Flaming Lips to Perform Dark Side of the Moon on New Year's Eve in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Blow Raspberries at Rest of Nation
Ooh! Ooh! Guys, I've TOTALLY been to Oklahoma City and the Cox Convention Center, where The Flaming Lips are going to play Pink Floyd's magnum opus Dark Side of the Moon on New Year's Eve! I'm so glad I left love notes all over the place for Wayne Coyne, because, man, I just knew that place was special, even though I was attending the American Choral Directors' Association National Conference for work and actually had no idea the Lips were coming and uh... okay, I can't keep that one going. But still! Oklahoma City is going to be the absolute jam for both closeted hipsters and lovers of classic rock, a nice truce considering OK City receives more visits from Journey and AC/DC than can possibly be healthy.
Those of us stuck in places like New York and can only see dumb ol' Patti Smith and the Detroit Cobras on New Year's Eve can be comforted by a Dark Side of the Moon joint release sometime next year from the Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs (TMT News). Pitchfork points out a good preview of Pink Flaming Floyd here on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, on which they covered Dark Side's ending track, “Eclipse.”
Ted Leo Announces Brutal New LP, Considers Ripping A Swine In Half To Celebrate, Rips Soy-Based Swine Substitute In Half Instead
Ted Leo, patron saint of hooky guitar-pop, has the worst luck with labels. The guy released three LPs on legendary pop-punk label Lookout Records, then the label got in all kinds of legal trouble. Jumping over to legendary Chicago punk label Touch and Go probably seemed like a stable move, until that label went belly up. Jeez! Thankfully, the man has once again found himself in the employ of a legendary label, that being Matador this time around. Which is great and all, but, um, please don’t kill Matador, Ted.
Even if Leo does turn out to be the record label reaper the third time around, he’ll at least be able to put out his new record, The Brutalist Bricks, out on Matador. The new collection will be available on CD, LP, and digital formats on March 9. Do you like yellow and/or bees? Then check out the album’s cover. Do you like songs? Then check out “Even Heroes Have To Die,” the first released song from the record. Do you like seeing Leo’s shining visage in real life? Then good news: he’s touring in December
12.02.09 – Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
12.03.09 – Washington DC – The Black Cat
12.05.09 – Cambridge MA – Middle East
12.06.09 – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom (sold out)
12.10.09 – Madrid, Spain – Primavera Club ‘09
12.11.09 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Club ‘09
12.12.09 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Club ‘09
12.14.09 – Brighton, UK – Engine Room (with Dillinger Four + Hard Skin) *
12.15.09 - Canterbury, UK – Bramleys *
12.16.09 – London, UK – Brixton Windmill *
12.17.09 – Kingston, UK – New Slang *
12.18.09 – London, UK – Grosvenor (with Wat Tyler) *
* solo dates
Tom Waits Reissues Special Vinyl Edition of Orphans, Talks Spider Romance
In the few years I’ve been writing for this website, my love of musicians who look/sound like olde-tyme drifters has been well-documented. If an artist sings about hard-livin’ and seems like they could’ve spent several years traveling with the circus through the backroads of Depression-era America, I’m into it. So you can imagine my delight when I heard about this new limited-edition vinyl release of Tom Waits’ Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards.
Scheduled for a December 8 release on ANTI-, this reworking of the 2006 collection of covers, rarities, and new tracks will feature 62 tracks over seven LPs on 180-gram vinyl. There’s also a fancy new booklet plus six tracks more than on the previously released version of Orphans. Robert Christgau deemed the album “definitive,” and fans agreed; the original Orphans was one of Waits’ best-selling releases. New offerings on the vinyl edition include covers of Fats Waller’s "Crazy ‘Bout My Baby" and Kurt Weill & Bertolt Brecht's "Canon Song.”
In other Waits news, the two-disc collection Glitter and Doom Live was just released on vinyl and CD. The first disc holds the live tracks recorded while on tour in Europe and the U.S., annnnd the second disc “holds nearly 40 minutes of Waits' quixotic ruminations on topics ranging from romantic spiders to injured vultures.” Alllllright! (Now that I think about it, I honestly really would like to hear Tom Waits’ thoughts on romantic spiders.)
This winter, Waits will also be appearing on the silver screen in Terry Gilliam’s upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, alongside Johnny Depp, Christopher Plummer, Jude Law, and the late Heath Ledger, as well as in The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington.
Modern Radio Record Label Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary; Regular Radio Celebrates 118-Year Anniversary
Modern Radio, the fan-favorite Twin Cities label, has finally hit double digits and couldn’t be prouder. The label, a fixture in the Twin Cities indie scene, was started in 1999 by Tom Loftus and has slowly been gaining acclaim and cultural importance over the years after releasing a bevy of records by bands like The Plastic Constellations, Deerhoof, Mirah, STNNNG, and Vampire Hands. The label was started with the goal of supporting a burgeoning indie scene but soon developed into a local institution and trend-setter; the label was even named “Best Record Label of the Twin Cities” for 2006 by local weekly newspaper City Pages in 2006.
Modern Radio is so proud of its achievements that it wants to share the celebration with its fans, as it should, since the label was founded on the cornerstones of “friends, community, and music.” The label is putting together a couple shows that will highlight some of its’ current roster and give you plenty of great music to accompany cake-eating (cake not included)
01.22.10 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
FT (The Shadow Government)
Daughters of the Sun
The Chambermaids
Double Bird
Sheridan Fox (His Mischief)
01.23.10 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural
The Plastic Constellations
Skoal Kodiak
Vampire Hands
STNNNG
and more!
In other news: radio is 118 years old this year and still knows how to get the party started.
Wilco, Panda Bear, The Fall and More Added to Primavera 2010; “Primavera” Means “Spring” in Spanish
Oh shit! Dateline: Barcelona or whatever! Get yer ya-yas out! Annie, get your gun! Get back to where you once belonged! Get Smart! Get up, get-on-up, stay on the scene like a sex machine! Yes, dudes and dudettes; major league butt-kicking is back in town! Primavera 2010 is about to take out a ruler and, you know, rule the fuck out of all those other two-bit spring and summer side-shows that call themselves big, outdoor fests. After already handing Perry Farrell's own Ben Stiller-lookin’ ass on a platter with the announcement of Pavement and Pixies headlining shows, Primavera is taking things up another few notches with their first batch of confirmed artists at the 10th annual fest, which will take place May 27-29, 2010.
Sure, some of the choices were easy enough for the Primavera organizers in Barcelona. Panda Bear? He already hangs out over in Lisbon, so he’s like right across the street. Wilco? Well, they’ve been dressing like a Hispanic Mariachi band for at least the past year or so. The Fall? What’s a better icebreaker than fans from all over the world gathering in Barcelona to muse about a band called “The Fall” playing at a festival named after the spring? It’s the ultimate Dad Joke.
For bands like The New Pornographers, The XX, Wild Beasts, The Antlers, Dum Dum Girls, and Delorean, however, the jokes, puns, and tenuous semantic associations become a little bit more difficult. But hey, that’s why I’m a capital-J Journalist, man. When I’m out of jokes, I just end the story and cut to the stats. And you know what? I make it seamless. This is a skill, folks. You have to earn this kind of power. LATER.
Complete Confirmed Artists as of November 30:
The Antlers, The Bloody Beetroots, Camarón: La Leyenda Del Tiempo 30 Años Después (Duquende and Chicuelo amongst others), Delorean, Dum Dum Girls, The Fall, Ganglians, Here We Go Magic, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, Joker featuring Nomad, The New Pornographers, Panda Bear, Pavement, Pixies, Wilco, Wild Beasts and The XX.
Tickets are on sale NOW via Ticketmaster, the CD Drome shops, RIFT shops, Seetickets UK, Fnac France and through PayPal on the fest’s website.
European Commission Says No to Three Strikes without Judicial Oversight
As previously reported by TMT, the European Union ain't taking no shit from internet-denyin' heads of government. Now they've told Spain's authorities that "measures that allow for the disruption of Internet access without a fair hearing before a judge, are certain to clash with the European Union."
These words were spoken by Vivane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, in response to Spain's proposals to block internet access indiscriminately. She also argued that "disconnections may even run counter to the rights and freedoms which have become part of Europe’s values since the French Revolution.'"
Comrade Obama might like to be reminded of another revolution when considering his own ideas to tackle online pirates. America did not fight a bloody war with the British to have its citizens hand over their health care, SUVs, and internet access to the government.
Spencer Krug Goes Solo As Moonface, Announces Debut EP
How many projects is too many projects? If you’re Bob Pollard, trick question: there’s no such thing. If you’re most musicians, one or two should be enough. If you’re Spencer Krug, the answer lies somewhere between the range of “Bob Pollard” and “most musicians.” Indeed, the man splits his time between quite a few endeavors (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake, Wolf Eyes?, etc etc.) and he’s about to split in a little bit more, as he launches a solo project by the name of Moonface.
Krug is making his Moonface debut with the awesomely titled Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit-Drums. Jagjaguwar will release the EP January 26 both digitally and as a one-sided 12-inch vinyl. Sorry, Spencer Krug obsessive with only an old boombox: you must shed bitter, bitter tears. However, you can still enjoy the dream journal that will be packaged with the vinyl! The dream journal will also be included with some of the digital downloads, though it has not been specified what exactly “some” constitutes.
Incidentally, Sunset Rubdown released an EP by the title of Introducing Moonface earlier this year. Whether the new project ties in with this release at all is currently unclear.
Spoon Help a Robot Get Its Groove Back, Head Out on Winter Tour, Release LP A Week Early
Spoon are on the move again, bringing their Can-influenced indie rock to select cities in Europe and the US. They’ll be repping their upcoming release Transference (TMT News), which comes out January 18 on ANTI- for our European friends and January 19 on Merge Records here in the States (note the new release dates).
At this point, details about further dates are scant, so I thought I’d provide you with the following gem of information related to one of the group’s more recent albums, Gimme Fiction. It’s gleaned from America’s favorite news source, Wikipedia:
"Don't You Evah" and "I Turn My Camera On" have become popular on YouTube as dance soundtracks for the Japanese robot Keepon, accumulating over two million hits.
Did you hear that? A ROBOT!!!! A robot who loves dancing to Spoon. If a non-sentient "being" can get down with these rock jams, you know these guys put on a good show.
12.03.09 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
12.04.09 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre*
12.11.09 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom**
12.12.09 - La Jolla, CA - RIMAC Arena***
12.31.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre****
02.14.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - King Tut's
02.15.09 - Manchester, England - Academy 3
02.16.09 - London, England - Electric Ballroom
02.18.09 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
02.19.09 - Cologne, Germany - Luxor
02.20.09 - Berlin, Germany - Frannz Club
*Phoenix, Passion Pit
**Black Joe Lewis
***Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, White Rabbits, Manchester Orchestra
****Jay Reatard
The Muslims — err, The Soft Pack — Announce Debut Album for 2010
Maybe you remember The Soft Pack from when they were called The Muslims. Or maybe you saw them open for The Breeders or play CMJ last year. Either way, the newly named band has announced the release of their debut self-titled album, due out on February 2, 2010 from Kemado Records. You can preorder it now from Insound, or you can just miss out on everything fun.
The Soft Pack tracklisting:
1. C’mon
2. Down on Loving
3. Answer to Yourself
4. Move Along
5. Pull Out
6. More or Less
7. Tides of Time
8. Flammable
9. Mexico
10. Parasites
RJD2 on Tour in Support of The Colossus and Keeping Safe During The Holidays
What better way to ring in the approaching New Year than by popping champagne and totally forgetting to drink any water, getting super-tanked and making out with a stranger at midnight, all before waking up in a stairwell of the downtown bus station? I know what you’re thinking: “um, nothing!!!!” Well, that’s where you’re wrong. There is a more fun, possibly safer option (though potentially with a lot more waiting for the night to roll around, depending on where you live): the upcoming RJD2 tour. As previously reported, the talented hip-hop producer is set to release his latest LP, The Colossus, January 19 on his own RJ’s Electrical Connections label. To tout the album, he’ll be touring with a full band.
In other news, RJ's pretty-awesome internet giveaway fest continues on his website; anyone who enters the online contest leading up to the new album’s release date can win stuff like MP3s, records, and more. In addition, the man’s reissues of albums begins November 13 with 2002’s breakout hit Deadringer (TMT Review) and will continue throughout the month with 2003’s The Horror EP and 2004’s Since We Last Spoke (TMT Review). Also available for purchase is RJD2 2002-2010, a vinyl-only box set released just last month.
Colossal tourdates:
01.09.10 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
01.10.10 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
01.11.10 - Charlotte, NC - Visualite Theater
01.12.10 - Savannah, GA - Live Wire
01.13.10 - Orlando, FL - The Social
01.14.10 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar
01.15.10 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
01.16.10 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Heaven Room)
01.17.10 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
01.18.10 - Chattanooga, TN - Rhythm and Brews
01.19.10 - Knoxville, TN - Valarium
01.20.10 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
01.21.10 - Charlottesville, VA - Jeffers Theatre
01.22.10 - Morgantown, WV - 123 Pleasant Street
02.05.10 - Columbus, OH - Sully's Music Diner
02.06.10 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
02.07.10 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
02.08.10 - Nashville, TN - Exit In
02.09.10 - Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone Café
02.10.10 - Oxford, MS - The Lyric Oxford
02.11.10 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitinas
02.12.10 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Mo
02.13.10 - Austin, TX - Emos
02.14.10 – Denton, TX - Hailey's
02.18.10 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note
02.19.10 - Grinnell, IA - Grinnell College (Harris Center)
02.20.10 - Urbana, IL - Canopy Club
Velvet Underground Members Reunite for Appearance at the New York Public Library; Doug Yule Replaces John Cale Due to Excessive Late Fees
True to form, The Velvet Underground decided to get their reunion on way before any other so-called fringe band thought it was hip and cool and profitable. In 1992, the seminal group’s original lineup of Lou “Fussy Fanny” Reed, John “Artsy Fartsy” Cale, Sterling “Chuckle Butt” Morrison, and Maureen “What Up, Guys!” Tucker joined forces once again for a successful European tour, only to disband months later following (what else) creative differences between Reed and Cale. The Velvets reformed one more time in 1996 for their induction into this ugly ass structure, only this time they were sadly down one Sterling Morrison thanks to non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Although both reunions took place at different times for different reasons, one thing remained constant: poor old post-Cale bassist Doug Yule was not invited to join the group.
Yule remains a contentious figure in Velvets lore. Although he’s responsible for some of the band’s sweeter lead vocals and for his substantial contributions to the group’s subversively gentle late period, the man is also to blame for this horrible piece of shit and several other horrible pieces of shit released under the Velvet Underground name long after Reed and the others flew the coop. In a 1972 interview, Reed even went so far to say that he hoped Yule was dead.
But regardless of their past tussles, Yule will join Reed and Tucker (no Cale, unfortunately) on December 8 for an event at the New York Public Library. The former Velvets will talk with Rolling Stone institution David Fricke about the band’s work and legacy and, with Yule in tow, surely plenty of that juicy, juicy New York gossip all you flatlanders so very crave.
The affair is being held in anticipation of the new book The Velvet Underground: New York Art, a collection of never-before-seen photos and artwork of the Velvets from their prime. With any luck, Lou Reed will make Doug Yule cry at least once.
