Animal Collective to release ODDSAC on DVD
It has been pretty tough to get access to just about anything Animal Collective have done live since the Merriweather Post Pavilion (TMT Review) beast was unleashed about a year ago. Particularly tough have been the ODDSAC (TMT Review) screenings and the March 4 exhibition of Transverse Temporal Gyrus (review forthcoming!) at the Guggenheim in New York.
Of no coincidence whatsoever, those visually-oriented projects have been the collaboration of both Animal Collective and visual artist Danny Perez, whose visual creations typically feature blacklight trickery and/or an androgynous-looking person eating raw meat. In addition to ODDSAC, he has also directed Animal Collective's "Who Could Win A Rabbit" and "Summertime Clothes" videos, as well as videos by Kurt Vile and Black Dice. However, ODDSAC is his first visual album, and lucky for us, it's coming out June 29 on DVD. So, for those of us who want to cozy up at home with an animal sac, this is the perfect opportunity.
Check out the trailer at the Chocolate Grinder and our review here.
Here's hoping they'll figure out a way to exhibit Transverse Temporal Gyrus in the privacy of our homes.
• Animal Collective: http://myanimalhome.net
• Paw Tracks: http://www.paw-tracks.com
From the ashes of Desolation Wilderness, Electric Sunset arises
Just as it is for adorable cartoon lions, for indie rock bands there is a Circle of Life. Today's case in point being Olympia-based Desolation Wilderness, K recording artists and purveyors of hazy indie pop. The band recently announced that, after two LPs (one of which was last year's New Universe (TMT Review)), two 7-inches, and two nationwide tours (plus a European jaunt), they are calling it a day. And then, like a mystical phoenix soaring through the early spring night sky, another band was born from the old band's ashes! That band is Electric Sunset.
Fronted by Desolation Wilderness' Nic Zwart, the new project will feature "synthetic rhythms and ringing keyboards," promised to be both dreamy and totally rock 'n' roll. The directional change was inspired by Zwart's recent move back to his hometown, San Francisco. Expect a September 2010 release on K Records.
• Electric Sunset: http://www.myspace.com/electricsunsetforever
• K: http://www.krecs.com
Flaming Lips making another movie, beg Justin Timberlake to star in it
After a 2009 that saw the release of two albums — Embyronic and the collaborative recitation of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon with Stardeath and White Dwarf — Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne is donning his filmmaker's beret again.
Coyne tells Billboard that he's starting work on a project designed to be a bit more modest than 2008's Christmas on Mars (TMT Review). "My only goal was that I didn't have to build space station-looking sets every time I wanted to have someone say something," Coyne notes, "only because I built those sets myself every time we shot something for Christmas on Mars over the seven years we took to make it. This one is set in someone's house and in a back yard and in a slaughterhouse; all those are available to me right here, so I don't have to build everything this time."
Like Mars, Coyne says the new film will be shot primarily with his Flaming Lips bandmates and friends and family in Oklahoma City. "I'm gonna try to get real actors, too," he adds, "celebrities to show up and have fun with us for a couple of nights. I'm in the process of begging Justin Timberlake to be part of it; if I'm lucky I'll be able to wear him down in another year." That, of course, implies that we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for the finished product. "I think everybody would be relieved if it all got done in six weeks and we could say, 'Look at that!' " says Coyne, who's also started working on music for the movie with Lips bandmate Steven Drozd. "But because I get to do it with people I love and it's my art, I don't care how long it takes."
Flaming Lips are hardly going on the back burner while Coyne works on the film. The group has already announced 14 shows, including a March 12 stop at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, a performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 11, and a Central Park Summerstage gig on July 26 in New York City. The Bonnaroo show will include a full run-through of Dark Side — which comes out in limited-edition vinyl for Record Store Day on April 17 and on CD May 4 — but Coyne doesn't think the Floyd classic will become part of the Lips' regular repertoire.
• The Flaming Lips: http://www.flaminglips.com
Spring is on its way! And so is a Via Tania tour!
There are a couple of things I really like about Australian-born Chicago-based singer Via Tania: (1) She looks a lot like Audrey Horne from Twin Peaks, and everybody knows that Audrey is the best character on Twin Peaks (and she's super hot). (2) Her glistening, dreamy pop is absolutely hypnotic. And now, lucky for all of us, she's released her sophomore album, Moon Sweet Moon.
Moon Sweet Moon, available since October 2009 via The Hours, features sessions recorded in all kinds of places I wish I was right now instead of being in Minnesota: places like Iceland, southern France, Australia, and Austin, TX. The album was produced by Craig Ross, a Grammy nominee for his work with Patty Griffin, who has also worked with Daniel Johnston and Red House Painters. Members of Tortoise, Shearwater, Ground Components, and El May guest on the album. Via Tania will be performing at SXSW before embarking on a North American tour with Seabear.
03.13.10 - Chicago, IL - The Hideout SXSW Party *
03.17.10 - Austin, TX - The Velveeta Room (Official SXSW Showcase)
03.18.10 - Austin, TX - Castlemania Afternoon Party
03.18.10 - Austin, TX - Austin Convention Centre
03.20.10 - Austin, TX - Popfrenzy Party at Maggie Maes
03.26.10 - Lawrence, KS - 8th Street Tap Room *
03.23.10 - Washington, DC - Black Cat Backstage
03.24.10 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
03.25.10 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
03.26.10 - Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw
03.28.10 - Cambridge, MA - T.T. The Bear's
03.30.10 - Montreal, QC - L'Escogriffe
03.31.10 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
04.02.10 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
* Seabear
• Via Tania: http://www.viatania.com
Jonny Greenwood scores soundtrack for Norwegian Wood film adaptation
Composer Jonny Greenwood, better known as the guitarist for Radiohead, announced following a February show at BBC's Maida Vale Studios that he is composing the score for a film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's popular novel, Norwegian Wood.
You may remember Greenwood's solo work from a few years ago, when There Will Be Blood struck musical gold (or oil, if you prefer) after Paul Thomas Anderson recruited him to provide the film score. The original soundtrack stemmed from "Popcorn Superhet Receiver," a piece Greenwood debuted in 2005 with the BBC Concert Orchestra. In a similar transformation, Norwegian Wood's music will be an amplification of "Doghouse," the piece that Greenwood (BBC Concert Orchestra composer-in-residence since 2004) showcased last month to a select few.
Directed by Tran Anh Hung, the movie is slated for release in Japan before the end of the year (see stills here). If done well, the Murakami/Radiohead association will guarantee every third person between the age of 17 and 27 as a fan. If not, you can always press mute and play The Beatles on your acoustic guitar.
On Friday, March 19, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast the performance of "Doghouse" and a preview of the Norwegian Wood score at 2 PM.
• Radiohead: http://www.radiohead.com
[Photo: Michell Zappa]
Caribou announce tour, continue to swirl endlessly forever
The live incarnation of Caribou, the swirling electro-shock project of Mr. Dan Snaith, is prepping for a world tour in support of forthcoming record, Swim (TMT News), out in April via Merge (City Slang outside the US). In fact, they're not wasting a second of time in supporting the record, as the group's world tour begins in London on April 19, the same day as the record's UK release. Snaith and crew will swirl through Europe for the rest of April, after which they head to North America for another month and a half of touring. That's some serious swirling going on.
Caribou dates:
04.19.10 - Manchester, England - Deaf Institute #
04.20.10 - London, England - Corsica Studios London *#
04.21.10 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso (Upstairs) #
04.22.10 - Brussels, Belgium - Beursschouwburg #
04.2.10 -3 Paris, France - Le Point Ephemere #
04.24.10 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Le Romandie #
04.25.10 - St. Gallen, Switzerland - Palace #
04.26.10 - Milan, Italy - Magnolia #
04.27.10 - Munich, Germany - Feierwerk #
04.28.10 - Berlin, Germany - Berghain Berlin #
04.29.10 - Hamburg, Germany - Prinzenbar #
04.30.10 - Aarhus, Denmark - Pop Revo Festival
05.01.10 - Stockholm, Sweden - Strand
05.03.10 - Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix
05.04.10 - Ottawa, Ontario - Babylon
05.05.10 - Montreal, Quebec - Tulipe
05.06.10 - Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
05.07.10 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
05.08.10 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
05.09.10 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
05.10.10 - Washington, DC - Rock N Roll Hotel
05.11.10 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson
05.12.10 - Chapel, Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle
05.13.10 - Atlanta, GA - Earl
05.14.10 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
05.15.10 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Studio
05.16.10 - Austin, TX - Emo's
05.18.10 - Phoenix, AZ - Clubhouse
05.19.10 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
05.20.10 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
05.21.10 - Mexico City, Mexico - Teatro Fru Fru
05.24.10 - San Francisco, CA - Independent
05.26.10 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne
05.28.10 - Victoria, British Columbia - Sugar
05.29.10 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Rickshaw
05.30.10 - George, WA - Sasquatch
05.31.10 - Calgary, Alberta - Republik
06.01.10 - Edmonton, Alberta - Starlite
06.02.10 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Amigo's
06.03.10 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Royal Albert Arms
06.04.10 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
06.05.10 - Davenport, IA - Rock Island Brewing Co.
06.07.10 - St. Louis, MO - Firebird
06.08.10 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar
06.09.10 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
06.10.10 - Hamilton, Ontario - Casbah %
06.11.10 - Halifax, Nova Scotia - Paragon
06.16.10 - London, England - Heaven !
# Gold Panda
% Vowls
! DJ Kieran Hebden (Four Tet)
• Caribou: http://www.myspace.com/cariboumanitoba
• Merge: http://www.mergerecords.com
• City Slang: http://www.cityslang.com
Camera Obscura announce US spring tour, resulting in a roar of plaintive sighs
Camera Obscura will be embarking on a US tour this spring, beginning April 3 in Iowa City. Everybody's favorite Glaswegian twee-pop band will also visit Texas and California, among other fine states, in support of last year's My Maudlin Career (TMT Review) on 4AD.
Anyone who lives in the UK knows that Glasgow is probably the closest one can get to Hell on Earth. Why, then, are there so many sunny, bright indie bands that come out of such a desolate place? Even Scottish people say it's awful!
Camera Obscura tour:
04.03.10 - Iowa City, IA - Blue Moose Tap House (Mission Creek Festival)
04.04.10 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
04.05.10 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
04.07.10 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
04.08.10 - Norman, OK - Meacham Auditorium (University of Oklahoma)
04.09.10 - Austin, TX - Emo's (Outside)
04.10.10 - Denton, TX - Hailey's
04.11.10 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Studio
04.16.10 - Las Vegas, NV - Club Aruba (Aruba Hotel)
04.20.10 - Visalia, CA - Cellar Door
04.21.10 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
04.23.10 - Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
04.24.10 - Bellingham, WA - Nightlight Lounge
04.25.10 - Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan
• Camera Obscura: http://www.camera-obscura.net
• 4AD: http://www.4ad.com
Public Image Ltd to tour North America after Coachella
Celebrating an event that I'm sure has absolutely no significance for the band whatsoever, legendary-as-shit post-punkers Public Image Ltd. will be touring the US on the 30th anniversary of their first live appearance (on this side of the pond). The tour takes place immediately following the band's first stateside appearance in roughly 18 years, taking place where else but at this year's notoriously infamous Coachella Festival.
Considering John Lydon's recent ventures and his quote of "sounding like a bag of kittens being thrown down a flight of stairs" on their recent UK tour, it's bound to be quite the outing.
Preliminary Dates (more to be added!):
04.16.10 - Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field/Coachella
04.17.10 - San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom @ Regency Center
04.20.10 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at The Market
04.21.10 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
04.23.10 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
04.24.10 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
04.26.10 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
05.02.10 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
05.04.10 - Boston, MA - Royale Boston
05.05.10 - Boston, MA - Royale Boston
05.07.10 - Toronto, ON - Kool Haus
05.08.10 - Montreal, QC - Theatre L'Olympia de Montreal
05.11.10 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
05.12.10 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
05.14.10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Zoo
05.15.10 - Atlantic City, NJ The Borgata Music Box
05.18.10 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
• Public Image Ltd.: http://www.pilofficial.com
Phosphorescent unveils decidedly photoluminescent new LP
Hey, remember that guy Matt Houck who was doing that little side project thing Phosphorescent a little while ago while he was waiting for his modeling career to really catch fire? Well, um, his modeling career didn't catch fire. I know, right?? Needless to say, some intensive therapy must have ensued.
But after a few pep talks from his $300-an-hour psychiatrist and an "experimental therapy record" of Willie Nelson covers, To Willie (TMT Review), Houck is finally back to work, this time with a full band in tow. His newest Phosphorescent offering, Here's to Taking It Easy, is slated for release May 11 in the US and May 10 in the UK via Dead Oceans.
Apparently energized by the full band vibe of those Willie Nelson sessions, Houck and co. recorded the core tracks live in three days at Headgear Studios with engineer Alex Lipsen, after which Houck took the sessions to Phos Caverns in Brooklyn for overdubbing/arranging/indie credibility purposes. Joined by his current live band of Scott Stapleton on piano, Jeff Bailey on bass, Chris Marine on drums, Jesse Anderson Ainslie on guitar, and Ricky Ray Jackson on pedal steel (and featuring John Natchez on horns and Heather McIntosh on cello), this record sounds like a damn hootenanny compared to the relatively minimalist vibe of 2007's Pride (TMT Review). And that newfound sense of self-confidence seems pretty evident in the first mp3 too, which is called "It's Hard to be Humble (When You're From Alabama)". Damn, Houck. Could I maybe get that psychiatrist's number? I'm pretty sure my TMT Insurance will cover this.
• Phosphorescent: http://www.myspace.com/phosphorescent
• Dead Oceans: http://www.deadoceans.com
Massive Attack totally coming to North America
A great man once said "Why you wanna go and do that, love, huh?" That man was rapper T.I. (and Q-Tip before him). Now, he may not have been speaking about Massive Attack at the time, but I think today his words are more poignant than ever. Because today is the day I learned that one of my most admired bands of the past couple decades is finally touring the United States when I'm a legal adult with a certain (minimal) amount of money to spend on driving to bigger cities to see bands, and yet this band is coming nowhere near me. Oh Massive Attack, you bring me such pain. Toronto, maybe you could call me and hold up your cell phone when they do the Hope Sandoval and Martina Topley-Bird tracks off their latest album on Virgin, Heligoland (TMT Review)?
05.07.10 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
05.09.10 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
05.11.10 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
05.12.10 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
05.18.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater
05.19.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater
05.25.10 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
05.27.10 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
05.30.10 - George, WA - Sasquatch! Festival
• Massive Attack: http://massiveattack.com
• Virgin: http://virginrecords.com
The National to release new album, High Violet, in May
The National will have a new record out May 11 via 4AD. High Violet is the band's fifth LP and, yes, they're embarking on a spring tour in support. Frontman Matt Berninger talked about the new album with a popular music website that shall remain nameless. You see, we're all about high-quality content here at TMT, and we hate to direct you to sanctimonious websites that reject witty news writers who injects stories with irreverence and color and still sustain their readers' attention through meandering 66 word-long sentences with esoteric patois found with five-second searches on thesaurus.com...
But, Ryan, if you're still reading, I'm still available!
The National tour:
03.28.10 Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre (Big Ears Festival)
04.22.10 Richmond, VA - The National
04.23.10 Richmond, VA - The National
05.05.10 London, England - Electric Ballroom
05.06.10 London, England - Royal Albert Hall
05.07.10 Paris, France - Le Zenith *
05.09.10 Berlin, Germany - Astra
05.21.10 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
05.22.10 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern #
05.23.10 San Diego, CA - Spreckels Theatre #
05.26.10 Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre
05.27.10 Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre #
05.29.10 Quincy, WA - Sasquatch Festival
06.02.10 Boston, MA - House of Blues %
06.03.10 Boston, MA - House of Blues %
06.04.10 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory %
06.05.10 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory %
06.06.10 Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall %
06.08.10 Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall %
06.09.10 Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall %
06.11-13.10 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
06.16.10 New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall %
07.27.10 Brooklyn, NY - Prospect Park ^
* Pavement
# Ramona Falls
^ Beach House
% The Antlers
