Ecstatic Sunshine Ready Yesterday's Work, Push Back Today's Work Until Tomorrow
A lot has changed for Ecstatic Sunshine over these past few years. Most significantly, founding member Dustin Wong (Ponytail) left the band, forcing other founding member Matthew Papich to shift their sound from guitar-duo battle to something more expansive. On the band's last record WAY -- just before Wong left the group -- the duo added third member Kieran Gillen on electronics. And now, on the the brand new Yesterday's Work, Ecstatic Sunshine are evolving yet again, with Papich having recruited Joe "White" Williams on drum machines and synthesizers.
According to a press release, Yesterday's Work's "sonic palette is much broader than previous guitar-centric releases; soft bouncy bass and crisp synthesizers balance and serve as counterpoint to Papich's loop-based guitar work. Think Berlin School and Penguin Cafe Orchestra, or a Harmonia record produced by Coxsone." Matthew Papich speaks about the record's influence:
Outside the record there are many sounds. Some of those sounds were moved, through memory, into the record. We would hear soft bass through the windows of a car, or listen to birds waking up before dawn, and learn to remember those sounds and later draw them out of synthesizers or guitars. In this way we could hear the record before it was made. It is like John Cage's ideas about incidental sound, except instead of composing with those sounds, we composed for them. The record is an homage to the Everyday. It is music that happens, and is heard, and then said.
Yesterday's Work will be released on HOSS, who also issued their "Turned On" 7-inch. It's due December 8 (just got pushed back from its original release date of November 24).
Yesterday's Work tracklisting:
1. Conch
2. Faceplant
3. Dunk
4. Over Easy
5. Sweet Spot
6. Because
7. Space Sick
8. Space Sicker
9. Soft Opening
10. Topless
[Photo: Sally Glass]
Joan of Arc Announce New Album for 2010 Will Feature 41+ Members
Apparently, it’s not enough for Tim Kinsella that he and his brothers already own the entire Chicago music scene. For Joan of Arc’s new album, Don’t Mind Control, Kinsella decided to recruit any musician or band that has ever played in Joan of Arc over the entire length of their career, to curate a double-album consisting of 18 new songs by 41 different Joan of Arc members. Due out on Polyvinyl Records January 26, 2010, Don’t Mind Control features new songs from Owen, Cale Parks, Vacations (ex-Chin Up Chin Up), Ghosts and Vodka (ex-Cap’n Jazz), Disappears, and, of course, Kinsella himself.
Don't Mind Control tracklisting:
1. Litesalive - Uwar
2. Disappears - Guider
3. Birdshow - Privacy
4. A Tundra - The Doug McComb Over
5. Owen - No More No Where
6. White/Light - Kickstart
7. Euphone w/ Tim Kinsella - Friend in Common
8. Slick Conditions - Spit in Layers
9. Cale Parks - Long Looks
10. Joshua Abrams - Blanes echo Blirds, Bless echo Blouds
11. The Cairo Gang - Oh Solo
12. Tim Kinsella - Roots Dug into Dunes = Landslide
13. Jeremy Boyle - Second Door From the Left
14. The Zoo Wheel - Flicker
15. Vacations - Friday the 13th Part 2
16. Pillars and Tongues - Oakey
17. Ghosts and Vodka - Gameshow Buzzer
18. Birthmark - Drivin' me Crazy
Your Daily Dose of Disappointment: Method Man, Ghostface, and Raekwon Collaboration, New Redman Record Pushed Back to 2010
Last week was a happier time for me. I went to the zoo and saw a grizzly bear take a huge dump. My hair was a shorter, more manageable length. I had more money. But a lot can change over a week. The bear and his discharge is but a memory, my hair has since grown to look too similar to the nest of a large bird, and the city has demanded 100 of my dollars for some bullshit traffic violation they claim to have caught on one of those bullshit little stoplight cameras. But even in a week so packed with disappointment as this one, there’s always room for another letdown.
To that end, I regret to inform you that the Method Man , Raekwon and Ghostface Killah collalbum that was originally set for a December 22 release has now been pushed back to 2010 . And just to kick ya’ll while you’re down, Redman’s upcoming record Reggie Noble 9 ½ has ditched its December 8 drop and joined the Wu in the indefinite wasteland of a 2010 release. Here’s hoping both projects have been bumped just to avoid being overlooked from the usual year-end roundups.
MySpace Buys imeem: Welcome to the Unholy Trinity
MySpace has lost a lot of ground to Facebook over the last few years and, now with its purchase of imeem, hopes to transform itself into an entertainment destination. The music networking site was acquired for between $8-10 million and Wired reports the majority of this is for imeem's key staff to help with MySpace's aforementioned transition.
The acquisition represents a significant loss considering Warner Music Group "injected an estimated $30 to $35 million into imeem." News Corp are hoping to utilize the talents of iLike co-founders the Partovi brothers and imeem founder Dalton Caldwell to help the site "become more popular as a place to watch videos and listen to music, which has always been its core strength." imeem currently streams music from all four of the major labels although a "source tells CNET that one of the labels exited imeem a few weeks ago."
So, Rupert Murdoch, major labels, and social networking in an all-in-one entertainment venture. I think I'll pass on this Unholy Trinity, thanks!
Vampire Weekend Announce 2010 Shows to Coincide with The Twilight Saga: New Moon’s DVD Release... Oops, I Mean Their New Record... Oops, I Mean Your Life
Hey now, Vampire Weekend may not have been included in the who’s who hit list of bands on the Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack (um, or were they? It all kinda runs together at this point, doesn’t it?), but they’ll be damned if they’re gonna let you forget just how comparable to Death Cab they are in the genial, hospitable, popular, friendly, adorable-ruffian-like-Fonzie-from-Happy-Days Department.
So without further ado, these happy-go-lucky ragamuffins are proud-as-punch to announce a round of tourdates supporting the release of their forthcoming album Contra, which drops January 12, 2010 on XL. The album’s first single, “Cousins,” is available digitally right now, and the 7-inch will be in stores on December 15. It’s probably about stuff that you can all like totally relate to and shit... you know, like having cousins. Stressful, right? Anyway, this year’s remaining dates appear below.
In other news, did I really need to qualify the name “Fonzie” up there as being “from Happy Days?" I mean, how stupid do I think you are, anyway?
11.23.09 - Sydney, Australia - Notes on Enmore
12.10.09 - Portland, OR, Crystal Ballroom
12.11.09 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
12.12.09 - La Jolla, CA - RIMAC Arena/UC San Diego
12.13.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheater
12.15.09 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater
01.12.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater
01.17.10 - New York, NY - United Palace Theater
01.18.10 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
01.19.10 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
Future Islands Sign to Thrill Jockey, Prep New Album for Spring; We Hope This Helps Dan Deacon's Back Heal a Little Bit
I'm a New Yorker at heart, but I'll be the first to admit that Baltimore's DIY music fiddlings are slowly but surely catching up to the the Brooklyn music behemoth in reputation. Just look at Dan Deacon, Ponytail, Double Dagger, and practically the entire Whartscape lineup. Brooklyn's got nothing on that.
And now Baltimore's own fuzz n' buzz outfit Future Islands are staking their claim on the indie mainstream (wow, oxymoron). After receiving a slew of positive feedback for their 2008 release Wave Like Home (TMT Review), Future Islands are now newly signed to Thrill Jockey and are expected to release In Evening Air come spring 2010. And speaking of Brooklyn, be sure to stop by Death By Audio for Future Islands' record release show on December 17. The rest of their tourdates are below.
11.19.09 - Sheperdstown, WV - Blue Moon Saloon *
11.20.09 - Greenville, NC - Lucky's *
11.21.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
11.22.09 - Asheville, NC - New French Bar *
11.23.09 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light *
11.24.09 - Charlotte, NC - The Milestone *
11.25.09 - Charleston, SC - Adolini's Pizza *
11.27.09 - Raleigh, NC - Berkeley Cafe *
11.28.09 - Baltimore, MD - Floristree *
12.03.09 - Greenville, NC - Tipsy Teapot
12.04.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - The Cave
12.05.09 - Wilmington, NC - Drifters ^
12.13.09 - Baltimore, MD - Jesus Camp %
12.17.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Death By Audio $
* Thank You
^ Lonnie Walker
% Javelin
$ Javelin, Jones, Moss of Aura
Ticketmaster Accused of Holding Back Tickets for Taylor Swift and Keith Urban Concerts
Another week, another Ticketmaster scandal. This time, the ticket giant is accused of holding back tickets for Taylor Swift and Keith Urban concerts and distributing them to fan clubs and other exclusive communities instead of putting them up for public sale. Specifically, thousands of tickets were dispersed to American Express and fan clubs for different concerts in Nashville, severely reducing the odds of an average fan being able to score tickets to the shows. Out of 13,300 seats for the Taylor Swift show, around 1,600 tickets were available to the general public when tickets went on sale, and 5,000 of the 13,300 tickets were held for American Express customers due in part to a deal the credit card company has with different artists. For Urban’s concert, 14,900 seats were available, but more than 10,400 tickets had already been sold before the public on-sale date, most of which went to Urban’s fan club and to American Express.
This issue has caught the attention of U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr., who introduced the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing Act (BOSS ACT!), in hopes of putting an end to absurd ticket holds. "When you have a highly desirable product with incredible demand, all kinds of shenanigans go on," Lefsetz said in an interview with WTVF-TV. "Listen, the whole business is smoke and mirrors. Because no one is policing them telling them to tell the truth."
Reprise Records Retroactively Decides That Wilco’s Being There Isn’t Selling So Hot Anymore 13 Years After Its Initial Release and Drops Wilco All Over Again!!! OMG!!! Wait, But Then Nonesuch Releases It on Vinyl + CD + MP3 and Everyone Agrees All Over Again That Wilco Are “Edgy” and “Underdogs” and “Awesome” (The Word “Handsome” Is Still Rarely Used)
Remember Wilco’s second album? ...No? Oh man, that’s gonna make this story kinda difficult then, isn’t it? Hmm... okay, okay, it’s the one after A.M. that everyone says Wilco kinda “came into their own sound” on? A.K.A., it’s the one with “Misunderstood” on it, followed by all those songs that sound just like A.M.? Ah! See? NOW you know what I’m talking about! Aaaand, I proceed:
Wilco’s present hoity-toity label home, Nonesuch Records has just announced a reissue of this 19-track, double-album-sized love letter to charming and amusingly 90s-sounding alt-rock on every format that counts. That’s right, for $21, you can pick yourself up double vinyl, CD, AND MP3 sonic documents of such questionable Tweedy managerial decisions as: employing a full-time dobro player, NOT firing Ken Coomer sooner, and so on! Wow! Here’s the tracklist! Order now!
Side 1:
1. Misunderstood
2. Far, Far Away
3. Monday
4. Outtasite (Outta Mind)
5. Forget the Flowers
Side 2:
1. Red-Eyed and Blue
2. I Got You (At the End of the Century)
3. What's the World Got in Store
4. Hotel Arizona
5. Say You Miss Me
Side 3:
1. Sunken Treasure
2. Someday Soon
3. Outta Mind (Outta Sight)
4. Someone Else's Song
5. Kingpin
Side 4:
1. (Was I) In Your Dreams
2. Why Would You Wanna Live
3. The Lonely 1
4. Dreamer in My Dreams
John Lydon Discusses Public Image Limited Tour, New Material, and the Delicious Taste of 100% British Butter
It’s always a good day for music fans when John Lydon is in the news. Hell, it’s a good day for everybody, especially those of us who enjoy wacky stories on the internet. Most of the recent hype concerning the Sex Pistols/Public Image Limited vocalist has been as a result of his appearances on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Judge Judy, and a now-notorious butter commercial. Apparently the butter commercial has both a) given Mr. Lydon the capital to mount several Public Image Limited tourdates in the U.K. (the first such dates in 17 years) as well as b) gotten him a lot of guff from people who think hawking butter isn’t punk rock. Which begs the question: is butter not punk rock? What would be? Margarine? Not putting anything on your toast? Because that’s not hardcore. It’s just boring.
So Lydon’s butter money is helping to finance the dates below. And if those dates sell well enough, Public Image Limited is seriously thinking about recording again. It’s truly the Circle of Life. When asked if the band would be playing the hits during their upcoming tour, Lydon said, “Don't be ridiculous! What do you think this is? The Beatles? She loves you yeah yeah yeah? No no no! You get what you're given and it'll be even better then.” Take that, butter haters
12.15.09 - Birmingham, England - O2 Academy
12.16.09 - Leeds, England - O2 Academy
12.18.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - O2 Academy
12.19.09 - Manchester, England – Manchester Academy
12.21.09 – London, England - Brixton Academy
12.22.09 - London, England - Electric Ballroom
12.23.09 - London, England - Electric Ballroom
Judge Rules in Favor of RIAA in Malicious Prosecution Lawsuit
In 2007, Tanya Andersen was exonerated in a lawsuit brought against her by the RIAA. The child labor-exploiting, baby-eating, SUV-driving music industry argued that the defendant had downloaded gangster rap over Kazaa, a P2P file-sharing application. She countersued in the same year, claiming that the RIAA had attempted to prosecute her maliciously.
Unfortunately for Ms. Andersen (and millions of internet users who hate child labor, eating babies, and SUVs), Judge Anna J. Brown has ruled that "the RIAA had sufficient legal justification to initially file suit against Andersen, saying that they could have ‘reasonably believed’ that she was responsible for sharing copyrighted tracks on a P2P network in 2004." Andersen originally claimed that the suit should never have been brought in the first place, saying there was no way of knowing who the person was "behind the computer when the MediaSentry investigator detected KaZaA user gotenkito's shared folder."
There's still a chance of the RIAA getting a kick in the nuts, with the court yet to decide on whether the organization's conduct was appropriate in attempting to secure the prosecution of Andersen.
Belle and Sebastian Hint at New Album
From Belle and Sebastian's official website:
[Thanks to Fausto Koerich for the tip!]
