Kurt Says, “Don’t Use Heroin to Cure Your Stomach Ailments. Use Bleach”; Sub Pop to Reissue Nirvana’s Debut Album
By David Nadelle on 08-20-2009
What were you doing in 1989? Bumping and grinding away on the playground to "My Prerogative?" Chugging roofie-laced MGDs at a frat party whilst pissing away your parents' money attending Useless U to the summer smash "Love Shack?" Trying to grab some ass at the high school dance to "Wind Beneath My Wings?" Soft-shoeing your way to the Sunglass Hut with Phil Collins' "Two Hearts" on your Walkman WM-EX170? Lip-syncing "Girl You Know It's True" while sliding in the latest episode of Quantum Leap into your Betamax?
Well, since you're reading this clued-up site, there is a good chance that, wherever you were and whatever and whomever you were doing it to, it probably involved listening to the first Nirvana album, Bleach, which was released in June of that topsy-turvy, decade-killing year by the then-home of grunge, Sub Pop. Although not the smash album that would propel Kurdt Kobain, Krist Novoseladinejad7, and Chad Channing to Tiger Beat cover star status (that would come two years later, with Dave Grohl replacing the canned Channing on the ubiquitous Nevermind), Bleach shows the band in its raw, kinetic infancy, but still miles ahead of the pack they inadvertently influenced after the record's release.
On November 3, Sub Pop will celebrate Bleach's platinum (modern) or china (traditional) anniversary by reissuing Nirvana's debut in expanded CD and double LP packages. Each format includes the original album proper plus a complete live recording from a February 9, 1990 show in Portland, OR at the Pine Street Theatre. The live show has the trio playing a set of road-tested Bleach material plus fan favorites like "Spank Thru" (Nirvana's first song), "Been a Son" (from the Blew EP), "Dive" (B-side to the "Sliver" single), the oft-worked-over "Sappy," and their much-loved version of The Vaseline's "Molly's Lips." Bleach: Deluxe Edition has been remastered from original tapes by original producer Jack Endino and comes with a 48-page booklet in the CD and 16-page booklet in the LP. Limited initial copies of the double album will be released on snow white vinyl, just as was a limited run of the original platter release.
You may not remember the Menendez brothers, Exxon Valdez, or the country formerly known as "Burma," but I'll be damned if you don't remember these:
Bleach:
1. Blew
2. Floyd the Barber
3. About a Girl
4. School
5. Love Buzz
6. Paper Cuts
7. Negative Creep
8. Scoff
9. Swap Meet
10. Mr. Moustache
11. Sifting
12. Big Cheese
13. Downer
Live at Pine Street Theatre:
1. Intro
2. School
3. Floyd the Barber
4. Dive
5. Love Buzz
6. Spank Thru
7. Molly's Lips
8. Sappy
9. Scoff
10. About a Girl
11. Been a Son
12. Blew
Bring On the Big Guitars: Future of the Left Announces Tour with Trail of Dead
By E. Nagurney on 08-20-2009
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead and Future of the Left are both having good years. Trail of Dead released The Century of Self (TMT Review) this past February, their best album in quite a number of years. As for Future of the Left, they dropped Travels With Myself and Another (TMT Review) back in June, their best album since their last one, 2007’s awesome Curses (TMT Review).
By all evidence, both bands should be feeling pretty good about themselves right now. A victory lap together seems warranted, so that’s just what they’re going to do. The two groups will hit up the North American West Coast for a string of dates this October. One can only assume that the big guitars will, in fact, be brought on.
Future of the Left + Trail of Dead:
10.08.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda
10.09.09 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
10.10.09 - Visalia, CA - Cellar Door
10.11.09 - San Francisco, CA - Independent
10.12.09 - Portland, OR - Dante’s
10.13.09 - Seattle, WA - Neumo’s
10.14.09 - Vancouver, BC - Venue
10.16.09 - Edmonton, ALB - Warehouse
10.17.09 - Calgary, ALB - Warehouse
10.19.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
10.20.09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird
10.23.09 - Oklahoma City, OK - Conservatory
AIDS Wolf Proclaim The Positive Effects of Modern Medicine, Change Name to HIV Wolf, Tour Europe
By Kid Midnight on 08-20-2009
Pleasantly named noise rockers AIDS Wolf have announced that, due to a well-regimented healthy lifestyle full of exercise and nutritious eating habits, they have now been told by doctors that they can revert to their previous name of HIV Wolf. The band was quick to point out that it would not have recovered as quickly as it did if it weren’t for the help of modern pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. A band spokesman made this statement: “Although a healthy lifestyle surely aided in the band’s recovery, a full turn in a healthy direction was only made after the timely and well-prescribed use of multiple medicines.”
The official statement goes on to urge all fans of the band to learn more about modern health insurance policies, the effects of medicine on HIV/AIDS, and the plight of the many people in the world who are currently infected but cannot afford treatment. The band also urged fans to donate what they can to agencies that aim to secure medicine for those less fortunate.
Finally, the statement ends with a list of newly announced European dates and a tongue-in-cheek promise from the band to “use protection during intercourse and to always inform their sex partners of their condition while on tour.” The band hopes that the pledge will also do well in informing their fanbase about the necessity of safe sex in the modern world
11.13.09 - Diksmuide, Belgium - 4AD w/ Oxbow
11.14.09 - Bremen, Germany - Friese
11.15.09 - Koeln, Germany - Kulturbunker
11.17.09 - Poitiers, France - Confort Moderne
11.18.09 - Bordeaux, France - Le Saint Ex
11.19.09 - Lyon, France - Grrrnd Zero w/ Foot Village
11.20.09 - Milano, Italy - La Casa 139
11.21.09 - Neuchatel, Switzerland - Queen Kong Club w/ Dreams
11.23.09 - Nuernberg, Germany - K4
11.24.09 - Vienna, Austria - Fluc
11.25.09 - Prague, Czech - Klub 007
11.27.09 - Amsterdam, Holland - OCCII
11.28.09 - Utrecht, Holland - Le Guess Who Festival
Kranky Means Kwality! Nudge (JMOF/Strategy) to Release New Joint!
By Kenny Bloggins on 08-19-2009
Those looking for some funky post-rock jammage, listen up! Los Angeles-based Nudge (not to be confused with The Nuge), featuring members of
Jackie-O Motherfucker and Strategy, are slated to drop a doozy via Kranky on September 7. As Good As Gone is a slow-burning, gorgeous follow-up to 2005's Cached (TMT Review). While the subterranean groove and minor-key construction on As Good As Gone evoke a more haunting, nighttime-appropriate flavor, there’s also a visceral optimism that
runs underneath the record’s seven songs like groundwater. Perhaps
it’s the playfulness between genres and moods, or the freewheeling
construction of the songs... or perhaps not all noise/post-rock/freak-psych kids like to make nihilistic records. Yes, I've heard it, and it's good.
You will like it, too:
1. Harmo
2. Two Hands
3. Verdantique
4. Aurolac
5. Tito
6. Burns Blue
7. Dawn Comes Light
A European tour (possibly with labelmate White Rainbow) supporting the
record will follow. In the meantime, get a glimpse of the new album
via the group's MyYourOurSpace.
Ghostface, Method Man, and Raekwon Form Like Voltron for Joint LP; Also Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II Finally Dropping Next Month, New Ghostface LP Later This Year, Method Man Allegedly Shot Fan with a Pellet Gun
By Mike McHugh on 08-19-2009
When The Wu-Tang Clan's fifth record 8 Diagrams (TMT Review dropped in December of 2007, the Killa Beez found its greatest critic lodged within its own chambers. Apparently Raekwon felt RZA had ignored the input of the rest of the Clan in favor of his own overarching vision, a sentiment that is certainly not new among the Wu. As a counter to the Abbot, Rae announced plans for a new album called Shaolin Vs. The Wu-Tang, essentially a brand new Wu-Tang joint without the RZA’s involvement.
While the beef between Chef and the Razor eventually waned, talk about Shaolin vs. The Wu-Tang did not, though the fundamental concept went through the ringer a couple times. The idea shifted from Wu-minus-RZA to Wu-minus-RZA-behind-the-boards-but-not-on-the-mic, only to shift again when Method Man showed interest in throwing RZA a couple production bones but still relying primarily on outside input beat-wise. Just like beefing with the RZA, tossing half-baked ideas about side projects to the media is a regular Clan occurrence, but it looks like things have finally been fleshed out for good thanks to indiedom’s favorite Killa Bee, Ghostface Killah. What began as Shaolin vs. The Wu-Tang is now an as-yet untitled collaboration between Ghostface, Raekwon, and Method Man. Ghostface says that each MC will contribute four “phat and tight” tunes with an expected release around the end of this year or the beginning of next.
But there is much Wu to enjoy before then. Ghost’s next LP, The Wizard of Poetry, is expected to drop sometime later this year, and after years of waiting, Raekwon’s hugely anticipated Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II is finally slated for release on September 8. Sure, the sequel to Rae’s classic 1995 record has been delayed time and time again, but let’s do our best to believe in him this time around. And hey, at least he isn’t shooting fans at random with a pellet gun like certain M-E-T-H-O-D man. While no further details of the incident, which occurred last fall, are available at this time, it’s still a weird enough story to at least mention. I guess with ODB gone, Wu-Tang has to split all the crazy bullshit between the eight of them.
