Mario Speedwagon’s Under The Radar News Round Up: Anti-Pop Consortium Reunite for New LP and Tour, Snoop Dogg Changes Name to “Niggarachi,” Bowerbirds Tour Europe and the U.S., Richard Buckner Goes on Tour
By Mario Speedwagon on 09-04-2009
Happy holiday weekend, TMTers!
- Anti-Pop Consortium have reunited and will release their fourth album, Fluorescent Black, on October 13 via Big Dada Recordings. In 2002, Beans, M. Sayyid, Earl Blaze, and High Priest shut it down to pursue other projects. Their last record was 2003’s Anti-Pop vs. Matthew Shipp (TMT Review). They will also head out on a mini-tour in October, starting in Cleveland, OH on October 1 and ending in Richmond, VA on October 13. Before that you can catch them at All Tomorrow’s Parties in Monticello, NY on September 12 or at their CD release show on September 29 at Santos. Check out their MySpace for more details.
- Snoop Dogg has changed his name to “Niggarachi” for his upcoming compilation album, Bacc To Tha Chuuch Vol, 1. Do what you will with that information.
- Bowerbirds are heading out on a big-ass tour this fall in support of their latest record, Upper Air (TMT Review). The U.K. leg of their tour kicks off in Aarhus, Denmark on October 10 and ends on November 1 in Manchester, U.K. The band then comes back to the U.S. and embarks on an East Coast tour from November 5 in Durham, NC until December 4 in New York City. A full list of dates and additional details can be found on their website.
- Richard Buckner will be hitting the road this fall. His tour kicks off in Bloomington, IN at The Bishop and ends October 3 in Hickory, NC at Fanjoy-Labrenz Gallery. Earlier this year, Merge reissued three out-of-print Richard Buckner records as digital downloads: Bloomed (1994), The Hill (2000), and Impasse (2002). Check out the Merge Records site for more details and tourdates.
Gift of Gab to Release His Second Outer-Space-Expedition-Themed Rap Album
By Nat Towsen on 09-04-2009
Gift of Gab, best known as the MC in the duo Blackalicious, is set to release his first solo album in five years, which is rather infrequent for someone who calls himself Gift of Gab... I'm just saying. Escape 2 Mars, the follow-up to 2004's 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up, is mostly produced by DNAEBEATS, with a few songs by Hednodic of The Mighty Underdogs, plus guest spots from Del The Funky Homosapien and Brother Ali.
The space-travel theme is apparently a device in delivering Mr. Gab's message about saving our own planet, warning that we might someday have to leave it behind for Mars. The environmental-protection/harbinger-of-space-colonization message is strong to both activists and players of Starcraft alike. Luckily, these two demographics make up 83% of Gab's fanbase, and record sales are expected to be illustrious.
Escape 2 Mars comes out on CD, vinyl, and digital download October 27, which is my birthday. I assume it is meant to be a gift for me, and I appreciate the sentiment. I guess it is pretty cool, but if they really knew me they'd know what I really want for my birthday is a new Joanna Newsom album.
Escape 2 Mars tracklisting:
1. E2MTRO
2. El Gifto Magnifico
3. Lightyears
4. Dreamin' (feat. Del The Funky Homosapien & Brother Ali)
5. In Las Vegas
6. Escape 2 Mars
7. Electric Waterfalls
8. Richman, Poorman
9. Someofthepeople
10. Spotlight
11. Rhyme Travel
12. Dreamin' (Aqua Sawtooth Remix) *
* Bonus for vinyl version only
Oh, also, he's going to go on tour in the fall and the winter and the spring. Just a few dates so far:
09.03.09 - Austin, TX - Aces Lounge
09.04.09 - Mobile, AL - Alabama Music Box
09.05.09 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
09.11.09 - Horseshoe, NC - Deerfields Music Park (Trinumeral Festival)
Your Weekly Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü) Update Harticle: Grant Hart to Release New Album
By Kid Midnight on 09-04-2009
When I worked at the self-proclaimed “Last Authentic Music Store” in Minneapolis, Grant Hart, former drummer and co-songwriter of Hüsker Dü, would always come in and dig around in the old VHS cassettes until he found some awesome Boris Karloff or other classic horror movie. We would then talk at the counter for a while about surf guitar and other such awesome stuff.
A common subject was Bob Mould, who was releasing a new album about every six months back then, and Grant would always say, “So, Bob put out another record,” and then ask if it was good. They were good, so I replied in the affirmative. However, I was always building up the courage to ask, “Hey Grant, when are you going to put out a new album? Because I love Intolerance, and I totally thought that Nova Mob was dope, and I would love to hear more stuff by you.” But I never asked; I never wanted to pry.
Apparently Grant was listening in on my thoughts, because he's going to be putting out a new album! Said new album, Hot Wax, is set to be released by Con D’or/MVD Audio October 6 and will be available on both CD and vinyl. It will also be Grant’s sixth solo release, though his first since 1999’s Good News for Modern Man.
Besides Hart’s multiple musical talents -- and stunning hair -- the album will feature appearances by musicians from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, and Rank Strangers, and was recorded in both Minneapolis and Montreal. When queried about the album, Grant replied with a descriptive response: “The song 'Narcissus, Narcissus' is my first attempt at combining ancient Greek mythology and American rock-a-billy. By merging those influences with an ice cream truck atmosphere I think I have found a style that defines this period of my career.” I have no idea what that song sounds like, but now I don’t think I've ever been more interested in hearing it.
Hart continues: “‘You're the Reflection of the Moon on the Water' is one of the most organic rock-and-roll songs that I have ever written. Its style owes a lot to my devotion for Patti Smith. It was inspired by a comment made by a monk during the selection process to find the next Panchen Lhama, who said of one candidate, ‘He is the reflection of the moon on the water but he is not the moon.’"
Awesome.
“Ground-Breaking Indie Rock Quartet” Pixies to Bring Doolittle Tour to Australia, Effectively Making Mo’ Money, Creating Mo’ Problems?
By Nobodaddy on 09-04-2009
What the HELL, Stephen Malkmus? Have you been READING this shit, Spiral Stairs?? What are you DOING shilling for the Gordon-Moores, Mark Ibold??? Knock off all of these cutesy side-projects, and lets get the Reunion Train a-movin,’ huh?
Just, look, hear me out for a second. Look at what Frank and Kim and those guys in The Pixies are doing! Do they get along? No. But they’re out there anyway, maxing out the 20th Anniversary shlock-hype of 1989’s “acclaimed,” “venerated,” “groundbreaking,” “blah-blah-blah” Doolittle for all us half-assed Fight Club fans day-in and day-out. Heck, currently they are even expanding that tour (the whole shoddy gist of which is little more than them blowing through the complete tracklist to Doolittle and playing the accompanying B-sides from that era) to include five stops in Australia next spring. Those tickets go on sale on September 18, with an undoubtedly mad pre-sale bonanza commencing on September 16! Good times, familiar tunage, aging hipsters with babies at home... sounds awesome, right?
And meanwhile, while The Pixies continue to trompe le monde with bags-o-cash under their arms, what is Pavement doing?? Not a damn thing, as far as I can see! I mean, really, what... the... hell? You’ve got a stellar sophomore album of your own worth cashing in on -- er, “commemorating.” The fans? Oh, we don’t even care why you do it, man. We just wanna hear “Cut Your Hair” with the all-original lineup and think about cruising around in our big brother’s Oldsmobile again. Is that too much to ask? Don’t let The Pixies hog all of the alterna-boom reunion glory. You’re better than that. You’re not really gonna make us wait until 2014, are you, Stephen?
Pixies Doolittle Tour:
03.14.10 – Sydney, AU - Hordern Pavilion
03.18.10 – Brisbane, AU - Brisbane Convention Centre
03.20.10 – Melbourne, AU - Festival Hall
03.24.10 – Adelaide, AU - Thebarton Theatre
03.27.10 – Perth, AU - Belvoir Amphitheatre
Previously reported Doolittle dates:
09.30.09 - Dublin, Ireland - Olympia
10.01.09 - Dublin, Ireland - Olympia
10.02.09 - Dublin, Ireland - Olympia
10.04.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - SECC
10.06.09 - London, England - Brixton Academy
10.07.09 - London, England - Brixton Academy
10.08.09 - London, England - Brixton Academy
10.09.09 - London, England - Brixton Academy
10.11.09 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderhalle
10.13.09 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall
10.14.09 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest National
10.15.09 - Paris, France - Zenith
10.16.09 - Paris, France - Zenith
11.04.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Palladium
11.08.09 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
11.09.09 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
11.12.09 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
11.13.09 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
11.14.09 - Eugene, OR - Hult Center
11.16.09 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore
11.20.09 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
11.21.09 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
11.23.09 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
11.24.09 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
11.25.09 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
11.27.09 - Boston, MA - Wang Center
11.30.09 - Washington, D.C. - Constitution Hall
