Tortoise Setting Off for European Tour
Chicago band Tortoise, after only a
short break, is once again setting off on tour. However, unlike their
Beacons of Ancestorship tour earlier this year, which featured
almost exclusively U.S. dates, this time around Tortoise is packing
for Europe. Kicking off at Barcelona's International Jazz
Festival and ending in the U.K. with some guests at the All Tomorrow’s
Parties 10-year anniversary show, Tortoise will be looping through
Europe and playing a total of 20 shows in 11 countries.
As a band, Tortoise is pushing 20 years and still going strong, with six albums under their belt spanning over a decade. Here's hoping for at least another decade of Tortoise
11.18.09 - Barcelona, Spain - ES Jazz Festival
11.19.09 - Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg - Kulturfabrik
11.20.09 - Leuven, Belgium - Stuk
11.21.09 - Kortrijk, Belgium - NEXT Festival
11.22.09 - London, England - Royal Festival Hall
11.24.09 - Rubigen, Switzerland - Mühle Hunziken
11.25.09 - Rome, Italy - Circolo Degli Artisti
11.26.09 - Florence, Italy - Vipertheatre
11.27.09 - Bologna, Italy - Estragon
11.28.09 - Milan, Italy - Magazzini Generali
11.29.09 - Zurich, Switzerland - Stall 6
11.30.09 - Erlangen, Germany - E-Werk
12.01.09 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk II
12.02.09 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Jr
12.04.09 - Olso, Norway - Rockefeller
12.07.09 - Poznan, Poland - Slodownia @ Stary Browar
12.08.09 - Bochum, Germany - Bahnhof Langendreer
12.09.09 - Paris, France - Alhambra
12.10.09 - Nantes, France - l'Olympic
12.11.09 - Minehead, UK - ATP 10 Year Anniversary Festival *
* Melvins, Shellac, and For Carnation
The Magnetic Fields to Release Realism in January 2010
The Magnetic Fields are back and presumably better than ever. Their eighth LP, Realism, is set for release January 26 via Nonesuch. Aside from the title, release date, label, and tracklisting, we ain't got much else to say. But I bet it'll be as compelling as 2008's Distortion (TMT Review). I mean, why not?
Realism tracklisting:
1. You Must Be Out of Your Mind
2. Interlude
3. We Are Having a Hootenanny
4. I Don’t Know What to Say
5. The Dolls’ Tea Party
6. Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree
7. Walk a Lonely Road
8. Always Already Gone
9. Seduced and Abandoned
10. Better Things
11. Painted Flower
12. The Dada Polka
13. From a Sinking Boat
Jack White Turns Down Slash; Slash Disappointed, Crying
Slash, former lead guitarist for hair-metal maestros Guns N' Roses, was pretty upset that Axl Rose actually managed to get Chinese Democracy out; he, like everyone else on the planet who wasn’t Axl Rose, thought that the album would never actually be released. Well, as we all know, the album is totally available for purchase, but this whole situation had Slash pretty upset, so he decided that, in order to feel better, he has to release a bitchin’ solo CD.
Slash called up all of his famous friends -- people like Adam Levine, Nicole Scherzinger, Iggy Pop, Cypress Hill, Fergie, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Meat Loaf, Dave Grohl, Flea, Chris Cornell, and every non-lead singer member of Guns N' Roses -- wrote a bunch of songs, and set about making that bitchin’ album. But then Slash realized that one of his songs had no vocals. So, accordingly, he called up Jack White, because Jack White is already in a bunch of bands and Slash totally digs Jack White.
Then the unexpected happen: “I wanted to get Jack White to sing on something, but he didn’t want to sing. He said ‘I’ll play drums, I’ll play guitar, but I don’t wanna sing.’ He was one guy that I wanted to work with. Pretty much everyone else that I went after I managed to get.”
Hiatus Never Means Having to Say You're Sorry: The Return of Field Music Imminent!
No matter what anyone tells you, there are only two possible outcomes when bands split up: 1. One part of the group becomes arena-selling megastars while the other part(s) withers and dies from talent/attention envy, and 2. All parties soldier on releasing terrible records on their own, stubbornly refusing to admit that despite wanting to bludgeon their former bandmate(s) nightly, they can't possibly survive without the healthy competition and creative collaboration their union once provided. Those are the two split scenarios. There are no others.
Acts going on hiatus are a trickier breed to classify. Often a "hiatus" is just another way to say "we need to see other people... permanently" or "we're really splitting up but we don't want to hurt your feelings." So it was with great trepidation that lovers of Sunderland's Field Music first read that their heroes were taking a break from playing and recording together some two-and-a-half years ago. Unexpectedly, but not overly surprising given the members' talents as songsmiths, both David and Peter Brewis stepped up large by releasing killer albums through their non-Field Music projects in the interim -- Peter with his self-titled masterclass The Week That Was and David with Sea from Shore (TMT Review) by his School of Language project.
The sheer amount of reunion shows and "comin'-out-of-retirement" bullshit means most semi-splits are never permanent and Field Music kept the promise they made to return by announcing that they have resumed activities under the Field Music banner and have a 20-track DOUBLE album coming out in the new year. If you're excited now, try not to blow your load too early. If you're not excited, you'll have time to plan your eruption. Measure is due February 16, 2010, a Tuesday, on Memphis Industries/Revolver.
Measure:
1. In the Mirror
2. Them That Do Nothing
3. Each Time Is a New Time
4. Measure
5. Effortlessly
6. Clear Water
7. Lights Up
8. All You'd Ever Need to Say
9. Let's Write a Book
10. You and I
11. The Rest Is Noise
12. Curves of the Needle
13. Choose Numbers
14. The Wheels Are in Place
15. First Come the Wish
16. Precious Plans
17. See You Later
18. Something Familiar
19. Share the Words
20. It's About Time
There will be a full tour announced closer to Measure's release date but the Brothers Brewis will play two U.S. dates at the beginning of December, bookended by shows in the U.K
11.13.09 - Liverpool, England - The Bumper
11.19.09 - Manchester, England - Deaf Institute
11.21.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - Captains Rest
11.22.09 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Sneaky Pete's
11.27.09 - Newcastle, England - The Cluny
11.28.09 - Newcastle, England - The Cluny
12.03.09 - Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House
12.05.09 - Chicago, IL - The Beat Kitchen
01.07.10 - London, England - Hoxton Bar & Grill
So It’s Come to This: Remastered Beatles Catalog Now for Sale Via Fucking USB Jump Drive
Let’s face it: People fucking love buying Beatles shit. And they will never stop fucking buying Beatles shit for as long as they fucking live. Whether it’s a fucking video game, or the same fucking albums you’ve owned for 40 goddamn years, Apple Corps just loves milking the teet of the 50-something set for every discretionary dollar it can get its Liverpuddled hands on.
Except for those ghastly digital downloads, that is!
Apple Corps would never be so beastly as to cash in on the monumental notoriety of the world’s most famous band ever by offering its fans simple access to its favorite group’s music through iTunes. Really, how barbaric!
You see, Apple Corps knows what your average Beatlemaniac craves, and that’s a fucking multimedia experience. What’s that? You just like the music? Aren’t the timeless songs what’s really important, you ask? Well you can take your precious records and ram ’em up your fart furnace, Grandpa! We’re talking 21st-century Beatles here. The consumer wants the full Beatles experience, not just those stodgy old pop songs! The consumer wants to play guitar like George and harmonize like Paul, so s/he has been given a $300 set of plastic toys to achieve his dream at last. The consumer wants to listen to “Here Comes the Sun” while a muscular man in a peacock feather Speedo does pushups in a ceramic hamster wheel, so s/he has been given a $150 ticket to a Las Vegas revue that offers something very similar to that.
But who, I implore, asked for this: a fucking limited-edition USB jump drive packed with the 14 remastered Beatles albums plus 13 “mini-documentaries” about (almost) each record? Is this Apple Corps’ idea of a digital release? A fucking memory stick that most people will end up backing up their illegal MP3s onto? But hold on, ya’ll, the fucking thumb drive is shaped like an Apple! Just like the record company they started! How kitchsy! I will totally spend $279.99 for this glorified floppy disk! Or, according to Rachel B, I could just pop over to Bluebeat.com, where they’re selling digital copies of every Beatles album for fire sale prices. Sure, they’re selling the songs without permission, but I’d just like easy access to a product I desire without a bunch of useless glitz or pricey packaging. I guess I’m just not the average consumer, though.
EMI Throws Tantrum Over Beatles Downloads, Yells "I Want That!" at BlueBeat.com, Sues and Throws Sand in Their Face on Playground
Did you know that the entire Beatles catalogue has never been licensed for sale as a digital download? It's true. You'll be hard-pressed to find any trace of The Beatles on Amazon, iTunes, or anywhere else... except for BlueBeat.com, which has been audaciously selling Beatles tracks for 25¢ each.
When EMI and Apple Corps got wind of this, they screamed… they cried… and they sued. EMI has reportedly filed a lawsuit against BlueBeat citing “copyright infringement and misappropriation of pre-1972 sound recordings.” BlueBeat has yet to comment on its predicament.
Ecast Tryin' to Make Some Front Page Drive-In News with Investment Announcement
Another Thursday night. After-work drinks at the local shithole usually end with a half-eaten donair and a piss-poor sleep on the sofa, but tonight there was something different in the air for our hero. Most asked after the fact say it was a mix of pickled eggs and contraband Drakkar but for some it was much more magical. He spies a few interesting faces, one in particular among a group of well-ridden regulars. Feathered hair AND red denim skintights... BA-BAM! Normally a free G&T would be enough to corral one of these cougs back to the lair but something told him that additional help might be required to snare this particular cub. He slides off his bar stool and walks as erect as a salacious Greek novelty keychain toward the digital jukebox secured to the back wall. Coins dispensed, his eyes dart through the flipping CD covers with quiet conviction. His hand stops automatically on the button and his fingers instinctively press "31-03" on the grimy number-pad. Walking confidently back to his barstool, he flashes a "done deal" smile at his soon-to-be conquest and thinks to himself, "I can't believe they have Bob Seger's 'Night Moves' here!"
I can. And if you have ever had your ears held captive by one of those dreadful digital bar jukeboxes that invariably spin the endless likes of Steve Miller, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and, yes, Bob Seger as selection staples, so can you. It doesn't have to be this way. I have frolicked in suds-soused sounds that came from good digital bar players crammed with French yé-yé, au currant British indie labels, or '50s rockabilly rarities and '60s and '70s soul treats. With the announcement of renewed investment digital media leader Ecast, the prospect of better bar times seems all the more likely.
Ecast, "the leader in place-based interactive media," knows that people will always need booze, especially in the most depressing of economic times, and has secured $17 million in funding to keep full-tilt drunks and mild social drinkers alike happy as clams. The company provides bars and restaurants with a network of 10,000 touchscreen, internet-connected digital jukeboxes, generating profit by displaying more than a billion ads monthly. In addition to contributions from current investors Foundry Group, Escalate Capital Partners, DCM, and Crosslink Capital, the $17M comes from Ecast's new investing partner and electronics giant LG. Ecast presently has label rights to Sony BMG, Warner, and Universal material in addition to some independent imprints distributed through IODA. Could the licensing rights to Load, Orange Twin, or Ecstatic Peace! be far behind? Probably not, but one can dare to dream. It would be better than having to sit through "Under Pressure" a dozen times a night. Narrowly better.
Serena-Maneesh Sign to 4AD
4AD has confirmed that it will be releasing Serena-Maneesh's follow-up to their self-titled debut. It's been five years since they've released new material, so hooray for Serena-Maneesh fans! Okay, the Oslo group did release SM Backwards last year, a two-disc compilation of early material from 1999-2003, and the majority of you probably hadn't heard the tracks before -- but you know what? THAT'S JUST NOT THE SAME.
The 4AD album is slated for release March 2010. More news coming soon. For now, check out these scattered dates, which parallel quite nicely with this choppy news story:
11.28.09 - Bergen, Norway - Hulen
12.02.09 - Oslo, Norway - Garage
12.06.09 - Minehead, UK - All Tomorrow’s Parties
01.15.10 - Groningen, Netherlands - Eurosonic
01.22.10 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
01.23.10 - Brooklyn, NY - Littlefield
02.19.10 - Oslo, Norway - by:Larm
EU Proposal Protects File-Sharers, ACTA May Be Blunted Yet
Fellow readers, you may have been horrified by recent news concerning the leaking of ACTA treaty proposals (TMT News), primarily led by the Obama/Biden administration's industry-fueled intentions for a "graduated response" (a.k.a. three-strikes) policy and for ISPs to actively monitor user activity for signs of piracy and force disconnects. But there is some hope: Last week, after an all-night session to reach a compromise, the European Parliament and Council of Ministers reached a unanimous agreement on the EU Telecoms Reform Package, a set of laws to be imposed on the EU for the sake of increasing competition for ISPs and telecoms. The compromise in question, importantly, added protections to internet users, in particular file-sharers.
In legislation crafted by none other than the Swedish Pirate Party's Christian Engström, the compromise did not prohibit the addition of the troubling three-strikes policy, an issue likely held firm due to the ACTA negotiations. However, the agreement did not demand the policy, either. More importantly, the agreement added grounds that would, in the event of such a policy's implementation, protect users from unjust disconnection and forced compensation. Users would be availed the right to privacy, as well as the right to "a fair and impartial judicial review."
This addition of due process and judicial protection was a surprising yet positive victory for the Party, who will have member Amelia Andersdotter joining the European Parliament when the Treaty of Lisbon goes into effect December 1. Most importantly, it marks the first significant strike against the impending ACTA treaty. When the world's nations return to the negotiating table in January, these new laws will be put at stake and may force the Obama/Biden administration to compromise or back down on many of its proposals. The likelihood of compromise is high: The next round of negotiations is taking place in Stockholm, home territory of the Pirate Party.
There is hope for us yet.
RIP: Jerry Fuchs of Maserati, !!!, The Juan Maclean
From Chunklet (via onethirtybpm):
Getting phone calls at three in the morning on a Saturday night are never a good sign, and the one I got last night is no exception. Fred Weaver called and left a message on my voice mail which I immediately returned to get some of the most grim news of my life.Jerry Fuchs, drummer extraordinaire, illustrator par excellence, Chunklet contributor and rock solid friend, died last night. I'm still awaiting to get more news, but here's what I know: Jerry was at a party in Brooklyn and fell down an elevator shaft. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was admitted in critical condition. Shortly after, he died in the early hours of Sunday, November 8 while an entire waiting room of friends were there for him.
Calexico Celebrate Dia de los Muertos on Website, Plan to Pelt Fans with Sugar Skulls on Upcoming Tour
Fun fact about Calexico: you can buy really awesome Dia de los Muertos paper flags on their website! Fact #2: John (of the band) recently composed a film score for Taiwanese filmmaker Peter Chang’s Man with a Movie Camera-esque video portrait of Tokyo, Toyko Is Dreaming, which premiered about a month ago at a film festival in England. Whoa, what’s this? Another fact? YES. Here goes: Calexico is touring very, very soon. For the majority of the dates, the group is being billed simply as founding members Joey and John of Calexico. Life on the road wraps up with a performance as part of seminal LA punk band X’s 2nd Annual Merry X-mas show.
Dates:
11.08.09 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
11.10.09 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre *
11.11.09 - Tarrytown, NY - The Tarrytown Music Hall *
11.12.09 - Portsmouth, NH - The Music Hall *
11.13.09 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre *
11.14.09 - Providence, RI - Lupo’s *
11.15.09 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theatre *
11.16.09 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre *
12.19.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern **
* performing as Joey and John of Calexico
** X
