The Magnetic Fields to Release Realism in January 2010
By Mr P on Nov 10 2009
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
By Kid Midnight on Nov 10 2009
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!
By David Nadelle on Nov 10 2009
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
By Mike McHugh on Nov 9 2009
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
By Rachel B on Nov 9 2009
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.
