Elvis Pill Bottles for Sale; Oh Private Auction Houses, You Truly Do Maintain Our Love of Rock
By Kid Midnight on 06-01-2009
I’ve been a fan of music, generally of the Rock and/or Roll variety, for pretty much the entirety of my 25 years. I love the stuff, always have and always will. Like most rock fanatics, I have my list of “Top Ten All-Time Favorite Rock Stars of All Time,” and, like most fanatics, I am happy to consume everything and anything related to my Rock Idols. I scour the web for interviews, spend hours examining photo sessions, read biography after biography after auto-biography, and, of course, passionately collect, listen to, and memorize all of my favorite recordings. I’m also one of those guys who stands patiently by the edge of the stage or the back-stage door, waiting for my chance to talk to my Rock Idols. I am a disciple of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Rock Stars are my prophets of a better place.
However, one thing has always perplexed me: what the fuck is up with people who will pay thousands of dollars for the meaningless detritus of a Rock Star's life? I mean, does anyone really need to own Elvis’s pill bottles? Are there people out there who can’t live without John Lennon’s actual, verified, comb? Is there anything more shocking then watching an innocent fan turn into maniac as they rub their face with the sweat-stained towel of Def Leppard’s drummer?
What I mean to say is this: the type of shit they auction off as memorabilia these days is just plain weird. If you’re one of the many people who follow my TMT career faithfully, then you know that I have a little bit of an interest in the world of what people are willing to buy in the name of Fandom and how, for some people, owning an inconsequential ticket stub seems to be of more value than JUST LISTENING TO THE FUCKING RECORDS. Whether it be Big Bopper’s casket (yep, the one he was buried in) or all punk rock becoming priceless commodity, I have a strange fascination with the way Rock History has shifted into something so easily bought and sold, and the spirit of change, development, betterment, and creative expression inherent in rock just ain't the same anymore. Seriously, what’s next? The actual shotgun Cobain used to shoot himself? Is this really what the faithful followers of the Church of Rock have come to? Is this really how we appreciate the music that has been brought into our lives? By buying, um, nasal douches?
Elvis's pill bottles are up for auction June 26 and 27 at Julien's in Las Vegas. See you there.
Kurt Vile of Philly Signs with Matador of New York, Declares Self “The White Jay-Z” on Controversial Fall Album
By Squeo on 05-29-2009
Aw naw! I thought this week couldn't get any better: first it was a big-screen viewing of The Elephant Man, then came the unofficial arrival (and imminent release) of J Dilla's pahty masterpiece, then I bought that two-hour Jim O'Rourke re-issue on Streamline, finalized by a packet of Swiss Miss taken straight. Satiated, I settled back into my plush TMT office chair and took in the remaining minutes of a slow Friday.
AND THEN KURT VILE SIGNED TO MATADOR, PAVING THE WAY TO MEGASTARDOM and also a multi-album deal! Legally this means Matador officials are given clearance to prod the young singer/songwriter within the limits of the law until he puts out >100 songs.
Presumably he knew people would be excited about the news, so the man of many hits has decided to get contractual obligation #1 out the door fast. Recorded in one sitting (a la Van Morrison's classic Contractual Obligation Session), Vile called on industry heavyweights Scott Storch and Polow Tha Don to iron over any errors in the recording process. As a test run, Storch edited Vile's discography thus far (Consant Hitmaker last year, The Hunchback EP and God Is Saying This to You... more recently) to a more manageable 13-minute "best of," and some of the records' more experimental leanings were layered over an "indie-edit" of "Contagious," one of the hottest Storch beats off Ludacris' Theater of the Mind.
NO! Kurt Vile will be releasing Childish Prodigy on CD/LP this Fall on the esteemed Matador Records, and it'll probably be incredible. Vile will also be heard blowing his dumped trumpet all over Blues Control's Siltbreeze debut. Until then, hold hands with a loved one, and reflect on your enduring psychic connections.
Thanks to [Phrequency for the tip!]
Mario Speedwagon’s Under the Radar News Round Up: Vivian Girls to Release Sophomore LP This Fall, Tortoise to Tour This Summer, YACHT to Release Album in July, Athfest, Karl Blau Heads Out on European Summer Tour
By Mario Speedwagon on 05-29-2009
Sorry there was no round up last week, kids. It was a holiday weekend and I took a half-day and was getting my happy hour on.
- File this under shit I don’t care about, but I bet you do: Vivian Girls are releasing their follow-up to the 2008 self-titled debut this Fall. Everything Goes Wrong will be out in September 2009 via In The Red. I really hope they do themselves a favor and don’t do any interviews.
- Tortoise are heading out on a small tour this summer in support of Beacons of Ancestorship, out June 23 on Thrill Jockey. Their tour kicks off at the end of May in Buffalo, NY at the Tralf Music Hall and continues on various dates throughout the summer in the U.S., Asia, and Europe, until August at Pukkelpop in Hasselt, Belgium. Tortoise can play Buffalo, NY, but they can’t play in the south? Come on, guys. (You can check out all the dates at that first Tortoise link, baby.)
- YACHT will release their newest LP, See Mystery Lights, July 28 via DFA. The record was recorded in Marfa, TX (random), and the album title comes from orbs of light that appear on the horizon of the desert. One time I went to Chili’s on acid and freaked out because I thought I couldn’t see my reflection in a cutout in the wall. It was a cutout. There was no mirror there. Anyway, check it out.
- AthFest, the annual music festival held in Athens, Georgia, will be happening the weekend of June 25-28 in downtown Athens and at various music venues around town. Bands scheduled to play include Dead Confederate, Black Lips, Patterson Hood, Ginger Envelope, Nappy Roots (aw’naw), Cinemechanica, Pegasuses-XL, Ruby Isle, Casper & The Cookies, The Buddy System, We Versus The Shark, Madeline, and tons of other bands. Wristbands for the entire event are only $16! That’s cheap as shit, y’all. (You can find information on wristbands, lodging, and more on bands playing, at that first AthFest link, baby.)
- K Records patriot Karl Blau will be going on tour in Europe this summer. Karl is currently at Primavera Sound in Barcelona and will continue hitting up festivals and select dates with Ariel Pink throughout June and parts of August. Other European dates are will be added soon.
L8R.
Tone Loc Rushed to a Hospital After Passing-out Funky-Cold at Hot Outdoor Concert in (Where Else?) Florida
By Nobodaddy on 05-29-2009
In what must be the biggest bummer since Sheena turning out to be a man back in ’89, Rapper Tone Loc (a.k.a. the best part of 1994’s critically acclaimed Blank Check) reportedly collapsed and passed-out after performing at an outdoor concert in Florida today. Capt’n Fun Beach Club, a delightful-sounding open-air club on the Portofino Boardwalk of Pensacola Beach, FL, is, apparently, subject to some funky-hot weather conditions, which included temperatures in the low 80s and humidity of about 87% (not unusual for this time of year), according to weather reports. Based on a visual estimate, the club was filled to about two-thirds of its capacity at the time of the performance. Nothing like getting drunk in the morning, is there, Florida?
But instead of cold-coolin’ by the bar like he’s used to, a spokesman for the Escambia County Sheriff's Department said it appeared that Tone Loc collapsed and possibly had a seizure. Or, as TMZ eloquently put it, “moments after complaining about the heat and humidity, the ‘Wild Thing’ singer suddenly went down so hard -- he busted open his elbow and bled all over his shirt.” That’s poetry, ladies and gentlemen.
Anyway, fans and medical personnel sprung into action, and my man Tone was then rushed to the Hospital. There is no official word yet about his condition. But in solidarity, I think we should all watch some of his finest and most-criminally neglected work together. Let the internet resound the funky sound of... that iguana from Ferngully.
Stay up, Tone!
Two-Thirds of One-Fifth of The Strokes Tour! Er, I mean, Little Joy to Hit the Road This Summer Sans Fab!
By Nobodaddy on 05-29-2009
Hey, so-so news, everyone! Little Joy, a.k.a. “that Strokes off-shoot band that’s not quite as solid as Albert Hammond, Jr.’s thing but not as much of a whole-assed trainwreck as Nickeleye,” is hitting the middle-of-the-road this June for a medium-sized tour of decent-enough U.S. venues!
You may halfway remember that, back in early 2008, Strokes drum machine Fabrizio Morretti joined up with collaborators Rodrigo Amarante and Binki Shapiro in Los Angeles to record what would become Little Joy's mostly okay self-titled debut album (TMT Review), which was released last November by Rough Trade to more-positive-than-not response.
Now, two-thirds of the tepid trio, Rodrigo (vocals and guitar) and Binki (vocals, keys), will set out to spread the little joy of Little Joy without Fab (though concert-goers shouldn't be surprised if ol' boy pops in to make an occasional handsome appearance on stage), as he will for the most part be occupied with, you know, being the click track for the rest of The Strokes.
Luckily, all of these bands sound pretty much the same at the end of the day (oh, come on, they do, its okay), so Rodrigo and Binki will fill out the lineup with Todd Dahlhoff and Matt Borg from The Dead Trees (on bass and guitar, respectively), Matt Romano from Albert Hammond, Jr.'s band (drums) and Jack Dishel from Only Son (guitar, backing vocals). And you know what? They’ll probably do a capable job. More dates to come.
Little Joy C+ Tour:
06.02.09 - Santa Barbara, CA - Club Soho
06.03.09 - San Francisco, CA - Independent
06.04.09 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
06.05.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
06.08.09 - Austin, TX - The Independent
06.09.09 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada
06.10.09 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Studio
06.12.09 - Atlanta, GA - Smith's Olde Bar
06.13.09 - Birmingham, AL - The Nick
06.14.09 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
06.15.09 - Chicago, IL - Double Door
06.17.09 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre *
06.19.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Khyber Pass
06.20.09 - Boston, MA - Cafe 939
06.21.09 - Fairfield, CT - Stage One
06.23.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
* Regina Spektor
