It seems that the Baltimore Scene (TMT Article) just grew a little quieter. The Charm City-based band Wzt Hearts (TMT Review) (pronounced “Wet”) will be calling it quits after a pretty solid four-year run. Member Jason Urick commented to Pitchfork:
We are now spread through three states, [and] the challenges of staying active while being physically displaced from one another eventually took [their] toll as we all have been involved with other aspects of our [lives] as well.
But fans of the noisy Hearts fret not! All four members of the band will be perusing other projects, so output from these dudes will continue. Starting with Jason Urick, he is just finishing up an album under hibernating moniker moonstealingproject (say that five times fast), as well as a 12-inch and a 7-inch with Half Japanese's Jason Willett using his own name. Jeff Donaldson will be working the boards for These Are Powers on their jaunt in Europe and will continue work on his 8-bit project NoTendo. Mike Haleta will be recording an album with Voltage Spooks and has been recording music with wife Dawn as backbreakerneckbrace. Shaun Flynn will continue to be a Baltimore figurehead playing in various Charm City groups. Finally, two former bandmates Jeff Donaldson and Mike Haleta will be playing a pair of dates at the Cake Shop in New York.
Jeff Donaldson and Mike Haleta tourdates: 11-28 New York, NY - Cake Shop 12-19 New York, NY - Cake Shop
It seems so obvious to me. Why hasn't someone tapped Goldfrapp to do a James Bond theme? Someone who actually sounds cinematic, instead of Jack White? I guess not understanding these kind of matters is why I don't work in the building on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. This, of course, hasn't got Allison down, as she's busy with a slew of products ready for the impending holiday season.
Despite dropping Seventh Tree (TMT Review) -- her best album since Felt Mountain, in my opinion -- earlier this year, the album is getting a quick and handsome re-release featuring a special-edition DVD package. The DVD will include the videos for "Happiness," "A&E," and "Caravan Girl," as well as choice songs from her June 21 performance at De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea. You can also expect all the usual backstage documentation and antics. This edition is obviously aimed at the Goldfrapp fanatic, but if you don't already own the excellent Seventh Tree, November 25 would be a good time to trek down to your favorite media shop and pick up the CD and DVD package, priced to own.
For more Goldie Goodness, her iTunes Original Sessions have been collected and released as a digital download. The sessions include classic Goldfrapp tracks, new material, commentary, and everything else relevant for a big fat ol' compilation download. Head over to Mute Records for more info.
Finally, why don't you also head over to Goldfrapp's website if you have some down time, because it's awesome and trippy (not insane-trippy like Paper Rad's, but definitely one of the more visually engaging artist websites).
Exciting news coming from the Fennesz camp lately. First off, Touch is set to release a new Fennesz solo album, Black Sea, on vinyl November 25 and CD December 9. (What, no pay-what-you-want scheme, Wal-Mart exclusive, or Live Nation 360 deal? Now that's avant-garde!) Using acoustic and electric guitars, synths, electronics, lloopp, and computers, the album has been described by my dear friend as something that'll "blow your friggin' mind" and as a "mind melter of the highest order." How deliciously violent. Although the 6-track LP comes out earlier, the CD comes with two extra tracks, "The Colour of Three" and "Vacuum."
Even sooner, though, is Fennesz's project with multi-instrumentalists Werner Dafeldecker and Martin Brandlmayr. Titled Till The Old World's Blown Up And A New One Is Created (both the group and LP), the album's process features improvisations "reworked into three brief tracks, one edited by each member of the trio. Then these pieces are mined for a few very short fragments. These, in turn, form the core of a much longer piece, painstakingly assembled around repeated motifs salvaged from the wreckage."
Is this how The Hold Steady write their music? Anyway, the album is set for release November 3 via Mosz Records. You can listen to one of its tracks, "Me Son," at Mosz' website.
Black Sea CD tracklisting (courtesy of Pitchfork):
Hey, you little music-loving people! Do you like guitars? Do you like bands? Do you like British guys? Well, hot damn, have I got a DVD to tell you about.
If you want to learn a WHOLE BUNCH about one of the coolest bands that ever existed, then go down to a store that sells DVDs and pick up Yardbirds – The Story Of on November 11. This documentary covers the band's history from 1963-1968, with a shit-ton of original music, archival footage, interviews with band members and “associates” (groupies and drug dealers), and behind-the-scenes looks of the band. The DVD also has footage of Eric Clapton (like I said in the headline, fuck him), Jeff Beck (played with Rod Stewart -- boo), and a young Jimmy Page playing guitar with the band on German TV recorded in 1967. GERMAN! 1967! WOW!
What makes them one of the coolest bands ever? Well, besides the fact that Jimmy Page played guitar for them (fuck those other two band members; they suck), listen to “I’m Your Man” or “Over Under Sideways Down” or, of course, the classic “For Your Love.” All those songs rule!
Kind of like To Catch a Predator, except a little more uncomfortable and way more irrelevant to anyone, the ABC News affiliate in Chelsea, NY decided on Monday that it was their civic duty to find the MC from the once-prasperous hip-hop group and shame him into paying a $19,000 recording studio debt accrued during the recording of Pras’ solo not-platinum album.
Hard-nosed reporter Tappy tracked Pras Michel down at Rutgers University and questioned the artist about the tardy payments. (That’s kinda funny; I always thought that he attended Prasbyterian College.) Anyway, the praspects of Fight Club studio owner Ray Devers receiving the entirety of his overdue check do seem prasmising however, as the rapper laid himself prastrate at his debtor’s feet and put down a $5000 down payment the day after the ambush. It remains unclear whether the studio owner will choose to prasecute.
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 +
