Rhino to Release 63-Song Party, People! Factory Records Digital Compilation Is Industrial Strength
By David Nadelle on 06-30-2009

In 1980, Factory Records released The Durutti Column's The Return of the Durutti Column album in the now infamous Guy Debord-inspired sandpaper record sleeve. Although that is an awesome and inspired situationist packaging notion -- protecting the record from and destroying other records around it -- there will be no problems with sleeve chafing when Rhino Records releases Factory Records: Communications 1978-92 on July 7 because it is a digital compilation. We should clarify; July 7 is the issue date for "other" DSPs, but the collection is already available now, exclusively on the mighty iTunes. While Factory Records: Communications 1978-92 has already seen the light of day as a concrete, handable, audio format (um, a CD box set), this is the first time many of these tracks have been available in digital download form, if that is any sort of consumer lure.
Anyway, with a song list as good as is printed below, we won't begrudge Rhino for taking the opportunity to give the people what they might not think they want, but what they most certainly need. Alongside the big-time names (Joy Division, New Order, James, Happy Mondays) are equally crucial works by a number of acts whose post-rock cachet grows every year (Crispy Ambulance, Section 25, Stockholm Monsters, and the aforementioned Durutti Column). The set comes with a digital booklet with liner notes by former NME journalist Paul Morley and a track-by-track analysis by Factory Records historian James Nice.
Use Hearing Protection:
1. Joy Division - "Digital"
2. Cabaret Voltaire - "Baeder Meinhof"
3. Joy Division - "Glass" (2007 Remastered)*
4. OMD - "Electricity" (Remastered Original 7" version)*
5. Joy Division - "She's Lost Control"
6. The Distractions - "Time Goes By Slowly"*
7. Joy Division - "Transmission"
8. The Durutti Column - "Sketch For Summer"*
9. X-O-Dus - "English Black Boys"*
10. Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
11. Section 25 - "Girls Don't Count"
12. Crawling Chaos - "Sex Machine"
13. Joy Division - "As You Said"*
14. The Names - "Night Shift"
15. New Order - "Ceremony" (Original Version)
16. Minny Pops - "Dolphin's Spurt"
17. John Dowie - "It's Hard To Be An Egg"*
18. Crispy Ambulance - "Deaf"
19. Section 25 - "Dirty Disco"
20. New Order - "Everything's Gone Green"*
21. Tunnelvision - "Watching The Hydroplanes"
22. The Durutti Column - "Messidor"*
23. Royal Family And The Poor - "Art On 45"
24. Swamp Children - "Taste What's Rhythm"
25. New Order - "Temptation"
26. 52nd Street - "Cool As Ice"
27. New Order - "Blue Monday"
28. Cabaret Voltaire - "Yashar" (John Robie Remix)*
29. Quando Quango - "Love Tempo"
30. The Wake - "Talk About The Past"
31. New Order - "Confusion"
32. Marcel King - "Reach For Love"
33. Section 25 - "Looking from A Hilltop (Restructure)"
34. Stockholm Monsters - "All At Once"
35. Life - "Tell Me"*
36. The Durutti Column - "A Little Mercy"*
37. James - "Hymn From A Village"
38. Kalima - "Trickery"
39. Quando Quango - "Genius"*
40. Happy Mondays - "Freaky Dancin"*
41. Miaow - "When It All Comes Down"
42. The Railway Children - "Brighter"
43. New Order - "1963" (12" Version)*
44. The Durutti Column - "Otis"
45. Biting Tongues - "Compressor"
46. New Order - "True Faith"
47. Happy Mondays - "24 Hour Party People"
48. New Order - "Fine Time"
49. Happy Mondays - "W.F.L. (We Think About The Future)"
50. Revenge - "Seven Reasons"
51. Happy Mondays - "Hallelujah" (Club Mix)
52. Electronic - "Getting Away With It"
53. Happy Mondays - "Step On"
54. Northside - "Shall We Take A Trip"
55. New Order - "World In Motion"
56. Happy Mondays - "Kinky Afro"
57. The Durutti Column - "Home"
58. Electronic - "Get The Message"
59. Happy Mondays - "Loose Fit"
60. Northside - "Take 5"
61. Cath Carroll - "Moves Like You" (Remix)
62. The Other Two - "Tasty Fish"*
63. Happy Mondays - "Sunshine and Love" (Lionrock Remix)*
* previously unreleased digitally
Rhino to Release 63-Song Party, People! Factory Records Digital Compilation Is Industrial Strength
By Monocular Cognition on 06-30-2009

In 1980, Factory Records released The Durutti Column's The Return of the Durutti Column album in the now infamous Guy Debord-inspired sandpaper record sleeve. Although that is an awesome and inspired situationist packaging notion -- protecting the record from and destroying other records around it -- there will be no problems with sleeve chafing when Rhino Records releases Factory Records: Communications 1978-92 on July 7 because it is a digital compilation. We should clarify; July 7 is the issue date for "other" DSPs, but the collection is already available now, exclusively on the mighty iTunes. While Factory Records: Communications 1978-92 has already seen the light of day as a concrete, handable, audio format (um, a CD box set), this is the first time many of these tracks have been available in digital download form, if that is any sort of consumer lure.
Anyway, with a song list as good as is printed below, we won't begrudge Rhino for taking the opportunity to give the people what they might not think they want, but what they most certainly need. Alongside the big-time names (Joy Division, New Order, James, Happy Mondays) are equally crucial works by a number of acts whose post-rock cachet grows every year (Crispy Ambulance, Section 25, Stockholm Monsters, and the aforementioned Durutti Column). The set comes with a digital booklet with liner notes by former NME journalist Paul Morley and a track-by-track analysis by Factory Records historian James Nice.
Use Hearing Protection:
1. Joy Division - "Digital"
2. Cabaret Voltaire - "Baeder Meinhof"
3. Joy Division - "Glass" (2007 Remastered)*
4. OMD - "Electricity" (Remastered Original 7" version)*
5. Joy Division - "She's Lost Control"
6. The Distractions - "Time Goes By Slowly"*
7. Joy Division - "Transmission"
8. The Durutti Column - "Sketch For Summer"*
9. X-O-Dus - "English Black Boys"*
10. Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
11. Section 25 - "Girls Don't Count"
12. Crawling Chaos - "Sex Machine"
13. Joy Division - "As You Said"*
14. The Names - "Night Shift"
15. New Order - "Ceremony" (Original Version)
16. Minny Pops - "Dolphin's Spurt"
17. John Dowie - "It's Hard To Be An Egg"*
18. Crispy Ambulance - "Deaf"
19. Section 25 - "Dirty Disco"
20. New Order - "Everything's Gone Green"*
21. Tunnelvision - "Watching The Hydroplanes"
22. The Durutti Column - "Messidor"*
23. Royal Family And The Poor - "Art On 45"
24. Swamp Children - "Taste What's Rhythm"
25. New Order - "Temptation"
26. 52nd Street - "Cool As Ice"
27. New Order - "Blue Monday"
28. Cabaret Voltaire - "Yashar" (John Robie Remix)*
29. Quando Quango - "Love Tempo"
30. The Wake - "Talk About The Past"
31. New Order - "Confusion"
32. Marcel King - "Reach For Love"
33. Section 25 - "Looking from A Hilltop (Restructure)"
34. Stockholm Monsters - "All At Once"
35. Life - "Tell Me"*
36. The Durutti Column - "A Little Mercy"*
37. James - "Hymn From A Village"
38. Kalima - "Trickery"
39. Quando Quango - "Genius"*
40. Happy Mondays - "Freaky Dancin"*
41. Miaow - "When It All Comes Down"
42. The Railway Children - "Brighter"
43. New Order - "1963" (12" Version)*
44. The Durutti Column - "Otis"
45. Biting Tongues - "Compressor"
46. New Order - "True Faith"
47. Happy Mondays - "24 Hour Party People"
48. New Order - "Fine Time"
49. Happy Mondays - "W.F.L. (We Think About The Future)"
50. Revenge - "Seven Reasons"
51. Happy Mondays - "Hallelujah" (Club Mix)
52. Electronic - "Getting Away With It"
53. Happy Mondays - "Step On"
54. Northside - "Shall We Take A Trip"
55. New Order - "World In Motion"
56. Happy Mondays - "Kinky Afro"
57. The Durutti Column - "Home"
58. Electronic - "Get The Message"
59. Happy Mondays - "Loose Fit"
60. Northside - "Take 5"
61. Cath Carroll - "Moves Like You" (Remix)
62. The Other Two - "Tasty Fish"*
63. Happy Mondays - "Sunshine and Love" (Lionrock Remix)*
* previously unreleased digitally
Paul McCartney Gets Government Voucher to Exchange Gas-Guzzling, Acid-Laced Yellow Submarine for More Energy Efficient, Family Friendly, Hot Air Balloon Driven by a Frog
By Kat Gardiner on 06-30-2009
Sir Paul has announced that he is scoring a new children's film based on a book written by himself, Geoff Dunbar, and Philip Ardagh. The book and future animated feature, High in the Clouds, follows a group of lovably misfit and furry woodland creatures as they save the animal world through song. The original concept was born out of a song, "Tropical Island Hum," penned by the ex-Beatle and Linda, his charming, beautiful, dead wife who was born the voice of a flat-pitched child. Geoff Dunbar and McCartney have worked together in the past, with Dunbar directing and McCartney scoring the 1984 animated short Rupert and The Frog Song, most famous for The Frog Song itself, "We All Stand Together," which made it to #3 in the U.K. charts.
One quick disclaimer: if you are thinking that this is going to be a psychedelic trip into the second dimension, like that movie about a bright, underwater boat, think again. Despite the name of the film, the animals are not high (stoned) in the clouds, but rather high (up) in the clouds. In a hot air balloon. Children will look at you funny and parents will give you a death stare if you come into the theatre reeking of Northern Lights, Strawberry Cough, or whatever else your dealer sold you on, eyes all ablaze, laughing every time the little frog asks the little squirrel if he wants to get any higher.
The movie's set to be released on ex-New Line Cinema mogul Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne's new production company, Unique Features, and will be directed by The Lion King's Rob Minkoff, with script penned by Caroline Thompson of Edward Scissorhands fame.
Woodsist and Captured Tracks Team Up for (Anti-American?) Fourth of July Weekend Fest
By Jon Lorenz on 06-30-2009
Yet again, another big, cool fest going on in New York for the weekend of July 4. Last week, I wrote a story about the Upset The Rhythm party going on July 3 in New York, and now the Woodsist/Captured Tracks fest is announced for the same day. Looks like there's some tough competition going on here.
The Woodsist/Captured Tracks festival will feature, obviously, many of the artists who each label represents, which is made up of some of today's best underground rock bands. Woodsist will be bringing the newly signed Matador dude Kurt Vile, as well as Blank Dogs, Woods, Vivian Girls, Psychedelic Horseshit, Thee Oh Sees, Real Estate, and Crystal Stilts; meanwhile, Captured Tracks will showcase a few of the same bands (also on its roster), as well as Dum Dum Girls, The Fresh & Onlys, Brilliant Colors, and a few others. Also appearing are Tyvek and caUSE co-MOTION!, who to my knowledge neither label has released... yet?? On both days, you will be able to buy limited-edition, festival-only merchandise from Woods, Blank Dogs, The Fresh & Onlys, and ZODIACS!
For the full rundown and tickets you can go here, and for the schedule you can see below:
Friday, July 3 @ 979 Broadway Backyard
9:45 PM: Crystal Stilts
9:00 PM: Blank Dogs
8:15 PM: Psychedelic Horseshit
7:30 PM: caUSE co-MOTION!
6:45 PM: The Mayfair Set
6:15 PM: Gary War
5:45 PM: Little Girls
5:15 PM: Kid Romance
4:45 PM: Beachniks
4:15 PM: The Gutsies
Saturday, July 4 @ 979 Broadway Backyard
9:45 PM: Thee Oh Sees
9:00 PM: Vivian Girls
8:15 PM: Kurt Vile
7:30 PM: Woods
6:45 PM: Tyvek
6:00 PM: Dum Dum Girls
5:15 PM: The Fresh & Onlys
4:30 PM: Brilliant Colors
3:45 PM: Ganglians
3:15 PM: The Great Excape (pre-Home Blitz reunion)
2:45 PM: The Beets
2:15 PM: Real Estate
1:45 PM: German Measles
1:15 PM: Beach Fossils
Evil Update: sunn 0))) Announce West Coast Dates! Invocations and Monoliths to Spread Across The Old Frontier
By Kid Midnight on 06-29-2009

sunn 0))), all set to begin playing their already announced Midwest dates this week, have now announced a string of shows on the West Coast! Starting in August, the band will cut a swathe of pure black metal destruction across the Pacific seaboard. Starting with two back-to-back shows in Seattle, the tour will culminate in the Land of Evil: Salt Lake City, Utah. Trust me, I speak from experience when I say that Mormons love music like sunn 0))).
The kick-off show for the westerly jaunt will see the band performing as a duo, playing The Grimmrobe Demos in its entirety, to celebrate the album's 10th anniversary. The first two nights will also serve as Southern Lord label showcases, with sets by The Accüsed, Trap Them, Black Breath, Earth, Pelican, and Eagle Twin. The first night of festivities will also double (triple?) as a record release show for The Accüsed, who will be offering up their new album, The Curse of Martha Splatterhead.
Immediately following, the tour will move (glacially and without mercy) through California and into Colorado. sunn 0))) will be accompanied by labelmates The Accüsed and Eagle Twin, but their fog machines may have run out of steam by then.
Here's the new dates:
07.02.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
07.05.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
07.06.09 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium/Underground
07.07.09 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
07.08.09 - St. Louis, MO - The Firebird
07.10.09 - Dekalb, IL - House Cafe
07.11.09 - Pontiac, MI - Eagle Theater
07.12.09 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
08.05.09 - Seattle, WA - Neumo’s *
08.06.09 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's $
08.08.09 - San Francisco, CA - Independent
08.09.09 - Brookdale, CA - Historic Brookdale Lodge
08.11.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Center for the Arts
08.13.09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
08.14.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Avalon Theatre
* The Accüsed, Trap Them, Black Breath
$ Earth, Pelican, Eagle Twin