop by Mercury Lounge tomorrow night to catch em' live. Oh and if anybody grabs a couple pics, hook us up!
Upcoming tour dates:
Aug 12 2006 8:00P Mercury Lounge NYC, NY
Aug 16 2006 8:00P The Norva Norfolk, VA
Aug 18 2006 8:00P Plush Jacksonville, FL
Aug 19 2006 8:00P Culture Room Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Aug 20 2006 8:00P House of Blues Orlando, FL
Aug 22 2006 8:00P Jannus Landing St. Petersburg, FL
Aug 24 2006 8:00P Tremont Music Hall Charlotte, NC
Aug 26 2006 8:00P Roxy Atlanta, GA
Aug 27 2006 8:00P House of Blues N. Myrtle Beach, SC
Aug 29 2006 8:00P Ziggy's Wiston-Salem, NC
Aug 31 2006 8:00P Eagles Club Milwaukee, WI
Sep 1 2006 8:00P Quest Club Minneapolis, MN
Sep 2 2006 8:00P House of Blues Chicago, IL
Sep 4 2006 8:00P Tower City Ampitheater Cleveland, OH
Sep 6 2006 8:00P Golden Ballroom @ Statler Buffalo, NY
Sep 7 2006 8:00P Clutch Cargo's Pontiac, MI
Nina Gordon, of 90s Veruca Salt fame, dropped her second solo disc this Tuesday. Bleeding Heart Graffiti reminded us two things: 1)Nina Gordon is hot. 2)Veruca Salt were awesome.
The first point is obvious. The pic on her official site is now the official SS background. The second revelation is not nearly as pleasing in light of her new stuff...
To put our gripe in words, the easiest comparison would be Liz Phair, another 90s alterna-rocker who's creative decline was directly proportional to her pinup-ability. Just like Phair's self-titled 2003 disc, Bleeding Heart Graffiti has glossed over the punk and spunk of Gordon's grrl rock, and given it a radio-friendly pop shine. Songs like "Kiss Me Till it Bleeds" and "Don't Let Me Down" are pleasing enough, but they could easily be the latest Michelle Branch or Avril single...and that's just not gonna cut it from the chick who brought us the Pixies-esque American Thighs (or even her very solid solo debut, Tonight and the Rest of My Life).
But then again, she is hot. Stream selected tracks from Gordon's new disc on her MySpace. Maybe she'll be your friend.
Tracklist for Bleeding Heart Graffiti
Bleeding Heart Graffiti (Gordon)
Christmas Lights (Gordon)
Kiss Me 'Til It Bleeds (Gordon, Russo, Jaye)
Suffragette (Gordon, S. Melvoin, W. Melvoin)
This Was The Year (Gordon)
Don't Let Me Down (Gordon)
Pure (Gordon)
Watercolors (Gordon)
Superstar (Gordon)
Turn On Your Radio (Gordon)
When You Don't Want Me Anymore (Gordon)
Bones And A Name (Gordon)
The Time Comes (Gordon)
The Crickets Sound Like Sleigh Bells (Gordon)
That Axl is quite the enigma. After the bitings, arrests, fights with over-the-hill fashion designers and whatnot, we thought the angry Rose of the late-80s was slithering his way back into our hearts. Then he goes and does something...well, nice.
According to NME, The Guns and Roses frontman made an unannounced stop to the Teenage Cancer Trust ward in London, to visit with patients and lift their spirits. Good for you Axl...but it's been quite a while since Use Your Illusions...did these kids even know who you are?
It might only be in its second year, but Las Vegas' Vegoose festival is turning out a pretty kick ass lineup this year. From jammy acts like Widespread Panic, G Love and Yonder Mountain String Band, to more hipster-ish fare like The Killers (pictured), Mars Volta and Band of Horses, there's pretty much something for all ya'll. No plans yet for Halloween weekend? I'd book those tickets now kids...
The Vegoose 2006 lineup:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Widespread Panic
The Killers
The Mars Volta
The Keller Williams Incident
The Black Crowes
Fiona Apple
The Raconteurs
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
Medeski Martin & Wood w/ special guest Maceo Parker
The Roots
The Rhythm Devils feat. Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzman, Mike Gordon & Steve Kimock
G. Love & Special Sauce
Jurassic 5
Galactic
Praxis
Yonder Mountain String Band
Gomez
Built To Spill
Guster
Jim James of My Morning Jacket
Dr. Octagon aka Kool Keith
Band of Horses
Jamie Lidell
The Zutons
Ahh the ever-blogable Lindsay Lohan: The girl just can’t seem to stop following up one of her "woe is me" pleas (or mommy's), with an interview that confirms everything the media pins on her. (When she's not making up boyfriends for the press, of course.) It's so fascinating in fact, that SS actually takes time out of our real music news to talk about this crazy hizzo. Case in point: her recent Elle interview, as reported on TMZ. Let’s go through the list of quotables:
"I don't want to put myself in a monogamous relationship right now. I'm not dating just one person."
"...if the sex is bad, the relationship's not going anywhere."
"I can handle later hours! And I have a rule: I have to be home before the sun comes up or I start panicking. Unless it's, like, your birthday or whatever." (Take THAT James G. Robinson!)
On Marilyn Monroe: “...she’s this beautiful sex kitten, who's basically a pinup, which is what I've always wanted to be."
When she finally gets around to dating Pete Doherty (or at least pretending to), the blogosphere might actually implode.
NME reports that Beck's forthcoming disc, due October 2 (the 3rd for us yanks), will be titled The Information. As previously reported here, the album sports the tracks "Cell Phone's Dead" and "Think I'm in Love." A third tune, "Nausea," is also alleged to have made the cut.
The Information will come with a blank cover, a sheet of stickers (?) for making your own art and a DVD of videos for each song.
Beck is currently on the road, hitting the Euro festival curcuit. Upcoming tour dates are below:
Beck tour dates:
08-11 Copenhagen, Denmark - Tivoli Concert Hall
08-12 Oslo, Norway - Øya Festival
08-13 Dyrehaven, Denmark - Danmarks Smukkeste Festival
08-16 Amsterdam, Holland - Paradiso
08-17 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival
08-19 Staffordshire, England - V Festival
08-20 Chelmsford, England - V Festival
08-22 Edinburgh, Scotland - Meadowbank Stadium
08-24 Dublin, Ireland - Marlay Park
08-26 Paris, France - Rock en Seine
09-30 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre (Download Festival)
Finally, check out the video for "Nausea" at Beck's MySpace page.
UPDATE: MTV reports that some of the vids from The Information have "leaked."
Don't worry kids...we're back. After a few days of technical difficulties and a couple wardrobe malfunctions, it's back to business as usual...
A quick tour announcement tonight: Scissor Sisters. The band's fall trek, in support of the forthcoming Ta Da (which sports the lead single, "I Dont Feel Like Dancing" ), kicks off this week in Hungary, making it all the way to NYC on 10/21.
All tour dates:
08-11 Budapest, Hungary - Sziget
08-12 Leipzig, Germany - SonneMondStrene Electronic Music Festival
08-15 Vienna, Austria - TBA
08-17 Salzburg, Austria - Frequency
08-18 Hasselt-Kiewit, Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival
08-19 Biddinghuizen, Holland - Lowlands Festval
09-10 Isle of Wight, England - Bestival
09-23 Baltimore, MD - V Festival
09-28 Los Angeles, CA - Shrine Expo Center
09-29 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
09-30 San Farncisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
10-02 Seattle, WA - Showbox
10-03 Seattle, WA - Showbox
10-04 Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
10-07 Minneapolis, MN - Myth Nightclub
10-08 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
10-10 Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus
10-17 Nashville, TN - City Hall
10-18 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
10-19 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
10-21 New York, NY - Manhattan Center Ballroom
10-22 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
Bloc Party is still mixing the long-overdue follow-up to 2002's Silent Alarm, but the cool kids at Blocparty.net got the heads up on some potential song titles for the forthcoming disc. No mp3s yet, and yes, these are just potential album cuts...but we'll take what we can get.
Some tracks that don't make the cut, according to the band, may be used for b-sides or other releases.
The songs include:
Prayer To The Lord
England (formerly Blue Moon)
Hunting For Witches
It Started In An Afternoon
Kreuzberg
On (formerly Wet)
Seroxat
Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
Sunday
Uniform
Waiting For The 7:18'
We Were Lovers (formerly Cells Shaped Like Stars)
Where Is Home? (formerly Perfect Teens)
Bloc Party's sophomore disc is due sometime in 2007.
Much like that other prolific genre-bouncer Beck, Ryan Adams has quietly leaked a new track, "France," on his official site. Well, we think that's what it's called...or maybe it was recorded there...there's really not a whole lot of info. Just a stream in the top right-hand corner, but the track shows Adams again moving away from the alt-country sound on display for most of his trio of 2005 releases.
You might remember the flurry of blogger chat last month following a cryptic posting that got picked up by Stereogum here. It promised another hat trick of releases in 2006 (the clock's tickin' Ryan!) and featured some heated exchanges between Adams (or a clever impostor) and readers of the 'gum.
At any rate, if the post was legit, the new track sounds like a good fit for the Blackhole disc with its "raw guitar" and "sexy, damaged tunes." It's basically a pretty bare-bones rock and roll track. We dig it. Check it out and let us know if you agree.
Sales were pretty flat again this week, but the Billboard charts did have a couple of bright spots:
Though LeToya Luckett's (the other chick in Destiny's Child) ruled the roost with LeToya, selling an underwhelming 165,000 copies, Tom Petty made a return to the top 10 with Highway Companion's #4 bow (112,000). It was his highest opening sales week in the Soundscan era, and his highest chart position since Full Moon Fever. Good stuff, but if anyone thinks this disc will move similar units in the long run, we've got a bridge to sell you.
Elsewhere, the newly Cut Chemist-less Jurassic 5 debut at #15 with Feedback, on the strength of "Work it Out," the lead single featuring Dave Matthews.
Myspacers will appreciate the appearance of Gym Class Heroes' As Cruel As School Children at #93 (9,000), carrying the hilarious "New Friend Request," and Flogging Molly's live CD/DVD, Whiskey on a Sunday, snuck in even higher at #67 (14,000).
On the downside, New York Dolls' triumphant return with the critically-acclaimed Someday It Will Please Us To Remember Even This, couldn't even crack the top 100, moving a meager 7,000 units to bow at #129. Yep, 40,000 more people bought High School Musical...
The Top Ten:
1. LeToya Luckett - LeToya (165,000)
2. NOW 22 (151,000)
3. Pharrell Williams - In My Mind (142,000)
4. Tom Petty - Highway Companion (112,000)
5. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (54,000)
6. High School Musical (47,000)
7. Rihanna - A Girl Like Me (46,000)
8. Nelly Furtado - Loose (45,000)
9. The Pussycat Dolls - PCD (44,000)
10. Rascal Flatts - Me and My Gang (43,500)
More good stuff from Yo La Tengo:
In addition to the previously reported LP due this September (as well as the kick ass second leak), the band has announced plans for a brief fall tour. No NYC dates to be found, but a stop is scheduled at the Stone Pony in Asbury. Might be worth a little road trip.
All dates:
Sept. 25 - Stone Pony, Asbury Park, N.J.
Sept. 26 - 9:30 Club, Washington D.C.
Sept. 28 - Avalon, Boston
Sept. 29 - Loews Theatre, Jersey City
Oct. 4 - Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, Md.
Oct. 5 - Vic Theater, Chicago
Oct. 14 - Richards on Richards, Vancouver
Oct. 15 - Showbox, Seattle
Oct. 16 - Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Ore.
Oct. 19-21 - Fillmore, San Francisco
Oct. 23 - Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles
The dog days of summer have officially hit SS country, and if you're baking in the 100+ degree heat today, we've got the perfect tonic: G Love's latest disc (in stores today), Lemonade. And if you're too freakin' hot to move away from that office AC, just stream the whole thing at good ole' MySpace.
Similar to the summery, bluesy funk of his last disc The Hustle, the Philly-Bred Garrett Dutton again sets that acoustic-based, mellow vibe we've seen more of since his move to Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records. All in all it's pretty lightweight stuff, but nobody sells it better than G Love. Be forewarned, listening to "Hot Cookin'" or "Ain't That Right" in your office today might result in playing hooky at the beach tomorrow...
Lemonade tracklist:
Hot Cookin'
Ride
Ain't That Right
Missing My Baby
Holla
Banger
Thanks and Praise
Let the Music Play
Still Hanging Around
Also check out the video for "Hot Cookin" here (sorry kids, the embedding was disabled so you'll have to watch it there.)
Oasis has revealed the tracklist for its upcoming greatest hits disc, Stop The Clocks. An 18-track, double disc set, it follows last year's Don't Believe The Truth, the first non-awful disc from the band in years.
As previously reported, the disc will drop in November despite Noel Gallagher's recent promise of "No Best Of or singles album until it's done and dusted."
Stop The Clocks tracklist:
Some Might Say
Don't Look Back In Anger
D'You Know What I Mean?
All Around The World
Go Let It Out
The Hindu Times
Lyla
The Importance Of Being Idle
Masterplan
Half The World Away
Acquiesce
Champagne Supernova
Rock 'n' Roll Star
Supersonic
Wonderwall
Whatever
Boy With The Blues
Stop The Clocks
From this morning's Pop Watching: Now this is a great idea. From the Maim That Tune website:
"Are you plagued by Stuck Tune Syndrome? Do you have a tune stuck in your head you just can't get out? Take heart friend, for your suffering is over. The Maimograph Machine, through complex analysis and calculation, will find an even catchier tune to counter-act the one you already have."
Our first three results: The Munsters theme, "You Might Think" (The Cars), and "My Sharona." Sure, they're all muzak versions of the real song, but when you've got "You're Beautiful" or "The Stars are Blind" stuck in your noggin', it's a wonderful alternative to blowing your brains out.
The James Blunt backlash continues to gather steam. The "You're Beautiful" singer is now officially more annoying than "stepping in dog poo," "diarrhea," and "Jehovah's Witnesses," according to a recent UK poll.
The "Top 100 Most Annoying Things" polled over 2000 UK adults, and Blunt came in at a healthy #4. Though SS thinks people might be taking this a bit far. His music might be like nails on a chalkboard, but would you really rather have the runs? Besides, it's been our experience that one kind of leads to the other...
The Top 10 (If you're Brit-savvy, please translate):
1. Cold callers
2. Caravans
3. Queue jumpers
4. James Blunt
5. Traffic wardens
6. Tailgaters
7. Brown nosers
8. Chantelle and Preston
9. Ex-smokers
10. Noisy neighbors
Read the full 100 here.
MTV's 2006 Video Music Awards - "Video of the Year":
Christina Aguilera - "Ain't No Other Man"
Madonna - "Hung Up"
Panic! At The Disc - "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"
Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean - "Hips Don't Lie"
U.S. radio has pretty much hung up on Madonna, so a win for the material girl would shock SS. Panic! At The Disco is a little too Fall Out Boy to get our vote, and the Chili Peppers will be hard-pressed to take home the statue after the Tom Petty debacle. So that leaves a dog fight between Shakira and Christina. The former might have been the bigger hit (if not the biggest hit of the year), but it's still pretty much a weightless party song (made greater by it's Fugee-licious co-star), whereas Aguilera's track is really the only great song on the list. She deserves the win, but don't count out the power of Skakira's hips.
Check out the rest of the nominees here, and watch Xtina perform the track at this year's MTV Movie Awards below.
Some more exciting news from SS darling Minus The Bear:
According to Pitchfork, in addition to the previously reported fall tour, the band is preparing to release a Menos el Oso remix album featuring artists including: Dälek, Tyondai Braxton, Weird Science (aka Steve Aoki of Dim Mak Records), P.O.S., Fog, Pretty Girls Make Graves' Jay Clark, Dark Baby and IQU.
The disc is set to drop on February 20, 2007 via Suicide Squeeze.
SS Review: Minus The Bear - Menos el Oso
Catch up on your music news before the next blackout:
-Axl falls ill, replaced by Sebastian Bach for G 'n R UK show.
-Boy George fans, get those cameras ready.
-If you haven't read it yet, the already infamous Lohan Letter is pretty damn funny, and probably right on the mark. Oh and DJ Qualls ain't a fan neither.
-Thom Yorke readies single.
-Paul McCartney begins divorce proceedings. Insert "We Can Work It Out" joke here.
-MTV hits quarter-century mark.
-Jet sets October release date for sophomore disc. Let the Killers/Jet ego grudge match begin!
-Another October release: The Hold Steady set for first Vagrant disc.
-Duran Duran and Morrissey reissues on the way (with bonus tracks on The Mozzer's Viva Hate.)
Still reeling from Lance Bass's shocking announcement?? Well next time read the signs folks. This one ain't too subtle.
Happy hours calls...peace out kids!
Rooney took some flak for aping other fuzzy power pop bands like Weezer or Phantom Planet, but where the recent albums by Rivers and co. have strayed far from the quirky pop brilliance of their classic first two discs, Rooney's self-titled debut had a surf rock swagger that made them a heck of more fun and likable than their peers.
It's been a long wait for a sophomore disc, set to drop in October. So if another three months is more than you can bare, the band has made the lead single, "Tell Me," available for free download (registration required kids) on its official site.
A mid tempo power ballad, the track should play well as a set close if the guys manages a stadium tour (sans current tourmate Kelly Clarkson, we pray). Let's just hope they haven't left the sunny melodies and danceable riffs of "I'm Shakin'" or "Stay Away" behind for "Beverly Hills" fist pumping.
In one of the more bizarre tribute album concepts, the Easy Star All-Stars have assembled some of the bigger names in reggae to create a song-for-song remake of Radiohead's OK Computer. Yup, you read that right.
Radiodread (ugh) will drop on August 22, and features such artists as Toots and the Maytals, Sugar Minott and Frankie Paul.
It sounds like a ridiculous idea, but really not any weirder than producer Michael Goldwasser's Pink Floyd reggae tribute, Dub Side of the Moon. OK maybe a little.
Radiodread tracklist:
1. Airbag (featuring Horace Andy)
2. Paranoid Android (featuring Kirsty Rock)
3. Subterranean Homesick Alien (featuring Junior Jazz)
4. Exit Music (For A Film) (featuring Sugar Minott)
5. Let Down (featuring Toots & The Maytals)
6. Karma Police (featuring Citizen Cope)
7. Fitter Happier (featuring Menny More)
8. Electioneering (featuring Morgan Heritage)
9. Climbing Up The Walls (featuring Tamar-kali)
10. No Surprises (featuring The Meditations)
11. Lucky (featuring Frankie Paul)
12. The Tourist (featuring Israel Vibration)
Bonus Tracks:
13. Exit Music (For A Dub)
14. An Airbag Saved My Dub
Well ya'll can stop holding your breath for that next great Oasis record (are people still doing that?) because the dreaded Greatest Hits collection is on the way. Stop The Clocks will drop in November and cover 18 singles and b-sides.
Often another way of saying "we're out of good ideas," it's pretty damn rare that a band drops a hits collection, then continues to write solid, relevant, popular music. Any exceptions come to mind kids? As for contemporary acts, off the top of our head we've got R.E.M.'s Eponymous (the band actually got better for a while there) and the Chili Peppers' What Hits?. There's plenty more, but it's 1am. We'll leave it to you guys. Who else bucked the trend and managed a real second act?
Metallica, long-time poster children for the anti-download movement, have quietly given up their crusade, and made their songs available on iTunes.
via the band's official site:
"Over the last year or so, we have seen an ever-growing number of Metallica fans using online sites like iTunes to get their music," the band wrote. "So, in continuing with the tradition of offering our albums for sale online (which we've been doing for a few years through various sites), as well as making our live concerts available for download in their entirety (through the livemetallica.com site), we are now offering fans the opportunity to obtain our songs individually."
Now, if only people still wanted to download Metallica songs, they might be on to something...
SS loves music lists. We love compiling them, we love reading them, and most of all, we love criticizing them. So when Rolling Stone took on the task of naming the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," we were obviously giddy with music geek anticipation.
After perusing the tracks that made the cut, we were reasonably satisfied. A few nitpicks here and there (not enough Springsteen in the top 100, too much Beatles), but our main grip was the almost complete lack of music from the last quarter century. What gives??
For a mag that generally tailors its reviews to whatever is "in" at the moment (though they have gotten better in recent years), its odd that RS always reverts to the classics so heavily come list-making time. It's true, great songs sometimes take years to reveal themselves as classics, and we're not suggesting for one minute that any of the songs from the 60s and 70s that made the list were undeserving. But every time RS makes a run at a "Best Of" list, it reads like the iPod play list of 50 year-old senior staffers, rather than an honest reflection on the last century of pop music. Here's the cream o' the crop:
The top 10:
1. Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
2. Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
3. Imagine, John Lennon
4. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
5. Respect, Aretha Franklin
6. Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys
7. Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry
8. Hey Jude, The Beatles
9. Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana
10. What'd I Say, Ray Charles
Pretty much what you'd expect right? But "Most Influential" seems more applicable to a lot of these tracks, rather than simply "Greatest." Anyway, enough rambling. What say you readers? Is RS prejudice against this music of generation x and y? What songs (post-1980) would you add to the top 100?
Well it was another crap week on the Billboard charts. Behold the the power of the mp3 blog! Only one disc topped 100K, as the debut of Los Lonely Boys' sophomore disc, Sacred, played bridesmaid to perennial juggernaut, NOW 22.
1. NOW 22 (207,000)
2. Los Lonely Boys - Sacred (67,000)
3. Rodney Atkins - If You're Going Through Hell (55,000)
4. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (53,000)
5. High School Musical (52,000)
6. Rascal Flatts - Me and My Gang (50,000)
7. Nelly Furtado - Loose (47,000)
8. Rihanna - A Girl Like Me (45,000)
9. The Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way (44,000)
10. Pussycat Dolls - PCD (43,000)
Minus The Bear, of SS's unofficial 2005 Album of the Year, Menos el Oso, is set to hit the road for a fall headlining tour, hitting Irving Plaza on October 12.
via Filter:
"Not only did Northwestern rockers Minus the Bear just announce that they will be headlining a US tour, but as an added bonus announced they'll be taking on The Velvet Teen, Russian Circles and P.O.S as support."
Minus The Bear tour dates:
October
5 - Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium
7 - Rapids, MI - Intersection Grand
8 - Detroit, MI - St Andrews Hall
9 - Buffalo, NY - Showplace Theatre
11 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs
12 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
13 - Philadephia, PA - Trocadero Theater
14 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
17 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
18 - Indianapolis, IN - Emerson Theatre
19 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
20 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
21 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Lounge
22 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
23 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
26 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
28 - Pavillion Orlando, FL - The Social
30 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
31 - Denton, TX - Hailey's
November
1 - Austin, TX - Emo's Outdoor
5 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse
8 - Pomona, CA - Glass House
9 - Theatre Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
10 - San Francisco, CA- Bimbo's 365 Club
This is what qualifies as a cover story these days huh? Next week's People - "The Pope: I'm Religious."
Perhaps he was offended by the crowning of "The Hoff" as our new resident whack-job, but we've got a double-dip of our old friend Pete Doherty today:
-Via NME: Doherty describes his forthcoming book of diaries and notebooks as "amazing nonsense." You know something, that probably hit the nail right on the head.
Titled The Books of Albion, it plans to reveal the Babyshambles frontman's "very private thoughts." Though we doubt that includes his purported love of cross-dressing.
-Actual music-related Doherty news! Word has it that in addition to a second Babyshambles disc, he plans to record a solo acoustic collection later this year. Hmm, if this turns out to be Doherty's, you know, "personal" disc, it could be a very scary (or tragi-comic) listen indeed. Can't wait!
Here's what you missed since MySpace came back:
-The Killers debut Sam's Town in NYC, and Flowers makes nice.
-The Streets tops Jacko with longest video ever (and MTV turns 25...holy crap we're old.)
-Everyone is replaceable fellas...somethin' to think about.
-Miami Vice theme axed from movie.
-Stream Wilco's July 2, Duluth gig on the official site.
-Depeche Mode sing happy birthday to Martin Gore on his 45th. We'll wait for the remix.
-The Mozzer pays tribute to Syd Barrett, dedicating "I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now" to the late Pink Floyd member.
-Paul Westerberg's Open Season soundtrack due September 26th. Also, pick up your official Weste guitar at FirstAct.
-Axl Rose responds to getting bottled.
-Razorlight tops UK charts!
Well it's official. Jack-of-all-trades David Hasselhoff has surpassed our beloved Pete Doherty as the most fascinatingly crazy, quasi-celeb in the blogosphere. Though we have to begrudgingly consider him an actual musician in order to write about The Hoff, it's all worth it to read about shit like this. Wow.
That's right, two Stipe-related posts in one day!
Remember when R.E.M. was like the greatest indie band in the world? Yes, there was a time, though after Around the Sun it feels like an awful long time ago. Nevertheless, EMI plans to relive the glory days of Stipe and Co. with the wonderfully-titled "And I Feel Fine," a double-disc anthology and DVD package covering the band's I.R.S. years.
The first disc will cover all the early classics, including "Radio Free Europe," "Driver 8" and "Begin the Begin," but it's the second disc that will have the super fans all a-twitter.
Among the rarities will be authorized studio outtakes of "Them From Two Steps Onward" and "Bad Day" (the latter also found on the band's 2003 Retrospective - In Time: The Best of R.E.M.), as well as an early version of "All the Right Friends," a demo of "Hyena" and many more.
The accompanying DVD, When the Light is Mine, will feature a mix of music videos and live performances. But thankfully, no "Shiny Happy People."
Tracklist for "And I Feel Fine":
"Begin the Begin"
"Radio Free Europe"
"Pretty Persuasion"
"Talk About the Passion"
"(Don't Go Back to) Rockville"
"Sitting Still"
"Gardening at Night"
"7 Chinese Bros."
"So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
"Driver 8"
"Can't Get There From Here"
"Finest Worksong"
"Feeling Gravity's Pull"
"I Believe"
"Life and How To Live It"
"Cuyahoga"
"The One I Love"
"Welcome to the Occupation"
"Fall on Me"
"Perfect Circle"
"It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
Bonus disc:
"Pilgrimage" (Mike's pick)
"These Days" (Bill's pick)
"Gardening at Night" (slower electric demo; previously unreleased)
"Radio Free Europe" (Hib-tone version)
"Sitting Still" (Hib-tone version)
"Life and How to Live It" (Live at the Muziekcentrum, Utrecht, Holland 9/14/87; previously unreleased)
"Ages of You" (Live at the Paradise, Boston 7/13/83; previously unreleased)
"We Walk" (Live at the Paradise, Boston 7/13/83; previously unreleased)
"1,000,000" (Live at the Paradise, Boston 7/13/83; previously unreleased)
"Finest Worksong" (other mix)
"Hyena" (demo; previously unreleased)
"Theme From Two Steps Onward" (previously unreleased)
"Superman"
"All the Right Friends" (previously unreleased)
"Mystery to Me" (demo; previously unreleased)
"Just A Touch" (live in-studio version; previously unreleased)
"Bad Day" (previously unreleased)
"King of Birds"
"Swan Swan H" (live acoustic version)
"Disturbance at the Heron House" (Peter's pick)
"Time After Time" (Annelise)" (Michael's pick)
"When the Light Is Mine":
"Wolves, Lower"
"Radio Free Europe"
"Talk About the Passion"
"Radio Free Europe" (Live, "The Tube," 11/18/83)
"Talk About the Passion" (Live, "The Tube," 11/18/83)
"So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
James Herbert's "Left of Reckoning"
"Pretty Persuasion" (Live, "The Old Grey Whistle Test," 11/20/84)
"Can't Get There From Here"
"Driver 8"
"Life and How To Live It"
"Feeling Gravity's Pull"
"Can't Get There From Here" (Live, "The Tube," 10/25/85)
"Fall On Me"
"Swan Swan H" ("Inside/Out")
"The One I Love"
"It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
"Finest Worksong"
Mondays suck as usual, so here's a couple of new streams that'll make much better background noise than your boss droning on about mission statements. (Yeah, it's a dated joke but we still love Office Space damn it!)
New York Dolls long-awaited comeback disc drops tomorrow. One Day it Will Please Us to Remember Even This is streaming at AOL Music and we're happy to say that Johansen and Sylvain have carried the torch admirably these 30 some-odd years later. Though the disc might not have the same reckless, devil-may-care allure as in the band's hey day, it's still a very solid batch of catchy, old school punk rave ups and mid tempo, folkish rock swagger.
Watch for Michael Stipe on "Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano" (an odd pairing, save the shared penchant for eyeliner), "Dance Like a Monkey," (which will no doubt have you doing exactly that) and the John Hiatt-ish "Take a Good Look at My Good Looks."
They may have lost half a step, but in the pantheon of aging, wrinkly rockers, New York Dolls kick the Rolling Stones collective asses.
In other news, Beck's ever-changing official site is sporting a new track, "Cell Phone's Dead," that's alleged to appear on his forthcoming hip hop-heavy disc. Check it out and let us know whatcha' think. Can he still rock two turntables and a microphone?
The Grammys could learn a thing or two from Canada's inaugural Polaris Music Prize. The award, described as "Canada's first monetary prize for a full-length album based solely on artistic merit, without regard to genre or record sales" has a better list of artists than almost any of late (except perhaps the New Pantheon ), and has helped put the spotlight on the growing indie scene from our neighbors to the north. Plus the $20,000 prize will go to an artist or group that could, in all likelihood, actually use the money. Not bad, ay? (Sorry, couldn't resist some bad Canadian humor...hoser.)
The Polaris Music Prize will announce the "Canadian Album of the Year" on September 18 in Toronto. The nominees are:
Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
The Deadly Snakes - Porcella
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Sarah Harmer - I M A Mountain
K'Naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher
Malajube - Trompe L'Oeil
Metric - Live It Out
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
As for our our pick...though it's hard to root against Wolf Parade, Broken Social Scene or The New Pornographers, SS is pulling for Final Fantasy. We just want to hear the presenter say "He Poos Clouds."
OK all together now: "Sa-a-a-aaave me from this prison, Lord help me get away."
Who knew that line wasn't metaphorical?
JoJo Garza, bassist for Tex-Mex rock outfit Los Lonely Boys (of the inescapable 2004 summer anthem "Heaven") was arrested Saturday for assault and marijuana possession. We get the second part (they are Willy Nelson's favorite band) but an assault charge can't be good PR for the just-released sophomore LP, Sacred. The band had a Hootie-esqe crossover appeal on both rock radio and adult contemporary. Mom's gonna be crushed.
UPDATE: Report from the band calls the arrest a big "misunderstanding."
Old age and coconut trees were not enough to stop the Rolling Stones. Sales figures from the first half of 2006 place Mick and the boys as the year's the top grossing live act, with $147.3 million in grosses from 45 U.S. shows on the band's Bigger Bang tour.
Well behind them in the number two spot was U2 with $73 million, though to be fair, several dates were postponed due to family illnesses. Bono plans to make up the difference by charging $800 a pop for the rest of the year, then blowing it all on starving children in Africa and a new pair of sunglasses.
The rest of the top 10:
3. Bon Jovi - $65 million
4. Billy Joel - $47.4 million
5. Cirque du Soleil's Delirium - $38.7 million
6. Aerosmith - $35 million
7. Coldplay - $29 million
8. Luis Miguel - $25 million
9. Trans Siberian Orchestra - $24 million
10. Paul McCartney - $17.6 million
Could Microsoft really take on the iPod? Well If two cartoon men petting a bunny is the best hype they can come up with...then no. But this is Microsoft we're talking about. Check out the teaser for the "Zune" here. Should Apple be sweating?
Despite what many of her fans have thought, even hoped for years, Ani DiFranco is not a lesbian. And though we realize this is hardly confirmation of that, peep this while we pack up for happy hour: She's pregnant!
Don't worry, Boy George is still gay.
We've certainly been giving a lot of press to The Killers forthcoming sophomore disc, Sam's Town...but let's not forget, it is one of the best albums of the last 20 years.
Well, this magical collection of instant masterpieces finally has a tracklist. Check it out:
01. Sam's Town
02. Enterlude
03. When You Were Young
04. Bling
05. For Reasons Unknown
06. Read My Mind
07. Uncle Jonny
08. Bones
09. My Lis
10. This River Is Wild
11. Why Do I Keep Counting?
12. Exitlude
In keeping with our dark and mysterious Friday afternoon theme, we bring you news of Ladytron's upcoming US jaunt in support of the band's muy excelente 2005 disc, Witching Hour (and to a lesser extent, the Extended Play EP).
The tour hits NYC on September 27 and 28 with two shows at Webster Hall. We suggest the following: Listening to some tracks off Witching Hour at the band's MySpace page, get super excited, buy tickets, enjoy the show and send us a nice thank you note in the mail. Or money. Money is good too.
Upcoming Ladytron tour dates:
Jul 22 2006 8:00A
BULGARIA CACAO SUNNY BEACH VIVA BEACH PARTY BULGARIA
Aug 25 2006 8:00P
UK CORNWALL EDEN PROJECT CORNWALL
Aug 26 2006 8:00P
UK LONDON TDK XFM FESTIVAL LONDON
Sep 20 2006 8:00P
USA MIAMI FL STUDIO A MIAMI, FL
Sep 21 2006 8:00P
USA ORLANDO FL THE SOCIAL ORLANDO, FL
Sep 22 2006 8:00P
USA ATLANTA GA VARIETY PLAYHOUSE ATLANTA, GA
Sep 23 2006 8:00P
USA ASHEVILLE NC ORANGE PEEL ASHEVILLE, NC
Sep 25 2006 8:00P
USA WASHINGTON DC 930 CLUB WASHINGTON DC
Sep 26 2006 8:00P
USA PHILADELPHIA PA THEATRE OF LIVING ARTS PHILADELPHIA, PA
Sep 27 2006 8:00P
USA NEW YORK NY WEBSTER HALL NEW YORK, NY
Sep 28 2006 8:00P
USA NEW YORK NY WEBSTER HALL NEW YORK, NY
Sep 30 2006 8:00P
USA BOSTON MA AVALON BALLROOM BOSTON, MA
Sure, we're enjoying the spillover traffic following Stereogum's hiatus...but why do they still have a link to Bob Dylan leaks and we don't? Damn you Scott!
After last week's anemic #1 debut from Johnny Cash, this week's chart fared little better, save the 22nd edition of perennial crap-fest NOW That's What I Call Music. The disc moved around 300,000 units, more than triple the nearest competitor.
At 90,000 copies, Thom Yorke's much-hyped solo disc, The Eraser, found its way to the #2 slot, actually a better debut than Radiohead's last release, Hail to the Thief, which only managed a #3 bow (despite moving 210,000 more units).
The rest of the top ten was comprised of sales figures not out of reach for Justin Guarini selling autographs tapes out of the back of his van.
This week's top ten:
1. NOW 22 (300,000)
2. Thom Yorke - The Eraser (90,000)
3. Pimp C - Pimpalation (87,000)
4. Nelly Furtado - Loose (58,000)
5. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (56,000)
6. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways (54,000)
7. Disney's High School Musical (50,000)
8. Rascal Flatts - Me and My Gang (49,000)
9. Muse - Black Holes and Revelation (48,000)
10. Rihanna - A Girl Like Me (47,000)
-Today's "shocker": Timberlake is bringin' addiction back, but iPods are just too damn complicated.
-Ryan Adams adds more shows. But is it the real Ryan Adams?
-The Thrills ready 3rd LP.
-Rhino to release Jane's Addiction compilation, Up From the Catacombs.
-The Libertines reunite! (For beers, not songs, duh.)
-Victor Willis, better known...make that only known...as the cop from The Village People, enters no contest plea.
-New Hot Hot Heat due in September.
Some sonic shorts always make the afternoon go down easier. Use only as directed:
-Mercury Prize shortlist revealed. Among the nominees: Thom Yorke, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Editors.
-Watch Metric, live at Rolling Stone.
-Sony made a boo boo and leaked 30 second clips from Bob Dylan's upcoming Modern Times disc here. They're gone now, but you resourceful blogger types should be able to track them down, no? Let the scavenger begin! Send us any results...
-Gnarls Barkley has famous friends.
-Sing along kids! "It's a, nice day for a, white trash wedding."
-Britney and K-Fed plan to renew their wedding vows. Wow, you can almost see her getting dumber, can't you?
-This is old, but we're curious...any of you hear any of these "non-weird" Wilco tracks? If so, drop a comment yo!
That's it folks, SS has officially declared Tom Petty hip again. After the tour with Pearl Jam, his super cool response to the RHCP fiasco, a headline at Austin City Limits and the old school but totally kick ass new song "Saving Grace," we're got Full Moon Fever like it's 1989 again. The dude still can't sing, but the music owns.
Stream Highway Companion (due July 25) in full right here.
One thing could always be said about Pete Doherty: Despite the man's complete inability to function as a remotely normal member of society, he always carried off his antics with such reckless abandon that you had to almost respect the guy. Get arrested for drugs, plead guilty, what the hell...let's get arrested again! Hey here's an idea: Let's squirt blood on a camera man! "Hey everyone! I'm a born again Christian! You buying this kids?"
You see folks, it's all so over-the-top and completely silly that Doherty is either a.)The "Dumbest Man Alive" (in which case, like Forrest Gump, we would all love him for it, or b.)Totally in on the joke and laughing all the way to the bank (if he ever manages to record a new disc that is).
But according to reports, the seemingly unflappable Doherty has finally found something to blush about. No, the drug binges and soccer coaching are still a-ok. But don't ever ask his mom about little Petey's penchant for cross-dressing. Yep, the former "Coolest Man on the Planet" apparently liked to prance around in his sister's brownie uniform. And to make matters worse, his dear ole' mum is writing a tell-all book about the Babyshambles frontman's formative years. Mother of the year she probably ain't, but the woman's no dummy. It'll sell millions.
After a long weekend SS is back. Let's see what we missed, shall we?
-We're still not sure if it's a hoax or not, but there was a big hub bub over at Stereogum regarding an alleged 2nd hat trick of releases for Ryan Adams in 2006. Look for some rather heated comments from Adams (or a very clever impostor) after the post.
-David Hasselhoff has taken on a Chuck Norris-like popularity on the web of late...this completely insane video might explain why.
-Pitchfork reports that Mogwai, of all bands, is set to appear on the Miami Vice soundtrack.
-The long-, LONG-awaited Who disc is finally on the way, and Rolling Stone wants you to name it.
-Avril Lavigne marries Sum 41 frontman. Keep your fingers crossed for the crappiest duet of all time.
-Dylan's Modern Times has a tracklist.
-The long-rumored Joy Division flick Control starts filming.
-Finally, previously we covered "According to Plan" from I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, and it easily ranks among our favorite tracks of 2006, but the accompanying video, well, sucks. You can still enjoy the 80s-flavored synth-rock masterpiece below. Just hope you like fog machines...
Last year SS had a serious blogger crush on Minus The Bear . Our "A" review of Menos El Oso called it "one of the great rock albums of 2005" and we're stickin' to our guns.
"Why bring up a year old disc with no big news to speak of?" you might ask us. Well, seeing as everyone seems to be picking out their "summer songs," we thought we'd take this opportunity to pimp our 2005 "Summer Album" one more time, since "Pachuca Sunrise" recently went into rotation on MTV2. For you Incubus fans out there, the track, and most of the album, recalls the surfer vibe of Morning View at its best.
Stream it here kids, and don't make us tell you again...
-Say It Ain't So - Weezer call it quits...for now.
-Rolling Stone lists: "Terrible Songs on Great Albums."
-After that religious fling, Pete Doherty turns to science. To the doctors - Get the money up front.
-Check out some tracks from Sufjan's Avalanche disc.
-Springsteen's son rescued from kayak, Boss preps expanded album.
-James Taylor named rock's top "wuss." Blender's list on James Blunt: This generation's Debbie Boone, only not as pretty." HAH!
-Stream the new Audioslave track, "Original Fire," here.
-Sigur Ros EP to hit states.
-My Morning Jacket prep double live album.
-Thom Yorke on NPR.
-McSweeny's edits Axl Rose: "Reminds me of childhood memories" - Redundant. You either have a memory or you're reminded of something. You're not reminded of a memory. Heavy-metal fans won't stand for such writing, my friend.
If you haven't heard yet, Sean Lennon will release his second album, Friendly Fire, on September 26. The reclusive Lennon has been largely out of the public eye since the release of Into The Sun back in 98'. The ambitious disc showed a lot of promise and even though SS has never been a huge fan of his father's solo work (yeah yeah, don't start), we've certainly been looking forward to finding out what the last eight years had wrought. Lennon had this to say about pulling a Salinger on us:
"There was a long period after the first album where I felt disillusioned with the machinery of the industry," Lennon, 30, said in a statement. "It's not that I stopped recording, playing, performing, I did all those things, just more discreetly. Friendly Fire is an experiment to see what it might be like to do music more publicly again."
OK, sounds legit enough. But Sean listen, a dude claiming to despise the "machinery" of the industry should not be producing short films starring Lindsay Lohan to accompany each track! Lohan's fling with our beloved Ryan Adams almost crushed us...hopefully you can avoid a similar fate. Once you lose SS support, it's all down hill from there fella.
Oh well, we'll reserve judgment. Let's just hope the shorts are post boob job. In the meantime, check out this totally non-commercial, completely artistically-based album trailer:
It's hard to complain about a Johnny Cash disc debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts...very hard. But, when American V: A Hundred Highways sold 88,000 copies last week, the figure accounted for the least units moved by any chart-topping album in the SoundScan era (since 1991). In other words - sales are still f'd.
But on the bright side, it was Cash's first #1 in over 35 years, dating back to 1969's infamous Johnny Cash at San Quentin. We're certainly glad that even in death, the Man in Black is getting his due, but the rest of the chart is equally anemic. Damn mp3 blogs and their free music...
The rest of the top 10:
2. Nelly Furtado - Loose
3. India.Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
4. Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
5. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
6. Rihanna - A Girl Like Me
7. Rascal Flatts - Me and My Gang
8. Disney's High School Musical
9. Dashboard Confessional - Dusk and Summer
10 Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
The buzz on Thom Yorke's solo disc, The Eraser, is positive, if not overwhelming...but this we can certainly agree kicks ass:
Yorke's visit to The Henry Rollins Show will air on July 15, but you can catch his amazing acoustic performance of "The Clock" right here, right now. Tune in for an alleged arm-wrestling match between Rollins and Yorke as well. Gee, wonder who wins that one? Unless of course, Thom goes over the top...
OK, this might be a little out of our normal element, but if you've been paying attention this week, SS has been the mood to get down a lil'. So our Club Mix 2006, if you will (ya'll had the '96 version, admit it), will begin with this track from Deep Dish - "Dreams" featuring Stevie Nicks.
It's basically a techno-ish version of the Fleetwood Mac track, but they actually nabbed Stevie to lay out the vocals...I guess she's got a lot of free time. The song is off Deep Dish's latest disc, George is On. Some info from the duo's myspace:
"George Is On exemplifies Deep Dish's innate ability to mix genres, as the duo brilliantly marries classic '70s and '80s era rock and pop sounds with their trademark deep, sexy productions."
Well we certainly like our dance music sexy...But who doesn't right? Stream "Dreams" featuring Stevie Nicks (and its accompanying remixes) and also check out these links to other Deep Dish tracks. Mmmm, Deep Dish...
"Sacramento" | "Say Hello" | "Flashdance"
Syd Barrett, the reclusive co-founder of Pink Floyd, has died at the age of 60. Living largely in anonymity for the better part of 30 years, Barrett suffered from diabetes, but the cause of death has not been disclosed.
Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 with Waters, Mason and Wright, and wrote many of the band’s early songs. Specifically, the 1967 album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was largely written by Barrett.
Following a period of excessive LSD use, Barrett's behavior grew increasingly erratic, and he left the group in 1968, a full five years before the release of Pink Floyd’s most popular album, Dark Side of the Moon. He was replaced by David Gilmour.
A statement from the band said: “Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire.�?
A small private funeral is planned, according to the band spokesperson. Brian Wilson should be a pallbearer...
As if that Gin Blossoms bombshell wasn't enough, another near-forgotten 90s alternative rock group has risen from the ashes. Let's give a big welcome back to The Lemonheads!
We seem to recall lead singer Evan Dando flirting with substance abuse disaster a few years back, but by all accounts is back on the straight and narrow, and ready to drop his band's first disc in almost 10 years. The self-titled affair will hit stores on September 25, and will feature guest turns by J. Mascis and Garth Hudson.
A U.S. tour is also in the works, but for now fans can catch the band abroad on 7/14 at the Lattitude Festival in Suffolk and 7/16 at the Somerset House in London.
The Lemonheads tracklist:
Black Gown
Become The Enemy
Pittsburgh
Let's Just Laugh
Poughkeepsie
Rule of Three
No Backbone
Baby's Home
In Passing
Steve's Boy
December
Three-day work weeks make SS happy. Share our joy with some Sonic Shorts:
NME is streaming Thom Yorke's solo disc, The Eraser. Now calm down, and finish reading first. (We really should have put this post at the bottom...)
DiFranco returns with 64th disc, Reprieve.
Rick Rubin talks Johnny Cash's American V.
CBJB to close Sept. 30...for real this time.
Ozzy's mansion goes up in flames. Lucifer held as prime suspect.
Everyone is calling this the song of the summer, but SS hears another "PopoZao." Stream Justin's "SexyBack" here.
The reunion you've all been waiting for is here. Yes folks, The Gin Blossoms are back! Download their new track "Learning The Hard Way."
Magnolia Electric Co. drop Fading Trails on Sept. 12. Also check out their MySpace for some track previews.
And finally, the wussiest feud ever continues.
Uncut actually came up with a "Best Of" list that hasn't been done to death. The "100 Best Debut Albums of All Time." is fodder for hours of High Fidelity-like music debate. Topping the list were:
1. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground
2. Marquee Moon - Television
3. Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Pick up the latest issue of Uncut for the full list.
Apparently putting to rest years of speculation (and renewed hope following a mega-successful reunion), Frank Black and co. have finally official ruled out any future Pixies releases, yet remain committing to touring again, according to a report via NME.
Black recently revealed previous efforts to record some new Pixies-styled tunes, only to find himself unable to capture his old muse. Now the band finally seems in agreement that new music is not in the cards.
Black told Uncut: "I wish it could go a bit further again and we could make a record. Not all of the band-members are willing to do that. Rather than make a big deal out of it, we've agreed to just continue to play live."
The Pixies continue to tour internationally, with the band next hitting Prague on July 13. For more tour info, click here.
Just when things started to make sense again, here comes everyone's favorite millionaire dirtbag, K-Fed, with a new track. But guess what? Despite all our mockery, it's Mr. Spears himself who thinks he'll be getting the last laugh. According to Tabloid Whore, he had this to say when discussing his first train wreck, "PopoZao," yo:
"At first, when I put out PopoZao, people were kinda laughing at me. I did it on purpose so people would look at me exactly the way they did. "That way, when I come out with my real s**t, people are f**king blown away."
Wait a second...so he's trying to say that he INTENTIONALLY put out a bad single? We've got news for you Federline, nothing you ever do is going to "blow anyone away," so let's just focus on minimizing the backlash next time, k?
On that note: The new single, "America's Most Hated," is a...gulp...step in the right direction. It's really...not...*shudder*...that bad. Listen and marvel at his surprising mediocrity.
PS - When is somebody going to do a K-Fed/Paris Hilton mashup?
It's true, we sometimes bust on Rolling Stone, but this Rock and Roll Daily blog actually has some pretty groovy stuff now and again. We're not surprised though, considering it's written by Ultragrrl's old roomie, Lizzy Goodman. BUT, we hadn't made a point of reading the thing, until we found this: Pete Doherty Watch. Brilliant!
On July 11 Soul Asylum will drop its first album in eight years with The Silver Lining. The disc will also mark the final recordings of original bassist Karl Mueller, who died of throat cancer on June 17, 2005. Filling his shoes is Tommy Stinson, the former Replacement, current G and R bassist, and long-time friend of Mueller. Perhaps Stinson is wisely lining up a back-up gig considering the recent arrest of Axl, but the 'Mats connection goes even further, as the current drummer, Michael Bland, also spent some time in Paul Westerberg's solo outfit.
Lineup changes aside, the band's ragged, guitar-driven sound appears in tact based on the three track previews available on its official site. Particularly promising is "Lately," the hardest track, recalling the band's Grave Dancers Union era sound.
A month-long tour kicked off this past weekend in Green Bay and wraps up at Irving Plaza. See below for all dates:
| 7/1 | Oneida Pavilion | Green Bay, WI |
| 7/2 | Summerfest | Milwaukee, WI |
| 7/3 | Taste of Minnesota | St. Paul, MN |
| 7/8 | St. John's | Rochester, MN |
| 7/9 | Belly Up | Solana Beach, CA |
| 7/10 | Tonight Show with Jay Leno | NBC- Check Local Listings |
| 7/11 | Tower Records in-store | Los Angeles, CA |
| 7/11 | The Troubadour | Los Angeles, CA |
| 7/14 | Century Park Amphitheater | Vernon Hills, IL |
| 7/29 | Verizon Wireless Amphitheater | Kansas City, KS - |
| 8/1 | Mohegan Sun Casino | Uncasiville, CT |
| 8/2 | Green Room | Seaside Park, NJ |
| 8/3 | Irving Plaza | New York City |
Hey gang, welcome back and we hope ya'll enjoyed the long weekend. Since we're officially done celebrating the good ole' stars and stripes, here's a couple cuts from across the pond we thought you might dig:
Los Campesinos hails from Cardiff in the UK, playing a spritely brand of Shins-ish indie pop with jangly guitars and dueling, male/female vocals. It's really not as cutesy as we just made it sound, and it might just what the doctor order to coast through this dreary, post-holiday workday. Enjoy.
Check out Los Campesinos' "Track 1," "You Me Dancing" and others at the band's MySpace page.
Thank you AOL Music! By debuting the 2nd Paris Hilton single, "Turn it Up," you've single-handedly made sense out of this topsy-turvy world that, for a moment, almost accepted every blogger's favorite punching bag as some sort of legitimate pop music talent. Everyone can relax, the song sucks.
"Star are Blind," as catchy as we first thought it was, is yesterday's news, the new song is crap and the apocalypse is averted!
Well, SS is off to celebrate the holiday weekend (read: bender) but that doesn't mean we won't pop in now and again to say hi. So if you need a break from BBQ's, beer pong and the beach (though we have no idea why you would) drop on by.
Oh, and a quick FYI - Production has begun on the long-awaited SS spin-off, CelebritySlang. So if making fun of the rich and famous in a thinly-veiled attempt to cover your envy is your thing, boy will we have you covered! Look for updates here soon.
In that light, enjoy this wonderful time-waster from the good people at Dragongamez.com. We give you:
Happy 4th ya'll!
Thom Yorke's solo disc, The Eraser, sort of appeared out of thin air a few weeks back, but the blogger hype machine has already brought anticipation to a feverish level. Though we at SS are uber excited to hear the album, last night was the first time we actually checked out the official site. Weeeeird stuff.
This kind of reminds us a lot of that Hanso Foundation site for LOST. A lot of cool stuff, a little creepy and ultimately very frustrating. Just a simple stream of a couple songs, a few pics and a news roll would have been fine...but nothing comes easy from the guy who wrote OK Computer does it? Explore the site a little though, and you'll finally stumble on some interesting items: sound bites, interviews, PDFs with more album info, etc etc. If you're a super fan and you have the patience, it's a wonderful time waster. And if there's one thing we know at SS, it's how to waste our reader's workdays.
The Eraser hits the US on July 11. If you haven't seen it yet, the track list is below:
the eraser
analyse
the clock
black swan
skip divided
atoms for peace
and it rained all night
harrowdown hill
cymbal rush
According to reports, Courtney Love and Billy Corgan are currently sharing Love's Hollywood mansion with her teenage daughter Bean.
From Love: "Not many people know this, but Billy's been living with me for the last four months. Billy has one wing, Frances [Bean--her teenage daughter with former husband Kurt Cobain] has another, and I have one."
It is unclear whether the relationship is purely platonic, or super gross. Corgan is said to be helping Love with material for her next album, due later this year, but after The Future Embrace, SS thinks Billy should be worrying a bit more about himself and this alleged Pumpkins reunion disc, instead of doing charity work.
Somebody call Conan O'Brien ASAP. We smell an "If They Made It" sketch. Eww.
Celebrity trials (and we use the term somewhat loosely in this case) so rarely lead to any kind of real punishment, that this one has given us a serious case of the giggles:
Boy George is set to serve a five-day stint with NYC's Department of Sanitation as early as next month, after pleading guilty to filing a false report over a non-existent burglary. It wasn't intentional of course...he was just high on coke.
His exact duties have not yet been determined, but his lawyer suspects something along the lines of raking leaves in Central Park. Boy George in mascara, eye liner and an orange jumpsuit. Get those Flickr accounts ready...
Calling them America's greatest female rock band somehow, to us, diminishes their impact...but since the overall title still of course belongs to Journey, it'll have to do.
All jokes aside, this sucks. From Sleater-Kinney's official site:
"After eleven years as a band, Sleater-Kinney have decided to go on indefinite hiatus. The upcoming summer shows will be our last. As of now, there are no plans for future tours or recordings.
We feel lucky to have had the support of many wonderful people over the years. We want to thank everyone who has worked with us, written kind words about us, performed with us, and inspired us.
But mostly we want to extend our gratitude to our amazing fans. You have been a part of our story from the beginning. We could not have made our music without your enthusiasm, passion, and loyalty. It is you who have made the entire journey worthwhile."
We'll miss ya ladies. Download a track for old time's sake below.
Download: Sleater-Kinney - "Jumpers"
OK people! This might be the first real sign that Guns and Roses are actually for real! Forget the constant lineup changes, or the Chinese Democracy broo ha ha, or even the live shows or leaked mp3s. That was all posturing...Giving us all false hope that Axl Rose and his rotating band of followers would one day recapture the glory days...Didn't buy it. But after last night's news, we're starting to wonder!
According to an AP report, Axl Rose was arrested early Tuesday after biting a hotel security guard in Stockholm, Sweden. That's right, he BIT a security guard on the leg! This is big folks! Read more from the report here:
The Guns N' Roses frontman was ordered held in jail by prosecutors on suspicion of attacking and threatening the guard, as well as causing damage to the Berns Hotel where the alleged scuffle took place, said police spokeswoman Towe Hagg.
Rose, 44, could be kept in jail until Friday, Hagg said.
So what this means is: Ape-shit, hothead Axl is back! This can't be a coincidence folks, considering the impending release this fall (we think). We at SS, like many of you we're sure, have been very concerned that this new, middle-aged, generally mild-mannered fellow would never be able to recapture the sleazy rock lunatic of the late-80s. Christ, the guy didn't even punch out Tommy Hilfiger! He was only "rude and obnoxious." That ain't gonna cut it on our book Axl! We like you just this side of crazy...maybe even a little over.
Welcome home. Now just write some good songs.
Following his double-header last week in NYC (which apparently kicked ass), Ryan Adams will head of with The Cardinals for a brief summer jaunt beginning in late July at the Starland Ballroom in NJ.
It's been a relatively quiet few months for Adams (above, taken from his MySpace page, which is hilarious by the way) after the hat trick of releases he pulled in 2005. As always, there are a dozen different rumors floating around regarding his next release, but our money is on another Dead-ish disc like Cold Roses. Overall, it was the most commercially and critical appealing, and of Adam's many guises, the role of grungy hippy seems to suit him best these days. But of course having said that, we'll probably see a synth pop disc with guest spots from Erasure and Depeche Mode.
Here's hoping that Adams has finally come full circle. "Next Big Thing" status has long passed, and just based on the stylistic output of last year, the guy has put those Rock God aspirations back on the shelf. Now we can just look forward to 57 more albums of Ryan Adams just writing beautiful music and poignant lyrics, over and over and over again. Don't tell him cause it might jinx it, but that's how you end up a legend. Just what the 43rd greatest living songwriter should be doing. Not, oh say...this. (Still one of our most-viewed posts.)
BTW - Is it us, or does this dude change his website layout as often as he changes his pants?
Check out the full list of dates below:
June 23: New York (Beacon Theatre; Benefit for Arthur Lee)
June 23: New York (Bowery Ballroom)
July 20: Sayreville, N.J. (Starland Ballroom)
July 21: Baltimore (Sonar)
July 22: Norfolk, Va. (NorVa)
July 23: Charlottesville, Va. (Pavilion)
July 25: Knoxville, Tenn. (Bijou House)
July 27: Myrtle Beach, S.C. (House of Blues)
July 28: Charleston, S.C. (Music Hall)
July 29: Atlanta (Tabernacle)
Aug. 1: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)
Aug. 2: St. Louis (Pageant)
Aug. 3: Indianapolis (the Vogue)
Aug. 4: Chicago (Grand Park; Lollapalooza)
After all that hub bub about the Chili Peppers' "Dani California," (off the rather excellent, if a tad bloated, Stadium Arcadium) and its fairly obvious resemblance to Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance," we've been on the lookout for other copy kats on the dial. In ROCP's defense, the riff (and it's a simple one) off "Dani" might be a near match, but the soul and feel is world's apart from its supposed sound-alike. But on the other hand, check out the new track by Jessica Simpson and you'll hear the biggest clone since a sheep named Dolly.
Listen to "A Public Affair" at her official site, and you tell us: Could this song be any more like Madonna's "Holiday," without Jessica getting her ass sued off? Some of the bloggers are diggin' it, but we're not gonna bite. Sure, it might get some asses shaking on the dancefloor, and anything is better than those drippy ballads the former Mrs. Lachey used to belt out, but a song like this is another example of everything that's wrong with pop music. But hey, if calculated, ripped-off summer jams are your thing, you can certainly dance to it.
Oh, and in case you're looking for an original beach season anthem, we're all about Lily Allen's "Smile." And yes, she's hot too.
Despite a very minimal radio push, and the somewhat lackluster ticket sales (by Bruce standards), SS still hopes ya'll had the chance to check out Springsteen's latest disc, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Perhaps it was bogged down by the "folk covers" label out of the gate, most have been surprised to find that the disc fits in pretty darn well with the best of The Boss's rock output. The critics dig it too.
Well if you have been listening, and just can't get enough, two more tracks are currently streaming on his official site. "Bring Em' Home," a Vietnam war anthem made relevant again, and "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" (coming from a tour rehearsal in Asbury Park) are both fine additions to the "down home" feel on on the current tour. If not for the lingering promise of a new E Street rock disc, we wouldn't mind seeing a Seeger Sessions Part II. (But we beg you, no more Tom Joad.)
Lansing-Dreiden takes its sound from mid- to late-80s electro pop, with a nod to the heyday of slick MTV-style production. OK that wasn't much of a set up, but in case you're still reading, SS strongly suggests you check out "A Line You Can Cross," streaming here.
The track has a darkish shoegaze verse that bleeds into a stadium chorus that might be only one step behind Mr. Mister, but the hook is undeniable. It comes off The Dividing Island, the band's second full-length, and would have been a perfect soundtrack fit for Teen Wolf or The Secret to My Success. (We're trying to be complementary. Swear!)
Check out more tracks from Lansing-Dreiden at the band's MySpace page, or cruise on over to the band's official site which offers, well, nothing.
After getting such a bad rap for so long, we at SS were pretty glad to see the 1980's get its due during the last couple years of synth-heavy, electro pop-based tunes proliferating the blogosphere. For years, people would only focus on the fashion disasters, the seagull hair, the cheesy metal bands or Kenny Loggins, and forget about all the good stuff! Well now that the Me Decade has gotten some long-deserved props, we think it's OK to poke some fun again.
EW's PopWatch pointed us towards this site. A collection of over 1400 music videos from the 1980's, there are about a 1000 that'll might make you toss that finally hip again Devo t-shirt back into storage.
Do some scanning, but don't say we didn't warn you. It's addictive. So if you're at work, here's a quick list of some we recommend for a few giggles. (No funny one-liners here...these vids speak for themselves ya'll.)
Eddie Murphy - "Party all the Time"
Gorky Park - "Bang"
Grace Jones - "Love is the Drug"
John Stamos and The Beach Boys - "Forever"
Kajagoogoo - "Too Shy"
**Don't worry, we'll do a roundup of some good stuff next time. Read about these Cure reissues and you'll feel better about your adolescence in no time.
As with many music blogs, SS spends as much time talking about crap music as it does gushing about the good stuff. So for those of you looking for a good laugh (or a good scare by realizing how many of these tracks are actually on your iPod) check out AOL Music's list of the "Top 111 Worst Songs Ever."
They don't actually give you a ranking for each songs..it's more like a continual loop of guilty pleasures, embarrassing one-hit wonders and "so bad they're good" gems. Over the last 10 minutes, we heard "Thong Song," "My Sharona" and something called "Fast Food Song" (dear Lord...), plus a serious reading of the lyrics to "Barbie Girl." Funny stuff.
Check out the station here, but be sure to wear your headphones at work.
UPDATE - Another SS craptastic favorite: "Cotton-Eye Joe" - Enjoy this Rednex classic and take yourself back to 1995, when overalls and club music co-existed in beautiful harmony. This station rules! I mean...sucks.
Mondays suck, and SS is sleepy. Enjoy these groovy links to the hard work of others, while we go take a siesta.
- Black out of Pixie dust? (But preview his new solo disc, in stores tomorrow, here.)
- Rogue Wave ready to record next disc.
- Monkees top the charts (ok a chart).
- Stream the new Tom Petty, live from Bonnaroo.
- Morrissey denies affair with Michael Stipe. Come on Mozzer, REM could use some press. Throw him a bone!
- Check out the debut disc from Plan B (think The Streets with a guitar) on NME.
- Modest Mouse cancels gigs to finish work on next disc.
- Why reviews are meaningless (except ours of course): Keane - Shit...or Great? (Tune in later this week for the correct answer.)
John Mayer bashing clearly has its place in certain circles. Anytime a sensitive 20-something singer/songwriter (James Blunt!) comes along and tops the pops with calculated prom songs like "Your Body is a Wonderland" two things are certain: teenage girls will swoon and hipsters will puke. But we'll wager that a lot more of you folks owned Room For Squares than would care to admit it, and as SS has been saying for a few years now, Mayer's adult-contemp shtick was bound to get more tolerable once he was, you know, an adult. The guy has a lotta soul for a white dude, and seriously serious guitar chops.
The John Mayer Trio proved that the kid could hang with real musicians, and rip out some more than competent bluesy riffs. But when September 12 brings us his third solo album, Continuum (cool title we think), will he go back to TRL, or keep jamming with Herbie Hancock? Judging by the first single, "Waiting on the World to Change," the answer might be somewhere in between.
The track's nothing amazing really, but it does have the feel of Mayer's first real "adult" song. Instead of showing up on a college freshman's mixtape, this bluesy little pop ditty sounds more like something from a Starbucks compilation disc...and we actually sort of mean that in a good way.
If this is the direction Mayer is heading, the days of topping Billboard might be over, but he also might be able to pull off a kind of white boy Curtis Mayfield vibe that might actually win over the hipsters getting a bit long in the tooth for rocking out. Stream "Waiting on the World to Change" at Mayer's official site.
Uber-troubled rocker Pete Doherty has made the drastic, yet perhaps predictable to some switch from a life of sex, drugs and bloody syringe hi-jinks to prayer, penance and piety.
The Babyshambles front man recently checked himself into a Portuguese clinic in his latest bid to kick heroin, crack and...well whatever else ya got. But recent reports have him turning to a higher power for some divine assistance. Specifically, Doherty said that the son of God told him to "pull himself together and repent his sins." That's gonna be a LOT of Hail Marys at that next confession.
From the report:
A source told Britain's Daily Star newspaper, "He is considering giving away his money because Jesus said, 'It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.'"
We were looking for some kind of needle joke to follow that, but let's face it, this is funny enough as is. Do any of you really think Jesus Christ would be wasting his time on Doherty, other than to say "Hey, see ya real soon!"?
ADD is AOK with our bite-sized Sonic Shorts, so drop those pesky meds and curl up by the computer folks.
- Stream Keane's latest - Under The Iron Sea.
- Eminem plans a comeback...a film comeback. (can you really have a comeback after one starring role?) with an updated version of Have Gun - Will Travel.
- In stores today: The Replacements, Futureheads, Hot Chip.
- New Dylan coming in late summer.
- Razorlight sophomore disc to be self-titled affair. (One more time...how good is that first track??)
- Have you seen the slick new Rolling Stone layout? Don't get too excited though...still the same writers.
- Perry Farrell's latest project: Satellite Party. Check out the ironically-titled "Awesome" if you dare...
- Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood takes on "Popcorn Superhet Receiver."
In a world where actor-turned-musicians are so very common (and usually so very terrible...why John Corbett, why??), this is kind of an interesting story. This afternoon's PopWatch published a quote from Brittany Murphy, current collaborator with Paul Oakenfold, in which she claims to enjoy quite the side career as a pop princess.
Via PopWatch:
Indeed, the actress -- whose collaboration with Paul Oakenfold, "Faster Kill Pussycat," is up to No. 8 on this week's Billboard's Dance Singles Sales chart -- tells Cosmopolitan (scroll down) that she has anonymously lent her vocals to "a lot of other people's albums," and hears herself on the radio "all the time."
Ever since Murphy got our boy Ron Livingston hooked up in that crap-fest Little Black Book, we sort of wrote her off...but if she's really pulling a Bo Jackson right under our noses, then maybe we can give her a second chance. Besides, the chick did pull double duty as Joe Gribble AND Luanne on King of the Hill for a few years. Guess she does have some game...
In a slow week on the charts (have there really been any other kind over the last year or two?), The Dixie Chicks proved once again that getting blacklisted in the Bible Belt, doesn't mean you can't move some records. Keeping the top spot for a second week, the group moved 271,000 units of Taking the Long Way, well ahead of the #2 slot, the bizarrely popular High School Musical, which sold just over 100,000 copies in its 21st week.
Further down the chart, The Chili Peppers climbed back two spots to #3 with Stadium Arcadium (87,000) while Tool's 10,000 Days continues to drift downward, landing at #9 (55,000).
In the chart's biggest move, that little bastard James Blunt claws his way back from #25, all the way into the top 10 once more (#9). It'll probably get him laid again.
New releases barely made a scratch this week, with nary a disc cracking the top 100. At the top were Mike Patton's Peeping Tom disc (#103, 10,000) and Les Claypool's Of Whales and Woe (#115, 8000).
Next week's AFI release should make a little noise. But is it enough to shake the chicks from their roost?
A rainy Wednesday in SS country...as good excuse as any to see what's shakin' out there on that Internet the kids are all talkin' about:
- Today's shocker: Morrissey and The Smiths - not friends! The hell you say!
- Bono to The Killers (above): "Spare us the interesting second album." In other words: Cash in boys! Look for an arena tour, and Brandon Flowers fighting world hunger (in designer sunglasses) by this fall.
- In happier times: The Smiths turned down by Linda McCartney
- Beck eyes fall for next disc.
- Rosanne Cash blasts "exploitation" of her father's back catalog. In other Cash-ins, American V: A Hundred Highways due this July.
- Paul Westerberg chats with Newsweek.
- Paste Magazine lists their "Top 100 Living Songwriters." A good list (Bruce at #3, Ryan Adams at #42, Westerberg at #52) but Dolly Parton ahead of Morrissey??
- Razorlight plans arena tour.
July 18 will see the first release in eight years from supergroup Golden Smog, with the arrival of Another Fine Day. The group, comprised of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy, Big Star's Jody Stephens and the Jayhawks' Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Kraig Johnson, has been largely dormant since 1998's Weird Tales.
In addition to the new LP, an EP is planned for the fall, and the group has lined up two shows in recognition of the flurry of activity. A July 23 show will hit First Avenue in Minneapolis followed by a date at NYC's Bowery Ballroom on the 26th.
Golden Smog played a handful of shows last year, sans Tweedy. No word yet on whether he will return for the upcoming dates.
Razorlight's debut LP Up All Night was way the hell up there on our "best-of" list in 2004. Though it was basically a straight-ahead rock record, mostly devoid of the trendy new wave or retro flourishes that the hipsters gravitated to at the time, the whole disc was just straight up cool and catchy as hell. We ate it up. Brit pop at its finest folks, and for our money they had it all over The Strokes as the next "it" band. Somehow though, they never totally busted out of that "UK darling" pigeonhole that seems to gobble up six dozen bands every year. Well if "In The Morning," the lead single off their forthcoming follow-up disc, is any indication...that's about to change in a big way.
The song takes everything that made Up All Night so undeniable, and cranks it up a notch: A simple but amazingly catchy riff to dance to, cliche' but appealingly universal lyrics ("The songs on the radio all sound the same/everybody just looks the same...remember when you were young, you'd lose yourself"), and a swagger that can't be manufactured. It's got breakout single written all over it. Just wait ya'll.
"In The Morning" hasn't seen an official release yet, but it's sprung leaks all over the place. One of them can be found on myselfmyself. Click, enjoy, and dance with confidence. You won't be alone.
Head Automatica's 2004 disc, Decadence, appeared just in time for the dance rock craze to embrace their beat-driven, disco punk sound. Front man Daryl Palumbo's vocals verged on screamo at times, but underneath them were slick pop sensibilities lending themselves perfectly to matching suits, swooning emo kids and buzz bin status. Not everyone took the bait, but for our money it was that rare disc that you and your teenage sister could enjoy together.
The scene's popularity might have peaked with The Killers, but the band is back June 6 for another go around: the aptly titled Popaganda. That new WB/UPN network has their first soundtrack.
For of all, the beats take a back seat to riffs. A bright, guitar-friendly sound, combined with Palumbo's vocal histrionics will suit the My Chemical Romance-esque emo punk scene just fine, but it also seems a tad calculated, safer and more restrained (but of course, also more radio friendly). Palumbo already toned down that kick ass Mike Patton howl (more prevalent in his Glassjaw days) enough on the first disc. At this point it's almost indistinguishable from the rest of the Myspace music generation. It's a shame. The band could have been the dangerous younger brother of Duran Duran. Now, they may get your toes tapping on tracks like "Graduation Day" or "Laughing at You," but you won't feel nearly as gleefully dirty doing it once the former shows up on an episode of One Tree Hill.
You can stream four tracks off Popaganda on the band's official site, or the entire disc on, you guessed it, Myspace.
**Disclaimer - Please be advised that the below commentary contains a generally complimentary critique of the new Paris Hilton single "The Stars Are Blind." If this offends, confounds or disgusts any of our loyal readers, we deeply apologize and hope that in the future, you will continue turning to Sonic Slang for all your music needs. Trust that this disturbing turn of events has us just as disillusioned as you. May God have mercy on our souls.
So this afternoon's post was going to feature our take on the forthcoming train wreck of a CD from Paris Hilton. Nothing earth-shattering...just your average "Paris is a no-talent hizzo" commentary, concluding with some naughty photos from the shoot for the first single, "The Stars Are Blind." Then Stereogum had to go and post a link to the track. Sweet mother of God...it's really not that bad.
We had a pretty good giggle when news broke that Hilton's disc would have a "reggae feel" to it. I mean please. Suddenly K-Fed's new disc didn't seem quite as mind-numbingly awful. OK it still did, but at least the dude would have some company on the bargain rack! But this song...it's...not...awful. No it's nothing any real musician would be bragging about, but it would make a perfectly serviceable Gwen Stefani b-side, and the chorus is damn catchy.
We need to go scrub ourselves for a couple hours in the tub...so dirty. But you guys check out the track and let us know what you think. And remember, it's easy to be cruel just because it's Paris. But if this was anyone else, the reviews would be pretty mediocre...at least a C- or so. K-Fed eat your heart out.
Head over to Yousendit for Paris Hilton's "The Stars Are Blind." Thanks to Stereogum for the link...but in this case, ignorance really would have been blogger bliss.
At first, most of us 'round the SS water cooler weren't too fired up about the new Springsteen disc. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, a covers collection consisting of 13 "traditional folk songs" penned by the great Pete Seeger, sounded like another sleepy acoustic affair...a Ghost of Tom Joad II if you will. Its precursor may be a great album to sleep to, with John Steinbeck-esque lyrics for the Boss in prime story-teller mode. BUT, after The Rising, E Street's triumphant return to exuberant rock glory, he had us in the palm of his hands. We excused Devils and Dust as a momentary indulgence...but when the Seeger announcement came, all we could think was "Great, another three years before the next "real" record. Clarence is what, like 72 now?"
But that was before was actually heard the disc. Suffice to say, the amped-up, free-wheeling take Springsteen offers on these folk classics makes the 9/11-themed The Rising look positively dour in comparison. It's terrific fun, bottom line, and should make for a rollicking live show this summer.
What? You didn't get tickets? Well AOL, the worst browser with the best music has you covered. According to a June 1 press release, AOL Music will offer highlights from each and every show, showcasing some 18 different performances over the course of the summer.
From the release:
In an unprecedented move for Bruce Springsteen and AOL Music (http://www.aolmusic.com), the online music destination will offer an exclusive video performance from every single stop on Springsteen's just-launched North American tour with the Seeger Sessions Band. The morning after each concert, one hand-picked song from the show will be presented on AOL Music along with photos, set lists, recaps and more, enhanced by the "voice of the fans," Backstreets.com.
The early reviews have been stellar, (as is usually the case with Springsteen) so be sure to check this one out. The most recent offering is "Old Dan Tucker," a track off Nebraska that got Seegerized for this tour. Good stuff.
Maybe Pete Doherty isn't so crazy after all. Music tastes like these might drive us to heroin too...
British Hit Singles and Albums and NME.com recently conducted a UK poll, seeking the "Greatest Album of All Time." Below are the confounding results. Liam Gallagher quickly released a statement calling Oasis "bigger than Jesus AND Buddha," downed a pint and punch the reporter in the face.
At least Robbie Williams didn't make the cut.
1. "Definitely Maybe," Oasis
2. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," The Beatles
3. "Revolver," The Beatles
4. "OK Computer," Radiohead
5. "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" Oasis
6. "Nevermind," Nirvana
7. "The Stone Roses," The Stone Roses
8. "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd
9. "The Queen Is Dead," The Smiths
10. "The Bends," Radiohead
What's new and exciting (to us anyway) this week?
- Preview the new Futureheads at NME. (You gotta sign up first, sorry dudes.)
- Ricky Wilson (above with Kaiser Chiefs) narrowly avoids serious injury with his "trademark jump." Suffice to say, David Lee Roth's trademark leg kick or Johnny Rotten's trademark middle finger wouldn't have worked as well...
- Deerhoof bassist quits.
- KISS is still taking our money without learning how to write music. This time: KISS Coffee.
- Chili Peppers stay on top, despite hefty slide in week two.
- Apple and Nike to create musical running sneakers. When your pace slows down, it automatically cues up a track from the Fat Boys, Meatloaf or late 90's Vince Neil.
- Long-awaited Big Star tribute to drop, featuring Ryan Adams, REM, others.
You might notice that we've cooled off on our coverage of Pete Doherty and his drug-addled antics. Frankly, they started to blend together and how many times can you really make a joke out of crippling addiction? We think no more than ten or twelve.
But just went we think the guy's gone stale on us, he finds new ways to weasel his way into the hearts of music bloggers without ever playing a note. Meet Pete Doherty, clown prince of rock star druggies:
via Gigwise:
Babyshambles front man Pete Doherty has caused outrage at MTV after he squirted a syringe full of blood and at a camera man and his equipment. Doherty was being interview with band mates Adam Ficek and Drew McConnell backstage at one of their gigs in Berlin when the incident happened.
According to The Sun, after he hit his target he cried: "That was a wicked shot. That’s going to make a cracking link that is."
Drew McConnell called an end to the interview by saying: “I think the interview is over. I’m really sorry mate that’s fucked up.�?
Oh yes, and there's video too...but it's not for the squeamish folks.
Oh, and to make matters worse, Boy George got in his shot as well.
Normally we wouldn't be blogging about a has-been 90's alterna-rock band like Fuel...but this little tidbit is just BEGGING for a post.
Ya'll know Chris Daughtry? Actually we really hope you don't...but in any case, he's the most recent cast-off from American Idol, and another failed attempt for the show to move past their pre-fab, pop image into something a little hipper: pre-fab rock. Apparently the dude had been the runaway favorite to win this season's competition, and move on to Clay Aiken-like status among the angsty 12-16 set. But, the voters gave him the boot and just like that Daughtry was off join Justin Guarini in that reality show netherworld (usually waiting tables).
In the market for a new lead singer, perhaps the band figured that following the INXS route, but cutting out the middle man was the easiest path to at least a couple more hours in the top forty. But if Rock Star was lame, what's to be said about a band circling a reality show cast-off? And funniest of all, it doesn't even sound like Daughtry's gonna say yes!
On the plus side...if Fuel are really that desperate, maybe we've all got a shot!
There are a couple ways to look at Sonic Youth's appearance on Gilmore Girls tonight:
We could take the extreme (and predictable) elitist high road and go all "indie snob" on your asses. That would be make sense, but why boter? Gilmore is like The O.C.: teeny bopper fluff for the hipster crowd. And if those O.C. soundtracks taught us anything, it's that bad TV with good music is still very watchable. I mean, it's not like they're playing the Peach Pit, right?
You could also just look at the bright side and be happy that kids who watch Gilmore even know who Sonic Youth are. (But do they really?) Add that to a few dates with Pearl Jam on the revived rockers' summer tour, and the band is getting a lot of press for their 364th disc of new material. But, with Rather Ripped due June 13 (the same day the band hits NYC's CBGB's), it's certainly nice to see some props...even if it is on the channel where One Tree Hill passes as high art.
Next up, Paul Westerberg on My Name is Earl.
UPDATE - Rather Ripped arrived in the SS mailbox yesterday...review coming soon...
Read below for two rock stars with very different plans for their golden years. Hope you're all enjoying those Seis de Mayo hangovers...
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has been released from the New Zealand hospital where he was admitted with a head injury after he reportedly fell out of a palm tree. Richards, 62, suffered a mild concussion while on vacation in Fiji on Thursday. New Zealand's Sunday Star-Times reported that Richards got on a Jet-Ski after the fall and had another accident.
"When I'm 40 and too old to be a rock star, I plan to go back to college to study classical music," said Coldplay's Chris Martin, talking about his career plans.
All this "return to form" stuff going around about Pearl Jam's new disc has had us a little nervous. Sure, the band's recent output might not have grabbed you by the throat like Ten or Vs. but aside from Binaural, each disc has, for our money at least, contained more than its fair share of brilliance.
OK, that's what the music critic in us says...but what about the flannel-clad high school freshman beneath that spent countless lunch periods debating the lyrics to "Evenflow?" Is there one of us that doesn't secretly pine for the just one more album of kick ass rock and roll? We all know Vedder is goinna spend his golden years in full-on, Neil Young mode, so why not rock out while he still can without hurting himself?
The early reviews for Pearl Jam's latest, self-titled disc are stellar...but listen for yourself and decide. Is Pearl Jam just a lot of hype? Maybe that big fat Creed-alicious sellout disc? Or maybe like Green Day's American Idiot, it's a case of another waning band jolted back into cultural relevance by our dear old George W? AOL Music is streaming the whole thing right here. Give it a spin and let us know whatcha' think.
Our vote? Pearl Jam haven't sounded this urgent in over a decade. Bust out that flannel again kids. We're gonna party like it's 1991.
A couple of interesting links for your Thursday afternoon time wasting...
1. Snoops Dogg is arrested. OK this is nothing shocking we know, but would you believe it was NOT weed-related? Just some good ole' fashioned fisticuffs.
2. OK and this one might not be as big a story...but we dig it: The Meat Puppets reunite!
As reported on Coolfer, this Friday (April 28th) you'll be able to stream Neil Young's new out-of-nowhere, anti-war album Living With War on the artist's official site. It's allegedly a return to the angry, amped-up Young that we really haven't seen since Mirror Ball.
Coming less than a year after his acoustic-based set, Prairie Wind, the news about a new disc took even his label by surprise. Who knows if the album will be any good, but it's fun to have Young back in protest form again. Bush-lovers beware.
Murder By Death drop their latest, In Bocca al Lupo, May 23rd, coinciding with the start of their tour. (Which just so happens to be passing through NYC's The Knitting Factory the same day.) Get an early peek and see if it's worth the tix.
From the PR plug that hit our inbox:
"Indiana's Murder by Death layers the vocal sounds of an old saloon with the haunting strings of an Hungarian folk dance and the hard driving rhythms of pure rock n' roll, producing evocative, richly orchestrated songs somehow simultaneously reminiscent of Johnny Cash and Radiohead. Added to that thick and intriguing sound are a series of dark and ironic lyrics, combining the mood and tone of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds with the narrative force of the Decemberists or a short story by Nathanial Hawthorne."
Typical high praise from those who are paid to do so...but what about those who aren't? (Namely our broke asses.) Well based on the first single "Brother," we're definitely feelin' the Johhny Cash/Radiohead comparison. Weird, but it works. As for the other stuff, we'll reserve judgement till May. Listen to the first track and let us know what you think.
Stream "Brother" off In Bocca al Lupo here.
US tourdates
5/22 – Middle East downstairs - Cambridge, MA *
5/23 – The Knitting Factory - New York, NY *
5/24 – First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA *
5/25 – Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH *
5/26 – Temple Club- Lansing, MI *
5/27 – Metro - Chicago, IL *
5/28 – Triple Rock - Minneapolis, MN *
5/29 – Granada - Lawrence, KS // Metal Hearts
5/30 – Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO // William Elliott Whitmore, Metal Hearts
6/1 – Neumo’s - Seattle, WA // Two Gallants (co-bill), William Elliott Whitmore, Metal Hearts
6/2 – Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR ^
6/3 – The Underground- Sacramento, CA ^
6/4 – Café Du Nord - San Francisco, CA #
6/5 – Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA #
6/6 – The Casbah - San Diego, CA #
6/8 – The Belmont - Fresno, CA *
6/9 – Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA *
6/10 – The Brickhouse - Phoenix, AZ *
6/11 – Skrappy’s -Tucson, AZ *
6/13 –The Sanctuary - San Antonio, TX *
6/14 – Walter’s on Washington - Houston, TX *
6/15 – Gypsy Team Room - Dallas, TX *
6/16 – Vinos - Little Rock, AR *
6/17 – Rocktown - Nashville, TN *
6/18 – Creepy Crawl - St. Louis, MO *
* with Langhorne Slim, Metal Hearts
# with Rocky Votolato, William Elliott Whitmore
^ with Rocky Votolato, William Elliott Whitmore, Metal Hearts
At SS we're usually the last to sing the praises of reality TV, let's get that straight right off the bat. Our Tivos and DVRs are set for The Sopranos, 24, Lost...you know, great writing. With shows like them, do we really need Vern Troyer naked or, more pointedly, washed-up bands looking for another 15 minutes? But that being said...this brainchild might be too good to pass up.
In the wake of the relative failure that was One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back, members of The Darkness are exploring the world of reality TV as a vehicle for returning to the top of the pops. Band In A Bubble would find the spandex-loving rockers sealing inside a capsule in London’s Trafalgar Square for one month, as they lay down tracks for their 3rd album.
A more combustible band like Oasis might have been the perfect choice, though a show like that might have actually resulted in a Gallagher brother homicide. But no matter, the shenanigans of the Hawkins brothers should be more than enough to keep us entertained...though it's a little sad that it came to this so quickly.
In the words of Justin himself: "But it seemed like such a good idea at the time..."
After consecutive commercial (and in many minds critical) failures in Zwan, and his solo debut The Future Embrace, Billy Corgan was quick to call his former band, The Smashing Pumpkins, to the rescue. A full-page add in the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times announced plans to "renew and revive" the pumpkins following their split in 2000. The fact that it came on the very same day as Future's release was curious, but maybe Corgan simply knew he had a turkey on his hands and didn't want to waste any time.
Well after months of speculation, it seems that the alleged reunion is becoming a reality, if only in part. A message on the band's website said the band is writing material and will begin recording tracks for the band's comeback album this summer.
In 2004, Corgan spoke out regarding the band's dissolution, lashing out at guitarist James Iha and bassist D'Arcy Wretzky for walking away from something he described as "essentially my entire life... a dream I still believe in."
After a couple of years of seclusion in his Bahrain mansion, rumor has it that Michael Jackson will return to the studio and record a new album under 2 Seas Records, a label owned by the King's son.
Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, said Tuesday that an exclusive recording agreement had been reached with Jackson, and the new album was tentatively scheduled for release in late 2007.
Will anyone in the US is apt to buy into any sexy pop ballads or dance floor grooves by a man convicted of child molestation everywhere but within the courtroom? And will that alleged MJ makeover really happen, short hair, muscles and all? It seems we'll finally get these answers soon. But if you can't wait till next year (we can), his new label also has plans release that long-delayed Katrina-relief single "I Have This Dream" in the near future. Way to strike while the iron is hot Michael.
Jackson's continued financial troubles resulted in last month's closing of the Neverland Ranch, as well as last week's restructuring of his finances with Sony Corp, which shares ownership of, among other things, his sizable Beatles catalog. A Thriller-like hit might be what the man needs to dig himself out...but did any of you hear Invincible?
"Cause people who get hammered don't get to nail." ("War of the Sexes")
Yet another gem from Mike Skinner (a.k.a. The Streets) that you'll find on his latest, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living. Now as we've noted before, we don't always worship at the alter of his hipster beats like some, but even if the music isn't your bag, you simply have to dig the wordplay. Fans of Dr. Dre joints steer clear, but if you take your hip hop with a heaping side of Brit Wit, dig this shit over at MySpace, where the whole album is streamin'.
And the UK still loves the little bugger.
A VH1 poll dubbed U2's Bono the UK's top wordsmith, where the band's 1992 hit "One" was cited as having the "best lyric":
"One life, with each other, sisters, brothers."
OK that's pretty good...but the BEST? Come on now folks. How that song managed to beat out this gem from The Smiths (which came in at #2) is a mystery.
"So you go, and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home, and you cry, and you want to die." (How Soon is Now?)
Sure, it's not the most upbeat lyric, but frankly, we're surprised that so many people (13,000 responded to the poll) bought into Bono's "hands across America" shtick. A nice notion, to be sure, but in the same league as the Mozzer? Then again, the 100 tracks submitted for consideration were chosen by artists including Noel Gallagher and Jon Bon Jovi. Not exactly the Shakespeare's of pop music...
The rest of the top five:
3. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit. "I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us."
4. Bob Marley - Redemption Song. "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds, have no fear for atomic energy, 'cause none of them can stop the time."
5. Coldplay - Yellow. "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you."
The stars continue to align for Guns and Roses fans. First, two tracks allegedly culled from the now-mythic Chinese Democracy disc surfaced online, around the same time Axl was rumored to have spun the album in its entirety during a late night birthday bash at a NYC bar. Now, the band has announced two shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom on May 15th and 17th, serving as the kickoff for a 17-date tour.
Tickets go on sale April 21st with a price tag of $63. Perhaps Axl really wasn't talking out his ass when he promised Democracy sometime in 2006. Or perhaps the Botox bills are piling up. Either way, it certainly should be interesting to see if the guy can still slither his way to Paradise City.
When Google Earth came out, it certainly had that initial "wow" factor that makes for big blogger buzz. But after fooling around with the ultra-ambitious world-mapping tool for a while, the novelty wore off pretty quick. Seriously, the satellite photos never get low enough to the ground to make out your ex's apartment window, and the search feature needs an awful lot of work. A cool idea, but not much more.
But now, for our purposes as music geeks the boys at Google Earth seem to finally be onto something. See Thursday's Online Scavenger Hunt that lets you scan the globe for fellow fans, upload photos and even see who's attending which upcoming shows.
We're not exactly big Thursday fans here at SS, but imagine the possibilities for future acts: "Help Find Pete Doherty Before The Fuzz" or better even, a world-wide, cyber pub crawl with Shane MacGowan. Now you're talkin' our language.
From the ashes of 2005's Web Roundup, comes the long-awaited Sonic Shorts (it's really still the same thing, but with a marginally cooler name), so sit back and see what's interesting out there in cyberspace...but not interesting enough to get its own post.
For a while we were on the fence about Editors. The new Echo & The Bunnymen, or Interpol lite? OK, to be honest we're still not totally sure. But this much is true: After a month of listening, The Back Room is still rocking our iPods. Perhaps resistance is futile...
Their Rolling Stone acoustic performance is a little spare for our tastes, but a couple of the tracks still capture that brooding, almost hypnotic vibe that the cool kids (and their bloggers) love these days.
Some new info has surfaced about the long-awaited comeback record for glam rock pioneers New York Dolls - now officially titled One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This.
The disc will be released July 25th via Roadrunner, and features guest appearances by Iggy Pop and Michael Stipe, among others. It features 13 tracks, including the first single "Dance Like a Monkey."
Jack Douglas, who cut his teeth on the very first Dolls record, is producing and has set early expectations pretty damn high.
"This is the band that gave the world 'Personality Crisis,' 'Jet Boy,' 'Looking for a Kiss,' 'Puss 'n' Boots,' and 'Trash.' Maybe we can't forgive them for that, but they swing harder than anyone around, and this album is a fuckin' masterpiece," Douglas said.
Guitarist and co-founder Sylvain Sylvain also had modest expectations:
"I don't care if this record is a hit, just as long as every man, woman, and child buys it."
A world tour is in the works for the summer,
Aging groupies and hipsters rejoice!
In one of the stranger Billboard charts in years, Poison, Queensryche and The Flaming Lips all find themselves in the Billboard Top 20 this week. Take a minute to let that settle in. Freakin' Queensryche!
The former two haven't climbed this high in over a decade (# 14 and 17 respectively...and honestly, did you even know Queensryche were still a band?) while the later reached a career best position of #11, easily eclipsing the #50 bow of the 2002 masterpiece, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime II is the band's highest charting album since Promised Land went to No. 3 in 1994, while Poison hasn't scaled such heights since Native Tongue entered at No. 16 in 1993.
Next week be on the lookout for big debuts from Kip Winger, Warrant and The Fiery Furnaces...
Drive-By Truckers will release its latest disc, A Blessing & A Curse, April 18th on New West Records. The set will be the follow-up to 2004's The Dirty South, and will hopefully continue the band's string of ballsy-yet-poignant redneck anthems chronically the harsh realities of southern life. Though albums like Alabama Ass Whuppin' may have given the band a Jeff Foxworthy type of credibility initially, people seem to finally be catching on to how great this group really is.
A Blessing & A Curse can be previewed at the album's official website here.
Tracklist:
Feb 14
Gravity's Gone
Easy On Yourself
Aftermath USA
Goodbye
Daylight
Wednesday
Little Bonnie
Space City
A Blessing And A Curse
A World Of Hurt
Though it's certainly been fun to see Pearl Jam back on the radio with "World Wide Suicide" (currently spending its 3rd week at #1 on Billboard's modern rock charts), is anyone else a little mystified by their list of summer tour opening acts? Tom Petty? Sonic Youth?? Robert Pollard???!!
OK let's break this down: Clearly Vedder and the boys have taken on a sort of "elder statesmen of rock" status among their peers, which does lend some credence to the Petty billing...but Sonic Youth? Could fans of these respective acts even name three songs by the other? Perhaps after two decades of critical darling-hood, Sonic Youth are looking for some payola (note their upcoming, equally strange appearance on Gilmore Girls), which we can certainly understand...but that still leaves the even larger mystery of Pollard.
After the demise of Guided by Voices, Pollard quickly dispelled notions that this was the end for the indie god. But this still threw us at SS for a loop. Forgive us Rob, but hasn't the time for your move from indie hero to rock hero already come and gone? Of course the bottom line is: four great bands as part of an intriguing tour, with a headliner poised for a Green Day-like return to cultural relevance. But still, just imagine the potential motley crew of an audience. We can see it now...Stereogum junkies moshing with aging hippies. Thirty-something frat boys slugging beers with NYC art-punks. Oh, and maybe even a lonely Scott Stapp, looking for a fight and wondering how it all went so wrong...
At risk of biting the hand that feeds us, we never really got the whole fascination over Sufjan Stevens. His Illinois disc landed on top of nearly ever indie-minded blog last year, while we barely even made mention of it. Perhaps it's just an unfair bias against cutie-pie singer songwriters that adorn the walls of hipper-than-average 16 year old chicks. (Notice we never mention Bright Eyes either.) But either way, we were clearly remiss in our lack of coverage, considering the blogger phenomenon that he became. So enjoy this post about his upcoming disc, but if you want Conner Oberst news, you're still going to have to call your cool little sister.
Billed as something of a "companion disc" to Illinois Stevens' upcoming The Avalanche sounds more like an attempt to milk a little more cash out of the public before the buzz dissipates, and Pitchfork finds 2007S It Boy. But check out the press release snippet below and decide for yourself.
"The little secret behind the Illinois record is that it was originally conceived as a double album, culminating in a musical collage of nearly 50 songs. But as the project began to develop into an unwieldy epic, common sense weighed in—as did the opinions of others—and the project was cut in half. But as 2005 came to a close, Sufjan returned to the old, forsaken songs on his 8-track like a grandfather remembering his youth, indulging in old journals and newspaper clippings. What he uncovered went beyond the merits of nostalgia; it was more like an ensemble of capricious friends and old acquaintances wearing party outfits, waiting to be let in at the front door, for warm drinks and interesting conversation. Among them were Saul Bellow, Ann Landers, Adlai Stevenson, and a brief cameo from Henry Darger's Vivian Girls. The gathering that followed would become the setting for the songs on The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album."
The album drops 7/11 via Asthmatic Kitty.
The Barry Bonds of football finds yet another way to make us hate him. We're talking K-Fed bad...perhaps even "Super Bowl Shuffle" bad...
Stream Terrell Owens' new "single," "I'm Back" at his official site.
Finally - some news to get our asses in gear. (photo: by Darren Hill via Paulwesterberg.com) See ya'll soon...
Just in case ya'll thought we got busted in recent Ryan Adams crackdown - nope, SS is alive and well, though considering a new line of work. Eleven years in jail for an mp3 blog? Yikes!
Nevertheless, posts will resume this evening from our new offices on foreign, blogger-friendly shores where we shall live free from tyranny and oppression.
In other Adams news, this sucks too.
Calling them 2006's answer to The Bravery is kind of silly, considering that we're already 3 or 4 generations down the line on the recent new wave/synth revival, but Every Move a Picture does bare a striking resemblance to the New York act...a little less British and a lot less Morrissey, but still in the same vein. Come to think of it, judging by the four tracks streaming on the band's MySpace page, they might be the superior act. Original? Hell no. Catchy? Damn straight.
"Signs of Life" plays like a hopped up Interpol track, crossed with that Bravery dance edge. "Outlaw" follows similar terrain but "The Best Is On The..." (damn MySpace and their short link titles) changes it up with heavy guitars a la 80's Depeche Mode, with the pop feel (and vocals) of classic Erasure.
The best track, though, might be "St John's Night." Soaring and lush, it's really just straight-ahead 80's stadium brit rock with some electro bells and whistles. It's their reach for anthemic glory, and they just about nail it. Spin it, and cue the 80's-style music interlude. Good stuff for those of us that thrive on VH1 and Hal Sparks for our rock and roll.
Every Move A Picture's as-yet-untitled debut LP is still awaiting a release date. Until then, fans can purchase the Opposition Party EP for a buck over at Insound.com.
As most of the Bruce Springsteen faithful know, 2006 was supposed to be a year for the next E Street album, following last year's solo jaunt Devils & Dust. But as they also know, Bruce has a way of changing his plans. Thus, April 25 will see We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, a collection of covers - a first for The Boss.
From the press release:
Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen's twenty-first album, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, on April 25. The album features Bruce's personal interpretations of thirteen traditional songs, all of them associated with the legendary guiding light of American folk music, Pete Seeger, for whom the album is named. Speaking of the origins of the new music, Springsteen said, "So much of my writing, particularly when I write acoustically, comes straight out of the folk tradition. Making this album was creatively liberating because I have a love of all those different roots sounds... they can conjure up a world with just a few notes and a few words."
Though this news might come as a slight disappointment, with anticipation high for a total return to the big rock sound of E Street yesteryear (only marginally on display on the brilliant, but contemplative The Rising), it will still be very interesting to see what the man does with tracks like "Old Dan Tucker" or "Jesse James."
Unlike the spare Devils, We Shall Overcome boasts a large ensemble cast of musicians, including wife Patty and Richie "La bamba" Rosenberg (of Conan O'Brien fame). For more info on the release, check out the official fansite: Backstreets.
No word yet on how this will affect any planned E Street releases.
Check out the video for Morrissey's first single off Ringleader Of The Tormentors, "You Have Killed Me," streaming here.
Don't tell us the MTV execs aren't licking their chops on this one:
Bat-eater-turned-doddering reality star Ozzy Osbourne has extended a helping hand to a still drug-addled Pete Doherty, offering to put the Babyshambles frontman up in his home to dry out.
Said Ozzy:
"I've been to the pits of hell with addiction and although it's f**king p*ssing me off to see him f**king up his life, I'd help him in a minute if he asked. Sharon was a rock to me and if he came to stay with us, she'd sort him."
Could make for some of the most entertaining dysfunction since Breaking Bonaduce. We can already hear the theme music - "Lean On Me," as re-imagined by Flavor Flav of course.
Rumors are swirling about a summer LP for Beck, which would be the artist's third in two years (following Guero and its remix companion, Guerolito).
The tracks were allegedly recorded pre-Guero, over just one week with producer Nigel Godrich. The set would be Beck tenth (!), and when you factor in the constantly rotating streams from his official site (the new cover of Nick Drake's "Parasite" is a keeper)...well, that's a lotta Beck. Guess two tables and a microphone goes a long way.
Ryan Adams, meet your new rival.
What exactly is going on with The Stills? After an album of melancholic, Joy Divison-esque synth pop, the band has returned with "In The Beginning," as the lead track off of the forthcoming second LP, Without Feathers (album art at left). It's streaming on The Stills' Myspace page, and sounds like the makings of a serious image makeover.
The peppy (?) little tune hits us with bright guitar hooks, alt-country flourishes and backing organs. It's engaging enough...not as wonderful as anything off the gorgeous Logic Will Break Your Heart, but catchy. Though it didn't depress us even a little! A departure to be sure. And another thing...look at that pic on the homepage! Is that flannel? Even Jeff Tweedy wears a blazer...
Without Feathers will be released May 9 on Vice.
So we've been giving this whole Sex Pistols Hall of Fame snub a lot of thought. Johnny Rotten knows we're all laughing it him right? Seriously? And this note might as well have been in crayon. Keep on fighting the power dude. You'll always be our monkeys. Have another chuckle below:
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs have teamed to record Under The Covers, a collection of their favorite pop and rock songs from the 1960s. The tracklist includes classics from Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and others.
Sweet, best known for his 90s alternative rock output ("Girlfriend," "Sick of Myself"), has been inching his way closer to classic pop terrain in recent years, particularly on his work with The Thorns. Out of the mainstream for some years, he's perhaps most famous now in Japan (his 2003 album, Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu, was released there exclusively).
Hoffs has maintained a similarly low profile following the demise of 80s pop queens The Bangles. The artist would marry Austin Powers director Jay Roach in 1993 (which would lead to a recurring gig as a member of the fictional shagadelic band, Ming Tea) and release two solo albums to little commercial success. Recent years have been more active, with Hoffs (who at 47 looks amazing by the way) reuniting The Bangles and releasing a new disc, Doll Revolution, in 2003.
You can stream tracks from Under The Covers, due April 18 on Shout! Factory, on the duo's MySpace page. Check out the tracklist below:
1. I See The Rain (The Marmalade)
2. And Your Bird Can Sing (The Beatles)
3. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan)
4. Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (Fairport Convention)
5. Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young And Crazy Horse)
6. Alone Again Or (Love)
7. Warmth Of The Sun (The Beach Boys)
8. Different Drum (The Stone Poneys)
9. The Kids Are Alright (The Who)
10. Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground)
11. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young And Crazy Horse)
12. Care Of Cell ..44 (The Zombies)
13. Monday Monday (The Mamas And The Papas)
14. She May Call You Up Tonight (The Left Banke)
15. Run To Me (The Bee Gees)
Funny, he looked so nice in that priest outfit...
Morrissey has revealed that he was questioned by both the FBI, and British intelligence after speaking out against both Bush and Blair. It seems the government feared he was a "threat" but quickly determined the Mozzer was a benign enough presence, and took him off the most wanted lists.
The artist has long been critical of the US government, particularly of Bush himself, calling him a "terrorist." on more than one occasion. But if anything, the incident is testament to Morrissey's renewed relevance following several years of inactivity. If Big Brother is keeping him down, that'll only make the kids like him more. Let's hope the political intrigue will lead to big sales for the upcoming Ringleader Of The Tormentors.
Hmm, I guess that does sound sort of inflammatory. Move over Osama.
Mike Patton may have largely faded from the pop culture consciousness some 15 years ago following the demise of Faith No More, but his many underground fans know, that was hardly the end. Patton would go on to take part in literally dozens of side projects, some great (Mr. Bungle), some not as great (Tomahawk), and some just plain weird (pretty much everything else). But Patton's latest venture might actually cast him back into the spotlight for the first time since he blew up a bunch fish in that "Falling to Pieces" video.
Peeping Tom is the long LONG gestating brainchild of Patton that has been called his "pop masterpiece." What Patton defines as pop should be interesting indeed.
"I don`t listen to the radio, but if I did, this is what I`d want it to sound like."
Considering the guest list (Norah Jones, Kool Keith, members of Gorillaz, Massive Attack and more), the set will likely cross a number of genres, and who knows, we might actually see a Mike Patton song on the radio again.
The characteristically ambitious project is part of an expected trio of Peeping Tom releases, the first of which is set to drop in May.
Blogged today, gone tomorrow we suppose. The much buzzed-about Test Icicles have canceled their upcoming US tour, and have no plans to record or tour again in the future. The band will honor its five UK dates in April, but then that's all she wrote folks.
SS hadn't really decided if we even liked Test Icicles yet, but the band certainly had cultivated a following during its brief existence in the blogosphere (2004-2006). For their part, here's the official statement:
"The band have just come off a European tour and are exhausted from the constant pressures of touring--subsequently they have canceled their show at the NME Awards show this Friday and US tour. The band will play their UK tour in April, but there are currently no plans to make another album or tour beyond this."
Test Icicles released its debut LP, For Screening Purposes Only, last October. Tracks for that disc are screening on the band's official site, so check em' out for old time's sake. The band will release a swan song EP later this year, via Domino.
Jack White's new diversion, The Raconteurs, continues to build up steam. The band recently announced live UK shows for March, while the debut full-length, Broken Boy Soldiers, is slated for May.
Late last month The Raconteurs released a limited edition 7" in the UK/Europe featuring "Steady, As She Goes" and "Store Bought Bones." The tracks are available for streaming on the decidedly low-tech official site, but won't be available in stores for the states until March 7.
Also in Jack White news, pitchfork reports that White's other little project, The White Stripes, have some Japanese tour dates to make up in March, so it looks like a busy month.
The new live Eels disc, With Strings Live At Town Hall is streaming at AOL Music. Available in stores today, it features 22 tracks from the With Strings tour with a bonus DVD of live footage.
If that just wet your appetite for more delicious Eely goodness, the band has all sorts of other goodies available for download or streaming at their official website, so if you haven't been there before, go nuts.
"Talkin' about chest hair. Talkin' about crazy cool medallions!"
Yup you're right, it's THAT slow tonight. But hey, your mom might care.
The gang at Hecklerspray also seem to enjoy an occasional laugh at Mr. Pete Doherty's expense. "Ten Reasons Why Pete Doherty Is Brilliant And Not Crap At All" is a hilarious account of this misunderstood, "really very clever" fella.
Our personal fav:
Peter has also been subject to much criticism from the national press for glorifying drug use. He has managed to deal with the cruel treatment by gracefully side stepping the blageratzzi and bamboozling them with a far superior intellect. He once remarked to a bumbling Sun reporter:
"He who hath befallen such cruel fate hath stood on broken streets, with the sun casting no shadow. However, pride hath bestowed the fallen angel, for he cast no stone in undisturbed water. For he who places a fruitee pastille upon such silken surface can only break thine butterfly on the wheel."
In other Doherty news, Paris Hilton has cited him among her "influences" for her upcoming CD. Contactmusic quotes:
"My main influences are The Babyshambles (sic), Keane and Madonna."
And Doherty finds yet another reason to keep shooting up.
According to The Still's official website, the band is finishing up in the studio, and has officially titled the upcoming sophomore disc, Without Feathers.
The album is set to drop this May via Vice. Also check out The Stills Space for a batch of live downloads to tide you over.
Next Tuesday marks the release of former Kinks frontman Ray Davies' first-ever solo album, Other People's Lives. The disc follows last fall's Thanksgiving Day EP, and features 13 new tracks.
Though the release will be Davies' first "official" solo release, the artist does have 1985's Return to Waterloo soundtrack, and 1998's The Storyteller, which would inspire VH1's Storytellers series.
Tracklist for Other People's Lives:
Things Are Gonna Change (The Morning After)
After The Fall
Next-Door Neighbor
All She Wrote
Creatures Of Little Faith
Run Away From Time
The Tourist
Is There Life After Breakfast?
The Getaway
Other People's Lives
Stand Up Comic
Over My Head
In case any of you folks are looking for our take on the whole Scott Stapp/Kid Rock sex tape fiasco...don't hold your breath. To be perfectly honest, we felt a little dirty even mentioning the Stapp/311 brawl a few months back.
Yes, we're no stranger to kicking a guy when he's down (Pete Doherty anyone?) but only when the fella has the musical chops to warrant it. I mean, you don't see us mocking a monkey for throwing his feces do you? That being said, here's an editorial: Scott Stapp sucks. The end.
Oh, and here's the latest Doherty news. Think of him as one of those smart monkeys. You know, the ones that know sign language and stuff.
Whether or not this still qualifies as news is debatable, but assuming a few of you still care about the new Guns 'N Roses album (the long-gestating and now near-mythic Chinese Democracy), Axl's been back in the news lately folks, and it looks like the thing might actually see the light of day. Sure, we all suspect it'll be a shitbomb, but don't tell us you're not curious.
First we had Slash citing a "very official source" for a planned March release. To our surprise, it was backed up elsewhere as the real deal. Why the former guitarist, who hasn't spoke to Axl in over ten years mind you, would be privy to such info is beyond us. But when an alleged track from Chinese Democracy, I.R.S., surfaced online, we started to wonder if our boyhood dreams (crappy though they may have been) were finally coming true.
The tune has been around for a few years, but this new studio version at the very least proves that Axl has been doing something this century. You might also remember that he spoke with Rolling Stone last month, promising an album "sometime this year." Since the guys been saying that since about 98', we paid little attention at the time...but perhaps the stars are finally aligning.
So, whether it's next month, or next winter, it looks like we might actually have some Guns 'N Roses coming our way. Looks like Axl may have been right, all we needed was just a little patience. Yeeeeeah yeah.
UPDATE: Stereogum has some mp3s if you're interested. We'd personally prefer to avoid Axl's legal team.
The Walkmen will release its third studio set, A Hundred Miles Off, on May 23rd. The disc will follow 2004's critically-acclaimed Bows and Arrows.
According to the band's half-ass website, they can next be seen with The Pogues on March 15 in Boston, and on St. Patty's Day in Times Square. And if you want some Walkmen gear, super cheap, they're a-sellin' if you're a-buyin'. Let's hope this next record really takes off...
NYC's Ambulance LTD will drop a new EP on March 14th entitled New English and the title track is currently streaming on the band's official site. It's a bouncy little acoustic-based number that proves the act certainly still has a knack for catchy hooks. Hopefully this time around they'll focus their efforts a little tighter than on their at-times-brilliant, but scattershot debut LP.
New English tracklist:
New English
Arbuckle's Swan Song
Fearless
Heavy Lifting (acoustic version)
Sugar Pill
Country Gentleman
Straight A's
This week's album charts proved one of two things: a) Album says are still totally f'd, or b) Shoveling the driveway at 6am isn't nearly as much fun as surfing, snorkeling or playing guitar.
After we dug out of 27 inches of snow in SS country, who did we find at the top of the Billboard charts this week with 163,000 copies sold? That sure-fire rock juggernaut, Jack Johnson's Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George.
Either way, Johnson's first #1 is still proof positive that a laid back dude with a guitar, flip flops and a some cool surf videos is more than enough to melt the heart of even the most jaded music snob...provided his car is under 3 feet of snow. Screw the thermostat, summer's here baby.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Show Your Bones hits stores March 27th, but the new single "Gold Lion" has been streaming on the band's official site for about a week now. At first we weren't blown away, but the track's been growing on us.
The Stereogum gang picked up a tegan and sara vibe, which is pretty fair. For her part, singer Karen O described the new disc on MySpace, as such:
"Show Your Bones is what happens when you put your finger in a light socket. Maybe there is some of that electric current flowing through the tracks of our album illuminating us from the inside out for you to laugh at and cry to or fry to. Or not.�?
You can also stream "Gold Lion" at Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Space.
It seems this news has been around for a bit, but if we didn't know, maybe you didn't either: Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is collaborating with Isaac Brock for the next Modest Mouse disc, due late this year.
Marr is also working on new tracks for his second album with his band the Healers, while the new Mouse disc will be the follow up to their massive indie breakthrough, Good News for People Who Love Bad News.
Big News!! Pete Doherty has vowed to start a "drug-free life" following a 12-month community order sentencing. Looks like our Petey is gonna be aaall right.
...Oh crap.
What exactly is going through Tom Delonge's mind with Angels and Airwaves, soon to be the greatest band in the history of planet earth? When did the guy who sang about prank calls and sodomy, start a future rock revolution? Blink 182 goes on hiatus, and this guy turns into a punk rock Bono that listens to too much Rush. Did we miss a memo?
This super group lineup (also consisting of ex-Distillers member Ryan Sinn, Atom Willard of The Offspring and David Kennedy) makes Velvet Revolver look quaint and unassuming by comparison.
They don't want to be U2 huge, or even Stones huge. Their website along might make Bono blush. In fact, the only thing we can rightfully compare their mix of sci fi-ish theatrics and ridiculously overly-sincere posturing about their own mythic status as rock gods (and this all comes without a single song yet released) is Wyld Stallyns in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Yup, if DeLonge has his way, we'll all be air-guitaring in the future to his mesmerizing licks that will align the planets and bring peace to all man kind. Is this the same guy who wrote "What's My Age Again?" and liked to run around naked in all Blink's videos?
We shouldn't be too harsh really. You've got to admire it in a strange way. In truth, Blink's final, self-titled disc was a sonic leap in terms of musicianship (which is why nobody bought it) and it was obvious that the clown princes of punk were growing up a little. The album was, yes, good. But unless this disc goes double diamond, remakes rock and roll and becomes the soundtrack of our lives, it'll be a letdown compared to DeLonge's vision.
"Be excellent to each other, and party on dudes."
Stream the "trailer" for Angels and Airwaves forthcoming disc here. That voice-over is a hoot. The first single, "The Adventurer" is due sometime in the next month. Get ready planet earth.
SS is buried underneath this winter's first real snow blast. Before cabin fever sets in and we start tunneling out to freedom, we've got some posting to do. So put on the hot chocolate, light a fire and curl up with Sonic Slang's winter wonderland edition, coming later today.
Gotta hand it to Ryan Adams. It's a rare thing to find a dude as immensely gifted as he, with obvious aspirations for rock star legend status, trying so damn hard to piss off his fans. But whether it's the self indulgent concerts, calculated genre jumping, whiny outburst or general douchebag moments...we still always loved the rascal. In fact, SS probably only trails the Adams-crazy Scenestars in hero worship...but this time he may have gone too far. It doesn't surprise us, mind you, but it's unsettling just the same.
Reports are springing up around the web about an alleged Adams/Lindsay Lohan romance in the works. Yes, 19 year old, Herbie starring, paparazzi fleeing, Oprah-like weight shifting, Britney Spears/Avril Lavigne-come lately wanna be Lindsay Lohan. Forgive us, but isn't there just something wrong here?
Now the Parker Posey thing we could understand. She an indie film star too cool to make hit movies, and he a hipster darling too cool to sell records...that made sense. But this?
"She thinks musicians are sexy and she's a fan of his music."
Can any of you really picture Lindsay Lohan sitting down and listening to an album like 29? Posey sang back up on Rock and Roll...are we headed for a Lohan guest track on the next disc? Shudder...
Ryan Ryan Ryan...let us just say this: When you put out four albums this year, we're only buying three.
Pitchfork reports that My Morning Jacket will release a collection of demos from the At Dawn sessions on May 15. A nice little bonus for the Euros following their recent cancelled shows across the pond.
Manchester's Nine Black Alps will follow up their self-titled EP from last summer with Everything Is, their proper debut due February 28th.
“[The album] is an antidote to the mass of carefully-crafted indie-rock that has crossed the Atlantic in the last 12 months – a prominent middle-finger to those tasteful, clever, well-dressed bands...�? - Nylon
Hmm, we think they look as sharp as the next bloke in that photo, but the first leak, "Cosmopolitan," does rock with a reckless abandon that's been missing lately. It's a departure from all the post-punk and new wave coming out of the UK scene and takes a more straight-ahead, driving guitar sound that really does kick some ass.
Over at their Space, you can hear of few more new tracks. "Unsatisfied" may always be a Replacements song to us, but this track has an irresistible hook of its own and "Ironside" is rock solid like a poppy Nirvana tune. It's all good stuff and definitely worth a look when Everything Is hits the States.
Stream "Cosmopolitan" here.
According to a post on Matador, Cat Power's entire US tour has been cancelled due to unspecified health reasons.
The tour was set to support the artist's (real name Chan Marshall) latest studio set, the aptly-titled, The Greatest, which has been getting some glowing reviews in the press.
No word yet on if and when a new tour will be mounted.
For what it's worth, SS really wasn't as bowled-over by The Sounds glam pop debut, Living in America, as so many of our blogger brethren were. We had all but written them off, but as Lenny on The Simpsons once said (that's two references in just over a week, for those of you counting): "That's why pencils have erasers."
With the Swedish band's second LP Dying to Say This to You due in March, the hype machine is in full swing and after a few listens to the two available tracks on The Sounds' MySpace page, I think we just might finally be on the bandwagon.
"Song With a Mission" and "Queen of Apology" still channel the 80's, but the tracks have a swagger that was absent from the first disc. The latter track in particular drives along with a groove that's got a Blondie-esque, post punk riff crashing into a big, Go Go's chorus. It's pretty addictive.
Perhaps most importantly though, lead singer Maja Ivarsson appears to have softened her often unnerving vocals (one of our main gripes about the first disc) and the whole affair has lost that vaguely annoying quality that kept us from really digging what was honestly a pretty tight batch of songs. If the rest of the album is half as good, The Sounds are poised for that oh-so-coveted SS seal of approval.
You know, it occurred to us today, we caught up on the exploits of one of our favorite rock and roll rascals from across the Atlantic..but Pete Doherty's drug-addled escapades can be such a downer. Surely the post-cocaine Justin Hawkins has something new to offer:
How about the Darkness frontman riding a giant pair of breasts?
Yup, we liked that one too. Oh, and though the band often gets compared to Queen, doesn't this just seem much more like something Kiss would do?
Finally, stream the hilarious video for the band's second single off One Way Ticket, "Is It Just Me?"
Stereogum beat us to the punch, and came through with an mp3 from Morrissey's forthcoming Ringleader of the Tormentors. Judging by "I Will See You in Far Off Places," the rumors about the disc being a heavier-sounding Mozzer appear to be true. Good stuff though. And thanks to the gum!
It's going to be a busy couple of months for Morrissey fans. In addition to the long-awaited April 4th release of his new studio set, Ringleader of the Tormentors (album art pictured, ditching the tommy gun for a violin), the Mozzer is also plotting a European tour, as well as the release of a live DVD on March 27th entitled Who Put the M in Manchester.
The DVD was culled from a live performance on May 22nd, 2004 in his hometown, and its release will coincide with the first single off of Tormentors, "You Have Killed Me."
Tormentors is the follow up to 2004's You Are the Quarry, which amounted to something of a comeback for Morrissey in the U.S. Debuting at #11 on Billboard, it was his highest selling album Stateside since 1994's Vauxhall and I. The disc was recorded in Rome and is said to be a return to a more rock-driven sound for the Pope of Mope.
As quoted on the fan site truetoyou.net:
"These songs, especially, fully release the hounds."
NME got its hands on the lineup for Coachella 2006, and SS is pleased to see the comeback kids of Depeche Mode on top as a headliner this year, joined by Tool for the April 29th festival in California.
Other notable SS favs include: Franz Ferdinand, My Morning Jacket, Sigur Ros, The Subways, Scissor Sisters, TV On The Radio, Stellastarr*, Bloc Party, Wolf Parade...wow...and it goes on like that. Tickets are running at $85 for one day and 165 bones for a weekend pass.
Jack White's side project, The Raconteurs is finally ready to show the world if it lives up to the (over?) hype. NME called the band "Detroit's answer to Nevermind." Is it typical UK bluster, or the real deal? You never know with Mr. White, so we suggest you just check it out yourself.
The band's brand-spankin' new website has some tracks to stream. Don't miss "Store Bought Bones."
OK The Simpson's bus driver/stoner Otto doesn't have much to do with this post...OK anything really. That gem just came to mind when reading this blurb from Jack White, regarding his new side project The Raconteurs.
"It's a whole new band - a dual attack with dual guitars, dual vocals and dual songwriting."
The band just opened their new Space. A "very limited" 7" is said to be coming in February. We'll keep you posted.
The five-day forecast in SS country ain't great, but it sure ain't winter either. How about we get Spring Fever going a bit earlier this year? Enter Jack Johnson to chase away those winter blues.
For anyone who bought Johnson's last disc and heard the track "Breakdown," this new collection of "Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies" for the Curious George soundtrack only seems natural. The first single, "Upside Down," can be streamed here (click on "bonus videos"). It's pretty standard Jack, but at the very least it'll help you feel better when your lock freezes before the morning commute.
What better way to dip our toes back in the waters of music news, than catching up with our old friend Pete Doherty? But don't expect any dirt from us. It's a brand new year, and at SS, the Doherty bashing is over. Besides, surely the man cleaned up his act during our month-long hiatus. Yes yes, we're sure it's the straight and narrow for old Pete. You know, church on Sundays, visits to grandma and choir practice on Tuesday...
But just for kicks, lets see what everyone else is saying...
- Doherty pleads guilty to herion possession
- Doherty give judge the finger
Ah, it's good to be back people.
Pitchfork's more mainstream-friendly competition, PopMatters, dropped their own "Best Of" list this week. At risk of having our hipster membership cards revoked, SS likes the latter's picks for "Best Album" an awful lot more. (On top of the list: The New Pornographers' brilliant Twin Cinema)
Some of the other SS-friendly choices:
#45: The Mendoza Line - "Destined to be an obscure classic"
#38: Supergrass - "Finds the band in smoked-out, nature-loving, laid back form"
#31: The White Stripes - "Challenging yet catchy, and loaded with surprising twists and turns"
#28: Editors - "Turn up the bright lights higher than any of the recent class of throwback Wavers"
#19: Sigur Ros - "A stunning mix of atmospheric guitars and haunting vocals"
#16: Wolf Parade - "Songs that are so thunderous and torrential, they're unforgettable"
#13: My Morning Jacket - "Transmit sunny atmospherics and lofty melodies through far more than just spectral country-rock"
Next year we'll get off our asses and put together our own. Promise.
Oh quit your belly-aching. SS is back...finally. Don't blame us, blame our wonderful service provider (whom shall remain nameless). Well, what's done is done, so let's catch up on the news:
- The big (if slightly stale) news: New Order (above) bring some Joy for the forthcoming Ian Curtis biopic.
- Morrissey's muse? You guessed it, a hot bath.
- The Strokes take aim at all the "Moss and Doherty" rubbish. Hey guys, anything that takes some press away from "Juicebox" has to be a good thing, no? In other news, the band will headline "One Earth."
- If anyone deserves his own license plate, after years of songs chronicling cars, highways that are alive and the redemptive power of the open road, it's Bruce Springsteen. Roll back the window and let the wind blow back your hair Jersey boys.
- Pete Doherty: And the hits keep on comin'. What the hell are we gonna write about when the dude finally kicks it?
- Death Cab for Cutie go all 50 Cent on us, to release videos for all 12 songs on Plans.
- Pitchfork release their annual "Best Of" lists. Solid picks, but guys...My Morning Jacket at #42???
- Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, on a solo acoustic tour following the recent Kicking Television live set, is still down with file sharing.
via the Orlando Sentinel:
"I don't see it as a threat because I don't feel that it's a threat to have people more interested in music. I think what's happening with file sharing is that you have a lot more people hearing a lot more music, and I think more than anything else it has engendered an enthusiasm for music."
- Franz Ferdinand already have 14 songs in the can, geared up for a quick return to the studio in early 2006. Their muse? Well Kanye West of course.
The SS Web Roundup: Cliff's Notes for the hipster on the run...
- The big news: The unholy alliance of Microsoft and MTV will launch a new music download service. Wait a sec...since when do either of these companies have anything to do with music?
- To illustrate our point, MTV is considering this for it's 2006 schedule. And this. Oh, and how could we forget this?
- Eminem's "final" (right) album debut's at #1 with over 400,000 copies moved. Not too shabby, but that's about one-quarter of what Slim moved in 2002 with The Eminem Show. Not to mention the benefit of the holiday sales bump. I guess it doesn't feel so empty without him after all...
- Mogwai return with Mr. Beast.
- Now we might actually watch Dancing with the Stars. OK not really.
- Jimmy Page is honored by the Queen, but not for getting the Led out.
- The Smith's reunite sans Morrissey.
- A documentary of the annual Coachella festival will hit theaters Jan. 24. Featured artists will include The Pixies, The Arcade Fire, The White Stripes, more.
- Speaking of Mr. Black and co., Pitchfork's got the goods on the new live, double-disc available on eMusic.
- Last but not least: The Day in Doherty: His old dealer begs him to take an HIV test and Ozzy wants to kick his ass.
Certainly in the right place at the right time, The Stills road the wave of Montreal music adulation (The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, The Dears) into some serious 2004 buzz with their Echo and the Bunnymen-inspired Logic Will Break Your Break. Yes, it's true that their sense of dark, brooding style and art-pop leanings can easily get them lumped in with Interpol or The Walkmen, but the disc was top notch and with the band soon to wrap recording on the follow-up, SS is betting on a big year in 2006.
Some found The Stills' blend of Joy Division hooks and post punk riffs to be somewhat contrived in the Strokes era. Now, perhaps almost cliche. But on Logic the songs spoke for themselves. "Changes are no Good" and "Gender Bombs" are smoother than the aforementioned Interpol, and carry a lusher, atmospheric sound that's more pop than rock. Posturing aside, they made a fantastic record that was both a victim and a benefactor to the NYC, post punk boom. In another year, Logic might have been a masterpiece. In 2004 some saw it as par for the course.
The band recently announced the tracklist for the as-yet-untitled follow-up. With the once-mighty Strokes continuing to take a beating, it's clear that listeners aren't going to be wooed by style alone in the new year. But, if The Stills manage another disc as good as Logic, they have nothing to worry about.
The tracks for the new disc are below. For those needing a refresher course, you can stream Logic in its entirety here.
Tracklist
In the Beginning | The Mountain | Oh! Shoplifter | She's Walking Out | Helicopters | In the End | Baby Blues | Monsoon | Outro | It Takes Time | Destroyer | Halo the Harpoons | The House We Live in
Bob Dylan has joined the satellite radio revolution, signing on to host his own show on XM starting in March. First he goes electric. Now this!
Though the man hardly possesses what one might call a "voice made for radio," it'll certainly be interesting to hear what he's spinning. Is Dylan hip to the new bands, or are we talking 60's folk rock every week? We shall see, but XM promises more than just music.
via Reuters:
"Dylan will offer regular commentary on music and other topics, host and interview special guests including other artists and will take emails from XM subscribers," XM said.
Sounds pretty good, but hope we don't get stuck with any Wallflowers workforce rock blocks...
The blogosphere is pumping out the rock covers of holiday standards, but where are all the Christmas originals? Don't settle for The Arcade Fire sleepwalking through "Jingle Bell Rock." SS is here to remind you all what the best Christmas song ever is:
Funny, crude, rude, uplifting, hopeless and touching all at once, "Fairytale of New York (Christmas in the Drunk Tank)" by The Pogues sums up the holiday season better than any ironic indie cover ever could. Read the lyrics here. Makes ya all warm and fuzzy huh?
According to VH1, the world agrees with us, so blast it at your party and pound em' back like you're Shane MacGowan. Sorry folks, no download, but you can stream the song at An Aquarium Drunkard for now.
*Update - The Pogues will re-release the song on Dec. 19th. That calls for another pint...
New SS look, same great Web Roundup...
- Stock up on eyeliner cause there's lots more Franz Ferdinand (above, photo by Joe Dilworth) on the way. On the heels of two Grammy nods, the band heads right back in the studio. Also worth noting, they'll play two dates open for Depeche Mode in June.
- A pretty average news weekend in Pete Doherty land: First, Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys gets his licks in. Next, Doherty's had it with those pesky bobbies and their no-crack policies. On the plus side, he won't face further action over his October arrest. But last but not least Kate Moss, hot on the post-coke comeback trail, speaks out about the relationship that "almost destroyed her life."
- We found this on Stereogum, who immediately called bullshit. We tend to agree, but it's worth a peek: Courtney Love sells Nirvana catalog to Martha Stewart. (!)
- This has been kicked around by Boss fans for years. Not gonna happen according to the man himself, but it's fun to dream.
- My Morning Jacket has canceled it's New Year's Eve gig, and a subsequent Euro tour due to lead singer Jim Jame's "health complications related to pneumonia."
- The Libertines are the subject of a new book that claims to tell "the story of Pete Doherty and Carl Barat and how they changed British culture." Hmm...less available drugs is our guess
More snow is headed for SS country, so settle in, put on some hot chocolate and read today's Web Roundup. Twice.
- Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and play paddy cake for Dave Mathshoes (above left), performing "Frere Jacque" for the 3-year-old hippie set. Best lyrics associated with DMB in years. Then, check out "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" for Saint Bono playing Simon says (above right) with the Pope, Dubya', Tony Blair and Oprah. Dude, we can TOTALLY see the Prez diggin' this.
- The Billboard charts are still depressing as all hell. NOW 20, Chris Brown and Carrie Underwood in the top three. And the apocalypse draws nearer.
- Scott Stapp explains the 311 incident. Um, OK. But please, now explain why Creed were popular. It's been keeping us up nights. BTW - "It's gonna be like when Sting left The Police." - Stapp describing his departure from Creed. That MUST be one too many blows to the head from P-Nut talking. Get a grip Scott.
- Mariah and Kanye clean up at the Grammy noms.
- R.I.P. John Lennon. Only 40 years of you, but 65 of Ringo. Life ain't fair.
- Further proof that Canadians cannot be trusted: the unholy reincarnation of INXS almost goes #1.
- A newly-sober Eminem might not mean a smarter Eminem. Slim Shady is back with Kim.
- Liam Gallagher, loses mind, starts being nice. But not to this next guy:
- Don't worry, we didn't forget him. Last but certainly not least. Pete Doherty goes shopping for hemp, but only finds more trouble.
During his Dinosaur Jr. heyday, J Mascis never really looked the part of the alternative rocker (a genre his band actually helped usher into the mainstream during the early 90's). SS always thought his aura gave off something more akin to one of the dude's in Dazed and Confused.
The stoner persona never gave way to a Phish-like hippie album, though. In fact his pre-Dinosaur days focused on an early affinity for hardcore (see his time with Deep Wound). But even in a midst of a Dinosaur Jr. reunion, it seems Mascis has finally found the time to channel his inner Cheech into an album of trippy, stoner rock. But for those expecting to see him on a bill with The Dead or DMB shouldn't get their hopes up. This isn't that kind of stoner music.
Mascis is currently moonlighting, banging the drums (!) for Witch, a dark, heavy, psychedelic outfit. Not hacky sack stoner. It's fuzzy, headphones on, late-night acid trip rock.
You can stream two of the tracks of Witch's forthcoming full-length, due March 7th on Tee Pee Records. Smoke em' if you got em'.
The first snowfall of the year in SS country is upon us. We're gonna go start packing snowballs with ice. You read today's Web Roundup.
- The XM Nation 2005 awards were announced today. Sri Lankan dancehall queen M.I.A. handily defeated the over-hyped The Arcade Fire and Bloc Party for "Most Important Indie Emerging Artist" while our boy Ryan Adams kicked ass in the "Artist Most Overlooked by Mainstream Radio" category. Don't restore your faith in humanity just yet though. The Pussycat Dolls and that "Listen to Your Heart" cover also came up winners.
- Don't hold your breath for that Smiths reunion tour.
- Call NME. Pete Doherty is getting less cool by the second.
- Peter Buck's good band (sigh), the Minus 5, will release their next disc on Feb. 7th.
- The Strokes' "Juicebox" director is unhappy about edits that caused "the video's narrative through-line to fall apart." Hmm. We just wish it was a good song.
- Just Hawkins is mouthing off again. Dude, don't you have a new album to promote?
You know, SS better get the invite to the blogtastic Pete Doherty's funeral in a couple of years. We're gonna deliver one helluva eulogy for that guy. Honestly, we owe the fella that much for days like today. On a slow news evening, we can always fall back on our bread and butter:
A Doherty news bonanza!
Thanks Pete. We owe ya one.
All the quasi-news that's fit to recklessly post, then cross yours fingers and hope is true:
As a rule, SS doesn't usually get too gaga over official releases of remix albums. Too often just a method for cashing in once more on an already stale release, we'd rather just hear some new tunes. Good for b-sides or bootleg DJ projects. Otherwise save it for the clubs.
But on the other hand...when the artist in question is the almighty Beck, and the remixers include the Beastie's Ad Rock and John King (the Dust Brothers)...well we'll make an exception for the upcoming Guerolito...just this once.
The release was pushed back to January 23rd, but you can preview some of the tracks now. Check out "Ghettochip Malfunction" (Hell Yes 8 bit Remix) for some robotronic fun.
SS is spending the week on the treadmill following our holiday gorging, but that doesn't mean there's no time for a Web Roundup:
The weathermen in SS country are calling for unseasonable temps as high as 64 degrees this week, but sadly, no rays. Well, in hopes of coaxing out a couple more days of Indian Summer, why not stream a few tracks on The Sun's MySpace page.
"Lost at Home," in particular, finds the psych pop band at their most radio-friendly and the track has been getting a lot of hype on Fuse's Daily Download. Their new disc, Blame It On the Youth is in stores now. Check out The Sun's official site here.
Boy band reunions are, in themselves, an unfortunate and embarrassing part of pop music. Let's face it, watching 35-year-old men with beer bellies and receding hairlines prance around, lip-syncing to dated songs they usually never even wrote...well it's enough to make one long for the days when Backstreet were actually boys and the New Kids were new.
Lately though, boy bands are not only coming back together, reminding us all how bad our taste in music was at 14, but they are doing so without their most compelling characters.
First there was the New Edition reunion sans Bobby Brown. Sure, his music career fizzled after Ghostbusters II, but as well all know, he's one crazy bastard and a hell of a performer. Did Johnny Gill really think he was the one putting the asses in the seats?
Now, Take That have made the ridiculous announcement of their own reunion, without UK golden child Robbie Williams.
To their credit, at least they aren't pretending he's not welcome. The BBC reports:
Owen added: "The door is always open for Rob. If ever he's bored one day and we're on the road and he wants to come and sing a song, we're always ready to do that."
Don't hold your breath though.
Williams left hit choreographed roots behind in the 1990's and after some floundering around as the town drunk, went on to build a remarkably successful career in virtually every country but the U.S. Not unlike Justin Timberlake, he would find a modicum of critical respectability with his solo efforts, and we certainly don't blame him for skipping out on Take That Redux...but are people really buying into this?
Perhaps SS is just a little out of touch here in the U.S. and every British gal's inner teenage girl will still go gaga. But we're really gonna panic when Menudo come back without Ricky Martin. What then? Kriss without Kross?? Scary without Sporty?? Whoa, we better lay down.
OK, between hyping the new album and chronicling Justin Hawkin's antics, we've been giving The Darkness plenty of press in the lead up to the band's 2nd disc, One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back! Well, the time has come to back up all the smack talk they (well, most Justin) have dished out, and justify this mild obsession with our favorite guilty pleasure.
This album drops next Tuesday (11/29) but you can stream the whole thing now at their MySpace page.
The title track now opens with a ridiculous minute-long intro that sounds lifted from The Karate Kid, the second ("Knockers") has an opening riff like a bad Blondie tune and the third ("Is it Just Me?") starts off equally tepid. But thankfully, they all end up gleefully rocking out like Queen on steroids combined with Boston on their best day.
Hopefully the rest of the disc keeps it up. Stream it yourself and let us know what you think. Kick ass, or sophomore slump?
UPDATE: This is why we love The Darkness. From a press release concerning their Christmas 03' single, "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)":
"What have we got that other bands haven't got? Balls. No scrotum. Just balls."
You can still stream that holiday treat at their official site.
Completing his hat trick of low-key releases in 2005, Ryan Adams seems to have gotten the media off his back for the posturing of Rock and Roll once and for all (though we still love it Ryan). He drops 29 next month, but thanks to the Adams-obsessed Scenestars.net, you can stream the whole thing now.
"Night Birds," in particular, is a gorgeous ballad. No rockers here, but the man certainly seems to have found his groove.
One Web Roundup a day keeps Nickleback fans away.
Pitchfork ran a review today of Tangiers' new disc, The Family Myth, that was pretty on the money, by SS's standards. Usually pegged as the Canadian The Walkman or The Strokes, Tangiers has carved its own sound on their latest, a pleasant little pop mod album with some remaining garage rock leanings. No obvious singles jump out this time around, but of course, getting away from The Strokes is usually good business these days.
You can stream "100 Million Feathers Weight" here.
Tomorrow, November 22nd, will mark the 8-year anniversary of former INXS frontman Micheal Hutchence's death. Coincidentally (or perhaps not so), this will be one week before the release of the band's "comeback" album Switch with new leader singer (and Hutchence sound-alike) JD Fortune. If the lead single, "Pretty Vegas," is any indication of the future of INXS, Hutchence might just be better off hanging with Jim Morrison and Tupac.
Disappointing for 80's-lovers though it may be, it's not like we all didn't assume it would be a train wreck. Unlike other 80's acts that are currently en vogue, INXS's pop sound hasn't aged well. And of course, using a reality show to find a new lead singer (Rock Star INXS) reeked of a desperate attempt by a band far past its expiration date to make itself relevant again. The true reality is, INXS was likely already over in 1997 when Hutchence passed, and he took the band's charisma with him.
Even non-fans of the band's 80's guitar pop sound could not deny Hutchence's magnetism and stage presence. Unlike other bands that successfully maneuvered the frontman switch (Van Halen, AC/DC), INXS really has no other standout personalities to lean on if this Fortune character turns out to be a stiff (and it looks like he might). Hutchence was INXS.
If it all does somehow work out, credit the band's timing. 2005 might have been the perfect time for a mainstream comeback. Then again, that assumes they had elected to recapture the retro-guitar sound of their heyday ("New Sensation," "Need you Tonight" or "Mystify"). Instead we get "Pretty Vegas," a bland track than channels current mainstream country rock. Hank Williams III could sing it at the beginning of Monday Night Football and it would fit in nicely in a Toyota commercial.
All this being said, the track is charting pretty high overseas. If you haven't heard it, stream it at MySpace. Let us know what you think. Any hope, or call it a career?
After the major letdown of MTVu, hope for awards that recognize quality independent music springs eternal. First there was The New Pantheon, now we have the PLUG Independent Music Awards.
Created in 2001, PLUG is:
"A collection of music lovers - writers, DJs, webmasters, bloggers, artists, filmmakers, managers, indie retailers, and most importantly fans - who gather together each year to celebrate the artists who live and flourish in the margins."
Last year's winners included: Interpol, Arcade Fire, Tom Waits and TV on the Radio. Promising results, and this year it gets even better: PLUG is letting everyone in on the voting. Cast your ballot here.
Oh, and there's a category for Music Website of the Year as well, with nominees including Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, Pitchfork and others. Let's start the 2007 Sonic Slang campaign now! Buttons and flyers available on request.
Perhaps we should start a separate site to cover these two and their shenanigans...
This 25 degree temperature drop might mean winter is finally here, but fear not! SS busted out the Freezy Freakies (so excuse the typos) and churned out another edition of Web Roundup. Enjoy.
OK, we know The Roots might not be as instantly likable as many of their peers in the rap game, but Homegrown! The Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Roots Vol 1 and 2 reminds SS that patience can be a virtue in hip hop too. Their experimentation sometimes puts casual listeners off, but the boys from Philly still produce one of the most ambitious (and when they feel like it, most infectious) sounds to ever make it out of the underground.
One might get the feeling that The Roots can bang out chart-worthy rhymes whenever the mood strikes them (case in point: "The Seed 2.0" or "I Don't Care"). But that would simply be too easy. From the seminal jazz-fusion of Things Call Apart, to the hugely ambitious and harder-hitting Phrenology, The Roots made a name for themselves as a Tribe Called Quest-like act that simply had to be experienced live. Always the critical darling, The Roots deserve every accolade, and in a just world they would see 50 Cent-like sales. Don't bet on it, but fans of "thinking man's rap" can do no better.
Homegrown! hit the racks on Nov. 15th and combines all the hits, with new remixes, rarities and never-released tracks. Look for their Def Jam debut in 2006.
Former glam rock icon and Kramer hair aficionado Gary Glitter is on the run in Vietnam, facing charges of sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old girl.
The AP reports:
Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said officials have confirmed that Glitter, 61, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, was residing in a home in southern Vung Tau city and had applied for permanent resident status in Vietnam.
Glitter, known in the U.S. primarily for "Rock and Roll Part 2," took up residence in Vietnam only after a 1999 bust in Britain for child pornography, and being expelled from Cambodia in 2002 for undisclosed reasons. Glitter might have picked the wrong new home it seems, as sex abuse crimes in Vietnam are punishable by death.
If SS had its way, we'd send him away simply for this: "Gary Glitter's Worldwide Glorious Glam and Glittering Website." Yikes.
Another addition of news we like. Like this. Enjoy.
This week marks the launch of Warner Music Group's new "e-label," Cordless Recordings. The hook is, instead of releasing a full album every two or three years for their artists, the company will make online "clusters" of songs available every few months for fans to purchase off of legal download services or wireless devices. From the looks of it, record execs are finally catching on to the fact that it's not the record industry that's struggling, but the format.
MTV.com reports:
"With the Internet, we can deconstruct the old models of albums, which are wonderful, but who said they have to be 13-14 tracks?" said label co-founder Jac Holzman, a music-biz veteran who's worked with such artists as the Doors, Iggy Pop, Carly Simon and Queen during his 55-year career.
The plan is for Cordless bands to release clusters several times a year, so that fans get a near continuous stream of new music from them. But Cordless President Jason Fiber said fans aren't the only ones who'll benefit. In a rare twist for today's modern music biz, Cordless artists will keep the rights to their master recordings, and if their song or cluster takes off, they have the option to be bumped up to Atlantic or Warner Bros. to record a more traditional album.
It certainly seems like they're on to something here. Hell, if SS had its way, we'd all go back to vinyl. But facts are facts: In this post-iPod age, the album as a format is hopelessly outdated, and no amount of "event" releases or artist promotion is going to change that. According to the latest Billboard chart, album sales in 2005 are lagging behind the already anemic sales of '04 by 10 percent. Even a high-profile release by chart kingpin 50 Cent could only muster 317,000 copies, peanuts by his standards.
Certainly the concept should prove beneficial for the consumer. Instead of purchasing an entire album, later finding only two or three tracks worth listening to, Cordless Recordings will, in theory, eliminate buyer risk. In addition, the move would seem to remove pressure for a new artist to deliver big sales from the get-go.
In theory it's a win-win. Of course traditionalists will mourn the loss of the album, but as MTV points out, it wasn't long ago when bands like The Beatles made their names solely on the singles. Give us your thoughts folks. A great idea, or musical blasphemy?
SS was doing some design work today (hence, the new border hotness) but we're back tonight to get you up to speed.
Bruce Springsteen's landmark album, Born to Run, has hit the big 3-0. Viewed by many critics as one of the finest rock albums ever released, today (Nov. 15) it gets the royal treatment with the release of the Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition box set. With remastered tracks and two exclusive DVDs, fanatics will gobble it up. But even if you're relatively unfamiliar with Springsteen beyond his MTV, Born in the U.S.A. heyday, SS urges you to check it out and perhaps discover the magic that transformed a shaggy-haired Dylan-come-lately into the rock voice of a generation.
In addition to the newly remastered (and gorgeous) tracks such as "Thunder Road," "Jungleland" and of course the title track, the package contains: Hammersmith Odeon, London '75, a film of that legendary concert, Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run and a 48-page book of unpublished photos.
1975 saw a young Springsteen finally bust through the gate after the failed commercial promise of his first two brilliant releases, Greetings from Asbury Park, and The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle. Moving away from the "New Dylan" image thrust upon him by his label, Born to Run is a rock epic in every sense of the word, and sees the artist pull off the near impossible feat of meeting his own grandiose expectations of crafting an instant rock masterpiece. Springsteen wanted to write "the greatest rock album of all-time," and by many accounts, he did it.
Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 tracks include: "Spirit in the Night," "Rosalita," "Kitty's Back," "Born to Run," "The E Street Shuffle" and others.
Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run includes interviews with: Springsteen, all the E Street-ers including Clarence Clemons, Roy Bittan and Nils Lofgren, and long-time producer Jon Landau.
Pitchfork published one of their most inspired "Best of/Worst of" lists with "The Worst Record Covers of All Time." Though we do take issue with some of the choices, as they clearly fall within the realm of "so bad it's good," one can't argue with these two artistic atrocities: Elvis Costello's Spike, and the Brothers Johnson's Light up the Night. The former belongs in Mad Magazine, and the latter well...boys, you've already got the name. Just let the phallic metaphor go already.
We must say though, Pitchfork should pay closer attention to the quality of the artist when making selections. For example, REO Speedwagon made the list. Duh. You don't serve a Big Mac on fine china, do you?
So go check out the list yourself. Think the Pitchfork gang left anything out? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Start the week off right with another SS roundup, guaranteed to keep your mind off the workday.
The new label's first release plays it safe
OK, we'll admit it. At SS we're just as addicted to the guilty pleasures of MySpace as the next guy. We link them often in our posts, recently put up our own page and readily concede that MySpace Music is undoubtedly the best resource available to the public for discovering new tunes. So, when it was announced that the company would start a record label, our hopes were high. Sadly, running down the tracklist for their first release, a compilation entitled MySpace Records Vol 1, we can only pine for what might have been.
Heavy on familiar emo and pop-punk hits, MySpace clearly missed a golden opportunity to give lesser-known (but wildly-popular in the MySpace universe) artists their moment in the sun.
Contributors include: AFI, Fallout Boy, Dashboard Confessional, Weezer and The Click Five. Yawn. You know, it'll probably chart really well, but let's be honest, what we've got here is nothing more than a Now That's What I Call Music! for the emo set. It's a shame really, considering the wealth of material at the MySpace folk's fingertips. The official page, with a full tracklist, can be found here.
It is only their first release. Perhaps going with more established acts was a good move, financially speaking. And if the disc takes off, maybe we can look forward to some more original, compelling releases in the future. But for now, keep tuning into Sonic Slang for links to the best that Myspace has to offer, not just the most marketable.
News we care about, so you should too
"Pool party music for the dispossessed"
That's one of the tag lines for Tarzana, the latest SS discovery made while trolling the MySpace music pages in the wee hours. We're not sure what it means exactly, but we liked it just the same.
When a band cites their influences as, among many: Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Bread, The Cars and The Carpenters, while sounding like "John Carpenter's soundtrack to Escape from New York and Halloween 3"...well that's just beggin' to get a listen.
"Soft rock hand clap anthems for the spiritually enlightened."
We liked that one too, and it does a bit better job of helping you wrap your mind around the sound.
Yes, I guess Tarzana does have a late-70's disco, soft rock element, some synth flourishes, some stuttering guitar work, 80's pop influences, and yes there are hand claps a plenty...but that still doesn't quite nail it. We suggest you just go listen. It's a rare thing to find a band that stakes anything remotely resembling an original sound while existing anywheres near the realm of "synth" these days, so for that they must be cherished. Plus we like the Tron pictures.
Stream some tracks, especially "Bad Reaction," and let us know what you think.
Artists include Bright Eyes, Criteria, Ben Davis and others
Not many details yet, but word is that Lovitt Records and Saddle Creek will be releasing a joint compilation in the near future. We've got cover art and track list for ya, and we'll post up a release date when we track one down. Looks promising so far...
The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins took matters into his own hands for combating the pirating of the band's forthcoming disc One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back: He simply bought the bootleg himself.
It seems that one of the discs circulated to the press (where's our copy Justin??) ended up on Ebay with an asking price of 350 pounds (we'll let you do the math).
The spandex-clad Hawkins won't stop there either. He plans retribution, telling the BBC:
In other Hawkins news, he thinks Chris Martin of Coldplay sucks.
Maybe we can get an Oasis-style band rivalry going here. Justin, did you hear what Chris Martin said about your teeth?
A few of the nominees, in no particular order, for the inagural XM Nation Awards:
Bloc PartyAnd a few of the nominees, again in no particular order, for this year's Radio Music Awards:
Wow.
Howard Stern, we take everything back we ever said about ya. Tomorrow, SS is off to Radio Shack for a satellite radio.
50 Cent's film debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin' opens in theaters today. It will be interesting to see whether a success (a solid opening weekend gross is a virtual lock) gives 50 the cross-over, heartland appeal bestowed on Eminem after his star turn in 8 Mile, and if so, how that affects his credibility among the hard-core fans. Or on the other hand, do we have another Cool as Ice on our hands?
The reviews are in, and signs are pointing...well, somewhere in the middle. Predictably, much has been made of 50's "softer side," but Slim Shady-like praise looks unlikely. As Todd McCarthy at Variety puts it:
The Onion's Nathan Rabin goes even further saying:
So far, there haven't been many all-out burns from the press, save this review from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which deems it a "disaster on all levels."
Eh. Robert Van Winkle still would have killed for that kind of press.
A few news nuggets to help get ya through the rest of the day:
PS - Did you become our friend on MySpace yet? If not, you should.
It's Monday morning, so time for a recap of the web weekend that was:
What began as a little site for wasting time at work by surfing for hot girls in your zip code, has grown into a thriving web community with 36 million registered users, corporate sponsorship and a rapidly growing music component with thousands of artist profiles.
Now, get ready for MySpace Records.
From the AP:
"We have marketing power reach at our fingertips," MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe said Thursday.
He said the relationship with News Corp. could get bands it signs into movies developed by 20th Century Fox and on television shows on the Fox network.
"MySpace Records: Volume I" goes on sale Nov. 15 at major retail locations.
Poor Friendster.
MySpace also has plans for a satellite radio station within the next six months, and possibly even a film imprint to follow, the AP reported.
Here's a link to the label's first signed artist, Hollywood Undead (pictured above). "The Natives" sounds like a mash-up of Linkin Park and Death Cab for Cutie.
With the announcement of MTVu's Woodie winners, recognizing the best in college music as chosen by the fans, SS is having 04' election flashbacks...
Some of the winners:
And the list goes on...
When did college radio and TRL become intertwined? Artists like Common, The Arcade Fire and Beck were shut out, despite heaps of critical support and what seemed like a fan-base largely comprised of college-aged listeners. Let's face facts, when college radio, once a beacon for rockin' outside of the box, gives way to middle of the road pop and emo (Green Day's great album not withstanding), something is amiss.
Today's Woodie for My Chemical Romance is tomorrow's Grammy for Norah Jones. Motion City Soundtrack, fun though they may be, begets Maroon 5. Neither deserves "best-of" recognition. Kids, take back your rightful place as America's rock snobs while you can. Billy Joel middle-age isn't that far off.
You have been warned. Unlike the 04' elections, bland music has no two-term limit.
Morrissey's next album will be titled Ringleader of the Tormentors, and will be released around March 20th with a tour to follow, according to a report out of Manchester.
After a comeback in 04' with You are the Quarry and a subsequent blockbuster tour, Ringleader represents an uncharacteristically quick turnaround for the Mozzer. Time will tell if he can keep up the pace.
OK boys and girls, here's another batch of musical goodies for your reading enjoyment. SS is off the rest of tonight to nurse our candy hangovers after some post-Halloween binging.
~ Due to those damned Hurricanes again, Depeche Mode has postponed the Florida launch of their world tour in support of Playing the Angel. Opening night has moved to Nov. 3rd in St. Petersberg.
~ A dismal week at records stores results in Destiny's Child's new greatest hits package landing on top with an anemic 113,000 copies, a number that would have barely cracked the top 10 in years past.
~ Sfweekly ran an interesting piece concerning the rise, fall and possible rise again (via a certain fruit-themed gadget) of music videos. Check out the blurbs about two of our favorites, Arcade Fire and The Fiery Furnaces.
~ One of the giants in the indie rock review world, Splendid, will close up shop at the end of the year. The word is, they may return in another form next year. Let's hope so. Splendid, you shall be missed.
~ Cracker is prepping a new album, set to drop next April. The disc will be the follow up to "Countrysides," released in 2003.
Kate Bush has vowed to never tour again, saying she lacks the confidence for a live show, according to news today out of the UK.
Bush will release her first album of new material in 12 years next Tuesday, Aerial, and has even hinted at the possibility of two (!) more albums next year. But a live show is out of the question, saying she's "in a different space now."
Hey cheer up kids! At least we'll always have Alice Cooper and his "Dylan-esque" catalog.
It seems, you can touch this after all.
The music publishing and copyright assets of M.C. Hammer have been put up for sale, some nine years after the genie pants-clad rapper filed for bankruptcy. Included in the sale will be a 50% interest in "U Can't Touch This," and a 90% interest in "Too Legit to Quit."
Bids are due by the end of February so save your pennies. That Adams Family song can't be going for much more than $89.95...
Hey, speaking of Hammer, why not spice up that next employee retreat with a private concert? Hammertime indeed.
Love em' or hate em', Pitchforkmedia runs the indie show. Obsessing over the stuff long before that Death Cab for Cutie album was a gleam in some OC watching teenager's eye, the website has grown to become a giant in the Internet music world, influencing thousands of record buyers looking to toss out their Third Eye Blind CDs and impress the cool kids.
Sure the reviews border on the pretentious. Sure that grading system is ridiculous. But if a mention on Pitchfork can get a band like Arcade Fire or Wolf Parade (pictured) deservedly thrust into the limelight, then it can't be all bad.
Believe it or not kids, Pitchfork turns 10 at the end of the year, and in typical self-galvanizing style, they're throwing a party on New Year's Eve to celebrate. The aforementioned Wolf Parade, Books and a pack of other performers who largely owe their rent money to the site's promotion, will perform.
Even if you're a hater, it could be a sweet way to ring in the new year. But leave that Nickleback CD in your car.
Some tasty music morsels to tide you all over until trick-or-treating on Monday:
Brad Nowell's camp is giving Tupac a serious run for his posthumous money.
In Shakur's defense, he did leave behind a massive back catalog that only recently took a serious dip in quality, relying on mediocre remixes by flavor-of-the-month producers. In the case of Sublime, there wasn't exactly the same body of work to draw from. Following the phenomenon of 1996's Sublime and the subsequent death of Nowell, the group's founder, we quickly saw:
Pitchforkmedia is reporting that Ryan Adams will release, as promised, his third disc of 2005 on December 20th. Calling it 29, it sounds like an introspective disc featuring mostly Adams, guitar and piano.
Those hoping (there must be a couple of you) for a Rock and Roll part II, or more likely, another Gold will have to wait it seems. But hey, he's got a whole 11 days to play with after this disc drops. Keep your fingers crossed...
Whiskey-filled nights spent lamenting lost loves give way to mild-mannered afternoons of bishops taking queens.
NME.com ran an amusing little blurb that quotes Ryan Adams as saying he, along with NYC pals The Strokes, has taken to the decidedly un-rock star hobby of chess playing during downtime.
Taken from NME.com: "Chess has become a pretty rockin' deal for the (Adams' backing band) Cardinals," Adams told Rolling Stone. "And I think Nikolai (Fraiture) from The Strokes is pretty damn good. I actually asked him for some tips the other day."
For a guy that's trying to release three albums in one year, perhaps a less mentally-taxing activity like, I don't know, Chutes and Ladders is a better idea. Hell, judging by "Juicebox," it's already knocked The Strokes for a loop.
Outside of the NJ-area most may have forgotten their name (even many inside it I suppose), but there was a time when Dramarama were posed on the cusp of a major commercial breakthrough. Their song 'Anything Anything (I'll Give You)" was once cited as the most requested song of all time by L.A.'s KROQ-FM (a giant in alternative radio), and the band had a Replacement's-esque power-pop vibe to them that made them critical darlings to boot. Sadly, just like The Replacements, it never happened, and lead singer John Easdale, while continuing to tour and release material sporadically, slid much further than even Paul Westerberg into cultural irrelevance.
Well folks, despite it all, Dramarama have risen again with a CD of all new material called Everybody Dies. It's the first official release under the Dramarama name since 1993's Hi-Fi Sci-Fi and though it still likely won't propel the band to the heights they once seemed destined for, it's still a big deal for fans of good ole' fashioned Jersey rock and roll.
I can't track down any mp3s yet, but the band will be performing this Friday night at the Starland Ballroom, and yours truly will be there to relive the magic. For ticket info, head over here.
The enigmatic, celibate and ever-weird Rivers Cuomo is headed back to Harvard once again to finish up that long-overdue English degree, started back in 1995.
In an interview with AOL Music, Cuomo said he expects to graduate in May and, get this, live in the dorms for his final semester. No word yet on how this will affect Weezer, who are winding down their fall tour with Foo Fighters in support of Make Believe.
In other Weezer news, their latest single, "Perfect Situation," will feature 24's Elisha Cuthbert as the band's fictional lead singer. Not as cool as that Muppets video from Maladriot, but certainly good to look at.
