To Rococo Rot return with new album, Speculation
By Harold Shueberg on Apr 9 2010
Is it just me or does there seem to be a recent upsurge in the popularity of classic Krautrock? You got Faust touring, Soul Jazz anthologizing, Can re-pressing albums, and now we have a new To Rococo Rot album set for release. Not that To Rococo Rot have anything to do with this rise in popularity of Krautrock — nor do they even have anything to do with Krautrock at all for that matter — but they are from Germany and their new album was recorded at Faust’s studio. That’s enough correlation to pass, right?
The important thing here is that To Rococo Rot have a new release set to hit the shelves June 29 in the US through Domino. It’s the first album the band has released since 2007’s helvetica print type-inspired abc123. The album is titled Speculation and was supposedly inspired by the rural location of Faust’s studio in which they recorded. The album even features Faust member and organist Jochen Irmler on a track. There. How’s that for a connection to Krautrock?
Wanna hear a track from it? Sure you do. Here’s Horses.
Tracks:
01. Away
02. Seele
03. Horses
04. Forwardness
05. No Way To Prepare
06. Working Against Time
07. Place It
08. Ship
09. Bells
10. Friday
• To Rococo Rot: http://www.myspace.com/torococorot
• Domino: http://dominorecordco.us
Blur to release their first new song in years as part of Record Store Day
By Kid Midnight on Apr 9 2010
If Record Store Day wasn’t already shaping up to be the best day of the year, then it will be now: Blur, who reunited last summer to play some shows and haven’t released new music since 2003’s “Good Song,” have announced that they will be issuing a newly-recorded single as part of Parlophone’s Record Store Day promotion.
The label will be celebrating the continued existence of independent record stores by releasing limited-edition (1,000) copies of vinyl-only, 7-inch-singles by The Beatles (as we just reported below), Hot Chip, Lily Allen, Pet Shop Boys, Bat For Lashes, Babyshambles, Tinie Tempah, and Blur. The singles will, of course, only be available at participating record shops.
“We want independent record stores to continue,” says Blur’s Damon Albarn to The Sun. “They’re an important part of our musical culture. Music is a simple way for Blur to show our support and we hope people like it.”
I bet they will, Damon, I bet they will.
• Blur: http://www.blur.co.uk
• Record Store Day: http://www.recordstoreday.com
• Parlophone Records: http://www.parlophone.co.uk
[Photo: Rama]
The Beatles to release limited-edition single for Record Store Day; I’m thinking that this could be the mid-career boost they’ve been looking for
By Nobodaddy on Apr 9 2010
Known the world over for their small but fiercely devoted fan-base and uncompromisingly technology-centric methods, experimental pop foursome The Beatles have always been pretty stubborn in their approach to marketing. Since the band’s inception in a college dorm room in Liverpool several years back, the group has remained adamant in their stance that their music “sounds best” when recorded with 100% pure digital signal paths and ought to be released ONLY in pristine, uncorruptable digital formats.
So its a pretty BIG fucking DEAL that these giants of the digital realm and early proponents of the now somewhat antiquated MP3 format (fact: it was still called “MP2.1” when they released their first album on it) are finally giving-in to consumerism and releasing a limited vinyl edition of the classic A and B-side pairing of “Paperback Writer” and “Rain” in celebration of this year’s Record Store Day. Yeah, you heard right. On April 17, a scant 1,000 lucky fans will finally have a chance to own these classic MP3s, presented here in a vintage-style paper Parlophone house bag, on a revitalizing format that is almost guaranteed to shed new light on the group that I’ve taken to calling “The Fab Four.”
But The Beatles are not the only artists jumping on this bandwagon and running the risk of alienating their dedicated, hardcore, digital-only fans. Other artists on the Parlophone label, including Pet Shop Boys, Bat for Lashes, Tinie Tempah, Babyshambles, Lily Allen, and Hot Chip will also be cashing in on this craze and releasing strictly limited-edition vinyl singles. The releases will be exclusive to the independent records stores taking part in the event. Let’s hope for the Beatles’ sake that this little gamble pays off.
• The Beatles: http://www.thebeatles.com
Flavorpill seeking submissions for new web-exclusive video series
By Liz Louche on Apr 9 2010
Here’s a novel idea: a regular music program featuring indie music videos! Our friends at Flavorpill are about to unveil The Flavorpill Fix, a monthly online smorgasbord (yep, I said it) of everything from band interviews and performance footage, to comedy skits and music videos from “artists large, small, and even totally unknown.” Inspired by New York’s loss of the NYC TV series New York Noise and dedicated to showcasing videos before they hit the big time, The Flavorpill Fix is taking submissions… now.
But don’t take it from me, take it from these informative instructions, direct from the Flavorpill horse’s mouth:
If you’re as pumped about this as we are, email your videos (in Quicktime format, via Sendspace, Megaupload, etc.) to tips@flavorpill.com by Sunday, April 25. Also include: Contact info, a short list of credits (band, song, album, director, website) and any questions or special instructions you may have. We’ll get in touch if we plan to use your clip in the first Flavorpill Fix, which will go live in early May.
Read more about The Flavorpill Fix here. And remember: if it can’t be linked to a large group of high school girls in Kansas singing Justin Bieber songs, it’s already light years ahead of YouTube. And if your video is selected, the prestige will follow you around like bad cologne on a Lehman Brothers executive. Submit away, friends, submit away.
• Flavorpill: http://flavorpill.com
Monster Movie (ex-Slowdive) release Everyone is a Ghost on Graveface; really aren’t as morose as they sound
By Erika H on Apr 9 2010
Time passes so quickly when people stop staring at their shoes. It’s already been a decade since Christian Savill (Slowdive) and Sean Hewson began recording together under the name Monster Movie, and now 20 years since their earliest collaborations, beginning way back in 1990 (er, technically 1989) with a 7-inch as Eternal. Their newest album, Everyone Is a Ghost (the first since 2006’s All Lost [TMT Review]), was released this week on Graveface Records. With its synths and catchy melancholy, it’s the most pleasantly fuzzy thing to emerge this spring since the baby bunnies scampered across the yard.
The album consists of 13 songs (10 on CD, 2 as bonus for vinyl, and a download), and includes guest contributions from Ryan Graveface (Dreamend, Black Moth Super Rainbow), Sophie Pittaway, and Rachel Staggs (Experimental Aircraft).
Here’s to a decade and counting!
CD tracklisting:
01. The World Collapsed
02. Down, Down, Down
03. How the Dead Live
04. Bored Beyond Oblivion
05. Everyone is a Ghost
06. In the Morning
07. Fall
08. Silver Knife
09. Help Me Make it Right
10. A Place in the Mountains
Vinyl tracklisting:
A1. The World Collapsed
A2. Down, Down, Down
A3. How the Dead Live
A4. Bored Beyond Oblivion
A5. All the Hurt Inside
A6. Everyone is a Ghost
B1. In the Morning
B2. Silver Knife
B3. Look and See
B4. Fall
B5. Help Me Make it Right
B6. A Place in the Mountains
• Monster Movie: http://www.myspace.com/monstermovie
• Graveface: http://graveface.com
