It’s Official: China Hates Indie but Loves Beyoncé; Buzzcocks, British Sea Power Banned from Modern Sky Festival
By Brom on Oct 6 2009
Foreign affairs enthusiasts will know that on October 1 China celebrated its 60th anniversary as the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese authorities also used this opportunity to extol their country’s cultural “purity” by cancelling all foreign acts at an upcoming indie music festival.
Bands including Buzzcocks, British Sea Power, and International Noise Conspiracy (sorry guys the word ‘conspiracy’ really just doesn’t go down well in perennially-insecure China) were scheduled to play at the Modern Sky Festival in Beijing from October 4-7. Foreign acts were due to comprise “over a quarter of the festival's performers.”
China’s Ministry of Culture made it clear that “the city's cultural administration authorities and the cultural and entertainment businesses will redouble their efforts to ‘focus on enforcement, to ensure safety’ in order to eliminate all kinds of security risks... in order to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding [of the People's Republic] in a safe, cultural atmosphere."
China clearly feels that Beyoncé is conducive to a “safe, cultural atmosphere” when it was confirmed that she will be able to bring her “‘I Am...Sasha Fierce’ tour to the Chinese capital for a single show on October 23.”
So it’s official then: indie constitutes a “security risk,” while pop ensures a “safe, cultural atmosphere.” The staff at Tiny Mix Tapes are incensed and begin their boycott of China today with a freeze on all purchases of Chinese food (TMT writers’ staple diet). We hope our fellow indie-lovin’ Americans will follow suit.
Efterklang Sign To 4AD, A Subsidiary of Cap’n Crunch
By E. Nagurney on Oct 6 2009
The good news: jubilant Danish indie-rockers Efterklang have signed to legendary label 4AD. The group plans to release their follow up to 2007’s Parades on the label in early 2010, in all areas except Scandinavia, where they will put it out on their own Rumraket imprint.
Fans waiting for the band’s new record can sate themselves with Performing Parades, a CD+DVD set capturing the band’s September 2008 performance of Parades with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra at Copenhagen's Koncerthuset. Performing Parades will be out October 19 on The Leaf Label.
The bad news: signing to 4AD made Efterklang remember how much they loved This Mortal Coil. They’ve been locked in their room listening to It Will End In Tears for days now. Somebody make sure those boys are okay!
Jawbox to Reissue For Your Own Special Sweetheart; Album Title Still Misleading
By Matt Lundy on Oct 6 2009
Listening to Jawbox’s “FF=66” -- with its spastic guitar and J. Robbins’ shouted lyrics -- you have a hard time imagining that they ever recorded for a major label. But in the early-to-mid 90s, when label heads were sniffing for any Nirvana-like potential, the outliers of years past got fat advances and a little airplay on MTV (when such a thing existed). Of course, the whole experiment of Jawbox recording for Atlantic Records didn’t work out as planned for the label. (Somewhere, a former A&R guy is crushed about signing a band with rampant male pattern baldness and thinking you could market that successfully.)
But Jawbox did release For Your Own Special Sweetheart on Atlantic, probably their most critically acclaimed and revered album. And like all great albums of yesteryear, the album will be getting the reissue treatment from Dischord/DeSoto Records and is slated to come out November 23, 2009. You can purchase it on CD or vinyl, plus the reissue includes three tracks from the Savory + 3 EP.
DeSoto writes that the reissue “is a pretty meaty version of the record, with Zach's drums and Kim's bass getting a thorough re-write, while the guitars enjoy a sprinkling of what ended up being somewhat shallow mid-range in the original.”
RIP: Mercedes Sosa, Argentine folk singer
By Shane Mack on Oct 5 2009
From The New York Times:
Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa, the ''voice of Latin America'' whose music inspired opponents of South America's brutal military regimes and led to her forced exile in Europe, died Sunday, her family said. She was 74.Her remains lay in state at the National Congress, where thousands of people -- many with flowers or Argentine flags -- lined up to pay respects to one of the region's most iconic voices.
''She was the best ambassador the country ever had,'' said Clara Suarez, 63, holding a bouquet of white flowers outside the Congress.
Sosa was best known for signature tunes such as ''Gracias a la Vida'' (''Thanks to Life'') and ''Si se Calla el Cantor'' (''If the Singer is Silenced''). She had been in the hospital for more than two weeks with liver problems and had since been suffering from progressive kidney failure and cardiac arrest.
Her latest album, ''Cantora 1,'' is nominated for three prizes in next month's Latin Grammy awards in Las Vegas, including album of the year and best folkloric album.
- Mercedes Sosa official website
- Mercedes Sosa Wikipedia entry
Do I Need to Make A Joke About Pot? Snoop Dogg to Tour With Method Man, Redman, Devin the Dude
By Kid Midnight on Oct 5 2009
What’s a guy like Snoop Doggy Dogg to do after being named the new Creative Chairman of EMI Music’s Priority Records? Yeah, I know -- the obvious answers are to smoke a fat blunt or maybe record a new single with cohort/best buddy Dr. Dre, but in a move that will change the industry as we know it, Snoop has decided to simply travel the country and remind you why he’s a righteous dude.
The West Coast legend, global superstar, and scavenger smoker has announced that he will once again be heading out on tour, this time with supporting acts Method Man (oops!), Redman, and Devin the Dude, under the “Wonderland High School Tour” banner. Exactly what they mean by “Wonderland High School” is beyond my understanding, but who gives a shit? It’s Snoop Dogg!
Snoopy will also be using the tour as a way of promoting his upcoming album, Malice N Wonderland, which is slated to be released December 8. Snoop will also be using the tour as a way of smoking a bunch of pot. Yeah, it’s an obvious joke, but hey, I can’t write about Snoop Dogg and not mention pot at least three times.
Hey! Here are the dates:
10.27.09 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
10.28.09 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
10.29.09 - New York, NY - Nokia Theatre Times Square
10.30.09 - Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
10.31.09 - Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues
11.01.09 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
11.03.09 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue Theatre
11.04.09 - Chicago, IL - Congress Theatre
11.05.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Epic
11.06.09 - Kansas City, MO - Harrah's Voodoo Lounge
11.07.09 - Robinson, MS - Events Center @ Harrah's Casino
11.08.09 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
