The Fiery Furnaces announce tour in hopes that you’ve never seen them live before and aren’t put off by this news
By Nobodaddy on May 3 2011
Huh? Wha?
What are you doing here?
Uhhh… Ackehmmm…
Sorry, one second… pardon my dust…
Okay, now I’m ready for you. Sorry about that, dude. This is kind of embarrassing, but I wasn’t really expecting anyone to actually click on that headline! Heh heh… soooo, I kinda don’t have anything clever prepared for you. See, I was pretty sure that you’d, you know, already seen a few Furnaces shows in the past and are therefore pretty familiar with the way in which they’ve managed to systematically alienate any semblance of a casual (that is to say: “non-die-hard” or “non-Duchamp-loving”) fanbase through the somewhat-intriguing-but-probably-just-another-middle-finger mystery box that is their live show.
But, well, here you are anyway. So, without further ado: The Fiery Furnaces are touring a small cross section of US clubs in May. Each of these shows is billed as an “intimate duo” set, featuring just the bro-sis duo of Matt and Eleanor Friedberger. And seeing as how the band hasn’t technically released anything official since 2009’s I’m Going Away (remixes and solo endeavors by Eleanor and Matt aside), one can probably imagine the concept for this tour as a Fiery Furnaces Review of sorts. After all, according to their ever-so-patient Thrill Jockey label, the goal of these shows will be “to play Fiery Furnaces songs, lots of them, as simply as possible.” Each set will feature Eleanor on vocals and Matt on piano and vocals. That’s it.
You know, actually, that doesn’t sound like a bad show. Maybe I was wrong about them driving people away whenever they play live. Oh, wait, there’s also “a short karaoke interlude” planned for each show. Never mind.
05.04.11 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall
05.05.11 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall
05.06.11 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live Upstairs
05.07.11 - Cambridge, MA - Lizard Lounge
05.10.11 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
05.11.11 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
05.13.11 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
05.14.11 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
05.17.11 - Los Angeles, CA - Largo
05.18.11 - San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord
05.20.11 - Austin, TX - Lambert’s
05.21.11 - Austin, TX - Lambert’s
• The Fiery Furnaces: http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com
• Thrill Jockey: http://www.thrilljockey.com
Iggy Pop readies new and old music for you to listen to shirtless
By Kid Midnight on May 3 2011
Despite looking like Death with anorexia, Iggy Pop is a busy man with tons of new and old music in the pipeline that he can’t wait for you to listen to. In a recent interview with Billboard, Pop revealed a couple of projects on his schedule sure to satiate fans.
First up, Shout! Factory is releasing Roadkill Rising: The Bootleg Collection 1977 - 2009, a four-CD set of Iggy Pop bootlegs that includes material from Pop’s solo career and with The Stooges, plus some covers, with each CD representing a different decade. If you’re more of a video fan, then you can check out the new DVD Raw Power Live: In The Hands of the Fans, a recording of The Stooges playing at last year’s ATP Festival in New York where the band played their album Raw Power in its entirety.
In future news: Iggy told the magazine that he’s hard at work on a follow-up to 2009’s Préliminaires (TMT Review) where he plans to still sing in both English and French and do another all-covers record. Pop is planning his own versions of The Beatles’ “Michelle,” Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’,” as well as songs from Serge Gainsbourg, Henri Salvador, and plenty of others, with a release tentatively set for late 2011 or early 2012.
Iggy has also been working with his buddy in The Stooges, James Williamson, on new material: “about eight things right now that are… sort of complete songs. Maybe some of them need to be more complete or some of them need to be forgotten. And then some of them… just flow right along.” So, here’s to hoping that we get a new Stooges album in the next five years!
• Iggy Pop: http://www.iggypop.com
• Shout Factory: http://www.shoutfactory.com
• MVD Entertainment: http://mvdb2b.com
Wooden Shijips sign to Thrill Jockey, like you enough to record their new album West in a studio with improved instruments
By Harold Shueberg on May 3 2011
A great day for America indeed! Wooden Shjips have plans to release a new full-length for none other than the fabulous and sexy Thrill Jockey label. Oh, and Osama Bin Laden was killed by some US troops, which is cool I suppose if you’re into the great lie and all that. The best part about this whole extravaganza is that have no physical evidence that this event actually occurred, or how the plan was carried out and executed or who else died in the process, blah blah blah. So hey, fuck it, god bless Amurika. In the end, we do it for Wooden Shjips, so that they’re free and secure and can continue to pump out some out the best comatose psych-rock fluttering around these days in a truly American fashion.
On August 16, Wooden Shjips will release West via the aforementioned label. To diverge from their SF low-fi scene, the band decided to record this one in an actual studio, as opposed to all their previous recorded output. Trans Am dude Phil Manley was responsible for the engineering, while Sonic Boom handled the mastering duties. Expect the start of a worldwide tour come August, and expect America to always be the best.
West tracklisting:
01. Black Smoke Rise
02. Crossing
03. Lazy Bones
04. Home
05. Flight
06. Looking Out
07. Rising
• Wooden Shjips: http://www.woodenshjips.com
• Thrill Jockey: http://www.thrilljockey.com
Pixies to record new material? Possibly! Damnit, and I JUST BOOKED David Lovering as the magician at my kid’s birthday party!
By Nobodaddy on May 2 2011
If anyone out there has ever been seeking an answer to the question “how many victory laps can a person run before he/she turns into a weirdo a-hole?”, Frank Black, Kim Deal, David Lovering, and Joey Santiago have extracted a really solid, scientifically valid, empirically-based result: about seven years-worth.
As we all know from watching loudQUIETloud back in the day and immediately basing our Pixies Reality off of it no-questions-asked, The Pixies love them some paychecks, even at the expense of having fun. Heck, especially at the expense of having fun! Well what could be less fun than making a record?? According to The Guardian, almost nothing. That’s why several members of the band are talkin’ loud about making a new album together after the latest tour is finished. “We gotta plan to make something new,” drummer David Lovering said while looking into his prop crystal ball. “We’re gonna wear out our welcome soon enough.”
See, The Pixies reunited in 2004 (after splitting in 1993) and have been touring their cult classic albums pretty much nonstop ever since. And although there has been talk of a new album for years, word on the playground is that Kim Deal’s reluctance to play ball with Black has been gumming up the works. But in the words of Black Francis himself on Pixies breakthrough album Crooked Rain, Croooked Rain: “the times, they are a-changin’.” “Making a record will be in the forefront [after the tour],” guitarist Joey Santiago says. “We’ve definitely gelled as a unit and hopefully when we can all bury the hatchet — and we have — maybe we’ll go in there and hope for the best.” While no one is suggesting that Deal and Black still have ‘friction’ between them, Santiago seems overall pretty fine with the two of them almost killing each other so that he doesn’t have to go back to doing film score work. “I think [the tension] makes good music,” he says. “[The Kinks’] Ray Davies, you know, beating up his little brother, [laughs] that friction, we’ve always kind of used it. Like, ‘Oh yeah? Screw you, we’re gonna play’. That little angst, it’s good.” In other words, so what if a few people die? New Pixies!
Oh, P.S.: Santiago also claims that none other than Bono has been bugging for some new Pixies! “Bono even asked […] He’s like, ‘Please make a record!’ Goddamn, we can’t leave that unturned. That would frustrate me. It would. I think we should do it. But it’s up to everybody.” There you have it, folks. Bono may be a little slow when single-handedly creating sweeping social reforms, but he can still bully a rock band into making a new album like no one else in shades.
Remaining tourdates, a.k.a. countdown to TOTALLY DEFINITE new Pixies record:
05.03.11 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre
05.04.11 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre
05.05.11 - Victoria, BC - Save On Foods Memorial Centre
• Pixies: http://www.pixiesmusic.com
Loren Connors, Sic Alps, Amen Dunes, Steven R. Smith, and many others contribute to Japan benefit comp
By Squeo on May 2 2011
Man is it hard to type up this story about people still needing help in a foreign country when I’ve got this wild sense of duty, right here in my sack, to just get rowdy all week in honor of the #1 fuggin’ nation in history. I mean, hello, talk about balls to the wall yesterday, no? Here’s my take on it: yeeeuh! GET SOME. Next round’s on me. One in the can for Uncle Sam. I could go on, but the higher-ups at TMT look down on this kind of talk (big surprise), so let’s take a minute or two before the bartender comes back to briefly mention a compilation benefitting the relief efforts in Japan. But then it’s back to slammin’ em back for justice, okay?
Electric Temple Records have curated a double-cassette compilation called Gaman: A Ceremony for Japan that includes exclusive tracks from two dozen artists of supreme quality, including scuzz-savants Sic Alps, antler-bejeweled Steven R. Smith, cabin-fevery Amen Dunes, spectre-stringed Loren Connors, and up-and-coming-prodigy-types Reuben Son and Angel Olsen. I haven’t even settled on descriptors for William Fowler Collins, Zelienople, Lee Noble, The North Sea, Animal Hospital, and Steve Gunn! This compilation (also available digitally) is only $12, with all proceeds going to ShelterBox, a relief organization that “provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world,” currently stationed in Japan. Electric Temple will be tracking the boxes that are sent to families as the benefit goes on, so all who contribute can see the direct impact their money is making.
I think this compilation is a good thing, though the fact that it doesn’t directly praise the United States leaves me skeptical, frankly. You can decide for yourself, though, because it’s been 10 minutes and that means bottom’s up with this next shot.
Gaman: A Ceremony for Japan tracklisting:
Cassette 1:
01. Animal Hospital, “Dreams”
02. William Fowler Collins, “Autumn Lights”
03. High Aura’d, “Methodist Bells”
04. Phantom Family Halo, “Guns and Violens”
05. Steven R. Smith, “Regen Volt, Soka Lesz V.s 2”
06. Glenn Jones, “Portland Cement Factory” (John Fahey cover)
07. Angel Olsen, “She Came and She Touched Me” (Townes Van Zandt cover)
08. Peter Stampfel and Eli Smith, Castor and Pollux”
09. Zelienople, “Smoked”
10. Lee Noble, “August”
11. Loren Connors, “Yesterday and Today”
Cassette 2:
01. Forma, “FORMA 178”
02. GDFX, “Forever a Bone”
03. Reuben Son, “Dancing into Sandtraps”
04. Ancient Ocean, “New Sun Rising”
05. Sic Alps, “Anasazi Chemist”
06. Herbcraft, “Sunset Glow”
07. The North Sea, “Sugar”
08. Clearing, “untitled”
09. Amen Dunes, “Lower Class”
10. Heavy Hymns, “Prayer”
11. SWATi (David First), “4/6/11 17:38:23-17:43:49” (excerpt)
12. Rambutan, “The Kingfisher”
13. Steve Gunn, “Taksim II” (Live in Montreal)
• Electric Temple: http://electrictemple.tumblr.com
