Hmmm, Something Naughty, Eh? "Sex is Like Snow; You Never Know How Many..." Oh Sorry! This Story Is About a Pastels and Tenniscoats Album, Not a Pasties and Teninchpenisthroats Album!
Don't you love it when the man least likely becomes a hero? Few would have bet on Stephen Pastel (né McRobbie) to influence legions of spotty-faced followers when he started playing music as The Pastels back in the early 1980s but, as any scamdicapper will tell you as he pockets the deed to your house, betting is a suckers game. Copycatting being the sincerest form of flattery and all that aside, The Pastels gave up the ghost of the embarrassingly clique-y C86 scene shortly after 1986 and have released a string of idiosyncratically brilliant, frustratingly infrequent albums that have managed to simultaneously rub the brain muscle and tug the love muscle since. Recovering indie gamblers will fight the urge to jump back in the fray with news that the original high-rolling exploration team of Pastel and Katrina Mitchell will return with a new album not in the murky "near future" but in the eyeball-singeing "near now." Next week, in fact!
For their latest record Pastel and Mitchell have recorded with their Japanese spiritual muso-twins, Saya and Takashi Ueno, a.k.a. Tenniscoats, and frequent doppelgangers like Norman Blake and Gerard Love (Teenage Fanclub), Bill Wells, and Tom Crossley (International Airport). Two Sunsets will be available on September 22 in North America via the Pastels-navigated arm of Domino Records, Geographic, and is a, not the, follow up to their most recent album, a soundtrack to The Last Great Wilderness (issued in 2003). This inspired Tenniscoats/Pastels collaboration is already out in the U.K., as is the first single, "Vivid Youth," which features the double duos' heart-touched version of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s "About You" on the B-side.
As far as a new exclusively Pastels record is concerned, there is no firm news on that front as yet besides the fact that there is indeed one in the works. Patience, patience... good always wins out and comes to those who wait. When it does come you can bet the farm on it wiping the floor with the current crop of overhyped crap shooters.
Two Suns tracklisting:
1. Tokyo Glasgow
2. Two Sunsets
3. Song for a Friend
4. Vivid Youth
5. Yomigaeru
6. Modesty Piece
7. About You
8. Boats
9. Hikoki
10. Sodane
11. Mou Mou Rainbow
12. Start Slowly So We Sound Like a Loch
One is the loneliest number of upcoming Pastels shows:
11.27.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
Vampire Weekend to Release Contra, Yippity Skippity.
Bloody hindsight – it’s always 20-20. Remember all those ads with this girl? Right from the start, it was apparent she wasn't there to secretly tempt me with a new, revolutionary polo collection (my specialty store of choice varies from free market to flea market). A Wii remake of a NES classic would be more desirable, but the buzzing keyword was in her look: not doe-eyed, but rather "preppy" – the somewhat derogative adjective for one particular act. NME tried to hype up the big revelation, but to no avail.
So here’s the straight recap: Vampire Weekend’s new album drops on January 12, 2010 via XL recordings.
Next time, I’m gonna play "wheel of fortune" hosted by NME (“S O P _ O _ O _ _ S _ _ _ P”). I’ll do my Very Best.
Contra tracklist:
1. Horchata
2. White Sky
3. Holiday
4. California English
5. Taxi Cab
6. Run
7. Cousins
8. Giving Up The Gun
9. Diplomat’s Son
10. I Think Ur A Contra
Chad VanGaalen Gives Out Free EP and Plans Canadian Tour (Can You Say Pretentious?)
Chad VanGaalen is like a younger, Canadian version of Robert Pollard. Behind a relentless work ethic, all the guy needs is some shitty recording equipment to pump out his falsetto-laced brand of folk-pop. When I spoke to Chad back in March, he said that he didn’t start actively listening to music until his late high school days, and that his time was wrapped up in drawing and animation. Then, of course, he bought a four-track recorder and started writing a boatload of catchy songs. Fresh off the debut album of his instrumental/electronic side project Black Mold, Chad has reached back into the Soft Airplane (TMT Review) vault to offer up a free digital EP of B-sides from that recording time.
You can download the EP at the Soft Airplane website. Better yet, you can catch Chad VanGaalen in the coming weeks when he does a primarily West Coast tour of Canada.
Tourdates:
09.19.09 - Toronto, ON - The Church of the Redeemer
10.08.09 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
10.09.09 - Winnipeg, MB - The Park Theatre
10.10.09 - Saskatoon, SK - Broadway Theatre
10.14.09 - Victoria, BC - Alix Goolden Performance Hall
10.15.09 - Vancouver, BC - The Rio
10.16.09 - Kelowna, BC - Habitat
10.18.09 - Edmonton, AB - Myer Horowitz Theatre
Why Have Beatles Mania When You Can Have Hair Police Mania!!?? Hair Police Tours Europe with Family Battle Snake
Fuck The Beatles!! There, I said it. Now let's move on to an important matter. Hair Police are jetting out to Europe to battle all this mania with their pals Family Battle Snake. These boys will be UK trippin' for a mere week, jaunting around Europe, pissin' all over Abbey Road, and burning every Beatles record they stumble upon. For this tour, both Hair Police and Family Battle Snake will have special tour edition LPs put out by Harbinger Sound -- Hair Police with Stay In Bodies, and Family Battle Snake with Glass Face Island. Each LP will be in an edition of 100, so you'd better act quick on these since, unlike all those crappy Beatles records, they won't be reissued a million times with mutliple remastered versions in mono and stereo.
The tour will kick off in Bristol and conclude in Glasgow, followed by one final Hair Police gig in Dublin and three more solo dates for Family Battle Snake, finishing up in Manchester. The two groups are also playing the very first No Fun Fest Sweden with a whole gang of noisemakers, including Wolf Eyes, Burning Star Core, Prurient, Emeralds, and so many more. Family Battle Snake are playing September 18, while Hair Police are closing out the fest September 20.
So if you're lucky enough to catch these dudes in action, make sure and pick up one of their limited tour LPs and avoid at all costs picking up any of the Beatles reissues.
Here are the dates:
09.18.09 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fylkingen (No Fun Fest Sweden) **
09.20.09 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fylkingen (No Fun Fest Sweden) *
11.15.09 - Bristol, UK - The Croft
11.16.09 - London, UK - Cargo &
11.17.09 - Cambridge, UK - The Man on the Moon
11.18.09 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club $
11.19.09 - Glasgow, UK - Stereo
11.20.09 - Dublin, Ireland - Whelens *
11.20.09 - Edinburgh, UK - Stills Gallery **
11.21.09 - Newcastle, UK - The Telegraph ** +
11.22.09 - Manchester, UK - tba **
* (Hair Police only)
** (Family Battle Snake only)
& Noxagt
+ Jazzfinger, Masterslave, Eyeballs
$ Astral Social Club, Mutant Ape
Update: Pavement Reunion Pre-Sale Tickets On Sale Tomorrow, Compilation LP Due Next Year
No two shits about it: the Pavement reunion (TMT News) is officially happening, but, as Matador appropriately warns, "this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion." So, yes, the reunion may be on, BUT FOR HOW LONG, AND WILL THERE BE A NEW ALBUM, ETC.
Pre-sale tickets for the first announced show -- September 21 at Rumsey Playfield in New York -- will be available via Ticketmaster tomorrow morning (password: ZOWEE). And expect a retrospective Pavement compilation sometime next year via Matador.
Check out Matador's post here and follow all the juicy Pavement reunion details here.
[Photo: Gail Butensky]
RIP: Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary
From Peter, Paul and Mary's official website:
Mary Travers passed away today [Wednesday, September 15, 2009]. After successful recovery from leukemia through a bone marrow/stem cell transplant, Mary succumbed to the side effects of one of the chemotherapy treatments. [...]Mary Travers fought cancer and its consequent illnesses with an inspiring strength and determination, maintaining a positive outlook and uncomplaining spirit throughout. Mary’s life and legacy remain a great American treasure. She was a passionate singer of songs, songs that have enlightened us and moved us to action as citizens of America and the world. She never failed to champion those most in need, those most deprived of their rights as citizens and human beings, and those targeted by racism and discrimination; the powerless, the infirm, the poor. Mary never shrank before a threat to her person if it got in the way of pursuing her deeply held convictions, and she was as loyal on behalf of her friends as she was to her principles. Mary helped awaken mainstream America to the humanizing message of folk music. She reached millions of people in the struggle to guarantee social justice for all and has left a profound and lasting impact on all of us. Each of us, many in profoundly personal ways, will deeply miss her and the gifts she has given us--as an artist, as a triumphant role model, and as a dear, beloved friend. Well done, Mary Travers. We shall miss you beyond telling.
- Mary Travers official website
- Peter, Paul and Mary official website
- Peter, Paul and Mary Wikipedia entry
Stream The Flaming Lips' Embryonic Now (And Don't Forget About The Soft Bulletin Vinyl Reissue)
The Flaming Lips just finished a blazing performance of Embryonic track "Convinced Of The Hex" on The Colbert Report, and guess what? I'M BACKSTAGE! WOOHOO!! It's absolutely insane here: groups of people are snorting lines of coke, a few are engaging in fisticuffs, and nearly everyone else is fucking their brains out, with sex juices splashing everywhere. I love it!
Anyway: as a little bonus, The Colbert Nation website is currently streaming the forthcoming double album Embryonic in its entirety. The stream will only be available through next Monday, so get your fix soon or you'll have to wait for its October 13 release or TBA leak. Feel free to pre-order here if you're into that whole purchasing music thing.
And in case you forgot, The Soft Bulletin has been reissued on vinyl for its 10th anniversary and includes a 3-track bonus CD. FYI: it's limited.
The Soft Bulletin LP version tracklisting:
1. Race for the Prize
2. A Spoonful Weighs a Ton
3. The Spark That Bled
4. The Spiderbite Song
5. Buggin'
6. What Is the Light?
7. The Observer
8. Waitin' for a Superman
9. Suddenly Everything Has Changed
10. The Gash
11. Slow Motion
12. Feeling Yourself Distintegrate
13. Sleeping on the Roof
Bonus CD:
1. 1000 Foot Hands (final mix)
2. The Captain (Non-album track)
3. Satellite For You (Non-album track)
Smashing Pumpkins to Release 44 Free Songs, To Be Known Collectively as Teargarden by Kaleidyscope; Something Tells Me This Isn't the 19-Year-Old Drummer's Idea
What do you get when you mix 42-year-old Billy Corgan with a 19-year-old drummer named "Mike"?
A heartwarming father/son-like relationship? ("Hey, let's go toss the ball around!") Weird, barely-legal sexual activity? ("Hey, let's go toss my balls around!") One would assume both, but Corgan has never been one for tradition. Instead, Corgan and "Mike" (a.k.a. The Smashing Pumpkins) will write some songs, record some songs, and release some songs. And not just a couple songs here and there, but 44 songs, released for free on the internet and not-for-free on 11 EPs that will eventually be collected as a box set titled Teargarden by Kaleidyscope. Confusing? Bill, take it away:
The album will feature 44 songs, 4 of which are now being recorded. My desire is to release a song at a time beginning around Halloween of this year, with each new release coming shortly after until all 44 are out. Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached. Free will mean free, which means you won't have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish.We will however sell highly limited edition EP's (of 4 songs each times 11), and details of how those EP's will be made available are still being worked out. Because the songs themselves will be free, the EP's will be more like collectors items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EP's will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal cd single. We may also offer other variations for sale, say for example a digital single with a demo version of a song. The commitment that is most important is the one I'm making to you: that the music of 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope' will be available for free to everyone. All 44 songs: free for ALL.
When the entire album is finished, it will be compiled into a deluxe box set which will also be made available for sale. Those who have bought the EP's need not worry, as the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces.
The rest of the post describes what the album is based on, but who cares?? Just kidding! You can read the post here. Or should I say, experience the post.
Evan Parker and Ned Rothenberg Take Up a Life of Busking But Find That Street People Don't Like and Can't Even Hear Their Multiphonic, Microtonal Sax Duets Over the Crowd Noise; Decide to Take Their Act to Quiet Schools and Theaters Where People Appreciate Things Like a Good Tongue Slapping
Vast explorers of extended horn playing, Evan Parker and Ned Rothenberg have been a heavy part of the free-improv scene, with Parker dating back to 60s European free-jazz happenings and Rothenberg starting out in the late 70s. The two have been working together for over a decade and have released three records; Monkey Puzzle, Live at Roulette, and most recently, Free Zone Appleby 2007 (together with Sardinian Guitarist Paolo Angeli).
This month will see the two traveling around the U.S. for a short week-long venture, including a stop in D.C. to headline Friday night of the Sonic Circuits Festival. The tour starts on September 24 in Amherst, MA and ends September 30 in Montreal, QC. After the week is over, Parker will be hanging out at John Zorn's NY venue The Stone, while he performs and curates events through the first half of October, pitting Parker against the likes of John Zorn, Fred Frith, Milford Graves, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, and Chris Corsano, to name a few.
Just remember that if you plan on attending one of Parker and Rothenberg's shows, don't bring your grandma. She will definitely be asking you a million times if the sounds she hears are coming from the two men's horns. Yes, Grandma, YES!
Here are the dates:
09.24.09 - Amherst, MA - Bezanson Recital Hall (U of Massachusetts)
09.25.09 - Washington, DC - Sonic Circuits Festival
09.26.09 - Oberlin, OH - Fairchild Chapel (Oberlin College)
09.27.09 - Chicago, IL - Claudia Cassidy Theater (Chicago Cultural Center)
09.28.09 - Detroit, MI - 2739 Edwin
09.29.09 - Buffalo, NY - Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
09.30.09 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
10.01.09-10.16.09 - New York, NY - The Stone *
* Evan Parker in various determined combinations
By The Power of Salad! Lightning Bolt to Streak Across Sky and Touch Down in Australia and New Zealand; Brush Fires to Ensue
Blimey! Call the Prime Minister, innocent boys and girls of Australia! Like a young Michael J. Fox ripping through an obscene Van Halen solo at the end of a Chuck Freakin’ Berry song while a bunch of dumbstruck '50s kids at a High School Dance look on in horror, Rhode Island noise rock duo Lightning Bolt is crashing the unsuspecting country/continent of Australia for the first time; and, as Marty McFly himself can attest, you are SO “just not ready for that yet.”
As reported previously, bassist Brian Gibson and drummer Brian Chippendale are all set to drop their long-awaited follow-up to 2005’s batshit Hypermagic Mountain (TMT Review), the most-certainly batshittier Earthly Delights, on October 13 via Load. And now, hot on the flaming tracks of that new release, the Brians have been goaded into doing “something that really cooks.” So they’re kicking it up a couple of notches and bringing their whole DIY touring, rolling up parking lots, playing on the ground, blocking the exits kinda thing DIRECT to YOU, denizens of Australia and New Zealand. So if you live anywhere close to there, you might want to plan a fun little road trip down the interstate over to... umm, on second thought, I guess those aren’t the easiest places on Earth to get to, are they? Well, sans flying Delorean, at least... either way, if you live there, you’ll probably want to start practicing that whole “look on in horror” thing in advance, yeah?
Australia/New Zealand Dates:
11.20.09 - Melbourne, Victoria - Thornbury Theatre
11.21.09 - Sydney, New South Wales - Manning Bar
11.22.09 - Brisbane, Queensland - Hi Fi
11.24.09 - Auckland, New Zealand - Transmission Room
11.25.09 - Wellington, New Zealand - San Francisco Bath House
11.26.09 - Hobart, Tasmania - Mona
11.27.09 - Adelaide, South Australia - Fowlers Live
11.28.09 - Melbourne, Victoria - Trades Hall (Static Age Festival)
Holy Shitizzle! Snoop Dogg Named New Creative Chairman of EMI Music’s Priority Records
When you’re an internationally famous hip-hop star that was just named Creative Chairman of EMI Music’s Priority Records, what do you do as your first task on the job? If you’re Snoop Dogg, you promote your own upcoming album, duh! With Snoop at the helm, Priority Records’ next release will be his new studio album, Malice N Wonderland, due out this December.
Priority Records made a name for itself by becoming a major force in the West Coast Rap scene of the 80s and 90s. Snoop will be in charge of relaunching “the legacy of Priority and will drive efforts to maximize untapped digital and branding opportunities at the label,” according to the press release. All of which basically means that the Priority label execs are catching onto this whole internet marketing phenomenon thing (omgz Twitter is totes exciting!). Snoop will also be an executive producer for a new series of Priority releases that are due out next year commemorating the label’s 25th anniversary.
Of course, no story about Snoop Dogg is finished without a direct quote from the Dogg Father himself. From the press release:
Starting fresh with EMI is a great feeling. It's a new partnership, a new Priority Records, and a new Snoop Dogg: the Creative Chairman... the Boss Dogg... the Dogg Father. The business model we've developed will bring the musical heritage of groups like N.W.A. to the forefront. And you definitely got to get ready for my new album Malice N Wonderland in December to kick it all off -- this is going to be the most potent dose of Snoop Dogg yet!
