Please Sir, We Want Some More. No, Not More of That Shitty Homemade Gruel, Mr. Bumble, More School of Seven Bells News!
By David Nadelle on 10-22-2008
Sadly, Tiny Mix Tapes hasn't always been the flush, blinged-out high-roller you know and spit on when we saunter by in our Armani speedos and caviar-encrusted tiaras (usually worn together). Making our way in the world today used to take every trick we had at our disposal. I will refrain from saying too much about our brief stint as low-rent boys and economy-priced hookers. And there was also the time when we were hired by Prince to be on-site gardeners/fluffers at Paisley Park. But again, you don't want to hear about that sorted episode. We are, however, not ashamed of our years spent roaming as teams of pickpockets because that acquired skill and cunning and we got to dress as 18th century tramps, which is our favorite dress style still to this day. We were street conjurers and mad magicians, oh yes we were! We would pool our ill-gotten booty around a trashbin in back of the saloon and treat ourselves to the finest pizza slices and 2-Star brandy the city had to offer!
But that was then and this is now, and while we are out of the petty thieving game, we couldn't let a news story pass that concerned School of Seven Bells, a band named after a mythical South American pickpocket school. And when that band features ex-Secret Machines' Ben Curtis and On! Air! Library!'s twin towers of song, Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, then, my friends, to not report it would be a felony.
This is a busy time for the artful dodgers. Having recently signed to wiley schemers Ghostly International, SVIIIB release their first album next week and will continue to tour, with some CMJ dates, a couple of London shows overseas, and a North American tour with M83 on the horizon. The album, Alpinisms, includes debut single "My Cabal" (on Sonic Cathedral) and "Iamundernodisguise," previously reinterpreted by Prefuse 73 as "Class of 73 Bells."
The tour continues tonight in, where else, New York for the first of three shows during this year's CMJ festivities. Oh to be a young Fagin on the loose at CMJ. Half drunken bottles of PBR as far as the eye can see and the hand can reach! For those not inclined to risk doing the time for committing the crime, just go to one of these shows listed below. But I should warn you: you are sure to get your heart stolen.
School of Seven Bells dates:
10.22.08 - Brooklyn, NY - Cake Shop (CMJ, Terrorbird Day Party)
10.24.08 - New York, NY - Levi's Fader Fort (CMJ - Fadar Magazine Party)
10.25.08 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge (CMJ - Windish Agency) #
10.28.08 - London, UK - Old Blue Last
10.29.08 - London, UK - The Social
11.11.08 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl +
11.12.08 - Charlotte, NC- Tremont Music Hall +
11.13.08 - Washington, DC - Black Cat +
11.14.08 - New York, NY - Webster Hall +
11.15.08 - Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom +
11.16.08 - Northhampton, MA - Pearl Street +
11.18.08 - Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs +
11.19.08 - Montreal, QC - Studio Juste pour Rire +
11.20.08 - Toronto, ON - Opera House +
11.21.08 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge +
11.22.08 - Minneapolis, MN- Triple Rock Social Club +
11.25.08 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's +
11.26.08 - Vancouver, BC - Richard's on Richards +
11.27.08 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge +
11.28.08 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore +
11.29.08 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater +
# Matthew Dear
+ M83
The Long Blondes Shut It Down
By Mario Speedwagon on 10-22-2008
British five-piece The Long Blondes have split-up. The band posted on their official website Monday, October 20 saying the reason for the split was because guitarist Dorian Cox was unsure when he would be well enough to play guitar again. In June 2008, Cox suffered a stroke resulting in several show cancellations.
The Long Blondes formed in late 2003 in Sheffield, UK and leave us with two albums, their 2006 release Someone To Drive You Home and this year's release, Couples (TMT Review). The band's breakup announcement coincides with the release of their Singles compilation.
“Big thank you to anyone who ever came to one of our shows, bought one of our records or danced to one of our songs in a club,” continued Dorian’s message. “Thank you, if it wasn't for you the whole thing would have been pointless.”
Antony and KrÃa Brekkan Duet Launches New Paw Tracks Singles Division
By Mango Starr on 10-22-2008
KrÃa Brekkan (ex-müm) is teaming up with Antony (Antony & The Johnsons) on a new 7-inch for Paw Tracks. However, the track, "Be Good To Earth This Season," was actually written and recorded by Reverend Green, Animal Collective's tour manager Brad Truax. (Yes, Brekkan and Antony didn't write the song together. You can't go through life assuming shit like that -- it's annoying.) Meanwhile, the other side of the single features Rings member Abby Portner's new project, Drawlings, with a track called "Wolfie's Christmas." (If you haven't caught on by now, this is a holiday single, something you should've assumed a long time ago. You can't go through life being so timid -- think with conviction PLEASE. THANKS.)
The 7-inch is limited to 1000 and marks the first release in Paw Tracks' Care Kacky's 45s series. It'll be released December 9 via Atlantic/Reprise/EMI/Parlophone/Capitol/Epic.
Familial ties not enough for the Animal Collective obsessive in you? Well, what do you want? A new Animal Collective album or somethin' (TMT News)??
U2 Net $19 Million in Live Nation Shares with Touring Deal, Franchise Their Band, Train Regional Bonos
By Nobodaddy on 10-22-2008
Live Nation, a.k.a. “the original Buy-it-Now people,” have already done a rather fine job of making Satan himself look more like Willy Loman through their recent ultra-savvy purchases of the, umm, entire careers of Madonna, Jay-Z, Nickelback, and Shakira. Now, their most recent acquisition, the illimitable U2, has just discovered (Merry Christmas, fellas!) that the 1.56 million shares of Live Nation that they are set to receive as part of their 12-year touring and merchandising contract with the concert promotions giant will amount to roughly... $19 million! The deal’s value was revealed in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made last week. I’m not sure how many Arizona state joshua trees you could adopt and save with that kind of scratch (that is what U2’s thing is, right?), but I’m sure it’s a whole damn lot.
Unlike many of Live Nation’s other manifested destinies, the U2 deal, which was signed back in March, is not an all-encompasing 360-deal and only includes the band’s tours, merchandising, and official website. In other words, Bono and the boys will continue to release music through Universal Music and collect publishing through their blandly named U2 Ltd. company. Unfortunately, both parties will have to wait to see where the stock market roller coaster decides to crash-land before learning the actual value of their deal, but if history is any guide here, everyone involved will probably be rich enough to buy that roller coaster, fix it up, and sell more tickets.
Just to give you an idea, U2’s Vertigo tour in 2005-2007 made over $400 million in revenues and was the second highest grossing tour... of all time, so touring on a new album alone (which they plan to release in early ’09, by the way) should generate more than a billion dollars in grosses over the course of the contract. Can you say “new sunglasses”?
